#but hey at least i'm turning 23 right?

[oikasugayama]

YOU CATCH HIM M@STURBAT!NG

NSFW, for adults ONLY, MDNI or I'll block you. No idea how many parts this will be. Let me know which BSD men you want to see ;)

pt. 1 Fyodor, Poe, Chuuya | pt. 2 Fukuzawa, Kunikida, Dazai | pt. 3 Ranpo, Akutagawa, Ango | pt. 4 Sigma, Mori, Tetcho | pt. 5 (finale) Atsushi, Nikolai

Fyodor

Walking in on him touching himself is REALLY surprising because he doesn't seem the type to masturbate, in your mind. You straight up couldn't imagine him touching himself until the very second you walked into his office and saw his bottoms around his ankles, his top hiked up around his chest, and his hand furiously pumping over his pale dick.

His head is thrown back, eyes closed, mouth lazily hanging open. You've never seen so much skin on him before. He's PALE pale which makes the brightness of his mouth and tongue and the tip of his cock seem so much brighter.

"oh love, yes, yesss" he moans, and your whole body flushes red with embarrassment and arousal at the same time. You shouldn't be seeing this but you're having a hell of a time turning away from him. You need to leave the room. You need to go. You need to turn around.

"y/n," he purrs, tilting his head and opening his eyes half-way, looking so fucked out and erotic. "do you like what you see?"

You can't formulate an answer, you're standing in the doorway short circuiting, trying to make words but only noises come out

"since you're standing there I thought you might be interested," he says as slow and calm as ever. Even jerking himself off his voice doesn't hitch or raise or speed up and it's honestly really hot right now. "Care to join me?"

"i-i, um... I'm really s-sorry, f...fyodor."

He moans softly biting his lip while still staring straight at you.

"say it again," he purrs. "say my name."

"fyodor..."

"again," he moans, hand working faster.

"Fyodor."

you walk in and close the door behind you.

Poe

You two scheduled a hang-out at his place but despite how many times you knocked on the door, he wouldn't answer...so you try the doorknob, and hey, it's unlocked! You've been to his place many times, you don't mind letting yourself in and don't suspect he'll mind either.

After you put your stuff down and take off your shoes, you register a quiet noise coming from a different room. you sneak closer and realize two things: it's crying, and it's coming from poe's bedroom

you open the door and rush in without thinking. "poe! what's wrong, why are you-- OH FUCK"

you rushed right into him kneeling at the edge of his bed, bouncing on a dildo and not crying, whimpering, moaning.

he calls your name and you can't tell if he meant to moan it but he absolutely moans it and he sounds like a wreck and he looks pathetic and fucked out, and you feel it when he says your name.

"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have been this, I'm gonna go home--" you say, turning and rushing out of his room. he calls your name after you, multiple times, moaning and moaning and moaning--

you sink down against his front door, still slightly able to hear the sounds of him moaning and whining from his room. you're so horny now, absolutely drenched through your panties/rock hard in your pants. You know you should leave, you know you shouldn't still be here, but he never told you to go, he just kept saying your name...

a few minutes later, after the noises have subsided and the apartment has gotten deadly quiet, his bedroom door creaks open and he slowly peeks his head out. he must be crawling still because he's near the floor.

"[y/n]," he sighs, "I didn't want you to find out like this."

it takes you a second to collect yourself, but you manage to ask "find what out?"

"that i... i think about you... a lot..."

Chuuya

you're on a PM mission with chuuya and several other PM members. you've got to share a room with chuuya, but at least you have separate beds. it's fine. it's whatever. until.

until you wake up one morning--the clock on the bedside table saying it's only 6:23 a.m.--to the sound of a rhythmic slapping, some occasional huffs, a-- a moan?

you sit upright in bed quickly, your head turning toward chuuya's bed.

"are you fucking serious?"

"what" he huffs, and through the tiny bit of daylight creeping through the curtains you can see movement beneath his sheets.

"are you jerking off right now? dude we're sharing a fucking room."

"you were asleep," he says defensively. "not like you noticed yesterday."

"dude!!!"

"get over it, it's fuckin' natural," he says and his voice is getting tight and higher almost like he's biting back a moan or getting close to cumming.

"it's disrespectful when you have someone in the same room, chuuya," you say softer, subconsciously still trying to hear the sounds he's making. you're embarrassed at how intrigued you are

"i'm not stopping you," he says. "you can jerk it too for all i care."

"to what... to you jerking it?"

you can almost hear the smirk in his voice when he says "I never said anything about that, so you thought that up all on your own. is that what you're into, pet?"

[irawhiti]

while everyone's rightfully talking about oppenheimer and its flaws regarding the erasure of japanese and native american voices regarding nuclear testing and detonations, i'd like to bring up the fact that pacific islanders have also been severely impacted by nuclear testing under the pacific proving grounds, a name given by the US to a number of sites in the pacific that were designated for testing nuclear weapons after the second world war, at least 318 of which were dropped on our ancestral homes and people. i would like if more people talked about this.

important sections are bolded for ease of reading. i would appreciate this being reblogged since it's a bit alarming how few people know about this.

--

in 1946, the indigenous peoples of pikinni (the bikini atoll) were forcibly relocated off of their islands so that nuclear tests could be run on the atoll. at least 23 nuclear bombs were detonated on this inhabited island chain, including 20 hydrogen bombs. many pasifika were irreversibly irradiated, all of them were starved during multiple forced relocations, and the island chain is still unsafe to live on despite multiple cleanup attempts. there are several craters visible from space that were left on the atoll from nuclear testing.

the forced relocation was to several different small and previously uninhabited islands over several decades, none of which were able to sustain traditional lifestyles which directly lead to further starvation and loss of culture and identity. there is a reason that pacific islanders choose specific islands to inhabit including access to fresh water, food, shelter, cloth and fibre, climate, etc. and obviously none of these reasons were taken into account during the displacements.

200 pikinni were eventually moved back to the atoll in the 1970s but dangerous levels of strontium-90 were found in drinking water in 1978 and the inhabitants were found to have abnormally high levels of caesium-137 in their bodies.

--

i'm going to put the rest of this post under a readmore to improve the chances of this being reblogged by the general public. i would recommend you read the entirety of the post since it really isn't long and goes into detail about, say, entire islands being fully, utterly destroyed. like, wiped off of the map. without exaggeration, entire islands were disintegrated.

--

as i just mentioned, ānewetak (the eniwetok atoll) was bombed so violently that an entire island, āllokļap, was permanently and completely destroyed. an entire island. it's just GONE. the world's first hydrogen bomb was tested on this island. the crater is visibly larger than any of the islands next to it, more than a mile in diameter and roughly fifteen storeys deep. the hydrogen bomb released roughly 700 times the energy released during the bombing of hiroshima. this would, of course, be later outdone by other hydrogen bombs dropped on the pacific, reaching over 1000 times the energy released.

one attempt to clean up the waste on ānewetak was the construction of a large ~380ft dome, colloquially known as the tomb, on runit island. the island has been essentially turned into a nuclear waste dump where several other islands of ānewetak have moved irradiated soil to and, due to climate change, rising seawater is beginning to seep into the dome, causing nuclear waste to leak out. along with this, if a large typhoon were to hit the dome, there would be a catastrophic failure followed by a leak of nuclear waste into the surrounding land, drinking water, and ocean. the tomb was built haphazardly and quickly to cut costs.

hey, though, there's a plus side! the water in the lagoon and the soil surrounding the tomb is far more radioactive than the currently contained radioactive waste. a typhoon wouldn't cause (much) worse irradiation than the locals and ocean already currently experience, anyway! it's already gone to shit! and who cares, right, the only ""concern"" is that it will just further poison the drinking water of the locals with radioactive materials. this can just be handwaved off as a nonissue, i guess. /s

--

at least 36 bombs were detonated in the general vicinity of kiritimati (christmas island) and johnson atoll. while johnson atoll has seemingly never been inhabited by polynesians, kiritimati was used intermittently by polynesians (and later on, micronesians) for several hundred years. many islands in the pacific were inhabited seasonally and likewise many pacific islanders should be classified as nomadic but it has always been convenient for the goal of white supremacy and imperalism to claim that semi-inhabited areas are completely uninhabited, claimable pieces of terra nullius.

regardless of the current lack of inhabitants on these islands, the nuclear detonations have caused widespread ecological damage to otherwise delicate island ecosystems and have further spread nuclear fallout across the entirety of the pacific ocean.

--

while the marshall islands, micronesia, and the surrounding areas of melanesia and polynesia were (and still are) by far the worst affected by these atrocities, the entirety of the pacific has been irradiated to some extent due to ocean/wind currents freely spreading nuclear fallout through the water and air. all in all, at least 318 nuclear bombs were detonated across the pacific. i say "at least" because these are just the events that have been declassified and frankly? i wouldn't be shocked to find out they didn't stop there.

please don't leave the atomic destruction of the pacific out of this conversation. we've been displaced, irradiated, murdered, poisoned, and otherwise mass exterminated by nuclear testing on purpose and we are still suffering because of it. many of us have radiation poisoning, many of us have no safe ancestral home anymore. i cannot fucking state this enough, ISLANDS WERE DISINTEGRATED INTO NONEXISTENCE.

look, this isn't blaming people for not talking about us or knowing the extent of these issues, but it's... insidiously ironic that i haven't seen a single post that even mentions pacific islanders in a conversation about indigenous voices/voices of colour being ignored when it comes to nuclear tests and the devastation they've caused.

[withahappyrefrain]

⭐ 60 Fun Meet Cutes ⭐

1) A and B’s coffee orders are identical. Confusion (and promised calls) occur.

2) A always steals B’s parking spot and normally they wouldn't say anything but not today asshole!

3) A and B are seated next to each other at the singles table for a wedding.

4) B owns a bookshop and A really needs this book because their book club meeting is in two days.

5) A is a doctor/nurse treating B for an injury, but B won't stop flirting.

6) A pretends to be B’s significant other because they can tell that creep is bothering B.

7) They meet at the dog park and their dogs won't stop playing with one another.

8) They meet at the dog park and B’s dog won't stop following A’s!

9) They're both at a party and notice the other is sitting alone on the couch so we join.

10) They get volun-told to do a karaoke duet by their respective friend groups.

12) A and B’s families have been trying to set them up for years. They meet by accident.

13) A runs a stand at the local farmers market that B loves (the owner being cute and sweet is a major plus too).

14) They grab the same book at the library.

15) “You have the wrong number, but stay on!”

16) A and B have been set up on a blind date together. Neither one of them expect it to go well, given their mutual friend's track record.

17) A and B both want the last pack of cigarettes. It's not even for themselves, but they'll certainly argue about it.

18) "Hi, I'm pretty sure I saw you on a dating app and while I swiped right, you did not and wow you're beautiful in person."

19) A’s a tour guide for B, who is currently supervising a field trip of twenty seven year olds.

20) A is B’s least favorite author but they don't realize until halfway through their rant.

21) "Hey, my friend is into your friend. But they're too scared to make a move, can you help me get them together?"

22) They're at the grocery store and A can't reach the item on the top shelf, so B helps them.

23) “Hey, so I helped your grandparent cross the street and they insisted that I meet you, their grandchild.”

24) It's our high school reunion and I'm like eighty percent sure we were lab partners and you have no idea what I'm talking about.

25) A’s friends insisted on going to a strip club for a bachelor/bachelorette party and A is really enjoying their time talking to B, the hostess.

26) An unexpected torrential downpour happens and they end up taking shelter at the same place.

27) “I'm your neighbor and I swear to God, if you don't turn that music down-

28) They’re both PhD students and their dissertations contradict each other's and boy, are they going to have some intense eye contact about it.

29) B is A’s child's new teacher and their kid won't stop mentioning that their parent is single.

30 “I'm so sorry, but my friends won't stop bothering me until I get someone's number tonight, it doesn't have to be your real one, I'm just so tired of their shenanigans.”

31) A is the hot firefighter who visits B’s classroom to talk about safety.

32) A and B are paired up for a roller coaster and one of them needs to hold the other's hand to get through the ride.

33) “Look, your date may not want to dance with you, but I certainly will!”

34) They're both celebrities and their fans ship them so A and B do an interview together for our respective press tours.

35) They're both on the bus and A is reading the book B’s been wanting so badly and they gotta know if it's good or not because the waitlist at the library is ridiculous.

36) They're at an art museum and have wildly different interpretations of the same portrait.

37) It's been arranged by their families for A and B to marry as a peace treaty. When they meet for the first time, they see why their families fought so much!

38) "Do you mind if I sit here? There are no other seats available."

39) A doesn’t know why their friend's girlfriend invited me to their coworker's nephew's bar mitzvah but they have a stain from the chocolate fountain and B is an angel with their Tide to go stick.

40) “If you don't fix your collar/tie/hat, I will do it myself!”

41) “The food in your grocery store cart looks so good, what are you making?x

42) A sees B at the Renaissance Fair and is determined to give B a rose.

43) They're both at the eye doctor and can't figure out which glasses to buy.

44) They end up sitting next to each other in a movie theater during a horror movie, and cling to each other for moral support

45) A owns a flower shop andBl B just needs the courage to go inside and say hello.

46) B’s dog somehow got out and A find it. Yes, it's late at night but from B’s voice over the phone, A knows they need to return this dog STAT.

47) A has always signed up to bring the dessert for their work's potluck. Who does B think they are taking their slot?

48) A’s friends signed them up for a dating app and set them up on a date with B without A’s knowledge.

49) B’s running an adoption event and A doesn’t even like animals but my God, is B so damn cute with them.

50) They're spies who have to pretend to be a couple for an assignment.

51) They’re professors who teach the same course but disagree over teaching methods.

52) A is B’s friend's asshole boss and B is just trying to drop off C’s lunch without strangling A.

53) A’s a witch who run a shop. B barges in, asking about the best curse to give someone (without killing them of course).

54) A is a hairdresser at a fancy salon and B shouldn't be spending $150 on a haircut but they need to talk to A.

55) A is a personal trainer and B is their my client and A knows they need to keep it professional but it's really hard!

56) A is the photographer and B’s the caterer for the worst wedding ever.

57) It's the county Fair and A has lost their niece/nephew, so they ask B for help.

58) A is having a horrendous case of writer’s block, B works at the cafe A has been staying at for the past few days and is very concerned.

59) Hades and Persephone AU bc why not

60) A is a tattoo artist and it's B's first time getting a tattoo.

[queenshelby]

An Illicit Affair

Part Two: Jazz Bar

Pairing: Cillian Murphy (46) x Reader (23)

Warning: Age-Gap, Taboo Relationship, Infidelity

The jazz concert took place in a small bar, downtown Soho. It was a Thursday evening, at around 9 o'clock, when you arrived at the establishment with the view to meet your best friend and fellow student Lucy there. Lucy was two years older than you and you shared a dorm room with her on campus. 

Just like you, Lucy was nerdy and focused on her studies, telling you years ago that you should not have gotten involved with Max but, of course, you did not listen to her at the time. 

That evening, Lucy stood you down, not intentionally but out of necessity. She had an assignment due the following day and recognized that she had not spent enough time on its content. 

So, at around nine that evening, you received a message from her saying that she had to bail on you, leaving you alone in the quirky bar which, by now, was filled with art students, middle aged men and women and a few musicians. 

Still, you were determined to make the most of the night. After all, your favorite band was playing, and this alone encouraged you to order yourself a drink and take a seat close to the stage.

A few minutes later, the band started a lively tune, and soon everyone began dancing.

You found yourself swaying to the rhythm, feeling the energy of the crowd enveloping you and, just as you were starting to get lost in the music, you spotted a familiar face.

It was Cillian, Max's father, who was standing near the bar, nursing a glass of red wine. 

The sight of him jolted you, sending a wave of mixed emotions coursing through your veins. You hadn't seen him since that fateful weekend in Dublin over fifteen months ago, and the memory of his captivating blue eyes and mesmerizing voice lingered within you. You watched him from afar, unable to tear your gaze away.

Cillian appeared to be engrossed in a conversation with a group of people, but every once in a while, he would glance around the room, scanning the faces of the attendees.

That's when his gaze landed on you and he excused himself from the group of people he was with. 

Approaching you with purpose, he smiled warmly. "Y/N, hey...it's nice to see you again," he greeted you. "How have you been?" he wanted to know and, immediately, his deep voice resonated through your body, stirring a familiar spark within you.

"I'm doing well, thank you," you responded, trying to remain composed. "How about you?" you asked before asking "what brings you here tonight?" with some surprise. 

"Oh, I saw that this band was performing and thought I'd check them out," Cillian explained casually with his thick Irish accent. 

"Are you in London for work or to see Max?" you asked Cillian, trying to keep your voice steady. 

"I am here for work, shooting a commercial, but I did catch up with Max yesterday for dinner," Cillian answered. "He seems to be doing well, even though he dropped out of medical school," he explained, and you couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness knowing that you may have been the reason he quit his studies. 

"I am sorry Cillian, I feel like I caused this," you admitted hesitantly, remembering the countless arguments you had with him about his lackadaisical attitude towards academics right before the break-up. 

"No, you didn't. If anything, he hung in there as long as he did because of you," Cillian reassured you. "He is a good kid, but he lacks the discipline and commitment for such a difficult field of studies, and I must admit that, so did I, when I was his age," he chuckled before telling you that, at the age of twenty, he dropped out of law school. 

"Well, fortunately for you, you discovered acting and that clearly turned out to be your calling," you said with a wink and Cillian laughed heartily, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

"That's right, I guess," he agreed, sipping on his wine. "So, no doubt Max will find his way too, at least once he gets over you," he then added calmly before gesturing towards the chair next to yours, wanting to take a seat.

"I am sure he is over me. It's been a year already and I see him quite often on campus these days. He may have transferred to the Arts Faculty, but he is still chatting up and flirting with the medical students," you joked before indicating to Cillian to take the seat. 

"He's a charmer, that's for sure," Cillian said with a hint of pride in his voice. "So, tell me," he leaned in closer, his scent intoxicating, "have you narrowed down your field of practice yet? Are you still interested in pediatrics?" Cillian asked you, his eyes sparkling with interest. "I mean, you mentioned it the last time we saw each other, but have you decided on anything yet?" Cillian pressed further, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I suppose that's accurate," you replied, feeling a surge of nervousness wash over you. "Pediatrics is definitely the direction I'm leaning towards, particularly oncology research."

