#finally was like oh okay maybe i need to do it again
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sillyuin · 3 days ago
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Sweetest thing
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Genre: very domestic fluff.
Pairing: non idol-Wonwoo x gn-reader.
Warnings: none.
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Computer maintenance was as necessary as it was annoying. One of the things you hated the most was having a bunch of tools and electronic components scattered all over your desk, but you also knew that if you didn’t do it periodically, you’d regret it over time. And that day had finally come.
However, you were missing a few tools that didn’t seem to be anywhere, and you were starting to get frustrated about it. You let out an annoyed huff as your hands run through your hair, when a familiar face appeared in the room.
“How are you doing? Is everything okay?” Wonwoo asked, slowly opening the door and poking his head in.
“Fine, I guess,” you answered automatically, your thoughts elsewhere. “I can’t find the case with the small screwdrivers.”
“Want me to help you look for them?” Wonwoo kindly offered his help. You sighed and shook your head to decline.
“I’ll find them eventually, I don’t want to bother you with this.” Wonwoo smiled faintly and approaching your desk, he placed a cup near the edge, away from the electronics.
“It’s still hot,” he said. “Be careful not to burn yourself with the tea.”
You nodded absentmindedly as Wonwoo silently closed the door. You sat down at the desk, sinking into the cushioned chair, looking at the partially disassembled laptop while your mind wandered. If you kept going like this you’d waste more time, so you gathered all the pieces to reassemble it and start with another task.
The loading screen began to appear when you grabbed the cup Wonwoo had left for you, filled especially in your favorite mug and releasing a soothing aroma. Working while drinking your favorite tea made this tiresome job a lot easier. After a while, someone knocked gently on the door, and Wonwoo peeked in again to check on you.
“I had to start with the software first,” you explained, stretching your arms above your head. You’d been sitting for quite some time and felt a bit stiff. “I’ll have time to figure out how to disassemble it later—or at least, I hope so.”
“You can do it, I trust you,” he said, offering you some encouragement. “So, tell me, how much time do you need? It's almost dinner time. Would you like to order something?”
“Half an hour, up to one hour, maybe?” You rested lazily on the chair but your eyes were way too focused on the screen. “I’m craving… Whatever you want.”
“Alright, I’ll come when the order arrives. Please call me if you need anything.”
You nodded with even more laziness. You didn’t even hear the door close, even though it was right beside your desk, you were only focused on ending that torture as soon as possible and clean everything up. A few minutes later, you got up from your seat to stretch a little, this let you to take a better look at the desk and you noticed that there was a very, very familiar case.
It was the lost piece you’d been searching for, and it had appeared there almost as if by magic. Feeling reenergized, you got to work again. Some time later, you heard someone knocking on the door again.
“Dinner’s here,” Wonwoo said, opening the door slightly. “Are you free?”
You glanced up slightly over your glasses, your hands busy with the disassembled laptop, and stifled a laugh. “… Maybe not yet?”
“Sorry,” Wonwoo chuckled softly. “It’s fine, but don’t take too long, or it’ll get cold.”
After he left, you sighed, sinking into the backrest of the chair. You were working most of the afternoon, already too tired and your eyes felt heavy. The last thing you wanted was to see another screw for the rest of the week. You put the tools away, turned off the desk lamp, and walked slowly toward the kitchen where Wonwoo was silently doing the dishes.
“Oh, that was quick,” he joked when he saw you enter.
You approached him and lazily wrapped your arms around his torso, your cheek resting on his back. “I’m so hungry I can’t tell the difference between screwdrivers and fries,” you joked.
“You can head to the dining room if you want,” he said as he continued with the dishes. “I'll go with you in a moment.”
“Don’t get mad at me if I leave you without dinner,” you teased, giving a peck on his back before heading to the dining room.
Two pizza boxes rested on the table and as you served yourself, a warmth filled your chest, making you smile with giddy excitement: Wonwoo had ordered all the extras you liked the most. A few minutes later, he appeared, carrying some soda cans and napkins in his hands.
“Sorry, I forgot to bring these,” he said, and sat down right next to you, opening your can before serving himself.
You took a sip of the soda, savoring it as if it were the finest delicacy in the world, and Wonwoo tried to refrain his laughter. There wasn’t a better moment in the day than this one, where the two of you could sit down together to eat, sharing quality time and a good conversation—or a comfortable silence. It didn’t matter how. Wonwoo always found a way to make you feel special; no matter what it is, he’s always there. And that thought remained in your mind throughout the entire dinner time.
“Wonu,” you said suddenly, giving him a little nudge with your shoulder to get his attention. “Thanks for everything, you're the sweetest.”
He cupped your face with one hand as you turned to look at him. “It’s my pleasure. Now, don’t move,” he said, and taking a napkin, he gently wiped the corner of your mouth where a bit of sauce remained.
“First the tea, then the tools, my favorite food, and now this,” you raised an eyebrow. “What’s next?”
Wonwoo smiled shyly. “Do you need me to give you a back massage?”
His thumb tenderly caressed your face, and his deep gaze made your chest ache in the best way possible. You were so mesmerized by his beauty that you couldn’t speak; you could only nod several times as you felt the blush rise to your cheeks.
“Whatever my love wants,” he said, and before starting to clear the table, he left a quick kiss on your forehead. “Go take a shower first, and I’ll take care of this.”
You got up from the table, and as you stood in the doorway of the dining room, he called out your name. “Or maybe…” he shrugged and looked away before clearing his throat so you couldn’t see how flustered he was. “Do you want me to help you wash your hair?”
You approached and took him by the wrist, motioning with your head toward the bathroom. “Do you want me to help with yours too?”
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cottonlemonade · 2 days ago
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First Date
word count: 1251 || avg. reading time: 5 mins.
pairing: University AU!Tsukishima x chubby!Reader
genre: fluff
warnings: none
request: i have been giggling and squealing for the past 20 minutes over how cute and genius the request form is 😭 LIKE ITS SO SMART AND ADORABLE I HAD TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IT. so anyways me and Tsukishima are getting 15 and 25 for breakfast, and then we'll go home to study! || fluffy, members of the same club, first date with crush Tsukki
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Tsukishima never subscribed to the tradition of New Year's resolutions. In his mind, why bother setting unrealistic goals for oneself only to be disappointed? Whenever his friends and family asked, never learning their lesson, he would adjust his glasses and say, “Nothing.”, then silently add get saltier 2025. When he entered the gym for the first time after the winter break, however, he had to rethink. You were standing on a little stepladder, struggling to detach the last bit of Christmas decoration you had insisted on hanging on the walls before everyone went home for the holidays. Your chubby tummy looked even softer now bumping out your seasonal sweater.
“You know, if you can’t take them down by yourself, maybe you shouldn’t have put them up in the first place.”, he grumbled.
“Oh, hey, and a happy new year to you, Tsukki!”, you said brightly, turning to him and waving.
His heart did a little jump at the gesture.
Unfortunately, he had fallen for you pretty early on in your career as club manager when you bonded over your mutual hatred of overzealous people and loud obnoxious music played in department stores, and artificial watermelon flavor. He had since imagined you two walking across campus hand in hand, sharing more things to despise together. But in order to do that, he had to ask you out first. A hurdle he decided to take this year.
In his first draft of a date idea, he wanted to invite you out to dinner, but that was strongly vetoed by his wallet. Thus, a simple coffee would have to do for now. He shifted slightly, tapping the tip of his shoe on the floor to find an angle with which to direct the conversation where he needed it. Lucky for him, you did it yourself, although not in a way he hoped.
“Mikoshiba asked me out over Christmas, by the way.”
Tsukishima grimaced. He hated both the thought and the easy-going redhead, who all too much reminded him of the former Nekoma captain.
“Ah.”, he said, looking at a despicably jolly Santa bauble in the box sat on the top of the stepladder. An internal battle between wanting to ask for details and immediately smack-talking the other guy rose in his chest. Again, you made it easy for him.
“I didn’t go, though.”
“Hm. How come?”
You finally got the end of the garland off the wall, with no help from the tall boy, who could have grabbed it without effort.
He was met with a shrug.
“Not really my type. And he asked me out for coffee, which, I dunno, just feels pretty uninspired for a first date. I get that it’s a classic, but I wouldn’t mind some creativity.”, you hopped back onto the floor, “Plus, cafés around here are super overpriced.”
“Right.”
After trying your best to stuff the long prickly decoration into the box, you went to put it all away and, looking over your shoulder, you saw that he hadn’t moved from his spot next to the ladder where you left him.
You couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but something about him was off today. More so than usual. Box in your arms, you came to a halt in front of a closed door. You turned on your heel, tilting your head in question.
“Could you open the door to the supply closet, please?”, you asked sweetly, since there was no indication he would be coming to your aid. He seemed deep in thought.
“Hm? Oh, yeah. Sure.”
It only took him three steps with those long legs to reach you. Before he pushed down the door handle, however, he said, “There is a limited New Year’s hot bun out at the convenience store.”
You blinked in confusion.
“Okay?”
“It’s one with sweet potato noodles and stuff. You like those.”
“I… I do. Thanks, I’ll check it out.”
The door remained closed, his hand still on the handle.
“There is a two-for-one sale.”, he went on after a pause.
You frowned, so completely lost as to the point of this conversation because it was obviously not informing you of a banging sale. “... Nice.”
He suppressed an impatient click of his tongue. This was going horribly, how dense could someone be?
“We can go together.”, he said.
“Alright…?”
“Like… today. I’m going there now anyway. I wouldn’t mind if you came along.”
“Uhm. Okay, yeah, I can do that.”
“Okay.”
“So are you gonna open this door any time soon or…”
“Right.”
Tsukki didn’t speak much with you as you headed to the convenience store. He pointed out a dog in a sweater for no reason at all and then went silent again. You still couldn’t figure out why he wanted you to come with him. Usually, he avoided any unnecessary social situation and in your opinion, this was as unnecessary as it got. You were roughly 94 percent sure he could handle getting the buns by himself.
“We should just eat here while we’re at it.”, he said as the glass doors slid open.
Maybe he had trouble with his roommate again and wanted to prolong going home, you speculated. In that case, you were pretty touched that he preferred your company over having none at all.
Food was gathered and warmed up and you took the two free seats at the small wooden table by the onigiri shelf. Watching you struggle to open a can of soda for a few seconds he took it from you with a surprisingly gentle, “Here. Let me.” then set it back down in front of you.
“Thanks.”
You ate in silence. Some current chart songs were coming from the overhead radio and you lightly bobbed your head along as you bit happily into the delicious hot bun. Tsukki placed a fried dumpling he had picked out as well on the plastic lid of your open container. “Try these. They’re good.”
“Famks.”, you mumbled through stuffed cheeks of sweet potato noodles and stuff, then eyed him suspiciously as you swallowed.
Either he was trying to discreetly poison you or, “Tsukki… is … is this a date?”
“What? No.”, he said quickly and lowered his head when the store clerk looked over.
“Oh okay. Just making sure.” You went back to the food, spearing the dumpling with your chopsticks but keeping an eye on him.
“If it were, it would be definitely more creative than a café though, right?”
You paused midair to your bite.
“So this is a date.”
“Yes. - No. I dunno. Don’t make it weird, okay?”
You slowly spun the dumpling around, studying Tsukki’s pink ear tips.
Never in a million years would you have guessed that this guy, who never had a nice word for anyone and less enthusiasm than a snail on a Sunday afternoon, could ever ask you out.
You considered him for a moment. He was pretty cute the way he avoided your gaze now. It was worth a try.
“Do you… like jazz?”
Tsukki squinted at you in disbelief.
“What’s wrong with you?”, he furrowed his brow but was unable to hide a relieved chuckle in there.
“Well, it was getting awkward so when in doubt, Bee Movie to the rescue.”, you laughed in your defense.
He finally cracked a proper smile and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Agh, okay, the next date is going to be better, I swear.”
You both nodded and grinned quietly at your dumplings, then continued to eat.
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a/n: 🥺🥺🥺 dear anon, thank you so so much for that sweet message and I apologize about the delay! I hope you enjoyed this story nonetheless 🌟
Also borrowing Mikoshiba for this aka the only straight character from Free!
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To Those Who Wait 3
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Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as non/dubcon, virginity loss, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.
This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.
Summary: You are tired of being the safe one so you decide to pay for some excitement.
Characters: escort!Ransom Drysdale, Curtis Everett
Note: yeah, I couldn’t resist.
As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. Thanks to everyone who reads this one and thank you for all your energy.<3
Love you all like Tony loves himself. Take care. 💖
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'Morning, sunshine.' 
The sarcasm burns into every letter. You stick your tongue out and type your reply. You lay in the dim of your drawn curtains, still half-nestled in your bed. 
'Morning, sparky.' 
Curtis' response makes you giggle. 'Sparky?' 
No emojis. He's not the type. You laze despite the minutes ticking by. Your thumbs flick over the digital keys. 
'Give it but can't take it.' 
The next bubble has you breathless; 'oh I'm more than willing to give'. Oh, okay. You don't know how to answer that. You send a wink emoticon then prompty groan at your own cluelessness. 
You lock the screen and sit up. Is this what life is? Torturous obligation and cringey efforts to be normal. You want to send a message telling Curtis it's okay if he just gives up. You're a mess.  
You drag yourself out of your room. As you try to empty the reusable filter for the coffee grounds, you spill it everwhere. You need to start emptying it after use. Another missed checkbox. 
Your phone buzzes again. Great. You're sure it's just him calling you lame. You snatch the cell and go to swipe away the message but it isn't Curtis. 
WhatsApp. 
Hm. Maybe another recruiter cold messaging? 
You tap with your thumb, resolved to finally delete the app and wipe the slate clean. You just need to forget that mistake. If you can. 
The message waiting for you doesn’t bode well. 
‘Feeling thirsty yet?’ 
You stare at it. You can’t be sure it’s Hugh. The number isn’t the same, you would recognise the last few digits at least. The coffee machine spits out the last few droplets. You turn to grab your cup, the phone buzzing in your hand. 
You read with dread, ‘ah come on, just one more go.’ 
It has to be him. Who else could it be? What else could they be referring to? 
A video pops up and plays automatically. You click it to make it bigger as you try to make out what’s going on. Your heart drops and your phone nearly does too. You stare at the recording of yourself on the bed, undressing as you huddle near the top of the hotel bed. 
A cold splash sends a chill through you. You remember him turning on the speaker. He must have connected his phone but then you didn’t see what he did with it after that. You didn’t think to pay attention to that, you were too swept up in your own catastrophe. 
‘Let’s talk.’ 
Those two words spike your panic. What did you do? You’re so stupid and yet how are you surprised? Nothing ever goes right. How dare you even try to believe things could get better? That maybe Curtis could be something more than a disappointment. 
Loser. Loser. Loser! 
You want to bang your head on the counter. You want to scream. You want to crumple into a heap in cry. 
You don’t do anything of that. You simply key into the screen; ‘why?’ 
He sends a laughing emoji. Then a real message. ‘That’s what we’re going to talk about.’ 
Your eyes glaze with tears and you shake your head. He’s taunting you. Toying with you. This is all just an ego stroke for some narcissist that gets off on himself. Why else would he do what he does? Well, who are you to judge? You paid for his services. 
‘That cafe near your office. 12:30.’ 
You toss the phone on the counter like it’s acid. What the hell? How does he know where you work? How does he know there’s a cafe there? No, no, no. How does he know anything about you? Why does he care? 
You pace around hectically. You can’t stay still. You scratch your skin as if you might peel it off. An unbearable itch burns through you. You make a noise somewhere between a sob and a wretch. 
You reel in your doom, just enough to retrieve the cell from the floor. You shakily send a thumbs up. That’s all you can manage. Not a good job, just a confirmation. You’ll be there because you have no other choice. 
Your morning is frantic. You have a thousand things to do at once. The phone calls are endless and Shania double-booked another reservation. Don’t you always get the happy job of informing the guests they have to rebook. Fun, fun, fun. 
The demanding customers are the least of your problems. Work at the Travel Agency can be downright agony but right now you prefer it to the alternative. It’s the rare instance where you curse the clock for going too fast. 
Usually, a trip down to the cafe is your relief. An indulgence on an especially stressful day. That day is more nerve-wracking than any but you don’t think a dose of caffeine would make it any better. You’re already rattling through to your bones. 
You reluctantly leave your desk. Your phone is firmly in your purse, where it’s been all day. You don’t want to look at it, even if it’s Curtis making it buzz. You just want to shut down. 
You take the stairs. You don’t want to be around other people though you realise the cafe will be busy with the lunchtime rush. You wonder if that’s deliberate. You get to the ground floor and make your way outside. 
You stop before the cafe. You peer along the tinted windows and your eyes stop on the singular familiar figure. There he is. Hugh. Somehow, he looks different than that night. How, you can’t say. He’s wearing a similar swear, a light robin’s egg blue, luxurious even. The sweater can’t be cheap given the small logo embroidered on one side of the chest. 
You enter and skip the line. You go straight to the table and stop behind the chair opposite...him. You cross your arms and glare at him. Hugh casually lifts his chin and smiles up at you. Your forehead wrinkles in disgust. 
“You look wound tight,” he sits up completely, the last consonant sharp. “Need help with that?” 
Your nostrils flare and you drag out the chair. You drop into the seat and push your elbows into the table. You lean across it and snarl, “what do you want?” 
He snorts, “I like that about. Always straight to the point... even when you have no idea what you’re doing.” 
Your cheeks tingle with heat and you look away. You push your shoulders back and shift in discomfort. Even as the bruises fade, if you think hard enough, you can feel that night still. 
“That boyfriend know about me yet?” He sips from the tall porcelain cup in front of him. You shake your head and put your eyes to the table. 
“Aw, well, I can’t blame you,” he clinks the cup down. “He wouldn’t be able to handle the competition. Would he?” 
“I have to get back to work so whatever you want, just say it.” 
He chortles again and hums, “I said I wanna talk. We’re talking. Isn’t it nice?” 
“I don’t have money if that’s what you’re getting at--” 
“Money? Hm, that’s real funny. Oh, you think... you think I’m desperate? I wanted some Balenciaga.” He flicks a finger up and down the mug handle. “Thanks for that, by the way.” 
You huff and shake your head, “and it’s better that you get off on embarrassing me? Well, I hope you’re enjoying it because you’ve done a great job.” 
You peek up at him and his grin slants. He leans an elbow on the table as he sits forward. His eyes crinkle as he considers you. 
“It’s not about money, not even about a joke,” he says. “It’s the way you squeezed me. The way you whined for me,” his voice lowers to a sultry rasp. “The way you drained me fucking dry. You know how many princesses I’ve had on my dick and they just lay there and--” He makes a motion with his hand, “dead fish.” 
You frown, “you’re gross.” 
“I’m secure in myself,” he argues. “Real rich of you to act like you didn’t like it when you came all over my fucking fingers. Didn’t even take much.” 
You rub your neck and stare out the window. Your stomach is boiling. You just want him to get his kicks and go. 
“It’s how I know you didn’t lie. About being a virgin, or whatever,” he says. “You know, you could’ve sold that yourself but I guess you were having some trouble finding a buyer--” 
“My lunch is almost over,” you grit out. “Get to it, Hugh.” 
He laughs louder than before. He scoops up his cup and drains it. “You’re so funny. Really. You make me laugh.” You glower and his smirks widens. “Alright, alright. Pretty simple, you probably already know what I want. Just one more time. I just need to feel it again. That grip--” He makes a fist and you scoff. 
“I told you I’m not interested--” 
“No? Not interested at all in your porn debut,” he taps his phone and you reach across to swat his hand back. 
“Why did you do that?” You hiss. 
