#because i do not have the energy to proofread anymore and if i save it to my drafts it will rot there forever

[dirty-bear-rick-sanchez]

Thinking about Prime calling C-137 simply 'Wife Guy'/'Dead Wife Rick' despite C-137 being the first Rick to actually escape the goo trap and find Prime and the only other Rick to invent portal travel and I was reminded of that scene in Pickle Rick where Rick is fighting the big rat:

"By the way, you might notice that in spite of your numerous distinctive features, I never gave you a name like Scar or Stripe or Goliath. That's because, to me, you aren't special. You were special to rats. Now they're dead. I guess it was me you should have impressed. God damn it, I love myself."

Prime really did think of himself as so far above every other Rick but also had the desperate need to prove that to the very Ricks whose opinions he claims to be above. He definitely was the 'Rickest Rick', not for the reasons C-137 thinks but because of his massive ego and need to prove himself.

C-137 is making progress towards being different from Prime in terms of accepting and admitting to his vulnerabilities and flaws, which I think is very evident in JuRicksic Mort ('you don't get to be so smart that you remove yourself from everybody'). Now that Rick has killed Prime, he's left to confront all the things about himself he hates. His hunt for Prime really is the perfect metaphor for Rick dealing with the fact that he's a bad person - his whole quest to find Prime was ultimately just another Pickle Rick situation where he used the guise of sci-fi adventures to avoid confronting his real problems in therapy. Unmortricken was a massive turning point for him because, for the first time since his Beth and Diane were killed, he finally has to face himself and put in the hard work and long hours to actually confront and improve his flaws.

[ponderingmoonlight]

How JJK men react when you fall asleep on them

Pairing: Nanami x reader; Gojo x reader; Inumaki x reader (first time yay, thank you @emzalot and @trysudio for the great idea <3)

Word Count: 3,4k

Warnings: not proofread because I really have to go to work right now lol, a little language here and there, otherwise fluff overload, will write a part ll of this so if you wanna get tagged leave a comment and let me know. Also, I'd appreciate it sooooo much if you'd interact with this fic and showed some support <3

Kento Nanami

It’s been a hell of a week. Work swallows you whole, curses appear like plagues out of nowhere. This summer seems to be worse than any year before, worse than anything you’ve ever witnessed despite the stinging fact that you are a grade 1 sorcerer.

“When was the last time you’ve slept, (y/n)?” Satoru questions playfully when you walk past him.

You have no energy for his bullshit right now, feet shuffling on the floor without a real aim. Oh, but you do have an aim-

Him.

“Can’t remember anymore. Let me go home now”, you mumble, heart beating a little faster just by the thought of it.

Going home means meeting him. After weeks of being apart, after weeks of not really seeing each other, you’ll finally come back home to him. Kento Nanami, the best boyfriend walking on this earth. Kento Nanami, who was the one who forced Gojo to talk to the elders in order to give you a few days off. Kento Nanami, who is the only thing on your mind except for sleep right now.

“Come on, let me drive you home, (y/n). No need for you to walk that whole way”, Gojo suggests.

You can’t argue. In fact, you don’t even want to. Even the thought of sitting for a few minutes seems like a relieve at the moment.

“Your man was really mad when he found out you were assigned for another bunch of missions this week, threatened to slap me if I don’t talk to the elders”, the man next to you comments amused while starting the car.

Kento is a calm and collected man, never too much of anything. But when it comes to you and your safety, he seems to put on another face.

Definitely a hot one.

“I hope he slapped you anyway”, you reply with a weak grin, earning a heartfelt laugh from Gojo.

“Not yet, but let me escort you to the door just in case.”

He stops the car, your numb body refusing to get up. You just started to get comfortable, maybe you’re able to rest your eyes on the passenger seat for a second…

“Come on, you just need to walk inside. Kento already waits for you.”

“Did you drive her here?”

Oh, that sweet voice. That sweet voice you get drunk on over and over again, that voice that lures you into relieving darkness. Now you’re save. Now you’re finally able to rest.

“Hey sweetheart, are you alright?”

His comforting touch caresses your cheek gently, you can tell he’s gazing down at you worried.  But as much as you want to lift you arms and finally embrace your boyfriend in a tight hug, as much as you are forcing your eyes to open and take in his striking sight, you simply can’t move.

“Let me carry you inside. You definitely need to rest now”, he mumbles.

Softly, he lifts you out of the passenger seat. You feel like melting away in an instant, the mixture of his masculine scent along with the warmth of his body being your personal heaven on earth. God, how much you love that man, how much adore that he stood up for you, that he lets you rest in his comforting arms right now.

“Thank you for helping me out”, Nanami addresses towards Gojo.

“No need for that. We’re buddies after all, right? And I don’t wanna get slapped by you. Good night, (y/n), sleep tight!”

As much as you’d love to bite back, your tongue is so numb you can’t even bring out anything apart from a minor groan.

Kento’s tall frame begins to walk, his tight muscles reflecting every little movement against your head. What a sensation it is, knowing that you’ll lay curled up next to him in bed within the next minutes.

“Missed you”, you mumble.

His touch brushes over your back comfortingly while he steps back into the warmth of your inviting home.

“I’m so glad you’re home again, sweetheart. But before you’re all mine, you have to catch up with your sleep. When was the last time you were able to rest?”

You can’t put a finger on it. Apart from a few short naps now and then, there was absolutely no chance to sleep for 3 hours straight within the last week. But telling Kento that definitely doesn’t seem like a good idea, not that you are able to build a straight sentence anyway.

“Don’t know”, you hush.

Gently, he lays you down onto your soft mattress. You curl up in an instant, taking in his scent inside the soft linen of your blanket. Oh, this feels like nothing but heaven. Especially because he positions himself next to you, pressing your back against his broad chest.

“Get your well-deserved rest. I won’t let something like that happen again”, he breathes against your ear.

“I love you, Kento. Thanks for standing up for me…”

His skilled fingers tuck a strand of hair that hangs in your face behind your ear before stroking your head just the way you like it.

“I will always look after you, (y/n). Now rest a little and tell me about the last weeks when you’re ready. I’ve already shopped for this evening, I want to cook your favourite meal for you.  And-“

He stops himself from talking, your low and steady breath making it more than clear that you are already sound asleep. With a small smile, Kento tucks you into the blanket and presses a kiss against your forehead. Oh, how much you deserve to finally rest, how lovely you look with your relaxed facial features and your head completely swallowed by your pillow

“Sleep tight, I love you more than anything else, (y/n).”

Satoru Gojo

“No offense, but you look like you haven’t slept in days.”

You can’t hold in a yawn, teary eyes staring at the man in front of you. That definitely was a rough mission. So rough that Satoru Gojo had to step in to save your puny ass. And if that wasn’t embarrassing enough, you can barely keep your eyes open. That fucking demon you weren’t able to exorcise all night, fucking Satoru Gojo who took forever to come to your rescue.

“I’m fine”, you grumble, avoiding his gaze at any cost.

Why on earth does it have to be him? Why Satoru Gojo instead of someone decent like Geto? Now, you’ll have to live with his stupid comments for at least some months.

“Baby, you look like you’re about to pass out.”

“Don’t call me baby”, you hiss through gritted teeth.

Get yourself together, keep your eyes open. Why on earth are you so damn tired right now? Maybe because you were fighting the whole night, maybe because you haven’t slept enough for ages.

“Feel free to rest a little, this car ride will take us some time”, Ijichi interrupts softly, gazing at you through the mirror.

“I’m fine”, you groan.

God, why is everything so damn annoying at the moment? Your eyes wander to the man next to you who just grins from ear to ear. It’s because of him, that fucker over there.

“Don’t worry, I will take care if something happens”, he assures you.

Urgh, you are too tired to deal with his shit-talking right now. You turn pointedly towards the window, staring into the rainy late morning. What time is it? You have no idea. All that you know is that you’ve been awake for more than 48 hours by now, your body being completely worn out and covered in bruises. Maybe Shoko will give you a decent pain killer that shoots you into another dimension. Yeah, that actually sounds nice.

Satoru’s eyes lay on you, how your body gets sluggish in the car seat with every passing minute. Until your head rests against the window, until your heavy eyes get the best of you and your mouth opens. Yes, you were completely worn out by the time he arrived. And it is more than well-deserved that you rest now. But why do you have to look this lovely while doing so?

“Is she asleep?”, Ijichi questions softly.

“Oh she definitely is. No wonder after that hell of a mission. Please turn the music down a little so she doesn’t wake up.”

Even though you’re always act cold towards him, Satoru can’t help but admire you from afar. You are so feisty, so strong, so lovely it takes his breath away. It seems like the only time he’s even able to look your way properly is when you are asleep.

And he enjoys every second of it.

Ijichi makes a sharp turn to the left, eyes widen in horror when another car is only inches away from crashing into him. Before Satoru is able to react, your body crashes against his, your head now resting against his shoulder. He holds his breath, heart almost beating out of his chest. He never came this close to you, not without you complaining. From here, you look even lovelier, your steady breath brushing against his neck in a way that makes him see start.

But you don’t seem to mind. No, instead your arm wraps itself around his as you rub your head against his shoulder in order to find a comfortable position.

“Is she still sleeping? I hope this didn’t wake her up…”

“Nah, she’s asleep”, Satoru mumbles.

The urge to touch you becomes almost unbearable. How is he supposed to sit still when you are cuddled against him like this? How is he supposed to not stretch out his hand when your hair looks so inviting, when he wondered about what your skin feels like since knowing you?

A little touch can’t hurt, right? A simple, innocent touch…

Slowly, his trembling fingertip brushes over your cheek. It feels like electricity is running through his veins where his skin meets yours. You really are strikingly beautiful, even when your face is squished against his shoulder, even when your mouth hangs slightly open. And oh, the perfume you wear smells absolutely intoxicating. How is it possible he never realized how good you smell?

“Hello?”

He stares at you with his eyes wide open, movement stuck in its tracks while you blink away the sleep and gaze up at him in drunken confusion.

“Are we there yet?”

“No, we’re still on our way back”, he explains briefly.

You look around, the realization of where you are slowly but surely hitting you like a wall. Oh god, is this Satoru Gojo you’re resting your head on? And is it his hand that cups your cheeks.

“I-Im so sorry!”, you stutter, instantly lifting yourself up and stroking your hair.

Fuck, why is this so embarrassing? Even Gojo’s cheeks get light pink while he avoids your gaze, fumbling with his hands frantically.

“Nah I’m sorry. Should have pushed you back…”

You swallow hard, death silence hanging in the air. Even though you only slept for maybe 10 minutes, you feel like you haven’t had such a good nap in a long time. Was is because of him? Is it because you feel…safe?

“Your shoulder was quite comfortable”, you mutter before you can stop yourself.

“Yeah, you think so?”

“Somehow, yeah…”

Is Satoru Gojo maybe not as bad as you thought? He could have yanked your body back into the seat immediately if he wanted to. Hell, you wouldn’t have been able to even touch him if he didn’t allow it. So maybe, just maybe he doesn’t hate you as much as you thought he does.

Just like you.

“Well, you can come over here anytime y’know.”

Your eyes dart towards him in an instant, looking for a single spark of dark humour on his face. But no. All he does is awkwardly smiling and patting his shoulder like he’s inviting you over.

Is this…Alright? Should you really do it?

“Your arm seems comfier than the window, so why not…”

Hesitantly, you loosen your seatbelt and slide into the middle seat right next to him. The warmth radiating from his body seems to swallow you whole in an instant, a yarn escaping you just by the thought of continuing your nap.

“Don’t you dare to tell anybody about this”, you mumble against his shoulder, eyelids already so heavy that you fail to keep them open.

“I will use this against you whenever I have the chance to.”

“Sato…”

Toge Inumaki

It’s hard to keep your eyes open when the old fart in front of you talks about his boring and made up adventures for over 2 hours by now. Not even the stinging fact that your crush is sitting next to you can keep you from holding your head in your hands, eyes slowly but surely closing.

Unexpectedly you feel a hand tapping against your forearm, ripping you out of your daydreams. Toge’s smile catches you off guard, sweeps you off the ground and almost off your chair. How embarrassing, did you really almost fall asleep while sitting next to him? Today was the first time you’ve had enough courage to ask him if he wants to sit next to you. How are you even able to be tired when he’s so close you can literally feel the heat radiating from his body?

With a firm smile, he slides a little note your way.

“Hey, don’t fall asleep”

You swallow, cheeks heating up in an instant. So he noticed? Oh no, earth should swallow you whole and get you out of this mess as soon as possible. Even though you can tell by his gorgeous eyes that he’s grinning, you can’t help but feel deeply ashamed.  

“Thank you”, you mutter through gritted teeth, eyes darting towards the old fart in front.

Why didn’t you go to sleep early tonight, why did you read through all of those chapters when you knew that you’ll have a lecture early in the morning? That slow burn just really got you. Oh, but the main character reminds you so much of him. Him, the boy who doesn’t speak in anything but sushi ingredients in order to save all of you from getting cursed. Him, whose smile could enchant entire nations. Him, who stole your heart since you’ve joined Jujutsu High along his side back then.

But why do you have to make it so complicated, why do you have to act so damn strange around him? Toge must think you’re a total freak, always admiring him from afar while never really talking much with him. Even though he agreed on sitting next to you today, he might have done it because he feels sorry for you.

Your head sinks deeper and deeper, eyes closing themselves before you are able to stop them. When you get home, you’ll definitely finish that enemies to lovers story you’ve read all night. Maybe you’ll be able to be proud of youself for asking him out when you’re back in your room. And just maybe, you’ll be able to ask him out on a date sometime. Maybe stargazing? Or watching a movie together. Just the thought of cuddling with him…

Toge’s eyes dart towards you. Considering your slow breaths and how your head rests in your arms, you definitely fell asleep. Gently, he shakes your shoulder and back, taps your arm and slides a note your way.

“Tuna tuna”, he mumbles inaudibly.

But nothing works. No, your body doesn’t move an inch except for your head that searches a comfortable position. Slowly but surely, your head threatens to wander off the desk, sending you straight towards the floor.

His eyes dart around frantically. What is he supposed to do now? He can’t let the old man notice you fell asleep and risk that you’ll hurt your head. But on the other hand…

Touching you is something he imagined quite often. Since he first laid his eyes on you, it was over. Searching for you in every crowd, sitting next to you as often as possible, protecting you at any cost. Yes, Toge Inumaki fell head over heels for you.

But somehow it seems like you aren’t that interested in him, avoiding his gaze as good as possible, always mumbling short answers only. It surprised him when you came up to him today and asked him to sit next to you, his heart still beating out of his chest just by your presence. Would you be mad, disgusted even if he grabbed you, even if only to save you from falling to the ground?

He clenches his hands into fists, watching in horror as you begin to slide down your chair. What is he supposed to do?

In the matter of seconds, his hands grab your uniform just before you’re about to fall to the floor, catching you just in time and pulling your head onto his lap.

Onto his lap.

You are laying in his lap.

Oh god, this feels so right. No, he has to focus, what will you think of him when you wake up like that? And what will the others do when they catch both of you in this strange-looking position? His face goes pale in an instant, hands desperately holding onto your back so you don’t slide down. This is bad, very very bad. But on the other hand…

No, he can’t enjoy the fact that you’re laying in his lap right now, he can’t allow to let himself fall like that. You are asleep, it would be disgusting to use you like that. Especially when you clearly don’t like him the way he likes you.

He has no other chance but to wake you up.

“Sake”, he mutters along with gently tapping your shoulder.

“Sake.”

You don’t react. Instead, you cuddle yourself into his lap, arm now resting across his legs. He closes his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath in and out.

“Sake!”, he hisses into your ear as loud as possible with somebody else noticing.

You jerk up, eyes darting around in confusion. What just happened? You must’ve fallen asleep. Urgh, that old fart is still talking…

“Tuna tuna?”

You blink at the boy next to you with doe eyes. He looks absolutely messed up, glossy orbs staring at you in pure horror. Oh no, did you do something embarrassing? Did you snore next to him? Or worse, did you drool?

Frantically, you wipe over your face. This is a nightmare and you’re still absolutely drained.

“I-I’m sorry”, you stutter.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’m just a idiot and went to bed way too late last night”, you blubber out.

Gently, Toge grabs the arm that is about to wipe over your face again mid-air and slides another note your way.

“You look cute when you sleep. Would you like to have a movie night when you’re fit again?”

You stare at the neatly written note with widen eyes. This can’t be real, right? Your crush didn’t just ask you out after you passed out on the desk during lecture. It’s like your tongue is stuck in your throat, mouth not able to move. This is way too good to be true, something you’ve dreamt about each and every night. Toge, having a movie night with you?

He stares at you nervously, how you blink over and over again in sheer disbelief. Oh no, was this a mistake, do you think he is a freak for asking you out on a movie night just after you fell asleep? What if you know that you laid in his lap, that he touched you without permission? This was a stupid idea, you made it clear multiple times that you aren’t interested in him like that-

“I…I’d love to”, you suddenly mutter so silently that Toge almost misses it.

“Salmon?”

“Yeah���I mean, if you’re still up for a meeting…”

“You two, will you shut up already? I’ll remove you from this class if you keep on talking!” the old man suddenly screams so loud that you flinch, sitting straight in your chair in an instant while your eyes dart towards him.

Toge shoves another note your way.

“I’m really excited about meeting you.”

Tags:

 @arehzhera @ploylulla @tzubaki @beatrexworld @kenstarsworld @dazaisdick @hellkaiserinphoenix  @lauv4chuuya @shadowfoxey @starlightanyaaa @sindela @kayleegomez @sunshine7queen @magalimachete @mokoartpost @gatitam @idontknow1123 @creative1writings @sanicsmut  @mynahx3 @sad-darksoul @chilichopsticks @hellkaiserinphoenix @chuyasthighs0 @ynackerman9499 @keepghostly @wxwieeee @lovelyluna1 @froufrousnowman @hidazinie @tomiokathedepresso  @gojosrealwife  @coffeeluvr96 @mahi-tamashi @weebotaku21 @chaoticwinnercupcake @lees-chaotic-brain  @risuola  @sugurulefttesticle @wordskeeper @baku2345 @polarbvnny @ruixrei @bam-bam-bam-bame-blog @lavenderdrxp @localhehecat @alicerhr @kayleegomez

[sadesluvr]

CAT AND MOUSE. (V)

Miguel O'Hara x Black Cat! F! Reader Warnings: Physical violence (restraints, blood, gunshots) and hospitals A/N: Almost there! Shorter chapter, but I swear the finale will be worth it... Not completely proofread! PREVIOUS CHAPTER | READ ON AO3 | SERIES MASTERLIST

CURRENT DAY 

Your body was limp. It ached. 

At least that’s what you thought initially.  

After the ache came a consuming numbness; like you could feel your bones and ligaments move about in your skin, but it wasn’t yours. You couldn’t talk, breathe even, only watch; watch as some familiar and some contorted faces surrounded you, staring at the spectacle you’d made of yourself.  

The last thing you remembered was being held down, thick metal tentacles pressing you against the wall as the man in a lab coat and goggles demanded of his goons that they take aim at you. You were trapped; physically, mentally, quite literally fighting a losing battle as you squirmed and writhed under his grip, trying to muster the last of your energy to fight back. You were usually someone who was good at remaining calm under pressure, years of escaping situations within an inch hairs of your life  

As cliche as it sounded, curiosity was going to kill the cat. 

The first gunshot struck you, the metal bullet ploughing into your arm and tearing through ligaments, emitting a burning feeling from your neck right onto your fingertips. Truly, you didn’t know how someone had missed, but you wished he hadn’t, solely because you couldn’t endure the current throb that was pulsating on the left side of your body.  

Was this the end? Was this how you were going to go, dying at the hands of one of the city’s worst criminals, all because you wanted a little bit of attention? Even if you’d done the right thing, it’d all been over a man – a Spider-Man of all people. How you longed to return to the days when you were bad, focused on doing everything for your personal gain and no-one else...it was all so much simpler.  

A swift gust of air blew over you, and you’d thought you were in the midst of an Asencion. Peace washed over you, only to be met with the sensation of your soul, once again, leaving your body.  

