#but i was convinced to let it continue as an actual wedding and its been a shitshow ever since
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
hag-darling · 4 months ago
Text
future in-laws apparently hate the cute little wedding pikachus I got forever ago and don't want me to use them as decorations in the wedding
two 8 inch plushies is apparently just too tacky
I'm not going to listen to them and they will be put somewhere during the reception but I just. Hate how they care more about this wedding being generically picture perfect than me actually enjoying any aspect of it
11 notes · View notes
that-ari-blogger · 9 months ago
Text
Who exactly is this about? (I'm Not That Girl)
When you are finding someone to play Elphaba in a production of Wicked, you need someone with range. Not just vocal range, but acting skill. Because they need to be able to perform with the stage presence and anger inherent in Defying Gravity, but they also need to be able to reach the devastating low that is I'm Not That Girl.
To me, I'm Not That Girl is at the core of what Wicked is, and what musicals are in general. It is a combination of singing and acting, and is someone excelling at both.
But, I would like to drive home the queer reading of this story, and try to explain why I think that reading adds to the message and power of the musical.
Let me explain.
SPOILERS AHEAD (Wicked)
Tumblr media
I don't think I need to explain why this song hits so unbelievably hard. It's about unrequited love, and its a strength of the satire that is this musical.
Usually in musicals and fairy tales, the love story is fairly uncomplicated, with an extra option thrown in but not really given much depth and the audience doesn't really buy the drama.
Seriously, how many of you shipped Belle and Gastone?
Tumblr media
So, this is a song about that love not working out, not because of plot reasons, but because its entirely one sided at this point. To Elphaba's knowledge, and probably the audience's as well, Fiyero loves Galinda, and there's nothing she can do about it.
"Don't wish, don't start Wishing only wounds the heart I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl There's a girl I know He loves her so I'm not that girl"
This is the other side of love, heartbreak.
Tumblr media
Elphaba is a relatively rational character. She has been through the ringer and has ended up detached and restricted in her emotions. Now, someone has pushed through her barriers and she doesn't know what to do about it.
This song seems to me like Elphaba wrestling with love as a whole. Don't feel, don't try. It'll hurt too much, it's not worth the pain. So why can't she stop thinking about it?
Tumblr media
The term "rose and thorn" sent me down a spiral.
Both Florists' Transworld Delivery and Bloom and Wild gave a ton of meanings for roses that boiled down to "it's romantic."
Pearls meanwhile have a ton of meanings depending on the culture. The blog My Pearl proposed these, most of which did not have anything to do with love at all. According to My Pearl, pearls are commonly associated with purity, innocence, and wisdom. So, not particularly romantic. However, My Pearl did say this:
"[White Pearls] are often seen as symbols of new beginnings and are often used as gifts for special occasions such as weddings and anniversaries."
So, this is a symbol of a happy ending, and Elphaba is essentially saying that she doesn't deserve that because of her birth. In essence, she is convinced that her difference makes her unworthy of happiness, which... if you think this about yourself, please don't. I don't know who you are, but you are worthy of love.
Tumblr media
"Every so often we long to steal To the land of what-might-have-been But that doesn't soften the ache we feel When reality sets back in"
My main point for this series on Wicked as a whole has been that it is about dreams and reality colliding, and this verse fits with that. It's Elphaba letting herself imagine and fantasise about a stolen moment with Fiyero. Once again, at this point she has no idea that Fiyero likes her back, so this is purely theoretical.
Tumblr media
I have been using the free sheet music from this website for my analysis, and I would like to stress before I continue that I am far from an expert on the actual theory of music here. I can point to which bits go up and down, and can name a few chords, but I can't tell you about the intricate workings of that.
With that said, allow me to attempt some music theory.
Tumblr media
The time signature of this song is all over the place, split between 4/4 and 6/8. In other words, sometimes the bars finish earlier, and so the thoughts within continue, pulling you along as you wait for the conclusion.
In this song, the two signatures differentiate that splitting of reality and dreams. For example, the verse below is in 6/8 time:
Tumblr media
As Elphaba imagines, she breaks from reality and the verse is really flowy, almost comforting within the song. But then it ceases the second she comes back to reality.
Tumblr media
This keeps happening. Elphaba starts in reality, then drifts into dreams and comes crashing back down.
This time, however, the reality of the verse is about Galinda, the barrier between Elphaba and happiness, the wall she stands in her way. Although, it's a little bit odd to talk about a romantic rival in the way that Elphaba does, isn't it?
"Blithe smile, lithe limb She who's winsome, she wins him Gold hair with a gentle curl"
Let's talk about Dolly Parton.
Tumblr media
I genuinely had a whole section trying to argue that this song is the Jolene of musical theatre, but then multiple people mentioned it to me in person by that term, and @a-fast-rebloger referred to it as such here on tumblr. So clearly I'm preaching to the converted here.
So instead, I'm going to explain what that means.
Tumblr media
First up, the queer coding of Jolene is barely less than explicit, its essentially the one Romeo and Juliet speech that everyone remembers. "Romeo, romeo, am I in love with you?"
But, the song actually has a history with the queer community, with this article by Nadine Hubbs detailing its implications. The song also has covers and rewrites that bring that subtext to the forefront by Nadine Hubbs, Rainaeiry, Annapantsu (@annapantsu), Jessica Rica, and Dolly Parton herself (Although I have not been able to find footage of this), as well as arguably the versions by Lil Nas X and Caleb Hyles.
Tumblr media
Rainaeiry has two covers of Jolene on her youtube channel, by the way, and a cover of I'm Not That Girl that I highly recommend.
Jolene is a song about unrequited love and being unable to do anything about it, and the song focuses on the woman who forms the barrier to this love. It is a song about defeat.
"Your beauty is beyond compare With flaming locks of auburn hair Ivory skin and eyes of emerald green Your smile is like a breath of spring Your voice is soft like summer rain And I cannot compete with you Jolene"
Compare that with this:
"Blithe smile, lithe limb She who's winsome, she wins him Gold hair with a gentle curl That's the girl he chose And Heaven knows I'm not that girl"
This is more than just thematic parallels, this is subject overlap, and remember when I mentioned the dreams vs reality theme being expressed by the time signature? Well take a look at the time signature for that verse.
Tumblr media
The verse switches halfway through, as Elphaba begins describing her friend, and that dreaminess comes back as she discusses Galinda, but then dissipates when she remembers where she stands.
This is a love song by Elphaba, about Galinda. It's about how Elphaba isn't deserving, how she isn't pretty, how she isn't chosen. And who does she associate with those traits, but Galinda.
Tumblr media
And here is where my reading comes in, finally. I read both of these witches as either biromantic or bisexual, probably both. Galinda for reasons I will get to in a later post, but Elphaba because of this song.
This song to me, is a true love triangle. Elphaba is desperately in love with both Fiyero and Galinda, but she can't reconcile those feelings, and she can see that they both seem to make each other happy, and she doesn't want to break that for either of them. This is a song about defeat.
Tumblr media
I keep separating the line "I'm not that girl" from the rest of the verses, and I've been doing that for a reason. The line gets separated by the music as a melodic outlier.
Tumblr media
Every part of the song rises and falls. I'm not sure what this is technically called musically, but it's like a ramp or a ski jump. The notes lower slowly, then raise sharply and drop off even more so, as seen above. This matches the song as a whole, which rises and falls in the same way. But consider the following:
Tumblr media
This is the only line in the entire song that only descends. It is a line of resignation, as the reality weighs down on our protagonist. Once again, this is a song about someone who does not feel like she deserves love from either Fiyero or Galinda, because of how she was born.
And I will say this again: If you feel like Elphaba here, that you are undeserving of affection, then you are wrong. Everyone is worthy of love, even you.
Tumblr media
Final Thoughts
The correct term for this song is "heart wrenching".
While it isn't my favourite in the musical, you will just have to wait and see for that, it is definitely up there, and is one of the few numbers in all of musical theatre that I would classify as a perfect song.
Also, I would not be able to forgive myself if I wrote this post and didn't mention that Steffan Hughes' rendition of I'm Not That Girl is genuinely the most emotionally resonant video on YouTube and it needs more attention than it has.
Next week, I will be looking at One Short Day, so stick around if that interests you.
Previous - Next
76 notes · View notes
redfurrycat · 1 year ago
Text
🤠🙌🤝🐓Post-Mission Fic Recs🐓🤝🙌🤠
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Check the Top Gun Masterlist post for the latest updated version. 💕
Ao3 Authors: AncientAviators, Andrealyn, Aphroditedany, BeautifulCreature, BeccaAnne814, Bubbles_1801, Callsign_striker, Collieflower, Crueltether, Cryinginthebronco, Dalearden, DraconisWing24441, GreenB3ans, Greenstuff, Happytree, Hey_its_me88, Hockeyandfootballismyish, HopeaLumi, Hypnagogicpunisher, Iridescent, MadeItUp, Magdarko, MayWilder, Milestaller, Noona96n, Ok_thanks, Ravens_Words, SamHeartfilia, Tasteofoxidation, Thatsquirrelfromiceage, Theinsouciantknitter, UnicornFlowers, Vannral, Whoreothins, Winterbitch, Xo_em.
*Post-Mission==>From the moment they land on the carrier up to many years after The Mission.
sugar (i've got a taste for you) by tasteofoxidation {E}
“You’re a dog, Bradshaw.” “Bradshaw hyphen Seresin, actually.” Or Jake and Bradley are on their honeymoon and Bradley has a better use for his mouth than their old toxic banter.
Too Hot to Handle by callsign_striker {E}
Bradley isn't convinced about his latest posting to NAS Key West, Florida. But everything happens for a reason - even, it seems, when the air conditioner breaks.
The Tiniest Problem by BeautifulCreature {G}
Bradley has an allergic reaction to his and Jake's new puppy.
wreck my plans (that's my man) by Ravens_Words {T}
Fake dating turns into a fake engagement, which then snowballs into a fake (almost) wedding.
going back to the corner where i first saw you by iridescent {M}
Bradley’s just about resolved to finally call it a day when the power goes out. They’re plunged into immediate, opaque darkness. There’s a lengthy pause. Bradley’s pulse slowly creeps upward as the seconds tick by, an anxious tension coiling in his gut. It truly is pitch-black; he can’t even see the outline of his hand a few inches from his face. “Christ.” Jake’s voice cuts sharply through the stale air, breezy and amused. “And here I was assuming the millions in funding included routine generator maintenance.”
Feels Like Home by MayWilder
a window breaks down a long dark street {M}
“I’m gonna go inside,” Jake murmurs against his lips, despite how they’re flush against one another and he isn’t pulling away. “I am.” He bites at Bradley’s lower lip, prompting the other man to tighten his grip on his hips. “Remind me again why?” “Cause we’re taking it slow and proper,” Jake reminds him. He lets his hands fall down the slope of Bradley’s shoulders and squeezes his biceps. “Dates. Holding hands. Maybe even a date where we hold hands.” Bradley chuckles and ducks his face down into Jake’s neck. “Right. Romance.” *** alternatively titled: Four Times Jake Romances Bradley + 1 Time Bradley Romances Him Back
something to be sheltered {T}
“My wife has asked that you join us for dinner tomorrow night,” Beau says carefully. “Your wife, sir?” Jake’s brow furrows. “Why would she like to meet me?” “She thinks its important that my mentee sees a healthy work-life balance.” “I’m your mentee?” Jake teases, smirking lightly. “And you talk about me enough that your wife wants to meet me?” “You can continue to be a pain in my ass,” Beau sighs, looking up at the ceiling. “Or, you can take the offer of a free dinner with a beautiful and intellectually stimulating woman.” “Oh, I definitely want to see this side of Cyclone,” Jake grins. “Domesticated.” “You’re bordering on impertinence.” “Me? Never.” “Let’s go back to when you respected me and my position.” Jake appears to settle down, but only slightly. He clears his throat and squares his shoulders. “I’d be honored to attend dinner with your family, Admiral. Just tell me a date and time.” *** or, Beau Simpson didn't mean to adopt a fully grown naval aviator, but, you know; shit happens.
all the love i didn't get to tell her {T}
Her birthday was always the worst. The anniversary of her death was manageable. It had been a day that Bradley was anticipating with dread, but it had been expected. Watching her finally close her eyes and take her last breath had come with an ugly mix of emotions. Pain, at never hearing her voice again. Relief, that she was no longer in pain. Selfish relief, that he was released from the burden of watching her deteriorate. Guilt, at the relief. And all together, it was Bradley’s grief. That terrible grief that had him clutching her lifeless hand, hours after it began to stiffen and Hospice hadn’t arrived, and - oh god, his mother was dead. Carole Bradshaw would never again make whole the lives of those around her. All of the horrible people in the world, and the beautiful shining light that was Carole Bradshaw, was out.
High Flight by GreenB3ans {T}
About post-mission life, focusing on the “found family” aspect of “Top Gun.”
hangster slice o' life by whoreothins
close shave {T}
He imagines grasping Bradley’s chin, tilting his head just so as the razor rasps down his neck, and - yep, he could kiss Mav right now. Jake looks up, waggling his eyebrows and holding up the razor. “You mentioned a shave, sweetheart?” he drawls. Bradley is a bit unkempt for Mav’s wedding. Jake helps.
Chicken soup {G}
Well, let’s see,” Bradley says dryly, ticking the items off with his fingers as he goes, “you developed viral pneumonia from God knows where - probably one of our students - and had a fever of 104 degrees, which is the critical threshold for medical attention, you vomited all over our living room, and you were delirious, so I rushed you to the ER.” turns out Rooster is a mother hen, after all.
hangster 'verse by milestaller {E}
like, what up, I got a big cock
“Wait. Why is your callsign Rooster, anyway?” Phoenix snorts beer up her nose. or, what happens when Hangman doesn't know how to quit when he's ahead.
imagine being loved by me
This is… it’s fucking nice, is what it is. It feels easy in a way that Jake never would have expected it to. It’s gotta be because they’re going back to their normal lives tomorrow, no pressure of having to see each other every day to make it awkward. A decent amount of mutual attraction helps, too.   The morning after, and beyond.
Favorite Poison by AncientAviators {M}
Reprieve (Can You Ever Forgive Me?)
“Exactly. If you wanna—” Maverick waves his hand, shaking his head— “I dunno, go start up a ranch somewhere, then do it. If you wanna go back to school, then go back to school, start a family, don’t start a family, get married or never settle down. Follow your dreams. Figure out if you even have any other dreams. Don’t…” He pauses, voice quieting, going soft and sincere, and Bradley’s chest aches a bit. “I don’t want you to ever limit yourself just because you feel like you owe it to your dad, Bradley.” A brief moment of silence. He knows he probably shouldn't ask, he might not be able to handle the answer. “Is that why you stuck around?” “Because of my dad, or because I felt like I owed it to yours?” Maverick asks, eyes coming back up, a small, sad smile on his lips. He holds Bradley’s gaze, the fire flickering on his face, the shadows dancing and disappearing before coming back in rapid succession. Or: Post-Mission healing, Jake and Bradley have history, and Bradley's trying to figure out his life.
The Hand That Feeds
He kind-of wants to be, honestly. He really wants to be. He thinks he could spend the rest of his life with Bradley, doing just this. Coming home to each other, having dinner together, falling asleep in the same bed. Maybe it’s the few sips of wine he had or he’s just losing his mind, but he can almost imagine himself giving up flying for Bradley, if it meant more time with him. They got lucky, being kept as a squadron. Jake needs to thank Iceman, Maverick, and Cyclone. He’ll have to send gift baskets.
what time is it where you are (i miss you more than anything) by cryinginthebronco {G}
Sipping on his coffee, Jake unlocks his phone and smiles to himself when he’s greeted by a stream of new messages. There are a few from his sisters and Javy, but he gets those out of the way with short replies. The thread he leaves for last is filled with short messages, photos, and a couple of videos, and Jake has to bite his lip to keep himself from smiling like an idiot. It takes him a couple of sweeps to get to the first unread message that makes warmth spread in his chest as he reads it. or jake and bradley trying to navigate a long-distance relationship
You've Got Me Hypnotized by theinsouciantknitter {E}
Jake has a problem. A six foot one, hundred and eighty pound, absolutely fucking stacked problem. It’s got auburn curls, rugged scars, honey brown eyes. It’s the kind of problem that makes him want to slam his head into a wall and then maybe mope over a Jane Austen novel. The problem haunts both his dreams and his waking hours. The problem also hates him, which is just the icing on the cake because the problem is Bradley Bradshaw, and Jake is in love with him.
Slow Down by UnicornFlowers {G}
“So he summons all his charm and from the depths of his chest manages to gather the words, “Are you getting tired of me?” Those…those weren’t the words he gathered. So why did they come out?” Or: Jake deserves endless love.
Shake it off by Happytree {E}
“This is the bit that’s going to piss you off,” Jake warned, “so think of tonight as an apology and a final hurrah okay Roo.” “What the hell did Mav dare you?” Jake took a deep breath as he looked him in the eyes, “No sex for two weeks.” “That asshole!”
Your Voice Can Take Me There by greenstuff {E}
“I’m not that drunk,” Bradley protests. Jake stops pushing him and falls in step at his side instead. Bradley immediately misses the warm pressure against his back. “So you don’t want to go back to your place?” Jake asks in an undertone.
got me like nobody by magdarko {G}
The Daggers organize a reunion six months after the mission. So, of course, they play strip poker.
The Highs and Lows of Having a Naval Aviator as Your Omega by hockeyandfootballismyish {T}
Bradley wasn’t quite sure when he started to refer to Hangman- no Jake as his omega. It may have been sometime after the Mission when his omega saved his life and simultaneously gaining his second kill to cement his title as one of the best currently or maybe it was when they hooked up for the first time and Bradley couldn’t help but stare in absolute awe at the man riding his knot and taking his pleasure as he pleased.
A Life With Blondes by Aphroditedany {T}
Two years after the events of Top Gun : Maverick and an ugly accident involving Jake, Bradley and Maverick, the Dagger Squad members discover an interesting fact about Jake's personal life.
it simply is by hypnagogicpunisher {M}
It starts simply. The other Daggers joke about changing his callsign to Pheidippides, ask him when he’s running his next marathon. They’ve seen him pushing through the workouts, running the extra mile, the deepest, ugliest parts of his soul hopes they’ve noticed physical change with that too. And unsaid words sting in the back of his throat that Pheidippides died at the end of his run.
