#but everyone else!!! fall/winter birthdays

[skyward-floored]

Man why are like half the chain’s birthdays in November??

Time & Legend’s birthday is today, Twilight’s was a few days ago and Sky’s was the day before his. Not to mention Wind’s is in December (and Four’s, depending on which date you go by) so a whole bunch of them are all right around in here.

[deityofhearts]

telling my roommate that I hate winter themed items (not all of them, but most of them) was a mistake because she keeps showing me winter themed items now and going “hey. look :)”

[smileysuh]

knight of roses

🌙 starring. Jeong Jaehyun x afab!Reader

🔮 preview. The Knight of Roses looks so beautiful as he says his piece, and the idea that he’s already committed to you is one that makes your heart race in your chest. He’s so beautiful- and you’ve tried to deny it for too long. You hate being the girl who falls for the same man that everyone else has their eye on, and Jaehyun has no lack of suitors, especially in court. However, you suppose there’s always legitimacy in the looks of a man who has captured the hearts of many.

tw/cw. Unprotected sex, virgin!reader, first time, dirty talk, praise, power imbalance, Jaehyun unties her stupidly royal corset, armor removal, hand job, pussy eating, fingering, stretching out, multiple reader orgasms, etc… I pet names: (hers) princess.

👹 rating.18+ explicit I wc. 9.1k 

🍭 aus. Fantasy au, fairy au, royal au, knight!Jaehyun, princess!y/n, etc…

☀️ mlist + an. So this is a fae au, but that’s more the kingdom fantasy side than any overt faerie wings or powers- Jaehyun’s hair is naturally pink, and Yuta has white hair, so that’s going to be the extent of the faerie aesthetic in this- I just wanted to do something royal, and I wanted a unique kingdom set up :) 

Prologue:

Tourneys of this caliber are unusual. The northern reaches that expand through the Winter kingdom, as well as the Fall lands in the West, are known for their bad weather, not for their celebrations. While the Spring Royals host events, it’s with little regularity. No, this kind of lengthy drinking and fighting fest is a uniquely Summer type of pride and joy. 

It’s the Summer Kingdom’s Prince John’s birthday, and only a princely celebration could merit the expense of this sort of event. 

All the royals, from all four reaches, are here, as well as a host of knights from all sorts of families. Everyone is intent on proving themselves, but none more so than the Princes Yuta from the North, and Doyoung from the West. 

The Winter Prince has a reputation for upholding the traits of his house. He’s fierce, white-haired, and hardened from the cold temperatures and unforgiving terrain he was made in.

The Fall Prince carries some of those more ‘Northern’ aspects, however, where Yuta is more brazen, Doyoung is regal in every sense of the word. His motions are calculated, his blade as sharp as his eyes.

They’re both formidable fighters as the tourney day drags on, however, another favourite has emerged in the past two days that has shocked everyone. ‘The Knight of Roses’ they call him, in reference to the emblem on his chest plate, a man from a lesser house in the Eastern lands.

With pretty pink locks, this Jeong Jaehyun has stolen the hearts of many, however, you’re not so easily swayed, and your brother, John, knows it.

“Who will you be giving your favour to?” Johnny asks, leaning on his watching throne to get closer to you in the royal box where your family sits to watch the tourney.

“I’m not sure yet,” you admit, although, your gaze shifts to Prince Yuta as he pulls on his black dragon helm. 

“Don’t even think about it,” Johnny grins. “Yuta is a savage. You don’t want him to get any ideas.”

“Ideas?” you counter with a smirk.

“First it’s your favour he asks for, then it’s your hand,” Johnny points out.

“I’m too young to marry,” you insist. “Maybe I’ll never take a husband.”

Johnny sighs. It’s a well-known fact within your close family that you don’t want to adhere to political protocols. You have a wildness in your heart, and your mother has always attributed it to a touch of winter that had coldened her family line many years ago. 

“But if you must, it can’t be Yuta,” Johnny says firmly. “The North might be exciting now, but summer and winter don’t mix well. You might think of yourself as a savage, with your sword-wielding, and your dislike for ‘things befit of a princess,’ but you’re still too sweet for a man like him, believe me on that.”

Your lips pull tight, and you refuse to respond, focusing your attention on the tourney as the announcer begins to read out the names of competitors.

Yuta is one of the first, as is his right as a royal, and he approaches the elevated stand you’re sitting on. “I’m hoping for a favor, from the princess,” he says loudly, holding out his joust.

You stand, holding a small garland of wildflowers picked from the King’s wood. “Good luck, Prince Yuta,” you call, leaning over the rail to toss your favor onto his joust.

Yuta nods respectfully, and you’re taken by his striking eyes.

You go back to sit with your brother and he lets out an annoyed sound, but doesn’t pester you further.

Soon, the final tournament, the last of three days, is beginning.

You’re glued to your seat for all of it, eyes fixed on the commotion as rider after rider is bested. The royals hold their own, but once again, the Knight of Roses shows off his skills with a joust, defeating Prince Doyoung in the semi-finals.

You feel, as Yuta and Jaehyun size each other up, that the victor should be obvious, you’d given him your favour after all- however, the day ends with your bet not paying off.

The Knight of Roses finishes on top, and as you and your brother leave to head to the final departing feast, Johnny pulls you close. “That Jaehyun guy is no joke,” he muses. “I want him in my court.”

One:

“In light of our mother and father going to The Bright Lands,” your brother sighs as he’s fitted into his coronation robe, “I think it’s best you finally get a proper bodyguard.”

“Jungwoo is doing the job just fine,” you muse, fingers clicking on your glass of wine while numerous maids fuss over the future king. 

“Jungwoo is my guard,” Johnny corrects. “And now that I’m about to be correnated, I want him back. He was a loan.”

“A loan,” you laugh. 

“I knew you wouldn’t agree to a new guard, but in an hour, I’ll be your king, so you’re going to make this easy on me, okay?”

You roll your eyes, but you don’t protest. “And who are you planning on assigning to baby sit me?”

“The Knight of Roses.”

Your heart skips a beat.

It’s been five years since Johnny recruited Jaehyun to come to your palace and train. Five years of you seeing the pink-haired man work at becoming an even better swordsman. Part of you had assumed that Jaehyun would step into the role of Johnny’s protector, not your own.

“I don’t need him,” you say.

“Yes, you do,” Johnny sighs. “Trust me, I think you’ll like his style of protection.”

With one last flair of his furred robe, Johnny turns to the door, and it’s clear the conversation is over.

The two of you exit his royal chambers, and you’re immediately flanked by guards. Jaehyun falls into step right behind you, and you do your best to ignore him as you make your way to the grand hall.

The Knight of Roses sticks to your side the entire ceremony, and it’s hard to focus on your brother with this pretty, pink-haired man practically breathing down your neck.

You’re ready for some alone time as the coronation closes. Tonight marks the eve of a three-day celebration to solidify the start of your brother’s reign, and you know you’ll have many duties in the coming seventy-two hours. You can skip the feast, especially while Johnny is swarmed in the great hall at the dining table.

As you slip away, you’re cognisant of the spring shadow following you. He’s silent, and you appreciate that as you make your way to your room. Once in the safety of your bed chamber, Jaehyun waits outside respectfully.

Two handmaidens join you, and they’re a little shocked at your request to be helped with putting on the armor your father had gifted to you three years ago. He’d known at that time that there was no way of squashing your wild heart, so he’d made sure you’d have the proper gear to protect yourself if you decided to live dangerously.

You exit your room fully adorned in royal armor. It’s similar to your elder brother’s, all golden, and stamped with the Summer house’s royal sunshine mark.

Jaehyun continues to say nothing, continues to shadow you as you make your way down to the courtyard and into the King’s wood. 

It wouldn’t be ‘becoming’ for you to practice swordsmanship where others could see you, so your father had made a training section of sorts for you a short way into the treeline, in a clearing where you’ve since spent many hours.

You expect Jaehyun to continue his silent streak as you approach a practice dummy, expect him to sit back and watch you the way Jungwoo always has- but as you ready your first blow, Jaehyun speaks his first words. “Do you come train here often, Princess?”

You pause, turning to look at your spring shadow. “Excuse me?”

“This practice site, is it yours?”

“Yes,” you respond, striking the practice dummy, “it’s mine.” You hear something of a scoff- or maybe a smile, and you turn to find the pink-haired man grinning. “What?”

“King John said you’re an unusual girl, but I never expected this.”

“Sorry to ruin your expectations,” you sigh, lining yourself up to take another hit at your training dummy.

“Has anyone ever given you any formal training, Princess?” Jaehyun asks next, stepping toward you.

“Johnny has tried to teach me a few times,” you confess.

“Are you open to pointers, Princess?” 

You let out a deep sigh. “My last guard would simply watch.”

Jaehyun nods, looking down at the ground. It’s clear he’s going to drop this, that he’s taken your response as a rejection. You’re his Princess, he won’t question you, and you kind of like it. But, at the same time, as you begin to hack at the dummy, you wonder what Jaehyun might be able to provide for you that Jungwoo couldn’t, or maybe wouldn’t. 

The Knight Of Roses has proven himself, and his swordsmanship, many times over. There are worse people you could accept constructive criticism from.

“Fine,” you sigh. “What am I doing wrong?”

Two:

You’re elated from your impromptu training session with Jaehyun. After allowing him to teach you a few tips, you’d sparred for an hour or so before he’d insisted it would be a good idea to go back to the banquet. So here you are, all tightened in your gown and corset, your heart racing every time you think of how much you’ve just learned from your new protector.

Your brother is seated next to you, and as the dinner commotion quiets down a little, he leans closer to you. “How are you feeling?”

“Good.”

Johnny scoffs at your one-word response, his eyes shifting to the guard behind you, to the great hall full of people there to celebrate his coronation. “How do you feel about the familiar faces here tonight?”

You sigh, knowing who he means. Prince Doyoung and Prince Yuta are seated at their royal tables, one poised, the other relaxed and holding a cup of wine between his fingers.

“We just had a royal wedding,” you muse, looking at Johnny’s new wife as she sits on his left. 

“And as much as I like the Spring King, I don’t need Taeyond as a brother-in-law twice over,” Johnny agrees. “I remember a few years ago, you had an eye on Prince Yuta.” 

“That was a few years ago.”

Johnny nods, and he looks contemplative for a few seconds. “I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. You’re a summer child, but there’s always been an untamable side to you.”

“I appreciate that.”

“However,” Johnny lifts his fingers to his lips, leaning his elbow on his large chair. “I would like for you to dance with a few people tonight.”

“And what would be the point in that?” you counter.

Johnny shrugs. “Fun? Intrinsic value? Because your older brother, and King, wants to see you smile?”

“I doubt many of these men could make me smile.” 

Jaehyun is close behind you, and he listens to this exchange, a smug grin working it’s way onto his face. As familiar as he is with Johnny, it’s clear your brother doesn’t know very much about you. If he wishes to see you smile, he just has to see you with a sword in your hand.

The Knight of Roses has always thought you were beautiful, but seeing you dressed in full royal armor, wielding a blade- he’d realized that was your element. You’re happiest while battling, unladylike sweat dripping from your brow, eyes fixed on your task, the smell of deep concentration practically wafting off of you. 

Jaehyun would be lying if he said he wasn’t affected by the small training session that had just taken place. He wasn’t sure how to gauge what your relationship as princess and guard would be like, but now- if tonight was any suggestion of what’s to come- he thinks this might suit him just perfectly.

The feast is cleared away by servants, and large tables are pushed to the sides of the great hall to make way for dancing. 

Jaehyun shifts on his feet as he watches, holding his breath at what’s to come.

He’s not surprised when Prince Yuta approaches the royal table. 

“King John, Princess,” he nods, his gaze lingering on you, “I was wondering if I might have this dance.”

For something of a winter savage, Prince Yuta can be surprisingly well-mannered when he wants to be, and it’s no shock when you stand to your feet, allowing the man from the North to pull you to the dance floor.

Each kingdom has its own color scheme. While Fall is depicted with bronze and blue, Jaehyun’s own kingdom sports rose gold and green. Yuta however, is silver and black, and it is starkly contrasted by your gold and white dress. The two of you stick out like a sore thumb on the great hall floor, and there are many eyes that watch you humour the prince from the North with a dance.

Jaehyun has his opinions about this potential union, but he’ll keep them to himself.

Three:

It’s the second day of Johnny’s coronation celebration. The Summer equinox is approaching tomorrow, and the days are long. The sun is hot, and it makes you sweat in your suit of armor as you and Jaehyun train by the lake in the King’s Wood.

There had been a tourney today, and you’d slipped away from the crowds to find a spare hour or two before the nightly banquet. You’re aware that you’ve been sparring for some time already, and the summer heat is making you exhausted faster than you’d anticipated.

With a sigh, you let your sword fall to your side, and your guard immediately mirrors the movement. “I think I’m done for the day,” you muse.

“As you wish, Princess,” Jaehyun nods. 

You pull off one of your armored gloves as you move closer to the rocky shore of the lake. “Come sit with me.” 

Jaehyun nods again, following you.

He’s quick to unclip his rose gold and green embroidered cape, setting it along the rocks for you to sit on. You and Jaehyun have found a way to communicate with motions more so than words, and you nod a thank you to him as you get seated. 

You release a sigh as you continue to take off parts of your armor, relieved by the coolness that washes over your skin after being cooped up for an hour.

“I have something to ask you,” you tell him.

“Whatever you need, Princess.”

He’s still standing, and you sigh. “Sit.” Jaehyun does as he’s told. “I’m sure you noticed me dancing with Prince Yuta last night.”

“I think it’s safe to say everyone noticed,” Jaehyun nods.

“I know what is expected of me as a princess, and I guess I’m wondering what your feelings are on love and marriage?”

Jaehyun looks out at the lake, and he’s quiet for a moment while you assess him. 

“I don’t have the same pressures that you do when it comes to marriage,” Jaehyun admits. “I’m your guard, my only duty- my only commitment, is protecting you, and even though it’s only been two days, I think I can be content with that.”

The Knight of Roses looks so beautiful as he says his piece, and the idea that he’s already committed to you is one that makes your heart race in your chest. He’s so beautiful- and you’ve tried to deny it for too long. You hate being the girl who falls for the same man that everyone else has their eye on, and Jaehyun has no lack of suitors, especially in court. However, you suppose there’s always legitimacy in the looks of a man who has captured the hearts of many.

“Thank you for saying that,” you nod finally. 

“How about you, Princess? If I might ask… what are you thinking about your future?”

“My brother says he won’t pressure me, so for now, I think I’ll just lean on that,” you admit, letting out a sigh. “For now, I want to be free.”

You stand up abruptly, and Jaehyun is quick to his feet as well, looking at you with a question in his eyes.

“Help me take my armour off,” you tell him. “I’m going for a swim.”

“Excuse me, Princess?” Jaehyun freezes, and you can see a hint of pink blossoming on his skin.

“I’m going for a swim,” you repeat. “I want to be one with the water. It’s good for your muscles after training.”

“But- you have nothing to wear-”

“So I’ll wear nothing,” you say simply. “We’re in my brother’s King’s Wood, no one will come here, only royals can, and every royal has been drinking since this morning. We’re alone, and I wish to be free.” 

Jaehyun lets out a breath. “Respectfully, Princess, I don’t think this is a good idea.” Regardless of his words, Jaehyun begins to help you take off your armor.

You’re wearing a white shirt and pants beneath your metal plating, and Jaehyun’s gentle as he helps undress you. When it comes down to the final layers, Jaehyun bows his head and turns around, giving you privacy to get naked on the banks of the lake.

You find it comical how respectful he is, and you kind of love it as you strip completely and step into the water. The summer heat has made the temperature seasonably warm, so it feels lovely on your skin as you wade in.

Once shoulder deep, you begin to swim, and when you turn back to the shore, you find Jaehyun watching you.

He’s standing there, guardian you from afar.

You know there’s no way he would join you, so you don’t bother to ask. Instead, you just enjoy the water, allowing your muscles to relax, your body decompressing. 

Once you’ve had your fill, you begin to swim back to shore- and that’s when you notice motion in the treeline.

Jaehyun is quick to turn around, and you watch as Prince Yuta stalks onto the beach, taking one look at your guard, and then at you in the water. 

“What is this?” Yuta asks loudly.

“The Princess wanted to go for a swim,” Jaehyun responds calmly.

You can see Yuta’s gaze shift to your pile of clothes, and even from a distance, you note the change in his expression.

“And you let her go for a swim?” The Prince from the North growls. 

“I don’t let my Princess do anything, that’s not my job,” Jaehyun retorts.

“Your job is to protect her. Her body, her virtue as a princess- Do you have any idea what future suitors might think if they were to find out about this?!” Yuta is yelling now, and it sets your teeth on edge.

This is one of the first times you’ve seen his brash, hot-headed winter features in a situation outside of a tourney, and you’re beginning to see what your brother has always meant when he said Yuta wouldn’t be good for you.

“If my future suitors are so pigheaded that they judge a swim in the lake in my brother’s King’s Wood, then they aren’t good suitors to begin with,” you yell back. “Maybe I never want to get married! And I won’t marry any man just because he’s royal or it’s expected!”

Yuta stares at you in shock, lips parting then closing again- it’s clear he’s at a loss for words. Finally, with a scoff, he turns and leaves, a flurry of black and silver as he gets back on his horse, disappearing into the trees.

Jaehyun’s shoulders relax when the Prince departs, and he turns to look at you in the water. He doesn’t say anything, but you get the feeling that he’d wished you’d stayed out of the altercation.

“Are you almost done in there, Princess?” he calls.

“Uh huh.”

“I’ll grab a blanket from my horse,” Jaehyun announces, swiftly turning. 

He comes back with the blanket, and you watch Jaehyun close his eyes as he holds it outstretched for you. You wade back to the bank, cognizant of your nakedness as you allow yourself to approach your guard.

You take the blanket from him, wrapping it around your body to dry yourself. 

His eyes are still closed. Jaehyun is so pure- you’re little Knight of Roses. 

“How, may I ask, are you protecting me if you can’t see?” you ask.

“I’m listening to the forest,” Jaehyun responds softly. 

You admire his beautiful face, and you can’t help but lean forward, slowly closing the distance between the two of you, testing his ability to sense things-

Jaehyun takes a step back, brows furrowing. “What are you doing?”

“Just testing you,” you muse, leaning back and taking a breath. “I’ll put my clothes back on now, then you can help me with my armor before we go back.”

You hope Yuta hasn’t made a scene about all of this, but only time will tell. 

Four:

Jaehyun supposes he’s getting used to the sight of you dancing with other princes, and it’s easy for him to ignore the feeling bubbling inside of him, his mind wandering to what had just happened an hour ago at the lake.

“Jaehyun,” Johnny’s voice drags the knight away from his watch. The King makes a motion for Jaehyun to lean closer, so he does. “I heard something happened in the King’s Wood.”

“What did you hear, your highness?” Jaehyun asks.

“The Prince from the North came to talk to me, he gave me a warning about my favorite knight stealing the virtue of my sister.” 

Jaehyun’s skin runs cold. “You Highness- nothing happened, on my life, on my honor- your sister wanted to go for a swim, I kept my eyes shut-”

“I never doubted you,” Johnny interrupts, waving his hand. “Although, I do see the way you two look at each other… I don’t want to force my sister into anything, let alone a loveless marriage.”

Jaehyun considers his King’s words. It almost sounds like Johnny is giving Jaehyun permission to court you. 

“Anyways, I trust you.” Johnny leans back in his chair. “There’s a reason I chose you to be her protector, and what is a husband if not the ultimate protector?” 

Jaehyun wonders if he’s something of a knight in shining armour to you, roses and all.

“I appreciate what you’ve said, your Highness,” Jaehyun nods, and they both shift their gazes back to the dance floor where you’re wrapped up in Prince Doyoung.

It’s clear to Jaehyun that the smile on your face is fake. He’s seen your real smile, when you’re wielding a blade. You haven’t been faking it with Jaehyun, and he hasn’t been faking it with you.

“Jungwoo?” Johnny’s voice disrupts Jaehyun’s thoughts. “If you wouldn’t mind cutting in with my sister, it looks like Lord JYP is about to ask her to dance, and he’s much too old for her. I think she deserves a savior.”

Five:

You focus on your breath, trying to anticipate Jaehyun’s movements. He’s hard to read, even though you’ve done your best to recougnize his tells. The Knight of Roses might put his weight onto his left foot, only to lunge from the right.

He’s very adept at this, and you think you must have gotten better in these past few days at swordsmanship than you have since you picked up a sword.

You’re entirely focused on Jaehyun, so focused, that when he suddenly pauses, you don’t know what’s happening. That’s when you feel a presence behind you, and you swing to find the Fall Prince standing there.

“So this is where you run off to every day,” Doyoung muses, sizing you up. “You’re quite good with a sword, Princess.”

“Thank you,” you nod, a little shocked that he’s praising such a non lady like pass time. 

“Your brother, the King, told me where I might find you,” the Prince explains. “I’ve come with an offer.”

Your heart sinks in your chest, and your gaze shifts to Jaehyun. He’s looking at the ground, doing his best to be respectful of this royal exchange while still manning his post.

“I’ve noticed Prince Yuta’s interest in you,” Doyoung starts, “and I’m civilized enough, even as a man from the Eastern reaches, to know that no summer girl should be thrown to those Northern wolves. A union of the Fall or Spring kingdoms would be better suited for you, and since your brother just married into the Spring’s royal line, I feel as if I might be the next best option for you.”

You swallow thickly. There’s a “No” that bubbles along the back of your tongue, willing to be let out- but despite your distaste for political things, you’ve been trained well enough to know not to be so blunt with the Fall Prince.

“Thank you for your offer,” you say curtly. “I’ll have to consider your proposal. I can’t make any decisions without first discussing them with my King.”

Doyoung nods. “I understand. Thank you for your time, Princess.” He reaches for your hand next, and you allow him to bring your armoured fingers to his lips.

You watch as Doyoung leaves, and once he’s gone, you let out a deep breath.

“Are you alright, Princess?” Jaehyun asks.

“Just flustered,” you admit. “I’m impressed by his confidence to ask for my hand like that. I’ve always liked a man who knows what he wants... I might be a princess who swings her sword and swims naked and free- but I’m still just a girl who wants to be pursued, to be wanted- for more than just a political alliance.”

Six:

It’s been such a short time that Jaehyun’s been guarding you, but already, you’ve opened up to him numerous times. He’s beginning to understand you, and his feelings for you have been growing in a way he could have never imagined.

He can’t get the thought of what you’d said about being courted out of his head.

You want to be pursued, to be wanted- for more than your name, your title, your family- You want something real, and as much as Jaehyun’s never wanted to admit it to himself, he’s wanted the same.

He’s had hundreds of women throw themselves at him at this point- but they always liked him for his exterior, nothing more. 

The two of you are like different sides of the same coin. Wanted, admired- you for your rank, and him for his looks. It’s a difficult way to go through life, to feel like you’re never truly being seen.

But Jaehyun sees you, the real you, the you that you only show in your vulnerable moments. As fearsome as you think you are when you’re wielding your sword, there’s a side of you that is also open to being taught new things, and the ferocity in your approach to protecting yourself is more than admirable to the Knight of Roses.

He’s deep in thought, but his eyes never leave you as you dance around the great hall for the final night of the celebration, an endless line of suitors waiting for a turn at the Summer Princess.

There’s a flash of bronze, and Prince Doyoung catches Jaehyun’s gaze. The regal man from the West is cutting through the crowd, side stepping the line as is his right as a royal. 

There’s no doubt in Jaehyun’s mind as to what Doyoung wants to discuss as he cuts into your dance, and your guard sees the micromovements in your brow, the twitch of your lips as your smile momentarily falters.

Even so, you accept the prince’s offer of a dance, and Jaehyun broods while he watches.

Was it not just yesterday that King John asked Jungwoo to step in between you and a high born for a dance?

Jaehyun’s gaze shifts to the King, and something inside of him snaps. 

It’s the Knight of Roses’ duty to protect you, and maybe he’s let this farce of a party drag out too long. John won’t be mad at him for finally stepping in, of that, Jaehyun is certain as he steps down from his post.

People part to allow the armoured knight to pass, and Jaehyun can hear the blood rushing to his ears as he closes the distance between himself and you.

He stops just a foot short of you and the Prince, both of you looking at him with questioning eyes.

“May I cut in?” Jaehyun asks, and he’s pleased that his voice sounds more confident than he feels.

“I-” Doyoung opens his mouth, but you’re quick to cut him off, “You may.” 

There’s a clear anger in the Fall Prince’s expression as he reluctantly relinquishes you to your guard, and there’s a curious arch of your brow as Jaehyun takes you in his arms.

“What was that about?” you ask, once Doyoung has retreated.

“I thought you looked like you needed to be saved.”

“Is that what you’re doing?” you question with a grin. “Saving me?”

“It’s my duty, Princess.”

You narrow your eyes at him, and then you laugh. “Maybe you’re just jealous. Are you jealous, my good knight?”

Jaehyun tries to act innocent, to pretend the idea is stupid, but his scoff lacks conviction, and it’s clear you both know it.

“There’s something I have to tell you-” Jaehyun starts, but you cut him off in very much the same way you had the Prince just seconds ago. 

“Not here, not now, not with all of these eyes,” you whisper. “I thank you for saving me from this dance, I think the night ends here for me.”

Jaehyun nods, releasing you and stepping back respectfully.

You turn to head back up to your King, and Jaehyun follows three steps back.

“John,” you say, skipping the formalities for your older brother, “I’ve grown tired, and I’d like to go back to my room.”

“As you wish,” Johnny brushes it off, his gaze fixed on the great hall infront of him.

“Please tell Prince Doyoung that I reject his offer of marriage,” you continue, and this draws the attention of the King. “Would you let him know that I’d like to stay in the Summer Kingdom, at least for a little while longer, before I make any big decisions.” 

John looks between you and Jaehyun, who averts his eyes. “If that’s what you want.”

“It is.” You look so determined, so powerful as you stare down at your older brother, and in that moment, Jaehyun is proud of you. He’s proud of how much you’ve grown in the years since he first came to your Summer court- proud of the way you’re obviously following your own heart now that your brother is on the throne and allows it.

However, something tells Jaehyun that even if Johnny wasn’t so supportive of you, you’d still be making waves for yourself.

“I’ll talk with Doyoung,” John says finally. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” You curtsey for your king, and then you’re swiftly leaving the great hall with your knight closely behind you. 

