#but someone close told me i should try making content again! so I'm listening and I'm gonna try

[pixelatedrose]

I know it's been a HOT minute folks

I know this blog is dead

But I got some inspiration to post something again :)

Anyway- so I have a new character swimming around my head that I've drawn a lot of art for in the past month or so!

Everyone say hi to Pixie Ratskull!! She's a goblin warlock, and the tall dapper man you see a few times is Olivier- her warlock Patron!

(also pictured are Pixie's younger brothers in the last photo)

I'm having a lot of fun developing her character, although she's not an active character of mine.

I hope you enjoy!!

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

I'm clearing out my draft folder again.

Steve and Robin were running through Starcourt, high as fuck when Steve skidded to a stop in front of Eddie Munson.

"You look like Eddie Munson," Steve giggled.

"Steve!" Robin said with wide eyes. "I think that is - "

"Man, what happened to your face?" Eddie asked.

"Funny story, can you keep a secret from Eddie?" Steve said seriously.

"Sure," Eddie grinned.

"No, Steve, that's - ,"

"ANYWAY," Steve rolled his eyes at Robin. "I had this crush on him in freshman year. Do you think I should tell him?"

"Uh - are you guys on drugs?" Eddie asked.

"YES! But we didn't want to," Robin said. "They wanted information."

"Aw, fuck, there's this guy that works with Rick. Real sketchy. I told him he needs to let him go before he gets Rick into trouble, but does Rick listen to me? Nah!" Eddie exclaimed. "Look, whatever the hell he gave you should wear off. Not all drug dealers are like that. What we pitch to you is what you get. What you want is what you get. Okay, let's get you guys to the bathroom and try to get it out of your system. Come on."

"I'm going to tell Eddie," Steve said with a grin. "Shh! Wait here. I'll tell you how it goes."

Steve ran off with Robin on his tail. Eddie cursed and chased after them. They got distracted by the lights hanging overhead and started spinning around, gazing at them in awe.

"You guys do not want to do that," Eddie said, and they started heaving before they ran off in the direction of the bathrooms. "And that's why."

He ran off after them and into the bathroom room, where they vomited into the toilets. Eddie knelt down next to him and stroked Steve’s hair as he emptied the contents of his stomach. Once Steve was done, he leaned his head into Eddie's touch and closed his eyes, letting Eddie stroke his hair. He whined when Eddie moved away and saw him go to the sink. He came back with a wet, soapy paper towel and started cleaning Steve’s face.

"I guess I'm chopped liver," Robin said. "It's okay, I'll get it myself."

Steve laughed and made a face at the taste in his mouth. Eddie clapped a hand on his back.

"I'll be right back," Eddie said.

He rushed off to buy a couple of toothbrushes and toothpaste. He also picked up what he thought was lip balm. When he returned, he he heard them talking. They were clearly bonding, solidifying their working relationship into a friendship. Or maybe something more considering how Robin was talking about watching Steve. Shit, maybe Eddie should leave. They were talking about someone else now.

"But Tammy Thompson's a girl," Steve said.

"Yeah," Robin said.

"Oh."

Or maybe not. Oh God, Robin was coming out to Steve, and Eddie was overhearing it. Oh God, what should he do? He was frozen to the spot. Steve was going on about how Tammy Thompson was a total dud and how she sounded like a Muppet. Eddie snorted. Yeah, that was true.

"I can't believe you're making fun of my crush," Robin laughed. "What about yours?"

"Hey, at least Eddie can sing," Steve replied.

Fuck! Okay, so he had been telling the truth then.

"How do you know he can sing?" Robin asked.

"My car broke down near the Hideout one night, and I heard him singing. He was playing with his band, Corroded Coffin," Steve said. "They were really good. I was going to go talk to him, but I kind of thought that the drummer was his girlfriend, but that's crazy. I mean, guys and girls can just be friends, right?"

"I like to think so," Robin replied.

There was a long pause in their conversation, which gave Eddie plenty of opportunity to burst through the door.

"Okay, so I have a green toothbrush and a pink one," Eddie said. "Which one do you guys want?"

"Ooh, pink," Steve said and they stared at him. "What?"

"Nothing," Eddie said in amusement.

He watched as they brushed their teeth. Well, he mostly watched Steve.

"So, how much of our conversation did you hear?" Steve asked, setting his toothbrush on the sink.

"What? I didn't hear anything. Were you guys talking about something?" He asked.

"Seriously?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't hear anything that you guys didn't want me to hear," Eddie said.

"I don't think you're the kind of guy who would spill the beans on us," Robin said. "At least, I hope not so you don't have to deny anything."

"Ooh, lip gloss," Steve plucked it out of Eddie's hand. "May I?"

"Yeah, I thought it was lip balm," Eddie frowned. "So, have you always known that you liked guys?"

"Not just guys, girls too," Steve said as he started applying the lip gloss to his pouty lips. "I'm bisexual."

"Did you always know you were bisexual?" Eddie asked as he watched Steve’s lips intently.

"Well, yes and no," Steve said. "It was more like a slow build-up to my realization. Like more and more evidence started piling up that I could no longer deny."

"So, it wasn't like you looked at someone one day and realized 'shit, I'm into dudes, now?" Eddie asked as his eyes raked over the swell of his ass.

"It's always kind of been there. Why?" Steve asked as he closed the lip gloss.

"No reason," Eddie blushed, looking at his shoes.

"Oh my god!" Robin exclaimed. "You woke him up."

"What?" Steve asked.

"You woke him up!" Robin exclaimed, and Eddie quickly hid behind his hair.

"It's the outfit!" Eddie shrieked.

"So, what is it about the outfit that does it for you?" Steve asked.

"It's everything! The socks! The shorts that fill out your ass fantastically, by the way! And the shirt with the red bow tie in front," Eddie said. "It's just the whole fucking outfit."

"You should see me in the hat," Steve said in amusement.

Suddenly, Dustin and Erica burst into the bathroom before Steve could say anything else.

"There you are!" Dustin shrieked.

"Hey, could you give us a minute?" Steve asked Robin.

Robin quickly started ushering the kids out of the bathroom.

"But, Steve?!" Dustin asked.

"Out!" Robin yelled and shut the door behind them.

"I like you and as badly as I want to kiss you right now. . . I don't want it to be after I vomited in a bathroom. Plus, you still need to figure things out. If you still want me a few days from now. Call me. I have to deal with these kids I babysit. So go home and think things over," Steve said softly.

There was something that Steve wasn't telling him, but Eddie knew that he was also right. Besides, it was late. Steve placed his hands on Eddie's shoulders and pressed a kiss to his cheek, close to the corner of his mouth. It felt much like Steve was promising him something. Steve pulled away and started moving toward the door.

"Hey, Steve?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah?"

"I'm definitely going to call you," Eddie said.

Steve laughed and walked out of the bathroom, leaving them both with hope for the future.

[onyourowndaisymae]

obey me dateables (+ luke) presenting you with a friendship bracelet in return

lol sorry i've been a bit mia recently... i finish undergrad in a few days and have been a little swamped! + i have a mystery health condition i'm still trying to get under control that flares up with stress, so... clearly it's been a bit busy for me. i thought finally reversing my friendship bracelet prompt would be a wonderful way to get back in touch with all my blorbos. so! without any further ado, enjoy!

[presenting the demon brothers with a friendship bracelet]

[presenting the dateables (+ luke) with a friendship bracelet]

content warnings: none

prompt: you took the first step in commemorating your friendship by presenting him with a friendship bracelet. but it would be rude not to return the gesture, right? that's what he thinks. maybe that's why he's slaving away over these thin strings, all to see that smile on your face...

Diavolo

oh, what was that? yeah, he’s listening. lucifer, it’s fine, just let him–

diavolo had been ignoring the strange looks from several of his advisors all week as he took the craft in and out of meetings. usually, he'd just fidget with a pen as ancient demons droned on about witch pact laws and realm relations for the nth time this month. but now that he's on a quest to make you a cute friendship bracelet to match his own, he's got something to keep his hand busy-- and to keep him from getting a stern look from lucifer for clicking said pen under the desk over and over.

unfortunately, making the bracelet made him a much worse listener. it's not even that he's distracted by keeping the pattern going! but once he starts knotting the strings together, he starts thinking about you. would you like this gift, or should he get you something nicer? how long did it take you to make his bracelet? would you wear this bracelet? because if so, you should definitely let him know, because he can wear his and you two will match--

lord diavolo.

he looks up to find barbatos giving him a stern look. uh-oh. that means he's been lost in thought long enough for someone to notice.

he can't help it. not really. he's just never had a human friend like you before! you're just so fascinating. all your little childhood stories and human traditions send his mind racing a mile a minute. children in the devildom are often much rougher with each other. they're trying to get a grasp on their demonic instincts, and often their play turns to fighting in a matter of moments. diavolo loves the idea of childhood friendships-- something he never got and cannot make up now-- and little tokens of affection to commemorate them.

he might not be a child anymore, but something about your silly human traditions make him feel young and rambunctious again. last week, you told him you wanted to take him to a human world zoo to pet the sharks. petting animals! at the zoo! in the devildom, touching any of the zoo's creatures is practically a death sentence. yet humans could get up close and person with theirs and walk away unscathed. incredible! the more he hears about human culture, the more he wants to know everything.

when the meeting is over (and after a brief-- and well deserved-- scolding from both barbatos and lucifer), diavolo retreats to his office to finish the bracelet for you. his big hands and thick fingers struggle to find purchase on the tiny strings, but when they do, he ties each knot with the utmost care. this is for you, after all.

diavolo find you at RAD the next morning and presents you with his gift then. he craves your approval more than he'd ever let on-- with that expectant grin and pleading eyes, though, you're not exactly surprised.

he's overjoyed when you accept his gift and even more so when you ask for help putting it on immediately. that stupid, eager grin won't leave no matter how serious he tries to look. diavolo's just so glad that you think of him-- and now, when he looks down at his bracelet and remembers this exchange, he'll think of you, too.

Barbatos

weeks had gone by since you gave barbatos that friendship bracelet. it remains pinned against the inside of his uniform day in and day out for safekeeping-- and as a little reminder of your affection for him. it's nice that someone as wonderous as you has taken such an interest in a demon like him.

however, not once does making you a bracelet in return cross his mind, despite lord diavolo's not-so-subtle hints. he prefers to return your affections in other ways-- "accidentally" buying too much of a fruit you like at the market that morning, inviting you over to sample new varieties of tea he's preparing for lord diavolo, soft smiles and lingering eyes when your back is turned.

one morning, he's surprised by an urgent call from the demon prince's office.

barbatos makes his way to the young master's office right away, only to come across a surprising scene: the stacks of papers usually populating the desk are now tucked away on nearby shelves, replaced by a near-obscene amount of embroidery floss in every color of the rainbow. lord diavolo's face was twisted into a grin-- it was not often he was able to pull a fast one like this on the butler, but when he did, he was always very smug about it for the next few days.

"ahh, barbatos, it's good to have you here. please, sit."

the two of them danced around pleasantries for a few moments before barbatos quirked a brow-- that micro-expression asked everything he had on his mind.

"i've decided that we need to make those human friendship bracelets today. it's important that we foster bonds in our community, and exchanging traditions like this are a fantastic way to do so." the prince made this announcement with a very serious, earnest expression.

the two men stare at each other in silence for a few moments. finally, lord diavolo cracks a smile.

"do you think lucifer would wear a friendship bracelet if i made him one?"

"young master, i think he'll do anything you ask of him."

the rest of the afternoon is spent per the lord's whims, holed up in that office wasting the day with silly human world crafts. diavolo makes some excuses about "cultural exchange", but he's not fooling anyone. barbatos only allows this to happen because the young master has been on top of his paperwork all week. the castle has felt quite cold and suffocating lately-- it's nice to bring warm laughter and sunny smiles back between the gilded walls once again, even if just for a few hours.

barbatos is good at everything. in this case, he's able to simply look at the bracelet you gave him and recreate the pattern near-perfect on his first try. his nimble fingers create delicate knots with ease, leaving the future demon king in his dust (metaphorically, of course-- he has to help diavolo several times throughout the afternoon).

he presents the bracelet to you one day over afternoon tea. a thin, decorative box wrapped in golden ribbon appears by your side. inside is a friendship bracelet made in your favorite colors. he's very aloof as you ask questions about it, but he indulges you with the answers and accompanying stories of his little craft session with the young master.

his gloved fingers carefully secure the bracelet around your wrist. you don't neglect to notice the ghost of a smile on his lips-- a quiet moment of pride, of adoration-- after he moves on to finish serving tea.

Simeon

simeon had the perfect excuse to crave time out of his busy schedule to make you a friendship bracelet. hey luke? do you want to try this craft too?

he'd been waiting for a free afternoon where he could finally make you a friendship bracelet in return. you said it was a human tradition, right? well, it would certainly be rude to not reciprocate. and since it was a common tradition amongst kids, simeon figures he can rope luke into joining him while he's on babysitting duty.

he did what he always does when he wants to figure something out-- he sought out a book from the RAD library to teach him. satan guided him to the section on human culture and traditions. from there, he scoured the shelves until he found one with adequate instructions. that was the book he currently had sprawled out in front of him, propped open with a candle as his fingers were tangled in embroidery floss.

(satan did try to convince him to use a video instead. deviltube has many useful tutorials, y'know? learning from a book is much harder. yet peepaw simeon didn't trust himself to find a video, nor keep it up on his D.D.D. after satan leaves. which is... valid.)

the problem with following pictures is that they can only tell you so much. and the written instructions made enough sense to be passable, but to actually guide a beginner in the art of friendship bracelet creation? dubious. that was simeon's current predicament. he was supposed to be guiding the blonde cherub across from in on how to make his own bracelet, but... why was this so confusing?

at some point, solomon emerged from his lair room and found himself leaning over the grown angel's shoulder. even the sorcerer, who learned most everything from books, didn't quite get what the book meant. is that string supposed to go under...? maybe around...? these pictures are grainy as hell, too, so it's not like they're much help.

by the grace of god and many hours of trial and error, simeon managed to figure the pattern out. him and luke both finished the night with a few bracelets each. luke made one for simeon, one for solomon, and two for barbatos. simeon had several failed attempts of the bracelet he tried to make you, with one successful attempt to give to you the next time he saw you. solomon ducked in and out of the angels' crafting session and came away with one very ugly little bracelet-- he didn't mind, because apparently he'd been needing a new bookmark anyways.

simeon's a little sheepish the next time you come over to purgatory hall. it's not that he's ashamed to give you a gift in public, per se-- it's more that the whole thing feels strangely personal. he put a lot of effort into making that bracelet for you! now that he knows how much time you devoted to making him such a gift (he doesn't quite realize you didn't have to learn from scratch, so it took way less time for you), he really treasures the intimacy of homemade gifts.

still, despite his initial hesitation, he gives you the gift with a smile. he wanted to return the favor, you see, since he likes your gift so much. do you like it? please say you like it, his fingers are still sore

simeon will secure the bracelet to your wrist with a smile-- a bit clumsy, as the tie mechanism confused him as he was making the bracelet-- but he eventually gets the hang of it. the rest of the evening, he'll sneak little glances at your wrist, a proud little smile on his lips. he really likes seeing you-- what's that, luke? why is he smiling at mc like that? don't worry about it. you'll understand when your older.

Solomon

solomon had a not-so-healthy habit of staying up entirely too late, nose deep in experiments and new spells, that he often lost track of time and place. at times, the sleep deprivation made him careless. the night would usually end when he grows too frustrated with his groggy movements to go on.

tonight's experimenting ended in a flurry of hushed swears as the contents of this new potion spilled on him and across his chest. it's his fault-- he's the one who knocked the flask over-- yet he's cursing some abstract villain out to get him tonight.

in all the chaos, his bracelet is drenched in a viscous ooze, which quickly sunk right into the strings and refused to budge. great. what was that, his third ruined bracelet this month? if he didn't know any better, he'd think he was hexed to suffer a string of minor-yet-infuriating inconveniences every day.

he took the knife on his workbench and cut the ruined bracelet off. it hit the wood with a slop, strings fraying already from the new sever between strings. what was that, his third destroyed bracelet this month? he should really be more careful with these things.

still, though, part of him liked how you'd always make him a new one. ruining these bracelets gave him a reason to see you on a semi-regular basis.

strings uncoiled from each other, now freed from the confines of the knots that once held them together. solomon watched with tired fascination as it unraveled in slow motion.

was that all? just a couple of knots? he could do that.

his experiment now laid half-finished on his workbench, abandoned in favor of the new challenge laid out before him. a knotted pile of embroidery floss covered spellbooks and containers of potion ingredients. his hands shook from exhaustion-- at this point, he was so used to his shitty sleep schedule that he stopped noticing. his body may be tired, but his brain was hyperfocused on this task. he wasn't going to stop until he reverse engineered this friendship bracelet for you.

simeon found him slumped back in his chair the next morning, fast asleep with his neck quirked at an odd angle. he very carefully woke the sorcerer up with a hand on the shoulder and a few quiet words. before he did, though, he brought luke in to get a look. what? it's not often solomon let himself be caught slacking like this. if he didn't want two angels whispering and giggling over the way he slept with his arms crossed and head back (like an old man passed out in front of the TV), maybe he should learn to get in bed first.

after a rough morning dragging his sore body around purgatory hall (hmm, i wonder why?), solomon found you in the halls at RAD between classes. his tired expression melted into a smug grin as he found his way to your side.

ah-hem. behold, mc. a friendship bracelet. what's that? it's wonderful? of course it is. solomon is good at everything, after all. (this quite nearly erupts into chaos as mammon very loudly reminds him that even beel can't stand his cooking).

he's delighted by that surprised look on your face. that made the lack of sleep all worth it. you go to reach for the gift when he holds it out of your reach. nuh-uh, mc. see this bare wrist? yeah. it's that time of the month. he needs a new bracelet. solomon laughs off your exasperated sigh and gently takes your wrist in his cold hands. slender fingers ghost across your pulse points with care as he secures his creation to your wrist. a small, genuine smile pulls at his lips.

... he does still need a new bracelet, though. so, y'know... let him know when you finish. jackass

Luke

luke is immediately gung-ho about making you a friendship bracelet. he adores his! the only thing that would make it better was if the two of you were matching.

he's honestly ready to start working the moment you leave for the night. simeon is able to convince him to at least wait until the weekend. after all, RAD has demanding coursework that he needs to dedicate his time to during the week. luke doesn't like this much, seeing as he's already this excited just thinking about the craft.

simeon sweetens the pot like the responsible adult he is-- if luke can wait until the weekend, then simeon will run out and grab all the supplies they could possibly need. they can make a day of it, with snacks and other little crafts to make for their friends. doesn't that sound nice?

somehow, luke is able to muster up the patience to wait until the weekend to begin his friendship bracelet quest. he does wake simeon up ass early on saturday morning, though. he can't help it! he's just a kid, after all.

the morning starts with breakfast (luckily for everyone, solomon slept in too late to offer to cook). luke chatters on and on about his plan. he had the foresight to ask just how you made the bracelet when you gave him his, so he's confident he can follow the instructions you gave him.

it goes... okay. at least at first. in the beginning, he'd get frustrated about how he couldn't quite remember what to do here or why this knot here looked funky. some kind words and a little assistance from lithe-fingered simeon are able to fix both his bracelet and his mood. eventually, he's all giddy laughs and big grins as he looks over his masterpiece. white and gold strands are somewhat neatly knotted together to mimic the design of the bracelet you made for him.

monday morning, bright and early, the little angel bounds up to you like a golden retriever off-leash at a dog park, all gilded hair and excitement galloping down the hall until he's by your side. he shoves the bracelet up towards your face and grins. look, mc! i made you a friendship bracelet, too! now we can match!

every day you wear that bracelet is another day luke finds a way to express his appreciation for your friendship. his go-to is to absentmindedly toy with the strings around your wrist at lunch or in class. sometimes he'll bump your bracelets together and smile at you, a silent question hung in the air between your matching grins: best friends forever, right?

