#anyways ya on these parts i literally sit down and think of single sentences that i want to use

[stanknotstark]

Astral Pt. 15.1 (Loki x Reader)

So like I thought of Loki eating a marshmallow for the first time and planned it out a little bit like a week or a week and a half ago and very recently before i could write anything I saw a tiktok with the same idea and it made me feel scared and happy at the same time 😂 anyways i got my packing done so i had time to write! It was easy since there was no plot! However I hope you guys realize that all the .1s are never planned....like i literally wake up that day, look at a blank post, and think hmm today i shall do this! LOL

It’s one day before you head out to track down Madonna when you finally break. 

Luckily it’s only Loki around to see it but still you’re a little embarrassed. 

“Why is the magic so hard to control!” You scream throwing a big ball of energy into the open space of the training room. When it hits the wall the entire room shakes a bit then it goes silent. Loki doesn’t say anything just watches you and how you’re going to react now. 

You stand there, haggardly breathing, your eyes closed tight, your hands fists at your side. As you rile yourself up more when you think of Madonna and Kang you don’t realize your magic is starting to flow around you in sparks and flares. 

Loki calls out your name but you don’t hear it. What you do notice is Loki’s hands cupping your face. When you open your eyes you see Loki looking down at you but then you see your magic connecting with his body in random intervals. Every time your magic connects with him it leaves the place searing red, hot, and charred. You look up and see Loki wince when the magic reaches his skin. 

You deflate, embarrassed and ashamed, and your magic that was uncontrolled disappears. You drop to your knees, breaking out of Loki’s grasp but Loki follows you down anyways. You sit on your knees, your face hidden in your hands as you try your best not to cry. Loki sits right in front of you on his knees too. He gives you a little time before he pries your hands from your face and makes you look at him. 

“You don’t have to be strong all the time, I want you to know it’s ok to cry.” Loki whispers to you, his eyes filled with nothing but affection. 

You let out a sob, gasp, feel the tears that had welled in your eyes drop down your cheeks. 

Loki pulls you into a hug and just sits there holding you as you let out your frustration all over his, now ruined, hoodie.

When you’ve let out everything you’ve been bottling you sniffle and pull from Loki’s hug. You quickly wipe at your eyes and nose and do nothing more than smear the unwanted liquids across your face. Then, you apologize. 

“Nonsense.” Is all Loki says before magicking a handkerchief for you. You take it with a small thanks and actually clean off your face. 

When you’re presentable Loki brings a hand up and caresses your jawline. “While it saddens me to see you cry, you’re very cute when you do.” 

You let out a wobbly laugh at this statement, bringing a hand up to cover Loki’s hand on your jaw. “Men, I swear.” You smile at Loki as he smiles at you. 

Loki drops his hand to his lap and gives you a questioning look. “Would you like to talk about what made you so...” Loki waves his hands around. 

You look at the ground with a frown. “I just...I’m really frustrated with my magic right now, and it doesn’t help that we visit Madonna....My mother, tomorrow.”

Loki hums but lets you gather your words. 

“I just...When Thor mentioned I might be adopted I had hoped he was right only so I could find my family and maybe they would actually want me, that I would belong somewhere in a family.” You sigh. “Then I found out my real mother is even worse than my fake mother and sent someone to kill me. She couldn’t even do the dirty work herself.” You say with a glare at the floor. 

Loki brings a hand up and tilts your chin up to look at him. He stares deep into your eyes with a frown. “Have you not found a new family that loves and adores you?” 

At this you frown but realize what he means and your face softens. “I didn’t even realize....” You softly say, a little guilty.

Loki gives a small smile. “While they are not blood, they have come to care for you better than any blood family will. It took me some time to realize this too. With Thor I resented him, pushed him out, but I’ve come to realize that while he may not be blood, he cares for me just as much.” 

You nod at Loki who pulls his hand from your face and stands, then holds a hand out to you to help you stand. When you’re standing next to him he pulls you into his side and makes his way to the door with you. 

“I’ve yet to try these so called marshmallows, I think now would be a perfect time.” 

You gasp and look at Loki excited, breakdown completely forgotten. 

“Oh my gosh, there’s so many new flavors, they originally started as vanilla but now you can find some with coconut shavings on them and you can find some in chocolate too!” 

Loki smiles down as you childishly babble on about marshmallows. 

By the time you both make it to the kitchen you and Loki are in a rousing discussion about whether the death penalty should be abolished. Considering the death penalty still applies in Asgard, Loki believes it shouldn’t be abolished. He says he believes it gives more incentive to not do something bad. You rebuke him and tell him that it didn’t stop him from what he did and that shuts Loki up fast. You smirk at having won this debate. 

Loki leans against the counter and waits patiently as you search all the freaking cabinets for the marshmallows. As you search you question if you’ve ever even seen this much food outside of a grocery store. 

Finally, you find a bag of the mega marshmallows and give a little whoop. You turn and throw the bag to Loki who catches it without issue and looks at the bag with something akin to disgust and curiosity. 

“And you think I’m going to like these?” Loki says slowly. 

You giggle. “Jus open it and try them!”

Loki follows your command and uses a dagger to open the bag prim and proper instead of tearing it like a normal mortal might. 

When he reaches a hand in and touches the marshmallows for the first time you get giddy. His face softens and his eyes are like a puppies. 

“They’re so soft...” He whispers. 

You smile at Loki who shakes himself and pulls one out. He places the bag on the counter and then holds the marshmallow in front of him, eye level. He inspects it for a second then brings it to his nose and sniffs it. He lets out a noise of approval and bites into the fluffy thing. 

You closely watch his face and recognize that he truly likes it but his face quickly changes to one of disgust as he chews on the marshmallow. 

“It’s disgusting.” He states.

You smirk as you quickly move to grab the bag behind him on the counter. “Fine, I’ll give them to Thor then.” You turn and start to make your way to the door but Loki grabs your wrist.

“No, don’t you dare!” Loki yells. 

You turn around and smirk at the god. 

“So you like them then?” You ask, shaking the bag of marshmallows out of his reach.

Loki keeps a hold on your wrist but finishes off the rest of the marshmallow he still holds before he says, “I may approve of them, a bit.” Loki says with a look of defiance. 

“Hmm not good enough.” You say giving a tug at Loki’s hold but not enough to break it. 

“Yes. Yes, I like them!” 

You now full on smile at the god and hand him the bag of marshmallows. The god hugs them to his chest like he’s protecting a baby and glares at you. 

“Tell Thor to buy himself another bag, these are mine.” Loki says snootily. 

You laugh but come up with an idea and make your way to the cabinets again. Loki quietly watches you while eating marshmallows. 

When you’ve found a box of graham crackers and some Hershey’s chocolate you give a sound of happiness. Coming back to Loki you manage to steal one of his marshmallows and stick it on a fork. You place the graham crackers and a piece of chocolate on the counter and then look at Loki while holding the marshmallow up. Loki gives you a questionable look as he chews. You light a small ball of fire in your free hand and put it under the marshmallow and Loki looks on with great curiosity as the marshmallow expands a bit and becomes a little charred, melting.

You place the marshmallow on the cracker and chocolate and make it into a smores. Then you hand it to Loki who takes it without hesitation and takes a big bite into it. 

As you look at Loki you feel the butterflies in your stomach act up. Loki stands there hugging a bag of marshmallows to his chest with his right arm. In his left hand is a messy smores dripping down his fingers. His mouth is covered with chocolate and melted marshmallow. You have half a mind to lick it off of him. 

“Good?” Is all you ask. 

Loki stops, looks at the smores, and glances to you. 

“Quite messy but...” You raise a brow as Loki inspects the smores in his hand. “Yes, good.” 

You nod satisfied and see Thor enter the kitchen. 

“Ah, I see you’ve discovered smores!” 

“This is just the food for you Thor, it’s messy, just how you like to eat everything.” Loki says without barbs, more teasing. 

Thor laughs, “Do not forget who left the table with squashed peas in his hair then refused to be bathed.” 

You pique up at the mention of a good story, you’re sure, but the brothers don’t elaborate. Loki just scoffs and rolls his eyes. 

“At any rate, you’re going to have to buy more marshmallows these are mine.”

Thor looks at you with a small smile. “Loki has never been fond of sharing.”

“I share just fine with people I like!” 

Thor purses his lips and squints then shakes his head a little. You laugh and look at Loki. 

“I mean, he has a point, I don’t think I’ve seen you share with anyone but me.” 

“That’s because I like you.” Loki says playfully indignant. At this he gives you his half eaten smores which you take and begin eating, as if trying to prove his point.

“Make sure to get messy, I’d like to lick the excess off your face, darling.”

You nearly choke on the bite you just took with a pitiful glance at Thor who just rolls his eyes and continues on into the kitchen. 

“My brother is insatiable.” Thor says from somewhere behind you. 

You swallow the bite you were choking on and slap Loki’s arm. Loki merely smiles down at you. You giggle a little while looking at Loki’s hoodie arm. He looks down and sees you’ve left smores on his arm when you slapped him. Before Loki can react Thor states, loudly, “No more food fights! Tony said the smell didn’t leave the room for hours even though the room was pristine!” 

You pout and Loki stops the pout with his index finger. Then he leans down and gives you a kiss. As he kisses you you can literally feel the sticky residues mixing. This causes you too pull away with a frown. 

“I can’t do this until we get clean, this is disgusting.” 

“Yes, it is.” Thor supplies from his spot at the oven. 

You laugh at Loki’s glare he sends Thor. 

When you glance behind you at Thor you see he’s making spaghetti. 

“When are you going to cook me something? That’s romantic.” You ask Loki before finishing the smores you have in your hand. 

“Goes both ways, sweetheart.” Loki says. 

You glare at Loki but realize it’s true and shrug. “Fair enough.” You say dropping the matter. 

“I’m going to take a shower, no kisses till your face is clean!” You yell as you walk out of the kitchen and leave Loki there with Thor. 

Pt. 15/Pt. 15.1/?

Tag list: @justfangirlthingies​ @emelieh99​ @high-functioning-lokipath​ @loveableasshole​ @mp0625​ 

[shotorozu]

hello!! i saw that your requests were open and wanted to ask if you could do single dad! atsumu suna and sakusa falling in love with reader, like it's sort of a meet cute (or not) but the reader falls for them and the kid and happiness lskfjsdfk have a great day!!

single dad! falling for reader

character(s) : miya atsumu, suna rintarou, sakusa kiyoomi (haikyuu!!)

legend : [Y/N = your name] they/them pronouns used, timeskip au! (because,, single dads.)

headcanon type : fluff, crack and angst if you squint (x reader)

warning(s) : mentions of the character’s ex wives, the ex-wives being jerks for multiple different reasons and ways (so,, be warned. for negligence, not very detailed hitting, and cheating, but not on reader)

note(s) : me, writing for haikyuu?? wow, a surprise! also, it’s been a while since i’ve written for haikyuu so if i don’t get the characterization correctly— ESPECIALLY FOR SAKUSA, i’m sorry in advance.

»»————-　♡　————-««

miya atsumu

at first, his marriage was happy. miya atsumu— successful in his 20s, basically set for life, and with a head strong wife that gave him a wonderful daughter

he was elated when his son, genji came into this world. he wouldn’t swap him out for anyone else. and it was all good, really

until he started spotting marks on genji’s delicate skin, and he even found a large bruise on his shoulder when he was changing his shirt! he almost passed away seeing that

genji would also have a sudden fear of being alone in the house— even when his mother would stay behind to take care of him

but why though? genji’s only 4! what could’ve happened to him? he doesn’t recall hiring any babysitters.

he finally found the answer one day, when he found out that his head strong, intense wife— has been physical with him!

basically, all the love for his wife flew out the window, and he filed for a divorce— and of course, he won custody

and he assumed that his love life would stop at that— and it didn’t sound terrible. all that mattered was that his son was safe, and happy again

but this is where you come in

you work at a toy store, a small business toy store really, that sold the highest of quality only

and atsumu took genji to either replace, or fix the toy he broke a few days back. the place was recommended to him by shoyo— who also had a kid of his own

you’re just two years younger than him, eyes full of determination and care, practically the complete opposite of his ex-wife.

you put up a good conversation with him, while you fixed the toy— the two of you talking about the mutual friends, and that ‘this place should be a lot more popular.’

and also, his son did happen to take a liking to you. he seemed joyous in your presence— compared to how he was with his ex-wife

and from that moment on, the two of you would only become closer— especially when a bunch of his son’s toys started breaking magically

before atsumu knew it, he harbored something for you— the absolute angel you were to the both of them

“‘m sorry for the inconvenience,” the faux blond scratches the back of his next “didn’t know genji here was a ‘lil clumsy weasel,”

you laugh, and genji’s just staring at you with amusement, “it’s fine, genji could break his entire toy box— and i’d still fix it anyway.”

so this was the nerve wracking part, “to make up for it, would you like some coffee later? i could treat ‘ya.”

“is this yer way of askin’ Y/N—”

“shut yer mouth for a sec— uhm,” he looks at you, sheepishly

you laugh, “miya, i wouldn’t mind honestly. but i’d assume you’re busy as it is.”

“not at all!” atsumu replies, “i’ll just, drop off genji first. say yer thanks to Y/N,” atsumu looks at genji, encouraging him to say his thanks

“,,thanks for fixing my toys, Y/N.”

“no problem, genji.” you smile at the two of them when they move to leave the store, fixed toys in hand— as they wave at you before parting

“oh, Y/N?” atsumu calls out,

“yeah?”

“call me atsumu— from now on.” his cheeks are tinted pink, and he can feel genji’s eyes on him.

“oh, uhm. yeah! i’ll see you later, atsumu.”

so yeah— the two of you went out for some coffee, and before he even knew it, he was in love.

it might take him a few months to realize it though

suna rintarou

i can’t imagine him having kids for some reason 💀 but if he were to have any, he’d definitely have a daughter

rintarou himself, didn’t think he would have kids at at all, really. but the moment he was able to meet asuka— his lovely little daughter

he was hooked. he seemed a little awkward at first, not very used to caring for a child. but he was actually decent at his job

he’d sneak into his daughter’s room to hold her when she was upset— even when his wife was too knocked out to realize it, and he’d show her picture books

since she liked them a lot, even when she can’t coherently read a straight paragraph yet.

it started to concern him when he realized how little his wife was involved in the development of their daughter.

she started acting different, a little bit after she didn’t have to breastfeed asuka

and then, that’s when it happened.

“i literally can’t believe you,” he speaks when he’s packing his things, “we have a child together.”

his soon to be ex wife is on the floor, begging him to stay— but he doesn’t care. “look, the idea of you cheating wasn’t very surprising. i don’t care anymore, really. but the fact that you’ve been neglecting asuka for your selfish needs is low. i hope you’re ashamed of yourself.”

his words are so much different that his lenient, calm self. which only solidifies reality

so he leaves with asuka, not caring about the sobs that left his soon to be ex wife’s mouth.

and even though he was still angry at his wife for not being there, he’d never let it show to asuka

he’d still show her picture books, he’d still sit down and watch miraculous ladybug with her— even when she doesn’t understand it all completely

and speaking of picture books— he decided that he needed to buy more for her

so he took her to the bookstore, and he didn’t really know what he was doing. he bought all those previous books when asuka was still a newborn

now it’s a little fuzzy on what he should be looking for. colors, right? he needs a picture book that has plenty of colors.

and that’s where you come in. you’re youthful, despite looking not that far off his age, you’re humming to yourself as you fix the bookshelves

“uhm,” he calls out for your help, and you look at him in recognition “need any help? what are you looking for?”

there’s a helpful glint in your eyes, and it reminded him of what should’ve been in his ex wife’s eyes. “my daughter, likes picture books. and,, i don’t know what i’m doing.”

she’s basically a replica of him, same eye color, and same hair color. but her eyes are much more rounded, youthful.

“cute kid,” you smile when she coos at you, “the children books are this way, follow me!” you exclaim, moving to navigate your way to the children’s book isle

so it seems to be that you really know what you’re doing. most people would’ve recommended picture books with a lot of words, or just no words at all

but you’ve found the books that made asuka exclaim in happiness.

and although it’s not very obvious that rintarou’s caring to his child— he is, and you could tell. despite looking lost, and sometimes bored when you’re explaining the books.

so every 2 weeks, the father would return with his daughter, after he got back from volleyball— and you’d help them pick out on certain books.

rintarou assumed he’d never take a liking in anyone again, but,, here he is. and he doesn’t know how you’ll react to that.

but it’s worth a try— he’d try and get your number when he’d see you again

the next time you see him, the middle blocker’s alone. and he tells you that he needs more picture books for asuka, since she’s staying over at his volleyball friend’s house for a day

“Y/N,”

“yes?” you turn your head, meeting his stare. he looks well,, himself. like how he first sought out for your help a few weeks back

“,, could i get your number? y’know, just in case asuka wanted worded books in the future. you’ve helped a lot, so,,”

you smile, “is this your way of hitting on me?”

he didn’t think it was that obvious, “what?— i mean,” he fumbles to reason out, feeling a bit more awkward. because yes, he’s asking you out but,, he has the power to make things more laxed, y’know?

truthfully, you don’t know much about him. you know a lot about his daughter, sure! but you don’t know anything about her biological mother, or what happened, or why she’s not taking asuka to the bookstore

but you chose not to ask, out of respect. he’d tell you some other day. “i’m just teasing,” you smile, moving to get a small piece of paper— writing your digits on the paper, and placing it in his pocket

“i’d like to see you again,” you smile, “say hi to asuka for me.”

the middle blocker left the store in content, absolutely sure that asuka would love to see you again even when she can’t form proper sentences.

sakusa kiyoomi

didn’t think he’d be fit to be a father— but here he is

though he seems cold, he does take responsibility, and he does love and care for his child, seina

it’s not like he’ll be posting pictures of his child everywhere— i mean, even if he had a different personality, he still wouldn’t be posting his kid everywhere

but he does cherish seina, like his life depended on it. he’d still silently watch her cross out word puzzles in a messy matter, he’d silently listen to her talk about her favorite pastries

he loves her!

so that’s why it made him mad, when even after 4 years of seina being born, her mother made little to no effort in spending time with her

doesn’t matter if it was a simple gesture like tucking her in, or showing up to a birthday— she just,, never did.

it was almost as if she was ignoring seina, which causes some distraught on the child’s behalf— which passed on the negative feeling to him

like,, seina wasn’t an unbearable kid. sure, she acted up here and there, that’s an issue kiyoomi has been trying to fix on his own

but it was nothing too concerning, and it was containable. but his wife treated her like she was absolutely unbearable

and it was super strange because, she’d act normal around him, but would barely acknowledge her own daughter’s existence

so what did kiyoomi do? he confronted her, of course.

and no— his wife wasn’t cheating, and nothing tragic happened that would’ve caused her to be this way

she was just,, lazy

“so.. you gave birth and stopped caring for her? is that it?” furious was an understatement, considering that his wife forgot to make her daughter breakfast

which caused her to sneak out of the house, and ask for some breakfast from some nice neighbors.

“look, if you want nothing to do with her, just say that. i’m taking seina, and leaving.” so yeah now he’s a single father.

to say he didn’t love her was too quick, a part of him didn’t love the fact that his wife loved him, but didn’t show any sign of affection towards her daughter.

he knew it was going to fade away anyway. his feelings for his unofficial ex wife.

and i don’t think he’d plan on seeing new people, since now these days— people just like the idea of being with him

which meant that most people would’ve been scared away, or turned off if they really sat down in a conversation with him

besides the point, kiyoomi was taking his daughter to the bakery again— as she was craving new pastries, and wanted to go to the new bakery that just opened near by

and kiyoomi was like “why not ig” and took her there— but then, this is where he’d meet you for the first time

you were one of the bakers, and it’s not like he was going to pay attention to you— until you did something even HE couldn’t do

“papa, whyyyy” the whining sounding painful in his ears, as his daughter clung to the display of pastries “can’t we get moreeee??”

“seina,” he sighs, “no, we can’t.”

