#but they’re families are rivals/cant stand each other

[bleucalire]

« Mr Henry (🐇) was lost in the woods ! But Anthony found him !! »

[ma1dita]

buddy system

a ‘partners in crime’ installment - luke castellan x dionysus!reader

words: 4.2k

summary: (pre-established relationship) The one where he comes with you to rescue your twin brothers, Pollux and Castor. A weekend 'quest' teaches you a lot about Luke, and about yourself too. Luke Castellan x fem!Dionysus!reader

a/n: um i cant apologize for this word count and ive been looking at this for too long so fuck. Anyways do yall think Luke felt bad when he found out Castor died in battle because of his army in this universe? just me?? okay :) also trouble gets a cool magic item that makes an appearance here, kinda works like polyjuice but with smoke

(posted 2/7/24 betad by lovely ellie @lixzey might edit again when i get some sleep)

—

“No. You might be my father, but you’re crazy, man!”

You’re standing in D’s office at the Big House, and what was supposed to be a short talk before the counselors’ meeting has turned into a full-blown argument. It’s hard to focus on anything other than the words leaving your godrent’s mouth.

You’re going to pick up your little brothers.

“Those two statements are both true, kid. You’re old enough to understand that!”

They need your help.

“You’re really letting your 16-year-old daughter drive down to Florida by herself to pick up some kids she’s never met? Won’t even send me with any quest companions, or like, Grover?” you say exasperatedly, before slumping down into a seat.

“Think of it as family bonding! They’re great from what I remember. You all need to get along anyway.”

Whether it was jealousy or the sudden urge to be petty, you impulsively grab your dad’s Diet Coke and chug it, crushing the can with your fist as a tiny act of rebellion. 

Another one appears on the desk and you chuck it over your shoulder. Mr. D sighs as he conjures another one, to which you do the same thing.

“I can do this all day, kid.”

“So can I, and you know if I do, we’ll be sitting here until I’m 40,” you say expectantly, tapping your fingers on the hardwood surface of his desk.

“What do you want?”

The keys to his car are a start, as well as extra pocket money—but there was something, or rather, someone missing to make sure this weekend goes as smoothly as possible.

Your smirk widens at your father, and he wonders when you’ve gotten good at playing his own game.

It’s like looking into a mirror but his worst nightmare manifested as a teenage girl.

—

There are only two things Luke can think about when he hears the sound of your laughter.

The first is that, unlike your angelic singing that could rival the Muses, your laughter takes after the sound of a maniac, an incredulous crescendo that only something curated by Hades in the deepest pits of Tartarus could produce. It was almost madness-inducing, and it went off in his brain like you were a siren (although he means the kind used for weather advisory, he too gets lured in by your laughter each time he hears it like a sailor lost at sea).

Second, as he watches you storm down the lawn of the Big House, your anger brewing something comparable to a Category 5, he raises an eyebrow and thinks, well this ought to be good. Or entertaining at the very least.

“You,” you growl at him, guttural and sharp like the finger you jab into his chest, “we’re going on a quest!”

“Me?” Luke blurts, eyebrows furrowing at you.

A loud groan echoes through the grassy space between the house and the counselors as everyone looks up to see Mr. D dragging his hands down his face at the sheer thought of his daughter causing him more gray hairs. 

“That’s not what we agreed on, kid!” “If you want any of your children to come back to this hellhole in one piece I need backup!” “There’s more of you?”

Both you and your dad glare at Luke now, like he’s interrupting a private conversation.

“Since when do you like asking for help, princess?” 

Mr. D’s arms are crossed over his chest as he speaks to you. Though your height severely differs due to the wooden steps of the Big House, the air is palpable with fear only an Olympian could invoke, reminding the counselors that the man wearing the ugliest Hawaiian shirt known to humankind, is in fact inhuman. You, however, are standing tall in the freshly-cut grass in your combat boots with wrath that could rival Ares’ as you stare your father down like the rest of them wouldn’t get struck into the next lifetime due to your impertinence, as Annabeth loves to call it. She looks up at Luke, with her eyes conveying that she thinks you must be clinically insane, but he knows that already, so he shrugs.

“I’m not asking for it, I’m demanding it. Besides, he’s like my ESA,” you say, then taking Luke by surprise as you grab him by the wrist and drag him off the front lawn. You think you can hear Beckendorf and Clarisse bite back chuckles.

“Someone tell Rodriguez he’s in charge of 11!” you yell into the air, and words of affirmation and good luck are muttered in response.

“Don’t I get a say in this, Trouble?” Luke says playfully, tugging at your arm lightly but unresisting as you sigh and pull him along. Who in their right mind says no to a long weekend away from this place? Monsters and demigods be damned.

“No. Besides, they’re gonna need more luck than we do.”

“Liam, I don’t know why she trusts you, but if my daughter dies, I’ll make sure you’re next!” Mr. D yells out to your retreating figures, and all of the counselors turn to face him realizing that without you, well… that means he actually has to be in charge.

“So what’s the meeting supposed to be about, Annabelle?” Mr. D says, looking at Annabeth only knowing that she’s supposed to be the smart one—and the small girl sighs.

This is gonna be the longest weekend yet.

—

You’re speeding down I-95 with the windows down and the wind brushing through both of your hair. While Luke watches you from the passenger seat with road signs blurring past his periphery, he also notices that it’s the first time in a while that he’s seen you this carefree. Both of you took up counselor positions a few months ago, and your dad appointed you to be in charge of all of them (because why have a counselor for a population of one), so there’s a lot about you that’s grown up in the two years you two have known each other. But what type of demigod gets to enjoy their childhood anyway, right? Luke can only remember bits and pieces of his.

“How do you even know where we’re going? I can barely read the signs,” he asks.

“Cool blessing from my stepmom. Ariadne’s chill. We talk sometimes and she likes that I keep D in check, so now I can never get lost,” you grin toothily, violet eyes flickering to meet his.

“Was it true what your dad said? That you trust me?”

His voice is a bit louder than it should be over the wind tunnel that blocks out the sound of the radio as the air whips in and out of the car.

“Well, I wouldn't say trust,” you drag out, leaning back against your seat with your eyes still on the road, “More like if I got abducted by a harpy, I think you could cut its wings off and give me a fighting chance at living.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t invite Mason to come,” he mumbles, and you smirk, pretending not to hear.

“Who?”

His hands are clenched in his lap as a blush brushes his cheeks, windswept in the rays of the late summer sun.

“Your boyfriend. Wouldn’t he be a better companion?” 

Something about the older son of Apollo always ground his gears. It was even worse that you both would sing Broadway musicals together during his sparring sessions. Your harmonious voices echoing from the amphitheater aside, the repetitive grating feeling in his stomach reminds him not to go see Hamilton if he ever makes it out to the city.

“He’s not…” you huff, tapping your fingers on the steering wheel as you think hard on what to say next, “He’s nothing serious.” You pull the sun visor down as you squint, tilting your head in case he says something else, but you hear nothing. Luke’s staring at your side profile, unable to hide his grin at the new information, biting his cheek.

“Besides, he’s a fucking terrible shot. And you’re supposed to be the best, so I’ve heard. Who else would I want on this trip with me?”

He chuckles at this lightly, your words bolstering his ego.

“So you’ve heard.”

And for a second, the sight of his smile distracts you enough that the car swerves a tiny bit closer to the median. You both ignore it and keep driving.

—

Hypnos increases his hold on your senses as you finally take a break somewhere in North Carolina, taking refuge in a dimly lit corner of a gas station parking lot. The old car reeks of greasy fast food and all the sugar Luke could get his hands on at rest stops (it was really cute to see him indulge in more normal things like sweets instead of swordsmanship), and both of your seats are leaned back, but it’s hard to get comfortable after having your butt in the same seat for several hours.

You readjust yourself again, making the car shake a bit as you turn over to face Luke. 

“What’s wrong?” he mumbles through closed eyes. His head’s banged against the window one too many times, and it was starting to get annoying.

“Sorry. Just can’t sleep. Thinking too hard.”

He sighs, reaching over to toss your pillow into the backseat, and as you sit up, he rips your blanket off of you too.

“Hey!”

You go silent when you watch him make a makeshift bed for you, turning back with tired eyes as he gestures, “Go ahead. I don’t mind.”

“I feel bad, Luke. You’re taller than me and your knees almost hit the dashboard.”

He rubs at his eyes, looking at you impatiently, and you know his body is calling for comfort too.

“I’ve slept in worse conditions, you gotta remember that, Trouble.” The stories Annie used to tell you about the both of them sleeping on the streets pull at your heart, and as you crawl towards the back, you move before you think rationally–tugging on his arm.

“Come on over here.”

“You sure?” “Before I change my mind, yeah.”

You both move around trying to find a place both of you can be comfortable in, first starting with your heads at opposite windows, legs tangling in the middle before he laughs a little too hard at your fumbling and you launch your pillow at his face. Awkwardly, you climb over his legs into his outstretched arms, slotting yourself against his side as he pulls your hair up from getting trapped between his shoulder and your back.

It’s deadly quiet, and Luke thinks if you could move any closer to him, you might hear his heart thundering in his chest.

“You smell like french fries,” you grumble into his sweater, and his laughter shakes you like an earthquake, uprooting the faint traces of sleep in your mind. 

“At least the monsters won’t find us. Gonna be harder when the twins get here. A lot of demigod smell to ward off.”

You don’t answer, and he thinks you may have fallen asleep until he notices your hand playing with the frays of his sweater.

“Trouble?”

“They’re really little,” you mumble, so low that he barely hears the hesitance in your voice.

“The monsters? Yeah, I fucking ho–” “Pollux and Castor. My…half-siblings, with really Greek names, and a mom that depends on me getting them to camp safely…” you trail off before your head jerks up to meet his eyes. It’s colder at night now, your bodies and the tiny throw blanket from your trunk providing ample heat even if his socked feet fight their way out from underneath.

“How old are they, nine?” He feels you nod against his chest before he continues, “I was nine when I left home.”

Your eyes get glassy at the thought of a smaller version of Luke, one who’s not all gangly legs and lean muscle—one much softer and innocent than the boy you lean your weight upon, running away from home to find a place he can belong. 

“I didn’t know that. I’m sorry.”

He shrugs, the arm propped against the headrest wrapping around you and resting on your hip, tapping you to continue your previous thought.

“I don’t know how to do this, I guess. I’m ripping them from their home and I—” “You’re not some kind of monster y’know? You put yourself down too much sometimes,” he sighs, and he watches the windows slowly start to fog up, “What don’t you know how to do?”

Ignoring his question, you change the subject hoping to talk about something lighter, and far less revealing to the thoughts inside your head.

“Do you remember all of that? Going to school and chalking up the sidewalks on the way home, hopscotch and ice cream trucks… I don’t want to take them away from that.”

Luke ponders, digging through his brain for anything happy from his childhood, but through the years his memories started to collect dust in the back of his mind.

“I don’t remember much.”

“Gods, I’m sorry…” 

Mason had told you of your habit of putting your foot in your mouth. You dealt in extremes, giving too much or too little, always saying the wrong thing—and it was the reason why things didn’t go further with the son of Apollo. As well as with the daughter of Aphrodite you saw briefly that told you you didn’t know how to love, not if you didn’t know how to share yourself with others (yeah that one hurt a lot).

Sharing. 

That’s what you’re hesitant about.

“Don’t be. It was a long time ago now,” Luke mumbles, a beat of silence passing before he redirects the conversation like you did, “What don’t you know how to do, Trouble?”

“How to share. Be a sibling. Someone likeable, I guess.”

Luke doesn’t mean to laugh at your expense, but he does, and you punch his stomach hard enough he gasps for air.

“That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Everyone likes you.”

“Everyone’s usually scared of me because of D, or hates me because I take dessert privileges and write them up,” you say matter-of-factly, staring out the window above his head at the gentle shine of the moon on his features. It’s a crime for him to look so soft under the low light, and you realize you’re staring when he calls your name.

“No, you don’t get it—you’re the most selfless person I know. You give up sleep to sing to kids before bed, conjure juice boxes so they don’t pass out during training—I’ve seen you carry a kid almost as tall as you across camp because they broke their ankle. You’ve got a lot of love in that twisted heart of yours. I’d know… I mean—I have to share a lot… so I’m basically an expert.”

You blink at him as if seeing him in a new light, and you realize then why you picked him to go on this weekend quest with you. Your heartbeat slows despite the show of vulnerability in front of him, and you understand now that Luke makes you feel safe. Biting your lip to hold back a sigh, you decide to just unload the rest of your thoughts, knowing that you’re in the hands of someone who wants to hold the weight. “I’m just used to being alone, I think. I mean who knows what we're like when we're alone but us, right? What a terrifying thought,” you deflect, and Luke closely watches the slope of your nose, down to the smoothness of your lips, unable to put the right words to how he’s feeling.

 I know you, he thinks, and it's not as all bad as you make it seem.

“We’re never truly alone, y’know. Besides, even if you are, you still have me,” he says nonchalantly, and the warmth on your cheeks could generate enough heat to run the car for miles. Chuckling lightly as your eyes flutter closed, you know you need to rest before morning comes since you’re the only one between the two of you that can drive.

You reckon you’ll teach Luke by the end of the year if he wants to.

“We’re getting pretty terrible at this enemies thing, Castellan,” you jest with nothing hard to back it, and a smile falls onto both of your lips.

“We were never really enemies, Trouble. I just like getting on your nerves.”

Your laughs fall silent, settling into a comfortable silence, until his next words send you off into slumber as you listen.

“I remember my mom singing in the kitchen as she put peanut butter on my sandwiches. She'd act like she left the dishes out for me to wash, but let me lick the knife clean every time and I’d put too much soap and the sink would be filled with bubbles. I don't remember much else but that. Her kitchen. She smelled like…chamomile.”

A wandering hand pulls his free one into yours, holding it until sunrise.

—

You push Pollux and Castor out the door before the sun rises after a short stay at their mother’s house, and as the engine heats up, you and Luke watch them say goodbye to her with the both of you thinking of last words with your own. You ward off the hellhounds biting off at your heels for a few hours like how you deceived the police the day previous, with a purple Zippo lighter in hand (the smoke grants temporary illusions through any space you blow it into, and it smells like grapes---thanks D!). The kids sleep most of the way, none the wiser and heavy with sleep and their emotions of leaving everything they’ve ever known. Your eyes flicker to their sleeping heads in the rearview mirror every so often, ready to take them home.

Hours later, Luke decides to make you stop at a diner to get you a bit of rest, get actual food, and let the twins pee, and your head is bobbing slightly in front of your plate of food once he brings them back from the bathroom.

“You wash your hands?” you say tiredly, both Pollux and Castor shaking wet hands in your face in response, making you giggle before sipping at your coffee. Luke cut you off from Redbull yesterday, saying he was scared for your liver and saying you needed to drink something else for a bit. He bristles at the sight of you drinking more caffeine, and you smile as the mug touches your lips.

“You’re gonna kill yourself one day. At least your dad drinks Diet Coke.”

“Not by choice, though what a way to go!” you joke, and the twins giggle as the both of them gulp down root beer like it’s essential to their being. Luke sighs at the idea of you having two minions under your belt, who you’ll most definitely train to raise hell on Camp Half-Blood now that you’ve taken more of the administrative side of things.

“Is he your boyfriend, sissy?” Pollux, or maybe it’s Castor pipes up, swinging his legs under the table and you smile at the sound of the nickname, noticing the dimple in his cheek. Luke chokes on his burger, coughing until you elbow him.

“He’s more of my ESA,” you remark, and he still doesn’t know what that is, so he raises an eyebrow like your brothers do as they peer up at you from across the table.

“What’s an ESA?” Castor, you realize, who has no dimples, spits out behind munches of a pickle.

“Luke’s my emotional support animal.”

He eats the rest of your fries despite your confidence in that response, grumbling exactly how a resistant dog would.

As you’re paying the bill, a large shadow looms over the sunny disposition of everyone at your table—and then Luke shouts for everyone to cover their eyes. Glass shatters over you, revealing a hellhound the size of a minivan, and it pounces toward the twins, large teeth bared at their throats. Before Luke can pull his sword out, you whistle sharply and the sound whizzes through the air like a bullet as you toss the Zippo lighter at him as he’s pushing the kids to the car. Though he’s reluctant to lose sight of you, he covers them with an illusion, locking the doors despite their cries running headfirst back into battle and towards to you, with your thyrsus and him with his sword, back to back.

“They okay?” you heave, jabbing at the red-eyed canine between the eyes as Luke pulls around to slash it across the neck, coming out of the tussle unscathed as you both watch it keel over at your feet into golden dust minutes later.

“Yeah. Are you?”

Though you originally found it funny, Luke does perform his job well, getting you to calm down as he holds you to his chest until you can breathe normally again.

“Mhm. Just scared me.”

The two of you run out of the destroyed diner and into the warded-off car before the police show up, hand in hand as you escape without detection. As he falls asleep, Castor dreams that you two are Bonnie and Clyde like in an old Western movie he was definitely not old enough to watch.

—

You’re finally back on the Island now, only an hour away from Montauk and Luke is getting restless in the passenger seat. He pulls apples out of his backpack, wiping them off with his shirt as you sing along to a Taylor Swift song playing on the radio.

And maybe someday when we’re older, this is something we’ll laugh about…. Foolish one… you hum, tapping the wheel to fight off your exhaustion.

Pollux and Castor are using their fingers to pretend to hop over obstacles in the smudged windows, babbling about something they did in class last week. The son of Hermes pulls out a pocketknife he nicked from a gas station this morning as he starts to cut the apples into pieces, putting some into a ziploc bag for the boys to share, and you smile at him, wistful at your trip nearing its finish line. If you weren’t enemies before this like he said, it’s crazy to consider him your closest friend.

But he is, isn’t he?

His knuckles nudge yours over the console, pressing an apple slice into your palm.

“You know, Castellan, you’re sweet when you want to be. Shame you and that sister of Annie’s didn’t work out.”

Luke scoffs at the reminder of his ex, slicing another piece off for you to eat. She did say he had wandering eyes…always looking for you. He’s not going to admit that though.

“I just know you like your apples cut. Saw you battling it out with a butter knife last week. Couldn’t help but notice,” he says lowly like it’s normal for people to be that considerate about others, normal for him to care about you like that, a constant push and pull between you two. 

“Hurts my teeth,” you mutter, and Luke chortles like you’ve told him something life-changing. Your hand bumps into his again, feeling nothing but his calloused fingers, and when you look up his cheek protrudes with the last slice.

“Tax,” he winks, and you’re delirious with this feeling that only he can bring you, almost comparable to being high.

The popstar’s voice continues to trill in the background, with my head in my hands, saying “How could I not see the signs?”

You both don’t realize you’ve stopped singing until Pollux pipes up asking for you to play Fireball by Mr. 305 himself.

—

The car finally pulls into the driveway of the forest path and you’re all greeted by the campers holding blazing lanterns. Chiron, your father, and the nymphs are waving as the twins marvel at the fairy lights strung up along the way for a warm welcome.

“You’re alive,” your dad remarks, and this time he doesn’t say it in jest, sounding more relieved.

“I was in good hands,” you affirm, looking up at Luke amongst the noise of your cheering friends and the feeling that comes with calling this place home.

The boys are tucked in at your side, shyly looking at the crowd, Pollux holding your hand while Castor holds onto Luke’s, and Chiron calls your attention.

“I know you didn’t get your official announcement,” he starts, and you laugh at that, remembering the bubbles in the lake.

“Because I pulled a fast one on D.”

“Nonetheless, I would love for you to get recognized for your efforts. Dionysus. Storyteller, Herald of Chaos,” he continues by announcing your name, and then,” Pollux, and Castor– children of the grapevine, the God of Wine!”

The campers are kneeling and you look at Luke, who’s smiling from the ground beside you.

“Take a picture, Trouble, it’ll last longer.”

“My children are home safe. And thank you, Castellan, for being a formidable companion. My deepest appreciation.” Mr. D sounds serious for once, pulling Luke up as he nods in respect.

It’s a crazy feeling to finally feel at home though you’ve been here for two years now. But you remind yourself quickly of why that is when you see Luke carrying Pollux on his shoulders as Castor latches onto his legs.

“You know, your family is a nightmare. You two hellions will fit right in,” he grins.

You can’t help but agree.

—

“I hadn’t told them about you, but they saw you bathing in my eyes. I hadn’t told them about you, but they saw you in my written words. The perfume of love cannot be concealed.” -Nizar Qabbani

ask to be added to general/luke taglists!

luke taglist (some won't let me tag, turn on my post notifs?): @kissingyourgrl @dorcas4meadowes @lorarri @andrewgarfldsgf @noodlesketchbook @10ava01 @poppysrin @ashisabitgay @timhalamet @liv1104 @leeknows-wife @mxtokko @bugcuti3 @luvvfromme @midmourn @2hiigh2cry @yuminako @niktwazny303 @lukecastellandefender @intergalactic-padawan @iliketopgun @annybah @dangelnleif @thegrinningghost @alyssajunelle @obxstiles @m00ng4z3r @visndcaitswhore @b0ok-lover @elegant-face-tree @this-barbie-is-having-breakdowns @amortencjja @idonevenknow1359 @maliaaaa @targaryenluvs @sakyira @dhdjdjjdhsjdiri @number-onekidqueen @nininehaaa @bradynoonswife @stevenknightmarc @hoodedhavok @happy-mushrooms @homebyeleven @anotherblackreader @too-deviant @liviessun @lilacspider @theadventuresofanartist @sucker4seresin @simpforsunwoo @zanzie @starrystormwritings

[fockingnice]

@franboos @to-enter-polaris @gucciboner and myself worked on a massive fic recommendation list with all our favourite sobbe fics classed by word count.. enjoy!

one-shots:

< 10k

- hold me close @sincerelysobbe (2,5k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23969836

Robbe is stressed because of a test and Sander comforts him.

