#fully expecting me to go along w it and i did not want to give him the impression i agreed in the slightest

[strawberryswitchblader]

babys first act of violence(lightly pushed a queerphobe)

[guiltyasdave]

a long time coming

pairing: Dave York x f!reader

summary: You were supposed to go to a concert with your best friend. You end up going with her dad instead.

word count: ~1.1k

tags/warnings: best friend's dad!Dave, fluff, allusions to smut, huge age gap, able-bodied reader, no use of y/n, please be warned: Dave has inappropriate (though reciprocated) thoughts about his daughter's best friend - if that makes you uncomfortable, don't read

a/n: daphne @sizzlingcloudmentality and i were freaking out about those new photos of pedro, and because daphne apparently wants me dead, she said that it's giving bfd!dave who's at a concert with you and also provided me with a snippet that still has me in a chokehold and that's part of this story now. i am already experiencing heavy brainrot because i'm going to the eras tour in three (3) days and this was the final nail in my coffin tbh. i should be working on my dress, but instead i did this. the most self indulgent shit i've ever written lmao, please enjoy <3

follow @guiltyasdavenotifs for fic updates and find my whole masterlist here :)

dividers by @saradika-graphics <3

“Please, daddy? Please?” 

Dave sighs, rubbing a hand over his forehead. Molly’s hoarse voice keeps pleading with him before it dissolves into a fit of coughs. 

With a groan, she lets her head fall against the pillows, wide eyes still trained on him. 

“No one else wants to go, and I can’t let her go alone, I’d feel terrible. Please?” 

She pouts at him, knowing fully well that her father doesn’t deny her anything when she looks at him like this. 

“Fine. If you’re sure that she’s okay with it?” 

“She is! I already asked her.”

Dave cocks a brow at his daughter, earning himself an exhausted but triumphant grin. 

“Don’t look at me like that. It will be fun!”

Admittedly, Dave really has much more fun than he expected when his daughter all but begged him to accompany her best friend to the concert that she wanted to go to herself before she got sick. 

He knows most of the songs, has been witness to you and Molly singing along to the music while dancing through his kitchen often enough. It’s not bad music by any means, and the show is nothing short of spectacular. 

It’s not the reason he’s enjoying himself so much though. He’s barely watching the show, eyes only occasionally flicking towards the stage. 

His gaze is fixed on you, has been since before the show even started. Watching you interact with other fans, beaming smiles and giggles, eagerly exchanging bracelets, excitedly cooing at the especially pretty ones. 

Meeting your eyes when you turned to him, not able to suppress his own smile at the sparkle in them. Suppressing the flicker of something in his chest when your fingers wrapped around his wrist, tugging it closer to put a few bracelets on him as well. You don’t seem to notice the faint blush that’s rising up in his cheeks at the unexpected touch. 

He’s watching you bouncing on your feet seconds before the show starts, snaps a few photos of the pure joy on your face without you noticing. Just to send them to you later, having enough experience from being the father of two daughters to know how much you’ll love them. After that, he’ll delete them from his own phone. Of course he will. 

He’s watching you dance, your body moving to the beat of the music, your lips forming every word. Your silhouette shimmering with the lights reflecting off your dress. It’s mesmerizing. You dance with the girls beside you sometimes, shouting lyrics at each other. Other times, you turn to him. He doesn’t protest when you take his hands, starts moving with you without a second thought, starts singing the words that he knows along with you. You’re laughing, your eyes shining with pure happiness. It’s intoxicating, and he wants more, wants all of it, wants to be part of that happiness. He doesn’t remember the last time he smiled this wide, the last time his body felt this light. 

It takes a long time, longer than it should, until he remembers why this is bad. Until the weight comes crashing back into him. Until he remembers that he shouldn’t feel like this with you. 

You’re so much younger than him. His daughter’s friend. His daughter who asked him to come here with you, because she trusted that you’d be safe with him. 

Your brow furrows when you catch his eye and notice the change in his expression. No. He wants you to enjoy yourself, doesn’t want to be the reason for any kind of worry for you right now. He allows himself to drink in your energy right now, to let a smile grow on his face again. 

There’s no harm in indulging just for one night. Just a little bit. No one has to know. Least of all you. 

So he keeps singing with you, keeps letting you move with him. Keeps watching. 

It’s easy, being with you, talking to you. Effortless in a way that he’s not used to. 

It’s just because you’re at his house more often than not, going wherever Molly goes. It has to be. 

But it’s different, your giggles ringing out in the confines of his car, not mixed with his daughter’s, the sound that he knows. And he’s the one who’s elicited those laughs from you. 

"Explain it again, please. You’ve glued every single of these stones onto your dress?" He laughs and gives you another once over, glad he can disguise his inappropriate ogling with an appreciating glance. Act like he’s studying the intricate, shimmering patterns on the fabric. Not the way your tits are straining against the low cut over your chest. Not the way the skirt has ridden up your thighs, exposing a new inch of bare skin. "Great job, sweetheart. You look good. The dress looks good, too." 

He wonders how the dress would look bunched up around your waist. Or on the floor of your apartment. If your skin is as soft as it looks in the dim shine of the red light he’s stopped at. How it would taste under his tongue. The sweet sounds you would make when his teeth dig into you. 

You breathe a thank you and bite your lip at the compliment, and his cock twitches with interest. Wrong, wrong, so wrong.

He has to be imagining the way that you keep glancing his way, stealing looks when you think that he doesn’t notice. Wishful thinking on his part. 

He pulls up in front of your apartment building, killing the engine and turning towards you. You’re already facing him, more shy than you’ve looked all evening. 

“Thank you for tonight,” you say softly, lips pulling up into another smile. “I’ve had a great time. I— I hope you did too.” 

His hand lands on your thigh before he can actively think about it. A soft gasp escapes you, but you make no move to back away from his touch. 

“Trust me, I did.” 

He doesn’t intend for it to come out as low and breathy as it does. Teeth dig into your lips once more. Your contemplative gaze burns into him. 

You inch closer, close enough that he can feel your breath against his face. 

Wrong. He swallows thickly, forces his grip off of you. You blink, eyes growing wider, the growing tension’s fog lifting from you. Clearing your throat, you sit up straighter. 

“Good night, sweetheart.” 

He needs you to leave this car. Right now. 

You nod, shakily bidding him a good night as well. 

He watches your retreating silhouette, finally able to exhale deeply when you enter your building. 

He’s fucked.

comments and reblogs are love and make my day every single time <3

[greenwitchfromthewoods]

a few words. l Joel Miller

Summary: words he didn't want you to hear

Warnings:  angst, unpleasant conversation, they move away from each other

A/N: nothing special. your feedback is very important to me and I thank you for all the reblogs, comments and likes. 🖤 sorry for all the mistakes

short stories from life. [masterlist]

Tommy looked at his brother as if he was seeing him for the first time in his life. He hadn't expected this and was slowly regretting that he had shown up at the stables with a few bottles of beer that evening.

"You can't be fucking serious." he finally said.

The man who was sitting on a haystack by the wall seemed exhausted. His brown eyes were fixed on the horse in the opposite stall, the bottle in his big hands still full of beer.

"You slept with her?" Joel looked at him surprised. "What? Simple question. Did you sleep with her or not?"

Joel shook his head. "No."

"But you wish you did."

He looked down, but he couldn't lie to someone who knew him so well. Of course he thought about it. Most often when he was alone in the dark bedroom. Memories of every kiss, tender touch, moments when he held you in his arms - all of these haunted him like ghosts.

He was furious because he wanted more. He wanted to be alive again, to feel again. But should he?

"Joel, you've known each other for years, you live together. Why are you messing with her head if you don't want anything to do with her?"

"It's not like that, Tommy..." his voice was tired, barely audible. "Everything's different with her."

"So why don't you want to give it a chance?" Tommy took a sip of beer. "I don't get it. If you want to be with her, then be. Tell her how you feel and..."

"I'm too old for this!" Joel snapped. "She deserves better, and I can't give it to her."

"Bullshit!" Tommy muttered.

There was silence for a moment. The distant noises of the city settling in for the night drifted through the open stable door. Tommy sat down next to his brother, resting his arms on his knees.

"She's a really nice girl," he said. "I see how she looks at you, cares about you and Ellie. Do you really want to break her heart like that?"

"She's tough."

"Yes, she is."

"Are you going out?"

You were just putting a thermos with a hot drink and a couple of sandwiches into your backpack, you didn't even look up when Joel went down to the kitchen in the morning.

"Yeah. I'm going on patrol." you answered.

Joel frowned. "Our turn is tomorrow."

"I swapped with Paul. He'll go with you. You two get along."

An unpleasant shiver ran down his spine, his heart sped up. The backpack was almost ready, and you didn't seem in the mood for long conversations.

"I'd rather go with you." he grumbled, coming closer and clenching his hands on the back of the chair.

"A change will do you good. It'll do us good too."

"Have you talked to Tommy about this?"

You slung your backpack over your shoulder and looked him in the eye for the first time. He saw something strange in that look. A mixture of sadness, anger, and some kind of severity. You hadn't looked at him like that before.

"You'll probably talk to him yourself, right?" you said "I think..." your voice broke for a moment, but you quickly got back on track. "I think when I get back I'll ask Maria to find me another place to live."

"W-What? Why?"

"We both know why."

You adjusted your backpack and left the house. The world you had built had just collapsed.

"What the fuck was I supposed to do?"

"You could have not let her go!"

"She's an adult, Joel! She came last night, said she had already talked to Paul. I couldn't say no to her." Tommy put the crate in the storage room and looked at Joel.

He could see that his brother was furious and distraught. You usually went on patrols together, Joel didn't like you going out alone. Although he knew you would manage, he didn't fully trust others. Now he had completely lost control over anything.

Tommy looked at him with pity. "I think she must have heard us yesterday. Maria saw her in town, she was upset. Then she showed up at our place. I didn't ask, it's none of my business."

"You could have stopped her." Joel repeated quietly.

"And you could have kept her with you. But you chose not to."

He could.

☆☆☆☆

Thank you for your time.

taglist, i think: @picketniffler @orcasoul @bbyanarchist

[poisonlove]

You⁴ | w.a

Pairing: Wednesday Addams X reader

Part 1 part 2 part 3

Getting used to it had been more difficult than expected.

It had been almost a month since that kiss and the proposal to see where things would go. Since then, everything between Wednesday and y/n had stayed the same, at least on the surface. Neither of them had put a label on what they were, but the brunette had realized that it was okay. She liked spending time with her, and the only real difference from before was the kisses they exchanged in secret within the walls of their respective dorms.

The real problem, Wednesday realized, was that y/n kept receiving numerous declarations of love from others. Because everything they did remained hidden, she couldn’t openly claim y/n in front of everyone at Nevermore. And that was deeply irritating her.

“Mmmh...” y/n mumbled from Wednesday's bed.

Y/n’s y/c eyes stared with annoyance at the back of Wednesday’s head, half-closed, almost as if she was trying to send her thoughts into Wednesday’s mind, hoping she would stop writing and come to bed with her. Wednesday could feel her gaze.

“Stop staring at me,” Wednesday snapped, her eyes glued to the typewriter in front of her.

Lately, y/n had become very clingy, wanting to spend lots of time with her. Despite tolerating her presence, Wednesday needed her space. She loved writing, loved wandering alone, and enjoyed spending some afternoons in the arms of her... y/n. But that was it. Sometimes she found herself spending time with her and Yoko, and that disturbed her.

“Are you coming?” y/n asked in a small voice.

She had had a horrible morning. She lost in fencing to Bianca, got a terrible grade in English literature, and misplaced her favorite headphones. If that wasn’t enough, she arrived late to the cafeteria and couldn’t eat anything.

She wanted to feel Wednesday’s presence; she needed comfort.

“Is it necessary?” Wednesday asked in a cold tone, her fingers diligently typing away. Her eyes were fixed on the sheet of paper, slowly taking shape as her thoughts were put into words, her character's actions drawing her deeper into the story.

“I need you,” y/n murmured in a soft voice. She was fully aware of Wednesday’s distant attitude, but she hoped she could make an exception for her this afternoon.

Wednesday had to stop writing.

She clenched her jaw and closed her eyes, trying to remain calm. You want to give this a try, she thought to herself, then help her out. Addams slowly turned toward the bedroom and saw y/n looking at her with puppy-dog eyes.

She’s... cute, Wednesday thought, a small smile threatening to escape her lips.

Y/n opened her arms and gave an awkward smile, her cheeks reddening under Wednesday’s piercing gaze. Addams blinked and stood up from her chair, walking with a determined step toward y/n. In a way that felt awkward and mechanical to Wednesday, she complied with y/n’s request, wrapping her arms around her waist.

“Thank you,” y/n whispered against her neck.

Wednesday resisted the urge to break the hug, letting herself be overtaken by the emotions that had been chasing her for weeks. The scent of lavender from y/n flooded her senses, making her relax. Addams tightened the embrace, her heart pounding in her chest.

She had grown used to y/n’s affectionate gestures, but part of her still felt as tense as a board. Y/n’s hand moved along her back, noticing how rigid her posture was.

“Are you okay? You’re so stiff,” y/n asked with concern.

Wednesday pulled slightly away from the hug and looked at y/n without blinking. Y/n’s y/c eyes gazed into hers with worry, and Wednesday felt an unmistakable warmth in her cheeks. “I... I need to get used to it,” she stammered.

Wednesday frowned... Since when do I stammer?

Y/n smiled broadly and let out a timid laugh, amused by Wednesday’s reaction. Her hands rested around Addams' waist, giving her a light squeeze. “How about...” y/n began, biting her lower lip, looking thoughtful.

Wednesday’s eyes dropped to her lips.

“We practice a little?” y/n asked in a husky voice. In the weeks they had spent together, y/n always asked for permission before kissing Wednesday. The reason? They weren’t officially a couple, and y/n was terrified of scaring Addams with her emotional intensity.

She was well aware of how clingy she could be.

Wednesday slowly nodded her head, and y/n grinned widely, leaning in toward the goth girl’s face. Y/n’s hands gripped Addams' waist as she gently pressed their lips together. Wednesday sighed and returned the kiss, her cold, full lips melding with y/n’s.

Y/n was careful, keeping her tongue in check.

Wednesday bit y/n’s lower lip and broke the kiss, her dark brown eyes studying the girl next to her with curiosity. Her breath was uneven, and a warmth spread through her chest at the sight of y/n’s tousled appearance. Every time they kissed, a spark ran through her body. Is this what they call love?

“When are we making things official?” y/n suddenly asked, causing Wednesday’s blood to freeze. She had promised herself she would respect Wednesday’s timing, but part of her hoped to be able to call her girlfriend soon. Addams pressed her lips together.

“No,” Wednesday said coldly.

“No what?” y/n asked in confusion.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Wednesday said simply, her heart pounding violently in her chest. Coward, Wednesday thought to herself. You’re a coward.

Wednesday was terrified of being seen with y/n. Not because she was ashamed of her, of course not, but because she feared people would think she had softened. She wanted to maintain her character in front of Nevermore, while being herself in y/n’s arms.

Was that too much to ask?

“Fine,” y/n muttered monotonously, getting out of bed. She needed to get out of there. Wednesday blinked in surprise, not expecting that reaction from her.

“Fine,” Wednesday replied coldly.

She watched y/n leave the room and immediately felt guilty. She wanted to spend time with her, to be together. But she was too proud to run after her and ask her to stay, so she returned to her writing, hoping her thoughts would focus on something other than y/n.

“Hey Wed, I saw y/n storm out of here completely mad... What happened?” Enid asked curiously as she entered the room. She had run into y/n in the hallway, and she had barely greeted her, too angry to say much. She was sure it was because of Wednesday. She and Yoko were the only ones who knew about their relationship.

“Nothing,” Wednesday responded monotonously, her eyes still fixed on the typewriter. Enid sighed resignedly and lay down on the bed, flipping through a magazine to pass the time.

She’d meet up with Yoko later.

(...)

Wednesday couldn’t write.

She could no longer ignore the unease tightening her chest. Even though her pride urged her to let it go, she knew she had to talk to y/n. Walking down the hallways, she took her phone out of her jacket pocket and dialed her number, but there was no answer. Again, no response.

Leaving the dormitory, she spotted Ajax leaning against a column near the dorms.

“Have you seen y/n?” she asked in her usual cold, detached tone.

Ajax, surprised by the question, raised his eyebrows. “No, I—”

She didn’t even give him time to finish before turning on her heels and walking away, leaving Ajax perplexed, his mouth still open. It wasn’t unusual for Wednesday to act like that, but this time she seemed a little colder than usual.

She walked through the gates of Nevermore with a determined step, her dark eyes scanning her surroundings. As she made her way through the gardens, she noticed the students' gazes on her, quickly looking away as they clearly sensed her foul mood.

A little further ahead, she saw y/n.

Y/n was sitting under a large tree, away from the other students' eyes. A stick was slowly burning between her hands, smoke rising in thin curls, and her eyes were fixed on the wood, focused on controlling the flame’s intensity.

Despite her heart pounding hard, Wednesday kept her usual impassive expression as she approached. The sight of y/n, immersed in her bad mood and that almost hypnotic gesture, struck her. The fire reflected in y/n’s eyes as she continued to deliberately ignore her, too absorbed in her anger or silent torment.

Wednesday stopped a few steps away, the sound of her shoes on the damp ground breaking the silence. “Y/n,” she said firmly, trying to get her attention but not raising her voice too much. She wasn’t used to apologies or pleading, and even now, she wasn’t sure if it was right to ask for forgiveness. However, her presence spoke for her: she was there, and that had to mean something.

Y/n didn’t respond immediately, continuing to watch the flame slowly consuming the stick in her hands.

Y/n didn’t look up right away, still turning the stick between her fingers as the flame slowly moved from one end to the other. The silence between them became palpable, filled with unspoken emotions and unresolved tension.

Wednesday stood still, her gaze fixed on y/n, but with that typical unreadable expression. She wasn’t used to taking the first step, let alone chasing someone, but with y/n, everything felt different, more complex.

“You should be more careful with that fire,” Wednesday finally said, her gaze shifting slightly to the side, almost as if she was trying to control her words. “It could get out of hand.”

