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14dayswithyou · 8 months ago

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Teo NSFW Alphabet

🔞 18+ CONTENT! MINORS: DO NOT INTERACT! 🔞 Hello Teo Alvarado Nation, I come bearing gifts

A = Aftercare (what they're like after sex)

For one night stands; Teo will casually point out where the bathroom is and let them use any of his personal products —before ignoring them in favour of his phone or organising an Uber/chauffeur to pick them up. But for regular hookups; he'll have a towel, a bottle of water, and some snacks ready on standby. They are welcome to stay the night, but they better be gone before Teo wakes up in the morning.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner's)

Necks :) He likes how nicely his fingers look wrapped around his partner’s throat — as well as the expensive jewellery he buys specifically for them to wear. I know everyone probably expects me to say that Teo likes his own face the most, but he honestly might prefer his own biceps instead. He's worked hard to maintain this kind of build, so it's only natural for him to want to show off the results.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

The only time you'll ever get to see his cum is if you give him head; otherwise, he'll use a condom (or send you home if there are none available). But!! His seed is somewhat thick and has a bitter taste. It's not unpleasant, though!

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He's probably had a sexual escapade or two with a few of the other library employees by now ^^; He won't go anywhere near your immediate coworkers, though — he's not that much of an asshole.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they're doing?)

Sexually? There's almost nothing this man hasn't done already. He's extremely skilled, knows what he wants, and isn't afraid to ask for it if his partner(s) are willing. Romantically, however? That's an entirely new realm to him. Theo has probably never held anyone's hand before or kissed them with affectionate intentions. He knows how to fuck, but he doesn't know how to make love.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Doggystyle, in front of a mirror. He likes being able to pull his partner's hair, slap their ass, or place a hand on their neck/shoulder blade to bend them to his liking. Seeing his partner's face might be a bit too intimate for him, so any position that lets Teo fuck undisturbed is good in his books.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

While he's far more serious, he'll entertain any goofy partners. If they crack jokes or do something silly, he'll roll his eyes and go along with it — for the most part. Once it starts getting old, he'll simply ignore it.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Most of his body is hairless for his own personal preference, though he does grow out his happy trail on occasion... Especially if he knows his regular partners are into it. It's a dark patch of black to match the hair on his head.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Literally non-existent. When he sleeps with someone, it's because he's either looking for a bit of fun or to let off some steam. Both parties are aware of this, though, and Teo would never have sex with someone who sees him in a romantic light or wants something more than a casual hookup. I can't believe this is happening, but if it's blog!Teo (aka Rosie and Jesse delulu AU /pos), then he would be waaay more intimate with his partner! He's more likely to make eye contact and even lean in for a kiss if you beg him enough.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Although he'd definitely jack off if necessary, Teo is typically around people who are willing to help him blow off some steam — so there isn't really much point. Teo does find the idea of mutual masturbation hot, though!

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

My dyslexic ass doesn't know how to spell it correctly, but he's got a crying kink!!! Seeing his partner so overwhelmed with pleasure just does something to him, and it goes hand in hand with his degradation and knife kink. However, I want to make it explicitly clear that Teo doesn't get off to seeing his partner in pain!! He also wouldn't do something they're not comfortable with. Everything gets discussed before the relationship situationship can delve into anything more long-lasting.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

He loves to do it inside his McLaren (or Tesla, in Blog! Teo's case). His windows are heavily tinted so you don't have to worry about any outside interference, though Teo isn't above threatening to wind down the window inch by inch in order to tease you. Other than that, Teo is down to fuck almost anywhere that's hygienic and sanitary. But keep in mind that he also gets a kick out of public indecency, and bribing the law isn't above him either (if you guys somehow got caught).

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Sending him risque texts, telling him you're bored and alone, unabashedly sitting in his lap while he's with his friends, literally taking his hands and shoving them down your pants, etc. He likes people who are confident and forward with him without feeling ashamed or embarrassed by it. ...Just don't make it seem like you're trying to claim ownership over him, though. Don't cling to his side to make his friends jealous. Don't send him spicy texts because you saw him flirting with another man. And don't act brazen just to flaunt your relationship in front of that cute souvenir shop cashier.

N = No (something they wouldn't do, turn offs)

To be honest, there isn't much that Teo is not open to. He's down for almost anything so long as it's legal and not too immoral/outlandish. He's fine with somnophilia if it's discussed prior, but things like dubcon might be a bit too icky for his tastes. Keep in mind that he's also really selfish, and would probably want to stick to his own kinks since they are more familiar to him.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

He was born to be a pillow princess, but wouldn't mind going down on his regular hookups either.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

It's always hard and rough with him, though he likes to switch up the tempo in order to tease you/his partners. Just when you think you're about to come, he'll slow down and ultimately stop moving. And once you've sufficiently begged him enough — maybe turn on the waterworks to really get him going — then he'll give it to you fast and hard until your toes are curling and your eyes are rolling back.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

He's Corland Bay's king of quickies lmao. Teo is the type to pull you (and your clothes) aside and take you where you stand before going about his day as if nothing happened.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

He's always down to take risks and experiment! Teo is open to trying out almost anything — and unlike Ren, he's more in favour of having others see you both get fucked. Teo knows he's good and wants to show the both of you off.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

While 3-4 rounds might not sound like much, Teo tends to draw them out for as long as possible. It's almost like he's trying to edge you with how often he'll stop before you can reach your peak... But the orgasms always feel that much better for the both of you when you're especially horny and desperate for release. I think the better answer would be that Teo can last at least six hours in the bedroom.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

He doesn't use anything on himself, though Teo does have a small box of toys for his partners who prefer it. I wouldn't count his knife collection as toys, nor the literal police handcuffs stashed away in his drawer. (Which, ironically, were used to detain him after he vandalised a small business..... Why did they let him keep the cuffs.... How did he get away with it.........)

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Teo isn't one to be a physical tease (he doesn't have the patience for it), though he is a massive verbal tease in the bedroom. More often than not, his words are mixed with a degrading edge to it. "My thigh ain't enough for you? Then why don't you try begging me for more, then. C'mon, I know you can do it." / "You want more? Move your hips then." / "Hands on the mirror, doll. I never gave you permission to touch yourself." / "Look at you, crying while bouncing on a cock like that. Can't handle it splitting you open like that, huh?" / "Fuck. Can't help but act like such a cock-hungry slut, can you? I'm not even all the way in yet."

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

He mainly uses low grunts and growls, though he does use a lot of dirty talk to fill the silence. Teo gets more vocal the closer he is to coming.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Blog!Teo only ever kisses Angel :) It's already kinda hinted at in all da NSFW fics with him involved, but I'll take advantage of this situation and make it more official hehe

X = X-ray (let's see what's going on under those clothes)

I ERASED HIS PENIS FROM MY MEMORY, But I wanna say it's around 7 inches and extremely girthy. There's a prominent vein or two running along the underside with a slight curve to the left when erect. Even when soft, it looks like he's packing heat down there.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Teo has a high sex drive, but he can easily manage it. Surprisingly, he probably only has sex like... maybe four or five times a week? He's too busy being a public menace and setting things on fire. Now that I think about it, I do quickly want to reiterate that while, yes, Teo is a playboy; that isn't his defining personality trait. Since the very beginning, he's always been a lover of chaos and messing with people (/nsx) — not sleeping around. Flirting =/= sex, and Teo has always been so much more than just a hedonistic fuckboy. So please don't take this post as confirmation of him only being interested in sex (or sleeping with Angel)!!

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Teo will most likely stay up a bit longer just to scroll through social media on his phone, though he is willing to initiate pillow talk if it's with one of his FWBs/regular hookups. If it's a one night stand, he'll only fall asleep once they're gone.

#Jesse requested this (I hope you feel better soon :c /gen)#I'll write you a lil Teo-centric fic as well hehe #💖 — 14 days with queue.#💖 — about teo.#🔞 — woohoo zone.

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wuxiaphoenix · 6 months ago

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Worldbuilding: Outliving Emperors

There’s a common tendency in a lot of fantastic fiction portraying long-lived races or individuals interacting with shorter-lived types. It often defaults to, “they have a mindset of slow and patient consideration in the face of Problems. After all, they have plenty of time.”

(Until, of course, they don’t, and the Evil Overlord obliterates lots or possibly all of them.)

It’s a valid way to portray a fantasy race, I guess. But I think it misses a critical consideration of sapient life. And that’s pattern recognition.

To boil it down - if you’ve lived a long time, and you pay attention to what’s going on around you, sooner or later you will recognize when things are about to go nastily sideways. The river-folk down there and the mountain-folk up there have had a new generation grow up without bloodshed; sooner or later some young buck out to make a name for himself is going to dig up the old feuds all over again. Or, we’ve had three years of bad harvests in a row, I bet the nomads think we’re weak now, let’s watch for raids. Or (and much worse), this guy is making speeches about a Glorious Past and Restoring the Nation to its Rightful Place in World Affairs... right, time to duck, world war incoming.

If you’ve had time, you’ve seen things happen. If you’ve had enough time, and survived it, and even a little breather afterward, you can sift back through the history leading up to When All The Maps Got Arrowy, and try to see what set the whole mess off. So if you see similar precursors go off again....

Slow and patient consideration might not actually be your preferred plan. Instead, you might opt for, find the bastards and shut them down, fast.

Someone slaps you? Walk out now, no matter what anyone else thinks. Squatters on your land? Find them and toss them out on their ears so hard they bounce. Sabers rattled your direction? Make it absolutely clear there will be heavy weapons firing back - as soon as fired on, not “two years later after we’ve deliberated it to death”.

Because if you’ve lived for a while, and you anticipate living a lot longer - think about it. “I’ll be a slave for a decade, then die,” is bad. “I’ll be a slave for a century, and that’s only if they let me die-”

Yeah. That’s worse.

With a long lifespan, the number of Bad Things that can happen to you automatically increases, just by virtue of your being alive to have them happen. Why would you want to give any avoidable Bad Thing a chance to happen?

Wouldn’t it be possible that an elf, cultivator, dragon, or other creature who might live centuries, might actually be quicker to act than regular humans?

I have found this in one fantasy setting. In Lejentia, by Flying Buffalo Games, the Aelvan Nations finally beat down and imprisoned the Hyl Sudiar (Hellish Seducer) and the demon who possessed him, and breathed a sigh of relief. Some centuries later, said demon persuaded another person to become the next Hyl Sudiar... and the Aelvan Nations declared war immediately.

Human kingdoms: “Whyfor you do that?”

Human kingdoms a few centuries later, after despite all efforts the Hyl Sudiar’s armies have conquered half the world: “...Oh.”

I have to think about this, given I have a story that has at least one nearly three-hundred-years-old vampire, and a somewhat younger cultivator who has still outlived three emperors and is working on a fourth. (Zhengle, Jiajing, Longqing, and Wanli, if you’re interested.) They’ve seen threats to their people. They know, over and over again, what it is to lose people to the actions of evil men. What it is to live on, while those you love die, and it never stops hurting....

Long life might not mean slow and deliberate action. Just a thought.

#creative writing #worldbuilding

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cripplecharacters · 7 months ago

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What are your thoughts on people making random characters albino (especially regardless of their race, even if they aren't black? Would it count as fetishizing under certain ways?

I've heard that albinism can appear in any race group, but I'd just like to know how you view just random characters casually having albinism (even without it being sexualized for fetishized)

Hi!

Casual representation is great! Not just albinism, but disability in general. You don't always have to go into complicated details of "how's it like to be disabled". But just because it isn't meant to be a work about a certain condition doesn't mean you shouldn't do your diligent research - if by making random characters have albinism you mean giving them the "aesthetic" and nothing besides that, it would be fetishization or at least just poor representation.

Also, for this answer I'll be talking about oculocutaneous albinism because I'm fairly sure that's what you were referring to, but please be aware that there are other types, like;

ocular albinism (has 3 different subtypes)

Heřmanský–Pudlák syndrome

Chédiak–Higashi syndrome

Griscelli syndrome

oculocutaneous albinism also has multiple (7) main subtypes, with some of them splitting further. You should take that into consideration as well when deciding on what kind of albinism your character(s) has :-) I'm not saying that you should write "X has oculocutaneous albinism, type OCA1b" in your book, but it will help to inform you what their needs and symptoms could be!

First thing I will mention is that the word "albino" is generally not the preferred term and you probably shouldn't use it unless you have albinism yourself. Here's a page on it by the National [USA] Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation or this post we reblogged recently.

To make sure that your representation works, you need to understand how albinism works. Even if it's a side or minor character, you should be aware of the symptoms other than just the lack of melanin. Prime example, the extreme majority of characters with albinism in media don't have any vision issues at all, which is not how it is in real life. If you make a character with albinism, you're making a character who is blind or low vision. It's important to research aids and assistive technology, as well as blindness tropes that your character could fall into. For a character that only shows up occasionally, it's still important to show things like a white cane, their light sensitivity, them having to avoid the sun.

If that's your approach to "making random characters be disabled" then you should be good. A lot of disabled characters end up boxed into specific tropes (for albinism: being evil, being emotionless, having magic powers, or being mystified because of their disability) so having e.g. a background character with albinism who has a regular job and shows up in the story from time to time would mitigate that. People with albinism are normal people.

