#found the kitchen and started food raiding

[alex-thegiraffeboyy]

Chapter 6: Serendipidy

Bewitched Masterlist

Summary: They meet after 7 years. But they swear that everything is Serendipidy

Words: 2.1k

Warning: Constantly changes of POV's

N/A: I'm trying to find ways to get through the end of Arcane. Expect continuous updates.💕

Serendipidy: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for.

Since Violet left Stillwater there has been a strange feeling in her chest. A feeling she can't put a name to.

She walks beside the enforcer, Caitlyn, for a while before she starts running and jumping across the rooftops of the place where she grew up. It's at that moment that she feels that tug in her chest again, and that's when it hits her. She's excited, but at the same time she feels terribly desolate and anxious. She feels sad and melancholy.

She passes by streets she used to frequent and realizes how much things have changed. Stalls that used to be there in her childhood are now closed or new stores take their place. She feels like she doesn't recognize anything even though she knows where she is.

She feels like a stranger in her own home.

🦋

The day Vi returned to the Lanes you can sense that something is going on. But you don't know what.

It's like a tingling in the back of your neck, a dull sound throbbing in your ears. But you don't think much of it, you have better things to worry about than this.

So you keep busy, as usual. You stop by the kitchen as you do every morning to help make breakfast for everyone, you stand there for a while and chat with people as they arrive, and when you see Ekko arrive with Scar you join them to sit down for breakfast at one of the tables while they coordinate for the day's activities.

"I'm going to make rounds today to oversee how everything is going after the raid on the ship last week" Ekko commented as he ate, looking at the two of you one at a time. He paused for a moment at you, noticing that you seemed distracted, you hadn't touched your food much, that tingle still nagging at the back of your neck, making your stomach churn "You come with me?"

You shake your head sideways, not turning to look at him, you didn't dare "Nope, I have things to check and reorganize in the warehouse. My next monitoring season out of the tree is coming up, so I have to know how much I have to earn and bring when I get back" you decide to take a bite of your food after a moment, you're not very hungry, but you won't waste that food "Besides, I promised Elma I'd help her with the new portraits on the mural".

After a while the three of you say goodbye and part ways, each going to their respective places.

But as you make your way to the mural you realize something. You almost didn't see it, almost stepped on it, in fact. But that tingle made you look at just the right moment. A four-leaf clover.

You stared at it for a few seconds, remembering when you used to look for them with Powder, a healthy competition between sisters. You almost always found them, but you always gave them to Powder "So Mylo can't tell you that you're unlucky" you used to tell her. That's why Vi sometimes teased you by call you that you were her good luck charm. But you didn't get too carried away with that memory, so you shook your head and kept walking.

🦋

After a few laps around undercity and stopping to eat and get information at Jericho's she headed with the grumpy enforcer to the brothel. There Babette filled her in on the current situation on the Lanes and offered her information on where she could find Sevika.

Vi thanked and hesitated for a moment, wrung her hands against each other nervously. She didn't need to ask, Babette was going to tell her anyway.

"She's fine," Babette tells her in a soft tone, fearing that if she spoke too loudly it might make Vi snap.

"What?" Babette responded with your name softly, watching as the girl in front of her took a shaky breath before daring to ask more. "Do you know anything about her, do you know where I can find her?" The woman could only shake her head.

"She stops here from time to time to drop off some things for me to defend the girls and the business. She told me she's coming next week. I don't know where she lives, but I know you're not going to find her on the streets of Zaun" And though Babette was tempted to tell her that there were a few years you worked for her, she knew that was not for her to tell her. That was your decision.

Violet, now more hopeful than before, thanks Babette and gets up from the couch to walk to the person who will lead her to the person who should provide her with the information she needs.

Out of the corner of her eye she sees some lucky dimes. And only then she decide to believe that it will bring her luck. Because remember that for you this kind of thing has always been important.

Maybe it will help her get to you.

🦋

That tingling keeps going throughout the morning and early afternoon. You scratch a couple of times and start to think you might get sick.

You hope you're wrong.

Although you have to admit that painting helps. It makes your head go quiet for a while. It also helps with that incessant tingling and anxious feeling.

Ekko stops by to say goodbye before leaving the lair. You wish him luck and give him a hug, and before he can take two steps towards the exit you stop him, remembering the clover you saw that morning. You run over to the spot and grab it from the floor before returning to your brother, tucking it into his jacket pocket.

"I know you don't need it, but it never hurts" Ekko shakes his head, a smile on his lips as he says goodbye to you again, this time for real.

Something tells you it's going to be an interesting afternoon.

🦋

At that moment, as she bleeds out, Violet sees you again in her hallucinations. She sees you playing with her sister and wandering around what was once her home.

She still remembers the time she brought you here. She remembers telling you about what her life was like then as she held your hand tightly, keeping from crying and how you held her and hugged her when she eventually broke down. She remembers your warmth and the gentleness and softness with which you held her.

God, she wishes you were there to hold her hand at that moment. She misses you so much

🦋

Ekko expected almost anything after spending 7 years on this.

Nothing could have prepared him for meeting a friend he thought was dead. The same one who found herself with an executioner and Jinx.

Nothing good could be happening, but he decided to give her a chance. He owed it to her and to himself.

But most of all to his sister.

So he puts bags over Vi and the enforcer's heads and leads them to the firelights' lair. He is grateful that you are not in sight, imagine you're still checking things out in the hold.

His companions take them to a secluded room while he takes a moment to breathe. He wants to tell you so badly... But he doesn't want to get your hopes up if Vi has decided on a different side. So he keeps silent. Soon one of his companions lets him know that they've both woken up, so he gives the go-ahead. He takes a big breath of air and lets it out slowly, just as you have taught him since he was a child. He puts his mask back on as he hears footsteps approaching.

On your side things weren't much better. Since a few minutes ago that tingling had become more intense, it had been there for so long that it was almost starting to overstimulate you.

You tried to breathe as you normally did, but nothing seemed to want to calm that sensation. Something was happening, or so your body wanted you to believe. You hate anxiety with all your heart.

So you resort to what has served you best all these years. Busyness. You go through and count supply by supply, item by item and put them on lists. You give instructions and ask question after question. You rearrange and rearrange, you do everything you can so that eventually your anxiety will subside and leave you alone. But your frustration only gets bigger and bigger when you realize it's still there, haunting you.

Meanwhile Ekko was talking to Vi, who after having ironed out the kinks and doled out some affection had worked up enough courage to ask about you.

"I knew you'd ask that" he replies looking at her with a smirk. So he opens the door and waits for her to adjust to the light. He tells her a bit about how you both found this place. Though of course he leaves out a few things (only because he knows it's up to you whether you want her to know or not). He shows her a few things as they walk, keeping up a light conversation as they go along.

And Violet can't pretend she's not anxious. Her hands clasp against each other every so often. Her smile trembles a little and her eyes move to everything and nothing. A warm feeling stirring in her chest.

And the butterflies. The ones she thought were already dead because they hadn't fluttered for so long, start fluttering all over her system, making her feel like she's 15 again. Reminding her of all the times she went looking for you at Benzo's to confess how she's loved you from the start, only to take a step back. Every time.

But not this time.

Finally Ekko stops in front of a thick metal door. He lets out a sigh before looking at it. "It may be a bit difficult. I ask you to be patient."

Vi nods slowly, feeling even more nervous. Ekko reaches into his pocket and pulls out the clover you gave him that morning, handing it to Vi. "A little luck never hurts, don't you think?"

Vi doesn't need to ask. She knows you found it, you've always had a knack for that. Then, slowly but surely, Ekko opens the metal door, lets the girl in, then goes in himself and closes it.

He greets a couple of people and gestures for them to come out. Violet's eyes move from side to side, looking for you.

You, on the other hand, don't hear the door open, too busy organizing. You move from side to side, unable to stand still. What you do feel is that the tingling suddenly runs through your whole body before it stops. You crouch for a moment between the boxes, feeling relief for the first time that day.

Ekko pulls out a last couple of people while Vi stands paralyzed, only one person is left at the end of the room, among some boxes and stacked objects. She almost doesn't notice you there, crouching down, massaging your neck. She only catches a glimpse of your hair, as messy as she remembers it. But maybe a little longer.

"Everything okay over there Sunny?" Vi can feel the air attacking in her throat as she hears the sound of your tired laughter.

"Kinda tired, but I'm better" you reply in a tired voice as you stand up and stretch your body. Vi can feel her heart racing as her eyes begin to sting.

A sob threatens to come from her throat, but Violet forces herself to keep her mouth shut. Her hands clench into fists as she watches you turn toward them.

"Remember that discomfort I told you I had in the morning? A while ago it stopped and-" you quickly shut your mouth when you see a pink-haired girl crying in front of you. Your heart races as you see the strong resemblance, but you don't allow yourself to hope. "Ekko... What's-?"

Vi makes a crooked smile "Hey Sunshine" she manages to whisper with a broken voice.

Your eyes start to sting. No one here calls you like that. Everyone knows you by your first name or as Sunny (this last one is only with Ekko and some friends). You never let anyone else call you Sunshine. You couldn't stand it. So when you heard it...

"Violet?"

Your suspicions come true.

Vi lets out a small laugh combined with a sob, nodding as she walks towards you.

You bring your hands to your mouth as a loud sob escapes your lips, shaking your head. "No... You're not... You can't..."

Vi quickly finishes reaching up to you and holds you against her. A firm but delicate grip. You too wrap your arms around her clinging to her jacket. The crying from both of you getting louder.

"I missed you so much" Vi manages to utter between sobs. You, on the other hand, feel unable to speak, so you just nod into the hollow of her neck.

Time seems to stand still when you both finally hold each other in your arms.

Four-leaf clovers, lucky dimes and cosmic coincidences.

But they swear it's a coincidence.

The best coincidence of their lives. Finding each other again.

[emacrow]

The Watchtower found a enormous floating crystallized casket in space. Part 2.

The one idiot to accidentally open the casket was Francis whom just came to work and decided not to check the do not get near tape wrapped around the casket by Constantine who was too busy at the moment to explain why they shouldn't open it.

He wa so getting fired when one of the corpses slowly rose and stretched slowly, cracking a couple joints. It was the middle corpse that was a young boy, who rubbed his close eyes and opened them to reveal glowing lararus green eyes that was enrapturing Francis deeper and deeper as the light kept him staring deeper and deeper until...

Which seem like it was a mere 5 minutes, but unfortunately for Francis to unholy scream as his eyes, nose and ears literally bleed, his mind ruptured beyond belief as he saw the very end of what becomes of the living when they become dead.

Which alerted the justice league immediately to the laboratory section of the watchtower.

Only them to see Francis passed out on the floor, bleeding slowly from his face, and a corpse missing from the casket where the other two remains.

Batman immediately got everyone of on a man-corpse hunt around the watchtower base for 3 hours straight..

Only for Flash to speak through the comms..

"I found him. He in the kitchen." Flash spoke as he watch in slight horror and amazement as he watches this kid eating a enormous amount of unique combination of food mashed together like an unholy yet fascinating dish.

The kid looked much more ravenous then a man dying for thirst in the Gobi desert when flash found him first, literally raiding the fridge, eating every leftover and frozen food items as he almost got flash hand as well if it weren't for his extra fast reflex before getting an idea to distract the once corpse being with a large enough meal to keep him occupied.

Meanwhile danny only took a nice long vacation nap in his casket for a lil 10 days as a break from king work... which would've been about 100 years in another dimension before he gotten a not so good awakening and his dormant caveman reptilian brain went straight to hunt food instinct until his main consciousness wake up later.

[vrystalius]

Hashiras and maybe upper moons? If thats alright! (Either one is fine with me) with a s/o who's loud but really pleasant to be around (and says a lot of dumb/funny shit) but they meet their twin who's a exact copy of them, but opposite personality and is like "who thr fuck are you??" When they try to greet them.

I just thought the idea would be funny, it's fine if you don't wanna write this. Have a good day!

Hashira’s reaction to your polar opposite twin

She’s the polar opposite of you— how would your husband react to her?

Pairing: Sanemi, Kyojuro, Gyomei, Giyu x fem!reader (The twin is also fem)

Sanemi Shinazugawa

You weren’t beside him in bed this morning, wich already kind of pissed him off. It was a silent contract between you two that you’re supposed to hold him every morning for a little while, giving him all the love and affection he missed out while being out on missions. Sanemi wants to start his mornings by you covering his face in kisses while he silently lays there and enjoys them, not forcing himself out of bed to drag himself downstairs to the kitchen to brew up coffee. But as he slowly made his way down, you were already standing by the kitchen counter, heating up a pot of water. Perhaps he can charge up on the needed affection right here and now.

Sanemi groaned softly, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his head on your warm shoulder. His whole body relaxed against yours as he took a moment to savour your warmth and smell. Your scent was different this morning, perhaps you used new perfume or something? Before he could dwell on that thought a little longer and find out what he really smelling on you, a harsh punch was delivered, right against his nose. His arms quickly let go of your waist as he held his nose, groaning loudly while checking for any breakage or bleeding.

“The fuck was that for?! Shit, god damn—“

He kept cursing and gave you a glare. That’s where Sanemi noticed that the woman he cuddled onto was not his wife, but a look alike? She looked like you but looked much, much colder and pissed. Your face usually looks so soft and warm, a big grin curling the edges of your lips upwards everytime you look at him. Your aura was always charged with happy energy of sorts. But this woman? She had the aura of a shithead. And he knows plenty shitheads, alright.

Turns out that woman was your twin sister. Sanemi could’ve guessed that based on your looks, but your personalities could not be further apart. While you are loud, bubbly and kind, she is dull, boring and hella mean. She didn’t stop glaring at him after finding out that he is the lovely husband you always talk to her about. Your sister almost seemed disappointed by what she was seeing, she mumbled something about expecting more muscles or more height. If she weren’t your sister, Sanemi would’ve gladly demonstrate the muscles he has by returning the punch she delivered to him earlier.

Overall, he’s not a big fan of your twin sister. Also, Sanemi from now on demands you to notify him when she’s around so that he can conveniently be busy on that exact day she is coming to your home.

Kyojuro Rengoku

Your loud and happy personality is one of the largest reasons why he even fell in love with you in the first place. Your ability to make almost every situation unserious and to make Kyojuro smile every day, despite how hard it may have been, really sealed the deal for him. He didn’t know you even had a twin sister before she randomly showed up in his living room after he had raided the fridge for food. Holding one half eaten tuna sandwich in one hand and holding a whole steamed sweet potato in the other, Kyojuro stood across your twin sister, staring at her with wide eyes while she gave your husband a judgemental look. He put the food back right where he found it, ashamed of being caught like this. If you had seen him, you probably would’ve helped him carry the food! But this woman’s stare made him want to find the nearest hole in the ground and bury himself in it.

“Apologies for seeing me like this, I don’t do this often!… Or at all!!”

For some reason, Kyojuro really wants your sister’s approval. He knows he doesn’t need it and having you is plenty, but her approval or even a hint of a smile would give him the reassurance that he really is the man for you. You were confused by how hard he was trying to gain her approval, practically drowning you in gifts and acts of services when she was around, trying yo demonstrate what a good husband he is. Not that Kyojuro doesn’t cook or clean when your twin isn’t around, he is just more motivated to do so when she is.

Overall, craves to be approved so he knows he’s being a good husband to you. Your husband gets a little nervous around her and can’t stand being alone in a room with her without you. Kyojuro is scared of being bitten by her or something.

Gyomei Himejima

He finds your personality charming and warm, like the sun hitting his skin. Gyomei likes listening to you while you loudly go on and on about something, before drifting away to a different topic and another completely different story. It’s his favourite activity by far.

The stone hashira had the pleasure of meeting your twin while playing his shakuhachi flute. You carefully informed him once that he is not the best at it yet and when playing for hours on end, some nearby neighbours of your shared estate started to complain. Apparently, one grandma even threatened to hit your husband with a broom if he doesn’t stop soon. So, Gyomei moved his shakuhachi playing to the top of the mountain, right in the center of his training grounds and near the waterfall. That way, the sound of falling water will cover the sound of his terrible flute playing while he trains. He felt small pieces of rocks hit his body while playing, causing him to stop. One hit him directly at his forehead until he finally realised someone was throwing them at him and that those small rocks are not from the waterfall behind him. He at first believed it was the old grandma bullying him like this, but after finding out that it was actually your twin sister not being able to bear his terrible flute skills, your husband couldn’t help but feel a little offended.