Y/n scoffed, stifling a sarcastic smile. "I handle it just fine, thanks," she replied with a sharp tone, finally lifting her gaze to meet Wednesday's. In her eyes, there was a spark of defiance, but also something deeper—a hidden vulnerability that only someone who knew her well could detect.

Wednesday let out a small sigh, lowering her gaze for a moment. She wasn’t good with words, especially when it came to expressing her feelings, but she knew she had to say something. "Come to the dorm," she then proposed, almost nonchalantly, though the tension in her voice betrayed her. "We can... talk."

Y/n remained silent for a moment, weighing the offer. She was angry and wanted to keep her distance, but the truth was she couldn't resist Wednesday. There was something about that coldness, that way of appearing impassive and controlled, that made her cave every time.

"Talk?" y/n repeated with a slight hint of irony, letting the now-charred stick fall to the ground. But deep down, she already knew her answer.

Wednesday, without looking directly at her, gave a slight nod. "Or whatever else you want."

That small glimpse of vulnerability in Wednesday was enough to break y/n's last bit of resistance. Slowly standing up, she tossed the stick aside and approached, arms still crossed in a defensive stance. "Okay," she finally murmured, avoiding her gaze. "Let's go."

As Wednesday and y/n were walking toward the dorm, a girl approached them with a determined stride. Her eyes were fixed on y/n, completely ignoring Wednesday's presence as if she didn't exist.

"Y/n, can I talk to you for a moment?" the girl asked, blocking her path with a confident smile. Wednesday immediately stopped beside y/n, scrutinizing the newcomer with suspicion.

"I've been thinking about you a lot lately," the girl continued, ignoring the tense silence around them. "And I can't hold back anymore. I really like you, y/n. I'd like to go out with you." Her tone was direct, with no hesitation, as if she were sure of y/n's response.

Y/n's eyes widened in surprise, and she opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say a word, Wednesday intervened.

"I think you've made a mistake," she said in her icy voice, stepping forward and positioning herself between y/n and the girl. "Y/n is not available."

The girl stared at her, surprised by the interruption. "That's none of your business," she replied provocatively, finally acknowledging Wednesday’s presence. "Y/n can speak for herself."

Wednesday didn’t move, her cold, dark eyes piercing the girl. "She doesn't need to answer you because the answer is already clear. Y/n is my girlfriend," she declared, with a calmness that hid a silent threat.

The girl laughed, incredulous. "Your girlfriend? Really?" she asked, skeptical, glancing at y/n as if seeking confirmation. "I don't believe it."

The smile on her face, however, quickly faded when her eyes met Wednesday's again. Wednesday’s expression was icy, impenetrable, filled with an absolute certainty that made it clear she wasn’t joking. The chill in Wednesday’s gaze seemed to freeze the air around them, making it hard for the girl to find words.

"Try questioning what I said again," Wednesday added, her voice dripping with cold menace, "and I promise it won’t be a pleasant conversation."

The girl swallowed, visibly uncomfortable. Without another word, she turned and walked away quickly, her confidence evaporating in the face of Wednesday’s intensity.

Once the girl was finally out of sight, Wednesday turned to y/n, saying nothing, but her eyes spoke volumes. Y/n looked at her, still a bit surprised by the whole situation but with a small smile on her lips, appreciating how Wednesday had handled it.

"So... it's official?"

It was a question that touched on something delicate, something she had never had to confront before. Y/n’s words made her feel slightly out of her comfort zone.

"If official means I don’t tolerate anyone else hanging around you... yes, it’s official," she replied with her usual icy calm, though the tension in her eyes betrayed her effort to stay in control.

Y/n chuckled softly, surprised by Wednesday’s straightforward answer. "That’s not exactly what I meant," she said, stopping so that Wednesday would also turn toward her.

For a moment, their eyes met. Wednesday felt her heart beating faster than usual, but she would never allow her emotions to show too much. Yet, she knew she had to face this situation because losing y/n was not an option she could consider.

Yes," she finally said, her tone softer, though still restrained. "It’s official. You’re mine, and I’m yours."

As difficult as it was to admit it, Wednesday knew it was the truth. Acknowledging that reality was hard, but losing you would have been even harder.

[redroomreflections]

Hotel California | Track 5: Heartbeat Havoc

Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary: Natasha Romanoff, frontwoman of the punk rock band Velvet Rebellion, falls hard for a woman she believes is too good for her. Their intense relationship unfolds in the chaotic world of rock 'n' roll, where they struggle to balance fame, personal demons, and their undeniable passion for each other.

W/c: 6.3k

Chapter 5/12

Masterlist | General Masterlist

Note: it's only up from here

18+ Minors DNI (mature)

Themes: love, fame, sex, drugs

"So, the release went well, but now we need to capitalize on the momentum. What we don't want is for you to disappear after the premiere," You leaned back into your chair, twirling a pen between your fingers as you spoke on the call. Your tone was confident but measured, ensuring there wasn't too much enthusiasm. You knew your client well enough to know this was a serious conversation.

Tanya Lawrence, an early twenties actress who had just starred in a blockbuster film, was on speaker, along with her agent and manager. You were coming up with a game plan to keep her in the spotlight and sustain the momentum—not only to continue promoting the film but to elevate Tanya herself.

Tanya's voice was thoughtful as she replied, “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that. But I don’t want to do the same press rounds everyone else does. I mean, how many times can you sit on a couch and tell the same story?”

You smiled, fully expecting her reluctance. Tanya was always searching for something fresh. It was part of what made her appealing, but also part of the challenge of keeping her relevant without overexposing her.

"I hear you," You said, jotting down a note on your tablet. "The late-night circuit can get a bit tired, but we still need to keep you visible. How about this: we skip the talk shows and go for an exclusive feature with Vogue or Elle? We’ll craft a personal story—something deeper than just promoting the film. We’ll show your evolution from indie darling to blockbuster star. It’s more narrative-driven, more you."

There was a pause, then her manager chimed in, his voice skeptical but intrigued. “How personal are we talking?”

“Not too much," You assured him. "We’re not looking to dig into her private life—just enough to give the audience something to connect with. We’ll focus on her as an actress and philanthropist. Maybe highlight her charity work? The key is controlling the narrative.”

Tanya's voice came through, warmer now. “I love that idea. I’ve been wanting to talk more about the foundation. If we can connect that, it would feel real, not like I’m just selling myself.”

You nodded, already sketching out the potential angles. "Exactly. And we can play it across platforms—get some behind-the-scenes content on social media to drive engagement, maybe even a short Instagram series showing a day in your life. That way, you’re not just doing the standard PR push but building a brand around authenticity.”

The enthusiasm on the other end was palpable now. Tanya's agent was already chiming in with ideas on how to expand the campaign, and her manager was starting to see the vision.

"You’ve always got the best ideas," Tanya said, and you could hear the smile in her voice.

You chuckled. "That’s why you keep me around."

The call wrapped up, and you took a moment to breathe. Another client managed, another fire successfully put out. You were in the zone—this was what you were good at. A notification lit up the screen as you closed your notebook and checked your phone.

"Is Love in the Air? Natasha Romanoff Seen Leaving Concert with New Flame"

Your stomach did a little flip. The photo was grainy and interesting for today’s time, but you knew it was the two of you leaving the concert venue last weekend. It hadn’t taken long for people to start talking, and you weren’t sure how you felt about it all. You tried not to think about the sudden influx of followers you’d gotten or the interest of every possible gossip rag in suddenly taking a deep dive into your life.

As a publicist, you were no stranger to media frenzy, but it was different when you were the story. You’d spent years helping clients navigate this kind of attention, knowing exactly how to spin, deflect, and maintain privacy. But now, as the headlines circled you and Natasha, it felt oddly invasive.

You sighed, locking your phone and rubbing your temples. This wasn’t exactly how you imagined things going with Natasha. A quiet fling, maybe, or just a few months of fun before things inevitably fizzled. But the way her hand had lingered on yours that night, the way she looked at you when she thought no one was watching—something about it felt more... real. And now, the world was catching on.

Focus, y/n, you told yourself, pushing the thought aside. You weren’t going to let this derail your work. Natasha had dealt with the media for years—she could handle it. The question was, could you?

Your office door creaked open, and Monica strolled in, her usual swagger in every step. She leaned casually against the doorframe, crossing her arms with an amused smile.

“You see the headlines?” She asked, eyes twinkling with mischief.

You shot her a look, already knowing where this was headed. “You mean the ones making me sound like some groupie?”

Monica laughed, moving to sit across from you. “Please, Natasha Romanoff’s mystery woman has a much better ring to it. Plus, who says groupies can’t be successful?”

You rolled your eyes, but a smile tugged at your lips. “I didn’t ask for this attention, Mon.”

“You’re dating a rockstar. What did you expect?” she teased before her tone softened. “But for real, how are you feeling about it?”

You hesitated, twirling the pen in your fingers, not quite sure how to put it into words. “It’s... strange. I’ve always kept my private life private, you know? And now I’m on the front page, just because I went on a date.”

Monica nodded, her expression shifting to something more serious. “It’s a lot. But you’re the queen of handling this kind of thing. You’ve dealt with bigger fires. And Natasha... well, she’s used to it.”

You sighed, leaning back in your chair. “Yeah, but this feels different. It’s one thing to be in control of someone else’s narrative, but when it’s you...”

Monica tilted her head, studying you. “You really like her, don’t you?”

Your heart skipped a beat at the question. You hadn’t even allowed yourself to fully consider that yet. Did you? The two of you were just getting to know each other. It wasn’t supposed to be serious. But the way you smiled at the thought of her, the way your stomach fluttered when her name popped up on your phone—it was all too familiar.

“I don’t know,” you admitted quietly. “It’s moving fast.”

“You fucked didn’t you?” Monica began to grin.

Your eyes widened. “Jesus, Monica." You cursed. You looked back to your office door, the one she'd decided to leave open, and then back to her. She folded her arms knowingly and you sighed.

"Maybe?" You responded with a smirk. "Or... several times? I lost count that night."

"Oh my god!" Monica cackled. "I knew it. I'm so proud of you."

"Proud shouldn't be the word used for that," You shook your head. "Oh, and Sam decided to bring Isabella home early the next morning so they met each other much sooner than I expected. She also introduced herself as my girlfriend."

"Ooh, and how did Sam react?" Monica knew your ex-husband just as well as she knew you.

"He was shocked but also not shocked." You begin. "I just hoped it wasn't something that made Natasha question what we have going on. I mean anyone would be threatened to have the ex just casually standing in the living room."

"Nah, the woman is head over heels," Monica assured. "Besides, Sam's a good guy, and he's not a possessive ex. So, back to the importance, was she good?"

You couldn't help but smirk. "Yes, she was very good."

Monica smiled, nodding approvingly. "Good. Well, I'm happy for you. It's been a while since you've had some good sex, and even longer since you've had a good woman."

"Somehow you and my daughter are the same person just in different fonts," You mused at her words. "You have no idea how much Bella asked about her."

"What can I say, we both have good taste," Monica smiled. "Anyway, back to work. I'll let you enjoy your celebrity-adjacent status. It’s interesting really how you’ve managed to stay so lowkey. I mean Sam is famous, your parents are famous…”

You chuckled. "It's a blessing and a curse. You can't blame them for being overprotective though. They just wanted to protect their daughter and granddaughter from the limelight. It's why I stayed off the radar."

Before she could question it further, there was a slight knock at the door. An unassuming man with a delivery hat and a gorgeous bouquet caught your attention.

"Are you, Y/n?" He asked.

"Yes," You replied, a little surprised. You watched as the man set the vase down, signed for the delivery, and thanked him. Monica watched in interest.

"What's that for?" Monica asked.

"I have no idea," You replied, a little puzzled. You plucked the card from the bouquet and unfolded it, curious. As your eyes skimmed the neat handwriting, your heart skipped a beat.

“Just in case you needed a little brightness in your day. My time with you was amazing, being with you makes everything even better. — N”

You couldn’t help the smile that tugged at your lips, warmth spreading through your chest. Natasha had a way of being sweet without overdoing it—something that caught you off guard every time.

Monica raised an eyebrow, leaning over to get a glimpse of the card. “Ohhh, so the rockstar is a romantic.”

You laughed softly, tucking the card back into the bouquet. “Apparently. She’s full of surprises.”

Monica grinned, leaning back in her chair. “Girl, you’ve got it bad.”

You tried to ignore the flush that crept up your neck, your eyes drifting back to the bouquet on your desk. Maybe you did.

**********

Natasha wiped the sweat from her forehead, adjusting her grip on the barbell before settling into her seat. The gym was practically empty, just the way she liked it. Wanda was a few feet away, doing leg presses with ease while music pulsed through the space, the rhythm of the beats syncing with the steady clank of weights hitting the floor. Just as Natasha was about to dive into her next rep, her phone buzzed on the bench beside her. She hesitated for a second, but the moment she saw your name flash across the screen, she abandoned the barbell with zero hesitation.

Y/N: Thank you for the flowers 🌸 They’re almost as beautiful as the woman who sent them. Almost.

Natasha smirked as she leaned against the bench, typing back with one hand while the other still held onto the towel slung around her neck.

Natasha: Almost? I must be slipping. I’ll have to step up my game. 😏

She hit send, already imagining the soft laugh she knew you would give at the response. She wasn’t usually one for the whole romantic gesture thing, but with you, it felt... right. You were different, and Natasha could feel herself getting pulled deeper into this thing between you.

Wanda finished her set and glanced over, eyebrow arched as she caught Natasha mid-text. “You’re supposed to be working out, not flirting,” Wanda teased, giving her a knowing look.

Natasha didn’t bother hiding her smile. “Can’t help it. It’s... motivation.”

Wanda chuckled, moving to grab her water bottle. “Yeah? Motivation or distraction?”

Natasha shrugged, her eyes flicking back to her phone as it buzzed again.

Y/n: If this is you slipping, I can’t wait to see you in top form. Maybe tonight?

Natasha’s breath hitched slightly at the invitation, her mind already racing ahead to the possibilities of your date later. She glanced over at Wanda, who was watching her with mild amusement.

Natasha: Tonight, then. I’ll pick you up. Get ready to be impressed. 😉

Wanda raised an eyebrow as she stretched her arms. “You’re really into her, huh?”

Natasha paused, glancing at her friend before nodding. “Yeah, I think I am.”

Wanda smiled, something in her expression softening. She knew how guarded Natasha could be when it came to dating, so it was a relief to see her opening up again.

"Good," Wanda said simply. "I think you two look cute together. She's a breath of fresh air."

"Yeah," Natasha agreed. "She's different."

Wanda's smile grew wider. "You're different with her."

"Different how? I mean you've only seen us together once," Natasha wiped her brow again.

"Just different, a good different. You've got that glow that you used to have when you and Carol were first starting." Wanda pointed out. "You know before shit hit the fan."

"Hmm, maybe. We'll see." Natasha took a swig from her water bottle. "She's cool. She's secure in herself which is a pretty huge deal. It doesn't come across as cocky or anything."

"That's important. Especially in our field." Wanda nodded.

Natasha smiled to herself as she thought about the last time you’d kissed her goodbye. Your lips had tasted like mint toothpaste, your hands gentle and warm against her skin. It was such a simple thing—just a goodbye kiss—but it had stayed with her all day. She couldn’t wait to spend more time with you tonight.

"Well, I’m happy for you," Wanda said, breaking Natasha from her thoughts.

"Thanks," Natasha replied, feeling her cheeks warm as she thought about you again. "I'm... happy too."

It was true. Happy wasn’t a word Natasha often used to describe herself when it came to relationships. Her past romances had always been complicated, intense, and full of drama. It was almost a given that things would eventually blow up—whether it was her fault or the other person’s. But with you? It felt different.

She wanted it to be distinguishable.

For once, Natasha didn’t want a relationship that was marked by chaos or suffocating intensity. She didn’t want someone who would cling to her or become overly dependent, and she didn’t want to lose herself in someone else’s need for attention or validation. She’d been there before—too many times—and it always ended with someone getting hurt, usually her.

But with you, it felt like things could be... simple. Easy, even.

You weren’t trying to force your way into her life or demand all her time. You didn’t seem interested in changing her, and you weren’t fazed by her fame or reputation. If anything, you were the one who kept a distance from the spotlight, which Natasha found both refreshing and grounding. She liked that you had your own life, your own career, and your daughter to focus on. You didn’t need her to complete you.

That’s what Natasha craved—someone who wanted her but didn’t need her in the way that had always made her feel trapped before. She wanted love, yes, but not the kind that suffocated. She just wanted something real, something healthy. She wanted to feel safe and comfortable, the way she already did with you.

For the first time in a long time, Natasha felt like this could work. It was early, sure, but she couldn’t help but hope that maybe this time things would be different. Maybe this time she wouldn’t screw it up.

She glanced at her phone again, re-reading your last message. Her heart did that annoying little flip it had been doing more often these days, and she chuckled to herself.

***********

You stood in front of the mirror, staring at the dress you’d just slipped into, second-guessing yourself for what felt like the tenth time in an hour. It was a deep burgundy, with a flattering neckline, but was it too much? You tugged at the hem, frowning.

“I don’t know about this one,” You muttered, glancing over your shoulder at Monica and Isabella, who were both sitting on your bed, staring at you with varying levels of judgment.

Monica leaned back against the headboard, arms crossed. "It’s cute, but it feels a little... formal."

"Yeah, Mom," Isabella added, making a face. "It’s like you’re going to a wedding."

You sighed dramatically, turning back to the mirror. "Why is this so hard?" you grumbled, tossing your hair over your shoulder. "It’s just a date."

Isabella giggled, swinging her legs back and forth. "Not just any date. It’s Natasha Romanoff!"

Monica snorted. "Right? Rockstar extraordinaire."

You rolled your eyes, walking over to the closet and grabbing another dress off the hanger. "She’s just... Natasha," you said, trying to sound casual, but the butterflies in your stomach betrayed you. The truth was, Natasha wasn’t just any date. She had a way of making you feel both grounded and completely out of control, and that was terrifying.

Monica raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that."

You tossed the burgundy dress on the bed and slipped into a simpler black one. “Okay, how about this?” you asked, turning to face them again.

Isabella tilted her head, considering it. “Better,” she said. “But... kind of boring.”

Monica nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it’s cute, but you can do better. You’re going on a date with a rockstar, not attending a PTA meeting."

