#but the call just dragged up all the guilt again that i /shouldn't/ be passing up opportunities like this

[waldau-archived]

Hi love, can I request for Chan X reader, with the trope f2l?

here you go anon! this became WAY longer and a bit angstier than i expected (4k?? i thought i wrote like 2k), but it's all happy! hope you like it :) and here's the video in question. title taken from _WORLD by svt.

gender neutral reader. warnings: chan is initially tipsy.

won't let you down | 4,007 words | hurt/comfort, fluff

this is the last time, chan tells himself, but he very well knows it's a lie. just like the past few times he's ended up like this, head resting against the scruffy but comfortable material of junhui's sofa, while seungkwan takes his phone from the table in front of him, unlocking it to call you.

it's happened enough times now that seungkwan finally knows the password to his phone, not that chan has anything to hide. he tries focusing on what seungkwan's saying to you, but there's a pleasant buzzing in his ears, and it would be a good environment to sleep if not for a) the angle of his neck against the aforementioned sofa and b) the music playing in the background, lee dokyeom trying to match the choreography while balancing a shot glass on his palm.

"there," seungkwan says, pushing the phone back into his hand. "try not to fall asleep till they get here."

easier said than done, especially when chan is much more of a lightweight than seungkwan is, even if he can hold his alcohol well. chan pockets his phone and tries adjusting his head a bit more comfortably. when he closes his eyes, he feels sleep tug at them, but it's not enough to knock him out fully.

a little jolt of guilt runs through him when he realizes tonight is your designated night in — you like having time for yourself, whether it's to catch up with old friends or make time time to check out vernon's movie recommendations. you shouldn't have to pick chan up from something that's his own fault.

he thinks about how you never once complain about what you do for him. there’s always an amused smile on your face, defending his tipsy self from his older brothers while you manoeuvre him out of the room, a steady arm around his shoulders, the way you let him rest his weight on you even though he’s so much more muscular than you are, and the way you sometimes let him loop his arm through yours as though you’re a couple—

he stops at that.

seungkwan's great when it comes to feeding his delusions, talking about how you definitely like him and that chan's the only one not seeing it, that he's kind of an idiot for dragging it out this long, that he should put everyone out of their misery and ask you out already.

again, it's easier said than done. chan's not like seungkwan — outgoing, with no hesitation when it comes to finding something out. chan doesn't act till he's absolutely sure about something, always thinking about the long-term consequences of every little action. and he could put everyone out of their misery by asking you out, but he’s not prepared for the misery that’ll ensue when you don’t answer the way he hopes you will.

unfortunately, there’s no proper way for him to ask you, his best friend, if you like him the way he does you.

chan just lets the buzz in his head drown out the thoughts crowding up. he will find the answer one day, somehow. he has to. just...not tonight.

he must have fallen asleep sometime between thoughts of wonwoo on the karaoke and you, because his eyes blink open to the sight of you kneeling in front of him, a concerned look on your face.

and gosh, does he hate it. he hates seeing you concerned when you look at him. he's still never gotten used to how your smile has been making him feel, and he doesn't think he ever will.

"hey," you say softly, moving to rest your hand on his thigh. an involuntary shudder passes through him, and you take your hand off before he can say anything. he mourns its loss almost instantly. "seungkwan said you had a bit too much to drink. you okay?"

the tattletale. chan stretches his neck and winces when a spear of pain strikes the left side of his head, going as fast as it came. "mm. look who’s talking."

you frown at him. "how much did you drink, chan?"

"i...don't know." it's true — he lost count after the first six shots. everything else was drowned out by being forced to sing on the karaoke or watching minghao try his hardest to sing some korean classics from the early nineties. it was fun, but there’s always the regret that follows the fun, and it’s strong this time. he looks at you apologetically, hoping his face is enough to make up for the words he can't say.

if he were a neon signboard, he wonders what the words above his head would be every time he looked at you — i'm sorry? for loving you the way i do? or i love you? but i've never been able to say it the way i mean it because i'm afraid of losing you.

you sigh and stand up. "get up," you say gently, giving him your hand to steady himself.

it's not the first time you've danced this dance, but it still makes chan's heart beat as though it's never happened before. it's muscle memory from here — he stands up on his feet, wobbly for a few moments till you slide an arm around his waist to hold him in place, his arm around your shoulders.

you’re wearing the hoodie he’d given you for your birthday. he can feel it before you see it, a drunk grin spreading across his lips. you look good in everything you wear, but this? chan’s weak.

you fuss about his hair looking messy and run your hand through it twice, fixing it to your liking. then it’s the default goodbyes, the promises to text everyone once he's reached home safely, and to hydrate himself so that he doesn't wake up the next morning wishing he'd never woken up.

but he doesn’t have to worry about all of that when he’s with you. you always make sure he’s taken care of, and it’s the only thing on his mind when both of you stumble out of junhui’s building, the cold night air making chan shiver and freeze for a second. his hand catches on the fabric of your hoodie.

“i’m sorry,” he says, suddenly feeling nervous to meet your eyes. you shouldn’t be here in the first place.

“did you do something i should be worried about?”

“i…no?”

“then why are you apologizing?”

“i always do this.”

"and i always do this," you say, opening the door of your car and gesturing for chan to get in. "you're speaking as though i mind."

"i'm drunk. you should be sleeping. and...wait, you don't mind it?"

“no,” you say patiently, slotting your key into its place and starting the car. “we’ve had this conversation before, too. i don’t mind it. it’s not as if you don’t look out for me when i’m feeling down. i don’t know anyone else who would watch my favourite movies with me even when they’d rather be doing something else.”

"that's because you're my best friend," chan says, almost cringing at how earnestly, how easily, those words come from him.

"do you understand why i don't mind now?"

it's easy to give you anything, but chan still gets bashful about taking anything from you. he's much better at it than he used to be when you first met. he just huffs in response.

"what would you do without me, channie?" you ask, pulling out of your spot. it's an innocent question, slightly teasing, but chan takes it seriously. do you have any idea of what that nickname does to him?

"i don't know," he says honestly. "i don't want to know."

you sigh fondly and flick his thigh. "don't get all serious on me. i'm not going anywhere, and you know that."

sometimes chan wonders what you’ll do if you ever find out about what he feels for you. you’re too kind to let him down directly. maybe you’ll give him some time to get over you, so that you could go back to being friends again. or maybe, a cruel part of him thinks, you’ll cut him out of your life for good. neither option sounds good.

he can either take a step and watch the glass break, or never take a step and never find out what could have been. he’s precariously balanced in the middle, surviving on the quiet moments he has with you, moments that could be something more.

"i love you," he says, his words abrupt and almost harsh in the silence of your car.

"just because i'm driving you back home?"

or he can be right in the middle, where you don't understand how his love you is different from yours. it's not the best place to be, but he gets to be true to an extent.

"you know it's not just that." see through me, just this once?

"i do," you say, not looking at him. "i know." again. maybe next time.

it's muscle memory again, when you open the door to your apartment, flicking the lights on as chan clumsily kicks off his shoes. it’s not long before he’s had a glass of water and a tablet you pressed into his palm, not moving till he had it in front of you. he types out a clumsy i’m home now text to the group before he chuckles at the realization �� none of his friends once assumed he was going to make it to his own place.

with his face washed and the headache dulling to a slight throb, he’s pretty close to passing out on your bed. he almost whines when you tell him you have some work left to do.

with the door shutting behind you, chan pulls the covers over himself, vaguely aware of how uncomfortable it is to sleep in skinny jeans. it’s not like you’ve never shared the same bed before, but it’s the first time he’s slept by himself in your bed. and the first time he’s been here since he’s realized his feelings for you.

chan tosses and turns as he tries to will himself to sleep, straining his hears to see if he can get any hints about how much longer you’re going to take. you’ve somehow not made him take his jean jacket off, despite the fact that you usually insist on making him remove that “atrocity” of an item before sleeping, but it’s what keeps him warm when he pads out into the living room to see why you’re still not done.

"...do this again," he hears you say into your phone. you're standing in the middle of your living room, looking like you've been pacing around for a while now. "i can't. i can't keep pretending everything's okay. this is like, what, the fourth time in the past three months?"

do what again? and who are you talking to, so late at night? chan wants to ask you if there's anything he can do, even though he knows nothing about what's wrong, but you speak again. he tries not to make too much noise as he takes a few steps ahead.

you groan into the phone. "what do you mean, drop hints? what do you think i’ve been doing? i’ll lose my mind at this rate. and i just can't tell him i can't keep picking you up from your parties every time you get drunk because i— hey. that's not the issue here. you know that."

chan's stomach drops.

there's no one else you pick up from parties, that much he's sure of. but you've been counting? and you're...annoyed by it, but you're too kind to say that to his face? he feels like crawling out of his own skin.

you sigh. "i'll try telling him the next time he's awake and feeling better, okay? no promises."

chan's already turning back to head to your room, mortified with every step he takes. he shouldn't even be here. he should be on the couch.

how long have you been feeling that way, without him knowing? how much longer will you be this nice to him until it inevitably slips out?

it’s not long before you slip into your bedroom, closing the door behind you without making too much noise. chan hears the clink of your toothbrush being put back into its stand and the sound of the light being switched off before you pull the covers and settle in.

chan tries to slow his breath to make it look like he’s sleeping, because he’s way too high strung for this. your conversation with whoever it was is still running through his head. probably one of his friends, and he can’t even be bothered to speculate about who it could be.

“chan?” you ask, breaking the silence in the room. he pretends to blink his eyes open but knows you’ve caught him when you ask, “not able to sleep?”

“not tired,” he says, voice cracking in between. you’re on my mind is far more damning than saying he can’t sleep.

“did i wake you up? i’m sorry.”

“no, it’s not that,” he says, a bit hastily. “just…had a bit too much to drink. i could run now if i wanted.”

“well, it’s a good thing i’m not going to let you.”

chan lets out a little chuckle. if only you knew what effect your words have on him.

“can i…?” you ask hesitantly, before he feels fingertips touch his own. he immediately locks his fingers with yours, squeezing your hand. it’s one of your ways of calming down when you’re stressed, and chan thinks he gets why.

feeling a bit brave, he lets his thumb stroke the skin of your hand. he does it till he feels your breaths even out, grip on his hand loosening. even when that happens, it doesn’t let go. he can’t.

but he has to, eventually.

seeing you sleeping gives him some time to collect his thoughts. he could just leave right now, before he makes thinks weird by overthinking again. he needs time to understand what you meant when you said you couldn’t keep doing it and yet you’re the one who held his hand to help him go to sleep.

surely you’re not going to be upset when he leaves a little earlier than he usually would, when he sleeps over at your place?

yet it feels like luck isn’t on his side when he pushes himself to get up, immediately hindered by a creaky spring in your mattress. your hand twitches at that, and he gets up in one swift motion to prevent any noise.

but when his hand is on the handle of your door, he hears his name being called out weakly. questioningly. he stays silent, hoping you won’t get up.

“are you leaving already?”

“just…forgot i left my light on. in the bathroom.”

“right.” he can’t see your face in the darkness of the room, but he knows you’re unimpressed right now. it is a weak excuse. “come back here, please?”

chan is powerless if you ask him something. against his best interest, he walks up to you slowly, standing near your bed.

“don’t do that,” you say, shifting to switch on your bedside lamp. “you look like a sleep paralysis demon without the lights on. sit here,” you say, patting the side of your bed.

something’s going to happen, chan can tell. he just doesn’t know if it’s something he should be looking forward to or not.

“i shouldn’t disturb your sleep, you know?”

“no. what you shouldn’t be doing is acting weird. you’ve been acting weird all night. did i do something?”

you look serious, chan realizes. there’s a small frown on your face chan wishes he could thumb out, or maybe even press a kiss to, to make it go. that’s what the problem is.

“you’ve done nothing,” he blurts out. “all me.”

“all you what?”

“it’s nothing.”

you sit up to push the covers off of yourself. “chan, you’ve been meek around me all night. i’ve never seen you do that. i’ve never seen you doubt yourself the way you did tonight. you know you can tell me if something’s wrong, right?”

and how is he supposed to do that, when it could be the very thing that could lead you to never talk to him again?

“it’s my fault,” he settles for saying. “and i’m working on it. i promise you’ve done nothing wrong.”

“are you sure you can’t tell me about it?”

“positive.” i don’t know what would happen if i did.

you don’t look satisfied, but you let it slide. “are you still not tired? do you want to watch a movie? make something? pancakes, if you’re hungry?”

chan can’t help the laugh he lets out. you always think about him, even if you’re the one losing your sleep here. it’s the catalyst to the last lock on his words breaking.

“i love you,” he says, and the remaining words tumble out naturally like they were made never to be apart. “i love you, and i’ve been trying to tell you for way too long, and i think i missed my chance, because you clearly don’t like me.”

“i…don’t like you? and you love me? chan, what?” you ask, scrambling forward, hands resting on his thighs again. he doesn’t shudder, this time. lets his words come out the way they’ve been slowly forming in him, like a storm that’s been brewing for a while. all that will be left to see is the aftermath.

“i heard you say you wanted to tell me something when i felt better, and that you couldn’t keep doing…it anymore. if you didn’t want to waste time picking me up from parties, you could have just said that.”

“oh,” is all you say.

chan deflates. “we’re…not supposed to have secrets from each other, right? why couldn’t you tell me that before?”

“chan—”

“it sucks that i had to overhear you say that. i thought you trusted me enough.”

“chan, listen—”

“i’m not scared, if that’s what you think. i—”

“lee chan!” you exclaim, suddenly taking his face between your hands. he’s rendered speechless. “listen to me?”

he can do nothing but nod, looking into your eyes. you’re looking into his own.

“lee chan, i love you. do you hear me? you’re my best friend in the whole world and i meant it when i said i’d love you no matter what. but i also love you the way you think i don’t.”

chan’s brain short-circuits to the point where he doesn’t even remember what he was talking to you about, for a few moments. “you…love me?”

“i do,” you affirm. “i have, for a while now, and i never thought i’d get a chance to say it.”

it feels like a weight is being placed on him but also being removed at the same time. the weight of your love seeping into his skin through your hands holding his face, through your cold skin that he always wants to keep warm, through your eyes that are looking at him nervously, waiting for his next words, through your breaths that sound a bit shorter than usual.

the loss of the weight of uncertainty feels like the most beautiful thing he’s ever experienced.

“you love me,” he says. testing. confirming.

“so much, chan, i— i’ve been trying to tell you every single time i picked you up from one of those parties—”

“—that’s what you were trying to say?”

“i— yes.” your hands let go of his face to cover yours, and he’s never wanted to see your face more than he has now. he gently pulls your hands off to make you look at him, and what he sees is real. it’s not you letting him down gently, it’s not you pretending, because he knows you too well for that.

and now he knows that you love him just the way he loves you.

“you weren’t supposed to…why did you even hear me talking?”

now it’s chan’s turn to become shy. “i just wanted to see how long it’d take for you to come back. i couldn’t sleep.”

“silly,” you say, flicking his forehead gently. you tuck some of his hair behind his ear, and your expression becomes serious. “but i want to, chan. i want to take care of you because you’re my best friend. i like doing it. i— i love you, and i’ll always be there to take off your makeup and listen to you talk and cheer you up because i love you so much.”

chan knows. he knows about every little thing you do for him, and he hopes you know how he’d do anything you asked of him. he doesn’t even need to say anything to get you to understand what he’s feeling right now.

“so…you love me,” he says, teasing, because of the glare you give him. “how long have you loved me?”

you shake your head resolutely. “you’re going to have to wait a while to find out.”

“but what if i wanted to know now?” chan pulls the best puppy face he can, and it works because you sigh and pull him back into lying down with you, his head in your lap, looking up at you.

“you really want to know?”

“yeah.”

“it’s embarrassing.”

“that’s even better.” chan wraps his arms around your waist when you attempt to push him off. “i’m sorry,” he laughs, holding on to you. “please tell me.”

“i think…i think i’ve loved you since that night you fell off seungcheol’s bed because of how hard you were laughing. that night really cemented it for me. there really hasn’t been…anyone else for me, since then.”

the quietness of your voice makes chan’s throat constrict. “there hasn’t been anyone else for me, either, ever since i met you.”

you blink. “that long?”

“no! i mean— i didn’t think about dating ever since we became friends, and then not thinking about dating became thinking about dating you, and then—” chan pauses when he sees a smile on your face. “what?” he asks, a little self-conscious. “did i say something wrong?”

“i’m so glad i love you, you know?”

chan can’t take the way your face is straight and you’re just grinning at him like you didn’t steal his heart at an ungodly hour in the morning. “stop,” he mumbles, pressing his face into your stomach. “i’m really tired right now.”

“oh, now you’re tired?”

it take a little bit of moving to get yourselves under your covers again (chan’s jacket now sits on the chair by the desk, courtesy of you), and this time he has an arm around your waist with your head on his shoulder. it feels absolutely right.

“chan?” you ask, the single word drawn out in a way that tells him you’re on the brink of sleep again.

“hmm?”

“promise i won’t wake up to an empty bed again?”

his heart squeezes at the reminder. “promise. i’m not going anywhere. i love you.”

you don’t need to say it back, because he feels the smile you press into his skin.

"so? what does it feel like?"

“hm?” chan shifts in your embrace to look up at you. there’s really nothing better than coming home after a long day of practice, taking a shower and cuddling with you in bed, with you kissing his forehead. he feels really sleepy, but he tries staying awake for your question. “what does what feel like?”

“knowing what it feels like to like someone?”

ah. you watched the video, then.

“it feels…” it feels like everything, if he’s being honest. the best of all worlds. like the world sings every time he wakes up. like even the most mundane things like doing laundry and setting the table have a greater purpose, because he gets to do it with the love of his life.

“it feels like i’m lucky to be alive, because i get to love you.”

taglist: @bookyeom @wootify @strnsvt @cloudycaramel @thepoopdokyeomtouched @minnieminshi @nonononranghaee @hrts4hanniehae @viewvuu

[writing-whump]

Waking up

Isaiah wakes up after the operation. Mention of open chest wound, though not too detailed. Emeto down below.

Matthew sat down on the chair. Then got up just as quickly, barely stopping himself from pacing.

Seline sat straight on the other side, hands next to Isaiah's. She knew he had the operation, she was wrapping her head around the heart problems...but seeing it, seeing him like this, pale, unresponsive, with sterile thin gauze covering the long opening wound in the center of his chest...a gaping long line, like a bloody chasm-

Matthew gulped down audibly, gaze jumping from one corner of the room to the other.

Seline gave him an angry look. "You can't throw up here. If you can't stand it, go away."

Matthew flinched. He flinched almost everytime she spoke to him since the first talk with the doctor.

"No. I-I can take it." The red-haired man set his jaw resolutely, glaring at the opposite wall. After a minute he dared to flick his gaze towards Isaiah again. Like he was building up a tolerance to that sight.

Seline let out a tiny sigh. On some level she relized she was pretty hard on him. Espcially now, when they had bigger problems. But something about her seething resentment towards Matthew held her together. It was an easier emotion to focus on than the breath-taking sense of betrayal or stomach-clenching fear for Isaiah.

Or the horrible guilt in the back of her neck, like pressure gathering that told her this was all her damn fault for not noticing on her own.

For not being close enough, present enough to witness this, to help, to be someone they wanted help from.

Matthew was back on the chair, squirming on it. He braced his elbows on the matrass next to Isaiah taking slow measured breaths through his mouth.

Shouldn't blood be an easier sight for wolves?