- You make me feel like I am whole again @nbrook (2,7k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26937070

Robbe is having an awful day. But it ends in the best way possible.

- A Beautiful Night @Lwritings (3,6k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23428594

Sander has been friends with the Broerrrs for half a year and Robbe has been desperately crushing on him. A game of Never Have I Ever changes everything.

- Love potion no.9 @thekardemomme (3,8k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28923867

they’re best friends. and potions partners. or: it’s amortentia day.

- Croissants @bruisingknees (3,8k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22186195

Robbe thinks that maybe the guy working at the bakery has been flirting with him.

- Paper rings @thekardemomme (4k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27953645

When Sander’s nose twitches, causing him to make this soft little whimpering sound, Robbe can’t help himself. He leans forward enough to kiss Sander’s forehead again, and then he dots one on each cheek, and then finally on his nose. “I can’t wait to marry you,” he whispers.

- You’re an angel in disguise (you’re an angel in my eyes) @thekardemomme (4,1k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27570142

Robbe is Sander’s guardian angel.

- The sun came up and I was looking at you @allforyoumylove (4,2k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24647095

Robbe and Sander waking up on a quiet Sunday morning in June. Sander is a tease, Robbe is awestruck, and both are hopelessly in love.

- I’ve always wanted a (boy)friend @thekardemomme (4,2k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28496322

before sander, robbe never liked christmas. christmas is sander’s favorite holiday.

- Purple lips (underwater) @dottori (5,3k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22371688

it’s a sunny, warm friday at the beginning of march, and sander wants them to go for a swim.

- Day Fifty @beejohnlocked (5,7k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27987252

Robbe makes a plan to confess his feelings to Sander on Christmas.

- The blind date bomb @thekardemomme (5,8k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29073711

”He thinks of the gorgeous man in the picture, and he thinks of how Sander said his YouTube is cute, and how Britt—who hardly even knows Robbe—thinks that he and Sander would be a good match.And he decides… Fuck it. One date can’t hurt, right?” or: robbe and sander go on a blind date

- Let's dance @msleviss (6,2k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22092550 

Robbe and his friends go to a club to check out Amber’s DJ cousin.

- 12 things I love about you @nbrook (6,3k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27636032

Sander can't spend the whole day with Robbe on their anniversary, but he still figures out a way to make him fall in love with him all over again.

- Love me while your wrists are bound @alsjeblieft (6,4k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27031636

the cabin trip but with a twist.

- Sun shining from pure desire @skamtrash (6,6k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27105727

Sander has been flirting with his student teacher, Robbe for months now who keeps reminding Sander that he's wasting his time but eventually the flirting and chasing wears Robbe down to where he cant deny his attraction to Sander. University TA/Student AU

-  At ease with you @Skamtrash ( 7,7,k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26423596

robbe tells his mom he and his best friend, sander are dating to get her off his back.

He doesn't expect his mom to congratulate them by getting them tickets to join her on a cruise vacation.

Cue a week of pretending to be a couple.

fake relationship to lovers au

- Besotted with your love @Skamtrash (7,7k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25288000

sander has a photography project and decides to shoot at the skatepark where robbe is his subject. when he approaches robbe and needs him to fill out the release form, he's absolutely smitten from the start.

sander falling in love with robbe who's deaf.

- Taking pictures of you as the light came through @allforyoumylove (7,9k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27533866

Robbe photographs Sander in bed. Things take a steamy turn.

- My midsummer darling @robbesdriesen (8,2k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23702017

Robbe goes on a summer week-long retreat to his aunt's quaint, little villa in Genoa. He doesn't know he has a neighbor close by, one that would capture his entire soul.

OR

Robbe and Sander fall in love in a whirlwind summer romance. One that would change their lives forever.

- Afterglow @Skamtrash (9k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28032300

On vacation in a small winter village during the holidays, Robbe meets one of the hotel's employees, Sander.

All it takes is two weeks. 14 days for them to fall for each other.

- Christmas Dreams @sonderthroughthestreets (9,6k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28272282

Robbe is stuck with his typical 9-5 job as an HR analyst until a conversation with Sander from IT on their company rooftop makes him reconsider his dreams. In the midst of it all, Adam from Accounting has a massive crush on Robbe and wants to ask him to the Christmas Party, so Sander offers to be his "date" to help him. Christmas fluff and flirting ensues.

> 10k 

- Sander Driesen versus a mistletoe @dottori (10,1k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27976461

it’s not a fair match.

(or, sobbe go on a christmas date, and sander really wants a kiss under the mistletoe.)

- This isn't our first time around @noobishere (10,7k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25472953

One moment they are in the kitchen of their shared apartment, the next, they're in this strange but familiar room.

(a.k.a the au in which they accidentally go hopping through multiple universes)

- Our love story is my favorite @robbesdriesen (13k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25459867

a wedding fic for robbe and sander

- It’s an unrequited love @eggsntoast (14,1k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22854661

Sander works part-time at a museum every Sunday. Robbe is a frequent visitor.

- Agents Sliding Down The Chimney @berrevy (14,2k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28428840

The smile that twitches at the corner of Sander's mouth is like the tiniest opening, and Robbe takes that as a challenge. He’s always been good at slipping through small spaces.

“You wanna see a trick?”

Sander sizes him up for a moment, then swivels on his heel to face him fully. “Ok then, magic boy. C’mon.”

(aka a late Christmas fic)

- Come lie with me @allforyoumylove (14,6k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29089530 

“When Robbe lifts the blanket and gently tugs on the leg of Sander’s sweatpants, silently inviting him in, Sander doesn’t ask questions, doesn’t hesitate, he just drowsily slips into Robbe’s embrace.”

(or the one where they both have a terrible relationship with sleep but find out that it gets a little better when nestled up against each other)

- Man on a mission @littleliefe (17k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27820564

The agency is under attack but Sander is just thirsty for Robbe. On the other hand, the rest of the agency is more concerned about helping Sander ask Robbe out for dinner.

- life was a willow and it bent right to your wind @nbrook (18k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28349892

Sander and Robbe became best friends before Sander made a move and then Robbe went and got himself another boyfriend, leaving him pining. And it’s fine, really, it is. Sander promised himself that he wouldn’t do anything about it for as long as Robbe was happy. But when Robbe’s boyfriend ridicules his love for everything Christmas, he decides to step in to give him the Christmas traditions he deserves himself.

- You're my stars...and everything in between @aurorawinds (19,7k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27862950

A Star-Crossed Lovers, Romeo & Juliet inspired, AU where Robbe and Sander are the sons of Antwerp’s two most rivaling families of tech companies, head over heels in love with one another as they find it more and more difficult each day to hide their relationship from their families. To hide their love.

- Lovers never lose @dottori (24k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27532636

twelve-ish kisses robbe and sander share at the trip to ardennes (and afterwards).

multi-chaptered:

5k - 20k

- In the middle of the night @Lwritings (complete | 9,3k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24133477/chapters/58105945

The Broerrrs go on holiday for a week to London. Robbe is very excited for it until there is something wrong in the hotel and he has to share a room with Sander. And not just Sander, no the guy he has been crushing on for 3 months ever since he joined their group. And not just a room, no there is only one bed as well. When it's just the two of them in the night, anything can happen..

- If a June night could talk it would probably boast it invented romance @allforyoumylove (complete | 14,7k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25264918/chapters/61250002?view_adult=true

Robbe and Sander are childhood best friends. They’re also secretly in love with each other. Confessions are made under a beech tree on a warm summer evening at the end of June.

- Drie @skamtrash (complete | 15,4k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22547221/chapters/53878474

Robbe stands up and finds the voice calling the name and fucking hell, the guy's well fit. He's only dressed in a black t shirt, black jeans and boots but the tattoos that layer his arms immediately entice him. And that platinum hair,  his actual face,  who looks that good. He gets himself together quickly, "I think Bowie's here."

The au in which Robbe finds a toddler hiding in a clothing rack at a store and ends up falling for his dad

- The way we feel @toskyandbeyond (in the works | currently 17,8k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26364451/chapters/64213597

It’s always been like that. Robbe and Sander, through thick and thin. There was not a thing they didn’t go through together. Moreover, they couldn’t even imagine living without each other’s presence.

The day they met it was almost like two old souls encountered once again. Like they were meant to find each other.

- The finest of the meadow @allforyoumylove (complete | 18,8k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26009740/chapters/63239776

The universe brings two lonely boys together in a flowering meadow. They fall for each other fast and hard among delicate daisies, warm summer breezes, and shooting stars.

20k - 40k

- Come closer I’ll give you all my love @sonderthroughthestreets (in the works | 22,6k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27249196/chapters/66568180

Robbe’s ex is a pain and Sander helps get rid of him. The problem? They’ve been friends for as long as they can remember and some point between the blurred lines, they fall in love.

-  Put your head on my shoulder @Aniloracat (in the works | currently 24,9k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24079126/chapters/5795296

Because of some past mistakes and communication issues, Robbe and Sander can't stand each other anymore, until they are "forced" to stay in quarantine alone and face their feelings.

📌 Or the enemies to lovers, roommates, quarantine fanfic nobody asked for 😅

📌 Title based on Paul Anka's song 'Put your head in my shoulder'

- Waiting down at the station @ivy_seas (in the works | currently 25,5k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28995576/chapters/71160429

The world is winter, it’s the inconvenient snowfall on the walk to the six-thirty train, it’s falling for the stranger who happens to take the same train. When to take a risk becomes the same question of when to let go of something you’re not really sure you had in the first place. But maybe the world isn’t so cruel.

—strangers to lovers au

- Wings to Earn @to-enter-polaris (complete | 26,6k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28432749/chapters/69672963

After playing volleyball abroad for two years, Sander comes back home to fix his mistake of leaving in the first place, but Robbe isn't ready to forgive him.

- time may change me, but i can't trace time @abittersweetsong (in the works | currently 30,8k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27785878/chapters/68021533

“You’re my best friend and I love you.”

It’s a simple admission and it settles gently in Robbe’s soul.

Or Robbe and Sander find each other in every universe, but in this one they're best friends first.

- If You say Run, I'll Run with You @Aniloracat (complete | 32,8k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25970479/chapters/63133504

Robbe is having a terrible day and a hot, but annoying white-haired photographer that won't stop appearing everywhere is not making it any better. That's it, until sparks fly, and Robbe decides he's found the perfect distraction from his terrible day.

 One-night stand AU that's not meant to be a one-night stand.

- Vrijdag 21:37 @wasteourdaysdreaming (complete | 34,8k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22002403/chapters/52504453

The same party one Friday night in February, told from different perspectives.

- You know i'm always at your shoulder (take your heart out of its holster) @wafflesofdoom (in the works (but can be read separate from each other) | currently 35,2k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21979630/chapters/52448740

“I must have been really good, in another universe, to deserve you,” Sander whispered, thumb brushing the line of Robbe’s cheekbone, the pad of his thumb soft against Robbe’s skin.

Robbe simply kissed the inside of Sander’s wrist, shaking his head. “You are good in this universe, too,” he said. “You found me, when I needed you the most.”

learning how to be in a real, actual relationship isn't the easiest thing in the world, and robbe is very new to it all, and he's got a lot to figure out when it comes to being in actual, everyday love with sander. the first six months of a relationship are the best - and they're some of the hardest, too. these are the first six months of robbe and sander's relationship.

- this rough magic @aholynight (complete | 36,4k) 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21760975/chapters/51919642

Though he’s a sixth-prefect and the newest member of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, Muggleborn Robbe can still hardly believe that he’s made of magic.

Sander is the seventh-year Gryffindor beater whose wild behavior and delinquent reputation precedes him.

Though Robbe desperately wants to believe in the angel-faced boy he sees in front of him—and ignore the rumors of Sander’s devilish behavior—he’s not sure his heart can afford the risk.

But when Sander and Robbe are left in a nearly-empty Hogwarts over the Christmas holiday, avoiding Sander might no longer be an option.

40k - 60k

- The night we met @themoongirl (complete | 42,8k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22189216/chapters/52975012

Robbe Ijzermans has a brain that won't let him sleep, a chest that feels far too heavy and thoughts that never stop.

During his first year of college he meets Sander Driesen. Robbe finds what he never went looking for.

AKA, a college AU.

- Visitations @lucidpantone (complete | 46,1k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22537474/chapters/53855452

Does Robbe and Sander's relationship survive into adulthood.

This fic takes place in two simultaneously timelines: the past and the present.

The present occurs in one entire day. Both timelines are completely out of chronological order. Everything is in clips.You can be dropped in at anytime of the day in any timeline. So clip by clip you will need to piece together what happen to Sander & Robbe and why the present looks the way it does and what happened in the past that got them there.

This love story is a journey. So be prepared.

In the words of one of our Even's. It’s a complicated love story between complicated people.

- look into my eyes, ignore the rest @robbesdriesen (complete | 47,4k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/26230513/chapters/63842047

a story of how robbe and sander fall in love in front of the camera and behind it (which in their case, the camera isn't needed at all)

- rotten work @aholynight (complete | 50,5k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22239544/chapters/53102809

Robbe is a college freshman whose reckless habits and excessive drinking are starting to look an awful lot like calculated self-destruction—though his loneliness might be the thing that kills him first.

Sander is a visual arts major a few years above Robbe, with a face nobody can forget and a fuck boy reputation he can't seem to shake.

Everybody warns Robbe to stay away from the Sander, unless he wants to get burned. But Robbe's the kind of boy who likes playing with fire.

- just friends @sincerelysobbe (complete | 51k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/27861626/chapters/68215882

Months ago, after a one-night stand that couldn't stay that way, Robbe and Sander made an agreement—the two of them, no strings attached. But, Sander's feelings for Robbe were strong, to begin with, and they're growing stronger with each passing day—and he knows that he is more in love with Robbe than he should be.

- run and score @robbesdriesen (complete | 59,8k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23372407/chapters/56000917

Robbe Ijzermans is the star goalie of Antwerp U’s football team, naturally blocking shots as if it were his sixth sense. Sander Driesen is their star striker, having an eagle eye for the goal at all times.

Robbe always had a distaste for his bleached-blonde teammate and the annoying way he carried himself, but Robbe can never mask how much he admires him from a distance.

When they finally begin to learn more about each other, there is no going back for either.

With the looming playoffs in jeopardy for their entire team, will Robbe & Sander be able to manage it together? All while falling in love with each other at the same time?

> 60k

- Eastwood liberty @fockinglevendcliche (in the works | currently 69,7k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24250837/chapters/58438588

Eastwood Liberty students had only one mission: to always be on top, at everything, no matter the cost.

It took Robbe just a day to realize that people there only cared about two things: money and power. But that was no surprise to him. What he didn't expect was to be confronted by this group of rich and spoiled boys, who used to always get what they wanted, especially their leader, Sander Driesen.

Sander made the rules, but unfortunately for him, Robbe had never been really good at sticking to them.

- Do i know you? @SrtaPepa (in the works | currently 88k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23340514/chapters/55913782

Robbe has lost his memory from the last three years. He doesn’t remember finishing school and start college with Yasmina; he doesn’t remember going to live to the flatshare, or move out to a new place, or being friends with Milan, neither coming out as gay. And the worst of all of this is that Robbe doesn’t remember meeting Sander or that he is, in fact, truly, madly, deeply in love with him.

Hopefully, sometimes feelings are stronger than memories.

- jij verliest @sincerelysobbe (complete | 104,1k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24445087/chapters/58986433

For the past three months, Robbe’s life—and what it once was—had been stripped away and rearranged. Now, if anything, his life had become a bit repetitive: homework, stream, ignore Thomas’s Instagram, repeat. But one Friday evening, Robbe meets a hurricane in the form of a platinum-haired tattoo artist who just might show him everything that he’s been missing.

- Remember my name @ijzermans (complete | 106,3k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24215371/chapters/58335259

The past few weeks, Robbe has noticed a new guy has attended his high school.

Nobody really seems to care about the strange bleached kid, yet Robbe on the other hand, can't help but feel intrigued by him.

The new guy happens to be Sander, and he's not that easy to connect with. He's quiet, distant, and has a past he'd rather not share.

Or will Robbe make a difference?

- Paint me in trust @themoongirl (complete | 116,2k)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/24235861/chapters/58395625

“What are you looking for, Robbe?” Sander tilted his head, moving closer.

“A rush.” Robbe whispered, his lips brushing Sander’s.

Robbe Ijzermans has spent the better part of two years chasing the need to feel real again. Though being an adrenaline junkie is hardly a healthy coping mechanism, it’s one of the only things he has left.

Sander Driesen is a vampire with an unspeakable, dreadful past that won't seem to leave him.

When Robbe gets roped into Sander’s life he finds the feeling he has been chasing all along. But Sander's world has a different kind of risk, and it forces them to come face to face with the greatest danger of all. Fear of a life without the other.

[romanceimp]

Bitter Taste: Iwaizumi x f/reader Pt. 1

pt. 2 here

THIS IS SO LATE and I’m a fuck up hahahaha (kinda ironic this was 2 weeks late for Mental Health Awareness month) 

I am crediting my girl @kuso-deku for giving me Iwaizumi brain rot to begin with. I am also crediting @gixxie and @idonotagreebitch for helping me talk through my ideas... and crediting @doinmybesthere for the wonderful idea of a mental health awareness collaboration the link is here. PLS READ THE REST OF THE WORKS. Everyone deserves the love.

TW: manipulative male/female relationships, gaslighting?, subtle shit head crap that most men do (don’t worry Iwa is a peach as always tho, it’s Ushijima that’s the problem)

_ 

Iwaizumi stands and stretches in the cinema. The movie had been good, but long, he figured it was a little after midnight. “What’d ya think?” Kuroo asks as they exit the theatre. “I hated the ending…” Oikawa gripes, “I hate endings where everyone just dies.” “You are such a princess Tooru, I swear, it’s a metaphorical ending… did you not catch all the symbolism in the opening credits?” Iwaizumi sighs and turns his phone back on, trying his best to ignore their bickering. Slowly, notification after notification pops up… all from you. He blinks, surprised. You had declined his offer to join him for the film, stating you had previous plans attending a close friend’s birthday.

Iwa opens the messages from you. He sees first the selfies. You look beautiful, extravagant even. Your dress is beautiful, it compliments your figure perfectly with the corseted bodice. It’s white and so is your lace mask. Broad, feathered angel wings rest on your back. Angelic would have been a word he’d used to describe you before, but now, it was confirmed. He wants to keep staring at the photos but Kuroo and Oikawa are starting to become too curious about the contents of his phone. He scrolls and relaxes his face to look more casual. But it’s hard when your intoxicated messages are so darn cute.    

hope the movie is good!

okay so I guess there’s an open bar? Is it my birthday too?

if you wanna come by after the movie I’msure you coul

this partyyyy suckssssssss assssssssss

wish id gon wiht u xx

You are clearly drunk and he laughs to himself before Kuroo peers over his right shoulder. “Well she’s thinking about you at least,” he smirks. Oikawa peers over Iwaizumi’s left shoulder, “ooo play the voice message.” Oikawa taps the message before Iwaizumi can give him an answer.

“Hiiiii Iwaaaaaa, hope you like the moovie and you’re having a good time, cuz I’m having a preetyy good time, they gots free margaritaaass. Okay byeeeee”

The guys laugh and Oikawa presses the next one.

“Hey Iwaaa, I made up a song about you, ready?

Iwaizumi

Doesn’t know what he does- to me…

Sshfhsijknfhahaha I cant remember the rest som’n bout… som’n I dunno. Byeee”

“Okay, Ushi says that I need to say sorry for sending so many…” you pause and then whisper, “drunk messages, but I’as only tellin’ ya I ssink ‘r awesome ‘n you should totally come to this party and hang out with me… you’re awesome, okay byeee”

Oikawa and Kuroo pause and look at Iwaizumi. “Ushi?” Oikawa asks, “like Ushiwaka?” Oikawa’s eyes are narrowed and he gags dramatically in disgust. Iwaizumi nods and walks to exit the theatre. “Wait… that’s her friend who’s having the birthday party?” Iwa grimaces as Kuroo chuckles. “No wonder you’ve had a stick up your ass all night.” Iwa glares at him, “they’re just friends… apparently… I don’t know, she said they’ve known each other for a really long time…” Kuroo claps Iwaizumi on the back. “I think you should definitely go to the party.” Iwaizumi starts to object but the ring of his phone draws attention, and he answers it. “Heyyy you're outta th’moviee, heheeheheha,” you slur. Iwaizumi laughs softly and smiles, “yeah, I’m out of the movie now, are you… good?” There is so much background noise, it almost drowns out your sweet sleepy voice. “I’m soooo good… … I just-” he can hear your voice drop to a drunken whisper. “I’z just hoping to see you today,” you mumble finally.  

Iwaizumi can feel his heartbeat quicken, his head reeling. “Oh really?” He plays cool but then instantly regrets it when you give him a serious answer. “Yeah, I was really hoping you’d come to the party, even for just a little,” you murmur. Iwaizumi can’t help but chuckle. You were pretty cute like this, not normally so transparent. You were actually quite hard to read, so sweet but guarded and teasing too. You were a friend of Oikawa’s first and he had met you through him. He’d liked the way you sat cross legged on the couch smiling, chin in your hands while you asked questions and listened to his answers. Your eyes sparkle when you hear something you like, and your face lights up when you talk about things you find interesting.

