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ittybittyfanblog · 3 months ago

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Error 404: (Self-Aware!AU, Sylus Edition) – Pt. 6

Summary: A LADS self-aware!AU featuring Sylus and a (!) player. That’s it, that’s the plot. Tags: player!reader x sylus, fem!reader x sylus, reader x lads, self-aware!au, strong language, you get your very own samantha from her (2013) lol, time skips as a plot device!, this has an arc i promise, if anybody here plays disco elysium you’ll find that i took concepts of “the pale” as inspo at some points in this chapter lmao A/N: Oof this one’s a little longer than any of the previous chapters. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! <3 (and just a heads up, this might be the last chapter I post before I kick it off for the holidays. advance happy holidays! if you guys celebrate that sort of thing.)

Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4 - Pt. 5 - Pt 6 - Pt. 7 - Pt. 8 - Pt. 9 - Pt. 10

There’s a quiet stillness brought by the morning after that makes the problems of a heavier night seem like a fairly distant memory.

For at least a few minutes past the moment you blink away the stubborn grit in your eyes—you don’t remember the last time you’ve been this well-rested in ages—you lie, listless, on the soft powder-blue bedding of your twin-size mattress, watching specks of dander and dust drift from the amber sunlight that filters through the cracked panes of the casement window.

It floats aimlessly; unhurried. Much like you.

The echo of last night’s events return to you in sporadic flashes—fragmented and unsteady. The whispered exchanges, the playful banter between you and your unlikely conversation partner play back in your mind, like some half-finished supercut.

And the more you recall, the more awake you feel, chipping away the last traces of daytime lethargy weighing you down.

“So, what happens now?”

The sound of a car backfiring breaks through from the outside, like a starting pistol signalling the beginning of another day. A familiar, heavy weight presses against your side, and you thread your fingers through the scraggly fur of the purring feline who’s taken the empty space on your left, just above the covers.

You breathe in deeply, closing your eyes.

“I wish I had an answer—I’m still trying to figure that out myself.”

You realize how many questions still linger, a lot more left unanswered. Far more than what you were able to glean, at least. From what little you’ve learned, an entirely new moral dilemma emerges—one you never imagined you'd have to contend with.

There’s a lot of things you’ve never expected to happen. Yet here you are.

“Seems we’re at an impasse.”

It’s an odd thing in itself. You keep waiting for the disbelief to catch up, for a shred of sanity to surface and make you reject the situation you’ve found yourself entangled in. You should be feeling the same, pesky feelings that pulled you sharply out of your flight of fancy last night; a sense of trepidation for what lies ahead in this fragile game of two.

But instead, you’re here. Now fully awake, and already looking forward to the day with wary acceptance. Looking forward to resuming where you’ve left off with that charming anomaly who’s upended your world, and left you suspended in an exhilarating limbo of uncertainty and excitement.

“...Indeed.”

You crave it—like the first stirrings of a neophyte druggie teetering on the edge of an irreversible habit.

You need another hit.

“Why the long face, little dove?”

Because if desire could manifest into being, it would’ve been Sylus.

“We can figure this out together, can’t we?”

You pick up your phone.

––––

“You’re here? Make yourself at home.”

You look at him, deadpan. He looks back at you serenely.

Your voice takes on a dry monotone when you respond, “Keep talking like that, I’m about to cum.”

There’s a shocked silence; then—

Sylus barks out a surprised laugh, immediately breaking character.

You snort. “Good morning to you too, I guess.”

He meets your gaze with a look of scandalized amusement, his smile wide enough to flash teeth.

"Good morning, indeed."

––––

You two fall into a natural rhythm even before the day comes to a close. Perceptive as he is, Sylus hasn’t let you linger in the unease left over from last night any longer than necessary—which to say, should be left buried and forgotten, past its provenance.

“So you could, like–hypothetically, top up my ascension materials… indefinitely?” There’s a manic shine to your eyes when you confront him back at the home screen, gleeful and triumphant after you boost almost all the 5-star cards you have of him up to max level. “Like an infinite glitch?”

He’s content to just simply listen to your excited chatter from his languid perch on the seat, one palm resting against the side of his face as he watches you—half-lidded and relaxed. Utterly entertained by your antics.

The slight twitching of his mouth, the subtle tilt of his head… each minute shift in his expression makes a whole world of difference from the version you’ve known him longest—almost a lifetime ago.

Now he acts so human, so alive, that it’s almost unreal.

(It’s almost imperceptible, but you swear the air also feels different; like the pixelated space around him is bending, stretching, to accommodate this newer him.)

“Sure,” he shrugs, lips quirking up into a half-smile as he notices the deep crease forming between your brows.

He knows the question you’re about to ask—curious thing that you are.

“How, though? Like, what are ‘materials’ to you?” You make air quotes with your fingers, making you appear all the more endearing to him look at, in your process to make sense of a world that’s unfamiliar to you.

“Think of it as upgrades,” Sylus explains patiently. “You place the order to modify the equipment I use, in whichever situation calls for it.”

“And Memory Cards?”

“... A video reel, maybe. Or a restricted case file—locked until you’ve got enough to trade for the information you want.”

“And I suppose the dealer in question here is you?”

He arches an eyebrow. “Who else?”

“Huh,” you say, considering. “So, Deepspace Trials. That’s something you do on the daily? Because I… make you?”

“More or less.”

“And you never thought to question that?”

“Mm, maybe I’ll start charging for my services this time around.”

You roll your eyes, already accepting his analogy for what it is. “Oh, please. With the amount of money I’ve spent on this game, consider yourself paid in full.”

––––

You were right about your earlier prediction—this new Sylus in combat mode is something else.

For starters, he’s a lot chattier.

“Ouch, kitten– don’t charge in like that.”

“Why are you using a sword? Don’t you like the guns I’ve given you specifically for this?”

“What are you waiting for? Make her resonate with me now.”

And, instead of sticking to his lines and responding to whatever the MC’s programmed to say during battle, he focuses on whatever you’re fussing over—no matter how… moronic it is.

“Ah, fuck! I hate that spinning thing!”

“Move, then. Let me handle it.”

“Block it, block it!”

“I would, if you weren’t halfway across the field. Stick closer to your partner next time, yeah?”

He doesn’t say any of his usual lines. Nothing from his scripted prompts. When all Wanderers are defeated, there’s no post-battle banter between him and the MC.

“Goddamn, you’re strong!” You whoop giddily, completely energized by straight winning almost twelve Orbit trials in a row. I guess that’s what a fully awakened Solar pair gets you, huh?

Sylus lets out a chuckle, infected by your enthusiasm. He doesn’t sound the least bit winded, despite all the damned fighting you’ve put him through.

“We make a good team,” he allows. And because he likes the little nose scrunch you do when you’re annoyed— “Although your dodging really needs more practice, sweetie.”

Before you could think of a comeback, the pop-up window for the next stage comes up. Ass.

––––

Come Monday morning and you’re once again swamped with work.

You barely have enough time to scrounge something up for lunch—if it weren’t for the persistent reminders from Sylus, chiming in every five minutes once the digital clock on your phone had hit eleven-thirty, you’d probably skip eating altogether.

And make something else than just boiling a pot of instant ramen, sweetheart. You’re on track for an early grave at this rate.

“I could… add an egg?” You suggest, unsure. “Maybe cut up some tofu, make it gourmet?”

He doesn’t even dignify the egg suggestion with a response. Tofu’s a good start. Now, what else do you have in your pantry that has nutritional value?

“I despise that,” you mutter, but start rifling through the cupboards anyway.

After amassing enough ingredients—or what looks more like a sad pile—that might, with some effort, turn into something healthier than your usual go-to fix, you start Googling recipes online.

‘tofu easy lunch recipe’

‘10 mins tofu recipes’

‘begginer recipe using tofu frozen dory mixed veg—’ Ping!

… Really, kitten?

You don’t even have to see him to know he’s giving you that look, the one that’s practically dripping with judgment over your dubious life choices.

(You know it all too well. Personally, in fact. You see it on some relatives' faces at the family get-togethers you’re always required to attend.)

Great. Heat creeps up your face as you mumble defensively, “Stop. Not everyone’s a culinary genius, okay?”

After that, he lets you be – something you’re thankful for, really. He’s being too distracting anyway.

Swallowing down the–stubborn and suffocating–embarrassment that's now stuck in your throat, you keep scrolling through Tasty dot co, praying you can whip up something edible with what (little) you have. You’re fully aware that you’re a grown-ass woman who can’t manage a basic life skill and that you’re probably about to burn down your kitchen—

Another notification pops up.

Pull up your tabs, sweetie. I think you’ll find something there that we could put together easily.

Confused, you do as he says. Sure enough, four tofu-related recipes are neatly grouped together in your Chrome browser, ready to be tried and tested.

Your eyes widen. “Wait—you did this? How?”

He doesn’t answer your question. He does, however, offer: Want me to coach you through it? Cooking’s more fun done with a partner, I’d say.

In the end, you manage to make something that tasted way better than you thought you could do by yourself. You have him to thank for that.

“You happy with it?” Sylus asks, grinning at the satisfied look on your face.

“Mhm!” you hum around a mouthful of food. “Fanks, Sy.”

“Anytime, darling.”

––––

“Do you really have to call me ‘kitten’? You sound like a Discord mod.”

Sylus has no idea what a Discord mod is, but judging by the contempt in your voice, it’s clear that you’re not giving him a compliment.

"What do you prefer, then? Princess? Poppet? Sweet thing?" He pauses, tilting his head. "Baby?"

You blush and look away. "... Ugh, whatever. Kitten's fine."

––––

Your routine with Sylus settles into a seamless, effortless flow as the days go by; it’s almost second nature, talking to him. So much so that you’d think nothing could faze you anymore.

Well. Almost nothing.

A message bubble from an unknown number appears on your lock screen: Hi, sweetheart. X

You almost ignore it—brushing it off as some dumb prank from a bored rando—when, not even five seconds later, another text pops up.

+0063-XXXXXX: Its Sylus.

… Huh?

“Is someone fucking with me right now, or…”

+0063-XXXXXX: Nobodys ‘fucking with you,’ kitten.

Then–

+0063-XXXXXX: Send a reply so I can see how it shows up on my end.

Your jaw drops. “Holy shit—you can text?? How are you doing that?” and, “Did you just cuss...?”

+0063-XXXXXX: 👍

+0063-XXXXXX: And Ill let you know if you text me the question 🙄

So you do. You tack on a now spill?? at the end for good measure.

You watch the “typing…” bubble appear, holding your breath.

+0063-XXXXXX: Its a complex mix of technical code and harnessing the energy from a dormant protofield Ive discovered, just south of Vagrants Land.

+0063-XXXXXX: The energy I got from it felt different somehow from your normal protofield. I figured I could put it to good use.

+0063-XXXXXX: Oddly enough, theres an… indescribable effect to oneself when youre nearing the centre of disturbance, shall we say.

+0063-XXXXXX: I can only decrypt the waveforms by the rarefield border surrounding the AoR. Any further and Im afraid the adverse effects may do more harm than good.

+0063-XXXXXX: But if amplified, it seems responsive to the filament of what connects your signal from deep space to this planet.

+0063-XXXXXX: Who knew it could act as a transmitter to send you something as rudimentary as a telegraph?

… Sometimes you forget how smart Sylus really is.

You: that’s pretty amazing ?? wtf sylus

+0063-XXXXXX: I get by OK.

You could practically feel his smugness radiating from those four words. You scoff, shaking your head in a mix of awe and begrudging admiration.

He sends two more messages.

+0063-XXXXXX: Im just glad we can communicate through other means, sweetie.

Sy-Sy (??): Now save my number. Sy Sy will suffice 😉

––––

Since your latest discovery that Sylus can now text (!!), you’ve been talking to him outside the game non-stop. It’s like talking to a very active friend who never leaves you on read, and you couldn’t be more ecstatic.

You: so no one else in ur universe knows anything abt ur situation?

You: no one else acting funny or sumn ? >.>

Sy-Sy (??): None that I know of, no. I prefer to keep it under wraps.

Sy-Sy (??): Now that you mention it, Mephisto has been acting quite suspicious lately.

You: ?? suspicious-suspicious or just reg suspicious??

Sy-Sy (??): Hes with his other crow friends now. They might be attempting a murder.

You: ………. is that…. supposed 2 be a joke……….

Sy-Sy (??): Im running on 3 hours of sleep, give me a break.

Sy-Sy (??): Also your textspeak is horrendous, sweetie.

"Um, hello—?"

Your gaze snaps back to the–very real, very present–person sitting across from you at the table, sporting box-dyed blue hair and a frown. You're at the Annex House; a sleek, new-age Japandi-style bar downtown, just an easy five stations away from your place. You both decided to try it for their infamous Rotten Apple cocktail and, of course, your weekly catch-up.

Khol, your friend of eight years since college, is currently giving you a mildly annoyed look.

Oops.

They point at you accusingly while complaining, "Ugh, we don’t use our phones when we’re hanging out! That’s the rule!"

You smile at them, sheepish, pocketing your phone as discreetly as you could. “I know, I know. Sorry.”

Then, puffing out your cheeks, you meekly ask, “You were talking about Anna...?”

They roll their eyes but go over the gossip a second time, much to your benefit. Phew.

Your phone vibrates. Twice.

…

You sneak a quick, final peek.

Sy-Sy (??): Enjoy your night out, darling ❤️

Sy-Sy (??): You let me know when youre back home, OK?

Biting back a grin, you send out one last text in reply.

You: will do !:9

Sy-Sy (??): Good girl.

––––

"Um–so this is my cat, Maru," you say by way of introduction, holding the plump, orange tabby in front of your phone that’s propped up against a carton of Koko Krunch. There’s a slight struggle in lifting his left paw between your fingers to wave at the man on the other side of the screen. "Say hi, Maru."

“Hello, Maru,” Sylus greets amicably in return, watching the both of you with clear amusement in his eyes. “Care to tell me the origin of this proud beast?”

You recount the story where you’ve first seen Maru five years ago, nothing more than a scraggly little runt at the time, hiding in the gap between a dumpster and the interstice of a cragged wall. You were walking home from a night out drinking with your uni buddies, when you heard the incessant meowing.

It drew you in like a siren’s call. If the siren in question had the vocal prowess of a warbling whale on the brink of death.

Upon closer inspection, the grimy fluffball revealed a stubby, crooked tail and wide, beady eyes. In your alcohol-fueled haze, you briefly wondered if you were staring at a tiny ginger rat.

“Well, it’s definitely all cat,” your friend Bee declared by noon the following day, calmly retracting a scratched and bloodied hand from the disgruntled feline, which promptly hissed and darted right back under the bed.

You hummed in agreement, passing her a wad of tissue.

"I couldn’t decide between Nospurratu and Catpin Meow," you say matter-of-factly, giving your capricious son a scritch under his chin. "Bee suggested I stick to something simpler, like Maru. Hence the name."

Your explanation is punctuated by an offended nip on your pointer finger.

Sylus is covering his mouth, but nods solemnly. “I think Maru is a nice name.”

There’s a moment where the two seem locked in a silent standoff, neither breaking eye contact nor making any sort of outward reaction. Just as you’re about to step in and interrupt the bizarre staring contest, Maru gives a slow, deliberate blink.

Sylus takes it as a sign of victory—or perhaps a ceremonial seal of approval.

With a faint smirk on his lips, he offers the cat a small bow in respect.

––––

You’ve practically emptied the entire arcade of plushies—enough to put it out of business if it were actually, you know, real—and you’re bored to tears.

“Another round of Kitty Cards, perhaps?” Sylus suggests, but a single glance at your face is enough to let him know that you’d rather gnaw off your own hand. Or his. He might just let you.

Sighing dramatically, you complain about the limited playability of the “mini-games” in-game.

“There’s literally nothing else to do. Same old shit, over and over again.” There’s a pout on your face that Sylus wants to nibble on, not that you’re aware of the forming thoughts in his head. “No new banners. I’m stuck between Kitty Cards and the claw machines... I’m bored, Syyyyy,” you whine, stretching the last syllable for effect.

To be fair, he has tried to make it a bit more challenging for you. He stopped fucking around during Kitty Cards—no more extra two cards in exchange for one of yours, no longer placing different colored kitties deliberately in the wrong cups.

After six straight losses, your frustration is palpable. The fun is gone.

He makes audible commentaries during each of your six tries at the claw machine. Every time you manage to snag a plushie, he praises you for a job well done (It flusters you—not that he needs to know that). When your luck runs out and you grab onto nothing but air, he wryly points it out through some slight ribbing, but nothing that’s actually hurtful (This flusters you too—again, not that he needs to know any of this).

There’s nothing else to do. It’s like you’ve exhausted all you could in this small, curated window of his that you’re privy to. If only there’s a way to leave the mini-games behind, to do something new, perhaps outside of what the game has to offer…

Oh, wait.

“Hey, Sy,” you call the man to attention. “Wanna try something out?”

You beat him at Words with Friends by a small margin.

“Ha! That’s thirty-nine points, buddy.” You crow proudly, after putting down Devotees in a straight column.

He eviscerates you at Zynga Poker.

“... How are you so good at this??”

“Comes with the package, sweetie,” he says with faux-modesty after revealing (yet another!!) full house, winking like he hasn’t just wiped the floor with you.

By the end of it, both of you are in high spirits—except, maybe, for your bruised ego.

––––

“Say my name, say my name… If no one is around you, say baby I love you…”

“It’s nice to know that we have another thing in common, little dove.”

It takes you a moment to process what he’s implying.

You stop singing, affronted. “Wh—how dare you.”

––––

“Are you having fun?” Sylus asks, his tone droll as he stands there, hands on his hips and a small scowl on his face. You’re too busy spinning him around, thoroughly entertained by the number of outfits and accessories you’ve forced upon your slightly reluctant model in the photoshoot that's currently taking place.

It’s more amusing, knowing that he’s fully-aware of what’s happening. And that you know he’s aware of what’s happening.

He’s like your personal, sentient Ken doll—if Ken had ashy grey hair, red eyes, and a mercurial attitude.

“I am, actually,” you shoot back, grinning as you plop a tomato stuffie on top of his head. “Look, you two match!”

He exhales a long-suffering sigh, shaking his head in mock exasperation.

Not that it stops you. Fluffy bunny ears, a fish headband, an uncharacteristic halo—you’re relentless. “Hey, can you try a different pose?”

“That depends on the pose… and how nicely you ask.”

“Dear Sylus,” you sing, jutting your bottom lip forward and fluttering your eyelashes exaggeratedly, “could you please, pretty please, flip the camera off?”

He snorts but obliges, raising his hand to deliver the most effortlessly cool middle finger you’ve ever seen. “Happy?”

Woah. That’s… hot. “Oh! Uh. Yeah. Yeah, that’s—”

He raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by your reaction. You giggle nervously. “You look… hot.”