Seline didn't know why it didn't bother her that much. There was more of a fascinated distant mortification that was a hole to Isaiah's inner organs, only with a bit of sterile gauze to protect it. She had to actively force herself to look away, cause it kept dragging her eyes towards it like a magnet.

Time lost all its meaning. Bodily functions didn't have any effect on them. There was no way either of them could eat or sleep or leave, and ignoring any tiredness in face of the tension in her back or Matthew's gritted teeth was easy.

This was the most alert emergency mode and it would probably crush them later. But right now the adrenaline was like 10 coffees in their veins.

So Seline had no idea how much time actually passed—it could have been a few minutes or two hours—when Isaiah started shifting around on the bed.

A soft groan escaped him and his eyes fluttered for a minute as he fought the grogginess.

Seline and Matt were both standing by that point, each from one side, breaths held back.

"Isaiah?" Seline called out softly.

Isaiah's face scrunched up, but his eyes finally opened. "Hmm? Where..." He looked to her, then to Matthew, scanning the room in confusion.

His eyes drifted downwards to his chest, the hospital gown, the blanket draped over him, several tubes and IVs sticking out of his hands.

The machine he was hooked to started beeping immediately as Isaiah's breath caught in shock.

Seline's put her hand against his cheek, coaxing him to look up at her. "Hey, hey, hey. Look at me, alright? At me, not there. You are fine, you are safe, everything’s gonna be okay."

Matthew's hand was on his shoulder, applying the gentlest pressure.

"What'-what's-"

"You had a surgery after a heart attack," Seline settled on the truth. "But everything worked out. It was successful. You are okay and gonna be completely okay."

"Why-why is that-" His green eyes were wide and his breathing was hitching from how fast it came.

Matthew grabbed Isaiah's forearm, palm wrapped around his elbow. Isaiah's fingers curled into Matthew's shirt in a vice grip.

Seline mirrored the movement, taking Isaiah's other hand into hers, the other still on his face, stroking gently up and down his cheek. "Shhhhh. We are here. We are here. You will be alright in no time. They are just letting some pressure and swelling up. It will go down and they will stich you up in a few hours. Your shadow will heal everything and you'll be all good in no time."

Isaiah's head twitched in her hand towards Matthew, like he wanted to check it added up.

Seline knew, she knew how close they were, all three together. That this was good, having them both by his side. She had never felt threatened by the closeness Matthew and Isaiah shared. All the experiences and commonalities, the quiet understanding, the open affection.

Now it made her feel like an outsider, disgusting bitter taste in her mouth.

"It burns..." Isaiah said, mouth twisting, looking at Matthew. He was gripping his hand like he was about to break it. "Like silver."

"Yeah, I know, buddy," Matthew said gently, his face drawn in pained lines. "They had to use silver cause your shadow was healing up all they did, even sedated."

Isaiah looked ready to cry at that admission.

"But not the opening wound," Seline interjected. The doctor's explanation ran through her mind nonstop. "Just around the blocked artery. Once they sew up your chest, the anesthesia wears off and you will be able to heal it up with your shadow. It will be just around the heart that will take a bit. But patients after these operations get home quickly, in just a few days after."

Isaiah nodded shakily, his breathing still fast, but not rising anymore. His hold on her hand tightened.

Seline brushed some of the black curls out of his face, then kissed his forehead. "Everything's alright. You are safe. We're right here and not leaving."

Isaiah looked towards the ceiling. "I don't like hospitals," he said, lips twitching in an attempted smile that couldn't hold.

"Nobody does, man," Matt said quietly.

Isaiah swallowed heavily, lips chapped and dry. He squirmed in their hold like he was testing how much he could move.

His body jerked suddenly and he looked down and up again, breathing in deeply.

"Shhhhhh. What is it?" Seline said, trying to catch his attention with her hand still pressed against the side of his face, thumb rubbing up his temple.

"My mom." Isaiah forced his eyes closed than opened them to little slits like the light was too much. "She-she was in a hospital with her heart...send her home and she died of it." The jittery twitchy quality to his movements was persisting, his head flinching towards Matthew. "Am I going to die?"

Matthew paled more than Isaiah's hospital sheets. "No! Of course not. No way we are letting you die, right, Sel?"

Isaiah's eyes went to hers in such fearful hope her heart squeezed, eyes burning. "You are not dying, baby. You are very strong, very resilient. They are taking good care of you."

"We wouldn't let them hurt you," Matthew said in a gruff voice. "Promise."

Isaiah looked towards the ceiling, straining in their hold with involuntary movements. "I want to go home," he said in a small voice.

"We will go home soon," Seline reassured him, leaned down to kiss his forehead. "It won't take long. You'll go to sleep for a minute, your shadow will come back and them you will heal up completely at home. All good."

"We won't leave your side for a second," Matthew added. He was focusing on Isaiah's face intentely to not mind the covered wound. He held Isaiah's forearm still up in the air with one hand, rubbing his shoulder with the other steadily.

"Hurts..." Isaiah whined. A single tear slid down his cheek on the side she was stroking it. "I don't feel good."

Seline thumbed the tear away, pressing her forehead gently to his. "Just keep looking at us, okay? None of this is important. You are okay."

"Want to go home," Isaiah repeated. The coherence was waning, his voice growing weaker. He blinked in exhaustion, another tear coming up.

Seline fought tears of her own with all she had, heart beating painfully against his ribs. She let go of Isaiah's hand in order to push the call button on the side.

It felt horrible, cause knowing he was awake, they would sedate him and check him if they could close the wounds...which was good, but it scared her that he would be closing his eyes again so soon.

Isaiah shuddered as the doors opened, people rushing in. "I don't-I don't want-"

"Just for a bit, buddy," Matthew said softly, cupping the side of Isaiah's face for a second before letting go. "We'll be here, when you wake up. First thing you see, I swear."

When the whole team of people came fussing over, Seline was forced to let go of Isaiah's hand. She never wanted to be a doctor more than in that moment to just know what was happening, what they were doing with the IVs, what they were checking him for.

A nurse ushered them out, saying they were about to roll him away to close the chest.

Seline stood in the hallway a little lost how quickly everything was happening.

A muffled groan interrupted her thoughts.

Matthew was leaning against the wall with an arm, pressing his palm against his lips with a nauseous expression.

He really held out that long for Isaiah, hadn't he?

Seline's heart wrenched at the realisation. She stepped closer, putting her hand on his elbow. "Come on. I saw a bathroom on the way."

Matthew let her steer him away from the wall to the small one-stall bathroom around the corner. She shut the door behind them to give them privacy, glad she could follow him in.

Matthew gagged against his hand, lowered himself down to the toilet in haste and burped emptily over it. "Ugh."

Seline hesitated, but then crouched down next to him as Matt shivered, gagging again. "That was a horrible sight," she agreed.

Matthew hiccuped, burying his head inside the bowl. His shoulders rolled with another empty gag. Then another muffled noise that sounded dangerously close to a sob.

Seline winced, risking to put her hand in the middle of his back. Her eyes were burning and her throat was all closed up. "Just get it up. You'll feel better in a minute. Deep breaths."

Matthew's shoulders hitched, wrapping both hands around his stomach as he heaved and heaved.

It made her suddenly wonder how much of this was Matthew's shadow reacting badly to stress, to having so many strangers around. How much did the pack behaviour play into this? Stressing him about the fact that was their pack leader too?

Shadow wolves weren't good with strained situations, emotions running amok easily. And Matthew's shadow was a hassle on good days.

She rubbed his back up and down gently, then added more pressure, thumping at his shoulder blades.

The motion ushered up a sickly burp and finally a gush of vomit spilled out.

"There you go," Seline said, stroking wide circles on his back.

Matthew let out a whine. His stomach was gurgling so loudly it echoed through the tiny bathroom. His whole back arched into her hand as another wave of sick splattered into the toilet, liquid against liquid.

He coughed against a choking noise before straightening up, nose and lips dripping with saliva.

Seline tore a bunch of toilet paper and handed it over. When he didn't take it, she gently dabbed at his face on her own, then threw it into the toilet and flushed.

"A bit better now?"

Matthew swayed dizzily, grabbing onto the porcelain rim for support. His eyes were glazed over and shimmering with moisture.

Seline made a move to stand. "I'll get you some water."

His hand on her wrist stopped her. Matthew didn't tug at it, just held it weakly. "Wait."

She lowered herself back to her knees with a sigh. "What is it?"

"Just-just stay." He looked away in shame, sniffling. "Please."

Even her anger didn't reach that far. And after seeing Isaiah rolled away with that gaping hole in his chest...

She pulled her hand out of his grasp only to take it properly. A tiny squeeze.

Matthew hang his head, not looking up, his elbow braced against the toilet seat. His breathing was evening out and he didn't seem so nauseous anymore.

Seline couldn't stand that look no longer, reaching over impulsively to wrap her arms around him.

Matthew gasped in suprise before letting himself sink into her embrace. His hands came around her waist, pressing tightly like that was all that he wanted the whole time.

"It's okay. We're gonna be okay," she said into his hair, burying her nose into it. She hadn't realized how much she craved this, how much more complete she felt with Matt pressed against her like this.

They held onto each other in that tiny bathroom, Isaiah's tears fresh in their minds.

[brotherblaze]

JAILBAIT⁴ —simon 'ghost' riley

▹ simon 'ghost' riley/gn!reader

▹ part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

▹ synopsis: Simon comes home to you.

▹ cw: n/a

▹ wc: ~2,3k

▹ last entry in the jailbait series, it's been fun y'all

You text him every day.

But he doesn't always get to answer immediately.

Sometimes he comes back from a mission that ran for too long and turns on his phone just to see dozens of messages from you and he spends the evening going through them instead of sleeping. There are pictures of your cat, screenshots of a bee-themed PowerPoint about a book for class and your new term timetable, a message about utilizing the two-hour break between classes to visit a cat cafe every Monday, and short summaries of how your day went.

Then there are the messages consisting of 'i miss you' and 'i hope you're okay' and 'please come back alive', all sent in the middle of the night. There's a sharp sting in his heart every time he reads those, the taste of poison spreading on his tongue—at the end of the day he is the one causing all these feelings in your life.

Does the way his heart leaps with joy at the thought of you outweigh the pain he's causing your own?

His finger hovers over your name in his contacts, hand just slightly trembling (because maybe it's better if he's out of your life). He glances at the time, quickly running the numbers in his head. Then, he swipes on your name.

The ringing is agonizing.

The seconds tick by and he nervously glances at the time again. Maybe he made a mistake, maybe it's too late and you're already asleep, maybe—

"Hello?" He hears the sound of a door shutting behind you a little too loudly. You hiss a fuck under your breath and Simon can imagine the way your face scrunches up as you flinch at the volume.

His tongue feels like lead in his mouth and for a moment he struggles to find the words to talk to you. He's been radio silent with you for so long that he doesn't even know where to begin. The only thing he can string together is,

"What do you call the wife of a hippie?"

"A Mississippi."

He laughs lowly, the tension in his shoulders easing. You're not mad at him.

"Hi," you say, voice softer, quieter. Silence in the background.

"Hi." He glances at the small clock on his nightstand again. "Don't you have class?" He only asks because he knows you have class right now. Spanish. There's a flicker of guilt that rears its ugly head. Normal boyfriends would have all the time in the world to call you when you're available and yet here he is pulling you away from your expensive education.

"You may not be aware of this but they treat us like adults in university, so if I say I have to take a call, they understand."

"Cheeky."

"You okay?"

"I'm alive."

"Are you coming home?"

"Short mission. Heading out in a few hours." The lie slips from his lips so easily but it tastes like poison. He wants to spit it out, drop to his knees and repent for lying to you, for lying so easily.

Silence stretches between you after that. Maybe you're trying to recall a joke to tell him, maybe you're cherishing every moment of him on the phone because it's one moment less where he's in danger, trying to stretch out the time you have with him.

"What... do you use to cut a Roman emperor's hair?"

"Copy. Behave."

"Me? Always."

His muscles ache as he climbs the stairs of your building. Fatigue weighs his body down like he's drowning with his feet submerged in a block of concrete. His whole body is sore, screaming for rest.

He greets the young mother you sometimes babysit for when he passes her in the hall. Maybe he shouldn't have, maybe he looks too much like a dead man walking for her to recognize him. But then she smiles, greets him, and asks him to thank you for agreeing to babysit tomorrow evening on such short notice. And then she's gone again, her apartment door locking with a resounding click.

Simon drags himself to your door, knuckles tapping against the metal, and waits.

There's an abrupt jerk of the handle, an audible curse when something falls. The door swings open and he's met with your smiling face and you practically throw yourself at him. The force of your body almost has Simon staggering back a step.

You cling to him, arms wrapped around his neck, grip like a vice.

He clutches the back of your head, face buried into the crook of your neck. His other arm is wrapped around your torso, fingers digging into your side so hard it threatens to bruise. The scent of your strawberry body wash is almost overwhelming and he blinks back the tears that dot his waterline. 

He deserves this.

His voice is rough when he speaks, a lump lodged in his throat.

"What do you use to cut a Roman emperor's hair?"

"Caesars." You giggle softly, hot breath caressing the sensitive skin of his neck. You angle your head slightly to peer down the hallway. "Did John come, too?"

"No, just one seat on the plane. Said he'd put a bullet in my ass if I didn't take it."

You snort. "I made pilaf. Should take some over so he won't have to get takeout."

"Your weird version of pilau?"

"It's the only correct version of pilaf."

"Eastern heathen."

You part, though your fingers stay tangled with his and you pull him into your apartment. "No dessert for you, then," you say as the door falls shut. "I hand-made curd snacks 'cause y'know, they don't export those. C'mon." You make your way to the kitchen as Simon is tugging off his boots. They thump loudly when he drops them on the hallway rug. There's another thump, softer and further away, and a series of chirps, a black mass of fur running over to him.

"Hello, gorgeous." Simon hangs his coat in its usual place and scoops your cat up, cradling her to his chest like an infant.

You grab a tupperware container from the overhead cabinet and scoop a good pile of pilaf into it straight from the multicooker on your kitchen counter. Simon watches you with a small smile tugging the corners of his lips up. You leave the spoon in the multicooker and place a plate next to it for Simon.

"I'm gonna drop this off. Be right back."

"Wait." Simon grabs your waist before you're out of reach and pulls you in close. His lips hover over yours for a brief moment and then they meet. He steals the breath from your lungs and you want to be frustrated at how he can always do that but you can't bring yourself to. Instead, you let yourself melt into him, trusting him to lead. His lips are chapped. When he pulls away, his lips curl into a grin. "Hi."

"Hi." You take a moment to pull yourself together, jab your fingers into his bicep for distracting you, and take off to drop off John's meal.

Simon places the cat down and fills his plate, grabs one for you and fills that too, and places them on the kitchen island. Two glasses of water, spoons, bread.

Even though he's starving, he waits until you're back to dig in.

You eat in silence. Simon is too busy scarfing down what he considers to be the most delicious plate of pilau he's ever had and you take a moment to type something on your laptop every now and then.

"Studying?" he asks suddenly, mouth full, another spoonful already raised to his lips. Horrible table manners but at this moment he doesn't care, all he does care about is a stomach full of warm food and a hot shower, and getting to curl up in bed with you.

He deserves this.

"Yeah. Gotta analyze a painting for class. Was just gonna eat and go to bed; finish this tomorrow."

So that's why you're wearing his shirt and sweatpants. He swallows the lump in his throat, mumbles a 'good', and scarfs down the last two spoonfuls of his meal.

He picks up the curd snack from the small plate you'd slid over. "What's this called?"

"Curd snack."

"No, back home."

You smile softly and tell him the word. Three syllables. They feel slightly off on his tongue as he tries to pronounce them the way you did. You repeat the word again, syllable by syllable and he repeats them. You lead and he follows. In the end, you only bury your face into your hands with a laugh and say his pronunciation is good enough and tell him to eat it before the chocolate glaze melts between his fingers. Simon makes a mental note to ask again tomorrow.

He bites into it. It's sweet. The taste spreads on his tongue and he greedily eats the rest, wiping his fingers into the napkin on the table.

"That good, huh?" You tease.

"Fuckin' fantastic."

"Well, if you ever come back with me, you can have the actual thing. They're divine. So many flavors."

"Yours are better."

"You tryin' to get into my pants or something?"

"Maybe."

You nod towards the bathroom with a laugh. "Go shower. Don't let the cat in; the little freak discovered she can drink water off the shower floor." You send a sharp look to the cat sitting on the windowsill and she meows. "It's soap water, you stupid cow." The cat meows again. "No."

Simon retreats into the bathroom for a shower that'll hopefully pull the tension from his shoulders. You quickly type out the few keywords you'll need to continue your homework in the morning and shut off your laptop. The dishes are piled into the sink to soak overnight with a generous amount of dish soap.

His shower is fast and by the time you've shut off all the other lights and put the rest of the pilaf to cool on the windowsill overnight, Simon is done. He cracks the door open to let the warm steam out. You intercept your cat before she can run into the bathroom and lock her in the bedroom.

Then, you find yourself standing at the bathroom door, watching the steam billow out. Simon pushes it open, inviting you in with the sweep of your hand. You shake your head.

"Too warm."

Simon stays there, leaning against the doorway with his shoulder, arms crossed over his chest. You let your eyes wander his body, the grooves of his muscles, the old scars and burns, everything that makes up Simon Riley. The black towel is handing sinfully low on his hips.

"My eyes are up here," he says, a hint of amusement in his voice and you snap your gaze up. "Like what you see?"

Heats floods into your cheeks and you turn on your heel to join the cat in the bedroom. Simon's laughter booms through your apartment.

He exits the bathroom not much later and you're already lounging under the covers, a book propped open on your lap. He leaves his towel draped over the kitchen barstool to dry.

An exhausted sigh escapes Simon once he sinks into your mattress. It's not even soft, more on the firm side, but compared to the military cots he so often finds himself sleeping on, it's like a cloud. The bedroom isn't big but it doesn't feel cramped. There are fairy lights strung under the ceiling to replace the uncomfortably white lights of your ceiling lamp. A fluffy sheepskin rug is placed on either side of the bed and another in front of your closet. Your bed is filled with soft pillows and plushies of various colors.

He deserves this.

Simon turns his head, hand on your knee to pull you closer to him. You whine lowly when he pulls you out of your comfortable reading position.

"Read to me," he mumbles, lips moving against the skin of your thigh. He punctuates his sentence with a chaste kiss.

"It's Hamlet. And I read Hamlet in high school. Not in English. So, no."

He sinks his teeth into your thigh and you feign a dramatic gasp. The book clatters to the floor as you shimmy down until you're face-to-face with him. There are no new scars on him (thank fuck), but the circles under his eyes are worryingly dark. Briefly, you find yourself wondering if he's ever had a restful sleep in his life.

"You should move in with me."

The breath hitches in your throat. He seems sincere, red-rimmed eyes staring at you with a hopeful glimmer. His fingers are tangled in yours, thumb gently caressing the back of your hand.

"Is this..." your voice is soft, barely above a whisper, "an invitation to stay after my student visa expires?"

"Yes."

You open your mouth and close it. Then—

"So you like me being a pain in your ass." Your grin is wide. Simon groans into your fluffy blanket. You sit up, slightly jostling Simon, and bounce up and down on the mattress. "You love me being a pain in your ass."

Your cat yowls loudly from the kitchen and you chuckle as you roll off the bed to go fill her water bowl. "You love me, Simon." You draw the word out for longer than necessary before disappearing with a cackle.