"Oncology? That's fascinating," Cillian remarked, his eyes widening.

"Why oncology specifically?" he pressed, genuinely curious. "Is it because of your friend who battled leukemia? I remember you talking that," he went on to say and you were impressed by the fact that he remembered. Unlike Max, Cillian appeared to be a good listener and you appreciated that. 

"Yes, that's right. Ever since visiting my friend in the hospital, I've been fascinated by the idea of using science to combat diseases. Research gives me the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of healthcare," you explained earnestly.

Cillian tilted his head, studying you closely. "Your dedication is admirable," he complimented, admiration glimmering in his eyes, and you blushed faintly, feeling flattered by his praise.

"Thank you, Cillian," you mumbled shyly before downing the rest of your drink.

"Would you like another drink?" Cillian thus asked, being observant, as he settled into the chair, his scent wafted over you, a mix of expensive cologne and freshly laundered linen. "My shout," he then went on to say as he noticed you hesitating and, immediately, you suppressed a shiver, suddenly aware of the intimate setting you'd created.

"Okay," you muttered nervously, gazing down at your empty glass. "Thank you," went on to say and, not long after that, Cillian walked off and instructed the bartender, handing over his credit card.

When he returned to the table, you both fell quiet again, awkwardly staring at the dance floor. The band played a slow, bluesy number, and couples danced intimately beneath the dim glow of the stage lights.

Feeling increasingly uneasy, you attempted to change the subject. "How is Danielle?" you asked, swirling the wine in your glass.

Cillian hesitated, his expression clouding over. "Alright, I suppose," he muttered, a hint of melancholy creeping into his voice.

"Alright, you suppose?" you asked, raising an eyebrow. The way he answered your question seemed absurd.

"Yeah, well, things aren't exactly smooth sailing with us," he admitted reluctantly. "We have been having problems for years," he confided in you, causing your heart to skip a beat.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," you sympathized, genuine concern etching your features. "Max did mentioned about you fighting a lot," you commented cautiously, careful not to cross any boundaries.

Cillian exhaled deeply, his shoulders drooping slightly. "We've been trying to work things out but it hasn't been easy," he confessed, his voice laced with sorrow. "Sometimes it feels like we're stuck in a cycle of misunderstandings, accusations and resentment," he admitted.

"I may have heard about certain rumors, in the tabloids, concerning you and other actresses," you ventured delicately, "but I know that these gossip magazines tend to blow things out of proportion," you quickly added just as Cillian chuckled and interrupted you. 

"I didn't take you to be the kind of person who reads these kinds of magazines Y/N. I am really disappointed in you," he mocked, giving you a sideways glance, which made you blush. 

"I don't, unless I am at the hairdressers and my phone is running low on battery," you admitted, meeting his gaze. "And I know the press loves to feed on drama," you added defensively, trying to cover up the embarrassment.

"Well then, for what it's worth, I can assure you that I have never cheated on my wife," Cillian stated plainly, his eyes locked on yours. "Not that I haven't had the opportunity though," he admitted without hesitation, his honesty striking you speechless.

"I am sure you have had many opportunities," you commented lightly, shifting uncomfortably in your seat.

"Maybe not many, but I had some," Cillian laughed before changing the topic to something lighter. 

"What about you?" he asked. "Have you met anyone new since you broke up with Max?" he wanted to know before apologizing for his question, telling you that you did not have to answer it if it made you uncomfortable. 

You swallowed nervously, your pulse quickening at the mention of your former lover. "No, it's okay," you told him. "I haven't had much time for dating," you lied, fiddling with your napkin. "Med school takes up most of my time," you added, not wanting to reveal the truth that no one had caught your attention since Max, at least not yet.

Cillian nodded sympathetically. "I can imagine," he said, before pausing briefly, watching you sip your drink before continuing with caution. "So, besides med school, what keeps you busy?" he questioned, curiosity burning in his eyes.

You sighed softly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. "Not much, honestly," you confessed, shrugging nonchalantly. "I mean, there's the occasional date with friends, dinners with family, and that's pretty much it," you admitted. "I can't lie though, it does get lonely sometimes," you revealed, peering down at your lap.

"I get like this when I am away filming for weeks," Cillian shared, nodding sympathetically. "When the loneliness creeps in, it makes you feel so isolated, doesn't it?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Yeah, absolutely," you agreed, your voice barely audible. "I've learned to appreciate moments like these, though, because they remind me how precious human connection truly is," you confided in him, reaching to clasp your hands together.

Cillian gazed at you, his gaze softening. "It must be tough, being so dedicated to your studies. How do you manage to balance everything?" he pondered aloud.

"I've developed strategies to cope. For instance, I set aside time for myself each day, whether it's going for a run or reading a book," you admitted, your voice trailing off and it was at this point that you learned that you shared even more common interests with Cillian. 

He, too, liked to go for runs and read, and not just scripts for upcoming projects. He enjoyed historical fiction as well as thrillers, and his literary horizons were broad. You found this refreshing, considering how insular and self-involved actors could be.

After ordering more drinks, you and Cillian talked some more and shared some laughs. Your conversations flowed effortlessly, covering various subjects ranging from books you both loved to visit places you hoped to travel to someday. Cillian spoke passionately about the beauty of Ireland and its rich history, while you eagerly described your fascination with Italy, having taken a trip there during your gap year.

You exchanged stories, sharing experiences both past and present, discovering more similarities between the two of you. Cillian was intrigued by your intelligence and wit, while you admired his charm and charisma. The chemistry between you intensified, growing stronger with each passing moment.

By the time it was midnight, the group of people he had talked to earlier left and the music had stopped, which is when Cillian reached across the table to refill your glass from the bottle of wine he had ordered thirty minutes ago and, just as he did, his fingers brushed against yours, igniting a spark that neither of you could ignore.

An awkward silence ensued, but instead of dissipating quickly, it grew thicker with tension.

Cillian's intense gaze bore into you, leaving a trail of goosebumps along your arms. You glanced at the stage, searching for a distraction, but the band had packed up their instruments and left.

Cillian cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Well, time flies when you' are having fun," he murmured, his voice husky and seductive. "It is nice talking to you, but it is getting late," he added, checking his watch conspicuously. "And I should probably head back to the hotel," he concluded and you blinked twice.

"Where are you staying?" you blurted out impulsively, catching yourself off guard by your sudden curiosity.

"At the Hilton," Cillian replied simply, adjusting his posture in his seat. "It's not far from here, actually," he added, his voice drifting into a contemplative tone.

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat, contemplating your next move. "That's convenient," you murmured, attempting to sound casual. "I have heard that they have a decent bar downstairs," you stammered, feeling your cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Cillian chuckled softly, his eyes glinting mischievously. "They do. So, perhaps we should grab a nightcap before you are heading home," he offered you almost nervously, causing your heart to race. 

"I would like that," you said softly, offering him a gentle smile, hoping that he would interpret it correctly.

With a nod, Cillian rose from his seat, his frame casting a shadow over you. He extended his hand, helping you to your feet. You felt the warmth of his touch and the strength of his grip, and your knees weakened slightly.

As you followed him towards the exit, the crowd parted, making way for you two as if silently acknowledging the magnetic pull between you two.

Once outside, the cool air hit you, a stark contrast to the heat inside the bar.

The neon signs cast a hazy glow on the cobblestone streets, and the distant hum of traffic blended seamlessly with the whispers of passersby. A sense of excitement pulsed through you as you allowed your senses to heighten, embracing the intoxicating atmosphere.

You and Cillian headed for the Hilton, which was a five-minute walk from the jazz club.

As you approached the hotel lobby, the ambient lighting and plush furnishings provided a cozy refuge from the chilly night air but, much to your disappointment, you noticed that their bar was already closed.

"I suppose we won't be having that nightcap after all," you lamented, pouting your lips while Cillian contemplated whether or not to ask you to join him in his room. 

He bit his lip, looking up at the ceiling before making a decision.

"We could always go to my room and order a bottle of wine," he then suggested, his voice trembling slightly. "If you want to, that is," he added hastily, turning his gaze onto you and, immediately, your heart skipped a beat, your breath hitching as you stared into his deep blue eyes.

"Okay, yeah, why not," you managed to utter, feeling a rush of nerves wash over you. "Just for one drink though," you insisted, hoping to ease your mounting anxiety while Cillian's piercing blue eyes lighted up.

"Sounds perfect," he agreed, leading you towards the elevator bank with a pang of guilt flooding his mind as he thought about the possibility of taking this further than his vows would permit. "Just one drink then," he thus reminded himself as he pushed the button for the top floor, hoping that his loyalty to Max and Danielle would prevail over the desire for you.

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[queenendless]

🌅Dawn (Adult!SatoSugu x Adult!Fem!Reader)🌅

A/N: Wholesome fluffy lovey dovey pillow talk kinda mornings with these two. I am miffed there is no character audio with these two x listener anywhere, talk about injustice! Well this is my take on it and imma do more in the future!

*11/22/23 - I consider this oneshot part of the teacher!AU. Sorry for that abrupt decision!

Yo, this week's episode ... insane~ This season actually is insane so.

All credit for JJK and its characters goes to Gege.

* Please DON'T plagarize, translate, or repost my FANFIC content. Reblog, like, and follow instead.

Enjoy.

A deep rumbling groan parted the lips belonging to the snowy haired man face first in his pillow on one side of the bed that was moving too much to his liking.

"Who's rocking the bed this early?" Even in sleepiness, he had to slip in an innuendo.

A groggy yawn fell from the lips of his raven long haired partner on the opposite side of the bed, tiredly jabbing. "You would be my immediate guess."

The rustle of sheets and the sensation of a smaller warm form brushing in between them brought them both more attentively out of their drowsy state. Gojo looked over his shoulder to see something moving downwards to the bed's end. A curly grin surfaced on his face. "Hmm …"

His shadow loomed over the anxious form hidden beneath. "Well, well, well~" His hands stretched out and his fingers wiggled. "What have we here~?"

His fingers striking their form had familiar giggles spilling out, bringing a snicker out of him. "Suguru~ Someone's down here~"

Said man rolled over on his back, resting his arms behind his head, watching with tired amusement at his best friend tickling the certain someone hidden through their sheets. "Oh~?"

"A sneaky little cutie was trying to slip out whilst we were sleeping~" Gojo’s evil low laugh spelled doom.

Gojo pulled the sheets up enough to slip underneath, resulting in a fit of laughter from both parties hidden, as he went back to gentle tickling. Limbs squirmed and jostled underneath followed by streams of intermingling laughter as they kept bumping into Geto's thighs. "H-Hey!"

Feeling a smaller body drape over his lap startled Geto enough to pull off the sheets to see what the heck was going on.

Seeing you tug down his low hanging sweatpants enough for you to gingerly kiss his two small beauty marks on his right hip so affectionately made Geto’s heart pitter patter rapidly.

“Sugu, please tell Toru to sta – AAHP~!" You broke out into a squeal, kicking your legs to push Gojo off but that only made him tickle you more. "Mehehehercy~!"

"Hey! No sucking up to him, missy!" Gojo jested, sliding his hands under your top, wiggling his digits into your sides deeply enough to bring out more chortling squeals.

"Hang on, Satoru~ At least let her breathe so she can make a case in her defense." Geto grabbed Gojo's persistent hands to get you free enough to breathe in thankful takes of oxygen, hugging Geto while keeping nervous eyes and an accusing finger pointed at the cat eyed miscreant.

"I promised Nanami I would go out and help him with some errands. Haibara is stuck sick at their place so it seemed only right to help them out." You defended.

"Oh, I'm sure Yu would rather be in the darling company of his Nanamin~" Gojo crawled over, nuzzling your cheek, cheekily grinning up at you as he rested his noggin on your shoulder.

"Which is why I gotta get ready and – EEP!" Your attempt at pulling away from their difficult comforting hold and getting out of bed were cut in half as their two tall heavy bodies toppled over on you, pushing you down to lay on your stomach.

"Have you forgotten you woke us up?" Satoru drawled, his cheery tone barely coating his irritation, as his hands squeezed your sensitive sides.

"Hehehey~!" Your hopeless tussle to squirm away was getting fruitless quickly.

"And you tried sneaking out with our backs turned?" Suguru added, his calm smile underlined with inner deviousness.

Satoru dramatically exclaimed. "Just to be in the company of another man – !"

"Hey, Nanami-san is our collective friend, and I gave my word to help – mmph~!" You were cut off as you were flipped to lay on your back just so Satoru could smooch you, all sloppily and deeply, his tongue brushing yours in the messy lip lock.

"It's not fair! We should spend every morning together as much as possible!" Those puffed up cheeks of his made your resolve falter.

"We do! But one day alone ain't gonna kill you two. I mean, I'm flattered for being so deeply needed but – mmh~!" Suguru's sculpted hand weaved through your locks, cradling your noggin, just to pull you close enough to languidly French kiss you, drawing pleased sighs outta you while Satoru licked and nipped your arching neck like the human cat that he is.

"We'd rather you stay here. For much … much … longer." Suguru's bedroom eyes are so palpable. His lulling, rich voice is so tempting.

"We want our sweet, darling angel to stay here." Satoru nuzzled his face in between your clothed bosoms, fluttering those long white eyelashes at you. "To cuddle, to kiss, to enrapture." His own addictive voice has you shivering in anticipation.

Their eyes are hypnotizing. Their combined scents are invigorating. The strongest duo have you hook, line, and sinker.

You sigh, conceding but floating on enamored air. "I'll meet up with Nanami later this afternoon. Fair enough?"

Their velvety beautiful faces beamed with pride and joy as they planted a kiss on either end of your lips. "Wifey~!"

"Clingy giants." You mushed out.

"We heard that." They grumbled in unison.

"Kinda the point~" Your teasing earned you a restless half hour spent feeling their ticklish butterfly kisses pepper your face, neck, and ears and turning you into a squirmy giggling mess. Your spasming legs got stuck entangled in theirs as their hands roamed your body, wiggling into your thighs, your hips, your sides. "Stahahahahahap~! Plehehehehease~!"

"God, I should use Infinite Void to keep us in this moment~" Satoru's nose pressed into your collarbone, smiling into your cherished skin.

"Perhaps." Suguru's freed raven bangs tickled your nose, aweing at the sneeze it elicited out of you, smooching your nose as an apology. "Bless you."

"Wait, rewind! You're gonna do what — MMM~!" Their hearts throbbed for their indulgence of you, stopping their tickling, preferring to smother your face in their snug fitting chests. "I made a huge mistake!" Your muffled dramatic cries had them laughing tiredly.

Eventually, everything prior had worn you three out enough to settle you down, draping the bed comforter back over yourselves, their intertwined arms keeping you cocooned and them grounded.

Even when slipping in and out of consciousness, seeing your tranquil, content face nestled in between them had them sagging in relief at how they were able to keep you around for longer.

Laxing but still snug as a bug, you were lulled by their soft breathing and their grounding coziness.

Even special grade sorcerers slash teachers need to unwind and relax. In their own little hideaway.

And having you there made it all complete.

The beams of sunshine trickled through the curtains, painting the bedroom in golden hues, as dawn became the setting of you guys' dream where three become one.

[brbsoulnomming]

Tell Me Sweet Little Lies Part 23

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | AO3

-----

They're on the front page for about a week.

They run the stories of Hopper and Henry Creel simultaneously - honestly, Eddie kind of thinks the fact that Hopper was presumed dead and is now back makes it easier for people to believe a previously assumed dead guy is the top suspect for the murders.

Eddie gets barely a mention clearing him of all charges. There's a couple of articles about him and Steve fighting off Henry Creel, but the focus is more on Steve than anything else.

Steve bitches about it, about how they did the same thing after Starcourt, but Eddie's kind of glad his name isn't plastered all over the place anymore.

He and Steve are down in the kitchen scrounging up celebratory snacks and beers - Steve has a clean bill of health, and Eddie's stitches are coming out in a few days - when the phone rings.

"Harrington residence, this is Steve speaking," he greets.

Eddie barely has time to decide he's absolutely going to tease him about that later when the response comes - loud enough for him to hear it.

"Steven, my boy!" the voice booms, spirited and affable.

Steve closes his eyes, the muscles in his jaw tightening. "Hi, Dad."

"We just heard the news!" Steve's father says. "Why didn't you call to tell us? Did the earthquake damage anything?"

Part of Eddie thinks he should leave. Or at least back away, so he can't hear everything that's being said - but the other part of him thinks that Steve'd push him away if he didn't want him here, and with how tense Steve's gone next to him, Eddie can't bring himself to pull away.

"The house is fine," Steve says. "Loch Nora didn't get hit at all."

"Good, good," Mr. Harrington says. "Your mother hears you and Rachel have been volunteering with the relief efforts?"

Eddie didn't think it was possible, but Steve goes even stiffer.

"Robin," he corrects, his tone smooth and entirely void of inflection. "Yes, we've been coordinating donations."

"That's what I want to hear!" There's a sound like a loud clap. "I'm glad to see you're taking this seriously. You had a lot of ground to make up for, but it seems giving you a dose of reality has paid off. We'll be able to have some real talks about your future soon. What? Oh, your mother wants to talk to you."

There's a shuffling noise, then a quieter and much less friendly voice greets, "Steven."

"Hey Mom," Steve's posture relaxes a little. "I told Dad we made it out okay."

There's some kind of response, but Steve's mom is too quiet for Eddie to make it out.

"No, of course I didn't file charges. I knew you'd want to handle it if anything else happened." A pause. "Yes, that Carver. Mom, it's not - yeah. Yeah, okay. No, it's just him. I think he's just mad that people listened to me and not him. Yeah, I - all right. Bye."

He hangs up the phone, leaning in with one arm braced against the wall, a long line of tension.

"Steve?" Eddie says quietly.

Steve turns to face him, giving a little crooked smile. "You can ask if you want. I don't mind you and Robin knowing. It's… easier sometimes, if she expects it, and it's probably the same with you."

Eddie aches a little. "What was your dad talking about? What ground to make up for?"