“Woah, I gotta be safe. I record in case something goes wrong,” he pushes your hand away. “Lucky me, it went so fucking right. You know how many times I’ve watched it?” 
You groan and rest your head in your hands. You’re fucked. Utterly and totally. Likely literally. 
“Tonight,” he says. “Tell the goth boy you’re doing overtime.” 
You sit back and stare at him. Your chest pits and your eyes glimmer. It shouldn’t hurt so much but it does. You don’t want to lose Curtis, not yet. 
This is exactly why you didn’t want to get attached. 
You don't text Curtis. You can't bring yourself to do it. You just leave him hanging. He'll probably assume your busy. You're sure he has something better to do. 
Just like most things in your life, it's over before it begins. Why did you let yourself believe it could be anything? After tonight, it definitely won't be. 
That time is different. You don't primp yourself or preen over whether you look good. Instead, you toss all those things you bought to do yourself up the first time in the trash. Everything but the condoms. 
You pace restlessly around your apartment. That's another violation. You offered another hotel. 'Your place.' The argument was short. Fuck. 
He can't come here. He can't do this. You can't do this. Not again. 
Your legs wobble and you teeter to the couch. You sit down and fold over your knees. You can feel the dull pain already. Back in that room, bawling as he pumps into you, scraping out your guts. 
You're going to be sick! 
You lurch up and run to the bathroom. You spew into the toilet and pant through the acidic saliva left in your mouth. You shut the lid and flush. 
You should leave the residue in your mouth. It might repulse Hugh enough to get rid of him. Yet if you don't rinse out the acidic flavour, you'll just hurl again. 
You brush your teeth slowly then look at yourself in the mirror. You look scared. You are but you look utterly terrified. Why is this happening to you? 
You're not stupid enough to think you're special. No, you're weak. He's a shark and he smelled blood in the water. He set you up for this. You were too nervous, too desperate, and too stupid to see through his ploy. 
Your phone buzzes. You ignore it, even as it thrums against the table noisily. If it's Curtis, you might just cry. 
The door buzzer chirps. Right. You push away from the sink and shudder.  
Your feet hit the floor clumsily and you walk as if you're wadding through thick mud. You hit the button as your stomach churns again. His voice adds to the broil of sickness. 
"Baby, I'm here." 
You press the button down without as response. You stagger away and linger by the door. You hear him coming down the hall. You open the door at the first knock. 
"Someone's eager," he snickers. 
You don't say a word. You step back. He enters and whistles. 
"Not bad. Cozy," he says. "Bouta get real cozy, huh?" 
You shut the door and lock it. He turns and examines the walls. You stare at him. 
"Jeez, baby, you got a knife or something? Looking like you're about to crack up over there," he taunts. 
That might have been a good idea if you weren't nervous of stabbing yourself in an attempt. Besides, he's a lot stronger. You remember how thick his muscle was, how easily he ignored your pleas. 
"Hospitable too," he sniffs and slips off his velvet loafers. "Whatcha got going on?" He struts further into the apartment. "Wine? Beer?" 
He goes to fridge and pops it open. You loom like a shadow against the wall as you tiptoe after him. He sucks his teeth as he examines the contents on the racks. 
"Ugh, boring," he remarks.  
"Don't drink," you croak. 
"You didn't seem to mind the wine," he shuts the fridge without his bounty. "Fuck, well, it'll be good. You'll like it better sober. Although I do prefer a sloppy fuck." 
You grimace. He makes no pretense as he continues his exploration. He strides past the living room and head through your bedroom door. 
"No cute jammies tonight, huh?" He calls through. 
You waft into the doorway like a ghost. That's what you are. You are hollowed out. You resign yourself, surrender yourself to ruin. It's all over. 
Goodbye, Curtis. 
"Looks like you don't got much in mind but don't worry, baby, I planned ahead," he faces you with a wink. "Wanna try something new?" 
No. You don’t want to do any of this. You glower. 
“Shit, baby, you keep looking at me like that and I’m going to have to wipe that look off your face... along with something else,” he grabs his crotch and growls. “Hard already, you know? Just thinking about what I’m about to do.” 
Your lip curls as disgust crawls up your back. “Just get it over with,” you murmur. 
“Trying,” his eyes flash dangerously. The retort makes you think of Curtis but he never spoke to you so harshly. 
You step out of the doorway before you can fall apart. Your breath clouds in your chest until it feels like someone’s standing on you. You let it out slowly as plays with the black cat figuring on your bookshelf. He scoffs, unimpressed. 
“So,” he faces you and tugs at the hem of his sweater, inching it up, “why are your clothes still on?” 
You glance away angrily. “Your phone goes in the drawer,” you point to the night stand. 
“Pfft, come on. I already got the good shots. What’s another dirty movie, baby? I gotta say, you look good on film--” 
“Put it in the drawer,” you insist.  
“Damn, don’t gotta be so mean, baby.” He snickers and wiggles his phone at you then puts it in the night stand. 
“I’m not your joke, so stop laughing at me.” 
“Lighten up. I’m not laughing at you, baby. I just...” He pauses as he pulls his sweater over his head. He wears a thin white tank underneath, his reddish chest hair peeking out the top. “How many women do you think hold my attention once I’ve been in ‘em? Let’s just say, we both had our first that night.” 
“Don’t try to flatter me,” you snip. 
“Girl,” he squares his shoulder and the humour flickers from his expression, “get your clothes off.” 
Your mouth twitches. You take a breath and turn away. You look down at the wrinkled blouse you wore to work. You’re sure he’s full of hot air, he’s just mocking you, especially since he’s wearing Calvin Klein and you’re in Walmart clearance. 
You unbutton it as you hear his clothing rustle softly. A shiver speckles across your back as you throw it in your hamper. Your pants go just as easily as you push down the elastic waistband. Another wave of nausea threatens but you keep it down. 
You unhook your bra as your bed squeaks. You keep your eyes down and step out of your panties. You pause as you dangle them over the basket. You blink away the heat in your eyes. Why did you run away from Curtis all those times? Why does it have to be Hugh? 
You spin and march over to him. He sits on the end of the bed, naked, knees wide. You reach for him, intent to be done with him, but he catches your hands and holds them away from him. 
“Uh uh, you really think it’s going to be that easy,” he sneers. “Oh, baby, I didn’t get any of that mouth.” 
Your lip quivers and your nose scrunches, “what?” 
“Don’t worry, it’s fun, baby. I can train you up for the sad boy,” he chuckles. 
“Shut up,” you twist away from him. “Don’t talk about him.” 
“Aw, what’sa matter? He don’t make you wet like I do, huh?” 
You stomp away and snatch the box of condoms from behind your dresser. You take one and bring it to him. He snorts. 
“You like the taste of rubber?” 
“Put it on.” 
“You think I’m dirty? You saw my test results.” 
“I don’t care,” you shove it into his chest. 
“Be a lot nicer if you tasted the real thing,” he huffs. 
You cross your arms and wait. He rolls his eyes and peels the wrapper open. He pinches the thick ring then presses the rubber to his tip. 
“Well, get on your knees. You’re the one so anxious to get this done with. Is the boy toy on his way? Scared he’ll catch—woah!”  
He lets go of himself and the condom rolls up just to his tip. He catches your hand before you can make contact with his cheek. “I told you not to talk about him.” 
“I like this zest,” He stands and raises your arms above you, “but you won’t like mine.” 
He spins you and pushes you onto the bed. You fall heavily and bounce, your teeth snapping down on your tongue. You whimper as he slides his fingers around his dick, pushing the rubber to his base. He climbs up on his knees, straddling you as he advances up your body. 
You push on his thighs as he gets higher. Once more, he has your wrists. He clasps them against the mattress, locking them above your head. You flail your legs and he laughs again. His other hand goes to his length and he strokes himself as he presses the lubed condom to your lips. 
“Open up for daddy,” he jeers and pushes until he meets your teeth. “I feel the hint of a nip and I’ll skip the kitty and go straight for the peach. Understand that, baby girl?” 
Your eyes widen as your bottom puckers. Your fear radiates from your gaze and draws another pleased hum from him. You open your mouth and close your eyes, gagging as the rubber smears lube across your tongue. 
He angles as he dips down, touching your reflex as he invades your throat. You choke and spasm under him as he wiggles his hips, testing your limits. You can’t breathe. 
He rears and you heave in before he blocks your airway again. He groans and tilts again. Thrusting in and out as you writhe. Tears crest along the brims of your eyes and your saliva smears around your mouth. Each time, he pushes a little further. 
“Fuck, baby, how is it just as good as the pussy?” He purrs as he clutches your hair, rocking over you as the smell of the condom adds to your revulsion. 
He pumps into you until you’re raw with agony. He lets go of your hands and you push on his hips, begging for him to stop. He doesn’t care. He just keeps going. He quakes and groan, grasping the blankets around your head as he fucks you your head into the bed. 
“Gahhh,” he pulls out of you so quickly you gag. 
You cover your mouth as he bounces over you. He rolls the condom off and keeps stroking himself. You’re surprised as he spurts his cum onto you, the slimy mess string over your knuckles and onto your nose and cheeks. You put your hand out to shield yourself as he grunts and sits back on his heels. 
“The hell?” You gasp. 
“I couldn’t fucking hold it, woulda split the damn thing in half,” he puffs as he cups his balls. “Speaking of splitting things in half--” 
You lift yourself on your elbows, trying to drag yourself out from under him. He snags you around your ribs and pushes you flat. “Where are you going?” 
“You just--” 
“Finished? No, that’s round one,” he snickers. “You don’t think I got a few tricks? I mean, a blue pill keeps me in business.” 
You curl your lip again and he laughs even louder. You glance up at the night table at the box of condoms. He sighs. 
“Fucking tight ass,” he hisses. “Want me to see if that’s literal?” You look at him and bare your teeth. He waves you off and climbs off you to grab the box. “Whatever. At least you had the good sense to get good ones.” 
You slowly sit up and wipe your face. He leans on one knee and slides on another condom. He quivers and exhales through his nose. He grabs your shoulder and nudges you. 
“Wouldn’t mind it from the back,” he says. 
You resist and he snarls, “relax. If I go through the back door, I might not get it out with you being so uptight.” He pinches your nipple cruelly. “Go on, show Ransom that booty.” You tilt your head curiously. Ransom? His eyes dart away, “you gonna listen to daddy or you want some spankings while I’m back there?” 
You move reluctantly. You roll over and he grabs your hips, guiding your ass higher as he jostles behind you. He drags his hands around your ass and down your thighs, then up again. He smacks you harshly so you feel the jiggle. You yelp and he guffaws. 
“Oh, fuck, should flipped you over the first time.” He gropes your ass and rubs himself against you. 
Your insides curdle. You hide in yourself. You try not to think about reality. Not about the desecration of your home, your safe space, of the place you made all your own. Nor the same being done to your body. To your relationship. 
Whatever, it was never going to last. 
He glides down between your cheeks, lingering as if considering it. You twitch and he snorts. He trails further down and presses against your cunt. He groans as he stretches you slowly. It isn’t easier. Not better. Not like they say. 
No, they say the first time is the worst. No, this is. This is torture. This is hell. 
He leans into you, grunting as you squeeze him, as your body resists his intrusion. He bends over you, his torso flush to your back, and thrusts. He impales you complete and you cry out. You push against him as your body racks in agony. 
He pumps again and you squeal louder. Fuck. Your fingers curl until your knuckles hurt. You hang your head and shudder. He rocks into you, playing with your hair as he nuzzles your nape. He puffs into your skin and it sends a roil of disgust through you. 
You sink down until your face is in the blankets. You crush your arms beneath you and drone into the bed. He hooks his arm under you to keep your ass up, rutting faster and faster. Your flesh claps like thunder, a never-ending cacophony. 
He growls and brings a hand under your chin, then his other. You wriggle as he squeezes your face and hooks his fingers in your mouth, pulling taught your lips. You arch your back and whine as he keeps his callous pace. 
You grab onto his arms as the strain in your lips feels as if it might tear. He lifts your head and you deepen the curve in your back, trying to balance him at both ends. His nose tickles the back of your ear. 
“Yeah, baby, squeeze me just like that. Ugh, that pussy knows what it wants better than you do,” he taunts. “Ugh, you latched on tight.” 
You can’t speak, you can’t shake your head, you can’t deny him in any way. 
“You feel so good,” he snarls. “The way you go me... fuck I feel it in my gut... I’m gonna...”  
He slides his hands from your mouth and wraps his arms around you instead; one at your neck, the other around your middle. He pulls you up with him and pounds relentlessly. The bed rocks furiously beneath you as your addled voice gurgles from your throat. The headboard knocks into the wall in a frenetic tempo. 
“Yeah, so good,” he rasps between deep breaths. “So good. Never... think I’d let you go, huh?” 
You hang from his embrace. Defeated. You did this to yourself. So take it. 
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anonity · 1 day ago
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across the hall - chapter 2
you all have anon to thank for this LMFAO i must have written the first part in a fever dream because i genuinely had no recollection of making this
anyways sorry for the wait + i hope this lives up to your expectations! 
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WC: 1500ish
you jiggled your door handle again with the hope that it would open by sheer force of will. evidently, your telekinesis skills needed work, because it didn’t even seem to consider unlocking. 
with a huff, your forehead came to land against the wood of your door with a soft thud. after contemplating the helplessness of your situation, you fish your phone out of your pocket and stare holes into the delivered sitting under your text to alyssa. 
she was supposed to be home by the time you got back, so originally it was “no problem” if you left your key in the room. 20 minutes prior, though, she’d texted to inform you that she would not in fact be home because her tinder date had decided to move the time up.
you hope he's a catfisher. 
it wouldn’t have been such an inconvenience if you hadn't already spent your entire day at the library. now you were exhausted, and had no clue when you would finally get to sink into your shitty mattress.
the floor was looking more enticing by the minute, and you were about to resign to sleeping on it when a voice rang out behind you. 
“locked out?” 
your heart stopped. this could not be a more humbling experience. every star in the sky has aligned just to screw you over at 9:45pm on this friday night, and paige bueckers is an active participant in your downfall. 
she’s going to think you’re an idiot, but what are you going to do, lie? oh, no, i just thought the wall looked comfy.
“yeah,”  you answer, turning to face the woman you’ve been avoiding for the last week. the instant eye contact has you fumbling for words a little. “i, uhhh.. well my roommate – well i left my key.. my key is in the room and my roommate is not,” you finally finish.
you’re waiting for the floor to swallow you.
paige tilts her head, nose wrinkling a little as she smiles at you. she looks amused. “so, whats your plan? teleport?”
you hum, glancing sideways at the door. “it crossed my mind.”
she’s still smiling when she gestures towards her own door. “well, if you don’t wanna sit out here all night, my roommates out. no superpowers required.”
your eyes widen – you think you’ve misheard her. “your room?”
paige laughs this time, opening her door. “well one of us has a key, and it’s not you.”
you hesitate. is paige morally obligated to let you into her room now that you’ve dragged her into your disarrayed state? are you morally obligated to decline?
she must be a mindreader, because she steps to the side and nods her head at the door. “i promise i’m literally just gonna watch game reruns tonight. you can hang out as long as you want.”
you finally nod appreciatively. “yeah, okay, thanks paige.”
you slip past her, politely taking your shoes off at the door when she shuts it behind the two of you, a glint in her eye. “you a fan?”
you eye her suspiciously. “i’ve seen some games.”
“i just find it interesting you know my name–”
“oh my god,” you roll your eyes, the smile pulling at your lips betraying you. “maybe i should’ve just stayed in the hallway.”
“oh, because the vending machine is so much better than me.”
“it’s got food,” you mumble, moreso trying to get on her nerves than make a suggestion. she takes the bait anyways, looking mock-offended.
“i have food!” she immediately reaches for her mini fridge. if you weren’t already in such an unbelievable situation, your jaw would’ve dropped at the contents.
“paige, this hardly counts as food.” the “food” in question is reminiscent of a teenage boy's “gym fuel”.  “everything in there has to taste like cardboard.”
“i play D1 basketball!” she scoffs, like she can’t believe you would suggest her chocolate chip cookie dough quest bar might be unappetizing. “you have a lot of attitude for somebody who locked herself out of her room a week into moving in.”
you sit down on someone's bed, (you can’t really tell, because both walls are lined with basketball posters) and grin, leaning forward onto your knees. “okay, you’re right, i’m sorry. but i’m still going to pass on,” you wrinkle your nose in distaste, squinting at the fridge. “legendary foods cake?”
“for legendary players,” she shoots back. you must’ve sat in the wrong spot, because paige throws herself down opposite of you and pats the space next to her. “KK’s kinda weird about people bein’ on her stuff, so..” “are all basketball players this high maintenance?” 
paige hums. “just us, i think.” “thank god.”
you move despite paige’s scowl, pressing yourself close to the edge of the bed. silence apparently never lasts long with paige, because she immediately drawls out, “sooo,” and then continues, “what are you doing alone on a friday night?”
you roll your eyes. “waiting for my roommate to get home, apparently.”
“you guys together or sum?”
you laugh. “uh, no, she’s on a date tonight. hence the locking out.” paige hums, eyes trained on the TV. “just haven’t been invited to any good parties recently.”
“i don’t think there are any – ion’ even know where KK went tonight.”
“it’s still early in the year.”
your mind drifts. you hate small talk. paige gestures towards the TV, a celtics v. bulls game from years ago rolling. “can you play 2k?”
much better.
you argue for a minute over who gets to play as the lynxes (paige finally relents, saying something about being drafted somewhere cooler and then choosing the wings of all teams) and then the first match starts.
right off the bat, she was bragging over a 2-pointer. “this games over already, y/n, you can put the controller down.”
“yeah okay, keep that energy when i drop 20 on you.”
after a flashy dunk you were particularly proud of in the second quarter, you grinned at paige. “you want me to clip that for you? you can start a highlight reel for me.”
she rolled her eyes, leaning closer to the TV. “doesn’t matter how good you look doin’ it if it’s still only two points.” 
you falter only slightly at her how good you look. 
by the fourth quarter, you were embarrassingly down 8 points. the last 6 minutes had been rough – not because you were bad at the game (because you weren’t) but because in the excitement of one of her riskiest plays following through, paige had shoved your shoulder and shouted “boom!”. unfortunately, she hadn’t moved away after that, and you could practically feel the heat radiating from her body. 
it didn’t take long for her to call you out. “bro, why is your defense so bad? do i needa show you where the buttons are?” she reaches over, mockingly gesturing at your controller. you stiffen a little at the contact. jesus, pull it together.
“touching the player in real life is totally a technical foul in 2k.” you laugh out instead, tilting the controller away.   
thankfully oblivious to your hesitation, paige laughs incredulously. “okay, now you’re just making shit up.”
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at 12:00am, your phone buzzes between the two of you. paige glances down first.
“is that your roommate?”
your heart sank. after two rounds of bickering over 2k, you were beginning to hope alyssa would be out late. she wasn’t, though, and her contact photo was now bright on your screen. 
you’d abandoned her playstation after paiges second win (you’d stubbornly pointed out that it was her job to be good at basketball) and paige had turned on love and basketball instead, calling it tragic that you hadn’t seen it. the end credits had been playing for a hot minute now though, and you were really out of excuses to not go back to your dorm.
“yeah, it is. apparently her date was super hot.”
paige smiles. “good.”
theres a beat of silence (something you’ve discovered is rare with paige), before you finally shift in the bed. “thanks for letting me crash.”
she jolts a little, watching you get up. “oh, yeah, no problem, anytime.”
before you reach the door, though, paige is up with you. “hol’ on,” she starts, thrusting her phone towards you. “well, actually,” she doubles back, bringing it back to herself. “um,” she starts again, eloquently, and you raise an eyebrow at her fumbling. “give me your number – in case you get locked out again.”