Simon sits up in bed, leaning forward just enough to see you filling the cat's water bowl with fresh cold water from the orange water filter you keep on the kitchen counter. The butterflies perched on his ribs for rest take flight again.

"Yeah, I think I do."

His confession is a whisper into the air, just his secret for now.

He deserves this. 

▹ you should totally check out my ao3

[turvi]

The Love Of My Dreams-5

Series Masterlist

Y/n sat on the floor after she poured water into her glass. The cold floor sent shivers up her spine. She let out an exhausted sigh. Right now, Colin was long gone into dreamland.

She exhaled as she felt the coldness travel from her throat to her chest as she drank the water. Her heartbeat slowed down as she relaxed against the cabinet doors.

That man... looked so familiar. His eyes. Was he the same man she was dreaming about? She looked down, counting the tiles trying to forget about him. She scolds her mind to think about him like this. Thinking about the man she barely met while her boyfriend slept like a baby, unaware of the troubles Y/n is going through.

But he looked at her like he recognized her too. Does he dream about her too? She wanted to ask him if they had met before. No. It couldn't be. She could have remembered someone like him. He is not someone who you could just forget about. His soft green eyes, his scars, and his crooked smile. Y/n frowned. She never saw him smile. How does she know what his smile looks like?

Remus restlessly tossed and turned in his bed. He finally met her, or at least, he hopes he has met her. No way Colin's girlfriend is the girl who keeps appearing in his dreams. This was wrong. But he couldn't forget how she looked at him like she recognized him. Did she dream about him too?

He quickly shook his head. Colin is his superior. He shouldn't think about his girlfriend like this. But her name kept echoing in his brain. Her eyes, her touch, it all felt like a deja vu.

Remus ruefully chuckled at the cards fate had dealt to him. He could only wish she was not the girl in her dreams. But deep down, he knows. He knows it's her.

He couldn't help but indulge in the imagination of how she would look like sleeping beside him. His mind had easily painted the picture for him as if it was second nature.

Now he had another reason to hate Colin. He was able to feel her in ways Remus could only wish for. He felt a familiar tightness that his body liked the imagination too well. But before Remus could indulge more, he immediately stopped. No point in tempting fate what is not meant to be.

Remus turned again, adjusting his pant and holding the pillow close. He knows even if his brain forgets about her, his conscious will never.

With the sunrise, Y/n was back to her routine, bothered by a vivid dream that involved the stranger. She watched as Colin kept blabbering about his colleagues. She wondered if she could ask about that man if he even bothered enough to know his name.

With a sweet smile, she sat beside him and asked, "Colin, who was that distressed man I was helping before you called me in?"

He frowned in confusion, trying to remember who is she talking about. "Uh...who are you talking about?"

Y/n restrained a sigh as she asked, "That man who I had to drag to our garden, who was having trouble breathing."

A look of realization passed his blue eyes. He mockingly chuckled. "Oh... him? That was Remus Lupin. His work ethic is good. But gosh! he's such an idiot."

She clenched the fork tightly as his laughter echoed in the room. She didn't know the man, but Y/n knew Colin enough that Remus didn't deserve this.

But she couldn't focus on Colin's antics as her brain repeated the name she had heard.

Remus Lupin

It suited him so well. Y/n couldn't help but smile, eager to say his name. To see how it feels to say his name.

After Y/n completely tuned Colin out. She was rethinking her life choices as Colin munched on the toast without a care for the crumbs falling on the table. Fear slowly settled in as she realized what was happening. No, she had promised to try harder to maintain her relationship with Colin.

Guilt filled her heart as she couldn't stop thinking about Remus. Y/n was so lost in thought she didn't realize it when Colin left home. Her trance only broke when she realized Colin had left his tiffin. She quickly grabbed her keys to drop his tiffin at his office.

@ell0ra-br3kk3r @milivanili99 @fieldofsecretss

A/N: REBLOGS AND COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED

[eve-akemi]

I just had a brainrot idea Fuyumi backstory angst, but I can't draw it yet, until I finish the sketches of another au.

But please hear me out.

(TW: Abusive/manipluative Rei, Endeavor.., unhealthy coping mechanisms)

Fuyumi has a bit of an identity crisis when Touya is gone. If he's just dead, then all the pain everyone around him trying to help, or being affected by his pain (her, natsu, mom, probably shoto too) was for nothing. All the pain and trouble he went through. Was for nothing. So she tries to apply for UA herself, so that in a way, it was like he is still going there himself (possibly twinning older siblings au).

And everything goes flawlessly! She should have passed. And after she doesn't get accepted in, she can't.. accept it. So she goes to ask a teacher or something why she didn't get accepted. And they tell her one of her parents was just concerned for her safety.

Of course her father would do such a thing- because only Shoto is worthy of being a hero. Eneraged, confused, and heartbroken, she says nothing. For three months into the new schoolyear, she barely even looks at him, until he finally pulls her aside and won't let her leave the room until he gets it out of her what's been bothering her. And she snaps.

Screaming and crying at him about the whole situation, but start to finish, Endeavor is just as confused as when he pulled her in the room, if not even more lost. Until it finally dawns on her that he really doesn't know what she's talking about. And didn't even know she applied.

But her mother did.

And that just hurts so much more. Because she didn't even have the gall to say it to her face. Once. She's about to leave, and she's stopped again, because Endeavor wants answers now.

Why she really applied, what she was hoping for, if she even wants to be a hero.. she owes at least this to him, for giving him shit over something he had no prior knowledge of. And when she's finished, he finally tells her that he doesn't care if she wants to go, or not. She's proved herself more than capable, and he shouldn't stop her regardless of how he feels (yes, this is guilt over Touya because he couldn't save him, yadda yadda). But if she does go. He wants her to go as herself, and not her older brother. And suggest doing a little more soul searching before making a decision right away.

Fuyumi doesn't end up going to UA anyway, and she doesn't tell either of her brothers about this. Natsu is really attached to mom, even though he can't see her as often, and Shoto feels guilty, but she knows he really loves her still too.

But even though she doesn't really like Endeavor, and sometimes gets scared of him, she's starting to respect him. It doesn't make up for her having call his agency for help dragging him inside at night when he's drunk, doesn't make up for the times he's snapped and yelled at Natsu over small things, or the times he's completely demonlished sections of the house he's usually in in the middle of night. It's better than nothing. And she'll take it.

[bravevolunteer]

THE STUMBLE FORWARDS INTO JEREMY'S HOME— closer to near passing out, if the black spots that prickled at the corner of Michael's blurring vision and the piercing ache that came with losing his balance was anything to judge by— is broken by what could barely be described as a catch ( after all, Michael had given no warning, not even the briefest of explanations for why he was battered and bloody and standing in Jeremy's fucking doorway ), though somehow neither of them manage to hit the floor. Michael doesn't notice the close call. He tries to get back to his feet, at least, but everything is still fucking spinning and the only solid support he can find is shifting his weight to Jeremy's side and clinging for dear life.

Michael is swiftly hit with intense shame. Jeremy's confusion, the other man's palm holding the side of his face for Michael's blood to seep into his fingertips, it makes the reality of the situation grip him in a way that his dazed state had been preventing. It's the middle of the god damn day. Jeremy has work again tonight ( at one of the restaurants, under new management, yet the thought of Jeremy there every night still leaves him unsettled every time he thinks about it ), and Michael seemed to think it was a brilliant idea to drag himself here now.

He still can't quite make out the way Jeremy looks at him, but Michael catches worry in his voice, and with it comes the familiar insurmountable guilt. The same kind that has over and over again stopped him from growing closer to Jeremy, that burrows deep in his chest and finds a way to drive every one of his decisions. It's a sign of exactly what he was afraid of— he is doomed to harm those around him, bleeding all over Jeremy's clothes is only the precursor to the harm he knows will come to Jeremy all because of who he is.

"Got into a fight, sorry..." He repeats, head spinning too much to form anything else coherent. Michael is aware enough to try and follow Jeremy to the couch, at least, falling against the cushions without much grace ( despite the way Jeremy handles him so gently, with more care that he has been used to in a long time ). The adrenaline that carried him all the way here had begun to fade the moment he was given support— no, it disappeared, without any gradual adjustment, only the intense pain bursting through him as he sinks into the couch ( no doubt getting blood all over it, too ). He manages a weak nod— couldn't move if he tried— before tilting his head to lean back, coughing in reaction to the sharp pain up his side.

He barely registers the time Jeremy takes to return ( more focused on keeping himself awake than anything ), groggily lifting his head again at the sound of his voice. "Mhmm... yeah... bathroom. S'fine, it's— not as bad as it looks." It's only when Jeremy pulls an arm around him and lifts him off the couch that Michael's mind begins to clear just enough to process what he said.

Michael is bruised, battered, and bleeding— his head spilling a concerning amount of blood and his ribs aching with every step— and all he thinks about is the way Jeremy talks to him. It’s almost comical, the way he stares at Jeremy as if he has two heads, as if Michael isn't the one who knocked on the door looking like he's been to hell and back. His voice, despite the obvious stress, is soft ( with hints of an accent Michael hasn't really picked up on before ), and he fucking calls Michael darling. The stare isn't offended, not at all, but entirely baffled: is Jeremy like this with everyone? He HAS to be, though that conclusion does nothing to to stop the way he is suddenly incredibly aware of the arm around him. He decides to blame his quickening pulse on the injuries.

"Yeah... yeah... I will," He mutters as they enter the bathroom, still dazed. "It's my fault— I fucked up, I didn't— want you to deal with this, you shouldn't... I guess...I didn't know where else to go."

Michael was lucky Jeremy had even been awake. He was supposed to be sleeping for his shift - it wasn't like he enjoyed sleeping all day so he could clock in at that stupid pizza place at midnight, but it was what he had to do if he wanted to pay the bills. Luckily, he'd forgotten to feed his cat before he'd passed out this morning, so she had decided to protest by jumping from a nearby shelf directly onto his sleeping face just a few scant minutes before Michael happened to arrive.

He'd barely managed to get the wet food on her plate and the can thrown away before he heard the knock at the door, and he squinted towards the front of the house in confusion - who in the fuck would be visiting him at this time of day? Sure, everyone else was supposed to be awake right now, but everyone who knew him also knew that he worked the night shift. Still, he had to go see who it was - he couldn't make out the figure through the fancy, distorted glass window, especially not without his glasses.

Half-jogging across the living room, careful not to let his socks slide on the wood floors, he answered the door, hardly registering the fact that he was still in his pajamas until the door was already halfway open. Too late to worry about that, he supposed. He blinked at the person in front of him, once, twice, willing the blob of color to resolve itself into a recognizable face, until he heard Michael's ragged voice.

"Wait, wha' - Mike?" he stammered out, hardly able to process anything before the taller boy literally collapses onto him. "The Hell?" Pulling back, mostly to steady himself because the impact nearly carried them both to the floor, he supported Michael with one hand taking his weight at his side and the other one coming up to pull his face back into Jeremy's view so he could squint at him some more. It wasn't until his palm slid over the boy's cheek, trailing warm and red and - oh, God, - that Jeremy realized what was going on. His expression didn't exactly lighten, but it changed, going from tired incomprehension to panic and concern. His exhaustion could wait, Michael was fucking bleeding, and that clearly took priority.

"Shit, hon, what happened to you?" he asked, not even registering the way he began to slip back into his childhood accent as he took the entire situation in, mentally falling back to when he was a teen in North Carolina and his little siblings had always been getting themselves hurt. His hand on Michael's face slid upwards - that much blood could only come from a head wound. By touch alone, he found where the slick warmth stopped, skirting around the wound so as not to hurt Mike - he hoped to God it wasn't as bad as it seemed. Head wounds always bled so, so much. Not to mention what other injuries Jeremy might not be able to see at the moment.

Moving so he could slip one arm under Michael's and gently use the other to support his front, he half-guided, half-dragged the boy across the scant few feet to the couch. "Stay right there, alright? Be right back, promise," he murmured, depositing Michael as softly as he could before rushing off to shut the door, grab his glasses, and gather supplies. He shut the cat in his bedroom, not wanting her to get in the way, before digging out his first aid kit and depositing it on the bathroom counter.

"'Right, hon," he started, suppressing a wince as he made his way back into the living room and took in how rough Michael looked now that he could actually see him. "This is gonna suck, and I'm real sorry, but I gotta get you up and into the bathroom. We'll get you all fixed up in there, alright? You're gonna be just fine." His voice stayed soft as he leaned down to help Michael off the couch, worming one arm in behind the small of his back and basically just hefting his entire bodyweight up on his own as he knew that Mike was clearly in no state to do it himself. "I gotcha, darlin'. Just stay awake for me, yeah? 'S all you gotta do. I'll take care of all the rest."

[tobuo]

i wish unemployment guilt wasn’t so crippling. it’s been nearly a year and a half since i quit a super toxic job after it caused me to have a nervous breakdown and i’m so much happier and healthier and doing my best to support myself w my small biz where i can but......... society presses a “career” on u so much that i keep getting these BLIPS where i feel intensely guilty because i’m “out of work” or if i pass up on a vacancy that doesn’t feel like a good fit HHHhHhhh wHyyyyy

[i-need-air]

I just read your nsfw Hybrid with Bakugou and it's SOOO PERFECT. So, I was thinking, imagine this: Relationships between hybrids and humans are still frowned upon and one of your co-workers begins to disturb you about dating Katsuki. You are annoyed, but you don't tell Bakugou until one day your co-worker tries to harass you (kiss you, pull your clothes off) saying "you shouldn't be with that damn DOG". You run away and come home crying and sobbing over and over. Giiirl, Bakugou will go FERAL. ❤

I'm so glad you liked it 💗💗💗💗💗 Yes, god, Bakugou would indeed be F E R A L indeed; ok, i started writing it and I somehow progressed this story further. MORE LORE TO HYBRID!BAKU. I also went with the flow, got very carried away and gave it a different ending to what you suggested, so I really hope you don't mind. 😅 It just happened, maybe made it darker than it should've been, oop—, BUT everything works out.

Warnings: mentions of attempted sexual assault;

Word count: 1.8k or so, I just keep adding stuff 💀;

[ Masterlist ] [ Part 1 and Part 2 of General Hybrid!Bakugou HCs. ]

× you weren't really hiding it because it was legal, yet some [ many ] were judgemental about it

× you also weren't publicly proclaiming it but whatever, that didn't stop you from putting a picture of Katsuki playfully biting your cheek as wallpaper on your phone

× one of your co-workers, Albert, was somewhat pushy

× while you got along with everyone and had an okay relationship with them, he wasn't part of your friends group

× yet you always found him near you everywhere, to which you paid no mind

× it was once he looked over your shoulder when you unlocked your phone to see that picture, and Katsuki's sandy ears could be seen

× again, you didn't hide it so when he asked who was that you just said your boyfriend

× "Uhm, your boyfriend is a... hybrid?" he asked making a face; that's when you knew Albert had to stay away for real

× you just smiled and minded your own business

× but throughout the days he kept dropping comments about, his attitude even pushier than before and you realized talking to him about it wouldn't help

× "is he any better than a normal man?"

× "like... I don't get it, [Y/N], he's a dog..." he'd whisper at you while on lunch break, baffled expression on his face

× you gave him a look of disgust, getting up from the table and going somewhere else; why the hell was he following you around?

× "seriously, tell me, is it the sex?" Albert asked hours later, following you to the exit, unaware of your absolutely uncomfortable responses as you quickened your steps, but he grabbed you by the arm, surprising you with his strength

× "if it's just the sex you better know there are some men, real men out there that can take good care of you, [Y/N]."

× you had to raise your voice for him to let go of you since heads started to turn towards both of you

× "Just drop it, Albert, it's none of your business!" you said before turning to leave

× when you walked through your apartment door you were rattled

× Katsuki walked through the door just as you prepared yourself a tea, shaking slightly, frown on your face

× "Hey, what's up?" he eyed you and sniffed the air, feeling you nervous, cup of tea almost spilling everywhere; "Hey, hey, hey, give me that. [Y/N], seriously, are you ok?"

× "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." you lied and he knew, it was obvious even if you pretended everything was dandy

× on the other side you didn't want to make him worry or anything, Albert was just annoying and hopefully he now understood where he was standing

× but Bakugou Katsuki ain't having it, babe, nuh-huh

× he didn't say anything else about it that day though, just acted as normal but prepared your favorite dinner and a warm bath for you

× the next day he decided to pick you up from work by just arriving there half an hour earlier and see if something is really up, to make sure you're fine and the issue is from there

× he'd have to walk there from his job and then you'd both drive home and it wasn't a problem as he'd do overtime some other day;;

× what he did not expect was to hear your scream of help from the wooden area behind the parking lot in your office building

× let's go back in time for context;

× you walked out of work in a rush, finishing earlier than anyone else, car as your destination just ready to bolt home; Albert was eyeing you funny the whole day but stayed behind, so you didn't know if to feel worried or relieved

× as you walked to your car and pulled your keys, someone smashed you against the door

× "ungrateful bitch" you recognized the voice instantly and froze

× before you could open your mouth he put his palm on it and dragged you somewhere

× you dropped everything on the cement, bag, keys, phone...

× of course you were putting a fight but he was strong

× "I tried to be nice, sweeheart—" he mumbled while struggling to drag you into the wooden area

× "I told you, yeah? You shouldn't be with that damned mutt!" he pushed you unto a tree, making his first and last mistake, because he freed your mouth

× "HELP!" you screamed while he started grabbing your clothes, ripping sounds could be heard

× "I'm gonna have to show you what a real man can give you—"

× and as if planets aligned, in a blurr, Bakugou Katsuki appeared, jumping straight on him and knocking him out instantly, a loud crack deafening your ears

× Katsuki was shaking in anger

× he barely could control his body, his eyes were bloodshot and he had the most feral scowl you'd ever seen on him

× you just trembled in place, grabbing your clothes to cover yourself as you could

× Albert groaned on the floor, twisting his body to turn around and see what attacked him and in a broken speech, blood coming out of his mouth, he attempted to swear, but Bakugou's growl made him freeze in realization

× he was about to pounce again, any self-control leaving his mind when you hugged him tight

× in your arms you could feel his ragged breath, a deep continuous growl still coming from within his chest

× at this point some other people heard your cries too and called the police

× meanwhile you tried to calm him down because you felt he wanted to murder that son of a bitch

× intention was clear in his eyes, even Albert stood there terrified, broken jaw forgotten as he tattered on the floor like a weak animal

× "If you ever fucking dare to look in [Y/N]'s direction again I will find you—" he said and you shivered, holding him even more tightly "—I will kill you." he tried to take a step further but you wouldn't let him "And I'll make sure your body is never found."

× sirens could be heard in the distance and after that everything passed fastly

× they took Albert away, who was muttering scrawled stuff, and took both of your statements

× much to everyone's surprise they didn't cuff Bakugou [ 💖because we live in a society💖 ] so that was a good thing;

× although you did have to go to the station; they found security camera footage of the attempted assault, which Katsuki had to watch and almost erupted in rage yet again

× but it all came to an end when you got home, both absolutely silent

× he was huffing and walking around the place, shoulders tense and hands fisted into balls

× just to distract himself he started cleaning around the house and not looking at you, while you still stood there with his jacket on staring at him

× it wasn't until he finally looked at you when he really took in your state

× until now you behaved exemplary, calming him down, giving a statement, just acting strong

× yet once you reached the comfort of your own home you just couldn't take it any longer

× tears were falling on your face, you were shaking in place at the entrance, hugging his jacket close to your body as if it were your salvation and you just watched him

× it dawned on him how his rage took over him so hard that he couldn't focus on anything else, not even your heartbeat, your scent, your breath

× in an instant he was all over you, hugging you tight and lifting you up

× "I got you, baby, you're safe now." He'd whisper in your ear as you'd pull him closer

× he'd prepare you a warm bath and never leave your side while whispering sweet nothings to you

× "I'm never leaving out of my sight again, do you understand?"