[fortheloveofkonig]

Hello, hope you are having a good day/night

I was wondering if I could request Ghost x Male reader: reader is having trouble sleeping due to maybe PTSD so he starts over working around base and working more but forgetting to take care of themself. Reader pass out from exhaustion?

Summary: Your nightmares have been plaguing you again recently and in an attempt to make them stop, you busy yourself with other work rather than rest. Ghost seems to take a notice to this.

Note: I honestly had to stare at this a few times because I know I can do this because...well, relatable but it's scary to write for the first time in a new fandom. Thanks for requesting though! I hope you enjoy it ^^

Content: Mentions of nightmares, implied PTSD, not proofread, this is so short? I'm so sorry! Fluff!?

Word Count: 836

Ghost x Sleepless M!Reader

Nightmares are not unheard of for you. They've happened for a long time at this point and each time they show up again, they never get easier to deal with. How were you supposed to deal with them? It's not like with any of the mechanisms you use to rid of them ever help you, as shown by tonight's restless night of moving around because of an overwhelming background fear of the moment you close your eyes for too long.

After a while of your tossing and turning, you sat up with a huff and ran your hand over your face. Another sleepless night, so you figured you may as well just get up and do something. You made your way to the armory to clean up some of the weapons.

It started as small errands like that until you decided to take on extra paperwork as well as looking over training. It took a few days for anyone to notice that your duties seemed to have multiplied as well as the bags under your eyes.

Ghost was the first to notice. He's dealt with many of sleepless nights himself so recognizing someone else who seemed to be avoiding every possibility at a chance to catch some shut-eye was not very hard to do. He didn't know if he should say something, it wasn't really his place to speak up about your sleeping habits but he also had a deep care for you.

It wasn't until you were the one that approached him that he was pushed to say something.

"Hey LT.!" Your voice was upbeat, too upbeat, as if you were trying to feign that you were well rested and energized.

Ghost lifts his head up from the papers he was reading, only responding with a soft hum as acknowledgement. He figured he knew where you were about to take this.

"I know that you are usually looking over the training and I was wondering-"

"No." He cuts you off.

"What?" You stood back in shock and cross your arms, "What do you mean 'No.'? You didn't even hear what I was going to say."

He lets out a sigh, "I know what you were going to say and I said no. You need to stop taking on everyone's work load."

A huff comes from your mouth as you start to retort but Ghost puts up his hand, which halts any words from coming out of your mouth.

"Rest is what you need to do."

You let out another annoyed huff and turn to leave the room, "but why would he ever listen to me" is the last thing you heard him say as you left for the gym.

You actually spent a good bit of time doing your routine. Stretching, jumping jacks, weights, sit-ups, pull-ups, all of that jazz. Now it was time for the beloved push-ups.

1...

2...

3...

It took an hour for someone to find you but Ghost was the one who walked into the gym to find you snoozing on the floor in his usual spot, to which he just lets out an annoyed sigh but had a disguised smug smirk underneath his mask.

"I told ya, should've went and slept." He says while making his way over towards you.

He assesses the situation figuring that it would probably just be best to pick you up and take you to your bed, rather than waking you up with the chance of you fighting rest again. He bends to pick you up and once you are in his arms, you mumble something indeterminable and grab what you can of his shirt into your hand to which he lets out a soft silent chuckle, but his chest moves silent so that's what sleep deprived you believed it was.

It took only a moment for Ghost to arrive at your bed and he started to softly put you on the bed. Much to his dismay, you didn't let go of him. In fact, your grip just got tighter.

When he reached his arm up to remove your hand, now basically fully bent over the bed just so he doesn't wake you by ripping your hand away, you opened your mouth to quietly mutter, "Stay.."

It took a moment for him to process what you just said but when he realized that your grip was not getting looser anytime soon, he let in and pushed you over some.

"Fine, but only until you are asleep and you can't let anyone know I gave in this easily." He mumbled under his breath and stiffly got onto the bed next to you.

You hummed in acknowledgment before scooting closer to him and laying your head on his chest. After a little while he seemed to lose the tense feeling in his body and relaxed as he watched you fall asleep on him. He didn't see himself being able to move anytime before you woke up from this slumber so he just got himself comfortable.

"Goodnight sleepyhead."

[luimagines]

That Dragon AU Part 18

@cafecourage pspspspspsp~

Masterlist

First Chapter/ Previous Chapter/ Next Chapter

Content under the cut!

Chapter 18 : Sleepy Conversations

Enno shook their heads. “Yours… came out when I took another break from the series. So no, I don't have a physical copy of your story.”

They hung their heads down in shame. “Honestly Link? I didn’t go through it until. I want to make that clear. I actually had no feelings other than you were one of the Links, while I did form a connection towards I knew it wasn’t that strong like Winds was. The kid reminds me of my older sibling. Obviously not anymore but- When I met you and the others physically, I had this feeling that if you knew this it would make you uncomfortable or untrusting of me and pinky. Which is why I asked before if you knew since she did say something about it.”

Warrior stood in silence, listening to Enno as they spoke. He didn’t feel the need to interrupt. Something told him that should simply listen instead.

“That’s why I yelled at Cia the day in the throne room that she didn’t care that you and the others were your own people. That she only knows these things about you guys because she was watching. I only saw your adventures yet I still wanted you guys to tell me about things from your point of view because there's a chance that I didn't have the full picture. Even from my point of view, all of you are different from how I saw it in this world. So to me, I separated what I did know from the people I wanted to at least get along and get to know properly with. Romantic feelings with you were not on my mind at all, it just happened.” 

Enno started tearing up. Their anxiety was kicking in, making them talker faster than necessary. They had wished Warrior could have stayed ignorant, but the vault was open and they won’t be able to close it again. ���I was really trying not to do anything. I’m so sorry. I should have been more clear about what I meant before we ran straight first into this.” A part of Enno wondered if this is what Cia wanted, for Warrior to stop trusting them. “if- if your opinion of me has changed I understand. I’ll- stop interacting with you or go by the boundaries you put up. Let me continue helping you all please. It’s the least I can do now that I’m able to.” 

Enno didn't know how to fix this.

Warrior hugged them. "...I was going to make a joke about you having favorites."

He nuzzled into them. "But no need Sweetheart. Cia never laughed at me being an idiot so you were different from the start. I'm just curious. You're not in trouble."

Despite his words, Enno tried to push him away. "No, this is a big deal, Link. You should be mad at me for not telling you in the very beginning." They said, trying to give him space. "Just because I was 'different from the start' doesn’t mean that I didn’t keep this to myself and hide it from you. If you knew about this, would you still want to be with me? Would anything in the past week still happen?"

"Well.... Pinky already told us." Warrior admits shyly. "So I can't say I'm surprised. The truth is that I knew part of it already, so yes. It would have happened. Not to mention that we've already had this discussion. Remember? I fell for you anyway. And this isn't going to change that."

"Hng- '' Enno dropped their head on his chest, "I still should have been clearer. It's still not fair for you with what you went through." They sighed, taking the gamecase from him to put it back, "I still want to learn about your adventures from your point of view."

"Are you sure about that?" Warrior grimaces. "It's probably not as sugar coated as you're used to if someone else tells the story."

He pulled them closer again and sighs. "But I appreciate it."

“I’m sure. It’s better if you guys tell me then me assuming I know everything.” Enno swayed a bit before pushing him onto the bed “I want cuddles.” They mumbled, climbing in after taking their shoes off and taking some of their Baymax plushies off to make room. “If it means anything I only vaguely know what happens in your adventure, anything outside of it I have no idea about.”

Warrior laughed a bit, taking his shoes off as well and getting on the bed to accommodate them. "I supoose that's fair."

He takes them into his arms, wrapping them up in them and intertwining their legs together. They can hear his heartbeat. "We have time to talk. You need to rest, My Love. Just forget about things for a moment. Just be here with me. Ok?"

"I'm not going to disappear on you." Enno said, letting him move them to how he wanted. "I don't want you to leave me. I've accepted two facts at the same time. I am willing to leave here for your world, and if you didn't want to be with me, I would let you go. I'm scared of being similar to Cia. There are already some I don't want there to be more. And god forbid she finds out."

"It'll be our little secret." He says beside their ears. He bites it playfully and retreats with a chuckle. He lays down fully on the bed, resting. "There.... might not be enough room for the two of us here." He says and wiggles a bit more. "....I didn't get to talk to Mask... Everything happened so fast. And now he's far away again and Time is going through who knows what."

Enno shoved the rest of the plushies off. “I’ll clean them up later.” They wiggled back to give him more room. “I know Pinky and Time are talking in the other room through my iPad, a device that can communicate. If you want to go say hi you can.” They took his hand and kissed it. “Look, I'm going to be honest with you. I have no idea why this past week I’ve so anxious. But don’t let that stop you from talking to me about your worries.”

"Don't tempt me like this." Warrior pouted. "As much as I'd like to, I also don't want to intrude on Time and Pinky. He needs it more than I do."

He sighed and played with the hair at the back of their head. "I can wait. I'm sure we'll see them soon enough. You're from here, what's the worst that can happen?"

"Mmmmm not much, I live in a small town. It's nothing like the city. If we were there then we would be in a bit of trouble." Enno sighed. "Not sure what we can do. It's really boring around here."

"Well boring is good." Warrior snorted. "At least in this case. We don't need any more interesting things happening, thank you very much." He snuggleed closer to them. "Let's just stay here. Let's not do anything."

“I have to do something soon…. For food…. I don’t trust Wild to figure out how to use my things.” Enno leaned on him sighing again. “I would love to just stay here and sleep with you her-“ Enno cut themselves off with a groan, remembering something, “I need to warn you guys to not wear armor or bring around swords and stuff here. No need for it.”

"I see." Warrior dragged his fingers against theirr scalp gently, pulling their hair back as he moved. "But what’s one day?"

He moved his arm and took off his shoulder piece, placing it on the floor by the bed. "Not many of us have armor.... and the swords have been put away since the walk. I can’t speak much about magical items though... and we may need to help Time."

“Mhm….but he is probably bedridden until we get Mask figured out…” Enno started to slur their words as they relaxed further. They nuzzled and got more comfortable as they held him. “If it's one day, then it’s everyone’s day off including you, right?”

"Yes, Sweetheart." Warrior hums. "Mine too."

"Stay with me?" He asks quietly, letting the quiet of the night drift over them both. He had not once stopped playing with their hair, giving miniature scalp massages as he goes.

“You don’t have a choice.” They said, leaning up to give kisses. “You’re making me fall asleep when I just want you to relax too.” Enno rested their head on his chest, paying attention to his heartbeat. “Weird that you’re not just extremely warm.”

Warrior wanted to make a comment about how they had actually woken up a few hours ago but he wasn’t about to stop them from taking a nap.

"You think I'm warm?" He said instead. "I havn't noticed. It would probably be my fire… magic...."

No magic = no power

"Huh..." Warrior blinked, still playing with their hair. "Yeah... That'll do it."

“You’re still very hot though, and I’m living for this. Like I said before, Time can’t feel the mark.” Enno blindly looked for his hand because their feel like opening their eyes. Once they found his hand, they put it on where their mark would have been. “We don’t have them either. I still consider you my husband though.”

Warrior frowned. "My magic is gone....."

He made a face but returned to playing with their hair after a beat. "My feelings are still very much the same."

"What a concept.... the mark is gone but I'm still alive...." Warrior hummedagain and sighed. "You are my partner. I won't change it for the world."

Enno’s breath hitched. They didn’t expect him to say that. 

“I…” They nuzzled into him. “Mhm, perfect, amazing, wonderful. Thanks. If I could I would get you a ring. So no matter which world we are in it would still count.” They ignored the fact that they would need to go through the courts and such but still.

"What's in a ring?" Warrior tilted his head against the pillow. "Who said it had to be a ring?"

He smiled. "I gave you my mother's headband. And I think that's good enough."

“Well no one said it had to be ring, but that’s what I think about when I think of traditional human wedding gifts.” Enno said, smiling. “It is good enough for me too but I want to gift you something that you can wear.”

"I'd like that." Warrior said. He kissed their forehead and poked their head with his nose. "It can be our thing."

Enno enjoyed the affection. 

“It could.” Despite the notion that there were probably already people who had done that, but it’s fine. “But like what do you want? Or should I surprise you again?”

"Hmmmmm... Surprise me." Warrior closed his eyes with a grin. "It should come from your heart... something that called to your soul. I'd wear it every day."

“Hubby nooooooo.” Enno whined, getting on top of him more. “I want you to wear it and it be safe while you work.” Enno listened to his heartbeat some more, before turning their head to their collection of pins. “Unless I have something that you can pin to your scarf or tunic.”

"As long as I can have it front and center, enough so that everyone I meet can see it, I'd wear anything..... Even if it's some ridiculous hat." Warrior giggled. "Believe it or not, I'm do paper work quite often. Safety shouldn't be so hard to establish once we settle down."

They nod, imaging what to get him. “I want it to be more subtle but you want to show it off. Maybe we can compromise and say something simple but noticeable?”

"Of course. I trust your judgment to not make it too gaudy or obnoxious... You're not that kind of person." Warrior yawned.

“Get something SUPER gaud-“ There was a knock at the door and Enno instantly groaned.

“Enno teach me your kitchen!” Wild called out. Enno sighed and got off of Warrior.

“I’ll be back.”

Warrior whined and held on tighter. "Noooo.... I was comfortable."

They still managed to leave since he didn't fight them, knowing that leaving Wild alone doesn't bode well when heat or flame is involved. 

"My Love, come back to me."

Enno turned back and gave him a teddy bear, kissing his forehead like a kid. “I’ll be back soon.”

They left the room. “Ok, come, come.” They gestured to Wild. 

They went downstairs where the other boys were actually playing board games with Howl’s Moving Castle in the background. 

“Not going to ask-“ They turned and went into the small kitchen. “Ok, so, this is the oven and stove. See these dials?” They turned one and the burners turned on. “You can go high to low heat. This one can set the oven temperature and timer for how long it should take to cook.” Enno moved to the fridge. “This is where perishables are,” then pointed to the upper counters. “You can find other stuff in here.”

Wild got an excited look on his face. "Awesome. Free reign!"

"Moma!" Wind cries. "Four's cheating!"

Warrior for his part looked at the bear and pouted, but he kept holding onto it. He simply rolled over and stared at the ceiling, thinking.

Back in the kitchen, Enno pointed at Wild. “No, you don’t. I will be standing here to put out the flames.” They went to the opening of the kitchen. “Four be nice to Wind.”

Four stuck out his tongue at them. “I’m not, he is just mad.”

"You are too!" Wind shouted and stood up.

Sky shook his head. "Legend is the one who is actually cheating and you don't see me calling him out on it."

Legend said nothing. He just smirked.

“How are you cheating in Disney Monopol- actually you can. Carry on. Wind, if you don’t want to play you can play with Gingersnap.” Enno said as the cat in question jumpped up onto the counter next to them.

“Enno do you hav- never mind.” Wild found the pots and pans. “This is easy!”

Wind's jaw dropped and he pointed to Legend. "But he- you-!"

"Ha!" Legend rolled the dice. "Three blues please."

Sky snorted, handing over the money.

Four rolled his eyes and frowned. "Are we even playing this right?"

"Doubt it." Hyrule shrugs. "But does it really matter?"

“Probably not.” Enno said, watching the movie. It was still at the beginning. Gingersnap went to Wind, giving him cuddles and moral support. Twilight came in with Time, sitting him down on the couch. “Welcome back to the living world. Old man.”

“It’s nice to be here.” He joked back. “Your thing is on the table.”

“Oh my iPad? Thanks. I’ll go charge it so it wont die on you next time if you use it.” Enno said, leaving the kitchen. “Twi, make sure Wild doesn’t burn the house down for a few seconds?”

They ran upstairs, grabbing their IPad and plugged it into the charger on the nightstand. They headed back downstairs. As they passed, Enno looked into their room door for a second before heading back down.

Warrior laid in the bed, vaguely hearing the conversation beyond the door. 

"They left me here." He pouted as he spoke to the bear. "Now what?"

"Let's play a different game!" Wind cries. "You guys aren’t being fair!"

"What game, then?" Hyrule folded his cards.

"One where Legend can't cheat!"

"Impossible." Legend smirked. "How ya feeling, Old Man? How's the Mrs.?"

Time rolled his eyes. “Pinky is doing well. She is in her home with Mask.” He looked at the board game, trying to figure out what exactly was happening.

Enno stopped at the bottom step. “Are you guys going to need me?”

“No, go back to lover boy.” Legend waved them away. “I’ve figured out a lot of this stuff.”

“Jeez, ok, bye, I guess. Let us know when Wild is done?” Enno huffed, going back upstairs and into their room.

"I will never understand how you do that." Sky huffed, helping to clean up the previous game as Four chose the next one.

Twilight smiled and got comfortable. "If you need to Old Man, just say the word and we can go back upstairs."

"I've said it before, I'll say it again" Hyrule smirked. "Too much fun stresses him out."

"Everyone is situated." Enno opened the door, closing it softly. Going to the desk, they picked up their blood glucose receiver wanting to check where they were at. Everything was fine so they turned back around to the bed.

Warrior pretended like he wasn't having a one sided conversation with the bear. He saw the meter and tilted his head. "What was that?"

Enno looked back at it. "Oh. Remember I told you I have an issue with this body? That is what tells me if my blood sugar levels are to high or to low." They explained, crawling back in. "Everything is ok."

"Le...levels?" Warrior's brow furrowed, easily taking them back into his arms. "Hm.... what happens if your too high or too low? Anything I should look for while we're here?"

"Uhhhhh a quick death or coma then death." They shrugged. "I've been dealing with this for awhile. You don't need to worry to much. Honestly, it's why I'm more pissed about having more medical issues in your world rather then being turned into a dragon. At least in your world it's more barrable."

Warrior goes shock still. "Thats... an issue here?"

He pets them as he pulls them closer. "Man.... No wonder you were willing to leave this world behind... Thats.... yeah.. all things considered, that's the easy part."

"What? No, I would leave here to be with you." Enno corrected him. "Medically, I don't care. Ether way, I don't care about what I have to deal with medically. As long as your here with me, I'm satisfied."

"But it is a bonus." Warrior laughed. "You can't deny that..."  Then he sobered again and sighs. "And then Cia had to go and make things complicated again."

He paused and froze mid-stroke through their hair. "Oh.. that's a weird feeling.... I can't purr anymore...."

