#but now he wants you for himself x.x

[tetzoro]

thinking about how zoro mentioned baroque works tried to recruit him once .. if he had accepted, how high in the ranks would he have gone ? and what would his relationship be like with sir crocodile ..

[shoyoist]

perv!bachira got me feeling some type of way bro

content: slightly dubcon, groping, pervy thoughts. giggles he's making me feel some type of way too now x.x<3

perv!bachira who bumps into you in hallways, then grabs you and pulls you into his chest — “whoops! you okay?” he gives you the sweetest smile, distracting and adorable. “sorry, almost knocked you down there didn't i?” he acts cute, embarrassed like he didn't mean to do it, when really he just wanted to cop a feel. and he does. slides his hands up your body and squeezes just right — smirking when he feels your breath hitch at his touch.

perv!bachira who invites himself over to your place after class, following you home & pretending he just got carried away walking with you, complaining about his mean professors — says “ah well! maybe we can complete our assignment together, while i'm here!” and you don't deny him, he's cute and so nice! of course you can help him with his work.

so he sits beside you at the desk in your room, barely listening to your recap of today's lecture as he thinks about pulling you into his lap, getting you to warm his cock up for him while he's lazying about with the assignment. listens to your voice and imagines how you'll sound when you whine, whimper and moan while he twists your pretty little body into all the positions he wants and fucks you like that.

he thinks he'll give his fantasies a go — leaning into slide his tongue in your mouth in a sudden, steamy kiss as soon as you finish telling him that he can copy your prettily done notes that he doesn't even give a fuck about.

“hey, how about we take a little break first?” he hums into your mouth, grabbing your waist and dragging you in. “mmm, wanna—wanna have a little snack before i start.”

[light-lanterne]

whatever you do, please do not imagine fourteen-year-old will byers being left alone in his house in lenora for a day or perhaps just a few hours. maybe his mom and el are out buying stuff while jonathan hangs out with argyle, maybe he's a little sick and was forced to stay home on his own.

whatever it is, he's alone for a bit, he's done all his homework, there's nothing on tv to distract himself with, and he's not in the mood for painting at the moment.

so, bored as he is, he decides to look around in the many tomes of the encyclopaedia britannica that now clutter their house and, taking advantage of his solitude, he decides to read up on a term that scares him as much as it intrigues him because he wants to know what other people think of, well, him. he wants to know if it's just hawkins who are so hateful and prejudiced against people like him, or if it really is the whole world who see him like a mistake.

so, whatever you do, please don't imagine will looking up homosexuality, reading line after line of clever-sounding text that describes his inclinations as nothing but sexual and impure, a phase he should get over with soon lest he becomes target of social persecution, and which explains all the many theories of why he's like that and the measures that should've been taken to "fix him".

whatever you do, please don't imagine will reading the next excerpt and realising that his time for being "fixed" has passed, that his father's complaints were not exclusive to him, that most people share that opinion, and that the fact that so many people could see it must mean that he really fits all the mentioned stereotypes and therefore must also fit everything else the book was saying about "homosexuals" like him.

(hi. i got curious and consulted my 1994 version of the encyclopaedia britannica to see what will would've read on certain subjects (it's the same edition as the 1986 one). i can post the whole section on homosexuality if someone wants it, but it's incredibly uninformed and prejudiced and honestly quite icky (borderline triggering) to read so i wouldn't advise anyone checks it >.< and that's not even including the part on conversion therapy x.x)

[magebunkshelf]

Hello!

I hope you're having a lovely evening, I have a few questions about Mitch I would like to ask but I completely understand if you'd rather not answer due to spoilers or any other reason!

One thing I have been wondering given the slow reveals about your universe, has Mitch grown up in the 20 years or so he was on the streets before being befriended by the listener? I know he used to break into homes when he was younger but has he physically grown, as in, was he a little boy back around the millennium? if so, did he have a family once? If not, has he appeared in his adult form without much knowledge or understanding of where he's come from?

Another one, mainly because I am a sucker for people being kind to each other, does Mitch trust his listener enough that on occasion he allows them to help him manage his hair if it gets too unruly? Basically, I have an image of them sat behind him on the sofa detangling his chaos whilst he games on his CRT!

Are the hybrids like Mitch becoming more common place? As in, has he met more people like him through his café work, enough that he's got an opportunity to make more friends like him?

Last question, is the facility still capturing, examining, documenting and mind-wiping hybrids in Mitch's present day? If so, are more hybrids starting to compare notes about how they've found themselves in odd places with zero memories of how exactly they've turned up there?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read these, again you have zero obligation to answer any of these, I just really love your stories!

These are amazing question! I'm sorry for the slow reply! x.x

Mitch was indeed a bit smaller when he was younger, 4 and a half foot is a good height for an adult raccoon demihuman! Unfortunately the only family he's ever known was his found-family in Hami (opossum demihuman, from RenInABox's audio series), and now his roommate. He's probably run into the occasional other raccoon demihumans but not a family.

Does Mitch trust the listener enough to help with his hair? It would have taken a while but as of the present, yes! I like to think the roommate is keen to help, Mitch's hair is a lot, they'd probably try to balance wanting to help with giving him his own space to thrive at his own pace. Mitch probably hated it to begin with, but he trusts his roommate more than just about anyone at this point - he's a lot more centred now, he can thrive and be himself rather than just survive.

Demihumans have become common enough in the last few years that they're less of a cryptid and are getting mentioned on the news. In the present in Mitch's World, it's becoming common knowledge that non-human sapients exist. They're still rare, but one may occasionally pop into Café Regale from time to time! All I'll say for now :3

Hmm... If demihumans were comparing notes on their missing memories- then the Facility wouldn't be doing a good job~

I'm not actually sure if we've seen the Facility activity in the past ten years...

[hcllsbigboss]

"Dad, this is Alastor! He's been helping with the hotel..." Charlie stated and then motioned past him.

Adjusting his suit, he turned on his heel to where she had indicated. His hands were coming to fold atop his apple cane as he did. He wasn't sure what he was expecting. Coming to a hotel meant for sinners - but he wasn't expecting who he was met with. That was for certain. Sinners came in all sorts of varieties, this much he was aware. But to his knowledge, the one that he was being met with right now was more than just an average sinner. This was one of those Overlords he'd been vaguely aware of. And while he had known about their existence and their power struggle over Pride, Lucifer had paid no mind to it. Mostly, giving the sinners free reign to live as they wanted for the most part. Something that may or may not have been a mistake on his part.

The name had crossed news here and there. But he never had a face to put with it. Or well- hadn't a reason to put a face to the name. Not since he'd been too preoccupied with his own issues. Like isolating himself for the last 7 years while he was lost in a deep depression over Lilith having left him. Something he would still be doing if Charlie hadn't called him up to actually ask him for his help. So, needless to say, this was actually the first time he had stepped outside of his room and even the palace in quite a while. But putting aside his thoughts and feelings on sinners and Charlie's plan here - he flashed the demon a smile in greeting.

"Soo you're the one who's been here helping my Char Char, huh?" Lucifer greeted, stepping up to the demon clas in blue. "Lucifer! Aha, it's good to meet you!"

@rradiioice plotted starter

//sorry it's short. I was having a hard time focusing and I figure it's their first meeting. So it'll get better x.x

[freebirdyance]

TW: mentions of human trafficking, mentions of sex trafficking, mentions of kidnapping children, child abuse, homophobic language, blood, gore, murder (patricide and matricide)

2,233 words x.x

“Boy! Get in here now!”

Whenever Anthony called him into the kitchen, it was never good news.

It meant that his father had something that needed to be done, and Yancy knows well enough by now that it wasn’t to mow the lawn or take out the trash. No, this would involve the family business and a particular task that the old fuck decided to torture his son with this week. Another reason why it was always the kitchen, he soon found out; refusal meant that any number of knives and meat cleavers could be used against him like a fucking thanksgiving turkey.

Yancy strides in, steel in his spine, and barely concealed hatred in his eyes. Showing anything else could make Anthony snap like an old rubber band. He grins sadistically from where he sits at the kitchen table. His mother stands at his side, and she could have been beautiful if she didn’t have the same dead look in her eyes as her husband.

“Sit.” Anthony points at the other end of the table like he’s commanding a dog. Yancy complies, if only it means that he can be given the job and get away from them as soon as possible. “Big changes are comin’ for our operations, boy. And since you haven’t been completely useless lately, I’m givin’ you an opportunity to prove yourself.”

Lucky me. It takes Herculean effort to keep the words to himself, and Yancy only nods in response. But it doesn’t stop goosebumps from breaking out over his body, dread sinking to the deepest pits of his stomach. Something’s off. He’s seen many sides of his father, all of them dark and sadistic. Right now, he’s… giddy. Manic. Somehow, it’s more terrifying.

“Tomorrow night, you and a group of guys are goin’ to the fair that’s comin’ to the next town over.”

Yancy blinks, dumbfounded. Of all the jobs he’s done, he’s never been ordered to attend a fair. What, are they going to fucking rob it? Wouldn’t it be crowded? “This yer way of givin’ me a night off or somethin’?” It’s out before he can stop it, and he manages not to flinch.

Anthony’s fist flexes so tightly that Yancy wouldn’t be surprised if the gaudy gold rings snapped in half and flew across the room. “You’re lucky I’m in such a good fuckin’ mood, Junior. I’ll tell you what you’re goin’ there for…”

What his father proceeds to tell him only proves just how much of a monster he truly is.

“You’re gonna use that pretty face and smart mouth of yours to charm some lovely little flowers into coming with you and the others.” He pauses, grinning when he sees that Yancy still doesn’t get it. “Or, get them outta sight and use force if you have to. You’ll be given parameters to follow for looks and whatnot because certain things will be worth more money when we sell them to the highest bidder.”

When… what?

All the air leaves Yancy’s lungs like he’s been holding it in for hours. The look of utter horror on his face must please the older man greatly if his sickening chuckle is anything to go by. He could handle breaking and entering, he could handle fighting and fuck he’s even killed a few people at this point, but this? Sweat beads along his hairline and he can feel what he had for dinner threatening to make a reappearance.

Selling people. The demon sitting across from him wants to start fucking selling people. Innocent people. The microscopic solace he could ever hide in is that most of the people he’s hurt we’re just as bad as he is.

“I don’t…” Yancy’s voice is cracked, no moisture remaining in his mouth as he swallows hard and tries again. “You want me to kidnap innocent women so we can sell them off.” It's less of a question and more of a reaffirming statement about the nightmare he’s found himself in.

“Yeah. Well, women, to start with… I hear kids are even more valuable.” He glosses over that addition quickly while Yancy has to try not to gag. “And hey, that sissy actin’ shit of yours from high school will come in handy, too. You may just be more useful to me after all.” Wouldn’t be dear old dad if he couldn’t get in some kind of jab about his extracurriculars. Now that Yancy is barely nineteen, the old fuck is ecstatic that those distractions are no more.

Everything tunnels into this one moment. His stomach drops like he’s on the edge of a precipice and desperately trying to decide if he’s going to fall into the murky depths, or to his hands and knees so he can claw his way to some kind of less fucked reality. He’s done everything they’ve asked of him up to this point, even if he felt a bit of his soul die each time until all that was left resembled a wisp of smoke after a candle was blown out.

He wouldn’t let them take it from him.

“No.” He answers firmly as he stares directly into the black void of Anthony’s eyes. The look on Yancy’s face must give him pause because he sees the flash of genuine concern before it's snuffed out by rage. It pleases him.

“What the fuck did you just say?”

“I. Said. No.” Yancy forces out again, his own anger and fear mixing into something that has his entire body trembling.

For a split second, everything slows down before quickly being kicked into hyperspeed, and the table between them is suddenly being tossed to the side like it’s made out of cardboard. Yancy barely has time to get to his feet before he can feel the calloused hands of his father wrap around his neck and squeeze. Fat fuck was always faster than he looks.

“Don’t hit him in the face, Tony!” His mother calls out shrilly. Ice invades his heart when he immediately knows she isn’t concerned with his safety, but the worry that any bruises or cuts on his ‘pretty face’ would make luring innocent victims more difficult.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Anthony spits through clenched teeth as his grip tightens. “I’ve had just about enough of your fucking bullshit, Junior. Just when it looked like you were gonna actually fall in line… maybe I should sell you to a new master, huh? You’d probably fucking love that.”

Yancy gasps for air as he claws at Anthony’s arms. Past experience tells him that fighting back only resulted in the beatings being worse, to the point where he would have to spend days in his room to recuperate. The only advantage this monster has is expecting him to yield to avoid that punishment.

Not this fucking time.

Something snaps inside of him, the last frayed end of his rope finally giving out completely, and with all the might he can muster, Yancy raises his boot and aims a kick directly to his assailant's knee. Roaring with pain and anger, he releases his neck and drops to the floor on his other knee, only for Yancy to kick him square in the chest to knock him down.

His heart is pounding, ribs straining to stop it from bursting out of his chest and onto the ugly linoleum floor, and he grabs the first thing he sees. A butcher's knife sticks out of the knife block. Backing away, eyes crazed like a cornered animal as he looks between them and holds the knife out in front of him.

His mother has sprung into action, her focus being on her husband writhing in agony on the ground. Yancy has reached his full height by now, and he’s in better shape than the older man by a long shot. He’s never fought back with full force until this very moment, whatever restraint he possessed before being torn away. Yancy would be grinning like a maniac if he wasn’t trying to focus past the blood rushing between his ears.

Years of abuse and ridicule fuel him, unlocking the cage to the beast that resides deep inside of him. It’s been beaten and prodded through the bars long enough, and now it wants blood. The hand holding the knife is shaking, but not from fear. Not anymore. “Fuckin’ monsters… you think I would help you start somethin’ like that?! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” Even though there is a lack of fear, his voice still trembles as he mourns what he never had.

A childhood… a normal childhood with parents that loved him. Something they would so easily rob from others just for a fucking payday.

The answer he’s met with is laughter. Deep and hollow, echoing straight from the pits of hell itself. And his father just stares at him. “Who says it hasn’t already started?” He responds coldly.

It feels like the floor drops out from under him, but somehow, he manages to keep his footing. That sentence reverberates inside of his skull, and an icy chill cascades down his body. He wasn’t the only beast in the room, and the realization of what he has to do hits him like a freight train. It would never stop. He could escape from them and live on the run, using everything he’s learned to try and piece together a life outside of them.

But then what? They keep hurting people who don’t deserve it. They get worse. He could pray to whatever exists that their enemies would stack against them and kill them off.

Yancy wasn’t good; his family made sure of that. But a deep part of him thrived in the violence, and whether that's because his parents beat that into him or he was cursed from the moment he was born, it didn’t matter. He has his own set of fucked morals, and with the next several decisions he makes… he would have to come to terms with that.

This time, when he stares at Anthony Berlusconi Sr., the concern doesn’t melt away in an instant. Because he’s staring into another set of dead eyes that only show him his doom.

Yancy’s legs slowly carry him forward, and it feels like he isn’t even in control of them. Like the Devil himself has a grip on his shoulders, guiding him to the greatest purpose he can have. And before the monster he’s set to vanquish can utter another word, his arm is slashing out and slicing his throat open. The blood that splatters on his arms is lava against skin gone cold, but it only fuels him as Anthony clutches at his own neck.

His mother screams. She may even beg, but the roaring in his head blocks it out as he repeats the motion once more, crimson splattering against the cabinets. He should feel something, shouldn’t he? It’s like a dream, hazy around the edges and tunneled onto their panicked bodies. Watching his parents bleed out on the floor, desperately searching their expressions in their last moment for something he’s not even sure of.

Then… he knows why he doesn’t feel a damn thing. There’s no remorse for what they’ve done to him, the pain and agony they’ve caused him and others. No regret for what they chose to do with their lives. Only shock and anger that this is how they are going out flickers in their eyes. All at the hands of a son they never wanted for anything other than carrying on their brutal legacy.

By the time his vision comes back to him from the murky darkness, the bodies have been cleaved and cut until they are unrecognizable, and his throat feels like he ate sandpaper. Raw from screaming. He can’t… be here anymore. He has to move, fucking move, Yance. He searches Anthony’s body for his cell phone, surprised that it managed not to get split into pieces. Fingers slide against the device, too wet with blood to type anything.

He has to leave. Now.

He takes the cleaver and phone and leaves everything else behind. This was the house he grew up in, but it wasn't the only place that belonged to the family.

Personal belongings didn't matter to him now; everything inside is tainted just as surely as the kitchen is coated in the blood of his parents. What better way to cleanse it than with fire?

He finds a canister of gasoline in the garage and douses everything he sees as he enters the house for the last time, paying special attention to the kitchen. When he gets to the car, he's lighting a cigarette and doesn't even hesitate to toss the match onto the accelerant on the cement floor.

And as he speeds off in his car and watches the flames begin to grow in his rear view mirror, he stares at the man looking back at him. No more mourning what he never had, no more living in fear. His path would be forged in blood and fealty. If he couldn't vanquish the entirety of the evil, then it would bend to his fucking will.

Staring up at the massive building that is the main base of their operations, he knows the night is just beginning.

END PART ONE

[lightlycareless]

Pillow Fort — Valentine's day special.

A/N: Hello everyone!

As I stated before, I was working on a small (heh) valentine's day special one-shot for Naoya just because :> I got the prompt from a list here in tumblr, unfortunately, I don't remember where...

Anyways, this is intended to be quite fluffy, sweet, and a bit fun. Just something different from the usual things I post x.x soooo no major warnings here, asides from the fact that:

This is and AU and both reader and Naoya are kids here. There are OC's, intended to be reader's siblings, their mother, father, as well as Naoya's siblings and mother. It's mainly a one-sided crush from Naoya, he's silly and he's really trying lol that is until... 👀

Also, this is kind of set in the same universe as the Halloween prompt I wrote a while ago (if you'd like to read it, you can find it here) I can't believe I already want to write a sequel to this hahahah I guess you'll know about what when you read it.

Now, without any further ado, happy reading!

It all started with a "Would you like to do something fun this weekend, Naoya?" from his mother to set off the chain of events that lead him to where he was in this precise moment: standing before the entrance of the L/N estate, carrying his belongings (a change of clothes for 2 days, pajamas, gifts, and everything else that pertained to a hygienic care) while anxiously waiting for someone to receive him after ringing the bell.

Naoya was first unable to put his finger down on the possible reason behind her question, or admit that he was uninterested, for he already had plans for said weekend: Since most of his brothers were going to be away due to some camping trip endorsed by their school, it meant that he was going to have the entirety of his home for himself to do whatever he wanted, seemingly without scrutiny or repercussions.

He believed he was getting the best deal he could’ve with his circumstances, that is, until Tomoko (his mother) informed him of a sleepover set to occur at the home of the L/N’s—it’s until then that he realizes he’d been conforming for less all this time.

To not say that he was very excited about it, of course—because ever since he first met you back then at that Halloween outing both your families had arranged, you’re all he thinks about. 

Through school, lunch, homework, even when hanging out with his favorite cousin Toji, or his best friend Ranta, you’re somehow pulled into the conversation. 

The youngest of the two didn’t think much of it, outside of being jealous, since he didn’t like the thought of having to compete for his friend’s attention that you were clearly (unknowingly) hoarding—although that would only be short-lasting, for he’d then realize that the relationship Naoya wanted from you was different than his, and soon became all supportive of it.

The other, however, couldn’t be any more irritated by the frequency of it. He didn’t enjoy partaking in a conversation where a little girl he didn’t even know was to be the center of attention, leading him to wonder if his upcoming baby was going to be as annoying as Naoya is when he’s old enough… or maybe this was solely his cousin’s doing.

Most of Naoya’s conversation circled the same topics: finding ways to get to spend more time with you. Get to know the kind girl that shared his good tastes a bit better—because recognizing his Halloween costume was enough to set you on a pedestal— as well as keeping your (and might as well his) siblings away from foiling his plans once set in motion…

A bothersome obstacle that reminds him to not celebrate his victories before time, not until he gets the definite answer to this important question… 

“Will Hinata and Ren be there too?” Naoya asks, justifying it as simply trying to anticipate what to do once there, if he should bring more toys, for example, to share.

But Tomoko, being his mother all of his life and having raised more children before him, had developed a 6th sense that allowed her to see right through him and was able to identify the true reason behind his inquisitiveness: he was trying to ensure the sole attention of the girl he likes, as well as hoping to keep some distance from the kids he thought to be his natural competition (whom he unsurprisingly, didn’t get along with… much to her dismay)

And in a way, she was excited about the whole ordeal too—she just couldn’t help it! Ever since she caught wind of his sudden interest towards Y/N, she had done nothing but gush about it with Minako, your mother.

The endless possibilities of their youngests getting along, spending time together, and who knows…? Maybe something more down the road! Was something that made them coo at the young children whenever they were around.

It was undeniable that you and Naoya were a cute pair before their eyes, and oh… wouldn’t it be wonderful to dress them up in matching outfits?

Either way, after rightfully perceiving his intentions, she decides to provide him with a big, warm smile on her lips and a cheerful voice, the announcement she knows is to make the rest of his week enjoyable:

“No, they’re going on the same trip as your brothers—it’s just Y/N and you for the whole weekend”

To say that he was over the moon would be an understatement.

He was ecstatic!

But Naoya had to play it cool, even going as far as appearing seemingly disappointed by the affirmation of your sibling’s absence —he had to be careful with his cards, of course! He doesn’t want to wear his heart on his sleeve just yet, not when there’s a possibility he could be made fun of for them… or confirm if you even felt the same way as him.

And Tomoko understood his worries and shyness all too well. 

After all, Naoya had never been the kind of kid to open up with others, at least not unprompted. And when he does, it is usually to show his annoyance either towards his siblings or father.