You huffed, pulling the dress off and tossing it aside, feeling a mix of frustration and nervous energy. "I just... want to look good," you admitted. "Not too overdressed, not too underdressed. Just right."

Monica smiled gently, getting up from the bed and walking over to your closet. "You’re overthinking it," she said, flipping through the hangers. "Natasha likes you, right? So whatever you wear, she’s going to think you look great."

You sighed, sitting down on the bed next to Isabella, who leaned against you, her little arm wrapping around your waist. "You think so?"

"Definitely!" Isabella chirped. "Plus, you always look pretty, Mama."

You kissed the top of her head. "Thanks, baby."

Monica finally pulled out a deep green two-piece pantsuit, simple but elegant, with just the right amount of edge. "What about this one?" she asked, holding it up.

You stared at it for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Yeah... I like that one."

Monica tossed it over to you with a grin. "Perfect. Now go get ready so I can get the scoop later."

You laughed, slipping into the outfit and smoothing the top down over your belly. "You’re not getting any scoop."

"We’ll see about that," Monica teased, winking at Isabella, who giggled.

As you slipped on a pair of heels and checked your reflection one last time, Isabella tugged at your hand. “Mom?”

“Yeah, sweetheart?”

"Do you like Natasha?" she asked, her voice innocent but curious. "Like... like like her?"

You paused, looking down at your daughter’s wide eyes. Monica raised an eyebrow, waiting for your response. It was a fair question, and one you’d been asking yourself a lot lately.

"I do," You finally said, feeling a little nervous saying it out loud. "I really do."

Isabella smiled. "Good. I think she likes you too."

You chuckled, smoothing a hand over her hair. "Yeah? You think so?"

Isabella nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I saw the way she looked at you when she came over last time. She was smiling a lot."

Monica smirked from the corner of the room. "Out of the mouths of babes..."

You laughed, trying to ignore the way your heart fluttered at Isabella's words. Was it possible Natasha was already falling for you too?

A knock on the door made you jump, and Isabella squealed, running towards the door. "She's here!"

You took a deep breath, smoothing the front of your shirt and trying to calm your nerves. "Tell her I'll be right there."You called after her.

Isabella was more than happy to answer the door for Natasha. She swung it open with gusto, Bear hot on her tail, as she greeted the woman.

"Hey," Natasha said with a big smile.

"Hi, Natasha," Isabella said with a toothy grin. "Mama's almost ready. You can come in." She leads Natasha over to the living room and sits across from her on the couch. "Before she comes out I want to ask you a few questions."

Natasha was taken aback in an amused sort of way. "Questions?"

"Yup," Isabella said, a serious look on her face. "If my mom makes you mad, are you gonna write a mean song about her?"

Natasha had to hold back her laughter. She loved Isabella's forwardness and honesty. It was refreshing. "No. I don't write songs about people I care about. Plus, I'm not sure your mom could ever make me mad."

"She has her moments," Isabella shrugged. "Another question, Why do you like my mom? Not just for her body or her money or anything. I've been reading a lot of old school magazines lately and I have all of the information."

Natasha bit her lip and cleared her throat. "Uh, well, your mom is very kind and sweet. She's smart, and she has a really good sense of humor."

"And you're not using her for money?"

"Of course not."

Isabella seemed satisfied with her answers. She nodded. "Okay. Good. I like you, Natasha."

"Thanks, kiddo. I like you, too," Natasha chuckled.

"Do you think I could score backstage tickets to your next concert? I promise I'll behave."

"Isabella..."

Isabella rolled her eyes at your stern tone as you rounded the corner. "Fine." She sighed.

"Hey," You said softly, walking up to the pair, a small smile on your lips.

"Wow." Natasha breathed, taking in the sight of you. You looked incredible. "You look... good."

"Thank you so do you," You leaned into her embrace when she stood to kiss you on the cheek. You subtly glanced at her outfit, glad that you'd picked your casual one too. Natasa's dark denim jacket draped effortlessly over a loose white t-shirt. She wore Black skinny jeans, slightly distressed at the knees, and hugged her legs, giving her a subtle edge without trying too hard. Clean white sneakers grounded her look. A simple silver chain glinted at her collarbone, and her hair fell in tousled waves around her face, giving the impression that she hadn’t overthought any of it—yet still managed to look effortlessly striking.

"Thank you," Natasha said.

"You're welcome," You hummed as you pulled back from the hug, the scent of her perfume filling your nose.

"Okay, we'll be fine, Mama." Isabella gave a thumbs up. "Go have fun. Don't stay out too late."

You laughed. "We'll try not to," you promised. "And no ice cream past ten, okay?"

"Okay," Isabella rolled her eyes.

"Don't forget Bear's walk," you added.

"Mama," Isabella whined. "We got this. Go!"

"Alright, alright," You chuckled, turning to Natasha. "Ready?"

"Lead the way," Natasha smiled.

"Have a good time, ladies!" Monica called as the two of you made your way out the door.

Natasha held your hand as the two of you walked to the car, her fingers rubbing your knuckles soothingly.

"So where are we going?" You asked, glancing over at her.

Natasha grinned, squeezing your hand. "It's a surprise."

"Oh, a surprise?"

"Yup," She said. "Wait," She said just before opening the door. You turned to face her questioningly. She leaned forward, pressing her lips gently against yours.

Your heart skipped a beat at the unexpected move, and you let yourself sink into the kiss, savoring the way her lips felt against yours. It was soft and sweet.

"I figured you wouldn't want to do that in front of your daughter," Natasha mumbled awkwardly.

You laughed, resting your hands on her shoulders and pecking her lips again. "That was very thoughtful. Are you really not going to tell me where we are going?"

"I could tell you, but where's the fun in that?" She smiled, opening the car door and ushering you inside. As the car rolled down the busy streets, you found yourself stealing glances at Natasha. The way she carried herself, with a mix of confidence and ease, was enchanting. Her posture was relaxed but commanding, and even the simple act of driving seemed to radiate a kind of effortless cool.

The radio played a mix of tracks that Natasha had curated—a blend of classic rock and some modern hits that seamlessly complemented her edgy style. You could see the genuine enjoyment on her face as she sang along to the lyrics, her voice harmonizing effortlessly with the tunes. It was moments like these that made you appreciate the depth of her passion for music and the way it intertwined with every part of her life.

As the car pulled up to the restaurant, Natasha turned to you with a soft smile. "Hope you like this place. I've been wanting to check it out for a while."

You read the giant side on the outside of the building, The Cooking Institute.

"Cooking classes?" You guessed aloud. Natasha glanced over at you.

"I hope that's okay," She said quickly, suddenly a bit unsure of her plan. "I know it's a little unconventional, but I figured it could be fun. If not, we can just grab a drink somewhere or-"

"Natasha," You cut her off, resting a hand on her knee. "It's perfect."

Her shoulders relaxed, and she gave you a relieved smile. "Great. I'm glad."

You were soon ushered inside by an eager host, who led you to a spacious kitchen, equipped with every cooking appliance imaginable. You expected to see more guests inside of the space but instead only found an instructor.

"Welcome to Cooking Institute," The woman, who appeared to be in her mid-40s, greeted the two of you with a warm smile. "My name is Lisa. We're so excited to have you."

"Is this only for us?" You questioned Natasha.

"I rented it out for the night," She shrugged. "So, we could have some privacy."

You nodded, appreciating the gesture.

Lisa clapped her hands together. "Well, I'll let you two get settled and we can get started." She gave the pair of you a thumbs up and made her exit, leaving the two of you alone in the kitchen.

"So," You glanced over at Natasha. "What's the plan here?"

"Well," She grinned. "We're going to cook some food."

"Gee, I never would have guessed," You teased. "But what kind of food?"

Natasha's eyes twinkled with amusement. She leaned against the counter, her excitement barely contained as she outlined the evening’s menu. "Alright, here’s the plan," she said, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"We’re starting with a Classic Wedge Salad—simple, and something I can make with no problem." She paused, savoring the anticipation. "Next up, we’ve got Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin." Natasha’s smile widened, clearly proud of the menu.

"And then," she continued, "we’re making Oscar-Style Beef Filet. It’s a bit fancy but worth it." She chuckled at the look of awe on your face, clearly pleased with herself. "So, ready to get cooking?"

You nodded, laughing. "This sounds amazing. Let's do it."

As the night progressed, the two of you quickly fell into a comfortable rhythm. It was easy, being around her, and the conversation flowed naturally. The host led you both to your designated cooking station, complete with all the utensils and ingredients needed for the evening’s menu. Natasha's eyes sparkled with anticipation as she glanced around, her enthusiasm contagious. You could see the genuine pleasure on her face, which made you smile even more.

"How do you like your steak?" You asked.

"Medium rare," She said.

You nodded. "Same. This looks so amazing. I can't wait to taste it."

"Me too," Natasha admitted, glancing over at you. "I love a good steak."

You smiled, shaking your head in amusement. "Of course you do."

"What?" She chuckled.

"Nothing," You said. "It's just... you're very cool, Natasha Romanoff."

She grinned, leaning closer to you. "Well, thank you. That's very sweet."

You bit your lip, feeling a blush creeping up your neck.

"See, blushing," Natasha said smugly.

You nudged her, trying to hide your grin. "Stop it."

She smiled, her eyes softening. "Never."

As the meal came together, you were surprised by how much fun you were having. It turned out your cooking ability was light years beyond Nataha's. Which wasn't that surprising. It's not like she had a child to cook for or anything.

"Nope. You've got it all wrong," You said, trying to keep a straight face.

"What?" Natasha looked at you, perplexed.

"The salt, Natasha," You chuckled. "You need a lot more salt."

"Are you sure?" Natasha looked down at her mashed potatoes.

"Yes, I'm sure," You replied, trying not to laugh. "You can't eat those."

"Aw," Natasha frowned.

"It's okay baby," You assured her, patting her shoulder. "I'm here to help."

Natasha grinned. "Okay, Chef."

You smiled, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek. "You're cute."

"Thank you," Natasha said.

"Alright, enough messing around," You declared, picking up the wooden spoon. "Let's keep this going." As you both continued to cook, the kitchen became a lively space filled with laughter and playful banter. Natasha's attempts at seasoning and timing were endearing, though they often resulted in humorous mishaps. The contrast between her occasional culinary blunders and your surprisingly deft cooking skills became a running joke.

Often there were times you two forgot Lisa was even there, too wrapped up in each other to notice her. Finally, your meal was finished and you both sat in the dining area to enjoy it.

"Okay, I've got to admit, that was pretty amazing," Natasha said, sipping her wine.

You smiled, savoring the bite of tender beef. "It really was. Thanks for bringing me here."

"You're welcome," Natasha said. "I'm glad you liked it."

You looked up at her, your heart beating a little faster. She was looking at you with such fondness that it made your chest ache. "So, I figured we should get to know each other a little better."

"You mean we don't already know each other well?" She smirked, referring to your night together.

You blushed. "You know what I mean. I mean, the basic stuff. What's your favorite color? Your favorite movie? Things like that."

Natasha nodded, smiling softly. "Sure. My favorite color is blue."

"Like the ocean?" You asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "What about you?"

"Green," You answered. "Like the trees."

"Interesting," she murmured. "Movie?"

"I'm a big fan of romcoms," You confessed.

"Really?" Natasha asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah," You shrugged. "The Proposal. Anything with Sandra Bullock or Jennifer Lopez and I'm sold."

Natasha laughed. "Good to know."

"What about you?" You questioned.

"Well, I'm a sucker for anything with Ryan Gosling." She grinned.

"Good choice," You agreed.

"Favorite food?"

"Anything sweet," She winked.

"I can work with that," You chuckled.

"Favorite TV show?"

"That's a tough one," She paused, thinking. "House."

"Nice," You said.

"Favorite song?"

"Don't you already know?" She arched an eyebrow.

"Yes," You laughed. "But I want to hear you say it."

"Fine," She sighed dramatically. "The Scientist by Coldplay."

"You have a good taste," You mused.

"I think so," She said, winking at you.

"I like The Night We Met," You replied.

"Really?" Natasha asked.

"Yeah," You said. "It's a great song."

"It is," She agreed. "I just didn't think you had a real liking for that particular genre."

"I'm full of surprises," You wiggled your fingers.

Natasha took a sip of her wine. "Clearly."

"Okay, last one," You said. "Favorite band."

"The Beatles," She replied without hesitation.

"Nice," You said.

"They're classics," She shrugged. "Can't go wrong with them."

"That's true," You said. "I think I have a lot more to learn about you, Natasha Romanoff."

She smiled softly. "Same goes for you, Y/N, Y/L/N."

As the two of you finished dinner, the conversation shifted into a more relaxed tone.

"So," You said, leaning back in your seat. "What's next on the agenda?"

"That depends," Natasha replied. "Do you trust me?"

You grinned, your heart skipping a beat. "With my life."

"Well, then, let's get going."

As the night progressed, you found yourself growing more and more intrigued by Natasha. She was intelligent and witty and had a surprisingly dry sense of humor. Her eyes lit up when she spoke about the things she was passionate about, and it was clear she was truly a free spirit. You could see why she had risen to fame so quickly.

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

The next stop was Echo Park’s Swan Boat line, the sight of the bustling park filled with families and couples enjoying the evening brought a smile to your face. The iconic swan boats bobbed gently on the water, their white feathers illuminated by the soft glow of park lights.

"This is beautiful," You breathed, taking in the sight.

"It is," Natasha agreed, slipping her hand into yours.

"You ready to get out there?" She asked, grinning.

"I'm a little nervous but I'll get over it," You held her hand. You joined the queue, the line stretching a bit as people chatted and waited for their turn on the boats. As you neared the front of the line, you noticed a group of teenagers in front of you. One of them, a lanky teen with a mop of curly hair, kept glancing back at Natasha with a mixture of curiosity and excitement. After a few moments, his eyes widened, and he nudged his friend, whispering loudly, “Hey, isn’t that Natasha Romanoff?”

Natasha caught their gaze and offered a friendly if slightly reserved, smile. She knew being recognized was part of her life, but she also valued moments like these where she could enjoy a quiet, semi-anonymous outing. There was a moment when both of them argued about who would talk to her before they made a choice.

The teen, gathering his courage, turned around and said with a shy grin, “Hi, um, I don’t mean to bother you, but are you Natasha Romanoff?”

Natasha chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “Guilty as charged. How are you doing tonight?”

The teen’s friends crowded closer, their excitement palpable. “We’re huge fans! This is so cool,” one of them exclaimed.

"Would you guys mind taking a picture with us?" Another asked, pulling out their phone.

Natasha's smile grew warmer. "Of course not. " She pulled you in close, wrapping an arm around your waist. You tried not to blush as the teens gathered around you, their phones held high.

"On the count of three, smile!" The first teen instructed. You obliged, smiling brightly as the phone flashed.

"Thank you so much," he gushed. "This is so awesome. My friends won't believe this."

Natasha grinned, giving them a wink.

"Are you guys on a date?" One of the teens, a girl with an oversized hoodie and glasses asked.

"Maybe," Natasha's eyes sparkled. "Or maybe it's just a casual hangout between friends."

You laughed, shaking your head. "I can tell you that I'm a fan of hers." You played along.

"Me too!" The girl squealed. "I'm your biggest fan, Ms. Romanoff."

"I'm flattered," Natasha chuckled. "Well, have a good night, everyone." She pulled you toward the front of the line as it was now your turn to ride.

"Thank you, Ms. Romanoff!" The girl called out. "This is the best night ever!"

"Any time," Natasha called back. You couldn't help but smile as the teens began animatedly talking amongst themselves.

"That was nice of you," You murmured.

Natasha's gaze softened. "They were sweet kids. Besides, I don't mind the occasional photo op. It's all part of the job. You ready?"

You looked at the small boat tethered to the dock, a mix of nervousness and excitement fluttering in your chest. "Is it safe?"

Natasha laughed softly. "It's perfectly safe. I promise."

With a deep breath, you nodded. "Alright, let’s do it."

You both climbed into the boat, Natasha taking the oars and maneuvering it gently away from the dock. As the boat drifted into the middle of the pond, the moonlight cast a soft glow over the water, creating a serene and almost magical atmosphere.

The gentle lapping of the water against the boat was soothing, and you glanced at Natasha, who was focused and confident as she rowed. After a few moments, she set the oars aside and leaned back, her gaze meeting yours.

"How are you holding up?" she asked, a teasing smile on her lips.

"Surprisingly well," you replied, your heart racing a little from the adventure. "This is actually kind of thrilling."

"I'm glad," Natasha grinned, reaching for your hand and squeezing it.

You gazed up at the night sky, admiring the twinkling stars and the bright moon. It was a beautiful night, and you were happy to be sharing it with her.

"I know this is a little cheesy," She started, her gaze turning soft. "But I've always loved the idea of a first date."

"I love a good first date," You chuckled. "I think you knocked it out of the park for sure." You said.

"I'm glad," She whispered. "I was hoping you'd like it."

You smiled, your chest tightening with emotion. You felt a connection with Natasha that you couldn't explain.

"So, my girlfriend..." You grinned, alluding to Natasha's introduction of herself to Sam.

"It has a nice ring to it," She laughed aloud. "I saw you fumbling and took the opportunity."

"Thank God for it," You shook your head. "I don't think I would have known what to say."

"You would have figured it out," She assured.

"Not fast enough," You replied. "I want you to be my girlfriend." You said with such confidence Natasha's head whipped over to you.

"Wait, really?" She asked. 

"Really," You nodded.

Natasha smiled, her cheeks flushed with pleasure.

"I was hoping you would," She replied.

"Well, consider me your girlfriend," You declared, feeling your stomach do flips.

Natasha's gaze met yours, and she leaned in, kissing you tenderly. The kiss was soft and sweet, filled with the promise of something more.

"Thank you," She whispered, her breath warm against your skin.

"You're welcome," You murmured, your heart pounding.

You sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, simply enjoying each other's presence.

"So," She finally spoke, her voice quiet. "Where do we go from here?"

"I guess we figure it out together," You replied, your gaze locked on hers.

"I can't wait," She said, her eyes shining.

---> next part

[penkura]

last forever [7/13]

Summary: Zoro only offered to marry you to keep you out of an arranged marriage with a man much older than you. You agreed with the caveat of ending it via annulment once you received word from your parents regarding the original engagement, despite your growing feelings for your close friend.