× "I'll kill him if he ever comes close to you."

× "You're safe." he'd say as pulled you into him

× you spent the following days at home as you were granted emergency leave from work and found out the bastard was, of course, fired and prosecuted

× it would've been a lengthy process but from there on some things changed between you

× he'd walk to your job from his, even changed his work hours to fit yours, and you'd go home together, for starters

× his behaviour changed and even if he still gave you the Special Bakugou Attitude, he was gentler and sometimes you'd catch him looking at you like you're the most precious thing ever

× he wouldn't really word it at first but seeing you like that and finding out it was basically because of him really fucked him up

× it would take you to remind him that it's not his fault he's a hybrid, you always want to be with him, you don't care what he is really and the only one to blame was Albert

× [ he'd growl whenever his name would be mentioned ]

× anyway, remember, he needs to be held just as much as you do and that guilt will take some time to wash away; you got each other's back and that's what mattered at the end of the day

× but the weirdest thing was, as you went to the police station some more times, Bakugou somehow impressed the Captain, Tsunadu Hakamada:

× "That dude reeks of cocaine." he'd scowl and point with a sharp glare at this cuffed man sitting in a corner, making you look at him in wonder

× "How do you—"

× "Excuse me, did I hear that correctly?" someone said behind you, making you turn towards a tall blond man in uniform watching your boyfriend curiously

× "Hah?"

× low and behold, he's the captain of the precinct and asked Bakugou to come by any other day noting it would be a pretty great opportunity that would benefit both

× [ and after some attitude and snide comments from Katsuki, he agreed ]

× you went through a lot in a few weeks, like the trauma you'd both have to work through together but one good thing that came out of this situation apart from putting a piece of shit in jail was that Bakugou was offered a position as a special officer in the precinct as long as he went through the academy as anyone else would

× people were starting to see the value of hybrids and the Captain wasn't one to let go of such an opportunity

× things were progressing little by little and it gave you hope for a better tomorrow with Katsuki by your side.

Notes: For those that don't know, Tsunadu Hakamada is Best Jeanist.

[munsnz]

TRICKS OF LIFE — STEVE HARRINGTON

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐢. — 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐞

Overview: Y/N’s anxious self begins to affect her daily life. Her and Victor appear to visit a familiar place known to both, but learning a tragic story of death, a friend more known as an uncle

Navigation — Mixtape

"Ugh! All Nancy does is drag me along into her shit! She's a nice person but she can be quite a bitch sometimes, I'm sick of her being different when she's around that snobby son of a bitch!" Y/N grumbles softly, scribbling harshly on the lined paper in the classroom full of students.

The young man sitting in front of the girl reluctantly looked up from his notebook, leaning onto the desk, quietly saying, "Maybe don't hang out with her next time? If she's making you feel upset, then don't be around her."

"Well, she's fine when we only hang out together, it's that boyfriend she has that makes her act up, Victor," She replies, biting her lip and continuing to write down the equation.

Victor shrugs, he gazes Y/N's furious self trying to recognize the answer for the math worksheet they were both working on. He subtly inquired with a stutter, "How about we go to Benny's for some milkshakes and fries? Like we used to?"

"Excuse me?" Y/N scrunches her nose and slammed her pencil on the desk, she noticed how calm Victor was while staring into her eyes, "Will is probably in danger and you want to go get burgers and fries?! What the hell is wrong with you!"

Everyone in the room fixed their eyes upon the two, Victor's eyes widened at the response, and he frowns as he leans back to his chair in the silence. He just thought maybe he could have a one on one with her again. Before all this happened, they would enjoy getting lunch at Benny's together and focus on their work before they went to the department, it was just the two of them, their own thing. He guesses that this has stressed out Y/N a lot, it killed him to see her like this. Ever since last night's incident, she seems more uptight and tense, I mean the whole town of Hawkins was worried, especially Y/N. He knew how close she was with the missing boy.

In embarrassment, Y/N hesitantly silenced herself and made her head drop, her face flushed with confusion and disappointment. She quickly glanced to catch a glimpse of the quiet Victor, who reluctantly turned back to do his work. Suddenly, she felt this guilt grow onto her for snapping rudely at her friend that was only trying to help her. She pitied the guy, and slowly, Y/N softened her face as the whole classroom continued with their business.

"Hey I'm sorry, I guess I've been.."

"Stressed, I get it. Will is your friend anyways."

Y/N clicked her tongue, trying to figure out what she could do, and she replied, "Yeah it's been tough... Now that I think about it, we could go afterschool, it could help to distract myself a little you know?"

"Really?" Victor blinks through his lenses, "You don't have to, I was just suggesting."

"Yes, really, dummy," She leans over the table and ruffles his hair jokingly, he lets out a small smile cover his face as he continues to write on the paper.

The boy looks up at Y/N again, he nudged her with a mockingly tone, "Well you shouldn't be calling me dummy when you haven't started the work, hurry before the bell rings."

The two burst into a subtly quiet laughter, looking at each other. Victor noticed Y/N’s happily self giggling, she looked so pretty when she was happy. He really really wished none of this happened to see her smile.

The afternoon breeze blew on Y/N and Victor's faces as they trudged along the crisp autumn leaves, there was a silence between them, they enjoyed each other's company.

"So are you going with Nancy to the party?" Victor broke the awkward quietness, he slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Y/N fixed her eyes on the boy and shrugged, "I didn't really talk to her during passing periods nor in class because she was with Barb."

"Are you going to say no?"

"Probably," Y/N replies, sneezing once again into her sleeve, Victor says bless you and she continues, "But I'm going to check on Mike and the boys tonight, last night they tried looking for Will."

Victor furrows his eyebrows and turns to the girl shockingly, "They what-"

"Yes you heard me right," She crosses her arms around her jacket, trudging away from him, but he seemingly catches up to her, "They really wanted to find him. I mean who can blame them right? I went looking for Will too…”

Y/N slowly begins to trail off as she walks closer and closer to what appeared as flashing red and blue lights, Victor glances forward to slowing down his pace. Both of the teenagers walked alongside as they approached the Benny's Burgers diner, it was horrifyingly surrounded with ambulances, police cars, and an absurd amount of people.

Abruptly, the girl's heart started to pound and felt her stomach drop, she began to feel worry. What had happened? Does it involve Will? Is this a coincidence? Why is this all happening at once?

"I'll go ask around what happened."

Victor put a hand on her shoulder, then hurriedly walked to the familiar faces of Officers Powell and Callahan, Y/N froze in place, but watched from afar as the boy spoke to the two older men. He was trying to gather insight on the mysterious situation, the conversation was inaudible to Y/N's ears, the fear washed over her.

In the spiral of emotions and confusion, the girl was brought back to reality when Victor called out her name, she blankly stared at the boy, the moments felt like a suspenseful blur.

She mindlessly found the familiar figure of her father who came out of the diner with a saddened face, so much went through her head full of the multiple tragic scenarios that could be talked about this instant. Once Jim's eyes met his daughter's, a look of grief was on his face, he walked reluctantly toward her. Y/N was curious and made her way through the caution tapes and people in the area, but not entering the building.

"Dad?" She quietly asks when she crept up to the man, "Is everything okay?"

The sorrow in Hopper's eyes were demonstrated as his daughter looked up at him, he shook his head and croaked, "Um, I don't know how to say this."

"Dad, what happened?"

"Benny, committed suicide, he was found dead."

Y/N's heart pauses for a moment, not believing the very words coming out of Hopper's mouth, stomach tied in twists and the sensation of goosebumps filled her skin. She stood, wide-eyed, with her father watching her quiver. The sound of sirens, wailing, and voices disappeared from the background, it seemed like it was just Y/N and her thoughts.

Benny.

A very known friend, almost like family, uncle Benny the girl would call him. The one friend, the one who helped the father and daughter through the toughest times, from Sarah's death to the divorce. Benny was the one who looked out for Hopper, they were so close, like brothers.

Y/N still remembers, the memory where Benny first situated Hopper and the girl in Hawkins, their new home after the divorce. That same day, she vividly remembers the first place they went to in the whole town of Hawkins, the diner. What a wonderful memory it was, the first time Y/N tried the famous burgers and fries, the day where even though it was new, it already felt like home.

"These burgers are yummy!" The squeaky voice came out of the little one's lips, while she chomped on the meal in delight.

"They really are," Hopper compliments, sharing a smile with his friend, "Thank you for everything Benny, we owe you a lot."

The bearded man chuckles, he squints as a smile forms, he warmly patted Jim's shoulder, "There's nothing to owe me, the both of you are like family to me, I'm always glad to help you out."

"Uncle Benny is the best uncle ever!"

"Y/N!" Victor shouts, grabbing onto her worryingly. The girl watches Victor's demeanor, her father and the officers watching her, she slowly noticed the moisture dripping down her cheeks.

She breathes in and proceeds to let out a sob, unconsciously leaning onto her father and wrapping her arms around him, her face dug into his shoulder. The tears streamed, she felt the big arms tighten around her. Why was this all happening? Why? Why Will? Why Benny?

"Why Dad?" Y/N sniffles, letting go of the hug, "Why is this happening?"

Hopper frowns, he reassuringly holds his daughter and looks in her eyes, "I don't know why Y/N. But we'll find out sooner or later."

"It doesn't sound like him, the last time Vic and I visited was a week ago, right?"

"Y/N, you have to understand, not everything is what it seems."

[voxmortuus]

Silly Crush | POSSIBLE CHAPTER SERIES

Stu Macher x F!Reader

Scream FanFic

TW: Fluff, mild language, heated make-out session

Forgive my writing. It’s been a while.

GIF created by @2026

Late summer of 1996, just before school starts back up again. The summer fair had come to town, this year it decided to not skip town, the weather was perfect for it! Being the loner you usually steered clear of these things, but you had befriended Tatum and Sidney. It was nice to have friends that you could talk to, to trust, plus the added perks of Stu's flirtatious nature, though you could never bear to tell him that you had a crush on him, you'd be risking your friendship and likely look foolish, there was no way you thought that Stu would be into someone like you... I mean, after all, he was Stu Macher, he and Billy were kind of known around Woodsboro High.

Slipping into your favorite pair of black overalls, one strap off, and slipping on a black crop top and a pair of black LEI black platforms a touch of makeup, and braided your hair into long pigtails, and headed out. Tatum loved your outfit. "We'll meet the guys there, Stu had to do something." Tatum chirped while you hopped into her red Volkswagen bug and takes off down the road. "What did have to do?" You casually ask. "Something with Billy, said they'd show up after, some project they're working on." Sidney chimed in. "Yeah something stupid important." Tatum mocked. With a chuckle, you shake your head and watch out the window.

Getting out of the car after she parked it you three look around and decide to head to the benches waiting for the two boys to arrive. Tatum played with her gum and Sidney reading a book, you sat there, people watching, three unlikely friends, but so far so good, this was going to be good for you, real good, so you hoped, minus the odd guilt of crushing on Tatum's man. Letting out a soft breath, Stu and Billy approach from behind startling their better halves. Stu looks at you and gives you a sweet smile. "Hey Y/N. Glad you made it." It could be he was being nice, but the feeling behind his words was something more. You give a kind smile back and flush slightly. "Me too." Clearing your throat and with a side stare from Tatum and a smile from Sidney the girls hop up and look around.

Without any hesitation Tatum looks a Stu, "It's time for that big blue dog you promised me!" She grinned taking his hand and dragging him away. Sidney looked at Billy, "Ferris Wheel?" with a shrug and a nod. "Sure." Sidney looks at you. "You can come if you'd like." You shake your head and give a smile. "Nah, I'll be good, I'll be here. It's just nice to get out of the house." Sidney nods and pats your shoulder before she and Billy take off to the wheel while you sat there, alone, like always. "I knew this was a bad idea." you tell yourself before letting out a sigh and slump on the bench picking at your glitter nail polish and staring at the ground a bit.

After a few hours had passed Tatum started to feel sick, of course, that's what happens when one inhales two cotton candies and a thing of funnel cake and a corn dog and a diet soda. She looks at you. "Hey, I'm going to head home, thanks for coming with us, Stu is going to take you home if that's alright?" You look at her "Yeah, that's fine. Feel better." You tell her. "Billy, Sidney you ready?" she askes them almost feeling ignored you look down at the ground, your jaw clenches, Sidney touches your shoulder again and the three of them take off. Stu sits next to you and looks ahead of himself. "You know, she doesn't mean to be a bitch all the time." You look up and over at him and arch a brow. "She's not a bitch, just, set in her ways." With a chuckle, he shakes his head. "No need to be polite. She brought you here and ditched you. Personally Bitch move." He stated

Shaking your head you know how people like that can be, you slump a bit more. "Nothing like being a third wheel." you chuckle. "It's alright though, it was nice to get out of the house." you state with a soft voice and maybe some optimism. Looking at you he smiled. "How about I make up for it?" You quickly shake your head and smile. "You don't have to, there's nothing to make up for." Shaking his head again. "I don't think you understand. Let me make it up to you. I don't think I'm giving you much of a choice." Clearing your throat you look down and pick at your nails again and nod your head. "Okay Stu."

Standing up he takes your hand and your whole body gets warm, flushed, and nervous as he takes you to win you that blue dog he botched trying to get for Tatum. "Until I win the big blue one Merve." He tells the man behind the counter. "Anything for you Stu." He chuckles and hands him some baseballs. You watch as he looks at you. "I'm bad at this." He laughs throwing a few, "Not too bad." you reassure him. After a good five minutes, he wins you the large blue dog, smiling you bite your lip taking the dog. "Thank you," you tell the man and then at Stu. "And thank you. I have the perfect spot for him in my room." You beam a smile nuzzling into the dog a bit.

"Next stop!" He takes your hand and takes you to get something to eat. You blush a bit as he took it upon himself to order for you. Taking a seat a the picnic benches Stu looks at you and looks around. "There are a few more stops before we hit the big ending." He nodded to the Ferris wheel. Biting your lip and taking a bite of your burger you look at him and back at the end of the strip and let out a shaky breath. Nerves are going to get the better of you, you know this and grip the large paw of the dog and look at Stu. "Thank you, for all of this so far." He laughed. "Don't thank me until the end." He tells you.

Finishing food he takes you to the water guns, the ball toss and ends up winning you a goldfish, the thunderbolt, and last but not least, you two are standing in line for the Ferris Wheel, your stomach is turning, nerves, the Ferris wheel was a special ride. "We don't have to do this." You tell him. "Nonsense, we're going." He laughs taking your hand and getting into a cart and closes the door. Placing the dog and the bag with the goldfish on the bench across the way Stu decides to sit next to you with his arm around your shoulders, pulling you close. Taking in his cheap cologne your eyes close, feeling this odd sense of safety.

The ride takes off and you jump a little and he pulls you closer. "Heights make me uneasy." you tell him, looking down at you. "I'll protect you." He tells you with a cheeky grin and looks around. "Thank you for tonight, I'm glad I came." She smiled. "I'm glad you came too." A few times around the wheel stops, Looking around Stu chuckles. "Uhhh, bad news, we're going to be stuck here for a bit." Your eyes grow wide and you get closer to him and bite your lip harder. Stu holds you petting your head a bet and you look up. "Well I guess, we should talk... I need to distract myself. I'm a horrible friend Stu." You tell him.

With an arched brow, he looks at you, "How so?" you fidget and he looks at you, waiting for you to speak. "I've uhh, I've got this thing for someone, and this someone has someone, and this someone's someone had befriended me this summer and I feel like a bad friend for liking this someone." You state, "Vague... I'm sure Sidney would understand, everyone's got a thing for Billy." He moves away a little bit. Shaking your head you look up at him. "No Stu, I like you, and Tatum would have a cow if she found out." Stu looks at you. "You like me?" He asks you, nodding your head he chuckles and smiles. "I like you." He tells you.

With a nervous laugh, you lean into him and bite on your lip. He looks down at you, and tilts your head up, and presses his lips to yours, his hand resting on the side of your neck as you grip his shirt and press into the kiss a bit more. His tongue dances with yours as the kiss becomes a bit more heated, his hand moves from your neck to your breast gripping it in his hand as the other pulls you closer. He pulls you on top of him and you look over his face, moving your hips a bit and he lets off a soft groan, pulling you closer back into a kiss as his hands rest on your butt pulling you even closer, any closer and you'd melt into him. His hand slips under your shirt playing with the perky bit of flesh and the suppleness of your breast while your fingers play with his hairline.

Tongues dancing together he lifts his hips up into yours. Looking over his face. "We shouldn't do this here, not here, and it's too quick, and I... Stu..." Stu looks at you. "Yeah Y/N?" He askes with a smile. "Do you love Tatum?" You ask him. "I wouldn't call it love, she's annoying, needy, and overly clingy... I offered to take you home, I wanted to tell you I liked you, and was hoping that maybe you'd be my girl." He looked over your face. Hugging him you nuzzle into his neck. "Yes, absolutely. Tatum is going to shit." You chuckle shaking your head. "She will at first, but she'll find someone else to occupy her time." He smirked and places you next to him and fixed your shirt, taking care of you, holding you close.

The wheel starts moving again and when you two get off the wheel, he smiles taking your hand, and escorts you to his car where he then takes you home. "I'll come by tomorrow we'll go see a movie or something. After I tell Tatum see ya." He chuckled planting a kiss on your lips before you get out of the car and make your way inside with your dog and fish. Your mother looks at you. "Well well, looks like you had fun." You smirk big and nod. "Night mum. Love you." You kiss her cheek and rush upstairs. Putting the fish in a bowl and the dog on the foot of the bed you strip down into something comfortable grab your journal and being to write. "Dear Diary, Tonight, was the best night EVER!"

—————————————————————————————————

If you want to be tagged let me know. This is the first of many stories! I am also taking requests!

@luciferslittleastre

[y0itsbri]

gallavich week 2021 - day 3 - travel au as always inspo from @ianandmickeygallavich // @gallavichthings

Stuck with You

Words: 5.5k

Summary: A winter storm strands a desperate-to-return-to-Chicago Ian at the airport with no car. A dark-haired mysterious man in an expensive-looking leather jacket and sunglasses seems to be his only hope. Ian grows suspicious of the man's true intentions as they embark on their road trip with some funky excursions. The two men find what need they most in each other.

"Fiona, I'm literally at the gate. I'm about to board now!" Ian was lying straight out of his ass as he was running through the bustling airport, dragging his bag as fast as the bent-as-all-hell wheels on the suitcase would allow him. He had not, in fact, woken up to his first alarm... or second. Maybe he was running extremely late despite Fiona's near-constant nagging to get there early in case something happens again.

Ian mumbled a quiet "Fuck" as his suitcase's wheel locked up again. He did not have time for this. His huffed cursing was apparently heard by Fiona's supersonic hearing. A woman in white capris glared his way. Okay, maybe it wasn't that quiet.