It's true that a person of any race or ethnicity can have albinism! Some types of albinism are more common in certain demographics; for example, Heřmanský–Pudlák Syndrome appears much more frequently in Puerto Rico and OCA4 is almost exclusively seen in Japan, and oculocutaneous albinism is more common in sub-Saharan Africa as a whole (which is a giant area, but there's not much statistics about it). But your character could be of any background to have albinism in general.

In short, if the representation would end at "giving a character white skin, white hair and red eyes*" then it's more fetishistic than representative; that's just using the appearance but ignoring everything else. Keep in mind that it's a medical condition, not an aesthetic. If a character stops having albinism when they dye their hair, tan, and wear colored contacts, then that's just a character who happened to have light hair skin and eyes, not a person with albinism. Good representation of disability means showing the disabling parts of it - again, you don't have to go into detail about how it is to have albinism if the character shows up for two chapters, but show them navigating with a white cane!

*note - in real life, people with albinism don't have red eyes. I mention it because it shows up in media all the time. It just screams fetishization because it's not a thing - most people with albinism will have blue, hazel, or brown eyes.

I hope that this helps - if you have a more specific question, feel free to send another ask. I also recommend going through our #albinism representation tag, it might answer some of the questions you might have! :-)

mod Sasza

#mod sasza #anonymous #albinism representation #disability erasure #fetishization of disability

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boundinparchment · 1 year ago

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Blasphemous Rumors - VI

“Marry me.” He said it with such blasé that you weren’t sure you heard him correctly. Silence surrounded the two of you and he leaned down and tilted his head, watching you like a specimen under a microscope. “Just for a year. A marriage of convenience. Consider it nothing more than a harmless experiment for the sake of curiosity.” Il Dottore/Female reader with established personality. Slow-ish burn. Semi-enemies to lovers. RATING MATURE, TO CHANGE; MINORS DNI. On AO3 here. Likes, reblog, and comments appreciated.

It apparently already had, judging by the silence that dominated the carriage ride the following morning.

A maid had seen to the heavy drapes just as you were sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing your eyes. For a moment, you forgot about your attire (or lack thereof) and your face grew hot at the servant’s giggle when she reconvened with her coworker, who was setting up breakfast in the other room.

You caught an exchange about a rumpled bed and briefly, you turned your head to note that last night gave the proper appearance of a wedding night well-spent. At least your brief encounter had been useful in some regard.

And now, several hours later, you were still en route to who knew where. The snow had given way to lush highlands some hours prior, the hills green and teeming with wildlife. Lord Dottore never told you where you would be spending the next few weeks, just that he made arrangements based on a selection of the Tsaritsa’s holdings. Your boss gave you a wide smile of unfortunate reassurance; Lord Dottore had done something correctly.

The only thing keeping your mind at ease was the knowledge that, even this far away from the Palace, it would be silly to attempt to kill you. For this agreement between you to work, you had to be seen and known. Therefore, it was beneficial to him to keep you alive.

You passed through a town, the people lively and the houses painted bright. The air here felt a little warmer and flowers crawled up trellises, spilled out of window boxes. It almost passed for Mondstadt, what you recalled of it. No one here seemed as carefree as they were in the nation of Anemo but the Tsaritsa’s gaze did not travel here; the instant their eyes caught sight of the carriage, backs straightened and heads lowered but it was not the same deference afforded in the main city.

Lord Dottore had spoken little other than a compulsory morning greeting. He had one ankle settled over a knee and a book open, the pages worn and the spine cracked. Most of the ride consisted of regular intervals of page-turning and muttering. But now, you could sense his hidden gaze was on you as you looked out the carriage window.

“You look as though you’ve never left the Palace,” he quipped.

“Usually such travel is by ship,” you replied, eyes glued to the window. “I only saw photographs of this region but they don’t do it justice.”

If you looked at him, you knew you would recall last night in startingly detail again. You were acutely aware of a distinct sensation between your legs and while that had not been the driving force behind why you straddled him, it was a consequence that lingered longer than preferred. He hit the nail on the head about being needy and the second he knew, a good chunk of leverage was gone.

But to not make eye contact would be rude. Make the entire thing more awkward. You never avoided his gaze before and you couldn’t start now.

You tore your gaze away from the passing buildings and looked across the carriage at your husband. He was dressed more casually than you initially thought, sleeves rolled to his elbows, his cravat gone, and the first two buttons of his shirt undone. In your several years of working with him and every Segment, you never once saw bare skin from him that was not just a portion of his face. Fleetingly, you wondered what it would feel like to press your lips against his collarbone and you wished you had been brave enough last night to try.

“It’s far greener than anyone gives it credit for,” you said.

The extra second that lingered sent a jolting throb through you. You schooled your features and returned your attention to the window when you received nothing more than a hum of acknowledgement.

Maybe he should kill you after all, you mused. At least then you wouldn’t have lingering thoughts about his lips and how warm he had been beneath you.

Thankfully, the carriage stopped just on the outskirts of the town, just past a checkpoint with Fatui presence. Your destination was just far enough away on foot that it was possible to walk into town, if one wished or had need to.

Lord Dottore climbed out first (he couldn’t get out quickly enough) and helped you out of the carriage. As soon as your feet touched the ground, his hand was gone from yours, as if touching you was tantamount to setting himself on fire.

Your heart gave a little squeeze as your eyes settled on, not a large manor as would have been fitting, but a stone cottage a little further down the hill, close to the beach. Still larger than the convention, the building looked as if it had been there for centuries. It was made of the same rounded, uneven stones as the wall surrounding the property, with a gable roof and several chimneys. Cozy. And if the arrangements were made by anyone else, romantic might have come to mind.

You tried not to think about how the aquamarine of your ring matched almost perfectly to the shutters flanking every window.

Lord Dottore stood next to you, neck craned back, seemingly examining the sky. You swallowed as your eyes traced his Adam’s apple. He looked every part relaxed and casual, a Harbinger without most of his trappings finally on vacation to anyone with an untrained eye.

Just before his attention was stolen by the driver and the house’s caretaker, he said, “You may want to stop gawking and head inside, my dear, before it rains. Unless you wish to be drenched.”

You hadn’t missed the way the corner of his lips quirked as you turned and made your way down to the house, gravel crunching underfoot.

The rest of the house was as expected and contained all the additional amenities expected of a property owned by an Archon. It retained its charm in the exposed trestles and plaster walls, in the stonework fireplaces and wooden floors. When it wasn’t raining, you could imagine the cool breeze passing through open windows, a reprieve from the icy chill of the western capitol and its mountains.

A pang ran through you as you felt the familiar sensation of wood grain against bare feet and heard the crack of a lot in the fireplace. For a moment, you swore you smelled your mother’s cooking.

Were they okay, you wondered. Had the money arrived on time? Were they properly prepared for the rest of the winter?

You smiled and greeted the housekeeper when she spotted you, your mind split between making sure you said the right thing and filing away important thoughts for when you were alone.

Or as alone as one could be as a Harbinger’s wife.

She showed you around the house and introduced you to the cook. The staff lived outside of the main house, she said, but were connected to the network of bells that ran through the property; if anything was required, they would be notified.

“Your Lord Husband has offered to replace the system for Her Majesty many times but the Tsaritsa prefers the less intrusive system of pullies and bells,” the housekeeper remarked. “Nothing can fail if the power grid is offline.”

Out here, the lights were dimmer and many things still relied on burning wood for the oven or heating. There was a charm to it, a reminder of the world outside of Sneznhaya’s great technological achievements.

The first floor contained the usual spaces of a dining room and sitting room. A secluded sandy alcove was accessible only through the set of glass double doors tucked into a far wall, out of the way. The house seemed to have been built with the cliffside in mind, the side of the building meeting the cliff to provide shelter from the rain. It afforded a private pathway into the house from the shore or even a small hideaway. Supposedly, the best sun rises could be seen only from there.

You were shown two smaller bedrooms on the second floor, tidy and spartan. The owner suite and its attached washroom and study were last; your things were already neatly arranged at the foot of the bed.

“I’ll leave you to unpack, my lady.”

The floors creaked gently underfoot as the housekeeper bowed and left you to your own devices in the larger bedroom. Rain pelted the windows and absorbed the remaining silence as you took in the exposed dark beams and furniture.

And the bed. Intended for two.

Your eyes drifted to the couch in the study. While the maids had found you properly disheveled this morning, this house was smaller and the staff much more loyal, that much was clear. You would at least have to truly sleep next to one another to make this convincing.

A frown tugged at your lips and you pushed it away quickly as you brought your attention back to your awaiting belongings.

Unpacking took far less time than you expected it to (although you weren’t sure why). It wasn’t as if you owned all that many clothes. In hindsight, you wished Lord Dottore told you about the climate of where you were going. At least you had enough dresses to cycle through, you supposed.

Lord Dottore’s things, as sparse as yours, glared at you in the dim light of the room. Were you expected to unpack for him? Did he do that himself? Or did a servant? You ran your fingers over the latches and found a hidden lock.

That answered that, then. So much for snooping.

When you returned downstairs, you heard a distinct timber mixing with the cook’s voice. You rounded the corner and went down the hall to find Lord Dottore kneeling on the floor, his entire upper half stuck into the open oven. He retreated and stood in one smooth motion before he turned a knob in the oven’s control panel. The distinct smell of fuel hit your senses and you heard a soft woosh.

“That one should last longer, at the very least,” Lord Dottore drawled as he stepped back. “The ignitor is easy enough to replace but it would be more efficient and befitting of Her Majesty if—”

From your vantage point in the doorway, the cook smiled and waved a hand; such a gesture anywhere in the Palace would be inexcusable and yet neither of them flinched.

As they walked over to the storage rooms, they said, “Yes, Lord Harbinger, but the food would taste different and no one would be thankful for that!”

Your husband’s striking profile was broken only by the ghost of a smile that pulled at the corners of his mouth. When he turned, you hated how your heart tugged at the sight of his upturned lips; the moment was stolen when lightning cracked and took the lights with a distinctive pop, the house going dark.

“Never a dull moment?” you whispered, unable to hide the single huff of laughter that escaped you.

“Out here, I certainly can never complain of being bored,” Lord Dottore replied.

He moved instinctively and closed the distance between you, his mask’s beak grazing your nose in the darkness. His breath was hot on your lips when he spoke.

“Between your antics and the house, dorogáya moya, I think I’ll be quite occupied.”

You didn’t miss his low chuckle when he stepped around you and left the kitchen, lips grazing your cheek.

Dinner was late but truly made you question the skills of the Palace’s kitchen staff. Or perhaps it was just the fact that you’d eaten so little throughout the day. Either way, the food was delicious.

And the bed was soft, warm. Too warm.

Or maybe you just weren’t used to sleeping next to someone.

“We’re adults, are we not?” your husband had said. “Unless you intend to accost me again.”

“Who was the one who cut my cheek with a letter opener?”

“Oh, please. You can hardly see the scar.”

Words came so easily when you were alone, just like they did when you were in your office bickering over line items. But you shouldn’t, couldn’t, push your luck. You still needed to be able to gather information and if you weren’t careful, you’d be doing this all for nothing. Or rather, strictly for his benefit.

And the last thing you wanted was to help a Fatui Harbinger.

If you moved the wrong way, your foot brushed his. He was so tall that, when he curled up, his knees or feet encroached on your half. Heat radiated from his side and you did everything you could to resist the urge to draw closer. Nights in Snezhnaya were cold, no matter where one was on a map, and with the onslaught of rain, a chill lingered that never seemed to die.

His feet, perfectly warm and with proper circulation clearly, found your frigid ones by accident as you drifted off. You heard the displeased grunt from the other side of the bed but he didn’t pull away; he arranged his feet around yours with a huff before he muttered something in a language you didn’t know. The words tickled your neck.

You swallowed and tried to push away that disastrous ache from the carriage ride. Ridiculous. You were not this needy, not in the weeks leading up to the wedding, and certainly not when the Harbinger walked into your office.

Somehow, despite the trepidation and arousal that danced through your veins, you fell asleep.

And you woke to a dark gray pall of overcast, squeezing your thighs in hopes of taking the edge off the now brutal-throbbing.

The bed felt colder and you sat up and reached out a hand. The other side of the bed was empty, a ghost of the presence lingering in the sheets. He hadn’t been away long. But when he left the bedroom the night of the wedding, he hadn’t returned and Lord Dottore didn’t seem one for much sleep.

When you didn’t hear the floorboards creak for a minute or two, nor see any faint light, you carefully delved and you let your fingers trace your sex. You went rigid when you felt how wet you were. Of all times and circumstances…nothing was appealing about this situation in the slightest, you needed to keep a clear head, and yet your body craved release? Seriously?

It was nothing you couldn’t give yourself, of course. One of the joys of a private room in the Palace dorms had been no one overhearing or accidentally catching eye contact with you.

Your eyes locked with the bedroom door. Ajar.

But this never took long…

You bit your lip to keep a gasp at bay when you got your knees and pushed in a single finger, and then another, hot velvet wrapping around your digits. Your other hand joined, middle finger finding your clit with practiced ease as you pumped, finding a familiar rhythm. Soft pants mingled with the wet slick sounds that only made you buck your hips, demanding more of yourself.

A flash of the previous night flitted across your vision when you closed your eyes. For a moment, the memory tore itself apart and became something else, Lord Dottore’s body hard and hot atop yours, and instead of pulling away, he lifted your legs and—

Your mouth ripped open in a silent scream as you stroked the perfect spot, shuddering and clenching hard around your fingers. That only seemed to make the ache worse and you pushed yourself over the edge twice more for good measure.