Pairing: Zoro x Fem!reader, mentioned Sanami later (like epilogue later so chill)

Warnings: Marriage of Convenience, Fake Marriage, referenced sex (waaaaaay later on), mutual pining, Zoro is bad at feelings but what's new there, eventual romance I promise, mention of past attempted assault (I'll warn in that chapter), creepy older dude later on

Note: I apologize for glossing over and skipping fights and so much of this arc. Writing violence is not my forte, and I'd rather focus on the main relationship. We all know how One Piece goes anyway. I had to go back and refresh myself on some of the details, it's been a while since I read/watched Water Seven and Enies Lobby.

But also, I was SO NERVOUS writing a certain part of this, its NOT my usual style omg. But I needed to write what I did when it popped into my head. Just wait until a bit later, though omg. This stays SFW, I swear.

Taglist:

@misfits1a

[Ch. 1] ● [Ch. 2] ● [Ch. 3] ● [Ch. 4] ● [Ch. 5] ● [Ch. 6]

When you finally make it to Water Seven, after your run in with the Foxy Pirates and Admiral Aokiji, it’s nice to be somewhere you recognize. Having only been here a few times when your dad had business and he chose to bring you and Elias, it was always your favorite trip to take when your mother would let you tag along.

The only person who knows this at first, apart from Zoro, is Sanji, when you choose to go into the city with him as Zoro watches the ship; Luffy, Nami, and Usopp go to exchange the gold for actually money, and Chopper goes with Robin to find a bookstore. Sanji laughs a bit when you tell him you’ve been here a few times, give or take.

“You may have been a bit sheltered, but you were well traveled!”

Laughing in return, you tighten your arms around Sanji, laying your head on his back as your Yagara ride continues down the water street, watching all the people. It’s been so long, you forgot how lively this city was.

“Mom would always try to make me stay home with her, but I’d cry and throw a tantrum until she let me go, normally because my brother asked for me to. I was a little spoiled back then by Elias.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Sanji looks over his shoulder to give you a smile, “You were the baby, that’s expected.”

“Tch, yeah,” scoffing, you don’t look up at him, “The baby no one but my brother really wanted.”

He doesn’t say anything, instead just patting one of your hands, which makes you fist his shirt in your grip for a moment before relaxing again. Sanji knows more about your life growing up than most of your crew, only Zoro really having the nearly full story. Even then, you’ve kept somethings to yourself, not because they were painful memories, but because they were some of the few good times you remember, they were more precious to you than any other memories.

The two of you quickly find the shopping district and purchase copious amount of local foods, Sanji reeling off different ideas for dishes as he catches sight of Robin, grabbing your hand to drag you along and around a corner he swears to you he saw her go down, but she’s nowhere to be seen and neither is Chopper.

Your doctor does find you both a few moments later, apologizing on your way back to Merry for losing Robin, but you tell him not to worry, she can take care of herself, she’ll come back later.

When you get back to Merry, the update Zoro gives you feels like a knife in all your hearts. 

“What do you mean Merry is unfixable?!”

“Just what I said,” Zoro doesn’t fully look at Sanji, instead making sure you’re all right with the news, though the frown and starting of tears tell him you aren’t, “A shipwright came to check and said so.”

You hate the idea of having to give up Merry, whether that’s what Luffy’s decided yet or not, you aren’t sure, even as Nami returns and the situation gets worse with Usopp having been beaten by the Franky family and the two hundred million beri being stolen from him. The money didn’t matter, what mattered was Usopp, the rest of your crew going to find him and Luffy but Nami clinging onto you to stay with her, which you do to keep your friend safe.

The rest of the day is a blur, after Usopp is brought back, his fight with Luffy over Merry, and how quickly the rest of you leave to a hotel in the city. Some would probably think it’s strange that you’re holding so tightly to Zoro the whole time, rarely letting go of his arm, but you feel like you need some stability with how things have changed so much in just a day. You all still don’t know where Robin’s gone, you plan to go with Sanji and Chopper later the next day to try and find her.

For now, Zoro doesn’t mind you holding onto and staying by him. He tries to understand, it’s likely you’re thinking back to your parents, having told him of how they’d argue regarding you mostly, Elias being your safe haven who would remove you from the situation for safety.

Part of you doesn’t want to sleep that night, but Zoro makes you, forcing you to lay down. Really you’re worried you’re going to wake up and everything’s been a dream, none of your friends will be there, but Zoro, who you fully are coming to believe can read your mind, pokes you in the forehead before sitting by your bed with his back to you.

“Just sleep. I’ll be here in the morning.”

Every part of you believes him, you’ve got nothing but trust in Zoro.

+!+

With everything that’s happened involving Robin, your crew, Galley-La, and the Franky family, you’re surprised you’re even still on your feet as you follow everyone into Enies Lobby. You’d barely slept the night before and have been awake since early the previous morning, ending up following Sanji to the sea train that was taking Robin from you all. You fight alongside him, Franky, and Usopp, er, Sniper King, to try and reach Robin, only to lose her again in exchange for your own lives.

After the Rocketman train catches up to you and the four of you board it, Nami throws a towel over you since you’re sopping wet from the rain, and you start to draw yourself back from everyone for a few moments. You just need a bit to catch your breath, to keep yourself from crying due to how tired and upset you are. It’s going to be another sleepless night as you listen to everyone try and plan how you’re all going to attack the government island, you want to rescue Robin as soon as possible, even for the selfish reason of being able to sleep properly. Zoro tries to keep you out of the plan discussion, making you sit down and rest as much as you can, giving you water and sending you the slightest of glares if you try to get up too soon.

“Stay there, wife,” he’s quiet while he tells you to stay where you are, trying to keep his slip up of calling you his wife from those who don’t and shouldn’t know, “Rest until we get there. We’ll get Robin back.”

A slight smirk hits your face as you look up at him. “Trust her now?”

Zoro shrugs a bit, leaning on the wall beside you. “I guess. I trust you and Luffy more. But if you don’t rest, it doesn’t matter who I trust.”

Ah, that makes sense, why he’s trying so hard to make you take a break, other than you’re being up for so long now.

You’ll be useless in the fighting if you aren’t as prepared as you can be, if you haven’t had any kind of rest and keep worrying over Robin and everyone else. Even when you get there, convince Robin to let you all rescue her, most of your body wants to give up and stop, but you keep going, keep running to save her with everyone else.

You don’t really mean to get separated from everyone when you go to find the CP9 members who have keys that could open Robin’s sea prism stone cuffs, but it happens and you’re left defending yourself.

A few Marines get a little too close for comfort, but you cut them down fairly quickly, before going the other way from where you came and laughing to yourself at the same time.

I’m starting to take after my husband after all.

+!+

You’ve all returned to Water Seven after rescuing Robin from the government, you’ve maybe given her numerous hugs since even though its only been a couple of hours, and your unfortunate burial of Merry that’d left most of you in tears but all of you heartbroken. So much had happened that you had to step away from everyone for a bit, while there were discussions of what to do next although Luffy had once again fallen asleep from overuse of his powers.

Truthfully you wish you could go to sleep, you’ve been awake for well over twenty-four hours at this point, it would be nice to curl up in a bed and sleep the next several days. Its times like this that make you really wonder if you’re meant to be a pirate, maybe you should just go home and do what your parents want.

“Hey, you okay?”

Then Zoro finds you like always, quietly speaking to keep the others from eavesdropping, though Nami tries, a hand on your shoulder, this time he seems to grip a little tighter than before. You know him well enough at this point, there’s just the slightest hint of worry on his face as he looks at you, brows furrowed just a bit. Zoro knows you just as well, you step away like this when things start to get to be too much, you just need a few moments to clear your head and breathe, and since you’ve had that, you give him a real smile.

“I’m okay.”

“Are you really?”

You nod, Zoro doing the same in return as he knows to believe you, before surprising you by gently taking you face in his hands, as if he’s making absolutely sure that you’re telling the truth.

Having lost track of you while he’d gone on to fight the CP9 members to get Robin’s key, his mind kept wandering to where you’d gotten off to, if you were safe, if you were fighting someone or multiple marines, he really hoped you weren’t against a CP9 member. You had to stay safe, no matter what, you and Robin were his biggest concerns at the time. When you randomly ran into him, Sanji, and Usopp, he was surprised by the relief he felt to see you were a little banged up but otherwise perfectly fine. He’d made you let him carry you on his back the rest of the way, until you got to the ship and were able to safely be on the ground again. He’d barely let you out of his sight since then.

Zoro doesn’t make whatever worry he had about you obvious, only looking like he’s fighting to find something to say while he holds your face and you continue to smile, tilting your head.

“Zoro?”

“Glad you’re okay.”

Giggling a bit, you nod before wrapping your arms around him in a tight hug, your exhaustion and the fears and worries you’ve had the last few hours finally coming to surface while you hug Zoro, making him do the same lightly, to keep you from embarrassing yourself in front of the others while you cry quietly, though you know they wouldn’t care or judge you.

You’re glad Robin is back, everyone is safe and alive, you all may have lost Merry but you’re coming to terms with it.

But most importantly to you, Zoro is safe, and to him, you’re safety is just as important, even if he barely voices it. The last thing he wants is for you to be harmed, in anyway by anyone.

He'll be especially damned if it’s by his hand so he comforts you the best he can, until you’re calmed down enough to rejoin your crew, staying beside him.

He doesn’t make you release his hand as you grip onto it, instead squeezing it back whenever you do so. When you lean into his arm later on, he lays his head against your own, telling you to go ahead and sleep, he’ll get you to a bed. You make him promise to stay with you that night, and he does once everyone goes to turn in, not leaving your side for even a second.

He’ll make sure you stay safe.

+!+

Zoro isn't sure how you two ended up away from the rest of the party. Too much alcohol, yes, but his tolerance is higher than a normal person's. He knows better than to wander off like this, but you took him by the wrist and walked away with a new bottle of sake in your hand, convincing him that it would be good to get away from the noise and everyone else.

You don't normally drink as much as he's seen you do today, he wonders if it's the alcohol that's causing you to giggle incessantly and steal glances at him every bit. Not like you had to steal glances, if you two had been talking you'd be looking at him.

But you'd barely said a word apart from when he asked why you were dragging him away from everyone else.

“Just want some quiet time, husband.”

Zoro never stops you from calling him husband, he's not sure why. Your marriage wasn't real, he should stop you from calling him that.

He should, but he never does.

He doesn't now, even as you lean against him and say “my husband” over and over again. It's only the moment you crawl yourself into his lap that he feels the need to stop you, despite knowing you're drunk or at the very least tipsy enough to not know what you're doing.

“Get off.”

He still doesn't push you off, he's not that heartless.

“Nooooo…” You whine and start to nuzzle your face in his neck, sighing happily after a moment. “My husband~”

“Ain't actually your husband, you know that.”

“But you're my husband still.”

“Stop it before someone sees.”

You pout, but lift your head up to look at him. Zoro can tell more so now that you're definitely drunk, you're more emotional than he thought you'd be. He always expected you to be a giggly or chatty drunk, not emotional to the point you're pouting but also looking like you might cry.

“You should...kiss me.”

“What.”

You nod, leaning closer and touching your nose to Zoro's, making him glance away from you just the slightest bit from the proximity despite the bit of pink across his cheeks that you can see. This is the closest you've let yourself get to him ever, even the nights you sneak into his bed from nightmares, you've never placed your face so close to his.

“You didn't kiss me…when we got married.”

“We're not actu–”

“I'll kiss you then.”

You close the gap for the quickest of seconds, kissing Zoro so fast it's like it didn't happen. Despite your drunk state your face burns with a blush and you apologize, you're not sure why you did that. Must've been the alcohol controlling you or something, that's your excuse. You're both quiet but neither of you moves for a moment, before you decide to get up only to have Zoro hold you in place by your shoulders. His brows are furrowed and you're not sure what's going on in his mind, before he pulls you back into a proper kiss, none of this tiny peck of the lips thing you'd just done. He kisses you fully and for more than a brief second, it's several seconds before he pulls away, leaving you both breathless and you personally shocked.

Shocked for just a moment before you take his face in your hands and kiss Zoro a third time, which he returns, surprising you when he wraps his arms around your waist and brings you closer to him (how you could even get closer when you’re already on his lap, you don’t know). You refuse to let him be the one to end this. You don't want this to end, it needs to continue, even if just for you. Even if all it does is make your feelings for him stronger, even if Zoro later tells you it was a mistake and he still held no romantic feelings for you, despite that fact he's so willingly returning such affection.

Even though, a moment later, Zoro pushes you away gently by your shoulders, neither of you able to breathe properly for a moment, catching your breath as your slowly sobering mind tries to play catch up with what the hell just happened.

You kissed Zoro, and he actually kissed you back. He didn't shove you off or yell at you or anything like that. He accepted it and reciprocated without a single word. You figured he would fight you about this, that he wouldn't accept it so easily.

Is this the progress you've been hoping for?

Once you've both caught your breath, Zoro doesn't even look at you, instead moves just enough that you get the hint and get off his lap finally. It's a few minutes of complete silence between the two of you, that has you confused. You thought things were changing, that you two were getting closer than you had been even before Luffy brought you along.

The fact he'd just kissed you back for several minutes it felt like, you thought maybe Zoro was going to confess to you, but when he still doesn't look at you, you attempt to bring him back by taking his hand, which he lets you for a moment before gently pulling his arm back to himself.

“Zoro…I…I'm sor–”

“I think…you should go to bed, [Y/N].”

“Do you,” you gulp a bit, looking away before you finish, “do you want to come with me?”

“No. That's not a good idea.”

You know this, who knows what trouble you'd bring to yourselves or the crew if you two went to your room together? Whose heart would be broken the next morning if you took things too far when you weren't fully sober? You didn't know, the thought of either of you being hurt made your heart ache and you couldn't bear the thought.

So, instead of trying to convince him things would be fine, you really just wanted to sleep with him next to you, you nod, standing up and dusting yourself off, grabbing the bottle you'd brought with you and looking at Zoro again.

“Are you–”

“Gonna stay here for a bit.”

It's all you can do to nod again, apologizing for pushing things too far before you turn and leave, doing your absolute best to keep your tears to yourself as you return to the party, giving Nami a small smile when she asks where you've been, promising her you'd just gone off to spend some time alone.

She doesn't believe you and intends to get all the information she can later, but she does give you a hug that nearly pushes you over, and says she'll beat up whoever made you sad, especially if it's Zoro, earning her a laugh before you return to your room at the hotel.

I wish he had come with me…

Truthfully you don't regret kissing Zoro, not even a bit. Despite his rejection of your feelings, the fact he so willingly kissed you back made you believe that maybe things were changing in your favor.

Perhaps it was because he was drunk, or maybe he was sober enough that he knew exactly what he was doing, especially when he denied returning to your room with you.

Either way, even with your heart aching from another rejection, it feels like you're making progress with Zoro and your relationship with him, little by little.

For his part of it all, Zoro stays in the same place you'd left him for nearly an hour, trying to calm his own racing heart after that exchange with you.

How he never thought of kissing you before, but now he didn't want to do anything but kiss you (it's the alcohol talking, he swears it is). You tasted like the sake you'd shared and whatever sweet wine Nami had convinced you to take several drinks of. A combination he never expected to be so nice, something he didn't think he'd want to taste again. The moment he thinks about it again his heart skips a beat, and Zoro puts head in his hands in an attempt to stop such feelings.

No, no, shit I gotta stop this.

He sighs and runs his hands through his hair, pulling it slightly to get those thoughts out of his head. Any focus on romance, on you he wanted out of his head. There's been too much of it lately, the want to stay close to you, to pull you away from everyone else, to give in and indulge himself in you alone. He'd told you nothing was going to happen and he had meant it.

But then you had to go and kiss him. The most innocent of kisses, a quick peck on the lips but he'd gone and pulled you back for more almost instantly. Then you made it worse by returning it again and holding his face this time, he didn't know why he enjoyed that so much. This whole thing was ridiculous, there's no reason for these feelings!

The only thing he could do to get some time to think was to push you away, refuse to join you when you went to bed. Who knows what would've happened if he had gone with you? Of course, he knew your thoughts were innocent, you'd shared a bed multiple times when you turned to him after nightmares, it was highly unlikely you were expecting anything more than to just go to sleep and wake up with a hangover, Zoro by your side in case of alcohol induced nightmares.

And he had made you go to bed alone.

That realization, for some reason, causes his heart to ache and Zoro has to finally admit what he's been trying not to, over the last several months, even with the more domestic thoughts he's allowed himself to entertain at times. Something he was hoping would fade away, would disappear over time like it always did for others, the feelings he's finally realized were going to be more long term than he expected.

Damn it all…I'm falling for my wife.

+!+

Contrary to what many may think, Sanji doesn’t particularly like being privy to romance gossip, not the kind involving his crewmates especially. He thinks that such things should be kept between a couple, so when he accidentally hears you telling Nami and Robin how you and Zoro finally kissed the other night, he’s less than pleased to hear it ended with your swordsman pushing you back, not taking you back to your room, or even staying with you for the night.

How unbelievably rude of him! To steal your first kiss, and not even walk you back to your room!

That’s what Sanji would’ve done. If any woman kissed him, he’d walk her back to her room or home, at the very least, to ensure she was safe and nothing happened. Zoro not doing that, when you were inebriated, when you could’ve been hurt or worse, it angers Sanji more than anything Zoro has or hasn’t done thus far. He views you as his best friend, he hates the way you and Zoro seem to get closer to a real relationship, only for something to happen or someone to intervene and ruin your progress. He’s been cheering for you from the start, ever since you confirmed your feelings for the swordsman, only to now wonder if it’s worth it for you.

If Zoro really is what you want and makes you happy, why does it seem like all you do lately is suffer?

Sanji doesn’t fully mean to give Zoro the cold shoulder this time, or even the suspicious looks he throws at him, but Zoro noticed quickly, before anyone else, and confronts him.

“What the hell is your problem, cook?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit, you’ve been giving me worse looks than normal.”

Sanji bites down on his cigarette, finally dropping the knife he’d been holding to face Zoro with a scowl.

“I heard you and [Y/N] kissed the other night—”

“Damn it.”

“—and you didn’t bother to take her back to her room?”

“What, is that my job now?”