After that incident, Gyomei tried his best to come to good terms with your sister, for your sake. He tried inviting her to the estate and have dinner and to converse with her a little, but the whole time during the meal she was just silently sitting across him while you were talking the whole time. Your husband felt her stare bore through him the entire time. He felt weirdly threatened by her.

Overall, Gyomei doesn’t like or hate your twin sister. He feels a little scared when she’s around. What if she throws another rock at him? Also, he now feels very discouraged to continue is shakuhachi hobby. His flute has been collecting dust ever since. Despite his build and intimidating being, you know that your husband is a very soft man. Even the strongest hashira can get insecure.

“I believe your sister is due for an exorcism. I can perform it personally, if you’d like.”

Giyu Tomioka

Your husband loved your bubbly and cheerful nature. He found himself drawn by the way you could make him smile almost immediately by simply existing or giving him a smile yourself, the way your laughter cuts through his otherwise grey and dull day. With every joke or silly grin he tries to suppress his smile, though it does slip through every now and then. Giyu doesn’t particularly like PDA, but your bright eyes and giggles makes him want to hold you and never let go, even in public.

As for your twin sister, Giyu would meet her silent judgement and rudeness with quiet, almost eery patience. At least that’s the impression your sister got. But looking at your husband, you saw how her sharp gaze was slowly eating away at his confidence in both himself and his self-worth as a husband. You had to get either him or your sister out of there before your husband disintegrates and decides he will divorce you because he believes he’s not good enough for you. He’d watch her from the corner of his eye, silently, counting the seconds until she finally leaves your happy home. Sometimes, Giyu wonders how two siblings can be so different to one another. He remembers how he and his sister were not that extremely different from one another. Did your mother accidentally drop either you or your sister on the head when you two were young?

“Are you sure you two are siblings? You two look alike, but… your sister is very intimidating. She reminds me of Shinazugawa.”

Overall, Giyu respects your twin and doesn’t openly say that he dislikes having her around, but you can clearly see how uncomfortable and nervous he gets when she comes by. Especially unannounced. Your husband needs to mentally prepare for her arrival or else he might not break.

💠

@los-huesitos, it’s still not letting me tag you. I can’t even look you up but I can access your account per the comment where you asked me to tag you in future Gyomei works— I hope you enjoyed this anyway if you see this!

Now that the Halloween event is over (I’ll be making one last post for Akaza tomorrow though— a little late, yes, but it’s from someone who has been lovely enough to spam me full with boops- I of course returned with evil and super boops!) my blog has returned to the old colours! I am accepting requests again, although I have to work through all the old ones first!

Anyways, make sure to EAT, SLEEP and DRINK enough!!

Take care of yourselves <3

[ifearzombies]

Things You Do Living At The HoL

1- Whenever you make yourself food in the kitchen you make three servings. One for you and two for Beel. Beel will smell it and you can never, ever not have something for him.

2- You buy every magazine Mammon is featured in. He makes royalties off of that and you want to support your first man in everything he does.

3- You check on Lucifer’s office every night. You either are bringing him coffee, offering to help, or are ushering him to bed depending on what he’s working on.

4- You text Diavolo, Barbatos, and the PH group every night to tell them you love them and that you’ll see them tomorrow since you can’t say goodnight in person most nights.

5- You find yourself saying “God” a LOT less. Either the angels are offended because you’re using their father’s name in vain. Or the demons are offended because you’re mentioning someone who hates them/their father they hate. It’s almost eradicated from your vocabulary.

6- When in the Human Realm and you see religious people you have to walk by them quickly because you can’t tell them how much you know about God, Demons, and the afterlife.

7- On nights you can’t sleep, you find yourself in the kitchen either talking to Beel or making food for him. You cherish those late night talks.

8- When Levi has a raid planned and you can’t stay with him, you check on him as much as possible to see if he needs anything.

9- You gave up trying to clean Satan’s room. But you DO check to make sure he’s not buried under books. Again. You’ve found him a few times under a bookalanche.

10- You make sure to tell Asmo he’s beautiful at least once a day. He pouts if you don’t.

11- You make sure Belphie wakes up long enough to do his schoolwork on days he does virtual schooling. On days he goes to RAD, you check to see how he’s doing.

12- On days you are in charge of dinner (volunteering or scheduled), you tend to make foods that are easy to make in bulk. Spaghetti, pancakes, quesadillas, and so forth. Not just because of Beel’s appetite (though that is the main reason), but this is a house of 7 men who are pretty fit. They all have a very healthy appetite. Plus there’s ALWAYS a chance for the PH group or Diavolo & Barbatos to come by.

13- You don’t lock the door when you use the bath in the main bathroom of the HoL. In the event someone desperately needs the toilet/sink in there, you don’t want to get up out of the water to open the door. Too much hassle.

14- You have a specific spot you sit at in the living room. The demons are weirded out by you have a particular spot you like, but they’ve avoided sitting there so that they’re never in the way.

15- You look at the sky to tell the time. You’ve started to figure out when it’s day or night depending on the moon’s positions and the stars in the sky. Specific hours still require a watch/clock. But day or night, you’ve got it mostly down.

16- You keep a shelf of books in your room for Satan. They’re mostly cat mystery novels since he loves detective novels and cats. You steal them back from his room, though, so he can’t add them to the mess that is his room.

17- You check on the pranks for the Anti-Lucifer League and work with them on good times for pranks. You’ve explained that if he’s not busy with something important, it’s more aggravating to him. They don’t believe you, but they sometimes listen to you when you ask them to hold off on a prank.

18- You tend to ask Mammon and Satan to go grocery shopping with you. Mammon can find the best deals and Satan is knowledgeable about what’s freshest in the store. Beel eats while he shops and groceries are more when he’s there. Belphie gets tired, Levi complains the whole time, Asmo just looks at reflective surfaces and slows the process down, and Lucifer is usually too busy.

19- You don’t watch porn. You can’t. Asmo can tell when you do because he can just sense when you’re horny and he tells EVERYONE. It’s embarrassing and sometimes you just want to have some self service time rather than end up in a wheelchair!

20- The wheelchair. It started as a joke from Solomon, honestly. Teasing that you likely have so much intimacy you struggle to walk. Diavolo didn’t realize he was joking and actually bought it for you. So you do actually own a wheelchair at the HoL. It’s in your closet, all charged up (Diavolo sprung for a fancy motorized one). When you feel like messing with the brothers, you’ll break it out and use it around the first floor and then they get to try and figure out who made you use it. It slightly backfires if anyone comes to visit though.

Solomon starts flirting and stating that he’d like a turn to make you use it. Simeon turns redder than a tomato. Luke gets mad and yells at the demons for hurting you, assuming they’ve injured you by their fighting (NO ONE IS CORRECTING HIM FOR FEAR OF ANGERING SIMEON). Barbatos frets over you being injured. Diavolo just teases you and asks if the chair is comfortable enough.

[deepdisireslonging]

Cake or Cookies

A good round of sexy texting during girls’ night leads to sexy personal time when Bucky gets home.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x curvy!Reader

Warnings/Promises: food mention, descriptions of injuries (canon-level), dirty talk, sexting, SMUT, oral (both receiving), implied further smut

Word Count: 3080

Note: They can pry the Avenger Apartment/Tower from my cold dead hands. Everything’s fine, everyone is fine; what trauma? Why can’t we have nice things? I went hunting through some of my lost prompts and found a couple to squeeze together. Happy reading!

Girls’ night in the Tower was bound to be dangerous. It was usually when Natasha came up with the next round of pranks to play on the boys. And when Wanda took it upon herself to create the best pillow fort to watch movies in. Her magic made it easy to pile the couch pillows and blankets into what looked more like a cozy cave than a fort. And Maria kept track of where to find any films not already stored in Stark’s library.

You were in charge of snacks. Drinks were cozy only: tea, hot chocolate, and coffee. Alcohol parties were for other nights. Snacks ranged anywhere from home-made chips to hors d'oeuvres (fancy and simply indulgent), to the smorgasbord of mass produced favorite snacks you raided from the corner bodega. But you were stumped when it came to tonight’s desserts. The bodega’s sweet treats were present, cheap candy and the like, but you were stuck between the roll of cookie dough and a box mix for cupcakes.

Stumped, you didn’t acknowledge the warm body that ghosted up behind you until a hand slid across your waist. “It’s girls’ night. What are you still doing here?” Sitting down the treats, you turned in Bucky’s arms and scratched your fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck.

He lightly kissed your forehead. “Needed a break from Tony. Can you blame me?”

“Not at all.”

You both inhaled deeply, cheek to cheek. The last mission had been a rough one. Most of the team had come back banged up. And you still had a nasty scrape of road burn up one leg. Which is why you were wearing the equivalent of biker shorts. Pepper had gotten them for you sometime after the social media trend of those leggings ladies liked to tease their S.O’s with. They were surprisingly supportive of your form. You usually wore them underneath your gear because they were borderline indecent. But, with one of Bucky’s oversized shirts covering your figure, nobody had commented.

Except for Bucky as he slid his hands down your body to rest over the curve of your ass.

“I thought these stayed out of sight?”

You teased a glance up at him. “Usually, yes. But It’s girls’ night. We all wear the equivalent of our pajamas since you boys will be out. You are all going out, right?”

He nodded. “Yes. Eventually.” But he didn’t move. He hugged you closer, brazenly tilting your head to one side with his nose so he could kiss the underside of your jaw.

“Y/L/N!” Natasha waved from the living room. “Are we ready to go, or what?”

A smile spread across your face. You lightly pushed Bucky away, making him whine. Natasha was already starting the voting poll for the evening’s movies when you turned back to the counter. “I’ve got to bake before the party starts. Do you have a preference for what sweets you’d like to be left over? Cookies or cupcakes?”

Bucky pressed up behind you, resting his large hands on the counter on either side of you, and griding his front into your ass. “Cookies. There’s enough cake in this kitchen already.” He slapped your ass, following with both his hands taking tight squeezes of your flesh.

As you gasped, he rushed out. The wink he shot you from the door warned you that the tease would not be the evening’s last.

Fifteen minutes later, the cookies were out, the movie was in, and everyone was settled into their favorite pile of pillows.

Five minutes into the movie, the texting started.

Lover Boy <3: “How’s the movie?”

You rolled your eyes as you turned your phone on silent. If Okoye heard your phone again, you’d never get it back. “We’re watching Magic Mike. So… It’s going well.” You added a smiley face with its tongue sticking out for good measure.

Bucky’s messages popped up every few minutes. You kept your phone screen towards you to see the notification light up your screen without bothering the other women.

Lover Boy <3: “Should I be jealous?”

You: “Nah. Their gyrating doesn’t do it for me.”

Lover Boy <3: “Good to know.”

Lover Boy <3: “Is there anything in the movie that does ‘do’ it for you?”

You smothered a chuckle into your blanket. Each passing second that you took to come up with a teasing reply was surly wreaking havoc on your man.

You: “Maybe. Who wants to know?”

His reply was slow in coming. When it did, you almost fumbled your phone into the floor.

Lover Boy <3: *image incoming*

The picture you received was of Bucky’s hand resting on the top of his thigh. They were out to dinner somewhere, the edge of the table blocking your photo view from the rest of the guys. In the curve between his forefinger and thumb, his bulge was the center of attention. You stuck a sucker in your mouth to cover up your gasp. But the other ladies were too busy hooting for the first dance scene to notice.

You: “Just him? I must be slipping. Especially since I thought you really liked my shorts earlier.”

Lover Boy <3: “I like those shorts because I like taking them off. Girls night got in the way.”

You: “You’ve got to come home sometime.”

Lover Boy <3: “Then what do you have in mind?”

You turned off the flash for your camera and waited for the TV screen to illuminate your face. Sucker holding down your tongue, you sneaked the pic. Before any of the girls could see and tease you. While it sent, you sucked on the round sugar treat. You imagined Bucky’s cockhead on your tongue, as you knew he would too. His reply came in seconds.

Lover Boy <3: “Minx”

You: “And?”

Lover Boy <3: “When I do get home, I’m going to taste something sweeter. All night long.”

Lover Boy <3: “If you can handle it.”

Biting your lip, you smiled into your blanket.

You: “We both know what I can handle. But can you handle what I want to do to you?”

You: “Bet I can blow you so good you forget how to speak Russian before morning.”

You: “Actually, bet I can make you forget all your languages.”

Lover Boy <3: “An official bet?”

Now it was dangerous territory. Neither of you would wager anything that would show in public. Or bring attention from the team inside the tower. But Bucky’s winnings had a steep cost on your ability to walk the next day. Yours usually meant him taking a few days off to spend time together in some distant cabin.

You: “Do we have time to disappear to the Rockies when I win?”

Lover Boy <3: “We just finished a mission. I’m sure I can convince Steve to leave us alone… at least for several nights in a row when I win.”

It was on.

He played dirty by escaping to the bathroom to shoot you a picture of his cock. It was already thick for you, proud and flushed in his palm.

You also escaped. But the picture you sent didn’t require you to take your clothes off. All you did was tug down the front of his borrowed shirt, and splay your fingers wide between your breasts.

You: “Can’t wait to squeeze you between these.”

Lover Boy <3: “9hey now…”

Good. His texting was already stumbling.

You: *picture incoming*

All you did was rest your hand over your throat. But Bucky’s reply of a bunch of scrambled letters made you laugh. You returned to the movie.

You: “Can’t wait for you to get home. But we’ve got about 3 more hours of movies to watch. Think you can last that long?”

Lover Boy <3: “If I have to. Might have to take care of myself before then.”

Wanda looked over as you squirmed in your seat.

You: “You can’t wait for me? I’ll wait for you.”

When the movie lit up enough, you took a picture of the pillow between your thighs.

Lover Boy <3: “Promise?”

You: “Say please.”

His reply, despite the distance between text and actually hearing his voice, dripped with promise. You bit your lip, hearing his growl in your head.

Lover Boy <3: “Since when do get to make the demands around here?”

Lover Boy <3: “Please.”

You: “Since I’m home. Away from the consequences of mouthing off at you till later.”

Lover Boy <3: “You’re not sharing this conversation with the ladies are you? You’re not usually this… sassy.”

You: “This sass is rated E for everyone. But, no. This conversation is just between us.”

You: “I have to stop texting. Natasha is beginning to notice.”

Lover Boy <3: “Until I get my hands on you:”

It was several minutes until you checked your phone, waiting for the others to drop their questioning looks. When you did, you had to smother your moan. He sent one last picture of his tongue out between his fingers. A promise of delectable problems to come.

***

Somebody texted the guys when the movies were almost over. They arrived halfway through you girls cleaning up.

“How was the double feature?” Tony asked. He snagged a remaining hors d'oeuvres off the tray before Maria could stick it in the fridge.

You didn’t hear the reply. All you could focus on was how lust-blown Bucky’s eyes were as he stared you down from the other side of the room. You pressed your thighs together. If the way your chest heaved was any indication, you were in for a long night. Steve barely gave you a glance when you walked past him. Bucky gliding past made him give your departure a second look.

The hallway to your room was dark. The lights that illuminated the floor wouldn’t engage fully unless there was an emergency. Which meant that your shadow was faded against the wall. And it was fractured into several clusters of shadows at reach installation. You didn’t look back. It was part of the game. You couldn’t hear him, but sometimes you could have sworn your shadows had an extra layer.

When you reached for your door handle, another hand beat you to it. Bucky pressed up behind you, pushing you into the room and pinning you to the inside of the door as he locked it. He slid his knee between your legs. Fascinated, he enjoyed the show as you slid the apex of your thighs across the muscle he gave you. He stopped your movements with a hand on your hip, while the other lifted your wrists above your head.

“Did you actually wait, or was that a tease?” He reached into your shorts, groaning to find your slick there. While you trembled, he loudly sucked his middle finger into his mouth. “Oh, ангел, I am going to ruin you. For teasing me like you did.”

“You – you started it. Technically.”

He brought one of your hands down to rest over the front of his pants. “Maybe. But you laid down the gauntlet. How do you want to do this?”

With a grin, you wriggled out of his grasp. You walked backwards towards your bed. Bucky stalked slowly after you. Turning, you ran your hands down your sides, to your hips. And back to the curve of your ass. “Cake?” You smoothed your hands up from your rear to your breasts. “Or cookies?”

Bucky groaned. “The whole damn bakery if I can get my hands on it.” He guided you onto the bed, crawling over you in a way that stole your breath. When you tried to roll him onto his back to begin the challenge, he chuckled. “Nuh-uh. Challenger goes second.”