The walk to your quarters feels dualistically long and short at the same time. Jaehyun’s mind is running a thousand miles per minute, and his heart is racing like it only does when he’s fighting.

He stops just outside your room, and you look back at him. “Well? Aren’t you coming inside?”

“I-”

“Come.” You leave no room for argument, and Jaehyun nods before stepping after you, closing the door.

“Well?” you ask, heading to your nightstand to pour yourself a chalice of water. “What did you want to say to me?”

“Hmm?”

“Just now, when you cut into my dance with the Fall Prince, it looked like you had something important to tell me.”

In the heat of the moment, seeing you with Doyoung had spurred something inside of Jaehyun, but now, in the privacy of your quarters, the Knight of Roses feels tongue tied. 

“Princess-” Jaehyun swallows thickly, and you set down your cup to move closer to him.

He can’t meet your gaze, so he looks at the floor, and he watches as you reach out to take his hand.

“Talk to me,” you plead, your voice near a whisper.

Jaehyun looks up at you.

Gods, you’re so beautiful. He likes you in your armour, but the dress you’d chosen for the final evening of your brother’s coronation celebration is truly ethereal, and Jaehyun thinks he may have never seen a prettier sight in all of his life.

Your gaze shifts to his lips, and Jaehyun’s breath catches. 

You move closer- like you had at the lake yesterday-

There’s a knock on your door, and Jaehyun practically jumps out of his armor. He tears his hand away from you, turning toward the intrusion as one of your ladies in waiting steps into the room.

“I’ve come to help the princess remove her gown for bed,” your maid announces.

“Yes, thank you,” you sigh. 

The maid looks to Jaehyun next. “Marcus Lee is also outside, to relieve you of your position for the night, Sir Jeong.” 

“Right.” Jaehyun nods, swallowing the lump in his throat. “Goodnight, Princess, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, good knight,” you bow your head.

It almost pains Jaehyun to walk away, but he has to. He steps outside of your bedroom, joining the knight who takes care of your watch while Jaehyun gets his rest.

Mark nods to Jaehyun, and Jaehyun returns the motion, not saying a word as he sets off toward his own room.

The Knight of Roses’ skin is practically buzzing, a fire raging inside of him. He thinks of all the things he’s wanted to say, all the things he’s wanted to do- 

You’d been so close to kissing him, and Jaehyun can feel it. 

When he gets back to his quarters, Jaehyun is quick to tear his armor off, the metal feeling constricting and like a furnace against his heated skin.

He falls into bed with a huff of exasperation, the thought of your lips never leaving his mind. 

Seven:

There had been a huge morning going away party, in which you and Johnny said goodbye to everyone who had come to celebrate his birthday. You’d been doing your duty, and you and Jaehyun have yet to discuss last night. When you’re finally alone and head back to your room, you turn to your Knight of Roses expectantly, waiting for him to break the ice.

“Would you like to train today?” he asks in the doorway to your bedroom. 

“Get in here,” you instruct. “We’re finishing our conversation from last night.”

With a nod, Jaehyun closes your door behind him, standing awkwardly a few meters away from you with his head bowed.

“Well?” you ask expectantly. 

The knight takes a deep breath. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” you urge. “What you’re feeling. Tell me that last night, if we hadn’t been interrupted, you would have kissed me the way I’ve been wanting to kiss you.”

Jaehyun’s eyes meet yours, and you see his expression break a little. “I talked with the King,” he starts, and you let out an exasperated sigh, not knowing what this has to do with anything. “He told me that he doesn’t want to push you into a loveless marriage, and then he noted that we look at each other the same way-”

“How do we look at each other?” you ask, wanting to hear him say it.

You watch him swallow thickly. “We look at each other like we care about each other. I know I care about you, more deeply than I ever thought I would- and in such a short time-”

“It has been a short time that you’ve been my guard,” you agree, “however, you’ve been in court for five years. It’s not like we’re strangers. I feel as if I already know you. I’m comfortable with you, and I’m not comfortable with many people, Jaehyun.”

Your knight nods, staying quiet.

“I care about you,” you confirm. “I care about you too.”

He looks up at you hopefully, and you have the sense that he’s waiting for you to elaborate.

“I’ve had these feelings, these longings-” you try to explain, clutching at your chest, where your heart is beating rapidly at the thought of how this might change your relationship. “But I have worries too.”

“Worries, Princess?” he inquires.

“It’s just… this power imbalance,” you motion between the two of you. “I’m your Princess, and you’re my Knight- I’d hate for you to grow to resent me as my protector if we were to ever take this leap.”

“I could never resent you,” he promises, words softening. “Princess- Never.”

“Never?” you repeat, stepping closer to him.

Jaehyun shakes your head. “I admire you, more than I’ve ever admired anyone. You’re a princess, but you don’t let your title define you. You are so singular- in the best of ways.”

“Keep telling me sweet nothings,” you whisper, reaching out to play with the belt that holds his sword.

“I’ve never met someone like you, man or woman,” Jaehyun tells you, his breath hot on your face as he looks down at you. “You’re so fierce, yet there’s a softness to you too- a softness I don’t think you want to show many people.”

You look up to meet his gaze. “You think so?”

“Yes, Princess.” Jaehyun nods solemnly. “I want you to feel safe enough to show me that soft side. Want for you to feel safe and know that I’ll always protect you, all of you.”

You cup his cheek, and Jaehyun leans into the touch, his eyes closing as he lets out a shaky breath.

“Kiss me,” you tell him.

“You’re a princess,” Jaehyun sighs. “Prince Yuta was right about not tarnishing your virtue-”

“Well, if you ask me to marry you, and I say yes, then my virtue is yours regardless of whether you take it now, or on our wedding night,” you point out.

Jaehyun opens his eyes, and you can see his resolve faltering. You can see him crumbling for you, and it’s a dazzling sight. This strong knight, breaking.

“I don’t have a ring,” he whispers.

“I don’t care about a ring.”

“We’ve not known each other intimately for very long.”

“My mother met my father on their wedding night, for royals, it’s not uncommon to meet your betrothed until you’re at the alter.” 

“Are you sure you want this, Princess?”

“My Knight, my dear, sweet Knight,” you move closer, until your lips are just an inch away from his own, “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life.”

Jaehyun kisses you then, his arms wrapping tightly around you. He’s all hard metal, but his lips are soft. You’re sure he knows that this is your first time kissing a man, and he’s gentle as he wordlessly guides you through it. His tongue strokes your bottom lip and you hesitantly open up for him, allowing him deeper.

You mewl as he lifts you off the ground, carrying you toward your bed.

“You’re sure?” Jaehyun asks again, setting you down.

“Make love to me, Jaehyun, your Princess commands it.”

Jaehyun lets out a laugh, and his smile lights up his entire face. “Should we worry about a maid coming in to check on you?”

“They’ll just assume I’m off in the King’s Wood somewhere,” you tell him, fingers going to the fastenings on his armour. “Once I get this metal off of you, we can close the blinds on my four poster bed, a little more privacy that way.”

“Whatever you say, Princess,” Jaehyun nods, lips attaching to yours again as you work to undress him.

You’re not generally accustomed to undressing yourself, let alone others, and it’s clear that you’re struggling. “Here,” Jaehyun gently takes your hands, placing them by your sides. “Let me do the work.”

You sit down on the bed, watching as he expertly removes his armor. 

Soon he’s just in his under armour white shirt and pants, and you reach out to remove those next-

“Your turn, Princess,” Jaehyun tells you, gently pushing your hands away again.

“My turn?” You cock a brow before rolling onto your stomach. “Hope you're good with laces,” you grin, baring the corsetted back of your gown to him. 

Jaehyun laughs. “I think I’ll manage, Princess.”

“You better.”

Jaehyun’s shaky fingers find the laces, and he undoes the top bow carefully. Then he slowly begins to tug on each section, gently working his way down your back to open you up for him. You can feel his breath on your shoulders, and there’s something so erotic about it. He’s unwrapping you, his perfect little Princess present. 

“You’re sure about this?” Jaehyun asks again, pressing a kiss to the nape of your neck, sending a tingle down your spine.

“Please stop asking me that,” you breathe, practically writhing under his touch.

“Is that a command, Princess?”

“Yes.” 

Jaehyun chuckles, returning to his task as he gets the last of your corset undone. You hold the front of your dress close to your chest as you sit up, facing him. The sleeves are falling off your shoulders, and you look up at the knight, curious to see his expression.

Your guard looks stunned, and then he says, “Wait, I never officially asked you to be my wife.”

“I thought that was a given,” you admit.

Jaehyun gets down onto one knee. “Princess, would you do me the great honour, and make me the happiest man in all four kingdoms-”

“Yes, Jaehyun, yes, I’ll marry you.” You press your lips to his and he kisses you desperately, his hands balling up in the thick fabric of your skirt.

“I want to taste you,” Jaehyun whispers.

“What?”

“I’ll talk you through everything,” The Knight of Roses promises. “You trust me, right?”

“I trust you,” you confirm.

Jaehyun presses one last chaste kiss to your lips before moving down to your throat. You love the feeling of it, and you throw your head back, moaning. You love the way he’s taking his time with you, his mouth descending. He ghosts his attention across your chest, and then, he gets onto his knees on the floor.

You watch him curiously as Jaehyun lifts up your skirt. “Lay back for me, Princess.” 

You do as you’re told, gingerly relaxing back against the bed as Jaehyun pushes your dress even higher to your hips. 

His breath fans across your core, and you wiggle desperately. The Knight of Roses hooks his fingers in your panties, dragging them down your legs.

“If you want me to stop-”

“Just do it Jae,” you whisper. “Do whatever you want.”

He doesn’t say anything else, his lips teasing up your inner thighs.

Your pussy is throbbing like it’s never throbbed before. You’ve touched yourself a handful of times, but nothing has ever felt like this.

“I’m gonna marry you,” Jaehyun tells you, pressing a kiss to your clit that has your toes curling deliciously. “You’re going to be my wife.”

You can only moan as he licks a stripe of your pussy, teasing his tongue around the sensitive bud. Your hands bunch up in the blanket on your bed, and you writhe beneath Jaehyun’s motions, prompting him to press a hand to your hips to keep you pinned.

He licks at you for a while, working you up, before his lips suction around your clit again, applying more pressure and stimulus than before.

“Oh my Gods-” you groan. 

Jaehyun returns your sound with one of his own, and the vibrations make you dizzy.

You can feel something building in the pit of your stomach- you’re not sure what it is, exactly, only that it feels amazing. 

Your moans are getting pitchier, and Jaehyun sucks harder on your clit-

That’s when the tension in your tummy snaps, and all of the sudden, summer waves are washing over you. It’s a pleasure unlike any you’ve felt- and it takes your breath away as you gasp and moan in the sanctity of your bedroom.

You quite literally see stars, your eyes clenched shut as Jaehyun continues his motions, keeping you on that pleasure cloud until you can’t take it anymore.

“Jae-” you whimper, pushing at his head.

He’s quick to draw back, and you open your eyes to see him looking up at you, licking his lips. “Was that good, Princess?”

“That was amazing,” you tell him.

“I’m not done with you yet,” he warns, rubbing his fingers through your wet pussy lips. “I’m going to stretch you out now.”

You can only whimper at his words.

“Relax for me, Princess, I’ve got you.” 

You lean back against the bed again, trying to breathe deeply as he begins to push his pointer finger into your wet hole. The feeling is foreign, but not unpleasant. In fact, as he begins to thrust his digit, it begins to feel heavenly. 

Gods, your inner walls have never been stroked like this- 

“You’re so wet, Princess,” Jaehyun muses. “Are you ready for another finger?”

“Yes,” you moan, eager to please him.

Jaehyun’s mouth returns to your clit, and he gently pushes a second finger into you. You groan at the feeling, your walls stretching to accommodate him.

“So tight for me,” Jaehyun tells you. “So perfect.”

You mewl, hips pushing toward his hand as he begins to curl his fingers inside of you. 

He works you open, and you can feel yourself relaxing more and more by the second. His mouth finds your clit again, and that sensation in your tummy returns.

You close your eyes, enjoying everything Jaehyun is giving you. 

“I think you’re going to cum again,” Jaehyun says, lips ghosting past your clit. “You going to cum for me, Princess?”

“Mmmm, yes, Jae,” you whimper, ready to agree to anything he asks of you.

His mouth suctions around your sensitive bud, and he sucks lewdly, triggering the release that’s becoming all to familiar.

You squeal with delight, reaching down to tangle your fingers in his soft hair as your high overtakes you again. Your pussy is throbbing desperately, body alive with a sensitivity you’ve never felt.

This is what heaven must feel like, you decide, as you writhe beneath the Knight of Roses, reveling in the way he’s taking care of you. You’ve always wanted someone to love you for more than your royal status, but this feeling of being worshiped is something you could get used to. 

When the sensation is over, Jaehyun pulls away again, and you take a shuddery breath. 

“I’m going to take your dress off now, Princess,” Jaehyun tells you, and you feel like a loved up, limp doll as he undresses you slowly, pressing soft kisses all along your body.

You’re fully naked for him, and you don’t feel an ounce of shame. 

Jaehyun’s eyes betray his feelings, and you can tell he’s as hopelessly in love with you as you are with him. There’s a connection here, one neither of you had admitted, but now that you have-

This is your person, and he’s going to be your person, forever. 

Your Knight of Roses begins to undress, and you can’t help the greedy way in which your eyes devour each piece of newly exposed flesh. 

He’s so perfect- his abs especially- or wait, no, just, everything. 

You feel shy for the first time when you take a peek at his cock, your skin heating with embarrassment. 

“It’s okay,” Jaehyun assures you. “I’ll go slow with you, Princess, I promise.”

“Come here,” you prompt him, crawling up to your pillows so you can be in the centre of your large four poster bed.

You watch Jaehyun draw the blinds, allowing you some inkling of privacy before he returns between your thighs.

He’s already rock hard, and you can’t help but reach out and touch him, stroking him gently while Jaehyun releases a groan of pleasure. 

The Knight of Roses leans over you, pressing his elbows into the bed while his lips meet yours.

You let go of his cock in favour of tangling your fingers into his hair, deepening the kiss.

His length teases your pussy, bumping by your clit as he begins to slowly rock his hips. 

“Are you-”

“Yes, I’m sure,” you groan. “Jaehyun-”

“As you wish, Princess,” he tells you, kissing you again before grabbing the base of his cock, lining it up with your pussy.

He teases the tip inside of you, and you groan at the stretch. Jaehyun pauses, allowing you to get used to his size a little before pushing more inside your aching core.

He’s very gentle, his mouth hot on your throat, a welcome distraction as he opens you up for himself the way no man ever has before.

Finally, he’s fully sheathed inside of you, and he releases a groan. “You’re squeezing me so tight, Princess-”

“Sorry-”

“No, it’s a good thing,” he assures you. “Feels good.”

“Good,” you grin, drawing his lips to your own.

You kiss him fiercely, getting lost in the feeling as he begins to move, slowly rocking in and out of your core.

The sensation of his cock along your inner walls turns pleasurable quickly, and soon you’re moaning against his lips. 

Jaehyun’s hand finds yours, and he links your fingers as he makes love to you. 

That tension is building in the pit of your stomach again, and you whimper. “I think- I think I’m close again,” you warn him.

“Want you to cum for me, then I can cum too,” he tells you, releasing your hand so he can bring his thumb to your clit.

You’re so sensitive from two orgasms that the brush of his digit across your bud has you mewling, grabbing at the sheets desperately. “Jaehyun-”

“I know, I’m here, I’ve got you,” he promises. 

You open your eyes, gazing up at your new lover, your protector, your future husband.

You’re overwhelmed by a feeling of complete joy, and it fills your entire being as he works you closer and closer to the edge, fucking you harder-

“Jae, I’m gonna-”

“Let go for me,” he whispers, nuzzling into your neck. “Let go for me, Princess, I’ll take care of you.”

With a whine, you release the tension in your abdomen, and for the third time tonight, your high washes over you.

You gasp, back arching, pressing your breasts up toward his chest.

Jaehyun groans deeply, hips unrelenting, fucking you through the feeling.

As your orgasm subsides, Jaehyun pulls out of you, pumping his cock as he coats your abdomen in his own release.

He lets out curse words under his breath, head bowed, eyes focused on the mess he’s making. You lay there, keeping still and watching in awe at the beautiful man in front of you.

Finally, Jaehyun lets out a grunt, his motion stopping. 

He’s breathing heavily, you both are. Then, Jaehyun runs a hand through his hair. “Let me find something to clean you up with.”

He stumbles out of the bed, and it’s the first time you’ve seen him not fully composed. You love the effect you have on him, and you lay there, in a state of complete bliss.

Jaehyun returns with a wash cloth, and he cleans the cum off your skin.

“I’ll get dressed, and when I leave, I’ll find your maid. I’ll let her know you want a bath,” Jaehyun explains.

“A bath sounds really nice,” you admit, feeling sleepy.

“I know, Princess.” Jaehyun kisses you one last time, and you lazily watch him put his clothes and armor back on.

Part of you hates to see him go, but you’re exhausted, and after your maids come in to help you with a bath, you fall into a deep, love filled slumber. 

Eight:

Jaehyun knows he’s doing the right thing as he approaches the King’s quarters. 

Jungwoo and Haechan are outside, standing guard, and they nod to their fellow knight as he passes through, knocking on the door.

The King’s authoritative voice calls a, “Come in!” and with a deep breath, Jaehyun enters.

“Didn’t expect to see you tonight,” Johnny admits, looking up from his book at the Knight of Roses.

“I have news,” Jaehyun says, his throat dry already.

“Let’s hear it.” Johnny leans back in his chair, eyeing Jaehyun suspiciously.

“Well.” The Knight lets out a deep breath. “The Princess and I-” His voice cracks, and it makes Jaehyun look at the floor. 

“Are you two engaged now, or what?”

Johnny’s question makes Jaehyun’s eyes rise again. 

“It’s about time,” Johnny continues. “You know, our family has always loved you. Even before you were officially my sister’s guard, there was something there. My mother could see it. She left her engagement ring before she went away with my father, I guess she always figured that one day, you could give it to her daughter.”

The King stands, going to his bedside table, where he pulls out a tiny box. 

“Here,” Johnny says, holding it out to Jaehyun. “Give this to her.”

“I-” Jaehyun doesn’t even know what to say. “I couldn’t possibly accept this-”

“You can, and you will, your King demands it,” Johnny teases. “You know, the whole ‘sending Doyoung to ask my sister to marry him’ thing was just a ploy to get you to act on your feelings, but I never imagined it would happen this fast.”

“You orchestrated this?” Jaehyun asks in shock.

“Of course. My sister always had this weird thing about ending up in a wild Kingdom, the North, or the West- I wanted to show her that she’d do better with someone from our own kind of land, someone more peaceful, less headstrong, that sort of thing.” Johnny sighs, forcing the small engagement ring box into Jaehyun’s hands. “She’s a summer girl, and everyone knows Summer works best with one of their own, or someone from the Spring Kingdom. All I’ve ever wanted for her was happiness, and I think she can attain that with you. You have my blessing, Jaehyun, don’t mess this up.”

Jaehyun nods. 

He won’t mess this up. There’s no way he would ever intentionally hurt you. The Knight of Roses will guard you with his life, as your husband, and your ultimate protector.

☀️ mlist + an. Thank you so much for reading! I had so much fun with this fantasy au, and now... I'm going to plan my Halloween fic for this year, cuz I've gotta match how good Ghostie was from 2023

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🔮 preview. The Knight of Roses is so adept with his tongue- he’d spent hours eating you out on your honeymoon, taking the time to learn every inch of your body. He knows exactly what makes you tick, and you adore that he puts an effort into all things.

cw/ tw.  Unprotected sex, exhibitionism (sex in the forest), oral ( f recieving), body worship, multiple sex positions, multiple reader orgasms, fingering, dirty talk, praise, power play,  etc…  

👹 rating. 18+ explicit I wc. 1.8k I teaser wc. 135

🌙 starring. Jeong Jaehyunl x afab!Reader

 bonus

In the year since you and Jaehyun were wed, very little has changed. You’re still head over heels for him, and he’s still completely obsessed with you. It’s a beautiful little life- the two of you spending much of your time in the castle or the King’s Wood, where you’re currently training.

You’ve gotten so much better with your swordsmanship, and you can see the pride in Jaehyun’s expression every time you even slightly get the best of him.

You get the sense that he’s still holding back- your husband would never, ever, ever hurt you, not even while training, and it fills your heart with love every time you see him adjust himself or use less power in a blow.

“Don’t be scared, my love,” you tease. “You don’t have to hold back today.”

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[infinitystoner]

First Light

AO3 | Masterlist

Summary: Vetrnætr (Winter Nights) is a time to welcome winter and honor the gods of old. But, on the first morning of festivities, the only thing Loki wants to celebrate is you.

Pairing: Prince!Loki x Female Reader

Word count: 2.4k

Tags/Content: Fluff, Praise, Smut (Fingering, Cunnilingus, Multiple Orgasms), Established Relationship, Pre-Thor (2011), Asgard AU

Rating: Explicit; 18+

Author’s note: A belated birthday gift to my amazing friend @loki-cees-all. You are the Goddess of Patience and Mercy and I appreciate you so very much! I hope this one lives up the hype. xx

It was easy to dismiss quiet mornings on Asgard in favor of boundless nights under the stars. But you never felt more content than when the first rays of daylight bathed the kingdom in a hazy glow. Beyond frost-kissed windows, the wind whispered a tale of winter’s early arrival, and you burrowed further under the protective arm curled around your shoulders. 

Waking before Loki was a rare occurrence, and you offered up a prayer of gratitude to the Norns when you realized your lover was still slumbering beside you.

He was a being of little sleep, often arguing those bestowed with divinity had more stamina than the average Æsir, therefore requiring less rest. You disagreed.

Well, somewhat disagreed. 

You pulled your lip between your teeth as you observed evidence of the prior evening’s chaotic activities: clothing and armor were strewn about the room, pillows and pelts haphazardly adorned the hearthside, and papers from Loki’s desk littered the floor, his bookshelves standing slightly askew. Even the bedposts seemed to be off-kilter. 

Loki absolutely had the stamina of a god.   

Still, he hadn’t been getting enough sleep lately. The past few weeks preparing for Vetrnætr had taken a toll on him. Loki had been responsible for coordinating the arrival of visiting dignitaries and nobility while also leading what he’d described to you as “lighthearted diplomatic discussions” with the royal council of Vanaheim. Queen Frigga, however, had confided that he was single-handedly responsible for not only fortifying Asgard’s long-held alliance between the Vanir and Æsir but also negotiating a new trade agreement between the neighboring realms. 

You carefully tilted your face upward, committing the splendor of him in this moment to memory. Swathes of amber light illuminated the rise and fall of his chest, mapping the gentle exhales through parted lips that assured you he was alive. That he was real. That he was yours.

Your family and fellow courtiers had thought you mad when you turned down the advances of several of the Allfather’s golden warriors. But it was when you refused Thor that you’d stirred up any true semblance of trouble. Then again, the elder Odinson had attempted to court at least half the eligible maidens of Asgard, so it wasn’t that scandalous.

What everyone didn’t know then was that your heart secretly belonged to another. And even now, years later, it was hard to comprehend that he returned your affections. But he did, and he made sure you’d never have reason to doubt him.

For so long, he had existed in the shadows of those around him. Only a sacred few saw his light shining through. And once he’d revealed the whole of himself to you, how could anyone else possibly compare?

True, he could be unpredictable and disruptive, but Loki approached everything in life with an unwavering sense of humble dedication. His fidelity was one of the things you loved most about him.

“My beautiful miracle.”

You’d only meant to think it—but hearing the whisper of affection fall from your lips seemed the perfect way to commence the day. Tracing patterns across the exposed skin of Loki’s abdomen, you studied the contours of his handsome face. Long lashes fluttered against high cheekbones as his eyes darted back and forth behind closed lids.

“What is it you dream of?” you whispered, gently placing a kiss on his sternum.

“A prince dreams of many things.”

His reply caused your heart to stutter within your chest. The trickster had been awake all along, basking in the warmth of your sentimentality like a cat soaking up the sun.

“I should’ve known you were only pretending to be asleep,” you pouted as he finally cracked open his eyes to peer down at you.

“Mmm, you should have,” he said as he wrapped his hand around yours, bringing it to his lips and tenderly pressing his lips to your fingertips. “But, I did have the most interesting dream. It’s worth hearing, I assure you.” 

Loki was nothing if not convincing, and you were curious.

“Go on then. I’m listening,” you replied with a playful roll of your eyes. 

Loki cleared his throat as he fluffed the pillow under his head. Stars above. He was as dramatic as he was mischievous.

“It was the final night of Vetrnætr and the kingdom was blanketed in snow. I was  tasked with riding into the forests alone,” he said, absentmindedly trailing his fingertips  down your arm as he spoke, “to defeat a great beast with my magick.” 

His voice was impossibly alluring, much like Loki himself. Soon, you were clinging to every word—mesmerized by the magnificent man beside you. 

“I found myself in the depths of wilderness—where no other soul had dared to tread before. I, of course, was quite brave in the face of this unknown danger.” 

“Fearless, some might say,” you offered. 

He hummed in agreement, his eyes sparking with amusement. “Finally, I reached my destination. But a horde of Bilgesnipes was blocking the creature I’d come to slay.”

“Oh?” you said apprehensively. He solemnly nodded. 

“So, I conjured a simple spell to vanquish them. Imagine my surprise when I realized they were not, in fact, angry Bilgesnipes but your dreadful snores plundering into my subconscious mind.”

Your brain stuttered—did he just? Bilgesnipes?! Loki smirked at the utterly bewildered expression on your face before mimicking the way you opened your mouth in shock. You’d walked right into his little trap and he was enjoying it far too much. 

“Loki Odinson! I do not snore.” 

You sounded less defiant than you hoped, and—in a bid to get him to renege the obvious lie—you wriggled out from under his arm and tossed a pillow at his stupid, handsome face. 

“I beg to differ.” Deep, mirthful laughter rumbled in Loki’s chest. “Now, wait a minute—”

Much to his dismay, you’d moved to the edge of the bed. As you gathered one of the fur blankets around your nude form, Loki propped himself up on his elbows, those stark green eyes focusing on you with an intensity that didn’t seem justified this early in the day.