This time at 100MPH at 50 foot in the air. 

Clung to a chest. A very strong chest. 

The last thing you remembered was glancing up, your vision blurry, but just enough to make out the concerned brown eyes of Miguel O’Hara. 

Miguel couldn’t remember the last time he’d punched someone so hard. Once he’d made the careful arrangement of placing your limp body between the handlebars and Jess’ chest, he’d watched as someone took control of his body. He never usually went too far when doing villains damage; they were going to be locked up for eternity and didn’t feel like dealing with a dead body – but something about the way Doc Ock had held you down had made him feral.  

Punches had reigned down like a fury, blood spilling onto his suit as he did. It didn’t matter anyway, his suit wasn’t made of fabric after all, and so the crimson liquid shed meant virtually nothing. A suit could be replaced; coded and upgraded, but you couldn’t. And so, he’d gone crazy, pupils shrunk as he withdrew his teeth from the man's neck, still finding the energy within him to give him a final few throttles as Jess yelled at him to calm down. 

Not that he could hear her that well, though. 

All he could think about was you; just how pathetic and angered he was to watch yet another person he loved be stripped away from him so callously. Losing Gabi may have been entirely his own doing, but this was different. This was all you – or was it? – or the ‘canon’ - in truth he didn’t truly know anymore, but he knew he had a chance to save you, to keep you alive even though you mightn’t have been the same.  

And yet, with all the worry in his heart, he still found himself completely frustrated with you. Why were you so stubborn? Why had you deliberately put yourself into harm's way? Was it just for attention? Just for him? 

“It’s a detonator,” Jess hummed as she logged something in her watch. “That baby has enough horsepower to blow up the entire city.” 

“What does the Black Cat need with a detonator? Was she working with Doc?” he replied, side eyeing Jess. He wasn’t naive, but the idea of you liaising with someone like Doc Ock made him sick. 

Jess drew in a breath.  

“Doubt it, but you can never really tell with her...” she began before cocking her head. “But I think you know her much better.”  

He didn’t answer. 

“She’s at the General Hospital on 7th Avenue,” Jess continued, placing a supportive hand on his back. “I can call on Ben to help us clean up. You go and look after her.” 

“Váyase a casa, Jess. Necesita pasar tiempo con su familia.” [Go home, Jess. You need to spend time with your family.] He replied. “I’ll take it from here.” 

She let out a heavy sigh, her bottom lip catching between the gap of her teeth. “Miguel, you don’t -- Nevermind.” she finished abruptly, standing down. Jess had given him that sympathetic look far too many times before, and at this point he was more than aware of what it meant. None of this was your fault. It wasn’t your responsibility to pick up the pieces. 

But it was. You’d done this for him, all because in a fucked up way, he’d inspired you to be better.  

He watched with bated breath as he stood over you, observing your drowsy form as he watched you stir; your forearm wrapped in a tourniquet. That side of your suit had been ripped to treat the wound, and Miguel couldn’t help but feel himself run hot (it really wasn’t the time for it) at the sight of the soft, exposed skin between your armpit and breast. It was as if you were revealing yourself to him completely. 

Hurriedly, he tried to find the words before he anticipated you’d wake. A ‘hello’ would simply not cut it, and in truth he’d never been great at the witty punchline thing. Where was Peter when he needed him? 

A soft groan came from below him, and he glanced down to look at you. Your lips were parted, albeit slightly dry, and your eyes took a while to adjust as they fluttered open, wide ring as they locked onto the towering form above. 

“Oh shit…” you mumbled. “Am I dead?” 

“No.” 

“Why are you here?” You said, cocking your head. “ Where am I? My head hurts…” 

“The hospital. You were in a fight.” Miguel replied bluntly, swiping his tongue over his lips before breaking his gaze once again. 

“I was?” 

“Ay, coño! The detonator. You stole it from Otto…” He sighed. “He tried to kill you.” 

Miguel could see you visibly shrink, but you were so pumped full with anaesthetics that he couldn’t tell if you were fully comprehending all he was saying. He was half expecting a snarky comment, perhaps even something blatantly suggestive, but didn’t receive the latter nor the former.  

“I’m sorry.” Was all you said in a raspy cadence. 

“Don’t be,” Miguel began, shifting his gaze as he looked down at you; his brown eyes softening. “It was stupid to do it alone, but had you not intervened, a canon event could’ve been broken.” 

“Look at that...” you chuckled with a sniff. “I’m a hero...B-But where is he now?” 

“Don’t worry,” Miguel replied. “He’s taken care of. You need to focus on getting better, I’ll be back again tomorrow to check up on you.” 

“What?” 

“Our medics are more advanced,” he said flippantly. “It’s not safe here. You’re still wanted, Otto has more friends than you’d imagine.” 

You hummed, your head feeling light and yet somehow bulging, as if you’d retained enough information for the day. You were sure it would make sense in due time. Briefly, Miguel opened his mouth to speak, shifted his feet but decided not to say anything, instead pursing his lips and giving you a small nod. 

Even through your high, you could tell that you were in love with him. And he loved you. 

“Thank you...” you said softly, body feeling weak as you began to drift off to sleep.  

“No me agradezca, I’m not a hero,” [Don’t thank me] he sighed, taking one last glance at you. “Pero lo hice porque te amo.” [But I did it because I love you.] 

Taglist: @fries11 @honeyluvsatj @saturnknows @vancehopper1987 @youngestxhearts

[silly-little-soul]

Best of Men - Kaz Brekker

A/N - It's currently 8am, I spent the past hours writing this because sleep is overrated, I think it turned out quite well considering this is my first time writing for Kaz

A/N 2 – a week later now, I'm so sorry for the wait I decided to make it longer after all and then some stuff happened, nothing bad just time consuming I hope you enjoy anyways!

Also I'm still working on making a better post format I apologize

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

Fandom: Six of Crows

Format: oneshot

Type: comfort

Relationship: Kaz Brekker x Reader (romantic, established relationship)

Reader info: trans ftm, implied crow

Summary: Kaz comforting a trans-masc reader who feels dysphoric

Warnings: established relationship, gender dysphoria, mention of unintended misgendering, Kaz almost kills sb for like 0.5 seconds, emotionally dense Kaz, slightly OOC soft!Kaz, actually atp might as well just say Kaz in general is his own warning /hj

Proofread: Yes!

Word count: 1165

Requested: @alex-kazbrekkersimp

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

  To say it was a bad day was an understatement. It was one of the days everything felt wrong, even more so than most days, and the nagging inside your own head just wouldn't seem to stop. You were familiar with these days of course but it didn't exactly make them easier. And just when you thought you managed to tuck the feeling away rater well you were tasked to show around some new Dregs who right of the bat made you feel even worse when by addressing you with feminine titles. You knew they had no ill intention but in your current state that was barely doing anything about the waves of dysphoria crashing down on you. After a moment you couldn't take it anymore. You didn't have the energy to correct them and risk conflict so you simply turned and left for your room without another word.

So here you are now, sitting on your bed with your head between your knees. You're sure Kaz will be rather upset at you for simply leaving the new Dregs but at least Jesper agreed to taking care of them when you ran into him on your way to your room meaning they wouldn't be unattended. You don't really have the mind to care about that currently anyways.

A knock snaps you back to reality. The door opens and you don't need to lift your head to know it's Kaz, the sound of his cane against the floor giving him away easily. “Y/N.” It comes out much harsher than intended and he winces at the “I know I shouldn't have left” you mumble quietly. „Y/N“. He tries again, his voice much softer this time, a tone he rarely uses (and if he does it's with you, always with you). You shake your head, refusing to look up at him.

With a sigh he sits on the bed next to you, he makes sure to keep a small distance so he doesn't risk you touching each other accidentally but the proximity itself is a sign of trust, something reserved for you and the crows, only the people he deems save. There's a minute of silence between the two of you before Kaz comes to the conclusion you won't be addressing the problem on your own accord. “Jesper made me aware of a.... situation.” You don't reply but the sniffle coming from where your head is still tugged away from view makes his grip on his cane tighten.

When Jesper told him about what happened he was about ready to go straight to the Dregs responsible and demonstrate to them why people feared Dirtyhands but he was stopped by Inej who suggested it'd perhaps be better to check up on you first, saying she'd handle them (though her definition of handling the situation was much calmer and more reasonable that Kaz's). Though reluctantly he ended up listening to his friends, not keen on breaking his promise of always being there shall you need him.

“Love.” The use of the pet name made you look up finally. Seeing the glossiness of your eyes he stretches out his hand, deciding last second to lay it right next to yours instead of risking trying to put it on top. “I won't say I know how you're feeling as I know I never will but please be aware that whenever you need me I'm right there by your side..” He looks down at your almost touching hands for a moment, trying to find more he could say to comfort you. To his relief though you speak up this time. “Sometimes it.... it just feels like no matter how hard I try I can't seem to be enough of a man.” You cure yourself silently for the way your voice cracks at the end of your sentence, pushing your head back in its old position. Meanwhile Kaz could swear he can feel something chipping away at his heart with how sure you sound of something that is not only hurting you but blatantly false.

“I might not know how you're feeling.... but I know there's voices.” He let's his gloved hand hover above yours, hoping his words are ones good enough. “Voices inside your head and heart, voices that seem to come from everywhere and sometimes even the voices of other people. They're telling you lies and things you don't deserve.” He finally seems to have won the battle he silently had with himself as he let's his hand rest on yours lightly. “Listen to mine instead.”

You look up fully this time to see Kaz already looking at you, eyes filled with rare emotion. “You are without question the most handsome man I've ever laid my eyes upon. Absolutely dashing, stronger than anyone I've ever known, so stunningly brave. I know many men who think of themselves as powerful, strong, the best and I can guarantee you none of them stand a chance against you. You think you need to 'try' as to be a man but you are already more man than they will ever be. You're man at heart, something I believe most of them do not possess in the first place.” Relief washes over him when you puff out a small laugh at his joke. He lifts his hand from yours again, his gaze however stays fixated on you.

You take a few seconds to take in what just happened, Kaz's words having been uncharacteristically sweet, almost shockingly so. A warmth spreads inside both your chest and cheek. While you're still processing his words Kaz gets up from your bed, returning moments later with a tissue and the glass of water you had left on the little table in your room this morning, both of which you gratefully accept.

“I don't give a damn about who or what you were said to be much over a decade ago. I care about the beautiful, perfect man you grew up to be that I have the privilege of getting to spend my life with. No matter what anyone says. You'll always be you, the most incredible man to exist. Inej, Jesper, Nina, Matthias, Wylan, all of them would never see you as anything less, they all love you.” He lifts his hand again, resting it on your cheek carefully. “I love you.” It's barely above a whisper, the words still hard for him to get out even after all this time but the faint smile on your face shows him you heard him fine as he removes his hand again. “I know I don't say it as much as you deserve but I'm so very lucky to have you by my side. The best of boyfriends and best of men.”

Kaz Brekker wasn't one to let his affection show often but if it meant he could have the man he loved smile at him as strikingly as you did right now maybe he'd consider doing it more often.

<3

[nightyl]

Ours

wrote this on a bad day, reader is sad, petnames, soft sakusa, not proofread im sorry

"What's wrong with you?"

You look up to Sakusa to see his curious but concern eyes. In normal days, you'd have him cuddling you on couch or just have some playful banter with him, however today's been your last straw for everything. You weakly shake your head to immediately dismiss the conversation you know where is going, but unfortunately fortunately, this guy's as stubborn as he is on the court.

"You've been frowning since I got home. Are you mad at me?" As if telling that to himself, he stiffens and feels a flow of panic rush into him, and it doesn't go unnoticed. His eyes widens a little, a little pout in his lips that you want to kiss. You want to laugh at him for being so adorable, but you don't have the energy to do so. Instead, you feel yourself breaking.

"No- no, omi. I'm just.." Your voice weakening, faltering. With a sigh, you drop your head to your hands and rest your elbows on your knees, covering your face, like it's so heavy to carry. You've been so vulnerable tonight that you can't hide from him anymore. You can feel your eyes stinging with tears and you want it to stop so bad, but the crystals flow out of your orbs faster than you can react.

Kiyoomi, seeing it as glistening as the reflection of the moon on the sea, gets up from his seat to kneel in front of you. Because yes, he'd get on his knees if it's you, to catch you, like how he passionately digs for the ball to save it, like how he wants to always save you.

"Hey.." He softly whispers as he reaches for your head to caress your hair. "What's wrong, love?" He says it so soothingly that it forces out a sob from you. Sakusa bites his lower lip to endure the strong pang of hurt inside his chest after seeing you in this condition. He feels like crying too.

Of course, Sakusa knows. He's always been attentively watching you, but he doesn't say a word, not until it's you who brings it up. He wants you to be the one who opens up, to be ready. He doesn't want to force you and make you feel uncomfortable in any way.

He always notices the way you stare off at absolutely nowhere. He sometimes wants to flick the frown between your eyebrows and kiss it after. He sublty gives you extra food and snacks to make sure you're eating well. He just wants you to be okay, to feel fine.

He carefully grabs both of your wrists to see your face. He kisses your knuckles while he tenderly moves his fingers on the back of your hand. He waits patiently, giving you affirmations and praises on how strong you are, that he's proud of you, and that he'll always be with you.

When you're ready, you try to speak. Your lips quivering, your voice shaking, your eyes blurry, your breathing unstable, your face wet, yet he's there – in front of you, looking so enamored and lovesick. You can't help but lightly and playfully slap his shoulder

"Tell me our problem, love. I'm here. I'm listening, always."

"I don't want to bother you or be a burden, omi. I'm sorry for not telling you." Your eyes glowing with tears and you suddenly pout?? Sakusa just can't help himself but to press his lips against yours.

Our problem, because even if it has nothing to do with him, even if it's something you keep to yourself, it's his. Your problems are his, his problems are yours.

"You don't bother me. You never burden me. Please refrain from those thoughts because I'll always be with you, love. Whatever it is. You're not alone in this, alright? Let me help you. Let me be with you. This problem isn't yours to carry alone. It's ours."

[primofate]

Genshin [Volleyball Team AU - Inspired by Haikyuu!] What it’s like to be their manager Headcanons

Note: I think a lot of people misunderstand the role of the manager XD It’s not that the whole team is dating you. It’s that the whole team treats you like their family/sister. So you’d better bet that all of them are gunna be hella protective of you XD

Scenario: What do you do for the team and what do they do for you? :D

Warnings: not proofread, fluffy, might have some swear words, platonic relationships

Characters: Zhongli, Diluc, Kaeya, Albedo, Tartaglia, Kazuha, Xiao, Tohma, reader as the team manager

Other works in the Volleyball Team AU Series: Click Here

Genshin Volleyball Team manager

It’s just fuckin’ chaos

On your first day you’re already bombarded with questions by Tartaglia and Kaeya

“So which class are you?” “What’s your height?” “Are you single?”

Captain Zhongli just cannot be bothered to reign them in anymore.

So Vice Captain Diluc does it and grabs their collars. “You idiots, you’re scaring her off!”

Possibly Kazuha and Tohma are the ones you really try to rely on, on your first few weeks.

So how do you gain the trust of your team? Let’s start with each player shall we?

#1 Zhongli (Captain/Wing Spiker/Ace)

Zhongli is just handsome and mature. He’s strict and needs to be the pillar of the team. 

You’re intimidated by him the first few weeks and he just seems...a little far. He’s always so focused that you can’t seem to catch a moment to just chat with him.

There’s a day where you notice that his form is a little off, you suspect that he hurt his wrist a little. 

You fidget uncomfortably in the gym as they practice, but finally turn to the coach “U-Umm... The captain is... I mean! I’m not sure, but... I think he needs to take a rest,”

The coach calls for someone to substitute Zhongli and suddenly asks you to check on him.

“Huh?! Me?!” the coach pushes you towards him, and Zhongli is just looking at you quizzically, you can practically see the question mark on his face.

“C-Captain, d-do you need some bandages on your wrist?”

Zhongli is taken aback, but silently puts his right wrist out for you to wrap.

Only when you’re done tending to it does he look you in the eye and ask.

“How did you know?”

“...Because I always watch, and all I can do is watch. If I can’t even spot that out then I’m not a very good manager am I?”

Zhongli has a newfound respect for you. He thought you were just a meek and shy thing sitting around and passing them balls but he feels his heart swell that someone like you is seriously watching over them.

#2 Diluc (Vice Captain/Wing Spiker/Defense Specialist)

Diluc is probably the second hardest to get along with or break the ice with.

But he gradually warms up to you when he notices that he’s always the first one you pass a towel and water bottle to.

You’re not doing that on purpose, it’s just him who always comes up first.

After a few days he deliberately goes to you faster cause he always wants to be the one to receive a water bottle and towel from you first. Secretly a puppy.

The moment he realized that you were reliable was when you stayed behind to help him practice when everyone else went home already. 

You didn’t let up in your constant praise of “nice receive”, “great spike!” and “that’s so cool!” 

He thinks he saw stars in your eyes at some point.

“Hey, Diluc, it’s getting late, let’s leave some energy for tomorrow, yeah?” he could tell from your mannerisms that you were tired too, but you tried not to let it show on your face and still cleaned up with him.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then!” you wave but you’re stopped by a quick. “No,” from him. You tilt your head in wonder and he just looks at you as if it’s the most normal thing in the world.

“It’s late, I’ll walk you home,”

#3 Kaeya (Middle Blocker)

You don’t have to impress this guy, anyone of the female gender impresses him.

lol jk

safe to say it’s not difficult to befriend Kaeya, just bring him a cheering squad and some food.

all jokes aside the way to this guy’s heart is through his stomach.

He’s not a particularly hungry person but there’s this one time he forgot to bring lunch. He was running late, or something of that sort, honestly not something new for him.

He ALSO didn’t bring money so he couldn’t eat food from the cafeteria.

Ask his friends for money you say? Tartaglia would go, “Haha no way!” Albedo would go, “Let this be a lesson for you,” his brother would go “Serves you right,”

By club time he’s famished and dramatic. “Guys, go on without me, this is as far as I go,” as he sprawls on the gym floor.

You ask if he’s okay and he doesn’t answer so Diluc is the one that answers for him. “He forgot his lunch, as always,”

You make a sound of understanding and the next thing you know you’re taking out a lunch box and Kaeya has lifted his head up, sensing food.

“I packed onigiri for everyone today, actually... In case someone was hungry. It’s not much but--”

Kaeya comes alive from the dead and clutches your hands to his chest. “Manager you really are an angel,”

Diluc jump kicks him away from you.

#4 Albedo (Setter)

You also don’t know how to approach this guy

He always looks mad or stoic or something. Like he’s always thinking about something.

He low key actually is always thinking about play strategies and how to set the ball better for his teammates.

You really do think he works so hard while the game is going on, so you decide to help him out a little bit.

You watch a few more of their games and somehow come up with a list of what kinds of sets are better for each different spiker in the team.

There’s surprise in his eyes when you pass the document to him and modestly exclaim “...but, it might not be accurate, since I’m not that experienced,”

He still nods and says “...It’s the thought that counts,” 

When he does read your report and try the techniques out he notices that it does hold some merit in it

Is amazed like how Zhongli is amazed. He thought you were just there to hand them bottles and cheer for them but he had never been so wrong as to what a manager’s role is.

Will trust you enough to ask you about his set performance.  

Will sometimes slam Kaeya with an insult. “Kaeya, your spike sense is horrid, Y/N can read the moves better than you,”

#5 Tartaglia (Middle Blocker/Wing Spiker)

It’s not that he has a hard time trusting people but let’s just say he has the tendency to make you feel like he likes you but then he actually does that to everyone.

For example: He’ll throw compliments like “Oh that’s amazing Y/N!” but then back in the classroom you’ll hear him say “Oh that’s amazing!” to, like, every other person. 

That kinda disappoints you cause then the comment doesn’t really hold that much meaning to it if he keeps on saying it to others too.

He encounters a crisis mid year because this guy is just... he struggles with his grades. 

Captain Zhongli has told him he can’t play volleyball if he fails even one subject.

This boy is panicking and has semi-accepted this is the end of his volleyball career.

So you offer to study with him and he’s legit stoked.