You stiffened at a sound in the hallway just as the third orgasm washed away. One of the stairs, you surmised. Another followed and you darted out of bed and towards the washroom.

Good thing, too, you thought, as your eyes met your reflection.

Messy hair was one thing but your face bore every tell-tale sign of what you had been doing. Flushed cheeks, wide eyes, inability to catch your breath. There was no mistaking this for waking from a nightmare, that was certain.

The shower was a better place for future refuge, you realized, your gaze drifting to the glass and tile. Or the bath…that tub looked perfect for a long soak…

You washed up and tried to press a cold washcloth to your face. After your wedding night, one of the last things you wanted was to be seen with an afterglow; it would prove Lord Dottore right and likely insult him, even if he said that he was not interested in a perfect stranger. It was the polite thing to do, wasn’t it?

Not that his opinion mattered but you couldn’t blatantly display how little you truly cared for the whole façade. Not when you’d only begun.

Satisfied that you looked sufficiently normal, you returned to the bedroom to find a steaming cup of coffee on your bedside, along with a note.

Don’t take too long. Unless, of course, you enjoy breakfast cold.

Several days into the stay, you rounded a corner one afternoon only to bump straight into Dottore himself. Instead of colliding, he turned slightly and your back met the cool plaster wall, a hair’s width between the two of you as his hands rested on your hips. Enough space for him to officially say he wasn’t touching you anywhere else but, at a glance, would fool anyone.

“Are you always this careless, dorogáya moya? Do you bump into Palace walls on a regular basis?”

The tip of his mask scratched your nose and you scrunched your face at the sensation.

“Do you, my lord?” you threw back, angling your head in an obnoxious attempt to see beneath the face covering. “After all, I’m not the one with my eyes covered.”

“I see perfectly fine, thank you.”

Dottore pulled up to his full height and looked down at you, your vantage point gone. You’d caught a glimpse of his nose, aquiline in shape, but nothing else. For a moment, you imagined the lower portion of his mask gone and wondered why, of all things, he hid that along with his eyes. His profile was probably quite striking…

Perfect for striking fear into people’s hearts, you dolt. Get a grip!

You didn’t reply but he didn’t pull away either. The heat emanating from him was overwhelming, a sharp contrast to the cool wall behind you. For a man so calculated, who spent most of his time in freezing temperatures down in his laboratories, he ran warm. Too warm. Was he sick?

What did you care, you asked yourself. The man deserved to be a little under the weather once in a while after all of the headaches he caused you. In fact, considering he was so crucial to several of your own employer’s plans, you hoped he was sick.

Before you could get another word out of your mouth, Dottore tilted his head and captured your lips with his in one swift motion. His hands moved from your hips to your waist, and one reached for your neck to keep your head angled up at him. Without prompting, his tongue grazed your lips and as soon as you gasped at the sensation, all you could taste was him.

This was nothing like the kiss on your wedding day. That had been gentle, efficient, chaste.

Your head spun as your hands reached for something, anything, as Dottore’s tongue brushed yours in exploratory hunger. Breathless, your fingers found purchase in the fabric of his shirt and he pinned you against the wall, hips pressing into you.

That infernal aching need seared through you, your body betraying you. No, not again.

When you pulled away, gasping for air, he had the gall to laugh. It was a low rumble that sat in his chest and vibrated against you. He drank in your expression, his tongue pressed against his teeth as he gave a sharp-toothed grin.

Absolute bastard.

“Do be more careful next time,” he teased before he stole another kiss, teeth dragging against your bottom lip.

His hand let go of your neck and you stepped around him, aware of every nerve ending now screaming for more.

You didn’t look back as you continued the way you were going and returned upstairs.

In the privacy of a cold shower, you finished what both of you started.

Anyone else would have given in, you were certain; or at least anyone else would not have taken as long as you did beneath the water, scrubbing your skin until it was almost raw. He shouldn’t have touched you, shouldn’t have kissed you, shouldn’t have grinned like a victor over the spoils of a long day’s work.

And you shouldn’t have whispered his title as you came, wishing it was his fingers deep inside you instead.

You wished it got easier. You really did.

When the sun finally peered out from behind the clouds, you settled into the sand and spent an entire afternoon basking in the warmth. It was difficult if not impossible to ever get this up at the capitol and you were eager to soak in every ray you could.

Lord Dottore joined you one morning, his pants rolled up painstakingly, silently holding out a cup of coffee to you. You did a double-take but took the mug. It was too early for the cook to be awake; you knew the schedules by now. The sun was barely over the horizon, still pink with morning glow.

“Did you make this?” you asked softly, looking down into the scalding liquid.

Lord Dottore clicked his tongue as he shifted his weight and remained standing. Out of the corner of your eye, you caught his colors of choice for the day and was surprised to find he only wore a white shirt, gray waistcoat, and gray pants. Like what one of his younger Segments typically dressed in.

“You sound surprised that I’m capable of such a feat,” he replied, and you weren’t entirely certain that the bitterness of his words was entirely playful. “I was planning on going into town today. A change of pace. You can mail those letters that have been piling up; no doubt your parents want to hear from you.”

He made it sound as if you had an obnoxious stack of letters; in reality, it was only three. Two for your parents and one for the Tsaritsa, full of thank you’s and kind regards for allowing you the use of one of her summer homes, no matter how humble.

As planned, you had nothing else to send, nothing else written. You could not risk a paper trail, not here when the two of you were expected to be together most of the time, and where most of the staff were loyal to the Tsaritsa Herself.

There was not much information to send anyway. Dottore took his Harbinger meetings or any important missives at the guard house, away from you and away from staff who might eavesdrop. If you were going to gather any intel, it would not be on your honeymoon.

The view of the town when you first arrived had been beautiful and now that the weather was favorable, you had no doubt that the flowers would be brighter and the hills more vibrant.

“That sounds like a great idea. I wouldn’t mind looking around if you can spare the time. I rarely get to do much else when I travel other than stare at spreadsheets,” you replied. “Unless you think—”

“It is time I allotted, and therefore it is not expensive,” Dottore deadpanned. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”

You took a thoughtful sip of coffee before you looked back up at him.

“Not in this lifetime and probably not the next.”

He sighed dramatically and his head lolled back. “Married for all of two weeks and already haunting me. What a dutiful spouse you’re turning out to be.”

You masked a laugh with the rim of your cup and you swore you caught his head turn to you, watching you. When you glanced towards him, Dottore was looking out towards the ocean again, one hand in his pocket.

“We’ll leave after breakfast,” he said, and turned away, trudging carefully through the sand back to the house.

Once you ate, the two of you made your way off the property, gravel crunching under your boots as you walked to the guardhouse where a carriage stood. The ride itself was uneventful, quiet, except for the occasional interjection about local landscape. You drew closer to town and the air changed, suddenly filled with the familiar scents of baked bread and spun sugar along with damp hay.

Back home, you would have smelled charcoal and roasting meats, along with the distinct tang of fish.

Once you left the carriage, you took Lord Dottore’s hand in your left and interlaced your fingers with his. Your rings glinted in the morning sun. His breath caught for the slightest moment when your palm pressed against his. When you cast a look up at him, he appeared no different than he usually did.

Everywhere you looked was in bloom, flowerboxes overflowing with blossoms. Cobble-paved roads made for easy traversal and, bundle of letters clutched in your other hand, you tried to keep the excitement from bubbling over.

Not even an artist’s rendition could capture the hum of people flitting in and out of shops, pausing at stalls, children running through the streets. There was an energy here that did not exist in the capitol, where eternal winter ruled over all, and one’s duty never thawed.

You were pulled harshly at the last minute and you corrected your footing just as you almost rolled your ankle.

“Keep your wits about you while you admire the scenery, Accountant,” Dottore muttered. “I’m not carrying you if you break a leg.”

“I’ll be sure to make my fall look like an accident, then. Less paperwork for you.”

He let out a breath through his nose as you continued. Without much effort, you located a postal office and dropped off your letters.

“Did you have anything in particular you needed to do?” you asked. “After all, this was originally your plan.”

Dottore’s obscured gaze took in your surroundings and you wished you ripped off the mask the other day. You were always able to read him before when there was a desk between you. But now, it was like even his mouth expressions were foreign to you, indecipherable.

“There’s a bookstore nearby that might have something of interest to a recent project along with a bakery that serves a wide variety of international treats I would prefer to visit last. Other than those, I had no other intentions.”

“Bookstore first, then,” you held out your other hand in a gesture, silently asking him to lead the way.

He found what he was looking for and then some, the bookseller startled when they looked up at the counter to find one of their first customers of the day to be a Fatui Harbinger. You grabbed a recently published novel on a whim, written by an individual you’d never heard of before but bearing a Fontainian publisher seal. Without so much as asking, Dottore plucked the book from your hand and placed it atop the pile.

“I wasn’t certain if I—”

“You’ve been reading the same book twice lately. Don’t be ridiculous, my dear.”

You weren’t even certain you would like the novel but to protest any further was poor manners and drew unnecessary attention to an otherwise kind action, you reminded yourself. So instead, you stepped closer and took his arm, resting your head against his bicep.

As you wove your way through the streets, you stopped in a clothing boutique. There were plenty of nice garments, soft scarves, fur-lined hats, and you tried to be demure when the shopkeeper spotted Lord Dottore and put two and two together. Everything was of fine quality and more than once, you reached out a hand to stop him from reaching for his wallet every so often.

“I will pay for what I want,” you whispered.

“It’s hardly trouble when Pantalone will give me grief for me not spending mora on this trip.”

“Please.”

You did not want to be indebted to him, not when you had your own money, and not when you hardly had need of anything new to begin with. The idea of working for the very man responsible for draining your parents’ coffers was abysmal enough; you tried not to openly balk at the idea of Dottore spending his mora on you and having to be reminded of the fact every time you wore something.

His jaw clenched but he relented nonetheless.

The thing about living the way you did was that you knew where and how to spend your leftover mora when you had it. If you saved up, you could afford a pair of boots that would last for years or a lined coat that was pre-waxed for extra warmth. Money on clothes was never ill-spent unless it was something poorly made.

And while you didn’t have much to your name, you had enough to splurge on a few new items. Maybe even a gift for your parents. They could always use extra blankets…

Your senses were discerning; you ran fabrics between your fingers and asked about the materials. At the perfumer, you asked to compare the raw materials to the finished product (but not without including Dottore in the decision, given he would have to be around you if you wore it).

Overall, you came away with a new dress, a few skirts and blouses for work, a perfume, and a down blanket for your parents.

More than once, you felt eyes on you that didn’t belong to any shopkeeper or fellow guest.

As requested, you stopped by the bakery last, although you questioned your husband’s logic when the line was to the door. Pastries and baked goods lined the displays and you smiled at the overwhelming smell of cinnamon and butter. Sfogliatelle, fresh from the cooling rack and dusted with powdered sugar and rugelach caught your eye and your stomach grumbled.

No, in hindsight, Dottore’s logic made perfect sense. It was impossible to enter this place and not be hungry.

You didn’t catch what your husband ordered but when he turned to you, you couldn’t help but ask for your favorites.

As the server went to assemble your order, you caught Dottore looking at you, lips pursed. Of all the expressions from that day, you knew this one quite well: you puzzled him and he was keen to understand more.

“What did you order?” you asked.

“Didn’t I say to keep your wits about you, dorogáya moya?”His lips tugged into a smug smile. “You’ll have to wait until after dinner to find out.”

It wasn’t until after dinner, when both of you were settled into the sitting room over a chess board, that the box from the bakery made its reappearance with evening drinks of choice.

Chess was often another way the two of you spent time together, especially when the weather turned tumultuous every so often. He beat you every time, with a sole exception; it would be the only exception, he said with a smile that made the scar on your cheek burn.

Tonight would be no different. The board was prepared and just like every other night, the opposing Queen seemed to wink at you as if it knew your secrets.

“Close your eyes,” Dottore said as he pulled at the red and white strings wrapped around the box.

When you didn’t comply and instead raised an eyebrow for explanation, he gave you a thin-lipped smile with a hint of teeth.

“Humor me, dear wife. And remember I gain little from poisoning you.”

“Fine,” you said, closing your eyes.

You heard the box open and the rustle of wax paper as something was pulled out. The smell of sugar and nuts danced in the air but you couldn’t quite place where you knew it from. Against your lips, you felt something sticky.

“Open.”

When you did, you tasted flaky dough and fresh honey; everything exploded in your mouth when you took a bite and rolled around the layer of nuts against your tongue. You knew this, grew up with this.

“Baklava?” you asked, cracking open an eye after you swallowed.

“Specifically Sumerian baklava,” Dottore clarified. “Ajilenakh Nut rather than the usual pistachio and layered instead of rolled. Your version is too close to so many other desserts visually. Messier, too.”

By your version, you assumed he meant the Sneznhayan method of occasionally rolling servings of baklava, as some regions were wont to do.

“The honey is different,” you replied. “Less floral. I like it. Is there no other bakery in the capitol that makes it that way?”

“Some try but they never get the right balance. It’s too oily, more often than not.”

You watched as your husband finished off the piece he gave you, meticulous with crumbs as well as his now-sticky hand. He jerked his head in the direction of the box off to the side, nestled near your evening tea.

“I ordered enough for both of us in the event you liked it.”

“Thank you.”

