#because i think i want the island to be saved in an early morning time!

[nordsea-horizons]

🌱Deena’s green witch home on nixie🍄‍🟫🌿

[willyoubemycherryy]

2 𝓭𝓪𝔂𝓼 (𝓕. 𝓣𝓲𝓰𝓮𝓵𝓪𝓪𝓻)

Didn’t I tell y’all I was on the case?? He’s a bad mama jama and his accent is sexy. Here’s my heart, it’s yours.

Contains: kissing and I mean nasty kissing, drool, Fiyero is kinda obsessed and unhinged, you’re BOTH pent up, finger!ng, cursing, dirty talk, grinding, some hair pulling, multiple 0rgasms, unprotected worm riding😂, manhandling, and a whole lotta getting railed🤠 (I’m absolutely insane for him and this shows)

<333

“Alright, bye! Have a save trip back! Love you!” You yell after all your brothers and sisters, having hugged the last of them as they all exit your apartment early morning exactly 2 days later. You exhale a sigh of relief as you watch through the window at them loading into their cars and pulling off, smiling as one of your older sisters blows a kiss at your place before driving off.

A feeling of giddiness overtakes you because you can finally relax, closing your eyes for a moment as you take in the silence with a grin.

Dead calm. Oh, how you missed it.

The smell of your still burning sugar plum fairy fills the space and you push yourself off the wall to start cleaning, wanting to erase any and all traces of the headache that was most of your family.

As you’re cleaning, you find yourself thinking of everything that happened during the longest 7 days of your life. After the break with Fiyero in the bathroom and later sneaking him out the house so nobody ever found out he was in the bathroom with you- especially your sister- you all had went back to the shopping center in matching ugly pajamas to take purposely awkward pictures to send out. The poses were bad enough but Fiyero being witness had almost killed you with embarrassment. You guys made cookies and Fiyero hung around as the “judge” (it wasn’t a competition) while your sister not so subtle praised him for his looks. She didn’t know you two were dating so you let it slide but after a while you were concerned if Fiyero’s head would fit through the door with how big she was making it. Another thing you all did was something called “blind karaoke”. Basically, someone picked a random instrumental of a song and for whoever’s turn it was, they were supposed to sing the correct lyrics to that song and if they failed a certain number of times then they were “voted off the island”. It was chaotic with plenty of cheating accusations but fun.

Pausing, you look around, not even noticing how much you got done. Counters clean, floor swept and vacuumed; you decide to shower. Thankfully you cleaned your bathroom last night so less for you to do and the guest room will wait. Stripping off your clothes and turning the water on, you tie your hair up while you wait for the water to heat up, stepping in once you see the steam.

Hot water pours all over your body, soothing your muscles. It feels absolutely delightful, making you stretch with a soft hum. The atmosphere is quiet but not eerie as you gently go about your routine. You huff out a little laugh as you remember Fiyero’s critique on your shower routine that he found odd.

“You’re actually exfoliating first?” Eyebrows raised high as he watched you from where he sat on top of the closed toilet seat.

“I don’t think I like that judgey tone of yours.” You reply breezily, ignoring as you continue.

“No- I’d never-! I’m just saying wouldn’t it make sense to after you get all…soapy?” His eyes trail down your form slower, voice dropping at that last word and you flick water at him to keep him focused which doesn’t work the way you planned as Fiyero sticks out his tongue to catch more. You roll your eyes at his ridiculousness.

“Freak of nature. But no, exfoliating first helps the soap clean skin better. Y’know…the part where I get all soapy.” His eyes stay on you, licking his lips as he nods slowly and suddenly your chest feels warmer.

“I see. By all means then, continue.” You flush all over from the way he sounds but you play as if you weren’t affected at all despite the whole thing being strangely erotic. You completely naked and wet, while he watched you touch all over said naked skin while being completely clothed.

“You’ll stay the innocent bystander, won’t you?”, making your voice even sweeter, you coo at him. Your teasing backfires as Fiyero’s words send shivers up your spine.

“No promises, sweetheart.”

You rush to get out before you relive the rest of the way your little shower played out, wrapping a fluffy towel around you as you head to your room, still flushed from the memory and the heat of the water. The sweet smelling lotion you put on feels extra nice against your freshly shaved skin, as you rub it In absentmindedly; still distracted by your thoughts.

Since a hoard of your closest family members had been virtually stuck up your butt for a week, even though Fiyero had been around, you two never had a chance to be alone. Your thighs clench at the thought of the last time his hands were on you, suppressing a desperate whine, falling back onto the warm bedding. Confused as to why the bed was so warm until you remember that you’d left your heated blanket on.

You ignore the new ache in your core as you sigh, closing your eyes and turning over on your stomach. Dosing off before you know it, dreaming of pretty dimples and devious hands…

•

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

•.*

.’° •

You awake to the feeling of soft warm lips pressing all over your skin. A light gasp leaves you when they trail lower, kissing down your back and over your ass as big hands start to knead your shoulders. You call his name, a lovely purr to his ears and Fiyero hums.

“It’s been 2 days, pretty girl.“

A needier gasp comes from you and Fiyero closes his eyes as it reminds him of all the other delicious sounds he can get you to make. He told you earlier that week that he’d be back over after your family left. One: to give you time to wind down after and two: because he needed to cool off. It had been harder than he thought to keep his hands off you- used to following the pull that inspired him to be close to you at all times. Fiyero had been anticipating your reunion, missing you- wanting you so bad..but out of all the ways he’d pictured finally being alone with you going; finding you completely naked smelling like dessert and looking just like it on a warm bed wasn’t one of them. Not that he was complaining.

Feeling the bed shift, his blue eyes flicker down to see your soft thighs slightly parted, giving him the tiniest peek of the slick that’s already beginning to gather, your smooth hips shifting restlessly.

His mouth comes down heavy on your neck with wet kisses, hands wedging underneath you to pull and massage at your hard nipples. Your eyes roll back in pleasure, moaning his name, Fiyero groaning back at how responsive you are. The room feels 10 degrees hotter but it’s so good, your body thrumming as your clit pulses.

“Baby-“, the way you call out for him has him flipping you over so fast you get dizzy. You have only a few seconds to look up into his blown pupils before a pleasant current rocks through your body when Fiyero slots himself flush against your body, sucking wetly at your ears, jaw, neck, and wherever he can reach. His low groans vibrate through you and you don’t hesitate to grind up against his length, the material of his jeans giving you perfect friction, writhing and whining in pleasure. Your body jolts everytime his hips roll and his clothed cock hits your clit just right.

“Mmphf-!” Your grind becomes smoother, causing you and Fiyero to look down, seeing the dark patch your wetness left on the front of his pants. Fiyero furrows his brow before tangling a hand in your hair, dragging your panting mouth to his.

You melt like chocolate under him. Thick heavy fog fills your head and your bring your hands up to feel underneath his shirt, his flexing muscles and the patch of soft hair leading to your favorite place had you positively lightheaded. The kiss is messy and intense. His mouth demanding and merciless; he licks at the seam of your lips before shoving his tongue inside, melding it against yours as his blood rushes from the sensations and your fucked out moans.

If he thought you were wet before, it’s nothing compared to now, as he slips his hand between your spread legs.

You break apart with a gasp but you don’t get far with Fiyero’s hand in your hair as he growls against your open mouth, lips wet. In a clearer state of mind, the sounds coming out of you would have shamed you long into the future but you can’t find the concern for that anytime soon especially when you feel two thick fingers slide into you, wasting no time in fucking your tight walls.

“Damn- look at you…such a good girl, gettin’ so wet f’me”, Fiyero rasps out, not expecting an answer with the hearts in your eyes. Your cunt was practically strangling his fingers, each drag out only bought more arousal from your messy hole, the noises filling the room alongside your voice. It was everywhere and Fiyero closes his eyes at the sudden image of your knees pressed to your armpits, fat lips getting spread open as he licked you raw.

You felt so good you were on the verge of tears, hiccuping moans bubbling out of you as you finally got what you needed. Your shaky hands had undone his pants but couldn’t steady strong enough to pull them down, settling for massaging the fat length in his pants, all the pre made the glide easy, your head swimming when you imagine being fucked by it.

However, you don’t know if you even make it that far because you’re already so close to orgasm and he knows it, adding a third finger to stretch you out and the nasty squelch has him pulsing hard in your hands. His fingers go from thrusting to aiming upwards, hitting that special patch of nerves inside you and you’re soaking the bedding with all the slick pooling from you.

Drool seeps from the side of your lips and your so gone you don’t even notice Fiyero lick it off until he whispers against your lips after a particularly rough grind of his fingers has you keening high,

“You have no idea what you’re doing to me-“ he cuts off with a gasp when your thumb rubs hard into his leaking tip, heat racing up his spine like electricity.

“Y’gonna cum for me sweetheart? Gonna let her make a mess for me?”

Your lower stomach spasms visibly and he can barely move his hand from how tight your cunt is, hard clit pulsing against his thumb.

“Yeah, you are.”

In the last seconds before you come, you’re grateful that you’re pinned under him because if you were let loose, you could bite the roof of a house from how feral you’re feeling. One last roll of your soaked nub and you unravel with a scream.

Fiyero’s mouth covers yours in time before you convince your neighbors of possible murder, licking into it and swallowing your screams as you white out from the intensity, each spasm of your stuffed walls sending you higher and it takes a while for you to come down.

Popping of your mouth to give you a chance to breathe, Fiyero strips his shirt off, eyes on your boneless form. A light sheen of sweat coated both of your bodies but you’re far from done. Tilting your head up just in time to see Fiyero take his pants off, biting your swollen lips at way his fat cock slapped against his stomach, thick thighs flexing as he makes his way back on top of you. Your heart pounds hard enough to be felt through your entire body when he takes your hand, dragging it slow down his chest before pulling your hand back up, sucking the digits with a low hum, pleased at the flush that blooms all over you.

Fiyero slides his cock between your lips, coating himself with your arousal as he lines himself up to your hole. You whine in protest, “wait, lemme suck you off first-“ you’re cut off with a sharp moan when Fiyero slaps the head of his cock directly on your clit, blue eyes almost black as the sea at night as he stares down at you, voice heady and thick with desire.

“Later…but right now-“ he pulls your bottom lip down with his thumb, licking a stripe across your teeth, he continues, “mmm, right now, I need you to take it for me. She can do that f’me right, pretty?”

You nod so hard it almost gives you a headache but the soft chuckle from Fiyero adds to the pleasant buzz as he slides in, gripping your hips as you moan in unison.

You were always tight but after a week of no contact, you were damn near choking his cock as it stretched you out. Your scent — how fucking soft you are — your voice — the way your wetness left messy strings dripping off his cock every time he pulled out— everything was too much. He wouldn’t be able to go slow like this, the sound of your warbled desperate moans ricocheting off his skull and driving him insane.

The first slide in of Fiyero’s cock is always overwhelming. You doesn’t think you’ll ever not be gagging for this, the feel of his filling you up. You bite down on a moan, arching your back further, you need more. The darkly-amused chuckle Fiyero gives just makes your blood run that much hotter. You don’t have time beg him to fuck you stupid before he thrusts, relentless and brutal, fucking into you so good you sob from it. So good, so fucking good, you’re going to feel the ache in you for days but it’s exactly how you need it.

Fiyero’s abs contract, head tipping back at the way you feel, grinding and whining down onto his cock; letting him have you so wet and pliant as he rams into all your spots, trying not to lose himself in the waves of you. Unfortunately, you can’t help it — you feel yourself clench hard around him, hips twitching as he grabs your waist, holding your ass tilted up to hit deeper as he pounds you. Eyes rolling back at the stifling the cry from your throat as his cock bottoms out with every wonderful thrust inside you.

The room fills with obscene sounds: your scream moaning, the slapping of skin on skin, the squelch of your cunt as Fiyero plunges into it. Air can’t come fast enough and you know if you cum now you’ll pass out but you needed this so bad, whining as Fiyero takes two swollen nipples between his fingers rolling them, enjoying the cute way you cried for him.

“You’re gonna cum for me again, aren’t you?”, Fiyero coos down at your tear stained, drooling face, furrowed in pleasure. You try to prove him wrong; that you’re not coming, that you’re not about to make a mess but you give up quick. It just felt too good.

“Mmhm! Yes- cummin’!”, you let out a ear piercing wail as you get closer, almost right there, looking at Fiyero with pretty lidded eyes like he hung the stars in the sky just for you.

“Cum,” he breathes hot in your ear, teeth closing down on the delicate whorl. “Make your mess all over me, baby.”

You cry out against Fiyero, hips humping against his cock, shaking violently, back arching, almost lifting off the bed completely as your orgasm wracks through you, eyes flickering back into your skull. Drool dribbles down your lips between moans; dripping, your cunt gushing around the delicious stretch, sucking Fiyero’s cock in as far as you can.

Fiyero grits his teeth hard, his thrusts growing erratic and messy as he’s hurdled quickly towards his climax, lost in your pull. He cums with a wrecked low moan, burying himself deeper in the wet heat of your cunt, releases as deep inside you as he can. Lowering himself on you in a satisfied heap.

You two stay like that for a while, catching your breath, kissing softer this time- less rushed like you aren’t in a race to get the other pregnant by midnight, basking in the afterglow. He’s heavy like this. Laying completely over you but you love it, closing your eyes as you snuggle into him. He’s like a giant weighted pillow.

Fiyero is the first to move since you won’t be going anywhere for a while, looking down at you tenderly, rubbing the tip of his nose gently against yours, and you smile back tiredly.

“Give me 15 minutes and I’ll be ready to rock your world, pretty boy.” You say it like it’s a promise and Fiyero laughs because he’s always the one to tire you out.

“Cute. Maybe you’re just being cocky because we’re alone?”

“Guess you’ll have find out”, you say through giggles, squirming at the sounds he blows into your neck, smiling with you.

“I can’t wait.”

[arilevenatz]

You are

Pairing: pirate!jongho x town girl!reader

Genre: fluff

Word count: 9.6k

Warnings: Violence, kidnapping, abuse (not done by the boys) minor character death, jongho is a shy baby, lmk if I missed any!!

AN: I feel like screaming. This has been in my drafts for more than a year when the 'Everything' MV came out. The MV broke me and I was a crying mess. If y'all couldn't tell, my bias is jongho and I have seen that there are not that many good jongho fics in any platform. So I have taken the initiative. (Even tho idk if it's good or not) Anyway if y'all wanna be tagged just reply with your @ . AND please reblog and like it helps me a lot. I kinda fucked up the ending so y'all are free to imagine whatever the fuck y'all want

Nassau, an island which was claimed by the crew of Halazia. The ship was giant and very beautiful as well.

One slight issue,

It's a pirate ship

The pirates of the Halazia are the most feared of them all. They are known for not having any mercy towards any ship they come across.

Yes, even the ones with a white flag.

But Nassau is an island which is owned by them, so it is common for the people living near the harbor to see them come and go.

I, however lived further in the town, so I have never really seen them. Not that I want to as well. I'm scared they might kill me.

Though I doubt that will happen cause they have never really killed any innocent here in Nassau. Not that I've heard that is.

Waking was hard. Going to greet the family was harder. Answering their dumb questions was the hardest.

They say the youngest kid is always the most loved of them all. Not in our case.

We are big on family. And the worst part? We all live in the same plot, but in different houses. Me, being the youngest child in the house, I'm a personal punching bag.

Stuffs like "your brothers are doing so good, you need to follow them aswell" and "your brothers and sister have taken majors in science, you will too I hope" were normal to me.

Ever since I was young, my mom taught me.

If you wanna live in this house without getting called out every time, you have to fake a smile. Please everyone, child. Because of your father, you have to please everyone.

That was then, but now she has changed. She was forced to do so by these monsters in the name of people. I kinda miss her…

I heard my name being called. Looking at the source I saw my mom.

"I know you just woke up but, can you go to the port market and get us some things?"

"Mom, I just woke up..."

"Listen to your mom kid"

I looked at the source, great, my other aunt. Blinded by the pride of marrying a rich doctor, she thinks she is the head of the family, although she is the youngest sibling of my dad.

"yes yes, she will go, won't you kid?" her eyes pleaded to me, not wanting her child to be scolded in the morning.

"yes ma"

I took the money and left.

Being the youngest, I was always called "kid" or "child". It's weird I know, but i don't even care anymore.

The market's a bit far. I have to cross a little outskirt of a jungle. Though I don't have to cross the jungle, it's still a bit scary. But it's dawn, so it's alright right now.

After the jungle, a little walk by some alleyways and then it's the market!

The market was one of my favorite places to be in. Just look at it! It's so lively and colourful. It's so nice that it can make me forget about home for some time.

Ok let's check the list of items. Chili powder, parsley, biscuits and rum.

Hah! That stupid uncle of mine! How can he make a young girl like me buy alcohol early in the morning?!

I eventually got all the supplies and also got the rum. The shopkeeper was my dad's and uncles's friend so he gave me the rum I wanted, but I doubt he would've if he didn't know me. I mean come on, who gives alcohol to a young girl?!

"That will be ten bronze kid"

I handed him the money when suddenly I heard a high pitched laugh

"jongho, at least try to bargain once in your life! Do you or do you not want to save money??"

Looking in the direction, I saw two men. One has black hair, the other one has black and white hair.

What a strange hair colour...aren't his parents dissapointed?

Both of them are dressed in big tunics and black leather pants. The tunics loosely tucked in their pants.

"shopkeeper-nim, can we get this rum?"

The oreo guy handed the shopkeeper a note, seemingly a list.

"No mates, the last one was taken by this lady here"

He pointed at me. Damn dawg why you gotta throw me under the bus?

It was now when the two men looked at me.

"Aren't you too young to drink?"

"Land Ahoy!!!!"

The booming voice of the first mate who is also the quarter master, can be heard from below the deck. He had just spotted an island. Their island,

Nassau.

Beautiful island, with beautiful people and beautiful owners.

hehe

"Mingi, drop the anchor!"

"done!"

"captain, we need to scavenge", the quartermaster and first mate of Halazia, Seonghwa stated to their captain, the one and only, Hongjoong.

"I'm aware. Is the scavenger team ready?"

"I have already concerned Wooyoung, him and his team are ready to go"

"Good"

"Captain!"

The captain and quartermaster flinched by the voice of the surgeon.

"San! You unruly swine! What if the the captain got scared and let go of the helm?!", the quartermaster scolded the younger guy.

"Seonghwa do you mean that I get scared by small things?"

The two of the other males in the room nodded.

"all of you are scared cats"

"Bitch-"

All three males in the room flinch by the sudden intruder.

"Yunho, do you want me to order Yeosang to cut of your hair in your sleep?"

"Captain it was a joke!!"

"Anyways, captain, I came here to inform you that Mingi needs materials to fix the ship, however, he has work to do, so someone has to go on land with Wooyoung to get the supplies", San, the surgeon states.

The captain has now successfully ported the ship and now can let go of the helm. He turned to his crew and told them to follow him. And he went towards the maindeck.

