#but gosh the RELIEF i have felt doing this. i just really don't think i can make it to thursday without being a shell of a human being

[compressingsins]

|| At My Worse

Bakugo x chubby f!reader

Warnings : Established relationship, past bullying, body worship, loving Bakugo (a bit OOC but it’s just to fit the story), reader and Bakugo are virgins, future au both are adults, nsfw, creampie, car sex; Minors do not interact, please.

Hiiii! So I’ve been seeing way too many TikTok’s of Bakugo’s death and even though he’s not dead! I’m getting tired of seeing them, so I decided to write just a cute little story for our angry baby. Hope you guys enjoy! 🫶🏾

Please do not copy or rewrite my works without my permission. 🫥

"You're such a pig! Stop picking up food off the ground and stuffing it in your mouth, that's nasty!"

You sat in the sandbox with your head down, your eyes trained on the ground as you tried to zone out the mean comments. But it wasn't easy, being only five years old and getting bullied by other kids brung tears to your eyes. It wasn't fully processed in your mind as to why you're always getting bullied. Daily, you get picked on about your weight and your parents never happen to see it. And as a kid, you don't understand why your small body was much bigger than other kids. Though, it never became an real issue to you until you started coming to the public playground and park to just play.

Three kids, like you, stood around your tear stained frame and locked you in to pick on you. They kicked sand at your back, and sometimes they took your toys. But what made your tears stream more was when they all decided to knock down your sandcastle that you've been working on for so long.

"This isn't even a sandcastle! It's more like a pin full of pigs, where you belong!"

"Yeah, I bet you're the queen of all pigs!"

You couldn't understand why kids were so mean and they're just as young as you. It's always bright and sunny but they've always made it dark and gloomy, somehow. There's things other kids tell you that a child shouldn't know and when you tell your parents, they just automatically think that you're overreacting. You're a child, there's no way you can make up some of the things you tell them. But they just always shut you down with some stupid excuse that you're sick of hearing. You just wish that you had at least one friend who cared because before all the bullying, you didn't really even care for having friends.

Now, you just need someone to help you and have your back. Because not even your parents have that, they believe what they want while you sit there and get bullied. You can't really understand anything, as only a mere child, and with other kids telling you that you belong in an orphanage or that you were adopted, it's painful. Funny thing is, you actually know what all that heartbreaking stuff means. Even as a child. But your sobbing was only to their amusement.

"Gosh, you're such a crybaby! Do you want some food to calm yourself?!"

Your child mind didn't know how else to react, only to cry at the utterly mean comments of these other kids. You know personally that you don't deserve any of this, not as an innocent child who just wants to see the world and enjoy it as much as she can. That's just something you couldn't do. Because apparently, there are other people in this world who'd rather see your misery than your happiness.

"Hey!"

A loud voice shouted in the distance in front of you three, your eyes slowly looking up along with the other kids. There was another kid who was running towards you, with spiky ashy blonde hair and fuming red eyes. You weren't afraid but you were thinking that he was just coming to pick on you too, which brought a nervous throb to your heart. He didn't seem nice. Not even in the slightest...

"What do you want?" One of the kids questioned while holding your toy in her hand.

"Leave her alone, idiots! She didn't do anything to you!"

What? This kid was... defending you? Your gaze averted back to his face and softened from how defensive he became. It's like he was trying to protect you and you felt a sense of relief and happiness flow through you.

"What's it to you? She doesn't even have any friends defending her, so why do you care?"

"Because I'm gonna be just like All-Might, someday! Which means..." He stated before reaching out and grabbing your arm to pull you out of the middle of the kids, "...it's my duty to protect everyone who's helpless agaisnt a villain! Do you wanna fight, come on!" The blonde haired kid was the first person to ever defend you, and it made you feel so... respected now that you had that. This kid doesn't even know you and that warmed everything. You no longer felt like you were alone with him grasping onto your arm and protecting you.

Even with his slightly light voice, the kids didn't seem like they wanted anything to do with you anymore. "Whatever, she doesn't have any friends anyway so screw you losers!" One little girl said as her friends followed behind her, with you and the blonde haired kid watching them. His hold on your arm had ceased to be released as you grasped at his hand but he wasn't paying attention, "Well, she has a friend now and that's me!" And his words stopped your actions on trying to release the tight hold he had on your arm, no one had ever referred to you as their friend.

He growled as they got more and more into the distance, but turned to you once they were completely gone. He still had a hold on your arm, keeping you close to him so you couldn't go anywhere but his hold was a little too tight.

"You're holding my arm too tight!"

He frantically let your arm go before apologizing, "Oh, my bad!"

You rubbed the spot on your arm that he was holding before looking back at his face, that was smiling at you which made you softly smile.

"Those kids didn't hurt you, did they?"

"No. Just took my toys and... destroyed my sandcastle."

His eyes were sealed on your face as he gasped from hearing your story. Your eyes landed on the ground in front of you, a glimpse of his feet in your sight.

"Your sandcastle, that's so cool! We can share my toys and build another sandcastle, if you want to. But I only have hero toys, oh, maybe we can make a hero sandcastle!" You didn't know what to say or do but you wanted to. You really wanted to build a new sandcastle with him, even if you just met him. A nod and a smile was sent from you to him before you replied.

"Well, yeah! I'd love to build a new sandcastle with you!" You both ran away to another clear spot where no one was as you both sat on your bottoms in front of each other to build the sandcastle, "I'm ____. What's your name?"

The little boy looked at you before smiling and replying with closed eyes, "I'm Katsuki Bakugo! And someday, I'll become the hero that'll always keep you safe!" A twinkle was in your eyes, staring at the boy's face that you never want to forget.

Katsuki Bakugo... your hero.

…

…

…

"Why don't you smile during your interviews on tv, Bakugo?" You questioned your bestfriend as you walked down a dirt road with him as the sun was setting, "You need to stop being so stubborn and actually try to look like a hero. It doesn't hurt to smile, you know." You sighed and continued talking. Bakugo usually took days off just to hang with you and relax, or so he calls it. You've never complained about him always wanting to hang with you and take the day off, just because you enjoy his company. The both of you have been friends ever since you were five and now you're in your twenties.

You have other friends, but they're not as special as the grumpy Bakugo. And you've never really understood why he became so grumpy because as a child, he was so sweet and always smiling. But now if you want him to smile, it's basically like you have a better chance at winning the lottery than doing that. But none of that mattered, he's still special to you in each and every way. "I'll smile, when I get the reason to." His response was short like always, so you didn't really mind it at all.

"Geez, Bakugo! How come you just became so damn grumpy, once we hit middle school? What happened?" He didn't answer you as you both continued walking down this trail. The only sound was the birds chirping and the wind blowing through the leaves in the trees, but the silence was expected to you. Everytime you asked this question, he always got silent for a while, for some reason. You don't know why.

Even if he's your bestfriend, there's things that he doesn't tell you. But you don't mind it because obviously, as a person, there's things that'll be kept private. You know there's private things that you keep secret and don't tell anyone, not even Bakugo. It was just some things you were uncomfortable with. But your trail journeying this dirt road was nearly over, considering you were on your way to your apartment that was on this road. It's a country apartment complex and you decided to live in it because you didn't want to be in the big dangerous city. Not that there aren't heroes there, you just enjoy the country.

Your apartment building was right there which you pointed out, "I'm home... finally!" You quietly cheered, since you both have been walking a long time. The male alongside you grumbled as he continued trailing beside you with his hands in his pockets, his eyes sealed on your building with slight distaste. He didn't like you living all the way out here because he confessed that he couldn't protect you. It was a real shock but you tease him about that all the time.

But you appreciated the fact that he always walked you home, no matter how far it is from where he lives. Though, you always let the male know that you were okay and could protect yourself out here, if something was to happen. Even if it did, you live in an apartment with others so you had back up.

"Thanks again, Bakugo. You're always welcome to stay and rest up, so you can head out tomorrow, you know."

"Duh, I know that. I don't wanna freeload off of you, for a day."

"A half of day, idiot. Practically a quarter and you won't be freeloading, especially since I want your company! Come on, Bakugo, you never wanna spend the night at my apartment."

"I have legs, I can fucking walk all the way back home..." He grumbled which made your eyes roll in slight irritation and annoyance, "...besides, I'm a hero and usually use my walk home as a time to make sure everyone's safe."

That actually wasn't a stupid idea and you know he can keep anyone safe. When you were younger, you didn't know Bakugo would become this strong and a real Pro Hero. The only problem that you personally have is that he does things more differently than normal heroes. Like, cursing out a civilian to move to a safe area. You guess it works but it's still unacceptable, when it comes to saving someone's life. He is the great Katsuki Bakugo everyone knew from UA High school, so you knew there are some people who knows how he acts. Maybe it was okay when civilians rather investigate situations than run, so that's one reason he could do that.

But still, he can just use a stronger and more disciplined tone to get them to move, not make them be afraid of him since he is a hero. But you said nothing else as you were now walking up the staircase to your apartment, which always nerved you when you're with Bakugo because for some reason, he always walked extremely close behind you. You've never brought it up just because you figure it's just another sense of security, from the male.

He waited patiently for you to pull out your keys and unlock the door, along with you walking in your apartment like a guard dog. You were so thankful of how protective he is over you, even if he is always so damn grumpy. You've accepted that grumpy side of him so long ago, just because he accepted you for you back then. Your hand slipped into the jacket pocket you were wearing, jingling it first to make sure your keys were in it which they were. You pulled them out and found the right key before inserting it into the door of your apartment, turning it in silence as you could only hear the soft breathing from Bakugo. He always waited until you locked the door.

You pulled your key out before stepping inside and turning to face Bakugo who was still standing there with his usual angered expression. He never ask for them, but you felt it was appropriate to give him a goodbye hug that he always slowly accepted. Sometimes, he'd hug you longer than what felt necessary but you never mind it.

"Thanks again, Bakugo. Make sure you—"

"I know that. You better make sure your damn door is locked and—“

"My alarm is on, if someone tries to break in. Gosh, I know! Stop worrying so much about me, it really doesn't suit your character."

He only clicked his tongue before letting you go and you did the same, before taking a step back to reenter your apartment. His hands were back in his pockets as he stared you down from the other side of your door. You honestly hate when he has to leave, just because he's the main important person you've had in your life. But you knew he didn't want you to waste time, as he says, and hold your door open so people wouldn't know you're home. He's so protective over you that somebody would possibly mistake him for your dad, just by his security around you. You adorn his security and welcome it because you don't have a quirk to defend yourself.

He even accepted that you're quirkless, and that's another thing you loved so much about him. No one really said anything about you being quirkless, it just made you feel alone along sometimes. However, the friends you've gained at UA high was more than you could handle. None of them judged you for anything, you even had two perverts complimenting you. It was just class 1-B that always said something to you. But their mean words were shut down, when Bakugo decided to nearly commit murder. But not just him, if he wasn't around, your entire class did their absolute best to protect you and did a damn good job at it. Yeah, you got bullied in school but you miss the experience you got to share with your friends.

"By the way, Bakugo, I've been meaning to ask you are you free Saturday night? There's a new cafe I wanted to try out!"

His eyes just stared into yours, a glare being sent from him that was making you think he didn't want to. You frantically waved your hands in your face, trying to just brush off what you just asked.

"Uh... you don't have to, Bakugo! I just wanted-"

"I'll be there, dumbass. You're not taking no one else but me but if you're not there by five, then I won't be there."

He turned his back before you could reply but you heard him loud and clear, "I'll be there!" You shouted, watching him walk away until he turned a corner to proceed down the stairs. It didn't take him long to leave your view, which you decided to close the door behind you.

...

...

...

Bakugo just felt as if you just asked him on a date. You've asked him to places before but he felt as if asking him to a cafe was a date. If he was being honest with himself, he has been wanting to go on an official date with you before. But his attitude and pride was getting in the way of that confession. He felt as if he'd be seen as soft for confessing something like that. The thought alone brought a bright tint of pink to his cheeks, his hand covering the embarrassment.

Now all that was in his head was you, and what he wanted with you. He couldn't stand how he was, when it came to you. He's a hero but he wants to be the only hero for you, in each and every way. But he has never confessed to a girl before, so if he was to be rejected by you he didn't know what he'd do. That thought was bringing a headache to him, which was irritating in a way. His fingers pinched the bridge of his nose, a sigh escaping him to pacify that irritation.

"Ngh-! Fucking stupid..."

...

...

...

"Where is he? He told me to be here before five and he's not even here!" You whisper shouted to yourself and swirled your spoon in the cup of coffee a servant gave you. You poured sugar in the cup and watched the substance dance around in the liquid, grazing the sides of the cup and sticking to it occasionally. It was ten minutes after five, which meant he was late even if you knew you could wait. But still, he wanted you to be on time when he's not even here on time.

The cafe was nice, though, quiet and not with many people. It was just the kind of place you could relax and not worry about anything. Besides that fact, all the servants that came over to you were nice. None of them said a thing, only delivering a smile to you that made you comfortable. But your concentration broke once a voice sounded out and entered your ears. "I'm right here, dumbass..." The voice said, obviously being your bestfriend who still looked angry once you turned to him, "...so you can stop stirring that damn coffee like an idiot."

You never cared about how disrespectful he was, just jumping up to hug him as he shamelessly returned the hold. But he didn't want to hold it longer than thirty seconds, though you didn't complain. He took his seat and you did the same and sat across from him, staring blankly at him. He wasn't annoyed, more like irritated already with being around others. Bakugo knew how people were, even if you were never expecting it, he was expecting everything that assholes had to say. His eyes were already scanning the room, trying to see if anyone looked like the asshole type.

Quite frankly, everyone was attending their own thing and staring at whoever was across from them and talking. He felt a sense of relief wash over him. He didn't have to murder someone today. He never wanted to admit it most of the time, but he always loved hanging with you and only you.

"Why the hell did you want to come to this place? Doesn't seem like anything special to me."

"Stop being so grumpy, can't I hang with my bestfriend?"

He groaned in annoyance but you were right, he didn't mind hanging with you. However, clapping came from behind you and Bakugo along with hysterical laughing. The laughing sounded like it was getting closer to the both of you, which made you both turn around to the source. You couldn't help but think how familiar that laugh sounded. Like all life from your body just escaped, as you turned your head to be met with the main person who picked on you in high school. Monoma, who instantly made you turn away, even though he clearly saw you.

"Ah, your bestfriend? Who would wanna be bestfriends with this loser? I'm guessing you're still a loser too, ____, so you're perfect for each other!"

"What the hell do you want, you damn extra?"

You could hear Bakugo growling practically, eyeing Monoma down as if he wanted to murder him. He, however, knows how much he hates beating up people in front of you. But, you knew Monoma only came over for trouble and to pick on you, as if you're not full grown adults, now.

"I can't come over and greet the two losers I've known from high school!?"

"You're fucking with us because..?"

"Because of you, ____!" Monoma called you out with a point which made you turn to him with wide eyes, "I missed the days when I could roast your ass, without your stupid boyfriend coming to your rescue!"

You knew he was referring to Bakugo, but you could see how Bakugo was holding himself back from killing this asshole. This isn't how you wanted your hangout session with Bakugo to go, not knowing that Monoma was coming. If you were being honest with yourself, you didn't even know that he was in town. You knew he was a hero as well, but you didn't know if he was a pro since you've only seen him a few times on tv. Not like you're friends or anything, so you didn't really care about his appearances on tv. But you didn't want to deal with this, so you grabbed Bakugo by his wrist.

"Uh, this isn't necessary can we leave now, Bakugo? We can just continue this at my—"

"Still the same ole ____, huh?" Monoma interrupted, which made Bakugo tear his wrist out of your grasp.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, you know what I'm talking about! The same weak ass ____ that always hid behind everyone in her class! Your quirkless ass shouldn't have even attended UA high!"

Hearing those words only replayed your bad experiences in high school, overpowering the good experiences that you only wanted to remember. You know you're quirkless and that's why you hated hearing someone just speak it like it wasn't obvious to you, already. "And why the fuck is that a reason for her not to have attended UA high? You don't need a damn quirk to be a hero. Your weak ass shouldn't even be a pro."

The blonde haired male only laughed, basically brushing off Bakugo's insult that should hurt any hero. You just took a hold of Bakugo's wrist again and tugged on it, trying to get him to just come with you and leave. This wasn't worth your time and you didn't want to deal with Monoma, anymore. "At least I have a quirk that can save someone! And what the hell can she do, hm?! Run away and cry what a loser!" He had a point but you know that you weren't really interested in being a hero, when you found out you wouldn't develop a quirk or ever have one. It was a bummer for a while but with Monoma constantly bringing up, it's bringing up all those terrible feelings you've had knowing you wouldn't get a quirk.

"You better shut your fucking mouth before I shut it for you..." You knew he would defend you but seeing the death glare he sent to Monoma warmed your heart. However, you didn't want this to go farther than it has to.

"Oh yeah, what're you gonna do?! Attacking another hero will get your ass suspended from being a pro yourself, so you can't do anything! This is hilarious, you're such a klutz!"

He was such an asshole it hurt. You didn't understand why he was so damn unnecessarily rude, especially when you've done absolutley nothing to him.

"Bakugo, can we please just leave! This isn't worth it, please stop getting mad—!"

"You've always had a knack for running away, ____! Hm, I always wondered where you'd go. Maybe someplace where a buffet is being served!"

"Shut your damn mouth, you fucking extra! I don't mind getting suspended from being a damn hero, if that means assholes like you won't bother anyone again! Just because you have a quirk doesn't make your scrawny ass a hero! If you can't shut your damn mouth and protect the weak, then you're just as bad as the villains!"

"Bakugo..."

He was practically fuming, but the fact that he was standing up for you brought such warmth to your heart. He has stood up for you before but this for some reason took the cake. Your hands tugged on his wrist as you pulled him away from the laughing male, that only continued to talk while Bakugo growled at him but followed behind you.

"Yeah, you should probably leave, you know! In case you don't wanna worsen your already bad reputation as a person. You know—where you're such an asshole to everyone!"

That would've been the last straw for Bakugo, if you didn't stop him and wrapped your arms around his strong arm.

"Come on, Bakugo, he's not worth you losing your position as a hero! Don't let him anger you, okay?! Please, for me!"

That stopped all his yelling, his body physically losing all tension as he let you drag him away from the male and outside the cafe. However, once you were outside and away from the cafe, Bakugo snatched his arm out of your grasp. You should've saw that coming but you followed after him. He was so upset and storming down the sidewalk, looking like he wasn't going anywhere in particular. His taller form caused him to take bigger and longer strides away from you, making you have to jog and run after him and shout his name before he just ran off somewhere without trace.

"Bakugo, wait—please!" You called out, which made him stop and turn to you with a glare, his body still as tense as it was when you two were in the cafe arguing with Monoma.

"Aren't you tired of shitheads pushing you around?!"

"Yeah... but I can't do anything about it."

He continued to approach you until you eventually hit your back agaisnt something, making the blonde male pin you agaisnt the object with his body extremely close to yours. Like really close, his body flushed agaisnt yours and his eyes beaming holes into your skull. "You can. You just let those fuckers take away your confidence to make you think you have to bow down to their asses. Geez, you need to know you have friends." You knew that, but it just didn't seem like it anymore, since everyone was doing their own thing as pro hero's. You couldn't really rely on anyone like that, only Bakugo who always tried to be there for you. But being a hero, you know that he doesn't really have time to always relax and kickback with you.

"Yeah, but nobody's there for me at my worse..."

"You really are a dumbass aren't you? I haven't stuck around and kicked your bullies asses for nothing, ____!" It sounded like... he was pouring his heart out to you, but you couldn't tell since he's always angry. So maybe he was just making it clear that he wouldn't allow anyone to mess with you.

"Wha—what are you saying..?"

He couldn't help the pink that dusted his cheeks as he looked down at your face that looked concerned. But he knew he couldn't hold back anymore, it's been so long and he has been holding this in for years. "I'm fucking in love with you, dumbass! Why can't you just see that, damnit?!" He pushed himself off your body as his shocking words reached your ears, your eyes widening from the unexpected confession. Bakugo... is in love with you? You wouldn't have never expected him to be in love with you, him of all people. Just because you didn't think you were his type and that he preferred being only your friend.

"Wha—why didn't you ever tell me, Bakugo?"

"How the hell could I?" He questioned you with his back turned, "I mean... in middle school, you were with some idiot that didn't deserve you. I got so damn mad at you, just because it felt like you fucking neglected me. Like you were stringing me along. I hated you for some time damnit!"

"Is... that why you stopped smiling?"

"That and some other stuff. The only reason I stuck around after you got a boyfriend was because I've never been in love before. But I valued your happiness more than my wants and just stayed your fucking friend." It was silent after he said that because honestly, you didn't know how to feel. You were in love... but not with the guy you dated in middle school. You were a child but you still felt things. Though, you only dated him for one reason.

"Bakugo, please look at me..." You could hear the growl emitting from him before he turned to you, "...I only dated him to fill the empty void that someone else didn't seem interested in filling. I've been in love with you too Katsuki Bakugo, ever since you helped me on that playground when we were kids. But I've never told you because I didn't think you were into me!" His head jerked back at your confession as a gasp escaped his lips, but his shock only made you continue pouring out everything you felt about him.

"Yeah, you became an asshole but still... I'm fucking in love with you, Katsuki! I've never been in love with anyone as much as I am with you. You're practically the only one that cares about my existence, and that's why I'm in love with you! You see past my looks and forget about societies standards! Not once have you commented negatively about my weight, and I love you so much for that! I don't wanna see you with anyone else... I need you. So damn much, it hurts..."