’til the storm breaks loose by vannral {E}
'”Do you want to stay?” Rooster asks, willing to meet him half-way since Jake can’t get a goddamn word out. Jake lifts his chin, his jaw clenched so hard he might crack his teeth into ground up glass.' In which Bradley’s going into heat, Jake checks up on him and they’re faced with just how much they mean to each other. (+snapshots of their life together afterwards.)
Use Your Words and Everything Will be Alright by HopeaLumi {E}
They've been dating for almost two years and Rooster still has trouble communicating and Hangman... is hanging in there.
young | numb | starved by crueltether {G}
“Where’s your head, Bradshaw?” Jake asks softly, letting the backs of his fingers trail a path up the valley of Bradley’s abs to the hollow of his chest and then back down. “Y’been quiet since we got here.”
what momma don't know by collieflower {M}
“You never told your Momma we got married.” Bradley tensed under him before shooting straight up to his elbows. Jake jostled, ending up with his hands propped up on either side of Bradley, bare inches from his face. “Shit,” Bradley hissed. “Yeah, shit.”  - When Bradley learned that Mav pulled his papers, he was angry. When he learned it was on his mother's request? He was furious. In which the Bradshaw-Mavericks are too stubborn to have an essential conversation, and Bradley's been running so long he'd accidentally left his mother behind.
Where Most of Love is Found by thatsquirrelfromiceage {M}
“It won’t be your fault, okay?” Hangman continues. “None of it. But you have to go, now. There’s no point in both of us dying.” There’s a gentleness to his tone that before today, Phoenix would have scarcely believed him capable of. Unforgivably, she feels the anger start to ebb away, despair crawling up through her veins to take its place. “The point,” she growls through tears, “is that you’re my team. You’re my team, Bagman. I am not leaving you behind.” Or: a year after the suicide mission, and six months after the Daggers have reunited to form their own squadron, Natasha and Jake are caught in a gas explosion.
he loves me, i love him not by hey_its_me88 {M}
Exactly three days before their leave ends, before he gets shipped off to Japan and Bradley to Florida, Jake opens his door to find the mustached pilot standing on his steps with a bouquet of roses. Jake shuts the door.
speak low if you speak love by andrealyn {T}
You'd think that after the Dagger mission, Hangman and Rooster would pull their heads out of their asses and realize that they're both being idiots about how they clearly want to get together. Unfortunately for everyone around them, their stubbornness reigns supreme. It leaves their friends with no choice but to Much Ado the shit out of matchmaking them together.
Fire in the Blood and Smoke in the Air by MadeItUp {M}
Dirty and Sweet (Get it on)
As things wind down after the mission, Rooster struggles with a need for something a little dangerous. That something absolutely should not – cannot – be Jake Seresin. But a little friendly competition and a lot of alcohol can go a long way to changing a man's mind. Hangman eyes Rooster’s empty beer, then his own. “How about that second shot?” “You tryna put me off my game?” “I don’t need you drunk to beat you, Rooster.” “What do you need me drunk for?”
feels good to know one thing
Jake doesn’t have the best relationship with his family, so when he’s summoned home for a special occasion, he calls up the one person he can trust to stick with him – after all, Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw has never ever lost a wingman. But he’s about to find out that getting shot down in enemy territory to save Mav was a whole lot easier than surviving a long weekend chez Seresin. “So it’s a big family thing?” Jake says carefully. “Everyone bringing their partners?” “Well of course, Charlie’s promised to bring the kids and I’ve not even met Matty’s new girlfriend—” “So that means I can bring someone?” Silence on the line. His mom is no fool. She knows when she’s been played. “Of course, Jakey,” she says. “You’re welcome to bring anyone you like.”
Will Get Fooled Again
Personal history isn’t enough to get in the way of professional opportunity, and when Lieutenant Commanders Jake Seresin and Bradley Bradshaw are selected to develop a pioneering Strategy Development Program at TopGun, working with the best young aviators the fleet has to offer, each figures they’re up to the challenge both in the air and on the ground. After all, a little rivalry can heighten the senses and bring out the best results… Or it can bring out something else altogether. “I’m not hard to impress,” Jake says, laying the cue down on the table. “I just don’t like people kissing my ass.” “Really?” Rooster says, and there’s a marginally lower register to his voice, a flicker of something crossing his expression that has excitement sparking in Jake’s gut. Walking round to take his drink from where he’s left it, Jake faces the others, resting the ass in question on the table and taking a sip of his drink, before answering. “Hero worship’s for people who don’t know their own worth.” He flashes a winning smile at his friends. “Some of us don’t need it.”
The Dagger Squad by BeccaAnne814 {M}
After the Dagger Squad proved they were the best of the best, the Navy decides to keep the team together. These hotheaded pilots love to tease and torment each other, so how much worse will it be when they’re all living under the same roof?
Sweet Tooth by xo_em
Tiramisu (Take Me Home) {T}
It’s always like this - going home. It takes so much out of him. But what is leave for, if not family?
What a Great Word, Milkshake {T}
Bradley curses Natasha under his breath. He’d let slip in recent conversation that he might be developing decidedly not-so-platonic feelings for the man currently sitting in his passenger seat. A mistake, apparently.
Birthday Cake {M}
It’s Jake’s birthday today and he hates it.
Toothache {T}
Bradley wakes with his arms full.
No Sweeter Fruit Than This (Apple Pie) {E}
There are a few peculiar things of note about Jake Seresin.
No More Wasting Time by DraconisWing24441 {E}
Having just completed a mission that required multiple miracles, Bradley thinks the most miraculous thing of all is that he’s not furious at Maverick anymore. Or Hangman. Now that his relationship with Maverick is on the mend after talking about their past, Bradley starts to realize some other things. Like the fact that Hangman isn't such a bad guy and he maybe actually really likes him, like, a lot. Jake, meanwhile, starts to realize that Bradley may not, in fact, hate him for being an ass, while also trying to hide the fact that he’s been in love with Rooster for years. Without the anger characterizing every interaction, Bradley and Jake are left with the conclusion that there's more there that they hadn’t realized until now. But, as Bradley and Jake's icy relationship unexpectedly begins to thaw into a tentative friendship, the friction that existed between them sparks something deeper than they ever expected. Letting go of the past and respective fears is harder than they thought, but when it comes down to it, the question remains: will they have the courage to leap off their perches and take the shot?
I took the stars from your eyes and then I made a map by dalearden {E}
Before Jake knows it, his jaw has dropped and the gears in his brain have stopped turning as he struggles to process what he’s seeing. He’s seen Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw all dressed up before, a few times over through the course of their respective careers that kept forcing them together as though fate was playing a twisted little game with them, but somehow, this time it hits different.
bad idea, right? by ok_thanks {M}
From: ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOT!!! (AGAIN) No greeting for me? Don’t I get that Bradshaw hospitality?
Can You Feel My Heart? by bubbles_1801 {T}
I Can't Drown My Demons, They Know How To Swim
A few months after the mission marks the 5th anniversary of Jake’s first air-to-air kill. After a poorly timed comment from one Bradley Bradshaw, Jake spirals into a depression. Can his new found family rescue him from himself? More importantly, will he let them?
I'm Scared To Get Close, And I Hate Being Alone
After an unexpected voicemail from his father, Jake finds himself getting a migraine for the first time in years. The pain is almost too much to bare and he's still unsure of his standing within his newfound family. Cue Bradley being the best boyfriend and Ice and Mav being the worried parents that they are. Set between the main story and epilogue of I Can't Drown My Demons, They Know How To Swim.
Misconceptions by SamHeartfilia {M}
Jake "Hangman" Seresin received an incomplete mating claim from one Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw a week after graduating from the Naval Academy. No one but his best friend know, and now that the uranium mission is over, things are looking up. His claim is completed and he's feeling like himself for the first time in years. Of course, everything starts change when his secrets come out. Secrets he was only just coming to terms with himself.
newton's law of motion by noona96n {T}
law i inertia Bradley's hospitalized immediately after The Mission, and Jake has a revelation™ law ii force & acceleration Bradley recuperates at the Seresin's Ranch and has a revelation™
the shapes of love by winterbitch {T}
sink your teeth into me (keep me)
Rooster doesn't need to know what animal Hangman shifts into, but he sure wants to find out. It's just another piece of the man he's hopelessly in love with, and he wants to know everything, no matter how much his friends tease him. Through a series of events, he finally finds out, and maybe gets more than expected Or shifter au where rooster is a wolf, hangman is [redacted], there's a LOT of pining, and icemav are cute together (ice is a tiger, mav is a fennec). they get their happy end
I see forever in your eyes
Having gotten together (and engaged in the same day), Rooster and Hangman don't get any less annoying with their behaviour. Rooster would even argue that their friends are more annoyed with them now, but he's too deliriously happy to care. He has the love of his life by his side, his friends surrounding him, and he's getting married. Life is great (and it's about to get even better) Or shifter au with smitten puppy rooster, disgustingly in love hangster, some background icemav and ANOTHER proposal
59 notes · View notes
respectthepetty · 1 year ago
Note
Hey petty so recently I told you that you’d single-handedly convinced me to watch the HIStory and I have been having a great goddamn time Taiwan my absolute my beloved my belle of the ball you give me everything I want baby, but…I’ve come to Make Our Days Count and I need some encouragement to start it. Because I KNOW how it ends I KNOW it’s gonna hurt me so I need someone to hype me up and talk me into it
Anon, I told you not to follow me down my trashy path!
I'm not trying to convince y'all to watch anything. Never. Not ever. I loved Hit Bit Love, but I will never recommend that to anyone because I know what it was.
Tumblr media
So now you're asking me, the person who consistently tells you not to watch anything unless you want to and not based on my unabashed love for it, to convince you to watch the HIStory-that-shall-not-be-named?
Tumblr media
Well, I can't because, as you very well know, it's gonna fucking hurt! That series was, on average, ranked around an 8.8 each episode by 20 faithful watchers on My Drama List until the final episode which is a 4.8 with double the raters (40). Not only did it bury the gay at the last possible second after jailing the gay mafia lead in the previous installment right when Taiwan legalized marriage equality, but half of the world was going into lockdown, and the other half was burying its head in the sand about it. Basically, the morale was so low in BL Land, hell had to make new layers because HIStory decided to be high art and kill someone.
Tumblr media
And it would be another two years before we got the next installment, my beloved HIStory 4: Close to You.
Tumblr media
Knowing what I know, I wouldn't even tell myself to watch the HIStory-that-shall-not-be-named? I don't want to remember watching it, so I definitely don't want to talk about it.
Tumblr media
Instead I'm going to convince you of why it's important that I did watch it four years ago in retrospect:
The Apology Tour
Taiwan knows it fucked up.
Every year since that ill-fated series, we get Wayne and Huang playing in the final episode of other BLs which greatly relies on us knowing who they are and their HIStory because without it, the emotional impact is wasted.
2020 - Life: Love on the Line (Japan) - They played tourists seeing the Northern Lights which is something they mentioned in HIStory.
Tumblr media
2021 - Be Loved in House: I Do - Wayne played a random guy the lead runs into and tells him to never let anyone take his love away, but the two actually played in HIStory together, so Wayne's character realizes this as the lead runs away.
Tumblr media
2022 - Plus & Minus - They are guests at the leads' wedding who run into each other and feel an instant connection as if they have met in a previous life.
Tumblr media
2023 - Kiseki: Dear to Me - They play gangstas from a rival squad, but some of y'all have not watched episode 8, so I'll shut up.
Tumblr media
Oh, and the side pair also pop up places like HIStory 4: Close to You.
Tumblr media
Basically, each time these guys show up somewhere, it's a spectacle. It's basically AU fanfic every year for us. If they couldn't be together in HIStory, they can be together in other ways, in other shows, and in other universes, so I'm excited to see where they will pop up in 2024, but the commoner who hasn't watched the HIStory-that-shall-not-be-named will not care as much.
Anon, do you want to feel those feelings?
Do you want Taiwan to continue apologizing for its grave misdeed? Do you want to be "in the know" each time you see these two appear on your screen? Do you want to believe that they are together in another universe? Do you want all of this?
Tumblr media
Because if you do, you can't have it if you don't watch the series that caused this ripple effect. You are missing a foundational competent of their legacy if you skip out on the HIStory-that-shall-not-be-named.
However, I can't encourage you to watch this.
I watched nine glorious episodes, then got beat down in the finale, only to spend the last four years gleefully sitting front row to the apology tour, so ask yourself if you are comfortable making that deal as well?
Tumblr media
You decide.
34 notes · View notes
lavender-long-stories · 1 year ago
Text
Wedding to Save a Uchiha
Tumblr media
Hinata lifted her skirts and ran up the stairs as sets of hands fiddled with her kimono. “I don’t think there is any helping it at this point.” She tried, but the branch members continued to try to straighten it beyond its capabilities. It was too big for her. She was shorter than her mother and thinner than she had been when she was married.
“This is ridiculous.” Neji came through the hall she had just had. “He can’t make you do this!”
“No one is making me, I agreed.” Hinata lifted her head, trying to stand tall with her decision, but her heart was rushing from the anxiety.
“You agreed? Why? You don’t even know who it is!” Neji demanded. “What would compel you to marry a stranger!”
“The Hokage would not ask if he didn’t think it was of the utmost importance.” Hinata felt her own voice start to go weak as his face turned red in fury.
“You’re doing this because HE asked you!” Neji shouted. “You are going to give yourself to a stranger to please the man that will be off limits to you with the very action.”
“I am aware!” Hinata snapped. “I am also late!” Her eyes filling with tears. “I trust that this is the best reason for both father and Naruto-sama to offer my hand to fix this problem.”
“Your father agreed to this!? Do you even know what the problem is?!” Neji growled.
“This will clear a man of his wrongful exile,” Hinata explained.
Neji wouldn’t have been given that information. “Are you sure he deserves it?”
“He’s convinced me,” Hinata assured him.
“And how has he done that? You don’t know who he is.” Neji repeated.
“He wrote, giving me the option to decline.” Hinata cast her eyes down to her hidden toes. The note was actually tucked into the folds of her kimono, keeping her from turning back.
“She is late already.” One of the branch members that was waiting so patiently despite the fact they were, in fact, in a rush. 
“You can’t.” Neji finally resigned to a low voice of pleading.
“I’ve already agreed.” Hinata allowed the woman to rush her through the door.
Hinata blinked at the man who was to be her husband. She understood now. She was guided into her seat. The ceremony was short. The kimonos were for show. A paper was signed, and then she just sat there quietly next to her new husband. 
Itachi Uchiha.
--**--
Naruto held her hand between his as he thanked her. “I hope you understand.”
Hinata nodded. Connecting Itachi to the Hyuga meant that he was less of a risk if he was under the power of the rival clan. Tying him to a wife made it seem more real.
“The Hyuga knew about the truth of the massacre,” Hinata assured him. 
“But you’re really okay with this?” Naruto asked. “I know it was a lot to ask.”
“You shouldn’t be trying to make me turn back on my wedding day,” Hinata smiled.
Naruto crinkled his nose. “Yeah. You look great.”
Hinata smiled. “Thank you.” And with that, he left her and let go of her hand, and with it, he took her heart. She stared at the closed door and sighed. She had to give it up at some point.
“You’re in love with him.” Hinata jumped as her new husband made himself known behind her.
Quiet and observant.
“Sorry?” Hinata asked. Maybe he would act like he didn’t say it.
Itachi nodded his head toward the closed door. “Why would you agree if you love him?”
And not one for reading the room.
Not the first conversation she wanted to have with her husband. “He’s not interested in me. This way, I am at least useful to him.” 
Itachi peered through her for a few seconds like he was reading her mind. He simply nodded.
Tumblr media
I think I had an ItaHina phase where I thought of 101 ways for Itachi to come back to Konoha, but I never did any of them.
I think what stopped me was thinking of how to deal with Sasuke.
I am sure I could have figured it out, but better stories came up and these slowly got abandoned.
Tumblr media
21 notes · View notes
elvisabutler · 2 years ago
Text
it's an apology house
summary: being a part of elvis's memphis mafia for years honestly has taken a bit of a toll on you and your partner. as it turns out, him and jerry make it up to you. fandom: luke bracey | elvis ( 2022 ) rating: t pairing: jerry schilling x gn reader word count: 1215 warning: use of the nickname kitten. injury to one mr. schilling. elvis being elvis. talk of exhaustion. author's note: so consider this a valentines sequel to my kinktober pieces 1 and 2 with jerry. you don't have to read the kinktober pieces or the christmas piece for this ( click the tag and you'll find it ) to make sense because it kind of stands on its own. and yes elvis really did buy jerry his house in california and to this day jerry actually lives in it. the fact that he does will make me cry until the end of time i swear. obligatory this is for @blurredcolour mention because hey i did say i wouldn't forget these two.
Tumblr media
"Your arm is broken and you're telling me to calm down? The doctor said six weeks on the low side and I'm supposed to not want to murder EP." You can't help the way your voice raises an octave the more you look at how in pain Jerry looks. "It's Valentines and we spent half of it in the ER. I was planning on-"
"Kitten." Jerry's voice sounds so exhausted that you have a hard time keeping up your anger, the worry you feel for him overriding damn near everything else. "I- He didn't mean to do it- We didn't mean for it to happen. You know how he gets. Meant to reel him in and got he busted my arm. We'll celebrate tomorrow."
"That's not the point, Jerry. That's never been the point. I know he doesn't care because he can throw Linda something fun or shower her in something that makes up for everything but- do you know how terrifying it is to have Red calling me and Joe and Lamar and everyone as soon as I hung up the phone with each of them. I thought-"
"You're working yourself up." He cuts you off again, knowing that he can't give you exactly what you need in that moment. Knowing that you require a certain touch that the pain medication is dulling and shoving under a haze. "Come here." He uses his healthy arm to pat the couch's open spot next to him. "Sit next to me." He looks to see you still standing far too far away looking just as angry as you had been. "Please, Y/N? I can't- I'm not about to drag you over here."
One day you might be able to resist him, one day you might be able to tell him to shove it because you're not at his beck and call but today isn't that day. Today is the day when you sit by your partner and make a move to snuggle against him and frown. "This is why I want to get out, you know. Why I want to quit. Why we both should."
A hum is the answer only answer you get back as you and Jerry stare at the television screen plays something neither of you are paying too much attention to. "We can't both leave at once- anyone get back to you about-"
You shake your head, squeezing his hand before running your thumb over his wedding ring. "No. We can't all be in demand, Jer."