“Darling, don’t go. I was only teasing.” He grabbed your wrist, and the coolness of his fingers against your flesh sent a thrill rippling through you. “Allow me to make it up to you.” 

The offer was tempting but, with Vetrnætr on the literal horizon, you had a never-ending list of obligations to attend to.

“You know we’re both expected at the first morning feast.”

“Yes, and that is still hours from now. Come back to bed.”

“It will take me hours to get ready for the celebrations.”

Loki clicked his tongue as you shimmied off the bed. “What a shame you don’t have a skillful sorcerer at your disposal.” 

“Such misfortune,” you quipped, fingers reaching to secure the fur around your shoulders. A curse left your lips as nothing but cold air enveloped you instead. Loki shot you a wink as a wisp of seiðr danced across his palm.

“You’re not playing fair.” 

“Where there are wolf’s ears, wolf’s teeth are near.” Dimples adorned the corners of his mouth as he grinned up at you. 

“And now you’re not making any sense!” 

“So come back to bed, little fox. Please. Help me make sense of things.” 

Three thoughts inhabited your mind in this moment: a persistent chill was quickly settling in your bones and Loki’s bed was impossibly warm; applying the ceremonial makeup you were expected to wear today would take at least an hour—and having Loki glamour it on would be terribly convenient; and, finally, you were absolute shit at denying him anything. And Loki knew it.

He stretched his long legs as he awaited your submission. The action caused the silk sheets to settle low around his waist. Shadows traversed the deep V of his Adonis belt like divine brushstrokes while sunbeams highlighted the devastating muscles of his godly physique. 

You never stood a chance. 

Your pulse quickened as you propped a knee on the mattress, giving him a coy smile. “Satisfied, your highness?”

Loki inhaled as he surveyed your figure. It was easy to assume he was memorizing the smooth curves and soft dips of your body. Every imperfection, dimple, scar—he’d studied and worshiped each precious part of you. But in truth, he knew the map of your body better than he knew the wilds of Asgard—how to expertly navigate your release, to intimately claim you as his time and time again.

“Not quite.” His eyes glinted with desire as he curled his hands around your waist, guiding you to settle against the pillows. You watched in awe as he pulled the sheets over the both of you, adjusting the layers of covers and pelts as he caged you in his arms. 

“Perfect.” It was no more than a whisper. But the sense of pride that thrummed through you must have been palpable, because Loki leaned down and brushed his mouth against yours. You barely had time to inhale before his tongue was swiping over your bottom lip and then moving against your own in eager, equal measure. He was heavy on top of you as he settled between your open legs—your collective arousal evident as your bodies seamlessly slotted together. It was exhilarating and grounding and you ached for him. When you dug your fingertips into the firm swell of his ass in a silent plea for more, he broke the kiss. 

“What is it, my love?” you asked, noticing a glimmer of tears swelling in his eyes as he pulled away from you. You cupped his cheek, and his gaze flitted across your face. 

“What did I do to deserve you?” Loki took in a deep, shuddering breath before kissing you once more. Sparks of white-hot heat ignited your skin as your heart hammered in your chest. Could he sense how wildly it was beating for him? “I’m so proud of you. You know that, right?” 

How could words ever truly express that the love you possessed defied explanation, transcended comprehension, and overwhelmed every fiber of your being? How could you adequately convey that his praise was your Valhalla?

You finally managed to say, “I know,” but your response melded into a moan as Loki’s lips made contact with your nipple, rolling its twin between his thumb and forefinger. 

“You’re so good to me.” 

“So good,” you echoed, arching into his touch as Loki’s hand skimmed your curves before dipping between your legs. 

He found you slick and ready for him, and he easily slid two fingers into your cunt, his palm pushing upwards against your swollen clit. Delicious pressure built in your hips with each skillful turn of his wrist and you greedily bucked into his hand, grasping at his biceps for leverage. 

You were quickly losing yourself to the adrenaline searing through you, igniting every nerve ending like a thousand meteors shooting across the night sky. Still, you knew Loki revelled in the euphoria of your unraveling just as much as you did. He yearned to hear your small whimpers of pleasure, to feel your hands on his body and your fingers twisting in his hair as you came undone at his touch. To be connected without reservation. 

He’d once confided in you that the reassurance of your touch sparked something within him comparable only to his seiðr—you had become just as much a part of him as the ancestral magick that flowed through his very veins. Imagining a reality without either was like envisioning a world without sunlight or stars. 

“Loki. Loki.” His name was witchcraft on your lips and his fingers deftly twisted inside you in response. When he slowed his movements, you clenched around him, desperately running your hands over the broad expanse of his shoulders. His skin was damp with sweat, his muscles quivering under your fingertips.

“And so eager. Gods, you’re gorgeous when you’re about to come apart.” 

When Loki was nestled between your thighs, worshiping your body as if you were the only thing in all the Nine, time stood still. You were teetering on the edge of sweet release—right where he wanted you. A frustrated noise caught in the back of your throat as he removed his fingers, your thighs trembling as your climax began to ebb. 

“Patience.” He spoke purposefully against your heated skin, as if reciting an invocation.

“Til árs ok friðar.” Loki paused, looking up at you with eyes so full of adoration you felt as though your heart would burst. He repeated the ancient phrase. “For a good year. And peace. That is my wish for you—for us—my love.”

You were completely lost under his spell. Your only tether to reality was Loki. His forearm heavy across your midriff. His tongue flat against your clit. 

“F-faen, I’m– please,” you slurred, your chest heaving with ragged, uneven pants. 

“That’s it,” Loki coaxed. “Come undone for me.”

At his words, the overwhelming tightness in your core snapped. Your orgasm ripped through your body—your mind clearing itself of every lingering thought. The wild beat of your heart became the soundtrack of your bliss and you sobbed as the tip of his regal nose rubbed against your sensitive clit. His tongue continued to lap at the warm center of your cunt as aftershocks rolled through you, your body involuntary jerking at the overstimulation.

“Too much…”

“One more, darling. If not for me, for Asgard.” A wicked grin spread across his face—his lips and chin glistening with your arousal—before he dipped his head back between your thighs. “Consider it a royal decree.”

It was pointless to argue with him, especially when he set his mind to something. You wound your fingers into his unkempt hair, and before long, you were curling up off the bed as you juddered under his touch for the second time.

“Thank you,” you said softly as you came down from your high. Loki pressed his forehead to yours.

“A final gesture of goodwill,” he murmured, the blunt tip of his cock nudging your entrance. 

“We’ll be late to breakfast. I- I dare not disgrace your good name, my prince,” you said, gasping into his mouth as he pushed deeper inside you. You didn’t care if you missed every single celebratory banquet this week. 

“I’m honored you think so highly of me, little wife.” You groaned in unison as he bottomed out with a swirl of his hips. “But it would not be the first time we’ve vexed the House of Odin thus. Nor the last, I hope.” 

[wonryllis]

미래, 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄: the backstory

FEATURING. insanely love struck BRAT TAMER lee heeseung with his SPOILED BRAT RICH GIRL reader GENRE. smau, fluff, smut, crack WORDCOUNT. around 800 ( MASTERLIST )

to say you and heeseung were from two different worlds would be an understatement. you were from two completely different galaxies. emphasis: completely.

if the world was your home and the galaxy was your entire lifestyle, then heeseung swears it would take him more than a billion light years to reach even the place he could stand to have a little glimpse of you who lights up everyone else's worlds around you.

reaching you is a long journey and attaining you: impossible in the advancement of science.

yet you were merciful enough to let— to want someone like him to stay, to hover around you like a housefly, to grow to have the guts to want you.

heeseung's uncle and aunt, deprived of parenthood for various reasons, had always loved to have him stay with them during summer breaks. an hour's drive from his house, a duplex that resembled his own albeit a bit smaller and two months of enjoying trips to water parks, amusement parks, aquariums and everything he ever wanted all in the short span.

he remembers little of it now, but sometime around when he celebrated upgrading from preschool to elementary with a little toy plane they gifted, came the news that their small business took a turn for the good and within a few months of it they moved.

the first time he went over after that was like stepping into a dream. the big mansion, the rich neighborhood and the nice neighbours, the pretty neighbour.

even for a five year old with the memory of a pea sized goldfish and a mind that had no sensible knowledge of romance and love, heeseung can precisely recall the moment he fell. fall, fall, fell, fallen. down that rabbit hole of special feelings that took him seven years to realize.

your brothers were nice enough to let him wander around their precious baby sister they so obviously were overprotective over, yes even for a six/seven year old. and soon that hospitality and little playdates turned into actual and genuine friendships and relations that heeseung grew to cherish, his prized little treasured found family. and love.

summer breaks turned into winter breaks and then into every opportunity he could find to pay them a visit longer than a week.

he was there during every big occasion of your lives and you and your brothers were there for his. probably because your families never minded the difference in class and always welcomed the other's presence.

it was just before the fall of his senior year in high school when heeseung took the decision to apply for scholarships in your city. his middle class family still lived in their cozy old house in the small town he had known his entire life and the city waited him a lifetime of opportunities he couldn't dare to lose. especially if he ever decided to woo you in the future he must have the capacity to pamper your spoiled heart.

you weren't just the daughter of a rich family. you were the only precious little lovely, beyond spoiled rotten daughter of a family that came from old money. old money bridging middle class. something he could never achieve, but to have the slightest chance he must be in position to give you whatever you want (besides an island like you asked for your 18th birthday, but that's okay he loves that side of you and perhaps he's sick for that, but he's far too in love.)

when his scholarship was approved and he scored a seat in one of the prestigious colleges near your neighborhood, it gave him the perfect opportunity to move in with his uncle and aunt, to move in next door to you.

to be blessed to have the chance to catch sight of you everyday. and to have the chance to hangout with you whenever he wished to and whenever you wished to.

always at your beck and call like your obedient little lord in waiting.

heeseung's actual love life (his efforts to get you to fall for him as he calls it) started in the third year of college when you joined as a freshman. and two years since, he's been trying. you're just way too oblivious to notice his subtle moves and heeseung is way too scared of your brothers to confess bluntly.

it's all just been a huge mess, and everyone (his and your friends) is just here for the comedy heeseung's life has turned into .. especially with you crushing on beomgyu—

PREV | NEXT

PREVIEW. you always get what you want, spoiled with the love of everyone around you. and it's all innocent love, at least that's what everyone thinks. it comes with much surprise therefore, when heeseung makes a move on you. thirteen long years of being in the brother zone having made him utterly clueless that if he’s going to date you he has to pass through your actual brothers first. and he knows how scary they can be. especially since they are known to have a sister complex and he’s been the third scary one with them, numerous times before.

taglist ( open ) @s00buwu @lilyuwon @pockyyasii @nctislifue @shawnyle @enhastolemyheart @aaa-sia @snoopypupp @criminalyun @oddracha @satan-223 @diorsyun @hooniehon @fakeuwus @caramelcandescence @intromortal @kookify @yutasberryy @sumzysworld @nikiswifiee @shuichi-sama @primroselover @rayofsunshineeee @aishigrey @yjwluvs @soraokkotsu @nyfwyeonjun @srhnyx @trashx678 @wondipity @winuvs @hoondiors @niniissus @firstclassjaylee @biancaness @enhaz1 @sophi-ee @un06 @heelariously @d-earlog @pharaways @ethelia send an ask to be added! (if your comment goes unnoticed it is not my responsibility)

[silkscream]

CHAPTER 10: WORKING FOR THE KNIFE

ੈ✩ gojo satoru x reader, geto suguru x reader

He’d like to eat you. Curse of a girl. Could be the prettiest of his repertoire, he thinks. He remembers the shock on your face when you killed that curse in the forest — while something horrible rooted itself inside you, sheer terror from the rot you were capable of, disgust with yourself — his face was warm with affection. Or something twisted like that.

ੈ✩ chapter cw/tags: explicit content (18+ mdni) , unprotected sex, oral sex, fingering, impact play, alcohol, mentions of mild violence

ੈ✩ wc: 5.4k

playlist ✸ read on ao3 ✸ series masterlist

February, 2010

The winter months had never been kind to Suguru. It was ironic, being born in February—he thought that he eventually wouldn’t mind the cold, because at least his birthday fell after all the important holidays. Shoko’s birthday, Satoru’s birthday, Christmas, New Year’s.

He didn’t care for his birthday the way that Satoru did. It was another day, always. Wake up, work, exorcise, swallow, sleep, repeat. He’s built for work and routine—broad shoulders, strong hands, tough mouth. Thick-skinned enough to handle swallowing the tragedies and sufferings of human nature. Satoru used to joke about him being akin to a Grim Reaper, swallowing hell’s leftovers instead of leading them to the underworld.

Both of them, myths as boys. One cursed with being impenetrable, and the other cursed with having to absorb everything.

Suguru had started kissing Satoru as a teenager to get the taste of curses out of his mouth. Now he had you as a palate cleanser too. He liked that you always tasted sweet to him, no matter what. He doesn’t kiss you like Satoru, who is always a little overeager, desperate to devour. Suguru kisses you slowly, savoring it until you realize that you’re the one begging. You’d gotten to his head like a drip of paint spreading through water—slow but absolute. Gradually feverish like Oxycontin releasing in the bloodstream.

He can’t sleep. His cock is throbbing, thinking of you. Thinking of Satoru in your mouth. 

He had ignored everyone’s requests to have an impromptu party like last year—he didn’t need to count down the exact minute he got a year older, didn’t care for the exact strike of midnight. But now, it’s his birthday, and it’s two in the morning, and he’s half-hard and frustrated while thinking about you. Pathetically so.

He’s never needy. Not the way Satoru is. But all the curses he’d swallowed on his mission today made him feel like he was fucking dying. He thought he’d gotten control of it, being able to mask the putrid taste with your mouth, with food. He’d spent half an hour over the toilet bowl before bed, his tongue tasting like vomit and sea salt. 

You would never taste it on him—he would ask in between making out. To you, he tasted like cigarettes and ginger candy. The kind he started sucking on so he wouldn’t get so sick from the curses, the kind that he’d steal from the konbini because Satoru liked them.

Suguru isn’t usually this restless, let alone bothered by cottonmouth. Weed didn’t satiate him tonight. It helped his dick harden for sure, making his insides feel gooey and warm just at the thought of being touched, but usually, it was also enough to get him to sleep. Despite this, he stares at the ceiling in frustration. Craving touch like a predator, if intimacy could be synonymous with a collision.

It’s why he ends up in front of your room now—knocking, just barely. After no immediate response, he’s impatient. 

Suguru rolls his eyes once he finds out your door is unlocked. You didn’t need to lock it since Satoru could warp, and he was more than positive that no one else was falling into your bed at night. Perhaps you left an invitation for him. Either that or you were naive and forgetful as could be. He’d have to tease you about it later. 

He slips into your bed, hands smoothing over the bare skin of your stomach, the silvery roughness of your scar. Remnants of a dead man. Suguru cringes whenever he thinks about it —how he thought you were dead along with Satoru. It always made his mouth taste like bile again.

You stir with a hum, which surprises him. Ever since the incident, you became a heavy sleeper —it was all that alcohol that Shoko would slip you. Indulging in vices that only she would. It wasn’t that Suguru didn’t approve of this the way Satoru did, but he noticed that you would act more like him. Moody. Less likely to take Satoru’s shit.

Suguru stares at you, half-tempted to wake you with his mouth in between your thighs, but he doesn’t, not yet. He only curls a finger at the nape of your neck and strokes your hair from root to tip, following along the shell of your ear. You move again, lip twitching. It entices him more than it should.

He licks a strip from your collarbone to your jaw, and you keen into his touch immediately. Curling towards him as if he were the sun. 

You blink awake slowly, a lazy smile spreading among your features as your eyes adjust to the dark. 

“Birthday boy.”

“Baby girl.”

You pretend to gag and he laughs.

“What do you want?”

“My present,” he says roughly, pulling you closer by the hips. “Missed you.”

“You saw me earlier.”

“I know,” he mumbles. “God, I sound like Satoru, don’t I?”

The mention of his name makes your cheeks warm. Suguru notices it immediately. 

“No one is as needy as Satoru,” you snort. “How’s it feel to be able to legally drink?”

He chuckles. As if that mattered when Shoko was getting contraband since they started at Jujutsu High.

“Great. I can finally pay for overpriced cocktails.”

 “Wait, I have your present. It’s kind of corny.”

“Yeah?” he grins. “Let me have it.”

“Close your eyes.”

He sits up and crosses his legs, closing his eyes as if in meditation. Nervously, you pick his gift out of your drawer and place it in his lap. When he opens his eyes, he unwraps the tissue paper, messily wrapped and covered in stickers, and sees a scrapbook.

“My disposable film photos developed,” you mumble. “They’re probably not as good as yours, but I thought I’d make a scrapbook of… you know, everything.”

Suguru turns the pages carefully. There are relics from last summer, before everything had gone to shit. Polaroids of him and Satoru lounging lazily in the grass, Satoru always blurred because he was always moving. There are more intimate moments of you in his t-shirt and boxers, the flush of your cheeks suggesting he or Satoru had taken surprise snapshots of you in your post-sex haze.

His throat feels dry.

“Happy birthday, Suguru.”

He puts the book down and leans in to kiss you. It’s gentle, feather-light, giving you goosebumps in a way that makes you realize it’s been a while since you've been touched so delicately.

“I love it,” he murmurs into your ear. “Can I get my other gift now?”

“What do you– oof!”

You always underestimate how big he is, how easy it is for him to overpower you. He has you on your back in seconds, smiling as he runs his warm hands on the bare skin of your waist. You let out a low, satisfied hum when he squeezes your lower back slightly, massaging it with his fingers. Your face warms at the visible bulge in his sweatpants.

To your surprise, he parts your legs, pulling off your panties immediately, and lowers his head. 

“Don’t you want me to–”

“Shh,” he whispers, shutting you up with a bite to your inner thigh. “Wanna eat you.”

You exhale as he rubs your clit in lazy circles. He doesn’t tongue you just yet—merely picking and prodding at your cunt with his fingers while he watches you squirm. He has much more patience than Satoru, intent on playing with you until you cry. 

“Suguru,” you whine.

Before you can make another complaint, his mouth latches onto your clit, tongue swirling tenderly at the bundle of nerves while his fingers sink into your cunt. He lets out a short laugh as he watches you try to hold back a moan. You taste like you’ve been waiting for him.

“So fucking soaked,” he murmurs, half-mad at the sight of your glistening pussy. You make a small noise of protest when he pulls his face away. He moves towards you, resting his head on your pillow before forcibly pulling your thighs onto his abdomen. 

“Can you not throw me around like I’m a ragdoll?”

“Sit on my face,” he demands, ignoring your comment.

“What?”

“C’mon. It’s my birthday,” he grins. 

“O-Okay,” you whisper, crawling until you’re hovering over his face. You often felt mortified in this position, always feeling too exposed. You’d only sit on Satoru’s face when the two of you were drunk.

You yelp when Suguru pulls your thighs down to each side of his head, immediately sucking on your clit. You whimper as he laps at your bud, his hands grabbing your ass and squeezing the flesh. His tongue keeps up a constant pressure and rhythm. You have to resist the urge to ride his face, but he seems to be encouraging you with the way he kneads your ass.

“Take off your top,” he murmurs, his voice hoarse. You oblige, stripping off your thin tank top. 

He groans when he sees you exposed, your nipples perky as you run your hands across them. You lean into his mouth, your legs shaking from the way he’s sucking you, from the way his eyes widen like moons as he watches you from below. 

“You look so good from here,” he slurs, cunt-drunk. His lips glisten pink even in the dark.

Your wet cunt throbs when you look down, seeing his black hair fan out like an angel underwater, eyes half-lidded in desperation. You can’t even react to his praises, your tongue numb and heavy in your mouth as he pushes his palms against your ass, encouraging you to grind on his face.

“Pull my hair,” he rasps. 

Your pussy drools all over him, but he takes it all, lapping up every drop of your arousal as he moans. You pull his hair and it feels like silk in your hands. 

It was all more sensitive from above, you didn’t know why. You could barely take it.

You cry out once his tongue rolls over your bud in a constant rhythm, his hand reaching into your cunt with fingers curled towards him. Your orgasm is overwhelming, has you clutching his hair so you don’t completely fall over. You groan at the overstimulation, on the verge of tears as Suguru clamps your thighs down against his shoulders so he can keep tasting you.

“T-too much!” you whimper.

He finally releases you, letting you lift your thigh to stumble onto your side. You whine again when he grabs you, forcing you to straddle him again. He groans as he lifts his hips. You feel him against your ass, his dick hard against it. 

“You want me on top?” 

���Yes,” he moans. He’s quick to pull off his sweatpants. You’ve never seen him like this — desperate, begging. The opposite of his usual calculated demeanor.

You hover over him, your cunt dripping. He wants to slam your thighs down with his hands, fill you to the brim himself, but he waits. Even after all this time, his size intimidates you. You touch yourself as you kiss his neck, reveling in the satisfied sounds he makes.

He pulls you onto him gently, playing with your clit before he coaxes himself into you. You moan at the same time—you wincing at his size, him groaning at your warmth. 

“Oh,” you gasp.

“Do you get this wet for Satoru?” he taunts.

You say nothing in response, only whining. 

“You’re almost tighter than him,” he mumbles, low enough that you can’t hear. You’re too busy caught up in rapture, pulling his hair the way he likes, ravished by his hands all over your thighs and up your bare stomach.

“Sugu,” you breathe, your body trembling at the sensitivity. He helps you through it, guiding your hips so that you roll against him smoothly as he moans. 

You’re so fucking warm. So tight around him. He almost feels like he’s dreaming as he bucks up into you, staring at you with a slack mouth. His eyes scan over your bouncing tits, the way your thighs tremble just slightly above him as you squeeze them, coaxing you to ride him even harder.

“Love this fucking pussy,” he growls. It makes your cheeks flush, too embarrassed to look at him, so you shut your eyes as you move your hips.

You ride him through his babbling, his moans. It’s unusual that he’s so vocal right now — Suguru is often more reserved with what comes out of his mouth during sex if it isn’t a grunt or praise. He’s never desperate like this, never whining the way Satoru does. Even when you feel yourself keening for him, you still suppose you have him in the palm of your hand.

You test this theory, pinning his hands above his hands just like the way he often does to you. He moans, jaw falling with his tongue lolling out of his mouth. He looks vulnerable, eyes unfocused. Pointed towards you, like he’s squinting at the stars. 

You try not to let the power get to your head. 

“Hit me,” he moans, his voice sounding drunk.

“What?”

“Hit me. Slap me. Just—do it.”

You grind against him slowly, blinking at him. You lower your hand to caress his jaw. His eyes are closed, his mouth still falling in surrender. Open and loose. After seconds of apprehension, you do it—it’s a small slap against his cheek, hard enough to hear, soft enough that it doesn’t leave a mark. He moans louder than you’ve ever heard him. 

“Oh, fuck—”

He brings his thumb to your clit as you ride him and it makes your bones loose. Melting within his grasp. You breathe heavily, watching him with wide eyes. 

Suguru grabs your hand and places it at the base of his throat. It’s then that you notice the large bruise below his collarbone, peeking slightly at the collar of his t-shirt. In the dark, you can’t tell the color—but in your field of vision, it looks purplish. 

You squeeze the base of his neck like he wants, and you see his eyes roll to the back of his head. You whimper as you bounce his cock, your tiredness catching up to you. You hadn’t been in a position of power during sex many times, especially not with Suguru. The thought of it makes your head spin, the expressions on his face making your cunt throb.

“So fucking good, baby,” he grovels. “Perfect girl.”

You hold him by the throat, your small hands incomparable to his body as a whole, but you apply pressure regardless. Fascinated by his expressions, by your ability to make him come undone in ways you hadn’t even imagined before.

“Harder,” he groans. “Make yourself cum on my cock.”

Even with his demanding tone, Suguru’s face appears otherwise. He’s flushed, mouth parting and trembling. You’ve never seen him so vulnerable.

“Oh,” you whimper. “Gonna—”

He holds you by the hips firmly, fucking up into you. Holds your hands, interlocking your fingers. When he cums at the same time as you, he has your fingers in his mouth, his teeth grazing your knuckles as he sucks on them with a muffled moan.

You fall onto him and he’s quick to let you nuzzle your face into his collarbone, rubbing your back gently. Eventually, you straddle him, tracing your fingers over the bruise under his collarbone.

“What’s this?” you breathe.

He looks down, chuckling. 

“Satoru’s gift,” he smirks. “I’ll give you a matching one.”

You let him nibble on your skin without protest, but something aches in your heart despite it all.

Suguru discards his shirt in the middle of the night. You don’t notice—at least, you aren’t awake for it. He’d had you passed out in his arms immediately the night before. 

When you finally open your eyes, he’s staring back at you. You nearly jolt out of your skin.

“Don’t do that,” you whine, hitting his shoulder lightly. “You’re like Satoru.” 

He doesn’t answer. Only laughs.

“Where are all these bruises from?” you mumble, touching them with your fingertips. 

“Satoru,” he says plainly. He doesn’t elaborate. Not even when you look at him with raised brows.

Suguru doesn’t feel the need to hide anything from you. Neither does Satoru, apparently, but he had barely been intimate with just you in the past two months. Suguru was always included, which you didn’t mind, considering your love for both of them, but you still craved tenderness. 

It’s the first time that it occurred to you that Satoru and Suguru were together separately from you. It was stupid—they’d kissed before you were even truly in the picture. Probably messed around, too. You didn’t have any deeper access to Satoru’s heart, even if you had known him as a child. You had to remind yourself of that.

But still, it felt odd to see the remnants of Satoru’s hunger on someone other than yourself. You liked to think of yourself as the mediator between them, the center of their universes, when you let yourself think more loosely, more confidently. 

But now, you’re small again. Separate from them.

“What’s wrong?” Suguru asks.

“Nothing.”

“Something.”

You smile warmly, running a hand through his hair. “Nothing.”

You’re not jealous. You can’t be. You would be annoyed by short quips from either of them during sex, teasing you about the other like it was a competition, but it was never serious. You were a plaything between the two of them, you knew this. You liked it.

But the prospect of the two of them together without you made your stomach hurt. It was almost as if the idea itself was to spite you—it made you feel endlessly guilty. You were so willing to be there, to be used by either of them, to be the favorite. How selfish it was that you hadn’t noticed that the boys had wanted each other, perhaps more than they even wanted you.

“You gonna ask us how often we fuck without you?”