“but—”

“papa, you’re no fair!” her bottom lip trembles, and he could almost FEEL the judgmental stares of the other customers in the bakery

and this is where you come in, “is something the matter?”

“papa won’t.. get me more!” she stares at the selection of pastries, “i’ve been so nice but.. it’s no fair!” her eyes tear up

“don’t cry,” you bend down to blot her tears away with a tissue, “y’know, he probably has a reason, but you’re in luck— actually!” you maneuver behind the counter

you come out from behind, presenting a fresh batch of pastries— that were just right to his daughter’s liking, to the point that it shut her up entirely

“they’re on the house, today’s our opening day, so it’s the bakery’s treat!”you state in a warming matter, grabbing a paper bag to place the pastries in

kiyoomi stares at you, observing you quietly— you could feel his cold stare, even though he’s wearing a medical face mask, that covers about half of his face

you blink, not knowing what is going through his head, and you gesture to his daughter to take them

you clearly don’t know who he is— and that gives kiyoomi some sort of relief, compared to the other customers that are murmuring to each other “sakusa kiyoomi’s here with his daughter! is this what he does in his free time?”

kiyoomi takes the paper bag, giving some sort of non verbal acknowledgement, before he takes his daughter’s hand and leaves

“bye, kind person!” seina calls out to you, which catches you off guard— this causes your coworkers to coo at the girl’s words

“didn’t know sakusa’s daughter was so cute!”

and you’d assume that your interactions with the quiet stranger and his daughter would end at that, but no! life is full of surprises.

the tall masked father comes in again, a little bit before closing time— you were absolutely beat, your back feeling as if boulders were glued to the back, and your feet burning from all of the rush

“oh, what could i do for you?”

he stays quiet, but a small presence sticks behind him, and peers up to you. the face is familiar to you, so you wave “hi there! it’s nice to see you again.”

“i wanna say thanks.” her rounded eyes practically shimmer when they lay themselves on the pastries again, but she shakes her head “for the pastries! they’re very tasty.”

“i’m glad you like them, what was your favorite part of the pastry?”

“the filling! twas yummy!” she gives a toothy grin, “tell me, where ‘dya learn to bake like that?”

kiyoomi stares at the scene unfolding before him. it was.. new. unfamiliar— he hasn’t seen his daughter act like this with anyone else— besides him and his team mates. so, he simply watched.

seina babbled and babbled, much to the your amusement— and the other staff members. you listened to her with your full attention, your interest never wavering in the slightest

it’s a bit later, kiyoomi holds a tired seina in his arms— you expect him to leave the bakery, his daughter’s wishes been fulfilled, and he wouldn’t have a reason to stick around

but then he presents to you a large stack of cash “for the pastries. my,, daughter really liked them.”

your eyes widen, “sir! i told you, the pastries were on the house!” you shake your head, “either way, i can’t take this! it’s too much for some pastries!”

“no, seina insists. in fact, she’s entirely why i’m here.” his tone stays consistent, but even with the mask— you could tell that he’s smiling. “she’s well,, everything. if she’s set on something, then she’ll do everything to achieve her goal.”

you smile at the statement, “thanks for bringing her here sir..?”

kiyoomi hesitates to tell you his name for a moment, an unfamiliar, yet familiar pound in his chest rises— he chooses to not figure it out right now, considering that it would be too soon to pursue a romantic relationship.

but, if his daughter brought him here, then it must be for a reason. “kiyoomi.”

“right,” you smile, “thanks for coming here, kiyoomi. you can give me a call, if seina wants any more pastries.” you write your number on a piece of paper, and hand it to him

he doesn’t reply, but he does take the piece of paper anyway— keeping it in his pocket

and for once, he thinks that he doesn’t hate having to go to the bakery weekly., because there’ll be a warm presence there to greet him— and of course, seina.

likes and reblogs are appreciated, thanks for reading!

i do not own hq!! and it’s characters. haikyuu!! belongs to furudate haruichi, i only own the writing and i do not profit off of my hobby

do not plagiarize, reupload, translate, or use my works for audio readings without permission :))

[sarahzstories]

✨Interview with Princess and Narry✨

✨*A/N This is in the format that Niall, Harry and Princess are having a sit down interview with someone for a magazine. I have a Part 2 ready if you are interested, also feel free to send in questions you want the three of them to answer! Enjoy!*✨

Q: How did you really meet? And when?

Niall: At a Christmas party in New York about what like eight years ago?

Princess: Yeah they crashed my aunt’s party and Harry ran into me and spilled a drink all over me.

Harry: It was an accident and I have apologized several times since it happened.

Princess: That’s true he does apologize every year on our friend-anniversary.

Q: Is there a group chat?

Princess: Yes duh.

Harry: It’s called the Three Amigos.

Niall: I love dat it’s been da same name since we made it eight years ago.

Q: Who is the most annoying in the group chat?

Harry: Me

Niall: For sure Harry. He’s da bloody worst at sending incomplete thoughts instead of just thinking about what he’s tryin ta say and sending one long paragraph.

Princess: He just tells us things as they pop into his head is all. It’s not annoying.

Niall: She’s jus sayin dat cos she’s nice.

Harry: No she’s saying that because she does the same thing just not as much as I do. Remember that time she was trying to tell us she ran into Orlando Bloom at Starbucks?

Niall: Bloody hell that was such a shit show of a text conversation.

Princess: I was star struck! I couldn’t form complete sentences!

Q: What are yours names in each other’s phones?

Niall: Harry is jus saved as H an Princess is saved as Princess wit da crown emoji an a heart.

Harry: Niall is the Irish One in my phone and Princess is Bestfriend and it has a sparkle and heart emoji next to it.

Niall: *rolls eyes*

Princess: Oh Harry is saved under Little Lanky Baby with a red heart and Niall is My Little Irish Marshmallow with a clover emoji.

Harry: What? Are you serious?

Niall: Have Ya never noticed our contact names when she sends screenshots?

Harry: I’m not lanky?

Niall: Are ya havin a laugh mate? Yer arse is lanky.

Princess: You really are and that’s okay! Everyone loves it!

Harry: I don’t know how I feel about this...

Princess: You’ll survive.

Q: When do you three actually become as close as you are now? Was it instant?

Harry: I think it was maybe a month after we met. We got really close very fast because we talked all the time.

Niall: I agree, it was pretty fast we jus clicked and I think it was like after a month or so that we invited her to a show and after dat it was like we knew each other fo ever.

Princess: Texting and talking on the phone really helped speed up the getting to know you process. They’ve had a key to my apartment since like six months after knowing them. We all just meshed really well and it’s been great.

Q: Have you ever been in a fight? If so what was it about?

Niall: Oh god...

Harry: Yes. One fight and I don’t like to talk about it. But it was about my debut album details getting out before I was ready.

Princess: He’s so sensitive about this subject but yeah only one so far and it only lasted like three days so wasn’t too bad.

Harry: Wasn’t too bad? It was horrible. We didn’t speak for 72 hours.

Niall: It was all a misunderstanding type thing cos Harry over reacted and got mean and then just didn’t know how to fix it.

Princess: He didn’t overreact. He was right to be mad at me.

Harry: I’m not getting into this.

Niall: It’s been years mate let it go it’s okay you got upset at her, no friendship is perfect, even ours.

Harry: You wanna talk about how you also got mad at her the same day? Or no?

Niall: Jesus Yer in a mood today, m’fine talkin bout our little fight cos it only lasted a day and it was cos I blew things outta proportion.

Princess: Once again it’s fine we are allowed to be upset with each other. Next question?

Harry: Yes. Let’s move on.

Q: Is jealously an issue between the three of you?

Niall: *looks at Harry*

Princess: *also looks at Harry*

Harry: Excuse me, may I help you two with something?

Princess: Wanna talk about getting jealous?

Harry: I don’t get jealous.

Niall: Are ya fuckin jokin? Yer arse is the reason why we have ta have a group calendar so no one gets more one on one time than the other Ya knob!

Harry: That has nothing to do with being jealous. I like to be organized with my time that’s all.

Princess: That’s all? You sure?

Harry: I’m sure.

Princess: So it’s not because one time you realized Niall and I had seen each other three times in one week without you?

Harry: I mean three times in a week is a lot.

Niall: Yer ridiculous mate jus admit ya get jealous whenever P hangs out wit anyone besides you.

Harry: I’m choosing not to respond to that.

Q: Who’s the most protective?

Princess: It’s a toss up between the two of them.

Harry: I’d say i get more protective while Niall is the first to want to fight anyone who makes P feel uncomfortable or makes her cry. But I’m the one who wants to just prevent it at all costs.

Niall: what he means is he would rather P never leave da bloody house.

Harry: It would make it easier...

Princess: I get protective over them as well though!

Harry: *looks at Niall*

Niall:*looks at Harry*

Princess: What? Remember that time I yelled at that man who was trying to take pictures of us at the beach?

Niall: I mean yer right, ya can get protective an are always the first ta tell paps to fuck off.

Harry: She can be very ferocious when she wants to be.

Niall: *laughs*

Princess: Both of you are assholes.

Harry: I didn’t say anything!

Q: Was it easier being friends when Niall and Harry were both in the same band?

Princess: Yes I mean it wasn’t as chaotic trying to figure out what dates work best to see who but also it was a whole different type of chaos when I’d go visit them while they were in One Direction.

Niall: Ya it was wild as hell when she’d come cos we were literally always doin somethin fo tha band either all five of us or dey would separate us into groups and it would be Harry and I and the rest of da boys and we would be shootin promo or even recordin a bloody album!

Harry: It was always her getting shoved in a backseat with us in a car or getting little fifteen minutes breaks to talk and actually see each other between whatever the hell we had to do the days she was on tour with us.

Princess: But the shows were so much fun, but I’d honestly say getting to visit them while on their solo tours is better than when they were in One Direction simply because they get more down time and it’s not always go go go like it was back then.

Niall: I agree, when we get to the venues of our shows we don’t have ten thousand things ta do before the show so we get to chill and hang out.

Harry: It’s really such a different world going on tour now than it was when we toured with One Direction.

Princess: But I honestly would put up with the craziness of visiting them while in One Direction still if I had to.

Niall: Is she-

Harry: Hinting that she wants a One Direction reunion tour? Yes.

Princess: What? That’s not what I meant.

Harry: Mhm...right.

Niall: *laughs*

Princess: *rolls eyes*

Q: Okay but really who do you enjoy hanging out with more?

Niall: *looks at Princess*

Harry: Hmm...

Princess: Is this just a question for me? *raises an eyebrow*

Harry: I have the most fun with Princess.

Niall: Same. Harry makes me wanna smack em upside da head too much when it’s jus tha two of us.

Harry: I could say the same thing about you, you little hobbit.

Princess: I don’t have a favorite. I get asked this all the time on my Instagram and I feel like no one believes me? But I truly don’t have a favorite to hang out with and actually like it when it’s all three of us together.

Q: How do you deal with dating while being so close to the boys? Does it get weird?

Harry: Threats. Lots of threats.

Niall: Oh please we aren’t tha most threatenin set of blokes H. It doesn’t get weird tho cos P doesn’t really date do ya Princess?

Princess: I go on dates yes, I haven’t been in a serious relationship is a while but it’s not weird, everyone I talk to knows I’m friends with Niall and Harry.

Harry: I’d like to think we have more than just a regular friendship...

Princess: I mean yes it’s a bit different. But I let them know before it even gets to us going on dates that the two of them are a massive part of my life.

Niall: Same goes fo us though, I tell the people m’interested in bout P and the fact she’s one of the main people in my life and most of em are fine wit it.

Harry: Everyone who knows me knows about my relationship with Princess and knows that nothing comes before it. She will always come first, like it or not.

Princess: He is so dramatic i swear he makes it sound like I’m the only person in his life that he’s like this with, it’s the same with his family. Not just me.

Niall: Harry is dramatic though but it’s true, everyone that even tries ta get wit H knows three things for sure and it’s that he loves a good Gucci suit, loves his family and his friendship with Princess is untouchable.

Harry: Oh now who sounds dramatic?

Princess: We are going to be single forever aren’t we?

Niall: We could do one of dem packs about getting married if we are single when we are thirty.

Harry: I’d rather not marry you when I’m thirty that’s when I’ll just be starting to thrive.

Niall: Oi! Then when? Ya wanna be so old ya won’t enjoy it?

Harry: You’ll enjoy it no matter the age it happens you knob.

Princess: How about sixty? Still young, I mean look at Bruce he is thriving!

Harry: *rolls eyes* you’ve been dying to bring up Bruce Willis haven’t you?

Niall: Deal.

Harry: I guess I can agree to that.

Q: Favorite thing about each other?

Niall: I’d have to say I enjoy Harry’s opinions, he doesn’t sugar coat em he knows I don’t like all that fake ass stuff so he tells it to me straight.

Harry: You’re quite welcome for always telling you when you’re being an asshole.

Niall: Ya gotta ruin every moment don’t ya? Anyways I’d say my favorite thing bout Princess would be...her ability to jus know what I need and when I need it.

Harry: It’s kind of freaky how she does that though right? The texts are the creepiest.

Niall: Right? Like when she can jus sense ya’ve had a bad day so she sends ya Dis heartwarming text and yer jus like how the bloody fuck did she know??

Princess: I just know you both so well! I can’t help it.

Harry: It’s great love, we love it.

Niall: doesn’t make it any less creepy though.

Princess: Well I’d say my favorite thing about Niall is that he has this ability to make everyone around him instantly feel comfortable and like at home if that makes any sense?

Harry: I can agree, he’s very good at making everyone around him feel at ease.

Princess: And my favorite thing about Harry is he has this weird way of knowing how you need to be comforted. Like he knows when to just hold your hand, when to pull you in for a hug or just when you grab you and hold you. It’s lovely.

Niall: Ah yeah dis is so true. Always tryin ta hug me.

Harry: Well I don’t see you fighting me off.

Niall: Oi yer arse didn’t answer what yer fave things are bout us, do ya not have one?

Harry: I love Niall’s sense of humor, we both have the same type of lame humor and laugh at the stupidest stuff. My favorite thing about Princess is probably how she just gets me and lets me be me.

Princess: *sniffles* Can we move on?

Niall: Way ta go got er all watery eyed now.

Harry: I’m not the one who asked the question! I just answered it. You got her all emotional too you knob.

Q: Have you written any songs about your friendship?

Niall: Yeah Harry have we?

Harry: *rolls eyes* yes.

Princess: Go on, just tell them.

Niall: Yeah H jus tell em. Get it off yer chest.

Harry: You’re in such a mood today. Fine. I wrote meet me in the hallway about when Princess and I had a fight.

Niall: And...

Harry: I wrote Adore You with her in mind about her effect on the people around her. That she has no clue she has.

Princess: What about you Niall?

Harry: Yes hobbit what about you hmmm?

Niall: I wrote the Tide while thinking about her when she was datin that one arsehole.

Harry: And?

Niall: Fine you arse I also wrote Mirrors about her as well.

Harry: Oh and if you’re wondering about One Direction songs the main one we wrote about our friendship is Drag Me Down.

Niall: S’pretty obvious though, s’fo her and da whole fandom really.

Princess: That is my hype song. So damn good.

Q: What’s a memory the three of you cherish?

Princess: Oh that’s a good one!

Niall: S’gotta be when we all went ta Cabo fo a week like three years ago and we jus laid in the sun by the beach all day and got drunk off wine at night an it was one of tha most relaxing vacations I’ve ever had.

Harry: That was a great trip.

Princess: Mine is when we had our first sleepover at my tiny ass New York apartment. When we did face masks and ended up passing out on my bed watching Will and Grace. I think that next morning is when I really realized you two were going to literally be my humans forever.

Harry: Oh the good ole days of our sleepovers and trying to squeeze onto your loveseat. Mine is the time when Niall and I had to go get you from the bar when you got too drunk on a Monday night.

Princess: That’s your most cherished memory? Really?

Harry: Yes, because that was the first time you ever used us as your like emergency contact and the first time we had to come save you. You weren’t super wasted, Niall and I just had to make sure you got home safe and it was nice because you kept telling us how much you loved us.

Niall: Now we always gotta come save er, member that one time we had ta crash her date wit dat golf dude?

Princess: Oh god

Harry: That was fun! He was a proper dick.

Princess: Next question?

Q: This is the last one, who said I love you first out of the three of you?

Princess: It was Niall

Harry: I know everyone is gonna be shocked to hear it wasn’t me.

Niall: I mean yeah it was me. M’not ashamed of it. I was tellin P bye and was like love ya and she said love you too Ni and then Harry got all mushy an was like, what did ya say H?

Princess: He said and I quote “if we are saying we love each other I want to be involved because I love you too!”

Harry: Sounds about right.

Niall: That was like what three months into the friendship?

Harry: Yeah five or take a few weeks.

Princess: Now we say it all the time!

Harry: So that’s it then yeah?

Interviewer: Yeah that’s it! Thank you so much for your time this was so fun.

Niall: It was fun gettin ta hear what people wanna know bout the three of us. Hope it wasn’t borin.

Princess: Us boring? Never.

[amazingphanisnotonfire-imagines]

Sweet Pea//Freeze Your Brain

Request: Can I request a song-fic with song Freeze Your Brain, with Sweet Pea/Reader, plot twist, reader is "JD" in it; for the plot maybe Sweet Pea's talking about how the Serpents are his family; sorta trying to help reader settle in to school

hey! first of all warning: death of a parent and abandonment. other than that, i hope you enjoy it! also, this has been sitting in my drafts for m o n t h s. like i wrote this last year at some point i think, so here ya go! sorry everything is taking so long. 

“Oh.” Sweet Pea’s familiar voice makes you look up from the magazine stand you were staring at. You and Sweet Pea were in practically every singe class and you almost always sat next to each other meaning that you talked to him several times a day, practically every single day. From the conversations that you had had, you learned that he was a serpent, he was funny and he was cute as hell. “I see you’re familiarizing yourself with the local and only 7-11 we have.” 

“Something like that.” You shrug and take a sip from your slush. 

“Sooooo, what are you actually doing here?” 

“It better than being at home? You?” 

“Fangs wanted some Corn Nuts.” He replies and waves the packet in his hand. 

“Oh.” You reply and go back to reading the front of the magazines. 

“So, how are you finding Riverdale High?” 

“Its okay.” You shrug. “I’ve been to ten high schools already so they’re kinda all starting to blur.” 

“Oh. Do you think you’ll be staying here for a while?” He asks, a hint of hopefulness in his voice. Your eyes meet his and you send him a warm smile. 

“Hopefully.” You nod. “It just depends on my dad. We have to move around a lot because of his work so there’s no point in ‘planting roots’ if you know what I mean?” You explain and he nods. 

“Yeah, I get that. My mom was kinda the same before she left me. Instead of moving around she just moved in a lot of different ‘boyfriends’.” 

“I’m sorry she left.” 

“Its fine.” He shakes his head. “You know enough about me. Tell me about you. I’ve only had a so many conversations with you in class but I know nothing about you.”   

“There’s not much to tell.” You reply and walk around to the drinks aisle. He follows closely behind you and picks up a bottle of soda. “My dad keeps two suitcases packed in the den no matter where we are so its really only a matter of when. Thats why I haven’t really bothered talking to people. I used to, but after the third school there’s really no point, don’t learn names or bother with faces. It easier that way.” 

“That sucks.” 

“Yep.” 

“If it makes you feel any better I don’t like Riverdale High much. Its too preppy.”

“It is definitely the preppiest school I’ve ever been to.” You laugh softly and he smiles at you. 

“I think you would have fit in at Southside High.” He says casually and you raise an eyebrow. “Thats the school the serpents went to before Riverdale. Southside High was closed down and we were transferred.” He explains. 

“Oh.” You take another sip of your drink and move further down the aisle. 

“Apparently we’ll ‘get a better education’ at Riverdale High. But you can’t get much of an education if you’re fighting people that hate you because you’re ‘invading their territory’.” He mocks and you laugh. 

“Is the education the reason Southside High was closed?” 