There's a hint of jealousy before he kisses your forehead. "They just think I did all the work. You're gonna find something but in the meantime- he's willing to let you stay. I know he would. And he might. He might have given me something of a bribe to convince at least one of us to stay."
"A bribe. I know he calls us a Mafia but that's a bit much." You try to joke only to look up at Jerry and see just how serious his face is. "What- What was it?"
"It not- A bribe might have been the wrong word. Especially after today. It's more of an apology present for you. Just a thank you for me and him trying to do right by me." Jerry continues to dance around telling you what it is and for a brief moment you consider making his broken arm worse to get him to focus and tell you just what he's talking about. "I actually meant to show you it today. It was going to be a nice set up, maybe a picnic."
"Jerry Schilling." You squeeze his hand in yours as you say part of his full name to get his attention before frowning. "What was it? Don't leave me in-"
"He bought us a house." The words come out in a bit of a rush before he elaborates, seeing how you're doing a fair imitation of a fish. "He bought it because I've- you know the story behind my life, Kitten. I've never really had a place to call home."
"So he bought you a house." You try and keep your tone level but the shock colors it no matter what you do. "Are you sure your pain medication isn't-"
Jerry shakes his head and rolls his eyes. "He bought us a house. Told me to settle in it if I wanted. Put down proper roots like he kinda has with Graceland." You both share a look before he shrugs. "I think that's the best permission he's going to give me to actually leave, Kitten."
You stare at Jerry for a long time, trying to figure out what to say, how to react to what he's said to you before you finally bite your lip. "We can actually make a home? We decorate and do gardening and all those stupid little things." We can fill it with stuff that's just ours is what goes unsaid. We can be just ourselves there is what goes unsaid. So much just goes unsaid that you just have to look at Jerry when you're silent.
"It's ours, so we can do whatever we want. We can grow old there. Love Memphis but LA could do us so much good." He says that part a little quieter like he's scared to admit it. "It was supposed to be your gift for Valentines."
The grin that forms on your face could light up the entire East Coast if you asked Jerry while he looked at it. He thinks maybe this is a good apology gift even if Elvis didn't intend it that way. "We could still make it my gift."
Jerry can't help but raise an eyebrow and tilt his head. "What are you planning?"
You don't answer as you move to go use the phone, leaving Jerry to worry just what shenanigans he has essentially allowed you to do. It's another ten minutes before you return to him, looking positively giddy. "Get up. We're going to our house so I can see what horrible taste Elvis is trying to pass on to us."
Jerry stays on the couch for a moment before he holds out his good arm for you to pull up. "It's not that bad, and you don't know where it is."
"But Lamar does. And Red does and a lot of people do." You pause. "It's not going to be the California house for the Mafia. But, I can whip up some snacks and E owes me for today. I want to see our house and we're going to go do that right now."
There's a moment where Jerry looks like he's going to argue with you before he shakes his head and instead uses his good hand to pull you in for a kiss, gentle as can be before nuzzling at your nose. "Let me grab a sleeping bag and we could just sleep in it overnight. If that sounds like a good Valentines date to you."
You can't help but laugh. "Why Mr. Schilling, that sounds perfect. Not as good as my original plans, but I suppose I can live with it for you. Since I love you that much." You slap his ass gently. "Go on, go grab it."
"Aye aye, Kitten."
taglist: @rosepresley, @floralcyanide
32 notes · View notes
rosietrace · 2 years ago
Text
One afternoon waltz
Oc(s): Victoria Shard, Zenith Devi(Mentioned)
Characters: Malleus Draconia, Vil Schoenheit(Mentioned)
Pairing: Victoria x Malleus
Synopsis: A little while after the fairy gala, Victoria went to Diasomnia to dance with Zen. But she encounters someone else.
Warning(s): Potentially ooc, it's implied that Victoria's stepped on Malleus's feet, Zen being a little shit even if he wasn't even in the oneshot, generally pure fluff for an angst-filled slowburn of a ship, not much of fairy gala other than a brief mention
[ Reblogs > Likes ]
{ Apologies for any out of character moments }
Tumblr media Tumblr media
♝•°•═════ஓ๑【 ♛ 】๑ஓ═════•°•♝
↳ Victoria's POV
Walking alone in the gardens of Diasomnia, a soft smile was gracing Victoria's face whilst she continued looking for her closest - most trusted - friend.
See, the fairy gala was quite an exhausting experience. No matter the opulence of its intricacies, Victoria couldn't help but have the sensation that it didn't reach the expectations she set for it.
Which was a given. Victoria's expectations were unexpectedly large, and she wasn't even all that surprised that she was somewhat underwhelmed by the gala.
Tsk… Vil was already a pain to put up with, but… Victoria allowed her thoughts to linger. She smiled, internally admitting that even though Diasomnia's dorm head is a pain in the ass to deal with, the intricacies in the design of the dorm didn't disappoint.
Her smile remained on her face for quite some time, actually. Walking around the gardens until she was able to find the meeting spot.
But when she did, her smile faded. And a face full of innocent fascination wrinkled in disgust.
꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒷꒦꒷
Malleus Draconia awaited in the meeting place, not Zen. In a white and gold suit that coincidentally matched the dress, she was currently wearing, no less.
Holding in her anger, Victoria folded her arms over her chest, approaching him.
“Draconia,” she called, sounding just as unhappy as Malleus expected.
He narrowed his eyes at her in response, folding his arms as well. “Shard.”
Victoria inhaled, trying to keep herself together in Malleus's presence. “What are you doing here?” she questioned, and her act would've been convincing, had it not been for the subtle movements of her hands. Tightly gripping her arms.
“I could ask you the same thing,” and he did. “Zenith had informed me to arrive here, though I was unaware of the reasons behind the instruction. I didn't expect you to be here as well.”
Ignoring the second half of his sentence, just hearing words come out of his mouth made Victoria feel tempted to swallow arsenic. But that was until she processed what he said.
She ended up doing a double take. “Zen told you to go here?” Malleus's discreet nod was enough of an answer.
Victoria mentally cursed, making sure to confront Zen about this. And just by looking more intently at their surroundings, she came to a pretty quick conclusion about what he was trying to do: He was trying to bring her and Malleus together.
The scenery was beautiful, no doubt. But the way it had been prepared felt all too much like a makeshift outdoor ballroom.
This borders on being a makeshift wedding venue…. What is Zen trying to imply here? Victoria pondered for a moment, before shaking her head.
No, Zen wouldn't do something so ludicrous.
Instead of letting her thoughts linger there, she focused her attention entirely on Malleus. “I request for you to leave. At once.”
Malleus scoffed. “You wish for me to leave the dormitory I'm in charge of? Isn't that too demanding of you, Shard?”
Victoria grits her teeth, her scowl becoming all the more apparent.
“You know what I meant, Draconia.”
“I'm afraid I don't quite follow.”
“Is this your attempt at flirting? You're not quite good at it.”
Malleus smirked. “So you allow your thoughts to make that assumption?” he held Victoria's chin, so gently that she could barely feel his hand. “What, have I truly enchanted you in such a way?”
Eyes wide, Victoria swatted his hand away. “Don't be ridiculous!” she spat out, “Never in a million years would I think of something so… So… So radical.”
She turned around, her back facing him. “If you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way back to Pomefiore,” she said, beginning to walk away from him.
“Wait.”
She didn't know why, but she stopped in her tracks when he called out to her. Turning back to face him yet again, Victoria arched a brow.
“What?”
Malleus sucked in a breath, almost as if he couldn't believe what he was about to say next.
“We couldn't possibly let Zenith's efforts go to waste… Why don't we indulge in what he - most likely - would've wanted? If only for a little bit.”
The request was so simple, yet so unabashedly ridiculous in Victoria's eyes. She almost couldn't believe it was Malleus of all people to suggest it.
And yet, unbelievably so, she gave in.
Before walking to Malleus, Victoria eyed the vintage record player that sat on a small stool. Next to it, was a collection's worth of record CDs.
Just by looking at it, she knew it had to be one of three. One of Zen's.
She silently cursed at herself before making her way to the record player, swiftly picking up a CD, and watched as sound began emitting from the record player.
Standing up, her lips remained pursed when she extended her hand towards Malleus. He reluctantly took it, but it ended up being Victoria to guide his hands to their designated positions.
One hand intertwined with hers, while another was wrapped firmly around her waist.
The pace of their dance was slow, at best. But the longer they did, the more synchronous they became.
Malleus became acutely aware that Victoria wanted to take control of their waltz. And he let her.
The silence that accompanied the music was deafening. Yet Malleus thought it would be good to spark conversation.
“I'm guessing the fairy gala wasn't to your liking?” Victoria hummed, shaking her head in reply to his query.
“No,” she said. “It wasn't entirely disappointing, but I suppose I was expecting a bit more.”
Why she was telling him this was beyond her by that point. Although, she had to admit that it felt a little comforting to finally tell someone about how she felt about the fairy gala.
Malleus eyed the dress once more. “The materials of the dress are quite vintage. Did you make it yourself?”
Victoria looked off to the side, avoiding his gaze when she answered. “It's a repurposed wedding dress. One of my mother's, actually.”
“Given that she had no use for it anymore, she gave it to me.”
She looked back at him, and for once, Victoria couldn't quite understand the look on Malleus's face. Sure, he wasn't that easy to read, but even then, Victoria believed he was quite expressive.
But at that moment? She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. His eyes were somewhat squinted, but there was an odd softness to them. One that she never would've guessed he'd use on her.
Upon realizing her confusion about her question, it was Malleus's turn to look off to the side just to avoid her gaze.
Their waltz continued from there. It went from awkward and stiff - with the occasional deliberate stepping of Malleus's feet - to something straight out of a fairytale.
She was a ballerina. And alongside her, he was her danseur. Completely in sync with her movements and making sure no stone was left unturned with each step.
Soon, their dancing came to a close.
Malleus let go of Victoria's waist, taking her arm with his and spinning her around before letting go and allowing her to spin solitarily, and ending it with a pose that truly resembled that of a ballerina.
They both looked into each other's eyes. A pair of emeralds looking into a set of sapphires, before their heads lowered whilst they bowed in respect to one another.
Victoria approached Malleus once more. And this time, it was his turn to wonder what she was thinking.
Ultimately, he - like Victoria moments before - didn't get an answer. All he got was the shake of a head, before she walked past him, their pinky fingers touching for even the shortest of seconds.
“.... Thank you, Draconia,” she spoke, finally. “For the dance.”
He didn't respond to her words until after she left. But even then, that blissful feeling never left, never truly fleeting.
“.... And I you, my lady.”
♝•°•═════ஓ๑【 ♛ 】๑ஓ═════•°•♝
Tumblr media
Taglist [ I'd like to hear your thoughts, if possible ^^ ]
🥥 @starry-night-rose @windbornearchon @sakuramidnight15 @authoruio @nem0-nee @fumikomiyasaki
Moots <3 @geminiiviolets @twsted-princess @oseathepebble @revolllutionary @vaporvipermedia @vivaresmala (please notify me if I forgot to add anyone!)
✦•°•═════ஓ๑【 ♛ 】๑ஓ═════•°•✦
11 notes · View notes
lesucremygic · 2 years ago
Text
Through The Window, I See You with Fondness
In the lights of recent events in my life, I can’t help but to admit a defeat to life and how it always shows me its beauty. I feel like life is laughing at me and my skepticism but also I am endeared by its constant effort to show me how everything is worth it. 
Not me making an abstract concept phenomenon as a third person subject.
Ah well.
So to continue, two friends of mine are finally married. The bride is actually a very close friend of mine, someone I have been looked up to for the past 10 years, more or less. Someone I spent the most of my teenage years with and a person who usually gives me a lot of different perspectives whenever I hit a rock bottom. 
One of few people I actually hold dear in my heart. 
The groom has also been my friend almost as long as the bride, but we were never really that close in terms of friendship, we just exist in each other’s circle of life. Chilling.
It is true, when people say that you will feel a distinct wall in front of you with your friends once any of them, or you, got married. Something really distinct, it made you a little bit sad with how immense they could intensify later with time. Growing up together with constant people in your life can make it a little bit difficult to accept the reality once they’re moving onto the next step in their life. There is some sort of disbelief since you always remembered them to be a constant equal presence in the way you navigate through your days. 
Where in other cultures and or religion, the marriage proceeded as each of the groom and bride made their vow to each other and someone with way more wisdom and knowledge  officiated them to be as legal in the eyes of the country's documentation and the higher beings of their beliefs. In islam, the wedding pledge or usually known as ijab qabul was actually conducted by the father or legal guardian representative of the bride as in simple terms they offers to pass the bride’s care and wellbeing to the groom itself who in turn will accept it. 
For the remainder of both of their lives. It goes way more sacred than my simple definition, but the wedding pledge is the most important part of all the ritual processes. The thing is, there are a lot of grooms who actually got nervous so bad they kept messing up the simple acceptance sentence. In Islamic law, you have to postpone the whole marriage procession if the groom can not, for the life of him, say it without doubts and stutter for more than 3 times.
In short, 3 is the charm.
On that specific part of my friends’ marriage, it went by very smoothly. The groom even made me amazed at how fast and confident he said the acceptance or the qabul. I was actually pretty impressed and convinced myself for once that I can trust the wellbeing of my best friend, the bride, to him. Some of the residue of tension built up before that however, got me extremely emotional to a point I have to restrain myself from bawling my eyes out. Not to mention, the bride's sister was openly crying after the ijab qabul was done. It only added to my misery of trying not to become a sobbing mess since I knew that I couldn't stop once I let the waterworks out.
Sad and impressed was actually a mix I got so unfamiliar it left my brain in a buzzing state for a whole 15 minutes before I got my bearings back and actually looked at the two of them. Extremely nervous, totally in disbelief but also had this inexplicable happiness radiating from both of their respective faces.
It brought a smile to my face. A unique and an unlikely pair that actually works together despite all the hardships they have to go through before reaching this milestone. Not to mention, the journey after this step is going to be a long one, I can only hope for them to always count on each other.
And to find peace within each other.
The procession went on afterwards, I was positioned as a bridesmaid where I also attended as a personal assistant to the two of them, so I was actually in a haze by trying to watch them like a hawk. I didn’t even remember the entirety of the reception since most of the time, I spent it watching them making various and a lot of wedding documentaries. 
It was really fascinating to see how professional and passionate people do their work. Those photographers really went all out capturing the happy moments, little appreciative gazes the bride and groom throw for each other, and just the euphoria of the whole event. 
One specific session however struck me up the most. I was sitting at the sideline, trying to gulp down the uncomfortable itch on both of my eyes from wearing fake lashes, but also peacefully people watching. The documentary team was staging for my friends to have this intimate moment where both of them standing closely with their foreheads touched with one another, looking at each other's eyes lovingly while swaying to an imaginary peaceful love song on top of the almost clubbing rhythmic of the actual song played in the background. 
Time seemed to halt for a moment for me. 
It was surreal but I felt like I could ignore the blatant ridiculous contrast of the actual song blaring through the speaker and totally sucked into their bubble as a spectator. In that specific moment I was reminded of the time where both of them usually butted heads from their days dating in highschool to the day before they got married. How the two actually have a very different personality and characteristics but they made it work. 
The gazes speak to me a lot. It also wordlessly speaks to one another beyond my own comprehension. 
Their own secret language.
Their way to bare their soul from the window of the mind.
My heart aches with an extremely distinct gratitude that life actually showed me how beautiful a moment is when you actually sit back to bask in it. The sight tears me up. That moment was like a clarity to me that both of my friends can do well moving forward. The distinct wall was getting more visible but it doesn’t weigh me down anymore. Since I finally understand its importance and even though we’re finally in a different stage, we’re not going to drift away completely. There’ll always be some sort of understanding between all of us. 
Feeling like I’m intruding on a private moment, I instantly looked away once I realized  I was staring too long. I tried to gulp the sobs that got held in my throat back down and fanned my eyes a little in hope it would get the sting away from the unshed tears pooling in the corner. 
Both attempts left me with shitty results. 
But I managed not to cry again. 
I could only hope that the documentary team managed to snag a really gorgeous picture of that moment cause I would be so pissed if I found that they’ll never include it in the final album. Honestly, a video could work too. 
I’m so old, I just realized. I didn’t know that life could fly away that quickly and every moment in the last decade I’ve known and being friends with the both of them made me realize that a genuine friendship that transcends long into life has its speciality.
Or I’m just a very sensitive and emotional person.
Either way, life has proven to me once again that my skepticism can be derailed with its mere beauty.  Even as simple as seeing them in your friends getting into the first big, big milestone in their journey as lifelong partners. 
 L.
Life giving me lesson, as they always do.
9 notes · View notes
silencedrage · 2 years ago
Text
Tumblr media
She had been ready, another long trip to the other side of the world that would strain her body to its limits but it was worth it if Rory came back with smiles and memories and a good tan. She hadn't been ready for the sudden revelation that everything she had convinced herself was true, was actually just a giant misunderstanding that they might have figured out if she had been truthful. She had kept quiet for so long now that she honestly just assumed this would be the way that it was.
The first trip Rory went on had been the hardest, both physically and emotionally. For weeks leading up to her departure, Bryn waffled between telling her best friend the truth to spare her the debilitating pain, and letting her live her life freely without burden (or at least that's what she told herself). She remembers waiting for the confused messages or phone call, some kind of sign that Rory felt the same way as Bryn did, but days turned into weeks and she only saw Rory's smiling face through pictures and social media, and that was the worst part.
It was a final confirmation that whatever Bryn felt for her was not reciprocated, and there was a sudden rush of relief that she hadn't told her before she left. Now that she knew for sure, she could spare Rory that guilt and pain.
She never expected things to come back around like this. In her mind, the door was shut and Rory would find the person who was her soulmate and they'd be happy. Bryn could stand up beside her at her wedding, handing her the rings to exchange, and she would have been thrilled just to see that beaming smile on her face. She had almost convinced herself that it was okay, that Rory deserved a full life which is something Bryn could never give to her. She was wrong.
Rory looked worse than she had ever seen in her life and Bryn was taken aback by how fiercely she was apologizing to Bryn, when Bryn had been the one to keep it hidden in the first place. She never ever expected Rory to take on this guilt or burden, and her heart breaks as she wraps her arms tightly around the other girl as a physical reminder that she was right there, even if it ached to stretch out her arms like that. Rory was worth every second of pain.