Intensive and strict study sessions commence. Note taking, pop quizzes, surprise questions and even sudden random calls from you wherein you ask him a question and he has to answer within 5 seconds.

You’ve pulled all the study techniques you know here, this man better pass everything.

Welp, he still fails History....but since he worked so hard Captain Zhongli excuses it.

He’s so happy that he can’t hold back the stupidly wide smile on his face. He turns to you and for the very very first time in months, he bows and THANKS you.

You realize that he’s never thanked you before. Not even when you pass him water bottles or towels. 

You consider it a win, getting rare and sincere appreciation from him.

#6 Kazuha (Decoy/Middle Blocker/Wing Spiker)

One of the easiest to get along with but at the same time, he’s so mature that you feel like you’re not even in the same age range as him.

Definitely someone you can count on though, so you ask him many questions on the first week.

Still, it’s one of those things where you can kind of talk to him but there’s still a wall between you two.

One day while walking around in school there were these boys who were commenting about his height, and questioning his abilities as a volleyball team member.

You didn’t really think much about it when you speak up, “But he’s a really good middle blocker and spiker,” 

Those boys look at you weirdly and you realize that you’ve unconsciously spoken up. So you hurriedly walk away.

Little did you know that Kazuha was in some secret corner and heard the whole thing.

Just like that, the next day, it seems as if the wall between you two was gone, and you’re able to talk freely.

That, and he seemed to like asking you to help him practice his spikes and throw balls for him now.

#7 Xiao (Libero)

is deceivingly easy to get along with. Just has a rough exterior but is actually a softie if you squint.

You know this because there are subtle things he does. 

He doesn’t speak to you much but then he would be the one picking up the balls with you, or sometimes there’s magically a new set of clean towels on the bench that you don’t remember taking out from the storage room.

This guy is passionate for the game, so he really beats himself up when he isn’t able to receive a ball during actual games.

You worry about his mentality sometimes. I mean, it’s a team game, it’s not like he alone can save the whole game

So you talk to him about it the other day

“You’re already a really good libero Xiao, I mean... I’m not saying you should stop practicing but you don’t have to feel so bad...” you pause because this doesn’t feel like the message you want to convey

“Sorry, what I mean is... You CAN feel bad, but share the burden with your team, you know?”

He knows what you’re saying and contemplates it for a while. He knows that his team has his back, but sometimes just needs reminder about it.

He looks at you and asks, “...Can I share the burden with you too?”

You blink “Huh?”

“You said I can share the burden with my team, but can I share it with you too?”

There is a blush on his cheeks at this point.

“Oh, yea! Of course! I don’t play but I’m still part of the team you know!”

Ever since then, during games, if he feels a little frustrated he’d glance at you on the bench and you’d give him a thumbs up for a job well done.

#8 Tohma (Pinch Server/Middle Blocker)

You’re like bffs the moment you see each other

lol jk

You’re still awkward with him the first few days cause that’s just how first meetings are.

But he is very easy to talk to and always makes you feel at ease

Will always be the one to ask how you are if you need any help or if class was okay in general

Seems like the type of person to care more about others than himself

So he’s surprised when you come into the gym and you beat him to asking his usual questions.

“Tohma, how are you today? Did you have a proper lunch?”

“Tohma, are you getting tired? Want some water?”

“Tohma, how was class today?”

All the other members of the team turn to look at the two of you, thinking ‘Why does Tohma get extra attention?’ 

Tohma certainly doesn’t get extra attention you just TALK to him more. The other members deadass are also getting cared for by you, just in different ways.

This boy has some insecurities though, when it comes to playing the game. He hasn’t been in it for long so he’s the least experienced and that gets to him sometimes.

“Oh, really? But you play really well! I couldn’t tell that you’re new” 

His serves are really amazing though.

“Also! You always score points for us with the serves. Sometimes, your serves are my favourite part of the game!”

Has practiced extra hard so as not to let you down.

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[9tzuyu]

sick days

req: i was wondering if you could do a nat x daughter reader fic where we are basically overworking ourselves with school and our first job, and get really sick/depressed and nat notices and helps? cuddles and just support and fluff please?

hope this is ok, req is currently my situation and need some nat comfort for it :)))

notes: yass slayy another request down. idk how to feel abt it but i hope this was okay and i hope you like it!!

warnings: none? sickness, semi proofread, lazy title.

mama!nat x adopted daughter!reader

🏷: @c-is-writing yasss

. . .

monday started with a sore throat, but you ignored it thinking it would disappear on its own.

tuesday ended with a pounding headache and a bottle of tylenol by your bedside.

wednesday hit you with on and off waves of nausea, the night ending with you curled in a ball with your arms tucked into your side.

thursday you could hardly move out of your bed, but you trudged through it not wanting to worry about the consequences of not getting up.

the urge to fall in your mothers arms grew stronger every second you were awake. you'd been so stressed lately and she could tell. natasha tried to help in small ways as much as she could, but it only went so far when you were crammed day in and day out with work and school.

you had almost no time for yourself, let alone any time to spend with friends or hang around the house with your mom. it was no surprise natasha had no idea you were sick when you'd been leaving the house before she got up and coming home to her already asleep on the couch, clearly trying to stay up for your arrival.

friday though, was different.

natasha was up before you with breakfast ready on the kitchen table, something you typically didn't have time for before school.

"good morning." she greeted you with a warm smile on her face.

her red hair was tied back into a messy bun and you watched her for a quick second as she finished cleaning up her mess.

"morning." natasha was quick to raise her eyebrow at the sound of your voice.

"you okay?"

"mhm." you nodded, closing your eyes as you took a seat at the table. all you had to do was get through the next two days. that's it.

"you don't sound okay."

"i'm okay mom, promise." you mumbled, forcing yourself to take a bite of the food on your plate.

normally you'd be ecstatic that your mom made breakfast because she always made it well, but you didn't have the energy or the appetite to enjoy her cooking.

natasha watched as you shoved the food around on your plate and frowned. "i think you should stay home, you don't look too good sweetheart."

you were quick to shake your head in protest, "no mom i can't. i have school today and work after. i just have to wait until sunday and then i can rest."

"it won't kill you to call in, you know. i'm sure they'll understand. and you can always catch up on school, i'll help out with what i can." she tried to push.

"i said no." you snapped, despite that being the only thing you wanted to do.

"watch your tone," she warned. "and i'm not asking anymore, give me your keys."

"seriously? i have school-"

"and i'll call them and tell them you're absent."

"and work?" you huffed.

"it's a thursday night at a local craft store, they'll be fine. now hand me your keys."

"this is so stupid. i'm going to get behind and it's going to be all your fault." you rolled your eyes, shoving the keys in her direction before angrily getting up.

you didn't mean what you said to her. you were just so overwhelmed and tired, you couldn't control yourself when you snapped at her.

the next few hours were spent in your room. your muscles ached, your head was pounding and you felt like you were going to throw up any minute.

your only saving grace was the fact that your boss understood your situation and gave you the next couple of days off. now your mind was primarily focused on school and the work you were going to miss. it was only one day, but with AP classes it felt more like three days worth of work to catch up on.

natasha knocked on your door a little past noon with a bowl of soup. "here, it'll help your throat."

you didn't answer her out of guilt from earlier in the day, but when she left you didn't hesitate to turn over and try to provide some relief on your throat. plus it was good, natasha knew just the right seasonings to use that wouldn't bother your throat.

when you finished you tip-toed your way down the wooden floors of your hallway, careful not to make too much noise when you set the empty bowl in the sink.

before you could go back to your room you stopped to see your mom sitting on the couch, blanket wrapped around her body while she watched tv. she looked cozy, safe even.

it was because of that you went over to her, sneaking your way under the blanket and resting your head on her shoulder.

"i'm sorry mama." natasha snaked her arm around your back, gently guiding your body down so that you were laying on her stomach. her fingers found their way in your hair and began massaging the crown of your head in hopes of easing the headache she already knew you had.

"it's okay baby, i know you're sick." she reassured.

"i'm so stressed and i don't know what to do. and i'm so exhausted from everything, i barely have time for myself and i miss you and i can't-"

"hey, hey, shhh slow down. you're okay. take a deep breath for me." she rubbed her thumb over your cheek. "there you go sweetheart, you've got it."

when you managed to calm down a bit more natasha brought up the topic again.

"do you think dropping out of AP classes would help?"

"but what about college?" you mumbled softly. "i don't want to be a failure."

"you're anything but a failure, little lady. and most colleges don't care about AP classes anyway."

you sniffled, "they don't?"

"nope. it's mostly just a thing snobby kids use to boast about on their applications. you're only doing more work than necessary when it's not towards any kind of college credits." your mother confirmed.

"what about work?" natasha tilted her head, "can't you always adjust your availability? you don't have to work every single day of the week, especially not when you're still in high school. i don't like it when you're out so late every night anyway."

you nodded, "i missed spending time with you more than anything. i hate feeling this way."

natasha gave you a small squeeze, "i'm always here. we've got all the time in the world. now lets get you feeling better before we do anything else, okay? c'mon, i'll carry you to my room and we can watch a movie."

"mom i'm 17, you can't pick me up," you giggled as you hopped off the couch.

"you seem to forget that i have a serum running through my veins." she kissed the top of your head before picking you up and bringing you into her room.

you snuggled into her side, the feeling of sickness already starting to become less miserable.

everything would be okay as long as you had your mom around.

[dodo-begone]

Beware the Beast

Pairing: Yandere!Philza x Reader

Request: Maybe some yandere!philza headcanons? You don’t have to!

Word Count: 2k

Warning: yandere, swearing, talk about kidnapping, depression (kinda detailed on that aspect)

A/n: I accidentally turned this into a story- i really need to stop doing that. But I just couldn't resist! Also sorry if Phil is OOC. And this isn't proofread. We die like men here. Can be perceived as platonic or romantic.

This man has lived many years, lost so many loved ones. He’s getting tired of this cycle. It’s truly exhausting. You start to care about the world less. After a while, you start to see too many similarities in things, making it hard to look at. So he starts to close his heart to others. It’s just easier that way, for both parties. Saves him from the heartbreak and them from… well, him. He also stops caring for himself. After all, he’s literally immortal. Nothing can kill this man, so neglecting some self care routines every once in a while wouldn’t hurt…

But this becomes such a bad habit of his. He barely cares for himself after a while. It’s hard to find the energy when it isn’t going to matter in the end. Nothing matters anyways. Every action will always prove fruitless in the end. So what’s the point in doing something so... small if it takes this much energy? If a past version of himself saw Phil now, they’d be disgusted. Telling him to just get up and care for himself. Come on, you’re immortal. Nothing can kill you. Just do this.

He’s a mess when you two meet. His platinum-blonde hair was mostly neat, a little shaggy. It was obvious that he just got himself cleaned up a bit. One can only do so much about deep eyebags, dull hair, and lifeless eyes on such short notice.

You were introduced to him through Ghostbur. Phil was overjoyed that Ghostbur was making more friends. Though much less pleased when Ghostbur insisted that he’d bring his new friend over to meet Phil. Oh come on Phil, you’d just love them. They’re so nice! What tortured Philza more than his first interaction with you? His conversations with Ghostbur about you. He’d just prattle on about things you and him did, about how much fun you two had and how nice you were. Always nice.

And you were nice, an absolute sweetheart. But much too perky for Philza’s liking. You two had been chatting for quite a while when Ghostbur silently leaves you two together. Well, you’re chatting. Phil is just listening to you, hoping that you’d leave at any moment. Some topics were brought up; they were mostly some small icebreakers to get acquainted more.

When your past was brought up, you’d always paint this fucking picture-perfect past. So peaceful. God, the envy he had of you, of the peace you experienced in your life- He felt bad for it, honestly, he did. But he just wished he could’ve had even a fraction of the prosperity you spoke about. For someone living in the DSMP, you had a relatively easy and steady life. No war, no major or sudden loss or anything of that sort. A perfect life.

After that, you just kept coming back. Why? Why are you coming back? Are you here to taunt him for the life he lived? For the life he’ll never have? Is some god sending you as a punishment? A living example of everything he gave up, had to leave behind. That’s what he believed, anyways.

That was far from your intentions. You saw how he was in your first meeting; jumpy yet dissociating from reality. An oppressive, glum aura seemed to just emanate him. So downtrodden and dead inside, yet so obviously alive on the outside. It hurt to see him like that, as you went through something similar. You had no idea how long he’d been like that, but you decided that you’d help him in any way that you could.

You tried to make it a daily thing. Everyday you’d go to Phil’s house around midday to afternoon. You two would talk for a bit, but you’d couldn’t help sprinkling your questions in. Have you eaten yet, mr. Philza? Have you had water today, mr. Philza? Have you preened your feathers, mr. Philza? Have you bathed today, mr. Philza?

Your questions irked Phil. Everyday, without fail, you’d come and talk to him. It’d be small talk at first; what the weather was up to that day, some light politics, Tubbo’s new adopted son. Small. Yet you’d always bring up his self care. He was a fcking grown man. He could take care of himself. What’s worse? You’d pester him to care for himself in that instant if he even showed a small sign of negligence. And you’d stay the entire time, making sure he did everything. And then you’d always add “mr. Philza” on the end. It was a sign of respect, yet it upset him so much. But he couldn’t exactly pinpoint what it was.

Though it was annoying, it got him in the habit of caring for himself. It was only to stop your pesting! That’s the reasoning. The only reason. It wasn’t because you’re congratulating and giving him treats when he remembered to care for himself. Or you petting his wings… Those were only bonuses! He swears!

It becomes more steady as time goes on; you go and visit Phil, you talk with Phil and see if he’s caring for himself, and if he was, you’d reveal a delicious treat from within your enderchest. You two would talk while munching on the food, having fun sharing what your pasts were like. Well, more like yours. Phil didn’t really talk about his.

But he still seems so cold, disinterested. Even with how long you’ve been going over for. Like he’s only listening to what you’re telling him. If he’s even listening. And seeing how he interacted with others like Techno and Ranboo, it really disheartened you. He was so much more lively with them, more natural. Loud laughing and silly little antics. It only took a few small, insignificant depression episodes for your self doubt to finally debilitate you. Though it only really affected your contact with Phil; he was a big insecurity of yours.

So you start to distance yourself. You were hurting and saw yourself as a bother to Philza. It would’ve been better if you just didn’t try to talk to him anymore. He’d be so much happier without you bugging him all the time. All of this sudden, open time gives you much more empty hours. There was nothing to do. So you did what you could; you went out to make or strengthen friendships. It was so nice. You never realized how everyone on the smp was so nice. Maybe they weren’t as bad as Phil was making them all out to be…

Philza was upset the first day you weren’t there. You were such a steady element of his day. You were like the very air he breathed; it was extremely hard to live without you. He never noticed before how much he needed you. Yes, he knew that he really enjoyed you, saw that you were a pillar, a constant in his life. He came to enjoy your visits, but hadn’t realized how dependent he became because of them. It was day three when Phil started to worry about you. Why hadn’t you come to talk with him, like usual? He’s taking care of himself, just for you, just like you kept insisting he do. And he made you some cake.

He knew he was acting odd, lovesick even. His love for you was toxic, extremely so. It wasn’t healthy, yet he couldn’t care less anymore. You were like his nicotine to a smoker; he couldn't live without you being in his life. His everyday life. So after some debating, he finally went out to look for you.

Traversing the nether wasn’t too bad, but still a tedious walk. He was stuck in his mind the entire trip there, wondering where you could be and what you could be doing. Maybe you got caught up in making something. A redstone project? That’d be pretty cool. Or maybe moving? No, if you were, you’d have told him. But that didn’t stop him from speeding up just a wee bit. Just to make sure you were actually still on the smp.

His mind was racing, thinking of any possibility of what you were doing. And his mind eventually hit something that absolutely terrified him; you could be sick, injured, or dying. It felt like the world just fucking stopped. This was a sudden loss of contact and you still hadn’t come to talk with him. So that… that means there’s a high probability of you being in danger.

He ran the rest of the way to the main part of the smp. When he came out of the portal, he frantically looked around for any sign of you. For your house. Then it hit him; he had no idea where you lived. You only mentioned it being cold where you lived, just like where he lived. So that most likely meant Snowchester. He started running toward the cold nation

On his way to Snowchester, he observed his surroundings. A little bit. He had to get to you, keep his eye on the prize. And he was glad that he looked around. There you were, on another part of the prime path.

He was overjoyed to see you, especially doing so well. Soon he came to a stop. Just floored by the fact you were there, in front of him. Frantically he tried to view you as best he could, looking for any sign of injury or illness.

Now he couldn’t come across as clingy or desperate. That wasn’t how you knew him. You know him as Philza; the kind but a mild social recluse. Not really going out to others unless he needed something or he was needed.

So he walked over to you, trying his best to look nonchalant. Like he wasn’t just desperately searching for you a moment ago. He called out to you and guess what happened? You started to walk away. He was stunned. Did you just ignore him? No, you must not have heard him. It was kinda windy out at the moment.

Logically he did the best option, following you. He had no clue where your destination could be. You were going to a different area of the smp than he had been. My how the smp changed since the destruction of L’manberg. He knew it changed, but it seemed so much bigger than what you described.

He didn’t exactly pay attention to where you were indirectly leading him. That was until a flash of movement caught his attention. Snapping out of it, he looked to see what could’ve been going on. Who could’ve been there. And what he saw before him was a terrible sight.

Quackity stood by your side, animatedly chatting with you. Phil was confused as to why you were talking to Quackity of all people. You two recently talked about how Quackity was problematic and arrogant. If you knew that, then why were you talking to him?

Awkwardly he watched you. Not within earshot, but where he could keep an eye on you and Quackity. And Quackity was looking at Phil too. His eyes spoke volumes; Quackity wasn’t pleased that Phil was there. Boy was that sentiment shared. It was tense between the two, yet you still seemed oblivious to what was going on.

Then Quackity said something, putting his hand on your shoulder and leading you somewhere else. But gave one last look at Phil, one that just spoke “fuck off”. Phil wished he could’ve told Quackity the same. To get him away for you.

Quackity’s action sparked a thought in him. A reason as to why you hadn’t come to talk to Phil; Quackity must’ve kidnapped you! Yes, that’s why you hadn’t come. It makes so much sense. Quackity knows you and most likely knows you talk to Phil.

With how easily you tell Phil of the people you’re talking to, he doubts that the behavior would just change. But that’s what must’ve gotten you in so much trouble; you were too trusting, too kind-hearted. You gave Quackity a chance and he was stealing you away, imprisoning you. You needn’t worry dear, he’ll rescue you from that foul man.

[uwurakax]

save your tears ♡

pairing: oikawa x f!reader ♡

genre: angsty // breakup // toxicish? (not really) ♡

summary: after the constant fighting and bubbling insecurities, you and oikawa both decide that breaking up is probably for the best. too bad that it wasn’t what either if you had wanted ♡

♡ read part two ‘another day’ here ♡

word count: 1.3k ♡

author’s note: sorry not proofread, oops. yes angst and more angst. my blog has been filled with fluffy stuff i needa go back to my roots and do what i do best (lol tooting my own horn) ♡

♡ (inspired by save your tears - the weeknd/ariana grande) ♡

“You don’t get it, why can’t you understand how I feel?!”

“Because you’re actually being ridiculous!”

“How can you say that?! Those girls are always all over you! You’re the one being ridiculous Tōru!”

“We’ve been through this how many times?! It’s stupid that you still feel this way no matter what I say to you!”

“Well sorry for just wanting my boyfriend to be with me and not entertaining other girls!”

“Even through my busy schedule, I at least try to make this work! At the start you were constantly worried I wouldn’t make enough time for you when it’s you who constantly flakes out on me! And you know how little time I get off!”

“That isn’t fair! You know I can’t help that!”

“And I can’t help what little time I have for breaks or what those girls do or say”

It really was ridiculous. How many times had you and Oikawa gone through the same argument over and over again? Constantly going around in circles, a never ending cycle of yelling and crying. A frustration that neither of you could bother with anymore. The relationship was shattered, barely held together anymore. You nor Oikawa had the energy to try and salvage whatever remained. The broken pieces of the love the two of you once shared lay, waiting to be pieced back together like so many times previously; but this time neither of you were going to risk cutting your hands on the shards.