“As her husband it should be!”

“I’m not really her husband! Damn it, this is stupid.”

Zoro goes to leave, but Sanji stops him by grabbing his sleeve, holding on and telling him to stop.

“Look, asshole. I could care less that you two are married, real or not, or that you kissed her,” Sanji grits his teeth, finally letting go of Zoro’s sleeve, “But if you break her heart, I’ll never forgive you, mosshead.”

While Sanji turns back to continue prepping for dinner, Zoro stops for just a moment. The two have had fights before, that’s obvious to anyone with a brain, but they’ve yet to fight about you. And he wonders why it's only now, after you kissed him, that Sanji seems so hell bent on protecting you, or maybe he's always been like this, it's just more on display as you and Zoro start to get closer.

“What’s your deal with her?”

“She’s my best friend, mosshead. I just want her safe and happy, even if it’s with you.”

He doesn’t say anything in response, leaving the kitchen to find you lounging with Nami and Robin, the three of you in some conversation when you look up and see him, giving a slight smile that Zoro returns with a nod, before heading off to the crow’s nest. What Sanji last said is stuck in his head, partially wondering if you told your cook what happened that night in Water Seven or if he was good at guessing, but that’s not the biggest thing he wonders about.

Would you really be happy with me, of all people, [Y/N]?

+!+

“All right, wait, so, you honestly kissed him?”

“Nami don't make me repeat myself.”

Nami laughs while Robin smiles, both amazed you got up the courage to kiss Zoro of all people. Yeah, you were tipsy at the time, even though Zoro still believes you were fully intoxicated, but you couldn't help feeling bad about it afterwards, just for a bit.

“I didn't fully think it through. I just…I don't know, I wanted to kiss him so I did.”

“I don't think he's too upset about it then,” Robin nods a bit, taking a sip of her wine, “You said he kissed you back, if he didn't push you away right off the bat, it sounds like he was positively receptive to it.”

“Yeah,” Nami quickly agrees, giving you a grin, “Sounds like you're getting yourself a boyfriend.”

“I don't think he wants that.”

“Well, what do you want? Maybe you guys could talk it through.”

What did you want? You thought you knew, to be a world renowned swordswoman, to help Luffy become King of the Pirates.

But what did you want from Zoro? Just to be with him, to stay married to him? Do you want to maybe have a family of your own with him one day? You'd had those thoughts when your feelings first started surfacing, after your impromptu wedding at that backwater courthouse. You'd stopped entertaining  thoughts for quite a while, but now, they're coming back more often.

More importantly, does Zoro want any of that with you?

“I…think… I want to be with him forever…”

Hearing Nami choke on her own drink, you give her a concerned look before she looks at you with wide eyes.

“You sound like you're in love with Zoro!”

You don't say anything for a bit, even with Nami and Robin looking at you like they're expecting you to deny such a thing. There was no way you were in love with Zoro, not at all. You two hadn't dated, your marriage was only temporary, it was meant to end as soon as you had something from your parents. You two weren't going to last forever, you weren't going to have kids together, live out your lives as a married couple. It wasn't happening.

No matter how much you may want it to. That's what Nami and Robin have come to think over time, from the things you've said to them.

“I am, Nami.”

Despite Nami's new outburst and saying she knew it with Robin laughing, you don't feel any kind of worry or fear about admitting your real feelings for Zoro. Neither of them would tell, your secret was safe as could be.

But for you, all you do is smile to yourself.

You love Zoro, more than anything. You've thought so for a while now, but finally voicing it aloud gives you a sense of peace and happiness. Whether Zoro ever returns your feelings or not, whether you two come to act as a married couple or not, you're more than happy to even stay by his side as his crewmate and friend. Even if you have to love him silently, you'd do so.

You'll hope he comes to love you back one day, but you won't force anything on him.

“I'm in love with Zoro.”

~~

Note 2: Me writing this: now KISS.

After writing: omg they kissed

[kittysarchive]

Let's take it slow, Jay

I'm not a male, I do not know how it feels for you so please correct me.

warnings- for male reader (everyone welcome), smut, hand job, Dom Jay, anal smut, mxm, making out, small cock reader, big cock Jay, praise kink, cuming in ass,

Siting on his large lap, Jay's hands squeezed the plushness of your ass as he deepened the kiss.

Lips chasing each other as your tongues briefly met, you pull apart from the kiss. Breathing heavily, a string of saliva connected your lips.

"So cute" Jay hums, hand lightly griping your chin. Cheekily smiling, with Jays other hand, he easily slides off his shirt. Drooling over his form, Jay helps you shred your own shirt off.

"Need you so bad" You whine out, rolling your hips desperately onto Jay's bulge. Returning the favour, he bucks his hips up, helping you gain the right friction. Only to place his hips back down.

"I want you too baby" Jay trails kisses down your neck. Lightly sucking your skin, he leaves his love bites as you helplessly rub against his clothed member. Unzipping his fly, he pulls his boxers down, enough for his cock to spring out.

Hovering over his lap, you raise your hips enough to fully discard your pants and boxers. Leaving you fully naked. Heat rising to your cheeks, you realise Jay is only missing his shirt.

"So pretty" Jay pushes your embarrassment away. Hands gliding over your chest, squeezing your nipples before trailing down again. His hands make home on your inner thigh, dangerously close to your small, pink tipped and leaky cock.

Squeezing your thighs as you sit back down onto his, Jay rubs his thumb along your thighs. Causing jolts of electricity to run through your body. Just from the touch, from the neediness of your body, your cock fully erects.

"T-touch me" You cry out, becoming frustrated from Jay's slight teasing. Laughing at your neediness, he listnes.

"Where?" Jay teases once more. Forcing your hands to guide his to your cock. Once placing them on your cock, his hand engulfs your shaft. Giving it a squeeze, you whine out.

Cock hidden in Jay's large palm; he starts to pump your length. Fisting your cock up and down, he rubs his thumb over your slit.

"Fuck" You bite your lip hard, hips rutting into his hand. Begging for more. Pumping your length fanster, Jay removes his hand.

"W-what?" You cry out in disbelief. Cock stinging from the sudden loss of touch.

"I'm going to fuck you... You practically begging for it" Heat rising once again to your cheeks, you look down. Only to be met with the view of Jays member. Body fluttering with both nervousness and excitement as you admire his cock. Red, hard, long, mushroom tipped, balls full.... He was bigger than yours, by a lot.

Jays hand trailed around your ass, sliding a finger into your ass. Your body jolts, not expecting the intrusion from there. Instantly trying to mov away, your body doesn't initiate, as you enjoy the feeling.

Whining as his finger deepens, curling in your ass. You wouldn't expect to like it. Adding another finger, he slowly spreads you ass open. Prepping you for his size.

"I-I'm ready" You beg, wanting his cock more than his fingers. You wrap your fingers around Jays own cock. Pumping it as Jay's fingers move out of your ass.

"Doing so good" He pulls his head back in pleasure as you fist his cock faster. Stopping like he did for you, Jay doesn't react. As his hand still lays on your ass, he pulls your body closer to his. Chest to chest, you slide down onto his length.

"Oh..." You moan out. Having barely experienced anything like this...having barely had sex, this feeling almost felt knew to your. Resting your head in the crook of Jay's neck, you raise your hips, sliding down on his cock.

"Just like that" He praises you, keeping a firm hand on your. Giving it a light smakc, you moan at the contact.

"Such a dirty boy" You ass squeezed against his length...you didn't mind being called that. You enjoyed it as much as you enjoyed being praised.

Feeling the need to be fucked, feeling the need to feel his cock, you move your hips faster. Slamming down on his cock. Placing a hand on his chest for leverage, you bring your other hand down to your cock. Giving it the attention it needs as Jay begins to buck his hips up into your ass, fucking you harder. Fisting your shaft quickly, your hips meet up with Jay's thrusts.

"J-jay" You cry out, voice slightly muttered as your head was still placed in the crook of your neck. Jay brings his free hand to the back of your neck, playing with your hair as his hips bruise yours.

"Your doing so good for me.... keep holding pretty boy" Hearing the pet name, your cry out. A mix of a moan and cry, your force your hips down, quicker and faster.

As your hands continue to work on your cock, you feel the need to pee. Balls tightening and a wave of needing to release, you couldn't wait any longer.

"Need to cum" You announce, voice hoarse as your body fights back the release. Slapping your ass hard, Jay's own member was close.... really close.

"Go on" He groans, feeling your ass tighten around his length as you cum onto his chest. Decorating his chest in your milky seed, Jay decorated your ass his hot and thick cum.

His hips soon slow down, causing the squelching of your cum covered ass to die down.

"You did so good....so good" His fingers continue to play in your hair as your body calms down from he wave of pleasure. Feeling his cum drip out of you...his fingers in your hair...cock becoming softer....your body was still hot, hot with pleasure.

[vanillawurld]

༊*·˚ I Will Always Love You

✧.* Pair - Keigo 'Hawks' Takami x Fem! Reader

✧.* Tags & Warnings - Angst, crying, begging, breaking up.

✧.* Summary - After giving some serious thought to an argument they had, Y/N came to an understanding that Keigo would never be the right man for her. The laughter that used to unite them now sounded forced and empty, and their frequent problems overwhelmed the passionate times. She now only has one choice to make.

✧.* Extra- I love Dolly Parton lol and Keigo is lowk OOC?

✧.* Word Count - 1004

Days have passed since Keigo and Y/N's last argument ended. 4 weeks to be exact. The only thing that stood out to Y/N about the argument was the fact that it opened her eyes to bigger things about her fiance. She realized that Keigo was lying to her face about who he was. He wasn't the same sweet man she met, that was a mask he was wearing. He was selfish and abrasive, that only cared about what other people thought about him. That wasn't the man Y/N was going after.

Y/N had no choice but to pack her things and leave, but she couldn't leave him without saying goodbye. She believed that would be her final act of closure for the both of them. Now, it was selfish of her to only make the choice of ending the relationship for both of them, but Y/N felt like she had that right after enduring years of selfish acts from Keigo.

Y/N and Keigo were not the same people. It was obvious to most people, but they didn't know the internal meaning of their separate lives. Keigo was indulged in his fame, it turned him into a conceited man of nothingness. Y/N was in his shadow. She was always connected to him, which made her feel like she lost herself along the way in their relationship.

As Y/N sat on their shared bed with her purse laying next to her, saw a notification on her phone from Keigo, letting her know he was coming home. Her heart started pounding. She took a deep breath to prepare herself for what was coming next. She secretly wished time went by slower, but she knew she needed to get it done. Or else nothing would get done for the better of her. Her stuff was already packed in her car ready to go, she had no choice. She heard a door open and close and his voice call her name.

"Y/N? I'm home, baby," Y/N heard his voice get closer, "I was thinking we should get some food from that new place that-" Keigo stopped talking when he walked in and saw Y/N sitting on their bed, fully dressed. He felt the environment was different as he looked around their room. "Did you redecorate? Where did all your stuff-"

"I'm leaving you" she said in a soft voice.

Keigo felt like he was hearing things and let out a nervous chuckle. "Wait, what?" his heart was pounding as he watched the expression on her face never change. He sat down next to her and looked her in the eyes, but all he saw was a void. He couldn't see the sparkle in her eyes like he used to. "What do you mean you're leaving?" he asked.

She took a deep breath, "I'm leaving our relationship."

"W-What are you talking about, Y/N? We're so close to our marriage! You can't leave me! I've given you so much without expecting anything in return," Keigo said in a scared voice. He was trying to convince her to not leave by bringing up the things he had done for her, but it wasn't going to work for Y/N.

"I'm sorry. We're living separate lives," She semi-whispered. She felt the familiar lump developing in her throat. Her eyes started to water and her jaw started to quiver. Y/N was trying to hold it together, she didn't want to seem weak.

Keigo lowered his head. He stared at his lap, watching the tears fall on the floor. He was thinking of possible ways to explain why Y/N was leaving him. "Did you meet someone new? Did I really lose you to another person?" he turned to Y/N.

Y/N shook her head slowly, "You're losing me to a life of my own." Keigo felt like he was hit in the chest. For some strange reason, he felt like that was worse than losing her to another person.

All Y/N ever wanted was independence. Throughout their relationship, she felt like she couldn't be herself because she was tied to Keigo. She was fully dependent on him, which she couldn't take anymore.

The silence between them was heavy and she couldn't take it anymore. She took a deep breath and got up from her spot, "I have to go."

Keigo caught her wrist, "No, wait. Y/N please." Tears were spilling from his face. "Y/N please don't leave me," Keigo said while pulling her close to him. He hugged her waist and cried into her abdomen. Y/N couldn't help but let her tears spill as well. She gave his head a weak hug as she let him cry it all out.

Y/N started pulling away, but Keigo kept her trapped. "Keigo, I have to go," she whispered.

"No!" he said. Keigo looked up at her, "Just tell me what to do to change. I can change, just please help me!"

Y/N simply shook her head. She held his cheeks and kissed his forehead, "If I stay, I'll never leave." With that, Y/N walked out the door, not looking bad. She closed the door to the room behind her, took a deep breath with tears rolling down her face, and headed towards the door.

Y/N got into her car and drove away. In her rear-view mirror, she watched their home grow farther and farther away from her. The moments of her and Keigo, happy together, fading away into the abyss of her mind. Readying herself to move forward.

Y/N was always going to love Keigo, but she couldn't continue her life like that. She marked the beginning of her journey to find her independence. Outside of her relationship with Keigo, she finally put forward her longing for self-identity. Y/N finally understood the true meaning of putting her own needs ahead, even if it meant leaving the life she helped create with Keigo.

˖◛. *. ⋆ Vanilla Speaks

if this flops im deleting.

imagine going into a haunted house, but instead of ghosts and zombies, you see men saying they're going to change laughing emoji

[lilacxquartz]

Those Late Summer Nights I Chapter 18

satoru gojo x f!reader × suguru geto

plot: you moved to tokyo over the summer to take a teaching job. as you get settled in, you find yourself entangled in a toxic dynamic.

chapter summary: suguru takes you to your hometown, finally ready to fulfil his promise. satoru in the meantime spirals, deciding on a bleak outcome for you both.

< Previous Chapter • Final Chapter >

18. Consequences

By the time Suguru finally returned, it was already deep into the night. You couldn’t bring yourself to occupy your time with much else while he was away, instead surrendering your mind to a blank state of mind. All you could do was lay in bed and passively browse your phone, ignoring those who attempted to reach out.

Satoru was one of them, but you didn’t even bother looking at what he was sending you.

You cycled between that and simply just rolling onto your back to stare off into the darkness for the majority of the night; never once bothering to turn the lights back on. You figured that since your mind was already in a dark place, that it wouldn’t have made a difference no matter what you did.

Suguru walked back inside flipping on a dim light anyway, dumping some familiar looking bags onto the floor by the doorway. Your eyes flicked over to the sight, squinting to see your suitcase and your laundry bag filled with the rest of your stuff.

“What’s all this?” you asked groggily, stretching out your arms and pretending that what happened earlier on didn’t happen at all. It was easier than facing the truth.

Suguru let out a deep breath as he ran his fingers through his hair, figuring out how to explain anything at all to you, “We’re going on a little trip, remember?”

“To my hometown, right?” you remembered, but it still didn’t explain the amount of things he brought back.

He paused for a moment, assessing your mental state before continuing, “To your hometown and then somewhere else, yes.”

You nodded despite not understanding fully, “Okay…?”

“Let’s just say that you’re not going back to Shoko’s,” he admitted after a moment of strained silence, walking himself over to the bed where you lay to break the news to you, “I’ve settled the rent for this month and the next, but she’s going to have to learn to live without you.”

“B-but why…?” you asked with a slight frown. You wanted to go back at some point. You liked living with her. It was the only part of your life that made sense.

Was he really expecting you to just move in with him without even asking you?

“It’ll be okay,” he added, sighing deeply again. He wanted to assure you, but he didn’t exactly know the proper way to do it.

“W-will it…?” you asked in a wary tone.

He dipped his tongue in-between his lips as though he wanted to say something but swallowed his words away. He wanted to lie and say that it was all in fact going to be just fine, but it was much more complicated than that. Instead, he looked at you with a strained look, hoping to get you on board with something else he had planned.

Running his hand along your thigh, he patted at your pocket where your phone was, “Do me a favour, will you?”

You sat up slightly, leaning your back against the headboard.

“Yeah?” you asked.

“Delete everyone you know from your contacts except me,” he requested. His tone was however firm and it sounded much more like a demand.

In response, you couldn’t even reply aside from a quizzing hum. Your eyes squinted at him as you took in his weary state, the exhaustion clearly clinging to his face. In his eyes, you didn’t look that much worse than he did; both equally tired from each other.

“You don’t need anyone else right now,” he added, tapping on your thigh, “just me.”

You cautiously took your phone out of your pocket and navigated over to the contacts under his watchful gaze. While Suguru wasn’t being the least bit forceful about this physically, his implications and authoritative tone made it clear that he wasn’t going to be giving you a choice in the matter at all.

With a deep sigh, you reluctantly deleted just about everyone off of your phone except for your parents and him.

“Done,” you concluded.

“Lemme see,” he replied, holding out his hand so that you could hand him your phone, disagreeing with your actions before speaking up again, “I said everyone, didn’t I?”

Frowning a bit deeper, you couldn’t help but protest just a little, “But… but… my family?”

“Everyone,” he repeated, his voice carrying a slightly more hostile tone than before. He did take a deep breath before going off the deep end though, forcing himself to calm down before handing your phone back to you.

He would have done it himself, but there was just something more symbolic from having you do it by yourself in his eyes. It was a personal and selfless act on your behalf, to let go of your old life in favour of him.

“Done yet?” he asked.

You nodded, showing him the screen.

“Alright,” he continued, not quite believing his own words as he continued to talk; was it even him at this point? “Go to your texts and clear everyone’s messages and… if anyone tries to call or text you again, just block ‘em.”

You hesitantly did so as he kept asking on and off to keep track of your progress, his demeanour seeming much less tense and more so relaxed the emptier that your phone became.

“Perfect, perfect…” he praised.

The two of you continued to sit in a strained silence for the next couple of minutes, not saying a single word. You didn’t really have much to say on your end because you were just hoping that this was all some sort of strangely realistic nightmare that you were going to be waking up from any minute now, while Suguru was hoping that this would be the last of the madness that the two of you would ever have to endure.