"It's okay, Rory," she tries to tell her over her sobs but she knows that it will take time for the idea to fully sink in. Bryn has had years to cope and even now, she's wondering if this is just another dream and she'll wake alone in her bed while Rory spends her life traveling across the world and meeting new people.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she whispers, voice breaking as she combs her fingers through auburn strands. "I thought it was just me..." She thought Rory didn't feel that way towards her. / @ofvalor (continued from xx)
4 notes · View notes
thorntonkrell-blog-blog · 2 months ago
Text
While I'm waiting out the local tornado threat for our town thanks to Tropical Storm Helene, I gotta write something for all of us fat, ugly, old, and afraid folks. I can most certainly relate while the rain pours down, the wind blows and the sewers overflow. Earlier this horrendous week, we went to the Men's Wearhouse to pick out a new suit for Mary's wedding. Nothing fit my size—not in the store, not in the Wearhouse warehouse. In the process, I tried on a few options that were either way too tight or clownishly too big. One pair of suit pants was so large that they actually slipped off while I was staggering around the floor which briefly exposed the adult diaper that I wore underneath as a protection from leaking urine into the clothes that I was trying on which seemed to amuse the manager of the place in a sad way who was till trying to insist that with a tight belt and suspenders the pants would look just fine. Another pair of pants tried to cut me in half.I went from 10 pounds of potatoes in a five-pound sack to 5 pounds of potatoes in a 10-pound sack and back and forth a few times while posing sheepishly into a truly ugly mirror. that automatically distorted when I stepped into its peculiar view. We left the Wearhouse soundly defeated, humiliated and still without a suit.
Later that night, we were watching TV when a show came on that put a camera on an old guy wearing an unbuttoned button-down black sweater open over a white shirt semi-tucked into a pair of baggy black trousers. The guy was wrinkled and white-haired, and obviously the casting director had chosen this guy to portray an out of it character who was way over the hill, patiently trying to find some sympathy in the valley below. I said to Lynn, "Well, honey, aren't you glad I don't look like that?" to which she responded, "What makes you think that you don't? He's an old man, and so are you." MMMMMKKKKAAAAYYY, not what I expected and putting me even deeper into the dumps.
And then yesterday, we went for a consultation with my new best friend, the dentist, who used an X-ray as evidence to describe the broken ruin of what was left of my teeth and suggested nine surgical extractions and a denture for the top row of my teeth before we even begin to figure out the disaster that is the bottom row. True, I haven't smiled in at least 10 years. I've been hiding behind that Mona Lisa-style grimace that we dentally challenged folks use to express the emotion that we used to cover with a smile, but the thought of all that surgery makes me shudder with fearsome anticipation, which will shortly morph into dread and procrastination until the next emergency erupts when I'll have to get extractions magnified by infections that dwarf the paon of the extractions as well as the time of healing.
I love that term "healing". What it really means a time of pain blunted by Tylenol but still dominating each moment althogh not quite as dominant as the decayed mess of an ache that preceded the healing.
I know. I know. I'm exaggerating. I must be. I can't possibly be this old this fat or this ugly even though calendars, scales and mirrors try to convince me otherwise. I see skinny women look into mirrors or step off a scale and consider suicide over an additional five ounces. They think they're fat and they're not. Maybe I just think I'm fat but I;m really not.
Don't think so though...
So yeah… word to all of us old and uglies out there: You're not alone. I'm with ya. Now I can only hope that the tornado misses us and for God sake let's hope the teevee continues to work.
0 notes
finalexit · 5 months ago
Text
my thoughts about The Bear season 3 (spoilers)
i kept thinking about it last night and early this morning because i'm like AUGHHH the pacing just felt so off. when i was watching it, i thought three of the large events of the season would be 1. sugar giving birth (which did happen), 2. richie attending the wedding, and 3. a major confrontation between sydney and carmy (somehow including a reveal about her considering being the cdc at a different restaurant instead). (There's also a 4th one I didn't think to mention till later in the post so stay tuned) #2 i guess wouldn't be that significant in the grand scheme of things but i'm still baffled that #3 didn't happen even a little bit. i liked the last episode of the season, but the whole time i kept thinking "is there enough time for the conversation between sydney and carmy to happen?" and then it just... didn't happen. it feels like that Whole Thing was kind of sidelined for other stuff (the tina episode, the birth episode), and those things were also very valuable but idk sometimes the show reallyyyyy takes its time with things that don't need the screen time as urgently as other things.
and it's not like i needed sydney and carmy to have less tension or whatever. i love that dissonance between them and i wouldve also been disappointed had it been easily and quickly hashed out. i genuinely love that the issue of carmy not being able to let in sydney's voice isn't something that just disappears and instead it continues to fester even after it gets addressed in big and small ways. but it felt like, this season, it just kept going and going and going to the point where it feels like stagnation. i thought it was at least building up to some kind of blowout/overt conflict between the two but it just doesn't go anywhere
and i would've been More okay with how it ended if it was like... season 4 was dropping next week or something. it just has this unfinished vibe where things are still in the middle of an arc, yknow? things don't really feel rounded out as a season, not the way the first two did. cuz like theres a way to round out the season And give a cliff hanger, but it seems like they couldnt manage that this time. i... worry about the writing in season 4. season 3 wasnt Horrible or anything like that, like it still felt like The Bear. but the pacing really messed with it.
one thing i will say, though: i don't get all the people who are acting as if the flashbacks of carmy and claire are rewriting their relationship. so many people are convinced that carmy didn't actually like her or wasn't actually happy with her, but it's pretty explicit in the season that his time with her is the first time he's exploring a life outside of the restaurant and having fun and just Being A Person. so, to me, the flashbacks seem to be aligned with that. i don't ship carmy with anyone in particular, and tbh it feels weird that the conversation with claire and carmy never happens despite it hanging over the season (this is #4), but the flashbacks didn't seem out of place to me. thats all im saying
1 note · View note
chandrandeepesh72 · 6 months ago
Text
Adapting Communication Styles for Successful Business Negotiations in Pune
Communication is not easy as it seems, else there wouldn’t have been so many misunderstandings, failure to express our thoughts, inability to convince or negotiate with people in our lives.
Negotiation is simple words means the communication happening between 2 parties, where both are trying to influence each other and get the best for themselves, where the final conclusion should be achieved. Small kids negotiate with their parents to buy a new toy, by throwing tantrums or crying or by puppy face, while the parents disagree. However, the conclusion is reached when that toy is either purchased or not purchased. Similarly, college kids negotiate with their parents to send them for a Goa trip, in return they will study for extra hours and get extra marks.  
Business Communication in business negotiations is more crucial because its success and failures will affect the top line of the entire organisation
Let’s understand business negotiation with an example
Nagesh is writing an email to his Boss asking for 2 weeks of leave this month, while he had already taken 2 weeks of leave last month as well. There is a 99% chance that the Boss will not allow Nagesh’s leave. This is where Nagesh has to negotiate well and where effective business communication comes into the picture.
Here is how Nagesh needs to email: Dear Boss, Last month I took 2 weeks of leave for my sister’s wedding and thank you for giving me that long duration of leaves. This month as it happens, 2 of my best friends have returned from the USA after 10 long years. These are the only  2 real friends I have in my life and we had promised ourselves in college to have a 10 day hike in Himachal, when we have enough money. For good or bad, fortunes have striked this month, where in the USA returned friends are free and we have the money as well. Hence I would request a 2 weeks leave this month again
However, here is what I am doing to mitigate my absence. I briefed Ashish on all work and will be in continuous touch with him for all dependencies. I will be rejoining the office 10 days before our current client’s deliverable and will personally fill all the gaps that would have happened. I am assuring you of zero gaps and errors in the deliverable of our current client.
Looking for a positive response from your end
Above was a successful business communication via email for negotiation.
Effect of culture in effective communication   
How to enable effective business communication in Pune particularly
Here is the thing about Pune. It was a small and quiet city in the 1990s until the IT boom happened in Pune. Post the 2000s a lot of IT and other industrialization happened. Hence most of the people living in Pune currently, those doing business and also those who are owners of business are mostly not actual natives of Pune.
Hence for effective business communication in Pune, you need to find the actual lover affair of the person with Pune. When did he shift to Pune, why did he shift to pune, how much is he emotionally attached to Pune, etc!
In short, you need to be aware of 2 cultures – culture from which the person hails from and what is his current affiliated culture with Pune
Beware of not hurting the sentiments of the both cultures in your business communication
Example on how to negotiate in business w.r.t culture
One important aspect in negotiating in business is being aware of the other person’s culture
Conclusion
Effective business communication’s success in negotiation depends on several factors, one of which is the culture. More you understand and respect that culture, the higher is your chance to leverage it for your negotiation success.
To know more: https://deepeshchandran.com/adapting-communication-styles-for-successful-business-negotiations-in-pune/
Tumblr media
0 notes
thefanficmonster · 3 years ago
Text
Casual
Ranboo x Reader (Female)
Warnings: None, unless talking about the future counts
Genre: FLUFF, Humor, RPF (Real Person Fic)
Summary: Following the arrival of the dreadful invitation to his cousin’s wedding Ranboo turns to the only cover-up he can think of to keep his still-single status hidden from his family.
Requested by Anon. Hi darling! Thank you so much for your wonderful request! I’m so glad you sent your idea to me and I’m so glad you were my first official Ranboo request. I’m really sorry it’s taken me so long to write it but I still hope you’ll come across it and read it! Love, Vy ❤
“Heyyy, so Y/N, I have a favor to ask you...um yeah, call me back, it’s awkward sending it via voicemail. Bye“
Huh - that’s the first thought that goes through my head when I listen to the voicemail left after a missed call from my best friend Ranboo. The favors he usually asks for consist of requesting assistance for his videos in which I also appear with a mask and sunglasses to keep the brand running. I genuinely have nothing against my face being shown but when I think about it, I’m honestly a bit glad people can’t identify me.
Anyways, back to the favors, Ranboo is no stranger to asking me for them but they’ve never been considered too awkward for a voicemail which is why I’m no slightly concerned. I’ve been swamped with work for school and studies for the graduation finals for the past two weeks and it seems like I’ll never get on top of it and I know Ranboo’s been in a similar situation too, so maybe he needs help with that? He’s not used to asking help for school stuff, he sometimes even has a hard time accepting it when I openly offer it to him.
I eventually sigh, decide that playing this guessing game will not get me anywhere and settle on giving him a call as I make my way home from the gym with my legs barely putting up with the task of carrying me around.
He picks up on the second ring.
“Hey! Wh-...“
“Would you pretend to be my girlfriend for my cousin’s wedding next weekend?!“
My legs take that opportunity to stop moving in the middle of the sidewalk which is luckily void of any people at the moment. It’s not my fault my body’s first reaction was to freeze up at the question that came flying at me like an out-of-control jet, almost as though he’s been dying to say it and get it over with.
“Um...run that by me again please, I think I misunderstood.“ I say, blinking blankly as though awoken from a fever dream. No, actually as though I’m IN a fever dream right now.
“Ok, now that the cat’s out of the bag, wanna grab some coffee and talk about it face-to-face. I need to see your facial expressions to gauge what response to expect.“ He says, the previous nervousness gone and his voice calm as regularly once again.
I’m this close to face-palming but I squeeze my eyes tightly shut and bring myself to utter a reply, “Our usual spot. Be there in ten minutes.”
                                                             *  *  *
“No freaking way.“ I shake my head, folding my arms over my chest as I lean back in my seat in the booth we picked when we arrived. Good thing I got an iced coffee cause even a hot one would’ve gone cold by now considering I haven’t yet taken the time to have even a sip of it. I’ve been too busy listening to the long and short of the explanation and begging speech Ranboo probably made last night to try and convince me to agree to this nonsense. “Dude, we’ve been friends since middle school-...“
“Exactly! Who else was I gonna ask?“ He cuts me off, pleading gaze meeting my unimpressed one.
I huff before continuing my previous statement, “We’ve been friends since middle school so you know my opinion on weddings.” I put extra emphasis on the word ‘opinion’, giving him the clear hint at the distaste I’ve expressed on the topic multiple times before.
“And you know we’re on the same page there but there’s no way I can avoid going unless someone kidnaps me.“ He too now gets in the same stance as me, his coffee forgotten too.
I can’t help but snort out a little laugh, “I’d be more than happy to kidnap you considering the other option is far less appealing to me.“
He, of course, rolls his eyes at me as though he didn’t offer to do the same thing so I could avoid an exam but anyways. “So you’re gonna choose to fake a kidnapping that has the potential of landing you in jail over coming to eat some great food and maybe even have some fun at a wedding with your best friend? I’m hurt.“ He says, frowning to cover up the smile that’s fighting its way onto his face.
Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes, “I’d be kidnapping you, dummy...” I cut myself off to let out a long sigh and calm down before I go off at him. His smirk isn’t helping me much with the task either. I’ve known Ranboo long enough to know he’ll eventually convince me and he’s known me long enough to know how to do that exactly. With that in mind, there’s really no point in getting so worked up and wasting my energy. And so, despite my own rationality, I cave. “Fine, but I’m not staying the whole wedding.“
His eyes immediately light up and almost makes me feel the compromise was worth it. Almost. I mean, when you’ve been best friends with someone for so long, seeing them happy is worth more to you than your own comfort sometimes.
And he knows it too. Which is exactly why he outstretches his hand for me to shake and says: “Just one dance and you’re free to go. Deal?”
I take his hand without hesitations. That’s a better offer than I could’ve ever imagined. “Damn straight it’s a deal.“
                                                            *  *  *
“How long until you kick the heels off?“ Ranboo asks, bringing me a non-alcoholic cocktail and sitting down next to me.
I take a sip and giggle, “You kidding? I already kicked them off and replaced them with flats. I need mobility if we dance. They also lower the risk of me severing off a toe of yours if I step on you on accident.”
He laughs, clinking his glass against mine before he gets a bit more serious, “By the way, thanks for handling my family’s attack so well. I know it might’ve been a bit much but you handled it like a pro. Still, I’m sorry on their behalf.”
I shake my head and wave my hand dismissively, “Don’t mention it. I’d probably react the same way if my brother or cousin brought a date to an important family event like this.” I instinctively turn to look in the direction of where the majority of his family has gathered around, chatting with guests, smiling brightly. It’s hard not to immediately take a liking towards these people. They’ve been a second family to me ever since Ranboo and I started hanging out so I completely understand why they were so shocked to see me in the role of his ‘girlfriend’.
“I’ll tell my parents the truth later, our extended family is the ones I wanted to fool to be perfectly honest.“ He looks around as do I and we catch more than a few pairs of eyes fixated on us that turn away when they realize they’ve been spotted, “Mission accomplished by the looks of it.“
I chuckle. I’ve never felt so comfortable at a wedding before. I don’t feel stressed nor anxious despite knowing that there’s quite the number of eyes on me and there are whispers going around about my ‘relationship’ with Ranboo. It’s oddly calming and relaxing to be surrounded by some familiar and some unfamiliar faces. This cocktail is pretty great too.
Speaking of which, if it had any alcohol in it I’d blame it for the decision I’m about to make but this one’s entirely on me: I tap Ranboo with one hand while taking out my phone with the other. “If we’re already the talk of the wedding, let’s give them something to talk about.“ I say as I put up my phone, pretending to be taking a selfie leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek.
When I pull away I can clearly see that he’s still processing what just happened. I can’t help but burst out in a fit of laughter as I reach out to wipe the lipstick stain I left on his cheek. He looks like a lost, clueless puppy with the question: ‘what on Earth just happened???’ replaying in his head and it’s so freaking cute!
Wait....what was that? Since when do I use the adjective cute to describe Ranboo? Didn’t I think he looks handsome in a suit earlier too? The hell is with me today?
Then it hits me - the feeling isn’t foreign. Like, I know I’ve felt it before but I never analyzed it or even bothered to acknowledge it. But now that I do, I’m afraid of what it might be.
“There!“ I say, desperately trying to push the thoughts away along with this little firework show in my stomach, “Now you have pinker cheeks. Well, cheek, singular.“
As if snapping out of his state of confusion, he returns to Earth with a smirk, “Kiss the other to even it?”
Alright, his blush might not be even but mine now is and it’s ten times as intense and very much apparent but I don’t let the feeling shine through anything else as I proceed to actually kiss his other cheek too, wiping the lipstick stain.
“Thanks. You’re the best.” And just like that, as though it’s no big deal, he kisses my forehead.
See, that’s the thing, it shouldn’t be a big deal! It’s never been! This is far from the first time I’ve kissed him on the cheek or the first time he’s given me a forehead kiss. These are regular occurrences after years of this lovely friendship we have. Why do they feel so different now?
Then, much to my relief, the music starts and the lights turn off leaving only one spotlight for the groom and bride to have their first dance. They look absolutely astonishing and I can certainly say I’ve never before stopped to think that about any newly weds of the weddings I’ve preciously been to. I don’t know if it has something to do with the company I have for this particular wedding or it’s maybe the fact that my mindset’s changed over the years without me realizing.
Then I automatically look at Ranboo who just so happens to be looking at me too and all I can say is: my mindset hasn’t changed.
A loud applause takes over when the couple finish their dance, officially opening the dancefloor for any other pairs who’d like to occupy it and I’m happy to see how many people are eager to rush up with their partner.
 Ranboo gets up, putting the glass down and offers me his hand, “So, wanna dance? Don’t take this as a sign to leave though, we said one dance and you CAN leave, not SHOULD.” He says, giving me a warning look.
I roll my eyes and am about to give him some sass right back but he takes my hand and picks me up from my seat, leading me to the dancefloor.  And I gotta admit maybe it’s a good thing he did. If he left it to me I would’ve probably said no to the dance and ran the hell away. Why? - Cause I’m freaking terrified of this new mindset and point of view and these intense emotions I never used to pay any mind to before in regards to my best friend.
Friends don’t feel that way about friends. Friends don’t look at friends that way. What’s happening to me?
When I gotta look him in the eyes like this, not for the first time might I add, I can finally understand how the friends-to-lovers trope works: it’s all meaningless until it starts to mean so much to you. It’s all platonic until it reminds you of a romantic movie moment. It ‘best friends’ until it’s ‘I wish we were more than that’. It’s all casual, until it’s not.
And, unfortunately, it’s irreversible.
Damn do I wish I ran away now...
441 notes · View notes
cherrykindness · 4 years ago
Text
let's make babies |
pairing: Harry Styles x Actress!Reader
summary: you and harry are doing a live on instagram, you've drunk a lot of wine and now the world knows that the future Mrs. Styles is ready to make babies.
warnings: mostly cute, but the title tells you what you need to know 🤪
Tumblr media
"What is your favorite song from the Fine Line album?" Y/N read aloud, twirling in her right hand the second glass of wine of the evening, the one already halfway through. "Adore You and Watermelon Sugar, of course."