“No.” He shakes his head. “It was deemed a health hazard due to toxic fumes from one of the chemistry labs but everyone knows that Mayor McCoy just needed an excuse to close it down.” 

“Ah.” 

“So, how do you cope with moving around all the time?” 

“You promise you won’t laugh?” You ask and he nods. 

“Cross my heart.” He replies. “Scouts honour.” 

“I don’t believe you were in the scouts.” 

“Fine. Serpents honour.”

“Every time I feel like the worlds falling down and that I’m going to start having a breakdown, I always got to 7-11.” You admit and he stares at you dumbfounded. 

“7-11?” He asks and you nod. 

“Its like a concrete oasis.” You add and he laughs loudly. “You said you wouldn’t laugh.” You roll your eyes and start to walk away. 

“I’m sorry.” He runs after you. “I just wasn’t expecting that.” He catches up to you and you stop walking so you can glare at him. “Tell me about why you love 7-11.” He continues and you raise an eyebrow. “I’m being serious. Tell me.” 

“Fine. But if you laugh I will kick you in the balls.” 

“Okay?” 

“7-11 never changes. Literally every single store is the same, from Las Vegas to Boston. Linoleum aisles that I just love to get lost in. And the slushes. Don’t get me started on the slushes. They are God-like.” You ramble and he smiles at you. “Are you laughing?” You ask in a threatening tone. 

“No!” He says quickly. ‘Its cute.��� 

“Hmmm.” You narrow your eyes at him and drink some of your slush. 

“I really do live for the sweet frozen rush.” You say to no one in particular.

“I feel the same way about the serpents...kind of.” He interrupts your moment of thinking. “They took me in when not even my own mom wanted me.”

“Your mom’s an idiot.” 

“I know.” He nods his head and you smile softly at him. 

“Care for a hit.” You offer him your slush and he takes it from you.

“Who needs cocaine when you can just have one of these?” He asks. 

“Exactly.” 

“Anyway, so the serpents. Its like having a really weird extended family. We look after each other, its even written in the rules. Although I dunno if anybody has actually written them down or if they’re just remembered. But they’re the best family I could wish for. Better than my actual family.” He trails off and stares out the window for a few seconds. He’s clearly thinking about something unpleasant, but it passes and he quickly turns his head to look at you. “What about yours? Does your mom know you eat all this crap?” 

“Not anymore.” 

“What?” He asks worriedly, his eyes widening. 

“When my mom was alive, we sort of lived normally but now its just me and my dad.” You explain. 

“Sorry.” He apologizes. “But its nice you still have your dad.” 

“We’re a littles less formal...and normal.” You mutter the last part. “He isn’t really around much so I had to learn to be an adult quicker than a lot of kids do. I learned to cook pasta, and almost burned the house down the first time.” He interrupts you with a small laugh and you smile at him. “I pay rent and stuff. Turns out the world owes you nothing.” 

“Not even a cent.” He finishes your sentence and you face him. 

“Exactly.” 

“You know if you wanna fit in at Riverdale High, you need to know what you’re doing after. You ask literally anyone that goes there and they’ll tell you their life plan for the next 10 years.” 

“Hmmm, lets see. I could go to a college, but who knows where I’ll be by then.” 

“You could marry a lawyer.” He suggests. 

“Hm. Depends on what type. Are they gonna be like a medical lawyer or one of those ones that get given to criminals when they can’t afford one?”

“In the middle? He’s the best at his firm, but his firm isn’t the best.” 

“I could work with that.” You nod and walk towards the candy section.

“But.” 

“Ooooo. There’s a but? Now I’m intrigued.”

“The sky’s gonna hurt when it falls.” 

“Damn.” You sigh and he sends you a sympathetic smile. 

“You better start building some walls.” 

“Already have.” You wave your half empty slush in front of his face and laughs. 

“Do you have any more insightful information?” 

“Nope. Wait, don’t talk to anyone but the serpents. Now I’m all out.” He says making you laugh.

“Do yourself a favour then.” 

“Whats that?” He asks. 

“Freeze your brain.” You hand him your slushie and he nods.

“I’ve got brain freeze!” He says after a few seconds. 

“Get lost in the pain Sweet Pea.” You reply. “Just shut your eyes tight until you vanish from sight. Thats what I do.” 

“Thats not healthy.” He replies and gives you your cup back. 

“I know. But do you have any other solutions?” You ask and move further around the shop until you finally decide where to stop.

“No.” He shakes his head. 

“Exactly.” 

“Fight pain with more pain.” 

“Yep. Now you’re getting it.” You smile at him proudly. “Forget in six weeks you’ll be back on the road...and you’ll have to say goodbye to the only good thing you’ve had in your life for a long time.” You say sadly and look at Sweet Pea. He’s already looking at you, his gaze going from your eyes to your lips and back again. You lean in slowly, and he closes the gap, his hands resting on your waist. You pull back and smile at him softly. His expression mirrors yours and you both stare at each other for a few seconds before you turn away. 

“On Monday do you want to sit with Serpents at lunch?” He asks and you hesitate for a moment while your filling your drink up. “Its not gonna hurt you to make some friends. 

“You sure about that?” You raise an eyebrow. 

“Try it.” 

[thevoilinauttheory]

🌟 …someone my muse trusts.

[ This is a long one! I had this really great idea for it, and I wanted so much to do this. So... only the first portion will be posted here, and the rest (including an answer from Danny at the bottom!) under the cut~ thank you so much for the ask @lukawarrioroflight! ]

[ “I trust you”, he was told. He had to turn to make certain he heard that correctly. No one had ever said that to him - to his face, anyways. Why should he be trusted? He never gave his name, he never took off his mask… there was nothing about him TO trust. “Lead on.” The rain had made the air grow cold, and being drenched did not aid in this. Danny barely felt it, his clothes often too warm - he had offered it earlier, with it denied at first. “Your coat grows more tempting,” “Ain’t no shame in askin’ fer it.” Was his response, and he pulled robes up over his head to hand over. Perhaps it was the comfort he felt in his presence, or it simply slipped his mind. His arms free to show, with no coverings left on the slithering vines that made them up. But… there was no staring in response, there were no comments, in fact, it was as if they didn’t exist at all. Still, yet, he apologized for them. “Ain’t too much a pleasant sight, but… kinda strange y’haven’t even stared. Tha’s usually th’response I get.” “Well. That’s awfully damn impolite.” Never had he felt so comforted by just one sentence. ]

[ After he had managed to shoo off the offending treant, Danny offered to carry him. A twisted ankle was no good to walk on. That offer was met with a smile, skeptical, at best - though upon scooping him up into his arms, he could only feel the heat filling his ears. He went to the safest place he could think of - his home. “Yer welcome t’stay ‘ere s’long as that takes.” He had laid him down on his bed to work on making that injury more comfortable, there wasn’t much else he could do besides offer some ice crystals to help the swelling. Danny turned to start up a pot of tea on the fire - and that was when his own wound was addressed. “When do you think you might take care of that?” He asked him. He never really thought about it - though when he did, that’s when the pain set in. It hurt worse when he tried to pry his robes off. “Sss.. ah. Ow. The back's always th'worst... would it, uh... be too much trouble t'ask y't'help me out in cleanin' it?" This was probably the first time he had asked for help from him - he never wanted to be a bother or a burden, and usually handled his wounds by himself or with his mentor, but… there was something about him that made it easier to ask. Even if it was embarrassing. When his wounds had been properly cleaned and dressed, he stood again to retrieve something from a nearby desk. "...I, uh. Made y'somethin'. T'thank y'fer helpin' me all th'time.” Inside was a good attempt at making a sweater, and a carved wooden mask as gold as his own. That’s when he took his off, for the first time. ]

[ Danny rushed about creation trying to find him - checking every inn in the Shroud, even when he had to throw on a new disguise to get into Gridania. His excitement was met with less so from him - and: “...it ain't hard t'see yer troubled. Guess that's why I wanna help so bad. I like seein' y'smile, 'n if I can help y'in any way, I want ta." He shook his head. "...I'll keep th'snowstorms at bay, if I can." "...the weather's fine. Out there, anyway -- I know that. But I keep... I keep waiting for the clear blue to go that terrible steel-grey color, and the wind to start howling." Danny had meant it in a metaphorical way, to try and keep him warm - comfortable. Maybe even safe. He carefully pulled him into his lap, holding him close, giving him a shoulder to lay against. He didn’t know what to do. For him, the silence was excruciating. All he could think was what he could say to make all of this go away - to make everything better - as unrealistic as it was. All he could think of… was what someone in his family would do for him. Sing.

"Loo-li, loo-li, loo-li lai lay..."

He was more than embarrassed to do so, his voice was soft, it shook with his heavy heartbeat. He had a hard time breathing, even. And yet… he still continued to sing, and since he had not heard any criticism, he kept going. Soon, it became easier. He inhaled sharply, and let out his voice as clear as it could be; without hindrance, this time. ]

[ Vined fingers intertwined with his - and then some, as some of the vines on his arm seemed to just... grow like a magnet towards him and latching into whatever they could grab a hold of. He enjoyed his presence more than any other - everything he did was unconscious. Even when the previous events had made them tense, he still leaned against Danny’s shoulder. That small bit of contact… it made his heart jump. That he could be this solid pillar - or perhaps that's just what he wanted to be for him. The shoulder he literally and figuratively could lean on. His thoughts were going every which way - there was so much he wanted to say to him. So much he wanted to do. It may not have been the right time, but… he pulled his mask off and near slammed it on the table. "No. No, no. Not gonna do this t'm'self. Puttin' th'foot down thoughts, y'can't keep doin' this t'me." Now or never, he told himself; and so whether he was prepared or not, or even wanted it or not; Danny leaned himself down to press their lips together in an awkward mess of a kiss. He paid no mind to the publicity of his face; he had forgotten, actually. Part of him hoped it'd last forever like this.

"S'Danny. M'name."

-

"Come, sit down. You're fretting over my scratches, but..." He let the rest go unsaid: perhaps it was sufficiently obvious. "Y'don't gotta... S'fine, really." Danny pulled his tattered robes over his head - he already knew the more he griped the worse it got. "...I know I don't have to. But have you considered that I *want* to?" No, he hadn’t considered that. Why would anyone want to? He hated dumping his mess on others, but… no, he wasn’t going to argue. If he wanted to help, he’d trust that he wasn’t lying to him. There was no one else he would trust with that. He smiled at the thought. "... Alrigh', alrigh', y'win... I get it." More flowers sprouted from his arms the more he helped with his injuries - again. But… out of impulse, he bent to kiss one of the nodding flowers. It caught him off guard, causing him to shiver in response. The flowers, however, seemed to shrink back into his arms slowly... only for them to grow again. He wanted to know what they meant, curious as to what emotions where causing them. "...Over'n over, so loud, they tear inta m'head; 'I love ya', I love ya', I love ya'.' Jus' takin' over everythin'... I wanted it t'stop... it was hurtin', m'head, m'chest, everythin'." He admitted it - it almost hurt to do so. To think of it possibly being rejected… "And what is it you want...?" The question might have been purely teasing, were it not for the way he held Danny's gaze. "T' hold ya'... I always kept m'distance. I couldn't handle gettin' close, but... now I jus'... want y'near me." ]

[ He had come at the behest of Maximiloix - to see Danny after his disappearance a week ago. So many flowers grew from him - anger, betrayal, surprise… hope. A blanket of snowdrops grew upon the floor, crawling towards him at the door. He knelt, brushing his fingertips lightly over the nodding white flowers at his feet. The feeling of his fingers on those flowers made him let out a heavy sigh - filled with some sense of relief. Calm. He swallowed. "All I needed was to know was that you are alive," "...I missed y'a lot, I want y't'be 'ere. I jus'... can't let y'see me. Not like this." His voice cracked for a moment - it sounded like he were about to cry, if not holding himself back from doing so. "I missed y'a lot," he repeated. "I don'... know what t'do. I... I want y'close, it'd... help a lot. But I don'... y'won't like it. Disappear fer a few days, then lettin' y'down in the process."

"...there have been rumors," Aafter a pause, he spoke. "That the Wailers found you, that they---" It didn't bear saying aloud. "I didn't believe it. I couldn't."

"...M'sorry... I didn't want y't'worry and I went'n worried y'more... I'll..." The leaves settled, slowly withdrawing. A single stalk of violet hyacinths sprouted beside Danyell. "I won't do that 'gain... I'll come right t'ya'... I don' want rumors t'give y'news. Least, if I do die, Master Voilinaut would let y'know." "I don't mind the worrying itself," he added quietly. "It is an unavoidable part of loving someone, I think."

Those words shocked him into some stupor. Maybe it wasn’t the first admission of it, but it just hit him here. Harder than it had before. He built up the courage to step out from behind the screen, to show himself and the injury that started it all. From the broken side of the mask bloomed three roses, one crimson, one orange, one yellow. Willow branches hung from his eye - as if crying - pressed against the flat leaves of mint which covered the burn scars on that side of his face. "Completin' th'image, I am." He tried to laugh it off - it fell into a melancholic tone.

"Well, is it strange to find it beautiful, too?" He murmured with hesitation. When he looked up at him, Danny could feel unspoken words hanging there, waiting to be heard. But there was nothing. “...jus' a little strange." Danny smiled against the top of his head, then lifted again to look at him. He could feel the heaviness, but gods, everything felt so much better when he was around. “Seemed like y'had somethin' t'say." His eyes darted over Danny's face for a long moment, as if to reassure himself. "...gods be good, I thought I was going to lose my mind," he whispered, "thinking I might have lost you." "..." There was still silence from him - not a common occurrence, being at a loss for words. "Won't happen 'gain... promise. If I gotta hide... I won't hide from ya'." After gentle kisses and gentler touches, he pressed their foreheads together with a soft smile.

"Can't help it, jus' like bein' close t'ya'. Never had anyone as comfortin','' a pause, before he admitted: "as safe, before." ]

“Aye, ‘ve got someone I trust. More than anyone, actually. Master Voilinaut says that I shouldn’t, that M’askin’ fer ‘nother heartbreak. But… at th’same time, ‘e seems… proud? Regardless. Danyell’s been there with me, goin’ through everythin’- ‘e’s comfortin’. I guess only strangers would know th’sunny outside, n’while I believe there’s still sun on the inside, s’like there’s a huge wall o’ ice in between there… n’, n’ I don’t mind it. Sure, it can be scary at times, but… s’kinda groundin’ fer me. ‘E don’t get mad, when M’ all over th’place; ‘r upset if somethin’ comes outta m’mouth wrong. Errr, except that one time, but it was an outlier, ‘cause I didn’t really *say* anythin’ wrong - but I did *do* somethin’ wrong, ‘r well, not wrong, but definitely bad timin’.”

“Anyways, it was a slow process, I think. Over years n’moons. It was worth it, though. I don’t think I coulda asked fer anyone better n’my life. ‘E’s made me consider a lot, ‘bout everythin’. ‘Bout people, ‘bout th’Wood, ‘bout me. I said it ‘fore, I’ll say it ‘gain: I’ll follow ‘im t’th’ends o’ th’world if I gotta.”

[ And a tag for @renofmanyalts for their character, Danyell Dwynwen! ]

[lady-grace-pens]

Wip Excerpt: HTKAG

In light of this wip hitting another 10k word goal recently (currently sitting pretty at a whopping 120k/150k 😅), another excerpt is due! This babe I wrote today, buut I actually loved it so much I knew I had to share it with y'all right away. That all being said, let's stop wasting time and get straight into it!

Our scene begins with Allister entering a restaurant to have dinner with Mikko, Fingal, and Perci, but Perci is late.

—

Upon telling the hostess Fingal’s name, she leads me away to the right half of the room. Off in a booth stowed away in the corner sit Mikko and Fingal jabbering away mid-conversation. Once they notice me, they stop and smile.

“Hey! There’s the man of the hour,” Mikko exclaims, throwing his hands in the air.

“Not late, am I?” I grin, taking a seat beside him.

“Nope. Right on time to get some drinks,” Mikko starts smouldering at our hostess.

“With what money?” Fingal retorts with a glare.

Mikko blinks, struggling to come up with a defense. It seems he mustn't have anticipated Fingal to interrupt his attempt at flirting…

“Wha - With our money, of course,” he laughs, trying his best to make a smooth recovery.

“Aye. Which is why we’re not using my money to buy alcohol while a minor is here.”

Mikko doesn’t reply. Then again I suppose he doesn't need to, his confusion is written all over his face.

“Don’t tell me you forgot about Perci. He’ll be here any minute.”

“Oh! Fuck, that’s right. Him. Well obviously he won’t be getting any. And come on! You know how fast I can down a beer Fin! It’ll just be a few. Just a few rounds! Don’t be an ass.”

“Watch yourself Mikko, it's not polite to use such language in the presence of a lady.” I chime in, giving the hostess a polite smile.

“Oh I’ll show you what’s not polite-” Mikko says before slapping my head.

I try to hit him back, but he catches my hand before I can. Before we know it, we’re caught in a ridiculous slapping fight, both laughing our asses off.

“Not in a restaurant, not in a restaurant!” I speak through gasps, trying to end things.

Mikko obliges, tossing his hands back in his lap.

“A waiter will be right with you,” the hostess makes a case to look at each one of us except for Mikko before finishing her sentence, “... gentleman.”

Much to my surprise, Mikko doesn’t seem to be affected by that backhanded insult. Instead he kicks his knees up against the table and rests his head back, totally listless.

“Mikko, I would’ve thought you’d be more offended by that.”

“Huh? Why would I be offended at something when it’s true?”

“I’ll say. You and Al couldn’t be any more opposite. If there’s anything larger than the truth, the fact that you’re not a gentleman is way beyond it.”

“Exactly. And Mikko, you are aware of the fact that she was just a hostess, right? It isn’t even her job to serve us drinks.”

“I... ��� Mikko laughs before leaning over the table again. “Listen. You two just don’t get it, do you? No. You don’t. Allow me to be the one who graces your palettes here, eh? Let me tell you what I’m gonna do. Okay? I’m gonna give you a tip. A piece of advice that will change your lives forever. All for free! You don’t even have to pay me. All you gotta do is listen. Got it? You both ready?”

Fingal and I share a look. I can tell we’re thinking along a similar vein of confused intrigue. We should most likely stop Mikko here, as whatever will come out his mouth won’t be anything good. However, we’re both too stunned to stop him, so…

Mikko beckons us to lean closer to him. Fin and I oblige. We’re almost touching heads when at last our dear mentor speaks once again, in a hushed voice. “It’s not about what you say. It’s about how you say it.”

…

There are no words. For about a minute straight Fingal and I are just staring at each other wearing the same expression that exudes two questions. ‘What the fuck? You’ve heard that too, haven’t you?’

Soon after that’s established and our shock subsides, we burst back to life. Fingal starts us off with, “Dammit Mikko. What the fuck? Where did you learn that? Who taught you that?”

“Some guys from the bar! Why, what’s wrong with it?”

“Which guys from the bar?”

“I don’t see how it-”

“Mikko. Which guys from the bar taught you this?” Fingal insists, a flash of anger showing in his eyes.

Mikko seems to notice this, and complies straight away. “Leo, John, Peter and Paul!”

Fingal buries his head in his hands. This sparks my curiosity. I haven’t heard these names before, but Fin clearly has.

“I can’t say I’m familiar with them, who might they be?”

“Bar friends-” Mikko starts, only for Fingal to finish for him.

“Jokesters. Jerks. Cheapskates always looking for a laugh. Assholes. Can’t wait to give them a piece of my mind.”

Mikko shrinks away from Fin. His head is turned away from me, but I don’t need to see it in order to know how stunned he is. It’s expressed flawlessly through the abnormal quietness of his voice. “Fin? What’s up, why’d you-”

“Because those dicks have been filling your head with shit like this every damn time I turned my back, Mikko! Dammit, this - this is why you always get rejected! Universe, I just wish you would’ve checked with me first about things like this. Not some strangers you barely even know, yet idolize them anyway.

