#anyway. that’s off topic. but. whatever. have a good one teddy :)

[m1d-45]

anon who was brainrotting over duality of man here and i am losing my SHIT over inversion of fate OH MY GOD. holy shit. first of all my first mental image was of foul legacy closing its eye and spinning around like they do before you hit a piñata and it is SO delightful. 10/10

AND THEN THE REVEAL… foul legacy being proud of childe for realizing the truth and also having this air of like “i told you so” while childe is so devastated is… CHEF’S KISS. nobody wins in this situation except for maybe foul legacy for being proven right and ME, the sicko (/lh) who enjoys everyone’s emotional turmoil.

this isn’t even mentioning the PARALLELS between childe fighting for control in order to kill you in duality of man vs. him giving it up in order to find you in inversion of fate… thank you so much for this meal i will be well-fed for DAYS

(also since i may or may not return to your ask box to continue yelling abt how good ur writing is may i be teddy anon please?)

very glad you liked it teddy!

foul legacy throughout this whole thing is a mix of “mortals… :/“ and a violent rage from feeling the hatred somebody has for his god—his savior, the one that allowed him reprieve from the abyss—and i’m glad it came across well! he was meant to be like a bitter sort of jaded, just barely biting back an “i told you so” because he 100% WINS in this situation. it’s all positives for him, even if at the price of being locked away for a month or two. nothing he’s not used to anyway- AND he gets to see you again? you, who he knows already trusts him over that harbinger, you who looked at him not in fear but in wonder and welcomed him close,,,, legacy is not losing in this situation. at all.

and regarding the parallels… there’s something to be said, maybe, about how childe’s strive for control leads to bloodshed and him choosing to accept the counsel of others leads to peace, or something… but that’s a lot of philosophical topics for genshin impact fanfiction, don’t you think?

and of course, you’re welcome to come back and yell any time you wish <3 have a lovely day!

[erwinsvow]

you fiddle with the r necklace, rubbing it between your fingers like you always do deep in thought. you should have gotten rid of the necklace the day the two of you broke up, but a hopelessly sad and defiant part of you refused to take it off. it’d been long enough now that it was getting to the point of weird rather than just pathetic. at least, your friends thought so, and they never hesitated to let you know. after all, there was no one that hated your boyfriend more than them.

“you’re doing it again,” kiara comments, staring at your hand mid-motion, the pendant slipping from your grip as you drop it immediately. 

“doing what?” you question innocently, face burning. 

“i still think it’s creepy that he wanted you to wear a necklace with his initial. it’s like a brand. it’s dehumanizing.” 

“or, like, a dog collar,” jj says, holding back a laugh. you look up at them with a blank expression, because you really don’t have any retort. maybe it was rafe’s brand on you, maybe your friends are right. but you think, chest tight, that you didn’t mind being branded by him.

you change the topic because you’ll start crying if you think about it too long—of course they don’t mind, they encourage you to talk about anything but rafe these days. if only it was that easy to get your mind off of him.

rafe doesn’t make it easy on you either. what was supposed to be an amenable break-up had transformed and twisted into something completely different—something that your friends would kill you if they found out about. the first few weeks had been normal, like any other break-up, you sobbed on john b’s shoulder, accepted tissues from pope and listened to jj talk badly about rafe for as long as you could listen. you spent hours with kiara and sarah exploring all the reasons why it was so not meant to be, not when you and rafe were night and day, not when he was still dealing and doing coke. and then, just like other break-ups, the time came to put all of rafe’s shirts and the teddy bears he’d bought you and the photos on your wall into a box and get rid of it all.

you think you’re doing a good thing, by bringing rafe his shirts back instead of burning them like jj suggested. you knock on the door to tannyhill, making sure you spot his truck parked outside—even though one glance at the car where you’d lost your virginity to rafe makes your face burn up. you feel flushed and clammy when rafe opens the door, and he looks at you like nothing’s happened since he saw you last, and the rest of your resolve caves almost immediately. 

“hey, kid.”

“hi,” you chirp, pulling your eyes away from rafe’s before he convinces you to do something you’ll regret. “i brought your clothes back. i had more than i realized.” you offer him the box, but he doesn’t extend his arms.

“nah, you can keep them. you’ll be needin’ them anyways.”

“what?”

“how long d’you think we’re gonna stay broken up for? huh? another week? two?”

“rafe, i-”

“it’s okay, kid, just keep them.”

“no, i think you should take them-”

“why don’t you come upstairs and put them away f’me? hm?”

the first time it happens, you tell yourself it was a one-time mistake, that could happen to anyone. you’re wrapped up in rafe’s sheets, naked and sweaty, trying your hardest to catch your breath while you stare at the muscles of rafe’s back while he pulls up his laptop and finishes whatever he was working on. your phone keeps going off, probably your friends wondering why you’re so late to dinner. you pray to god kiara doesn’t check your location.

“you gonna get that?” rafe asks, turning back to look at you. you just look at him, delirious and still incredibly sad, wondering if this is the last time you’ll ever be in rafe’s bed again. 

“no, they’re just gonna ask me where i am.”

“still lettin’ them control how you really feel? gotta work on that, baby.” you feel any anger bubbling up at the fact that rafe still thinks you let your friends decide your feelings for you—a key point you had argued during the break-up—melt away at the sound of the nickname.

“they don’t like how much i like you.” you say it kind of sadly, like things could be different, like the two of you could have made it work in another world. you fiddle with your necklace, before unclasping it and letting it drop onto rafe’s palm. “i should go now.” 

it feels much too intense, like the third-act breakup in the cheesy books you read. you want rafe to fight for you, you want your friends to like him, but that means he has to change, and as much as it pains you to admit it, you don’t want any part of him to change. you want your friends to change their minds, but they won’t, and you want rafe to care that your friends don’t like him, but he doesn’t.

you try to move but he manhandles you into place, a hand on your wrist tugging you back into bed. he pushes your hair aside, clasping the necklace back on, and then rafe presses a kiss to the back of your neck.

“don’t ever take this off again, got it?”

you nod. rafe sends you to the chateau in one of his shirts and you pray to god no one notices that or your necklace is still in its usual place.

the next time it happens, you can’t even try to argue that it was an accident. you knew rafe wouldn’t make this easy for you, but you didn’t think he could make it so impossibly difficult. his texts light up your phone, only a few feet away from pope and john on the couch, watching the movie but only half paying attention.

R: where are you tonight

R: you coming here or do i need to come get you?

your heart settles into your stomach, being attacked by the wings of the butterflies that have made their home there. rafe talks to you like the two of you are still dating, and your mind slips into an easy, soft place where that is still your reality. 

“what kinda porn are you lookin’ at right now?” jj asks, and you break out of your fantasy.

“what?” you blubber out, before john b interrupts.

“jj, stop making everything about porn.”

“i’ve seen that look before, man, it’s the exact face pope makes when he found somethin’ fun and fresh. so what’s your type, i mean, you can share with the class-”

after slapping jj on the back of the head and reassuring everyone that there was no porn on your phone—only the promise of something better waiting for you, but they don’t need to know that—you head out, replying to rafe quickly.

coming now. 

this time, you can’t lie and act surprised that you’ve ended up here again. rafe turns on his tv to watch the evening news, and it’s so silly you almost want to laugh, but you stay silent, watching him watch the news and taking a sip of the water he got for you. 

you turn your head to place the cup on his nightstand, and see your lip balm perched next to his lamp.

“i’ve been looking for this,” you say, picking it up and turning to rafe. 

“yeah, you left it here.”

“why didn’t you tell me?”

“‘cause i knew you’d be back.”

you think that’s enough to be your reality check. it’s not.

a week later, you accompany your friends to the bonfire. you play with your necklace while they fill up plastic cups with beer from the keg.

“you’re never gonna get over him if you keep wearing things he got you,” kiara says, taking a sip from her cup. you know she’s only trying to help you, that she’s only worried about you. you wish they would stop bringing him up.

“i’m not ready to take it off.”

“that’s not healthy. in fact, that’s so unhealthy that-”

“i said i’m not ready. can we drop it?”

“why not?” she asks, and you feel tears start to build along your eyes. “oh jeez, speak of the devil.” you feel a familiar hand on your shoulder, turning to face rafe.

“can i have a minute?” he says, looking at kie.

“no. you can’t have any,” comes her reply, until you look back. 

“kie, i’ll be right back.” 

you and rafe walk, ignoring the shout of your friend to not go, to an empty spot by the fire. 

“didn’t think you’d come here,” rafe says, quietly. you look at your shoes to avoid looking into his eyes.

“they dragged me along… trying to make me meet someone new.”

“yeah? is it working?” 

“i just told my best friend i’m not ready to take your necklace off, so, what’d you think-” rafe stops you, his hand coming up to lift your chin to make you meet his eyes finally. he presses his lip to yours—it feels different than the hundreds of times he’s kissed you before. your eyes flutter shut, a sole tear spilling down your cheek. 

you wonder if everyone’s looking. you decide you don’t really care.

“i told ya not to take that necklace off.”

“i listened, rafe,” you breathe softly.

“i know,” he says, kissing you again and then pulling away. “you’re a good girl. you always listen. i’m done with this crap, and i don’t care what your idiot friends say. not staying away from you. no one can make me, not even you.”

“i don’t want you to stay away.” rafe takes the pendant with his initial into his fingers, playing with it before letting it fall against your chest.

“good. now go tell them you’re coming home with me and let’s get outta here.”

[dontmixpaintinyourcoffee]

As per usual, info under the cut <3

IM BACK BITCHES!!!

Alright, here's the design stuff:

I wanted to go for kind of a Lois Lane vibe, including the way she gets all the way up in business she should not be up in. At the same time I wanted to bring the super cutesy gothic lolita style in at least a little. So I ended up going with a poofy short jumpsuit with bows and teddy bears. I would love to make a specific thank you to @themooncallsyou for suggesting I look at the Moschino 2022 spring line for inspiration, it ended up having a very heavy impact on the final design.

I tried to lean into the investigative part of investigative reporter, so that's what the heavy coat is about. I thought adding that classic detective silhouette would be a nice final touch. Plus, I think Blondie likes the drama of the coat flying behind her as she's chasing down a lead. It makes her feel very cool.

Alright, so her original pet is a bear cub named Grizz but I have. Several problems with that. The main one is that it's not clear what the difference between Grizz and the actual sentient bears and her story is. There is never any differentiation between them. It's a Goofy-Pluto situation. Like it doesn't need to be explained, but the minute you start thinking about it too hard it gets weird real fast.

Anyways say hello to Honey the magpie!! Magpies are great mimics and lovers of shiny things, so I thought one would be a perfect fit for Blondie. She repeats bits of gossip and steals little trinkets and clues to help Blondie with whatever case she's on. Honey is where Blondie gets her infinite supply of bobby pins. Her scale is a little off, I don't think magpies are actually that big, but I still think she's cute so I'm not changing it now lol.

Now for character stuff:

Honestly I'm not really changing anything as much as I am exploring what's already there. I think Blondie has the potential to be really interesting, because she's unique within the class system of the school. She's kind of the inverse of Raven status-wise. Raven was born to royalty, but because her mom is the Evil Queen she's actually considered a commoner by society. Blondie was born to a wealthy commoner family, but her fear of rejection leads her to exaggerate the prestige of her lineage. Everyone sort of knows that she's not a Princess but she's so desperate to keep up the image of royalty that no one knows where she actually lands. Most of the royals assume her parents are Lord and Lady or Duke and Duchess or something. In reality they don't have any noble title, and Blondie is very insecure about that.

Blondie isn't so much ashamed of her family as she is terrified of exclusion and rejection. Her standing in society is the one major thing that makes her different from all the other royals, but she has major anxieties that she's always on thin ice. In her mind she's permanently one wrong step from total ostracization.

On a happier note, she does have a genuine passion for journalism! She considers her news blog/podcast practice for her future career. She starts out discussing school drama and gossip, but tries to stay a neutral third party. That's why her hair is so big. It's full of secrets. As the story goes on she starts reporting on more political and social topics beyond the boundaries of the school (and therefore becomes one of Milton Grimms worst nightmares). She is really, really, really good at getting into shit people do not want her to get into. She's got her eyes on prize and good luck stopping her

[mouwrites]

Good Morning/Evening!!

Could I request Dating Cole Brookstone Headcanons?

I see you are a person of fine taste, my friend!! It would be my pleasure to fulfill this request!

Ninjago - Dating Cole Brookstone Headcanons

I see him as a natural romantic

Like, he doesn’t even have to try

He just does stuff and it’s so perfect

Like, he’ll thoughtlessly pull you into a slow dance when his favorite song comes on

(Side note: he LOVES to dance with you)

Or he’ll “surprise” you with a fancy restaurant reservation and flowers (he really just forgot to tell you earlier and got the flowers because they reminded him of you)

Or he’ll spout the most heartfelt compliments at random moments

“You really are the most beautiful person ever.”

“…I’m just scrolling on my phone though? In my unwashed pjs???”

All this without even specifically trying to be romantic

He’s just being himself

His favorite kind of date is to go out to dinner

He likes trying new things with you, so one of you will pick an obscure restaurant to try out each time

Whether it’s palatable or not, you always have a good time anyway

If the food sucks, you bond over the horrible experience

“Wow. That was horrible.”

“Ugh, I know. Was that rice or shredded tire rubber?”

“Honestly, the latter would’ve tasted better.”

“Pfff—”

Talking over a table with the din of restaurant ambience is like your guys’ own love language

You’ll talk about anything and everything

Light topics, dark topics, deep topics, whatever comes to mind

He’s a really deep and reflective person, so your deep conversations are often the most meaningful

He’s also absolutely hilarious though, so joking around is a very close second

Speaking of, his love languages are physical touch and words of affirmation

As mentioned before, he’s a natural at giving compliments

But he also uses the L word quite liberally

Definitely the first to say “I love you”

He loves cuddling

He’s a big guy, so you already know he’s optimally huggable

Doesn’t mind what cuddling position; he just likes to be close to you

If he had to pick a favorite, though, he likes to lay on your chest and listen to your heartbeat

Whenever he has to go away on a mission, he gives you the biggest bear hug

He’ll lift you off your feet, squishing your faces together and peppering your cheek with kisses

The hug he gives you when he gets back isn’t quite so energetic, but it’s no less romantic

He’ll lean on you a little more, relaxing his form to fit against yours perfectly as he lets out a long sigh

He’ll rub your back absentmindedly while he murmurs how much he missed you

Those are some of his best hugs, but he also frequently just lifts you up in a quick two-second hug, sometimes even from behind

“Ack! Cole, put me down!”

“Ha, sorry babe. You’re just so darn lovable, how am I supposed to not hug you?”

“Don’t apologize; I just want to hug you back!”

Also big on touching

Not necessarily PDA (but he won’t object if you like that), just maintaining physical contact

Hand holding, an arm around your shoulder, pinky-locking, anything really

Even if it’s just touching shoulders

Likes to get creative with cute nicknames as well

His go-tos are babe, baby, sweetheart, and angel face/cakes

But you’ve also heard pumpkin, muffin, munchkin, gorgeous, sugar, teddy bear, cuddle monster, etc…

Plus some… interesting… original ones

“Hello, my lovely little dragon snackie!”

“Cole. I love you but what was that.”

He will ascend to the heavens if you give him literally any affectionate nickname

Gives you the biggest grin whenever you use it

Honestly he smiles whenever you say his name, but cute nicknames will really get him

I hope this was alright! Thank you for this splendid request, and thank you for reading! Take care you cultured folks <33

[seullovesme]

my daisy. » kang seulgi

pairing ⥬ kang seulgi x reader

genre ⥬ fluff (happy late valentines!)

summary ⥬ a girl with brightest smile gifted you a bouquet of assorted flowers for valentines day, bringing life to your world that was once dull and colorless

wc ⥬ 1.8k

'so, i'll just wait for you to bloom' - my daisy (w2e)

dread.

that was the name of the feeling that took over your body as you watched all the couples gathering in the hall, everyone in their own pair except for a handful of people. unfortunately, you were in that select few.

you hated valentines day. not because you hate the idea of love, but because out of all years of your life you never had a valentine. ever since you were a little kid, seeing your parents have a whole day where they showered each other in love like they were carefree made you want that for yourself.

but here you are, standing all alone, surrounded by people who weren't. tsk. it's not like you wanted a valentine anyways. the thought of pretty flowers or sweet chocolates in the shapes of heart, or cute letters that held the feelings of love and admiration, yuck! definitely not anything you desired.. not at all.

you push past the mingling bodies as you mutter curse words under your breath, annoyed by the smell of love in the air. you finally reach the door to your class, but you open it to reveal the class gathered in a circle. it intrigued you for a moment, until you realized who sat in that spot. kang seulgi, that silly girl.

god, how long have you had this crush on her and still haven't tested your luck? whatever, not like it mattered. kang seulgi was everybody's crush at this point, you were one of many. the bear was in the school dance team and she was classified as "hottest girl to roam the school grounds". curse her and her good genes. you didn't even like her for her looks.

you loved her kind soul and cute smile, and she really sealed her mark on your heart when she bought you a new folder with a teddy bear on it because these careless kids thought it was okay to rip your original one. she was one of a kind, but nowhere near your league. she didn't even really know you, you were just another student in her class, your only interactions surrounding school topics. it was whatever, you didn't care for love anymore.

when you peeked over, you spotted a bouquet in seulgi's hands, her eyes closed shut with a frown on her face. the people around her begging her to spill who the flowers were for, throwing out names as well. you felt anger rise in your chest at them clearly ignoring how bothered seulgi was. were they brainless? they should leave her alone.

you were going to walk up and give them a piece of your mind when a friend called your name. you were shocked by how loud she was, feeling embarrassed by all the eyes looking over. you walked towards her, but you were stopped by a hand.

the room went silent for a moment, the sound of whispers breaking it occasionally. you looked at the hand and trailed up their arm, all the way to their face. hm, they looked a lot like kang seulgi. wait.

kang seulgi?!

the girl held the bouquet and gave you a soft smile. "hi, y/n!"

"happy valentines day! i was going to ask you to be my valentine, but i was so scared you were going to reject me." she rubbed her nape nervously and directed her eyes to something off to the side. you just opened and closed your mouth like a fish out of water, trying to process this all while thinking of what to say.

your reaction frightens the sweet seulgi, making her sweat bullets. maybe she shouldn't have done this, she was probably making you uncomfortable!

"ahh.. sorry. i thought—i thought that doing this would have been better than asking, but it seems like it was only worse. ahem–" seulgi pushed the flowers out to you. "these are for you. i saw you looking at this flower at the flower shop and i assumed they were your favorite."

you studied the plants she held in her hands, amazed that she figured out your favorite flower, more so that she remembered that you bumped into her two months ago at the shop your friend worked at.

you took the bouquet and formulated the words in your head. "thank you." was all you said as you just looked at your dirty white shoes. you looked up and glanced around when you heard your classmates discussing amongst themselves. you suddenly felt shy under their gaze, particularly the girl who was patiently waiting for you to say something.

"could you.. maybe meet me after school?" you propose, which made seulgi's smile widen as she furiously nodded. you reflected the same expression, smiling at the bear's cuteness. it should be a crime to be so hot and so cute at the same time.

seulgi turned to return to her seat, hopping like a little kid who got candy but only she got something much sweeter.

you waited at the school gate, continuously smelling the delicate flowers. you wondered if your friend crafted the bouquet for her. just the thought of it made you blush like crazy.

"you look like a tomato." you spin in an instant after hearing seulgi compare you to a fruit. you quickly put your free hand on your cheek, trying to cool your face down. "who's making you blush like that? i'll fight them."

seulgi fighting for you? you let out a chortle, covering your mouth at the slipped laugh. she raised a curious eyebrow at you.

you ignored her question and carefully put her flowers into your bag, making sure not to crush a single petal. "i'm serious, i'll fight anyone who tries to steal you from me." she threatens with determination. you're stunned by how straightforward she was, and she saw.

"i mean—if you want to be mine that is." she lets another nervous laugh, rubbing her nape. that was a thing she often did when she was nervous, you picked up from her behavior before. adorable, a nervous seulgi, how funny.

the school crush is scared of rejection too.

"can we take a walk to the park? i just want to talk about, you know, uhm, all of this?" you rushed to say, hoping she could understand your jumbled talk. she nodded and followed your lead as you began walking in the right direction. seulgi just hoped that if you were going to shut her down, that you would let her down easy. her heart could not take the pain of rejection, she could barely handle the thought of you not liking her gifts.

"so.."

"so."

"it was you, by the way." you state.

"what was me?"

"the one who made me blush. it was you.." you felt shy repeating it out loud. "so you don't need to fight anyone."

seulgi's heart was beating so hard that she feared you could really hear it. she made you blush. fuck, she was in deep.

"when did you start thinking you liked me?" you interrogated as you paused at the crosswalk, the light red for pedestrians. you turned to meet her eyes and noticed the small height difference she had over you, the bear was just red in the face.

"i don't think i like you,"

WHAT?

"i know i like you. if you don't believe me, ask my heart." you couldn't help but fold over her cheesy words. if you knew she was such a cheeseball, you would have prepared your heart better. clearly, her effects on you were severe. you plant your face into your palms and turn away from her.

seulgi's shocked by your reaction, but she soon hears your girly squeals. "kang seulgi, where did you learn to be so cheesy?!" you exclaimed. she just watched you in adoration, loving how you were so giddy over two sentences. you cooled down and fixed your posture, trying to look unaffected by her.

"hm, i guess it runs in my blood."

the red hand turned into a green walking symbol, signaling that it was okay to cross. you began walking, yet again stopped by seulgi. she just smiled and grabbed your hand, wrapping it around her arm. you held her arm in confusion. "hold tightly when we cross, okay?"

the same heat creeped to your face once again. you started dragging her, so fed up by her gentleman-like manners. stupid seulgi and her stupid charisma.

you finally reached the park with your arms still linked. seulgi let a small cough out and when she got your attention, you realized you were still tightly holding onto her. you scrambled to untangle your arms, pretending to clear your throat. you watched her carefully set her bag onto the bench beside you, and she reached for the straps of your bag as well.

you let her take it off of you, loving how gentle and kind she was. she just met your eyes with her soft ones.

"well seulgi, thank you for the flowers. i honestly wasn't expecting to receive anything today, i usually don't get anything gifts. i didn't think anyone ever noticed me. i'm not pretty like those girls who fawn over you during your performances, or as confident as those boys would trip over each other trying to be the first to give you a compliment in the mornings." you give an airy laugh, your pained expression seen by the bear.

she was hurt that you didn't see yourself the way she saw you. seulgi stepped forward and wrapped you tightly in her arms, giving her famous bear hug to you for the first time.

"baby, don't you see? i noticed you. you are my pretty girl who sits in the library, falling asleep reading romance novels. my confident girl who hides in the dance practice rooms during lunch, singing and dancing your heart out when you think no one is watching." your eyes widen. seulgi knew you did that?! shit..

"i like you for who you are, so please don't be discouraged by others who could never compare to you." seulgi closes her eyes and enjoys your soft body, tightening her embrace. she feels you snake your arms around her waist. the two of you stood there in such a comforting position.

"baby?" you teased. seulgi whined at that.

"that's all you got?"

"hm.. you called me baby." you whisper, so happy to finally experience a feeling you thought only existed in movies.

"i did. i want to call you that forever, would you let me do so?"

you stayed silent to tease her again. she started to get antsy and tried to wiggle out of your arms to study what face you were making, but you stood firmly, not letting her escape.

"yes. i now declare seulgi as my baby as well!" you yelled. seulgi gasped and spun you in the air, the world's brightest smile on her face.

you looked around and suddenly the sky was bluer and the grass was greener. the color of the flower popped and the world was so colorful. you knew why.

the cause was standing right in front of you, grinning like an idiot. but you couldn't make fun of her when you were doing the exact same.

had to rewrite cuz tumblr keeps eating my posts

[messedupfan]

Benefits of Car Troubles | 5

Summary: Y/n worries about the messages they received from Jules' girlfriend.

A/N: Hope all is well with y'all! Apologies for the lazy chapter. Enjoy!

Masterlist | All Stories Taglist | One Two Three Four

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

All throughout your shift you felt like you were doing something wrong having those messages on your phone. Anytime you heard your name or someone passed by you felt jumpy and over protective of your pocket. Teddy found it amusing, not knowing why you were losing your mind, and started to taunt you. She would call your name every thirty minutes for no reason other than to see you react. And every time she passed you, she would tap your shoulder just to scare you. The other coworkers took notice and started to mess with you as well to the point that you called it a day and went to your apartment. 

Everyone booed as you walked up the stairs and once they all realize that you are seriously upset, they send Teddy up to save their jobs. She finds you laying on your couch frowning at your phone. You are so wrapped up in your head that you don’t hear her enter your home. Just having to get one last reaction out of you, she slams your door. Immediately, you hide your phone between the cushions and say that you weren’t doing anything wrong. She laughs as you hold your chest and breathe. 

“Sure, laugh now. But after a day like today, I don’t know how many more scares my heart can handle. I might drop dead with the next one,” you grumble as you pull your device out. 

Still laughing, Teddy tries to respond between breaths, “Oh… you’re so… dramatic!” She falls onto the empty space beside you as she holds her stomach. “Man, I don’t think I’ve laughed this hard since…” she pauses as she beams at you and you shake your head.

“Ah geez, please don’t bring that up,” you grab a throw pillow and cover your face as you are reminded of one of the most embarrassing moments of your life. 

“I’m not saying a thing,” she says with a proud smile. “I’ve tortured you enough today. Now tell me what’s up. You haven’t been this easy to scare since that summer when Mikey Delgado told you that lame ghost story that had you terrified of every little noise.” 

“Hey, in my defense, Mikey was a really good storyteller. I’m surprised he hasn’t tried to make a career out of it,” you say, adjusting the pillow against your chest. 

“He died like three years ago. We went to his funeral,” she says with furrowed brows. “My goodness, what is up with you today? You didn’t get another girl pregnant did you?” 

“What? Why does everyone assume that’s my problem?” 

Teddy shrugs, “I mean, it happened once. You’re kind of a whore. It can happen again.” 

“Woah, how did I become a whore?” You say in shock from her statement. 

“Dude, c���mon. Are you seriously asking that?” You respond with a look that lets her know that is exactly what you are doing. Teddy sighs, “Before Leigh came around you had she’s, they’s, and gay’s doing the walk of shame out of here every other week.”

“What? It was not every other week,” you defend until you try to remember what your life was like before Leigh entered it. “Was it?” But then you remember the countless lonely nights and you know that she is exaggerating. “No, it only happened once in a while. I was never that wild.” 

“Okay, whatever. My point is, your body count isn’t exactly zero and you knocked up a married woman–” 

“No, I accidentally knocked up the woman that I’m in love with,” you interject. 

“Who was married at the time,” she states again and you roll your eyes. “The possibility of there being more of your spawn wouldn’t surprise me and whoever else assumed that of you. Anyway, we got way off topic. So you’re not expecting another child. What is your problem then?” 

You think for a moment about what would be a suitable answer that wasn’t the truth but fall short. Not really sure how else to explain it, you unlock your phone and hand your friend the device. “I slept with someone when Leigh and I broke up and that person turned out to be dating Leigh’s sister.” You continue to go on and on about the situation as Teddy stares at the device. “I don’t know if I should tell Leigh or respond to Estelle and tell her how inappropriate that is. Or both.” 

“Wow, you have gotten yourself into some crazy shit with this family, Y/l/n.” Teddy shuts your phone off before handing it back to you. “Almost makes me regret dumping you in the eighth grade. If I’d have known losing me would have caused you to be such a trainwreck I,” she stops making light when your unamused expression doesn’t change. “I’m not that funny am I?” 

“Not right now, no.” 

“Okay, okay, but in all seriousness. What she said to you is complete shit. If she is doing this with you, you’re probably not the only person she is dming desperately in the middle of the night and that sister deserves better. Especially if she is trying to get better. Which is why they usually suggest that people stay single while they work on themselves since any fall back they have can’t be anyone else’s fault but their own. Taking responsibility for their own actions is one of the biggest and toughest lessons they have to learn. This Estelle bitch is holding your in-law back and you need to come clean to her. If she really cared about her girlfriend’s sobriety, she wouldn’t be cheating on her believing it would jeopardize all of her hard work. And yes, definitely tell Leigh about it before she finds out and ghosts you once again.” 

You nod your head in agreement. “You really think Leigh would do that after she promised not to?”

Teddy shrugs, “I don’t think you should risk finding out.” 

“Yeah, you’re right. Alright, I guess I should get out of these greasy clothes and go see Leigh.” 

Teddy makes a grossed out expression, “Dude! In the nude? Won’t you get arrested?” You roll your eyes again but this time you can’t help but crack a smile. “Ah! What’s that I see there?” She points to your mouth and you try not to laugh but she was cheering you up and the thought of you trying to have a serious talk with Leigh while being completely naked did sound kind of funny in a stupid way. “Alright, my job here is done. I have work to do. Good luck to you dear friend.” She salutes you as she makes her exit. And when the door is closed she makes a loud announcement to the staff that no one is getting fired. You break out laughing because of her energy. 

Walking up the steps to the front door of the Shaw home with sensitive information was more nerve wracking than when you came over not knowing if Leigh still wanted to be with you and yesterday’s dinner. You take slow breaths as you raise your hand to knock on the door. You hesitate for a second. Thinking maybe you shouldn’t tell Jules. What if this does cause her to fall off of the wagon? What if they all blame you? Amy hardly accepts you as it is, you’re sure being part of the reason her daughter starts drinking again won’t help you in that department. But then you think back to what Teddy said and as your knuckles tap against the door, you hope that she knows what she is talking about. 

“Oh, what a lovely surprise,” Leigh greets at the door. “I didn’t know I was expecting you. Did we make plans?” She asks as she lets you in the house.

“Uh no, I just,” you look around to see signs of anyone else and you find none. “Something happened and I needed to talk to you before I talked to Jules.” 

“Sure, let’s go to my room,” Leigh senses the seriousness in your tone and pulls you to her bedroom. 

“Here,” you hand her the phone with the messages from the previous night on the screen. You bite your nail anxiously as you wait for her to go through every voice memo and text message. “I swear, I didn’t do anything. But I’m not comfortable keeping this secret. Last night, she made me promise to pretend it never happened and to avoid telling you and she gave a very convincing argument that I realized was all a lie when I got these messages this morning.” You rush through your explanation, still nervous about what she is going to do. 

Leigh blinks a few times before she walks out of the room with your phone in her hand and walks into Jules’ room. “You’ve been looking for a reason to dump Estelle, here it is.” Jules takes the phone and laughs at the messages. She takes screenshots and sends them to herself. “They also hooked up several months ago. If that helps you any.” 

“I might need some more details on that,” Jules responds. She looks at you expectantly and you blink a few times at how seemingly well she is taking the news. 

“Oh uh yeah okay,” you sit at the edge of Jules’ bed as you awkwardly tell her how you ended up with her girlfriend for a night. “I’m really sorry, I had no idea that she was with you. I would have never–”

“It’s not your fault. Estelle and I have been having issues for a long time. I forgive you,” Jules pulls you in for a warm embrace. You relax in her arms and apologize one last time. After that, Jules leaves the house to have a chat with her girlfriend. With her gone it left the house to you and Leigh all to yourselves. 

“That went better than I thought,” your entire body fills with relief. 

Leigh nods and takes your hand in hers, “Come on, I want to show you something.” You get up and follow her back to her room. You smile as you realize why she was pulling you into her bedroom. “I’ve missed this,” she says as she kisses you on her bed. You hum in agreement as you continue the kiss. “I love you so much.”

Part 6

Taglist: @madamevirgo @wqndanat @thisischaismagic @artisannat @olsensnpm @evenbeingcrazy1998 @bentleywolf29 @awkwardmandalorian @agaymilflover @sayah13 @princessprudy  @likefirenrain @tearsofglitter @feltlikethat @piningismymiddlename @the-writer-arcane @diaryoflife @natashasilverfox @karsonromanoff @lovelyy-moonlight @red1culous @jovialsublimecomputer @natasha-maximoff @iliketozoneout @doudouneverte @aloneodi @druggedduck @abimess

[sundaysundaes]

Whispers

Lee Donghyuck/Haechan X Reader | Smut, Fluff | 5k | Idol AU

Summary: Donghyuck has been busy promoting his new album and no matter how much he misses you, he can’t see you in person due to his schedules. Desperate for your touch, he begins to call you late at night.

Warnings: Phone sex, masturbation (male and female), dirty talk (but is it still called ‘dirty talk’ if Donghyuck is just being honest and saying whatever that comes to his mind?), no plot with a lot of dialogues

The vibration of your iPhone wakes you up from your dream. Being thrown back so suddenly to reality makes you feel slightly lightheaded but it’s all worth it the second you see his name written on your screen. Rubbing your eyes away from sleep, you answer his call, “Hyuck?”

“Hey, Noona.” The airiness of his honeyed voice sounds familiar and pleasant in your ears that it instantly paints a smile on your face. “Did I wake you?”

You refrain yourself from yawning. “Yeah, I fell asleep reading.” Narrowing your eyes irritatedly at the brightness of the fluorescent light hanging on your ceiling, you decide to switch it off and uses the dim glow of the bedside lamp instead.

“What time is it?” He gasps when he notices the time on his screen. “Three AM?! Shit, I didn’t realize it was this late. Sorry.” 

“It’s fine, I shouldn’t be sleeping anyway. I still have to work on my papers, so it’s actually good that you woke me up.” You nuzzle close to the pillow, holding your phone to your ear with one hand, blinking sleepily. “Did you just get back from schedule?”

“Yeah.” He sighs wearily. “I’m dead tired right now. I wish I could just take a day off, you know? I mean, performing is fun, but promoting a new album can be so hectic. I’ve only been sleeping for, like, two hours per day since last week.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” You bring the teddy bear he’d given you on your birthday close to your chest, pretending like you were embracing him. “I wish you could take some days off, too.”

“Yeah?” Somehow, he sounds like he’s smiling. “Then do what?”

“I don’t know, play games, I guess? Or just lie around in bed, doing nothing.”

“I’d rather be doing something, actually.” He chuckles softly, a hint of teasing in his voice. “Or someone.” 

“Gross,” you retort but you can feel your lips curving upwards. “It’s okay if you want to rest, Hyuck. You don’t have to force yourself to call me every day. Your health should be your number one priority.”

“What, you don’t want me to call you?”

You freeze. “Of course I want you to call me. I just—”

“I thought you’d be excited to hear my voice.”

The sudden bitterness in his tone makes you sit up from the bed, eyebrows adjoined in confusion. “What—Hyuck—”

“You know what?” He exhales loudly. “You’re right, I shouldn’t have called. It’s late anyway.“

“Can you please just listen—”

“I’m tired. Let’s just talk tomorrow.”

“But—”

“I’m hanging up.”

“Hyuck—” But you’re only answered by silence when the line gets disconnected. You stare at your phone, eyes wide in disbelief. 

What the hell just happened?

Upset and vexed, you dial his number. You wait with your jaw clenched until he picks up on the fourth ring. “Can’t you listen to me for one second?!” Not sure if it’s because of the drowsiness or exhaustion, but you find yourself shouting even before he says anything. “Of course, I want you to call me, you idiot! It’s the only thing I’ve been waiting all day. Every day, Hyuck, I wait for your call every day. I keep catching myself checking on my phone every ten minutes, waiting for your texts, wanting to call you. I miss you, of course, I miss you—you’re—” You turn stiff when you hear him cackling from the other side of the phone. “Are you laughing?”

“I’m sorry.” His laughter is contagious but you put up your best effort not to get infected. “You’re so cute when you get all riled up. Isn’t it obvious that I was just joking?”

“Right. I’m hanging up.” 

“Wait, Noona—” You listen to him with your eyes throwing ice daggers to the wall. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again, I promise.” There’s a small pause where you’re too irritated to talk and he’s too unsure to start but he tries. “So, like… you miss me?”