“Suguru!”

He laughs, but it’s not out of spite. 

“Some of these are from sparring. You know how he likes to play.”

“Yeah,” you mutter. Embarrassment colors your features. He didn’t need to say it as if he was reassuring you.

“He wouldn’t let you be his punching bag,” he ruffles your hair. “You’re too precious.”

You can’t find it in yourself to believe him.

April, 2005

Suguru empties the remnants of the curse in the toilet. It's not the parts themselves, more like the ghost of the cadaver, his insides making themselves sick from the taste. He was still getting used to it. 

He coughs and wipes his mouth. Examines himself in the mirror, frowning, hair unkempt. His hair was getting long, down to his collarbone. The girls liked it a lot, which he didn’t understand —the length made him get greasy. They’d compare him to male idols, not that he cared. 

He washes his hands in Satoru’s fancy sink and moisturizes his hands with jasmine-scented lotion, the kind that his father would maybe gift his mother on a holiday. 

When he leaves the bathroom, he nearly collides with you. You mumble an apology, barely making eye contact with him. Did Satoru have a sister?

The two of you didn’t look alike, for starters. You didn’t have the same blinding-white hair as the rest of the Gojo family, plus Satoru probably would’ve mentioned a sibling. Suguru watches you leave, face warming slightly when he realizes he’s looking for too long. He curses under his breath when you notice, but you don’t look perturbed at all—you flash him a small smile. 

He returns the smile sheepishly and heads back to Satoru’s room.

“Who’s that girl?” he asks.

“Huh?” 

Satoru is barely paying attention. His eyes are fixed on his game, Final Fantasy.

“The girl downstairs. Our age.”

“Oh. She’s the maid’s daughter. Family friend. Kind of.”

Suguru sits on the floor next to Satoru, knees touching as they sit up against the foot of the bed. 

“You never mentioned her. She’s cute,” he remarks.

“Off limits.”

Suguru scoffs. “I didn’t even—”

“Seriously. She’s like… family.”

Satoru is lying through his teeth, jaw clenched only slightly. He nearly said sister instead of family, but that would be a hole that he was not willing to dig for himself. He pretends to blame his attitude on losing the game. Grimaces when he hears Suguru snicker beside him.

You must’ve been one of Satoru’s toys. Suguru knew the boy hated sharing. 

“So you’ve claimed her already.”

“Shut up.” Satoru throws the controller at him, huffing like a child. “I can’t fucking beat this guy. Try it.”

“That’s because you fucking suck,” Suguru laughs.

Satoru grumbles and folds his arms. He was always too candid in the face, terrible at hiding emotions, and everyone knew it. He liked that Suguru didn’t care to pry. He hated that Suguru was exactly the kind of guy that you would have a crush on. Soft-spoken but quick-witted, pretty in the face.

It didn’t matter, anyway. Satoru hadn’t had a real conversation with you in over a year. 

April, 2010

You are not a jealous person.

Satoru is talking to a girl who is much too close for comfort, and you are not a jealous person. Both are objective facts. Maybe.

For once, everyone is getting drunk somewhere that isn’t a Jujutsu Tech dorm room, but it was a shitty venue that wasn’t much better. Yuki played bass in a punk band, and the girls weren’t willing to go without you and the boys as chaperones. Despite this, Shoko and Utahime had fucked off during the first set, probably making out in the bathroom.

“Need a breather?” 

You spin around to see Suguru with his hair down, cigarette nested above his ear. You look back at Satoru, who is now being entertained by two more girls. 

“Yup,” you nod.

The night is moderately warm. The moon hangs above the velvet black, jagged like a piece of glass. Suguru wraps his arms around your middle, lighting the cigarette and bringing it to your mouth.

“Didn’t think you were the jealous type,” he says.

“What?” you frown, crooning your neck to face him.

“Oh, come on,” he teases. “I’ve never seen you make such hostile faces.”

“That’s just my face.”

“Sure.”

He kisses the top of your head. He pulls your hair and tips your head back so he can kiss your mouth, his lips upside-down against yours. 

“People give me looks when both of you kiss me within the same ten minutes,” you murmur. “Did you notice that?”

“No,” Suguru chuckles. “I’m usually too busy looking at you.”

You exhale smoke before putting the cigarette in Suguru’s mouth, peering at the moon again. He was bored. Considered taking you in the bathroom so he could spill inside of you, just for Satoru to find out when you’d sleep in his bed later tonight. There wasn’t a rivalry, not truly, but he liked knowing that it made Satoru tick. 

Satoru had started healing his bruises for him. They’d fight, rolling around on the floor before fucking it out. He would only let his Infinity through a handful of times, but always let it through when they fucked. Suguru knew that Satoru liked feeling the roughness of his hands on him. It made him feel alive. 

It’s all carnal. Instinct as desire. Satoru wouldn’t let you see that side of him. He thinks about when he came back to life and feels horrified, sick like he came back wrong. He was never sure if you were looking at him differently or if it was vice versa. Suguru always looked at him the same way. It’s a mutual understanding. 

Suguru looks at you that way, too. There’s something hungry in his eyes now, something that feels like an ultimatum. He grins at you with the cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

He’d like to eat you. Curse of a girl. Could be the prettiest of his repertoire, he thinks. He remembers the shock on your face when you killed that curse in the forest — while something horrible rooted itself inside you, sheer terror from the rot you were capable of, disgust with yourself — his face was warm with affection. Or something twisted like that. 

The way he scooped you into his arms, your fragile body all bloodied. Naive little thing. He’d held you as the two of you flew back on the manta ray and he had felt like he saw something he shouldn’t have. A turning moment. Not even Satoru would be able to make sense of it. 

“Wanna go back intside?” Suguru purrs into your ear.

You nod.

You take his hand in yours just as Yuki’s band is about to start. Satoru is exactly where he was before, but this time he’s staring at the both of you. You’re too busy watching the stage to notice. The lights flood over you in a way that makes you look like a heavenly body. You and Suguru had matching eyes tonight, black kohl smudged over your eyes by Shoko during the pregame. 

You feel a pair of small arms circle around your middle, the scent of tobacco and men’s Issey Miyake perfume filling your senses. Speak of the devil. 

You turn your head and Shoko grins, Utahime in tow behind her. You laugh when you see the lipstick smudges around Shoko’s mouth. 

“Have fun?” you ask.

“Huh?” she shouts.

“Never mind!” you yell back. 

Satoru watches from afar, trying to get his way through the crowd, but is bombarded by the sheer amount of people in his way. Everyone’s too drunk to care about politeness. His size wasn’t helping him either — no one was willing to let such a tall guy get in front of them. 

“You get our girl drunk yet?” Shoko asks Suguru.

He shakes his head. “She’s being responsible tonight.”

You giggle and stumble. Trying to move your body in a way that feels appropriate for a punk show. Shoko flashes a grin to Suguru.

“I think your girlfriend is lying to you,” she murmurs into his ear. “Where’s Satoru? Expanding Japan’s gene pool?”

“Shut up,” he mouths, laughing. Well, probably.

He didn’t know if Satoru was seeing other people. He didn’t care, but he knew that you would. It wasn’t something he felt like bringing up when he was alone with him, though. He trusted Satoru enough to not break your heart, but he knew that the boy was restless lately, almost manic. 

Satoru had made out with a girl who looked like you at a bar two weeks ago, then cried on the way home. Suguru almost found it pathetic. 

Suguru holds you again once Shoko busies herself with Utahime, the both of them thrashing and running toward the front of the crowd, close enough to touch the stage. He rests his head on top of yours, slips his large hands underneath your shirt just to feel the warm skin of your stomach. 

Satoru is a few feet away. His mouth is moving, but Suguru can’t figure out what he’s saying amongst all the fucking noise. He looks drunk. Something lurches inside Suguru when he sees a girl nearly hanging off of Satoru. 

He spins you around in his arms and presses his mouth to yours with more force than he intends. 

You succumb immediately — is it always that easy? It must be. You were arguably easy to the two of them. It was something Satoru liked talking about when they were in private without you, something to tease Suguru about when his hand was wrapped around his cock.

She’d be so good if she was here right now, wouldn’t she? So fucking wet… so warm.

Suguru sucks in your tongue and holds your face. He opens his eyes to lock them with Satoru’s — they’re blazing blue, almost brighter than the stage lights. 

Satoru laughs, though his eyes look mean.

May, 2010

You are nodding off in the courtyard when you feel a light kick to your thigh. When you open your eyes, Shoko is looking over at you, a lollipop in her mouth. It’s one that you had gifted her one day as a joke — “smoke stop pops.” She liked them anyway, the herb flavor weaning her need for nicotine while also replacing her random cravings for black tea. It didn’t actually curb her smoking habit, but it was a new oral fixation. She’d eaten three a day for the past week.

“It’s time for quality time,” she grins, the lollipop making her left cheek jut out.

“You’re taking me out on a date?” you question, blinking at her. If she moved a little to the right, she’d block the sun out completely. Unfortunately, it’s still bright beside her head. You squint at her.

“I will later, if you want. But Yaga wanted us to do a little… project together?” 

She lowers her hand and you take it. She pulls you to your feet and picks a leaf out of your hair. 

“Is that why they call you Twigs?” 

“What?”

“Never mind,” she snorts. “C’mon.”

Shoko takes you to a greenhouse that has a path leading through it. There are cherry blossoms and hakone grass, azaleas and bonsai trees. A koi fish pond with a small wooden bridge. 

“This is beautiful,” you say.

“It is,” she nods. “I used to come here a lot when I was a teenager. My old high school is pretty close to here.”

“Is Yaga-sensei forcing us to go on a date?”

“Okay, even if this was a date, you would’ve gone on it regardless, you ass,” Shoko laughs, pinching you on the side. “Anyways, this is more of an assignment. Or experiment, I guess.”

“What do you mean?”

She leads you to the little bridge and you gaze at the orange and black-speckled koi fish below. 

“Have you ever brought anything back to life?” Shoko asks. Her hands tremble ever so slightly until she reaches for one of her lollipops and puts it in her mouth. 

“Twice. The first time was when my kitten got hit by a car when I was a kid. The second was a bumblebee I killed. Just to see if I could do it.”

“You didn’t try it any other time?” 

You shake your head. 

“Okay, well, come outside with me.”

You follow her out back. There’s a plot of dirt with pots of small trees lining the square of land. She presents a few small plants stuck in their little pots, dehydrated as hell. Brown and drooping.

“You want me to… ‘heal’ these?”

“Your technique isn’t necessarily healing. And you can’t do reverse cursed technique like Satoru and I, but you can regenerate cells, right?”

You pause, staring at her, then your hands. Then the plants.

“I guess.”

“Great. So bring these plants back to life.”

You frown at her bluntness. You hate being put on the spot. To be honest, you hadn’t showcased the strongest output of your technique since the Star Plasma Vessel incident, and before that, the mission with Suguru. Every time you were in fight or flight mode, you’d pass out with a nosebleed. 

Bringing a plant back to life probably wasn’t a huge feat, but Shoko’s wording made you grimace.

You lift your hand and close your eyes. You touch the dead leaves and exhale, circumventing the energy inside you into something tangible, something to hold in your hands like a spiritual weapon. Within seconds, the plant straightens its leaves and turns green with solid stems. Leaves that extended past the bottom sprouts, which also rose from the dead roots.

When you open your eyes, you see Shoko smiling. 

Over the next week, you bring back small animals. Bugs and mice. Guinea pigs. Shoko nearly has you try it out on the little fetuses suspended in formaldehyde in her lab, but you refuse. 

You’d never thought about using your technique in this way. Since Riko died and Toji Fushiguro left a scar on your body, you felt weak. Your cursed energy would manifest enough power for you to fight, but using your actual technique would be exhausting. Like a muscle, it was finally beginning to strengthen again, and at a rapid rate.

When you’re walking home from an easy mission, you find a stray cat that limps with only three legs. You feed it milk from the konbini. When you hover your hand over it, it heals. Regenerates another limb that looks like it was always there.

Your cell phone rings at the same time you open your eyes.

“Hello?”

“Are you almost back?” Shoko asks. “Yaga-sensei wants to talk to you.”

[ikigaisvt]

sleepy

in which your boyfriend comforts you after a restless night.

pairing: joshua x gn!reader words count: 1.6k content: comfort, fluff warnings: talk of insomnia, eating, talk of drinking, petnames (for reader: babe, baby, sweeheart / for joshua: josh, love), skinship (cuddles, kisses) note: hi!! the joshua brainrot has been hitting hard lately; im kinda in love,, thank you so much @goblinvern for proof reading this for me 🫶 you're the absolute best! minors are allowed to interact with this post but please don't follow or i'll hard block you. enjoy and don't forget to leave a like/comment/reblog! note 2.0: i wasn't planning on posting this fic before the new year, but since i had it sitting in the drafts and it's joshua's day, i thought it'd be a good timing to post it now~ i hope everyone will have a good 2024 and happy birthday to shua!! 🫶

You were pretty sure if people would have to describe you, they’d use that word: admirative. You were one to always be left in awe at people’s talents, whether it be singing, drawing, dancing or truly anything else. Even though you were creative yourself, you’d always be admirative of what people could create out of their minds only. But if you had to say the one skill that would leave you speechless, as it is not one you possess, it’s being able to function with little to no sleep.

Okay, let’s redo this. If you’re being truthful, people would more likely describe you as sleepy. You were someone who always loved sleeping; however, sleep did not like you. You were never like one of those people who could sleep anywhere and through anything, you were rather on the more sensitive side when it came to sleeping. Over the years, you had put together a very strict routine you had to follow every night to ensure a restful sleep. But oh, if you had the bad idea or the bad luck to skip or miss a step? You’d end up falling asleep at 1 am and waking up at 5 am. And that’s exactly what happened yesterday night. Now, you’re used to this so surely you would know how to handle your own state and have the most productive day despite your tiredness. However, because the world never gives enough hardships to one, you were sometimes faced with a special kind of tiredness. A tiredness that would make you stick to anyone’s side. A tiredness that would make you hug a person and never let go. And when that happened, well, no amount of self-knowledge could make you change for the day. But maybe you have something to thank the world for: it gave the loveliest and gentlest boyfriend ever. And he loves cuddles.

10 am – 5 hours since I’ve been awake. He should be awake pretty soon; you think to yourself. Here you were, perched on the kitchen stool, an empty bowl of cereal in front of you, waiting for your boyfriend to wake up so you could cuddle. When you first woke up, you had hoped you would fall back asleep immediately, even though that rarely happened for you, so you didn’t even think of cuddling. But when you realized you would not fall asleep, you decide to get up and go about your day, already looking forward to your afternoon’s nap. All you did was settle down on your couch and put on your favorite show – The Vampire Diaries and around 9am, when hungriness settled down in the pit of your stomach, you got up and made yourself a bowl of cereal. You don’t know what triggered your need to hug your boyfriend – maybe the chill air that settled in your apartment as winter is coming closer or maybe the fact that you haven’t seen him a lot lately, but all you have been thinking about since then was him. Him and his arms enveloping you. Him and his scent making your head spin. Him and his fingers playing with your hair. Him, him, him. Now, you could have woken him up but knowing he came back home around 2 am – as he was out drinking with Jeonghan – you didn’t find it in you to ruin his sleep.

“10:30 am – he really should be awake by now,” you say out loud before you hear the water running in your bathroom. You slowly lean and peek at your hallway only to see Joshua walk down towards you – more like, towards the kitchen, his hair sticking out in weird angles while he rubs the sleep away from his eyes.

“Sweetheart,” he calls out to you once he gets closer, “Since when have you been awake?” he asks, worries written all over his face. He knows how much you struggle with sleeping.

“I woke up around 5,” you mumble as he starts making himself a cup of coffee. At your words he turns around to look at you, gives up on his coffee and comes around the kitchen bar.

“Oh babe,” he says, his hands reaching for your face, cupping your cheeks gently, “Is it because of me? Did I wake you up?” he questions, his eyes searching yours for an answer.

“No, you’re fine. You know how it gets for me sometimes,” you reassure him, your hands holding on his wrists.

“Okay, okay,” he says, “What can I do? Do you want to stay in bed while I clean around? Today is cleaning day, right?” he asks, trying to come up with a way to make today easier for you.

“Well, cleaning day is reported to tomorrow,” you chuckle, lighting up the situation, “but there’s something I’d really like,” you mumble, trying to work up the courage to ask him for cuddles.

“Yes, tell me. Anything for you,” he nods, his hands now resting on your neck, his fingers playing with the little hair at the back of your head.

“You promise you won’t make fun of me?” you ask him, holding out your hand in a pinky promise.

“Of course. I promise I won’t make fun of you,” he states, as he meets your hand in the same promise, a glint of mischievousness appearing in his eyes, “You want cuddles, don’t you?” he asks in a smile.

“How did you know?” you gasp, not knowing what could have given you up. But truly, Joshua knew as soon as he looked at you. He couldn’t pin point what gave you away either but he’s sure it’s there somewhere, in your shiny eyes, in your slight pout or maybe it’s the way your body is leaning into his, faster, closer, than usual.

“You always ask me to not make fun of you before asking for cuddles,” he chuckles, trying to come up with an answer without giving away how much he loves you, “and I always tell you I will not. Never.” He says, planting a kiss on your forehead, “Especially not when you’re being so open with what you need. You know I’ll always try to provide whatever you need for you.” Okay, he thinks to himself, maybe I did give myself away with that one.

“Thank you, Josh,” you murmur, your hands finding his shirt, as you pull him towards you so he can stand between your legs, “Just like this. For a few seconds.” You tell him, your voice even quieter as you bury yourself in his chest. You feel his arms reach behind you, rubbing your head and your back in slow motion, bringing you the comfort you were wishing for. Your body slowly relaxes, your hands untighten against his shirt and your breath becomes slower, little sighs leaving you as you realize that this is feeling rested. This is what love feels like. This is what home feels like.

“Feels good?” he whispers, his hand now drawing circles on your back, your response coming in the form of a nod, “You want to move to the couch?” he asks as you mumble yes against his shirt, slowly leaving his embrace. You look up at him, your eyes meeting as he reaches for your face, slowly coming closer to your lips. Just as you close your eyes and your lips are about to meet, he whispers something about the couch and suddenly you’re hoisted up in the air, his arms around you.

“There we go, baby,” he says as he kisses your forehead, blush creeping on your cheeks at how much he’s covering you with love, “Hold on tight,” he whispers, your arms finding rest on his shoulders as he holds you closer to his chest.

He slowly makes his way to the couch, the slight movement of his steps almost lulling you to sleep, to that state you always struggle to find on your own. And yet with him, it’s so easy. So easy you find yourself sleepier than before, as Joshua sets you down on the couch, his arms open to allow you the rest you deeply deserve. Your cheek is pressed against his chest, his heart like a lullaby to you while he strokes your hair out of your face.

“You’re good now?” he whispers as he plants another kiss on your head.

“Hm, yeah. Thank you, love,” you whisper, already feeling sleepier than a few minutes ago as he strokes your back.

“Please, don’t thank me,” he starts, “always come find me when you can’t sleep, okay? Call me and I’ll come running. Tell me and I’ll drop everything. Wake me up whenever and I will give every ounce of sleep to you.” he says, your eyes looking up at him, “You need to promise me, okay?” he asks, his hand already out in a pinky promise.

“I swear,” you answer, your hand locking his into a promise. You take a hold of his hand quick enough, playing with his fingers before you start leaving kisses on his open palm, his knuckles, the tip of his fingers, “I love you.” you whisper as you let his hand down, your fingers still intertwined.

“I know,” he says quietly, his eyes filled with something you can’t describe. Perhaps it is love. “I love you too. So much.” He tells you, sealing his love with a kiss on your hand as your eyes feel heavier than before, sleep and warmth slowly invading your body.

It’s when you feel your body getting heavier, Joshua’s heart beats fading in the background as his hand never stop rubbing your back that you realize you should have added cuddles with Joshua as a crucial part of your night routine. No matter how many tips you will try to sleep better – earplugs, sleeping masks, white noise music, nothing will ever compare to Joshua and the comfort, rest and love he brings you. And maybe after a few years, you’ll be able to only have one step in your night routine.

thank you so much for reading! i hope you enjoyed it 🫶

[lily-blue]

13 reasons why | extra no.1: whipped (for you) cream

☆ characters: baker!mingyu & food critic!you (Sooyoung - ‘97 liner) ☆ genre: coffee shop au, pregnancy au, fluff ☆ requested by: this lovely anon ☆ summary: despite your insistence on helping out in the kitchen, you have a hard time decorating cupcakes while being pregnant; Mingyu could say “he told you so” but instead, he supports you through your stubbornness ☆ words: 2,3k ☆ taglist: @dat-town, @lilylikesthat​​

➼ chapter index

A lot of things had changed since Kim Mingyu had come into your life - some for the worse, some for the better. 

Just as you had feared the night you had agreed to go out with him in the middle of your tiny kitchen, you didn’t like all aspects of being tied to another person. You still craved your alone time when your social battery was about to die on you, and you liked being independent and in control of the most important aspects of your life, disgusted by the idea of becoming financially or emotionally dependent on another person. You also couldn’t see yourself as an amazing mother. 

Yet, with over five years down the road and a belly as round as a damned watermelon, you could say that none of your cons against a future with the baker was strong enough to beat the pros. 

To everyone’s biggest surprise - including yourself -, you enjoyed living under the same roof as your now-husband. He was the man you could whole-heartedly call your person even on your worst days: when you were annoyed and annoying, when you thrived on picking a fight with him for the most insignificant things just to blow off some steam, or when you would have rather have him sleep on the floor after a heated argument than fall asleep without him in the same bedroom.

You were genuinely incapable of picturing yourself starting a family with anyone else but Kim Mingyu. As cheesy as Felix would have called you for admitting it, you were convinced that he was the love of your life. 

Because somehow Mingyu got you. He supported you. He stuck by your side even when you were ready to push him away. And most importantly, he made you the happiest person in the world, sharing the same enthusiasm with you for food and desserts. You might not have been as talented as him, but he had even taught you how to bake over the years, which was a great testament for his commitment. (In the beginning, your fluffy pancakes had been so dry, you couldn’t have called them crispy to save your life, and your cupcakes had resembled pieces of coals that could have kept your home warm for years during the most unforgiving winters.)

‘A penny for your thoughts?’ The question was murmured into your ear, the husky voice of your husband pulling you out of your head without much trouble. Too used to him standing behind your back and monitoring your baking process in your enormous kitchen, you leaned the back of your head against his broad chest and did not bother to sneak a glance at him. The low rumble that escaped his throat the moment your body fit close to his was enough: you knew he found your behaviour amusing and had his full attention on you.

You unconsciously patted your baby bump once, twice, three times before you grabbed a new piece of chocolate-orange cupcake and started to decorate it with pastel coloured buttercream - apparently, pastel was Haeun’s new favourite palette, which genuinely surprised you, since you could still remember her excitement a year ago when she had been allowed to paint her bedroom at their new home with Joshua eggplant. Children grew up so fast.

‘I’m just thinking about Haeun-ah’s birthday. It’s hard to believe she’s already turning ten,’ you said, purposely omitting the part where you had been thinking about him, your own baby and the future that was awaiting you three. Mingyu had already had a decent-sized ego, you didn’t want his head to grow even bigger.

Plus, he knew you like one knew the back of their hand. He might have already figured out what had been on your mind before he had sneaked up on you.

‘Hn, you know what’s even crazier? That the twins will start preschool next year,’ Mingyu said, and you let out a hum in agreement. Now that you were pregnant and knew how much pain it could cause sometimes just to stand for a longer period of time on swollen ankles and with constant backache, you thought it was insane how noone (except Seungcheol and her mother) had realised Hoyeon had been with twins until her third trimester.

You couldn’t have hidden it for a month.

‘Talking about crazy… How does Haeun have twenty-three friends she wants to celebrate with at her party? At her age, I couldn’t keep around more than two to save my life,’ you complained rather light-heartedly, although you did find it slightly annoying that you had been decorating cupcakes since eight in the morning and it still felt like there was no end to the desserts that flooded your kitchen.

You bit down on your lower lip harshly before more complaints could have left your mouth. Mingyu had given you a week’s notice that he would bake the birthday girl’s cupcake-cake the morning of her party, so they would have been as fresh as possible. It had also been you who had insisted on helping with the decoration, because while you had difficulties getting used to your pregnant body and moving around so close to your due date, you were also stubborn and selfish, and you wanted to spend your free Saturday with Mingyu.

‘Wasn’t Felix your only friend when we met?’ Mingyu teased you with his chin on the top of your head, earning an elbow in his gut for such an unnecessary comment.

His quiet, deep chuckle made you smile within a second.

‘That’s not the point. Twenty-three close friends aren’t normal either,’ you said with a pout as you finished the petals on the cupcake and grabbed another bag of coloured buttercream to make the cream-bouquet more realistic with a lighter shade of the pastel purple you had been using.

‘I already had fourteen close friends when I met you. And I’d like to believe I grow close to most of the guys’ significant others. And Felix, too. And Jihye’s brother,’ he went on and on with a shiteating grin on his face that you could visualise without looking at him. Without doubt, Mingyu was proud of himself to have so many people in his life he could not only care for but also rely on, so you didn’t scoff. Especially because you were well aware of the number of many fake people who tried to get close to him because of his money and looks while they called him a himbo behind his back.

It was an insecurity that had caused many fights between the two of you at the beginning of your relationship, but as time went on and the two of you had gotten more secure in what you had, those people’s existence and opinion slowly started to fade into the background. They didn’t matter - your date nights, your baking sessions, your achievements and your growing family did.

‘Considering that you knew about Jiung’s girlfriend before his sister, I would say you’re pretty close,’ you acknowledged his bond with the boy who had become a more permanent character in your lives shortly after Jihoon and Jihye’s housewarming party where both he and Mingyu had gotten sentimental drunk on the couple’s brand new couch. You remembered covering them with a soft blanket after they had fallen asleep: how you had realised at that moment that Mingyu would be an amazing dad because he was protecting the younger’s head with both of his hands in his sleep.

Once the flowers on the cupcake looked pleasant enough, you placed it on the tray with the finished desserts on it, then patted your belly absentmindedly. You didn’t want to whine, but you also wanted to whine a little. The added weight started to become heavy on your back and you could also feel a sheer layer of sweat forming above your upper lips and on your temples.