“But-“

He silenced you with a kiss. As he deepened it, hands kneading into your flesh and removing your clothes, your rebuttal died on your tongue. He barely pulled back enough to remove his own clothes. It wasn’t long before he was working his mouth down your body, kissing and sucking and nipping at your skin until he made it to your sex. 

Sometimes part of the challenge included a timer. Like that one gala when he dared you steal away with him during Tony’s speech, and cum before the ending round of applause. With his head buried under your dress, he won with enough time to participate in the applause for a speech you didn’t give a damn about. You didn’t find out till later that Steve had kept track of when you two disappeared and reappeared. Bucky wrote the time on your bathroom mirror as the time to beat. It had yet to be broken.

Tonight wasn’t one of those times. There was all the time in the world. All night to edge or overstimulate each other to your hearts’ content.

Breathing warm air over your sex, his grin between your thighs sent a ripple of goosebumps over your skin. You weren’t sure which was more disarming: his knowledge of your body and its sweet spots that he could make you cum in minutes, or that same knowledge used to bliss you out over hours till you couldn’t remember more than screaming his name. With his tongue, he began the challenge. As if you weren’t soaked already, he made a mess of you. Curling his fingers through your folds. Delving his tongue deep in search of the ability to taste you for days. When he scraped his teeth across your clit, the electricity tightened your fingers in his hair.

He wasn’t drawing this out. A man on a mission, Bucky was doing everything he could to bring you to the brink as fast as he could. The speed that you hurtled toward release stole your breath. That was his plan. Shock you while trying to beat his time so that you wouldn’t be able to speak. And then he’d win double the bragging rights.

And, damn him, it might just work.

Hungrily, he slurped up your pleasure. Adding a third finger to his onslaught, he curled them all to make you see stars. His metal arm flashed out to pin down your hips before you could arch away from him. The metal was cold, frigid, against your flushed skin. The difference in temperature was enough of an overload to your sparkling nerves that your eyes screwed shut. You babbled a series of sounds, making Bucky hum in delight.

But when he came up for air, gently stroking your folds to ease you down, you surprised him.

“Is that all you got, Barnes?”

“Fuck. Seriously?” He rested his cheek against the inside of your thigh.

You did your best to steady your breath. No point in revealing those six words were all you could manage. After another moment, you curled your own finger. You summoned him to hover over you, dangling his dog-tags in your face. Catching one between your teeth, you gripped and pushed his shoulders until he was on his back.

It was your turn to kiss down his body. Across his collar bone and pecs. Down that center chasm between his abs. From one hip bone, down his V, and up to the other side. As you took his length in hand, you had to smile. The poor man should have let you pleasure him first, instead of torturing himself and his cock with waiting. Gently, you circled your thumb around his tip. It dragged a groan out between his teeth. Good. The more vocal he was, the better you could track his ability to speak. Or lack thereof.

You set the challenge into the back of your mind and got to work in pleasing your man.

The first movements were gentle. And careful around how sensitive he was. Still, each touch and twist kept his voice active. He tried to watch you, but kept dropping his head back in pleasure as you quickened your movements. While he was laid back, you shifted your position.

His head snapped up, and he cursed loudly in Russian as his cock was enveloped between your breasts.

Darting out your tongue, you kitten licked the tip of his cock when it came into range. It gave you no small pleasure to watch your man, the Winter Soldier and former Commando, fall to pieces because of you. He cursed louder in English, Russian, and… was that German? But the more you jerked him between your breasts, the more his vocabulary scrambled together. You waited patiently. His metal hand twitched towards to before fisting the sheet. His flesh hand reached back for the pillows, sheets, headboard. Anything to ground himself. Then you struck. You let go of your breasts and dipped low enough to swallow him down. He roared as he bumped the back of your throat. Planting his feet on the bed, his thighs trembled with keeping himself from thrusting into your mouth.

That was fine. You moved enough for the both of you. And, just as his Russian was little more than the most strained of curses, you settled his balls into one hand, and slid the other up his torso. Your nails lightly caught his skin over his heaving breaths.

The high-pitched hiss from the depths of his lungs was your only warning before he filled your mouth.

Your ministrations slowed. You took every ounce of his pleasure, and smiled around his cock as you sucked your way off his length.

He dragged you up to bury his face in the crook of your neck. His lips trembled while trying to say something. Anything. But all he could do was pant into your skin.

You smiled. And kissed the underside of his jaw. While you both recovered, you murmured gentle reassurances between breaths.

“You cheated,” he finally managed.

“Oh? When did I manage that?”

Running his fingers through his hair, he stared you down. “Those damn shorts.”

With a laugh, you nipped at his chest. “What? You did get to take them off, like you wanted. And I can’t help it if you decided to run your hands all over me and get yourself hard. It jazzed me up too. So, in my mind, we’re even.”

“Fine.” He tilted up your face to kiss you. Mumbling against your lips, he complained, “you’re using alotta words there, ангел.”

“And you’re still capable of Russian.”

Bucky grinned. “Then I guess this challenge isn’t done.”

And it wasn’t until long into the night.

***

Ангел: angel

***

Masterlist

Marvel Masterlist 

[cailinsblog]

hey could you do “to be dad Quinn Hughes “just him during the 9 months of pregnancy. The ups, downs, cravings, belly talk, cuddle’s and fluff whils reader feels like a balloon.☺️

Yes girl thank you so much for the request 💕💕

I hope you like it

To Be Dad Quinn Hughes | Quinn

Quinn hughes x reader

Masterlist

It was a crisp autumn evening in Vancouver, and Quinn Hughes sat at the kitchen counter of his and Y/N’s cozy apartment, swirling a mug of hot cocoa between his hands. The season had started, but tonight, there was no practice, no game. Just him, his wife, and the soft glow of the lights that hung overhead, casting a warm ambiance across the room. He wasn’t thinking about hockey—at least not at the moment. His thoughts were entirely consumed by the tiny life growing inside Y/N.

Nine months. It felt like time had both dragged and flown by all at once. Quinn hadn’t known what to expect when Y/N first told him they were pregnant. They were both still so young, only just starting their lives together, but the idea of becoming a father filled him with a nervous excitement.

His hand instinctively rested on her swollen belly, feeling the gentle rise and fall of her breath. Y/N was sitting across from him on the couch, a thick, soft blanket draped over her lap. Her feet were propped up on the coffee table, swollen and sore from the pressure of carrying their baby. She had told him, with a playful smirk, that she felt like a balloon, about to float away at any moment.

"I’m definitely going to pop," she teased, rubbing her stomach, watching his eyes soften.

"No way," Quinn chuckled, setting his cocoa down on the counter. "You’re more like… a really cute balloon, if that's possible."

Y/N laughed, the sound light and melodic, and Quinn couldn’t help but grin. He walked over and sat down beside her, reaching for her hand.

"I can’t believe we’re almost there," Quinn said, his voice quieter now, more contemplative. "Like… this time next month, we could be parents."

Y/N’s eyes glistened as she nodded. "I know. I’m nervous, but… also so excited. I feel like I’m going to burst any second, but in the best way."

Quinn leaned forward and kissed her forehead. He could see the exhaustion in her eyes, the toll nine months of pregnancy had taken on her body, but he also saw the love and anticipation that filled her every word and action. The pregnancy had been tough on her in ways he hadn’t imagined—it wasn’t just the cravings or the endless bathroom trips in the middle of the night, or the aching back that made her wince every time she got up. It was the little things too, like how sometimes she’d burst into tears over nothing at all, or how she’d suddenly need him to hold her, just to feel close.

The hormonal shifts had brought some intense moments, but Quinn had learned to roll with the punches. He had also discovered the magic of comfort food.

“Do you want me to make you something?” he asked, his brow furrowing. He had become an expert in midnight snack runs, raiding the pantry for whatever odd combination Y/N had craved that night. From pickles and peanut butter to an entire jar of olives—nothing was off the table.

Y/N shook her head, though, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “I think… I think I want more cuddles tonight. You know… I’m kind of getting sick of feeling like I’m this big, puffy balloon, but when you hold me, I feel like I’m safe and… not as big?”

Quinn’s heart melted. He leaned over, placing a gentle kiss on her lips before wrapping his arms around her. She nestled against his chest, letting out a satisfied sigh as her head found its familiar resting place beneath his chin.

“I love you so much, Y/N,” Quinn murmured, his voice thick with emotion. He gently traced the curve of her belly with his fingers, the baby’s soft movements barely noticeable but enough to make Quinn’s heart skip a beat.

“I love you too, Quinn,” she replied, her voice low and soft, a gentle warmth spreading through her chest.

For the past few months, Quinn had done his best to anticipate her needs. From setting up her favorite pillows on the couch so she could lounge comfortably, to joining her for walks around the neighborhood to help with the swelling in her legs. He was there through every small milestone, from the first ultrasound to the baby’s first kicks, to the night Y/N had cried because she couldn’t find her favorite sweater. Every moment, he was learning more about himself and about the family they were building together.

Tonight, however, was one of those quiet, peaceful moments that made all the hustle and chaos of the season feel secondary. The two of them, together, in their small corner of the world.

“I was thinking,” Quinn said after a long silence, his voice playful again. “Maybe I should start talking to the baby. You know, like… get them used to my voice?”

Y/N laughed, her belly vibrating lightly against his chest. “You mean like ‘Hey, little one, you better not be pulling any goalie moves in there’?” She smiled, but there was a soft, wistful look in her eyes.

Quinn nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly. I’ll teach them everything they need to know about hockey. No pressure, just a little goalie lesson here and there.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, but Quinn could see the hint of adoration in her gaze. “You’re ridiculous. You’re going to be such a good dad.”

Quinn’s heart swelled at her words. He hadn’t fully believed it, not yet, but hearing her say it filled him with a sense of pride. He wanted to be the best father he could be, to guide their child through life with the same love and care that he’d felt from his own family.

"Maybe we should start a playlist for the baby?" Quinn suggested, his voice suddenly filled with excitement. "Something to help them get used to hearing your voice, too. I think our kid will be a fan of classic rock."

Y/N raised an eyebrow. “Classic rock? We’ll have to see about that,” she teased. “Maybe some soft lullabies first.”

Quinn grinned and pulled out his phone. “I’ll make the playlist right now. You and the baby will be rocking out by next week.”

He started scrolling through his music library, humming along to the song choices. Y/N watched him, her eyes softening as she admired the man she had married. Even in the midst of all the exhaustion, the constant adjustments, and the unknowns, he had become everything she had ever dreamed of in a partner. The thought of him becoming a dad—it made her heart skip a beat.

“I really can’t wait to see you with our baby,” Y/N said quietly, her voice thick with emotion.

Quinn paused mid-scroll, his fingers hovering over the phone. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” she continued, reaching up to cup his face, “you’re going to be an amazing dad. I know it. The way you take care of me now—when the baby gets here? You’re going to be incredible. I can’t wait to see you holding them, teaching them, just… being their dad.”

Quinn blinked a few times, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He could feel the depth of her words settling in, stirring something deep within him. He’d always thought of himself as a hockey player, but now he was thinking of himself as a father. And that? That felt like something so much bigger than anything else.

"I’m going to try my best," Quinn whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I promise you that."

Y/N smiled, the weight of her pregnancy momentarily forgotten as she snuggled closer to him. “I know you will. You already are.”

---

As the weeks passed and the season continued, Quinn made it a point to spend every free moment with Y/N, keeping her calm, making sure she was comfortable, and filling their home with laughter and love. He was constantly amazed by how strong she was, how patient she remained despite the aches and exhaustion, and how she still managed to crack jokes and make him laugh.

And then, one night—when Y/N was nearing the end of her pregnancy and Quinn was gearing up for a tough road trip—he found himself lying beside her, holding her as she dozed off.

“Almost there, huh?” he whispered softly to her sleeping form.

Y/N mumbled something in her sleep, a half-smile forming on her face. It was moments like these—quiet, simple, and filled with love—that Quinn knew, beyond any doubt, that he was ready. Ready to be the dad he never knew he could be. And with Y/N by his side? He was ready for anything.

Please request and reblog

[snippychicke]

Poppy Seeds--Part Three

Inspired by TooManyPsuedonyms work, which in turn was inspired by @semisolidmind fanart/cabin!Au for Playtime Poppy. Especially these works today

Master post

Seven: Music

As soon as Kissy found the old radio stuffed away, she was in love. Especially when you found the vinyl records and 8-track tapes stored away. Old records your grandparents had loved like The Mamas and The Papas, Abba, John Denver, and others you weren’t so familiar with.

Soon music was always playing in the house as long as Kissy was awake. To the point that every time you were in town, you had raided the second hand store and old music shops for more.

Because it not only made the pink giant happy, but seemed to lift everyone's spirits, even on the bad days. And if that’s what it took, you would be all too happy to accommodate.

-+-

Some old song played, and something about it had everyone up and dancing. Kissy had Ollie in her arms, and the boy was giggly as the giant spun him around. Poppy was swaying by herself on the kitchen counter, though she seemed quite content by the smile on her face.

Dancing with Dogday was a bit challenging considering your size difference, but he was determined to make it work. And well, you had no complaints as he held you close with an arm around your back while his other hand encompassed yours.

Actually, you were in heaven, you just didn't want to admit it. The feelings in your chest had been slowly growing warmer and fonder for Dogday, but burying your face in his soft chest was making you realize what exactly those emotions were.

Surely this was just another side effect of the horrors you survived, right? Or just having someone so openly affectionate with you after being somewhat socially isolated the last decade as you hid from the truth you accidentally had uncovered at Playtime.

It didn't help with him always calling you angel, or following you around like a shadow. And right now, some of your favorite moments were just laying together in bed, snuggled closely and basking in the moment.

You were starting to fall in love, and you weren't quite sure how to deal with it.

His deep voice started to sing softly along with the chorus, and you knew you were in deep trouble.

Eight: Hunt

Feeding four people was going to strain your meager funds as a small farmer/rancher. Especially when two of those ‘people’ were towering creatures with an appetite of 2 each.

You knew they could ‘survive’ off less, and they both tried to hide the fact the typical portions were leaving them hungry. But after hearing both Kissy and Dogday's growl loudly several meals in a row, you deduced that it wasn't quite enough. And while you had a large garden planted, it was going to be at least a few weeks to a couple of months to benefit from that.

You knew there were plenty of deer and elk in the woods this time of year--along with things like bears and mountain lions. So you had your gramps' old shotgun hanging off your shoulder by the old strap, unable to see either Dogday or Kissy but you knew they were still within shouting distance. Surely between the three of you, you'd be able to bring something in, even if it was something smaller like a rabbit or one of the wild turkeys.

Hunting was not your favorite thing, but it put food on the table. Besides, you knew Ollie needed more nutrition too if he was ever going to get rid of that sallow tint and put meat on his bones.

There was a grumble along with a crack of a branch that gave you half a second warning. You turned, not expecting the giant grizzly bear that somehow got behind you.

You swore as you fumbled with the shotgun-- you had been more familiar with the old Grab Pack than you were the gun. The grizzly huffed again and lumbared towards you far faster than you thought something that size could. You attempted a shot, which fired with a harsh crack, but it went far too wide.

You were dead.

But in a blur of deep violet, the grizzly was knocked to the forest floor. It took you another second to recognize Catnap as he tore into the animal.

There was a brief moment of relief… and then you realized you had just traded one deadly situation for the other.

Catnap eventually released the grizzly bear and looked towards you. You took a step back, even though you knew there was no way you could outrun him. Not here in the open where there were no places to hide. You could try and shoot him, yet that weighed too heavy on your conscience, even if it meant saving your life. Never mind you couldn’t even shoot the grizzly at point-blank range.

Catnap suddenly stood on his back legs, easily switching to be bipedal… then kneeling before you. “Savior,” he breathed with more reverence than Dogday which was… was something.

“Uh,” you answered intelligently, blinking at the giant cat. Savior? You?

With a sense of deja-vu, Catnap was tackled in the same way he had tackled the animal moments earlier. Dogday’s giant paws were clenched into fists as he wailed upon the purple cat, a deep thunderous growl echoing from his chest.

Before he could do too much damage, and before Catnap could start fighting back-- you rushed forward and grabbed Dogday’s fist and held it back. You knew he could easily overpower you, but thankfully he paused, looking at with narrowed eyes.

“Stop it,” you begged, “please. He-he saved my life.”

That seemed to get through to him. Dogday looked towards the lifeless form of the grizzly, then at Catnap beneath him. The other giant Smiling Critter was glaring up at the dog with the same hate Dogday was glaring at him.