You wanna know how you get a girl Mikko? Huh? You be nice. You be nice to them, you talk with them, and you listen. Compliments and flirting, all that helps, of course, but not forever! And you sure as hell can’t build a relationship strictly off of it. Okay? Standards and expectations vary from girl to girl, but with each and every single one there are a few things that you just have to do. Be nice, have respect, help them just for the sake of helping them! Don’t expect anything in return. Overall just - just be a decent fucking human being. That is how you get a girl.”

Mikko sits there, staring at his brother. I can’t help but do the same. In every respect, Fingal is right. Of course he is. It’s just… rare that we see him so worked up. I can hardly believe my eyes. I can hardly believe my ears, I… I can’t imagine how Mikko must be feeling.

Oh so gradually his head sinks down into his lap. He slumps over, and I swear I can see fractions of tears reflect the golden light radiating above us.

“Can’t believe I’m actually telling you this when you’re eighteen. Fucking eighteen,” Fingal scoffs, crossing his arms.

“I’m sorry-”

“Don’t be. I’m not mad at you. This is my own fault, I blame myself.”

“Aw, come on man! That’s even worse,” pouts Mikko.

Fingal then turns to me with an abruptness that makes me jump. “Al, what’s up? You’ve been quiet for a while. You can back me up on this, can’t you?”

“I…” I force a chuckle to try and lighten the air some. “I don’t think that I’m currently in a position to give advice like this, to be honest with you.”

Fingal leans his elbows on the table, holding his head with one hand. “Why? Something happen with Maddie?”

“Oh, did it ever,” I shake my head.

—

Aand that's all you guys get for spoiler reasons! Lmao

(also because that's all I've written today but shhhh don't tell anyone)

Buut yeah. Legit I swear I didn't mean to go so hard on feminist Fingal 😂 I mean don't get me wrong here, he's absolutely right and I'm keeping it in. But still, the words just kept on coming and coming and we ended up with this

so

y'know

yeah

writing is super fun sometimes

Plus tbh, writing the part where Mikko is stroking his ego and whispers his ‘top secret trick to get women’, I was literally laughing out loud 😂 like he's just so wrong, and I love how horribly Mikko fails in life. It's just super funny to me, I enjoy it a lot.

Fingal, however, clearly does not enjoy it, lmao. Legit I had no clue he could be so protective until today! Especially over Mikko. I mean I always knew their dynamics, but today… it really hit home for me.

Go back and look at the line of dialogue Fingal says right after Mikko apologizes (a rare occurrence, actually).

It’s just one little piece of dialogue, barely a few sentences! Yet I feel like it hits you. You know? It reveals so much about his and Mikko’s vibes, their situation. A pair of brothers poor and orphaned by their birth parents and raised by their grandmother, who is only growing older and weaker each year. Fingal, the eldest, having to take responsibility often. He feels pressured to raise his little bro, and feels like he's failed when Mikko turns out to be the way he is. Ya know? It's just one little thing of dialogue but I feel like it makes you feel the pressure Fin has to bear in a situation like theirs. Even if it’s only for a moment.

And Mikko! While he does incite a lot of the comic relief in HTKAG, I wouldn’t call him a strict comic relief character because that's never what I had in mind while writing him. He and Fin actually play a vital role in the plot of the story! Much more than what I can currently reveal to y'all.

Buut anyways, I'll stop rambling now. I really hope you guys enjoyed this little excerpt just as much as I adored writing it :)

—

taglist (let me know if you want to be added or removed!): @vampire-with-a-pen @writingonesdreams @justyouraveragewriter @kazenokaori @dahladahlabills

[your-local-vamp]

I disappeared off of the face of the earth for a while, but I’m back ya’ll!! I need to get used to the whole writing and then posting it thing haha. Anyway! I’ve had this idea for a really long time, but was very much procrastinating on writing it. Whoops. But here it is! It’s honestly mostly focused on the whole conflict within the vampire’s mind. I like to show different sides of them. My last one was straight up a stalker, but this one is a liiiiiiitle different, you’ll see :)! I need to shut up before I spoil the entire thing out of excitement lol. Oh and also! I finally took it upon myself to research how I can write better, make it easier to read and stuff. So if there are some errors or if anyone has advice for me, please do leave a comment! Also also, I have a habit to listen to badass vibe songs while writing/reading, so if you’re interested in some recommendations, hit me up! Okay that’s really it. Have fun reading!

Again, this story contains some explicit themes (blood, character death, overall just being angsty af) so make sure to check the tags before reading!

—————

Running From Death

I once again find myself drinking in the bar located a few blocks from my apartment. That intoxicated feeling I get after a few glasses is amazing to me. It’s pleasant to feel good for a change.

Being here also allows me to converse with the humans. Which is… Interesting to say the least. Their different personalities, lifestyles, stories. I happen to eavesdrop into conversations from time to time, which results in me hearing the most outrageous stories sometimes. May they be true or not, they interest me.

I try not to attract too much attention to myself, but I fail in doing so most of the time. Blame it on my charismatic vampire looks, I guess. Humans often strike conversations with me, but I’m not one to complain. I like talking to them when I get the opportunity.

The bell attached to the front door rings. A woman enters the bar. “Oh god, it’s her again,” someone in one of the booths behind me sighs. Hmm, must be a regular. I come here embarrassingly often, enough to call myself a regular as well, but I haven’t seen her before. She’s very handsome looking.

My hand covered with a leather glove tightens around the whiskey glass.

“Control yourself, please. You’ve practiced this many times before.”

It repeats in my head over and over again. Unfortunate things usually happen when I’m drunk. It saddens me, because I wish to not hurt anyone. I was a human once too. And I want to remember the memories from back then. Try to do ‘human’ things. But it’s hard, especially with-

“Hey, how are ya doing?” A voice interrupts my intrusive thoughts.

I look up and see the handsome woman sitting on a stool next to me. Her voice is lively and confident. But it’s probably just the liquor talking.

“Just thinking.”

“Abouuuuut?”

Oh god. She’s totally wasted. I now notice that she can barely even sit up straight without falling over. I can’t help but smile at her actions though, it’s almost endearing in a way.

“Just contemplating life, really.”

“I came here to do the exact same thing!” the woman says.

“How so?” I ask, now completely interested in her story.

“Ugh, where do I even start? My shitty boss fired me today. And you know what the most fucked up part about it all is? The fact that I’ve been working there for years! I did so much for his company, but he decides to just fire me, because ‘he’s gotta cut some people down’. So, I came here to drink my sorrows away. Well, I may have already visited two other bars, so I’m kinda far gone already haha.” The woman keeps on rambling, without actually making eye contact with whom she’s talking to. But I happen to listen to every single word.

“Why did he have to cut people off?” I question the woman.

“Pfshh, I don’t even know. Not enough money, I guess. He could’ve fired literally anyone else, but-“ she interrupts her own sentence, while her eyes make contact with the bartender, “-Hey! Can I have uhhhh. Whatever he has?” she finishes, while she absentmindedly points at my own drink.

She seems to have forgotten what she was talking about before, she’s just staring at the bartender until her drink is ready.

“And what’s your excuse for being here?” she asks, while taking a sip of her whiskey.

“Just taking a break from drinking blood and killing people.”

Well, that’s what I should’ve said if I really wanted to be honest. But being honest isn’t my reality. Lying has become my forte over the many years I have been a vampire. I don’t exist in the eyes of humans. And it should stay that way.

“Just taking a break from life.”

Yeah, that should do it.

“I come over here to share my entire life story, and all you’ve got for me is that? Damn.”

Or not.

“My life is really not that interesting,” I quickly add, trying not to blow my cover.

She takes an observing look at me. I have never felt so uncomfortable in my entire existence. She gives me the feeling like she can look right through my lies. “Hahaha, I’m just messin’ with ya. I don’t like to pry into people’s lives like that anyway,” the woman smiles.

Phew, I barely got away with that one. I return a signature smile to her. The one that makes everyone all the more invested in me, it seems.

*a few hours later*

The handsome stranger and I have been talking for hours. I lost track of time a while ago. Talking, or rather listening to her, reminds me of my human days. I used to help my elder neighbors with chores around the house, but ended up listening to them for hours and hours. I knew that when I had finished the chores, there would be a nice hot cup of tea and cookies waiting for me. The elder couple loved to share their stories with me. I know now that most of them were of pure fantasy, but at that time they were something I would so eagerly wait for to hear.

This woman gives me that feeling of nostalgia. The excitement of finally hearing the story I have longed for. It’s odd, since I have only met her a few hours ago. But somehow I feel like I’ve known her for a really long time.

“Nghn, my head hurts…” She snaps me out of my thoughts. “Woah there, don’t fall off that stool now,” I say, while carefully taking a step towards her. “C-Can you take me home?”

I look at her with disbelief.

Did she really just ask me to walk her home?

“U-Uh, I can call a cab for you? Or ask one of your friends to come pick you up maybe? I’m sure that-“

“Please.”

She looks at me with eager eyes. Her intention is really for me to take her home. If only she knew what I really am. I sigh. “Let me go to the toilet first, then I’ll walk you home.” I finally surrender to the human.

The entire way to the toilet I ask myself what I’m getting myself into. I shouldn’t be doing this, I know that all too well. But I can’t just keep hiding my true feelings all the time. I want to live amongst humans. I know that we can coexist. As long as I control myself, everything will be fine.

I sigh, take my gloves off and use the toilet. My head is suddenly throbbing like hell. I can feel that my body is trying to fight the urge to kill every single soul in this bar. Everything spins.

Shit.

“Hey, you ready or not? I feel like puking!” I hear the woman urgently knocking on the door. “Y-Yeah, I’ll be out in a sec!” I shout back.

I quickly finish and go back to the bar. “Let’s go,” we hurriedly exit the bar. She does so, because she needs to get home asap. And I do so, because of obvious reasons.

I can feel that I’m starting to lose control. It was a mistake drinking this much. I’m usually okay with drinking a few glasses, but this woman has a certain effect on me. And it’s not a positive one. Not while I’m drunk, at least.

The woman is currently walking behind me, laughing at her own jokes. All I want right now is to drop her off as fast as I can.

“Ah, shit!” I hear a loud thud.

I look back and see that she is now sitting on the cold concrete.

“What happened?” I ask, clearly concerned.

The woman shakes her head. “I’m so clumsy, I literally just stumbled over my own feet haha.”

God, we’re never going to get anywhere like this. “Oh nooo! My new pants! Ugh, this stuff always happens to me.”

I take a quick look at her leg and notice that the fabric is ripped open. She took a great fall apparently, otherwise that wouldn’t have happened.

“Damn, I’m bleeding too.”

That’s all she had to say to make my eyes turn red and making my fangs expose themselves. I quickly turn around, hoping that she didn’t notice my weird behavior already.

“Are you okay…?” she asks, proving my thoughts wrong. I disregard her question and return it with my own.

“Is it bad?”

I don’t know why I’m asking her that. No matter of how bad it is, the mere smell of her blood is driving me insane. All I can think about is that right at this moment.

“Uhm, no I think that I’m okay.” I can hear that she’s getting up and has started to walk towards me.

“Please, don’t come any closer.” I say this with a serious tone, hoping that she’d cease to move instantly.

“What’s wrong? It’s not even that bad.”

Fuck fuck fuck.

I can’t hold the urge back anymore. I never want to hurt humans, but I also can’t forget of who I have become. I’m a vampire. To stay alive, I need blood. Alcohol has terrible effects on me.

It’s like drinking water with salt in it. You’re drinking, but it worsens your thirst because of the salt. Alcohol only enhances my thirst for blood. I’m learning the consequences of that now.

The woman has come even closer to me. I turn around, only to see a reached out hand with blood on it. I try to fight the dark side of me with everything I have. That side of me gives in, eventually. I resist the urge and grab her wrist, only to warn her to stop.

However, this action suffers a great consequence. The woman looks at me. The white of her eyes turn dark red.

Wait… I look at my hand, having a firm hold on her wrist.

“My gloves!” is all I can utter at this moment.

I have forgotten my gloves in the toilet area. How can I be so stupid… I’m unable to touch any living being with my bare hands. If I do so, it dies. Everything I touch turns into dust. It’s a curse I have carried with me ever since I turned. It has barely posed as a problem the last few years. But I… I touched her without gloves on.

“W-Wait. No. I’m sorry, please!” I beg for my actions to reverse themselves. But what happened cannot be undone.

The woman’s eyebrows furrow and her eyes look back into mine, filled with betrayal. “H-How cou-ld y-ou,” she chokes on her own blood. She is in immense pain, I can tell. I let go of her hand, terrible guilt now washing over me.

She takes a look at her shaking hand, which gets covered with popping veins inch by inch. The sounds coming from her are agonizing. She stumbles backwards, now nearing her end. Tears roll down my cheek, as I carry her.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know my gloves were…” I’m unable to finish my sentence, as my non beating heart breaks seeing her mouth all covered in blood clots.

It’s ironic, really. I was barely able to resist the smell of her blood before, but now even though I’m covered with it, I don’t seem to mind.

Her body shivers uncontrollably, until it stops moving at all. I hold her limp body, watching my tears fall on her veiny cheek.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” I keep repeating it, somewhere having a wishful thought that I could go back before all of this happened.

But her body stays unmoving. I scream and I scream, all of my human feelings washing over me now. This shouldn’t have happened. My ignorance allowed this to take place. And I will never forgive myself for it.

I hear sounds of a crowd nearing by. In total panic, I let go of her body and hide in a nearby alleyway. I crouch and hold my hands over my own ears, trying to ignore the screams that are coming from the spot where I just killed a human. The tears are now streaming down, my thoughts racing. What have I done? I should’ve never went to that bar in the first place.

Fuck, I need to get out of here before they find me. I try to leave the guilt there and run from myself as fast as I can. I am a monster. And no matter how hard I cling on to the little humanity I’ve got left, I will always remain one.

[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 |

[bedtimebrain]

EXO D.O. : Summer Love Part 1

Characters: DKS x Reader (+ Chanyeol )

Ksoo’s is an actor having a musical where you are working at. And a summer crush begins...

‘Rrrrrrinnnng!!’ The alarm goes off, argh, you thought to yourself, another day to get up for work.

You were a hired hand at a theatre just 20minutes from where you stayed. A part time job you picked up during you summer vacation. Your job scope ? Literally doing anything you’re told.

Dressed in black top, black jeans, white shoes, you headed out . Comfortable. And dull. Just like yesterday, and just like today,how your day is going to be again.

A new musical team was heading in today. Honestly, you weren’t so keen on the team, just hoping there’s no one nasty, no cock ups.

Upon reaching the theatre , you head straight to the meeting room, you see Chanyeol (your (reallly really enthusiastic) friend), already there , setting up bottles and tidying up the room. Chanyeol was your best partner at work, nicely balancing out your negativity and always ready to help.

‘Y/N!! Aren’t you excited! A new team’s coming in today! I can’t wait to hear what’s performance we are preparing for this round!’

‘Hi Chanyeol, I don’t see how you can always be so enthusiastic every single day after doing this job for a month.. ‘ you rolled your eyes at him as you head over to help him out.

‘Everyday I just ....’

Before you could complete your sentence, rustling noises were heard outside the room announcing the arrival of the musical team.

The remaining theatre team and musical team entered the room. Both of you moved over to join the theatre team.

‘Hi everyone, we’re BCD production company, our production this round...’

Just as you were about to zone out a smooth deep voice shot you out of it.

‘...Hi everyone , I’m Do Kyungsoo’

Oh wow , that voice. You gave him a second look, thinking , this guy sure has big eyes. And.. a little cute too, you watched as he shyly flashed a smile to everyone and bowed.

After the cast introduction then the technical meetings, lunch time was finally here.

‘Chanyeol~~~ Let’s go get the bento boxes in together, I can’t do it alone todayyy’ you whined.

As you guys were picking up the bentos, that familiar face... ah kyungsoo! Walked over, ‘do you guys need some help?’ Reaching out his hands about to bring out more bentos.

Right before Chanyeol could respond, you cut in coolly ‘Erm kyungsoo-ssi it’s fine. You might just get us scolded , but thanks anyway’

He was a little taken aback, ‘ah sorry, I didn’t realise I would make you guys uncomfortable, I’ll head off. Thanks for bringing in the food’

‘Ya Y/N you’re surely a little too harsh, poor boy didn’t deserve that for being nice’

Ok honestly, he seems nice,cute and all, but work was work and you’re really edgy coming to that.

After bringing and distributing the lunch for everyone, you both picked up your own and started looking for a seat among the crowded rooms.

‘Y/N there’s a seat here, quick!’

You head over quickly, absolutely ready to start eating until you saw kyungsoo sitting on that same table. You stared at chanyeol with that OMG face, making that eye contact telling him ‘awkward?!’

You sat down, turned back to kyungsoo with a straight face, smile a little, and without a word start to eat.

The day’s bento was Chinese food, and it comes with your favourite custard lava bun. Your eyes brighten up, oh yes, sweet sour pork , you just couldn’t stop the ‘ahs, and wows’ . You didn’t even notice kyungsoo looked up a few times at you , raising his brows with a small smile.

You’re just a little excited when it comes to food

‘You might want to be a little careful with that’ you watch as kyungsoo tries to eat the lava bun. You thought to just warn him. He looked at you quizzically ‘the custard inside is hella hot’

Surprisingly that ‘warning’ of yours broke the ice between you guys. Though Kyungsoo was a little quiet, the three of you hit off well over the love of food. Kyungsoo took a little while to get comfortable, but soon many questions were thrown around as you guys get to know each other.

Lunch time passed by fast, so did the rest of the day.

Throughout the week, the musical team were all busy rehearsing and finalising their scripts. The theatre team were busying helping them get the stage and technical things ready.

You normally kept your distance from the musical team, but Kyungsoo just felt a little different. You guys made comfortable small talks when you met briefly along the walkways. During lunch he would occasionally walk by to chat with you and Chanyeol, teasing how whiny you were just like chanyeol too. As days go by, you started looking forward going for work. Somehow you liked the small talks you had , and somehow.. You felt yourself drawn to Kyungsoo, hoping you will get to see him before each day ends.

Today is the second last day of rehearsals. It’s already 9pm and most of the musical team has left. You were about start cleaning up as you head to the stage, but you see kyungsoo still there speaking with the director.

You chuckled to yourself thinking /That serious face of his really does scare people away if you don’t know him well/

Just as you were about to pick up the trash left behind on stage, the director called you over ‘that girl there! Could you come over please!’

Oh gawd, what’s up, please don’t get me to run some errands for you at this hour or get me to find some impossible props... You couldn’t hide your annoyed face as you stride over. Kyungsoo caught that face of yours and made a subtle imitation to tease you for the 3rd time today.

‘Could please rehearse Kyungsoo’s lines with him now ? Just read it out, there’s some details we are discussing to clean up’

‘ oh, sure~’ you replied with some forced enthusiasm.

Picking up the script , you started reading

Y: ‘How could it be that you were MinSeok? This is surely a twisted fate..’

K: ‘No, we are destined! After all these years I tried to find you, you finally appeared. Please don’t go!’

You read the next line in the script

/Hold female lead’s hand/

WHAT NO , WHATS THIS

Before you could even react to your senses Kyungsoo already reached out and held your hand, catching you by surprise that you could feel your eyes widen so fast. Looking at your stunned expression, Kyungsoo raised his brows then using his eyes to tell you to read your script.

In your nervousness you stuttered

Y:Er Minsoo, sorry , I meant

Minseok, no! I have to go , I left because the stars wrote about our twisted fate if we remained together’

/shake male lead’s hands off, and wipes tears/

Upon reading that line, you quickly shook his hands off with such force that Kyungsoo almost laughed in all his seriousness.

K: ‘There’s nothing to be afraid of now, my inner soul has changed..’

You continued silent reading the script directions

/walk towards female lead/

You see him approach you closer

The next line ...

/reach for her hand and give a forehead kiss/

OMG.

To be continued!!