“i gotta get locked out for you to play 2k with me?”
“no!” paiges eyes widen and you decide to have a little mercy on her.
“relax, i’m just messing with you.”
she gives you a bone-dry laugh in response. “ha, ha. give me your number, f’real.”
thank god for hot tinder dates.
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sylver-star · 2 days ago
Text
⭑.ᐟ
Your knees hits the concrete with a less than kind thud, as you finally let yourself breathe again. "Holy fuck!"
The feeling of being on the ground again - even if it was on top of a ten-story building - is freeing, almost euphoric. The rooftop is cold under your hands, but you don't mind. You take a few seconds to let your heartbeat calm down, before you shift to sit down so as to not bruise your knees even more. The man beside you looks at you... at least you think he's looking at you, it's hard to tell with the mask on.
"You just fucking saved my life," you tell him.
"... don't mention it."
He seems more awkward than before - to think that a guy could be more confident fighting off some sort of mutant monster than talking to you would be funny, but you're too shocked to laugh.
"Did you kill... that thing?" you ask.
"I think so-... listen, I have to get back out there. Will you be okay, Y/N?" He kneels down beside you to inspect your head for any signs of trauma.
You take his hands in yours. "You know my name?"
"What?"
"You just said my name."
"No, I didn't." The superhero scoffs.
"You did! How do you know my name? Do I know you?" You furrow your brows, as if you could look through his face-covering mask to uncover who he is.
He gets up, his face now covered in shadows. "You know... superhero things. No big deal."
"So, what? Are you saying you're like Santa Claus or something?"
He chuckles, and you swear that you recognize it for a second. Maybe you're still just reeling from the trip here. "I won't tell anyone if you know me."
"... I know." He sounds like he wants to explain himself, but he doesn't. "Let me take you home. I don't want you to wander into another fight."
He helps you up, his hands landing on your waist as you stumble. You thank him and, before you know it, you're swept off your feet - literally - and taken to the rooftop of your apartment.
The next morning, you're early to work for once. With the eventful night you had, you weren't able to sleep much - so you might as well head out early. As you approach your office building, you start to feel the tiredness settle in your bones. You stumble in through the door, only to be caught by a strong pair of arms. His hands are holding your waist oh so familiarly, you immediately look up to the man in front of you. It's Wonwoo from IT.
"Thank you." You breathe out and give him an awkward smile. "You saved me from making a fool of myself this early in the morning."
"Are you okay?" he asks.
"I'm fine! Just tired." You stand up on your own and brush off your clothes. "I got... held up on my way home last night."
He nods, and for a moment you swear that you see him smile. Maybe it's a trick of the light. He pushes up his glasses and looks away from you. His mannerisms seem so similar to you now that you think about it.
"Well, I hope you get better sleep tonight," he says. "And if you need someone to fall on today, just let me know."
The two of you chuckle, and you thank him. As you walk toward the elevator, you can't help but shake the feeling that you remember him from somewhere outside of work. You shake off the feeling as your tired brain making things up, it has to be the case.
⭑.ᐟ
a/n: this is sort of a demo to what I could make into a real fic. if this is something that people are interested in, I'll write a full fic about it - so please lmk if you'd want to see a full fic of this!
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shesoutofhere · 3 days ago
Text
With Perfection Comes Obsession
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Hockey James Potter x Figure Skater Reader
Summary- You're back in the rink, training for a medal you lost out on the year before. Nothing is going to get in your way this year. Or so you think.
Warnings- Description of a panic attack, Unhealthy habits
Wordcount- 10k
Translation: Lapin - Rabbit
Ignore all typos <3
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Spin
“Again”
Spin
“Again
Spin
“Again”
You hit the ice just as aggressively as you did the time before that. You're finding it hard to breathe and everything aches. 
“Again Lapin!”
You pump your legs, moving them fast and hard. You're mid-jump when you hear the shrieking of the arena buzzer. Thrown off, your footing is off and you fall to your knees. 
You hear your coach scoff, moving to get off the ice. You get up, wincing at the sting in your knees, that’ll be a nasty bruise. 
When you walk off the ice, Coach hands you your blade covers. You mentally prepare yourself for the lecture you’ll receive when you return to the locker room. 
You feel a tight grip on your arm. Okay, looks like you’ll get your lecture right here.
“Lapin, If you get distracted by a buzzer, what makes you think you’ll be fine in an arena full of people? Have you learned nothing from your last performance?” 
She asks you questions but doesn’t give you time to respond, she immediately cuts in. “And your jumps, how is it that you haven’t managed to master your jumps? You are well past the age to be scared of falling. Your hesitation will cost you this title.” 
Silence falls over the both of you, Coach has her hands on her sides and just stares. You know what she's doing. She’s thinking of how you’ll be punished for this oh-so-horrible performance today. 
“Tomorrow you will march yourself to the management office and ask for an extended time.”  
Your eyes go wide, “Coach, they’ll never give me more time. And what about my professors? They’re already at their wits end with me being gone all the time.”
Coach’s eyes sharpen, “I’m sorry, have your priorities changed? Am I wasting your time Lapin? Cause if that’s the case then say so, and may we be free of this doomed partnership.”
You cower under her stare, “No, no of course not Coach, I’ll talk to management tomorrow and see what deal I can work up with my professors.” 
Pleased with the conversation going her way, Coach smiles. “Good, I’ll see you soon.” 
With that, she saunters off, reaching for her phone to call god knows who.
When you’re sure she’s out of eyesight you slump down onto the bench next to you. You close your eyes and take a minute to finally catch your breath. You bring your hand to your chest, hoping to alleviate some of the tightness and discomfort. 
The bench shakes and you hear something hit the ground with a thud. You open one eye and close it again when you see who it is who’s disturbed your peace. 
“How oh how will you ever convince management to give you any more practice time?” 
You sigh, hoping that if you ignore the nuisance next to you, he’ll get the hint and leave you alone. 
“They won’t even give the team extra time, let alone one person.” 
You open your eyes and turn to look at the boy sitting next to you. “I can be very persuasive.” 
James, who’s lacing up his skates, mumbles a quiet “Don’t I know it.”
You stand up and gather your things. “Who Knows James, win some games and maybe you’ll get the extra time you need.” 
James pauses his movement, looking up at you with a deadly glare.
 It’s a sore subject and you know it. After Peter Pettigrew, one of the university's star players decided to transfer, James and the rest of the team have been dethroned. They’ve known no peace since then and are grappling with everything to win this season. 
James turns back to his laces. “Hey and maybe if you learn to stop being so skittish on the ice, you’ll land that jump for once Lapin.” 
This is why you’ll never feel bad for being so hostile toward James. He’s a wolf in sheep's clothing and you lose your mind every day knowing that everybody has fallen for his golden boy act. 
You throw your bag over your shoulder, swatting at the back of James' head on your way out of the arena. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You’re pacing back and forth in front of the management office. You’ve gone over every possible excuse that could convince them to give you more time. You will convince them, or Coach will have your head on a platter. You’ll butter up the sweet old lady who works the front desk, you’ll dazzle her, and she’ll sign whatever she needs to. 
With one final pep talk, you walk into the office and freeze at the door. 
Shit. 
It’s not the sweet old lady. 
Sitting at the front desk is Remus Lupin. ‘This is fine’ you try to convince yourself.
You saunter up to the desk “Good morning Remus, you look fantastic today, do anything different with your hair?” 
Remus puts his book down, looking up with a sweet smile, “No, did the same thing I always do. How can I help you?” 
 You lean onto the counter and start messing with the pen jar. “You, my love, can sign off on my extra ice time.” you choose not to make eye contact, continuing to swivel the pens around the jar. 
Remus sighs, dragging your name out, “You know I can’t approve any more time for you, the school won’t allow it.” 
You stomp your foot out of habit, “ But Remus, I got all my professors to give me as many extensions as I need, really all I need is for you to say yes.” 
Remus, always bursting your bubble, “It’s not about class love, It’s about your health. You know how the system works.” 
You groan and bring your head down onto the counter. You knew this would be your biggest obstacle. All athletes have to adhere to certain rules. The university claims that it’s to protect the athlete's health but everyone knows it's so they don’t get backlash for overworking their student-athletes. You're allotted a certain amount of hours but anything over that has to be flagged and reported. 
“Listen,” Your head shoots up, “I can maybe convince them to a lot you a bit more time, but you’ve got to go to your physical therapy sessions. Doc has to report when you don’t show you know.”
“Okay yes, fine, I pinky promise that I will see Doc, and stretch and stay off the ice for 30 minutes after eating, and-” 
Remus cuts you off with a laugh, “Okay, okay I get it. I’ll talk to the board and see what I can do.” 
You squeal, reaching over the counter to smack a kiss on Remus’s forehead. “You are a lifesaver Remus Lupin.” 
Remus just shakes his head, “Yeah yeah, whatever, get out of here.” 
You happily skip out of the office, so happy, that not even running into James Potter in his gear could upset you. 
You offer a simple “James” and go to walk past him. 
“Woah, what's got you all happy?” 
You give him a sly smile, “Oh nothing, I’m just having a lovely morning.”
James furrows his brows at you, “Okayyy. Was Rem in the office?” 
You nod at him, “Yes, my sweet, beautiful, lovely Remus is in there. How he’s friends with the lot of you, I’ll never understand.”
James is insulted but is weirded out more than anything. 
Not caring to interact any further you wave goodbye. 
James, still confused, continues into the office. 
You don’t get far down the before James is yelling your name down the hallway. You roll your eyes, continuing on your way. You hear thumping and there’s a yank on your wrist. 
You yelp out of surprise. James without a word is dragging you back towards the office. You both enter and Remus is shaking his head. 
You rip your wrist out of James' grip, “I’d like that back thank you.” 
You smile at Remus, “Hi love, so good to see you again.” 
“Likewise.” 
James snaps his fingers, “Quit it you two, Remus just told me you’re getting more time on the ice.” 
“Why yes I am. I told you James, do better at your sport and good things come your way.” 
“Guys please don’t start. I don’t want to have to kick you out again,” Remus says.
James disregards your insult, “You can’t get more time, you’re already maxed out on hours, they’ll never approve it.”
You shake your head in faux symphony “Oh James, I told you I was very persuasive.” 
This seems to bring his attention back to his friend. “You” he points a finger aggressively toward Remus’s direction, “How could you say yes? You're the iron wall, no one shakes you down.”
Remus gives a weak shrug, “Okay, I wasn’t shaken down, we made a deal” 
James rolls his eyes, “Oh yeah, and what was that?”
“She’ll see Doc, every appointment, she has to go.” 
James looks confused. “How is that a deal? It's protocol.” 
“Wellll” Remus drags.
The look on James’ face darkens. His attention is on you now. “You don’t see the Doc?” 
You try not to be intimidated by his glare. “I just don’t see the point of seeing him after every practice. I mean come on, my body is my instrument, of course, I know how to take care of it.” 
Whatever lightness was in the air, is gone now. James is genuinely upset and you can’t wrap your head around why. 
“Are you kidding me, so what, you’ve just been skipping out on all your appointments?”
All you can do is shrug. Remus, who can sense the shift in the atmosphere, tries to intervene. “Look, I don’t even know if it’s a guarantee, I still have to ask the board.”
Your heart drops. “No. I need the time. You said you’d get me the time.” 
Remus, who has unfortunately been caught in both James and your fury, doesn't know how to turn this conversation around. 
“And what about your work, do you even go to class anymore?” 
“I’m doing great in all my classes.”
“That doesn't answer whether you're going.” 
“What does it matter? Virtual or not, It’s only until after the competition.” 
James takes his glasses off and rubs at his forehead like he’s trying to ward off an oncoming headache. “So, just like that, you get the time, extensions on school work, and a pass from all the appointments you missed with Doc.”
You sigh, “I don’t get it James, are you jealous, is that what it is?” 
This strikes a nerve in James. “You think that's what this is about?”
“Well” you throw your hands up, “what else could be?”
James puts his glasses back on and steps up to you, “You know what, if you want to overwork yourself and fuck up any chance you get at the actual competition, go ahead, seems like everyone is right behind you.” with that, James storms out the office. 
Remus walks out from behind the desk and gives a light squeeze to your shoulder, “I don’t understand why you two work each other up so much.” 
“He’s wrong,” you say quietly. Remus listens. “I’m better than I’ve ever been. I need this Remus, I need to win this. I need to show everyone that I can do it.” 
Remus, with a sad look in his eyes, pulls you in for a hug. “Everyone knows you can, you’re amazing.” 
You sigh and pull away. “It doesn’t matter how good I am, all everyone sees now is the girl who messed up last year. All my hard work was reduced to one stupid mistake. I have to get it right this time.” 
Remus just sighs, he’s seen this version of you before, and he doesn’t like where it’s going.
He grabs you by the shoulders, “Promise that you’ll go to Doc.” 
“Promise that you’ll get me my time.”
He sticks out his pinky, encouraging you to lock yours with his. You do. 
“Thank Rem” 
“Don’t make me regret love.” 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To everyone's surprise, the board does accept your request for additional time. You're ecstatic. Coach won’t show it but you know she’s semi-impressed. 
With the new time, the ending of your practice marked the beginning of the kid's ice class. Every time you did any sort of jump or spin you could hear a dozen little aws and wows. 
You felt fantastic, Coach was in a decent mood, and practice was long but the scary women had minimal feedback. For the first time in a long time, you felt on top of the world.  
“Okay, that’s enough for today.” 
You walk off the ice, putting your guards on. Coach gives you final pointers and is out of the building before you can say bye. 
You sat on the bench, undoing the laces of your skates when a group of the girls from before comes up to you. They flutter around you, asking all sorts of questions and giving endless praises. You’d be lying if you said that you didn’t feel your heart swell with pride and joy. 
You're talking about costumes when you hear your name being called. Standing towards the entryway are Doc and James. 
You knew this day was going to well, you had forgotten that today was your scheduled appointment with Doc. As for James, every time you see him your day is ruined. The two of you hadn’t spoken since the whole incident in the office. Remus had tried to get the both of you to make amends but neither of you had the intention of doing so. 
You put your slipper on and make your way over to pair. 
“Hey remember me? Long time no see.” You know Doc is trying to be silly but your heart beating faster at the mere thought of having to get checked up. 
The bespectacled figure clears his throat. “Haven't you heard Doc, our ice princess got more ice time so she's been pretty busy.”
You cross your arms. Reaching a hand to rest on your sternum, feeling a slight tug at every breath you take. 
Doc disregards James petty comment, immediately picking up on your discomfort. “You okay?” 
James looks puzzled, glancing back and forth between the two of you, looking for whatever he missed. 
You shrug. “Yeah, it's just, well..you know.” Doc just nods. 
“Know what?” James blurts out. From the look on his face, you can tell that he didn't mean to say that out loud. 
You frown, “It’s nothing.”
“It’s clearly something.”
“Okay, well it’s none of your business is it.” 
“OKAY,” Doc yells, cutting both of you off. “James I’ll do what we talk about, now move along.” 
James lingers for a bit before he finally walks off. 
“Now you” Doc starts, “Shall come with me.” 
You know that there isn’t any way to avoid this and follow right behind him. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Doc makes small talk throughout your checkup. You give replies, trying your best not to come off like you don’t want to be there. 
You’re in the middle of doing a stretch when Doc says “So, are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?” 
You lay on your back and bring a knee up to your chest, staring up at the ceiling. “Do we have to?”
Doc hums, “I think we should.”
You bring your leg down and lift the other to your chest “Okay, well then I guess.”
Doc stands at your side and offers a hand to bring you up from the ground. You sit on the ground and Doc sits in front of you. “I need you to know that what I did, was not only part of my job as your doctor but as someone who cares deeply for you lot.” 
You fidget with your fingers as Doc continues. “And I had to report the appointments that you were missing. I know you guys like to joke around with me but I am a healthcare provider before anything else and you can loathe me all you want but know my actions are never meant to harm you.”
Ugh, you feel like such an asshole now. “I don’t hate you Doc, I know you're just doing your job. I think-” you pause, trying to gather your thoughts, “I think in my head If I didn’t do my checkups, there wouldn’t be anyone to tell me that something could potentially be wrong.” 
Doc nods, and you continue “I should’ve listened to you back then, with or without the jump I would've lost anyway.” You say with a sad smile. “This time has to be different, I have to land that jump, I have to win this one.” 
Doc gives you an odd look. “I’ll be watching you like a hawk, you need to take care of yourself. I won’t watch you hurt yourself for this again, will you hate me then?”
You feel your body stiffen, you need this, so you think you might. 
“I mean it when I say this one is mine this year.” you have never been more serious in your life. 
“Oh trust me, I believe you.” 
It doesn’t have to be said, but you think that you and Doc might be a bit further apart than before. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You’re counting down the weeks. The competition is getting closer with each day that passes. You’ve spent more time at the arena over the past couple of weeks than you have in your dorm. 
Practice isn’t until later today, but you ambushed Remus when he was walking into the rink this morning. 
Now here you are, skating freely in the dimly lit rink. Remus gets horrible migraines and chooses to leave the lights off for as long as he can. 
You glide across the rink, twisting and turning whenever you please. Some time has passed when you come to a stop. All you can hear is the sound of your labored breath. You do your breathing techniques, trying your best to regulate your heartbeat. 
Your nerves spike back up when you see James skating towards you and feel speed. 
He halts right in front of you. “Are you okay?” 
All you can do is nod, not being able to form words quite yet. James doesn’t say anything else for a while. He watches and waits as you catch your breath. 
When you seem to have calmed down he jumps to question you. “What on earth was that?” 
You shrug, “I just got a bit winded I guess.” He blinks at you, “That's not the first time it happened though.” 
James, always so annoyingly inquisitive. 
“I’m fine James, where the hell did you come from anyway? The rink isn’t open yet.” 
You both kick into a slow skate around the rink. “That's rich, considering you’re here too. Also, you forget that Remus is one of my best friends.”
“How could I forget, you remind me every time I interact with him.” 
“Well, that's because I can’t seem to understand what hold you’ve got over him. He folds instantly when it comes to you. You know I had to beg him for 20 minutes to let me in.” 
You give a triumphant smile, “Remus and I have a bond that exceeds any and all relationship types, I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”
James scowls, ‘Stop talking about your special bond with Remus.” 
“Jealous?” 
“No!” James responded a bit too quickly. “More like deeply disturbed.” 
“Not as disturbing as you and Sirius,” you say, skating a bit faster to get ahead of him. 
“Hey! Don’t bring Sirius into this.” 
You tsk, “So quick to defend his honor. Tell him I’m still waiting on our date by the way.” 
“Oh please, Sirius goes on dates with anything that moves so don’t hold your breath.” Whatever honor and respect James had for his best friend earlier is out the window. 
You hum, not offering him a real response. James, changing the subject, “Was that a routine earlier?” 
“A routine with no music?” you ask sarcastically.
James rolls his eyes, “I'm just asking because it looked familiar.” 
Familiar? Why would it look familiar? 
“Spend your days off watching figure skating routines?” you say as you skate backward in front of him. 
He shakes his head, “No, just yours.” he doubles down quickly, “Well cause, we skate at the same rink and all that.” 
It’s too late, what he’s said has already gone to your head. You bring a hand to your heart mockingly, “The James Potter, Hockey legend, watches my routines. What an honor.”
James makes a face at you, “Oh whatever, forget I said anything.” 
You continue “I can’t believe I am skating with James Potter.” you say as you skate around him. 
James can’t help but laugh. “Okay quit it you’re gonna make me dizzy. God knows how you spin the way you do without throwing up.”
You continue at his side. “Years and years of practice.” 
“So, the routine, what's it from?” 
You let out a long sigh, “It was bits and pieces from my finals routine last year.” 