No one needed two hands to play chess but you found it amusing to watch as Dottore worked the board with a single hand, his other hovering over the box, unwilling to get crumbs everywhere.

“I find it quite interesting that you take awfully long showers as of late,” he noted absently.

Both of you stepped away to wash away the lingering sticky sugar and only just returned. You schooled your face. Where was this going? Was he going to subject you to another round of embarrassing realization that your drive was pointless?

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to intrude on another’s bathing habits?” you shot back as you settled back into your seat.

“Simply an observation.”

“It’s an odd observation,” you volleyed. “What do you want to hear, that I waste hot water while I style my hair and pretend to be a Fontainian rockstar?”

You disliked how your heart skipped when you caught the corner of his mouth tug ever so slightly. If he didn’t find it amusing, he wouldn’t have reacted at all.

Why was he keeping track of your habits like that? Thankfully, the rest of the conversation veered towards work and you relaxed considerably.

“So what exactly is it you do when you aren’t balancing my budgets?”

He positioned a rook in perfect alignment without even thinking twice. You assessed the board. Your bishop had a few options, none of them consequential…the queen was a possibility…

“Auditing, mostly. Especially when it comes to tracking the nation’s cashflow. Multiple people rotate through every quarter but we look for logical patterns, find abnormalities, high thresholds, the like.”

“What kind of patterns, exactly? Outliers exist, after all. How do you identify a one-off instance versus a larger pattern with a story?”

The question felt as if he was holding a knife to your gut, prepared to not only stab but twist for good measure. He was a scientist. Wouldn’t he know exactly how statistics and numbers worked, how to identify trends?

If this was a meeting with Lord Pantalone, you would dance around the question. He knew the industry, knew how the workflow was meant to be; he invented it, after all. But you were stuck with Dottore and such things were…well…how daft would it look if someone asked him about your job and he shrugged?

You were taking too long, weren’t you? Too much hesitation and…

Your hand plucked your bishop from its safe place and positioned it near Dottore’s rook.

“There seems to be an increase in the amount of money leaving Snezhnaya,” you said at last. “Specifically from older families in the noble class but also…rich merchants without titles. And not moving it from one branch of Northland to the other, either. Just…withdrawals. And that’s strange because it’s been happening for the better part of a year but no single branch is reporting any shortages.”

Dottore titled his head up and say back in his chair the way he did after you pointed out the cashflow issues when he asked for advances on his budgets. He pondered on your words the way a dog chewed a bone and you realized, stomach stinking, something about this was off.

Because if that was true, if Pantalone knew, he would have taken action and made the others aware.

But your husband looked as if this was the first time he was hearing it. A cat with a ball of yarn.

“It would seem we’re returning to interesting circumstances, then, dorogáya moya."

It’s a shame to waste all of this on a mere bet. She outdid herself in all her planning, from the colors chosen to her dress, to the careful seating arrangements. If no one else was convinced prior, a good portion of people would be swayed by this display alone.

Everything reflected what it was intended to.

Dramatic flairs without the striking terror.

All things considered, that she did this willingly is commendable; it would only be fair to make this entire arrangement as painless as possible.

After all, one usually only gets a single wedding over the course of their life.

She was stunning, the exact image expected of her when she walked down the aisle or flitted around the party, practically floating despite the weight of her dress. And precisely because of that, I was under no impression that she would attempt anything beyond her public duty.

Even now, I am uncertain where, precisely, she obtained those garments.

To say she isn’t attractive would be like denying the sky’s color but I never once understood the point of hiding such matters. But when she strode into the bedroom and took it upon herself to sit atop me, my eyes could not remove themselves from the way the fabric clung to her skin, how the silk and lace hid the perfect parts of her that made me all the more curious…

Such base impulses had no place in this matter. I only needed her long enough to secure my win against Pantalone; to hold other expectations would be to create a bias that would ruin anything tangible that might be possible.

Besides, there was no fun in sleeping with a stranger. I never quite understood that one, despite numerous experiments on the matter. It was far more rewarding and insightful to couple with another you knew, at least in some capacity. One could argue that I do know her but never before I did want to shove away everything on her desk and—

Well, I certainly didn’t deserve that opportunity; I didn’t deserve anyone, especially someone willingly hovering over my body as if they understood what I wanted.

Who in their right mind would want me, after all?

Perhaps that hadn’t been the kindest choice but it was the best one. Even if it meant seeing her struggle with herself on the entire ride out of the city.

Would she like it, being this far out? Near the sea? It was far more private, easier to defend, and the townspeople generally loved the Tsaritsa when she visited. Instead of a large, imposing estate, I considered that perhaps something smaller and more remote might be the better alternative.

She fit right in, with the staff and the environment, like a puzzle piece missing for too long. The same can be said about her hand in mine. I am unaccustomed to being touched in any capacity and yet I find myself craving more every time we break apart…

Ridiculous. How am I meant to quantify these experiences?

She is needy, or perhaps I have been amongst myself for too long to understand the baseline existence of others. I woke that first night, unable to get back to sleep, and slipped out of the bedroom with every intention of making coffee and sitting with some of the formulas one of the Segments slipped into my luggage. It wasn’t as if we needed to wake up together and the staff wouldn’t be awake for a while.

But two mugs had been set out in preparation.

And she was an early riser.

It was the polite thing to do.

When I treaded back upstairs, careful to avoid the weakest spots in the wooden floor, I caught a glimpse of her head tossed back and the distinct sound and smell of arousal. There was no mistaking the slick, wet sound and the quiet gasps escaping her.

It should not have elicited the reaction from me that it did, my pants uncomfortably tight as the rhythmic sounds continued, uninterrupted. I stepped back, mindful of the floor, but it was impossible to ignore how soaked she was.

Would it have been abnormal for me to push the door open a little more, watch how she pleasures herself? Learn so that one day, if she ever begged, I could replace her fingers with mine? Or fill her to the brim and watch her eyes tear up with pleasure?

Her mouth was beautiful in that shape. I counted three times, cock twitching, before she became aware of herself again and left for the washroom.

Without thinking twice, I left the mug and a hastily scrawled note, and returned downstairs before she could be any wiser.

Lest she think her husband is a monster and a lecher. W hat she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt but she should have closed the door.

Sand is dreadful and, just as that morning’s sight was burned into my memories and seemed to be everywhere I looked, I could not escape the grains of sand in this gods-forsaken house.

In my notebooks. In my shoes. Everywhere. Anywhere.

But it was impossible to observe her when we’re apart. And so I must endure. Here I thought I’d have escaped the feeling of grains of sand in everything once I moved to this frozen tundra.

I disliked the beach but she never seemed to have trouble sitting for hours, reading, basking in the sun. She smelled of the sea when she came in.

Kissing her had been…nothing short of an impulsive opportunity. We didn’t make an effort to avoid one another but when she dared to look up at me, no traces of fear, words as sharp as daggers dancing on her tongue?

I would never silence her but she passed on her pointless need to me and it was distracting. If I did not want to see other results, other possibilities, I might have hiked up her skirts and goaded her into admitting her own desire. But there is more at stake here and I do not wish to see her begin to shrink at the sight of me.

Love is…hardly a matter of an equation and I do not believe it to be possible, not in this situation. Lust is expected, inevitable. Easy enough to fend off.

After all, there’s few reasons she would take that long in the shower. I’m just as culpable in that regard.

She is exacting, frugal to a fault. If she enjoys something, would it not be prudent to simply buy the thing, rather than spend fifteen minutes feeling fabrics to discern the make and quality? Others in her position would not make a choice and simply take everything.

Just like the book she clutched but protested against. Clearly something about it struck her mind and she was considering it. Why not just purchase the book and read it, then? So many people held back. But there is little point in doing so. What grand day is awaiting that one cannot use the special dishes? The fine pen and smooth parchment? There is a need for patience and a need for enjoyment and no one seems to have ever found a balance between the two.

Including my own wife, it seems.

But it made her happy, didn’t it?

To make the choices of what she enjoyed the most. She never felt like she made a terrible choice and she always wore a smile during the transaction, a smile that I don’t believe I’ve ever seen on her face. Certainly not before I impulsively asked for her hand.

And to include me in the choices? What did I matter when she would be the one wearing such things? Using them? I didn’t care.

Sharing the baklava might have, in hindsight, given the opposite impression. But it would be wrong to not offer something in return when she included me. Did one’s eyes always twinkle like that when they were taken with something? Did hers?

Awful, this feeling. Like my chest wants to explode.

She’s terrible at chess. Most are. Pierro is one of the few who actually provides any kind of challenge. The Accountant only managed to beat me once but in my defense, I was still recovering from that morning and could not bear looking at her lips too long.

What blasted absurdity. Couldn’t this have waited until a year into our marriage? There’s no making sense of any of this and it’s…

Oh, but that was quite something, that game.

Most would never hesitate to share their findings with a superior; Pantalone is almost as ruthless as I am when it comes to menials and important information. She hesitated over such a simple question that should have been quick to answer.

But instead she provided a specific example, made no mention of whether or not Regrator knew.

Did she assume it was a given? Or did she truly not report that finding? If so, why? Was it not hers to report?

Money leaving the country and circulating elsewhere was a normal occurrence and ensured the entirety of Teyvat’s economy didn’t collapse. But if too much was leaving the local economy and being used elsewhere…perhaps there was a distrust in Northland…in the Tsaritsa.

Less money circulating natively meant less money for Pantalone to draw from for my own funding. Nevermind the rest of the nation.

To hell with the rest of the nation, really. There’s little that cannot be done without the assistance of other nations anyway. Wherever the money is going, the Fatui has no shortage of enemies.

Perhaps Regrator’s embezzlement was becoming too obvious. His greed knows little bounds, a sentiment I can certainly understand under the lens of knowledge. Accumulating knowledge is as addicting as greed, perhaps could be argued to be a form of it.

And so if she brings it to Pantalone’s attention, she might, in fact, end up on the chopping block for it.

Precarious indeed.

Not just anyone gets to be in her position, however; background checks and certifications and several examinations are required. And she cannot afford to lose it, clearly, given what’s mentioned about her parents.

Keeping anything a secret was a larger liability than simply showing her supervisor her findings…

How did I miss that? Truly? How could I have lacked that much foresight?

It wasn’t as if she was hiding it very well.

I’ll send an order for a proper background check in the morning. Of all people, I should know better than to take sources at face-value.

#dottore x reader #il dottore #dottore #il dottore x reader #dottore x female reader #il dottore x female reader #fic: blasphemous rumors #arranged marriage #marriage of convenience #minors dni

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impactedfates · 1 year ago

Note

Okay I have this idea but yes yes anyway [might be long I'm so sorry]

So basically Wanderer practically joined Traveller to journey out to the last 3 regions of Teyvat. But but bUUUUT right now they're at Fontaine and doing some stuff [aka the current available quests]

Once he and the Traveller are taking a massive break over things, him checking out some places to hang out when he saw someone— another puppet, basically

When he approached them, surprise its his younger sibling [aka reader], and they still remember him despite the Irminsul incident one region ago

How would the interaction go from there? I want moar genshin-sibling-platonicness help

— 🫶🏻 Anon with another gift! A Neuvilette An otter with some things! 🦦🐚🪸🪷

A/N: THAT'S SUCH A CREATIVE IDEA ACTUALLY ANOIFENI. More genshin sibling platonic storys yes >:D AND THANK YOU FOR THE MINI NEUVI

W.C: 1237

Genre/Trope: Platonic + Familial

Format: Fic

Warnings: None (I think?)

Extra: Traveller Lumine because she needs more love, also I prefer Traveller Lumine ngl // Scaras a mean but caring older brother // Reader is a young adult // Sorry if this wasn't as long as you hoped, I haven't done any of the side quests in Fontaine :sob: willing to write a pt 2 though // I did not proof read this, I relied solely on my proofreader

Just Like Me - Platonic Scaramouche x Sibling! Reader

“Ahhh…it feels so good to relax”

Lumine sighed tiredly as she plopped herself on a bench. Scaramouche raised an eyebrow at the blonde and rolled his eyes as he stared at the traveller practically melting onto the bench. Paimon doing the same.

“You two are tired already? It’s only 12pm”

“AND we’ve been doing commissions and helping others since MIDNIGHT”

Lumine countered, now laying atop of the bench like it was the most comfiest bed in the world, Paimon nodded in agreement, going to fly over and lay down too but was knocked back a bit by Lumine.

“Go away Paimon…all you did was float around…”

“Hey!! Paimon makes great emotional support”

And all Lumine could respond with was a tired yet sarcastic ‘sure you are’. Scara watched the scene unfold in front of him and shook his head a bit. Perhaps it was because he was a puppet and didn’t get tired as fast as regular humans, but he wanted to continue their mission in Fontaine before they went to the next 2 nations.

He sat on the ground next to the blonde and after half an hour he was bored once again. Groaning a bit as he tipped his head back.

“When are we continuing our little ‘adventure’?”

“If you’re so up for it, you can go explore…look for people to help or ideally…a place to better relax and/or a place to dump Paimon”

“Hey! What’s with you and leaving me alone”

Scara shook his head as the two travelling companions began to playfully bicker, deciding to take the proposal Lumine suggested, he stood up again and began walking around Fontaine for a place to hang out or just someone in trouble. If he’d actually help them? He didn’t know either.

“GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME”

Scara covered his ears at the sudden loud screech, turning to the source of the sound, he saw someone being cornered by some guys, eyes narrowing a bit he quietly walked over.