Yet, even with his reserved nature, she could still see the glint in his eye which truly reflected how thrilled he was for the weekend to arrive.

This was to be in a way, without question, a happy ordeal for everyone involved.

Aside from acknowledging Naoya’s feelings towards you, she was also cognisant of the poor relationship he had with the rest of Minako's kids, which had often led to many awkward, shameful apologies between the two mothers for their respective children’s behavior… ones that they tried their hardest to stop, but just never seemed to catch a break.

And it was amusing to see how they attempted to keep their troubled relationship a secret from them, putting on the act of “getting along” whenever approaching them, as if they hadn’t been quite spiteful towards one another seconds before, or that they wouldn’t figure it out with time!

They gave them the benefit of the doubt at first, thinking their behavior to be nothing more than a phase due to a rocky beginning, but the longer it went on and they continued to act the same, the mothers began to worry that perhaps…  Perhaps this was a much more serious manner, one that would grow into their adulthood, and regretfully,  continue on with you.

It’s why they were so elated to see that you and Naoya got along regardless of the evidence set before them!

Because Naoya giving up all of his sweets to you to seemingly cheer you up after an unfortunate prank was something one would only do if the other person was of their fondness, right?

Besides, Minako was even willing to confide that in the days after you last saw him, you’d voice a want to see him again, wondering what he’s been up to, or when would the next “outing” be with the Zen’in, completely different from your siblings, whom only seem to abhor his presence, wishing nothing more than to leave from whatever arrangement their parents pulled them into as soon as possible. There’s no denying that the two represented a long-awaited omen of change in this ongoing conflict: the dawning of a friendship between the two and hopefully an inspiring event for all involved. Even if it doesn’t lead to anything more down the road, it’s something that both mothers would either way enjoy watching grow, especially after confiding to one another that they always wanted their kids to be best friends, just as they were.

And in a more personal note, directly from Tomoko herself, she also wished her kids would behave a bit more like Ren and Hinata—their relationship was far more amicable, not like the ones her son’s had, whim by some strange reason, always managed to find a way to antagonize each other: either for the simplest of reasons like eating the last cherry on a cake, to the most outrageous ones such as stealing the other’s allowance. It’s always free for all in the Zen’in estate.

But if she had to pick the two worst, it would have to be Naoya and Naoaki. The youngest, and the oldest.

Naoaki eventually, thankfully, outgrown this part of his life upon entering his teenage years, forcing Naoya to carry on with the torch of irritating the other. Still, it would be a lie if he didn’t admit to occasionally entertaining his old habits from time to time.

The reason behind their actions eluded Tomoko, although she eventually came to the conclusion that it was more of a case of jealousy (still inexcusable, but the poor mother had to rationalize something!) more than anything else— with their altercations curiously growing more and more frequent after joining the L/N family on halloween…

Which leads to another question popping up inside Naoya's mind:

“Is Naoaki going too?”

“Oh, no” Tomoko says as she lightly shakes her head “He’s not going—he’s… a bit too old for these things” It’s what she comes up with to essentially avoid saying they're going to create trouble at the L/N estate is placed together, because being completely honest, it's the only thing that could come out of their relationship at this moment.

Besides,  she also doesn’t think it’s right for him to be spending the night over at a house with kids much younger than him, unwittingly forcing him with the burden of looking after them, less when he could be doing something much more fun with his own friends.

However, this is something that Naoya doesn’t deduce at the moment (and might never do), instead, he opts to believe that his mother is doing his annoying older brother a huge favor by saving him the humiliation of disclosing that he doesn’t have any friends to hang out with because nobody likes him—his mother was just compassionate like that.

Well, once the situation with Naoaki was set, so was the one with the rest of his brothers, because just as it was stated before, they would be out of the house for the weekend.

With the exception of Naofumi, of course, who was both too young to partake in their excursion, as well as falling victim to a cold which bound him to his bed until he got better.

Naoya couldn’t help but feel bad for the constant misfortune his not-so-older brother always seemed to be riddled with, which is why he was more than willing to keep up the promise he made with his mother as they made their way to your home.

“Promise me to have fun, for you and Naofumi, ok?” Tomoko said as she softly grabbed his hand and guided him towards the entrance to the L/N estate “Also, don’t forget to give Y/N-mama the food Auntie Junko made for her as a thanks for the gifts, because it has to be refrigerated as soon as possible”

Tomoko wishes she was able to personally give the thank you gift to Minako, however, she knew that as soon as she stepped inside she would be tempted to stay and chat, and that’s something she’s not able to afford as of this moment since she left the newly mother-of-two to temporarily care for her sick boy while she brings Naoya over.

It’s not that she considered Junko to be her first option to help her out, in fact, she had already anticipated and prepared one of the staff members to take on her role while away so she could have a bit of time with your mother, but her sister-in-law is the kind of person to believe that if she’s not doing something, she’s wasting her time, and there’s no swaying her out of it once her mind is set.

Not the two beautiful twin babies she now has to take care of was enough to convince her, but if that’s what she wants to keep on doing to not feel as she’s slacking off, then she’ll leave her to it.

Aside from wanting to chat with Minako for a few minutes, Tomoko also wanted to inform her of the small envelope inside it…

Well, she just hopes that Minako is able to notice it before storing the contents away.

So fast forward to the greatly anticipated night, to the moment Tomoko left Naoya by the entrance—not without kissing and hugging him goodbye, much to the kid’s embarrassment—before going back home to her other beloved child as soon as possible.

Naoya quickly turned into a wide-eyed, anxious young boy with a thundering heart while intently staring at the wooden door before him, awaiting for the moment someone would come to receive him.

He didn’t know who was to greet him—you, perhaps? Oh, his heart skips a beat at the mere thought of seeing you already! Were you as excited as him too?

If that were the case, Naoya can’t help but also wonder what you’d think of his attire for the day, the black sentai ranger hoodie he got for christmas, the same one he’s been holding on from wearing just so you’d be the first one to see him in it —outside of his mom, of course, who like any doting parent asked him to model it for her.

But if he was to be greeted by your mother, then he guesses he wouldn’t mind it either. He needs to get along with her after all! Especially after allowing him to come over, but above all, because she’s your mother and he needs to make a good impression with her, as well as your father.

Naoya’s thoughts are promptly interrupted by the soft click coming from the other side of the door.

His heart, which has done nothing more but to beat strongly and steadily against his chest, begins to resound in his ears as he swallows down his growing anticipation, the consequence of the thrilling prospect of his introduction.

Any second now, the door will swing open and with it, revealing the person behind it.

He’s already been here before, seen you and your mother countless times as well, yet, he can’t help but nervously wonder who it will be? Who will be the one to receive him?

Fortunately for him, that’s an answer that comes not so long after as the entrance begins to unfurl, the light from inside falling on his eyes, forcing him to blink a few times to adjust his vision onto the dark silhouette of the person before him, and then… she appears.

Your mother.

“Naoya-kun!” Minako chirps, a wide smile on her face, as soon her eyes fall on the short black-haired boy standing before her.  “Welcome! We were expecting you, I hope I didn’t make you wait that long!”

“N-no, I just… got here” he murmurs. Naoya is elated to be received in such a positive manner from your manner, yet, a sting of disappointment manages to make way into his chest as he secretly attempts to lean his head to the side, observing past your mother and into the hallway, undeniably hoping to catch a glimpse of you just a few feet away—sadly, you were nowhere to be seen.

“Well, I don’t intend on keeping you out here in the cold any longer! Come on in” Minako steps to the side, gesturing him inside, which he obliges to after giving her a quick nod.

Once inside and after your mother closes the door, she turns around and refers to Naoya once more.

“Well, welcome officially to my home. Now, let me help you with your things” She says as she attempts to reach for his backpack, only for him to step back before she even moved more than a few inches.

"N-no… I'm fine" he shakes his head, clenching his belongings tighter to him. After watching such a demonstration, Minako didn’t need to be told to not insist again. Taking his reaction as being overprotective over his belongings, and that, she’ll respect.

Yet, things don’t always seem to be what they are with Naoya, and this was to be another one of those cases.

Naoya wanted to appear strong and independent before her, to give her the impression that he's capable of taking care of himself, and subsequently, you—he truly intended to be meticulous when it came to showing off he was a good influence for your life during his stay at the L/N home.

If only he knew Minako already thought so…

"But my mom wanted me to give you this" he informs as he hands over the brown paper bag, Minako carefully grabbing it and taking a quick peek inside: it’s nothing more than a glass rectangle container filled with what she assumed to be pastries, and a white envelope on top. "It's from auntie Junko. She says thank you for the gifts"

"Oh! That? Ah, she shouldn't have… it's nothing really" Minako says as a light pink color flusters her cheeks.

And it really was nothing, the gifts she gave Junko were the minimum of what Eiichi and she thought she deserved, after going through so many difficult pregnancies… She finally obtained what she wanted the most: children.

And not just any child, but two! «What a blessing» is all that Minako could think of the whole ordeal, wishing her nothing more but prosperity in this new stage in her life.

However, the fact that she hasn’t been able to visit and wish it in person is a sorrow for her, but is able to console herself by remembering that the first weeks after giving birth are the important when it comes to the mother’s recovery and the development of the babies, it’s why she instead, as a way to make up for her absence, decided to send her gifts.

Either way, she knows very well there’s no use in reeling in her remorse when it was only a matter of time before she’ll be able to visit the new family, and oh, she can’t wait but to dote on Junko’s adorable baby daughters! 

Will they have her distinguishable scowl? Maybe, maybe not. All that she knows is that they have Ogi’s hair color, or somewhat similar to it, that they were healthy in every sense of the word, and that their names were Maki, the oldest, and Mai, the youngest.

Still, seeing a miniature version of her trademark frown was enough to make her giggle, and that’s something she can’t miss.

But until then, she’ll worry about the adorable kid before her.

"Well, now I think I've kept you at the entrance long enough, let's head back to the kitchen and put this in the fridge, hm?" Minako says as she softly pats his head. A gesture that has Naoya’s cheeks slightly burning before giving her a nod and following her lead into their new destination.

“Are you excited for tonight? Because I know Y/N-chan is" she begins as they walk deeper into the estate.

“She is?? —Err, I mean, yeah… I am” Naoya blurted, before immediately composing himself and putting on his cool act back on. Your quick mention is enough to have him filled with the same excitement he imagines you to have, to the point he falters with his words. “Thank you for having me”

“Oh, it was nothing” she responds “I like it when my children have friends over! Besides, don’t tell Y/N that I told you this, but she’s been wanting to have a sleepover with you for a while now”

“Re—really?” There’s no hiding it now, Naoya’s heart was soaring.

“Yes, but this has to be a secret just between the two of us, ok?” Minako winks with a smile as Naoya nods. “She didn’t want to make her other friends, or siblings, jealous”

“I promise!” he reassures her, and your mother only chuckles.

As they went deeper into the estate, a sweet smell began to permeate the air, set to indicate the closeness to their destination—It was such a potent aroma that at one point it became all Naoya could think of as he continued to walk behind your mother.

It was a combination of scents, each one complimenting each other perfectly, and yet, no matter how much he tried to isolate each smell, he was still unable to distinguish what they were… outside of mouth watering meals that he couldn’t wait to see (and hopefully) taste if your mother so permitted it.

Thankfully, it wouldn’t take long before they finally arrived at the kitchen, which by that point, Naoya's curiosity—and hunger—were past its limits, to the point that he didn’t even notice the figure on the deep end of the kitchen waiting for him.

That is, until his conscience is pulled back to reality thanks to the interjection of a familiar shrill voice calling out for him… one that has his heart pounding loudly against his chest once more, after identifying the one behind it.

"Noya-kun!" 

It was you, with big sparkly eyes, and a grin on your lips, waving at him.

"You're here!" You excitedly cheered from your spot, just beside the wooden dining table, stepping on a small stool which allowed you to loom over said table and work on the mix inside the bowl before you— or at least that’s what he assumed due to the small purple apron you were wearing, as well as  the wooden spoon on your right hand covered with said brown mixture.

You don’t let more than a few seconds to pass before you jump down the stool, leaving the spoon back into the bowl, and rush to his side, wrapping your arms around him—as much as you could, for he was still carrying his things— as soon as you’re nothing more than a few inches away and pulling him into a welcoming hug.

The first thing that he notices at your closeness, besides how happy you seem to receive him in your home as well as the weight of your mother’s eyes glued on him which causes him to be nothing more than embarrassed, is the small smudge of chocolate at the corner of your lips. Evidence of a sneaky tasting from the brownie mix your mother asked you to look after while she left to pick him up—he knew of your affinity for sweets, so to see you like this wasn't a surprise, if anything, he found it both cute and relieving, for it meant that he’d done the right decision by bringing mochi instead of overwhelming you by gifting you more chocolate.

The second thing he notices, and perhaps what makes his heart sing the most outside of your mere presence, is your hairstyle: specifically your 2 ponytails, styled from the lower part of your head and falling on each side of your neck. Sure, he thought you looked cute—always did, no matter what— but that wasn't what caught his interest or his elation.

What made his heart skip a beat were the scrunchies you were wearing, because those were the same ones he got you as a gift a while ago!

In fact, Naoya still recalls the moment he got them. 

It was during one of the (rare) occasions his mother goes grocery shopping. And for some strange reason, perhaps fate wanted it that way, Naoya decided to tag along for the day.

While they passed through one of the many aisles pertaining to the beauty section, he saw them. 

At first he didn’t think much of them, outside of how they looked soft to the touch and that their pastel colors were much better than the bright, harsh on the eyes, fluorescent ones next to them, with his interest soon returning onto finding the next item on the grocery list.

But that wasn’t to be the end of it, and when Tomoko caught his gaze on them at the corner of her eye, a plan was quick to form in her mind. One that made him realize his mother was on the same side as him, and the uncountable doors of possibilities this new alliance brought him.

"Y/N would look cute with them, wouldn't she?"

And look cute you did, his mother was never wrong after all.

"Oh, Y/N… did you eat from the mix?" Minako said upon noticing the smudges on your face, pressing her lips into a thin line as she slightly frowns.

"...no" you murmur back with a telltale pout, completely unaware of the evidence on your cheeks. "I didn't!"

"Of course not" she giggles, taking a napkin from a nearby counter and walking over to you, crimson in your cheeks upon realizing what gave you away. "I hope you didn't eat it from the same spoon you were blending the mix with, or too much for that matter…"

"No! I got my own spoon!" you corrected, embracing the fact that you’ve been caught. "So I wouldn’t con-ta-mi-nate!"  You sing and Minako chuckles at the familiar jingle. It seems that whatever Ren has been learning at school began to rub off on you because he’d been singing the same tune for the past few days now. "Mama, can I play with Noya-kun now that he’s here?"

"Sure, just be sure to take his items to your room before playing" At that, Naoya blinks. Wait, is he staying in your room? 

"Ok!" You nod before turning over to him with a grin "Follow me, Noya-kun! I want to show you my room!"

Naoya doesn't need to be told twice to do as instructed, less when he didn’t have much of an option to choose from since you grabbed his hand and swiftly guided him through the halls and onto your bedroom, not even giving him the chance to dismiss your mother appropriately, worrying him that this might leave a bad impression.

Well, Minako didn’t really care much, not when she still had dinner to prepare.

This wouldn’t be the first time he’d been at your house, however, this was to be the first time he’d seen your room, and that thought alone was enough to ignite his curiosity and excitement.

Not even when you visited him at the Zen’in estate (which he both enjoyed and suffered, for it meant that sometimes you’d be playing with his brothers) could compare to the joy this chain of events brought him.

Eventually both you and Naoya arrive at the door he figures to be the entrance to your bedroom due to the Pokémon stickers plastered all over it, alongside the small sunflower sticker and a lotus flower which only made him roll his eyes upon realizing whom they represented.

Still, he doesn't allow their implicit presence ruin his mood as he goes on to wonder if the next time he's here, you’ll allow him to place a sticker of his own. If so… which one? 

Well, that's something he'll have plenty of time to decide once he's back home, for now, he wants to take advantage of this opportunity and get to know you better through seeing your bedroom for the first time.

Thus, his mind begins to machinate all kinds of scenarios regarding the contents inside: What would he find? What would you show him? Did you have posters all over the walls? He doesn’t because his dad doesn’t let him put up posters in his room, saying that it will “ruin the value” of the home, maybe your parents aren’t as irritating as his and allowed you to put up whatever you wanted.

Or perhaps he’ll finally get to see the so famed plushies you always talk about, ones he has to be very attentive to just so he could guess which ones weren’t from your collection, and subsequently, give them to you as a gift.

Well, any assumptions would soon be cleared and cemented when you slide the door open, finally revealing your room.

The first word that Naoya thinks describes your room the best is cozy.

It’s decently sized, not as big as his, but with enough space to fill it up with whatever you wanted.

There's a window at the far end of the room which provides you the calming view of one of the many gardens inside the estate, as well as the impressive bright full moon in the sky.

From there, the second most noticeable thing was the absence of posters… which he really thought you’d have, but now that he thought about it, you probably would’ve made better use of something a bit more practical, like toys… or the hard-to-ignore mountain of plushies found in the corner of your room.

He already estimated quite a large number from the conversations you had with him pertaining to the subject, but he never expected this many! Do your parents get you a new one whenever you go out?! Do you perhaps have a plushie tree in the backyard?? How—how is he going to compete with that??

Guess he'll have to figure out which ones are your favorite and work from there.

Beyond that, his attention falls back onto the first thing that actually caught his attention, the elephant in the room.

A large…blanket tent-like encasement held up by various chairs, illuminated by small golden string lights, in the middle of your bedroom.

Naoya doesn't believe to have seen something like this in the past, outside of when he goes camping with his family, and considering this was indoors… he's naturally prompted to inquire:

"Is this your bed?"

"Nope! It's a pillow fort! Papa made it for me" you explain matter-of-factly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world—and for a sleepover, it just might— while you went ahead and closed the window curtains. "He said he used to do them with his friends when he was little, and that they were fun, so he wanted to do the same with me for my sleepover!"

"I see…” Naoya murmurs, still somewhat… confused.  “So you don't usually sleep like this?"

"Mmhmm" You hum back, shaking your head "But it would be cool though! Papa even set my t.v. in there, look!" 

You rush to the pillow fort, where you'd be dropping to your knees and subsequently crawling past the entrance and deep into it, as Naoya, who had yet to put down his things, simply limited himself to look at you from where he was.

He'd glimpse through the fabric door and finally observed the mentioned T.V., which was past another hill of pillows and plushies (Naoya rightfully assumed to be your favorites due to their location) mounted on a small wooden box, as well plugged to a Nintendo 64.

It seems Eiichi had not only shared with you a piece of his childhood, but also, done it in a way where it also combined the things you liked.

And for that, Naoya can't help but feel a little bit jealous, silently wishing his father was as attentive as yours. 

"This way we can play games while laying on the futon! Oh, and because papa knew you were coming, he also got me an extra controller!" You announced, reaching over to the left side of the T.V and pulling out two controllers, waving them at Naoya "Mine is the purple one, and yours is black! Because of black Sentai,  your favorite , right??"

Your assumption hit the mark yet again as his eyes widened and his cheeks warm up. If he already thought of you as kind, he now adores you.

"Yeah…" he nods, a small smile on his face "and yours is purple because of Gengar, right?"

"Yep! Everything I have is purple! Except for my Gameboy. I wanted the purple one, but got the gray one instead. But I saw you can paint it, but my mama doesn't let me because she says I'll ruin it, but I saw you can have it painted by someone else! But she says I shouldn't do that either, because I don't really need it…" you continue to ramble on as Naoya's mind takes him to another seizable opportunity.

Sure, this opening sets him going against your mother's wishes, but at the same time, if done correctly this could place him in a more positive light in your eyes, and I'd he thought about it, your parents too! For he'd also be showing how attentive he is.

It's set then. Just as with the scrunchies, he'll ask his parents for a purple Gameboy to give you on your birthday. The cost of something like that holds no influence in swaying his mind away from the idea, because affording something like that is nothing but spare change for someone like his father.

"I'm sure you'll get it" Naoya says in an effort to reassure you, without giving out much details… if not to build up anticipation.

"What do you mean, Noya-kun?" You ask, leaning your head to the side as you watch him shrug, feigning ignorance.

Even after all this time getting to know each other, you still hadn't said his name correctly. However, that’s not something he intends on correcting anytime soon, since he’s already grown fond of it. It's a special nickname only he gets, and the one only you are allowed to say, no one else! 

In fact he even prepared a nickname for you too, one that he believes fits you very well due to the roundness of your cheeks and your affinity for such sweets…

"You'll see, mochi-chan" he says and your mouth widens in surprise. The secrecy behind surprises always excites you, so you decide to not ponder any further. "Talking about mochi, I got you some"

He takes off his backpack and places it on the ground to begin searching for your gift, swiftly and carefully pulling them out—2 boxes, one of assorted flavors and taro, your favorites.

"For me?!" You cry as he hands you the boxes, Naoya nods and you squeal once more , jumping in the spot out of happiness "Thank you so much! I'll place them next to the ones papa gave me today so we can eat them later… or not! Mama is making brownies so I want to try them first, oh, and she's also making your favorite!" 

"My… favorite?" Naoya carefully repeats, wanting to make sure if he heard you right before fully diving into enjoying the fact that he might eat his favorite meal that day.

"Yeah! I think Naoya-mama said your nii-chan was sick and was giving him miso soup, but because you ate all of it she had to do more, so mama thought she would make some for you!" 

"She—she said that?" Naoya nervously stammers, shame taking a hold of his feelings by his mother’s merit, yet again. His cheeks now fully ruby-red as he wonders what were the intentions of his mom relaying that information?! 