James says a quiet ‘oh’ 
“Mhm” is all you can offer back.
“I was there, you know?” James fidgets with his glasses. “Well, I mean, me and the whole team—half of the university, really.” 
This shocks you. You knew a lot of peers and locals from your university town showed overwhelming support, but for some reason, knowing James was there makes you…happy? 
“Well, you picked the worst one to turn up to.” You try to make a light-hearted joke, but it doesn’t work. 
James comes to a stop on the ice. You stop with him. “You really scared everyone.” 
You scoff, “More like disappointed everyone.” 
“No” James replies sharply, “I can assure you that no one in that arena was disappointed and you’ve got to stop thinking that.” 
You feel an argument brewing. “And what about you James? What did you feel? Please share with the gallery.”
“I-”  he pauses for a second. “I was scared too, and then I was angry.” 
“Angry?” 
He nods, “Angry. I was angry at you. I was angry that you’d attempt to do something so-” 
He cuts himself off, trying to restrain himself.
“Something so what James? Go on say it” You egg him on.
He yanks his glasses off his face, a habit he has when he’s frustrated. “Fine! Something so stupid. I couldn’t, for the life of me wrap my head around why you would purposely do something so stupid.” James doesn’t stop there. “I couldn’t understand why you would disregard Doc's orders. I was angry that you had such little regard for yourself and your body.” James throws his hands up,” and all for what?”  
You clench your fist tight at your side. You feel the anger flare up inside you. “All for what?” you laugh bitterly. “Is that how you see what I do?” 
James doesn’t respond. His silence only angers you more. “I did what I thought was necessary okay? I worked too hard all last year to just give it up. I made a mistake, I understand that, and I have spent every moment since then trying to make it up.”
You inch closer towards James, “Do you know how humiliating it is to have all my hard work be reduced down to one single mistake? I am perfect my whole career but the second I have one slip-up I'm stripped of all my wins, all my medals. Everything I’ve worked for, completely disregarded.”
James stares at you with wide eyes. “Is this what this is about? About ruining your perfect reign? Do you know how insane that sounds?”
You groan, “I could hold my tongue hearing this from anyone else, but you of all people James, Seriously? You are such a hypocrite.” 
James glares at you. “And what exactly are you alluding to?”
“You,” you say, shoving a finger in his chest, “are a hypocrite. You think I don’t see what you’ve been doing. Ever since Pete left you have been overcompensating, trying to fill a role all by yourself. The late night and early morning practices. Taking on extra responsibility on the ice. Spreading yourself thin to make it to nationals. 
“That’s different.” 
You laugh “How on earth is different James?” you can't believe this guy. 
“It’s different because It’s temporary until we find someone else. It’s different because I take care of myself. It’s different because it’s a whole team of us that care about each other. Yeah, I'm stepping up right now but I can always step back and rely on the guys if I need to. You, however, have..well you just don’t..” he sighs, “you’re alone.”
You back up from him, “You’re unbelievable.” you start skating to exit the rink. You hear James call after you. “Wait, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Whatever James, just leave me alone.”
“Would you just let me explain?” he desperately calls out. You swivel around the ice quickly, turning to face him. You have a snarky remark to give but it's out the window when James fully runs into you. Before both of you can catch yourselves, you both fall onto the ice. 
You yelp out in pain when James falls right onto your foot. He’s off of you quickly. “Holy shit are you okay?”  
You don’t answer, attempting to stand up. When you put pressure on your right foot, a sharp pain shoots through your ankle. James must see the pain in your face, “I'm so sorry I didn’t think you were going to stop. Let me help you back.” 
You shake him off, “No it’s fine, I’m fine.” you go to kick off the ice and the pain brings you to your knees. James reaches for you but you push his hands away.
No no no, this can’t be happening. You feel your heart start to pick up. You can barely hear James over the ringing in your ear. You stand up one more time, pushing off with your left leg this time. You make it somewhere but when you push off your right leg out of habit you double over in pain. 
You hear James grimace from behind you. “Alright, that's enough.” James wraps your arm over his shoulder and takes most of your weight. You can’t deny him, having no other way to get off the ice. He glides the both of you to the exit. The second your feet reach the matted floors you push away from him and limp to the nearest bench. You're pulling and tugging at your laces aggressively. When your skate is loose enough you yank your foot out, crying out in pain. You roll your sock down both you and James gasp. You throw the skate that’s in your hand.
You bring your hands to your eyes, feeling that annoying sting. “Fuck!” This is not happening. You did not just ruin your chances for this year because of one little accident. 
“I have to get Remus.” you grip James' wrist stopping him in his tracks. “Absolutely not!” 
James tries to pull his wrist from you but you bring your other hand to grab at it. “Don’t say anything, please. I promise I’m fine.” James looks at you bewildered, “Are you insane? Your ankle is purple.” 
“I bruise easily. I promise it's fine.” 
“Walk on it.” 
What. “What?” 
James shrugs, “Walk on it. Walk from here to those bleachers.” 
You go stand up, his eyes never leaving you. You take your first step and feel the same sharp pain you flinch but take your next step. You take step after step, pushing through the blinding pain. You make it to the bleachers and turn to face James. “See, it’s fine.” 
James stares at you in disbelief. He walks up to you “You are unbelievable.” He grits out. 
James leaves without saying anything else. Leaving you in the dark arena. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It’s been three days. You managed to convince Coach to give you time off, telling her that you had some projects to catch up on. Pleased with your recent performance, she reluctantly granted you some free time. No practice meant no Doc visits. Three days and radio silence from James. You were so sure that he would've said something to someone by now but you aren't called in for any meeting or evaluations. 
Three days later and your ankle is still purple and throbbing. You’ve taken way too many painkillers for it to be safe but it’s your first day back and you have to act like you feel fine. 
You walk into the building. You put on a smile and are prepared to give the best performance of your lifetime. Coach is already standing by the ice. You go towards the locker rooms but you stop when she yells your name. 
She looks annoyed when you walk up to her. “Hey Coach” 
She puts her phone down. “Look, they are cutting into your time today because they have to get the ice ready for the game tonight. I’m going to need you to do a quick warm-up and get right into running the routine. Jumps and all.” 
You nod, “Yes ma’am.” 
You put your bag down on the bench and start getting ready. You’re lacing up your skates when you hear a chorus of laughter. You lift your head to see James, Remus, and Sirius all chit-chatting while exiting the office hallway. Sirius catches your eye and you’re too slow to look away. He’s caught you. 
“Lapin!” 
Oh god. 
You hear them make their way over. 
“Where have you been? We haven’t seen you in ages.” 
You yank tightly at your laces and wrap them around your ankle. “Oh don’t exaggerate. It was only three days.”
Sirius scoffs, slouching down onto the bench next to you. “Yeah, that’s forever for you. I feel like lately you’ve been here every day.” you roll your eyes at him. 
“I had schoolwork to catch up on.”
Remus hums, “Look at you. Working hard.” 
You lean back on the bench. “What can I say? Anyway, I’m back. Try not to stare too hard Sirius.” 
Sirius' shoulder bumps you. “Hey, what about Remus?” 
You stand up, “You my darling.” pointing a finger at Remus. “Can stare as long and hard as you’d like to.”
There is a slight tinge of pink on Remus’s face but he laughs it off. “Quit you two.”
Your attention turns to James clearing his throat. This whole time he hadn’t said anything, just staring at you, analyzing your every move.
The two of you stare at each other, tension thick in the air. He drags his eyes slowly down your body. Any other person would think he has no shame but you know it’s nothing like that. You know exactly what he’s looking for. James' eyes linger on your ankle, mostly hidden by your skates. 
James tilts his head, “Hmm” 
Sirius and Remus, having no idea what's going on, simply stand there. 
“Hmm? That’s all you're gonna say?” 
Jamea shrugs. “What else is there to say? Everythings fine.” 
For the past three days you’ve done nothing but worry about James snitching on you. It’s brought you nothing but stress and anxiety. Why hasn’t he said anything?
You open your mouth to say something. “Yeah sure everythi-”
“Lapin! On the ice. Now!” 
James continues staring at you. If he thinks you’re going to crack, he’s going to be waiting for the rest of the day. 
You walk away with as much ease and poise as you can. 
The pain in your foot isn’t gone. You’ve got a purple bump to prove it but you’ve taken enough pain meds to hold off some of the pain for now. You skate around the ice, warming up. Every time you kick off you feel the twinging pain but do your best to ignore it. Coach doesn’t let you warm up for long. 
“Lapin, run the routine.” 
You’re heart drops, you didn’t think she’d get straight into it but she must want to take advantage of the time you had on the ice. 
You take a deep breath, already feeling the normal burning sensation in your lungs. You get into position. You steady yourself into your starting pose. You lock eyes with James. They’re all leaning onto barriers. Neither of you breaks eye contact. Finally, you hear the starting notes of your music and begin. You kick off beautifully, moving across the rink in a matter of seconds. You glide elegantly across the ice. The music begins to swell, the first jump is coming up. You breathe in, brace yourself, and jump. You spin, almost landing perfectly. There is a bit of wobble but nothing you can't make up in the next couple of jumps. You continue your program. You jump again. Spinning and landing. This one is perfect, no wobble. You keep moving, swelling with pride. You can’t see anyone but the lack of yelling lets you know that Coach is somewhat satisfied with the jumps. You push on, beginning to feel the pain in your foot. You ignore it as best you can. It’s when you're landing your third jump that the pain shoots up through your ankle. It leaves you breathless for a second but you compose yourself. You skate, you skate and skate and skate until you hear yelling over the music. 
“Get her off the ice right now!” 
You bring yourself to a stop. You look over to the commotion and see the coach with Doc. Standing right next to both of them is James. 
You stay on the ice, trying to catch your breath. 
It’s Coach's turn to yell at you. “Lapin, come here right this instance.” 
Your heart continues beating quickly. You make your way over and when you're at the exit, Coach is pulling you by the arm, heading straight for the benches. 
“Sit.” 
You look between her and Doc, you can’t even bear to look at James. 
“What on Earth is going on?!” 
“Take your skates off!”
“Excuse me?”
“Skates. Off. Now.” 
You reach to slowly start untying your skates. It doesn’t matter how slow you move. They all sit and wait.
Once they’re both off Doc kneels and reaches for your ankles immediately.
“Woah what the hell are you doing?”
“Which one James?”
Your head snaps towards James. You’re caught, you know it, but if James says something now you’ll hate him for the rest of your life. 
James must see it in your face. He’s silent for a second.
“Which one is James? I'm not going to ask again.” 
James looks away and answers. “The right one.” 
Without another second wasted, Doc is yanking your sock down, revealing a swollen purple ankle. Both Doc and Coach gasp. 
“Lapin, what the hell were you thinking?” 
You scramble to save this. “It’s not as bad as it looks! I promise!”
You look between Coach and Doc and all you see is pure disappointment. Coach runs a hand through her hair.
“Why? Why are you so adamant about hurting yourself? Do you not realize that you could mess this up beyond repair. What will you do then?”
Your eyes start to sting and you feel them watering up. “I didn’t mean to. It was a stupid accident.”
“Well, that’s exactly my point. You are a star athlete. What are you doing having stupid accidents? You are meant to be taking care of yourself.”
You feel the tears begin to fall. “Oh, now you care? Where was this lecture when you let me skate last year? Or how about all the times I skipped my appointments? How many appointments did you let go unattended? How many times did you look the other way?” 
You stare at your coach in anger and she looks right back at you with a look you can’t place. 
Doc cuts in. “We need to get it checked out.” You go to stand up and Doc tries to help you immediately. “You really shouldn’t be walking on it.” 
“I’ve been doing it just fine.” 
Doc shakes his head and reaches to help again. “I mean it. I don’t want you walking on it. James can you come hel-” 
You cut him off immediately. “Absolutely not. I said I’m fine. I can walk by myself.” 
Realizing that he can’t stop you, Doc lets you start making your way to his office. James follows behind immediately, calling you names. You ignore him but he won’t stop. He grabs your arm. You hear him quietly beg “Please, can you just listen.” 
You yank your arm out of his grasp. “I never want to hear from you again, James Potter. I hate you.” you spit out venomously. James displays a clear look of hurt. You leave him there, making your way down the hall alone.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After a thorough investigation, Doc diagnoses you with a bad sprain. It would have been fine if you had sought medical help immediately, or so he says. You don’t speak if you don’t have to, only offering quiet yes’s and no’s. 
Doc is finishing up when you do finally speak a full sentence. “When am I cleared to skate again?” 
Doc sighs, like who knew the question was coming. “Well, that’ll be up to you.”
He moves around the room, gathering things for your kit while speaking. “You wanna get better fast, you’re gonna have to take care of that ankle.” he walks over, handing you the kit and paperwork. “That means no agitating it, no skating, and definitely no competition.” 
You knew this was coming but hearing it breaks your heart. You feel your eyes start to water again. 
“Look,” Doc starts. “I'm really sorry. I knew how much this meant to you.” His words go in one ear and out the other. You silently stand up and grab all your things. You can’t bear to be in this rink anymore. You reach for the newly prescribed crutches and adjust yourself. Doc watches silently. You whisper a quiet thank you and goodbye. You make your way out of the building, trying your best to ignore all the stares. The rink, now busy with people waiting for the upcoming game. 
Everyone pushes to get in when you want nothing more than to get out. Every look you receive is filled with pity that you don’t want. You finally make it out, trekking through the parking lot to get to your car. Once you're in you turn it on and drive in silence. When you're in your dorm you head straight to bed. Holding onto one last hope that all of this is just a dream. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You know you shouldn’t be here. Well, technically nothing is stopping you from being here. But with Coach currently giving you the cold shoulder, Doc banning you from skating, and James on your hate list, Coming to the rink might not be the smartest of ideas. 
That is why you are here right now, at night. You’ve been out for over a week and feel like you’ve been going stir-crazy in your room. Technically the rink is closed. It has been for the past three hours. However, you know Burnie, the maintenance man, doesn’t leave until a while after. 
You’re shaking in the cold when you see him walk out the front, going to lock it. He smiles when he sees you. You can't help but smile back. “Hey Burnie.” 
“Hey sweetheart” He greets you with just as much enthusiasm as always. “Whatcha doing here?”
“I forgot a couple of things in the locker room. Thought it might be time I come and get it.” 
He eyes you suspiciously. You can’t help but laugh. “Burnie I promise I’m just here for some things. Look, no bag, no skates,” you say as you spin in a circle for him.
He reaches to steady you. “Woah okay now. Be careful on that foot.” he sighs. “Alright sweetheart, I'm gonna trust you on this, run in and grab your things and I’ll wait for you right here.” 
“What, Burnie no. I'm not gonna make you wait out here in the cold. Plus you shouldn’t have to stay a second later. I already feel bad keeping you right now.” 
Burnie’s still wavering. You sigh. “Look Burnie, I’m in a boot and I don’t know if you know this but these are a pain to take off. Both literally and physically. I just need to grab my things but I don’t want you waiting out here on me when you could be halfway home.”
“Fine. You’ve convinced me. Don’t let me find out that you were skating or we're gonna have some problems, sweetheart.”
You giggle pointing at your boot. “Burnie, I already told you I can’t.” 
He waves a hand, walking away. “Knowing you? You’d find a way. There are keys in Remus's desk. Lock the front door when you're done.” 
“Sir yes Sir.”
You make your way into the lockers, finding your bag of things that you always leave here. You grab it and walk out to the rink. You slump down onto the bench. You start rummaging through your bag. You smile as you find all sorts of knick-knacks. 
You pull out what you were looking for, your old skates. You smile fondly as you remember the skating you did in them. Your happiness morphed into sadness when remembering the people who bought you the skates. You hadn’t seen your parents since you moved out to college. Your skating was too mediocre for them to fly out and watch. You remember every single time they turned down your invitations, telling you it would be “A waste of time”.
 How could that be? You had everyone telling you you’re the best skater they’ve seen in ages. You have a world champion for a coach. You have so many people coming out to watch you. How can you have all of that and it still not be enough to make your parents see you? 
This is why you had to be fantastic. You were supposed to be perfect this year and the last and you ruined it. You still hadn’t told your parents about your injury. You could still hear your mother on the phone from last year. The disappointment, the lack of worry for her child, and worst of all, her deadpan voice muttering into the phone, “What did we expect, knowing you.” 
You’re squeezing the skates tightly, you feel your breath pick up. You pinch your eyes shut. Nonono this cannot be happening. You know this feeling all too well. You put your hands over your ears and bring your head down. You feel the familiar tightness in your chest. You try to breathe in and out but your airways feel constricted. You sit up and start rummaging through your bag looking for an inhaler. You find one and pull it out, panicking more when you realize that it’s out of pumps. You can feel your heartbeat in your ears. Hearing the heavy thump over and over again. You get up. You know you have one in your car, you just have to make it out there. 
You start walking, trying your best to slow down your breathing. You can start to see the light coming from the front when you hear someone unlocking the door. You walk around the corner, fully expecting to see Burnie who’s come back to kick you out. You freeze when the person turns around. 
You and James both stop in your places both gasping in shock. 
“Jesus Christ you scared the shit out of me,” he says with a hand over his heart. 
You don’t have time for James, so you walk right past him. James takes your silence as an insult.
“Are you still ignoring me?” you don’t answer, you fumble to get the keys out of your pocket. Reaching to unlock the door. When you do, you book it out to the parking lot. You can hear James following you. 
“Seriously, you don’t show up for a week and then I find you here in the middle of the night. What were you doing anyways?” he continues behind you. James' tone changes, seeming to land on the only possible explanation. “You were skating weren’t you?” you get your car keys out of your pocket and start clicking on the unlock button over and over again. 
“God” he scoffs, “You’re insane. That has to be the only explanation.” whatever else James says you can’t hear. The pain in your chest is unbearable and you start to cough at the lack of air in your lungs. The cold makes every sharp inhale burn. You finally make it to your car and swing the back door open. You jump in, yanking your bag out from under the seat. You dig through it and pull your inhaler out. You bring it to your mouth and inhale instantly.  
You sit up, breathing in. Your eyes are closed but you can hear James' shoes scuff to a stop right outside your open door. You stay like this for a while. You finally feel your heart start to slow and the burning in your chest is subsiding. You open your eyes and see James staring back at you with wide eyes. 
“Holy shit you have asthma?” 
His complete 180 in emotions gives you whiplash. 
“Yes you dickhead, I have asthma.”
James completely disregards the insult. “You had asthma this whole time. That's what Doc was asking about right? Or that time on the ice? When you get winded?” 
You just nod.
“Yeah, you’re definitely insane.”  you lean forward to smack his arm. “Quit calling me crazy!”
James rests a hand on the top of the car, leaning in, getting a better look at you in the back seat. 
“I’m not calling you crazy. I’m calling you insane.” 
You cross your arms. “So what, I have asthma. Plenty of athletes have asthma,” you say, looking up at him. 
James runs a hand through his hair. “That isn’t the point. I just wish- If you could just-” Without another word he’s getting into the backseat, pushing you over to make room for him. 
James clears his throat. “Listen, I’m going to say something and I need you to listen.”
Whatever you're about to say, James doesn’t let you. “Promise. Promise you won’t say anything until I’m finished talking.”  You stare down at James' hand, pinky extended, waiting for yours. 
You wrap your pinky around his. He drops his hand but keeps his finger interlocked with yours. You don’t pull away. 
“I think you should take a break from skating.” 
 You roll your eyes. You push away from James but his pinky tightens around yours. 
“Wait! You promised you’d listen.”
He’s got a desperate look on his face. “I watch you.” 
“James what?”
“Okay no, but yes.” He clarifies. “God I’m really bad at this. What I want to say is that I notice you okay? The second you started skating here I noticed you.” 