“Not right now.”

“Aaw, come on, I was just messing around.” You can imagine him puckering his lips, batting his eyelashes for forgiveness. “Please, tell me. Tell me how much you miss me.”

You throw yourself back to the bed, huffing. “I don’t think I want to.”

“You get cuter when you’re angry, you know that?” He sighs to the air. “Aaah… I miss you. I miss you so much, Noona, you don’t even know. Probably more than you miss me.”

I don’t think that’s possible. “Of course,” you reply, holding back a smile from breaking on your face. “Since I only miss you a little bit.”

“A little bit?”

“A tiny, tiny bit. On second thought, maybe I don’t miss you at all.”

“Is that so?” You can tell he’s exhausted by the way he lets out his chuckle, but it doesn’t mean it’s less sincere. “It really has been a while since we last saw each other, hasn’t it?”

You nod to yourself. “Four months.”

“You keep count, huh?” His teasing tone makes you flushed. “Love me that much, do you?”

“Around four months,” you correct him, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible when the truth is, you can practically hear your heart hammering against your ribcages. “Or maybe three? Five? I don’t know.”

“Why are you so cute? Seriously, how can you be this cute?” Donghyuck sits on the edge of his bed, lips forming so widely that it nearly splits his face in half. When his chuckles have receded, his eyes begin to soften. “I love you, Noona. You know that, right?”

People might be thinking about how lucky you are to have a member of one of the most prestigious boybands in the world confessing his love for you at 3 AM, but honestly? You’re just so grateful for the fact that Lee Donghyuck, a boy who stole your heart nearly a decade ago when you were too young to even understand the word love, finally realized that your entire relationship with him was deeper than a mere friendship. It took years for both of you to finally gain enough bravery to act out your feelings, especially when he managed to shine brighter than you could ever imagine being. You were afraid of it—afraid that you would be burnt by his fame, afraid that he would discard you for he had everything and you only had him. But Donghyuck didn’t want anything. He only wanted you.

You love him. You’ve been loving him for as long as you can remember so hearing him say the words, no matter how often he has mentioned it already, still sparks fire through your veins. You’ll never admit that out loud, though.

“I’ve been thinking about you a lot these days,” he sheepishly adds. 

“More than you think about yourself?” You snort. “I’m shocked.”

“Eeyyy, I’m serious.” The sound of your giggle makes him sigh, longing to hear it in person. “I wish I could be with you right now. I thought about you a lot during today’s photoshoot too.” He lies down on the bed, running a hand through his hair. “I thought about our last date. About that red dress you wore. Man, you looked so cute in that dress.”

You half-buried your face in the pillow, heat blossoming on your cheeks. “Now this is the topic I like to talk about.”

Donghyuck scrunches up his nose. “Aren’t you gonna say I looked nice too that day?”

Even the slightest thought of him—any version of him, whether it was him dressing handsomely on a date or him waking up in the morning with a bird’s nest on his head—never fails to send butterflies swirling in your stomach, but again, you’ll never admit that out loud. “Meh,” you jeer, even adding a shrug when you know he won’t be able to see. “Could’ve dressed better. I mean, ripped jeans? Really?”

“Yah, yah, yah. You said I looked good wearing those jeans!”

“We were going to a fancy restaurant and I wore a semi-formal dress, Hyuck. They just didn’t match my outfit. They didn’t match anyone’s outfit there, really.”

“Really? You’re gonna say that? Even after you spent the whole night stealing glances at me with drool on your face?”

You wish you could say he was lying, but you indeed spent the entire night drooling at him over the sight of his black leather jacket and the way his jeans just wrapped his thighs so perfectly. “I have lost interest in this topic.” It’s for the best before you combust into flames. “Where are you right now?”

“Back at the dorm.” He softly yawns. “In my room.”

“Alone?”

“Yep, since Johnny-hyung is filming out of town.” When you stay quiet, unsure of what to say, Donghyuck grins mischievously. “Why, do you wanna sneak in? I think I can afford to lose some sleep tonight, if you know what I mean.”

Flustered, you retort, “After Johnny caught us cuddling last time? No way.”

“Yeah, about that,” Donghyuck says a little awkwardly, “After you went home he said to me that he heard the whole thing—”

“What do you mean the whole thing?” The horror in your face and your voice is clear.

“I meant, the whole thing. Us having sex and stuff.”

You could practically feel the exact moment when your soul is leaving your body, but Donghyuck continues as if he’s simply talking about getting caught cheating during a test. “But it’s okay, he’s cool. He’s got my back.”

“Oh my God.” You nearly faint. “I will never show my face in front of your roommate, ever again.”

“Yeah, about that—“

“Are you fucking kidding me, Hyuck—”

“Jaehyun-hyung heard us too.”

“What?!”

“And he told Mark-hyung about it later on, and that’s the reason why I had this bump on my head for three days.” Donghyuck pouts, rubbing the back of his head, lean fingers carding through soft brown locks. “He hit me with a book, lecturing me about bringing you to the dorm as if he never did that himself.”

Not trying to overreact about it, but you’re suffocating by this point. “Why are you so chill about this?!”

“They heard us having sex, not murdering the innocents.” He rolls his eyes but seems amused at your reaction. “To be honest, I hear a lot of stuff happening in our dorm that I’m sure you don’t wanna know. Like, a lot a lot. Way worse than what I did with you.”

“And does Taeyong know about this?”

“Taeyong-hyung needs his beauty sleep so we agreed not to tell him stuff.”

“I feel sorry for him.”

“I just feel sorry he’s not part of our antics.” Donghyuck shrugs, kicking off his shoes and socks before he leans against the headboard. “How about you? Are you alone?”

“Yeah.” You heavily sigh, still feeling quite dizzy after hearing the truth he just blurted out. “My roommate’s gone for the weekend.”

“Oh…” He taps his fingers against his stomach, a weird feeling swirling inside his chest as a thought begins to form. “That’s… great…”

Donghyuck’s tongue lays heavy in his mouth, suddenly loses the ability to form a simple conversation as his mind begins to focus entirely on something else. It all started that one night when he pretended to be asleep, when in fact, he was listening to his roommate, Johnny, speaking to his girlfriend in hushed whispers. The way the older man was chuckling to his phone was suspicious, and the more he tried to listen intently, the more he realized that Johnny wasn’t conversing. He was giving orders with a voice thick with seduction. The sensual words Johnny used made Donghyuck’s ears turn scarlet, and he buried his face deeper behind his blanket. Since then, the curiosity within him has been rising more and more, nearly suffocating him sometimes when he desperately yearned for your touch but his schedule never let him take a goddamn break.

Not knowing the dirty thoughts that flit across his mind, you carry on your conversation like usual. “I guess, but it does get lonely sometimes when she’s not around. I actually like having a roommate.” The sandalwood aroma from your diffuser, combined with his velvety voice, comforts you and you’re finally able to relax. “Have you been eating well? I’ve been craving for strawberry—” 

“What are you wearing?”

“—pancakes—what?”

“I…” Donghyuck heaves out a heavy breath, biting the corner of his lip, unsure yet not ready to give up on his desire. “I just… I was wondering—Are you wearing pajamas?”

“Umm…” The way he asks about it sends heat rising to your cheeks. He doesn’t sound as innocent as the words he uses. You look down, fingers curling at the hemline of your clothes. “I’m wearing one of your shirts, actually.”

Donghyuck throws his head back, eyes tightly shut as he curses silently into the air, his phone pressed against his chest. The sight of you wearing his oversized shirt has been one of his most recurring fantasies and not being able to see you, but knowing that you are wearing his shirt, kills him. 

“Hyuck?”

Donghyuck brings his phone back to his ear. “Sorry, there was a… Mark.” He mentally slaps himself on the head. 

“There was a Mark?”

“I mean, Mark-hyung was here—but he just left so—" 

“Are you drunk again?”

“No!” Donghyuck rubs his temple. This is not going well, he shouts in his mind. “Why—” He winces when he hears his voice crack. Clearing his throat, he tries again. “Why are you wearing my shirt?”

Because it smells like you and it helps me sleep better. “Just because,” you quietly mumble, eyes locked to the ceiling. “Why are you asking me this exactly?”

“Just because,” he mimics. His breathing sounds more prominent as if he’s in the same room, only a few inches away from your ear. It’s the reason why you enjoy talking to him this way instead of taking video calls. You can focus solely on his honeyed voice, almost like a lullaby to your ears. “Can you tell me…” he continues, laced with both hesitation and anticipation, “What else you're wearing?”

“Umm…” You take a deep breath, trying to keep yourself composed. “I don’t think I want to say.”

“Please, Noona.” The sudden desperation in his plead startles you as if he’s losing control of himself, little by little. He seems to notice that too because when he speaks again, it’s steadier, almost formal. “I just… I want to know. If that’s okay.”

“Well…” You curl your toes. “Aside from your shirt, I’m…” Just say it, for God’s sake. He’s your boyfriend. He’s seen you naked. “I’m only wearing my panties.”

There’s a pause that makes your heart thump. “Not, uhh…” Donghyuck wets his lip. “Not even a bra?”

You fiddle with your fingers. “N-no.”

“Fuck.”

You nearly drop your phone. The guttural groan he just emitted from the back of his throat catches you off guard. “Hyuck..?”

“Noona, there’s—” Donghyuck sits up straight, nails nearly sinking to his jean-clad thigh. “There’s something I want to try.” There’s a sense of urgency mixed with minimum self-control. “I-if you don’t mind…”

You know where this is going. “What is it?”

“Just—Just follow my lead, okay?”

You shakily nod your head. When he calls out your name again, you remember that you have to say it in words. “Okay.”

“Can you…” Donghyuck’s heart is beating out of control.  His mind desperately tries to answer how the fuck do I start this?! “Can you, umm, lie down on the bed for me?”

You can tell he’s nervous and it’s both reassuring and endearing to know that he’s never done this with anyone else before and probably not mentally ready to do it with you, but tries to go all the way because he knows both of you need to find a way to release all of these pent-up emotions. 

You follow his order. “I’m…” You take a deep breath so your voice won’t tremble too much. “I’m lying on my bed.”

Donghyuck always takes a few seconds before answering, as if he’s battling inside his head as he tries to sort out his thoughts. “Is your light turned on?”

“Yes.”

“Turn it off.”

You switch off the button on your bedside lamp. “Okay, it’s off.”

“Okay, mine too.” Then all you can hear is his slightly ragged breathing. “It’s… a bit awkward, isn’t it?” He chuckles nervously, followed by an inaudible, “Fuck, why am I so nervous,” as he’s straying away from the phone. 

A smile paints your lips. “You’re adorable.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” 

When silence strikes, Donghyuck scratches his cheek. “Do you… want to know what I’m wearing?”

You gulp. “S-sure.”

“Well…” Donghyuck takes a look at himself. “I’m wearing a denim jacket, a white shirt, a pair of jeans—I just got back from a photoshoot so—”

So he must look good. “Take them off.”

He’s probably as startled as you are when you hear the words tumbling down your mouth. But even if he is as embarrassed as you are, he doesn’t make it as obvious. “Sure.” A rustling sound can be heard, and you let your imagination wander. You can tell he’s taking off his jacket and soon, his shirt will follow. Donghyuck would always take his shirt off by grabbing the fabric from the back and yank it over his head, instead of crossing his arms at his waist. There’s something masculine about it, but you tend to get more distracted at the way his muscles would contract in his lean stomach. His silver necklace would dangle around his neck, and he’d smirk whenever he caught you staring at him for a second too long. 

“My shirt’s off,” he quietly states, snapping you out of your reverie. “Now take yours off—wait! Wait. Leave it on. I want to imagine you wearing my shirt. Just take off your panties.”

“I’m—” It’s so damn hard to focus when you feel so ashamed just by hearing his instructions. “Okay…” Your fingers are quivering when they slide down your stomach, thumb hooking around the hem before you pull your lingerie down to the middle of your thighs.

“Lie down,” he whispers, “Prop a pillow behind your back. Are you comfortable?”

“Y-yeah, just…” You sigh, head going dizzy. “Embarrassed.”

The airy laughter that flows from his mouth is too innocent to be heard in this kind of situation. “So cute. Me too, actually. I’ve never done this before.” When his chuckles have receded, the nervousness grows vivid in his voice once again. “Do you, umm... Do you want to stop?”

You’re supposed to say yes, or at least a bit conflicted about it, so it shocks you when you immediately answer, “No,” without hesitation.

“Thank God.” Donghyuck sighs, smiling softly against the phone. “‘Cause I wouldn’t know what to do if you said yes.” He unbuckles his belt with one hand, taking it off as his heartbeat soars through the roof. “Then, umm… can you spread your legs? As wide as you can.”

You feel so exposed even when no one is looking. Following his guidance, you question, “What about you? What are you doing?”

“I’m…” Donghyuck swallows hard, looking down at the way his hand is pressing against his semi-hardness. “I’m rubbing myself over my pants.”

Fuck, you mentally groan. “Why aren’t you touching yourself directly?”

“Cause I want to wait for you.” He has his eyes closed, hand slipping under the hemline of his jeans, stroking himself over his boxer. “I want to picture you rubbing your fingers on your clit. I want to hear you moan my name when you do.”

Oh my God. “Then guide me,” you plead. There’s something so irresistibly sexy about him touching himself while picturing you pleasuring yourself with your fingers. “Tell me what to do, Hyuck.”

He runs his tongue over his lower lip. The excitement of being able to act as a puppeteer, tugging on your strings, sends all blood rushing south. “Can you push your shirt up? Don’t take it off, just—” He exhales, taking a moment to collect himself after a certain obscene thought of you touching yourself entered his mind. “Just make sure it’s not in the way.”

“Okay.” You grip the hemline of your shirt, pulling it up until it pools above your chest. “Now, what?” 

“I want you to touch your breasts.” You’re more aroused by his breathy voice and lustful tone than embarrassed at this point. “Imagine me, Noona,” Donghyuck whispers, and he sounds so close, as if he’s lying down next to you. “Imagine me with my hands on you, caressing your breasts. Can you do that?”

You squeeze your breast, mumbling out a weak, “Yes…” The memory of Donghyuck, embracing you from behind, his naked chest pressed against your spine, hot mouth lazily pressing wet kisses against your nape suddenly comes alive in your mind. You still remember how sexy he sounded moaning out your name as he rocked his hips forward, his fingers exploring around your chest, rubbing and pinching at a certain spot to make you press closer to him in desperation for more of his touch. 

“Suck on your fingers, make them wet, then bring them back down.” Donghyuck’s hips are bucking against his hand, his fingers tugging his zipper down. “Imagine my mouth latching on your nipple, sucking it the way I always do. The way you like me to do.” 

You bring your fingers to your mouth, coating two of them with saliva before you bring them back down to pinch your sensitive bud. With your eyes closed and his heavy breathing in your ear, the wet sensation of your fingers gives you a clear image of his tongue flicking against your nub. 

“Tell me how you feel.”

“It’s not enough,” you croak out, “I want to feel you directly on my skin.”

Donghyuck takes a sharp breath. “You don’t even know how much I want to be there and touch you.” The way his voice suddenly becomes deep sends shivers down your spine. “I want to suck bruises on your skin. I want to mark you everywhere, again and again, so the bruises will last for days. I want you to remember me every time you see yourself in the mirror.”

You sheepishly smile, though your heart is still racing. “I always remember you even without that, Haechannie.”

The sudden change of his name warms his heart. “I wish you’re the only one who calls me that. You make my stage name sounds better, special. I could have thousands of people screaming my name but none of them makes me feel the way you do.” As he slides his hand under his boxer, finally making direct contact with his skin, Donghyuck becomes desperate once again. “Bring your other hand down. I want you to touch yourself, Noona, please.”

You slide your hand between your legs, tentatively rubbing yourself between your folds. “Hyuck…”

“Does it feel good?”

You nod, eyes shut, and your mind wanders. “Yes…”

“Rub your clit for me. And imagine I’m doing that with my tongue.”

You can picture him with his head between your legs so perfectly behind your closed eyelids. He has done it several times and you remember how he would always start slow, placing open-mouthed kisses on the inner part of your thigh before dipping his head down and swipe his tongue along your folds—all the while never breaking eye-contact. He would press a kiss against your clit, and lick you slowly because he’d want you to beg for it. He never directly told you but you could tell he liked being in control because the second you whispered “Please, Hyuck,” he would immediately indulge you with everything you wanted and more. 

Donghyuck would suck hard on your clit, doing it so suddenly that you’d nearly crush him by wrapping your legs too tightly around his head. Amazed and delighted by your reaction, he would break into a smile with his tongue still darting out to taste you, mouth pressing harder against your skin until he plunged his tongue inside your heat.

You moan out his name at the memory, directly to the phone.

“Fuck, baby, you sound so perfect…” Donghyuck nearly whimpers and the word baby stirs something within you as he never called you that before.

“Call me like that again…” You rub yourself harder on the spot you like the most. “Please, Hyuck…”

“Baby…” Donghyuck’s fingers are curling harder around his length, pumping himself in accordance to every gasp and moan you’re emitting. “I wish I could see you—I wish I could lock my eyes with yours as I eat you up. I want to see your face, every single expression you make—I bet you look so cute, so goddamn... erotic.”

Your hold around your phone loosens but fortunately for you, the pillow pressing against it keeps it close to your ear. “Touch yourself,” you breathily murmurs, “I want you to touch yourself too.”

“I am, baby,” Donghyuck softly moans, his fingers tightening around his length. “What else do you want me to do?”

“I want you to stroke yourself harder and run your thumb over your slit.” Donghyuck zealously follows, cursing under his breath at the pleasure. “And I want you to keep doing it until my name escapes your lips.”

“God, I want you.” He repeats your name over and over again, as ordered, with him stroking himself faster each time. “Noona, I want your mouth on me. I want to see you hollow your cheeks around me—like how you did to me when we were backstage, that time after the concert. You looked so pretty that night, so eager—so desperate for me—”

“Me too. I want to make you feel good too. I—” You nip at your bottom lip, feeling goosebumps creeping up your skin when he moans out your name. You’ve always loved his voice, loved it more than anything else in the world, and the sounds he makes when he’s in bed with you is the sexiest thing that even your poor mind can’t even begin to imagine. And now, focusing solely on his voice, listening to his filthy, sinful words, he’s driving you to the edge of your sanity.

“I’ve touched myself before at the thought of you,” he confesses breathlessly, “Several times, even way before we started dating.”

You’re trembling at the thought. “Haechannie—”

“You don’t know just how much—” The sound of him trying to stifle down a moan only makes you crave for him more. “—how much I wanted you back then. How much I want you now. Even during high school, I just—I wanted you—wanted to touch you—wanted—ah fuck,” a whine slipped out his lips, “Wanted to hold you so bad, to make love to you until—”

At the rustling sounds, him whimpering at his touches, and you rubbing yourself on the perfect spot, you know you won’t last long. “H-Hyuck, are you close?”

“Just a little bit more, Noona, ah—” He thrashes his head against the pillow, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he swallows hard. “Fuck, I need to be inside you. I need to feel you clenching your walls around me.” At the memory of you gazing at him with anticipation building inside your seductive, half-lidded eyes, as you parted your legs to give him permission to ravish you the way he wanted, Donghyuck quickens the pace, thrusting vigorously into his hand. “Fuck yourself with your fingers, baby, please.”

You’re more than keen to follow, inserting one digit inside your heat with another one following soon after. You can visualize him bringing your legs in the air until they dangle over his shoulders, his hips slamming hard against yours with each thrust. “Hyuck—”

“If you were here right now,” he nearly growls, “I would fuck you so hard until you’re mewling my name against the sheets. And I won’t stop, I won’t stop even if you beg me to. I won’t stop until I’m done with you.”

Donghyuck doesn’t sound like he’s trying to dirty talk which only makes it even more arousing to your ear. It’s as if he’s losing control of his mouth, just saying anything that comes to mind. The honesty, the urgency, his breathy, desperate calls of your name between lewd words—

You choke out a sob. “Hyuck—I’m close—”

“Me too—N-noona—Kiss me—”

It’s one of the most intense orgasms you’ve ever felt and it’s funny because you never really enjoyed touching yourself before. Donghyuck follows a few seconds after, moaning your name so erotically that will probably give you a hard time falling asleep for days at the thought of it. You’re left dazed, staring at the ceiling with half-lidded eyes. Your phone lays forgotten on the pillow next to you. Mustering all the strength you have left, you reach out for it. “Hyuck…?”

You can hear him breathing heavily. “I’m here,” he says. “Are you okay? Did you get to come?”

“Y-yes.” Now that it’s over, you begin to feel self-conscious again and the heat that blooms on your cheeks nearly wash every bit of your orgasm away in an instant. “Did you?”

“I made a huge mess.” He chuckles, sounding just as embarrassed as you are. “Fuck, didn’t realize it was going to be this good when we started. What would’ve happened if we had Face-Timed each other instead?”

Your head nearly explodes at the thought. “One step at a time, Hyuck. I’m practically dying from shame right now.”

He laughs a little at that. “So, you don’t really oppose the idea? Man, I have something to look forward to then.”

“Shut up, you’re gross. Is this the reason you called me?”

“No,” he hastily says, “I swear, I called because I missed hearing your voice.” Then he thinks about it again. “Well, I mean, I have been thinking about doing, uhh, these kinds of things with you but trust me, it wasn’t the reason why I called.”

“Sure,” you flatly reply, teasing him.

“Yah, yah, yah, it’s your fault for saying that you were wearing nothing but my shirt!”

“It’s your fault for asking me what I was wearing!”

It’s always like this with him. You’re bickering at one point, having sex at another time, then goes back to bickering once again. But it’s endearing, you suppose, because after this, you’ll be murmuring loving words, and just when you begin to think about it, Donghyuck whispers into the phone.

“I love you, Noona. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

And you smile. “I love you too, Haechannie. You’re the second best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“What the hell is the first one?”

“Chicken nuggets.”

“You’re so dead.”

***

[xoxo-teddybear]

Hey idk if I’ve asked for this before but can you do nsfw Bakugo x fem reader fic, where you do work studies with him. He’s obviously going to be a little older 3-6 years, and you two have know each other since you were kids and he’s always just been a little nicer to you and cared about you more than others, and when you are working with him you get hurt and he flips out. You’re really confused and your like “wtf why do you care this isn’t affecting your job” and he gets mad your not getting the hint that he cares about you in a “not friendly” way, he ends up tch’ing and just says frick it and confesses that he has feelings for you and you’re just like cool I reciprocate and he’s like “with”... it just gets frisky from there... Idk if this is like a thing you might be interested in writing about, but like it just an idea😃... Anyways I love your work please keep it up🥺(sorry for any grammatical errors I’m writing this at 2:30am)

What Took So Long? - Bakugou Katsuki

Bakugo x f!reader

Warnings: NSFW, f!receiving, mutual pining, angst, injury, fluff, cursing, all the good stuff

BAKUGOU”S MASTERLIST

Summary: you and Katsuki have been close friends for forever, how long is it gonna take to realize both your love is mutual?

Growing up, you and Katsuki got along really well. You knew him before he got his quirk so you got to see his non-egotistical self. You saw the him that was kind and caring and he always looked out for you, always took care of you, always was there for you. In your eyes, you thought he thought it was in a big brother kinda way. Oh how that changed once you both became teenagers.

You both made it into UA, of course at different times, but you still kept in touch. You guys hung out like, everyday! It was always wake up, FaceTime, go to school, text throughout the day, and meet and go to either your house or his. It was like there was nobody else in the world except you two.

Throughout the years, you developed a small crush on the blonde boy. What went from a small crush turned into love. To you, it was unreciprocated love. He was 3 years older than you! He had to have seen you as a little sister. It only made sense! When you came to that terribly incorrect realization, you pushed back your feelings. What you had with Katsuki was special! You’re friendship meant the world to you. It didn’t matter if you wanted more, what you had was already perfect, there was no way it could’ve gotten better than this.

—

This. These moments. These memories being made with Katsuki kept you sane. As you both cuddled up and watched a trashy reality tv show in your room on your computer, you both threw popcorn at the screen at the cringe scenes.

“BoooooOOOOO!!” You both said as you threw a handful of the buttery snack. You both laughed at the moment as you settled down again. With you both laying on each other, your head on his, while his own rested on your shoulder, you were sure both of you would get neck pains the next day.

“So,” Katsuki started up a conversation, “how’s your third year at UA?”

“Ugh, don’t get me started. Classes got crazy hard outta nowhere. BUT, lucky for me, I have a UA graduate to help me out!” You said while nudging his arm.

“No way teddy bear, you’re finishing that on your own. As a graduate, that means I don’t gotta deal with that bullshit anymore.” He said as he popped some pieces of the snack into his mouth. With that, you pouted. Something he noticed and thought was insanely adorable. He poked your plump lips and told you, “hey, I’m helping you by letting you do your work study at my agency. You’re very welcome for that.”

“Helping? Suuukkiiii, you barely let me go out and fight. How am I supposed to get experience and actually do my work study if I don’t...you know..WORK?” You whined out. Katsuki had always been avoiding this topic. Yeah, he let you get your credits by going to his agency, but he never let you do any real hero work other than paperwork. Don’t get me wrong, you loved hanging out with him as much as you could, but it was beginning to get boring not doing anything at the agency.

“Y/N, no. You’re getting enough experience. Paper work is a big part in the life of a Pro,” he argued.

“Yeah, well saving people and actually getting out there in the field is a bigger part in the life of a pro.” You rebuttled as you flopped down next to him. You looked at him with puppy eyes and he knew what was coming.

“No.”

“Pleaseee Suki!”

“No.”

“Pleaseee!!”

“Nope.”

“Sukiiiiiii!!” You whined while tugging at his arm. He sighed before answering.

“One job, WITH ME, and that’s all you get.” He said while staring at you with a stern look. You smiled and jumped in the air.

“YESSSS!!”

—

So now here you are, on job number whatever. You weren’t sure how many you’ve actually been on because ever since your first job with Katsuki was a huge success, he let you join him more and more. You were almost like a partner to him now, fighting crime together. Except this time...things went a little south.

As the villain struck you down mid air with his quirk, you fell to the ground with a now burned arm. Katsuki saw red. No fucking way. No way in HELL is he going to let some shit faced freak bring harm to his teddy bear, his world, his best friend, and the love of his life. Yup. Katsuki Bakugou fell for his best friend. But could you blame him? You knew him better than anyone else, you guys got along so well, you were absolutely gorgeous and he was sure he’d give his life for you. 100%. So when this scum bag thought he could try and ruin you, he saw red. Blasting him a thousand times over and once he was sure he was out cold, battered, bloodied, and bruised he ran to check on you.

You were sitting on the ground holding your left arm where the burn mark was. Your costume was tattered and your head felt like it was gonna blow. Katsuki came along and didn’t really help with that all too much.

“YOU FUCKING DUMBASS!” He screamed. Oh, the throbbing your head had only increased with his booming voice.

“You see?! This is exactly why I hate bringing you along! You’re always gonna get hurt!” He said as he picked you up off the ground to help you stand.

“Of course I’m gonna get hurt Dynamight, my job as a hero includes a little beating every now and then for the sake and safety of others!” You replied, raising your voice as well.

“You’re NOT a hero Y/N!” He said as he reached out for your arm.

“Yet! Not yet at least! But I will be!” You replied while pulling away from him. His eyes were shaken and it was clear he was mad. You pushing his buttons didn’t help soothe his anger either.

“NO YOU WONT. Y/N ITS SO OBVIOUS YOU’D MAKE A SHIT HERO! YOU ALREADY GOT HURT ON SUCH A SIMPLE JOB, DO YOU HONESTLY THINK ANYBODY WOULD BE WILLING TO DEPEND ON YOU FOR THEIR SAFETY?!?!?” Bakugou heard the words he said and he thought he was doing the right thing. Granted, he knew the delivery was bad, but his message was in there. He didn’t want Y/N to be hurt. If she died on the battle field, Katsuki wouldn’t know what to do with himself. Y/N can’t be a hero, for her safety and his sanity. He loved her too much to have to watch her take beating after beating. However, Y/N took it in a completely different way.

“Are you trying to say I can’t be a good hero?!” You asked filled with anger and hurt.

“Y/N,”

“It’s H/N, Dynamight. That’s the name you’ll address me as for when we’re on the job. That’s the name you’ll have to get used to because I will be a hero!” You exclaimed.

“You can’t be a hero Y/N! You’re gonna get hurt! You always get hurt! You’d be more of a burden on a mission instead of an advantage! So just stop trying ‘Cuz you’re never gonna make it!” He screamed at you. Is this what he really thought of you. That you were weak and wouldn’t be able to do jack shit? As your eyes began to water, you walked away from him in silence.

“Y/N...where are you going?” He asked you as he followed.

“Recovery girl. She’ll heal me up and I’ll be perfectly fine.” You simply stated.

“At least let me help you,” Bakugou said as he tried to reach out to you, but you only stepped away from him again, which made his heart hurt a little.

“Don’t touch me, Bakugou. I’ll be fine on my own.” You said.

“Bakugou? Who the fuck are you talking to teddy bear?” He said as he got all up in your face. You only rolled your eyes and stepped to the side. You used your quirk to get into the air and travel faster. In the dust, you left behind a confused and hurt Katsuki.

“Uhh....Okay! See you later for movie night!” He yelled out as he watched you fly off. You’d still show up, right? Yeah, you’d show. You always spent everyday together after school and work so it only made sense...right?

—

Well he was wrong. Really wrong. It’s been a week since you last spoke to him, the longest it’s ever been, and he was starting to get into a depressing cycle. Wake up, call Y/N. No reply. Get ready, spam her. No reply. Go to work, text Y/N throughout the day. No reply. Get out of work, go home, shower, eat dinner, do whatever while stalking your social media, go to bed, spam a little more, call twice more, and still. No reply. He misses his teddy bear.

Y/N doesn’t even go to her work study anymore. She’s been doing everything she could to avoid Bakugou, and he’s noticed it all too well. He still gave her the credits, he wanted her to pass of course, but he was also tempted to stop doing that just so she could show up and see him. Thankfully he didn’t.

Now here lies Bakugou Katsuki, watching a movie by himself again, hoping his crush and best friend would show up. But again, like every other night for the past week, she hasn’t shown. The end credits roll in and Bakugou sighs as he looks down, thinking back to all he said.

‘Y/N ITS SO OBVIOUS YOU’D MAKE A SHIT HERO! ... DO YOU HONESTLY THINK ANYBODY WOULD BE WILLING TO DEPEND ON YOU FOR THEIR SAFETY?! ... you’re never gonna make it!’

Bakugou flopped down onto his bed.

“Great idea Katsuki, tell your dream girl she won’t ever reach her goals. That’ll win her heart,” he sarcastically said aloud as he cringed at his own thoughts. Bakugou just let a few tears fall, before rolling over and going to bed. He had patrol in the morning, maybe it’ll get his mind off of Y/N.

—

Orrrr maybe not. Because here he was, Pro-hero Dynamight, following around his 18 year old crush as she walked home after getting some coffee from their favorite cafe. Should he have been on patrol keeping the city safe? Yes. But was he going to take this chance to talk to Y/N to fix this shit? Yes.

Once Y/N made it to her doorstep she heard a voice behind her.

“Glad you made it home safe..Maybe we could pick up on that trashy reality show now that we’re both here,” Katsuki said while trying to joke around. Y/N only rolled her eyes at the hero and attempted to put her key into the lock. Katsuki was quick to react though. He snatched her keys out of her hand before speaking again.

“Y/N please! I can’t live like this! I can’t live without you in my life. You’ve been absent for a week and it’s been driving me insane!” He said while holding onto your wrist.

“Katsuki, give me back my keys.” You calmly said.

“Y/N, just hear me out.” He also calmly said.

“And listen to you say what Katsuki?! That I’ll never be a hero? That even if I was I’d be a terrible one? That I should just give up and stop trying?! Don’t worry, I already have. So now, let me go-“ Bakugou shut you up with a kiss. You were shocked and froze up. He kissed you with such passion and you melted into it, closing your eyes and letting him hold you as he pleased. He speperated from you before speaking again.

“You are not a terrible hero. Y/N you’re one of the strongest people I know. If anything, you’d be a better hero than me...but if you got hurt, I don’t know what I would do.” He said looking down. You turned your head in confusion at his small confession.

“Katsuki?..”

“When you got hurt that day, I was livid. I almost killed that guy, just for scorching your arm. There are so many worse things that could happen to you when you do become a pro and the fact that I freaked out so bad over a little burn is insane! I just want you to be safe. I can’t let you risk your life when I need you hear with me the most...... I can’t let the girl of my dreams get hurt.” He said while placing his forehead on yours.

“When I become a hero, I’d be taking on an oath to put others before my own. And that’s what I choose to do. I’m gonna get banged up from time to time and I understand you’re worried about me, but you have to trust me when I saw I’ll always come back to you. I love you Katsuki.” With that, Bakugou slowly moved in to give you another kiss. This time, you kissed him back, letting your hands travel to his soft, golden hair as he pressed you up against the door.

You heard him unlock your door during the kiss, and as he separated he spoke.

“Let me show you just how much I love you Y/N.” He pushed open the door and continued to make out with you. Kicking the door to close it, he pushed you up against the wall. There he picked you up, and groped your ass, earning a moan from you. With your mouth open, he slipped his tongue in, tasting all of you. He walked to your bedroom, kicking open the door this time, and shutting it the same way as before. He dropped you onto the bed as you both giggled in excitement. You noticed something though. He was still in hero gear.

“Shouldnt you be on patrol, Dynamight?” You asked as he came up to kiss your neck and you pulled him in closer.

“Dynamight has something better to do right now, Teddy Bear. And you know what?” He asked while putting his face right infront of yours.

“Tell me what, hero.”

“That’s the exact name I want you screaming.” He smirked. He tore off his top and mask before taking off your own. He then attacked your breast. He pulled off your bra before taking a second to admire your perfect curves. He squeezed a mound in one hand before taking in the other one with his mouth, biting at your nipple. Leaving hickies all over your chest, he was proud to see the purple marks that now adorn your upper body. He pulled down your pants and kissed your inner thighs. Right at the center was his treat. He pulled at your panties and stuffed them in his pocket.

“Hey!” You said after you noticed what he did.

“My little souvenir. Don’t worry about it princess, I’ll buy you more.” He kissed up on your legs and saw your arousal glistening. He licked his lips as his ruby eyes dialated. He was excited. He took an experimental lick as you moaned at the feeling and he savored the sweet taste. He could help himself, he dove right in for more. As his tongue lapped up against your clit, you moaned out in pleasure.

“Mm...yess Suki! Oh fuck right there..” you said as you pulled on his hair. He smacked your thigh, receiving a yelp from you.

“That’s not my name, princess~” he smirked against your pussy. He stuck his tongue in you and you cried out even more.

“F-Fuck! Dynamight, pleasee...more!” He squeezed your ass in approval as your legs began to shake. He knew what was coming and used his fingers to rub against your bud.

“Fuck..cum for me princess, cum in my mouth and let your hero taste you.” He said as your squirted in his face and Bakugou suck your clit, collecting all your sweet nectar.

“What a good girl,” he said as he came up to kiss you, letting you taste yourself on his tongue.

“You ready for the main event?” He asked while giving you this cocky grin.

“Please..” you whined out.

“Please what, princess? You’re gonna need to be specific.” He knew what he was doing. He wanted you to beg. And you were going to do it.

“Mm..Please Dynamight! Please fuck me with your cock! Please fuck my pussy!” You begged. He smiled and smacked your ass.

“Good girl.” He said as he pulled down his hero slacks and stepped out of the material. Here he was, Pro-hero Dynamight and your now ex best friend completely stripped infront of you. His member hanging out with a hard erection and your eyes went wide at the length. He noticed this and tilted your chin up so your E/C diamonds could meet his eyes. “Don’t worry, it’ll fit,” he kindly said.