Seconds turned to minutes, the silence deafening. The atmosphere was tense in between you. You heard a sigh come from Oikawa’s lips. Turning to face him you saw it in his eyes; this was the end. He looked at you, tears forming and you could see how heartbroken he had become. You were sure you looked like that too. It almost had you wanting to save whatever you had, to apologise for everything you had said tonight and anything beforehand. You were willing to cut your hands, to piece it all back together yourself, just so you wouldn’t have to see him like this. Just so you could go back to how you both were. Just so you could love him how you wanted to, and how he deserved.

“Look, Y/N..”

You didn’t need to hear him to know what was coming. You held out your hand to stop him, tears threatening to spill over, but you held them back. You wouldn’t cry, not yet anyway.

“You don’t need to say anything Tōru. I’ll go get my things”

You rushed away from him, heading to your shared bedroom and bathroom, quickly stuffing the essentials in a bag in record time. You wanted out of there immediately.

After only 10 minutes, you had your items roughly packed, you hadn’t even bothered to fold any clothes you had gotten. You made your way to the door, Oikawa standing by it. You both stood there for an awkward few moments, looking at each other; the finality of it all sinking in.

“I’ll come get the rest of my stuff during the week”

He merely nodded, not uttering a word.

So this was really it, the end of your relationship with the Oikawa Tōru. Never did you ever think it would be like this. The words you had said to him now processing in your mind. It was too late now though. Too late for either of you to take it all back. Too late to save everything.

Just one last time, you wanted to indulge in what your heart wanted; even if the words the both of you said cut deep, you still loved him. A breakup wouldn’t change the underlying feelings you still felt. You wouldn’t have stayed if you didn’t love him; and you were sure that if he didn’t bring it up, you still would’ve been with him. But he did and it cannot be changed.

You brought your hand to his face, cupping his cheek and rubbing your thumb over the soft, plump skin. He closed his eyes and leaned into your touch, kissing the palm of your hand. It was a stark contrast to how you both were just minutes before. You supposed he needed this, just like you did, just one last time. You smiled sadly at him, knowing that once you left you’d never speak, never message, never love each other anymore.

Once the door closed, it would be finished.

“Bye Tōru, good luck with everything”

Reluctantly, you withdraw your hand, turning to open the door and not bothering to look back. You knew if you did you’d lose it. Gently closing the door behind you, you rushed to your car, noticing that it had started raining in the night sky. How cliche. You flung the door open and threw your bags inside, slamming it shut once you were done.

You paused for a moment, looking up at the house you once shared with your now ex boyfriend. You breathed out, trying to steady yourself. You still refused to cry. Turning on the ignition, you buckled up, started your lights and reversed out the driveway, speeding away from the home you had made with Oikawa.

You finally let yourself break down and cry.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Oikawa watched as the front door quietly closed after you. It was so gentle and quiet, nothing like he expected. The yelling, the fighting, it should’ve all ended with you slamming the door shut, screaming at him, making it known that you just couldn’t wait to get out of his presence; but you didn’t. If Oikawa had to guess, he’d have thought you felt reluctant? Remorseful? Who knows really. He just didn’t think it would be like this. He knew what he had said, how it must’ve hurt you. How he wanted to take it back, say he was sorry and embrace you, reassure you that he loved you, more than he had ever loved another before.

He was the one who brought it up, yes, but he did it before you could. He didn’t want to be on the receiving end this time. Was it selfish and prideful? Yes, that’s just who he was, Oikawa supposed. It wasn’t fair to burden you with his own insecurities, but it was too late. He must’ve been right though, because before he was even able to finish what he wanted to say, you did it for him.

When he heard you shuffling around, gathering your things, making the space you made homely a bit more empty, he felt instant regret. He knew once you left it would be all over. You’d never want to speak with him again, never want to see him for hurting you. Never again have the pleasure of holding you close, kissing you, or making you laugh. Those moments would soon belong to someone else. Could be days, months or even years from now; it would all just be too soon for Oikawa’s liking.

He stared at the door, hearing your footsteps against the wet pavement. The small puddles slooshing and lightly splashing under your feet. Once you were gone, you’d be gone for good.

Oikawa hesitated for a moment too long, swinging the wooden door open harshly. He couldn’t waste anymore time. Your lights were on, and you slowly started to reverse out onto the main road. He started to yell out your name, repeating it louder each time. You never heard him over the rain or the engine of your car. Maybe if you did, you would’ve stopped and run back to him. Maybe this could’ve strengthened your relationship. Maybe you could’ve still been together. It was too bad for the both of you that you didn’t, and that’s all those were; maybes.

It was also a shame you didn’t see him, standing in the middle of the road. This clothes were now soaked and chilling his body with every passing moment as he watched your car grow smaller and smaller into the distance until he couldn’t see it anymore.

His face was now downcast, staring down at the concrete on the road, berating himself that he was now too late. His hair wet, fringe stuck and covering his eyes - the rain mixing in with his own salty tears.

Oikawa Tōru was just too late.

[writersmorgue]

Nightmare Material

15+ for graphic descriptions of violence, blood, and gore

can be read as slash or platonic

not proofread

-

“SHUT UP DEKU! OH MY GOD, CAN YOU BE QUIET FOR FIVE FUCKING MINUTES?!”

The common room goes silent.

“Woah, Bakubro, he just asked if you were busy,” Kirishima chuckles nervously.

Katsuki looks over to Deku who, as expected, already has tears welling in his eyes.

“Shitty crybaby, of course I’m busy can’t you fuckin’ see? Go bother someone who cares.”

Deku sniffles like the pathetic little child that he is, and nods, “Ok Kacchan.”

“Fuckin’ annoying ass-” Katsuki mutters, ignoring the glares as he stomps out of the room. Taking the stairs two at a time before slamming the door shut behind him, imagining the flinches of his classmates as he does so.

Fuck that fucking nerd, always looking down at him. Asking him for help on math of all things, when he fuckin’ knows that’s Katsuki’s worst subject. Fuck him.

The little shit shouldn’t even be here, he’s not on Katsuki’s level. Just gonna get himself killed.

After a few minutes of grumbling into his pillow, there’s a knock at Katsuki’s door, followed by a meek, “Blasty?”

He groans dramatically and flops over onto his back, propelling himself up with a few controlled explosions.

“Fuckin’ what-” He swings the door open and comes face to face with the entire idiot squad.

Sero, Kirishima, Mina, and Kaminari all stand in front of him, Sero nervously wringing his hands, Kaminari avoiding eye contact, and Kirishima giving him a look.

Mina steps to the front of them, patting Kirishima’s shoulder as she does so.

“Blasty, you really gotta stop.” She stares him straight in the eyes, not backing down no matter how hard he glares.

“Stop fuckin’ what.”

Kirishima places a hand on Mina’s chest, stalling her step forward into Katsuki’s space. “You know what, Bakugo.”

Katsuki rolls his eyes, “Oh please, like the little shit can’t handle some yelling. I’ve seen discount hot topic make his ears bleed-”

“This isn’t about Jirou. This is about you. You need to sort your shit out.” Sero’s frowning, a rare sight.

“Oh?” Katsuki quirks an eyebrow, “Or what?”

There’s a tense silence before Kaminari sniffs. “Or- or we won’t be your friends anymore!!” He stutters, bottom lip wobbling.

The rest of the group nods, one by one giving him a last glance.

Katsuki stands there for a few minutes, mainly thinking, but also fuming

How dare they treat him like that, like trash. He’s not trash, and he’s not the bad guy. He’s just trying to save Deku before it’s too late. Stupid idiot won’t last a day in the hero business, even with his new freak quirk. All it’s good for is hurting the nerd.

“Stupid Deku and his stupid protection squad, fuckin’ blind idiots.” He grumbles, slamming the door and returning to his lair.

He changes his clothes, resigning himself to finishing his weekend at the gym instead of on next week’s homework.

Bakugo stomps through the common room on the way to their practice room, a few of his classmates shoot him glares but he’s ignored for the most part. Something noticeably purposeful since he’s not exactly being quiet. Even Kirishima refuses to acknowledge his presence.

Yeah, that hurts.

He runs for two hours, lifts for one, and finishes with core for thirty minutes before his post-workout cooldown ritual. Thoroughly satiated and tired to the bone, he heads back to his dorm. Ignored this way too, he doesn’t bother saying goodnight to anyone. Not that he would usually. Not that he misses Ashido’s “Night blasty!!” on his way up the stairs.

He doesn’t give a shit.

He scrubs at his body with his last bits of energy and brushes his teeth half dead on his feet. Exhausted, he flops down on his bed and passes out almost immediately.

…

Someone’s screaming.

Katsuki lunges toward Shigaraki, whose hand barely grazes Izuku’s neck.

Izuku? When did he ever call the nerd something other than-

“DEKU!!!” Oh, he was the one screaming. He blasts himself forward and pushes Izuku out of the way, his dusted skin flaking off into the breeze as green hair skids to a stop on the ground below.

“Damn BRAT-” Shigaraki mutters, angrily scrunching his hand in mid-air before turning his attention to Katsuki. “YOU.” He points a cracked, pointed finger at Katsuki.

“Yeah, what are you gonna do about it old man?” He snorts, preparing his arms to blast again, he can feel the resistance from his last jump.

“You saved the little shit,” Shigaraki mutters to himself, nails dragging roughly down his neck, “must have a relationship, must be close to my enemy. Must die-”

Katsuki raises his hand, palms crackling in defiance, but he’s geared to go anyway.

Nothing happens.

“Fuck goddamnit!” His one fucking chance to get a drop on the guy and he’s out of juice? Fucking really?!

He’s so caught up in his fury he doesn’t notice the mad glint in the enemy’s eye. The way he smiles brokenly, bloody tongue barely peeking out.

“Poor little hero.” He mutters.

Katsuki jerks his head up just in time to see five fingers inches away from his face.

Well, this was fun.

“KATSUKI-” There’s pressure on his side and he falls, belatedly realizing he was pushed out of the way.

He looks hits the ground hard, hearing the reverberated snap of his ankle as it breaks.

“FALL HERO!! FALL BEFORE ME! YOUR NEW GO-”

Shigaraki falls to the ground as Todoroki whacks him over the head with a piece of rebar.

HIs normally stoic expression is frantic, he’s got fresh tears streaking down his face, and his forehead is covered in dried blood.

He tears his eyes away from the downed villain as Kirishima comes to cuff him, and screams in anguish at the sight of Izuku- Something Katsuki is still trying to wrap his head around.

A startled, almost pained sound escapes Katsuki as he half limps, half runs towards his best friend.

...best friend?

“IZUKU!”

Izuku has long since crumbled to his knees, clutching what remains of the left side of his face. Still slowly crumbling away. Blood pours down his arm and neck, making it difficult to see, but the sight of his eye frantically widening as Katsuki sits next to him is enough.

He removes his hand and sobs, throwing himself onto Katsuki.

“Eih- hgo-” He chokes, blood soaking Katsuki’s own suit as he rocks them both.

“Shh, it’s okay, Izuku.” He whispers, making eye contact with a sobbing Todoroki, who nods in approval.

“Izuku you’re gonna be fine.” The shock has yet to remove itself from Katsuki’s voice, and his words are filled with cracks and sobs, but he hopes it’s what Izuku needs.

“Aa- aah” Izuku’s broken kacchan followed by a fresh flow of blood down Katuski’s neck.

“I love you, Izuku. It’s gonna be alright.”

Izuku whimpers, clutching onto the blond’s neck for dear life.

And then he goes limp.

Katsuki’s eyes bug out, and he pulls Izuku arm’s length away. The gruesome sight that greets him is one he’ll never forget.

Izuku’s left eye hangs loosely down the side of his mangled cheekbone and jaw. Katsuki can see teeth starting to crumble as the decay works its way through his face. His nose is completely exposed, with no flesh left. No cute freckles. No scrunch when he smiles. And his other eye, possibly the worst part, stares lifelessly at Katsuki. The last remnants of tears make their way down his face.

He looks… terrified.

He died scared in the arms of his abuser. Someone who never even apologized to him. For fucking anything. Some vile part of Katsuki reminds him.

He saved me because I couldn’t do my fucking job.

He thrusts Izuku’s lifeless body into Shouto’s arms, who lets out a heartwrenching sob. Katsuki scrambles back, and can vaguely register the sound of pink cheeks vomiting behind him.

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck-” becoming increasingly more desperate with each utterance of the word, “FUCK!” Kirishima comes up behind him, picking him off the dust-covered ground and holding him to his chest. “This is all my fault!!!” He wails, “He fucking saved me, I couldn’t- this isn’t right no no NO-”

“Shhhh Katsuki-” Eijirou soothes him through his own tears, always the constant in Katsuki’s life. Well, after Deku.

Deku Deku Deku.

Dead Deku.

Because of you.

Katsuki takes another good look at Deku’s face where Shouto had freaked and discarded him on the ground. The unnatural bend of his arms, the bloody drool escaping his parted- if you can even call that a mouth anymore, his eyes.

And he screams.

He screams and he screams and he screams until someone shakes him so hard he wakes up.

Wait-

“BAKUGO!!! WAKE UP PLEASE-” Shitty hair screams at him, shaking his shoulders desperately as he thrashes in his sheets.

He stills, staring up at Kirishima with a shocked expression.

“Wh-”

“You were having a nightmare,” Kirishima explains, gasping for breath like he just ran a marathon.

Katsuki looks to the doorway where half of the boys in their class stand, expressions varying from worried to shocked.

He looks back at Kirishima, a pitiful whimper escaping his throat, “It- it wasn’t real?”

Katsuki looks to the door, half expecting to see Izuku there.

Missing an ear, you can see his tongue through his cheek.

Katsuki gulps, “Where’s Izuku?” He murmurs into the quiet room.

“Izuku?” Someone in the hallway mutters.

“Uh,” Kirishima catches himself before he can say something dumb, “Izu?- Uh- Midoriya is probably in his room. Didn’t think you’d want him here, but he knows. You kinda woke up the whole dorm.”

Kirishima has barely finished the sentence before he’s jumping out of bed, pajamas be damned, and sprinting toward the stairs. When he gets to Izuku’s floor he makes a hard right, Icyhot shouting something about being nice behind him.

Katsuki can yell at him later.

Running gives him time to think, and the more Katsuki thinks the more he realizes that his nightmare might as well have been a prophecy. Izuku would pull some martyr shit like that, but it was only Katsuki’s fault in the first place that he was put in that situation. He’s the only one to blame. Izuku had done everything right, and Katsuki managed to fuck it up.

Hollow socket, tendons hanging, blood turning his green suit a muddied brown.

Katsuki knocks on the door frantically, scared about what he’ll see when Izuku answers.

There’s some rustling from inside before Izuku peeks out, green curls messy from sleep.

“Wh- I thought Aoyama said you were having a nightmare.” His eyebrows furrow.

“I was,” Katsuki breathes, taking in how whole his rival is. “But it wasn’t real.”

He reaches out hesitantly and brushes an unruly lock of green out of Izuku’s left eye.

“Everything’s where it should be-” He chuckles almost in bewilderment.

He drags his fingers gently down Izuku’s cheek, tracing where the decay had rotted away skin, now whole.

A few of the classmates who followed him gasp in surprise when Katsuki clutches Izuku’s shoulders and buries his face in soft green hair. Completely breaking down as he sobs.

Izuku freezes, terrified of ruining the moment, even though he really wants to ask someone what the fuck is happening.

He gives Kirishima a questioning look as he hesitantly rubs along Katsuki’s back.

The redhead just shrugs.

“I’m sorry Izuku.”

Aaaand the damn breaks.

Izuku sobs as Katsuki clutches him tighter, their friends begin to awkwardly back out of the hallway after witnessing whatever that was.

“Wh- Kacchan?” He pulls away reluctantly, but he needs to see Katsuki’s face.

The blond’s eyes are red and puffy, same as his cheeks, but he’s dead serious.

“I’m so fucking sorry. You don’t deserve any of the shit I put you through, you’re a really good guy.” He heaves in a breath, “And- I know you’ll be a great hero someday.”

“Kacchan… why?”

Katsuki looks away, “I just- thought about some things,” He doesn’t mention that the thinking involved seeing his classmate’s bloodied corpse, “realized how full of myself I am. You really did just want help on that math homework, huh?” He huffs, shaking his head at his past self.

“I did. What else would I have wanted?”

Katsuki sniffs, angrily rubbing at his eyes, “I don’t know, Izuku. I’m a fucking idiot.”

Izuku smiles sadly, “All I’ve ever wanted is to be your friend, Kacchan.

The blond nods, “Yeah, I think I see that now. Can- can we still do that? Be friends?”

Izuku beams, rubbing his own tears away and pulling Katsuki into another tight hug.

“There’s nothing I want more, Katsuki.”

[existtolaugh]

Had a prompt idea and managed to find an hour or two between breaks at work and my commute to write a short little story. It is not proofread or as long as most of my other works, but I was inspired and wanted to write this after seeing the movie. This does contain some spoilers from Black Widow.

Giggles 04 - Natasha and Yelena

"I - No, Yelena, you're doing it wrong. Here, use your other arm - No, your OTHER other arm..! I.."

"I think it looks better than yours, if I'm being honest."

It was a busy few days for the Black Widows, but after all the fighting and running that they have had to endure, they forgot that it was possible to have fun every now and again. Sure, maybe they should be planning how to break Alexei out of prison, but one thing lead to another and Yelena insisted she could perform a better three point pose than Natasha herself.

"No, it doesn't. If you push up with that arm, you aren't going to have enough balance. It isn't about looking good when you land, it's about getting back up." Natasha tried to explain to the younger Widow.

"So you're telling me that you Avengers aren't constantly thinking about how you are going to look on the covers of magazines and television? Natasha, you can't fool me." Yelena retorted as she tried to keep optimal balance in her three-point pose just to defy her sister's advice and prove her wrong.

"Well, when you save the world multiple times, you don't have the energy to think about fashion all that much." Natasha tried to explain to her wobbling sister. "I can tell." Yelena spoke. "After all, I'm the one with the stylish AND practical vest." She smiled.

"It's tacky."

"Got more pockets that you." She shrugged, almost completely falling over and losing her balance at the notion. Luckily, Natasha was there to catch her sister, hands pressed against her sides to ensure she wouldn't fall on her face.

..Which caused the younger of the two to shoot up with a soft gasp.

Natasha blinked, thinking at first she just startled her sister. But no, that wasn't it.. All of a sudden, some memories began to wake up in her mind that she had forgotten about after all these years..

Memories of play fighting with Yelena in their childhood home of Ohio. While Natasha would usually win, having already been trained as a Black Widow, she would occasionally let Yelena win just to make her feel good.

But she would never, ever let Yelena win when it came to their favorite sport, which was tickle fighting..

"Yelena..?" Natasha asked, her sister turning around to face her, doing her best to keep her composure and play it cool after her reaction. "I.. Yeah? What is it?"

"Do you remember, when we were kids.. We would play a game.." Natasha smiled a little bit, Yelena's cheeks darkening and trying to avoid the topic which she knew her sister was trying to get at. "I was very young. I do not remember such.. Such trivial details!" She said, which caused Natasha to smile a little wider. "Are you sure? Because I remember your favorite game.." She took a step towards her sister..

But Yelena would not be caught off guard so easily..

Already reaching for Natasha's arm, Yelena tried to pull her sister in and drag her to the ground. Both Widows since arriving at their safe house had stripped of their jumpsuits, and were in more casual attire. Both in tank tops, socks and pajama bottoms, which had swayed in the air as Yelena tried to flip her sister onto her back, though Natasha would not be taken down so quickly and easily..

Wrapping her legs around Yelena's arm, she pulled her down with her and pinned that arm with her legs, leaving her sister with only one arm to defend herself with, though Natasha was swift and managed to pin the flailing arm above Yelena's head.. In their tussle, it caused Yelena's top to rise and expose her stomach.. And left Natasha with one free hand, wiggling her red nails above the belly of her younger sister..