“You are frustratingly good on the ice. You’ve gotten title after title and it's got everything to do with you” James looks down, fidgeting with your joint pinkies. Ears red. “But ever since your incident last year you’ve gotten so…” he trails off looking for the right word. “Aggressive” 
“You’ve gotten so aggressive with your technique, on the ice, and with yourself. There’s something different about you. Everyone thinks it's a newfound determination but I can see it in your eyes, it’s something else. You skate with no regard for your body. What happens when you push it too far? What happens when you force yourself so hard that your body gives up on you? What will you do then?” 
The silence is heavy over you both. You look at James and he looks back at you with so much emotion, searching for an answer.
You let out a shaky breath. “What am I if I can’t skate? Can you tell me, James?” 
He stumbles over his words, clearly thrown off by your question. He comes up blank. 
“Exactly. Skating is all I have, it’s all I am.”
James shakes his head. “No, that isn’t true.”
You let out an exasperated laugh. “Do you think I’d be here right now if it weren’t for my skating? I’m here because it’s what I'm good at. I have so many people betting on me, so many expectations to uphold, so many people to prove that I’m worth it.” 
James leans in closer and speaks gently. “Why do you think that you aren’t already the best? Why is it so hard to believe that you are amazing at what you do?” 
His gentle tone does little to comfort you. He doesn’t get it. “If I’m so great how come my parents won’t come to see me?” you yell, your tone coming off harsher than you had intended. 
You recognize the emotion behind James' stare, it’s pity and you hate it.
You can’t bear to look at him, embarrassed by your outburst. 
“Hey,” you keep your gaze towards your lap. 
“Hey, look at me.” you feel his hand come under your chin as he lifts your face to meet his eyes. 
He unlatches his pinky from yours and brings his hand up to hold your face. 
“Is that what it is, you feel like you’ve got a crowd to appeal to? Well, guess what? You don’t owe anyone anything. You skate because you love it not because you feel the need to meet intangible expectations. If your parents can’t see how good you are then that's on them, you don’t need them.”
You groan and reach for his wrist, pulling his hand away from your face. “That's easy for you to say.” 
James furrows his brows at that, “What’s that supposed to mean.” 
“You have your parents here offering you endless support. No offense, but you could sit out an entire game and they’d still whoop and holler about how proud they are of you. You have a team that worships the ground you walk on. You have Remus and Sirius. What do I have? Who do I have? Coach?” You raise a hand to wipe away your tears but it’s no use. “I’m a thousand miles away from everything and everyone that I love. Being good, no, being fucking fantastic is the only way to get their attention. So if that’s what I need to be then so be it.” 
You let out one shaky breath and it all breaks loose. You bury your head in your hands, trying to muffle whatever mess you look like from James. After a short moment of sobbing into your hands, you feel hands pull at your arms. Before you know it, James is pulling you into a warm embrace. 
The angle is a bit awkward, considering the size of your backseat but he still manages to get his arms wrapped around you. Your head lands on his chest, ear pressed against it. You stiffen at first but slowly wrap your arms around him. You both sit in silence. He gently runs a hand up and down your back, while the other rests on the back of your head, holding it. You listen to the beat of his heart, which moves rapidly. You can’t help but smile slightly. Despite being the one to make a bold gesture, he’s the nervous one. 
“You aren’t as alone as you think.” 
“What?” You go to lift your head but James pushes it back onto his chest. Heart beating quicker.
“You're Not alone. You have Sirius and Remus, just as much as I do if not more. They adore you a little too much. And whether you believe it or not you have Doc and just about everyone else who you cross paths with in the rink.” 
He clears his throat for the next one. “And you have me.” 
It’s said so quickly you almost miss it. You’re sure you would’ve if you weren’t so close to him.
You go to lift your head again but he pushes it back down. You groan. “James.”
He doesn’t respond. You go to move but he holds you in place again. “James Potter, let me look at you.” 
He doesn’t budge, “I’d rather you didn’t” 
“James, if you don’t let me move, so help me god.” 
Your tone seems to do it. His hand slips from where it rested on your head. Once you get a good look at him, you almost laugh at the sight in front of you. James Potter, Red in the face, with a look of embarrassment so bad, he could die. He looks everywhere but at you. Eyes darting around the car.
“James”
“Yes?”
“Look at me.”
He does for a second and then looks away.
“James,” you say sternly.
“Yes?” He says picking at the seats.
Without putting much thought into it you smack both hands on his face, forcing him to look at you. You seemed to surprise him more than yourself. James stares at you with wide eyes. You’d done it without thinking and how you have no course of action. 
You both blink at each other. 
“What was it that you said just now?” 
He doesn’t turn away this time. That's progress. “What were we talking about?” he says with a dazy voice. You look at him expectantly. James, who realizes he has nowhere to go, blurts it out. 
“I said that you have me. There. Happy?” he doesn't stop there. “I said you have me because you do. All the time, every day I'm thinking about you, which is crazy considering how much you berate me. But that must be it. I must be crazy because I love it all the same. I care about you, even though half the time you make me want to slam my head into a locker, I care. So, yes, you have me.”
Through your hands, you feel the heat of his face. Despite the strong blush and red ears, James looks at you so earnestly that you can’t help what comes next. 
Hands still on his face you pull him forward into a kiss. He freezes and you pull away. Just for a split moment, you worry that you made a mistake. But before you know it James surges forward, reconnecting your lips. Whatever hesitation there was before, is gone now. 
His lips move against yours slowly, tentatively, exploring. You feel a finger trace the line of your jaw. Then the hand slips behind your head, bringing you closer. The sweet kiss now deepened with the hunger shared between you both. You raise your arms to wrap around his neck. You feel like you can’t breathe but you don’t stop.
With his newfound confidence, James moves forward. Your back hits the seat and James hovers over you now. He moves to lay himself over you. You feel his hand running up and down your side. You gasp into the kiss when a cold hand slips under your shirt, resting on your bare waist. James groans at the feeling of your bare skin, squeezing your side. You can feel your heartbeat in your ears. You don’t want to stop, ever. But the more James runs his hands over you and kisses you with an insatiable passion, the less you can breathe.
 You ignore it at first, but the aching in your chest only gets stronger. You feel like you’re drowning, and you decide that hyperventilating while making out isn’t the way to go so in one swift motion you sit up, pushing James off of you. 
You breathe in harshly. James now sits up straight, staring at you wide-eyed, glasses askew. You laugh but it sends you right into a coughing fit. You start to panic a bit and search for your inhaler. James snaps out of his daze and seems to get the memo. After what feels like forever, James lifts the inhaler. “Got it” he yells triumphantly. 
Snatching it from his hand, you take a couple of puffs, breathing in and out slowly. 
“Woah. I guess you could say I took your breath away.” 
You shoot him a look but can’t help but burst out laughing. James' laugh follows.
“No, seriously though. Are you okay?” 
“Yes, I’m fine. Just a bit winded.”
James smirks, seemingly a bit too proud. “Sorry about that,” he says with fake sympathy.
“Sorry about what? Trying to eat my face off or trying to take me in the back of my car?”  
James' face goes bright red. You don’t understand how he can be so confident yet so easily embarrassed.  
“I-I okay, woah, I-” He stutters over his words.
“Gosh James, I thought you’d have a bit more class than that.” 
He scoffs, “I have plenty of class and I don’t think I heard any complaints from you.” 
You shrug, “Could’ve been better.” 
James' jaw falls open in disbelief. “Oh really now.”
“Yup” 
Before you know it he’s bringing you down to your back and you let out a yelp of surprise. 
“Well since you’re so great I guess you’ll have to help me practice.”
You hum. “Oh yes, you’ll need all the practice you can get.” 
James lets out a loud laugh, making your heart flutter. “Yeah, well let's hope you don’t have to reach for your inhaler every 5 minutes.”
You smack his shoulder. “Hey! I am a star athlete. I don’t think a little acti-” 
James cuts you off, bringing his lips to yours. This time it's soft and sweet. James pulls away. “Talking to you is going to be a lot easier now that I can do that.”
“Keep talking and that’ll be the last time you get to do that.”
James nods quickly. “Yes ma’am. Message received.” 
With a nod from you, James is back on you. He leans into you heavily, moving his lips with yours. You reach up for his glasses, feeling them start to dig into your face. James' hand comes to your wrist, stopping you. Pulling away, he rushes out a ‘wait!’
You look at him confused. “What?”
“Don’t take them off.”
“James, as much as I love your glasses, they’re digging into my face.” 
James blinks at you with a slight pout on his face. “I can’t see anything when I take them off.”
“Okay?” 
He sighs, “I can’t see you when I take them off.” 
You roll your eyes at him. “James Potter you are such a sap.” 
He rolls his eyes back at you. “Yeah, well you’ll just have to deal with it.”
“I suppose I will. Okay they can stay on”
James smiles brightly. “Yay! Now shut up and let me kiss you.”
And who are you to deny him?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Alright, you guys did great today! Don’t forget to tell your parents that there won't be any classes next week.” you hear a chorus of answers promising they will. Considering you’re talking to a bunch of toddlers, you make a mental note to send out an email. 
You guide them off the ice and towards their parents, waving bye to them all. 
You’ve been helping teach the toddler class while their coach is out of town. Doc hadn't fully cleared you but gave you the green light to teach the little ones.
You make your way towards the office to drop off the sign-in forms. When you walk in, you’re greeted by a smiling Remus. 
“Hello, love. How are the tots?”
You give him a tired smile, “Rambunctious as always.”
Remus laughs, taking the papers from you. “You think you’d take this opportunity to get away from this place but no.”
You lean forward on the counter. “And miss out on seeing you every day? No way.” 
Remus shakes his head, turning away from you. Ears slightly pink. “You’re insufferable.” 
Before you can respond you hear someone else enter the office. More like two someones.
James and Sirius walk over to where you’re talking to Remus. James' eyes shift from you to Remus’ red ears and then back to you.
“Hey, I thought I told you to stop flirting with Remus.” He says with a slight frown. 
You shrug, “I’ve done no such thing.”  
James rolls his eyes. “Yeah right. Liar.”
Sirius and Remus erupt in laughter as James pouts. 
Sirius ruffles James' hair. “Oh James, it’s sweet that you think you can stop whatever it is they’ve got going on.” 
James huffs, pointing at Remus. “You’ve got to stop whatever alluring charm you’ve got going on.”
Sirius laughs harder. Remus gives James a cheeky smile. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just myself.” 
You swoon dramatically at his words. “Oh, Remus.” 
“Hey! No, don't swoon!” James says, looking frantically between the two of you. 
Remus and Sirius roar in laughter at his reaction. 
With the other two still laughing, James walks over to you. You give him a sweet smile. 
He frowns at you. “Why do you insist on giving me a hard time?”
“Someone's got to keep you on your toes, humble you a bit.” He glares at you but breaks into a smile of his own. 
With Sirius and Remus now wrapped up in their own conversation, James leans in a bit closer. 
“Hm, humble me? How can I be humble when you’re praising me all the time when we-” You slap a hand over his mouth, blushing furiously. You feel him smirk against your hand. 
He reaches for your wrist, pulling your hand away, giving it a soft kiss. “How were the lessons?” He says changing the subject.
“They were great. Lenny didn’t cry at all this time.” 
He gives you an encouraging pat on the waist. "Nice, and what about your foot?” 
You shrug, “It feels fine. I think stretching before ice time helps.” 
James smiles. “You’ve been doing the stretches?” 
You nod. He gives you a high five “That's my girl.” 
He goes silent, looking between you and his friend's chit-chatting. He leans in, whispering into your ear. 
“Hey, when's your appointment with Doc again?”
You think for a minute. “Um, not till this afternoon, why?” 
“So you’re free right now?”
“Yeah”
“What a coincidence, so am I.” He says with a mischievous look in his eyes. 
A moment pauses.
“Well. What are you waiting for?” 
James springs into action. His hand grabs yours, leading the both of you out of the office. 
“Hey, where are the two going?” 
Without turning around James yells out “Practice” You can’t help but laugh at the confused responses you get from Sirius and Remus. 
James continues down his path, determined.
“Wait James, what about my bag and my-”
He pats the side of his bag. Hanging from a chain is one of your backup inhalers. You stare at him in shock. With a quick kiss on the forehead and a cheeky smile, James continues to drag you both out of the rink. 
Practice does ensue. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A present to you all for being MIA.
I pinky promise I'm working on the Peter series!
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skyward-floored · 3 days ago
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I’ve been in a Sky mood lately lol. So for prompts maybe something angsty with him? Like him getting used to life after being trapped on the island for years? Or one of the boys trying to reassure themselves that he’s actually back?
I saw this prompt and went HEHEHE I do enjoy me my angst. Especially Incredibles au Sky angst (sorry Sky bdhdbdbdhd)
I sort of mixed your two prompts together? It’s mostly the first one, but there’s hints of the second. And also a different thing entirely XD Enjoy!
(Also warning for a character getting a flashback. It’s seen from an outside perspective, but here’s your warning just in case.)
————————————————————
Sometimes Warriors still couldn’t believe Sky was back.
After over a year of trying to come to terms with his disappearance, wrestling with hope and denial and grief, going to his funeral for Hylia’s sake— having him suddenly come back was... earth-shattering. In a good way, of course, but sometimes Warriors caught himself falling into the pattern of endless questions on what had happened, and had to remind himself that he knew now.
Sky had been tricked, lured away, fought for survival while being hunted within an inch of his life, and then finally made it home alive. Though... not without scars.
Ones that sometimes caught Warriors off guard.
The afternoon it happened, Warriors had stopped at Sky’s to drop off some things he’d borrowed, and ended up staying and talking much longer than he’d intended. He wasn’t complaining though. After thinking he’d never get moments like this again, he’d spend every waking hour with his brother if he could.
“...So then Aryll told me she made a new friend, and asked me if I wanted to meet her, and of course I said yes. I should’ve known better, because five seconds later she whistles, and this huge vulture lands in front of me,” Sky said with a wave of his hand, and Warriors laughed. “I know! Where did she even meet a vulture?!”
“Probably the same place she met those geese that one time,” Warriors said with a grin, and Sky joined his laughter that time.
“Oh I’m sure. She has plenty of bird connections,” he chuckled, leaning back with his wings stretched out on either side of himself. He picked up his glass of water and drank some of it before he continued. “I’m sure she’ll have quite the message system worked out when she’s older.”
“I wouldn’t put it past her,” Warriors smirked. “Heck you won’t even need the mail service if she keeps up like this, just ask her to send letters via pigeon.”
“Hm that’s true... I’d never have to buy stamps again,” Sky said thoughtfully.
“Hey now, don’t forget those stamps help pay my salary,” Warriors grinned. A truck outside beeped as it backed up, and Warriors glanced out the window, before looking back inside. “If I didn’t know better I’d say you were trying... Sky?”
Sky had completely frozen in place, his glass of water slipping from his hand.
Warriors quickly shot out a hand as it hit the floor, freezing the puddle before it could spread, then got off his chair and hurried to Sky’s side. The cup hadn’t broken so he left it where it was, and he looked worriedly at his brother.
“Sky? Are you okay?” he asked urgently, and a tremor wracked through Sky, his eyes glazing over. He’d been fine literal seconds ago, what was wrong? “...Sky?”
“We need to hide,” Sky whispered, his voice hoarse.
Warriors blinked. “What?”
Sky swallowed, shaking as he stared into the middle distance. “We need to hide, they’re coming,” he stressed in a croak, his breathing starting to pick up. “Guardians, they’re close.”
“Sky... there are no guardians here,” Warriors said in confusion, and Sky shook his head, ears twitching.
“There’s one right over there,” he gasped, his breath trembling. “We need to hide, it’s going to—”
“Sky, no there isn’t,” Warriors said slowly, sitting down beside his brother. “There’s nothing there.”
“B-but—” Sky stuttered, twisting his head around to look at the wall. A bead of sweat trailed down his brow. “Yes it is. It is, it’s coming, we need to hide now.”
Sky pulled his wings in close to his body, feathers puffing up, and Warriors looked at him in dismay, unsure of what to do. He knew enough to recognize Sky was having some sort of flashback, but he didn’t know how to help him out of it.
The truck outside beeped again, and Sky violently flinched, nearly falling off the couch as his feathers puffed out even more. Warriors looked between him and the window, then carefully stood and walked over to it, closing it and blocking out the sound. Sky didn’t visibly react to the quiet, and Warriors went back over to him, watching as he trembled in place.
“Sky, we’re not on the island,” Warriors began carefully as he sat back down. “You haven’t been there for weeks now. And I wasn’t ever on the island. How can I be here with you if we’re on the island?”
“I-I...” Sky stammered, his voice faltering. Then he suddenly snatched Warriors’ wrists, eyes huge. “Wars they got you too, you shouldn’t have come, it’s going to be like everyone else,” he choked out, still shaking. “We have to hide!”
Sky began tugging at his wrists, but Warriors resisted the movement, staying where he was. “Sky, there’s no danger.”
“Yes there is! I have a base right over there, we can get to it if we hurry, we can’t let him—”
“Sky, we’re not on the island,” Warriors repeated, slipping his wrists out of Sky’s hold and taking his hands instead. His skin felt clammy. “I promise you we’re not. We’re in your house. We’re safe.”
Sky kept shaking, but he didn’t argue the point, and Warriors felt a flicker of encouragement when he didn’t keep tugging on his hands.
“You’re not back there,” Warriors repeated, and Sky squeezed his eyes shut, another bead of sweat trailing down his brow. “You’re in your house, on the couch in your living room. Sun is at work, and Aryll is taking a nap. Nobody is in any danger.”
Sky trembled in his seat, his eyes still closed tight, and Warriors lightly squeezed his hands, waiting for him to come back. His eyes reopened, still looking glazed, but less so than before.
“Come on Link,” Warriors whispered, looking into Sky’s eyes. “You’re safe here, I promise. Nothing is trying to hurt you.”
Sky swallowed, and Warriors stayed beside him, watching as his feathers slowly began to smooth. Warriors repeated the reassurance that they weren’t on the island, and he kept it up as Sky’s frantic breathing started to even out, and his eyes gradually cleared.
It felt like a long time before Sky’s shoulders slumped, his wings falling limp as he took in a shaky breath. He was still trembling, but much more lightly, and Warriors studied his face.
“You back?” Warriors asked carefully, and Sky looked at his lap, shame coloring his face.
“I... I think so. Sorry,” Sky whispered.
“Nothing to be sorry for,” Warriors said easily, but Sky kept looking at his lap, ears red.
Warriors looked at him worriedly, then lightly squeezed his hands, pulling back so he could deal with the frozen puddle on the floor. He easily pried it up and shaped it into a small ball, then set it on the table, looking back at Sky again.
“Hey. I mean it,” Warriors said when he saw his expression, lightly touching Sky’s shoulder, light enough that he could pull away if he wanted. Sky didn’t, and so Warriors held it a bit tighter. “You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s not your fault.”
“I was the one stupid enough to go there,” Sky muttered under his breath, and Warriors frowned.
“Sky, you were tricked. You thought you were doing something good, it’s not your fault,” Warriors repeated, and Sky didn’t meet his eyes. Warriors sighed. “That looked pretty rough. Do you want some water?”
“I’d appreciate that,” Sky said quietly.
Warriors nodded and stood, giving his shoulder a squeeze before he grabbed Sky’s glass and headed to the kitchen to refill it. It only took him a moment, and when he returned, Sky hadn’t moved, still staring at his lap, faintly trembling, wings lightly wrapped around himself.
Warriors passed him the cup, and Sky silently took it, sipping without a word.