"Send Jongho. He does not have any work for the time being"

"ok!"

San sprinted away almost in a comical way while muttering something which sounded suspiciously like a "smooth operator~"

The battlemaster was in the arms locker. The giant locker was home to weapons for the battlemaster as well as guns for the master gunner, Yunho.

The battlemaster, Jongho, was busy cleaning his swords. Call him a clean freak but he needs to clean all his swords and cutlasses. Not because he is a clean freak, it's cuz a certain someone will scold him if he does not.

"Do you wanna build a snowman?"

"San are you a child?"

The first mate gets inside the locker and sits beside the younger male.

"I am not, but I know a certain someone is though"

"You swine"

The crew of the Halazia is known as the scariest crew outside, but inside the ship, they all are one braincell sharing idiots.

"Anyways, captain ordered you to do to port and get some stuff with wooyoung-ie" The younger boy looked at the first mate with his boba eyes. "what stuff?"

"mingi needs some stuff to repair the broken and probably for his new invention and shit"

"Ok then”

“meat, coriander, honey, alcohol and maybe some broccoli for the soups"

"Wooyoung, why do you need alcohol? Are you gonna drink again?"

The cook of Halazia, wooyoung and the young battlemaster, jongho are set out for an adventure, an adventure to find the specific kind of alcohol for the surgeon of the ship, San.

"What? No! I am getting it because Sanie asked me to!

This morning, San had barged in the kitchen and asked wooyoung to get a special kind of rum, which helps to clean cuts.

Yeah the young boys have no idea how to find it…

"aren't you too young to drink?" jongho asked the girl they just came across in the shop.

The girl didn't say anything and just stayed silent.

"jongho-ya you scared the poor girl"

"No I did no-"

"you can have it"

Both the males looked at the young girl. She has her hand out and in her hand resides the rum bottle.

"You can have it"

"No no we ca-" jongho was cut of by wooyoung. "sure we'll take it! How much was it again?"

"ten bronze"

Wooyoung handed the girl ten bronze and was about to take off, but jongho held him back feeling guilty. I mean come on, the girl probably had her own hardships buying it, and then she got harassed by his hyung.

The younger guy went and handed 5 more bronze. The girl merely looked at his hand confused.

"sorry, he is just immature"

The girl however still remained silent and immobile.

Jongho waited a few seconds and then took the girl's hand and placed the coins there.

"thank you and...Sorry"

The girl looked at the coins and then looked at him. And then she said "I don't need these extra coins, but in return, you both have to go and buy the alcohol for me”

They do it for the girl. The two men are now inside another store, away from the previous. This store is the only other store which sells alcohol here in the port market. But the owner of this shop doesn't know your dad or uncle, so he will not give alcohol to her as she's a girl. So she cleverly asked the two men to go inside and buy it for her.

Wooyoung hands you the additional bottle of rum with a dramatic flourish, a smirk on his face. "Here you go, little one. Consider this our way of helping you out." He smiles at me, while Jongho looks on, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

You look at him giving you two bottles when you asked for one. “I only needed one tho.....”

"We added one more. Consider it a gift from us. Just... don't tell anyone we did this, alright? We'd be in real trouble if anyone knew” Wooyoung said as he put the bottles in your bag properly. You nod at him slightly.

Wooyoung smiles slightly at your nod "Smart girl. And hey... what's your name? I'm wooyoung, that's jongho. Seems like Nassau's been tough on you, hasn't it? If you ever need anything else-"

jongho slightly nudges him to stop and get back to work. He gently pushes Wooyoung aside before he can offer any more unsolicited kindness to the girl. The last thing they need right now is rumors spreading about us befriending locals.

Jongho shoots Wooyoung a warning look before turning his attention back to you "Remember what we said - keep quiet about this. And stay out of trouble, yeah? Nassau's not safe for little ones like you-" he catches himself realizing how condescending that sounded "-Like-”

“Little ones?” You were offended. You hated when someone called you little. It triggered you so much. You family calling you ‘kid’, ‘child’ was enough, you don't need these two weirdos calling you little.

He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly "You know what I mean. Young. Innocent. Uninvolved in pirate life. Just... be careful, alright? We don't want anything happening to anyone”

You wanted to ask why they were so interested in pirate life but they were already turning back.

As Wooyoung and him walk away, jongho can't shake the feeling that he has made things awkward between them and the girl. He glances back over his shoulder, noticing her standing there, holding the extra bottle of rum like a precious treasure. "Woo, did you see that?”

Wooyoung follows his gaze, a thoughtful expression on his face "Aye, I did. She's a tough one, ain't she? For a little thing, she's got guts." He pauses, then adds in a lower tone

"And she's got a way of getting under your skin, too. Mark my words, Jongho - that girl's going to cause us trouble one day." He chuckles to himself, but there's a hint of seriousness beneath his words.

"Let's just hope it's the good kind of trouble.”

Back in the ship, the surgeon, San runs up to them, asking them what took them so long. Woo replied "we had to fight a little girl for the last bottle of rum”. San raises a concerned eyebrow.

“In what world do ‘little girl' and ‘rum’ co-operate in one sentence? That sounds highly inappropriate”

Jongho sighs and shakes his head disapprovingly at Wooyoung's exaggeration. "Don't go spreading tales now. We weren't fighting anyone." He glances at San with weary eyes. "Just... ran into a stubborn lady on an errand.”

San raises an eyebrow skeptically, but his lips twitch in amusement. "'Stubborn lady,' huh? Sounds like someone's been distracted by pretty eyes and a cute face." He teasingly pokes Jongho in the ribs.

Wooyoung covered his mouth with his hands dramatically and replied "no wonder he was not cold but gentle towards the girl. I knew you had it in you!”

Jongho rolls his eyes, trying to maintain his composure despite San's teasing. "Shut it, San. It's not like that. We just didn't want any trouble, that's all." He shoots Wooyoung a warning look, silently telling him to keep his mouth shut.

But it was true, he felt that those eyes held sadness. He has seen war, he has been in dilemmas and has fought with his inner urges. He knows what loneliness looks like. and he saw that in those girl's dull eyes. He stands on the deck watching the sunset paint the sky in fiery hues, but he can't help but replay the encounter with the girl in his mind. The ache in her eyes, the defiance in her stance - it echoes the battles he's fought within himself.

He remembers the way the girl stood her ground, refusing to back down even when faced with two grown pirates.

As the captain, Hongjoong managed more than just his crew; he also oversaw a network of loan sharks. These were the people he trusted with his money, providing them the means to distribute loans in exchange for a share of the profits. Now, it was time to settle. A meeting with the loan sharks of Nassau was pending, and Hongjoong intended to reclaim what was rightfully his.

Rather than meeting on neutral ground, Hongjoong and Seonghwa decided to summon the loan sharks to their ship. It was a calculated move, one that ensured the meeting would take place on their terms and under their control. (Hot men)

The captain’s quarters were cold and dark, the flickering lantern casting shadows across Hongjoong’s features. Seonghwa stood by the door, arms crossed and expression hard, his presence as commanding as the captain’s. The loan sharks shifted uneasily before them, knowing this was not a meeting to be taken lightly.

The lead shark hesitated before speaking, his voice shaking slightly. “Captain, there’s been… a complication.”

Hongjoong leaned forward, his eyes cold “A complication?” he repeated, his voice low and dangerous. “Explain.”

“A man we loaned money to—he fled,” the shark stammered. “Disappeared without paying a single coin. He left behind his wife and daughter in Nassau.”

Hongjoong’s jaw tightened, his fingers curling into a fist on the table. “And you let him run?”

“We didn’t know he would,” the shark blurted out, his words tumbling over each other. “He seemed reliable, Captain. A merchant with steady work. But one day, he was gone, just like that.”

“And the family?” Seonghwa cut in, his tone sharp and unforgiving.

“They’re still in Nassau,” the shark admitted. “The wife claims she doesn’t know where he went, and they’ve got nothing left. No way to repay the debt.”

Hongjoong’s gaze darkened. “You mean to tell me you came here with excuses, no money, and no solutions?”

The shark shrank back, sweat glistening on his forehead. “Captain, we—we thought we could pressure the wife. Maybe—” He hesitated, but Hongjoong’s glare pushed him to continue. “Maybe take their belongings or… use them to draw him out.”

The room fell silent. Seonghwa stepped forward, his voice like steel. “Use them?” he echoed, his lips curling into a cold smirk knowing what his captain will suggest next, “You’re suggesting we drag a woman and her child into this mess because you couldn’t do your job?”

The shark flinched, his voice barely a whisper. “It was just an idea.”

Hongjoong stood, the sudden movement making the shark jump. He leaned across the table, his voice venomous. “Ideas like that will get you killed. You don’t lay a hand on them unless I give the order. Do you understand me?”

The shark nodded frantically, his face pale. “Y-Yes, Captain.”

“But you will go back,” Hongjoong continued, his tone playful but colder now. “You will visit the wife, and you will remind her that the debt doesn’t disappear just because her husband ran. Make sure she understands this is her last chance to cooperate. If she knows where he is, she had better start talking.”

“And if she doesn’t?” the shark asked hesitantly.

Seonghwa’s smirk widened, but his eyes remained icy. “Then you make it clear what happens when people cross Captain Hongjoong. Let her know the weight of the debt will fall heavier if her husband doesn’t show his face soon.”

Hongjoong straightened, his eyes burning into the shark’s. “You don’t come back empty-handed again. Bring me the man, or bring me something of equal value. Do I make myself clear?”

The sharks nodded in unison, fear etched into their faces.

“Good,” Hongjoong said curtly. “Now get out of my sight.”

As the door slammed shut behind them, Seonghwa glanced at the captain. “You think the wife knows something?"

“If she does, fear will make her speak,” Hongjoong replied coldly. “And if she doesn’t, it’ll push the coward into the open. Either way, we get what we’re owed.”

He thinks for a second and then says “ you know what, I don't trust these parasites. Send a mule after them, give me every detail of what they do from now on”

The shark’s anger simmered as he stormed through the winding streets of Nassau. Hongjoong’s threats still echoed in his ears, and his humiliation burned deep. To him, the blame lay squarely with the woman and her child.

“They’ve made fools of us,” growled the shark, his fists clenched. “It’s her fault the captain’s breathing down our necks. If we can’t touch them, we’ll make sure she understands what it means to cross us.”

When he reached the small house with two of his acquaintances, they found it quiet and dimly lit. The lead shark pounded on the door with enough force to make the frame rattle. After a moment, the door creaked open, revealing the wife. Her face paled when she saw the sharks, but she held her ground.

“What do you want now?” she asked, her voice strong but trembling.

The lead shark sneered, pushing the door open wider. “Your lies have caused us enough trouble. We’re done playing games.”

She took a step back, clutching the edge of the door. “I’ve told you everything I know. My husband is gone. I can’t give you what I don’t have.”

Another shark, a burly man with a cruel glint in his eye, stepped forward. “Your daughter—where is she?”

“She’s not here,” the wife said quickly, fear flashing across her face. “She’s out.”

The lead shark smirked, leaning closer. “Good. That makes this easier.”

Before the wife could react, the sharks forced their way inside. She stumbled back, panic flooding her as they loomed over her.

“You’re coming with us,” the lead shark said coldly.

“You can’t do this,” she stammered, her voice breaking. “We’re not hurting you,” the burly shark replied with a twisted grin. “We’re just taking you somewhere else to have a little… conversation.”

Despite her protests, they grabbed her arms and dragged her out of the house, their grip firm but not brutal. She screamed and struggled, but no one was there as they hauled her through the streets and into the shadows of Nassau.

____

You push open the door to your house, expecting the usual comfort of your mother's voice or the warmth of a home filled with the scent of a meal being prepared. But instead, there was silence.

“Mom?” you call out, your voice echoing slightly. You set down the basket of bread and vegetables, but there’s no answer. The quiet stretches on, oppressive, like something’s wrong.

You move through the house, checking the rooms one by one, but it’s empty. There’s no sign of her. Panic starts to creep into your chest, tightening with each passing moment.

As you were looking, you felt someone cover your mouth in a vise-like grip as you trie to claw at him. His thick mustache curls upwards in a cruel sneer. "And what do we have here? The little birdie come back to her nest?”

You try hard to free yourself.

“You think you can run from us?” he sneered, shoving you forward with enough force to stumble you. “You and your mother have been causing enough trouble, little girl. But don’t worry, we’ll make sure you both learn your place soon enough.”

You kick his knees and manage to break free. Just as you reach for the door handle, a large hand cracks across your face, sending you stumbling down. Pain explodes across your cheek and you fall to the floor, dazed and crying. The man looms over you, his fist raised for another blow. "You little brat!”

"Stop!" The lead shark's voice barks out sharply, staying in the second man's hand mid-air. Through your terrified tears, you see him approaching you, his heavy boots thudding against the wooden floor.

“We don’t need more bruises on this pretty little face yet,” he says, his voice almost… amused. His hand lifts, but instead of striking, he just touches the side of your face, his fingers cold and rough against your skin.

You wince, instinctively trying to pull away, but his grip tightens, holding you in place. “Listen closely, little bird,” he continues, his voice dark and low. “We need you to understand something. Your father’s debt? It’s a problem. And we’re not leaving here until we get our money back.”

Your stomach churns at the mention of your father. You try to keep your voice steady, but it cracks. “I don’t know where he is.”

“Yeah, we know,” he replies with a dry laugh, his grip loosening just a little. “Your father’s a coward. He runs and leaves you two behind to clean up his mess.” He leans down, his face just inches from yours. “But that doesn’t matter. Captain Hongjoong’s been clear. We take what’s ours. And you?” His smirk widens. “You’re gonna help us make that happen.”

His words make your blood run cold. Hongjoong. You’d heard of him—his name was spoken with fear and respect, but never this way. They’re using your family as leverage, a pawn in their game, all because of your father’s debt.

“They need you to make sure your father gets the message,” the lead shark continues, standing back up, pacing slowly around you like a predator. “We can’t hurt you… yet. But we’re going to make sure you’re a reminder. Captain Hongjoong is waiting for results. And if that means bringing you along to make your father see reason, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Hongjoong sat in his quarters, staring at the report he had just received from the mule. His eyes narrowed as the words settled in. The sharks had gone against his direct orders, overstepping their boundaries, and now he had to deal with the consequences. The anger bubbled inside him, a sharp, cold rage that left no room for hesitation.

He stood up, the weight of his frustration pressing on him. He couldn’t allow anyone to defy him, especially not when it came to matters as serious as this. The sharks had been sent to handle the situation, to get back the money they were owed—but they’d taken it too far. Taking the girl and her mother? That wasn’t part of the deal.

Seonghwa, who had been standing nearby, watching his captain closely, didn’t need to ask what was wrong. He’d seen this side of Hongjoong before—when his calm, controlled demeanor slipped, and the storm beneath came to the surface.

“Prepare Jongho and Yunho,” Hongjoong said, his voice low but filled with authority. “I want them to investigate. I want to know exactly what those sharks did, and I want them to fix this. I’ll have no one undermining my orders.”

Seonghwa nodded, turning to leave, but Hongjoong stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Make sure it’s handled quietly,” Hongjoong added, his gaze steely. “We don’t need any more attention than we already have. And if they’ve done something unforgivable… make sure they know who’s in charge.”

Jongho, the Battle Master, was known for his strength and discipline. He’d follow orders without hesitation, but it was his ability to keep a level head in intense situations that Hongjoong trusted most. Yunho, the Master Gunner, had a sharp eye for details and a quick wit. Together with a few loyal crew members, they’d get to the bottom of this—and if the sharks had crossed a line, they’d deal with it swiftly.

Jongho and Yunho stood by the edge of the ship, the salty breeze tugging at their hair as they discussed their next move.

Yunho crossed his arms, leaning against the railing. “So, we’re going to investigate what those sharks did… and if they’ve really messed up, we’re supposed to clean up their mess?” He raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Jongho, standing beside him, shook his head with a chuckle. “Seems like it. I don’t think Captain Hongjoong’s happy that they went rogue. Taking the girl and her mother? That’s a whole new level of stupid.” He sighed, glancing out at the horizon.

“I mean, we’re talking about a bunch of thugs who can’t follow orders. What’s next? Are they going to steal the moon?”

Yunho snorted. “If they tried, I’d pay good money to see it. But seriously, jongho, this is a mess. We’ve got to figure out how to handle this without making it worse. The last thing we need is a full-blown war with the sharks because they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves.”

Jongho chuckled darkly. “Yeah, because Hongjoong’s ‘fixing problems quietly’ approach works out so well, right?” He paused. “Let’s just hope these sharks haven’t completely pissed him off. I don’t think even we could smooth things over if he’s really that angry.”

He then grinned. “I’ll make sure to bring some extra bandages, just in case.”

Yunho shot him a sideways glance. “What, you think we’re going to knock some sense into them with our fists?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Jongho replied, giving him a smile. “Though, I prefer it when the problem just gets solved with a good ol' conversation. You know, like ‘Hey, don’t take the girl, or I’ll break your legs.’”

Yunho let out a dry laugh. “Sounds like a great ‘conversation’ to me.”

He then smirked at jongho and said, “But you know, I’m always ready to put some holes in bastards. Let’s get to work.” (See what I did there? ⁠ ͡⁠°⁠ ͜⁠ʖ⁠ ͡⁠° )

The air was thick with tension as Jongho and Yunho made their way to the den. They had gathered all the intel they needed and were now ready to end this. The sharp tang of saltwater in the air mixed with the musty, oppressive smell of the building, and Jongho’s grip tightened around the hilt of his sword.

“You ready?” Yunho asked, his voice low, scanning the area.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Jongho replied, his tone steadier than he felt. They moved quickly, slipping through the shadows toward the back entrance of the den. The door creaked open under Jongho’s steady push, and they silently entered.

Jongho and Yunho moved like shadows, circling around the room, eyes scanning for the girl. The moment their eyes met, Jongho felt his heart stop. There she was—tied to a chair, her head lowered. Her breathing was shallow, and her hands were bound tight, but she was alive. She looked up at him, her eyes widening.

Jongho felt his chest tighten. He was shocked. Not because this was her. The same girl he had seen in the market, and now here she was, in the middle of this chaos, helpless. But because he still remembered her vividly. He has never remembered anyone's face other than ill intent. This made his heart do something he didn't like.

He was about to rush forward when Yunho grabbed his arm. “Stay focused,” Yunho muttered, his eyes scanning the sharks. “We’ll get her, but we need to take them down first.”

Jongho nodded, his heart racing. He knew Yunho was right—they couldn’t let their guard down. The sharks were too dangerous, and they had to be neutralized quickly.

In one fluid motion, Yunho drew his gun and fired, sending one of the sharks crashing to the ground. The noise startled the rest of the men, and chaos erupted. Jongho lunged forward, his sword cutting through the air with precision. Each swing was met with resistance, but he wasn’t slowing down.

The fight was quick but brutal, the room filled with the sounds of swords clashing and bodies hitting the ground. Jongho’s eyes searched the girl, and as soon as the last shark was down, he rushed to her side.