"I'm sorry about your nii-chan" you say as you walk over to the nearest closet, opening the door and placing his gift alongside the other…  immeasurable amount of mochi boxes inside.

Had Naoya not been too busy dealing with the shame of mother's betrayal, he would've felt intimidated by your father's doting. He once more finds himself inwardly asking how can he compete with that?!

But before Naoya is able to do much answering, he's pulled back to the conversation by the following words.

"Is Naoaki-kun ok?"

Naoya chokes.

"He's… he's not sick" Naoya whines, a scowl on his face "although I wish he was…"

"Don't say that, Noya-kun!" You protest, crossing your arms "He's your nii-chan, and he's really cool! He knows alot about Pokémon and he's really tall too, I wish I had a brother like that"

Naoya wants to say that you don't really mean that, or that you'll change your mind after getting to know him better, but instead of allowing him to ruin his night any more, he decided to redirect the conversation onto another topic.

"I know about Pokémon too" he counters, and you raise your eyebrows.

"You do?" You ask, tilting your head. Last thing you remembered about him and Pokémon… was nothing really. He doesn’t speak much when you’re talking about it.

"Yeah, I recently got a Gameboy and started playing it"

"Oooh! Which one are you playing? Did you already beat the elite four?" You enthusiastically wonder as you rush back to him, and here is where Naoya realizes he might've miscalculated the lengths of your interest.

"Y-yeah… just beat the first one" he falters as he looks away from your intense gaze in hopes of avoiding further interrogation. Luckily for him, it seems you don't notice (or care) as you simply continue on.

"My favorite one is Agatha because she has a Gengar. But she looks really mean…" you sigh "I want to become a trainer one day"

"I'm sure you can do it…" he murmurs along.

"Really? Because I already know what I want for my team! First I want a Gengar, from there I want a Rapidash because my mom likes horses, I want a Porygon too because Ren-nii likes that one, whenever he plays he just spends all his time in the casino trying to get it… and maybe a Meowth for my sister she likes cats, papa said he likes plants so I'm giving him an Oddish. That's what I have until now, but I still need one more…" you frown, pressing your lips together, hand underneath your chin, as you momentarily plunge into deep thought, figuring just which one would be the perfect match for your set… "oh! I know, what's your favorite pokemon? I'll have it in my team!"

Naoya would've felt honored for your suggestion, had it not been evident he lied his way to this point.

Truth to be told, his father didn't buy him the Gameboy he promised to get after that Halloween night because he didn’t think it necessary for a kid his age to have one in the first place.

Naobito believed he should be playing outside, spending time with his brothers or making new friends, since apparently he was having issues socializing with the rest of the kids at school—exactly the type of symptom he expected to see due to his already poor relationship with his brothers and his lack of interest for anyone else but you. The reason behind his fixation and arrogance eluded him, almost as if he were completely unaware that Naoya was simply replicating what he saw at home.

However, because of Naoya’s insistence, Naobito eventually relented to his request and ended up buying… or so that’s what the youngest of his children expected to happen when his father handed him the sealed box of the new video game device… he did not ask for. 

The mere thought of his indifference and subsequent mistake is enough to anger Naoya, but not enough to cease his efforts.

To overcome this obstacle, Naoya decided to acquire the knowledge he needed through his brother's Gameboy, the one he had long discarded because he found it boring, and the same one he couldn't find the day he finally decided to rummage through his room—only to later find out that it had actually been sold in order to get this favorite group's newest album. 

Always the explosive one towards his brothers, Naoya was quick to demonstrate his exasperation through his selective choice of vocabulary, but his brother —who was not in the mood to entertain him that particular day— dismissed him by suggesting he could just watch the anime instead if he was so desperate to know about it.

And that’s what Naoya (reluctantly, cause he’s never going to admit Naoaki actually had a good idea) did at first… that is, until he realized it overlapped with the airtime of his favorite anime. Thus, he was forced to quit the idea altogether.

Oh, but now… now he wishes he'd powered through this conflict, at least for a few more episodes, because now that you’re asking him questions about the franchise is when he realizes he barely saw, or remembered any of it—Aside from this one episode where a round, small pink creature with big blue eyes sang people to sleep, was the protagonist of…

"Jigglypuff?" You ask once he described the Pokémon "You like that one?"

"...yeah" Naoya lies "they're… cool"

"Yeah, they are! I like how she puts them to sleep and that’s very useful when you want to catch a Pokémon you don’t have! And it’s funny how it gets angry too and marks their faces!" You giggle "Alright, I'll get a Jigglypuff for my team since you like them! Oh, I know! What about your team? What would you like to have as a trainer?"

"I—I haven't thought about it, really… how about we talk about something else?" He nervously suggests "like… um…what are we gonna play today?"

"I have many games!” you admit proudly before starting to list them “Mario Kart, Smash, Zelda, Kirby… But we can only play Mario Kart or Smash brothers because it's for multiplayer, the other ones you'll have to watch me" you grin.

"Do you play Digimon?" Naoya innocently asks, and the way your face contorts into a frown immediately after has him feeling remorseful. Did he… say something he shouldn't have?

"Wha—what's wrong?" He stammers, blinking as he sees you twist your lips even more.

"I don't like Digimon. Pokémon is better" you say that, and nothing more.

Your sudden animosity for the franchise (or anything, really, since he always thought you as eternally unaffected… asides from that one prank he hates even mentioning) makes him wonder where this disdain came from, but ever the talkative child it's only a matter of seconds before you offer the answer yourself "Satoru-kun makes fun of me because I like Pokémon and he likes Digimon, and he's really annoying so I promised to never play it!"

Naoya blinks, processing your words for a few moments before starting to feel further ashamed. He feels bad that he brought the topic in the first place, had he known your distaste for it he would've ignored it completely, and secondly… because it turns out that's the device his father got him instead of the prized Gameboy he sought.

It's a "2 step forward, 1 step backwards" kind of situation that makes him want to move on from it as soon as possible.

Your natural inquisitiveness, however, wasn’t about to allow that just yet, and Naoya is forced to root himself at the present to answer your question—or partially, that is.

"Why do you ask?" you look up to him and his guilt only weighs heavier on his shoulders.

“Just because” he shrugs, brushing off his initial wondering as nothing more than good ol’ plain curiosity, but you knew better than that—grew better than that thanks to your less-than-discreet father and his doting ways. Besides, you already gave him the opportunity to keep one secret earlier, he shouldn't be greedy with two!

“That’s not true!” you giggle, placing your small hands on his shoulders, slightly shaking him to egg him on “Tell me, Noya-kun!! Pleaaaaaseeeeee”

“Fine, fine!” He says, managing to escape from your surprisingly tough grasp with a swift move, alongside the quickening of his heart for your closeness“...I wanted a Gameboy but my dad ended up getting me a Digivice, I mean, it’s not even similar! I don’t know how he got confused”

“Oh, so you have one?” you chirp interestedly, a completely different reaction from the one Naoya expected, that being disappointment “Hinata-nee has one too, let me show you!”

And with that, you turn towards the exit and sprint past the door, decidedly heading over to your sister’s bedroom. 

Naoya wasn't sure if you wanted him to follow you, but that's what he ends up doing anyways since he didn’t feel comfortable enough to stay in your room without you, catching up to you just a few steps behind, only to come to a screeching halt upon seeing you enter the bedroom he presumes to be Hinata's, deduced from the sunflower stickers decorating the entrance.

It’s no mystery that he and your sister did not get along, and might’ve already planned how to get back at her, however, he still knew it was in his best intentions to stay away from her things, lest he wants to run the risk of retaliation from her when she inevitably learns about it, specially when he still has the element of surprise to his advantage… and his mother’s warning to behave lingering in the back of his mind.

But you, who has yet to catch on to their turbid relationship, couldn’t rationalize his reaction as anything but odd, more so upon noticing the distress on his face, prompting you to ask.

“What’s wrong, Noya-kun?”

“I—uh, I don’t think I should be going to your sister’s room” he responds, shaking his head.

“Why not?” you counter back, and for the first time in his life, he condemns your curiosity as much as he found it endearing when directed towards him and his interests, it sometimes unwittingly dug him into a hole.

“I don’t want her to feel like I went in without permission…” he goes on. He really cared less about what your sister thought, he just didn’t want to get into trouble at your house… and get his mom angry to the point where he’d never allow him to see you again.

“Hmmm, well” you take a step closer to him, at first your face serious and pensive almost as if you were considering his words, before throwing him a mischievous smirk and raising your pinky finger to him. “I won’t tell if you don’t!”

Naoya’s affliction disappears as a wave of emotions paint his face: first it's surprise, and then… amusement.

It's only the first time he sees this side of yours, but he can already tell he likes it. It opens a new door of possibilities, both literally when he intertwined his finger with yours before entering Hinata’s room just behind you, and metaphorically when he imagines the kinds of pranks you two could pull off on Naoaki if you ever want to scratch your mischievous bone. The two of you could literally be unstoppable!

But until then, he stands by as he watches you go ahead and rummage through the many drawers of her vanity table, the place you assumed most of her items to be stored in, attentive enough to not leave any unnoticed, but careful to not give the impression you were there.

And once you eventually find the object of your search, you take it out, giving yourself a mental pat in the back as you turn around and cheer.

“Look, I told you Hinata-nee had one!” you say as you walk over to Naoya, showing it off to him as you pressed on the buttons to turn it on.

A few seconds later and the device beeps, initiating its system. However, once the Digimon appears on the screen, your smile fades. “Agh, but she never takes care of it! She forgets to feed them and let them sleep too! If I had one, that would never happen, but I can’t because papa said I play too many video games at the house and I already have a gameboy so…” you shrug.

“Would you like one?” Naoya is quick to offer, unsure if the soft, sad undertone in your voice is a reflection of wanting the device, or simply your sadness for the poor digital monster.

“No, not really… I mean, maybe! We could play together like that too, right?” you assume, Naoya nods. “But I really don’t like Digimon, and if I get one Satoru-kun is just going to find a way to make fun of me too and I don’t want that either”

“Well, mom always said that if it’s something you don’t like, you don’t have to do it” Naoya reassures and you smile, happy to know you could always count on his wisdom to help you out.

“Yeah, you're right! I want to play Pokémon instead, Mario Kart, or even Smash! I want to try out this new thing I saw the other day on T.V!” With the talk of Digimon and Digivice tossed to the side, you grab Naoya by the hand once more and rush back to your bedroom, wasting no second to throwing yourself into the pillow fort, crawl on the futon towards your designated spot, and start setting up everything for a long night of video games…

“Oh! Wait, we have to change into our pijamas first!" you gasp, crawling past Naoya, who had just joined you inside the pillow fort, and going to your closet, taking out your light green warm nightwear, frog themed and looking back at Naoya  “you can change here, I’ll go to the bathroom!”

“Wait, isn’t it better if you stay—” Naoya attempts to stop you, but once again, you prove too quick for him to keep up and before he’s able to continue with the rest of his sentence, you're already gone.

Left with the underlying and awkward sensation that he’s stuck in this situation with nowhere else to go, he decides to adapt to the circumstances and change into his pajamas, a black Sentai themed set per usual, just in time before you return.

“Ready Noya-kun?!” you make your grandiose return with a resounding announcement, tossing your clothes onto a nearby chair stashed away in the corner, making way back into the pillow fort and to your spot just before the t.v. “You can sit here next to me, it’s a good spot, promise” you gently pat on the empty area beside you, and like an eager puppy, Naoya does as you request and follows you inside.

Once seated, you hand him over the black controller, (perhaps not) unwittingly brushing his fingers against yours, before glancing up to the loading screen that has been on repeat for the past minutes. 

And thus, the night begins. 

The two begin by playing a few rounds of Smash Brothers, first together against a team of CPU’s, and then against one another. With you choosing Samus and Naoya, Captain Falcon. 

The young boy found it quite hard—no, impossible to beat the veteran you turned out to be in this game, a clear statement evident by winning 10 times in a row, before eventually growing tired of the game and moving over to Mario Party.

Here he seemed to have somewhat of a better time due to the relatively easier nature of the mini games there, that is, until he realizes he's yet again, no match for your expertise.

But even as competitive and humiliated as he was by his consecutive defeats, he was still able to push all that aside in favor of genuinely enjoying his time with you.

Naoya rejoiced in how giddily reacted at your victories, with the cheeky grin on your lips as you looked over to him, almost as if you were telling him “did you see that?”

Or how you weren’t afraid of ruining your winning streak in favor of giving him a bit of an advantage, either by skipping on buying the necessary stars to win the game, or not doing anything during the minigames, although this would be for naught since you’d end up winning one way or the other.

These small things were the ones that made his night amazing, but most of all, made him feel appreciated, carefree.

A sentiment that doubled down when it was time to take a break, one which came in the form of someone knocking on your door accompanied by the delicious smell of recently made miso soup and brownies.

“Heard you two were having fun so I decided to let you have dinner here” Said your mother as she walked past the door, tray in hand, and towards the children. “Just be sure to return the plates to the kitchen after you’re done, pumpkin”

She crouches down and leaves the tray on the floor.

“That was one time, mama…” you respond with a frown and a pout as you crawl out of the tent, Naoya right behind you, before silently mouthing her to “don’t embarrass me infront of Noya…”

Minako, unable to hold back her amusement at your adorable reaction, chuckles as she ruffles your hair. You take the gesture with a bit of irritation at first, still embarrassed by your exposure however, never one to hold onto grudges, it wouldn't be long before you fall victim to her doting and start giggling alongside her, solely stopping when the smell of homemade food is too much for your stomach to ignore any longer.

Wanting to quench your hunger, you peel away from her and head over to the tray, reaching for the utensils before giving a cheerful thank you for the meal and start to eat.

Once Minako deems you appropriately cared for, she decides to see her attention on the young kid besides you, who now mirrored your actions.

“How’s my daughter treating you so far? I hope she's been well behaved, I know she can be a bit overwhelming, so don’t be afraid to let her know if she’s being so”

“Mama!” you whine, blush on your cheeks, mid-bite. “Don’t say that!” Minako laughs once more, she was just teasing you after all.

“She’s been very good to me, L/N-san!” Naoya comes to your rescue as he proudly admits his experience so far. To him, this was a test from your mother to evaluate his courteous nature… as well as a good way to express his genuine appreciation for everything your family has given him. “Thank you for your hospitality”

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s nice for Y/N’s friends to come over” she says, softly ruffling his hair as well “I hope you like the soup, I made it specially for you upon hearing it's your favorite!"

Naoya blushes, whether because of the warmth of the soup, or your mother's attentive nature… let's call it a combination of both.

"It's delicious" he says while his mind scrambles to formulate more compliments… "more… more than my mom's!"

"Ah, well I thank you for your compliment! Just promise me to not tell your mother you said that, after all, I'm sure she makes a delicious soup as well"  Minako clarified.

And in that, she was right. To Naoya there was no better food than the one his mom made. 

If anything, him saying that her food was equally as good as his mother’s (or more) was to be a good compliment! 

But if that's what she wants, he'll comply, besides, he wouldn't like his mom feeling sad about him liking someone else's soup. At the end of the day, his heart knows there's no competition!

"Well, I'll let you two eat. If you need anything else, I’ll be in my bedroom just a few doors away”

“Thank you” Naoya says once again as he nods, you humming alongside, and then, your mother exits the room.

And once their stomach is full with the delicious food your mother prepared —which Naoya could only delight on, after all, it was his favorite— alongside the brownies you'd proudly announced to have done yourself, even though less than a quarter of the process was handed by you, abandoning the job immediately after Naoya turned up at your house (he doesn't care, he still eats them excitedly as ever)—the two continue on with their long night of gaming

The next game in your entourage was to be Pokémon Stadium—and your personal favorite for obvious reasons. 

The game seemed to pass undetected for Naoya (outside of absorbing as much information as he could for future reference) since he didn't find it as fun as the previous ones due to the new mechanics, but he was bound to remember it because whenever a pink colored Pokémon appeared on the screen, you’d say:

“Look! It’s your favorite Pokémon!” 

It was far from the truth, of course, but he didn’t have the heart to tell you no, or the information to give you an alternative.

By playing the game, however, he realized he liked Abra in particular, something about its psychokinetic powers resonated inside him… making him wonder if you liked the Pokémon too (no, you didn’t, you’d tell him later—because you hated how difficult it was to capture a Pokémon who would teleport away from the battle as soon as they could!)

From there, the next game that set the tone for the rest of the night: Mario Kart—and not because he liked the game in particular, if anything, this is where he realized that the infamy following the game was well earned. 

The video game was unreasonably harder than the others (whether for your configurations or default, it was irrelevant to him) and no matter what he did, he just would never catch up! 

He tried to get a head start by pressing the designated accelerator button, only for the car to stall instead because he’d apparently “pressed the button too early” or so you attempted to justify, and by the time he regained control over the vehicle he was already behind all of the other racers!

But if that was already pretty bad, the items scattered around the track was the metaphorical cherry on top of his demise: while most of them held the intention of providing the upper hand to whoever manages to catch them, it seems he’d gotten the uncommon bug that only allowed him to use his items incorrectly and subsequently lose.

Far different from your usual outcome, which you were all aware of thanks to the confident yet focused look on your face.

How was it possible that you were just good at every single game that you played?! You must have a talent that eludes him, or perhaps your dad was right in saying that you played a lot in your free time.

Well, whatever the reasons didn’t matter to him, and his frustration wasn’t going to last that long either, not after you gifted him the words that would make up for all of his defeats.

“What?” you ask upon noticing the stillness of his car, as well as catching him staring at you through the corner of your eye “Just because I like you doesn't mean I’m going to let you win!”

“You—you what?” Naoya is only left to stammer as a consequence of the rattling statement you've thrown into the conversation. Such was his shock, that even his controller fell off his hand and to his lap, followed by a gentle thud that was deafened by the thundering of his heart echoing in his ears. 

He couldn't believe what you'd just said, and denied wanting to accept it so easily without being completely sure, so he swallowed, preparing himself to work through the knot in his throat and squeak "Wh—what did you say?" hoping to obtain a reiteration from your part…

“Noya-kun, you dropped your controller! How do you plan to win like that?” is what you decide to respond to instead, completely ignoring his question as you reach for his controller and hand it back to him, much to his disappointment.

But even then, it wouldn't matter to him that much, not when he decided to convince himself that he heard you correctly the first time.

Your words were like honey to his ears, no, much more sweeter than anything he could imagine! And if this wasn't a sign that he was on the right path, then he didn't know what it was! 

Well, either way, he can't say he's not excited to figure out what he meant to you through his own merit....

The kids eventually grow tired of playing, and wanting to do something different and less stimulating, they decided to relax by watching a movie and snack on a few more of those brownies they managed to sneakily steal from the kitchen on their way back to return the used plates… 

A plan that was proving to be successful, that is, until they bumped into your mother just a few feet away from your bedroom, an unexpected presence that froze them on the spot, but who could do nothing more than smile and chuckle at how suspicious they looked with their wide eyes and rosy cheeks as they attempted to hide all evidence by placing the brownies behind their backs, and it would've worked, had there not been any lingering clues on the corners of their mouths—Only realizing so when one saw the other.

“I’m sorry” Keeping his promise to his mother, Naoya is the first to speak, looking down to the ground in embarrassment as he attempts to wipe the chocolate out of his face with his free hand.

“Ah, no, it's not that, I’m not upset” she said, taking out a handkerchief from her pocket and helping clean up Naoya “I’m honored really, it’s the first time I made brownies so you two getting second servings is the highest of compliments”

“But I made them mama!” you interject with a cry and she blinks, before nodding.

“Oh, yes, of course! How could I forget my little baker?” Minako apologizes, patting your head. You smile back at her in a way that lets her know you accepted her apology, and she proceeds to clean you up as well. “Well, I’m still glad that you liked Y/N-chan’s work. Maybe she can even bake you a cake on your birthday, it’s soon, isn’t it? In March if I recall correctly…”

“Your birthday is in March?” you gasp, startled by this new information you were ignorant about just a few moments ago, as your head swirls into his direction, earning a subtle sigh from your mother due to her interrupted work. "When??”

“March 27” he reveals. A date that he greatly anticipates as soon as the year starts, or any day of the year really, since his mother organized the greatest birthday parties ever without fail: He gets to open all the presents he wants, and eat nothing more than food that he likes—but now, he has one more thing he was looking forward to the most, and that was your attendance! 

Maybe he can finally introduce you to his best friend? Or even his favorite cousin! 

“Are you gonna have a party? Am I invited?!” you urged before turning back to your mother, jumping to get her attention “Oh, mama, can I go? Can I go, pleaseeee?”

“I’ll think about it” she winks at you before looking at Naoya. 

She already had made her decision though, for the envelope Tomoko placed alongside Junko’s food earlier that day turned out to be nothing more than the invitation to his birthday party, set to be on the weekend of his birthday. 

“I’ll be waiting for our invitation, Naoya-kun” she teases, and Naoya flushes.

“I—I promise to bring one!” He blurts out “And Y/N-chan will be a special guest too, I promise!”

“I’m sure Y/N-chan will be happy to attend as a normal guest” Minako says “Now, I’ll let you continue on with your slumber party, but also, don’t eat any more than those brownies, too much sugar at this hour will just force you to stay up at night and you have to rest well” she reminds, but you shake your head in rejection of her idea.

“But a slumber party is meant to be all night!” you protest, a pout on your lips.

“Well, he’s going to be here tomorrow too, you don’t have to do everything tonight” Minako explains and you stare at her for a few seconds, as if analyzing her words before giving her a nod.

“You’re right!” you concede, giving her a thumbs up, which she mirrors almost immediately after “Ok! Goodnight mama!”

The two eventually return back to your room, resuming their new plan.

“What do you want to watch Noya-kun?” you say as you reach out for the T.V. controller and begin to surf through channels.