You gently pulled at Dogday, and he slowly followed your lead, unpinning Catnap and allowing him to climb to his feet and brush off the dirt and leaves.

"Why are you here?” Dogday snarled, placing himself directly between you at Catnap just as Kissy arrived, her smile dimmed as she bared her needle-point teeth at Catnap.

Yet Catnap seemed unaffected, his eyelights focused on you, peeking out from behind your friend. “They saved us. They are The Savior who defeated the false-god.”

Dogday relaxed somewhat at his word, though just a little. “Ah, just as much of a fanatic as before.”

“You deny their works?” Catnap growled back. “Even after the many works you saw yourself, you are a heretic of the true savior?”

“My angel saved us; I’ll agree with you on that, but I know they’re not going to be happy about that new title, or your worship. Unlike the prototype, angel doesn’t exactly like sacrifices.”

“N-no fighting,” you agreed, holding on to Dogday’s hand as you stepped up to his side. “No killing--other than for food,” you tacked on, seeing Kissy pause. A deer in one hand that she had dragged like a stuffed animal along the forest floor. “Or for protection. And that goes for both of you.”

It was probably seeing you try to boss the two--both of whom were about twice your height.

You squeaked indignantly as Dogday suddenly lifted you up and pulled you close to him. “Only for your sake, angel.” he murmured, nuzzling against the crook of your neck and shoulder the best he could due to both his size and also undoubtedly glaring at Catnap over your shoulder.

You could feel your face burn hot, but still gave an exasperated expression to Kissy, who hid her teeth and instead looked far more amused than she should have been.

Nine: Close

You escaped into the porch, desperate for some fresh air. It had been about a week since the Incident in the woods, and if you thought Dogday had been your shadow, you had been sorely mistaken. Knowing Catnap.was somewhere in the nearby forest left him on high alert and even more protective.

At first, you could understand it. You were more than a little shaken yourself. Especially when you would find random animals dead on your porch, ranging from rabbits to a moose. Dogday was sure Catnap was taunting everyone but…

But you had cats before. And yes, Catnap was not an actual cat, but neither was Dogday yet there were traits that seemed too much of a coincidence.

For example, Dogday loved to be petted. To the point he often rested his head in your lap while you both sat on the floor to watch tv. He had that ‘magic spot’ where his ear and head joined that when scratched would make his leg kick. (You avoided it most of the time, knowing he was self conscious of it… but sometimes temptation was too great to see that blissed look on his face.)

So you had to admit, Catnap acting like a cat… was not so far fetched. Bringing food (because they had all been fresh kills of edible animals) was a sign of affection in most cats--even moreso, you were sure, for a giant cat who had endured a decade of near starvation.

But convincing Dogday that Catnap meant no harm… that would be a challenge.

You rubbed your eyes hard with an aggravated sigh, hard enough you saw stars when you opened your eyes.

…or maybe not. You noticed a pair of eyes reflecting the porch light, far taller than any animal you could think of…

Slowly Catnap stepped out of the shadows, though didn’t pass the treeline. Instead he seemed hesitant to draw too close, his gaze flitting between you and the house behind you.

Probably expecting Dogday or maybe one of the others to come out in a rage. Yet you could hear them talking and laughing as they played one of the board games (that you purposely lost for a chance for some fresh air.)

You didn’t feel comfortable enough to approach Catnap, but… something about the lonely creature tugged at your heartstrings. Without really thinking you scooted to the edge of the porch, dangling your legs off the edge, and offered a hand.

“Psspt ppsspp ppsspp.”

The giant cat blinked at you, and for a long moment you felt like an idiot. Trying to call Catnap like he was just an old farm cat? Really?

Yet it seemed to work as Catnap slowly stalked out of the first, slinking low to the ground with his attention split between you and the cabin.

He really was an overgrown cat.

The thought made you relax some, even ast Catnap eventually loomed over you, head tilted in curiosity as if to say: “Okay, I’m here. Now what do you want?”

“Thank you for the presents?” you offered awkwardly, not sure yourself what had compelled you other than pity. “The turkey especially, even if we had feathers strewn about for a while. They were quite… novel to everyone.”

Catnap appeared to accept the praise pridefully, standing a little taller. Without thinking (which was certainly a common theme tonight) you raised your hand to scratch his chin. He paused for a moment before sinking into your touch, a slow and deep purr resonating from his chest.

Oh. You don’t bother fighting the smile as Catnap slowly slumped to the ground, looking as blissed with the soft scratches as Dogday. Though the purring was quite new, and where Dogday allowed his eyes to close completely as he rested his head in your lap, Cat nap’s were only half closed, though the expression in them was full reverence and tenderness.

It was a rather peaceful moment--until the door slammed open. “Catnap!” Dogday snarled as the other giant Smiling Critter jumped, back arched and a hiss on his lips. “Angel! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” you answered as you jumped to your feet, stopping Dogday from going after Catnap as he retreated back into the woods. “He didn’t hurt me, see?”

It took a moment for Dogday to tear his gaze away from the shadows where Catnap disappeared into and look down to you. You reached up with the same hands you had petted Catnap with and cupped his face. As always, it helps him relax, though only somewhat.

“Angel,” he sighed, leaning into your touch, though not as deep as before. “Why do you have to be so kind?”

You're pretty sure his question was rhetorical, but you smiled anyway as you rubbed the pad of your thumb along the curve of his cheek. “Because no one else was.”

That caused the last bit of stress to ease, and he sunk deeper into your touch while wrapping his arms around your waist. “Angel, my sweet angel, you're going to be the death of me.”

---*--

Dogday knew logically that his angel was as kind and merciful as their namesake. They wouldn't be his angel if they weren't.

But they were als very brave and foolhardy.

It drove Dogday up the wall to see them be so kind to Catnap for some reason. They had all done things they weren't proud of, the only innocent one among them being Ollie. But they had done so to survive. There had been no pleasure in it.

But Catnap… he killed because the Prototype told him. He had killed so many in the name of the Prototype.

He may call their angel ‘savior,’ but Dogday didn't trust him. He didn't like how his angel would leave portions of food out, going as far as to yell for Catnap to come and get it before the other wild creatures did. He didn't like it when they'd scratch Catnap behind his ear, laughing as the giant cat rubbed his face against them with a deep purr.

He really didn't like it when his kind hearted angel made a space for Catnap in the barn. Filling the area with blankets and pillows, and even a spare radio and lamp.

“I can't just leave him!” You argued with a huff later that night, dressing yourself for bed. “It's going to get cold at night--winter comes early to these parts. I know that letting him in the house would be a bad idea--if he'd even accept the offer.”

Dogday knew he would--if just to spite him. Everything Catnap did, Dogday swore was for the sole purpose to annoy him.

“He doesn't deserve you, angel. None of us do, but especially not him. Yet your so kind to him, going out of the way to make sure he's okay…”

“I'd do that for anyone, ‘day. You guys didn't deserve the shit you went through, the least I can do is make up for a bit of it.”

Dogday hesitated as you climbed into bed, an uncomfortable feeling welling up in his chest. “Is that why we're here, angel? For you to try and repent as well?”

He could tell he struck a nerve as you flinched, and almost apologized, except the words got caught in his voicebox, twisting themselves into barbs to cut deeper. “Is that the only reason you let me stay with you every night?”

Your eyes were watery when you looked up at him, though there was that steely resolve as well. “You know it's not, Dogday. You're… you're special to me. I wouldn't let anyone else share my bed… except maybe Olie if he had a nightmare.”

Something twisted and knotted in Dogday’s chest relaxed at your reassurance allowing him to sigh. You echoed his sigh before patting the bed beside you. “Come here, big guy. It looks like you could use a hug.”

How were you so perfect?

Instead of crawling in beside you, Dogday decided to take that hug by crawling halfway atop of you, head pressed against your chest as he wrapped his arms around your waist.

He could hear your heart beating, quick but strong, and simply presumed it was from emotions running high like his own. He didn't even realize he had nestled himself between your legs until he felt the soft weight of your thighs press against his hips.

Oh. He may not be human but he did recognize a compromising position when he saw one. Yet before he could pull away, your hands reached up and scratched behind his ears. “Oh ‘day,” you sighed with such a hint of fondness he felt his tail wag in response. “You haven’t been feeling jealous, have you?”

His tail froze as he tensed, and he tried to hide his face in your chest. “No,” he lied.

Your laugh made it clear you didn't believe him, but you didn't call him out on it. Instead you pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Good, because that would be silly. No one can compare to you, no matter what.”

His face felt like it was on fire, yet his tail was wagging faster than ever. His arms tightened around your waist as he tried to press himself closer to you. You were his angel, his guiding light, and for you to say that he was special to you.

Well, he couldn’t be happier.

[serafilms]

song 72! you belong with me (taylor swift) + newt requested by @misty-inferno (2023 spotify wrapped event)

dreaming ‘bout the day when you wake up and find that what you’re looking for has been here the whole time

If anyone were to ask where either you or Newt were, the other gladers would say to look for the other. They’d probably end up finding the two of you together.

At least, that was the case before Thomas came into the picture.

Today found you sitting on a bench near the kitchen, where Frypan had kicked you out. Apparently your sour mood was spoiling the food. You glowered when you looked in the distance and saw Newt walking the newbie around.

“Whoa, why are you trying to commit a felony?”

Your eyes flitted up to where Minho was hovering over you. Still scowling, you said, “What felony?”

“Attempted murder. Using your face.”

“Man, fuck you!” you exclaimed, smacking him on the arm.

“Hey! I didn’t mean it like that! I meant like, the whole ‘if looks could kill’ thing,” he defended himself, rubbing his arm.

“Well either way, I’m not trying to murder anyone, you slinthead.”

Minho shrugged. “Tell that to Thomas. He’s been asking since last night why you keep glaring at him.”

“I’m not glaring at him,” you scoffed, “I’m observing. Analysing.”

“Right, right,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. “You sure you’re not just pissy he’s hanging out with Newt?”

“Well,” you huffed, “he already got the tour from Chuck, what more does he need to know?”

Minho finally joined you on the bench, and nudged you with his elbow. You massaged the sore spot on your ribs.

“You should tell him how you feel, you know.”

“I’ve tried, Minho.”

He looked very unimpressed. “How? Telepathic signals?”

“I- well, you know,” you spluttered, “I wrote a note that said ‘I love you’ and left it in his hammock? But then it fell out and he didn’t see it.”

“My condolences,” Minho drawled.

You stuck your tongue out at him and he rolled his eyes. Minho was right, to some extent, you thought. But you didn’t want to confess to him, not with everything he’d been through, and with this horrible situation you’d been thrust in.

Newt was the best, most deserving person you’d ever met, and you knew you couldn’t force him into anything. Also, you were a bit of a coward. But that wasn’t the important part. You wanted him to realise by himself that you loved him and decide what he wanted.

And if what he wanted was Thomas, so be it.

“It’s not that simple,” you said to Minho. “Nothing is ever simple in The Glade. If I have to keep pining after him until he realises I love him or decides he loves me, then I will.”

Minho’s lips pursed and his gaze softened. “Okay, fine.”

Then he looked forwards and his eyes zeroed in on something. “Heads up, though, they’re coming this way.”

You looked up instantly and found Newt and Thomas heading your way. Newt raised his hand in a wave and Thomas gave what was probably supposed to be a smile but ended up being more like a grimace. Wow, he really did think you hated him.

“Hey Y/N, Minho,” Newt said, but his gaze was fixed on you. “Could I talk to Y/N for a second?”

“Fine,” scoffed Minho, “get rid of me. Come on, greenie, let’s go raid the kitchen.”

He threw an arm around Thomas and guided him away, and Newt took his spot on the bench while your heartbeat and body temperature rose alarmingly.

“Hi,” you managed to squeak out, “what’s up?”

“Well,” he cleared his throat, “I found this on top of your things when I tried to look for you this morning.”

He started to rummage around in his pants pocket. “And then Thomas told me he saw the same piece of paper lying on the ground under my hammock last night.”

Dread filled every crevice of your body as Newt pulled out a folded piece of paper and unfolded it to reveal the words ‘I love you.’

“That’s… quite a coincidence,” you muttered.

Newt’s face twisted in a smile. “Yeah, I thought so too.”

Your face was unimaginably red when he started digging around in his other pocket and then turned to look at you.

“But what’s an even bigger coincidence, is this.”

He handed you a second piece of paper, folded only in half. Your heart lurched as you peeled it open. ‘I love you,’ it said, in a perfect imitation of Newt’s handwriting.

“What?”

He laughed at your dumbstruck expression and took the paper from your hands, then took your hands in his, forcing you to look at him. “I was going to give it to you tonight.”

“You love me?” you asked, still dumbstruck.

“I do, yeah.”

Your stomach did flips as you grinned at him. “Can I kiss you?”

Newt turned a little pink, and you flushed with pride at being able to embarrass him, then he nodded.

Nobody was surprised when you both showed up hand in hand to dinner that night, nor when you kissed afterwards. And nobody, not even Thomas, was surprised when Newt climbed his way into your hammock instead of his.

Because that was where he belonged. With you.

the maze runner: apocalypse sassy man apocalypse

based off of the ybwm music video

[flightyquinn]

So, I was reading about the Streets Oracle mystery for Pathfinder (shoutout to @dailycharacteroption), and I had this idea.

What happens when playground rumor and organized religion converge?

In a certain city, there was a group of children. Orphans and outcasts, they lived on the streets, with no one to watch over them. No one but each other. The older kids did what they could to take care of the younger, and when they found new children that had been abandoned they took them in. They were a family, not a cult. It all changed with an innocent question, "Where did you get that?" Of course, the older children did what they must. Whether it was food, medicine, or clothing, if their family needed it, they would steal if they had to...but they didn't want the little ones to know that. So when a girl told her little siblings that "Mother Magpie" had given her coin and food, the others were quick to play along. Going out to steal became "asking Mother Magpie for gifts." When the time came to teach some of the young ones to steal, they were told that they must always give all the credit to Mother Magpie, and no one else, or She would stop providing them with things to take. One boy even had the idea to teach the young children to pray aloud to Mother Magpie for what they wanted, so that the older members of the group would know things to be looking for. Another in the group started making charm necklaces for everyone when one of the little ones pointed out that real gods had holy symbols. Of course, it was just a way to keep the little ones quiet. A fun game, but not much more. At least...until one of the children started having visions. At first it was just a flash here and there. An idea of where to find some desperately needed item. Insight into when shop storerooms and mansions' kitchens might be unwatched. Then it was bigger things, like warning the group the night before their hiding place was to be raided by the guards. However, it was the first time their gifted friend cast a cure spell that the whisper spread like wildfire among the older children...Mother Magpie was real.

Mother Magpie is a Chaotic Good deity whose true identity is unknown.

She is a goddess of thieving and trickery, but also of providence, compassion, and protecting children.

Her associated domains are Chaos, Community, Good, Luck, Protection, and Trickery.

Her subdomains are Whimsy, Family, Friendship, Imagination, and Thievery.

Although her most sacred animal is the magpie, she also favors any animals which scavenge from the leavings of society, such as crows, pigeons, racoons, and opossums.

Her holy symbol is a crude rendition of a black and white bird, which is sometimes depicted clutching a rolling pin, or other symbol of maternal status.

[joedirtymadre]

Sandwiches - Part 1

LAW X READER. FLUFF. (Taking requests 📲 pls send em 🧎‍♀️)

It’s been a few weeks since the captain of the Heart Pirates came aboard. However… I never really thought that this would be the result of the alliance. I’ve noticed that Law really likes hanging around me, not sure why… but as soon as we boarded he seemed to have liked being alone or unbothered.

Then one day…

“Hey (Y/N)!” Luffy called out as I had just finished creating some new outfits for the crew. “What’s up?” I asked. “Can you ask Sanji for some food? He banned me from the kitchen because the other night I raided the pantry,” Luffy said with a defeated look. “And I’m so hungry,” he whined. “Hmmm… I’ll try my best, but you know if I ask for too much food he’ll get suspicious,” I smiled. “Alright!” Luffy cheered and ran off to hide, in case Sanji caught him scheming a mission.