Your voice quieted as you neared the end of your words, but he heard you and couldn't stop his actions of crashing his lips agaisnt yours. Your eyes were wide, taking in the soft texture of his lips that instantly brought a warmth to your entire body. You didn't think you could be even more in love with Bakugo than you already are...

...

It came as a surprise as you found yourself in the backseat of your car, your back agaisnt the seat with Bakugo pressed firmly between your thighs. His lips were attacking any part of your flesh he could see, the sensation sending toe shaking chills throughout your body. Your nails dug into his jacket on his shoulders, slightly pushing it down which made the male help you rip it off his body. He was left in a orange loose t-shirt that you took a hold of, once he exposed the vibrant color to your eyes. But he wasn't hesitant in finishing his meal, sinking his teeth back into your collarbone he showcased for his teeth to nibble on. His tongue grazed some of your skin before pulling it in between his top lip and tongue, before letting his teeth take over and deeply mark that spot.

Your body has never experienced this feeling before, a tickling sensation that sparked a flame in your body that your brain couldn't compensate. The only form of communication that you transferred was your nails digging into his shoulders, driving into his shirt that only encouraged his actions. The man above you wanted to devour you whole in which he was. You needed to stop though, because it was overbearing at the moment. Your hands tapped his shoulders, since your mouth couldn't produce the words to get him to stop. He made sure to suckle hard on the spot of your throat that he was attacking, before coming to a stop and pulling off your throat with a pop. He sat up and looked in your eyes with slight irritation.

"What's the problem?"

"Bakugo, are we really about to do this?"

"Why not? We feel the same way about each other, don't we?" He questioned with a sign of annoyance laced in his voice.

"Yeah, but I haven't... you know."

He knew what you were getting at, but that didn't phase him at all. He's in your exact same boat, that's why he wasn't really feeling anything after you said that to him.

"I haven't done it before, neither, so what's the damn problem?"

"You... haven't?"

"No! How could I when my heart has been stuck on you all my damn life! I honestly don't even find anyone else that attractive..." He turned away from your face as he said that, kind of like he was embarrassed which you found cute and leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek. He jolted out of surprise, his eyes wide as he stared down at your giggling form with the apples of his cheeks tinting red.

"You're so cute, Bakugo, I can't really handle it."

"I'm not tryna be cute!" He shouted which only made him even cuter, "And stop calling me Bakugo, damnit! Call me by my first name!" You only continued laughing at the male above you, which made him soften again and stare at your beautiful form underneath him. He couldn't deny how much he was waiting for this, his face even softening and losing the usual angered expression it held.

"Well, Katsuki, thank you for being real with me. I love you..." You couldn't believe how bold you were being but you couldn't help it, you've loved him for years. And personally, his heart couldn't handle how you showcased your affection for him. No one has ever showed him this kind of affection before, and it's practically magical as he's seeing it from you. He never wanted to be with anyone else but you, so that's why his soft side that is extremely rare is coming out.

"..."

His words were mumbled so softly that you didn't even register what he said. Your hands grasped his face to make him lock eyes with you, but he did everything to to avoid your gaze.

"What did you say?"

"I said I love you, ____!" He yelled but it was still heartwarming to hear from him. "Stop tryna make me be a whimp, you know I fucking love you. Now let me love you and show you that I'm not shitting you."

You could already see how serious he was, but you wanted him to make love to you too. Even if you haven't done this before, knowing he hasn't done it neither made this all the more special. No matter that it's happening in the backseat of your car. You were nervous but you were ready, no matter if you're not experienced, he's not neither and that's all the more reason for you to be ready. You've both loved each other for years, so just getting him to finally return that love made some nervousness fly away.

"Then, let's not waste anymore time, Katsuki~."

He was surprised by your words, but his shit eating smirk returned as he didn't even bother taking off his shirt, and pulled it apart from his body. Your eyes widen from slight surprise, seeing how forceful and ready he was. As his toned body came into your view, his muscles flexed and tensed from the cold air that ghosted his skin. Bakugo was even more fit than you thought, his arms containing thick veins that made his body even more attractive. It just made him look stronger than he is. You didn't even know the sight of his veins would be a weakness for you.

"I didn't realize you'd be this needy for me, but I don't hate that."

His words were followed by him sitting on the other end of your carseat, his back against part of the door and seat while he sat back. You were confused as you sat your body up and looked at him, confusion spreading across your face from his actions. It's like he could read your mind and answered your question.

"I wanted to take my time with you but you seem like you really want me to fuck you. So, come on and take what you want~."

That embarrassed you and halted your body also of wanting him so badly. You did want him but when he put it like that, you couldn't stop how embarrassed you were.

"It's embarrassing when you put it like that, Katsuki!"

He chuckled and eyed you from his corner, his gaze only heightening your embarrassment. "Just strip, ____." He could see how you visibly tensed up from that, and he already knew what that was about. He smacked his teeth before continuing to talk, "Stop letting your past thoughts get in the way. There's nothing wrong with your body, I fucking love it. Don't even ask how I've already seen you naked, before.” You really wanted to know the answer to that. But it wasn't as important as this moment. You were just slowly pulling off your clothes, Bakugo watching you as he undid his belt. He pulled it from around his hips and dropped it upon the floor, his eyes boaring holes into you as you stripped.

"Okay, it was an accident. You invited me over to your place and I was looking for you. Shit, you know how quiet your shower is and when I went into your bathroom, you were stepping out of your shower and I saw everything. So before you ask, no I'm not a fucking creep." You chuckled, he looked so embarrassed that that had happened but you didn't mind. He was so cute. He saw how you stopped at just your shirt and underwear, but he didn't mind that. He knows how you feel about your body and wants you to be comfortable, so he had absolutely no problem with what you were doing. He snatched your body up and guided you to his lap, your body straddling him that embarrassed you.

"Look at me..." He spoke and you did as told and as you did, your heart melted from the soft smile that was plastered across his face, "...all of this..." He gestured to your stomach before placing a soft kiss agaisnt your belly, "...belongs to me. Don't be embarrassed, we're doing this together, not with anyone else." You didn't know Bakugo could go completely out of character because of you. He stared into your eyes the entire time he unbuttoned his pants, his arm wrapping around your body so he could lift you up as he lifted his hips to lower his pants enough to display his underwear that had a bulging tent in the front of them.

He... was so damn attractive to you, that you couldn't help how your body squirmed on top of him. His hands went to his crotch, letting your body lean against the carseat behind you while he fished himself from his boxers. You gulped from hearing it slap agaisnt his abdomen, but you couldn't bring yourself to look. "Come on, ____, look down. Unless you want it to be a surprise?" You didn't respond to that which enlightened a chuckle from him. He leaned forward to your ear and whispered into it, "I'm taking that as a yes~."

You could feel his hard length poke into your stomach from the position, poking into it and smearing the liquid of pre-cum against your abdomen that made you quiver. You were nervous as he lifted you up and pulled you agaisnt his chest, securely holding you with one arm as he gripped the base of his cock with the other and angled it to your anticipating hole. His hold on you tightened, once he began lowering you onto his throbbing cock, the tension in the air thickening as the thick tip seeked entrance on your virgin tight hole.

Bakugo wrapped his free arm around you while lowering you more, onto him, his breath catching from the feeling of your walls trying to swallow only his tip that could barely enter you correctly. You were so unready, that your walls didn't quite brace themselves for the thick tip protruding into your entrance, only to stop as a thick barrier kept the blonde haired male out of your body. The lump in your throat was harshly swallowed, once the male forcibly began prying open your insides that necessarily needed that force, if you both wanted this to genuinely happen.

But pain shot to your brain as he hit a thin barrier, the tightness worsening it which made you clamp your arms around the males neck, only for Bakugo to pull you against his chest and hold you to help you pacify the pain. "It hurts, huh..?" He questioned, knowing that he wanted to just plunge his entire throbbing length inside you, "Just try to calm down, ____. We're both taking part in this, so just relax and focus on me and not the pain." His voice always soothed you and took all the pain away, so it wasn't really hard to focus on only him even if you could still feel the pain that merely felt like a sting from a needle or a bee.

Even so, you still weren't naturally opening up to him which caused the male to softly start rutting his cock into one of your barriers, your teeth clamping down on his shoulder the more he moved. He was nearly losing his mind already, the squishy and gummy texture of your warm walls sucking a thick load of pre-cum from his trembling tip that made Bakugo practically moan out your name. He was so blinded by your gummy walls that he didn't realize your teeth punctured his skin, though, he couldn't control himself as he grasped your hips and began fucking himself up into you.

The pain wasn't as bad as before, slowly fading the more he drove himself into your sopping heat. You still couldn't speak, your grip on his shoulder only tightening the more he hammered into you. "Fuuuck, ____~!" His voice called out, which only made you clamp down tighter on the thick organ that was leaving and reentering your body for a desirable feeling that your body drooled over. He could literally feel your insides shaping to remember his thick cock, only his and that he will make sure of. You only belong to him and no one else and he wanted you, most importantly to know that.

His hands pushed your body against the front seat behind you, one of his hands going to hold your stomach down while his other traveled to your throat to apply pressure that caused an electrical nerve to shock every part of your body. Your eyes were closed shut, the dominance of him fucking desperately into you getting to your mind that nearly took over it. His eyes stared at your fucked out face with twin patches of pink painting his cheeks, your eyes sealed shut as your lips were parted.

You looked so erratic, riding his hard cock only for him to dominate you in the process. His face held the same expression as yours, pleasured and nearly taken out, only though his eyes were opened and focused on your body. The image of the woman he fell in love with caused his cock to already twitch, his veins pulsing along the skin of his cock which you could feel that transmitted a vibration through your walls and signaled for your cervix to clamp down on his cock. That partly stopped his movements, the males eyes closing as he sucked in a breathe before letting his hips move, once again. You've never felt anything as amazing as this, to be connected with the man of your dreams in such an intimate way.

"Katsuki..! I feel like- ngh~! I'm gonna explode!" You confessed, only getting a harsh snap of his hips in the process.

The blonde's hold on your throat tightened, only for him to pull your face closer to his where he licked the side of your cheek, "Then I'm gonna make you explode like dynamite!" His hand forced your head back into the seat, the pounding of his throbbing length increasing only for that pleasure to be added with an even greater sensation of his thick fingers rubbing harshly at your drooling pearl. He could feel how you tightened which made him squeeze harder on your throat, your hands going to his wrist as you felt your core throbbing and quickly trembling around his thick cock.

Your juices sloshed out, making Bakugo's eyes trail to your heat that swelled with every harsh thrust of his hips. The sensation was nearly too much, only pressuring your walls to release and your cervix nearly choke on his cock. "Damnit, I'm gonna fucking cum!" He sounded so angry about it, like he didn't want the experience to end which you could understand and agree with. You loved this feeling you were feeling with him, even though your body could hardly handle it.

"Katsuki, please~! I'm cumming!" You screamed, making the male wrap his arms securely around your body and practically fuse your bodies from how tight his hold was. Your cervix burst harshly agaisnt his cock, making Bakugo's eyes shut tightly and plant his face in your shoulder while you did the same from his harshly fucking cock.

"Damnit, ____!" The male shouted as his cock twitched inside you before shooting thick jets of cum into your womb, the sensation causing his and your toes to curl. "Fuck, I'm so fucking in love with you!"

His words were almost muffled but you heard him, "I... I love you too, Katsuki." You breathlessly moaned agaisnt his hard chest. And he wasn't lying, he was going to stay true to his word that he'd be the only hero to only protect and love you for however long you live. His hold on you loosened as he let your back fall agaisnt the front seat, again. Your bodies were drenched in sweat, his hold staying on your hips as he stayed buried inside of you. His eyes opened to meet your face, taking in your still fucked out expression.

"Wanna do this again, at your place?" Your eyes snapped open to look at his smirking... no, smiling face that stared into your eyes. "This time, we can go as many times as we want. And I fucking wanna go until morning."

Well, you were fucked quite literally . It would be an understatement to say that he was very good sexually, so you knew that in bed it would be a different story...

...

...

…

This work was originally written by @compressingsins , if you see anything similar, please report it to me. 🫶🏾

[jiyascepter]

Kitchen Confessions | 18+ Only

MASTERLIST

Pairing: Loki x f!reader

Words: 2179

Warnings/Content: fluff followed by smut, reader and Loki are roommates, argument (almost like a banter), mutual pining, idiots who won't confess their love to each other, frustrated love confessing??, p in v, creampie, kissing, nicknames (love, sweetheart, darling), oral (fem receiving), loki gives soft dom vibes??

Summary: You give Loki some silent treatment.

"Fine, I don't care about you," he says casually, with that same challenging face he always carries whenever he talks to you, asking you to react to him, argue with him. But this time, his words actually gashed.

Did he really not care? Did he actually just see you as his roommate and nothing else all this time?

There was always some chemistry and some spark between you two, and you were aware it was always more than that. That understanding between you two, that flirting, being protective of each other, you were no stranger to it that you two used to behave like couples most of the time.

But today, in this heated argument you two just had, when he said those words, it did feel as if he meant that.

You frown slightly and look him in the eyes before turning around and heading to the kitchen, not wanting to talk to him in the slightest.

He watches you leave in front of him and head to the kitchen while he stands in the living room. He can't believe you actually fell for his act of not caring. He sits down on the couch with an agitated expression on his face. You will go back to normal after a while, he knew that, as you always did after every banter.

It had been hours now, you had not even spoken a word to him. Leave that, not even glanced at him. You were ignoring his presence. And he was hating that. You were going around the house doing your business, making yourself some food, and keeping your bedroom clean.

Gosh, you didn't even come to lay on the couch beside him to watch some television today.

Now you were in the kitchen again, and he could make out you were trying to find yourself an evening snack. He decides to join you in the kitchen, his annoyance at your avoidance was growing, and he was getting very tempted to go over and pull you back beside him and keep you there.

Your back was turned to him as you were facing the kitchen counter. You felt his presence near you but decided not to look at him and continued making your light sandwich.

He walks over to you and speaks in a slightly irritated tone, forcing it, as a part of him wanted to just wrap his arms around you and pull you close. "What's the issue? Why are you avoiding me?"

You don't look at him.

"Oh for the sake of-" he grabs your arm and turns you to face him. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

As if he doesn't know. The heights of this man.

To his relief, you finally look up at him and speak in a low tone, "I don't want to talk to you." He leans in pretty much face to face and speaks softly, his words carrying a bit of irritation. "I am starting to get annoyed."

"You're always annoyed. Nothing new." you reply.

A small smile forms on his face as you say this and he sighs as he can't stay serious anymore. The way you argue and complain is almost endearing to him and he cannot help it. His irritation finally gives it's way and his eyes lock on you.

"You are quite perceptive aren't you?" he says trying to hide his smile.

"Yes I am." you say, giving him a challenging look.

He stares at your lips then back at your eyes. "I have other emotions as well, you know that right?"

"Hmm…doesn't look like it."

He tries to suppress a small smirk as he speaks. "You think all I'm capable of is being annoyed and angry?"

"Yeah."

His smirk grows as he speaks softly, getting a bit closer. "Guess you are gonna have to see more of my emotions then…"

You slightly gulp as he gets closer but keep your guard. "Which…is probably not possible…"

He chuckles softly, "Who said it's not possible?"

"I did." you say and before he could get even closer, you turn around to face the kitchen counter again. Loki rolls his eyes and grabs your waist and pulls you back as he speaks in a more firm tone now as if he's trying to get his point across.

"You can't tell me what I'll do or how I feel, sweetheart." He grabs your wrist with other hand and pulls your body more tightly into his as he pushes his chest into yours.

"Yeah, but I can guess…" You say looking at him but regretting it a second later when you notice how close his face is, making your heart beat faster.

Meanwhile Loki cannot deny that you have a point. He starts to get flustered as he notices you breathing heavily and that you both are in an intimate stance that he cannot ignore. He looks at you with longing eyes and you can see that his body language was getting quite comfortable with yours. You look at his lips then shyly look away, rolling your eyes a bit to show you're still in the argument.

Getting frustrated with your avoidance, he does the only thing he knows how to do that might provoke a reaction from you: he grabs your jaw and turns your face to him, pulling you close. He leans close so that his lips are just a few inches away from you. He breaths softly on your face and looks at your lips before speaking in a soft and quiet tone."If you are avoiding me because you want me, then it's working."

Staring at him a bit surprised he figured you out, you say nothing.

Still holding you tight he leans even closer, his eyes now fixed on your lips as he speaks in a silky voice. "You are not gonna avoid me forever. I'm not going to let you..." He finally gives in and kisses you softly on the lips, his one hand keeping you tightly against him.

You both continue making out passionately against the kitchen counter.

After a few seconds he pulls away, looking at your face and stroking your flicks out of your face. "Do you have any idea how frustrating it was just watching you walk away like that and not being able to say I want you so badly? Your body language and how close you get to me sometimes....the way you're avoiding me, all it does is make me yearn to have you more. How can you think that's gonna make me ignore you? Your beauty is so exquisite and you think I don't care about that?"

"You-" you try to think of another complaint against him but his words get to you and a blush forms on your cheeks. The way you're blushing make it really difficult for him to stay infuriated.

"Do you have any idea what it does to me when you act this way? You are driving me crazy by making me want you more than ever. It makes me want to do all sorts of things to you." He says, not even believing himself he is confessing this. He pauses as he bites his lip, not sure he can resist his strong desire to grab you and take it to the next level.

"A-all sorts of things…?" you look up at him blushing.

So all this time this man was hiding these feelings? What an actor.

"All sorts of things. You don't even want to know what I would do to you if I were your boyfriend." You felt your heart coming out of your chest with this one. You look down shyly, not knowing how to reply to him anymore as you've been proven wrong that he doesn't care about you.

"Look at me. Tell me right now that you don't feel the same way. Tell me you don't want me to touch you and I'll stop." You look up at him and your eyes give him the obvious answer.

Face flushed with your admittance, he speaks softly as he stares into your eyes, "That's it, that's all I needed." He give your waist a squeeze and speaks, "Now let me show you just how much I wanted you all this time…"

He holds you by your waist tight as he leans in and begins making out with you passionately, he doesn't hold back or show you any restraint, his hands stay on your waist and he only pulls you tighter to his body.

There is a mix of dominance and passion in the way he makes out with you and he only continues to grow more passionate with each second.

As you're making out he slowly turns you so you're facing the couch behind you. He continues making out with you as he slowly bends down a bit and picks you up so that he's holding you in his arms. He's still holding you by the waist while he slowly starts walking towards the couch, still making out with you passionately.

He puts his hands beneath your skirt and squeezes your ass before setting you on the couch. Holding him by the shirt, you pull him onto you as you groan into the kiss. He puts his hand under your skirt and pulls down your delicate panties, his tongue still entwined with yours.

He retreats from your lips, planting tender, lustful kisses around your cheeks, jaw and earlobe. Your fingers stray across his smooth shirt, brushing across his firm chest. His erection was palpable through his pants, he leans in to get between your legs, on your pubic mound.

You squeal as he puts his lips around your earlobe and gives it a tiny bite.

"Admit it," he murmurs while reaching down to have his time with your neck.

"W…what…" you say in a voice filled with ecstasy.

"Admit that you wanted me all this time too, and I wasn't imagining it." He says this, and you feel the tip of his tongue roaming up your neck.

"L-loki," you moan, clutching his shirt tightly.

"Norns… just admit it." He says it loudly, and his teeth nip at your skin, and you squirm.

"I…I admit I wanted you…" You bite your lip.

Gosh, you wanted him in already.

"Loki…"

"Patience, sweetheart." He whispers while taking his time to take off your top and pulling up your bra to expose your hardened nipples. He takes one of your nipples in between his teeth and lightly pulls at it, making you whimper. He gives your nipple a lick before leaning down and lifting your legs, along with your skirt, to fully reveal your clit to him.

"So...pretty..." he remarks, removing his share of clothes while keeping his gaze fixed on your hole.

You become even more excited to have him inside you as he shows you his erection. You had no idea when your hand reached down and into his silky hair as he leaned down to kiss your clit while holding your thighs firmly in place. He kisses your hole, teasing it, teasing it so much that it made you a needy, moaning mess.

"Loki…please…" you almost beg. He pulls away and looks at you.

"Ready for me already, love?" You nod, and he cups your face and places a kiss on your lips for a second, then pulls away to take hold of his massive cock and slowly enter your hole.

You whimper and look at his face, then his bare shoulders, and hold your hands out to hold on to him, but instead he grabs both of your hands and pins them down on the couch.

"Stay still. No touching." You let out a whine and he buries his cock further inside you as if shutting you up. He moves his hips against your body at a steady pace, occasionally leaning down to kiss your lips or bite your neck. He was increasing his speed randomly and then slowing down, torturing your sweet cunt.

"I almost feel sorry for you…" he says, grabbing hold of one of your breasts and kissing your cheeks while his cock thrashes against your pussy.

"Ahh…mm…" You moan, and his hand squeezes your breast.

He was now moving his body almost brutally fast, and you can feel yourself drawing nearer. He gives you a sidelong glance while grinning.

"You want to come, darling?" You avert your gaze to him, opening your eyes, and hum in agreement.

"Come darling…come over my cock…" he growls the last part while slamming his balls near your asshole.

"Ahh…fuck…Loki!" You yelled feeling his juices pouring inside you.