“Doubt it,” you sarcastically replied.

“Then we’ll make it fit, Princess.” You bit your lip in excitement. He pumped his cock a few times before placing the tip at your entrance. He rubbed his tip up and down you slit as he spoke.

“I’ve wanted this for so long princess, and now I’m finally gonna make you mine.” He said before he slammed in as you both cried out in ecstasy.

“Oh-oh my god..” you whimpered. He peppered your face in kisses to distract you from the pain. Once you adjusted to his size, you begged him to move.

“Please..more.”

With your permission, he began to thrust in and out of your heat, with hard, slow strokes. Both of you moaning as the sensation. The way he filled you up completely was euphoric. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss, moaning into it as he picked up his pace a little more. You could hear his grunts and soft moans as he sped up, enjoying the way your pussy held him tight.

“Mm...Harder, Dynamight...F-Faster..please!” You whined. Katsuki listened, and he listened well. His strokes went deeper, his speed increased, and he fucked you harder than ever as he went up to your ear.

“Yeah...you want it harder?...deeper?....Mm fuck, faster princess? You like it rough? You like how Dynamight fucks your tight little cunt?” He asked while you cried out in pure pleasure.

“Y-yesss. Oh my god yes Dynamight. Fuck me just like this...ahhh!” Bakugou grabbed onto your ass with both his hands as he pummeled into you. You gripped his hair and he moaned at the feeling. He sucked on one of your tits as he looked at you. God, you were gorgeous. The blush that covered your face, you mouth hanging open with a slight smile as moans fall from it, and your eyes looking up like you’ve been fucked stupid.

“Oh..I’m gonna cum! Please, I’m gonna cum!” You moaned out.

“Not yet Teddy bear. Hold it,” he said as he gave your ass a hard smack and pulled out of you. You whined at the loss of his cock and looked at him with begging eyes.

“Turn around princess. I want you on all fours.” He simply said as he continued to pump his cock.” You moaned at the sight of it and smirked to yourself. He watched as you dragged your hand to your center and began playing with yourself.

“And if I don’t listen?” You smiled as you moaned at the way your fingers rubbed at your pussy. Bakugou grabbed your hand and got in your face before you could go any further.

“Then the brat who wants to cum so bad will cum for me 100 times over as her punishment.” He said as a threat but you only took it the best way possible.

“Sounds fun..Katsuki.” With that, he yanked your hand away from yourself and flipped you over before slamming back into you from behind and smacking your ass again and again.

“Ohh fuck...Ah...you think you’re funny, huh y-you brat? Let’s see how funny you are when I fuck you so dumb the only thing you’ll know is my name.” He said as he pounded into you. Your cried were muffled as you screamed into the mattress.

“Don’t do that, princess, I wanna hear your pretty cries,” he said as he yanked your hair, lifting your head up. He grabbed onto your neck and kissed you as you both loudly moaned into it. He squeezed your neck ever so lightly but tightly as he placed his forehead on yours to look down at where you both meet and become one. He sped up at the sight.

“I bet you love this. I bet you love having Dynamight’s cock deep inside you. Can you feel me? Huh? Feel me in your guts? Feel my big dick deep inside you?” He asked as he looked back at you.

“Y-Yesss! Oh f-fuck...ohhh so big!” Bakugou smiled at your comments and felt you squeeze around him.

“S-shit...you gonna cum? Gonna come on this big dick?” He asked as his hand traveled to you pussy, rubbing at your clit.

“Do it! Do it now, cum on my cock!” You squirted around his cock and Bakugou continued to fuck you through your orgasm and you cried out, and your upper body fell to the mattress. His hands grabbed at your waist as he pounded your pussy. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and bit his bottom lip as he threw his head back moaning out.

“Fuck! Ohh f-fuck, I’m gonna cum. You want my cum princess? Can I fill your pussy with my cum?” He asked while looking down at you. You had little tears poking at the ends of your eyes due to the mass amount of pleasure and Bakugou came at the sight. His thrust stopped as his hips met your ass in a final push, while his cum went deeper into your pussy, filling you to the brim. You both cried out as he finished and he kept himself in there for a little until you both caught your breath. He kissed up your spine to your cheek as he pulled out and layed down next to you.

As he pulled you closer to him he could hear your soft voice.

“A-amazing...Suki.” You said as you nuzzled into his neck. He only smiled as he realized you forgot.

“I hope so, cuz we’re not done teddy bear.” He said while smirking. Your eyes went wide as you looked at him in shock.

“Your punishment. Remember? I want you cumming on my cock a 100 times over. I don’t even want you to be able to walk for the next week.” He said while looking you right in his eyes. You took on his little challenge and straddled his waist before pumping his cock a few times and hovering over it. He watched the whole thing and licked his lips at you.

“Fine then Dynamight,” you said as his hands traveled to your hips. “Show me what you got,” you said as you slammed back down on him releasing cries from both you and him. This was gonna be a fun, long night.

—

After rounds 2, 3, 4, and 5, you both lie on your bed completely fucked out as you held onto each other. Bakugou was contempt as he held you under his chin and thought you were asleep. You were only resting your eyes with a soft smile on your face. Bakugou kissed the top of your head before softly speaking.

“I’m so sorry for everything I said teddy bear. You are the most amazing person in the world. I just don’t want you to be hurt. I wanna protect you for the rest of my life. I love you with my everything and I really want you to officially be mine. When you wake up, I’m gonna tell you all of this.” Bakugou sighed. Now it was your turn to speak.

“You don’t have to wait Suki,” you softly spoke as Bakugou looked down at you in shock. “I already heard it all, and I want to officially be yours too.” You said while looking right at him.

“Heh..I thought you passed out,” he teased.

“Well then I guess you’re not as good as you thought, Dynamight.” You teased back.

“You tryna say I didn’t fuck you good enough princess?! Cuz I still got enough for one more round that’ll be sure to shut your mouth real quick!” You only laughed at his little outburst.

“I’m good Suki. Trust me, you did more than enough.” You said.

“You’re damn right. And by the way you were screaming my name, I’m sure of it.” He proudly stated.

“Shut up,” you rolled your eyes and softly spoke. You both gently laughed at the teasing and embraced each other once more, but this time a little tighter.

After a few peaceful moments of silence, you heard him speak up.

“So..you’re being serious about really wanting to be mine..right?” Bakugou asked with worry laced in his voice.

“Of course I’m serious Suki. I don’t wanna be anybody else’s but yours.” You said in the cutest voice. Bakugou blushed at the confession.

“Ok then teddy bear. You’re mine now, and I’m never gonna let you go again.” He whispered. “I love you Y/N.”

“I love you too Suki.”

—

“WHERE WERE YOU?!?? A BANK WAS ROBBED, MULTIPLE PEOPLE WERE MUGGED, AND 2 VILLAIN BRAWLS BROKE OUT ON YOUR PATROL MAN!! ARE YOU GOOD?!?” Red riot screamed into the phone.

“Yeah, yeah I’m good. I’m great actually, a lot of good stuff happened on my patrol.” Bakugou said as he drank from his glass of water.

“Dude. Seriously?” The red head said in disbelief. What could possibly make up for all the crimes committed on his best friend’s watch?!

“Seriously. Gotta go, talk to you later shitty hair.” Katsuki said as he hung up the phone. As he finished cooking, he brought two plates of food to the couch for Y/N and himself. He had to carry Y/N there.

“What was all that about?” Y/N asked as she took a sip from her cup and turning away from the trashy reality show you both were watching.

“Just another reason why you’d make a better hero than me, teddy bear.” You awed at the compliment and cuddled into him. If only you knew how serious he was being.

Kirishima would know. For he was the one running around like a mad man trying to stop all the crimes committed due to his best friend being absent thanks to his horny desires.

A/N: YAYYY MY FIRST REQUEST! I really enjoyed writing this one and I’m sorry if it wasn’t exactly what you were looking for. I’m hope you enjoyed it tho! Feel free to drop more request for me to do!💗🧸

P.S. New series coming on the way!

[mariesocuniverse]

Relationships: NCT 127

Maeil (aka Daily)

there are two meanings to their ship name

first is, of course, their names mashed together but the second meanings is much cuter and the one fans use to explain their dynamic

When Mae found out their ship name was Maeil her first reaction was “Oh? Is it because I make sure to let Taeil hyung I love him daily?” while cuddling Taeil on a couch

he’s the same age as Mae’s older brother so she treats him as such

her brother is literally like “Are you replacing me with Taeil? I’m your reall brother!” and she’s just there sweating

part of Taeil’s hype squad and will fight donghyuck for the position of president

like the two were on vlive and spent a good fifteen minutes arguing about their positions in the club Mae won but donghyuck refuses to acknowledge it

he could be doing something simple and you can see Mae in the background with a big smile cheering

he’s also like her personal teddy bear whenever she wants cuddles and/or wants to rest

there are just multiple gifs floating around nct twt of Mae tackling Taeil for a hug or her just clinging to him on a couch because she’s either tired and wants to rest or just wants cuddles

absolutely adores his voice

there are multiple compilations on youtube about all the times Mae compliments Taeil on his voice and him just blushing the whole time

Maenny

was lowkey intimidated bc the man is a fucking tree and basically towers over her

but then he saw him play around with some other trainees and that thought disappeared real quick

he’s more like the protective older brother than like a parent like Doyoung or Taeyong

can and has used his height to his advantage when it comes to scaring people who hurt Mae or do something to make her sad

he was one of the first people who found out about her old company and he looked like he was about to storm their building probably would’ve if it weren’t for Mae

one of the first people she became friends with because he always answered questions she had when she was a trainees

before debut there were times people could see Johnny walk somewhere and Mae is just trailing after him like a lost puppy more like running because the man’s legs are long and he walks faster

there was this one time someone asked where Mae was and Johnny just shuffled to the side to reveal her behind him

his large frame was just big enough to hide her from everyone’s vision unless you walk past the two

you know that one vid of predebut nct performing Under The Sea with Johnny wearing the fish head? Mae was supposed to join him dressed as Ariel but the idea was cut last minute

there was this one time Mae couldn’t see something bc she was too short so Johnny lifted her up and put her on his shoulders

okay enough about Mae’s height

during shows he’s always encouraging Mae to talk more when she seems unsure whether to give her input or not

johnny, after an interviewer asks a question: “what do you think Mae?”

absolutely melts whenever she does aegyo because no matter how old she is he’ll always see her as the cute kid who followed him everywhere

MaeTae

honestly it’s hard to pinpoint where Taeyong’s protective parental energy started getting directed to Mae

like it might’ve been somewhere predebut but she doesnt know when

she’s like 50% sure she just blanked out and suddenly Taeyong appeared in her life scolding her for not taking care of herself

it’s not like she’s complaining abt it she’s really grateful to have someone like him in her life

when her family got worried abt her joining a group filled with guys he personally went to her house and calmly explained how Mae will be taken care of and how the group will make sure that she’ll be safe

first person to know if there’s something between SM and Mae that the other members don’t know about

he was also the first member to know about what happened with Mae and her old company

she knows she can trust him with anything

he found her alone crying in one of the practice rooms and she just poured her heart out to him

Whenever they go places as a large group he looks for Mae first before counting the other members

she got lost once and now he doesnt want her out of his sight for more than five minutes

she got him a “world’s greatest dad” trophy as a joke that he has on a shelf in his room

YuMae

you know how yuta acts with mark and winwin? yeah he does the same for Mae

if he isnt giving a hug to mark he’s all the way across the room with Mae giving her a back hug

Mae: does nothing

Yuta: aigoo look how cute she is :)

she doesnt ignore him tho she just returns the affection

likes to jump on his back for a piggy back ride or just run and jump to give him a hug

there was this one clip that went viral of Yuta talking to someone and he just pauses for a moment before turning around to catch Mae, who seemingly came out of nowhere, into a hug and turned back to his conversation

neither yuta nor the other person seemed fazed so this seemed like a regular occurrence to them

he teaches her japanese!

its beneficial to both of them because Mae can learn and Yuta won’t forget any Japanese while living in Korea :D

really really really loves his smile

like real whipped (A/N i wrote this while watching the under the sea performance and now im going through it)

like she sees him smile and that makes her smile and that makes fans smile

Can and has glared at “fans” and other people who make her uncomfortable whether it be at the airport or during their schedules

There was this one time Mae was walking ahead of him when there were fansites following them and he just pulled her back into his arms because he noticed an anti of hers was nearby

It’s like a lion trying to protect a kitten

2Young

again did not know how Doyoung because like a parent to Mae but she just ended up rolling with it

She just has this aura to her that makes you want to care of her and give her love

whenever they go eat together with the group he always put food on her plate, regardless of whether the managers glare at him or not he glares back anyway so they back off

“doyoung she’s been put on a diet-” “she’s going to eat whether you like it or not”

one time Mae got sick with a fever and he just burst into her room with medicine and soup

if taeyong has the “world’s greatest dad” trophy doyoung has the “world’s greatest mom” trophy that he says he’ll throw it away but has it perched on his desk

Mae’s also one of the members who like to clown him

she’s the one of the reasons he already has gray hairs

Mae has a folder of embarrassing photos of Doyoung’s childhood that his brother sent to her and refuses to delete it

she cant do anything about them tho bc Doyoung got his own folder of babie Mae pics courtesy of Mae’s older brother

Haechan has tried and failed to gain access to either of those folders

MaeHyun

major sibling energy

but not like the bickering kind of energy but more like very soft and uwu

there are a lot of people asking them “are you sure you’re not related?” during interviews and fansigns

Fans are just waiting for the two to do a duet bc come on SM you have a real life Disney prince and princess here

Let Mae be the Jasmine to Jaehyun’s Aladdin and perform A Whole New World together

She likes to poke his dimple

There’s this one vid where Jaehyun and Mae are sitting together and she just pokes his dimple and Jaehyun’s smile gets bigger

joked about if he could let her meet yugyeom and bambam bc of 97line and he just went no <3

when jaehyun was inkigayo’s mc nobody could approach her with the infamous inkigayo sandwich bc she was always with him not like anyone could try considering mae has several bodyguards wherever she goes

you know how jaehyun won the alpaca plushie in nct life? he gave it to mae bc he know how much she loved plushies

Honestly the majority of the plushies in her room were given to her by jaehyun

She has a bear named after him uwu

MaeWoo

Loves the energy he gives and thinks he’s so funny

He never fails to make her laugh whenever she needs cheering up

they used to be shy around each other when he first joined the group but they caught each other having a midnight snack so they just talked at 3am eating ramen until doyoung found them and told them to go to bed

now it’s just tradition for them to go to a convenience store together and eat ramen or whatever snacks they decide to get

nobody is allowed to join them its only a MaeWoo thing  

Mae has natural aegyo but Jungwoo has taught her to use it to her advantage which she does but not often

Another one of Mae’s cuddle buddies

She just thinks he looks so soft so she just clings to him whenever he’s nearby

Major uwu energy over here when it comes to the two of them together

idk why but i dont see him as the type to be protective when it comes to her dating

he’s more like

“you dont have a boyfriend yet? damn people dont know what they’re missing”

or on the other side of the spectrum

“good luck to your future boyfriend he’ll need it if he’s gonna date you”

2Ma/MaeKyung

Older brother that doesn’t feel like an older brother

Majority of the time he kinda just feels like they’re the same age or younger so newer fans get shocked when they find out she’s younger

Like there was this one time Johnny the two were playing Smash Bros and Mark was whining because he lost and Mae was jumping in the background cheering it was his fourth loss in a row but he won’t say it

they were kinda awkward around each other at first so johnny literally had to stick them in a room together and didn’t let them leave until they talked to each other

it worked and they just vibed and rambled about different topics like trainee life and what mark’s life in Vancouver was like

speaking of Vancouver

one time during their stay in Vancouver they wanted to have a friend date but he lost her at a mall and took twenty minutes trying to find her until she used the announcement service to call him

he wouldve ask his Vancouver friends to go with them but some of them had a crush on mae so no <3

When she first starting writing songs and her own lyrics she went to Mark first and asked if the lyrics she wrote were good

They were amazing and Mark made sure to tell her that :D

mae’s reaction to his dream graduation was one of the saddest things czennies have seen so when she found out he was coming back she would not let go of him

Literally could not stop smiling whenever mark was with the rest of dream filming for Resonance

It’s just very wholesome and czennies are willing to riot if SM decides to separate them

Maechan

You know how I said Maehyun was the soft and uwu type of siblings? Well Maechan are the bickering type of siblings

You know the ones who like to bicker over minor things but still would protect each other for life

they have so much dirt on each other on trainee days lmao

Haechan to Mae: lmao what a loser

Haechan when someone insults Mae: listen here you little shit

The only person allowed to clown her is him and the rest of NCT

he heard a trainee talk shit about her once and they still can’t look haechan in the eye

he’s only a few months older than her but he uses the “i’m older!” card whenever he can

“i’m older therefore i get to go first” “excuse me sir but you’re only three months older than me” “but im still older”

they fight for the title of the favorite 127 maknae but they both know that can do what they want

Mae is more lenient towards the hyungs during yaja time than haechan is tho so she just vibes whenever they go to scold him when the games over

they do team up a lot so they’re a menace when they do something together

especially in games

their competitive nature plus their brain power together? its over it even started

50% of the time they have to be separated from each other when it comes to choosing teams

the other 50% is someone choosing both of them because they want that easy win

Those two are willing to risk it all even for a bag of chips

[crybabyjabby]

MHA characters missing their s/o

request-

request by: @smexy-goose

—

a/n: I kinda lost topic here....

ANYWAY don’t ask me why this took long for no reason. I'm just a lazy high school student - also i am not very good for writing sero - bakugou and kirishima’s are short too.

whatever just try to enjoy, at least I attempted

warnings: just me attempting fluff T-T

also are characters are aged up and pro heroes!!

__

Bakugou:

He would never admit it but he misses you to death when he’s at work

always afraid of the fact you might leave him for always being busy, or finding someone new

your just sitting on the futan enjoying the newest episode of your favorite show

He told you not to wait up for him today, saying he’d be late from work but you did just the opposite

You were tired, but even just seeing your husband before you went to bed just makes the night so much better

Soon later, a tired, explosion boy walked into your shared apartment

“What are you still doing up teddy bear”

Oh wow, were you surprised

a little flustered too 

he went straight to you and plopped the both of you on you’re new leather futan. Wrapping his muscular arms around you

felt. like. a. DREAM.

“You’re needy today” you smiled. kissing his forehead lightly

“Don’t take it to heart, extra” he snapped back

“Hey! what happened to teddy bear?”

Kirishima:

this man

THIS. MAN.

he is just smothering you in texts, and calling you non-stop when he gets the chance

“Y/n-Chan, I’m coming home with your favorite, Takoyaki!” 

tbh it was his favorite

BUT THERE WAS NO WAY YOU WOULD TELL THAT MAN DOWN

“Thank you babe!”

as soon as you hang up he’s calling again

it could range from a crazy thing he just saw on the street, to him just spilling his love out for you

he’s just wrapped around your finger

as soon as he gets home you two will share what happened throughout the day

and EXPECT cuddles when you’re done catching up

he is just one heck of a man

Denki:

I feel like he would act similar to kirishima

except that manz would take off a WHOLE day just for you

OMG HES JUST 

I can’t express my feelings

he is a piece of treasure you must cherish with your WHOLE HEART

anyways...

The whole day he is taking you to places he’s always wanted to go

He’s done a decent amount of research on each one, to your surprise

 He never told anyone this but he had a secret blog and would post all about his friends back in your UA days

while the both of you were at a famous cherry blossom park, you stumbled upon it

He had tons of posts about a ‘mysterious’ girl, and how gorgeous she was

“y/n! how did you find that?!”, poor boy looked so worried

you just smiled at him cheekily, and laid your head on his shoulder. Telling him you loved him so much in hushed whispers

All he could think about was, ‘how did she know I was talking about her’, but most importantly, how lucky he was to have met you in the first place

When you think the both of you are tired and ready to go back home he begs you to stay for a few more minutes because you look so beautiful next to the blossoms

he just wants to suck up the pretty sight of you

but who can blame him

Sero

tbh, sero is a pretty chill guy

its his day off, so you guys are just laying at home, watching a horror movie

It might not seem like he does much, but its the little actions that pull through, since he barely gets to see you when its crime season

so when it comes to things like this, he does as much as he can to show how much he loves you

like when you fall asleep on his shoulder

you didn’t mean to, but the sight of that monster was definitely something you wanted to forget

closing your eyes to wash away what you saw, you fell asleep in the process

he watched your mellow breathes, and how your stomach floated up and back down.

he grabbed the blanket sitting on the edge of the bed and wrapped it around you. kissing your forehead as gently as possible

using this opportunity to make a sweet corn curry for when you awoke

you got up a few hours later to hanta staring at you in pure adoration

he ran straight to you

picking you up and now holding you bridal style

 oh my gosh,,,, what a gentleman 

he sat you down at the table while the both of you ate in a comforting silence

my love for denki really showed here....

              CRITICISM IS ALWAYS ALLOWED 

[moon-stars01]

Deja Vu

Dino x Reader

Summary:As exhausted Chan needs to unpack,but he ends up unboxing feelings and all his old memories with you instead.

Gene:Angst?,fluffy if you squint,friends to lovers,friends to enemies.

Rating:General Audiences

•Deja Vu•

"Where do you want this?" one of the movers asked, carrying the last of the boxes.

Chan rips his eyes from his soon-to- be room and points to the kitchen table.

"Over there, please."

The stocky man places the small box on the mahogany, and with a tilt of his hat went on his merry way out. But not before Chan handed the man a little something for his trouble.

Moving days were always a cocktail of excitement and stress. They almost always left Chan out of sorts. Which is why the 24 year-old decided to settle in alone, not sure if he had enough headspace to accommodate someone else, even if he needed the help.

Chan makes his way to the table and an envelope catches his eye. It's come a long way, judging from all the stamps and stickers and return to sender notes, but somehow it keeps finding its way back to him.

A letter from Y/N. One he's been meaning to throw away.

Looking around at his new apartment—a two bedroom with pristine white walls and massive windows that let in plenty of natural light and offered a quaint view of the street outside—Chan felt a sense of déjà vu. It would have been easier to shake off, if only he had never been here before.

With you.

And with that thought, Chan doesn't even look for a cutter to tear the seal and paper apart.

0-0-0-0

"Damn. We really went through the trouble of finding him when he was the one who put up the wrong address, and he didn't even give us a tip!" a 19 year-old Chan moaned, not even waiting for the guy who ordered the Valentine's package (giant teddy bear, chocolates and flower, free handwritten note to boot!) to get out of earshot before complaining.

"Someday, we're going to move into a place like that. Did you see the windows?" you huffed, changing the topic and trying your best to keep up with your best friend's strides.

"Just say you have a window fetish and go." Chan teased and added, "I don't mind moving in with you, but you better not be a slob."

"Well if you quit your yapping and sold enough teddy bears, we just might be roomies in Seoul." You replied as you both got on your bikes.

"Sold our kidneys and enough teddy bears, you mean." Chan joked. "Hey [Y/N], race you back to the shop?"

0-0-0-0

Teddy bears, and pencil holders, the southbound bus waiting by the street. Quiet songs on off tune guitar strings—that is who you are to me.

The crashing surf, the maths and fractions, drying paint and homilies. Broken glasses, choir practice— in them it is you that I see.

Seoul. Chan was finally living his best life in Seoul. No more delivering teddy bears that gave him rhinitis. No more waiting for his moment. No more manning the cash register or refilling thermal rolls or Tuesday morning class duties.

He didn't have to wash his dad's pick up, or set up dumb marriage booths on Valentine's Day. No more making bookmarks for valued customers. No more [Y/N].

That was the price he paid in order to live the dream, and boy, did it cost him. He'd cut his losses to be where he is today. But to have his song and his stage he had to lose you. And yet you always found your way back to him.

Only if you felt the same. Then will you find me in things, these small things, around? When these memories stay clear as day, how can I forget?

0-0-0-0

"How do you sing this again?" you point to the words of an English Christmas carol. The manager wanted the teddy bear deliveries to come with a little song performance. It was good for business, but bad for your self-esteem. At least Chan was there to help.

" What a bright time, it's the right time ... Seriously, [Y/N]. You should have known this by now." Chan puffs, stuffing his hands in his pocket in an attempt to keep warm as you both make your way to the next delivery. You stop walking beside him to accommodate an oncoming sneeze.

Chan looks back at you with a shake of his head, but he hands his jacket anyway. "Here. Come on, or we'll be late."

Just as you mumble thanks, the pitter of patter of rainfall fills the evening and the busy street is suddenly clear of the crowd.

"Well, what do you know! Foot traffic problem solved!" you laughed, almost dropping the delivery.

"Only you'd think pouring rain is good news." Chan smiled, as you practiced the song once more on your way. "Would it kill you to sound happier when you sing too?"

0-0-0-0

Tuesday mornings, Christmas carols, pick up trucks and factories. Doodles, books, and calculators—they will bring you back to me. Homemade bookmarks, my initials, pouring rain, and marriage booths. March and May and all the Sundays— in them it is you that I see.

Reading the letter, Chan didn't know whether to laugh or get pissed—at the fact that your wrote this in the cards you both sold at the shop, or because you were still working there, delivering stuffed animals, and singing at people's doors and offices without him.

Only if you felt the same. Then will you find me in things, these small things around? Will these memories stay clear as day? Or will I forget?

He should've stopped there. Heck, Chan should have burned this letter and your memory long ago. He had left his old life for a room with big windows and a nice view in Seoul. It was all he ever wanted, but why was he holding on to a card that painted a stupid picture of his stupid past?

Why was this measly scratch of dusty folded paper the only thing that has made him feel closer to being whole and wanted in the past four years?

Why did you even choose to forgive? And how did Chan dare to forget? What good is a room with a massive window when [Y/N] wasn't there to admire it the way they do?

Will I let go? Surely not. Surely not today.

For the casualties, apologies, and whatever's left unsaid— I will not forget.

Chan sees the tear drop on the ink before he hears it... a voice in the hallway. A song. It's not perfect. You don't sound confident but at least you sound earnest.

"What a bright time, it's the right time..."

Chan would recognize it anywhere. It was the voice of someone who tries, who never gives up , who will always find their way back to him.

It's the voice of someone who forgives. The voice of someone who will never forget.

[sugar-petals]

Hey Caro ☺️ I just took your super m quiz - thanks for making such a fun quiz, I feel like it helped me get into super m! I know nothing about them yet but I thought it fit soo well that I got Kai bc I’m a full time dancer - now you have me super curious about him 👀👀

KAI :: INTRODUCTION MASTERPOST (dance focus)

so you wanna know about the god of k-pop choreo? oh yeah, i’ll talk to you about fucking kai! if you dance, this guy is the #1 must-know. once you see him move, there’s no going back. i don’t exaggerate: kai is the gold standard. brace yourselves, i’ll show you why.

kim kai aka kim jongin (27) is a solo artist and super m’s plus exo’s main dancer — est 2019 and 2012 respectively — heading either group with a passionate, hyper-physical style that roots in his early practice of of jazz dance and ballet. the influence definitely shows. 

learning choreography, he’s become the gorgeous fusion of emotional grace and explosive power that unites both tension and extreme accuracy. while at the same time: never sacrificing his interpretation. and HOW MUCH HE BLEEDS FOR HIS CRAFT. he enjoys it so much. 

and he’s communicating it 100%, jongin’s dance is so interactive and raw, luring. i swear to god, put the seatbelts on for this one. it’s never just him, it’s you as well. you’ve never seen this before. he’s like “yes, i meant you, i’m looking at you”:

he’s even gonna modify the choreography to point right at you to underline that very thought. he’s so good, he can learn it, ace it, epitomize it, and do his own thing anyway. even the person in the last row will get whatever point kai wants to make. this is dance that belongs on the biggest stages.

even when he films without a crowd, it’s like you’re literally standing opposite to him. he focuses on two people: his moves, and the viewer. he has it look like you made him smile and self-aware, or you made him determined. INCREDIBLE. he shows his charisma, BUT he also shows your own (!) impact on him. it’s a duet. he wants you to join him on the dancefloor. this is from exo’s call me baby mv where kai does his famous come-hither:

he flirts and he encourages. he values the audience and wants them to be confident as well. i think it’s the reason why he’s so outstanding and addictive, kai thinks beyond himself. it’s a tango he involves you in with his eyes and how he opens his body, interprets a lyric.

it’s not about imposing himself going one way. instead: he plays the back and forth ALL. THE. TIME. in any context. whether it be frivolous, or fun, or gloomy, or sweet. even with a simple little smiley wink it’s happening. and he acts like you had a reaction to it. there’s literally just a camera.

this guy’s physique, strength, elegance, feeling for the beat, character portrayal (!), and control is unbelievable. he’s destroyed it in every fancam out there. he can’t switch it off even if he tried. your eyes would go toward him in the largest group formation still. put him in the center, that’s his spot, he showcases it.

because he doesn’t just show learned moves, he makes it radiate something dynamic and animalistic (he embodies superm’s ‘tiger inside’ all the way). 

jongin’s dance says: i love this, you love this, let’s do this, the feeling is right. he makes bodies and unrestrained touch the opposite of wrong, he pronounces it a source of having fun and being instinctual. and he never breaks the tie with you throughout, and uses his shoulders and lips to put the oomph into it. 

he uses innuendo and a ‘we both know’ sentiment perfectly as an invitation rather than just going through his routine. that’s how he can make each move fascinating. you can tell kai knows exactly how to make everyone scream their lungs out. i bet somebody held their breath just reading this post already.

exo’s most famous choreo is ‘monster’ (kai focus linked) with good reason: jongin can turn himself into nothing short of a roaring beast. it’s one sharp, complex move after the other. kai can bend any gravitational law he wants to show any feeling and pose he wants. a glimpse:

now, how to spot him in general if you’re new to him? here are some pointers. kai’s execution is clean, fast, and powerful. those are two decades (!) of experience showing. kai is an all or nothing dancer, he plays no games. he treats every group and solo stage like his best and last. his work ethic is beyond words. yeah, he’s a capricorn. his style is direct as can be, working every axis.

as you can see, jongin is hard to overlook anyway: he’s a 182cm giant made of steel. he strives to acutely visualize impact in his style and it is always successful. in fact, it’s his signature. it’s like he creates invisible objects and pushes through them. boom, he just burst another bubble.

when the song gets to his part, i guarantee you won’t miss him and all the boldness and expression he brings to enrich the performance. hell... he carries it. jongin can handle the center, i’m telling you. (look how fast he rotates here)

talking features — this is what to look for when he dances in a group setting: you can recognize kai’s face by how wide, bluntly structured and sensual it is. jongin is a sight. he has such an aura, serious, sultry, and smiling alike.

with a very recognizable silhouette (like... holy hell!):

he’s very cute as well ♡ the fandom and kai himself have an adorable analogy going on. jongin calls himself a teddy/nini bear and we joined in on it. (i made a thread about it here, it talks more about his offstage life) — hence kai’s fans are called eri-gom, eris as in exo’s fanbase and gom meaning bear. 

and i mean. look at him. what an attractive guy. he’s that handsome. strong brows, teddy eyes, square jaw, swept hair, glorious lips, tan skin. 

now yes, something important concerning his appearance and a serious topic: i don’t want to list you the endless instances of colorism that kai has to endure but it has to be mentioned. jongin has been called every name in the book and people agonize him over his skin incessantly. it goes on and on and on. every day a new terrible comment about him emerges because some pitiful person thought it was funny and would elevate them. 

he’s had to deflect, ignore, reframe, defend, remotivate, assert, harden, prove, denounce, and push himself, protect his confidence, decline skin bleaching constantly, laugh along, dance and practice thrice as hard to get the respect, and still see his dignity torn to pieces all day. i’ll just give it to you straight, that’s all fucked up. kai’s skin is perfect, he’s amazing and wonderful. 

in his own words:

— exactly right. say it even louder.

having him at the bottom of every joke is weird and messed up. this man is an utter beauty and nothing has to be fixed. it is up to him to define himself rather than get called ugly for his skin’s appearance by default, and get whitewashed at every opportunity. it’s been going on for 27 years, he scrunitizes himself all the time and doesn’t look at himself fondly because he hears these beatdowns daily.

it’s heartbreaking that this happens literally with no end in sight (’kai is just a stripper!’... ‘he has bad vibes’... ‘darkest guy jongin!’). for his skin, and how he decides to show it, too. jesus christ his skin looks fantastic, end of debate. they just can’t handle him, kai couldn’t be any more immaculate.

♡

jongin has vigorously protected fans from discrimination, bullies, and shaming himself whenever it came up. in a very straightforward and deadpan manner because he knows exactly how it damages you. (”J” in the subtitles = jongin, he’s wearing the plain white top at the very back)

we need to protect and praise him that way right back. it’s important.

so, needless to say. all in for jongin getting the center stage he deserves. because he has the wow factor in every regard. kai usually opens an MV because there’s no better way to get people’s attention with that level of presence. with kai, you can’t go wrong. if you get the center in a an all star group like superm, you are the king.

being part of that presence, kai’s stage alter ego has reached levels of infamity you can’t even imagine. it’s great to see him being sovereign without apology.

and it doesn’t stop there. he shows time and again that acting, props, and commanding the audience has to be mastered to be an exceptional dancer. kai owns his sex appeal. sometimes, he even dances a portion of choreo with his eyes closed because he’s feeling it so much.

he is a pro in using his surroundings as well, superm’s stages are a glorious opportunity for kai to show how he comfortably ‘lives in’ the 3D space around him.

which makes the viewer do the same: watching kai makes you feel amazing, energized, but also serene and enjoying the moment. 

there’s always balance. it’s the magic of it. e.g. he comes along with so much impetus and decisiveness but eventually, he halts to offer himself. here i am — take me. i’m yours. closed arms, open arms. walking, kneeling. looking down, looking up.

kai goes every extra mile there ever was and makes each eye contact count. involving the audience, one grin at a time. it works. it’s about establishing contact. he connects to the onlooker with so much nuance. 

kai’s smirk is notorious and you can see why it’s so raw and real: he makes it linger. it’s such a duality since his dancing says i’ll come over, while his message is come and get me, i know what’s on your mind.

with a hilarious twist – kai expertly uses humor. you don’t get that in many dancer repertoires. i love it. all those quick expression changes. his smile! 😊 what a man.

so — what makes him so good and known: yes, his style doesn’t deny that dancing and eroticism are one in his business. that takes courage. kai has it. iconic performances have been his reward. point dance/killing part: exo’s love shot choreo. 

that suit has swept the nation. what’s more: kai shows you it’s more than just good hip movement that a good dancer needs. he does everything at once, he puts the pleasure on his face, all his limbs are following the template he chooses.

the thing is. kai couldn’t be any shyer, but when the music starts he becomes a oscar-winning madman. he emotes constantly (!) and stays in character. this is gold.

jongin always plays it up. he knows how to use that face and does a lot of power posing. this is how visceral looks like. he’s interpreted exo’s aggressive concepts to a T.

and he has so. much. fun. it propels him. on every beat.

past every hurt, heartbreak and injury, man. if you know about his genre you knew this was coming, kai does all of that with 4 herniated discs. since debut days, never recovered. every gif in this thread, he dances with a battered spine. wheelchairs, stage collapses, relapse-recovery-schedule tales, the dilemma of injuries being inevitable, limping, kai falling into depression during breaks, constant pain killers, countless tears on stage, we’ve seen it all, the extreme end of it. 

kai works out like hell to literally keep his body from falling apart. but it doesn’t help the nerves in his back that are impacted. doing choreo you can sometimes literally see the pain kicking in and he pulls himself through with force for the last minute. once you know how strained his back is, you can see it.

at the end his expression goes fuck now it’s coming when the adrenaline fades. he takes every second-pause he gets to rest but still finishes each move. even when he holds back, he keeps it together and executes each turn. sometimes, he has to restrict himself and soften his movements to protect his health (especially in hard choreographies such as lucky one which is universally disliked by exo — still jongin makes the very best of it smiling bright and dancing so hard his sleeves come off).

he frequently states he ‘dances in any case unless his legs are affected by something’. all torso injuries are fair game, this guy is hardcore. and people claim he’s just pretending. chen (a fellow exo member) says not a single part of jongin’s body is intact. he has paid every price to get this far to follow his love. he’ll step on stage with crutches. he works SO HARD.

that being said: exo being called the official nation’s group, i say kai is the nation’s dancer. period. he has had his great moment at the korean olympics flawlessly dancing in a hanbok with traditional instruments and fulfilling his dream. 

i love the tension and drama he can bring. he can also thrill with slow, vulnerable movements alike.

kai’s is called a legend, he’s all that and even more. the facial expressions alone are feared by any kai stan because they hit home. 

this guy is a sex icon and goes off like a gun, messing around was never kai’s incentive. 

while at the same time being incredibly nuanced and so, so descriptive with his movements.

point dance: baby don’t cry. yep, kai has danced in water. must-watch.

this man loves what he is doing. he said he wouldn’t regret to die on stage because dancing is his destiny. boy, it shows. this guy has found his purpose. he can tell any story he wants. he’s a complete artist.

he’s perfectly portraying his incentive and he couldn’t look any more like a god on earth.

long story short, kai is dance and motivation goals. if you dance professionally, you can easily look toward him for the right words.

if you want to further your study and knowledge: he released a self-titled solo album recently. highly recommended. he worked forever on it, and he’s really dishing it on there. you get to hear his soft voice plus sizzling footwork. and he isn’t even getting started yet. you’ll hear from kai, i promise. he constantly achieves new levels of artistic perfection.

a last remark. jongin is amazing for a myriad of reasons that go beyond what i show you here given the post focuses on his work on stage. but the point stands, while other people have tried to break him, he broke through every barricade instead and stood up for himself. we can be extremely happy to have him and witnessing his unreal dance is an exceptional pleasure. here’s to jongin continuing his passion and confidence, healing, and getting the sweeping respect and acknowledgement that is his.