Enno burst out laughing, turning away from him with a hand over their mouth to stop it. "Thats- oh my god." They started laughing harder regardless. "I'm sorry for laughing at you but that was so cute??"

They turned back to hug him. "No honey, you can’t purr. I assume you’re not a dragon currently. Welcome to being a human, babe."

"Hmmm." Warrior made a face. "I can... feel myself trying to reach it but nothing happens. It's a weird feeling..... Shame."

He raised an eyebrow. "How sad it is. I can't do my dragon things....." He paused. "You know... when I was younger, I wanted to be just be a human. Nothing else. Everything seemed easier."

Enno propped their chin up on his chest to look at him. "Hm? Is it? Honestly, I feel like being human is more annoying then anything. But considering all of this," They gestured to their body. "-I am bias."

Warrior huffed with a laugh before he seemed to grow bitter about something. "At least you've never accidently set something on fire. Or burned anything down by sneezing or laughing too hard. Kinda hard to do that as a human unless you were dealing with heat already."

Enno stayed quiet, not knowing what to say. "You’re not wrong..." They said, shiftinga bit to hold him better. "Do you want to talk about it?" They asked, putting his head on their chest so that they could play with his hair.

Warrior closed his eyes and hummed. He was thinking about it, getting lost in their touch.

He took a while, which led them to believe that he wasn’t actually going to answer.

He took a deep breath and let it out.

Enno coild hear a bit of commotion downstairs. It sounded like someone lost and was pissed about it. It would have been funnier if they knew what was actually happening.

"I killed my parents." Warrior says quietly.

Enno frose. "What-" Biting their tongue, they started playing with his hair again. They were thrown for a loop for a second as Cia's words came crashing into the forefront fo their mind.. Why was she so adamant on throwing this information around like it was her life? 

"May I ask what happened? I feel like I am missing pieces because I don't think it was your fault."

Warrior took another deep breath. "I set the house on fire. My father.... wasn't a dragon, but my mother and sister are. He... was kind but a bit strict."

Warrior nuzzled into Enno. He may have appeared calm but they got the impression that he was paying attention to their every reaction.

"I've never been able to control my fire very well. It's too linked to my emotions. We... I was young... angry...volitile. I ran out with my sister and before my mother could get my father out of the burning house, it collapsed."

"So because you were a teenager, aka in the time of your life were you are the most emotionally unstable, you accidentally burn your house down?" Enno asked, not accusing him at all. More so wanting to stress that it was an accident more then it was his fault.

"I can't agree that your to blame for that. Especially since you were a child." They kept brushing his hair out and letting it fall. "You said you were unable to grieve this right? I'm all ears and I'm more then willing for you to let loose." They gave him a few kisses. "I cant change the past or fully help you heal from it. But I want to support you through the process if your willing to go through it. Holding this all in for this long can't be health for you."

Warrior stayed quiet for a moment before he looked up at them. His voice was quiet and wet, even if there were no tears in his eyes. "I love you."

He let out a shaky breath and leaned up to kiss them properly. "I... didn't even try to stop it... My sister was so little... she doesn't remember. Eventually, I joined the army and she stayed with our Grandma."

He gulped, hiding his face from you. "My father.... it was an argument. He....never understood why I wasn't more like him. I tried-"

The words got stuck in his throat.

Their heart shattered. "Oh, Link..." They held him tighter, trying not to cry. "If you need to cry, you can." They whispered. "You don't need to keep it together anymore, you can let it out."

"I don't know..." Warrior admitted, even as his face twisted. "It's been so long.... I don't even know if the tears have all evaporated. I couldn't... I couldn't cry then and I've moved on..... I have people that I have to look after. There's work that has to be done. I couldn't just.... I never could be left alone with my thoughts. And when Cia-"

He cut himself off, his grip on the bed tight enough to make his knuckles white.

[a-moth-to-the-light]

The Ultimate Crossover Episode (Epilogue)

Giving K-pop Groups (and Soloists!) Bruce Springsteen Songs

content warnings for mentions of death & chronic illness! this is a pretty intense piece, so take care of yourselves, and feel free to check out the other parts of this series (see: #six stans springsteen) for some much lighter content!

A Tentative Endorsement of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire"

My chronic pain is an action movie where nothing happens. You get all the swells of soundtrack; all the dramatic lighting; all those moments of pure terror, of catching a glimpse of death in the corner of your eye and trying to pretend it isn't there--but then the footage, the plot of the movie itself, is just a girl lying on a couch, earbuds in and eyes shut tight, heating pad wrapped around her wrist. The room is empty, and you would guess she was asleep except for the expressions that cross her face--a wince, and then something like a silent sob. And the soundtrack crescendoes, and you wait for something to happen. Will an antagonist come attack her, in her moment of weakness? Will she finally have someone to fight? But the scene stays the same--empty. She stays the same--almost, but not quite, sleeping. And then: that's the movie, you can head home now. There won't be anything new to see, not for a long while.

In the summer of 2021, I took to describing my pain by saying "I'm on fire" or "I'm burning up". Something under my skin was burning, burning, a river of lava coursing beneath the facade of a perfectly healthy body. And, on days when it got really bad, I took to listening to Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire". Let's take a minute to introduce this track: it's a short song, not even three minutes long, tucked in the middle of Springsteen’s 1984 album, Born in the USA. It's not the best song on the album (not anywhere close, in my opinion), and it's not the most interesting, either. But it may well be my favorite, and it's definitely my most-listened, song from Born in the USA. I love “I’m On Fire”--not in a way that’s easy to comprehend or express, not in a way I’m proud of or happy about. But, since I talked about it in my Enhypen post, I've wanted to at least try to explain what this song means to me.

As my health deteriorated and my terror increased in that summer of pain, the first summer I spent with that chronic illness, I found so much comfort in singing along the simple hook of "I'm On Fire", a hook that I don't think was meant to be about what it became about to me. But it didn't matter; woah, oh, oh, I'm on fire. How different, after all, is it to be burning mentally rather than physically? And the burning got to my mind, eventually. I was still new to the pain, then, barely seven months new, and I was convinced the burning would take me out any day that summer. You know it's nothing because the doctors say it's nothing, that there's nothing terribly wrong with you, but it feels like you have to give out at some point, right? Like, death must be in the room, otherwise there's no way my body would be screaming this loudly. My chronic pain is hearing a fire alarm go off all day, every day, but being told whenever I ask: "Oh, there's no fire." Like, I guess it's nice that there's no fire--I guess I should be glad. But then why won't the goddamned alarm stop screaming at me? How am I supposed to pretend this is normal?

So, that summer, my life became a movie, one where I looked just like I always had and sat around the house, becoming perpetually attached to my heating pad and moving as little as possible, for fear of setting something off by accident and making the pain even worse. In later seasons, my existence would become more normal, waking up in the morning less surprising to me, and with that, the fear less gripping. And I would start to move again, learning to block out the fire alarm that soundtracks my existence.

But there's still “I’m On Fire”. My dad, who was my introduction to Springsteen and who I, as a result, share most of my Springsteen favorites with, hates "I'm On Fire". And I get why, but I love the song anyway. I could listen to it all day. And I guess I could justify that opinion in a nice, reviewer-y way: the texture of the guitar instrumental is gorgeous, and the melodies are sticky & perfect for singing along to, despite how flatly Springsteen performs them.

But I don’t know, I don’t really care a lot about “I’m On Fire” being good. And I don't care a lot about it being bad, either. I don't care that the lyrics give me the creeps; I don't care that it's really a big nothing of a song, even compared to Springsteen's own "Nothing Man". I just know that it captures something about my summer of 2021, a summer that remains queen of my nightmares--it captures how those months were terrifying and yet so, so banal. You know, that feeling when Springsteen so casually sings, almost mutters, “someone took a knife, baby, edgy and dull, and cut a six-inch valley through the middle of my soul”. Most songs, most artworks, most people, don’t get that feeling. These days, I don’t even really get it myself. Only occasionally do I understand how I felt back then--for example, right now, after listening to “I’m On Fire” for 20 minutes straight while I try to get these words out. I don’t like “I’m On Fire”, really, except for maybe those beautiful guitar clicks, but I love it. I love to sing its melodies; it’s a part of me now. It knows something about me, something about my history, that even I don’t really know anymore—maybe, honestly, that I try not to know.

Is this too sad of an ending for a series that's mostly just me being giddy about my favorite music? Yes, probably, but it still feels right to me. I love that Springsteen's music doesn't shy away from sadness; I dance to it anyway, sing to it anyway, and find comfort in it anyway. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed my bruceposting (which I'm sure this won't be the end of, since I'm seeing him in concert in a few months)!

[casspurrjoybell-24]

My Unwanted Mate - Chapter 43 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

Tatum Blair

I was in a warm place between consciousness and slumber when there was a knock on the door. 

Immediately, my body locked up.

The door was locked but would that stop someone from coming in?

A locked door never stopped our Alpha.

Surely I would be punished now.

It was a rule, no locked doors, no hiding, he made those rule early on after our mating ceremony.

Nathan thought everything would be okay if we just hid from him.

It wasn't okay and now I was going... no.

He is dead.

I watched him die.

"Um, I um... I brought up dinner," it was Calvin on the other side of the door sounding uncertain and nervous.

It didn't make me feel any safer.

I had seen him hurt Nathan too.

I couldn't forget it.

He could do it again.

I didn't move a muscle.

He'll leave like he had before if I don't make a sound.

"It's steak tonight," I could hear him fidgeting, his feet shuffling.

"If you don't like steak I can get you something else or uh, I can try making something?" I remained silent, my heart pounding in my chest.

The thought of food made my stomach feel hallow.

I knew I was hungry but I didn't want to open the door.

Taking the risk, slowly, I forced myself to speak, my voice barely more than a whisper.

"I'm not hungry."

There was a long pause on the other side of the door.

"Okay," Calvin said softly.

"I'll just... I'll leave it here incase you change your mind, later on."

I listened as he sat down the plate of food like he had the day before and then his heavy steps as he retreat back down the hall.

The silence that followed was deafening.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves.

The hall was empty when I got the courage to poked my head out.

Like Calvin had said, he left the plate of food beside the door.

There was a thick cut of steak and a side of mash potatoes and corn, all still steaming.

At the sight of it, my stomach cramped with hunger.

It could be a test though.

There were always tests.

Gently closing the door so as not to make a sound, I flipped the lock as soon as it shut.

I stared down at the plate of food I had grabbed, my mind racing with conflicting thoughts.

The hunger gnawed at me but the fear of it being a test kept me rooted in place.

Minutes passed and the foods aroma filled the room, making my stomach growl.

I dropped the plate on the dresser and rushed back to the bed, hiding again under the covers, my mind a whirlwind of fear and hunger.

I didn't want to fail.

He would be so angry.

There was always pain, he would... my hand slid around the front of my throat, fingers tracing each of the rough scars.

They were the only ones that couldn't heal, a reminder.

Always a reminder after a punishment.

Those healed and these remained with the memories.

I had failed his tests before.

Not as many as Nathan but enough to learn.

I was a fast learner.

He liked that about me.

He told me so.

I knew how to be a good Omega.

I had lost my Alpha.

He's gone.

He can't hurt me anyone.

He's dead.

I was being ridiculous.

Sniffling, I kicked the blanket away in irritation with myself, wiping roughly at the wetness on my cheeks.

With shaky hands, I grabbed the plate off the dresser, perching on the end of the bed with it. T

he first bite was heavenly, the flavors exploding against my tongue, my stomach growling.

I hadn't realized just how hungry I was.

I ate quickly, eyes trained on the door, still expecting it to burst open.

Still expecting to be punished for something, for anything, for nothing at all.

************

Nathan was in his room.

I could hear him through the wall, talking to someone but I couldn't tell who over the scrape of furniture being moved around.

Even with my ear pressed against the wall.

Was he leaving?

Were they packing his things? 

He was leaving me here?

'He can't.'

He will.

I should have expected it.

I should have predicted it.

Nathan doesn't want to be near me.

Was I too loud?

Could he hear me at night?

I thought if I was quiet enough, he would forget I was here at all.

He's going to leave me here.

'Alone.'

Scrambling up from the floor, I rushed to the door and threw it open, almost tearing it from the hinges in my rush.

I couldn't let him leave without me.

He couldn't.

We have to stay together.

He can't leave me. Nathan's room door was open and his eyes met mine immediately but just as fast as he looked, he looked away.

"No," the word was spoken so softly I would have thought I had imagined it if Nathan's eyes didn't meet mine again.

His eyes were still guarded, like they have been since he woke up after surgery.

He didn't trust me.

Not anymore.

"Thanks for the help, you can just leave it there."

Nathan waved his hand in dismissal.

It was enough for me to pull my blurry vision away and finally notice the other person in the room.

A male I had never seen before.

I looked away without taking in too much, hiding my wet face in embarrassment.

It was enough for me to pull my blurry vision away and finally notice the other person in the room.

Ducking out of the room, I pressed my back against the wall between our doors.

The stranger's boots passed my line of sight without a word spoken between us.

"What are you doing?" Nathan stepped halfway out of his room, leaning his back against the door frame.

I lifted my shirt collar to wipe my face dry before daring to look at my twin.

He looked better than he had just three days ago and worlds better than he had while carrying the pup.

His insistence on wanting his own room, wanting space away from me, the way he had looked at me, it felt like a rejection.

Now I was looking at him, with his shiny blond curls, his once ashen cheeks once again a soft pink and he looked healthier than he had in a long time.

He was happier here.

Nathan crossed his arms over his chest, using a huff of impatience to mask his discomfort.

I knew this, knew my twin better than I knew myself, yet I still let it get to me.

He was happier and that was a good thing.

I want him to be happy, always.

Even if that was without me but the thought of being left behind gnawed at me.

The fear of him leaving, of being alone, with no one, that fear loomed larger than ever.

"You stink. Do you know that?" his nose scrunched up but his face was progressively becoming blurry again.

"Tatum?"

Before his hand could land on my shoulder, I pulled away, rushing to get back into my room.

The door shutting softly between us.

My skin crawling with discomfort and acid crawling up my throat.

I wanted to scream, to cry out for him, to beg him not to leave me but the words were trapped in my chest, suffocated by my fear and self-doubt.

I couldn't ask him to stay or beg for him to not leave me.

Not if he was better off alone.

[casspurrjoybell-19]

Does it Matter? - Chapter 40 - Part 1

*Warning: Adult Content*   

Brayan knocked on Maric's door but there was no response from within.

He knocked again.

"Maric." 

"Not now, Brayan." 

"Dara sent me." 

"Hmm," was all Maric said in response. 

"Shall I talk to you like Hudson did, with complete disregard for your status? Is that what you like now? Stop being stubborn and let me in. There's important context to this situation that you're missing." 

There was a moment of silence and then Brayan heard footsteps approaching and the door opened. 

"Well?" Maric asked. 

Brayan's eyebrows lifted.

He had just been frustrated but that had actually worked.

He didn't know quite what to make of that or how he felt about it.

He preferred to show Maric proper respect.

"Bug has scarring from what Fraccus did to him. Dara was healing him. He should have consulted you on that first, of course but I don't think that's what's upsetting you." 

"Ah. Are you sure..."

Maric shook his head.

"No. That makes sense. Dara was fully clothed. Bug still had his shirt on. That makes sense." 

"Are you still angry at them?" 

Maric opened the door wider and let Brayan in, then shut it behind them.

"I don't think angry was ever what I was. At least not at them. I was jealous. Before this, as well, if I'm honest but seeing that certainly didn't help." 

"Hmm. They've been close since Bug joined us." 

"I don't fault them for it. Bug shouldn't be left alone right now and I'm sure Dara is enjoying having someone who understands what he's been through a bit better than I can. I've been trying to give them their space but I can't deny that I miss Dara." 

"Perhaps you should tell him that?" 

Maric hesitated, then shook his head.

"I don't want to make him choose between my needs and Bug's. Both because that's unfair and because well. I'm not sure he would choose me and maybe that would be entirely reasonable because Bug's needs are more immediate." 

"You can tell him all of that as well, you know. I think he would understand. I think he would respect that kind of honesty." 

"I should," Maric admitted but he still didn't sound confident.

"I'd have to do it in front of Bug, though. I'm not sure I can stomach that. These are personal matters." 

"I'll send Dara over to you and I'll stay with Bug. While you talk or all night if Dara wants to stay with you. I've taken care of Bug before and he seems to have ended up trusting me more than he did at the start of things rather than less, so I can't have done too badly." 

Maric nodded.

"Make the offer to Dara, anyway. Make it clear that it's not an order but I would like to speak to him." 

"Yes, Sir," Brayan said as he headed out of the room. 

He walked down the hall and knocked on Dara's door. 

Dara answered almost immediately.

"Did you explain things to him?" 

Brayan inclined his head.

"He was receptive and believed the explanation. He's not cross at anyone." 

Dara let out a sigh of relief and his shoulders relaxed.

"Thank you, Brayan." 

"He would like to talk to you, though. He misses you. I can stay with Bug if you'd like to go and be with Maric for a while." 

Dara turned around to look at Bug, who had propped himself up on one arm on the bed to listen to the conversation.

He was already nodding. 

"That sounds like a good idea," Dara told Brayan before turning back to Bug.

"Remember what we talked about. You made me a promise." 

Bug nodded and then murmured something in what Brayan assumed was the Eth language. 

"Good," Dara said and then turned back to Brayan.

"He hasn't actually eaten yet. Make sure he does." 

"Okay," Brayan said as Dara left the room. Brayan stepped inside and shut the door behind himself.

He looked at Bug and held his hand out towards the table.

"Would you like to eat?" 

Bug clutched the blankets in his hands.

"Is the prince really not cross with me?" 

"He has a temper sometimes but I've never known it to come to much. I think it's just his way of dealing with feeling hurt or vulnerable. He's jealous of the relationship you have with Dara but he won't hurt you because of it." 

"Oh."

Bug stared down at the bed, his eyebrows drawing together.

"There's nothing between me and Dara. Not like that. He feels like family to me, like a brother." 

"Even that, I think, is hard for Maric. Dara is his slave. A bed slave originally, at least in his mind and then he found out that Dara was actually a healer and they've had to transition to something else while maintaining an intimacy neither of them wanted to let go of. Until now, Dara has been exclusively his in a sense." 

"He still is. I'm just a slave and Dara is just being kind." 

"You're not just a slave to Dara and Dara isn't just a slave to Maric, which is why Maric is still figuring out how to deal with this situation. It probably doesn't help that Maric himself isn't very close to anyone else, emotionally speaking. Having that exclusivity go one way is challenging, I imagine. Especially when Dara is his property." 

"I really don't mean to get in the way of that," Bug insisted.

"If I'm causing problems, I can take care of myself. I like Dara and I appreciate everything he's done for me but I can manage without him. I've been managing on my own for years now under worse conditions than this." 

"Don't let it worry you. I'm just thinking out loud. I'm sure they'll resolve things on their own."

Brayan sat down at the table and gestured to the food again.

"Come and eat."

[casspurrjoybell-17]

Hart and Hunter - Chapter 4- Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

Dane Hunter

Latte in hand, Julian wanders off to browse, leaving me to deal with Ms. Wong.

I guess he figures the 'cop talk' is my shtick but sometimes I wish he'd stick around for it.

Women relate to him better.