“Mm?” His smirk grows, teasing and predatory. “What was that?”

“Nothing!” you blurt out, but the pinking of your cheeks betrays you. He’s definitely enjoying this now.

“I could be convinced to do another one,” he murmurs, voice pitching a little lower.

You bite the inside of your cheek, fighting the urge to say the first thing that comes to mind. Stop, you whore.

Your nerves get the best of you. Without thinking, you switch to putting the MC back on screen.

Sylus blinks, red eyes narrowing as he looks at you, perplexed.

“Uh,” you shift your gaze between her frozen stance and his idle figure. The sudden silence hangs a little heavy in the air. “Would–would you like to do poses? With her?”

He opens his mouth, an automatic response—but he stops, expression flickering into something unreadable. Confusion? Hesitation?

His brows knit together, and for a short while, he just studies you, the space between you thick with unspoken questions.

“Do you want me to?” he asks finally, his voice quieter, almost careful.

No–I don’t want you to— To pose with someone who looks so-–

perfectperfectperfect by your side—I only want to see you—

I want to see you––

Why do I care–?

I don’t care––I care, I care so much––

“Why not?” you choke out, the forced cheer in your voice grating even to your own ears. You shrug, nonchalant in all the ways you’re not. “I’ll dress her up real nice, and then—” You slap a pink bow onto his head. “You can try to keep up.”

He doesn’t move, not paying the offending accessory any attention. His gaze is solely locked onto yours.

I don’t care. I don’t.

You take the first shot.

____

“What’s the song you’re playing?”

You pause mid-mop, cocking your head to the side in slight surprise.

“Uhh—Pedestal,” you answer unsurely. “By Portishead. You like it?”

He hums, eyes glinting with interest. “I do. Play the rest.”

And just like that, you’re introducing Sylus to modern twenty-first century music—and to Spotify.

____

From that point on, Sylus begins using your Spotify account to discover a whole new world of music—quite literally, in his case. Sometimes he steals the control from you, overriding what you’re currently listening to, just to hear the most random track play from your speakers.

In the middle of a mundane afternoon while you're completely locked in at work—hyperpop synths blaring in your ears—you’re suddenly jolted by the sound of heavy mandolins as an honest-to-god Russian military march blasts through your headphones, shattering your focus like a damn rhino in a china shop.

And so with the level of patience that could put the Virgin Mary to shame, you painstakingly explain to your friend the courtesy of not stealing the proverbial AUX cord from the “driver,” especially when it’s their turn on the radio.

The two of you reach a compromise, and thus the birth of your “shared” playlist. Sylus reluctantly agrees to explore on his own time—when you’re not using the app. Like when you’re busy with other things. Or when you're asleep.

You wake up to the first strings of a Muse song. One of your favorites, in fact.

Sy-Sy (??): Good morning, sweetie.

Sy-Sy (??): Last night was enlightening. I have you to thank for that.

Sy-Sy (??): Oh, and I hope you could indulge me. I added some songs to our playlist. I think youll like them. We both seem to have a thing for alt-rock.

Sy-Sy (??): Give me time and Im sure Ill acquire a taste for electronic music too. Be patient.

You huff out a laugh, lazily rolling over as you check your shared playlist. Sure enough, there’s twelve new songs on it.

You: awe that’s great sy :)) and these songz r rly good !! u got sum of my faves here

You: based on what u like maybe u can try looking up sum david bowie, probz massive attack idk

You: i’ll add stuff later for u to listen 2!!! <2

You: <3*

Sy-Sy (??): Alright, sweetheart. Im looking forward to it.

Sy-Sy (??): ♥️

____

From the outside, the studio is just another unit among endless rows of dull grey—small and unassuming. Tucked away on the sixth floor of a nondescript building, it’s built as unremarkable as the rest.

Through a window stained with a mix of corrosive ochre and burnt sienna, there’s a quiet hum—the presence of something that wasn’t there a week ago. Life has shifted, ever so subtly, from an oppressive achroma to a much warmer vibrancy.

There’s a faint hint of movement. Inside, the young woman wears an almost-permanent smile, her phone an extension of her hand as she taps away with no semblance of rhyme nor rhythm—only in a continuous staccato. Her eyes are locked on the screen, as if drawn by an invisible force.

It’s elusive; this connection—something beyond. Supranatural. It weaves through the room like whispered secrets shared in the dead of the night, beneath a city blanketed in deep ultramarine. Soft, like a wind brushing through a still everglade.

The apartment, once steeped in a self-inflicted solitude—one that went by unnoticed for a long period of time—comes alive as an intangible presence fills its nooks and crannies with the steady warmth of companionship. There’s a gentle heat to the space now, like the glow of an invisible hearth.

The flickering of the string lights, the muted laughter shared with a voice through the tinny speakers of a handheld device, a slight signal interference… all feel like the genesis of an impossible story.

Outside, the evening sky is fading into twilight.

And as one looks out onto the street below from the sixth floor window, it’s almost as if the world outside doesn’t quite matter anymore.

Inside, the air is full of life, in ways it has never been.

____

“Come to me, just in a dream

Come on and rescue me

Yes, I know I can be wrong

And maybe you’re too headstrong

Our love is––”

Tagging: @xxfaithlynxx @beewilko @browneyedgirl22 @yournextdoorhousewitch @sunsethw4 @stxrrielle @mangooes @hrts4hanniehae @buggs-1 @michiluvddr @ssetsuka @i2sannie @imm0rtalbutterfly @the-golden-jhope @slyfoxtsu @beomluvrr @milkandstarlight @bookfreakk @ally-the-artistic-turtle @tinyweebsstuff @sapphic-daze @sarahthemage @cchiiwinkle @madam8 @slownoise @raendarkfaerie @sylusdarling @luminaaaz @greeenbeean

(if..... for some damn reason..... the tags still don't work i rly don't know what i'm doing wrong T_T i'm posting this from a macbook is that it, is the ghost of steve jobs fucking with me rn)

#love and deepspace #lads #lnds #love and deepspace sylus #lads sylus #lnds sylus #sylus x reader #sylus x you #lads x you #lads x reader #love and deepspace fic #self aware au #sylus qin

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feeder86 · 1 year ago

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Feeder 86: The Top Ten

Can you believe that the Feeder86 ‘Orginal Gainer Stories’ blog will soon be posting the two hundredth story? I thought of many ways to celebrate. But then I stopped and realised that I would probably be best using the time to address one of the questions I get asked about most frequently. Which of the stories do I personally like the most?

This was not an easy list to make as I very rarely go back to re-read my own work after I have finished editing and posting them. This is not because I do not like them, but because I always see bits that I want to change. Nevertheless, this project was the perfect opportunity to revisit a few oldies that I remember being very proud of at the time.

Hopefully you will see this list for what it is: a glimpse into how I write, my motivations and drive; rather than just a self indulgent pat on the back for myself. Yuck!

So, with that being said, let us begin...

#10 The Feeders’ Formula: This tale certainly had to be placed into the list. After all, it is the one that kicked off ‘Original Gainer Stories’ all those years ago. There are many amazing examples of instant body weight transformation stories out there. I felt that I needed to write this one as my contribution to the genre. It went down well at the time. I swiftly wrote a Part Two, then followed it up with others (The Feeders’ Formation, The Feeders’ Formalities, The Feeders’ Foreclosure, The Feeders’ Forecast, The Feeders’ Former Years), becoming something of an ongoing saga in recent years; focusing on the different Feeders from that very first meeting. As a writer who sometimes struggles to find the ending, these are wonderful to write as they all have the same inevitable conclusion. There is also so much freedom to be had when you’re working with characters who are pretty much pure evil. I know so much more about the Feeders than I’ve ever written down, so it is great to tease out those little details with each new installment. The newest of these tales (The Feeders’ Foreplay) was the darkest yet, but seems to have provoked a very favourable reaction from many. Who knows what the Feeders may get up to next? I do! And you can find out too, once we start a whole new sweeps season of stories this April! Come with me into The Feeders' Fortress!

#9 Only One: Where do I start? Only One has my absolute favourite type of feeder. Ben is big, sexy and very in control. He’s one of those rare types of guys who always stays on top and is a step ahead of absoultely everyone he meets. Who wouldn’t fall for him? I certainly did! In fact, I loved him so much that I wrote an entire prequel for him (and none of you even noticed!) Check out Rewire if you want to see how Ben became the man we know and love.

#8 The Wright Boys: The idea of a weight gain that cannot be stopped or controlled is a tempting one for many. How much easier would it be if you didn’t have to second guess your choices or face the pressure to lose weight? This was the first tale of what I see as ‘The Curses’ saga that eventually bled into many other stories (including another one on this list!) and culminated in Wright vs Beckett. However, this story remains my personal favourite of these. If you’re a fan of looking for crossovers between my stories, these are some of the most explicitly linked. I followed it up with a spin-off tale (The Wright Boys: DNA), but continue to have ideas about how I could go back to these boys in the future. Watch this space.

#7 Making Monsters: The title of this story really does give away how I felt about it at the time. This is quite the saga, spread over into not just two, but three parts! It began as a story that was very similar to Blackmailed; a tale that I had written previously about a guy voyeristically enjoying seeing his friend fatten up her boyfriend. However, this story evolved even further for me, with Tommy’s love of eating and gaining weight being both his greatest love, and his biggest shame. His denial only heightened the tension for me, and, when he does eventually give in, the gains feel all the more satisfying as a result.

#6 The Pig Feed: It’s not easy to write a gainer story where there isn’t another character spurring the events along and encouraging things. In this tale however, that role is given to a very tasty and surprisingly addictive pig feed mixture that Steve gets himself hooked on. It’s a story that I really enjoyed writing and still feel very happy with. I have considered writing more stories around this interesting feed. However, I am yet to do so; deciding (for now at least) that things are perhaps best left as they are. But, feel free to let me know your thoughts on this.

#5 Farm Boy: Whether you grew up in a big city, or a small rural community, like Hayden in this story, we can all relate to having desires and attractions that those around us don’t understand. And, thanks to how well connected we are these days, we now know what it’s like to realise that you’re not actually alone, and the whirlwind of excited emotions that follow. I enjoyed writing this story because I, quite simply, fell completely in love with Hayden. As kinky as he was, he still retained that fresh faced innocence throughout. If any of my characters were destined to be together forever, I imagine that these two would be my top choice.

#4 Keeping a Crush: This is one of those stories that I wrote in a matter of hours, and I was so pleased with it when I was done. Getting the train to go to work is not necessarily something that many Americans have to do, and so the location had to be switched to the UK (quite refreshing, I thought!). For me, it’s one of those really rare instances where placing very solid restrictions on the structure of a story (In this case, having it all take place during the commute to and from work) and finding that it actually elevates the sexual tension and mood. All scenes take place in public settings. All conversations could, in theory, be overheard. These days, so many people meet online and flirt for weeks by messaging back and forth, before they even see each other for the first time. Nowadays, for better or for worse, the actual, real fantasy is finding a connection with someone you just see in the real world; perhaps with a person you literally just met on the way to work...

If you’ve not read this one, I really would highly recommend it.

#3 To the Max: Stories with a magical element to them are either loved or hated. However, I find that this tale walks that line very successfully. Ned gets his hands on a love potion and makes straight guy, Max, fall for him. I’m sure we’ve all been there with that fantasy! However, it is in the consequences of inviting someone into your life, someone that you actually know very little about, that the entire eroticism of this story is based. I won’t spoil it for those who have not read it, but believe me when I say that things soon start getting very interesting indeed…

#2 Tommy’s Two Hundred. Don’t recognise this one? Well, that's because none of you have read it yet.

Now, I’m not just saying this because I want you all to come back for the two hundreth story, but this is genuinely one of my absolute favourites. For my big milestone stories in the past, I have written something specifically for that event (Wright vs Beckett, The Seven Feeders of Finn). However, this is just a tale that I adored writing and decided to hold back for you all, especially for this occasion. It’s a story of domination and submission within a fairly open, but very kinky, relationship. Strapping Hunter plays the part of a very controlling feeder, making me break many of my own rules and stretching my boundaries to the absolute limits. You’ll either love him, or you’ll hate him. That’s all I’m going to say…

Also, this story is going to be the first Feeder86 story that will be fully illustrated. It’s all thanks to the amazing talents of Spellwell9 who was given an advanced copy and asked to imagine the characters in four different scenes. I cannot wait for you to see this!

Put it in your diary. All will be revealed from Friday 5th April…

#1 F80 Control: This is perhaps a controvercial choice (especially as my #1). I have previously admitted that this story strays a little from its purpose of being a gainer story. In other words, I get very caught up in the background story that is being told. However, I feel that the science fiction genre is surprisingly underused in tales of weight gain. Yet, the combination of Aritificial Intelligence and submission seemed, to me, to be the perfect blend. It really is a beast of a story if you can follow it all the way through to its conclusion.

With the advent of improved artificial intelligence software in recent years, I felt the time was right to develop the world further, with the addition of F80 Ctrl Alt Del; a spin-off tale set slightly before the main story. Then, unable to help myself, I followed this up again with another companion story, F80: Kidnap and Control.

The reason I chose this universe as my favourite is because this is where I am happiest writing. With AI, I don’t need to consider the morality or motivations - I know exactly what their aims are and I can see multiple ways in which it will cause conflict with humanity (and their waistlines!) I would also love to write more for this world one day, and I even left a little unused subplot in the last story that I think would provide the perfect starting-off point for another chapter. Will I ever write it? Well, we’ll have to wait and see…

So, there you have it! The the complete list!

This was a much harder exercise than I expected when I first embarked upon it. Stories like: Jiggle the Jock, Meticulous, Rule Number One, Freaks, Leftovers I and II, Ethan: The Secret Feeder and, not fogetting The Consequences I, II and III all crept in and out of the list, unfortunatley missing out on the final cut. There are many, many others, of course. But this list cannot go on forever...

So, why not tell me which ones were your favourites? Feel free to write in the comments and post a link to any other stories that you have enjoyed from myself, or from other authors. Hopefully, if we all work together, this could become a great resource for people in the future, filled with signposts and reccommendations.

Also, don’t forget the Feeder86 Contents page where you can find links and descriptions of all the 200 stories posted so far (as well as plot outlines for upcoming tales as well). Please continue to enjoy the vast catalogue of stories, and even have a go yourself! I love supporting the many new gainer fiction writers who contact me. So please do get in touch if you need advice, or to talk through your ideas. Let’s all encourage a whole new generation of people to get typing away! I’m sure you will cheer them on just as much as I will.

Thank you to everyone who supports the stories blog here on Tumblr. Keep checking in every Friday througout April for a whole new sweeps season to celebrate this milestone. Stories will include: Tommy's Two Hundred, Train for a Gain, The Feeders' Fortress and The 1% (a companion story to The 5%). For now, I thank you all for taking time out to sit and read the very bizarre tales that sprout from my mind. You are all wonderful.

Happy 200 stories!

Feeder86

#gainer fiction #gainer stories #gainerstory #gayfeeder #gainerfic #gainer story #gayfeedee #gay feedee #gainerstories

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show-us-kaidenshenandoah · 2 months ago

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Wicked Gelphie fans, i need you guys so badly to know how well Elphaba/Glinda are "good timeline"d "history doesnt repeat, it rhymes"-ified by Dorothy/Princess Ozma in Baum's original Oz book series. like. Dorothy/Ozma get everything; theyre the sweet, intimate friends-to-"??? are they a couple?"-ified political power-sapphic-duo that Gelphie would have wanted to be. like??

if you merge canons, fam... Wicked-Glinda must be struggling, seeing Dorothy/Ozma be everything she and Elphaba could have been.... omfg... the angst potential, the envy of watching a couple of sapphic childhood sweethearts get everything they were denied, fulfill Glinda and Elphie's dreams, and seemingly so easily too...

(also!! they even CAN look like a kid-Glinda and kid-Elphaba! there's canon to justify that kind of appearance paralleling!!)

faq below if you want more context

edit, psa: i did read these books from like.. the ages of 10 to like 14 or so, maybe as young as 8? idk, i dont remember. anyway. its been a decade since i picked them back up. and i didnt think this would gain as much traction as it has been after 100+ notes in less than 24 hours. uh. so. take my chronic memory loss-addled summarization with a grain of salt?? like? i just wrote this post so i didnt have to re-vent (agAIN) to my friends about how much i fucking love Dorothy/Ozma, period, much less in parallel to Gelphie. so. enjoy, carry on, and whatnot lmao

1️⃣: there's Oz books? plural???

yes, Baum wrote 14 books about Oz, actually. also, he wrote them under the appointment of "the royal historian of Oz" instead of "author", so there's other "official" Oz books by other "royal historians of Oz"

Baum wrote so much bc (he needed money, yes, but also:) kids would send him questions in fan-mail, and he would proceed to answer them via new novels. so he never planned to make more Oz books, he just (wasnt good with money and also) was routinely inspired by the kids who wrote to him and would write the stuff they wanted to learn about Oz and whatnot

2️⃣: does Dorothy go back to Oz? wasn't it all a dream for her??

yeah, Dorothy returns to Oz a lot in the books, she eventually even moves to live there permanently. bc, in the book series, it's a real place

only in the 1939 film was Oz ever a dream

3️⃣: how does Dorothy look like Glinda OR Elphaba?? what are you talking about?

okay so, "The Wizard of Oz" has an illustrator, W. W. Denslow. in the book, Dorothy is confirmed to be wearing a blue-white gingham dress (she changes outfits tho, she doesnt always wear the same dress all 14 books like she's some cartoon character); but im pretty sure her hair was all Denslow(? i could be remembering wrong. p sure im not tho??). this is what the 1939 movie based her appearance off of. so i can see why youd go "she doesnt look like Glinda or Elphaba"

BUT Denslow and Baum started feuding. so for the rest of the Oz books that Baum wrote, he had a different illustrator by the name of John R. Neil

and Neil decided to give Dorothy for every one of the books he illustrated (so, 13 of Baum's books to Denslow's 1 book of Baum's) a cute lil blonde bob, making her look like what i assume blonde-Glinda looked like as a child. i think she'd approve lol

so!! Dorothy very much looks like a trendy little Glinda, with her cute blonde bob, her fashionable drop-waist dress, and bows for most of the Baum series, actually!