Refusing to slow down and let this side job slash birthday present steal your entire Saturday, you wiped the moisture off your face and got back to work, dodging your husband’s hands when he tried to take the buttercream bag out of yours to decorate the orange-chocolate piece you had picked up.

‘You should pay attention to the tray in the oven. It’s the last one, right?’ You asked, happy to be correct about the dessert and that the cupcakes needed his attention more. This way, Mingyu didn’t have a comeback as to why he should have assisted you without bringing up your baby bump: a reason you had grown to be allergic to. You weren’t disabled. You could still do things on your own even if some took you a little bit longer these days. You didn’t like when your independence got threatened. (It didn’t matter that deep down you knew that was never Mingyu’s true intention.)

After your husband walked back to the oven, you picked up the yellow buttercream and let out a silent sigh. You could do it. One and a half more trays to go. It was as easy as stealing candy from a toddler. 

Working your way through two more cupcakes by the time the last tray got ready, you were secretly happy to be able to lean against Mingyu’s broad chest again, although it didn’t take much weight off your ankles. They were still throbbing lightly, reminding you of your new limits that you refused to acknowledge. You were so damn tired. You started to doubt whether assisting Mingyu was a good idea. You should have stayed in bed and simply waited for him. Then, you still would have had the energy to do more with him than eating on the couch and demanding cuddles once the cupcake-cake got delivered.

However, it was too late to make up your mind now.

Even though you really, really wanted to go back to bed and sleep.

‘Love…’ the now-familiar endearment fell from Mingyu’s lips quietly as though he wanted to make sure he was gentle enough for you to listen. You pressed your lips together, feeling overwhelmed and a tad moody. ‘Let me help.’

Your lips trembled as you kept working on the birthday cupcakes. You wanted his help. In fact, you didn’t want to stand anymore at all, but you had insisted despite his arguments last night and this morning, and you didn’t want to hear how he had been right. How you were too pregnant apparently to decorate five dozen cupcakes with buttercream without crying. The thought alone made you feel incompetent. Dependent. A burden.

‘But then the flowers wouldn’t look the same,’ you insisted, because that was the only thing you could do without feeling like a failure. Because finishing the damned cupcake-cake with tears in your eyes was still better in your opinion than letting him handle the rest regardless of how those flowers came out to be. You both knew none of those ten-year-olds would have thrown a tantrum because of the decoration when Mingyu’s chocolate-orange and strawberry- white-chocolate cupcakes were mouth-watering, breathtaking, goddamn delicious.

You were being difficult for no reason, and you already hated yourself for it. You just couldn’t help it when your brain was dead set on proving something silly to the both of you when in reality, you had nothing to prove.

The first thing you noticed was the light touch of a chin on your shoulder and the stubble that rubbed against your cheek before most of the weight was lifted off your aching body. Your hands trembled and you almost dropped the buttercream bag when you looked down at your baby bump and saw your husband’s arms around you. He was holding… No, he was lifting up your belly, so you wouldn’t feel the extra weight that prominently.

‘You’re right,’ he murmured into your ear, encouraging you to finish the decoration on your own; meanwhile, he did not let go of your belly.

It should have felt offensive. It should have felt like he didn’t believe in you. And most importantly, it shouldn’t have felt so freaking good that you wished he would have done this more frequently in the future. Like every day - every single day until your baby boy was born and your body could start the healing process.

‘Just let me be here for you, hm?’ He asked for your permission, which you gave him in the most you-way possible: without words, leaning into him more, humming out your approval. God, you loved him so much.

You loved him so much.

During the next hour or so, while you slowly finished the buttercream flowers in the colours of the rainbow, Mingyu didn’t let go of you for a second. He stood behind you, holding your pregnant belly, talking about everything and anything to keep your mind occupied, so you wouldn’t pay attention to your obvious discomfort. He chatted your ears off about Hoshi’s upcoming engagement party, about who he thought would start a family next (your bet was on Seokmin, but he was convinced Soonyoung wouldn’t be able to keep it in his pants after Eunseo said yes to his proposal), and about Jihye’s new album that came with a mini tour. It was nice. It was bearable.

And you once again realised that there was no one… no one else in the world with whom you could have taken this scary step towards having your own family with so much ease and confidence. Because you loved your independence. You loved being able to do things on your own and pick fights when you couldn’t. You hated being wrong and being told that you were wrong, although you knew your stubborn ass never listened to well-founded reasoning. Yet, Mingyu rarely got angry with you for being who you were.

He stood by your side. He supported you. He accepted all your flaws.

And you, being you, could only wish he knew you would have done all these for him, too. That in this lifetime and the next one, too, for you, it was him. No one else. Only him.

the end.

[kithtaehyung]

back to december (teaser) (m) | ksj

title: back to december (teaser) pairing: brother's best friend!seokjin x reader(f) rating/genre: m (18+) ; angst , fluff , smut ; brother’s best friend au, wedding au, second chance au summary: ever since you left town to pursue your dreams, life has fast forwarded into one big blur. so when you hit pause to attend your brother’s wedding exactly three years later, your brain instinctively resets and rewinds. because you have to spend it with the very person that had been there at the start. the one person you regret leaving behind. note: this originally started as a one-shot for @raplinesmoon for the maui relief fundraiser, but turned into something more. since it also fit into the mold of this holiday collab, here we are! note 2: this is part of the jingle all the way collaboration with @kpopfanfictrash, @leahsfavefics, @cybrsan, @yoonia, and @sugaurora! all the holiday collab fics have the phrase “the holidays aren’t so bad with you around.” warnings: [explicit warnings to be posted on drop day!] language, alcohol, angst lol, time switches/flashbacks, seokjin being the sweetest until he’s not >:)), reader being damn cool, overthinking, bbf!jin needs his own warning i am warning y’all now, horribly great jokes, winter themes, relationship failures, stress/anxiety, jin being jin, did i say angst?, falling into cold water, a lot of gd yearning mood: back to december - taylor swift, halley's comet - billie eilish, universe/snowing in la - thuy teaser word count: 1.2k | est. word count: uhhh 20k+ lol wanna be on the taglist? add yourself here! est. drop date: january 2024

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It all started with an accident in winter. 

Ever the gracious hosts, your family decided to throw a cookout for your brother’s birthday, inviting everyone in the neighborhood and its outskirts to join in celebration. While your brother was initially opposed to being outside in the frost, word got around that his crush of three years running would be present, which suddenly warmed him right up to the whole idea.

Typical.

You were also initially opposed—having to sit through the festivities while your older sibling hogged all the attention—until you discovered your own downfall was attending, too. 

Because of course he would.

And if he was coming, you were set on making your naive self presentable and noticeable, and you still consider the day of the party to be the best you’ve ever carried yourself. You were confident, you were radiant.

Until you got bumped into the backyard pool.

You don’t even recall who knocked you in. All you remember was water rushing into your vision, and paddling through outright shame and embarrassment when you shakily swam your freezing bones to the ledge. Everyone saw you: your friends, your family, your brother’s older circle and acquaintances. In your adolescence, it was the literal worst thing to have happened to anyone in the history of ever.

But someone’s outstretched hand greeted you when you got to the pool’s edge. 

And when you looked up, you questioned if you hit the bottom on the way in because the face you were seeing was a shock. Were you deceased? Did you somehow swim to heaven’s beach?

No. It was really him, the very person you got all dressed up for. 

Seokjin. Handsome, reserved, off-limits friend of your brother Seokjin. 

Years later, you still question why he was the one helping you out. But it didn’t matter at the time because all you wanted was to get thawed out as soon as possible. 

“Come on,” he had urged. “You’ll get sick.”

Trembling because of the cold and nothing else, you took his hand and let him haul you into the house, wondering what the hell was going on the entire time. Why was he the one helping you? Where the hell was your brother? 

Because not only did he lead you inside, but the boy also accompanied you to your bathroom, grabbing a towel off its rack and wrapping it around your knocking shoulder blades. 

“Grab some clothes, okay?” 

“Huh?” 

“Go get clothes,” Seokjin ordered, moving towards your shower. “And change out of those as soon as you can.” 

“Oh.” Blinking, you couldn’t decide if your shivers were from the fall or his comments. But either way, you were shaking horrendously. “Yeah, okay.” 

After that, you remember being so cold you couldn’t even move your legs. Which meant that Seokjin had to lead you to your room and wait at the entrance while you hastily grabbed whatever you could find. 

There was no way he was gonna catch the cutesy patterns of your underwear. No way. 

When you were done, Seokjin brought you back into the restroom, the spray of water echoing through the festively decorated space. “It should be warm enough now,” he urged. “Don’t wait.” 

“Thank you,” you finally huffed, hating how your shakes stifled your gratitude. “You can, uhm. Go back out there now.” 

“Mm.” In the doorway, his eyes reflected the bright lights so perfectly. To this day, you still remember the way you compared them to stars. “Well. Umm. Good luck.” 

And you will never forget the way you felt heat before you even touched the run of the shower. 

“Yes, it’s all set. We are still on for Monday.” 

“Good. This is the meeting we absolutely cannot miss.” 

“Umm, yes—I mean—Understood.” 

“Is everything okay over there?” 

Rushing to close the door of your rental, you bite back a curse as your suit jacket catches in the edge. Because of course it does after the frantic day you’ve already had. “Yes! Everything’s”—you smush your top against your side while shutting the door again—“Fine! But I do have to go.” 

“Sure, sure. Oh, one more thing—”

Right. Rummaging through your purse, you locate the keys at the very bottom while trying to ingest the four things being tossed into your ear, locking the car in a fast walk to the massive mountainside property ahead of you. 

“ —then we’ll finalize the merger. Got that?” 

Holy shit, your brother must be doing even better than you or his fiance is loaded. 

“Hello?” 

“Oh, shit, sorry. Yes, Mr. Hamada, we can do that.” 

“Mm. What did we say about language.” 

“Apologies.” Damn your filthy mouth for running even faster in cold weather. Because it is the goddamn arctic out here. “I will say I have been getting better, though.” 

“Improvement won’t matter if you fuck up during the meeting.” 

“Alright, buddy.” Your superior’s laugh grates your ear as you haul ass into the warm estate, worry suddenly gripping you when you realize that no one is walking around. 

Shit, are you that late? Did you miss everything? 

Skittering right to the main doors, you start to panic. Are these the main doors? They look like them. Fancy. Very fancy. Shit, shit, shit, is the wedding over—

A full body bumps into your side as you round a table bursting with flowers. Having a sound enough mind to cover your receiver, you react in a shout, “Hey, watch it—” 

“Sorry!” 

Wait. You know that voice. 

Even though it’s one that you haven’t heard in years. 

“…Jin?” 

Everything slowly stops as the man turns and, if you weren’t so in shock, you would’ve noticed the way his eyes traveled from your heels to your perfectly trimmed brows. 

You expect both something and nothing. Because when it comes to the person standing in front of you, there’s no telling what he’ll destroy you with next. 

But what comes out is merely a tiny, chest-constricting, 

“Hello.” 

You stare, and stare, and stare some more. Even your boss cannot bring you back to the present with his incessant poking. 

Because Jin looks so fucking handsome in his suit that’s not quite dressed yet, with hair that’s swept just enough to throw you off planet earth. Even the way his tie lounges around his neck gives you pause, because it showcases how broad his shoulders have become. 

How can he look the same and yet so heartbreakingly different?

“I—” 

“Later, tuna fish.” 

Your heart lurches. 

“They’re waiting for me.” 

To your dismay, Seokjin presses a soft hand on your shoulder while passing through the ornate entrance, his lingering burn searing through as you watch him button his suit on the run. 

Well. At least you didn’t miss the wedding. 

You hear your sibling’s hearty shout echo throughout the hall, but you have to physically tear yourself from your spot to finally answer your boss. 

And to not fixate on the one person you thought you were safe from today. 

But of course he’s here. Why wouldn’t he be? Him and your brother have been inseparable since the beginning, and you should’ve known even being on different planets wouldn’t keep them apart too long. 

Speaking of… 

Traveling to another galaxy might solve the numbing ache in your chest. Maybe you should consider that gigantic leap yourself. 

Because seeing Jin again brings you back to December. 

And the frost you feel in your bones overshadows any weather brewing outside. 

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tbc.

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wheee! we have a teaser! | join the taglist!

a/n: isi i hope you know what monster you're about to unleash lmao. here's to another holiday seokjin! gosh, he will keep haunting me and i love him for it. second chance with isi's initial brother's best friend!jin request? gotta love it. the one-two-three punch, i reckon. anyways, hope y'all enjoyed the teaser and i am so so nervous about the main drop but hope you like that, as well :'))

links: jingle all the way collab ; masterlist

[countdykulaa]

﹟ ⠀ ⠀ 𝟎𝟎𝟐 ⠀ . ⠀ ⠀ I LOVE YOU (ITS RUINING MY LIFE)⠀ ⠀ ﹕ ⠀ ⠀ ❪ ⠀ lonely! reader x straight! abby pt2. ⠀ ❫

on one manic tuesday night you confide in them your deepest secrets. the problems you have with intimacy, your body, the universe . ramble on about your insecurities and they look at you like the freak you are . abby quickly apologizes later on so you think nothing of it.

-

you ask to borrow owens laundry detergent. having lost your own two weeks prior without money to replace it.

“again?” abigail responds , nose crinkled.

just like that you feel like the burden you always knew you were. you wave off your decidely silly idea and hand wash your clothes during winter , hoping not to break a nail on your birthday.

-

you , abigail and a close friend of hers decide to go thrifting. she remains victorious, buying three shirts and some cargo pants while you look at your own scarf and bracelet with a small smile . her friend eyes a fruit cart and turns to you , asking for money with the promise of paying you back . you give her the money you saved for dinner and never quite get your money back. you wave it off , afterall how else were they to know your worth if not for what you offer ?

later on they all plan to get some burgers. you , without any money bow out but abby quickly says “don’t worry, you’ll just pay me back when you have the money.”

the shackles of burden-hood tied around you get heavier and heavier with each passing second.

-

you manage to get a girlfriend , ellie . the cute shy girl who works at the burger joint you hate but still buy from just to see her face . you spend all night talking to each other to make up for the day spent at work and school . you decide she's funny , her humour matches yours in a way you never expected and she holds your hand in public , gives you the corniest compliments and kisses you in the night like the stars watching in intense confusion and vitrol don't matter . with her you can almost ignore the shame that slowly rusts your frame.

abby responds to the way ellie's eyes light up at the mere sight of you with joking disgust. you know she doesn’t mean it because of how often she argues on her behalf whenever you fight. besides if abby didn’t approve of her , you wouldn’t bother in the first place. you never quite understand why ellie remains reprehensive of her. you don't last long. barely a month goes by before your easy going relationship leaves you restless for something deeper. you express these concerns to her and she begrudgingly accepts the breaking up but not before a sentence slips from her lips:

"so can we have sex?"

you, with the sole belief that your body belongs to everyone, but you agree.

abby calls you stupid that night . you're lying on owens , her now boyfriend's ( a fact you convince yourself to not care about ) bed and admitting to the stupid act you did with your ex in a moment of sheer utter weakness and self hatred when those words fall from her lips. you lie in shock , the words numbing your very being. she'd always boasted about how much of an honest friend she was , never one to lead you astray but the assault of words that string out of her mouth are words you never see coming . all efforts to explain your side of the story are squashed . questions of how stupid you could be to do something so idiotic take their place and all you can do is cover your eyes as tears start to flow down your cheeks. she halts owens attempts at comforting you, stressing that you're fine before gazing down at your quivering form.

its only then she moves to comfort you , hand moving to brush your hair. with tear soaked words you get the first sentence in before she says:

"why do you always let people guilttrip you?"

you're defeated. replying in gasps about how despite your efforts, its not easy to just not care. she responds with silence, your form shifts down into the blanket provided to hide from the world.

she calls you stupid , therefore you must be. no other plausible explanation filters through your mind . it is a mantra you continuously repeat , tears streaming down your face as you describe the incident to a friend . he denies such allegations , eyes filled with pity and empathy you so desperately wished to receive from abby. even as you cry yourself to sleep , you convince yourself that all actions came from a place of love .

[imaginechb]

Long Distance w/ Connor Stoll

Aka I'm back on my Connor shit™️ and now you all have to deal with it ❤️

You started dating over the summer, knowing that you'll have to spend the school year apart, but not really caring. You really liked each other, and no one back home could compare with him. No one could relate to you and care for you on the level that he could, no one had those experiences with you.

On the day you have to go back to your hometown, you pack all your things up in your cabin, your siblings either doing the same or keeping each other company.

Connor appears in the doorway and everyone else exchanges looks before clearing out. You turn to him, tears in your eyes that you don't want to let fall, but you can't help it. He opens his arms and you break, falling into him.

You stay there for a bit, holding each other, letting tears fall, before finally letting each other go. He helps you finish packing and walks you out of the cabin.

The rest of the day is spent laying in the strawberry fields in the late summer sun, playing volleyball with friends, and eating meals together rather than at your respective tables.

When it's time to go, he gives you one last emotional hug and a long kiss, before watching you go, a helpless expression on his face as he turns away.

NOW. while you're gone, he sends you letters. Updates on what's been happening with him and the camp, love letters, he writes down playlists for you.

He misses you so bad, he definitely mopes for a while after you leave, until people kinda tell him to get it together.

Sometimes he sends you care packages with things you might need or want; ambrosia in case of monster attacks, your favorite candies, his favorite hoodie, a cd he burned in Chiron's office while he was away

For your birthday (if it's during the school year), he mailed you cupcakes he and Travis made... they weren't exactly edible when they arrived (or when they were made), but it's the thought that counts, right? He also sent you a bracelet he made you (you'd taught him how), another one of his hoodies, and a necklace that you didn't want to know the origins of for legal reasons.

As for you, it had taken a while to adjust back to the mortal world without Connor. Seeing friends at school was nice, but still lonely without him. They were good friends, but they'd never know you and understand you like your friends at camp would. They were mostly just to keep from being alone the rest of the year while waiting for summer's return.

You listen to the playlists and cds he sent you every night to fall asleep, on your walk home from school, when you miss him. You have it memorized from start to finish at this point.

You wear his hoodies to school and to sleep at night to the point where they need washed, which you don't want to do because they smell like him, but it has to be done 😔

Luckily, that's around the time that he sends another one :D

You send him letters and packages of things from the mortal world, candies that he'd never tried, little stickers and pins from places you go, cds, you even return his hoodies to him occasionally.

He comes to stay with you and your family around your winter break (your family was a little unsure about him at first but ended up absolutely adoring him), and you go to camp during spring break so you guys can spend time together.

YOU GUYS PLAY SILLY LITTLE GAMES LIKE TIC TAC TOE THROUGH THE MAIL OMGS

Iris-messaging whenever you can. Sometimes it's hard because he's busy with training and activities at camp, and you've got school and maybe even a job taking up your time, but you manage at least once or twice a week.

Also depending on where you live, time zones may or may not be a thing. If you live on the west coast, there's a three hour time difference between you, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it is. You could be getting home from school when he's eating dinner, and by the time you finish up your homework and dinner, he's at the campfire and going to bed.

But you guys make each other a priority, you wouldn't do anything else

Because at the end of the day, it can be hard, and you might miss each other a lot, but you're also demigods in love. What you have is unshakable, it's not going anywhere, even if you do.

[buckysgrace]

One

Illicit Affairs Masterlist

Steve Harrington x Female!OC (Daphne Williams)

Daphne meets a handsome stranger at a bar on her birthday.

CW: Oral sex (fem receiving), protected sex, alcohol use, drunk assholes

Daphne

The music was loud, the lights dim as Daphne pushed her way back up towards the bar. She thought it was quite busy, even for a Friday night. She kept getting stopped by nice girls who were far too drunk and by guys who thought that she might be easy enough to take back home. Not that she could blame them. She was dressed the part. 

The dress was a baby blue that ended high against her thighs. There were cups sewn into the top of it, giving her smaller boobs a much needed lift. The only other thing she had on was a pair of sheer, sparkly sleeves over her arms. They did nothing to protect her from the harsh Chicago winter winds but Gillian had ever so kindly reminded her that a hoe doesn’t get cold. 

Daisy and GIllian had forced her into a birthday sash, as well as a little tiara that kept falling off of her blonde hair that she couldn’t keep up with. She was going to dye it back to red, match her normal color and never have to deal with the tangles again.

She’d lost her crowd of friends about ten minutes ago, desperately needing another Sex on the Beach before someone tried to hook her up with another guy she wasn’t interested in. Which she didn’t think would be a big loss. Sophia seemed intent on flirting with them before she even had a chance anyways.

“Can I get-, excuse me. Could I get a Sex on the Beach?” She spoke loud enough for the bartender to hear her, but part of her thought it had to do with the few shots tingling through her body as well. The bartender nodded, barely acknowledging her before he started on her drink.

“It’s your birthday?” She was startled by the man on her left, taken back by how loud and close he was suddenly. She met his eyes before she took a hesitant step back, trying to create some distance between them. 

“Yeah,” She smiled kindly, the same way she had to everyone else, “It is, it is.” She held her hands out playfully to show off the banner, expecting the conversation to end there. Despite what her friends thought, she really didn’t want to hook up with anyone tonight. She was not having that much fun. 

“I guess I can be one of your presents then,” He teased, “The name is Todd.” She kept her features steady, knowing that she couldn’t openly recoil in front of him. His pick up line might be the worst one she’d heard tonight. 

“Oh,” She nodded along, “Nice to meet you.” She spoke politely as she took her drink, glancing around to see if Daisy’s boyfriend was near. Baron didn’t look like much of a fighter, and well he really wasn’t at all, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t put on a good show.

“Do you want to dance?” Todd’s voice registered through her ears, but she was hoping she could play it off by accepting and thanking her drink from the bartender. She held the cold cup in her hand, hoping by the time she turned around that he would be gone. She was not that lucky. 

“I uh-,” She started slowly, distracted by the stranger to her right. He was handsome, with large dark eyes and floppy brown hair. He looked nice, a lot nicer than Todd as his lips curled up and he sent her a soft wave, “No thank you. I was about to get back to my friends and-,” She began the whole spiel before she was cut off. 

“Your loss,” Todd answered quickly as his nose curled up, his eyes lighting up in anger, “You’re an ugly bitch anyways.” He spat out, pieces of spit hitting against her collarbone. She gasped in disgust, completely taken aback by the change in his attitude. 

“Jesus, dude. Have you looked in the mirror recently?” The guy next to her intervened, leaning in closer to the bar, “You should apologize.” Daphne nodded her head along urgently, feeling like that was completely fair. She knew she could be a bitch, but she wasn’t being one at the moment. Although now she wished she had. 

Todd narrowed his eyes, anger flashing through his features as he roughly took her cup from her hands. Her eyes widened but she wasn’t able to react fast enough as he tossed it in her direction, missing her completely and drenching the handsome stranger instead.

“Oh my God,” She gasped as she turned, watching as the brown eyed man laughed bitterly and shook the liquid from his hand, “I’m so sorry.” She apologized quickly, furrowing her eyebrows together in disbelief. 

“Wasn’t your fault,” He responded as he met her eyes, making her wince before she reached around the counter to grab a handful of napkins. She handed some to him, letting him wipe his face away as she began to dab his shirt down, “It’s really no big deal. This thing was getting old anyways.”

“I feel terrible,” She winced, wishing she had something to offer him, “I don’t suppose you came with another shirt?” She asked him, looking at his chest hair that was beginning to show through his wet shirt.

“I did not,” He chuckled as he watched her, making her movements briefly stall. From being this close she could see the many moles that decorated his face, how styled his eyebrows were, “It’s actually a rare material.”

“Oh boy,” She breathed out as she looked up at him, knowing that she at least had to do his dry cleaning, “What is it made of?” She asked in worry, fearing that she’d have to give her parents a call to help cover it. No. She reminded herself that she was trying to be independent, that she couldn’t keep running back to her parents every time things went bad. 

“Boyfriend material,” He told her, pressing his lips together before he broke out into a laugh. She giggled in response, her nerves sliding away as she shook her head, “That wasn’t too corny, was it?” He asked as he tilted his head, peering down at her as she felt a giddy feeling growing inside of her chest. 

“Very corny,” She told him seriously, but still held a smile up to her lips, “But I like it. It was sweet. I’m Daphne.” She introduced herself as she held her hand out, sure that she had too much to drink as a spark raced up her hand from where he touched her.

“Steve,” He responded as he firmly shook her hand, making her laugh once again. He was handsome and funny. Finding someone to hook up with suddenly didn’t seem that bad of an idea, “Are you here alone?” He asked in a way that was different from any other guy that asked you. Like he was genuinely curious, concerned even. 

“No,” She shook her head, “I’m here with my best friends. They’re somewhere! What about you?” She pointed off towards the distance, squinting her eyes as she tried to recall where she’d left them.

“Yeah, I’m just over there with some friends,” He explained as he jerked his thumb over his shoulder, “A very late birthday gathering.” He added a moment later, making her eyes widen in surprise. 

“Really?” She asked as a large smile pulled onto her lips, “It’s my birthday today!” She proclaimed as she gestured towards the sash on her chest, then at the little tiara on her head. As if he had somehow missed it.

“Mine was at the beginning of the month,” He nodded along with a smile, “The big thirty. Happy Birthday to you. I like your little tiara.” He smiled as he tapped his fingers against the top of it gently. She leaned in a little closer, getting a whiff of his cologne. It wasn’t strong or unbearable, but rather soft and smooth.

“Twenty three,” She told him, heart beating roughly in her chest as he drifted his fingers down her hair, “Do you want to get a shot? If you’re alright in that shirt.” She couldn’t stop herself as she dabbed a napkin over his shirt again, trying to keep the urge to touch him to herself. She was struggling. 

“Doesn’t hurt me any,” He added as he leaned over, ordering them each a shot of Tequila. She wrinkled her nose up, thinking about how badly it would burn, “You don’t like it?” He asked as he faced her again, speaking a little louder as the music shifted into an even louder song. 

“Tequila is fine,” She told him as she shook her head, wanting to impress him, “Very strong.” She told him, sticking her tongue out once she downed the little shot glass. He chuckled, his movements a lot slower and more mature. She was in awe of the way he didn’t seem bothered.

“Do you drink much?” He asked her, looking amused as he wiped the liquid from the corners of his lips. She couldn’t stop looking at his eyes, trying to decide if he had some green mixed in with the brown. She decided she’d eventually have to get a closer look. 