“You need anything else?” Warriors asked, and Sky shook his head. Warriors hummed in reply, then paused as he thought of something. It wasn’t Warriors’ go-to, but Sky usually appreciated physical contact much more than him, especially since he’d been back. “...maybe a hug?”
Sky finally looked up, still shaky and pale, and gave a tiny nod.
Warriors gave him a sad smile, then leaned in, wrapping his arms around his brother.
Sky was stiff for a moment, then practically melted into the touch, a wavering sigh coming from him. He pressed his face against Warriors’ shoulder, and Warriors lightly rubbed his back, feeling equally reassured by the touch. He knew Sky had been through a lot, but the blatant show of it had been a bit frightening.
Oh Sky.
“I’m such a disaster,” Sky said in a wobbly voice, and Warriors sighed.
“Anyone would be. Truth be told, I think most of us became disasters while you were gone, so you’re in good company.”
Sky let out a wet snort, and Warriors squeezed him, Sky still shaking just a little.
“Has this happened before?” Warriors asked after a minute, pulling back so he could see Sky’s face, and Sky shrugged.
“Not... to that extent,” he admitted quietly. “There’ve been... things, but not...”
He trailed off weakly, and Warriors nodded. That was about what he’d figured.
“Okay. We’ll figure this out. Just like old times, huh?” Warriors said with a faint smile, and Sky huffed.
“Yeah. Can’t say I miss that side of things,” he mumbled, and Warriors squeezed his arm again.
“I’ll stay until Sun comes back,” he reassured quietly, and Sky nodded, silently resting his head against Warriors’ shoulder again.
Neither of them said much else after that, and Warriors idly played with the piece of ice on the table, Sky watching him quietly as he shaped it into a small bird. Warriors added some ice to it, and worked on shaping it into a slightly bigger one.
Sky stayed silent as he leaned against him, and Warriors tried not to stare, worry clenching in his stomach. Nightmares were common enough between them, though they’d gotten better as the years had gone on. Warriors had practice with those, and panic attacks, and a small list of the other crap they all dealt with after their superhero careers, but this... felt way out of his league.
We’ll figure this out, he promised silently, adding small feathers to the bird he was shaping in his palms. Sky breathed out a weary sigh, and Warriors swallowed.
We will. We’ll figure it out.
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msviolacea · 18 hours ago
Text
Oh my god, am I actually writing real fictional words? Is the world finally ending?
Anyway. A scene in my head, now out of my head and on the screen. Tamsin de Riva/Lucanis, after the near-kiss and (right) before Inner Demons. Spoilers inside.
~~~~
"Hey." Lucanis's voice is soft and more than a little tense - Tamsin isn't surprised, given the circumstances. But she doesn't expect the topic, not right now, not in the middle of everything. "About the other night ..."
"I already told you, don't worry about it." The knot in her chest tightens, but this is not something either of them should be chewing on here, in the middle of Dock Town, as they duck around Venatori and try not to attract attention.
Lucanis shakes his head. "You deserve ... an explanation. Whether or not I have a good one."
She wants to snap at him, not now! But maybe this is his way of not thinking about whatever news they're about to get. She supposes, to keep him from dissociating any more than he already does, she can revisit her own humiliation. In the middle of Dock Town.
This day is shaping up to be just fantastic.
So, she looks over at him and gives him a small smile. "Listen, I understand. It wasn't what you wanted. There really doesn't need to be any more explanation than that. I'm not offended." Embarrassed, yes. But that's her own problem.
Lucanis stops short. It takes Tamsin a moment to process it - she stops two steps ahead of him and looks back. He's looking at her with his head slightly tilted, as if she's suddenly a puzzle to be solved. "What?" she asks.
"You think ..." He shakes his head. "Tamsin."
She steps back to meet him again. "Hmmm?"
He touches her arm - just a brief brush of fingers, before he withdraws and curls the fingers into a fist at his side. But as with each of his touches, few as they've been, Tamsin can feel the spark on her skin, even beneath the sleeve of her leathers. "Trust me, the problem had nothing to do with a lack of desire."
Oh. "Well. Okay."
"If you know nothing else, please know that."
"Okay," she repeats. She can feel her heart pounding, and she knows her cheeks are stained red. So are his, for that matter. She remembers the whisper of his breath across her face, that one moment when ... almost. How much she wanted. Still wants - always wants, if she's being honest. And she felt so pitiful for it that night, after he walked away.
But. Now.
"I guess," she says slowly, "knowing that ... whatever the problem is, when and if you may want to try, I'm here."
"I know," he murmurs, low enough that she barely hears the words over the bustle of the city around them. "You always are. Somehow."
Tamsin shrugs, and feels a relieved smile cross her face. "Where else would I be? Come on, I do not want Viago to read me the riot act for making him wait. It's embarrassing enough in Treviso, where everyone around already knows he's full of shit."
"No one in Minrathous will pay him much mind either. It's not like he's a mage." Lucanis takes a deep breath. "Sure. Let's go see what he ... what Viago and Teia have for us."
She can feel the thread of rage and despair under his words, so she takes the chance and reaches out to clasp and squeeze his hand lightly, quickly, before walking on. The only way out is through, as usual.
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sunoostripletriple · 2 days ago
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Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
The other side of the moon y.jw ff
/ᐠ. .ᐟ\ฅpairing: Enhypen Yang Jungwon x Reader
/ᐠ. .ᐟ\ฅgenre: fluff, a bit suggestive, plot twist?! (maybe)
༊*·˚♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡
Synopsis:  After a long awaited moment you finally get to see your one and only true love. The person you've been anticipating to see so desperately has finally come to see you.
It's been a while since you finally got the chance to sit down and look at the beautiful night sky. The full moon shining so brightly right at you. 
You feel a sudden rush of sadness, as you reminisce about the dates you've had with your boyfriend, who is now away for an important business trip. 
He’s been on the trip for almost 2 months, and you still have to wait for him to come back for another 5.
Having a boyfriend who is an idol gets you worried, often wondering about what would happen if people were to find out that you guys were together. This thought had you going through so much overthinking ever since you guys got into a relationship. But no matter what, Jungwon always reassures you, saying that his fans are the nicest people he has ever come across, and that even if they find out you're both together no one can split you guys up.
You suddenly remember that Jungwon, your boyfriend recently wrote a new song for their upcoming album and decided to listen to the demos he sent you.
Hundred Broken Hearts
Oh, how you missed his sweet, sweet voice. The more you listened to the song, the more it made you want to desperately run into his arms and give him the sweetest kiss ever, letting him know how badly you have missed him.
Moonstruck
Listening to this song had you blushing from the beginning till the end. You can't help but imagine how far you and Jungwon have gone in this relationship. You can't even lie and say that it has you giggling and blushing like a little girl at some parts of the song.
After listening to the song demos, you couldn't help but send a message to your significant other. 
“I miss you so much, love.”
“Please come back soon.”
You know it's a bit early in the country where he is right now. Even if you message him right now, it would probably take him hours till he can finally reply back to you. However, it seems like fate has other plans for you, and soon your phone starts to ring.
Bzz bzz bzz
The phone continues to ring, making you check to see who is calling you at this late hour.
“It’s Jungwon!” You say. Smiling and answering the phone call from your boyfriend.
Phone call [jungwon]
You: hey babe!
Jungwon: Hey honey bunz. I missed you!
You: why are you up so early? You should sleep more!
Jungwon: I couldn't stop thinking about you all night, I couldn't even sleep a wink. You hear him chuckle on the other side.
You: hey! I can hear laughter, you know. You say pouting. I’m just worried you haven’t got the rest you need, with that hectic  schedule you guys have with that tour. 
Jungwon: Don't worry babe, I’m doing just fine. You know I’m a strong guy so don’t stress about it, okay?
You: Fine.. if you say so.
Jungwon: anyways!! I wanted to call you since I wanna just spend my day off talking to my one and only love and talk about how we met.
You: I was literally just thinking about that too!
Jungwon: Remember that one time at the park? Where we first met?
You: Yeah, and please don’t remind me. I looked so ugly that night. You even had to see my ugly crying face.
Jungwon: Oh please! You looked beautiful! If anything, me seeing you that night was when I first fell for you.
Jungwon: You could say that it could have been ‘love at first sight’
You chuckle at his response.
You: I had mascara running down my face and you’re telling me you fell for me that same night?
Jungwon: Mhmm. He hums. I really did!
You: Stop lying. You protest back. 
Jungwon: Anyways let's move on from that.
You: Actually, I’m thinking of going on a walk to that same park right now. Should I?
Jungwon: Sure! Whatever eases your mind, cutie. 
You: Let me get ready and I’ll call you again when I get to the park.
Jungwon: Alrighty then. Stay safe and make sure to look left and right when crossing. I love you
You: yes mother. I love you too.  You say jokingly as you end the call with Jungwon.
You put your phone down as you walk over your dresser to put on one of the hoodies that was given to you by your boyfriend. “This should keep me warm enough.” you say as you also put a beanie and sneakers on to complete your look.
“I’m so glad the park is only a few blocks away from my place.” you say with relief as you cross the empty street towards the entry of the park. “I should probably call him again.” and not even a few seconds later your call was answered right away.
Phone call [jungwon]
Jungwon: Did you make it safely?
You: Mhmm. You hum softly. I’m by the playground where we always hang around.
You: Wishing you’re right next to me right now.
Jungwon: Just keep wishing then maybe it’ll come true.
You giggle at his silly suggestion and walk over to the swings near the bench you guys first both met. 
You: Maybe I will. You say as you sit yourself on the swing.
Jungwon: Baby.. 
You: Yes?
Jungwon: You know how badly I missed your voice? Your touch? Your kiss? And the way you play with my hair? I missed your everything so badly my love.
You: Me too, love. I miss you so much.
Jungwon: I bet the moon looks just as beautiful as you tonight my love.
Unbeknownst to you, someone, not far from your current location is looking your way and adores how you look at the moon just above you. A sweet and fond smile forms on his lips showing his cute cat-like features.
 You: Saying that while you’re not next to me is just a crime you know. A pout forming on your lips.
A snicker is heard between the trees not far from you causing you to turn your head. You pay no mind to it as you realize you might have just imagined it.
Jungwon: You know each and every word I say is the truth and nothing but the truth. I wouldn’t say something I don’t really mean and you should know that by now. 
You: You win this time, Yang Jungwon.
Jungwon did his best to stay hidden, crouching behind the trees with all the stealth he could muster. He squinted at the lamppost in the distance, watching Y/N pace back and forth as her voice echoed faintly through the phone pressed against his ear.
Everything was going smoothly—well, until the mosquitoes decided to crash his little stakeout.
A couple of them buzzed around his face like tiny, winged nuisances, one especially bold intruder hovering dangerously close to his nose. Jungwon froze, scrunching his face in a valiant effort to hold it back. But the tickle was relentless.
“Achoo!”
The sneeze erupted, louder than he intended, startling even the crickets. He froze, his eyes wide with panic as Y/N’s voice cut off mid-sentence.
“Wait... Was that—” Y/N paused, tilting her head. “Did you just sneeze on the phone? Or… wait, was that from the trees?”
Jungwon mentally facepalmed, realizing his sneeze had betrayed him not once, but twice.
“Uh... bless me?” he mumbled weakly into the phone, but Y/N was already walking toward the lamppost, her curiosity piqued.
“Jungwon?” she called out, stifling a laugh as her eyes scanned the darkened trees.
From his less-than-perfect hiding spot, Jungwon let out a resigned sigh. “Stupid mosquitoes,” he muttered under his breath, preparing to come out before he made an even bigger fool of himself.
“Surprise?!” Jungwon jumps up with both hands mimicking a Peek-a-boo like pose.
You end the call that was still on-going on your phone and wrap your arms around him.
“I missed you so much” You say as you place your hand on his cheeks looking up at him from his chest.
“So much for a cool surprise am i right?” he laughs as he places a soft kiss onto your plum lips. Oh how he missed the touch of your lips right up on his and how long he has waited to finally see you and feel you right up on his arms once again.
“Just as I mentioned earlier. You’re just as beautiful as the moon tonight my love.” he says before continuing on with giving you the most passionate and heart melting kiss you’ve ever had your whole life. The sweet taste of cherry with a mix of strawberry from both yours and Jungwon’s chapstick just couldn’t explain how much you both have been wanting this moment to never stop. A slick of saliva comes out as you both slowly pull away to take a break as you both try to catch your breaths.
“Why are you here?” you ask as you finally realized that your boyfriend who’s supposed to be in America is now back in Korea right in front of you. “Weren’t you supposed to be in America right now with the boys?” you continue to ask.
“I lied and told them I’m homesick and that I’ll join them again in 2 weeks” He chuckled knowing how you’ll probably make this into a big deal.
“What do you mean join them again?? You guys are on a tour, Jungwon wouldn’t you get in trouble when they find out you only came back to see me?” You say as you bombard him with a series of questions not even letting him interrupt you.
“What are you saying, y/n? You are home. You’re my home.” he says as he pulls you by the waist for another hug whilst giving you a small peck on your temples.
You blush at his actions and just lay on his chest as you comfortably feel the beat of his heart slowly rising. The sound of his comforting humming sounds just like a lullaby and you can never explain how much warmth it gives. You slowly lose consciousness as you lay next to your lovely boyfriend knowing nothing is ever going to separate the two of you till the end of the world. 
“Wake up! Wake Up!!” you feel a weak push on your side. Not wanting to wake up, you turn around and ignore whoever is trying to wake you up.
“I said wake up! Wake up, alweady!” the small figure next to your sleeping body grows frustrated as you show no signs of wanting to wake up.
“If you don’t wake up right now, I’m going to tattle on daddy.” the little girl sulks both rosy cheeks puffing out in annoyance.
Just from the word ‘daddy’ got you opening both eyes wide open in shock. “Daddy?” you repeat. “Yeah, Wonnie papa.” the little girl says.
“Daddy said I should wake you up since we're going on a twip today!” the girls exclaim in excitement. 
“Ahh is that what daddy said Yeonie?” you ask your daughter.
“Yup!! I hope we’re going to lotte world today! I’m so excited mommy!” little Yeonie says as she jumps on the mattress. “Well you should get ready then so we can head out soon, alrighty sweety?” you give Yeonie a kiss as you lead her back to her room.
You sigh as you realize the dream was all just a flashback from 3 years ago. The same occurrence happens once every full moon. It's like a little recall on the most heartfelt moment you’ve ever had in your whole life.
“Honey, are you in there?” you hear a familiar voice and a knock on the bedroom door. You open the door not to only see your husband but also your first and last love. Yang Jungwon.
༊*·˚♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡
a/n: sorry for not being able to post for awhile pooks. If I'm being honest I did unfortunately lose the motivation to write for awhile and due to my work schedule i haven't been able to do much on this app;-;;;. I've also had this ff in my drafts for awhile now and haven't been able to finish writing it until now so I hope you guys will love this one.
taglist: @velvetkisscs @random-potat @yoizhrs
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icarusredwings · 1 hour ago
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Thinking about Logan coming home early to "Pretty Woman" being played loudly from the bathroom.
"Wade?" Steps into the house, he smells perfume. The kind he only liked cause it was Wade's.
He can smell glue, chemicals and hair spray. He can smell heat. Metal, and.. joy.
It almost smells like how it did in the mansion by kittys and rouges room on calm mornings when they were doing their hair for the mall or to go on a date.
The flash of memory hurts. It tightens his frontal lobe like a migraine.
"Wade?" He asks again, knocking on the door but didn't wait to open it. Clicking it open, He peers in to see his husband sitting on the sink next to a heat curler, clips and hair spray in a blonde fluffy wig to keep them in place, the mirror open and seeming to be gluing something onto his eye.
"...Hey." He says.
Wade screams over the music, turning and covers his face, that has some creamy patch under his eyes.
The door slams, Logan being shoved out and jumping from the sudden strength. Blinking, He processed what just happened.
"Wade..??"
"NO!!"
"N-no what?" Did he do something wrong?
"Nooo!"
"Uhm.. o-Okay... are you alright?"
A whine comes from the other side of the door. "You weren't supposed to be home yet.."
"Are... Do you want me to leave?"
"No..."
"I thought you'd be happy I came home early..." Logan mutters, leaning against the doorway with his musty work clothes still on.
"I am! I-i just.. i dont want you to look at me yet."
"Why not? And if you say cause your ugly without all that shit on your face ill slice the hindges off the door and pin ya to a wall."
A very soft "ooo-" comes from him, a pause as if thinking of the consequences.
"Will you damage my hard work?"
"Oh, definitely." He smirks, shaking his head softly.
"Noo! I-.. I'll burn you with a curler!"
Scoffing, Logan snorts. "I've had worse. Now gimme my 'welcome home' kiss and maybe- Maybe. I'll let you watch me in the shower."
There's another pause, another click, and soon Wade opens the door, looking at him with such wide and pouty eyes. "...That's not fair."
"What ain't? That you're a little perv and I wanna kiss the love of my life?? Wade, I've seen you with all your bones outside of your body and magots in your stomach. You think I care abouta lil baggy undereye?"
"...No.."
"Besides. This is your own fault. You can't give a man a 'welcome home' kiss every day for 8 months and then not gimme it. Ill withdrawl!" He says, drimatically, which makes Wade laugh, giggling as he reaches up to his face.
"Oh yeah? My big strong boy gonna withdrawl from kisses?"
"Yeah."
"Really?"
"Mmh."
Scratching his chops, Logan's eyelids go half lidded, staring at him with such love and admiration. He did feel grateful for all the stuff Wade did to try to look beautiful for him, even if he didn't need any of it.
Wrapping his arms around his waist, he began to purr as Wade finally kissed him. Twice. Once for now. Once for forever. It was just something he said. Something about good luck and eternity nonsense. Either way, Logan was more than happy to get as many as he'd give him.
Pulling away, Wade goes to turn back into the bathroom to start on the other eyelash only to pause, pointing at him. "And don't you dare touch my hair, mister!"
Luckily for Wade, Logans hand was only halfway out to play with the curls, in which his eyes widded from being caught.
He chuckles, closing the door behind him. "Whatever you say, pumpkin~"
Oh yeah.. he'd be tuggin on it later.
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catboymettaton · 2 days ago
Text
heaven is a place on earth 💖🍓
Misa and Matsuda friendship, 3.5k words, rated T. read on ao3 Valentine's Day 2011: Misa jumps from a building, hoping to reunite with Light. And then wakes up, still alive.
Tokyo looks so small from up here. Misa reaches out a gloved hand, traces the line of the street below. Cars honking, people scurrying, everyone in such a rush to go somewhere, to do something.
Misa is in no such hurry. 
A man below is carrying flowers, so many they spill out of his arms. Another man has just emerged from a chocolate shop, bursting bag in tow. Women giggle as they pass by.
It is Misa’s second Valentine’s Day alone. It will also be her last. 
She still can’t understand what the men kept saying. Light, her Light, couldn’t possibly be a killer. He loved her. He loved her so much. He would never lie to her, he would never put her in danger, he would never do anything to harm her. Light loved her. 
And she still loves his ghost. 
Perhaps, by the end of the day, she won’t be alone any longer. 
She hikes her skirt up and clambers over the barrier. Her dress is awkward and makes it hard to move but that doesn’t matter because it makes her pretty. Misa is pretty. Light always told her that. It was okay when he was too busy to touch her, because he made sure she knew she was still pretty. 
She’s wearing her contacts today. It’s the first time in a while, since she quit acting to be with him. He never even had the chance to give her a ring. 
She touches her cross necklace. She’s never believed in that god, especially not since learning Shinigami were real. But she hopes all the same that heaven is just how it’s described in the books. 
Misa is hungry, she realizes. She doesn’t know when she last ate. But it doesn’t matter, because heaven or not, soon her body will no longer need to be fed.
She’s craving apples.