"Ian!" Fiona's voice rang through his phone. She sounded frantic and exhausted. She had every right to be, but Ian was not in the mood for an early morning guilt trip. "What happened? And you better stop fuckin' lying to me and get your ass-"

"Fi, I gotta go, love you, talk to you later, promise," he mumbled all the formalities as genuinely as he could muster before he hung up. He had tuned his attention into his surroundings and noticed an absurd about of people hovered around the rent-a-car station while the airport gates nearly empty, except for the occasional airport employees trying to reason with irritated passengers.

Sure enough, something did happen, as Fiona would have happily predicted. There was a massive winter storm and all flights had been delayed until further notice. Ian idly walked to his gate just to make sure he wasn't going to miss his plane like he had the day before. The gate was a fuckin' ghost town besides one man in an expensive-looking studded leather jacket and shiny dark hair to match. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of purple sunglasses, despite the fact that they were currently indoors.

Ian instinctively stepped closer to the man to maybe strike up a conversation. It wasn't something he was so fond of doing, but if he was trapped at an airport, he might as well make friends. Anything to distract his anxious thoughts about not making it back to Chicago in time for his interview. He couldn't even look at his phone, knowing Fiona was probably blowing it up right now about how he has to get his shit together. He knows.

In the midst of his inner debate, Ian oh-so-gracefully tripped over a chair -- the wheels of his suitcase coming to a halt, causing the bag to loudly clang against a nearby pole.

The man jumped up with a startle, yanking off his glasses and swiftly reaching into his boot and pulling out a small knife. He slowly took in the fact that there was no threat -- just a giant blushing ginger wincing at the knife pointed his direction.

The man sighed and tucked his knife away, "Shit, I thought you were trying to rob me or something."

Ian eyed a small black backpack tucked behind the man's legs. That bag was sleek and tiny compared to Ian's nightmare of a bag.

"Ain't look like you got much to steal," Ian joked, immediately regretting his decision to be witty after literally just being held at knifepoint. Maybe the mysterious man would appreciate his charm.

The man frowned. Okay, maybe Ian's humor wasn't for everyone.

"And how did you get that knife through security?" Ian asked in attempt to ease the tension a bit.

"None of your damn business." The man retorted shortly, but his eyes lingered over Ian for a moment longer, amused.

"Right." Ian replied after a moment. That was fair. He was a stranger, after all. But there was something about this man that was so intriguing. The man stood nearly half a foot shorter than Ian and clearly had the personality to make up for it. Ian was most definitely not in the mood to almost get stabbed again so he decided to lay off the talking, making an obvious show of adverting his gaze from the gorgeous leather-clad man in front of him.

"Uh.. hey," the man spoke up again as he looked around the terminal. "Did I miss the flight or did everyone just get abducted by aliens or some shit?"

Ian was amused at the aliens bit. Who even was this guy?

"It looks like all flights are delayed. Some freak super-storm coming in, don't want any crashes or anything."

"Buncha pussies," the dark-haired man grumbled as he stood up.

"Where are you going?" Shut up, Ian, shut up shut up shut up.

"Rent-a-car? Is that okay with you?" The guy pulled his bag over his shoulder, but turned his gaze back to Ian.

"Uh, yeah, I mean -- sorry, never mind." Nice going, Ian.

"I'm just busting your balls, man. Just gotta get back to Chicago before the weekend. Can't just sit around like a little bitch and wait for a storm to pass like some people." The enigmatic man teased him.

Ian rolled his eyes, but followed him like a lost puppy. "You're not the only one. I have an interview in Chicago in two days and I really can't miss it." Ian pointed back towards the rent-a-car area when the man didn't question him any further. "Don't think you'll have much luck with that, by the way. They looked almost sold outta cars when I walked past here earlier."

"So you walked past the rent-a-car instead of actually getting one? Real smart, Stumbles."

Ian cringed at the nickname. So much for first impressions. The man pulled out his phone from the tight pocket of his pants and stopped abruptly, Ian almost losing his balance to keep from stumbling into the guy. Again. Ian was literally swept up off his feet by this dude. He had to get himself in control before he lost what remained of his dignity.

"Ey' Dimitri, I need a car." The guy said into the phone. Ian awkwardly waited around. It wasn't like they made any plans of travelling together but they were in the middle of a conversation, he couldn't just leave. It wouldn't be polite. Not that much about this guy was polite to begin with. But they had something going at least. The phone conversation got heated very quickly. Now Ian could very clearly see why he was the type of person to have a knife in arm's reach at any given notice.

"I know you have fuckin' plenty. I'll drop it off next time I see Yevgeny, you know I'm good for it. I gotta job this weekend- It is your fuckin' business when your bitch of a wife- Oh c'mon, you can admit she's a bit of a bitch. Whatever- Or do you wanna tell Svetlana that your incompetent ass is the reason why she ain't getting her payment- or do you plan on paying for that shit? Didn't think so. Black cat. Red one."

There was definitely a lot to unpack and as curious as Ian was, he was definitely not gonna ask... yet.

"Red, you comin'?" The dark-haired man called over his shoulder as he started heading towards the airport's exit.

"Me?" Way to play it cool, Ian.

"No. The other giant ginger standing behind you. Yes, you."

"My name's Ian, by the way."

"Don't care."

"Where are we going?"

"Chicago."

--

Together but not together, they waited for... Dimitri, maybe? The shorter man beside Ian was tapping around on his phone and hadn't said a word about their plans beyond the simple 'Chicago.'

Right as Ian got the nerve to ask, a sleek black jaguar came to a halt on the street in front of them. Ian only knew a bit about cars because his brother liked fixing them up -- and man, was this a sick car. Lip would be jealous. Ian fought the urge to take a photo of the car -- unsure what the boundaries were in situations like this.

Ian's mystery man sauntered over to the driver's seat, exchanging a loaded handshake before switching places with the driver, who was apparently not Dimitri.

The passenger side window rolled down, revealing a bright red interior. "Coming, princess?"

Ian placed his suitcase in the backseat before hopping in the front himself.

"Do I ever get to know your name, princess?" Ian teased back. But he was genuinely curious.

The guy smirked, "Buckle up. I ain't slowing down for anything." And true to his word, they sped out of the parking lot, earning a few well-deserved horns from cars that they had cut off. Ian cringed.

--

Ian waited until they were on the interstate to speak again, not wanting to be the cause for an accident with this guy's hectic driving and the snow lightly falling on the road in front of them. Maybe he shouldn't be getting into cars with mysterious strangers. Maybe he should have thought of that before he did, in fact, get into a car with a mysterious stranger.

Ian decided to try again, "Ya know, if you don't tell me your name, I'm just going to start calling you something real stupid, like Bob or Cookie or Raven."

"Raven is actually kinda badass." The man replied, not taking his eyes off the road, but the side of his mouth quirking upward.

This guy was impossible, "Ugh."

"Ya know, you're kind of annoying for a passenger who should be grateful that I'm saving your ass. I could dump you on the side of the road, make you hitch hike all the way to Chicago or wherever the hell you end up. Probably some real weirdos out there wanting to pick up a pretty boy like you."

"Didn't ask to be saved." Ian blushed despite his best efforts to play it cool.

"No? So you were just following me all around the airport, why?" He glanced at Ian this time.

Yeah, he had a point. "Like I said, I got an interview I can't miss. My sister set it up for me and she would actually have my ass if I fucked this up. I'm talking like this-is-the-final-straw." Ian sighed, running his hands up and down his face.

"Hmm. You'll make it. I'm a good driver." He smirked. He lifted his hand off the wheel as if he were about to touch Ian's shoulder or something, but decided against it at the last second.

"Good and fast are not equivalent." Ian's breath hitched.

"Says you." The guy drummed his fingers.

"Says most people. And probably the cops." Ian was not about to spend a night in the slammer.

"Fuck the cops." He said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yeah."

The conversation died down and a rock ballad lulled over the car's exquisite sound system. Damn, this was a nice car.

"Mickey." The guy murmured, barely audible over the bass.

"What?" Like the mouse?

"My name's Mickey, by the way." He glanced over at Ian.

Oh. "Kinda badass." Ian returned with eye contact a smirk.

Mickey smiled at the road ahead of them.

--

"Mornin', Sleeping Beauty." Mickey called out from the driver's seat, patting Ian's shoulder. Ian could have sworn Mickey's hand lingered a bit longer than necessary, but maybe he was just reading into the interaction.

Ian must have fallen asleep sometime during the drive, because now they were parking in the parking lot of a diner. Red neon lights highlighted the exterior, giving the place a sultry vibe. Odd vibe for an off-the-road diner, but Ian supposed it could be weirder.

Mickey hopped out of the car and shoved his hands into the pocket in his leather jacket, searching for something.

After a moment, Ian slowly stretched his legs out as he crawled out of the car and found Mickey smoking a cigarette while leaning against the hood of the car. It was picture perfect. Mickey hadn't noticed him emerge yet, so Ian decided to give into his urges as he snapped a picture of the beautiful man in front of him -- all black shadows and glowing red.

Ian closed the car door and Mickey stubbed out his cigarette and led them inside. "Usual table," he said to the hostess, who led them to a table set for two towards the back of the establishment.

Yeah, this was weird. Who the fuck had a 'usual table' at a joint off the highway in the middle of nowhere?

Inside hung the heads of exotic animals that Ian hoped were fake. Once they were sat across from each other, Mickey ordered a short stack of pancakes and Ian ordered a hamburger and fries -- the first thing he saw on the menu.

"So, brunch and tigers? What is this place?" Ian mused, curiosity and now suspicion overtaking him.

"Cool, huh? Got connections." Mickey went back to rearranging the condiments and sugars on their table.

"Mhm." Ian was skeptical, but didn't want to pry. He seemed to be on this guy's good side for now.

Ian spent the better part of their stay just taking in everything around them. The walls were lined with playing cards, posters from bands he's never heard of, bizarre news articles, lights swung and tacked up with a casual precision, literal jewelry and crowns under display cases, and he could've sworn there was sparkles mixed into the red paint covering the walls. It was like a goblin's cave or something.

Occasionally, he would look up at Mickey, who would look away almost instantly -- like he'd been caught in the middle of something. Planning something? Ian couldn't tell if Mickey's cheeks were actually blushing red or if it was just the lighting. Probably for the best because Ian blushed like a motherfucker whenever he held Mickey's eyes for too long.

Luckily, the waitress brought over their food before Ian could say something stupid. Ian's hamburger and fries were places in a classic red boat with black and white checkered paper. The burger was massive and had a flamingo pick placed in the center of it. Mickey's pancakes were covered in bananas, blueberries, and powdered sugar. The waitress also set down a glass elephant bottle filled with, what looked like, maple syrup. The waitress just smiled at them and walked away without another word. This place was strange. And Ian couldn't shake that feeling.

About halfway through eating, Ian had enough of the odd vibes and promptly excused himself to go to the bathroom. He had to get out of here, forgo his luggage in the fancy ass car. He didn't care if he'd have to hitch hike at this point. He washed his hands in the bathroom sink, planning when to make his escape, when the door swung open.

"Ian." Mickey looked genuinely concerned. No stupid nickname. Ian. "What's wrong, man? You looked pretty sick back there. Is it food poisoning? I'll give Anakin a fuckin' piece of my mind if he didn't cook that fuckin' burger. He knows better than to fuck with me." He rattled off.

Ian felt flighty and tried to take off during Mickey's rage-induced ramble but an arm gripped his bicep, stopping him in his tracks.

"Hey, Ian, look at me." That was the problem. Ian couldn't stop looking at him. He would probably do anything he asked. And that was fucking dangerous. He was a stranger with connections. That couldn't lead to anything good.

Ian finally made eye contact and the grip on his arm loosened, gently sliding towards his wrist before falling back to Mickey's side.

"Promise me you won't kill me." Ian blurted out.

Mickey's eyebrows nearly flew off his face, "Kill you? Where the fuck is this coming from? You think I hate you or something?"

"Well, maybe, I don't know. This is weird."

"Maybe." Mickey paused, actually making an effort to see this whole strange situation from Ian's perspective. "But I like weird."

Ian stayed silent.

"I promise I'm not going to kill you. I promise that I'm going to get you back to Chicago for your interview. I promise we're all good, okay?"

The tension in Ian's shoulder's visibly relaxed and he released a breath he didn't know he had been holding. But that confession still doesn't explain this weird excursion.

"Why does everyone here know you?" Ian finally asked, swallowing his nerves.

This was not a conversation for the men's bathroom, but here they were anyways.

Mickey looked a bit embarrassed. "Used to live a few towns over with my ex-wife-"

"Ex-wife?" Ian nearly choked.

"Svetlana. Fuckin' disaster. But I used to come here with my son, Yev, on special occasions when his mom was out. He always loved it -- thought he was the king or some shit."

"Oh."

"Don't see the kid as much anymore, but this place still has the best fuckin' pancakes so we go when we can."

"So this isn't a sting operation to kidnap me?"

Mickey rolled his eyes, "You're an idiot. I actually happen to like you."

"Yeah, me too."

"So glad you like yourself, champ."

"Oh, fuck me." Ian groaned.

"Maybe later." Mickey smiled too sweetly for someone who had just insinuated what they had.

They returned to their table, finishing off what they could. Mickey had insisted he pay for both of their meals -- reparation for nearly giving Ian a heart attack and fleeing off to fucking Mexico or something. The waitress collected their tab and walked away with a wink, "Have fun tonight, boys."

"See ya 'round, Geneva." Mickey called, "Always in my fuckin' business." But Ian could tell it was meant with nothing but fondness.

Mickey held gave a two finger salute to the hostess on his way out before holding the lion-studded doors and turning to face Ian, "We're in this together, yeah?"

"Yeah."

--

Ian didn't fall asleep in the car this time. Instead, they played the license plate game and carried impersonal conversation in between stops at gas stations and fast food restaurants.

--

"Books or movies?" Ian read from his phone.

"What kind of fuckin' question is that?"

"From the online list you made me look up!"

"Yeah, because you suck at coming up with questions!"

"Whatever. Books or movies?"

"Movies, duh."

"Aw, c'mon, you don't like books? When was the last time you even read a book?"

Mickey flipped him off, "What about you, smartass? You prefer books over movies?"

"Well, no..."

"Well, exactly."

--

"Cats or dogs?" Ian asked. "I've never had either, but dogs are cool."

"Yeah, 'cause you act like one."

Ian gasped, mocking an expression of hurt. "I bet you're a dog person, though."

"Yeah, why're you so sure about that?"

"They're all tough and shit."

"I got a cat back home. She's tougher than any dog I know."

"What's her name?"

"Indy."

"Aw, softy."

"It's short for Indica, clearly we're cool."

Ian gave an even more exaggerated "Aww."

"Shut up, next question."

--

They had missed the worst of the winter storm that had threatened their flight and gotten them in this situation to begin with. It was starting to get dark and while Mickey assured Ian that he could drive through the night, Ian insisted they could stop at a hotel and still make it back before his interview. Truthfully, he didn't want to be involved in a luxury car crash with a maybe Russian mobster. He couldn't pinpoint Mickey, but that's what he had currently decided on.

They had pulled off into the lot of a pink hotel. Mickey had gotten them two rooms, side-by-side. Instead of going up to his room and passing out like Ian had expected, Mickey headed straight towards the hotel bar -- ordering a mojito and a vodka tonic and making friendly talk with the waitress in a very low cut red shirt like they were old friends. Mickey was nothing like Ian expected.

Ian headed up to his room to drop off his suitcase and call Fiona back, sure she was going to disown him right then and there for avoiding her calls all day.

--

Ian opted against going down to the bar and instead watched reruns on the hotel tv. Alcohol didn't really mix well with his meds and he didn't want a hangover if they were going to be in a car all day tomorrow -- especially a nice car like that. Yeah, he wasn't puking in that anytime soon if he could help it.

He took a long, hot shower, indulging in the hotel's eucalyptus-scented body wash before settling in for the night.

Ian was resting peacefully until he heard a blood-curdling scream next door. Mickey was next door. Mickey.

Ian leapt out of bed, grabbing nothing but his shirt before frantically knocking on Mickey's door. C'mon Mickey, don't be dead. C'mon. C'mon.

Mickey swung open the door rubbing sleep from his eyes, "Ian?"

"Uh, hi. I heard screaming. Just making sure you're not being murdered."

"Shit, yeah. I get night terrors sometimes. I meant to mention that to you, but it must have slipped my mind after a few drinks. Didn't see you down there?"

"I called it an early night," Ian replied guiltily. He felt bad if Mickey was waiting for him. But he didn't know.

"Yeah... anything else?" Mickey looked Ian up and down. Ian was suddenly hyper aware he was standing in front of Mickey in only his boxers.

"Um, no." Ian glanced around nervously.

"Great." Mickey shut the door. Whatever. Ian turned to open his door, but it wouldn't open. He searched his pants for the key card only to be reminded that he was not, in fact, wearing pants. Fucking great indeed.

Ian knocked on Mickey's door again.

"What?" He grumbled with a tooth pick between his teeth. "'m not fuckin' screamin' anymore."

"I locked myself out."

"Of course you did." Mickey rubbed a hand down his face, "You ain't goin' down to the front desk in your underwear and I'm not goin' down there either so it looks like you can either come with me or sleep in the hallway, your choice."

Some choice.

Ian followed Mickey into his room, the same layout as Ian's -- just mirrored. Mickey tossed a blanket at him and then collapsed back into the pillows himself.

Ian tried to make himself comfortable on the ground but all he was going to do was bruise his fuckin' spine and freeze his ass off because apparently Mickey likes to sleep in Antarctica.

"Fuckin' cold." Ian mumbled, cocooned in his one tiny hotel-grade blanket that hardly covered his long body.

Mickey didn't open his eyes, but he lifted the comforter on the bed, "Get in here, Frosty."

Ian hesitated. But he was really fucking cold. He made sure not to touch Mickey at all as he crawled under the covers, laying as still as he could on the edge of the mattress. Mickey sighed and scooted his back into Ian's chest, grabbed Ian's arm, and draped it around his waist. "There."

Ian was still for a moment before settling into the warmth.

"Mickey." He said softly. He wasn't even sure if Mickey had heard him.

"What?"

"Is that your real name? Mickey?"

Mickey sighed, "Mikhailo."

"Hmm. I like Mikhailo. It's like Mick-halo, like you're an angel."

"Baby, you've met me. There ain't nothing good about me. I'm more like the devil."

"Why's that?"

"Dude, I almost knifed you when we first met."

"I had that coming, though."

"Maybe so."

"Is that all?"

"Fuckin' terrorized my neighborhood as a kid."

"Me too, you ain't special. Got anything else?"

"I'm a raging homo."

Ian rolled his eyes. "Me too. Anything else?"

"Can't do enough for my own kid."

Ian was quiet so Mickey continued.

"Svet won't keep him in Chicago where my job is. I don't wanna be the asshole to choose work over my kid, but I can't just up and leave, either."

"Yeah, but it sounds like you visit him a lot. He must know you love him, though. Bet you're a better father than mine."

"Yeah, mine too. Ain't hard to beat. He's a real dick. I don't wanna be anything like that piece of shit."

Ian squeezing his grip around Mickey's waist. "You're not. I'm still betting you're all things good."

"Hmm."

"Guess we'll just have to see."

"Guess so."

A moment passed before Mickey spoke again.

"Go to sleep, stupid."

"Goodnight, Mick-halo."

Ian nestled his head into Mickey's hair, smelling the eucalyptus on his as well. The two not-strangers drifted off together.

--

Ian woke up after Mickey, who was already packing up his oddly tiny back pack again. And Ian's suitcase. He took a moment to recall last night's events.