(also, Neil had a preference for dressing Dorothy in this red and polka-dot number, but, again, she does wear other outfits)

(lmao also look at Tin-Man and Scarecrow with blonde-Dorothy, they look like her two gay dads encouraging her to just go be herself at school?? i love them)

(also, if you see "Eloise At The Plaza"-energy in this Dorothy design, im right there with you lol)

4️⃣: who is Ozma??

she's the Princess of Oz. she eventually appears in the second book of the series. she rules Oz after the Wizard

she's actually a really interesting transwoman allegory too. (spoilers for a book from the early 1900s?) she was born a little girl named Ozma, but has a spell put on her as a baby to be genderbent and was socially raised as a little boy under a different name, and she later realizes who she truly is: a girl. she finds the transformation scary, as she returns to her girl-form she always truly was, but she feels better and more herself now that she is Ozma again. i dont think L. Frank Baum intentionally wrote her to be a trans allegory, but you can very obviously see why our trans elders fucking LOVED Ozma back in the early 1900s

also, she has a similar "sir, you fucked up" relationship with the Wizard as Elphaba*. and, also like Elphaba, Ozma politically tries to make things in Oz better (just.. unlike Elphaba, Ozma has the power and support to do just that p much asap)

* (edit for contextual clarification on how the Wizard fucked up: the Wizard fucked up with Ozma because he is ultimately and p directly the reason why she was genderbent/hidden. he deposed of her family and sent her away. Baum decided later on to backtrack a little bit on this(?) because he wanted to bring back the Wizard and, in order for Baum to do that, has to try to not make him SO terribly horrible??? so like. Ozma does end up forgiving him and tolerates him amd he's nicer, later on, within the books. but i doubt any modern adaptation of the books would follow that, personally. even as a kid, i went "bullshit" and headcanoned that Ozma fucking hated the guy and, at best, MAYBE tolerated him for Dorothy, but overall did not like him for justifiable reasons! i think the direction society seems to have taken the Wizard is interesting, and i wouldnt be surprised if there was at least one future adaptation that made him The Bad Guy in a very Rumplestiltskin in the Once Upon A Time TV show kind of way. but like. in the books, they do END UP getting along. i just forever disagree with Baum on that lol i think the Wizard fucked up, and in book 2 of the series (the one where Ozma is, y'know, introduced), it is obvious the Wizard FUCKED UP. but yeah. also, Ozma does get her dad back. her mom was kind of never in the picture to begin with, specifically in a Ponyo's Mom kind of way, like, she made Oz and then left it for her husband and kid to rule, so. yeah. im getting off track. my point is the Wizard did a full-on coup on her family and then banished her and genderbent her so no one would recognize that she had claim to the throne he was sitting on!! he fucked up! so, like, i personally hc that Elphaba founded the "i hate the Wizard" club to which everyone slowly joined, like Fieyro and etc, and Ozma is their youngest member. the Wizard did both Elphie and Ozma so dirty, omfg)

it also should be mentioned, Ozma in NBC's "Emerald City" was casted as Black (her actress being Jordan Loughran). so, though Ozma does not have green skin (but also? neither did the Wicked Witch of the West in the books, she wasn't green there. that was a 1939 film decision to make her green. so! Ozma could be green!! why not!), but she does have Black features to theoretically remind Glinda of Cynthia Eviro's Elphaba when you consider that casting. or, if you prefer a Jewish!Elphaba casting, a'la Idina Menzel's Elphaba, i think Ozma's book design works well to interpretively parallel those features too. or both, if you like the sound of a Black-Jewish Elphaba and Ozma paralleling lol

(edit, because i thought i mentioned this but? no?? i didnt?? i must have misclicked or something to have deleted the paragraph. im so sorry, here you go:) also, when Ozma was a boy, she was basically enslaved to her jailor of a caretaker. which one could interpret as "oh, a Cinderella story!", sure. but, with a Black Ozma, it does read as an intergenerational grief-formed power-fantasy that is both empowering and poignant for Ozma to have ran away from her enslavement and gone on to become a princess afterwards. to any Black folks who may be going "is this going to trigger me?" about Ozma having been a child-slave, i remind you that Baum wrote this intentionally for children, so, no, the books do not sit in the trauma and horror of enslavement, but whether or not it would trigger you yourself is up to your discretion. i will say, Baum did NOT write the American Girls' Addy of his time (context: a children's book about a child-slave that does go into the horrors, some, though in a kid-friendly way) or Louis Sachar's Holes (i asssume i dont have explain Holes since its movie was such a hit), i remember it as even more kid-friendly than either of those also-children's books, so i would assume most people would be fine? but you are responsible for your own mental well-being, i urge you to confirm if it is fine for yourself however you need to do that. but, yes, you can use this backstory as further evidence for your Ozma being Black, of course! you can have Ozma be Black regardless, but if you want this as further evidence, go ahead! and also, it does parallel Ozma to Elphaba in the sense that Elphaba's family mistreats Elphaba! (i will, regardless of if you prefer a Jewish and/or Black Elphaba, add that doing so is also a nice "fuck you" to Baum in how, being a white man of the late 1800s and early 1900s, did end up throwing in racist and/or antisemitic caricatures here and there within his 14 books, unfortunately. i, an Indigenous American, remember as a child still immensely enjoying Oz despite Baum being racist towards Native Americans. if youre curious on the egregious level of it all and if the story could still be enjoyable, id say it's in the realm of Peter Pan, Willy Wonka, and Matilda of "wow. that is shitty. im going to pretend this thing i love is good instead via cognitive dissonance")

regardless, in John R Neil's illustrations, Ozma does have black hair, so that too coincides with modern understandings of Elphaba

(there is also her appearance in Disney's "Return to Oz", performed by Emma Ridley, where she is blonde. but, though i love that spooky movie, that's neither here nor there. as far as im aware, only in that movie has Ozma not had black hair)

anyway, she rules Oz; and by book 3, becomes really close friends with Dorothy. they're not a canon couple, not anymore than Gelphie is, but they are such close and affectionate friends that they are so easy to ship as childhood sweethearts (so, no, there is no moment of 🎶loathing🎶, but i find that sweetness makes them an angstier parallel for Glinda to watch over, personally lol)

like here's some illustrations from the books of them just being two "gal pals". no wonder our queer elders shipped them lmao and this isn't even all of their illustrations together, this is just the first spurts that google shot out at me lmao

also??? this is them with book-Glinda. not only do they look absolutely darling, also, yes, Dorothy becomes a princess, because Ozma said so. they co-rule Oz together. they are just too sweet, fam, i love these two little childhood sweethearts, i choose to see Dorothy's princess-ship as the same as two kids promising to marry one another when they grow up. this is so cute

and can you imagine Wicked-Glinda? looking down at these two, seeing what could have between herself and Elphaba had things turned out different??? im making myself sad

(also "Book of Glinda" is so wild. both in terms of "...Baum, how do you not see this as queer?" like with one example being like "Baum, you put that Glinda has 100s of single women at her beck and call in her palace, this is so easy to see as sapphic, sir"... and then, over here, we have John R Neil repeatedly reading "gave a platonic, innocent kiss" and going "okay, so, uh, making out? i dont do platonic kissing" lmao anYWAAAAYYYY, THAT'S NOT RELEVANT HERE)

🌟5️⃣ bonus:

so, you might have a few follow-up questions. like, what is "Elphaba" like in the books? what does she look like?

well, she's really only in the first book. she's one-note, evil, dies. she's not green-skinned, and she isn't given any sort of name. she is only called "the Wicked Witch of the West", that's it, she is not Elphaba

however, i will mention the Wicked Witch of the West, in the books, is a fashion disaster and i want to see her look used as evidence that "yes, goth-Elphaba and dark-academia-Elphaba are 10/10, but also?? kitschy grandma-core knitwear-Elphaba × her fashionably Barbie pink girlfriend". i'd love to see art of that. i'm just saying

also?? this isn't related to her at all but guess what

Scarecrow/Tin-Man was like THE ship for our queer elders. they are so emotionally intimate, they live together, it's great, look at these pictures of them being absolute bros (can you see why they were shipped so hard)

i bring this up, bc you could argue Fieyro/Boq if you merge canons to make your own narrative and whatnot. guess Fieryo and Boq kinda had their own mirrored 🎶loathing🎶 period under that framing lmao

or, if you hate Boq, youll probably love the Tin-Man's angsty "ship of Theseus"-like backstory as the once-Nick Chopper(: his human name, pre-tin-ification) that is in the books

so! enjoy that knowledge!! theyre super cute in the books, i love them. again, not a canon ship, but still beloved by our elder queers, just like Ozma and Dorothy

i hope it makes even more sense now why our queer elders used the phrase "Are you a friend of Dorothy?" as code to see if someone else was queer, not even taking into account the 1939 movie or Judy Garland's relationship with the queer community

anyway, albeit this is all the basics generalized, that should be everything

but yeah!! Ozma and Dorothy reminding Glinda of what could have been, of what she lost, being the sweeter "next generation" version of Gelphie?? tugs so hard at my heartstrings

but yeah, do whatever you want with Gelphie, Fieryo, and Part 2. im just saying. the angst potential of being envious and living vicariously through someone and seeing other people get the happy ending you were denied?? is right there lol

(edit: this awesome video by Kaz Rowe JUST came out if you want to hear more about the Oz book series, its queerness, its author, its GLARING PROBLEMS including but not limited to instances of racism, and so on and so forth. Kaz Rowe is a fantastic video-essayist, so i hope you watch the video and enjoy their hard-polished craftsmanship)

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vaadazen-codes · 8 months ago

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How To Get Started Making Visual Novels

Wanna make a visual novel? Or maybe you've seen games like Our Life, Blooming Panic, Doki Doki Literature Club, etc. and wanna make something like that? Good news, here's a very basic beginners guide on how to get started in renpy and what you need to know going in! Before you start, I highly recommend looking at my last post about writing a script for renpy just to make it easier on you!

LONG POST AHEAD

Obviously, our first step is downloading it from their website

thankfully, its right on the home page of their site. Follow basica program installation steps and run the program. I highly recommend pinning it to your task bar to make it easier to access.

From there, you're met with the renpy app, it's a little daunting at first but let's talk about what all these buttons are for.

Projects

This part is simple, it just lists the current projects in the chosen directory. You probably won't have any in there of your own. You should still see Tutorial and The Question!

Both of those default projects are super helpful in their own ways, i highly recommend testing out the tutorial and playing around with it just to get comfortable with some of the basics.

Create New Project

The first step to actually making your game into a game!

You'll be met with a prompt letting you know that the project is being made in English and that you can change it. You can click Continue.

From here, you'll be asked to input a project name! Put in your games title, or even a placeholder title since this Information can be changed later! (this is also the title the folder will be in your file browser, be sure to name it something you won't overlook)

Now we get to choose our resolution!

If you have no idea what to choose, go for 1920x1080! This is the standard size for most computer monitors and laptops, but it will still display with moderately decent quality on 4k monitors too!

You can choose 3840x2160 as well. This is 2x the measurements of the default, with the same ration. These dimensions are considered 4k. Keep in mind, your image files will be bigger and can cause the game to have a larger size to download.

Now we get to choose our color scheme!

Renpy has some simple default options with the 'light mode' colors being the bottom two rows, and the 'dark mode' colors being the toop two rows.

You can pick anything here, but I like to choose something that matches my projects vibes/colors better. Mostly because depending on how in depth you go with the ui, it minimizes the amount of changes I need to make later.

Click continue and give it a minute. Note: If it says "not responding" wait a moment without clicking anything. It can sometimes freeze briefly during the process.

Now we should be back at our home screen, with our new project showing. Let's talk about allll that stuff on the right now.

Open Directory

This just opens that particular folder in your local file explorer!

game - is all the game files, so your folders for images, audio, saves, and your game files like your script, screens, and more.

base - this is the folder that the game folder is inside of. You can also find the errors and log txt files in here.

images - takes you to your main images folder. This is where you wanna put all of your NON gui images, like your sprites, backgrounds, and CGs. You can create folders inside of this and still call them in the script later. EX: a folder for backgrounds , a folder for sprites for character a, a seperate folder for spirtes for character b, etc.

audio - Takes you to the default audio folder. This is empty, but you can put all your music and sound effects here!

gui - brings up the folder containing all of the default renpy gui. It's a good place to start/ reference for sizes if you want to hand draw your UI pieces like your text box!

Edit File

Simple enough, this is just where you can open your code files in whatever text/code editor you have installed.

Script.rpy - where all of your story and characters live. This is the file you'll spend most of your time in at first

Options.rpy - Contains mostly simple information, like project name and version. There aren't a ton of things in here you need to look at. There is also some lines of code that help 'archive' certain files by file type so that they can't be seen by players digging in code however. Fun if you want to hide some images in there for later or if you just dont want someone seeing how messy your files are. We've all been there

Gui.rpy - where all of the easy customization happens. Here you can change font colors, hover colors, fonts, font sizes, and then the alignment and placement of all of your text! Like your dialogue and names, the height of text buttons, etc. It more or less sets the defaults for a lot of these unless you choose to change them later.

Screens.rpy - undeniably my favorite, this is where all of the UI is laid out for the different screens in your game, like the main menu, game menu, quick menu, choice menu, etc. You can add custom screens too if you want, but I always make my own seperate file for these.

Open Project - this just opens all of those files at once in the code editor. Super handy if you make extra files like I do for certain things.

Actions

last but not least, our actions.

Navigate Script - This feature is underrated in my honest opinion, it's super handy for help debugging! In renpy you can comment with # before a line. However, if you do #TODO and type something after it, it saves it as a note! You can view these TODO's here as well as easily navigate to when certain screens are called, where different labels are (super great if your game is long, and more. It saves some scrolling.

Check Script (Lint) - also super duper handy for debugging some basic things. It also tells you your word count! But its handy for letting you know about some errors that might throw up. I like using it to look for sprites I may or may not have mispelled, because they show up in there too.

Change/Update GUI - Nifty, though once you start customizing GUI on your own, it isn't as useful. You can reset the project at any point and regenerate the image files here. This updates all those defaults we talked about earlier.

Delete Persistent - this just helps you delete any persistent data between play throughs on your end. I like to use it when making a lot of changes while testing the game, so that I can reboot the game fresh.

Force Recompile - Full disclosure, as many games as I've made and as long as I've been using Renpy, i have never used this feature. I searched to see what it does and this is the general consesus: Normally renpy tries to be smart about compiling code (creating .rpyc files) and only compiles .rpy files with changes. This is to speed up the process since compiling takes time. Sometimes you can make changes that renpy don't pick up on and therefore won't recompile. In these cases you can run force recompile to force it. Another solution (if you know what file is affected) is to delete that specific. rpyc file.

The rest of your options on this right hand side are how you make executable builds for your game that people can download to extract and play later!

Sorry gang! that was a whole lot of text obviously the last button "Launch Project" launches an uncompiled version of the project for you to play and test as you go! Hang in tight because my next post is about how to utilize github for renpy, so you can collaborate easier!

#renpy #renpy game #renpy visual novel #vndev #visual novel dev #otome dev #vn dev

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callooopie · 8 months ago

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Modern!Davos Blackwood headcannons (pt. Smut)

— NSFW edition—

It can’t be unlearned. I’ve known the warmth of your doorways — It Will Come Back // Hozier

I haven’t written NSFW in a bit ~3~. Bear with me while I try not to blush and cringe at my own writing T~T (also that new episode.. rip MY queen Rhaenys dude. It actually made me so bummed it ruined my night.) Also do I still use the Benjicot tags or is he now his own character now that he’s been mentioned finally ~3~ ?!

cw— NSFW, smut detailed to the best of my abilities. Minors do not interact. Interact with this and I’ll punch you so hard your ancestors will feel it I’ll-

< added one (1) new headcannon since posting >

Cool, calm, confident. That’s what Davos was. Surely it would translate to the bedroom too—it does not. He’s shy the first time around. Very much. Silent, rigid; his eyes simply darting up and down your body as you undress in front of him. The only sign that he’s there in the head is his hands gripping the comforter in his fists tightly. Before you begin, please give him a few kisses and reassuring smiles. Sitting in his lap and doing so does wonders. Run your fingers through his hair in a calming manner too.

You might have to pause, because he’s genuinely trembling out of excitement and anticipation that he cannot concentrate or continue without calming down. He just loves your touch! Any touch, all touch. Your fingers grazing against his skin, it’s like nicotine. Press your nose against his, laugh softly and kindly against his lips, and tell him it’s alright—you can wait a minute. His hands (shaking slightly still) will find their way to your hips soon enough.

Before you two experience each other more often. Before ANY sexual encounters, with you or not with you. He is the type of guy… to not know where the clit is. It’s a sad truth. You have to sit him down and literally point to where it is. No pants, sitting on the bed with your legs spread. It’s not even sexual at this point, you’re just letting him ooo and ahh at your pussy as you tell him what feels good and how to make it feel good. A lesson in anatomy that has him going (“…really?!”). Don’t worry. He gets with the program right away. When he figures shit out you won’t ever let him leave the house ever again.

If he’s already on the more experienced side and/or after you’ve both gotten comfortable with one another after months or a couple years; he is a fiend, a menace. He wants his sheets drenched by the time you’re both done. He wants you passed out, unconscious. If you aren’t being carted off to the emergency room after sex he feels he isn’t doing it right.

Speaking of.. He has sent you to the ER before. A bruised cervix that sent searing pain whenever you walked, burning aches in your muscles and bones from being bent or pulled around that. It’s something that’s never happened before and worried you enough to make Davos drive you to the urgent care. Embarrassment and a hint of disbelief burned on your face as the doctor awkwardly told you your diagnoses, splitting their gaze between you and Davos. The latter had the biggest grin on his face as he sat there like an innocent man. His apologies are a farce don’t believe it.

Needs you to sit on his face. Dude gets off on eating you like you’re his last meal, and makes it messy too.. Doesn’t matter when (or where..) but if you are not straddling his head, laying her full weight onto him—that’s basically like breaking his heart. He wants to die by your thighs that’s his goal. He is the type to grab and scratch at your thighs, squeezing flesh as he tries to pull you closer to his lips and tongue. Sometimes his hand leaves your thigh to deal with his own hardened cock—muffled and incoherent whines leaving him as he devours you sloppily and breathlessly. If he’s eating you out while you’re laying on your back; he will be pathetically grinding against the mattress.

Suck him off under his desk. Quietly slip underneath the wooden desk, he’s too focused on whatever he’s doing to even notice you undoing the string of his sweats anyways. Once he dies in-game and looks down he gets the memo, silently helping you slide them off of him as he talks to his team. Whatever you do, do not drag your tongue up from his base to his tip—especially when he’s comming to his teammates. He’ll be talking normally and then let out a nearly pornographic whine. If you choose to not be a menace off the bat and simply slide his cock in and out of your mouth; he’ll go blank in the head. He starts to mess up, mouth going slack as he splits his attention between the game and you on your knees between his legs with your tongue wrapping around his tip and licking off whatever leaking pre-cum you find. It’s the fastest he’s ever won (or lost) a game.