“I like fruity drinks,” She grinned as she brought her eyes back to his damp shirt, “Sorry, but at least you’ll smell good.” She gave him a cheesy smile, listening to the soft chuckle that left his lips. It was a really nice sound. 

“You shouldn’t apologize for that asshole,” He replied as he shook his head, “You’re very pretty. And I don’t think you’re a bitch.” His smile was pleasant and his teeth shiny and straight. She felt a giddy feeling forming in her stomach, telling her that she had definitely had one too many drinks. 

“I can be,” She spit out, giggling as she covered her mouth, “Sometimes. But thank you. You really think I’m pretty?” She didn’t quite feel in control as she twisted her curled hair around her finger, certainly acting like she was a dumb teenager with a crush all over again. 

“Very pretty,” He chuckled as he rested his elbow on the counter, “The most beautiful woman in Chicago.” He continued to tease with her, but something in his tone made her feel like it was serious. She flushed, grateful for how dark the room was suddenly. 

“Now you’re being funny,” She told him, but her cheeks still burned as she suddenly wondered if she should take another shot for a confidence boost, “You’re very handsome too.” She told him, fully meaning it. She wasn’t drunk enough for her mind to be that clouded. She could easily recognize how attractive he truly was, that he wasn’t someone she’d wake up to in the morning and regret. 

“Do you dance?” He asked her, squinting his eyes softly as he trailed his eyes down towards her lips. She prayed that her lipstick hadn’t smudged, or that she didn’t have anything hiding in between her teeth. 

“Not well,” She smiled as she leaned closer to him, “Unless you count line dancing.” She told him with a laugh, standing close enough that she could smell the tequila on his breath. She suspected that there was a hint of cigarette smoke there, but she couldn’t be completely sure. 

“Line dancing?” He repeated with a chuckle, his brown eyes sparkling in disbelief, “That’s your dance of choice?” He questioned as he brought his drink up to his lips, looking towards her in amusement. 

“Not by choice,” She protested, “I had to learn it when I was little. My mom thought it would be cute if my siblings and I all learned how to do it.” She explained as she thought about the memory, recognizing how ridiculous it must sound. 

“And you remember it by heart.” Steve stated as he leaned lazily against the bar, his long legs sticking out from his position. 

“Yes,” She said before she pressed her lips together, trying to hide her grin that was forming, “And because it’s just fun.” She admitted a second later, knowing that she had put so much effort into it as a child that she had become good at it. 

“Maybe you can teach me sometime,” He teased as he took another gulp from his drink, “But not tonight. I’d probably make a fool out of myself.” He set his cup back down before he wiped the condensation off on his jeans. He held onto her elbow softly before she took a hold of his fingers, gripping onto him. 

“And you’re not wearing your line dancing boots,” She teased as she dragged him out towards the dance floor, trying to find a spot where they wouldn’t be bumping against people, “Thirty is an exciting age I hear.” She told him, neglecting to mention her own fear as her birthdays passed. She desperately needed to sort out her own life before she grew any older.

“I’m old,” He laughed as he moved his hands to her hips, “At least I feel it.” Her heart continued to race inside of her chest, beating against her bones as he pressed her back against his chest. He was warm and solid, but not strong enough to be uncomfortable. He was still soft, steady. 

“Thirty is so young,” She said with a gasp, “You don’t look a day over twenty nine.” She teased as she glanced over his shoulder, her lips parting as she began to move her hips to the beat of the music. She held onto his wrists, holding him in place as waves crashed deep inside of her. 

“Perfect,” He grinned as his nose brushed against her cheek, “Did you make any big birthday wishes?” His voice was husky, deep as she felt the curve of his lips pressing against her skin. She moved her hands up towards his forearm, enjoying the feeling.

“Just one,” She hummed as she continued to brush her fingertips across his arms, enjoying the way his skin felt underneath hers, “I just want this year to be good. I want to be happy.” She said at last, stalling her thoughts about how shitty the previous year would be. She wouldn’t think about it right now. She didn’t want to ruin the moment. 

“That’s pretty deep,” He mumbled against her skin as he drifted his slender fingers across her smooth neck, “I don’t know if I can make your whole year good, but what about one night?” His voice was softer, slightly more raspy as he mumbled his suggestion to her.

She felt her stomach flip a few times as butterflies spread through her body, fluttering so harshly she was sure that her knees might give out. A warmth spread through her, burning her skin harshly as she quickly absorbed his words. 

“Your place?” She asked, watching the way he nodded his head in agreement, “I just need to let my friends know. Do you have a Snap? Just in case I lose you.” She added as she turned to face him, tucking her hair behind her ear. She wasn’t going to cry in front of this handsome stranger. 

“Uh, yeah,” He fumbled with his phone for a moment before he pulled it free. He squinted as he unlocked it, making a face until he held the app towards her, “What’s yours?” He questioned as she typed it in, then ensured that she got the request on her side. 

“Pussyslay3r69?” She asked with a laugh, raising an eyebrow as she tilted her chin up towards his direction. His eyes widened for a moment before his features turned sheepish. Her laughter turned into soft giggles as she squeezed at his bicep, letting her fingers linger there for a moment too long. 

“My friend made it,” He grumbled as his cheeks turned pink, “I’ll see you in a minute then.” He stated as she nodded her head along, curious as to if his username was true or not. She brushed her fingertips against his softly, gently before she trudged her way back through the crowd. She glanced over her shoulder, ensuring that she wouldn’t lose him. 

“Are you ready?” Daisy asked as she swayed her hips back and forth, one hand against Baron’s reddened cheek, “He has to work tomorrow.” She explained as Baron ran his fingers through her blonde hair, playing with it softly. 

“Not quite,” Daphne grinned as she glanced over her shoulder once again, even though she couldn’t see Steve anymore, “I’m going to go home with someone else tonight.” She added, rolling her eyes at the way Daisy and Lila wolf whistled at her. 

“Who with?” Gillian demanded as she rested her hands on her hips, her dark eyebrows furrowing together in worry. She had taken to cutting her dark hair short, letting it rest against her collarbones. 

“A guy,” Daphne replied, “And don’t worry, I shared my location with you already.” She told her seriously, knowing that Gillian could be just a smidge overprotective. Just a bit. 

“Text me,” She demanded as she pointed at her, “I don’t want to find out you’re dead from Tik Tok.” She shook her head, sighing softly like her worst fear was already coming true. Daphne pressed her lips together. 

“Gil,” Daisy sighed as she shook her head, “Daphne is really careful. And her parents are rich so obviously she’d try and pull some ransom over them first.” She explained as she earned a chorus of laughs from their little group. 

“You guys are so funny,” Daphne replied as she shook her head once again, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She added as she put her thumbs up, more excited for herself than anything.

It had been a long few months of stale dates and even worse Tinder hookups. She was completely over Hugh, minus the bitter feelings. But there was only so much forgiveness to go around when your boyfriend was caught hooking up with your twin. It sort of put a damper on things.

“I got an Uber,” Steve explained once she found him, exactly in the spot she’d left him in, “I thought you might get cold.” He added as he drifted his eyes over her arms. She held them out playfully, watching the way the sequins sparkled in the night lights. 

“You can’t get cold when you look this cute,” She told him as she moved her hand to his bicep, holding him gently as he maneuvered them through the crowd, “But thank you.” She told him seriously, glad that she wouldn’t have to walk through the windy city in her little dress and very high heels. 

The Uber ride was short but comfortable. Steve was easy to talk to, charismatic and just a little dorky. There was an easy going manner to him that she craved, like he had nothing to hide. He didn’t speak to her like he only wanted one thing either. It was different, nice. Very nice. 

“Are you hungry?” He asked as he let her walk inside the elevator first. She caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection; her sash hanging loosely and crown lopsided on top of her messy hair. She shifted her dress down a bit, suddenly wondering if he thought her dress was too whoreish. 

“Perfectly fine,” She replied as she held her hands up gently, “But I appreciate you asking.” She told him once he pressed the button for his floor. It was quiet in his apartment, pretty and put together. 

“You can grab whatever from the fridge if you get hungry,” He added quickly as he glanced towards her, waiting as the elevator continued to climb, “Or anything to drink.” He added as he reached for her hand, linking their fingers together as he guided her towards his apartment. 

“Sounds good,” She told him as she looked around, keeping a tight grip on his hand so she wouldn’t get lost, “This is expensive looking.” She teased him, knowing it was far better than her dorm or Hugh’s apartment. Even Gillian and Michael’s place wasn’t this nice. 

“Thanks,” He laughed as he glanced over his shoulder before he opened the door, “It’s home.” He said as he pushed the door open, holding it open for her so she could walk inside first. She peered around curiously, noticing the various plants that were littered about. He didn’t have many photos, but there were plenty of maps hung and placed around. 

She followed him down the hallway towards his room, unable to stop and inspect the different photos and decorations as he dragged her forward. There wasn’t much, sort of like he had meant to decorate it in a minimalist style. She didn’t want to lose the feeling of his hand against her own. It felt good. 

“Your place is nice,” She told him seriously as she looked around his room, “Bring many people back here?” She asked him as she felt her nerves coming forth. She wished she had taken one last shot before they had left. 

“Not usually for hookups,” He admitted as he brushed his index finger across the curve of her cheek, “I guess you’re the first.” He whispered softly as she gazed up into his brown eyes, confirming that there was a speck of green mingled with the brown hue.

“Lucky me.” She responded, even though she felt like her confidence had dwindled away as he continued to drag his eyes across her features. She didn’t let it bother her that this would only be a hookup, at least she had him for a night. One glorious night was all she needed. 

His breath was warm against her skin as he bent towards her, one hand resting against the side of his cheek before he brought his lips against her skin. She tilted her head, sighing softly at the way he dragged his mouth against her slender neck. He pressed his thumb onto the opposite side, sending a shiver down her back. 

“S’pretty,” He mumbled as he dragged his fingers down her sides gently. She flushed at the compliment, shivers forming on her skin as he continued to kiss along the curve of her neck, “You smell nice.”

“Thanks,” She whispered softly as his nose brushed against hers, bumping so softly as she found her lips opening towards his mouth, “You’re really pretty.” She whispered softly, feeling like her tongue was twisted and tied into various knots. It was suddenly as if she didn’t know how to act. 

His bottom lip just barely pressed against hers, slotting against her mouth like a puzzle piece that had been missing for some time. She opened her mouth in surprise at the jolts of electricity that traveled through her body, sighing dreamily at the way his lips felt against hers.

Smooth and warm, soft. It put a fuzzy feeling through her as she moved her hand against his shoulders as his large hands fell to her hips. His kiss was slow and delicate, deep as she felt her mind slipping away into the pleasure of his mouth on hers. 

“I appreciate it.” He chuckled as he pulled his lips into a grin, giving her sides a soft squeeze as he drifted his face back towards hers. He held onto her cheek tightly, squeezing as he dragged his mouth against the corner of her lips before he kissed her again. She felt sparks forming through her chest, racing through her veins at the way he kissed her.

She could blame it on the alcohol, but deep down she knew that she had never been kissed in such a manner before. It was deep and sensual, slow and hungry as he just barely nipped and licked at her. She wanted more.

She lost herself in him as he drifted his hands down towards her shoulders, sparks traveling as he slowly pushed the sleeves off of her shoulders. The chilly air hit her, but she stayed warm underneath his touch. Her heart was pulsing harshly in her chest, making her gape as he slid his tongue inside of her mouth.

It still didn’t feel messy or urgent, like he was rushing to get her in and out. Her head was buzzing as her tongue molded against his, sliding easily as he moved his hands down the middle of her spine and began to unzip slowly.

Her cheeks were burning as they pulled apart, his eyes glazed over as he slowly let her dress fall into a puddle at her feet. She exhaled, stifling her nervous laughter as she stepped out of it. His brown eyes wandered from her chest, down to her hips and then her legs.

“You’re beautiful,” He told her softly as he took her hands, tugging her along slowly with him, “Come here.” He mumbled as he dragged her nude body towards his, her heart pounding harshly inside of her chest. 

She caught a small glimpse of his room, taking in the gray sheets and many pillows before she was toppling back against the mattress. She laughed this time as the air left her lungs and her hair framed her face. She sat up a bit, only to be met with his mouth once again.

His kiss was deeper this time, making her moan as his large hands fell to her perky tits. She gasped against his mouth as he began to pinch at her nipples, his lips curling into a cocky grin as she rutted her hips forward.

“Steve,” She whined softly as he rolled her hard nipples in his fingers again, making her chest arch towards him, “I want you.” She whispered softly, blinking slowly as she took in his messy hair and darkened eyes.

“You are,” He mumbled as he trailed his lips down her neck, then down her chest as he moved from mole to mole. Freckle to freckle. She was covered in them. She drifted her hands up above her head, sighing as she enjoyed the sensation, “Just relax.” He hummed as he flicked his tongue out underneath her belly button, making her shiver.

He looped his slender fingers through the bands of her thong, pulling them down slowly as she lifted her hips for support. She felt her face burning as he slowly dropped them, pressing her knees apart as he fully took in the image of her.

“So pretty,” He added as he kissed at her slender thighs, making her clit throb from the anticipation, “I bet you taste even better.” He hummed as he dragged his tongue across her thighs, making her legs jolt in pleasure. 

She didn’t have time to speak, but even if she could, her mind was not working in a way that would help her to form words. A gasp left her lips as his warm breath fell against her slick cunt, his brown eyes locking in on her blue ones before he stuck his tongue out and dragged it against her wet folds.

She crooned, her whole body jolting from the sensation as he wasted no time after that. His tongue was everywhere, dipping in between her pink folds before he pressed two fingers against her skin to spread her apart for him.

Her mind broke at the feeling of his tongue flicking against her clit, lapping at the sensitive bud repeatedly as she dug her heels into the mattress. Her body burst into blames, her pussy aching as soft groans fell from his lips and vibrated against her cunt. 

“Oh God,” She whined as she shut her eyes, her hips rolling on their own as the pleasure filled her deeply. He moved his slender fingers to her clit, rubbing softly as he kissed his mouth lower and lower, “Steve. Oh my God.” She spasmed underneath him, her fingers falling to his thick brown locks. 

He prodded his tongue against her wet hole, licking away her slick slowly as he moved his hands to her hips. He kept her steady, pressing her against the mattress as he buried his tongue inside of her aching cunt. She mewled loudly as the wildfire spread deep inside of her stomach, the pleasure filling her greatly. Her moans were rolling off of her tongue, filling his bedroom with loud melodies.

Steve’s tongue curled deep inside of her, licking and circling at her crying walls as his nose fell into place against her clit. Her fingers curled tightly in his hair, nudging him closer as her legs became numb. 

He dragged his fingers down slowly, earning a loud squeal from her as he slid two long fingers inside of her wet cunt. She sat up a little higher, eyebrows furrowed and mouth parted as he began to drag his fingers in and out of her fluttering walls.

“Look at you,” He cooed as he pressed soft kisses against her clit, groaning as he pumped his digits deep inside of her, “She’s taking me so good. Your pussy looks so pretty stretched around me.” He hummed, sending a fresh wave of vibrations through her body as her walls stretched along his slender fingers. 

“Fuck,” She hissed out, the words feelign heavy against her tongue as she began to grind herself against his fingers more frantically. He wrapped his lips around her clit, sucking on the soft bud at the same time he began to rapidly flick his tongue against it, “Oh, oh! Fuck!” She squeaked out, her chest tightening as the muscles in her stomach broke.

She came with a loud cry, moaning from deep inside of her throat as the pleasure wrapped thickly around her. Her insides burned in a way she’d never experienced, her body shaking as the feeling continually washed and crashed over. 

She fell back against the pillows, eyes wide as she stared up at the ceiling. Her heart hammered roughly inside of her chest, her breathing labored as her body trembled underneath his slow movements. He continued to lick and prod at her pussy, his fingertips digging deep into her pale flesh as she tried to gain sense of her surroundings. 

“Still there?” He mumbled a second later, pulling away to rub soft circles into her hips. She blinked slowly, a bubble of giggles slipping free from her mouth as she finally found herself slipping through the fog in her mind. 

“Yeah,” She exhaled deeply as she slowly pulled herself up once again, feeling like her body was weighed down by cement blocks as she met his hazy brown eyes, “I’m here.” She gaped softly as she took in the ravenous look on his features. 

His lips and chin were wet, slick from her cum as he looked up at her with hazy eyes. She breathed in deeply, panting softly as the pleasure washed over it. Everything felt even more intense as he drifted his thumb lazily against her clit.

“She’s so sweet,” He hummed softly as he continued to slowly pump his fingers inside of her aching hole. She whined in bliss, her body moving wildly as she began to rock herself back against the length of his fingers, “So needy.” He teased, chuckling softly as he sat up on his knees.

She moaned as he slowly withdrew his fingers, her walls crying in protest at the loss of contact. She wanted him again, wanted to feel him deep inside of her. It was a carnal need, something that she had never felt before with Hugh. She thought that she might die if she didn’t feel Steve inside of her, and didn't feel their bodies molding together.

He stuck his tongue out as he licked his fingers clean, making her eyes widen at the way he held eye contact with her. She could feel her entire body flush, warming at the filthy sensation that filled her. 

She sat up, gripping the collar of his shirt as she roughly connected their lips. A chuckle came from his mouth as she kissed him deeply, licking away the taste of herself from his tongue. She’d never done something so dirty before, never felt so alive. 

She began to messily unbutton his shirt, struggling before he took over. He peeled his shirt off easily, his lips moving sweeter against hers. Her hands quickly fell to his bare chest, her palms exploring his warm skin and the thick hair that grew along his chest.

He removed his belt next, then struggled out of his jeans and boxers as she quickly moved her hands where she could help. She fell against him, her head thumping against his in the act. They laughed in unison, both breathless as he quickly removed his socks and then settled back in between her legs.

She bit down on her finger, staring in fascination as she drank in the image of his body over top of hers. His tone was slightly warmer than hers, covered in dark hair and a mass amount of moles. She bit back a grin, thinking that it matched the beauty marks on her own body.

She watched as he wrapped his long fingers around his cock, giving his girth a squeeze before he gave himself a quick stroke. He was long, far bigger than anyone she had ever been with before. His dick was paler than the rest of his body, but the head of his cock remained a soft pink like his lips. 

“S’big,” She spit up as she sat up on her elbows, chewing on her bottom lip as she watched him slide the condom over his long length. She was fairly certain it was going to hurt, but she didn’t want to scare him off, “Can I touch?’

“Yes,” He laughed as he chewed on his bottom lip, giving his cock two slow strokes before she moved her hand to his pink tip. She exhaled at the feeling of him against her palm, of how heavy and natural he felt against her. She moved her hand languidly, enjoying the way he throbbed against her skin, “Wanna fuck you.” He mumbled as he leaned over her, his heavy cock leaning against her abdomen as he peppered a soft kiss against her lips. 

She nodded her head as she adjusted herself against his pillows, inhaling deeply through her nose as she pulled her knees further apart and towards her chest. She felt small underneath him, tiny despite her long legs.

He rubbed his fingers across her clit once again, cooing as her body jolted at the impact. With his other hand he held himself, pressing his tip against her slick hole before he slid the tip of his cock inside of her wet pussy. 

Her lungs felt broken, like all the air had been punched free as her mouth fell open in awe. He slid himself in slowly, letting her adjust inch by inch as her fingers twisted into the pillow case above her head. 

His groans were as loud as her moans, mingling into a symphony as it filled the dark room. He used his free hand to caress her, his lips moving lazily over hers as she felt her walls gradually being stretched around him. It was a glorious feeling, filling her with so much pleasure that she thought she might cry.

“S’okay?” He mumbled, his voice coming out raspy and slightly whiny as one of his large hands fell to her perky tits. She moaned at the feeling of her skin being captured by his, of the way he softly pressed her pink nipple between his fingers, “You’re taking my cock so good.” He praised her, making her coo as she moved her fingers to his back.

“Feels good,” She encouraged him with wide eyes, whining at the way he began to thrust inside of her. Each time he pressed back in, she swore that he filled her deeper. She had never been so close to someone before, felt so filled, “Oh fuck. Right there.” She cried out as he rocked deep inside of her, his cock pressing against a spot that made her see stars.

Her head fell back, her eyes squinting shut as she found it too hard to keep them open with the pleasure that was throbbing inside of her. She felt her body dragging against the mattress, sinking deep inside as she felt herself leaking around his fat girth. 

“So good for me,” He groaned as his nose fell to her cheek, his lips against her skin as his grunts filled her ear in a song she wouldn’t forget for some time, “You like that, huh?” He moaned as he continued to drag her body along the length of his cock, sinking in deeper and further against her bundle of nerves.

“Fuck!” She cried out as she spasmed underneath him, her fingernails digging into his muscles as the burning sensation filled her again. Her cunt gripped him tightly, her toes curling as she rocked her body to the beat of his, “Yes, yes! Fuck, right there!” She babbled off, eyebrows furrowed as she was sure she made no sense at all. The pleasure was too much for her to handle, silly words slipping free as she was unable to help herself.

He grunted as he messily kissed at her lips, his cock sliding easily inside of her as her cunt leaked around him. The sound of their bodies meeting filled the room suddenly, mixing with the pleasures that slipped from their tongues. 

She felt like she was floating, her body high in the air as the bliss of it all took over. She came harder than before, her nails digging into his skin as she gripped ahold of him. She suddenly felt changed, like she’d never feel something this good ever again. Her mind became fuzzy, her eyes hazy and watery as her pussy clamped down along his dick.

“Steve,” She whimpered as she dragged her nails down his back, her hips still grinding up against him as the crash of her orgasm still washed over her. He huffed in response, his head falling back as his features wrinkled up in pleasure, “You feel so good.” She breathed out as she moved her lips to his neck, trying to kiss him but unable to complete the motions. She paused at the crook of his neck, swearing she could feel his pulse underneath his skin.

“Daphne,” He groaned as his movements stalled, his thrusts becoming deeper and slower. He sighed loudly as he reached down to grip the base of his cock, pulling himself free in one quick motion before he tugged the condom off of the length of his cock, “Shit.” He grunted, her eyes widened as she wondered if he was going to fill her with his cum.

He stroked his cock once, then twice before thick ropes of his spunk fell against her abdomen. It coated her skin up towards her chest and even landed underneath her chin. She stared at him in bliss, watching as he slowly gave himself a few more strokes before he lazily dropped his head again.

He fell against her, nearly crushing her as his breath remained labored with hers. She held onto him softly, soaking in the feeling of his skin against hers as she rubbed at his back. She moved her fingers to his hair, pushing it out of the way so she could get a better look at his pretty face.

“Was that alright?” He hummed as her chest continued to drag up and down as she still felt the energy pulsing from inside of her. She tugged a grin up to her lips, not caring about the wet feeling between her legs or the cum that coated her skin. It was nice. A feeling she could get used to. She would certainly be sore walking home in the morning.

“More than alright,” She breathed out as she faced him, heart hammering at the way his lips sparked a smile, “Best birthday present ever.” 

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

[CN] Li Zeyan’s 2024 Birthday: Former Times Date (Eng Translation)

“Perhaps, from the moment we met eighteen years ago, fate had already quietly written our today.”

“Li Zeyan, it was your appearance that made me start to believe in the existence of fate.”

⌚Warning⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a date, 昔��约会, that is yet to be released on the global server! ♡

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【Subbed Video】

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【Prologue】 

As soon as I arrive at the main entrance of the Riverside Plaza, I notice a woman in professional attire walking towards me with quick steps.

??: Miss MC, hello. I’m Wang Yi from the Publicity Department of the City Hall.

MC: Hello, Miss Wang.

After shaking hands with each other, I take out a pre-signed agreement document from my tote bag and hand it to her.

MC: I’ve already signed the temporary usage agreement for Riverside Plaza’s venue. Please have a look.

She efficiently flips to the last page, confirms the signatures, and hands me a temporary access ID card along with a map of Riverside Plaza.

Wang Yi: I’ve already taken care of informing everyone involved and have reserved the time you’ll be needing.

Wang Yi: On January 13th, there won’t be anyone bothering you here, except for the patrol staff.

MC: Really, thank you guys so much.

Wang Yi: No worries. Director Chen mentioned you have very important memories here… and besides, you are the main person in charge of the promotional video for Riverside Plaza.

Wang Yi: In terms of both emotions and reason, this little help is nothing.

It’s not until I watch her departing into the distance that I begin to earnestly take in the recently completed Riverside Plaza before me––

The use of minimalist lines sketches out several strikingly modern structures, while in the not-so-distant surroundings, an artificial mountain rises, cloaking everything in front of me in lush greenery.

Such a strong contrast momentarily makes me forget what the park where I first met Li Zeyan looked like.

MC: I wonder what his reaction will be when he sees the drastic transformation here.

Saying this, I lower my head to look at the bag full of birthday gifts I’ve brought, and a smile slowly spreads across my face.

MC: But no matter what, Li Zeyan, I’ll definitely make you happy~

Just as these words leave my mouth, my phone in my pocket suddenly rings. I take it out, only to see the familiar avatar unmistakably displayed on the screen.

Smiling, I answer the call and start speaking even before he can say anything.

MC: Hehe, I was just thinking about you, and here you are calling. What’s up~?

LZY: A certain dummy hasn’t made a peep all day, and I’m a little not used to such quietness. What are you up to?

MC: Ah~ Turns out someone was missing me.

Grinning, I sling the “gift bag” over my shoulder and head inside, chatting as I walk.

MC: Me?... I’m preparing a birthday surprise for you right now~

The voice on the other end of the line clearly freezes for a moment, followed by soft laughter.

LZY: How come you’re not keeping me in suspense this year?

MC: Because your birthday happens to be on the weekend this year.

MC: Since we don’t have anything else in our itinerary, you must know that I’m planning a surprise for you!

MC: So, there is no point in keeping you in suspense. I just need to work hard to not fall short of your expectations~

My eyes crinkle into a smile, and I halt in my steps. Then, I take out one of the gift boxes and place it under the bench in front of me.

Just as I’m mulling over where to hide the remaining gift boxes, Li Zeyan’s voice sounds once again, his tone neither too soft nor too heavy.

In the winter breeze, this voice inexplicably brings me a touch of warmth––

LZY: Dummy, you don’t need to work so hard.

LZY: As long as you’re around on that day, it doesn’t matter where we go or what we do.

LZY: Because the most important thing has been by my side for a long time now.

—

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—

【Chapter 1】 

MC: Happy Birthday!!