She’s drawing this out too long. If it were Light up here, he’d have a grand speech to make for the world. He’d go out beautifully and gracefully and powerfully. 
She declined to see the photographs. Couldn’t stand the thought of seeing her beloved all torn and bloody. Better to imagine him dignified and elegant, all poised on a crucifix.
The sun is beginning to dip below the horizon. It’s time.
Misa realizes, now, that she never planned her last words. Not that it matters, since no one will be close enough to hear. But with another moment’s thought, it becomes obvious.
She shuts her eyes. “I love you, Light.”
And she jumps.
Everything hurts and everything is bright and everything is so, so loud. This can’t be heaven at all. 
Under the aches, she feels her heart beating away. Her chest rises and falls, with spikes of pain on every inhale. There’s no doubt about it: somehow, she’s alive. 
I’m sorry, Light.
Her vision is blurred with pain, but she can make out machines beeping next to her. There’s tubes in her arm, and a tube down her throat, and maybe if she can knock one machine out of place then everything will go quiet and dark again, the way it’s supposed to be.
She reaches forward and the pain jolts all the way up her arm. She lets out a scream.
A nurse is there. “Oh, Miss Amane, you’re finally awake! I’m so glad to see you’ve pulled through. Here, let me help you with that pain.”
She reaches for a button. Misa wants to cry out, to beg her to end this, but she finds herself unable to speak.
The nurse pauses. “We were trying to find your next of kin, but we couldn’t locate any living relatives in the country. Is there a friend you’d like us to call?”
A name slips from her lips. It’s not a name she expected, or one she would have thought of if it weren’t for the drugs, surely.
“Touta Matsuda.”
The painkillers carry her away once more.
The next time she comes to, he’s hovering just inches from her face. She yelps in shock and then again in pain.
“I’m sorry, Misa-Misa! I didn’t mean to scare you! I just wanted to make sure you were still breathing, is all!”
Misa shuts her eyes. “Matsu… you came.”
“Of course I came! I was so worried when I saw the caller ID… I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“Everything hurts,” she slurs.
“The nurses said it was a pretty nasty fall. You’re lucky you made it.”
“Lucky, huh…”
He places his hand over hers, gently, trying his best not to hurt her. 
Light and Ryuzaki always called him an idiot. Called him the stupid one. But somehow, he seemed to know what to do when no one else did. 
And he’s made it longer than both of them, hasn’t he?
“Misa.” His tone is serious this time. “Misa, when you get out of here, will you come home with me?”
Her eyes shoot open. “Um, you’re way too old for me and I-”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant at all!” He looks ashamed. “I just - I don’t want you to be alone, okay? They told me you don’t have any family, and with Li - I just think you must be pretty lonely now and I don’t want you to be lonely, okay?”
To not be lonely…
Misa has nearly forgotten what it was like to not be lonely. 
Even when she and Light were living together, he was so busy, and she saw so little of him, and she knows he loves her but it was still hard to not miss him and she misses him so much and she was so lonely and he was so tired after work and he barely touched her at all and he loved her. He loves her! She knows he loves her!
But. 
But she was still so lonely. Is so lonely. 
She had friends before all this, but they’ve moved on, grown up, gotten married, settled down, had kids, stopped caring about ghost stories, stopped getting dressed up all fancy just to go get groceries, stopped caring about pop stars like Misa-Misa. 
It would be nice to have a friend again.
“Okay,” she murmurs.
The nurse comes back. She sleeps again.
Her hospital stay is a blur. She can’t tell how long she’s been there, when one day ends and another begins. She’s fed through a tube and she pees into a bedpan, which is so yucky but she knows she can’t stand.
And Matsuda is there by her side day in and day out.
“You don’t have to stay,” she mumbles. “Go back to the police. They’ll call you when I’m all better.”
He shakes his head. “No, Misa. I - I want to know you’re okay. I need to know you’re okay.”
So he stays. 
After some time, she can sit up. They take the feeding tube out while she’s asleep and Matsuda feeds her congee, one spoonful at a time. It’s all plain and kinda gross but the doctors say she needs to be gentle with her stomach. 
Matsuda watches the nurses transfer her to a wheelchair so she can pee in a real toilet. It feels good. 
In the evenings, he brushes her hair. It’s gotten horribly knotted from all the lying around, but he does his best to tease out the knots. 
“Maybe I should just cut this all off,” Misa muses. “Would make it a lot easier for you.”
“But it’s so pretty.” He eases a comb through the back of her head.
“I’m not gonna be pretty with all these bruises anyway.” Misa thinks it over, and decides. “I want you to cut it off.”
The nurses provide scissors, and Misa’s bleach-blond crown falls to her feet. She wonders how far her roots have grown out now. She hasn’t been brunette since her parents were alive. 
She gets stronger. She’s allowed to eat eggs again, and then even some sweets.
She thinks about Ryuzaki and his cake. She can tell Matsuda does too. Neither of them brings it up.
Finally, Misa is discharged. She can walk a little, but needs crutches. Matsuda takes her home to his apartment, where he’s set up his spare room for her. The bed is lush with comfy pillows, there’s a table next to it just how she likes it. She realizes he must have remembered from Task Force Headquarters. 
Six years ago feels like a different lifetime.
She’s been living at his place for a week when he brings it up over breakfast.
“Misa,” he begins. “I know this is really hard to talk about. But I need to know.”
She takes a bite of her rice and nods. She already knows what’s coming.
“It was Valentine’s Day. You climbed over the railing. You were trying to die, weren’t you?”
“Yes.” She’s not upset. She feels numb to it, actually. “It was Valentine’s Day. I wanted to spend it with my Light.”
Matsuda shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath.
“It’s just not fair,” she continues. She knows her voice is whiny and it’s not cute when a grown woman is whiny when she isn’t an idol anymore but she can’t help it. She misses him and everything hurts. “It’s not fair that he’s gone, and I’m still here, and I just wanted to see him again. I was supposed to see him again.”
“Misa. I know how you felt about Light. I know you want to believe he was good, but -”
“But he loves me! Loved me. He loved me so much. And I loved him too and I loved him so much, more than anyone else in the world so you’re wrong you can’t possibly know how I feel.”
His voice is shaking. “Misa, I loved him too.”
There are many ways to love. You can love your friends, you can love your family, you can love the color pink and pretty dresses.
But the way he said it can only mean one type of love.
She squints at him, trying to detect if this is some weird joke. “But you - but -”
“I fell in love with Light Yagami years ago. Of course I didn’t tell anyone. I don’t even think he knew. But… I trusted him. I thought he was honest, I thought he was righteous. He wasn’t scared to call Kira evil.” He takes a breath, trying to steady himself. He’s looking down at his bowl, not meeting her eyes.  
“I - I had my doubts, you know? Not about him. About Kira, I - he stopped wars. He stopped crime. And that was good, I couldn’t convince myself that it wasn’t. And he didn’t get mad at me for that, and I thought it was because he was being gentle with me. But he wasn’t.”
He looks up at her, and she can tell it hurts. “Misa, Light was a very cruel man. Even if we both loved him.”
“But he loves me! He loves me! He could never do all the things they said he did.” She’s had this conversation before, with her reflection. She’s had it many times, and it always goes the same. “I know my Light, he would never do anything to hurt other people, and he definitely wouldn’t do all that killing!”
“He confessed it all to us before he died. He thought he’d won.” He’s starting to cry now. It’s his fault for bringing it up, so she doesn’t feel bad. “His plan was to kill us all. We were the last thing in his way, that’s all he ever thought of us.” 
His voice is breaking, his words are barely coming out clearly. “I thought - I don’t know what I thought, but - I thought he cared about me, I - of course he didn’t feel the same but I thought we were friends. He was my best friend, Misa. He was my best friend.
“He was my best friend and I - I was just - I was just another pawn, I -  He - he wanted me to be his little attack dog, he wanted me to - to shoot -” He loses his composure completely here and Misa averts her eyes.
“No.” She stumbles to her feet, clutches her crutches. “No, you can’t - he couldn’t have. He wasn’t -”
She trips and he catches her. “Misa. I’m sorry.”
Misa looks in the mirror. Her deep brown hair has grown just enough that she can run her fingers through it.
It occurs to her that soon it’ll look like Light’s.
Her chest aches whenever she thinks of him, and she’s sure it isn’t because of her fractured ribs. 
Nothing Matsuda says makes sense, except it makes perfect sense, horrifying sense, at the same time, and she doesn’t want to believe it, she can’t believe it, except - 
There are things she can’t ignore. Pieces that don’t quite fit together.
He says Light took her memories away to keep him safe. Her memories of being Kira. He says she helped him as Kira, that she killed people.
She wants to deny it. She wants to say no, Misa-Misa is a good girl, Misa-Misa wouldn’t kill. 
But she remembers. She remembers how good it felt to see her parents’ murderer’s name and body on the news. She remembers her passion growing as Kira’s kills ramped up further and further.
Of course, she was young and dumb and she has grown up since then. Light dedicated his life to catching Kira, and nothing was more important than making Light happy, so that meant catching Kira was a good thing. She realized it was wrong to idolize a murderer, that Kira was evil, that Kira had to be stopped. She realized that killing was bad and murder wasn’t justice at all.
But Light didn’t believe any of that.
She’d restructured her mind around a total lie. Light didn’t go to America to catch Kira, he went to protect himself. 
Her memories of their overseas stay are fractured. She remembers sleeping alone in a big hotel bed. She remembers coming home from her Hollywood shoot to an empty room, not even a note. And there are stretches of time she can’t remember, which is normal because it’s been three years, except she cherished every minute she had with Light, so why can’t she remember half of their conversations? 
He had gotten colder and colder as time went on. In the beginning, they made love nearly every night, but they hadn’t slept together in three months by the end. 
He must have been too busy with Kiyomi.
He told her Kiyomi was just another part of the investigation. That the feelings weren’t real at all. 
But if he was on Kira’s side after all, then - he had lied about that. It wasn’t part of the investigation. And did he lie about the feelings? 
Did he lie about loving her?
She tries to focus on the beginning, when everything was good. Wasn’t everything good? She remembers finally leaving confinement, finally being able to rest in his arms, back where she belonged.
He had said something then, something that bothered her. What was it?
He said… he said that she wouldn’t leave him alone. But that didn’t make any sense. Why wouldn’t he want to spend time with his girlfriend? Why would he want her to leave him alone? 
She tried not to think about it. She tried to focus on after they got out, when they moved into their apartment and finally got to have a normal romance. Finally got rid of that creep Ryuzaki.
But if he really lied about wanting to catch Kira, if he really lied about all of that - 
But he told her he loved her so much. He told her he loved her all the time.
If he didn’t love her, then what was she doing these past six years? 
If he didn’t love her, then why did she jump?
“When did you fall in love with Light?”
She can walk with a cane now, and Matsuda takes her out to the park on weekends. He’s gone back to work, now that he trusts her to make it through eight hours alone. He doesn’t talk about it and she doesn’t ask.
He looks away from her, breathes a heavy sigh. They try not to talk about Light, but his ghost hangs heavy in the air.
“I met him as a teenager. He was brilliant for his age, but of course I saw him as a kid. During the investigation, once he took control -” His voice breaks a bit. “It - it felt so wrong, he was like a little brother, but… I saw his confidence, his competence, his brilliance. He was so damn charismatic.”
Misa knows. Misa understands completely.
“And then when we were alone in LA… he trusted me… and I trusted him too. He seemed so committed.” He swallows. “And - he was so handsome in that damn turtleneck.”
Misa nods. She also liked the turtleneck.
He sighs. “But it was all an act. All of it. He called his father a loser and a fool in the end. His father, his hero.” 
Light loved his father. Light loved his father so much. Light was devastated when he died.
“He called you an idiot.”
He’d said it to her face before too, but it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter because he loved her.
Didn’t he love her?
He said he loved her. He told her she was cute. He told her she was a great girlfriend. He’d even asked her to quit acting to marry him. 
He was such a sweet talker. 
But had he ever really looked at her? Had he ever touched her without her reaching out first? Had he ever asked her about how her shoots were going, or taken her somewhere nice without her asking? 
He hadn’t even remembered her 25th birthday. 25 on December 25th, a big number, and he’d been too busy hunting down Kira.
Not hunting down Kira. Hunting down the people trying to stop Kira. 
Hunting down the people trying to stop him.
Would he have turned on Misa, too, if he’d lived?
She reaches for Matsuda with her free hand. His arm fits nicely in her palm. They walk together in silence a little longer. 
Misa’s bangs get in her face. She cuts half of them off so she looks like Matsuda. Matsuda puts his hair up in tiny pigtails. 
Misa swims in Matsuda’s suit jacket. Matsuda’s shoulders strain against Misa’s shirt.
They look at each other like clowns in a funhouse mirror. They touch their palms together.
In each other, they see that cursed love for Light Yagami.
They change back. Misa shaves that side of her head.
Somehow, life goes on.
On Valentine’s Day in 2012, Misa bakes a cake.
Matsuda offered to take the day off, in case it was too hard, but Misa insisted she was fine, and she is. And she wanted to surprise him.
Misa is an awful cook. She always has been, and she’s accepted that she always will be. But baking seems straightforward. If she reads carefully, measures slowly, everything will be okay.
It’s messy. She spills flour all over the counter. She has to start over when she puts in too much salt. She hopes Matsuda didn’t need all that sugar.
She’s never going to act again. She can walk mostly fine, but she can’t run or jump or push herself too hard. She’ll never model again, with the scars that haven’t quite healed. 
She’s gotten into writing ghost stories. She posts them anonymously. Her blog isn’t popular, but that’s okay. It gives her something to do. 
Matsuda is nice to her. He seems to care about her in a way that Light never did. They aren’t in love, not romantically, but they fit together well. He reads her blog and he likes her stories. He thanks her when she cleans the house. And he remembered her birthday, and took her to a Christmas market so she could pick out her own gift. 
She stirs the batter. She realizes she forgot to preheat the oven and rushes to set it. Matsuda says preheating is very important. 
She thinks about how small the city looked. She thinks about her last fleeting thoughts of heaven. She touches her cross necklace; that’s one thing that hasn’t changed. The dress was wrecked, but that’s okay. She’s okay.
Maybe she was looking for heaven in the wrong place. Maybe heaven doesn’t come after death. Maybe heaven is now, in this little kitchen, where she’s still breathing and her heart is still beating. 
When Matsuda comes home, she’s just finished icing the cake. It’s bright pink for the holiday (and because it’s Misa’s favorite). She cuts them each a slice even though they haven’t had dinner yet. 
She got it just right. It’s the best strawberry cake she’s ever had.
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cjthemfdj · 3 days ago
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obvious
we listen and we don’t judge
in which…avery convinced hamzah to do the tiktok trend ‘we listen and we don’t judge’
“i know you know exactly what trend i’m talking about,”avery turned her body so she was facing hamzah on his couch and bat her eyelashes dramatically, “pleaseee.”
hamzah sighed, “fine, but i need to think of some things first.”
“okay, yay!” avery set up her phone so it was set up in front of them on the coffee table. they repositioned themselves so that they were in frame and facing the camera.
avery started filming, “okay ready?”
“wait what? no give me some time girl,” he exaggerated before putting his head in his hands to think.
avery rolled her eyes before stopping the filming but not deleting that part.
five minutes later hamzah had finally done his thinking, “okay i’m ready.”
“finally,” avery started filming again, “okay we gotta say it together, ready?”
“we listen and we don’t judge,” they slowly said together and being unable to contain a smile while looking at each other.
“one time when i spent the night at your place, i stole one of your hoodies and regifted it to my brother for christmas,” avery said, laughing through it.
hamzah’s jaw dropped open, “what?!? which one?!?”
“see you don’t even miss it!” avery exclaimed, “we listen and we don’t judge.”
“fine well one time i used your toothbrush,” hamzah said laughing, covering his mouth.
“hamzah! are you fucking kidding?!?” avery yelled and hamzah shook his head still laughing, “ugh that’s nasty, oh my god,” avery put her head down in her lap.
“we listen and we don’t judge!” hamzah said while shaking avery’s shoulders.
“okay sometimes i lie and say im really tired after work just cause i know you’ll offer to get me food or make me something,” avery admitted.
“okay that’s not bad, but now you’ve ruined it , i’m not doing that anymore,” hamzah laughed.
“noooo we listen and we don’t judge!” avery complained.
“i have a photo album of just pictures of you in outfits I’ve thought looked good so that whenever you’re complaining about having nothing to wear, i’ll just go through it and suggest one and it ALWAYS works,” hamzah shared proudly.
avery pushed his shoulder, “stop you’re lying, you weirdo,” they laughed together, “can you share that album with me?”
“no it’s my secret,” hamzah said and avery rolled her eyes
“we listen and we don’t judge,” they both said together.
“i only listen to your podcast if i know i was mentioned in it,” avery said through a laugh.
“okay i know that already,” hamzah exclaimed throwing his hands up, “you’re secretly a hater, girl.”
“no no i just hear you guys yap like everyday of my life, i do not need to hear any more,” avery said with a sorry look on her face.
“yeah yeah whatever,” hamzah said with a fake sad sigh.
avery pushed hamzah’s arm, “okay do one more.”
“we listen and we don’t judge,” they said together.
hamzah’s smile fell slightly, “last time i picked you up after the bar, i had to fight quite literally every urge humanly possible in my body to ignore you basically throwing yourself at me,” he took a deep breath in and laughed, “it sucked.”
avery’s smile dropped and she stopped the recording, “okay well i can’t post that.”
“i thought we weren’t judging,” hamzah laughed and watched as avery’s face turned from what looked like surprise to confusion to beet red.
“way to ruin my funny video,” avery leaned back against the couch and slumped, “also there’s no way i was throwing myself at you, that seems a bit dramatic.”
hamzah scoffed, “you literally referred to me as your ‘booty call’ and said, and i quote, ‘i can think of a few things you could do with me.’”
avery rolled her eyes, “okay yeah that’s my bad,” avery looked around the room before looking back to hamzah, “maybe try to look, you know, uglier when you interact with drunk me. she tends to have very little self control.”
hamzah laughed then smirked, “you calling me cute, aves?”
“in your dreams,” she laughed, “you’re mediocre at best.”
“yeah yeah, whatever you say, miss-“ he threw up air quotes and mocked her in a high pitch voice, “oh hamzah please i’m so needy and helpless will you please help me undo my top?” hamzah did his best to reenact avery’s drunken movements and voice.
“i’m never calling you ever again,” avery stood up and began to walk to the other room.
hamzah watched her leave before yelling, “i’ll be expecting a call friday night!”