[kekoma]

— asahi as your boyfriend.

been wondering what it’s like dating jesus asahi. hope you enjoy.

if you ever look up the definition of softie— his picture comes up immediately.

asahi is so soft that you sometimes find it funny when others view him as a ‘tough’ and ‘scary’ looking guy.

however it does get annoying when those rumors that follow him start to appear more and began to be more twisted than before.

with those assuming the relationship started because he has blackmail against your family or you, that you have to repay him for saving your life or maybe you saw him commit a crime and the only way he’s letting you live is by dating him.

many stupid rumors but after a while it’s just a ‘shake your heads and put them in their place boys.’ type of thing.

but you, his friends and your friends know this man couldn’t hurt a fly. he’s just too sweet to do something like that so asahi tries not to care too much about those rumors.

however he occasionally wonders since he doesn’t want your image to be ruined because of him.

so you’ll have to remind him that it doesn’t matter and if it really did then the relationship wouldn’t have started anyways.

vv happy to hear that from you, resulting in him worrying less and finding himself lucky to be in love with someone so amazing.

although thanks to his looks, most guys stop hitting on you the minute he comes near.

let’s all say thank you jesus azumane <3

without an doubt, the type to buy matching headbands because he founds it adorable.

“hmm baby, don’t these headdbands look nice?” he’ll pass over his phone to reveal a picture of the headband.

“oh yeah. really cute~”

“so you LIKE like them?”

“heh yeah. why?”

he’ll suddenly pull out two headbands that are extract ones from the photo.

“ta-da~ now we can match!”

“... sir...”

he might even take a few pictures and post it on his sns, captioning it ‘love at it’s finest :)’ now the whole team laughing.

doubtlessly he’ll let you play with his hair anytime and any day.

and he sometimes like to ask you if you’ll do his hair when he isn’t in the mood to do the typical man bun.

side fact: he likes to request you do the same hairstyle that you have (if you’re the type to change hairstyle every few days or weeks)

but if you’re someone with different hair texture than his then he understands and just ask for you to braid his hair :) vv content with whatever he gets from you.

ALSO— asahi LOVES, let me say it again, L O V E S when you wear his hoodies and sweatshirts. 

willingly hands them to you just to see how cute they look on you even if they’re big on you.

“you look so adorable~ maybe you should start ditching your clothes and wear mine instead sweetheart!”

“then what would you wear i really started wearing your stuff?”

“i-... umm i’ll just buy new clothes.”

since two nicknames was mentioned, let’s put it out the top nicknames he calls you.

the main ones are 🥁🥁🥁 sweetheart, baby, precious, sunshine, hun and cutie <3

it’s mandatory that you attend his games too.

asahi views you as his personal cheerleader (and good luck charm) who truly understands his fear.

assuming you went through something similar that he did and have overcame it, becoming better than before then automatically he listens to your words carefully.

most people just give him the basic prep talk which begins to sound too similar to each other but with you— it’s completely different. hints why he listens to YOU.

but to wrap it up... attend his games so he can show off his improvements all thanks to you :)

the type to remember small details about you that caught his attention.

like that one time you asked for tomatoes to be removed from your meal but they still added small pieces of it in your food and you just pretended act like everything was okay? yeah he remembered and now whenever you two order from there, he removes them before you see it.

or maybe how you seem to fiddle with clothes, avoid eye contact with others, smile when nervous or whatever that you may go through when anxious or put into a uncomfortable situation that others blindly don’t pay attention to? asahi has already picked up on it and finds the perfect excuse to get you out of the situation.

something i want to point out is that he most likely gives the best hugs.

we’ve all seen the way this man is built— so for sure his hugs engulf you and make you feel like you’re home.

and generally he loves hugging you because something about the feeling of holding the one true person that has his heart and attention, makes him even softer.

which brings the infamous topic~ pda.

in public, pda with him is normal. hand holding? yeah but he definitely makes sure your fingers intertwine with his. kissing? oh definitely and he’ll kiss you every chance he gets (but i promise it’s not one of those types of things where it’s extremely overbearing and cringey. he’s a classy gentleman so he knows the right time to kiss you)

vv romantic touches that aren’t explicit and stays in both your comfort ranges.

however in private, he’s a bit more touchy/cuddly behind closed doors.

kisses are more frequent and his lips are always find their way to kiss each finger tip while whispering the reasons he loves you (imo he’s capable of being that soft and romantic.. just a TAD bit)

as for cuddling— instantly being the big spoon. can’t fight this teddy bear about it. it’s his way or HIS WAY.

besides it’s impossible to big spoon him with those shoulders of his.

moving on... let’s talk dates <3

most dates are chill and quiet. he’s not really into the loud scene and struggling to hear what you may have to say or be distracted.

so going to the movies, the beach or park to have a picnic, a cafe, small restaurant and etc. is the type he goes for.

side fact: on one of your picnic dates, he made you and himself a flower crown. literally one of his most favorite dates since he was able to get some cute pictures of you. he likes to look over those pictures and finds it amazing that someone so angelic like you exist in his timeline.

but to conclude before this gets any longer... dating asahi isn’t bad and again 10/10 from me. super lucky to date this dude <3

© all content belongs to kekoma 2020. do not repost, modify or translate.

[jamestrmtx]

The Bebop Blues - [Animal Crossing | Tom Nook x Reader]

[Gender-Neutral Reader | Slow Burn + Tragicomedy]

Part 3 of 10 | I Thought You Were Bae

[First] | [Previous] | [Next]

Was he that out of touch when it came to dealing with his feelings, beyond those of business, acquaintanceship, and friendship?

Maybe.

Having the human around doesn't help much with lessening that feeling, though he can't complain with how happy their presence makes him, breaking the monotony of each day, and helping him manage with his past without letting it consume him as badly as it once did. 

"Hey, Tom!" they call out, heard loud and clear despite them being nowhere around.

His ears perk as he tries to follow the sound of their voice; he can hear a soft rustling noise from the orchard nearby, so it doesn't take long before he finds them.

Of course, it's by them bursting out of the cherry tree next to him, legs hanging onto a branch while their face lays upside down. They grin when he stays frozen from shock, though they soon show concern and approach him with a hand over his shoulder when he fails to snap out of it. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you that badly!" They stay upside down even as they say that apology, and -- more than the scare itself -- he worries that them staying that way for too long could result in blood rushing to their head. "Anyway," they add, smiling. They pull their hand back and reach for their pocket to retrieve something from it. "I didn't climb up here without a reason." The human offers him a tiny, black box and a brighter smile when he meets with their eyes. "I saw this at the top of the tree. Do you know who it could belong to?"

Tom takes the box and helps them back to firm ground before opening it.

"Let me see…" His voice trails off as he stares at the contents inside. "This is…" His hands tense against the item and he feels sweat run down his forehead, yet he tries his best not to let any of that show. Inside rests a single, silver ring -- like an engagement one of sorts: simple, but elegant.

Had they truly climbed up a tree to retrieve such a specific item?

Or had they placed it there on purpose?

And if the answer to that last question was yes, then…

He shakes his head and lets out a sigh.

It's ridiculous to even consider that a possibility.

That is, until he looks back to them and sees they're offering out a hand to him. Said hand displays a finger with a similar ring on it, the only difference between the two being theirs is bronze instead of silver.

His heart skips and his eyes grow wide, permanent tiredness disappearing from his gaze as he stares at the human, at a loss for words.

"Will you," they begin, bringing their hand out closer to him, "...be my best friend?"

His tomfoolery ends and he receives a reality check like a sharp slap to the face.

Obviously, both he and them would be skipping plenty of steps if they'd really meant to propose to him.

But why would they choose such an odd manner to confirm the strength of their friendship with him?

It makes little sense, and it stays that way until he finally snaps out of it and gets a better look at the ring in the box. The word ‘BESTIES’ is engraved in the silver coating, along with two small yet detailed drawings of him and (Y/N) holding hands -- clearly almost about to kiss despite the all-caps term accompanying the scenario. If they'd commissioned an artist for the piece, then the person either misinterpreted what they wanted, or the human still waiting next to him was about as slow as he once was to realize his true feelings about Redd all those years ago.

That two-faced man meant nothing to him now though, and -- in comparison -- his feelings towards (Y/N) are about twice as strong as when he and Redd were a thing.

Knowing he shouldn't make them wait any longer, Tom brushes those thoughts aside, meets with their eyes, and takes in a sharp breath before replying with a solid 'yes'. A smile arrives to his face almost on instinct, and he finds it near impossible not to display that happiness in his posture, as well. Regardless of how (Y/N) felt about him and their lack of awareness -- be it intentional or not -- over what they meant to him, they still had their charm and ways. "...Though I believe we are already best friends, are we not?" he asks, tone hushed as he tries not to make a fool of himself any further. "This only solidifies that, if so."

The human beams at him and hugs him tight before he can even say anything in response. Tom hugs them back, but he soon tenses when he grows aware of how different they feel compared to the last time he hugged them. Their body's frail to the touch -- as if they're about to burst into nothing, like a dandelion in the wind. Fatigue shows through how shaky their breaths are, and when they let go, he sees colour drained from their cheeks and their eyes lacking their usual light. 

"(Y- (Y/N)," he stutters, unsure how to approach the topic. "You-"

They lose balance and end up grabbing him again, this time for support rather than as an expression of gratitude or affection. Their body lays faint against him, and it grows heavy when their breathing becomes slower and scarcer. His eyes fall on a particular aspect of their legs, revealing multiple sting marks from what could be none other than a scorpion or ten. How red they look shows they're recent.

"I…" They shudder as they take in a breath. "I- I think something's wrong. Ever since I've been spending more time with you beyond our island work at the Resident Services building... I've been glitching nonstop. J- Just last night, I was running from a scorpion, when I suddenly, in- involuntarily stopped and... And ended up receiving multiple stings from it."

Tom's eyes turn wet despite not quite understanding what those words imply. "What does this me-" he stops himself mid-sentence, realizing it's not the best time for him to be asking about that. "Shall I carry you to my office?"

(Y/N) nods, albeit weakly. "Yes, please." They manage another smile before closing their eyes again and letting him carry them off to a safer place. "...Thank you, Tom." That's the last thing they say as they blank out, leaving him to rush off back to his office.

He first locks their arms around his neck and holds them by the waist second, third and final being him gathering strength to lift them up. Now in his arms, he's able to walk off -- slowly but surely. Nearby villagers notice the scene and help out, some by offering medicine -- like Twiggy and Stitches -- while two others pretty much offer themselves to aid with the lifting.

"We can carry them," Rocket says while Teddy nods, gaze knit as the gravity of the situation dawns on her. "Go ahead and get things ready! We'll be there in a flash."

Tom nods back and does as told, rushing off as soon as both villagers have a good grip on (Y/N).

A glitch -- whatever that implied -- would be something he would face head-on if it meant his friend would be safe and sound.

[First] | [Previous] | [Next]

[akitokihojo]

Cruel Summer

A couple notes before you read:

Did I really just write a 33,805 word, 61 page fic and post it all in it’s entirety? Yes, I did.

Could I have broken it into parts? Probably. Should I have? No. I firmly believe this story is stronger in one. With that being said, take snack breaks if necessary. Don’t forget to stay hydrated.

This is a soulmate au.

While this fic has got it all, please heed the title. You're in for some fluff, smut, and a healthy dosage of angst. Because, would I really be me without my infamous flare for dramatics?

Alright, that’s all. See you on the flip side.

----------

She’d never been a fan of summer. Heat waves, sunburns, uncomfortable nights, sweat, bugs, and you could only strip so much before it was deemed inappropriate. If she had her way, Kagome would be sitting in front of the air conditioner of her apartment, marking off day five of August to continue the countdown to Autumn.

But, no.

Her best friend coerced her to take a trip - and by coerced, she literally emptied her underwear drawer and hid every pair of panties she owned while Kagome was in the shower, and the only way she’d give them back was if Kagome agreed to immediately go on this month-long outing to her family’s vacation home at the beach with a couple other friends. She’d been against it. She was about to start her final year of college, and she wanted to rest before the most stressful year of her life, but the promise of margaritas, the view of the ocean, a break from the norm, and the return of her undergarments was persuasive enough to get her to fold.

Three hours later, and here they were, the call of seagulls acting as their cliche welcome to, as Ayame deemed it, the summer of their dreams. 

“God dammit!” Sango bellowed, kicking her suitcase, and Kagome immediately beamed, hopping over the bed they’d agreed to share and running for cover. She’d been watching her best friend search her bag for a few solid minutes, waiting for her to blow her top. “Kagome, where the hell is my underwear!?”

“I told you, you were playing a dangerous game!” She laughed, using the island counter as a guard between them, Sango hot on her trail chasing after.

“Where are they!?”

“Don’t know!” She squealed, running to use their friend, Miroku, as a cover. “They’re definitely not in the cooler, though!”

“You -“ Sango stopped in her tracks, her jaw dropping wide. “You put -“ Her head swiftly turned to look at the cooler of drinks. “You put my - my panties in ice!?”

“Yeah, she did.” Miroku laughed, giving her a mock cheers with the beer he held in his hand.

“Kagome!” She guffawed, mostly of shock.

“You threatened to give a pair of mine to Hojo, even after I agreed to come! It was fair!” Kagome doubled over laughing, her best friend throwing the top of the cooler open and digging out the ziplock baggy of her underwear, sighing in relief when she realized they weren’t sopping wet in ice cold water.

“We’re even now, right?” She asked, hitting Kagome in the arm with her baggy.

“We’re even! We’re even!” Kagome laughed, holding her hands up defensively.

“Okay, then get ready!”

“Tonight, we party!” Their red-headed friend cheered, her cheeks already pink from the harsh rays of sun.

Kagome rolled her eyes humorously, dragging her feet back to their room to get dolled up for their planned night of barhopping - which usually meant Ayame was going to attempt to be ambitious, but they were all going to settle for the first place they landed at. She wasn’t the least bit surprised that they were itching to go out on the first day, and quite frankly, she’d grown to be excited, herself. It had been a long time since Kagome had let loose and allowed herself to just have fun.

She emptied the clothes from her suitcase, quickly following Sango’s lead and putting them away as neatly as possible before shifting through dresses to decide on one to wear for the night. It was between a dark blue one with straps across the back, or a glittery, black one that was low-cut in the front.

“Straps.” Sango chimed, waggling her brows.

“Oh my god, guys!” Ayame cried, running in their room with a teddy bear in her arms, squishing it tightly to her chest. “Look what Koga slipped into my bag! Isn’t he the cutest!?”

“Oh, no.” Sango groaned, looking at Kagome with the same, apprehensive grimace she wore. 

“What?”

“You guys are gonna have FaceTime sex, aren’t you?”

“And, miss the opportunity to pretend we’re in a long distance relationship?” Ayame scoffed.

“Ew!” Kagome wined.

“Are you in the furthest room!?” Sango asked, laughing. “You better be in the furthest room from us!”

“Listen, if you hear some moaning, mind ya business!” The red head teased, rolling her eyes with extra sass. 

“Awe, man! She’s in the room next to me!” Miroku complained, stomping through the common area noisily. Kagome and Sango both laughed loudly, showing no remorse for the only guy brave enough to go on a long trip with the three of them.

Sango kicked the door shut as Ayame left, stripping off her tank top and unbuttoning her shorts in preparation of changing into her chosen dress for the evening. A form-fitting, little cocktail that she usually saved for a third date with a guy - her third date dress, if you will. She smoothed it over her body, pulling it lower down her thighs and swiveling on the heels of her feet to get a full look at herself in the lengthy mirror on the wall. “Shit.” She hissed.

Kagome glanced over, her shirt already removed and hanging from her wrist, waiting for Sango to explain her vexation. 

“It’s been so long since I’ve been on a date, I forgot you can’t wear underwear with this dress.”

“Good thing they’re all frozen, anyway.” Kagome joked, throwing up a finger gun with a click of her tongue.

There was a loud, inarticulate groan from Miroku in the living room, just outside their wall, and Kagome stifled her laugh with her shirt when Sango turned bright red, not realizing how loud they’d spoken.

“In what world!? In what world would we ever happen!?” Sango shouted at him, giggling when all he did was groan loudly again.

“This world.” Kagome teased, keeping her voice hushed as she slipped her dress over her head.

“No, way.”

“Oh, please! You and I both know you’ve got the hots, and you’ve only been resisting because you’re mad at yourself for liking him.” Sango pursed her lips, fighting off the smile that would give her ruse away. “I’m willing to bet, by the end of this trip -“

“Don’t say it! You’ll jinx me!” Sango silenced her best friend, rummaging through her makeup bag in a feeble attempt to blow off the topic.

—

The music was loud, the dance floor was packed, and Ayame was lost in the crowd somewhere with Miroku. Kagome and Sango sat at a table they’d managed to snag, sipping their margaritas as a waitress walked over, smiling, placing two shots of tequila on the table. Sango laughed as Kagome shook her head, staring at her like she was crazy, but still, she took the little glass that Sango happily handed over to her, Sango holding her own up to say something to cheers to.

“Final year of college is about to begin! We deserve this time, okay! I don’t want to hear a single word about buying books for the next twenty-eight days, do you hear me!?”

“To not buying books!” Kagome laughed, gently tapping her glass to her best friend’s and taking the shot, scrunching her face, but always proud of herself for never needing a chaser while Sango took a bite of the strawberry on the rim of her margarita glass to drown the harsh taste of her alcohol.

“So,” A guy crouched next to their small table, bracing his forearm on the edge of the fake wood to balance himself. The two girls looked over to the man, a little surprised but giggling when they stole a little peek at each other. He was handsome. Ungodly handsome. His hair was short, tousled, and a light shade of silver that had Kagome’s initial attention, transferring to the dog ears atop his head that seemed to fit him better than she suspected normal, human ears would have. He wore a charming, crooked grin that fit him too well, and his golden eyes glowed richly, the lights from the bar, or club, or whatever Ayame had dragged them to, bouncing off of his irises and only shading them slightly. “I usually start off with something corny, like a pickup line, to flatter the both of you before I make any sort of ballsy moves, but I have a feeling that wouldn’t work on two ladies that look the way you do.”

Kagome couldn’t resist her light laugh, turning her head away from him so he wouldn’t receive the satisfaction of making her smile. One sentence in, and she could already tell the guy was good at smooth talking.

“Depends,” Sango started, leaning forward with a flirtatious grin. “Which one of us are you here for?”

The man pointed his thumb at Kagome, keeping his eyes on Sango all the while. Kagome smiled, rolling her eyes and propping her chin in her palm, her elbow supported on the surface of the table. 

“But, I know when two friends, such as yourselves, are with each other, neglecting one will only dock you points. Nor, would I ever want to make a pretty girl like you feel put out.”

She smirked, colored impressed. “Yeah, see, you’re not wrong. On any account. My friend, Kagome,” Sango emphasized her best friend’s name so the handsome man would be sure to remember it. “Hates pickup lines. Thinks they’re the worst. Me, on the other hand? Boy, you could spend all night buttering me up and calling me pretty, and I’ll be putty in your hands.”

“Noted.” He grinned, rightfully shifting his attention back to the girl he favored. She was giving him an expecting and amused expression, tapping a finger along her cheek, and cocking a brow as she waited for him to say something. “I’m just gonna cut to the chase. That good with you?”

“Go for it.” She said, and it almost seemed like a challenge.

“I’m gonna buy you two a drink.”

“No, thanks. We’ve already got one.” Kagome couldn’t help but giggle.

“Well, the cool thing about drinks is if you drink them, they empty, and then you can drink another.”

“And, you’re hoping for…?” It was an open-ended question, meant to put him on the spot.

“For you to drink them.” His crooked smirk kept, amber eyes never leaving her face, though she half expected if she looked away, they’d travel down to the bold amount of leg she was showing.

“But, you haven’t told me what you get out of it.”

“Ah,” He chuckled, sparing her best friend a side glance as she watched them go back and forth, entertainment painted in the red on her lips. “Would it be difficult to believe that I literally just want to spend my money on you?”

“Yes.”

“Thought so.” He chuckled again. Even through the loud music, the people chatting, the generally boisterous atmosphere, Kagome enjoyed the deep sound of his voice. “Look, I’m not gonna ask if I can sit with you, I’m not gonna ask if I can see you later, and I’m not gonna ask for your number. I wasn’t even going to ask for your name, though I do have to thank your pretty friend here for that bit of knowledge.”  He gave a smile in Sango’s direction, and she sat back in her chair, fanning her face with her hand, her brows raised in surprise. “I just want to buy you a drink.”

Kagome debated, giving him the moment to relish in her contemplation. He was good. He knew he was good. But, good didn’t do it for her. “I’d say yes, but I’d only be giving you false hope. You’re wasting your time. We’re not from here.” 

“See, you missed the part where I told you I was happy leaving empty-handed.” He leaned a little closer, still minding her personal space but wanting her to hear the rumble in his tone. “I’m not here to bother you, and I don’t expect anything out of this.”

“Strawberry margarita!” Sango said, slapping her hand against the table as if she’d sold something.

He laughed, nodding, then turned back to Kagome. She was recovering from the audacious glare she gave her friend, looking back at him, her brown eyes challenging him all over again. “I’m not from around here either.” He added.

“So, you’re further proving my point.”

“No. Not at all. You stated an irrelevant fact, so I returned the gesture.”

Kagome’s jaw dropped, surprised but laughing from the jab. 

“Look, my friends and I are about to leave. I didn’t want to shut my tab until I offered to get you two something.” He said, politely waving his finger to an approaching waitress. “I’ll leave without saying another word if you let me buy you a shot on top of it, because it was pretty impressive watching you take that shit straight.”

“Well, aren’t you persistent?” Kagome teased, licking her bottom lip before taking it between her teeth.

“Yes.” He smirked.

“You’re also unbelievable.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“Fine. Not another word.”

The man sealed his lips, the crooked smile that he began with taking over and taunting Kagome better than his voice did. As the waitress came over, he silently pointed to both margarita glasses and both empty shot glasses, confirming that he wanted her to bring doubles on his tab when she asked. And, he got up, gave her best friend a wink, and walked away.

“I think I had an orgasm.” Sango said as soon as he’d left, straight-faced, slightly perplexed as she stared at Kagome. 

Kagome laughed, thankful the lights in the place would thoroughly hide her blush. He was insanely charming, good looking, and holy hell, she’d never met someone that left looking so satisfied when he literally got nothing out of a conversation but her name. Maybe it was the alcohol she’d already consumed, but just that increased his attraction factor exponentially.

The waitress returned just minutes later, two blended margaritas and two shots of tequila sitting on her wet tray, and she kindly set the drinks before the girls. Kagome looked around after thanking her, seeing if the guy had already left or if he was sitting somewhere nearby. At the far end of the bar, she spotted him leaning against the edging, his light hair a dead giveaway, and his attention swung from the friends talking in front of him to her, as if he felt her eyes on him. She cocked her shot glass an inch higher in his direction, taking the swig and turning away when her nose crinkled.

God, his smile was going to be her undoing.

His friends began to head out the door, and he gave her another glance before heading out with them. She didn’t know what had come over her. It had to be the alcohol; she didn’t exactly have the highest tolerance level. Truthfully, she felt like she was giving him something he’d wanted, but she couldn’t help herself. Kagome watched him as he walked out, and as she’d hoped, he spared her one last glance. And, when he did, she waved him back over. He didn’t hesitate, separating from his peers and walking back towards the two girls, skillfully dodging people like he knew his way around the joint. When he leaned against the side of the table, he didn’t say anything, keeping his earlier promise not to talk.

“I didn’t get your name. I can’t properly thank you without your name.” She said, her tone unintentionally on the sultry side.

“It’s Inuyasha.” He said, leaning a little closer.

Just his name shouldn’t have had any sort of sensations flooding through her stomach, or warmth spreading over the surface of her skin, but it did. It made her drag in a breath and hold it, it made her eyes shy down to the dip in his shirt where she could see the very edges of his collarbones, the hollow of his throat, the even tone of his flesh, it made her force herself to remember she was supposed to actually say something now. Kagome smiled, looking down at the placement of his hands on the table, the tips of the fingers of one very close to hers, then she glanced back up to him, meeting his amber eyes.

“Thank you for the drinks, Inuyasha.”

“Don’t mention it.” He grinned, leaning even closer. His tone was husky, thick and deep and heavenly to Kagome’s ears as he spoke once more. “By the way, I lied. I just got exactly what I wanted.”

“And, what was that?” She asked, furrowing her brows speculatively.

“For you to be so interested that you wanted to know something about me. We both know you didn’t need my name to say thank you. You just wanted the excuse to ask. Because, I bet you’ll be thinking of me tonight almost as much as I’ll be thinking of you. Isn’t that right, Kagome?”

She didn’t answer. He didn’t give her a moment to. He tapped his hand against the table in a simple gesture of goodbye, turning on his heel and heading out. Kagome met Sango’s wide, brown eyes, the straw hanging loosely from her lips, blinking away the tension.

“Oh, yeah. Bad day to not wear underwear.” Sango remarked, sighing heatedly before she sucked down a huge gulp of her fresh margarita.

“What just happened?” Kagome murmured, and she was surprised her best friend had even heard her in order to reply.

“I think you just fell under a spell.”

“Holy shit.” She breathed, taken aback by the way his intense gaze had burned into her immediate memory, golden eyes blinking at her behind thick lashes, telling her a story where words weren’t necessary for description. She was enticed. Curious. And, he was completely right. There was no way he wouldn’t be stuck in her head tonight.

“Need some water?” Her friend laughed. “Some fresh air? You gonna be okay?”

Kagome buried her fiery blush behind her hands, laughing at how ridiculous she must have appeared and then grabbed her gifted beverage, taking little sips in the hopes that she could wash her embarrassment away.

—

Kagome awoke abruptly. It took a moment, a solid, deafeningly quiet moment, for her to hone in on her surroundings, where she was, what day it was, what time of day it was. It was bright, unlike the room she’d just dreamt she was in. The strong aroma of the ocean wafted through the vacation house, soft voices fluttering through the walls, helping to ground Kagome in present time.

“Hey, good morning.” Sango greeted, entering their bedroom just as Kagome peeled herself from the sheets, sitting up and brushing the messy bangs from her head. “I was getting a little worried about you.”

“Why?” Kagome asked.

“Well, it’s passed eleven. You’re a pretty early riser. I even tried waking you up for breakfast earlier, but you wouldn’t budge.”

“It’s passed eleven?” She quirked, reaching for her cell phone on the nightstand to double check the claim. 

“You feeling okay? You hardly drank last night, so you’re not hungover or anything, are you?” Sango asked, closing the door as she walked further in, fishing through the top drawer of the dresser.

“No, I feel fine. Must have just been tired.” Kagome brushed off, clearing her social media notifications. That dream always did this to her. She was held captive by the reoccurring illusion, and lately, as the dreams had begun coming to her more and more frequently, only loud noises could startle her out of them or else she’d be stuck riding it out until the very end. They left her dazed, confused, lost, and slightly lonely. The person behind the blurred veil was someone she was supposed to know, or was supposed to find, she knew this, but she couldn’t see his face and the only identifiable feature was the birthmark that stood out more vividly than any other part of the vision. A faded spot on his chest. She could hear him speaking, but his words were muffled, like she was submerged in a bubble, the walls of which so unforgivably thick that even his voice couldn’t be recognizable. 

A notable dream, the meaning well-known to anyone who’s had them. Who’s heard of them, even.

That was her soulmate.

There was no telling when you’d meet, or where in the world they even were. Additionally, there were never guarantees that you’d find each other. It was just fate’s way of letting you know you’ve got an inexplicable bond shared with a person somewhere, and here’s an unclear indicator of who they are - an insignificant marking of some sort or another somewhere on their body, never the same for two people. It was cruel and unusual to most. Kagome did her best to dismiss it. If it was actually meant to be, as some insisted, then they’d appear before you someday. Until then, she wasn’t going to put her life on hold if the guy she was interested in at any point in time didn’t share the same mark. It wasn’t a healthy way to live. Not with the billions of people inhabiting this planet. It just didn’t make sense to wait, and wait, and wait, and wait for a moment that may never come. So, she never spoke of the dreams or got remotely excited whenever they happened. She didn’t want to focus on the tan, uneven circle on the man’s left pectoral, and otherwise unblemished skin of his toned torso. And, she tried so hard not to check on the partners she’d had in the past. But, she always did. She always, always, grazed her fingers over their clear chest, hoping one day it’d appear.

And, that was the harsh reality of the dream. You knew your person was out there, and every time you laid with someone and realized it wasn’t them, the most difficult part was pushing through the heavy disappointment to enjoy what you’ve, instead, found.

“Good. I made pancakes this morning, and saved a couple for you. Eat and get ready to go. We’re hitting the little shops today before the beach.”

“You cooked?” Kagome teased, climbing off the king-sized mattress.

“Ha-ha! Yes, I cooked! I figured after a few days of being here, I should do my share in the kitchen.”

“And, pancakes are Miroku’s favorite?”

Sango narrowed a playful glare at her best friend, punching into her open hand to wordlessly say she was gonna hit Kagome if she didn’t stop, and Kagome laughed, not threatened in the least as she picked out a bikini from her own drawer.

“Can we stop for coffee?” Kagome asked, heading to the master bathroom they shared to change. “I think I’ll keel over if we don’t.”

“All that sleep and you’re still tired?”

“There’s such a thing as too much sleep.”

“Not to college students.”

“Coffee!” “Okay! Coffee!”

Truthfully, no one would ever have an objection for stopping for coffee. They were all caffeine addicts, but somehow, their first morning there, Miroku had brewed the worst pot in existence, making the four of them swear off of home brew for a while. He swore it was a malfunction with the machine, which very well could have been true, but the girls were perfectly fine blaming him for the thick, murky concoction all of them refused to even sip after watching his own face go green.

The little shop was busy, chiming with the soft rumble of conversation mixed with the light jazz music coming from the speakers. Her friends had ordered first and were all sitting off to the side at a small table, waiting for their drinks to be called. Kagome ordered her usual drink she’d get while out and about, opting for iced instead of hot, given the weather.

“Add a medium black coffee to that, please.” He stood close, but still minded a respectable distance where Kagome didn’t feel it was necessary to back herself away in her subtle surprise. In his extended hand that hovered near her face, he held out his card for the barista to charge, his amber eyes focused on the woman at the register, but the smile on his face was for her, and Kagome knew it. The barista happily complied, swiping his debit card and kindly handing it back. 

“You.”

“You.” Inuyasha echoed, notching his head to the side so she’d follow him out of line and towards the end counter where they’d receive their drinks.

“Is this gonna be a normal thing; you randomly appearing to buy me a drink?” She chuckled, slightly teasingly.

“If I have my way.” He replied, shrugging his brows. “Unless you have any opposition.”

“A simple hello will do, you know.”

“What if I’m not just trying to say hello?”

“What else could you possibly be trying to say by paying for my coffee?” Kagome asked skeptically, crossing her arms over her chest.

“A multitude of things, like ‘you should always have your drinks paid for,’ ‘you look gorgeous in that dress,’ even though I’m pretty sure you’ll dismiss it as a loose summer one you’ve had in your closet for years - but you deserve to know it’s something special on you - ‘I’m happy I stumbled into the same coffee shop you just so happened to be in,” is another, and ‘for some reason, ‘hello’ seemed like a drab way to greet you but I needed an excuse to talk to you, and a two dollar coffee was well worth it.’ But, mostly I was going for the surprise factor here. I like your face when you’re taken off guard. It’s cute. If it makes you happy, though, hello. It’s nice to see you again, Kagome.” Inuyasha grinned crookedly.

Her face had heated considerably, and she hoped her skin was still rosy from their recent walk in the sun so that her flush was concealed beneath the one that hadn’t been caused by him. Kagome wasn’t the type that fell for flattery and flirtatious quips. For some reason, in this case, she honestly couldn’t tell if Inuyasha was being genuine or if he was just a professional sweet-talker. Either way, she surprisingly liked it. A lot.

It was crazy that she was entertaining any thoughts of flirting with a guy right now considering the circumstances. She was on vacation, she lived hours away in a shared apartment at her university, and this guy, this incredibly attractive guy, was a stranger. It wasn’t the safest scenario, but god, why did she want it so bad? 

It was as if an unnatural force was creating this aura around him, causing him to stand out warmly in a crowd of people. No one’s smile affected her like his did. No one’s. She could easily dismiss it as the summer heat playing with her head, but she wondered, if he kept showing up out of the blue, how much more would she have to make up an excuse for? It was unreal how she kept thinking that the longer they stood by each other, the tighter a knot began to form between them. Absolutely unreal. Illogical. She needed coffee to think straight, because clearly she wasn’t doing so well without. 

Because of this, because of the two interactions they’d had so far, she already felt like the moment he disappeared through those coffee shop doors, she’d begin to constantly search her surroundings to hope she’d spot his short, silver hair. She’d begin to hope he’d pop up and say hi, he’d grin at her, he’d say her name. 

Yikes, when Sango forced her to come out here, not a single part of her had prepared to have a Grease moment. Yet, here she was, knowing she should probably thank him and walk away, but not a single part of her body, heart, or brain intended on doing so. Suddenly, she felt adventurous. She wasn’t so weary about the obvious lack of rationality behind something so silly or potentially reckless. If he was into it, why couldn’t she be?

“That’s a lot to say with a coffee.” Kagome said, softly nibbling her bottom lip.

“Imagine what I could say with an entire meal.”

Yeah. There was no use even hoping her blush was hidden now. She had to look away at the suggestion, smiling.

“So, I recognize your friend over there, but who’s the guy next to her giving me a dirty look?” Inuyasha asked, inching his chin up in gesture of their direction. Kagome turned around, noticing her three current housemates watching she and Inuyasha intently, Sango and Ayame looking rather pleased.

“Oh, that’s Miroku. You should be careful, he’s very protective of us girls.”

“Ah. Is he your…?”