"I..! You release me this instant..! I'll.. I'm not even ticklish anymore..! Those childish games don't matter..!" Yelena said, her belly sinking in as much as possible as if to defend itself from the ever approaching claw of doom.. "Uh-huh. Theeeeen this won't bother you?" Natasha smiled before her nails struck their target, the right side of Yelena's exposed tummy, causing a squeak to slip through her lips, trying to roll onto her side and keep composure before cracking..

But Natasha's hands were more dedicated than Yelena's lips.. Which began to slip into a wider and wider smile, before the unthinkable happened..

..She began to giggle..

"Cuhut.. Ihit ohohohout..!~" Yelena snorted, Natasha's nails skittering closer to the middle of her sister's belly in retaliation to her sign of resistance. "Say I win." Natasha said, wanting to retain her undefeated streak of tickle fights with her sister. "NOHO! I wihill ehEHENDUHUHURE FAHAHAR WOHohorse tohohorture behefore ahahadmiHIHITTING SUHUCH LIHIhihies!"

"That never stopped me before." Natasha teased, deciding how is the perfect opportunity to use one of her secret weapons. Leaning down, she puckered her lips and blew a massive raspberry right on Yelena's helpless belly button, and her expression said it all. Eyes closed in a howl of silent laughter, the wheezing Widow arched her back and kicked her legs before losing herself in a fit of fulfilling and adorable laughter. "NOHOHO! N-Nahahatahasha wahahAHAHAI -"

She was cut off by yet another raspberry, her lungs unable to make a sound to properly exemplify how the ticklish girl felt, but the way her stomach quivered, the way she shivered, the shaking of her legs, it told a story of a girl who has not been tickled in over twenty years and forgot how ticklish, yet in love with the sensation, she was.

For a moment she felt like a little girl back in Ohio. For a moment she looked up at her blue-haired older sister. For a moment she heard Don McLean on the radio. For a moment she even saw their mother, or as she was known to the girls as the mighty tickle momster, sneaking in to join in the pile of ticklish fun the girls were having, only to exhaust themselves and fall asleep in a cuddle puddle on the floor.

She had forgotten those wonderful memories, and it took Natasha to remind her of these things.

But she was an adult now.

And she could fight back.

Natasha had let her guard down just long enough for Yelena to shoot her legs up and wrap them around her sister's body and arms, rolling her onto her back and pinning her down. Natasha was so distracted with tickling the younger woman, she had forgotten how formidable of a fighter she had grown up to be.. "I.. Wait, Yelena..! Okay maybe we've horsed around enough..! We should get back to work an - "

"Nyet." Was all Yelena said, smiling and digging into her sister's hips, causing her to instantly enter a fit of squealing and wiggling, tugging at her arms trapped between her sister's legs, if not to fight back AT LEAST cover her face to hide her burning cheeks from the teasing smile that was looking right at her. "Come on. Fight back. The big bad Avenger can't handle a little tickling? You have beaten gods, robot armies, S.H.I.E.L.D., even. Why can't you take your younger sister tickling you?"

Yelena was loving this, and Natasha could tell, even as she struggled wildly to rescue her hips from the dreaded assault they had no option but to endure." YOHOU.. AHAH WEHEHE NEHEED TOHO FOHOCUS!" She tried to explain through her laughter, hands flapping to try and reach Yelena's hips. "We didn't need to focus when you were tickling me. Maybe you should learn to focus. What's our next move, huh?"

Natasha couldn't believe she was stuck in this situation. She couldn't believe it even more when Yelena began to squeeze right into her thighs. "AAGGHH! STAHAHAP! WAHAIT I..!" "You what? Give up?"

Natasha was willing to do a lot to get Yelena to stop, but under NO circumstances would she give up. Not to Yelena. Not to somebody she has never, ever lost a tickle fight to. Managing to barely squeeze a hand free, she went for the one spot she knew she could win..

Yelena was too distracted to notice at first, but when she felt Natasha wrap an arm around her ankles she almost panicked. Toes curled in their socks, Yelena had to act fast.. And dove for Natasha's ankles.. Both girls managing to lock each other's feet in headlocks, once more finding themselves on equal footing - no pun intended.

Natasha peeled off the socks before her, trying to act quickly, knowing that she had to get Yelena to surrender first before her own soles were attacked. Feeling the cool breeze brush against her toes was warning enough that Yelena had ripped those socks off and it was all or nothing now..

Natasha went right for the arches, scratching her nails in which elicited a shriek from Yelena's lips, which was almost as loud as the squeal that crawled out of Natasha's throat when Yelena skittered her nails into that bare heel, both girls rolling around on the ground, refusing to release each other, both girls wanting nothing more than to prove the superior fighter in the art of tickling. Both were so equally matched, but both had their own unique ways to fight back..

Natasha was so skilled, her nails sharper and more precise, as if every wrinkle was forced to be stimulated in the most ticklish ways possible. Yelena, however, was more frantic. Unpredictable. Darting back and forth between different spots on Natasha's feet, the older Widow unable to keep up with the frantic nature that she had to endure, even moreso when Yelena tried to press her own feet into Natasha's face to both hide her soles and to annoy the Avenger into surrender more quickly..

"YOHOU.. LEHET GOHOHO!"

"YOHOHOU FIHIRST! AAGGHH STAHAP!"

"YOHOU FIHIRST!"

"NOHO YOHOU FIHIRST!!"

One had to give, but neither one was willing to lose. Yelena couldn't lose, she had to prove herself to her sister. Natasha had to defend her streak. But only one was willing to go the extra mile to drive her sister crazy.

"N-NOHOHO! AAHHAHAH ST-STAHAP THAHAT! W-WAHAHAIT!!"

Once Yelena began to nibble into Natasha's toes, she had no idea how to react to this situation. She had been tortured, broken, and endured horrors beyond what she was capable of knowing how to cope with, yet still walked forward and tried to be the best person she could be.

But what she learned on this night was toe nibbling was something she had no idea how to handle.

"AAGGHHAHAHAH I GIHIVE I GIHIHIVE!! YOHOHOU WIHIHIN!~"

Yelena stopped, Natasha tapping out on the floor as the younger sister pulled her feet free.. Finally.. She had won.. Catching her breath and laying across the calves of her fallen foe.. Smiling and turning her head to look at her..

Both girls were tired, their hair stuck to their face.. But they smiled at each other.. "Who's.. Ahah.. Who's the winner now..?~" Yelena asked, panting as Natasha chuckled.. "Fine.. Yohou are the behetter tickle master.. I hehereby grant you the rank of Master Tickler.." Natasha said with a smile, for the first time in a while just feeling happy to be with somebody who she could consider family..

"Good.. Now say my vest is cool.." Yelena added, Natasha shaking her head before laying it back down on the floor.. "Yeah, no.." She said..

She was then laughing her head off when Yelena went back to nibbling and scratching those sensitive soles of the Avenger.. "OKAHAY OKAHAHAY IHIT'S COHOOL!!~"

It wouldn't be too long after this that they would fall asleep in each other's arms on the floor, very much like they did when they were little girls..

Little did the Widows know, they would once again enter combat with the mighty Tickle Momster in the not too distant future..

[tobiosmilktea]

serpentine — kozume kenma

4.2k words | genre/s: fluff | warning/s: cursing | pairing: kenma x f!reader

↪︎ in which nekoma’s new manager captures their setter’s attention

a/n: this was requested by an anon but i accidentally deleted the ask 💀 this wasn’t proofread btw since i’m posting this hella late (atp none of my works are anymore lmao) anyway, the ending is uhh... not good

it takes up to ten seconds for your brain to realize it’s making a decision. you weren’t sure how it all happened considering it didn’t feel like it took ten seconds, and yet somehow, in some way, you agreed to the offer. it was no lingering doubt in your head that you could very well have answered due to the way the third-year manager (all ready to graduate in a few months notice) was looming over you. the look on their face drenched in optimism and a coaxing smile. you liked to think you were a generous person and you couldn’t have possibly said no.

"thank you so much, (y/l/n)!” your upperclassman exclaimed, eyes widening in a bright blithe as they held you at your shoulders and shaking you. “you totally saved my ass getting beat by coach nekomata! see you after school!”

that’s when it dawned at you. were you seriously going to become nekoma’s newest manager for the volleyball club when you had zero knowledge on the sport let alone know how to properly manage a team full of towering individuals? your jaw was basically on the floor as you attempted to plead something back to their current manager, yet nothing was coming out.

you’ve got to be kidding me.

you slumped back at your desk, face still in awe as you couldn’t help but almost felt betrayed by your own selfish mouth that spoke before you could even fathom the task. a sigh escaped you when lunch came to an end and lessons came back in session.

it was no lie that you didn’t really pay attention much in class in the first place. you had a tendency to space out and daydream from time to time with thoughts that serpentine from one idea to the next. however, at one point all you could ever think about was the inevitable doom of having to go to the gym in just a few hours time.

the feeling wasn’t enough to cause an onset sensation of suffocation from nerves, but it was just rather unpleasant knowing that these volleyball jocks would be part of your daily life now.

like a plucked flower petal, your body stood from your seat the moment the final bell rang through the echoing hallways. as if you were moving on autopilot, you hadn’t even noticed how fast you were treading through the hallways. perhaps your nerves were the fuel to your fire as you forced yourself to slow down and mingle into the lightly crowded corridors. perhaps you were glad that your classroom was on the other side of campus from the gymnasium.

you were taking your sweet time and surely they would understand if you were a little late right? granted, it was all too last minute and who knows if you had plans after school or not. spoiler: you didn’t, but that’s beside the point.

at one point, you’ve concluded that you were still walking too fast on your way to the gym despite going at a snail’s pace. it didn’t matter either way as your honey-coated eyes had fallen over the doors of the gym. the right door remained shut while the left was wide open, letting sounds of squeaking sneakers, bouncing white volleyballs, and shouts emitted from the building.

your pace came to a halt just a few feet shy of the door. your hand clutching at your bag’s strap as you waited for a few beats to pass. you weren’t sure what you were waiting for, yet standing there felt like a safer bet more than anything.

“oh there you are, (y/l/n)!” a voice called out to you in the midst of your personal speculation. this forced your attention up to them as you gave them a meek smile. “don’t be shy, come in! let me introduce you to the boys.”

they grabbed you by the wrist, tugging you inside the gym as you shook your head. “uhh, you really don’t have to. i can meet them all later, everyone seems busy right now.”

“don’t be silly!” they wave their hand off like it’s nothing. you follow them to the sidelines of the court, eyes scanning the gym out of instinct—you’ve heard about the many horror stories of those who stopped by and ended up being the target of an oncoming volleyball. a broken nose was definitely the last thing you wanted.

your head turned from watching the volleyball players do their drills as you stopped in front of two bickering individuals. the shorter one with copper brown hair points an accusatory finger at the boy in front of him, the tip of his finger barely reaching the top of the other’s shoulder as he ran a hand through his gray hair. “i swear to god lev, if i hear another word from you i will—”

nekoma’s manager clears their throat.

“oh shit—ha, hey mizuhara.” so that’s their name, you thought. the shorter one greets with a smile, expression all normal as if a complete stranger didn’t just witness him yelling at his teammate.

mizuhara only scoffs, “you’ve always been one for first impressions, yaku, which is why i brought our new manager here in the first place, but i suppose i came at the wrong time.”

“this is our new manager?” the taller one then cuts in, completely pushing away yaku as if his shorter stature weighed like nothing. there was a swift kick in his step as he approached you closer, sticking his hand out for you to shake. man, was this guy tall. “i’m haiba lev, it’s nice to meet you!”

you shook his hand, nodding, “(y/l/n) (y/n).” you introduced before turning towards the poor volleyball player that was pushed out the way.

“yaku morisuke,” he answers without missing a single beat, “i’m nekoma’s libero—”

“that’s why he’s short!” lev interjects and yaku gives him a poisonous look.

you bite back a smile as the libero continues, “don’t be fooled by the height, though, i’m most likely older than you anyway and you look like the type to actually respect your senpais, unlike this guy.” yaku pokes lev.

“are you a third-year?” you ask curiously to which he nods.

“he thinks he can boss me around just because i’m only a first year, but the only one who can give me orders around here is coach and kuroo.” says lev with a smirk that radiated provocation. this seems to be a normal thing between the two of them.

“speaking of which,” mizahara chimed in, head turning towards the courts as your irises scanned for a specific person. “where’s kuroo? i obviously have to introduce our new manager to the team captain.”

“i think he’s still in the locker room talking with the coaches. i’ll go get him,” yaku muttered over his shoulder before walking away.

silence then ensued the trio like a wet blanket, nothing but the lingering sounds of volleyballs thudding against the glazed wooden floors and squealing rubber. everyone in the gym didn’t seem to be too phased by your presence and if they were, they were probably just too preoccupied with their own practice to even spare a single glance.

“so...” lev starts, teetering his weight back and forth as you look up at him. “you’re a second year, right?” you nod, words not wanting to come out. “cool. do you have a boyfriend—or a girlfriend, if that’s what you’re into. i don’t judge!” he laughs then, somehow easing your unease.

“stop asking such personal questions, lev.” a voice calls out from behind him, treading lightly towards you.

the first year shrugs innocently, “i was just curious, cap.”

“yeah, yeah,” kuroo waves him off, “go practice before i double your drills.”

lev nods, “yessir.” before dipping away.

kuroo then gives you a welcoming smile, one that feels quite genuine as his coaches appear behind him. “i’m guessing you’re our new manager in training, right? i’m kuroo if you don’t already know, it’s nice to meet you.”

you introduced yourself yet again, repeating the gesture to coach nakomata and coach naoi. they both radiated a calming, yet serious energy that you weren’t sure to be intimidated by. yet at some point, you shouldn’t even be thinking of such thing considering you would working with them for the rest of the school year and the year after that.

“here, i’ll call the rest of the team over to meet you.” kuroo suggests, his arm already waving everybody down before you could retaliate. “gather ‘round, we have someone you guys have to meet!”

his shout was accompanied by coach nekomata’s shrieking whistle, capturing the attention of the rest of the volleyball team as the sounds of hands impacting the white leather came to a halt.

perhaps that forgotten tingling of nerves had hit you right in the chest like a train the moment all their eyes fell on you. this was not it.

“a girl!” one of them exclaims, hair styled in a strange curly mohawk that charged his way towards you.

“jesus, take it easy yamamoto.” one with a darker complexion and buzzcut says, throwing you a pitiful smile as if to say ‘i’m sorry.’

“sorry, kai...”

you held back a bit of laughter behind your hand.

“everyone, this is (y/l/n) (y/n), she’ll be our team’s new manager.” coach naoi motions towards you, bag strap still clutched within your hands that your knuckles were turning alabaster. “please take care of her well.”

as kuroo opened his mouth to speak, the same one who shouted earlier—yamamoto, you think—cuts in again and says, “are you dating anyone?”

lev laughs from the back of the group, “i already asked her that!”

“but i still want to know!”

“please be respectful or i’m stealing your kneecaps while you sleep.” mizuhara deadpans before motioning for kuroo to speak.

the obsidian-haired captain rolled his eyes in amusement as he began introducing each member of the team one by one, “i don’t want you guys bombarding (y/n), so i’ll introduce you guys myself.” cue yamamoto groaning in disappointment, “the one that keeps asking you such personal questions is yamamoto, our wing spiker.” to which the same man salutes you and gives you a wink. “then there’s kai nobuyuki, our vice-captain. teshiro tamahiko, our pinch server. fukunaga shohei, our other wing spiker. lev and yaku, which you’ve already met. and kozume kenma, our setter.”

your eyes had landed on each and every one of them before abruptly stopping on the last one called. you knew of kenma and his familiar yellow-blond hair. granted, you were in the same year, but he was in a different class and just didn’t really have any interactions besides that one time you two had cleaning duty last year and had to take out the trash together.

the last time you remember him, he was quiet and didn’t speak much, yet there was always a charm within him that had you drawn to him from the start. it was a shame you two never really had a chance to get close.

you wonder if he still remembers you.

meanwhile, the moment your gaze landed upon him, kenma couldn’t help but choke back the rising lump forming in his throat. he surely never thought you two would meet again like this.

the last time he remembers you, you had quite the allure within the way you spoke so nicely. he recalls the way you two first met last year where he offered to take out your trash bag so you wouldn’t have to do work, but you utterly refused. your kind actions stuck with him and despite not being one to talk much in the first place, he couldn’t bring himself to ever speak knowing your lasting presence overran his nerves like a high wire.

kenma’s thoughts are interrupted by a pat on his shoulder, heavy and weighted. his looks over to kuroo’s giving him a sly side-eye as a smirk melted upon his best friend’s visage. 

“everyone, go back to practice,” kuroo commands, “mizuhara will take care of the rest.”

a chorus of discernable groans and ‘yessirs’ erupted in the gym as the hoard of volleyball players turned their backs towards you. everything seemed to be back to normal the way the echoing sounds of a run-of-the-mill practice was back in session. and despite the attention no longer being on you (thank goodness), there was still an inkling in your chest of someone’s eyes lingering as you looked back to mizuhara.

“that’s the girl, isn’t it?” whispers kuroo to kenma, practically scaring him out of his unbeknownst trance that was stuck on you.

the setter didn’t answer right away as he twirled the volleyball in his hand, eyes searching the bronze floorboards below him to find an answer he knew he couldn’t find. “it is,” he sighs.

kenma didn’t like lying, anyway.

you weren’t sure how it really happened. you supposed it was just mere fate or purely the universe throwing you a bone that within two weeks of being nekoma’s newest manager, that you would somehow, someway, found yourself glued to kenma’s side for the majority of the day.

it first started off like this: normal. nothing much had changed to your daily school life besides the fact that you stay after school every day for volleyball practice now, but that’s was beside the point. It continued on like this for a few days, until your scanning gaze over the practicing volleyball players almost always ended up stopping on kenma.

it didn’t matter what he was doing at the time whether he was sweating his ass off playing a practice game or simply staying on the sidelines, body hunched over with his dyed hair falling over his face as he played his video game.

unbeknownst to you, though, your stares were everything but discrete. kenma had always been quite skilled at hiding his emotions and looking nonchalant as possible. either that or he just had no filter whatsoever—there was no in between. 

at first, the attention would always send his heart spiraling out of control. you were always on the other side of the gym when this happens, and he’s glad for that fact considering you couldn’t have seen the way his hands shivered slightly at the way you looked at him.

don’t even get him started on the way his usual patience ran lower and lower the more his teammates flirted with you. from yamamoto’s blatant disregard of your crystal clear unease to lev’s constant presence around you, had affected kenma more than he had hoped.

god, he hated feeling this way, and yet it was addicting that why you still looked at him regardless.

perhaps it was the only reason why he started reciprocating your sly glances to vie for your attention—granted, he already had it.

the subtle linking of your gazes eventually turned into smiles across the court to kenma finally getting the courage to walk up to you after practice. the sky was dim, shrouded by the last few sunrays of the setting sun as he offered to stay behind to help clean up. usually, he would be one of the first ones to leave the gym with kuroo by his side to walk home, but it didn’t take much for his best friend to know what he was up to.

you were folding up one of the volleyball nets at one end to which the setter reached for the other. he folded along the lines, eventually meeting you halfway to which you could say that’s where it all started.

the blossoming of a new friendship.

something about the way you two complimented each other so much, that the moment you two even started talking, it felt like two old friends reuniting. you felt at home with kenma and he liked being by your side.

you supposed that sensation of familiarity you found in kenma led to your days of shy glances to each other turned into eating lunch together to even walking side by side to practice. you both had a knack for being seen with each other to often, that people started to suspect things. from your classmates to the rest of nekoma’s volleyball team did they tread lightly around the subject. it wasn’t like it was any of their business anyway, but good gossip is always entertaining.

“can you please help me beat this level, kenma?”

“absolutely not,” the setter deadpanned, flicking you a tired look as you two neared the opposing school’s gym.

poor kuroo was third-wheeling a few feet behind you.

the night prior, you and kenma stayed up until the sunlight’s orange hues teased away the shadow of the moon, the quiet night in suburban tokyo was filled with your laughter through your gaming headsets. you two stayed up all night playing video games or simply just talking the night away, bridging over the same gap that had already been filled. surely, it was a terrible idea considering kenma literally had a game the next day, but his only excuse was hanging out with you was much better than wallowing in nervous thoughts, so he digresses.