“Hold on,” he said, his voice softer now, as he cut through her ropes. She winced slightly as he freed her wrists, but she didn’t say a word—her eyes were locked on him, full of both fear and relief.

“You’re safe now,” Jongho said, his heart pounding as he helped her to her feet. But as he looked down at her, his heart skipped a beat. Her face was streaked with dried tears and blood, she had a busted lip and a bloodied injury on the side of her head. He realized then that this wasn’t just about the mission anymore. There was something about her that tugged at him, something deeper than just a rescue.

She looked up at him, her voice barely a whisper. “Who are you?”

Jongho smiled softly, trying to mask the sudden rush of emotions flooding through him. “Jongho. Battle Master on Captain Hongjoong’s ship.”

Her eyes flickered with recognition. “You… you were at the market.” She hesitated, her voice uncertain. “You… you’re a pirate? Of the Halazia”

Jongho nodded, his heart tightening. “We’re here to get you out of this mess. But right now, we need to move fast.”

She looked around, “But my mom-”

“Yunho will take care of that”

Before she could respond, they heard footsteps approaching. Yunho’s voice was low and urgent. “Jongho, we’ve got to go, now!”

Jongho took her hand gently, pulling her toward the door. As they ran, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his heart had just made a decision he wasn’t sure he was ready for. He had come here to do a job, to rescue her and get out. But somewhere in that chaotic moment, he realized he wanted to protect her.

The door slammed open, and they ran out into the night. Behind them, the sounds of pursuit echoed, but Jongho didn’t care. He would protect her. No matter what it took.

You settled back into the familiarity of home, the creaking of the old wooden floors and the comforting hum of the market outside grounding you after the chaos of recent events. Life was quiet again, though a bit lonelier now. Your mother busied herself with building a shop, leaving you to wander between chores and stolen moments of peace.

Life aboard the ship was as chaotic as ever, but lately, the crew had found a new source of amusement—or annoyance, depending on who you asked.

“Jongho, will you sit down already?” Seonghwa groaned, throwing an exasperated glance at the younger man pacing the deck.

Jongho ignored him, his brow furrowed in thought as he muttered to himself. “I haven’t checked in on her in over a week. What if something’s happened? What if someone’s bothering her again?”

“Again with the girl,” Yunho drawled, leaning lazily against a barrel. “You’ve mentioned her three times today already. You’re worse than Hongjoong’s parrot.”

“Worse than his parrot?” Yeosang, the navigator, asked as he descended from the helm, a sly grin spreading across his face. “Now that’s saying something. I didn’t think anyone could top its constant squawking.”

“Maybe the parrot’s jealous,” Mingi, the boatswain, chimed in as he carried a coil of rope over his shoulder. He dropped it near the mast and turned to Jongho, his grin matching Yeosang’s. “Sounds like it’s got competition for Jongho’s attention.”

Hongjoong, seated at a small table nearby, raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He sipped his drink with a smirk, clearly enjoying the rare sight of Jongho being the center of everyone’s teasing. "I didn't even take my money from her for you"

"captain aren't you like one of the richest people in the 7 seas?" Someone grumbled.

“It’s not like that,” Jongho said firmly, shooting Yunho a glare before turning to Yeosang and Mingi. “She’s been through enough already. Someone has to make sure she’s alright.”

“Someone?” San chimed in, his grin wide. “Or you?”

“Let’s be real,” Wooyoung added with a dramatic sigh. “You don’t just want to make sure she’s safe. You’re attached. Admit it.”

“Sounds like attachment to me,” Yeosang agreed, leaning against the railing with an amused expression. “You’re practically obsessing.”

“I wouldn’t call it obsession,” Mingi said, tilting his head thoughtfully. “It’s more like…” He paused for dramatic effect, his grin widening.

“Infatuation.”

Jongho stopped pacing long enough to shoot them all a sharp look. “I’m doing my job. Protecting her is my responsibility.”

“Protecting her,” Seonghwa said, drawing out the words mockingly. “Or is it something more?”

“I don’t love her,” Jongho snapped, his tone final.

The crew burst into laughter, the sound echoing across the deck. Even Hongjoong let out a low chuckle, finally setting his drink down.

“If you don’t love her,” the captain said, leaning back in his chair, “then stop pacing around like a lovesick puppy. You’re throwing off the entire crew."

“Yeah,” Yunho added with a grin. “Even the parrot’s giving you side-eye at this point.”

Jongho opened his mouth to retort but found no words that would convince them otherwise. Instead, he huffed and crossed his arms, retreating to his post with an annoyed scowl.

Yeosang exchanged a glance with Mingi before smirking. “He’ll realize it eventually,” he said quietly.

“Or we’ll keep reminding him until he does,” Mingi replied with a chuckle.

As the laughter died down and the crew returned to their tasks. Jongho didn’t love her, he told himself. He was just… concerned. That was all. Yes, that's it.

It had been weeks since you’d last seen Jongho. You told yourself you shouldn’t expect him, that he had his own life aboard the ship, filled with duties and battles you couldn’t begin to imagine.

But some small, stubborn part of you always found your eyes drifting to the road outside, hoping to catch sight of him.

And then, one evening, as the sky blushed with the soft hues of sunset, you heard it—the measured, confident sound of boots against gravel. Your heart leapt before you could stop it, and you quickly wiped your hands on your apron, glancing toward the door just as his familiar silhouette appeared.

“Jongho,” you said, trying to sound calm though you could feel your pulse racing.

He nodded, stepping into the doorway. His eyes swept the room, taking in the tidy shelves and the faint scent of freshly baked bread. “Everything alright?” he asked, his tone steady, the same question he always asked.

You smiled, brushing a stray lock of hair from your face. “It is now. Come in.”

He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing the invitation, but eventually stepped inside, his presence filling the small space effortlessly.

You poured him tea, the silence between you familiar and strangely comforting. He didn’t say much—he rarely did—but his quiet presence was enough. You found yourself telling him about the shop, how business had picked up again, and how you’d repaired the shutters just last week. He listened intently, his gaze steady, his attention making you feel like your words mattered.

When he finally rose to leave, you felt a pang of disappointment, though you didn’t say anything. He paused at the door, glancing back at you.

“I’ll check in again,” he said simply.

You nodded, your smile soft but genuine. “I’ll be here.”

And then he was gone, the sound of his boots fading into the evening air. You stood there for a moment, staring at the empty doorway, your heart inexplicably lighter.

You didn’t know why he kept coming back, and maybe he didn’t either. But you found yourself looking forward to his visits, to the way he made you feel seen and safe in a way no one else ever had. For now, that was enough.

The air outside buzzed with excitement, the faint sound of music and chatter from the central town festival reaching your small home. You stood at the window, peeking out at the vibrant colors of the decorations that dotted the streets beyond your view.

The door creaked open, and you turned to see Jongho stepping inside. His usual calm demeanor was in place, though his eyes flicked over you briefly, taking in the faint spark of longing in your expression.

“There’s a festival in town,” he said, his voice low but steady.

You nodded, brushing your hands on your skirt. “I know. I’ve always wanted to go, but…”

Your voice trailed off, and you glanced toward your mother, who stood nearby, watching the two of you.

Jongho followed your gaze, his brow furrowing slightly. “Why not?”

Your mother sighed, folding her arms. “She’s young, and festivals can be crowded, chaotic… dangerous. I can’t let her go alone.”

“I’ll take her,” Jongho said simply, as though the decision had already been made.

“You'd do that? Take me there?”

“Why not?”

Both you and your mother looked at him, surprised. He met your mother’s gaze evenly, his tone firm. “I’ll make sure she’s safe.”

Your mother hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line. Finally, she nodded, though she still seemed unsure. “Alright. But don’t let her out of your sight.”

A rush of excitement and nervousness bubbled up inside you as you grabbed your shawl. “Thank you, Jongho,” you said softly, your smile warm and genuine.

---

The town was alive with color and energy. Lanterns hung from every building, their soft glow casting a warm light over the cobblestone streets. Stalls lined the roads, selling everything from sweets to trinkets, and performers entertained small crowds with music and dancing.

Jongho stayed close to you, his presence a steady anchor in the lively chaos. His hand hovered near your back, guiding you through the crowd without a word.

“Where should we go first?” you asked, looking up at him.

He glanced around, his eyes scanning the stalls and performers. “Wherever you want.”

“I don't know, you choose”

“We can do whatever you want”

You look down a bit and think. You'd never been given choices. They were always made for you. You always felt pressure whenever someone said to choose something and at the end you just keep saying ‘whatever you want’.

You grinned, feeling a rare sense of freedom. Tugging gently on his sleeve, you led him to a stall selling candied apples. He didn’t protest when you bought one for yourself and insisted he try one too, but he informed you that he can't have sweet things.

You went around stall from stall, that's when you spotted a beautiful earring in one of the stalls. It was completely your style and pretty. You kept looking at it, that's when jongho noticed you looking somewhere.

“Where are you looking at?”

You look back at him and smile, “nothing.” Maybe I can ask mom to buy these next year, if we can come.

As the night went on, you wandered from one attraction to another. You laughed at a juggler’s clumsy tricks, marveled at the intricate designs of hand-painted fans, and even managed to coax Jongho into trying his hand at a ring toss game.

He didn’t win, but the sight of him concentrating so intently on the simple game made you laugh until your sides hurt.

“You’re enjoying this too much,” he muttered, though the corners of his mouth twitched upward in a faint smile.

“Maybe,” you teased, feeling more at ease with him than ever before.

When the night sky filled with stars, the two of you found a quieter spot on the edge of the festival grounds. You sat on a low stone wall, watching the festival bustling with people even though it was pretty late at night.

“Thank you,” you said after a while, your voice soft.

Jongho turned to look at you, his expression unreadable in the dim light. “For what?”

“For taking me here,” you said, meeting his gaze. “Looking out for me. You didn’t have to, but… it means a lot.”

He was silent for a moment, his eyes studying you. Then he nodded, his voice quiet but firm. “It’s no trouble.”

Back at the ship, Jongho returned to the bustling crew. The festival had left him with a strange feeling, one he couldn’t quite place.

“You’re back,” Yunho said, leaning against the mast with a grin. “How was your little outing?”

“It was fine,” Jongho replied curtly, brushing past him.

“Fine?” Wooyoung piped up, sidling up with a mischievous glint in his eye. “That’s all we get? Come on, did she hold your hand? Laugh at your jokes? Look at you like you’re her hero?”

“Wooyoung,” Jongho warned, his tone low.

But the teasing only grew as San joined in. “Admit it, you enjoyed yourself.”

Jongho shot them a glare that silenced most of their laughter, though their knowing looks didn’t fade.

He didn’t understand the pull he felt toward you, but one thing was clear: he would keep protecting you, no matter what. Anything beyond that… he wasn’t ready to think about it

The next time Jongho visited your home, it was early evening. The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting golden light over the small house. You were outside, tending to the small garden by the porch, when you noticed him approaching.

“Jongho,” you greeted, brushing dirt off your hands as you stood. His posture was straighter, and his hands were tucked behind his back.

“Hello,” he said, his voice calm as always, though his eyes briefly flickered down to the dirt smudged on your cheek.

“What brings you here?” you asked, tilting your head curiously.

He hesitated, glancing over his shoulder as though ensuring no one was watching. Then, clearing his throat, he brought his hand forward to reveal a small cloth-wrapped bundle.

You blinked at it, unsure of what it could be. “What’s this?”

“Just take it,” he said, his tone gruff, though he avoided your gaze as he extended the bundle toward you.

With a curious smile, you untied the cloth, your breath catching as the fabric fell away to reveal a pair of delicate earrings. They were simple yet elegant, their small gemstone pendants glinting in the light.

Your heart skipped a beat as you recognized them. “These… these were at the festival,” you murmured, tracing a finger over the smooth surface of one gem. “I saw them, but—”.

“You were staring at them right? That day?,” Jongho interrupted, his voice firm but quieter now. “Figured you might like them.”

Clutching the earrings tightly in your hand. “You didn’t have to do this.”

“I know,” he replied simply, meeting your gaze for a moment before looking away, almost as if he were embarrassed. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing,” you insisted, a soft laugh escaping you. “This is… this is the nicest thing anyone’s done for me.”

Jongho shifted awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Don’t make a big deal out of it. Just thought you’d like them.”

Your fingers gently traced over the smooth gemstones on the earrings, the delicate sparkle catching the fading sunlight. “But…” you hesitated, looking up at Jongho, who stood there with his usual calm demeanor. “Aren’t these expensive?”

He tilted his head slightly, an almost amused glint in his eyes. “I’m rich,” he said matter-of-factly, as if that explained everything.

You blinked at him, surprised by his bluntness. “You’re what?”

“Rich,” he repeated, his tone steady, though there was the faintest hint of humor tugging at the corner of his lips. “Why does that surprise you? I'm part of the richest pirates in the seven seas. Do you not know?”

“I mean… you’re on a ship all the time,” you said, flustered. “You don’t exactly seem—”

“Seem what?” he cut in, raising an eyebrow.

“Like someone who’d buy earrings for a girl,” you finished, your cheeks warming.

Jongho crossed his arms, his expression unreadable. “I didn’t buy them for just anyone. I bought them for you. That’s different.”

Your heart skipped a beat at his words, and you clutched the earrings tighter, suddenly unsure of what to say.

“I told you, it’s no big deal,” he continued, his tone softening slightly. “You liked them, so I got them. Don’t think too much about it.”

You smiled despite yourself, feeling a strange mix of gratitude and something else you couldn’t quite name. “Thank you,” you said again, your voice quieter this time.

He nodded, the faintest trace of a smile on his face. “You’re welcome.”

As he turned to leave, you couldn’t help but call after him, “So, how rich are we talking?”

Jongho paused, glancing over his shoulder with a smirk that was so subtle you almost missed it. “Rich enough to buy the earrings and not think twice about it.”

You laughed softly as he walked away, your heart lighter than it had been in a long time.

Unknown to you, the poor boy had gone through the torment of his 7 brothers, who won't leave him alone. They teased him so much about the earrings that he almost almost threw one of them overboard.

The crew was always quick to notice anything out of the ordinary, and had clearly picked up on Jongho’s latest visit to your home.

“So,” Yunho started, leaning casually against a barrel as Jongho walked across the deck, “we heard about the earrings.”

Jongho paused, his jaw tightening slightly. “What about them?”

“Oh, nothing,” Wooyoung piped up, barely containing his grin. “Just that our stoic Jongho has a soft spot for a certain someone.”

San joined in, throwing an arm dramatically around Jongho’s shoulder. “You know, if you’re going to buy her gifts, why not go all out? Maybe a necklace next time? Or a whole jewelry set?”

Jongho shrugged off San’s arm, his expression unimpressed. “It was just a pair of earrings. Don’t make it a big deal.”

“A pair of earrings,” Seonghwa repeated, feigning shock. “Do you know how much effort that is? Choosing the right ones, paying for them…”

Yeosang, who rarely joined in on the teasing, leaned against the railing with a faint smirk. “I’m just curious how long it took you to pick them out. Did you stare at the stall for an hour?”

“He probably scared the vendor,” Mingi added, his laughter booming across the deck. “Standing there, glaring at the earrings until they wrapped them up for him.”

Even Hongjoong, who had been silently observing from his chair, chimed in with a sly smile. “So, Jongho, how does it feel to be the romantic of the group? Should we start calling you the ship’s Cupid?”

Jongho’s patience was clearly thinning, but his expression remained steady. “I’m not romantic. I just thought she’d like them. That’s it.”

Wooyoung clutched his chest dramatically, staggering back. “He thought she’d like them! Oh, it’s worse than we thought—he’s thinking about her!”

“That’s enough,” Jongho said firmly, though the slight pink tinge to his ears betrayed his frustration.

Yunho, ever the instigator, leaned closer with a mischievous grin. “You know, Jongho, if you keep this up, we might need to start a fund for all the gifts you’ll be buying her.”

Jongho shot him a sharp look. “You’re all lucky I don’t throw you overboard.”

The crew erupted into laughter, thoroughly enjoying themselves at Jongho’s expense. Despite his annoyance, Jongho couldn’t fully suppress a faint smile as he turned and walked away.

As the teasing continued behind him, one thought lingered in his mind: he didn’t regret buying the earrings, no matter how much they made fun of him. If it made you smile, it was worth every ounce of ridicule.

The laughter and teasing aboard the ship gradually subsided as the crew prepared for their next voyage. Supplies were loaded, sails checked, and the familiar hum of activity filled the air. But this time, there was an unspoken heaviness among them. They were leaving the port—and there was no telling when they’d return.

Jongho stood near the railing, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the town lay, now bathed in the golden light of the setting sun.

“She’ll be fine, you know,” Yunho said, walking up beside him and leaning against the railing.

Jongho didn’t respond immediately. His grip on the wood tightened slightly, his eyes scanning the distant rooftops as though he could catch a glimpse of you from here. “I know,” he said finally, though his tone lacked conviction.

Yunho chuckled softly. “You’re terrible at lying, Jongho. Especially to yourself.”

“Leave him be,” Seonghwa said, passing by with a small smirk. “He’s just sulking because he can’t buy her more earrings from the next town.”

“Maybe we should’ve taken her with us,” Wooyoung suggested with a mischievous grin, appearing on Jongho’s other side. “At least then, Jongho wouldn’t be moping around like a kicked puppy.”

Jongho shot him a warning look. “She’s safer at home.”

“True,” Mingi chimed in as he approached, slapping Jongho on the back. “But are you safer without her?”

The others burst into laughter, their voices carrying across the deck, but Jongho remained silent. His thoughts were already elsewhere—back at the small house where he’d left you.

Now, as the ship’s anchor was lifted and the sails unfurled, Jongho couldn’t help but glance back one last time. The town grew smaller in the distance, and with it, the little piece of peace he’d found there.

Everything had to come to an end, he reminded himself, but this end felt heavier than he’d expected. Even as the ship carried him further from the port, his thoughts lingered on you—on your quiet strength, your laughter, and the way your smile had made the world seem just a little brighter.

For now, all he could do was focus on the journey ahead and trust that fate would bring him back to you someday.

Their journey had been long and unpredictable, filled with danger, discovery, and the relentless pursuit of fortune. From navigating treacherous waters to encountering rival ships, every day aboard the ship demanded resilience and wit.

They'd charted unknown territories, bartered with distant towns, and clashed with pirates in battles that tested their mettle. The crew thrived on the adrenaline of their adventures, though the weight of uncertainty often hung over them.

For Jongho, the journey was a blur of responsibility and restlessness, his thoughts occasionally drifting to the little house by the port. Each victory and challenge brought them closer to returning, though they never knew when that day would come.

Now, after years away, the ship had finally docked, and their travels were behind them—for now.

The town felt both familiar and distant as Jongho and the crew disembarked after years at sea. Jongho’s eyes instinctively searched the streets, scanning for any sign of you. The house came into view quickly, and his steps faltered. It looked well-kept, the garden vibrant and alive, and the faint scent of baked goods wafted from an open window.