Naoya seems to ponder on the mental list of possible movies to watch, he could suggest his favorites, or maybe the ones he hadn’t seen… that is, until an interesting idea crosses his mind, one that if it's planned correctly… 

Yeah, he definitely knows what he wants to do now.

“Let’s watch a horror movie” he suggests, glancing at you in hopes of finding the typical enthusiasm a kid has for tasting the prohibited…

But “No, thank you” is what you respond with, without hesitation and whilst intently shaking your head. You didn't even bother to give it a second thought as you continued “Papa and mama say I can’t watch horror movies”

Naoya is faced with a difficult position yet again: he wants to obey your parents and earn brownie points with them, however, he’s seen (or heard more likely) how people tend to clutch at their partners when seeing a horror movie, and he wants to try if you’d do that with him, so…

“Just the first minutes” he insists, going against his better judgment as he doubles down in a high risk gamble. “And if it’s too scary we can just watch something else”

And at his insistence you decide to finally give in and consider his alternative, assuming by your furrowed brows, before coming to terms with your decision with a nod.

“Ok! But no more than a few minutes!” you say as you hand him over the controller, sealing the deal. 

Naoya takes it and immediately presses in the numbers of the channel he'd seen his brother waste his life in watch horror movies in his free time.

And luckily for him, there was already a horror movie playing on the channel when it finally changed, so it meant they didn’t have to wait much for one to get one.

After you come to the same realization, you rush to hide yourself under the covers, pulling them up just below your eyes with hopes that this setup will offer you some kind of protection, as well as allowing you to peek back at the T.V, just enough to anticipate for the moment you’re bound to be inevitably scared and hopefully act accordingly.

Naoya can’t help but gush at your sight, rushing to do the same by joining you underneath the covers and lying beside you as close as he could.

“You better protect me if something happens!” you say upon noticing his closeness, which you don’t mind at all, for it turns out, he’s quite warm and that’s a plus for someone as cold prone as you. “This was your idea!”

“I will” he says with a smile, glad that step one of his plan is already in motion as a sudden urge of guardianship engulfs him “I’ll protect you!”

“Okay…” you whisper and you push yourself deeper into the futon upon hearing somewhat of an unsettling, screeching noise from the T.V, which turned out to be nothing more than a fake jumpscare, intending to lower the guard of the viewer, that is, until the true scare came out.

The first time it happened you were less than enthusiastic about it, squirming and crying underneath the covers when it first transpired. 

The second time you inadvertently took cover at Naoya’s arm, pressing your face against it as you tried to run away from the horrifying sight, his small heart pounded loudly against his chest for having you that close to him—although when did it not beat like that when you were around?

But by the third time, it stopped being fun. The way you squealed and looked away was turning to be quite… unsettling to him. He thought that by this point you would’ve realized this was nothing more than a cheap horror movie made to fill the blank spaces between the good emissions, even laugh at the cheesiness of it, however, the more you cowered, the more he realized this was a bad decision and no amount of reassurance from his part could pacify your fright.

So he ends up doing the right thing by taking the controller, switching the channel into something he’d thought you’d like better and hopefully relaxing you—his go-to anime channel.

At the sudden interruption, you peek from underneath the covers, glancing up at him wide-eyed as you continue.

“Why did you change it…?” You asked, softly and hesitantly. You were confused, and rightfully so, for you perceived him to be quite enthusiastic about seeing a horror movie in the first place. Why the sudden change of heart?

"Because… uh, it was pretty boring” he responds nervously, briefly glancing at you before looking away, riddled with shame for having distressed you. “and… you didn’t seem like you were having fun”

“It wasn’t fun” you admit, looking back at the T.V. “...thank you”

His heart squeezes with something he describes as a combination of happiness and regret, the first for your admiration and recognition, and the second for having pushed you through all that just because he wanted to replicate something he overheard Naoaki wanting to try out.

He was already having a good time with you, regardless if he was close to you or not,  so it was stupid to ruin it for something that was probably fake either way…

So instead, he decided to rescue their night before it was ruined any further and share with you what he liked the most, watching anime. With a series he thought would be much more enjoyable (or at least that's what he hopes): Cardcaptor Sakura.

It’s certainly a bit out of his usual watches, but through the small glimpses he's gotten here and there, he can still admit it's interesting all together. And with that notion, both kids begin to watch the anime, slowly becoming enraptured by the somewhat soft-spaced story, yet adventurous and creative storytelling. 

But more than admiring the interesting show on the screen before them, he was more elated to see that this show had effectively lulled you into a more peaceful state of mind: you were no longer attempting to hide underneath the covers, instead, your arms are now out, head slightly lifted thanks to the new adjustment in your pillow, and completely focused on admiring the protagonist and the adventures she’s inadvertently roped into.

A peaceful, contrasting sight that leads him to ruminate on his regret for having attempted to ruin it by his senseless imagination, as well as realizing just… how much he likes to be with you, and how he's excited to spend the rest of the weekend with you.

It’s now become an undeniable fact that he's the happiest when he’s by your side, and when he’s apart, all that he wants to do is be with you. He likes how you laugh, and how you smile. 

How you’re so focused and competitive on your video games, but at the same time, patient with him, who is nothing more than a complete failure at them.

He likes how you even remembered the things that he likes, whether them being food, anime, or even his favorite color.

Naoya is happy to be with you. And his feelings for you have grown so big since the first time he met you, that he begins to feel this overwhelming need of telling you about them starting to inundate his mind.

Thus… it begins..

Taking a deep breath, he takes the first step with what he considers to be his most excruciating, but satisfying, endeavor yet.

“Y/N” he calls. No nickname, no honorifics, nothing, just your name, a way for him to show how serious he’s approaching this matter.

There’s a slight tremble on his voice, as he awaits for confirmation that he has your attention, which it comes when you hum as a response. “I… want to tell you something”

“What is it, Noya-kun?” you respond, moving your head to glance at him.

He never thought he could be taken aback by the sight of your big round e/c eyes, but he’s proven wrong at this moment; and if anything, he's happy to be wrong, because it just lets him know he needs to do this.

“It’s many things actually” he begins “First… I want to tell you that I’m sorry for putting on that horror movie. I… thought it would be fun since I’m not that scared of them, and it was a cheap movie too but, well, I just ended up scaring you and I didn’t want that, so… I’m sorry”

“It’s ok, Noya-kun. Ren-nii likes horror movies too, I think…” you say, a yawn suddenly escaping your lips which makes you instinctively rub your eyes as well. "So maybe you could watch them with him next time!”

“I’ll see…” he frowns, mentally taking Ren, your brother, out of the equation before continuing “But still, it was wrong to scare you”

“Don’t worry about it… you can make it up to me with sweets…” you cheekily suggest.

Naoya huffs in amusement before relaxing his head back to the pillow, eyes now on the fabric ceiling. “You like sweets very much, huh?”

“Yeah…” you nod, and he hears shuffling coming from your side. Naoya presumes it must be you doing the same as him.

“I’ll see if I can get you more next time I see you… at my birthday party!” he says “I’ll make sure to ask for a cake you like too, that way you can eat as many slices as you want”

“Chocolate?” you ask and he nods.

“Yeah! Just that?”

“I like chocolate…”

“I know, I saw that today!” He smiles before taking a deep breath and placing his hands over his abdomen, intertwining his fingers together as a way to ease his nerves—his heart beginning to torment him yet again. Now… onto the hard part. “... also, there’s something else I want you to know”

You don’t respond this time, and he takes your silence as if you were signaling him to proceed. 

He takes another deep breath, attempting to ease his poor heart from beating too hard, before continuing.

“I… I had fun with you. I always do actually, I can't think of a time I don't! But… What I meant to say is that  I was the happiest today… 

Ever since I met you at the halloween night mom planned… you’re the only person I want to be with!. And who doesn’t? You’re funny, fun, and you like the same things I do! Or most of them anyways… kind too, even with my annoying brothers… and you’re cute too… the cutest girl I’ve ever seen in my life” Naoya admits as well, though he seems to falter a bit there since he’s not used to calling anyone cute after all, always feeling ashamed to do so—there’s something about his siblings making fun of him for their mother calling him cute that completely derails him from using it.

But if he’s ever tasked to appoint a definition, he’s sure you’d be the perfect example.

“I—I guess what I mean to say is… It… it felt nice to hear that you liked me back then when we were playing and I…” he pauses, heartbeats in his throat as he musters all the courage he can for the following words “I want you to know that I like you too! I like you, Y/N-chan. And… I hope you like me the same way”

It’s done.

He’d placed all his cards on the table, wore his heart on his sleeve with nothing more than pure intentions, and from this point forward, it was a matter of seeing if you’d correspond to them… if you felt the same for him.

God, he doesn’t recall ever being this nervous in his life, not even when he got to meet his favorite actor from his favorite show.

He’s so nervous to hear your response, that he doesn’t even feel capable of looking at you.

Naoya’s going through a layered turmoil of emotions he’s having a hard time dissecting, it’s like a combination of excitement, nerves, fear, and relief…

And yet, it’s the moment he’s been looking forward to the most in the past few weeks—he’s sure of it now—the moment he’ll know if his feelings are reciprocated, and be happy!

But those thoughts begin to hinder when he realizes that seconds have gone by and you’re yet to give him an answer.

A hum, a word, even a gesture with your hands, anything to signal him that you’ve at least heard his words… but he receives nothing instead.

“Y/N?” he calls, no answer. And his heart which was soaring with anticipation, threatening to escape the confines of his chest, now begins to sink into something he can only identify as rejection—no, this was worse than that, something he didn’t think existed, but your silence made it possible for him to learn otherwise.

Did he… miscalculate what you meant? And now… you’re grossed out by him?!

Oh, he doesn’t think he’ll be able to handle this situation if it becomes his reality.

 “Y/N?” He repeats once more, and it’s at this moment that he realizes there is no other path for him to take than to face the lights and the possibility of a grimace of antipathy against him resting in your usually cheerful face, marking the painful end of his friendship with you.

He doesn’t think himself capable of seeing such an image, but pushes through as he turns his head to face you, just as he’s been taught to do so in the face of uncertainty.

So Naoya holds his breath, tightly closes his eyes as he gathers up courage, before opening them and glancing back at you, expecting to be received with an image that would only fuel his nightmares…

Or perhaps, drowsiness?

Because when he finally sees you is when he realizes that your silence wasn't of indecision, uninterest, or even rejection—no, nothing like that.

It had been because you’d incidentally fallen asleep.

With your softly eyes shut, mouth slightly agape, and chest slowly rising and falling to the sound of your relaxed breathing, you were the epitome of slumber—and a completely different sight he’d drearily created in his mind.

At the whiplash of this revelation, Naoya can’t help but sigh as the weight of his worries is suddenly lifted from his shoulders; it wasn’t what he was expecting, but at least he can find comfort in the fact that it was nothing bad, more so when his mind pushes him to recall the words his mother imparted him with on the night of halloween:

A few minutes after the L/N family had departed, the Zen’in’s ride home arrived, with the same chauffeur that had driven them at first, and just in time before the night got any colder.

The group scurried to get into the car, and once everyone was seated and appropriately secured, with the heater in just the right temperature, their ride home started. 

It must’ve been the combination of the warm temperature and the continuous rocking movement of the car that has Naoaki falling first to the clutches of slumber, eventually surrendering himself completely into sleep as he rested his head on their mother’s shoulder.

And Naoya, ever the one to keep up first with his brother before anyone else, was quick to voice his opinion on the matter.

“Why do you let him rest on your shoulder?” Naoya asks “Wouldn't it be better if he waited till home? I mean, that’s what I would do—That way he could rest better in his bed than on you!”

Tomoko holds back the urge to chuckle at his irony, because she’s more than capable of listing a few occasions where Naoya has fallen asleep after picking him up from his extra-curricular classes, having to carry him to bed… well, that’s just in the nature of two conflicting siblings, she supposes.

“Ah, well, if you put it that way I would definitely prefer Naoaki-kun to rest on his bed in the long run, he is quite heavy after all” she begins to explain, a smile on her lips, as she wraps her freed arm around Naoya and pulls him closer, a gesture that has him immediately basking on her warmth by hugging her back “But I like it when my children do that, it makes me feel… how do I put it… happy. Happy that they’re comfortable and safe with me. Besides, it also reminds me of when he was an adorable little baby, just like you!”

She pinches Naoya’s cheek and the young kid can’t do anything but to twist his mouth out of disgust at the mental image of Naoaki being “cute”, as well as fluster up due to the embarrassment of his mother’s cheesy, yet welcomed, gesture.

Back then, he didn’t understand it. Thinking his mom to be the usual doting self she always is.

But now that he’s living it, he gets it. That must be what he’s feeling when he sees you resting besides him, falling victim to the consumption of all of your energy. 

It seems that not even the brownies were enough to refill your stamina and help you stay up throughout the night, just as you told your mother you were planning to do.

At the end of the day… he was ok with you not answering his feelings at the moment.

If anything, it just gave him more opportunities to impress you and your family into liking him more! (Outside of Ren and Hinata, of course, they were… different)

And with his birthday coming up, there couldn’t be any better timing.

Seeing your current status inspires Naoya to yawn, signaling it was also time for him to go to sleep. So, he does. But not before he pulls your side of the covers a few inches more, resting just at the base of your neck.

Once that’s set, he reaches over for the T.V. and lights controller—the one your father had set to turn off the line lights around the pillow fort—and turns them off.

In the deep silence of the night he carefully moves to his side and starts getting ready to lay back into the futon, fixing the pillow just how he thought it more comfortable before leaning the back of his head into it.

He begins to blink slowly, drowsiness weightening down his lids, but before he plunges into morpheus’ arms he gives you one last look—or whatever features he’s able to make out through the adjustment of his eyes— smiles, and thinks:

«This has been the best day ever»

He closes his eyes, falling asleep.

Deep into the late hours of the night, a gust of wind begins to take its path. First, by passing through the branches of the many trees in your garden, rattling the leaves and waking whatever animal is resting there. Continuing on its way by squeezing into the smallest of gaps of windows forgotten to be sealed for the night, mandating a shiver from the poor unsuspecting person that is to be resting inside, coincidentally, the one to be the most cold prone out of the whole estate—you.

Your body initially retaliates from being awakened by making you curl up against yourself in hopes of harborging the warmth of the covers, with a subtle whimper here and there, tightly squeezing your eyes together, before another shiver erupts from your body, making you grunt and eventually, wake you up.

The first thing that your eyes notice is the complete darkness that immerses your room, it’s such an eerie environment that doesn't fail on freezing you on the spot, considering that most of the time you had the light of the moon to accompany you.

Even then, you were more than ready to scurry out of your chambers and into your mother’s room, that is, until memories of moments before your sleep flood your mind: you were watching T.V. a horror movie to be more precise, and then, you started watching anime, someone was telling you something, you can’t recall—

Oh, right! How could you forget? You were with Naoya!

Well, in your defense, you usually lose track of what you are doing, or were doing, immediately upon awakening, only regaining it either through patience or eating. (Hinata begs to differ on that last one)

Now that you remembered what happened, or partially, you move forward to try and put the pieces together of who remembered to turn all of the lights off (since you… ah, let’s say that this subject quickly became your mother’s bane after a while) as well as when was the moment you actually fell asleep.

But before you could even scramble through your memories, a sudden sigh rupturing the calmness of the night gives you the answer.

Your head swirls in its direction and then, through your now adjusted vision to the darkness, you see him: Naoya lying with his body downwards, his face directed towards you, hair disheveled, but over all completely and fully deep into his sleep.

The revelation is enough to let you know he must’ve been the one to do what you often fail, as well as reminding you to keep quiet as to not wake him up; just the thing you start to do as you continue on trying to figure out how you’d fallen asleep in the first place—you recall Naoya telling you something about how sorry he was for putting the horror movie, and how you told him that if he wanted to make it up to you, you were accepting sweets as an apology…

From there on out, everything seems to turn into a blur, memories mixed between scenes of the anime you were watching and Naoya’s words, making it difficult to distinguish which one came from him, and which one from the t.v…

You eventually grow tired of going around in circles, deciding to instead go back to sleep and think about it in the morning, perhaps even ask Naoya about it if it keeps bothering you by then—although you were sure you wouldn’t have time for that, after all, your mom promised earlier that she would take you to the park!

The excitement is enough to push you back down to the bed, but not before reaching over for one of your favorite plushies (which you’ve unknowingly tossed aside while asleep) with the intentions of cuddling with it for the rest of the night, that is, until you’re abruptly stopped by another of Naoya’s sigh’s.

Something inside you convinces you instead to place it beside him, believing he could benefit much more from the fluffy companion and get a good night's sleep than you, who could just get another cuddle buddy if you so desired.

You carefully inch the plushie as close as you can towards him, avoiding making any rough movements that could wake him up, and once in the desired placement, you let it go.

You then return to your usual spot, stretching your pillow a few times before resting on it, moving to your side just to get a quick glance at Naoya, wishing him good night, and subsequently diving back into your dreams.

But just as you were opening your mouth to do so, something flashes across your mind, and a sudden wave of heat invades your cheeks, one that ignites the thundering of your heart the longer you keep staring at him, effectively stopping you.

You continue to silently observe him, breath quickening the harsher your heart pounds against your chest, eventually overwhelming you with the urge to move closer to him.

And that’s what you do. You carefully scoot over to him, as close as you could without taking much of his personal space and attempt to get a good look at the face of the kid you shared quite the enjoyable evening with, and wouldn’t mind doing so tomorrow, or any other occasion.

However, as much as you wished to keep looking at him to make sense of what your mind was telling you at the moment, it doesn’t take much longer for your eyelids to begin weighing down on you, signaling you that it was time to go back to sleep.

Something that doesn’t give you much space to retaliate once your body forces you to prepare for rest, starting by slowing down the intermittence of your blinks, the speed of your breathing—the general introduction of laxness in your body and the starting process of recuperating your energy.

But even in this resting moment, when your body is mobilizing all of your remaining energy for nothing more than getting you to sleep, you’re still able to gather enough stamina to formulate and mumble the conclusion of your thoughts:

“I like you too”

And then, everything goes dark.

[bastetwastaken]

hey can you do #31 for me please ? Puzzlebois Atem says taht to Yugi. Atem then proceds to domniate Yugi

Hey! I'm so sorry it took me so long to get around to this one x.x Smut was not being my friend, and even now it's not 100% nsfw, but it's kinda halfway there!!

I hope you enjoy <3 <3

31. "You're wearing far too many clothes for what I have in mind."

..........

He walked into the home he shared with his boyfriend, intent on falling into his arms and not moving for the rest of the night…well not unless he really had to anyway. Or if Atem could tempt him with something worth moving for. 

Yugi called out as he tossed his jacket over the back of a chair in the kitchen, dropping his keys on the table and stretching his arms above his head. 

“Welcome home.” Atem said behind him. Strong arms circled his waist and when a firm chest was pressed to his back, he relaxed instantly. 

Atem held him close, he dropped his arms from their stretch, hands finding Atems arms around him and holding gently. The smile which spread across his face was completely involuntary and a reaction only Atem could draw out of him so effortlessly. 

“Hi.” He said happily, laughing when he felt Atems lips against his neck, pressing soft kisses to his skin. “You’re in a good mood.” 

“I find it hard to be in any other when I’m with you.” Atem said easily. 

The words brought butterflies to his stomach and made him blush. He hummed in contentment and tipped his head to the side, allowing Atem to trail his soft kisses higher toward his jaw. 

“This is just what I needed.” He said with a happy sigh. 

“Tough day?” Atem asked softly, lips finding his cheek for a moment before wandering back to his neck. 

“Mhm.” He sighed again. “But now I just want to relax with you.” 

“Oh yeah?” Atem laughed quietly, his voice low and quiet as he spoke against his skin. “Well I may have an idea or two about that.” 

“I’m intrigued.” He said, moving to turn around but being stopped when Atem tightened his hold on him. He laughed quietly, recognising Atems mood, and easily matching it with his own excitement he could feel building in his stomach.  “Care to share?” 

Atem hummed, his lips moved up from Yugi's neck until they were pressed against his ear. His hot breath made him shake, his hold on Atems arms tightened. 

“Come to the bedroom and maybe I will.” Atem whispered. 

He chewed his lip and nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Atem stepped away from him but before Yugi could say anything more, he turned and walked toward their bedroom and all Yugi could do was follow him and try to control the way his legs shook in anticipation of what was to come. 

When he reached their room he found himself once more in Atems arms and he had to try extra hard to keep his breathing normal when Atem looked at him as he was doing right now. He saw the want in his eyes, a need which he knew he echoed right back in his own expression. 

Atem leaned in closer to him, a hand against his cheek gently tipped his head and Atems lips once again found his neck. A playful bite near his collar drew a sharp breath from him and he gripped Atems shirt tightly in an attempt to keep himself focussed. 

He sighed softly as Atem moved his lips slowly upwards, pausing against his ear again and Yugi shook. 

"You're wearing far too many clothes for what I have in mind." Atem said and Yugi felt the heat from those words. 

He felt them as if they were physical things against his skin, they caressed his senses and left him breathless and wanting. 

He loved this side of Atem. 

Always had, always would. 

"Oh yeah?" He asked, mouth dry as Atem smirked at him. Hungry eyes moved over his body, drinking in the sight of him and he felt himself blush even more. 

"Yes." Atem said sternly. "You want to be good for me, don't you? Want to get a reward for all your hard work? Want me to make you feel good?" 

"Y-yeah." He choked out.

He could barely string words together under Atems gaze, his heart was racing, skin was flushed in excitement and he waited for Atem to step back, waited for the command because Atem hadn't actually told him to undress just yet and he knew better than to assume.

Atem smiled at him as he stepped away, finally allowing him space to breathe. 