Steve makes a face. "I did a lot of damage to the Harrington image the last bit of high school, you know. Stopped caring about my reputation, didn't get accepted into any of the colleges they wanted me to go to, kept getting into fights."

"But that wasn't - did they even ask you what actually happened?" Eddie asks.

"They don't care what actually happened," Steve replies. "Just what it looked like. Like I said, it's all about appearances with them. My dad's the main reason I worked at Scoops instead of being a lifeguard again last summer - he says it's because I needed a real life experience, learn what it means to work at the bottom, but he was just pissy and trying to humiliate me. He talks a big game about working hard, but all he really cares about is how I make them look. Now that I've gotten good press twice, he's happy again."

Eddie's mouth opens, then closes, then opens again. "He didn't even ask if you were okay."

Steve shrugs. "I looked fine in the papers."

Right.

Appearances.

"Will you be mad at me if I punch your dad if I ever see him?" Eddie asks.

Steve laughs, a surprised little sound like he's startled by it. "No," he says. "But only if I get to punch yours for leaving you."

Oh.

If Eddie was thinking about it, he'd have moved slowly, making sure to telegraph what he was doing so he didn't startle Steve, but he reacts on instinct and pulls Steve into a hug.

Steve doesn't even flinch at the sudden motion. He just melts into it, letting Eddie wrap him up and hold him tightly. His arms come up to cross over Eddie's shoulder blades, the placement automatically mindful of his injuries in the way only someone who's bandaged them multiple times could be.

"Sometimes I wish they just wouldn't call at all," Steve admits, face buried in Eddie's neck. It comes out in a rush, like he hadn't really thought about it before he said it, but he's getting it out anyway. "That they'd just cut me out of their life, instead of stringing me along."

"Fuck them," Eddie says. "I've got you."

He can hear Steve swallow, and Steve hugs him tighter.

They stay like that for a long while, until Eddie finally pulls back.

"Hey," he says softly. "I'll get the food and stuff. Go upstairs and see Robin."

Steve looks uncertain. "You sure?"

Eddie hugs him one more time. "You've got two soulmates," he murmurs. "Let us take care of you a little, okay?"

Steve squeezes him tight, then lets go with a nod before heading upstairs.

Eddie dithers in the kitchen for a bit, taking an extra long time. Whatever his complicated feelings are, it doesn't bother him at all to give Steve and Robin some space like this.

They're talking when he comes back, which isn't a surprise, and he hears his own name as he gets closer to the bedroom. Eddie pauses, even though he shouldn't, listening through the cracked door. He'll feel worse about it later, probably, but right now the masochistic side of him can't resist the urge to know what they're saying about him.

"I want him so much, Robs," he hears Steve saying, low and soft like he's trying to be quiet.

"I know," Robin replies, her tone somehow managing to be both gentle and snarky at the same time. "It's kind of pathetic."

Steve lets out a muffled groan. "Not helping. I don't exactly have the greatest track record at being able to get over people! I thought, with my soulmate-"

He cuts off, and Eddie can't help the bubbling anger that springs up. Steve thought? Has he stopped for one second to think about how Eddie might feel, only ever having a platonic soulmate? Wanting him just as bad and not being able to have him, not being able to have anyone?

"-someone else?" Robin is saying, like she's reading his thoughts, and Eddie has to hold his breath as he makes sure he hadn't accidentally said that outloud.

"I don't want anyone else," Steve says miserably. "Just him. I think - I think it's always going to be him. Fuck, why does this have to be so complicated?"

There's a heavy, thick silence, and Eddie's anger simmers and crackles under his skin, the way it always does when there's a hefty mixing of guilt in it.

"Do you think-" Robin starts, then stops. "Do you wish-" She stops again, voice thick with emotion. "Would it be easier if we-"

"No," Steve says, cutting her off at the same time that Eddie realizes what she's probably trying to bring herself to ask.

There's the muffled sound of shuffling, quiet hitching breaths - probably the motions of Steve trying to reassure one of his soulmates that he wants her, and he imagines him gathering her close, pressing soft kisses anywhere he can reach, cutting off anything she tries to say with a deeper, fiercer kiss.

Eddie bites the inside of his cheek so hard he tastes copper to keep himself from making some kind of sound to give himself away. He hates that he doesn't know what he's feeling - hates that he thinks he's jealous of Robin just as much as he doesn't feel jealous of her, not really. He's jealous of the images he conjures when he thinks about them together, but he's never actually jealous when he's with them, when he watches them.

That reminder makes him shift, peeking through the cracked door so he can see them. They're sitting facing each other, legs all tangled together. One of Steve's hands is covering Robin's heart, and the other is curled around one of Robin's hands, pinning it to his chest over his own heart, and their foreheads are pressed together.

Something in Eddie settles in a way he can't explain, all thoughts of jealousy gone.

"There's no me without you," Steve is saying. "You're a part of me, Robs, I can't do this without either of you."

She says something too muffled for Eddie to make out.

"I'm happy. I really am, I promise. I love you, I love us, exactly the way we are. And with Eddie-"

Eddie leans forward, too desperate to know what he's going to say to worry about being caught.

"I don't need anything else other than just him. However I can have him. If it's never romantic, if this is us forever - it doesn't matter, not really. I just need you and him, and the kids, and I'm good."

There's silence, the two of them just completely wrapped up in each other, and fuck, Eddie - he thinks you know what, if this is it, if what he has is Steve and Robin and the kids forever, then he's good, too.

"I love you, Robin Buckley," Steve says. "In a way I never realized was possible, until you and that dumb kid showed up in my life and taught me that you don't have to do anything to earn someone's love. That sometimes, it's just unconditional."

Steve was sixteen when he fought his first demogorgon, Eddie remembers that. Which means he couldn't have been any younger than that when he started really spending any time with Dustin or Robin, which means - the same thing that Eddie went through when he first moved in with Uncle Wayne, the thing that was so impossible for him to believe at twelve, Steve wasn't shown until he was probably seventeen.

Fuck, his heart aches.

"Does Henderson know he was your first true love?" Robin asks, her voice a little wet, but obviously trying to make things a little lighter.

Steve laughs, the sound just a bit thick. "No, and he'd be insufferable if I told him."

There's the faint sting of a new lie being written on the back of his calf, and the second he registers it, he hears Robin's startled laughter. Eddie pulls back from the door, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out, trying to get himself back under control.

"Oh my God, Steve, you did tell him! When?"

He can hear Steve sputtering and deflecting, the sound of Robin smacking him and Steve scrambling - probably trying to avoid them - and if there was ever going to be a good time to announce his return after shamelessly listening in for too long, now is probably it.

Eddie pushes open the door, six pack under one arm and bags of popcorn and chips under the other as he shoots a hopefully only slightly manic grin at them. "What's Steve lying about now?"

"Nothing!" Steve says too quickly.

Sloppy, for him, considering Eddie knows how good Steve usually is at using sarcasm or half truths to avoid telling lies, so Eddie tosses the bag of popcorn at him.

He catches it easily, of course, but it means he's now vulnerable to Robin's attacks, and he has to swerve to avoid another slap to his shoulder.

"Steve's trying to pretend like we both didn't get that lie, too," Robin says.

Steve groans. "Fine, Jesus. It was back when we were waiting at the camper, and Dustin was upset. I told him that he was the first person who was ever just - there, in my life because he wanted to be, even after he didn't need me to fight demodogs. No one could ever replace him."

"You're such a sap, Steve," Eddie teases him as he comes to sit next to him and Robin.

"Shut up," Steve grumbles. "That's it, I'm picking the movie."

—

The next day, Lucas and Max swing by. Steve hauls a basketball stand out of the garage and sets it up in the driveway, and Eddie sits at the kitchen table, eating a bologna sandwich while he watches them play.

It's safer inside, where there's no one to see if he gets affected by Steve's tank top and shorts.

Or at least, he thought it was safer inside.

"Do you love Steve?" Max asks, plopping down beside him.

Eddie chokes on his Coke, and she stares at him unsympathetically until he manages to breathe again.

"He's my soulmate, so." Eddie shrugs.

Max gives him an unimpressed look, and yeah, okay, he figures they both know soulmates aren't a guarantee of anything. Eddie's parents were soulmates, after all, loved each other more than anything else in this world, and that still hadn't been enough.

"I wanted him to be my soulmate before I knew it was him," he admits, because that's a more true answer without actually having to say yes or no. "Nothing's happened since to change that."

She gets this look on her face like she's trying to decide if that's an acceptable response. After a moment, she rests her chin on her knees, staring out the window, and Eddie figures he's in the clear.

"Steve has two soulmates," she says after a while. "You don't. Doesn't that make you feel - I don't know, like you aren't enough?"

"Jesus Christ, Red, you're not pulling any punches today, are you?" Eddie swears.

He doesn't actually want to have this conversation. It's not something he's completely sorted out on his own, yet, even though he's done a lot of thinking on it, and he's tempted to tell her to mind her own business.

But she won't look at him, and he knows why she's asking. She's not talking about him and Steve and Robin, not really.

He thinks about telling her something standard about soulmates, or maybe even the advice that his uncle gave him, but it doesn't feel right.

"It's not what I always imagined," Eddie admits slowly.

Max doesn't say anything, but he watches the way she starts to unwind a little, how she doesn't hold herself so stiff, tilts a little to actually listen to what he's saying.

"You know Steve and I talked to each other when we were younger. We thought the same way about a lot of stuff, and I had this idea in my head that he was some little outcast like me, in another small town somewhere out there, that we'd move to a big city and find each other. But then we stopped talking."

"How come?" Max asks, looking caught up despite herself.

Eddie grins at her, wide and self depreciating. "I found out he was probably some rich, popular jerk, and decided I hated him."

And there's that unimpressed look again.

"Yeah, yeah," Eddie grumbles. "Let's just say there might be some truth to not talking with your soulmate before you actually meet them. Point is, for almost five years, I hated my soulmate. Thought the best I could hope for was that we'd meet when we were thirty and ancient, and maybe then he would have changed. Then a little while ago, I met Steve."

Max's brows furrow. "You met Steve way before that."

"Nah," he says. "I knew of Steve. I had a lot of assumptions about him, knew what I thought he was, but I didn't know the real Steve. That Steve I met when he helped explain all of this to me and didn't make me feel stupid for not picking up some of it right away, even after I held a broken bottle to his throat."

She snorts, but looks like she's considering that. "I met him when he was putting himself between me, Lucas, and Dustin and a hoard of demodogs, a couple of hours after calling them dickheads and me some random girl."

Eddie salutes her with his can of Coke, half in understanding and half to cover the way his heart wants to melt again. "That Steve was nothing like I imagined my soulmate to be, when I was daydreaming about him or hating him. But I knew I didn't want anyone else, and Steve having another soulmate doesn't change that. I don't think it makes what he feels for me any less than what I feel for him, and I don't think it means I'm less important to him than he is to me."

Max frowns. "Really, or are you just saying that?"

"Really," Eddie says, though he hadn't actually been sure it was true until he heard himself say it. "I'm not saying it's not hard sometimes. And sometimes I get in my head about it. But I wouldn't change it. Steve wouldn't be the same without Robin, you know? He wouldn't be the Steve that made me want him to be my soulmate so bad."

There's a long moment of silence. Then, "Would you be saying that if both of his soulmates were romantic?"

Eddie's glad he stopped drinking, because he knows he would have choked again. For a split second, she wonders if she's picked up on - but no, that still isn't what this about. "Are both of yours romantic?"

Her jaw juts forward, arms hugging tighter around her knees. "What if they were?"

Fuck, he doesn't know what to say to that. "It's okay to like both guys and girls," he says, because he feels like that's the most important bit. "I do. I mean, mostly guys, but sometimes girls."

Her grip loosens a little, but she still doesn't say anything.

"It sounds like maybe I'm not the one you should be talking to about that," he says carefully.

She scowls. "I talked to Steve already."

Right, of course she did.

"What did Steve say?"

"Steve said he thinks the line between platonic and romantic soulmates isn't as straightforward as people like to pretend it is. That sometimes what you might think should be romantic is actually platonic, and sometimes what you think should be platonic is romantic, and sometimes there's going to be things that blur the lines and you don't really know which one it is. He said it was okay to have two platonic or two romantic or one of each or, like, any combination." She makes a face here, like she's not entirely sure what he meant by any combination - or like she was sure, and didn't need that much detail. "That as long as everyone was communicating, it was okay to do whatever worked for us."

Eddie swallows. "Steve sounds pretty smart."

Max rolls her eyes. "He has his moments."

"So… are you communicating with Lucas and El?" he asks.

She picks at a rip in her jeans. "I talked to Lucas."

He waits, but it seems like that's all he's going to get. He starts to ask what Lucas said, but… he gets the feeling that it's not necessarily about what he said or not.

"But it's Lucas," Eddie says. "And you wanted to hear how someone else in a familiar situation felt."

Eddie gets that familiar, itchy feeling that he does when he wants to run, and he only barely resists the urge to bounce his leg up and down. It's not that he wants to run from Max, or even from this conversation, it's just - it's starting to make him think about things, and he really, really doesn't want an audience for this. He wants to lock himself in a room and pace, listen to some music, maybe scribble out his thoughts, something to get his hands moving and his brain in some kind of order -

"Even if Steve wanted both of us romantically," he says, knowing it's close enough that it's not a lie. "I would still rather be his soulmate than anyone else."

Max looks at him with narrowed eyes for a long moment. "I'm gonna ask Steve if you lied about that."

Eddie fixes her with an unimpressed look right back. "You think I'd do that to him?"

"You better not." There's an edge of menace in her tone, but she lets it go, so Eddie figures she doesn't really think he'd lie about something like that knowing it would be etched on Steve's skin forever.

Silence stretches between them, and Eddie follows her gaze out the window, watching Steve and Lucas playing basketball.

"I've put him through so much already," Max says, so quietly that he can barely hear it.

Fuck, Eddie is so fucking soft for these kids.

"You have not," Eddie says immediately. "You haven't done a goddamn thing, Red. Both of you have already been through so much, and it's not because of something either of you did. It's fucking Hawkins."

She doesn't look convinced, so Eddie pushes his shoulder against hers.

"Lucas is smart. He's more emotionally intelligent than I am-" Max snorts at him, and he's reasonably sure he hears her mutter something along the lines of like that's hard, but he ignores her. "He knows what he can take and what he can't. All you have to do is believe him when he tells you it."

She's quiet for a moment, looking contemplative. Then she asks, "Does that work for you?"

Right, yeah, okay, he deserved that one. He thinks about deflecting, but -

"I'm trying," he admits quietly. "What do you think, huh, you gonna let me beat you there or are we gonna do this together?"

Max glances out the window again, then turns to look back at him, her chin jutting out. "Steve loves too much, and he gets it thrown back at him too often. I don't think he really believes that we love him as much as he loves us, even though we do."

She says it like a threat, like she's saying if you tell him I said that I will kill you or maybe if you hurt him I will kill you. Either way, he'd be dead.

"I'll talk to Lucas and El, and you make sure you don't disappoint him."

Goddamn if that doesn't stab right to the heart of him, lodging itself beneath his ribcage and sticking right into the parts that'd already made him want to run from this conversation.

"Okay," he manages to get out, because he's not sure he'll survive any other answer.

Max nods. "Good talk," she tells him, and then she pushes herself up and she's gone.

Eddie stays there, mulling all of that over. He doesn't think she'd actually tell Steve anything they just talked about, nor does he think she really has any idea that Steve had asked him to make their bond romantic and he'd turned him down. Honestly, Eddie could probably get away with patting himself on the back for actually managing to give some decent advice and be the person she'd needed him to be for just a little while, then go on being a very devoted platonic soulmate for Steve.

Except even if Max doesn't really know, Eddie does. And now Eddie's thinking about things he doesn't want to, and wondering how much of a hypocrite some of the advice that he gave her makes him, and -

"Hey," Lucas says, and Eddie yelps.

Lucas raises his eyebrows at him.

"Jesus Christ, don't do that," Eddie bitches.

There's a little smirk, but fortunately, Lucas doesn't actually comment on it. "You talk to Max?" he asks instead.

"Yeah," Eddie replies, narrowing his eyes at him.

Lucas lights up, though, his whole face practically beaming with his smile. "Good. I figured it'd help her to hear that your soulmate cares about you no matter what from someone who wasn't me."

Eddie raises one eyebrow. "How do you know that's what I said?"

Lucas rolls his eyes. "Because you're Steve's soulmate. If that wasn't the way you felt, Robin would know, and she'd have already murdered you."

Eddie considers that. "Okay, fair."

Lucas makes his way over to the fridge, yanking it open and standing in front of it as he peers in. "So what did you tell her?"

Eddie sits back, waiting until Lucas turns to look back at him so he can shoot him a wide, smug grin. "If she wants you to know, she'll tell you."

He gets a glare in return, but Lucas doesn't protest that, just leans back in to grab a pair of Gatorades from the fridge. He twists the top off of one, taking a long swallow before he shuts the door and starts back out of the kitchen, giving him a little nod as he passes.

"Hey, Lucas?" Eddie calls before he can leave.

Lucas pauses, looking quizzically at him.

"I'm guessing you talk to Steve like Max does, about all this." Eddie makes an exaggerated gesture between them and out the kitchen window, meant to loop all of them in together. "But, uh. You know. If you ever want a different perspective, from someone in kind of your position."

He motions to himself, then splays his hands out all ta-da.

Lucas hesitates, lingering in the middle of the kitchen before he seems to make a decision.

"I was kind of upset about it when I first found out Max's other soulmate was El," he admits. "It was right after Billy died, and their soulmate bond was new, and Max kept letting El in while she was shutting me out. And I was angry, and jealous, and then when El had to leave and Max kept pushing me away, I just kept thinking that if El was here Max wouldn't be by herself so much, that the wrong soulmate got to stay in Hawkins."

Lucas pauses, twisting the Gatorades in his hand, but Eddie gets the feeling it's a gathering his thoughts pause more than a waiting for Eddie to say something pause.