Part 2

[quicksilverlightning]

The All Might Fan Forum Discussion Board, Part Two

ALL MIGHT FAN FORUM General Discussion All Might Battles Meeting All Might      Rescued by All Might      All Might Encounters      >Small Might Encounters (New!) Fanart and Fanfiction

Gone4-a-Jog

Small Might Sensei

I like to go jogging. I started recently and I’m not very good at it – I can’t run very fast or very long. But I like taking different routes and discovering new places when I stop to catch my breath. It was during one of my longer runs that I bumped into All Might.

I’d heard someone behind me a few minutes before I stopped to put my hands on my knees and try to gulp down as much air as possible, but didn’t hear that he stopped when I did so I jumped and nearly fell on my ass when I got upright, then nearly fell again when I saw who it was and this long sentence doesn’t begin to cover the comedy of errors that was my life in these few moments.

He stopped cause I was running wrong. Sidenote: there’s a such thing as running wrong. Apparently, you want to land in the middle of your foot and try not to land on your heel at all cause that can cause problems. He also taught me a few breathing rhythms for different intensities of runs.

He ran with me for about twenty minutes, correcting my bad posture and seriously I know every post on this forum says it, but All Might is super, super nice. Like, you’d think he’d have at least a little ego or something, but he doesn’t. He just wants to help everyone. He said hello to everyone we passed and doubled back to throw away a bottle someone dropped. He’d so nice you guys.

I’ve been using what he taught me for a few days now, and haven’t gotten a stitch in my side once. It’s so much easier to run now. Thanks Sensei!

Pepper-oni

Seatmates!

Small Might sat next to me on the bus. Pretty sure he could have had any seat he wanted no matter how crowded it was, but he was really polite and kinda awkward about asking if he could sit with me. Meanwhile, I’m internally screaming while trying to keep it cool on the outside.

He was texting someone on his phone – I tried not to stare, but it’s All Might, you know? I didn’t catch much, just that he was proud of someone, which, hello, is so frickking cute. He looked happy.

m0toroildrmz

A brief conversation with my mother:

“Mom, do you know who that was?”

“No?”

“That was All Might! All Might, mom!”

I leave my mom alone for five seconds to use the bathroom, and I come back to ALL MIGHT helping her with her English crossword puzzles. She didn’t even get an autograph for me.

oba-san581

the beach

I don’t know why it took so very long for it to click – after his last battle, I couldn't shake the feeling that I’d seen that tall, skinny man somewhere before. And he is such a distinctive gentleman; I was sure I knew him, somehow. It wasn’t until I met him on the beach that it finally fell into place.

I’m retired these days, so I have a lot of time on my hands. Every day, I take a walk from my home to the library and back. Sometimes I stay a few minutes, sometimes the entire day gets away from me. For months, almost every day without fail, there was a man and a boy cleaning the shoreline near my home. They would be there when I left for the day, and were still there when I came back. The boy was a scrappy, freckled little thing, cute as a button. The man was slender, but undeniably strong – he would step in to help with some of the bigger appliances, but mostly directed the boy and cheered him on.

I stopped to speak to them a few times; the boy was such a polite young man, and All Might was genial and humble. I never would have known. I could never have guessed had I not met him again, returning from the library with a book to enjoy near the waves.

It’s strange; heroes are so flashy these days, hustle and bustle and fight and move. And we appreciate them, need them. But there’s something so very special about the little things. All Might personally spent almost a year helping clean up a beach. Would anyone else in the top ten have done that?

He was every bit as kind as I remembered. He doesn’t accept praise very well, insisted the beach was all the boy’s doing. Which is fair enough I suppose – he did most of the heavy lifting. Even so, that man was out there almost every single day, with lunch and water and cheer and kind words. It warmed my heart, watching the two of them progress across the sand. I’m so glad All Might is a teacher now; those kids are in good hands.

spite-and-aesthetic

again with the cats

small might plucked my cat out of a tree AGAIN – same cat same tree he even fucking remembered me is this guy for real?

MKPlusUltra

All Might does not skip Leg Day

So I’m minding my own business, checking messages on my phone, waiting on my drink order, when there’s some commotion across the street – lotta loud noise, people screaming and running, standard-issue villain-tries-to-rob-the-till-at-the-combini sort of afternoon. It’s a tall guy with, like, I guess it’s a stretch Quirk off some kind? He looks like he walked out of some old-timey cartoon, all wiggly limbs bouncing everywhere, running from what looks like some rookie Pro – I don’t even think they were a rookie yet; maybe an intern? Anyway, Noodle Arms is booking it, Intern is after him as fast as his short legs can manage. Leggy clears the street in one jump and starts twisting his head around like he can’t decide where to go next.

It’s at that moment when All Might himself exits the building next to mine, one hand leaving his pocket to check his watch and Noodle makes a decision.

Now look, I’m gonna break this down into slo-mo for ya, cause seriously, it was a thing of beauty. It was one, smooth, impossibly cool-looking move, and every piece of it needs to be appreciated. This DUMBASS, who clearly had no plan whatsoever beyond “grab a hostage,” honestly thinks he can take on ALL MIGHT, I guess cause he’s skinny now or something. He wraps his stupid noodle limbs around him and All Might doesn’t even twitch when Dumbass constricts his arms and waves a gun around. Dumbass is yelling something, I don’t know what, who tf cares. All Might kinda tilts his head, wriggles his shoulders a bit, then lifts his arms up and slides out of the jacket so fast the fabric doesn’t even lose its shape. I’m not even kidding, it looked like it was on an invisible mannequin, this move came straight from the Acme school of How To Defy Physics. Dumbass has just enough time to look shocked before he’s eating a size 13 leather shoe – All Might dropped to his haunches, made a quarter-turn, and kicked his leg up and back, straight into the jaw of Dumbass. He kicks him so hard his feet actually lift off the ground and he flies backwards into a streetlamp.

All Might doesn’t even look angry; he just looks Annoyed, like someone forgot to put sugar in his coffee. He picks up his jacket and slings it over a shoulder and waits around a few minutes for the police to catch up and haul Noodle McDumbass into custody while Short Intern babbles away with stars in his eyes. It was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

AM_FAN0112

HE’S BACK

HE HASN’T BEEN TO THE SHOP IN THREE MONTHS TOSHINORI YOU USELESS SUNFLOWER I WAS WORRIED ABOUT YOU. I LEFT SO MANY TEARS ON HIS JACKET

YOU FUCKING SWEETHEART. YOU ABSOLUTE RAY OF LITERAL SUNSHINE. I WILL SAVE EVERY COPY OF SUGAR SUGAR CAT CAFE FOR YOU I WILL READ EVERY SINGLE DUMBASS ROMANCE MANGA I CAN FIND I WILL WORK IN THIS TINY BOOKSHOP FOR THE REST OF MY STUPID LIFE JUST NEVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN YOU AWKWARD JACKRABBIT DON’T EVER LEAVE ME HANGING LIKE THAT AGAIN

I’M SORRY FOR SCREAMING I JUST MISSED HIM SO MUCH HE’S MY FAVORITE CUSTOMER EVEN BEFORE I KNEW HE WAS ALL MIGHT. HE’S AN ADORABLE OLD MAN

RedRibbon

A good man

Perhaps it’s a little unfair for me to comment since I work in the Tower. Still, there are some things I wanted to share with the world and this is a good place to do it.

I’ve been at the agency for three years now, mainly doing secretarial work. My direct superior is a man named Yagi-san. Yagi-san acted as All Might’s personal assistant, right hand man, concierge, whatever you want to call it. Telling something to Yagi-san was as good as telling it to All Might directly. I, along with everyone else in the Tower, learned why that night in Kamino.

I’ve read many, many posts on these discussion boards and if I were to identify a unifying theme that everyone seems to mention, it’s that All Might is a nice guy. That he really, honestly cares. That he worries about the little things just as much as the big things. I’ve worked with Yagi-san for three years and can confirm that none of it is a show for the adoring public – it’s all 100% true.

Let me tell you something, I worked with Miruko’s agency before All Might’s, and Wash before that, but unless the two of them also have secret identities, neither one of them was on the ground floor pushing pencils with the rest of us like All Might was. I’ve seen Yagi-san escorting new hires around the building when they get lost. I’ve seen him roll up his sleeves and change a busted printer cartridge, ink all over his shirt. He knows everyone’s birthday. He’ll do coffee runs, answer the phones, make deliveries, grab lunch, whatever you need. I’ve seen him as All Might, shutting the press down when they start getting pushy with the employees, or dropping by the daycare and making the kids light up.

I’ve never seen him complain. I’ve never seen him brush anyone off. I’ve never seen him be rude, or arrogant, or insulting, or aloof. I’ve never seen him treat anyone as lesser, as if they weren’t worth his time. Yagi-san lifted morale just by being in the building, the way All Might cut crime rates just by existing. Everyone in the agency loved Yagi-san just as much as they loved the hero; everyone had a story about All Might, and another one about Yagi-san. I’ve seen a few of those stories on this very board.

But this one is mine:

Ever since high school, I’ve used a ribbon to keep the hair out of my face. I love my curls, but they can be a nuisance waving around at the edge of my vision, so I keep them pulled back. I like using ribbons because scrunchies often get caught in my un-tameable mess of hair.

My ribbon snapped one day at work. It wasn’t a big deal – just a minor annoyance to have to keep pushing my hair back. But Yagi-san noticed. He noticed without anyone saying anything, and came back from lunch thirty minutes later with a beautiful red ribbon that he tied into my hair.

It really is the little things that matter the most. This tiny little gesture made me feel seen, acknowledged, valued. Not just as an employee, but as a person. All Might cares about those kinds of things – his employees aren’t subordinates, they’re people. He doesn’t rescue victims, he recuses people. He doesn’t pull you up to his level; he gets on yours and puts you on his shoulders.

I’ve worn that ribbon nearly every day for two years. It’s gotten thin in places, kinda frayed at the edges, but still doing its job faithfully. A bit little like the man who gave it to me.

[andtheyweredeskmates]

Of Latte’s and Lingerie- Chapter Four

So I ended up putting this on AO3 if anyone would rather read it there. I probably wont update this for at least a week because I live in Texas so my job opened back up plus I have finals till next Friday. 

Links to the first 3 chapters: 1 2 3

Taglist: @catsssmeow

Adrien hated conflict. Like really hated conflict. Like the idea of conflict kinda made Adrien want to curl up in a ball and sleep until all conflicted parties were dead or unconflicted.

Unfortunately, Gabriel was privy to that. So while the deal he offered Adrien seemed stupidly unbalanced, it was kind of an act of genius. Adrien stared at his toes as he walked his way into Dunn’s. He really wanted to just shut his brain off. He didn’t really have to come to a decision immediately anyway. There was still time to enjoy his coffee and pretend like life was grand. Adrien was really good at enjoying coffee and pretending life was grand.

When Adrien got in line he shoved his hands in his back pockets and looked up at the sign, pretending he didn’t know what he wanted. But he always knew.

“Hey Tim,” Adrien said casually, walking up to the counter.

“Your large mocha frappe extra whip will be out in a minute.”

“It’s a little embarrassing how well you know me,” Adrien mumbled, getting out his wallet.

“Yeah I get that a lot,” Tim chuckled. Adrien paid for his coffee and started to walk to his corner. He stopped for a moment and gaped. It was taken. Adrien’s whole train of thought was derailed as he floundered, trying to think of a place to sit. He glanced nervously around to see that the coffee shop was completely full. Every table, chair and booth was occupied. His eyes lingered on Marinette in her usual spot and he felt the slightest bit of relief for the familiarity.

“Mocha Frappe for Adrien!”

Adrien walked hesitantly to the counter, still glancing around for a spot to open up. Maybe if he stared at someone long enough they’d get the mental message to leave.

“Your spots taken huh?” Adrien looked pathetically at Tim.

“You know, there’s a girl here that’s usually here when you are and she’s got plenty of room at her table. She’s really nice. You should ask to sit with her.” Adrien’s eyes got wide.

“Marinette?” Tim raised an eyebrow.

“Uh yeah, do you know her.”

“Not really. She’s… a work associate of my father.” Tim stared at Adrien for another moment before smirking.

“Well like I said, she’s really nice and she’s kind of having an existential crisis right now so I’m sure she’d love the company to keep her distracted.” Adrien glanced back over to see Marinette with her head in her hands. She left her hands slightly parted just enough to get the straw between them so that she could still easily sip her coffee without moving. Adrien smiled softly.

“Yeah, okay!” He took his coffee in hand and made his way over to the booth.

…

“Hey!”

Marinette was so startled she nearly spilled her coffee in her lap.

“Ohmigosh,” she stuttered. She looked up to see the hot blonde boy who usually sat in the corner booth.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you!” Marinette was frozen for just a fraction of a second, eyes wide and mouth open in a look of terror. Once she realized how stupid she probably looked, she immediately attempted to compose herself.

“Oh no! I just wasn’t paying attention! Um whats up?” She spoke quickly and she stumbled a little over her words. God he was freaking hot.

“Well, my usual spot kinda got taken and there’s no more tables left. I see you here a lot so I was wondering if maybe today I could sit here with you.” This could not be happening. Marinette had a slight inclination to burst out the door and never come back. But this also had the potential to be the best day of her life. Maybe this would be the story she would tell her kids when she explained how she met their father. She’d totally have his babies. He was so hot….

“I can sit outside if you don’t want company.” Marinette immediately realized she’d been staring silently for far too long.

“NO!” Adrien jumped a little at her squeak.

“I mean, no I’d love the company, um I just didn’t realize you’d noticed me here. I mean I’ve noticed you but you’re gorgeous… I mean- Your clothes are gorgeous! Um they’re Gabriel right?” Marinette rolled her eyes in her thoughts. Real smooth. The hot boy blushed a little and scratched his head.

“Uh yeah I wear a lot of his stuff.”

“Wow, I love his designs. They’re so beautiful. I’m hoping that maybe one day I could work for him. I’m a fashion designer.” Marinette was ready to die. And she would have if she hadn’t kept imagining “Marinette, beloved idiot” on her headstone. She had no idea how to talk to men.

The hot boy sat down across from her and smiled.

“I know! My father is in the business and he speaks very highly of your work!” Marinette could feel her cheeks heating up.

“Um, oh you’ve heard of me?”

“Yeah! You’re Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I thought about talking to you a few times but you’ve always seemed really busy.”

“Oh yeah… Um this is kind of like my workspace away from work.” The hot boy grinned widely.

“I love this place! I won’t even tell my friends about this place because I’m scared it’ll get to popular.” Marinette chuckled.

“I know what you mean. My best friend is a reporter so I tell her I go to Starbucks so she doesn’t expose my secret lair.” Marinette let herself relax for a bit. She found conversation really easy with the hot boy. He was good making small talk and Marinette just kind of felt her worries trickle away. Briefly.

“So what are you working on right now?” Marinette clammed up almost immediately.

“Oh, um nothing important. It’s kind of lame, I um I don’t really want to talk about it. I’ll probably bore you to death.” And just like that Marinette was mentally kicking herself again. If he had asked her 24 hours earlier about her project she would probably have talked his ear off. She was extremely proud of her line and she was equally proud to be submitting it to Gabriel Agreste.

But here, in the present, the idea of her project made her nauseous.

“Well I heard that you’re working on a line for Gabriel Agreste.” Marinette prayed briefly to god and thanked him that she hadn’t had been sipping on her coffee when he said that.

“What!? Where did you hear that?” Marinette couldn’t look in a mirror but if she could’ve she would’ve see a jittery, crimson frinese (an inside joke between her and Alya) woman, fidgeting frantically with the collar of her blouse. And if she had looked in this mirror, not knowing that it was her, she would’ve laughed hysterically at the poor sap.

The hot boy however, was much nicer and much worse at reading social cues than Marinette.

“Oh you know, I have connections. I was actually considering attending the show your line’s gonna be featured in.” And if Marinette had an ounce of sanity left, it evaporated with that sentence.

“Oh.” Was all she could manage.

“I bet its gonna be great. I’ve heard really good things about your work.” If Marinette’s sanity hadn’t evaporated, she probably would’ve been very flattered.

“I guess you’ll have to wait and see,” she said flatly. She was staring off into space with a dead look in her eyes. If the hot blonde boy saw her in any of the pieces she’d designed, she’d die for real.

“I guess I will! I got to get going but do you think I could come sit with you again another time?” Marinette suddenly looked at Adrien who looked very hopeful and a little embarrassed.

“Of course!” she responded. “Anytime!” The hot blonde boy grinned.

“Awesome, see ya Marinette!” He got up and walked away, giving Marinette a brief wave.

“Yeah! See ya!” The conflicting emotions in Marinette were so intense she nearly crushed the coffee cup in her hand. On the one hand, she was still freaking out about work and the hot boy was doing absolutely nothing to make her feel better. On the other hand, Marinette was also kind of freaking out because she was excited that the hoy boy wanted to hang out with her again even after she acted like a complete jackass in front of him. Marinette pulled out her phone, shaking a little (from caffeine or anxiety, who could say?) as she typed.

To: Alya

I need you to come over tonight. Bring wine. Coffee is not strong enough.

…

Making new friends always put Adrien in a better mood. He was glad he went to Dunn’s. That place was literally the best place on earth. It made him feel infinitely better no matter what was going on. Adrien thought about Marinette. She was funny and a little awkward but Adrien liked that. He got over the confident, sexy façade in his previous line of work very quickly. Not that there was anything wrong with confidence but he hated that every woman he seemed to come in contact with tried to give off the same old, “I’m gonna break your heart and you’re gonna like it” vibe.

Adrien sighed. He was thinking about his fathers offer again. He supposed he could handle events a lot easier with a friend. Maybe they could go together. He figured Marinette would be up front and center for the upcoming show. It wouldn’t be far fetched to say they could sit together. Although he supposed he’d have to fess up to who his father really was. He scrunched his nose a little at the idea. He liked that she didn’t know. It made their friendship feel more real. But maybe he was getting ahead of himself.

             He couldn’t exactly call 20 minutes of conversation over coffee friendship. Could he? He was reminded for a moment of how he became friends with Chloe.

“Is your name Adrien?”

“Yeah.”

“You’re going to be my friend.”

Maybe Adrien could be adventurous. Just proclaim that Marinette was his friend now. He chuckled a little at the idea. He regretted for a moment not asking for her number. At least then he wouldn’t have to wait for a happenstance meeting with his friend. But thinking on it, he couldn’t remember a single time he’d gone to Dunn’s after 5:00 pm and not seen her there. Jeez maybe it really was her work away from work.

Adrien let his mind wander as he drove back home. But the soft smile never left his lips. He just couldn’t stop thinking about her. Marinette. His new friend.

Next Chapter

SPOILER FOR NEXT CHAPTER:

“MARI WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN YOU DON’T KNOW HIS NAME!”

[redrebecca]

Nap Time

Shawn gets back from a day of press and wants a nap

Warning(s): Fluff and the tiniest bit of smut ever. Literally 1 sentence and it’s not really smut. If ya get me

A/N: The weather is actually really nice and i was sitting outside writing this so if it’s bad I blame sunstroke. Feedback is appreciated, have a nice day!

Words: 2k

Over the sound of the episode of Greys you were watching, you could vaguely hear the scuffling noise that came from down the hallway. You chuckled to yourself when you heard a thud followed by a string of curses. That man was the personification of the word clumsy.  

 “Don’t worry I’m fine” You heard his sarcastic response to your amusement. You laughed louder at the antics of your boyfriend and pulled the soft comforter that lay across your stomach further up so it brushed against your chin. When no more possibly injury related noises came from outside the slightly ajar bedroom door, you snuggled back into the plush pillows that were heaped against the headboard, turning your full attention back to the small screen that hung on the wall in front of the bed. Immersing yourself once again in the characters and plot. 

But of course, the peace was shattered as your man-child of a boyfriend burst through the door, bounding towards you and leaping onto the bed where you had been lying peacefully undisturbed.

You were completely squished under his gigantic form and your attempts to push him off definitely didn’t work out. The ratio of his muscle in proportion to yours certainly wasn’t working in your favour – not that it ever had.