"Well then, what are you waiting for?" Atem asked as he took a seat on the bed. He crossed one leg over the other and looked back at him. "Undress for me." 

Those words were ones he heard in his dreams. 

He swallowed hard, but despite his rapid heartbeat and excitement, his hands moved to start their task. 

Quickly the buttons of his shirt came undone, but instead of sliding it off his shoulders he waited, he knew Atem liked him to take his time. 

He knew that his boyfriend adored the build up just as much as the actual act and he was eager to please. 

He was always eager to please. 

In moments like these he was reminded of just who Atem used to be. A king, a leader of people, a God in the eyes of his subjects and Yugi understood why he was held as such. 

His belt came undone easily, it slid through his belt loops and was dropped carelessly to the side. 

Atem looked him up and down slowly, practically devoured him with his eyes and he felt a soft sigh leave his lips. 

There, under Atems gaze he felt exposed, seen in a way he never had been before. He felt the authority in his boyfriend, the power he held over him was so strong…it always had been. 

And he loved it. 

He adored it. 

Craved it. 

He needed to feel safe, to feel looked after and taken care of. Just as much as Atem needed him to place complete trust in him. 

His pants opened and slid down his legs, were kicked away as his hands returned to his shirt. 

Their relationship now was no different really to that of host and spirit. The exchange of power and control, the sharing of trust and protection was just the same as it always had been. 

Atem looked like he was really trying to hold himself still. Like he really wanted to move closer, to reach out and touch him but he didn't. 

Yugi was glad his boyfriend had such good restraint. 

He slid his shirt over his shoulders, letting it fall away slowly until it dropped from his hands and only one piece remained. 

When his hands reached the waistband of his underwear Atems eyes rose to meet his and he froze for a moment. 

Those eyes were gorgeous. So expressive and open to him. 

He knew how Atem felt even without words and he echoed everything right back. 

The love he felt from Atem, for Atem, was unlike any other. It was a deeper kind of love, something in his soul which pulled him to the other…like a string was tied around his heart and it was constantly pulling him to Atem. 

Atem looked away, nodding toward his bottom half, a purposeful movement which reminded him of what he was doing. 

He shook himself of his thoughts and pushed the last bit of fabric away. 

The last piece of clothing fell away and suddenly he was standing in the middle of their room naked, Atems eyes moved over his body and he dropped his hands to his sides, looking back at his boyfriend and appreciating the way he smiled softly. 

"Such confidence." Atem praised and he blushed once more, his half hard cock felt hot with excitement. "It's very attractive." Atems eyes met his. "You're amazing. So good for me, so beautiful, so utterly stunning I still find it hard to believe you're mine." 

Atems words filled his senses and he bit back a moan, instead a soft sigh left his lips and he smiled. 

"Your happiness is everything to me." Atem purred the words and he shivered. "It's just me and you tonight. None of our usual toys… I want your attention fully on me." 

He nodded shakily, the anticipation of what was to come made his palms sweat and his legs shake. He was so desperate. 

"Is that alright?" Atem asked. 

"Yes." He said.

"Good." Atem smiled at him then stood up, walking toward him but frustratingly not touching him. 

Atem never touched him until he was begging for it, he should expect it by now. 

This was something they did occasionally. It was a way for them both to get out of their heads, for Atem to let go and for him to have someone else take care of him. 

Atem stopped in front of him, he leaned in close, their foreheads pressed together and for a moment the facade fell away. Yugi smiled, knowing Atem needed reassurance. 

He could practically hear the unspoken questions. 

Is this okay? Am I doing this right? Is this good for you? 

He closed his eyes slowly and pressed back against Atems forehead, a gentle reassurance which he knew Atem understood and welcomed. 

Atem relaxed, a soft sigh left his lips and then he was back in the moment. 

He opened his eyes when Atem stepped away and he looked back into the eyes he adored, at the man he'd trust with anything he had. 

"Then, let's begin." Atem said with a confident smirk, raising a hand and beckoning him closer. 

Yugi chewed his lip as he walked toward the bed on legs shaking with excitement, unable to wait for what he knew would be a long and satisfying night.   

[bluiex]

(x.x Now I'm just brain rotting over monsterfucker Scar with watcher!Grian. (Slight body horror warning? But not much) I might continue this & make it spicier but for now…)

.

"Oh my, it sure is dark outside tonight. I can barely see a thing in this super scary forest!"

Scar pauses for effect, scanning the trees with an eager grin.

"It would be a shame if something attacked me in the dark right about now. I could easily be pinned down by, say, an overgrown bird."

He waits for any sort of sign of life from the forest and lets out a pointed sigh.

And then, out of the corner of his eye, he sees a flash of purple. Anticipation runs up his spine and he takes a sharp breath–

"Scar."

"–You sure took your time," he purrs back, facing Grian with a teasing laugh. The man almost looked mortal right now; he could be mistaken for any old parrot hybrid, if you weren't too knowledgeable in that world. Unthreatening feathers lined his collar and his pretty wings were more stunning than intimidating.

But Scar could taste the pure, unfiltered, violent power emanating from the almost-human shell he barely fit into.

"Because I'm not interested in whatever game you're playing," Grian scoffs. "I don't know why you're so insistent on seeing my you-know-what form. It's not the most flattering thing."

"You could have me on my knees in any form, songbird," Scar replies, tucking his hands behind his back. "Would'ya feel better if I told you it was a Vex thing?"

"No. I know it's not. You feed off enough of my power as is, I'm not trying to ruin you."

Scar nods, solemn. "Hm, real shame, and here I was offering myself to be ruined. Well! I can go visit someone else then."

And the bait finally snags.

"Someone else?" Grian snaps to attention, an odd glow to his eyes. "You stop that, mister. I know your game. There isn't anyone else."

Scar snorts. "Really? 'Cause I was just parading myself around for a good while there. If you're not worth my time I'm not going to drag this out any longer. You're hardly the only other powerful being on this server."

He mutters a couple names and base locations to himself and turns on his heel without a glance back. He can feel Grian's growing possessiveness, and it's exactly what he wants.

"If you're really not interested I'll just be on my way. It's a good thing we live so close to–"

He catches the sound of a twig snapping behind him, and before he's even realized it his back is up against the bark of some nearby tree.

"Don't move," Grian snarls, but there's no real anger behind his words. It's less emotional and more… animalistic. Scar swallows, though his smirk doesn't waver for a second.

"Fine, Scar, fine. You win, okay? You're the worst."

Under the sliver of moonlight as his only light source, Scar sees something shift in his lover. And he can only feel restlessness growing under his own skin.

To put his awe into words would be an impossible task.

Grian's wings… split. It's far from gruesome– or maybe it is, and Scar's just understandably numb to these things– no, it's beautiful. Flesh twists, makes way for more eyes beneath those soft feathers, reds and blues shifting to galaxies contained within plumage, silver freckles for stars. Scar maintains eye contact the entire time, a fond grin on his face, and Grian stares back defiantly, like a challenge.

More feathers sprout along his body, and Grian ditches his jumper. They bloom from underneath that unfair sleeveless shirt he wears and direct his attention to the man's rippling muscles. Grian is so much stronger than most people give him credit for, he thinks, and that only excites him more.

His teeth grow sharp, his usual talons look more like knives. A true bird of prey; he's built to kill.

"Happy?" Grian growls, his voice echoing through Scar's head until it feels like it's the only thing he's ever known. Grian, Grian, Grian.

He whimpers, unable to force down the noise once Grian's hands are back on his wrists.

(It's hardly an issue. He's already prepped himself, and that rare foresight on his part will soon be something to brag about.)

"Gods, Scar. You're impossible."

Scar is like me fr fr.. OKAY BUT THIS IS GOOD. I NEED MORE- I want more-- if you feel so inclined to write the spicy bit... I'd love to read it (and I'm sure everyone else would as well)

[cicada-sized]

Lunch Break (Snippet)

———

Minors do not interact: this is an 18+ blog

Content Warnings// M/m vore, size difference, implied fatal/reformation, graphic-ish digestive and fatal themes ahead so if that’s not your cup of tea, you’ve been warned!

This story is taking forever to finish, however I just can’t stop wanting to drop little bits and pieces from it <3 here’s a little sequence I thought would be fun to share~

I hope you enjoy!

————

Shutting his eyes, gulping down once more as he brought his fingers even lower, massaging the outside of his throat to ease him in, practically purring at the sensations as his own body pulled Ozwald deeper and deeper, feeling his tiny head finally pull past the uvula, soft damp hair draped along the back of his tongue the tightness cutting Mercutio's breath off for a moment.

This was it.

He could let him go- Open his mouth, pull the little guy out from his mess of curls, cut him a bit of slack on his first day- even if he was learning the most important rule of the grounds.

'Don't interrupt boss during lunch'

Not a rule Mercutio himself implemented, nor one he would inforce- in fact, he found it quite silly!

if he had his way, all his workers would have to report to him immediately as soon as he felt the slightest hunger pang, tend to his belly’s every quiver and ache for fulfilment with their beings.

unfortunately…humans weren't that eager to be eaten, over and over.

usually.

Whether he agreed or not— it was something his employees said to each other as a warning. Not that it would help, he didn't understand the concept of a 'lunch' or a 'breakfast' or 'dinner' other than those being other fancy, human words for 'food'.

He simply ate whenever he felt the need to fill himself.

And whoever was lucky enough to be close by.

But one could imagine- The thought of it made him even hungrier, a big, squirming belly full of his employees- writhing around and fighting for room inside his massive cauldron of a stomach.

'I could shut this place down for a day... or two... I'm sure they would all like a lovely vacation.'

His mid-snack daydream was interrupted by his said-snack, stomach gurgling and twisting impatiently.

'One meal at a time... one meal at a time'

Mercutio's lips parted ever so slightly, allowing a small bit of light cast into his maw, illuminating the bright colours and hues of the fleshy walls and skin-bringing his tongue to his lips once more, tasting the fear and flavour that oswald had left.

Then a simple shift of his tongue- aaaand

—GLK—

Mercutio Swallowed, lips shutting tightly as he sealed his prey off from the world— sending Ozwalds body slipping down into his, feeling his esophagus stretch and accompany every movement the little one tried to make. Jaw hung loosely as he let out a satisfied moan, esophageal walls stretching wide to accompany its new inhabitant.

‘Mine. Hes all mine.’

Tongue lolled across his lips once more, savouring, the edges of them twisting back into its natural grin— the saltiness of sweat giving a lingering tingle sensation across his tongue.

Sure— perhaps this Ozwald had a talent that was useful, and sure, the show needs its new boost of talent to bring in more customers— among other things.

But right now?

He’s just a meal.

Thats all he needed to be.

—————

I hope you enjoy this little snippet, this is a loooong story I’ve been writing and even though it’s not really close to being done ( x.x ) I still wanted to share!

So… if you’ve read this far... thanks for readin!

[awesomespiritcat21]

Sorry I took so long I was waiting on the poll to finish! And it seems like broken Shards/Glass won so that's what the AU is gonna be called. Now again I must warn yall I don't usually write anything and I'm not very good at doing so. So there will probably not be much of that going on. However I will try and get through sketches and drawings if that's something you want?

Here are a few to start out with.

》---------------------¤•°☆°▪︎¤--------------------《

》---------------------¤•°☆°▪︎¤--------------------《

I'd imagine that while he's still giant he survives the fall pretty decently but not without being stabbed by a crap ton of shards from the star pieces. I'd also like to think that since it stabs him directly that maybe he gains something from it? Like powers or something? Idk. And to keep reading interesting I'm gonna color the text because it's hard for me to read too. If it helps those who have problems focusing on boring stuff like large texts then why not :)

》---------------------¤•°☆°▪︎¤--------------------《

Many things raced through Jack's head as he fell with the shards of the star. He could've sworn his plan would work with the help of those horrible tasting magical treats he carefully packed away. Sadly to his disadvantage he couldn't grab his bag in time to shrink himself. When the star retracted a majority of the shards and himself fell even faster and harder onto the ground of the star-shaped pit. With a loud and rumbling THUD-squelsh.. Jack had landed on on his right shoulder directly on a smaller piece of the fractured star which had pushed into his chest as he settled harshly onto the cold untouched ground. Holding in a scream of agony he managed to push himself upwards only to have a much larger, skinnier piece of the star lodge itself directly into his other shoulder. A rush of adrenaline hit Jack with the most powerful high as he released a yell so loud it could wake even the heaviest of sleepers amongst the giants. His eyes dilated so quickly that he nearly went blind. His stomach churned with uneasiness. Mixed with his sudden quick blindess; that sat horribly with Jack. The horrifyingly strong smell of iron from his blood caught his nose just in time for him to regain eyesight, only to see the shard in his shoulder. Luckily his coat had blocked it just enough from fully cutting off his whole arm, but he would be in trouble if he doesn't do something about it soon. Just then a small vile of a pinkish-red substance rolled out of his bag nearby. Beckoning him to pick it up as it taunted him to have a taste. He hadn't remembered packing that at all, but then again what harm could it do now? He was already down more than six feet in the ground and bleeding out all over himself from the hatred of the star's magical shards plunging into his oversized anatomy. Jack, weakened, scooted himself torwards the vile just enough to grab it with his pointer finger and thumb. He scooted back to where he was originally sitting. The cover of the dimmed shards lodged above him in the wall could provide cover for the dangerous starry glitter that fell with the intent to damage from the twinkling sky. Daring to harm those who got in its way. So why not find out before he fades from exhaustion?

》---------------------¤•°☆°▪︎¤--------------------《

Also if yall want me to keep doing this try to remind me? I'll forget if nobody tells me x.x

[light-lanterne]

(took a ten-minute nap and had a harrowing dream :O )

tw // mentions of vampirism, murder and violence - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ☽ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - here's a short offering, @saffirez, @yearninginblue, @hyperfixationcentralsvoid, @holyvirgilscriptures, @catboy-cabin (i hope it's okei to tag, since this is long enough to be considered a ficlet but not a proper thing still x.x )

byler royal au (perhaps medieval, perhaps a little after) where will is a ruthless monarch. feared by many, revered by most; he is known for his beauty just as much as he is known for his iron fist and there is no one who dares oppose him for they know it's a death wish. what's more, rumours of vampirism and human sacrifice surround his name and there's a lot to support these claims but ultimately, they are just rumours no one can prove.

except... well, mike can prove them. a knight of the highest order who served will's father until his death, mike has been granted permission (and earned the right) to live in the castle's grounds and as such, he's witnessed two sides of will no one else has seen (and lived to tell the tale):

on the one side, will is actually rather sweet and gentle, his stony demeanour nothing but a facade to make up for his youth and, therefore, his perceived lack of experience (which could lead to someone trying to overthrow him). he treats everyone with kindness and respect and never raises his voice within the castle, not even in the war room.

on the other hand, however... all the rumours about him are true, as far as mike can tell. young people enter will's quarters and never come back out, the stench of blood and viscera plaguing the air as soon as the moon rises in the sky, and mike has personally witnessed suspicious-looking remains be stuffed in sacks by fearful servants, sacks that are then thrown to the pig dens shortly before dawn, evidence of the horrors disappearing in a matter of minutes.

night after night, screams of agony and misery haunt the castle's hallways and, as the people's champion, mike knows it's his duty to do something about it. tell someone about it. his words hold weight and a simple accusation on his part could be enough to get the ball rolling when it comes to ridding the kingdom of such a treacherous being.

but he can't. not when will is so full of life and joy and smiles so beautifully at him. not when will's life has been a series of mishaps he's only now getting the chance to heal from.

surely, mike's got it wrong. there's no way someone like will is responsible for what the rumours claim, right? no way he can be a cannibal or vampire or whatever else the people love to whisper about in dark taverns and empty alleyways... right? in fact, he's going to prove it! he's going to sneak into will's quarters at night and he'll find a totally reasonable explanation for everything, and then he'll be able to dispel the murmurs with a first-hand account of the truth!

and if he finds that everything that was told, everything he himself had observed, was real, then it's not his job to tell anyone.

and if he discovers that will is genuinely this monstrous being that everyone sings about to scare children at night, then it's not his fault everyone believes it to be a folk tale.

and if he suddenly finds himself being looked down at by these very dark eyes, hungry eyes, and he's suddenly forced to choose between what's right and what he wants, then it's not his fault when he follows the pull —not unlike gravity— that's urging him closer, deeper into an insanity he's now a part of purely by his own volition, the likes of which he finds unable to feel guilty about the second will shoots him a smile.

- the end -

(there are perhaps two bylers in the entirety of this hellsite who will get the reference (me being one of them), but if anyone's heard "cruelty and the beast" by cradle of filth,,, you know what vibes i'm going for ~ also, as i wrote this i suddenly came to the realisation that i essentially cleradin'd @foodiewithdahoodie's forbidden fruit au so yeah, my brain remains entirely unoriginal x.x)

[technodromes]

Morty fidgets with the box in his hands. He has picked a paper with punk decorations to wrap it, thinking that it would be fitting his friend's tastes, but now he's starting to wonder if he should have picked something less...flashy. He's never been too good with gifts. He does his best to make them as thoughtful as possible, but that's not always enough. He has sort of made peace with it, yet he can't help being anxious in this particular occasion. Bebop and Rocksteady are the first cool people who have openly welcomed him in their gang and he wants to impress them. Well, stalling won't help him. So, he takes in a deep, calming breath and approaches the mutant. "Uh, h-hey, I mean...Hi," he stutters out, mentally cringing. Great, he's already making a fool of himself. "S-So, Rocksteady mentioned that today would be your birthday an-and...I thought that I should get you, uh, something." And with that, he hands out the gifts. Under the paper there's a slick, dark purple box, a little casket holding a collection of selected music albums. They are shaped like small, flat squares and they are obviously not from Earth. "Y-You can listen to them with...well, everything. J-Just set it on whatever device you want to use. T-The thing will attach itself to it an-and...then use the device as you'll normally do." He rubs the back of his neck with a nervous smile. "T-They are...it's alien music, b-but it's basically all rock, punk and similar. I-I hope you'll like it. H-Happy birthday!" [[ Morty for Bebop's bday! || Sorry for the delay, I ended up working super late yesterday x.x ]] @countlessrealities

[Beedeedledee’s Birthday]

[🎸]   Rocksteady gifted Bebop a vintage set of punk badges earlier which he's already wearing proudly all over his red vest. And, after days of constant begging, Krang finally improved Bebop's arcade station with another bunch of 'brainless' games, as the Utrom would call them. (However, Krang also installed a device into the arcade that might be more than the Mutant bargained for, but that would be subject to another day).

Shredder on the other hand would organize a bunch of Foot Soldiers to leave a huge pile of pizza boxes in the Mutant's abode. It is the Ninja Master's way of making sure the 'giant baby' would stay quiet for a while instead of pestering him all day about going to a funfair for his birthday like every year.

And so, Bebop is stuffing another rolled-up piece of pizza into his snout before turning a curious gaze at Morthy. He didn't really expect any visitors, let alone more gifts. His pointy ears perk up in excitement and he yanks the box out of Morty's hands. "Woah, youse even brought me somethin'? Lemme see what'cha got!" The excitement of getting a gift wrapped in rad-looking papers is overpowering the urge to poke fun at Morty for acting like a shy schoolgirl, despite it lying on the top of the mutant's tongue.

Upon discovering the weird flat squares, Bebop tilts his head in confusion. But Morty's explanation quickly shifts his mood into pure joy again.

"You mean like N'-sho-v? Damn Morty, we listened to that in one of those weird spaceships. Idunno where they came from, but that sound was fuckin' rad. Rock an' I named our dinosaur after it. That's remindin' me, YOU still need a gang name too, because 'Morty' ain't it! Youse know what? I go get Rock an' then we listen these babies together! Maybe we find somethin' that's fittin' you!"

[chiconisroc]

Have you seen this review of your fic? (Sending in another ask cause I don't want people to think I'm trying to stir up trouble)

I appreciate that everyone has their own unique perspective. It's interesting to see my fanfiction being rated, as fanart doesn't typically receive ratings, which seems a bit unusual to me. Personally, I find it difficult to imagine giving an artist a rating for their artwork. I can’t even do so on a fanfiction either. Usually, I don’t care for a story, or I just love it, hahaha, but I never proceed with giving them a number. I'm not sure if fanart is typically rated by others; perhaps I'm out of the loop with such things?

Since the story hasn't reached its halfway point yet, there are many aspects that haven't been explored or will be addressed later. For instance, the puzzle… hehehe. The review was made before they read past chapter 20, so they didn’t get to see how Camila reached for the puzzle that was stored under her bed to bring along with them, so I didn’t forget about it ;3. So, it's intriguing to have a rating based on what has been presented thus far.

I would also like to emphasize the physical and mental challenges that Philip is going through in the story, from the beginning until now. He has faced near-death experiences with the Collector and has had Gus unearth memories that he had locked away for centuries. As a result, he hasn't had much time to gather himself and is struggling with his emotions/traumas that he shoves to the side a lot.

In my writing, I strive to create characters that feel realistic rather than conforming to the resilience typically seen in cartoons. Philip, being a 400-year-old man, carries a lot of baggage that is finally catching up to him mentally.