There were only two things left to do now.

To kill Yui.

And to move you all somewhere different. You, him and the girls. It would have been a fresh start for you all.

He did consider confronting Satoru, but he already knew that it wouldn’t have done shit. He leaned his body back, settling across the bed and joined you in staring into nothingness. This sort of thing wasn’t too uncommon back when he was a teenager, he remembered. He’d be interested in a girl and then Satoru would too, then eventually they’d both move on. It was different when they were all grown up though. It felt personal now, especially since he had real feelings towards you.

If Satoru just stayed in his own lane to begin with, then he’d never end up in this sort of mess with you.

It wasn’t your fault either; you simply got caught up in the middle of the crossfire.

Still, this sort of progression made sense. At least somewhat. He didn’t quite feel as though he belonged to jujutsu tech to begin with—not quite agreeing with who he was supposed to be protecting. Just even considering it, with how the girls were treated back in the village and how Yui got away with ruining your life… maybe the regular people of the world didn’t deserve it, after all.

“I really gotta ask,” he spoke up again after a while, taking his thoughts from his head and into the open, “you’re committed to me, right?”

You sighed as you felt trapped; not quite having a choice in the matter. You didn’t want to be left alone though, at least not after everything, so you nodded against your better judgement.

“Yes,” you followed up with, your voice sounding a little strained.

“Good, that’s good…” he trailed off, seeming content, “I guess I am too.”

You drummed your fingers along the mattress as your eyes focused on the bedroom door; your sights flickering on and off your stuff that sat piled up on the floor. Something about the whole situation didn’t sit quite right with you. He didn’t bother unpacking a single bag which threw you off. You were both going on a trip together sure and he was likely tired, but something about the way he was acting overall left you feeling uneasy.

“I should probably fix my, um, sleep schedule,” you replied, baiting him into a hopeful answer, knowing already that he wasn’t going to be direct with you unless you triggered the right context, “work’s starting soon and I need to get up earlier soon enough.”

Suguru shushed you just as you concluded your sentence, sitting up in bed with you again, “Nah, you’re not gonna be doing that,” he added, confirming your suspicions, “we’re gonna go to your town and then once the girls are back, we’re… going somewhere else.”

“Oh,” you blankly replied, wondering what he could have possibly meant.

“Yeah, just me… you… and the girls,” he reassured you, sensing your hesitation, “they’ll love you, don’t worry.”

“I-I suppose,” you nodded, not quite looking forward to the idea.

Giving your leg a gentle squeeze, he tried to ease you into the idea, “You wanted to change lives with teaching, right? You’ll still get to do that, it’ll just be more… personal.”

“I-I, uh, yeah, I guess I want to do that.”

“Then that’s what you’ll do,” he concluded, settling on the very thought on your behalf, not quite considering that you might not have wanted to do that at all.

~~~

The next couple of days felt surreal. A couple of knocks cycled on and off on the front door and your phone would at times ring, or you’d get a text but you simply just ignored everything that came your way. Most of your time was spent alone as Suguru tied off loose ends in real life, preparing to make a life changing move.

You recognised Shoko’s voice on and off at the front door talking to Suguru in what seemed to be a neutral voice. You partially hoped for her to get you out of this whole mess, but she didn’t seem to pry too much which only confirmed just how bleak the outlook truly was.

(She wanted to drop you a hint that she was actually on your side, but she had to be secretive about it. You were in a bad place right now and Suguru could read you a little too well, so she had to keep as level of a head as possible.)

Satoru swung by too, at times. He didn’t seem to act upset around Suguru either, acting suspiciously friendly with him and pretending that nothing was actually going on. It felt strangely infuriating almost to listen to the pair joke and talk as though nothing was going on, even though there was something complex warring beneath the surface.

Suguru was trying to keep his upcoming disappearance a secret from him, while Satoru plotted something much more sinister.

The way Satoru saw it was that specifically you were a complication.

It was all going just fine until his perfectly intact friend group received some sort of anomaly tearing them all apart in all sorts of directions which was becoming something of a problem.

The issue was though, that he wasn’t willing to just simply let you go. No, he considered it, but the idea never settled. Initially, he was going to request to transfer you to a jujutsu school far across the country—somewhere far away enough that none of them would run into you ever again, except in maybe an emergency. That much would have been fine, but no, something more darker festered within his deeper desires.

Maybe he could get rid of you in a different sort of way, while keeping hold of you. All he had to do was finally take the offer to move into a house on the estate grounds, finally selling off the penthouse. Then, he could flesh out the interior basement and simply just… stash you away.

Problem was though, it was risky (and was also surely insane).

But he did have the means. He could afford to do it discreetly and forge any required document into clear authenticity just by getting into contact with the right people. His family surely had the connections to do so, hell, he was content even with silencing anyone who looked too deep into what he was truly up to.

All he had to do was get you at the right time and at the right place and actually pull it off.

If he did though, then things had the potential to go back to normal.

So with that idea in mind, he pretended that everything was fine.

Completely unaware of what Suguru was truly up to.

Completely unaware of just how Shoko was planning to intercept them both.

~~~

Come the day of the road trip, it was surprisingly not too stressful of a day, all things considered. Just about everything needed was already packed away into the boot of the car and you didn’t have to do too much on your end. All you truly could do throughout the week was simply exist, so this was more so a welcome break away from your own unsettling thoughts, if anything.

The drive was a quiet one, like usual. This time there were no strange stops to the side of the road though and Suguru actually played music for you to listen to, though nothing too upbeat. Something relaxed and easy to doze off to, if needed and when you finally arrived there after many, many hours, you didn’t feel too weary from the ride, either.

He ended up parking his black sedan right in the dead centre of the town square, where the week parking was. It wasn’t too late just yet, but in his district of Tokyo, it would have been bustling, yet it was starkly empty. Your town never really got tourists either since there wasn’t much to do, so at the most there were probably a handful of teenagers loitering by the bicycle racks near the train platform with nobody else around.

In the city, it was of course going to be different. You couldn’t deny that much. It was going to be populated at least by the dozens on every street you looked at during the evening, even in the lesser central areas.

Getting out of the car, Suguru looked around, wiping his forehead as the heat of summer forced sweat to trickle down his skin.

“Well,” he began as he scrolled his eyes around, kicking the door shut as he watched you leave the passenger side, “this is a dump.”

“Yeah…” you agreed, not even being able to deny it.

“Alright, just give me a tour or something,” he muttered under his breath, blipping the vehicle shut before tucking the keys back into his pocket.

You proceeded to guide him awkwardly around the town per his request, even though you weren't particularly sure what he wanted out of the whole place. The walk itself was just as uneventful as the car ride and he seemed to bitterly take in the scenery as you walked through the area.

After a while, his voice softened and he tried to break the silence with you again, “You know, I’m sorry that you were a victim of this place.”

“What do you mean?” you asked, watching him kick a rock on the pavement as you both walked.

“You didn’t deserve to grow up here,” he added.

“I mean, I didn’t really have a choice,” you replied.

“And that’s exactly what I mean,” he sighed, feeling a bit bothered with having to repeat his point, although he did realise by himself once again that he wasn’t making a whole lot of sense to you, “you… you were simply a victim of the wrong place at the wrong time and to the wrong people.”

“I guess?” you agreed bitterly with a nod, he wasn’t really making much sense still but you supposed that you got the gist of the sentiment.

“What happens next is a consequence of that fact,” he added as he slipped his hand into yours.

“Suguru…?” you warily asked.

“I’m finally gonna fix things for you and I’m so sorry that you had to wait so long.”

The rest of the walk continued onwards without a single word said for a while because you didn’t exactly know how to reply to him on that front, nor was he expecting you to do so. It did however feel comforting to a messed up extent though, that he recognised that what happened here wasn’t your fault.

Eventually, you subconsciously led him to your own house and paused in your tracks.

He was the first to break the silence, “So this is where you used to live, huh?”

You nodded, frowning a little. You were silently praying that your parents wouldn’t notice you, especially after the rushed visit to leave from last time and the very fact that you have been dodging their attempts to get into contact with them for the last week or so.

Just as you turned around though, you heard a familiar voice.

“[name]?” you recognised the voice as your mother’s, feeling an uncomfortable shiver run down your spine as you were forced to confront her.

You turned around slowly, noticing the slightly ajar door and her concerned expression. It was a weekend and it was the evening, so of course your parents would be home. They probably spotted you from the living room. Suguru did not let go of your hand for a single second as he narrowed his gaze at her, pulling you slightly back as though to silently urge you to not stick around for too long.

“Um,” you couldn’t reply with much else than just strained sounds, “I…”

“You’re… here?” she asked again, her eyes flickering towards Suguru and then back towards you, attempting to figure out his involvement with you and what was going on exactly.

“Just a quick visit,” you finally replied, forcing yourself to hopefully ease her worries, hoping that she wouldn’t notice what sort of trouble you were entangled in because if she did, then what was she going to do exactly? Your parents weren’t sorcerers, they couldn’t even begin to take him on.

Despite tethering to your side, Suguru surprisingly didn’t protest when your mother approached you to pull you over to the side for a quick word.

Keeping you slightly out of reach from the company you kept, she leaned in and asked you out of genuine care while your father was still distracted in the living room, “Is everything alright with you?”

You weren’t particularly used to her being this way with you. Your father had been tough on you both when you were growing up, but it did leave you feeling somewhat nostalgic for the brief glimpses in your memory when it was just you and her alone when he was held up at work. The simpler times, before you could properly understand just how strained your own family relations were.

“I’m fine,” you lied, “I promise.”

She frowned ever so slightly, pulling you into a hug while warily shooting Suguru a look, letting go once your father had joined the scene. The way that Suguru looked at you in an almost possessive manner reminded her of when she was younger and just how equally pressured she felt from your father, silently praying that you weren’t caught up in anything similar.

“You’re sure?” she mouthed to you, her voice barely a whisper.

You nodded before briefly paying an acknowledging nod to your father, taking a couple of steps back and then turning towards Suguru when he cleared his throat to remind you that he was still there.

As you left your family home for a second time, you couldn’t help but look back at your parents one last time and the all too familiar look in your mother’s eyes.

(Were you really that different, after all?)

Finally back within his grasp, Suguru walked off in the direction you had in mind, his arm wrapping around your shoulder, “Took you long enough.”

“Was I supposed to just ignore her…?” you asked.

He shrugged, glancing back with a look of slight disdain in his eyes, “Nah, you’re alright. Can see where you got your lack of spine from, though.”

Frowning, you felt just a little bit of hurt course through your body, “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“What?” he teased a little, squeezing you tighter into his body as you both walked, his demeanour seeming somehow drastically different after that exchange, almost spiteful—resentful, even, “It’s true, isn’t it? The fact you’re asking me about it rather than jumping to defend yourself is evident enough.”

“It’s just rude though,” you mumbled.

“Case and point,” he teased, finally relaxing his hold on you, “don’t worry though, it’s all about to change.”

“It is…?” you asked, resigning to a sigh before he could reply. Maybe you shouldn’t be arguing back so much. He wasn’t exactly wrong, but the way he delivered his words left you feeling worse than anything else.

He hummed as he walked through the remainder of the town with you, hoping that you would eventually learn to stand up to him at least somewhat. He didn’t want you to take in the jabs and let them settle like a doormat as that much was boring, so he would continue to egg you on until it finally happened.

(Even if that was the wrong way to go about things.)

After a while though, he finally got to the point of the whole visit, needing some answers from you before moving forward with his promise to both himself as well as to you.

“Hey, [name]?” he asked you, squeezing your hand to grab your attention.

“Yeah?” you asked.

“I’m kinda curious about something, actually.”

You finally lifted up your chin to get a good look at him. He seemed deep in thought about something, almost appearing to be troubled.

“Yeah?”

“When you visited here last with… Satoru,” he began, “did you encounter Yui?”

“Y-yes, actually…” you confirmed.

He stopped in his tracks for a moment, turning to face you directly, “Anything happen?”

“N-not really,” you replied, trying to recall exactly what went down, “he made me ignore her and we just kinda left the next day.”

He scoffed, “Aw, that’s it?”

In a way, he was disappointed. Maybe though, Satoru just didn’t simply hold as big of a grudge against Yui as he did. He was the one who kept pressing for details about the bully when you all had first met, too, so he probably thought that you were exaggerating to an extent when you talked about the past. But Suguru knew about the cruelty of just regular people. Mimiko and Nanako were the living proof of that fact.

He supposed that in all of the wrong he had done, it wasn’t Satoru’s fault that he didn’t understand. He spent his entire life being told that he was the strongest, after all. The best protector for the people who didn’t know any better.

“I-I mean, it kind of worked?” you spoke up after a short pause.

Suguru’s tongue danced around his teeth for a moment as he considered his next response, furrowing his brows before coming to a conclusion. Suddenly smiling however as he relaxed his features, he brought you in a little bit closer as though to convince you that just a little bit more had to be done, “You shouldn’t let this shithole define you, you know?”

“I-I try not to…” you murmured.

“No, I mean it, like really mean it,” he persisted, starting to walk you through the street again, “all of the pent up anger, resentment and whatever vile shit that places like these harbour are reflected in the people that reside within them, you get me?”

You shook your head somewhat, despite your contradicting reply. “S-sort of?”

“[name], why would a peaceful little place like this even have cursed spirits to begin with?” he asked, trying a different approach with you.

“...B-because people’s troubled thoughts manifest as negative energy?”

“Correct,” he replied, squeezing your hand in approval, “but this place is so… quaint, isn’t it? There’s no real crime and as boring as it is, people seem pretty happy to waste their lives here. Yet, that’s not really how it went for you, was it?”

Attempting to keep up, you knitted your brows as he spoke, “N-no?”

“That’s because humanity is ugly. This whole town is ugly. There’s no escape from the negativity from people because people are inherently ugly on the inside,” he tried to emphasise, “and despite that, you still turned out to be good on the inside.”

“R-right,” you said as you continued to listen.

“What I’m trying to say, [name], is that you’re better than these people, these ordinary, boring people…” Suguru concluded as he tried not to trail off too much, “this town is better off without you.”

“So… why are we here then?” you asked.

“You can take a guess,” he replied, encouraging you to work it out for yourself.

However, you needed him to be clear, “Suguru…”

“Yui ruined your life, [name],” he sighed, “and she thinks she can get away with it because she’s got a bit of old money behind her name, but what she doesn’t realise is that despite all of that, she’s ordinary. Just a regular person. I think it’s time that she recognises that she fucked up the moment she ever laid a finger on you.”

Finally getting it, you couldn’t help but need him to say it, “W-what are you going to do?”

“People like Yui never gain a redemption arc, [name],” he continued, “they just simply learn to hide their malice better. So in return for all the hurt I gave you, I’m going to take all of that pent up rage—t-that… that pent up… betrayal and fix it by killing the person who started it all.”

Without saying a word you gulped down your thoughts and nodded, all the while Suguru carefully studied your expression for every person who passed you by, knowing exactly who Yui was from the moment your eyes glinted a certain way, from the moment you tensed up and just the way your breathing changed alone.

That this was it.

It wouldn’t fix everything, but he could finally do something right by you.

(And you would actually let him, because if you were being honest, you wanted for her to suffer, too.)

[echantedtoon]

Let's Summon An Oni! Part 2 Mine

(Hey everyone. I just wanted to thank everyone who read this far and liked my story enough to read it to it's end. I had a lot of fun writing it and it makes me happy knowing some people loved it enough to read it fully. If you liked this consider checking out my other works. Thanks to everyone for reading this, faving it, or leaving a nice comment. And thank you to Koyoharu Gotouge for creating such wonderful characters and giving me the opportunity to make this wonderful story.

Warnings for yandere themes, someone gets wounded real bad by slashes. )

Taglist: @lavenderdrxp

The next morning arrived but you could find no ring.

Your friends had helped you clean up the mess off your floor come morning and you all practically tore apart your room trying to find your great grandfather's engagement ring while your great grandmother's was ...around your ring finger? You could've sworn that you had left it in the jewelry box last night but woke up the next morning with it on your right hand...You must've put it on your finger last night and remembered wrong during your worry and sleep deprivation. However despite moving the bed and shuffling around everything enough to rearrange your entire house five times- There was no signs of any stupid rings.

"Don't worry about it, Y/n," one of your friends had assured you with a pat on the back. "It'll turn up when you least expect it. Things always do."

Maybe she had a point. Things did seem to turn up when you least expect them but that didn't mean you weren't upset with it! And your room still smelt like a hundred bath bombs went off in it. It annoyed you to know end but there was little you could do about it. After all there was the fact that you had to go work and attend the nearby college classes so you pushed your troubles to the back of your mind and tried to focus on the project in front of you at the moment. Papers shuffled in your hands and a nervous smile on your face.

"Ok. So I'll write the essay part, you make the 3D model, and then we'll both present it Friday?"

The man next to you nodded and hummed in approval. "Seems good to me. "

"R-Right..*ahem*." You nervously pushed a strand of hair behind your ear. "Ah anyways..Are you busy tomorrow?"

He rose a brow at you from the sofa. "Yeah actually. Why?"

"I was thinking maybe w-we could see a movie? Or maybe coffee-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" His hands were held up all of a sudden. "Look. You're very nice but I don't roll like that."

You blinked. "Huh? Like what?"

"I'm not a cheater!"

"Oh! Y-You have a girlfriend?"

"Uh- No. But I'm going to be putting up with any drama from your boyfriend." 

His hand pointed right at your neck or more specifically your necklace and when you looked- You froze. Your great grandfather's ring was out again but this time it was slung around the necklace you wore every day along with the cute little charm your necklace usually had. Your mouth dropped open looking at it then at him..a hand reached out to rub over your necklace, more specifically the ring again. 

"I-..I D-don't know where this ca-came from?!"

"Yeah right!" He abruptly stood up making the sofa move with his movements. "Do I look stupid to you? I'm not about to become a chick's side piece because you think I'm cute, and if your boyfriend has any sense he'd dump you too. Don't talk to me again unless it's about the project!"

He turned and started stomping towards the door. Papers fluttered to the floor as you stood up and held out your hands towards him. 

"W-Wait! I really don't know how this got there!'