“Shawn,” you wheezed “you’re so heavy” He raised himself up on his elbows, enough so he was no longer crushing you but still close enough that he was able to lean down and blow a sloppy raspberry onto your neck, which you responded to with a surprised squeal. Your hands doing their best to push his face away from you as you felt the drool that was now coating the particular spot on your neck that his lips were currently occupying.

“How romantic” You teased, scrunching your face up as you reached up to wipe the wet patch that was left.

“You know it babe, after all, romantic is my middle name” He quipped, giving you his best smouldering gaze. You stifled a giggle by biting your lip, which he quickly observed – then misinterpreted. “Wait, did it work?” He asked, disbelief apparent in his tone. You threw your head back, the giggle that you had initially tried to conceal, escaping easily.

“Of course it didn’t” You reached up to where his face hovered a few inches away from yours and pinched his cheek. You chuckled at his dissatisfied expression that was now plastered on his face. You trailed the hand that was resting on his cheek to around the back of his neck, prompting him to lean down to kiss you. But no. He stiffened so you were unable to draw him - and his lips – any closer to where you were waiting. After noticing the hint of stubbornness in his body language, you decided to take matters into your own hands, this time leaning up yourself to kiss him. When he hadn’t moved you took it as a green light. So you closed your eyes and inched closer and closer until your pouted lips hit his- cheek? You pulled away to see he had turned his head at the last second. The little shit.

“You are unbelievable” you muttered, flopping back into the pillows that had previously been supporting your head.  He turned back to you with his infamous smug expression.

“Why thank you ma’am, I couldn’t agree more” He said, twisting your words with ease.

It was fair to say that after all the years of knowing each other he had definitely had enough practice. It only took a few weeks into your relationship for him to start turning your not-thought-out but well-meaning and innocent words and phrases into sexual innuendos. He relished in the feeling of accomplishment he got when your cheeks turned a shade of red that’s bordering on purple. He loved how you would often try to swat him away to try and distract him from your burning cheeks. But always one step ahead, your wrists would end up clasped in one of his hands, giving him the opportunity to pull you into his chest and to slot you in between his arms and his torso.

“Did you have a good day?” You asked, knowing how this morning he had been complaining about how tiring doing constant press can be. You cringed even at the thought of having to spend hours on end being happy, polite and sociable. Instead of arranging to meet people on your day off you had instead opted to stay at home in the comfort of your own bed. Did you regret it? Not at all.

He dropped his head so it was tucked into where your neck and shoulder met. He groaned against your skin.

“Babe it was so boring, I swear they ask me the same five questions every interview” His body tensed against yours as he spoke. You let your fingers roam to the base of his neck to tug gently on the smaller hairs which he would happily let you play with for hours. He hummed, the tension that had previously been building was diffused almost instantly as your hands worked their magic on his scalp.

“Will you have a nap with me?” He murmured into your shoulder. Your eyes found the small digital clock on your bedside table and you frowned.

“Shawn, it’s only five o’clock” Confusion laced your words at your boyfriend’s peculiar request.

“Is that a yes?” When you didn’t reply straight away his head raised up from your shoulder, his drooping eyes scanning your facial expressions. You let out a large sigh, which he took as an affirmative answer and started pulling the covers back from the space next to you, your eyes admiring the way his arms tensed and relaxed as he did so, you may or may not have drooled a tiny bit. When he was content that there was now enough free space for him to occupy he began to shift his weight off you and onto the mattress. You shook yourself out of your Shawn-induced coma.

“What do you think you’re doing?” You said, pulling at his belt loops to stop him from lying on the bed in the clothes he had been wearing all day.

“Lying on the bed so I can nap?” He said, unsure of why you had stopped him from doing so.

“Not in your clothes you’re not” He raised an eyebrow at your comment. You reviewed your sentence in your head and groaned when you heard the suggestiveness of your words. You leant over the edge of the bed, smiling lightly to yourself when you felt his large hand tighten securely around your waist as you leant down. “Just put your pyjamas on and be quiet”

“But I’m tired” He whined. You sighed again, refraining from shaking your head or scoffing at his childlike behaviour.

“Well what do you want me to do about it?” You asked, however Shawn misinterpreted the rhetorical part of your question – or he knew but decided to ignore it anyway.

“Can you put my pyjamas on?” You raised your eyebrows, not sure if he was joking or being serious – you weren’t quite sure which one you hoped it was. “Please” He half whined half wailed, giving his award winning puppy dog eyes, a small pout forming on his very lips.

You snatched the soft, cotton material from his hands. “Fine” you huffed slightly, begrudgingly pushing the comforter off your body and crawling on top of it. You hissed at the drastic change in temperature, the hairs on your body raising at the sudden contrast.

“You okay honey?” Shawn whispered, one of his hands moved up your leg and squeezed your thigh. The unintentional shiver that travelled up your spine certainly wasn’t from the cold.

“Yeh m’good” You murmured, your hands reaching to undo his belt, which, thanks to a lot of practice, didn’t take long. You slid his jeans down his long legs, fumbling to get them off his ankles, much to Shawn’s amusement. After climbing off the bed to tug the tight jeans over his ankles, you grabbed the sweats and positioned yourself, once again, at his ankles. However Shawn had dug his heels into the mattress so you were unable to pull them up his legs.

You glared at him, growing colder and colder every single second you weren’t in your bed. He chuckled.

“You know I don’t sleep in my underwear honey” He smirked whilst facing the ceiling, he had you exactly where he wanted you, he had expected from the start that you would’ve left him in his boxers. But what he didn’t expect was to feel your nimble fingers tug at the elastic band at the top of his underwear before slowly pulling them down his thick thighs, just like you had done with his jeans. His breath hitched in his throat as his eyes flickered down to watch you as your digits ran down from his hips, narrowly missing his length. His Adams apple jumped as he swallowed thickly, willing himself to calm down, after all, he asked for it in the first place.

However your eyes never left his, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing you blatantly staring at him. Instead you enjoyed watching the pained expression on his face morph into one of embarrassment as he noticed you observing his obvious signs of frustration at your movements. The flush on his cheeks spreading down his neck and underneath the collar of his shirt.

You smirked at him as you flung is boxers across the room and slid the sweats up his toned legs. Which you managed to do with ease considering his mind was occupied on thoughts that he was desperately trying to get rid of, instead of him being focused on not letting you put his clothes on.

“You alright there?” You teased, a soft giggle leaving your lips when he sent you a half-assed glare.

“Hmm, no thanks to you” He replied whilst sitting up. You watched him in anticipation as he reached down, your eyes following his hands avidly as they settled at the bottom of his polo shirt, his fingers danced across the hem of his shirt before pulling it up and over his head. You marvelled at his physique, not caring whether or not he caught you.

You squealed as his hands wrapped under your armpits and he dragged you up the bed and laid you down beside him. You peppered kisses across his face - kisses which he enthusiastically returned. To him, your laughter was contagious, and within mere minutes you were both giggling messes.

His bursts of laughter calmed down, however the beaming smile still remained in his eyes. “C’mon, let’s go to sleep” You nodded, wrapping your arm around him as he moved to lay on him back, snuggling your head into his chest. The rhythm that Shawn’s chest rose and fell to became slower, signalling that he would be drifting off to sleep anytime soon.

“You do realize this means I won’t be able to get to sleep tonight?” You murmured, you smiled into his skin as you felt his arm pull you thigh up over his legs.

“I guess you can say I have a habit for keeping you up all night” You didn’t need to look at him to see the smirk that would be adorning his face, you could hear it in his voice from the sheer smugness of his tone. You glanced up anyways, and sure enough your prediction was right.

“You’re such a dick” You whispered. Shawn lowered his head to look at you. You saw the cheeky glint in his eyes, hinting that there was still more where that came from.

“Is that a compliment honey because you seem to like mine” That was all it took for your cheeks to heat up. His hand swiftly moved up to your cheek, capturing your face in his hand before you could bury it away from his view.

“You’re never gonna stop are you?” You asked, already knowing the answer.

He brushed the pad of his thumb against your bright red cheek, his eyes following the path it took, analysing every feature of your face.

“Nope”

[dragonmaiden79]

How would the main 6 react to their MC being "betrayed" and left behind by their friends?

How would the main 6 react to their MC being "betrayed" and left behind by their friends?

Thank you anon! You're my first ask ever (*squeals in joy)!

Asra

*Immediately notices MC's change in behavior.

*Not going out much, being alone more, and being just generally sad. He starts to become concerned and asks questions, until eventually Mc breaks down crying in his arms, finally releasing everything about the situation.

*He'll hold them and wipe away every single tear, saying that only an ass who couldn't appreciate an amazing person would treat them that way.

*Surrounds them with warm blankets, pillows, and cuddles (squeezes from Faust too) after making some hot chocolate to settle them down so that they can tell him every single detail.

*And if they ever go out together in public and see those former 'friends', Asra makes sure that they never so much as glance at Mc again.

*He stands up to them, saying exactly what is on his mind and harshly warning them away, because he'd hate to make them sorry

*He's Mc's shield and that's all there is too it, so that is the one veiled threat warning that they get

Nadia

*The Palace servants love gossip and the information reached her before Mc had a chance to tell her

*Instantly, a summons and carriage is sent to the Shop to pick them up so that Nadia can console them

*Mc is greeted at the Palace with all of their favorite foods and snacks, assorted perfectly into a picnic basket, held by Nadia who has cleared her entire day to dedicate to their well being.

*As Mc explains what parts of the rumors were true or not, the Countess finds herself with a bad taste in her mouth, and by the end of the story she is having the guard serve each individual their 24 hour notice to vacate

*Makes it a point to have everyone in the Palace involved helping MC heal from the emotional trauma of being backstabbed. They will be catered to and cared for indefinitely or, at least until she is satisfied with their mood and level of happiness: They need to feel as loved and adored and amazing, as they are

*By the time Mc is ready to trust again, all persons involved in 'this abandonment debacle' have been banished and black listed from all Vesuvian and even Prakran properties, ensuring that Mc will never have to suffer the sight of them again

Portia

*She does feel bad for Mc, really. But she's honestly more than ecstatic that she gets more private time with them to cheer them up

*She heard the rumors about the friendships going to hell and marches right up to the jerks to confront them

*Unable to stop herself, she makes a scene confronting them in the Marketplace, calling them out shouting their bad deeds from the heavens

*She wants EVERYONE to know what jerks they are and how they treated Mc, so that the tables will turn and people look at them differently

*When she stops by the Shop, she brings a couple of loaves that legendary pumpkin bread to comfort Mc and let them know what she did

*They share a laugh about the way that those losers took off after she was done yelling at them and she assures Mc that she'll make up for all the friends that they lost by doubling- No, tripling the amount of time that they hang out together

*She invites them to everything she does, making sure they don't feel left out: Baking, visiting Mazelinka (who has an opinion on the 'friends' too'), keeping Julian out of trouble, and sleeping with Pepi- Things that keep Mc involved and engaged

Muriel

*He never wanted to meet these other friends to begin with, nor did he like what he saw of them while lingering in the background the 2 or 3 times that he did

*Inanna would growl whenever their scents got on Mc, so he already assumed the worst about them (aside from the general contempt he has for people as a whole)

*But it doesn't validate him in any way at all, when Mc shows up to his hut, distraught, looking unhappy

*They are welcomed in with open arms literally, engulfing Mc in a big warm hug after he closes the door to his hut

*Muriel listens silently yet, attentively, not missing a word, stroking their hair while they sit in his lap venting their shock, sadness, and frustrations

*When they're relieved and done letting everything out he's very tender and kind, giving them his best reassurances and dismissing the ones who hurt Mc as never worthy of their time anyway

*He offers Mc to spend the night with him so that they can have dinner and stay close during Mc's time of need

*He's not super certain on how he should be handling the situation, but he does his absolute best

* Perhaps staying more than just the night? Maybe spending a few days feeding the chickens, tending the vegetable garden, and napping together?

*Giving Mc some quality time to get their mind off of things is his goal

Julian

*After Mc tells him what happened, he enters an immediate state of disbelief

*Who could betray a person who's so beautiful, special, gifted, intelligent, amazing--

*The more he thinks about it, the more upset he gets on Mc's behalf. Cue Boss Julian™

*He knows exactly where to find the ones who hurt Mc and marches right up to however many people it is to make his point.

*"Listen here, you snake-tongued, yellow-bellied, pathetic-excuse-for-a-piece-of-rhinoceros-shit, filthy swine--" he says through gritted teeth, shirt collar of the offender in hand, other one jabbing a long finger into their chest

*"If you ever, EVER, so much as breath Mc's name in public, I'll make you wish that your meager shell of a body had withered away with the plague and burned at the Lazaret!"

* It doesn't end there though. Actually, that's where outpour of his love and adoration begins.

*He buys them a very thoughtful gift to start off

*He then talks Mc into coming with him on a very romantic night out even though he knows they're down in the dumps

*They go to an intimate restaurant by the docks where he tells them how they won't have to worry about such bullies anymore. He stood up to them and will do it again if he has too.

*He gives them the gift and spends the evening baptizing them in his most in-depth, compassionate complements and small kisses making sure that they feel completely valid and desired.

Lucio

*Mc starts to tell him what him what happened and before the conversation is over he's fuming and blowing up

*"They did what!? We'll just see about that!"

*He's suiting up and calling for his horse to be prepared because if someone thinks that they can harm or embarrass Mc in any way they have another thing coming, and just, just wait until he finds his sword--

*Has to be stopped as soon as possible because betraying Mc, is tantamount to betraying Lucio himself and, oh, that is not what you ever want to do

*Just few sentences have triggered this man, deleted all his progress as a person, and turned him from Upright!Lucio to Pre-Plague!Lucio

*In other words The Human Torcher™

*Yeah, Mc actually has to calm him down, ending up holding and petting him to soothe his anger instead of the other way around

*(Crisis averted) When his nerves settle, he decides that since he can't have his way, that they'll just have to rot indefinitely in the dungeons

*This would not go unpunished, "Just wait and see, Mc. I promise that will never happen again."

*In the meantime, to make Mc feel good he invites everyone else (the rest of the main 6 and Vesuvia) to a massive week-long party thrown in Mc's honor

*"I think I've got a enough friends to share with you, hm, Mc? Nothing to worry about now that they're all here for you!"

*He steps closer, whispering softly as he kisses their hand. "Of course, I'm here too and if you need anything else, just say a word and I can make it happen for you."

Here ya go, hope you enjoyed! 💙

[slytherin-puffskein]

Ashen Feelings

If I could, then I would

I'll go wherever you will go

Way up high or down low, I'll go wherever you will go

* * *

art by @angrynar

* * *

Many thanks to @thecursedvaultchild for beta-reading and helping me with editing as well as finding a title !

* * *

For the amazing @narionblack <3 <3

* * *

“Your brother,” Duncan spits out, “is a coward. Worse than that, he is a liar. And a thief, as well as a thug.”

Noting Lau’s lack of reaction, the ghost sticks his chin high into the air, attempting to give himself a somewhat superior look. The redhead raises an eyebrow, waiting for what Duncan Ashe could possibly say. At this rate, it was almost entertaining... and he has to admit, he wants to hear what else the ghost could dish out about his brother.

“He’s arrogant, impatient, and insecure. I can’t believe I’ve allowed myself to trust him, that was the dumbest thing I’ve done. And it’s also the dumbest thing you are currently doing. You must be about to ask me where he is, huh ? Little brother wants a heartfelt reunion with his big brother ? That’s a pity, he—”

“Honestly, I just wanted to see what a ghost looked like up close.”

That is enough to make Duncan stop right in the middle of his sentence. He blinks one, two times, and then his eyes proceed to widen so bad, Lau fears they might fall out of their sockets in a plop noise.

“You... what?”

Behind him, Lau can clearly hear Charlie and Bill sigh in discouragement. They’re pretty disappointed with the fact that there won’t be any argument about Laurent’s brother, it’s clear with the way their faces look: corners of their lips hanging down, and eyebrows knit tightly into a disappointed frown. Who knew the Weasleys were that into King family drama.

Snap! Duncan’s finger snapping brings Lau back to the present, and the Slytherin blinks at the ghost.

“You... just showed up here so you could see me?” 

“Ayup. I know ya worked with my brother, but frankly, it’s the least of my concerns. Right now I mostly have a couple of questions: how do you m—"

Visibly, Duncan figures out what Lau is about to ask, because he immediately cuts him off. “Bug off! All three of you! I don’t want anything to do with a bunch of pathetic guys like you!”

Is it because we’re gingers?

Thankfully, Lau refrains from asking that, and simply shrugs and turns to the two brothers.

“Well, I can try and ask my ghost related questions to the Bloody Baron. C’mon, let’s go.”

The sound of shoes scraping against the floor and Duncan is left alone.

* * *

“So then, he looked at me like, ‘are you in a band ?’ and I said, ‘I’m totally in a band,' while I’m absolutely not. Long story short, I have a music practise with a bunch of Hufflepuffs who got weirdly addicted to Queen. Think I’ll be able to pull it off?”

Laurent Dorian King, once again pulling himself into impossible scenarios. At first, when they were still on the phase of getting to know each other, Skylar had assumed he was straight up lying about his mischief-making for some reason. Probably to be more interesting. However, much to his confusion, everything that had ever spilled out of Laurent’s mouth had turned out to be absolutely true... so at that very moment in the Great Hall, as Laurent tells him he’s now apparently part of a group of Queen fans, Skylar can only snicker and pat Lau’s back.

“You are impossible. And what if they find out you’re a fraud?”

“Then you come into the picture,” Lau muses, pressing his finger against Skylar’s nose. “You pretend to be my manager and tell these guys that I have other musical plans concerning other bands, so I have to leave 'em. Think they will buy it? I, for one, am fairly sure. If not, I have another plan, using mainly spoons—"

“Hello, Skylar!”

Huh? Now, he was visibly interrupted. He stares at his dish, considering the idea that Dumblebore might have decided to add talking cutlery to Hogwarts’s inventory, but no. Now standing by the two boys is a group of girls, faces covered in heavy makeup and wearing skirts way too short to be respecting the uniform protocol. A brown-haired girl, who appears to be the leader, smiles lusciously at Skylar.

“How are you doing today?”

Ah, here we go again. Frankly, Laurent should have expected that. How long have they been sitting at the Ravenclaw table again? Five, ten minutes? It was only a matter of seconds before the Morningstar groupies would make their entrance. And now, here they are.

The Morningstar groupies, as Lau amiably calls them, is a group of mainly Ravenclaw girls stalking Skylar Morningstar with the hopes of scoring a date with him. To their eyes, the mysterious, silent Ravenclaw boy was the most delicious thing to have walked Earth’s surface, and so, they had to somehow gain his attention. While people are mostly discreet when interested with someone, these girls are... awfully forward. Luckily, Skylar is awfully forward with them as well, and makes no hesitation with telling them off.

However, repeatedly rejecting creepy girls must get tiring, no? With that specific thought in mind, Laurent King decides for once to give his dear friend a hand, quite literally. With little regard of the gazes currently on them, Laurent’s hand finds Skylar’s, which is resting on the table, and curls his fingers between his friend’s before pressing their palms together and proudly showing it off to the girls towering over them.

“He’s doing quite well, I’ll tell you that. I just declared him my manager, so we’re gonna celebrate a bit.”

Confusion spread across the groupies’ faces and the leader blinks.

“Ma...nager, King ?”

“Mhm. I just joined a band I have no business to join, so my dear knight in shining armour offered to help me.”

Shamelessly, as if he is doing an everyday action, he pulls himself on his friend’s lap, gently kissing his temple and giggling like a schoolgirl. “Isn’t he just the best of the best ? Makes me wanna squish his cheeks.~”

Skylar’s internal monologue can be summed up with two sentences:

What kind of thoughts travel through Lau’s mind for him to do such things?

And I can and will die for this guy, just let him tell me when he needs it.

Laurent’s thin fingers begin to thread through Skylar’s hair and the girls all look at each other before the leader awkwardly clears her throat.