It's worth mentioning as a reminder that this is a fanfiction and not a fully edited and polished novel. Expecting perfection and have everything answered right away would be unrealistic, especially since I am constantly updating with new chapters more frequently than others :o. So, if there are some flaws in my story, which most likely there are, well, it is to be expected since I’m not an actual published author, and thus I’m practicing and learning to get better at writing so one day I can become an actual author one day : ). **This reminds me of the more recent question that if I were ever to rewrite the story. If i were to rewrite it, then yeah, for sure peeps would have a more published work which would be way better than it is right now, hahaha

That being said, I do appreciate the positive aspects the reviewer pointed out, which I find encouraging. To the person who wrote the review, if you would like, I can provide further explanation and defend the decisions made for the story through direct messaging. Rest assured, everything I write has a purpose behind it : ). And if you are enjoying the story now, then great! It's nice to have you along the ride with us : ). It's just always fun enjoying things together, hahaha

I won’t say more about the reviewer’s opinion since I’m currently working on the next chapter for the other story x.x, so… I got to write and write : ), hahaha

[not-poignant]

I loved Gary's sarcasm about the first directive Ef broke was a mildly helpful one. It got me thinking though. If it's not too spoilery, are the other directives already failing too, but Ef just hasn't triggered them to realize it? He's so used to avoiding the taboo topics and known triggers, and the Hillview crew have been trying to avoid them when possible as well. Would Ef have anyway to know a directive is failing without it being directly challenged?

Hi anon!

Other directives have actually been starting to falter a bit for a while now, there's certain things Efnisien has talked about sort of randomly, that he shouldn't have been able to talk about as easily as he has.

But directives are more likely to cause him pain when he's sort of actively thinking about them, vs. unconsciously making a passing remark on something. So if he's asked 'can you talk about this' a directive that's slowly fading in strength will kind of perk up a bit, in a way. Kind of like when you forget about some chronic pain or are asked to think about it consciously - thinking about it consciously can remind you of how bad it is, because you're tuned into it, but otherwise sometimes you don't always even notice it, even if it's always affecting you.

The thing is, them asking Efnisien to talk on certain subjects does cause him like, active pain and agony responses if he tries to make himself respond. And 'testing' that is such a painful process that there's just no point.

In that sense, they'll realise when they realise.

Efnisien too has no like...incentive to push against the directives he's been given that's stronger than the agony they'll cause him. He'll also randomly realise, just like he did re: the self-harm. He didn't think 'this has broken so I'll do it.' He did the behaviour, and then later thought 'that's not right' and only then did he realise why it wasn't right. He was also driven to that act by sheer raw desperation, so it's something we know he wouldn't have tried to challenge otherwise.

Some of them are definitely rusting out, but I don't plan for all of them to necessarily be gone by the end of the story. It's more like... eventually he might be able to talk about some of the things Crielle did to him, but even once he can, he'll have the trauma stopping him from wanting to think about it or talk about it x.x

[lightlycareless]

First, it hurts— Chapter XXVI

Naoya Zen’in x Fem!Reader

While arranged marriages are not uncommon in the jujutsu community, it was strange to receive a proposal from none other than the Zen’in’s, nonetheless your clan accepted and before you knew it, you were married off to Naoya.

Your new purpose was clear: to serve and submit, to be seen and not heard. To forget any sense of individuality in favor of obeying your husband.

Will this marriage ever flourish into something else? Will it change…for better or for worse?

Chapter warnings: the overwhelming sensation of despair, slight mentions of abuse, allot of secrecy between relatives, confrontations 💀 and that seems to be all of it!

A/N: Hi!! It feels good to only have to post one part haha that's what I get for writing long chapters x.x anyways, still a pleasure to write them haha!

Without any further ado, happy reading! 🥰

Masterlist ➸ Chapter 27

Ao3 link.

Hinata was pleased to admit that her meeting with Gojo hadn’t been as uneventful as she initially anticipated. 

Sure, the man was known to be powerful and all knowing, thanks to the countless resources placed to his disposal via the Gojo clan, as well as through his own merit..

Perfect in every sense of the word, and a powerful ally anyone would be honored to have, more to ask favors from .

And yet… she continuously feared that this encounter would’ve been nothing more than a bunch of diplomatic excuses to avoid the situation all together, because as much as he was highly regarded as the best sorcerer of this generation, he was still an irresponsible young man with a lot of things to learn.

“I can’t barge in and cancel your sister’s marriage without getting any of us in trouble, many would think it to be incredibly convenient that I’ve decided to step in now, eh?” she imagined Satoru complaining. “And that would also cause friction between the two families, and who wants to deal with that??”

However, all her worries (or the vast majority of them) would’ve turned obsolete in time once she realized that even if Gojo genuinely found himself with his hands tied when it came to actually pulling out from that wretched house, he was still all about advocating against the elders. 

So, with what little he could afford to do, he gave Hinata all of the resources he thought adequate to aid her help—while keeping his name out of the equation—, but not without ending in a disquieting tone that only deepened her sour aftertaste.

“Why don’t you contact the Kamo clan? ” He’d considered as the two made their way towards the nearest train station. Satoru had previously attempted to offer Hinata a ride back home in a more private and comfortable setting, that being his car. But your sister, who was already risking too much by being with him, decided to fall into the tranquility of mundanity and take the public transport to avoid getting caught with him.

Also, if she was to successfully complete your rescue mission, she needed to keep her mind as clear as possible, and a change of scenario might just do the work.

“You already have a stronger connection to them thanks to the young heir, Noritoshi-kun” He continued on “He’s 9 already years old! Can you believe that?—or was it ten? Eh, who knows, I’m not that good with birthdays anyways”

Hinata gave her best to ignore his words and to continue walking onto her destination, or she fears she would’ve laughed right there and then.

It was so incredulous, so out of touch… but well matching with his nature.

Had he been there to see how her distant cousin was treated throughout her “relationship” with the Kamo clan leader, and subsequently discarded once she gave birth to the future heir, he would’ve never dared to say that in her face.

It was absolutely foul to see how the elders attempted to justify the Kamo clan’s actions, citing that this had been the arrangement from the beginning, and even if it wasn’t, surely nobody was expecting the mistress to stay at the estate while the wife was still alive! Even if the latter had no leverage on her defense after failing tremendously on the one responsibility she had as the lady of the house.

Infuriating, but not shocking. They have always been unruly when it came to treating their family, your parents being the earliest example Hinata could think of—in that, she could assess them to be fair.

What rattled her the most out of this situation, after her distant relative’s treatment, was the reaction of the legitimate wife. 

Your sister could understand her animosity towards the idea of having her husband’s mistress lingering around the estate, but instead of considering this to be a cruel political game to pit both women against each other, a symptom of the patriarchal disease plaguing the jujutsu community, she decided to take this as a personal attack and shamelessly join the barbarous inquisition against your distant cousin—dumping her onto the street without offering her a way to fend herself, even after all that she seemingly sacrificed for the clan, as well as giving her a bad reputation that would follow her all the way back to the L/N estate, earning her another dosage of mistreatment, this time, from your family.

She was the reason why Noritoshi wasn’t permitted to see his mother ever again after she left, the reason why the young child felt pressured to accept a role he never wanted in hopes of reconnecting with her in the future, as well as treating him as nothing but a bastard , instead of recognizing the victim that he ultimately was—effectively robbing him from any semblance of a normal life and family. 

It wasn’t the elders, nor the husband, responsible for the mother’s mistreatment—although they were willing bystanders—but the wife .

This soon turned out to be too much for the poor woman to handle on her own, and as expected, she eventually left the estate and cut ties with everyone, never to be seen again.

These were all things that you and your siblings were unable to comprehend or stop at the moment due to their young age, and the adults weren’t of much help either, simply delegating these successions as difficult family affairs whenever either dared to ask, their constant refusal eventually leading their curiosity to die out with time.

So no, she was not going to ask for their help—they were cut from a similar fabric as the Zen’in’s, although of a different color. Might as well ask them to hand you over directly!

Either way, this recollection of the past is something that remained well imprinted in your sister’s mind, a burning memory that only grew stronger and painful the more she knew of the society she was to serve, which soon turned into one of the many encouragements to do what was right. 

Do what she should with the image she represented: ensure a safe environment for the people under her protection, so that none of these things would happen again.

… But now, it’s a thought that makes her feel stupid.

To begin, she’s supposed to be the golden child of her clan: The one carrying the invaluable inherited technique of the L/N, one that held great historical worth alongside power, but had unfortunately been absent from the world for many, many years.

No  matter their approach, no child seemed to be born with this technique that essentially kept them on the map, and the fear of fading into the past became more of a reality by each passing day.

That is, until Hinata was born.

When her arrival was announced, she was quickly revered as the L/N’s savior, the one that ensured a bright future for as long as they played their cards right.

And yet, she wasn’t able to save you .

To be revered as salvation itself was nothing more than a formality, for she held no influence nor relevance when the elders decided to sell you to the Zen’in as soon as her engagement to the Gojo heir turned obsolete. 

She wasn’t able to stop your father from agreeing and organizing that sham of a celebration from happening, nor Naoya from hurting you and mocking her.

And all of this… happening right under her nose.

She wants to stay angry at your father. She wants to stay angry at Naoya, at the elders, the whole world if she could! 

But she can’t. Because it’s unproductive… as well as having another emotion taking its space in turn, that being, Satoru’s chilling allusion:

The possibility of you falling in love with Naoya.

Hinata might’ve made fun of your preferences back in the day, just to get a reaction out of you. It was all of a humorous nature, of course, for she knew very well that your standards couldn’t possibly be that mediocre. A comforting thought that stopped her from slapping the idea out of Satoru’s face—in fact, she wishes she’d done so before hopping on the train…

Because now she can’t remove the possibility of… what if… 

What if you did?

What if you somehow… god forbid, ended up growing fond of Naoya throughout the time you’re there? 

What if… during the time she’s secluded from you… you somehow come to the conclusion that staying with the Zen’in was for your benefit? However that might come to be?

Hinata sighs, and in this moment of heedlessness, her mind takes her back to the last time she saw you.

The sorrowful sight of the bruises on your body was perhaps the only thing she could remember from her encounter with you, asides from your equally frightening plea for help in the form of your homesick tears. Images that make her stomach drop, her blood run cold, and sleepless at night.

More so for the implication behind them.

Your bruises weren’t ones that she’d categorize as normal. Normal, as in relatable to an active sorcerer: 

These weren’t bruises that came from a dangerous mission, or a friendly training session—No, none of these things matched your reality.

These injuries were made out of pure perversion, filling  a narcissistic need to mark you as his property, break your autonomy, mock her presence, and insult your family. 

As if to show that he had authority over you , and no matter what your sister did, you’ll stay right where he wants you.

What kind of husband purposely hurts their wife to inflate their ego?!

Naoya was—and Hinata was on her way to prove him wrong. After all, she already held a victory over him, and she’s damn sure she can do it again.

But God, this was turning out to be her hardest task yet…

Well, before she’s able to do as much as continue with her mission, she first wants to check how everything was faring back at home.

Ren had agreed to keep a close eye on their clan whilst she goes out and does what needs to be done, such as going up to meet Satoru—an event that was kept a secret from them to begin with, hidden underneath the excuse that she was simply going out to get some new clothes after her payroll came in. 

It seemed to work, at least for now, for no one asked any more questions outside what store she was planning to visit before leaving her alone.. 

Neither could run the risk of revealing she’d gone to see Satoru, for it would only get their unwanted attention all over her business. They’d grow suspicious, start asking questions, and eventually… they’d get an air of what she’s been planning to do: get you out of that sick marriage with the Zen’in heir.

Because why else would your sister show her face to the Gojo heir, after the humiliation she’d put her family and his through after ending their engagement, if it wasn’t to ask for a favor?

Thinking of your family’s crystal-clear preference for those in power, it makes it almost impossible to not see why your marriage went through in the first place. Guess she was just surprised for how fast they were to fold for the next biggest fish in the pond, and how your father seemingly didn’t put up a fight.

Had their mother been alive, she would’ve nev—

Hinata shakes the thought of her mother out of her head before it sprouts any bigger.

She’d gone through great efforts to get her mind steady and clear to perform her duties as efficiently as possible, thus she had to be careful not to get distracted on unnecessary details. Especially those that were written in stone… intertwined with excruciating pain.

But if she had to put a label on what she’d thought her mother’s feelings would be… disappointment would only be the tip of the iceberg.

Well, there’s no use in voicing the words of a person who is no longer around to speak for herself, not when her memory just prompted another layer of frustration to Hinata’s already tangled mind.

For now, she must focus on what’s happening in her home, to know if her actions had remained under the radar from the disingenuous elders, and maybe… just maybe… news from you.  

“I’m home” Is what Hinata says as soon as she crosses the wooden gates of her home. She forces a smile out of her lips upon observing a wave of servants rushing to greet her amicably, barraging her with all kinds of courtesies—from hanging her bag, getting her something to eat or drink, to even preparing her a bath. A suitable welcome for the heir of the L/N clan.

But one that would be shut down delicately, for as appetizing as getting a bath sounded like after a long day of urbanity, it’s something it’ll have to wait until she knows how Ren and Sumire have been—a statement that prompted the servants to disperse, more so after the presence of said older brother became apparent just behind them.

“Welcome back” Ren greets, now just a few feet away from his sister. Sumire tags along just a few seconds after.

“You’re back, Hinata-san!” Sumire sang as she ran towards her, bumping into her and bringing her into an embrace.

Your sister didn’t need to go beyond her gesture to understand that while coming from a place of concern for her personal well-being, was more of an outburst of anxiety at the prospect of new information regarding you—either way, she took no offense to her demonstration and returned said affection with a hug of her own.

“How was your… day out?” Ren cautions through a carefully selected wording he presumes would pass undetected through the ears of those that lingered around. Because even after his younger sister dismissed them, he has no doubt that those whose loyalty inclined more towards the elders took her request more as a recommendation.

“Good—quick. A nice change of scenery after all the work I’ve done” Quick to catch his scheme, Hinata plays along with a group of corny sentences that she believes will dissolve any suspicion. “I got some cute sweaters for this upcoming winter, but since I didn’t want to carry them back home, I asked for my items to be delivered here”

“I’m glad! You always seem to be taking the roughest missions, you deserve to relax once in a while” Ren continues on as he glances one more time towards the wall he senses a servant to be.

His keen perception has him attentive to a noise likened to roaming footsteps, undoubtedly representing the departure of those that stayed behind in hopes to catch something to inform the elders—a tactic that became somewhat common ever since you were taken out of the picture: whether to see how your siblings were faring with this undesirable predicament, or because they were already suspicious of something happening behind the scenes, he has yet to decide.

Anticipating how these ordeals often go down, Ren signals Hinata and Sumire to hold their thoughts for a bit longer, at least until the bystanders' footsteps disappear and are effectively out of earshot.

Once he assesses them to finally be out of their midst, Ren is finally able to go back to Hinata to speak what they’re truly interested in.

“How did it go?” He whispers, low, barely hearable by the alarmed ears of Sumire (who kept an eye out for any fellow staff member that might’ve stayed behind without Ren noticing), but loud enough for a focused Hinata whose determination never left her mind.

“…Not here” she advises back in the same tone as she gently shakes her head. 

Sumire and Ren then glance at each other for a quick second before nodding and gesturing to Hinata to follow them into a room they had anticipatedly prepared for such an occasion—away from the servants, the elders, and all those in between.

A place that had been long abandoned, for there was never a necessary use behind it, aside from a few occasions here and there, subsequently redecorated as a guest room after the owner passed away—your mother’s private chambers.

Once safely inside the confines of their new rendezvous point, and after double checking they haven’t been followed, or lost anyone that might’ve thought themselves undetectable, Hinata promptly begins.

“It was… beneficial, much more than what I expected” she informs while heading towards the middle of the room where a small wooden table was to be found. Hinata reaches for a nearby brown pillow to sit on, patting it a few times before finally taking a seat, an action soon replicated by Sumire and Ren.

Once on the floor, she couldn't help but sigh, alleviating with it the burden of her fatigue which she’s kept at bay for the past few hours.

Hinata was no stranger to being outside her home, hometown even, for long hours, without rest and under stressful circumstances—all thanks to the career path that she selected.

However, the emotional burden she was carrying was bound to take a toll on her body one way or another, and considering that it had been far heavier than anything she had endured before, it was no surprise that everyday instances had now become far more difficult.

No amount of training would have given her the necessary tools to deal with her emotional turmoil, outside of laying on her futon and disconnecting from the world for a few minutes.

Now that she thought about it, when was the last time she was able to get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep?

Between missions, meetings, and you… she hasn’t been able to do much more than getting quick naps here and there—perhaps 4 hours of sleep, if she somehow really tired herself out . Hinata can’t help but feel like a dog with that silly comparison… before whiplashing into a wistful thought.

Were you having better luck than her? Were you able to sleep at night? Rest?

…

Knowing the horrors that haunted that family, she dreadfully presumes not.

Hinata can’t wait for the moment you’re finally back home, with the people that love and care for you.

But until then, she’ll power through her difficulties—one way or another, like she’d always have.

“Is he going to help us?” Sumire’s optimistic question snaps her out of her spiraling thoughts and back to the present. Hinata blinks, readjusting her blank vision before focusing on Sumire’s face.

There was something swirling in her eyes that your sister couldn’t identify as anything else but hope as she intently looked back at her in awe.

Your best friend really had no intention of being in this meeting. And it’s not because she wasn’t welcomed—far from that. They knew just how important she was to you and vice versa, however, this was a fight that she would undeniably lose if she ever finds herself in the crossfires. Something that both Ren and Hinata wanted to avoid as much as possible, even if it meant keeping her in the dark.

Nonetheless, Sumire made it her life mission to be there with your siblings and offer support wherever she can, even with her great disadvantage. And for that, Hinata and Ren are greatly appreciative of.

So you could only imagine how distraught Hinata must’ve felt when she relayed her answer through the subtle shake of her head in denial, worsening once she caught a glimpse of Sumire’s hopeful eyes quickly switching into ones of desolation.

“ What? ” Ren is the first to speak up, a scowl on his face as he grits his teeth—your sister doesn’t know if it’s towards Satoru, or the addition of another obstacle in the race to get you back. Either way, he was not pleased. “Then how is that to our advantage, sister?”

“He’s not going to help, at least not personally… nor directly” Your sister explains “But he did give me suggestions to go through… And you guys wouldn’t believe the number of things he told me today”

“What did he say?” Ren raises an eyebrow. 

Your brother was… one of the many people that weren’t that fond of Satoru, in fact, he could probably count with one hand just the amount of people that did like him.

However, as time passed, he had grown to be somewhat understanding of him due to his relationship with his family, as well as the upbringing he was unfortunate to have. Leading him to see Gojo as… well, an obnoxious younger brother, rather than his abhorrent brother-in-law . “What stupidity did he come up with today so he wouldn’t help us?”

That didn’t mean he couldn’t hold a bit of skepticism towards him, though. 

If there’s something that Ren dislikes the most about the sorcery community, it’s the deafness people in power seem to have when approaching subjects that affect others. They always seem to be so…above others, simply because they were fortunate enough to grow into privileges others might never experience in their life, as if they didn’t have the power to change that!

And Satoru was no exception, until in recent years that is, when he finally decided to take his role in the world of jujutsu as something serious with endless opportunities to enact positive change.

But even then, he has yet to fully grasp the weight of his actions. It’s what led Ren to believe that Hinata’s suggestion of seeking help through Satoru might not be as beneficial as she thought in the first place. 

Even if he knew that he cared for his sisters… he could never know what he might come up with—more often than not, taking this situation with the same level of maturity he always did, in other words, not earnestly: and if that had been the case, Ren might just have to give him a visit as well…

Thankfully, your sister is quick to come to the rescue by injecting leniency into the conversation, just before Ren is able storm out of the room and head towards the Gojo estate.

“…He’s guarding the current holder of the Ten Shadows Technique” she confesses “in other words, the next heir of the Zen’in clan”

Sumire blinks, unable to understand the meaning or depth of the just mentioned technique, and how that relates to you, remaining silent and somewhat serious as she darts glances between your sister and your brother in hopes of obtaining the semblance of an answer. 

Sure, she’s heard of techniques before, mainly through you, but never in great detail. 

First, these were topics that were ruled out as confidential for anyone outside the main branch—such as herself— only knowing of your ability, your siblings’, and a few mission debriefs here and there, due to her close relationship to them, but never more than that.

Secondly, because even if you were willing to share information the elders didn’t seem necessary for a staff member to know with her, you often avoided these topics in favor of doing something far more entertaining than work—jujutsu could be very tedious when it came down to it, and you didn’t wish to bore your best friend to death in the short time you were allowed to see her.

Ren, on the other hand, could not have understood the significance of her words and the shocking revelation that tied you to this statement any better. He’d been in the game long enough to understand how politics work in this realm, perhaps more than he would’ve liked to know, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s able to piece the pieces together as soon as Hinata confined her findings, evident by the way his mouth falls agape and his eyes widen, which only brings a far more confused reaction out of Sumire.

“That’s—Do you know what that means?” Ren urges, and Hinata nods. “That means that their marriage isn’t of any use anymore! It can be annulled!”

“Wait, wait! I don’t understand” Sumire frets, beginning to feel as if she were falling out of the loop… as if she hadn’t felt like that ever since your marriage was announced. “How is that going to help Y/N-chan get back home?”

“This is just assuming if the marriage was constructed under those pretenses…” Hinata resentfully whispers, a sentiment that your brother opts to ignore with the aim of clinging onto the small ray of hope that appeared in the dark horizon of your absence.  

“We still have to give it a shot” Ren responds before turning to Sumire and offering her the explanation she so desperately desired. “Marriages in the jujutsu community are often done under the objective of creating strong children: regardless of the curse, as long as the kid has high amounts of energy and is talented , the marriage is considered successful.

However, the rules change when the 3 main families are involved. There is a thing called inherited techniques in most families, something like a heirloom that’s passed through generations—these are most powerful when it comes from them though”

“Just like my technique” Hinata adds and Sumire hums.