It’s edge or be edged in his world. Loves it when you tell him he can’t cum. A sloppy half-grin plastered on his face as you ride him. His hands holding your hips as he sits up, looking up at you from where he places his head by your chin. He’s gonna bitch and moan about it as usual, but slowly devolves into loud begging. His speech is slurred as his eyes stare up at you like your god who has the power to grant him that divine release he’s been denied for an hour.

He loves fucking you against the wall. It gives him a reason to show off his arms and muscles—and it feels good. If you have comments about your weight, your body, how will he hold you up, etc. Leave ‘em at the door, Davos does not care. He goes to the gym for this reason baby! To be able to lift you easily and hold you against the apartment wall as he pounds into you. His hands digging into the skin of where your thighs and ass meet. Wrap your legs around his waist, tangle your fingers into his hair. You’re not leaving until there’s a puddle of your arousal and cum underneath you.

Switch. He’s a switch. Let the world (and himself) believes he’s a top, only you will know the truth. And the truth is that he loves when you take control. Tie him up, slap him around, ride him till he’s crying and drooling from either edging or overstimulation—and then keep going some more. But also remember that he can easily overpower you, pinning you down to the bed or against a wall as he thrusts in and out of you with loud groans and words of praise. His hand holds your head down as he fucks you from behind, fingers grasping onto your hair as he rambles in a pleasured high. Davos is the type to tear underwear too, so be careful about that as well..

Davos is gentle, Davos is rough. No matter what, he’s mean about it. And he’s very vocal about it too. He’ll ask if you’re enjoying yourself, if you’re liking how rough he’s fucking your cunt right now—speaking of.. can you hear how wet you are right now, it’s almost embarrassing no? Ohhh, you like being used by him? Well.. he likes your sloppy pussy too—don’t worry. Made just for him, all for him. If he’s gentle he asks if you’re doing okay between the soft kisses he places on your neck and face. His face will nuzzle against your neck, soft whispers of how you feel entering your ear between groans. You’re just a sweetheart after all, aren’t you? So soft, so good, just for him. He likes how you feel around him, how soft your skin feels under his hands. So beautiful, so cute. Don’t you like how you can feel all of him as he thrusts into you slowly? Can you feel every vein and ridge? ‘Cause he can feel every squeeze and shudder from your walls darling.

Biter. I’ve got him pinned—Davos is a biter. Bites at your nipples before swirling a tongue around them and sucking harshly. Licks your ear before biting and tugging on it. He’s a bastard and bites your clit, a low chuckle coming from him as you yelp (he kisses it after, of course). Hickeys line your skin from your neck to your lower abdomen. Bite marks, prominent bite marks, are scattered across your body. No matter what, it’ll be on your neck mostly as well. From the front or the back, a bite mark will find its way to your neck. He just gets so into it! Dicking you down so roughly he just needs to latch his teeth onto your skin hard enough to draw blood. What? No he did not lick the droplet of blood up you must be imagining—

…car sex—I’m sorry I said it. At night when you both are skating or if he’s driving around with you. Sometimes you just end up in an empty parking lot.. the windows are fogged up and there’s music playing faintly, not that you care or really hear it as you listen to his moans. His hands holding your hips or waist as you slowly bounce on his cock while he sits in the driver seat. Bonus if you hold the thin necklace he wears between your teeth as you grind yourself down onto him.

Added! HE’S INTO SHOTGUNNING. Absolutely, how did I forget such a thing. Happens when you’re riding him. It’s a lazy night; him sitting in a chair, a cigarette between his fingers as you moan and whimper loudly. His other hand remains on your ass, guiding you up and down as he lets his head fall back briefly with a low grunt from his throat. He sits back up to take a drag from the cigarette, his other hand moving up from your ass to the back of your head (he gives you a parting slap to your butt). He presses your face closer to his and you instinctively part your lips, letting him blow smoke into it. He does talk you through that like he’s talking you through your orgasm, soft words of encouragement and guidance as he watches you blow it back out. It ends in him kissing you and wrapping one arm tightly around your waist as he starts to thrust up into you roughly. “In.. and out.. atta girl. There we are. Aren’t you just a good listener, my lovely lady?”

#davos blackwood #davos blackwood x reader #benjicot blackwood #benjicot blackwood x reader #hotd x reader #hotd x you #modern!benjicot #modern!Davos #fancast!Benjicot #benjicot x reader #hotd smut #Davos x reader smut #Benjicot x reader smut #house of the dragon

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mssishipi · 5 days ago

Text

1: stuck with you - psh

PAIRING: korean sunghoon x non korean reader

SYNOPSIS: All you wanted was a relaxing vacation—a break from your soul-crushing job, some cocktails by the sea, and, if the universe was feeling generous, a tall, handsome man to sweep you off your feet. So, like any desperate (but classy) woman, you booked a cruise. But instead of a dreamy vacation romance, you got a shipwreck. Now, instead of sipping margaritas and flirting with rich men, you’re stranded on a deserted island with a random Korean guy who, by the way, does not speak a single word of English. Flirting? Impossible. Communication? A disaster. Survival? Highly questionable. Well, at least, he's tall and handsome.

genre: strangers to lovers, romance, crack, maybe angst.

chapter contains: sunghoon is a chaebol, reader is a salary woman, both of them have no survival instinct, language barrier, half of the chapter is them being chaotic, charades as a form of communication, reader is sex deprived, sunghoon is a soft shy baby but he's so down bad, mentions of arranged marriage warnings: long introduction, profanities, explicit content (smut) contains blowjob, pussy eating, unprotected sex (don't do that!) MDNI. WC: 19.6K. click here for pt.2

a/n: "italic quotation" - characters speaking in korean

the plot was inspired to the story i read on wp, title island trapped. i'll upload the pt 2 within this week, i will add and edit some parts. happy reading!

Ah, the good old days.

When your biggest problem in life was Tom catching Jerry, and the most stressful decision you had to make was whether to beg your parents for vanilla ice cream or chocolate. When crying was reserved exclusively for math homework, and your daily schedule was just playing, eating, and napping like a well-fed cat.

But now? Oh, now life has decided to slap you in the face with responsibilities.

Screw being an adult. You wake up, work 12 hours for a salary that barely covers your existence, and then proceed to pay rent, taxes, and bills as if you personally owe society for breathing. And groceries? Groceries feel like a scam at this point—how is it that you spend a fortune but still end up eating instant noodles? And let's not even talk about new clothes or makeup. Once upon a time, you could buy cute outfits just because. Now, you stare at a price tag for ten minutes, do complex mental calculations, and decide that your 5-year-old jeans still have some life left in them.

But the real kicker? You're so overworked you don't even have time for a love life. No dates. No romance. No action. And it hits you—dear God, you need to get laid.

You blink at your computer screen. The fluorescent office lights hum above you. The existential crisis settles in.

"I need to get laid," you mutter under your breath.

Your desk mate side-eyes you. You don't care. Office work is bullshit. You work ridiculous hours making rich people even richer, and yet somehow, you're still broke. No promotion. No bonuses. Just emails, spreadsheets, and the quiet realization that capitalism has scammed you.

You exhale. You need a break. A vacation, maybe? A beautiful, tropical getaway where you can sip margaritas and pretend your life is not a train wreck. But wait. Vacations cost money. A lot of money. On the other hand... getting laid? That's a significantly cheaper investment.

Your mind starts spinning. If you take a vacation, you'll relax, but your bank account will be in ruins. But if you choose the other option... well, technically, that could happen during vacation. Two birds, one stone.

You imagine it now—a handsome stranger at a beach bar, offering you a drink. He's tall, has a deep voice, and smells like expensive cologne. You exchange flirty banter, he leans in and whispers something sinful, his fingers graze your waist. The music pulses, your bodies move together, and just like that... BAM. Sex!

You giggle to yourself.

Decisions, decisions.

Enough of the soul-crushing 12-hour shifts. Enough of the never-ending bills. Enough of staring at your sad bank account, wondering where all your hard-earned money magically disappeared to. And most importantly—enough of being painfully single.

You needed to fix your life. Immediately.

So, in a moment of either pure genius or complete recklessness (you'll decide later), you booked a cruise. A full, glorious, luxurious cruise that sets sail in exactly 20 days.

This was it. The perfect opportunity to relax, refresh, and—most importantly—find a hot stranger and finally get laid.

Of course, securing that last part required some strategy. You couldn't just show up on the cruise and expect men to start throwing themselves at you. You needed to connect first. Build a connection. Make them fall in love with your personality before you let them fall in love with... other things.

Step one: file a vacation leave. You march into your boss's office, ready to fight for your well-deserved break. He barely looks up from his laptop.

"Hey, boss. I'd like to file for a vacation leave."

"When?"

"In 20 days."

"How long?"

You hesitate. Screw it. "Two weeks."

He sighs. "Fine."

You blink. That's it? No argument? No guilt-tripping? No sudden speech about "dedication to the company" or "teamwork"? This man did not care. You could've told him you were leaving to climb Mount Everest, and he probably would've just waved you away. Whatever. That's a future-you problem.

Step two: mentally prepare yourself for this adventure. Suddenly, everything feels better. You hum while doing your usual soul-draining office work, tapping your fingers happily on your keyboard. You even smile at Kai from accounting, who normally drives you insane with his unsolicited life advice.

"Someone's in a good mood," he says, sipping his overpriced iced coffee.

You nod. "I'm going on vacation."

"Nice! Where?"

"A cruise."

Kai wiggles his eyebrows. "Ooooh, a little romance on the sea, huh?"

You wink. "Maybe."

Step three: go shopping. This is where the real fun begins. Because if you were going to seduce a man on a fancy cruise, you needed the right outfits.

Dressed in your comfiest clothes, you head straight to the mall, swaying your hips as you walk. You don't even check your bank balance before swiping your card—your motto for the day is simple:

"Money always comes back." Does it? No one knows. But it sounds inspiring.

You grab bikinis, sundresses, high heels that you probably won't be able to walk in, and way too many accessories. Because who knows? Maybe you'll meet a rich man on this cruise. A sexy billionaire with a mysterious past and a yacht twice the size of the one you're boarding. Maybe he'll fall for you instantly, whisk you away to his private island, and you'll never have to work again. Unrealistic? Probably. But a girl can dream.

Step four: prepare for the glow-up. The next few days become a self-care montage. You book a hair appointment, get a facial, and even buy one of those expensive serums that promise to make your skin glow like the moon. You do squats, just in case your future cruise boyfriend is a butt guy. You even attempt a new makeup routine, though you end up poking yourself in the eye with an eyeliner pencil.

Step five: mentally rehearse your flirt game. Because let's be honest—it's been a while. You're so used to working, eating, and passing out from exhaustion that your social skills have atrophied.

You can't just walk up to a hot guy and blurt out, "Hi, I'm desperate for love, attention, and possibly a vacation-funded situationship."

No. You need smoothness. So, you practice in front of the mirror.

"Hey, sailor. First time on a cruise?" No, that sounds like a weird pirate joke.

"Wow, the ocean is interesting. But not as interesting as you." Ugh, cringe.

"Hey. I like your... aura." What does that even mean?!

You sigh. Maybe you should just go for the classic: "Hi, I'm YN ." And let the universe handle the rest. The countdown continues. The excitement builds. You are ready.

Ah, the moment had finally arrived. With a flowy maxi dress that swayed dramatically in the ocean breeze, perfectly curled hair, sunkissed cheeks that made you look like you just stepped out of a romance novel, and accessories that said, I'm expensive even though my bank account disagrees.

Your heels clicked against the polished cruise floor as you strutted through the entrance, suitcase rolling behind you like you were the main character in a summer blockbuster.

The cruise staff smiled politely.

"Welcome aboard, Miss!" a staff member chirped as they guided you to your room.

"Thank you," you said, smiling.

They showed you around your cabin, a cute little space that felt like luxury despite being, well... a glorified floating hotel room. But you didn't care. This was your kingdom for the next two weeks.

The moment the staff left, you sprang into action. Clothes were unpacked of a woman on a mission. Outfit planning was key - You slipped into a simple but elegant knee-length dress, paired it with a sun hat.

You traced your fingers along the railing, watching the ocean waves crash against the ship. The warm glow of the setting sun kissed your face, and for a moment, you just breathed.

This—this—was the life. The soft girl era you had been manifesting. But let's get real. You weren't just here for peace and relaxation.

Night fell, and you found yourself perched at the bar, drink in hand, eyes scanning the room like a hunter. You had one goal: Find The One

A man approached. He smiled, offered to buy you a drink. You took one look at him. Nope. Not your type.

He had... soft boy energy. The type to cry if you ghosted him after the cruise. You needed spice. Someone who looked like he owned a boat—not someone whose mother still packed his lunch. You sighed dramatically as he walked away.

Day one: unsuccessful.

The next morning, you decided to take a different approach. Maybe the universe was testing you, making you work for it. Fine. Challenge accepted. You booked yourself a massage therapy session on the cruise spa. If nothing else, at least your body would feel amazing while your soul continued its manhunt. The therapist's hands worked their magic, kneading out every ounce of stress from your overworked life. You almost moaned. (Almost.)

After that? Socialize. That was the game plan. If the men weren't coming to you, then maybe you needed to create a network. You strolled through the ship, engaging in small talk with other women, hoping one of them would say something like: "Oh, you have to meet my brother, he's a billionaire!"

Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Instead, you just ended up bonding with a group of fun girls who, shockingly, were also on the same mission: Find A Hot Man Before The Cruise Ends. You were not alone. But still... no man.

Day three. No. Man.

You were starting to think this cruise was rigged. Where were the hot, mysterious strangers who were supposed to sweep you off your feet? Where were the rich men, the ones who could afford to casually spend a month on a cruise without blinking at the price tag?

You sighed dramatically, staring out at the ocean once again. The sun was shining, the waves were beautiful, and yet—no one was whispering sweet nothings into your ear.

Day seven. Still nothing.

Sure, you were enjoying yourself—partying every night, walking around the cruise like you owned it, and having the time of your life with Julie and Yunjin. But let's face it, no amount of cocktails and dancing could distract you from the harsh reality: You were still single, dry, and desperate.

Tonight, you were absolutely slaying in a red bikini, playing volleyball by the pool with the girls, when a random woman approached you with an invitation to a private party. A private party. Exclusive. Rich people. A potential husband waiting for you.

The universe was finally giving you a chance. Or so you thought.

Fast forward to the party, and—huge disappointment. Yes, the men were crazy rich Asians.

But none of them were your type. Too soft. Too awkward. Talked too fast. And let's not forget—you had read way too many articles about their strict family traditions. You weren't about to end up in some dramatic arranged-marriage situation.

So, with a sigh, you stepped outside for some fresh air. The night was peaceful, the ocean stretched endlessly before you, and the only lights came from the cruise, glowing softly against the dark water. You leaned against the railing, deep in thought.

Spending all this money on yourself was worth it... right?

Right? Even if you didn't get laid?

Before you could sink deeper into self-pity, voices caught your attention.

"I told you, I don't want to get married!" Your ears perked up.

Slowly, you turned your head, catching sight of two Asian men standing a few feet away.

One of them was tall. Very tall. His skin was almost porcelain, his sharp jawline looked like it belonged in a Renaissance painting, and his deep-set eyes paired with those moles on his face. What a sight.

You swallowed hard and took a tiny step closer, pretending to admire the scenery (totally normal, totally casual).

"You don't have a choice. It's for business."

"I don't want to! Fuck!"

And that was when they both turned—and locked eyes with you. Your body? Froze. Your brain? Also froze.

You immediately turned your head away, hands clasped behind your back, pretending to be deeply invested in the night sky. It's not like you even understood what they were saying, right? Right?!

You were about to open your mouth, maybe throw in an awkward wave, when a loud crash echoed through the ship, making you jolt.

The two men snapped their heads toward the sound, and you followed their gaze, eyes widening as you saw a wave of panicked people sprinting in your direction.

"What's happening?!" one of the men exclaimed.

Yeah, great question. You also wanted to know. But guess what? You don't speak Korean.

Before you could even attempt to process what was going on, the ship's lights suddenly went out. Screams of people reached your ears.

"What the fuck?!" you shrieked as people shoved past you, some even falling off the cruise. Falling. Like this was Titanic but with zero romance and just pure disaster.

Someone slammed into you hard, and your knees hit the floor. Pain shot through your legs, and just when you were about to unleash the most ungodly curse words, a strong hand grabbed yours.

You looked up—Tall, Handsome, and Mysterious. His sharp features were now shadowed by panic, his grip soft as he yanked you to your feet.

You barely had time to react before he started dragging you away.

"Ya! Sunghoon! Where are you going?!" His companion shouted, but Tall, Handsome, and Mysterious—apparently named Sunghoon—didn't even glance back.

"Wait, what— Where are we going?!" you yelled, stumbling as he pulled you through the frantic crowd. Did he answer? Of course not.

Because one, he was too focused on running for his life. And two, well... he probably didn't understand you either.

Oh God. You were going to die. On a cruise. With a hot stranger. And you didn't even get laid first. Fucking unbelievable.

The two of you came to a screeching halt at the end of a very long line of panicked people. The ship's crew was lowering lifeboats.

"Please, children first!" a crew member yelled, which only made the passengers more hysterical. People were pushing, screaming, and fighting for spots.

You clutched the man’s hand tighter, your anxiety skyrocketing as the ship tilted slightly lower. You nudged him desperately.

"Okay, look—is there a way we can get on a boat faster?! You're rich, right?!"

He turned to you, brows furrowed in deep concentration, clearly trying his best to understand whatever nonsense was spilling from your mouth.

"...Yes?" he finally said.

A relieved breath left your chest. Thank God. Finally, some progress!

"Okay, great! Call your dad! Bribe someone! Do something!" You frantically made a phone-call gesture with your hand, looking at him like this was life or death—because, spoiler alert, IT WAS.

But Sunghoon just stared at you. Blankly. Then, his gaze dropped to your hand gesture, his lips parting in complete and utter confusion.

Oh. Oh no.

A terrible realization dawned on you.

"Wait... do you speak English?!"

His eyes flickered between yours. Then, with the most serious face imaginable, he nodded and said:

"Yes?"

You nearly screamed.

"Is that the only word you know?!

This was certainly not the vacation you had envisioned.

A luxury cruise? Yes. A wealthy, attractive companion? Preferably. Plummeting into the ocean amid chaos and destruction? Absolutely not.

With a death grip on the railing, you watched in mounting horror as the ship tilted further, the ominous creaking of metal sending chills down your spine. All around you, passengers screamed, objects crashed, and luggage—along with some unfortunate individuals—slid helplessly toward the abyss below.

Tears welled in your eyes as you turned to the Korean man beside you, his sharp features illuminated by the dim emergency lights. Desperation clung to your voice as you wailed, "This is not the vacation I asked for!"

Sunghoon, for his part, simply blinked at you, his expression torn between mild concern and complete bewilderment.

The ship groaned once more, sinking lower into the sea. The reality of the situation hit you. You were going to die.