He didn't listen. You winced as the door slammed behind his retreating form shaking the foundation of your home ... Before you looked back to the ring on your necklace again. It was your great grandfather's ring alright. Complete with a diamond in the middle. But how did it end up on your necklace? You threw it back into the jewelry box three days ago and you didn't put it on your necklace. The only logical answer you could think of is that you must've put it there but forgotten about it (even though you KNEW that you didn't) or it must've gotten entangled on the necklace inside the jewelry box and you didn't notice when you put it on the necklace. You never noticed the reflection of a man in the mirror watching your lab partner leave or how he also left the reflection after him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The quietness of the study was unbroken as the man silently studied along the table. The silence was only filled by the ticking of the clock behind him and the crackling of the fire in the fireplace that filled the study with warmth. The light danced across the shadows and lit up the place in the dark. It was a rather cozy room with many shelves of books, comfy chairs, and the table with a giant map sprawled upon it. Yes. His father would be pleased with the surveillance work he made of the new farmland he purchased. They should be able to divide it enough for the blueprints for the many houses. Renting the houses out to people would certainly bring plenty of money he could use to help pay off his student loans. A yawn escaped from his throat as hands reached up to remove the glasses before a hand ran over his face. It was getting late. A hard day's work deserved a good rest. The man stood leaving the comfort of his warm study before walking away to exit into a hallway. It wasn't too hard to find his bed inside his bedroom. With a small action of placing his glasses on a nearby table, his body curled up inside the bed cozy and warm.

But not safe.

Shadows moved. Elongated alongside the wall. Red eyes narrowed. An arm extended itself out.

" Looking so peaceful in slumber. Not a care in the world...I wonder what hellish escapades you'll have within a world of nightmares." 

The elongated form of claws reached out from the hand extending out towards the slumbering form. 

"A fitting vengeance for an intruding obstacle. Let's make you fear ever speaking with a certain person ever again. You'll learn not to disrespect my once even in your thoughts nce I'm done with you."

A fingertip pressed against the soft skin of the man's forehead. Manic rising as the brows furrowed more and more. And soon his mouth opened up as eyes shrunk at a shadowed figure. And a scream shrieked out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Did you hear about Sabo?"

The clanking and clacking of lockers shut around you before you looked up at your friend who looked concerned at you. 

"Huh? What was that?"

Her brow rose annoyed and a hand placed itself on her hip. "Didn't you hear a word I said?"

"S-Sorry. I've been... distracted by work lately."

That was an understatement. You kept waking up with the ring on your body in one way or another. Two days ago you decided that you were overacting about the ring after your lab partner left you stranded and to ensure that you didn't lose another ring, you put a combination lock on the jewelry box after you chucked the ring back in. Now you couldn't misplace it again. However you were exhausted when you went to work and accidentally fell asleep at the cash register only to be startled awake by a customer shaking your shoulders. You rang him up as usual feeling a bit out of it, however you nearly had a mental break down when you once again found a golden band on your finger.

You practically tore the lock off fiddling with the numbers and dumping the entire thing out, and finding no ring inside. You KNOW you put it back! You KNOW that you locked it up right! You KNOW that only YOU know the combination! And you KNOW that it was still locked when you came back!! So how the hell did it get out of the box and on your ring at work?!

There was only one explanation.

You were being haunted! Your great grandparents must be angry at you for losing the other ring! You didn't believe in anything supernatural at all but this was the only thing you could think of that made even remotely sense. You knew you weren't crazy so what else could it be? However you hadn't told anyone yet. Then they'd think you were REALLY crazy! The stress was getting you to space out in front of your gym locker and made your friend groan.

"I can see that. Did you hear about Sabo at all?"

You shook your head. "Not sense three days ago. He didn't answer any of my texts and the project was due TODAY and only the essay was ready! I had to stay up all last night and finish it!"

You had to quickly slap together a 3D model online as accurately as you could and just present the entire thing yourself because he didn't even bother showing up to class! You just hoped it was just good enough for a C or B. 

"I don't know what he thinks he's doing ghosting me like!"

"Probably because he walked himself into the hospital."

You paused before looking at her. "What?!"

"Some kind of wild animal broke into his house a couple nights ago and really tore into him. They had to take him to the hospital and they haven't found what did it get. At least that's what I heard. "

"Oh my God. Is he ok?"

"Dunno. I'm only telling you what I heard and from what I did, he was barely alive when they found him the next morning."

That was terrible! But also why you never slept with the windows open. You felt bad about Sabo but hopefully you can get the both of you a decent grade for the project. 

However you didn't know the bigger problem awaiting at home just for you.

You were so worried about the ring and tired from not getting any sleep last night that you didn't even consider anything else was wrong. You stopped by the grocery store on the way home and just barely was able to balance three paper bags in your arms and unlock the door. Pushing it in and then closing it behind you. Tired eyes just passing by the living room and crossing into the kitchen.

You passed by a man sitting on your comfortable fluffy rug and reading a book from your shelf. Clink- A small teacup clinked as he gently took a sip before he gently placed it back down and started reading the next page as if the woman didn't walk past him. 

"Good evening, Dear."

"Hi." Your tired brain automatically responded without a thought as you placed the bags on the table.

"What are you cooking for dinner?"

"Tonkatsu and rice." Again you responded automatically just tiredly reaching into bags and setting things up on the table.

"Ah. A simple but delicious dish. I haven't had that since a man left it on my shrine fifty years ago for an offering."

"Uh huh."

You passed by the doorway towards the stove with a package of uncooked rice. Step. Step. Ste-....Tired eyes suddenly blinked open wide nearly bugging out of her skull...Feet slowly turned around and walked back towards the doorway. Step. Step. Step. Half her body leaned back out of the doorway...Thud. A bag of rice fell from her hands and fell to the floor with a loud thud seeing the figure of a VERY tall man sitting on the floor of her living room in a meditative state, one hand holding a murder mystery novel as the other gently lifted the teacup back to his face which was mostly obscured by long burgundy bangs. 

You stared staring like one of those comically large eyed cartoon characters. 

A long sip was calmly given before he spoke again. "You dropped the rice."

"W-WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" You were wide awake now. Panic setting in from the sudden realization that there was a STRANGER IN YOUR HOUSE!! "H-HOW DID YOU GET INTO M-MY HOUSE?! DID YOU BREAK IN!?"

"Spouses share an abode. Cease your loud voice. It's unbecoming."

"Wha- L-LOOK! I-I don't know w-w-who you think you are-" Your hand fumbled badly for the phone in your pocket. "-b-b-b-but you better leave O-Or I'm calling the police!!" You made a threatening gesture by holding up your phone in a badly shaking hand. 

"Even if you do, they will not see me unless I want them to. Now put down that ridiculous object." 

"I'm warning you! I-I will!"

"Really? With what?"

"With my-"

You froze. Eyes going small as ashes fell from your hand that was holding a phone just two seconds ago, and instead a new shiny ring was again snugly sat on your finger. You jaw fell open.

"That's better. You'd better stop taking it off. It's tiring to keep putting it back."

You started breathing heavier head turning back to him. Fear slammed into your vertebrate like a railroad spike being hammered into the ground. "W-Who..are you?"

"Every human asks me that but I don't see why you shouldn't know who I am, considering that you were the one that summoned me and proposed."

"P-P-Proposed?!" The book closed with a sound and his hand tilted towards you. It was then that you saw the dazzling gleam of a shiny golden band on his finger. You knew what it was instantly. "My great grandfather's ring." Your eyes then narrowed again as you pointed. "THAT'S MINE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH IT, THIEF!?"

"Thief? Hardly. It was presented to me when you proposed fourteen days ago." He slowly stood from where he sat and you suddenly realized how small you were compared to him. "You asked me to become your husband and I accepted your offer. Was that not your intention when you summoned me that night?"

"Summoned? What do you-..."

You fell silent as his head turned. Burgundy hair framed a face as six pairs of eyes stared down at you. Lungs heave. Panic swam. Senses heightened as you rushed to turn around only to scream out as the face was now standing in the kitchen inches away from your trembling form. A clawed fist clamping itself around your forearm like a hot iron ensnaring you frozen to the spot. The silence carried on as you both still stared as your face horrified, and then a clawed hand held up a shiny golden band around his ring finger. 

"I accepted and now we are bound in matrimony, My Little Wife."

"W-Who are you?!"

"I go by many names. Your people still revere me as Moon God, while others of the past called me Demon. You may call me by my true name. Michikatsu." Those beautiful eyes widened even more, especially when a hand reached out to tilt her chin back up to him, the feeling of his claws making her shiver under his careful grasp. "Or as Husband. I have decided that I accept this coupling."

Your hyperventilating lungs breathed- GASPED for air. Lips. Trembled. Body shook. Tears welding up. "I-I.. Can't accept."

"I'm afraid you have no choice but to honor those vows because now-" The Ring burnt again your flesh like a clamp, death sentence for your new fate. "..Not even death will do us part." 

[bbrissonn]

moldy w a gf who also plays a sport at michigan. i’m just gonna say volleyball cause that’s why i play but he’s like her biggest cheerleader and yelling at anyone who dares to say anything negative abt her OR her team

nick would be like your number one cheerleader. like it's always been your best friend, but even she's shocked at how crazy he goes during games.

warnings: not proofread

under the cut !

"let's go, baby!" nick yelled from his spot in the stands, fully decked out in maize, making it so much easier to for you to spot him. he was finally successful in convincing some of his friends to come with him to your game, and it was safe to say they were shocked at how he was acting.

"moldy, dude, calm down." luca laughed from next to him, some of the other boys nodding along. at the same moment, you hit your serve, the other team unable to get their body behind the ball, giving your team the point. this made your boyfriend stand up from his spot, yelling loudly.

"good job, babe!" he yelled out, clapping his hands with a wide smile. "let me cheer on my girl in peace, would you?" nick mumbled harshly, before once again yelling out encouragements for you.

"think people in ohio can hear you, bud."

"oh, speaking of ohio. im going down there next week for her game, any of you wanna come with?" he asked like it was nothing, his eyes staying focused on you.

"bro, you're insane."

~

once the game was over, all of the boys went home, expect for luca since nick forced him to stay. they were currently waiting for you outside, enjoying the warm weather before winter took over the town.

"luca?"

"mh?"

"do you... do you think i'm like, too intense?" nick wondered. he personally thought he was just being a supportive boyfriend, but after his friend's comments, he wasn't so sure anymore.

"what do you mean?"

"like during y/n's game. am i too much?" his question made the older boy a bit before placing one of his hands on nick's shoulder.

"you want her to thrive in what she does. i am yeah, you were a little loud. but you're happy when you're watching her, that's all that really matter, you know. don't let the guys get to your head." the defenseman spoke. before nick had time to respond, you walked out, rushing into your boyfriend's arms.

"you did amazing, baby. i am so proud of you." the boy mumbled in your ear as his arms wrapped around your waist tightly.

"always do well when my fav cheerleader is in the building, nicky."

taglist <3 @sleepybesson

[thepepsislvt]

What if we had another Barto fic because were so starved for his content esp in writing if the reader was like a strawhat that luffy picked up in like skypiea maybe..like a shandorian with the little wings 👀.. just a thought..

I WIN yes i will write more of Barto bc i love him and im glad so many other people love him too!

this one seemed rushed and i apologize i wrote this before my second shift of work :(

Bartolomeo x Winged! Gn Reader

warnings: all fluff, some cursing, mention of doflamingo

you were born on Skypiea and thats all you’ve known

you were always so curious as a child but nobody would tell you what the rest of the world was like

So when you hit your teenage years you decide that one day you're going to leave the floating island

You had wings so you could easily fly away but you couldn't navigate the ocean by yourself

Most nights you would hope and pray that someday, someone would save you.

That's when a certain pirate with a straw hat came and fucked shit up on your island

At the age of 19, you knew this was your getaway, a savior you had spent all of these years praying for

After he won the battle he was fighting you came up to him and his crew as they were about to depart

“Strawhat! You must take me with you! I will prove myself worthy to join your crew-”

“Ok”

“-and I won't take no for an answer! Wait did you say okay? That fast?” you looked at the pirate captain with confusion and shock

All he did was smile and nod

So it was easier than you thought

It didn't take very long to get along with the rest of the crew members

You would give Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy rides through the air

Zoro taught you how to use a sword

Naomi taught you to pickpockets even though you probably won't use that skill

The Entire crew loved you

When Frankly and Brook joined the Straw hats you easily got along with them as well

When you got separated for two years on Sabaody you couldn't have been happier to see them

Your wings had fully grown and you could now use them to their full potential

You guys may have changed a lot physically over the past two years but nothing has changed between your friendship

During the events of Dressrosa, you decided to follow Luffy to the Colosseum to make sure he doesnt give away his identity and draw unwanted attention towards him

While you and Luffy were watching the fight, a certain green haired rooster head had caught your eye

he was hated by the crowd for being vulgar but thats what you liked about him

after his victory in Block B you knew you had to go and greet him

what you were not expecting was him to start crying and saying how much he wasn’t good enough to be in your presence

how can such a scary looking man with the title “Cannibal” fall to his knees over someone like you?

you were flattered by his kind (?) response and had to console him

he asked you to sign your wanted poster he kept

after the defeat of Doflamingo, you hung around Bartolomeo more, falling more and more for him and his wild personality

he had finally accepted that you were actually his friend and took his fanboying down a notch (he still has his moments though)

you had asked him out since you know damn well he wouldnt have the balls to ask you

when you did he just about died on the spot

but y’all had the best time on your date

Sanji and Nami had helped you dress nicely for the event

at the end of the night Barto and you were just star gazing as you told him all about each constellation

Barto knew he had to something he just didnt know how

“you see those six stars up there forming a ‘W’? they call that one the King of Pirates in honor of Gol Roger himself! isnt that cool?” you had explained while pointing to the sky

after you didnt get a response from him you looked over to see if he was alright only to be met with his face close to yours

“Barto? are you alright?” you whispered to him

He just stared into your eyes before kissing your cheek, leaving you flustered and your wings spread out in suprise

“was that okay? should i not have done it?” Bartolomeo started to panic and think of every possible negative outcome before you kissed his lips gently

“more than alright”

he Smiled and started giggling all giddy

“I GOT KISSED BY MY FAVORITE STRAWHAT!!” he yelled out into the sky

you only laughed and kissed him again

[bratbby333]

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ [ blog update ! ] ࿐ྂ

+ some housekeeping and info on new writing

hello my loves !! i wanted to give y'all some insight on what's been going on in my mind palace lately. there's a lot...so...cmon, take a walk w me...and maybe bring some snacks.

ੈ♡˳ first and foremost ! my work has received a lot more attention recently and i am so excited. with actual tears in my eyes, im happy to report that i surpassed 1,000 followers the other day. i am at a loss for words...just...stuck in a perma-state of disbelief.

im sending out the biggest thank you to everyone who has supported me, who's interacted with my work, to the lovely friends ive made though this account and to the heartbreakingly beautiful anime that brought me here in the first place. i am genuinely in awe...overwhelmed, even...i didn't expect any of this to happen when i started this blog and i am forever indebted to all of you for getting me here. im actively fighting off the inevitable surge of imposter syndrome as i type this out...i just love y'all so fucking much. this community means the world to me and i wanna scream at the top of my lungs in order to demonstrate my deepest appreciation for each and every one of y'all.

ੈ♡˳ secondly ! a message for my little angel babies, my day one followers; thank you for taking a chance on me. for watching me grow. for sticking around as i worked to get better at writing. im sure a lot of you started following me for my gamer!bf sukuna series...trust me, i love him and i know y'all do too. but i feel like my writing is heading in a different direction...and with a heavy heart, i'm absolutely gutted when i say that i am taking a pause on that series. i am forever grateful for the support and may return to him soon, though i cannot promise that. i owe so much of what my account is now to that series and i will never forget that.

for everyone who joined me as i delved into dark/dead dove content, thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me a safe space to explore different forms of story-telling. my choso fic was the first stepping stone and then i skipped every other stone on the path and jumped head first into the deep end with my dead dove gojo fic...i deeply appreciate all the positive feedback i received on both of those. after posting them, i realized that i am very into writing dark content. i know that taboo themes/dark content/dead dove subject matter isn't for everyone and i understand people's apprehension in regards to it. but with that being said, i will be moving forward with publishing darker content.

ੈ♡˳ so here's the writing update !

i did a poll asking y'all what kind of content you enjoy. a good chunk of people said long form fics (which is great, cause i do too !! mommy needs plot). so, i am migrating away from one shot writing. both because i've been thinking about it for awhile and because y'all are into longer stories, as well. but fear not, i will still write shorter stuff along with headcannons, drabbles, etc...it just won't be the main focus of my blog anymore.

ੈ♡˳ now, time for the big reveal ! perhaps it's a bit anticlimactic, but bear with me...

im so excited to announce that i have two new series coming ! it will be a dark, modern!au featuring choso (with a few other special guests) and a dead dove sukuna series.

i'm almost finished with the outlines, and have fully completed the theme layout + mood boards for both works. i hope to get the first few chapters wrapped up in the next couple weeks. if you want to be tagged in either of these (or both), just leave a comment or send me a message !

(also !! i may or may not be cooking up a dark medieval au series in collaboration with another writer on here...so be on the lookout for that hehe)

while i take breaks from writing my two series, i'll be working through my requests ! so if you've sent one in, i promise i will get to it, unless i literally cannot think of a good way to write it (im only human, im so sorry). also, im sure we already knew this, but im a slowww writer. i wish i could churn content out quick as fuck but i am too hypercritical of myself…it's both a blessing and a curse, honestly.

if you made it all the way to the end of this nightmare of a brain dump, i love you. if you've been with me for a while, i love you. if you're just now joining me, i love you. everyone who’s supported me in any way, shape, or form, i love you.

i present you with the sloppiest kiss with tongue (only if you want it, of course. i can also give you the tightest hug, the gentlest head pat, or my social security number...access to all my bank accounts? a mansion in the hills? my passport? hand in marriage? my first born child? literally whatever you want, babe).

okay !! i think that's all for the updates. feeling: very ambitious and motivated but also overwhelmed and mildly stressed but overall super excited for what's to come. im looking forward to this new adventure and i hope y'all come along with me ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

thank you again…for literally everything. yall hold a special place in my heart and always will. so, here we go !

see you on the other side, my loves.