——
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dumbthiccbitch666 · 4 months ago
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didn’t realize i turned the water heater on wrong b just spent half my shower wanting to cry n being pelted by ice cold water
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aeb-art · 3 months ago
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note: the following is three (almost four) years post-game
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okay fine i'll just draw comics for my au since writing is so dang hard smh
anyways welcome to two coins! where loop shows up again but siffrin only got the one hat ending
edit: part two
#2024#isat two coins au#isat loop#isat mirabelle#isat siffrin#isat spoilers#on technicality#isat#in stars and time#this was also an excuse to play with mira's hair again bc i wanna see her in braids so bad! with beads that click clack as she walks!#hairier isabeau... oh merciful neptune oh sweet aphrodite i thibk i hauve covid#also none of these outfits are like... definitive. i'm indecisive so i want everybody to have a wardrobe#LOOP'S HAT IS NOT SIFFRIN'S BTW they prioritized hiding from siffrin over finding where it landed oop that thing is GONE gone#that coin attached to the tip of that hat is also not siffrin's... but siffrin doesnt know that...#also ​hey yall ever think about how loop can kinda turn their light out and maybe be invisible? i do#anyway this au is also loop/siffrin/isabeau just fyi... also maybe the tiniest of shoutouts to loop/odile if i'm feeling cheeky#also also also... loop still uses they/them but there will be more feminine terms used for them in this au ;u;#baby finally started seeing themself as a person again and is reevaluating their gender#people around where they've been frequently traveling call them miss lu or some call them lady#eventually when the polycule is complete i want siffrin and isabeau to both call loop ''my lady'' bc the thought just makes me melt#you don't /need/ to know that but i'm telling you#okay i've been trying to articulate my thoughts in the tags for half an hour so i'll stop now...#have a good day/night i love you mwah mwah mwah
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icewindandboringhorror · 2 months ago
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Little bright colored outfit with a fun vest ~
(shoes from ebay like 10 years ago. everything else is thrifted)
#ootd#jfashion#fashion#fantasy fashion#mori kei#....like... adjacent... lol#no idea what style this would be lol.. makes me think of like whimsical vaguely fantasy themed childrens book character#finally posting one of my aforementioned seven million drafts of actual outfits and costumes i have finished and edited#the photos for but just never feel like posting lol..#I need to find one of those people whos like 'omg i am ADDICTED to social media ugh i wish i could get off of it#im just browsing and posting like 60 times a daaaaay!!!' and take a little magical bottle and suck some of the social media#enthusiasim out of them. for moi. In exchange they can have some of my 'literally just never in the mood to post or interact with the#outside world ever' energy. We can balance each other. huzzah and so on#Though I think maybe it's part of the general thing I've heard of like.. I can't remember if it was in reference to adhd or just some sort#of general execcutive functioning issue type of thing - but the idea that things have to be ''just right'' before you do something. like#'oh i need to do this task. but i have to wait until XYZ first' or 'oh i can do this but only if X specific condition is met' or etc#The fact that I even have to be in a Specific Mindset to post. or sometimes will delay posting on social media because like 'oh well#I'm going somewhere tomorrow. somehow this matters. i cannot spend 5 minuts posting TONIGHT. clearly it will interfere#somehow schedule wise with the doctor appointment i have 15 hours from now. yes. yes. i must wait until my appointment is over#tomorrow afternoon. THEN i shall post' or etc. etc. lol. NOT even taking into account the many days#I just genuinely and physically sick and it's not even a mental thing. I just physically dont feel like sitting at the computer lol..#ANYWAY.. trying to get back into it. trying to get a business bank account.. make a proper paypal so i can start selling sculptures again.#selling clothes and sculptures.. posting about such things then of course as one must. etc... chanting to hype up and motivate myself lol#But yes. this is my favorite outfit out of the bunch so I am posting it first I guess.. maybe others later..#Also the purple dress says its from shein. which I've heard is bad fast fashion stuff. but maybe okay since its second hand? I havent#been to the bins since like 2020 or late 2019 even. and I think stuff like shein and temu has only become poular in the past few years#but I bet if I went to the bins now I might would find a good handfull of that stuff. Probably now not much different than what you#find in a walmart or a forever 21 or actual physical stores you can go to though. I hear quality of clothing is down everywhere no matter#where you get it or whatnot. What bountiful joys unfettered capitalism and exploitation bestows upon us (<being sarcastic).#Wearing one of my favorite little vests though. I love the texture of it and the clasps on it
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brutal-nemesis · 3 months ago
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E&T: Caught in the Clutches of Lust
No im not sorry for any of this. cope and seethe
Btw I used a line from @painsandconfusion and @wormwriting's degradation starter list that I saved THREE YEARS AGO for this very moment. I am always playing the long game (⊙ˍ⊙)
��Previous - Masterlist
Ingredients: VERY creepy/intimate whumper, implied threat of noncon, a lot of noncon touching (unsexy but right on the edge), implied noncon kiss, unsexy nudity
Shiori?
No, it couldn’t be, she was a world away, she was human, he’d left her waiting by the fountain after the party and she’d moved on and forgotten about him, no reason to follow him here, into the depths of hell, looking exactly like she had the night of the party, jarringly out of place in her pretty dress, smiling at him like he wasn’t a blood-covered, unrecognizable version of himself.
And then he blinked, and all of a sudden it wasn’t Shiori at all, but Lythia, wearing the same yellow bandana that she always did while she was working in the palace gardens, the little black braids of her hair just as beautiful as he remembered. There was no pity in her dark eyes, like there had been the last time he saw her, looking up at him from the crowd while he was chained to that pillar, promising he’d be rescued after it was already too late. Actually seeing her hurt, and Erebus looked away for a moment, just a moment…
When he saw the woman in front of him now, his jaw dropped, eyes widening, his tense, burning hands finally relaxing.
“Come on, let’s get you somewhere safe.”
Her voice was just as he remembered, and she was smiling at him so kindly, her eyes soft, her gloved hand outstretched, she was here to save him, she’d found a way to bring him back, he was too tired and scared and stressed to do anything else besides surrender control to her once again, to take her small hand and follow her blindly towards the fate she’d chosen for him. She was squeezing his still-healing hand tightly in hers, but she could do whatever she wanted with him just as long as she got him out of this place.
“Well, that was easy.”
The voice wasn’t Shiori’s, or Lythia’s, and it certainly wasn’t Neteri’s.
Erebus jumped back, finally seeing the person next to him clearly for the first time. She-they?-smirked at him, bright purple eyes sparkling. Their white hair was long and wavy, partially braided back with impeccable precision. Gold jewelry and a low-cut black dress accentuated their natural beauty, seeming very out of place in this hellish world. Most striking of all, though, was their bright red skin, a shade that was very familiar to Erebus.
This was a lust demon, and she’d lead him right into her lair.
“You-how did-I-”
They laughed, deep and bright, obviously amused by his shock and confusion. “You only saw what your heart wanted you to see, darling. It’s not my fault you turned into a meek little lamb and followed me here.”
Erebus’s face grew hot. “Well I-I…” his wings sank behind him. He’d thought he was about to be saved. Like an idiot. She’d led him away from the bubbling pools and acrid air into a sort of cave, a furnished one at that. But now he was cornered in here, at a disadvantage in the cramped space. He swallowed and changed the topic, hand resting on the pommel of his sword. “Who are you and what do you want with me?”
“Apologies.” She bowed slightly, the sort of bow people gave when they were pretending to show respect during negotiations, but then declared war a few weeks later. “My name is Asmodeum, and really,” they gave him a disapproving look, “I’d rather not fight with you. I heard you’ve defeated Somiaken and Vorath already, but I believe you and I could work something out without coming to blows.” They held their hands up briefly, but the way they watched him made it clear that their guard was still up. “So, tell me your name, now. Unless you’d prefer I just call you darling?”
Erebus very much did not want that, so he complied. “Erebus. But you didn’t really answer my question. What do you want, if not to fight me?”
Asmodeum sighed wistfully. “Well, I can tell that you’re the sort of person who’ll never agree to what I really want, but I believe something can be arranged. You see, I’ve been stuck here for Akumo knows how long with no toys to play with. So, I was thinking-”
“I-I’m not gonna be your toy,” Erebus choked, his throat feeling like it was closing up. 
“Ah, ah, ah.” Asmodeum wagged a finger. “Let me finish, dear. I could have my way with you quite easily, you know. It would be oh so effortless to drag you back into my domain proper and throw you into a pool of boiling water or lava and watch the show. However, I think your forced cooperation would make this a little more fun, and it would be nice if you behaved for me. So, if you let me do what I want with you, barring the most intimate acts, I’ll let you kill me once I’ve had my fill.”
“What happens if I don’t say yes?”
Asmodeum casually examined their nails. “I will take you by force and I will defile you.”
“D-defile?! You don’t mean…” Erebus quickly glanced down, and Asmodeum smiled wickedly.
“Oh, I do mean. If you let me play with you, I swear I won’t do anything of the sort. Call it an incentive. So come on, Erebus, get rid of your sword.” Erebus just tightened his grip on it, weighing his options. As much as he didn’t want to let this demon…play with him...did he really have any other options? He was exhausted, and there wasn’t much room in here for him to try and put up a proper fight. And more than anything, he really, really didn’t want to risk being...Despite the anxiety building in his chest, Erebus unbuckled the sword belt around his waist, setting it carefully on the ground.
“Fine. But if you so much as touch me there I’ll-I’ll make you regret it.” How would he do that? He wasn’t sure. But he just-he had to make it clear that he wasn’t surrendering. He was just…agreeing to play along. Just to get a break from fighting. He was okay with this. He’d be fine. He'd been through so much worse.
He'd be fine.
“I promise I won’t cross that boundary, don’t you fret.” Asmodeum walked over to him, kicking his sword out of reach as they took his hand. “First things first, you’re absolutely filthy. Let’s get you cleaned up, shall we?”
Erebus pulled his hand out of her grasp. “I mean, I-I can do that myself,” he muttered. Asmodeum raised an eyebrow.
“I’m sure you can, but I want to wash you, dear. And right now,” she grabbed his hand once more, “I get what I want.” They pulled him along into a bathroom, and he followed reluctantly, feeling an odd sense of familiarity in just going along with this sort of thing. Their threat was certainly a motivator, but that didn’t mean he was going to roll over completely on every little thing, right? He had to make it clear that he wasn’t happy with this, despite agreeing to it. She started filling up the bathtub with water, turning to him with a smile. “Let me strip you now.” 
“I-I’d rather-”
“Shhhh.” She placed a finger on his lips, her other hand starting to undo the ties on his shirt. “None of that, dear. I can’t get you all clean if you’re wearing these dirty clothes, now can I?” He looked away as they tugged his shirt off, hoping that they’d-nope, now they were going to try and take off his pants, too.
“You said you weren’t going to-to do that to me.”
“I won’t. But that doesn’t mean you get to keep your clothes on the whole time, you shy little thing. I just won’t touch.” Erebus stifled a whine as she pulled down his pants, and his underwear along with them. “There we go. You can get in now.” He did so, almost jumping into the warm water and crouching down, hugging his knees close and spreading his wings around himself protectively. They gently pushed his wings back, stroking his face as he glared at them with wide eyes. “There’s no use hiding when I’ve already seen everything, silly. I think I’m going to need to get these arms out of the way, hmmm?” They pulled out a pair of manacles, and Erebus’s stomach sank.
“Wait, I won’t resist just-just don’t-”
“Too late for that, Erebus.” She clamped them around his wrists, twisting the chain securely around the faucet. “Besides, you look absolutely darling like that, all helpless. Now, keep those wings out of the way or I’ll pierce them together.” Erebus’s wings sank in defeat, slowly moving back until they were behind him. There wasn’t any winning here, was there? “Good boy.” She grabbed a cup from the countertop and started using it to pour water on him, rinsing away some of the pieces of flesh stuck to his bloodied skin. After she lathered a washcloth with soap, she began to gently clean the dried blood off his face. He screwed his eyes shut, fists clenched as he tried to think about anything else. 
Even back when he was a prince, he’d hated being fussed over, preferring to take care of himself when he could. Asmodeum, however, seemed to have no concept of personal space, or just didn’t care. She had to work hard to get through the blood caked over most of his skin, leaning in close, starting with his face before switching to his hair. Their hands slid in, tenderly working through tangled bloody mats and massaging his scalp. He hated how nice it felt, how much it reminded him of the way Lythia always used to play with his hair, forcing himself to open his eyes and look at Asmodeum, to remind himself who was…
Lythia smiled at him sweetly, and Erebus felt his blood run cold. That wasn’t her, no matter what he saw, no matter how he felt. She wasn’t here. She was back home, probably still tending the palace gardens despite the change in management. Did she still think of him as she looked at all the places they used to laugh? Or could she not get the image of him screaming and sobbing up on that podium out of her mind, unable to remember any other version of him than the one he’d left her with? Maybe that’s what he deserved to be remembered as, since he’d hardly thought of her since that day, the memories too painful. 
Erebus shuddered when Asmodeum moved to his horns, which were always far more sensitive than they had any right to be. She seemed to be able to tell, continuing to stroke them long after they were clean, and as much as he wanted to ask them to stop, he was afraid it would only encourage them. At the very least, the disconnect between Lythia and his horns was enough to push the thoughts of her out of his mind, and Asmodeum changed back to their normal form.
Her hands finally slid lower, caressing his neck, fingers slipping under his collar, making sure the skin underneath was clean, pressing down against his throat every so often as they did so. It wasn't enough to really choke him, but the message was clear.
They moved onto his shoulders, his wings, his arms, his back. He caught their smile as they saw what his right arm really looked like, and her fingers traced his whip scars as they were uncovered. Dread started to pool in his stomach as she moved to his chest, scrubbing away, revealing-
“Oh, well isn’t this pretty.” They marveled at his brand, stroking the lines of the scar, pausing over his rapidly-beathing heart. “Too bad you’re already owned by someone else, huh? But I suppose they’re not here now, are they?” Erebus just bit his lip, refusing to make eye contact. The thought of his…of Neteri not being here hurt, and, try as he might, he couldn’t help but think of her, of the way she’d always protected him. He wondered how angry she’d get if she saw what was happening to him, or if she could feel now that someone besides her was touching him. He could imagine her bursting in, yelling at Asmodeum to get their hands off of him, unchaining him and letting him cover up before pulling him into a hug-wait wait what was he thinking she’d been his captor she’d hurt him and ripped him into pieces and kept him locked up but she'd promised to save him and he missed her.
“What’s wrong, darling? Is even this too much for you?” Asmodeum brushed away a tear he didn’t realize had been falling with her finger, her skin no longer red, but brown. He couldn't look her in the eye. Not while she wore that face. “Such a sensitive little thing.” Hearing those words in that voice was already bad enough. Erebus tugged at his chains, wishing he could rub away those stupid traitorous tears, because he wasn’t crying about Neteri or Asmodeum or any of this. 
Their hands plunged beneath the surface of the blood-clouded water now, and Erebus couldn't stop himself from tensing up as they scrubbed his stomach, glad the parts of him that were previously under clothes weren't as caked in blood as those that weren't. Still, there was enough to clean that she had an excuse for her hands to wander lower still, caressing his hips, his thighs, and now he was trembling, fists clenched, tears dripping even more steadily into the tepid, cloudy water, no one had ever touched him there, at least she was wearing her own face now, but please, please stay away from there, you said you wouldn't touch me there and if you do then why am I here why am I letting you do this why do I keep letting people hurt me if I just stood up for myself more if I wasn't such a coward maybe I'd still be-
"You're rather pathetic, aren't you?" Asmodeum mused as they cradled his face, turning him towards them. Erebus blinked away tears, just now realizing that they'd finished cleaning him, the tub already drained. He couldn't exactly argue, crying and shivering like he was, so he just swallowed and gave the tiniest nod as he pulled himself together, hoping it'd be enough to get them to move on.
With a satisfied smile, she unhooked his wrists from the faucet, but left the manacles on as she pulled him up and out of the tub. He tried to cover himself as best he could as they toweled him off, hoping they’d stop touching him or at least give him clothes soon. Thankfully, they did, handing him a small bundle, and upon unrolling it he found...a pair of shorts that barely reached his knees, and that was all. Once he’d put them on, she dragged him into another room and let go, crossing her arms. “Kneel.” 
“I don’t-” Asmodeum raised an eyebrow, and Erebus stopped himself. They were expecting him to obey their every little whim if he didn’t want to be...he knelt, staring at the floor. She circled him a few times, and he clenched his fists in his lap, hating how much of his body was on display. Not that she hadn’t already seen everything.
“You were just made to kneel, weren't you? Absolutely gorgeous." Erebus's face burned even hotter than before. All he could hope was that they'd be done with him soon, but he'd never specified how long this would go on for when he agreed to it, so this might last…He was such an idiot, why did he just go along with this without any negotiation?
Asmodeum stopped in front of him. "Well, what are you in the mood for, dear? Pain,” her hand slid under his chin, tilting it up, “or pleasure?”
“Please just-anything but-” he choked, and she just laughed.
“Anything, you say? Then, I think...I'm in the mood for this.” They grabbed his collar, yanking him up onto the nearby bed. Before he could even try to sit up they were on him, wrapping themselves around him, worming in between his shackled arms, forcing him to embrace her back. A shudder ran down his spine as her skin came into contact with his, her arms pinning him flush against her body, her legs tangling around his. “Have you ever been this close to someone, darling?” she whispered in his ear, their fingers stroking his hair.
“I-I, um, a few times but-” 
“Aw, and you’re still nervous.” Her hand ran down the back of his head, stopping at his collar. “It’s so cute how you still wear this. I’m sure you could get it off if you tried, so you must like having it on, huh? Do you miss your owner?”
“She’s not-I don’t-I just-it’s…” he screwed his eyes shut, “I can’t take it off, alright?!”
“Such a dutiful little pet-”
“I wasn’t h-her pet!” 
“You’re so adorable when you’re in denial.” They stroked his back, rubbing around the base of his wings. Erebus just opted for staring at the wall, hoping they wouldn't touch his horns. “Do you know how lust demons feed, my dear?”
“By eating…?”
“Well, of course, but not the same way you do. We feed off of humans, more specifically, their bodily fluids.” She smiled widely, showing off her fangs. “And I haven’t had a meal ever since being locked up in here. I normally get my fix a different way, but, to be considerate of you, innocent little boy,” they shifted until their lips were right next to the base of his neck, fingers pushing his collar out of the way, “I’ll settle for feasting on your blood.”
Her fangs sank into his neck, and he couldn’t help but gasp at the sudden pain. He tried to breathe in calmly through gritted teeth as she sucked on the holes in his flesh, drinking his blood. Soon enough, his ears started ringing, and lightheadedness crept in. He gripped the chain between his wrists just too feel something solid, glad that he was lying down, at least. By the time Asmodeum pulled away, licking droplets of blood from their lips, a dizzy haze had settled over Erebus. He closed his eyes, tears leaking out as she snuggled back into him, just hoping that this would all be over soon. In fact, maybe he would just...let the blackness take him...just for a little bit...so he didn’t have to be...awake…
Erebus’s mouth tasted like dried blood when he woke up, and Asmodeum was still wrapped around him tightly. She smiled when their eyes met. “Did you have a good little nap, my darling? I hope you don’t mind, but,” she gripped his chin, her thumb stroking his lips, “I had a little bit of fun with you while you were out of it.” A bit of...wait is that why his mouth tasted like-
“W-you-you can’t d-do that to me I-I don’t-” his voice broke, and he couldn’t breathe all of a sudden, no matter how many fast little breaths he sucked in, just get away, get away from me stop touching me don’t do that to me please please I don’t want that you can’t do that to me you can’t you can’t I never wanted that not from you not from anyone and now now now I-I’m-I’ve been-
He felt something solid press into his hands, and he realized that Asmodeum was standing in front of him, and that was his sword in his hands, he was sitting up now and that was his sword and Asmodeum was smiling they were holding out their arms to him they were ready they were ready they were laughing they were coughing up blood they were on the ground there was so much blood how much of it was his he wasn’t sure he didn’t know they reached up and he backed away he had to get away he couldn’t stay here a second longer she was dead she was dead she was already crumbling away and he had to go he wanted to rip off his own skin he could still feel her touching him where where where were his clothes where was the key to these manacles he had to go he-
Erebus dropped his sword. He fell to his knees. He buried his face in his hands. 
And he screamed.
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@redstainedsocks @lonesome--hunter @his-unspoken-words @susiequaz12 @its-mysweetlittlesecret-blog 
@whumpasaurus101 @patheticlittleguy @jadeocean46910 @whumpinggrounds @pumpkin-spice-whump 
@suspicious-whumping-egg @befuddled-calico-whump @whump-in-the-closet​ @pumpkinsncoffee​ @aryox​​
@vampiresprite
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