"Oh my God, I'm going to die!" you shrieked, voice cracking as panic consumed you.

Sunghoon continued to stare, his brows knitting together in what could only be described as confusion mixed with secondhand embarrassment.

This was not the time for him to have a language barrier.

"I JUST WANTED TO GET LAID!" you sobbed, squeezing the railing with every ounce of strength you had left.

Still, Sunghoon offered no response. Just that same perplexed expression—one that strongly suggested he was internally running your words through the world's slowest translation process.

Meanwhile, the water was rising fast.

"I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die—" you chanted, spiraling into complete hysteria as the ocean climbed closer, swallowing everything in its path.

Ice-cold water crashed into you with unforgiving force, stealing the breath from your lungs. Before you could fully comprehend the overwhelming shock, Sunghoon seized you, his arms encircling your body in a firm, desperate hold.

A moment later, the sea consumed you both. Everything after that was a blur. The waves tossed you around like a ragdoll, the darkness swallowing you whole. Every time you managed to break the surface for air, another merciless wave would crash down, dragging you back under.

You flailed, arms reaching desperately toward the sky.

"I don't want to get eaten by a shark!" You tried to scream, but the ocean rudely muffled your voice with another mouthful of saltwater.

Somewhere in the middle, you felt a strong grip on your waist— the Korean man. He was holding onto you, trying to keep you afloat as the ocean threatened to devour you both. Around you, screams and cries echoed in the distance. Floating debris—luggage, chairs, life vests—came hurtling toward you.

Then, darkness came over you.

You woke up to the feeling of something cool and soft beneath you. Your eyes fluttered open, the bright sun blinding you for a moment. The distant sound of gentle waves lapping against the shore filled your ears.

Sand. White sand. The water lazily brushed against your bare legs.

You slowly sat up, your body aching everywhere. Your legs were covered in bruises and scrapes, your back felt like you had been slammed into a brick wall, and your head was pounding.

Tears pricked at your eyes as you took in the scene before you—baggage, broken furniture, random objects from the cruise all scattered across the shore. The ocean had spit everything out onto the island.

Everything... except the people. Your breath hitched. Where were they?

Your chest tightened, panic bubbling in your throat. You were alone.

The realization hit you hard, and you did what any normal, rational person would do in this situation.

You sobbed. Loudly.

You stumbled to your feet, kicking at the sand in frustration. "No, no, no, no—" You stomped forward, your mind racing—until you suddenly tripped over something.

Or rather, someone.

Your heart nearly exploded out of your chest as you whipped around.

There, lying on the sand, completely still, was the Korean man.

His eyes were closed. His body unmoving. Panic smashed into you.

"Wait... Are you dead?!" you shrieked, scrambling toward him.

You pressed your ear to his chest, listening for a heartbeat.

...Was that his pulse, or just the waves in the distance?

You bit your lip, shaking hands moving to his wrist.

You don't know. Without thinking, you shot up, hands hovering over his chest.

Did you know CPR?

Absolutely not.

But now was a great time to learn.

"Okay, okay, stay calm," you told yourself, immediately panicking as you placed both hands on his chest and began pressing down. "One, two, three— Come on! Wake up, oppa!"

After a few more uncoordinated chest compressions, Sunghoon suddenly jerked upright, a massive gush of water spilling from his mouth.

You gasped, staggering back, clutching your own chest in shock.

His eyes darted around, his breaths ragged. Then, in a hoarse voice, he finally spoke.

"Beach?" Your jaw dropped.

"What did you just called me?!" you shrieked, standing up so fast you nearly toppled over. You pointed an accusatory finger at him, voice dripping with betrayal.

"After I saved your life, you have the audacity to call me a bitch?!"

Sunghoon, still catching his breath, blinked at you with an expression that teetered between exhaustion and utter bewilderment. Slowly, he lifted a shaky hand, pointing at the sand, the waves, the scattered debris around you.

"Beach?" he repeated, this time with a bit more certainty—like he was trying to confirm a very simple fact with a very unstable person.

Your mouth hung open as realization dawned.

Then, much to Sunghoon's evident concern, you let out a sharp laugh and dramatically dropped down beside him.

"No! We're not on a beach!" you declared, flinging a handful of sand in frustration.

"A beach is where you go on vacation! A beach is where you sip margaritas, flirt with people, and—" you gestured wildly, "—engage in adult activities! This? This is a shipwreck. This is a disaster. This is the exact opposite of a beach!"

You let out a deep, frustrated groan and kicked at the sand like a petulant child.

Sunghoon simply stared.

For a moment, the only sound was the gentle crash of waves and your heavy breathing.

Then, hesitantly, he tilted his head. "...Beach?"

You whipped around so fast your neck nearly snapped.

"Aren't you rich?!" you shrieked, pointing a finger at him. "Where are the rescue teams?! The helicopters?! The life-saving butlers?!"

Sunghoon looked at you, then at himself—shirt tattered, hair an absolute mess, shoeless—before giving you a flat, unimpressed stare.

"Do you even understand what I'm saying?!" you shouted.

Sunghoon flinched.

And then—you broke.

With a loud, dramatic sob, you collapsed forward, your head landing squarely on his lap.

Sunghoon froze.

It was unclear whether he was more alarmed by your breakdown or the fact that you were now clutching onto his pants.

"I just wanted to take a vacation," you whimpered, voice muffled against the fabric.

Sunghoon swallowed hard, his entire body stiffening as though any sudden movement might send you spiraling further.

For a moment, his hands hovered awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Then, hesitantly, he placed one hand on your back, patting you in the most cautious, unsure manner possible. It was clear he had no idea what you were saying, but somehow, he understood exactly what you meant.

After a long silence, you finally lifted your head, eyes puffy and red, and stared at him with all the hopelessness in the world.

"Are we going to die?" you asked softly.

Sunghoon swallowed hard, clearly trying not to panic at your proximity. His Adam's apple bobbed, his gaze flickering from your eyes to your tear-streaked face.

Sunghoon scratched the back of his head as he tried to process your words—or, at the very least, pretend he understood them. He glanced up at the sky, as if hoping divine intervention would provide him with a proper English response.

"E-Engrish... n-no," he stammered, his accent thick and adorable despite the very serious situation. Then, placing a hand on his chest, he introduced himself, "I'm Sunghoon."

You stared at him, tilting your head slightly, waiting for him to continue.

"Chaebol, uhh... b-boat, I do not know."

You squinted.

What the hell was a chaebol? Was that a type of rescue plan? A fancy emergency yacht? A secret society of ridiculously wealthy people who parachuted in to save their own?

"Okay, Sunghoon," you said, leaning in a little closer, placing your hands on either side of him, effectively trapping him in place. "I assume you're rich, right?"

Sunghoon blinked rapidly, visibly gulping at your sudden proximity. His entire body stiffened.

"Rich... big money... uhh," you raised your hand, flashing three fingers at him in an attempt to mimic a money sign.

"Yes," he nodded quickly. A breath of relief escaped your lips. You immediately sat up properly, crossing your legs in front of him.

"Okay, Sunghoon. I'm Y/N," you said, placing a hand on your chest as if introducing yourself to a lost toddler.

Sunghoon nodded, seemingly pleased with this exchange of names.

You then motioned dramatically between him, yourself, and the wide, endless ocean surrounding the island.

"Do you know when we're going to be rescued?"

Sunghoon followed the movement of your hand. His eyes drifted towards the vast expanse of nothingness.

There was a long, tense pause.

Then, slowly, Sunghoon turned back to you, his expression hesitant, searching for an answer in the endless horizon of nothingness. Your shoulders slumped in disappointment.

Of course. Of course, this was your luck.

With a heavy sigh, you stood up, brushing the sand off your legs and walking a few steps away from him. Tears welled in your eyes, blurring your vision.

First, you did not get laid.

Second, you experienced a shipwreck.

Third, you were now stuck on a deserted island with a man who could barely string together a full English sentence.

What was next? Would a coconut fall on your head for comedic effect? Maybe a monkey would try to pull your hair. At this point, you wouldn't even be surprised.

Throwing your arms up dramatically, you turned towards the ocean and screamed at the top of your lungs, "Help!"

Silence. Not even an echo. Just the sound of gentle waves and a very distant seagull that clearly did not give a shit about your crisis.

"Help!" you screamed again, voice cracking slightly. "Somebody, anybody, rescue me!"

Nothing. You were on your own. No WiFi, no room service, no air conditioning.

"God," you muttered bitterly, hands on your hips, "my life is a fucking joke."

You collapsed onto the sand, pulling your knees to your chest, forehead resting against them. Your body shook with quiet sobs.

If only you had just stayed home. Worked some overtime. Maybe downloaded Tinder and lowered your standards. You could have been having a perfectly miserable date with an emotionally unavailable finance bro instead of... whatever this was.

Footsteps approached you.

You didn't look up, just continued to sniffle pathetically into your knees.

A hesitant voice finally broke the silence.

"S-sorry," Sunghoon said.

Your head slowly lifted, eyes red and puffy as you blinked up at him.

"Why are you saying sorry?" you asked, voice raspy from all the screaming.

He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "C-can't speak Engrish. Y-you angry."

Your chest softened.

Oh, great. Now you felt like an asshole.

You shook your head, sighing. "No, I'm not angry. I'm just..." You searched for the right word. "Frustrated. This isn't your fault."

Sunghoon stared at you, unsure. You sighed again, rubbing your temples. "I'm sorry for the way I treated you."

For a moment, the two of you just sat there, the sound of the waves filling the silence between you.

Then, Sunghoon exhaled deeply, looking at the endless stretch of ocean before him.

"Maybe... no die," he said, nodding to himself as if convincing both of you.

You sniffled, raising an eyebrow at him. "Yeah? And what makes you so sure?"

Sunghoon turned to you, giving you a small, confident smile.

"Rich," he said simply, pointing at himself.

And for the first time since this whole nightmare started, you laughed.

"Clothes—essential. Toothbrush and toothpaste, thank God. A picture frame? Weird, but okay. Slippers—wait, where's the other pair? Glasses... maybe useful." You muttered under your breath, rummaging through the scattered belongings that had washed up on shore.

Sunghoon sat in front of you, watching with quiet curiosity, as if trying to decipher some kind of complex survival strategy.

The sun was beginning to dip below, the waves growing louder, and most importantly—your stomach was still empty.

You continued digging through the suitcase, hoping for something practical, when your fingers brushed against a small plastic packet. Pulling it out, you squinted at the object in your hand before realization dawned.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," you deadpanned, holding up a condom like it was an insult to your very existence.

Sunghoon's face turned a deep shade of red as he immediately looked away, pretending to admire the trees.

With a defeated sigh, you flopped onto the sand. "This is not going to work out."

After a moment, you sat up again, looking at Sunghoon as an idea formed in your mind.

"They're probably looking for you, right? Because you're rich?" You rested your chin on your hand, studying him. "Maybe we won't be stuck here for long."

Sunghoon blinked at you, clearly lost.

Your gaze drifted over his sharp features—the dark moles scattered across his skin, his thick brows, his annoyingly flawless complexion.

He was attractive, sure, but not exactly your type. He had that soft, polished look, like he walked straight out of a K-drama. And while that might make some people swoon, you preferred your men a little rougher around the edges. Maybe someone like Thomas Brodie-Sangster—slim but scrappy, and preferably fluent in English.

Sunghoon swallowed hard under your scrutiny, shifting slightly.

"You're, like, super handsome," you admitted, gesturing at him. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

He opened his mouth. "M-marry?"

Your eyes widened. "You're married?!"

Sunghoon's hands flew up in protest, frantically shaking his head. "No, no! I don't want marry, but... I have marry."

You squinted at him, processing his words. Then, after a few seconds, you clapped your hands together. "Oh! You mean you're supposed to get married, but you don't want to?"

Sunghoon nodded, letting out a frustrated sigh, his expression a mixture of frustration and resignation.

You huffed, crossing your arms. "Well, that sucks. Arranged marriage?"

He hesitated before nodding.

You let out a dramatic gasp, clutching your chest. "Wow. Straight out of a K-drama."

Sunghoon blinked at you, obviously not understanding a word you just said.

You sighed, leaning back on your hands. "So, let me get this straight. You're rich, engaged against your will, stuck on an island with me, and completely at my mercy when it comes to survival."

Sunghoon frowned slightly. "M-mercy?"

You grinned, rubbing your hands together. "Exactly. I could totally make you my servant right now, and you wouldn't even know how to argue back."

Sunghoon narrowed his eyes at you, clearly sensing mischief but unable to form a proper response.

You raised the condom still in your hand. "For example, I could totally tell you this is an emergency water container, and you'd believe me."

Sunghoon's face turned even redder, and he quickly looked away, pretending to be very interested in the sand.

Laughing at his reaction, you finally tossed it aside. "Relax, Sunghoon. Not like I can use it anyway—no boyfriend, no food, no shelter. Priorities."

Sunghoon cleared his throat, still avoiding eye contact.

The hunger pangs in your stomach reminded you of your actual priorities, and you groaned, clutching your middle.

"Okay, serious question, do you know how to start a fire?"

Sunghoon furrowed his brows. "Fire?"

You mimed striking two rocks together. "Fire. Heat. Warmth. Cook food—" You paused, suddenly remembering you had no food to cook. "Okay, fine. Just warmth for survival."

Determined, you stood up and made your way into the forest, not venturing too far but gathering leaves and scraps of wood along the way. Sunghoon followed closely behind, mimicking your actions with quiet concentration.

Once you had collected a decent pile, you dropped everything onto the sand with a satisfied sigh. Grabbing two stones, you struck them together, fully expecting a spark to appear.

Nothing happened.

Sunghoon tilted his head, watching with clear confusion but staying silent.

You huffed in frustration, then grabbed two sticks instead. Placing one between your palms, you furiously rotated it against another piece of wood, convinced this would be the breakthrough moment.

Still, nothing.

"U-uh... Y/N, what you do?" Sunghoon finally asked, breaking the silence.

You shot him a deadpan look. "Fire. I'm making fire so we don't freeze to death." To illustrate, you hugged yourself for warmth, then dramatically mimed flames with your hands.

Sunghoon blinked, then casually reached into one of the scattered bags that had washed up on shore. After rummaging around for a moment, he pulled out a small, sleek object.

You squinted.

Then your eyes widened.

"Motherfucker," you muttered, staring at the lighter in his hand.

He held it up proudly, flipping the cap open and striking the wheel. A tiny flame flickered to life instantly.

You blinked. Then, slowly, you looked down at your raw, aching hands, still clutching the two useless pieces of wood you had spent the last ten minutes vigorously rubbing together.

Sunghoon, still not oblivious to your growing frustration, smiled and tilted his head.

"Fire," he said helpfully, as if you had not just been struggling to invent it from scratch.

"Yeah. Fire," you deadpanned, dropping the wood onto the sand and rubbing your sore palms. "Great discovery, Sunghoon."

Sunghoon beamed, clearly proud of himself, and you had to physically restrain yourself from throwing a rock at his stupidly handsome face.

Sighing, you sat back down. "Alright, whatever. At least we won't freeze to death," you muttered, watching as Sunghoon carefully set up the fire like a man who had never camped a day in his life.

A small flame flickered, the dry leaves catching quickly.

You exhaled in relief, finally feeling the warmth seep into your skin.

Sunghoon sat beside you, grinning.

"So," you said, glancing at him. "You know that the bag had a lighter this whole time, huh?"

Sunghoon blinked innocently. "Yes?"

You inhaled sharply, forcing a smile as you stared into the flames.

This man was going to kill you before the island did.

You had no idea how you even managed to fall asleep, but exhaustion had clearly won. When you woke up, the first thing you saw was Sunghoon sprawled beside you, mouth wide open, snoring so loud.

Your nostrils flared as you sat up, rubbing your face and trying to shake off the grogginess. Survival. Right. That was still a thing you had to figure out.

Glancing out at the sea, you searched for any signs of boats or people. Nothing. Just endless waves mocking your misfortune. With a sigh, you stood up and began collecting the scattered items that had washed ashore, piling them near your makeshift sleeping area.

A chair? Seriously?

Some wooden planks—those could be useful.

A knife—now we're talking.

Plastic bottles.

And... a fishing rod.

Your eyes widened. A fishing rod!

Determined, you set off further down the shore, hoping to find more supplies—or, by some miracle, another human being. You combed through the sand, picking up anything remotely useful, before finally returning to your spot.

By then, Sunghoon was awake, squinting against the sunlight like a grumpy toddler.

"What you do?" he asked, voice deep and groggy.

You stared at him, then dramatically gestured to the growing pile of survival essentials.

"I'm gathering things to help us survive," you explained. As expected, Sunghoon tilted his head like a confused puppy but nodded anyway, accepting your words without question.

"We can improvise with these. Maybe even explore deeper into the forest... but I don't know. It might be dangerous. We need a strategy." You tapped your chin, thinking hard.

From Sunghoon's perspective, you looked extremely serious—like a survival expert. Meanwhile, you were just winging it.

"Are you hungry?" you asked, signing with your hands—pointing to your stomach, then miming eating.

Sunghoon immediately nodded, clutching his stomach.

That was... adorable.

No. Focus. Survival first.

You sat down and started rummaging through the bags you had collected, treating it like an unboxing video. "Come on, help me. Maybe there's food in here!"

Both of you tore through the bags, tossing useless items aside. Clothes, chargers, toiletries—no food. The tension built with each disappointing find until—

Sunghoon gasped dramatically, holding up a plastic bag of biscuits.

Both of you locked eyes, pure joy spreading across your faces. You snatched the bag, ripped it open, and shoved a biscuit into your mouth.

Tears welled in your eyes. Food had never tasted this good.

The two of you ate in silence, savoring every bite. Biscuit after biscuit disappeared—until there was only one pack left.

You froze. Sunghoon froze.

Slowly, his hand inched toward the last pack.

Without hesitation, you smacked it away.

He looked at you, betrayed.

"We need to ration our food! We don't know how long we'll be stuck here!" You crossed your arms, glaring at him.

"B-but hungry," he pouted.

You wagged your finger at him. "Nuh-uh! No more until we figure out how to get more food."

Sunghoon sighed, pouting his lips.

Ignoring his silent suffering, you grabbed the fishing rod and held it up proudly.

"We can use the biscuit as bait and catch a fish! Boom—instant lunch!" You grinned, excited by your own genius idea.

Sunghoon blinked at you. "mulgogi?"

You frowned for a second before assuming he was saying "fish" in Korean. Nodding confidently, you handed him the fishing rod. "Yes! mulgogi. We catch. We eat."

Sunghoon nodded in understanding—or at least, you hoped he did.

The two of you marched toward the shore.

You broke a small piece of the precious biscuit, carefully hooking it onto the line. Sunghoon watched, tilting his head.