— jade 𓆩ᥫ᭡𓆪

[synchodai]

hello! loved your meta on inheritance and i have a question for you. haven’t even started this as a proper fic yet, mostly playing around in hypotheticals, so stick with me here! but i’ve been sketching out an au where rhaenyra transitions - both out of a personal non-binary inclination and in the hopes it will ease her acceptance as heir. other details include marrying alicent & daemon sperm donation but the actual QUESTION i had, lol, was: assuming prince rhaenyra is the accepted heir in this scenario, and he has two daughters, the elder of whom is not suited to/desiring the throne (probably helaena) and the younger of whom (probably my version of visenya?) is…. how would you, like. advise them as a family to move forward with that? what could they do to support both of their daughters, esp w regard to like… things viserys failed to do for rhaenyra?

and also, who would people suggest instead of their daughters to rule?

please feel free to ask follow ups i have described this so hastily and so late at night lol

Oh gosh, succession with trans heirs/monarchs is very interesting to speculate on. But judging by the details here, I'm gonna answer this based on these following scenarios:

SCENARIO #1: No one knows that Rhaenyra is trans. They have lived their life fully as a man and the fact that they don't have a cock is not known to anyone but their immediate family. Their secret is never uncovered.

This is the sneaky scenario, where all established rules of male-preferred primogeniture would be followed as normal save for the minor issue that the crown prince secretly doesn't have a cock. If the secret is never uncovered it the fic, there are several straightforward ways to have Visenya, the younger daughter, be heir over Helaena, the eldest.

Make Helaena a septa or silent sister: This is the most obvious choice and least disruptive to the monarchy's stabilty. Septas and silent sisters take vows of celibacy and take no titles, so this would be the female equivalent of making a son take the black/be a kingsguard/become a maester.

Banishment: Other methods of disinheritance would be to banish Helaena (she'd have to be accused of a crime worthy of it) or having Helaena herself run away (what Aegon II wanted to do in the show).

Witenagamot: This is what Jaehaerys I did and is basically the most fraught and complicated option because it's the monarch ceding power to their vassals. Viserys's mistake was expecting his vassals to just let him bend the law without any concessions on his end. Compare that to Jaehaerys who gave the power of choosing his heir to a council that had a pool of claimants to choose from. Any law only works if a society agree to follow and enforce it, so if you want to upturn an established law (like primogeniture in this case), you'll need the backing of many powerful people to go along with it lest you be branded a tyrant. However, beware the unintended consequences of giving more power to your vassals — it may start getting into their heads to collectivize, rebel, and/or usurp the current reigning monarch.

Tyranny: A monarch can always enforce their will through violence and subjugation. If someone questions Visenya's ascension, then simply punish them to make them shut up. This isn't recommended though, since it leads to riots, rebellions, coups, and just overall instability. (Oh, and it's kinda evil too.)

Murder: It's an option.

SCENARIO #2: Everyone knows Rhaenyra does not have a cock but are mostly okay with it.

In this scenario, Rhaenyra would be seen by most of the people in Westeros as a cross-dressing woman. There would be a loud portion of the population who are scandalized by this, but by itself, it's not necessarily a dealbreaker to them inheriting the throne. However, Alicent would never be acknowledged as queen because same-sex marriage does not exist in Westeros. Any children she has with Daemon will be considered bastards and not part of Rhaenyra's issue.

SCENARIO #3: Rhaenyra's being trans is never discovered but Helaena and Visenya being Daemon's biological children is.

In this case, both Helaena and Visenya will be removed from the line of succession for being bastard-born. However, Rhaenyra (or whoever is the monarch) can legitimize them, making them Daemon's children. This still wouldn't make them Rhaenyra's heirs as it would put them behind Daemon in the line of succession.

------

I'm assuming your fic is going with scenario #1, so I put the most detail there. If you were to ask me what Rhaenyra could do to avoid the mistake Viserys made, I would simply advise them to make Helaena septa (like her great-grandaunt Maegelle Targaryen). Once she becomes initiated as septa, she can return to the Red Keep if she wants to, since septas are not cloistered and are often part of highborn families' household. The only things Helaena loses (other than her claim to the Iron Throne) is the chance to get married, bear children, and own land. If for some reason Helaena doesn't want to be septa, that's only when I would go for the other more convoluted options.

Hope this answers your question! Good luck with your fic~

[hoshologies]

Seems like you got more markfs coming your way🤭

can i request mark+ice play? (i know you have written 2 mark drabbles+1 wip but please don’t get tired of writing for mark LMAO)

LMAO we'll see how my adhd deals w the influx of markfs asking me to write abt him, but i'm praying i don't burn out on him bc my life would be hell if i did fr

⌗ now playing ... bad idea, moonbin and sanha

warnings afab!reader (no gendered nicknames), ice play, mark being a lil sadistic

you're not quite sure where mark got the idea from, what part of his psyche conjured it up and convinced him to try it just once. when he'd pitched the idea of temperature play, you'd tentatively gotten behind it; it sounded interesting at the very least and with mark, you were willing to give anything a shot within reason.

so here you are, on a saturday night, the only one bare to the room. your clothes are discarded somewhere on his bedroom floor (you care not, of course) and you're sprawled on his bed, head canting back against his pillows. mark himself is settled between your legs, fully clothed, and dragging an ice cube up and down the skin he has access to (which is, for all intents and purposes, all of it).

"stop squirming," he says, pinching at your inner thigh and drawing a whine out of you. when he glances up at you, his eyes are darker than normal, predatory in a way that he saves just for you, for moments like this.

either way, you're trying to stay still for him (you want to be good, after all), but you're not used to the chill of the ice against your skin. and you suppose that is the point of this whole experience, but still, your muscles can't help but tense up and pull away from the near unbearable cold. you will yourself to calm down, mumbling a reedy m'sorry, mark, which earns you a soft kiss to soothe the place he pinched you.

but before you can settle yourself, brace for the next touch of the ice, but it doesn't come where you expect it. up until this second, mark has been keeping it to your legs and your navel, relishing in the way your body reacted to the sudden cold; that's where you expect it to stay.

instead, he presses it right over your folds, draws it over your clit, along every sensitive part of you. you can't help but squeal, shift your hips to get away from it, crying out a it's cold, markie, but his free hand holds you down, the ice cube chasing after you.

in some twisted way, the biting cold feels so good, has white heat rushing through you. and even though you're whining, mark watches how your pussy clenches around nothing, how your slick seeps from it and coats his dark duvet. his hot breath soothes the chill, tongue lathing over you to get your skin hot again, just to bring the ice back.

when he offers you a reprieve ("you just gotta tell me if you want me to stop"), but in that same twisted way, now that you've started, you don't want him to stop. it's all too exquisite, the way he licks away the burning cold, driving you towards that precipice you so desire. you tell him to keep going until the ice is melted. and he so readily complies.

© hoshologies 2023. do not translate, copy, or repost my work on any site.

[rorywritesjunk]

I can’t tell where the journey will end But I know where to start

Prequel to my Kid Buggy fic, set about 11-ish years before that story.

Buggy meets you by chance when he needs his buttons sewn back onto his jacket. He’s young, up and coming, and he thinks everyone should cower before him wherever he goes, but all you do is smile at him.

Rating: PG-13ish just for some swearing. Warning: Buggy’s in his early 20s. I also gave him some anxiety and stuff because while he’s in love he doesn’t believe someone could love him back. He just has a lot of uncertainty with romance. A/N: Meet the Family plus one that isn't really nice. I finally caved and was kind to Buggy when it comes to romancing Sunny. End of the chapter mentions sexy times but nothing graphic at all. I just realized maybe I should take pity on the fool.

Title comes from “Wake Me Up” by Avicii.

TAGLIST: @lostfirefly @ane5e @kingofthemfingpirates @the-angriest-angel @tiredemomama @valen-yamyam16 @i-reblog-fics-i-like @plethora-of-fickleness @uhnanix

Chapter 1 + Chapter 2 + Chapter 3 + Chapter 4 + Chapter 5 + Chapter 6 + Chapter 7 + Chapter 8 + Chapter 9 + Chapter 10 + Chapter 11 + Chapter 12 + Chapter 13 + Chapter 14 + Chapter 15 + Chapter 16 + Chapter 17 + Chapter 18 + Epilogue

Chapter 16

Buggy couldn't fathom the amount of cousins you had.

They were broken into four age groups apparently. The 18 and older, the 12 year olds to 17 year olds, the 6 to 11, and the babies to 5 year olds.

The five and under thought Buggy was so cool and wanted to touch his face, hair, ask if he knew tricks since he looked like a clown, and when he resorted using his Devil Fruit to pick a grabby three year old up and hand the child to you, they thought he was even cooler.

The 6 and 11 age group felt they were too old for clowns and weren't really impressed that he was a pirate captain, but when he used his abilities to get their kites out of the branches of a tree and even some toys that ended up on the roof, they decided he was okay.

The older two groups mostly judged him because he was marrying their favorite cousin (you were somehow everyone's favorite in the family and Buggy fully supported that). Some of the male cousins tried to give Buggy the whole “you hurt her you die” talk but he wasn't actually intimidated by that at all for once. Found it to be more annoying than anything.

He would never hurt you in any way.

The female cousins thought you could do better, honestly, though they did ask what his hair care routine was when they saw how long and wavy it was (Buggy refused to tell).

All in all, meeting the cousins went better than expected.

He still had to meet your aunts and uncles. You told him it should be a little less stressful than the cousins, but when your dad mentioned the hot spring that all the uncles would be going to with some drinks, he insisted Buggy come along. You weren't there to help so he had no choice but to go with Blue.

It… it was weird. Buggy somehow was surrounded by all of them, each staring at him as they enjoyed their drinks. He didn't even try to drink yet, too nervous watching and waiting for one of them to ask something but they just stared at him.

“So, our little Sunny is engaged to a pirate captain.” One of them finally said (Buggy couldn't even begin to remember names right then). Buggy could only nod, unsure if this would lead to additional questions or what.

“How long have you been a captain?”

“How long have you been a pirate?”

“You better take care of our niece or else.”

Almost the entire hour spent in the hot spring went like that. Buggy barely spoke despite being in the spotlight. Blue actually did most of the talking even though he really didn't know Buggy well, but it sounded like he asked Sunny similar questions and got some answers and well, Buggy appreciated it. He had no problem being front and center when he was on his ship but off it, surrounded by this family, he was out of his element and hating every second of it.

A tiny part of him was starting to regret agreeing to coming here with you so early into the engagement since that had become a focus of a lot of conversation, but when he headed back to the main house and saw you with your cousins, holding the ring up that he gave you with a big smile on your face, he realized he could tough it out. It had only been a few days so far.

“Buggy, follow me.” Blue said as he put his hand on the young pirate's shoulder and steered him into the house. “I don't know if my daughter told you, but after Windy and I got married, we became jewelers.”

“Huh…” Buggy only nodded, not sure why that mattered. He was led into a tiny workshop where Blue turned the lights on, giving Buggy a view of everything.

Various tools, materials, stones, everything you would need for that kind of business filled the space of the small room. The worktop has dents, scratches, some scorch marks, showing years of love and hard work. There was a bright red cloth with two rings resting on it. Buggy picked one up to look at it, almost dropping it when he saw a tiny little engraving of his jolly roger on it.

“What is this?!” Buggy demanded, wondering if Blue was copying his jolly roger for some reason.

“Well, after you two showed up and told us the happy news, I started working on wedding rings for you both.” He chuckled, suddenly looking nervous and uncomfortable. “My wife sketched out the designs and I've been working on them the last few days as a surprise, but I realize now that that's silly because you probably have something better for the two of you.”

No, no he didn't. Was Buggy supposed to? He figured the engagement ring would be enough but was having a separate ring for marriage a thing? He was also thrown off by the fact that these rings were made in such a short amount of time. It was thoughtful, touching, but Buggy didn't know what to make of it. He set the ring back down and looked up at the older man.

“We… have to have a ring for marriage?” That was the question on his mind. He didn't have rings yet, he only had the (stolen) engagement ring so hearing that there was also supposed to be a wedding ring on top of it was a little much.

To his relief, Blue just chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder. “Only if you want! You're a pirate, I'm sure you have your own traditions anyway. I just wanted to give you a gift for taking such good care of Sunny this last year. I figure you're someone special by the way her eyes light up when she talks about you.”

Buggy scowled as his cheeks burned. That wasn't the case, you took care of him. He didn't do anything worthwhile to earn the love you have for him. Why would you tell your father something different? He didn't say anything, looking back down at the rings. They were a simple band, practical for working on a ship, but he wanted something a little more to it.

“If you already have something, I understand! I know this is a bit sudden.” Blue assured him. “And if you don't like them, I'm okay with that too!”

Buggy hesitated. It was thoughtful but it was missing something.

“No, they're… fine.” He told him, jaw clenched as he looked down at the rings. “Can you just add one thing?”

~

“Yea! We can have the wedding while the whole family is here!” 

Buggy spat out his drink while you choked on yours. Your mother's sister, the second oldest, heard that you wanted just your parents and someone to officiate and well, she didn't like that idea. She wanted to see her niece get married, why couldn't everyone enjoy it? 

“We'll find an officiant, we have the space to have your fiancee's crew join us so long as they behave and we can make the reception the big family dinner we always have!” Your aunt Stormy continued. Buggy was against the idea, was ready to say so, but you took his hand and gave it a squeeze.

“We just want to keep it small.” You told her, glancing over at Buggy. “The reception can be a party, but… we just want a small wedding.”

“Nonsense. You have a huge family, Sunny, and we want to see you get married.” Stormy said, shaking her head. “We won't take no for an answer.”

“‘We’?” You repeated.

“The rest of us aunts and uncles want to see you get married. It's not fair if we don't.” Stormy chuckled. “You're the first of the kids to get married, it's only right that the rest of us get to see it.” She glanced over at Buggy. “I imagine it will be quite a spectacle going by how your fiancee… is.”

“W-What-”

“I don't know what that's supposed to mean, Aunt Stormy, but the wedding will be small.” You told her, fixing your aunt with a look that told Buggy that the conversation was over. “Me, mom, dad, Buggy, and some of his crew. That's it.” You tightened your hold on Buggy's hand. “Please excuse us.”

You didn't wait and dragged Buggy away. He noticed you were tense after that, but you also jumped to his defense before your aunt could make any other jabs at him. Spectacle? What kind of spectacle was she expecting?

You dragged him into the house, relieved no one else was in there. Everyone was outside socializing. You took his glass and put it in the sink with yours, huffing in frustration. Buggy was both a little nervous but intrigued to see you frustrated, especially since it wasn't directed at him.

“Of course she would go against our wishes.” You muttered as you started washing the glasses. “Makes it all about herself. She just wants a reason to dress up and will end up making it about her. We are not having a big wedding. I don't want it.”

“Babe?” Buggy asked carefully. 

You looked up from what you were doing, frustration in your voice when you asked, “What?!”

“D’you want to… take a break and go to the ship?” He was hesitant to even suggest it, figuring you'd rather spend time with your family than with him, especially since you have spent so much time with him already. You stared at him in surprise and he started back pedaling immediately. “I mean, this is your family, and I know you want to spend time with them, so I shouldn't have even suggested that, babe. Forget it. We can stay. I don't need to go, y’know, I just wanted you to, uh, have…a break?”

“No, no, Buggy. That's a good idea.” You told him as you dried your hands. “We just have to sneak down to the water. Who knows what my aunt is saying about the wedding now.”

Oh, that was a good idea? He was pleased with himself, smirking at you as he leaned on the counter. “Yea? Maybe we come up with other good ideas while we have some alone time.”

You grinned and tossed the dish towel aside. “Oh, and what kind of good ideas do you want to come up with, Captain?”

“We’ll just have to see, won't we?” He looked quite proud of himself for being flirty without something happening to him for once. “I'm sure we'll come up with something, babe.”

~

Something was you and Buggy in bed, naked and tired, both of you not sure how long you were in there for, both too distracted by each other to really care about time anyway. You had initiated it after Buggy made some joke about getting naked and you didn't hesitate in stripping down in front of him, grinning at the blush on his face and how wide his eyes got up on seeing you naked for the first time.

Now he was a little hesitant. You had said you weren't disgusted by his body upon knowing of his Devil Fruit powers, how limbs and parts separated when he needed them to, but he suddenly felt a little self conscious, so you walked over to him and kissed him, pulling at his clothes to encourage him. He never did this before, you had said the same, but like everything with you, he wanted it to be perfect.

He knew what to do from stories he heard growing up from the Roger Pirates and you knew what you wanted from romance novels you used to read to pass the time at the shop. And while Buggy took charge, he listened when you gave him directions on where to touch, kiss, everything. Hearing how you moaned and whined, panting his name between little gasps spurned him to make sure you screamed his name in the end.

And he was impressed he managed to keep it together when he was finally inside you, holding back to keep from finishing too quickly. There would be other times, sure, but this was the first time for both of you, and you were letting him touch you, pleasure you, and he needed it to be perfect for you. He was so in love with you.

And after all that, he was in your arms, head on your chest as your fingertips stroked down his spine while he made himself comfortable. 

“We should probably make an appearance before they come looking for us.” You sighed, making no effort to move. “I just don't want to.”

“We can stay here. The crew won't let anyone onboard.” Buggy mumbled back, eyes closed as he sank into your arms.

“I would like that since the second my aunt sees me she'll want to talk about the wedding, which is the last thing I want to do with her.” You kissed the top of his head and closed your eyes. “It's kind of late, we can make an appearance tomorrow morning. I just want to spend time with you right now.”

“Yea?” He lifted his head up, eyes wide in surprise. “You’d rather spend more time with me?”

You opened your eyes and looked at him with a frown. “Of course I would. I love you, Buggy.” Touching his cheek, you gave him a kiss as he wrapped his arms around you. “I love spending time with you.”

“Your family-”

“Yea, I'll see them tomorrow. I want to spend time with you right now.” You assured him. “Get some rest, honey.”

He nodded, settling back down with his head tucked under your chin, closing his eyes as you pulled the covers up over the two of you. He was more than happy to be in bed with you for the rest of the day, just spending time with you, not having to be surrounded by everyone else and their questions about himself and the wedding. 

Maybe Buggy could convince you to stay on the ship for the rest of the reunion.