“Ya don’t have to, I can just see ya another time,” you add. He’s been silent too long which causes him to speak without thinking. “No, I’d love to see you, I’ll head to you now.” Kuroo and Oikawa are silently cheering him on and Iwa turns away in embarrassment. “Really? Okay! I’ll drop my pin… as the kids are sayin’ these days hahaha.” “See you soon, drink some water okay?” “Mhm, I will, see ya soon!”

You were at a club owned by Ushijima’s family. A place called ‘Eagle’s Nest’. He’d only known you for a few weeks but he couldn’t help his infatuation. It was immediate, the night he had gone to Oikawas for game night. You spoke to him so easily not knowing him at all and laughed at his little side jabs to his long time friend. The way you looked at him… Iwa knew then that he wanted to see you smile, hear your laugh, and that he would be happy to assume the responsibility of making that happen.

He was surprised when you had declined his offer for the movie, feeling that you both had some definite chemistry, but Iwaizumi was even more surprised when you had said that you had prior plans with his old time rival Ushijima Wakatoshi. Iwaizumi hadn’t seen him since high school but they knew a few people in common, Oikawa being one of those people. Oikawa could sure hold a grudge but Iwaizumi took all of his comments with a grain of salt. Ushijima often came off entitled and cold, which would leave Iwaizumi with a bad taste in his mouth. Maybe Oikawa had the right idea holding a grudge… But grudge or not he wanted to see you, hear your voice and admire you all dolled up.

When Iwaizumi arrives at the club he is met with a large security guard. “Invitation?” he grumbles. Iwa remains calm but a small trickle of fear runs down his back. Iwaizumi gives the guard a casual smile before he starts to answer but he is interrupted. “Iwaaaaa,” you cry from the top of the stairs. The mask you’d had on is now resting on top of your head, the delicate features of your face now exposed. The floofy skirt of your dress bounces with your excitement as you run down the stairs. You crash into him, throwing your arms around his neck. You bury your face in his collar and still momentarily. Drunk and bubbly, you melt when Iwa wraps his arms around your waist in return, avoiding your costume’s wings. “Mmmm,” you hum, breath hot against his skin, “you smell good.” You pull back and stare into his wide eyes. “You look incredible,” he offers, a slight pink tint to his cheeks. You grin in return and simply take hold of his hand. “He’s with me,” you beam at the guard. Iwaizumi is doubtful this trick will work here. But he is surprised when the guard steps aside saying, “as you wish Miss L/N.” You giggle and pull Iwa towards the doors. “I’ll bring you some cake later, okay Jurou?” Jurou laughs, “just have fun darlin’.” “You’re the best,” you call behind you as you push open the doors. Iwaizumi can’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy knowing that you are on a first name basis with one of the body guards at the Wakatoshi’s club. How close were you with Ushijima?    

Blue and purple lights illuminate the vast space while black tiles make up the main floor. The dance floor is sunken, in the middle of the club with a small set of stairs leading down to it. It’s made entirely of glass, beneath is a saltwater garden of different plants and coral.  

“You’ll need one of these,” you explain, swiping a simple black mask from the welcome table. You hand it over to him and pull yours down over your eyes. Iwaizumi adjusts it to where he can see. “You look so handsome,” you admire. He grins, “what about you? You’ve got wings!” You laugh and adjust your mask back on top of your forehead. “I’m a swan, and Ushi said I couldn’t be a swan without wings!” You spin for him, trying your best to flap the feathered wings. Small pieces of confetti glitter rain from the skirt of your dress. Iwaizumi takes in your face illuminated by the lights of the club. Blue and pink dancing over your cheeks as you smile up at him. “What?” you giggle nervously. Just a few weeks but he is mesmerised by your everything. He shakes his head and tries to move on. He wanted to tell you how he felt but this wasn’t the right time. It should be when you’re sober, when you can take in his words properly.

You coax him down towards the bar.  “You’re sure it’s okay to sneak in uninvited guests?” Iwa questions. “Well, I asked Ushi ‘nd he said it was okay, so yeah!” You grin but notice Iwaizumi’s reserve. “It’s really okay, I promise, let’s just get a drink,” you suggest and take his hand. “Only if you drink more water,” he smirks. You roll your eyes at Iwa, “I drank some water before you got here actually.” You look back at him as you both head down to the bar. “I’ll prolly regret that yurr seeing me like this tamorow, ya know,” you call over the blaring music. “It’s cute, you’re cute,” he assures as he leans against the bar, “I didn’t know you thought about me this much until I saw all the snapchats and voice messages and texts.” You cover your face in humiliation, “I knowww, I’m sorry but you were on my mind a lot, alot alot, and  couldn’t stop think about ya, and the booze told me to keep on messaging…” You trail off,  finding the last shred of your filter to keep you from talking.  The bartender hands you your water and you take a long drink.

“Iwaizumi,” a voice projects over the baseline. Ushijima stands tall advancing towards where you both stand. His expression is neutral though, his eyes keep darting to you and then back to Iwaizumi. Ushijima is dressed as a knight, his silver mask hangs languidly around his neck. “Ushiwaka,” Iwa acknowledges, “this is a hell of a birthday party.” You giggle and point at Ushiwaka, “he’s 28 today; getting sooo old.” In that moment, Iwaizumi watches him do something he had never seen him do before. Smile… and then laugh. Ushijima wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you closer.  “You’re just a baby,  you’re only-” You wave your hand in front of Ushiwaka’s face, shushing him. “No, no, Iwa doesn’t knowww, don’t tell him,” you plead. “She’s only 23,” Ushiwaka says. You hold your face in your hands once more and groan. Ushijima pulls your hands from your face, “just barely twenty three too.” You glare at him and look back at Iwaizumi embarrassed.  “Did she not tell you her age?” Ushijima asks Iwaizumi. Iwa shrugs, “She didn’t, but I never asked,” Iwa shrugs casually, addressing you now, “didn’t seem important since you carry yourself so well.”

You turn to Iwa, mouth open like you’re about to respond but Ushijima swipes the glass from your hands before you can finish. “Drinking water?” You look up at him. “But it’s my birthday… and this is a party…  you need something stronger…” Ushijima beacons the bartender with a single flick of his hand. The barman pours three double shots of a clear liquid from a foreign looking bottle. Ushijima takes a glass and hands it to you, before handing another to Iwaizumi. Ushijima gives him a wink as he loops his arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him. He raises his glass, the violet lights illuminating the liquid. Iwaizumi follows his lead. “To my Juliet, the belle of the ball,” Ushijima bellows. You smile slightly and shake your head. “No no, to you Ushi, it’s your birthday, not mine, we are celebrating you!” Your eyes find Iwa’s, but you leave your glass raised. Ushijima grabs hold of your hand that’s still wrapped around the glass. “Cheers,” He tips the glass towards your lips and you swallow the clear liquor as he feeds it to you. You down it all in one go and Ushiwaka smiles wide once again. “She’s good, huh?” With that, Ushiwaka clinks his glass to Iwaizumi’s, “to you brother,” he assures. Iwa is surprised with the sudden sentiment. “And to you,” he replies before downing the shot. The liquor is surprisingly smooth, expensive, and strong. Iwa can feel his head starting to get light from the small portion that was in the glass and Iwa wasn’t a light weight. “Strong huh?” Ushijima smirks. Iwaizumi nods then turns to the bartender to signal for a water.

Ushijima turns to where you stand swaying slightly with the music. “Look at her, she gets drunk so easily,” Ushijima smiles. “How are you feeling, princess?” he shouts over at you. Iwa turns away and downs his water in disgust. ‘Princess?’ Ushijima shouldn’t be calling you that if you’re both just friends. You blink and give him a smile and a thumbs up. There was a natural innocence about you, a childlike wonder and curiosity, the embodiment of sanguine. Ushijima’s air was sometimes sinister, like he was taking advantage of your natural trusting nature. Iwa watches as Ushijima’s large hands rest on either of your shoulders and he pushes you back and forth like a pendulum between his palms. You giggle and try to push him away, “Ushi stooopp.” He laughs with you and continues pushing you around, “you’re so cute and small though, see?” He places a hand on top of your head and you still. “I said to stop,” you mumble. “And I did,” he retorts before letting you go.

Iwa watches the sudden weight of gravity find you as you stumble in your heels. He catches your arm just in time. Your arms find their way around his neck once more, your face in the crook of his neck. You pull away and Iwa examines your foggy eyes. “You okay?” You nod, pushing off of Iwa’s chest. You fix your hair, “it’s fine, he just messin’” you turn to Ushijima, “and someone doesn’t know when to quit.” You’re pulled away into Ushiwaka’s arms. He sways you back and forth, your back held against his chest while he says soft apologies. He whispers something to you and you nod. Iwaizumi wanted to pull you away from him. Not because he was jealous, but because the way that Ushiwaka was behaving with you was odd.

“Y/n is a little bit tired, why don’t you join us in VIP?” Iwa smiles and gives his thanks, trying his best to hide his scowl. Iwa follows after you and Ushiwaka, upstairs and under velvet ropes hoping that he will find a good moment to pull you away. But instead you are pulled onto the couch beside Ushiwaka. He lights a cigar and offers one to Iwa, but Iwaizumi declines with a simple, “no thanks, don’t smoke.” It’s strange the way that Ushiwaka keeps whispering in your ear, giving you sips of his drinks, and blowing smoke in your face. “Ushi, stop please, the smell is making me sick,” you whine. But he just pulls you closer to him, chuckling all the while and does it again. You’re laughing and poking his face, but it’s not out of joy... Watching Ushijima interact with you the whole night has been like watching a cat toy with a mouse.

Iwa grimaces when Ushiwaka tickles you. “Stop-stop-don’t-stop,” you giggle and howl. “She said to stop!” Iwa raises his voice. Ushijima’s eyes shoot towards Iwaizumi while you squirm off the couch. Your eyes are heavy as you walk towards a dark hallway and disappear into the shadows. Iwa’s eyes flick to the entrance to the hall. Ushiwaka sits in a contented silence, sipping a drink, “she’s so dramatic,” he sighs. He continues smoking, arm rested over the back of the purple velvet sofa. Ushijima takes a sip of his drink, swirling the ice in his glass. Iwa doesn’t move to break the silence no matter how expectant Ushijima’s expression was. He stamps out his cigar in the tray before addressing him.

“She’s awfully talkative, and incredibly fond of you…” Ushijima starts, an odd smirk painting his expression. Iwaizumi raises an eyebrow in intrigue and Ushijima’s face hardens. “She won’t shut up about you since she met you… it’s annoying...” Iwaizumi, remains quiet, the silence settling over the men like a thick fog. The only sounds are muffled club music and the ice tinkling against Ushijima’s glass. “I’m going to be honest as a friend… bad idea.” Iwaizumi can feel the rage bubbling inside his gut, “I don’t think that what’s going on between us is any of your-” He’s cut off by Ushijima.

“I’m really looking out for you Iwaizumi, girls can break hearts and Y/n is kind of known for that… she’s just a sweet soul, makes friends easily, but love? That’s harder for her… doesn’t have the best taste in men I’m afraid, I want to protect her and you from a situation where I can already see the conclusion… I get that you like her, everyone does.”  Iwazumi leans forward, “does that include you?” Ushijima is stone faced, then gives a cold laugh. “You’re funnier than I remember, Iwaizumi.”

Iwaizumi rises and heads towards the hall you disappeared down. If he sat in front of him any longer he was going to say something he regretted… and you still haven’t come back. He slips into the dark hallway as you’re exiting the bathroom. Your mask has been removed and even in the dim lighting you look pale. “Hey, what’s happened?” You look up at him embarrassed, your dress almost as wilted as you are. “Got sick…” you mutter. You’re shaking slightly, arms wrapped around yourself. “Oh Y/n, are you alright?” he sighs. His arm starts to reach for you but he thinks better of it, pulling it back to rest by his side. His eyes widen as he feels the warmth of your hand in his. He didn’t figure that you would want to be touched right now. But your fingers interlace with his,  your skin soft. “Are you good to drive?” you whisper. His hand instinctively tightens around yours protectively. “I only had whatever Ushijima gave us, it was strong but I’ve had water- yeah I’m good.” “Would you mind taking me home?” you ask, as you start to walk back towards the VIP room. “Sure, course,” Iwaizumi replies gently. He feels how your thumb brushes over the back of his hand in silent gratitude. The gesture has his heart beating hard against his ribs. Iwa walks forward, his eyes on you and nothing else. Your brow is furrowed and your expression painted serious which was unusual from how he knew you to act.

“Iwa’s taking me home now,” you announce and walk towards the stairs. Ushiwaka’s face hardens, “I can take her home, you shouldn’t trouble yourself,” he addresses Iwaizumi. You smile and turn around facing Ushiwaka. “But Ushi, ‘s ur birthday, you can’t leave this party jus’ ‘a take me home,” You turn to Iwa now. “Let’s go,” you say and Iwa nods, still holding your hand.  “Where’s my hug, princess?” Ushijima calls after you. You stop in your tracks and close your eyes, taking in a deep breath. You drop Iwa’s hand slowly, hesitantly. You walk back slowly and stand before his open arms. He lifts you and you groan. You’re still hugging him tightly but not quite with the same intimacy as before.

As Ushijima places you down you turn to look back at Iwa when Ushijima catches your face with his large hand. He coaxes your face back towards him then leans down. Ushiwaka locks eyes with Iwaizumi as he whispers something in your ear. Then he presses his lips to your cheek, still not moving his eyes away from Iwaizumi’s. Iwa tries his best to remain neutral but he can feel his lip creeping upwards in contempt. Ushiwaka is too prideful for his own good it seems.

You take Iwa’s hand again, leading him towards the exit. An exasperated look rests on your face. “What did he say to you?” Iwa asks. You sigh and shake your head. “‘S nothin’,  ya shouldn’t worry your pretty lil head ‘bout it.” Iwa can’t help but allow a smile. He raises an eyebrow at you, “think my head is pretty?” he asks. He’s met with your hazy gaze, “I do,” you say simply. Iwa wasn’t prepared for such a straightforward answer to his question.

Once out of the club, the valet pull Iwaizumi’s car around. He’s careful not to let you walk too far on your own. Sick, in those ridiculous shoes and still quite drunk, he opens the car door for you before hopping into the driver's seat. “Will you put your address in?” Iwa hands you his phone and you type it in as asked. “Thanks for doing this,” you sigh. “Yeah of course,” he says as he puts the car into gear. A few streets of city light pass by in silence. Your hands are resting in your lap but your body is still trembling. “I can- umm- pull over if you need me to…” You wave the thought away with your hand, “it was the smell of the cigar more than anything…” Iwa’s gut begins to boil again. Your voice is soft, almost defeated. He speaks before thinking better of it. “Does he always treat you like that?” You look at Iwa and make eye contact briefly before his attention is back on the road. “He was being a little extra weird today, maybe because y’all used to play volleyball together or… I dunno really, he just gets like that sometimes…” You trail off, allowing your thoughts to fade into the rearview. The silence is deafening and you feel the need to break it. “He’s really nice too though, don’t get me wrong, he cooks for me and calls to check in, he even gets me little gifts, so I know he cares.” Iwa shakes his head, “if he cared he would have stopped when you asked him to.” You take a breath, “I know but he was just having a night I guess…” Iwa pulls into your driveway as the GPS notifies him that he has ‘arrived at the destination’. He puts the car in park, “you don’t have to make excuses for him… it’s okay to be angry, if that’s how you feel.” You start to open the door, your fingers on the handle. “I’m not angry though, I’m just kinda hurt.” You open the door and start to get out, “okay, maybe a little angry too.” You laugh to yourself but not out of joy. It’s an ironic laugh and Iwa can hear the pain ringing inside of it. “Let me walk you inside.”  

[hope-remnant]

@moodorbs i blame you for giving me platonic celesgami brainrot in the first place it’s just so good. I’ll probably be copy-pasting some notes and then adding onto them if anything looks familiar.

One thing I really like is at the time I was swapping talents, I didn’t realize there was an extra talent I forgot, Ryota Mitarai’s Ultimate Animator talent from canon. So, when I couldn’t decide between Celeste And Byakuya for the Ultimate Musician, I just gave it to both of them. So they have to act as one unit, and under most rules they’re supposedly treated as one student.

Which like, probably wasn’t Hope’s Peak’s greatest idea. They grew up in the same musical circles, though were separated by class. Byakuya grew up learning from the best tutors money could buy, while Celestia had to be self-taught. Both of them were learning as many instruments as they could as an outlet for their frustrations and both of them were doing it to avoid family.

Byakuya would use his musical talents as a way to avoid socializing at the extravagant parties his family would host or insist they go to, because an heir having such a respectable and artistic hobby would be worth showing off, and because he didn’t have to talk to anyone if he kept playing well, it just fed into a cycle of him practicing even MORE.

They met when they were probably 10 years old or so, both joining an orchestra full of adults, at first to be able to basically sub in for any instrument. They avoided each other, never really interacting until a few months later the time came around for their chance to audition to become full time members of the orchestra, and have their own chairs and assigned instruments.

Celestia decided for the violin to be her signature instrument, because to her it looked suitably delicate and feminine at the time, because she was like 11 and getting used to seeing herself as a girl, even though socially everyone treated her as a girl, to her it was important just like how she got used to tying ribbons in her hair and wearing skirts, making a point of being feminine just to herself. Within the year she would expand in the orchestra to switching between any instrument in the violin family, so a viola, cello, double bass, and other variants as well. She can play literally any instrument, but she could only borrow so many from the orchestra to practice their pieces with, seeing as she couldn’t go out and buy them.

Byakuya chose the piano because he thought people looked dumb when they played woodwinds and he wasn’t as practiced with drums because he didn’t want to irritate his parents should they have heard him. While there already was an expansive music room as well as a stage at the Togami estate, a butler could go out and buy whatever other instrument he wanted as well, so he had the luxury of using child sized versions of instruments when he first learned, and he keeps all those smaller versions due to sentiment and never tells ANYONE.

Their rivalry really started when after the auditions it was clear they were both going to get what they wanted, but the members of the orchestra couldn’t help but compare the two new child prodigies. They were especially wondering which one of them would become the Ultimate, if they would be put into smaller fields like the Ultimate Pianist and Ultimate Violinist, or if they’d be able to get the more broad and prestigious title of Ultimate Musician, due to the range both of them had.

That lead to a five-ish year long rivalry, which at one point led to the first orchestra they were in dissolving, and both of them joined smaller groups, which later MERGED so they were back in the same orchestra again. They would publish music back and forth, trying to one-up each other, which lead to them both developing their skills in a wide range to still merit the musician ultimate, but also they were both SO skilled no one could tell their mistakes apart from each other.

So when the Hope’s Peak scout came, they both played their best and did so well, never faltering or making a mistake. For Byakuya, if he were an Ultimate it meant he knew what he was doing and could control his own life, for Celestia it was just so she could have a life, because she had nothing aside from music and her persona.

It wasn’t until they came to freshman orientation that they realized they had the same title. And they came close to having a catfight right there on the spot, until Principal Kirigiri explained the full situation. They’d share a dorm, if one got disciplined the other would have the same punishment, their grades would be averaged together. If one failed their final exam, the other would as well. If one got expelled, so would the other. They were STUCK together, any elaborate dramatic plans of getting the other absolutely humiliated and expelled gone, because if either of them lost this chance their lives would be significantly worse.

And they were still rivals for a while there! months of passive aggressive comments, practicing loud instruments late at night, competing in tests and homework. At some points they cant even bear to speak to the other so they just. aggressively play an instrument at them and the vibes are received. Since they share a dorm that’s like a suite- they basically draw a line in the middle and have a truce to not strangle each other in their sleep, and this is just HPA, before the killing game. Later they have an Event to become close! Then they’re inseparable.

(Also at one point someone pranks them by merging their beds into a bunkbed. They keep it. It only adds more problems)

They stand at the front and center of a stage, surrounded by professionals who spent decades perfecting their one instrument while they both are amazing at any the touch. There’s a standing ovation, and the both have to bow, hands intertwined, and their grips are so strong, trying to break the other’s fingers, able to feel the specific calluses they develop from their chosen instruments.

[gremlin-writes-angst]

The Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

TW: Homophobia, internalized homophobia, implied transphobia(very brief), religious trauma

If I missed a trigger or if you spot a spelling mistake, please let me know. Feedback is encouraged.

Click here if you want to see more of my work and follow me for even more!

There was so much going on and yet it wasn't overwhelming, it was almost perfect. There were sounds of people happily chatting, wedding bells, and songs slightly louder played in the distance. The colorful glass from the church window shined on the people in the church. The church was packed for a royal wedding and at the altar, there was prince Kaminari but instead of a beautiful bride opposite him, there was a handsome knight from the enemy kingdom. The priest started the ceremony, the two grooms said their vows and kissed. It was anything less than magical. The priest began to announce the kingdoms’ new rulers.

"Lady's and Gent’s I introduce to you, your new Kings. King Denki Kaminari and King Eijiro Kiris--"

Before the priest finished his announcement the large church doors were opened and the...priest who was previously standing next to the kings, had teleported to the church’s entrance.

" I will not follow the rule of sinners like you" 

Suddenly all the happy wedding goers disappeared and reappeared behind the angry priest, joining him in ridiculing of the two kings

"We will not follow the devil"

"Our prince has been tainted by the devil"

The priest raises his hand and the crowd quiets down, Denki questions the priest

"What are you doing? You were just announcing us as the new kings and know you're over there protesting our marriage? YOU’RE THE MARRIAGE OFFICIANT?"

The priest ignored his King’s questions.

" Denki listen to me, the thing you married is the devil, he used his powers to make you believe you love him, but I know that you could never fall for another man. I can help you, just come to my side and I can exorcise that demon." 

The priest offers his hand out, then the rest of the people behind him do the same.

" Denki, they're lying, you know that they are trying to get in your head. I do love and you love me." 