Gritting his teeth, he leaned on your body, letting go of your wrists and breathing heavily, your chests touching and you could feel his weight on you.

He inhales sharply and glances at you and your physique, admiring your form. You continue to breathe heavily while beaming at him.

"Now you will know what things I would do to you now that I am your boyfriend." He says as he stoops down to kiss your cheek.

Taglist in the comments because tumblr is acting buggy again

Want to be part of my taglist? Dm, comment or click this!

[cyanhydrangea]

High School Sakusa Kiyoomi decided he will choose marriage in his future, and it's all because of you.

Of course he didn't plan it initially. He was content having you as one of his best friends, alongside his cousin Komori.

While romance rarely crossed high school Sakusa's mind, you on the other hand, daydream of the said topic almost on a daily basis.

"Can't wait for me and my future husband to sing this together!", you expressed your excitement after you added the newly discovered love song to your playlist.

"With your 'no-dating-policy'? I'd love to know how you'll manage to do that", Komori commented.

"Oh you'll find out, I assure you", you convinced the brunet.

"You really are one peculiar hopeless romantic", Komori remarked.

Sakusa thought he couldn't care less about your romance journey, until one day you practically ran to the him and Komori, holding what seems like a love letter.

"Someone is crushing on me! Oh my gosh!!", you squealed.

Komori was about to say something but Sakusa spoke first, "And what are you gonna do about it?"

You felt an icy tone in the masked boy's question, and his gaze was unusually frigid despite you being used to his death stares.

"I...don't know. If he confessed and asking me to be his girlfriend, I have no idea how to reject him without breaking his heart"

"Just get straight to the point, explain your 'no-dating-policy' ", Sakusa adviced.

"He might find it strange, though?", you asked for the curly haired boy opinion.

"And what are you if not a strange girl?" Sakusa answered as in a matter of fact.

Komori watched the two of you continue to bicker, and he smiled knowing something has shifted in his cousin's heart if he's suddenly gotten interested in your love life, whether Sakusa noticed it or not.

Sakusa was still confused why he was being anxious when the love-letter-sender-boy finally confessed to you at the school backyard on one particular day, he didn't realize he sighed out of relief when he heard your rejection.

You walked towards your best friends after the occasion.

"So, [Name], what do you think of marrying my grumpy cousin here?", Komori dropped the question that got yours and Sakusa's eyes widened.

"Very funny, Komori", you tried to avoid the question.

"Answer it", Sakusa sounded like he's commanding you.

"Eh?", your eyes widened once more, with the addition of your reddening cheeks.

The silence Sakusa gave you indicates how he's waiting for your answer, making your heart beating faster each second.

"I think...I don't hate the thought of it...", you answered honestly, avoiding Sakusa's gaze on your blushing face.

That day, Sakusa Kiyoomi realized he hate the thought of someone else taking you away, and if you don't mind spending the rest of your life with him, he'll make sure to take your hand in marriage in the future.

#CyanHydrangea

Date Written: 28/11/2024

[fiamat12]

We are almost to the end of WT anniversaries. Are you interested in acknowledging the anniversaries of morsels as they come up? I will be sending this ask to my favourite bloggers. As someone later to the party (even though I have read back from June/July), I would love to hear reflections from those living it in real time. The thinking, investigating, conversations, etc, are interesting to me. They could help us through any information drought while our happy family take a well-deserved break. If you're not interested, there is no need to post this ask. Waiting for the reveal.

Oh gosh, no. And I do want to post this so that the newbies understand. We HAVE lived it and it wasn't a joke, it was ALOT, so much so that the disappointment we also felt has been tremendous. Going back through the theories, experiences etc. is alot of emotional time & energy many don't have anymore. It's been almost a year & a half for many which is not an insignificant investment.

The morsels are Fran's thing, and she is posting some anniversary content so I thank her for that! 🙏 Emedits has a 4 part recap of the WT on youtube if you want to relive it (it's almost 14 hrs, and it's great). Generally, asking the OGs to go back through it is asking them all to open an old wound and be frustrated all over again. Occasionally, I will revisit a point in Lukola history if I think it gives clarity on the current state but I prefer to focus on the reveal - them being together/ baby Newts and/ or launching.

Bottomline, this isn't a drought for many shippers, it's now or never - they are losing fans on the daily and time is of the essence for them to show their hand because sadly, if they don't move on it, many will be gone/ indifferent mos. from now. The post/ Ask linked below highlights what it's come to for many shippers... ***

Luckily, @jmuz09 and her robot recognized the pattern of a swift faux break up like last time - A's "you can have him dance" in August was weeks after Sorrento (end of 1st round of obligations); A's Djo concert songs was weeks after the potential final obligations of the 2nd Round (the Marbello photo or the Lime bike pap pics, whichever was intended). All speculation of course! KEEPING EXPECTATIONS LOW.

W/ all that said, we know they're together and baby Newts legit saves the day. But forgive us if we don't approach it w/ the same fervor we did a year ago. We'll still celebrate when our fave soulmates make their reveal and utter a big sigh of relief w/ them that they made it through the legal/ personal adversity.

Just so we don't get totally despresso, I'll leave you w/ a clip from Galway. They had picked up the ring, done their engagement photo shoot at Trinity College and right about now (a year ago) were spending a long weekend together w/ N's family before heading back to London. 🥰 Thankfully, we got the ring back recently 💍

Happier times ⬇️

There's no reason for L's arm to be around her like that 🤭

Also notice right hand ➡️ left hand

*** Post & ask of tired shippers ⬇️⬇️⬇️

[f14fun]

pixelated love (!simmer x mv1) - chapter 8

synopsis: in which the famous three time world champion max verstappen wants to learn how to play the sims 4. except, he doesn't really know how to. so what does he do, search up a youtube tutorial. low-and-behold, y/n's video is the first he watches.

smau + prose (8.4K words) ✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩ profile | masterlist ⋆.˚✮🎧✮˚.⋆ prev | next | series index ˚୨୧⋆｡

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જ⁀➴✎ ❛❛Y/N's POV❞

The funny thing about catching feelings is that you never know when the walk becomes a stroll, then a jog, and eventually turns into what seems like a never-ending chase.

It’s a flurry of emotions, each step more fervent than the last. At first, you might think it’s just a casual stroll—something light and easy, just taking in the sights and sounds. But then, it evolves into a leisurely walk, where you find yourself more invested, more attentive to the nuances of the path you’re on.

As you get more involved, the pace quickens, and suddenly, what was once a gentle amble has turned into a brisk jog. Your heart starts to race, and every moment feels charged with potential and possibility. The thrill of the chase sets in; you’re no longer just moving along the path but running towards something that feels both exhilarating and daunting.

And just when you think you’ve reached the peak of intensity, the chase turns into a marathon. The emotions swirl around you like a storm, sometimes exhilarating, sometimes overwhelming. It’s as if you’re in a never-ending pursuit, where every stride is driven by hope, fear, and anticipation. It’s a whirlwind of highs and lows, where the finish line seems perpetually just out of reach.

The moment I truly felt my peak of intensity was the moment that I landed in Nice, France, ready to embark towards my ultimate destiny: Being the ultimate Monacan WAG. If you truly believed that last statement, dear reader, I must call you gullible.

Anyhow, the Nice Côte d'Azur Airport had welcomed me with open arms, giving me the twenty kilometer leeway of relief before I was due in the beautiful Principality of Monaco.

And don't get me wrong, but I was scared.

The facade that I put up everyday on stream, on social media, was only a fraction of who I really was. I was left wondering to myself in the hours leading up to meeting Max, "Would he really like me for who I was? What if this was one humongous joke I was apart of, and I was doomed to be the laughingstock?"

Arriving in Monaco, surrounded by its opulence and charm, only heightened my feelings of vulnerability. The grandeur of the setting made my personal fears feel even more pronounced. Would the real me, with all my imperfections and uncertainties, measure up to the expectations set by the facade I had carefully crafted online?

To be put simply, I was only a girl. And I really, really, really hoped that multimillionaire Dutch Formula One racer Max Emilian Verstappen would take pleasure in meeting me.

I had texted Max how I should meet with him, nonchalantly, of course. But on the inside, my palms were sweaty. I was nervous. In person, I wouldn't say I was the best flirt. I was more like that one twelve year old boy at the pool trying to impress a friend group of sixteen year old girls.

I fumbled on my words. I tripped. I missed. I blushed. I ran. I wept about my mistakes, and kept thinking what the absolute fuck did I just say? Why did that just come out of my mouth? I am stupid. I am so stupid.

Simply put, I didn't have much rizz.

Honestly, if I could headbutt myself, I definitely would. I had set myself up for utmost failure for acting like a confident prick, over text, over stream, and over Twitter. I acted like I had it all together, but in reality, if a tall, handsome guy were to actually approach me, you’d see me stumbling over my words and turning into a nervous wreck.

It was pathetic, really.

And oh my gosh, dear reader, if you had seen the look on my face when I had Googled Max Verstappen for the first time...

It was shameful, I will admit.

Learning that he stood six inches above me at his 5'11" stature... I was blushing in the comforting shadows of my bedroom, fearfully gripping my phone, as if Max himself was going to suddenly appear in my room and catch me red-handed, shamelessly watching edits of him.

Hiding under the covers at two am before a long day at work, and pondering if his big, big, bicep muscles from holding a steering wheel all day could eventually hold me in his comforting grasp. Daydreaming, in the middle of meetings with high-end game-development executives, if I could sudden run into his chest and have him hug me until I couldn't breath. Wondering, if I could sit on his thighs one day, and using his veiny hands, he could hold me by my waist and his steamy breath talk into my ear.

Yeah, I get no bitches and I'm horny.

It's pretty obvious to y'all at this point. Don't be a mean girl and judge, though.

And with all of these thoughts, I am not afraid to think them. In the shower, making dinner, watching him race...But it was all put in perspective when I stood outside of his apartment door, waiting for him to let me into his home.

It felt private. Intimate. Different, than all the displays of affection and joyous laughter we shared with the public.

But now I was in the comfort of his home. No prying cameras (at least I hoped that there were no hidden cameras), away from the never-ending watchful eye of the public.

The first thing I noticed about him were his eyes. They were a piercing, greenish, blueish, grayish color—a mix of the sea and comets, a blend of colors I couldn't quite put my finger on.

It was like they held the depth of the ocean, the intensity of a storm, and the mystery of the cosmos all at once. In the soft light of the doorway, they seemed almost otherworldly, drawing me in with their enigmatic allure.

Many people online had said that these eyes were constantly hardened, a result of years spent racing under intense pressure, dealing with tough words from his father, and the unwavering support and strength he garnered from his sister and mother.

They were eyes that had seen the highs of victory and the lows of defeat, that had faced criticism and expectation head-on, and had come out stronger on the other side.

These eyes told a story of resilience and determination, of someone who had been through the wringer and had emerged with a steely resolve. The internet was filled with tales of his focused, almost intimidating gaze on the racetrack, where every glance was calculated and every blink was a strategy.

They spoke of a man who had to grow up fast, who had to build walls to protect himself from the harsh realities of his world.

But when he looked at me, I could swear that I saw them soften.

They drew me in, and for a moment, I knew I could write poetry about them. There was a story in every shade, every flicker of light within those eyes. I could imagine penning verses about their depth, their history, and the way they seemed to hold entire worlds within them.

Suddenly, all my nerves and the fear of being a fumbling, awkward mess seemed to dissipate, at least a little. There was something in the way he looked at me that made me feel seen, like he was looking past the persona and seeing the real me. It was a mix of relief and disbelief, like maybe, just maybe, this wasn't going to be the disaster I had built up in my head.

I had never believed in the saying, "love at first sight", but I could've sworn my heart skipped a beat, if not multiple, when I locked eyes with him. Like I predicted, he was a tall, tall, man. And I, like a lot of people in this world, was not immune to the charm of a tall man.

"Oh, you are very tall," I blurted out.

What the fuck. What the fuck. What the fuck. The words had slipped past my tongue and out of my mouth, bypassing the more sensible part of me, aka my brain. Damn you, stupid weak heart.

I could feel my face heating up, a wave of embarrassment washing over me. Out of anything I literally could have said, my intrusive thoughts had gotten the best of me. My inner voice was screaming at me to pull it together, but it was too late. The words were out there, hanging awkwardly in the air between us. My poster slumped slightly, there was literally no way to recover this. I desperately needed to find a galvanized stainless steel block to bash my head against repeatedly.

Max chuckled softly, a sound that somehow made me feel a bit more at ease despite my flub. "And you must be Y/N," he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Welcome."

Taking a deep breath, I tried to regain my composure. "Yeah, that's me," I said with a small, nervous laugh. "Sometimes when someone makes me hella nervous, it just happens, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—" I started, but he cut me off gently.

"I make you nervous?" He smirked at me. "Well I didn't know that."

Okay. Cut the cameras, deadass. I quite literally felt like I was a main character in that weird-ass phone game Episode (yes, my guilty pleasure at three am but nonetheless a fun hobby to have) It was like one of those cliché moments where the charming love interest says something flirty, and the protagonist’s heart skips a beat. Except this was real life, and my heart was doing somersaults.

I could feel my face heating up again, but this time, there was a small part of me that felt… excited? Maybe this wouldn't be a complete disaster after all. Trying to play it cool, I flashed a shy smile. "Yeah, well, you're pretty intimidating in person," I said, hoping to keep the conversation light.

"I cannot believe you said that, I'm just a really big cuddly bear," Max laughed at me, opening his arms out for a hug.

For a split second, I hesitated, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts. But then, the warmth in his eyes and the genuine smile on his face melted away any remaining nervousness.

Stepping forward, I wrapped my arms around him, feeling his strong yet gentle embrace envelop me. It was like being pulled into a cocoon of safety and comfort, his presence immediately soothing the whirlwind of emotions inside me.

As we hugged, I felt the tension in my body start to ease. His arms were warm and reassuring, a stark contrast to the anxiety that had been gnawing at me since I landed. In that moment, it felt like all the awkwardness and worries faded into the background. It was just the two of us, sharing a simple, sincere connection.

The hug lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to make me feel grounded and welcomed, a silent promise that maybe this really was the beginning of something special.

And I did believe him, that he was just a really big cuddly bear. His laugh was warm like honey, and I could definitely get used to hugging those biceps and burrowing my head in his chest, like a teddy bear. All I could think of was the moment I whipped out my phone to get on Twitter I would tweet, #needthat.

What???

I'm just a girl.

"You're really fucking cute," Max suddenly stated, his soft voice interrupting my daydream.

Wait wait wait what?? Backtrack please?? Did Max Verstappen just call me cute, as he leans on the fucking doorway and I can see his biceps bulge as he-

Noticing my shocked expression, and my jaw must have been hanging out for a considerably long time without responding, he started to laugh at me.

"I hope I was the first person to tell you that today," He continued.

"Y-you certainly were the first person to say that, oh my," I sputtered, a creeping blushing arising from my neck and blossoming onto my cheeks.

Max's eyes sparkled with mischief as he stepped closer, closing the distance between us. "Well, it's about time someone did," he said, his voice dropping to a playful whisper. "I've been looking forward to this moment for a while, you know."

I swallowed hard, trying to regain my composure. "You have?" I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper. The bold, flirtatious Max standing in front of me was a stark contrast to the more reserved person I knew online. It was disorienting, but also incredibly intriguing.

This side of him was magnetic, drawing me in with a mix of confidence and playfulness that I hadn't anticipated. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, the realization hitting me that the dynamic between us had shifted entirely.

Online, I had always been the one with the witty comebacks and cheeky comments, but now, standing here in his presence, I felt like I was discovering a whole new dimension of our connection. His boldness was both thrilling and nerve-wracking, making me wonder just how many other surprises he had in store.

"Absolutely," he replied with a grin. "Seeing you now, in person, you're even more stunning than I imagined." He leaned in slightly, his gaze never leaving mine, and I felt my heart race faster with every passing second.

"Oh, wow, um, thank you," I stammered, feeling my shyness take over. It was surreal—here I was, the one who had always been confident and playful online, now reduced to a blushing mess in front of him.

Max chuckled softly, clearly enjoying the role reversal. "You know, I always found your confidence online really attractive," he said. "But seeing you like this, all shy and flustered... it's pretty adorable too."

I bit my lip, trying to steady my nerves. "Well, you were always the cool, mysterious racer," I said, attempting to regain a bit of my former bravado. "It's kind of unfair that you're also charming in real life."

He laughed, a rich, warm sound that made my heart flutter. (And I could swear I could hear hundred dollar bills when he laughed) "Guess we both have our secrets," he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "But I have to say, I kind of like seeing this side of you."

"Yeah?" I replied, feeling a small surge of confidence. "Maybe you'll see more of it, if you keep being this sweet."

Max took a step closer, his presence enveloping me like a warm blanket. "Oh, I plan to," he said, his voice low and intimate. "Getting to know the real you is something I've been looking forward to. Online was fun, but this...this is so much better."

I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks again, but this time it was mixed with excitement. "Well, you better keep up the charm then," I teased, trying to match his playful energy. "I'm not that easy to impress, you know."

He raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Is that a challenge?" he asked, leaning in slightly, his proximity making my heart race even faster.

"Maybe it is," I said, my voice daring but my insides turning to jelly. "Think you can handle it?"

Max grinned, his confidence unwavering. "Oh, I know I can," he said smoothly. "And by the end of this trip, you'll see just how serious I am."

His words sent a shiver down my spine, a mix of anticipation and thrill coursing through me. The flirty banter, the unexpected boldness, and the undeniable chemistry between us—it was all so intoxicating. As I looked into his eyes, I realized that this was just the beginning of an adventure that was sure to be full of surprises and unforgettable moments. Spending time with Max felt completely different from any of my past relationships.

There was a new air about him, a different kind of electricity that sparked between us. Unlike the fleeting attention I had received from past lovers, who barely gave me a minute of their day, Max's presence was all-encompassing. He made me feel seen and valued in a way I hadn't experienced before. Each moment with him was charged with genuine interest and warmth, making me feel like I was the only person in the world.

The thought of what lay ahead made my heart race with a mixture of nervousness and exhilaration. I knew that being with Max would be an experience unlike any other, a journey where we would both reveal our true selves and create memories that would last a lifetime.

Don't call me naive, dear reader, because in the moment, it truly felt that way to me...And I really hoped that he felt the same too.

"Alright then," I said, my voice steady despite the butterflies in my stomach. "Game on."

Max's smile widened, and he extended his hand. "Game on," he echoed, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through me as our fingers intertwined.

"Come on in," he said, leading me into his apartment.

As soon as we stepped inside, I realized that 'apartment' was an understatement. The place felt more like a huge penthouse rather than the modest apartment he had made it out to be. It was luxurious yet still quite plain and humble, a reflection of Max himself. The high ceilings, expansive windows, and elegant but understated furniture gave it a sense of grandeur without being ostentatious.

The living area was open and airy, with floor-to-ceiling glass doors that opened onto a balcony overlooking the city. The view was breathtaking, a sprawling panorama of twinkling lights and distant landmarks that seemed to stretch endlessly. Despite the grandeur, there was an inviting warmth to the space. The furniture, though minimal, was meticulously chosen—sleek modern lines with plush, comfortable seating that suggested a home where one could truly relax.

As we moved through the apartment, I noticed the subtle details: a few well-placed art pieces, not too many, just enough to add character without overwhelming the space. The kitchen was state-of-the-art, with shiny countertops and high-end appliances, but it was evident that Max wasn’t a chef—there were no intricate gadgets or utensils, just the basics. The sparse decorations spoke volumes about his personality: practical and unpretentious.

"Wow," I said, looking around in awe. "You really weren’t kidding when you said you had a big place. This is incredible."

Max shrugged, a hint of embarrassment on his face. "Yeah, I guess it’s a bit bigger than most apartments," he said with a sheepish grin. "But, as you can see, I didn’t exactly go all out on decorating. I’m not really into interior design and don’t have a clue how to make it look... well, more 'homey.'"

I laughed, finding his modesty endearing. "Well, if you ever want to change that, I’m your go-to person," I offered playfully. "I could definitely give this place a bit more personality."

"Oh, really?" he asked, raising an eyebrow with a smirk. "And what if I said I might be more inclined to actually spend more time here if you did?"

I grinned, feeling a spark of excitement at the prospect. "Challenge accepted," I said. "I’ll have to draw up some design ideas for you. Just don’t be surprised if you come home one day and find your place looking like a completely different world."

Max chuckled, leaning against the kitchen counter with a teasing glint in his eyes. "Are you saying you’re going to turn my penthouse into something out of a magazine?"

"Something like that," I replied, trying to keep a straight face. "But with a touch of ‘Y/N’ flair. I promise it won’t be all pink and sparkles—unless you really want it to be."

"I think I'd rather die," He rolled his eyes, making me a victim of the sassy man apocalypse. Letting out a sudden bark of laughter, my eyes widened, surprised at the ugly ass noise I just let out.

"Wait no I take it back, it would be way better if I just paint it neon green and tweeted #BratSummerTakeover," I laughed.

"This is way worse than the pink what the hell..." Max laughed at my antics. Finally, he was matching my freak!

"Honestly, CharliXCX and Brat Twitter would probably save you if you got canceled, just because you made your apartment Brat themed," I countered, eye brows raising and daring him to challenge me.

"What would I even get cancelled for? Being too devilishly handsome, maybe," He asked, smirking at me.