Harry giggled, rolling his eyes upon hearing his fiancée's statement.
"Y/N will always choose Adore You because it was obviously written for her." He accused. "She wouldn't give that answer under different circumstances."
The comments climbed up the screen continuously, most fans gushing about how cute Harry Styles and YN/LN could be while the other part was concerned with wringing even more information out of the slightly inebriated couple who had decided to do a surprise live one early Sunday morning.
As expected after being away for some time to begin filming Don't Worry, Darling in Southern California, Harry enjoyed a lazy weekend in the house he shared with his fiancée and her pets. The days were filled with late naps and relentless Netflix marathons, sublime and ethereal evenings, marked mostly by unexpected declarations and rounds of sex that used to last until the beams of light were shyly coming through the linen curtains. They were not a monotonous couple, so this order could easily be changed.
"Watermelon Sugar is nothing more than about my love for watermelons, don't get too creative." Harry replied to a fan while sporting a corner smile, the message standing out among the rest for its dozens of emojis and large print, questioning the singer about erotic content behind the lyrics of his latest hit. "I really don't know what you guys are talking about."
Y/N laughed, shaking her head before leaning it against her fiancé's chest, propped up on the soft white pillows that were spread practically all over the bed. The air conditioner was on at a minimal temperature and a light rain whipped on the panes of glass camouflaged by the cream-colored curtain, that being the projection of Y/N's favorite nights.
"You can tell them, I'm not shy." She joked, nudging her fiancé's waist.
"You know what it was written about and who it was written for." Harry replied, raising one of his eyebrows. "That's what matters."
It went without saying that much of Harry's newest album, as well as some of his earlier work, had been done in exclusive dedication to his future wife. Y/N had been the muse for a vast repertoire of romantic songs, and even though the singer preferred to keep the story behind his more explicit compositions a "secret", the relationship the two had shared for more than three years was already solid and known enough for the media and fans to distinguish hidden messages in small details.
"It's a song about what usually comes before the act of making babies." Y/N laughed as he pointed at the display. "Honestly, you guys are impossible."
"No, we make babies every day." Harry joked, making a funny motion with his eyebrows. "I would spend my entire career writing just about that."
"Harry!" The actress exclaimed incredulously, slapping her fiancé weakly on the chest. "Children might be watching this."
"You don't want to have babies with me?" He asked falsely offended, accepting the cup that Y/N offered him. "Because I want some babies with you."
Y/N laughed, rolling her eyes as she watched the internet freak out at the dialogue that had suddenly emerged. Since the beginning of the quarantine, it was kind of inevitable that the couple of artists would not become the darlings of all social media; they were fervently active with photos, videos, and lives that depicted step by step daily life in isolation, gaining more and more followers and making the media more and more fascinated by the relationship they both shared.
The wedding was scheduled for the summer of next year and it was perhaps the most anticipated event in the tabloids. Bets about what the model of Y/N's dress would be and lists presuming who would be selected for the short list of guests stood out among countless news stories about the famous people influencing pop culture today.
The possible arrival of a Styles baby was an inevitable topic in interviews. Harry and Niall were the only members of the ex-boyband that had not become fathers yet, and because they had maintained a solid relationship and were seen as one of the most enviable couples during the last four years, Y/N and Harry had gotten used to all this openly asked questions. They didn't mind, they even had fun with the montages and all the anxiety that dominated the whole internet, often mentioning the fandoms' efforts to represent them as such "cool" parents in perfectly edited pictures.
"No, guys, I'm not pregnant." Y/N amusingly clarified the doubt of dozens of new comments. "Please don't believe so many controversial news stories that appear out there. I was on twitter last week and saw several people theorizing about a possible pregnancy, most of the arguments based on a website that used photos from the set of How to Get Away with Murder in the season where I was actually playing a pregnant woman as Laurel." She laughed. "It's so funny! I know you guys love to guess these things, but we won't hide something so special when it actually happen, I promise."
"Especially because Y/N can hide absolutely nothing from anyone." Harry accused, leaving his drink on the corner table before settling into a comfortable position for the two of them. "Anyone who's a Marvel fan knows that. That's one of her most characteristic quirks."
"They gave me a fake script for the last two movies." Y/N agreed, shaking his head. "For me and Tom."
"We agreed to keep the engagement a secret for a while. The plan was to travel to Holmes Chapel to break the news to my family in person, but guess who got a call at ten o'clock at night from an angry Anne because she learned of her son's engagement from an interview Y/N gave the next day?"
Y/N gave a guilty smile, winking gracefully at the camera. "It was all James' fault! I'm sure he already suspected something, those questions were very suspicious."
"Of course the questions were suspicious, babe. You literally said you had a secret that involved both of us but that you couldn't tell because it was important that our families knew first."
"I thought he would think about a pregnancy or something!" The actress defended herself, feeling very convincing in her intonation bordering on obviousness. "That's a mania I can't get rid of, it's in my genes."
"Did you all hear that? Further proof that you guys don't have to worry about guessing when Y/N's pregnancy will be, I'm sure our baby will make sure to tell you everything while still in the womb, mom's genes will make sure of that."
"You are so funny, Harry Styles." Y/N sarcastically stated, holding back a giggle as countless messages with laughing emojis were frantically up. "Yeah, I know I talk a lot and all, but you have annoying quirks too."
It was obvious that live would be news the next day. Although they were completely open about matters concerning their relationship, nothing seemed better than receiving so much exclusive information from a Harry and S/N drunk on expensive wine.
"You wake up in a bad mood and you're dangerously sexy, that should be illegal."
Harry laughed, holding his fiancée's waist a little tighter as he felt her tumble a little further to the side, getting closer and closer to the edge of the bed. Y/N was dangerously weak for drinks, and the singer knew that the actress' body was already near its limit.
"You're the only sexy person here, love." He declared with a corner smile, evidently finding the whole situation funny. "Do you want to go to sleep now?"
"No." Y/N shook her head. "Can we watch some movie? Can we watch Sweet Home?"
"Of course, love." He murmured, giving the woman a quick kiss on the forehead.
Even though Harry knew that his fiancée was unlikely to make it past the five-minute mark of the episode, he made sure to restart the korean series at exactly the scene where she had stopped, the first chapter still halfway through after Y/N realized that it would be impossible to watch such a macabre work without a drop of alcohol in her blood.
She had been so excited by the taste of Argentinian wine and the idea of updating her fans after a few weeks away, that she had forgotten the main purpose of the live. Harry and Y/N had been apart for a few days due to the new movie the Brit was shooting in North America, all happening in an unrestrictedly careful manner due to the restrictions caused by the pandemic.
He was slowly migrating towards acting and the future Mrs. Styles couldn't be prouder. Y/N had felt on cloud nine when Harry had given her the news of his upcoming job, but her only pronouncement on the subject had been a succinct post on instagram. Just a photo of the couple on a trip to Germany with a simple heart emoji didn't seem enough for the actress' exhibitionist soul, and coming to that conclusion was the main reason she decided to invite him, already relatively changed, for a live appearance. Y/N wanted to go on and on about how much she loved that man and work on that whole honeyed speech that would bring her (once again) the title of "cutest bride of all time," but of course Harry had to come home from his trip with his favorite red wine and poison her with those sweet caresses that took her out of orbit, turning the degree of alcohol content into the least of her problems.
"You're going to kiss Florence." Y/N exclaimed suddenly, as if only now realizing that her fiancé would share the screen with Florence Pugh, one of her closest friends in that industry. "Kiss on the mouth."
The MacBook was still open and hundreds of new comments were going up every second, but Harry didn't bother one bit to warn her about the possibility of her becoming a meme the next day. He was having too much fun with the situation to worry.
"Are you jealous?"
"Yes." She stated with a pout. "I am jealous, I just don't know if I'm more jealous of her or of you."
"But you kiss me every day, babe." Harry laughed. "And you've been kissing other people's men for almost ten years." He joked.
"But I only think about you, I already told you that."
Harry shook his head negatively at the camera, knowing he was sharing with the fans the funniest side of his fiancée.
"I know that, honey." He assured, lightly stroking the actress' back. "I think we'd better turn off the TV and go to sleep now, I'm sure you'll have a terrible headache tomorrow."
The brit planned to bid his audience goodbye and put an end to that recording, but Y/N was drunk and her sense of right and wrong had already gone to space. Harry should have been quicker, however, because his fiancée's speech would be cause for new tags and the only subject for the interviewers for at least the next few months.
"I don't want to sleep, how about we make babies?"
That's what Watermelon Sugar was all about, after all.
1K notes · View notes
sondepoch · 4 years ago
Text
HC: Married life with the boys!
With one chaotic human and a handful of boys too attractive for their own good, it's always been a simple matter of time before love found its way into the Devildom. And where love blooms, marriage often follows—and nothing will stop these boys from giving their human all the love in the world.
Word Count: 5.9k
*Mild NSFW themes for Beel & Diavolo ;)
Characters: All Brothers + Undateables - Luke
MASTERLIST
Lucifer
It highkey blows everyone’s mind when the two of you get married
Because absolutely nothing changes
Lucifer still reprimands you if you do something ridiculous, he still crosses his arms and frowns when you tease him, he still sends a scowl your way when you mess around with Diavolo - if anything, the two of you are distant, and alarmingly so to everyone who gazes upon the supposedly happy couple
But that’s only because they can’t see what goes down in private
And yes - the grass is greener behind the closed door of Lucifer’s study
It was different when the two of you were simply in a relationship: Lucifer’s pride was always there. He would allow you to have your way with him, touch his hair and kiss him and hold him, but he could only reciprocate so much
But now that you’re married?
If anything, Lucifer’s pride dictates that he now has to be open with you, the single person he trusts more than anyone else in the world
Something that he can only do in private
And honestly - you savor moments when you’re alone with him because of it
For the first time, he is the one to initiate contact. The barrier of pride is broken, and in its place lingers Lucifer’s neverending desire to be wrapped in your arms
It doesn’t matter if you’re smaller than him, you are big spoon
You pamper him, giving him all the forehead kisses and tight hugs and quiet handholding he could ever desire. And in exchange, he finally becomes honest with his emotions - finally casting his pride away so that he can ask you when he wants a hug, when he wants a kiss, when he’s needy for affection and love, and he wants you to give it
It’s reached the point where he only wants to be alone with you, eternally savoring the feeling of your arms around him and pulling him closer - finally vocal about his desires 
But he does feel guilty that he can only do this behind closed doors
So slowly, very slowly, he tries to sacrifice his pride and begin treating you different publicly
It starts small: a more tender voice whenever he addresses you, a secondary “are you sure?” whenever he’s worried that you’re uncomfortable, a ghost of a smile on his lips when you laugh so merrily
But soon, it morphs into small touches: fingers brushing against each other when you walk, a hand on your back when you’re next to each other, standing closer to you than everyone else
Slowly, the people around you become relieved. They start to understand that you are like any married couple, but that Lucifer was simply having a hard time adjusting to the abrupt closeness
And then, on the day when you and his brothers throw him a surprise birthday party, Lucifer is so overwhelmed by love that he kisses you then and there, right in front of everyone, pride be damned
And the process is slow going, but eventually he becomes as open with you in public as he is in private, until the two of you are so close that it seems nothing can ever keep him from holding your hand the way he wants again
Mammon
s m u g
It still blows his mind that you chose him out of everyone, that you chose him to marry and love and spend the rest of your life with
And while he is absolutely dumbfounded by this fact, it won’t stop him from rubbing it everyone else’s face at every chance
“Hey guys, wanna go to this all-inclusive resort next month?” Mammon grins, an uncharacteristically innocent smile on his face. “I’ll pay and all!”
“Oh, yes!” Asmo squeals while Beel’s ears perk up at the word all-inclusive. “I have so many cute outfits that I can’t wait to wear!”
“Oh wait, my bad!” Mammon exclaims dramatically, a silly grin on his face. “Looks like it’s only for married couples. Guess I’ll just take MC then, sorry guys!”
PDA turns up by 10000000%
Man is a touchy demon by default, so in private (now that you’re married) he finally has the courage to quietly cuddle you the way he’s always wanted to
But bring him into public?
Oh boy
You cannot get him to stop touching you. Ever.
There is always a hand on your butt, or two arms around draped around your neck, or a single arm linked with your arm, but no matter what, Mammon makes sure that you guys are touching and that you are intimate
The only time you’re in public and he might not actively touch you is if you’re the one touching him - and holy hell, when you do, this demon melts in your hands
LOVES it when you get possessive. Man wants you to be greedy with him, just like he is with you, so if you yank his attention away from other demons in a fit of jealousy, he’ll just find it hot
Tangibly, the nature of your relationship hasn’t changed much after marriage. You both still live in the House of Lamentation (though you have moved into his room) he’s still in debt (but things are better than before, and Lucifer doesn’t shout as much), and he still has an only slightly unhealthy obsession with Goldie (fixed only by the fact that you have told him that no, he should not sleep clutching his credit card like a teddy bear)
But inside, marriage means everything to this demon
Man was assertive before, but never confident, ya know? All those big, fancy words were more of a coverup for his insecurity after being made fun of for so long
But now?
His confidence is real
And because of it, being around him is actually easier. He doesn’t need to call himself The Great Mammon or remind you to come to him when you need protecting - because at last, he believes those words
Why?
Because when he falls asleep every night with his head buried in the crook of your neck, it’s to your words of praise, slowly but steadily building his confidence up
And he loves it
(Bonus:) When he proposed, he proposed with ten rings because “you’re better than everyone else so you deserve more rings than everyone else”
Leviathan
Sigh
This man really tried to talk you out of marrying him
Of course, by that time the wedding date was already final and everything ,so you shut him up with a firm whack on the back of the head, but that never stops Levi from being continually insecure
It’s not that he doesn’t want to be married to you
It’s that he’s worried you’re missing out on something by being married to him
:(
Poor baby is so precious
And so insecure
At the beginning of your marriage, it takes hours to convince him that he’s not “unworthy” of your love 
Often in the morning, you’ll be able to tell that he’s having self-deprecating thoughts just by the look in his eye, so you’ll cuddle and kiss and love him for hours until it’s almost lunchtime - and only then, after hours of you reassuring him and reminding him why you love him, does he begin to believe that he isn’t a “yucky otaku”
For the remainder of the day, Levi makes sure to repay you in full - literally showering you in love as he makes you his Player 2 for every video game, going as far as to allow you to sit in his lap while he reads manga over your shoulder
And while things often reset at night - and the next morning the demon looks equally fearful about your decision to marry him, there’s no denying that the amount of time it takes to convince him that you love and want him is growing shorter and shorter
And then, one day, when Levi wakes up, he doesn’t have that look in his eyes at all
And he just straight up kisses you
This is the story of why Levi kisses you every morning, first thing in the morning (even if it’s just a forehead kiss)
Man is eternally grateful to you for bearing with him (despite you insisting that you weren’t “bearing’ with him - you were doing it out of love) while he was so hesitant and fearful, and vows to return every ounce of love tenfold
Man will do anything for you
Of course, he still prefers to stay indoors and to marathon TSL with you
But he does stop glancing away every time you praise him, and all the instances where he might have previously insulted himself now turn into simple blushes where he wraps you in a hug to hide his warm cheeks
Man is surprisingly touchy, even when he’s not fighting with other for your attention
100% sleeps best if you’re spooning him - no questions asked
(And please don’t ask questions - he’ll get so embarrassed)
And yes, after much begging him, he does finally purchase a bed for the two of you to sleep in instead of his bathtub (which is surprisingly comfy, given that you can just lay on top of Levi and cuddle him)
But yes, sometimes he will randomly lift you up in the middle of the night and carry you to the bathtub, because while there’s no chance this man is letting go of you as you sleep, he will always prefer the bathtub 
Sigh
But you love him anyway <3
Satan
No one would have thought that the Avatar of Wrath would be able to lead such a peaceful life, but the second you guys get married, that’s what things are
Peaceful
Man treats you like royalty, making sure that things are always perfect for you
Mornings are no longer spent at the dining table, but are instead spent on the small table in Satan’s bedroom, where the two of you roll out of bed every morning and lazily curl up together on the same armchair while drinking tea and coffee, chatting about whatever dreams you had
Afternoons are quiet: Satan’s nose in a book and your fingers occupied with whatever your favorite pastime is, but you guys are always right next to each other, always touching in some way 
Evenings are calm - Satan will sometimes play a disc of your favorite human world band or will put on some music of his own preferred Devildom artists, and the two of you will simply talk until it’s nighttime and you both are sleepy
In essence, man mellows out after you marry him
And the reason?
He always feels so calm. It’s like you’ve quelled the eternal storm within his heart by marrying him, by promising that you’ll spend the rest of your lives together - and Satan hardly thinks he has any need for emotions like rage and anger when he always feels so blissfully happy with you
It becomes his favorite thing in the whole world to just pull you onto his lap and play with the ring around your finger, listening to the sound of your voice
He’s just so soft for you
Highkey wants to spend the rest of his life locked away inside his room with you, away from other people and other things that make him angry, but he will venture out into public with you because he knows that there’s value in exposing oneself to various social environments
In fact, now if he leaves the house at all, it’s usually with you by his side
His favorite place to visit is 100% the cat shelter, with the local, cozy bookstore taking its place as a close second
But this man will not hesitate to throw hands with anyone who disrespects you
It’s actually one of the reasons why he finds it so tedious to go outside - because no matter what, there’s always some foolish demon that treats you poorly, and then Satan’s disposition dictates that he can’t let that demon go home until the fool learns his place and apologizes
Of course, after the whole ordeal you guys 100% go somewhere to cheer each other up, and that’s the story of how you become the local ice cream store’s most valued customers
But Satan will always prefer being safe in his room with you, surrounded by his books and your things and everything that screams home
And are you guys secretly hiding a cat in your room?
Who knows? 
All you can say is that when the stack of “books” eternally buried under Satan’s desk sneezes, it’s not because Satan “enchanted them” to do so 
;)
Asmodeus
d e d i c a t e d 
h u s b a n d o 
Anyone can see the switch in Asmo when he settles down and marries you
Like
Man changed when you guys started dating for sure. His posts on Devilgram began featuring you, he spent money he would have spent on hair products on buying you gifts, he stopped talking about himself and began focusing on complimenting you
But now that you’re married? And shit is official?? And you’ve actually legally sworn that you want to spend the rest of your life with him???