"Now, we wait," you said, tossing the line into the water with a triumphant flick of your wrist.

And so, you waited. And waited. And waited.

The waves gently lapped against the shore. A seagull screeched in the distance. Sunghoon scratched his head. You started humming a tune.

Nothing.

After what felt like an eternity, you sighed, passing the fishing rod to him and crossing your arms. "Okay, maybe they just don't like biscuits."

Sunghoon tilted his head, looking equally disappointed.

You scoffed, throwing your hands in the air. "How dare they? If I were a fish, I'd take a bite!"

Sunghoon blinked at you. "You... fish?"

You sighed, patting his shoulder. "No, Sunghoon. I am not a fish."

He nodded slowly, still looking confused.

Sunghoon squinted at the rod, as if trying to communicate with the fish telepathically. Then, without warning, he yanked the rod back—so forcefully that the biscuit flew off the hook and straight into the ocean.

Both of you gasped in horror.

Sunghoon turned to you, wide-eyed. "Biscuit... gone."

You inhaled sharply, fists clenched at your sides. "Sunghoon."

He gulped. "Y-yes?"

"You just fed the fish."

Sunghoon opened his mouth, then immediately shut it. He glanced at the ocean, then back at you, then at the fishing rod in his hands.

Slowly, he placed it on the ground and took a step back.

You groaned, rubbing your temples. "Okay. New plan."

Sunghoon nodded eagerly. "New plan."

Silence settled between you both.

"...What plan?" he asked after a moment.

With an exasperated sigh, you pulled yourself to your feet and marched toward the forest.

"Y/N, what plan?!" Sunghoon hurried after you, watching in alarm as you grabbed a knife and a bag before stepping into the thick greenery.

"Don't follow me! It's dangerous—we don't know if there are wild animals or some dangerous tribe that eats humans!" you warned.

Sunghoon shook his head stubbornly. "N-no! Uh... alone here, no!"

"I'm trying to get us food! Or maybe water!" You walked faster, pushing aside vines and leaves with the knife.

You knew this was risky. Venturing into a dense, unfamiliar forest on a deserted island was far from a smart move. But you were out of options. If you couldn't catch anything in the ocean, you at least needed fresh water. Otherwise, dehydration and hunger would do you in before rescue ever arrived.

How long was that going to take anyway?

"Y/N!" Sunghoon's voice snapped you out of your thoughts.

You halted, eyes widening at the sight before you—tall coconut trees stood proudly above, their fruit clustered high above your reach.

"Liquid secured!" You grinned, pointing upward.

Sunghoon followed your gaze, squinting at the coconuts.

"Can you climb?" you asked, turning to him.

Sunghoon opened his mouth to respond, but before a single word could escape, a sharp hissing sound cut through the air.

Both of you froze.

Sunghoon glanced down and immediately went pale. Something slithered near his foot.

His face contorted in horror. "Snakeu!!!"

Panic surged through you both.

Without thinking, you stomped your feet, hoping to scare the creature away. Meanwhile, Sunghoon did the only logical thing in his state of sheer terror—he leaped onto you, wrapping his legs tightly around your waist like a terrified koala.

You didn't even process the weight before pure adrenaline kicked in. Screaming, you took off sprinting, charging back toward the beach, carrying him in your arms as if your life depended on it.

By the time you hit the white sand, your legs finally gave out. You collapsed, Sunghoon landing beneath you.

And then, he looked at you.

The sunlight framed your face, casting a soft glow over your features. Strands of your hair stuck to your forehead from the sweat of running, but somehow, it only made you look more effortless—wild, untamed, yet undeniably beautiful.

Your wide eyes, still filled with leftover adrenaline, shimmered under the golden light, and your lips, slightly parted as you tried to catch your breath, looked softer than he'd expect for someone who had just sprinted for their life.

Sunghoon gulped.

Pretty, his mind supplied unhelpfully. Too pretty.

Forgetting himself, he continued staring, his gaze following the curve of your nose, the way your eyelashes fluttered slightly, the way your brows furrowed just a little in confusion.

"...So," you finally said, voice still breathless, "did we outrun the snake or was that just a leaf?"

Sunghoon blinked rapidly, snapping out of whatever trance he had fallen into.

"Maybe... leaf," he mumbled.

You huffed heavily, peeling yourself off of him and rolling onto the sand. "Unbelievable," you muttered under your breath, staring up at the sky.

Sunghoon sat up beside you, still catching his breath. His gaze lingered on your face, noting the way your chest rose and fell steadily, the slight pout of your lips, and the faint traces of exhaustion on your features.

"You... not angry?" he asked hesitantly.

You turned your head toward him, flashing a sarcastic smile. "Oh, no, not at all, Sunghoon. I love sprinting for my life from imaginary snakes. It's my favorite cardio workout."

Sunghoon nodded slowly, pretending to understand. Smiling at you sweetly in relief.

You almost roll your eyes. With a sigh, you pushed yourself up, dusting the sand off your legs. "Let me take a break, and then I'll go back to the forest."

At that, Sunghoon's eyes widened, and he shook his head frantically. "No, no, no. Uh... plan. Me and you." He pointed at himself, then at you, then toward the dreaded forest.

You raised a brow. "You want to join me in the forest?"

Sunghoon nodded determinedly.

"But you're scared," you teased, a smirk tugging at your lips. "Snakeu."

At the word, Sunghoon visibly tensed, quickly making an X with his arms before pressing his palms together in a solemn promise. "No scared. Protect you."

You stared at him for a moment, amused by his attempt at bravery. He's terrified, you thought, but the way he sat up straight, brows furrowed in mock seriousness, was kind of... endearing.

With a small chuckle, you rolled your eyes. "Fine, you're coming with me. But if we see another snakeu, you're on your own."

Sunghoon gulped, but he nodded nonetheless.

"Tarzan is so hot," you muttered, arms crossed as you admired the imaginary image of him in your mind. "The muscles, the biceps, the way he moves like a monkey but still looks insanely attractive—"

A loud grunt snapped you back to reality.

You turned your head, watching Sunghoon struggle with the coconut tree like his life depended on it. His entire body was wrapped around the trunk, clinging awkwardly, legs flailing as he tried to inch his way up. It was like watching a very determined sloth attempt a pull-up.

You sighed, placing your hands on your hips. This is the smallest coconut tree you’ve ever seen, you thought, and this man still can't even reach halfway.

Sunghoon let out a final, defeated grunt before—

"Agh!"

With an unceremonious thud, he slid down, landing flat on his back.

You blinked.

"Wow. That was... impressive," you deadpanned.

Sunghoon exhaled heavily, staring at the sky. "Tree... no good," he muttered.

You crouched beside him, suppressing a laugh. "You okay?"

He sat up slowly, wincing as he rubbed his back. "Yes. But... coconut no like me."

You snorted. "Maybe we should try something else before you break a rib. Or your dignity."

Sunghoon nodded, still dazed. "New plan."

You clapped your hands together. "Okay! New plan—you're gonna carry me on your shoulders so I can reach the coconuts. Got it?"

Sunghoon just blinked at you.

Right. Language barrier.

Sighing, you resorted to charades, dramatically pointing at him, then at yourself, and then mimicking climbing motions. Miraculously, his eyes lit up with understanding. Thank God.

Moments later, you found yourself perched on Sunghoon's shoulders, gripping his head for dear life as he carefully guided you toward the coconut tree.

You gulped. Holy shit, he's tall. The ground seemed miles away, and your legs instinctively tightened around his shoulders.

"Sunghoon, I'm gonna stand now—hold me steady, okay?" you said, voice laced with nerves.

Sunghoon let out a small grunt, bracing his hands on your legs to keep you balanced. Slowly, you placed your feet on his broad shoulders, wobbling slightly as you adjusted.

Then you realized something.

"Sunghoon, lift my butt!"

His whole body stiffened. "H-huh?!"

You wiggled your hips impatiently. "Lift it! Come on, boost me up!"

Sunghoon made a choking sound. He stared up at you, his hands hovered awkwardly, debating whether to touch or run for his life.

"Sunghoon!" you urged.

With a face so red it could rival the sunset, he hesitantly placed his hands under you and lifted you up—his movements stiff, careful, and very, very flustered.

"You—uh, Y/N—uh, this okay?" Sunghoon stammered, barely breathing.

"Yes, yes! Just hold still!" you hissed, gripping the tree like your life depended on it.

With a few forceful climbs and some questionable wobbles, you somehow managed to hoist yourself up to the top.

You let out a triumphant breath, balancing yourself against the trunk. Looking down, you spotted Sunghoon still standing right beneath you.

"Move away!" you shouted, one hand gripping a coconut, ready to drop it.

Sunghoon blinked up at you, clueless. "Huh?!"

"Move! Get away—shit!"

The coconut slipped from your grasp.

Sunghoon yelped, narrowly dodging the potential skull-cracking disaster as the coconut crashed into the ground beside him. His eyes were as wide as saucers, his breath ragged.

"You almost kill me!" he gasped, clutching his chest as if his heart might leap out at any moment.

You let out an exasperated sigh, rolling your eyes. While you didn't understand the exact words, his tone—and the sheer terror on his face—was enough to fill in the blanks.

"Well, I did tell you to move!" you retorted, balancing carefully atop the tree.

Sunghoon scowled up at you, still visibly shaken.

"I'm just trying to get us food!" you added, plucking another coconut and holding it threateningly. "So, unless you want a concussion, I suggest you listen next time!"

He promptly scrambled further away, eyes never leaving the coconut in your hand.

"Liquid secured."

You exhaled deeply, taking a moment to appreciate the small victory. At the very least, thirst would not be your cause of death. The sky, now dimming into a darker shade of blue, hinted at impending rainfall—an additional blessing in disguise.

However, food remained an unsolved predicament.

As you and Sunghoon trudged back from the shore, he struggled to balance four coconuts in his arms, his gait slightly unsteady as he maneuvered around scattered debris. You, on the other hand, scanned the surroundings in search of anything remotely edible. That was when you spotted them—clusters of goose plums nestled among the greenery.

A wave of relief washed over you. At least we won't starve completely. Thank God for your basic fruit knowledge, or you'd probably be chewing on something poisonous by now.

But that wasn't the only thing you noticed.

It was bright afternoon when your feet reach you at the shore. Right there, lying on the damp sand, was a peculiar, cucumber-shaped creature. It wriggled slightly, looking almost alien-like.

Sunghoon, sipping coconut water through a plastic straw he salvaged from one of the washed-up bags, stepped beside you and followed your gaze.

His eyes followed your line of sight, and together, in perfect synchrony, the two of you tilted your heads.

A long silence ensued.

You crouched down first, carefully extending a finger toward the mysterious creature.

Tap. Nothing. You tap it again, still no reaction.

You narrowed your eyes. "Are you edible?" you murmured, voice barely above a whisper, as if trying to communicate with the unknown entity. And then— Without warning, the creature released a sudden jet of thick, white liquid from its opening.

Sunghoon, caught mid-sip, choked violently on his coconut water, his body jerking forward as he coughed uncontrollably. His face contorted in sheer disbelief as he desperately tried to regain control of his breathing. Meanwhile, you froze, eyes blown wide in shock.

For a brief moment, there was only stunned silence between the two of you. And then, the laughter erupted.

You collapsed onto the sand, wheezing, clutching your stomach as the absurdity of the situation washed over you. Sunghoon was now lying on his back, laughing so hard that no sound was coming out. His entire body shook as he hit the sand repeatedly, as if trying to exorcise the memory from his mind.

"Did—did that just happen?!" you gasped between fits of laughter. Sunghoon, still struggling to form coherent words, simply nodded, his entire face red from either laughter or oxygen deprivation.

Tears gathered at the corners of your eyes as you wiped at them. "Oh my god, we broke it." Still chuckling, you reached forward and picked up the poor, unsuspecting creature once again. Sunghoon, immediately wary, scooted backward.

"Touch it," you urged, barely holding back another laugh. Sunghoon furrowed his brows, shaking his head vehemently. "No. No, no, no. I do not trust."

Rolling your eyes, you tilted the creature toward him. "Come on, it's harmless! Just one little poke!" He hesitated. Then, after much internal debate, he extended a single, reluctant finger—

Another burst of white liquid shot out. This time, Sunghoon shrieked. An actual shriek.

You collapsed onto the sand, utterly useless, consumed by another fit of uncontrollable laughter. "It looks like a cumming dick!" you wheezed, barely able to breathe between your giggles.

Sunghoon, already red from laughter, turned an even deeper shade of crimson. He smacked his hands over his face, groaning between chuckles.

The two of you continued laughing until your stomachs ached, rolling on the sand like complete idiots stranded in the middle of nowhere. Eventually, the hysteria died down, replaced by exhausted breaths and occasional snickers.

Now, both of you sat in silence, crouched by a small fire, cooking the very same sea cucumber you had been laughing at moments ago.

You poked at it with a makeshift stick, watching as it sizzled in the weak flames. "This feels morally wrong," you muttered.

Sunghoon, eyes trained on the fire, hummed in thought. "It... safe?" he asked, looking at you as if you were supposed to be the survival expert here.

You gave him a deadpan stare. "You tell me. You're the one who said it's edible."

Sunghoon pursed his lips before shrugging. "Maybe... maybe die?"

You smacked his arm. "Don't joke like that!"

"Maybe not die?" he corrected quickly, holding back a laugh.

Days of being stranded on an island were the last thing you ever wanted to experience. It was nothing like the adventure movies made it seem—those always ended with the survivors thin, sunburnt, and borderline insane.

At first, you had dreaded ending up the same way. But now, on day four, you weren't so sure.

You glanced at Sunghoon, who was currently sitting in the sand, attempting to build a very questionable-looking sandcastle. Despite his hopeless survival skills, he was surprisingly unbothered by the entire situation.

He ate whatever you managed to scavenge, tried (and failed) to catch fish with his bare hands, and even helped you construct a pitiful excuse for a tent.

What stood out the most, though, was how quickly he picked up on your words. Each day, his English improved bit by bit—though not without some truly hilarious mistranslations along the way.

You watched him pile more wet sand onto his lopsided creation, his expression one of pure focus.

Maybe being stranded wasn't that bad. Not if you had someone like Sunghoon around—someone who didn't crumble under stress but instead found joy in the smallest things.

"Sunghoon," you called, watching as he paused mid-sandcastle, hands covered in damp grains of sand. He lifted his head, tilting it slightly in curiosity.

"Are you happy?"

For a moment, he didn't answer. Instead, he glanced up at the sky, his usual thinking habit, before nodding. "Yes."

His smile was soft, genuine—like he truly meant it.

You found yourself studying his face, taking in the details you had unconsciously memorized over the past four days.

The way his cheeks and nose were always tinged red from too much sun exposure. The way his eyes flickered upward in thought before he gave you a response. The way he would bring back scraps of wood for the fire with a proud grin, as if he had just conquered the wilderness.

And, of course, the way he flexed his arms at you as a joke, despite not being particularly muscular.

Sunghoon was... unexpected. A person you would have never imagined being stuck with, yet somehow, he made the situation bearable. Maybe even enjoyable.

Lost in thought, you almost didn't notice when he suddenly struck a pose, flexing again with an exaggerated smirk. "Strong man."

You snorted, shaking your head. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Tarzan."

Sunghoon furrowed his brows. "Tar...zan?"

You rolled your eyes, leaning back onto your hands. "Forget it."

The playful atmosphere lingered for a moment before Sunghoon's expression shifted, his hands slowing as he traced patterns into the sand. His voice was quieter when he spoke again.

"In Korea, I am not happy," he admitted, gaze fixed downward. "Marry a girl I do not love."

You stared at him, letting him talk.

Sunghoon sighed, his fingers drawing absent-minded circles in the sand. "Family say... must marry. No choice." He looked up at you, something heavy in his eyes. "I do not want marry."

You frowned, hugging your knees to your chest. "That's... kind of messed up."

Sunghoon tilted his head, not fully understanding, so you sighed and tried again. "I mean, forcing you to marry someone you don't love? That's not fair."

He nodded slowly, as if letting the words sink in. "Yes. Not fair."

"Is that why you separate yourself from them when the cruise is sinking?" you asked carefully. "Were you... running away from them?"

Sunghoon hesitated, then gave a small nod. "Yes."

You let out a low whistle, leaning back on your palms. "Damn. So, technically, this island might be the best thing to happen to you."

Sunghoon blinked, then let out a dry chuckle. "Maybe."

You nudged him with your foot. "So, what's the plan? When we get rescued, are you going back? Or are you gonna pull a full-on lost prince escaping his royal duties situation?"

He seemed to think for a long moment before exhaling. "I... do not know."

You had no sarcastic remark, no teasing quip. Instead, you just sat there, watching as Sunghoon absentmindedly drew a stick figure in the sand.

After a moment, you sighed, resting your chin on your knees. "Well, at least you're safe here. No family breathing down your neck, no forced marriage... just me, you, and our little slice of survival hell."

Sunghoon chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. "Hell?"

You gestured around dramatically. "Oh, absolutely. No internet, no fast food, no soft beds—this is prime suffering, my friend."

He gave you a lopsided smile. "But... you smile."

You blinked, caught off guard. "Huh?"

Sunghoon pointed at you, tilting his head. "Say suffering... but smile."

Your lips parted, but you had no immediate response. You hadn't really thought about it, but he was right. Sure, the situation sucked, and yes, you'd kill for a burger and an actual shower, but... you were still smiling. Still laughing.

Maybe it was because of him.

Shaking off the thought, you huffed dramatically. "Well, what can I say? Misery loves company."

Sunghoon furrowed his brows. "Misery... loves company?"

You waved a hand. "It just means suffering is easier when you're not alone."

He nodded as if absorbing the meaning, then gave you a small, knowing smile. "Then... we suffer together."

You snorted, nudging him again. "Damn right."

The conversation could've turned heavy again, but Sunghoon suddenly gasped, eyes wide as he pointed behind you.

"Y/N! Look!"

You whipped around, expecting something dramatic—maybe a rescue boat, a wild animal, or even another poor soul who had washed up on the shore. Instead, it was a coconut crab. A big, ugly coconut crab, waddling sideways near your pathetic attempt at a fire pit.

You turned back to Sunghoon, unimpressed. "Seriously?"

Sunghoon grinned, grabbing a stick like a spear. "Dinner."

You watched as he dramatically stood, stick raised like a warrior about to go into battle. The crab, oblivious, continued its slow march across the sand.

"You realize if you miss, that thing is coming for revenge, right?"

Sunghoon ignored you, focusing on his target. You watched, highly entertained, as he took a deep breath.

—And lunged.

And missed.

The stick bounced off the sand, the crab flinched, and Sunghoon yelped as the angry crustacean turned and started scuttling toward him at full speed.

"YA!" Sunghoon scrambled back, arms flailing.