As he approached the door, he noticed a subtle change—a sign hung near the entrance: “Homemade Goods & Repairs.” His brow furrowed, curiosity rising.

He knocked lightly, and a familiar voice called out, “One moment!”

When you opened the door, your expression lit up instantly. “Jongho!”

You were different, older somehow, with a confidence in the way you stood. Your hands were dusted with flour, and there was a smudge of it on your cheek. But your smile was as bright as ever, and seeing it eased something in Jongho’s chest.

“You’re back,” you said warmly, stepping aside to let him in. “I wasn’t sure I’d see you again.”

“I didn’t expect to see this,” Jongho replied, motioning toward the bustling shop area. Shelves lined with jars of jams and pastries occupied one side, while the other side displayed tools and items neatly organized for repairs.

You chuckled, wiping your hands on your apron. “After my mom passed, I needed something to keep me busy. The shop helps, and it keeps me connected to the town. I do alright.”

Jongho nodded, glancing around. The place had a sense of order and life he hadn’t expected. “You’re running this by yourself?”

“For now,” you replied, smiling proudly. “The town’s been good to me. They keep me busy enough, and I like it that way.”

Jongho’s gaze lingered on you, and he couldn’t help but notice the resilience in your tone. You weren’t the fragile girl he’d left behind. You’d grown, thrived even, despite everything.

“You’ve done well,” he said quietly, his voice tinged with admiration.

Still, his heart felt heavy as he considered what lay ahead. The ship wouldn’t stay docked for long; it never did. His life was the sea—a life of unpredictability, danger, and adventure. But standing here, surrounded by the quiet hum of your shop, he wondered if there was room for something else.

“You’ve made a good life for yourself,” he said finally, his voice quieter than usual.

You nodded, leaning against the counter. “I have. It’s not always easy, but it’s mine.”

A silence stretched between you, heavy with unspoken questions. He broke it first.

“I can’t ask you to leave this behind,” he said. “You’ve worked too hard to build it.”

Your brow furrowed as you studied him. “And you’re not ready to leave the sea.”

He shook his head. “That's all I’ve ever known.”

You stepped closer, your hand brushing against his arm. “Then don’t. You don’t have to choose, Jongho.”

He looked at you, confusion flickering across his face.

“You come and go,” you continued. “The sea is part of who you are, and I wouldn’t want to take that from you. But when you’re here, this can be home. If you want it to be.”

Home. The word hung in the air between you, and for the first time, Jongho felt a sense of calm he hadn’t known he was searching for.

“I don’t deserve that,” he said, his voice barely audible.

You smiled softly. “Maybe not. But it’s here anyway.”

Jongho was silent for a long moment, the weight of your words settling over him. He wanted to say more but wasn’t sure how. He wanted to ask you to come with him, to leave everything behind and sail with him, but he knew it wouldn’t be fair. You had your life here, and he couldn’t ask you to give that up for the uncertain life he led.

But then, without thinking, the words left his mouth, surprising even himself.

“Marry me.”

You froze, your eyes wide with shock. Jongho instantly regretted speaking before he’d thought it through. But he couldn’t take the words back now, and he didn’t want to.

He cleared his throat, trying to explain. “I know it sounds sudden, and I’m not asking you to give up your life here, but…” His voice faltered. “I don’t want to keep going back and forth, not anymore. I want you to be with me, always. Even when I’m out there on the sea. We could make it work, I know we could.”

You stared at him, your heart beating fast as you processed his words. The shock began to wear off, replaced by something warm and steady. Jongho had always been a protector to you, but hearing him say he wanted more—that he wanted to be with you no matter what—stirred something deep inside you.

You took a deep breath, the weight of his question settling on your chest. “Are you sure?” you asked quietly. “This isn’t just about wanting me close when it’s convenient for you?”

He shook his head, stepping closer. “No. I want all of you. Even when I’m gone. You’re the only thing that’s ever made me think about staying.”

You met his eyes, feeling the sincerity in his words. There was no doubt in your mind. “I’m not going anywhere,” you said, your voice steady now. “If you’re asking me to be part of your life, even with all the uncertainty, then yes. I’ll marry you.”

A smile spread across Jongho’s face, relief flooding through him. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this certain about anything. Without another word, he pulled you into a tight embrace, the promise of the future settling between you like a quiet promise.

The sea might still call to him, but now, he had something far more important to come back to. And this time, it wouldn’t be just a visit—it would be home.

[tgmsunmontue]

Season to Taste - 37/42 WIP

Explicit Hangster - Celebrity Chef Bradley and Naval Aviator Jake Seresin who have a relationship spanning the globe before they realize how tightly bound they are to one another.

PROLOGUE/1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (interlude) 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 (interlude) 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 (interlude) 31 32 33 34 35 36

And have a sketch I drew this morning:

CHAPTER THIRTYSEVEN

                (No more flashbacks now, we’re on the home straight…)

…            …            …

                After ascertaining that Maverick is, in fact, alive and well, Bradley sort of wants to read him the riot act for making Ice worry so much. He doesn’t of course, but he thinks Ice maybe aged an additional decade in the time it took them to find him. It does make him realize how much he cares for Mav though, that his loves runs deeper than his anger ever has. While he might regret the years apart he can begin making more of an effort. He knows it will make Ice happy as well, and he’s glad he saved up the news of his engagement to share when he could tell them both at the same time, especially given how long he didn’t tell them about Jake at all.

                They make all the right sounds, saying they want to meet him, and Bradley nods and smiles because he can’t tell them that he still hasn’t told Jake about his relationship with them both. Vi’s right, maybe she does need to be there to chaperone so at least he doesn’t get distracted simply by seeing Jake again.

                Bradley is en route to Tokyo when he gets the messages from Jake. Been summoned back to North Island of all places for something he has no information about and will be going into blackout comms. His blood runs cold at that, because that’s only happened twice before, and one of those times was very early on and Jake came out of it with a medal and an air-to-air kill that he only heard about because Slider told him. He feels a little sick but knows he can’t do anything about it, remember Maria’s words about Jake being good and just has to hope.

                He books his air ticket back to New York while he’s still in the air.

…            …            …

                He’s not surprised to find Javy also in North Island, his friends are no slouches. But it makes him wonder just how many people they’ve called in. They don’t have to report in until 0800 tomorrow. They spend some time catching up before deciding to head to the Hard Deck for a drink and a game of darts. Maybe pool. Anything to keep him from sulking too much about the fact that he’s meant to be on short leave in Japan with Leo.

                Then, as if thinking about Leo has conjured him, he recognizes a face. Not one he’s ever met, but one he’s seen in a couple of photos, and he needs to get closer, make sure it’s actually him.

                Captain Pete Mitchell.

                Maverick.

                Leo’s godfather.

                Jake tracks him in the bar and keeps his distance, not sure what to do. He’s kept tabs on him, out of curiosity but also because he had wanted to be prepared if he ever crossed paths. Prepared to do what he’s not sure, because yeah, he might have a bone to pick with him over his treatment of Leo, but he also doesn’t intend to piss off a man potentially in his direct chain of command. He’s not active anymore though, so it’s unlikely he’ll ever be reporting to Maverick.

                In any other universe Jake knows he’d be over there introducing himself, ingratiating himself to hear the man’s stories. However, he thinks of his boyfriend, fiancé, who is loving and open and expressive and so generous. The idea of him being hurt by someone… and Jake gets it, the idea of Leo doing a job where he could die scares him shitless, but that’s his problem to deal with, not Leo’s. He’s grateful that all Leo has to deal with are hot pans and sharp knives, that the worst of his injuries are things Jake can pretend to kiss better. This man though has dealt him emotional damage which Jake doesn’t know will ever heal. Jake knows he has a protective streak a mile wide but it’s never come head-to-head with the hierarchy of the naval chain of command before. He’s not a violent person, hitting things does not come naturally to him but sometimes he wishes it did because he’s like to just plant one on his nose.

                When the bell rings Jake feels a spike of smug pleasure that Mitchell has clearly pissed Penny off, because she won’t hold back. Jake had been thrown out once when he was younger, and has never made the same mistake again, will always back Penny and he studies the older man as he orders four beers on his dime. He’s older, but still very clearly recognizable from the Top Gun class photo of 1986 that Jake studied several years ago. The man that was flying when Leo’s dad died.

                Of course Pete Mitchell doesn’t know who Jake is at all, so his narrow eyes and disdain probably don’t come out as anything out of the ordinary, but Javy and Phoenix are both raising eyebrows and he shakes his head, doesn’t want their questions. Goes back to beating their asses soundly at pool as more and more aviators roll in and his nerves and excitement are making him vibrate and itch in equal measure. Then the bell is ringing again and Penny is jerking her head and Jake doesn’t need to be told twice.

                Throwing Maverick onto the sand outside the Hard Deck is extremely satisfying.

…            …            …

                Of course the next morning when Captain Mitchell walks in and is touted as their instructor he winces a little, but fortunately Maverik doesn’t seem to hold a grudge against any of them. It would make Jake like him a little if he didn’t already kind of despise him. It’s fine. He can be professional. Has to be, really. Fortunately there are eleven others around to act as a buffer and he uses them effectively until they’re making their way to their jets.

                “Hangman…”

                Jake keeps walking, not sure if it was simply an acknowledgement of whether he’s being addressed.

                “Lieutenant Seresin…”

                Fuck. Definitely being addressed.

                “Yes sir.”

                “Do you have a problem with me Lieutenant?”

                “No sir.”

                “Hmm.”

                “I wanted to get to know you a bit better…”

                “Uh. Why sir?”

                “Oh. Uh. Um.”

                “See you in the air. Sir.”

…            …            …

                “Leonardo… Bradley… cugino… ti lavorerai fino a morire.”

                “I’m not. I won’t.”

                He knows he’s not coping very well, unable to sleep without any communication at all with Jake, so he’s living in the restaurant almost every waking moment, drinking too much coffee and wine. The circle under his eyes dark and growing darker every day. Shit. Maybe Vi is right, maybe he is going to work himself to death.

                “You need to look after yourself so you can give Jake the type of homecoming that makes me want to vomit. Okay?”

                “I… I want to, okay? I just… I can’t sleep. I’m having nightmares.”

                “Sleeping pills? Meditation? Baseball bat?”

                He huffs a laugh at the last suggestion and lets himself slump against her.

                “Maybe I should go and visit his family for the weekend. At least we’d all be in the same boat.”

                “It’s your family as well. Even before you get married, they’re your family as well.”

                “I… yeah. I guess you’re right.”

                “I’ll book tickets. Late Friday to midday Monday sound good?”

                “Yeah. Perfect. Thanks.”

…            …            …

                He turns up at the farm at four in the morning and Maria take’s one look at him and puts him to work. He’s helped set up for the market several times now, no one is surprised to see him after years of him occasionally being around. He signs autographs through the morning, then recipe books as words gets out and poses in selfies, he weighs and sells things under Maria’s watchful eye. Then they’re packing up and while he’d usually be heading home with Jake he’s instead dragged out onto the farm to do manual labor, shown how to prune and harvest.

                It’s physical work but it keeps his mind busy and the kids running around and entire family come for dinner. It reminds him of helping in the olive groves in Italy. He easily falls asleep that night; body tired from a combination of lack of sleep and now compounded by a full day of a different type of physical labor. Even though Jake isn’t there and he hasn’t spoken to him in over ten days he can smell him on the sheets of their bed, has felt his presence throughout the day with his sisters all telling stories and a visit to Jake’s parents.

                When he gets on the plane back to New York he feels well rested and Vi looks happier with his appearance, telling him that he just can’t make the zombie look work.

                Hopefully he can talk to Jake soon, even if he can’t see him.

THIRTY EIGHT

[healingfairy000000001]

Trafalgar law x witch! straw hat (part 6) ---------------------------------------

"Another day, another spell! Or maybe not, because today is my break!" she thought excitedly as she walked around the dock. It seemed Law hadn't woken up yet, but neither had the crew! Except for Sanji and Brook, who always woke up at that time.

Sanji was cooking breakfast skillfully while Brook enjoyed a good cup of coffee. "MORNING!" Y/N greeted, stepping in to join them.

"Y/N-chwaaannn~ How grateful I am that you blessed me today!" swooned Sanji, while Brook returned the salute casually.

"Need help?" she asked Sanji, coming closer to the cutting board.

"No need! You must be tired from night guard duty," he replied, declining the offer but returning to his cooking as he casually asked about last night.

"Nah! I don't feel tired at all!" she answered cheerfully, sitting close to Brook.

"Yohohoho~ You never seem to be sleepy!" chimed Brook.

"And you'll never catch me slipping!" she said with a small, shared laugh, and the atmosphere returned to its usual comfort. Sanji continued to cook, Brook drank his coffee while thinking of his next tune, and Y/N read a book without a title.

It was peaceful, and soon, everyone started coming in, waking up from their slumber.

"Hey! Where’s Tragu?" asked Luffy, after munching on some breakfast. Nami and Robin turned to Y/N, prompting everyone to do the same.

"He's probably still asleep," she stated calmly.

Zoro looked at her from the side before going back to his food.

"That's not fair! Why does he get to sleep?" protested Luffy.

"That's true! He needs to at least wake up on time!" added Usopp

"What's with the commotion so early in the morning?" Law said as he entered, and all eyes turned to him. Some smiled, while others quickly returned to what they were doing. Luffy and Usopp, however, decided to tell him what the commotion was about.

"How dare you not wake up on time!" "Yeah! How dare you!"

The man in question didn't change his expression as he sat down for a cup of black coffee, ignoring the two idiots.

With an angry look, Usopp demanded one more answer, "And where were you yesterday? You didn’t sleep in the men’s quarters nor on the ship's deck!"

Now that caught everyone’s attention. "Where was he?" Everyone focused on Law, waiting for an answer. His response was simple: "Asleep."

Everyone’s faces fell to the floor. Was it the answer they wanted? No. Did it help? Maybe. But thanks to Nami bringing good news to change the subject, the situation was saved.

"We’re getting closer to an island!" she showed her compass, causing Luffy and Usopp to quickly leave Law alone.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the Thousand Sunny docked, the summer island appeared abandoned, with overgrown trees and missing a port or road. It looked completely deserted. The crew decided to spend the day exploring or swimming.

"Not leaving?" asked the witch.

"Don’t feel like it," Law answered, leaning against the mast with his katana close by, his hat covering his face.

Hearing this, she sighed and rolled her eyes before walking away. "Oh! That should be obvious, but don’t touch anything in my lab."

He ignored her, giving her a side-eye. She jumped off the ship and caught up to Nami and Robin.

"Nami! Robin, wait up!" she shouted, catching up to them. "I believe we haven’t spent much time together lately."

The two women looked at each other and smiled. "Well, I am going to draw the island’s map," said Nami. "And I am accompanying Chopper to find some medical herbs," added Robin.

Nami's option wasn’t as tempting as collecting ingredients with the adorable doctor and the archaeologist, so the decision was clear. "Let's get to collecting! Nami, I'll join you in the afternoon!" Y/N exclaimed excitedly, throwing her fist in the air.

Nami shook her head and waved them off, preparing her tools to draw the map. Chopper got his bag, and Robin chuckled as she walked alongside the two into the heavy forest.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The forest was thick with branches and hanging vines, heavy with humidity, which excited the doctor and the sorcerer for the amount of plants around them—wildflowers, mushrooms, weeds, various berries, and animals.

The two had a blast finding and comparing the uses of certain herbs in their fields.

"This is useful for painkillers!" exclaimed Chopper, showing her a leaf. "It can be used to create ink for scrolls!" she answered. "It was a plant used in human sacrifices," added Robin.

Which understandably creeped Chopper out, but the conversation didn’t end there. "For real? To harvest their souls for dark magic?" "Usually it’s to please a god or bring fortune and get rid of illnesses." "Huh."

"Can we change the subject?" pleaded Chopper, looking at the two women like the subject at hand was a normal thing.

Deciding to continue, the conversation died down as the three continued the herb hunt, until...

The forest grew colder and less crowded with trees. Even the animals became scarce. That’s when they reached an abandoned town. Doors were torn down, windows were broken, and everything reeked of death.

Chopper hid behind Robin while Robin and Y/N got on guard, ready to fight at any moment. "We should head back," said Chopper, but it seemed only Robin heard. "Y/N?" But she didn’t respond, walking to the side of a house and inspecting its wall, which was covered in grayish, wall-climbing plants. Tearing them down revealed... a strange symbol.

"This is bad news," she muttered.

Cawww!

"We have to leave! The crow is warning us!" yelled Chopper, but it was too late. Blackened arrows were shot at them from the sky. Robin grabbed Chopper, shielding him with her body.

"Not a second time," whispered Y/N. "ARIELA!" she shouted as a purple shield engulfed the three of them, protecting them.

"A witch! Our lucky day!" The culprits, a group of people with ragged clothes and bone-like physiques, emerged from their hiding spots. "We can satisfy our goddess!"

"Nerocta evera aarota!" she casted another spell, this time conjuring a strong wind that blew the attackers back. The leader quickly formed a shield of his own, filled with horrified faces. "Shit!"

"Robin, Chopper, RUN!" she shouted, dissolving the shield.

The two nodded, though hesitant, understanding that returning to the others was in their best interest. Chopper shifted into his running form to save time.

"Catch them!" three of the attackers jumped forward at their leader's command, but were stopped by a rock wall slamming into them, taking them out.

"Come on, then," Y/N muttered, her fingers crackling with mana. "Show me what you’ve got."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the other side, things were more peaceful. Sanji returned with some fruits and vegetables, Zoro had hunted down some animals, and the rest were either resting on the beach or waiting for Franky's infamous 'SUPER BURGER!'

Nothing could disturb their peace—until Robin and Chopper showed up, barely catching their breath. The crew immediately got guarded, and Nami and Luffy rushed toward them.

"What's wrong?" asked Luffy, worried. "Where’s Y/N?" added Nami.

That's when Robin spoke up. "Magicians! A lot of them!"

With this new information, the crew exchanged looks. Zoro, Sanji, Luffy, a reluctant Usopp, and Nami decided to go help their friend. "Where?" Robin pointed in the direction they came from, and before she could give more details, Luffy and Zoro ran straight ahead.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the commotion rose, the two sides continued their battle—two types of magic: those who used mana and knowledge, and those who relied on others’ souls.

"HAH! You think you can take US down?" the leader mocked, as ghostly hands emerged from the ground beneath him, attacking Y/N. "You’ll make a perfect sacrifice!"

Ignoring him, Y/N jumped high, creating a boulder to stand on. As she looked down at them, the witch felt... anger? Betrayal? Or just pity? She’d never know, because she had to finish this quickly.

"Ignia mi cora jejuteti sma tih berimah min thulg wanar ISMARI NEDAI YASAMA!" she threw her hand up with the palm facing the sky, the other straight by her side, palm facing the ground. "Waayuha ard kudibeamry wahibry tarwidatenla tasmahleaduwy LILHARAB!"