He says most of them would rather talk to 'tall, dark and handsome' than 'pale and wispy' any day but experience says otherwise.

My height doesn't help and my neutral expression gets read as a scowl.

I try not to loom and do my best to appear 'non-threatening' as Stephanie frowns up at me.

"I'm afraid we didn't find much," I begin.

"This thief's no amateur. He knows how to leave a clean scene. Best get the police in here and let them do their thing."

Her expression pinches with disappointment and displeasure.

"So, you're telling me this has been a complete waste of time and now your prints are over everything, so the real cops won't find anything, either? Great. Jeffrey was right, we should have saved our money and invested in better security, instead of hiring the Hardy Boys."

"Who's Jeffrey?" I ask, ignoring the minor outburst.

No one's at their best after being victimized.

She winces and sighs, rubbing her brow.

"I'm sorry. I know you've done your best. Jeffrey owns the bike shop at the end of the block."

I nod and make a note of this.

Most of the shop owners had joined forces to hire us but there'd been a few holdouts.

If memory served, Jeffrey was the most vocal of these.

"If it's any consolation, the police won't dust for prints, anyway," I say, pocketing my notebook.

"They'll assume the thief wore gloves. They'll probably just take your statement and write up a report."

"How do you know that?" she asks, a hint of suspicion edging her tone, as if it's just occurred to her that I know an awful lot about burglaries.

I check my cell-phone, signaling that I'm done with her.

"Because I carried a badge once and cops don't waste resources or time. Just tell them what you told us and don't mention we were here first. If they ask..."

A soft thud interrupts me and I turn.

Julian is nowhere in sight.

"Jules?" I call, moving towards the spot I'd seen him last.

I round the corner of the aisle and see him sprawled on the floor.

"Shit. Julian?"

In two strides, I fall at his side and turn him over to look at his face.

His eyes are closed, features relaxed and his skin is paler than usual, stark white with a blue undertone.

He isn't breathing.

"Julian," I shout and shake him and then... just as fear is about to scatter my senses... my training kicks in.

The problem is, I don't know how much of my training applies.

I know what to do if someone faints, I'm less sure what to do if that someone is Fae.

Then again, Julian lived 29 years thinking he was human, his physiology can't be that different.

Quickly, I straighten his arms and legs and check that none of his clothing is too tight.

All the while, my mind races at full tilt.

I've seen him react badly to readings, but he's never passed out before.

Stephanie Wong hovers at my back.

"What happened?" she asks, panic edging her voice.

"Is he okay? Should I call 911?"

If Julian were human, it would be the right thing to do but he's not and some instinct tells me an ambulance isn't what he needs.

"Not yet," I tell her.

"Give him a minute."

"A minute for what?" she asks shrilly.

"Is he even breathing? I really think I should..."

Just wait," I say, and put a hint of Alpha in my tone.

She listens and hangs back while I work over Julian, rubbing his chest and arms and calling his name, all while praying I'm not making a terrible mistake.

Ten torturous seconds later, he stirs and draws a shallow breath and I nearly sob with relief as he comes around.

His eyelids flicker and open and he blinks up at me.

"Dane? What...?"

Wincing, he presses his hands to his eyes.

"Oh, fuck. My head."

"Take it easy, sweetheart," I say, gently prying one hand away from his face so I can take his pulse.

"What happened?"

"I dunno," he mumbles, keeping his eyes shut.

"I was just looking around. Then..."

Abruptly more alert, he struggles to rise and I help him to sit up.

"Slow and easy, Julian Take your time."

Still wincing with pain, he points at the wall.

"There's a mark... a rune of some kind. I touched it and... Shit."

He hunches over and rubs his temples.

"Feels like someone Tased me between the fucking eyes."

"Is it electrified?" Stephanie asks, studying the wall.

"I don't see any wires."

"I think he's confused," I say.

"Can you get him some water?"

She nods and scurries away.

Once she's out of earshot, I lean closer to Julian.

"Impressions?"

He shakes his head, keeping his eyes closed.

"No. Just a bright light and a bolt of pain."

I squeeze the back of his neck.

"Sometimes you take a while to process things, right? Maybe it'll make sense later. For now, put these on."

I take my dark glasses from my back pocket and slip them on his face, knowing he'll be sensitive to light.

"I'll get some pictures of the mark, then we'll split. Sound good?" I ask and Julian nods.

Stephanie returns with a bottle of water and hands it to him.

I get to my feet and inspect the wall, taking a series of pictures with my phone.

"Is this new?" I ask, studying the strange symbol.

It looks like a tall H with a double middle bar, drawn at a slant and two smaller lines coming off the side, all enclosed in a circle the size of a large coin.

Stephanie joins me, leaning close to peer at the mark.

"It wasn't here yesterday. I'm pretty sure I'd have noticed it."

"How sure is 'pretty sure?' " I ask.

"If you're certain, that means the thief may have left it."

She frowns.

"It definitely wasn't here on Monday. That's when I put out this table and lamp."

I pull my notebook out and record this information.

Stephanie seems observant enough I'm willing to take her at her word.

"Do you recognize it?" I nod at the mark.

"It's not Chinese, if that's what you're getting at. Not that I could read it if it was. You think it's connected to the burglary?"

I lift a shoulder.

"Could be. Point it out to the police, anyway. We'll be in touch if we learn anything more."

Returning to Julian, I help him to his feet.

"Come on, baby. Let's get you out of here."

He groans and leans against me and I kiss the side of his head.

We keep it strictly professional around clients but at the moment, I don't care what Stephanie sees.

I needn't have worried.

In fact, as it dawns on her that Julian is much more than my work partner, her demeanor warms considerably.

She holds the door for us and recommends I take Julian straight to 'Urgent Care' just to be safe.

It's not a bad idea but as I get him settled in my car, he brushes off my ministrations.

"Dane, stop fussing," he grumbles.

"I'm fine."

With his head leaned back and his eyes shut, I study him.

His delicate appearance and unusual beauty make people assume he's weak just because he doesn't fit the usual mold of masculinity.

I know better but I fall into that trap, too, sometimes.

I look at him and see something precious... something I need to guard and protect... instead of someone as fierce as any Wolf, in his own way.

At the moment, however, I feel my concern is justified.

"You're strong, Julian," I say, reaching over to press my hand to his brow.

"But you're also my mate and I love you. Let me fuss."

[daisyblinder]

Darling / Arthur Shelby x reader

🦋 Summary: Being there for everyone else takes it’s toll on you. But Arthur is there to catch you

🦋Warnings: Mental health issues, emotional trauma, cursing

Based on this request, hope you like it🧡

”John-John, no”, you whisper taking away the whiskey bottle from the poor mans hand. He had just lost his wife, the mother of his children.

Sitting at the table, he hangs his head, looking into his now empty whiskey glass.

In this moments it dawned on you how young he truly was. Young widowed boy with burdens on his shoulders no one should have to face.

”What the fuck am I supposed to do? Me kids will run me crazy, I can’t be a mother to them, I barely have time to be a dad”, he admits brokenly. You sigh and pull a chair from next to him. Gently bringing a hand to rub his back, you try to find the words.

But there were no words. What could you say to him to make him feel better?

”You are a good dad. With everything you do, you are doing wonderfully John. Your boys wouldn’t be so at ease running to your arms, or Katie with falling asleep next to you, if you weren’t good for them”, you soothe. "Martha knew who she had her babies with. She knew if anything, anything, were ever to happen, you would take care of them”

Your words break a sob out of the Shelby boy. Soon sobs wrack his strong shoulders. You wrap your arms around him as tight as you can, trying to will away his pain and take it yourself. You know it’s not possible but you will keep trying to take their pain away as long as you live.

 ***

Your tender fingers ran through Ada’s hair, her head resting on your lap. You were still trying to comprehend the news she had just told you.

 She was pregnant with Freddie Thorne’s baby. A wanted man. You were terrified for Ada, you did not want the poor woman to end up in the teeth of the town’s bitches nor did you want her to end up dying terminating the little life born of love.

When she came to you and told you she needed your help; ”I just need someone to listen, Y/n. I knew I could come to you”, you welcomed her with warm, open arms. But once again, you felt like all the help you could offer fell short. How could you not do more?

After a long conversation and quite a few tears, Ada had rested her head on your lap. You tried your best to soothe her to sleep, God knows she needed the rest and comfort.

 ***

The boys had dragged you to the Garrison to celebrate. Even with all the whiskey running through you, you could see that there was something odd about Tommy. But only once John calls for a second bottle, you see why.

Smiling to yourself, you nudge at Arthur next to you holding you under his arm. You gently nudge your chin towards his brother for him to take a look at Tommy’s eyes following the new barmaid like a hawk.

 ”He is smitten”, you whisper leaning your lips right to Arthur’s ear, not wanting anyone else to hear. You were the same age as Tommy but your maternal instincts had always made you like an older sister to the boy.

Seeing him smile, like he was now, was like sunshine to your heart. You knew that the boys who went to war never came back; but you knew there was a future for them. Only if someone took time to take care of them.

 ”That’s good”, Arthur mutters nodding. Both of your minds go to Greta. Before Arthur offers you a sip from his glass again and you sink further under his arm.

"I'm a little smitten too", he playfully whispers into your ear. You giggle and rest a hand on his chest.

"That's very, very good", you admit looking up at him with adoring eyes. Neither of you knew what you were, but you were content with that; for now. But you were waiting for your kiss to happen soon. Or you might just explode.

You moment is broken by a fight breaking out in the other corner. You did not mind the peaky company, the fights and the loud laughter usually but suddenly you start to feel like the walls are closing in.

 ”Can you walk me home?”, you ask Arthur suddenly, your heart beating too fast. Arthur furrows his brows, before he downs his glass and nods. ”Be good, boys. I’m taking the lady home”, he calls as he stands and offers you his hand.

 Before you take your leave, you lean down to hug Tommy, making sure that the barmaid doesn’t see and get confused. ”Have fun, Tom. She is looking at you too”, you whisper smiling though your heart is still going wild.

 Tommy smiles at you gratefully and nods. You would take his secrets to the grave if needed. And that’s why you were valuable to every Shelby. You were their breathe of fresh air.

 **

That night right after Arthur had gotten you home, you had collapsed into your bed crying. Your whole body was shaking as your tried to calm yourself down.

 It was all coming to you at once. When you took care of the Shelby’s, you were able to handle your own mind. Your own past. But when you were alone, it was suffocating you.

And though you loved the Shelby’s relying on you and coming to you when they needed help, it was getting tougher and tougher to act like you are feeling good enough to support their weight too.

You wanted to support them, you wanted to help them but you were so tired.

With everything changing, you started to realize how much of your past you had just hidden and tried to get away from without having to bring it back.

But how could it work like that?

**

Arthur could see there was something wrong with you. When he had walked you home, you had crossed your arms and hugged yourself like you were freezing to death. Usually you’d walk right against him and slowly wrap your fingers around his.

 He could see you were not holding yourself for cold. He had been there. But he dared not to ask yet what was wrong. He needed to make sure you were ready to talk, because from the look in your eyes, he could see you almost begging him not to ask anything.

So he just gently laid a coat over your shoulders and made sure you got home safe.

 **

Tears try to push into your eyes as you look at Tommy who growls while looking at the books. You had done your best, you knew they were not right, you could not get them to match and quite honestly; you were too exhausted to try again.

You felt awful, you had not slept properly in two days because lying in bed caused the body shakes and memories to come back.

 ”You want to explain to me why in here this says 96 and here it's 98?”, he asks you clearly frustrated. You look around, seeing Johnny, Charlie and Arthur turn towards you hearing Tommy’s slightly raised voice.

 ”I-I must have mixed them up”, you try to frailly explain, wanting him to go easy on you. But he doesn’t. Why would he? You had made a dumb mistake.

 ”Must have? Must have? I fucking must have mixed up me own memories with dreams because I thought you could read”, he grunts slamming the book shut before cursing and walking off.

 The tone of his voice awakened something in you. It awakened memories, the memories that made you remember why you did not want to take care of yourself.

It was just a matter of time the Shelby’s realized you were not worth their time now that you had started fucking up.

 You feel paralyzed with humiliation and anxiety as you start shaking right in the middle of the men. Your mind too far gone to figure out how to get out.

 A pair of hands come to rest on your arms and lead you to Arthur’s office. You try to get words out but you can only wheeze and sob while gesturing to your chest.

 Arthur shuts his door, his own heart hammering. He was mad at Tommy for taking his frustrations out on you, he was angry for not stepping up to defend you but most of all he was worried sick.

 Cupping your face between his hands he forces you to look at him. ”Darling, look at me. Let’s breathe”, he starts instructing. ”Just breathe, nothing else. Let’s just breathe”, he soothes bringing one of his hands down to grasp your own to bring it to his chest.

You look at him and slowly start to match your breathing to his, following his pace as he takes a breath in and blows it out. You feels his heart beat under his rising chest. When your breath evens out and you start to feel slightly lightheaded, you throw your arms around him.

 ”I’m sorry”, you sob feeling his arms wrap tightly around you. One hand coming behind your head to hold you closer, for you to burrow against his shoulder.

 ”Don’t be sorry love. Never say sorry to me”, he whispers in your hair laying a small kiss there. You tighten your arms around him, his scent and the feel of his warm, strong body against yours giving you the feeling of security.

 He was holding you, he wanted to be near you. Arthur was always there for you. ”Arthur?”, you whisper softly, letting out a light sniffle.

”Yes, love?”

”Can you hold me a little tighter?”

 His arms tighten around you the second you say the words. ”If you asked, love, I’d never let go”, he murmurs, drawing you out of your mind fog.

 You’d always known there was something unspoken between the two of you. You had a bond with every Shelby sibling, but Arthur was special. With Arthur, you let your guard down.

His eyes always spoke to you in away no one else’s did. With him you never felt like you needed to make sure he wouldn’t leave you. You knew he wouldn’t. And he knew you wouldn’t leave him either.

He still remember the time you saw him for the first time after he tried to...end it all. He'd tried to hide his scar but you'd stopped him.

Your eyes had been as loving as they always were, not mocking, not judging. Full of tears and swollen, but loving. Then you had hugged him and laid a kiss on his wound, and asked the simple question:

"Do you want to take a nap or are you ready to talk, sweetheart?"

 Pulling away lightly you stare at him with glassy eyes, Arthur’s whole face soft with worry and care. ”Please kiss me”, you whisper, your hands holding onto his coat tightly.

 Arthur’s brows rise as he slowly bring both of his hands to cup your face again. ”Come here”, he mutters before pressing his lips against yours.

Languidly your tongues dance against each other, your hands slowly making their way to hold Arthur's face when you begrudgingly pull away.

"You're so beautiful", you whisper fingers stroking his high cheek bones, going over the edge of his mustache as your face breaks into a tender smile.

"so fucking pretty", Arthur smirks wiggling his brows, making you snort and rest your forehead against his cheek.

"I was trying to keep this sweet", you huff jokingly. The lighthearted conversation easing you away from the shame of the earlier break down.

Arthur snorts, wrapping his arms around your waist to bring you flush against him. "You like me when I'm a menace", he says softly.

You nod, with a gentle grin. "and you love me even with my broken bits", you offer heart beating waiting for his answer at your statement.

His lips meet your forehead and you can feel his smile under his mustache. "Aye, my darling, that I do. Shit, I should have been a sneaky bastard too and said you loved me being a menace", he makes you giggle again with his stupid joke, but then he turns slightly more serious.

"but do you want to take a nap or do you want to tell me what's bringing you down?"

"You saw-"

"We both know there is more to it than Tom, love", he interrupts you gently. You sigh and nod against him, feeling tears trying to make their way up again.

"Can you take me home, nap with me a little and then we'll talk?" you ask timidly. You knew he had a busy schedule, and with you angering Tommy, it was not ideal for him to just leave and take a nap with you.

"Whatever my darling needs", he proclaims with a soft grin, pulling away from your embrace to look you in the eye again.

You'd never get tired of hearing him call you that: His darling.

[mackenzielovee]

ambivalence blurb: tidal wave - rafe cameron

a/n: hi babies, hope you enjoy this!! as always, let me know how you like it :) xoxo

Warnings: swearing, kissing, stress

series masterlist

You sigh and lay down on your couch, pulling the phone back slightly as Rafe continues to rant in your ear. Looking up at Connor in his exersaucer, you smile at him before moving your gaze to the desk you'd abandoned when he called.

On his lunch break, Rafe's seated in his truck; full blown tirade going on and on about one of the contractors he's working with on a project. He'd shown up late again, and while Rafe wanted to fire him on the spot, Ward disagreed.

"I mean, he just fucking dismissed me," Rafe continues, "I told him Ben needs to be fired and he just totally waved me off. It makes all of us look unprofessional, and- Jesus! Now he's smoking a cigarette outside. I swear, he's just skating along because he knows Dad likes him."

You sigh, "I'm sorry. But, I'm sure your dad didn't mean to brush you off like that. He trusts you, so I'm sure there's some reason why he's cutting Ben some slack."

You can practically see Rafe shaking his head; you can picture his jaw clenched as he glares at Ben through his windshield.

"It's unprofessional," he says again, but his voice is calmer, "This project is just really important and we need to keep our heads focused. And, y'know, I'm not a fucking contractor, so it's not like I can pick up the slack. If he can't do it, then I need to find someone who can."

"I agree," you tell him, "Maybe you and Ward should have a conversation after work. There must be something you're missing, some reason why Ward's being so forgiving with him."

"That might be a good idea," he sighs.

"It's worth a try," you encourage him, "Just remember to be calm and rational. If you come off irritated or defensive, he'll shut down. He's a lot like someone else I know."

Rafe's laugh is small and low, but you still hear it. You smile softly and both of you relax into the silence for a brief moment.

"Ha ha," he teases, "Did I interrupt you working on something? I'm sorry."

"No, you're fine. I was just about to feed Connor."

Rafe hums contently, the thought of being at home with both of you while feeding his child helps him relax into his seat. You rise from your place on the couch and walk over to Connor, sitting beside him.

"How's he doing?" he asks.

You smile and tickle under Connor's chin, making him laugh. You grin in response, watching him bounce in his exersaucer.

"He's great," you tell him, "All smiles today."

"At least one Cameron man is," Rafe scoffs, "Thanks for listening to me, sweetheart. I'm gonna talk to Dad after work and then I'll be home."

"You don't have to thank me, baby. We'll see you later," you say.

Connor coos beside you, making you smile and Rafe chuckle.

"Counting the minutes. I love you. Tell little man I love him, too."

"I will. We love you, too," you tell him, even though you know he's already sure of that.

You toss your phone back onto the couch and then swipe Connor up, carrying him to the kitchen to get a bottle. He coos again, his hand coming up to paw at your jawline. You lean down and smile at him, speaking softly.

"You're just so happy today, aren't you?" you grin.

When you pull open the fridge door and grab the bottle, your eyes catch onto a few certain ingredients scattered around the shelves.

With another glance down to Connor, you purse your lips and close the fridge.

"I think we have some work to do before Dad comes home, huh, buddy?"

Although it had only been five months of marriage, you let out a sigh of relief that your white dress still fits. With Connor tucked in his high-chair, hands smacking against his tray every so often as he attempts to entertain himself, you scurry around the kitchen in search of your wine opener. Having been pregnant when the two of you organized the kitchen, you have no idea where Rafe had stuck it.