You burst out laughing, clutching your stomach as he ran in circles, trying to escape the vengeful crab.

Day Eight. Still no rescue.

The massive SOS you had carefully arranged with coconut leaves on the white sand remained untouched, unnoticed. No planes overhead, no boats in the distance—just the endless ocean mocking you.

With a sigh, you decided to push deeper into the forest, hoping to find something useful. Sunghoon followed closely behind, gripping his makeshift spear like he was the lead character in a survival movie. His eyes darted around cautiously, scanning for any signs of danger.

You rolled your eyes. "Relax, Tarzan. The worst thing we've seen so far is that angry coconut crab."

Sunghoon frowned. "Crab scary."

You snorted, adjusting the bag slung over your shoulder. It was filled with random toiletries you had salvaged—mostly useless, but at least you had toothpaste, and body wash. Now, if only you could find fresh water.

You stopped abruptly, causing Sunghoon to bump into you.

"Yah!" he complained, rubbing his chest.

"Shh!" You raised a hand, listening. There was a faint, trickling sound. Your eyes widened, and you spun around to Sunghoon, grabbing his arm.

"Do you hear that?"

He tilted his head, listening, before his expression brightened. "Water?"

"Water!"

Without hesitation, you grabbed his wrist and took off running toward the sound. Sunghoon stumbled after you, nearly tripping over roots in his rush to keep up.

The two of you crashed through the foliage, excitement building—until you finally broke through a clearing.

And there it was.

A beautiful, crystal-clear stream, flowing gently through the rocks, shimmering under the sunlight. Birds chirped overhead, the air smelled fresh and clean, and for a moment, it felt like you had just discovered paradise.

Tears pricked at your eyes. "Sunghoon... we did it. Fresh water!"

Sunghoon, equally amazed, crouched down to inspect it. He dipped a hand into the stream, watching as the water ran through his fingers. "Cold..."

"That's a good thing!" You practically shoved him aside in your eagerness, cupping your hands to drink. The cool liquid hit your throat, and you nearly moaned in relief. It wasn't salty, it wasn't muddy—just fresh, actual water.

Sunghoon watched you with a mixture of amusement and fascination before cautiously taking a sip himself. His eyes widened. "It's delicious..."

You grinned, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. "We're so smart."

Sunghoon chuckled. "Smart... but smell bad."

You gasped, shoving him. "Excuse me?!"

He laughed, dodging your attack. "Water here! Bath!"

You looked down at your clothes—torn, dirty, stained with sand and sweat. Okay, maybe he had a point.

But before you could respond, Sunghoon ripped his shirt off and stepped into the stream without hesitation.

You choked. "Wait—what are you doing?!"

Sunghoon turned to you, grinning. "Shower!"

Your face burned as you turned away. "Warn a girl next time, Jesus!"

Sunghoon only laughed, splashing water in your direction. You shrieked, grabbing your bag and hugging it to your chest.

Sunghoon happily swim to the fresh water, fully immersed in the crystal-clear water, his shoulders relaxing as he let out a contented sigh. He dipped beneath the surface, disappearing for a moment before resurfacing with a dramatic whip of his hair, water droplets spraying everywhere. His palms ran down his face, fingers sliding through his wet strands, slicking them back.

You gulped.

Your gaze unwillingly traced the sharp line of his jaw, down to the smooth expanse of his broad shoulders and sculpted back, muscles shifting effortlessly as he waded deeper into the water. The golden sunlight filtering through the trees made the droplets on his skin glow, highlighting every defined ridge and curve.

Was it suddenly hotter out here? Or was that just Sunghoon looking like a scene straight out of a movie?

You snapped out of it, clearing your throat and turning away, firmly fixing your gaze on a tree. Not today, hormones.

Sunghoon chuckled, as if sensing your distress. "You come, too?" he called, voice teasing.

You smirked, deciding to mess with him. "What if there's a snake in there?"

Sunghoon's eyes widened in sheer terror. He immediately glanced down at the water, frantically scanning his surroundings. "No snakeu!" he pouted, splashing water as if to scare off imaginary threats.

You burst out laughing at his panicked reaction. "Okay, okay! I'll swim."

Sunghoon's lips stretched into a pleased grin as he floated on his back, arms spread out, completely relaxed.

Smiling to yourself, you grabbed the hem of your tattered, eight-day-old dress, tearing off the ruined fabric until you were left in your two-piece swimsuit.

You rummaged through your bag, pulling out a tiny bottle of body wash from the toiletries kit you salvaged. With a satisfied nod, you stepped into the cool, refreshing water, slowly wading toward the center where Sunghoon drifted.

Despite the language barrier, you and Sunghoon had grown remarkably close over the past week. Most days were filled with silly games of rock, paper, scissors, where Sunghoon was a consistent loser—a fact you never let him forget.

Conversations, though sometimes broken and grammatically questionable, flowed naturally between you two.

You learned that Sunghoon's favorite food was something called misutgaru, a Korean grain powder drink, and he loved having it with bananas.

He was also obsessed with steak—to the point where he once ordered the same steak dish at the same restaurant for four consecutive days. The way he told you the story, with his endearingly bad grammar and exaggerated hand gestures, had you wheezing with laughter.

Sighing, you lathered the body wash onto your skin, enjoying the rare luxury of feeling somewhat clean again. Meanwhile, Sunghoon floated effortlessly on his back, arms and legs spread out, drifting like a carefree child.

For a brief moment, you allowed yourself to relax—until something brushed against your foot.

Your scream shattered the peaceful atmosphere as you kicked wildly, causing waves to ripple across the water. Sunghoon suddenly resurfaced right in front of you, grinning mischievously.

"You—!" you sputtered, eyes narrowing. "Was that you?!"

Sunghoon, completely unfazed by your outburst, tilted his head innocently. "What me?"

You scoffed, immediately cupping your hands and sending a massive splash of water straight at his face.

Sunghoon yelped, shielding himself. "Yah!" He barely had time to react before you splashed him again—this time, full force.

He lunged, sending a wave of water crashing into you. You shrieked, retaliating with even more aggressive splashes. It turned into an all-out war, both of you laughing uncontrollably as you tried to out-splash each other.

At one point, Sunghoon managed to sneak behind you, his strong arms locking around your waist as he lifted you out of the water.

"Got you!" he announced triumphantly.

You gasped, flailing your arms. "Sunghoon, you idiot—!"

Before you could finish, he dropped you back into the water with a loud splash.

Emerging with a gasp, you slicked your wet hair back, wiping water from your face before fixing Sunghoon with a glare.

"Oh, you're dead."

Sunghoon burst into laughter, backing away with his hands up in mock surrender, though the mischief in his eyes remained.

You were already preparing for another attack when he suddenly paused, his laughter fading into something softer.

"Y/N," he said, his voice gentler than before.

You blinked, lowering your hands. "What?"

He hesitated for a moment, then offered you a small smile. "You pretty."

You froze, the words catching you off guard. Your heart did an embarrassing little flip, and you were momentarily stunned into silence.

"Y/N always angry, but still pretty."

Your cheeks burned, and you whipped your head toward him, mouth opening in disbelief.

The sunlight filtering through the trees reflected off the water, making his damp skin glow, droplets trailing slowly down his sharp jawline.

Nope. Absolutely not.

Desperate to escape whatever weird, butterfly-inducing moment this was, you splashed him again—hard.

"Ugh, shut up!" you huffed, turning away quickly before he could see your very obvious blush.

Sunghoon yelped, laughing as he wiped the water from his face. "Why? Is true!"

You ignored him, stomping toward the shallow end. But, of course, Sunghoon followed, completely unfazed.

Spotting the tiny bottle of body wash in your hand, he plucked it from your grasp before you could protest, giving it an experimental squeeze onto his palm.

You sighed, watching as he lathered it onto his arms, "Y/N, Y/N, Y/N," he hummed your name happily, grinning as he rubbed soap onto his chest.

You stared at him, bewildered. There it was again—that stupid fluttering in your stomach.

"What's with you today?" you grumbled, narrowing your eyes.

He simply shook his head, still grinning. "Happy. We bath."

You blinked. That was it? That was the grand reason behind his weird, flirty behavior?

You sighed dramatically, leaning back against the rock. "God, you're so weird."

After a few hours, both of you remained at the same spot, basking in the rare moment of peace. The sun had dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm glow over the water. You were now wearing an oversized polo that you had salvaged from the washed-up luggage, while Sunghoon remained topless, his skin glistening with the remnants of water droplets.

You watched the gentle stream, absentmindedly tracing patterns in the damp fabric of your shirt when—

"Y/N, what's 'laid'?"

You choked on absolutely nothing. Your whole body stiffened.

Slowly, you turned to him, eyes wide, brain short-circuiting. Did you hear that right?

Sunghoon, meanwhile, looked completely innocent—his usual curious expression firmly in place.

"You... what?" you asked, as if giving him a chance to correct himself.

"You want laid, right?" he repeated, tilting his head. "What's 'laid'?"

Your soul left your body.

A thousand thoughts ran through your head, ranging from "oh my god" to "is this really happening" to "do I have to explain this to him?"

"W-Where did you hear that?!" you stammered, your face heating up.

"You said before boat sinks, you want laid."

Your hands flew to your face, muffling a groan. Of all the things he could've remembered from your endless rambling, it had to be that.

Taking a deep breath, you peeked at him through your fingers. He was still waiting—completely oblivious.

"There are two meanings," you sighed, already regretting this conversation. "The first one means to rest. Like when we lie down? That's called 'laying.' Past tense is 'laid.'"

Sunghoon nodded, seeming satisfied. But then, of course, he asked—

"And... the other?" You hesitated. Your foot tapped against the ground anxiously as you slowly raised your hands.

Left hand: circle. Right hand: pointer finger. You moved them together in a very telling motion.

Sunghoon's eyes followed the gesture. He tilted his head. Then, his ears turned bright red.

"Oh."

You nodded solemnly.

"OH."

His entire face flushed deep red, and he immediately covered his mouth like you had just said the worst possible thing. His body went stiff, and his gaze darted around.

"You say... you want laid?!" His voice cracked at the end, and his hands flew to his head in pure secondhand embarrassment.

"I didn't mean it like that!" you shrieked, slapping his arm. "It's just an expression! It doesn't always mean that!"

Sunghoon groaned loudly, collapsing onto the ground, his hands over his face.

"Nooo, Y/N, my brain!" he whined, rolling around like his entire existence had been shattered.

You couldn't help it. You burst out laughing.

"I can't believe you remembered that, of all things!" you teased, hugging your stomach as you watched him dramatically suffer.

Sunghoon peeked at you through his fingers, still blushing furiously. "You say bad thing," he muttered, shaking his head.

"You asked!" you shot back, still giggling.

Then you paused, tilting your head. "Wait... are you a virgin?"

Sunghoon's ears turned an even deeper shade of red. He avoided your gaze.

Your eyes widened. "No way! Aren't you, like, twenty-five?!"

He mumbled something under his breath, barely audible.

"What was that?" You leaned in.

Sunghoon exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Marry first, laid after."

You stared at him for a second before bursting out laughing. "That's so cute!"

Sunghoon scowled, clearly flustered. "W-why? You... you laid without marry?"

You grinned, casually reaching out to wipe a stray droplet from his thick eyebrows. "You don't have to be married to get laid, Sunghoon. People do it whenever they want."

Sunghoon's brows furrowed, his mind clearly working overtime as he processed your words. "Whenever... they want?"

You nodded, swallowing. Why was the air suddenly so thick?

Sunghoon blinked, his voice lower this time. "You want laid... now?"

Your breath hitched. The question hung between you, heavy and unspoken. Heat crept up your neck as you caught the way his gaze flickered to your lips before quickly darting back to your eyes.

Your heart pounded. "Why are you asking me that?" Your voice came out softer than intended. "Do you... want to get laid?"

Sunghoon swallowed hard. His Adam's apple bobbed, and you noticed the way his breath had deepened, the way his fingers twitched slightly at his sides.

He bit his lip—a nervous habit you had come to recognize over the past days. But this time, it felt different.

"I..." His voice wavered, his chest rose and fell in deep, uneven breaths. When he finally met your gaze, his eyes were dark.

The air pressed around you. The stream murmured softly behind you, the wind whispering through the trees—but you barely noticed. All you could focus on was him.

Then, your gaze dropped—lower. Your breath hitched. His shorts did little to hide the tension coiling in his body, his bulge are visible and you almost moaned at how huge it was.

"Fuck," you whispered under your breath, leaning in without thinking. Sunghoon tensed. His palm braced against the rock, as if trying to ground himself. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly.

"I-In Korea... m-marry first," he stammered, voice strained. But his body betrayed his words, drawn to you like a magnet.

You hummed, leaning closer, fingertips grazing his jawline, tracing the sharp edges down to his lips. His breath shuddered, his lashes fluttering.

"But I want you," he murmured, voice rough, sending a heat straight to your core.

You traced his face—his high cheekbones, the curve of his nose, the thick lines of his brows. He trembled under your touch.

"Want you," he whispered again, barely audible, but the desperation in his voice are obvious.

Your forehead pressed against his, your lips hovering a breath away. "Where do you want me?"

His grip tightened around your wrist, slowly guiding your hand to his crotch.

Your fingers brushed against him, and he sucked in a sharp breath, eyes screwing shut. "Hurts," he rasped, hips jerking slightly. "Please... help."

A rush of heat pooled in your stomach, but you hesitated. "Sunghoon..."

His grip tightened, your fingers tracing at the outline of his bulge before tugging down his shorts.

Heat rushed to your face as you took in the sight of him—hardened, aching, a bead of arousal gathering at the tip. Sunghoon let out a sharp exhale, his fingers twitching at his sides.

Lowering yourself onto your knees, ignoring the rough scrape of stone beneath you, you leaned in, placing a featherlight kiss at his tip before trailing lower. Sunghoon's breath hitched, his hands instinctively finding your face, fingers caressing your cheeks

His lips parted as he released a quiet, shuddering moan when you finally took him in, your mouth warm around him. His fingers threaded through your hair, hesitant at first, before tightening slightly when you hummed against him.

His hips jerked involuntarily, and he muttered something in Korean—words too soft, too breathless to understand, but the way his voice trembled sent heat curling in your stomach.

His body trembled beneath your touch, breath growing heavier, more unsteady. His fingers tangled deeper into your hair, a soft groan escaping his parted lips as his hips moved instinctively.

"F-feels... so good," he murmured, his head tilting back, exposing the sharp line of his jaw. The sound sent a rush of heat through you, your own body reacting to the way he surrendered so easily to your touch.

Your jaw ached, your knees stung against the rough ground, but none of it mattered. Not when he looked at you like that—half-lidded eyes glazed over, lips swollen from biting down his moans. You cupped him gently, tracing soft circles, and his breath hitched.

His voice turned breathy, laced with a desperation that made your stomach tighten. More words spilled from his lips in Korean, a mix of pleading and praise. You pulled away briefly, a thin strand of saliva still connecting you, and wrapped your fingers around him instead, stroking with a teasing rhythm.

"Are you close?" you whispered, watching him unravel beneath you.

Sunghoon nodded frantically, chest rising and falling in deep, shaky breaths. Then, with a sudden burst of need, his hands guided you back to him, his touch rough but hesitant.

"Marry you after... just, please—help me," he gasped, voice breaking as he gave in completely.

A flicker of amusement mixed with the heat curling in your stomach, but you didn't laugh. Instead, you leaned in, letting him lose himself to the feeling, his body tensing beneath your touch. The moment stretched, until his breath stuttered, and he finally let go—shuddering against you, gripping onto you.

"Ngh,” Sunghoon gasped, his breath coming in uneven pants as you continued, helping him ride out his high. His body trembled beneath your touch, muscles taut with pleasure.

Slowly, you pulled away, swallowing as you caught your breath. When you looked up, Sunghoon's eyes were already on you— wide, shock and confused.

You wiped your lips with the back of your hand, "are you okay?"

Still dazed, Sunghoon averted his gaze, his face burning red. His hands twitched, shifting uncomfortably as if unsure what to do next. He muttered something under his breath in Korean, words too soft for you to catch.

"You didn't like it?" You frowned, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

His head snapped toward you, eyes widening in alarm. "N-no! Like! I like!"

You barely had time to react before he grabbed your wrist, gently pulling you to sit beside him. He cupped the water in his hands and suddenly tried to bring it to your lips, his expression shifting into pure panic.

"Why you drink it?! I-It’s dirty," he blurted, as if you had just done something irreversible.

You blinked before bursting into laughter, swatting his hands away. "Oh my God, you're adorable."

Sunghoon groaned, covering his face as his ears turned even redder. You reached forward, grabbing his cheeks between your fingers, squeezing playfully.

"Seriously? Have you never watched porn before? I thought Korean guys were supposed to be wild." You teased, grinning.

Sunghoon gulped, his gaze flickering to your chest for a split second before meeting your eyes again. He nodded, shy yet honest.

You chuckled, shaking your head in disbelief. "Wait... was that your first time?"

He hesitated, then nodded again.

You stared at him before letting out another laugh, the realization making you grin. "No way."

Sunghoon huffed, pouting. "Stop laugh."

You only laughed harder, nudging him playfully. "No, no, it's just—damn, I feel honored."

His ears turned impossibly red, and he groaned again, burying his face in his hands.

"What have you even been doing with your life for this to be your first blowjob?!" you teased, laughter bubbling out of you.

Sunghoon just shook his head, fingers still covering his face, his embarrassment almost too much to handle. His reaction only made you laugh harder.

"Seriously, not even once?" you pressed, poking his side.

He mumbled something incoherent, but the way his ears burned was answer enough.

Amused, you sighed and moved closer, draping your arms around his shoulders from behind, pressing your chest lightly against his damp back. You leaned in, lips hovering just over the shell of his ear. "Do you not want to continue?"

Sunghoon stiffened instantly. His breath hitched, his whole body tensing at your words. Slowly, he turned his head to look at you, eyes wide and filled with eager. His gaze flickered downward, drawn to the droplets of water sliding down your collarbone and disappearing beneath the fabric of your oversized polo.

You smirked, watching his throat bob as he swallowed thickly.

Just when he parted his lips to respond, you burst into laughter, pulling back. "I'm kidding! No pressure, virgin boy!"

Sunghoon blinked, his expression shifting from anticipation to exasperation. "Y/N!" he groaned, throwing his head back.

You grinned mischievously. "What? You looked like you were about to pass out!"

He pouted, grumbling something about you being evil under his breath.

Still, you could see the way his hands twitched on his lap, how he stole quick glances at your legs, your lips—anywhere but your eyes. It made something stir inside you, something warm and thrilling.

"You're curious, aren't you?" you murmured, tilting your head.

Sunghoon hesitated before nodding, his gaze flickering to your mouth.