"Eventually I realized that El could help Max in a way that I couldn't, and that maybe that was the point. I started calling El a little, too, when the phone wasn't busy, and just - El was grieving, too. I didn't want to feel jealous over something that helped them both anymore. It's been good with El back, really good. I don't know if I like El like that, but if Max does-" he shrugs. "I guess I kind of already got over the jealousy bit. It doesn't really matter to me if they kiss while they're having sleepovers or not, as long as they don't exclude me."

Now it seems like a waiting for Eddie to say something pause, so he gives a soft little hum. "What do you do if you end up feeling excluded?"

Lucas blinks, like he wasn't expecting that question. "Uh. Well, before, I talked to my parents and sometimes to Steve or Robin or Dustin. It's hard talking to Mike or Will about it because they're not all that objective about El stuff. I don't… really know if I want to tell my parents about Max and El like that yet, so I guess… talk to Steve or Robin or Dustin." He pauses, then, more tentatively, "Or you?"

Fuck, these kids keep getting to him. "Or me," he agrees easily. "But you should probably also add talk to Max and El to that list."

Lucas makes a face, but doesn't disagree. "I don't think a lot of the others know about Max," he says instead. "Just me and Steve and Robin, and now you."

There's an edge to his voice, like he's pretty sure Eddie must be safe if Max told him, but he's ready to fight him about it anyway.

"Max knows about me, now, so we're even," Eddie replies, pleased that the effort he puts into making sure his voice sounds steady pays off.

"Yeah?" Lucas asks. "Who else knows?"

"Steve and Robin. And now Max and you," Eddie replies.

Lucas lights up a little. "Cool."

"Cool," Eddie echoes, even though he feels a little shaky from the fact that he's now said it twice today, which is double the amount of times he's ever said it before at all.

There's a comfortable silence for a moment.

"It's complicated, being in our position," Eddie says after a bit. "I think it's always going to be complicated. But if we let it - I think it could be really great, too. Most people only end up in pairs, but us? We get a whole damn party of interconnected soulmates."

"A party of soulmates," Lucas says thoughtfully, then grins. "Yeah, I like that."

"You're a good kid, Lucas," Eddie tells him, not sure if he really needs to hear it, but he still remembers the way it made him feel when Uncle Wayne said it.

Lucas ducks his head, looking a little pleased, even though he follows it up with a sidelong look. "Even though I'm kind of a jock?"

Eddie shrugs. "My soulmate is a whole jock. I guess that means I've got a little jock in me, too."

Lucas's expression shifts, turning mischievous, and suddenly he looks like the fifteen year old boy he is, and not a world-weary adult. It's nice, it's wonderful, Eddie loves to see it, except it makes him realize what he just said far, far too late to do anything about it.

In his defense, they were having a serious discussion, and -

Yeah, he's got nothing.

Maybe it'll be fine? Lucas is probably the most mature out of all of the boys, maybe -

"I don't know, man," Lucas says, slowly, like he's actually considering that. "We've all heard the rumors about Steve. I don't think it's something little you're gonna be dealing with."

Eddie gapes at him.

"I said you were mature," he bemoans, flinging his upper body over the top of the kitchen table just to make Lucas laugh harder. "I told Max you were emotionally intelligent! Begone from my sight!"

Lucas takes his Gatorades and leaves, still laughing at him.

—

"Max cornered me in the kitchen to threaten me today," Eddie says.

Steve snorts. "Of course she did. What about?"

Eddie shrugs, waiting for Steve to look at him so he can waggle his eyebrows at him. "She also threatened to kill me if I told you."

Steve shoves him, and Eddie falls back dramatically, sprawling out on the couch. He props himself up on his elbows to look at Steve, but he doesn't seem inclined to actually push him to reveal what he and Max talked about. Instead, Steve goes about shutting down for the night, checking to make sure all the windows and the sliding glass door are locked.

"Soulmate stuff," Eddie says. Or more like blurts out, before he can change his mind, to force himself to have to keep going. "She told me what you said about the line between platonic and romantic soulmates. Made me think about some things."

"Yeah?" Steve asks, stopping by the couch to look at him.

"Do you still want me, Steve?" Eddie asks, his heart in his throat.

He isn't prepared for Steve to shut down, for the way his face goes cold and hard and blank.

"Not cool, Eddie," Steve says, turning away and going back to the windows in the living room.

Eddie pushes himself up off the couch, then immediately doubts himself and sits back down. "Steve, what?"

Steve won't look at him, and he can hear the window locks rattling with the force that Steve's using to check them. "You're being a dick, man, come on. You can't ask me stuff like that."

"I-" he starts, then stops, his mind scrambling a little. Is he too late? Did Steve move on already, even though he told Robin that he wasn't going to? Is Eddie so easy to get over that even his fucking soulmate couldn't keep him? "What happened to it's always going to be him, huh?"

"Jesus Christ," Steve says, incredulous, and Eddie kind of wants to cry a little because he knows that Steve has started saying that more because of all the time they've spent together. "You were listening to me and Robin? What the fuck, man, you still think it's fair to throw that at me?"

"Fuck you, Steve, I know it wasn't a lie when you said that. Am I so fucking easy to just stop wanting, or are you that fucking fickle?"

"Eddie, goddamn, is this - were you testing me? Is this you lashing out at me again? Because I can't, okay, not about this, I can't-" he cuts off, one hand scrubbing over his face. "I told you, I can't."

Oh.

Oh fuck.

"Steve, no, I wasn't teasing, I - it was a real question."

Steve stills, pausing right by a window. The light of the moon catches on him, highlighting parts of him in pale silver while the rest of him is warmed from the soft yellow of the living room lamp. "Seriously?"

"Come on, Steve. I just picked a fight with you instead of asking what you meant, and you're surprised I'm not sure you still want me anymore?"

Eddie can hear Steve breathing out, then in, then back out again, watches as he lets some of the tension bleed out of his body. "I think I picked some of that fight right back. I'm sorry, I just - all right, let's go back, and I'll listen without making assumptions, okay?"

Yeah, okay, Eddie can do that.

"Max told me what you said," Eddie starts again. "And it made me think about how smart you are." He wishes Steve were closer, so he could see his face better, at the same time as he wishes he couldn't see it at all. "How brave you are. How when you know what you want, you go for it, how you fight to keep it, how you own up when you make a mistake, how you work so hard to make all this work."

This is Eddie trying to be brave, he thinks. Trying to go for what he wants, to accept that they're going to have to work at this, that he's probably going to get hurt, that he has to trust that Steve will be willing to work past whatever it is that springs up.

It takes him a little too long, though, because after a few moments, Steve gently prompts, "Eddie?"

"Do you still want me?" he asks again. He didn't mean to, but it comes out anyway, all small and tentative.

"Eds," Steve breathes out. "I'm always going to want you."

He loves too much, and he gets it thrown back at him too often, Max had said, and Eddie swallows down the urge to ask him if he means it, if he'll still mean it the next time Eddie picks a fight, or every time he's an ass.

"I'm always going to want you, too," Eddie says.

Steve's hands twitch, and he looks like he's waiting for something - for a lie to show up on his skin, Eddie realizes, and Eddie knows he's going to have to do better than that.

"I want you," he says again. "Steve, I want you. I'll take you any way I can get you, but I just - this is stupid, I'm stupid. I'm making us both miserable because I was scared."

He's not surprised that's what gets Steve moving, and he comes over to sit by him on the couch.

"You're not stupid," Steve replies. "Not for being scared."

Eddie shakes his head. "No, but I am for giving into it. So I might get hurt, so what? I'm already hurting, wanting you so bad and not getting to have you, knowing you'd probably let me kiss you and not letting myself go for it."

Steve's looking at him, eyes all sharp and intense, like he's really listening to Eddie's every word, and hell if it doesn't make him feel just a little bit drunk on it.

"Talking with Max made me realize that I trust you. I trust you, with my life, with - fucking everything. I trust you to work through this with me, to figure out what works for us."

Steve runs a hand over his jaw, going up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Yeah?" he asks after a moment. "You really - you want to do this?"

"So fucking much," Eddie says.

Steve's whole face lights up in a smile, and he leans in, one hand resting on Eddie's knee. "That mean I can kiss you now?"

Eddie barely manages to get out a please before Steve's other hand is sliding over his jaw, slipping back to push his fingers into his hair and cup the side of his face. Steve holds him there as he kisses him, and it's-

It's not Eddie's first kiss. But it's his first kiss that's ever really meant anything, and the soft brush of Steve's lips against his makes his heart stutter in his chest.

Steve gives a little hum, low in his throat, and then he's tilting his head to get a better angle, and holy shit.

Eddie pushes forward eagerly, deepening the kiss until they're both panting for breath, and even then they don't pull away. Their foreheads press together, lips parted and just barely touching as they share the same air. His eyes have closed at some point, but now he opens them to find Steve looking back at him, and Eddie smiles.

"How long do you think until Robin notices we haven't come up?" he asks.

"I'm okay with figuring that out," Steve replies, closing the tiny bit of distance between them to kiss him again.

I've got a pretty good handle on the outline for the rest of this now, so I'd say we've got about four more parts left!

-----

Part 24

Tag list (always happy to add more): @vampireinthesun @koibug @estrellami-1 @mentalcyborg @allbimyself26 @questionablequeeries @the-s-is-silent @whimsicalwitchm @a-gae-af-racoon @tinyplanet95 @n0-1-important @velocitytimes2 @swimmingbirdrunningrock @newtstabber @jcmadgirl @roblingoblin285 @lexyvey @paperbackribs @goodolefashionedloverboi @evix-syne666 @raisedbylibrarians @stxrcrossed186 @nightmareglitter @greekgeek24 @starman-jpg @crazyhatlady86 @imfinereallyy @manda-panda-monium @deleataecount @prideandsensibility @chaoticvictorianspirit @maydillydally @disrespectedgoatman @scarlet-malfoy @i-less-than-three-you @hbyrde36 @hallucinatedjosten @dragonsandgayships @arepaconchocolate @g4ys0n @novelnovella @bisexualdisastersworld @ghostofyourvampiregf @scarletyeager @pettrichore @nerd-and-nervous @hiimlevi @queenie-ofthe-void @cinnamon-mushroomabomination

[narumi-gens]

Between Dreams and Reality

Gojo Satoru x gn!Reader

summary: The space between dreams and reality is a curse. Loving Gojo Satoru makes it the greatest curse of all.

warnings: minors/ageless/blank blogs dni, massive jjk manga spoilers, chapter 236 spoilers, angst with no happy ending, sad times guys, established relationship, gojo being his usual obnoxious self and making everything about him

notes: I'm just working through jjk 236 like the rest of you! also the title comes from something kenjaku says in the manga and it was used in the vol. 23 promo video and I loved it so much that I've been wanting to work into something so here we are.

words: 2.5k

“Hey, remember that fight we had?�� Gojo asks from behind you in bed. The question pulls you from the edge of sleep, but just barely.

“Be more specific,” you grumble, too tired to even snort in response. All you can do is nuzzle further into your pillow. 

“It was about you getting remarried,” he says.

“That was a tantrum, not a fight,” you correct. “And I told you not to say re-married. We’re not married now.”

Even with your eyes closed and your back turned to him, you can feel how amused he is by your response. 

“I was kind of a dick about it, wasn’t I?” he reflects aloud into the darkness of your shared bedroom.

It’s such an unexpected moment of introspection from him — a man who doesn’t seem to know what introspection is — that even in your drowsy state, you let out a small laugh.

“When aren’t you?” you ask him through a yawn and he lets out an offended noise that tugs the corners of your lips into a sleepy smile. 

“Well, sorry I was such an asshole,” he sighs, a faint note of uncharacteristic sincerity coloring his words.

“Gojo Satoru apologizing? I must be dreaming…” you mumble.

“Oh, my aunt’s getting remarried,” you say as you read through the series of messages that your mother sent you. 

“Didn’t your uncle just die?” Gojo kindly asks. Thankfully, you’re more than used to his inability to display any form of tact.

“Well, it’s been a year. But everyone heals differently. I guess when the time is right, the time is right,” you muse. You glance over at him where he sits next to you on the couch and are surprised by the thoughtful look on his annoyingly handsome face.

You turn back to your phone, where your mother seems to be having a very similar reaction to Gojo based on her messages — especially the ones that say, “It’s too soon!”, of which there are many. 

You’ve never been all that close with your mother’s side of the family so your aunt’s decision to remarry isn’t something you have a strong opinion on one way or the other. If she’s found someone else, you wish her the best.

“How long would you wait to get remarried if I died?” Gojo suddenly asks and you scoff without looking up at him.

“To get remarried, I’d have to have been married previously, Mr. Marriage-Is-Just-A-Construct.” The words would probably sound harsh if they were coming from someone else. You speak them dryly and with clear disinterest.

“Fine. How long would you wait to get married to someone else if I died?” he rephrases his original question and you shrug, your attention focused on trying to calm your mother down.

“I don’t know. Two years?” 

“Two?!” he screeches so loudly that you flinch away from him on the couch and slap a hand over your ear. He sits up and turns to face you fully, even going so far as to slide his glasses down his nose so that he can focus the full weight of his Six Eyes on you. “That’s not even enough time for my body to get cold!”

“Can you calm down? It’s just a hypothetical,” you tell him with a roll of your eyes. You reach a hand out to push his glasses back up only for him to bat it away before you can even come into contact with his Infinity. 

“Two years!” he repeats in outrage. “There should be at least five- no, ten years of solid mourning. And I mean the whole thing. You better only dress in black and I expect weekly visits to my grave with flowers and incense. And make sure you put my portrait in the butsudan—”

“We don’t have a butsudan now,” you cut him off to point out, gesturing a wild hand out towards the rest of your shrine-free apartment. “I’m not gonna go out and buy one just because you were stupid enough to get yourself killed.”

“And definitely no dating!” he shouts over you before he brings a thoughtful finger to his chin. “In fact, you should just be like one of those widows who throw themselves on their husband’s funeral pyre. Yeah, that’d work.”

He nods to himself, seemingly satisfied with his proposed solution. 

“We’re not married, so I wouldn’t be a widow and you’re not getting a funeral pyre. This is the 21st century. Your body’s getting shipped off to a crematorium,” you tell him dryly. “They’ll cook you up. We’ll do a little bit of grieving and say a prayer or something. Then we’ll pick your bones, put everything in the urn, and be done in time for lunch.”

He slouches forward and props up his elbow on his knee so that he can rest his chin in his palm with a pout, doing everything that he can with his posture to convey his unhappiness.

“Who’s we? You and your new boyfriend?” he asks and you would liken him to a sulking teenager who didn’t get their way, but that would be an insult to the students at Jujutsu High. 

“No, me and my new husband,” you smirk and he gasps as he turns back towards you, horror coloring his features.

“This is my death! Take it seriously!” he cries.

“Satoru, you’re not dying anytime soon. Why does it matter?” you reply, your tone short as your irritation finally begins to start peeking through.

“It matters because I want to know that you’re not gonna be off fucking some other guy a week after I die,” he mutters, leaning back into the couch and crossing his arms over his chest. 

“I’m not gonna be fucking some other guy,” you snap and now it’s your turn to lean forward in your seat, your elbows on your knees as you tiredly rub your face with your hands. 

“You will two years after I die,” he huffs and you groan at his petty response.

“Can you shut up about ‘two years’ already? It was just a number I threw out. I didn’t put a lot of thought into it,” you explain, hoping that he’ll drop the topic despite knowing that Gojo has never been one to let anything go. 

There’s a slow creeping weariness that you can feel settling into your bones. It’s one that you usually only feel after a bad mission, not when arguing with Gojo. Feeling it in such a domestic setting is putting you on edge.

“Why not? This is my death we’re talking about!” he presses and you feel your self-control crack.

“Exactly! I don’t want to think about it!” you shout back. 

You’re not sure if it’s because of how loud your voice suddenly is or the admission altogether, but it seems to stun him into silence. You immediately find yourself regretting your words, hating how exposed they’ve left you. 

The last thing you want is to see the look on his face and so you bury your face further into your hands. You can feel his gaze on you and even if he didn’t have the Six Eyes, you think it would burn just as hot. 

“I don’t want to think about you dying,” you mumble, unable to stop yourself from continuing. “So can we please just drop it already?”

There’s a heavy silence that hangs over the two of you. Eventually, it breaks when Gojo lets out a soft sigh. You feel the couch cushions shifting as he leans forward and tosses an arm over your shoulders. He then drops his chin to rest on top of your head as he holds you close.

“Don’t worry. I’m the strongest,” he says, his tone light as he tries to reassure you. It’s only because you know him so well that you can tell how forced his nonchalance is. “No matter what, I’ll win.”

You find yourself wrapping his words around you, clutching onto them tightly like a safety blanket that refuse to let go of.

“Isn’t your aunt’s boyfriend like half her age?” he suddenly asks, switching the topic altogether and you lean further into his side in silent gratitude. 

“More than half. He’s younger than us,” you reply with a quiet snort, finally dropping your hands from your face.

“Hm, well good for her.”

He doesn’t respond to your taunt, and you think the universe is finally showing you mercy and allowing you to fall back asleep. But then he gives an exaggerated sigh, pulling your waning attention back to him without even needing to say a word — an art that he’s perfected over the years that you’ve been together.

“I guess you don’t need to spend ten years mourning me,” he says and you groan, wanting nothing more than for this conversation to be over and for him to just let you sleep like mere mortals do. “I mean, mourn me a little at least. But ten years is asking a lot, isn’t it?”

“Satoru…” you warn. It would probably sound more threatening if you hadn’t yawned halfway through saying it.

“But, just wait a while before you start dating again, alright? Even in the afterlife, I don’t know if my ego could take it if you moved onto someone new too quickly,” he jokes, but beneath the self-deprecating humor, there’s a strange vulnerability that finally has you opening your eyes.

And you immediately wish you hadn’t because doing so shatters the strange, liminal space that comes with not being fully asleep and not fully awake. Your mind is still drowsy and it takes a minute to realize that something is wrong. All that you’re aware of is that you’re now soberingly conscious. 

When reality manages to catch up with you, your world comes crashing down around you in sharp, jagged pieces. Because where only a moment ago, you could feel Gojo’s warmth behind you in bed, hear his voice in your ears, feel his presence in your life, all that’s left now is an aching void. 