Kirishima stood closer to Denki, also offering his hand to Denki. Denki looked between the two choices, he looks at the priest’s group, he sees his friends and family inside the crowd, telling him that the love of his life is the devil and he knows that they'll leave him if he stays with Kirishima. Could they be right? Did he love Kirishima, or was it just a trick? He meant every word of what he said in his vows, he spent days on his vows, he wanted to make sure Kirishima knew how much he loved him.  So they were wrong, he did love Kirishima, their love for each other was no trick. But if he chooses Kirishima he’ll lose all his friends, family, and his whole kingdom. Denki stressed over who to choose, the mob became louder and more aggressive while he thought but before he could make a choice, Denki woke up.

A dream? A nightmare? Why was I getting married, to a man, to a knight from the enemy kingdom? Why was I married to Eijiro Kirishima? It was a stupid dream, I would never marry a man, the kingdom was right, Eijiro Kirishima was the devil, the dream must be a warning to avoid the knight in the cellar. It can't be that hard, he’s just in the cellar that's in the basement dungeon, the key to said dungeon door was on the wall and the guard was always asleep. Ok, this was going to be hard, it's just too easy not to visit the Red Riot.

The day goes by quickly, but then night falls and I remember how easy it is to get to the cellar, how my dream is just a dream. How handsome the knight is. How sweet his voice is. How he waits up for me. How he stopped me from hitting my head. Before I knew it I was in front of the dungeon door with the keys in hand, but the thought of losing everything I know stopped me from going down. I silently returned the keys and went back to my room and slept, the dream repeated that night, and yet the pressure to choose felt even more stressful.

It was dusk again, I don’t remember the hours before now, but I was back at the door with the keys. I stand there for a while until eventually, I think

“It was just a dream.” 

So I unlock the door and descend down the stairs. Every step I take makes me more anxious, I repeat to myself that it was just a dream, my friends won’t leave me, I won’t be banished. I mean it doesn’t even make sense, I would never marry a guy, especially that brute in our dungeon, I barely even know him, and it's sinful.

“Then why are you going to see him?”

It’s a question in the back of my mind, and I don’t have an answer. It’s definitely not because he has a smooth husky voice or his muscular body, and it has nothing to do with his caring words that match his action. I am broken from my thoughts when said husky voice speaks

“If you keep walking you’ll end up hitting the wall”

I must have been so caught in thought because he was right, I walked right past him and was about to walk into the wall. I stay facing this wall, I wasn’t ready to face him, I mean I married him twice in my dreams, it is disgusting.

“Thanks, I guess”

“ No problem but are you going to turn around, I mean it’s kind of weird talking to the back of your head, especially when the front is so beautiful.”

I forget about the dream and why I was reluctant to turn around and l whip my body around and march towards his cell while accusing him of my dream.

“It’s your fault, you’re the reason, I’m not the evil one, it’s because you’re the devil. You sit there and you spew compliments at me, another man, from a rivaling kingdom, such words should be said to a woman!”

“ Sorry if I offended you, I was just telling the truth and if it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll stop but I thought it was mutual” “What in the hell gave you that idea”

“uh the lustful gaze you keep giving me”

“Lus-lustful gaze, I do no such thing, and especially not to you”

“So then what was that look on your face when you heard my voice, why did you constantly look at my arms like they were turkey legs”

“ it -it - it was ugggg”

“Because that’s the same look the women give me…which is unfortunate for them because I’ve only ever looked at men with such a gaze.”

“ But that’s sinful, you are tainted, I should leave and never return.”

I walk to the stairwell with the full intent of doing what I just said.

“That won’t stop the feelings you are having”

I turn back around, full of frustration, I reach through the bars and pull the hunk closer to me.

“Then take your stupid spell off, I can-cant be . . . I can’t be like you, I just can’t, you understand right. Even as the devil you have to understand what this will do to me, I don’t deserve that, I don’t want god to hate me or my family or friends. I deserve to love who I want without feeling like the worst human in existence!”

I pause and quickly whip the tears off my face. I look up at the knight, his face is full of sorrow, he looks sad . . . for me. I let go and fall to my knees, replay what I said, I try to find justification for it, I think of the dream. I was happy, I was loved and I was loving someone else. What if I am like the knight? The knight leans down

“ I can’t say I understand the mental fight that’s happening in your brain because I came from a palace where this wasn’t something I need to worry about but listen.”

The knight’s hand slowly reaches for my chin, his hands are calloused like most knights, yet his hands are still comfortable and somehow soft. I let him lift my chin up so I’m looking into his eyes, there like rubies, or sapphires

“Or like the pits of hell”

I ignore the thought and continue to stare into the knight’s eyes as he tries to comfort me.

“ The person you love isn’t a choice, it’s fate, and if God hates you for what you can’t control, then he isn’t manly nor does he deserve such a title. Hate is a choice, love isn’t.”

I get lost in his eyes for a little bit, but when I realize it I turn away, a little more aggressively than I wanted to. I move away and take a seat on the bench that is meant for the guards, I don’t want to leave but I can’t find it in me to talk, even though I hate the silence. I sit there staring at the ground feeling awkward, the knight must have felt the same way about silence because he started talking.

“ um back at my kingdom, the Toyomitsu kingdom, there real accepting of such things, like I’m our queen was born a prince”

I’ve heard of a man loving a man or woman loving a woman but this wasn’t something I had heard of. With my eyes still planted to the ground, I asked.

“ What does that mean?”

I could hear shifting from the cell but I refused to lookup 

“Oh uh sorry, I forget that our kingdom is more progressive and more diverse. So basically our queen was born like us, she had our body parts, but she wasn’t.”

“I still don’t understand”

“Ugg this is hard, so she felt like her brain and body weren’t the same, like her brain said, ‘Your a girl’ but her body parts were male parts.”

“So she is a girl but had a body similar to ours”

“ Yeah exactly, but she’s better at explaining it because, well she lives through it.”

“ So she’s your queen, what about children, whos going to take over the throne”

“ Oh her and the king have a kid, he’s just adopted but he’s still their son and still the rightful prince, he's gonna be a great king. Oh, anyways I was gonna say that our kingdom is really accepting and if you need they’ll probably let you in if you ever wanted to leave here.”

In shock, I lift my head for the first time since I sat on this bench

“Even though I'm the prince of the rival kingdom?”

“ We don’t care that much about this rivalry. So yeah you would be fine”

“ If they don’t care why are you here?”

“ Well because our kingdom is so diverse and recently outside kingdoms have discovered that the queen is trans, which is the term for that situation, by the way, I think I forgot to mention that. Anyway, the King is worried about future attack’s so he sent out multiple knights to different kingdoms.”

“Oh so we’re not your only threat”

“Your not even a threat, your kingdom is crumbling”

“Oh wow thanks, I’ll remember that when I become king.”

“ You mean IF you become king”

“What is that suppose to mean ‘Red Riot’”

For the rest of the night, I joked and listened to Kirishima’s stories. I wish to see his home kingdom one day it sounds pretty cool. Before I knew it I was asleep and having another dream. It was different, there were no choices or stress. It was just Kirishima and me out on a hill having a picnic, eating food together, he fed me strawberries and the dream ended with a kiss, maybe falling for the knight wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Maybe my wedding dream was a warning about my kingdom and not Kirishima. I woke up and realized I was still in the dungeon, and that it was almost time for the guards check up on Kirishima, so I started to sneak back up to my room, I successfully avoided the guards on my way there, I acted as if nothing happened, I’m a pretty good actor if I do say so myself.

In the king’s throne room, a royal knight is kneeling before his king, he comes with important information.

“Lord Kaminari, I found the dungeon door unlocked and the keys on the guard bench this morning”

“ Well don’t leave them there”

“ I didn’t sir, I believe someone is sneaking into the dungeon at night.”

“ How would that be possible, we have Shinsou guarding the keys at night?”

“ I believe that he may have fallen asleep on duty.”

“ Well we can’t afford to get new guards or to switch any of the guard’s jobs, just move the keys to a new location along with Shinsou, Shinsou will continue to guard them. I want you to keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

“Yes Sir”

“You are now dismissed Monoma.”

All characters belong to Horikoshi and his series Boku No Hero Academia

[curiosity-killed]

bitter wine

word count: 2094 cw: mentions of desecration of corpses, brief/implied self-harm, descriptions of violence just some noodling on a potential solution for the trouble of tcp’s saggy, plotless middle. in which Reimon gets mean when he’s mad and Callebero just. honestly. babe’s having the shittiest fucking birthday

“If it were Dameron before me, I would rip out his throat,” the prince said, sharp and savage. His lip curled back a little, disgust in the way it pulled from his teeth and fury in the dark slash of his brows. Leaning back slightly, Reimon raised his eyebrows and didn’t bother looking to his empty hands or many injuries. “Oh?” he asked. “With what weapon?” The last time he’d met him, the imperator princep had been a child with a vicious blade held to their throats. Now, he stood before Reimon clothed in servants’ spares and enough injuries that he should have bled out before even making it here. Fine tremors seized through his legs sporadically; with the lashes on his back still raw, he wouldn’t be able to stand upright much longer without support. There were other chairs in the room, but Reimon did not offer a seat. “My teeth, if necessary,” the prince still spat.

He said it with such conviction that Reimon could nearly picture it—the barbarous emperor tearing out his half-brother’s throat with the same mindless bloodlust of a wild dog set loose on a goat. He’d heard more savage stories of the Aeridians and their mercenary past. An empire founded by highwaymen maintained little squeamishness around spilt blood. “And me?” Reimon asked, interlacing his fingers lazily so they caught at the first knuckles. “I have no weapon, as you can see, and the guards are beyond a closed door. Will you kill me as well?” The prince’s jaw tightened, chin lifting even as his gaze dipped low and to the side. His lips pressed together in a way that must have made the ragged cut through them sting. “Jisel cares for you,” he said after a moment. “You are not worth betraying her trust.” He stared, struck silent. A low rage flickered, licking up into incandescent flames in the cage of his chest. This murderer, this monster, thought he deserved to know his sister so well? A dog draped in silk robes was still a beast, a low and base distortion of man. “How noble,” Reimon said slowly, holding his voice steady in the same way his mother did around the pushier members of court. “Should I laud you for your mercy, Your Eminence? Title you a saint and crown you with speedwell and bow at your feet?” The prince met his gaze, chin lifting slightly and dark eyes hooding. His hand had folded into a fist at his side, but he didn’t flinch from the taunts, not visibly. Reimon canted his head to one side, looking pointedly up and down his frame. Aeridians were so tightly laced, wrapping themselves in layer upon layer as if it could hide the sins that were written on their skin. Dressed now in commoners’ clothes, the black tattoos of the prince’s arms and lower legs were bared to the world, and a fat, dark scar peeked out from under the short hem of his tunic. “The Bloodletter holding back—such a miraculous trick might rival a talking bear,” Reimon continued. “We could put a collar on you and parade you around the capital. What do you think—would your knights and generals recognize their prince then?” A muscle bunched at the back of the prince’s jaw, his lips working briefly as if to spit out words. Reimon smiled, polite and thin as a garrote. There. “Those knights who died for you,” he said thoughtfully, “would they be honored by a prince like you? What a shame, to have all their throats cut only so you could bow down as a side amusement in our court.” The tremors had increased, become fine shakes running through the prince’s whole body, even as his breath picked up. His broken hand curled together now to join the other, surely a painful reflex. Loosening his own hands, Reimon reached over to pluck his cup from the table with his fingertips. He took a long sip, not bothering to look at the prince. “It’s a shame they’re already dead,” he mused as he lowered the cup to fit precisely in the water ring left on the wood, “or we could have had a whole troupe to dance for us. The Bloodletter and his loyal guards, muzzled and leashed. Do you think we could train them to beg on command?” “Do not speak of them,” the prince snapped finally. It was funny, how he thought he had any command here. Turning toward him, Reimon tilted his head as if in thought. “I’m sorry, what part do you not enjoy?” he asked pleasantly. “The reminder that your loyal knights are all dead in a wood none of your saints could ever find or that they died for nothing but a pathetic, broken husk who has so little to offer their memory?” Some part of the prince must have held Jisel’s concern in high regard—or else, more likely, his injuries were too grave to even try attacking: the hate in his eyes was a living, snarling thing as toothed as the dragons that guarded the deepest seas. Reimon held his gaze, unflinching. For all his conquests and all his glory, the prince was nothing more than a prisoner here. A plaything or a servant or a sacrifice, all depending on Reimon’s own whims. He’d never thought himself a vengeful man, but now, with the architect of his family’s downfall trapped before him, Reimon suddenly understood why cats toyed with their prey for so long before biting through their necks. “Your mother died at my father’s blade,” he said, and a jolt ran through the prince. “Perhaps when you’ve worn out your novelty, I will add you to the collection. Two imperators princep killed by the same bloodline would certainly be an accomplishment.” Despite the surprise that had snapped through the prince like a taut bowstring at mention of his dead mother, there didn’t seem to be much impact in theorizing on his own death. Reimon supposed that it was to be expected. From what he’d heard, Aeridians were raised bowing to Death itself and kissing its bony hands. Mortality might not be so fearful a thing in the face of such customs. “We could even be generous,” he offered, turning his tone light and almost friendly. “If both your heads were stored in the same chest, wouldn’t it be a touching reunion?” “You—” the prince started, taking a single step forward. He froze, fists still clenched and breath coming in rapid hitches through his chest. With his shoulders squared and hands tight, he looked a single step away from swinging a punch. Reimon really didn’t have a weapon around him, and he hadn’t trained in martial skills since the doctors determined his body too fragile for such exertion. If the prince decided to kill him, if the goading snapped his surely thin restraint, then Reimon had no plan in place. And yet—

Above the braced shoulders and clenched jaw, his eyes were too bright. No tears fell, but they glistened, precarious along the edge of his eyes. Reimon stared, gaze caught on the glitter of them. The imperator princep, the Bloodletter prince of Arradine, didn’t weep. Hell, Reimon would half expect him to dance over his enemies’ corpses like a fleet-footed nightmare. “Fuck. You,” the prince enunciated, the words rolling and crisp in Aeridian. Reimon had learned most Aeridian curses in secret, stealing books off the shelf to share with his younger brothers and the closest of his personal guard. Learned in laughter and conspiracy, they didn’t carry half the weight that Capallan curses did. If he wanted to hurt someone, if he wanted to be sure they knew how much he hated them, he would always use his native tongue. The prince met his gaze with a furious stillness, eyes bright and hands clenched, and for the first time in the hour he’d stood here, he spoke in the language of his home. Reimon smiled. “How unfilial,” he remarked, as if chiding a younger sibling. “Of course, I imagine it would be a disappointment for her to see you now. Your mother was a hero, wasn’t she? She died nobly, holding the line so her own knights could escape, and you—you just left them to die along a dusty road while you grovel at the feet of her killers.” He’d been sixteen when Aliras died on his father’s sword, barred from the battlefield for the sake of succession. They hadn’t known, then, that it didn’t matter whether he died on the field or in the comfort of the palace—he would never sit on the throne. At the time, the streets had filled with clamors for Aliras’ body, commoners and courtiers alike frothing at the mouth at the thought of ripping her into five pieces and waving each of them above the parapets like bloody banners. Yet when the king returned with his soldiers, there was no head on a pike, no arms ripped out of their sockets. When Reimon asked, once, what became of the body, his father had frowned down at him and said she was given a proper burial, in an unmarked grave. No one knew where the grave was, and no one outside of a select few knew that she had even been afforded one. Her son was not among them. “It’s a shame what happened to her,” he lied easily. “My father the king respected her as a valiant opponent, but the armies were so furious after what she’d done, there was no stopping them once they got hold of her body.” The prince’s eyes widened, horror smoothing the lines of anger from his face and making him look completely taken by surprise. The knuckles of his fists had started to bleed white, cracks of red lining the tendons where they stretch over the bones. “I’m sure you’ve seen street dogs with a carcass,” Reimon continued pleasantly. “I assure you that looks domestic in comparison.” Shaking his head slightly, as if in disbelief, the prince swallowed. A tear slipped to trail down his bruised cheek, but he didn’t seem to notice. Smiling indulgently, Reimon gave a slight nod. “Oh, yes,” he said. “Did you really think we would honor someone who killed so many Capallans?”

“No,” the prince said. “No, you—” His voice came out small, almost fragile. He made no effort to wipe away the tears that curved sluggishly down his cheeks, just scoured Reimon’s face as if searching for the lie in his words. Meeting his gaze, Reimon kept his expression perfectly even and amiable. The prince’s brow furrowed, his lips parting slightly. Reimon raised his eyebrows, waiting. “What,” he asked, “do you think you’re the only one who would want revenge? You may have my father’s crown locked away in your palace, but your mother greeted the afterlife in so many pieces the finest tailor couldn’t have sewn them together.” He’d been pressing for a reason, needling to prick the prince’s skin a thousand times over for his offenses. This was the man who cut through their armies until he snatched the crown from his father’s head. He took Jisel, kept her from them for years. He deserved every slice Reimon landed. But—as the prince stared at him with cracked-open horror in his eyes, his lips trembling with the tears that slipped one by one from his eyes, no satisfaction welled in Reimon’s chest. His stomach twisted instead, reminded too much of fights in his childhood when his words grew too sharp and Laisa or Adamil’s eyes would grow glassy with tears. “Guards,” he called, raising his voice to be heard beyond the study’s walls. The door opened promptly, and Reimon flicked his hand in a gesture for them to take the prince from his sight. The prince offered no resistance as each of them took one of his arms and tugged him from the room.

Left in the sudden quiet, Reimon reached for his wine and then paused with his fingertips resting along the rim of the glass. The prince deserved every blow that landed. It should be a victory to have the imperator princep weeping before him. His fingers pressed tighter against the glass, until a dull ache bit into the bones. Jisel cared about this prince, for whatever reason. She called him her close friend, dear. Biting the inside of his lip, Reimon slid his hand down to cup the goblet’s belly. The wine didn’t wash the sour taste from his mouth.

[nadiasxo]

( 23 , cis female , she/her )  ✉ ― hey babes, have you met NADIA OLSSON BINTE HADI? they’re working here as A WATERSPORTS INSTRUCTOR AT THE PRIVATE BEACH. you might hear them singing along to JUBEL BY KLINGANDE , it’s their favourite song. yes, they hear that they look like AISHA POTTER  a lot, actually - it’s really uncanny. their friends back home in LIVERPOOL , ENGLAND say that if they were on a tv show, their trope would be THE FLAKE ,how funny is that?

𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘

hadi rohidan bin ahmad moved to england after he was scouted in his hometown in kuala lumpa playing football.

he began playing for liverpool football club & quickly became one of the best & most loved players in the longest time.

on a night out with his friends, he met a local girl elsa who was an actress in a soap that was set in the city & they bonded over the fact that he could not understand her thick scouse accent

they went home together that night & kat fell pregnant straight away - she was scared that hadi would up & leave , but he stuck by her.

adam was born 9 months later , he was unexpected but was born to two young people who were utterly in love.

nadia was born 2 years later & by that time , hadi  was now the captain of the liverpool football team & elsa was still an actress , but had a  reality show about the acting academy she know owned ( think dance moms but -- with a nice caring teacher )

they were quite well off when it came to money, but she and her brother could not have a normal up bringing.

they were always in the spotlight, always being followed my the paparazzi

she knew that this was not the life that she wanted.  

𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐔𝐏

adam naturally started to play football and was in the liverpool academy straight away

nadia was also sporty, but she did not want to be forced into that kind of life , so she hid it & focused on dancing instead

they both began to use their mothers surnames as their own surnames both now being known as adam and nadia olsson ( their mothers family hailing from sweden )

when hadi retired from football, he began coaching instead -- he was still very loved in the city & his players had his respect

but nadia was still not okay with the way that she was being brought up in the spotlight - she just wanted a normal teenhood.

so when she finished high school ,  she went travelling - her parents wanted her to go into a profession  -- but she was just too stubborn & wanted to pick out her own life --- which was travelling the world.

she loved that freedom so much that she never ever wanted to settle down anywhere -- she kept on moving

meaning , that she never really had a real group of friends or relationships.

she travelled from country to country , picking up random jobs here & there to make money ( even though her parents would have given her money if she ever asked )  

her brother got signed for liverpool football club & her father is now the manager of the team.

𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐒

the only ever constant she knew was the villas.

she worked there every summer, each time with a different job ( as she didnt like repetitiveness

this was probably the only place that she ever made real friends , those that she worked with & those guests that wanted to know her for her parentage

sure she had enough money in her savings ( given by her family ) to afford to be a guest --- but that lavishness was not her life

this year she was working on the beach, which is probably the best roll she had -- being in the sun all day for only a few hours with a lot of downtime? perfect.

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘

she is very friendly & bubbly , she tries to never get on the bad side of anyone

she will not though, stand for guests treating her like shit ( get ready to witness that scouse anger )

she is flaky , she never sticks to anything & has trouble with commitment

she likes to put others before herself, will do anything for those she holds dear

she can be a little ditzy at times, but do not mistake that for being dumb or stupid & don’t ever call her either

she is very generous, if there is anyone in need - she will go out of her way to help

her happiness is infectious, she has  a laugh that could cheer up even the coldest of hearts

shes a bit of a beach bum, lazy & a little dependant on narcotics.

will always make you feel better about yourself & sees the best in people

after travelling so much and documenting her experiences, shes kind of become a travel vlogger ( think the bucketlist family ) --- so now shes become her own person & not just hadi & elsa’s daughter.

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

☾ ― best friend: female / nb  connection - a girl who she connected with as soon as they met. they became close very quickly and have been inseparable ever since.  MIA

☾ ― unlikely friend: any gender - someone who she’s the polar opposite too, she would usually hate girls like this - but something just clicks between them and they can’t help but get along and like one another.