“Just give us the mora, and we’ll be on our way”

“I’ve told you, I don’t have it. Nor do I have any debt to even be paid”

“Debt or not, we want the money”

Scara rolled his eyes, classical treasure hoarders. Using his vision he floated above them and slashed some anemo at them, pushing them to the ground. The person he saved looked up and tilted their head.

The treasure hoarders attempted to get up but the person quickly slashed them down with geo, knocking them fully unconscious.

“If you had a vision yourself, you should’ve used it”

Scara said, floating down and crossing his arms at the person who just shrugged.

“I was going too, until you came here. Are you a god or something?”

“Ha, could’ve been if my mom hadn’t betrayed me”

He mumbled under his breath, earning a confused look as the person didn’t know what he said. Quickly coughing into a fist he extended his hand.

“You can call me Wanderer, nice to meet you”

“Oh right, I’m [Name]”

They replied, a bit hesitant, taking his hand and shaking it. A bit quickly realising that the hand they shook didn’t feel the same as the others. And as creepy as it sounds, a puppet's hand is quite different to a human's hand.

Puppet?

Both Scara and [Name] looked at eachother, realising that well, both their hands felt like a puppets one.

“A puppet?”

“Seems so, wow I never met another puppet before”

“Don’t get used to it”

[Name] laughed a bit, before eyeing Scara up and down. Something about him felt familiar…perhaps too familiar. Before long they were pretty much staring and Scara was glaring at them as no words had been spoken during this time.

“Ah, sorry…but…Kuni?”

“...What?”

Scaras eyes widened at the name before narrowing again.

“How do you know that name?”

“My mom told me about Kunikuzushi or well…Kuni…he’s my older brother…well I see him as well, I’m not sure what my mom thinks”

“Older…brother…? Wait wait…you’re telling me your mother is Raiden Ei AND that you remember that?”

“Yes and yes…why is there a problem?”

Scara shook his head, this was quite the surprise for him. He had a younger sibling and they remembered him? Or the stories anyways. Thinking for a bit he decided to explain to [Name] about the incident with the ____ Tree.

Before long, he was walking them back to where he last left Lumine.

“Wow, so you erased yourself from this tree and now history has forgotten about you? Like you never existed”

“For the nth time…y e s”

“Sorry not sorry. But that’s just so cool”

[Name] explained, laughing a bit at their brother's tired look from explaining why he’s been pretty much deleted from history. Lumine was up by now and no longer bickering with Paimon, rather she was talking to someone with a smile. A smile that both Scara and [Name] recognised as a fake one.

“I’ll get right on that…yes yes bye”

Traveller waved off the Fontainian and as soon as they were out of sight their smiles dropped and buried their heads in their heads, proceeding to silently scream in them as Paimon attempted to comfort her.

“What have I told you about accepting everyone's request”

“...Not to do it”

“And you did it anyways”

Scara sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose but he had no bad feelings towards Lumine. He knew it could be hard to refuse after being known as such a helpful adventurer.

“Oh! It’s the famous traveller! Hello!”

A voice called out, Lumine turned her head to look at Scara and noticed [Name] raising a brow. Before either Lumine or Paimon could answer, Scara quickly explained.

“Wow so…Ei really made a 3rd puppet?”

“I believe they’re older then the Shogun puppet Paimon”

Lumine answered before turning back to [Name], holding her hand out for them to shake which they happily did. Scara rolled his eyes a bit at the interaction but shrugged it off. Not like it’s bad or anything.

“Hey! Since you two seem to want to hang out together, how about you join the commission Traveller just got?”

“Oh! That would be ni-”

“No”

Scara interrupted, coughing into his fist before looking at [Name] who stared back with a slight pout and a raised brow. Lumine and Paimon sighed a bit, they both internally knew that this was going to be awhile.

And it was! The pair had to listen to the two of them argue about [Name] joining the commission, and as harsh as Scaras words were to try to dissuade [Name] to join, Lumine could tell he just wanted to keep them safe. Unfortunately for Scara, he had been following Lumine to the commission area so…whether he liked it or not, looks like [Name] is joining.

He simply grumbled under his breath as he reluctantly grabbed his siblings arm and began dragging them around as Lumine started the commissions. If he couldn’t stop them from joining, the least he could do was protect them right?

That’s what siblings are for…and they’re also for

“THAT WAS MY SWEET MADAM [NAME]”

“NOT ANYMORE”

They’re also there to have silly arguments with after a long day of commissions, reminding both Paimon and Lumine what they must look like when they argue. Lumine simply laughed at their antics as she sipped her drink. (You wish that was you huh?)

If you want a pt 2 where I probably (hopefully) write Scara and [Name]s sibling dynamic better, please comment! I'll make one as soon as I finish my current requests :>>

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theconstitutionisgayculture · 5 months ago

Note

Yeah, “Aang is pro-Palestinian” gave me cancer but I was also thinking within the realm of “if you ship Zutara you support victims of colonization marrying their oppressors!” As if preferring which two fictional characters to see kissing has any real world implication. And that’s just one example. I think fandom has gotten to the point where these kids think they’re morally superior due to however they interpret shows. It’s somehow even worse than keyboard activism.

Oh god that shit is infesting ATLA too? Way to miss one of the main messages of the show, btw. Or did they miss the entire third season that goes out of its way to show that the regular people of the fire nation are just normal people like everyone else living under an oppressive government, and not eeeeeeeevil colonizers? Do they also miss Zuko's entire redemption arc where he learns that doing bad things to please his abusive father is actually wrong and learns to be a better person?

Oh, wait, of course they do, because they also hate redemption arcs and think recognizing how a person changes and betters themselves is supporting every action they've ever taken.

I swear to god some people should be banned from trying to interact with fiction at all. The cold soup that passes for their brain can't handle it.

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ourloveiselectrifying · 4 months ago

Note

Hello hello! It's me DFP

I'm wondering where you learned/are you learning to Code? I find the structure of your game quite entertaining and I like to take a little inspiration from it (If I'm allowed)

And I tried to make images that are options but apparently I'm still a long way from leaving the beta of my projects So I wanted to seek advice from you

(Also, if this is not the correct account to ask this I apologize, but if you have some very good advice that can help me please feel free to go to my DMs)

Hello DFP! :3 (I'm not exactly sure what you mean by structure sorry, but probably yes haha)

I didn't learn coding. In fact, the scariest part of my game is the code itself! I would like to take classes in art and coding someday! It's just not a great time in my country to be spending money atm ahahahaha- (cries in national housing and inflation crisis)

If you're using Renpy to make a VN, smart people would recommend giving the Renpy and Python's offcal guides a good look and watching Renpy tutorials on youtube.

For me, I'm the kinda person that only takes in information by dissecting and breaking things, then learning from the mistakes. I looked at the front page of the Python pdf, and it made my ADHD repossess my body despite being on the max dose of ritalin. I immediately closed it then skimmed through the Renpy quickstart, not really taking in any of the information, jumped right into designing the main menu, minced up the code, caught a bunch of errors, and had to check out fourms for fixes.

Have some random tips that may or may not be helpful since I don't know your skill level and I, am infact, not skilled in Renpy, I have no idea what I'm doing half the time! :3

Make new files for everything, don't just put it all in the script or it's going to get ridiculous.

Scripts get LONG use # and add notes, so you can CTRL + F and find stuff easily.

If you're like me, check out renpy's reddit/lemma soft fourms, if you're not getting good goog search results, it might be the words you're using, I had this issue a lot, try changing up words in your question (options/preferences/choices/decisions)

When you're learning copy and paste the code/answer, once you know the the code and can type it out fast, then starting manually typing it out.

Always check the dates on posts, there's a bunch of old renpy guides/fourms that don't work anymore.

There is more than one way to skin a dingo (sorry kevin), if you've found a fix that seems ridiculous but it's working, keep it!

If you have anger problems prepare to get fuckin' pissed off! Before you start coding have a coffee/bottle of water/energy drink beside you, so you have to walk away to take angry piss breaks and can clear your head.

If you absolutely cannot figure something out, make a copy, put it aside and work on something else until you're a little more skilled.

I have three copies of olie, the one that works, the one that I'm experimenting on, and the one on a USB I copy when I get drunk and forget which is my "fuck around" code and which is my "don't touch it, it works" code and I annihilate my game. Make regular backups to your USB for any emergencies, houses burn down. Limit your drinking while coding.

Compare code to the game base if you're coming up with errors. Goog the exact error that pops up when the game crashes. (renpy expected statement)

Click the blue text and it'll take you to it. Sometimes it's not very accurate and you need to look a little above or below the line the error happened. 70% of the time your error is a missing space or "," or an extra space!

I also recommend checking out all the shortcuts on your code editing software (I'm using visual studio code!) I was manually adding indents to each line, which was wasting an insane amount of time LMAO ;w;

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by images that are options, but I'm guessing an imagebutton? If you search "renpy imagebutton" there's a few forums and tutorials that will guide you but it's like this.

You need a screen for your buttons, an image, if you're feeling funky add transforms to the button, else just use a different image for idle/hover!

Add the anchor before you do xpos/ypos because it messes around with the positions and you'll have to re-adjust the xpos/ypos again. You need anchor for the transitions to work properly.

If you want the button to make a sound on click add activate_sound or remove it if you don't want one, it's optional.

This is how you make the transform, you can do a TON of different transforms. This is a simple idle/hover transform. ease is the animation type/speed, alpha is transparency, 1.0 is fully visible, 0.0 is transparent, at 0.5 on idle, it has a dimmed effect. the zoom makes it bigger. Make a new file for this one!

Buttons have a TON of actions to choose from, this is a time I actually would checkout renpy's offical guides. This one does the same as a jump at the end of a label or choice.

If you want your game to not pause when your buttons are visible, just use "show screen nameofthescreenhere zorder 20" (zorder is the layers, 20 is like usually the top, you can go higher though)

If you want your game to pause while the screen is up, use call screen instead of show!

I probably won't do too many of these coding/renpy support things on my tumblr but, OLIE'S discord server has a few game dev channels for coding support if you'd want to join there! :3

I wish you well and goodluck on your game!!! 💖🫡🍀

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defrosted69 · 2 years ago

Text

My MVP

Ahn Yujin fan fic

"Number 6 aims it and….. MAKES IT!! The Flover Sharks College are now 15-0 for their start of the season!"

Cheers erupted through the roof as everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs. The school's gymnasium wasn't this full nor was it being broadcasted on national television. For years, your College team rarely gets televised on TV and if there is a way to get unto the cables of people, it's when your team is facing the popular and well known College University teams. But guess what? Ever since you came, things have changed for the better.

Who are you to bring in such crowd and media coverage? Oh your just one of the best young Point Guards as of right now in College. But this success comes from when you were highschool. Just like your story in College, you entered a very unknown High school where Basketball games weren't making any headlines. With your talent and skills, you easily blazed through the conference with ease earning every possible accolades from MVP, Scoring title, finals MVP, and assist title. Your constant skills brought the media all over your school.

With that kind of pressure, you would surely feel a little bit of fear and worry right?

Nope.

You couldn't careless of the people's expectation at all considering you were just focus on being better everyday on and off the court. To you, the media wasn't anything special as you consider it as a distraction in your goal.

"Ah yes hello Mike, right now I'm with today's best player Y/N Roh. Y/N you have been attracting attention since High school and now that your in College, does that somehow waver you?"

"Oh, umm thank you for that question Mr. Mike but honestly speaking, I'm not really focused on the media and stuff like that. I just go out there and do what I am asked from our coach and win. That's all what I think all the time."

"I see, well now, your team has made a historical accomplishment by being the first team to go 15-0 in a season. How does that feel knowing that you're the one leading this run?"

"Umm I'm not really the one leading anything. Basketball is a team sport and everyone in our locker room made this run possible."

"Well thank you for your time Y/N, good luck and nice win."

"Thank you Mr. Mike."

With that, you left the court and headed to the locker room. The locker room of the basketball team was usually dull and quiet but with you in, it has turned 180. Your teammates were all hyped up and excited to play college basketball once again. Your coach told everyone on the team that they should be humble and they should keep getting greedy. Of course this was your mindset from the beginning since regular games doesn't mean much to you.

After taking a shower and changing your clothes, you went out of the locker room and headed out of the building.

"Hey, it's our MVP."

You chuckled hearing that familiar voice as your eyes met with a beautiful pair of brown eyes as she smiled and waved at you.

"Did you wait long Wony?"

"Yup, me and Yujin we're waiting for you."

She smiled brightly as you tilted your head to the side and there you saw the geeky yet tall girl hiding beside Wonyoung. Yujin met with your eyes and she immediately blushed and covered her face with her clip board. Even though she was quite tall, she was very timid and a very shy person.

Wonyoung and Yujin were part of your highschool memories that carried on into College. When you first entered highschool, you weren't really much talkative as you prefer the silence and peace around you and this made everyone create a mysterious persona around you. But Wonyoung, being one of the most popular girl in the campus and also being known as an extrovert. Decided to be your friend. Of course you didn't mind it all since there could never be peace without chaos anyway. Wonyoung as that friend that always joke around and makes herself a fool sometimes and this is where Yujin comes into play. Opposite of Wonyoung's out going goffy personality is the timid and nerdy Yujin.