You’re overcome with the urge to look over your shoulder, despite knowing that you’ll find nothing when you do so. And that’s what keeps you lying still, staring straight ahead into the dark. 

This is your own Schrödinger's cat — if you don’t turn around then you don’t know if he’s not there. Just like the cat, Gojo is still alive so long as you don’t look. 

“S-Satoru…?” you ask, unable to help yourself. Your voice is rough with sleep, and it sounds so different, so much more real, from how you just heard it when you were talking with him. Maybe that’s answer enough. 

“Satoru?” Your voice cracks when you try again, only to be met with deafening silence. 

There’s a sharp pain in your ribcage, one that you’ve become familiar with over the past few months. You instinctively bring a hand to the middle of your chest, pressing your palm down hard to alleviate the ache despite knowing that it won’t help. 

The bed has always been too large. It had to be in order to fit his lanky frame. But now it threatens to swallow you whole and you scramble to escape it, your legs getting caught in the sheets as you rush to kick them off. 

You stumble out of the bedroom and make your way to the living room, where you fling a shaking hand out to flip the light switch. The sudden brightness has you squinting and after you’ve taken a moment for your eyes to adjust, you find yourself dropping to your knees in front of the small, wooden altar that’s been set up against the wall. 

Your breath catches in your throat as you’re met with Gojo’s smiling portrait — the only way you’ll ever be face-to-face again. His sunglasses sit carefully, reverently, to one side, folded on top of his trademark blindfold. A small box of mochi from his favorite café sits on the shelf just beneath in offering. 

With slightly trembling hands, you open the butsudan’s drawer and pick up the box of incense, sighing when you open it and see that there’s only one stick left. You absently note to buy more when you go out tomorrow for your regular visit to Gojo’s grave. 

Once you’ve set the last stick in its elegant dish and lit it, you take a deep, shaking breath, and try to push down the wave of tears you feel burning behind your eyes. The fabric of your black sleep shorts is clenched tightly between your fingers where your hands sit on your thighs. 

You suddenly feel angry and you latch onto the burning emotion, desperate to feel anything other than the overwhelming grief that’s found a home deep in your soul. Its roots have grown and stretched over the months to consume every piece of you, like an invasive species that’s destroyed everything else until it’s the only thing left in your life.

“You asshole.” You meant to spit the words out, but instead, they fall flat along with your resentment. “Of course I’ll mourn you. Did you really think I wouldn’t?”

Your head drops forward and you cover your eyes with one hand, as if doing so will hide your tears from Gojo’s ever-watchful gaze. Despite your best efforts, your self-control finally slips and you softly begin to sob.

“Y-you wanted ten years?” you ask, still unable to look at him. “I’ll mourn you forever. I promise.”

If he was still alive, you would have offered to make him a binding vow. You should have offered to make him a binding vow. Instead, you can only make one with yourself. 

“Please tell me this is just my imagination,” you murmur, desperately hoping that some passing god will take pity on you and give you what you want more than anything. You don’t care what you have to give up, as long as they’ll give you Gojo back. 

With your eyes closed and your hand blocking any light, you find yourself wondering if you’ve fallen back into that liminal space once again, where everything is and isn’t at the same time. If you try hard enough, you can almost hear him tsking and asking you why you didn’t spend more on a bigger butsudan. 

But the scent of the incense and the soft sounds of your crying keep you from slipping away from the present. 

Your vision is blurry with your tears when you lift your gaze back up to look at Gojo. As his photo grins back, you sniffle and wipe your messy face with the back of your wrist before you press your palms together and bow your head.

“I pray that this all is just my imagination,” you beg him, pleading with him to perform one last miracle for you.

But when you open your eyes and find yourself still alone, the incense burning, and only your grief and his portrait for company, you know that this is reality — even as it falls out from under you.

[katsona-the-katsequel]

Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad Activity Report

Part 2

4/22 (Wed) - Reporter: Yukari Takeba

...Geez, Junpei...what's wrong with that...Oh, sorry, it's Takeba.

Well, Junpei Iori, that rude idiot, yelled abusive language at a woman, so I just had to give him a little warning.

For an hour.

By the way, Junpei has a cold. He has a high fever and looks like he is in pain, but I don't care.

After all, after the exploration of Tartarus, he stayed up late watching late-night TV, so it was all his fault.

...I guess today's post wasn't really a report, right? Sorry.

4/23 (Thu) - Reporter: Mitsuru Kirijo

It's Kirijo.

There are no Student Council activities today, so I took a quick look around Paulownia Mall before heading home... It seems like the number of Lost people has increased significantly. To be honest, I'm a bit worried, but the reality is that we have no choice but to build up our strength in Tartarus. I hope the second-years, our new fighting force, will do their best.

Speaking of which, it seems that the sports clubs have started recruiting new members, and that's the topic of conversation in the lounge. Akihiko seems to be excited at the thought of club activities, but I'll have to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't start training on his own again. The field leader seems to be interested in club activities as well. I hope he chooses a club where he can put his skills to good use in real situations...

4/24 (Fri) - Reporter: Akihiko Sanada

Today, while chatting in the school hallway, a second-year student said something that concerned me. Apparently, a friend of his dropped out of school and has become a recluse. Since there is a possibility that he is a Lost, I reported this to Ikutsuki-san just in case... I hope that nothing bad happens, but I don't think we can be optimistic.

It's really frustrating to see damage happening in places close to me like this. Even though my job right now is to heal my body...

Hurry up... let me fight.

4/25 (Sat) - Reporter: Junpei Iori

Hi, it's Junpei.

Wow, time flies, and tomorrow will be another week since I moved into the dorm. A week that seems short but long... a week that seems long but short...

No, nothing dramatic happened. Anyway, life is comfortable! I'm not tied down to anything.

But it's more free than living at home, or maybe it's just a sense of freedom? It's a bit of a pain to get food, but I can eat whenever I want, I get to choose the channel I want, and best of all, I don't have to hide *it* under the bed... oh no. I'm deleting the last one.

But how can I turn it off? Hey, wait, sir!

4/26 (Sun) - Reporter: Yukari Takeba

Ah, it's Takeba.

Today is Sunday, so I went out in the morning to do some window shopping and eat around town. It feels like it's been a really long time since I've had a day off.

Well, shadows don't have any days off, so you really shouldn't let your guard down...

That's fine, right?

It seems that Junpei and the leader also went out. I wonder where they hang out? I can imagine what Junpei does, but the leader doesn't seem to have any hobbies. Oh, he seems to like music, so he probably goes around CD stores.

The seniors were in the dormitory. Kirijo-senpai said that she feels more relaxed when reading, but I wonder if that was because she was being considerate of Sanada-senpai who can't go out due to an injury? Hmm, I don't really understand Kirijo-senpai's personality, so I'm not sure.

I don't think this is really a report or anything, but this was Takeba.

4/27 (Mon) - Reporter: Mitsuru Kirijo

It's Kirijo.

Today I invited him, our field leader, to join the Student Council. I hoped that he would use his adaptability to help me on campus, but maybe I was being a bit too pushy?

Well, right after the invitation, I got permission from Toriumi-sensei and he came straight to the Student Council room, so at least it seems there's not a complete lack of interest.

...When I see a person with an ability, I naturally tend to judge that they would be happy to utilize that ability... but maybe that's a bad habit of mine. I should reflect on this. But even so, I have high expectations for his work.

I introduced him to the members of the Student Council, and it seems he has already caught the eye of the disciplinary committee chairman, Odagiri. To be able to take a liking to such a difficult guy like him, he must be no ordinary person.

But... compared to that, look at the principal's attitude this morning! What a huge waste of time! Do I need to do something about it...?

4/28 (Tue) - Reporter: Akihiko Sanada

The lines that were cut off by the recent Shadow attack have finally been restored. I normally don't use the internet that much so it won't have much of an impact on me, but it will be a relief for Mitsuru, who has to investigate various things. Also, Junpei was making a fuss about online games. That guy plays too much.

Honestly, my ribs are just like the cables.

I hope I can just replace it with a new one and end the treatment... But maybe it'll be nice to go online for a change of pace.

I remember someone in my class saying that the video of the world title defense match the other day was available. I should check it out...

4/29 (Wed) - Reporter: Junpei Iori

Hey!

It's Junpei!

Holiday! It's a national holiday!

Am I the only one who feels like I've gotten a huge bonus when I have a day off other than Sunday?

…Oh, by the way, what day is it today?

Well, that's ok, but anyway I enjoyed my holiday! That's it!

Oh, Tartarus and SEES are on holiday because the Senpais are out.

By the way, our leader said that he saw Sanada-san in front of the police station at night... Could it be that he forgot that Kurosawa-san wasn't there and went to buy a weapon?

Hehehe, the other day he said "I can't buy it at night, so please be careful."

Even though he was saying "I'll do my best", he ended up being the one who got carried away. …Maybe Sanada-san is actually an… air-headed person?

4/30 (Thu) - Reporter: Yukari Takeba

Uh, this is Takeba.

The world is definitely in a Golden Week mood. I saw on TV that the cherry blossoms are in full bloom at Hirosaki Castle in Aomori. In the class next door, some kids are taking Thursday, Friday and Saturday off and have already been to Guam since yesterday.

...Well, that's fine. Even if there are no missions, there is no way I can go out and play. However, when I thought that the battle without a goal would continue on and on like this, I felt a little uneasy, or perhaps I wanted some kind of feedback that I was useful. Haha, I'm feeling a bit down. Sorry! This is Takeba.

5/1 (Fri) - Reporter: Junpei Iori

Hi, Junpei here!

Today, at Sanada-san's request, I was able to accomplish my mission of carrying important documents to Tatsumi Memorial Hospital, where he was admitted for a medical examination!

...No, sorry. This is a report with some dramatization. Even the watchdog and the leader came along, so it just seemed like we were all visiting the hospital. Oh, by the way, the important document is the class list for class 2E. Sanada-san, what is that for?

Oh, and I met someone at the hospital who seems to be an acquaintance of Sanada-san. Someone who is apathetic.

No, how should I put it, he was like a knife, with an aura that said "I'll punch you if you talk to me"... He looked strong... Somehow, I got the feeling that Senpai really trusted him, and when I saw that... I was kind of jealous...

Ah, hahaha, something's weird about me.

5/2 (Sat) - Reporter: Mitsuru Kirijo

It's Kirijo. Today is the 8th night of the lunar calendar. I was contacted by the Kirijo family to say that they will be sending me some good Gyokuro tea soon, as they do every year. They say that this year's harvest is even better than before, so as a tea lover, I'm looking forward to it.

Even so, I was surprised to find that it was already that season. I really feel how quickly time passes.

At school, Golden Week starts tomorrow, and my classmates are busy planning trips and fun activities.

I don't have any particular plans, and the whole day is spent... well, maybe I'll read a book. I tuned up my bike the other day because I had too much free time. At times like this, it's hard not to have a hobby to kill time. I'm not interested in TV either... Oh, that reminds me. There seems to be a lot of talk about some suspicious shopping program lately. Amazing Commodities...I think it was a common name, like "Yamada" or "Suzuki"...Yeah. It should be on air tomorrow, so I might as well take a look.

5/3 (Sun) - Reporter: Yukari Takeba

Eh, this is Takeba...

Sorry, I don't really have a good voice.

Don't worry about it. No, it's not like the Chairman's pun really touched my heart.

Something bad happened during the day.

Can I tell you? Is it okay?

Even though I was saying it was a report... I'm also in a hurry. I mean, please listen to me, anyone is fine! This is the worst! I went to see a movie with a friend from my club today. It was a super popular movie that was released just in time for Golden Week. I was really looking forward to it. So, we met at Paulownia Mall, and there was still some time before the screening so we decided to walk around for a bit. I said I wanted to go look at some clothes, but the girl said she wanted to go to a bookstore. But she was a huge bookworm, and I don't know if it's a used bookstore, but she loves books so much that when we go to a bookstore, she loses herself in reading books.

I knew that, and I didn't have any particular books I wanted to read, so it would be boring to go, and when you go into a bookstore, you feel like you want to go to the bathroom, don't you? So I didn't want to go, and I told her I didn't want to go either because she probably wouldn't come back.

She said she was just there to pick up the book she ordered and would be back soon. But I had a bad feeling, so I told her I'd wait by the fountain and that she should go alone...I mean, if you have a bad feeling about it, you shouldn't go! In the end, she never came back...

5/13 (Wed) - Reporter: Mitsuru Kirijo

(Recording stopped due to memory capacity exceeded)

5/4 (Mon) - Reporter: Akihiko Sanada

Today, or rather, nothing particularly unusual happened today. The weather is as good as ever, and it seems like many tourist spots are crowded.

Well, we have the important mission of defeating shadows, so Golden Week is out of our league, and in any case, with this body... Well, we have no choice but to hold off on playing and Tartarus until we're fully healed.

Luckily, Mitsuru was at the dorm all day and talked to me, so I didn't have to waste any time. But is she okay? She's too stiff, or maybe she doesn't know how to play... I'm worried, even though it's none of my business. I wish she'd learn a little from Junpei's carefree attitude, but... well, it's not funny when she gets to that point.

Speaking of Junpei, in the evening we had a light discussion, or something like a debate, about Junpei's fight with shadows. It turned out he was thinking about the fight more seriously than I expected, and we had a much more meaningful exchange of opinions than I had imagined. I can't lose either.

5/5 (Tue) - Reporter: Junpei Iori

Hi, it's Junpei.

Oh, hello there. I've had a lot of bad luck lately... sigh.

It's nothing serious, but the day before yesterday I was supposed to go see a movie with a friend, but one of them suddenly had a hard time making it, so it fell through, and today was my revenge, but I forgot that the meeting place had changed, and even though I was at Paulownia Mall an hour before the scheduled time, I got an email saying I was late...To top it off, the item I ordered from Shikaku Net arrived today, but...they made a mistake with the order number!

Sigh, I don't need health sandals.

5/6 (Wed) - Reporter: Mitsuru Kirijo

It's Kirijo.

Golden Week ended without incident, and school starts again today. Student council activities are getting more serious, and midterm exams are coming up. I'm going to keep myself in shape both physically and mentally so that I don't get sluggish after the break.

For now, I've been keeping a close eye on the SEES members, and they don't look tired at all, and are in high spirits. ...Even though it's a tough mission that isn't even a duty, they're doing a really good job...I'm grateful.

But Akihiko has to do something. His face shows that he can't help but want to move his body at any opportunity. I'll put a stop to that first...

5/7 (Thu) - Reporter: Yukari Takeba

Hey, it's Takeba.

I was so long the other day...I'm really sorry. Hahaha. Oh, that reminds me, Golden Week is over. That brings back memories...the midterm exams start the week after next...Wow, what should I do? I have to study. Anyway, this was Takeba!

5/8 (Fri) - Reporter: Akihiko Sanada

How should I put it? I just can't get the fishy feeling out of my head. Tonight, after dinner, I was watching TV in the lounge. I usually kill time by cleaning my gloves or reading, but maybe I had a premonition.

The local news section featured a live broadcast from Tatsumi Memorial Hospital on patients with Apathy Syndrome.

The topic was "The number of patients with apathy has increased to this extent..." I never thought... Mitsuru would occasionally let me read the reports from Kirijo, which gave me the overall numbers that could be grasped statistically, but seeing the number of patients lining up for hospital beds with my own eyes... well, actually, it was more than I had imagined. I couldn't help but feel that this increase in the number of patients was strange.

I can't help but think that this is a good omen. It's not just that our power is not enough and the number of shadows is increasing, it's something more decisive. I'm sure Mitsuru will be very angry if I say this, but... I actually went out on patrol secretly during the Dark Hour today. Of course, I didn't intend to push myself too hard. In case I happen to encounter a shadow...

Even if she did, I was planning to contact her right away and run away without making a move. Seriously? I just wanted to do something about this feeling of insecurity. I know... I know it's stupid. But when I look at the full moon, I feel uneasy, an unreachable part deep in my heart. Is something... going to happen?

5/9 (Sat) - Reporter: Mitsuru Kirijo

It's Kirijo...

Seriously... This is what they mean when they say "regret is no use in hindsight." No, there's no point in regretting it. Anyway, let's start with today's report.

Today, the appearance of a large Shadow was confirmed again. The first place where it was detected was the New Urban Transit Ane between Iwatodai Station and Port Island Station.

I was in Hazuru's car. I immediately sent three second-year students to the scene, and I myself prepared my backup equipment and set out. However, I think the current backup system needs some review.

To put it simply, the team on the ground was planning to infiltrate the parked Anezuru during the Dark Hour and defeat the large Shadow believed to be inside. However, even at this point, I still hadn't been able to confirm the Shadow's position, and I had to admit that my judgement in allowing it to enter without enough information was a fatal mistake. That thing... the large Shadow had merged with the monorail's body, setting a trap for our attack. To be honest, I had never thought that the Shadow had such intelligence.

Future strategies against the Shadows will also need to be significantly revised.

In any case, thanks to the efforts of the three second-year students, and especially the judgment of the field leader, they succeeded in defeating the Shadow, but it was a battle that required reflection on many things. Next time, they'll clear their name... Next time...

5/10 (Sun) - Reporter: Junpei Iori

Hi, it's Junpei.

No, no, I really thought I was going to die yesterday. The car in front of me was closing in on me in the blink of an eye! I couldn't kill the enemy Shadow very easily! And just when I was about to do so, my attack failed and I slipped and fell! I was like, "What on earth is this?" Ahahaha.

...No, it's no laughing matter. I'm reflecting on the fact that if I hadn't gone too far in the first place, the fight might have been easier... But compared to that, he's really incredible. Even in such an extreme situation, he had the composure to run over to the brakes... No, I really can't lose...even I...

5/11 (Mon) - Reporter: Akihiko Sanada

Maybe because the operation the day before yesterday ended rather unsatisfactorily, Mitsuru seemed a little depressed, but today I was finally able to tell her what seemed to be good news. It seems that since defeating that big Shadow, the Apathy Syndrome patients have been recovering one after another.