☾ ― lady love: female connection - a girl that she hooks up with from time to time, they keep it a secret but are not ashamed of it. they just wanna keep it between them.

☾ ― bad influence: any gender connection  - they’re both a bad influence on each other. encouraging one another to do bad things party, cheat, drugs ect.  FAITH

☾ ― good influence: any gender connection -  they’re always in each others corner and always stroke each others ego - encourage each other to fight for what they want and do well.

☾ ― unrequited love: male  / nb   connection - the guy who she keeps telling herself to stop feeling things for, but can’t. he turned her advances down and now he angers her whenever she sees him — but deep down she still likes him. OMARI

☾ ― best guy friend: male connection a guy who she’s kinda bro’s with. they would both kill for one another. KAL

☾ ― casual hook up: male  / nb   connection - they basically just keep each other around for sex. they could possibly even not like eachother but we can talk about that.

☾ ― ride or die -  male  / nb   connection. someone who will always be there for her and vice verse. they can always count on each other, no matter what the situation is. many people even think that they’re dating, they never clear the air though, they sometimes even play on it. but they don’t see each other in that way. they’re basically like phoebe and joey from friends. ☾ ― annoying temptation male  / nb   connection -  they but heads and clash all of the time, but they find it hot. they’ve hooked up a couple times after a heated argument and keep going round in the same circle.

☾ ― summer fling male  / nb   connection - they started dating over last summer but agreed that it was just something that lasted for the summer and that it couldn’t carry on when they went back to their normal lives and this summer. either one of them ( it doesn’t really matter who ) want things to carry on where they left off but the other just wants it to stay a secret thing. KAYSON

☾ ― rival: any gender - they will both have alot of talent and passion for a certain thing - so they butt heads over it.

☾ ― cat and mouse: any gender - the keep chasing eachother, flirting back and forth giving empty promises but nothing has ever happened. yet.

☾ ― sexual tension: any gender- whenever they are around eachother, something just sparks up. they can’t deny it and they both feel it. they just cant explain it CHRISTIAN

[kewltie]

im entertaining a pro baseball au with bkdk on rival teams (one a former champ and the other a new powerhouse who had arrived on the field), set up by the media as each other's nemesis, until izuku got traded to katsuki's team and now they're force to work together and win a champ with this riff raff baseball team that had never gotten very far.

they're childhood friends. izuku grew up in katsuki's shadow—who is hailed as a prodigy, a one of a kind pitcher that come only every few gens but katsuki worked super hard to get where he is. izuku is actual the real genius but it's overshadowed by his insecurities and lack of confidence . so while katsuki shines ever brightly in the spotlight, he never forget that izuku is the only one to hit his fastest pitch and he got a mind like a machine that steer katsuki's pitching right into in glove every time because worse than getting a hit off Katsuki's pitch, he's a catcher who make katsuki feels invincible. Undefeated.

in their younger years they were a battery pair that dominated the lil league until Katsuki's warped superiority/inferiority complex broke them up because he was terrified that izuku would outshine him one day, ppl would start to see Izuku's brilliance, and that he wont need katsuki anymore. he left izuku for the bigger and better stage while izuku floundered helplessly wit out him thinking he wasnt good enough for katsuki. he dreams of being in the pro league with kacchan; it was both of their dreams to follow their idol--All Might, the no. 1 baseball player in Japan—to the biggest stage of their life. they were supposed to go pro together but katsuki went first and then racked up champions and champions with an all-star team as their starting pitcher, while izuku watched katsuki shut down the other team from his couch.

he thought that should have been him out there with kacchan so he trained everyday, dumping all his money into those batting cages because even if he got no team izuku still dreams. If he can’t have katsuki as his pitcher than he’ll do the next best thing, face against him as a batter. Changing position is not an easy choice to make, while izuku may be genius (though you wouldn’t know it by the way he’s shyly steps up to the plate) but even better than that he’s a hardworker. it's there that all might found him, discovered this diamond in the rough and took him under his wings because izuku was always meant something bigger than this cage. with all might's help izuku gets better enough to be scouted in an mid level pro team and it's there he get to stand on the same stage as katsuki even if they're on diff teams. katsuki's team may be a championship team with all its accolades so far but izuku is izuku. he's always beaten the odds; it's in him.

the 1st season izuku entered the pro, his team finally made it into the playoffs in many years but was knocked out by 1st seed team--Katsuki's team. it was a bitter feeling but to stare katsuki down on the pitch and getting a hit off of him like back in the old days felt amazingly good. katsuki had won against izuku and his team but it wasnt a total shut out either. in the last game izuku managed to to hit 2 home run off of katsuki's fastball and that's 2 too many. izuku is terribly awkward and shy in front of the media but when he step on that plate--he's mean and vicious. Eyes on the prize and the gauntlet is thrown. To chase a victory is in his blood as much as katsuki’s.

katsuki may have won but he felt like he lost the fucking war because izuku is here in front of him now and he cant get rid of him even if he want to. they were bound by some fucked up twisted fate that kept them tied together and meet like this once more. with that 1 series, izuku secured his place as katsuki's rival as the only handful of batters who can get a homerun on katsuki. in the next season, izuku made the playoffs again and lost to katsuki AGAIN but this time it was a hard fought fight that could go either way as the entire nation watched with bated breath. izuku and katsuki's team clashing was the most hype series in the playoffs even more than the grand finals. even their regular season games were watched by so many ppl. they were both stars of the their respective teams and they have a history so THE MEDIA ATE IT UP.

in izuku 3rd season, at the playoff once more he finally at last knocked katsuki off his perched in front of a stunned crowd and a glowering katsuki. they would eventually go to win the championship but nobody can forget that rainy long day when katsuki and izuku met up against each other on the field that last so long it felt like an entire year had passed between them. the grand finals was great between izuku’s team and another ace but it was the bitter, hard fought semi-finals battle between katsuki and izuku’s team that was etched into everyone’s memory.

that lost cut katsuki deeply. it was his first time not making it to the finals and to see izuku winning it all was such a bitter feeling. he started to slipped as his obsession with beating izuku grew. his pitching became erratic and uncontrollable. his pitching staff and catcher doesnt know how to fix him. it all came to a head when he had to face izuku again in the regular season and ofc izuku knew right away something was off with him. katsuki's team lost that match up and after the game, izuku reached out with concern.

"it's your shoulder isnt it?" he asked as though he didn't already know.

katsuki rebuked him right away, but it burned in him that even with all these ppl surrounding him it's only izuku who noticed that his shoulder was the source of the problem. izuku knew him better than anyone even now. katsuki eventually had to tell the staff that he blew his shoulder in the offseason while training and it didnt heal right. so he was benched to recover but even when he did... it was like he wasnt ever the same again. his pitching was off, lacking its usual explosive speed and power.

his team started to use him less and less and they didnt even make it to the payoffs in DECADES. the loyal and fanatic fanbase turned against their star even tho it wasnt Katsuki's fault, pushing to trade him out for a better, newer, and younger pitcher as though there were anyone better than him but katsuki was considered old news and izuku was the new face of the league as he won a back to back championship and mvp title. so katsuki himself pushed to be traded off to another team so he can start over and prove to his doubters than be can reach to the top with ANY TEAM.

they send him to the bottom of the league--U.A. a team of troublemaker players who are all talented but eccentric enough that they cant fit anywhere else. with this new team who finds katsuki's abrasiveness interesting rather than annoyance or something they have to put up with, they start to make a sort of family out of these misfits and katsuki slowly learns to rely on his teammates and not take on the world just by himself because he may stand alone on that mound but his team got his back to make sure he would never fall. they're good for him and hes good for them!!

 though they still have much to learn about each other, but they managed to beat some of the top teams in the regular season with their sheer guts. even tho they didnt make it to the playoffs this season, katsuki didnt feel bitter at all he knows there's a next year and a next year. There’s hope still for them. they’re growing and improving with each win/loss. Losing DOESN’T FEEL LIKE A PERSONAL BETRAYAL ANYMORE. It’s a measure of one’s growth.

Izuku's team consistently outperformed everyone now that katsuki isnt posed as his rival because he's in a diff league (west vs east) now so they rarely meet up in the regular season but izuku misses that edge, that feeling of being cut by Katsuki's fastball, and to stand on same the field with katsuki but more than anything he wants catch Katsuki's pitch, to be a battery again with KATSUKI so TO THE SHOCK OF THE ENTIRE WORLD izuku didnt renew his contract with his 3x championship team but chose to sign up with U.A. at a heavily discounted price because he wants to win WITH katsuki!!

the thing is he'd been following katsuki all his life. katsuki was the one who taught him baseball, followed him into the lil league, middle school, high school, the pro, and then followed in his footsteps to take the champ, so it should be no surprise that he would eventually follow katsuki to his new team.

"aren't you tired of being in bakugou's shadow?" his general manager asks. "dont you want to stand separate from him? with us you can go so far, midoriya."

izuku shakes his head. "im not in katsuki's shadow. he's paving the way and telling me to hurry up and come to him."

it's always the case with them. katsuki runs and izuku gives chase, but somewhere along the way they both have to stop. U.A. is that destination and the day izuku arrives on u.a.'s homestand he feels it in air--the electricity, the tension, and new beginning.

katsuki's eyes are wide as he spots izuku standing on the field of his team. anger and bitterness flickers hot and heavy in his chest. he storms over to izuku and demands to know wtf is he doing here DOESN'T HE KNOW THIS IS KATSUKI'S TEAM? but izuku just smile, sweet and soft.

"i'm here to be your new catcher," izuku informs him, rocking happily back and forth on his heels.

katsuki bristles. "not happening," he hisses.

Izuku raises his brow. "why dont you try me out first then." he quirks the corner of his lips up in amusement. "or are you afraid?"

katsuki eyes narrow because izuku knows him. KNOWS WHERE AND HOW TO PUSH THEM. it's like back in the playoffs again when they're facing each other. katsuki can read him just as easily izuku can too and it made their battle exhilarating, like dancing on the edge of a blade but sometimes he wonder what if it would be like not to have izuku's blade pointed at him but have him at his back instead. he should know because they were that once. together as one and it was a pairing unlike any other. no other catcher clicked the way izuku had and to have that again.

Katsuki grits his his teeth and nods. "get your gear," he says, "and i'll show you who is the one you should be afraid of."

izuku is an excellent batter. strong grip, good shoulder and arm, and there's power behind his swing, but he's an even better catcher.

he got good eyes to see ppl's move before they even do it. it's how he was able to shut down other pitchers as a batter because he read them all like a book, spending hours going over their specialize pitches and habits but he has never find a pitcher that pitch the way he wants them to. only katsuki gives it to him because katsuki holds no barred when he throw, he puts everything on the line and izuku wants that. he earnestly wants to receive all of katsuki's feelings. like he had in their past. izuku steps back as he watches katsuki gets on the mound.

it feels so right to crouch down, his gloved hand forward to receive katsuki's balls, and the fire of katsuki's eyes on him the entire time.

"give me everything you got. your best yet," he orders over the field.

katsuki snarls. "shut the fuck up," he says, and throws.

the balls slide right into izuku's glove like the turn of a key, the fit of a jigsaw puzzle, like a pitcher and their catcher. perfect just like izuku's imagine it to be. the impact of it knocks izuku back but the ball is right in his glove. right where izuku wants him to throw.

izuku gets up and throws his gear to the ground as he races up toward the mound. he laughs because THIS FEELS GOOD, BETTER THEN WINNING THE CHAMPIONSHIP ALONE BECAUSE NOW THEY'RE GOING TO WIN THIS TOGETHER AND HE KNOWS IT. CAN SEE IT IN KATSUKI'S PITCH, CAN FEEL IT THE BALL IN HIS GLOVE

"that was beautiful kacchan! i knew you can do it because with you here with me, we can do anything, even conquer this entire world," he declares with a certainty that startles even katsuki. he's grinning so wide and proud like katsuki's pitch was made for him and--

katsuki reaches out and pulls him into a forceful kiss because he looks so beautiful it hurts to watch, because in the end it was always about them. deku. Izuku. he has been waiting for a long, long time for izuku to get here. to stand on the same field as him and to have izuku catch his pitch. even when they fought each other in the regular seasons and the playoffs, where one side always win and the other always lose, he thought one day they would both share the same fate, same side and katsuki and izuku will taste victory together. they can, and now they will.

[chaoticpete]

Forbidden Love

Stark!Peter x Osborn!Reader

Part 3

*This is a Romeo and Juliet AU*

Part 2

Summary: In modern day New York, there is two well known well known wealthy families/corporations, Stark Industries and Oscorp Industries. Both very big rivals and the heads of the families aren't very found of each other either. So what will happen when the two heirs to the company meet unknowingly falling in love with the enemy?

Ohshit!OHShit!OHSHIT!

That is all that’s running through your head as you finally put a face to the eyes you fell in love with at glance.

New York is a huge place! Full of guys! And you just had to fall in love with your father’s biggest enemy’s kid. 

Peter Stark.

You always thought he was cute, but seeing him in actual person was just...breathtaking. 

From where you sit looking up at him in shock, the sun is hitting him absolutely perfectly. The sun makes his brown eyes appear more golden. Light hitting his hair making it appear like a halo.

You see his lips obviously talking to you. Pulling yourself out of the trance you quickly gather your stuff and jump up. “I-I’m sorry b-but I have to go.”

Rushing out of the cafe you hear him calling your name, not Juilet, your actual name. So he recognized you too…

Peter stood there shocked as he watched you rush out of there, trying not to run into other customers. 

Y/n Osborn.

Peter shook his head not figuring out how he didn’t put it all together before. Sure he knew about the Osborn’s, his dad can’t stand him although he never told Peter the reason why. He knew about Harry and Y/n Osborn, how shes adopted.

Running his fingers through his hair he starts to head out when he feels that he stepped on something. Looking down he sees a small f/c wallet. Picking it off the ground he looks around to see if maybe someone was looking for it. But everyone looked relaxed enjoying each other’s company of being by themselves.

He opens it to see if maybe there is a way to identify who it belonged too. Of course. Looking back ay him was drivers license your picture. 

Peter feels his heart rate pick up when he looks at your picture. Most people’s pictures look kind of crappy but yours look like it just came out of a magazine. Your e/c look like they’re glowing, your smile was bright like you had received the greatest news in your life right before the picture was taken.

A soft smile makes its way across his lips as he watches the picture. He really wishes you haven’t run off so quickly. He knew he shouldn’t be but he was sad that you had left so suddenly. He was sad you recognized him. He was sad with who both of you guys’ parents were. He was sad that you guys came from so similar but yet so different worlds.

Speed walking back home, you try to wrap your mind around the past 24 hours. Shoving your key into the door you quickly rush in and close it leaning against it trying to catch your breath.

Sliding down the door onto the floor you quickly look around to make sure you were alone. You hear movement coming from the kitchen and Harry’s voice. Shit. Getting from the floor you rush upstairs just as he steps out. “Y/n? You’re back already?” you stop halfway and turn towards the older boy with a fake smile. “Um yeah, something came up so he had to leave, unfortunately.” 

Harry watches you as you shift your weight from foot to foot. “Sorry to hear that. Hopefully, you guys can hang out again soon. I saw how happy you were earlier.” “I hope so too.” You shoot him a quick smile and finish heading towards your room.

Closing the room door, you let the bag strap slide down your body and lay on the bed. Trying to collect your thought in your spinning mind.

A ding came from your phone and you hurry grab it thinking it was him. Hoping it was Rom-Peter.

Peter Stark. Son of Tony and Pepper Stark. The future owner of Stark Industries. Your father’s biggest rivals. You’re not even sure why they work in completely different fields. You cant help the disappointment that filled your chest when you see it wasn’t him.

In less than one day, you have completely fallen head over heels for a boy you knew your family would never approve of. 

You think about those soft golden-brown eyes that watched you closely, taking in every word that fell from your lips the night before, as if it was the last thing he would ever hear. The thin pink lips that revealed the most amazing laugh you’ve ever heard. You couldn’t help but wonder what other sounds can come out from between those lips. You feel your face get warm from the thought. That sharp jawline that can cut the strongest metal in the world. 

But the most important thing you’ve thought about is how he really listened to you. He wasn’t like other guys who just talked to you for your looks or just about what companies they would own one day or just wanted to get under your dress. He made you feel something no other boy ever has. In just the matter of one day…

Peter walks out of the elevator. You’ve been running through his mind the whole afternoon. Maybe he found your wallet for a reason. A reason to see you again. He hears footsteps running down the hall, small footsteps.

“Petey!” 

A small brown haired girl ran right into his leg. “Momo!” Peter lifts the young girl into his arms and big her a big kiss on the cheek. “I missed you,” Morgan says wrapping her little arms around his neck.

“You were gone for two days?” “That’s a lifetime for someone my age.” she expresses throwing her head back then looking back at him with a smile. Peter walks towards the catch and places her on it. “A lifetime huh? Well, I wonder how this would feel,” he asks starting to tickle the girl. Her cute giggles fill the room as she tries to escape her brother unleashed on her.

“Petey! Stoop!” She manages to get out laughter still erupting from her small body. Peter tickles her a bit longer before finally giving the child a chance to actually breathe. 

“Who’s the best big brother in the world?” “You” she manages to get out still getting over her giggle fit. “And don’t you forget it,” he tells her bopping her nose. “Where is everyone?” “Mommy is finishing a call and daddy is in the lab with Harley.” “Harley is here?” Morgan nods trying to push her hair out of her face. Peter chuckles at her attempt and pushes the piece of hair behind her ear. “How about I go talk to Harley for a bit and then maybe we can make some cookies okay?” 

Morgan’s face lights up at the mention of one of her favorite snacks. “Space cookies?!” Peter nods at the little girl and she squeals in glee. “I’ll be back okay?” “Okay!”

Peter gets back onto the elevator and presses the button to the labs. Maybe he can talk to Harley about this. He needs an outside opinion. His mind goes back to you. Your soft eyes, the secrets they probably hold. Your eyelashes brushing up against your cheek every time you looked down shyly. Soft looking skin taunting him, wanting to be touched. How your face will light up talking about an interest of yours.

The doors open and Peter heads to his dad’s lab seeing him and his best friend looking at something on the computer. “Hey.” He calls out opening the door after punching the code in. “Hey, Pete. How was your date?” Tony asks glancing up at his son before going back to the project at hand. Harley looks at his best friend wondering how he didn’t know about this “date.” “Uh, we had to cancel, unfortunately. Something came up for her. Dad, can I actually borrow Harley for a second. I need to ask him for his opinion about the new shooters.” “ Sure, I think we’re about done here. I should probably go check on Maguna soon anyway.” Peter quickly grabs his friend’s arm and drags him out. “Thank dad!”

The two boys head to Peter’s personal lab. “ Dude, what the rush? It’s just the web-shooters, we just upgraded them like two weeks ago.” “This isn’t about web-shooters.” 

The blonde-haired boy watches his friend confused. “Then what? I was in the middle of something.” “It’s about the girl I had a date with?” “Oh yeah about that. What girl?” 

Peter sighs sitting on a stool. “I met her last night at the gala.” “So shes rich?” Harley says nodding his head. Peter rolls his eyes. “Lemme finish. Harls, she’s the most amazing girl I’ve ever met. She’s caring for others, smart, funny, not a snub, and the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen in my life. Inside and out.”

Harley watches his best friend talking about the girl. They’ve been friends for years when Harley would spend summers at Stark Industries for an internship since he was 17. “I don’t see what the problem is Pete. If she’s everything and more you like, what’s the matter?” he asked clearly confused.

“Her name,” Peter says his brown eyes meeting Harley’s blue ones. “Her name?” What is it something old sounding like Mildred?” “No, her last name. She’s an Osborn. Y/n Osborn actually.”

Harley nods suddenly understanding what he meant. The Stark/Osborn feud has been going on for years before any of the kids were born.

“Now I see the problem.” “Yeah. I’m head over heels for this girl. I haven’t felt this way for anyone since Gwen.” Peter places his face into his hands. “Have you guys talked about this?” “She left as soon as she realized who I was.” “Have you tried contacting her since then?” “No, but I did find this.” Peter pulls the wallet out of his pocket.

“What’s this?” “Her wallet, she dropped it when she was heading out.” “Dude, you can use this to talk to her again.”

“I was thinking that but what if she doesn’t wanna talk to me.” “How did it feel when you guys talked last night.” “Amazing. It felt as if we knew each other all of our lives like the conversation just kept going and going.” “Then I’m sure she felt that too. If you’re worried about this I’m sure she is even more worried.” Peter nods thinking about what his friend is trying to say. “Yeah, you’re probably right.” “Arent I always.” 

Rolling his eyes he shoves the wallet back in his pocket. “Thanks, Harls. Now I have to go and be the amazing big brother I am and make space cookies with Morgan. “Space cookies?” “Its cookies made with chocolate M&Ms acting as peanuts and glitter acting as stars. You should come help us. You know you’re another big brother to her.” “Yeah, ill help. But only because of her. And text her tonight okay? You won’t regret it.”

A ding rings from your phone later that night. Romeo. He texted you, he actually texted you. ‘Hey, sorry about earlier’

‘No need to apologize. I was the one that left.’

A knock is heard from your door and you hit send closing up your phone. “N/n?” Harry asks opening your door a crack. “Yes?” he peeks in, giving you a soft smile. “You haven’t eaten anything all afternoon so I brought you a sandwich.” 

As if it was waiting on cue a sound came from your stomach indicating that you haven’t eaten in hours. Glancing at your watch you see that it is indeed almost nine at night. Harry walks in closing the door sitting next to you on the bed and handing you the sandwich. “So what’s up?”