“Because of their power, these are often taken as the definers of the next head of the clan,  so it’s unsurprising these are highly sought after” Ren continues on “But here’s the catch: they only appear once every few years, and there’s never two users at the same time. Some people might try to change this, just as my family intended with Hinata and Satoru, but there has never been a record of a successful attempt. So, taking this into consideration, as well as the existence of user of the Zen’in’s technique…”

“That means… there’s no reason for Y/N to be married anymore!” Sumire’s beams, her face lightening up once she sees what they did “That’s—That’s wonderful, Hinata-san! Can’t you see? We can finally save Y/N-chan!” 

But your sister remains contrastingly motionless, somber. Almost as if she hadn’t heard any of the words they said… or more likely, knew more to the story than they did.

“What’s wrong?” Ren murmured; throat strained and face furrowed as the prospect of something… terrible begins to settle in the back of his mind. He swallows when her silence eventually confirms his assumptions. “There is something else… isn’t it?”

“…Satoru implied the clan already knew of their existence… specifically Naobito, their leader. He allegedly attempted to buy the user out of their family but the transaction never went through” She says, and the implication behind her words has Ren silently dwelling in incredulity “But if we consider what you just said, and the fact that Y/N is yet to return home… All I can think of is that this marriage was struck for other conditions, and thus, this information is… irrelevant”

At the climax of his anger, all that Ren can do is scoff.

He should’ve known .

He should’ve known this would happen the very moment everything began to go their way.

It was just too easy, wasn't it? Too simple for a solution to suddenly appear before them when all hope seemed to vanish. 

No, because fate never worked that way. Because things were never that effortless when it came to doing the right thing, of course.

The Zen’in truly did an exceptional job covering their asses—if only they applied such resolution in treating you well.

“Then what?” Ren cursed; frustration apparent in the tight clench of his hands against his palm and the crescent moons forming beneath them. “ What now? ”

“That’s where Satoru helped me” Hinata reveals “With the ongoing crisis, sorcerers have been required to essentially make a record of every movement they make—all I have to do is check Naoya’s records at the Kyoto school to get an idea of his whereabouts before the wedding, assuming what that everything my father said was somewhat true” 

It’s a solution, one that Hinata sets down in attempts of easing his brother’s and Sumire’s rising concern… coincidentally, the one that would also take the longest to complete. Achieving the exact opposite of what she wanted.

But even when boiling in anger, Ren is capable enough to keep his cool and analyze her words and the following actions to take.

“That’s dangerous” Ren is quick to note after a second of consideration. “You’re going dangerously close to their territory, and if they somehow get word that you’re investigating Naoya…”

“I know, I know” she groans, pressing her fingers against her forehead in an attempt to ease the headache slowly starting to form in her head. “I’ve already considered everything, the dangers, the expenses… everything”

“I wish I could help” Sumire laments “…I’m just here… unable to do anything for Y/N-chan except clean her room… ”

“You’ve done enough for us, Sumire” Hinata comforts, giving her a smile “I’m sure she’ll appreciate you keeping her things in order”

“… I just want her to be back” she adds “I want to help”

“We know” Ren sighs, patting Sumire’s back as to ease her nerves before looking back to Hinata. “Then… that’s what you’re going to do?”

“Yeah. I plan to get a basic idea of where he's been, if he’s been near our properties, or if someone saw him do anything suspicious… I also asked Satoru about it and he said he hasn’t heard anything—whatever they did, whoever they hired, if that was the case, they did a good job keeping everything away from the sun”

“Guess it’s a necessary skill to sustain themselves for as long as they have” Ren concludes “A clan doesn’t get to live that long without committing atrocities here and there. It’s was only natural that they’d learn how to keep it a secret from the rest of the world”

Just as your family had done. Perhaps to a lesser extent than the Zen’in, but the L/N clan had also earned its fair share of crimes throughout their existence, and had long since learned how to sleep at night after betraying their own relatives. 

Unfortunately, a skill that would probably never go out of fashion: As long as there is corruption in the hearts of humanity, abuse will prevail. And that’s something that will end with her .

“Well, that’s what I managed to get on my part” Hinata concludes, moving onto the next subject “What about… you? How are things in the estate? With your… girlfriend?”

“Oh, I don’t want you to worry about that right now, but if you must know… we’re ok” Ren says, crossing his arms and resting them on the table “we managed to postpone a lot of things without having to lose our deposit, so there’s that”

Ren considers himself lucky to have such a supporting partner, especially when the prospect of losing great amounts of money just to postpone their wedding and honeymoon still lingered over their heads.

However, his girlfriend understood all too well the situation and agreed to wait a little longer until things were better with his future in-laws—besides, what kind of wedding would it be if you weren’t even there? 

After that, Ren promised himself to make it up to her after everything was dealt with, starting by retiring from the jujutsu world and taking on all of the household responsibilities so she could completely focus on her career.

It’s only necessary if he wants to raise a family with her.

But until then, he shall continue to play his part on the urgent mission at hand.

“As for the estate… I fear I was not as efficient as you. Everyone has been rather… silent, evasive even, right?” He looks over at Sumire, and she nods “Yet, there have been moments where I believed to have seen some kind of… vacillation coming from certain members of the staff, and elders for that matter, whenever I was around. Take that however you want”

“I’d too be nervous if I had something to hide” Hinata accuses, rolling her eyes “…and if I was as intimidating as you are”

“You are intimidating” Ren corrects, reflecting on the actual reason as to why they’ve been so cautious around him ever since this whole charade started..

Far from his own merit, it had been Hinata’s all along.

Your sister has been haunting the L/N estate like some kind of yurei from the very moment she’d returned to the estate after visiting the Zen’in. 

A spirit that radiated vengeance with each step she took, no one was free of the her antagonizing glances, to the point that even the staff that was closest to her, those who were more likely to carry guilt-free consciences, began to set a healthy amount of distance to avoid being in the receiving end of her ire, and subsequently, him. 

Because what one sibling did, the other often replicated.

It was never in Hinata’s intentions to blame the innocent members of her clan, unfortunately, she no longer found herself in a position where she could trust anybody outside of those present in the room. Not even Eiichi, your father, was part of that leniency.

And with good reason—with all things accounted, he was perhaps the guiltiest of them all. The one that allowed everything to happen in the first place, the one that signed the wedding certificate as a witness and pushed you into the wretched claws of that disgusting family, giving a congratulatory cheer while at it.

His actions are what incited her the most to obtain the determination she needed to save you, the one she used as fuel to search every inch, nook and cranny around the estate for anything that could serve her purpose from those that failed you: the smallest slip-up when doing their chores, a stammer while in a casual conversation, a drop of sweat sliding down their temples as they sat for tea, or the lightest twitch from their fingers as they killed time with a senseless game, regardless of its reasoning, anything that might indicate the slightest semblance of a guilty conscience, and exploit it against them.

But just as it was stated, a clan as old as your family doesn’t get to survive for that long without having gone through immeasurable amounts of shady businesses in order to ensure its existence in the future, and subsequently, had long stopped caring for the morality behind it the more they performed so.

Your siblings just wished some of them had grown overconfident enough to become sloppy in their actions—but it seems that not even that was to be on their advantage.

“Not intimidating enough to get them talking” Hinata scoffs, and Sumire scrunches her face out of anguish.

“I… wish to say that in time you’ll find what you need but… I fear that Y/N-chan might not have that much time” Sumire whimpered and Hinata pressed her eyebrows. Neither wanted to admit it, but she was right. There was only so much time before things began to worsen to the point she would no longer be able to save you.

The wrong pregnancy is quick to flash across her mind’s eye, before shaking it off and going back to comforting your frightened friend.

“There’s no use in fretting, Sumire” Hinata eases, giving her a smile that would not only help her cool down, but her as well. “They might not offer much, but I already got a lead somewhere else. Besides, as long as we keep trying, we’re getting closer to bringing her back”

“I guess so…” Sumire responded dejectedly with a sigh. “Will you… go to Kyoto then?”

“I have no other option—it’s the long route, sure, but I still have faith that it’ll give me what I need”

“Then I’ll support it” Ren adds. “I’m not too keen with you getting so close to the lion’s den, but at the same time, I don’t think you’ll find much without getting near them”

“I know… and as much as I would’ve preferred to get my information somewhere else, I don’t really have that many leads to follow”

“Does it worry you that they might have some undercover agent to inform them about anyone snooping in on their records?” Sumire frets, and a wave of uneasiness she thought quenched returns to wash over Hinata.

She had already considered all possible outcomes while making her way back to the estate after Satoru suggested such an idea: from witnesses unwilling to speak, to whistleblowers informing of her actions towards those she is digging dirt on, these were all things that could happen if fate decided to play that way.

However, even with the prospect of facing the devious nature of various individuals working against her, she was comforted by her belief in the genuineness and fairness of the jujutsu system when it came to neutrality amongst sorcerers. 

All the information regarding to a sorcerers activities, such as license number, active missions, completed missions, and if they’re active or not, was available for public record; in other words, she would be available to essentially waltz into the school, request Naoya’s information, and get what she needs out of it without any repercussions.

This was already in the works, even way before Geto catapulted this ongoing crisis. 

It was a solution to promote transparency between members of the community, and a way to dissolve unethical practices between fellow members and civilians to wash the blood that plagued their history, all while in agreement to their service to the community. 

That he had been the final push to enact this change was another story.

Thus, Hinata didn’t concern herself too much when it came to the Zen’in having someone under cover to alert them of a possible onlooker—they couldn’t just go and tell people they were investigated on, because that could incite some form of retribution and that would go against the same ethics of neutrality and safety the jujutsu community was slowly trying to adopt, or at least to court.

In other words, there was nothing to worry about.

“I have thought about it” Hinata affirms. “But if anything, I’m more concerned about not finding anything to help Y/N… but that’s a risk I’m willing to take”

“The Zen’in might have an idea that you’re trying to do something anyways” Ren ponders, justifying his sister’s somewhat… reckless idea, at least in his point of view, and she agrees with a nod. “So it’s pointless to waste energy on something that’s probably already happening”

“Maybe, maybe not. But I sure hope they know I’m keeping a close eye on them, maybe that way they’ll know not to mess up with me and my family! They better be sleeping with an eye open…” Hinata threatens and Ren can’t help but smile at her somber resolve.

“I’m pretty sure some of the people here already do so” Ren snickers and Hinata rolls her eyes once more before chuckling. “That’s why I know you’ll be fine when you’re out there in Kyoto doing what you have to do”

“Thank you” Hinata smiles, and the cold wave of uneasiness is soon washed away by a warm wave of support from his brother. One she always knew she could get from him… regardless of the situation. “Then… if there’s nothing more to add… I think that’s all we have to say”

“Let me take you to your room, you need to rest” Ren suggests as he stands up, followed by helping Sumire stand up by offering his hand for her to take. Your sister initially wanted to reproach his suggestion, but before she’s able to do much as opening her mouth, he interjects. “I can see it in your tired eyes you haven’t been getting any sleep, have you?”

“Can you blame me? All I think of is my sister, even when I close my eyes, all I see is Y/N and those…. Disgusting bruises on her body”

Ren goes eerily silent, but his mind is nothing but a turmoil on the inside.

He’s been holding back the urge to storm his way out of the estate and onto the Zen’in’s and beat the shit out of Naoya just by the clench of his fists and the gritting of his teeth. 

Your brother was equally disgusted, if not more so than your sister, upon knowing of her findings at the Zen’in estate that one day she was deceitfully invited to their premises.

It had taken all of him to stand on the sidelines and let Hinata do what she needed to do in order to ensure your safe return—but if that weren’t a problem, you can bet that Ren would’ve destroyed the whole Zen’in estate long ago. 

But he couldn’t. And not because he didn’t want to, or lacked the physical force to do so. If anything, he had enough strength to spare (and with countless missions to attest to that) but he couldn’t just do what he impulsively wanted—any miscalculation could eventually lead you to be further secluded from their life, as well as spoil Hinata’s progress, and they were already having a tough time as it is…

His patience and tolerance was being undeniably tested, but for now, he’ll keep quiet, silently supporting his sister from afar, playing the role of obedient, responsible sorcerer by completing the load of dangerous missions HQ seems to be dumping on him day after day, almost as if they knew your siblings were trying to do something under the table, while keeping a close eye on the inside to ensure the secrecy and accomplishment of this difficult yet essential rescue mission.

“I know this may not be of much consolation but…” Sumire’s soft voice cuts through the tense silence, forcing Hinata’s and Ren’s eyes to land on her as she slides the shoji door open, stepping aside to invite your siblings to go first. 

Ren shakes his head, suggesting she go ahead first, to which she complies without putting up much of a fight. 

“I like to think that Y/N-chan is well. After all, bad news are often the first ones to circulate and if something… bad … had already happened to her, we would’ve known by now” 

Hinata is appreciative of the fact that even with all the shit you and your family were suddenly dumped with when the Zen’in became intertwined in their lives, there was still someone they knew you could trust in, someone that kept a positive outlook in this somber testament.

And she smiles.

“It’s… very comforting, actually” Hinata says as the group begins to make their way towards the living quarters, her room in mind. “Even with all the things that have been happening to her… I always try to reassure myself by keeping hope, thinking that this could definitely be infinitely worse… although I sometimes believe that we’re already past that point”

“Try not to think about that, Hinata” Ren responds, gently palming her back “try to get some rest, catch on those shows you paused, or visit the stables—it’s been a while since someone visited the horses, I’m sure they would appreciate a familiar face around. You’ve already done what you could today, take it easy”

“I know… I know” Hinata sighs, a pout eventually pursing her lips as she crosses her arms before looking up to him “However, there’s one this one last thing that I need to check with Sumire before I can do all that” your sisters then turns over to your best friend, and the young woman, caught by surprise by her sudden exposure to the spotlight, can’t do much by stare back at her as her mind tries to find out the small detail she might’ve forgotten to bring up during their previous conversation “My correspondence ”

“ Oh, yes!” Sumire gasps, thoughts taking her back to her private quarters and onto the small box she specifically set aside to keep Hinata’s letters away and secure from the prying eyes of the rest of the staff members who have yet to prove their trustworthiness, until she returns.

Just to show that she didn’t forget about this, she was just… too enthralled on getting news on Y/N’s rescue, that she didn’t deem it necessary to bring it up right then and there… or maybe it did slip up her mind. Stress can often do that.

“I just want you to know I didn’t forget them, I was just… waiting for the right moment!” Sumire blurted as she began to head towards her bedroom, an explanation which Hinata dismissed as nothing to worry that much while mouthing a quiet it’s ok “Wait for me in your room, I’ll bring them to you!”

And with the swift work of her feet, Sumire moved on to scurry onto the general direction of the staff’s quarters, the sound of her footsteps beginning to subside into thin air as Hinata and Ren continued walking towards the former’s room.

It was a silent trip up to the arrival of the familiar bedroom door, one which remained decorated with the sunflower stickers across the frame she placed on long ago when she was nothing more than a child, keeping them simply  for nostalgia’s sake. 

Without a second to waste, Hinata gently takes hold of the door and slides it open, the sight of a tidy and organized room welcoming her back. 

Everything seemed to be in place, completely different to how she left it before she left—one might even think she never left at all. Which was a gross understatement, for as of recent events, she’s only been able to stay at her house for short instances, simply returning to check on her family and any important announcements from work.

Taking this into consideration, any returning resident would’ve found relief in not having to worry about cleaning their room, being able to simply go ahead and change into more comfortable clothes before jumping into bed and call it a day.

However, the diligent work of her staff was not to give her the peace and tranquility Ren hoped she would achieve, more so when her serious face began to contort into one of uneasy eyes and furrowed brow once in the solace of each other's company: giving him the impression that there was something else she had yet to discuss with anyone else outside the inner voice in her head, and so, he’s prompted to talk.

“There’s something else bothering you, isn’t it?” Ren guesses, and Hinata, understanding she’s been read like an open book, relents with a sigh.

“Yes… it’s… perhaps the thing that disturbed me the most” she confides, pinching the spot just between her eyebrows to alleviate the pain she feels to be the beginning of a migraine from worsening, serving as an example of how disquieting this tormenting thought was.

“I’m all ears” he says as he gestures to her inside the room, closing the door behind him once both inside.

“You… you’re probably going to think it’s something stupid, after all, it came from Satoru but… I don’t know, it rubbed me the wrong way anyways” she goes on as she takes another seat on his futon, this time, completing laying her body back onto it and focusing on nothing more than the wooden ceiling. 

“Well then, it’s very rare for you to not be able to brush off something the idiot Satoru said” Ren raises an eyebrow while mentally prepares himself to lose some brain cells at whatever additional stupidity he concocted that day as he joins his sister’s side—completely oblivious of the shock he’s about to receive. “What did he say?”

“…What if the reason I can’t bring Y/N back home is…. Because… she doesn’t want to?” she whispers, as if the words were heavy, impossible for her to pronounce, or more like she didn’t want to voice them out loud, because by doing so it meant she had to relieve her disbelief yet again. 

“I don’t follow” Or more like he doesn't want to follow, because why would he want to think of the worst possible scenario becoming a reality when it comes to saving their sister? And such skepticism is what immediately leads him to frown and snap his gaze down onto his sister. 

He’s hoping to find any kind of indication that might signal this as a joke of bad taste, but all that he can find is nothing more than a shade of fright Hinata never allows anyone to see but the closest to her.

“…Because she wants to stay with Naoya?” Hinata is pushed by Ren’s intense stare to continue, but before she’s able to add anything more, Ren speaks.

“I hope you’re joking” the oldest of the L/N sibling’s spats, but Hinata’s silent rebuttal, as well as the flicker of her gaze back to the ceiling, proved him otherwise. “I seriously hope he didn’t just fucking imply that”

“He did. I’m telling you it’s something stupid, usual silliness from him, but… even if I think of it that way, I just can’t help but to wonder… what if?” Hinata frets “What if Y/N and Naoya somehow get to know each other better and she… she decides she doesn’t want to be here anymore? I’m already damn sure my visit was just a ruse to cover his ass, but what if… what if the next time I see her it’s not a ruse anymore? What if she means it?”

“When did you start doubting our sister, Hinata?” Ren asks, and Hinata is suddenly invaded by the sensation that her words have been a… Well, a gross misconception. And a grosser stupidity for implying such a thing for seemingly no reason. 

“I… never have… I just… well, he made… a point that I hoped wouldn’t come true, that’s all. Because if it did… I don’t know what I’ll do” she shuddered. 

But her worries didn’t come from doubting you, no. Far from it. She knew you too well to ever think of this becoming a reality.

They came from her own uncertainty.

She’d always been the one to come to the rescue of everyone that needed it, the one that everyone knew they could rely on if there’s something to be done.

There had never been a moment where Hinata couldn’t overcome an obstacle in the past. She always knew what to do, what to say, and that led her to be the figure of guidance and protection that others always expected her to be.

But on the occasion that she finds herself needing help, and struggling to find so… It led her to doubt her ability to comply with the expectations of everyone around her, as well as her own abilities.

Hinata always exhorted assistance with an unparalleled talent, regardless of the level of graveness, or if she even knew the person or not.

So… why can’t she do the same with her own sister?

Perhaps her mind granted far more credibility to this thought than what it actually needed in an excuse to ease some of her tensions, because if that was the case, then Hinata could easily say there was nothing else to—

“That won’t happen” Ren reassures her upon sensing the mental gymnastics happening inside her mind.

But Hinata, far from feeling reassured by his words and too deep into her own despair, can’t help but inwardly dispute on how he could know so confidently.

And as if he was able to read minds, although it was more of being attentive to the right cues, he continues “Because there is no way she’d ever care for someone as wretched as Naoya—she either lost her mind, or Naoya did. And I’m leaning towards none”

Hinata remains quiet, analyzing his words for a few seconds before releasing a sigh.

“…If you put it that way… I guess you’re right, Ren” Hinata eventually relented, her moment to now look up at him. 

His gaze remained fixed on her, as if to show how attentively he was listening to all that she had to say, however, even with the stern look on his eyes, seemingly offended by Satoru’s suggestion, Hinata was still able to uncover an underlying emotion behind them: something… likened to pain and irritation.

Pain, for the mere thought of you being away from them through your own volition was enough to induce him into disgust—because he knew, deep inside him, that could never come to reality, at least consensually. It entailed another layer of inscrutability he doesn’t dare to explore for his sanity’s sake.

And on that note, we pass onto irritation . 

Far from being irritated at Hinata for bringing up the sentence that silently tormented her, these feelings were directed towards Satoru. He was used to his frequent occasional stupidity, but this was just on a whole ‘nother level, leading him to admit that perhaps his life could’ve done better without knowing this.

Yet, this was to remain a secret between his conscience and himself, not wanting his sister to feel any more responsible than she already did.

“Don’t worry about anything anymore—you’ve done enough, if you keep stressing about it you’ll just waste your energy” Ren says, attempting to move onto a different, less sour topic of conversation, because who wants to think of their younger sister staying in the horror house of their common enemy? While consoling her hard work. Oh, how he wishes he could take all of her responsibilities so as to make her workload easier to manage… “I can read your correspondence if you’d like, and give you the rundown after you’ve gotten some rest. I can also let the servants know not to disturb you and to prepare your meal later”

“Ah, you don’t have to do that Ren” she shakes her head, shifting to her side to take a better look at him, using her arms as support for her head. “I thank you for your attention, but… well, I’d like to indulge in these small things I missed while away, get the whole home experience, you know? Besides, I already know what’s awaiting me on those letters, probably a thousand more missions so I don’t really mind getting them myself” she groans.

“Hinata-san!” A voice calling from the other side of the door interrupts their conversation, followed by a set of gentle knocks. Neither of the siblings need to inquire any further to rightfully assume it’s Sumire.

“Talking about the devil…” Ren chuckles as he sits down, now glancing at the door. “Come in!”

The door is swiftly open, and an exasperated Sumire steps into the picture—seems like the poor girl can never catch a break.