Today, I stopped by Tatsumi Memorial Hospital on my way home from school to get some medicine, and one of the nurses told me with a happy look on her face. At the very least, almost all of the patients whose consciousness level had dropped so much that they were hospitalized there were able to respond when the doctor spoke to them overnight. It's a masterpiece because the most serious symptom related to the apathetic patients was a broken bone in a university student who was hit by a car while daydreaming. It would have been a breach of confidentiality, but she must have been very happy.

I told Mitsuru about it right away, but she scolded me, saying that it was the railway company that would be held responsible for the overrun, and that I shouldn't get too excited. She's happy too, but she's still not very honest.

The other thing that's changed is... Ah, that's right. Exams start next week, so the campus is in disarray. Tartarus is important, but we need to make sure the second-years don't neglect their duties as students. Especially Junpei. Is he okay...?

5/12(Tue) - Reporter: Yukari Takeba

Well, this is Takeba.

I skipped Tartarus today and went to borrow a friend's notebook. I'm sorry, Kirijo-senpai and everyone.

I mean, if I don't study, I get anxious, right? I haven't been able to concentrate on studying for the past few days because of the strategy I used the other day, so I'm a bit worried.

I'm in a hurry. Seriously.

Ah, but it's not that I don't like my role in the SEES. I talked to the leader this morning, and I'm happy if I can help someone by working hard. But that's that, and this is that. I'll hold off on Tartarus this week. This was Takeba.

It's Kirijo. Yesterday, a member of the Gekkoukan Academy staff was killed in a landslide by a car.

There was a traffic accident in which a man fell off a road and sustained serious injuries. It hasn't rained recently, so I thought it was just a coincidence, but it seems that it may not have been an accident. What's more, it may have been something to do with a shadow...

Whenever there is a suspicious accident or incident within the police, Kirijo's lab is secretly contacted, and this accident was caught in that net. Apparently, when they were investigating the ground to investigate the cause of the accident, they found evidence of a landslide caused by an external force. However, this is not certain, they also said that it "seems to be an external influence" to the extent that it is merely a symptom of the problem.

Afterwards, I asked for more details, but apart from the fact that the accident occurred around a certain time, there was nothing to suggest that the Dark Hour was related. Hmm... Maybe I'm being a bit overly sensitive.

5/14 (Thu) - Reporter: Akihiko Sanada

Today was an extremely peaceful day, with nothing to report as part of SEES, and nothing I wanted to personally think about. ...Well, that's just on the surface, after all...

Hmph... There's no point in being shy, so I'll just tell you. There are only a few days left until the midterm exams. The dormitory and the school are quiet on the surface, but deep down, I can't help but feel like a pretty violent storm is raging.

As for the guys in the dorm, Mitsuru and I are acting the same as usual, but Takeba seems to stay in her room after coming home from school and never coming out. I'm worried about whether she's eating properly, but in this respect, girls are better than boys. The field leader seems to be cool, and he seems to be doing what he needs to do, such as stopping by the library at school and studying with the lights on until late at night.

The problem, after all, is... Junpei. I'll have to give him a warning tomorrow.

5/15 (Fri) - Reporter: Mitsuru Kirijo

This is Kirijo.

Recently, as I continued my daily Shadow surveillance, I noticed that the number of shadow activities had decreased dramatically since the large Shadow was defeated the other day.

I can't let my guard down, but I feel like I've had a weight lifted off my shoulders for the first time in a long time.

I was aware that I wasn't putting my all into it, so I thought it wouldn't be so bad to spend this weekend sitting at my desk like a student would...

I've been told that Akihiko will be able to return soon, so let's think about how to organize ourselves so that we can start full-scale activities after the exams are over. Yes, I'd like to have more... manpower...

<-PREVIOUS ● NEXT->

[gothoffspring]

Hey, y'all! I'm finally back to posting cc and I couldn't be happier about it. Expect at least 1-2 recolors a month from now on! 🌞🌴

DETAILS:

This is a recolor of @madlensims's Elin Outfit. You must download the mesh in order for it to show up in your game.

There are 23 swatches total. It comes in mostly summer themed patterns, with a few wildcards towards the end. You also get 10 of my favorite plain colored swatches from the car park medley palette by @hagsims.

You can see some more CAS previews here and a completely unedited photo (no gshade/no edge smoothing) right here. (I was using colored lighting during my photoshoot and forgot to turn them off, hence the slight purple/pink hue)

Custom thumbnail included for the first swatch.

If you find any issues with this recolor at all, please let me know and I'll do my best to fix it.

Also, just sayin', this mesh works very well on fat sims. I even tried it with larger custom presets and there was still only minimal clipping! ❤️

CREDITS:

All patterns found via vecteezy/freepik, or possibly google images. All credit goes to the original pattern makers!

Thank you to @madlensims for this lovely mesh. I could not find a public TOU listed anywhere but I have seen people recolor madlen's shoes, which is why I'm kind of assuming they are alright with recolors. If not, I'll definitely remove this.

@public-ccfinds @mmfinds 💖

DL: SFS / MF

[yorshie]

For the angst prompt, can you do 23 & 24 a very angsty confession with Raph with an eventual happy ending?

Bayverse Raph x GN reader, SFW

"Will it kill you to tell me the truth for once?" You shouted at his retreating shell, dodging the hanging chains that swayed quickly back in place as he sought to put some distance between the two of you, the usual makeshift door not slowing you down like it would normally.

The argument was old, but you were full of hot anger, and the festering itch couldn't be shoved down any longer.

"I tried! I tried to tell you, but you didn't listen to me." He sounded so tired, so done, and it created a tight swell of panic high in your chest. "Just like you aren't listening to me right now. It's gotta be this way, sweet-"

"Don't you dare 'sweetheart' me in the middle of breaking up with me, Raphael." You hissed, rounding on him. "You did not tell me, you just have me some fortune cookie nonsense and then disappeared!"

You stopped in front of him, glaring up at the sad look on his face. "Stop looking at me like that and tell me what's going on, or so help me I'll... I'll ask Leo."

Raph barked a laugh at that, turning his face upwards and scrubbing a large hand over his beak. "Wow." Embarrassment stained your cheeks at the amount of patronization in that one word. "You still aren't listening, are you?"

You looked down sharply, breathing hard, trying not to sniffle as he continued.

"Leo's gone to throw his own girl off our scent, he's no help to you or me right now. Might've worked a few hours ago, but now I've seen what these assholes are prepared to do. You gotta bug out, babe."

He tried to reach out, to touch your face, but you dodged his hand, anger still bubbling up. "You can't ditch me, Raph. I'll just... I'll follow you."

"No, you won't." He explained, rough voice dipping down low. "Wr'e going dark, and I need you too as well. I can't even give you a burner, I'm dead serious-"

You turned on your heel before he could finish, hurt, angry, ten seconds from screaming at him, needing to get as far away as possible before you expounded the problem.

"Hey, wait!" Raph called, making an aborted move for your swinging arm. "I wanna at least say good-"

"No!" You yelled over your shoulder. "Don't you dare say that fucking word to me! You can tell me hello though, when you finally pull your head out of your shell!"

Silence radiated from behind you, but you didn't dare turn to look. Your vision was already blurry, you'd break if he was watching you leave with that same sad look pulling at his face.

A month later, sitting in your friend’s living room, listlessly poking at yet another plate of cold leftovers, your purse started buzzing.

Confused, you pulled the item towards you, rooting around until your fingers touched something cold and bulky. Pulling it out, you turned over an old flip phone.

It started buzzing again, and without thinking you flipped it open, heart starting to kick up in your throat at the low voice on the other side.

“Hey, sweetheart. Sorry it took so long”

[millenniumbreak]

Clips from Friends at the Table: Palisade. Contains spoilers up to Episode 52.

Song: Bury the Body and Tell No One by The Great Vorelli

CW: Discussion of mass murder, eating people.

Transcript below the cut

-PSD 29-

Austin (as Gucci): I thought we could move a few hearts. I thought we could change a couple minds. [small sigh] I thought we could spill some blood. I knew we could spill some blood. I thought we could get a few more years. Really, I thought we had a few more years and we’d pull them towards something else. Concessions. I thought elections somewhere. [Ali laughs quietly] I thought- // I didn't know we could cut their heads off. [chuckles] And now I don't know what tomorrow looks like. I'm a little afraid, Brnine.

Ali (as Brnine): [sighs] Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. I'm in this until it’s finished.

Austin (as Gucci): Until it’s finished? [exhales]

Ali (as Brnine): Yeah.

Austin (as Gucci): Me too.

-PSD 04-

Sylvi: I think I’m just like, staring at // I’m picturing this thing face down, the cockpit. // There’s glass of the cockpit on, like, bloodstains and shit. // But so, we get her just like staring at that for a little while, and then... //

Sylvi (as Coriolis): Thisbe, can you take a picture of me?

Sylvi: Oh my god.

Sylvi: And then poses in front of the downed mech.

-PSD 23-

Austin: Scientists and soldiers who are not…who are just, like, the wounded and the people who are resting and stuff like that who are not able to fight //

Janine: I kind of would love to communicate with that group at the same time and be like, “If you just stop and chill out, we’re not gonna kill you. Just stop.” // I don't think we have an intention of killing a bunch of scientists.

Austin: Sure // They pause to hear you out, or at least some of them do. Uh, Cori, you could kill them all right now, no problem. [Janine laughs]

Austin: Actually thats-

Sylvia: I flipped a coin, and I'm killing them. [Keith laughs]

Austin: You're killing them! Fuck! [Ali laughs]

Janine [crosstalk]: Okay!

-PSD 47-

Austin: I think it’s “I’ll join Millennium Break if…”

Janine: “I can eat people.”

Austin: “…you let me—” Yeah, absorb…

Dre: Eat people, yeah.

Austin: Eat people. Yum, yum, yum. Which, you know, Brnine, you can just say no to. //

Ali: Yeah, I—yeah. I mean, I don’t know… do I reject this offer? I don’t know that I do that. [uncertain wavering] Eh, I don’t know… I mean, it seems fair enough, right?

-PSD 50-

Austin: They need that to stay alive, and to like, keep their glass from getting brittle. //

Keith: Fuck 'em //

Janine: So, this isn’t actually kidnapping, then, this is like mass murder on a slow scale. //

Keith: They’re—sorry, they’re—if I win, they’re dead.

Austin: I don’t know that it’s like a “they’re dead immediately” thing, but I do think…

Keith: No, I mean, I’m dooming them

-PSD 52-

Austin: Hoping that they—like at first, it starts with like, hey, I'll turn myself in if you give me access to the Unction goo I need to live. And then eventually some people just start turning themselves in. You know, someone has the idea that's like, well, they're not going to let me die in prison. If they are going to put me on trial, they'll give me the goo I need to live until trial at least. Now, will this, will Righteousness’ crew do that? I don't know, but I think that that just starts happening.

-PSD 55-

Austin: I've said this before, but like Palisade at its heart, was meant to be kind of a corny, hopeful season? The dice did not always play out that way

-TRANSCRIPT ENDS-

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 23 (The Heat of Summer)

A sweltering heatwave hit Brindleton Bay in Heather’s third trimester, and to escape the haze inland she spent her days off indoors or on the coast. Uninvited, Everett visited again with his dog, JJ. (And then this Watcher had had enough!) Heather guiltily enjoyed his company at the seashore knowing Spencer and Greyson were back in Oasis Springs without him.

"I didn't know you picked up the guitar," said Heather, as he strummed a few bars in the sunshine.

Everett grinned. "It helps get Greyson to sleep, and the parishioners like it."

"Won't Greyson and Spencer be missing you? Why did you come back here?"

He matched her guilt through his pale green eyes. "I wanted to make sure you were okay out here by yourself."

"Did you come back because Malcolm and I aren't together anymore?"

He waffled. "Maybe. But it might be worse than that. I think I resent Spencer because she can't have more kids. I know it's not her fault, and I feel horrible, but I can't stop thinking about wanting more."

"I've felt a lot of ways about you in my life, Everett, but the one thing I never wanted to be was a replacement for Spencer. I don't need that. We don't need that. For the foreseeable future, at least, the only man I want to make significant time for is my son."

With a nod, Everett put down his guitar. "We're friends. Just friends."

The words brought Heather unexpected comfort, like a cool blanket in the sweltering heat. So this is what it felt like not to wish for a future with Everett Pancakes. "I'm glad we can finally say it."

For the rest of Everett's stay, Heather explored new corners of her adopted hometown with her oldest friend in the world. His visit felt a bit like a fever dream, disconnected from the reality of who they really were.

But maybe that was just the heat.

"What am I going to say to Spencer when I get back?" he wondered as they watched the sunset over the beach at Cavalier Cove. They leaned with their backs against the tortoise sand sculpture they'd built, and Everett dragged his fingers through the sand.

"I don't know what you should say," Heather said. "You know the Watcher's Holy Book better than me, but I think They would hope you cherished the gifts you've been given."

"Is that your plan for single motherhood?"

She shrugged. "I guess so, yeah."

"You're more ready than me and Spencer before we had Greyson."

"Even though my son's crib is in the living room?"

When Everett returned to Oasis Springs, he found Spencer trying to soothe their fussy son to sleep in his crib. "Hey, I'm home," he announced, but she turned to look at him with an icy stare. He anxiously moved to sit on the bed.

"I feel for Heather's predicament, but you need to tell me right now if your visits are anything more than platonic."

Everett recalled his earlier conversation with Heather. "Whatever feelings we once had aren't there now," he said honestly. "But Heather and I did talk about...about us."

"You and me? You could tell her something about your relationship with me that I don't even know?" Spencer felt her heartrate quicken.

Everett frowned. "I think you do know...I want more kids. I know you think Greyson is more than enough. I love you so much, but I'm scared, Spence. I'm afraid Greyson will never be enough for me, and I know you can't fix it."

Spencer broke down. "I know what I said about Greyson, and I stand by it. He's amazing - why wouldn't he be enough?"

"It's not that!"

She cut him off. "I don't think we should make any decisions about anything right now, but I've done some research on surrogacy and adoption, and I'm open to the possibility of talking about our options."

They both needed time to really think about the idea, but Everett appreciated that his wife was hoping to meet him in somewhere in the middle. ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

[scarisd3ad]

Promptober day 20 - having an encounter with the hand

Pairing - Hayley (talk to me) x gn!reader

Warnings - blood, possession, demon ghost trying to kill reader

Promptober ‘23 masterlist

Main masterlist

Taglist

"I'll do it" I say as I push myself onto the edge of the couch. Hayley my partners brows furrow together before a smirk pulls on their lips. I have never really experienced the hand, Hayley and all our friends said it's euphoric, that it felt good. I never really believed that it was real either so why not at least try it. if it was real there wasn't any risk other than full on demonic possession and Hayley always only did 90 seconds so there was no way. "c'mon sit, sit" I stand up and walking over to the little chair they had set up in front of a table. "alright hands up" I raise my hands and Hayley wraps a chain around my torso. "alright" Hayley kneels down in front of me and lights the small tea candles.

"Now hold the hand..." I've watched enough people play around with this hand at parties to know what to do. I hold the hand like I'm shaking it, my eyes still on Hayley. I turn my head intending to look at everyone who was sitting on the couch in front of me but instead I'm met with a man. a man with a large nasty slit across his throat and both eyes gouged out. I let out a gasp as I jump "holy fuck what is that?!" I cry out as I quickly turn my head so I'm looking at Hayley and not whatever the man was in front of me. my chest heaves as tears spring into my eyes. everyone around me is laughing as they pull out their phones. their laughing while I'm going through a traumatic experience. their laughs are booming as a tear falls down my cheek and into my mouth. "Hey, you don't have to look at it" Hayley's hand comes and presses against my arm that isn't holding the hand. their hand against my arm calms me down. my breathing slowing down as Hayley's thumb caresses my arm. I nod as Hayley's hand comes up and wipes the tear that had fallen down my cheek.

"now say talk to me"

"talk to me"

I let out a gasp as my head is pushed back, it felt like something was pushing me out of my own body. then I'm stood in the corner and the ghost? demon? was sat in the chair I was sat in taking my place. I can't hear anything; my ears are ringing but I can tell everyone is laughing. it doesn't feel good like Hayley said it was it felt violating and embarrassing as I watch Hayley and their friend play around with the ghost in my body. then everyone pauses staring at the ghost in fear. I can tell the man is laughing by the look on his face and the way his chest rises and falls. then all of a sudden, he's banging his head against the table, trying to kill me? Hayley sprints up from the place they were sitting grabbing both my shoulders to keep the ghost from doing any more harm. they are shouting I can tell; they're shouting at one of their friends who runs over and grabs the hand. he pulls it out of my hand and blows out the candle.

then I'm back in my body again. blood is streaming out of a gash in my head and pooling in my eyes. my breathing is labored as I look around at everyone around me who are laughing still recording me as blood runs down my face. I could've very much died but they're all laughing and recording me like it's some kind of game. red hot pain blooms across my forehead as tears fall down my cheeks. "ge-get me out" I stutter out, Hayley gestures to their friend to untie me. I feel someone walk up behind me and pulls the chain that was around me. I think they expect me to fall right into their arms, but I don't, I stand up wiping the blood that had run down my face. 'Hey y/n!" Hayley grabs my hand, but I pull it out of their grip. "Dont-dont talk to me." I mumble.

I wasnt that I was mad at them because of what happened to me, I was mad they were even playing around with that thing. I was mad that I basically humiliated myself in front of everyone. Hayley follows after me as I walk out of the room they were playing with the hand in and into the area where the rest of the party was. I walk into the bathroom and lock the door behind me. Hayley bangs at the door while I stare at myself in the mirror. there is a large gash on my forehead, and blood is still streaming out of it and down my face.

"y/n come on let me in!" I let out a sigh as I reluctantly unlock the door. i take the role of toilet paper and wet it as Hayley walks in. they close the door and lock it behind them as I dampen the toilet paper and scrub the dried-up blood off of my face.

"Are you alright, let me take you to the hospital?'

-

"how'd this happen?" the doctor asks as she stitches up my forehead. both Hayley and I look at each other like 'what should we say' because the doctor would probably throw us both in an asylum if we said i got possessed by a spirit. "I-I tripped."