With the two spells cast, the sky filled with dark gray clouds, and the ground glowed with strange letters surrounding the whole village.

"RUN!" one of the dark magicians warned, running toward the edge of the village, but instead bumped into an invisible wall.

"What—THAT BITCH! Kill her!"

With one of them soaring high to stab her, an ice crystal pierced him, slamming him to the ground. And that was when the hell she unleashed began—ice-like spears and fireballs rained down, crushing the ceramic bodies of the dark magic users and burning them to ash.

Y/N descended, the sky clearing as the glowing runes on the ground faded. She bent down to pick up a ceramic shard that hadn't burned. "So, you also lose your humanity by 27, huh?" she chuckled dryly before letting the shard crumble into ash...............

[xoxoxkisses]

Mermaid Muichiro and Pirate Reader AU. 🧍

————————————————————————

Mermaid!Muichiro x Pirate!Reader

warnings: mentions of drowning, pet names

————————————————————————

You and your crew had set sail in the early morning. The weather seemed like it would be clear skies all day long, which was perfect for your long voyage. You and your crew were looking for an island that had been rumored to have tons of gold and other treasures scattered all around it. It was safe to say you and your crew were excited, which is why you set out so early so you could be the first ones.

Captain Kagaya had ordered you to go below deck and clean the extra weapons just in case you guys had to fight. You did as you were told, and climbed down the ladder into the bottom deck. You quickly found the spare weapons and wasted no time to start cleaning them. After around 2 hours, you were nearing the end when it seemed to get darker. You didn’t think much at first bc it was usually dark where you were, but outside seems darker. You looked out and saw these huge dark clouds heading the ship’s way. As you were looking, something caught your eye. It looked like two glowing eyes staring at you.

You didn’t recall anything in the ocean that had glowing eyes, but something about them entranced you. Suddenly, you hear shinobu call for you. “Y/n! Get up here now, we need your help!” You quickly put away the rest of the weapons and climbed back up the ladder to be met with pouring rain. The winds were horrendous, tilting the ship every which way. You felt like you were going to be sick, but you had a job to do. You had to reposition the sails as they were making the ship go everywhere except the direction it was supposed to go.

Suddenly, the post that the sails were attached to had been struck by lightning, somehow the lightning has traveled through far enough you felt small sparks from it which made you fall back a little. You were now close to the edge of the boat. It was hard to stand up, the boat was moving way more now. Suddenly, a big gust of wind tilted the ship making the side you were on almost hit the water. Unfortunately, it caused you to fall off. Your screams could be heard until you hit the water. The last thing you remembered seeing before you went under, was some of your crew mates looking down at you.

It felt like you were drowning. You couldn’t breathe. You were in and out of consciousness. The last thing you really remember seeing, was a teal colored tail, and your own legs. You remember feeling like someone had pulled you into a tight hug.

When you awoke, it was still storming, but not nearly as bad as it was. You were on the shore of some island now. You looked over and saw figure beside you, half of its body underwater. When your eyes focused, you saw it was a boy that was naked, or so you thought. You sat up slightly, feeling a little lightheaded, you rubbed your head. “W-who are you?” You looked at the boy as he looked at you, and you couldn’t help but see those glowing eyes again. “I’m Muichiro.” You stared at him some more before it finally clicked.

“Hey, you’re what I saw in the water before I got thrown off the ship.” He simply nodded at your observation. “Why were you in the water anyways? Don’t you also have a ship?” He shook his head. “No, because I’m a merman.” You looked at him with wide eyes. “A-a what?!” Just then, he lifted his tail out of the water and repeated himself. “I’m a merman.” You looked at him stunned. “B-but mermaids or anything like that aren’t real.” “Oh but we are.” You couldn’t wrap your head around the fact you were seeing a real life mermaid. This couldn’t be true.

“But why did you save me?” He gave you a sly smile as he crept towards you. He crept towards you and cupped your face with one hand. “Sweetheart, I created that storm, I made you fall off that ship so I could rescue you.” You looked at him with shock and fury. “You what?! Why?!” He chuckled at you as he crept closer. “I wanted you all to myself. Once I saw you on that ship, I knew you had to be mine.” The hand that was on your face, had now grabbed both of your wrists, trapping you. He continued to creep closer towards you. “H-hey! What are you d-doing?!” “Marking you as mine.” He replied in a dark voice. And then, he leaned in and tried to kiss you.

Suddenly you woke up. You shot up in bed and looked around, breathing heavily. You realized you were in your bed in the cabin part of the ship. You tried to get up, but your head hurt. Suddenly Aoi came down to check up on you. When she saw you trying to get up, she rushed towards you. “Y/n, please don’t get up, you suffered a terrible hit to your head during the storm. You need rest.” You looked at her with terror in your eyes. “B-but what about Muichiro?!” She looked at you puzzled. “Who?” You looked down at the ground. So it was just a dream..? You shook your head. “Nevermind, um can I get some alone time?” She nodded at you before she left.

When she did, you got up despite what she told you, and went to the window. You stared out the small window, looking at the clear sky. Then you looked down at the water, just then, those two glowing teal eyes looked at you, winking. Was it really a dream or not?

[yumeka-sxf]

A chronological analysis on Twilight and Yor - Part 24

*This is part of an ongoing post series. If you missed the Introduction/Part 1, click here*

----------

When Twilight finds out that there's a bomb on the ship, he's at first torn about whether to intervene or not. This is an interesting situation for him because it's not a mission he was assigned to do, and intervening could run the risk of revealing himself to the SSS. But at the same time, not intervening and relying on the SSS being capable enough to take care of it, is risky, too.

If Twilight was the selfish, unfeeling spy he makes himself out to be, he would figure out a way to escape the ship with just himself, Yor, and Anya (of course he'd insist he's only taking them with him "for the mission"). He'd probably use one of the lifeboats like the eavesdropping assassin used, perhaps even contact WISE beforehand so they could pick him up. But we know that he's way too conscientious to let such a catastrophic event take place when he could have used his skills to prevent it. So, like his wife elsewhere on the ship, he makes the unselfish decision to help others even if it's a risk to himself. 

Later, Twilight has some final bouts of second-guessing regarding his decision when he picks up Anya at the daycare that night.

Rather than be proud of himself or even relieved that he was able to stop a potential crisis, he instead feels regret that he had to once again abandon his family…but his family is also part of his mission…so by averting the crisis, he saved them? But taking a vacation was also his mission, so does that mean his mission is to…not have a mission? Even I had trouble making sense of his thoughts here, but it's clear that the poor man still has a long way to go before he's not so unnaturally hung up about "missions." Rebecca Silverman on ANN neatly wraps up Twilight's cruise arc character development in an article here, to quote:

"…He wants to make sure the ship doesn't go down, but he also doesn't want to just abandon his child so he can go save it, and that's a distinction that hasn't been as clear in his mind before now. His little meltdown at the end is him fighting against the realization that this family isn't just a “mission” to him anymore; he's now a dad. This is beautifully shown when he catches Anya when she rolls off her bunk; not only is he attuned to her movements, but he cradles her for a moment instead of putting her down immediately. The smile on his face says that he cares, even if he's not comfortable with the idea."

Speaking of the aforementioned scene of Twilight catching Anya when she fell off the bunk bed, the anime adds this new footage of the early morning before the ship arrives at the resort island. Considering Twilight's doubts the night before, we see one of his rare, not-forced smiles, as he interacts with Anya.

Meanwhile, Yor is alone in her room treating her injuries. We know that she didn't sleep at all the night before since she was keeping watch over Olka's group the whole time. She then spent most of the following night in life or death struggles against various assassins, so she looks rightfully exhausted (and I'm sure the pain from her wounds disturbed what little time she was able to sleep).

While they wait for Yor at the island, Anya continues to show how much she has Twilight wrapped around her little finger – all she has to do is suggest that he's not acting like a "normal" dad would, and he immediately bursts into an awkward skip to try and prove to whoever's looking that, yes, he is just a dad having fun on vacation!

However, as soon as he realizes that Yor is there, his face reddens in embarrassment. He doesn't care if nearby strangers think he's acting like a silly, fun-loving dad, but it seems like he doesn't want Yor's view of him as a dignified, composed husband to be tarnished.

His look of concern when he notices that Yor's face is swollen is emphasized more in the anime…what could have been his first thought upon seeing that? However, when she tells him that despite City Hall's failed attempt to win over the couple, they were smiling in the end, he softens. Since the latter part of Yor's words here were not a lie, she was able to express them with genuine satisfaction, and Twilight picked up on her sincere feelings about the matter.

In fact, throughout their entire time on the island, Twilight gazes at Yor with more noticeable softness than he ever has before. From the aforementioned moment when she tells him that the couple were happy, to when she tells him how peaceful she feels watching Anya play with the sheep, and then at the very end of their excursion when he praises her for her hard work while carrying her and Anya back to the ship…Anya may have been right to call him out about missing Yor during the cruise. As I mentioned before, this is likely the longest time he's gone without seeing her since their "marriage," so this may be his subtle way of showing that he missed her.

At this point in the series, it's not hard to tell when Twilight's smile is his fake "Loid Forger" smile versus his real smile – Endo does a good job making the former look "forced," usually accompanied by his eyes being closed in a stiff squint to emphasize the phoniness, while in the latter case, his eyes are much more relaxed and his expression is more animated overall. Nightfall noticed this as well during her visit to the Forger house – how Twilight's real feelings seeped through the phony smile, particularly when his eyes relaxed.

Takuya Eguchi, Twilight's voice actor, also does a good job changing the pitch of his voice slightly when he's speaking as Loid Forger versus speaking his true feelings. If you compare how Twilight converses with Yor in this episode compared to, say, how he converses with Desmond during their encounter at Eden, the difference is very noticeable…even though, according to Twilight, both situations are "for the mission." In his mind, he shouldn't feel anything special for Yor compared to Desmond or anyone else he has to put on an act in front of. And yet, his voice and eyes convey otherwise.

It's been a while since the Forgers went on a family outing, so it was wonderful seeing them enjoy such a variety of activities together. What stood out to me the most as far as analyzing was Yor's difficulty riding the horse.

This may be more of a headcanon, but I feel like animals are uncomfortable around her because they can sense her insane physical strength even when she's not actively showing it. This could be why Kopi didn't put up any fight when she grabbed him, why all she had to do was glare at the German shepherd for him to run away, and why this horse doesn't want her riding him. It could also be why she's Bond's least favorite according to Endo in the fanbook. Also, Yor's fear of bugs makes sense since they're so tiny and quick, which makes them very difficult to take down from an assassinating perspective.

While Anya plays with the sheep at the petting zoo, Yor is finally able to fully relax for the first time in days, since she got the cruise assignment. She doesn't have to do anything in that moment besides watch Anya enjoying herself to the fullest in this lovely, peaceful little town. She tells Loid how peaceful she feels while also thinking to herself that she hopes this peace could last forever. Out of all the activities they did together, the reason this particular scene is so emphasized is because it perfectly portrays the reason Yor decided to keep being Thorn Princess back on the ship – so that children, whether her little brother Yuri, Anya, Gram, or whoever, can live freely and innocently in a peaceful world. And, when she expresses to Loid how peaceful she feels here, he says that he feels the same way.

As I just discussed, Twilight was not in "Loid Forger acting mode" here, so the reason he honestly agrees with her is because he's fighting for the same thing. Like I mentioned in Part 21, Twilight and Yor continue to do their ugly, thankless jobs in order to secure the peace of future generations.

When it's time for them to head back to the ship, Yor's exhaustion finally gets the best of her, forcing Twilight to carry both her and Anya in his arms on the way back. While he's a bit perturbed at first since some onlookers were snickering at him, it didn't take long for him to give into his feelings in that moment – namely, his genuine appreciation of Yor's sacrifice so that Anya could have a wonderful day with both parents. Though it's not a long scene, I think this is one of the most significant scenes for their relationship thus far (along with the post-Fiona date). Why is it so significant? Because there was no reason for Twilight to put on any Loid Forger acting in that moment, since he wasn't conversing with nor being scrutinized by anyone.

So why would he give that soft smile followed by such affectionate, comforting words as "お疲れ様/otsukaresama"? (this can be translated in many ways, but generally it's what you say to thank someone for their hard work). The answer is because it's something he truly felt...he knows all about being overworked and tired, yet Yor still made the effort to spend the day with them to make Anya happy. And, as her father (or "for the mission" in his language), he was grateful for that (now if only he knew the sacrifice she made on the larger scale!)

Many scenes in the cruise arc, as well as the resort island episode in particular, showcase that Twilight has a distinct relationship with both Yor and Anya, despite the fact that, in his mind, both relationships should be "fake." He's extremely casual with Anya, not just in his speech (more apparent in the Japanese version) and he doesn't feel any qualms about scolding her when necessary, being strict with her studies, or criticizing her weird little comments and actions that confuse him. The way he acts with Anya is more similar to how he acts with Franky than anyone else. But he's practically the opposite with Yor – despite her actions also confusing him at times, he never scolds, criticizes, or expresses disapproval of what she does. He also always speaks to her politely and, unlike most other people with whom he puts on his Loid Forger act, she's more often on the receiving end of his genuine smiles instead of his fake ones. It could be that because Anya is a child, he feels like he doesn't have to worry so much about acting in ways that would make her suspicious. Also because she's a child, she's less likely to take offense if he lets some of his negative emotions slip out. On the other hand, he knows from both the "post-Yuri's first visit" and "post-Fiona's first visit" instances that Yor has very sensitive self-esteem, so that could be why he's thoughtful about how he interacts with her, always speaking with courtesy and encouragement. He also knows the struggles she's had to go through in the past and how much she genuinely cares about Anya, which is another reason why she brings out his "softness" more often than anyone else.

In a way, Twilight's relationship with both Yor and Anya bring out a side of him that he may not realize he wants to strive for – with Anya, he can be relaxed and can drop the "nice guy" act in favor of being an exasperated but still caring father. And with Yor, he can become the polite, compassionate husband naturally, because he knows that many of her struggles and values are the same as his…he's realizing more and more about how much she sacrifices for others, and that can't help but resonate in him whenever he interacts with her. Perhaps one day he can become these personas and drop the "Loid Forger" and "Twilight" acts for good.

Continue to Part 25 ->

<- Return to Part 23

[sluttywonwoo]

instead of you [part thirty-three] || l.mh

pairing: [best friend’s brother] lee minho x college!reader ft. han jisung

summary: you didn’t expect to spend your summer pretending to be your best friend’s girlfriend- then again, you didn’t expect to fall for your best friend’s brother, either. 

warnings: swearing, angst, discussions of plane disasters, mentions of sex (mdni ; 18+)

word count: 3k

a/n: revamped my tom holland series from my main blog ( @wazzupmrstark ) to try and motivate myself to finish it!!

additional a/n: disclaimer that this chapter and the following chapters take place on oahu and kauai, hawai'i. i wrote this a year ago (originally posted on sept. 22, 2022) and included mentions of the negative impact and sentiment tourism in hawai'i procures, but it was before the fires in maui. i included hawai'i in their vacation in the first place because i'm part hawaiian and wanted to bring attention to our people's attitude toward tourists while also writing about the parts of the islands that i grew up loving. and i thought i should clarify that before posting, as i feel the context is important to precede what would be an otherwise distasteful choice if i had written this now. please keep hawai'i in your thoughts, mahalo plenty <3

series masterlist | early access to the next chapter on ko-fi

Predictably, you cried yourself to sleep. You debated over whether or not to tell Minho. He’d probably find out when he woke up in the morning but would he be mad if he didn’t hear it from you? If Jisung was right, he didn’t care about you at all, so why would you grant him the courtesy of a head’s up? You didn’t want to believe Jisung, rather, you wanted to believe that he had only said those things in the heat of the moment but at the end of the day, he knew Minho far better than you did. Whether or not he was telling the truth to try and save you or lying to hurt you was up to you to decipher.

You wound up texting Minho, ‘Jisung knows,’ without any other context and calling it a night. 

The next morning, you woke up to a message from Jisung telling you not to bother getting ready for the day and that he’d be going on without you. It was mostly a relief not to have to put on an act after everything that happened the night before but it also stung.

You weren’t very optimistic about repairing your relationship with Jisung, but any lingering hope vanished when he wouldn’t even look at you in passing in the hallway. 

You spent the entire day in bed, trying to distract yourself with anything you could think of to pass the time. You scrolled through social media until your timelines stopped refreshing with new content. There wasn’t anything interesting enough on TV to pull you out of spiraling so you didn’t even bother trying to find something to hold your attention. 

At one point you remembered the book you were reading but as soon as you opened it you were greeted by all of Jisung’s little annotations he had left for you. He still had your book and you wondered if he would ever finish it now that you’d ruined everything. 

You thought about texting him, just to check in or try and talk about things but you didn’t want to bother him. A couple of times, you almost texted him just out of instinct. You would go to send him a tweet that you thought he’d find funny and then remember.

Minho came by your room that night after dinner when everyone was back from the day’s activities. He knocked twice, letting himself in before you’d even finished telling him he could enter. 

“Care to explain what happened?” he asked, hands on his hips.

You shrugged noncommittally. “Jisung found out.”

“How? Did you tell him?”

“And ruin my own relationship with my best friend? Yeah, definitely.”

Minho rolled his eyes. “I didn’t come here to argue. I just want to know what happened.”

“Then don’t accuse me of shit.”

“I didn’t mean- I’m sorry. That’s not what I was trying to do.”

You sighed and signaled for him to sit down if he wanted to. He did, perching himself on the edge of the bed cautiously. 

“He knows because he noticed me sneaking out and finally decided to follow me.”

The color drained from Minho’s face. “So he heard-”

You nodded. “I don’t know how much, but enough.”

“Fuck.”

“Fuck is right.”

“He wouldn’t say a word to me today,” Minho said. 

“He wouldn’t even look at me.”

“I guess we knew this would happen eventually.”

“Yeah.”

“We fucked up.”

“Yeah.”

“You were right.”

“What do you mean?” you asked, furrowing your eyebrows.

“We really do deserve each other.”

Oh. What Jisung had said earlier rang through your ears again. 

“I guess I was.”

Just then, the door to the bedroom opened and Jisung walked in, scoffing as he passed his brother. 

“I should have known,” he muttered to himself. 

“Ji, look-” Minho tried, only to be immediately cut off by his younger brother. 

“Don’t. Please just fucking don’t.”

“But-”

“God, you never listen to a word I say, do you? Either of you?”

You wanted to protest that you did listen to him but you thought better of it. It wouldn’t help your case at all. Instead, you sat there silently like a child being scolded. 

“I don’t want to hear you explain yourself,” Jisung continued. “I don’t care why you fucked my best friend. I think the act in itself doesn’t need an explanation.” Minho opened his mouth to respond but Jisung cut him off again. “I don’t want to hear an apology either. I already know you don’t mean it. In fact, I think we’re done here so if you wouldn’t mind getting the fuck out of my room...”