It’s the first time Asmo cries tears of joy
Man pulls a full 180 - there’s no longer any such thing as Asmo, or even MC. No, the two of you are now a package deal - and everywhere you go, it’s Asmo AND MC
And the whole Devildom knows about you two
And really, how could they not?
Ever since Asmo made that one post on Devilgram where the two of you are posing, flashing the camera your engagement rings - every single post Asmo has made is of you
In fact, some of his posts don’t even have him in it - they’re just you
Because this boi is so smitten for you
And he wants the whole world to know it
You guys start matching everything (or everything that’s fashionable. matching t-shirts are NOT the wave, honey, so put those back)
Nail polish? Matching. Jewelry? Matching. Aesthetics? Matching.
Asmo has so much love in his heart that it literally comes pouring out in every action he does
Man will miss his beauty sleep for you if you ask him for a glass of water in the middle of the night. And better yet, he won’t even complain if you keep him up late, as long as it means he gets to hold you close and shower you in kisses
And if you thought Asmo before marriage was touchy, then you have a big surprise in for you
Asmo’s touches are no longer sexual. (Or some of them are, but only when you’re ready for it ;)) He’s now more preoccupied with the closeness that accompanies touching you, and so his skin is always brushing by yours even in the briefest of touches, because it always sends such a lovely rush of warmth to his heart whenever you touch
Everything reminds him of you
Man will send you pictures of trees, birds, flowers (honestly anything beautiful) with the caption saw this today and it reminded me of you xoxo
And though he maintains the ruse of this being completely casual, that this marriage is just another wonderful thing that’s happened to him, you know that he never stops fangirling over the fact that you’ve actually chosen him to love and marry
And yes, he was an angel born to be loved: he was the jewel of the heavens and everyone who looked upon him was instantly charmed
But to him, none of that matters
The only love he cares about is yours, and now that you’ve given it to him, you’ve literally brought heaven to him because there’s nothing in the world he would trade for this
Beelzebub
Imagine being married to Superman
That.
That is what this marriage is like.
To the rest of the world, you are literally untouchable - because the moment you marry him, Beel will not allow anyone to mistreat you
Did you think he was baby? That he was precious?
Well, you were right. But now that the two of you are married, he looks at you with that same lens of protectiveness, and he wants to shield you from all the evil in the Devildom
Man is devoted in public and in private: nothing will stop him from showcasing his love for you
Expect to be offered food at all hours of the day, to be lifted up and hugged at random, and to be given forehead kisses on the daily 
And listen, when Beel kisses you on the forehead in public, it’s not just a show of affection to show the world how much he loves you. It’s a silent threat to anyone who might hurt you - a silent warning that Beel has extended his protective domain over to you, and now anyone who messes with you is messing with him and will not be shown mercy
That’s only in public tho - in private, this man goes back to being the most precious thing in the world
So 
Many
KISSES
Contrary to public expectation, Beel is just like his younger brother in that he adores lazing around with you in bed, laying kisses across your skin for hours on end while you just sigh in bliss
He just adores the intimacy of the whole situation alongside the sensation of your smaller frame being literally enveloped by his own
His favorite thing in the whole world is laying on his side with his head resting on top of yours, your back pressed against his chest while he hugs you from behind and listens to you rant about whatever. And while this is going on, he will absolutely slide his ring off his finger and absentmindedly slide it onto yours, watching as the larger band dangles so loosely off even the thickest of your fingers
It actually opens up a whole new kink realization to him: that he adores seeing you in his things and watching the way your smaller frame is nearly swallowed up by all his clothes
And while it has always been normal for you to casually wear his shirts and walk around his room in them without anything else on, the fact that the two of you are married gives him the confidence to sneak you out of his room looking like that, where you occasionally run into his brothers. And the sight of you dressed in his clothes in front of other people awakens a side of him that he never knew existed
100% tries to get you to leave the house looking like that
“Babe, I can’t wear this outside”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not wearing any underwear beneath this and if the wind blows, then—”
“You’re not wearing any underwear?”
And then Beel realized that he really had discovered a new kink
Belphegor
The marriage no one foresaw
Nah, but fr tho
It’s not that Belphie doesn’t love you - even a blind man can tell that he’s hopelessly fallen for you
It’s just that you guys were acting like a married couple so long before you guys got married that no one thought there was any point in actually sealing the deal
And honestly, things really don’t change much after you both get married
You still sleep in the same bed, you still cuddle each other at night, you still bicker back and forth 
From a distance, it seems like the nature of your relationship is entirely unchanged, save for the fact that you both have matching bands around your ring fingers
B U T
That’s only because no one else can see how Belphie treats you in private
Where there would once be peaceful naps where he dozed off on your thighs to the feeling you playing with his hair, he now spends that time lost in slow conversations with you, their topics varying based on whatever has popped through his mind that day
Man realizes that, now that you’re his spouse, he wants to know everything about you
And he’s willing to spend all the time in the world learning these things
He’ll lie you down on the bed and play with your hair, asking you the most random questions
“Do you dislike mushrooms?”
“If you had a pet frog, what would you name it?”
“What do you think of stickers?”
Of course, that may be because your answers are utterly ridiculous
“Only if they stand over four inches”
“Fluffy”
“They’re only good if they smell good”
And for the longest time, you really only humor his questions with responses because, well, he’s your husband and you think that he just wants to get to know you better (albeit in a rather unorthodox method)
But then, one day, the two of you are casually walking through the Devildom market in preparation for it being Belphie’s turn to make dinner, and the demon selects the ingredients to your favorite dish without even consciously knowing what it is
And you realize that every question you answered was one Belphie took to heart, and that the reason he always wants to learn so much about you is so that he can use the information to be the best husband he can be
And when you figure it out, you nearly tackle Belphie to the ground in a hug, because you’re so touched
“You’re the best husband ever!” You murmur, wrapping your legs around his waist as you bury your face in the crook of his neck, clinging to him like a koala as you trap him in an embrace he can’t wriggle out of
“Did you really just realize why I always ask these things?” Belphie questions, sighing as if he’s disappointed
But even he can’t hide the small grin that creeps onto his face as you hug him tighter, and you know he’s just savoring the affection. And who are you to deny him any?
Solomon
cHAoTiC
Arguably the most stressful marriage, but not for either of you: for the people around you
You guys are that couple
Things were hectic enough before, when you guys would pull pranks on the demons every time you were together. But now that you’re in love? And married??? And ALWAYS together?!?!?
RIP to everyone around you
The two of you never really seem to grow old - your energy is seemingly inexhaustible and you’ve already pranked all 72 demons that Solomon has pacts with four times over (and yes, that does include Barbatos, who has now made multiple threats to break the pact)
But, again, this is one of those instances where there’s a sharp difference between how you guys act in public vs. in private
In public, things are a hot mess. You guys are always laughing, always joking, always smiling
But in the privacy of Solomon’s bedroom, without any potential targets for pranks and any demons that you guys need to keep your guard up around, things change substantially
Contrary to public expectation, you guys are almost completely silent when you’re alone - but it’s not an awkward silence, by any means. No, the silence that you and Solomon find is nothing short of comforting, and every time you guys escape to the confines of his room, you both let out a breath neither of you realized you’d been holding
Because although you guys are strong, and arguably the most powerful team of humans in the Devildom, the fact remains that you guys are human.
And you can only let your guards fully down around each other
Nights are spent in the absence of any loud laughter or obnoxious rackets, the two of you preferring to savor the sound and comfort of silence. You guys fit together like pieces to a puzzle, and no words are necessary for the two of you to change into your nightwear and snuggle up under the same blanket, soft sighs escaping your lips the moment your skin comes into contact with one another
It’s only times like now, when there’s no one else in the world around, that you both can find true peace
And on nights like these, Solomon will just hold you close to him, sometimes pressing his forehead against yours, and he’ll stroke your sides softly, thumbs rubbing soothing circles into your skin
And of course, you’ll reciprocate in full, pressing soft, open-mouthed kisses to the man’s jaw as he continues his ministrations, sometimes letting out a quiet hum of contentment as you pull him closer
It’s a relationship where speech isn’t necessary; you guys are so in sync with each other and so helplessly in love that words only complicate things
But still, on occasion, one of you will open your mouths to disrupt the silence, and on nights like these, there’s really only one thing either of you will even consider saying
“I love you”
And if there’s one certainty in life, it’s the fact that the other will repeat the same phrase back, punctuating it with a kiss that reminds you both why you love each other so much
And just how worth it this marriage really is
Simeon
The marriage that everyone foresaw
Nah, but fr tho
This is the relationship where everyone knew about it except for you two
Even the day Simeon proposed: it was so spontaneous - he was planning on doing it the following week - but every single person who crossed paths with him could see how helplessly in love he was with you, so it shocked no one when the two of you announced the “surprise” that you were getting married
And this is arguably one of the best decisions you have ever made
In every way
Simeon’s an angel, so marriage is probably the most important to him out of everyone. He was treating you like royalty long before you two got together, but now that the two of you are married? This man CANNOT hold back. And believe him, when he says he will get you whatever you want - he will get you whatever you want
Funny part is, most of the time, this man knows what you want before you do
You’ll be diligently taking notes at the RAD library and you won’t realize that your pencil is blunt until the words are barely legible - but when you get up to find a sharpener, you’ll see that Simeon tossed one onto your desk right before he left to grab a book
You’ll wake up at three in the morning and realize you’re thirsty - but the moment you open your eyes and sit up on the bed, Simeon will already be there with that charming smile and a glass of water in his hand
You’ll be returning from a session of painting your nails with Asmo, only to realize that there’s no way you can grab your keys from your pocket without smudging the semi-dry nail polish - and Simeon will miraculously come home at that second, kissing you on the forehead before opening the front door for you
Like seriously, it’s a gift
Of course, then there comes the day where you try to return the favor, trying to study the way his eyebrows furrow as he reads his book to determine when he’s about to stop and turn on the TV instead (only for you to triumphantly hand him the remote)
And then the affection never ends and the rest of your marriage is characterized by nonstop trying to outdo each other in thoughtfulness that everyone just looks at and sighs because it’s so wholesome
And will Luke become your and Simeon’s honorary child?
Absolutely.
And does Luke hate this in every single way?
Oh yes:
“This is ridiculous! I am two thousand years older than MC! You can’t expect me to have to listen to them every time they tell me to do something! They should be listening to me!”
“Watch your language, young man,” Simeon warns. “I won’t have you talk that way in this house.”
“It’s not even a house!” Luke screams in defiance. “And I refuse! I will say what I want, when I want, and how I want!”
“That’s enough, Luke. Go to your room and think about what you’ve said until you’re ready to apologize!”
And God help Luke the day he accidentally calls Simeon “Dad,” because nothing can break the family after that moment
Barbatos
“Teach me.”
Listen, marriage isn’t a concept that demons are familiar with
They love you, so they’ll do it for your sake - but if a demon weds a human, the demon is 100% playing it by ear and desperately hoping that they’re doing things right
But Barbatos?
Nah, this man gives everything his all, and you’re more important than everything combined. So suffice it to say that when he marries you, he is committed to being the best husbando he can possibly be
And how does he go about achieving such a thing, you ask?
Why, two simple words: “Teach me.”
He asks that you be completely upfront and honest with him about what you desire, and he does everything he can to fulfill them
Things start slow, of course
You mention to him that married couples often sleep in the same bed and share a bedroom - and then he’s requested that Diavolo provide him a new room (one which doesn’t have doors that lead to other timelines) where the two of you live together
Then you talk about how married couples usually have matching wedding rings, and the next morning you find two obscenely expensive (but beautifully artistic) rings, and a wide-eyed butler asking if they’re to your liking
You explain that married couples sometimes get closer to each other by having a family pet and (bless his heart) Barbatos takes you to an aquarium the next day and the two of you bring home a pet fish
And things are slow going with Barbatos, but progress is steady
And soon, he starts to get the hang of it
You guys don’t just sleep in the same bed, he starts to pull you closer. Casual touches turn into cuddling, and then all of a sudden he can only sleep if he’s spooning you in the process
He decides that he likes it when you wear things he buys you, so he gifts you even more woefully expensive but equally stunning jewelry, until you’re always leaving your shared room with one of Barbatos’s presents adorned on your figure
And although Barbatos is too responsible to get rid of the (immortal) pet fish he bought, the two of you have a talk and then you head down to the pet store and buy an actual pet, one which you guys can touch and hug and cuddle
And before long, Barbatos doesn’t need you to teach him how to be a good husband, he realizes that most of it is instinctive; he understands that to make you happy, he really just needs to do the things that make him happy
Of course, he still approaches many things textbook style
Every morning and every night, man will whisper that he loves you - no excuses. You guys could have a fight and he will still do this
But gradually as time moves on, he sees that marriage doesn’t have to be a big, fancy show
And he starts to just savor the sensation of being helplessly in love with you
Diavolo
POWER COUPLE
No, but literally - you guys are the most powerful couple in the world
And Diavolo is living for it
You are royalty now, and Diavolo won’t let you forget that for a single second
You want a snack? That’s fine, here’s a nine-course buffet featuring food from the human world, Celestial Realm, and Devildom
Been feeling tired and want a break? No worries, the next week has been declared a newfound Devildom holiday, so rest up for as long as you want
You don’t like this specific brand of nail polish? Oh okay, there are now four hundred samples in your room to help you find one you do like
It honestly gets to the point where you have to sit Diavolo down (*cough* sit on Diavolo’s lap *cough*) and tell him that no, when you tell him you’re considering cutting your hair, he doesn’t have to hire four professional hairstylists and a consultant to help you select the style
After much discussion he agrees to talk these things out with you
And it’s the sweetest thing in the world
“Babe, can you help me get this jar? I can’t reach it.”
“Does this mean you just want me to get you the jar? Or do you want me to make it a law that all Devildom households cannot have shelves higher than the reach of the standard human height?”
“Just the jar, hon.”
“Oh”
Will never deny you anything, ever
Actually begins putting your interests in front of his own, asking Barbatos to cook your favorite meals and desserts instead of Diavolo’s own preferences because hey, food is just food, and it makes him so happy to see your face light up when you find that dinner is your favorite dish
And listen there’s one thing you need to know about: this man’s bed
Holy shit, nothing compares
It is the most comfortable thing in the world, and you’re pretty sure that even God is missing out if he hasn’t taken a nap on Diavolo’s bed because goddamn that shit is amazing
Like you love Diavolo to death but his bed is absolutely revolutionary with how comfortable it is, and you really feel like you could spend an eternity just starfished out under the covers
And of course, since you love the bed and Diavolo loves you, the two of you can spend hours just lazing around in the morning, cuddling and giggling until it’s almost lunchtime
And mornings with Diavolo are the best
Again, though, you’re royalty, now that you’re married to him. So Diavolo isn’t going to let you be woken up like a commoner. With him, there are no alarms, no loud voices, none of that obnoxious shaking you awake or any such nonsense
No, when Diavolo wakes you up every morning, it’s truly in a way fit for royalty, in a way that only he can do - a way that you honestly prefer to all the others ways you’ve been woken 
And does this include Diavolo smirking up with you every morning from between your thighs?
Absolutely.
But does that stop him from doing it every day? 
Never.
5K notes · View notes
heyheyloki · 4 years ago
Text
U&I
Summary: The reader begins to realize his feelings for Saiki.
Saiki x M!Reader
Word Count: 8711
Tumblr media
1. The Best Friends
Being friends with a psychic definitely had its ups and downs. At first, you didn’t notice a thing out of the ordinary with Saiki, well, granted you were kids when the both of you met so naturally you just wanted to be friends and thought nothing more. However, he noticed something odd with you the moment you two met.
He couldn’t read your mind.
Actually forget being about to read your mind, none of his psychic abilities worked on you. He couldn’t see through you and when he touched you without his super thin transparent gloves on nothing happened. You were basically immune to him.
At first, he thought something was wrong with you, or that maybe you had some psychic powers as well. That wasn’t the case at all. In reality, you were a normal human without any powers or tricks. That stumped Saiki even more, but it also became the soul reason he wanted to be your friend as well.
For one, he didn’t have to deal with your thoughts. Two, his image of you wasn’t ruined because he can’t see under your skin. Three, your calmer personality made him relax. And of course all those other things like your kindness and stuff, but those were irrelevant the moment he knew he couldn’t read your mind.
It’s been years since he met you in the park during recess, and now here you guys were, 16 years later and still friends. Oh, there was one thing that bothered him about you.
“What to hang out today?” You asked as you slung your bag over your shoulder.
“Sure.” Saiki said. Yep. That’s right, since he can’t get in your mind, he actually has to move his mouth when he talks to you.
It was a bit weird to others that he never did it with anyone else other than you, but he didn’t care.
On the way home he couldn’t help but notice you eyeing his antennas, the things that keep his powers stable. He turned his head towards you and gave you a curiosity look.
“Do those things poke at your head at all?” You asked, moving you hand up to poke at the top of the pink ball. “Like, does it make your head ichy?”
Saiki shook his head. He knew he had to talk to you at some points, but times like these he didn’t. He enjoyed that about you too, that you don’t force him to talk all the time. You knew it was a bit weird for him to talk, he explained it to you when he told you all about his powers.
“Hm,” you hummed out. Your hands going back at your side and into your pant pockets. “It would for me, if I was you. They just look painful, but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do if you don’t wanna blow up the world.”
Saiki nodded his head, his eyes continuing to linger on you. It was one days like these when he saw you thinking so hard about something that he wished he could just take a peak. At some points, he loved the silence, especially when the both of you were watching movies, but right now, especially in this moment, he’d give anything to know. It was mostly prominent when he’d stare at you during class and you’d have this far out look in your orbs, you drew him in, and perhaps that’s why he fell for you.
Though, there were other factors that won his favor. Mostly the fact that, unlike everyone else, he can’t stare right through you and just see your raw muscles and pumping organs. Instead, he was able to focus on your handsome face and not get side tracked about your racing thoughts. You were the only person in the world that make him feel somewhat normal. That was a love-hate relationship at times.
“Think I could sleep over tonight?” You suddenly asked, “we don’t have school tomorrow.”
Saiki stared at you for a moment just to relish in that fact that nothing worked on you. No telekinesis, mind control, no nothing. He was going to have to win your favor just like everyone else. To him, it wasn’t normal, but looking at you, he didn’t seem to mind the extra work.