Early in the morning, the second I hear the sound of movement coming from the bedroom, I immediately burst in, carrying the cake with Pudding accompanying me.

Li Zeyan, who has risen from the blanket, watches us as we shower rose petals on him, his eyes widening slightly.

After processing the situation, he laughs somewhat helplessly.

LZY: A certain someone disappeared early in the morning; turns out she was preparing a surprise.

MC: Judging by the birthday star’s expression, bet you must have been shocked by my surprise, huh~

Hearing this, a glint of teasing surfaces in his eyes.

LZY: Indeed, you did give me a good scare.

LZY: I even thought someone was “breaking in.” [1]

MC: Well, I’m certainly gonna hijack all your unhappiness today!

He smiles and pulls my randomly flailing arm, hugging me to his side. Then, he glances down at the cake in my hands.

LZY: Looks like my stomach has already been hijacked by you first.

LZY: You squealed me out of bed at twelve a.m. for a bowl of longevity noodles, and now you want me to eat cake?

MC: These are all my blessings~

At this moment, Pudding suddenly reaches out his paw, lightly smearing a bit of cream on Li Zeyan’s face.

Seeing him momentarily frozen, I can’t hold back and burst into laughter.

MC: Haha, our Pudding is also wishing you a happy birthday~

LZY: After being with you for so long, even he has become more childish.

MC: It’s only natural for a family to become more and more alike~

He nods contemplatively. Then, he bends down and gently nuzzles against me, leaving a cool sensation on my face.

MC: Whoa! Why did you pull a sneak attack on me?

LZY: You said it yourself – it’s only natural for a family to become more and more alike.

Even though his tone is composed, a twinkle of amusement betrays his eyes. The overlapping laughter and soft cream melts and spreads in the sweet-scented air.

After washing up, he slices a piece from the cake and doesn’t forget to put the reddest strawberry in my mouth.

LZY: Your blessing tastes good.

LZY: So, what’s your plan for taking me to do later?

Smiling, I wink at him.

MC: Haven’t you heard? The construction of the Riverside Plaza is already complete~

–

───── [FLASHBACK STARTS] ─────

MC: The next time we come here, it will be called “Riverside Plaza.”

Ten months ago, the park where Li Zeyan and I first met when we were kids was slated for redevelopment by the city hall and was soon to be incorporated into a large urban public space – “Riverside Landscape.”

Before the construction began, we returned there once again after several years.

The park, dust-laden in memories, had remained almost unchanged in its original appearance. It beckoned to us from across the long years.

MC: Though, don’t you think the park seems to have gotten a bit smaller…

Holding Li Zeyan’s hand, I repeatedly measured the size of the sandbox with our footsteps and couldn’t help but feel a sense of incredulity.

MC: I can’t believe it only takes a dozen steps to make a circle now. I remember how I could play the whole afternoon in the past.

LZY: It indicates that a certain dummy has been particularly engrossed in playing this game since childhood.

MC: Well, you’d still be next to me and watch me play~

MC: Speaking of which, thankfully, this little me had big dreams.

MC: That’s how I could become your one and only best friend among so many kids in the entire park!

Hearing my exaggerated tone, he seemed unable to hold back a small laugh.

LZY: That’s your standard for a “big dream?”

MC: Of course! Zeyan gege was so cool back then, and he never seemed to rashly make friends with others. [2]

MC: Mm-hmph, but if I had known you were a kid without dreams, I might not have played with you!

LZY: …who said I didn’t have dreams when I was a kid?

The next second, seeing me immediately cast a curious gaze his way, he seemed to stop talking somewhat regretfully.

I kept swinging his hand, adopting an expression that vowed not to give up until I heard the answer. After waiting for quite a while, I finally got a soft sigh of compromise from him.

LZY: You can listen, but you have to hear the premise too. It was just a casual remark I made when I was little, not exactly a serious dream.

MC: So, you were playing coy earlier. But if CEO Li doesn’t say it today, he won’t be adorable anymore! Tell me, tell me~

LZY: …Pianist.

My eyes widen for a moment, picturing Li Zeyan playing the piano, and I can’t control my eyes crinkling as I smile.

MC: Hahaha, even CEO Li had such a whimsical dream!

LZY: [extremely helpless laugh]  I told you, it was just something I said without much thought when I was a kid.

MC: But when I imagine how you’d look in a tailcoat, it does quite suit your temperament.

MC: So, when we return home today, will I be fortunate enough to hear the playing of the Grand Pianist Li?~

LZY: Nope.

MC: Oh, c’mon, just play it casually; even just putting on a show would be fine too.

LZY: [helplessly amused tone]  Your current dream is not small at all, I must say.

Our light-hearted, trivial laughter and chatter scattered throughout the park, and in a trance, we brushed past our childhood memories.

We strolled aimlessly, and when the curtain of twilight fell, neither of us uttered a word about leaving.

It wasn’t until we saw the construction vehicles approaching from a distance that we tacitly cast our gaze for one last time at this piece of land.

MC: I wonder what this little park will turn into the next time we see it?

LZY: If you’re curious, let’s come and check it out together once it’s completed.

His voice was soft, but he spoke with sincerity.

LZY: In any case, its finest appearance has already been preserved in the passage of time.

───── [FLASHBACK ENDS] ─────

───────

[Tidbits]:

[1] It’s a small nod to his 2nd birthday date, where MC “broke into his house” to surprise him LOL, though this time it wasn’t necessary b/c she lives here haha~

[2] don’t think I need to again; still just a reminder–  MC used to address Li Zeyan as “Zeyan gege” when they were kids. For those unaware, when a Chinese girl addresses a boy as gēge (an intimate term of address), if not used to address her own older brother, she’d use it to address her boyfriend~ and the reason it got both Victor and MC flustered the first time they reminisced in Preference SP~ It’s similar to how oppa (in KR) and onii-chan (in JP) works in cases like this haha~ (//∇//) 

You can refer to this post for more details: ♡♡

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【Chapter 2】 

In the damp winter haze of the south, two interconnected artificial mountain ranges embrace the brand-new Riverside Plaza.

The lines of modern architecture in the square appear to escape from the shackles of steel and concrete, blending seamlessly with the natural landscape.

I take a satisfying deep breath, allowing the fresh air to instantly fill my nostrils.

MC: Looks so much more beautiful than before.

LZY: The concepts for this renovation are very new, and the execution on the ground is pretty commendable.

LZY: But I recall that this place will only be open to the public around mid-year.

MC: Yeah, you’re right. But it’s your birthday today, so it’s perfectly normal for magical things to happen~

Seeing my wink that hints at my intention to keep it a secret to the end, he helplessly raises his eyebrows.

LZY: A certain someone seems to be leveraging her personal connections for me a lot recently.

MC: If it weren’t for CEO Li’s help along the way, I wouldn’t even have the small network I’ve built up today.

MC: “Always think of its source when you drink water”-- it’s but a fundamental principle in life.

LZY: [laughs softly]  Does your fundamental principle also include sweet talk?

MC: This is called the use of some rhetorical devices to convey a heartfelt expression. Every word of mine is sincere~

Amidst the laughter and chatter, as we approach the place where I had placed a gift in advance, even my footsteps gain a little excited spring.

–

3… 2… 1 –– I silently count as I lead him around the corner, and a delicate gift box appears on a bench not too far away.

I discreetly sneak a glance at the person next to me and see that he seems to be in a daze for a moment. Soon after, he quickly catches on, and a smile of realization spills out from the corners of his lips.

LZY: Looks like a certain someone has already been here in advance.

MC: After all, this place holds very special meaning for us. But more importantly, it’s your birthday today~

MC: Since we have the opportunity to acquaint ourselves with it once again, I want to create some new memories that belong to us~

With the expectation in my gaze, he opens the gift box–– inside is a bottle of wine labeled with the year he was born.

MC: Hehe, your first gift is a red wine meticulously selected by MC~ It’s the best-tasting one I selected among many wines!

LZY: Does a certain someone’s idea of the best taste mean it’s “very sweet?” [3]

MC: Huh? How did you know…

A barely imperceptible curve graces the corners of his lips, though he doesn’t reply to my question.

LZY: So, did you just say this is the first gift?

It’s only now that I remember something, and, akin to presenting a treasure, I pull out a gift map.

MC: That’s right~ There are still nine more gifts scattered in the streets, waiting for their owner to bring them home.

LZY: You’ve prepared ten gifts for a single birthday? [4]

MC: Uh-huh. After all, my feelings outweigh these gifts by far, but at the very least, the figure gives a hint, right~

Seeing me use my hands and feet to gesture exaggeratedly, he laughs in spite of himself and takes hold of my hand.

LZY: [gives a precious laugh]  Well, let’s hurry up then. I don’t want a certain dummy’s feelings that are lying scattered to wait for too long.

–

MC: Jeez…

As I watch him retrieve the final gift box straight from the ice cream parlor, my eyes widen in astonishment.

MC: How did you do that?

LZY: It’s not difficult to guess a dummy’s thoughts.

Noticing a glint of complacency flicker in his eyes, I pout a little, unwilling to resign myself.

MC: If you’re really that good, then take a guess at what’s inside the gift box?

LZY: What if I guess correctly?

MC: In that case, you can put forward any conditions you please~

He lowers his eyes to the gift box, and soon, a hint of interest curls at the corners of his lips. Watching him muttering to himself irresolutely, I swiftly regain my complacency.

MC: I knew it! How could you possibly guess~

LZY: Is it a flipbook comic?

MC: …!

I find myself rooted to the spot in incredulity, falling into serious contemplation.

MC: Seriously? I drew this at the store, so there’s no way I could have accidentally filled in the wrong recipient’s phone number…

MC: And, I intentionally didn’t bring it home… so, there’s no chance you could have seen it beforehand!

MC: Weird, how on earth did you figure it out?

He gives me a playful look, then turns the side of the gift box towards me.

A label reading “Hand-drawn Flipbook Comic” is prominently affixed on it.

MC: …how could you cheat!

LZY: You said it yourself–– the birthday star has the final say today.

He laughs candidly, opens the gift box, and takes out the comic book.

As he slowly turns the pages, the changing sequence of images gradually brings a story to life.

The soccer ball that came flying knocked down the sandcastle. Faced with the girl’s loud sobs, the boy was flustered and at a loss for what to do. Finally, he quelled her tears with a pudding.

Probably because the girl always had something to say, and the boy was always willing to listen–– as a matter of course, the two naturally became playmates.

Seeing that an unforeseen accident took place and caused the two to lose contact, Li Zeyan slows down his pace of flipping the pages.

During that prolonged separation, the girl, just like him, grew up well in her own world.

When his fingertips turns the final page, a sunshower drizzles down without warning, bearing witness to their reunion on the sidewalk of fate. [5]

With yearning, his gaze lingers on the page for a long, long time, as if he is looking back to that day through the paper.

MC: It’s a bit of a pity; this was already the thickest book in the store. I originally wanted to continue drawing more into the future.

He looks at me, his gaze deep.

LZY: We already know how the story unfolded after that.

LZY: As for the story that will unfold in the days to come, we will know that, too, as time goes on.

──────────────

[Tidbits]:

[3] It’s a nod to a term MC often uses for Li Zeyan– “世界第一甜李泽言” (world's sweetest Li Zeyan) and the nickname CN fans have for him 李甜甜 (Sweet Li); which is also discussed in the call for this date that she wanted to choose a wine that fits him the best and apparently drunk texted in the process LOL. 

[4] Guess all Li Zeyan stans know the significance of the number “10” ahah the source of all angst, but in the light of this date, it’s also a nod to Li Zeyan’s age when he and MC first met.

[5] Likely not necessary LOL, but a refresher anyway — it’s the reference to S1 CH 1, the impending car crash and their fated reunion ahah— ༼⁠;⁠´⁠༎ຶ⁠ ⁠۝ ⁠༎ຶ⁠༽

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【Chapter 3】

MC: I hereby declare that the gift-finding mission is a complete success!

Watching me dancing for joy and ticking off the last empty space on the list, Li Zeyan can’t help but break into laughter.

LZY: Obviously, I’m the one who received the gifts, but you seem even happier than me.

MC: Because once again, your reunion with this land has been branded with my mark!

MC: No matter how that little park’s appearance may change, whenever this place crosses your mind, you will always think of me!

LZY: [laughs helplessly]  Dummy, thinking of you has never had anything to do with time or place.

The next second, as if a realization has struck him, he lifts his gaze to meet mine.

LZY: But how come you didn’t place any of the gifts in that little park?

I scratch my head and unfold the map of Riverside Plaza to show him.

MC: With the artificial mountains they’ve built along with so many public structures, the topography here has changed dramatically.

MC: I couldn’t figure out the location of the little park…

MC: Perhaps it was leveled to the ground, or it might have become a part of the mountains, or maybe we’ve just passed right through it.

As he listens to my conscientious conjectures, a soft chuckle escapes from the corner of Li Zeyan’s lips.

LZY: As expected, you dummy.

—

MC: Does the venue usage agreement also include riding the cable car…

As the cable car slowly ascends, I flip through the thick agreement in surprise.

But before I can find the relevant clauses, my eyes are captivated by the gradually unfolding panorama of Riverside Plaza.

Emerald water and azure stones breathe in and out the refreshing breeze, embracing modern architecture and blending into a highly artistic urban landscape.

MC: It seems like the blessing of the birthday star’s halo really makes things magical, huh?

MC: Then, if I get closer to you, perhaps I can catch some of your magical aura.

As I speak, I snuggle even closer to him, crashing into his gaze fixed on me.

LZY: Even if the halo does exist, it wouldn’t spread through such childish methods.

MC: Well, you never know, and you––

The next second, he leans down and silences my unfinished words with a kiss.

LZY: [in an adorably serious tone]  The success rate should be higher with this method.

Seeing him making jokes in a deadly earnest tone, I can’t help but burst into laughter.

LZY: If a certain dummy keeps giggling, she might miss the place she’s been yearning for.

MC: Huh?

Seeing him lift his chin slightly, I look perplexedly to the left side of the cable car.

In the next second, I spot the small park within the construction enclosure of the Urban Construction Group.

The sense of familiarity hits me right in the face, leaving me astounded and frozen in place.

MC: I can’t believe it’s still here… is it that they haven’t gotten to renovating this area yet?

LZY: Take a closer look.

With my eyes, I trace over the landscape before me, overlaying it with the images in my memory.

The old soccer field from the past has now taken a brand new appearance, incorporating the previous open space and expanding to at least twice its original size.

Meanwhile, the small sandbox seems to have become the best viewing area to watch the game, nestled inseparably against the edge of the soccer field.

MC: It… has been preserved?

LZY: Mm.

LZY: In the future, whenever you want to visit, it will always be here.

All my uncertainties vanish into thin air, and even the excitement turns into a sense of reassurance.

The unexpected surprise makes it impossible for me to resist turning my gaze toward that small area; I can’t seem to get enough of it no matter how many times I look.

The cable car ascends a bit more, and on the construction barrier previously obscured by tree shadows, an inverted triangle symbol that I couldn’t be more familiar with comes into view.

MC: Huh? Isn’t that the logo of LFG?

In my bewildered gaze, he nods.

LZY: I mentioned to you before about the collaboration between LFG and Urban Construction, and this is the project.

MC: So, you are the one who preserved it?

LZY: I was indeed involved in the decision-making process.

LZY: However, the redevelopment plan originally called for a youth activity area, so we retained the outdoor park and added more activity spaces.

I nod thoughtfully, but as I look at the small sandbox, I can’t shake the impression that it doesn’t really fit in with the surroundings.

Seeming to notice my trance, he speaks first.

LZY: [extremely softly]  My selfish desire did indeed take part in this.

LZY: Since the soccer field was already being preserved, there was no reason why the sandbox shouldn’t be preserved as well.

MC: Even if it doesn’t quite fit the planning requirements?

He gently lowers his eyes, remaining silent, but the upward curve at the corner of his lips seems to have long declared the answer.

Partiality towards someone that causes a person to break the rules is always a source of joy, and I am no exception.

It’s just that being loved can subtly give rise to greed, making it impossible to resist the temptation to seek more confirmation from him.

MC: But… didn’t you say before letting it be preserved in the passage of time is enough?

The moment my probing gaze meets the light in his eyes, everything is laid bare in his knowing smile.

LZY: Even now, I still believe that time always leaves its traces.

LZY: But you seemed so unwilling to part with this memory.

He pauses for a moment, gazing gently into my eyes.

LZY: [IN THE GENTLEST POSSIBLE TONE]  So, if you wish to seek the traces of time, I can preserve the entirety of time for you.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【Chapter 4】 

As the sky gradually imbues with darkness, the cable car reaches the end of its journey.

The words Li Zeyan said just now still linger in my ears, filling my entire heart with elation.

His love is omnipresent, allowing me to crash into it and be embraced by it at every turn, no matter where I casually roam in this world.

I want to hurry up and bring him to the destination; I want to present him with my surprise and give him all of my heart; I want to make him as happy as I am in this moment.

With this in mind, I pull him by the hand and start running in small steps.

His question echoes from behind, sinking into the night again, but I don’t say anything, only smiling at him.

We run all the way to the river side and spot the bubble house coming into view from afar. Quietly, I press the light control switch.

The dreamlike lights embrace flowers, fine wine, swaying candles, balloons and fireworks… At this moment, my innermost feelings seem to spill onto all the existences in the world.

MC: Happy Birthday, Li Zeyan.

Saying this softly, I look up to find his gaze and see his slightly dazed eyes illuminated brightly by the flowing light. But his eyes seem to be infinitely more resplendent than the moonlight.

LZY: When it comes to creating surprises, no one can ever surpass you.

He allows me to lead him by the hand and walk into the “bubble.” Then, he watches me as I take the cake out of the mini refrigerator and light the candles.

The candle flames dance, causing those eyes that have always been fixed on me to become even softer.

Drowning in his eyes, I softly breathe out a relaxed sigh.

MC: To be honest, until I arranged everything here and set up the gifts, I wasn’t entirely sure if this would be a good venue for your birthday celebration.

MC: Upon coming back here again with you today, I suddenly realized…

MC: Perhaps, from the moment we met eighteen years ago, fate had already quietly written our today. 

MC: We just didn’t know it back then.

We didn’t know that we would lose each other, and then we would meet again after going around in circles.

We didn’t know that we would be so favored by fate, becoming such important parts of each other’s lives.

Li Zeyan, it was your appearance that made me start to believe in the existence of fate.

You’re such an incredible person that all my yearnings and adoration seem to naturally and rightfully find their way to you––

Becoming my unique and unmatched destiny.

I lift the cake towards him, as if holding my heart full of sincere wishes in my hands.

MC: The cake from the morning was pawed on by Pudding, so it could no longer shoulder the important task of making wishes.

MC: I hope this unblemished cake can hold all of your wishes.

He solemnly accepts all of my heart and sincerity, gazing at me for a long time, so long that the candle burns down another inch.

LZY: From the very first second of today, I’ve been blessed by a certain dummy with all of her heart and soul.

LZY: The old place where I met you in the past, today has given birth to new memories, all because of you.

LZY: Life wasn’t all bad before I met you.

LZY: But it wasn’t until I was constantly thought of, cared for, and loved by a certain dummy day and night that I realized the happiness fate had bestowed upon me was a million times greater than I could have ever imagined.

LZY: Once a person has known happiness, they will naturally want to preserve everything the way they are indefinitely.

LZY: This is my wish.

He gazes at me with an earnest and profound expression in his eyes, and then he blows out the candle.

MC: Hmm… although I really want to promise you this––

MC: But I’m greedier than you. I want every day of yours to be happier than the one before.

MC: I want to make you the happiest person in the whole world.

He gently lifts my hand and draws me into his arms.

LZY: You already have.

LZY: So, accompany me to an even longer and more distant future, and let’s witness the surprises fate has already written.

In a daze, my memories drift back to the day we first met when we were kids.

Just as I was certain back then that he would show up with a pudding for our rendezvous, at this moment, I am equally sure that I will accompany him to that future.

I gaze at him and nod emphatically.

Beneath the starry sky, we eat cake and drink wine, laughing and making clamors for a while, and then we just cuddle together quietly.

We let time silently slip away before our eyes, because it feels as though as long as we can be just like this, it’s enough to make us happy.

It’s not until the moon quietly shifts its position that the winter night brings with it a nip in the air.

Probably sensing that I’m a bit cold, he enfolds me in his arms, gently rubbing my hands until warmth blooms in them.

But he still appears a little uneasy, his brows creasing into a slight frown as he looks at my light clothing.

LZY: The weather is too cold; let’s go home.

MC: Since it’s a birthday celebration, it’s not considered over until the very last second.

I shake my wristwatch at him; there are still more than twenty minutes until the new day.

Probably because I’m being a bit too insistent, he can do nothing but hug me even more tightly, letting his body heat encase me.

Vaguely feeling a sound of helpless sighing on the verge of escaping above my head, I hurriedly press my finger against his lips gently.

MC: The birthday star is not allowed to sigh!

LZY: [IN THE MOST ADORABLY PLEADING TONE]  I’m worried that you might catch a cold.

MC: I’ve got a solution.

I stand on tiptoes and kiss him. Then, resorting to my old trick, I take his hand and pull him along for a run towards the outside.

MC: Let’s run around, and we’ll be warm in no time!

But this time, after being taken aback for a split second, he steps ahead and overtakes me, pulling me along and leading me to run forward.

There’s something even more enchanting beyond hugs and kisses, and that is – lovers sprinting through the silent night.

The night is so thick with darkness that it engulfs any sense of direction, and I find myself momentarily uncertain if we are running toward the past or moving forward into the future.

Or perhaps, all along, we’d constantly been running towards each other in every passing moment.

Perhaps fate is not willing to treat such a fervent and sincere love unkindly, and so in the boundless night, a winding piano pathway unfolds before us like some kind of miracle.

We both freeze for a moment, then look at each other with a hint of delight.

LZY: Walking on the same path with a dummy, I guess a person is bound to run into surprises along the way.

Stepping onto the pathway, I hear a “clink” sound, so I hop a few more steps, and suddenly, the air is filled with tinkling noises.

I turn around, smile at him, and pull him onto the pathway.

MC: The journey to becoming a grand pianist can take various forms, and the one before us right now seems like a pretty good one.

The next second, I feel a force on my lower back, and I fall into his arms.

LZY: [THE OVERWHELMING JOY IN HIS VOICE x1]  Well, in that case, dance with me.

The entire world resonates with the sounds created by us.

We hold each other tightly in an embrace, stepping on the musical notes flowing from the black and white piano keys.

As the notes intertwine, I close my eyes. Suddenly, I have the feeling as if I’m in a magnificent concert hall, playing a tacit ensemble with the person I love the most.

MC: How does it feel to have your “dreams” come true, my grand pianist?

LZY: [x2] This moment is far superior to any dreams.

MC: Then, how about allowing this moment to become a little more joyful?

As I speak, I gently lift his hand and twirl around with the dance steps.

The notes that do not form a melody fall into our hearts, giving birth to an unparalleled sense of fulfillment.

I find myself unable to resist looking at the person in front of me, only to find him gazing at me tenderly.

MC: Are you happy?

MC: I seem to only remember wishing you happiness, but I haven’t asked you yet. Are you happy?

–

Hearing the girl’s question, Li Zeyan is momentarily caught off guard.

Amid the disorderly notes, they dance with steps that keep getting tangled time and again, laughing together like two dummies.

Perhaps as long as she just stands there, her presence alone will make everything in front of him lovely, making it impossible for him not to be happy.

So, he nods.

LZY: [the overflowing joy in his tone here literally broke the last surviving barrier of my tear flood]  Hm, I’m very happy.

Happiness doesn’t seem to be that difficult. After all, thanks to her, it has become a presence that is attainable at his fingertips almost in every second of every day.

It’s just that when a person becomes accustomed to the existence of happiness, they will naturally grow reliant and insatiable.

“So, hold her hand tightly, until the end of time,” — he thinks to himself.

The girl in front of him checks the time, announcing loudly that the hour hand is about to usher in a new day.

4, 3, 2, 1–– along with the countdown, she leans into him and wishes him “Happy Birthday” for the last time today.

Almost instinctively, he leans down and kisses her.

For all the years to come, may every sunrise and nightfall be as perfect as this moment.

───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

【Anika’s after-notes】 

those of you who know me on twitter/X or are on the official discord server, you guys may have already seen me having multiple meltdowns on this date. so, you can imagine just how much i still have to yell and scream about lmao, but this time, i’m not gonna write a whole essay that’s what my twitter threads are for lol. it’s one of those writing that is very self explanatory, everything is at your face but in the best possible way, and leaves you little to no room for second-guessing. so, hope you enjoy this treat packed with emotions and infinite beauty, and happy crying ahah~ ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ💕

───────────────

[applepie-enthusiast]

"That night was just like this, right, Tomioka?"

Sanemi smiled fondly at particularly nothing. The cold, winter wind seeping deep into his bones, but he didn't mind. It wasn't painful.

For nothing else would be as painful as what he was feeling deep into his heart as of the moment—

—As of it had been for the last couple of months.

"Just like this when you said we'd watch the fireworks on your next birthday..."

"Anyway," Sanemi sat down, resting his back against the cold tombstone where his beloved rests. He didn't mind the snow falling on him anymore. Sanemi instead gazed up, noting that the night sky didn't have any stars in it, just like that time.

"The Kamado siblings visited me earlier." He continued to converse casually, "Together with that annoying boar-head kid and that whiny blond haired kid. I heard he's marrying tanjirou's sister. They even issued an invitation to me. Man, they sure were so noisy and rowdy the entire day."

Sanemi breathe in and put slowly, closing his eyes as his smile grew wider.

"Marriage, ain't that nice, huh, Tomioka?" He paused, ignoring the slight tug in his heart.

"Remember when we once talked about it? It's quite stupid, really. A couple of pillars talking about something as dreamy as marriage. Stupid, really... but I wonder, if you'll allow me to ask such a dumb question one last time, that If I had the guts to ask you before..."

"Would you have said yes?"

Not receiving any response as expected, Sanemi gazed down, there was an incoming surge of tight aching in his chest once more, growing more intense as seconds passed by, along with bittersweet memories playing in his mind. It was near unbearable by the time he felt his vision go blurry and his eyes burned from the tears that were warning to fall.

He gripped at his chest, and it burned with pain that cut deeper than any sword ever could.