"Why does your Dad hide wine bottle openers?" you ask Connor, stopping to wipe his mouth of a bit of drool.

He hums back at you and you chuckle, opening another drawer and raking through it before closing it again. Glancing at the clock on the oven, you're sure he'll be walking in at any moment. You remove your tray from the oven and shut off the burners on the stove before focusing on the wine bottle opener yet again.

Your excitement grows when you hear the front door open, still hoping you'll find the opener at the last second. As you open another drawer, you hear Rafe speaking.

"No, I'm saying we need an alternate contractor for days Ben can't make it on site," his voice grows closer, "Is that something I can trust you to handle, or-"

He stops abruptly when he sees you and the kitchen; table set and wine glasses out. The lights are a bit dim and you're wearing the dress he married you in, which makes his jaw drop slightly.

You watch as he reaches up and loosens his tie, phone still pressed to his ear. After a second, he closes his mouth and swallows, Adam's apple bobbing in his throat.

"Marcus, I'm gonna call you back," Rafe says without taking his eyes off of you.

You watch as he hangs up the phone without looking at it, finally glancing over and seeing Connor in his high chair, having watched his mom cook. He sets his phone down on the island and takes a daring step toward you.

"Hi," you say shyly, holding up the sealed wine bottle, "Do you know where our opener is?"

He swallows again and nods, stepping over to the singular drawer you hadn't checked in and pulling it out. When he holds it up, you bite down on your bottom lip and take it from him.

"What's all this?" he asks, his voice hoarse as his eyes travel over your body.

"Oh, you know," you shrug, "Just thought it might be nice for you to come home and relax."

He grins and reaches both his hands out, taking the wine bottle and the opener from you.

"Just seeing the two of you helps me relax," he says as he works to open the bottle.

You follow him over to the counter and stand beside him, eyes raking over his features to figure out how his issue has been resolved. He opens the bottle and then turns to you, smile dancing on his lips.

"Fine," you sigh, pretending to be exasperated, which makes him laugh, "I knew you had a hard day. Connor suggested I do something to take your mind off of things."

Rafe's grin widens as he wraps his arms around you, pulling you into him quickly.

"He did, huh?"

"Yes," you nod, "He made your favorite meal. And, snuck into your parents house and stole the bottle of wine you just opened."

This makes him laugh, which helps you relax. Your hands run up his chest and interlock behind his neck, pulling him only closer to you.

"God, that must've taken him hours," Rafe replies, ghosting his lips over yours as he teases you.

"He busted his ass just for you," you agree, your voice coming out as more of a whisper.

"Well, aren't I just the luckiest guy in the world?" he whispers against your mouth.

"You're pretty far up there, I'd say."

He laughs and then presses his lips to yours, wasting no time pulling you even closer. He keeps your body flush against his as he kisses you, a better thank you than you'd ever gotten from anyone. He groans into the kiss after a moment, pulling away only enough to speak.

"Baby, I think it's past Connor's bedtime," he smirks, "I'll put him down before we continue this."

Rafe moves to pull away from you, but you protest and reach up to cup his jaw, urging his blue eyes to meet yours. Just for a moment, under the dimmed light of the kitchen in the home Rafe made for you, you get lost in him. Your eyes rake over every inch of his skin, every spot demanding to be felt. You stroke his cheek with your thumb and smile in your daze, watching as his lips curve up to match you.

"I'll get him," you say quietly, "You sit down. Have a drink."

Despite your declaration, Rafe's hands tighten their grip on your waist to keep you standing in front of him.

"You take care of him all day. You deserve a break, too," he counters.

"I get my break," you assure him with another swipe of your thumb, "You take care of me everyday. Take one night off. Sit down."

You watch his throat work as he begins to protest, but ultimately reaches one hand up and wraps it along the neck of the wine bottle. His other hand releases you and you jump away, grabbing Connor from his high chair. Rafe holds his arms out as you pass, greeting Connor and talking to him for a moment before you take him again.

Just as you glide over the tile, where it meets the hardwood of the living room, Rafe speaks up.

"Sweetheart."

You turn and duck your head back in, Connor resting sleepily on your shoulder.

"Yeah?"

He licks his lips and sighs, leaning all his weight on the island in front of him.

"Taking care of you isn't a job to me," he tells you, "It's a privilege."

Your lips fall into a pout as you take him in once more; loose tie around his neck, hands splayed across the marble of the island, shy smile across his lips. He waves you off after a second, and with another longing look, you hurry off to Connor's room.

You return to the kitchen about twenty minutes later, now thankful Connor didn't take his nap so he fell asleep a lot easier than usual. When you walk in, you find Rafe seated at the table. He's put food out onto both of your plates and poured two glasses of wine, which all is perfectly arranged.

"Hey," you say, watching his eyes shoot up from his phone to you instantly, "I was going to get the plates and-"

He laughs easily and stands. Before you blink, he's across the kitchen, crowding you up against the countertop and boxing you in with his arms.

"You're the most incredible woman I will ever know," he tells you, "I mean, you worked a full day, took care of our son, listened to me bitch on the phone, got all dressed up and cooked me my favorite meal. All because-"

"All because I love you," you stop him, hooking your finger into the collar of his shirt and pulling him into you.

He stops just before he kisses you, "I love you, too, you sexy supermom."

Your right hand tangles itself into the hair on the back of his head, tugging when he presses his body even closer to you. You deepen the kiss, listening to him groan into your mouth. The second your left hand reaches up to undo the buttons on his shirt, his hands both roaming down your back and to your ass, he pulls away.

"Hmm," he hums when he pulls back, "Let's eat that delicious meal you made for me, yeah?"

"Okay," you nod, biting your bottom lip.

Rafe knots his fingers through yours with one hand and uses his other to reach up and tug your bottom lip out from between your teeth.

He leads you back over to the table and pulls your seat out for you, nodding his head down to the chair when you try to speak up and tell him the night isn't about him. Regardless, you sit, then watch as he sits across from you.

"That dress does things to me," he mutters, taking a long sip of wine after he speaks.

You snicker and sip from your glass as well, meeting his eyes and giving him a smile.

"So," you start, "How did the whole thing with Ben and your dad turn out?"

Rafe drops his eyes, picking up his knife and fork. You note his expression, how it's no longer filled with the annoyance and aggravation, but instead, with something that looks similar to shame.

"He, uh, he's not going to be an issue any further," Rafe mumbles.

He cuts a piece of chicken and takes a bite, eyes still trained down on his plate.

"Rafe, what is it?" you ask him.

He clenches his jaw after he swallows, then carefully wipes his mouth with his napkin. You watch as he sets his fork down and sits back in his chair, a low sigh leaving his lips.

"Ward explained to me what's up with him and I just kind of feel like an asshole now."

You furrow your eyebrows, watching as he takes another bite, "What do you mean?"

"He's in the middle of a really intense custody battle with his ex-wife. Ward's been cutting him some slack because he's been going through a lot. I just got so worked up that I didn't even consider he could be going through something and just demanded that he be fired."

"Hey," you reach across the table, signaling for his hand, "You didn't know. You're doing your job."

He squeezes your hand, "I know, I just wish I hadn't jumped down my dad's throat before giving him a chance to explain."

"What happened when he did explain?"

Rafe gives you a shy smile, "We agreed to have an alternate contractor come in to work when Ben is unavailable. And we're going to wait until their custody case is closed to make any decisions about his employment."

You give him an encouraging smile and another hand squeeze before pulling back to pick up your fork.

"I think that's a great solution," you say, "I'm proud of you."

"Well, thank you, sweetheart," he nods, "He's a good worker, he just needs a little help right now. Fuck if I don't know how that feels."

You know exactly what he's referring to; his own time off from Cameron Development. You set your wine glass down and give him a sympathetic smile, watching as his eyes sink when he remembers who he used to be.

"You turned your life around, Rafe," you say quietly, "Ben will, too. You and Ward are very kind to be helping him out."

"Ben just needs to meet the right woman," Rafe says, smirk growing on his lips as he reaches for his wine glass once more, "That's all that got me through my issues."

"Give credit where credit's due, all right? You handled your own shit. I didn't fix you."

Rafe's soft smile makes your heart melt, his ring-bounded hand reaching out for yours.

"I think you fixed me in ways you still don't realize."

Your hand squeezes his as you resist the urge to cry, and before you can even respond, he fiddles with his fork on his plate and speaks again. His head shakes slightly, as if trying to rid himself of the emotions rising underneath the surface.

"This meal is delicious, baby. Tell me about your day."

His eyes and his hand never leave you while you talk. His gaze dances around your face and your body, watching and admiring the way the light makes your eyes look brighter somehow. For the briefest of moments, Rafe Cameron can't even believe this is how he gets to spend the rest of his life. Just like that, he glances quickly down at your hands still clasped together, eyeing his wedding band lining his ring finger. And if the need for that reassurance isn't enough, he waits for you to gesture with your left hand while you speak, his eyes settling on the diamond on your finger. He grins then, nodding his head slightly as he tells himself that it is, in fact, all real.

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*if you would like to be added/removed from my taglist at any time, please send me an ask!

[thepenultimateword]

Hey I love your writing so much and first off I want to tell you you're an amazing writer and to keep doing what you're doing so long as it makes you happy because I feel like no one gets told such things enough. Then if you're open to requests (if not please just ignore my begging) I was wondering if we could have a part three of the Shiny snippets because while there are many of your snippets I would love to read more of corvids are my jam and I rarely see any writing with them. If you've got no inspiration I totally understand and I stand by the fact you're a terrific writer have a lovely day.

-friendly neighbourhood winged anon

Thank you so much! I actually wasn't planning to do another part to Shiny, but you've convinced me ;) You're right, we need more corvid fiction out there!

Part One, Part Two

Villain never should have done this.

They had been comfortable with their station in life. Content even. A back alley villain. That was it. They didn't need the spotlight; they didn't even need a lot of money. Just a knife in their hand and a city full of suckers to rob. This is what came of letting someone rouse your ambitions.

"Villan! Villain!" Supervillain's voice was frenzied and their wings flapped loudly in place, scattering loose feathers across the pavement.

Villain shifted a little in the coil of barbed wire pinning their arms to their side and tried to face their lover. They regretted the small whine that escaped their pursed lips as they did so; it only made Supervillain flap harder.

The master criminal pressed their face against one of the several layers of freshly sprung nets barricading them from Villain. A clever setup. If the trap had caught Supervillain, as it was intended, Villain never would have cut them loose in time, but now, even with the wrong person inside, Supervillain couldn't do anything without getting tangled themself. A fact they were clearly ignoring at this moment.

"Hey, hey, hey," Villain said as the hybrid slammed up against the net, claws catching between the knots and wings getting dangerously close to collapsing the ropes on top of themself. "Stop it, I'm alright."

"You're not! You're bleeding!"

Villain had been trying to ignore the warm stickiness on their back, dozens of barbs digging deep puncture wounds between their shoulder blades and along their spine, but now that it had been said out loud, they felt nauseated. The wire had been designed to restrain Supervillain's powerful wings; for a normal human like Villain, it sort of felt like a mouse who'd walked onto the spring of a bear trap. Very messy. They might pass out soon.

"Mm, it's fine," Villain forced out.

"It's my fault. It's all my fault. I never should have involved you."

Villain wasn't used to seeing their partner so shaken. They never bowed before anyone, and they had a plan for everything. Apparently not this time.

Villain swallowed the panic welling up their throat. They so wanted to break down. Supervillain had always been the tough one, the calm one, not them. But if they showed weakness now, Supervillain would keep trying to save them. That meant them sticking around. And that meant them getting captured, which is what the heroes really wanted. Villain couldn't allow that.

“Baby, I…I need you to listen to me, ok?”

“I should be in there! It was meant for me!" In Supervillain's desperation, one of their claws ripped out from their nail bed, splattering blood in large drops below them. They were unfazed, fixing their grip once again and attempting to snap the hanging ropes by flapping backward.

"Supervillain!" Villain shouted, tears pricking the corners of their eyes. "Please, just get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you!" Supervillain screeched. Villain had only ever heard them this furious when they were in the middle of a fight and being faced with it directly made their hair stand on end.

Villain clenched their teeth and did their best to push the words around their winces. “You can't save me!"

"I can--"

"No! The heroes are coming! If you really want to do something for me, go! Make a plan so good that the agency wishes they never touched me. Come back for me then."

Supervillain hesitated. They let the net swing back into place and met Villain's eyes through the holes. Their mussed feathery hair cast a shadow on their frown.

"You can't help me if we both get captured now," Villain pushed. "Help me later, by saving yourself now."

Lies. Villain didn't believe a word they were saying, but Supervillain wouldn't leave if they thought they were abandoning them.

"If I stay..." Supervillain said, "maybe they'll let you go."

No!

"You can't guarantee that!" Villain squeezed their eyes shut. It was getting harder to bear the pain. "Please! Do as I tell you!"

Supervillain thrust their wings out wide, giving a few anxious flaps. It was more controlled than the earlier frenzy, but they still generated a breeze rough enough to creak the nuts and brush over Villain's face.

“You don't understand! This trap was designed by the compound! You don’t know what they do to villains in there!”

The barbs dug harder as Villain tensed. The compound was the dark side of heroism. The part that didn't belong on tv. They didn't want Supervillain to leave them.

"It's ok," they said around the lump in their throat.

"What if it's not? What if I never see you again?"

Villain broke. Hot tears spilled down their cheeks and their voice cracked. "Then know I love you."

Supervillain folded in half as if stabbed. They weren't given much time for recovery though. A sudden chill to the air signaled the heroes' arrival.

Supervillain's dark eyes bore into them. "I'll never love again."

The finality ached.

Don't go.

Supervillain shoved into the air.

Villain couldn't tip back far enough to watch them disappear, but they imagined them rising high into the clouds. Condensation gathering on their feathers. Nothing but freedom ahead of them.

"That's not Supervillain," someone growled a few moments later. The nets suddenly crumpled in a heavy heap overtop Villain, and a moment later the tv-famous face of Hero towered above them. An icy blade encasing their entire arm was held haphazardly at their side and slowly dripped out of existence. Hero's frosted steel-toed boot hit Villain in the side. One of the barbs bent inward and hooked into their flesh, causing an involuntary gasp of pain. "Who's this nobody?"

"Careful!" another person said. That voice was even more familiar. It had probably been on every existing tv channel and radio station at some point or another. Villain's insides twisted. They'd never done anything big enough to warrant a visit from a top hero. Certainly not Superhero himself.

Golden brown wings made a swishing sound as they dragged along the pile of ropes like an imperial train. Villain fought the urge to look up. It turned out they didn't have to because they were suddenly seized by the back of their shirt and lifted, nets and all, into an unsteady upright position. Superhero ducked down a little to look into their face.

Villain had never seen the Eagle in person. They immediately wished they could have lived free of his terror forever.

Feathers fluffed out and tumbled over the hero's neck like a mane, making him seem even bigger than his already monstrously large stature granted him. His head cocked uncomfortably far to the right to study Villain, cutting features and sharp yellow eyes peeling away their defenses. Everything about him was far too eerily satisfied.

"We need them."

"What do you mean?" Hero said, sounding skeptical.

"I've been doing some birdwatching lately." Superhero ran his hand over Villain's head with exaggerated gentleness. "This is the crow's mate."

Part Four

[kiridarling]

"𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐀𝐘𝐒."

izuku midoriya | friends older brother!izuku + college student!reader + f!reader + squirting + size kink + more! minors dni! does this count? as dark content?

— 2.4k words

"It's simple: I'll stuff you full with two fingers, but they only do what simon says. Understand?"

“[Y/N?]”

“Uh, hey Izuku!” You smile, grip tightening around the strap to your bag. Izuku fills the doorway, broad shoulders kissing both sides of the frame, and you can’t help but feel minuscule in comparison. “Kota around?”

Izuku shakes his head, peering over his shoulder for a second before returning his attention to you with a click of his tongue. "Uh, no I think he's out with Eri. They should be back soon though...it's been a few hours."

"Shit," you curse under your breath. Your friend's older brother smiles in apology, biceps straining under his white tee.

"You need something?"

"Yeah," you nod, forcing your eyes back onto his, instead of the broad chest presented at eye-level. "Just my precalc book."

Izuku waits a second, thinking, before his palm claps against the doorframe and he's walking deeper into the house. "Come on in, then! I'm sure he won't mind."

You step into the house after him, and it's...weird. Weird being with your Kota's older brother without Kota there, because despite the thousands of times you've been in your best friend's house and as well as you know the greenette, you and Izuku have never been alone.

"Find it?"

You've been rummaging through Kota's room for a solid ten minutes and somehow still empty-handed, moving slowly in fear you'll see something you can't unsee. And hey, with Kota and Eri dating, anything's possible.

"No," you sigh, ready to give up rather than find a strap-on. "It's fine. I can just come to get it tomorrow or something."

"How soon do you need it?" The greenette asks, his forearms leaning against his younger brother's dresser. You take a seat on Kota's comforter instead, silently hoping you'll find your book by accidentally breaking your tailbone against the damn thing; you're a little disappointed when all your ass comes in contact with is a plush mattress.

"Like, tonight," you grieve, knowing that tomorrow morning, your math grade will suffer severely. "'S fine though. There's always another test."

Izuku snorts at that, crossing the room to take a seat next to you. The bed whines under his weight but doesn't collapse, and you feel a little bad to say you're surprised. Voice full of reminiscence, he sighs, "Ah, the college days."

You giggle, "You act like they're lightyears behind you."

"They might as well be," the greenette shrugs, before reaching behind your waist to steal a pillow. "Couldn't tell you a thing I learned."

You shrug trying to remember the last time you’ve felt prepared for a test, “Neither can I.”

Izuku chuckles and nods, though you’re convinced it’s because he has nothing to say. An awkward silence takes possession of the room by the neck, and you shift awkwardly, unsure of what to say that could give you an excuse to leave, or at least redirect his strange yet heavy gaze. As Izuku licks his lips, you notice how close you two actually are, as he's big to the point where your shoulders almost brush, but not quite.

"How um, hows your boyfriend?"

You scoff at that, but you suppose it's been a while since you and the greenette have talked one on one—and the last time you had, you weren't single.

"Oh uh, he's fine, I guess," you brush it off with a shrug and a wave, cringing at the thought of how that ended. "I don't know. We broke up a while ago, so."

"Oh sorry!" Izuku flushes and throws a hand over his mouth, and you giggle.

"You're fine. He was an asshole anyway," you chuck a laugh, but it's not really that funny. Frankly, he's left too many emotional scars to count, along with the ones healing from past exes. "I...don't have a good reputation when it comes to picking boyfriends."

“So, I’ve heard—no offense,” he says sheepishly, though you don't blame him. You've definitely had a few surprise visits caused by a nasty break-up or two, knowing this is the place you'll probably find both of your best friends hiding out. When Izuku speaks again, it’s borderline awkward as his eyes dart around the room, cheeks puffed and lips pursed in apprehension. “Found...anyone new?”

You frown, “Anyone new.”

“Yeah!” Izuku exclaims, and it’s almost encouraging. “Like a new boyfriend.”

“Oh,” you laugh, shaking your head. “Um, no. Like I said, I don’t have much luck with that type of stuff.”