"How the fuck did you get that?"

"Morning to you, too." Mickey tossed a prepacked muffin at Ian's half asleep body. "Went to the front desk for a spare key after continental breakfast, duh. Eat up, we're leaving in 10."

Ian groaned and pulled the covers over his head. He felt a weight on the mattress beside him. He peeked from behind the blanket to see that Mickey had sat down and was currently staring at his legs? Ass? Who knew. Turns out 'thighs' was the correct answer as he set his hand on the outer part of Ian's right thigh. Just resting it there for a moment before getting up.

"Fine, we're leaving in 15."

Satisfied, Ian closed his eyes for a few minutes, feeling the ghost of Mickey on his leg. He was so warm. It was like his heart was on fire.

--

They ended up leaving 10 minutes after Mickey's initial 15 were up. But it wasn't Ian's fault that there was a hold-up at the front desk. Something about a scheduling conflict between a drag show and a speech contest. Hell, Mickey thought they should combine the two events and call it a day.

Back in the car, Mickey had some upbeat indie music playing this morning while they circled around the old town to find a gas station.

"Ya want anything?" Mickey asked before he turned away from the pump and towards the building, patting down his ass to make sure he had his wallet.

Ian was distracted by the patting for a moment before replying. "Uh, maybe a Gatorade or something?"

Mickey tapped the hood of the car twice instead of replying verbally, but the message was received nonetheless.

Ian pulled up the picture he had taken yesterday of Mickey in front of the bizarre diner, moments before he thought he was being hunted for sport. It was beautiful. He was beautiful.

After a moment, the driver's side door swung open, "Whatcha lookin' at, Smiles? Texting your girlfriend?" Mickey teased as he closed the gas tank and hopped in with a coffee balancing in one hand and three different flavors of Gatorade in the other.

"Nothing." Damn, Ian. Like that ain't an obvious lie.

"Ain't nothing, lemme see." Mickey took Ian's phone and dropped the Gatorades on his lap.

"Ouch! Well, thanks -- for these -- but give me my phone back!"

"Is that me?"

No sense in lying now. He was literally looking at it. "Uh, yeah. Thought it looked cool."

"That's dope as fuck, man. Send that shit to me, I wanna post it on my Instagram."

Ian certainly hadn't expected that response. But when had Mickey ever been what he expected?

"I don't have your number." And he wasn't asking for his number like some school girl. Mickey had literally requested he send him something. Ian had no idea why he felt so ridiculously nervous.

"Gimme." Mickey made grabby hands for the phone and began to plug in his number before Ian realized that this definitely counted as distracted driving in a very nice car. "Done."

Done.

--

The morning and afternoon went by pretty quickly. Mickey sang along to some pop songs while drumming his hands on the steering wheel. Ian took some photos of the inside of the car, earning some light teasing from Mickey. Shut up, this might be my only time in a car worth more than ten grand.

Ian watched the highway and the grass blurring past his window when he suddenly remembered the small notepad and pen he had swiped from Mickey's hotel room.

Mickey looked pretty distracted, so Ian took it out and began to sketch his profile. The man was too beautiful. He couldn't help himself. With a burst of confidence, he added a note to it before ripping the page out and sticking it in the side pocket of Mickey's back pack. If Mickey saw him, he didn't say anything -- for once -- and Ian was glad for that.

--

They were nearing Illinois state lines, so they had to get into travel specifics. Ian gave him the address to his apartment. Both being Southside, Mickey knew the area well enough that he wouldn't need directions until last minute.

Ian figured now was as good as time as any to ask, "What are you doing in Chicago?"

Mickey made a face like he was thinking about how much he wanted to explain to Ian. "Well, for one, I live there. Second, you've seen my tattoos right?" He held out his knuckles reading FUCK U-UP. Ian nodded and Mickey relaxed one hand back onto the steering wheel before continuing, "Tattoos were a family ritual. I help my brothers on runs when they need it -- those idiots can't plan for shit by themselves. Makes good money though. I also work part-time at this high-end restaurant downtown. Satisfies my sister that I have a legit job. Ain't too bad either. Lotta sketchy shit goes on, though, but they know I'm good to look the other way for a low low price." He grinned.

"Damn, you sure are something," Ian mused.

"Yup yup. What about you hot-shot? What's the whole deal with this interview?"

Ian sighed. "Never finished high school and uh, I have a mood disorder thing so a lot of places won't even consider me. Got fired from my last job for snapping at the dickhead manager --which was well-deserved by the way -- but still stupid. My sister, Fiona, got me this interview with the magazine company she works for -- she thinks I'm so sick like our mother and that if I don't have a job to keep me stable that I'll just fuck off. But the job would be really cool because I've been into photography and shit since like forever. I don't know, it's stupid. But I really just can't stand to let anyone down again, because I am better. They just don't always believe me."

Mickey frowned, and Ian worried he shared too much. But then Mickey rested his hand on Ian's thigh, "Hey, man. That sounds cool. But it's okay to not be okay. Just be honest with me, and I believe you. Promise?"

"Promise."

--

Ian's apartment was in sight before he knew it. It was starting to get dark out, but he would still be able to get a good night's sleep before his interview in the morning. Mickey's car definitely did not belong in his neighborhood. It stood out like a sore thumb. He couldn't stay for long if he wanted to leave with the car in tact.

Mickey helped Ian get his suitcase out of the backseat and then leaned against the car, watching Ian with a strange look in his eye. Before Ian could ask, Mickey stalked over to him and leaned up, and pressed his lip's against Ian's. He smelled so sweet. It wasn't the eucalyptus shampoo either -- that had long faded. This was just pure Mickey. Mikhailo.

The moment was over too soon and Ian groaned. Mickey gently patted his cheek, "Don't worry, big guy, you ain't gettin' rid of me this easy. I'll see you soon."

"Soon." Ian repeated back, still a bit dazed in the head.

Mickey smirked as he hopped back into the jaguar and sped off to wherever the fuck it is that Mickey goes.

Ian lugged his bag upstairs, unlocked his door, and plopped down on the couch.

Soon.

--

After texting Fiona one last time, Ian had turned his phone off to avoid any distractions. Giving in to the urge to text Mickey would definitely be a distraction. He needed routine. At least for tonight.

It was a relatively quiet night in terms of activities. He had microwaved a frozen dinner and watched a couple episodes of Schitt's Creek before taking his meds, brushing his teeth, and heading to bed.

No matter how chill of a night he was planning on having, his mind kept racing with thoughts of Mickey with everything he did. That man was so cool and funny and kind, even if he didn't believe it himself. Ian didn't know what exactly had caused such a reign of self-doubt over him, but they would talk about it someday. Ian wanted him to see how good he was. Mickey just brought long-vanished excitement to Ian's life again. He trusted him and cared for him. And he missed him. They had only spent two days together, but Ian couldn't imagine sleeping without him. He drifted off to sleep thinking about what Mickey would look like in his bed with him.

Ian had gotten up at his first alarm for once and arrived to the interview 15 minutes early. He was genuinely passionate about this job so it was easy to turn up his charm. He would hear a call back later that afternoon, but given that he was pretty sure Fiona was sleeping with his would-be boss's boss, he was almost certain he would get the job.

Ian finally turned his phone on when he got home. One message from Fiona -- reminding him of the interview. But more importantly, three from Mickey. He immediately clicked on Mickey's name, absolutely no use in playing it cool anymore. He couldn't get him out of his head.

Mickey (9:27pm): *image attachment*

Mickey (9:27pm): found this in my bag, i wonder how it got there🤔

Mickey (7:32am): good luck at your interview! hope it was worth literally dragging your ass across the country for

Ian smiled.

Ian (10:06am): I have absolutely no idea how that drawing got there. Maybe trolls? 😇

Ian (10:07am): And your luck helped! I think the interviewer liked me :)

Mickey (10:07am): hopefully he didnt like you too much

Ian (10:09am): SHE liked me a very healthy amount.

Mickey (10:10am): gonna keep it that way

Ian (10:12am): 🙄 Oh Mick. Can't be jealous over something you don't have.

Mickey (10:15am): i have you right where i want you dont you worry your pretty little head

Ian (10:17am): So you think I'm pretty is what I'm hearing?

Mickey (10:18am): i think your annoying go away

Ian (10:19am): I thought I couldn't get rid of you that easy?

Mickey (10:19am): changed my fucking mind

--

Their texting banter came to a halt when Mickey picked up a shift at his legitimate job. Ian unpacked his ratty old suitcase and cleaned up his apartment while he waited for his phone to ring. From the job... from Mickey.

--

Right when he was switching loads of laundry, his phone rang. It would be a lie if he said he didn't drop everything and run.

It was his new boss him on his new job. He couldn't hold back his grin as he immediately texted Mickey, then Fiona. He was proud of himself.

Fiona called and they chatted about the job -- omitting the part where he assumed she was sleeping with the boss -- and Ian's road trip -- omitting the part where he kissed his once assumed kidnapper -- and then about Fiona's kids and Carl's lately stunt. He was so invested in his little criminal brother that he almost didn't hear the knock at his door.

"Fi, I gotta call you back. I think I have a delivery or something." Ian wasn't expecting anything.

Ian nearly leapt backwards when he cautiously opened his door (there were no damn peepholes in his building) to find Mickey waiting on his doormat with a grin on his face. "Congrats on the job, man!"

"Oh my God. You're here?"

"Yeah, I told you I would see you soon. I'm a man of my word. And I brought cupcakes." Always the unexpected. "Well minus one. I didn't know which apartment was yours and I went to your neighbor's first and he wouldn't tell me where you lived without a fuckin' cupcake. Greedy asshole." He murmured, quietly smiting the old bastard.

"Mickey." Ian smiled, eyes crinkling with it. "You're good. You're so good."

[johnsamericano]

𝓓𝓪𝔂 2:

мσσи тαєιℓ

23 days of NCT masterlist.

taglist: @notbeforelong @whathamelon @unknown5tar @curieouscapt

warnings: dilf!taeil, breeding kink, age gap, just the usual.

“Hey, dad. I’m going out with y/n.”

“You should bring her home sometime.” Mr. Moon answered, eyes fixed to the documents between his hands. “I haven't seen her in a while.” And he perfectly knew the reason for that.

You'd been avoiding him since last summer when Jeno and his father took you on their family vacation. A few drinks were all it took for Mr. Moon to spill the tea, telling you how pretty you were, how much he craved to be with you. Things moved on pretty quickly from that moment, a few kisses and empty promises were exchanged while Jeno passed out in the hotel room you shared.

The next day, you woke up hungover and regretful. Mr. Moon thought things between you would finally take a different direction, but you started ignoring him. You avoided any kind of contact with him, trying to erase the memories from that night.

It was an understatement to say that he missed you, not only romantically, but your cheerful presence would always lighten up his mood, no matter how stressful the situation was.

“She’s outside, I'll call her in, just wait a second.” His son sprinted out, a string of cursing becoming louder and louder as your friend dragged you into the house.

“I’ll cut your hand off, Jeno!” You slapped the hand he was holding you with repeatedly.

“Long time no see, y/n.” God, how much you hated the effect his voice had on you. It was like he deliberately talked in that tone to allure you.

“Hello, Mr. Moon.” Your head was slightly bent, avoiding his eyes.

“What is it with you two?” Jeno frowned, aware of the slight change in the atmosphere.

“We need to leave if we don't want to miss the movie.” You tugged his sleeve. “See you around, Mr. Moon.”

“I hope we can see each other again soon.”

And you did, well, more like Jeno tricked you into it. He noticed things weren't the same between you and his father, and as your brother from another mother, he wanted you to be close to his family.

“Jeno?”

“Y/n?” Mr. Moon asked from the highest step of the stairs. “What are you doing here? Jeno isn't home.”

“That motherfucker.” You pulled out your phone, a couple of texts from Jeno illuminating your screen.

‘Sorry, something came up. Please wait for me.’

“Wait.” Mr. Moon rushed down the stairs, pulling your wrist before you reached for the front door. “Can I have a word with you?”

“I d-don’t think that's a good idea.”

“Why are you avoiding me? Have I done something that made you uneasy?” His thumb rubbed the skin of your hand. “Talk to me.”

“It's nothing!” You tried lying, but he could see right through you.

“Y/n, please. I miss you.” He pleaded.

“I'm terrified, alright?” He felt a hint of guilt as tears started rolling down your beautiful cheeks. “I want to be with you, I really do! But I'm scared of what people might say, or what Jeno might think. I can't expect him to be happy with the whole situation between you and me.” He wanted to hold you, to dry your tears. “It hurts not being able to be with the one that you love.”

Love. That's how you truly felt about him.

“No one has to know.” He whispered, face inches away from your own. “We can keep this a secret until you're ready.”

“And who's gonna tell my parents? You?” Their reaction was the one that troubled you the most, to be honest. They'd been friends with Mr. Moon since their college years, your father would probably murder him if he found out.

“Yes.” For you, he was willing to lose his dearest friends. “As long as I get to be with you.” His hand slid from your wrist to your waist, the scene oddly familiar. “Our first kiss was just like this.”

“We shouldn't...” Yet, you closed your eyes, letting his lips taste yours.

It wasn't long until his hands were holding the back of your head, fervently kissing you. Your hands were positioned above his forearms, your lips trying to keep up with his.

“Shall we go upstairs, darling?” You nodded, allowing him to lift and carry you all the way to his room. He lowered you gently on his bed, moving his laptop and notebook to his desk.

“Were you working on something?” Your chest rose and fell rapidly, body extremely hot from the previous make-out session.

“It can wait.” He slowly unbuttoned his black dressing shirt, curiously looking at you as your legs rubbed against each other. “Needy much, huh?”

“Stop it.” Mr. Moon grinned, obliging to your commands. He placed himself on top of you, both hands on each side of your head.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Yes.” You answered with no hesitation. You trusted him with your life, you knew he would never do anything to harm you.

Your lips touched again, this time his hands slowly undressing you, stroking your tender skin. He kissed every single uncovered spot, loving the small noises you'd make.

“Is this your first time?”

“No.” He was disappointed, but quickly disposed of the negative emotions. You were there with him, and that's all that mattered.

As soon as his clothes were off, he penetrated you, throwing his head back at the feeling of your walls hugging him. Your nails carved into his back as the sound of skin slapping became louder.

“Mr. Moon.”

“Yes, darling?” His nose was scrunched from the pleasure, thrusts becoming sloppy as his high approached embarrassingly fast.

“Can you come inside?” He looked at you with wide eyes. “I’m on the pill! I just...I just like the feeling.” He leaned down to peck your eyelids, the simple action had your stomach doing a flip.

“Breeding kink?” Well, if you had to label it, that would probably be the official name. “Whatever you want, little one.”

Just as you thought his pace was finally slowing down, he increased it again, repeatedly hitting your G-spot. How could a 40-year-old man have such stamina?

“A-ah, Taeil.”

“My name sounds so pretty when you say it.” One final thrust was all it took for him to spill his load inside your whole, regardless, he kept moving, trying to trigger your orgasm. “Come on, darling, let go for me.” One of his hands came down to your core, thumb drawing circles over the sensitive nub.

Needless to say, it only took a few more seconds for you to release. Your body was limp and sweaty, legs feeling slightly numb. Taeil groaned as he pulled out, his length was coated with yours, and his essence.

You cleaned yourselves up, giggling at each other’s fucked out faces. After confirming Jeno was staying over at a friend's, Mr. Moon lent you one of his pajamas, letting you sit between his limbs as he worked on his laptop.

“That looks complicated.” You pointed out, looking at the sales reports.

“Would you like for me to explain it?”

His voice was ever so soothing that you were snoring two minutes into his explanation. But he didn't mind, it was more than clear you were exhausted. He let you rest again in his chest, oddly focusing more than usual on his work.

[we-dragons]

I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 9 Damian x reader

"What is this place, why is it shaped like a T?" We stand on an island with this enormous building smack in the center of it the sunset shade casting a large shadow over us, I can't get over how ridiculous it looks. Or contemplate my confusion, Nightmare makes an unimpressed huff and nuzzles back into my shoulder.

"Titan's tower."

"why would this be a good place to hide? It's the most obvious building here, I ran with you for several days I'm beginning to think I would be safer under my floorboards." He walks up to the doors and pulls out a card holding it in front of the circular panel. It beeps and a clicking noise comes from the door.

"Believe me this would be a better place for you." I sigh a form of any and all anxiety pools in my body, but I still meet him at the now unlocked door.

"Alright fine but you need to explain to me why here of all places."

"When we get inside." The doors swing open, the area behind it lights up leading to what I assume is an elevator. I'm pulled inside not giving me a chance to look around. "Hey!" He doesn't answer but pulls us into the elevator, I don't see him push a button but we almost immediately move up. It's fast but not as fast as the one I had to go down for training at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Though the feeling is familiar and I start missing my classmates all over again. I rub the wrist that Damian was holding to dragging me here. Nightmare growls at the space moving him and interrupting his nap. The space stops and the door opens to an open space that looks like a large living room. a white angled couch a large kitchenette and an impossibly large TV by open glass windows. The room has several people all staring at us, my anxiety hits me tenfold and I take a step back. A hand is at my shoulder the moment I do and pushes slowly while moving itself. The doors close signaling that I'm truly stuck here, a woman with Neon pink hair and bronze skin zooms up to us.

"It's so good to see you, and I see you brought a friend. Richard has been looking all over for you."

"I know that's why you can't tell him we're here." I'm pushed forward. "She's a mutant possessing the X-Gene, my father wants to interrogate her for the information, she needs to stay here till a better solution becomes present. Can she stay here?"

"Well of course she can stay-"

"What?!" Nightmare jumps from my arms and hisses. I walk backward, taking in this new information. "How did, you find out when-when." Fear creeps how long had he known how much trouble was or might be in. But he didn't mention this. but then again why would he. How does he know about the X-Gene though, from the research I did there were none here with it. The closest there was were Metahumans but even they didn't have anything close. My back hits the wall and I return to the world Nightmare growls standing guard in front of me. Everyone who was in the room now stood in front of me, a boy that was green from head to toe, another girl in a purple cloak and unitard, and another boy with something attached to his back. The pink-haired woman steps forward, but Nightmare swats at her yowling as a warning to keep away. She raises her hands in surrender but looks at me.

"There is no need to be afraid, I knew people like you, Jean Grey, Cyclops. they came here by accident once a few friends and I helped them get back. It would have been 7 years ago now." Damian steps forward Ignoring Nightmare, guilt is painted slightly on his face he tries to coax me from the wall. "I'm sorry I knew since the time you showed me, I checked my recorder after that visit and played it back home in front of everyone. I was to find out more from you and report back after we scanned those samples that healed me. When we were ready I was supposed to bring you back with me for interrogation with confirmation of your mother's research." Something snaps inside me and I glare at him.

"So all that was for those stupid journals. Wow, for how long were you faking nice. No, don't tell me it'll just feel worse. " I put a hand on my face willing the emotions of confusion to stop. A crackling noise makes its self known in front of me followed by screams.

"Holy Crap that thing has tentacles coming from its face!"

"Ahh!"

I gasp at the sight Nightmare had gone full flerken and is attempting to drag Damian in. I lunge at Nightmare dragging him across the floor. He lets go of Damian but he hasn't changed back to cat form. "Nightmare No! Calm down I'm fine I swear it! Stop!" The black fuzzball retracts his tentacles and hisses at the crowd.