If Wonyoung prefers talking about Boxing, Yujin prefers to talk about Narnia books. They were literally the opposite of each other and yet somehow, they work well together. Meeting Yujin was quite a memory. You remembered when you first met her and she was shivering, literally. when Wonyoung brought you over to their table.

You know that you need to be very careful of your words consider Yujin's personality and that's what you did. You began to talk to her about the books she was reading, liking her simple hobbies such as star gazing, reading about planets, creating Lego pieces, and even discussing about myths such as the GOATman and skin walker. Slowly but surely, Yujin began to trust you and it was a wonderful feeling seeing Yujin warm up to you and show her true self.

There are time where Yujin would be bullied by other students but you weren't afraid to get dirty for Yujin. Both you and Wonyoung consider Yujin as a very fragile girl and seeing her cry would literally break both your hearts.

"Hey Yujin."

"Y/N.. Umm.. C-Congrats on winning today."

She showed you a small smile as you blushed a little and chuckled at her remark. Everything that Yujin does really make your flutter cause why you may ask? It's a simple equation really.

You like Yujin.

And no it didn't start recently, no. You actually began to like Yujin since the 2nd year of your highschool. It was when she finally began to trust you a lot and that's where your friendship with her began go build up. But you couldn't have the balls to confess to her. Why? Because you were afraid. You know that Yujin treasures the friendship you have with her considering she only has you and Wonyoung as friends. She was a loner without you two and it's just really like that.

"Thanks Yujin. Btw, It's already late at night. How come you two are still out?"

Wonyoung glided herself clinging her arms around you as she immediately gave you her puppy eyes which most males and even females would melt. This of course have an effect on you as you could feel your own cheeks turning red as you looked away from her.

"We wanna see you dummy~"

She changed her voice to a more cuter tone and you could feel your heart racing to its core. The loud beatings it was making was surely felt Wonyoung as she leaned in her chest bumping into your arm. It's softness made you lose your senses as your thoughts was slowly burning down to its core. Images of inappropriate scenes flashed before your eyes and you hated it.

Well as much you hate it, Yujin does too.

She hates it when her best friend Wonyoung would clobber you like her own toy and cling to your arms. She hated that right now, she was making you flustered when in fact she should be the one making you flustered. Jealousy is the word that could describe her feelings right now but who is she to be jealous of Wonyoung. What she lacks is all on Wonyoung. It's like God created Wonyoung to be so perfect that sometimes, Yujin would think to herself that she is a nobody at all. She hates to admit it but sometimes, she's jealous of how perfect Wonyoung is in every category. And right now, Wonyoung was showing her how much her skill in making anyone flustered so easy.

And it's infront of the person she admires.

Yup, Ahn Yujin likes you. The moment you showed interest in her books, she immediately fell in love. Some would say it's not that real when you fall in love so easily but you managed to do that with her. Yujin was a big fan of Korean dramas and her favorite genre is Rom-com. She always admires and dream of Guys that can make her laugh and show interest to what she loves to do and you checked all that list. Time and time again, she keeps telling herself how much she needed to restrain herself from showing any signs that she liked you. It was difficult but she somehow did it.

But she was also scared.

This admiration was bigger than her love for BTS, or Izone or even Twice and even Fromis_9. This was bigger and more powerful than that. It was love. She loved you so deeply that she has done small things towards you.

One of them is giving you her notes in subjects back in highschool. She would get out of her comfort zone just to help you in your struggling subjects. She also stayed in the gym helping you count your shots made and missed.

But the most significant things she could have done was when she, one of the top students back in highschool, take a blame for you. This really shook the entire school system that they had to change the school rules. The student council even had to interrogate you but Yujin defend you with all her might. She didn't want you getting into trouble knowing you have a very special game to Attend. And that memory is still on your mind because you still owe Yujin that. If she didn't take the blame of something that you were accused off, your legacy could in basketball could have been buried in the mud.

Till this day, you were still thinking of ways on what or how you will repay Yujin for that action she did.

"Well, see you around Y/N. I-I'm going first Wony.."

"Ah,Good night-"

Yujin didn't let you finish your sentence as Yujin hurriedly climbed the stairs to their dorm room as Wonyoung could only laugh at her best friend's action.

"She's so easy to read."

"Do you really have to do that?"

"Oh come on now. Y/N, you know damn well that Yujin likes you and she likes you too. When is she gonna man up, or better yet, when will YOU man up? Huh??"

You could only take a deep breath and exhaled it as you placed a hand on you forehead. Wonyoung was a confusing and unpredictable friend. Her usual antics is not something you could track that easily. And right now, you weren't sure if she's spewing facts or if it was her usual bullshit. Either way, you shook your head and denied her.

"Wony, she doesn't like me like that-"

"Accusations! False, Accusations…"

Wonyoung pointed her finger at you and did a complete copy of the meme as you chuckled at her.

"Y/n, I'm telling you this in advance because I really, And I mean I REALLY like you to marry and give Yujin kids because right now. There are Guys planning to ask for Yujin at the incoming Ball. And one of those is someone famous like you, Park Daniel."

You really didn't know how to act towards that information. One part of you was glad that Yujin was being adored considering her timid personality and you were afraid that she wouldn't feel relevant to others. But the majority of your feeling is that, you simply didn't like it. You felt like none of them was capable enough to be worthy of her.

"It's your choice Y/n. I really wanna help you two out but if you won't admit it then I'll help Yujin look preety for whoever invites her at the ball."

Wonyoung walked away leaving you frozen at your spot and the words that Wonyoung said really drilled deep into your mind. Were you this much of a coward when it comes to confessing your feelings to someone? Somehow, taking a bunch of nobodies to the finals and winning a championship seems so easy compared to this task.

You sighed and glided your hand through your hair. The stars was very beautiful tonight and it reminded you how Yujin would act so excitingly whenever she connects a star constellation. Her cheerful face, her beautiful smile, her eyes that show the beauty of the galaxy, everything about her just looks so beautiful and this made you realize something.

You're so deeply in love with Yujin.

Heat began to make their way unto your cheeks as you suddenly was flustered walking home. People might look at you weirdly seeing you all red and smiling like an idiot. But your heart was at peace thinking about her.

The girl named Ahn Yujin.

You really did like her.

You loved her more than anything.

"Say Wony…."

"Hmmh?"

Yujin and Wonyoung was now in their respective beds hoping that sleep would take them in but unfortunately for Yujin, she couldn't properly get her sleep just yet. Wonyoung on the other hand is watching her favorite Drama as she plans to skip her morning classes for tomorrow.

"I'm born to be single aren't I?"

Wonyoung had to blink her eyes a couple times to wake herself up. What her ears heard and how her brained processed it didn't made sense as she immediately sat up from her bed and looked at the girl over to her side. They both have their respective beds on each side of the wall making it easy for them to wake each other up. But Yujin suddenly felt embarrassed by her confession as she pulled her blanked up to cover her half of her face.

"Where is this coming from?"

Wonyoung asked as Yujin kept quiet for a few seconds. She wasn't really sure if it was just her exhaustion kicking to her or she's completely over at the idea that nobody will eger love her.

"I-I mean compared to you, I don't think nobody would love me like how everyone would.."

Her voice quiet down but Wonyoung's sharp ears caught it nonetheless. It was preety obvious that her best friend was once again hating herself and this was one of her habits she often encounters with her. It would only be natural considering that Wonyoung was the complete opposite of Yujin but being the best friend of hers, she knows when to help her and right now, she needed to remind Yujin that she's not who she's thinking about.

"Yujin, what did I tell you about my plan in life?"

"You mean your ultimate goal?"

"Yup. Say it to me again."

"Well. Ummmm.. Your goal is to die a virgin so that you won't be able to share any of your families business to anyone making it crumble and file for bankruptcy because, you, the 12th descendant of the Jang family, want to end the bloodline of your greedy family. "

Wonyoung smiled as she got of her bed and jumped next to Yujin's bed. The tall girl was startledat first but was able to compose herself again.

"You're right except for that Virgin part."

"O-Oh, so you're not a virgin?"

"….."

"Wony?"

"Can we not talk about this?"

"O-Oh, okay.."

Wonyoung took in a deep breath before cuddling with Yujin and smiling happily.

"Yujin, What your saying is a lie. You're loved by a lot of people. I'm already one of those people. Heck, those birds you feed at the park every Sunday morning actually loves you. Notice how they would wait for you every morning?"

"Y-Yeah but-"

"And there's Y/n too. He actually looks out for you a lot more than me and I honestly don't mind it all. Y/n cares a lot about you Yujin."

Just by the thought of you immediately made her heart race faster than normal. Wonyoung being close to her, was able to hear how Yujin's heart beat was calling out to you.

"N-No he's not. H-he's like that to everyone."

"Oh really? Then you wouldn't mind him seeing someone else then?"

It shouldn't have bother her a lot but it did. All that hiding of her so called feelings towards you finally reached it limits. She saw multiple scenarios on her mind seeing you smiling so happily with a girl which wasn't her. This torn her heart apart and it really got her feeling so sad. Tears began to form on her eyes and Wonyoung immediately stood up and hugged the girl tightly.

"I-I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"

"I like him…"

Once again, Wonyoung blinked a couple of times before pulling herself away from the crying girl. She looked surprised which was all an act. Behind the facade she was doing, she wanted to scream so loud because her faith and hypothesis was finally answered. She just now needed it to hear it again.

"I'm sorry what did you say Yujin?"

"……I like him…"

Yujin's voice was now so quiet it was hard to hear what she was saying. But Wonyoung, she caught it. She can now finally die in peace knowing her best friend like the person she was shipping with to begin with. A big smile appeared on her face as Yujin widen her eyes. She was already familiar with Wonyoung and the smile that was plastered on her face indicates nothing postive to her.

"Y-Yah Wony don't tell him please!"

"I won't. I won't but, here's the thing. Do you plan to tell him? The ball is just days away and many possible things could happen there and the worst thing that could happen to you is, Y/n is with someone else than you."

Yujin's frown only got bigger as that was really the worst possible scene her eyes can land too. She was sure that no matter how many romance movies or series she would watch, it wouldn't do anything to mend her broken heart. But the question still remains.

Was she really gonna risk her friendship with someone special to her just for the sake of love?

"I-I don't know. I don't know Wony. Will he even accept me? I'm an introvert who loves building Lego and reads fantasy books. Heck I'm a nerd through my heart and he's…. He's the opposite of me.."

Wonyoung felt the sadness in her voice as Yujin once again cried softly. She really hated it when Wonyoung sees her best friend crying and it just triggers something inside her to go violent. There was that famous incident when she saw some bullies bullying Yujin in the hallway back at High school and Wonyoung didn't hesitate to throw hands. She legit broke someone's nose and even dislocated one of their arms with her trained martial arts.

"Should I break Y/n's finger? Naaah that's too much. I love him… AS A BROTHER, yall though you caught me slipping?"

Wonyoung chuckled but she began to formulate an idea and boy did a crazy idea popped into her head. She smiled brightly as she grabbed a hold of Yujin's shoulder.

"Want me to help?"

"H-How?"

She smirked and chuckled which only scared Yujin. It wasn't everyday when you see Wonyoung showing her Heel side.

"Oh no…"

"Well it's like this.."

"It's weird for you to call me out Y/N, are you perhaps inviting me to the ball-"

"I like Yujin."

Well that was fast. Wonyoung blinked a couple of times before realizing what she heard. She had to rub her eyes for a bit and used her pointy finger to clean both her ears.

"I'm sorry what did you just say?"

Wonyoung asked again this time hoping to hear what she heard was correct. You could only look down embarrassed as your cheeks was turning redder by the second. Just saying that you like Yujin to someone close to her was embarrassing as it is. But one way or another, you have to get this out of your system and say it to someone. Of course, there's the risk of being exposed considering the person your telling this is her best friend after all.

"Wony, I'm sure you heard me loud and clear."

"No, Not at all. What I heard is that you like me"

You could only chuckle at her remark as you looked up to her and sighed.

"I said I like Yujin. Your best friend and..well my friend too."

"Ahhh, okay."

Wonyoung acted like she didn't care at all but deep inside, she was screaming and dancing celebrating this win. Her plan had just been executed and you weren't aware of her amazing plan that she has yet to play out for the two of you.

"Your not suprised by this?"

You asked. You were perplexed and perhaps the shock was enough to convince Wonyoung that it was an important matter. Or maybe Wonyoung already knew that you like Yujin but you were confident that you didn't show any signs that you like Yujin at all. Or perhaps Wonyoung was hiding that she felt sad seeing that she'll be the third wheel in the trio. That sudden though sadden you as you realized what you have done.

"I'm sorry Wony I shouldn't have-"

"Why are you apologizing? Did you do something wrong?"

"Well I though that you would feel… Left out?"

Wonyoung could only laugh out in amusement by your words. Perhaps Wonyoung can finally see why Yujin fell for you.

"Aish, you're too kind Y/n. Why would I be left out? Come ooon~ you know damn well I ain't marrying nobody so why would I be left out? Besides, I plan to adopt a lot of puppies and maybe even cats as my children."

You laughed at her but perhaps she was right. Wonyoung didn't need to be worried about being left out because she already planned to live alone. It's quite saddening to know but after what Wonyoung has gone through with her family business, being alone was the best option for her.

"But Y/n."

"Yeah?"

"Someone already asked Yujin at the ball"

The world suddenly stopped for you. Everything around you was put into a silence state as your brain process what it just heard. Your heart was already sending message through your brain that Yujin was going to the ball with someone else and not you. The feeling of missing the most important shot of the season was nothing compared to seeing Yujin in the arms of another man.