Izuku snorts, rolling his eyes before he’s adjusting himself to lay on the pillow, half of his body upright. “I bet you do. You might not realize it, but you do.”

Now it’s your turn to snort and roll your eyes, leaning back on your hands with a huff. "You're just being nice, Izuku."

"No, seriously!" He props himself higher so you can see he really is serious, evergreen eyes locked and deadset, "Like—okay, and this might be a TMI or something, but how do they, y'know, and then be dicks, y'know?"

"They don't."

"They don't...what?"

"They don't...make me cum," you heave with great depression, despite the seemingly surface-level complaint. With wrists tightening around your ankles, you hate uncomfortably in the silence, and watch Izuku's mouth open and close, before it opens and closes again.

"Like...never?"

"No." You give him a weird look.

"But what about your last boyfriend? I thought he—"

"I don't know what you're looking for, Izuku," you chuckle, shaking your head. The greenette seems more pained than he is shocked, eyes wide with a big fat pout in place of a neutral face. "It's not like I haven't had an orgasm before. Just...not with someone else."

"That's not the same!" Izuku defends, slowly becoming more animated than you've ever seen him. "It's like...more passionate with another person, you know? And that makes everything a whole lot hotter."

"Thanks," you huff, mood souring more than it already has. Izuku's mouth stills once he realizes what he's essentially bragging, guilt clouding his face. As you exhale out of your nose, you can't escape feeling bad for snapping. "Look. I'm perfectly fine with being the only person to be able to make myself cum. It's not that deep."

"You sound like you expect no one to be able to," Izuku snorts with a raised eyebrow, shoulders bumping against yours. "You've just...had bad boyfriend luck. That doesn't mean no one's capable of doing it."

"Well," you click your tongue bitterly, because you've heard all of this before, and you're utterly tired of hearing it. "They've been able to make all their exes orgasm. And it's not like it even matters, relationships aren't abou—"

"I could do it."

"I—" you blink, shaking your head at the pure audacity of his request? Suggestion? Comment? Whatever the fuck. "Excuse me?"

"I—wait, listen," Izuku rushes like you're getting ready to book it the fuck out of there, sitting upright so his body is turned to yours. "You're...it's...I've been told I'm good with my fingers, right?"

And what a way to start a story.

"Izuku, in the nicest way, every guy is like this," you scoff, "He thinks he's all that just because a chick or two said you made her feel really good. I don't need to fake another orgasm."

"You won't have to," Izuku purrs cockily, leaning forwards on his hands and making you wonder where all of this is coming from. "Let's play a game of simon says, yeah?"

"Simon—" your chest collapses with a giggle of pure disbelief, "I'm not that much younger than you, you know."

"I wouldn't be offering if you were," the greenette reasons, eyes growing dark slowly, if any. "Yes or no?"

"What's the catch?" You bargain and Izuku huffs a laugh. You can feel it on your face.

"No catch, Pretty," he hums, and you can feel the vibrations in your fingers. "It's simple: I'll stuff you full with two fingers, but they only do what simon says. Understand?"

You gulp as Izuku lifts a hand—and a very large one, at that—and it's jagged and rough with scars and bulky knuckles. His free hand makes you grab his wrist and you're fingertips barely touch, but you’re pulling his hand south by your own volition.

“Gotta take your pants off first,” he chuckles, and you flush red. That would be helpful, yes.

It doesn't take long before they're off though, flung towards a corner somewhere—and this is when you realize that maybe, you shouldn't do this on Kota's bed.

"Izuku maybe we shoul—"

But before you can say anything else, he's pushing your panties to the side and shoving both fingers into you at once, eyebrows folding as he groans under his breath from the sensation.

"So wet already? Clearly, someone likes this more than they let on."

"I—what the fuck happened to simon says!" You yelp, but his fingers don't move. Izuku just beams like the deceptive asshole he is.

"Game starts now," is all he says, and you're huffing, propping yourself up on your elbows. Izuku's fingers might as well have knocked the wind out of you, lungs struggling to find room to breathe as he curls his fingers to tap directly onto your g-spot with worrying precision.

"Simon says um, move please," you grunt out. Izuku's fingers stay still, and you frown, kicking him in the thigh. "Hey, I sai—"

"You gotta be more specific than that, Pretty,” he says with a grin. You snarl. "Tell me what you want me to do to you."

"I..." you start, but it's fucking embarrassing, and you know Izuku feels you twitch around him when you say: "Can you um, fuck me with your fingers."

He doesn't move.

"Simon says fuck me with your fingers, asshole," you grunt with narrowed eyes, though they widen when he starts to pump his fingers in and out, chuckling when you shiver from the dexterity.

Except, his fingers move painfully slow, and you find yourself gritting your teeth at the speed when he doesn't make an effort to go any faster. You click your tongue—he's really going to make you request everything, isn't he?

"Simon says faster," you growl with a challenge burning in your eyes, and Izuku meets them with equal fire, fingers finally forgetting their torturous pace for a much quicker one. Finally.

"Fuck! Simo—simon says right t-there," your legs spread wider and Izuku makes more room for himself in between. He hums with dark eyes as you whimper and whine his name, writhing in his younger brother's sheets like they belong to him—like you belong to him.

"I wanna touch you all the time, you know," Izuku grunts before cursing at the sight of your wetness around his fingers. "Make you feel good, make you mine. I don't think Kota would approve, though."

"We don—" you wheeze and he places a hand next to your head, towering over you. The angle only gets better, your hands digging into the sheets as Izuku's fingers curl just right. "We don't have to tell him."

Izuku chuckles at that, chest rumbling as he leans in closer to the point where your noses nearly touch. "You dirty fucking girl."

You moan at that, hips bucking into his hand. You're so close and yet you need more, something else to push you over the edge for good. With a whimper behind a bitten lip, you say, "S-Simon says rub my clit."

Izuku's thumb falls upon your clit and you squeal from the amount of initial pressure, thighs jolting from the white-hot waves that pump through your bloodstream as his thumb moves in small, ever-quickening circles that have you gripping for Kota's comforter for dear life.

"Iz—Izuku I'm gonna—g-gonna cum," you pant, and he's ripping his hands away before you can even reach a hint of the edge. You glare at him out of pure and utter betrayal, and he beams.

"Simon didn't say, did he?"

Your mouth flies open before your brain has time to process it all, "Simon says make me cum, p-please, I need to—fuck!"

Izuku's stuffing you full with his fingers in an instant and his thumb returns to its rightful place.

"Yeah? You gonna cum for me, Pretty?" His hands somehow find the energy to speed up to the point where the clap of his palm against your pussy fills the room, slowly being replaced by a lewd squelch as you tighten around him. He chuckles when all you can do is whimper, grappling for his big shoulders as he says, "Oh, yes she is. So fucking close I can feel it."

You let out a broken moan and in a blink you're squirting, body buzzing as you make a big wet mess of Kota's sheets. It doesn't even register how screwed you two are because you're too busy wading waist-deep in the sea of Izuku's eyes, chest heaving in time with his as he gives you a look of pure awe. Not at what you've done, per se, but at you, and that's when you understand it—the passion.

"We should uh, probably clean up," Izuku flushes as he chuckles, cheeks pressing into the crescents of his face, and you find yourself smiling along with him. With a final click, he pulls his fingers out, gesturing to a circular wet spot on his now see-through shirt. "You made quite a mess."

Fuck the passion.

You shove your fists into his chest and Izuku laughs, pushing your hands away with his one dry free hand, wiping the wet one on Kota's sheets.

"Izuku!" You gasp, looking at the new and improved addition to your mess. The greenette shrugs.

"What? We're going to have to clean it anyway," he shrugs before assuming the dry spot to your right and nestling his forearms in the pillow to peck you on the forehead. Then he freezes.

"I uh...am I allowed to do that?"

You roll your eyes, grabbing him by his squirt-soaked shirt to pull him into a kiss. Izuku hums at that, suppressing the urge to smile as his big hands find their way to your waist. He's an annoyingly good kisser

"No, you're not," you say with swollen lips once you pull away. Izuku grins, teeth digging into his bottom lip as his eyes flutter to yours for a moment, before they're staring into your soul again.

"I like you," he boldly states, albeit quietly, like he's talking to your eyes and nothing else. "Like, a lot."

"I—" You start, but you're interrupted by a click of a lock and the sound of the front door opening. Shit.

"Oi! We're home, Izuku!"

[strawberry-nugget]

𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙄 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 | E. Kirishima/ Reader/ K. Bakugo

𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙩 1

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨: after weeks of Bakugo distancing himself from you and Kirishima you finally get the chance to talk out what happened the other day, one thing leads to another and...

𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, thr*esome, oral (f! and m! receiving), double penetration, fingering, p*ssy slapping, dacryphilia, all characters portrayed are over the age of 20

𝘼/𝙉: I'm so sorry this took me so long. I know this is 6.5k with little to no plot but I hope you enjoy this, hehe, thanks for all of the notes and amazing comments on the last one. I'll be reblogging in a few minutes with the tags in those who asked. Also. This is top Kirishima. Top top top top Kirishima.

It's been two weeks now that you and Bakugo exist in different timelines.

He's never home, lost in patrol after patrol, leaving a hot mess behind him in his room, belts, gear, his back up costume messily sprawled across his room -you guess he doesn't have enough time to clean everything up. Still, the rest of the apartment always looks inhabitable, save for the little mess you make in the kitchen when you cook; he never cleans what's supposed to be your task.

You feel yourself growing sadder every day. It's something Kirishima notices and informs you he feels as well, rooted deep in how Bakugo is treating the two of you ever since that night. And the worst part is you can't do anything about it. He doesn't return his phone calls nor does he ever pick up, and by now you've accepted that he purposely avoids being in the house with you. It hurts even more knowing that he and Kirishima see each other at work every day; at least he knows Katsuki is doing okay, though as he reports, he rarely ever talks more than patrol and business.

You only wonder why he acts the way he does, thinking you don't deserve to get ghosted over for what happened. He's your roommate and one of your best friends, whatever made him feel like he has the right to ghost you with such each is not going to go by so easily and you're not willing to wait it out anymore either.

Thus, this Thursday night you call in sick for work and emerge yourself in the bathtub after checking the clock. 7.25pm. It's still an hour until Katsuki is off his shift, which means you have plenty of time to do some self care. Shave your legs, scrub your whole body with your coconut scrub- anything to calm down that put of anxiety that's starting to boil in the pit of your stomach.

You fear for the worst. That Katsuki doesn't want to be your friend anymore, and losing him doesn't sit right with you. Not over just catching him masturbating once.

There's a ton of things you want to say, or ask him. The lingering thought of him liking Kirishima or you digs deep enough into your brain and plants itself there, getting comfortable right next to the thought of him being jealous of your relationship. Could this be it? Could he just be lonely? He never talks about meeting anyone or having sex -that must be it, he's lonely, that's all.

Your bath doesn't last for long because you're nervous and the water runs cold before you have the chance to enjoy yourself. Maybe it's time to start turning the heating on in the apartment and you curse yourself because you have to talk this out with Bakugo as well -fuck its hard to not live on your own when you have to make shared decisions with someone. To your stomach's turbulence dismay you can't get out of talking to Katsuki.

"No, I literally won't tell you where she is Bakugo"

Your heart skips a beat at the sound of the door unlocking and closing again, followed by your boyfriend's familiar voice. You don't make a single movement to exit the bathroom yet- you're frozen, opting to rest on top of the toilet cap until you hear Bakugo's reply, your gut falling into a muddy pit of panic.

"I swear to fucking god if you two are trapping me to talk about it"

Typically of him, he shouts, barking and chewing a few sounds of what he's saying. Kirishima knows he's all bark and no bite though, you're eager to figure out how he'll oppose him.

"She wants to talk to you, you can't just ghost her like that when you live with her" There's a long pause next "and you should have told me that you're in fucking love with her"

"What?" Katsuki exclaims

What?

"You think I'm an idiot? Or that I can't comprehend basic human behavior? I know how people who feel the way you do act"

"What are you even saying Kirishima? That I'm jealous?"

You blink feverously, trying to take in what you're listening to unfold in the other room. You know a part of you has been wishing that this scenario wasn't true.

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying. You should have told me you liked her in the beginning. I would have never made a move"

They bicker back and forth for a few minutes; Katsuki accusing and Eijiro defending, then switching back and forth before going silent. It's then that you think you should emerge from the bathroom. It feels wrong to not be part of this conversation when you're the reason for their bickering, but at this point the guilt in your stomach is rotting and polluting your insides.

With a sigh, you turn the doorknob and inhale deeply. You tell yourself you can do this. You have to do this, yet your eyes are filled with hot and salty tears as you approach the living room.

Both of them eye you simultaneously, pursed lips and hands crossed over their chests; the only relieving thing about this is that they're sitting next to each other on the couch, their calves slightly touching. You know they'll make up again, they always will, but you're scared you won't be able to be part of that make up. Not with the information that's been poured onto you.

"Hi" You whisper and despite being sure both of them heard you, they make no effort to open their mouths and talk back "I uhm" You clear your throat "I heard what you were ah saying"

"Course ya did" Katsuki growls "course ya fucking did"

"Baku- I-"

"Save it! I'm gonna-" He snaps and makes a move to get off the couch, though Eijiro has other plans; he slams him back down with just a push of his hand

The same hand that's extended to you, overlapping Katsuki's chest, wordlessly asking you to join them on the couch. Your heart warms up slightly. Kirishima always does his best to make you feel included, it's no surprise he's smiling at you when you take a seat next to the blond.

"You're not going anywhere Bakugo. And babe, you can speak now"

Though you smile nervously with your lips, your first word falls silent, in awe of a lung filling sigh. Then by the time you gather some thoughts together your chest is shivering and the tears that you managed to drown before are now threatening to spill from your eyes again.

Kirishima is watching you religiously, pouting as you throw your head to the opposite direction of his to let out a small sob. He tightens the grip of his hand around yours and barely notices Bakugo batting his eyes to that direction.

"Hey, no, don't cry"

"I just don't want to lose Bakugo because of this" you sob and Kirishima shoots a killer gaze at the blond, biting the inside of his lip.

"You're not losing anyone idiot" Bakugo says, clearing his throat, giving Kirishima a strained look as well

"Babe, don't worry, Bakugo and I will be fine, you and Bakugo will be fine"

You sob again, wiping a stream of tears that's falling from your eyes and Kirishima wastes no time on cupping your cheek after bullying Bakugo to do the same. A nice change, you think, two hands reaching out for your face, you could almost get used to this.

"Yeah, you're not losing me" Bakugo tries to soothe, though by Kirishima's demand he adds to his words "I- uhh, I might want you but this has nothing to do with us not being friends"

"Yeah?" You sniffle, looking up

"Yeah"

It's too soft how you're cuddled into their arms instantly, pulled on top of them to sit on both of their laps, held tightly in both of their embraces. You coo into their arms for a while, content when Kirishima kisses your cheek and sobbing faintly when Bakugo rubs your back in circles.

"Do you want a beer baby?" Kirishima asks, softly patting your back and kissing your nape as he leaves you clinging onto Bakugo. You nod into the crook of Bakugo's neck in reply and Kirishima smiles from the other side of the couch.

The sound of the fridge opening is timelines away from what's entering your mind. Is it wrong that you like that cuddle too much? And is it even more wrong that you want more? Bakugo feels nice when you're curling up onto his lap and Kirishima adds warmth and love into everything he's touching, you almost feel your thighs clench at the idea of where your mind's traveling to.

"What if we had a threesome?"

It's so faint when it comes out of your mouth that you're convinced there shouldn't be any loud reaction to it, though you hear the can of beer that's presumably in Kirishima's hand hit the floor, you feel Katsuki's hand freeze on your back. Both of them wonder if they've heard correctly, but never asking you to repeat it.

"A uhm.. Threesome?" Kirishima asks "you'd like that?"

"Yes"

You try to hide your face deeper into Bakugo's neck, but he doesn't seem to approve of it- he pushes you back softly, with a thick hand on your stomach and another still on your back. You feel your face burning as you're forced to face him

"You'd really want a threesome?" You nod and Bakugo gulps "Right now?"

"Mhm" You gulp too, your nose almost nuzzling against his "if- if you want to"

The way you're swamped with attention is overwhelming. From the way Kirishima jumps to the edge of the couch towards you, to the way Bakugo lifts you up and stands on his feet, urging you to do the same as your feet land one by one on the carpet underneath you.

"Fuck okay uh, are you fine with it Bakugo?" The redhead asks, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I am."

Kirishima gulps when he sees Bakugo latch onto you, placing his hand on your shoulder and coughing up slightly "Should we set some rules?"

"Yes" Bakugo coughs as well, though you can feel him getting hard to where your thoughts are meeting his "wanna suggest anything?"

"Great uh, maybe no kissing between the two of you, since she's my girlfriend? And Katsuki you're wearing a condom too. Are these fine?"

Both of you gulp and nod. It's natural for Kirishima to ask this. Sharing you out of the blue can't completely sit right with him; it almost flicks a switch on inside your gut, making you gulp again when you feel him hugging you from behind.

"Safeword?" Bakugo asks

"Red" You reply cooing when your back finally hits your boyfriend's chest.

You don't even have enough time to count down seconds before you're pounded and squished between the two of them. It's a miracle that you somehow manage to convince them to move it to the bedroom.

Even if making a small stop at the hall wasn't in your original plan

Kirishima's hands are everlastingly on your waist pulling your back into his chest. He's nibbling on the nape of your neck, his fingers light as feathers as they're peeling your T-shirt off of you. He almost grunts at your exposed back, leaning down just to place a kiss on each of your shoulders before latching onto your ear

"It's fine baby, it's fine if you're embarrassed okay?" He blows into you then takes a bite of your ear lobe to which you shiver as you snap your head to his face. “what? Are you that excited?"

You gulp, nodding with your eyes shutting, an expression on your face that looks almost painful -Bakugo can't help but palm himself, searching Kirishima's carmine eyes with his, waiting for a sign that he should make a move or retreat. Anything that doesn't involve him getting a front row seat to how your chest bounces as Kirishima runs his hands on your torso from behind.

"Fuck, I-" He says, swallowijg his tongue in the process, just when Kirishima's hands change paths, now wiggling underneath your sweatpants.

"Enjoying the show Bakugo?" Kirishima's smiles and fuck- when did he adopt such an attitude? "Come 'ere"

Bakugo does as he's commanded, guided by Kirishima, as he trails your torso with his hands intertwined with his, squeezing your upper hips, trailing your belly button, eyeing you with doe eyes before launching a kiss to your navel. You writhe and wiggle in Kirishima's embrace- the feeling of another man too new, too strange to take in in less than a few moments, but Eijiro's got you, kissing your nape, your cheek, softly playing with your breasts above your bralette. Whispering his praises with his hands across your body.

"Good girl" You're sure he whispers in your ear "I got you" But all you can feel is Katsuki's breath as he's placing open mouthed kisses across your tummy, over the valley of your chest, your cheek.