You look from his confused taking a bite out of the sandwich. “What’s up?” “I know something happened earlier.” “I told you something came up…” Harry’s intense blue eyes bore into you e/c ones. “It something more than that. Y/n you’re a very understanding person. Always have been. Whenever plans will change you would go with it no matter how disappointing you truly are. So what really happened.”

You sigh putting down the sandwich, placing it on your bedside table. “Nothing really. He’s an amazing guy, the best actually. He actually listens to me, cares about my opinions and interests. He makes my heart beat so fast it feels as if it might bust of my chest and keep running on its own.” a sigh leaves your lips just thinking about him.

Harry watches as his baby sister goes on about this guy. He’s never seen her so happy before. He knew there are times when he’s a complete ass towards her. But he really does care. She actually really strong and can take care of herself but there’s a part of her, a hidden part that if touched upon she’ll crumble. But this boy. He brings light to her he hasn’t seen in a while.

“What’s wrong him then?” “Absolutely nothing that’s the thing.” “Then why so sad?” “Because I know daddy would never approve...and neither would you probably…” Harry raised his eyebrow. Who could that possibly be? “N/n, it would be hard to get dad’s approval on anybody but that impossible. Well unless its Sta-” Harry stops mid-sentence and looks at you who looks back on the ground. “...Its the Stark boy isn’t it?”

A slight nod leaves your head as you still look down at the floor. Sighing he pulls you close into his chest and rubs your arms. “I don’t know what to Hazbear. I never felt this way about anyone before.” “Have you guys talked about it.” “No...I ran away before he even got the chance to ask.” Running his fingers through his hair he thinks about it. “Talk to him.”

You pull away from your brother and look up at him confused. “You want me to talk to him?” “Yes. Obviously you really like him and he really likes you too if that him blowing up your phone for the past two minutes.” You glance at the phone seeing the notification light is on. “But first I have to meet him,” Harry says with a smile. With a huge smile, you pull the boy into a hug. 

“Thank you so much Haz.”

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[spiltscribbles]

Metamorphosis

Notes: This was written for the most wonderful, gorgeous and sweetheart babe in the history of ever!!! @omgcmere for her birthday! ILYSM sweetheart! Huge thanks to my babes @pastelle-pvnk and @bibliothesophfor reading over this for me!<3<3

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~A reblog is worth a thousand stars~

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I am free and that is why I am lost

-Franz Kafka

.-

Henry wakes up the day before classes of his junior year exhausted, hung over, and to a positively shit-eating grin that Pez is boasting while he gleefully pushes open the blinds like the sadistic fuck that he is.

“You’ve become a real tosser ever since making out with my sister last Christmas,” Henry informs him bluntly, stretching out slowly while looking around for his shirt until coming to the realization that the bloke from last night must’ve taken it while on the walk of shame.

Henry really tries his damndest not to think of his ass taking that walk.

“Ah Beatrice, my sun and stars.” Pez magnanimously throws Henry an old henley from his still unpacked suitcase. Tosser status withstanding, He’s still Henry’s best friend, has been ever since freshman year when they found solace in each other being the only two Brits in this entire university— well the only ones that matter, anyhow.

“Oy, did you wake me up at this godforsaken hour just to wax poetic about my sister of all people?” Henry grouses, padding over to their joint bathroom to brush his teeth, wincing only slightly at the already raucous chatter going on in the downstairs of their frat house.

“Believe it or not Haz, dealing with your temperamental arse actually wasn’t on my list to do today,” Pez crows, standing there all put together and fresh and well-rested. Like a fucking monster. “But we’ve got that meeting with the Dean of Student Affairs about the room situation for rush week, and we’re still in that debate with Chi Phi’s president over it.”

Henry glares  at the reminder, a spark of fury running down his spine, and perhaps an extra thudding to his heart, but Henry’ll studiously ignore that.

“God damn Alex Claremont-Diaz.”

“Only took you around three minutes to mention him today,” Pez perks with a knowing leer. “I reckon that’s a new record..”

“Get the fuck out, Pez.”

.-

Henry was seven years old when he realized that his family were the sort of folks that end up on magazine covers and the headlines of salacious talk shows— that his dad was a renowned movie star and his ma’s the cousin of the queen of England. Henry was fifteen years old when he first started to hate as much.  When a nurse assigned to his father's hospital room leaked his death before the doctor even had time to tell them, his damn wife and kids.

Henry was sixteen and lost at sea when Philip and the bloody queen herself sat down with him to tell him that his public presence required a certain sort of image, a  discrete sort of image. An image that didn’t condone printed scarves and lingering hands with the son of a Lord who was two years ahead of him in Eton. Henry was eighteen years old when he ran off to America and learned how to keep everything hush, hush,  becoming untethered to all the bull shit surrounding him.  When he was accepted to Yale, and joined a fraternity and tried his damndest to emulate some douchebag wanker in the likeness of Philip.

And you know what, it was all going as planned until Henry met the infuriatingly arrogant, and downright mesmerizing boy in the rival fraternity. The one with an upturned nose and such big brown eyes and a delicious sort of half grin when Henry challenges him on something, or keeps him on his toes. Though if Henry’s being frank, he likes it most when Alex is keeping him on his knees, when Henry’s mouth is full and Alex’s lips are preening and he’s spouting out a sort of cursed poetry with every flick of Henry’s tongue and bobbing of his head.

Though that’s irrelevant now in the light of day when they’re on opposing sides and Alex is smirking at him from across the way with such irresistible swagger, sporting Henry’s red t-shirt that brings out the specs of golden in his almost molten eyes.

Henry hates him.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” he calls out, just because he knows it makes Henry flush.

“The room’s ours, you prick,” Henry retorts, beyond mulish.

“It’s so cute when you get all flustered, Fox.”

“I’m not joking around, Alexander! That room’s been Alpha Delta Phi’s every opening week since the bloody eighties.”

“Don’t you think it’s time for a change in venue then?” Alex asks with an owlish blink, sliding lower in his seat so that his legs spread even further.

Oh fuck him. Fuck Alex Claremont-Diaz’s stupid cocky attitude and his stupid fucking face and so what if Henry just wants to just fuck him stupid. He can’t win just because Henry’s a weak, weak man.

“The room’s ours, Alex,” he warns lowly.

“You wanna prove it, pretty boy?”

Henry’s eyes flicker to the clock over the office door. It doesn’t technically open for another quarter of an hour, and they’ve worked with less time in even more compromising positions, so Henry doesn’t think twice when he tugs a very caught off-guard Alex into the bathroom down the hall, praying to God that there are no cameras around here.

“Woah there cowboy, didn’t get enough last night?” Alex grins, hands already down to unbutton Henry’s jeans.

“You’re fucking infuriating,” is all Henry says in answer, swatting Alex’s hands away before going down on his knees and tugging down the abhorrently orange basketball shorts Alex has on. God, if Henry actually cared he’d pull Alex aside and give him a lesson on what’s actually excusable to wear in public.

“Now why don’t you try to stay quiet for once,” Henry tells him in a hush, biting lightly on the skin of Alex’s inner thigh before kissing the spot in penance.

“Psha, you — erm, you like it when I’m loud.”

Henry doesn’t argue, isn’t in the mood to lie. Instead he takes him in slowly, tongue lapping around Alex’s tip and pushing down with precision.

“Ah, yeah H,” Alex blurts, about two octaves higher than his normal speaking voice, as his head hits the stall, a shaking hand curled in Henry’s hair while the other one is clenched tight around his shoulder.

Henry lets one of his hands wrap around the base of Alex’s cock as the other inches to Alex’s admittedly fantastic ass, wants this done quick and sloppy and to teach Alex a lesson that he can’t just win every argument by sitting around looking like some sort of brought to life Grecian statue.

“Henry— H,” Alex comes too close to whining, tugs harder on his hair and cants his hips forward. He at least has the decency to look sheepish. “You really need to calm down or I’m,” Alex falters right then, eyes going blown when Henry’s first finger dips into his asshole, hooking in deep before Henry takes a mouth full of him again. He repeats the action another two and a half times before Alex has to frantically tap on his head in warning, and Henry gets to stand up — more than a bit smug — smirking down at a boneless Alex who’s using the stall as his only support.

“I reckon while you clean up here, I’ll go speak with the dean on the behalf of Alpha Delta Phi,” Henry tells him, swiping his mouth with the back of his hand to get rid of the pre-cum still found there.

Alex’s brows hike up as he slowly realizes what Henry has done, breathless while he spews out a fuming, “Bastard.”

“Least you got a consolation prize love,” Henry goads, kissing him full on the mouth before adjusting himself and walking back out to the office.

Alpha Delta Phi gets the room just like they have for the past half century, and Alex fucks Henry senseless for the next week. Balance is restored.

.-

Henry thinks it’s important to note that this thing he has with Alex — well, it’s not even a thing, really. They’re fuck buddies, but no. That would imply that there is some sort of camaraderie found between them, when simply there just is not. It’s a thing of convenience, truly.

The fact of the matter is that they find one another ridiculously hot, but also can’t stand a prolonged conversation without feeling the burning need to wring the others neck by the end of it. They realized as much halfway through freshman year when they had the same English lit class and Henry had to be physically restrained by Pez when Alex was arguing against Henry’s point about Hemingway being oversaturated and a blowhard.

“He’s a classic,” Alex had charged, the snow of early February in New England cascading in his dark curls and catching in his long lashes.

“He’s only adored because he’s got a dick! Why don’t you read Austen or at least a man who has something to say!” Henry had fumed.

“Let me guess, you like Metamorphosis?”

“What do you have against Kafka?” Henry gaped, only just beginning to notice the others eyeing the pair of them. And yeah, it might’ve been bewildering how they’re arguing about literaries from centuries passed in the middle of a bonfire party, but people need to learn how to mind their own fucking business.

“Well dude, if we’re speaking about blowhards, he’s definitely the king of them,” Alex had snorted loftily, taking a swig of his spiked hot chocolate.

“Don’t call me dude,” Henry had sniffed, which made Alex squint at him, more than a bit amused.

“Okay, tell me, does Prince Douche do anything for ya, pretty boy?”

That was the first night Henry grabbed Alex by the collar and showed him what it meant to be an actual blow hard. And well….they never stopped. They didn’t stop the sniping at each other or the razor-tipped barbs being volleyed around, and especially not the fucking. Never the fucking.

But yeah, it’s not really anything, especially not the best thing. It could never be that. And not even just because his shitty family basically told him straight up that Henry could never actually come out in the public eye, Henry’s accepted that, has learned how to slink around those rules to live in some sort of happy purgatory. But the thing is, Henry’s just not a good boyfriend. He’s always too in his own head and he’s not really that attentive, and besides all that, Henry didn’t come to university to meet some bloke and live some gay romance story from the 1900s.

Henry’s here at university to get a degree, to become someone. He’s here because his father always told him to reach for the heavens, to do something beyond himself. Henry wants to be the next great literary, wants to write something that matters, that makes a difference. Something that’ll make Beatrice laugh with no more worry eclipsing the sound, and maybe even something that’ll bring the stars back in his mother’s eyes. Henry wants to say something that’s worth being said.

Henry doesn’t want to have anything getting in the way of that, preventing him from becoming someone important. But regardless, it’s not as if Alex has ever seen Henry as more than a good lay, has made it abundantly obvious throughout the year and a half  of their sleeping around. Most notably, that three month interlude when Alex began dating that boy from the student government, Liam whoever, at the end of last term. Though to be frank, Alex was always far out of Liam’s league, and the week that followed their breakup included some of the most dynamic and mind-blowing sex Henry’s ever experienced.

But that’s irrelevant.

Alex and Henry are only a last resort to one another, and it doesn’t have to mean anything more, it doesn’t have to be complicated, Henry hates it when things get complicated.

.-

Henry’s in the midst of editing his term paper on the impact that Woolf created in the discussion of gender in Orlando when he gets a text from Pez telling him to “stop being a robot.”  

Glaring, Henry ignores the text from Beatrice about David, and the email regarding alpha Delta Phi’s first charity function for this term, and the half dozen snapchat notifications from Alex alone. He instead moves to reply to Pez with a middle finger emoji before he’s accosted by a pair of hands wrapping around his eyes.

“Guess who?” an ever-amused and incredibly buoyant  voice asks.

“A prick?” Henry replies in a deadpan, making it so Alex cuffs him on the back of the head.

“Say dick you douche, you’re in America now,” he commands, taking a seat besides him in the almost empty top floor of the silent library.

“Fuck off,” Henry hisses, rubbing the tender spot. “And since when are you in the library this late?”

“You mean at three in the morning?” Alex says pointedly. “Never, because I’m normal and not a school-obsessed freakazoid like you.”

Henry sticks out his tongue in retaliation because he’s too groggy to come up with anything clever.

“And yet?”

“I’m a good person and dropped off a spare key to a brother who’s wigging out about a midterm,” Alex says, studying Henry with a peculiar amount of intensity. “Saw your pale ass haunting this place like a ghost and thought I’d bug you a little.”

“What is it?” Henry asks moodily, surprised at the lapse of silence that follows before Alex shrugs in answer.

“You’ve got some nasty circles under your eyes, white boy,” he says, not quite as crude as usual but Henry still glares in exasperation.

“So what? You got up in the middle of the night just to help a friend and criticize my looks?” Henry says with a huff, rubbing his strained eyes, only just starting to feel the exhaustion weighing heavy on his shoulders.

“I was at Nora’s place, so I was already up,” Alex says, unwittingly making it so Henry stiffens.

It’s not unusual for them to discuss each other's conquests, but it’s different when it comes to Nora. Henry knows that she and Alex had dated for a stint freshman year before the two of them  crossed paths. She’s a gorgeous and fierce computer sciences major with a minor in mathematics. There’s no way in hell that Alex isn’t still carrying a torch for her, which is fine and all, it’s not like Henry and Alex are anything beyond occasional hookups, but yeah— it still makes it so something uncomfortable is squirming right beneath the surface of his skin. And God does Henry hate it.

“How is she?” Henry asks evenly, ignores the way Alex is searing a hole into the side of his head while Henry adjusts the syntax of one of his topic sentences.

“Fine,” he says in the same detached sort of inflection. “You’re working on that paper for your gender lit class?”

“It’s due tomorrow morning,” Henry answers.

“Haven’t you been done with it for, like, a week?” Alex asks.

“Haven’t you heard that revising is the only way to get a decent paper?” Henry sniffs.

“Dude, I think you’ve edited enough,” Alex snorts. Everything always coming so fucking easy to him, it’s maddening. He’s gorgeous and charming and brilliant and he doesn’t even have to try. But worst yet, it’s not even a big deal to him. Even if he weren’t all those things he never had a family name to live up to, was never expected to be something he was not. Henry’s so fumingly envious but also so goddamn lost on him and  how it is he’s come to be.

“Alexander, is there a purpose for this ridiculous conversation?” Henry lets out a long-suffering sigh. “I really need to get back at this.”

“And what? Not sleep till tomorrow?” Alex snipes.

“If you don’t say anything worth my while in the next five seconds, I'm putting my earbuds back in and ignoring you,” Henry tells him point blank. “Five, four, three—“

Alex’s face goes a furious scarlet, jaw set, before he gets close enough that his breath skirts against Henry’s lips, and his hand finds its way to the front of his trousers.

“I’d really like it if you’d let me jerk you off right now.”

It's Henry’s turn to burn red.

“What?”

“Do I need to repeat myself?”

“We’re in public.”

“We’re in a dark library in the middle of the night and your weird ass always picks the corner surrounded by the shelves.”

“It’s always quietest,” Henry argues weakly.

“Bet we can change that,” Alex counters smugly.

Henry has already admitted that he’s a weak man, so he’s not surprised when Alex’s challenge actually works and he’s led to the most concealed corner with heated kisses and impatient grappling tugging him closer.

“You’re unruly,” Henry whines when Alex bites down at the hinge where the column of his neck meets his shoulder.

“And you’re really sexy when you’re all focused and nibbling down on that pen,” Alex leers, pulling himself and Henry out of their pants. “Really gets a guy imagining things.”

Henry swallows down, hard.

“What sorts of things?” He asks lightly.  

“You know H,” Alex croons,  gets a hand locked around each of them, knocking the breath out of Henry and making it so he’s gripping at the shelves, bracketing Alex on either side. “You get this little dent between your brows,” he leans forwards and nibbles against Henry’s neck once more. “’S the same one you get right before you cum.”

“Oh yeah?” Henry asks, pleads as he jerks into Alex’s hand, watching the moonlight dancing in his hair and tracing his strong features with a romantic sort of gentleness. Holy fuck, is he beautiful.

Okay, so Henry might’ve said that last part out loud, but he doesn’t even care because Alex’s grin goes lopsided, and he kisses the corner of Henry’s mouth and everything goes a blinding white when Alex strokes him over the edge.

“You are really something, Henry Fox,” Alex says in a voice that’s caught between befuddlement and a sort of wondrous intrigue. Henry can’t really reply though, feels heavy and sated and like he really wants to curl up with Alex. But that’s a ridiculous notion and Henry needs to get those thoughts out his mind or else this’ll all be ruined.

“You’re like an orgasm fairy,” Henry tells him in a yawn.

“I want that for my epithet,” Alex winks, gently pushing Henry’s overstimulated cock back into his briefs and zipping him back up. “I’m calling one of the vans if you want to join, our houses are the same way,”

Henry blinks, confused. “I can’t,” He tells him with a hint of irritation. “I’ve got to finish that paper.”

Alex frowns fully now, pinning him with a one-eyed squint.

“You look like you’re about to drop dead.”

“This’s how I always look after sex,” Henry contends, unconvincing to his own ears.

“You’re gonna run yourself into your own grave if you don’t give yourself a break,” Alex tells him, near fuming.

“Then that’ll be my own doing,” Henry says, steadfast.

“That’s fucking psychotic,” Alex hisses and Henry hates how he can’t understand why this, being here, being worth something greater than just a jumble of letters and familial connection, is so important to Henry.

“’S not your life to live,”  he shrugs, turning away from Alex.

“You don’t have to be the best to be worth anything, Henry,” he calls after him, cutting and cruel and careless.

Henry feels like he’s been caught out, like he can’t breathe. And how dare Alex, how dare he pretend that their situations are at all similar. Like there aren’t chasms separating them.

“Fuck you, Alexander.”

“I mean that’s all you ever want, isn’t it?”

There’s a sound like Alex kicking a chair but Henry doesn’t know for sure, refuses to turn around and check.

.-

It’s been two weeks since the library incident.

Neither of them has texted first, not even glancing in the other’s direction in the one class they share. And it’s good, it’s fine, it’s whatever. Henry’s never wanted anything more than a consistent fuck, and Alex has got dozens of options of incredibly pretty and incredibly smart and incredibly affable people just like him. He doesn’t need Henry and Henry doesn’t need him.

It’s fine.

“It doesn’t look fine, mate,” Pez tells Henry that Friday night with knit brows and a worried expression splayed out all over his face. Henry doesn’t answer in so many words, just tosses him the bird instead. “Right, good talk.”

“It’s nothing, Pez,” Henry insists, taking a drag of his joint and pretending that it helps.

“Then come to the party with us tonight, yeah? It’s Spencer’s birthday and I know he’d be a total mess if you actually tagged along to get drunk with us commoners.”

Henry glares with feeling but accepts the offer merely to prove his point that whatever happened between him and Alex means nothing.

Admittedly, that notion might’ve been thrown out the godforsaken window when the party goes into full swing and Henry finally catches sight of Alex near the beer pong table, laughing with Liam of all fucking people.

They look happy, happier than Henry’s ever seen him.

Henry feels cold all over.

He doesn’t know why he’s acting like this, doesn’t understand the reason why his stomach’s twisting into knots and his veins are spiking with a truly awful emotion and why his ribcage has cracked open, screaming at Alex, telling him to notice, to look at Henry, to see that he’s here, dammit. To see that Henry’s here and whole and has so much to give him even if it looks like the contrary.

Henry doesn’t understand any of it, so he ignores the feelings and races up stairs to his room, crossly slamming his door shut and cursing at his own stupidity.

Like he does whenever he’s overwhelmed, Henry grabs for one of the novels lining his shelf and gets lost in the fictitious lives penned in black and white, lives far away from his reach, lives that Henry could get lost in studying and forget his own for only a little while. It’s what he did when Bea and Philip were doing grown up things and he was stuck at home all alone. What he did for days on end in the hospital room, reading to his father while he faded away bit by bit. It’s what he did to forget the fact that his own brother wants him to hide himself in all his varieties of light.

It’s the one constant in Henry’s life and he does it now, gets lost in the words and tries to forget the throbbing to his own heart.

It’s the first time it doesn’t work.

.-

Henry doesn’t know how much time passes when his door creaks open and he looks up to a face he put to memory long ago, even if he pretended otherwise.

“Alexander?”

“Cinderella,” he grins, slow and warm like molasses. “‘How cruel, your veins are made of ice water, and mine are boiling.’”

Henry’s heart feels like it’s just lodged into his throat, his eyes never leaving Alex’s own.

“Excuse me?”

“Wuthering Heights,” he says nonchalantly with a one-armed shrug while stepping closer into the room and pushing the door shut. “It’s your favorite book to read when you’re overwhelmed.”

Henry’s lips pinch, sitting up completely now, regarding Alex fully. “Is that right?”

“Mhmm. You like Sense and Sensibility when you’ve done well on a paper. And you have a secret copy of Little Women stuffed under your bed for whenever Bea messages you and you begin to miss her.”

“Don’t tell me you’re a stalker, Alexander,” Henry says, pretending that the butterflies swarming in his belly are just from nerves of speaking to him after so long and not from the pleasure of him knowing Henry without his evening realizing it.