“Ew, oh god no. He’s into Sango.” Kagome grimaced sourly. 

“And, which one is Sango?” She couldn’t help but notice his expression seemed to relax a smidge.

“The one you met.” Kagome said, realizing he’d never gotten her name at the bar. “Here, come meet the others.” She turned on her heel, guiding the hanyou to her small table of friends. Kagome gestured to the red head on the left, the girl enthusiastically bouncing up to her feet to shake Inuyasha’s hand. “This is Ayame. That’s Miroku. And, you remember Sango.”

“That’s right. How’s it going, beautiful?” Inuyasha smiled, wanting to offer his hand in a polite shake but unable to as Ayame actively refused to let it go, still shaking as if her own greeting wasn’t yet over.

“Hey, choose a girl and stick with her, dude.” Miroku spread his hands in a what the fuck manner, giving a small gesture between Kagome and Sango.

“Sorry.” Inuyasha pinched his lips together, trying not to chuckle, especially as Sango’s face twisted in displeasure toward the man beside her.

Kagome locked eyes with her best friend, hoping she’d miraculously learned to read her mind by now. She even subtly flickered her eyes in Inuyasha’s direction to indirectly communicate, adding a tiny nod for assurance. Sango, understanding, gave an eager approval, and as Miroku got up to get the drinks that had been called for the girls, Kagome took her opportunity to ask without their “protectors” disdain glaring Inuyasha down.

“So, what are you doing tonight?” She started. His golden stare landed on her, completely and charmingly unbothered by the fact that her friend was still holding his hand.

“What should I be doing tonight?” Inuyasha countered.

“Well, we’re having a little party - if you can even call it that. There’s fireworks tonight, and Sango’s vacation home has a beachside view, so we don’t even have to go anywhere to see the show. It’s just gonna be the few of us, music, drinks, and we’ve got a jacuzzi. Oh, and Ayame’s boyfriend is coming into town to join in because apparently they have separation issues.” Kagome said, slapping the red head’s hand so she’d finally let him go. Her expression fell from adoring to bummed out, dropping her hand and plopping back down to her seat as she mumbled a “dammit” beneath her breath. “You’re more than welcome to come if you’d like.”

“I’d love to. What should I bring?”

“Just your pretty-little-self.” Sango chimed, pulling a receipt out of the chest pocket of her overall shorts to write on the back of, and fishing her pen out of her purse. “Here’s our address.”

Kagome bent over the table, taking the pen from Sango as she finished and quickly scribbled her phone number beneath. She folded up the receipt, standing tall and sliding it into the front pocket of his gray, button up shirt. “In case you get lost.”

Inuyasha smiled, his attention being stolen for a millisecond as his and Kagome’s drinks were called and Miroku rejoined the table with his, Ayame’s, and Sango’s. “What time?”

“Six or seven.”

“Or, whenever you’d like, let’s be real.” Ayame added, pursing her lips before taking her straw into her mouth to silence herself with a large gulp of coffee.

“I’ll see you later.” Inuyasha said to Kagome’s friends, chuckling. He gave Kagome a notch of his head as he headed back to the counter, and she followed, gratefully taking her drink as he handed it to her. “See, now I’m really glad I stumbled into the same coffee shop as you.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Tell me why I wouldn’t be after getting to see you again.”

Kagome smiled shyly, trying not to bite her lip. “Thank you for the drink. Again.”

“Anytime. I’ve gotta get going, gorgeous. I’ll let you know when I’m on my way.” He gave her the smallest, humblest smile, taking his own drink from the counter and heading out the door. 

And, so her madness began.

“Is that the guy you met at the bar?” Miroku asked as she rejoined the group.

“Yeah, that’s him. Inuyasha.” She confirmed, taking a deep breath as she tried to regain her bearings. 

“And, you invited him over?”

“You bet.” Sango answered.

“Are you stupid?” He questioned, crossing his arms as they all rose to leave and giving Kagome a stare of disapproval. “Do you know anything about him besides his first name?”

“Isn’t this how you get to know people?” She countered.

“Yeah, in public settings. You don’t give people your address. The guy probably just wants to get into your pants, Kagome.”

“I’d let him.” Sango plainly agreed.

“Oh, yeah, me too.” Ayame nodded. 

“I promise, I’ll learn his favorite color before I let him hump me. Happy?” She joked, sipping her iced coffee as they walked out.

“This. This is why I didn’t let you guys come alone.” He griped, rolling his eyes at how the girls completely disregarded him.

“You’re one to talk! You’re the guy who sleeps with any girl who will spread her legs. If anything, it’s you who we shouldn’t trust here.” Sango laughed, swerving around Kagome to hide from him as he threatened to flick her.

“Okay, but hear me out,” Ayame started, walking backward down the street as they headed to their first shop. "This is literally the safest environment for Kagome to get to know the guy in! We’re all gonna be there, watching -“

“Ogling.” Sango added.

“- and if anything bad goes down, you’ll have Koga here to help kick his ass.”

“God, now I feel like you guys are chaperoning me on a date.” Kagome grimace.

“It’s not a date.” Miroku rebutted.

“It’s kind of a date.” Sango said.

“No, it’s not a date!” Kagome agreed. “It’s definitely not a date. He’s just coming over to hang out. Therefore, don’t hover.” She directed that comment toward Miroku, narrowing her stare in warning. He rolled his eyes in return, the tiniest shakes of his head only noticeable when the ends of his shaggy hair wiggled back and forth, and she quickly pinched the back of his arm, causing him to jump away from her.

—

The sun was setting, and their little vacation spot was lively. The television was on with some sport or another playing, but the sound was muted - and would have been drowned out by the music and everyone talking, anyway. Even more so as a Taylor Swift song began and the three girls started dancing as dramatically as their favorite pop star, making the two guys groan from their spot on the couch, heads rolling back as they slumped further. Naturally, they weren’t a fan and always begged the girls to skip, but that only prodded them to annoy them further by turning it up louder and ignoring their complaining. In all fairness, it was a random playlist on a music streaming site. And, as Sango had said, they didn’t choose the music, the music chose them.

“I will give you each five dollars to at least turn it down.” Koga pleaded, fishing his wallet out of his pocket.

“Deal!” The three girls concurrently beamed, all of which holding their hands out to accept their bribe.

Ayame twisted the volume nob down a tad, the music now at a tolerable level, though Miroku still looked as miserable as ever. Kagome resumed her place in the kitchen, checking that the water was boiling before dumping two boxes of macaroni and cheese noodles into the pot, and Sango hopped in behind her to finish throwing the ingredients into the blender that she’d momentarily interrupted herself to dance for, popped on the lid, and pressed the button to run it. Just as she turned it off, they heard the doorbell ring, and Kagome looked over, shocked. She was still in the dress from earlier, but she was currently wearing it indecently. Much like with how Sango had unlatched her overalls and allowed the top portion to hang freely down her body, trusting the shorts to stick snuggly to her hips, Kagome had pulled the halter top strap of her dress over her neck to hang loose, the skirt portion bunched enough to not fall from her hips and her chest only covered with her bathing suit top. She hadn’t realized he’d get here so quickly after texting he was on his way.

“Not yet, not yet, not yet!” She called, sprinting from the kitchen, across the living room, and to the master bedroom she shared with Sango, slamming the door and trusting one of the others to let Inuyasha in.

Sango stifled her laugh, the noise coming out as more of a snort as she headed toward the front and opened the door. “Hi! Welcome to my parents’ humble abode!” She greeted, immediately allowing him entry. 

“Thanks.” Inuyasha grinned, walking in and presenting a bottle of Patron. “I know you told me not to bring anything, but I figured you guys might be low on the good stuff by now. And, if not, you’ve got extra.”

“Boy, you are an angel! We’ve been stuck using the cheap rum Koga brought because no one wants to go to the store!” Sango playfully directed her loud jab toward the living room where the guys were congregated, listening to the beautiful sound of their droned and synchronized groans again. “Come on in, Kagome will be right out. She had to take a phone call.”

Inuyasha followed the girl inside, taking note of the familiar red head sitting on the lap of, what was probably safe to assume was, her boyfriend. The guy who’d stared him down earlier sat on the far side of the couch from them, a beer in his right hand that was mostly empty, and he notched his chin up toward him in an informal hello. Honestly, Inuyasha understood his dissent completely; he’d be like that with any of his female friends, too. Probably even harsher; he wasn’t exactly known for being kind to anyone he didn’t necessarily like. It was good that Kagome had people looking out for her, but he meant no harm. She was interesting, she was stunning, he could already tell she was sassy, which he fucking loved in a woman, and he couldn’t help but want to see what, exactly, it was about her that called to him in the first place. And, who didn’t seek a little thrill when they were in an unfamiliar place for a limited amount of time? 

It was a really lax environment, and although it was awkward as the newcomer and stranger, he felt it wouldn’t take long to ease in, especially when Kagome would emerge. It was like his presence didn’t dampen anything or cause anyone to stiffen, the friend group continuing to bicker lightly as if that was the normal way they communicated. Which, very well could have been true.

Ayame stood to greet him, and Miroku immediately started laughing boisterously, swinging her attention back to him as she swiveled on her heel to see what his deal was.

“Ayame, how? We were on the beach for, like, an hour! How did you get a sunburn that bad!?” Miroku pointed, bringing Ayame to visibly pout, knowing he was referencing the redness of her back that showed through the rear of her cropped tank top. Even her boyfriend leaned to see the evidence, covering his mouth with his fist to prevent himself from laughing and embarrassing her. “You’re a demon, I thought shit like this never happened.”

“Yes, I am a demon, but I’m also -“ Ayame lifted her foot to sit on top of the coffee table before the couch, presenting her leg that was hardly covered by the pair of shorts she donned. Her voice held a mocking tone, and she cocked her head with attitude. “Pale.”

“It’ll fade by tomorrow.” Koga assured.

“Does it hurt?” Miroku asked.

“I don’t know, touch me and see.” She dared.

“Oh, do it! I want to see what happens.” Kagome encouraged, leaning her shoulder on the frame of the bedroom door she’d finally appeared from. She was now donned in jeans - her favorite jeans that worked wonders for her butt - and a loose top that hung off her shoulders; nothing too dressy that gave away that she was trying to impress, still looking casual while flattering her figure in a modest way. She turned her attention to Inuyasha who was already looking at her, amber eyes glowing with the hues of the sunset that shined through the glass that made up the back wall of the house.

“Hi, you.” She greeted, sauntering over to him.

“Hi.” He grinned.

“He brought tequila!” Sango announced, framing the bottle with her hands from the side of the island counter, next to the blender.

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that! Thank you so much!” Kagome smiled elatedly, gently grabbing his hand to lead him into the kitchen so he’d stick by her. She gave the macaroni noodles a stir so they wouldn’t stick, before heading to the fridge, leaving him by the stove. “Water, beer, or something blended?”

“Beer.” He said, accepting the bottle appreciatively after she popped the top for him.

Sango’s phone started ringing, and she snagged it, looking at the unknown number and then giving an apprehensive yet excited expression to Kagome before bolting from the room and locking herself in the bedroom. Stealing a peek, Kagome peered over the island, watching Miroku’s lips set disappointedly, his indigo eyes on the closed door before he hid it all behind the beer bottle he took a swig from.

“What’s wrong with him?” Inuyasha whispered, leaning closely next to her.

“He always assumes when she does that she’s on the phone with a guy. Really, she’s been waiting to hear back from a specific company for an internship. She’s gotten other offers, but she’s weighing her options first, and I don’t know how many times I have to explain that to him.” She replied, matching his low tone.

“Aren’t they together?”

“No, he wishes.” She shook her head, ducking down into the cupboards to fish out the colander. As she stood straight and set it up in the sink to strain her noodles, Koga appeared on the outer side of the island counter.

“Hey.” He said to Inuyasha.

“Hey.” Ayame smoothly curved over, propping her forearms on the counter, her voice taking a flirtatious hint.

“Hey!” Koga pushed her face away, causing the girl to stumble backward and giggle. He sighed, rolling his blue eyes before glancing back at the newcomer. “Nice to meet you. Apparently, you’re a god of some sort?”

“What?” Inuyasha blinked, chuckling out of surprise.

“Oh my god,” Kagome grieved, humiliated by every single one of her friends’ lack of tact. “Inuyasha, this is Koga. Koga, Inuyasha.”

They shook hands, and Koga once more playfully pushed his girlfriend away, even though she was only reaching to pour the drinks from the blender. Miroku joined them then, an even stare given to the hanyou as he propped his upper body on the counter, ignoring the abundance of steam that rose as Kagome poured the boiling pot of noodles into the colander.

“You a rapist?” Miroku carelessly asked.

“Miroku!” Kagome reacted, shocked.

“No.” Inuyasha answered, meeting her protective friend’s eyes as honestly as possible.

“A serial killer?”

“No.”

“You got a wife?”

“No.”

“Kids?”

“No.”

“A girlfriend?”

“No.”

“You think Kagome’s cute?”

“Very.”

“How many questions can I ask until you get annoyed?”

“Probably three more.”

“Alright, he’s chill.” Miroku held out his fist to bump with Inuyasha’s, then finished off the beer he had in his hand before making his way around to the fridge to grab another. “So, I’ve gotta ask, man. What’s your secret?”

“What do you mean?” Inuyasha asked in return, flinching out of the way as Kagome chucked a Hawaiian roll at Miroku.

“Hey, I was done!” He defended, holding his wounded side before picking up the small roll of bread from the floor and carelessly taking a bite. “Watch out for her, she’s got a hell of an arm. Anyway, I mean what’s your trick? What’s the line you use to get a girl interested in you so quickly?”

Kagome blushed furiously, ducking her face as she dumped the strained noodles back into the pot.

“I don’t have a line.” Inuyasha smirked, trying to hide his amusement.

“Bull.” Koga attested from the side. “Even I had to use a line to get this chick.”

“Ew, don’t say it like that!” Ayame smacked his arm, pushing Miroku aside from the island counter so she could pour the blended drinks into three cups, meant for the girls who didn’t even like beer.

“I really don’t have a line.”

“Kagome?” Miroku called, wanting her side of it.

“He didn’t use a line on me. In fact, he said he could have but he didn’t want to.”

Miroku and Koga both looked at each other, dumbstruck, their jaws dropping dramatically as Inuyasha took a huge swig of his beer to stifle his laugh.

“That’s the line, you idiot!” They both shouted. “Oh my god!”

“It’s not a line, I swear!” Inuyasha said to her. “It’s an anti-line!”

“An anti-line is still a line, and holy fuck, that’s genius!” Miroku applauded, ignoring Kagome’s worsening blush as she stirred the butter into the noodles.

“You guys are making me look really bad.” Inuyasha grumbled.

“You look like a hero to us.” Koga raised his beer in praise.

“I hate you all.” Kagome stated simply, pursing her lips and going back to the food.

“Drink up, Kagome, you’ll get over it in a second.” Ayame slid a glass for Kagome to catch, reaching far over the bar and the guys to clink her cup to Kagome’s before backing up to tuck herself into her boyfriend’s arms.

“Tell us more. Enlighten us with your ways.” Miroku urged with a wave of his hand, as if beckoning him forward.

Inuyasha chuckled, slightly embarrassed. “In case you guys haven’t noticed, I don’t technically have the girl yet. And, my chances are lessening the more we talk about it. If you’re asking for specific advice for yourself, though…” He trailed off his sentence, glancing over to Kagome to see if she was okay with it.

She swallowed the large sip of the blended drink she had sitting in her mouth, her nose wrinkling at the over abundance of alcohol Sango had mixed in. “Oh, go for it. Miroku needs all the help he can get.”

“Um, rude.” Her friend said, laughing. “I’m not that bad.”

“Right.” She stated sarcastically. “And, Sango is talking to who?”

“Alright, yeah, help me.” He grimaced, swiftly changing his mind, turning back to Inuyasha.

“Does she know you want her?” Inuyasha asked.

“Oh, yeah!” Everyone boasted, a little too earnestly.

“Ah, so you come off too strong.”

“I wouldn’t say too strong. I mean, I’d sooner say you came off too strong on Kagome in order to get her to invite you over after only meeting two times.”

“Actually, I let her call the shots. Women don’t like having shit shoved in their face. Nobody likes that. I was a bit persistent in buying her a drink at the bar, sure, but I never forced her. The option was always hers. If she gave me an adamant no, then I would have left her alone.”

“It’s true.” Kagome nodded. “He was mild at best.”

“I’m going to assume you’ve known Sango for a while and that you’ve wanted her for a while. She knows. So, don’t repeat yourself. What you need to focus on is making her want what you have to offer in return. First way to do that is to intrigue her. Don’t put it all on the table at once, it’s overwhelming. Subtly do something genuine or sweet, then give her space. Walk away. Leave her curious for more. And, most importantly, do not touch her unless she invites you to. It’s the quickest way to deter her.”

“You mean to tell me you haven’t once touched Kagome?” Miroku asked skeptically, cocking a brow as he took a sip of his cold beer.

Inuyasha shook his head with a prideful, little smirk.

“Oh my god.” Kagome murmured, her brows furrowing in realization. “He hasn’t; I touched him.”

“You grade A slut.” Koga joked, chuckling. 

“Were you, like, a woman in a past life? How do you know what we like so well?” Ayame inquired.

“I was raised by a single mom. And, I listen.” He chuckled.

“That’s hot.” She nodded, sipping her drink.

“What are we talking about?” Sango asked, emerging from the bedroom. 

“Just learning a little about Kagome’s new friend here.” Ayame covered. “He’s very respectful of women.”

Sango nodded approvingly, even a little impressed, holding up the okay sign with her fingers as she rejoined the group. 

Kagome began to mix the little packages of cheese into the macaroni, noticing Inuyasha’s nonchalant nod toward Miroku to try something out, and Kagome had to bite her lip to remain appearing as nonchalant as possible. As Sango approached the counter, Miroku scooted her awaiting beverage toward her, sparing her a small glance. She gave him the smallest of smiles, more in thanks for handing her the glass and shifted her attention to Kagome and the almost-done food.

Miroku stood from the island, walked over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, sauntering back her way and gently placing it before her.

“You’re looking a little flushed from the sun. Drink some water before the alcohol, okay? I don’t want you dehydrating.”

And, then he walked away, taking his beer and sitting on the couch to watch the muted sports program.

Sango’s brown eyes stayed glued to his back as he walked, then flashed to the water bottle in front of her, then back to him in the most inconspicuous of manners before she tapped her fingernail along the countertop. She opened the bottle of water and took a small sip while she pretended to listen to the small talk between Koga and Ayame for a meager moment until it seemed suitable to get up, following Miroku over to the couch and sitting a foot or two away.

Both Kagome and Ayame had to cover their mouths to prevent themselves from laughing, Ayame tucking her face into Koga’s chest to play it off. Kagome looked at Inuyasha who was only grinning crookedly at her, shrugging his brows.

“I’m not sure if I should actually be impressed that you’re so good with women.” Kagome mentioned, reaching up to grab six bowls from the cupboard.

“Don’t think of it that way.” He said, helping her. “I meant what I said back at the bar. I expected nothing then, and I expect nothing now. I didn’t buy you a drink and bank on it helping me to score or anything like that. I just wanted to buy you a drink.”

“And, make me want to know something about you.” She giggled.

“Where’s the harm in that?”

There was none. Kagome could do nothing in response but grab a bowl and scoop a serving into it, offering it to him with a smile. 

Night had set in and Koga, Sango, and Ayame made home in the jacuzzi - despite her sunburn and the discomfort she initially hissed from upon entering - waiting for the fireworks to begin. Miroku leaned on the fence railing that separated the back patio from their private pathway to the beach, and Kagome, having just shrugged on a sweater, pulled Inuyasha to the side.

“Want to go for a walk?” She whispered, trying to keep the others out of her business, because she just knew some of them would hoot and howl inappropriately. 

“Absolutely.” He grinned, quietly following her out the side gate and down the path to the sand.

They kicked off their shoes as they reached the beach, peacefully walking side-by-side close to where the waves rode up, the night tide following the pull of the moon.

“What’s your favorite color?” Kagome innocently asked.

“Black, I guess.” He answered with a one-sided shrug.

“That’s a shade.”

He laughed lightly. “Red, then. No, blue. Blue’s better.”

“Blue is better.” She agreed, nodding.

“Is that yours?”

“Mhm. How old are you?”

“Twenty-five.”

“Ah. I’m twenty-two.”

“Is this the question game?” Inuyasha chuckled, his smile growing larger as she nodded again, grinning sheepishly. “Got it. Carry on.”

“Are you out here on vacation, too?”

“Nah, work. I’m stuck here for a couple months to monitor the transition of one of the new firms we acquired.” He answered, tugging her shirt his way to pull her out of the path of a wave that rode up higher than expected.

“That makes sense; you were a little dressed up this morning.”

“Eh. I’m supposed to do more than that to set an example, but I fucking hate putting on a suit. Since my brother’s not here to micromanage me while I micromanage others, I can get away with dressing down a bit.”

“So, you work with your brother?” She glanced at him, watching the small grimace he gave while facing forward.

“I work for my brother.” He politely corrected. “For now, at least. Still relatively new to the field. How long are you here for?”

“About three and a half more weeks.”

Inuyasha stopped walking, turning to her. The moonlight shined on her dark, wavy hair, emphasizing the mysterious, blue shading no one would ever be able to notice in the sun. The wind tousled her long locks, blowing strands she’d already tucked behind her ear around her jaw and the front of her neck. She was positively beautiful, radiant in this element, and he wondered if she knew. He wondered, if he told her, would she believe him? Kagome was something dangerous, her thick lashes hiding the brown shade of her eyes, her plush lips curved upward in curiosity, and he didn’t even bother to further question what had been coming over him since the moment he spotted her sitting at a table with her best friend. 

“Would it be okay if I wanted to see you again?” The hanyou asked, his voice taking on a husky note.

“You still want to see me?” She inquired honestly.

“Why the hell wouldn’t I?”

“Because, we have a time limit.”

“Maybe.” He bobbed his head to the side, agreeing. “But, personally, I’d like to use that time wisely. There’s something about you that has my undivided attention.”

“You don’t think it’s crazy?” Kagome asked, her tone dwindling slightly as her eyes dropped to his lips.

“I do, actually. It’s pretty crazy. But, is crazy always bad?”

Why was it, the first answer that popped into her mind was, not when it comes to you? Why was it, her inhale was shaky and tentative, and her chest filled with fluttering warmth instead of the nippy, ocean air? Why? Why was she so pulled to him, entranced by his eyes, willing to trust this man so easily after such an insignificant amount of time together? Maybe she was growing naive, because she wasn’t drunk nor was it hot anymore. Through it all, despite the lack of an answer to the riddle dancing in her mind, she shook her head in reply to him.

“If you say no, I’ll understand completely. You know that, right?” Inuyasha continued. 

And, for some reason, she did.

“But, if there’s a chance that you’re interested, I’d love to take you out one of these nights. Anywhere you want. That, or, if you’re feeling gutsy, you can come to my place and I’ll cook you dinner.”

“You can cook?” She asked, stepping in closer.

“Hell yeah, I can cook.” He smiled.

“I think I’m feeling gutsy.” Kagome said after a moment of consideration.

“Good. Friday night?”

“Friday night.” Her grin gleamed brightly, her skin glowing with the radiant colors that flashed overhead from the firework show beginning.

As she turned to face the booming explosions, her smile only seemed to grow larger, happier, delighted, and Inuyasha felt a hard and thunderous thump in his chest that threatened to bring him groveling to his knees. It could have been the fireworks, but he knew it was something else. Something inexplicable. Which was insane for him, because he wasn’t this type of guy. He didn’t do this shit. He didn’t believe in love at first sight, and he didn’t get wobbly on his feet just from seeing a beautiful woman. But, when he first spotted her, heard her laugh over the music and chatter, he was captivated, and for something mystical and powerful like that to take over him, he didn’t really want to put energy behind discovering the science of it. His energy belonged to figuring out who this girl was as quickly as he possibly could so he could evaluate just what he’d be missing when she left.

—

Despite the rampant butterflies in her stomach, Kagome managed to make it to her front door without crumbling. She took a moment to smooth her short, summer dress over her hips, hoping the light cardigan she donned over it made it look suitable for a first date. She’d packed for a vacation, not for wooing men, so she’d been stressing over what to wear for the last hour and a half. A good portion of her clothes smelled like sunblock already, the few skirts and dresses she packed for nights out with her friends were a little too skimpy for comfort, and the others were too casual for the evening. The happy medium was this white, flowy dress that dipped a little low in the front. The pink cardigan tied it together, and she spritzed a little body spray over herself to try and mask the scent of sunscreen.

Opening the door, she found Inuyasha standing on the other side, a charming grin appearing when their eyes met. He was donned in a black button up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the top couple of buttons sitting open and the hem remaining untucked from his jeans.

“Ready?” He asked, holding his hand out, and she quickly double checked that she had a spare key to the place, her wallet, and her cell phone in her purse before nodding eagerly and taking his hand.

“You look beautiful.” He mentioned as he opened the car door for her, and it took all of Kagome’s willpower not to stand there in utter bafflement at his gentleman-like behavior. He wasn’t a stranger to compliments, she was aware of that by now, but coming to the front door to get her instead of texting that he’d arrived? Opening the car door for her? Was he also the type of guy who asked a woman how her day was and stuck around for the detail? Because, if he was, she was damn near ready to offer him her body on the spot.

“Thank you.” Kagome smiled, blinking away her admiration as she smoothed her dress to cover her butt in the leather seat. When her legs were out of the way, Inuyasha shut the door for her, making his way around the front and into the driver’s side.

“Before we go anywhere,” He began, starting the engine of the vehicle. “You should share your location with your friends. That way they know where you are and don’t worry too much.”

There was no biting back the shock in her expression as her lips parted and her jaw hung slightly agape. Holy shit. She was fucking done for. 

Recovering as he glanced over at her, Kagome pulled her phone from her purse, opening her text messages with Sango. “My location’s already on, actually.” She said, showing him the proof.

“Good. Keep it that way.” He smiled, shifting the stick into gear as he drove off down the neighborhood.

Kagome wasn’t sure she’d ever been this attracted to a person. It was one thing to look the way he did, which was unfair on its own, but it was another to have a good personality to back it up. And, he could cook. Inuyasha was a living, breathing triple threat. Suddenly, she felt like anything she could say to spark conversation was stupid, or would come out stupid because there was no way she wouldn’t stammer thanks to how nervous she now was. All she could do was try to appear normal while literally chewing on her bottom lip, and hope he didn’t catch onto her current disposition.

“You know how to drive stick?” He spoke, peeking over at her after adjusting the gear shift.

Timidly, Kagome shook her head in answer. “I never learned.”

Inuyasha shifted it, then quickly reached for her hand, placing it on top of the stick.

“Wait, no, I don’t -“

“I got you.” He promised, resting his hand on top of hers and moving the stick to switch gears. He kept his palm there, doing all the necessary work but letting her feel the effects of it, the vibration, the heat from his hand, involvement. It was such a small act, but she smiled gleefully and he was struck by the comforting sound of her giggle.

“My turn for the question game.” He said, giving a little squeeze to her hand. He saw her look at him expectantly in his peripherals, keeping his eyes on the road. “What do you do for work?”

“I’m a full-time student in college. I’m going into my last year as soon as we get back, with an internship to balance out to boot.” Kagome answered, still a little nervous for the months ahead of her.

“Are you fucking kidding me? That’s awesome! You’re so close!” His tone, his expression, the way his grip tightened on her hand for a moment before he shifted gears again all seemed so genuine. He didn’t even know her, and his excitement for her was real. “I remember having to do that shit. Didn’t have time for anything outside of it.”

“Yeah, pretty much. And, I thought this last year was hectic. I know I’m in for a shock this coming year for sure. No extra time for anything fun; which is why it only took a little leg twisting to get me to agree to come out here.”

“I’m surprised it took any at all.” He remarked, chuckling.

“Keeping up with Ayame and Sango, and sometimes even Miroku, can be exhausting. I was planning on kicking back and binge watching Netflix series after Netflix series this summer, but then Sango said the magic words, so here I am.”

“Lucky me.” He said sincerely. “What were the magic words?”

“‘I’ll give you your underwear back.’”

Inuyasha blinked at her, safe to remove his sights from the road at the stop light they sat at. 

“She took them all. Hid them from me. Threatened to even give some away.”

“Ah, the leg-twister. Remind me to thank her later.” He laughed, getting back up to speed quickly once the light turned green. “Alright, what’s your favorite food?”

“Bread.” Kagome said, grinning.

“Bread?”

“Bread.”

“What’s your favorite food that’s not a carb?”

“Nonexistent.” Kagome finally answered, having to have thought it through.

“You’re that easy? I could just give you a loaf of garlic bread and you’d be happy?” Kagome groaned in ecstasy at the thought, slumping back into her seat, and Inuyasha laughed again. “So, yes.”

They pulled up to the curb, and the hanyou finally released her hand, shutting off the engine and unlatching his seatbelt. He’d noticed her brows furrow inquisitively while looking at the cottage-like home he currently resided in, but instead of responding to it, he chuckled and exited his car, meeting Kagome on her side as she’d just opened her door to get out.

“I thought you were only here for a small amount of time.” She said, stepping out of the way so he could shut the door and lock it.

“Yeah, two months. Less than that now, but still.” He replied, leading her through the small gate and up the two porch steps to the front door.

“Did you Airbnb this place?”

“Kind of. Something like that, I guess.” Inuyasha answered mindlessly, unlocking the door and letting her enter first. “Were you expecting a hotel room?”

“Not gonna lie, that’s exactly what I expected.” Kagome remarked, surprise etched into the expression of her face. 

“And, how am I supposed to even try to impress you in a hotel, Kagome?” He asked, shutting and locking the bolt. He guided her through the little entrance area, welcoming her into the comfortable and furnished living room, then to the open kitchen area.

“Impress me? After all this, you’re still trying to impress me?”

“What do you mean? I haven’t even done anything yet.”

“That’s a joke, right?” He didn’t answer, instead leaning forward on the opposite side of the counter, cocking a brow. “Oh my god, you’re not joking?”

“I literally have no clue what you’re talking about. All I did was pick you up, you dork. I can’t cook in a hotel room. In fact, I’m convinced you’d only be uncomfortable there.”

“So, did you get this place specifically so you could impress ladies?” She countered playfully, leaning toward him along the counter just as he was.

“My brother’s assistant booked it, so no.” Inuyasha smirked. “I would just never dream of trying to bring a girl back to a shoddy hotel. Especially, a girl like you.”

“A girl like me, huh? And, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Red or white?” He softly asked as he turned around and pulled two bottles of wine from the fridge, not disregarding her in the least.

“White, please.” Kagome answered happily.

“It means, you’re someone worth putting effort into.” Inuyasha answered, uncorking the bottle and pouring her wine into a glass he’d pulled from the cupboard. “You’re someone a guy should have to sweat to try and impress.”

“Why should I believe these aren’t just lines you’re serving?” Again, her tone was playful, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth as she smiled.

“Technically, they are.” He said, sliding her glass toward her as he finished pouring his own. “But, it’s also the truth. And, whether you believe that or not is all up to you, but the blush on your face tells me you already do.”

Quickly, Kagome ducked her face to the side, shielding herself with her palm. “You’re not supposed to point something like that out, you butt.”

He laughed, “Sorry.”

“Besides, you speak pretty boldly for someone who hardly knows me!” 

“Ah, and that’s what the question game is for, isn’t it?” Inuyasha pointed, sauntering back to the fridge to pull some vegetables out to chop. “You know how I know you’re worth the effort? This is part of the game, so don’t think I’m still flirting.”

“How?” She giggled.

“Because, when we first met, instead of giving in for the drink without thought, instead of just taking the courtesy, or even blowing me off, you challenged me. You looked me dead in the eye and made me work just to convince you to say yes. You basically told me right then and there that if I wanted any sort of response from you, I had to rise to the occasion. And, fuck, I loved it.”

“First of all -“

“How could you possibly have a counter for that!?” Inuyasha’s jaw dropped, clenching his laugh behind feigned shock.

“I’m argumentative, you’ll get used to it.” Kagome dismissed with a wave. “First of all, I don’t understand how me giving you a hard time made you see that there was more to me. Usually, I’m told I’m just being a little shit.”

“Maybe I’m into that kind of attitude.” The hanyou shrugged, pulling out a cutting board and a knife.

“Remember you said that if I ever frustrate you.”

“If we have enough time for you to piss me off, I’ll consider myself lucky.” He grinned, absentmindedly rinsing the bell peppers beneath the running faucet in the sink.

Kagome didn’t expect to be so taken aback by a single comment. Hearing him say that, seeing his smile, knowing he wanted whatever time he could get with her was flutter-inducing. All over, she felt warm, the budding sensation originating in her abdomen and expanding to cover every inch of her body. It was like he knew all the right things to say, and she dropped any ounce of skepticism she had remaining in her head. Because, doubting anything from this point on would only prevent her from enjoying this time that was proving to be valuable and already the best summer of her life. She’d met plenty of smooth talkers in her adult life, and while a couple may have scored, none of them ever made sure she felt safe and comfortable, seemed to put her first, and successfully made her feel some type of wonderful way. 

Skillfully, she hid her expression behind her wine glass, taking a small sip before continuing on. “Second of all, has any girl actually blown you off?”

“Oh, yeah!” He confirmed, bringing the now-clean vegetables back to the cutting board and laughing. “Plenty of times.”

“What!? No way! You!?”

“Don’t make me relive it, beautiful. I’m not everyone’s cup of tea.”

“Boy, you are iced tea coated in sugar. Yes, you are!” Kagome passionately and unthinkingly protested, brows pinching together and lips sealing shut as she realized what she’d spurted out. Inuyasha glanced up from the vegetable he’d just begun to cut, surprise, bewilderment, and amusement all painted onto his growing smile. Ducking behind her glass, Kagome took a large gulp to wash her embarrassment away. “Good wine.”

“Glad to know you feel that way.” Inuyasha said, tongue slowly sliding out to lick his bottom lip, his teeth lightly dragging over the moistened area as his tongue glided back inside.

“Next question.” Kagome urged.

“What are you majoring in?” He asked, the smug grin still on his face while he went back to chopping the veggies.

“Interior design with a minor in communication. Can I help?”

“Nope. What are your hobbies?”

“Binge watching shows and sleeping past six a.m.. Give me a bell pepper.”

“You can’t help me. It defeats the purpose of me cooking for you.”

“Don’t you think it would be better if we cooked together, though?” Kagome playfully argued.

“I don’t trust your cooking. You’re a college student. Your expertise lies in instant ramen.” Inuyasha joked.

“That’s not true; my expertise is in cereal, but that’s irrelevant. I think I can manage helping you out.”

“You literally just convinced me otherwise.” He laughed, moving the cutting board away from her as she reached across the counter. “I’ll let you help next time, so back off.”

“Oh, next time? Are you already asking me out on a second date, Inuyasha?” Her tone held the hint of flirtatiousness, and she propped her chin in her palm, her elbow braced on the counter.

Inuyasha couldn’t describe what he felt when he was with her. It was trivial. It was fucking thrilling. The glimmer in her brown eyes set him on edge and the natural pink of her lips had his undivided attention. Her voice was soothing, her hands fit perfectly in his, her scent was almost enough to hypnotize him, and what made it all so much sweeter was how natural everything seemed to flow between them. Sure, he was a bit nervous and she seemed shy at certain points, but that didn’t hinder anything. That didn’t turn off any switches or stiffen the atmosphere. It, instead, made it so much more pleasant; like, the air in the room became warm and comfortable as they talked and got to know one another with organic reactions, their muscles relaxing as they quickly grew more in tune.