“why not?” you gasp with offense written over your face as clear as day.

kenma shrugs, “maybe after we win this game, i’ll help you beat it.”

you hum in response, tucking your phone back into your windbreaker as you felt the rush of air-conditioned cold air breeze through your hair. approaching the benches, you quickly greet the opposing team’s manager and coach before situating yourself back to nekoma’s side of the court. mizuhara was already in the process of taking out the empty water bottles and placing them into holders to fill them up.

“i’ll help with that,” you offer as you had already picked up a bottle, but mizuhara waved you away with a smile.

“no, no, i’ll take care of this. you can start telling the boys to get changed and have them gather around coach nekomata.” they say, feet already trailing out towards the water fountains as you nod.

your hand scratched the nape of your neck as you turned towards the boys, mouth opening to speak and yet they seemed to already be one step ahead of you. their red tracksuits were already off and stuffed into the deep ends of their duffle bags—it was obvious with the way their bags bulged from the crammed clothing items.

a sigh leaves your lips, shrugging to yourself as it seemed like there wasn’t much to do when the majority of the things were sorted out already. sitting atop the courtside bench, you pulled your phone out of your pocket, typing in your password as you immediately opened up your game. the real game wasn’t going to be starting for the next ten minutes anyway, surely there was enough time to attempt to beat a level within that time span.

your hands gripped the sides of your phone with eyes focused to each detail the flashing graphics shined upon your face. you were so caught up within your own little world, that the ambient sounds of talking murmurs and approaching footsteps bled together.

kenma clears his throat before dropping onto the bench next to you. he peered over to your screen for a second, almost laughing at how much he had rubbed off on you. he feigned himself from scoffing at the way you hadn’t even acknowledged him, but he couldn’t you. it was technically his fault for introducing you to this game. besides, you looked so adorable with the way you would bite your lip whenever you were at the verge of dying.

you groaned, dropping your arms in defeat as you pouted towards him, “i died again.”

“i can see that,” he amused. rolling your eyes at the look he gave you, you rested your elbows upon your thighs again as you reset the level. however, before you resume on playing, the setter swiftly snatched your phone out of your hand.

for once he had to help you with this one.

“watch and learn, (y/n).”

you huffed at his cockiness, resting your chin upon kenma’s shoulder.

usually, he would find himself tensing at your contact, but lately, he’s been treasuring these little moments with you. kuroo would often catch himself off guard whenever he finds kenma cozying up to you like a kitten. this was definitely not something he would usually do unless of course, it’s for someone he is absolutely in love with. it was obvious the way kenma tried so hard to hide his feelings, yet still failing despite the nonchalant exterior. 

if only you two just confessed to each other already, this would’ve been easier on literally everyone here.

kenma seemed pretty confident—so incredibly sure that he would beat this level for you that you couldn’t help but find it the tiniest bit attractive... okay maybe a lot. from the way his fingers intricately worked at the game as if it was second nature. you wondered how in the hell he plays so well, but the hours he puts into gaming was no surprise. within minutes, he had already beat the level.

“holy shit!” you exclaimed in excitement as you pulled yourself off of him, grabbing your phone to look at the ‘VICTORY!’ screen just to make sure it was legit.

the setter couldn’t help but feel the ends of his lips tug into a small smile as he admired the glow in your eyes. he liked it when you looked like this—grinning as if you were an absolute maniac with sugarcoated teeth of saccharine.

you beamed at him, “you’re amazing.”

there is was again, his rapid beating heart causing an avalanche between kenma’s lungs. he couldn’t get used to the way you make him feel. it still felt like the same rising warmth that hugged him like a bear whenever you would praise him or let out a slick laugh. he really liked your laugh. he discovered that about himself the first time he made you giggle over your first discord call together. it sounded like a forgotten epiphany finally finding itself back to him that he wanting to make you laugh again and again. even though the low-quality grain of the microphone, it was enough to ease his yearning to just hold you within his arms.

hearing you laugh over a call was one thing, but it hit differently in real life.

“yeah, right,” kenma scoffs, almost unconvinced. he leans over a bit more, his shoulder touching yours as he tapped a few buttons on your screen. his expression was almost unfazed as you continued staring at him. “you don’t mean that.”

kenma looks back up at you. his lips purse together, forcing the lump forming in his throat when he noticed how close your faces were. his eyes flickered over your features, memorizing them as if this was his last time ever seeing your face. for a brief moment, you felt your heart stop again and again. it punched against your ribcage with such brutal force, you swore kenma could’ve heard it. 

you chuckled nervously, taking a deep breath as the words spilled out of your mouth. “i don’t lie to people i have feelings for.”

it ended up being softer than you thought it was. you supposed it was the way you were so careful to approach kenma’s lips, slowly and gently, just in case he wanted to pull away. in fact, you did expect him to pull away no matter embarrassing it may have been. there was such a pouring downfall within you that maybe you were okay with that possibility of him rejecting your kiss if it meant that there was a chance he might return it.

his lips were like velvet when he kissed you softly. even if it was a brief moment of vulnerability, you were both aware of how inappropriate it was to kiss not only your closest friend, but a member of your team just minutes before a game.

you pulled away then, hands slapping over your cheeks to hide the crimson red blush that suspended itself all the way up to your ears. kenma looked just the same, but he simply looked away.

you prayed that the rest of the guys did see—but they did.

kuroo saw it first, having to do a double-take the moment you pulled away from kenma. honestly, no one would’ve noticed if yamamoto’s loud ass shout didn’t echo throughout the gymnasium. as if your sudden humiliation moved like a domino-effect, jumping from one person to another.

you pushed yourself off the bench, hoping your hair would cover your tomato-colored face as you excused yourself to the bathroom.

right as your figure left the gym, the boys immediately ran towards kenma, still in a dazed state. the poor setter’s lips still buzzed from the kiss no matter how short it was. it still sent flickers of electricity through him as kai shook his shoulder.

“since when were you and (y/n) a thing?” he questioned quite loudly.

he acted as if kenma even knew the answer to that. if anything, he was just glad that he was saved by the buzzer as the game was to start. he let out a sigh as he scanned all of his teammate’s expressions, pushing himself off the bench. “don’t look at me like that.”

[skzshortcake]

hiii this is a bit of a random request. i’m sorry if it’s bothersome! u can literally ignore it if you want. it’s just,,, i’ve had worst two weeks and my friends are all busy and i just,,, am constantly overworked and stressed bcs of uni (final year of uni fucking sucks) which idk i usually can handle but this whole week has been a disaster. i had 5 meetings. and i missed 2 of them, 2 assignments, 3 presentations and lectures. and on top of that i had to write an article for a magazine. there was just,,, so much due in a week and i got overwhelmed and kinda just,,, shut down. and to top it off, this morning i slipped in the shower (literally full on split on the floor) and my thighs hurt and i can’t walk or even sit without being in pain. and i can’t remember the last time i slept. i think it was two days ago. idk. i still have SO MUCH to do so i can’t sleep yet and i’m super stressed. oh gosh i’m sorry i’m rambling.

to get the point, i was hoping u could write a fluff piece with chan where the reader is stressed af like i am?? i usually read these to escape my head for a bit cause i’m a sucker for cute romance stories :’) it’d help a lottttt. but it’s okay if you can’t! 🥺 i’m sorry for bothering~

of course!! this might seem rushed so i’m sorry if it comes off like that- but i really hope it helps you!! i basically wrote chan into my interpretation of your situation, i hope that’s ok!! stay safe and take care bby! i’m always here if you (or anyone) needs to rant.

comforting surprises  -  bang chan

member: chan

genre: comfort/angst

warnings: anxiety and an overwhelming time, crying, not proofread

note: requests are still open, but it will take me a bit to get to them. i’m doing my best i promise but it’s kinda hard to write happy things for me right now. 

-

ring... ring... ring...

chan hoped you would answer his call. he texted you earlier in the week and didn’t get a response, so he knew something must have been up. he anxiously rocked back and forth in the office chair he was sitting in, staring at the wall of his office while he waited for an answer.

a couple more rings in, he was about to hang up, but thankfully, you answered.

he heard you try and calm your breathing through the phone “hey.” you managed to say.

“prince(ss)? what’s wrong?” he immediately sat up, alert.

“it’s nothing,” you cry “i just-i just fell this morning and i’m a little busy.”

“ok, ok, can you tell me what’s going on? i’m on my way right now i’m not sure how long i’ll be.” he stood up and saved his work on the computer, hurrying to pack what was necessary in his black backpack to rush out the door.

“i-i,” you broke down in tears again “i have so much to do and i haven’t slept in days. i’m so behind on work it’s making me sick to my stomach...”

“ok, ok, i’m going to help you... can you breathe for me, baby? here, breathe in on the count of one and out on five, ok? i’ll count to eight for you.” 

he started counting through the phone for you, knowing he probably looked crazy as he loudly breathed and counted on a phone call while speed-walking through the jyp building, but he couldn’t care less.

you were doing your best, truly, and he could tell, but you still couldn’t manage to take deep enough breaths to calm down.

“it’s ok, you’re doing so well for me, y/n... i’m on my way, i’ll be twenty minutes?” he says, waiting for your “ok” before helping you breathe again.

chan managed to get you to calm down a bit by the time he walked out of the building. he suggested that you go get a glass of water and sit down somewhere and wait until he got home. 

“i’m ok, i’m ok now.” you sniffle, taking another sip of water and breathing heavily into the cup while you drank. “you travel safely please.” you told him.

“don’t worry, i will. are you going to be ok if i hang up now? i’ll be home soon, prince(ss).”

“mhmm.”

“ok, i’ll be fifteen minutes now. go sit down and rest please.”

he said goodbye and hung up, feeling even more worried for you. chan couldn’t help it, you’re his baby and he feels a responsibility to make sure you’re ok. he didn’t care if he had work to do or if he was busy, you were always his first priority.

he picked up some things for you from the downtown, practically checking his phone every thirty seconds to double check you hadn’t texted him again. he left just as soon as he arrived to make sure he wouldn’t make you wait any longer.

chan nearly dropped his keys as he fumbled with the door. he just wanted to see you as soon as possible.

“y/n?”

“hm?” your teary voice answered from the living room. you chose to sit down on the plush couch, only issue is you didn’t know if you’d be able to get back up.

“hey, i’m here now.” he set his bags down next to him while he sat down next to you. “can i hold you?” 

you just nodded, feeling sobs build in your throat again. but you didn’t cry, you didn’t have the energy to cry anymore.

chan pulled you into a hug, knowing that he couldn’t do anything to make your work easier. “i’ve got you. it’s going to be ok.”

he let you stay there for as long as you needed. once you looked up at him with a defeated expression, he knew that it really must have been a difficult time.

“i’m so stuck.” 

“honey, i’m so sorry. i’m sorry that things have been difficult, i’ll help you as much as you need, ok? we will figure it out, together. i promise.” he pressed a tender kiss to your forehead “i have something for you, baby.” 

he leaned down and pulled out a bouquet of flowers and your favorite restaurant’s takeout. chan handed you the bouquet, and you noticed how he bought the flowers in your favorite color and even had the florist wrap them it thin decorative paper with a bow wrapped around it, also in your favorite color. he always excelled at attention to detail.

you felt the tears build again. “i love you so much. thank you.” you looked down to hide your crying from him. you felt so touched that he went to the extent to rush out and get your favorite food and flowers on a whim when he was in the middle of working. 

chan truly had a heart of gold.

“of course, i love you so much too, prince(ss).” he put a hand on your cheek, not forcing you to look him in the eye if you felt overwhelmed, but letting you know he was there. “now, how about we eat some good food and get some good rest, and i will help you with your projects in the morning. it’s the weekend after all, you deserve to rest tonight. i’ll help you get to sleep.” he gave you another kiss and stood up to get some plates and utensils.

when he came back and served up your food, he turned on the tv and put on a show in the background. chan also didn’t forget to prop up your legs and get you an ice pack for your injuries.

“you will not believe what jeongin did today... he lost a bet and had to make breakfast this morning, and you can imagine how that turned out. we even gave him thorough instructions but he still managed to forget some of the ingredients and had to have help from the manager.”

chan joked with you and cheered you up, like he always did. you were pretty sure he was some sort of guardian angel for you, because he always showed you unconditional love and support, even when he was busy.

he was forever grateful for you and you were forever grateful for him.

[whereisten]

Fish Out of Water

A Chenle fic that’s part of our Halloween Series!

Summary: You work at Neo City Aquarium. One night, you meet a peculiar but pretty boy named Chenle who claims to know you.

Pairing: Merman! Chenle x female reader

Genre: romance, fluff, angst

Warning: none

Word Count: 5.5k

(A/N: hiya! This is a little late and not proofread so I apologize 😭 I hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for all of the support for our stories!)

_______

[June 2020]

Your family was well known for their rehabilitation and release program at Neo City Aquarium. Your grandparents founded the aquarium and formed ties with wildlife rehabilitation centers in your hometown to expand their work into rescuing local marine life.

Following your high school graduation and having just turned eighteen, you were finally allowed to participate in dolphin rehabilitation. At the beginning of the summer, you joined your parents on a rescue mission to save a dolphin that'd been stabbed in a failed hunt for its meat.

You were tasked with nursing the dolphin’s wounds with the team of veterinarians and veterinary assistants. Socializing with wildlife animals wasn’t encouraged but you found yourself attached to the dolphin. You got to swim him when the rehab staff wanted to check his energy levels and confirm he was near his re-release into the ocean. You named him Happy for his smile and he was affection towards you whenever you fed him fish. Naming him Happy was a secret you shared only with him.

“Are you excited for your first dolphin release?” Hendery asked.

Joining Hendery, you entered into the dolphin pen at the beach, where Happy and three more dolphins were waiting to be released. Hendery was a college student who was interning with the rehab team.

You nodded. “Yes.” You were about to cry.

Hendery’s smiled faded. “What’s wrong?”

You couldn’t wipe your eyes because you’d been immersed in saltwater. You weren’t about to miss this release because you got salt in your eye. “Nothing. It’s just...I’m going to miss him.”

Hendery laughed. “I get it. My first release was emotional. Lucas, an intern from last year, had to hold me while I sobbed, begging the dolphins to come back and visit.”

You sniffled and smiled. “That’s so sweet.”

Hendery put a hand on your shoulder. “You’re okay. Happy is eternally grateful to you.”

“Yeah...I- Wait, how did you know I named him-”

“Your voice carries,” Hendery teased.

You splashed him. “Did you tell anyone?”

Hendery shook his head. “Don’t be embarrassed. I named these guys: Jisung, Sungchan, and Shotaro.”

“Those are human names!” You gasped.

Hendery raised an eyebrow. “Of all the names you could give a majestic dolphin...You named him Happy?”

“Okay, fine. To each their own.” You shrugged him off.

You were in charge of opening the pen that would grant the dolphins their freedom. These releases were so important because these animals were wild, meant to be free to explore the ocean to their hearts’ content. Because of global warming, people’s constant neglect for the environment, and animal cruelty, animals like Happy were negatively affected. Your family’s mission was to educate and rehabilitate. You planned to carry this mission on because the environment’s troubles weren’t going to go away for a long time, you were sad to say.

Releasing the dolphins meant that they would get a second chance to live freely and happily. You hoped no one and nothing would hurt them again.

As much as it pained you to say goodbye to these patients...They weren’t patients anymore.

“Okay, guys,” you addressed the dolphins, “It’s time to go home.”

You opened the pen and the dolphins quickly rushed out. They jumped into the air and whistled.

Happy was the only one who lingered and looked at you.

“Go on, Happy!” You encouraged him. Your tears fell but you were ecstatic. This was such a fulfilling moment.

Happy dove beneath the surface and joined the rest of the dolphins into the deep ocean.

_______

[July 2020]

When you weren’t at the rehab center, you worked at the aquarium as a tour guide. You were giving a tour for the governor and his family. Your family hoped to get more government funding for the aquarium so you could expand the rehabilitation center.

The kids were so wide-eyed and happy to be at the aquarium, seeing the fishes of all kinds of colors and the whale shark that loomed overhead.

The governor was hosting a private party at the aquarium tonight. The Neo City Aquarium boasted monthly sleepovers for anyone who wanted  to sleep with the fishes...

Literally, not figuratively.

The children ran around while the adults mingled at the buffet area that was set up for their party. You helped run the event with your parents. Your mom was helping out with the caterers. Your dad was schmoozing with the state’s elite.

You took a break and walked through the underwater tunnel. You stole some champagne from the party and sipped it lightly.

Someone tapped you on the shoulder and you almost spilled your champagne on the floor. “Agh!”

You turned around and found a boy who grinned from ear to ear. Donning a cerulean tux, he was handsome. He had soulful brown eyes, a boyish smile, an unforgettable eye smile, and his soft, straight brown hair that nearly reached his eyes. He couldn’t have been much older than you.

“C-can I help you?” You winced, feeling like you were caught doing something you shouldn’t have.

“Y/n, it’s me!” The boy said enthusiastically. He couldn’t believe he was here with you.

You frowned. “I’m sorry...I don’t…”

His smile faded but it returned full force as he tried to convince you. “It’s me, Happy!”

“Huh?” You tilted your head in confusion. “How do you know about Happy?”

He said it slowly, “I am Happy…”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that...If you’ll excuse me…” You weren’t getting anywhere with this guy, even if he was your type from a physical standpoint.

He lightly touched your arm. “You saved a dolphin off of the Nakamoto Coast two months ago…”

Now you were listening.

He let you go and explained. “I know that this is going to sound crazy but I was the one you saved that day.”

You furrowed your brows. “What are you talking about…”

“The dolphin you saved has a scar on his underside. It’s shaped like a lightning bolt, almost…” He raised his shirt to reveal his lower abdomen. “Like this…”

It was shaped exactly like Happy’s scar. You dropped your champagne flute. It was a good thing it was made out of reusable plastic. “I…”

He offered you his hand. “Please come with me.”

“Where?” You hesitated.

“To the beach,” he said, “I want to prove to you that I’m not lying.”

You shot him a look. “You better not be. If Hendery put you up to this…”

“You can tell him that Jisung, Sungchan, and Shotaro send their love...I’ve met them in my travels. They liked their human given names so much that they kept them,” he said.

How the hell did he know about those three dolphins?

Now you were curious.

You’d excused yourself from the party. Your mom was thrilled because she thought you finally landed a boyfriend at the ripe old age of eighteen. Like you didn’t have the rest of your life to find a partner. That’s even if you needed one.

The aquarium was located right on the beach so you didn’t have to walk very far. You took off your heels and held the pair on your left hand. Chenle took off his blue dress shoes and did the same. His look had been one color, matching the deepest ocean blue.

You’d reached the shore, where the water reached your toes. “You’re gonna try and drown me here, aren’t you?”

He laughed. “Are you kidding? You are the last person I would drown.”

Did that mean he was capable of drowning people? You laughed nervously. “Thanks?”

He wasted no time and ran into the water with his suit on. You started. “Wait, dude, what are you-”

The water began to glow a bright aqua green. You squint your eyes to see where the boy had gone. The light faded quickly and instead you saw a dolphin tail break the surface.

The boy who brought you here had just turned into a dolphin.

He was telling the truth: he was Happy.

You put a hand over your mouth and simply watched. He jumped into the air and made clicking noises.

“Happy?!” You exclaimed.

Once again, the beam of light appeared. It was brighter that you had to shield your eyes. Happy was gone and the boy’s upper body reappeared.

Along with an aqua green fish tail.

“I...I…” You started.

He made his way back onto shore and regained his nightwear as a human. He was back on two legs again. “I know you named me Happy...It’s a nickname I’ll always treasure in my heart. But my name is Chenle,” the boy said...

Excuse you, the merman said.

“You’re...you’re a merman…” You said.

“Yes…”

“But...you’re also a dolphin…” Your head was about to explode.

“I can transform into any aquatic being...Well, except for clownfish...I can never get the right shade of orange for them…” He started.