Minho looked like he wanted to argue but likely knew it wouldn’t do any good so he simply hung his head and let himself out, bidding you a quiet goodnight as he left. You didn’t respond. You didn’t even acknowledge him. How could you?

“Don’t forget to pack your things for the flight tomorrow. It’s a long one.”

You sat there, stunned. You hadn’t expected Jisung to speak to you at all, let alone say something amicable. 

“O-ok thanks,” you responded shakily.

“I’m sleeping in here tonight,” he added. 

“Oh-” you scrambled up, preparing to leave but Jisung stopped you. 

“No, I meant with you. It’d look weird if I slept on the couch again.”

Of course. Keeping up appearances.

“Is it even worth it to do this anymore?” you asked. “I mean, it’s falling apart at the seams.”

“It’ll be fine,” Jisung argued. “It’s just a few more weeks.”

“Do you really want to keep pretending to be in love with someone you hate?”

He froze, still bent over his suitcase. Then he straightened up and turned to face you. 

“I don’t hate you.”

“You don’t?”

“No, I don’t think I could ever hate you. I’ve been trying, trust me.”

You weren’t sure how to take that. You weren’t sure how you were supposed to take it. You tried not to let his words stoke the embers of hope you were still clinging on to but it was already proving difficult. 

“Maybe with time,” you suggested. 

He shrugged. “Ready for bed?”

-

You managed to get some sleep, despite everything. It took a while for your heart to calm down as you lay there beside your (ex?) best friend who was already snoring softly. He had fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. You weren’t sure how he was able to drift off so easily in spite of your whole friendship falling apart but perhaps the stress was only one-sided. 

You were the one being eaten alive by anxiety and guilt. All he had to do was mourn the loss of everything you destroyed. 

The hours of sleep you did get passed quickly without dreams which was unusual for you. Before you knew it, Jisung’s alarm was going off and both of you were groaning as you dragged yourself out of bed. 

You finished packing the rest of your things in relative silence. Neither of you had much to say aside from when you passed each other’s things back and forth from your suitcases. 

The sun had yet to come up when the rest of the Hans gathered in the kitchen with their luggage. Since the flight was over twelve hours long Jisung’s parents had booked the earliest possible departure which just so happened to be before the sunrise. 

The boys slept during the ride to the airport but you weren’t able to. You were squished between Jisung and Minho in the very back of the van, feeling like a pin in a grenade. They ignored each other, of course, both seemingly dead to the world. 

Minho woke up before Jisung. He glanced over at you and offered an expression of sympathy. You just shrugged in response. 

Sitting in the car like that caused your knees to brush up against each other every so often, each time you rounded a corner or went over a speed bump. Every time it happened you fought the urge to meet his eyes. The touch, be it fleeting, made your chest tighten over and over again until you were half-convinced you were going into cardiac arrest. Eventually, Minho gave up trying to give you space and just let his knee rest against yours. Funnily enough, it helped you relax.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

“It’s fine.”

He was so hard to read these days. Not that he was ever easy to read. You couldn’t tell whether or not he liked having his knee there. You weren’t sure why you were getting so caught up on it in the first place.

You longed to hold his hand. You longed to hold Jisung’s hand. But all you could do was sit there in between the two and wait until you finally arrived at the airport. 

Thankfully, Minho was sat with his parents for the flight, which meant you were squeezed in between Jisung and Felix. You gave Jisung the window seat, knowing you wouldn’t get any sleep yourself. He looked like he wanted to argue when you offered it to him but ultimately surrendered when he saw the look in your eyes. You compromised for switching halfway through since the flight was so long but even that seemed to be pushing it for him. 

It was funny how Jisung was still looking out for you after everything you had done. It was as if it was instinctual to him, to put you before himself. The realization almost made you tear up. Had you cared that much for him too? Or was it all one-sided? Either way, you were positive you didn’t deserve him.

-

Dom had chosen Hawai’i as his destination. A controversial choice, given the state of tourism at the moment, but it wasn’t like you had much say in the matter. Jisung had confided in you earlier in the trip that he had tried to talk his father out of it but that he couldn’t be swayed. 

“We might as well try to make the most of it,” you argued. “It’s like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, right?”

He shrugged. “I guess.”

The flight from Bali to Hawai’i was over twelve hours long which meant that you had roughly six hours to figure out how to entertain yourself before it was time to trade places. You could try to sleep but that meant leaning on Jisung and you were almost positive the last thing he wanted was for you to touch him right now. 

You didn’t feel like paying for the in-flight wi-fi so you had to get creative with how to keep yourself busy. You scrolled through your camera roll for a while but it just made you sad. The pictures from the trip were one thing, but then there were all of the ones of you and Jisung back at school. The further back you went, the happier you seemed. There was no way that was actually true, it was just putting more distance between what had happened in the present from the way things were in the past. That, and you had a tendency to romanticize the past. 

“Did you know flight attendants are trained to take oxygen masks from passengers?”

Felix’s voice from beside you pulled you from your spiral of self-pity almost immediately. You turned to look at him and cocked your head in confusion. 

“What?”

“Like, you know that whole spiel they give you about safety before the plane takes off? And they’re like ‘during the flight, oxygen masks might drop from overhead’?”

“No, I know all of that. Why would they take the masks from passengers? Do they not have their own?”

“They do, but they might need to move around the cabin when that happens in case of an emergency or something, and if that were to be the case, they’re trained to take masks from passengers to oxygenate themselves. They’ll give it back, but in order to do their jobs they might have to borrow one without asking.”

“What if the passenger passes out?”

“Then they’ll be able to help them! Because they’re fully oxygenated.”

You made a face. “I’m glad you’ve got the aisle seat, then.”

Felix shrugged, grinning. “It sounds fucked up, but it’s just logistical. Wanna know something actually fucked up? These seat belts are practically useless.”

“What?” you weren’t sure if you really wanted to know where he was going with this but your morbid curiosity got the better of you once again. “What do you mean?”

“Well, they help with turbulence and stuff but in the event of a crash, these aren’t going to do shit for us. They’re just here to keep us strapped to the seat so they can identify the corpses by looking at the flight log.”

You sat there in stunned silence as the information Felix had just told you sunk in. 

“That is... so dark,” you said finally. 

“Yeah, but isn’t it interesting?”

“I guess, but why did you have to tell me all of this while we’re in the air?”

“Because it’s relevant!”

You sighed and glanced back at Jisung who was asleep and slumped against the window. “Ready to switch?”

It was just a joke but Felix scoffed nonetheless. 

“I’m offended,” he whispered. 

“And I’m traumatized.”

“My bad.”

Somehow, Felix kept you occupied until it was time to switch with Jisung. You lost track of time talking to him about everything and nothing. Out of all of the Han brothers, Felix was the one you knew the least. 

You learned a lot about him in the six and a half hours you sat next to each other. You learned that he, like Jisung, had a passion for photography. He liked anime but manga adaptations always disappointed. He wanted to be a dancer when he was little, just like his big brother. 

When it was Felix’s turn to inquire about you, you were sort of at a loss for words. You had to tread carefully around how much to actually reveal about yourself. When to lie, when to stretch the truth. You were exhausted. It was exhausting. But Jisung had made it clear that this was still important to him despite you not seeing the point anymore. So you played along for his sake. It was the least you could do since you ruined everything else. 

You talked mostly about school, what you were studying, what you wanted to do with your degree... all the small talk that usually took place when you first met a person, not after you’d been traveling with them for over a month. But Felix didn’t know a lot about you interests wise so he listened intently and asked a lot of questions. 

When it was finally time to actually switch, you were half-relieved, half-bummed. Talking with Felix was fun but you hated lying to him. 

Jisung lifted up the armrest between you and him to let you slide over while he stood awkwardly in the aisle. 

“Do you want to use my hoodie as a blanket, baby?” he asked.

“Sure, thanks.”

He laid it over your shoulders after you got settled against the window, kissing you on the head and telling you goodnight. 

You shut your eyes and tried to relax but sleep wouldn’t come. You knew it wouldn’t. You took deep breaths in an attempt to slow your heart rate, lowkey considering holding your breath until you passed out. 

Next to you, Jisung was flipping through the in-flight movies. You could hear him tapping on the touchscreen, huffing in frustration when he couldn’t find anything he wanted to watch. 

“You okay, bro?” Felix asked his twin. 

You felt Jisung sort of shift, likely checking to see if you were asleep. He sighed. 

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Relationship troubles?” Felix guessed.

“Why do you ask?”

“You’ve been pissy for like, the past two days. I assumed it had something to do with your girlfriend.”

“She hasn’t been sleeping well,” he explained simply, lying through his teeth. Well, it wasn’t technically a lie because you weren’t sleeping well, but that had nothing to do with why Jisung was upset. “The exhaustion has been leading to a lot of fights.”

“Sorry, man.”

 “It’s okay. It happens. Not that you would know.”

Felix scoffed. “Ouch, I try to have a heart-to-heart with you and you go there?”

“This is a heart-to-heart to you?”

“You know what I mean. A real conversation.”

“Okay, but I’m right. You wouldn’t know.”

“Not all of us can have healthy relationships like you, Jisung,” he sighed.

“I know. I think I’m mom and dad’s only chance at grandchildren at this point.”

“Not if our brother has anything to say about it,” Felix said lowly. 

“What do you mean?” Jisung asked.

He sounded genuinely confused but you knew that internally he was panicking because you were too. You were still pretending to be asleep but you had stopped breathing, waiting to hear what he would say next. How much did Felix know? You and Minho weren’t great at sneaking around but you had at least tried to be a little careful. 

“You mean you haven’t noticed the way Minho looks at her?”

“Not really? But you spend more time with him. You know him better than I do.”

“Well, you should pay more attention. He makes it kind of obvious,” Minho muttered.

“Makes what kind of obvious, though?”

“That he wants her.”

“What?” 

“I can’t believe you haven’t caught on to him flirting with her.” 

“Well obviously he’s doing it behind my back so-”

“Sorry you had to find out this way,” Felix said, likely grimacing, “but at least she isn’t reciprocating, from what I’ve seen.”

“Yeah, at least there’s that,” Jisung murmured. 

You were able to exhale in relief, but only slightly. Felix didn’t know everything but he could tell Minho was interested which wasn’t a good sign. How long had he been picking up on that? 

Your best friend sighed angrily. “The one thing I thought Minho couldn’t take from me-” 

You bit the inside of your cheek, guilt consuming you all over again. 

“Don’t you think that’s a little dramatic?” Felix asked. “He hasn’t even made a move or anything, mate. I just think he thinks she’s cute.”

“With Minho, that’s enough.”

i'm sick so no tags :(( but i've got nothing else to do so here ya go, lmk what you think I always appreciate feedback!!

add yourself to the taglist here!

[sunnynwanda]

Could you please please please continue REMEMBER ? my heart stopped reading jt. Maybe include vil's intense emotions, they finally don't have to hide their feelings anymore, feeling they hid for years (perhaps even a decade)? After all that....hero is finally. Finally. In their arms.

Also also I adored ADORED ticklish hero <3 and how vil , after all the years remembered that <333 the tension was absolutely delicious <3333 hero in their clothes <33333

Remember: Part 2

Part 1

Warnings: mentions of past falling out, the morning after, I digress from the request (I hope you still enjoy it despite Hero's POV)

Hero stirred, letting out a low groan and tilting their head to the side for a more comfortable position. The floor under their back is still as hard as it is cold. With another grumbling sound, Hero is drawn into wakefulness, but their brain takes a few moments to process their surroundings and drops the penny. The velvety surface of the carpet tickles their neck, and their chest feels heavy, urging Hero to glance down - only to discover half of Villain's body splayed out on top of them.

The memories of the previous day flood their minds: Villain, the house they grew up in together... kissing.

Oh.

"So that was real..." Hero mutters to themself, still in disbelief over the turn of events. They shift again but fail to find a less straining position for their muscles. I'm too old for such discomfort, Hero thinks, chuckling under their breath.

Villain was never an early bird, so Hero untangles from their hold and gets up, stretching the sore muscles of their back. Definitely too old, though Villain would call them grumpy instead. They look around, grabbing a second blanket from the couch and draping it over Villain's unmoving frame - sound asleep unless in apocalyptic conditions. Hero always found their ability to fall asleep in seconds and stay asleep for as long as they needed remarkable. They sure lacked on that one.

The old grandpa clock chimes eight. Way too early to be awake on a Sunday, but here they were, awake and full of anxious energy. Hero decides to look around - if only to quench the nostalgic yearning they still felt for the house of their carefree childhood. To be fair, their young adulthood here was quite pleasant, too - up until that godforsaken day that tore Villain away from Hero's trembling hands.

They walk through each room, taking their time to reminisce about the past days of undisturbed happiness and wishful dreaming. Boy, did they dream! So many sleepless nights were spent dreaming of countless lives to share with Villain after graduation. One night, they would dream of studying and pursuing a career in academia because they wanted to keep challenging each other.

Other nights centred on opening a bakery, eloping to a deserted island, travelling to the North Pole to be glaciologists, becoming archaeologists in Europe, researching marine life, learning a foreign language and walking the Great Wall of China, opening a small bookshop in the suburbs... It never really mattered what they'd do. The main component was always one thing only - Villain - until the uneventful morning after graduation day turned their life upside down.

Hero groans, shaking their head to rid themself of particular unpleasant memories as they reach the kitchen. This was the epicentre of the world for Villain and Hero alike. Anytime Hero's Mom baked, they would run here after school, climbing on top of the kitchen island and waiting for their shares of still-warm pies and cookies. Villain had an incredible sweet tooth, and Hero's mother took note of that very soon, saving a piece even if Villain couldn't come over. It was rare, but any time Hero tried to complain, their mother would gently shush them, saying that there were things that Hero could not understand yet.

Villain never discussed home with them. Sometimes Hero would pout for a day or two, acting offended because their Mom and best friend seemed to be keeping secrets from them. They often ended up forgetting about it by accident and never had the heart to return to the issue. The day Villain left, Hero swore their mother knew. They could tell from the look in her eyes and the way her hands trembled when she gave Villain a hug and kissed the top of their head.

In the days that followed Villain's disappearance from their life, Hero often thought back to their conversations, struggling to find a reason, a clue, anything to soothe the ache in the gaping hole that used to be their heart.

Hero lets out a sigh, sitting down by the counter and rubbing their eyes. They look up, noticing a pile of papers hidden behind the cutting boards. They don't mean to snoop, but it just catches their eye.

Half an hour later, they are still studying the files - documents and newspaper clippings, when Villain's surprised cough draws their attention outwards.

"What are you doing?" Villain's voice is tense, but when Hero looks up at them, their expression is more terrified than anything else.

Hero pauses, searching for words, but no words seem to grace their brain. "What's this?"

"Hero, it's not-" Villain gulps, unable to finish the sentence. How can they respond, really? How can they even begin explaining the abomination that was their family life?

"It is my business," Hero's voice cuts through their hectic thoughts with a sharp tone.

That was not what Villain was trying to say. They open their mouth again, but no words come out, their throat hoarse and dry. "I-"

"Supervillain your father?!" Hero finally asks, standing up from the stool and stepping forward. Villain remains frozen. "Answer me." They demand. Villain nods shortly.

So that's why- oh... Now Hero gets it. All of it.

"H-" Villain tries again, their lips shaking as they aim to form a sentence, only to let out a quiet groan by the end.

"Don't," Hero cuts them off, and Villain expects them to walk away, but Hero steps closer, drawing Villain into a tight hug, squeezing them to their chest. "When?"

"The day before graduation. He found me," Villain's voice is barely a whisper, but Hero hears them, silently nodding for them to continue. "I didn't know what to do; he said I had to leave, that he's my family, and I was supposed to choose him."

"You didn't have to make a choice," Hero pulls them away from their shoulder to see their face. "We'd never make you choose."

"He said your family would never accept me if they knew whose child I am, so I-" Villain cuts off, clenching Hero's shirt for some grounding and dropping their forehead onto Hero's shoulder.

"You dumbass," Hero mutters, their hold on Villain tightening at the feeling of wetness on their shoulder. "You know better than that, Vil."

"You lost your house because of me..." Villain whines, failing to hide their crying voice. "My father did it."

"I wouldn't give a damn if I lost my life for you, idiot," Hero scoffs, running one hand up and down Villain's back in a soothing gesture, the other coming up to card through Villain's hair.

"No! No." They protest, gripping Hero's side with desperate intensity. Hero smiles at that, their expression torn between fondness and anger at their stupidity.

"You wanna see Mom?" They ask, trying to get Villain's mind off their past.

"Can I?" Villain looks up at them through tears, their eyes so full of hope that Hero's heart shatters all over again.  

"Of course you can, baby."

Part 1

Hi sweetheart (s)!

Thank you for requesting a part 2. I really wanted to do it. Got out of hand again - as per usual xD I hope you still enjoy reading it. Let me know what you think :)

xo Sunny

Masterlist

Taglist: @marvellousdaisy@alltimelowing@lateuplight@surplus-of-sarcasm@betwist @excusemeasibangmyheadonawall @enemies-to-idiots-to-lovers @miaowmelodie @thatonerandomauthor @hhabaddon @burningoutlikeicarus @daemonvatis @weepingcowboywolfbat @thelazywitchphotographer @kaiwewi @soul-of-a-local-bard @pigeonwhumps @aflyingsheepnamedrose @thatneptune @ohwellthatslifesstuff @worldsfromhoney

@thiefofthecrowns @crow-with-a-typewriter @qualityrabbitsoup @stargeode @villain-life @villainsblood

@whumpifi @glassthedumbass @silviathebard @misskowe @ayeshaturnedtoashes4444 @m4iloblu3

[thisismysecondrodeo]

Do you think you would be up for writing some super soft period sex with Ted Lasso? 👉🏻👈🏻

AN: I've been meaning to tackle this request for SO LONG, forgive me for taking my sweet time. I also don't even get my period anymore (shout out nexplanon) so please cut me some slack lol

Rating: Explicit

Tags: Period Sex, Graphic description of P-in-V intercourse, Loving & Gentle Unkinky Sex lol, Okay but there is a little biting, and one (1) spank

-

You were having a terrible, no good, very bad day, which is exactly what you texted Henry when he asked how you were doing because you:

A. Promised you'd always tell him the truth and 

B. Knew he'd get a kick out of it. 

The kid had only had his own phone for 3 weeks and you, his mom and dad, and his grandma were the only numbers he had saved, so you'd come to expect a Henry check-in almost daily. Usually, it made you smile, but today you cringed as you hit send.

First, it was the sharp pains that woke you up in the early hours of the morning that told you exactly what was coming. Then it was being out of your preferred period products and having to go to the store before work, and spilling your coffee on your best work shirt, and not carrying Tylenol, and being fucking starving, and and and

It all added up to you meeting at Ted's after work, picking a fight with him over something silly, and storming to your place to spend the night sad and self-pitying. And horny. But now it was day 2 of your period and you had mellowed out immensely but you still hadn't spoken to Ted.