I felt the heat rush to my cheeks, and I knew I was blushing a lot. "Well, maybe," I stammered, trying to regain my composure. "Or for making girls like me turn bright red with just a few words."

Max's smirk widened, clearly enjoying my flustered reaction. "I think I could live with that," he said, his voice low and teasing. "But seriously, I like seeing this side of you. It's cute."

I blushed even more, trying to deflect the compliment with humor. "Well, you might get canceled for making me turn this red," I quipped, feeling a bit bolder. "And for having terrible taste in decor. Honestly, who wouldn’t want a neon green penthouse? It’s the height of fashion."

Max shook his head, still laughing. "Okay, okay. Maybe we should stick to something a bit more... timeless. How about a black and white theme? Classic, elegant, and less likely to blind anyone who walks in."

I pretended to consider it, tapping my chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, that could work. But only if we add some gold accents. You know, to bring out the sparkle in your eyes."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Gold accents, huh? You really think my eyes sparkle?"

"Like diamonds, just like that one Rihanna song," I said, batting my eyelashes and throwing my hands up in a dramatic fashion. "But seriously, I think we can make this place look amazing. Just trust me."

Max smiled, his gaze softening. "I do trust you. And I’m actually looking forward to seeing what you come up with. Just promise me one thing."

"Anything," I said, leaning in closer, our hands brushing against each other again. I was literally going bonkers from the sexual tension between us two, and I wasn't sure how long I could take it for the next week, before the dam overflowed. And trust me, I don't mind if this dam overflows. Wink wink.

"Promise me you won’t turn it into a jungle. I don’t think I could handle that much greenery," he said with a playful wink.

I laughed, nodding. "Deal. No jungle theme. But I can’t promise there won’t be a few plants. They add life, you know?"

Max grinned, shaking his head in amusement. "Alright, a few plants I can handle. Just no turning my place into a botanical garden."

I gave him a teasing look. "You never know, a few well-placed ferns could really spruce the place up. Besides, they say talking to plants helps them grow. Maybe it’ll work wonders for you too."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth. "Are you implying I need help growing? Because I’m pretty sure I’ve hit my growth spurt."

I laughed, feeling more at ease with each playful exchange. "No, just that a little greenery might make this place feel more like home. Plus, it could give you someone to talk to when you’re not racing around the world."

"Well, if you’re around, I’ll have plenty of company," he said with a wink. "And maybe you can teach me how to take care of them without killing them."

"I’d be happy to," I replied, smiling. "But don’t worry, I’ll make sure to choose some low-maintenance plants. Wouldn’t want you to feel overwhelmed."

"Thanks," he said, his tone sincere. "I appreciate that. But seriously, it’ll be nice to have you help me make this place feel more like home."

"Anytime," I said, feeling a warm glow from his words. "Just promise you won’t get any bright ideas about adding a racecar in the living room."

Max chuckled, the sound rich and warm. "No promises. But I’ll try to restrain myself."

He glanced at my luggage and then back at me. "Let me help you with those," he offered, moving towards the pink suitcases. "I’ll take them to the guest room."

As he picked up the bags, I couldn't help but notice how effortlessly he handled them. The way his muscles flexed under his shirt made my heart race. It was impossible to ignore how strong and capable he looked, making even the heavy suitcases seem weightless. Every movement seemed to highlight his athletic build, and I found myself momentarily distracted by the sheer physicality of him.

He had insisted on me staying at his apartment for the seven days I was in town, refusing to let me book a hotel. "You’ll be more comfortable here," he had said on our phone call earlier, his tone leaving no room for argument. It was sweet, really, and incredibly sexy watching him take charge like this. The thoughtfulness behind his actions made me feel special and cared for in a way that I hadn’t experienced before.

As he carried my luggage, I couldn't help but admire the ease with which he moved, the definition in his arms and shoulders evident with each step.

I followed him down the hallway, my eyes shamelessly glued to his back, watching the way his muscles shifted beneath his shirt. Each step he took seemed to exude confidence and strength, a silent testament to his physical prowess. I couldn't help but admire how the fabric of his shirt clung to his form, accentuating every line and curve of his well-toned physique.

God, I could talk about his slutty little waist for days. The little fancams they showed on F1TV or YouTube did not do it justice. Seeing him in person, the way his waist tapered into those perfectly fitted jeans, was a whole different experience. It was mesmerizing, almost unfair how well his physique was sculpted.

As he walked ahead of me, the fabric of his shirt stretched taut across his back and narrowed at his waist, highlighting the lean, athletic build that had become a defining part of who he was. It was the kind of detail that fans like me only dreamed about, and here I was, witnessing it up close.

I was such a lucky little bitch.

My mind wandered to the countless hours he must have spent training, not just in the gym but on the track as well. It was a different kind of dedication, one that went beyond what most people understood. There was something undeniably attractive about a person who was so committed to their craft, and it only added to the allure that Max already possessed.

As he led me into the guest room, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. This was Max Verstappen's personal space, a glimpse into the life of someone I had admired from afar. The room was spacious and inviting, with large windows that allowed natural light to flood in, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Max set my bags down gently and turned to face me, his expression softening. "There you go," he said with a warm smile. "If you need anything, just let me know. Make yourself at home."

"Thanks, Max," I replied, giving him a grateful smile. "I really appreciate this."

Just as I was about to say more, Max’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at the screen and frowned slightly. "Sorry, I have to take this," he said, holding up the phone. "It’s important."

"Of course, no problem," I said, waving him off. "Take your time."

Max nodded and stepped out of the room, his voice already lowered as he answered the call. Left alone, I took a moment to absorb my surroundings. The bed looked incredibly inviting with its crisp, clean sheets and plush pillows. The journey had been long, and I could feel the fatigue weighing heavily on me.

Without much thought, I kicked off my shoes and sank onto the bed, the mattress soft and supportive beneath me. The room had a calming aura, and despite my excitement, my eyelids grew heavy. I lay back, letting out a contented sigh as I nestled into the pillows.

The last thing I remembered was the distant murmur of Max's voice from the hallway. The day's exhaustion finally caught up with me, and within moments, I drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep, completely at ease in the unfamiliar yet comforting space.

જ⁀➴✎ ❛❛Max's POV❞

I couldn’t wait to see her cute face after my phone call.

Ever since she showed up at my door an hour ago, luggage in hand and blushing like mad, I knew I wanted to hold her in my arms and never let go. The way she looked so overwhelmed and charmingly nervous had struck a chord with me. But now, here I was, stuck listening to Lando Norris ramble about his trivial girl troubles when all I wanted was to see her again.

Lando’s voice was like a buzzing fly in my ear, and I found myself tapping my foot impatiently, wishing he'd get the hint and stop talking. His high-pitched voice grated on my nerves as he continued his endless rant about the latest drama in his life. I loved the guy, but seriously, this was not the moment for his soap opera.

“—and you would not believe what she said to me next,” Lando’s voice droned on, each word feeling like a needle in my brain. I barely registered his complaints, lost in my own thoughts about her.

“Max! Are you listening to me??” Lando’s voice suddenly pierced through the fog of my thoughts, making me flinch slightly.

“Mhm...” I trailed off, barely processing the words. My mind was focused entirely on her, on how she looked when she first arrived and how peaceful she appeared when I last saw her.

“Oh, what the bloody fuck mate, you’re not listening. Whatever, I'll talk to you later,” Lando said abruptly. Before I could respond, I heard the familiar click of the call ending.

“Hallelujah,” I muttered under my breath, rolling my eyes in relief. The endless chitter-chatter had finally stopped, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

“Oh, what the fuck,” I suddenly exclaimed, realizing that I had wasted enough time. I should be up and finding my houseguest—my possible future wifey—and spending more time with her. I shot up from my seat, a surge of excitement propelling me forward.

The house had been unusually quiet since I’d gotten off the call, and I was eager to see what she was up to. Maybe she was scrolling through her phone, or perhaps she was just getting comfortable. I tiptoed down the hallway, trying to be as quiet as possible, not wanting to disturb the calm atmosphere of the house.

As I approached the guest room, I could hear nothing but the soft hum of the air conditioning. My heart skipped a beat as I slowly opened the door, peeking inside to see what awaited me. The sight that met my eyes was unexpectedly delightful. There she was, nestled in the bed, having kicked off the fluffy house shoes I’d given her. Her luggage was neatly set aside, and the room was serene, illuminated by the gentle late afternoon light filtering through the curtains.

Her position on the bed was both endearing and surprisingly casual. She had managed to kick the blankets off completely, leaving them in a crumpled heap at the foot of the bed. The sight of her sprawled out, so relaxed and at ease, made me pause. She looked incredibly peaceful, her hair spread out like a halo around her, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.

My beautiful girl was tired.

A soft smile crept onto my face as I approached her. It was clear that she was deeply asleep, her breathing even and steady. I carefully grabbed the blanket from the end of the bed, making sure not to disturb her. The blanket was warm and soft, a stark contrast to the cool air of the room.

In her sleep, she shifted slightly, letting out little breaths.

As I gently draped it over her, I couldn’t help but notice how cute she looked in this vulnerable state.

The way her lips were slightly parted and her eyes were closed made her seem even more endearing. She had a certain tranquility about her that was utterly captivating. It was a rare and precious sight, and I felt a surge of affection just watching her. Her presence in my apartment, in my space, felt strangely comforting and intimate.

I adjusted the blanket carefully, ensuring it covered her snugly. She stirred slightly but didn’t wake, which made me breathe a sigh of relief I didn't realize that I had been holding. I took a moment to appreciate how serene and beautiful she looked. The gentle rise and fall of her chest as she slept was calming to observe, and it made me feel even more connected to her.

I lingered in the doorway for a few seconds, letting the peaceful scene sink in.

In that moment, I really wanted to be her boyfriend. Even though I had just met her in real life a mere forty minutes ago, I wanted to give her everything that she wanted and deserved.

I imagined us spending more time together, exploring new places, and sharing our dreams and fears. I wanted to be the person who made her feel special and loved, who supported her in all her endeavors and celebrated her successes. The thought of being that person for her was more appealing than I’d ever expected.

It wasn’t just about the romantic gestures or grand declarations; it was about the everyday moments of care and attention. I wanted to be there for her in the small, meaningful ways—like making sure she was comfortable, listening to her stories, and sharing in her joys and struggles.

Don't call me naive, but I really, really, really like her.

જ⁀➴✎ ❛❛Y/N's POV❞

In my dreamless state, I could still remember a few things. Like the warm breath of someone hovering over me. I could feel watchful eyes on my back, curious, worried, then relieved. I remember feeling gentle hands pulling my blanket from the foot of the bed to my shoulders, gently covering me.

And when I woke up, I really questioned whether what I felt was a dream. In my room it was silent, almost no trace of whether someone was there or not.

The only anomaly was the fact that before, I had completely shut the door. Now, the door was left ajar, a tiny sliver of the hallway could be seen from where I was propped up in my bed.

Yawning, I could hear the soft hum of the ongoing AC in my room. But if I listened a bit more, I could hear the whirring of the range hood in Max's kitchen further down the hall.

He was cooking?

Wow. Call me surprised.

A few days ago when we called on Discord, he had narrated a few cooking horror stories that had happened to him.

I remembered one particularly gruesome story he shared, one that sounded like it came straight out of a sitcom. It was supposed to be a simple pasta dinner. Max had invited a few friends over, and in his eagerness to impress them with his culinary skills, he decided to make everything from scratch.

(I know, I know, he told me he wanted to have his little Nara Smith moment...I'll give it to him, I guess)

It started with the sauce. He had carefully selected ripe tomatoes and fresh herbs, determined to make the best marinara his friends had ever tasted. But things quickly went downhill. First, he accidentally doubled the amount of garlic. Not a huge issue, right? Just a little more flavor. But then, in his attempt to balance it out, he added way too much salt. Desperate to fix it, he threw in some sugar, which somehow made it even worse.

Next came the pasta. Max had repeatedly watched one Nara Smith video of her making fresh pasta and he figured it couldn’t be that hard.

News flash, incorrect answer buzzer.

He miscalculated the flour-to-egg ratio, resulting in a sticky, unmanageable dough. By the time he managed to roll it out, the dough was uneven and tearing. When he finally got it into the pot, it clumped together into a gooey mess.

Meanwhile, the kitchen was descending into chaos. The range hood was whirring at full blast, struggling to keep up with the smoke billowing from the pan. In his panic, Max forgot to turn the stove down, and the sauce began to boil over, spilling onto the burner and creating a scorched, acrid smell that filled the entire apartment.

Then came the final straw. Max decided to make garlic bread as a last-minute addition. He put it in the oven and got so distracted by the pasta disaster that he forgot about it entirely. By the time he remembered, the bread was more akin to charcoal, emitting a foul, burnt odor that overpowered even the smell of the burnt sauce.

His friends (He told me it was Lando, Daniel, and Carlos) arrived just in time to witness the aftermath. The kitchen was a war zone, with sauce splattered everywhere, clumps of dough sticking to various surfaces, and smoke lingering in the air. The range hood was doing its best, but it was no match for the chaos Max had created.

His friends tried to be polite (Well maybe Daniel and Carlos did but Lando certainly was not), but the horrified expressions on their faces said it all.

Max ended up ordering pizza, and the story became an infamous legend among his friends. They still teased him about it, making jokes about his "gourmet" cooking skills whenever they had the chance.

It was quite a funny story, as Max had vlogged the whole thing, originally wanting to use the video footage as evidence that he could actually cook.

That's fucking hilarious, if you ask me.

When he showed the video footage, I was quite literally cracking up. I swear I had never laughed as hard as I did in my life when he showed me it.

Remembering that story now, I couldn’t help but smile. The fact that he was back in the kitchen, despite that disastrous experience, said a lot about his determination.

And maybe, just maybe, this time would be different. I decided to get up and see for myself what he was up to, hoping that I wouldn't walk into another kitchen catastrophe.

On that account, I found myself to be, again, very much wrong.

It smelled funny in the kitchen.

There was a peculiar mix of something burnt and something…well, unidentifiable. As I approached, the smell intensified, and I began to worry. I rounded the corner to find Max standing over the stove, looking flustered. Smoke billowed up from the pan, and the range hood was struggling to keep up.

"Max, what on God's green earth are you doing?" I asked, trying to keep the amusement out of my voice. I was also, clearly failing at that too, as a hitch in my voice gave away what I was truly feeling.

Dear reader, I was about to burst into a torrential fit of laughter.

He glanced up, his face a mix of sheepishness and determination. "I was trying to make fried rice with beef and onions, but...uh, things aren't going as planned."

I raised an eyebrow. "Clearly. What happened?"

He sighed, waving a hand at the pan. "Well, first, I realized there wasn't much food in the fridge to begin with. I found some rice, a bit of beef, and an onion. Seemed like enough for a simple dish, right? But then the beef started to stick to the pan, so I added more oil, which made the onions cook too fast and burn. And now the rice is clumping together and sticking to everything."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Max, you are a disaster in the kitchen. This is even worse than the pasta incident."

He groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know, I know. But I wanted to impress you. Clearly, I'm failing miserably."

I walked over and peered into the pan. The beef was charred in some spots and raw in others, the onions were practically disintegrated, and the rice looked like a sticky, burnt mess. "Impressive isn't exactly the word I'd use," I teased.

He grinned, despite the chaos. "Hey, at least I'm trying, right? That's got to count for something."

I shook my head, laughing. "It counts for effort, sure. But maybe you should stick to ordering takeout."

He gave me a mock serious look. "Or, you could teach me. You're the one with the design ideas. Maybe you have some cooking tips too?"

I pretended to think about it. "Hmm, I suppose I could. But only if you promise to listen and not improvise."

Max chuckled, holding up his hands in surrender. "I promise. No more kitchen disasters."

I smiled, feeling a warm rush of affection. "Alright, let's see what we can salvage here. First things first, let's get rid of this burnt mess."

As we started cleaning up, Max kept sneaking glances at me, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "You know, I didn't just burn the food on purpose to get you to come out here and help me, but it's a nice bonus."

I rolled my eyes, playfully nudging him with my shoulder. "Nice try, Verstappen. But if you keep burning things, I might have to take over all the cooking."

"Deal," he said, his grin widening. "As long as you stay."

My heart skipped a beat at his words, and I couldn't help but smile. "You're lucky I'm a sucker for a cute guy who tries to cook."

Max chuckled, shaking his head. "And you're lucky I'm persistent. Now, let's make something edible before we both starve."

I glanced at the pitiful remains of our attempted fried rice. "Or," I suggested, "we could go to the grocery store and get some proper ingredients. Maybe start from scratch with something we can't mess up."

Max's eyes lit up with excitement. "A late-night grocery run? That sounds like a great idea. It's only 8 PM; we've got plenty of time."

I smiled, feeling a rush of excitement at the prospect of a spontaneous adventure. "Alright then, let's go. But first, let me change out of these pajamas."

Max grinned, leaning a little closer. "Deal. I'll clean up here while you get ready. But you know, you look pretty cute in those pajamas. Maybe we should make it a pajama party instead?"

I rolled my eyes playfully, feeling my cheeks warm. "Nice try, but I think I'll stick with something a bit more appropriate for public."

Max chuckled. "Alright, but don't keep me waiting too long. The sooner we get to the store, the sooner we can start our culinary masterpiece."

I raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Oh, now it's a culinary masterpiece? You have high hopes, Mr. Verstappen."

He shrugged, flashing a charming smile. "What can I say? I'm an optimist. Plus, with you by my side, how could it be anything but perfect?"

I laughed, shaking my head as I headed to the guest room to change. "We'll see about that. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Max's voice followed me down the hall. "I'll be counting the seconds, chef."

After changing into something more appropriate—a pair of jeans and a cozy sweater—I met Max in the living room. He had cleaned up the kitchen mess and was now waiting by the door, car keys in hand.

At the door, I slipped on a pair of Birkenstocks, leaning on Max to stabilize myself. Feeling myself slipping all of a sudden, Max grabbed onto my waist and steadied me up. His grip was firm, and I could feel the warmth of his hand through my shirt, sending a little shiver down my spine.

"Careful there," he teased, his voice low and close to my ear. "Wouldn't want you to fall for me… again."

I glanced up at him, catching the mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh, I don't know, Max. It seems like you're getting pretty good at catching me."

He smirked, his hand still resting on my waist, holding me just a little closer than necessary. "Well, practice makes perfect, right?"

I couldn’t help but laugh softly, the playful tension between us impossible to ignore. "You might need a few more tries, though. I’m a bit of a klutz."

He chuckled, his thumb brushing lightly against my side. "Lucky for you, I’ve got all the time in the world." My heart was quite literally beating out of my chest and the sexual tension was getting to me. Noticing my beet red face, Max continued.

"Ready to go?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Ready," I replied, feeling a mix of anticipation and nerves. (And still giggly from the whole previous ordeal)

Max held the door open for me with a dramatic flourish. "After you, my lady," he said with a mock bow.

I laughed, rolling my eyes playfully. "Such a gentleman. You really know how to impress a girl."

As we headed down to the underground garage, Max couldn't resist a bit more teasing. "So, do you have a grocery list, or are we winging it?"

"I think we should wing it," I said, grinning. "Who knows, maybe we'll discover some hidden culinary talents."

"Or set off the smoke alarm again," Max added, smirking.

I nudged him with my elbow. "Hey, I'm a decent cook. I promise I won't let you burn anything."

"Good to know," he replied, his smile widening as we reached his Aston Martin Vantage.

The sleek car gleamed under the garage lights, and I couldn't help but admire it. "Nice ride," I said, running a hand over the smooth surface.

"Thanks," Max said, a hint of pride in his voice. "I figured it would make a good impression."

"You figured right," I said with a wink.

As we pulled out onto the street, the city lights cast a warm glow over everything. The drive through the city was peaceful, the streets mostly empty at this hour. We chatted casually, the conversation flowing easily as we navigated through the urban maze. Max seemed to know the city well, effortlessly weaving through the streets as we made our way to the nearest grocery store.

As we drove through the city, the conversation continued to flow easily. "So, what kind of snacks are we getting?" Max asked, glancing over at me.

"Definitely some chocolate," I replied. "Maybe some chips too. What about you?"

"I was thinking ice cream," he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "You know, for dessert after our gourmet fried rice."

I laughed, shaking my head. "You and your sweet tooth. Fine, we'll get ice cream. But only if you promise not to eat it all in one sitting."

"Deal," Max said, grinning. "I promise to save some for you."

"Max I've seen you devour so much food in one sitting, are you sure you are keeping that promise?" I roll my eyes in mock frustration.

He smirked, glancing over at me. "What can I say? I'm a growing boy."

"Growing boy, huh?" I teased. "Last time I checked, you were already fully grown."

"Just because I'm tall and handsome doesn't mean I can't still grow," he shot back, winking.

I snorted. "Tall and humble, too. Such a rare combination."

"Only for you," he said, placing a hand dramatically on his chest. "I reserve my best qualities for special occasions."

"Well, aren't I lucky?" I said with a laugh. "I guess I'll have to make sure to keep you around for more grocery runs."

"Hey, I'll take any excuse to spend time with you," he replied smoothly. "Even if it means resisting the urge to eat all the ice cream."

I pretended to ponder his words. "Hmm, maybe I should test your willpower. Get a couple of pints and see how long they last."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you challenging me?"

"Maybe I am," I said, grinning. "Think you can handle it?"

"Oh, I can handle it," Max said confidently. "But can you handle me winning?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "We'll see about that. Just don't cry when I catch you sneaking spoonful's in the middle of the night."