Of course this was bound to happen considering that Yujin was very beautiful girl inside and out. Only and Idiot can't see that but it was still painful because the person you like will be dancing to a guy which isn't you. Wonyoung noticed the shock and dissapointment on your face as she would be lying if she said she didn't feel sad for you. Her plan involved this and it was very essential considering this would only be amazing at the end.

"I-I see…"

"Say, do you want to help Yujin shop for whatever she need for the ball? I was suppose to help her but perhaps you needed this more than me."

Wonyoung's suggesting kinda made you look like a pathetic lovesick man clinging to a hopeless love, or maybe even a one sided love. It did hurt your pride but if you had a chance to at least see the beauty of Yujin for the ball, then you'll take it. Fuck it, this could be your only chance to say your feelings for her and have her with you but will you be able to say it?

"Yeah, sure why not."

"Okay great. I'll message you what time to pick her up at her dorm. With that being said, Bye bye~"

"Yah, At least treat me to something to eat. I'm hungry…"

You pouted your lips and rubbed your belly showing that you were hungry. Of course you weren't that hungry but perhaps you need more time to ask on how your gonna confess to Yujin with the help of Wonyoung. Wonyoung on the other hand rolled her eyes playfully as she walked away with you following from behind constantly teasing her.

There you stood infront of a familiar dorm building. It was only exclusive to female students of the Flover University. You were waiting outside of the gate waiting for the girl that your heart beats for. Honestly speaking, you weren't really feeling good about this because it was basically for you to say goodbye or confess to Yujin. One mistake and everything that you both shared could be jeopardize and your relationship from close friends can be moved down to strangers. And that's something you don't want to happen.

Your senses was on edge. It was quite normal for you to feel a little worried and terrified of big moments when it comes to the court such as draining the game winning shot or doing crucial free throws. But this, this time, that worry and anxiety blew up through the roof. No moment in your basketball career could top up this moment you were going through. Every second passing by, your fingers were twitching from anxiety and you were not mentally prepared on what will happen today.

"S-Sorry I took a long time..I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

Your eyes were glued to the girl that was standing infront of you. You were damn sure that the sunlight radiates behind her and the birds sang her a very beautiful song. It felt like today, the world's Main character was Ahn Yujin and you were a bystander or an NPC. Her hair was tied up creating a small bun up her head. Her usually black metal coated glasses was replaced with beautiful brown hazel contacts that can mesmerize anyone in her sight. Her baggy and oversized Hoodie was replaced with a white knitted cardigan that is mixed with a beautiful white shirt and denim pants. Infront of you was the girl that rang multiple calls in your heart.

Yujin didn't know what to do next as her blush began to show on her cheeks. Wonyoung basically gave her a makeover and at first, she didn't wanna do it as she wasn't the biggest fan when it comes to makeup. But Wonyoung being the sly fox that she is managed to convince Yujin to give her an overhaul and a little bit of makeover just for her. The silence from you was making Yujin uncomfortable as she looked to the side embarrassed.

"Y-You look amazing Yujin."

Yujin was red as a tomato hearing those words out of your mouth as her heart was beating so fast. A small smile cracked upon her face as the two of you began to walk away. You were honestly nervous than the media interviewing you because beside you was the most beautiful girl your eyes landed into. You began to talk to her like the usual and the two of you immediately got lost on your own world. Even thought Yujin showed more of her beauty, she was still basically that girl that like Legos and fantasy books.

The mall was full packed considering today is the weekends. Wonyoung has given Yujin things that she needed for her Ball and it was only 3 things, a Make-up, A necklace and finally, a dress that she will use. Yujin was honestly confused why Yujin would ask her to buy new Makeup equipments when they have a cabinet fully stacked of makeup. But who is she to complain though, Wonyoung gave her one of her Credit card and she was allowed to buy anything as long as it is under those 3 things that was required to buy.

As Yujin was busy checking her list to buy, You on the other hand was getting annoyed how other guys were looking at Yujin. A sense of jealousy and anger was curling around your body but you kept your cool. In fact, you had no right to be jealous at all considering that Yujin was not your romantical partner so you kept it in for yourself.

"Wh-What?"

Yujin hand was suddenly intertwined with yours as you walked ahead with Yujin following you from behind. Her heart was basically racing and her cheeks had immediately turned red. This was one of her imagination turned reality when her hand intertwined with yours. It felt so warm holding your arm as her eyes focused on her hand. While she was busy observing your hand, your cheeks was turning red and you were hiding that big smile appearing on your face.

You thought that you can hold it in with all that jealousy stuff but in the end, you didn't like it when Guys eyed her like a prey. Your instinct kicked in and you unconsciously grabbed her hand out of the heat of the moment and right now you weren't sure where to go next.

"What the fuck! Why did I do that! Now Yujin thinks I'm a weirdo! Fuck!!"

The silence between the two of you was loud as you were just aimlessly walking around the mall not knowing what to do next. Yujin abruptly stopped you walking any further when she tugged your clothes behind you. She was also feeling the heat on her cheeks as she avoid eye contact with you.

"T-This is one of t-the shop that we need to go to…"

Yujin stuttered her words but you heard her clear as day. You and Yujin went to the Make-up store and immediately, your nose scrunched up smelling the amount of perfume and powder all over the surrounding. Yujin couldn't help but chuckle softly seeing your disguted face. You looked back and hear her laughing really soften your heart. A small smile appeared on your face yet your brain was telling you that this could be the last time you'll ever see her laugh and smile around you.

"You still don't like perfumes?"

"It's not like I don't like em Yujin. It's just that, every perfume known to man is mixed in the air right now and it's just straight up making me dizzy."

"Oh no, that's not good. Do you wanna sit down for now?"

You could only stare at her lovingly. Hearing how she was so kind and considerate of you really made you happy and sad at the same time. Every moment you will spend today with her will be memorable so you should make the best out of it.

"No, I'm good. So what's the agenda here?"

"Ah, well Wony told me to buy makeup stuff…."

"Huh? I though you two are already have a lot of those."

"Yeah we do but somehow Wony wanted the newest product for me."

Of course the best was for Yujin because she was the best. It didn't take a genius to know that Wonyoung nothing but the best for her best friend who could possibly be entering a new stage in her life. You could only stay quiet and nod your head as you followed Yujin around looking for Make-up that she will use. Honestly speaking, your hands was still intertwined and both of you didn't want to let go, especially you.

"Hello Ma'am, Are you perhaps looking to buy some lipsticks? We have a great deals for couple right now and they are the hottest sale as of right now."

A sales lady said making Yujin widen her eyes as the familiar Color of red appear on hee face.

"Ah, N-No we're not a couple"

"Oh? I guess I must have interpret it wrong then."

As the sales lady and Yujin converse about the product she was aiming to buy, you slowly removed your hand into hers as her words came at you like a fast break and you fumbled the ball out of bounds. It was heartbreaking that Yujin said that you two were not in a relationship even though it was the truth. But that's how life works, sometimes you get what you want but majority of it, you'll be met with heartbreak.

You could only look down and sigh heavily as you had to composure yourself. There was no reason for you to look upset when the girl you like is having a fun time so far with you.

"At least, I'll see her happy. Just for today, with me.."

You thought yourself as you continued to hide your sadness under your mask. Yujin ended up buying a few makeup and left the store. You weren't holding her hand anymore as any misinterpretation could lead to more cracks on your heart and you didn't want to show your sadness to her.

The next destination was her dress for the ball. Honesty speaking, you were both excited and sadden at the same time. Excited cause you'll be seeing Yujin in a dress. It was dream come true for you as the shy and timid girl you know will be rocking the best dress the world has to offer.

It didn't take that long when the two of you arrived at the tailor shop that Wonyoung has recommended. Upon entering, your eyes had landed on multiple dres hanged on a wall. For sure Yujin will rock any dress but then, there it was. Your eyes froze seeing the perfect dress that will show her beauty to the world. It glittered as the light of the store shined on it.

"Yujin, maybe try that one?"

You didn't hesitate to point at the lavander dress that caught your eyes. Yujin's eyes widen seeing that her favorite color was imprinted to a dress that actually looked so beautiful. She didn't really know if it would blend well with her but you made sure that it was the perfect dress for Yujin.

"Yes, Hello, how can I help you?"

A sales lady approached you as you said

"Can my friend try that Lavander dress please?"

"Sure. Right this way Miss."

Yujin nodded her head as she followed the sales lady into the dressing room. You on the other hand sat down waiting patiently as you tried to calm your nerves down. A small smile appeared on your face imagining Yujin with that purple dress smiling happily towards you. But that small happiness popped as soon as it was getting into the best part. The reality of Yujin dancing with another man was inevitably and that really stings your heart.

You may have seen the dress but you're not the person she would be dancing with.

"Umm… H-How does it l-look?"

The curtains was moved to the side and you looked up to see an angel in a dress unworthy of you. The lavander silk dress just elevates the beauty of Yujin from the outside and the little pearls that is all over her torso was a cute touch. The patterns engrave on the silhouette of the dress left a snowy trail. You were frozen unto your own feet as your eyes didn't even blink admiring Yujin.

"Oh my, looks your boyfriend is at awe Miss."

The sales lady said as Yujin's heart began to race faster and her cheeks turning redder by the second.

"A-Ah he's no-"

"Yeah, yeah. Her boyfriend will surely be at awe seeing her dress."

Yujin immediately turned around to face you as she noticed the small frown forming on your face and your overall stance just didn't radiate much joy like she was used to.

"Oh, are you not her boyfriend sir?"

The sales lady asked. You wanted to laugh or even let out a chuckle but that would be rude considering you're not even close to that title with Yujin.

"Nope, I'm just merely her friend."

You smiled but Yujin knows you better. She knows it when your lying to yourself and coating yourself from the pain you were going through and right now, she can tell you were in deep pain but hide it off with a smile. That broke the heart of Yujin because hearing that you only see yourself as a friend towards her, it was painful. She loved you dearly yet you admitted that your nothing more but a friend towards her.

"Wony, Please…. I hope your plan works"

"I wonder if Yujin's enjoying the ball.."

You spoke to yourself as you laid on your bed watching the ceiling for the past 30 minutes. Your phone has been sitting idle on your side not receiving any call, messages nor notifications from anyone. Tonight's event was very memorable for everyone especially those people who is taking a huge step for their relationship with someone. Tonight was a make or break step for them which was gonna be memorable.

But for you?

You were laying in bed, watching the ceiling as every second pass by. What's the thrill of tonight when the person you like is going with someone else. Should you go there and let your heart break even more?

"Fuck this, I need a drink."

You stood up from your bed and walked the familiar steps in your place. Everywhere your eyes looked was a memory with Yujin and this only made it so crushing and heavy for your own heart. You wanted to forget about it or perhaps, just close those memories off with the help of liquor. That guy has never failed you when it comes to forgetting things and leaving you able to sleep peacefully. Standing infront of your refrigerator, you pulled the door and grabbed a can of beer and opened it. With one chug, the alcoholic beverage ran down your throat living a stinging sensation on it. Your head began to fill dizzy but immediately returned to normal as you took your feet to the living room.

You plopped down with your drink at hand. It felt so empty in your room. You were already aware that you were all alone in this room but the fact that you might be living all alone in the future scared you. A sour and painful chuckle came out of your mouth as you took a sip from your drink.

"I'll be so lonely because nobody I will meet will be Ahn Yujin…"

It was painful to think that right now, Yujin is smiling, laughing, and happily dancing at a guy that isn't you. Yujin would be the center of attention because she has always been beautiful and her attire tonight surely made that happen. A fiery feeling suddenly ignited inside you as you were familiar with this feeling.

"Why am I such a fucking coward? I can take the last shot yet I can't fucking confess to Yujin? I'm so pathetic!…"

This was gonna be a problem for you. You didn't want to sleep frustrated because the drink would not take effect. So what do you do calm down? You stand up and go outside of your small balcony letting the cold night breeze greet you.

"No matter how many drinks I'll chug down. I'll never forget Yujin…"

At this point, all the things that made you adore and love Yujin flashed before your very eyes. Her sweet smile, her beautiful laughter that always send butterflies to your stomach, her amazing vocals that she hides when in fact everyone should br aware of her singing voice, her soft hands. Tears began to form on your eyes and slowly, they became to heavy as you began to sob heavily.

"Yujin… I love you so much…"

You promised yourself that you would be letting her go tonight but your heart just couldn't let her go just like that. Even though you know that you have no absolute chance now, your heart still desires for her.

"Y/n?"

"Now I'm even going crazy. I can even hear her voice right now"

"Y/n…."

"Wait a minute.…"

You looked behind you and there she stood.

With the lavender dress that you helped her pick. She stood there looking beautiful as ever yet her eyes showed sadness and concern. You froze in place not wanting to move at all because your mind and heart was admiring her. The person Yujin was looking at was so broken that she felt her heart crack piece by piece. The man that she admired and always stood beside her always smiling and giving her postive energy was broken. She didn't want to see this at all. She clenched her fist and walked towards you not giving a damn about her dress. She engulfed you in a warm embrace that immediately soothes your broken heart.

Happiness,

confusion,

excited,

and scared.