“You’re not that difficult to figure out, Fox. I’ve told you: you’re just a bimbo with great legs and an accent that makes people think you know two shits about anything.” Alex flops stomach first on Henry’s bed, his head resting up against Henry’s thigh. It’s against Henry’s will when his hand moves forwards to card through Alex’s mussed curls.

“Charming, you’re truly so charming, Alexander. Do you know that?” Henry says blithely.

“The newspapers call me charismatic,” he smirks airily, making it so Henry can’t help but snort.

“Prick.”

“Says the guy who ghosted me,” Alex counters.

“The phone works both ways, love,” he says condescendingly, hating how something golden and splendid is coiling somewhere deep inside of him, merely to due with Alex’s presence.

“Pfft.” Alex gets up now so that they’re face to face, brown eyes boring into blue. “Do you know what you told me after the first night we slept together?”

Henry doesn’t have the slightest clue, so he just shrugs helplessly. “You’ve got a good mouth?”

“Shut the fuck up, you ass. I’m being serious.”

“So am I?”

“You called me a fucking distraction,” Alex hurls, like it’s been something that’s been clawing against him for a while now, itching to be spoken, clacking against his teeth and finally pouring out with vengeance. “You said you had to do well in your studies and you didn’t need a distraction.”

Henry furrows his brows, confused to the point he’s trying to make.

“And you agreed, if memory serves me well,” He says defensively.

“Yeah, because I wasn’t about to be rejected by some rich, pretty boy.”

“I hope you thought a bit more of me than that,” Henry teases, inches closer to him so that the tips of their fingers touch on the bedding.

“You also have a truly remarkable shoulder-to-waist ratio.” Alex shrugs, and Henry knows he’s trying to be a shit, but he still preens. Likes the reminder that Alex is just as much into him as he is Alex.

“I don’t see what’s wrong here.”

Alex shoves at Henry’s forearm, hard.

“The problem, you prick, is that for some fucked-up reason I was actually into you, like a lot.”

Henry’s head swings up from where it was lazily gazing at Alex’s lips, waiting for a chance to kiss them.

“Like truly into me? Like you want to go steady and out on dates and spend the night in my bed?”

“I mean, whatever the non-old man sounding equivalent of that is,” Alex tacitly agrees, head cocked like he’s trying to parse out Henry’s own feelings.

And for his part, Henry can’t believe what he’s hearing, what Alex’s saying, what he’s confirming. This must be a dream, a figment of Henry’s imagination. Stuff like this doesn’t happen to him, they happen to the protagonists of his favorite stories, not real life.

“Wh—What? Why?”

“Dude, that’s what I’ve been asking myself for the past year and a half,” Alex gripes, rocking back; Jesus fuck, he’s nervous. He’s just admitted all his feelings like that and he’s waiting for Henry to either confirm or shoot him down. Henry’s the one with the upper hand here, and it’s awful.

Holy fuck.

“You—you said you liked me,” Henry says tentatively. “But now, do you—erm, ahem,” Henry coughs awkwardly, and Alex is gracious enough to answer the unspoken query.

“I didn’t break up with Liam last semester because he didn’t root for the Cowboys, dumbass.”

“Oh,” Henry blinks, befuddled, which makes Alex roll his head back so fiercely that Henry’s afraid he might strain something.

“I broke up with him because I’ve got this massive, irrecoverable, disgusting thing for this blonde prick. A douche who puts too much on his shoulders and tries to prove something to someone who isn’t even here, and who is so goddamn dense that I have to spell my feelings out to him like he’s actually a frat bro instead of just pretending to be.”

Henry feels himself going scarlet, feels it how his heart blossoms with wanting, unrestrained and painful in its ferocity.

“But Nora?”

Alex’s face goes blank, and then a sickly green color. “Dude, why are you bringing my sister’s girlfriend into this?”

“Wait—You’re not? I thought you still had a, erm—a thing for her?”

“She’s not the one I just gave a Twilight-level cringe speech to, is she?” Alex harrumphs, crossing his arms and scowling at a point over Henry’s shoulder.

“So, you really like me?” Henry asks hopefully.

“I swear to God, Fox: if you don’t tell me how you feel in the next five seconds I’m going to—“

Alex stops speaking right then, is interrupted by Henry’s slamming lips and desperate palming and long limbs tangling into one another.

“You’re a monster,” Alex pants once Henry’s lips finally unlatch from his and Henry’s almost tearing off his shirt.

“I can’t believe you actually want this,” Henry says in contrary. “I’m a mess, you do realize as much, don’t you?”

Alex looks endeared when he smiles, shrugging helplessly. “I like messes.”

Henry can’t help the laugh he lets out, relishes when Alex finally gets a good hold of him and lays him back so that they’re pressed skin to skin and he’s spouting out nonsense about Henry’s eyes and mouth and dick, each point punctuated  with a kiss across Henry’s protruding collarbone, helps him shed off the last of his clothing.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous,”Alex marvels, making Henry’s cheeks redden and causing him to hide it by kissing along Alex’s jaw.

“I’ve liked you for so long,” Henry can admit in the blanket of night, is soft when he slants their lips back up against each other, back arching when he feels Alex pressing inside of him, stretching him out. He’s always so gentle with Henry, even before this was supposed to mean anything. But, holy fuck, who’s he kidding––this has always meant something, even when Henry pretended otherwise.

“You’re the most stubborn fuck I’ve ever met,” Alex tells him, making it sound like an exaltation. “You always had your mind set, know exactly where you’re gonna go.”

Henry groans when Alex puts in the second slicked up finger, followed quickly by the third.

“Ah-Alex, ‘Lex, please.”

“You’re so smart and beautiful, and you have such a good heart.” Alex just keeps on talking, only stopping occasionally to pepper a kiss on a spot around Henry’s face.

Henry feels his eyes prickle with wetness, knows that it’s a combination of feeling so much and feeling so exposed, so open in Alex’s eyes.

“You’re amazing, sweetheart,” Alex whispers, kisses the tears away before he lines up and thrusts into him, something this side of painful with the first couple canting of the hips, until he hits that miraculous point that makes Henry’s insides go feral and something ferocious unfurl within him.

“Alexander, please. Please, love, please,” Henry pleads, hands scratching against Alex’s back and head tossed with yearning.

“You’re so good, so perfect, Henry,” Alex says like an oath, pushing deeper and harder into him, biting down on Henry and making him shout as he cants his hips up to meet each of Alex’s own.

Alex is spouting out a new round of praises towards Henry’s brilliance and butt and beauty and Henry can hardly handle it, feels the white streaks landing on his belly right before Alex begins speeding up in a graceless round of thrusts, finishing  with a blown out expression, slowly pulling out and tossing the condom to the trash bin beside the bed.

He collapses half on top of Henry but he doesn’t mind, moves slightly so that the blanket is covering the both of them and kisses Alex’s shoulder tenderly.

“I think I might love you,” he whispers, snuggling closer to Alex.

“Good,” he yawns, slings an arm around Henry’s torso and curves against him. “Makes us even.”

.-

Next week Henry calls Philip and tells him to kiss his ass, and that he doesn’t have to prove shit to anyone.

“You’re sexy when you’re mad,” Alex tells Henry when he hangs up.

“You always think I’m sexy,” Henry sniffs loftily.

“Guilty as charged.” Alex shrugs, pulls up to kiss him senseless once more, making everything go delirious.

[qyu-inactive]

MY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ABOUT OUTTAKES 16-18.5 BECAUSE I HAVE SO MANY

We have been blessed with 3.5 glorious new parts to the wonderful Losty Aone/ Mountain Man Series by the wonderful, amazing, awe-inspiring @shhhlikeme and i am emotional and have many many feelings about it all.

Outtake 16 

I love that we got to see this from the reeader’s point of view, it was nice to see our losty y/n and see how their feeling. It was a nice break from feeling sad about Aone’s broken heart.

This part made me laugh ahaha

After dating and breaking up with him, Aone had females constantly approaching him. A/N: Not constantly but it felt that way for you ofc lol

the jealously😂, the Author’s note too like “it wasnt like that at all” 😂 this emotional person (y/n) is just  blowing up the situation. 

and then this:

In other words: They want what you had. 

i mean of course they would, Aone is the sweetest boy but only to someone he loves. Aone’s heart is too strong to let waver to someone knew so quick

This whole outtake all i could think about was that Y/n really needs to get back with her mountain man, first they want to break up so Aone finds someone new but then doesnt want him to find someone new. Like cleary y/n is not being honest with herself or Aone. 

When they went to the library, ahhh y/n really just imagining the worst scnenarios in their head😂

“Oh,” your stomach flipped. “He looks so cute.” You put on a 🥺 face when you noticed how utterly adorable a standing Takanobu looked

🥺🥺🥺 Aone is always such a cutie, and y/n really broke this man’s heart😭 I know it was insecurites but still. These two are so in love but just wont get back together. 

The outfit y/n is wearing😍 you always pick these really cute and sexy outfits and I appreciate y/ns confidence and style but it is not me 😂😂 but Aone thirsting over his girl tho, i would dress up like that if it meant getting looked by Aone like that 😂

I love Aone’s plan, like he is such a sweetheart and he’s making me all soft at all his effort to win his girl back🥺🥺

This outtake really gave up all the feels y/n is feeling with breaking up with Aone and I am enjoing it 😂. At the same time though I just want these to love birds to get back together ahhhhh. 

One of the things I really love about this story is how strong the friendship is and how we see the outside characters really show how much they care. A lot of stories (like shojou, oh man you dont know how much shoujo manga ive read haha) just sideline their friends after the start talking to their love interest or they dont even have friends at all in the whole story. I really enjoyed seeing Katana be a voice of reason in our losty’s life. And of course the K_nji’s being our boy Aone’s best friends. 

Outtake 17

okay we starting with the real friends the K_nji’s warning our boy Aone about the situation. I love them and how much they care 😂. They can be dumbasses but still, I appreciate their effort. 

The University—our University— sent her a uniform that’s a size or two too small.

Does this mean they’re going to the same university? or am I reading too much into it? It might have been mentioned before but I cant remember off the top of my head. Also Aone really living his best life and his worst life rn 😂😂  like he gets to see his girl in a super tight cheer leading uniform and spend one on one time with her but he cant do anything about his desires. His confidence tho haha  “I’ve seen Y/N in a cheerleading uniform before” not like this you havent😏 

Aone Takanobu can truly say—if he could speak—that he will never even question Futakuchi again.

Again I just really love their friendship, parts like this really get me 😂😂😂

When y/n took out Aone’s jacket automatically🥺🥺 my hearttttt, and how long Aone’s jacket is on them🥺🥺 this whole part made me so softtt. Like imagine wearing his jacket🥺🥺 it would be so comfy and warm. 

There are so many golden lines I loved from this part, but Aone’s spank bank is just a phrase I wasnt expectng to read but it is gold. Im sure his bank is full and loaded😂

Then some random gross guy comes up to y/n, like the audacity of this guy.

He had such a disgusting grin on his face

🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮 this guy can back offfff. 

I really love when Aone comes in to protect the reader🥺🥺 he’s not the iron wall for nothing too. 

Your knight has arrived. Your ex-knight. ☹️

and then you go and hurt me again😭😭

I really wanted Aone to just kick a dude in the chest, like step the fuck off 😂😂. 

“Take one more step toward her.” Aone growled in the smoothest voice.

“I dare you.” Aone added, for good measure.

Im absolutely swooning, Aoneeeeee🥺🥺🥺. And the fact that he wanted the reader to come with him so she wouldnt get anyone bothering her😭😭 he’s such a gentlemen. No one bothers Aone’s girl whose not his girl at the moment, especially guys who arent wanted

now onto the fun part of this outtake😏 I wasn’t expecting to see texts but it was definitely a nice addtion!! Our poor Aone soo horny and sweet, I dont know if the dead squirrels worked hahaha. 

but he couldn’t help but wonder how he was going to edit all of this together in the time frame he promised he would with only one hand.

this went over my head when i read it the first time omg😂😂😂 Im sure Aone can do it, he’s a very capable man. This whole section had me laughing but also feeling slightly bad for Aone, again his poor horny heart right now is conflicted but very much fed. Im glad he was able to get a break, I dont think his length could wait (im not used to using subtle language hahaha) anyway this whole part was fun to read. 

Aone bit his juicy bottom lip,

I legit bit my lip just before reading this part😂

Outtake 18 & 18.5

Now we’re hitting the climax!! (after Aone just hit his climax and is about to hit again😗)

—who imo really should return to their own homes now but would rather not—

I mean do these two even have their own homes anymore😂, theyre basically apart of the Aone family now. Family who also understand when to leave their horny pal alone for time being. 

OKAY ONTO THE IMPORTANT PART!!! AHHHHHHHH. 

“Aone-senpai, do you even have snapchat?!”

“Obviously not.” Kenji answered for his friend, being snappy.

“WELL HE SHOULD GET IT BECAUSE I SAW—“

Did Kanji see Y/N and Takeru?????? I also cant believe I learnt Takeru was a third year from this series, I always thought he was a second year for some reason. I think cos he was ennoshita’s rival. not important rn lmao

“—because Aone-senpai is jacking off again. It makes you feel lighter, and happier—so that’s why,”

this boy, there are some things you just shouldnt say out loud. Some things can be left unsaid (not like im blunt with my friends sometimes haha but still) 

When Kenji had found out about why y/n dumped Aone😭😭😭😭 I’m glad he found out earlier then Aone, I wouldnt have wanted him to yell at the reader again.

Anyone that can do that, be so selfless—is good enough for his best friend.

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

“I can tell its her because that’s your sweater she’s wearing. Right? It says Takanobu on the back, and I remember seeing Y/N steal it out of your bag after practice once.”

🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺these parts really just made me soft. like the fact that y/n still had the jacket and wanted to wear it out. and the absolute coincedence that they were in the same cinema as Aone. 

“Y/N.—Sh-She-She is wearing my attire. What does that mean?”

Yeah, big guy.

Yeah, you have a chance.

Y/N still has a little….tiny bit of feelings for you

YES YES YES FINALLY , I wanted to cry here😭😭 AND THEN KENJI CONFIRMED IT ALL AND AONE THE MAN WENT AND TRIED TO GET HIS GIRL. THIS REALLY IS THE DRAMATIC PART IN THE MOVIE. AND THEN THIS [redacted] TAKERU CAME AND AHHHHH 

(Aone would know that face, he only saw it everyday he’s looked in the mirror for the past 3 years)

Absolutely dead. All hope—gone.

You make me happy and then just rip out my heart like 2 minutes later. I was going from crying happy tears to sad tears in like a heartbeat. 

ALSO YOU DONT KNOW HOW UPSET I WAS WHEN I GOT TO THE END OF PART 18 I DIDNT REALISE THERE WAS 18.5 AND WAS AFRAID THAT THIS WAS IT AHHHHHH. I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO PLAY WITH MY FEELINGS THEN JUST LEAVE. 

“I’m worried about you.” She finished, looking more serious than you’ve ever seen her.

y/n really has some good friends with her🥺

uhhh then Takeru comes in, I dont really hate him but no one stands in between our losties love, they deserve each other and no one can stand between them. 

“But, tonight, if you need a shoulder to cry on, I’m just one theatre over… Okay? I have a pretty comfortable shoulder, so just text me.”

Okay this was pretty nice of Takeru, like cheesy but at least he cares and isnt staring at y/n like a peace of meat he wants to devour...

You sent it. Received a response within seconds saying he was on his way.

This boy, hes got a good heart but this isn’t your story bud, im sorry.

There! Kenji-san and Koganagewa-san, two males who were looking at you and Takeru as if you two were the villains in the movie that just popped out of the screen.

if this doesnt go well these two seem like they’re going to fight y/n outside the cinema😭😂 I couldnt imagine getting death stares from the K_njis especially after hurting Aone basically twice now.

Finding HIM was all that mattered.

OKAY THIS WHOLE PART, LIKE YES GO GET YOUR MAN PLEASE. LIKE Y/N CANT JUST LEAVE THIS RIGHT HERE LIKE THIS. 

white hair visible only because his head was down, forehead kissing the steering wheel, his shoulders vibrating slightly because he is crying. It’s him.

I cant take anymore sad Aone😭😭 He needs the biggest hug and his girl to be his girl again. He has gone through so much.

“Kenji-san, please leave me—““Not Justin Bieber look-alike!”

I cant with the Justin Bieber look-alike. 😂😂

Im just going to talk about my feelings for this part, but the whole confesson. I felt like crying, i feel like crying now reading it😭 it was just so beautiful. Like y/n explaing everything and saying Aone is the only man she’ll ever love. Throughout the series we really go to understand Aone’s feelings so deeply and how passionate he is but we didnt really get to see how y/n felt as much so reading this made me happy for Aone for the fact that his girl loves him as much as he loves her. They really were lost for each other, lost with out each other, but together they were 

Found.

okay maybe im tearing up now😭😭

One more marathon to go and our happy couple can live happily. The fact that this story is nearly over is a little sad but I’m happy our losties found each other. Im thinking since the next parts will be the last I’ll talk about overall themes I liked and my favourite moments as well. 

[mooncircuses]

in sweet magnolias my gay ass cannot stop seeing the rivals to friends to lovers au play out and i may be overanalyzing but jackson and tyler? fuckin. thats not straight...if u are rivals and hate each other why do u interact in the ways u do...look at each other like that??? sacrifice things like that..

jackson is not a great person. some stuff he does i think can be argued was a way to help tyler but still be the annoying rival/teammate there. and in general we know they care abt each other, its just not addressed into anything more than their rival status between them.

personally i think jackson is in deep w internalized homophobia and i think its a common trope with asshole gay jocks in media and the backstory they’re creating for him. it makes sense. he has a bad family life, he doesnt feel good enough, he’s constantly compared to tyler (..and yet still is attentive to his feelings even if he’s the one making him angry/upset/etc.) its a hard dynamic to work through since theyve been rivals since they were babies. theres the overarching forbiddenness of being anything with each other..other than rivals bc of the parent history bc rivals is what’s “expected” of them. i think.

i mean. i hope im not reading into this because it could become a really great storyline esp sine the writing on this show and the small things in the acting and directing are so meaningful. i know annie and tyler are the ship thats common right now, and i honestly see them as nothing but sibling relationship. he never has fondness on his face when he looks at her. it is literally the protective older brother look/check in that he has taken upon himself (for who know how long, but at least since his dad left). its not romantic with her and its clearly not romantic with cece. why is he still with her if the things with annie already blew over? i think cece’s a beard. not necessarily intentionally but maybe intentionally. even though his character is allowed to dismiss toxic masculinty in areas (which, amazing to show that) it doesnt mean he doesnt have internalized homophobia. and the way this town is close knit and everyone knows everyone and u probably marry high school sweethearts and everyone talks abt what’s different, being gay for sure would make people gossip (bad or good) when its not their info to share. so cece is on his arm kinda as backup? or failsafe in case someone is getting close to finding out he’s gay? we can see this: when jackson comes to tyler and gets very very touchy and flirty and stares in his eyes and they both glance at each others lips, tyler pushes jackson and gets touchier with cece (more than we’ve literally ever seen). and he then goes on the defensive bc he is sick of jackson coming in between him and cece and in general, tyler’s own life. (hmm?).

anyway! jackson could get a redemption arc. i think he should. his outright rude meanness should not be excused though. if the show makes a relationship out of that without talking its not a healthy one. we see the harsher banter between them but its still banter-they laugh in the interactions, smile, its not a problem. but jackson does do stuff and says stuff that creates way more harm than he probably realized and its why he’s so lowkey in those situations and is still smiley and sometimes continues. yes, jackson wants attention and a reaction. and this needs to be addressed because he cant ever be redeemed if he doesnt change. the banter is fine, but the “taking it too far and not realizing exactly what he’s done before its too late” is not. and i have hopes of jackson’s character being developed more because if he’s just here to show how tyler deals with things, they didnt need to make a backstory abt them or make jackson the person that is showing us how tyler is dealing with things- they couldve made random players, other characters, or even jackson as not the only one. which makes jackson stand out at this point and they gave him backstory so i dont think he’s just a plot device character like a lot of the characters are.

also... i love rivals to friends to lovers aus with my entire soul bc when theyre actually done properly and followed through on they are always amazing because it forces gradual building and doesnt skip steps and actually develops the characters in depth (both!!) and their feelings for each other too (it has to, and with this build it is realistic even though not everyone falls in love this way..it forces the writers to showcase an actually good relationship bc they have to spend time on it). so. it seems like thats whats being set up because why else would they create a rivals characters with complex relationships with each other if they werent going to turn it into anything more?

[lansizhuis]

Hello! I’ve been seeing a lot of tweets on twitter regarding “Guardian” and was wondering if you could tell me whether that’s a novel or show? I’ve seen a show version I think, but I doubt it’s the same one everyone’s talking about. Thank you in advance, you’re always of great help!

Am I ashamed to admit these asks made me get out of bed so I can get to my laptop and answer this while feeling the keys as I cry over how much I love Zhenhun/Guardian and weilan??? nope

BASIC DETAILSZhenhun/Guardian (i will mostly refer to is as zhenhun) is one of Priest’s (a popular danmei writer) early works dating back 2012 - so it is, originally a novel. It got a live action adaptation last year summer of 2018.