"You're on," he said, eyes twinkling with amusement. "But be warned, I play to win."

The hum of the Aston Martin's engine was a soothing backdrop to our conversation. The car's interior was luxurious, with plush leather seats and a state-of-the-art dashboard. I couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement as we sped through the city, the lights blurring past us in a kaleidoscope of colors.

"So, do you do this often?" I asked, glancing over at Max.

"Late-night grocery runs?" he replied with a grin. "Not really, but I'm always up for an adventure."

I laughed, feeling a sense of camaraderie growing between us. "Well, I think this might be the most exciting grocery run I've ever been on."

Max chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Just wait until we get there. I might even let you pick out some snacks."

"Now you're talking," I said, grinning. "I will never not indulge in big back activities," The prospect of picking out snacks together felt oddly intimate, a small but meaningful step in getting to know each other better.

"Hey! You can definitely tell a lot about a person based on their favorite snacks. People who simply like spicy shrimp crackers are superior!"

Max raised an eyebrow, a playful challenge in his gaze. "Spicy shrimp crackers? That’s a bold choice. I guess we'll see if our snack preferences align."

"They better," I said, rolling my eyes in mock annoyance. With that, we stepped outside, the crisp air greeting us as we made our way to the grocery store. The city buzzed around us, but all I could focus on was the warmth of his presence beside me and the anticipation of what was quickly becoming an unexpectedly perfect day.

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yourusername

liked by maxverstappen1, landonorris and 278,121 others

yourusername: what in the #domesticlife...#breadbedandbred

view comments:

maxverstappen1: This is a VERY misleading caption, Y/N

maxverstappen1: Nice post, though (please change the caption)

maxverstappen1: Christian also said that the caption is "sussy as hell"... whatever that means

user1: BYEEEE christian "horny" horner strikes again 🤕

user2: ain't nothing SOFT about this LAUNCH y/n 😖😖🤯🫣

yourusername: 🫣🫣🫣

user3: not her casually serving in a groccery store at night, i aspire to be second-slide-y/n

user4: DAMNNNNN IM SLEEPING ON THE HIGHWAY TNNNN GUYS 😐🤧

user5: AYO MAX

user5: hand placement.... you better WATCH yourself

user6: guys i need this so bad, accepting bf applications RIGHT NOW

user7: dude.... Dude.... DUDEEEEE

user8: his gorilla ass grip on the hook of her jean hook im ILL guys I'M SO ILL 🤕🤕

user9: u r so right queen, it's giving #domestic #hubbyandbubby #narasmithlife #walkhimlikeadog

yourusername: i like #walkhimlikeadog 🤯

maxverstappen1: I like #hughimlikeacat better 😌

yourusername: 🐶🐶🐶 ARF MAX

maxverstappen1: You are very VERY weird, Y/N 🤣🤣🤣😂😅

yourusername: ARF ARF ARFFFFF 🐕🐕🐩

user10: we got #walkhimlikeadog daughter versus #hughimlikeacat son before gta 6 😈😈😈🥲

landonorris: Damn, Max, get a grip, you are getting SOFT my boy 😹😹😹

maxverstappen1: Not funny, Lando

yourusername: 😹😹😹

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taglist: @hiireadstuff @sinofwriting @mehrmonga @the-untamed-soul @glai1023-blog @loloekie @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @sheastri @llando4norris @gwginnyweasley @carmenita122 @ririyulife @pausmoon @ur-fav-ave @eveninggstar @maddie-naps @erin-odonnell04 @rexit-mo @ems-alexandra @si1ver06 @iamred-iamyellow @bibissparkles @percypie @formula1blog @lanadelray1989 @rylieverstappen-sargent @luvsforme @eiaaasamantha @kaysmiles42 @mvaldez7821 @stinkyjax @sweate-r-weathe-r @laneyspaulding19 @mingyusbigrighttoe @scott-mccall-could-lift-mjolnir @stinkyjax @fandomz-queenie @theblueblub @mayusaatma @lanadelrey @formula1-motogpfan

some of these didn't get tagged, and i'm having trouble (?) it's being very weird, idk, so please let me know if your name is here and it didn't tag you ❣️

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author's note: ty guys for reading this fic! 😍🫶🏾

[curious--curations]

Two Times He Tries to Admit His Feelings and the One Time He Does

Hellfire Gala! Peter Quill x Healer!Reader

Peter has been wanting to confess his love to you for ages. Turns out he just needed to wait for the right moment.

As a healer, it was hard keeping track of a whole team during a mission. Especially when it includes pushing a point where everyone scatters in the wind. You did your best to keep an eye out for everyone, but with they way they were rushing in out of sync it was hard to keep up with demand.

You were following Psylocke and Punisher when an enemy Venom pulled his ultimate attack and aimed it right at your group.

“Wonderful.” You mumbled to yourself. “Just perfect. Glad my team is looking out for me.”

You were beyond frustrated feeling forgotten by your team. You ran into an alleyway to try and make your way back to your team. But before you knew it a yellow and green blur was racing towards you.

Iron fist. It was always iron fist.

He practically bounced off the walls, too quick for you to be able to hit. You managed to stun him and run away, but you knew that would not stop him. You hid away to catch your breath when you heard the familiar sound of jet boots by you.

"Need an escort?" Peter Quill questioned playfully.

“Yes.” You didn't care that you sounded as desperate as you were. He chuckled at your honest reaction. “Wait. Were you keeping track ok me?”

“Always do.” He replied nonchalantly as if that was not the nicest thing someone has done for you all week.

Despite his teammates needing his support to push the objective, he walked shoulder to shoulder with you along the back lines. You felt guilty for dragging him away.

“Sorry about all of this.”

“Not your fault you got ditched and I don't mind helping you. I am already used to keeping an eye on Mantis.” You weren't being a nuisance to him then. That was a relief. “I was thinking maybe you and I could–” He didn't have time to finish his sentence as Iron Fist came back for revenge.

He surged towards you, but Peter managed to intercept the attack. Though he was not meant to be a tank, taking punches and dishing them out like other members of your team, he was willing to try for your sake.

With his fancy flips and spinning attacks, he was able to out maneuver iron fist while keeping him off you. Actually he was trying to make a fool of him through his fancy attacks just to rub salt in the wound for hurting you. He slowly whittled away at him until he was forced to retreat. By the time he broke off an announcement was made. Your side lost the match.

Attempt 2:

You were not sure what caused his change, but you knew Peter was fighting more recklessly than the last time you had seen him. Every few minutes he came running back to you for help. Now he was flying around above the enemy team, turning as many heads and he could. Once he got everyone's attention he decided to pull off his ultimate attack.

It was quite a sight. He shot up into the air, his mask now covering his face and as his guns were covered in colorful fire. But his flashy moves left him open. Black Widow had plenty of time to kine up her shot. She fired a single round and shot him down before he could finish saying legendary.

It all happened so fast It was almost comical. The exact opposite effect Peter was hoping to have on the crowd. He shot up into the air showing off for all to see only to immediately get taken out.

“Oh my gosh that idiot.” You said not being able to believe what you just saw. “Mantis. You think you could cover for me while I get him?”

She nodded confidently. “His mind is clouded by thoughts of jealousy.”

“Jealousy?” You thought, “Was he really that upset that Bucky was getting more kills than him? It was not even by that much. Plus he had less deaths thanks to my wonderful healing.”

You found Peter laying face down behind a half wall. “Look Mantis told me you were jealous of Bucky.”

“She did?” His pain began to melt away as you healed his injuries. You started with the larger ones first since they would take longer to heal. He barely survived the attack by the look of it.

“Yeah and honestly I don't get why. You might not be getting the most kills on the team, but you're still doing really good.” You finished healing the bulk of the damage he took and moved on to the scratches on his face.

“No. It's not that I am jealous of.” He tried to correct you.

“Then what is it?” His brain froze for a moment.

How could he possibly explain to you what he was feeling? How could he explain the irrational anger he felt watching you dote on other heroes like Bucky. The image of your hand on his bicep was still burned into his mind. And he definitely remembered watching him use his arm to pull you out of the way of an oncoming attack so you landed right in his arms. His arm lingered around you longer than necessary. How would he explain his frustration that all he could do was steal away little moments like this for your attention? But his opportunity to confess how he felt vanished before he could think of how to voice his feelings.

“I am sorry to interrupt, but I do require assistance at the point.” You heard Mantis speak up in your ear piece.

“Let's talk afterwards yeah?” You ran off without another word to support your team.

Attempt 3:

When you heard Peter Quill was invited to the exclusive Hellfire Gala you didn't expect to be invited as his plus one.(Completely platonically of course.) He said it was to make up for all the times you saved his ass on the field during mission. All the times you spend in the Milano tending to his wounds as well as his friends after a losing match. All the times you listened to him rant on and on about dumb stuff when everyone else ignored him. But if it was supposed to be platonic why did you find yourself blushing at the sight of him dressed up in his gala outfit as he waited to escort you inside.

You had never seen him look so regal before and for the first time you could see him being a king. He wore what looked to be a mix of armor and a clean suit with a regal sash thrown in to add to his title. He even slicked back his normally wind blown hair to keep it tidy.

He froze up once he saw you, his eyes went wide and he did not try to cover up his surprise. Luna helped you pick out a dress for the event. As a pop star she did attend many fancy events like this in the past after all. She had her personal stylist create a custom dress for you that not only fit you perfectly, but also made you feel confident since it was a style you liked.

"Wow. You look amazing." He offered his arm to you which you took.

“You don't look too bad yourself Star-Lord. Or is it Star-King today?” You joked and watched the faintest blush grow on his face.

You strode in on a red carpet together and someone announced your names and titles, though you did not have one so they just used your hero name.

The venue was beautifully decorated with banquet tables full of fancy hors d'oeuvres and champagne towers. A live band played calm music on stage as everyone talked among their own groups. Every once in a while fireworks were ignited, filling the sky with shimmering glitter. It felt like there was something to do everywhere you looked.

“Well. We can split up now if you want. Feel free to explore the party.” Though he had a smile on his face as he gave you the offer you could tell there was a hint of sadness in his voice. He didn't actually want you to leave, but didn't want to ruin your night by making you stay with him.

“I am just fine right here, don't worry.”

You gravitated towards familiar faces as you settled in. It was fun seeing your teammates dressed in elegant attire. Peter noticed that everyone had drinks in their hands to prepare for a toast, so he quietly broke off to get you one. The moment he left your side someone moved in to make themselves known. Namor who was too cowardly to make a move until Peter happened to leave.

Of course he was invited to the gala. It was impossible to ignore his title when he boasted about it before every match. He also used it as a selling point when flirting with you. At least Peter had enough class to know when to stop and didn't hide behind his title.

“You know if you ruled by my side you could attend events like this every night.”

“Sorry. Being with you is too high of a price to pay.” Your rejection did nothing to dissuade him. Suddenly you were being offered a drink.

“Sorry that took a moment.” Peter slipped his hand around your waist pretending to be oblivious to the situation. “What were you talking about?”

To your surprise the call out worked and he backed off. Walking away completely.The woman he desired being taken usually didn't deter him. Susan could testify to that.

“I hope that was ok.” He scratched the back of his neck. “It just seemed like he was bothering you. I can't wait to see what rumors they spread about us once we're back.”

“They should know better if they want to get healed.” You joked back.

“You're a badass on the field. They already know to stay on your good side.”

“Hah. Yeah sure. The terrifying healer.” You poked fun at yourself.

Compared to the other heroes here you didn't feel like much. Heck even compared to other healers you felt useless at times. You could not create daggers to defend yourself like Tandy could or shield the whole team from ultimate attacks like Luna. He seemed to pick up on your thoughts and frowned at you with nothing but concern in his eyes.

“Hey. You're amazing. You know that right?” His voice was full of genuine care. “You're crazy brave too. I remember the time Doreen and I got caught up in Spider-Man's web. You swooped in, took him out and healed us right up. Or when the Thing was charging forward and somehow you managed to steer him just around us. The point is you're amazing and–” he paused a moment to take your hand, but his speech was cut off as someone tapped on a mic onstage to test it. Peter mumbled a curse under his breath.

“To all our new guest from across the timelines. I welcome you to the Hellfire Gala!” A woman who could easily be a super model based on her looks and the confident power in her voice manned the stage. She had a strong presence that made everyone focus on her. But she interrupted his moment with you, so Peter ignored a majority of her speech. “Honored guests. I propose a toast. To Krakoa! Here, there are no rivals. Man and mutant–”

Suddenly a robotic voice cuts her off. “Will be exterminated. You all belong to history.” Dozens of robots poured out of a swirling red vortex. Of course they couldn't be allowed a moment to enjoy themselves.

“Time to clock in.” You joked, making your hands glow with healing magic.

As usual you kept everyone alive during the fight. For it being a surprise attack you would say it went smoothly. You'd like to credit it to everyone's ability to work together as a team. After all, all you've been doing is fighting together since the time lines got mixed up.

You sat in a wooden chair across from Peter towards the sidelines of the event. Your knees were touching and he could practically melt from that contact alone. Everyone who was healthy enough stayed to help clean up the mess of broken furniture and glass. A calm silence settled over the event.

Peter was just happy that he finally got what he wanted. You taking care of him after a big fight. You carefully inspected him for wounds, applying gentle pressure to his ribs and other areas to make sure there was no brusing or other internal injuries.

He shamelessly stared at you as you worked. He thought you looked so pretty when you were focused.

"You know that day Mantis told you I was jealous of Bucky."

"Oh yeah. You never got to tell me what happened."

"I was jealous of him because he got your attention like this so often after fights." He took your hand in his making you freeze. He took a deep breath, summoning his courage.

"I was jealous because I like you. A lot. I was hoping to be able to take you out sometime."

"What's wrong with having a date now? The band is still here....the floor is empty." His face lit up at the offer.

"That's why I love you." His eyes went wide upon realizing he said that out loud and immediately tried to backpedal. "I am sorry that's way too soon. I shouldn't have said that. We haven't even had our first date yet."

You felt proud to turn someone who was normally so confident and silly into a bumbling mess. You stood and he guided you to the dance floor without hesitation. Since it was a string band, they played slow music you weren't sure he was ready for.

"I know this isn't the style of dancing. I hope you don't mind." He carefully took your hand and placed the other on your hip to guide you into a waltz.

"Well I can't be a dancing machine if I don't know every dance."

"You're also surprisingly light on your feet." You complimented. He did not want to admit he had been practicing in hope of impressing you. He was glad all the work paid off.

The two of you stayed there for a while, elegantly gliding across the dance floor for as long as you were allowed. Despite the attack that occurred earlier, the night felt like a dream.

An announcement was made that the firework show was surprisingly still on schedule. It was to serve as a closing act for the night. He pulled you away to avoid more private area to view the show that was centered over a beautiful view of city lights. He stood behind you and wrapped his arms around you, gently laying his chin on the top of your head as you leaned into him.

"You know I really like this romantic side of you."

"Then I'll have to plan out something perfect for our next one."

"I know something that can make this one perfect right now." You turned around to face him and his hands fell to your hips. You swear you felt him pull you close.

"And what's that?" He asked as if his eyes did not just flick down to look at your lips.

"A ki-- " You didn't even have enough time to get the word out before his lips were on yours. He cupped your face in his hand, lifting it slightly to reach him as he bent over. The kiss felt desperate and needy as if all his longing was poured into it. When you pulled away he was smiling like a fool like he was on a high off of the feeling of you. Totally drunk on some type of love.

After all his blunders, you deserved something perfect for a date and he felt like he was able to deliver on that. He felt accomplished and was greatful he waited for the right moment.

[betterwithbooksthanwithpeople]

things I noticed in The Outsiders musical seeing it a second time (2/20/25 matinee):

feel like putting a disclaimer that I've now seen the show twice but in two partial view locations (standing room today) and my memory is far from photographic so some of this might be stuff that happens every time that I just missed the first time or it stuck out to me differently

-the greasers were HYPED. UP. from the top of the show basically all the way to the drive-in. sooo much energy which is also how I felt getting to see the show again so I loved it

-really thought Andre Malcolm was a great Steve! also John Patrick Collins is back covering I don't even know what role because it's whoever Trevi is when he's not Ponyboy and I've seen him as Ponyboy both times lol

-during Grease Got a Hold Soda kept poking at Darry trying to get him to join in and he said either "don't talk to me" or "don't touch me" but with a little smile like he couldn't actually be annoyed with Soda

-at the end of Great Expectations and the scene after with Johnny and Dally, Johnny was rocking himself back and forth but as soon as Ponyboy would put the flashlight on him or Dally would look at him he'd stop

-honestly I think Sky played Johnny more fidgety/ shaky in general (I saw Josh last time). what's that line from the book that says Johnny is like a kicked puppy? that's what he was embodying

-Marcia did a little wave and "hey" at Two-Bit during Friday at the Drive In!

-Emma's vocals were eating in that song and especially I Could Talk to You All Night. I've seen her Cherry before but today? dangg

-Paul has a new boyfriend real?! bro was fully laying on the car stargazing and drinking with somebody (Chet maybe?)

-Ponyboy opt down in Far Away from Tulsa! now I know what y'all are going on about lol

-Ponyboy was SO out of it and Johnny was yelling SO much the whole way from when they get jumped through all of Run Run Brother and it was making me ahhh

-Cole was amazing as Paul, especially in Justice for Tulsa. He played it so angry that he was kinda scary, plus vocalsss

-maybe this is always the blocking for Death's at My Door so apologies to people who've seen the show more than I have, but when he's singing "I'll never leave you alone," Johnny put his hand out to take the knife from Ponyboy who repeated the line but just? wouldn't let go of the knife? to grab his hand? until they both sing the line together and fully make eye contact, then Pony finally gave back the knife after and Johnny did this little sigh of relief almost as he put it back in his pocket while keeping a hold on Pony's hand. it's a lot guys.

-Throwing in the Towel vocals were off the charts today. Brent and Jason were not messing around - the riffs

-Darry was so happy and united with the gang in Hoods Turned Heroes that I almost started the act two crying right then and there. he's just a kid proud of his little brothers

-Ponyboy was PISSED during Trouble like he was giving do NOT mess with me right now

-I am convinced Jason is in on the Parry lore because the faces he was making during the whole Paul/ Darry pre-rumble conversation were so loud I fully missed the first punch since my eyes were on Soda lol

-just everything about Ace in the rumble. yelling "get off of me!" and the genuine concern when Two Bit takes awhile to get up after and jumping into Dally's arms because they won - it was adorable (actually Tilly was just getting picked up so much? maybe that's her Ace's thing even more than others lol)

-Aramie put his whole heart and soul into Little Brother oh my gosh. Like fully sobbing for much of the song, looked a mess, scREAMED the "does anybody care" line?! I was crying so much that my friend pointed it out after the show pls

-speaking of crying, Darry was a whole mess not really in the argument part of the end scene but for the entire time Pony and Soda are talking at the dinner table - like, he'd visibly pull himself together in order to talk evenly when he had a line? but wouldn't look towards his brothers like he was hiding his tears? Brent Comer you understand Darry so well I'm so glad I got to tell you he's my favorite at the stage door

-overheard at the stage door: someone asked Trevi about the Johnny/ Ponyboy ship and he basically went "they're too young" hahaha

hours have passed somehow but this is all I've thought about and I've forgotten so many things and already want to see it again but yeah, yay outsiders

[bedoballoons]

hii !! i was wondering if you could do a request for me. so xiao's really stressed and reader character: xiao scenario: calls him multiple times but he doesnt come, so when he actually comes, he complains and makes the reader cry and leave him. genre: angst (if you can, can you add fluff in the end where xiao apologizes? its fine if you dont !!) i was craving for some angst and at the end some fluff because i need more fluff i swear im going insane because of angst its fine if you dont do this, but if you do, i would really appreciate it !!

Of course I can write a request for you!! I won't lie though...I thought this was a smut request at first 😭 forgive my dirty mind. Anyway, thank you for your request and I hope you enjoy!

─⊰⁠⊹ฺ❄️𝔾𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟 ℍ𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕠𝕟𝕤⊰⁠⊹ฺ❄️

Xiao X Reader

{༻~You didn't show up...~༺}

CW: GN! Reader! Angst to fluff, some yelling and a worried reader, apologies at the end!

𑁍༄Xiao:

You sighed anxiously, looking at the clock...you'd already called three times and Xiao was still no where to be seen. You knew he was probably busy, but he'd always said he'd answer your call...just say his name and he'd appear...so why wasn't he? You tried not to think the worst...but considering he was the last remaining Yaksha, the rest all dying in such horrible ways...it wasn't hard to start worrying about him.

What if his karmic debt had caught up to him? What if he'd met a foe even he couldn't beat? What if he'd been injured badly...and couldn't make it to you?

You bit your lip, feeling your heart start to race with fear, what would you even do? Go to Zhongli? The other adeptus?? Panick began to set in, his name slipping from your lips over and over, "Xiaooo! Xiao!" He had to answer, if he didn't you'd have to go find someone and ask for help...that was the plan, "Xia-"

You paused mid sentence as he suddenly appeared in front of you, the soft teal glow of his powers fading away to reveal that he was okay and in truth, it was like seeing a angel, relief washing over you in waves. "Oh my gosh, there you are I was so worried, I thought youd-"

"Enough. Stop calling me, you aren't in danger, there's no one attacking you and I'm tired of hearing your insistent voice in my head. I'm trying to protect Liyue as I'm supposed to, accomplish what I must everyday and I don't need you bothering me while I do so." He shot you a glare...and watched as the emotions painted on your features went dark, your relieved smile wiped away. He knew it was harsh, he knew what he said was wrong...he loved your voice, he loved knowing he had someone at home...hoping he was okay...worrying about him. Hed, just gotten a little too stressed.