You shook your head. “If you were a merman...then why didn’t you transform back...all the time you were here?”

You started remembering just how much you’d told Happy...Chenle...about your life, your aspirations, about how some of your friends were moving away for college, and how you hoped you wouldn’t let your family down…You even made goofy faces at this guy.

You turned away from him in embarrassment.

Chenle continued. “The attack severely injured me...Had it not been for you and your family…I would’ve perished. I did not have the strength to transform back until you released me.”

“Oh…” You said.

He smiled. “I can’t thank you enough. You saved my life.”

You shook your head. “Oh, I didn’t do anything. The doctors and the rehab staff did everything.”

“But you were with me,” he said as he laced his fingers against yours without you realizing it. “You were the one who cared the most. The one whose face hasn’t left my mind since I was released…”

Your face felt warm. “Well, I…”

This was crazy. First, Happy was a dolphin. Then, Happy was a man. And THEN, Happy was a merman.

Someone must have laced your champagne with something. You passed out from the shock of it all.

“Y/n!” Chenle yelled as he caught you from hitting the sand.

A few minutes later, you felt like you’d awoken from a deep, uncomfortable slumber. You felt yourself wrapped in the arms of someone strong, warm…

Wet.

Your eyes opened and you found yourself in the water. What the-

“You’re awake! Thank Poseidon!” Chenle said as his arms were wrapped around you. He looked down at you, drops of water falling off of his slicked back hair. He looked absolutely glorious under the moonlight.

“Chenle, what are you-” You started as you shrugged yourself off of him.

Chenle shushed you. “Y/n, take it easy. I used some of my healing magic to help you wake up…”

“Healing magic?” You asked.

Chenle nodded. “Yes.”

You looked at him carefully. “I can’t believe you’re real…”

He sighed. “Really? You still don’t believe me…”

“No, I believe you...It’s just…A lot for me to process.” You said.

You still wondered if you were losing your mind.

You and Chenle talked for hours that night. He actually used magic to dry you and your dress. He was able to walk on land because of the full moon. That was why it took him a month to come see you and explain himself.

Chenle was the prince of the underwater kingdom, Atlantis. The mythical kingdom had proven to be real. Chenle told you all about it. How his parents ruled the seven seas in harmony. The merpeople had all sorts of abilities. They can transform into other marine life. They can heal. They can control the weather. They can manipulate water.

It was during the full moon every month that merfolk had the opportunity to walk on land to understand humans and their lifestyle. Chenle turned eighteen last year so he’d explored the human world a couple of times already. He was able to learn how to walk after the first couple of visits, apparently.

It was his first time visiting your hometown after being rescued. He’d only wanted to see you because you’d been so kind to him. He knew everything about you and he’d fallen in love. He couldn’t wait to see you again.

“So you’re a prince…” You started.

“Yes…” He answered.

“Then how come your...royal subjects didn’t come and find you?” You asked.

Chenle chuckled. “Actually, they watched me from afar…”

“What? Really?”

Now that you thought about it...You remembered pods of dolphins close to the shore the entire month Chenle had been at the rehab center.

“Yes...And they were relieved to see that I was in good hands. The entire kingdom wishes to invite your team down to the palace to bestow medals of honor to each of you.”

“Wow,” you said, “That’s...incredible...Too bad, we can’t breathe underwater or else I’d be the first to join you.”

He hesitated before he asked you the next question. “Actually...If you did wish to see Atlantis...I could make that happen.”

You gasped. “What?!”

He laughed. “Yes. So long as I’m in saltwater, I can use my magic.”

“I’ve noticed…” You said.

“y/n!” Your father called out to you.

Apparently, he’d been kept out of the loop about your “date”.

“Dad!” You started as you got up from the sand.

“Who is this boy?” He demanded as he walked over to you guys with his loafers still on.

Shocked at your father’s hostility, you said, “Dad! It’s Ha-”

You turned to Chenle and he raised his eyebrows.

“This is Chenle, my-”

Chenle continued, “I’m her friend from school.” He got up from the sand and stood beside you. His demeanor changed then. “It is nice to meet you, sir.” He extended his hand out and gave your father a firm handshake.

Chenle acted like he’d been fully employed with an MBA and a six-figure salary. That must’ve been his prince personality coming out.

Your dad was taken aback by how confident Chenle had been. “It’s nice to meet you, too...May I ask why you and my daughter are out here so late?”

Chenle continued, “I apologize, sir. I hadn’t seen her in a month...And I missed her so I came to see her.” He looked at you then, a meaningful look on his face. You knew he was being honest and you felt your heart sway, then.

Your father cleared his throat. “Well, that’s very nice of you, Chenle but...it’s 2 in the morning...It’s time you called it a night, you two.”

You both looked at each other then, disappointed. It wasn’t like you could call Chenle up on his phone. You wondered if technology could factor into Atlantis...Or if they even needed it. You doubted it.

“Okay, dad,” you said, “Do you mind?” You motioned for him to leave you and Chenle for a few minutes.

Your dad shot you a look, feeling quite overprotective of his only child. He relented when you gave him the same unwavering look. “Alright. Good evening, Chenle.”

Chenle nodded and your dad walked away.

“So much for the trip to Atlantis,” you said as you crossed your arms in disappointment.

“Next time,” Chenle said, smiling down at you, adoring the way you pouted.

_______

[October 2020]

You met Chenle at the beach at nightfall several times since the night you first met at the aquarium. It was your turn to get to know Chenle more since he knew most things about you with you knowing.

He admitted to some embarrassing secrets, like how, during one of the times he visited land, he’d talked to a betta fish in a tank located inside a convenience store and everyone looked at him like he was insane. But what was most embarrassing for him was that he failed to realize that he couldn’t communicate with freshwater fish.

Chenle was courageous and kind. He told you that the reason he turned into a dolphin the day you found him was because he’d gone to help rescue a pod of dolphins from being hunted. In the process, he’d been struck. A Good Samaritan reported his injuries to the rehab center and that was how you met.

Chenle was second in line for the throne for his older brother would soon be crowned king of Atlantis.

Today was the day you would go to Atlantis with Chenle.

“Are you ready?” He asked.

You replied, “I...think so…”

You both held hands as you stood in the water together.

“Trust me,” he said as he winked.

You sighed. Chenle explained and showed his process for helping you breathe underwater.

Chenle had the ability to create an air bubble shaped to your person that surrounded you and kept your oxygen intake high.

In August, you’d tested the air bubble 12 feet under the surface and in September you worked your way up to 1200 feet under the surface.

Each time, it worked seamlessly.

However, you were going thousands of feet underwater so you were freaking out a little. You tried to not show it.

Chenle took your face into his hands. “You’re safe with me.”

You nodded, meeting his beautiful eyes as they glowed the same aqua green from the first night he revealed his true self to you.

You both dived down and Chenle extended his hands out, enveloping you with the clear air bubble.

You were able to maneuver yourself with your legs, like you were the one who swam.

Diving down with Chenle was always an adventure but now that you dove deeper and faster, you saw more of the wildlife and greenery underwater. The ocean was a force to be reckoned with but to you, it was also the most beautiful part of this planet.

Holding Chenle’s hand, he controlled the speed in which you traveled. He wanted to entertain you with the most gorgeous sights the ocean offered. He loved the awe and admiration in your eyes. He wished to always make you happy.

Chenle moved you two faster because your hometown was hundreds of miles away from Atlantis. You two didn’t have a lot of time until sunrise when you needed to get back.

And Chenle would have to retreat. Humans couldn’t know of the merfolk’s existence.

You finally saw it: the kingdom of Atlantis. The buildings stood tall, looking almost like modern-day apartment buildings. The merfolks swam alongside fish and other deep sea creatures. As the people recognized Chenle, a group of armed mermen approached you two.

“Who is this, Your Highness?” One of the armed guards asked.

He continued, “Jaehyun, this is y/n.”

At the sound of your name, all of the guards bowed deeply before you. “y/n, the savior of our prince.”

You put a hand over your mouth. “Oh, no, please don’t do that…”

Chenle laughed. “Alright, let’s go greet my parents.”

“Wait, you parents?!” You exclaimed. Chenle never mentioned meeting his parents.

The guards escorted you to the palace doors. They were heavily guarded by the biggest jellyfish you’d ever seen so no one could break in or break out without getting severely injured. The doors opened and the castle was beyond your wildest dreams. It was translucent and the towers ran high, shaped like icicles. It glowed with a magic of its own with all colors of the rainbow glowing, depending on the angle from which you looked at the structure.

You entered into the palace and into the grand throne room where the king and queen of Atlantis stood. Chenle was the spitting image of his mother. It was in the eyes and the smile.

You bowed. “Your Majesties.”

The queen and king looked at you in adoration.

“We can not express our gratitude enough for saving our son,” the king said.

The queen continued, “Whatever your wish is, we can make it so.”

“Oh,” you said, shaking your head, “That’s okay...In fact, I wasn’t the only one who helped the prince...I don’t deserve anything.”

Chenle looked at you then with so much love and respect. “You deserve the world, y/n.”

You nearly choked. “Chenle...I mean, Your Highness, I-”

Another young man entered the throne room and greeted Chenle by rubbing the crown of his head. “Little brother, you’ve brought a girl home to mummy!”

“Kun, gah, knock it off!” Chenle asked as he pulled himself off of his brother.

Kun resembled his father more but he was also handsome. You realized he was the crown prince and bowed. “Your Highness.”

“Y/n, it is an honor to finally meet you. I’m amazed that the wedding festivities haven’t begun.”

“Wedding?!” You asked and shut your mouth, thinking you spoke out of turn.

Kun and his parents laughed. Chenle sighed. “You’ll have to excuse Kun. He has a flair for the dramatic.”

Once you finished your time with the royal family, Chenle took you to the highest point in the castle. You two looked over the palace. You could see the darkness of the deep blue sea that laid beyond.

“Chenle, this is nothing at all like I imagined it. It’s...a dream,” you said.

Chenle held your hand. “You’re a dream, y/n.” He took it and kissed it.

_______

[December 2020]

You haven't seen Chenle since your visit to the kingdom. Every night that you could visit him, he was never there. You started to wonder if something had happened to him.

You even started to wonder if you’d dreamed his existence this whole time. You cried to sleep some nights, missing him. Longing to see him again.

It was New Year’s morning a few hours before daybreak that you sat alone on the beach, resolute that this would be the last time you would wait for him.

That was when he appeared.

“y/n…” He started.

“Chenle, what happened?” You asked. “I thought you-” You broke down in tears on the shoreline.

It wasn’t a full moon that night so he couldn’t run up to you and hold you like he’d wanted to do since last he saw you.

“y/n...Kun… he died,” Chenle said, trying to fight back his tears. As he was not the crown prince, he had an image to maintain of being strong for his subjects. Strong for his parents.

But with you, he broke down. Hard. Kun died during his travels along the eastern continent. He’d been intoxicated from an oil spill. His body was recovered by the royal guards and he’d had a royal funeral. The kingdom has been in mourning since then.

You didn’t care if you got soaked. You ran into the water and held him. You cried with him. Because of the negligence of your people, marine life suffered. That always pained you but to see it hit so close to home now, you were livid.

You held each other for as long as you could. Daybreak would occur anytime now but you imagined that most people would be at home asleep, nursing hangovers or recovering from being up all hours of the night. You wanted to be with Chenle for as long as you could help it.

“Chenle...what does this mean for you?” You asked.

He sighed. “I am the crown prince and...y/n...I will be wed.”

You pulled yourself away from Chenle’s embrace. “What?”

“It is the custom of my people. My parents are stepping down from the throne. As the crown prince, I must get married and produce a royal heir.”

You put a hand over your mouth. Marriage and a baby? You’d only finished your first semester of college. Chenle was on his way to becoming a king, a husband, and a father.

Now, you had to shove down your growing feelings for Chenle. Because you’d fallen hard. And now this was the sign you needed to know that you two had been from completely different worlds. It would never have worked out.

So you swallowed your pride and said, “I understand...You came to say goodbye.”

Chenle’s eyes widened. “What? Goodbye?”

Your eyes become glassy. You tried so hard to keep yourself from crying. “You’re spoken for...And I’m sure your wife will not be keen on you coming up to see a human woman…”

“y/n-” Chenle began as he tried to hold you again.

You moved away from him. “Don’t. Please.”

Chenle put his arms down and looked at how defeated you looked. He wanted nothing more than to make you his wife. You would’ve been his first choice in the long run but now that Kun had passed, he was crown prince and with that position, there were responsibilities.

He had originally planned to wait until you were both older to ask for your hand in marriage and try to convince you to live with him in the palace...Somehow...But he knew that you belonged to the land...He could never ask that of you. So he kept his dreams to himself. He simply enjoyed being in the moment with you.

But, you were right, he realized. He couldn’t be with you like this anymore.

Chenle cried before you. “I’m so sorry, y/n...I love you.”

You froze. “What?”

“I’ve loved you since the moment you made that dolphin noise…” You both remembered your first days together, when Chenle had been Happy the dolphin. You were playing around with the other interns and you tried to make a dolphin noise to get Happy’s attention. Everyone laughed at your impersonation and you covered your face in embarrassment. Chenle thought you were adorable.

“Chenle, I love you, too,” you said. You started falling for him the day he appeared to you at the aquarium. But you fell for him when he showed you the ocean, told you his stories, and made you laugh. You both showed each other the best of your worlds and you hated that this was how you would part.

Chenle held your face and you wrapped your arms around him. You kissed each other for the longest time before you bade each other farewell.

_______

[July 2036]

It was moonrise. The sun had just set and night had fallen. You walked hand in hand with your four year old son. You walked along the shore you’d ingrained into your memory. The shore where you met with Chenle so many times. You hadn’t seen him since your last farewell so this beach once again became a happier place to be.

“Mommy! Mermaid! Mermaid!” Your son pointed out to the ocean.

“Sweetie, that’s probably a dolphin,” you said as you looked out into the water and recognized an aqua green fish tail.

Your heart nearly stopped.

Chenle, older and more handsome, swam closer to the shore and watched you. You looked just as beautiful as he’d met you. You had a more determined and confident look in your eyes. You become who you were meant to be. He could see it.

“Mommy, that’s a mermaid!” Your son said.

“Chenle,” you started.

Chenle walked out of the water, now in his human form.

“Wow!” Your son exclaimed.

“Just like your mother,” Chenle said to your son as he knelt down to greet him. “What’s your name?”

“Finn,” he said.

“Hi, Finn. My name is Chenle.”

“Hi, Chenle!” Finn said.

Chenle got up and met your shocked expression with his radiant smile. “It’s been a long time.”

You nodded. “It has.”

“Have you been well?” He asked.

You nodded. “Have you?”

“Yes,” he said, “Shall we sit?”

You and Chenle sat together with Finn playing right beside you. Chenle told you he’d married the daughter of one of the family’s royal advisers. She’d never loved Chenle either. They both entered the marriage as partners for the sake of the kingdom. They produced seven heirs, seven daughters.

Chenle’s wife had a lover, a man she’d loved since before she’d married. She’d told Chenle about him. Chenle also took on a couple of lovers over the years but you were all he thought about.

You’d done what you set out to do. You graduated college with a degree in marine biology. You went to veterinary school and graduated with high honors. Now, you were the leading veterinarian at Neo City Aquarium’s Rehabilitation Center. You’d met your husband Jeno through a mutual friend. You two hit it off, dated for three years, got married, and had Finn.

Chenle surprised you with the news that the condition of the ocean had improved in the years since you’d met. It was because of generous people like you who advocated for the respect of the seas that Chenle and his people could help their kingdom thrive. The temperature of the ocean overall had improved and oil spills and pollution were the lowest they’d ever been.

You two were happy in certain ways. But it pained Chenle to see you’d been happy with another man. A part of him that he hated so much wished you’d waited for him. It was a selfish desire but he couldn’t help it.

You knew from long ago that waiting for Chenle was a dream that you could never entertain so you pushed forward with your ambitions. You wanted to do what you could to protect the ocean. You loved it as much as Chenle had. It showed in your work with marine life and in your advocacy to combat climate change.

“Mommy, where is Daddy?” Finn asked.

You remembered that Jeno would be here at any moment. You checked your texts and Jeno told you he’d pick you and Finn up in ten minutes.

“Ten minutes, sweetie. That’s soon. Let’s get ready to go,” you said. You looked at Chenle’s eyes. You knew this was another farewell. Even if it was less devastating than the first. Both of you still harbored a little bit of pain over what could’ve been.

“Goodbye, y/n.”

“Goodbye, Chenle.”

“I’m happy that you’re happy,” he said.

“I’m happy that you’re happy,” you echoed.

He gave you a beautiful, polished conch shell. “Perhaps you can make a necklace out of it. I want you to have it. It’s a gift from my parents and I.”

It was a beautiful shade of cream with traces of pink. “Thank you.”

Giving you one last longing look, Chenle got back into the water and smiled at you before he dove into the water again. A tear escaped your eye but you quickly wiped it away.

[July 2076]

Your children had their own children now. You and Jeno had divorced when Finn was 19, Dylan was 17, and Kai was 14. You split on amicable terms. You simply fell out of love with each other. Jeno could always tell you couldn’t get over your first love. No matter how hard you tried.

What gave you joy was your children. And like you, they’d all been invested in the aquarium and the center. They kept the legacy on.

Your daughter Kai had gotten married today at the beach. Everyone was celebrating on the makeshift dance floor on the sand. You stood at the shoreline alone, feeling the water hit your toes. You enjoyed the sensation every time.

You saw his aqua green tail. You couldn’t believe it. You must’ve been seeing things. You’d recently retired. You were as bright and alert as that of a healthy fifty year old’s but perhaps your eyes were now deceiving you. You had been in your seventies, after all.

Chenle, as gray as you were but as handsome as he’d been the first time you saw him, beamed at you.

You told your kids about Chenle. Finn remembered meeting him. Your eldest son knew it wasn’t in his imagination so he begged you to tell him about Chenle, Atlantis, and the ocean. Kai and Dylan had also been curious. Now your three children watched as you met eyes with Chenle.

Your three kids walked over to you. Kai put her hand on your shoulder. “Mom...go be with him. We support you.”

“But Kai...Your babies…” You started. You didn’t want to leave your children so abruptly. Even if they were older now and independent, you wanted to be there for them in whatever they needed.

“My daughter is my first and last, I promise you that. You promise to come visit, right?” Kai laughed. She’d had her daughter with another man a few years before her marriage today. She’d named her daughter after you.

Dylan started, “Mom...You’ve given us so much love and support...We want you to go after what you want. Who you want.”

You fought back a sob and hugged your children. “I love you three. You are the loves of my life.”

“We love you, too,” Dylan said, wiping his tears with his jacket sleeve.

Finn waved at Chenle. “Hi, Chenle! I knew you were real!”

Chenle laughed. “Hi, Finn!”

You hugged your children tightly and walked into the water. Chenle had his arms wide open for you and enveloped yourself into his embrace. With his magic, you became a mermaid. You sported a radiant fuchsia tail. You both waved to your children before you dived deep into what always felt like home.

[Fin]

Come back tomorrow for another spooky story...

[zee-writes-and-draws]

Truly Important

Summary: A look at some of the more important birthdays that Saw Paing has had, and the one he celebrated right after the tournament.

A/n: It's still July 8th, so I'm on time w/this. Nonetheless, I slept five hours so I apologize for lack of proofreading.

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The first birthday that Saw Paing truly considers important is his fifth one, the day he gets to start Lethwei training for the very first time. He comes home covered in scratches and bruises and a trickle of blood running down his forehead. His father fusses a little and his ma doesn’t let him up until she bandages every little cut and bruise but nothing can spoil his good mood as Ne Win Paing puts him in a headlock and their little sister congratulates him on the start of his training.

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Most birthdays to Saw Paing aren’t majorly important beyond the fact that even as a fighter Pa Paing did his best to see every single child on their birthday every year. But some are important because there’s new people in his life, people who aren't’ there, certain benchmarks and events that are important in and of themselves, but are easier to tie to years and dates and celebrations.

Saw Paing’s sixteenth birthday is remembered fondly only because it is one week before he meets his eternal rival for the very first time, a boy named Gaolang Wongsawat.