"I'm sorry, he gets like that when he sees me upset sometimes. Not sure if you have them here but he's half flerken, they look like cats but they're quite deadly." I set Nightmare down and he crawls behind my legs once again hissing particularly at the green boy how has gotten closer, he turns into a green cat making Nightmare run in the process. Damian limps forward his leg is bleeding through his suit. I would let that heal naturally if only wounds inflicted by Nightmares in the flerken form never heal normally on their own.

"Y/N these are the Titans, the one mimicking your," he waves his hand in the air as if to find the world. "flerken is Garfield." He points to Nightmare being chased my the green cat attempting to lose him. The bronze woman glides forward stomping a foot from me the others followed behind.

"Hello my name is Starfire you can call me Kori, this here is Raven," She points to the purple girl then moves her other hands to the boy. "and this is Jaime. We are pleased to have you here Y/N." She grabs my hand pulling me away from the middle of the room where I had landed. "Now let's get you settled in I'll talk to Damian for a bit after." Nightmare notices my leaving and jumps onto my right sholder hissing at the green-skinned boy.

_____________________________________________________________

I honestly don't know how to feel, to be honest, I should have guessed it so it's my fault. I could have left him and then this wouldn't have happened, but then he would have died in my apartment. Could have been more hostile, but then he definitely would have gone with the kidnapping strategy and I would be already in the hand of batman. Now I'm in the known world of their superheroes, the superheroes know about the Crows and they know about the X-gene. That information can go from good to bad in minutes. Though Kori did know about Jean and Scott, though it was years ago they have traveled through many universes with a small team. I would have been about 10 when this happened and my mother didn't take me there for classes till I was 12. In their lectures, they didn't mention anything like this they did bring in Doctor Strange to teach those of us who could understand how to perform magic. I Now I'm sitting on an insanely comfortable bed knees curled up to my chest just reminiscing. I have been told to use my abilities only when necessary as not to attract any unwanted attention. But what did I do, I screw up my chances of living normally till Doc Strange can pull me back only to find I'm not in my home where I should be. Everything was going so smoothly till now.

The door opens behind me and by the almost silent footfalls, I can tell it's Damian. Nightmare has jumped into my arms forcing me to let go off my legs and watch as the boy drags a chair to face me.

"I suppose you want the whole story now," I said barely looking at him.

"I wasn't going to talk about that yet."

"What did you think you would find in the journals that my mother wrote?"

"An answer on how to stop the Crows."

"You most likely will."

"Than what's in them."

I sigh looking him dead in the eye, pulling myself together for this.

"My mother didn't only study history, in my dimension, she studied all sorts of fields one day she was asked to study something and was gone for almost six months. We hardly heard from her but just enough to know she was alive so naturally when she came back she swore me into secrecy. She explained that she had gone to another world entirely, she studies with them and when she came back more time had passed than when she was there. One journal explaining how she got the and how to get in and another explaining what she found, and the rules for everything she experienced there. She learned things no human should know and kept it from the people she worked for and everyone else. She-she found Avalon, lived among the fey in return for her curiosity and genuine interest they helped her make a guide and history of all fairy and Fae both the pure and the equally disturbed." I reach in my bag and pull out the books from missing from the very research my mother so loved. One being ordinary leather-bound and the other two bear a glowing purple gem on both sides of a very purple dark Tome thick and pooling with some sort of energy as the gem. I give him a serious look gripping both books. "She left it to me but I haven't read them yet, I...I couldn't bring myself to. It might be better used in your hands anyway. Though I shouldn't I still trust you for some reason, so under the conditions that you only use what you find for the better of those in need you may find your information. The journals, however, will stay within my sight understood." He nods, I start to give the leather books to him he stops me.

"I don't want to see them before you," He takes the books from my hands and places them back in the bag. "If you are convinced that I should still read them, then I will convince where ever you wish to study them." He sits on the bed next to me staring out the window. "What I want to talk about is how we get Father not to view you as a threat and as a friend. I went over it with Starfire and we both agree this is the best option." He pauses before he continues. "We're you a hero in your world?"

"You want me to do hero's work and gain a positive reputation so that he's more willing to work with me than slowly forcing out of me."

"Yes."

"How do you know about the X-gene?"

"It was in our database from when Jean Grey and Cyclops had visited. They helped take down an invasion of the skrul and took them back with them to their own dimension. Father took some DNA samples to work with and ask about their abilities. There are entire folders on the subject alone." He pauses again running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"Not for that, for everything else."

"Yes that is very much on you but it's also on me. But if I had left you with Crow poison in your blood you would either turn into an undead flesh puppet in my room or die. That would not have gone down well for either of us. I was also mostly upset you broke my window and wanted compensation," I see him visibly tense and clench his teeth. "and didn't even bother to say thank you."

"I Fixed your awful goddammed window isn't that thanks enough." He glares at me.

"Was it? After all, you did spy on me and report it to the Dark Knight." I fall back onto the bed. "There's no getting out of this now might as well get used to it."

"You shouldn't be this comfortable with what's happening, I wouldn't"

"Then why are you smiling ya weirdo, It's almost creepy."

"Tsk, just hand me your computer so I can pull up Star Trek, I would like to finish and begin the movies." I hand him my laptop and he walks over to the wall in front of the bed.

"Um, you know we watch on that computer you making a get away with."

"Yes but the enormous 4k TV is here." He pushes a button I didn't even see before and as promised a TV appears. He smirks at what I assume is my expression. He opens my computer and within minutes Star Trek is cast on the TV. "Please hold your applause till after the show."

"Did you just make a joke? Are you joking now?"

"Aren't I allowed to have a sense of humor?" I Look at Nightmare who has the same thought in his head and I look back at Damian.

"Nope, Nada, No way."

"You know, you're the only one who has talked to me that way and lived."

"I should consider myself lucky then huh."My gaze falls to his leg, It's poorly bandaged so I pull my scales and Med-kit from my bag. " But before I forget I need to treat your leg before your tissue becomes necrotic. You can watch while I work, but you need to swallow one more of the "glittered plastic"."

_____________________________________________________________

"How do you make them?"

"The scales?" I pause stoping the wrap on the angry-looking tentacle mark on his skin.

"What do you think I was talking about?" I smile evilly.

"I thought you were talking about my jokes and wonderful sense of humor." I tie off the bandage and put away my first aid kit. "But If you must know it has to rain first, and I have to be in it. The acidity in the rain is was caused the scales to form but there has to be enough of it. In Gotham, the rain has plenty of it, It soaks into my skin and drains my health which is why I was sick for so long. In return for taking my health, the scales form with healing agents that even baffle me. Normally I would take one and feel fine after but someone decided to take them."

"Do you pull them off?"

"Takes too long and much too painful, I just pour scalding hot water on myself and they pull away from the skin. I clean them and there you have it. Health restoring scales." He stares at me, like I said I pour milk before cereal and then pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds in that order.

"Aren't there better ways to remove them?"

"Yes, but those are back at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters I couldn't pack it with me so I had to find other methods."

He silent again so I put my stuff in the closet, take my Suit out from the bag, and place it on the hanger, the vibranium fibers shimmer in the soft lights then I stuff the rest of my things in there. I have to tell Professor Xavier what's happened on the check update next week with any luck the multi-functional com-piece found the data by now and I can see what they already know. I inwardly sigh, closing the closet and making my way back to the bed. I see Damian drawn into the scene playing on the screen, Data has made his sacrifice saving the Enterprise. I wasn't expecting to last the cleaning to last that long, but then again the poisons from the suction cups dug deeper than I thought. I put some more things away in drawers even though I didn't have much to bring. "We probably should head to bed, I imagine I have to do a proper introduction and demonstrate some form of my power."

"Yes, probably." He gets up grabbing the two scales I gave him for when he starts feeling pain again. Moving swiftly to the door, he takes one more look back then leaves. My eyes fall on Nightmare who sleeps soundly on the end of the bed. I Climb into the warm comforter letting the warmth surround me. I don't even notice myself drifting till all I can hear is static signaling that tonight was going to be a dreamless one.

_____________________________________________________________

"What exactly can you do?" Starfire walks me down to the center of a metallic room filled with weapons and tools, no doubt the training room. I look around more absorbing the room but still answer the question.

"If I see something I can almost instantly learn it or adapt to it, powers, fighting styles, languages I just have to see or hear it. I've had to control it in order not to learn everything and overload happened one time was not pretty."

"What do you mean by almost instantly?"

"Things like shape-shifting are hard to master, but if I concentrate enough I can alter my physical appearance though it takes five minutes to get there and can't hold the form very well after an hour. The first time I saw someone change form my body tried to copy it but I broke my hand instead. But oddly enough I can learn most other powers and knowledge just fine."

"Really? Well just to check could you copy this?" Starfire lifts her hand and green energy forms around it. I lift my hand to match hers and form the same energy in my body, though not green It's a lilac purple. "Sorry still have trouble getting the colors right." The woman stares in awe at my hand, the knowledge of how to use the ability is stored in my memory. I turn my hand light off and look around. She had given me the tour of the building and probably saved this for last to test what I can do. They did the same at XSFGY and had us fight in the ever-changing challenge/training room. I hear the door open and two cheery voices call out.

"Hey Y/N, about to train?" Garfield, the boy in green calls out from the railing where the door is accompanied by Jamie how still looks half asleep.

"I was just about to test her now, could you all stay there, I'm going to pull the full immersion-based training." She floats to a podium on the far side of the room. the area around me pixelated before stilling into a jungle heat and all. Monsters appear from the undergrowth enough level but not easy looking. I raise two fingers to the sky and strike lightning on them Increasing the voltage when one didn't go down, I even open a few portals in the body to warp holes from the flesh. It took about a few minutes to finish and for the simulation to fall. The dark misty cloud vanishes when I flick my wrist. I hear cheering from the side, I turn to face them everyone was now there.

"No way! Did you just see that!!" Jamie is now wide awake sharing an amazing look with Garfield, Raven is a little shocked, while Damian holds a stoic face. I feel a hand on my shoulder and follow it up to the orange-haired woman. I don't catch that she isn't stopping and is dragging me out of the room. With the way her hand had angled, I dragged out facing the other people in the room. She moves so fast that they get so small to quickly "You did excellently today, I'm so happy to welcome you to the team! We shall celebrate with a feast fit for kings and I shall cook it."

"Wait!"

"Kori!"

"Aw hell no!"

"YOU COOKED THE OTHER DAY!"

They all start running after us, shouting and trying to stop the woman. I feel refreshed after getting the OK for using my powers finally releasing some of the tension I've felt. I feel exhausted though, probably anticipating all the social interactions yet to come.

[gravityunforgiven]

Right Where You Left Me (Kakashi x OC)

Pairings: Kakashi x OC, Jiraiya x Tsunade

Synopsis:

She was the daughter of a Legendary Sannin, He, a son of a disgraced shinobi. Fate brought them together but life tore them apart. Will they be able to take control of their destinies and find their way back to each other?

...Or will they be another victim of the cruel shinobi world they are both a part of?

Chapter Four

"You didn't tell me." Kakashi's tone was almost accusing.

Their roles were reversed now. She was the one sitting on the bench of the locker room as he stood next to her.

You didn't tell me you were going to be a jinchūriki. You didn't tell me you were chosen.

Of course, that never happened. She was too late to do anything.

Akira looked up, her voice just as cold as his, almost menacing. "I didn't think you should know."

A deafening silence engulfed the two.

"He's dead." She breathed in conclusion. A silence fell over the two as their reality sank in. Minato was gone and so was Kushina. Kakashi knows they were an important figure in her life especially after her mother left the village.

Kakashi sat down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

They didn't talk much for the next three years. He threw himself at work to relieve his pain and she did exactly the same to relieve her guilt but every now and then, Kakashi would find a neatly wrapped bento box placed on his front door and he would know it came from her because she was the only one he told about how much he hated eating his own cooking.

She remembered.

—

He just turned seventeen the first time he walked her home. Their friends threw him a small party ( against his will) in the dango shop for his birthday. Everyone in their class were invited and Kakashi actually had a good time himself.

Akira was not her usual self that night.

She had just returned from a mission from the Land of the Waves when Kurenai knocked on her door and dragged her to the shop. She was never the one for the parties but she sure does enjoy the company of her friends but she was just dead tired at the moment. The adrenaline cursing through her veins for the past week had died down and fatigue has taken its place instead.

It was half past one when the celebration wrapped. Everyone bid their goodbyes outside the shop and parted ways.

She headed west and him to the east.

However, Kakashi couldn't get Akira's unusual behaviour out of his head. He just turned into the first corner when he found himself running back, past the dango shop, and to the opposite direction of his apartment at full speed.

He found her walking on third street on the way to her house. Akira immediately noticed the familiar chakra signature and stopped on her tracks.

"Kakashi?"

He gave her a smile, his eyes crinkling in the process. "I thought you shouldn't walk alone at this time of the night." He shrugged.

Of course, that was a lie. She was more than capable of taking care of both of them but it was all Kakashi could come up in the short time he had before he was able to catch up with her.

She lived on the far west side of the village, in one of the quieter neighbourhoods. She had too much chaos in her life that she just wanted to have a little bit of serenity in the rare times she was actually home and she figured that the best place to get that was to be away from the center of the village and in a neighbourhood full of civilians. In here, she could just be a normal person just like every body else.

Their walk back to her apartment was quiet, peaceful, even. The two of them basked in the calmness that surrounded them and the presence of one another. There were no words that needed to be spoken, they both knew how nice it was not to walk home alone for once.

Kakashi was at a war with himself the whole way to her place. He didn't know what got to him and he did this. He was not typically the one who acts based on impulse. He was a shinobi, the kind who plans his every move and analyzes the situation he was in.

But this, right now. Walking next to her, Kakashi couldn't put his finger to what he was feeling but somehow...it felt right.

"This is me." She said, stopping in front of a moss-colored door.

He bid his goodbyes and left. But Kakashi lingered in her street a little bit more. He hid behind the shadow of a street lamp and stayed until he heard the click from her door as it locked and the first light in her home burst into life.

On his way home, he concluded that he was just being a good friend and it really was just late. He made himself believe that it was just a lapse of judgement on his side and it would never happen again but ever since that night, they sat a little closer to each other, sometimes their shoulders would brush and although Akira seemed oblivious about it, Kakashi was hyperaware of her skin brushing against his and he couldn't be more thankful for the mask he wore.

Kakashi tried his best to fight against his own instinct. It was no easy task especially for a shinobi who relies on his instincts the most, but for her sake, he did.

He knew he was bad for her and she was too good for him. Everyone he had ever loved died. His parents, his team and most recently, his sensei. He couldn't do that to her. He would rather suffer for the rest of his life knowing she cannot be his than bring her down with him.

He can't live with that. So he did. He did his best to do what he believed was right and ignored his feelings knowing she deserved someone better. Someone who could protect her more that he can. There were no labels between them and he settled on the privilege of walking her home when he had the chance. Every time, he would tell himself that it would be the last time he was going to walk with her only to fail again the next time.

Kakashi knew he was in too deep. He didn't know when he started falling. All he knew was that when he walked next to her for the first time nearly two years ago, deep inside, he wanted to be by her side for a very long time.

She made him feel safe, she didn't treat him any differently when people were calling him names and their friends looked at him with pity in their eyes. She has just always been there. She was his one constant since his days in the academy to his time as an ANBU. She understood his pain when he lost Minato and respected his space when she too was grieving and needed someone but most of all, he fell for her genuine kindness, her bravery and how she always puts others before herself.

It was during the time when Kakashi found himself meddling with Root Division business, a stern warning came from her. She said he may no longer recognize himself if he continued to deal with the division. She said it was made for people specifically like him. But when Lord Third was negotiating with Danzo, she volunteered herself to be in exchange for another wood style user, Kinoe. His abilities were only half of what she can do and yet she willingly went back into the dark so he could find the light. The Third strongly disagreed with this, but like before, Akira did not listen and she was back in the Root Division. She shrugged nonchalantly saying she needed more training anyway.

Kakashi asked if Kinoe knew Akira. He said yes. She was really powerful when they trained together and they became good friends since they were the same age.

When the Root Division was disbanded, Akira was back on the Hokage's ANBU. She was in the hospital for weeks, and when she came back, she was still wincing in pain.

This made Kakashi want to put her first for once. He felt like she had no regards for her life, like she didn't care about it. He knew what that feeling is like and he wanted her to know that she was so more than just another pawn in the war.

She was slowly becoming his world.

She made him feel things that he didn't even know existed, she made him do things he thought he would never do. She made him see the beauty of life once again.

She saved him.

For two years Kakashi kept himself at bay, wondering if Akira felt the same way as he did. A part of him hoped she only saw him as a friend and nothing more, he hoped that the meals she left on his door were just random acts of kindness on her part, he hoped it was just him making up stupid scenarios in his head because he knew wasn't strong enough to stop himself from caving in if she does.

Their friends eventually noticed Kakashi's odd behaviour. He looked for her as he passed through the sushi restaurant where she's mostly seen these days, it was her face he first searches in a crowded room, the one he hoped to see when he tagged along for dinners and the others eventually noticed.

They didn't really confront the two about what was going on (except for Gai which Kakashi outright denied) but they always had their suspicions that there was something more than what meets the eye.

He ran into her in the locker room the night he first held her hand. She just came from a week long solo mission in the Land of the Snow and though he wouldn't admit it, he missed her.

"How did it go?" He had asked her.

"It went well." She replied as she strapped her shoe into place.

She stood up from the bench the same time he sat down. Before she reached the door she called his name and told him she was going to report in to the Hokage and eat dinner after. She was out of the door before Kakashi could ask her if she wanted him to join her for dinner. He stared at the door, perplexed and unsure of what she meant.

He ate next to her anyway. That night when he walked her home on the now familiar streets that led to her house, their hands lightly brushed against each other. Kakashi's heart almost stopped when he felt her hand take his own.

It was warm. So warm that the heat radiating from their tangled hands traveled through his whole body.

She wanted him.

Akira held Kakashi's hand just as tight as he did with hers. They didn't have to exchange words to know how each felt. Their eyes already said a million words. It was just how it's always been with the two of them.

When they reached her house, Kakashi walked her up to her front door. He watched in amusement as she fumbled with her keys before finally abled to unlock the bolt and switched the first light on.

They stood in her doorway, both unsure of what to do next but when her green orbs met his dark ones, Kakashi knew there was no stopping them now. Whatever the consequence may be, there was no turning back. They were both in too deep that the world would just have to deal with them being together.

Kakashi leaned in and kissed her forehead. She smelt like oakmoss, like the forest after the rain. It eased Kakashi's nervousness.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Everything fell into place soon after that. As the months passed by, the began to fall in love with each other, know each other, it was slow and gentle, like the flowers blooming in the spring.

They became familiar with each other's presence, their small quirks and habits, like how Kakashi likes his miso soup with eggplants in them or how Akira can't go to bed without a cup of warm tea and the way he would stay up late at night just to watch her sleep, wondering how he had gotten so lucky only to discover that Akira talks in her sleep. She mumbled words in a language Kakashi never understood but once in a while, his name would leave her lips and Kakashi swore he could feel himself falling in love with her all over again.

Kakashi never thought he could love someone this much. love. He was in love with Akira. He thought he loved her enough before, but now, having her in his arms, knowing her the way he was the only one allowed to, Kakashi asked himself what he could have possibly done to deserve her.

None of their friends knew. In fact, no one besides the two of them knew about their relationship for an entire year. It was the first time for the both of them and they wanted their relationship to be theirs for the time being. They knew the others would find out soon enough but for now, they wanted to relish the feeling of finally having each other after years of holding back.