"I-im sorry...I was worried something had happened to you...I'm sorry." You felt your chest getting tighter as you tried to hold back your tears, but they fell anyway...rolling down your cheeks as Xiao watched you...guilt already bubbling in his stomach. "Wait...I didn't mean to-"

You stepped away from him, wishing you hadn't been such a nuisance...and before you knew it, you were running, out the door...across the fields. Running until you felt tired...and alone enough to cry in peace, or so you thought. Somehow you'd forgotten he could simply appear next to you, you could run as far as you'd like and he'd be there in seconds...even when you didn't want him to.

"Xiao, I'm sor-"

"Don't apologize when you have nothing to apologize for. You were just worried and I overreacted...I should never have raised my voice at you, talked to you the way that I did. I'm sorry. It will never happen again."

ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ♡‧₊˚~Have a nice day!~*⁠.⁠✧

[stormysunday98]

Featuring: happy Joe, some 18+ stuff, and a bit of cheese.

The Missing Piece

I was now five blocks from work and the man who had  stepped out behind me after I locked the door was still following closely behind me.

I started to panic, I was at least another ten blocks from home. It was starting to get dark. I was 5'5 and all I had to protect me was my lunch bag and the yogurt I didn't eat. My heart was pounding. I didn't need to turn around to see him, I could sense him there.

This was a pretty affluent neighbourhood, maybe I could just pretend I lived here. I walked past a couple more homes, then started the journey up one of the long driveways, not daring to look behind me. When I reached the front door, I pretended to unlock it, hoping I'd sold my story to my creepy shadow. When I twisted the knob, the door opened easily, and since I was no longer thinking clearly I just stepped inside.

After a moment of relief from being off the street and into safety, I looked up to see a very tall man standing in front of me with a look of both shock and concern fleeting over his icy blue eyes.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so so sorry! There was a man, I don't know, he's been following me since I left work! I still have so far to go, I was getting scared, I didn't know what to do, your door was unlocked, I didn't mean to come in...." I was still tripping over my words as the man placed his hands on my shoulders and tried to meet my wild eyes .

"Hey, hey." He said firmly but calmly. "It's ok, you're ok. I know, I saw him on the camera, he was following you up the drive. Do you want me to call the police?"

"No, I don't think so. I don't know. I didn't even get a good look at him." I replied. "Do you mind if I sit down?" I asked embarrassingly, the adrenaline was fading and I felt like I might fall over.

"Yes of course", he ushered me to the couch, "and my security camera, I have a clear shot of him on there."

"Oh smart. Ya I can get an image from there then, I'll file a report tomorrow. I'm so sorry for all this." My head was finally starting to stop spinning and my heart slowing down, allowing me to take in my surroundings a bit more clearly. This was a very nice house. Very clean. No clutter. I looked over my shoulder to see him coming back from the kitchen.

He carefully sat down near me on the couch, being sure to leave a full cushion's worth of space between us. He handed me a glass of water and said, "I'm Joe, by the way."

"Hi Joe", I responded, and took a quick drink of water before adding, "you should really lock your doors."

He let out a chuckle and a grin spread across his face. "Well, in this particular instance, I'm kind of glad I didn't. My manager was supposed to be stopping by, so I left it open."

"Oh my gosh, let me get out of your hair then. I don't want to get you in trouble with work! I just need to call an Uber." I started searching my bag for my phone.

"I would like to drive you home if that's ok. Not sure how many more strange men you should add to this day." He raised an eyebrow at me, presumably waiting to see if I was going to laugh or start crying.

I laughed. "That's very kind, but what about your manager?"

"Don't worry about that, my job is pretty secure," he smiled, "let me grab my keys and my shoes."

I noticed he was wearing slippers currently, slippers which I could only describe as old man slippers. He did seem to have an old soul aura about him. I followed Joe out to his garage, that housed multiple vehicles - a very flashy sports car, a futuristic looking truck, and a Mercedes G Wagon. And it looked like we were taking the latter. He must be some kind of tech mogul, I thought to myself, but what's a tech mogul doing in the middle of Ohio?

When we reached my house, which was about an eighth the size of his, I turned to look at him. I couldn't help but think how warm those cold blue eyes looked. 

"Thank you so much, seriously." I said. "You're a real hero."

He chuckled. "Would I be able to give you my number?" He asked.

My wide eyed expression must have given away what I was trying to keep my mouth from saying because Joe immediately spoke up.

"Not like that!" He backtracked shaking his head, "just in case you need more security footage, or a witness statement of something. Or anything at all really. I'm usually around. Except Sundays. I work Sundays." 

I handed him my phone and he quickly typed his number in and handed it back to me. 

"I'm Casey, by the way" I said as I stepped out of his truck. 

"Hi Casey," he smiled.

"Lock your door, Joe!" I yelled over my shoulder as I walked to my front door.

I saw him give me a hand to forehead salute through the passenger window. I walked inside, locked my own door, and peeked out the window, just in time to see him pull away.

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

The next couple days were less eventful. I had security cameras installed at the shop. I filed my police report at the station. And I ordered some bear spray from Amazon. I was glad when the weekend finally rolled around, and on Sunday headed over to my friend Jess' house for our weekend supper tradition. Jess and her husband always hosted, and our other friend Kate and her boyfriend joined, and then me, the obligatory fifth wheel. The boys usually watched football and us girls caught up on gossip and played board games.

The girls and I were playing a very distracted round of Uno while the boys yelled at the game on the TV. I casually glanced over at the TV after being served multiple miss a turns in a row, and what I saw put my heart in my stomach. 

Unforgettable icy blue eyes.

"Ummm, who is that, Trevor?" I anxiously asked Jess' husband.

"Joe Burrow.", Trevor replied.

"I can read the screen, Trev, I mean who IS he?"

"The quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals. And you're a disappointment to the whole state of Ohio for not knowing that."

"Harsh, but ok...and like, he's pretty good? Or what?"

Trevor rolled his eyes and turned to look at me, "ya he's like top three in the league, easy. Why, Case? You finally gonna become a football fan?"

I excused myself from the Uno game that I was never going to win anyway and grabbed my phone from my bag. I searched my contacts. J...O...E...

Joe with the Unlocked Doors.

There he was. And with a sense of humor at that. I opened the contact and began to type.

Wow. Your overconfident sense of job security makes so much sense now!

Presumably he wouldn't be texting back anytime soon. Based on the tv screen he appeared to be rather busy at the moment. 

Later that evening I was laying on the couch, working on a bracelet I was making and watching Netflix when my phone lit up.

Shocked Pikachu gif. (Classic choice.) So you're not a football fan then?

I just don't know anything about it. But today I learned Joe Burrow is the quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals. And that sometimes he leaves his doors unlocked. 🤷‍♀️

Ha! Both of those are true. I'm glad you texted.

It was a shock response.

I'm glad anyway. So now you know what I do, what do you do? Aside from walk into strangers houses, of course.

Cold.

I'm actually a dog groomer. I make pups pretty for a living. I have a little shop on Hudson, which is where I was walking from when I broke into your home.

That's unexpected, and so cool. Love that you've got your own grind. 

Well my grind doesn't garner me multiple vehicles in my garage, but I do love it. It only affords me my old Bronco that starts half the time, and not at all in the winter.

Is that why you walk?

Sometimes. But I do like being outside. And "that day" I chose to walk. Looking back, evidently a poor choice.

Maybe not all bad since you met me?

Haha, I dunno, I got to meet the quarterback of an NFL team and didn't even ask for an autograph! 🫤

Funny. Maybe don't think of me as that, just think of me as Joe.

...with the unlocked doors! 

Exactly. 😉

We continued to message back and forth, joking and laughing while also learning a bit about one another, when I looked at the time on my phone and couldn't believe how late it had gotten.

I think I better get some shut eye. Early start tomorrow. Nice chatting with you. Goodnight, Joe!

Goodnight, Casey. Sweet dreams.

It took me a while to fall asleep that night. What is happening? He's so nice. And absolutely gorgeous. Now that I could think about him a little more clearly and not in a fear filled state of adrenaline...wow. He had to be a full foot taller than me, with what appeared to be the strength of a Greek god, and the fluffiest, wavy hair that was just being begged to have hands run through it. And a little curl that kept falling onto his forehead no matter how many times he pushed it back. And those eyes...oh my gosh those eyes. 

Pull yourself together, Casey! I scolded myself. I was being ridiculous. And I needed some sleep, it was back to my not so lucrative grind tomorrow.

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

Monday morning I was back in my element. The Bronco started, my first dogs of the day were settled on the floor around me, my coffee was just right. Maybe it would be a good week. With my headphones on, and high velocity dryer blasting, I almost didn't hear someone walk through the door. I looked up, startled so see a man with a hoodie pulled over his head and wrap around sunglasses on his face. He must have seen the fear in my eyes as he immediately reached up to push the hood off his head and replace it with his sunglasses.

Joe.

I felt my face flush. I turned off the dryer and put my headphones around my neck.

"What on earth..." Was all I could get out.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just figured that you saw what I do, so I wanted to see what you do...I hope that's ok." I could see a worried look in his eyes.

"How did you find me?" I probably should have reassured those baby blues, but I was still so confused.

"Well you told me your shop was on Hudson. And there was a dog groomer on Hudson called Casey's Place.....so I guess I'm a detective?" He was still feeling out if he'd made a mistake.

I laughed. "That's fair I guess. You googled me?!"

He let out a chuckle. Those seemed difficult to evoke from him, but I felt like I could make it my full time job just to hear the sound and watch the corners of his eyes crinkle.

"You haven't googled me?" He asked with mock accusation.

"Actually, no," I admitted, "I think I'd prefer to learn about you from you."

He smiled, "well I guess we've determined who's the better person then!"

He suddenly sat on the floor cross legged, and the three dogs already on the floor immediately ran to him and began climbing and licking him maniacally.

Jealous, I thought. But only said, "well that's a good sign."

"What is?," he asked while trying to avoid getting dog tongue directly in his mouth.

"Never trust someone your dog doesn't trust! And they seem to love you."

This time he blushed.

I lifted the dog on the table down to the floor so he could join the fun. 

Joe tried to untangle himself from the dog pile and stand back up. "I was wondering if I could take you to lunch?" he asked, barely making eye contact.

Wow, is he...nervous? I wanted to say yes so bad, but I was the only one in the shop today, and I couldn't leave the dogs unattended. 

"Could I take a rain check?" I asked, hoping my eyes didn't look as desperate as I felt.

"Of course," he replied, "I knew you were working, I'm sorry."

I gave him a little pout, and the corners of his mouth turned up. 

"I'll talk to you soon!" He said and quickly turned and walked out the door.

My heart sank. Did I just turn down Joe Burrow on a date? But my job, I've worked so hard for this shop, and surely he gets that. I hoisted the dog back onto the table and got back to work, while my heart continued to chastise my brain for being too responsible. Then my phone chimed. I looked at my watch to see a message from Joe. I pulled out my phone to open it.

Do you like onions?

Well...I guess he still wants to get to know me? First what I do for a living, now my produce preferences?

I typed back, Yes with a question mark.

Message read, no response.

This man is an enigma. 

And then 10 minutes later my door dinged and in walked Joe with two greasy paper bags, a tray loaded down with drinks, and a smile that could light up the dark.

"You still have to eat, right?" He said with a shrug of his big, broad shoulders and began to spread out a selection of burgers and fries across the grooming table that wasn't currently in use.

"I got you a soda, a milkshake and a coffee because I don't know what you like yet." He explained 

Yet. Oh my gosh he was adorable. I melted, perhaps obviously.

I pulled up two stools, suddenly a little unsure if one would even support Joe's enormous size. He sat down and it looked almost comical.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized, unable to choke back my laughter, "I don't normally cater to football stars". 

He brushed it off, quickly. "All good, a lot of furniture is too small for me. Or I'm too big for it. Whichever."

He took a big bite of a burger while I grabbed a couple fries, unable to take my eyes off him, trying to understand what these last several days were coming to. My overthinking brain couldn't take it anymore, and I just spit out "Why me?"

Joe turned to me, looking straight into my eyes, with surprise. "What do you mean?", he seemed genuinely confused. 

I took a deep breath. "Well, like, you're you. You're obviously super attractive, you're a famous athlete, you're talented, smart, focused, funny, kind, charming... I'm sure you could have your pick of anyone in Ohio - no, in America. Maybe even Canada too. And then, I'm just me."

"You think I'm attractive?" He said, eyebrows raising, blue eyes mischievous.

I rolled my eyes.

"But seriously, Casey," he continued, "I'm intrigued by you. I love that you know who you are, and what you're about. You're beautiful, you're smart, you're focused. And honestly, I kind of liked that you didn't know who I was."

I could feel the flush of red flowing up my face, I've never been good at accepting compliments. Especially from this remarkable specimen of a man sitting so very close to me right now.

"I really don't think you're giving yourself enough credit", he continued, "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since the day I laid eyes on you. I wasn't going to push it, but when you texted me yesterday, I knew I didn't want to let you get away." 

He placed his large hand on my thigh, I think to comfort me because he could tell I was overwhelmed, but it had the opposite effect and made my heart beat 10 times faster.

"I like you too, Joe. I just don't know what this would look like. Dog groomer dates NFL superstar? I'm an introvert. Sometimes I get anxious if the grocery store is really busy."

Joe burst out laughing. "Maybe just don't overthink it, and we can see what happens?" He smiled, his eyes pleading with mine, feeling like they were reaching in and pulling directly on my heart. A smile started creeping across my face, despite my best efforts to convince myself there was just no way this was happening, and then Joe leaned in and planted his full, beautiful lips on mine, leaving absolutely no doubt that it really was. 

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

The rest of the week was bliss. Late nights facetiming until we fell asleep, Joe stopping in with coffee for me at work (now that he knew that was my drink of choice). I was living for getting to know and understand him. I'd never known someone so focused, so loyal. He was incredibly intelligent, loved his family, he was thoughtful, awkward enough to allow me to believe he really was human, and so adorable when he tried to flirt. And probably most surprising, he was quite introverted too, preferring to keep a small circle, and still navigating the fame that he had now achieved. 

I also learned that the day before game day, as far as anyone in the world is concerned, Joe Burrow does not exist. He takes the day to focus, watch tape, and avoid distraction and chatter at all costs. He definitely takes his job seriously, but I get it, he loves what he does.

So Friday night he picked me up to go to his place for supper. He wanted to avoid a public outing, to avoid the media storm that was sure to follow. I thought that sounded like a great idea. He pulled up in his white G-Wagon around 7pm. 

I climbed up into the passenger side. 

"Did you lock your door?" He joked.

"Hilarious.", I replied, "why do you always drive this thing? Don't get me wrong, you look hot as hell behind the wheel, but I know you have a garage full of choices."

He blushed and tried to hide his smile. "Those were all phases I thought I was going through I guess. This thing is my favourite. And the least conspicuous". 

He put the vehicle in gear and reached across the console to hold my hand. It was a short drive to his house, despite us living in very different neighbourhoods. We walked into his house that already smelled like food as his cook was busy preparing game day prep-appropriate nutrition. We sat down on his oversized couch (he seemed to have purchased furniture more suited so his size), and he turned to look at me. He grabbed both my hands in his, making them all but disappear. 

"I have a question for you," he started.

Uh oh. Serious Joe was also unreadable Joe. 

"Oooook," I said nervously.

He squeezed my hands. 

"It's nothing bad, I was just wondering if you wanted to come to my game on Sunday. You don't have to sit in the suite, I can get you tickets for the stands. You can bring friends if you want. Whatever you want."

Oh boy. There is nothing I wanted more than to be there to support him, cheer him on, watch him do his thing, see him in those tight pants in person... But I wasn't sure I was ready for that kind of debut yet.

"Joe...."

He could sense my reservations immediately.

"It's ok," he reassured me, "I wanted you to have the invitation, I totally get it if we're...not there yet." He seemed genuine, but also a little sad. Damn those puppy dog eyes.

"It's not that, I just haven't really told anyone about us yet, I wasn't even sure there was anything to tell, and I barely understand the game, and if at any point you'd be there with me I'd be all for it, but I know that's not how game day works. I will be there, and soon....I think I just need a little more time." My eyes were pleading with him to understand. 

And of course he did. He wrapped me in a big hug. "I'm looking forward to that day, and it makes me unreasonably happy to hear you talk about the future, even if you're just talking three weeks from now." He was grinning like a fool. I was absolutely falling for this man.

"I have a proposition, perhaps a bit of a compromise. What if you come to my place after your game. I would really like to see you, especially if I have to be Joe-free tomorrow." I tried my best puppy dog eyes, and they seemed to work.

"I can do that," he agreed, "but if we don't win, I can't say how good of company I'll be".

"If we don't win?!" I mocked, "well that doesn't sound like Joe Burrow at all!"

He laughed. That was still my favourite. They didn't come easily, but I would spend my last day trying just to hear that beautiful sound. 

----------

Sunday afternoon I plopped down on the couch with a coffee, a blanket, and my phone. I turned on the tv to the game. And suddenly felt very, very nervous. I wasn't sure what the superstitions were about talking to the players before the game, but I decided to send Joe a quick text. Knowing him, he doesn't even look at his phone prior to a game. 

Have fun today. We're the lucky ones, getting paid to do what we love ❤️

He replied with the kissing face emoji: 😘

Swoon.

I spent most of the game googling - offside, the pocket, roughing the passer, why are they punting, what is a punt.....this was gonna be a steep learning curve. I also spent part of the game covering my eyes when Joe was about to get hit. This was so intense. It was a hard fought game, but three hours later the Bengals finished with a loss by two points. Now I was even more nervous. I was about to meet After a Loss Joe. Knowing how seriously he takes his job, I knew losses must hit him pretty hard. 

45 minutes after the game ended, the G Wagon's headlights shone into my front window. Well, he still came over so that was a good sign.

I opened the door to him not standing as tall as he usually does, but he still wrapped me in a hug and gave me a kiss on the top of my head. 

"Hi", I said softly, meeting his eyes. "I'm proud of you, that was amazing to watch". 

He offered a small smile and walked across the room to collapse on the couch.

I walked to the kitchen and poured myself a cup of tea  and him a glass of water, then joined him in the front room. I set the cups on the table, and sat down on his lap, running my hand through his freshly washed hair. He wrapped his long arms around my waist and rested his head against my shoulder. I didn't say anything, just listened to him breathe, while I breathed in his fresh shower scent, and enjoyed how small I felt on his expansive lap, with his strong arms enveloping me. 

Eventually he swung his legs up onto the couch and scooted down so he was laying down, taking up the whole length of the couch. He moved me to the side so I was tucked in between his body and the back of the couch. I rested my head on his chest.

"I just hate letting the guys down," he finally spoke.

I didn't offer a response. I didn't think he was looking for one.

"I fumbled that snap, I don't even know how, but that was about to be a big play, and instead it was nothing."

I pushed myself up onto my elbow so I could see his face. He stared at me for a minute.

"Aren't you gonna say anything?" He asked.

"What could I possibly have to offer? I spent the whole game googling terminology and covering my eyes cuz I was scared you were gonna get hurt!" I admitted.

Unexpectedly, his face relaxed, and he laughed. 

"If it helps, I thought you looked great, I found the game really exciting, for what I understood, and I kinda hoped you were gonna show up here in your uniform still because wow, apparently I love a man I uniform." I said with a knowing look. 

"Is that so?" He asked, a smirk on his face

He sat back up, and scooped me back onto his lap, this time so I was straddling him and looking right into those beautiful eyes. He stared at me for what felt like forever before saying, "You're my missing piece." 

"Sorry?" I replied, confused.

"It's just, I have everything I ever could have wanted from life, and I couldn't figure out why I still wasn't where I wanted to be. This is the first time I've ever held onto a little hope after a loss, because I still had something to look forward to. I was excited to come here. It's you, Case. I was missing you. And now here you are. And I'm sorry to tell you, but now that I have you, i'm never gonna let you go." His face was so soft, relaxed, certain.

I felt tears prick the corners of my eyes. His sincerity made me emotional. I didn't risk speaking, as I knew my voice would give away how much I was feeling for him in that moment. Instead, I leaned into him and kissed him deeply. His tongue forced it's way into my mouth, playing tag with mine. I ran my hands through his hair like I'd been dreaming of doing all week. 

He slipped his hands under me and lifted us both off the couch in one swift movement. I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck, still kissing his mouth, his cheeks, his neck. 

He gently laid me down on my bed, and I shimmied my body up to my pillow. He climbed onto the bed on his hands and knees, hovering over me like a real Bengal tiger about to devour his prey. He started at my forehead and began working his way down, kissing every inch of me. He pulled down the shoulder of my shirt and planted soft, yet hungry kisses on my bare skin. He then pushed my shirt up, exposing my belly, kissing me more. I pulled the shirt over my head, exposing my bra. More kisses between the exposed parts of my breasts. Down to my belly button, where he began to unbutton my jeans. 

"You're so beautiful" be breathed out between kisses. 

"Hold on," I begged, and pulled his shirt over his head. I almost gasped, taking in every inch of his expansive, muscular torso. A bruise on his bicep, a scar on his belly, and the most phenomenal abs I'd ever seen. 