“Sure,” Saiki said. He still had trouble talking aloud, hell, sometimes he will actually use telekinesis and wait for your response only to have pure silence. “My parents are leaving for a wedding, so the house should be free for a while.”
When the two of you got to Saiki’s house, it was a bit peaceful until his parents had to head out. You liked his mom and dad a lot, they were like your second family, so you wanted to wish them a good time. It was for one Saiki’s dad’s coworkers.
“Are you sure you don’t wanna come with us?” Saiki’s dad asked his son. “You’ve met Kirishima before, and you can bring [Name] as your plus one date.”
You knew Saiki wasn’t going to be interested in a wedding. He always told you normal happy events for others is misery for him since he can hear the jealousy and pity that the crowd is thinking. You felt sorry that he couldn’t turn it off, but you were glad that you were the only person he could catch a break with. However, when you looking over at Saiki, he seemed to entertain the thought.
It was a new side to Saiki, one that made you confused. It was always either you or no one. You could tell the way he wanted to get away from many of the people in his class that seemed to have declared themselves his friends from a small interaction. Sure, you felt their interest, but it was just a bit sad to you that Saiki could never actually enjoy friends unless they were pure. Otherwise, he could hear all the backstabbing thoughts or otherwise stupid comments that go around in their brain that was thought to be private to them.
“I’m going to have to pass,” you commented. “I don’t have a suit, besides, you two should enjoy the night. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you both go out alone.”
Saiki’s mom smiled widely at you. Her eyes clouding over with a wet film before wrapping her arms around you for a tight hug. “Ah, thank you, [Name]! What would we do without you?”
You chuckled softy at the comment before saying, “Who knows, I rather not think about that.”
When she finally let you go, you and Saiki waved the both of them off as they left. Honestly, you weren’t sure if they’d even make it back at a reasonable time. It was a wedding, after all. Oh well, as long as they make it back drunk and safe rather than drunk and not safe, you didn’t mind. You were sleeping over anyway, so right now, you just wanted to hang out with your childhood best friend.
“What do you wanna do?” You asked with a calming tone.
Saiki turned his head to you. “TV?”
“Sure,” you smiled. However, as soon as you turned to the living room, you noticed the absolute mess his parents left behind. So, out of the goodness of your heart, you said, “How about you find something and all clean up this in the meantime. Sound good?”
Saiki nodded once more. He truly thought your actions were kind, but he rather have you watching TV with him than picking up his dad’s dirty clothes. He knew his father tended to be sloppy, but this was just a mess.
As you were about to pick up a pair of jeans, all the clothes that were strewn about the floor suddenly started to float in the air and shoot into the open washing machine. The trash floated itself into the garage while everything else was moved around to make it look clean until otherwise.
You pressed your lips together as your brows furrowed in annoyance. Once you turned to Saiki and saw his innocence face, you knew you couldn’t be angry but you had to ask, “Do you really want me to watch TV with you that bad?”
“Yes,” Saiki stated.
You sighed, your lips parting as you left the oxygen leave your lungs. “Fine, but let’s both clean up a bit before than. It’ll be a nice surprise and a way to thank your parents for letting me stay the night.”
Saiki nodded. “Okay.”
It took a bit of convincing on your end to let him let you help out. You may not have powers, but you didn’t want to take advantage of his. You knew it was effortless and he made it seem like it didn’t affect him whatsoever, but you knew every time he does something it takes a toll. His powers aren’t perfect.
You both ended up cleaning the living room, Saiki’s room, and now you were in the kitchen sorting the trash. Saiki was using his powers to sort while you whipped down the countertops.
“Good grief,” Saiki said aloud, his voice drawing your eyes to him. He was crouched down with two bags in front of him and the garage floating upside down, it’s contents was either going in the first or second bag.
“What?” You asked curiosity. It wasn’t all the time that he speaks from his mouth without you talking first.
“How could anyone have let it get this dirty in here?” He asked aloud. “I mean, really it’s a wonder we don’t have bugs.”
You were going to respond. That was until he suddenly shut his mouth, a chest deep grunt leaving him as you notice him stare at something on the furniture next to him.
It was a cockroach.
Mind you, the moment you realized what it was you weren’t the least bit surprised when he suddenly teleported. Saiki hates bugs. He could read the minds of humans, as well as animals, but he couldn’t with bugs. He thought they were small minded icky things. Hell, he couldn’t even let his powers touch the thing.
You counted down the seconds before he came back. It was around ten, maybe fifteen. He also teleported right behind you.
“Welcome back,” you greeted and watched as his eyes dart towards the floor.
“Sorry, I may have overreacted.” He muttered. “I just hate them.”
“I know,” you hummed out before looking around and grabbing a cup and piece of paper. Saiki watched you as you let the roach crawl on the piece of paper before placing the cup over it so it didn’t run away. You were quick to put it outside and close the window after so Saiki didn’t worry about it coming back in.
“All gone,” you cheered with a smile. “Now, let’s watch TV, ya?”
2. Saiki’s Pushy Friends
PK Academy was a school were many different personalities and people collided. It was always fun to meet new people in this school, yet on the other side of the coin, sometimes they were more than a little odd. Not like you can speak, your best friend was a psychic. Though, he wasn’t delusional like this one guy in your class that declared himself Saiki’s friend. His name was Kaido. He thinks he has powers and has an evil organization following him around.
Then, you have Nendou. Basically, he’s stupid. Not that you minded, but sometimes being stupid isn’t the best thing in the world, especially now.
It was the sports festival at PK and Saiki and you had to participate in it. You both were on the same team since all the teams were decided by class. This also gave you a good idea of the friends Saiki has made. It was safe to say that Kaido was growing on you. You felt a little bad for the guy, what can you say.
Let’s not forget about Hairo as well. You knew him a bit more from hearsay than the others, plus he was class rep. Though, you had to say, he was a little too overly enthusiastic.
It was kind of a surprise to see Teruhashi, the most popular girl in school, try and interact with Saiki. Though, it was a bit amusing since to him, she’s nothing more than walking muscle. However, you did think he would swoon over her like all the other guys in your school if she was like you. However, you knew Saiki had no interest in romance so you don’t care either way.
Finally, Nendou. You were originally going to say that you didn’t mind the guy that much and thought maybe he would be a good thing for Saiki. However, after just watching him take out one of the antennas from Saiki’s head, you started to wonder how much of a danger his stupidity is to Saiki.
You watched that pink haired friend of yours collapse to the ground with a hard thud as soon as Nendou pull the thing out of his head. You were quick to rush over to him and sit by his side. When you flipped him over, since he fell face forward, worry grew about your body and infected your bloodstream.
You heard protests about turning him over, but at this point all the worried voices drowned before they were even audible to you. His lips were parted as drool leaked from his mouth and went down his chin, his eyes dead and without life as darkness surrounded them. It didn’t take you long to recover and swipe the antenna Nendou was holding and pop it back in its rightful place in his pink locks.
You didn’t know how long it would take for him to wake up, or if he’d wake up at all. All you knew was to sit and wait for him to wake up. To your surprise, he woke up rather quickly. Maybe a mere minute or so after you fixed him up. When his eyes opened, you felt yourself suddenly get surrounded as Saiki’s friends crowed over him to ask how he was.
You noticed him using telepathy to talk to everyone when Hairo said, “You passed out after Nendou took that think out of your head, lucky for you, [Name] put it back right away!”
“Yeah, he saved your life!” Kaido spit out next, their hands placing on my shoulder out of respect and gratitude. 
Saiki’s eye then direct to you, his voice never leaving his lips for a moment before you noticed him flinch.
‘Ah,’ you thought. ‘He tried to use telepathy with me again.’
When he noticed, Saiki just nodded in your direction. You knew he was thanking you, he didn’t need to word it out to you. The look in his eyes was enough.
Lunch came immediately after Saiki ended up waking up, and it was understatement to say he didn’t want to be bother with anyone else besides you. He was quick to drag you to the roof of the school to eat.
The both of you sat against the railing, lunch in your laps. You wanted I just forget about the scare that Saiki gave you, but the after effects he was having wasn’t making that easy. He was having trouble, and it was easy to see when his hands were shaking so much that he couldn’t even pick up his food without it falling back in the box.
You side eyed him, his expression one of concentration as he tried to pick up his food again. Though, he dropped it again.
He sighed quickly after that, only looking down at his food as you saw his mind wonder off.
Once you finished chewing whatever food you had in your mouth, you placed your food to the side and moved so that you weren’t side to side, but rather across from Saiki’s body now. He didn’t register your movements until he saw a hand come into his view and pick up an item of food with his chopsticks.
When he turned to you, you had the chopsticks in your dominant hand and your other under the food so it didn’t drop to the filthy ground.
“C’mon, lemme help,” you said. It was easy for Saiki to pick up the worry in your tone, however he knew not to address it or else you’ll just either deny it or baby him. “Open up.”
He obeyed your command after a moment, opening his mouth wide enough for you to place his food in his mouth. The hand that was meant to catch the food if it fell made sure Saiki closed his mouth, his fingers placed a bit of pressure under his chin to shut his jaws before slowly trailing away. The food wasn’t nearly as satisfying as the chill that ran down his spine at your lingering touch that crawled on his skin.
“I could hurt you.” He suddenly spit out. It was pained. “Having my antenna taken out messed up my powers.”
You leaned your head to the side, your eyes never falling from his. “Yeah, I kinda figured.”
“You should go.” He stated.
“Why?”
“I just told you.”
You smiled. “Saiki, you could never hurt me.”
He looked at you like you had something stuck in your teeth. “You don’t know that, I may not be able to read your mind, but I don’t know how my other powers react to you.”
You remained quiet for a moment before shuffling your body side by side again, your head falling to rest of Saiki’s shoulder. You felt him flinch at the contact, his muscles even began to tighten just out of fear.
“Yanno,” you started out saying, your hand coming up to play the antenna that you could reach. “It’s odd to me how these things are the only thing keeping you stable.”
“Is it?”
You chuckled and nodded. “Small things like these verses your powers. The thing that gets me is that these things actually win in that fight. Though, I suppose it does complete the look you have.”
“And what look is that?” Saiki asked as he gazed down at you to see your eyes already on him. He could feel his fingers twitch as he watched you say shamelessly, “The cute, mysterious loner type.”
Saiki’s lips parted as he gazed at you. He quickly recomposed himself when he noticed you waiting patiently for him to respond. He sighed before asking, “Mysterious loner? Where’d you get that?”
You laughed before sarcastically questioning, “yep, I wonder where.”
3. Your friends are my friends
You don’t know how you got wrapped into this, but perhaps it’ll allow you to know Saiki’s friends better.
Currently, you were walking with Kaido, Nendou, and Saiki to a good ramen shop Nendou suggested. You were dragged along when Nendou remembered you from the Sports Festival and as Saiki’s friend. They never really got the chance to speak to you since you’re usually out the door as soon as the bell rings, but today they finally caught you.
At some point Teruhashi joined the group, though you feel like she kinda took over since now the boys, except for Saiki and you, were fawning over her. Saiki and you took it upon yourselves to give them all room to talk to her, so you both sorts trailed behind.
It was silent for a while, the only noise was Nendou or Kaido talking to Teruhashi. However, you caught the, “what does that even mean,” that Saiki mumbled under his breath.
“Hm?” You hummed. “What does what mean?”
It was obvious to you he didn’t realize he said that aloud. But he just seemed to be glad that only you heard that.
“Teruhashi wants me to go ‘oh wow’ or something to her.” Saiki revealed. “I don’t even know what that means.”
You kept your gaze on Saiki for a moment. “So, she likes you?”
“I guess,” he muttered. “I think it’s more that I’m the only guy that isn’t kissing her feet.”
You watched Teruhashi interact with Nendou and Kaido. You know that, normally, she wouldn’t take time to hang out with these guys. However, because of her crush on Saiki, she bares with them. In all honesty, she seems a bit perfect. Being able to deal with them just for the person she adores. It’s easy for anyone to do, and not a lot of people would even bother.
“She seems like a good fit for you.” You suddenly uttered out.
When Saiki heard that, he felt his hands twitch. He didn’t like that, not one bit. What irked him the most was that it seemed natural, like you actually meant it. And, of course, he had no way of knowing if those words were genuine or actually forced.
“No way,” Saiki stated coldly. “Never in a million years.”
“Damn, that’s cold, Saiki.” He heard you say, a teasing tone wedged in your voice.
“Why do you keep calling me Saiki, anyway? We aren’t acquaintances.”
“Hm?” You questioned. “I thought you don’t like me calling you by your first name in public?”
Saiki sighed. “Well now I’m telling you I don’t care.”
Saiki knew this way of showing that you were closer to him than anyone would ever be may have been childish on his part, but when he heard his first name come from your lips in front of his other ‘friends’, he felt more than satisfied. 
4. Friendship Can Bring Romance
Being able to rest during class was one of your guilty pleasures. Even if you got called out by your teacher, you didn’t mind. It was better when it was raining outside, the patter of rain when it hit the window made you want to nap.
“Hey,” a voice called out to you. You didn’t listen though, it wasn’t important.
“Hey, [Name],” it called out again. Okay, maybe you should wake up. Then again, sleep. You could always sleep later though.
You fluttered your eyes open as you felt your body being pushed around. When your sight became focused, the blurry figure in front of you showed a blue hair kid. You knew him, but from where?
“Saiki asked me to wake you up, sorry,” he confessed.
Oh, right. That’s Kaido, Saiki’s friend.
“Hm? Where is Kusuo?” You asked in a groggy voice, your hand coming up to wipe your eyes.
“Oh, he went home.” Kaido informed you. “Something just came up, I guess.”
“Alright,” you hummed before the end of your lips pulled upward. “Thank you, Kaido.”
It wasn’t easy for Kaido to wake up the quiet kid. Kaido only met the guy once or twice, and when he was hanging with him, you only stayed close to Saiki. It was kinda odd, but Kaido understood your attachment to the pink haired man. Saiki was Kaido’s first friend, after all, so he knew how awesome the guy was.
Though, he’s never got the chance to speak to you. He knows Saiki never really goes anywhere with you, and somehow you always end up by his side. He just always seemed to miss you when it came to getting the chance to introduce himself so Kaido was pretty glad when you came along the trip to that ramen place, even if it was a dumb and he got distracted by Teruhashi.
Kaido knew you were the closest person to Saiki. He’s pretty sure that not even Nendou is as close to Saiki as you are. And those two are best friends. Kaido didn’t know the extend of how long you two have been friends, but he does know from watching that Saiki has respect for you. So, it was critical that he makes a great impression with you so that he can become closer to Saiki and maybe you as well.
“S-Sure, no problem!” He stuttered, his bandaged hand retracting from your shoulder and holding them up in the air in a surrendered notion.
“Do you live around here at all? I’ll walk you home as a thank you.” You said as you stood from your seat and began to search for your bag.
“What? You don’t have to do that, really, it isn’t necessary!” Kaido spit out quickly, his words jumping all over the place.
“It’s really no trouble at all,” you stated as you put your bag over your shoulder. “C’mon, let’s get going before the rain gets worse.”
The rain eventually stopped when both teens got closer to your house. Kaido’s was further ahead, so he thought it would be better if he just walked you home instead so you didn’t have to walk more than you have to already.
“So, you’ve been friends with Saiki since he was little, huh?” Kaido asked as you explained why Saiki trusts you so much. “That’s pretty awesome! What was he like back then?”
“Pretty much the same.” You answered. “Though he did get more handsome throughout the years, and he used to be kinda sweet. Now, not so much.”
“I see, so you guys have been through it all together.” Kaido replied.
“Basically, though, he did start to worry me a bit since I was his only friend for a really long time,” you confessed. You paused as you looked up at Kaido and gave him a smile, “But I’m glad he finally made a friend like you.”
Kaido could feel his heart beat a million miles an hour just at the words you strung together. He never heard kinder words than those, and he was even more thrilled that he succeeded in making a good impression on Saiki’s childhood friend!
“It’s, uh, n-no problem, really!” Kaido muttered out as his whole face began to fluster, his hands going everywhere.
“Oh,” you hummed out.
“Hm?” Kaido questioned. His nerves going down. “What is it?”
“Did you know you were dragging your scarf the whole time?” You asked curiosity as your hands started to real in the extra fabric.
“What?” He asked out of pure shock. Though, realizing that he doesn’t make a fool out of himself he said, “O-Of course I did! It’s a fashion choice.”
“Not the best one,” you stated as you stepped closer to the blue haired male.
Kaido’s eyes widened as he stated directly into your colored orbs, watching them dance solely for him. It was like getting attention from a loved one, but this attention make him nervous to the point where he thought his face was going to explode with red. Kaido’s lips slowly started to disappear as the scarf started to build up around his shoulders and neck.
“There you go,” you said, “much better. Now your scarf doesn’t get more dirty and you look even better.”
‘Even better? What’s that supposed to mean? Does it.. does it mean he thought I looked good before?!’ Kaido thought.
Kaido let out an awkward laugh as he played with the end of the scarf. “O-Oh, haha, thank you.”
“Sure,” you hummed. “Now let’s get going.”
5. Blessing Turned On Jealousy
What’s that saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Yeah, that’s it. See, that could apply to this yet at the same time it would go a little different.
More like, the enemy of my best friend is my friend. At least for your situation. You see, walking home with Saiki has now turned into walking home with Saiki, Nendou, and Kaido. Not that you mind, but sometimes you really do wish it was back to when Saiki and you got to spend time alone together. However, being friends with Saiki and then having his friends automatically become your friends may have some perks.
Like now. Bumping into Kaido’s mom was totally accidental. But, in the end it payed off. Why?
Because coffee jelly.
“I know it’s not easy being friends with my son because he’s so shy, but please be patient.” Kaido’s mom announced as she placed the coffee jelly down in front of Saiki and you.
“Please don’t say that mama—I mean—mother.” Kaido pleased, his voice cracking as it got higher with embarrassment.
Overall, the beginning was a very nice. Hell, it was damn near perfect. Although, you just had to snoop around. Well, it was more like exploring Kaido’s room.
Your fingertips brushed along the spines of the many books Kaido had stacked up in his bookcase. It was seriously amazing how many books he had, he even had some original copies of some famous old books.
“This is pretty awesome,” you muttered to yourself before your eyes spotted something that didn’t quite match with the others. In all honesty, you were simply curious. However, curiosity did kill the cat. In your case, more like awakened the Saiki K.