I walked into the kitchen, “Hi Sanji,” I smiled and waved. “(Y/N)-chwann~” he cooed as he was chopping some ingredients. “Hi Sanji, mind if I make something? Just some sandwiches,” I said. “Sure, but if you want I can make you one real quick,” he said as he placed the knife down. “No! It’s ok, I got it. Plus… Law asked me for one so I wouldn’t want to interrupt you,” I said the first thing that I could think of. “Him?!” He said angrily. “Don’t be angry Sanji, plus I’d hate for you to stop the meal you’re preparing. I’m really excited to try it for dinner,” I smiled and grabbed the objects from the fridge. “You’re so sweet (Y/N)~! I’ll make this one of the best dinners ever,” he said and continued preparing the dish. Phew… anyways, now let’s make some sandwiches.

I made enough sandwiches for each crewmate, except for Sanji- he said he’d rather wait until dinner. I began passing a wrapped sandwich with a glass of juice to everyone. Everyone said thanks and happily took the sandwich and juice from me. I then sneakily walked over to Luffy who was hiding in a barrel, “Hey Luffy! Made you some sandwiches,” I smiled. “How many?” He drooled. “5 of them, I hope that’s enough until dinner,” I said and handed them the wrapped sandwiches. “Wow thanks, ok now can you cover the barrel again? Before Sanji sees me eating?” He asked, I laughed and quickly covered the barrel. I had 2 more sandwiches, and decided to go find the mysterious doctor.

I found him in the library, leaning back in a sofa chair asleep. I quietly placed the sandwiches and a glass of juice on the coffee table next to him. I was about to walk away before my curiosity peaked. I looked over at the large fluffy hat that was covering his eyes, “Just one touch…” I whispered. I slowly walked over and stood in front of the sleeping doctor. I gulped as my hand slowly crept closer and closer to the fluffy white hat. So close… and finally contact! “So soft…” I smiled. “So cute,” I said. “So you think I’m cute, huh (Y/N)-ya?” Law asked as he tilted his head up to look at me. I stood there frozen, then felt my face burn up to a billion degrees. “N-No I was j-just-“ I stuttered as I backed away. “Wow, all shy and flustered, huh? Guess you must really like me?” He smirked. My face felt like it was on fire, and my head started spinning. “W-Wait hear m-me out- Ah!” I slipped while taking a step back, but instead of hitting the floor I felt an arm snake around and caught me. My eyes opened and were faced with a very muscular torso… they then lingered up to see a smirking man. “Falling for me now, are we?” He smirked. “I-I-I-I,” I blushed, and my head went back to spinning in circles. “I think she busted a fuse,” I heard him chuckle. I pushed him back, “I made you some sandwiches, I hope you like them!” I yelled and ran out of the library or else I’m gonna explode.

Back to now…

Ever since that day he hasn’t left me alone… and it’s honestly not too good for my health. I never realized how flirty he is… he’s almost as bad as Sanji, but more bolder. It’s dangerous… So dangerous that I have decided to hide from him or else my heart might actually explode. Now I'm under the dining table, hoping he won’t find me. I’ve been here for 30 minutes, so I think I’m in the clear… I finally let out a sigh of relief. Then suddenly I see a blue color surrounding me, “Room,” I hear and before I know it the captain of the Heart Pirates is over me, his frame pinning me to the floor. “Really (Y/N)-ya? Hiding under the table now?” He chuckles. “It’s cause you-!” I immediately shut my mouth. I hear footsteps, a couple of them. I look over and see Luffy’s, Usopp’s, Chopper’s, and Sanji’s shoes. I look up to Law who is staring back at me with a smirk, I frown angrily in return. “What’s up with that look, (Y/N)-ya?” He whispered in my ear, making my body fill up with goosebumps. “You! You keep-!” I stopped once I heard. “Did you hear that?” I Usopp asked. “Huh?” Sanji asked, annoyed. “Anyways, hurry up and help me move these food items to the pantry,” he said and showed them some boxes. “Roger!” The 3 said and began moving the boxes. “You should really whisper, unless you wanna get caught,” he whispered. “Fine, you just don’t know when to stop teasing people!” I whispered angrily. “What are you talking about? You’re the one that called me cute,” he smirked. “I meant the hat!” I whispered. “Then why do you get so flustered around me?” He asked. “I-I… I don’t know…” I blushed and avoided his eyes. “Come on, just say you like me,” he smirked as he noticed the goosebumps on my skin. “You’re just teasing me,” I frowned. “And? It’s cute seeing how flustered you get,” he says softly. “C-Cute?” I asked, feeling my face heating up. “Yeah, and it looks like you like being teased,” he said as he analyzed my face. “I do not!” I whispered. “You’re just a bully,” I huffed. “Yeah, but only to you. I like your reactions,” he replied as he leaned down and I could feel his breath hitting my neck. “I bet you wouldn’t like it, if I teased you back,” I frowned. “You? Tease and bully me? That’d be a funny sight to see, (Y/N)-ya,” he chuckled softly. “Oh yeah? Well then…” I blushed, as I cupped his face and forced him to face me. He had a surprised look on his face, for only a second, “Well th-“ I interrupted him. I pulled him into a deep kiss, I felt as he tensed up from the sudden contact, but quickly relaxed into it. After a few more seconds we finally pulled away from each other. “I told ya,” I smirked. “Man you sure like to rile people up, don’t you (Y/N)-ya?” He smirked. I don’t think that was a good idea… I looked over and realized the boys were gone. I took this opportunity to snake out of Law’s grasp and jump out from under the table. “Hey!” I heard him say, and heard a hard THUMP come from under the table. “Oh no, are you ok?” I asked, being a habit of mine. He peered out from under the table and looked devilish. “You look fine!” I said and quickly ran off. While running off, I realized something… it is kind of fun to tease him back.

[ajalholland]

Family shenanigans

Sephiroth x reader + their sons Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz.

(ai generated picture.)

Sephiroth's eyes fluttered open, momentarily disoriented before he recalled where he was—in his comfortable armchair, surrounded by a few books. The ticking of the nearby clock served as a gentle reminder that hours had passed since he picked up the book about managing households. A faint line creased his brow in mild chagrin as he remembered he had been in the middle reading before he fell asleep...

The tranquility of his study was shattered by a loud crash. The sound traveled from the adjoining kitchen, causing Sephiroth to leap from his chair with a start, his heartbeat quickening. He dashed through the doorway, his eyes immediately seeking the wellbeing of his three young sons, Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz.

The three boys were all in the kitchen, surrounded by the aftermath of their latest destruction. Flour covered the floor, the counters, even up onto the walls. Pots and pans were scattered on the tile, and it seemed every piece of food (Y/n) had just purchased was now decorating the floor or walls. As Sephiroth walked into the kitchen, the boys all turned to look up at him guiltily, their little faces covered in flour and other unrecognizable substances.

Sephiroth's eyes widened in disbelief, his gaze sweeping the room and taking in the scene of culinary mayhem. He stood there in the doorway for a moment, his disbelief slowly morphing into stern disapproval. The boys fidgeted uncomfortably under his stare, their flour-covered faces looking like little flour-dusted trouble-makers.

Sephiroth was silent for a moment before he spoke, his voice deep and authoritative. "What…on earth have you boys been up to in here?"

Kadaj was the first to speak up, his hands on his hips in a defiant pose. "We were trying to make a pie," he said, trying to sound innocent. "But it all got messed up."

Yazoo was next, his calm demeanor hiding his guilt. "It wasn't our fault," he said. "The flour just... exploded."

Loz was the last to chime in, his eyes wide and watery as he looked up at his father. "We didn't do anything bad," he protested.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced by their innocent attempts at deflection. He leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms. "Exploded, you say?" He asked. "And I suppose it just 'exploded' all over the walls and floors, too?"

He looked around the kitchen, taking in the extent of the mess. "Looks more like you boys were having a flour fight than baking a pie," he said dryly.

Kadaj puffed out his chest, refusing to admit any fault. "We weren't having a fight," he said stubbornly. "We were just making a pie... but then something else ruined the kitchen."

Yazoo nodded in agreement, a sly grin on his face. "Yeah, we were completely innocent," he said.

Loz just looked scared and kept his mouth shut, not wanting to add to the trouble they were already in.

Sephiroth chuckled, straightening up and looking at Yazoo with a raised eyebrow. "Completely innocent, huh? Well, let's go over the facts. Three young boys. A kitchen. Flour. Eggs."

He held up a hand, ticking off each point on his fingers. "A mess of flour on every surface. No pie in sight. And your faces covered in flour. Please, explain to me again how this was completely 'innocent'."

Yazoo shrugged, "Simple. We were baking a pie but then... a wild Chocobo appeared."

Kadaj chimed in, "Yeah! A wild Chocobo burst into the kitchen and started throwing flour everywhere."

Loz nodded in agreement, "It was a very big Chocobo." He added with completely serious look on his face.

Sephiroth tried to hold back a snort of laughter at the boys' absurd explanation, but he failed. He couldn't help it. The idea of a Chocobo raiding his kitchen and making a mess was so ridiculous that he found it hilarious.

But he quickly composed himself, trying to maintain his stern demeanor. "A Chocobo, you say?" He said, his tone dry with skepticism. "I see. And where is this Chocobo now?"

Kadaj crossed his arms and smirked, "It ran away." 

Yazoo nodded, "Yeah, it was very fast. By the time we realized what was happening, the Chocobo was gone."

Loz added, "It was a really, really fast Chocobo." He said as he glanced at Sephiroth with innocent puppy eyes.

Sephiroth struggled to keep from laughing again. The boys' story was ludicrous, but he couldn't help but be amused by their creativity and commitment to their lie.

He cleared his throat and fixed the boys with a stern glare. "Well, boys," he said, "if a Chocobo truly was the culprit here, then I'd love to know how he managed to cover you all in flour too." He looked at Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz, their clothes dusted with white powder.

Kadaj looked down at his clothes then tried to brush some of the flour off, but it only seemed to make it worse. "Um... the Chocobo was very... messy..." he said with a small voice.

Yazoo tried to look innocent, "Yeah... the Chocobo had a very... powerful sneeze..."

Loz remained quiet, looking down at his feet and avoiding eye contact with Sephiroth.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, suppressing another chuckle. The boys' attempts to cover up their mischief were amusing, but he knew the truth. He decided to play along for a moment longer.

He crossed his arms and nodded sagely. "A very...messy, very...sneezy Chocobo, hmm? That makes perfect sense. But tell me, where did this mischievous Chocobo come from? I don't recall seeing any Chocobos around."

Kadaj shrugged, "I don't know. It just appeared." 

Yazoo added, "It must have... magic powers...?" He said with a hesitant tone, not confident that his reasoning would work.

Loz quietly mumbled, "It... came out of the... closet..."

At that Kadaj and Yazoo smacked their heads with a mix of embarrassment and disappointment.

Sephiroth's lips twitched in a smirk at the mention of a magical Chocobo, but the statement about a Chocobo coming out of the closet nearly made him burst out laughing. He quickly cleared his throat, covering it with a cough, and then looked at the boys with mock seriousness.

"A magic Chocobo that randomly appears and can come out of closets, hmm? Sounds quite...dangerous." He paused, letting the boys squirm for a moment under his gaze. "I better tell your mother about this."

All three boys let out a collective gasp of fear and panic. "No! Don't tell mom!" Kadaj protested. 

Yazoo nodded in agreement, "Yeah! Don't tell mom!"

"Please... don't tell..." Loz whimpered.

All three boys looked at Sephiroth with pleading eyes, desperate to keep their shenanigans a secret.

Sephiroth feigned a frown, but inside, he was amused. The boys' fear of their mother's wrath was all too familiar. He crossed his arms again, making a show of mulling over the situation. "Hmm, I don't know... Your mother will not be happy when she sees what you've done to her kitchen. Not to mention her poor groceries..." He paused, looking at the boys with mock concern. "I can't promise you I can save you from her."

Kadaj and Yazoo exchanged panicked looks, their faces turning pale at the thought of their mother's reaction. They knew she would not be happy about the disaster they had caused in the kitchen. Loz looked like he was already on the verge of tears, knowing that their mother would be furious. All three boys turned their pleading eyes back to Sephiroth, silently begging him to not tell their mother.

Sephiroth looked away, pretending to contemplate his decision as he kept a straight face. He could see the boys' desperation and fear, which amused him, but he also didn't want to get on (Y/n)'s bad side either. He was in for it if she found out he fallen asleep instead of watching their sons.

He sighed heavily, as if reluctant to make this decision. "Alright... I won't tell her. But on one condition."

The boys' faces immediately brightened with relief. They were so eager to accept Sephiroth's condition, they would have agreed to almost anything to avoid their mother's wrath.

"Anything, anything!" Kadaj said hurriedly.

Yazoo quickly agreed. "Yeah, we'll do anything!" 

Loz just nodded vigorously, his relief evident in his expression.

Sephiroth chuckled to himself, enjoying the power he held over the boys. He considered teasing them for a little longer but ultimately decided against it.

"Very well," he said after a moment, trying to maintain a serious tone. "Here's the condition: you boys have to clean up this mess yourselves. Every bit of it. No skipping or half-assing it. I want this kitchen sparkling clean before your mother gets home."

Kadaj and Yazoo both groaned at the thought of having to clean up the mess they'd made. It seemed like a monumental task, given how thoroughly they'd trashed the kitchen. But the thought of their mother's reaction if they didn't comply was even more daunting.

Loz, on the other hand, was focused on something entirely different. He tugged on Sephiroth's pant leg. "Daddy... you said a bad word...," he whispered, his eyes wide and innocent.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, suddenly caught off guard by Loz's observation. He hadn't meant to let a curse word slip in front of his sons, but in the heat of the moment, he had forgotten his language.

He knelt down so he was eye-level with Loz and patted his head gently. "You're absolutely right, Loz. I did say a bad word, and I'm sorry for that. It's not a good habit, is it?"

Loz shook his head, his big eyes still wide as he looked up at Sephiroth. He may have been young, but he had a good sense of right and wrong. "No, it's not a good habit," he said quietly. "Mommy would beat you up if she knew."

Meanwhile, Kadaj and Yazoo were already starting the task of cleaning up the mess, albeit reluctantly. "This is gonna take forever," Kadaj mumbled as he started moving the larger pots and pans. "We should have just actually made a pie..."

Sephiroth smirked, amused by Loz's comment. It was true, (Y/n) would have his hide if she knew he had cursed in front of their sons.

He turned his gaze back to Kadaj and Yazoo, watching as they began the daunting task of cleaning up. "You should have," he agreed amusedly. "But instead, you decided to cover the kitchen in flour and make it look like a Chocobo exploded in here."

Kadaj huffed. "It's not our fault!" he protested. "Things just escalated... quickly."

Yazoo nodded in agreement, but then mumbled under bis breath, "And it was mostly Kadaj's fault anyway..."

Kadaj heard Yazoo's comment and shot him a glare. "Hey! I didn't do it all! You helped too, you know!"

Sephiroth chuckled at the boys' banter. Their attempts to blame each other were humorous, especially when they'd been caught red-handed.

He crossed his arms and looked from Kadaj to Yazoo and back. "Yes, I'm sure it was a team effort," he said, barely hiding his amusement. "But from what I could tell, you're both equally responsible for this... catastrophe."

He paused for a moment, adding, "And remember, I want this kitchen spotless by the time your mother gets home. So, get to it. Loz, that includes you."

Kadaj and Yazoo both groaned in response to Sephiroth's reminder, but they knew there was no escaping the situation. Loz, on the other hand, was already diligently rolling up his sleeves, determination in his little eyes. "I'm gonna help!" he exclaimed, determined to do his part.

With that, the boys set to work cleaning up the kitchen, making quite the scene as they stumbled over each other's feet and continued to banter back and forth.

Sephiroth watched as the boys started working. He stood to the side, keeping an eye on them and offering some occasional guidance when needed. But mostly, he just observed, finding their childish antics and arguments about who's fault it was amusing.As the boys worked, Sephiroth couldn't help but smile. Despite the mess they'd made, seeing his sons together like this warmed his heart. He leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms again, and silently enjoyed the view of his sons learning a valuable lesson about responsibility and consequences.

The kitchen cleanup was a chaotic scene. Pots and pans clanged together as the boys tried to get them into the sink for washing. Kadaj and Yazoo bickered over minor things, arguing about the best way to clean the flour from the countertops. Loz, on the other hand, seemed to be making more of a mess than anything else as he attempted to help.

Sephiroth watched with an amused expression as the boys continued with their chaotic cleaning efforts. The clanging pots and pans, the constant bickering, and Loz's less-than-helpful attempts at cleaning, all brought a small smile to his face. Eventually, he pushed himself off the doorframe and approached the boys. "Alright, enough bickering. You're supposed to be cleaning, not arguing." He began to help.