He couldn't show any sign that he was hurting whenever others were present. Be it the kamado siblings, zenitsu, or inosuke. Not even with Uzui or his wives.

But now, all Sanemi has is himself and the inconsolable truth that he was alone once again, longing for the ones he lost, just like it had been from the start.

He was unable to save everyone he cherished, be it his mother, his siblings, Genya, and now Tomioka.

It was all too sudden, all too painful with all of them going to a place that Sanemi can't reach just yet, or else he would be met with protests to go back and try to live his life until its peaceful end.

And once more it all came down to him. The realization that he could never make anyone as happy as they did for him, it was unbearable.

Just as suddenly, Sanemi felt something fall on his head, making him involuntarily look up.

There was a huge tree beside him, its branches littered with snow, and upon further inspection, Sanemi realized that a patch of snow fell down on him in an almost comedic timing, as if it was an answer to his silly yet heartwarming question to his beloved.

Willing himself to smile as he closed his eyes and mustered the most sincere expression he could, Sanemi muttered as tears fell from once more.

"You would have? Well, that's reassuring. You're really something, Tomioka."

The cold winter breeze blew against his skin, and Sanemi's smile grew wider once more.

"Thanks, then. That's one of your most beautiful gifts, Tomioka. I haven't said this much back then, but I hope you know it." Sanemi inhaled, and exhaled slowly, resting his head further against the tombstone, it didn't feel as cold as earlier.

"I love you, Tomioka. Always have, forever will."

[synthetickitsune]

Jun (Seventeen) | I don't understand but I love you

angst/comfort | 0.7k | gn!reader

A/N: This is a birthday gift from myself to myself so it doesn't matter if it doesn't make sense to anyone else 🤍

Listening to your friends telling the story of the dinner they went to on their last date, you can't help but wonder how much time you have left in your own relationship. You don't show it, long since used to it by now. They talk about the roses, the champagne, the kissing under the stars and sharing an umbrella when it started raining. They look so lovesick talking about how their hands always seem to find each other. You feel the itch to start bouncing your leg again under the table.

But Jun stretches and throws his arm around your shoulders while his other hand finds its place on your knee, even if the position must be uncomfortable. When your friends get lost in each other's eyes and start arguing in whispers against each other's lips, Jun turns to you and checks on you with a smile. You nod and lean into him. 

You can't help but wonder if it feels much different to them - your friends, him - than it does to you. It feels warm, comfortable. It makes you feel safe and protected. Like you're worth keeping by his side. Is that not enough? Is something missing?

The attention is turned on you, and the second couple starts asking questions about your relationship. You're grateful when Jun starts answering immediately. He's so beautiful - his eyes spark with excitement as he talks about your recent hiking trip. Well, the way to the actual hiking place, and how you kept going back and forth on the discourse about the comic you were both reading at the same time. He is almost vibrating in his seat with glee when he tells them that neither of you dropped the water bottle once when you threw it to the other.

You manage to swallow the lump in your throat to tell them about the one crow who seemed to follow you the entire way up, talking to itself. Jun does jump slightly at that, doing a perfect recreation of the bird's behavior. He seems relieved when you laugh, and he pulls you close enough to kiss your forehead. You can't see but you know by the way your friend's boyfriend opens and closes his mouth that Jun gave them a look. 

You might just ____ him for that but your brain is too bitter to form that word.

And Jun is a saint because when you get home, he pulls you into his arms without saying a word and just holds you. He kisses the top of your head and nudges your nose with his. You understand well the slight tilt of his lips, but he says it anyway: "It's enough."

"What we have is enough," he whispers as he cups your cheek and pecks your lips, "I don't want anything else."

"You don't want... That?" you vaguely motion with your head as if nodding towards your friends, long gone to their own home. The stereotypical couple, the conventional lovers.

"I want to be happy with you" he smiles, and you smile too. You both know just how happy you are together. The relationship is all you could ask for. But it might be only a question of time before it's no longer that for Junhui.

"We talked about this. A lot," he reminds you, not unkindly, "Our feelings are all that matters. I feel loved. And I know I am."

"Wouldn't it feel better if I was like everyone?" you mumble, whisper, through your doubts. It's not like you know what it's like. Your feelings towards Jun are strong and warm. You want to spend time with him, you want to support him and cry when he cries. He's who you think about the most. He's more than your best friend. But the feeling never changed.

"It already feels like eating a delicious hotpot on a cold winter day. Remember? How it warms you from inside and fills you and it feels so comfortable you could just fall asleep happy? There's no better feeling."

You laugh, shaking your head as you hide your face into his chest. Leave it to Jun to reassure in a perfect way that doesn't feel uncomfortable or like an empty promise.

"I don't understand but I love you."

"I know. That's all I need."

[mirrortouchedsea]

HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY @transactinides MWAHHHHH here's 4.7k words of a Shinobu character study just for youuuuu.

CW for bullying. I also would like to note that the appellations are not quite what they are on the wiki just because it is pre-canon so I figured it would show the original distance between him and everyone else so do naught @ me about this one. It was intentional. I did post it on ao3 in the link above but you can also just read it under the read more :3

---

He clutches at his froggy plushie as his mom walks him down the hall. It’s Shinobu Sengoku’s first day of elementary school and he is so nervous, but his mom says it’ll be okay. He can make friends here! Maybe they’ll like frogs too. He wonders if there will be any frogs on the playground he saw outside. 

Okay Shinobu-kun, it’s time for me to go, are you going to be okay? His mom crouches down in front of him and Shinobu wants to cry. He’s never been without his mom before. He would have to go to school…alone? He shakes his head. His mom laughs and pulls him into a hug. It’ll be okay, Shinobu-kun, I’ll pick you up at the end of the day, okay? Okay… 

His mom ruffles his hair before standing up to leave. Shinobu just stands in the doorway until the teacher pulls him away and shows him to his seat. His froggy plushie is still in his hands and he pulls it closer to his body. Are the other kids looking at him? Oh no…they’re judging his froggy… 

He looks away from the rest of the children in the room and puts his plushie in his backpack. He’ll still be there, he tells himself. Mr. Froggy won’t leave him alone. Of course he wouldn’t! Shinobu had to be brave for Mr. Froggy and his mom, so he gets back in his seat and listens to the teacher as class begins. 

--- 

By the time the fall holidays roll around, Shinobu knows that the other kids don’t like him very much. It took two weeks before someone stole Mr. Froggy and another three weeks for someone else to start calling him names. Shinobu wasn’t sure what the names meant, but the other kids would laugh at him and it wasn’t the type of laugh people did on TV when the hero slipped on a banana peel. He’s stopped trying to talk to the other kids during recess. 

When his mom asks if he’s made any friends, he finds that he can’t tell her the truth. He doesn’t want to hurt his mom’s feelings, after all. Of course he has friends. He starts making up stories of him and his friends’ exploits on the playground, but it feels hollow and lonely. What was he doing wrong? The other kids ran around and screamed on the playground but Shinobu is a quiet kid. Maybe being quiet was wrong…? But he felt bad when he yelled if he wasn’t excited. Why was it so hard to make friends (and why can’t he tell his mom he doesn’t know how to make them)? 

Around the winter holidays, Shinobu discovers ninjas. It’s one of the tokusatsu shows where they get saved by a lone ninja. The ninja never revealed his face but Shinobu felt a strange sense of sameness with the character. He was alone so much, just like the ninja. He could be cool too! He starts begging his mom for ninja stars or at least a cool headband like the ones on TV. On the playground and around the house, he does ninjutsu moves and his mom and teachers smile at his antics. 

He gets a ninja costume for Christmas and doesn’t take it off for days. It’s his favorite gift under the tree and he wants to show it off to everyone who will look. In January a kid on the playground shoves him in the mud and Shinobu no longer wears it to school. 

--- 

When he enters the next school year, Shinobu hopes things will be different. Maybe his class will be different and he’ll be able to talk to someone about how cool ninjas are! He’s running down the hallway, hands in front of him in one of his ninja arts poses. He was still learning what they meant but he was pretty sure this one was for stealth. Well, as stealthy as he can be running down the hallway at school. The teacher still yells at him for running in the hallway. 

Just like last year, Shinobu tells himself he will be brave and make friends! The person sitting next to him wasn’t in his class last year, so he introduces himself and does his ninja hand signs. The other kid smiles and says they should play together at recess! Mission: success! 

Shinobu can’t stop grinning as he eagerly awaits for class to end and recess to start. Does this other kid like ninjas? Or maybe he likes tokusatsu, which was okay because Shinobu liked tokusatsu too! He’s practically bouncing on his way to the playground before remembering he should wait for his new friend. He skids to a halt next to a slide and has to keep from looking too excited. 

The other kid arrives quickly and Shinobu quickly finds himself asking so many questions about ninjas and if they liked them. Did you know that real ninja weren’t like what they show on TV? Who’s your favorite ranger? Mine is the yellow one. She's so cool! The other kid places his hands on Shinobu’s shoulders to get his attention. Was he being too overwhelming again? The other kid says something about how Shinobu seems nice but…he doesn’t think they’d be good friends. Sorry about that. 

Shinobu wipes the tears from his eyes but says he understands. The other kid says thank you and apologizes again before running off to the playground with his other friends. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up. At least this kid was nice to him about it. It could always be worse. 

Shinobu starts bringing his froggy plushie to school again, talking to it like he imagines normal people talk to their friends. Mr. Froggy has such interesting answers, telling Shinobu about the pond and the other animals that live there. There are even frogs who are ninja and protect the little pond community! Shinobu promises Mr. Froggy that he’ll protect the pond too, and he starts catching small bugs and feeding them to the frogs on the playground. The other kids tell him that it’s gross to hang out with frogs. At least the frogs listen to him talk about ninjas. 

--- 

Second grade! Shinobu knows by now that the other kids think he’s too weird to talk to. Some of them are nice to him when they do group projects but he knows they try to keep their distance. Between naming the frogs that lived on the school grounds and running around pretending to be a ninja, it wasn’t hard to understand that people found him… odd. He couldn’t understand why, because running around like a ninja was super duper fun. It wasn’t any different than his classmates pretending to be pirates or superheroes from their favorite anime series, was it? 

For a few months that year, there was a popular ninja anime series everyone enjoyed but even then, nobody would play with him. He watched them attempt the ninja arts and tried to correct their form but they just made a face and told him to go away. Was he wrong…? Didn’t they want to make sure they were doing the right signs for what they wanted to do? 

He had even been excited to talk about the anime with the other kids, he tuned in to the new episode every week as soon as he got home from school even! But still, everyone avoided him. Sometimes he could tell one of them would feel bad for rejecting him for the millionth time and would let him play but they never seemed as into it as he was. They always did ninja art: invisibility and ran away after a few minutes. 

--- 

Three more years go by and Shinobu is in middle school. He’s used to the loneliness now, often sitting in a corner at lunch by himself, going over his secret ninja skills and talking to the frogs he’s taken care of over the years. It hurt but over time he found ways to push it down and he managed to make it to middle school. Being almost 11, his parents stopped indulging his ninja obsession and tried to introduce him to other things but nothing could ever replace the great and wonderful ninja! He’s been poring over every book he could find at the library about them, and even started to talk like them. It is most befitting of a noble ninja to speak properly and clearly, and so he does. 

The librarian was the closest thing he had to what one would consider a friend. She laughs at his jokes and plays along with his imagination, she even shows him how to make paper throwing stars, which are very difficult to aim but very fun to throw anyway. He fills his room with paper ninja stars and turns them into all sorts of things, even giving them to his classmates to try and make friends (despite telling himself that he was okay by himself, he still longed for someone to connect with). He often found them in the trash at the end of the day. 

At night, after a particularly rough day at school, Shinobu cries. He doesn’t know why, but the tears start running down his face and he can’t make them stop. Who can he even talk to about this? Mr. Froggy, why is it so hard to be alone?

---

By the end of middle school, Shinobu is telling everyone he wants to become an idol and inspire other people to love ninja as much as he does! Even though ninjas should stay in the shadows, he’s willing to go on stage and represent them to the world! He’s even been accepted to Yumenosaki Academy so he has a real chance to make it as an idol! 

His classmates and teachers tell him it’s a pipe dream and to keep his expectations low. Yumenosaki has been on the decline for a while now so what good would it be to enroll there? Maybe if Shinobu had been born thirty years earlier (but someone like him would never make it as an idol anyway. A ninja idol? Who would care about that?) then he’d have a chance, a small one, but a chance. Well, it’s not like any of them would stop him from applying to Yumenosaki, and Shinobu would finally get to meet some new people, maybe he could make some friends too! 

---

Shinobu’s first day at Yumenosaki is…well it was interesting, to say the least. It was very overwhelming, seeing all of the different idol groups, and so many of them didn’t seem interested in him. There were Knights, which were too cool for Shinobu (he decided to maybe admire them from afar, but they were not people he could see himself getting along with), fine, which seemed to be the leader of the school and way out of Shinobu’s league, and Trickstar, which were not actually recruiting members, but they were on stage performing and showing off the things they’d learned about being idols and what was in store for the prospective students. Compared to how his middle school classmates had talked about Yumenosaki, it seemed like it was anything but falling apart. Which was great! But… 

Shinobu clutches at his ninja stars, holding them close to his chest. He wants to try and talk to someone at one of the booths, but it was too intimidating! Everyone is so loud and the music from the speakers makes it hard for Shinobu to gather his thoughts. He knows he’ll have to get used to it if he wants to become an idol, or learn to deal with it, but the auditorium was not doing him any favors right now. 

Someone grabs Shinobu by the shoulder and he jumps. What’s going on?! 

Are you okay, they ask, and Shinobu looks up at the stranger, dark red eyes creased in concern at Shinobu. Oh, I’m fine, please do not worry about me, uhh… Morisawa, Morisawa Chiaki. Thank you, but please do not worry about me Morisawa-dono. You looked like you wanted to sit down, do you need some air? Shinobu thinks for a moment. If this Morisawa was offering, well Shinobu was not going to deny that getting away from the crowd would be nice. He nods and Morisawa guides him out to the hall, the music becomes quiet and Shinobu feels like he can breathe again. 

I don’t think I caught your name, you’re one of the new first years correct? Yes, my name is Sengoku Shinobu. Nice to meet you Sengoku! Have you figured out what unit you want to join, I’m the leader of Ryuseitai and we’re looking for members, our audition is next week if you want to try out? Oh, that would be… There’s no pressure, Sengoku, but I think you’ll make a great idol! 

Morisawa leaves and Shinobu stays in the hallway, almost awestruck at the older boy’s statement. Did someone…other than his parents believe in him? Well, Shinobu did get into Yumenosaki to begin with, so he has that going for him, but still. He isn’t used to the feeling in his chest, his heart flutters and his thoughts running a mile a minute. Someone who didn’t even know him believed he could make it as an idol. 

Shinobu makes up his mind to attend the Ryuseitai auditions next week. He should go find Morisawa and ask what he needs to prepare, but he freezes as his hand hovers over the doorknob. What if Morisawa was lying? Plenty of kids in Shinobu’s middle school did that to him, inviting him to play and then chasing Shinobu off when he tried to join, why would Morisawa be different? Shinobu wants to curl up in the corner, but he really should go to the Ryuseitai table. Maybe there will be someone else there he can talk to. 

Okay Shinobu, you got this! Just open the door and look for the Ryuseitai table! Shinobu opens the door and tries to shut out the rest of the noise. He doesn’t want to get overwhelmed again and have to leave. If he wants to be an idol, he needs to get used to the loud venues! Despite his whole body shaking, Shinobu spots the Ryuseitai table in the corner, Morisawa is sitting with another boy with blue hair (why does it look like the other boy just walked out of the shower?). Shinobu breathes in and tries to slow his heartbeat down before making his way over to the table. 

Oh, Sengoku! Are you feeling better? Yes, thank you very much Morisawa. Ah, chiaki is this who you were ‘talking’ about? Yes it was, Sengoku, meet Kanata Shinkai, Kanata, this is Sengoku Shinobu! It is ‘nice’ to ‘meet’ you shinobu, are you ‘thinking’ about ‘joining’ ryuseitai? Y-yes, I was just wondering about the audition process! 

Morisawa digs around under the table for a second as Shinobu tries not to make eye contact with Shinkai. Shinobu thought the other boy being there would relieve his stress a little, but something about him feels strange (the irony here is lost on Shinobu). 

Alright! Here we go, you’ll have to prepare one song from this list and tell us why you’d like to join Ryuseitai specifically! Don’t worry, it’s nothing difficult so you should be fine! 

Shinobu looks at the list and notices that many of the songs are theme songs from various tokusatsu shows. Well, at least he recognizes several of them, but they’re certainly strange choices for an idol unit. Shinobu takes another look at the table, looking more closely at the unit logo and decorations. The table is covered in tokusatsu merch; stickers, buttons, pencils… that makes sense actually. Shinobu goes back to the song list and scrolls until he finds the theme song from his favorite ninja anime as a kid. That would be the best option and he can show off his ninja moves for it! 

Did you find a song you know? You have a week to prepare, we’ll have auditions here next week after school so don’t miss them! Shinobu nods and makes a mental note of that. He should actually… it’s in his phone now so he’ll definitely remember to show up. Now for his practice! 

--- 

It takes Shinobu too long to figure out how to sign out a practice room for himself (so many of them are already booked for unit rehearsal it’s hard to find one for audition practice) and he’s trying to catch up on his lost time when another boy knocks on the door. Huh? I thought I had the room to myself…de gozaru. A-ah, sorry if I’m interrupting, I know I’m such a loser but I’m lost and someone pointed me this way…were they lying to me? What are you looking for, I’m just practicing for an audition so you can sit down if you’d like. The other boy is tall with light brown hair and looks so nervous Shinobu feels bad for him. The brown haired boy trips over himself as he sets his bag down on the floor. I’m not even sure how I got into this school, I thought I applied to the general course but I couldn’t even do that right… sorry that’s not your fault at all I should just shut up now. Oh, it’s alright de gozaru, would you like to practice with me, maybe we could join the same unit? I’d rather die than be an idol, the attention is too much for me and I’d just look like a fool. 

Shinobu thinks for a few seconds on what the boy said. He can’t exactly drop out of the idol course but Morisawa seemed like he would be accepting of anyone who joined Ryuseitai, so maybe Shinobu should invite this boy to auditions. At least, maybe Morisawa could guide him in the right direction. He finally speaks, I think you would be great as an idol uh… Midori, Takamine Midori. Right! I think you’d be great as an idol T-takamine-dono! You don’t need to lie to me, I really just want to curl up in a ball right now anyway so I’ll leave you alone and you can just pretend like I’m not here. Uhm, my name is Shinobu Sengoku by the way! De gozaru. It’s…nice to meet you, Sengoku-kun.

Shinobu doesn’t really want to be watched while he practices (though he knows at least Morisawa and Shinkai will be watching his audition… he should get used to people watching him), but Midori doesn’t seem to want to move from his spot on the floor. Shinobu turns his music back on but turns the volume dial down to where he can just barely hear it and maybe it won’t disturb Midori. And one and two… 

Shinobu pants, the last note barely registers in his mind as the music is so quiet but he’s happy with how his performance went! He’ll be ready to hit the ground running tomorrow at this rate! He looks over at Midori, who fell asleep on the floor some time during Shinobu’s rehearsal. What time even was it? Oh, it’s quite late his parents would be worried and Midori’s probably were too. Hey, Takamine-dono, it’s late and you should probably go home. O-oh, I didn’t realize I fell asleep, now how am I going to sleep tonight, and what about my parents, oh I’m really worse than garbage, sorry for intruding on you uhm, do you know the way out? Shinobu slings his backpack over his shoulder. I think I remember where the exit is de gozaru, we can walk together if you want, I don’t mind. I’ve already wasted enough of your time, just give me the directions. We’ll be going the same way, it’s really not a big deal if I walk with you. 

Shinobu turns the lights off and makes sure the door is locked before turning back to the hallway. So, you didn’t mean to be in the idol course, but do you have any units in mind that you want to join? The silence is awkward but Shinobu wants to try and make friends this year. He will make friends at Yumenosaki Academy if it kills him (well, that might be a bit too much, but he would like to have someone to talk to at lunch at least). Ah, I got overwhelmed at the sign up event, so I didn’t get a good look at any of the units that were recruiting… Oh, it’s okay I did too, but this nice senior at the uh, I think it was called ‘Ryuseitai’ booth helped me calm down, maybe you’ll like him, and he said the audition would be pretty easy too. Did he, well I haven’t sang before so I don’t know if I could even pass that, let alone dancing, it’s just too much for someone like me. Don’t talk like that, you can practice with me, we can audition together, like friends! I really wouldn’t want to impose on you any more, Sengoku-kun, it’s fine I’ll just get kicked out and go back to being a normal student somewhere else. Shinobu frowns but doesn’t say anything back. He really wants to be friends with the other boy, but it seemed as if Midori was trying to keep his distance. 

Before Shinobu knew it, the two of them had made it to the front doorway of the school. I know you don’t want to be an idol but I hope you’ll consider my offer, de gozaru, I really want to be friends with you Takamine-dono! Midori turns away from Shinobu and doesn’t say anything, just walks away. Well…they’d see each other tomorrow, right? Shinobu sighs before heading back to his own home, going over how he’d tell his parents that he was late (he wonders if they even noticed how late he was coming home from school). 

---

Midori comes back to the practice room the next day and mumbles under his breath that he wouldn’t mind auditioning with Shinobu, if they were doing it together it wouldn’t be so embarrassing. Shinobu smiles wide and they start talking about what each of them will be preparing for the audition. Midori isn’t familiar with the types of tokusatsu shows that Morisawa put on the audition list, but after spending some time listening to them on youtube, they find one that sounds easy enough to learn in five days. Shinobu is already pretty confident in being able to sing his selection, so he starts by finding the lyrics for Midori and going over them section by section. They spend most of the afternoon just learning the song, but by the end of it Midori has it down with only one or two slip ups. Shinobu’s stomach growls and the two decide to call it for the day and go home for dinner, but Midori promises to come back so they can learn simple choreography together. 

As the audition draws closer, both Shinobu and Midori are making decent progress if Shinobu can say anything! They can do simple choreography, steps and light movement while singing and not losing their train of thought. It should be good enough for the audition, at least Morisawa didn’t seem like the type of person to be mean if they did get rejected, which was about all Shinobu was going to ask for at this point, but he had a good feeling about everything! Takamine-dono, I think we’ve got a pretty good shot at our audition de gozaru! You think so Sengoku-kun, I keep stumbling over that one part before the chorus, I don’t know if they’d accept someone as clumsy as me, maybe I should just give up now… Don’t talk like that Takamine-dono, you’ve made a lot of progress, and I’m sure they’ll recognize your potential! You don’t have to hide how much you hate my performance, Sengoku-kun, it won’t hurt my feelings. I’m being honest though, I really think you’re doing great Takamine-dono. 

--- 

The day of the audition arrives and Shinobu is shaking. He’s been practicing so hard for this moment and it’s finally here! Midori is next to him, and Shinobu can feel Midori shaking a little bit too. It’s nice to know that he’s not alone. The judges are only Morisawa and Shinkai, the two Shinobu met on the first day, and the only other person auditioning with them was a boy with black hair and dyed red streaks who was bouncing his foot in a way that just made Shinobu’s nerves worse. The boy with black and red hair was called in first (Nagumo Tetora was his name. Shinobu wonders if they’ll be able to become friends too) and then it was just Midori and Shinobu in the hallway. I’m so nervous, Takamine-dono. You’ll do great Sengoku-kun, you are way better than I am, I’m sure you’ll get in. Don’t talk down about yourself Takamine-dono, you’ve put in a lot of work too and I’m sure Morisawa-dono and Shinkai-dono will see that! 

The door opens and the black haired boy steps out, sighing in relief. Good luck, you two. Shinobu hears his name called from inside the practice room and Shinobu gives Midori’s hand a squeeze for good luck before walking in. He’s shaking, but takes a deep breath. This is what you’ve been practicing for, Sengoku! You can do it! He hears Morisawa’s voice cheering him on in his head (Morisawa’s mouth isn’t moving when Shinobu hears the encouragement, but Shinobu can sense the words coming from Morisawa anyway). Shinobu begins his song, trying not to forget his choreography as he goes, but there’s still a misstep halfway through that causes Shinobu to stumble. Don’t let it get to you, Sengoku, just keep going, Morisawa’s voice echoes in Shinobu’s head. 

By the time Shinobu finishes, he’s panting and his legs could just give out at any moment, but he did it! He made it through with only a few mistakes! Morisawa and Shinkai clap and stand up, congratulating Shinobu on a job well done and Shinobu feels his heart soar. His efforts paid off! Morisawa and Shinkai tell him to send Midori in, which Shinobu agrees to do. 

Takamine-dono, it’s your turn! Shinobu has to drag Midori into a standing position. I don’t know Sengoku-kun, I don’t think I’m cut out to be an idol, I should just go lay in a hole outside, at least I wouldn’t be bothering anyone. Takamine-dono, I believe in you, I think you can be an idol de gozaru. Shinobu all but drags Midori over to the door and pushes him into the audition room, giving a smile and a thumbs up before gently closing the door again. He sighs and sits next to the black haired boy who is twiddling his thumbs. 

I apologize for not introducing myself earlier, but my name is Sengoku Shinobu, it’s nice to meet you! Nagumo Tetora, the other boy says without even looking at Shinobu. Well, that’s fine. If they get into Ryuseitai together, they’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to know each other so Shinobu doesn’t worry right now. Why are you auditioning for Ryuseitai, Shinobu asks to fill the silence. He can tell exactly where Midori should be in his routine despite the wall muffling some of the sound. They have a minute or so left. Tetora’s face flushes. Well, I uh, I got rejected from the other unit I auditioned for, and this one was the only one still doing auditions, and you? Morisawa-dono invited me to after helping me out with something on the first day. Tetora laughs and the door opens, Midori calling them both inside. 

Shinobu stands in between the other two boys as Morisawa and Shinkai go over their notes from the auditions. Despite being first years, they had so much potential and all three of them were accepted into the unit. Shinobu feels lighter than air (he knows that a unit can have a maximum of five people and only the three of them auditioned, that doesn’t go over his head, but still) and when Morisawa and Shinkai pull them into a big group hug, Shinobu thinks he’s finally found his place. Even if Midori and Tetora protest against the gesture, Shinobu wants to frame this memory forever. Practice starts tomorrow.