Those four emotions bottled inside as you didn't really know what was going on but your body instinctively hugged her back. You held her close to your body and just like that, your sadness and worries was washed away in her embrace. Yujin could hear your heart calming down as she looked up towards you. Her soft pair of dark brown eyes locked with your own and there you saw your own reflection.

Broken

Yet

Was repaired

The

Girl

You

Loved

"What are you doing here Yujin?"

You managed to ask her despite your trembling voice. Yujin didn't let her eyes off you as she used her hand and wiped away the tears that was falling off your cheeks.

"I'm sorry Y/n. I thought Wonyoung's plan would work but in the end, I came running towards you."

You were visibly confused. There wasn't any indication that the two girls planned something in fact, what is even the plan to begin with.

"Yujin, what are you talking about?"

Yujin took in a deep breath because this was the moment. She has to say it now or else everything could be in vain after everything the duo has prepared for. But the pressure was on Yujin because she has to confess everything, and that means ger feelings as well.

"P-Please don't get mad at Wony but you see, Wony kinda planned out this whole I'm dancing with another man thing. And the ending was suppose to be me D-dancing with you at your apartment. but Wony saw not replying to her so she decided to check up on you and she immediately informed me about you drinking alone in the balcony. I-I immediately ran as fast as I can to see you… "

You lost trail because your brain could only process the words Dancing with you. You stared at her who looked embarrassed as a red tint appear on her cheeks.

"So wait, does this mean that everything that happened when we went to the mall is all Wonyoung's plan?"

"Y-Yeah… I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"

"So, Shall we dance?"

Yujin widen her eyes as you smiled at her. There was no hint of annoyance or anger on your face, just your usual smile that she has grown accustomed to.

"I think I have the perfect music for this night."

You pulled out your phone and played a song very familiar with Yujin as she couldn't help but chuckle.

"Seriously? That song?"

"Come on, you like this sing."

With a nod, you offered your hand towards her who happily accepted your hand. Your left hand pulled her back closer to her as the two of you began to step side to side dancing to the slow music that was playing. Both your eyes didn't leave each other as both of you smiled. This was the ending you were looking for and perhaps this really is the true ending. But what if it wasn't?

You have to stand firmly and say what your heart desire towards her. Ahn Yujin was the girl for you but were you the boy for her?

"Yujin.."

"Hmm?"

"Why… Why did you two did this?"

This was it. Yujin has to answer truthfully or else everything will crumble down even her friendship with you. She was nervous as sweats began to form behind her back. Her smile didn't dissappeared as she looked at you with an unfamiliar feeling. Your heart began to beat louder as Yujin stares at you.

"Y/n, through out our friendship, I'm forever grateful towards you for everything you did to me. The way you stood by my side whenever I feel down and sad. I'm thankful for that. Especially since you're……you're the only person that my heart desire"

Stunned.

You were stunned and speechless. Yujin's stare at you wasn't an unfamiliar feeling. It was what your heart desire to see everytime you think of her. The feeling of love.

She was in love with you.

"Y/n, I love you. You're the one I like-"

You had to stop her or else you wouldn't be able to control yourself anymore. Your lips connected with hers as Yujin widen her eyes. Her imagination every night of this scenario had become a reality that she wish not ending. The night was still young yet your love towards each other was burning with passion. Yujin placed her arm around your shoulder as she kissed you back. Her lips was in sync with yours and you had to pull away catching your breath.

You didn't want to die now do you?

"Yujin. All this time, all this years. My eyes were only fixed towards you and no one else. The moment I saw you smile happily, I fell in love instantly. And that small crush I had in Highschool only grew bigger when I spent a lot of time hanging out with you. "

"Y/n…"

"Yujin. No, Ahn Yujin."

"Yes?"

"I know I'm not the perfect man out there and there maybe a lot of skilled guys out there that are more suited to be with you. But I, will do everything I can to show you how much I love you so…"

You kneeled down with one leg as Yujin gasped covering her mouth. You smiled and grabbed the nearby flower in the small vase on the kitchen table and offered it to Yujin.

"Will you be my girlfriend, Ahn Yujin?"

Yujin couldn't hide her tears anymore as she began crying out of happiness. She removed her hand and was smiling while crying. Instead of accepting your flower, she gently tackled you for a hug as both of you came crashing down on the floor with her sobbing and clinging to you tightly.

"Yes! Yes! A thousand yes!!"

Yujin said as both of you eyed each other and laughed whole heartedly. This was the true ending in fact. Your heart was now at peace as the girl you loved and admire was at your arms clinging to you and even smiling. You would risk everything just to keep her smiling and happy and even though there would be challenges along the way, both of you trust each other to the point nothing will scare you of what's to come. Perhaps you didn't need to attend the ball to show your true feelings for the girl you loved.

"You did good wonyoung.. You did good."

Wonyoung smiled happily as she pulled away from your apartment room smiling happily as she heard everything.

"My mission here is done. Fufufu~"

With that, the tall girl left the scene with a happy and proud face plastered on her face.

#fluff #kpop fanfic #fanfic #kpop #ive #jang wonyoung #ahn yujin

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depressedhatakekakashi · 9 months ago

Text

Interrupting Nap Time

Words: 1,841

Note: for National Napping day, but also for @jventureart who needs some cute Team Gai bonding moments <3

Four PM.

A perfect time to take a break from the grueling task of training until every single bone in his body ached and have a nap.

That was what Kakashi told himself when he realized he’d spent most of the day training, and he had every intention of having that nap. The only problem was no matter what he looked, he couldn’t find the one person he needed to ensure he had the perfect nap.

He wasn’t at the dango shop enjoying a nice treat, or at the BBQ place having an early dinner with his old teammates. In fact, when Kakashi saw Genma, Ebisu and Choza-Sensei sitting in their usual spot with an empty sit right beside Genma, he knew something was up.

Gai would never miss out on a free meal.

“Training field C!” Genma had called out to him when he noticed him standing at the doorway, a cheerful wave from Choza-sensei following his words. “He said he was meeting with his students for some extra training. Probably lost track of time.”

Turning on his heel, Kakashi waved back at them and headed straight back out the door.

Training field C was the field closest to Konoha’s gates and the best location for anyone who didn’t want to call attention to themselves. A spot that he had no doubt Gai choice because of Tenten and Neji.

Where Gai and Lee had no issue attracting a crowd to watch their over the top training regimes, Tenten and Neji often preferred a bit more privacy. That was something Kakashi noticed the first time he interrupted one of the team’s training sessions. Both of the genin’s had immediately ceased with their training, turning their full attention to him and had refused to continue their training until he left.

It was also an easy training field to get to. A twenty minute walk from the BBQ place for any regular villager and a two minute sprint over the village rooftops for Kakashi. Even with aching bones and a sense of fatigue hovering over him Kakashi found himself touching down in the centre of the field in no time at all.

There was only one problem.

“So much for your help.” he sighed as he looked around at an empty field. The wooden polls that Gai loved to use to hone his and his students balance were empty, and there was no one throwing kunai or any other sort of weapon at the dummies beside them.

He was just about to give up when something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. A little glimmer of green tucked away amongst the tree’s, standing out among all the leaves because of its shade.

A vibrant, eye sore of green that could only belong to one thing.

“Ah,” turning toward the object he looked a bit closer. There, just past the treeline between two giant trees, Maito Gai sat with three very tired looking students piled on top of him. Lee was laying across the ground with his head on Gai’s left leg. Tenten sat in front of the tree on Gai’s right, her head propped up on Gai’s shoulder while Neji took the left side mirroring her position. All of them, as far as Kakashi could see, were asleep.

Too bad I came here instead of Sukea. He could have taken a picture of this for Gai.

Shaking that thought away, he rocked back on his heels. There were two paths he could take going forward. The first was to head straight for Gai and claim his own spot, most likely on the leg Lee wasn’t currently using as a pillow, and risk being seen by all three of Gai’s precious students if they woke up before him. The other, far more enticing, option was to simply head to his apartment and accept an empty bed and cold pillow as his afternoon napping spot.

“Home,” he decided, turning on his heel and preparing to head off. Before he could move, though, he found himself overwhelmed with a strange feeling. The feeling of eyes burrowing into his back.

Someone was watching him, and he didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

“When did you wake up?” he sighed, turning back to face the offender and frowning when he was greeted with piercing white eyes. He had recognized the feeling of being watched and assumed it was Gai who’d noticed his presence and woken up.

Instead, it was Neji who stared back at him.

“I’ll just-“

“Lay down,” Neji’s eyes closed once more, expressing the trust he had for not just his teammates, but Kakashi as well.

Kakashi simply stood there staring at the kid, his mouth hanging open in surprised. Out of all three of Gai’s students, Neji was the last one he ever thought would be inviting him to join on team nap time.

The kid was just about as closed off as Kakashi was when he was a teenager, and for good reason. The treatment he received within his own clan was enough to cause anyone to close their heart to anyone they interacted with. Yet, here Neji was opening himself up.

Allowing himself a moment of vulnerability not just with his team, which was already an impressive feat for a kid who’d only been training with them for four months, but with Kakashi as well.

“Huh,” closing his mouth, Kakashi watched the four resting shinobi for a moment. Lee, Tenten and Gai made no movements indicating that they were awake, but every few seconds Neji would crack his left eye open and stare at Kakashi for around three seconds before closing it once again. After the third time opening his eye, the Hyuga sighed, lifted his left hand, and pointed to Gai’s right leg.

The only free spot for a fourth person to lay their head down.

“Lay down,” Neji repeated, this time with a bit more force in his voice. “Before Sensei realizes you’re here and –“

Kakashi’s eye widened in a moment of sheer panic, and without thinking he raised both of his hands and quickly waved them in a downward motion. “Shhh,” his eyes darted toward Gai, watching his expression for any signs that he might have heard Neji.

There was a moment of panic when Gai’s eyebrows furrowed, but it quickly subsided when he settled back into a peaceful expression.

Dropping his hands, he sighed. “Don’t say things like that. He has a sixth sense for… you know.”

Rivalry.

No matter how tired Gai was he would wake up at the mere mention of a competition, challenge, spar, or anything that was in any way related to their rivalry. There was even a risk in someone just saying Kakashi’s name, which Neji must have understood since he had skipped greeting him by name all together when he was usually more polite with his interactions.

“Well?” Neji glanced toward the open knee once more, clearly hinting at what Kakashi to do to avoid the exact scenario he’d just barely preventing Neji from initiating.

There was no escape.

Neji had seen him, meaning if he didn’t give in and lay down with the rest of them Gai would be hearing about it and then he’d be receiving a lecture about the importance of bonding and sleep. Two things that he didn’t think needed to be mixed together, but which he had no doubt his friend would find a way to connect.

His shoulder dropped. “Fine,” he sighed, rolling his head back and staring up at the sky for a moment.

What did I do to deserve this?

Dragging his eyes away from the bright blue sky overhead, he focused on Gai and his students once more. Even with Neji wide awake watching him, the view hadn’t lost any of its cuteness. Perhaps it was because there was just an indestructible adorableness to seeing Gai cuddled up with his students, or the peaceful expressions on their faces.

Whatever it was, Kakashi couldn’t help but want a piece of it.

A moment of bliss where he could shut his eyes to the world and know that he was safe because he was with Gai.

Extracting his hands from his pockets he took the first step toward the sleeping pile of shinobi, and then another step, and another, until he found himself hovering over them. From his spot Neji continued to watch him, those glassy white eyes burrowing into his soul in a way only Gai and Rin had ever managed to do before.

“You really are…”

“Bothersome?” Neji huffed as he relaxed back into Gai’s shoulder and finally closed his eyes once again.

Shaking his head Kakashi lowered himself into a squat right in front of Tenten. The urge to poke her in the side of the head, but he refrained. Waking her up would only cause him more troubles and he already had one sleepy student of Gai’s getting on his case.

He didn’t need two.

Taking one last look at the team, he couldn’t help but smile. During his short conversation with Neji, Tenten had turned her face into Gai’s shoulder so that half of her face was now covered and Lee had turned onto his back and interlocked his fingers on top of his chest in a position that looked far too similar to a dead person who was about to be buried.

Shoving that thought away, Kakashi allowed himself to collapse into the ground in just the right way so his head landed against Gai’s leg with a gentle thud. As soon as he had done that, Gai’s right hand came up and settled straight into his hair. His index finger even rubbed against Kakashi’s scalp a little, causing Kakashi’s left leg to kick out against the ground just slightly.

Not enough to wake anyone, but enough for Neji to open his eyes once again.

“Did you just-“

“Shut up.” Kakashi grumbled, adjusting himself so that he was a little more comfortable and settling into his new position. He no longer had a clear line of sight to Neji from his new position, but he didn’t need to see the teenager to know that he was smiling.

If it were him who’d just seen an Elite Jonin of Konoha kick his leg like a happy puppy getting his skitches, he would also be smiling as he tucked away that mental image into his memory banks.

That was a problem for later Kakashi to deal with. Right now, the only thing on his mind was the comforting weight of Gai’s hand in his hair and the sound of birds chirping in the air and leaves rustling in the wind.

Before long Kakashi could feel that familiar wave of exhaustion washing over him, pulling him toward sleep. A feeling that he welcomed with open arms even though he knew he was never going to hear the end it from Gai’s adorable little students after Neji filled the other two in on what has just transpired.

#Kakagai #Team Gai #Hyuga Neji #Hatake Kakashi #Team Gai bonding #This was not at all Betaed or even spell checked #because my spell check apps are being useless

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