You dragged yourself to Ted's, practicing your apology and announcing yourself sheepishly. It wasn't like the two of you had never fought but you had to take accountability that this was all your fault, even if you had no control over your raging period hormones. Ted buzzed you in and you opened his door expecting tension and found only love. Ted's apartment was clean and warm, the air smelled like chocolate, and he was in the center of it all in his gray sweatpants and white Henley, the sleeves pushed up to his elbows as he dried his hands on a dish towel before opening his arms to you. Your eyes roamed his frame eagerly, your bashfulness quickly replaced with arousal as you leaned into him, the heat of his body and the slight spice of his cologne nearly bringing you to tears with how Ted it was. 

Ted let you cling to him as long as you wanted, which truly could have been forever if you didn't still owe the man an apology. You leaned back to cup his face as his hands slid from rubbing soothing circles on your back to resting on your waist. 

"I am so sorry my period turns me into such an asshole," you said sincerely and Ted blanched.

"THAT'S what the problem was? Oh darling you should have just said, I would have known to take ya with a grain of salt instead of containing to argue, I'm so-"

"No no no, it was all me. Well. All me and my period hormones. I'll hear no apologies from you."

Ted laughed and nodded, leaning in to kiss the tip of your nose, then both cheeks and finally your lips. You wanted to deepen the kiss immediately, slip your tongue against his, and just melt into him but you held yourself back, knowing you couldn't finish what you started. But it didn't stop the growing heat in your core. The oven beeped and you broke away so Ted could attend to it. You hopped up on the kitchen island to stay close to him. 

"Whatcha makin'?"

"Ah," Ted scratched the back of his head as he removed his oven mitts, "apology brownies."

"Ted!" You exclaimed with a teasing grin. "You knew you had nothing to apologize for and you didn't even know I was coming over!"

" Well, a little birdy told me you were having a bad day and I was fully prepared to bring them to you."

"Oh, Henry," you smiled, "you raised a very sweet boy you know?"

Ted slotted himself between your legs and you wrapped yourself around him easily. "I do know. And now that I know what the problem is, brownies seem like they were an appropriate choice. But is there anything else you need? Massage, heating pad, painkillers… ?"

You sighed, your cheek pressed against his chest, "I’d never say no to any of those, especially if the heating pad is you." Ted chuckled and you could feel the low vibration as much as you could hear it, "but honestly the worst part is being unbearably horny and not being able to do much about it."

"Says who?”

You say up to look at him, confused by the question. " What do you mean says who? "

"I mean," Ted responded, his voice suddenly low. He began to press hot, open-mouthed kisses on your neck in between words as he answered, "Who says there's not much you can do about it?"

Even with Ted's distracting caresses and the ever-present tingling at your clit, period sex still wasn't crossing your mind. "I mean getting off with toys can be such a production and then there’s getting a towel, and I hate getting my hands dirty, personally..." Ted was listening, but he had also made his way down to your chest, kissing the swell of your best before nipping lightly and drawing a sharp whimper from you.

"Well then aren't you lucky you've got a partner that doesn't mind getting his hands dirty," Ted grinned, "amongst other things." He shifted his hips to punctuate his point and you could feel his growing bulge against the inside of your thigh. You nearly drooled with how much you wanted him, but he could sense there was still some resistance there.

"I take it you’ve never gotten down and dirty during your time of the month,” Ted questioned gently, rubbing his large hands up your thighs as you smirked and rolled your eyes at this phrasing. “We don’t have to do anything if you’re not comfortable, but if you’d like some help I am a more than willing party.” 

“You don’t think it’s gross?” Your curiosity was betraying your interest and Ted smiled, shaking his head no. 

“Absolutely not. I don’t want to get overly technical, but I’ve never said no to some extra lubrication.” You laughed, loudly pushing him off of you playfully. “Here’s what I’m suggesting. You go do whatever you need to make yourself comfy, no questions asked. Meanwhile, I will go prep the bed, lay down a towel, and we'll pretend that your period absolutely does not exist. And then we’ll shower and eat apology brownies.” 

You grinned, accepting Ted proffered hands and sliding off the counter. “If I wasn't so hideously horny I’d argue some more, but you make a compelling argument, sir.” Ted led you down the hall to the bathroom, dropping you off at the door. 

“I sure thought so,” Ted agreed, planting a firm smack on your butt as you turned around, “go, team.” You gasped in surprise as you clenched against nothing and heard him chuckle as he walked away. 

You were feeling more confident with Ted's reassurance, so you entered the bedroom in just your black boyshorts and you thought Ted’s eyes might roll out of his head. You pretended like you didn’t notice, instead directing your attention to the towels he had hidden under a red blanket. Looking over at him you thought about teasing him for overdoing it but you knew it was all to make you as worry-free as possible; besides his pupils were blown with lust and you didn’t want to delay his affection any longer by being a tease. You gestured him to you, sliding your hands under his henley and pulling it over his head before wrapping your arms around his neck. He swayed with you gently before pressing his lips to yours and letting his hands roam. He let out a little oof of surprise when you quickly turned him and pushed him onto the bed. 

“Someone’s feeling more excited, huh,” Ted grinned and you nodded, clambering over him and pressing kisses to his exposed chest. You made your way up his neck to speak directly into his ear. 

“You make me feel so excited. And special. And loved. And understood.” You punctuated your points with lips and nips and kisses until he was writhing under you. Now it was his turn to flip you, working your boyshorts down your hips. He leaned down and pressed a kiss below your belly button, but you stopped him before he could go any further. “No teasing, Teddy, I need you.” 

Ted flitted his eyes up at you, dark and hungry. “No teasing,” he agreed, sitting back to kick his sweatpants off and stroke his length a few times, and you moaned just watching him. He used the tip of himself to tease your clit and if he had done it for a few more seconds you were sure you would come. But Ted wasn’t going to make you ask twice, and he could tell from your face that very little preparation was needed. He aligned himself with your entrance and took his time sliding into place. The feeling was intense and so fulfilling that it almost brought tears to your eyes that you hadn’t been doing this every month. This was exactly the feeling you were seeking when you were out-of-your-mind period-horny. Ted’s hips were stilled, pressed tightly into yours as he paused to check in. 

“You feel so good, baby, you okay? We can stop if you—”

“Don’t you fucking dare,” you cut him off through gritted teeth and he laughed, “Please fuck me, baby. Please.”

“Okay, okay I got you,” Ted soothed, sliding almost all the way out before driving in with purpose. Nothing about your period was on your mind, not the mess, not the cramps, nothing but your impending orgasm and the delicious stretch of Ted inside you, the heat of him above you, the praise he spilled into the crook of your neck. Ted’s pace was steady, but so tender, his hips angled so he brushed against your clit with every stroke and you knew you were going to come embarrassingly quick. “Ted, fuck, baby, I’m gonna—” 

Ted heard you loud and clear and adjusted his position so one hand was free to bring his thumb against your incredibly sensitive clit. You wrapped your arms around Ted’s middle bringing him in close and sinking your teeth into his shoulder to try to contain the force of your orgasm and Ted cursed as he followed you over the edge with surprise. He hadn’t even been that close, but he didn’t stand a chance against the sharp pain of your bite combined with the hard clench and rhythm of your orgasm. 

“Shit,” Ted exhaled as he moved to keep from crushing you, surreptitiously cleaning himself off on the blanket underneath while your eyes were still shut and your chest heaving. “I thought I could get you to at least two, but you feel too damn good, darlin’.” 

You laughed, rolling into him and nuzzling against his side, “Well if you join me in the bath I bet we can get one more.” 

“Deal,” Ted laughed, peppering you with kisses before leaving you to run the bath. 

[peanutbutterwrites]

My Good Looking Boy - Part Two

warnings for series: angst, struggles with self worth and self esteem, issues with appearance, childhood trauma, and mentions of death and murder.

summary: taking place after the southern raiders, zuko and katara finally learn to understand each other a bit more and long held on to feelings come to the surface. the gaang go and watch the ember island play and chaos ensues with katara's feelings.

part one - part two - part three

authors note: in part two here we're gonna start to explore katara's insecurities and how they have an effect on her. i tried to bring some uncle iroh wisdom because i believe there are a lot of lessons that iroh taught zuko that he maybe just didn't recognize later and this chapter has one of them. as always, let me know what you think and if there are any errors feel free to bring them up. enjoy!

word count: 1.9k

Not too much later, Katara and Zuko brought the now clean clothing and blankets back to camp with limited finds for meals today. The group was finally all awake with Toph and Aang working on earthbending exercises and Suki and Sokka chatting as Sokka sharpened his boomerang. 

“You’re back! I missed you this morning.” Suki said fondly, wrapping Katara in a warm embrace. 

“Yeah, you have housework to do?” Sokka joked making Toph snort as she gave a brief wave and good morning to Katara and Zuko. With a roll of her eyes Katara snapped,

“You think that’s all I’m good for? Don’t take me for granted or precious prince Zuko is gonna have to start doing everything, and trust me, you don't want that.” Zuko frowned, slightly embarrassed, but said nothing as he passed out the clothing to their rightful owners. 

“Hey, maybe I didn’t know how to do laundry this morning, but I do now.” he mumbled, retreating into himself, but he didn’t snap back at her. Placing the basket down, Katara felt guilt pool in her gut and it made her feel sickly.

“I’m sorry, yes, thank you for your help Zuko.” He perked up, and a small smile made its way onto his face. Katara felt herself easing up and had a smile to match. 

“So, I wanted to bring up that there’s a play in town nearby!” Sokka announced, getting everyone’s attention. “Maybe we could take a break from saving the world one of these days and watch it. It's about us you know.” He announced, wiggling his eyebrows. The group looked mostly enthused at the idea, but Toph took her turn to speak.

“That's all fine and dandy snoozles, but those plays tend to be way too long and I don’t feel like trekking all the way back here at midnight or having to find a new campsite.” The group seemed to actually agree with Toph on this one, especially the early risers not wanting to be out late and sacrifice precious hours of sleep. 

“Oh come on guys, one night won’t kill ya.” 

“Actually,” Zuko interjected quietly, “I might have a solution”. 

His brilliant idea is how the group decided to pack everything they had on Appa and make their way to the royal family’s vacation home with Zuko’s guidance. Apparently, Zuko was aware of the small town they were near and it just so happened to be extra close to the abandoned royal family’s vacation home. It has been unused for quite some time now, so he was sure they wouldn’t be found or bothered. The breeze on Appa helped alleviate the summer heat and Katara actually found herself closing her eyes and relaxing again. That is, until a flying pair of pants found their way to her torso.

“What the-” “I need you to sew them.” Sokka said, point blank rubbing his boomerang between his fingers. Katara felt herself grind her teeth in frustration, but quickly reeled herself back in and breathed deep while she reached for her sewing kit. 

“Sure, Sokka. No worries.” Speaking the latter under her breath with a roll of her eyes. Shifting the fabric around in her hand, she found the guilty hole and got to work. And while the breeze was still refreshing and the thought of an actual bed enticed her, the frustration never completely left. From across the bison, Zuko eyed her with concern. He knew she was frustrated, it was simply palpable when she was. Fighting an internal war with himself to offer his help again, he found himself shutting his mouth seeing her furrowed brow and focused expression. He would only frustrate her more, he decided. The saddle was quiet until Toph began with her questioning. She had practically interrogated him before asking about the home itself. 

“So sparky, how come you didn’t tell us about this beautiful abandoned home earlier? You tryin to make us sleep on rocks for forever?” 

“Uh no,” he stuttered, “I just honestly didn’t think about it until Sokka mentioned that town. I watched many plays at the theater growing up. With my mom I mean.” At the mention of his mother, the saddle fell quiet again. “But you guys will love it I’m sure. There’s enough space for us all to have our own rooms and a courtyard for bending practice. I’m sure the kitchen still works great too.” Everyone lightened up a bit after that and the group fell into friendly chatter. 

“Hey Zuko!” Aang's voice rang from the front of Appa. “Is that it?” And everyone peeked over the saddle to make out a large, traditional fire national style home at the very top of a mountain on the island. 

“Yeah, it is.” A nostalgic smile found its way to his face, and Katara paused her sewing long enough to admire it. Landing was calm enough, and Katara threw Sokka’s finished pants right back at him causing him to sputter and fumble for the fabric. Working together, Appa was unloaded and the group rushed inside to pick rooms. The first thing Katara noticed was how big the home was, and then how red. The walls, ceilings and floors were all red with ornate gold accents, though she knew the palace must be ten times what this was. Rooms were plentiful and so were their size, so she was in no rush seizing one like the others. Venturing upstairs, she walked to the end of the hallway until a room caught her eye. Strolling in, it was nothing special. Like all the other rooms it was red and very large, but a balcony at the opposite end of the room stole her attention. Walking out, she gripped the railing as a breeze ran through her. From this balcony, almost the entirety of the island and most of the sea could be seen. The water stretched on and on until the horizon kissed its now calm edge and the island was lush and green. Turning her head to the right, she was surprised to see Zuko hanging out of the only other balcony. He looked peaceful, far more serene than his normal awkward, brooding self. And she found herself staring at him more than the scenery, that unfamiliar fluttering feeling returning to her gut. Then his head turned, and she found the fluttering doubling in intensity and the heat of the sun growing uncomfortably hot. But he simply smiled back at her and she got to see a hint of the golden twinkle in his eyes once again before he retreated back into his chosen room. 

The group watched in legitimate horror. This play was horrible. Filled with fallacies at best and harmful lies at worst, their story couldn’t have been depicted in a more inaccurate way. Everyone was either arguing in outrage or grumbling in a mopey silence the entire way back to the vacation house, with Toph’s boisterous laughter the only exception; and Katara couldn’t even blame them. Angered at the way she was portrayed was on the forefront of her mind for the past couple of hours. Is that really how people see me? Some hope obsessed fangirl?! She stomped her feet even harder, pushing herself to get to the vacation home quicker. Her thoughts and doubts were slowly getting to her, was she really that useless? All the housekeeping and motivational speeches, did that make her weak? She was spiraling and tears were forcing their way out of her eyes despite her desperation to hold them back. No, she would not be seen crying. 

“Good night!” She called out as soon as she reached the house, most of the others too busy still arguing to notice. She couldn’t hold the tears back as she raced up the stairs and slammed the door to her chosen bedroom, allowing herself to collapse onto the floor in a heap. Folding her legs under she ripped off the golden bangles and rings, a foolish attempt to at least look somewhat presentable, and ripped the half top knot from her head. Tears were pouring down her face and sobs and hiccups made her break down quite loud, once again she was grateful for the privacy this room offered her knowing a campsite would be far less forgiving. She was so busy breaking down that the creak of the old wooden door was the only thing alarming her to another's presence. “Just go away, I’m fine!” she roared. The intruder paused, hesitant, but after a beat the door simply shut quietly and soft footsteps made their way to her before strong arms wrapped themselves around her. She assumed Aang would be the one to follow her, but this person was larger and the hug warmer. She tensed up at the initial contact, but quickly melted into the embrace as the smell of cumin, sandalwood, and smoke engulfed her senses. 

“Shh, it's okay.” came Zuko’s raspy voice as he gently rocked her in his arms and she sobbed into his robes. The back and forth rocking calmed her, and the warmth finally made her feel at home, safe. When was the last time in all of this that she actually felt safe? She couldn’t remember. This went on until no tears came out and the hiccuping had come to a minimum. Resting his chin on her head, he spoke again very softly, “Do you want to talk about it?”. He felt the rustle of her shaking her head into his chest and he sighed. “You know, I always felt like I was kind of useless.” He began, and Katara stilled. She let out a forced sort of chuckle and croaked out, 

“You’re a prince, how could you feel useless?” 

“My life wasn’t always so royal Katara. I was the oldest, it was my responsibility to learn how to lead, to rule. But I was always left behind. I couldn’t firebend as well as my little sister, I could never make my own father happy, spirits, I couldn’t even make friends. I have felt like a total failure my whole life. And yet, when I took time to think about things, about what my purpose actually is and where I belong, I find that I succeed a lot more now. Maybe sometimes, we feel like we’re failing simply because we’re in the wrong place. Maybe, if we look at things from a different perspective and reconsider where we stand, we can find the spirits are letting us fail to learn. To learn where we truly belong and are needed.” The crying had stopped, only leaving the occasional sniffle. “I am not needed in the fire nation, not now. That’s why I always find disappointment and failure there. But here, here Aang needs me. It's my purpose to teach him firebending and now, maybe you need me so I can teach you. Just like my uncle taught me, that really, no one is useless, they’re just in the wrong place.” Zuko finally looked down and found himself staring into two round, gemlike eyes. 

“How did you know?” she mumbled, barely a whisper. 

“When we see others going through feelings we’ve already experienced, it’s very easy to spot.” She leaned into his arms a little more, and he tilted his head to rest his unscared cheek softly on her head. 

“Thank you.”

“Of course, Katara. You can always talk to me.”

[samobservessonic]

They might as well hit the ground running after a cover like that. The Kitching & Elson dream team is the right choice to bring us such an important milestone in StC as Porker quitting the team. We open with Porker’s decision and Sonic being angry about it, as would be expected. Porker isn’t one to start conflict, but his reason here is hardly a small one - after being trapped with an almost infinite number of time-travelling killer Sonic robots on an inescapable little planet for a month, Porker’s traumatised! And I don’t blame him! So yeah, Porker gets the badge of being one of the first Sonic comic characters to have PTSD. He can welcome Whisper the Wolf into that club in many years to come

But Sonic’s anger equally doesn’t come from a place of being unreasonable. He’s right that their small band of Freedom Fighters is one of the very few defences against Robotnik. And Porker isn’t just another number to bulk that up - he’s their tech guy. Sonic Adventure reestablishing Tails as the tech guy won’t hit StC until right at the end, so for now, Porker really is it (until Tekno comes along, but we haven’t got to her properly yet). Not only that, but Porker is one of Sonic’s close friends who he shared his backstory with early on. Out of all of the small animals, Porker is one of the two that Kitching picked out and went “These two are part of Sonic’s team”

I bring all of this up, because I don’t think either side deserves to be written off as either “Porker is just a wimp” or “Fleetway Sonic is a jerk”. There’s nuance here and I like that

Thankfully, Amy is here to defend Porker from Sonic’s accusations where Porker can’t defend himself. This is also kind of a turning point for Amy’s character, because while she’s always been headstrong in StC, previously it was more up to Johnny to be the voice of reason towards Sonic, since Amy was often still in fangirl mode. Here she is, voicing her feelings against Sonic’s opinion so she can protect a friend - it’s great character development all around

Johnny also defends Porker and the off-panel speech bubble in the top left is from Tails. They’re all sympathetic, but Sonic can’t handle that right now. This is all too big of a situation for him to gladly wave someone off

Oh hey, these guys are still here. But not for long, as we finally get an explanation as to what happened to Nack after last time - he’s been in prison, but now he’s out. There’s a footnote a bit further down that says we can check out this adventure in the upcoming Knuckles special. My loose plan atm is to cover that on the blog once the current Knuckles story wraps up

Imagine you’re just, like, the parking attendant robot and you stumble across the most-wanted criminal on the planet

Guess who’s the last line of defence to save the day!