“Well, er... we’ll see you guys around, then”

A girl attempts to wink at Skylar, but she is only met with Lau’s burning stare. She refrains and walks away along with her friends.

Once they are out of earshot, the two boys roar with laughter, which echoes through the entire Great Hall and fills it with joy.

* * *

It was to be expected, the Morningstar Groupies got... quite gossipy.

In the span of a few hours, the rumour that Laurent Dorian King was dating Skylar Morningstar was on everyone’s lips, and no one would even talk about anything else. Everyone was marvelling over the newest pairing, even Peeves, Hogwarts’s poltergeist. While he isn’t generally interested in relationships, he is however genuinely wondering how such an odd match happened. Skylar and Laurent, seriously? Wasn’t the Slytherin drooling over that Lee kid just a few days ago? Much to Peeves’ joy as he finally had something to tease him about. Now, his blackmail material was reduced to dust!

The rumour spread through the entire school in record time, even faster than the one implying that Andre Egwu had made out with Summer Charn (it turned out to be false, however.) Soon enough, it had reached everyone’s ears...

Living, or dead.

“I can’t believe people are so... gullible. No offence, Sky, but there are tons of guys I’d date before you.”

“Like Whitecross?” the Ravenclaw teases, gently nudging his friend.

Lau dramatically throws his head to the back, sighing. “Skyyyy! That was a year ago! I moved on. Besides, he’s totally with Snyde right now.”

“Moved on, huh? So you got someone else in mind? Do tell.~”

“I’m fairly sure you know, Morningstar.”

After all, Lau’s crush on Barnaby Lee was obvious to everyone... except Barnaby himself. Good thing or… not? Laurent isn’t very sure of what to think. Every single time he had attempted to confess, Barnaby entirely missed the point and ended up asking him to hang at the Magical Creatures Reserve. Reluctantly, he had accepted each time.

As Skylar and Lau step into yet another hallway, a familiar figure meets their eyes, and it only takes King a few seconds to recognize his dear, ghostly friend. Well, friend is maybe not the best term... but he’ll use it anyway, for the sole purpose of annoying Duncan Ashe.

The closer they get to Duncan, the bigger Laurent smiles as an idea forges itself into his mind. Raising his chin and turning to Skylar, the redhead’s voice gets louder in order to attract the ghost’s attention.

“So, when will our first date be then, hmm?”

Skylar’s gaze, however, is set on Duncan, and Lau can’t help but playfully roll his eyes. 

Man, don’t look at him like that, you look constipated. Is that how I look like when I admire Barnaby? Whatever.

Duncan turns to them, grimacing. “Your little play can’t fool me, King. Not with the way your eyes are always on Lee.”

Oh? So he doesn’t believes the rumours? Change of plans, then. Quickly enough, he twists his strategies a little, and comes up with something brand new.

“My eyes may be set on Lee, but I am always open for new options. Sometimes it’s good to mix things up, Ashe. Besides, you never answered my question: how do you t—"

“Whatever, I shouldn’t be wasting my time talking to the two of you. Obviously, you have idiotic rumours to fuel. I have more important matters to attend to.”

“Like floating around and sulking?” Lau suggests, with a smile on his face.

Duncan’s face gets paler for a moment, that usually happens when he feels the need to kick Laurent’s ass, but he quickly cools down as his eyes meet Skylar’s. In fact, he entirely calms down and a small glint passes across Laurent’s eyes.

Oh.

Laurent might be into Barnaby.

But Duncan might be into someone as well.

Now, he had always sort of doubted it. As opposed to Lau, Skylar is actually fairly close with Duncan, despite their occasional bickering (but honestly, what is a conversation with Duncan Ashe without it?) And Lau has always felt... like something has been going on between the two of them.

However, it was also crystal clear that they were stalling. Neither of them wanted to make the first move, it was painfully obvious. And so, now that Lau is aware that his friend needs some help to flirt with a cute ghost, he will definitely lend him a hand. And once again, he will do it quite literally, because he had found out something: whenever a girl would bat her eyelashes at Barnaby, Laurent would immediately find a way to hang out and even flirt with him. So if he uses that logic...

“I am not floating around and sulking, King. I am actually doing very interesting...”

Duncan trails off as he notices that the distance between Lau and Skylar had drastically diminished, and that they are now holding hands. By staring into Laurent’s eyes, Duncan can see that it is not in order to fuel the new rumour in case a student sees them at this very moment. No, Laurent is doing it because he wants to.

Laurent smirks. Or well, he thinks I want to. He’s soon going to start thinking I’m actually longing for Morningstar if I play my acting game well enough. Perhaps joining that theatre club with Penny had been a good idea, after all...

“Mhm... pardon me, Sky, I’m pretty tired all of a sudden... all that prank planning and stuff...”

Gently, Lau rests his head against Sky’s shoulder, and scoots even closer to him before squeezing his hand. Skylar can only smile, because if there is one thing to know about Laurent Dorian King, it is that he is a very cuddly person. Why push him away, when he is such a darling? With that in mind, Skylar only remains still as Lau clings against him like a cuddly Puffskein... which he is awfully similar to, in all honesty.

Duncan forces himself to tear his gaze away from their intertwined fingers, and stares straight into Skylar’s eyes, as if he is looking for an answer. However, he can only see the darkness of his pupils. “So are you guys going to keep this rumour going for months, or what ?”

“As long as it takes until my ‘fans’ lay off, I suppose. I have a hunch that they... sort of fear Lau.”

“They fear that?”

He points a pale, almost translucent finger to the redhead currently stroking his cheek against Skylar’s arm. Now, Duncan can feel ambers of fire light up inside of him, filling his cold body with a warmth he isn’t used to. 

And isn’t certain he likes it.

It feels familiar, like back to when I was alive. I felt it, once... but what it is? I don’t feel so good, that’s something that’s entirely certain.

Before he can puke, if that's even possible for a ghost, he leers at the two boys, stuffing his hands into his pockets and huffing.

“Whatever. As I said, I do not need to talk to you both.”

Maybe I need to talk to one of you.

Skylar opens his mouth, as if to speak, but before he can make out anything, the ghost is already gone. 

And he is now alone with Lau, still pressing against him and his gaze remaining on the spot Duncan Ashe had been only a few minutes ago.

That was oddly effective.

Now, he only has to wait until Duncan finally makes a move.

* * *

It is dark in the hallways of Hogwarts as Duncan wanders aimlessly around. He often does that, especially when he needs to clear his mind. While he had spent the rest of the day inside of the Prefect’s Bathroom, now was time to actually walk around and— well, not really walk. Float was a more accurate word. Float around and try to empty his thoughts.

When he had woken up as a ghost, he had been relieved, as a certainty that he wouldn’t have to worry about things anymore had struck him. But only now, he is realizing how terribly wrong he had been. He is still worrying about the Vaults. He is still worrying over the fate of his old friends. And most of all, he is worrying over himself... and whatever he has with Skylar.

Morningstar. That special, special boy, who could make his feelings swirl inside of his chest like a goddamn hurricane. At first, he had attempted to shut that storm off, to ignore it, but now that he had witnessed Laurent’s awful touchiness, it was only getting stronger to the point he couldn’t simply do nothing.

His hands balls up into fists as the realization dawns upon him at last, after years and years of looking away.

I like him.

[bohemian-war]

‘LOVE WILL TEAR US APART’ [CHAPTER 2]

(Credits to @bens-hardy  for the gif).

Ben Hardy!Six x Fem Reader (Six Underground)

Summary (Six Underground): The film tells the story of 6 billionaires who form a vigilante squad by faking their deaths to take down notorious criminals. Warnings: language, character development, flirting, alcohol…

Word Count: 2.5k+ (…sorry that it’s too short)

A/N: Hi guys! Sorry that this took so long. I have been extremely busy these past few weeks so I hope you really enjoy this part. I am also taking my time as I don’t want to reveal everything straightaway so even when this chapter feels like a filler one, don’t you worry because from chapter three I am gonna start explaining everything about the Six Underground organisation and it really takes off from there :D. Also, in case you were wondering, I always imagined Joe as John as that bass player in The Black Heart ;). When it comes to Brian, it’s always been Machine Gun Kelly’s look as Tommy Lee in The Dirt. He is gonna play a big role in this story. So stay tuned!

(Credits to @geidiprimezs for the gif). Finally, I am sorry for all the grammatical/structure errors. Again, English is not my main language so I apologise for that. I always try to write more dialogue as a) it is easier to read; b) even when I love description I suck at it so I am sorry if you always find the same word/expression in every sentence. I always tend to write as to how the story is developed in my head in the first place. So, I am sorry. I am trying to get better at it, I promise. I cannot even express myself properly in my mother tongue. It is something I’ve struggled with since I was a child and it keeps getting worse due to my anxiety so bear with me on that one! 

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PART 1

(I will do a master list and a playlist soon :D).

-------------

Disclaimer:

– Fem Reader is a twenty-one-year-old med student studying at the Imperial College London.

– Ben (Six) is a twenty-eight-year-old billionaire.

The story takes place in 2019 but there are flashbacks to make the whole thing look more realistic.

Finally, the outfit that Ben is wearing to play the drums is the one on the gif (beanie included :P) and this is the reader’s:

Enjoy!

[Y/N POV]

Y/N AND ELLIE’S APARTMENT, LONDON. PRESENT DAY.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking for something…” you say focusing all your attention to your laptop’s screen.

“Is this about that playboy boyfriend of yours again?”

“Ellie, I already told you that he is not my boyfriend. He was just being nice...”

“Playboy boyfriend or Prince Charming. It does not matter. All of them are basically the same. They act nice and then they trap you in their spider web to get in your pants.”

You roll your eyes and ignore her comment.

“He is like a ghost! It is like he’d just vanished!”

She makes her way to the couch and sits next to you with a cup of tea in her hand.

“Maybe he is not on social media. I mean… Six? What kind of name is that?”

You sigh as Ellie sees you scrolling down on Facebook desperately.

“If you’d like, we could always try and track him down… Perhaps if you ask some people in the pub…”

“I am not going back,” you affirm bluntly.

“Then, I don’t know how I could help you, love.”

You sigh again and turn your gaze towards her.

“It is okay. I just wanted to thank him properly for what he did.”

“Are you sure this man even exists?”

“Ellie…”

“Okay, okay. Just sayin’”

You sigh again for the third time and look back at the screen. You slam it down close and stand up.

“You know what? I had enough. I might pop up to the National Gallery for the new music bands exhibition. Are you coming?”

“I’d love to but I am helping Eric with his new project.”

“New project?”

“I’ll keep you updated as I don’t even know what I am doing myself. Knowing Eric though it might involve RuPaul and drags and stuff…”

You laugh and shake your head.

After spending so much time debating about your outfit, you finish getting ready and take the first train from your place to Charing Cross. When you get off and go out into the street, the square is full of people. On the one hand, tourists who do not stop taking pictures with their selfie sticks and, on the other, locals who return home after a long and hard day at work. You make your way to the main entrance and grab a map from the foyer area. The exhibition is huge so you decide to visit the rock section first.

NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON. PRESENT DAY.

You are simply surprised by the amount of memorabilia. The gallery shows the history of the biggest names in music: AC/DC, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, The Rolling Stones, Mötley Crüe, Led Zeppelin… The collection also includes handwritten song lyrics, costumes worn during performances, studio equipment, promotional material, and singles. One of the spaces is beautifully dedicated to Queen and your eyes end up admiring various musical instruments; from John Deacon's bass guitar and a replica of Brian May's synthesizer to Roger Taylor's drum set.

Suddenly, you look away and come across with a familiar face. Casual look and hands in his pockets. He is also looking at the drum set. He is so lost in it that he barely notices you. You smile and decide to approach him.

[Six POV]

“Hey… It’s you!”

You direct your gaze towards that voice and your heart skips a beat. You never thought you would see her again. You could barely see her features under the dim light of the pub left alone when you both talked in the street. Nevertheless, everything changes now and you seem… speechless?

Wake up, you stupid asshole! “I just saw you admiring Rog’s set and thought that it’d be nice to say “hi”, Six right?”

She holds out her hand for you to shake. You eventually do.

“That’s thoughtful of you… Y/N?”

Of course, I remember your name…

She nods.

“Do you like music?”

“Who doesn’t?” Y/N smiles.

What a stupid question…

“I mean, the rock of the 70s and 80s…”

“Are you kidding? It was the best music! It still is… I think everything started with The Beatles back in the 60s though…”

You look at her with interest. You are surprised by her taste in music and want to know more.

“What is your favourite band?”

I cannot believe I am asking her these childish questions…

“Joy Division, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Queen… That’s why I decided to come to the exhibition today. They have done a great job so far.”

“Are you a Queen fan?!”

“Of course! I might have the biggest crush on Roger Taylor…”

I…like…you…

“All the girls do. I mean, he is alright…” 

“Alright? Have you seen him in the 70s? He is literally gorgeous! Like a Renaissance painting.

You scoff and shake your hand at her obsession while running your tongue through your bottom lip.

“So… he’s alright…” Y/N repeats your words pointing at Roger’s set emphasising what you just said. “That’s why you were so lost in the kit!”

“No, I wasn’t!”

Liar…

“You look a little bit like him, to be honest…” Y/N smirks.

What…

She is approaching you now. She squints her eyes.

Too close…

“If only you had longer hair though…” her voice coming out like a whisper.

“What would you do?” 

“Hmmm?”

“If I had longer hair… What would you do?”

You see her parting her lips and hold your gaze. Your eyes like blazing fire. If looks could kill or do something else… “I wanted to thank you for what you did last night but… I couldn’t find you and…”

“Don’t even mention it. It was my pleasure.” you cut her off and quickly run your fingers through your hair.

“Right…”

You try to avoid looking at her directly in the eyes because of the effect she has on you; a kind of warm feeling going down your spine, You don’t really know what it means but it kinds of scare you.

"Oi Six!" Suddenly, you see a tall man approaching and giving you a small pat on the back. You cannot help but return it with a big smile.

"Hey, what's up man?!"

"Brian, mate, how are you doing? Long time no see!"

“Good, I have not seen you in a while!”

“I have been busy…” You frown and sigh.

“I went to The Black Heart and Bobby told me that you would be here. Playing tonight?”

“Yeah. Hopefully, I’ll be able to make it by nine.”

“Great!”

Brian turns around and sees Y/N standing in an awkward position.

“Who’s this? New friend?”

You start feeling the tension built in the pit of your stomach. You clench your jaw.

“Sorry! That was rude of me. I am Brian.”

“Not at all! is it Brian for Brian May?”

“Wow! I like her.”

You cannot help but glare at him.

Watch it, mate…

“Unfortunately, I am not May but if you say so, I’ll take it,” he winks at Y/N.

“My name is Y/N by the way,” she holds her hand out again.

“Are you a Queen fan?”

“I certainly am.”

“Then you should come to The Black Heart tonight. Our friend Six here is gonna play. He is obsessed with Roger Taylor. He is his muse!

“Really?”

Y/N’s face lights up but you cannot tell whether is of surprise or emotion. She squints her eyes.

“The Black Heart…”

“Do you know it?” Brian asks in surprise.

“We actually met there…” you cut him off.

“Oh great! Everything settled then.”

“Brian…” you warned him.

“Are you playing too?” Y/N shows some interest.

“I’ll be there with some friends but I am not playing tonight.”

You can see the doubt in her eyes and you intervene before it gets worse.

“I am sure she’s got plans anyways, Bri.”

“Actually, I’d like to come!”

Fuck…

You curse and roll your eyes at the stupid situation. That pain in the chest again.

“Great! See ya both there then.”

[Y/N POV]

You definitely don’t want to return to the pub but there was something dragging you back there. It was probably the fact that you were very curious about watching Six play live. For some reason, you could not picture him behind a drum set and you were still mad at him for lying to you. On the other hand, it’d be nice to see him fail. 

You made sure you were properly dressed this time. You did not want to get into any more trouble so you opt for a pair of fitted jeans, a nice top, high heels boots, and a black leather jacket.

Summer was about to start but it does not make any difference when you are leaving in London anyway. Ellie is not at home anymore so you finish cleaning, lock up, and make your way to the pub.

THE BLACK HEART, LONDON. PRESENT DAY.

[SIX POV]

“What time is your girlfriend coming?”

The boys are setting up and getting ready for the big night. The pub is already full of people chatting and having a nice time. 

“I already told you that she is not my girlfriend, Brian.”

“Well, she is hot…”

“She is a kid.”

“I mean, if you don’t like her…”

You drop one of the mics and turn around with an angry look in your face.

“Don’t even think about it!” you growl. Your friend laugh.

“That’s what I thought, mate…”

You scoff and shake your head.

“Just make sure that you never play “I am in love with my car” in front of her or she will run away.”

“Oh, shut up!”

THE BLACK HEART (20:45 pm)

(”Princess of China” by Coldplay is playing)

[Y/N POV]

You arrive at the pub and it is already packed. You sigh and enter into an anxious mode. You simply couldn’t help but think of what happened the night before. Somehow, you manage to brush those thoughts off and get to the counter. This time, Ellie is not here with you so you have your ID ready in case they ask for it.

“What would you like lovely?”

“Just a coke, please.”

The bartender leaves and comes back with a glass full of the beverage and ice a few seconds later.

“There you are, sweetheart…”

“Thank you!”

You reach for your purse when you see the man shaking his head.

“It’s on the house…”

“Really? Thanks!”

The man nods and continues serving. You grab your drink and take it to your lips while observing the place again. You spot the empty stage in the distance including the drum set.

Where are you?

Suddenly, you hear a screeching noise coming from one of the microphones. It’s Brian!

“Night everyone! Some of you might already know me,” he says adjusting the mic to his height. “I am Bri. I was not planning on playing tonight but there has been a change of plans.”

Some people star clapping as he lifts his guitar up. You smile and take another swig from your coke with enthusiasm.  “I’d like to introduce you to some people. This is John our bass player. And before someone makes the joke, no, we are not Queen.”

Many people start laughing.

“Finally, our special member, Six, on the drums…”

“Six, we love you!” You could see a couple of girls whispering and cheering about the drummer. You roll your eyes. So predictable…

“Sorry, ladies but Six will be just hitting on the drums tonight, I am afraid…”

You are thankful for Bri’s intervention and smile shyly to yourself shaking your head with amusement at the same time.

Six is sat behind the set of drums with a smug look on his face. He is finishing getting ready and checking on his equipment. He takes a swig of water and some drops stained his t-shirt. If he is nervous he knows very well how to hide it.

“We are gonna do some covers tonight,” Brian continues“… and we also have a surprise by the end of the night. So bear with us and we hope that you are all not to pissed to miss it.”

More laughs.

The list of covers is long but good; from “A Message” by Coldplay to “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles.

“And now… our final song…”

This catches your attention even more and all the pub goes quiet.

“…for a friend who’s currently in the room…” Brian puts on his visor and finally spots you.

“Y/N! there you are!”

Suddenly, a spotlight points directly in your direction and you have to cover your eyes due to the bright light. Everybody is staring at you and you start panicking. You freeze in your stool and feel a heat sensation in the pit of your stomach.

Oh no…

“Y/N loves Queen so we could not say goodbye without playing a song by the band itself. We will do the chorus and Six here will do the rest. “This is Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, everybody! Y/N we hope you like it…

When they finish, they are cheered by everyone and quickly get off the stage. You see Six approaching you and start playing with your straw while pretending to be drinking from your third coke of the night.

“Hey…”

“Hey…” you sigh.

“Did you enjoy the show?”

Six makes a sign to the bartender for what you assumed was a beer but he immediately directs his green eyes right back at you.

“Yeah, I mean, it was alright…” He raises an eyebrow and a smile begins to form at the corner of your lips. He shakes his head.

“Just alright?”

“Hmmm, I’d say meh.”

You wrinkle your nose in uncertainty and Six observes you with a funny look on his face.

“Let me buy you a drink.”