Kirishima is overly alert by this, jumping in between the little scene, capturing your lips with his, using a hand to push Bakugo into the kiss as well, pulling him in as lips as smeared against lips, your saliva trailing out of your mouth. You instinctively rub your thighs together to relieve some of the burning sensation between your legs

Soon enough, Bakugo is taking off your pants, rhen his shirt, Kirishima's taking his off too, managing not to let you go all while pushing the three of you into the bedroom. There's nothing but a trail of clothing in the hallway that could suggest what's happening inside the room once the door closes shut; three pairs of sweats, three different t-shirts and maybe the white ghost of hot and heavy breathing.

On the bed, it's way more comfortable. Your arching back is finally resting against the pillowy mattress, Kirishima's smile from upside down soothing and forgiving, you almost melt away while he cups your face and bumps his nose to yours, giggling slightly, before glaring at Bakugo. He guides your head into his lap, still holding your cheeks, still rubbing circles onto your soft face, pouting hard before facing your friend.

"You good babe?" He asks you and you nod again, humming a small reply to him "you too Katsuki?"

"Yeah, fuck yeah, I am" He gulps, pumping himself twice.

"You're not getting in without prep by the way"

You writhe in Kirishima's lap, gooey eyes and mouth open wide as he leans to pry your legs open, trailing his middle finger across your clothes slit. Your chest jumps when you hear him chuckle. You know he's struck the gold vein he's searching for, your panties swimming in a puddle, completely damp from getting your neck attacked only a few minutes ago.

Katsuki marvels a finger across your slit as well, avoiding your clit purposely or flicking it occasionally, moaning every time his finger touches the chilly dampness of your underwear.

Kirishima pries your legs open wider, hooking his middle finger under your panties and pulling them over and slightly to the side, flashing the blond with a glimpse of you -you swear you see him gulp. Hard.

"Want a taste?" Kirishima asks, chuckling, as if Bakugo isn't frothing at the mouth at the mention of the action, as if he isn't diving in between your thighs like a starved man.

He almost rips your panties by pulling them to the side. Your hands link through his platinum hair and you almost whine at how soft it feels, or, about the moaning sounds he makes as he's digging his fingers in the plush skin of your thigh, swinging your leg wider. You slide a little further along, laid completely flat on the bed -head still on Kirishima's lap.

Sweetly, Kirishima captures your inner lips with his fingers and circles them around before making you hump on him, his knuckles bumping with Bakugo's nose when he chuckles again. You almost tear up by the over stimulating pressure Kirishima's fingers provide for you, but you decide to hold it in; not sure hitched breath leaves your mouth until Bakugo takes an experimental lick across your slit.

With a thumb presses to your clit he retreats for a second, just to watch as he sinks his middle finger inside of you and -"oh my fucking god Katsuki"- he's back at it again, licking at you religiously. Softly, like Kirishima always does, patiently. Just like you love it.

It has your back arching, chest bouncing for Kirishima's eyes to enjoy. He decides he won't have you hanging, bouncing and thrashing. With two huge palms he cups your breasts, flicking your nipples, massaging you for just enough time to make your heart burn, then he wiggles a finger to the hood of your clit, applying throbbing pressure.

The knot in your stomach is tight, your vision blurry, you're sure what you think is silent moaning is probably full-on screaming, mewling or pleas of pleasure that you can't comprehend.

Kirishima is smiling at you from above, still wiggling his finger on you left and right in Bakugo's business and you can't help it- you yelp, pushing Bakugo's face deeper into you. It feels good- too good, like your legs are nothing but jello, your stomach and thighs feeling like they've transformed into liquid smooth. You mewl in Kirishima's arms, coiling, desperately eyeing him in hopes that he and Katsuki won't stop what they're doing.

"M so close" You slur when Kirishima takes a hand of yours away from Bakugo's hair, softly turning it upside down, until your palm is met with the wetness of his foreskin, the pulsing slit of his that leaks precum into your hand.

He whines -"ohh"- when you wrap your fingers around him, instantly pumping your hand up and down, your grip firm and steady as you twist your wrist with every bob of your hand.

"Suck me off baby" Kirishima softly commands, rubbing an experimental circle with his tip on your lips, smearing some of his precum around your mouth. You gulp at how carelessly he pumps his base, until he pries your lips open.

You take him eagerly into your mouth, feeling your stomach churn and your thighs freezing in place by Bakugos movements; so long as you're steadily sucking Kirishima's cock into your mouth, he scissors his fingers inside of you.

"You like that?" He moans into you, eyeing Kirishima "you twitched- fuck you're twitching"

"Show me how wet she is"

Kirishima commands and Bakugo complies by taking his fingers away from your heat and shining them into Kirishima's face. You whimper but how good it feels when he moans against you, blinking as you watch your boyfriend take your friend's fingers in his mouth, sucking in eagerly, before popping the digits out of his mouth, leaving a trail of saliva fall faintly onto the valley of your breasts

"Your pussy's s'wet baby, you're dripping all over over Katsuki's hands" Kirishima thrusts in your mouth "you taste so good" then turns his attention to Bakugo "tell 'er, how fucking good she tastes"

Bulky fingers rub on your clit once more and Bakugos hand secures your tummy in place while pinning you down; you feel it then, the inevitable end of what has been building up in your stomach for such a long while and you can't help but scream at the feeling of coming undone. Shaking, struggling to take a breath without popping Kirishima out of your mouth.

"Fucking perfect"

Your vision is white, your head is buzzing and your legs are frozen. You can feel Kirishima fucking into your mouth once, twice and ever so slightly, depending in how relaxed your jaw is as he's moaning. You don't choke when he hits your throat, you simply moan onto him, too blinded by the afterglow of your orgasm to even react to what's about to unfold.

"Fuck- take 'em off- Fuuck" Kirishima says, you notice. Bakugo probably does as he's told; you hear shuffling and grunting, the soft pop of his dick to his stomach. You want to see-

Bakugo, hazed and drenched in you, cups your womanhood with his hand, landing his thumb on your clit and you yelp again, thrassing onto the bed, finally popping Kirishima out of your mouth. He tugs and drags his fingers away- he's opening you up, of course, that's it- and you can't help but roam your eyes all over him. Searching for his cock, wanting to see it dive inevitably into you.

It's unfair that Kirishima has a better view than you do, but at least, you hope he enjoys the view. You buck your hips forward when you feel Katsukis thighs grace against your own. His skin is unbelievably cold, making the hair on your legs and tummy raise; a tear rolls down your cheek then the moment the tip of his cock touches your clit.

"We've got- ah- condoms in the first drawer. On your left" Kirishima says cheerfully, bucking his hips away from your face, kneeling just to place a kiss on your forehead- your nose- your lips, finally bumping the tip of his nose to yours when he sucks your inner lip into his mouth

"You liked that baby?" Kirishima breathes "You liked Bakugo eating you out?"

"Mhm" You nod, not wanting to break away from the kiss, unlike Kirishima

You can hear Katsuki cursing, slamming the drawer shut as he fidgets with the condom. Everything seems slow, from the way his thick fingers can't grasp the tiny edges of the wrapper, to him finding out what's the right side to put it on -he grunts, inevitably- stealing giggles from both you and Kirishima

"Ah man, you're struggling, come 'ere let me help"

Bakugo grunts once again, although this time it's not out of frustration. Kirishima playfully pulls him close, places a kiss on his navel and extends his hand underneath Bakugo's, politely asking for the condom -you know his lips are pressed into a goofy smiley line right now just by the way his body moves.

Kirishima lets your cheek rest on his thigh when he moves to grab Katsuki's cock, to roll the condom on him while twisting his fist on him no more than twice -unfair- before playfully slapping the blond's ass, urging him to climb onto the bed again.

It's then that your hips are jerked and raised towards the blond, huge palms on your hips, pulling you towards him. Nervous touches, unspoken apologies for potentially harsh movements, his eyes are flickering into yours and his lips are all pouty, scrunched, his cheeks plump with embarrassment. He doesn't know if you notice, nor does he think he ever will, but it's killing him -that he's only allowed to line himself up with you under this circumstance.

Whether you notice the hurt in his eyes or not, you don't comment on it, nor do you spare him any worried look. He doesn't even know if he wants you to take pity on this state of his.

No.

No, he doesn't.

He only hopes Kirishima won't get mad when he cups your face tenderly, nor when he traps your face with his other hand caging you away from the redhead thigh -it's for better leverage he'll say if he's asked to- but you melt into his touch.

And his chest burns.

It's worse when he finally pushes into you. His heart won't stop beating hard and fast and he's scared he's going to have a fall. No-no- he shouldn't think about it, if he does think about it, he'll definitely have a fall.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh," You murmur, feeling the voice come from the depths of your chest.

That's the only confirmation he needs to ignite his ego and light it on fire. You feel good, you're sucking him in deeper and your cheek is still melting into his palm. It's more than enough; he ignores Kirishima's gaze and whatever it may carry behind it. It's for his own sanity he reminds himself.

"You're doing so good babe,'' Kirishima asks you, cupping your other cheek. He's smiling- no need to worry about him not having a positive reaction to Bakugo caressing you

(The rules that had been presented to him were simple- wear a condom and no kissing)

"You're taking it so well, isn't she Katsuki?"

"Fuck yeah" He grunts, thrusting harder

"So, so well baby, we'll make sure you get to come first okay?" You ogle your eyes at Kirishima, teary and soft by his words, clapping your lips together and pouting, begging him silently for a kiss. Only to feel the void when his soft lips don't come in contact with yours

"Oh no, no kiss for baby. You're so naughty, wanting me to kiss you when you're getting fucked by our friend"

"What?" You whine, popping on to your left elbow "Eiji- i want my kiss"

"None can do" He smiles and Bakugo snaps his hips into you "unless you earn it"

Your stomach is tied in a knot again, gummy walls tightening around Bakugo, back arching. It's almost painful to watch you sprawled like this underneath him, reacting in peak with the rhythm of his hips, begging him to go faster, harder. At one point, he's losing himself in the speed he's fucking you with, feeling like he's about to combust from inside out is not helping either

-He thinks, he'll be spent for days after this-

It's guttural, the way you feel as Bakugo thrusts inside of you, the way you mewl and twitch and feel your eyes roll to the back of your head. You feel full, so much that you mutter it, slurred and incomprehensibly at Kirishima. It's more than enough for him to rub your chin with his thumb and buck his hips on your face again. You take him eagerly, smiling with your lips when he lands on your tongue. You swirl it around, pump him deeper into your mouth, suck on his tip until he moans in sync with you.

"Bakugoo" He hisses, biting his lip as he's eyeing you "don't chase your own satisfaction! Go slower and rub her clit too" He takes Bakugos hand away from your face, tracing it down your body before landing on your heat, pinching your clit softly making you moan "ah so responsive"

For a while he doesn't move his hand away, focused on guiding Bakugo's fingers on you, teaching him how to make you feel good while he's fucking and you're on fire, gut churning and chest tight, ovestimulated by how good it all feels. You can't even take a proper breath as Kirishima humps deeper into your mouth. He groans too loud when his tip hits your cheek.

You know this is too much for him, you know he can't hold back any longer, but you grab onto his shaft and twirl your grin on his base, bobbing it into your cheek and popping it out before swallowing it again.

And while Bakugo's thrusts are becoming desperate, Kirishima bursts into your mouth, holding your hair softly, pulling you closer to you- closer, closer, until your nose hits his navel, biting on his cheeks and squinting his eyes so he won't shut them, drunk on the view of you overflowing with his come. He only grubs your chin, swiping his thumb on the white trail that's spilling from the corner of your lips, trying his best to smirk at you without taking a breath.

"Swallow it sweetheart -ah- that's right, you're so -fuck- perfect for me"

Your lower stomach is protesting, bursting slowly as Bakugo is thrusting faster into you. His speed, him hitting that spot in your gut repeatedly, creating the perfect feeling of numbness, it's all too much and not enough all at once, you want to cry out- you gush and you writhe as your legs hook around Bakugo's waist.

Your boyfriend retreats from his previous position, smiling as ever, petting Bakugo's blonde hair, massaging your breast, kissing your nipple, then attacking your upper chest, trapping supple skin in between his tongue and teeth, dragging Bakugo along with him. It's what ultimately leads Bakugo over the edge, his tip feeling numb, blood rushing all over his body, he thrusts a few more times before he pulls out, spilling his own satisfaction into the condom, feeling his heart race faster than ever before.

"Your doing sooo good" Kirishima says once more, pecking your lips repeatedly. "Wanna ride me? Or are you tired? "

"Fuck no, lay down"

"That's my girl" He smiles "Katsuki, come here"

Kirishima rubs your wetness up and down, grunting when he finds your clit, grazing it with the back of his hand, whispering about how wet you are, to which you respond by hugging your arms around his neck, hiding your face in the crook of his neck. You only pull back when he lets you coo into him by petting your hair softly.

You're instantly met with Bakugo's eyes blazing into yours from above- it's not intimidating, rather, it's lustful, but you still need some time to pull yourself back, despite the eagerness in his eyes. You must have missed the point where he discarded his condom, or just how thick he actually is, because he's standing hard and proud before you, nervously searching for Kirishima's approval.

Your boyfriend's approval comes with gripping on him and easing him close to you. You take him in both of your hands, relying on Kirishima to keep your torso lifted, focusing on twisting your hand around him in the same way you did for Eijiro. Too bad you almost lose grip when He snaps his hips into you.

You can feel Katsuki's dick twitch into your hands as you pull him down lower, getting your tongue out of your mouth to place kitten lips all over his length. Eijiro mimics you, licking the tip when you're not licking the base, letting you take control when he ceases his movements for a bit, to lift both of you a little higher, so you don't have to bend your neck as much. He strokes some sweaty strands of hair away from your face, he kisses your cheek and Bakugo is already thrusting into your mouth feverously.

"Fuck"

"You're so wet baby, you feel like you could take us both" You yelp, wide eyes as you freeze on the spot "want to take us both?"

"I do" You yelp with tears in your eyes "I do I do, I do I do"

"Oh, look at you being so desperate, want to get -ah- wrecked, don't you?"

"I do Eiji- you cry out

"Then ask Katsuki to take you too, ask him to shove his cock into you while I'm fucking you too, like the greedy little thing you are"

At this point, you think poor Bakugo isn't going to make it to the end of this.

"Katsu" You plead, watery eyes staring into desperate carmine ones "Katsu fuck me while Eiji fucking me too-"

"Say please" Kirishima interrupts, pinching your nipple "or I'm not going to let him"

"Please, pleaseplease, please"

"Fuck yeah" Katsuki replies "ill fucking wreck you" The sounds he's making are supposed to be words, though they're far from being clear and understandable, his veins are pulsing into your mouth. He's too excited for this, so excited that you know he'll never make it to the drawer to reach for a new condom. So Kirishima is doing it for him, hooking the little rubber between his fingers as he's opening the drawer.

"Come on baby, pull back" He taps on your shoulder and places a kiss on your collar bone, thrusting deeper into you this time. The reaction is immediate, you're throwing your head back in seconds and Bakugo whines at the sudden departure of your warm mouth.

Kirishima allows you to kiss his thighs, his tip, his navel, to squeeze the small of his back and his ass before letting you wear the condom onto him.

You lose track of Bakugo until you feel wet kisses being planted on your thighs and ass, the back of your knees. You feel his hand being placed on your thigh, the warmth of his palm as he's soothingly rubbing it up and down your skin, to prepare you, raising his thumb to graze at your crotch occasionally. You whine every time he thumbs your clit, or flicks it when it meets with Kirishima's navel.

"You good? I'll start with my fingers" You choke on the sound of his words and nod frantically. If only you could actually watch him when he delves his middle finger in you along with Eijiro's cock. Still you whine loudly, when another finger joins the first one, slowly scissoring inside of you "fuck you're gonna take it so well aren't you? Kirishima's right. You love this"

"Answer him," Kirishima whispers, teeth biting down in your lobe. He grabs your face, trapping your cheeks between his fingers, turning you in Katsuki's direction, pushing your cheeks together. You swallow when you see the blind focused on watching you stretch.

"I love it

But Eijiro isn't satisfied with how you're trying to make your words get past from your lips

"Say it like you mean it doll, or I won't let your friend put it in"

You eye him dangerously, putting your lips even further before muttering a soft 'fine' -your redhead doesn't make a comment on your little attitude, probably because he's gotten what he's wanted from you- and Katsuki hisses, fisting his cock faster.

"I love it so much Katsuh"

"And Eiji- you mean. It's not only him that's here" Kirishima smirks and this time he pulls out of you, flipping your body so that your back is facing him. One hand comes to your wetness, spreading your lips apart, stretching you wide open "Try again" He lets go just for a moment, to slap your clit loosely. Once. Twice. Never ceasing when you whine. Your hips buck up towards Katsuki.

"Look at how nice I am, I even gave you a full view. Am I not?"

"You are Eiji. You're the best, the best. And I love this so much, I'm going to combust"

"Oh you will?" Katsuki interrupts, grunting when Kirishima pulls his dick closer to you, rubbing the head on your clit until Katsuki gets the hint. You let out a guttural groan at the feeling, tears starting to form in the corners of your eyes from being too overstimulated for so long

"Yes baby, I will, just please"

"M going in-" Katsuki announces, earning a nod from Kirishima "If he won't let you come, then we don't listen to him 'kay?"

Kirishima chuckles at the one and bites the top of your ears dragging his tongue to the base of it- a warning- to not try and agree with what Katsuki's offering. And being obedient definitely pays off when you feel your boyfriend's head poke against your entrance.

It feels splitting and painful all at once; the tears in your eyes are pouring, and none of the caresses you're receiving is helping. You need time to adjust and both men provide that for you. Minutes pass spent with soft kisses. Kirishima sucking your neck and Bakugo kissing your breasts, the three of you making out- anything until you feel like you can get used to them.

And when you do, they go slow, each at their own pace, simultaneously hitting spots that you don't know could or should ever be hit at the same time.

"You good?" Both men ask and you have to gulp that frog that sits at the top of your mouth if you want to talk, but you can't. Your throat is too tight, your eyes are too watery

"Babe"

"Better than I thought I'd be actually"

You get lost in the haze of their hips, their thrusts and you can already feel Katsuki collapsing onto you, chasing his own pit of pleasure when it hits you. Your gut coming undone for the last time has your heart leaping and skipping beats; you hook your arm around Katsuki's neck, jumping up and down from how fast both men are thrusting into you and you bring your face to his, cooling your mouths together.

When he feels you clamp down on him -and Kirishima- he pulls out, rolls the condom off and strokes himself slightly. You whine at the sudden departure of him inside of you but you quickly clamp down on just your boyfriend, before feeling him shifting from underneath you, finally pushing down the small of your back. You take Katsuki into your mouth while Kirishima slaps your ass, thrusting fast and hard into you.

There's no sweet talk right now, authority and intimidation hiding away as satisfaction is being chased. Sloppily and not carefully at all. It's evident in how you're sucking Katsuki off. There's no consistency in your rhythm, you're squirming as Kirishima is slowing down before picking up his pace again, running his hands through your hair affectionately. When he comes, he coats your insides in white ropes of pleasure, riding off his orgasm softly, until he feels himself stop twitching.

By the time he pulls out you've made Katsuki come as well, hearing his high pitched grunts as he lets it all out in your mouth. Although this time you're not overwhelmed with the amount; it's his second round nonetheless.