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[justmeinadaze]

I'm In Control Part 23 (Steddie X You)

A/N: I bare you...the conclusion! I am more than happy to return to these three if I or y'all come up with ideas :)

Warnings: Daddy Steve and Sir Eddie and all that implies (I regret nothing!), Eddie gets spicy in this one. Him and the reader fight, Smut, angst, and fluff :)

Word Count: 3331

“Steve! Eddie! No!”

You try and stop them but they are on a mission, eyes dark with anger, and lost in that protective mindset as they charge into TJ’s office. 

“You can’t do this to her. She’s the best agent you have.”, Steve sternly points his index at the man. “If you need to fire anyone, fire us. She deserves to be here.”

“You’re right.”, TJ sighs. “You’re absolutely right but imagine being on the outside looking in? Can you three prove to me she didn’t give you priority roles? That anything within this past year was done purely off of profession and not just because she’s dating you?”

“You know she wouldn’t do that. You’ve known her longer than we have.”, Eddie defends. 

“And those concerns are just from the outside. Since you two have become her clients, you three disappeared constantly, you walked out of a shoot last week—”

“We told you about that immediately.”

“Tell me, Steve. If you hadn’t been dating Y/N, would you both have done the job?”

“No.” When he responded with zero hesitation, your heart swooned. “Cassie Leigh is a fucking terrible person.”

“Angel…”, TJ turns to you. “I know you. They are right about that but…this looks really bad from a professional standpoint.”

“I know…”

“Plus, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I was hurt you hid this from me.”

“I never expected this, TJ. I swear. It just—”

“I know. That’s why…”, he turns back to the boys. “She’s only suspended WITH pay. I need to think some things through and figure out what’s best.”

“If she goes, we go.”, Eddie announces as Steve nods. 

“No, they don’t.” They both angrily turn their heads towards you. “This company still has your best interest in mind. Just…stay until we get this sorted out, ok?”

###########

It had been two weeks since you were suspended and it was killing you. Not just because you missed the job but because you saw it torturing the guys to. They felt like this was their fault and constantly apologized every time they caught you zoning out or hiding your tears. 

Moving in with them helped ease some of that tension especially since now that they weren’t seeing you at work every day at least they got to come home to you. They hated the agent TJ assigned them. He was one of those cocky, slick types that felt like the world centered around them. To him they were just cash machines and pushed them towards any project that was sent his way without even discussing it with them. 

Thankfully, Luke’s show had started filming again so they were able to focus all their energy there when they weren’t focused on you. 

While you were browsing through job ads, you phone rang, giving you pause when you noticed the number. 

“Hey TJ.”

“Y/N, angel…we have a problem. Eddie got arrested on Luke’s set today.”

“He what?!”, you shouted as you got up searching for your shoes. “Where’s Steve?”

“He’s at the station in the process of bailing him out. I’m trying to talk Michael into not pressing charges… talk to them, Y/N. They are out of control.”

##############

“What the fuck happened?!” You scream at them as soon the enter the front door. Eddie ignores you as he swishes past to grab a beer from the fridge. Steve sighs as he watches him, folding his arms across his chest. 

“To be fair, I almost knocked the son of bitch out myself. Eddie just got there first.”

“Steve, don’t play games with me. What. HAPPENED?!”

“We went to Michael’s office today because he said he found us job. When he went into more detail, we… we told him it wasn’t something we would be comfortable with. He kept pushing so…”, he gestures to Eddie. 

“So, you punched him in the face because you didn’t agree with him?” The metalhead continues not to answer as he glares into the void and chugs down more of his beverage. “You both have had disagreements with me but you’ve never taken a swing at me.”

“This was different.”

“How, Steve?! How was it different?” You angrily turn towards Eddie. “And why are you letting him speak for you again?!”

You’d be lying if you didn’t say the eyes that met yours scared you a bit. “Get out of my face, Y/N. I’m not in the mood.”

Trying to regain your composure, you reached to caress his face but he swiftly grabbed your wrist and pushed you backwards, knocking you into Steve’s chest. The man’s arms swiftly shot out to catch you, looking down to make sure you were ok. 

When you saw Daddy reflecting back, you tried to reel him in and assure him. “Steve, no. It’s ok. I’m alright.” It was too late. All he saw was his baby girl that he needed to remind was safe. 

“Eddie, we don’t do that. Apologize to her. Now.”

The boy chuckled sarcastically under his breath as he rose to his feet and turned to face him. “Steven Harrington, you are not my Daddy. I do not belong to you and you do NOT tell me what to fucking do.”

“Eddie…”, you squeak. 

“Now YOU belong to me and as your Master, I’m telling you to shut your fucking mouth!”

“No. Right now, you are not my Master. My Sir is a confident, powerful, sexy man that I fell in love with. At this moment, all I see is an angry, pathetic little boy!”

“What the fuck did you just say to me, little girl?!”

As Eddie stepped forward so did Steve pushing you behind him. “No! We do NOT play when our emotions are heightened, right? Answer me, Ed!”

The metalhead glared between the two of you before reaching to grab his jacket. “Fuck you both.”, he spits as he heads out the front door.

##############

Eddie didn’t come home that night and it tore you apart. You knew he wasn’t thinking clearly and all you wanted was for him to be alright. After Steve told you the whole story, you decided to focus on something you could control as you sped to the agency. He tried to stop you but you were furious busting into TJ’s office with a loud bang as you slammed open the door.

“You said they were out of control. Did you know he tried to force them to do a shoot they were uncomfortable with?! They told him no but he signed them up anyway. TJ, they’ve stated numerous times, they don’t feel comfortable doing BDSM type work for the camera!”

“Y/N, listen to me—”

“No! You listen to me. This is unacceptable even if I wasn’t dating them and you know it. I’m not going to let anyone drag down their careers that they worked so hard for! There’s a reason they’ve gotten this far and it’s because they do what works for them. Michael should have trust their intuition and even if he didn’t, he had no right signing their names for a job!”

“He did what?! Y/N, I didn’t know that.”

“No, you didn’t because you are so focused on how people could possible view our relationship that you didn’t notice things that were actually happening…”, you sigh as you fold your arms over your chest. 

“That right there is why she’s a good agent.” You jump when you hear Steve’s behind you as he enters TJ’s office. “And it’s not because she’s fucking us or the fact that we are in love with her. She pays attention and actually fucking cares about the people she represents.” 

TJ sighs as he places his hands on his hips. “Angel, I’m not going to hire you back.” Your heart breaks as you nod and hang your head. “I’m not going to hire you back because you’re too good for this place.” He smiles when your eyes look up to find his. “I’ve taught you everything you know and then some. The rest is all you, babe. You deserve to run them and anyone else without a big boss hanging over you.”

You tackle him as your arms wrap around his neck. “Jesus Christ!”, he chuckles. “I’ll give you a month’s pay till you really get going. I’m not calling it severance because you’re not fired. You’re just…moving on to better things.”

##############

“Baby, stop.” Steve reaches over and places his hand over your knee that hadn’t stopped bouncing since you both got back home. 

“Steve, I can’t…I’m worried about him. What if he got hurt or something? This isn’t like him—”

The front door opened as Eddie slunk in, his hair hanging heavily over his face. You jumped up from the couch, running to him, and immediately wrapped your arms around his waist. His arms stayed at his sides as he remained stiff in your embrace. 

You pulled away, giving him a once over to make sure he wasn’t hurt before you abruptly reached out and shoved his chest. 

“Where the fuck have you been?! I have been worried sick! You didn’t come home last night! You won’t answer your phone! Talk to me, Eddie!”

Steve was standing off to side as he kept a careful eye on you both. You gently pushed his hair back so you could look at his face. His vacant eyes continued to stare past you into the floor. 

“Eddie?” He suddenly fell to his knees, pressing his face into your stomach as he began to cry. His fingers dug into your back as you hugged his head tightly to you. “Eddie, please. Talk to me.” You glanced at Steve, silently begging for help. 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

“Baby—”

“No!” He leans back as he looks up at you. “No, I’m so sorry. I…I…that fucking asshole pissed me off and then getting arrested…I wasn’t in the right place mentally. I never should have talked to you like that or pushed you. You were right. I’m a fucking pathetic, little boy.”

“Eddie, it’s ok.”

“Jesus, Y/N!”, he rises to his feet causing the other boy to move closer to you. “It’s not ok! I saw the way you looked at me! You were scared… I—”

Your palm collided with his cheek. “You’re going to hear what I have to say! Do you understand me?!” His eyes searched yours before slowly descending back to his knees. 

“Yes, Miss.”

You cupped his face with your hands as you stepped closer. “You’re right. You shouldn’t have behaved that way but Eddie, that’s not normal behavior for you. I knew something was wrong and when Steve told me what happened… I wanted to fucking hit him to. He violated a boundary for you; for both of you. Baby, I am so fucking sorry you went through that but that’s never going to happen again.”

“She’s our agent again. Seems baby girl is starting her own agency.”

Eddie’s eyes shift between you both as what Steve said fully sunk in. You smile as you pull him to his feet. “You’re safe with me, Sir, and I am safe with you. Just don’t fucking disappear me on again.” You hug him again and this time his arms wrap around you. “I was so worried.”

“I’m sorry, princess. Can I make it up to you?”

“Please.”

He grinned as he lifted you into his arms and headed for the bedroom. “Come on, Harrington. You to.”

“Me? What do I need to make up for?”

“Fine. Stay out here then.”

“Nooo…”, you whine as you make grabby hands, reaching for him to follow. 

Steve laughs at the sound as he trails behind and Eddie tosses you on to the bed, climbing on top of you as he kisses your neck. As soon as you lift off your shirt, his mouth descends to your chest, reaching behind you to take off your bra. Your legs wrap around his waist trying to keep him as close to you as you possibly can. 

“I missed you so much. It—mmm—it felt weird without you next to me last night.”

Eddie’s lips encase your nipple, his finger trying to unbutton your pants while grinding against you. 

“Where did you sleep last night?”, Steve asked. 

“Van.” His mouth dipped along your stomach, tugging your jeans and panties with him down your legs. 

“Eddie…” You felt a pang in your heart of him sleeping in his van out on L.A. streets, leaning up to quickly grab his chin after he took off his shirt. “Promise me you’ll never do that again. Even if you don’t feel comfortable talking to me at least tell Steve where you are.”

He saw the hurt in your eyes and it killed him all over again as he leaned forward to gently kiss your forehead. “I promise, little miss.” Eddie guided you back down with soft kisses before making you giggle as he playfully lifted your legs, yanking you closer to him.

A moan escaped you as his tongue licked a stripe through your folds. He moved slow at first, his mouth pressed just so against you but when Eddie got going it was like being transported to another world. You always loved the way he felt with his head between your legs. Unlike Steve, when the metalhead got passionate, he was still coherent and controllable but he was very focused and determined. He had one goal and it was to please you. 

Your eyes squeezed shut as his lips wrapped around your clit, two of his thick fingers breaching your entrance as he pumped and curled them inside of you. You suddenly felt warmth press against your side and whimpered when you felt lips suck on your neck. 

“Daddy…” 

Steve’s hand caressed your skin, his fingers stopping to play with your erect nipples making your pussy clench around Eddie who had begun thrusting his own digits faster into you. 

“Please…fuck…Sir, yes. Just like…like that. I…need you…please, Eddie.”

At the sound of his name, he crawled up to your side and attached his lips to the opposite end of your neck as his hand moved faster between you. 

“Cum, baby. You deserve to feel good. Come on, pretty girl.” His soft, syrupy voice continued to encourage you until your hand shot down clasping over his as you came. 

“Atta girl, honey. Such a good girl.”, Steve whispered as Eddie sat up to throw off his pants. 

You rolled the other boy onto his back, smiling to see he was already undressed and waiting for his turn. Hovering over his firm cock, you glided your tongue over the tip, tasting the salty pre cum he already had lingering there. 

Eddie came up behind you, adjust your hips and pushing one of your legs further up the mattress to he could have better access. You both groaned as he guided his dick into your dripping core, delivering slow, strong strokes as he pushed deeper into you. One of his hands clung to your hip as the other balanced on the side of the bed while his chest hovered just above your back as he watched you bob your head around his friend’s cock. 

Steve mewled as he brushed your hair to side so they could both watch you take him. The vibrations from mouth as Eddie thrust harder into you had his eyes rolling back. 

“F-fuck, baby girl. I can fucking feel the back of your throat. You take us both so…so well.”

You lifted your head for air, panting as the metalheads fingers slide around your thigh to reach your pussy, massaging circles against your clit. 

“Yes, Sir. Jesus…that feels…”

“Tell me, princess. Tell me—mmm—how it feels.”, Eddie cooed.

“So deep…amazing…f-faster, please.”

You spit over Steve’s length, stroking him rapidly as the other man placed both palms on your side, balancing more on his knees as his own hips pounded into you at a dizzying pace. 

Craning to face him, your eyes met his as his mouth fell open in silent moans. 

“Can…can I cum, Sir?”

As soon as he nodded, your eyes fluttered closed, your forehead falling against Steve’s body as you came. Eddie’s arms wrapped around your front, holding you to his chest as he rolled his hips aggressively until you heard a strangled grunt and felt him warm your insides with his release. 

The delicate action of him pulling out of you was countered with Steve leaning over and lifting you onto his lap. You reached between your bodies, taking his cock and sliding it into your core. His hands clung to your waist as you began bouncing on top of him, your head flying back in ecstasy. 

Leaning back on your hands, you grind your lower half against him as Steve tilts forward to trail his lips along your stomach up to your chest making you whimper.

“Yes, Daddy. Ma-make me cum, baby.”

Abruptly, he wraps his arms around you, flipping you onto your back as your head hits Eddie’s tummy. 

“Ow.”

You giggle as the other man smiles down at you, kissing your lips as he thrusts into you. The metalhead’s fingers run through your hair as Steve’s forehead leans against yours, his breathy whimpers fanning your face. 

“Just like…that, Steve. Please. I’m…fuck…can I?”

He nodded as his rhythm quickened, the sound of skin hitting skin filling the room until your eyes closed and you clung to the back of his head as you came. As your pussy fluttered around him, you heard him groan above you as he pumped rope after rope of his spend deep inside of you.

Nobody moved except for Eddie who was still tenderly petting your head. 

“I’m sorry, Y/N.”

“Eddie, you don’t have to keep apologizing.”

“No, I know. I just…this wasn’t really a great welcome home experience for you. I don’t want you to think this is common. Matt said this was a big step for you.”

You poke at Steve’s back as he jokingly whines, rolling off you before you turn around and climb on top of the other boy. 

“I know this isn’t normal for you. I don’t…I don’t think you’re both going to suddenly change just because I’m here. Not in a bad way anyway.”, you smile. “He knows it’s a big step for me because I was terrified to leave home after I graduated high school. It was all I ever wanted but I was so scared of being in this ‘sinful city’ alone. Then I dated those douchebags and…” He chuckles as you shake your head and shudder. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, I never would have moved in if I didn’t trust you both. All three of us have come a long way from that night in the hotel. This one…setback…doesn’t ruin the idea of me being here.”

Eddie’s palms cup your face as he guides your lips to his. 

“Now your careers…that’s a different story.” You smile as Steve comes up behind you lifting you off the boy with one arm and carries you to the bathroom. 

“Why do you say that?”, the metalhead asked as he jogged up behind you two. 

“If word got around that you punched an agent and got arrested that doesn’t look so hot but I think I can spin it especially since Michael dropped the charges.

“Jesus, woman. What voodoo did you do?”

“She yelled at TJ and told him what that asshole did. TJ said if he dropped the assault charge, he wouldn’t fire him for signing our names.”, Steve grinned as he guided you under the warm water of the shower. 

“Which technically he didn’t. He still works for the agency…he’s just not an agent anymore.”, you beam up at him as you wrap your arms around his neck. 

“So…you’re really our agent again?”

You kiss his lips before leaning back against Steve’s chest.

“Yup. I’m in control of you and all yours.”

#############

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[sinner-sunflower]

P.2 HH Lucifer-centric AU 17/?

STORY 1, PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9, PART 10, PART 11, PART 12, PART 13, PART 14, PART 14.5, PART 15, PART 16, PART 18, PART 19, PART 20, PART 21, PART 22, PART 23, PART 24, PART 25, PART 26

I live!

I can finally post this chapter 😭😭😭

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

Before anyone could react, Lucifer flashes his eyes with a chilling intensity. Time itself stopped, as if the universe held its breath.

The now sinner wasn't even the least bit surprised; in fact, he didn't even tried to hide his annoyance.

Adam: Ugh. I hate it when you do that. I'm surprised Sera never questioned why our meetings were so short-

The sudden impact to Adam's chest silenced him mid-sentence. One moment he was speaking, the next he was on his back with the King of Hell straddling him. He loves seeing Lucifer furious, but only when he knows the other can't kill him as long as he's an angel of Heaven.

Can't not won't because he's pretty sure Lucifer will kill him if given the chance.

He doesn't know if he should be grateful of the fact that Lucifer didn't kill him in the last extermination.

Lucifer: How are you here?

Lucifer spoke with fire, lightly singeing Adam's face as he asked, no, demanded an answer.

Adam: U-Fuck! I don't know man! Get off du- Hey! Stop that! Hands off the merchandise!

Adam yelled as Lucifer ripped open his clothes, revealing a white scar right in the middle of the first man's chest.

Lucifer: Talk.

The other gulped. Adam had never been afraid of Lucifer not back then and especially not now. But he does value his life, so.

Adam: Man, I told you. I. Don't. Know. One minute I was dyin' on your gross floor and then next poof I woke up on the edge of some fucking cliff looking like one of you disgusting freaks. You have no idea how much of a bitch it was to walk from there to this stupid city. I kept dying from random shit and then I spawn back to that cliff!

Lucifer: What cliff?

Adam: Dude, do I look like a cliff expert? Just some random one with a weird lookin' mountain over-

Lucifer: Which direction!

Adam: -South! God, chill.

The Sin of Pride doesn't need a map to know what Adam is now talking about. He may be a recluse but he knows Hell like the back of his hand.

Lucifer: Mount Sinai…

Adam: Uh what?

Lucifer: Mount Sinai, principal site of divine revelation.

Adam: Huh? Isn't that where that Moses dude got the 10 rules-

Lucifer: Commandments.