“I got them, here they are…” She breathes, making her way towards your sister, who also sat down to appropriately receive her correspondence through a small wooden box. “All of your letters—up to today! I didn’t open any of them, I just arranged them by sender”

“Thank you, Sumire” Hinata smiles as she takes the bundle from her hands and lifts the cover, her smile dropping once realizing the incalculable number of letters inside it—she doesn’t believe she’s been out of her home for that long, but the items before her dare to prove otherwise.

Well, such trivialities are bound to happen during an ongoing crisis… considering that she was also the heiress of a somewhat important clan, with a talent that many described as primordial for the smooth development and safety of the jujutsu community.

With that in mind, Hinata mitigates her shocked through as she begins to go through each and every envelope, setting aside those she thought important, urgent, and finally, those that were nothing more than junk—the vast majority coming from some newsletter she wasn’t aware she subscribed to, presumably when she finally got the courage to shop online. 

She doesn’t even have that much time to spend on your rescue, what made them think she had time to go through the season’s specials?

Outside of that, everything else was just as she anticipated: nothing more than a bunch of newly assigned missions and announcements from jujutsu HQ regarding the current situation. 

However, one of them holds a heavier weight than the others judging by the confidential label on the envelope, and it’s only when she reads it’s contents that her stomach drops: she’s to be an examiner on the upcoming grade 1 exam that’s to be hosted in the Tokyo school.

If her recently added missions weren’t a bid enough of a delay to her much needed trip to Kyoto, this would certainly be. It truly could not have come at a worse time.

Hinata holds back her newfound frustration as she continues through the rest of her correspondence, which is somewhat pacified, that is, upon noticing she was approaching the final letters.

She doesn't know where this thought came from, considering it had been proven useless time and time again to even consider this futile circumstance, but whether for her own reassurance, or simple curiosity, there’s something inside her that tells her to take a chance: even if there’s a slight, almost non-existent possibility of this coming out as positive, it does not hurt to ask the question that kept her hopeful throughout this moment.

“…Has there been… anything… from my sister?” Hinata cautiously pondered before looking back at Sumire’s mournful eyes. 

Her gaze flickered from the letters on your sister’s hands, to her gaze, before squeezing a quick glance towards Ren —who replicated the same expectant worry on his dark eyes— before ending on your sister’s letters again.

Her reaction gave the understanding that she was hoping a letter of your writing would magically appear before them… as to avoid the shame of admitting to what Hinata already figured out just by the look on her face.

So, to not keep toying with their feelings, Sumire eventually relegates herself to voice out the dreaded answer.

“No” She reveals as she lowers her head. Her voice is quiet, but regretful, almost as if she felt responsible for your seeming lack of communication, hating that she was to be the one to deliver the terrible news. “…Nothing from her part yet”

“Are you sure?” Hinata is quick to counter. Her mind isn’t too keen on letting this idea go that easily… not when she knew you weren’t one to give up so easily… and there were yet scenarios to go through.

Her family had proven countless times before to have a hidden agenda: they could’ve easily interjected any signs of communication between the two families just to ensure the perpetuation of this marriage.

Fortunately, Sumire was already two steps ahead and had prepared herself accordingly to avoid this situation, such as being the first person the mailman was to see when delivering packages to the estate.

Unfortunately… your absence wasn’t to be the work of your family’s or your husband’s clan. All evidence pointing to the simple fact that you… just haven't been writing to your family.

“Yes… I’m sure” Sumire reaffirms and your sibling’s heart stings with pain and disappointment.

“I see… thank you” is all that Hinata says before placing her letters away on a nearby table, deciding to go through the details of her temporary role as examiner on another occasion. “That’s all from me… I guess”

“Sleep for now” Ren says as he now makes his way to the door.

Sumire, regretfully understanding that her presence was no longer necessary bows before the two and makes her way out the room, retreating onto her next responsibilities just in time before the staff notices her lengthy absence. “…I’m sure Y/N has done whatever she can to let you know she’s ok. Besides, there’s been a rising number of cases regarding mail theft, remember? Even our nearest post office reported a incident, so that might be it”

“Wish letters from HQ would get lost…” Hinata scowls “Why does my sister’s mail need to get lost or stolen?”

“Let’s just assume they have a better private service—while Y/N doesn’t… as well as having an entire family against her”

“I know I shouldn't feel this way, but…” your sister grumbles, looking away from your brother. “I just…”

“Do you feel she hasn’t attempted to contact you at all?”

“…Maybe. I don’t know—I know Sumire is trying hard to keep up with the staff here too, and Y/N’s situation isn’t any better, but… I just can’t shake this frustration inside me, that no matter what we do, there’s always someone out there outsmarting us”

“There might be, there’s always a possibility. But I assure you that she and I have been doing our best to keep our movements concealed, so you have nothing to worry about that” he says, gently placing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to his chest whilst resting his chin on her head “And I’m sure Y/N has done whatever she can to let you know she’s fine. Don’t worry about it, little sister. Rest for now, you’ve done all that you could”

“…Thank you” she smiles, turning to his direction and wrapping her arms around him for an embrace. She keeps there, allowing herself to be comforted by the warmth and care she feels as nothing but necessary to keep surviving; remembering that the last time they hugged was during your wedding, just before you left for your honeymoon. 

Thus, a long time coming, yet bittersweet, gesture.

She eventually pulls away from him. Ren gently patted her head and bid her a good rest, as well as a reminder of his availability if she needed anything, before making his way out of her room.

Hinata sees him off, only receding back inside after he disappears around the corner. 

Once alone, she promptly changes out of her clothes— your sweater— neatly folding them and placing them onto the nearby table before reaching into her closet for a more comfortable attire to rest in, finally throwing herself over the futon after doing so.

Hinata doesn’t even bother to go under the covers to go to sleep. She’s too tired, too beaten up to do anything else than indulge in the few moments of silence she’s been provided with after a long day out in the city.

And silence was to be an understatement, for her mind was all but quiet in these moments. You were running through her mind every second of the day—whenever she was eating, working, resting, or doing absolutely nothing , her mind always brought her back to you, wondering… if you were ok, if you were safe . 

If you were even able to enjoy anything anymore at the lion’s den. Making her realize that even with all the built up stress she was carrying, it was nothing compared to your position.

But like all things in life, your presence in her mind's eye eventually tires her out, and in the middle of reaching out for a quick distraction via the book she had abandoned in favor of her work, she falls asleep.

Hinata gets roughly around… 2 hours of sleep before she’s woken up by the uncomfortable pain of her sore throat and the void of the stomach aching to get something to eat…

As well as the thundering sound of her heart beating against her chest, followed by a thin layer of sweat coating her skin.

The first two occurrences didn’t bother her much for the following reasons: instead of taking up on one of the many invitations from the servants to get a refreshment of a snack, she went straight to bed. Thus, it was only a matter of hours before her body began to cry for sustenance.

It’s the latter that she can’t wrap her head around. 

Was it a nightmare? Maybe. Hinata has never been one to sleepwalk, or remember what she dreamt of soon after waking up, so she couldn’t even fathom what it was that had her so distressed.

However, judging by the amount of pressure that she’d subjected her body to these past few days, she doesn't need to go any further to assume it had been your situation that had her in shackles.

Hinata sighs.

She tries not to think much of it, keep her head cool—but as it was stated before, your visage had seemed to haunt her ever since you were stripped away from your home, tormented as she remembers that by each passing day, your suffering only worsens.

«At least I didn’t wake up with a headache» Hinata consoles as she begins to take deep breaths, exercises to calm down her tense heart. 

Once she feels herself to be in a better condition, she glances over to the window to get an idea of the time.

It’s already dark at this early hour, as expected of the season. As well as unreasonably cold, reminded by the shiver traversing her spine after a gust of wind makes its way through the window.

Hinata silently regrets and berates herself for not lying underneath the covers from the very beginning as she proceeds to sit herself up—it had been highly responsible of her to do such a thing, no matter how desperate she was to lay down and sleep, she shouldn’t risk getting sick, because that would only her work, although she could use it as an excuse to avoid being an examiner….

No, that’s not right. So, determined to stop this foolishness before it worsens any better, she decides to take care of body’s needs.

Her body, having remained in the same position for far too long, ached to be given that refreshing stretch before moving onto her new goal—with her admitting that she was also looking forward to it.

But before she’s able to do as much as push herself up from the futon, a sharp sensation strikes her lower back, prompting a hiss from her while anchoring her on the post.

A reminder that even if she “slept” she didn’t necessarily rest .

Just to show, yet again, that peace wasn’t something that she’s going to achieve whilst in her home… or everywhere else for that matter.

This doesn’t sway her to stay back in bed though, and instead, Hinata simply waits for the pain to dissipate before finally getting up from her bed and making way towards the window and shutting it. 

Once that’s done, she heads over to her closet and reaches out for another hoodie to prevent more shivers from disturbing her, just as they did as she received another gust of wind whilst closing the window. 

But even with this extra layer, she finds herself seeking more warmth, thus, she makes a mental note of bringing an additional blanket after returning from getting something to drink and a snack.

Nostalgia suddenly hits her as the topic of blankets is brought up—it might be silly, annoying even, but not for those with a broken heart. 

It’s not her fault, she couldn’t help it: blankets have essentially become a symbol of your persona and that’s all she could think of right now.

For as long as she could remember, you always had the tendency of running cold at night: your hands and feet freezing even underneath the covers—even alongside layers and layers of clothing—which you might’ve mischievously used as weapons against her and your brother in the limited occasions you had to share a bed with them…

Such was your animosity towards winter, that you’d rather be weighed down in place over your own futon than to suffer the slightest of shivers throughout the night. 

Some even judged the way you often wrapped yourself with a blanket, dressed up with hoodies over hoodies, and basically hung around the estate like that for the rest of the day—instead of just wearing something warmer.

Well, you didn’t care, if others were willing to suffer throughout the winter just so they wouldn’t be labeled as silly , then so be it.  As long as you had your thousands of blankets and garments to accompany you, you’d be happy.

Hinata chuckles at the silliness of the memory, before her face suddenly drops.

There is no way for her to understand the kind of care that goes on inside the Zen’in estate, but she hopes that Naoya is at least decent enough to keep you warm and prepared for the upcoming winter, the one that’s yet to be the coldest one yet according to some forecasts. 

That’s the bare minimum he could do as your husband : keep his wife well attended throughout her stay there… or was that too much for the heir of the prestigious Zen’in clan?

And unexpectedly, it's at this moment when she realizes this is going to be the first holiday they’re not going to spend without you…

Even when you were quarantined away at school in Tokyo, she still found a way to keep contact with you and your family…

But this time… she’s not so sure she can achieve so. 

There are many things to consider, so many things invading her mind at the same time, that she doesn’t even know where to start: she needs to act fast, she needs to take the right steps to ensure that you’ll be back before Christmas is here, she needs to protect her family is the Zen’in truly did something as abhorrent as his father implied…

But she doesn’t know how.

She’s so unsure, so… indecisive. 

Hinata feels like she’s drowning in her own thoughts, without being able to turn to someone for help and pull her away from the waves that seem to be pushing her deeper and deeper into the void of her worries.

How was she expected to do anything when she feels like she doesn’t know what’s going on? As if she were nothing more than a child?

And with that realization, her mind finds clarity.

If Hinata felt like a child, then the only way to get out of this predicament is to approach it with a similar mentality.

And what would a child usually do in the situations where they feel lost?

Reach out for their parents.

Thus, your sister decides to do what has always helped her when she needed guidance: visit her father.

Once Hinata changes into something far warmer, she exits through the bedroom door and makes way deeper through the living quarters and onto her parent’s bedroom—now Eiichi’s room.

For as long as she could remember, Eiichi had always been an attentive and caring father when it comes to supporting his children; however, this type of bond seemed to be a bit  stronger with her, since they could relate more to one another as leader and heiress of the clan respectively.

He’s always been her go-to person when she faces uncertainty in her life, and he always tries to be there for her, whether for personal or professional matters, it holds no relevance to him, as long as he’s able to help.

But then, when your mother, Minako, passed away… something inside him changed and he began to distance himself from everyone.

Perhaps there was a chance of reconciliation: in fact, many would’ve thought that your situation was to bring your family closer…

Unfortunately, this only served to further rupture whatever relationship was left, more so when it was known that he’d been somewhat of a willing player in this scheme—to make matters worse, he always doted on you the most… which only made his betrayal ever more heart wrenching.

But even after all that happened, all the pain her family had been inflicted with, Eiichi is still their father, and she still loved him.

So as Hinata stands before his door, she mentally prepares herself to push their differences aside for a moment, and just… be there for one another.

“Who is it?” She hears Eiichi call from the other side upon hearing the soft knock on his door. 

“It’s me” Hinata responds, and she hears a soft gasp coming from inside of the room as well as a shuffle she was quick to identify as someone scurrying to pick himself up. Footsteps make way towards her direction before the door finally slides wide open, revealing the sight of a somewhat distraught father, but relatively healthy.

“Hinata!” Eiichi gasps, eyes wide and mouth agape as he stares at the heartwarming sight of his eldest daughter back home “You’re… you’re back! I’m so glad to see you!”

“I am” she says, and judging by his reaction, she can only assume that either the servants didn’t bother to inform him of his return, or he had, and forgot about it because he’d been drinking.

She would have informed him so personally… but too enthralled in having an urgent conversation with her brother and your best friend, and yet to deal with the inner turmoil she had towards her father… lead her to decide against it.

Whatever the reason, Hinata still hopes that he hasn't been indulging in alcohol anymore.

For his sake, she really hopes that wasn’t the case…

However, one quick sniff as well as a scan throughout what little floor she could see through the gap in his door, is all that it takes for her to realize that he’s been sober at least for today. 

God knows what he’s been doing to keep his demons at bay, but she can at least rest knowing it wasn’t through alcohol.

“Are you… cold?” Eiichi asks, his tremulous voice snapping her back to reality as well as filling the awkward void of silence that had begun to grow between the two. 

There's the slightest hesitation on his part on approaching your sister and hugging her, but after catching the brief glance she made into her bedroom, he’s given the understanding that he’s still not in her good graces, and decides against it.

Completely unaware that perhaps… this would’ve been just what they needed to finally make amends.

“Have you eaten already? If not, I can make something—”

“A bit, but I’m fine for now” she responds. Her hunger, thirst and cold had magically disappeared once she decided she needed to see her dad first. Or more like she couldn’t focus on anything else until she completes this small detour and receives some peace of mind. “I just… wanted to see you first”

“…O—oh… I see” he blinks before stepping aside and gesturing with his head “…Want to come in?”

“Yeah, thank you” Hinata nods and walks into the room. She didn’t intend to judge him anymore than she already did moments prior, but due to a past experience, her eyes, yet again, darted to take another quick scan of her surroundings.

The first thing to notice is the absence of bottles of alcohol—she was first able to assume so due to her past approach, nonetheless, she soon remembered that their father had sneakily brought in bottles to his room and attempted to hide them whenever one of them visited him, so it was only natural that her mind urged her to double check.

Fortunately, she was proven wrong. And she was glad that she was wrong.  However, when it isn’t one thing to worry her, it’s another, and Hinata finds that in the lack of overall organization in his room.

One would think that this room had been essentially abandoned by the staff members, but that’s nothing more than a fallacy for she knows that they would never dare to not do their job when it comes to tending the master of the clan.

Instead, she assumed that this had been nothing more than his own doing.

His futon was undone, covers roughly tossed over the mattress while the pillow laid feet away from its usual position. From there, all kinds of garments were to be found scattered all over the room: from pants, yukatas, socks…. on the floor, on the nearby table, on the bed, and ironically, just outside the closet… it had been a surprise they hadn't found their way to the ceiling yet.

However none of these things worried her as much as the following did.

Secluded from the previously detailed cluster, and just beside his bed, alongside a few books, rests a small vinyl record player, with countless vinyl albums, CD’s to accompany it… and a photo album.

Items that after a quick second of glancing over them, she eventually recognized as items previously sorted as missing… memoirs from her beloved mother.

And it doesn’t take any longer from there for Hinata to deduce what has kept him occupied ever since he abandoned drinking: He’s drowning his demons, not with alcohol, but rather, with the nostalgia and pain of when things were right.

In any other occasion, this sight would’ve also brought her the emotions she imagines her father to be experiencing, as well as the urge to take a break and sit down to look back on the things she missed from when her mother was still alive.

But there’s something about observing these items in his room that… confuses her, disturbs her… if not angers her.

It almost seems that their father was… running away from his reality, from facing the repercussions of his actions, in favor of plunging into the safeness the memory of his wife provided… and they’ve been deprived of it for selfish reasons.

Hinata then feels he is undeserving of even being near these things, for after all that he’d committed against them, robbing them of their mother’s items to keep for himself, and subsequently betraying you, he’d only be defiling what they represented….

And the necessity of his counseling begins to slowly drift away as an old wound reopens.

Upon noticing the heavy shift on the air, alongside his daughter’s glued gaze on his wife’s property, Eiichi could assume Hinata was wondering why these items were there in the first place. 

He’s never been one to fret about the inquiries about his children… at least not to this level, but the passion that seems to be etched on her face is enough to grow nervous, anxiously prompting him to offer an explanation.

“I was just… taking care of them, removing the dirt that has begun to settle on them” he says, fidgeting with his hands as his eyes remain fixed on said items. “and… remembering your mother. But don’t worry about that, let’s just focus on—”

“Is that all that you’ve been doing?” she says immediately after, head snapping into his direction. The suddenness of her action provoked a flinch from him, as well as the settlement of remorse on the back of his mind. “Have you been doing anything else, at all? ”

If there was any semblance of her wanting to have a normal conversation with him, one that would help her calm down the agitation in her mind and possibly bring them closer once and for all, the incredulity in her voice informs it was long gone.

“I… I’m working…” he stammers on, tensely gathering enough courage to finally confront his daughter’s heavy gaze “I know I don’t have many responsibilities after you started to step up for the role… but there are still some things I have to personally oversee and, well, I’m doing my best with everything that happened”

“Is it?” she scowls “And is there any chance of these things being related to Y/N, hm?” and it’s now that Eiichi feels himself to have been effectively cornered.

His silence, however, far from maintaining a veil of uncertainty, is to be nothing more than confirmation to her assumptions, leading another wave of disbelief to hit her, followed by the mentally scolding of herself for being stupid enough to trust one of the people that essentially sold you to the highest bidder.

“No” he eventually responds, low, almost like a whimper, enough to demonstrate his shame. Perhaps in attempts to gain her empathy, but to an angered Hinata, this is nothing more than a pathetic struggle of victimization “I… I presume you… have?”

“You know I can’t tell you that. In fact, I can’t tell you anything , because you’ve deemed yourself untrustworthy—to think I actually came to you for guidance…” she sneers.

At the additional rupture of the damaged trust Eiichi feels his heart squeeze in pain, a need to patch things between the two arises to the occasion.

“I… I never meant to hurt you, Ren, or your sister!” He cries “You know… you know family is the most important thing to me, above anything else! And I’m always willing to help with whatever I can! But this… this is out of my hands, and you know that. You know I would’ve never done this if there wasn’t any other option!”

“And yet, here we are, with you locked in your room with all of mom’s things, which you’ve deprived us for a long time now, sinking deeper and deeper into this pathetic state, as if you’d been the one wronged, while my sister is out there suffering the most horrible things I don’t even want to think of!” she refutes “All while cowering behind the elders, under the fact that you can’t say anything because whatever accord you made with the Zen’in will be broken instantaneously! As if that were more important than your own goddamn family!”

“That’s not—don’t say that, Hinata!” Eiichi yelps, a guilty conscience prohibiting him from denying or affirming her statement, because deep inside his troubled mind, he knew very well she was telling nothing but the truth.

“Then what?” she dared, “Do you want me to say that everything is fine, that everything was just as you expected it to be—whatever that might be— if not better! And to not worry about it?”

“No, of course not but—”

“I know Ren is far more understanding when it comes to approaching you, and I can even… somewhat forgive what you’d kept away from us regarding mom—but that stops with Y/N.” Hinata breathes, tears now forming in the corner of her eyes. “I…. I can’t wrap my head around the fact that you’re… you’re able to do this, as if nothing ever happened! You’re able to lay in bed while I can’t even close my eyes without seeing her!! Do you even know what I saw that time I went to the estate?! What were Naoya's intentions for that visit all along? The empty promises he made of keeping communication between the two families?! It’s been weeks since I last saw Y/N and I have yet to know anything about her! And I can’t seem to get help from HQ either, because I’m dumped with more and more work each day!”

“I—I didn’t know—I don’t know what to do, Hinata! I want to save her myself but I—”

“You can't” Hinata murmurs hotly. “Because that’s too much , isn’t that right, father ? 

…

Eiichi remains quiet, unable to speak as the shame he carries simply for his insignificant presence steals all of his breath away.

“I’m…. I’m sorry ” is all that he can whimper past his trembling lips and the knot in his throat. There are hot tears pooling in his eyes, the vision of his angered daughter becoming blurrier by the second, something that he couldn’t be any more appreciative of for he couldn’t stand the disgrace he’d become to their family, and Minako’s absence.

“No” she shakes her head “I’m not the one you should be sorry to”

“I—I know… once she’s back, once I see Y/N again, I’ll… I’ll get on my knees and beg for her forgiveness. I've done so much wrong to her as her own father , but never more, I—I promise that I’ll make things right—!”

“No, father” Hinata reiterates, and Eiichi blinks, dumbfounded by her unforeseen response.

He expects to be reprimanded for not being active enough in your search, a big coward that doesn’t have the guts to stand up to the elders and do what’s right.

But all of this is nothing compared to what follows next.

If his heart was slowly rupturing with the pain of your absence, her words effectively crushed it.

“It’s mother you should apologize to”

And with that, she leaves.