With all that in mind, he couldn’t begin to explain what had suddenly come over him. It was like the answer to her question had to be an action. Like, he wanted to prove how crazy he already was for her. The way her lips shifted from a soft smile to a relaxed shape as she took a sip of her wine had him captivated. Inuyasha gently set his knife down, sauntering over to the sink to rinse his hands and dry them on the small rag on the counter. Then, he walked her way, slowly, stopping just inches from her body, and she turned to fully face him, receive him. Her cheeks flushed lightly, and he couldn’t resist the pull to touch her, tenderly brushing rogue strands of hair behind her ear.

“One last question,” Inuyasha said, his voice low. “May I kiss you?”

When her lips parted ever so slightly, and her lashes seemed to flutter from how she looked from his eyes to his mouth, he took his cue, leaning down to softly kiss her.

In that moment, there was a grip on her soul that tugged her closer to him. It was powerful yet calming, not the least bit unsettling, her mind blanking as she breathed him in. The kiss grew more heated, more curious, Inuyasha’s hands gliding into her hair as her own gripped at the sides of his shirt, her fists furling and bunching the fabric as she was completely enraptured by the moment. Lost in his kiss. Held hostage by his taste. A sensation climbed through her, something she’d never experienced before, her sigh coming out as unsteady as his. The hanyou backed her up, their bodies never breaking away from each other, nor their craving lips,  trapping her between himself and the counter.

With a wavering breath, Inuyasha continued to kiss her, his body firmly against hers, and still, Kagome found herself wishing he was closer. She was completely taken over by whatever unearthly power was at play, entranced by this force, by him, by everything. Her fingers trembled against him as they uncurled along his shirt, gliding up his sides to clutch again just to satiate her restless hands. When his mouth slowly pulled away, Kagome blinked her eyes open, focusing on the awe expression on Inuyasha’s face. Had he felt it, too?

And then, he took three steps back, almost seeming to try to appear composed, though his eyes spoke his truth. Maybe she should have done the same, but she was still held tight by what had just happened, and like a greedy devil, she wanted more. She never wanted it to end in the first place. What she felt was pure bliss. Invigoration blended fervently with a fierce desire to connect and stay connected, remain touching, never let go, never turn away. So, why had he? What was he thinking? What a stupid, stupid, stupid man. If he felt exactly what she had, he must contain the strongest willpower she’d ever encountered, because she was shaken to the core by the minor separation.

There was a bout of silence, the space filled by the soft sound of their slightly heavy exhales. For once, even he didn’t appear to have anything smooth to say. Good. If he spoke, Kagome would only shut him up. She wanted more. She needed it. That sensation hadn’t yet completely captivated her, made home in the center of her chest, and she wanted it to. Imagining this was the one time in her life that she’d be able to feel something so intense, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to soak every ounce of it up. And, she was fully convinced she’d only experience this with Inuyasha.

Rectifying the mistake he’d made, Kagome pushed off of the counter she leaned upon, stepping toward him without a trace of apprehension to reclaim his kiss. That seemed to be all the encouragement Inuyasha needed, as his hands, once more, were on her, in her hair, cradling her jaw, gliding down the sides of her neck to hold her solidly to him. Again, he backed her against the counter, but his fingers swiftly slid down to grasp her waist, bouncing her up to seat her against the counter’s surface. She felt so hot, that exciting sensation filling once more, like a hose left in a kiddy pool to fill to the brim, rocking her with shudders and trembling as the levels grew higher and higher, centimeter-by-centimeter, more and more. She’d spread her legs so Inuyasha could stand between them, his hands gripping her hips to pull her closer to the edge and solidly against him. His kiss was heated and hungry, a small reverberation rumbling through his chest and bringing Kagome’s uncontrollable fingers to grip the collar of his shirt to bring him impossibly closer, finding the noise utterly irresistible. 

One of his hands flew to the nape of her neck, gripping there as his hips gave a small grind between her thighs, and as she released the tiniest whimper, Inuyasha raked his fingers up through her hair, furling, clutching but not yet yanking, only asserting enough pressure that caused her to release the real heat of that noise while her hips gave a little roll of their own. He would have probably muttered a curse if he remembered how to speak, but no such luck. It was all he had not to have his way with her right then and there, especially as her fingers began fumbling against the buttons of his shirt, undoing them one-by-one, only pausing when he tightened his grip in her hair just an inkling and created the smallest of spaces between their mouths as he lightly dragged his lips over hers in a teasing motion. As if already well-versed with his ways, Kagome seemed to smile, waiting him out, letting him do as he pleased, and when he released his grip on her dark, thick locks, she closed the scant distance with a whispered but most melodic moan he’d ever had the pleasure of hearing, continuing her venture down the alley of buttons as if there was no inconvenience in the first place.

Just as she unlatched the final loop, Inuyasha pushed her hands away, refusing to let her immediately remove the garment as he clutched her thighs and picked her up, her legs instinctively hooking behind his back as he shifted an arm around her waist for further support. Carefully, he made his trek out of the kitchen and down the hall, pinning her against the wall along the way when she daringly stroked one of his ears. He’d never found himself weak for the sensation, but here he was damn near crumbling away when she did it, and her joyful giggle didn’t help any. Inuyasha ground against her, gripping into the plush skin of her thigh as he tasted her tongue, and when she gave a breathy gasp in response, her hands fell so her arms could circle around his neck, pulling herself closer to him.

He continued down the hall, his growing erection painful against his jeans, but simultaneously hot and wonderful. Not once had he ever been this turned on, this ready to make a woman his own, and no matter how badly he would no doubt end up aching from the anticipation, he was going to take his damn time with her.

As soon as they reached the doorway of the bedroom, he set her down, his hand gripping behind the back of her neck again to prevent her from separating from his kiss. Inuyasha tried to get the light switch but only ended up smacking the wall a few times before giving up, the room darkened by the blackout curtains that prevented the rays of setting sunlight from entering through. Fuck it, it didn’t even matter at this point. Their eyes would adjust, and he planned on feeling every inch of her to do all the seeing necessary, anyway.

Guiding their way toward the mattress, he utilized the space between to push the cardigan from her shoulders, allowing her to drop it to the floor as he reached for the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head, discarding the article of clothing entirely before reclaiming her soft lips with his own. Kagome finally pushed the opened shirt from his arms, her hands scaling over the toned ridges of his torso before landing on the button of his jeans.

She wasn’t quick enough to get the job done, though. They’d reached the side of the frame of the bed and Inuyasha pushed her down on top of it, taking off her strapped sandals and then quickly climbing over her as they both crawled further toward the center of the mattress. Kagome arched her back as his hand snaked beneath, his lips hovering over hers as she felt the smallest amount of pressure before her bra was snapped loose. She’d have shown her shock at his level of skill - or lack of a struggle, really - if she’d had it in her, but she was so enraptured by this man that his bewitching movements, his body weight, and the way he pulled the straps of her bra down her arms to throw to the floor only aroused her more. 

God, she wanted him so bad. She was nearly breathless just from the tantalizing way he kissed her, and now he was paying special attention to the curve of her neck, a palm of his skimming over her breast as the other supported the majority of his position on top of her. It was hard to speak, to make any noise, really, unless he, himself, brought it out of her. His body heat felt so comforting, yet teased her all the same as he pulled away to stand on his knees, placed perfectly between her thighs to unbutton his pants and pull them down a smidge so that it was cotton grinding on cotton, masterfully preventing the chaffing from his jeans when he leaned back over her to give her more. 

Inuyasha’s mouth was currently devoted to her clavicle, and Kagome felt as if she would melt, a whimpered sigh leaving her lips as he rolled his hips against her. Everything he was doing was so perfect. It was everything she’d discovered she loved and more. Like, he had a window into her cravings and was expertly utilizing all the information he had at his disposal, amping it up a little just to soften things back so the sensations didn’t become too much too fast.

“Condom?” Kagome finally forced out, her tone feeble and whispered.

“Don’t worry, baby.” He murmured against her skin, his own voice deep and vibrational. Just that, alone, made her moan, but he begrudgingly stopped.

Inuyasha breathed out slowly, bringing himself back up to hover above her lips. He dragged them over, not allowing her to kiss him as he traveled to her cheek, planting a sweet kiss there. One to her nose, her other cheek, then her jaw. It was like he was taking his time, his lips lingering against her skin as he skimmed downward, his hot tongue coming to play when he reached sensitive spots along her neck. Her collarbones were tended to delicately, then her chest was kissed before he made his way to her breasts, one hand taking residence over the right as his mouth made home on the left.

She was beginning to ache with how slow he was going, taunting her with languid kisses, avoiding her nipple as he gave the soft plush of her tits special attention that no one had ever taken the time to give before. He switched over to the right, his warm hand now squeezing the left, and once his lips landed on her nipple, kissing softly, Kagome reactively arched her back to feel more from him. Inuyasha chuckled, the sound damn near sending her reeling, and then took the perked bud into his mouth, sucking slightly before flicking it with his tongue. She shuddered, biting her lip to attempt to silence the whine that escaped, but as if he was determined to make her fold, he sucked a little harder, teasing her opposite nipple with the pad of his finger.

Inuyasha was diligent to make sure both breasts were treated equally, driving Kagome mad, and she especially found it insanely sexy when he could no longer bring himself to play with the tit in his hand, having to drive it between them to massage his hard cock for a moment, his knuckles rocking up and down along her pelvis. Still, despite his own grunts from the attention, he didn’t seem to be in any sort of hurry, his lips focused on her sternum, little parts of her ribcage, her stomach, the underside of her navel, then the hemline of her panties. As soon as his fingers curled within the garment at the sides of her hips, Kagome was swift to comply, lifting upward so he could drag the cotton down her legs to completely forget about once dropped.

He kissed along the front of her hips, his hands traveling up and down the outside of her thighs as he made himself comfortable between them. Kagome thought she couldn’t think straight before, but now she was completely captivated by him, her thought process muddled, useless, and debilitated. Hell, whatever this man wanted from her, he could have. He could take. He could have his way with her, and she’d fucking thank him at this point.

Inuyasha kissed her inner thighs, watching the way her chest heaved slightly. Something told him she’d never been worshipped before. It added fuel to his fire. He was dead set on personally showing her the treatment she deserved. Providing it was the true pleasure here. Her inner thighs seemed to be a sweet spot for her; he could tell by the way she clutched the blankets above her head in anticipation of each nip, kiss, and lick he served, switching from one leg to the other so she wouldn’t get too comfortable. Tempting her to make one of those gorgeous mewls, Inuyasha gently bit into the plush, witnessing the way her body contorted slightly, clearly out of her control, her chest rising higher, her hips leveraging away from him, the breathy sound from her mouth taunting him to reach for more. He held onto the outer sides of her thighs, making it impossible for her to squirm away as he did it again, sucking to apply the perfect amount of pressure, the keen she released in response music to his ears. Each time he bit into her, sucked on her inner thighs, squeezed his hands against her tensed legs, he inched his way toward her core, noticing how breathless she seemed to be. He debated slowing down even more, but figured that would only be cruel. He was king at teasing, but she was the queen that deserved all of the deliberate attention he could give. 

Tenderly, he kissed her lips, not wanting to shock her by diving right in, though he’d been dying to taste her. Another scant kiss and then he lightly dragged his tongue within her pussy, his hands shifting to hold her hips still instead of her thighs as she curved her spine for more. She tasted like a decadent desert, forcefully shoving him further into his trance. God, he wanted to hear her voice, hear how mad he was driving her, and he flattened his tongue, licking up to her clit in a way to beg her for the pleasure her satisfaction provided. Kagome’s hands flew into his silver hair, gently combing her nails through as she panted, her fingers slightly quaking along his scalp. He was working his way to build her up, lapping her up like the delicious treat she fucking was, his mind running absolutely wild, a groan leaving his own throat when he finally gave in to gift a mild suck on the bundle of nerves. Her hips bucked and Inuyasha tightened his grip, pinning her there, and she gave a shuddering moan, clutching his hair. He followed the cues from the noises she’d make, switching between licking her up to sucking her off, so fucking pleased by her stammering breaths, the way she’d inadvertently pull him closer by her grip on his hair, and the absolutely erotic way part of his name fell from her lips before she audaciously stroked his ear. As if she hadn’t learned her lesson from before. He fucking loved it; how she still attempted to give him attention while he ate her out like the goddess she was, how, even though she had a wonderful grip on his tousled hair, she was delicate with the appendage atop his head, how she managed to laugh a little while he moaned from how good it all felt, the reverberation no doubt tickling her pussy while she was simultaneously proud of herself for getting that reaction from him. The little, fucking vixen. Her giggle had been half joyful, half titillating, and like adding charcoal to a fire, he was fueled to drive her wild. Inuyasha dragged his tongue from her entrance to her clit multiple times, noticing how much she shook from his tedious and heavy attention. Then, he began to avoid her nerves at all costs, even exploring back to her thighs, biting, sucking, holding her still as she wriggled and whined. He went back to her pussy, evading her clit as he slowly lapped her up, then transferred his affection to her thigh, intent on giving her a hickey from how hard her couldn’t help but suck. Inuyasha trapped her wrists against her hips, multitasking in the way he made it impossible for her to do anything but accept what he gave. Kagome couldn’t beg from how her breath kept hitching, her whimpers clenched and strained as she obviously was close to climaxing. Eagerly, he gave her what she needed, licking the swollen bud and then finally sucking it into his mouth, listening intently to the way her breaths became short, shallow, laced with keens as her thighs tensed along the sides of his head. Inuyasha never stopped, and he would have fucking smiled from how heavenly this entire thing was if his mouth wasn’t preoccupied, focused entirely on her. He shifted his hold on her wrists to grasp her hands, entwining their fingers so she could shakily clutch him, her body progressively growing more and more taught. Only a little more and she quaked, squeezing his hands, her lungs hitching completely as she came.

Inuyasha slackened the intensity of his attention, little-by-little, not immediately pulling away so he could ride out her orgasm until her body decided it was done. When she began to breathe again, heavily at that, the hanyou released her, kissing her lips in finality and letting go of her hands. She was spent, her eyes closed as she regained some form of composure, her arms limp on her stomach, and if he hadn’t begun to crawl over her, he was sure her legs would have closed and fallen to the side. He gave her a moment, stroking her hair at the sides of her temples and behind her ears, treating her with the utmost amount of care until she came to.

Kagome fluttered her eyes open, landing on Inuyasha’s patient expression. His features were shadowed from the darkness, but still, with her adjusted sight she could appreciate how handsome he appeared in the low hues. Like, any form of lighting complimented him gorgeously. She licked her bottom lip, raking her teeth over the moistened area in the hopes that he’d catch the hint and kiss her, but instead he gifted her with one of his crooked grins, his fingers softly raking down the side of her neck to gently curl around her throat. There was no preventing her obvious joy from the motion, her sigh pleasurable as she notched her chin upward to give his large hand room to claim her, her heart like a force of thunder beneath her ribcage that she was positive he felt.

“Stay here.” He said huskily, and she had no choice but to oblige.

She missed his body heat as soon as he removed himself from the bed, and she noticed, as her knees fell together, no longer separated by his hips, that her thighs still shook minutely from her previous orgasm. She could hear the rustle of clothing as he removed his pants and boxers, hear a drawer opening, a tiny crinkle of a packet, then his weight administering back onto the mattress as he gently situated himself over her once more, guiding her knees open to welcome him back in. Kagome was quick to find him with her hands, his weight braced on his elbows as he laid over her, and she stroked up the sides of his waist, feeling each curve and edge of the sculpted muscles beneath his skin. She could feel the warmth radiating off of him, soaking into her, his chest pressed to hers as he gave a soft grind of his hips, no longer hindered by his clothing. Just wonderful, blissful, searing sensations as his cock glided along her core. Finally, he kissed her, his lips so sweet and tender, and she wanted him closer, arching her back to feel the way his chest hitched when he breathed her in, her hands roaming over his sides, his defined back that flexed as he rolled his hips again, up to his shoulders and then his arms, massaging the biceps that supported him. 

One of his arms slipped away from her as he slid it between them, positioning himself perfectly, and he broke apart from the kiss, just enough to hover an inch or two above her face while he pushed inside of her. Slowly. Kagome felt his abdominals tense as he glided deeper, his sigh hot as her body happily accepted him, but when he released a clenched groan, almost sounding like a meager whimper of his own making, her mind blanked and a flush trickled through each vein of her body, threatening to cause her to melt on the spot. It was the sexiest sound she’d heard from him yet, so small and so genuine, so pleased and erotic, more rewarding than anything she’d experienced up until then. 

There was no stopping her loss of control, because frankly, she wanted him to take it. Kagome whined for more, her hands fumbling as he barely bucked against her, gripping, releasing, and gripping his biceps again as they were both now back where they needed to be. Inuyasha shushed her sweetly, chuckling as he ducked close to her ear, applying more fervency into his thrusts.

“Calm down, baby, you’ll get it.” He whispered before dipping to kiss her neck, exploring until she pinched her nails into his skin, clearly locating the key spot and sucking tenderly. He retaliated against her eager fingers, laughing breathily against her flesh when he pulled from her grasp one arm at a time, capturing her wrists to pin above her head in the clutch of one of his hands. Her wrists were so small compared to his palm, it wasn’t even a chore to keep her captive, taking his time as he built his rhythm to drive her mad. He gave the reddened mark on her neck a little nip, loving the vibrations that came through her throat as she moaned. 

Steadily, he fucked her a little harder, the sound of skin slapping against skin filling the room, and it seemed to be almost exactly what she wanted as he watched her eyes flutter closed and her teeth drag along her bottom lip. Begrudgingly, he released her hands, opting for a grip over her throat, never hindering airflow. Inuyasha kissed her jaw, not failing to notice the way she opened herself up for him, how she kept her hands above her head for him, how she mewled seductively when he took a moment to push as deep as he could inside of her, rubbing his pelvis against her pussy to change up his rhythm, to tease her clit, to see just how much this woman could handle. Fuck, she was so alluring. He wanted more of her. He wanted all of her.

Kagome clenched her fists, enjoying the delightful sound of his heated breath in her ear, the way his pace slowed to an uneven grind. His fingers held her neck in such a perfect manner - not too tight but not too soft; enough to let her know he was there and could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. He grunted, muffling the sound as he ducked his face into her shoulder, his breath so hot and blissful. Wanting more, wanting to do something for him, wanting to please Inuyasha, she gave the edge of one of his shoulders a small shove, lifting her hips into him as he hastily complied, wrapped one of his arms behind her waist and rolled over, never separating from her.

The hanyou seemed almost breathless beneath her, especially as she pushed herself up to hover over his lips just as he’d done to her before. She smiled, taking a moment to stroke aside the silver strands of hair that stuck to his face, clinging from beads of sweat she also took the liberty of wiping away, taking particular care of the area around his eyes. His golden irises were so bright, they almost glowed in the darkness, bewitching her fully. Inuyasha reached for a kiss, and she would never refuse him, breathing him in as she deepened the motion. Her hips tediously rocked, and she couldn’t believe that the softest movement still brought a clenched groan out of him, one he’d intentionally tried to subdue, one that made her sigh in response. Kagome rose to sit straight, dragging her fingers down the center of his chest to his abdomen where she lightly braced her hands - more for balance than to utilize his frame to increase her tempo. She could do that all on her own. Inuyasha’s hands gripped the plush of her hips, squeezing slightly as he followed her grind, his head falling back into the comforter as his eyes closed in utter enjoyment. She increased her pace into a mild bounce, eating up the way he clutched her hips tighter, the way his own hips seemed to leverage higher so he’d hit deeper, the way he breathed and tensed beneath her. 

Inuyasha looked back at her, completely enthralled by the woman on top of him. He glided his hands to her thighs, feeling the way they flexed as they worked, then up to her waist to give attention to the beautiful curves, then to her bouncing breasts as he claimed them as his, massaging, needing, and observing how a sinful, little pout formed on her face when he tended to her nipples. That look, alone, could have potentially been his downfall, but instead it amped him further, determined to never forget the way she looked as she rode him perfectly.

She started going a little harder, his mind once more growing muddled as the sensations built. Kagome was so goddamn irresistible like this, but he wasn’t going to let her finish this on top. He let her have her fun. He let her have her way for a moment. Now, he was going to send her into the best sleep of her life.

Inuyasha reached behind her neck, pulling her to his chest so he could hold behind her back, quickly rolling her over and never ceasing the rhythm. He took over immediately, thrusting against her, harder and harder, her little body bouncing beneath him as he watched it all on his hands and knees. His pelvis slapped against hers, the sound so fucking erotic, mixed with her moans and whimpers that pushed him to a ledge. He knew she was spiraling closer, he could tell, he could read her language easily - as if he’d already had it memorized like the back of his hand. His own grunts and groans were growing louder, almost growls as he fucked her even harder, faster, and when he noticed her pussy clench against his cock when he actually did let out an accidental growl, and the way she made the most delightful mewl and practically rolled her eyes into the back of her head in absolute gratification, he was just about done in. Inuyasha  braced himself on an elbow, never faltered in his bucking, utilizing his free hand to tenderly stroke her neck, her cheek, and push the hair out of her face while growling lowly in her ear, coaxing her with gentle words in between to get her to cum for him. Oh god, her body grew incredibly taut, her voice muffled as he kissed her, riding her out harder than he should have as he tumbled into his own orgasm.

The afterglow was peaceful, and he was welcomed to lay on top of her for a sweet moment when, despite her shaking fingers, she softly stroked his sides, then his back, giggling as she had to wiggle one arm free so that she could rake the hair out of his face again, massaging his scalp with her nails as he came down. He got to listen to the sound of her heart pounding, focusing on the melody as it steadily calmed, soothing him.

Worried he was crushing her, Inuyasha rolled off, taking residence on his back next to her. He found her hand, manipulating his way beneath it so he could entwine their fingers, feeling the desire, no, the necessity to touch her in some meager manner.

“Still think it’s silly if I ask you out on a second date now?” Inuyasha asked. The two of them fell into a fit of laughter, happy and content and amused all the same.

It took almost too much effort to maneuver off of the bed, and maybe it shouldn’t have boosted his pride so, but seeing how much more she seemed to struggle than he, it was nothing short of a compliment. Kagome appeared almost groggy, hardly speaking aside from the soft, little thanks she gave when he helped her climb down from the mattress, and the tiny sound she made when she turned about aimlessly in search of the bathroom. He hastily disposed of the condom in the small trash bin by the nightstand, then took her hand, personally walking her to the bathroom to make sure her legs weren’t too unsteady. 

“If you touch that dress, I’m throwing it away.” He said jokingly as she reached for it after emerging from the bathroom, though it was also genuinely easy to take him seriously in that moment. She glanced up at him, perplexed but smiling, and he sauntered over to her from the dresser, now donned in a pair of sweats. Delicately, he leaned down and kissed her, simultaneously kicking the white summer dress away, swallowing her giggle. “Text Sango. Let her know you’re staying the night.”

Kagome blushed. After all that, she blushed. She didn’t want to argue, but even if she did, she purely didn’t have the energy for even a feigned attitude. To stay over with him, sleep with him, wake up to him, she didn’t know why but the idea made her happy. In a silent response, she waltzed over to his old, discarded shirt from before, picking it up from the floor and shoving her arms through the sleeves, so much looser on her than it appeared while it was on him. 

The hanyou gifted her with that crooked smile she loved so much, looking her up and down as she buttoned it up to her mid chest. “Good girl.” He whispered, and holy hell, that was just playing dirty. That, alone, made her knees damn near wobble, and she blinked at him, enchanted and in awe.

“Get back in bed, babe. I’ll be right back. The tv remotes are on the nightstand.” Inuyasha said, leaving the room.

She searched the floor for her panties, finally finding them in the dark before slipping them on and dropping her body facedown on the mattress, exhausted, ready to fall asleep right then and there before her favored hanyou came walking back in, chuckling at her lifeless form. She heard him set something on the surface of the bedside table before he sat next to her, leaning over to stroke her messy hair.

“What do you want on your pizza?” He asked softly.

“Cheese.” Kagome mumbled.

“Nothing else?”

“More cheese.”

“Got it. I brought you water. Drink it, okay?”

“There’s a twenty in my wallet in my purse. Put it towards the food.”

Inuyasha gave her butt a small spank. “Shut the fuck up.” He laughed, leaving the room again. “Where’s your phone?” He shouted from the kitchen.

“Purse.” She replied lazily, hoping he’d magically catch what she said because she sincerely didn’t have it in her to talk any louder. Surprisingly, he came back a brief moment later, playfully sliding her cell next to her face, picking her hand up, and planting it on top. 

With a forfeiting sigh, she clutched the device and rolled over to her back, sending her best friend a quick message saying she was staying over before pushing herself to a sitting position. Inuyasha sat next to her, handing over the bottle of water he’d brought her before gently stroking her leg.

“You okay?” He asked, warmheartedly.

“I’m perfect.” Kagome responded honestly, leaning in to give him a small kiss.

—

Kagome awoke the next morning, embraced in comfort and wonderful body heat. After eating pizza and getting three-quarters of the way through a movie, Kagome had cuddled up to Inuyasha, the both of them indulging in lazy conversation and affection throughout the night before they finally drifted off. Not once in her afterglow stupor did he tease her or complain. Inuyasha, in fact, was incredibly affectionate and caring. He massaged her scalp and combed her hair with his fingers, he stroked the skin of her thighs and her waist, he placed kisses to her forehead. She was on cloud nine, really. There was a point where, though exhausted, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, and he’d unbuttoned her shirt, never stripping it off of her, but opening it up so he could touch and taste her at his leisure. She’d never experienced something so beautiful, where there were zero obligations, just two people in a trance, exploring slowly, sedately, soaking up the way muscles flinched when touched in certain manners, the way breathing increased in the peace of the night, the way it was so remarkably comfortable kissing someone, learning about someone until sleep overtook you.

He’d parted the blackout curtains a bit before crawling into bed with her to let the moonlight in, rays of sunshine filtering through now, painting the white walls in dull shades of yellow and orange. It was early. She could tell by the chill in the air and the way the colors weren’t blinding. Inuyasha’s breathing was deep and rhythmic, his arm draped over her as he was snuggled to the curve of her back. 

As if sensing she’d awoken, the man kissed the nape of her neck, pulling her a little closer to his chest as he littered the area with slow, sleepy kisses. His hand pushed within her shirt, parting the two sides so he could softly rub her tummy, grumbling a husky, “Good morning,” in her ear. Kagome hummed contentedly in response, feeling the shift as he began to adjust his position, pulling her to lay on her back as he lazily rolled over her, pushing the blankets off of them as he went. She was almost too pleased to comply, welcoming him in between her legs as his sweatpants lightly chaffed against her inner thighs. She could tell he still wasn’t completely awake, his lips dragging and lethargic, but his intention remained.

Inuyasha serenely sighed against her neck, sluggishly making his trek down her body and peppering her in kisses along the way. Kagome’s eyes were closed, savoring the affection he so willingly bequeathed. He made his way over her sternum, then traveled to her ribcage, kissing to her waist, then her stomach, then the opposite side of her ribs for evenness. He kissed above her bellybutton, below it, then again on each side of it before coming back up to take her lips as his, evidently a little more awake now. 

As he propped himself above her on one hand and further pushed her shirt open with the other, Kagome took an opportunity to soak in the visual of him, the way his short, messy hair fell downward with gravity, the way certain muscles in his arms were flexed from supporting his weight, the way the early rays of light complimented his skin tone. For a brief moment, as she usually allotted, she focused on his chest, her fingers painting over his toned muscles to fully appreciate him until her heart stilled. His chest. His left pec. There it was. The faded and tan, uneven and circular birthmark she’d envisioned. She was so focused on it, she’d hardly remembered to breathe, the pads of her fingers tracing the small blemish that linked her. Then, her attention shifted to Inuyasha’s stunned expression, and he looked almost fearful as he seemed to process what was going through her mind.

“No.” He spoke lowly. “No. No, no. Have you had the dream?” Inuyasha sat back on the mattress, staring at her with indiscernible concern as she rose to sit, as well.

“The… it’s you.” Kagome breathed. The small smile he gave, though still riddled with some sort of disturbance, was laced with a modest percentage of anguished relief as he tilted his head and reached to tenderly caress her cheek.

“Yeah. It’s me, Kagome.”

“Wait, did - did you know?”

“Since last night. I opened your shirt to see if what I’d dreamt was there. The small arrow tattoo on your ribs. And, the freckle beneath it.” Inuyasha admitted.

It was taking a moment to sink in. All of it. Kagome was in a state of stiffened shock and confusion. He’d known since last night, but she didn’t remember any sort of significant reaction coming from him; not a typical one you’d expect at least, much like the one she was giving now - though, now that she thought about it, she realized he had been paying fine attention to her tattoo. Truthfully, she’d gotten it for her eighteenth birthday and forgot it was there the majority of the time. It was a tiny and basic design. But, yet, it had been his indicator to find her. With the freckle beneath. Still, while he kissed it over and over in the moonlight of their romantic evening, nothing particularly tipped her off. Not a gasp, not a jolt of any sort, not a sign of hesitation. In fact, she’d never felt more adored in her life.

So, why did he not seem happy? This was supposed to be exciting, wasn’t it? A good thing? Wasn’t it?

“I-I don’t get it.”

“Kagome -“ He dropped his hand.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t know if you knew.” Inuyasha said.

“It doesn’t really seem like you wanted me to know, either.” She wasn’t defensive, she was just bemused.

“I didn’t. I didn’t want you to know. Not yet.” When she didn’t say anything, her brows furrowing further, and brown eyes unable to confidently stay on him, flickering away unsteadily, Inuyasha continued on. “Kagome, listen. It’s bad timing. Really fucking bad timing. We both knew this thing between you and I had an expiration date. I figured if I was the only one that knew, I could handle the weight of it on my own. I didn’t want you to have to deal with the pressure. I didn’t want you to have to deal with any of this. Not until we stood a chance.”

“But -“ Kagome felt a little tongue tied, having a difficult time trying to wrap her head around anything. She closed her shirt, fastening two buttons in the middle to keep her body remotely covered, scooting herself off the bed so she could pace the room in a meager attempt to process and focus. She pushed her disorderly, wavy hair away from her face at the sides, discovering the uneasy, prickling sensation expanding in the pit of her stomach was anxiety. Her heart was beginning to pound erratically, and she felt a diluted series of jitters coming over her. “You’re my soulmate?”

“Yes.” Inuyasha answered, turning his position on the mattress to face her, his expression still ringing of concern, but most likely due to her incapability to rationalize as quickly as he seemed to.

“I thought - I thought finding each other was supposed to be romantic and happy. So, why is this not?”

“Because, you have a full agenda, and it’s not fair to be forced to balance out a new relationship on top of it. You know that.”

“Yeah, I know, but -“

“No, Kagome, I’ve been there. Going into your final year of college is hard enough, let alone maintaining an internship schedule, finding a moment to eat something and do laundry, and managing to get all of your homework done while attempting to get more than four hours of sleep a night - if that! And, it’s not just as simple as throwing a new relationship you weren’t prepared for in the mix. It’s a long distance relationship. Once I’m done here, I’m going to Europe for god knows how long.”

“Europe!?” Kagome’s face twisted, surprised, completely unsuspecting of how much worse this could get.

Inuyasha heaved a tedious sigh, propping his elbows on his thighs and ducking his head into his hands to gain his bearings. She’d stopped pacing, but he could fully sense her apprehension and unsteadiness while she waited for him to respond. When he was ready, he dropped his hands, still leaning on his legs, looking at her with as much mercy as he could manage in the moment. “Yeah. My dad passed when I was a kid and left his company to my brother and I. And, as much as I hate working for my brother at the moment, I can’t find it in me to walk away from what my father created. It’s a good corporation. We help kids in the system, and little-by-little, we’re taking over shit places and turning them around completely to better care for children in foster homes. Europe’s the big step for me in becoming a partner, and believe you me, despite my attitude at times, I’m the one with the heart necessary to balance out my dad’s legacy. Sesshomaru’s the brains.”

“Oh.” Kagome breathed. There was nothing more to question; that was as solid a reason to not be able to commit to anything as her senior year was. In fact, to her, his situation carried greater validity.

Inuyasha stood from his seat, carefully crossing the room to her. “Look at me.” He quietly said, cradling her jaw in his palms and tilting her head back so she’d comply. “Be honest, okay? Logically thinking, did you ever expect anything from this after you went home?”

Kagome shook her head in his hands. “No. I was the one to say we had a time limit.”

“And, is there even a sane part of you that thinks you’d be able to find a healthy way to manage your schedule and a long distance relationship?”

“No.” She admitted, chuckling disbelievingly. She pulled herself out of his hold, having a better grasp on the situation, but still a question weighed on her. “What were your plans? If I hadn’t had the dream yet, and you were the only one aware that we were soulmates like you wanted, what was your next step?”

“I was just gonna take what I could in the time allotted.”

“And, then what?”

“Business, as usual.”

“That’s it?”

“What else could I do?” He inquired, perplexed.

“I don’t know.” Kagome slightly stammered. “Ghost me? Wouldn’t that be easier on you?”

“Wait, excuse me? You want me to ghost you?” His tone piqued skeptically, his expression twisting.

“No! Nobody wants that! But, given the situation, it’d be more than understandable! You’d be saving yourself a lot of stress!”

“Stress isn’t what I’d label it.” He remarked.

“Okay, whatever! But, why would you willingly put yourself through this? It doesn’t make sense!”

“Well, what would you do, Kagome!?” Inuyasha snapped, raising his voice. “Honestly! Tell me! What would you do if you knew a person was your soulmate and you were only given an insignificant amount of time with them!? Would you take it or run!?”

Her eyes widened, her cheeks flushing dully, bottom lip trembling from the unforgiving truthfulness before them before she pinched her lips together in a measly attempt to keep her emotions grounded. 

It was his turn to incredulously chuckle as he cocked a brow at her. “You’d run?”

“I - no! I don’t know! This is a lot!”

There was a moment of silence between them where Kagome’s eyes uncontrollably shifted from the floor to his birthmark and Inuyasha stared out the open part in the curtain. She heard him drag in a deep breath, his chest noticeably expanding before he gave in and looked back at her.

“I was scared. When I saw the tattoo on you, I was fucking terrified.” Inuyasha spoke, his tone surprisingly level. “Everything seemed to click, though. It all made sense; why I was so attracted to you, why I understood you, why I felt so connected to you, why I wanted to see you as much as possible no matter what came of it. Maybe I’m impulsive in quickly deciding to live it up, but can you blame me? It’s you. I fucking found you. I was up most of the night thinking it through, and the thought of ignoring the opportunity for something made me want to puke.”

Kagome’s heart sank deeper, unable to monitor her expression as she huffed, her fingers shaking from her spiking anxiety levels. “How cruel is this?” She cynically asked. “This is the biggest ‘fuck you’ fate’s ever served.”

“I know.” Inuyasha agreed. “I stand by it, though; what I said. I still want to be able to say I took the chance with you than say I missed it.”

Kagome nodded, not quite sure what she was acknowledging but still giving him the acknowledgment, nonetheless. She scoured the ground, searching for her clothes and found them on the arm of the corner chair where Inuyasha had neatly placed them, tracking over to them and scooping it all into her arms. “I’m - I’m gonna get dressed and call an Uber, okay?”

“What? No. If you want to go, I’ll take you.” He said, brows pinching together.

“No. Thank you, but no. I don’t think I can handle the awkward and silent car ride back to my place on top of all this.”

“Kagome, I brought you here. It’s my responsibility to get you home.” Inuyasha stated with steady resolve.

“Can you just - I need to digest this, Inuyasha. On my own.” Kagome argued, swiveling on her heel and heading straight to the bathroom to change.

When she came out, donned in her dress and cardigan from the night before, the bedroom was empty. The air in the place, though, was tense and heavy. She felt horrible. For the way she imagined Inuyasha was feeling right now, for the way everything was turning out, and for the way she figured she was only making everything worse by not spontaneously jumping into his arms to accept the terms and conditions of destiny’s bullshit. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand, and her sandals by the chair, slipping them on her feet and reaching behind to hook the strap around her ankle before leaving the room to seek out her purse. She’d prefer to call and wait for her ride home at the corner, anyway. That way, she could remove herself from the discomfort and begin to breathe somewhat easier again as she allowed the situation to sink through her skin.