“Hey, Kaido, what is the Jet Black Wings?” You asked aloud as the group sat down eating whatever snacks were about. You would always hear either chewing or at least some conversation, but after that question left your mouth it was dead silent. You felt like you killed something, but when you looked over you noticed Kaido’s face beat red. Seriously, his entire face was as red as a blood moon.
“P-Put that back!” He stuttered out, the blue haired boy suddenly running up to you to snatch the book from your hand.
As he reached for it, you held it higher. Even if he was about the same height or maybe a inch or so taller, you just needed to make him miss his hand from grabbing it.
“Don’t be embarrassed, I’m just curious.” You calmly said. “Is it bad or something?”
“N-No! It’s nothing, uh, bad! Just give me it back!” Kaido begged this time around, his hands trying desperately to grab it from you. Okay, maybe you were being a little mean at this point, but it was kinda fun to tease him.
You began to back up as Kaido trying to nab the book in your hand. “Just explain it!”
“No! Never!” He shouted.
You couldn’t help but laugh a little, though, that was your fatal mistake. Having yourself distracted by your own humor, your mind didn’t take into account the pile of prep books scattered about until it was too late. You quickly lost your voice, as well as your balance before slamming your head hard against the wood floors.
“Woah! You guys okay?” Nendou asked out of genuine concern.
As much as you would have liked to answer him, you were too concerned with the pain pounding into your skull like a jackhammer. Seriously, this is gonna give you one massive headache.
You scrunched your nose as your finally gave effort to open your eyes, though, they permanently remained open when you noticed a face staring down at you, a body on top of yours. You guessed that during the fall Kaido tried to save you, but only got dragged along instead.
“H-Hey, um, are you okay?” He asked under his shaky breath.
You only nodded before trying to avoid his gaze in any possible way. The position you were in didn’t help whatsoever in that department. Instead, you hoped that Kaido would take the hint and get off. That plan wasn’t looking too good cause all that was running through his mind was how you looked under him. Let’s say, the thoughts he had left a distaste in Saiki’s mouth.
Originally, he was just gonna let you handle it, but after hearing Kaido’s perverted thoughts about you, that plan blew up.
Saiki stood up, leaving his coffee jelly half eaten before grabbing Kaido by the back of his shirt and yanking him off of you. Saiki gave some strength into that but not enough to launch him into the bookshelf like he wanted too. He knelt down to come to your level and help you up, your massive headache being noticeable when you held onto the back of your head.
“Damnit, that really hurt,” you muttered to yourself but Saiki heard it clear as day.
It wasn’t long after that he took you home as well as the left over coffee jelly. Saiki advised you to stay home a day just to let the pain die down a bit before going back to school, so, the pink haired boy was all alone today. And all alone to everyone else meant to bother him more than usual.
Teruhashi, Nendou, Hairo. All of them. Though, it was a bit weird that Kaido wasn’t bothering with him today. Not that he was complaining, but he couldn’t pinpoint the answer until he heard Kaido’s thoughts, ‘I need to ask Saiki for permission. They’re best friends, it would be rude if I didn’t ask permission to ask out [Name].’
Never mind. He didn’t need to know that.
It was around lunch time that Kaido walked up to Saiki for the first one, the blush that littered his cheeks made Saiki want to gag for a moment.
“So, uh, Saiki, I have to ask you something.” Kaido uttered out lowly. Clearly, this was nerve wracking for him.
“What is it?” Saiki asked telepathically.
“Well, it’s about [Name], yanno, our [Name]?”
‘What other person has that name?’ Saiki thought. ‘And don’t say our, it’s creepy.’
“You see, I, well, I think I like him and I’d like your blessing to ask him out!” Kaido shouted, his body bowing at an almost 90 degree angle.
Normally, Saiki would just say to do whatever since he could read [Name]’s thoughts and see that he doesn’t like Kaido in that way. However, the one person in the world that Saiki actually wants is immune to his powers. He knew he needed to shut this down fast.
‘No way.’ Saiki responded.
“Thank you so much, Saiki, you won’t—wait—why not?” Kaido asked aloud, his voice getting higher the more he freaked out. He thought this would be easy, he means, it was Saiki. The most chill guy ever actually gave him a hard ‘no’ to asking out his best friend. Kaido shouldn’t be surprised, even though he is.
‘Because I said so,’ Saiki strictly put. He knew it was wrong to say this, who was he to say no to something that isn’t his business. Though, the feeling of relief that he still had a chance was more satisfying in the end.
By the time Saiki got to your house it was basically as soon as school ended. He used teleportation to get here as fast as he could, as well as just appear in your room. He wasn’t expecting you to still be asleep, though, he supposed this wasn’t too bad.
The pink haired male carefully walking up to the bedside of his best friend. It was odd to see your hair going in one direction instead of all over the place like normal, and don’t even get him started on the soft snores that came from your nose. Snoring isn’t usually the most attractive thing in the world, but this light snores from you made him think of the habit as cute.
Now, he would normally wake you up. But, just allowing himself to look at you for a moment longer without any consequences never hurt anybody. Saiki sat himself down on your floor, his eyes keeping to your closed ones as they slowly began to travel down to your lips. He doesn’t know what came over him, but it seriously began to freak him out when he started think about Kaido touching his lips with yours. After the freak out, jealousy was spiraling around in the psychic. He never knew that Kaido, of all people, would actually develop romantic feelings for you. If he did, he would have never allowed the both of you to interact the way you did at his house the other day.
Saiki let out a sigh before standing up once more, his hand came up to your shoulder slowly and began to shake it. It wasn’t long after that your eyes fluttered open and gave him that soft smile that caused his heart to skip a beat.
6. School Trip
The school trip was always the most looked forward to activity in high school. This year it was a three day trip to Okinawa. While you were excited to spend some time at a gorgeous place like Okinawa, Saiki was definitely less excited.
As kids talked with their friends in a group or just at their desks, you were currently sitting on top of Saiki’s desk with the pink haired boy sitting in the chair. This wasn’t something you always do, especially since at times Saiki has pushed you off out of retaliation, but after a moment or two of still being there, you knew he didn’t mind today.
“You excited?” You asked him.
“No. I don’t get the appeal.” He spit out, his eyes closing as he moved his head down. “I could get to Okinawa in three minutes.”
“Kusuo, not everyone is like you.” You explained. “So don’t go getting moody on this trip, I’m not letting you ruin it for me.”
“I won’t, I’m just saying a fact.” He replied.
You were about to continue with things you’re excited to do during the trip before Hairo came around to the both of you with a clip board in hand. He was responsible for dividing rooms.
“Saiki, [Name], did you guys decide on your group for the class trip?” He asked politely. “You should have three boys and three girls in your group.”
Saiki didn’t say anything, instead he just rested his head against your forearm. Perhaps he wanted Hairo to think he fell asleep and leave it to you, or maybe he was actually saying that he didn’t care as long as he was with you. Either way, you smiled at the contact and said to Hairo, “Kusuo and I will be rooming, it doesn’t matter who else is in our group.”
“Okay, great!” Hairo exclaimed as he wrote it down. “Kaido and Nendou are still available so I’ll just place Kaido with your group, and then randomly place you guys with a girls group.”
“Thanks, Hairo,” you hummed out as he walked away to probably inform Kaido about the rooming.
You never minded contact with Saiki, in fact, you sort of enjoyed it. However, seeing him still like this, even with Hario now gone, you worried.
“Hey, Kusuo,” you called out.
No answer.
“Kusuo?” You asked this time. And when he didn’t answer again you unconsciously moved your hand up to his head and moved it back to where you could look him in the eyes. Saiki’s face was still without expression, though, those eyes worried you. He seemed, almost, upset.
“Kusuo?” You asked. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head, signaling that nothing was wrong. You knew he was lying.
You tilted your head, some of your hair moving with gravity to expose part of your forehead. “Why are you lying to me?”
“I’m not.” He said, his voice was steady and yet, that look in his eyes still bothered you.
You knew he wasn’t going to budge but still, just because you’re going to let it go now doesn’t mean that you weren’t about to keep an eye on him.
Throughout the beginning and the first day of the trip, you kept an eye on Saiki. He seemed way more tired than usual, but that didn’t startle you. Instead, it was how he was by your side more often now when Kaido was around. You weren’t an idiot, it was pretty obvious. You didn’t mind Saiki’s attention, but you didn’t want him to think just because you were friends with Kaido that he’d be put second.
“Kusuo, can we talk?” You asked him as the two of you had the room to yourselves. The others were out and about, but the two of you decided on an early night.
“About what?” He asked as he set up his sleeping area.
“Today.” You started out. “You’ve been acting weird around Kaido. Did something happen?”
You watched Saiki carefully, so carefully that you noticed his fingers lightly curl around the blanket. You didn’t want to push him, so instead of pushing him to speak, you allowed yourself to be silent and let him take his time. You don’t remember how many minutes pasted, but you swear it felt like decades.
“Nothing happened.” He informed you. “His thoughts just aren’t for my taste at the moment.”
“His thoughts?” You questioned as you slowly approached Saiki on his blanket until you were right in front of him. “Okay, then, what’s got you all bothered? Let me guess, he’s thinking dirty things, right?”
“Sort of.” He replied.
“I bet it’s about Teruhashi,” you theorized. “Is that why you don’t like it?”
“No, it’s not about Teruhashi.”
“Really? Then who?”
Saiki went quiet once more.
You sighed. Your head moving down to get a glimpse at his face. It wasn’t until you moved your hand over by his, your finger tips brushing with his accidentally to get more stability as you leaned in did you hear him finally confess.
“It was about you.”
To say that you needed a minute to take that in was an understatement. Kaido was a good guy and all, but it was kinda startling to realize he liked guys, as well as girls, since you didn’t suspect that even for a minute with him.
“Seriously?” You asked once more.
Saiki nodded. “He asked me if he could ask you out.”
“And what did you say?”
“No.”
You couldn’t help a smile crawl upon your face with that one. You knew it was a bit hard to read Saiki, especially when it came to you, but you were just beyond happy to hear that.
“Good,” you suddenly shot out. Saiki’s head moving back up in an instant to see your happy features. “I don’t like Kaido like that anyway, saves me from breaking his heart.”
“You don’t?”
“Nope.” You hummed out. You knew this may backfire on you in more ways than one, but right now, you didn’t care. The happiness you felt told you to take a chance and throw out the bait. “I know you can’t read my mind, but I actually do have someone I like.”
Saiki aimlessly stared at you for a moment and took in the words you confessed to him. It was an odd feeling, the rapid beating of his heart, but perhaps this was finally the start of things going his way for once.
On the second day of the trip, everyone went to Emerald Beach. It was one of the many places were people could stare at others and no one would think anything of it. A perverts dream. Though, for Saiki, he just wanted to hang out with you.
“Where’s [Name]?” Kaido asked Nendou as Saiki stood behind the two.
“He said he had to go buy a swimsuit. The one he brought apparently went missing.” Nendou told the blue haired boy.
Now, that want a mistake. Sure, it may have been a dirty trick but Saiki rather die than see you in the swimsuit you brought. After all, you bought a shirt with it. He knew you didn’t take off your shirt often, even at the beach, but he was determined to see you with just a pair of shorts.
Much like how all the guys that crowded around the girls changing house waited patiently to see Teruhashi in a two piece swim suit.
It was a while after Teruhashi came out, and when everyone was in the water that you made your appearance. You had your hands wedged into your swim shirt pockets as you allowed your feet to take in the hot sand that felt magical between your toes. You gazed around for a moment before noticing pink hair sitting under an umbrella.
A devilish smirk crawled on your features as you began to slowly approach the male. This may give Saiki a heart attack, but it was worth it. As you stood over him from behind, you attacked. Your body shot down as your arms wrapped aruund his neck and pushed your chest into his bare back.
“Hey, what’s a cute guy like you doing all alone at a place like this?” You teased, allowing your voice to go on for some time so that he realized it was just you.
Saiki immediately flinched at the contact before noticing it was just you. However, when he noticed the touch of your skin against his, he could feel his entire body heat up. The sensation was new, he’s felt his face go hot before, but his entire body was a new one.
“What took you so long?” Saiki tried to play off.
You just sighed and got a tighter grip on the male, your chest pushing more into his back. “Someone stole my swimsuit. Sadly, I didn’t have enough money to replace the whole thing, so I had to go by some swim shorts.”
“Hm, as least you’re here.” Saiki stated, making sure not to comment on the ‘stolen swimsuit’.
“Yeah,” you uttered as you released Saiki from your grasp and sat down next to him. You gazed out at the beautiful ocean that was filled with laughing people with this loving look in your eyes, all the while not realizing Saiki’s held that same gaze as he stared at you.
When you did turn to him, he completely lost himself in his mind as his eyes wondered about your figure. You weren’t the most fit guy in the world, but you did have these subtle yet enchanting muscle lines along your upper body that made Saiki lose himself.
“I saw that.” You suddenly said. Saiki’s eyes now darting back to yours. “You just checked me out.”
Saiki saw no way out of this one. So, he just confessed it. “So what if I was?”
In all honesty, he just expected you to laugh and tell him that it’s only fair if he does the same. However, the twist was unexpected and, well, definitely appreciated. He watched as you gazed down, this bashful look in your eyes as you did everything to avoid his gaze. Your body language wasn’t helping either. Your fingers were tapping against the towel and the heel of your foot was moving back and forth.
Maybe this trip wasn’t totally for nothing.
7. All That Was A Secret
Spring break. It was one of those weeks that Saiki went to go visit his grandparents all the way in the middle fo nowhere. So, for the most of this break, you were home alone. 
It was kind of boring. This break was definitely not one that you looked forward to, more now then before, especially after the beach during the class trip. Those words always ended up repeating in your mind, way too much then you thought they would. Then again, you shouldn’t be surprised. All those days that you’d try to subtly touch him, tease him, it was just a way to relieve yourself of the pent up emotions you’ve had for him for a few years now. 
Currently, you were in your room upon your bed, hugging one of your pillows close to your chest. You never tried to dwell on if Saiki felt the same or not, but recently, it’s been clawing at you more and more. It wasn’t like you didn’t think you had a chance, but more if Saiki was more comfortable just staying friends. You would understand, even if it would hurt, you’d do it for him. You’d do anything for that guy. 
You sighed before slowly lifting your body off the bed. Today wasn’t a good day for being sad, it was summer break, after all. You knew you had to get your mind off Saiki, and him being away made it a bit easier. So, you grabbed some clothes from your closet and laid them on the bed. You weren’t sure what you were going to do, but you were determined to fine something to take your mind off him. 
You let your pants drop to the ground before taking the ones on your bed and letting your legs slip through each of the pant legs. Next, you stripped your shirt off and took in a deep breath. You paused for a moment before dropping the dirty shirt on the ground and grabbing the new one. In all honestly, you never really pay attention to your surroundings when changing. But, does anyone? It wasn’t until your head went through the hole on the top of the shirt did you realize that the bed in front of you was now missing and the wall you were staring at was not the wall of your bed room. When you turned your head, you locked eyes with Saiki in an unfamiliar room. 
“Huh?” You uttered under your breath before your eyes widened, your face felling hotter than usual before frantically pulling your shirt all the way down. Once down, you opened your mouth and said, “You can’t do that without me knowing! What if I was in the middle of a shower or something and not just changing?”
“I would have given you some of my clothes.” He replied nonchalantly.
You bit the inside of your cheek before crossing your arms over your chest. “Why did you teleport me anyway?”
“I can’t stand it here.” Saiki confessed. Of course, you knew he didn’t exactly enjoying visiting his grandparents but he has never done this before. “Just hang out with me. I’ll send you back after.”
You sighed. You can’t exactly say no after that, so, with that Saiki and you began to watch a movie. It wasn’t one you two watched before so it was easy to get lost in it. Though, it was also easy to focus on Saiki when he suddenly placed his hand on top of yours as you guys watched. You weren’t too sure if he thought you wouldn’t notice, but there was no way you were going to pull away. After all, it’s not like he placed his fingers between yours, if he did that, you don’t know if you could handle it. 
After a half an hour into the movie you finally got the plot of it, and you weren’t amused at all. It was a best friends to lovers troupe. More specifically, childhood friends that drifted apart only to be brought back together by work and now slowly are developing feelings for one another. Let’s just say now, you were a little more than nervous. 
Thank god Saiki couldn’t read your mind, because now, you feel like you’d give him a headache. You couldn’t help but ask yourself if he knows and is only doing this to taunt you, or maybe this was all just a big coincident. Yeah, one massive coincident. In reality though, Saiki was just teasing you. He had no idea of your feelings but he wanted to watch the movie with you to implant the idea in his mind of the possibility.
Well, his plan was working. Maybe a little too much. Though, as you were about to spit something out, your eyes suddenly shot down to the floor in embarrassment. Yep, a make out scene. Of course, Saiki had no idea about that, but it was better than just the sappy stuff cause now it was really ingrained in your head. 
Once it was over and you had somewhat of your cool back you couldn’t help it. You needed to ask. If it blew up in flames, then so be it. 
“Hey, Saiki,” you uttered out lowly. Saiki caught it immediately and turned his gaze on you. “I have a.. question.”
“What?” He asked.
“Well,” your voice trailed off as you moved your eyes down to where both of your hands connected. “We’ve been best friends for a long time now but, have you ever, um, thought about doing...that?
Saiki remained quiet for a moment, his thoughts going everywhere before thinking to himself, ‘All the time, actually.’
As much as he wish he could have said that telepathically, he could never try to say that vocally. So, he just opted for a nod and watched your body flinch. The hand he touched growing warm.
“You’re hot.” Saiki suddenly spit out. This time, you brought your hand back to your body so he couldn’t tell anymore. 
“S-So what?” You stuttered out.
To say that Saiki didn’t like this side of you was an understatement. He’s never never seen you so flustered before, and it was really adorable to look at.
“It’s cute.” Saiki commented, his body leaning in just to see your face closer.
You turned your head to the side, eyes darting to the tv just to look away for a moment to compose yourself. You knew that there wasn’t gonna be another perfect moment like this so, you slowly reached over to place your hand on the back of Saiki’s neck. It was warm. When he noticed what you wanted as you started to lean back and gently pull him with you, he complied quickly until he gazed at you from above. Suddenly, he was jealous at the fact that Kaido got to see this view before him. 
He stared at you for a moment before watching you bite down on your bottom lip, his mind doing backflips at the want to read your mind, but also at how good you looked under him. 
“Kiss me.” You whispered under your breath, just loud enough for him to hear. 
“If I do,” Saiki uttered lowly. “I might not be able to stop.”
“That’s okay.”
1K notes · View notes