“I don’t drink…”

“Right…”

“But I will have one last coke. I will probably not sleep tonight with that much caffeine in my body though. I also feel that I should be paying for this,” you lift up your glass.

“It’s okay. I told Bobby that you are my host tonight. You can have anything you like. It is on me really…”

You frown and smile.

“Thanks…”

“Don’t even mention it.”

He grabs his pint and takes a big swig of it.

“I didn’t know you could play that well.”

“How could you know anyway?”

Rude.

“I truly enjoyed it, honestly.”

“I thought you said it was alright…”

“You were though…”

“Me?!”

You try to contain your laughter.

“Did you even see how I was banging those drums, love?”

Love…

“I know better…”

You could tell that he is offended.

Touché.

“What the f…”

“Roger Taylor is better than you!”

“Well, Roger fucking Taylor wished he could be me.”

Six scoffs and takes another large swig of his beer trying to hide behind his cruel words. You know he did not mean them. He adores Roger…

“Tommy Lee…”

“A total wanker!”

“Not true.”

“Well, he makes decent music. Not my style though.”

Six’s cockiness is back. A defence weapon. 

“He does the real spinning…”

“I can do that too.”

“Sure…”

“I could show you if you let me…” he grins at you.

He leans into you and his big green eyes start taking everything of you in. His warm breath fanning over your face. That feeling in the pit of your stomach, again.

What is wrong with you Y/N?

Tag List: @bjhardy  @pizzaplanets @mrbenhardys @bens-hardy @onceuponadetectivedemigod  @benhvrdys @closertothesunwhenimwithyou @rebelrebelyourefaceisamess @calumfornicationx @poteda @hergewi @tanya-is-dead @imthewintergirl @rogerina-taylorr @sara-1705  @jessevans

[ghostieeghoul]

Returning Light - a DMC5 fanfiction

Title: Returning Light

Fandom: Devil May Cry

Writer: FrailGuyV (or Fru)

Central character focus: V

Summary:

The story plays after the happenings of Devil May Cry 5.

Chapter 1

 Fight after fight. Once with the enclosing demons, once with each other, and so on, over and over. Minutes, hours, days... It was all fighting, sometimes a rare bit of a rest, when both stopped for a moment, but then, fight and fight. Fight. Like always. They would never give up by saying they were done, they were both too stubborn, too proud of themselves. A win here, a win there, but no one is satisfied. They continued and went on... Fighting. They didn’t even count the winnings after a time, there was no use in it, it was just flexing on the other anyway. They knew that well, too well, yet still, it went on and on, until...

... Until that point. They had both collapsed after a fight with another horde of demons. It was tiring, too many, so fast, and after that many fights - it was finally hitting their limit. They sat on the ground, gasping for air, even putting down their weapons after so long. The ground they sat on was covered with a thick layer of blood from the beasts they had slain, covering them as well. They both just laid down in the pools of blood, so deep they could have had a bath in there. In that moment, just laying there, it was a nice experience. Neither of them said a single word, still panting, looking up into the endless sky. The moment was short, however. They both heard the loud rumbling again, the same noise every time - the demons were closing in, but they didn’t even bat an eye. Like they were connected machines, they just closed their eyes and waited. No... No one wanted to die, but they’d had enough. They were tired. Worn out. With the ground shaking, another horde appeared close to them, leaping on the two men.  “This is how it ends,” both thought, but... ‘nothing’ happened. It just went dark. It went silent. It became nothing.

                                                         ***

It was getting late in Redgrave. The streets still held the scars of the Qliphoth, and the fights that had occurred because of it. The demons, the blood, even the people that were used as blood sockets for the tree. Most were cleaned by the few citizens who had stayed and survived, but still, many remained. It wasn’t a day’s job, especially with the amount of people that remained at the place, but they managed. Sometimes demons appeared here and there but they were slain fast by those who worked on their case. Those people, who were waiting someone else to appear...

The streets were silent by 11 pm, like always. The homes mostly silent, too. Theirs was just as quiet, as he walked up the stairs to see the kids. He walked in, tucked in one of them after putting his head back on the bed. He smiled, then walked out, closing the door slowly. Another day had went by… and nothing happened. As he walked down, he stopped near a window and looked out.  The streets were lit by the light of the Moon, but it was empty. He shook his head and walked to his own place. He got his coat off and got into bed, hugging his love from behind. She smiled and held his hand as they laid there.

“There will be another day,” Kyrie told him after some minutes of silence. “They will be back.”

“I know. We’re not lucky enough to just lose them, huh?” answered Nero in a bitter tone, trying to joke about the situation. He wanted to believe Kyrie, but as the days went by, he believed less and less in success. He just pulled Kyrie closer and closed his eyes. Tomorrow is another day...

                                                       ***

He opened his eyes and sat up immediately, coughing - not even looking around. He was panting, like he remembered, but he soon realised something was just... off. He looked around, finding himself somewhere else, somewhere different. He was not in the Underworld, instead laying in a grassy field close to a city.

“How..?” he asked himself quietly, grabbing onto his weapon.

“I don’t know, but I was hoping you were dead and I won...” said another voice beside him. He looked towards the source of the voice: it was his younger brother, Dante, stretching a bit as he stood up from a tree trunk. He walked closer and held his hand out to him. “Come on, Verge. We’re home now, we should get some pizza.”

 Vergil looked up at him. He hesitated, but grabbed his brother’s hand and he got up, moving his limbs and looking around again.

“This is interesting...” he was thinking out loud.

“I’ll show you something more interesting...” Dante replied, walking back to where he was sitting before. He picked up something in his hand from the grass, then walked back. “Familiar?”

He held a cane in his hand - and not just any cane. It was the one that V, Vergil’s human half, got for himself as a weapon when they had been separated. What was it doing there, even after the time that has passed? Vergil got it into his hand, and he simply stared at it for a while. He felt something strange, but said nothing.

��Ya cool, Verge?” asked his brother, who had by then started to walk away. “Come on, we should get into the city. We might find your kid and the others. Ah, if those two ruined my place, I’ll slay them, I swear...” he said to himself - then stopped, and turned back. “Vergil?”

“I am not going with you,” he said with a cold tone, and turned to the other direction. Dante shook his head and followed, stopping in front of him.

“No. You are not going off again. You are not going to stab yourself and become a demon, destroying the city, you got it?! You won’t go search for... I don’t know, eternal power! Not anymore. Stay! ... Please...?” he said.

 He surprised Vergil - and even himself - with that last part. “Think of your kid. And...” he thought of himself, but that never sounded like something pleasant to say, so he just didn’t continue his sentence. “I bet he wants to kick your ass again...” he tried to bait his brother into staying.

“He hates me, just like you. Why would I stay? Just get out of my way and I won’t be a bother.”

 He wanted to walk away, turning to go, but Dante stepped in front of him again. Vergil was still calm, for now… he wasn’t thinking of stabbing him just yet.

As they were standing there, just having a staring contest, they heard something familiar. Something that was loud and fast. Something they missed a bit while they were stuck in the Underworld. A brownish van rolled in, almost hitting them, but stopped just in time. The door opened and a familiar person got out with her fuzzy black hair and smoke coming everywhere. She walked up to them with a smirk on her face, dropped her cigarette into the dirt, and gave them a big smile.

“I knew you were gonna come back!” she said.

 She was Nico, bit irritating, but she knew how to fix things. The twins looked at each other, then back to her, still silent. “You’re probably thinkin’ how I can be here, well... The old lady next door heard some weird shit, and said she saw “two homeless guys fall from somewhere”... So I was hoping it won’t be the same as two days ago and be literally just a homeless guy that fell from a tree. And here you are! Back! How... Exactly?” she was confused too, probably the same level as the twins.

“I have no idea, but I want a bath, a pizza and some sleep,” said Dante as he grabbed his brother and pulled him to the car by his arm. Vergil didn’t fight it, even though he might have in the past. A bath sounded really good, and sleep seemed nice too. Nico got back in too, and after some tries to start the car, they were on their way back to the house of Nero.

                                                           ***

Nero and Kyrie woke the kids up after nine am and called them off to eat. They sat down together, and got to have a nice meal, together and calm. Nero was concerned about the van not being in the garage, but he thought Nico just went to get some cigarettes again. As they were eating there, they had a bit of a small talk about the kids, their day, and what were they planning to do with the morning. The meal then just continued in silence until they finished up. The kids ran back upstairs, the two adults just did the cleaning and they continued to talk. Kyrie saw Nero’s concerned face - and wanted to comment on it, but they could hear the van arrive.

“Argh, there it is...” said Nero with a sigh, “I should tell Nico to use her legs instead of the van to get her smokes, it’s like she’s getting lazier every day...”

  Kyrie laughed gently. Nero gave a kiss on her forehead then walked to the garage to scold Nico like a child. Kyrie followed, a few steps behind.

 “I swear, Nico, you are literally the—“ he stopped as he saw the two guys get out of the vehicle. He froze in place, just stared at them.

“Nero, if she ca-“ Kyrie had begun to speak, she had wanted to comment; but she stopped, too. She poked Nero a bit, touching his shoulder. He turned his gaze to her, then back. He walked down the stairs and stopped in front of the two twins. They looked at each other - then back at the boy - just to be greeted with a hug by him. Unexpected, but at least it wasn’t a sword in the chest or a bitch-slap. Nero let them go and looked at them more carefully now, seeing they seemed to be only tired, but well other than that.

“How...?”

“We don’t know, kid, just... Woke up here. It must have been lady luck.”

“Luck...” Vergil repeated.

 Nero turned to him, noticing the cane, too. It was something that just reminded him of what happened. And V. Vergil noticed the stare, and he looked at the boy for a moment. “Do you have the book?” he asked, finally breaking the silence.

“B... Book? I mean... Yes. I have it, yes. It’s... Uhm... Come on inside, okay? We have food and... You need a bath, ASAP.”

 He spoke as he turned around to head back inside. He walked in, and to their room, while Kyrie went in with the trio. Dante went to the bathroom first, he didn’t even care not having clean clothes. Vergil just stood in the living-room, looking around, until Nero arrived with the book. He held it out silently to Vergil who took it, and just held it for a while without a word, looking at the ground. He held the book and the cane on the same hand, a motion that made Nero remember V even more. It was still weird to believe they were one person... Well, that he was Vergil’s human part. “You okay?” he asked after a bit. Vergil looked up and nodded.

“Thank you for keeping this,” he said, lifting the book a bit. He opened it, and silently, started to read. Nero just stood there, awkwardly, then sighed and walked to the kitchen to Kyrie.

“Why do I feel like we just got two more kids under our care?” she asked jokingly, to which Nero laughed a bit.

“Well... at least they aren’t fighting. That’s something,” he sighed again. Kyrie hugged him, silent.

“You were right... They are back.”

 She just smiled again and hugged him tightly.

Vergil was reading the book, he missed it. Some calm reading like before. It was weird after so much fighting, this calm, but he didn’t even want to think about it in that moment. As he was reading, he noticed something. Some pages changed, they weren’t the same as he remembered having them. The free places and even on some pictures, there was writing. It was a familiar handwriting, but the thing itself was new. Well... Almost. He didn’t remember writing that, but someone did. Someone...

                                                         ***

Dante got out from the shower in just a towel, fortunately covering what the kids shouldn’t see. He walked out casually, not really caring about anyone or anything in that moment. He was just happy to be clean and wanted to rest a bit. He walked out and looked at the little pair in the kitchen, still hugging. They stopped and turned to him, Kyrie holding back a little laugh of embarrassment.

“Dante... There are kids in this house.” she said after a while. Dante looked at her while glanced at Nero who facepalmed.

“What…? Nothing is to be seen here, right? I mean...” he looked over himself. “I have a towel on! They won’t see anything they shouldn’t. Well... I don’t say they shouldn’t bu-

“Dante! Come on, man... Argh...” said Nero, holding back the curse words he was thinking of. He just sighed and shook his head. “I’ll get you another towel and tell Vergil he can go in.”

 He walked out, leaving them alone. Kyrie just turned and put a plate with pancakes on the table.

“Eat. I bet you are hungry,” she said, and sat down herself. Dante nodded and got down too, sniffed the pancakes, then started to eat. He didn’t say a word, the scene was just too awkward.

Nero walked to the living-room where Vergil was still standing and reading. The boy stood there a bit, just watching him. He was like that silent kid in the school who gets into a corner to read.

“The bathroom is free, you can go.”

He was waiting for a response, but he got none. “V…Vergil?”

The man in blue looked up at that. He closed the book and nodded. He walked to the bathroom and locked the door behind him. Nero just shrugged and walked back to the kitchen, sitting next to Kyrie. He waited for Dante to finish eating, he didn’t want to disturb him. When he stopped and leaned back, feeling full.

“That was nice, thanks,” he said after a loud belch. Rude.

“So... You said you don’t know how you got back...” Dante shook his head.

“Yeah, it’s weird. All I remember is being tired, laying on the ground in the Underworld. You know, we were fighting each other, then the demons, then each other again and we were tired then just laid down... The next thing I remember is waking up in that park, in grass instead of blood.”

He sighed deeply. “I got up, saw Vergil near me, still sleeping or whatever. That’s where I found the cane too. It was stuck in the ground with some strange... plant grown on it. When I got it near, that plant disappeared. Weird stuff...” he laughed it off. Nero raised his eyebrows.

“Didn’t you think it was strange, Dante...?”

The man shrugged. “I was in the Underworld for a while now, nothing is weird.”

Nero shook his head.

“Where is that cane now...?” asked Kyrie with a concerned tone.

“Vergil took that into the bathroom, too, with his other stuff,” answered Nero.

“Hah, he’s afraid I would take it...” Dante laughed again. Nero just stood up and walked to the bathroom door.

Vergil got under the shower, it felt refreshing. It was warm and as it got on his skin, it got all the dirt and blood with it. He didn’t spend too much time in there, but he definitely didn’t rush, either. When he finished, as soon as he felt he was, he got out - clean and fresh. Stepping out, he started to dry himself and just covered his lower half with the towel then looked at the book. He got it into his hand and opened it, there was only one page he didn’t read over yet, and it had only a bit of writing on it. It seemed it was written rushed, with shaking hands. He continued, examining the text. It was different, than the other written annotations in the book. It was more personal. It was from him. From that person... He read it out quietly, for himself.

“I searched for this information only to give myself hope. I know if we join back, he will destroy me fully. I will be no more. But without that, I will perish anyway. I am nothing, I am just a part... I just wanted another way. I wanted to live on. I am not him anymore. I am... myself. I want to live. I don’t want to die. I am afraid...” Vergil stopped reading aloud as the writing stopped abruptly. It seemed the page was at some point wet from something, but was dried up, not new. He was thinking of rain, from the drops.

“Verge, you okay in there...?” he could hear Nero’s voice coming from the outside. He turned there and back.

“I am fine.” he said as he closed the book and got the other two things into his hands. He walked up to the door and opened it. “I just finished up, I apologise.”

“No worries, just - uhm... We’ll clean your clothes and dry it so you can get them back sooner. You can stay until then, and... as long as you would like to,” he said.

He wasn’t there because of that, but it was a good excuse. He got their clothes and walked down to the basement to put them in the washing machine. After starting it, he walked upstairs where Vergil just got to the kitchen and sat down. He got his own serving of the meal from Kyrie, too. He put the book on the table, the others leaned to it and after thanking for the food, he started to eat.

“So, brother... Did you notice something strange about that silly cane of yours...?” asked Dante, turning to Vergil. He stopped eating for a moment, but just shook his head.

“You sure? I know you like to lie to me. And everyone... And I know how sly you can be.”

Vergil turned to him, annoyed. “It’s just a cane. What are you waiting for? Do you want it to dance for you? Sing in the rain...? Or to stab you? We can manage the last one easily.”

“Guys, please...” said Nero.

The twins turned to him, but Vergil just continued to eat like a huffish child. He didn’t look up until he finished. When he did, he turned away from Dante, looking at the book instead. And… That’s when Nico walked in, instantly frozen in place. The view of the twins, both mostly without clothing, was more than she could bare in that moment. She admired Dante before, too, but now, it was more than that. She went red and just sat down, trying not to act like the fangirl she was.

“I bet you are both tired. You are lucky we have a spare room. You can sleep there... Without a fight, please. We have kids in the house as we mentioned before,” said Kyrie.

“No fighting. Got it, boss!” Dante laughed it off again. He stood up and stretched.

“I’ll show the room. Leave the weapons here, please...” Nero stood up, so did Vergil, he just got the book in his hand and followed the two others. Nico looked after them like a thirsty woman who just saw some nice liquid she could get. Kyrie looked at her and laughed a bit.

“Really, Nico...?” she asked. Nico turned towards her, looking like a tomato, her face was so dark red. “You are impossible...”

“Don’t kid yourself, if you didn’t have Nero, you would look at them like I do...”

“Uhm... No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Ah, you won’t admit it,” she sighed. “I’ll get a smoke, be back later.”

She stood up and walked out to the garage. Kyrie just smiled and stood, took the weapons to the living-room and waited for Nero’s return. When he did, they just sat down to talk. Kyrie was happy Nero seemed calmer, but both of them had that uneasy feeling. They had many questions, but none dared to ask. They thought maybe some sleep and no fighting would help the twins, and them too. Nero was happy, but still, he was equally concerned.

                                                        ***

Evening came faster than they thought. The twins were sleeping like babies, the pair checked them a lot. It was strange to see them sleep. After nine pm, they got the kids to bed again. One of them, Carlos, looked at Nero as he tucked him in.

“Will they start fighting again tomorrow?” he asked in a scared tone. He heard and knew all the stories.

“He won’t get your arm off again though, will he?” asked Kyle from the other bed. Nero shook his head with a little smile.

“No, no... Well, I hope not. It’s gonna be fine, kids. If they start to fight, I’ll stop them, I promise. But now, you three need to sleep.” he stood up and looked at them as they got under their blankets.

“Good night, Nero” said the three boys at the same time. He smiled and walked out, closing the door slowly. He walked to their room and got in bed, staring at the ceiling.

“Don’t worry, Nero. It’ll be fine. They are not kids anymore, they should understand...”

“They are worse than kids, Kyrie, you know that,” he sighed, “Let’s just sleep, okay? Let’s hope we won’t wake up at them fighting. Or demons coming...”

“Yeah, let’s hope...” she pulled him close and kissed him. “Sweet dreams, my love.”

Nero smiled and closed his eyes. They fell asleep together.

                                                         ***

It was close to 3 am in the morning when Vergil was awakened by a sound. He sat up fast, like a cat waking up suddenly, and looked around. The room, no, the whole house, was silent - it was strange. He got out of bed and walked out, trying to find the source of the sound. When he left, Dante opened his eyes, following him. He got up slowly and followed, not wanting to warn Vergil of him being close behind.

Vergil walked around, searching, and ended up in the living-room. He looked around and back. His eyes stopped when he saw the cane glow in a purple light for a bit, then stop, pulsing light. He walked closer and crouched down.

“So it is true...” he said quietly. He picked it up in his hand and stood slowly. “Interesting...”

“Put that thing down, Vergil...”

He heard Dante’s voice behind him. He turned casually.

“You don’t want to make me say that again.”

“I just got it into my hand, Dante. It’s just a cane.”

“Is it, though…?” asked Nero, who had woke up to their footsteps.

Vergil looked at the cane and back. He wasn’t sure now, especially after reading the book. He was silent, thinking for a bit. Would it really be worth a try? Would it make things better? If it’s successful, someone will win, but will that be good for himself? He was too curious now to not try it.

“Its demonic power is more than mine...” he quoted a line from the annotations in the  book. “It can rip me and him in half and make me - my own.”

The other two men looked at each other, then back. Vergil was curious. Whatever might happen seemed not to affect him, so he just looked at the two with a smirk. He wouldn’t explain anything, not now. In one quick motion, he swung the cane to stab himself deep in the chest. “Will it... make me... come... alive...?” he finished the quote with a pained grin. Something common, something new. The other two took quick steps towards him to stop him, but then... A flash of bright light filled the room, and then total darkness. Silence.