Inuyasha was standing by the counter in the kitchen, a shirt now covering his torso. She could see the tribulation written on his face, but when he noticed her, he still attempted a small smile.

“I ordered you an Uber that’ll take you home.” He said, gesturing to the cellphone illuminated directly in front of him on the counter. “That way, I know you’ll get there safely since I can watch the trip, and you won’t have to text me or anything.”

The guilt felt like a dense liquid in her abdomen, overwhelming each organ one at a time. “Can I give you money for it?”

“No.” Inuyasha shook his head. “I don’t want your money. I just want you to think about what I said. Deal?”

“Deal.” She agreed, giving a meager nod. Like an invisible force pulling her forward, Kagome closed the space between him, hugging him and burying her face in his chest, and Inuyasha didn’t hesitate to hold her, kissing the top of her head. This wasn’t his fault, and she was scared the next words out of his mouth were going to be an apology. She could see it clearly in his ember eyes. And, all she wanted was to make it go away.

Being held by him was soothing, and it almost felt like he was soaking up as much of the disconcertment she was muddled with as he could. He really was willing to cope with this on his own, wasn’t he?

The app on his phone dinged with the common notification that the driver had arrived, and Inuyasha arched back slightly, cradling her jaw once more as comfortingly as possible, then leaned down to place a sweet kiss on her lips.

“It’s gonna be okay, alright? No matter what.” He stated confidently, pushing some hair behind her ear before releasing her and reaching for her purse to hand over. She nodded appreciatively, resting the strap over her shoulder and heading to the door as he walked her out to the car.

Kagome sighed heavily as she reentered her best friend’s vacation house. The living area was empty. Silent. The clock on the wall ticking away seconds as she, for the first time that morning, realized just how early it was. It was barely seven-thirty, still a little chilly from the ocean breeze as the summer sun steadily rose higher in the sky. Not wanting to wake Sango by entering the bedroom they shared, she decided to think things through on the back patio until people rose.

With how jumbled her mind was, Kagome only managed to make it to the kitchen counter, a glass of water in hand to sip, listening to the never ending ticks of the moving clock hands while everything she learned this morning replayed in her head. While she felt less jittery now, she was still disturbed, unable to determine what the right thing to do was. Her soulmate. It was him. It was Inuyasha. He was within reach, yet soon would be so far. Was all this worth it? Or should she protect herself?

Lethargic, shuffling feet came from down the hall, growing louder as her best friend appeared in a large shirt that didn’t belong to her. Kagome and Sango locked eyes, Sango looking like a deer in the headlights, probably not actually having heard Kagome come home. Her long, brown hair was a mess - normally pretty straight but wavy and unruly at the moment. The most peculiar part of it was, Sango had stumbled from the hallway that led to Miroku’s and Ayame’s rooms. Given Koga was here, it wasn’t hard to determine which room she’d settled in for the night.

“When did you get home?” Sango inquired as innocently as possible, her voice small. 

“Two minutes ago.” Kagome couldn’t stop the slow-spreading smile on her face. With a small notch of her head, she silently asked her best friend if she’d come from Miroku’s room.

Sango followed the motion of her gesture, grimacing slightly before answering with a bashful. “Yeah. Let’s go get coffee and talk about it there.”

Kagome laughed, following her into their bedroom so they could both change into fresh clothing before heading to a nearby coffee shop. 

“So, what’s up? You’re not the cheery, I-got-laid version of Kagome I expected to see this morning.” Sango mentioned, taking a seat at a round, empty table at the cafe as they waited for their iced coffees.

“Oh, um, you first. I want to hear your story before I tell mine.” Kagome deterred, not even bothering to put too much effort into a feigned, joyful tone, knowing her best friend would see right through it.

“Kagome, what happened?” There was a little more concern that time, Sango’s head cocking to the side.

“Nothing bad, I promise! It was a good night! But, more importantly, you came out of Miroku’s bedroom this morning wearing Miroku’s shirt. Care to explain?” She giggled, teasing her embarrassed friend. Her cheeks were a vibrant red, and she hid the side of her face behind a hand so passerby’s wouldn’t see.

“Take a wild guess.”

“Did you have sex!?” Kagome hissed, laughing.

“Oh, like you didn’t already know!” Sango reached over and slapped Kagome’s forearm, laughing from her own humiliation. “I don’t know what came over me, dude! Or, him! He’s been acting kind of different with me for the past few days, and I don’t know, I like it! So, we all went to a bar last night, okay?” She said, prepared to get into the story. They weren’t far from the counter at all, so when the barista called their names, she got up to retrieve their coffees, only pausing her retelling to thank the girl that prepared them, and waltzing back over to rejoin Kagome at the table. “It was a good time, we all had fun and got a little buzzed. Ayame and Koga went straight back to their room as soon as we got home, and Miroku and I stayed up talking for a little. Maybe it was the alcohol, which is a cheap excuse on my behalf, but he seemed so sweet and mindful. And, girl, I was weak. Seriously. I was the one that kissed him.”

“What?” Kagome inched forward, absolutely dumbfounded.

“Yup.” She shrugged her brows, nodding. “I made the move. Then, one thing led to another and here we are. I did not hear you come in this morning, and you caught me on my walk of shame back to our room.”

“Sorry.” Kagome laughed. “Your secret’s safe with me. Promise.”

“Alright, your turn. Spill. You were home way too early, so what gives?”

In preparation, Kagome took three large gulps of her iced coffee, hoping the caffeine would make her bolder in the admittance she was about to give. “Okay, look, um, just try to keep an open mind to what I’m about to say. It’s a bit extreme.”

“What, did you do anal or something?”

“Sango!”

“So, no. Sorry! Go on! Open minded!” Sango raised her hands at her sides defensively, her expression humorless and sincere.

“Promise?”

“Of course. It’s me.” Sango assured.

“Alright, so for a few years now, I’ve been having that dream.” Kagome emphasized the words in the hopes that Sango would immediately catch on to what she was talking about. While it was typically well-known, it wasn’t altogether common. Not everyone experienced this sort of connection, so when Sango didn’t clue in, Kagome wasn’t offended. “The soulmate dream.”

“Woah, what?” She seemed sort of astonished, leaning forward minutely. “You’ve got a soulmate? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because, what were the chances of me even meeting him?” Kagome answered with a disappointed shrug.

“Right. That’s right. It’s sort of a fickle thing, huh? Not really something people boast about nowadays.” Sango bit her lip unsurely, her shoulders sagging. “But, so, is he…” She trailed off, apprehensive about potentially pouring salt in Kagome’s evident wound, but all the while hoping Kagome would pick up on where she was going with her question.

“Yeah.” Kagome confirmed, with one steady nod. “He’s got a birthmark right here,” She grazed the general area on her chest with the pads of her fingers. “And, he dreamt of the arrow on my side.”

“Wait, okay, back up. Start from the beginning. I need some perspective, because you are far from happy. This isn’t what I pictured happening when someone found their person.”

“Right?” She giggled disbelievingly. “The date was nothing short of perfect. Thinking about it now, it’s kind of embarrassing, because we weren’t even together for an hour before he kissed me. Don’t laugh, but when he did it, it really felt like the whole cliche fireworks sort of thing. Which then turned into the best sex I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve never felt the way I did when I was with him. I was a bit preoccupied to notice his birthmark, though, so I didn’t see it until this morning. Cue the freakout.”

“Oh, no. Did he know?”

“Yeah, he knew before me. He saw my tattoo last night. He just didn’t say anything in case I wasn’t aware.”

“Wait. He was chill and you were the one that freaked? It wasn’t a mutual thing?”

Kagome groaned, taking another drink from her coffee. “Pretty much.”

“Why?” Sango pressed, completely invested in Kagome’s situation.

“Because, it’s complicated. This wasn’t supposed to be anything passed a fling.”

“And, you’re mad that it is?” She slowly asked, trying to gain an understanding on her point of view.

“No. Not at all. The circumstances are what get me. At first, I felt pretty safe when I realized who he was. Honestly, as crazy as it sounds, if there was someone that was going to be labeled my soulmate, I’m kind of happy it’s him. He’s a really good guy. But, then I saw how afraid he was at discovering I’d had the dream, too. He didn’t want me to know. Because, we can’t be together.”

“Why not?” Sango’s voice was small, like she, herself, felt the weight of the sadness.

“He’s out here for work, and once he’s done, he’s going to Europe. He doesn’t know when he’ll be back, but this is his father’s company, so I understand the importance of it and how busy he’ll be. With both of our workloads and the distance, it’s not fair or realistic for us to try to commit to anything or anyone else. And, neither of us should drop our lives and what we’ve worked for.”

“So, that’s it? It’s done?” She asked, her shoulders somehow managed to droop further. She wore a sympathetic frown, her brows raised as she reached across the table to gently stroke her best friend’s arm.

“I don’t know. That’s where it get’s dangerous. Inuyasha wants to take advantage of the time we have left so that we get something out of this, but don’t you think that’d be risky? I mean, I’ve already grown fond of him, imagine the attachment that’ll develop by the end of our stay.”

“So, what? Go for it.” Sango insisted supportively.

“Like it’s that easy.”

“Isn’t it?” She countered. “He’s your soulmate.”

“It’s only going to hurt him and I.” Kagome grieved. “I’m not sure it’s worth it.”

“I’m actually surprised that you don’t. He doesn’t seem to have a problem with it. Honestly, I think you’ll end up more heartbroken if you left it as it is. Imagine you didn’t see him again after today, and this was it. You’re so fucking close to each other, but you didn’t go after him. The moment we get home and the time is lost, how will you feel? How will you feel when you’re knee deep in homework and course information you’ll never use after this year, and your mind wanders back to the chance you didn’t take? And, when you graduate and you’re wondering if he’d still take you if you met again? Because, you’re out of your mind if you think it’ll be possible to never think about him after this. Come on, Kagome. Don’t do this to yourself. It’s bad enough life and fate are standing in your way. Are you going to let fear hold you back, too?”

It was as if clarity punched Kagome in the gut. She pictured a scale before her, the chance to experience a small window of time with her soulmate on one side, and hiding from it all on the other. By a long shot, the former won. Because, not only would Kagome be running from pain, which had a tendency to mute all other aspects of the scenario, but she’d be running from Inuyasha. Talking to Inuyasha. Kissing Inuyasha. Touching Inuyasha. Laying with Inuyasha. Anything with Inuyasha would be gone, and if she turned away from him now, she’d also be turning her back on fate. If she turned her back on fate just because the opportunity was inconvenient, how could she expect kindness from it in the future?

How could she expect to potentially find him again one day?

“You’re right.” Kagome gently admitted, worrying her bottom lip.

“Spend as much time with him as you can.” Sango said. “Don’t let him go until you absolutely have to.”

“But,” Kagome sighed, bowing her head in minor defeat. “You guys… the trip…”

“Babe, we’re the people you have to deal with until graduation - if not longer. Forget about it. If he tells you to come over, drop what you’re doing and go.”

“Miroku.” Kagome’s tone was uncomfortably stiff, nervous for the shit she’d get from her close  friend that was a little too protective for his own good. He was a skeptical one, so bringing up soulmates might only make him scoff and ridicule, and she didn’t need that right now.

“I’ll handle him.” Sango shook her head dismissively, as if she would take him down in an instant if he talked even a little crap. “I’ll explain it to them, and I can guarantee you won’t hear a thing. You’ve got enough to worry about, so let me deal with them, okay?”

—

She really should have texted or called him before showing up out of the blue, but Kagome had been so focused on maintaining her courage to do this in the first place that she’d completely forgotten about the entire, necessary communication aspect. 

It had been over twenty-four hours since it all happened, and soon after returning from coffee with Sango, she began to visualize what it would be like if she didn’t take her shot. Much like Inuyasha, she felt like she was going to vomit. She also felt like she could have broken down into an irrational fit of tears. Though she’d already decided to chase after him before it was too late, the envisioned, negative scenario solidified her move.

Getting back to his place wasn’t difficult in the least, but as she approached, she noticed his car wasn’t there. Despite that, her stomach was still in shambles. Not for a single moment had she stopped thinking about Inuyasha. All she wanted was to see him.

In case his car was in the shop, Kagome forced herself forward, entering through the gate and heading to the front door. With a deep breath, she gave two raps to the surface, waiting a moment until it was clear he really wasn’t home. Texting him earlier would have avoided this mess. He would have given her a time to come over, and she wouldn’t look like a doofus standing on his front porch.

She debated going for a walk and coming back later, but a pull in her gut made her not want to go far. The pull was so dominating, in fact, that it took less than sixty seconds to get her to resign the idea to leave at all, bringing her to remove her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and take a seat on the top step. Mindlessly, she scrolled through social media, trying to keep herself distracted while she waited. It was Sunday. Realistically, he was most likely out with some friends - like the ones he was with when she met him. Given he wasn’t from here, his friends were most likely coworkers or management he found cool. It was almost five, so it was too early to party. Most likely, he went out to dinner with them. Though, he could have started partying early. In a town like this, it’s anyone’s prerogative. 

Kagome decided she’d wait thirty minutes. An hour, tops. Any longer than that, and it’d officially be considered weird and desperate.

Lucky for her, it was only another ten minutes before the rumble of his car pulled up to the curb in front of the gate. Unlucky for her, a nearly-debilitating flurry ruptured in the center of her abdomen, inadvertently sending a series of goosebumps over her entire body. Her moment was now. Through the semi-tinted window, she saw him notice her before even shutting off the engine, though it wasn’t until he stepped out - sort of hurriedly, she observed - that she noticed his overtly concerned expression. Kagome stood as Inuyasha slammed his door in his haste to cross around the car to her, pushing through the gate and meeting her halfway up the small walkway.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” He asked before she could get a word out. The hanyou was dressed about as professionally as he was the day she ran into him at the coffee shop, the white button up tucked into his slacks and hugging his body comfortably.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I promise. I should have called first, I’m sorry.” Kagome said, slightly embarrassed for worrying him. For everything, really. “I just - I wanted to see you.” To her surprise, his cheeks tinted with a subtle pink.

“Were you waiting out here long?” Inuyasha inquired, attempting to seem as composed as usual.

“Not really.” Kagome shook her head, taking another slow, deep breath to back up her courage. “Look, it was important for me to tell you this in person. I want it, too. So, if you still feel the same, I’m all yours.”

Those words rooted into his heart quicker than a sponge absorbing water. Still, Inuyasha let them hang in the air for a moment until he physically felt the weight-decreasing effects of them before replying with, “I still feel the same.”

With a sigh of relief, Kagome smiled lightly. “I know you’ve got a pretty busy work schedule. Just let me know when you’re free or want me to come over, and I will.”

“I’m not going to keep you all to myself. It’s a two-way street; just like anything. You’re on vacation, so we can -”

“I want you to. To keep me all to yourself. I can see them whenever I want, but I can only see you…” Kagome’s sentence remained incomplete, the notion of where it was going obvious. “This is about you and I now.”

“Your friends are okay with that?” He had to physically keep himself from smiling, forcing his compassion to come forward before he showed how pleased he was.

“Yeah. They’re supportive.” She said, loving the way his grin steadily appeared. As if his happiness triggered her own, she smiled, biting her lip as an ounce of shyness fluttered in her chest, replacing the nerves that had her stomach a mess just mere moments ago. “So, yeah. That’s all I came to say. I’ll let you actually get inside now. I’ll see you later.” Kagome said, turning on her heel to head out the gate.

Before she could get far, Inuyasha snagged her wrist, gently yanking her back over to him. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“Home.” She giggled, stumbling into his chest. “I came over uninvited, and you might have had plans.”

“I don’t. I just came from work. Which means, I’m free, I want you, and because I got suckered into going today, I don’t have to go in tomorrow. So, you’re all mine. That’s how it goes, right?”

“Well, yeah, but I didn’t bring anything with me.” She laughed a little harder, seeing the cocky amusement in his golden eyes. “No toothbrush, no clothes -“

“Bold of you to assume you’ll need clothes, but come on.” He playfully grumbled, leading her by the hand to his car.

“Where are we going?”

“To get your shit. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

—

Kagome sighed out contentedly, re-syncing her breathing to the deep rhythm of Inuyasha’s. He laid on his side next to her, his eyes closed and expression lax, the most peaceful he’d ever appeared in the short time she’d known him. Placidly, the hanyou stroked his fingers up and down her bare back while she rested comfortably on her stomach, incorporating his nails here and there, and soothing away any tension she may carry. Their hips and below stayed covered by a light sheet, the warmth of the day still tarrying in the evening air.

They’d briefly discussed the minor terms of their arrangement on the car ride to and from her place. Inuyasha’s schedule was decided on by the way the prior day went. If there were issues, he’d head in early the next day to make sure management beneath his guidance properly followed instruction to rectify them. Sometimes, that involved late shifts, too. Rarely, he’d have to work late and then come in early the next day, but it has happened. On days such as those, he wouldn’t be able to steal time with Kagome. Which she more than understood. Additionally, since he wasn’t able to set his time as one would with basic employees, he promised to keep her updated as days went along. She didn’t ask him to make that commitment, nor had she expected it in the least. It was him. He’d said he didn’t want to keep her waiting, or leave her hanging. He’d said he was going to do his part to make sure their time together counted toward something.

Truthfully, it helped her forget the dull ache in her chest. The little throb that came whenever she reminded herself that this was temporary. That she couldn’t keep him. When he smiled, when he laughed, expressed joy in any manner, when he touched her - which he seemed to never stop doing, it was impossible to focus on the reality that was to come in a day over two weeks. And then what? That was her biggest question that he didn’t want to concentrate on just yet. Would they become penpals? Text buddies? Send emails every now and again until they slowed and dwindled to a stop because the romance died off? It scared her. All of this scared her, and while Inuyasha was good at concealing his feelings, she felt it was safe to assume he was scared, as well. If they kept up some sort of virtual communication, considering the circumstances and their irrevocable connection, it was almost as good as keeping up a relationship. Which would apply pressure for them to find moments in their incredibly busy days to come to respond, update, show the other that they’re still thinking of them. While the aspect of it all seemed so simple, realistically it held the potential to increase stress and tensions. Something they needed to avoid. So, then, what? What would happen to them? How would they find each other again? Was this really it? Come the day she headed back to her university, did all things Inuyasha and Kagome cease? It was hard to believe. Then again, so was the entire situation. Almost laughably so. How could she have a person she shared such an astounding bond with presented before her too soon? What was fate’s message? It was one thing to never find your person, but it was another to find them and have them ripped away because it wasn’t the right time. Yes, they had resources, but how could they responsibly use them without crossing boundaries or instigating expectations from the other? That was one way to demolish things before they really had a chance to start.

Kagome was up so late the night prior thinking about every little thing standing in their way. The fact of the matter was, a relationship just wasn’t doable. It just wasn’t. That was easy to accept; relatively speaking. If it was her own schedule that caused the conflict, there would be no question about it. Kagome would do whatever necessary to make things work with him. But, that wasn’t the case. He had a goal of his own. A very important, passionate goal. One she grew to respect on the spot, just as he had her own. What became the hard pill to swallow was that everything would just stop once they separated. That couldn’t be the case. It was impossible to believe that she couldn’t be with her soulmate one way or the other. With Inuyasha. There had to be a way. A way to support him from afar. They were already tied by a red knot before they even knew each other; proclaiming themselves as the other’s significant other was irrelevant in retrospect. No matter how stressful and terrifying it would no doubt end up to be without him for a large bout of time, even if they stuck to bi-weekly emails, she’d do it. No question about it, she’d do it. She’d do anything for him.

How insane. Maybe it was the romanticization of their particular and special predicament, but the moment she kissed him, she swore she fell harder than she’d ever had before. Was it just the idea of having him? Was she just on an out-of-her-mind level of smitten? Or was this part of having a soulmate? Did the moment you physically connect make you fall hopelessly in love? That was something a Google search definitely couldn’t tell you.

But, she was, wasn’t she? She was already in love with Inuyasha.

“I’m glad it’s you.” Kagome whispered ever so softly. His roaming fingers never stopped, and he didn’t even bother to open his eyes, though his brows scrunched just the slightest.

“You’re glad I’m what?” His tone was groggy, deep and gruff, and she loved it so much she giggled.

“You’re so sleepy. Why are you still awake?” Kagome kept her voice as a sweet whisper, not wanting to offend his sensitive ears or alert him to come out of his sedated reverie.

“I’m not sleepy.”

“Oh, yeah?” She teased.

“Shut up. I could do this all night.” He feebly argued, the gruffness still hanging heavily in his words.

“And, what if I do it to you? How fast do you think you’d fall asleep?”

“Touch me and die.”

“I’m so scared.” Kagome mocked, giggling again when amber eyes parted, looking at her with feigned annoyance. It didn’t last long, his lazy grin taking over as he scooted himself a little closer to make it impossible for her to proceed with her plan.

Inuyasha kissed her shoulder, one intentional kiss unintentionally turning into multiple, slow ones that made him never want to stop. It didn’t matter how tired he was, he never wanted to stop worshipping her in whatever matter he could manage in any moment he was lucky enough to have. Having her so close was a gift from the universe. It livened his nerve endings and made even the tiniest touches sensational. His heart would calm, and even he, a half demon, a supernatural creature with the born ability to protect, felt safe.

This was a side to himself that even he had never known before. One filled with overwhelming adoration. Hope, even. Hope that he could eventually love her forever.

Leveraging himself up, Inuyasha rolled over to prop his hands and knees on either side of Kagome, lowering himself as necessary to spread deliberate, lingering kisses over her back in sporadic places. Though her hair had already been pushed over her shoulder from his recent attention, he swept his fingers through rogue strands that dared to impede his path over her beautifully soft skin, pushing them away only to unconditionally be unable to resist the temptation to rake his fingers all the way through to her scalp, her black waves bunching in his hold as he gently gripped until he heard that smooth sigh he’d expected leave her lips, then released.

“What were you so glad about?” He rumbled, kissing down her spine. She hummed questioningly in response, clearly distracted. Forgivingly, he repeated the question, physically feeling the shudder that traveled through her body at the way the reverberation in his chest pleased her. “You said you were glad about something a minute ago. What was it?” 

Kagome smiled, enjoying the tickle of his lips as they skimmed over her low back so he could plant kisses over the little dimples there. His mouth was so warm, so wonderful on her naked flesh, organic and sweet, and more than deserving for her to echo her honest statement. “I’m glad it’s you. I’m glad you’re the one I dreamt about.”

He stopped, golden eyes flickering up to peer over the curves of her back, her expression hidden by the angle. But, he knew. He could hear it in her voice, laced with exquisite honey. Such an easy statement for her, and it was going to be the death of him.

Inuyasha made his trek back up her spine, a little more haste in his movements, but he continued to pepper kisses to her flesh. As he reached her head, he gave the softest of kisses to her cheek, her already-there grin growing wider while her brown eyes remained closed, absorbed in his affection.

“I’m glad too, baby.” He whispered blithely.

Every worry was gone after that, forced away by such ardency. They spent hours over coursing days learning about the other, completely enthralled in stories and reminiscence, joking and playing, touching, feeling, laughing and sighing tranquilly. Kagome was captivated by his smile, his history, his touch and how he didn’t only have one mode; how just a little motivation in subtle ways could make him go from tender to rough.

The best part of all of it, that absolutely topped the calming effects he brought whenever he was near, was how natural everything just continued to flow between them. Neither felt the imperative need to impress. Yes, they still worked toward each other, but their energies ultimately went toward just being. With their limited allowances, it was silently, yet unanimously decided that neither party needed to bother with such trivial advances. Their hill to climb came when they’d separate. Until then, the two’s efforts went toward making things as easy as possible.

After days, he finally let her cook for him - mostly because she brought the ingredients, herself, and refused to let him help. It was one of her mom’s recipes that had always stuck with her; pretty simple, but delicious. All the while, he tried to play around the kitchen to make it hard for her to get anything done; flicking water her way, gently shoving her aside while she stirred the food in the skillet, kissing her neck and nibbling the tickle spot at the curve of her shoulder to make her laugh. She’d fight back, of course. It wasn’t hard to locate his own spot that made him gasp and flinch away in retreat. But, after she served their plates and he poured their wine, and they sat down on the couch to eat and watch a movie, he took a bite, smiling as he swallowed, leaning over and giving her a kiss to thank her for the meal, and unpredictably, she fell deeper in love.

She awoke one afternoon, comfortable on the mattress but chilled by the lack of body heat she’d grown accustomed to. It was an extremely hot day, so Inuyasha had lowered the air conditioner, making it blissfully snug in the little home he rented. He was first to fall asleep for a nap, curled into her chest while she serenely stroked his ears, and after a while of feeling the rhythmic way his breathing filled his lungs, she succumbed to the pull of slumber. So, where the heck was he now?

It didn’t feel like she was out for too long, she wasn’t in that panicked state of confusion that normal happened after napping for two or more hours, and reaching for her phone to check the time, she discovered that it had barely been an hour since they’d initially laid down. Kagome pushed herself to sit up, blinking away her drowsiness in the darkened room, the blackout curtains really doing their part. The door was cracked, but she could still hear muffled voices coming from the living room, one of which belonging to her Inuyasha. Still in a vague stupor, she scooted herself off the bed, silently leaving the room to scout him out. She found him on the couch, his phone in hand and set to speaker as a deeper voice came through, relaying information that was easy to deduce was business related.

Ember eyes landed on her and his disgruntled expression shifted into a soft smile as he mouthed the word, “Sorry.” Kagome cocked her head to the side with a grin of her own, not at all bothered. She was seconds away from heading back to the room to give him privacy when he beckoned her over with three curls of his finger. Happily, she sauntered from the hallway to the far couch he resided on, following his cue to straddle his lap when he muted the mic of his phone and opened his arms for her.

“It’s my brother. Last minute conference call. Be quiet, okay? It shouldn’t be much longer.” He said as she adjusted the skirt of her dress so it wouldn’t get uncomfortably caught between them. 

She nodded compliantly, snuggling into his chest and tucking her face in the curve of his neck, and he unmuted himself at the perfect time to answer Sesshomaru’s question. With a mind of its own, Inuyasha’s free hand roamed over her back soothingly, paying close attention to the skin above the top hem of her dress. He mindlessly pushed the spaghetti straps off her shoulders so his palm had nothing standing in its way to massage the area, his girl taking the liberty to shift her hair aside. He knew she would, and he had to stifle his chuckle.

“No, I don’t think he’s fit for the job. We’ve gotta replace him.” Inuyasha said, and his brother hummed in obvious contemplation. Kagome hoped the meeting went on a little longer. She loved the absentminded attention and the rumble from Inuyasha’s chest as he spoke. In an effort to give him some attention of her own, she gave a tiny kiss to the area of his neck immediately before her, and like a trigger, he rested his phone on a cushion beside him so he could fully devote both hands to her. He stroked her lower back a little, shifting down to pull her closer by the ass. She was sure it was innocent. She was sure he was just being completely attentive to her. But, the devious side of her liked it.

“Your reasonings?”

“He’s a piece of shit.” Inuyasha replied, continuing his massage.

“Inuyasha.” His brother held a stern tone, almost coming off as a reprimand.

He rolled his eyes, not even bothering to hide his gruff sigh. “He’s got sloppy work ethics, he’s always reluctant to implement our changes, his management skills are worse than subpar - do I need to go on?”

“No. That’s enough. Is there someone at that location you think would be a better fit? Or should we bring someone in?”

“Not sure yet. Things are just starting to turn around in our favor. In the meantime, I’d say things would go smoother without him.”

Playfully, Kagome scooted her butt back to her original position, and she practically felt his smirk when he played along and pulled her back, his hands slipping beneath her sundress to caress her skin and keep her where he wanted. The conversation kept going between he and his brother, and Kagome pressed languid kiss after languid kiss to the length of his neck, silencing her giggle when he tensed. Honestly, she was waiting for her cue to stop, waiting to see how far he’d really allow her to go, but he elongated the area for her, giving her free rein.

She continued her venture, nipping his sensitive spots, sighing out hot breath over areas she was kind enough to suck and feeling his fingers flex over her ass in response. While this was enjoyable to him, she could tell he wanted to laugh, not at all blind to her little ruse. Which then, in turn, made her almost laugh, because she loved the feel of his abdomen clenching from having to stop himself.

In an attempt to let him know she was serious, Kagome traveled up to the crook of his jaw, a sweet spot for him, waiting for the perfect opportunity in the brothers’ conversation to sensually nip in the exact way he liked it. Carefully, she covered his mouth with her palm to reinforce his rule to remain quiet just as he tensed rigidly. And, when he was clear, she leaned back, smiling proudly when he glanced at her with adamant surprise on his face. She stuck out her tongue teasingly, allowing her hands to roam to the bottom hem of his shirt and drift beneath, returning to her ministrations along his neck. Her fingers playfully skimmed along his warm skin, pushing his shirt up as she pleased, but when she heard his brother ask a question and Inuyasha, too distracted, didn’t answer, she pulled a hand away and waved it in front of his face, pointing down to his phone. Inuyasha was quick to excuse himself, asking Sesshomaru to repeat the question because the line broke out momentarily, to which the guy huffed in annoyance.

It was so hard to prevent herself from giggling, especially as he gave a tiny swat to her butt for getting him in trouble. But, she knew he didn’t want her to stop. She knew she could do whatever she wanted to him.

Kagome pulled back, winking and holding a finger to her lips to tell him to keep silent. His shocked expression grew to one of humored disbelief as she crawled off his lap to kneel between his legs, pushing his shirt out of the way of his belt buckle while he adjusted himself for a better position. Slowly, she slid the end of the belt free, careful not to make the metal clink as she unlatched it and pulled it all the way out of the pant loops so it wouldn’t be in her way. Inuyasha had to arch his back to help, highly amused, his smile painted with his quiet laugh as he pressed the side of his fist to his mouth to make sure he didn’t make a sound, then skillfully answered Sesshomaru without a single hitch in his tone. When the belt was finally out and placed on the floor, Kagome took to undoing his button, pulling down the zipper, then Inuyasha muted his mic so the sound of rustling clothes wouldn’t be received as he leveraged himself up so she could pull his pants and boxers down as far as necessary.

She bit her bottom lip as she was presented with his erection, peeking up at him after he unmuted his mic with a short answer, clearly trying to wrap things up on that end. Having too much fun, Kagome wasn’t going to bother on waiting. She dragged her tongue up the length of his shaft, flicking away at the head, loving the effects she had on him. He’d dropped his head back to rest on the cushion, smiling still but totally weak for her. Knowing she couldn’t get too crazy with her teasing, she only licked up his shaft once more before implementing a hand and taking him into her mouth. 

The poor guy could hardly stifle his grunt, but thankfully his brother didn’t seem to detect it, continuing to discuss things that didn’t necessarily need to be discussed in that moment. Rushing him would only piss the stubborn bastard off, and hanging up on him just purely wasn’t an option. But, Kagome was so fucking good at this, and she wasn’t even doing her worst yet. The girl was just getting started, and he was already having a hard enough time keeping his breathing lax. When she got down to it, he was fucking screwed. Sesshomaru needed to end this call if he knew what was good for him.

She took a moment to spit a little on his cock, using the saliva as lubrication for her pumping hand, then went right back in to suck his dick delightfully. He threaded his fingers through her hair, doing his part to keep the thick, black waves out of her face. The bonus was feeling the motion of her head as she took him in, seemingly more and more each time.

“Inuyasha? That wasn’t rhetorical.”

Fuck. “Oh, my bad. You sounded like the teacher from Charlie Brown for a moment, so I tuned you out.”

“Dick.” His brother spoke dryly, repeated himself with more firmness. It was a struggle to focus on anything his stupid brother said, captivated by the vibration of Kagome’s giggle on his cock. Still, he forced himself to answer the question, figuring the end to the meeting was near.

He’d had to grip her hair to lessen her pace, the only way to properly control his own reactions to this perfect girl. That didn’t stop her from attempting to take him all the way into her mouth, his head lolling back, his entire abdomen tensing, and mouth pinching shut at the amazing feeling. Kagome pulled back, usually needing to catch her breath immediately after, and took over with her hand for the moment. Her lips were pink and plump, her cheeks were flushed wonderfully, and her smile was the most sinful he’d ever witnessed. Leaning forward, Inuyasha captured her mouth with his, eagerly stealing a lingering kiss from her before settling back into place and allowing her to absolutely wreck him.

Empowered by his kiss and his hand in her hair, and the fact that he’d just muted his mic once more, Kagome bobbed her head a little faster, her hand moving in perfect synchronicity to make sure his entire length was tended to. The grunts and heavy breaths he finally allowed himself to make only fueled her fire, coercing her to once more deep throat, grasping his thigh with her free hand at the sound of his torrid groan, then pulling away to gasp.

Inuyasha stopped her from continuing then, his amber eyes glowing heatedly as he bent forward and kissed her, one hand still in her hair while the other gently grasped her throat, pulling her up with him to a standing.

“Grab my phone. Careful not to unmute it.” He huskily instructed, and she smiled, obliging and holding it up at a perfect level while he kissed her, his tongue diving into her mouth to entice her further, leading her backwards. She’d assumed he was taking her down the hallway, but he swerved toward the kitchen, causing her to stumble slightly, and he chuckled at her before spinning her around and bending her over a kitchen counter.

Inuyasha lifted her dress over her ass to bunch on her low back, his girl a little too happy for her own good. Oh, but he’d be a fucking liar if he said he didn’t absolutely love that joyful, little moan she did with that gorgeous, sultry smile. Quickly, recognizing the tone his brother was taking, he snagged the phone from Kagome’s hand, unmuting it as he’d caught the tail end of the inquiry and pieced the rest together.

“No, Jaken cannot come out to this location. This is my project, and I don’t need him trying to tell me what to do.” He rolled his eyes, making sure to never halt his attentions to Kagome. He’d pushed her panties to the side, stroking her pussy with his fingers to test just how wet she was. Kagome practically melted in his palm, soaked, and while he spoke, he continued to lightly massage. “I don’t know why you hold him in such high regard. Even Myoga is more reputable than him.”

“He has more experience under his belt.”

“And more shit on his nose, the fucking ass kisser.”

“Inuyasha.”

“I said what I said. I don’t need help. Got anything else for me? I’ve got errands to run.”

“I’ve got a budget sheet for you. Five more minutes.”

“Hit me.” Inuyasha said levelly, muting his phone once more and placing it on the counter. Kagome was peeking at him over her shoulder, brown eyes large and doe-like. Giving in to the pleading stare, as if he had any will to resist, he quickly spit into his hand, rubbing the lubricant over his cock and pushing inside of her.

His beautiful girl sighed languidly, the edge rearing off into a breathy moan. He, himself, couldn’t bite back his own drawn out groan, her pussy hot and mind-rattling, engulfing all of his aching erection. He leaned forward, inadvertently pushing a little deeper as he whispered in her ear. “Not a noise, baby. Or, I’ll stop.”

Before she could nod in agreement, Inuyasha slid the phone directly in front of her face, tapping the mute button to release. Appalled, Kagome looked back at him, and the jerk winked, giving her a cheeky grin. He steadily rolled his hips against her, keeping the pace agonizingly slow, and while it was easier to maintain control over her voice, it was torturous. How did it still feel so incredible? Little-by-little, he increased his pace, but he never passed a certain point. He never fucked her. Whenever she’d think he was getting there, he’d slow down, progressively returning to his initial rhythm to build himself back up again. Nonetheless, Kagome found herself holding her breath, terrified that each time his brother paused it was because he’d heard any sort of hitch in her lungs. 

“I’m going to email this to you in a moment. Be sure to read it over. Understood?”

“If you were going to email it in the first place, why the hell did you have to sit here and read it to me?” Inuyasha retorted, leaning forward to cover Kagome’s mouth as he ground deeply into her, surprising even himself when he managed to keep his reaction to the mind numbing sensation in check. She’d arched her back, her hands planted on the counter surface, bending into his slight pull.