DRAMA/LIVE-ACTIONDue to loads of censorship issues (got pulled out after ep 6 then back again then pulled out for a while when it ended then back again) especially since Zhenhun’s canon story revolves around gods, ghosts, REINCARNATION (pls tell me you felt my tears there), and the like then this was completely scraped off and made way to some mutant/alien thing. OKAY tbh I haven’t met anyone who went to the drama for the plot hahaha I’m gonna go ahead and say it - plot is sht (understandable w/ censorship concerns but still), ending is sht (so bad that priest had to write a mini fix it in her 4th extra about it), cgi is sht (this one was bc they originally had a very rich company sponsoring them hence the amazing OSTs aka pre-prod stuff but then the company went bankrupt whelp soooo), etc. WE ALL STAYED BECAUSE OF WEILAN. Zhu Yilong (played Shen Wei - left in blue suit) and Bai Yu (played Zhao Yunlan - right in uhh rugged clothing lol) had such amazing chemistry!!! They seriously couldn’t have found a better pair to have portrayed our main pair!!! Let me fangirl for a bit bc I love them sfm and I thank their ancestors for reproducing. 

And sooo quick facts:

Zhu Yilong: a bit shy and gentle but was actually a delinquent student in the past and he’s super strong af like he does muay thai, boxing, and in short he can snap us in half despite his super duper beautiful face (his face was like made by god as a personal project while mine was passed down to an intern - that’s the hierarchy around here)

Bai Yu: rowdy af bb pls sit still for a moment but was actually a model student who did archery, calligraphy, etc in the past and lol he’s actually weak af don’t let the facial hair fool you hahaha he has delicate looking hands and fans have noted his thin af arms and very noticeable slim waist (bai yu w/o facial hair: literal babey // bai yu w/ facial hair: UNCLE)

Lemme just throw in some of my fav stuff of them:

shen wei at episode xx with an in-love look: this must be.....brotherhoodme, behind my screen: BINCH NO???????

lol that even their script (and da qing) cant handle them

ALSO the producers and staff AND both zhu yilong and bai yu read the novel and worked around the  censorship issue really good like that part where zhao yunlan changes his hairstyle midway-ish of the show bc usually when a woman marries, they change their hairstyle so yeah tiny things like that

fans: ugh cant believe weilan cant get married in the dramaharper bazaar photoshoot: we got u fam

It has 40 episodes and ngl I ended up ff so many things starting ep 25 unless my dads were on screen. Oh, and you can watch it HERE. ANYWAY i have to shut up about them now so i can continue on to the most important part aka.....

THE NOVEL*breathes in* I binged the novel so fast it rivaled my MDZS reading hence this is how i know im as obsessed lmao It’s currently being translated HERE by rainbowse7en. THE NOVEL IS EXTREMELY SUPERIOR IN ALL ASPECTS IM GOING FERAL!!!!!!! The novel is waaay more intense and darker and tbh I’m still crying over the fact that Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu could have definitely done novel version had it not been for censorship issues bc they’re that good! 

Okay, anyway, back to the novel so quick summary is that gods of the past existed, there’s hell and afterlife whom the Special Investigations Department (SID) deals with and the chief of that unit is Zhao Yunlan. There’s a lot of supernatural and fantasy elements here which is kind of a spoiler if I discuss so I’m letting that go. Anyhow, so any case that’s supernatural is given to SID and we open with a case in a university where *drum roll* Professor Shen Wei is teaching. And so our pair meets and we get intense emotions from Shen Wei who obviously has deep affections for Zhao Yunlan but won’t get close to him. Thing is, Zhao Yunlan is a shameless SHAMELESS VERY THIRSTY man (canonically bi lol) who’s out for this very beautiful Professor Shen. 

One of the things about Priest is you get a challenging time who’s the top and who’s the bottom and I was speculating the entire time and yet only getting “;)” responses from my friends who’ve read it before me. Not gonna say much but when it got revealed who was who I LOST IT HAHAHAHA im still laughing about it tbh. THERE’S FOUND FAMILY FEELS FOR SID!!!!!! they’re so dysfunctional and are easily ordered around by Zhao Yunlan when he threatens to cut off their bonus. Every single SID member fantasizes on beating up their shameless boss and tbh I sympathize haha But heyyy, they also love and care for each other. AND YOOO DA QING IS A CAT!!!!!!! i love cats and esp with how he deals with his “useless master” aka our shameless chief is funny af i love their brotp the most!

A disclaimer on my end - as this is one of Priest’s older works, I feel like the explanation on what happened in the final showdown part is lacking. I talked about it briefly HERE regarding the angst of the novel and I still stand by what I said there. It was mostly funny for me when I read it bc Zhao Yunlan’s thirst is an entity of its own. And since a lot of you here already know, I’m a weaksht and cant handle angst so rest assured that anything I recommend has a happy ending~ 

BC IM SHAMELESS - i had my drama livethread HERE + novel livethread HERE + listen i love weilan sfm i gotta put small novel thoughts HERE

*****

If you’re a visual person like me, I suggest you watch the drama first or even select episodes (again, as I said I’m very bad at watching dramas bc i always fall asleep so at the latter half i ended up doing loads of ff esp since it’s barely useful in the novel). Here’s what’s non-negotiable - if you’ve watched the drama, you can’t not read the novel! It’s extremely waaay better! It fed me the reincarnation trope I thirsted for (im still shaking FIVE THOUSAND YEARS!!!!! and that shen san extra ahhhhhhh) and weilan’s characterization yoooo esp for Shen Wei whom we get to see is [redacted] and yet no matter what Zhao Yunlan would always [redacted]!!! istg this is the abriged version of my thoughts hahaha

[wtfaries]

‘   ⋆   ›  (   jack gilinsky  ,  he/him  ,  cismale  ,  twenty one  )  did  you  see  (  ANTHONY “ARIES” CARPENTER  )  getting  out  of  the  car  this  morning  ?  the  (  JUNIOR  )  is  staying  in  (  KAPPA SIGMA  )  this  year  ,  and  it  won’t  be  shocking  to  hear  (  MURDER ON MY MIND )  blasting  from  their  room  .  don’t  know  how  they’re  gonna  have  time  to  study  for  their  (  CRIMINOLOGY )  degree  when  they’re  busy  enough  with  (  BASEBALL / KAPPA SIGMA PRESIDENT )  ,  and  sneaking  off  to  (  ALPHA SPADES  )  when  the  clock  hits  two  .  lets  hope  they  don’t  stir  up  any  trouble  this  year  ,  considering  they  have  a  reputation  of  being  (  -  ELUSIVE  )  ,  but  (  +  EMPATHETIC  )  at  the  same  time  .  two  faced  if  you  ask  me  .  oh  well  ,  happy  studying  to  them  .  (  STRAINED SLEEPING SCHEDULES  ,  DARK CIRCLES PURPLED UNDER YOUR EYES , WHITE KNUCKLES AND BITING YOUR TONGUE    )  +  (  layla  ,  23  ,  she/her  ,  est   )  

i’m  here  &.  i’m  queer  &.  ready  to  plot  !  so  here  is  my  *pinches  the  bridge  of  my  nose*  unconfrontational  coward  of  a  boy  !  what’s  he  doing  in a  gang  ?  idk  !  if  you  find  out  hmu  ,  we’ll  chat  .  but  on  the  real  ,  he  is  real  conflicted  and  will  reflect  that  into  his  actions  so  if  you  can  dig  it  ,  just  check  down  below  for  more  !  

◟∗ ⋅     BACKGROUND. 

**  so  anthony  carpenter  is  from  the  bright  city  lights  of  new  york  city  ,  grew  up  in  brooklyn  for  most  of  his  life  but  his  father  is  lieutenant  bastard on  NYPD  ,  basically  ,  it’s  not  a  secret  between  the  gangs that  his  dad  is  a  dirty  cop  ,  and  so  long  goes  the  family  history  of  dirty  money  --  his  uncle  is  a  powerful  lawyer  in  the  city  ,  known  for  getting  the  criminals  of  alpha  spades  off  easy  .  his  grandfather  , was  a  judge  ,  letting  the  mafia  off  with  a  slap  on  the  wrist  ,  and  with  the  evidence  corrupted   by  the  inner  workings  of  the  law---  the  carpenters  have  been  known  as  the  judge  ,  jury  ,  and  executioners  .  it  was  expected  for  anthony  to  attend  dominion  just  as  his  father  ,  uncle  ,  and  lineage  did  before  him---  stretching  their  connections  all  the  way  from  new  york  ,  to  portland  .  

**  it  was also  expected  of  anthony  to  gain  the  trust  of  the  alpha  spades  ,  as  it  begins  with  becoming  one  of  them  .  nobody  would  have  expected  the  star  athlete  , the  son  of  a  long  line  of  justice  fighters  ,  and  kappa  sigma  president  ,  to  be  up  to  his  elbows  in  secrets  .   it  started  off  as  a  reckless  adrenaline  fueled  frenzy  ,  following  the  rules  of  the  gang  ,  day  after  day  ---  until  the  nights  became  restless  ,  until  the  regrets  started  keeping  him  awake  at  night  ,  failing  tests  ,  pushing  away  relationships  ,  fighting  who  he  was  meant  to  become  .  he  had  always  been  too  much  of  an  emotional  kid  ,  his  dad  would  tell  him  .  “ buck  up  ,  boy---  you’ve  got  your  whole  life  ahead  of  you  ----- big  shoes  to  fill  .  ”  and  it  wasn’t  just  the  shoes  ,  it  was  the  shadow  and  darkness  that  threatened  to  swallow  him  whole  .  

**  the  last  year  has  been  a  whirlwind  ,  he  is  slowly  spiraling  with  the  gang  and  beginning  to  lose  their  trust  .  he’s  questioning  the  wrong  morals  ,  and  showing  his  heart  a  little  too  close  to  his  sleeve  .  the  last  few  months  have  been  the  worst  ,  his  loyalty  questioned  when  their  leader  was  brutally  murdered  .  how  ?  how  do  the  top  dogs  fall  to  the  bottom  of  the  food  chain  ?  ------   it  must’ve  been  a  rat  .  and  what  better  target  ?  than  the  untouchable  kid  ,  who  wants  out  ?  he’s  put  the  bullseye  on  his  chest  ,  and  now  he’s  living  with  the  consequences  of  choice  .  

**  though  ,  he’ll  deny  until  his  last  breath  ---  swear  he’s  loyal  ,  promise  he’s  not  questioning  their  motives  ,  looking  for  an  exit  sign  .  for  the  safety  of  the  people  h  cares  about  ,   he’s  got  to  pretend  that  this  life  isn’t  killing  him  slowly  .  it’s  what  he  was  bred  for  ,  the  path  laid  without  much  choice  -  with  no  say  .  he’ll  bite  the  bullet  ,  and  keep  his  mouth  shut  ,  if  he  knows  what’s  good  for  him  .  

◟∗ ⋅     STATISTICS.

**   hair  color  :  raven  /  dark  brown  .   **   eye  color  :   hazel  /  chestnut  . **   height  :   6′3  toll  boy  .   **   scars  :   various  on  his  knuckles  ,  light  across  his  left  brow  .   **   tattoos  :   this ,  on  his  ribs  .   **   habits  :   drumming  hands  . **   mental  illness  :   insomnia  ,  anxiety  ,  depression  .   

◟∗ ⋅     CONNECTIONS.

a  best  friend  :  ride  or  dies  ,  maybe  someone  that’s  in  the  same  gang  .  the  only  person  who  knows  for  sure  that  anthony  wants  out  .  they  are  one  of  the  few  reasons  he’s  stayed  .   could  be  male  or  female  .  

an  ex  something  :  started  out  as  a  hook  up  ,  one  night  stands  turned  into  sneaky  links  ,  turned  into  fwb-  turned  into  an  almost  relationship  .  they  oth  very  clearly  had  feelings  for  each  other  and  it  looked  like  it  was  heading  into  a  bf  /  gf  direction  until  anthony  did  a  full  stop  .  this  person  wouldn’t  know  ab  the  gangs  ,  and  it  would  still  be  a  fresh  hurt-  seeing  as  it  happened  around  the  time  their  leader  was  murdered  .  anthony  dipped  on  them  w/  no  explanation  other  than  trying  to  make  them  hate  him  .  he  insisted  it  was  all  a  game  ,  that  he  never  really  cared  ab  them--  even  if  he’s  lying  through  his  teeth  to  protect  them  .  

rival  fwb  :  think  enemies  but  give  them  the  hots  for  each  other  .   they’ve  been  hooking  up  since  the  start  ,  swear  they  cant  stand  the  other  ,  won’t  be  caught  dead  w/  their  secret  either  .  and  yet  ,  somehow  this  keeps  happening  .  

[dellebecque]

Prompt #5: Locked Away

@sea-wolf-coast-to-coast​

Who: WoL!Aden and Fray When: On the long boat ride to Kugane How: M, huge TW for graphic violence and suicidal ideation.  I cannot stress this warning enough. What: The Vault is not merely a place in Ishgard, not any more.This other Vault is Fray's sacred duty to keep. Where: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20487653/chapters/48744020

When his spear shattered on the armor of a knight he reached out with his free hand and jabbed gauntleted fingers into a weak joint of plate, ripped the man’s gorget free and rammed the broken spearhaft into his throat. More came while the knight collapsed in a cacophony of hideously wet choking noises. Aden tore the fallen knight’s sword from his hands, nearly as tall as Aden himself, charging forward to meet them with a bestial growl.

He profaned a path in flesh through holy halls, heavy boots ringing on stone between singing swings of steel and dying cries. That cacophony made music , music the song within him surged to answer, the memory of another melody weaving throughout. Blood soaked in through the joints of his armor, mixed with sweat and soaked his skin. But it wasn’t enough. Even as a vicious strike caved in a knight’s armor into their flesh, down to bone , it wasn’t enough. But gods , that’d felt good , the resistance behind that strike in his arms, the burn in all his muscles from putting that much weight behind a weapon. A soft, lascivious sound interrupted that hungry growl, tongue darting out to lick the blood from his lips.

He reached the very height of the building but for her spires, fighting his way through the staging ground here, and the sword finally broke, blade shattering under the strain of nearly cleaving a priest in half. Aden reeled on the last knight and recognized him. Even weaponless he broke into a trot, grinning, tail lashing sinuously behind him. Oh, yes , to have a chance to kill him again --the Twelve were kind. Aden shifted his weight, redirected his momentum as as Zephirin, untransformed, charged to meet him and swung. He only got enough height to kick off the flat of the blade mid-swing, and on the way down rammed his armored elbow into Zephirin’s face. Bone crunched, rather specific bone, and with the knight reeling from the blow, bloodied, it was a simple matter to hook gauntleted fingers into his armor to pull him down to the right height, to strike with the heel of his palm and ram the bone home. The knight went limp in his hands, face barely recognizable.

Applause rang out, clear and slow, and the sound of heavy boots on stone in a familiar gait. Aden’s head shot up, eyes feverish and alert, ears canted towards the sound.

“Good job.” The voice sounded so like his own, and his gaze met mismatched eyes, one green, one amber. Aden growled , but the shade gave him a wicked little grin. It wore blackened drachenmail in the more modern style he’d eschewed as still too damn fiddly , but seeing it on the shade he realized it suited him. “I think that’s every priest in Ishgard. Every knight. Everyone who ever supported Thordan.”

The weight in his hands shifted, and Aden looked down to see he held not Zephirin by the leading edge of his pauldrons, but Edmont by his coat lapels, bloody and broken. He dropped the body with an alarmed sound, sharp in his throat, but the illusion remained. The body hit the stone and bounced with a crack of bone. “What the fuck ,” Aden breathed, unable to tear his eyes from the corpse.

“Well, even your allies and family were part of the system before you came here. They all supported it. Helped it run. Patriots, the lot of them.” At the bottom of the stairs his shade stopped, standing at parade rest. “We can’t kill everyone who contributed to his death without killing them, too. But you already know that, somewhere inside, or we wouldn’t be here.” His shade’s ears canted forward in a friendly way. “Feel better now?”

“Why the fuck are you here?” Aden growled, reaching down for Zephirin’s sword--he got Edmont’s cane instead, looked down and saw a little blood and tiny shards of bone spattered on the head of it. He dropped it, swallowing heavily, and looked back up at his shade.

“They’re right to compare you to a dragon, you know.” His shade began circling the staging area, arms still clasped behind his back. “In power you are unmatched . Beyond mortal ken. And with each passing day you grow, boundless . Perhaps one day that little trick you’ve learned will rival even the celestial brood,” he brought one arm forward, panning his outstretched hand across open air, “commanding the receptive hearts of even normal spoken in your own emulation of dragonsong. Oh, then how terrible your wrath. We shudder to consider it.” That hand returned to his back, and as he continued around Aden saw the priests and knights here had also been replaced--there lie Artoirel, Emmanellain, Honoroit, with wounds he remembered dealing. “Yes, you’re the veritable long-lost-son of Midgarsormr, but flesh and blood rather than scale and aether. Or is it Nidhogg ?”

“You’re different from last time,” Aden challenged, trying to claw his way back to control of the situation. If his shade meant to ignore him, he could play the same game, challenge it in the same way. His ears flicked.

“From last time , no.” The shade’s ears flicked, too, tail twitching in a familiar gesture of calculated interest. “From before , yes. When first we met, I was… incomplete. Fading. A memory burned into the soulstone. Fray, I think?” Mismatched eyes glanced down, remembering, and Aden almost felt himself making the same expression. “ Fray . We like that. It suits your battle-lust. So perhaps I’ll keep his name. Honor his memory.” The shade passed by Aymeric and Lucia, sprawled as if one had tried to shield the other, then Estinien, among a dozen other bodies he recognized. “But we’re not here to talk about me. We’re here for you .”

“If we’re here for me then fuck off .” A rumbling growl sounded under his voice, and his fingers ached for a weapon. “Unless you’re ready to go another round.”

Fray laughed, a dark, unamused sound. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? And after all, that’s why we’re here.” He returned to the base of the stairs and stopped, standing at parade rest once more and smirking at Aden. “You’ve already had your vengeance in the waking world, but it fixed nothing in your heart. Feels hollow , doesn’t it? You’re still cold and numb, and anger is better than the blackness waiting under that stone.” Aden snarled, starting forward, but Fray continued on. “You keep pushing yourself though your body is broken because you need the distraction. You can project your rage, your blame, onto whatever they’ve sicced you on this week. But none of it really satisfies . You know who you want it to be at the end of your spear.” Fray brought both hands forward and gestured for Aden to look down. He did, almost instinctively.

Aden’s heart stopped . Haurchefant lay before him, as he had in death--but the spear piercing him through was not Zephirin’s aetheric lance, but the spear of Light, glorious in both power and aspect. For a moment the bottom dropped out of-- everything , and Aden shook, a hairline fracture cracking across that cold stone where his heart should be. It’s not real , he told himself without conviction.

“We know who you really want to blame.”

It’s not real , he told himself, but it… may as well be. Haurchefant had died for him, but Aden could have done a hundred things to stop it, and he’d done nothing.

“We know you’re not just looking for someone to project onto.”

He’d done nothing . And suspected now as then that, perhaps, he couldn’t die. The blessing might not let him. Which meant Haurchefant had died for--

“We know you’re not just looking for a distraction.”

But it wasn’t just Haurchefant . Aden finally tore his gaze away, throat tightening. He knew now this wasn’t really the Vault, knew that he’d find those heavy stone doors behind Fray writ in his own hand with a couple dozen names he could no longer say aloud. Over the years he’d realized each and everyone one of them could have been saved, not a single one of them need be lost the way they had. The already chill air seemed to grow colder, tongues of frost licking across Aden’s armor and drawing fanciful patterns.

Still, he missed Haurchefant so fucking much . He missed having someone who could stand by his side in a fight, someone who knew him so well a glance or a gesture sufficed to communicate volumes of meaning. He missed having someone to go home to, someone who would soothe his hurts rather than merely see them healed. He missed having someone who saw him as a person rather than a hero. Someone he could be weak in front of without fear. Someone who would challenge his boundaries and draw him out of his shell. And-- gods , he was loathe to admit it, but he missed the intimacy , someone who would touch him without inflicting pain. But he couldn’t let anyone else close enough for any of that. He couldn’t live through the loss again.

Aden didn’t want to live through it the first time.

“Harken unto me, Aden Dellebecque, Weapon of Light .” His head snapped up, gazing on Fray who stood at parade rest again, a more perfect reflection of him with each passing moment. “We made a bargain. And I will keep it. Mark it well: you may keep those who love you distant, and not let them know that you feel for them in return. I will help you in this, and I will bear the burdens of your heart when they are too much, just as I bear the burdens of your body. But you must open these doors one day and face what lies beyond. And soon . The strain is… damaging us.”

“We both know what’ll happen if I do,” Aden whispered. “And everyone’s….”

“Counting on you,” Fray said. “I know.” He blinked slowly at Aden. “I know, heart of my heart. Even with me to bear the worst, it hurts more than any agony of the flesh. But one day you must. And perhaps by then….”

Aden shook his head. “It’s all I have left. I can’t forget him--any of them--enough to… face it safely .”

“Then you must find hands that can heal you of this wound.” Fray said darkly. “As I told you before. We have no other viable option. The coward’s way is unacceptable. Seeking death on your enemy’s blade is unacceptable.” Fray held out a hand, and a blade of ice formed in it, tall as he was. “Until then.” He walked back up to the doors, squaring himself before them, and planted the sword point down, both hands on the hilt like the statues that stood sentinel in Foundation.

Aden surfaced from restless darkness to find himself curled into a tight, aching ball on his hard, small bunk aboard the Misery , thin blanket wrapped tight around him and a book open on its face next to his head. He didn’t have it in him to cry, Fray saw to that--just felt numb and cold, and… tired . His ears strained for any sounds beyond the creak of the ship and the slosh of waves. Hearing nothing other than the normal working sounds of the crew, Aden started in on what breathing exercises he could manage without uncurling, and slowly drifted back to sleep.

Blessedly, his dreams were bloodless.