Kadaj and Yazoo both grumbled, but they obediently stopped their bickering and returned to cleaning.

Loz noticed Sephiroth joining them and grinned widely, "Daddy's helping us!" he exclaimed cheerfully.

Kadaj rolled his eyes and muttered, "Finally, someone who knows how to do this properly."

Sephiroth chuckled at Loz's comment and smirked at Kadaj's remark. "Oh, I'm sure you were doing a fine job," he said dryly. "But I thought I'd lend a hand to speed things up a bit.. and save us all from your mother.."

He grabbed a cleaning rag and started wiping down the countertops, cleaning up the spots where Loz had made a mess. "You know, if you three had used this energy to bake an actual pie instead of creating a disaster area, we'd probably have dessert by now."

Suddenly Sephiroth tensed as the sound of the front door echoed through the house. He recognized the sound and knew it could only mean one thing: (Y/n) was home.

He glanced at the boys, who had frozen beside him, their eyes wide and panicked. Everyone fell silent, waiting to see what would happen next.

(Y/n)'s voice called out from the entryway, "I'm home!" followed by the sound of her footsteps as she entered the house.

The boys exchanged terrified looks, their hands shaking in silent panic.

A moment later, (Y/n) appeared in the kitchen door and stopped, her eyes widening as she took in the scene before her. Her eyes darted from the messy kitchen to Sephiroth and then the boys.

"BOYS!!!"

[hungry-tum-stuff]

“Aw honey, your tummy feels so hollow…”

*These characters are new! I’ll speak more on Dante and Buck later, but for now here’s your first taste of them…

Dante’s eyes fluttered open, an early morning sunbeam having woken him as it shone through the curtains. He blinked groggily, before his eyes shot open and his head whipped around the unfamiliar bedroom.

Right… He thought to himself as he settled back down, his eyes coming to rest on the man sleeping beside him. Buck, he remembered. The tall, easy-talking stranger who had taken him home last night. He was snoring slightly, and Dante found it in him to smile. I got really lucky last night.

Dante peeled his eyes away from the other man to check the time: 5:00 in the morning. He sighed and closed his eyes, fully intent on going back to sleep and maybe getting another round in with Buck once it wasn’t the ungodly hours of the morning.

But then his stomach growled, and his peace was shattered.

Shit. Dante cursed inwardly as his hand flew down to his empty belly. When’s the last time I ate…?

The specifics weren’t all too important to Dante’s tummy, which grumbled beneath his hand. Clearly it had been too long.

Dante rubbed his aching tummy and glanced over at Buck again, deliberating. Did he sneak out of bed and raid this guy’s kitchen? Did he wake him up and start begging for breakfast? Did he just leave and look for someplace open in town?

He winced as his stomach groaned, and to his horror, Buck began to stir. Guess I’m staying put.

“G’morning…” Buck said sleepily, his eyes still focusing on Dante, who was damn near frozen in place.

“…Morning.” Dante said stiffly, willing his stomach to stay quiet.

“You been awake long?” The other asked, lifting himself up off his belly to lean on his arms. His very strong arms. Dante pushed that thought away.

“Not really… How’d you sleep?”

“Real good next to you~” Buck drawled in that slight southern twang that had drawn Dante in to begin with. God, this guy was good.

“You’re still flirting with me?” Dante chuckled. “You already got what you wanted big boy, you can stop now.”

Buck grinned and sat up, leaning over Dante. “I can’t say I got enough…” He said softly, before leaning in for a kiss. Dante gladly reciprocated, but as they kissed Buck’s hands began to travel. First to his chest, then slowly they slid down to his belly…

And Dante’s stomach rumbled against his hand.

Both men paused, and Dante felt his face go red as Buck pulled away to laugh.

“Sorry…”

“No no, it’s alright!” Buck insisted once he’d stopped laughing. “Just golly, you sound starved. You okay?”

Dante’s stomach grumbled furiously, against Buck’s hand that was still there, and he wanted nothing more in that moment than to crawl under the covers and hide. But they were both under the covers, and Buck was on top of him, so he sure as shit wasn’t going anywhere.

“I’ll be fine, let’s just pick up where we left off…” Dante tried to lean up to get at Buck’s lips again, but Buck held him down by pushing against his belly, which sunk in beneath his palm. Buck frowned and began rubbing gentle circles over Dante’s tummy.

“Aw honey… But your tummy feels hollow as a drum.” Buck pat it for emphasis. Dante’s stomach was fairly toned, but there wasn’t much fat to speak of. The only softness was the empty pocket beneath his ribs where his stomach sat, growling at Buck as he gently pressed into it. “Don’t you wanna get some food in there?”

“I… Yeah.” Dante relented. “Food sounds great.”

“I’ll get to makin’ breakfast then.” He smiled, patting Dante’s belly again. “How many flapjacks you reckon you can fit in there, huh?”

Dante’s stomach gurgled expectantly, and he found himself simply staring at Buck as he got up to begin making food.

He’d never had a fling cook for him before.

“As many as you got, I’m starving.”

[alkaline-wtr]

WE WILL SURVIVE

- - CHAPTER 2 - -

Ghost x reader Description: Reader and Ghost make there way towards the city in search of supplies. Genre/Warnings: zombie apocalypse AU, Ghost x fem!reader, survivor!reader, angst, gore, violence, explicit language, weapons, mentions of death WC: 2.6k

My Masterlist

**I finally finished chapter two!! I am awful at starting stories I find it difficult to push passes the mundane slow set up portion of fics but, I think I hit a decent point here in this chapter where it started to flow together. It took me way longer than I wanted to finish this one. Hopefully, the length makes up for it and from here on it should get a bit more interesting. Enjoy. (started a tag list at the bottom)

<< PART 1

You and Ghost make your way between houses looking for anything useful. So far you had found a few bottles of water and a bit of food. You secured yourself a pocket-knife but still have yet to find a suitable weapon.

You glance over your shoulders anxiously as Ghost pried a board out of the fence for you to cross through the next yard.

"Go on," he demands.

You don't even stop to think as you slip through the gap. Ghost following closely behind. You pause letting him get in front of you.

You continue through the backyard. A nice suburban area filled with an eerie silence.

Ghost scales the back wall of the house peering through the windows to check if it's clear.

You are lost in thought looking up at the tree house perched in the large oak in the corner of the yard.

Ghost works at opening the sliding glass door. He gets it open and glances your way. He clears his throat gaining your attention once again.

"If you're going to stick with me then keep your mind right."

He scolds. You give a small nod and follow him into the house. Ghost's gun is at the ready as he peers around each corner in a loose stance, ready for anything.

You stand back waiting for his okay like you had the many houses before. You couldn't help feeling like you were walking on eggshells with him.

Ghost re-emerges from the living room letting his gun fall to his side.

"Downstairs is clear. Raid the kitchen, I'll check upstairs."

You follow Ghost's orders heading straight into the kitchen. It is quiet as you search through the cupboards. There were just some plates, and cups in the first few above you so you decided to check the lower ones.

As you were crouched below the sink you heard a shuffling come from behind you.

You suspected it was just Ghost coming back down.

"Anything good?"

You ask still rummaging through a cabinet of cleaning supplies.

There was no answer.

A cold, wet, hand places itself on your shoulder. You turn, faced with the corpse of an old man. His bloodshot eyes and greying skin left your stomach in knots.

You let out a scream falling to the linoleum floor in panic, scrambling back away. You tried to grab the knife from your pocket but had no time before the man lunged forward his weight falling over you. You put your hands up defensively, pushing the man's shoulders back trying to keep him at least an arm's distance away from you.

He snarls, snapping his teeth at you, his limp body squirming over you.

You let out a frustrated cry, using all of your strength to keep the corpse at bay.

Heavy footsteps bolt down the stairs, Ghost, having heard the struggle, comes quickly to your aid. His eyes were dark and focused. He pulls the mall up by the back of his tattered tee-shirt sinking the blade of his knife directly into the corpse's skull.

The old man falls lifeless to the floor. His body hit the ground with a thud.

Your chest heaved as you attempted to calm your panic. Ghost seems irritated.

"Were you Bit?"

He asks. His eyes search your body for any signs of harm. You shake your head.

Ghost seems skeptical about your response for a moment but quickly accepts it.

"This is exactly why I can't keep you around. You're clumsy and unfocused. It's a wonder that you've lasted this long."

The anger is evident in his voice. As harsh as it was Ghost was right, you weren't cut out for survival. You had no skills, no strength, no awareness.

In your mind, you look for an escape from this reality. Which sooner or later will get you killed. You need to learn to stay present and be prepared. Ghost could be the one to teach you that.

"That's why I need us to stick together."

You explain. Ghost shakes his head in pure annoyance.

"Please! I won't make it out here without you. I will do whatever takes, I can do better, I will find a way to be useful."

Ghost can hear the desperation in your plea. Ghost had always been the lone wolf type. Especially throughout these past months.

He shakes his head in frustration giving you no verbal response. Before all this, Ghost made a living saving people, sacrificing for the greater good. Things were different now, so why did he still care so much?

The both of you had continued in silence. Searching the remaining houses in the neighborhood.

You were upstairs in a master bedroom. The room was nice and put together, almost like the couple who occupied it had just gone off to work for the afternoon.

It was hard not to imagine those things. What had happened to the people in these houses that day? Who were they? What was their daily life like and what were they doing when the outbreak started?

You took a breath and made your way to the bedside table. The drawer opened with ease, everything inside the drawer was clean and untouched, unlike the rest of the room which was coated in a light layer of dirt.

You shuffle through the pile of papers, not finding anything useful. You shut the drawer and sat on the edge of the bed. There was a photo on the nightstand of a man and a woman on their wedding day, looking lovingly into each other's eyes.

Ghost comes into the room,

"I found you a pistol. The noise would draw too much attention so, you should only use it in necessary situations."

You don't respond to Ghost. He waits a few moments before coming around the bed.

"Y/n?"

His voice was soft. He seemed concerned, which was strange considering how unemotional Ghost had seemed.

"Please,"

The words are hardly audible. You turn to face him eyes glassy with tears.

"Don't leave me to die."

Your voice cracks on the last word and the flood of fear and sadness wash over you. You had been referring to an earlier conversation with Ghost.

He watches you with a sigh as you sniffle, feeling guilty but, Ghost kept his ground. He hadn't begun the outbreak alone, and he wasn't going to be responsible for anyone else's safety again.

"Y/n, we talked about this. Once we are past the city, I will help you get settled and be on my way. If I was leaving you to die, I'd have taken off by now."

Each word built up the annoyance inside him. He was tired of arguing with you about it and felt he was being fair in helping you for these few days. Ghost didn't appreciate how guilty you had been making him feel when he was trying to do the right thing by preparing you for survival.

You shake your head and stand up. Up until this point you'd kept quiet hoping you could change his mind by obeying but, it was clear now he had no intention of budging. Ghost had made up his mind and it was starting to piss you off.

"You're pretending like you're doing me a favor when in reality, you're only helping yourself!"

Ghost's jaw clenched under the mask.

"You only got this far because I helped you." He retorts, "I could have let those men back there shoot you! Is that what you prefer? Being dead on the road?"

You cross your arm over your chest and roll your eyes looking up to the ceiling like a teenager being scolded by a parent.

Ghost scoffs at the child-like attitude.

"I am giving you a chance to live. Nobody in this world owes you a goddamn thing, I know I sure as hell don't. So, if you feel like this is a waste of your time then get through the city yourself."

You felt your heart drop into the pit of your stomach.

"W-what?"

Ghost eyes narrow.

"You heard me y/n. I'm done. I tried to be nice I tried to help you, and you have done nothing but be unappreciative. I was alone for a reason."

Ghost looks down at the pistol he had found, he clicks on the safety before tossing it on the bed beside you and turns to leave.

You watch in disbelief as he stomps out of the room and down the stairs.

The front door closed with a thud and panic ensued. You bolt to the bedroom window watching Ghost continue down the street.

Overwhelming fear and adrenaline coursed through your veins, you hadn't felt like this since the outbreak began.

You were quick to pack up your things and pull your backpack over your shoulders.

Although it was rather useless to you, not having any knowledge of how to use it, you grabbed the pistol carrying it in your sweaty hand.

By the time you were out of the house and crossing the front lawn Ghost had already disappeared out of the neighborhood.

Your eyes darted around. Keeping on high alert, you began to walk down the street. You swapped the gun in your hand for the knife in your pocket as you continued, hoping to catch up with Ghost.

The fear made the situation feel surreal, you didn't want this to be happening, and you couldn't be alone again.

You hoped and prayed to any possible higher power that Ghost would change his mind, that he'd come back and apologize.

The sun was getting ready to set as you reached the outskirts of the city. It was apparent to you that it must be late afternoon by now and you hardly had a clue where to go from here. Without Ghost and his map, survival skills, and ability to navigate, you were sure you'd be dead by dusk.

You looked around for signs, anything that could tell you where you were or give you any sort of direction.

It seemed you were across from a shopping center, which you knew from any movies you'd seen of these types of survival situations, was a death wish. Yet so was the city. On foot at least, you figured a better bet would be the freeway.

You kept walking until you reached a freeway on-ramp. At this point, you'd accepted that Ghost was gone. It was impossible for you the assume which way he'd gone, where he'd stopped, and even if you could have guessed correctly what were the chances he'd still be there?

The freeway was surprisingly empty and quiet as you'd made it to the end of the ramp.

As you continued, your mind wandered to Ghost and the argument you'd had. You started to wonder if Ghost was right. Had you been that ungrateful? Were you anything more than a burden to him?

It wasn't long until you reached the long lines of abandoned cars. The eerie silence sent a shiver down your spine, you started to weave your way through the cars silently.

The area seemed to be safe. You glanced through widows as you passed hoping to find anything useful.

Finally, you stopped next to a smaller, silver car. Through the back window, you could see a couple of grocery bags. The front window was cracked, and you were able to push it down low enough to open the back door.

You sat on the edge of the seat and leaned in to search the bags. You were disgusted to see the rotten fruit and moldy loaf of bread but were relieved to find a few nonperishable items as well. You gathered what you could and continued looking.

The sun was almost set, and you had made it a few miles along. The lanes were still packed with abandoned cars.

With the sky getting dark you were getting nervous. The night would soon consume you leaving you in complete debilitating darkness. You had survived this way before, walking along roads allowing them to take you wherever they happened to end. But that had been then, in the rural parts of your small hometown. Where dangers were sparse and easily escapable.

You had been checking cars here and there for supplies as you moved forward. You had hoped by now you would find, at least, a better flashlight than the small one Ghost had given you but had no such luck.

Finally, you'd come across a pickup truck. It looked as if it had belonged to a company of some sort. In the back was a large toolbox.

You climbed up and over the tail end and into the bed of the truck. The toolbox was large and mounted onto the back end of the cab.

You lifted to heavy wooden lid and searched it.

With the last bits of remaining sunlight, you were able to make out the shape of a large hammer. Not the best weapon, but still infinitely more useful than a small knife.

Keeping the hammer in hand you pocket the knife and climb back out of the truck.

With darkness overtaking the road you decided it would be best to keep to the edge rather than in between the cars.

Your pace had become slower as you tried to keep as quiet as possible.

As you came to another passenger side window you could see the glistening of a flashlight on the dashboard. Your eyes widened, pulling at the handle frantically.

The door was locked. You slipped the hammer into your belt and walked around to the driver's side door. To your surprise, the driver's door opened with ease.

Unfortunately, the car alarm began blaring. Your heart pounded in your chest. Panicking you reached across the center console and grabbed the heavy metal flashlight.

You turned it on and searched the floorboards with the dim yellow light. There were no keys anywhere to be found.

You heard distant groans and snarls. If there was anything around right now, they were surely going to come directly to you.

You pulled yourself away from the driver's seat and began to run. Weaving again through cars. The dim flashlight hardly leads you through the road without tripping and bumping into the askew vehicles.

A corpse reached out to you from the back window of a car as you passed. Startled, you lost your balance and fell to the ground.

It fought its way out falling through the window and landing on the pavement beside you.

You reach up with a shaky hand feeling for the door handle of the car beside you. You swing the door open and climb into the back seat.

The door slams leaving the corpse to grasp desperately at the metal door with its bony fingers. Your chest heaves with panic but your feeling of safety is short-lived when a weak hiss comes from the driver's seat.

A skeletal hand reaches back between the front seats. You crawl to the other side and slide out of the car trying to steady yourself on your feet.