Tails looks on, not knowing that one day this role will be his

It’s still a short story, however, so a quick dip of some wires in the puddles does the job. Plus, it’s never a bad time to teach kids that water conducts electricity. Well, I say “kids” but I still can’t convince my parents that taking electronics in the bath is a bad idea…

We cut ahead to the next morning and things are much more amiable between Sonic and Porker, as Sonic comes to see him off on his flight up to the Floating Island. It’s nice that they let this moment just be Sonic and Porker (And Tails over there). Either the others all knew that Sonic doesn’t like too many witnesses to mushy stuff or else they aren’t out of bed yet

Porker is soft and he knows it and Sonic doesn’t want to change him! Excuse me while I wipe these rivers of tears from my eyes…!

Tails is like “Well, maybe they don’t know I’m a genius yet, but they do know I can fly this plane, because I do it in the games”

And with that, Porker is gone from the main team, but certainly not gone from the book. This is the end of an era in StC - the first real shift in the Freedom Fighters since they were established as a proper team and not just the “Everyone in Emerald Hill is kind of in it for a while and then they're not” from the early issues. It’s the whole reason I went to the effort of buying a copy of this issue myself to try to get better scans. Because, I’ll be honest, if the issue with the dodgy scans had just been another badnik-of-the-week oneshot, I probably wouldn’t have bothered. But this felt important. We don’t get too many stories that are more focused on the characters’ feelings than on bashing the baddies and since Porker is one of my faves in StC, he deserved me to at least try to share this story as it was intended to be seen

[summerlovingbaby]

Accidents Happen P3

Y/N had long since stopped acting like she was a skittish cat when she lived at the place called home, she spoke as open and as freely as she knew how and she grew accustomed to the idea of her newly found freedom. It took about 7 months before Y/N was completely comfortable, and trusted Yamada and Aizawa as much as she knew how to trust a person, they saved her life and made it worth living, so she trusted them more than she trusted herself.

They taught her things like how to turn off the stove, and they sat at the dinner table every night and talked about the minute details of life that Y/N never had the luxury to think about. The nightmares still happened on occasion, but most nights were dreamless. She stopped thinking of herself as a burden and more of a thing that occupied the same place as them.

One time they took her to the movies and she would have considered that the best day of her life, but the best day of her life was when they saved her. She would never  stop owing them, she would never be able to repay them.

When Yamada came down the stairs with a empty cup of coffee, Y/N was sitting on the barstool nose buried in a book as she poorly sounded out words. Learning to read was hard, but she was determined, because once she learned to read she could gain the large expanse of knowledge that was ripped away from her.

Aizwas followed after him robe hanging open, holding a empty glass of water, he looked happy despite the tired that lines that etched into his face. The smile lines on his cheeks always gave him away. 

“ Good morning,” Yamada said, trudging over to the fridge, swinging the door open, before he stuck his head in the cool expanse searching for more creamer for his second cup of coffee.

Aizawa set the empty glass in the sink and leaned on the kitchen island. “ You’re up early.” he said calmly, a simple raise of his eyebrow. A question, leaving the door open for her to answer… or chose not too. She ever so often chose not to say a word about how she slept, ever since that night, which in itself was an answer enough.

“ I couldn’t sleep.” she said, not looking up from the book. Her eyes going over the same letter, the word that she can’t sound out. Jubilant.

“ Nightmare?” Yamada asked.

“ I don’t know if it counted,” she whispered. “ It was me and Eri, we were running somewhere, she was dragging me, but I was afraid because we were being chased, but I knew it was very important to follow her.”

“ Where did she take you?” Aizawa gently probed.

“ I don’t know, we never got there, I think I woke up,” she said. Then she looked back down at the word. Ju-bi-lant. “ Jubilant.” she whispered. 

Aizawa cracked a smile, “ That’s a new word.” he said.

“ The birthday gift Emma’s father gave her made her jubilant. She usually abhored presents, but she could tell it meant alot to her father, so it meant a lot to her in turn.” she read the sentence aloud.

“Abhor?” Hitoshi said walking into the kitchen. “ That means?”

“ To regard with hate.” she said.

“ Can we do it now?” Yamada said jerking his head out of the fridge, wide happy smile that was too devious but somehow managed to be welcoming at the same time.

“ We should,” Hitoshi piped up. “ She looks so happy.”

Y/N hadn’t realized it, but she had been smiling all morning, not a single frown broke through her features, no lines of hatred, not a single worry line on her face. Hitoshi had never seen her smile so much, not at one time, her happiness was usually fleeting, bogged down with bad memories, but this morning they were talking about spelling and she was smiling. Maybe today would bring them some luck after all.

“ Okay.” Aizawa placed his palms flat on the cool granite on the counter top. “ So I don’t know if you knew this, but today is your birthday.”

“ Oh.”

“ And I wasn’t sure if you wanted to celebrate it, but regardless of if you want it to be celebrated or not, we all wanted to let you know that we are glad you’re here. And if you would let us, we want to celebrate you.”

“ So we got you something.” he pulled a large platter out of the fridge and placed it on the counter top, it was a large golden platter filled with just about everytipe of cake flavor a person could reasonably fathom. Yamada must have seen the panic that washed over her face. “ You don’t have to eat all of them, or even any of them we just weren’t sure what flavor you liked, so we got them all.”

“ You don’t have to eat them all, it’s just so you had options.”

Aizawa must have seen Y/N’s apprehensive expression.

“ You don’t want to celebrate?” he said blankly.

If she didn’t want to he wouldn’t have been surprised, that she didn’t want to celebrate, the only true bookmark of the years passing by was her birthday and that only meant she had survived and suffered one more year of her fathers brutal abuse.

“ No… no that’s not it,” her eyebrows knitted together like she was deep in thought, “ I just never realized I had one.” she said simply.

Aizawa fought hard to keep his face plain, a brief look of  panic flooded over his features before he forced a fake smile. That was the exact moment he felt his heart break, it wasn’t when Y/N cried so hard she made herself sick, or when he saw how Y/N lived for most of her childhood, the dog cage she slept in. It wasn’t when she refused to eat for days because she thought she would get in trouble. It wasn’t when he had to teach her how to lock her own door, it was that very moment. When she realized that she had a birthday. He forced a smile on his face.

“ Which one do you want?” he asked.

“ I don’t know, I’ve never had a cupcake before,” she said, staring at the platter before her. There were so many differently shaped cupcakes in front of her. Some were decorated with ornaments, others just covered with simple buttercream frosting. There was one that smelled fainty of oranges, the others just smelled of pure sugar.

“ Well you could pick anyone you like,” Hitoshi told her. He knew how hard it was to try so many new things at once, knew how it could overwhelm the body, “ but only if you want to. My favorite is the Key Lime.”

“ Then you can have the Key Lime ,” she said brightly, then stared at the platter until she decided on the yellow one with blue frosting. She pointed at it. “ What flavor is that?”

“ Vanilla.” answered Yamada.

“ I want that one.” she demanded. “ Please.” 

When everybody nodded she took it from the platter and sat back down on the barstool before licking off the frosting. The flavor of sugar settled on her tongue, she didn’t hate it but it was strangely sugary. She then took a bite of the fluffy cake and sighed. It was a happy birthday, a very happy one indeed.

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[unreadpoppy]

Two Moons

Elizabeth Adawolf x Kallista

Read on AO3

A/N: It's thinking of Elizabeth and Kallista hours so have this. (Also, these two are dnd characters of mine, so this is original work).

Kallista sat on the sand, her knees close to her chest. She was relatively away from the ocean, but a few waves would still reach her toes. She did not care. 

The night breeze made her wince, the scars on her chest still fresh. But physical pain was nothing compared to the ache in her heart. 

Five years. 

Five years since the one she considered her father almost killed her. 

Five years since Elizabeth had proposed. 

Five years without Elizabeth. 

They had been forcibly separated that night. Kallista didn’t blame her for running away. Had Elizabeth stayed, she would have been killed. 

But in doing so, she had left a hole in Kallista’s heart. One she had been tyring to mend for five long years. 

Once the tiefling had recovered, she first searched Elizabeth’s old family home, finding nothing but ashes. She spent the next years traveling the continent, with no clue of where Elizabeth could be. 

In a way, she felt as if she was chasing a ghost. There were no traces of the woman, no people who had seen her, nothing. In her dreams, Kallista would be haunted by her face, her smile, her scars. On the nights were it hurt most, she would clutch the necklaces Elizabeth had once gifted her. One was a simple copper chain, with a raven pendant. The other was an oval locket. When opened, you could see a small sketch of Elizabeth and Kallista on each side.  

All Kallista had left of her were that and her memories and dreams. It wasn’t enough. 

She longed to have her once again in her arms, to hold her, kiss her, love her and most importantly, talk to her. She missed their early morning conversations during breakfast, the witty remarks made during a hunt and the late night talks that went on until the sun shined in the horizon. 

When she figured Elizabeth was no longer in the empire, Kallista decided it was time to travel overseas. Now, she was stranded on an island, having been captured and branded, her precious items hidden away from her, Kallista felt more lost than before.

Sometimes, she wondered if Elizabeth was still alive. If she had died or if she had moved on. If she even remembered who Kallista was. 

Kallista embraced her knees, looking at the two moons in the sky. If the gods had allowed her to still live, after everything that had happened, it had to be for a reason. She whispered to herself

I’ll find you, Elizabeth, in death or in life, I won’t stop until I have you again. 

…

The others had helped Elizabeth lay on the hammock. Her injuries were fresh and she felt weak. It was not easy getting stabbed in the chest twice within a week. It was also not easy seeing your allies be murdered because of your mistakes. 

That’s all she was able to do now. Commit mistake after mistake. 

She closed her eyes and shook her head. With some effort, she was able to reach into the pocket of her clothes and grab her drawings, the ones that had been saved by the fire. On them, there were various sketches of her family, her companions and most importantly, of Kallista. 

Kallista, who had given Elizabeth a second chance at life.

Kallista, who had shown Elizabeth what it felt like to be loved. To think of a future together.

Kallista, whom Elizabeth had left behind all those years ago. 

Elizabeth had spent five years not knowing what had happened. She wanted to believe Kallista was alive, but it felt like clinging to a false hope. 

Until it wasn’t. Until the goddess revealed that her lover still held breath. Despite destiny’s wicked attempts, Elizabeth now had hope she and Kallista would grow old together. All she had to do was find her. 

She wondered if Kallista remembered her, if she had been looking for her or if she had moved on. On her darkest nights, when her dreams would replay the pain of the past, Elizabeth questioned if Kallista still loved her. 

After all, it had been five years. 

Elizabeth traced her hands on the drawing she had made. Her biggest fear was forgetting what Kallista had looked like. Had she acquired new scars over these years or had she stayed the same, just like on the paper? 

Kallista was her muse, her fire, the reason Elizabeth had to keep going. 

She did not know where this journey would take her, but she would do everything that was necessary to guarantee that it would end with her and Kallista reunited once again. 

Elizabeth brought the piece of paper to her lips, giving it a gentle kiss as to not smudge the charcoal. She held it close to her heart and looked at the sky, the two moons shining brightly. 

She made a silent promise. 

If she had to go to the ends of the world, so be it. She would find Kallista again. 

[anonymousboxcar]

Neil Headcanons

After writing a little bit about Neil in one of my fics, I got to thinking more about him and his character. So here we go!

This a long post and it does get a little dark in places, particularly under the “read more.” Content warnings for discussions of discrimination, death, neglect, and toxic workplaces apply. I promise that I headcanon a good ending here for Neil, though!

—————————

-> I imagine Neil as a very affable, unflappable person. This is, in part, because of his early days on Sodor.

-> Being one of the first engines on Sodor, Neil is part of the island’s introduction to steam locomotives. Such machines are also still a new technology in general at this time. As it sometimes happens with these sorts of shifts, lots of people respond to Neil with fear or distrust.

-> Seeing these kinds of reactions to him, Neil goes out of his way to be kind and ingratiating. He strikes up conversations, tells jokes, and lends a helping wheel wherever possible. He wants to get along with his new home.

-> This strategy works on some people. Others don’t get over their initial ignorance or gut reaction. Neil soon learns that it’s a waste of time trying to get through to people determined to hate him.

-> While never being unkind — he doesn’t want to shake that habit — he stops trying to convince these people of anything. He lets their words roll off him like water.

-> This is also a response to people considering him ugly. While upset at first, he comes to embrace the label and is very happy with his appearance because he “knows it’s mine.” He makes his home with those who care about and respect him.

-> One such person is Skarloey, the excitable engine he brings to the narrow gauge railway. They have a similar sense of humor and bond over the difficulties of building their railways.

-> Neil only says “So what?” in response to his harassers until they leave him be. Skarloey, if he overhears such an exchange, leaps in to defend Neil and shout down the attacker. This goes on until he’s blue in the face and Neil is blushing. (Even as Skarloey matures and mellows out, he remains very sensitive to attacks on Neil’s character.)

-> Many like to joke that where Neil is non-confrontational, Skarloey kicks off a whole battle, wailing bugles and all.

-> However, “non-confrontational” Neil knows hatred can’t stand. A railway requires cooperation among its engines to run at full efficiency. And if left unchecked, such behavior could run rampant in the yards, sweeping up other engines in its tide.

-> Many a person thinks Neil is an easy target because he’s so kind and unbothered. The same person then finds themselves getting into a rash of sudden, minor mishaps.

-> These mishaps never injure anybody. They never cause insurmountable or substantial delay. They always embarrass the person in question, drawing watchful eyes to their every move.

-> Regardless of whether the person shapes up or gets shipped out, Neil never stops smiling at them.

-> Of course, all this subterfuge is necessary because the Sodor and Mainland Railway isn’t… the best. Overambitious and scattershot, the upper management ignores complaints about “tiffs” between engines and personnel. Things get lost in the self-inflicted noise.

-> The death of S&M engine No. 3 reinforces Neil’s methods. He hears them ask three times for lighter workloads, their voice weakening. They don’t wake up one morning to ask the fourth time.

-> In the aftermath, Neil uses his methods as he did before. He also feels out alternative employers for everyone.

-> The S&M begins to bleed out from thousands of self-inflicted cuts. Neil does his work and nothing more. “It’s only fitting,” he tells his friends when asked why he won’t try to save the place. “Now they know how No. 3 felt.”

-> His friends accept the job offers he lined up for them. When the S&M closes, he himself goes to the Crovan’s Gate Mining Company.

-> This new workplace is something of a shock to Neil. While it does experience financial difficulties on occasion, it proves stable and competent. It’s also easier for him to meet with Skarloey now. Even when Skarloey goes into disrepair, he dictates letters to him and they maintain a correspondence. (He also might tap into his old networks to tip off the struggling Skarloey Railway to engines no longer wanted by an aluminum plant.)

-> He has happy years with the company. Not even the arrival of diesel engines upsets him, as he understands what it’s like for people to fear your intrinsic qualities and personhood. He only has to use his “methods” on a couple diesel supremacists. The rest become new friends who respect his experience and capacity for kindness.

-> The only substantial hiccups are Neil’s habits of subterfuge and avoidance. Years of trauma and neglect on the S&M makes it hard for to Neil to shake. Once called out on it, he works to communicate issues to his colleagues, rather than trying to shoulder it all himself in silence. Skarloey supports him in this, just as Neil supports Skarloey’s efforts to moderate his temper.

-> As he always does, he adapts to his situation and even embraces it. He grows fond of all the dust and steep, craggy cliffs of the quarry. It feels like the full service life he never got to enjoy on the S&M.

-> By 1960, with the sale of the quarry to the Ministry of Defense, Neil decides to retire. A rail museum almost finished with construction accepts his request to become one of their engines. He feels content with his work and wants to try a slower, quieter life that gives him more freedom to focus on himself and his relationships.

-> Neil adjusts very well to this life. In fact, it’s here when he and Skarloey decide to court each other. After years of trouble and inactivity, neither of them want to miss out on any more opportunities.

-> These days, Neil channels most of his subterfuge instincts into goofy pranks around the museum grounds. A recent favorite of his is scattering garden gnomes in improbable spaces, assisted by the staff and fellow engines. It becomes an official scavenger hunt with fun for the whole family. (He remains coy if the real joke is that he meant for it to go this way the whole time.)

-> He can be plenty ruthless in a prank war or on poker night, but he’s glad he doesn’t need to be anymore. He’s happy to be the welcoming, easygoing old engine next door.

[actualsunflower]

🍀🐇🎉

🐇 - Who wants to cuddle the other longer in the morning?  Jay usually, since I think Nick is more of an early riser/wants to get right back to work kinda guy, but the longer they're together the more he likes to stay in bed with his giant warm plant man. Jay is definitely a guy who likes to sleep in.

🍀 - Who is better at comforting?  Jay usually, again. It's not at all that I don't think Nick is good at comforting people, he's really good at it in game! But while Nick is more of a words of encouragement kinda guy, Jay is very affectionate and gives very very good hugs. He's also good at listening when people need to get stuff off their chest it's totally not related to Jay needing to know everything and being extremely nosy. or him being an actual empath and wanting people's rank vibes to get off his brain In game, Ellie also mentions her being the one who typically consoles clients when they're emotional, so I think Nick probably just stays back. He might also do it because he thinks him being a synth may be alarming to some people, and he's plenty able to give comforting with just words. Do you think it crosses his mind often people may assume he's the one to get when people run off because he's a synth, and therefore good at catching people in their mind?

🎉 - How did they propose? 

Nick proposed to Jay shortly after Jay and Curie were able to make another cure for the Vault 81 molerat disease. Nick and Jay had been together a while, and had talked a couple times about getting married, but they were very busy and so it just hadn't happened yet. Jay was preparing to propose to Nick, but didn't know how and wanted to make it very special. Before he could, one night while they were out camping on their way back to Diamond City Nick gave Jay a long speech about how impressed he is with Jay's kindness and willingness to live with that disease to save a child he'd literally just met and was very happy that they were able to create another couple cures to use on himself (turned out though, Jay didn't actually have the disease because he's immune to most diseases from the artifact. He was actually still being affected by a dagger that he was stabbed with that was made of the same material Lorenzo's artifact was made of). He proposed to Jay just after sunset and Jay was like aw man!!!! I was going to propose to you! Obviously he said yes and they end up have 2 weddings. 2 because the first one they had, they just went early in the morning to All Faiths chapel and got officially married without telling anyone because they didn't want to make a big deal, things were still hot with people being mad over Zwicky and Edna getting married. Then Piper found out she wasn't told or invited to Nick's wedding and so they had to have a second wedding with everyone invited. I guess maybe they technically have 3 since they recreate it and take pics at a very pretty wedding venue on Mt. Desert Island while they're dealing with the Far Harbor Issues