It was a little after Kakashi had moved in to her apartment when the news broke out. He had been sleeping in her house for months and didn't do much "moving in" anymore since most of his things were already in her house anyway. In fact, her apartment has been looking more and more like theirs for a while. She had neatly folded her clothes to make space for his growing number of shirts left in her place months ago and the window sill that contained her worn-out books now has his as well.

Their relationship finally became public when Genma had caught Kakashi leaving Akira's apartment early one morning. It would have been harmless and easily dodged if Akira hadn't bolted out of the door to give Kakashi a kiss goodbye on his masked lips. Genma initially kept their secret for weeks but accidentally slipped up during a conversation which Kurenai and Gai immediately picked up. It wasn't long after that when the pats on the back were given followed with congratulations for the couple. Their former classmates weren't really surprised by the news, they always knew it was going to lead to this but what took them by surprised was how they were able to keep it a secret for a long time.

The answer was simple. They were both ANBU members after all.

Kakashi cherished their long walks together the most. After all, it was where everything started. They walked along the streets of Konoha, hand in hand with the moon shining brightly above them. No one could touch the way they laughed in the dark, talking about their future or the way they would spend hours on wrapped in each other's arms, watching the sun go down. He loved how the world seemed to fade away when he looks at her. All he could see was this woman who chose him despite his flaws and accepted him wholeheartedly.

They were no longer two seperate beings, they were two souls merged into one. This time, they will have each other to lean on for the rest of their lives.

That was the plan.

Life doesn't always go according to plan.

—

Next Up: Tsunade and Akira meets again.

[ethanharli]

Parings: Tanjiro Kamado x Top Male Reader

Warnings: Cursing

DNI; if you use she/her pronouns.

[A/n]- I took this from my Seme Male Reader book on Wattpad so um- yeah! Hope y'all like it.

____________

"For fucks sake Tanjiro!" I grumbled, pulling the stubborn male down into my lap, not caring for the yelp that ripped through his throat as I did so. "Watch your language [Y/n]!" Tanjiros mother scolded, pointing a spatula at me with a scary gaze that I swear only mothers can manage. "Yes ma'am! I'm sorry" I smiled a bit before turning my gaze back to the tired red head resting against my chest, practically dozing off in my lap. I sighed through my nose, pushing the male up in order to brush my fingers through his long hair, earning a sigh of content from him, "You need to stop over working yourself Tanjiro, its not good for your health" I whispered just loud enough for him to hear while I fixed up his hair, pulling it into a small ponytail.

"And don't tell me none of that 'I'm the oldest' crap it doesn't matter, you shouldn't just put all these responsibilities on yourself like this" My eyes narrowed a bit, feeling a dull ache pull at my heart but quickly pushed it away, finishing up the ponytail in a quick motion. I've been around for a long time, just being a year or so older then the red head that I've known since he was born, after their fathers death Tanjiro made it his job to do whatever he could to help out, even if that meant he'd stumble through my doors at ungodly hours of the night because for once he knew he couldn't do something on his own. My attention was brought back when I heard soft snores and more weight applied on my body, realizing he had fell asleep against me as I was thinking.

"I'm glad he has you around" My gaze shifted towards Tanjiro's mother, who watched us with a loving gaze in her eye's, "He's such a stubborn boy, but he listens to you more than anyone" Her words caused me to pout when a blush crept up my cheeks, grumbling a bit under my breath I wrapped my arm securely around Tanjiro's waist while slipping my other one under his legs, lifting him and myself off the ground with ease. "He talks about you a lot y'know? He admires you, looks up to you, so truly [Y/n] thank you" My grip tighten a bit, not realizing until Tanjiro shifted in my arms, but I couldn't help the harsh pain that spread through my chest, gripping at my core with guilt weighing down on me.

You shouldn't be.

I bit back the words, and showed a fake smile before going to set Tanjiro on his bed. Gently brushing a few stands of hair out of his face before hesitantly leaning down, pressing a soft kiss to the scar on his forehead, "I'm sorry, but this needs to be done.." Was all I could utter out before leaving the house, feeling the first flakes of snow land on my [S/t] skin, looking back at the house I smiled softly, taking in all the memories I've had here, before finally walking into the woods. Letting a green glow coat my figure as I dragged my claws against a frail tree trunk, disappearing into the snow.

------

Blood seeped into the snow as a foot pressed firmly into my chest, slowly breaking the bone beneath it. "You really thought you could protect them? You're weak, and never stood a chance so just lay here and die" The breath was knocked out of me when I was kicked into a tree, forcing a searing pain to spread throughout my back as my canines pierced my tongue in order to hold back my scream, not wanting to give the male any satisfaction. "You're no guardian, so give up the act already" The words weighed down on me along with the previous scenes that passed through my mind, the screams from the kids I've grown to adore, the silent pleas of a mother begging for her childrens lives to be spared, he was right, I am no guardian, not anymore.

I don't remember how long I laid in the snow before I finally crawled my way over to Nezuko, after noticing she still had a faint pulse. My wounds took much longer to heal since I haven't eaten in years, and I've been fighting off sleep for as long as I could remember, my body felt as if it was giving out but I simply wouldn't allow it, not after failing to save the only people who took care of me, who gave me a home. Pulling Nezuko into my arms I felt tears slowly slide down my bloodied and bruised cheeks, "I'm so sorry Nezuko" I coughed out, not paying attention to the sound of footsteps approaching, nor the sound of something hitting the ground. "[Y/n]? Nezuko?" The broken whisper caused my eyes to widen in panic, looking over to see Tanjiro standing before me with broken, disbelieving eye's.

He quickly ran over to us, dropping to his knees frantically. "Wh-what- are you-" He fumbled, not forming any real words until I brushed my fingers against his cheek in a soft, soothing motion that always seemed to calm him down. Tears slowly spilled from those beautiful dark red eyes, "I'm sorry Tanjiro.." I held but an ironic laugh, knowing that the only thing I can and have done is apologize, but I slowly guided his face towards mine, resting his forehead against mine that formed a familiar green glow, "Please forget" I laughed out a saddened cry, shifting around so that I could settle Nezuko in his arms, "Please forget I was here."

------

"[Y/n]..?" A groan ripped past my aching throat, the feeling of webs tightening around my body restricting me from any movement becoming known once again as I attempted to open my eyes, feeling to weak to do so as I listened to the shed doors slide open, expecting Rui to enter and use me once again. "Get on with it Rui.. There's nothing you can do, That you haven't already done.." My voice came barely above a whisper flexing my hands a bit, causing my claws to sharpen by the slightest as a familiar warm feeling spread across my cheek, finally forcing my eyes to open, only to be meet with a beautiful dark red. "Oh, hi.." Was the only thing I could mutter out when Tanjiro looked at me through that familiar concerned glare of his, it was only a split second until the webbing broke, and the sudden weight of gravity pulled me down, causing me to land against Tanjiro's toned chest.

Sobs echoed through the rotted shed, feeling the warmth of Tanjiros body against mine sending me into a peaceful state as he cried into my shoulder, gripping tightly onto my bare bleeding torso. "I-I missed you so much!" The sudden cry made my ears ring, hissing a bit at the action, earning a string of apologizes from the red head when he placed both hands against my cheeks, resting his forehead against my own, just like I had done last time we saw each other. We sat there for a moment, breaths mingling along with the soft noise of sniffles coming from Tanjiro, tears still slowly falling from his eyes. Gently I took his wrists in my hands, watching as his eyes fluttered open, catching my gaze with his own.

"I missed you too.." My words fell on deaf ears when I leaned in, capturing his lips with my own in a slow, desperate motion. Feeling my heart slam against my ribcage when he kissed back, tilting his head to deepen the kiss while my hand moved to his cheek, being careful so I wouldn't accidentally cut him with my claws. Pulling away in order to fall against his chest, laying my head on his shoulder, slowly falling back into the comforting darkness.

------

A gasp ripped past my throat as I sprung forward, reaching out for the figure that still lingered in my distant memory, "Tanjiro.." His name rolled of my tongue with such longing that my chest ached at the thought of not being near him. Only for my eyes to widen when a calloused hand took mine in there's, seeing the male I had just called out for standing besides me with a worried yet relieved gaze. Turning towards him I watched as he sat down on the chair besides the bed I was in, keeping my hand in his as he did so, "I thought I'd never see you again" He whimpered out, tears slowly gathering in his eyes while his grip on my hand tightened. "And when I opened that shed I thought.. I thought you were-" With saddened eyes I quickly pulled the male into my lap, like I used to do all those years ago.

My arms tightened around his waist, desperate to finally have him back in my arms again, "Im still here though aren't I? I promise I won't leave your side again, not until you want me too" I uttered out, slowly remembering that he must know what I am by now, but here he is, not struggling nor screaming while in my grasp. "Then stay by my side forever! I can't.. I can't bare to see you leave again" The words weighed down on me, causing my shoulders to sag as I let out pathetic sigh until Tanjiro turned my gaze back towards him. His arms wrapped around my neck while his fingers laced through my hair, dark red eyes staring into my [E/c] ones with a deep wanting lingering within them.

His breath hitched when my eyes fluttered closed, taking his lips with mine in attempt to feel that warm loving feeling again, that only he could give me. He moved his lips with mine in a slow motion as his fingers tightened their grip on my hair, while I pressed him closer against me craving for more of the warmth he provided, along with the taste of his lips. Tanjiro gave me a look of confusion when I parted or lips, scrunching my nose up in slight disgust, "You taste like medicine" Was all I could speak before he erupted into a fit of laughter that sounded like music to my ears.

My eyes softened as I watched the male seeing his usual wide smile when I rested my hand on his cheek, gently running my thumb over the dark bag under his eye, "I love you Tanjiro, I always have.." I admitted, with a small grin.

"I love you too [Y/n].."

[sanababes]

Requested by: anon

Saviour

pairings: fem!reader x Lee Gahyeon

warnings: a/b/o dynamics (alpha!reader and omega!gahyeon), brief sexual harassment, swearing

----------

"For fuck's sake… It reeks the scent of omegas in here."

You grumbled while scanning the packed rooftop. The cold breeze of the wind was not enough to hide the pheromones which resulted in you being annoyed as hell.

"Oh come on, Y/n," Siyeon chuckles while wrapping an arm around your shoulder. "Stop being such a party-pooper."

You just scoffed in disbelief and just let the latter drag you into a group of familiar girls. Their idle chatter fades away as they spot Siyeon with a pleasing look on her face, but laughters begin to erupt when they see you tailing behind her unwillingly.

"Yah! Y/n's not looking good, huh?" Sua claimed as she swirls the liquor on her hand. 

You just rolled your eyes and sat at the opposite side of the table. Siyeon lets you throw a 'tantrum' like how she describes it whilst making herself comfortable as she sat beside Sua. She immediately warms up into the older's body, cradling her cheek and giving it a light kiss. 

Meanwhile, you cringed at the sight which didn't go unnoticed by the other alpha sitting close to you.

"You can go and puke yourself out," Moonbyul teased. A wavering sigh comes out from you as the two betas across you continued to display their affection with each other.

"Thanks for the advice," You snickered at the woman's dry humor. 

Moonbyul suddenly emits her scent which made your eyebrows furrow. This made a few omegas nearby quiver weakly until a certain woman near in 30s walked by hastily and succumbed into the alpha's embrace. Then, the older's pheromones abruptly fades away, thanks to the help of the breeze of the cold wind. 

"A new mate?" You asked, still confused at the latter's previous actions. 

"Yeah, but with the tone of your voice, you're making it look like I had a lot of them before." Moonbyul remarked as she let the unknown omega crawl into her lap.

You just smirked and shrugged your shoulders, "I mean, who knows…"

The latter lets out a soft chuckle before burying her face into the crook of the omega's neck. You shook your head with a hint of amusement, it was rare for the older to be 'touchy' with her mates as you previously observed through the years you've been together. Moonbyul was always private and kept her affections behind closed doors, she also rarely becomes possessive until it's needed. That's why the sight in front of you is surely a new thing to see. Nevertheless, you just let her be.

The night is still young as you scanned your eyes through the open view of the city. The balcony began to be filled with people who were invited as well to the party, though you never knew who even ran the event in the first place since you were just forced to be here by Siyeon.

"Why don't you have a mate yet?"

You unconsciously winced at Moonbyul's unexpected question. The thought of having one just didn't sit right with you, Siyeon even calls you 'coward' because of it.

"I already told you guys that I'm capable of not having one," you deadpanned, rolling your eyes in the process. "And, their scent is… unpleasant."

The latter chuckled before replying, "Yeah, right. It's you and your prideful ass again."

You just sighed and averted your gaze from her, the smell of pheromones once again creeps into your nostrils.

'Ahh, I shouldn't have come here...'

Siyeon suddenly stood up from her seat with Sua clinging on one of her arms, she gave you a smile before asking, "Do you want us to grab some drinks for you?"

"Hmm, just a glass of wine is enough." 

The latter nodded then excused Sua and herself instantly. You smirked mentally then glanced at Moonbyul who was occupied by pampering her omega. It was a good opportunity for you to sneak out, in the spur of the moment, you stood up and immediately strutted towards the exit of the rooftop. A lingering smile was written on your lips as you successfully avoided making contact with anyone, the smell of pheromones were also getting weaker at each step that you make whilst heading to the elevator.

It was all going smoothly until you heard faint shouts coming from the restroom, which is approximately one corridor away from your location. You frowned at the sudden dilemma.

"You've got to be kidding me…" you mumbled under your breath while you hesitantly looked at the elevator then back to the sounds of intrusion at the restroom.

"You'll just uh… take a look, Y/n. Just a quick look."

After a minute of internal struggle, you decided to check on the place as you walked carefully towards the restroom. The shouts earlier became weak cries of help instead which worried you even more.

When you reached the door and pushed it open, you were greeted by a strong scent possibly coming from an alpha. You saw a man pinning a certain girl against the sink as tears flowed freely on her delicate face. With one look, you immediately knew that the girl was being forced by the bastard who's clearly enjoying himself.

Your blood boiled at the sight that you couldn't help but to shove the man away from the poor girl and land a harsh punch on his face. 

"Fuck! What the hell is your problem–" you cut him off by kicking him on his crotch which made the alpha drop on his knees while he groaned in pain.

"Serves you right," you scowled with no sympathy. "Are you that desperate that you can't even find an omega who you don't need to ravish against their will? You're fucking pathetic."

You gave the man a last punch before he instantly passed out. 

"Rot in hell, asshole…"

You accidentally released your vigorous scent due to the anger that you had felt. This made the trembling girl nearby whimper silently, her cheeks are painted with light red hues.

Your attention immediately turns to the omega who's in a fragile state, the latter was breathing heavily as tears continued to slip down her cheeks. You carefully approached the girl, "Hey, it's okay now. I promise he'll never bother you anymore."

"T-Thank you…" 

You couldn't help but purse your lips as you get a whiff of her mellow scent. It was strangely… soothing.

"Uhm, do you have any friends that I can call?" you asked, crouching down to meet her wary gaze.

The latter couldn't manage to form her words because of her hiccups and sniffles. You reached out your hand to wipe the tears on her cheeks, feeling her leaning slightly against it cutely. 

The two of you stayed in that position for a while, not until she looked up through her lashes with her lips formed into a tiny pout, "D-Don't leave me, p-please…"

"Uh, sure," you mumbled softly. "I, uhm, I won't leave until you say so."

The girl nodded, appreciating your given comfort. She was starting to feel lightheaded due to the amount of alpha pheromones that she had inhaled for the past few minutes. And before you could notice it, the latter leans into your embrace while speaking indistinctly.

"...I think I'm going to pass out soon–"

---

You sighed for the nth time while carrying the unconscious omega in your arms. After she passed out in the restroom, you didn't have a choice but to bring her in your own house. You even tried unlocking her phone to find her emergency contacts but to no avail.

The whole process of assisting her to your home was almost a mess. You called your butlers, maids, and even your own personal doctor. You honestly didn't know what to do, after laying the girl down in one of the guest rooms, you left her in the care of your servants before fleeing out of the room.

ring ring ring

You fished out your phone and Siyeon's name greeted you in a flash. You chuckled lightly before pressing the decline icon, "You'll have to wait, unnie…"

The feeling of guilt by leaving her in the party bugs you immediately. Nevertheless, you decided to just send the older a text.

"I already got home, sorry. Something urgent came up."

You groaned quietly before leading yourself to your bedroom, which is a few rooms away from the guest room that the certain omega was occupying. Kicking your shoes off, you instantly plopped yourself into the mattress and began rethinking your life decisions.

'How did I even get into this kind of situation… I hope she can rest well, getting taken advantage of can really cause some stress and even trauma…'

Suddenly, a few knocks interrupted you from your thoughts. You averted your gaze into your bedroom's door before speaking up, "Come in."

In walks your personal doctor, he had a gentle smile on his face as he opened the door and proceeded to sit on one of your armchairs nearby.

"The woman that you had brought just needs a little rest. I also think that she's nearing her first heat cycle," Chan stated.

"Wait, what? First?" you asked, confused at the unexpected information. 

"What do you mean by her first?"

Chan looks at you then vaguely answers, "Her first heat."

Your jaw slacked unknowingly, that explains why the girl looked too naive and how she couldn't control the intensity of her scent.

"I see… I'll just check on her, you can go now. Thank you for coming right away."

You sat up from your bed as Chan stood up on his feet. You guided the man outside and asked one of your chauffeur to drive him home. Bidding a final goodbye to the latter, you watched the car leave out of your residency. 

One of your servants, Jeongyeon, walks up to you to inform you that the omega in your guest room had woken up already. With a timid nod, you walked briskly towards the said room and knocked on the wooden surface. 

"Hey, how are you feeling?" you opened the door slowly, you glanced at the girl who's now sitting on the edge of the bed.

She was emitting her scent once again, but it didn't matter. You have enough self-control.

"Better… C-Can I atleast know y-your name?" she muttered subtly, avoiding to meet your gaze. 

"Y/n. You can call me Y/n. How about you? You've been under my care for a few hours now and I still don't know your name."

You sat beside her, but within a safe distance so the latter wouldn't feel uncomfortable if ever.

"Thank you, Y/n. And… my name is Gahyeon," she finally looked straight into your eyes, and that's when you realized how gorgeous the woman in front of you.

Her eyes reeked an aura of innocence, and the way the tip of her lips curve was really cute for you. Her hair was in a vivid color of purple which really suited her perfectly. 

It was the first time you admired someone other than your closest friends.

"...Gahyeon," her name swiftly rolls off your tongue.

The latter blushes as she realized that you were muttering her name for a while now. Your dazed look also makes her giggle slightly, snapping you out of your thoughts.

"Oh, sorry," you scratched your nape sheepishly. "But, are you sure that you're okay now? I can get you anything that you want right now, just tell me."

Gahyeon just chuckled at your sudden blabberings, she decided to thank you non-verbally before pressing a quick peck on your cheek.

"Thank you again, Y/n or should I call you my Saviour?"

You froze up and couldn't answer her question due to her previous gesture.

'Oh hell no, why am I getting flustered? Ah shit, shit, shit–'

"Then you're my saviour it is."

~~~

(a/n: i didn't put a 'the end' CUZ i want to make a part 2 of this but with a soft smut, maybe something about gahyeon's first heat, still not sure tho. VOTE 'saviour pt.2' in my asks and when it reaches 5-10 votes i'll do it hihi)