With the flashlight gripped tightly in your hand and the car alarm still blaring behind you, you continue to run. The weight of your backpack is starting to hurt your shoulders, but you push through the pain.

You fall to your knees, back pressed to a car. Your mind raced but you needed a plan. Where could you go from here?

Your thoughts are interrupted by the sound of gunshots ringing through the air. A part of you was grateful someone was here to help. The other part of you feared whoever it was and prayed that it was Ghost. Although, you knew that was unlikely.

The shots continued. You turned off the flashlight and kept crouched along the cars as you moved forward.

The shots ceased and moments later so did the alarm. You froze in place crouched against the hood of a van. Footsteps approached, the crunch of glass and gravel beneath a pair of heavy boots, getting closer and closer.

There was a snarling, then the squelching sound of a knife entering flesh.

"Shit!"

Exclaimed a man's voice. A body thudded to the pavement and the footsteps continued.

That voice wasn't Ghost.

A white light shines on the ground beside you and you know you'd been caught. Your breath was caught in your throat as a pair of boots stopped on the road beside you.

This was it.

PART 3 >>

Tag list

@itsthealice

[ellieswifie]

Need a Matt celebrating the readers bday 🥺 for all my scorpios out there

mattt celebrating readers birthday

𐙚 short!

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAUTIFUL." matt muttered as he woke you up with kisses planted all over your face. his arms were wrapped around your waist as you attempted to open your lazy eyes. "and good morning, pretty."

you moaned softly, turning your face away from matt. matt giggled to himself as he admired you laying in his bed.

you don’t usually spend the night over at his because it’s hard to get some alone time with his brothers, but after watching a few movies and a couple make out sessions, you were wiped by twelve and didn’t want to get up and leave. so you figured staying the night wouldn’t be a problem, considering it’s also your birthday.

you stretched your arms out, yawning as you turned back to watch matt sitting up on his elbow, smiling at you. he brushed fly Ways aways out your face as you attempted to but a lazy smile on your face. "morning.” you whispered.

matt couldn’t help himself but smile wider.

"i already see some wrinkles, old woman." matthew said and you felt yourself finally wake as you punched his shoulder playfully. "ouch! i was just kidding. you look pretty, always."

the tension in the air grew hot as you just started at matt. his blue eyes gleaming into yours while you laid under his glaze. "thank you.." you whisper, leaning up from the bed.

you both go in for the kiss before matt’s door swings open and your guys eyes shoot towards the door.

"happy birthday bitch!!!" nick screamed as he tossed confetti around matt’s room. chris came strolling along after him, carrying a pancake with a single lit candle. "your finally twenty!!" nick added, going towards the bed you and matt laid.

nick shoved matt slightly, reaching to give you a long best friend hug. "god i can’t believe we all are so old now what the fuck." you groan into the hug, before nick pulls away.

"we made you a pancake! the others were burnt but… this one is perfect!" chris smiled, holding the single plate in front of you. you turned to matt, giving him a single kiss before the brothers all sang you happy birthday, before blowing into the burning flame.

"yay!" nick beamed, clapping his hands. "what did you wish for?" asked matt beside you.

you shake your head, rubbing his cheek with your finger. his brothers gagged, frowning at how lovely you guys were. nick and chris both left the room to either call in food, or raid what they have in the pantry because cooking wasn’t an option anymore.

"i‘ve got everything i want here…" you whispered, meeting his eyes. "with you."

matt’s gaze grew soft as he rolled over so he laid on top of you. the back of his hand trailed down your sides, creeping past your tank top.

"everything?" matt asked, looking down your body. you nodded your head smiling at him.

“we found frozen french toast!" you heard chris yell form the kitchen. "we just gotta put them in the microwave!"

matt head falls and you give him a long lingering kiss, before you pull back biting down on your lower lip. "everything but french toast?" you say, rolling out from under him.

matt groaned rolling out of bed with you, reaching for your hand as he dragged you out the bedroom.

. . .

"you fucking cheated!" chris shouted at nate as played his last uno card on the table. "you cheater!"

nate stuck his tongue out at everyone while he won the game. he deserved it consider how many cards were getting added to his stack, but chris still insisted he had extra cards up his sleeves. "don’t play the player blame the game." nathan shrugged, standing from the couch.

chris turned to you and you shrugged, looking around the room to notice matt isn’t seated beside you anymore.

“i think it’s time for a break," madi suggested, causing the group to nod and separate from the living room.

chris, nick, and matt had planed a small party with some of your guys close friends from school and social media. you loved the little surprise, but something felt off. maybe it was the fact that matt had been slightly distant the night, or you just weren’t feeling it.

you noticed your boyfriend standing in the living room grabbing a soda from the fridge. you walked over towards him in your sparkly dress, sneakers dragging across the floor.

when nick mentioned that dinner plans weren’t working out you immediately tossed the heels across the room and pulled on one of matt’s old pairs of shoes.

"matty…" you whispered, sneaking up on him, before standing beside him near the closed fridge. his frown immediately turned upside down when he caught sight of you. he was wearing a white button up that was also meant for dinner, but it’s now slightly wrinkled and the first two buttons are undone.

he wrapped a lazy arm around your shoulders holding you close as you guys stood watching your friends around the house.

"everything okay?" you ask, looking up at him. matt almost immediately nods. "yes, it’s your day and i just want you to spend time with your friends."

you snort, leaning into your boyfriends bear arms. "well i want to spend time with you too."

"you are spending time with me right now, baby…"

you lick your lips softly, noticing chris and nate still arguing about uno. "you know what i mean." you drag out, looking at matt. a small smirk plays on his face, but you stop him and grab both his hands. it’s your birthday party and right now you just want to dance with your boyfriends hands around you, and hear the laughter of your friends.

"come dance with me." you smile, moving your guys hands together. matt interwines your fingers before he spins you around to the rhythm of the music playing from chris’s speaker.

"anything for my birthday girl."

[juuuulez]

📰 | prologue, part two: capulet.

info: No Carl Grimes (sorry!), takes place after farm/before prison era, awkward father Negan my love!, reader is 13 in this.

summary: Both you and Negan struggle to navigate your new relationship.

HELLO!! thank you all for the nice messages about Capulet! this is another backstory chapter, but is actually soooooooo cute :,) it’ll provide more context for the readers choices in the next chapter, so don’t skip it!

next chapter will focus around the narrow end of the war, and what this means for the carl/reader relationship……aka shit is going down!

-> masterlist <-

It had been a few weeks since Lucille died.

Now it was just you, and Negan. For the small while you’d stayed at their house, you cherished the feminine presence, something you’ve never experienced in your own household. Your mother had died when you were little, delivering your sister, who passed weeks later an infant.

But Lucille was nice to you. Even if you were skittish, and spoke back whenever Negan tried to make you read a textbook, and took any chance to go outside and playfully harass the undead.

She had a lot of books, you originally noted. One night, upon noticing your attention towards them, she’d offered to read to you. So you picked one out, and nestled in the chair beside her bed, allowing Lucille to read you to sleep.

Romeo and Juliet.

You thought the dialect was beautiful, and held such a tragic story, one moreso than your own. It was comforting, in a way. That, and the Shakespearean language flowed from Lucille’s tongue so easily, it was mesmerising.

Not that it mattered anymore.

You stood outside while Negan crowbarred the door open, snow falling at your feet. It was an early winter morning, and Negan had insisted you find a new place to stay, somewhere with thicker walls and better heating. A fireplace was your top priority, right now.

The door finally creaks open, but you stay put obediently as Negan goes to inspect it for any dead. You’d found the routine stupid at first, but now knew better than to aggravate him about these things.

He was hanging by a thread as it is, and if something were to happen to you? There’d be no recovering.

Finally, he gave you permission to enter, trudging into the house quickly to escape the biting winds. In your hand was that metal baseball bat, clutched tightly. You’d been taking it everywhere. Every time you looked at it, you remembered what you’d done to your father.

It made you feel powerful.

Which was probably concerning for many reasons, but you didn’t care.

Negan searches the house for any supplies, noting the two bedroom layout. The living room, surprisingly, contains a small fireplace, and a kitchen attached. You scour the cupboards, finding not much else than a few cans of soup, pulling them down for later.

Curiously, you turn to the gas stovetop, pushing the knob down as it clicks. One, two, three, and suddenly it starts hissing. The revelation overshadows the potent smell reaching your nostrils.

“It’s got gas!” You yell out, a victorious little grin on your face as you turn it off. At least tonight you’d eat hot food, which was a relief in itself.

Negan comes into view, finally resting your bags down on the floor. This means you’ll stay here tonight. Thank god, you mentally sigh.

“Gas line must still be connected. Probably got heating, too.” He comments, searching through the cupboards once more as you pull yourself to sit on the counter. “Front door was barred, so they probably left out the back. Hoard must’ve come through the town.”

Your legs swing slightly, clad in denim jeans, though they don’t exactly do much to combat the cold.

“It’s a nice neighbourhood. We should go raid the other houses.” You suggest, mind already working at a fast pace, despite having just found somewhere to settle down.

Negan picks up on this, his brows furrowed, head shaking dismissively. “Hold your horses, kid. One step at a time.”

It makes you frown, knowing that he doesn’t take you seriously enough, like an equal. Though, you suppose that’s fair, given you’re a child. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t capable of keeping your shit together.

Fortunately enough, this souring mood is disturbed as Negan abruptly turns around, a small purple tin in hand, and a stupid grin on his face. “How ‘bout this?” He holds it out, towards you.

You take it tentatively, a small smile coming to your lips. It’s powdered hot chocolate. Not something you’ve had during the apocalypse… or much before it, either.

“Pretty cool, I guess.” You admit, and despite any attempts to seem less enticed by the childish find, your expression gives it away. Definitely more than pretty cool.

Though he wouldn’t admit it, Negan tries to find little things for you to be happy about. Things kids like. It seems, most of the time, that your attitude is anything but childish. He’d like to try and preserve that for as long as possible.

That, and it was a good distraction from the grief. Gave him something to pour his energy into, lest it fade completely.

So, the pair of you shared a dinner of canned soup, warmed up, and in actual bowls with cutlery. The nearby fire illuminated the area, warming the small kitchen whilst winter raged on outside. Snow had begun falling, and you internally wondered how the dead would hold up against the cold. Did it affect them? Maybe, maybe not. It wasn’t for you to know.

After dinner, Negan boiled some water over the stovetop, pouring it into two mugs with a healthy scoop of the chocolate powder. Milk was a luxury, now. Even if you somehow found some on the shelves, specifically the long-life kind, there was nowhere to keep it cooled.

But this tasted perfect as was. You sat on a stool at the kitchen bench, feet unable to touch the ground. All that walking was beginning to take its toll on your feet, so you were grateful for the break. Yet, that wasn’t an excuse to slow down.

“I really think we should check those other houses.” You prompt once more, trying to steer back into the conversation that had been shut down an hour ago.

Negan appears curious to your insistence, but not in the mood to entertain it. “Not we. I’ll go out in the morning, poke around. You can sleep in.”

Your brow furrows, a look of irritation filling your features despite the kind offer. “I’m not a toddler. I don’t need to lounge around while you’re collecting shit for us. I can pull my weight.”

“No, but you’re thirteen. You don’t need to pull your weight,” He explains sternly, “Just stay here, be a kid. Go play ball, or something.”

This irritates you to no end. However, Negan doesn’t know how sensitive you really are. Your whole life, you’d been forced to grow up, and now those tools were beginning to come in handy. Yet you were forced to act an age you outgrew years ago.

You huffed, slipping from the stool and padding down the hallway, refusing to entertain this conversation. Okay, maybe that was a little childish, to storm off. But you couldn’t help it.

So far, Negan had been nice to you, and you didn’t want him to realise how bringing you along was a mistake. That you couldn’t get along with adults, because it always felt like they were out to get you. You didn’t want to repeat this cycle with him. So, you shut him out for the night.

You even left your half-drunk hot chocolate on the bench. It was only after you’d firmly shut the bedroom door, that you realised, and were too prideful to go back and retrieve it.

“What the fuck..” Negan mumbled to himself, not understanding what he’d said wrong. He knew better than to chase after you for answers, instead letting it simmer, hoping you’d sleep it off.

Since leaving the house, you’d slept in all sorts of makeshift shelters. So having your own bedroom was weird. The wind was audible from inside, trees scraping against the windows, their branches whipping back and forth. You tried to block it out, but found that to be difficult.

You’d like to read your book.

But it was still out there, in your bag of supplies, which was left on the living room floor. Maybe this was the consequences of leaving in a huff. You told yourself that you didn’t need it: you weren’t a child, you didn’t need a bedtime story. Besides, you’d already read the play thousands of times.

It reminded you of that short period you’d been happy. Sure, the dead rising was pretty rough, but you had a safe place to stay, companionship, and were treated with a motherly kindness, something you’ve never experienced. It was more than just a book, for it reminded you of Lucille, when she’d read to you.

This room was the opposite of that memory. It was cold, it was dark, and it was lonely. What if something were to happen, and you were cooped up in here?

What if Negan decided you weren’t worth the trouble? An ungrateful brat that couldn’t communicate, couldn’t regulate her feelings, and thought everyone was against her.

Suddenly struck with the image of him leaving, of taking the chance to continue on his own, you rose from bed. Fuck that. You weren’t being left behind.

You pushed the door open, peeking into the hallway. It was dark in the house, but much warmer out there, the sensation growing the closer you got to the lounge, where the fire was still going.

The two mugs still sat on the kitchen bench, causing some guilt to ebb in your stomach, feeling bad for being so childish.

The other door, opposite yours, was still open. The room was dark, the bed empty. So you passed it, continuing into the living room, where you suspected Negan was.

You were right.

“What’re you still doing up?” He asked, having heard your footsteps coming down the hallway. It irritates you that he was so perceptive, but knew lashing out again would be unfair.

So, you shrug. “Couldn’t sleep.” It’s a mumbled answer, still mentally distancing yourself, yet you come over to sit on the couch.

He’s seated on the floor, near the fire, trying to stoke it back to life. With no response, you feel antsy, like you should be explaining yourself, like you owe him an answer. A reason for everything. That no movement, no word, no action is allowed without justification.

“It’s just, that, bein’ down there feels weird,” You whisper, sounding unsure of yourself, “Like, in the back of the house… thought I’d sleep out here, instead.”

Negan gives a small nod, acknowledging your words, yet provides no argument against it. You wished he would argue.

To cement your point, you shift so you’re lying on the couch, knees brought up to your chest. In truth, it is much warmer out here, and significantly less closed off than the bedroom. It will work as an adequate resting space.

Then, Negan stands, moving out of your line of sight. You frown, wondering if you’ve done it, pushed him away. Some evil, dirty voice in the back of your head applauded you: yes, you don’t need him.

You weren’t awarded too much time to wallow, as soon the footsteps are returning, and a thick blanket from one of the bedrooms is placed over you. A frown fills your features, but nonetheless accept it, finding it much warmer.

The couch dips at your feet, Negan sitting down, remaining silent for the time being.

Truth is, he was still trying to figure you out. It was hard. He knew that you weren’t right, that he couldn’t handle you like any other child, but was determined to figure out what made you tick.

He tried to think about those few moments you had been happy. When your soured mood faded, and you actually smiled, not worrying about the undead.

“Want me to read to you?” Negan asked, sounding nervous. It was almost amusing. Almost.

You rolled your eyes, burrowing further into the blanket. “I know how to read.”

It was a snappy reply, laced with irritation. But Negan knew not to stop there. So he leaned down, fishing through the small bag on the floor, until he found it. A hardcover copy of Romeo and Juliet. It was Lucille’s, though he never remembered getting it for her, and assumed she must have bought it herself.

Flicking the pages open, he found where you’d tabbed the worn paper. He’d never read a script before, hesitating for a moment before reading aloud, sounding equally confused and awkward.

“I am.. a-weary, give me leave awhile,” He read in a monotone voice, “Fie.. how my bones ache. What a.. what a jaunt have I had..”

“You’re doing it wrong,” You immediately correct him, sitting up on the couch to deliver an unamused glare. “It’s not supposed to sound like that.”

“Who talks like this?” Negan rolls his eyes, but nonetheless continues reading. “I would.. thou hadst my bones, and I thy… c’mon, these aren’t even words.”

You try not to smile, not wanting to give him the satisfaction, but it proves increasingly difficult. You lean over, taking the book from his hands, biting back a grin as you position it in your lap.

“Nay, come, I pray thee, speak; good, good nurse, speak.” You read off the page, in a much softer voice, trying to mimic the tone of the conversation.