"You're ethereal." I panted.

"Your vocabulary is so sexy", he grinned, and continued planting kisses all over me. He pulled my jeans down and kissed his way back up my legs. When he made it to the warm, increasingly wet place between my legs, he sat up on his knees, taking in all of me. I should have felt self conscious, but instead I felt safe, even beautiful. I pulled him back into me and began sliding his track pants over his hips. He wasn't wearing underwear. His cock sprung out, erect and very large. I looked up at him, he was waiting for a response. I may have whimpered.

"Is this ok?" He asked.

"I can't think of anything I want more", I replied, perhaps a bit desperately.

He slid my panties down and let his fingers enter me. I couldn't have been any more wet, but the feel of his hard length rubbing against my thigh as he fingered me was making me feral. 

I put my hands on his shoulders, drawing his attention back to my face. "I want you," I panted, "all of you."

His face was flushed, and he smiled. He positioned himself back on top of me, and slowly pushed his hard cock into me. It slid in easily with how wet I was, and filled absolutely every bit of me. When he finally bottomed out, I gasped 

"Are you alright?" His face showed genuine concern. 

"Never been better," I reassured him. I wrapped my legs around him, taking in every inch, while he kissed my neck and thrusted into me, slowly, steadily. I was digging my nails into his back. He felt so good. I never wanted him to stop. He continue to place soft kisses down my neck, on my breasts, letting his tongue linger on my nipples. Despite how strong this man was, he couldn't have been more gentle and attentive. 

When his face was near mine again, I told him to roll over. Excitement flickered over his eyes, he smiled, and obeyed.

I straddled him and began grinding my hips against him. In this position, he went even deeper into me, I could feel him in my belly. I couldn't stop staring at him. The more I took in every perfect angle of his face and body, the quicker my body forced itself against him. My clit rubbing against his abdomen in my own slickness, I could feel myself reaching my climax.

"Are you close?" I breathed, holding onto him tightly.

"I'm ready when you are," he smiled.

I began rocking harder, faster, reaching around to cradle his heavy testicles, watching his face writhe in exquisite pleasure until I felt every nerve in me release while I pulled him in even deeper and tighter in the throes of orgasm. I felt him buck his hips into me while moaning in pleasure, savoring his own release. I collapsed onto his hard body, completely blissed out. 

He wrapped his arms around me, and whispered "wow..." Between ragged breaths. 

I rolled off of him and curled in beside him as tightly as possible. His arm around my back, mine draped over his perfect torso.

"After that, I won't be going anywhere either, just so you know." I told him while tracing small circles with my finger around his chest. 

"Nothing would make me happier," he smiled, and turned to kiss my cheek. 

I guess I better start figuring out how to be a little more comfortable in crowds....

----------

[efy727]

I'M NOT OKAY. I'M NOT OKAY. I'M NOT OKAY. I'M NOT OKAY. I'M NOT OKAY. I'M NOT OKAY. I'M NOT OKAY. I'M NOT OKAY.

Ninjago Dragons Rising Season 3 Part 1 SPOILERS

Sorry followers.

AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH

Ok, ok. Calm down me... I just watched the entire thing. Still shaking... I'm cursing and praising the writers. This is not a smart analysis, if anything btw. This might be cringy when I re-read it. But I'll just live in the moment.

Ninjago Dragons Rising's writing is so good, saying that as a Ninjago fan since childhood that felt the show lost a direction in later seasons, even with the good seasons.

Is just, this new series has given the world new life. Ok, out with the general thoughts. Focus.

Gosh, I haven't scream this loud this many times. So much going on... Can't really focus.

I guess I can get out some grievances first. I don't like how Kai felt like just comic relief in these episodes. The way the Forbidden Five were disposed once Thunderfang got released, I asume they are not dead, but idk, felt most were underutilized despite hyping all five as a big threat.

This part of episode 4 where Lloyd and gang were clearly heading to the Spectral Land only for next scene to show them in this canyon place, like they didn't need to emphasize there to not go there, it feels like continuity error. I felt baited. I wanted Morro and Lloyd to interact. It specially hurt due to the framing.

But oh well, that's just small nitpicks to a solid season.

Anyway, I already mentioned him, so let's talk about Morro. This season became my most anticipated thing the moment rumors of him showing up started to circulate. I had an attachment to the former master of wind; I was 14 during Possession alright.

A foil to Lloyd, Wu's biggest mistake, the missing element. A villain you can feel bad for. I was glad he had a redemption even if it came with his death. I mourned him.

I also like seeing him and Lloyd as cousins and their hypothetical dynamic did inspire me to create characters based on them, but I'm not elaborating on that.

Back on track, I loved how they portrayed him in this season. A soul weighted by his mistakes, trying to make up for them, guiding anyone he encounters, refusing to give himself rest. Far more noble than before, but in a way that feels in character.

Oh, and how the afterlife is handled. So, the dead still go to the new departed/cursed realm/Spectral Lands; but the souls eventually move on to somewhere else. It's good to know dead villains don't have to show up. (Damn, I wish Harumi was still dead.)

But now that I think about it, can Morro even leave the Spectral Lands? Is there a Monastery to begin with? I mean not that it matters, since his soul got absorbed.

Golly, they brough him back only to kill him again. He and his fans can't catch a break. Though part of me thinks he will be fine, though may be his only way out is moving on. Hoping he gets out of his predicament before the final two episodes. It would be cool to have an actual team up with the Ninja and Euphrasia (also hope she shows up in part 2).

Ah, honestly, I just wanted to gush about him. But I guess I'll talk about other things.

Arin's whole thing this season had me at the edge of my seat, like I don't want him to adopt Ras' mentality. Thank goodness he didn't got to hate the ninja.

Also, it's good that he and Sora are friends again. This two are kind of like brother and sister to me, the only family they have at this point.

Speaking of family, I knew Ras was wrong with Arin's parents being dead. Though it's weird how everyone refers to Arin's parents as just that, no names proper, that's all they need, so how could Ras guided Arin to tombs with their names?

I know that I just said I was done talking about him, but anyone else thought of Arin just asking Morro if his parent's departed. Of course, I know it wouldn't be as compelling as what we got, Ras is truly doing whatever he can to accomplish his goals.

But another thing regarding the ghost ninja, or really what was brought up in episode 3 was the elixir. I was convinced that was the only thing that could cure Roby. I kept waiting for a way to be brought up. I didn't know Arin still had some left.

Like I'll just accept the way Wyldfyre cured him, whatever, let her be happy. But no way using heat can undo decay. Maybe it was the power of love? Will this be addressed?

Speaking of love, we finally got Pixal back! Thank goodness it went straight forward and nothing really bad happened. I always love seeing her and Zane fight together.

Discussing another couple, oh my, we finally got him, no memories but at least they have him. All the stuff they did with Jay was fun, but I feel it's time to get him back to normal, maybe a little changed.

I can't wait for that.

It's embarrassing to admit, but I screamed at his long hair. How long has passed since the tournament? I like it but not in the ponytail he has it on, some many characters had that hair piece before. Hope they style his hair differently in the middle of his next arc.

(Ok, there's other thing I wanted to discuss, Jay's hair)

I do say, his electricity daggers were cool.

...

I guess that's all I wanted to talk about. Can't wait for part two and how are they going to deal with a ghost dragon. I'm considering doing art, but not sure.

[yorutsuki]

「 ✦ Isekaied Reversed Pt. 2✦ 」

↳ Started with pulling some single pulls on Xiao's banner, however things hadn't gone as expected as he really did come home...literally. First impressions? Long gone.

Tags: @itztaki @wolfishartist13

{Hopefully I did that right}

──────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆──────

“Move, and I’ll purge you where you sit, Demon.”

You froze, feeling like you recognized that voice somewhere...Of coarse!

With your chest a little lighter, you obliged instructions. Either way you wished to not be cut into a bloody spray paint bottle. But also realizing the situation, beads of sweat rolled down your face as you tried leveling your breathing.

“H-hey now, w-we can talk about this-“ You eyes drew back to the deathly weapon, the one centimeters away from your carotid artery. “-right?..haha…ha…”

You felt the blade finally press to your skin firmly, instantly shutting you up, seeing as the yaksha bare no mood for jokes.

I guess that’s what happens when you see your whole family lose their sanity before slaughtering each other-

“How did you manage to conjure me here." He demanded, his hold on his spear never faltering as he glared towards you, waiting for an answer. You, on the other hand, your words couldn't even be conjured up. Why? Because you were thinking the same thing; How did he even get here?

Mere moments passed by as the adeptus was getting impatient by the second. With a sigh, you finally spoke, "Look..I—OH MY GOSH IS THAT REX LAPIS!" You shouted, pointing towards your room's window.

With his spear faltering slightly, you took this opportunity and ran—ran like the wind, like your life depended on it and truly, it did. At least after that stunt. But hey! On the bright side, in your afterlife you could proudly gloat about how you managed to not only summon the mighty vigilante yaksha, Xiao, but as well as juke him!

You were almost free as your fingers brushed against the doorknob—you could practically feel freedom in its wake..but unfortunately, it was cut short as you felt a hand grab your wrist before quickly slamming you against the door.

You honestly would've thought that it wasn't so bad. But only If the same threatening jade spear wasn't jabbed into the wood of the door only a few centimeters from your head.

"How idiotic must one be to pull a stunt such as that!" You heard the man snap. You chuckled with nervousness, "gotcha good eh?-" "I'll give you to the count of five. How did you manage to conjure me here."

"one."

"two."

"three."

"four-"

"I don't know! I don't know how you ended up here. When I heard a loud thud from behind me, you were suddenly there!"

The yaksha did not express anything, his motions still.

Is this the end of me? All I wanted to do was for Xiao to come home..BUT NOT LITERALLY!

The man sighed, "If you can conjure me here, you can send me back." Huh- "I have important matters back in my universe."

The pressure behind you disappeared as you felt a heavy weight lifting off your chest. You huffed out a sigh of relief..."Wait. Did you just say different universe?" You recapped. Surely your ears were playing tricks on you.

The yaksha stared blankly at you before nodding. You could feel a annoyed aura radiating from him. "But how did yo-" "I cannot disclose that to you, but if you'd look around the place, it looks nothing like what you've just witness, thus, you can figure it out on your own." He interrupted.

You mentally rolled your eyes. How could you forget; This guy was ruthless, blunt-depression itself; next to wanderer of coarse.

"Alright. Well then-" Xiao proceeded to ignore you as he opened your bedroom window, about to jump. "Uh, where are you going?" You questioned. The yaksha huffed, "I'm going to see if I can send myself back as it seems you haven't a clue whats happening. That will only slow me down on returning." He stated bluntly. Ouch..

Although you couldn't argue with the man about parts of his statement, you couldn't help but feel a bit sad—even a tad jealous but most importantly, irritated. He had threatened you multiple occasions, man handled you and even broke your door and now he has the audacity to make you pay for the damages? Scoff

"Xiao."

The adeptus turned his head with a shocked expression, his brows furrowed. "How do you kno-"

"I cannot disclose that to you." You smirked, but quickly cleared your throat. "The important thing here is for you to realize that going outside in a different universe in those clothings and a large-jade—which, in this world, is a hella rare mineral, is off putting. Yea, to add on, you don't have currency-" Xiao then rolled his eyes before going to take mora from his inventory. "-and no—mora doesn't work here. So technically you'd be homeless because honestly, nobody here is willing to give crap for free." You sighed, "Trust me, this world is a lot more diabolical than what it shows from the exterior." You mumbled mockingly.

The adeptus looked down in thought for a moment before sighing and ascending down from the window sill. You mentally high fived yourself at your bad-ass arguementive speaking skills.

A moment of silenced washed over the two of you as you awkwardly stared at eachother. With each second passing, it somehow kept getting quieter.

You cleared your throat, "uhm, sir."

Xiao looked towards you with a questioning look. You only pointed to your new splintered and broken door. "You. You caused that."

The adeptus only closed his eyes as he crossed his arms. What for? Maybe in thought? You didn't know. Your main focuses were to get the door fixed and to figure out what happens next as it seemed like the adeptus had Isekaied but reversed.

How long this day was becoming...

...

{This isn't proof-read, so in advanced i apologize if everything is all over the place as this is my first reversed isekaied story. If theres any suggestions for the next part please write them down! I love reading the comments ^^}

> Part 1

..........

[ Masterlist ]

[masters-of-void]

woe, midnight anyu/aoi breakup & introspection upon u. i may add this to a drabble covering their whole one-month relationship but i just wanted to post some writing now cause i been so busy with it 🥲

xX GLIMMER Xx hey, can we talk? Driftin' Sure. Everything okay? xX GLIMMER Xx um. so listen, there isn't an easy way to say this, but I've been thinking. I hate to bring it up when things were going so well, but I think we'll do best as just friends Driftin' Oh. xX GLIMMER Xx I'm sorry Driftin' Was it something I did? xX GLIMMER Xx no not at all! it's me, I promise do u have that turn of phrase in the future? "it's not u, it's me"? Driftin' I... wouldn't know. xX GLIMMER Xx gosh okay look, ur AMAZING and I'm probably being REALLY stupid here. I'm just not ready like I thought I was. it's not fair to u to be expecting "Arthurisms" one way or another when ur just trying to be urself with me I don't want to string u along Driftin' Aoi, you don't owe me an explanation. xX GLIMMER Xx no, I do. u've been nothing but sweet and understanding. I can't tell u how much that means to me so again, I'm sorry. I truly did enjoy our time together Driftin' Yeah. Same here. Thank you for it. xX GLIMMER Xx ur gonna make someone really happy one day ^_^ friends? Driftin' Always. xX GLIMMER Xx ( っ˶´ ˘ `)っ xX GLIMMER Xx went offline

Drifter stared at the screen, unsure of what he felt. His gut instinct was to default to 'nothing,' so he knew that had to be wrong. There was definitely something he needed to feel about this.

Glimmer went offline.

He read the tag over again once. Twice.

It was a firm rejection. A...new experience for him, at least in this context, and it stung. Bitterly.

She'd said offhand before he'd asked her out to go talk to Lettie if he ever went through a breakup, when he'd been curious about their friendship. She'd regaled him with the tale of how Lettie had helped her settle her feelings about ending her last relationship, that there was no one better besides, well, Aoi herself, if he also...found the occasion to want help with that.

Well, they hadn't told anyone they were seeing each other. It was too early and "complicated because of Arthur and this whole situation," so they just didn't bother. Not until they were sure.

It seemed she'd decided what she was sure of.

Eleanor probably knew, but it was so casual and now short-lived that it hardly seemed appropriate to talk to her or anybody about how 'heartbroken' he must be. This was a little thing. It hurt, but he could handle it on his own.

But digging deeper, he found...relief? Like the lifting of a weight he didn't notice he'd been carrying. Now that he was aware of it, he knew exactly what it was.

Her cheerful personality was what drew him to her almost from the start. Everything about her was a bright spark of color in the eternal gray of his life. So when Kalymos had given him the chance to try again, and win, on the battleground of that New Years Eve, he'd reasoned that maybe this was it.

Maybe this is what I've been trying to find.

What will help me win this war.

She was brilliant. Beautiful. A vivid, glimmering star to marvel at, just like her KIM handle embodied. She'd said yes. That it was what she wanted.

"Let's start as us."

He thought he'd never felt so happy hearing that.

But if he were honest with himself, sometimes it seemed like her own happiness was a mask she put on, even after they'd talked about it. And that reminded him far too uncomfortably of Mathila.

He loved Aoi's joy, that she wanted to share it with the world, with him, but if she also used it to shut him out, what could he do?

If she were only happy all the time and never let him look under the surface, then he'd just fall into another spiral trying to draw her true self out of her. For whatever reason, she'd decided she couldn't trust him with her inner world, at least for now, so cutting him loose was a favor in some way. It took away the temptation to push his way in.

He was very acquainted with how that always turned out, and he still didn't know what he was supposed to do about it -- to stop someone from turning into a frenzied, murderous Orowyrm when faced with the part of themselves they didn't want to change. It was something he'd need to learn before he tried again, if he did, and he simply counted himself lucky that she pulled the plug before it got that far. Maybe she'd even seen it coming already.

And how exactly would he 'try again'? Would he reset the loop and go about their relationship differently?

No, he probably shouldn't. That was a power he'd chosen to reserve for fixing the mistakes he'd made alone, and it sounded like part of her decision was because of things that had nothing to do with him. He wouldn't rob her of her time and free will like that. He'd have to find another way to fight the Indifference then.

He stopped short on that thought.

Ah, maybe that was what he did wrong. What she wasn't telling him.

If it wasn't about her, then it wasn't for her either. And maybe she'd picked up on that from him. So this did in fact circle back to being his fault, but that wasn't Aoi's problem.

As much as he wanted to indulge in these feelings normal people got to have for each other, maybe he wasn't ready either. If it was even in the cards for him at all, he knew that if he were to have a relationship with someone, it needed to be completely real, open to complete communication. Both parties had to be, regardless of what the void planned for their world.

No masks, no tangential intentions, nothing that would put his mind and soul separate from the person he wanted to love. He couldn't do it otherwise.

It was a strange sensation, to be ashamed, relieved, and hurting all at the same time.

He sat there, meditating on it, adapting the mix to his psyche to hold onto when-- if, IF the loop here turned gray.

Enough time passed that the computer went dark, snapping him out of the meditation, and he caught himself tracing his thumbnail over his lip absently. The primitive screen had burned an afterimage into his eye. With a few deep blinks, he shook the mouse to power the thing down properly and couldn't help reading the tag one last time.

Glimmer went offline.

Shit. He was going to miss her kisses.

[kwieef]

𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄

. • ༄ 𝑺. 𝑻𝒐𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒊

_____________

. • ༄ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟎𝟎𝟏 | 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓, 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓, 𝐅𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄

_____________

You couldn't quite remember everything. Your vision was so blurry, everything felt blank, your body was numb. Why couldn't you think straight at this very moment? It was confusing you—what happened?

Muffled crying could be heard near you, and a voice which's tone was a mixture of happiness, relief, and something else you couldn't put your finger on. "Oh, Y/N! Y-You're woke! I was so worried, so so worried, love.." A broken voice said to you. Hearing her voice hurt your heart, it felt like you were stepping on glass. Broken glass. Then you felt an icy gaze on you, and when you felt it, that's when your sight became more clearer, the sounds around you weren't muffled, everything was just fine, it was perfect. Or so it seemed.

You looked around the room, only to notice it was a hospital room. Then looked again, and saw your two bestfriends, Yumiko and Tokyo. Half of Tokyo's face was bandaged up, covering her left eye, and Yumiko had an eyepatch over her right eye. "M-Mom.. what happened?" You finally asked, your voice shaky as you turned your head to your mom with watery eyes. "I'm so sorry, baby. I'm sorry, mommy wasn't there to help you guys. I couldn't." She whispered, grabbing you into a soft hug, which hurt your body. "Tokyo, Yumi.." Your shattered voice murmured, your gaze averting towards them.

And then you noticed, "Your hair." You called out to Tokyo, staring at her. She looked at you quietly, confused, then reached her hand back to bring on of her pigtails towards her face, her eyes widening as she saw her hair colored changed. "I wanna go home." Yumiko mumbled under her breath, her head lowered as she looked down at her bandaged legs and arms. You and Tokyo were bandaged up too, just like Yumiko.

What happened?

And here you are now, nine years after the incident, infront of the house it happened in. The incident went viral around not only your area, but in other places too. "Why are we here again?" Tokyo questioned, her hands in her pockets as Yumiko rested her hands on both you and Tokyo's shoulders. "To visit it, it's been rebuilt and it's vacant." You answered, staring at the door. "My mom said we could." You added, walking towards the door, stopping once you got infront of it to grab the keys from your pocket and open it. Once the three of you got inside, you could only stand in silence.

"Who rebuilt this? It's so cute!" Yumiko squealed.

"It's so different now.. but everything still feels the same, why is that?" You asked, looking around the main area of the house which was only the kitchen and living room before walking back to the door. "Let's go, I don't plan on visiting here ever again." You huffed, locking the door behind you and putting the keys back into your pocket. "I hope what happened to us doesn't happen to the next person who moves in that house." Yumiko whispered, scratching her head as the three of you walked the streets. "Have you guys gotten your acceptance letters yet?" Tokyo blurted out, her question making both you and Yumiko stop in your tracks. "Oh, gosh. I had forgot about that! Do you really think we'll be accepted?"

Yumiko shook her head slightly, "I thought we get accepted based off of showing off our quirks?" You looked at her before nodding. "Mhm, we do. Two acceptance letters I think. Is it called the hero course that we go through first?" Then all three of you went silent and you let out a soft sigh. "I guess we'll see for ourselves then!" You murmured and then started walking again. "Should we go by the park? Or a cafe? I have curfew in thirty minutes." Yumiko rambled, getting the silent treatment from you and Tokyo. "We can just all go home for tonight if your curfew is soon." Tokyo suggested, looking over at Yumiko. "I agree, I doubt my mom wants me late out aswell." You agreed, giving a subtle nod.

Then the three of you eventually parted, each going in your own direction to head back home.

"Y/N!" Your mom yelled from the kitchen as you walked in the house, the scent of her shrimp tempura and fried rice filling the house. But of course, everytime your mom made dinner, she rarely ever forgot a dessert, even if it was small. She had made teriyaki, which you've never tried before. "You're home just in time, sit, sit!" She said, a bright smile on her face as she turned the stove and oven off. "Did you have fun today with the girls?" She questioned as she began fixing your food and hers. "Mhm, I think it could've been better but atleast I was blessed with another day to be with them." You answered, staring at the counter top before looking at your mom over your shoulder.