Adam: -from your daddy?

Lucifer: First of all, don't call The Almighty "daddy". Second, yes. Most significant landscapes that form on Earth reflect here. Even the one where Satan tested Prince of Heaven.

Adam purposely yawns obnoxiously.

Adam: Boringggg. What does that mountain got to do with me?

Lucifer: Maybe it's telling you that you're now a disgusting freak like us cause you're too stupid to realize.

Adam: Fuck you.

Lucifer: No thanks.

To that, the turned sinner quirked an eyebrow and gave a little smirk.

Adam: Oh really? Cause you're not getting off me any time soon. Unless… You want the whole Eden package, Luci?

Lucifer's face spoke volumes, each expression a testament to his thoughts on the matter at hand. Adam, catching the subtle disdain in Lucifer's gaze, felt a twinge of offense directed at his pride. After all they'd been through??! It's like the guy doesn't even know him.

Adam: Rude ass bitch. Fuckin' get off then before one of us does a different kind of getting off.

The King jumped back as if he'd been scorched, hissing his disdain for the man before him.

Adam: You act like I wanted to come here. Down here is just... ugh. I want to go back up there, thank you very much. This place looks even tackier than last time, by the way. I even went to the damn embassy.

Lucifer chose to ignore the jab about the hotel.

Lucifer: Let me guess, you forgot the ban on any sinner soul to enter?

Adam: Who even thought of that?!

Lucifer: You did, dumbass.

Adam: Yeah- well- I still say it's your fault! Now go there and contact Sera for me. How are you still here anyway? Shouldn't Heaven be punishing you for killing their totally fuckable first man?

Lucifer: Fatherdamnit, why did your ego not die with your divinity? And to answer your question, Heaven hasn't contacted us ever since the battle.

Adam: What?! Why??? I'm THE fucking first man! Maybe they're preparing for a war to kill all you fuckers.

Lucifer: They're preparing for a war alright.

Lucifer didn't mean to say that but thankfully Adam's habit of selective hearing whenever he speaks hasn't changed.

Adam: What was that?

Lucifer: I said maybe you're just that insignificant to them.

Adam: Just like you? Also, why the fuck do you look like that?

The King tilts his head to the side, a calculated gesture meant to convey innocence.

Lucifer: Like what?

Adam: Like that!

Lucifer: What do you mean? I've always looked like this.

Adam: Uhhh no. I've known you for literally all my life and after. I think I would've made fun of you more if you looked like an emo clown since the beginning.

Lucifer: How would you know what an emo is?

Adam: Bruh, have you seen my lieutenant?

He had but he doesn't think she's emo. Charlie had an emo phase and that just became his basis on what that word means. An idea struck him, and he pondered sharing some old photos of Charlie to Vaggie...

His contemplation was interrupted by Adam's whistle, pulling him back to the present moment.

Adam: Helloooooooo. Earth to Lucifer. I'm still here you know and I know that you don't want me here as much as I do.

Adam is right.

Though the first man's presence grated on him, and the fact that he wants nothing more than to send him back to Heaven, he knew it was a futile endeavor.

There is no way they're going to take him back because, for one, whether they like it or not, the guy is a demon now.

He could try Sera but she hasn't contacted him since the last extermination-that-wasn't and Michael did mention "taking care" of her so that's out of the question.

Seeing as there is no other solution, he resigned himself to handling the situation as every other demon had.

Lucifer: Let's make a deal then.

Adam: Psh! A deal with the literal Devil? You think I'm some kind of moron?

Lucifer: .... Maybe.

Adam: Fuck you!

Lucifer: Yeah yeah. You keep saying that. So?

Adam must have deduced that this was Lucifer's way of saying"what other choice do you have?" and just groans in resignation.

Adam: Just lay it on me.

Lucifer: You be my personal assistant.

His reply came as quick as the offer.

Adam: No.

Lucifer: No?

Adam: Yeah fuck that. I'm not gonna be your servant.

Lucifer: I'm fine with leaving you on the streets, you know. But how do you think the demons out there will react once they discover that you're a former angel? The head of the exorcists at that. And trust me, we will let them know.

Adam: Yeah- well- The hotel! I'm pretty sure your dear princess won't turn me away if I say that I'm here for this redemption bullshit.

Lucifer: Oh! That's great then! I'm sure Nifty won't have a problem having another helping knife- I mean, hand around.

Lucifer, for his part, harbored no illusions about allowing the man near his daughter, but he found a certain amusement in Adam's discomfort, especially with Nifty.

The prospect of Adam's paranoia amuses him greatly that he allowed himself a faint chuckle.

Adam's eyes flick towards the gremlin cyclops. HDespite his attempts to rationalize away his fear, he couldn't shake the sensation of impending danger of being killed. Again. He lets out an involuntary shiver.

Weighing the pros and cons, he eventually decides that his life is more important than his pride.

Adam: Fiiiiiiiiiiiineee. I'll be your fuckin' errand boy.

Lucifer: Great! And another thing. Keep the innuendos to a zero. Especially around my daughter.

Adam: Come on. Don't tell me you don't love it!

Lucifer: I really don't.

Adam: Anyone would be lucky to have a taste of this majestic dick, yaknow.

Lucifer: Yeahhhhhh, still no.

Adam: I heard you can change into a girl.

A snap.

Adam: So, just let me fuck you once and I promise you'll never want another dick agai-

As the static noise filled the room, Adam found himself the target of collective anger and simmering hostility from the others. His ill-considered words had ignited a storm of rage, each member of the gathering consumed by thoughts of murder.

Adam was the only one physically affected, his ears covered in a futile attempt to shield himself from the overwhelming static.

Alastor: I suggest you watch what you say next, first man.

Sensing the danger he's in, Adam stood up and pointed an accusatory finger at Lucifer. Well, he tried to but he got pinned back to the ground by sets of multiple hands.

Adam: You set me up!

Lucifer: Dunno what you're talkin' about, buddy.

Charlie: Dad, what's going on? What do we do with Adam?

Lucifer: Don't worry about him, sweetie. He'll be staying at the palace doing my paperwork like a good assistant-

Adam: -Ugh! I hate doing paperwork!

Lucifer: -until we can figure out why he's here.

Charlie: I don't know, dad...

Lucifer: Trust me. You don't want him here.

The silent exchange between father and daughter carried a weight of unspoken understanding. After a while, Charlie gave her dad a reluctant but genuine expression of trust. Her acknowledgment broke the tension, softening the atmosphere between them.

Charlie: Okay. I trust you.

However, their moment was interrupted by the clearing of a throat, drawing their attention back to the chaotic scene unfolding before them. Adam is now suspended upside down by the irate Sins and Alastor.

Adam: So uh, can you tell your simps to put me down now?

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

So! I'm back.

I didn't really plan for Adam to be part of the hotel right now. We'll still get to see him but he'll just be at the palace.

With Lute and Heaven not knowing that Adam isn't dead but just fallen and Hell not knowing that Sir Pentious has been redeemed.... who knows what will happen?

Hope this chapter was worth the wait ;;

And yes that is a Jesus mention.

[luvhughes43]

devil i know | trevor zegras x reader

suki waterhouse masterlist - luvhughes43 masterlist🌷

note: this is part 2 to nostalgia

summary: trevor finds out yn is engaged, and things escalate

lyrics: "i'm okay with history repeating, tell me i'm the one you can't forget"

"back in hell, at least i'm comfortable. need your body when my fire's cold. hand to heart, i'm gonna stay faithful to the devil i know, the devil i know"

word count: 2.4k

you haven't seen, talked, or checked any of Trevors socials in a while. you moved on. you were engaged to a nice man, and you dutifully accepted his promises of forever. 

your fiance wasn’t like Trevor at all. he was home all the time, he didn’t prioritize anything above you, and you knew he wouldn’t just leave you as soon as he got his dream offered to him. but he also wasn’t the good parts of Trevor either. he didn’t try hard to make you laugh, he didn’t shout out his i love yous for all your friends to hear, and worst of all, he didn’t make you feel those butterflies that everyone tells you to watch out for. you knew you were supposed to go for the guy that makes you feel calm, like your fiance. but you'd be lying to yourself if you said you didn’t want those butterflies that only Trevor could make you feel back.

y/nuser posted one month ago !

y/nuser

liked by jackhughes, yourbff, and others

y/nuser 05/04/23 🤍

Trevor wasn’t going to lie, he did keep some tabs on you. although he didn’t follow you on instagram anymore, his friends did and when there was a major life update they’d update him. It all started with them updating him on your wellbeing, knowing that Trevor was upset with how he broke things off. 

but you knew better. you shouldn’t have messaged him back, especially with your fiance laying asleep right next to you.

Instagram dms

trevorzegras Hey yn… I know it's been awhile but I just wanted to check up on you

y/nuser why? It's been years…

trevorzegras I've just been thinking a lot about us lately

trevorzegras I’m really sorry about how I handled things. I should've tried harder for us

y/nuser you didn't try at all. you literally broke up with me and kicked me out. we didn't even have a proper talk about it.

trevorzegras I know and that’s all on me. I’m sorry

…

trevorzegras Can I see you?

you shouldn’t have opened the first message, but you definitely shouldn’t have responded. And now here you were, debating on whether or not you should go see Trevor. A man you haven't seen in years… your dms with Trevor still lit up your screen, providing you with the light to see the man sleeping peacefully next to you. 

…

y/nuser when would you be able to meet up?

trevorzegras Are you still living in michigan?

y/nuser yes. i live about 40 minutes from the lake house

trevorzegras I can be in mich by the beginning of May

y/nuser I’ll see you then

i'm okay with history repeating, tell me i'm the one you can't forget

“what are we having for dinner?” your fiance asked as he thumped down the staircase. you were fixing your makeup in the living room mirror, getting ready to go meet up with someone you shouldn't. 

“i'm going out, remember?” you asked, turning around so you could fully face your fiance.

“uh, right. with the girls?” he questioned. 

“yeah. we’re going to go hit the bars so i might be home late. You don't have to wait up,” you turned back to the mirror, capping your tube of lipstick and moving on to scrutinise your hair. Trevor always told you he liked it up, so you grabbed an elastic and tried to figure out a style you could quickly do. 

“right. well maybe I'll just order take out or something?” his statement took on a questioning tone and you lightly sighed. 

“yeah that sounds like fun. maybe you can finish that show we’re watching, what's it called again?” you said flippantly, hoping to find something that could distract him from asking too many questions. although you knew there was nothing for him to question you about (it wasn’t unusual for you to go out with your friends) it felt different this time knowing who you were going to meet up with. 

“The White Lotus?” he supplied, but then quickly added “it’s not the same without you. it’d be traitorous to watch without you”. you cringed at the word traitorous but quickly covered it up as you knew he could see your reflection from the mirror.

“maybe you could start a new show?” you stated in a lighter tone “you can tell me all about it when I get back,” you turned around smiling at your fiance. he smiled back and moved over to the couch to find something on the tv. he seemed pleased for the moment and so you decided to make your escape.

“I’ll see you later,” you waved to him from the front door as you gathered the rest of your belongings needed for the trip. 

“no kiss goodbye?” he pouted, causing you to smile. 

“goodbye” you teased, dragging the last syllable out for emphasis. “bye!” he shouted as you shut the door behind you. 

the drive was short, and soon enough you were standing outside of Trevors rental house, unsure of whether or not you should go through with meeting him. you were convinced earlier that you should, but with the deception of your fiance… you felt guilty for what you were about to do.

Trevor opened the door, giving you no more time to question and let yourself be consumed by the fresh waves of guilt washing over you. 

the first thing you noticed when you saw Trevor was his smile. you don’t know what you expected, but he looked the same. he was more grown up of course, but seeing him ignited everything you ever felt for him inside of you. you felt the pain, the heartbreak, and of course the longing and loving that came with being so close to him for so many years. 

“do you want to come in?” Trevor asked in a low tone, momentarily startling you. you nodded in response, and he moved aside to let you in. closing the door shut behind you.

you spent most of the time just talking on his couch. you had gotten the tense apology out of the way, and you couldn’t believe how quickly you were forgiving him. 

“I just think it’s interesting how now-” Trevor leaned over mid sentence, cutting you off with his lips on your own. you didn't pull back, but you didn’t react either, letting Trevor decide how things would go. he pulled away slightly, a soft apology leaving his lips but you couldn’t hear anything.

lust and longing clouded your vision as you pulled him back to you, arm slung around his shoulders as the other lightly caressed his jaw. as soon as you kissed him you started remembering just how Trevor felt before, how often you two would be in situations just like this… how much you had missed him when he left. 

you woke up in the morning in the airbnb bed. 

“good morning” Trevor said lightly as he brushed one of his hands along your hair that was now out of its updo. 

“good morning,” you whispered back as you sat up in bed taking in your surroundings. yours and Trevors clothes were strewn around the room. your body felt on fire once you came to recollect last night's events.

fiance💍🤍: You haven't texted me an update

fiance💍🤍: Are you staying the night with one of the girls?

fiance💍🤍: Message me when you wake up. I love you

you shut your phone back off and groaned. 

“Is that your…” Trevor started but trailed off, becoming aware of what you both have just done the night before.

“my fiance? yeah…” the two of you said nothing, looking away from each other and the mess that littered the bedroom floor.

you quickly got up and ready. 

“please don’t go,” Trevor pleaded as you stood in the entry with one hand on the doorknob. you quickly dropped your hand. 

“i can’t stay Trev i have a fiance at home and-”

“leave him. just stay with me, please” he pleaded, reaching out a hand to grip yours. you didn’t push him away.

there was a brief silence, “tell me i’m the one you can’t forget” you cut through it. 

“what?” Trevor asked in shock, glancing up to look at your face.

“tell i’m the one person you can’t forget” you basically pleaded, no sense of pride left in your body.

“i can't forget you yn. i haven’t and i won't” he said, moving to stand less than a foot away from you. he leaned down so his forehead was resting against yours and you both sighed out. 

“i’ll see you soon, okay?” you whispered, looking up into his eyes. Trevor nodded slightly, pulling his head away from yours and leaving a small kiss on your forehead. he watched you walk away.

"back in hell, at least i'm comfortable. need your body when my fire's cold”

after the first time, you snuck out to meet Trevor multiple times throughout his stay in michigan. things gt tricky with him leaving the airbnb about a week into your rendezvous and moving into the hughes lake house for the summer, but you made it work.

you felt sick admitting it, but you were comfortable with the routine you and Trevor had created. The guilt from sneaking off into the night soon turned into pleasure, and your love for your fiance turned into something meaningless. the vow you were supposed to take in a few short months meaning absolutely nothing to you.

It was one stupid comment made about dress shopping from one of your friends. your fiance had overheard and agreed. he was actually nervous for you. the fact that you might not have your perfect dress weighed heavily on his mind as he kept pestering you to make various appointments at different bridal shops. 

you had tried on about twenty dresses, none of them looking or feeling right. you felt absolutely miserable. the weight of the fabric weighing heavily on your body as the secret you’ve been keeping from you soon-to-be husband weighed on your mind. 

“yn come on, this one looks beautiful on you!” your best friend expressed as your entourage soon became tired of waiting and watching you try on different dresses just for you to reject them.

you smiled lightly in the mirror, letting your hands trail down the dresses bodice and onto the skirt. it would have been perfect if this was what you wanted at all.

“why are you marrying him?” Trevor asked one night. you had your head on his shirtless chest, arm wrapped around him in a makeshift hug.

you tensed at his question. you weren’t even sure why you were going to get married. it had seemed like the natural progression in your relationship earlier, but now with Trevor back… you knew it wasn’t right. 

“i don't know. I feel like i have to” you admit.

“you shouldn’t feel like you have to get married,” he replied, hand resting against your bare back. 

“what other choice do i have?” you replied, sighing as Trevors hand trailed up and down your back softly.

“you have so many options,” he whispered. “you could come back to cali with me or-” you sat up looking down at him. there was a slight blush tinged across his cheeks, and the small smile on his face made you a little nervous.

“Trevor…” you trailed off.

“no, please hear me out. you can move in with me, and we’ll figure it all out” he exclaimed, a slight frown taking over his face at your hesitant reaction.

“i’m comfortable doing this with you,” you gestured between the two of you and the room that you were in, “but leaving… Trevor i don't know how to tell you this but-”

“but what? this isn’t what you want?” he gestured to himself, obviously meaning that you didn't want a relationship with him.

“It's complicated” is all you said, but that wasn’t enough for Trevor.

“this,” he gestured between the two of you and the room just like you had done earlier, “is an affair. yn you’re cheating on your fiance” he stated. “you want to hook up with me? have an affair? fine. i agreed to that. but you can't just say it means nothing to you when you're going so far out of your way to meet up with me. To lie to your fiance that you’re perfectly fine with marrying him despite everything going on with us right now” he said more aggressively as he pushed you aside so he could sit on the edge of the bed, facing away from you.

you stayed silent, taking all of his words in. 

“I’m sorry,” you whispered out as Trevor huffed and got dressed. leaving you behind in the hotel as he left. 

“hand to heart, i'm gonna stay faithful to the devil i know, the devil i know"

it was your wedding day. you were in the dress you had picked out, you had walked down the aisle with your dad holding onto your arm. your fiance had cried, you could see your friends and family smile as the officiant kept talking about promises and forever. 

your vows were over and done with next. You watched in silent horror as your finance professed his love to you in front of everyone you knew. he was holding your hands and you were terrified to break away. scared to continue on with the rest of the ceremony and terrified that you’d have to live the rest of your life out with a man you knew you didn’t love.

“if anyone objects to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace,” the officiant continued and you turned, almost comically, to see if there was anyone out there who was going to stop this. 

your eyes were big and wide, you were clearly nervous and scared. your hands that were still holding on to your fiances seemed to be slick with sweat. the wedding party looked around a little nervously at your appearance.

“don’t get married,” a man's voice sounded throughout the tense venue and you visibly relaxed as soon as you saw Trevors mop of hair rise from the crowd. “please yn” Trevor pleaded painfully. 

you didn’t even look back at the man holding your hands before you dropped them. shocked gasps and chatter sounding throughout the hall as you took off running towards Trevor.