Negan looks over your shoulder, visibly confused. You tilt it towards him slightly, pointing at the next line.

“Here, you can read for the nurse.” You suggest, only half serious.

That much is obvious, as Negan rolls his eyes, “Y’know what, you’re right, you do know how to read.” He scoffs, though he feints annoyance, he tries not to make the subtle victory known. That he managed to cheer you up.

You smile, laying back down on the couch, book propped up in front of your face. You resume a less tense position, letting your legs stretch a little, to which Negan manoeuvres your ankles so they rest over his lap.

He knows there will be many more days in the future where this happens. When something sets you off, or you get snappy, or you act out. But it’s not a terrible thing, as it means you’re alive and well. He’d like to keep it that way.

It doesn’t take long for you to fall asleep, anyway. Negan decides not to disrupt you, letting you stay on the couch, but he does carefully take the book and close it.

The next morning, you’d scavenge the remaining houses together. You’d continue your travels, together, until inevitably, your little group of two would grow into an army of many.

Even then, you were still a pair.

[yuyusuyu]

the law of attraction!

pairing. non idol! uni student! choi san x non idol! fem! uni student! reader

synopsis. is it a blessing or curse in disguise that you and your best friend are in the same psych 340 class? you're not quite sure and you don't want to know either because you get to spend time with your favorite in this entire world - until it starts becoming too hard to control the feelings you have for him. choi san is everything and more to you and you desperately need to be away from him before you accidentally end up kissing him one of these days. except, your prof seems to have different plans when he assigns you and san to be partners for a project... on the law of attraction.

warnings. a little kiss, cursing, a little jealousy, a dt (someone save wooyo!), food/eating

genres. fluff, comedy, romance, friends to lovers, mutual pining

ft. non idol! yeosang, non idol! wooyoung

wc. 3.2k

reblogs and comments are appreciated! helps with not getting shadowbanned!

TRUTH be told, if someone were to tell you that your professor would assign your best friend as your partner to do a research paper on the law of attraction, you’d laugh in their face. why would you do that? it’s simple really: you’d been trying for years (three to be exact) to get choi san to look at you in a romantic way, but nothing ever happened. so why now? why did the universe suddenly do this to you after you swore you’d try moving on from that man? what’s worse is that you have to work on this paper for half of the semester, and you think you’d rather go insane than to work on the paper with choi san.

but that’s how you find yourself sitting across from san at the table in your apartment, laptops open as you both type away what research you find, piping up once in a while to talk about what you’ve found. your mouth runs dry each time you look up to peer at san, taking notice of how his glasses would sometimes fall down the bridge of his nose only for him to push them back, taking notice of how he’d run his hand through his newly-dyed red hair, taking notice of how he’d furrowed his eyebrows when reading something on the screen. eventually, san stretches in his seat, eyes flickering over to you and finding you already staring at him.

he blinks at you, tilting his head. “is there something on my face?”

you shake your head, looking back at the screen in front of you. “no, i was just thinking,” you mumble, already typing away. “you know i have a bad habit of staring at anything when i’m thinking.”

san chuckles softly. “you’re right,” he says, sighing. “have you found anything new?”

snorting, you look up at him. “besides the usual? like attracts like? positive thinking only?” you close your eyes. “i think i’ve hit a dead end over here, what about you?” you open an eye to look at him.

the male also shakes his head, a small smile on his lips. “i’ve basically found the same. how about we start sorting out what we want to include?”

“sounds like a plan,” you groan, stretching your fingers out. “but can we take a break first? i think my ass is numb.”

san laughs. it’s a hearty sound, something that makes you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside knowing that you’re the reason behind the dimpled grin on his lips. eventually, he calms down and nods, standing up and disappearing into your kitchen. “do you want something to eat?”

“are you asking that as you raid my fridge?” you stare in amusement as san pops his head out from the kitchen, sticking his tongue out at you before retreating back inside.

“yes,” he calls out, followed by the sound of him rummaging through whatever you have. “but i’m also asking in case you’re hungry and want something to eat.”

you think for a moment before replying. “i guess,” you drawl out. “or do you want to order take out?”

“take out!” san says, emerging out from the kitchen. “dude, you have absolutely nothing in your kitchen.”

grimacing, you take out your phone. “i guess that means i have to go grocery shopping on wednesday,” you glance up from your phone, looking at san through your eyelashes. “what do you want to order?”

“a pizza is fine,” he replies. “or fried chicken? i don’t know, you pick.”

“but sannie,” you whine. “you know i can’t choose!”

“okay, okay,” he says, holding out his hand. “i’ll choose, and we’ll split the bill.”

“thank you,” you sing, kissing his cheek and skipping over to the couch where you fall face-first into the cushions.

san laughs before you feel that he’s standing on the other end of the couch, lifting your legs up so he could sit and letting them drop on his lap. “here,” he says, tapping your back with your phone. “i ordered from that pizza place down the street. it should be here in half an hour because they got a lot of orders today.”

“damn,” you say, your voice muffled. “i guess that means we’re going to have an hour-long break.”

“um, no,” san says, chuckling. “we’re going to have a thirty minute break, talk about the project, eat and talk about the project, and then work on the project.”

“project this, project that!” you shuffle around so you can look at san, your cheek pressed against the couch as you reach out to grab your phone. “how about we work on it tomorrow? it’s getting pretty late, you know.”

humming, the male pats your legs, taking out his phone to scroll through whatever he opened. “nice try, yn. but we are going to finish what we started.”

“yessir,” you mumbled, turning to face away from him and going on your phone. it’s then that you see that you have an unread message from someone. tapping on the icon, you see that yeosang, a childhood friend of yours that san has yet to meet, sent you something. yeosang’s humor was a little different from yours, but you found everything funny, so you start laughing at what he sent, shooting up to sit straighter. “you’re stupid,” you laugh, recording what you had just said before typing something else.

san leans over, peering down at your phone. “yeo?” he says, his eyebrows furrowed. “who’s that?”

“yeosang,” you say, your laughter subsiding into giggles, continuing to type as yeosang immediately replies to your message. “you know, my childhood friend.”

“ah,” he hums, nodding. “the one who goes to the uni on the other side of town?”

you nod. “that’s the one! i think he’ll be dropping by to visit. said he’s free this whole week because he finished all of his assignments last week. oh my gosh,” you gasp, turning around and smiling at him. “you two can finally meet each other!”

san laughs softly. “right,” he says. “finally meeting the guy you grew up with.”

“yup! yeo is kind of awkward, by the way,” you say, going back to texting said person. “but he’s a great guy once he gets comfortable with you.”

“is that so…” san mumbles, glancing at you before turning his attention back on his phone. “well, i can’t wait ‘till then.”

it’s then that the doorbell rings. you stand up, heading over towards the door. san jumps up when you squeal, only coming face-to-face with you hugging some guy like your life depended on it.

“yeo, i thought you weren’t stopping by until thursday?”

san feels his stomach drop to the ground as he realizes that the guy you were just hugging, the guy who looks way too handsome for his own good, the guy who is making you smile so much that you seem to be glowing, is none other than this kang yeosang guy he’s been hearing so much about since he meet you in your first year of college together. it’s funny that it’s taken so long for him to meet yeosang, having befriended you instantly after meeting each other at orientation three years ago. he kind of wishes this moment never happened because damn is he feeling so insecure right now.

“yeo, yeo!” you grab his hand, a bounce in your steps as you lead him inside your apartment, yeosang clutching onto the pizza box as he lets you lead him inside your humble abode. you stop when you’re standing in front of san, still grinning. “this is san, the guy i talk to you about. san, this is yeosang, also the guy i talk to you about.”

yeosang places the pizza box you two had ordered on the table next to him, turning around and awkwardly sticking his hand out. “nice to meet you,” he says.

san looks down at his hand, staring at it before slowly reaching out to shake it. he accidentally ends up using a little too much strength because when he looks up to face yeosang, he finds that yeosang is taken aback. he’s confused for a second before yeosang’s grip becomes stronger, taking san aback this time because wow is yeosang strong.

“oh, uh,” yeosang is the first to pull his hand away, sending san a weirded out look of sorts before gesturing towards the pizza box that sits on your table with a nod of his head. “i got this from the delivery guy before ringing the doorbell.”

“thank you, yeo.”

when san glances at you, he’s surprised to see you and yeosang already standing next to each other, looming over the pizza box as you open it. you glance back at san as yeosang holds out a slice for himself and you, motioning him over with a wave of your hand. as he grabs a slice, you whisper something into yeosang’s ear, the male nodding and going over to sit in a chair while you grasp san’s arm, gently pulling him away and into the corridor that leads to your room and the guest bedroom on the opposite end.

“what’s wrong?” you ask, effectively snapping san out of his thoughts.

he clears his throat, pushing his glasses up his nose and then rubbing the back of his neck. “nothing,” he says. “why?”

you narrow your eyes at him, shifting your weight onto your right leg. “because you’re acting weird,” you huff. “listen, if you feel uncomfortable with yeo, tell me, san. i want both of my favorite people in this world to get along with each other.”

favorite people. he, choi san, is one of your favorite people. he hopes it’s just him and mr kang yeosang that’s sitting at your dining table eating away at the pizza he paid for the both of you… regardless of the elephant in the room (in his mind, that being yeosang), san still feels giddy because you just said he is one of your favorite people in this world.

so he nods, following you back into the living room only to deflate when you and yeosang are basically in your own little world.

this, he realizes, was going to be a long night and you two probably won’t be able to finish the goal at hand: the research paper on the law of attraction.

“i’m telling you man,” san huffs into the phone, glancing out of the corridor to see you and yeosang chatting away. “yeosang and yn are attached to the hip… and quite literally!”

he hears wooyoung cackle through other line, wincing at the sound and lifting his phone away from his ear. “dude,” he says. “i told you time and time and time again that you should just make a move on her already!”

san barely gets to reply while he’s busy glaring holes at the back of yeosang’s head, almost choking on air at wooyoung’s next words.

“yn is so in love with you!”

coughing, san glances back to see you turn your head in his direction, worry written all over your features. he quickly hides behind the wall, his back pressed against it as you call out his name.

“i’m fine!” he says. “wooyoung just told me a really funny joke.”

you ah. “okay! tell wooyoung i said hi, by the way!”

“will do!” san waits a couple seconds before angrily whispering into his phone, “jung wooyoung, i am going to kill you next time i see you, you hear me? you’re a dead man.”

“uh-huh,” wooyoung dryly replies. “you’re probably going to die from jealousy before you can even lay a finger on me to be honest. which is why you should probably just confess already!”

san groans, running a hand down his face. “wooyoung, for the millionth time already,” he says. “she does not like me. if anything, she’s probably in love with kang yeosang.”

wooyoung hums. “yeah, keep lying to yourself. listen man,” he pauses for a few seconds, and san can hear some shuffling going on from wooyoung’s end. “i know what i’m saying. that girl is so in love you.”

“woo—”

“shut up and let me finish,” wooyoung snaps. “yn looks at you like you hung the entire galaxy for her, she is that in love with you. yeosang’s probably just like a brother to her, so just man up already and confess to her! i’m getting tired of you two pining over each other, it’s sickening. now,” he clears his throat, “i have to go because i have a date.”

“you have a date?” san asks. “with who—”

“bye, sannie~”

while san was busy talking with wooyoung, you were busy trying to deflect the obvious elephant in the room that yeosang kept bringing up.

“yn,” yeosang sighs. “you need to confess already.”

“wow,” you gasp. “will you look at that?”

yeosang furrows his eyebrows, prompting you to continue. “it looks like i don’t give a fuck!”

he groans at your response. “listen here, missy,” he says, huffing in annoyance. “i’m getting annoyed with his constant glaring and i’m getting annoyed at you, too.”

“what?” you ask, pointing at yourself. “how the heck am i annoying you?”

“you’re literally always complaining to me about trying to move on from him when you keep doing the opposite! either do something or i will.”

you scoff, narrowing your eyes. “you wouldn't dare.”

“oh,” yeosang throws his head back, laughing before he rolls his head to the side, looking at you dead in the eye. “i would.”

his phone rings, making him take his phone out. he unlocks it, reading whatever he was seeing before standing up just as san walks back into the living room.

“i have to go,” yeosang says. you stand up and follow him to the door. “my girlfriend said her mom wants to take us out for lunch,” he pauses, grimacing. “she's probably going to make us wear what her mom gave us a while back…”

you snort, leaning against the doorway as yeosang slips his shoes on, san standing behind you and resting his chin on your head, almost as if it was second nature to do so. yeosang quirks an eyebrow in amusement while you start speaking. “the ones you showed me a while back?” you ask. “you know, the ones that said she's with—”

“stop,” yeosang says, sighing as he holds up his hand. “don't remind me.”

yeosang opens the door, and you push yourself off the wall and head to hug him. “do something about your crush, okay?” yeosang whispers, pulling away and waving at san.

you hum. “i'll think about it. tell her i said hi, by the way.”

“will do.”

with that, yeosang leaves and you and san stay at the doorway before you shut the door.

“i, uh, didn't know he had a girlfriend,” says san all of a sudden. you look up at him as you walk past him and back to the dining table where you grab your laptop off the surface and head to your couch.

“yeosang and his girlfriend have been dating since we started college,” you hum, plopping down and opening your laptop. “she's amazing. they compliment each other well.”

“is that so?” san follows you, taking his laptop off the dining table and sitting down next to you.

“yeah,” you say. “should we… start working on the project?”

san nods, quietly opening his laptop. he doesn't know why, but he feels like his shoulders feel lighter and he can actually breathe now that he yeosang left and now that he knows yeosang has a girlfriend.

somehow, the sun has already disappeared and has been replaced by a sliver of the moon, both you and san also (somehow) find yourselves sitting on the ground. san has his legs splayed underneath the coffee table while you have your legs up to your knee, laptop propped on top of them.

“i say we approach this differently,” you say. “everyone's going to be applying the law on friends and whatnot, but we should apply it to each other.”

san raises his eyebrows, his fingers stopping their little dance across his keyboard as he looks at you. “apply it to each other?”

you nod. “yeah! think about it,” placing your laptop on the coffee table, you twist around to face and san does the same, knees bumping into each other. “since everybody basically has the same information and will have the same approach to the application, we should try approaching it differently so we can get a better grade than the rest.”

“and how do you want to go about it?” san yawns, groaning softly as he stretches his arms.

“that is an excellent question.” you grin, leaning forwards slightly. san quietly gasps, eyes widening. he hopes you didn't hear, and it seems like you didn't because you carry on with your thought. “honestly, since it's just basically manifestation, positive vibes only, like attracts like stuff,” you pause, huffing, “i guess we should take the easy approach with like attracts like, unfortunately.”

“how about we do that and the manifestation part?” he hums.

“that's not a bad idea,” you say. “we can honestly then weave in the positive vibes only rule since technically the manifestation and like attracts like are… the same.”

your eyebrows furrow as you think about the realization you just had, making san giggle. the noise grabs your attention, and san feels short of breath as you stare at him with stars in your eyes. as if in a trance, you both start leaning forwards until you're almost touching noses.

“like attracts like,” you whisper, almost as if you're afraid that if you speak any louder, whatever is going on right now would get ruined.

san nods, humming, not trusting his voice at the moment. his eyes flicker down to your lips before flickering back to your eyes, staring at you in surprise at your next words.

“i like you san.”

“you,” he breathes out, licking his lips nervously. “you like me?”

you slowly nod, watching his every movement. “i do… the question now here is: do you like me back?”

san grins, dimples appearing as he leans forwards, resting his forehead against yours as his breath fans your lips. “i like you,” he says. “i've liked you since our first year.”

you gasp, pulling back immediately and slapping his shoulder. “you… you're an idiot, choi san!”

he whines, rubbing the spot on his arm that you had slapped. “what did i do?”

“are you blind?” you huff with narrowed eyes, arms crossed over your chest. “i've been trying to get you to like me since then!”

“what?” san looks at you, genuinely surprised. “are you sure? because i swear i was the one that was trying to get you to like me.”

as you stare at each other, you both burst out into laughter.

“wow,” you say in between your giggles. “maybe like really does attract like.” implying that both of you are dumb.

san finds himself smiling so wide that his cheeks hurt as he cups your cheeks, running his thumb over the expanse of your cheek gently. “yeah,” he breathes out, his gaze flickering over your face until it falls on your lips. “maybe you're right.”

“you know i'm usually right,” you quietly reply, looking up at san through your eyelashes before closing your eyes just as san presses his lips against yours.