Katsuki's hands don't cease to take this chance, even if they're awkward and shaking he's grabbing your cheeks squishing them just like Kirishima did a while ago and kisses you, poking his tongue in your mouth, moaning at his own taste, pulling your lips under his teeth.

You know your lips will be bruised by this. And you don't care. Because when he pulls back, Kirishima is kissing you as well, pulling you into his arms, caging you into his chest.

You even smile as tiny, peppery kisses are pressed onto your skin.

"You did so well" Kirishima smiles "you too Katsu, you both were amazing"

Katsuki smiles, popping onto the bed as well, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling himself onto you and Kirishima. He nuzzles his nose at the crook of your neck and for the first time in a while he feels warm, content, calm and collected. Or so you think by the kiss that's planted onto your back by him.

It's tender and soft, mimicking Kirishima's but feeling nothing like your boyfriend's kisses at the same time. You collapse further into Kirishima's chest and he kisses the top of your hair and your cheek, mellowy.

"Wanna take a bath?" He suggests under his breath and both you and Katsuki nod, sinking further in the sheets with heavy eyes. Maybe when your feet won't feel like they'll betray you, you'll get up and have a warm bath, sandwiched between Katsuki and Eijiro, smothered in kisses, lathered in lavender soap, maybe you'll make a cup of chamomile for the three of of you and cuddle between them before you go to sleep.

Until then…

[shotorozu]

hello !! I'd rlly like to request Monoma if that's alright! I've had a huge soft spot for him for a while now and I'd love to see more content of him ;v;

anyway! we all know that superiority complex of his is definitely hiding some insecurities, but I also feel like he'd be quite touchstarved too bc of his peers seldom physically interacting with him due to his quirk, yknow?

with that in mind, I'd love to see how he'd handle an s/o who has "physical touch" as their main love language. they can give verbal praise/comfort, but they always get so shy abt it that they prefer giving physical affection to show their love. and maybe combining that with "quality time" being their second love language, they love to just cuddle him or toy with his hands/hair during quiet moments uwu

if you wanna do multiple characters, I'd love to request Shinsou, Midoriya, and Amajiki (separately) for the same idea, but if you'd rather do this with just Monoma then I'm okay with that !! no worries if you don't wanna do all four ♡

thank you if you do this request, and make sure to take care of yourself !! ♡

physically affectionate s/o

character(s) : monoma neito, shinsou hitoshi, midoriya izuku (i cut out tamaki for this one, sorry :[ but i’ll do another part if anyone wants it)

legend : [Y/N = your name] they/them pronouns used, strong quirk but the details aren’t specific, reader is a part of 1-A

headcanon type : fluff (and if you squint, then crack)

note(s) : yes i do agree :,) monoma should be getting a little bit more content, and i’m sorry that this came out so late! i was multitasking with other requests (because i took a 2 day absence,,) but this doesn’t mean i don’t read people’s requests

»»————-　♡　————-««

monoma neito

monoma 🤝 bakugou “the pros at sending mixed signals”

if there’s one thing he’s known for— then it’s for the persistent teasing, and his quite obnoxious attitude (especially at 1-A)

but he’s not a terrible person, he sure does have his reasons. and by now, people either choose to ignore him, or they simply knock the wind out of him

so, he was not prepared to encounter someone that was tolerant of him, AND also his type— like.. huh. that’s.. odd

and he was even more surprised when they accepted his wild love confession. there must be some catch to it, right?

so like i’ve said— monoma sends a lot of mixed signals. it’s either he’s complimenting your existence, or teasing you in various ways.

so— it’s just another normal day of monoma mouthing off to you, teasing you in a playful way, while you guys are hanging out this is way of making you remember him

but then, you just.. leaned forward and placed your hand on his head— not exchanging any words at all.

monoma’s first reaction is (・・?) because what?? someone is touching him right now.. wait.. someone is touching him!

honestly really shook, and at a lost for words— because everyone has refrained from coming into any physical contact with him? what a surprise! what even is this?

after said incident, you decide to speak “you had something in your hair.” and for once, monoma is the one that’s sitting in silence

“R-REALLY, Y/N? DID YOU REALLY THINK THAT WAS GOING TO W-WORK ON ME OR SOMETHING?” he questions in his usual mocking tone, but his cheeks are accompanied in a flushed red

he’d only experience field day when he realized that touch was basically your love language, with quality time in the second lead

so whenever you guys are spending time together, you’d,, actually go closer to him! this has never happened before, let him be

he doesn’t really like the idea of getting his hair touched, so you usually choose to fiddle with his hands— sometimes observing his details, and other times you’ll be comparing hand sizes

he’ll ridicule you for being so touchy— but he’ll ask if he’s “that irresistable?” while also moving you closer to him. he loves it a lot, okay?

don’t let class 1-b see this, he will flex on them because when he starts getting annoying again, they’ll use you as blackmail.

“monoma, i swear— if you do that, we’ll tell Y/N-”

“HAHA— ok, i’m sorry.”

shinsou hitoshi

he probably has the most chill reaction out of the bunch

again— another person that has been antagonized because of their quirk. he’s been perceived as villanious ever since his middle school days

kids have been told to keep their distance away from him at a young age so.. you’d bet that he’d be really touch starved

he never had any serious experiences with dating, and he never had any real friends— that weren’t cautious of his quirk

that was until he met you, which he just assumed you were another highkey stuck up person in the hero course

but, you were basically the opposite, and you were a real pleasure to have around. one thing lead to another, and now you guys are dating

he thought it was really cute whenever you got too shy to just sit in silence during dates, or to even give out words of affirmations

but hitoshi was surprised at first when he felt you pull yourself closer to him— resting your head on his shoulder. the concept of someone wanting to be in his presence is still sinking in for him

lucky for you! shinsou knows how to adapt to situations quickly, immediately slinging an arm around your shoulder, as he listens to you talk

he’ll be surprised when you start touching his hair, because golly!! are you guys close

but do it more pls, he loves it a lot— it sometimes makes him really drowsy.

if you play with his hands omg, his heart will do somersaults. he’s lucky that he’s able to keep himself composed.

loves watching you choosing to cuddle him, after briefly giving up on trying to form coherent words of affirmations.

it’s something he brings up quite often, but not in a teasing manner!

sometimes he’ll pat the free spot beside him, basically begging you to come closer to him.

eventually, denki notices on how touchy he’ll get whenever you’re around— but hitoshi will just shrug it off

“it’s always been that way.” he simply says, but he’ll turn around with this big ass grin on his face 💀

he’s whipped for your touch. so please, do it more

midoriya izuku

he’s also touchstarved. actually, all of them are really touchstarved, and for different reasons 💀

well.. it’s not like he had a choice from the getgo. he was born quirkless, and that lead to him becoming an outcase— and also the victim of bullying i wanna hug him

and being told constantly that he won’t ever be enough, or he won’t ever be a hero— it’s obvious that he doesn’t have any dating experience

but he didn’t think he’d be dating anytime soon— especially since he was ‘just’ pinning over you. he was convinced it was going nowhere

until you confessed. he’s surprised that he didn’t pass out

ever since you guys started dating, he noticed that you’ve been a little timid— not in the way that you feel awkward, more like,, you wanted to say something

or do something, because when you guys were studying together, you just suddenly sat closer to him— and started counting his freckles

he short circuited for a second.

he was reduced to a stuttering, and blushy mess— and you just laughed, telling him “you should continue what you’re doing!” as you ran your other hand across his shoulders

that night, he was wide awake in his bed— recalling your gentle and loving touch, running his hands along the parts of his hair, that you’ve touched

he loves quality time, because while he does like to ramble a lot— he does enjoy spending time with you in silence, but it’s the touches that makes him flustered

despite him being quite shy to initiate any sort of touch, you— on the other hand, were shy with saying praises. so you coped with physical touch, and quality time

man, izuku never gets used to it. no matter how much he tries to— he’s just.. needy, touchstarved.

he doesn’t realize how lost he looks when you’re sitting beside him, and not touching his hair or hands for once. please feel free to do so

oh, and since we’re on the topic of hands— he’ll tear up if you start playing/fiddling with his hands, and especially when you start tracing his scars. it makes him feel so warm.

okay but,, please give him a heads up if you’re going to act touchy in public. he’ll start stammering and blushing hard you might have to put him in rice or smth

the dekusquad talks about that quite a lot, especially when they accidentally witnessed it in the common room (for the first time)

in short— he adores it. sometimes he’ll initiate it, by asking you if you want to sit beside him, to play with his hair. he’s so inlove

»»————-　♡　————-««

likes and reblogs are appreciated, thanks for reading!

i do not own bnha/mha and it’s characters. boku no hero academia/my hero academia belongs to horikoshi kohei. i only own the writing, and i do not profit off of my hobby

do not plagiarize, repost, translate, or use my works for audio readings without my permission :))

[lostinthewiind]

Piss Off Your Parents - Part 8

Ukai Keishin - Haikyuu

Synopsis: freshly turned 18, you want to prove to your parents that you aren’t a child for them to push around anymore. First, get a job at the local corner store. Second, use the store owner’s 26-year-old son with piercings and a cigarette addiction to piss your parents off. Third, accidentally fall in love.

Rating: PG13

Warnings: none

Song → 18 by Anarbor

Previous → Part 7

Next → Part 9

Feeling a body shift beside you, you slowly began to wake from your deep, dreamless sleep. With thin rays of sunlight shining through the crack between the curtains, you let a content, sleepy smile toy at the corners of your lips as you rolled over in Keishin's arms and came face to face with his sleeping form.

It had been over a week since you had started staying with Keishin and even though waking up beside someone every morning definitely took some getting used to, you were a little surprised by just how quickly it was beginning to feel normal. Not only that, but you never slept better than you did in Keishin's bed with his warm, calming presence beside you and strong, protective arm draped over your waist.

Eyes closed and lips slightly parted, Keishin was fast asleep. His chest rose and fell rhythmically and at some point during the night, just like every other night, his hair—which wasn't tamed by the headband while he slept—had gotten all messed up and a few strands had fallen into his face.

Whenever you woke up before him, you would always take the chance to just look at him. While he slept, he seemed completely and utterly at peace—no longer burdened by the stress of coaching volleyball, working at the store, and no doubt whatever extra problems you had brought into his life. You thought back to the time you had watched him sleeping on the couch in the back room and sighed happily; the thought of how much things had changed in such a short period of time truly putting things into perspective.

Unable to keep your hands to yourself any longer, you reached out slowly and brushed the loose strands of hair out of his face and tucked them behind his ear—the same way you had done when you two had first had sex and the same way you had done countless times since.

Keishin could sleep through a thunderstorm or the sound of you calling out his name, but as soon as he felt your fingertips graze against his cheek, his eyes fluttered open. Upon noticing he was awake, you made your touch more prominent and caressed his face.

"Good morning," you whispered, unwilling to raise your voice any more than that and ruin the soft ambiance of the early morning.

Keishin leaned into your touch and smiled softly. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," you answered as you ran your thumb along his bottom lip, internally debating if you should ambush him with kisses now or wait until he had woken up a little more first. Chuckling to yourself over your own thoughts, you caught yourself staring at his lips and directed your gaze back to his eyes. "I'm just looking at you."

Keishin scoffed as he pressed a gentle kiss to your thumb. "Why?"

"Because you look so beautiful when you're asleep," you told him matter-of-factly. "Not that you don't always look beautiful," you added quickly before he could make some sort of sarcastic comment.

Keishin rolled his eyes before pulling you flush against his chest and kissing you. "You're such a sap, you know that?"

You laughed. "First, I'm dramatic. Now I'm a sap. What's next?"

"I have no idea." Keishin shrugged the best he could while lying down. "What I do know, however," he glanced at the clock, "is that we need to get up and get ready."

Following Keishin's gaze to the time, you huffed sadly when you noticed there were only five minutes left until your alarm would go off, forcing you to get ready to open the store. "Can't we just stay in bed all day?" you asked, hoping you could convince him to stay under the covers with you.

"Not unless we want to go broke and end up living under a bridge together."

You chuckled as Keishin crawled out of bed, the temptation of slapping his ass gently when he stood up almost too much but you managed to control yourself. "Together?" You grinned. "You'd stay with me even if we were both dirt poor?"

Keishin rolled his eyes playfully at your takeaway from his statement. "Of course." He collected his clothes before making his way around to your side of the bed and pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. "But I think I like plumbing and heating too much to give them up, so let's shower and get ready."

Sitting up in bed, you cocked an eyebrow. "You want to shower together?"

Keishin flashed a devilish smirk as he headed for the bathroom. "Purely for the purpose of saving water." He disappeared into the bathroom and seconds later his boxers flew out and landed on the floor, indicating he was completely nude. "But if you hate the planet, then I guess that's on you."

Your cheeks flushed red but nevertheless, you swung your legs over the side of the bed and began removing your clothes as you approached the bathroom. "Sure," you laughed as you closed the bathroom door behind yourself and let your eyes wander over Keishin's wet, naked body as he stood under the steaming water. "If it's for the planet, how could I possibly say no?"

20 minutes of passionate kissing and soapy hands exploring every inch of each other's body later, the two of you towelled off and finished getting ready before sitting down for a quick breakfast together.

"So the volleyball team has a game today, right?" you asked Keishin as you poured milk into your bowl of cereal. Keishin nodded. "What time do you think you will be home?"

Keishin thought for a moment before answering. "Probably around six or seven tonight. The game is right after school so it shouldn't run too late."

"Okay." You sat down across from him at the table. "Should we get dinner after I close up the shop?"

Keishin nodded again. "Sounds like a plan."

With a few more bites of his breakfast, Keishin was setting his dishes in the sink, pressing a quick kiss to the top of your head, and rushing down the stairs and out of the building to start his day.

As you listened to his footsteps stomp down the stairs, followed by the sound of the back door opening and closing to indicate that he had left, you sighed to yourself and sat back in your chair. It was then that you took a minute to think about everything; your job, your boyfriend, your living arrangements, your tattered relationship with your parents. In the span of a few months, your life had completely turned upside down, but that wasn't the part that freaked you out the most.

What really got you thinking was the fact that, even though your life had done a complete 180, you had never been happier; which led to the constant internal questioning about if you had ever really been happy before you had met Keishin at all, or if this was just a different kind of happy—a happy that only a stable, supportive significant other could provide.

Before you had the chance to get lost in your thoughts, you snapped out of it, finished your breakfast, and headed downstairs to open the shop and begin your day.

As usual, you dealt with the typical morning rush of people stopping in to grab a coffee or other various food items on their way to work or school. Once the mid-morning slump hit and the customer traffic went way down, you took the time to do some routine cleaning and inventory. By now, you were like a well-oiled machine when it came to the daily task of running the store.

Around noon, as you were finishing up stocking some shelves, the front door opened and a very well-dressed man strolled into the store. "Hello," you greeted him, standing from where you were kneeling in front of the shelves and dusting off your pants.

The man gave you a once over, eyeing you from head to toe. Without so much as an acknowledging nod, he brushed past you and toward the full-length fridges at the back.

Assuming the man just wasn't in a chatty mood, you took the empty boxes to the storage room. When you exited, the man was already standing at the front counter, impatiently tapping his foot while he held two bottles of water in his hands.

"Sorry for the wait," you apologized. "Just the waters today?"

The man just nodded and let out a grunt.

Trying not to take his dismissive attitude too seriously, you rang up his purchases and gave him the total. Instead of pulling out his wallet, however, he just gave you a dirty look.

"That's a little expensive for two bottles of water, don't you think?" he retorted.

You didn't know what to say to that, so you shrugged. "I'm sorry, I don't make the prices, sir," you told him. "I just work here."

Huffing loudly, the man fished his wallet out of his back pocket and pulled out some bills before tossing them haphazardly onto the counter. "Fine. Don't forget my change."

Before you could open the cash register, the front doors opened again and a woman dressed in a beautiful dress with her hair done up elegantly walked in and stopped beside the man before you. "Have you paid yet?" she asked the man, who was either her boyfriend or husband based on the way she was hanging off of his arm. "I just realized I'm out of cigarettes."

"I'm just paying now," he told her, his face softer than you had seen it yet before he turned back to you and asked for the brand of cigarettes that his partner smoked.

Spinning around, you felt your stomach twist at the sight of the empty dispenser of cigarettes, meaning that you were out of the brand he had requested. Of course, the delivery for that day hadn't come in yet, making your job even harder right now.

Plastering the warmest smile on your face that you could muster, you turned back to the couple. "I apologize, but we are all out of that brand. Can I get you something else?"

The woman rolled her eyes. "No, everything else tastes like garbage."

"I see." You stepped back up to the cash register. "So just the waters then?"

The man nodded. "I guess so if your shitty little store doesn't even stock up on popular brands of cigarettes." He watched you intently as you opened the register and counted his change. "I knew we should have stopped somewhere other than this hole in the wall."

As much as you so desperately wanted to rip this man and his spoiled girlfriend a new one, you bit your tongue instead and grinned as you handed him back his change. "Here you are." You dropped the coins into his outstretched hand. "Have a wonderful day."

Neither one of them said anything in response as they turned on their heels and marched out of the store, noses turned up at everything around them. As you watched them get into their fancy car and speed away, you wondered if they treated everyone like that or just lowly corner store workers like yourself.

Trying to let the incident slide off of you like water off of a duck's back, you returned to the remaining tasks on your to-do list and tried to forget all about being treated like a second-class citizen.

As the day turned to late afternoon and the after-school and after-work rush hit, you had found your way back into your groove again.

An hour or so before closing time, and roughly around the time Keishin would be returning, you heard a pair of heels clacking against the tile floor and stood up front behind the counter only to come face-to-face with your mother. Dressed in a pencil skirt and blouse, it was obvious she had just come from work, but your attention was more focused on the envelope she was holding out to you.

"This came for you the other day." She didn't even bother with a simple greeting even though it had been weeks since you had seen or spoken to her or your father.

"Oh, okay." You reached out and took the envelope from her. Turning it over, you felt your heart jump into your throat when you read that it was from the University of Tokyo.

You looked up at your mother expectantly but she waved you off. "Don't ask me what it says, I didn't open it," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "Why didn't you tell your father and me that you applied to the University of Tokyo? It's a very good school."

"Because I didn't do it for you," you said as you tucked the envelope into your back pocket. "And I certainly didn't do it to go to law school or anything you guys would approve of."

Your mother narrowed her eyes at you. "Then why did you do it?"

"To play soccer," you answered, your mind immediately going to the conversation you had had with Keishin while taking inventory together. "And because I told someone I would."

Your mother eyed you for a minute more, waiting to see if you would reach for the envelope again to open it. When you made no indication of sharing your application results with her, she hummed softly. "Well, whatever that letter says, you should take some time to seriously consider what your next step is going to be." She turned to leave but stopped halfway to the door and looked at you over her shoulder. "It's not too late to make the right choice. Think carefully before you throw your life away."

With that, your mother exited the store, leaving you with a mixed slurry of emotions and no clue how to deal with any of them.

Pulling the envelope out of your back pocket, you set it down on the counter in front of you and stared at it. Whatever was printed on the single piece of paper inside would set a course for your future . . . although you were unsure if you even still wanted the future that this piece of paper could give you.

All you wanted was to be happy, and all you knew was that Keishin gave you that.

Anything more felt like asking for too much.

Anything more felt like a gamble that wasn't worth the risk.