“Because, I can.”

“Prick.” He damn near grunted, having to stop all motion as he held his breath to regain composure. 

“Let me know who you want to fill in the role of manager. The sooner that’s decided on, the better.”

“Yeah. By the end of the week. Good?”

“Good.” 

Without a goodbye, the line beeped three times, signifying Sesshomaru had hung up, and Inuyasha wasted not even a second in sliding his fingers down from her mouth to her neck and thrusting into her. Hard. She moaned, the sensational noise laced with pent up aggravation from all she’d had to withhold the moment he’d taken her.

“What a good girl.” He taunted, now gliding his fingers through her messy hair to grip just the way she liked it. “He didn’t suspect a thing.”

“You’re so mean.” She whined, half smiling, half pouting from wanting more. “He could have heard me.”

“I knew you wouldn’t make a peep.” Inuyasha bit his bottom lip, the devilish grin doing something indescribable to her. “Besides, this is your fault. You did this to yourself. Didn’t you?”

“No.” Kagome coo’d.

“Didn’t you?” Inuyasha repeated, giving another deep thrust. The poor girl could only reply in a broken moan, and he released her hair, cautious of not pulling too hard, so he opted for a firm hold on her hips. With a couple more thrusts, she crumbled forward, her upper body sprawled over the counter as she took him in, her mouth hanging open and breathing erratic. 

Deciding to see how long he could get away with driving her mad, he lightened his touch, his tempo dragging, pushing the sundress further up her back so he had more skin play with. He could see it written all over her face and the way she raked her teeth over her lip, the way she tried to push back into him, and the way she still attempted to swallow her whines. He didn’t know how long he’d be able to keep this up thanks to the simple way she looked. He could feast on her for days, listen to her voice endlessly, making his mind whirl and his insides boil. Her messy hair was spread about, even somewhat covering parts of her beautiful face, and as she finally released her bottom lip to give a tantalizing whimper, he realized it was him that was being driven mad.

“You seemed to really like fucking around while I was on the phone.” He teased, bending over her slightly as he increased his rhythm a smidge. She sighed in response, and he knew his voice was doing something for her in that moment. She was tensing beneath him, trying to push back against his hips as a sign, but he pinned her still. “Maybe I should make another call.”

Swiftly, Kagome snagged his phone, still next to her head, sliding it clear across the counter where it was too far out of reach in a big fuck you. Inuyasha laughed, the move of hers completely unexpected, and when she reached back to playfully smack his arm, he reactively grabbed her wrist, bending her elbow and pinning her hand behind her back. She gave an airy gasp and without any further instigation, he grabbed her other wrist the same way, holding her captive and watching a beguiling and evocative smile grow on her face, her eyes coming alight.

Now, that was just unfair. He should have known she’d like something like this, but still. Who gave her the fucking right to be this goddamn jaw dropping? He’d stopped completely, taking every inch of her in, licking his lips at the delectable sight.

“Inuyasha?” Kagome breathed, barely peering over her shoulder.

“Yeah, baby?”

“Fuck me.”

Shit. How the hell could he say no to that? To her? “As you wish.” He grinned sinfully, using his grip on her arms as the perfect leverage to anchor himself while he built back up his momentum, done with his taunting as he finally surpassed his original stopping point. She felt so fucking good, sounded so fucking naughty, welcomed each buck and grind he had to offer with mindless and perfect reactions. Their skin clapped together, and he was gradually losing himself, clenching his grunts as he stirred her up.

He knew he was going to have to pull out soon. Kagome’s fingers quaked before him, furling and unfurling, her throat releasing melodic keens to how hard he fucked her. Inuyasha planned to go until he absolutely had to stop, his groans shifting to growls, shifting to husky gasps as it felt too fucking phenomenal. Harder. Quicker. He fucked her into the counter to the point where she held her breath, her jaw hanging agape and hands clenched shut, gratefully accepting the few sharp rolls of his hips before he pulled out, ready to jerk himself the rest of the way. Unsuspectingly, Kagome pushed off the counter and spun around, dropping to her knees and taking his cock into her mouth, pumping her head and hand back and forth. She’d caught him by surprise, bringing a feverish groan from his lips as he grasped her hair, cumming into her mouth.

His touch softened as he gradually came down, barely catching his breath while he watched her slide his dick out of her mouth, swallow, then glance up at him with a sweet smile. Inuyasha stroked back her disorderly bangs, leaning down some to cradle her jaw in his palms and guide her to stand before him, his lips immediately claiming hers in a well-deserved kiss. He pushed her back against the counter lining, swallowing her breathy gasp as his kiss intensified, one hand still holding her to him by the nape of her neck and the other lightly drifting over her shoulder, the straps still loose and fallen. She hadn’t finished; he wasn’t done with her yet.

Skillfully, Inuyasha grasped both sides of her waist, easily hoisting her up to sit on the countertop and pushing himself between her legs, stroking his fingers along her bare thighs as he went straight back to kissing her, his tongue gliding passed her lips to taste and lap her up. Kagome clung to him, her hands around his neck, not yet settling on placement as they dove into his short hair, grasped, skimmed down to his shoulders, his arms, his chest, clutching his shirt, then drove back to his neck. He shifted her dress higher up her legs as he slid beneath, teasing the flesh of her pelvis with a whisper of a graze and then fixing her panties to sit off to the side again. She couldn’t even get a sound out as he softly stroked his fingers within her folds, her body slightly tensing as she inhaled sharply. Her clit was swollen, and he gently rubbed it to see how sensitive she was. Kagome’s head lolled away from his kiss, exhaling dreamily, and the sound was so blissfully erotic. Inuyasha took to her neck, nipping and kissing, avoiding her sensitive spots completely to save them for last. Like her own personal expert, he massaged her, careful of his nails, shushing soothingly in her ear as she soon began to breathily whimper. His body was close, and he yet again held her at the back of her neck as he rubbed her clit, slowing here and there before increasing his attention slightly to help her build and build and build, and it was impossible for her to squirm too much, impossible for her to get away. She slurred a curse, one he’d never heard from her lips, and he took that as his cue, diving straight to the curve above her clavicle and sucking, licking, kissing. Kagome was beginning to shake, riding his hand where she could, her head falling back to accept all he offered and accidentally slamming against the cupboard door. She’d hardly reacted, unable to, but he laughed into his ministrations, adoring the way she couldn’t even jokingly smack his head to get him to shut up. A little harder, he rubbed her, pinned her to him, forcing her to take it all, biting slightly into her neck, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, breathing erratically, her whimpers hardly audible as her thighs clenched against his hips and her pussy convulsed beneath his touch. 

He chuckled as he was forced to stop riding out her orgasm, her clit clearly growing too sensitive too quickly when she jolted and squeaked. Letting her rest on him as she came down, catching her breath, Inuyasha softly kissed her head, raking his nails over her back to calm her.

“Better?” He murmured. She replied with a lazy hum, sitting straight and finally acknowledging the bump on the back of her head by rubbing her hand over it and scrunching her nose. Again, Inuyasha laughed, bringing her forward to inspect the area, himself. “You okay?”

Another hum of affirmation meshed with her own giggle, and he helped her down from the counter so she could stumble her way to the bathroom. And, when she emerged, he catered to her every want and need without decision, without thought; it all just came so naturally.

Because, truthfully, sadly, their end was drawing near. His goal was to not allow her to think about it as much as he did. He didn’t want her feeling any degree of stress while with him. He just wanted her happy. He desired her smile and laughter more than food and water. He wished for her tranquility more than he ever considered his own. If presented with an opportunity to shoulder the total weight, the hardships their separation was bound to bring, the sadness he feared, the anxiety, in exchange for her not feeling a morsel of it, he’d do it in a heartbeat. No questions asked, he’d do it.

But, that wasn’t possible, was it? He couldn’t take that away from her. He couldn’t protect her from this.

In the meantime, it was effortless to give her all of him. Like he was in a trance, wholly enraptured by Kagome, it was impossible to fight off any impulse to steal kisses or touch her soft skin. It was unacceptable to deny himself the simple pleasure of listening to her talk about little things that held her interest. Picking her up from her vacation spot was exciting, and taking her back always held the promise of later. When she ran to him from her own elation, jumping into his arms, he rapturously realized he was a sucker, and when she fell asleep beside him, sedated by his tender touch, he honestly felt like he couldn’t do this. How could he leave her? How could anything be more important than his soulmate?

Multiple nights in a row, Inuyasha had to rationalize with himself. He had to put together a mental list of why he had to do what he had to do. He was stuck in his own head, so much so he hadn’t even noticed Kagome’d awoken, notified only when she smoothed her finger over his crinkled brow as he stared intently at the ceiling. Immediately, he relaxed, glancing over at her, bemusement swiftly changing to a crooked grin. She laid on her side, continuing to lightly glide her fingers between his brow and over the bridge of his nose.

“What’s wrong?” She spoke softly, never ceasing her calming motion.

“Nothing. Go back to sleep.”

“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?”

“Course not.”

“Liar.”

“Kagome -“

“Talk to me.”

“No.” His tone was almost pleading, wavering slightly.

“Talk to me.” She remained level, comforting, a simple smile pushing her cheeks, and she shifted her hand to caress his cheek.

Observing the sincerity in her eyes, he eventually conceded, rolling to his side to allow her affection to engulf him. Inuyasha scooted a little closer, pressing his forehead against hers, resisting his unstable shudder while he pushed the sheets aside and pulled up the shirt she borrowed from him, tracing the backs of his knuckles over her warm skin.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, almost brokenly.

Physically feeling his sadness, Kagome’s heart grew heavy in her chest. She had no idea why he could possibly need to feel apologetic. “For what?”

“I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to fix this.”

“Baby -“

“I don’t know how to protect you, Kagome.”

“You don’t need to protect me from anything.” She shook her head against his, pushing softly into him to remind him she was right there.

“I don’t want you to be sad -“

“And, I don’t want you to be sad, either. But, think about it. What would it mean if I left with a smile? Being apart from you is going to be scary, and hard, and heartbreaking because being with you was more than I ever dreamt it would be. But, there isn’t a single part of me that believes this is the end for us. Do you?”

“No.” He breathed without an ounce of hesitation, the exhale alleviating some of the tightness in his chest. “No. Fuck, no. I could never let you go forever.”

“I hope not.” She smiled, ignoring the tears brimming in her eyes as she pressed a delicate kiss to his lips. “I understand, you know that right?”

He nodded, eyes closed, basking in her scent, the heat of her breath against his lips, his fingers tracing the exact spot he knew her tattoo was in thanks to the slightly raised lines from the heavy hand that’d inked her. “You know I’m not just going to drop you, right?” He countered. “I may not currently be able to commit to the amount of attentiveness in a relationship that you deserve, but I’m not going to leave you high and dry just to come back when I’m good and ready. I want updates from you. I want pictures. If I don’t respond, it’s only because I’m busy, but don’t ever think I’m ignoring you. Got it?”

Kagome nodded, smiling. “And, you’ll do the same for me?”

“Of course, I will. You’re as good as mine. Nothing’s gonna fucking change that. Literally nothing can.”

She hadn’t wanted to go to sleep after that. He could tell she was feeling it while covering her anxiety with a sleepy smile. He knew that no matter how much he swallowed so that she wouldn’t feel an ounce of disconcertment, she’d still wake up in the morning knowing it was her last, full day in town. And, he had to work through it.

He spent all hours of the night and early morning stroking her hair, caressing her skin, and she finally succumbed to sleep when she cuddled into his chest, right against his birthmark, and listened to his heartbeat until it lulled her away. Inuyasha remained awake, holding her, soaking her in as much as he could. No matter what she said, the promises they’d made, the question still repeated in his head to build torment in his chest: How could he leave her?

Inuyasha had turned off his alarm before it went off around six in the morning, slowly and gently rolling out of bed so as not to rouse the person who held his soul. His steps were silent as he crossed to the walk-in closet, and he hung in the doorway of it, leaning against the frame while he stared listlessly at the shadowed contents - not having bothered to turn on the light. He wasn’t sure just how long he’d stood there, the question so heavy in his gut that it threatened to make him sick. His fingers were unsteady, his throat felt like something thick had developed in the center, his chest ached, and then arms wrapped around his waist from behind, clearing his mind instantaneously.

He glanced over his shoulder, hardly able to see her from the way she hugged so close to his back. “You’re not supposed to be up yet.”

Kagome, still holding around his waist, maneuvered her way around him, and he lifted his arm out of her path so she could tuck her head into his chest. The pain he felt was gone, pushed aside by her angelic aura, and Inuyasha held her to him, kissing the top of her head.

“You okay?” He whispered. Kagome nodded, hugging him just a little tighter. He’d be a fool if he thought he’d be able to concentrate at work today, and an even bigger one if he let her go. He slipped a hand into the pocket of his sweats, pulling out his cell phone and calling the manager under his lead at this location. “Hey, I’ve got a pretty nasty case of food poisoning. Can you handle it on your own today?”

Kagome peeked up, surprised, ember eyes meeting hers contentedly.

“Good. I’ll check my emails here and there. Let me know if you have any questions.” And, he hung up the call, sliding his phone back into his pocket. He placed a sweet kiss to Kagome’s forehead, his fingers threading through her hair above her ears. “I’m all yours today, baby.”

Kagome smiled gratefully, her hands gliding to his waist where she gave him a little pull, getting him to guide her back to the bed. Their moments throughout were bittersweet, appreciated but anxiety-inducing as time ticked away, both of them content to make the best of what they had left. She’d never imagined she’d see Inuyasha look as wounded as he did, and never in her life did she ever want to see him have to mentally remind himself to smile again. Both of them were putting all they had into keeping composure, distracting the other from the obvious with playful remarks and endless love making.

She knew she was bound to cave soon. Bound to break. She just didn’t want it to be around him. His character would force him to want to make it better, and why should he try to take her pain away when she could hardly do the same for him?

Their sleep through the night was broken, pleasantly so. If one awoke, commonly due to their restless minds and straining hearts, they smoothed away their fears by kissing the other until they felt better, satiated for the moment. How could she leave him?

Come morning, as he drove her back, he’d offered to help her and her friends pack up, but she knew that would be the moment reality really set in. Her heart was pounding at the mere thought of seeing the house in the distance; she could only imagine what seeing the car packed up would do to her. Kindly, she declined, saying it wouldn’t take long and she’d come back to say goodbye before they hit the road. He seemed to understand, but still, the hitch in his tone caused her chest to throb.

“Promise?” Inuyasha asked, pulling up to the curb. Kagome unbuckled her seatbelt, leaning over the center column to kiss him, lingering, her sigh heated as she tried to solidify her assurance to him.

“I promise. I’ll let you know when we’re on our way, okay?” As she went to get out of the car, Inuyasha reached for her jaw, pulling her back to him as he deeply kissed her, stroking his thumb over her cheek as he felt her lean further into him. 

Each step toward the front door was heavy and forced, like the closer she got, the denser the invisible pool of sludge she wafted through became. With a deep breath, Kagome coerced herself inside, swallowing thickly to hide her troubles and sauntering through to the living area. Ayame, Sango, and Miroku all looked up at her, and though they attempted to appear casual, she could see the caution written all over their faces. 

“Where’s Koga?” She asked as normally as possible.

“Oh, uh, he had to head back a couple of days ago, remember? Football training is starting tomorrow, and he still needed to get a few things.” Ayame replied, smiling.

Kagome sighed, laughing lightly at herself. She’d forgotten. She’d even said goodbye to him, and she’d forgotten. “That’s right. What can I help with?”

“Well, we’ve got almost everything covered.” Sango mentioned softly. “I even started packing up your things a little bit for you. We can handle the rest.”

“Yeah, we’re almost ready to go.” Ayame added. Kagome froze, trying not to reveal her panic. She’d counted on spending at least a couple of hours getting things organized and strapped in the car, she’d counted on at least a couple of hours of cushion before she had to say goodbye.

She was reaching the end of her rope, her abdomen tensing as she struggled to seem put together in front of everyone, and she nodded with a forced smiling, saying she’d go get her things packed up before turning on her heel and heading to the bedroom. It was pretty clean, but she was so desperate for time, Kagome nearly debated on wrecking the room so she’d have no choice but to clean it up again. She wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready.

Silencing her thoughts, Sango followed her into the bedroom, wearing a careful smile that she forced herself not to look at. “Hey, how’d it go?”

“We haven’t done it yet.” Kagome said, cursing herself for her inability to prevent her obviously wavering tone, lifting her suitcase onto the bed and throwing it open so she could empty the dresser of her clothes. “Is it okay if we stop at his house on the way?”

“Of course.” Sango firmly agreed with zero hesitation. She watched her friend’s unsettled movements, how her chin quivered, knowing she was hurting. She seemed antsy, shaky even, brown eyes bouncing unevenly from the dresser to her suitcase to the bathroom. “You want to talk about it?”

“I really, really don’t.” Kagome admitted, turning her head as her face scrunched with bottled anguish. She could see her best friend nod in her peripherals, taking a few steps back before heading out the opened door.

“I’ll be out here if you need anything, babe.” She offered, shutting it behind her.

“How is she?” Miroku asked, worried, stiff.

Sango shook her head, sighing, helplessly glancing to the floor, then to him. “Not good. She doesn’t want to talk.”

Ayame bit her bottom lip in concern, returning to the kitchen to continue packing up the leftover snacks. The tension in the house was sliceable, gloomy, all of them feeling sympathetic for the girl with the soulmate she couldn’t yet be with. Sango was about to begin putting the miscellaneous electronics they’d brought together, and as Miroku stood, catching her attention, she could tell by the look in his eye that his focus was glued to the person who definitely needed it most. He shook his head at her in a silent way to say not to stop him, and he made his way over to the closed room, walking through quietly.

Kagome could barely hold it in any longer, trying to blink away hot tears as she gathered the few bathroom things on the sink counter. Her features were crumbling as the ache in her chest increased more and more by each passing second, with each item she grabbed, with each step she took further away from him.

“Hey.”

She spun around, sniffling to clear away the immediate distress and sloppily wiping her hands over her cheeks. Miroku stood in front of the closed bedroom door, observing her with straight-laced empathy. She hadn’t even heard him enter. Still, she smiled weakly, about to veer the subject away from herself when he plainly shushed her, quickly closing the space between the to pull her into a hug.

Immediately, Kagome broke, wracked with sobs she couldn’t silence as she quaked against Miroku’s frame. His arms wrapped around her tight, supporting her, his chin propped atop her head as he let her cry, let her shatter with no pressure whatsoever to feign her equanimity. 

“It’s going to be okay, Kagome.” Miroku promised, never loosening his hold, and she, herself, tightened hers. “You’re soulmates; neither of you guys are going anywhere. Just as your time with him now was temporary, so will be your time apart.”

That seemed to calm her a bit, her breathing heavy and unsteady. Still, he didn’t let go, perfectly prepared and willing to stand with her as long as necessary.

“So many people are desperate to know their futures. They go to psychics, they read tarot, they spend money online for cheap, fraudulent readings only to walk away with virtual hope, but you don’t have that. You’re so fucking lucky, Kagome, because you know your future. You know where you’re going, and you know who you’ll end up with. Nothing’s for certain for most people, but for you, one thing is. One person is.”

Kagome was progressively stilling in his arms, sniffling but taking in every word he said. When she felt okay enough, she leaned back, glancing up at him, and her friend cradled her jaw compassionately.

“You guys have got your own things going right now, and that’s okay, but consider this: When he’s done and he comes back from Europe - or whatever the hell he’s doing - think of how much time he’ll have to devote to you. He seems smart. I mean, he knows how to pick ‘em.” Miroku smiled, cherishing his friend’s meek giggle. “That guy’s gonna sweep you off your feet and steal you away the moment he’s able to. You just have to be patient. And, that’s the hard part, I know. It’ll all work out, though.”

Kagome, though tears continued to fall, breathed in recovery, nodding in acknowledgment as she tucked herself back into his chest for another hug. She felt better, but weight still clung to her shoulders. The hardest part wasn’t over yet.

They locked up the house after several more walks through the place to make sure nothing was forgotten, and got themselves situated in the car; Sango and Ayame up front, and Miroku and Kagome in the back. With Kagome’s direction, she led them to Inuyasha’s place where Sango pulled up to the curb across the street, putting the gear in park, rolling down the windows, and then shutting off the engine. Ayame turned back to Kagome from the passenger seat, giving her a sympathetic smile.

“Take your time. Don’t rush anything.” She said, and Sango turned back to nod in agreement.

Kagome thanked them, jumping out of the car and safely crossing the street to enter his front gate, her heart throbbing with each step she took up the small walkway, up the two porch steps, and to the door where she knocked and waited. It was mere seconds before Inuyasha opened up, giving a friendly and subtle wave to her friends across the street and moving aside for Kagome to enter through.

He shut the door, a burning in his throat as everything became too real for comfort. She didn’t travel far at all, staying very close to his side in agonizing silence, her brown eyes not even able to meet his face. And, he didn’t fucking blame her. He knew this would be hard, but fucking shit, this was nothing short of brutal. 

Grabbing her hand, he guided her towards the living room so there was more room to breathe, though the thickness in his chest had made home for good. “Look, whatever you say, just don’t let it be ‘goodbye.’” He finally spoke, gruffly.

“I’m gonna miss you.” Kagome whispered, her bottom lip trembling. She began to fold, the pressure of her sadness robbing her of her breath and her stability. Inuyasha smoothed some hair behind her ear, seeming to attempt a meager smile, but he couldn’t. Still, his bright eyes met hers with honest sincerity, and his brow crinkled sorrowfully.

“You have no idea how much I’ll miss you.” He said. She began to cry, her cheeks flushing and her inhales broken. It hurt so much to see her like this. It hurt so much that in just a moment or two, he’d have to let her go. It hurt. It all hurt so fucking much, and his composure became increasingly rocky.

“We’ll still talk, right?”

“Of course, we will.” He reassured.

“And, you won’t forget about me?” Fuck, she sounded so fractured, it was killing him.

“What kind of a stupid question is that? Listen to me, Kagome.” Inuyasha started, pressing his forehead to hers. He softly wiped her tears away with his thumbs, cradling her face in his palms as she gripped the sides of his arms. “It’s going to be impossible to forget you. You are my soulmate. You’re my person. Distance isn’t going to change that. I promise, I’ll come back. I promise, we’ll make things work. We’ve just gotta get through this.”

“I know.” Kagome breathed, nodding against his head as she swallowed for some calmness. “I’m just scared to leave.”

“Why?”

“A part of me is terrified I’ll never see you again.” She cried, losing all sense of stillness as her body shook.

Inuyasha broke, because that’s exactly what he feared, too. He pulled her into a kiss, unable to stop himself from shaking against her body, his eyes burning as he shut them even tighter to prevent his own tears from spilling, but he failed. How could he leave her?

It was like she read his mind, shuddering and breaking apart from him, but never pulling passed an inch, her breath hot on his mouth. “You have to do this, though, and so do I. You have to become a partner at your father’s company, and I have to graduate from college.” She smiled, and though her cheeks were red and blustery, her cheeriness was still genuine. God, Inuyasha almost broke again. “When you come back and tell me you did it, I’m gonna be so proud of you! Just make sure you come back, okay? Come back. I’ll be waiting.”

“I’ll come back. I promise.”

“And, I’ll send you updates and pictures.”

“Good. That’s exactly what I want.” He chuckled, kissing her again as he pulled her impossibly closer. “You gotta be strong for me. This is gonna fucking suck, and we know it, but you don’t have to worry. You’ll see me again. I fucking swear it. I’ll send you pictures, too. We’ll video call when we can. I still have so much more to learn about you, you think I’m gonna pass that up?” Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head as he tucked her into his chest, soaking in her scent in the hopes that it’d never leave him. Kagome’s arms encircled his waist, clutching the back of his shirt desperately as she breathed deeply to try and stop crying.

“I’m gonna miss you.” She repeated waveringly.

“I know, baby.” He shushed, holding her tighter. “Me, too.”

When they were ready, and he’d cleaned the evidence of her tears from her face, taking his time to be as tender as possible, he walked her out to the car, holding her hand the entire way. Her friends were quiet, playing respectful by not staring directly at them as Inuyasha twisted Kagome around before her car door, placing a lingering kiss to her forehead.

“Eventually, my forever.” He whispered.

A ripple went through Kagome’s chest, challenging her steadiness as she glanced up at him, smiling, and poking him right where his birthmark was beneath his shirt, whispering in return, “Soulmate. Forever.”

Inuyasha grinned, opening the door for her so she could climb in, and once her legs were out of the way, he shut it. He braced a hand on the open window, grazing his knuckles of the other under her chin so she’d look fully at him.

“I love you.” Inuyasha said. She smiled, her faltering giggle showing how close she was to breaking down again.

“I love you.” Kagome stated, placing her hand on top of his.

“You ready?”

“No.” She shook her head, chin quivering as her face slightly crinkled from fighting the tears.

Placidly, Inuyasha waited, knowing not a single person was bothered, and uncaring if they would have been. “Will you text me when you get home so I know you’re safe?”

Kagome nodded, squeezing his hand.

“Take care of her.” Inuyasha said to Sango just as she’d looked at him from her window.

“I will.” She replied with a gentle tone.

Kagome leaned toward him for one last kiss, and her soulmate didn’t pause in giving her what she wanted. What she needed. Parting bittersweetly, he wiped her tears again, taking every bit of her in as she took a deep breath.

“Ready.” Kagome whispered.

“That’s my strong girl. I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Okay.” She smiled weakly.

Their hands separated slowly, and when he was no longer there to touch, backing away to cross to his side of the street, Kagome began to feel completely empty. Blindly, for support, she reached over to Miroku and he quickly took her hand, squeezing it tight. Sango started the car, and Kagome’s eyes never left Inuyasha’s. He looked sad. He looked broken. He smiled.

“Ready?” Sango asked, looking back at Kagome.

She trembled, crying, then held her breath, giving Inuyasha the sweetest smile she could muster as she waved. “Yeah.” She whispered, and Sango shifted to drive, pulling from the curb.

She began to sob, trying to keep it to herself but Miroku pulled her to him, stroking her hair for as much comfort as he could provide.

Inuyasha watched until their car disappeared in the distance, tormented, terrified, loathing the universe and the cruel card they’d been dealt. How quickly he’d fallen, how quickly he’d shattered. He forced himself back inside, the furnished house feeling empty and lonely, and he feared that’s what life would be without her. His heart had sunken deep, and giving in, unable to bite it back any longer, Inuyasha cursed loudly with a choked sob, grabbing the nearest glass in the kitchen and smashing it against the wall.

| Epilogue |

[aloesarchives]

Joji Narushima Headcanons pt:2

This is the first piece for 2021, let’s go! These are mostly self-indulgent headcanons I have about Joji when I reread FOTS. 

Heads up: Use of female pronouns 

Man, Joji is a whole ass husband. Like legit, if you’re married to this man, you better hold on to him because you’ll have a hard time getting some that’s like him.

Joji always does his share of housework and doesn’t believe only one person should do it. He’ll do the dishes, clean the house, vacuum, keep the bathroom spotless, etc. Damn, this man even can do laundry and fold that shit neatly in the laundry basket. 

He also doesn’t mind helping you do these chores too. If you ask him for help, he’ll come help you do them. The laundry basket is a little too heavy to carry to your room? Joji will not only carry it for you but also help you fold the clothes in the basket as well.

Ugh, we stan such a wholeass husband, amazing

Joji doesn’t have a carefree “I don’t care” attitude. It’s more of him being okay with certain situations or is just unfazed by most things. Basically “It is what it is then/ This is cool, I guess”. 

With that being said, Joji is 90% down to do anything. Boost it to 99% if it’s with you. Which means you can drag this man anywhere you want and he won’t complain. Whether it’s taking him to the mall, exploring around, or getting groceries, he’ll never protest to you.

Now that I mentioned it, Joji is more than okay buying groceries for you. Especially, when you’re very busy or for convenience. Like when you just finished making dinner and noticed you were running low on a dozen eggs and some vegetables. You know Joji was coming home soon so you called him to ask if he could stop by to get what you needed. He was perfectly okay with it and came home with what you asked. Half of the time, Joji involuntarily goes to the supermarket to get groceries. This mostly happens in the mornings when he’s home and you’re still waking up. Joji knows how to buy groceries, which is a blessing. Mostly because when it’s just a casual trip to the Supermarket, he legit knows what to buy and get for the fridge. He always knows what to get and never anything solely for himself.

You mostly, by which you buy almost all, buy Joji’s clothes. This is because when you first started living for Joji, you took a look in his closet and you dragged him to the mall. Nothing god awful, just more so questionable. You do allow him to have a say and opinion when choosing clothes. But ultimately you have the final say in what clothes you buy for him. Your efforts to give him decent clothes and a style pays off when his colleagues ask about where he got his clothes and he’ll just say “(Y/N) bought this for me.” Many of them know you because you frequently visit Rukoshin so they know who you are. They are in awe about Joji’s clothes because they’re actually cool and look good on him. Longshen and Sei are forever grateful to you for giving Joji decent clothes, while Kentaro, Tsutomu, and Shido are asking where you bought them.

But not gonna lie, you purposely buy him clothes that he’ll like and look good in. Specifically the second part. You always buy him well fitted short sleeves. You say it’ll suit Joji, which is true, but he also looks a little hot and handsome in it. Joji likes the shirt(s) and you get a nice view, a win win situation right here.

It’s the small things that matter to him. Chilling on the couch watching tv, man’s gonna bring you close to him and he got a firm grip around you. A little cold outside? Joji will literally give you his sweater/jacket to you. Fell asleep on the couch? Man will throw a blanket over you and fix your sleep position so you don’t wake up sore. He’ll do that for you.

Joji would straight up carry you to bed and tuck you in. Caresses your cheek and hair, even kissing your forehead. Oh my god lord have mercy on my soul

On the topic of sleep, Joji mostly sleeps without a shirt. He sleeps in sweatpants or shorts depending on his mood and season. Joji is a moderate sleeper, leaning a little bit on the heavier side. Joji doesn’t move a lot in his sleep which gives you the perfect opportunity to either sleep on top of him or hugging his side. Joji, however, has a thing where he needs to sleep close to you no matter what. You could be facing away from him when you fell asleep, but in the morning you found yourself with Joji’s arm under your head and the other on your waist holding you close.

But Joji being shirtless and wearing grey sweatpants is a sight for eyes that I would shamelessly stare at. Don’t lie, you would too, come join me sis.

As I mentioned in my previous headcanon, Joji tries to stay out of fighting in general if they are not in a sparring or tournament. (AKA street or unground fighting) But I really mean it when he wants to stay out of it as much as possible. Even when his life is threatened, he doesn’t want to fight. He’ll fight for self-defense purposes but never out of his own reasons. This is due to him not wanting to complicate things with you. Although he is not that very expressive, it doesn’t mean he’s apathetic, lacking human sympathy or understanding. He knows you, and he knows you well. He knows you worry about him when he fights even though you know fully well he can handle himself.(As Joji has won some championships and been in the finals for most of Rokushin’s tournaments and you being there at said tournaments). But he doesn’t blame you though, you don’t like seeing your hubby getting injured or hurt at all. Again, you are fully aware that he is one of Rukoshin’s top fighters but it doesn’t mean he’ll always come out unscathed. You’re not super paranoid or worrisome. You’re just concerned for him, and that is completely normal. It shows Joji you care for him and he doesn’t want to put you through a lot of stress. Plus, you being worrisome/stressed out over Joji never sits well with him so he doesn’t become reckless in order to not put you through that. Plus, Joji has to stay out of trouble because one of Rukoshin’s rules is no underground matches. So he pretty much has enough reason not to do anything stupid.

Again, as I mentioned before in my previous Joji headcanons, you and Joji used to take care of Koga when he was younger. Honestly, you loved taking care of Koga, whether he was young or older. But you had very fond memories of taking care of young Koga. One time, you and Joji took him to the mall because of errands and window shopping. You told them you’ll be back as you had to run into a store to pick up something. When you came out, you saw Koga holding a cute teddy bear while holding Joji’s hand. Turns out Joji has a hard time saying no to his young nephew and Joji bought him that. Well, since Koga was happy you were happy too. At one point, a nice old lady asked if Koga was your son. You replied no and said that he was your nephew. The old woman smiled at you and said you would be a great mother while handing you a bag of freshly made mochi. That interaction has never left you and she wasn’t wrong since Koga loved you so much. And he still does to this day but he will never say it out loud to you.

Koga always called you Auntie (Y/N) and that shit was adorable as hell.

You bet Joji’s wallpaper is you. The lock screen was of you and little Koga smiling. But his home screen, his HOME SCREEN, his home screen is the two of you on your wedding. When you saw this, you asked him why he chose that picture to be his wallpaper. He said you were very beautiful on that day and your smile was something he loved about you. Damn, if you never felt so warm before, here you are.

Joji, for whatever reason, buys you gifts even though you don’t ask for them. Not like buying super expensive stuff or going a spending spree. But gifts, mostly small ones. He came home with a bouquet of your favorite flowers, once in a while he’ll buy you a stuffed animal. But the most notable one was on your first wedding anniversary, he got you this beautiful sapphire diamond accented silver necklace. It was so beautiful that Joji said it reminded him of you when he saw it on a display case when he was at the mall. Bruh, you cried because no one has ever thought about you in such a way. Man, I would’ve cried too. The best part about the necklace is that it matches your wedding ring. So when you don’t want to wear it on your finger, you just put it on your necklace. You mostly do this so you won’t lose your ring and to make others aware you’re off the market. Sis, show that thing off!

See look, Joji loves and trusts you with his whole soul and being. However, he knows there are going to be a bunch of goons and people that just want to bother you, more so during the time of the menjin army conflict. Around this time, Joji was like “(Y/N), I love you but you have to be on guard for a few months until I say so”. Depending on who you’re hanging out with, he’ll ask them to watch over you while he got stuff at Rokushin. Almost everyone in Rokushin knows you so they don’t mind his request mostly because he almost threatens them so. Anyway, you’re likely gonna always hangout with Katsuya. Mostly because Joji and him hangout and are on good terms with each other.

Joji really likes to eat. He loves food so much. Your dates were just you and Joji going to food places and eating there. When he’s hungry, he’ll buy some and call you to see if you want something. Even if you don’t want anything, he’ll buy you a small snack or something. One of your languages of love between the two of you is food.

Joji is extremely caring. There are times where he’s up at night and wants to talk to you but he knows you’re sleeping and doesn’t want to disturb you and your sleep. He’ll check up on you when he gets the chance, not too frequent and not too distant either. One time, you were hungry and it was late in the afternoon. You asked Joji if he wanted to eat out. He said he was free and you two went on your escapade. 

When Koga was training with Joji, you would visit and check up on his progress. Depending how bruised and beaten he is from sparring, you patch him up and bring food for the two of them.

The reason Joji has a thing for biting was when he was training in the mountain he fought a bear. And the only way he defeated the bear was by biting it really hard. So that’s why he keeps mentioning biting to Koga. But he also likes biting something else if you catch my drift.

Joji got nice hands. Sure they’re rough and have some callousness, but they are warm and nice. Like when you hold his hand, it feels so nice. When he’s caressing your waist, head or cheek, it just feels so comforting and it hits differently.

His hugs are so nice, they are so good.

Joji is more on the receiving end of affection then giving it. Not like he won’t hug you or hold your hand. It’s more of him going with the flow and reciprocating back at you. 

Joji likes being close but never is clingy. He knows you got your things to do and he doesn’t want to restrict your time. He knows when to give space.

Sometimes, Koga will ask you what you saw in Joji and you have been married to him for at least a decade. The only thing you tell him is how Joji has treated you and that’s the only answer you give him. Koga is clueless but you tell him he’ll understand when he really thinks about it. But not too much to damage his own brain.

Joji is such a good husband, loving, caring and respectful

King shit 10/10