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Seventeen. Nothing particularly important. Current youngest brother starts his training that year.

Eighteen. Important solely by the freedom it grants in travelling. Almost all countries recognize eighteen as an age of majority, an age where you can do a lot of things that would be illegal otherwise like go somewhere without an adult’s supervision or rent a car so you have your own transport. Going to places outside of Myanmar and Thailand is the most interesting he’s done in his entire life.

Nineteen. He finally gets a job outside the village. The weapons corporation that hired him is run by an old man and a teenage girl with a vicious streak longer than the destruction radius of the missiles she’s designed. Still, they hired him to safety test things and work to rescue people in afflicted areas, not attack them. It’s Togo Tomari’s brilliant ruthlessness that causes him to end up in the same place as Muteba for a month. Another friendship struck up with someone he’s fought against. A birthday gift of an absolutely gorgeous button-up with twelve patterns and wild color is dropped off at his door that year. Even though the gifter will likely never see it, Saw Paing wears the shirt with pride as often as he can for the next few years.

Twenty. Barely important but it was Gaolang’s eighteenth birthday that year and the time the title ‘God of War’ starts creeping into people’s thoughts about him. Saw Paing cheers his rival on whenever possible.

Twenty-one. Nothing. Little sister asks out crush, dates her for seven months and change before they have to break up because the crush’s family is moving. He and Muteba have each others numbers saved and text between missions.

Twenty-two. He and Ne Win Paing get to fight outside of legal matches for the first time. It’s exhilarating. Their father hugs them both afterwards and tells them how proud he is.

Twenty-three. The first birthday in their family celebrated after Pa Paing passes. It’s somber. Saw Paing would rather have skipped the day entirely if not for how his youngest siblings all seemed determined to follow traditions for at least the illusion of normalcy  and he’s not about to ruin their coping process just because he’s sad. With Ne Win Paing travelling nearly full-time and recovering when he’s home, Saw Paing is the de facto leader of the family and he’s not going to let them down so easily.

That night there’s a card delivered to him by a hassled-looking mail carrier. It’s from Gaolang.

I heard about your father’s death, Saw Paing. My deepest condolences to both you and your family. Take care of yourself. Do what you must to feel more stable.

To anyone else the writing would be cold and impersonal. Saw Paing re-reads it over and over until a drop splashes onto it and the crinkling of paper registers and then he hurriedly folds it and drops it onto the desk in his room so it doesn’t get destroyed.

If in two weeks when they next see each other, Gaolang relents and truly fights Saw Paing for twenty minutes before declaring a defeat form boredom, neither of them acknowledge the change in routine anymore than they acknowledge that Saw Paing’s yelling is more like loud talking and that Gaolang had made an extra plate of his favorite fish seemingly just in case.

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Twenty-four. Saw Paing meets Sayaka for the very first time that year, a bright and sunshine-sweet teenager who screams out his intro and doesn’t seem to mind that he’s super-loud or that his opponent throws him into the commentators box and nearly crushes her by accident.

When he had apologized she made a joke about it. He made one back. A friendship stronger than any other he’d made was started that day. Sayaka reminds him of his little sisters, friendly and upbeat and ready to take on the world if she has to and come out with a smile, sharp wit and keen mind concealed under a bubbly layer that requires no lying to maintain.

That year his birthday includes a surprise delivery of a completely new set of cookware with a small note attached.

Happy birthday, Saw! Sorry I couldn’t make it, dad scheduled fifty matches for this week alone so I’m not even sleeping, but I hope you like it! See you in May (PS I’m secretly rooting for you!)

That night Saw Paing makes dinner for everyone with said cookware and an unflappable grin on his face.

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Twenty-five. Nothing.

Twenty-six. His little sister is now formally competing on a near-national level. His brothers, no longer so small but always little in his eyes, work hard to bring in food and water and trade with the local villages and Saw Paing never stops feeling proud of them.

Twenty-seven. More and more fights in the arena. He leaves Tomari’s contracts behind but keeps in touch with Muteba. A chance metal concert allows him to meet Yoshiko, who in turn introduces him to Sawada. Saw Paing mails him several CDs of traditional Burmese music for the other man’s birthday. Gets a collection of ballet remixes in exchange. Listens to the collection every night for weeks and weeks on end until he can whistle half the songs without thinking. Smiles at how many small reminders he has now of the people he cares about.

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Twenty-eight. The coldest and harshest one yet. Ne Win Paing is not there that year. Everyone’s energy is lower than usual. Saw Paing spends the day mostly taking care of the youngest siblings and visiting the graves of those he’s lost. He can feel the wrongness of this land on his skin, it’s Yoroizuka’s home and that’s better than the alternatives but it is not his home or their home or the home that his family deserved and had grown up in and lost because of Ne Win Paing or maybe because Saw Paing should have noticed sooner, should have caught onto the damage his brother had taken.

Sayaka leaves twenty voicemails and thirty texts, all reassurance and compassion and kindness that Saw Paing is beginning to doubt he deserves. Sawada had arranged for several boxes of their favorite sweets from all over the world to be delivered to his house. Muteba messages him a list of names and places if he needs to fight the emotions out or to talk to a professional specializing in fighters and loss of loved ones and tells him to cherish the rest of his family.

Gaolang visits that evening, sleeplessness evident in his posture and eyebags. It’s rarer and rarer for the two of them to see each other now, between the jobs they both hold and duties they’re bound to. Saw Paing’s first priority will always be his family, just as at the end of the day the Thai God of War is not that but the bodyguard of Prince Rama of Thailand. And yet here they are, sitting next to a firepit just outside a house that was not truly meant for Saw Paing’s family, in a country outside of Gaolang’s own.

“Are you alright?” Gaolang asks him. Saw Paing looks up.

I’ll be fine, he wants to say, thinks instead because even things like talking feel like too much right now. He settles for a nod instead, one that feels too slow and tired to really be him but has to be because who else could he be? Gaolang does not look reassured by this. He sits down next to Saw Paing and talks. That quiet voice, normally at least partially twinged with annoyance and exhaustion, now flows with an undertone of gentle energy. It’s not the fire that Saw Paing usually feels running through his veins. Nor is it Ne Win Paing’s quick fury or Pa Paing’s ruthless confidence.

No, it’s the other kind of energy, the kind that Gaolang always emits though it’s hidden under the day-to-day life’s mundaneness. Gaolang tell him about fights, about what guarding Prince Rama has been like for him, some recipe his parents love and he despises because of how annoyingly spicy it is and how Saw Paing would probably like it. And then he talks about staring into a fire.

“Look,” Gaolang motions at it. “It moves so incredibly, alive and unalive at once.” Saw Paing looks into the fire, watches the moving flames flicker and dance in and out of existence. Next to him, Gaolang smiles.

“It reminds me of you sometimes. The difference is fire burns out. I truly hope you never do.” They sit next to each other, watching for a while until something in Saw Paing’s chest undoes itself, letting some feeling back in. Gaolang notices.

“Tell me about Ne Win Paing,” he asks, shoulder brushing against Saw Paing’s own, warmer than the air around by just enough to be noticeable without feeling too off-balance. And so he does, spilling out every little detail he can remember about his brother and all of the memories that were crafted for as long as he can remember. The sky is light when he finishes, still tired but somehow lighter. That something that had unwound a bit earlier is almost completely gone. He’s still saddened by the loss of one of the greatest people in his life, but things look a little better.

Gaolang leaves then, apologetic but unable to stay. Saw Paing nods at him again to say it’s alright and it must come across sufficiently this time, because Gaolang’s smiling softly as he walks to his car and drives back to his too-loud and too-busy life for such a quiet man and yet a life that couldn’t be anyone else’s.

Saw Paing’s younger siblings are slowly waking up, coming out to check up on him and start their day. He hugs them, feeling his spirit coming back to something normal.

------

Twenty-nine. Still a tad colder than before but mostly better.

Thirty. A year with little occurring beyond the increasing amount of kengan matches and the frequency that he gets to see old friends like Sayaka. The tournament that happens later in the year is undoubtedly something unforgettable that he;ll treasure for the rest of his life. So many new friends made, so many bonds forged and strengthened. He makes it a point to keep correspondence with all of them, even the more quiet ones like Karo and Rei. They clearly need the company if they're quite that quiet.

Thirty-one. He wakes up expecting another birthday that’s rather insignificant. His sisters and brothers in college call and Skype and do whatever else they need to say hello first thing in the morning, yelling through the screen loud enough that he can her the dorm’s complaints through the call. The siblings still at home whether from sentimentality or youth wake him minutes before that by running into his room and wishing a happy birthday to him at the top of their lungs. He’s so proud of their lung training being quite so successful.

He checks his phone after all of the younger siblings hang up out of habit. There’s another twelve messages from various members of the assassin clans he’s befriended, a missed call from Cosmo, a notification about a post from Adam, and an alert of the local post office telling him about several packages that are addressed to him.

On the journey to the post office and back he gets six more calls. As he’s balancing reading a short ‘happy birthday!’ texted to him from Cosmo and a rambly congratulation courtesy of Okubo that is interrupted by an incoming call from either Hanafusa or Yoshizawa, a wonderfully familiar voice calls out.

“Saw! Over here!” Sayaka stands by the edge of the road, looking as red carpet-ready as always, except for the small trolley of boxes and bags she’s keeping from rolling away.

“HEY SAYAKAAAA!!!!!” He yells to her as he runs over. She’s hugging him so there’s no reason not to complete their usual greeting by picking her up and spinning in several circles.

“Happy birthday, Saw!” She laughs as he puts her down. “Sorry I didn’t warn you, but there was a lot of last minute stuff and everyone wanted to send something to you and it was ‘one more thing’ this and ‘oh wait here!’ that, and it’s so great to see you again! Here!” the packages he was holding until two seconds ago are now in Sayaka’s hands, traded for a fancy-looking photo album.

“It’s for you. I wish I could stay, but Retsudo’s been flipping out for six hours and he threatened to send a SAR squad again, but I promise i’ll call this evening, kay? See ya soon, Saw Paing!” She runs to the familiar figures of Takyama and Misasa, waving the whole time they drive away until she’s out of his line of sight. Only tnen does Saw Paing turn his attention to the trolley and the photo album.

Getting everything home requires ignoring messages and calls so his plan to find out what these things are that everyone was so determined to send to him has to wait another hour or so but then he finally has the time to check everything out.

There’s two gorgeous shirts that fit perfectly, bright greens and yellows combining with the soft fabric and reminding him of his old shirt but nicer. This, he knows without even needing to check the card, is a gift that only someone like Muteba would have gotten him. A thick book of various recipes from several different regions in Japan, along with an impressively full binder of leaflet instructions for dishes made in the mountains is sent courtesy of Sekibayashi and Haruo.

A sharp-looking knife that seems to be more familiar with intestines sliding across its blade than vegetables is gifted by the Kures he’d met after Hayami’s rebellion, right next to several ‘free assassination’ coupons Reichii and Fusui must have snuck in as a half-joke and and half-true gift.

Most of the things are actually quite small, just fragile and packaged with an insane amount of cushioning, he realizes. It’s nothing particularly fancy, but they’re all things that will remind him of the senders, be it the scalpel that Hanafusa mailed him with instructions on how to DIY surgery or the old shogi set Kaneda gifts along with a book on most famous shogi strategies played throughout history.

Saw Paing moves everything to where it should be once everything but the photo album has been looked through. The cookbooks go to a specific shelf in the kitchen that no one else can reach. The weapons are hidden in a small box under his bed to avoid any incidents. Muteba’s shirts go onto hangers, Sawada’s fancy candies are set on a plate for eating while looking at this final gift, and then the album is opened.

The first photo makes him smile, a perfect snapshot from one of his earliest fights in the Kengan matches, capturing the moment they had both gone from enemies to friends mid-blow. A date, presumably of when the photo was taken, is written on the border in Sayaka’s neat writing. The second one is of Ne Win Paing from seven years ago. This time, the date is in heavier, blockier writing, not unlike Hollis’s. Saw Paing flips through the album a little more, taking it in. there’s plenty of photos of his various friends, fellow fighters, and even some family from the tournament and before it, but there’s also old photos of his brother and father, and even one of his mother back when she had fought in occasional matches, along with candids of some of the more stoic people. They must have been collected over several months, and not just by Sayaka.

Saw Paing already knows what will happen this evening. Gaolang will come over with some kind of small yet so deeply personal way of also saying happy birthday. Sayaka will call again, most likely throwing a small party in the Katahara house and inviting everyone she can. Rei might stop by and even if he doesn’t, he’ll Skype before the sun sets because he’s a punctual person by both nature and training.

But that’s still hours away, and in the meantime, Saw Paing decides to keep looking at the beautiful snapshots of the past, enjoying the present to it’s fullest.

------

END.

[didsomeonesaydaddydraco]

What true love feels like part 2 | Tom Felton imagine

Ladies and gentlemen, here is the second part. It’s shorter, but I hope you like it. I’m not completely satisfied with it, and I didn’t have the energy to proofread (thank you ms rona), but I’ll do it as soon as possible. 

Tag list: @abrunettefangirlnerd Let me know if you’d like to be on the tag list! 

Word count: 1700 

Pairing: Tom Felton x reader

Part 1 here

One of the most emotional parts of a wedding must be the moment when the bride shows up at the entrance with her father by her side, ready to walk down the beautifully decorated and lit aisle. All eyes were on me and my Dad. I saw the happy and proud faces of our family members and friends. Men were smiling, women were fighting with their tears. Tears. Just a couple of minutes ago I was going the same, fighting them. Everyone cries at weddings, right?

“Are you sure about this?” Dad’s voice was concerned. He felt something was not right after I came out of the dressing room with tear stained cheeks and red eyes “Y/N, it’s not late to…”

“No, I’m fine” I shook my head and kept my eyes on the guests “I want to marry him, Dad”

The first accords of our chosen song had started, and I knew it was time. I was holding on my Dad’s arm as we took the first step.

 *Tom’s POV*

I knew I had to let it all go. The way she kissed me, the way she smelled, the way she touched my hand and pulled me in. I had to let it go and I had to let her go. After she broke the line, I found myself standing in the very same spot I was when I saw her calling me. My heart broke. I knew this day was going to come sooner or later. I knew the date of their wedding, but I would have never imagine the pain I was feeling. It was that moment, when I could actually feel the pain in my chest from hearing her smooth voice telling me she needs to marry him.

I loved her. All my friends said I was making the wrong choice by loving someone who was engaged, but I loved her. When we met, I promised myself I would never fall in love with her. But it was 3 am, and we were laughing way too hard, and I felt happy for the first time in a long time, and I knew I was screwed.

“Thomas, I swear to God, I’m not baking anything with you ever again” her laughter filled my kitchen. It was one of the most beautiful sounds ever “How did we end up like this?”

I looked at the mess we’d made. Sugar, flour and baby blue icing covered the countertops, the floor and our faces and clothes. We were sitting on the cold marble floor, between the kitchen island and the counters, an almost empty bottle of wine chilling in front of us.

“Well, darling” I grabbed the bottle and took a sip from it “You decided to boss around in MY kitchen, thinking you know better how to bake MY OWN cookies, so as a Master Chef, I wanted to teach you a lesson”

“By pouring most of the ingredients on my head?” she raised her eyebrows at me. She tried to look angry, but the sparkle in her eyes gave her away. I looked at her mouth. She bit her lip to keep herself from smiling, but she failed. God, I wanted to kiss her so badly.

“If you have a better idea to do at 3 am, don’t keep it. I’m up for everything” I winked at her teasingly. I still didn’t know how this happened. We were talking on the phone, both of us being bored and out of blue, I asked her if she wanted to come over to bake cookies. And she wanted. She seriously got in her car, and half an hour later she was knocking on my door. When I opened it, there she was, still in her pyjamas and two bottles of wine in her hands.

“Well, I can think of a few things” she scooted closer to me, her bare legs brushing against mine. My nose was filled with her amazing scent, and I felt the warmth of her body. Her face was a few inches away from mine, and my brain decided to shut down. She could have done anything to me that moment. Even kill me, and still, it would have made me the happiest man in the whole world “For example, we can open that second wine, cause it looks like you have a serious wine problem” she sadly looked at the empty bottle, which she just took away from my hands and stood up. I looked up and followed her every move. God, it was 3 am, and I just realised I was foolishly in love with that woman.

I told myself so many times to start to move on. She was planning her wedding. She wasn’t my girl. But I think part of the reason why I was still holding on to her so tight was that I feared that something so great wasn’t going to happen twice.

“Willow?” I looked around for the dark brown dog, who’d been by my side for years. I really needed her in that moment “C’mon darling”

I kneeled down when I saw her running up to me. I only realised I was crying when she started to lick the salty tears away. It was pathetic really, how much I was still hoping that some miracle was going to happen and it’s going to be Y/N and me in the end.

“What do you say, buddy?” I scratched the spot behind her ear “Do you think we should go and crash a wedding?”

*Y/N’s POV*

I kept looking at the door. Everything had been a blur since I walked down the aisle, and my Dad placed my hand into Aaron’s. My mind was somewhere else. Far from the mansion where my own wedding was held. My eyes were maniacally searching for something in the ball room and I felt like something muffled my hearing. I wasn’t paying any attention to the beautiful speech that the registrar had prepared for us. I could feel my parents’ eyes on me, along with their worry too. From the corner of my eye, I saw my sister kept looking at me and our parents, sensing that something was really not right.

“Do you, Aaron Samuel, take thee Y/N Y/M/N to be your wedded wife?” the kind voice of our wedding registrar asked my fiancé. I forced myself to look up at him, smiling down at me with love and pride in his deep brown eyes. He really was a beautiful man. In and out. I could still remember the day when I fall in love with those dark chocolate eyes and light brown hair and perfect smile. But the truth is, I wanted to look into electric blue eyes.

And looking at Aaron, opening his eyes to take me as his wife, I knew I made a mistake when I let the things to slip out of my control. I should have called the wedding off, the moment I realised I was in love with someone else. But it was too late. I was unfaithful, and a part of me knew, that he knew too. I was a coward to tell him. I should have told him. Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.

“I do” his voice was strong and determined. He knew he wanted this. He was ready to be married, to settle down. Tears blurred my vision. I was going to hurt this angel.

“And do you, Y/N Y/M/N, take thee Aaron Samuel to be your wedded husband?” all eyes were on me. I felt like I was drowning. I wanted to answer. I really wanted, but no matter how many times I opened my mouth, no voice was coming out of it.

I was desperately looking around the room. My whole body was shaking from fear and from the withhold sobs. Suddenly, my dress felt too tight, like it was trying to suffocate me if I didn’t say yes. I looked at my parents, who have been already looking at me, ready to catch me if I need them to. My sister was looking around too, like she was searching for someone. Probably a medical, who can help if I fainted. Confusion and worry was written all the faces, nobody knew why I was speechless.

“Honey?” Aaron squeezed my hand gently, trying to catch my attention finally. I looked at him. His handsome face was blurry because of my tears, but I could still see the pain in his eyes.

In that very moment, the door opened. Everyone turned to the voice of an opening door. He was there. No tuxedo, no fancy suit. He actually looked like he just woke up a couple of minutes ago. I didn’t care how he looked. For me, he was like an angle sent from Heaven to save me. He was my sign of freedom. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. His smile and his nod was enough for me to understand what he wanted. I looked at my Dad, who winked at me and gestured towards him with his head.

Aaron. Such a beautiful man. Such a pure soul. And the second I let go of his hand, I broke him into a million pieces. His heart, his trust and his soul. Once I promised him eternity. I made him believe I will never break his heart. But I betrayed him. Not once, not twice but so many times I couldn’t actually remember anymore.

“I’m terribly sorry” was all I could say to him. It felt like everything was in slow motion. I grabbed the bottom of my dress and ran. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t. I wasn’t ready to see the damage I had left behind. I just wanted to be somewhere else. Anywhere, but the huge mansion.

I grabbed his hand when I reached the huge door and pulled him with myself. His car was there, ready for us. Ready, to take me away from this madness. It was only when I was sitting in his car, when I let my sobs out.

“Everything is going to be fine”  

Part 3?