"Are you hiding something?" You asked.

Your mom looked up at you, her face reddening in embarrassment. "Me? No, no! Why would I hide anything from you..?" She hastily responded, passing you your plate of food before setting hers down beside you, then taking a seat beside you. "Okay," You mumbled, watching her as she reached over and pulled the utensil tray closer to her, grabbing one for you and her. You took it from her and placed it on your plate before looking at her again, "So.., I didn't get any mail?" You questioned, tilting your head at her. Your mom stared at you for a moment, trying to keep a straight face before a worried sigh escaped her lips and she got up, walked towards the refrigerator, stood on her tippy toes and grabbed your mail from on top of it. "You did.." She muttered, handing it to you. Your eyes widened in disbelief as you looked at it, "I got accepted!" You screamed, holding it in the air.

Only for your happiness to be turned into confusion. "Recommendations?" You mumbled, staring at it. "I was recommended U.A.?" You said under your breath before turning the letter over and placing it down. "Too much thinking." You added then looked at your mom, "We can eat now, I don't want the food to get too cold." You said as she looked at you worried before the two of you started to eat. "Being recommended isn't a bad things, it means you stood out to a pro hero to the point they recommended you. Don't beat yourself up about it." You nodded at your mom then sighed, "I'll try, mom."

If only you had the knowledge to understand why time flew by so quickly, you'd probably understand why you were recommended into U.A., and why you, Yumiko, and Tokyo were already at the entrance exam. "I don't like this." Tokyo whispered, watching as the people walked by, adjusting her scarf on her shirt and her belt on her shorts. Yumiko stood proud as she watched the people walk by, but you were also quite nervous about the entire situation. "Can I get some of your blood, Tokyo?" Yumiko asked, holding out a needle infront of Tokyo. "Why?" Tokyo questioned in response, looking down at the slightly shorter girl.

"I'm gonna get us accepted into U.A., completely."

You and Tokyo could only look at Yumiko confused, unaware of what plans she had in mind for the future. Tokyo sighed before taking the needle from Yumiko's hand and stabbing it in her shoulder, making you wince slightly. "Does it hurt?" You questioned quietly and Tokyo stood quiet, her eyes widening. "Yumiko, what's in this needle-" Tokyo started, turning around to face the girl before Yumiko quickly took the needle from Tokyo. "Special something to help us get into U.A., I just needed your blood for it to work." She answered calmly, a smile plastered on her face. Yumiko kneeled down on the ground, her movements quick as she tried to hurry before the entrance exams started. She took her glass jars out, a yellow, liquid glow quickly going through them because of the sun. The solar panels on the lid of the jar were the cause of the sun's light turning into a liquid, so clearly the solar panel wasn't regular. Did Yumiko's mom also make it?

After the jars were filled, she opened them and put two drops of Tokyo's blood in each, putting the lid back on, then shaking them. "Both of you take three, and I take three. These have thirty minutes effects for each one used, use them wisely!" Yumiko informed, pushing three jars towards you then Tokyo. "What is this for, Yumi?" You questioned, holding the jar up and examining it. "To help you make it in U.A.!" She answered, putting her three jars in her backpack.

"What the hell are they doing?" A harsh voice asked from afar, staring at the three of you's interaction before the person scoffed. "Tsk. I doubt they'll get in anyways." They added, stuffing their hands in their pocket.

"Make room for us U.A., because here we come!" Yumiko cheered, running as she heard a loud voice over a speaker, you and Tokyo quickly running after her. "We aren't astronauts, don't say here we come, Yumiko." Tokyo bluntly said.

_____________

. • ༄ 𝑺. 𝑻𝒐𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒊

_____________

𖧷 | 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎

_____________

. • ❀ 𝒀𝒖𝒎𝒊𝒌𝒐 𝑻𝒔𝒖 ; 𝐀 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝗼𝐮𝐭𝐠𝗼𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝗼𝗼𝐤𝐬. 𝐒𝗼𝗺𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝗺𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝗼𝐮𝐭 𝐘𝐮𝗺𝐢𝐤𝗼 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝗼𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝗼 𝐬𝐡𝗼𝐰 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝗺𝗼𝗼𝐝 𝗺𝗼𝐬𝐭 𝗼𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝗺𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞? 𝐈𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝗼𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝗺𝗼𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝗼𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝗼𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝗺𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞.

𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐤 ; 𝐒𝗼𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐂𝗼𝐧𝐭𝐫𝗼𝐥. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝗼𝐰𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝗼 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝗼𝗺 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭. 𝐘𝐮𝗺𝐢𝐤𝗼 𝗼𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝗼𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲, 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝗼𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝗼𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬! 𝐀 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝗼 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝗼 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝗼𝗺 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝗺𝗼𝗼𝐧, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐟𝗼𝐫𝐞 𝗺𝗼𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐤 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝗺𝗼𝗼𝐧'𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝗺𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲, 𝐩𝗼𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝗺𝐲 𝐢𝐟 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝗼𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲.

𝐀𝐠𝐞 ; 𝟏𝟓

𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 ; 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐥 𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝗼𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐠𝗼𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐬. 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝟓'𝟒, 𝗺𝗼𝐬𝐭 𝗼𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝗼𝗺𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝗼𝗺 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝗺𝗼𝗺.

_____________

. • ᯽ 𝑻𝒐𝒌𝒚𝒐 𝑲𝒊𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒔𝒖𝒋𝒊 ; 𝐀𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝗼𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝗼 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞! 𝐓𝗼𝐤𝐲𝗼 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐰 𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝗺𝐢𝐥𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝗼𝐟 𝐜𝗼𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞, 𝗺𝗼𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝗼𝗼𝐭 𝗼𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥.

𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐤 ; 𝐁𝐥𝗼𝗼𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝗼𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝗼𝐰𝐬 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝗼 𝗺𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝗺𝐲, 𝗼𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝗼𝗼𝐝, 𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐭, 𝗼𝐫 𝐬𝗺𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐭. 𝐓𝗼𝐤𝐲𝗼 𝗼𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐤 𝗼𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐥𝗼𝗼𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝗼𝗺 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝗼𝐝𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐞, 𝗼𝐫 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝗼𝗺𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝗼 𝗺𝐚𝐤𝐞 ��𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐩𝗼𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝗼𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞. 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝗺𝗼𝗼𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐝𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝗼 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝗼𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝗺𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝗼𝗼𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐥𝗼𝗼𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝗼𝗺𝐞 𝐩𝗼𝐢𝐬𝗼𝐧𝗼𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝗼 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝗺𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝗼𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝗺𝐚𝐠𝐞. 𝐈𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝗼 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝗺𝗼𝗼𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.

𝐀𝐠𝐞 ; 𝟏𝟓

_____________

. • ༄ 𝑺. 𝑻𝒐𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒊

_____________

[demonslayedher]

Things that went through my head while watching this episode: --"it's so nice to be able to get wrapped up in this and know about I'm about to get new content" was certainly something that went through my head by the end of the episode, but I was also reminded of how it felt a little too drawn out and over saccharine, and how the extra long length of this episode did not feel it served it fully well. I've come to be more forgiving of the excess happy fluff at the end of this season, and I will defend it as follows, but I still would have preferred they reign it in a little so we don't forget about how hard-won that battle was with how chipper and energetic everyone is.

--But you know what? They deserve it. They are functioning on the rush of relief, and it took a while for them all to gather down there on the grass. Like, it's kind of sweet that the people who first got to celebrate this victory with the Kamado siblings were a trio of swordsmiths who would have felt awful if Nezuko had to die on their accord. These weren't even swordsmiths whom Tanjiro hung out with much, but their lives were just as worthy.

--It was nice to see the group celebration expanded on a bit, but I think what got me feeling like it was overdone was seeing Mitsuri be overwhelmed with gratitude specifically on Nezuko's behalf too, since she was the one not to witness the peril Nezuko was in. I feel it was enough to have have Mitsuri be relieved on everyone's behalf, and to have her be shocked that Nezuko is there in sunlight, which is cute and funny. No need to quite rehash what Tanjiro has just momentously been through. And this is coming from some who really, really loves Mitsuri & Nezuko interaction. It would have been totally in-character to have left Mitsuri blissfully unaware of how awful Nezuko's experience was unless someone point-blank tells her that Nezuko almost didn't make it. Then the extra gratitude specifically for Nezuko would feel earned.

--And my gosh, Ufotable, you sure sold Nezuko's pain. I am still so impressed.

--I also initially did not like just how playful it is to have Nezuko and Tanjiro running away from Haganezuka, because it takes me out of how much peril they were just in. But hey, if there are two characters who are totally fine, it is Nezuko (the being the point that she is way more than fine) and Haganezuka (who will always have energy for enacting sword justice).

--But hey, besides that? Sure, it's pleasant to see them be so happily relieved. This isn't even "we defeated two Upper Moons" triumph, it's just "we're alive, Nezuko is in the sun, Muichiro remembers things, we're alive, we're alive, we're alive." Like, a littttle bit more "WHOA, THOSE WERE UPPER MOONS" like after defeating Gyutaro & Daki would have been nice.

--And like........ that whole final scene... it has its very cute points, just getting to see the swordsmiths interact more since this was their season to have some well-deserved spotlight, both for the work they do and as characters. But it played that "everyone loves Kamado Tanjiro (but he never takes the credit)" note a little too loud. Some things play more nicely with subtlety, but hey, Ufotable wanted to go out with a triumphant statement. I want to be forgiving of that, but... those villagers were busy trying to hurry out of that village. : / And I really hope that Genya, Muichiro, and Mitsuri got the same treatment, but I doubt anybody went collecting confetti each time.

--So anyway, setting those grievances aside!!

--MUZAN MONOLOGUE. Like, it was good, but it always give me flashbacks to Nomura Mansai's Muzan monologue in the Noh rendition, which was chilling. Still, this anime version was great, and I love me all those extra touches they expanded his Heian life with. Muzan isn't all that complicated of a villain. He was always spiteful human who wanted to take out his frustration by destroying other people. Then he got power, but spending half of his time on the brink of death for a thousand years is like being spit in the face. Sure, you're powerful, buddy, until somebody opens a window. And I like that Muzan is uncomplicated. It's his utter disregard for others that made him a villain in the first place, and he has never and will never change.

--And that is why one of my favorite Muzan moments ever is how he doesn't even both to pick his feet up or step around the two corpses on the floor as he exits the room. Other people really are nothing but furniture to him, and that little action--or lack of action, rather-- speaks so loudly about his character.

--Imagine how different the rest of the series would have been if Hantengu's head didn't spin in Nezuko's direction?

--Nezuko's victory over the sun deserves how much it got milked, because in the context of the series, she had in fact made the greatest achievement of any character in this series. Sure, Tanjiro has just killed Upper Moon Four, but it only took the Corp a little over a hundred years to accomplish killing an Upper Moon. Nezuko, within three years of being turned into a demon, has accomplished what Muzan has failed to do for over a thousand years. What's more, this is entirely through Nezuko's own power; there was no one who could have helped her accomplish this. Tamayo could only observe with wonder.

--Truly, Nezuko has "prioritized" this over, say, reattaining her sense of self. I see Nezuko's demon development as being a bit infantile. When she was first "born," so to speak, she was not aware of herself as an individual being, only that she hungered, and that she had just undergone some terrible loss, and that Tanjiro was all she had left. After a little sleep it got easily to process that Tanjiro was someone who she understood, and even as she started to gain some sense of self, it revolved around Tanjiro and his welfare. Listening to Urokodaki and Tanjiro as she slept, and perhaps seeing memories of her family as she dreamed probably put together something more basic, but she probably did not remember anything more than her family's faces and how deeply she cares about them. I think little by little as she started gaining more of an awareness of others as individuals and appreciating that there is more in the world she enjoys than just her brother's wellbeing, she probably gained more and more of an understanding of being someone named Nezuko and having a mission to fight demons with everyone else she has come to care about, and with, a high level of ability to understand language, but because she had the muzzle this whole time, she had no need to try to use words herself, so she didn't prioritize this either.

--I bring that all up just to say that she might have (without words) been thinking, "oh, I know what this is called. This is 'morning.' People are supposed to say something, what it is? Oh, right! Gu--gOoD mOrnNinG~"

--And then it's like, "OH, I CAN COMMUNICATE!!! THIS IS FUN!!!!! NEW POWER!!!"

--So proud of you, Nezuko

--I like that Ufotable stressed her daytime eyes still looking very inhuman. It stresses how something is still very off about her existence. Nobody is used to seeing a daytime demon. (I prefer her nighttime eyes, though.)

--But also that is such Kimetsu Logic to do a thing and then explain the thing without spoiling it. Thank you for your letter, Tamayo-san.

--Now, Tanjiro, though. You know that he's making it harder and harder to uphold Corp rules about what makes a Pillar. Haha, no, Tanjiro is no Pillar! He only cut the heads off those Twelve Moon demons because he had Pillars helping him! Haha, somehow he is still the same rank as Zenitsu and Inosuke after chopping the head off Upper Moon Four! (Zenitsu and Inosuke, what the fresh hell have you two been up to in order to match rank with Tanjiro???)

--But also, it is wicked cool how Tanjiro is just turns the Mark on now like a lightswitch, and that Ufotable switches up in the animation in a way that shows he's going at full throttle. (Meanwhile, our Marked Pillar friends looked just a little more blithe than their usual blithe selves.)

--I find it totally legit that he could suddenly use Thunder Breath, since Sun Breath is the source of all of them, so the concepts would be the same anyway.

--Those last hits Tanjiro gets in on Hantengu too, very cool. I love how many tries it takes to get that hit, too! Hantengu is full of surprises and I have come to appreciate him a lot more over the course of this rewatch. If I ever, say, get a skiddish hamster, maybe I'll name it Hante or something.

--Love the sound design on the mountain setting, especially when Muichiro calls out to Tanjiro from up on the cliff. That sounded SO GOOD in the theater.

--Also, just, a huge shout out to all of Ufotable's construction of settings. Really, really, wonderful.

--And the sounds on SUCH A REALISTIC PANIC ATTACK, and movements, right now to how Tanjiro's fingers shake. Man, way to stress me out. I sort of what to speed it all up to see how quick this all went down as Tanjiro was panicking, but the only parts that were really slowed down were watching Hantengu run. It was all so painfully slow and was all happening too fast. What an awful moment.

--and I can't wait for Tanjiro to reflect back on that when talking with Himejima

--This episode was Nezuko's biggest triumph, but at least for a few moments, it was also Tanjiro's biggest loss.

[gabiztrnrw]

Watching stars together - Izana Kurokawa x reader

After almost month, I'm finally back with something new. Gosh I hope it didn't came out lame 😭 ENJOY! Also reminder that English is not my first language!

Something about the story: Well, you are just random that suddenly wants to look at the stars.

When Tenjiku was defeated and incorporated into Toman, despite the agreement between the leaders, Izana felt angry and helpless, as if someone had taken away his dreams and destroyed them in front of his eyes. Deep down he couldn't get used to this, this new situation.

But what did you had to do with it? Well, nothing, except that on this particular night you stumbled upon him on the roof of a building, the sky was surprisingly clear for downtown Tokyo, the stars were shining brightly and the pale blue moon made the mood feel a bit nostalgic. The lightly blowing wind carried his hair and his characteristic-sounding earrings. You stared at him in awe- no, actually, you were wondering what idiot was standing on the edge of the roof of a tall building at this time of night, but you quickly sighed because then you were an idiot yourself.

The boy sensed your presence, he didn't hide his dissatisfaction with the fact that someone was interrupting him in his thoughts, wrinkling his nose (which looked really cute) he turned towards you, the moonlight was shining on both of you so you were able to see each other.

"I'm trying to think, and you're disturbing me. If you don't have a wish to die, I would advise you to leave." He said irritated.

You rolled your eyes. "You're threatening me like you're someone important." You replied dismissively.

It hurted, the words stabbed perfectly into his heart, and a lump formed in his throat, clenching his fists, he turned away. "Just go away."

"Well, I won't waste such an opportunity." You pointed to the sparkling sky and after a while you stood next to him. "We don't have to talk to each other, you know? You can just do what you were doing."

Izana looked at you with disgust. Why would some stranger tell him what to do? However, a strange feeling stopped him from arguing with you... relief, relief that he wasn't completely alone here as the atmosphere was giving him disturbing thoughts, and with you by his side he felt strangely calm.

__________________________________________

Now, whenever he remembers it, he smiles a little to himself, because who expected that this damn irritating and sweet girl would become the most important person in his life? Without knowing why, that night he opened his heart to you, showing his frustration and fears.

Years, he couldn't help but laugh when he found out that you had actually zoned out and didn't fully understand everything.

He didn't blame you, though, because something changed in him that night, and he'll remember it forever, your beautiful, warm smile and your words: "Life sucks, huh? But you can always look at the stars with a stranger and complain about everything that bothers you. It's a little better then."

Then, he only rolled his eyes, but the words touched his heart so much that he wanted to have a person like you by his side.

When you finally entered adulthood and the most beautiful day of your lives came, the wedding, the oath of eternal love and perseverance together, he laughed as he recalled your first meeting during his wedding vows. You, on the other hand, were in tears, and it was all because of those stupid stars... and a little because of your sweet face, which the man admitted to you when you were both alone.

[tinytinyblogs]

Han In Love With You

Love

(n.) Giving the last piece of pizza no matter how much you want it.

Stray kids masterlist here

You've known Han for a while now, but you've never really had a conversation with him. He's always been very shy around people he doesn't know well, and he tends to keep to himself. He's always polite and greets you when he sees you, but he just nods his head shyly and doesn't say much else. You don't know much about him, but you've noticed that he talks more when he's with his close friends. This suggests that he's more comfortable around people he knows well, and that he's able to open up more when he's not feeling shy.

Han has a huge crush on you. He loves to see you smile and laugh when you're talking with your friends. Everything about you seems perfect to him. But he's so shy around you that he can't let out any other words besides "hi."

Han's friend told him that he was making his crush on you too obvious, but Han couldn't understand why you still didn't know how he felt. He wondered if maybe you knew and didn't care. Han had been your secret admirer for a long time, and he would often put lovely notes on your desk or buy you snacks or coffee that he knew you liked. He had been very observant of your likes and dislikes, and he wanted to do everything he could to make you happy.

Han loved the way you smiled when you read the notes he gave you. It made his heart pound so fast that he thought it was going to burst out of his chest. Your smile is the light of his life. It's the thing that makes him happiest. He would do anything to see you smile, even if it meant doing something silly or embarrassing. He wished he could talk more to you, he wished he could get closer to you.

Han is not a party person. He's been invited to several parties in the past, but he's always turned them down. But this time, he can't say no. He hated crowded spaces. He hated not being able to move freely or breathe easily. He hated the noise and the chaos. He hated feeling like he was trapped. And yet, here he was, scanning the room for a place to find a little peace. He could see the park behind the building, but there was no one there. The park was empty, with only a few trees swaying in the breeze.

Han sighed in relief as he stepped out of the building and into the park. The music from the party was still audible, but it was much quieter outside. He could also hear people talking, but their voices were muffled by the trees. Han took a deep breath of the fresh air and looked up at the sky. The moon was full and bright, and it was painting the night sky with a beautiful silver glow. Han smiled. He knew that he would be able to relax here until he could sneak back home.

"It's beautiful here," a voice said from beside him. Han startled and looked up. He saw you standing there, and he was immediately taken aback by your beauty. You were even more beautiful than the moon tonight. "Y-yeah, it is," Han said, his voice coming out in a hoarse whisper. He quickly looked back up at the moon, hoping that you wouldn't notice how flustered he was. "I come here to get away from the noise," you said. "It's so peaceful." There was a moment of awkward silence. Han didn't know what to say. He was too busy staring at you to think straight. "They are so loud," you said, taking a seat beside him. "Gosh, I shouldn't have come."

You look at Han, who is busy playing with his fingers. You've been talking for a while now, and you're starting to feel like he's not really listening to you. "It's better if we can talk more," you say. "I would love to know you more, Han." Han looks up at you, and you can see that he's a little bit flustered. He doesn't know what to say. "I..." he starts, but then he trails off. Han takes a deep breath. "You look beautiful today," he says. You chuckle. "Thank you."

"You say it everyday on the notes," Han's eyes grew wide as you spoke. Han couldn't believe you knew who put the notes on his desk all the time. He was so flustered that he could barely speak. "Sorry," you said, letting out a soft laugh. "I just really love the notes and all the things you give me. If I told you, I wouldn't get any more cute notes that make my day. " Han's face turned as red as a tomato. He couldn't believe that you liked what he did. He had been so shy about putting the notes on your desk, and he had never imagined that you would even notice, let alone like them.

He muttered to himself, "How?" It was loud enough for you to hear, so you glanced at him before looking back up at the night sky. "I came earlier than you, Han, and I saw with my own eyes that you put everything on my desk. But I let you put it down and walk in like I didn't know. It was cute." Your words and your voice were like a melody, blessing his ears. He admired your beautiful face. "Can I still get the notes? They really made my day."

Han's hand slowly reached for yours, feeling the warmth of your skin as he held it. He took a moment to gather his courage, then took a deep breath. "How about instead of giving you notes," he said, "I could tell you every day how beautiful you are and how much I love everything about you?"

Han was surprised at himself for saying it out loud. He had never really thought he would be able to tell you how he felt. But there you were, looking at him with those beautiful eyes, and he couldn't help himself. You smiled at him. "I would love that," you whispered.

Han looked at you, his eyes shining with love. He knew he couldn't stop loving you, because you made him feel so right.

"Uhm, so... can I kiss you?" he asked, his voice a little shaky.