"Do you want me to teach you?" you asked, voice softer now, teasing.

He exhaled sharply, his fingers clenching against the rock he was sitting on. "Teach?"

You smirked, reaching for his wrist, guiding his hand to your waist. "Mhm. If you want to learn, you have to be hands-on."

Sunghoon's breath stuttered, but he didn't pull away. Instead, his grip tightened ever so slightly, his thumb hesitantly tracing over your damp skin.

Your heart raced as you leaned in closer, voice barely above a whisper. "Do you want me, Sunghoon?"

His fingers tightened around your waist, his grip both hesitant and desperate as he gave a small, breathless nod.

Back at your makeshift tent, the world around you faded, leaving only the sound of the waves lapping against the shore and the rustling of the fabric beneath you. Sitting on his lap, your fingers tangled in his damp hair, your lips molding against his in a kiss.

Sunghoon moaned softly against your mouth, his hands gripping your hips as you ground against him, his inexperience evident in the way his lips moved— so hungry, so desperate.

The warmth of his breath mingled with yours as his tongue hesitantly met yours, a shiver running through his body at the sensation.

His kisses were messy, teeth clashing at first, but you guided him, deepening the kiss until he melted into you, his breath hitching every time your hips moved against his.

You tugged at his hair, forcing his head back, and he let out a quiet whine, his lips parting slightly, eyes half-lidded as he gazed up at you. He was completely under your control, chest rising and falling rapidly.

When he tried to chase your lips again, you tugged harder, making him gasp. The sound sent a thrill straight to your core.

"Impatient, aren't you?" you teased,

Sunghoon swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing as his fingers twitched against your waist. His lips, swollen from your heated kisses, remained slightly open, as if he wanted to respond but couldn't find the words.

You rolled your hips slowly, grinding against the hardness straining beneath his shorts. The friction makes him exhaled sharply, his grip tightening as his fingers dug into your flesh.

His hands moved on instinct, sliding up your torso, fingers trembling slightly as they reached the hem of your oversized polo. He hesitated for just a second before tugging it up, his breath hitching as you lifted your arms, letting the fabric slip off your body.

You flipped your hair over your shoulder, your eyes locked on his as you reached for his hand, guiding it to your chest. A sharp inhale escaped him the moment his palm met the soft swell of your breast, his thumb instinctively pressing against the lace of your bra.

"Fuck, touch me more." You sighed, closing your eyes as you rolled your hips again, the sensation making heat coil low in your stomach.

Sunghoon's breathing grew heavier, his thumb flicked over your nipple through the thin fabric, the light pressure making you lightheaded. A small moan escaped your lips, and the sound seemed to unravel something inside him.

He whined softly, His other hand reached behind you, fumbling with your bra strap before tugging at it. His touch was eager, his fingers brushing against your skin as he finally let the lace fall away.

You gasped as the cool air kissed your exposed skin, but the warmth of his palms quickly replaced it. His fingers traced over your bare nipple before giving an experimental flick, watching your reaction with fascinated intensity.

You bit your lip, arching into his touch, your nails digging into his shoulders. Sunghoon groaned, his eyes flickering between your face and your chest, drinking in the sight of you.

His other hand found your waist again, pulling you flush against him. "Y/N..." he breathed, his voice barely above a whisper.

You cupped his face, guiding him closer until his lips hovered just above your chest. "Suck it, Hoon," you whispered.

His breath fanned across your skin before his lips finally closed around your peak, his tongue swirled experimentally, tasting, savoring, his grip on you tightened. Your fingers threaded through his damp hair, tugging slightly, earning a low groan from him.

His free hand found your other breast, kneading it gently making your head tilting back in pleasure.

You pushed him gently, guiding him to lay back against the blanket. His dark eyes stayed locked onto yours, filled with anticipation.

"Want more," he whispered, his voice breathless, his hands already reaching for you.

"Shhh," you soothed, leaning down to brush your lips against his, letting them linger, teasing. "I'll give you more."

Your fingers traced down your body, grazing your heated skin until they reached the slick warmth between your thighs. Sunghoon's gaze followed your every movement, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard.

"You want to please me?" you murmured, and he nodded eagerly.

Taking his hand, you guided him, his fingers trembling slightly as they brushed against you. "Slip a finger inside," you instructed, voice barely above a whisper.

The moment he obeyed, you gasped, your body clenching around the unfamiliar but electrifying sensation. His fingers were long, slender, exploring you.

Sunghoon's brows furrowed in concentration, his lips slightly parted as he watched your reaction.

The need pooling inside you intensified. "Add another," you breathed, your nails digging lightly into his wrist.

He hesitated for only a second before sliding another finger inside. The stretch made your thighs quiver, and your hips instinctively rolled against his hand. He let out a shaky breath, eyes flickering between where his fingers were buried in you and the way your lips parted in pleasure.

"You feel..." He exhaled deeply.

"You're doing so well," you whispered, your hand cupping his cheek as he leaned into your touch. Encouraged, he moved his fingers, slowly at first, then faster, finding a rhythm that made your back arch and your breath hitch.

Then, without warning, he curled them. A sharp cry left your lips, your body jolting as he unknowingly pressed against the very spongy spot that sent sparks of pleasure shooting through you.

Sunghoon's lips brushed against your chest again, his tongue flicking over your areola as his fingers moves. "Good?" he asked.

"Yes," you gasped, gripping onto his shoulders. "So good."

His eyes darkened, his cock strained against his shorts, He wanted to hear that again. To make you tremble, to pull more of those breathy, needy sounds from you.

"Can you go faster?" you begged, voice breaking slightly. "Please, Hoon."

The sound of his name on your lips, so sweet and hungry for more, sent something wild through him. He obeyed, fingers working you with increasing intensity, his own breathing ragged as he watched you unravel beneath his touch.

Sunghoon was completely focused on you now—his fingers moving faster, deeper,

Your hips rocked against his fingers, chasing the pleasure that built inside you. His jaw clenched in concentration as he adjusted his rhythm, curling his fingers just right, watching as your body reacted to every movement.

"Sunghoon," you whimpered, nails digging into his arm. "I—I'm close."

His lips parted slightly, chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. "Close?" he repeated, his voice almost reverent, as if he couldn't believe he was making you feel this way.

You nodded frantically, grinding against his palm, your body wound so tightly you thought you might snap. Sunghoon's free hand skimmed up your waist, his thumb grazing your hardened nipple, making you arch your back. His fingers inside you never slowed, working you open with a hunger he didn't even know he had in him.

"Gonna cum, gonna — fuck, please!"

A cry tore from your lips as pleasure crashed over you, your body trembling violently as you came around his fingers. Sunghoon froze for a moment, mesmerized, his breath hitching as he felt you clench and pulse around his finger.

"Fuck," you gasped, body going lax against him as aftershocks rippled through you. Your thighs trembled as he slowly withdrew his fingers, watching the way they glistened with your release. His ears burned red, his lips slightly parted in awe.

His jaw clenched, and he swallowed hard when you pushed him back down against the blanket.

"Y/N," he rasped, his hands settling on your waist.

"Hmm?" You hummed in response, lips trailing down the sharp line of his jaw, teasing him with the lightest brush of your tongue.

"I—" He bit his lip, eyes blown wide. "I need you."

You smiled, pressing your forehead against his. "Then let me take care of you."

Slowly, teasingly, your fingers trailed down his stomach, dipping beneath the waistband of his shorts. His breath hitched, his muscles tensing in anticipation.

"Relax, Hoon," you whispered, placing a soft kiss on his lips before finally slipping your hand lower.

Your fingers trailed lower, slipping beneath the waistband of his shorts. You took your time, watching him, memorizing every expression—the way his brows furrowed, the way his lips parted in silent moans, the way his throat bobbed with every swallowed gasp.

Growing impatient, Sunghoon lifted his hips, helping you slide his shorts down. Your eyes drank in the sight of him, flushed and aching, his body taut with need. You slowly straddled him, rolling your hips teasingly, feeling the heat of his arousal press against you. A soft moan slipped past your lips at the friction, pleasure sparking up to your clit.

Sunghoon's breath grew heavier, his hands gripping your hips, thumbs rubbing slow, soothing circles on your skin.

You repeated the motion, grinding against him, your body craving more. Slowly, you reached between you, guiding him to your entrance.

The moment he pressed inside, a sharp gasp left your lips, your brows knitting together at the stretch. Sunghoon choked on a moan, his fingers digging into your skin as he watched, mesmerized, the way your body took him in.

"Fuck," you breathed, adjusting to the fullness. "You're fucking big."

His jaw clenched at your words, his grip on your waist tightening as he fought the urge to thrust up into you.

With a deep breath, you sank down further, finally seating yourself fully. The feeling stole the air from your lungs, your thighs trembling from the stretch. Sunghoon threw his head back, a guttural moan escaping him, the feeling of being buried inside you unlike anything he'd ever felt before.

His hands found yours, fingers intertwining, making your heart flutter.

With a steady grip on his hands, you slowly rolled your hips, testing the movement, feeling every inch of him inside you. A sharp exhale left his lips, his eyes locked onto where your bodies were joined. The sight alone had his cock twitching inside you.

"A-ah," You lifted your hips, feeling the drag of him leaving you before sinking back down.

His grip on your hands tightened, his jaw slack as a breathy moan escaped him.

"Breathe, baby," you coaxed, moving against him, setting a slow but deliberate rhythm.

Sunghoon released a shaky breath, his lidded eyes drinking in the way you moved, the way your body reacted to him. His head fell back against the blanket, pleasure written all over his face as he let himself get lost in the sensation.

You clenched around him, drawing a deep groan from his throat. His hips bucked up instinctively, meeting your movements, pushing deeper inside you.

His name fell from your lips, your body arching as the pleasure intensified. "Sunghoon—!"

The sound of your moans only pushed him further. His restraint snapped.

In one swift motion, he sat up, arms wrapping around you, pressing your body flush against his. His hands gripped your ass, lifting you only to bring you down again, fucking up into you with deep, slow thrusts. It was messy but so damn good.

You gasped, nails raking down his back as he took control, his movements are needy. The sounds of skin against skin filled the air, the slick heat between you driving you both closer to the edge.

His lips found your chest again, tongue swirling around a hardened peak before sucking harshly. The sensation sent a jolt of pleasure making your walls clenching around him.

"Shit," you whimpered, your voice breaking as you reached between your legs, fingers rubbing quick circles against your clit.

Sunghoon groaned at the sight, his hips snapping up faster, his cock throbbing inside you.

"Sunghoon, fuck! Slow down!" Your body trembled, pleasure coiling tighter and tighter. His name spilled from your lips in breathless moans, your body arching against him as the heat built to an unbearable peak.

His grip on you tightened, his thrusts turning erratic. Your nails dug into his shoulders, your entire body tensing as the coil inside you finally snapped.

A sharp cry tore from your throat as your orgasm crashed over you, waves of pleasure washing through every nerve in your body. Your walls clenched down around him, pulling him deeper, milking him for everything he had.

Sunghoon's head dropping to your shoulder as his hips jerked one final time. A deep, broken moan escaped him as he came, his cock twitching violently, spilling hot inside you.

Your bodies remained tangled together, your breathing heavy, hearts still pounding. Neither of you spoke, both lost in the lingering haze of pleasure, wrapped in the warmth of each other's presence.

You lifted your head, brushing a gentle kiss against Sunghoon's lips.

"You okay?" you murmured, running your fingers through his damp hair.

His hooded eyes flickered open briefly, a lazy, satisfied smile tugging at his lips before he let out a breath and sank back against the blanket, pulling you down with him.

His arms instinctively wrapped around you, his body still nestled intimately against yours. His breathing slowed, becoming softer, steadier—and before long, you heard the quiet, rhythmic sound of his snores.

You almost rolled your eyes, a small smile playing on your lips as you stayed still for a few moments, listening to the gentle lull of the waves. But when you finally moved, a sharp hiss left your lips, your body still sensitive, his warmth slipping from you. You took a deep breath, carefully fixing yourself, deciding against your panties as you could still feel his release trickling down your thighs. Instead, you tugged his shorts back onto him before settling down beside him again.

Lying there, you watched him, your gaze softening. His face was peaceful in sleep, lips slightly parted, chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm. Without thinking, you reached out, brushing a few stray strands of hair from his forehead.

You grabbed an extra piece of clothing from the bag you had organized earlier, using it as a blanket to cover both of you. As you pulled it over your bodies, Sunghoon stirred, shifting in his sleep before instinctively wrapping his arms around you. He nuzzled his face into your chest, his warmth seeping into you.

A soft sigh left your lips, your eyes fluttering shut as sleep finally claimed you.

The warmth of the sun stirred you awake, but as soon as you shifted, you noticed something was off. The weight of Sunghoon beside you was gone.

Your brows furrowed as your fingers brushed over the blanket, still faintly warm from where he had been. Blinking the sleep from your eyes, you sat up, pushing your hair back as you looked around.

Where is he?

You stepped out of the tent, stretching as your gaze drifted toward the shoreline—only for your breath to catch in your throat.

Out in the open water, Sunghoon was swimming. Not just floating near the shore, but deep in the sea, diving and resurfacing.

Your mouth fell open slightly.

"Sunghoon, what the fuck are you doing?!" you called out, hands cupped around your mouth.

It took him a moment, but soon enough, he began paddling back toward the shore, something bobbing alongside him in the water. Squinting, you saw him dragging a plastic bucket and a makeshift wooden spear with the knife you had improvised.

Your eyes widened in disbelief as he reached the surface, standing up and shaking the water from his hair like an excited kid.

"What the hell—" you gasped, rushing toward him as he made his way up the sand.

As soon as you reached him, your hands flew to his face. His skin was flushed red from the sun and the saltwater, his eyes slightly bloodshot, but his expression was nothing short of triumphant.

Your gaze dropped to the bucket he was holding—and your jaw nearly hit the floor. Inside were several freshly caught fish, and even a lobster.

He grinned at you, voice still breathless as he murmured, "Food to eat."

Your heart squeezed at the sight of him, standing there, drenched and sun-kissed, smiling at you like this was the most natural thing in the world.

"Y-You didn't have to do that!" you scolded, concern laced in your tone as you quickly pulled him under the shade. Dropping the bucket, you made him sit down, inspecting his skin. "Look at you, you're so red! Does it hurt? Is it itchy?"

Sunghoon chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm fine," he assured, though his voice was softer now, almost sheepish.

You frowned, lightly brushing your fingers over his sun-kissed shoulders, worried despite his reassurances.

"Idiot," you muttered under your breath, but your touch was gentle, tracing over the marks left by the sun and sea.

Sunghoon just smiled at you, watching you fuss over him. "Worry too much," he whispered, and before you could scold him again, he caught your wrist, pressing a soft kiss to your knuckles.

Your breath hitched, warmth creeping up your cheeks at the unexpected tenderness. "L-Let's just cook and eat!" you stammered, quickly changing the subject.

The two of you sat by the bonfire, watching the flames flicker as the fish slowly cooked over the open fire.

Then, without warning, Sunghoon reached for your hand again, his fingers lacing hesitantly with yours.

You turned to him, startled. "What—"

"Feel good. Did it feel good for you too?" he blurted out, his voice quiet but serious.

Your lips parted in surprise before a small laugh escaped you. His bluntness, paired with the slight flush creeping up his ears, was almost too endearing.

"Of course, I had a good time! You're a natural—are you sure you were a virgin?!" you teased, nudging him playfully.

His face turned impossibly red. He opened his mouth, seemingly struggling for words, before blurting out, "I-I should marry you."

Your laughter died instantly. You blinked at him, stunned. "What?"

Sunghoon met your eyes, completely earnest. "I should marry you," he repeated, as if that was the most obvious conclusion to what had happened between you.

Panic flared in your chest, and you waved your hands in front of you. "No! No, it's not necessary!"

He frowned. "But—"

"Sunghoon, you don't have to marry someone just because you had sex with them." You exhaled, trying to gather your thoughts. "That's not how it works. So stop thinking about marriage, okay? Don't pressure yourself. We're on this island, not in Korea. No rules, no expectations."

His frown deepened. "You don't want to marry me?"

Your mouth opened, but nothing came out at first. You hadn't expected him to take it that way.

"It's not that," you started carefully, searching for the right words. "Marriage is a big step, Sunghoon. It's not something you do just because of one night. You have to really love someone, commit to them fully. In your case, you're already being forced to marry someone you don't love, right?"

His jaw tightened, and he looked away, silent.

You sighed, reaching up to brush a few damp strands of hair from his forehead. "What we had... it was fun, right? But it doesn't have to mean anything more than that. Don't overthink it, okay?"

Sunghoon didn't respond immediately. His eyes stayed fixed on the fire. You could see the conflict in his expression—the way his fingers tightened slightly around yours before he pulled his hand away.

"I see," he finally muttered, his voice quieter now.

The shift in his demeanor made your chest tighten.

The two of you ate in silence. Your eyes flickered to Sunghoon every few moments, watching the way he quietly picked at his food, his usual energy replaced by something.

It felt... unfamiliar. Uncomfortable.

Then, to your surprise, he picked up a small piece of lobster and placed it gently in your palm. You blinked at the bright orange meat, then at him. "Oh... thank you."

He only gave a small nod before returning to his meal.

You chewed slowly, watching as he silently reached for his shirt, pulling it over his head before standing up. Without a word, he grabbed one of the coconuts he had gathered earlier and began cracking it open.

Once split, he handed you half and then walked away, his footsteps barely making a sound against the soft sand.

Your stomach twisted as you watched him settle near the shoreline, his back to you, eyes fixed on the sea. He idly ran his fingers through the sand, but his posture remained stiff, shoulders tense.

Sunghoon wasn't the type to sulk—at least, not from what you had seen of him. His usual carefree nature was nowhere to be found, and you couldn't shake the feeling that your words had somehow hurt him more than you realized.

You hesitated, debating whether to give him space or approach him.

But the way he sat there, quiet and withdrawn, made your decision for you.

Taking a breath, you stood up and walked toward him. The sand was warm beneath your bare feet as you settled beside him.

At your presence, his hand momentarily stiffened in the sand, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he continued absentmindedly tracing patterns, his fingers digging and smoothing the grains in a rhythmic motion.

For a moment, you just sat there, letting the waves fill the silence. Then, softly, you spoke.

"Sunghoon... I think I upset you."

His jaw tightened slightly, but he remained silent.

You sighed, wrapping your arms around your knees. "I wasn't trying to dismiss you or make you feel like what we shared didn't matter. It's just... marriage is something huge. It's not something you decide overnight."

His fingers stopped moving.

Encouraged, you continued. "You said you're being forced to marry someone, right? And you don't want that, because you don't love them. So shouldn't you marry for love, not obligation?"

Sunghoon's fingers dug into the sand, his gaze still fixed on the waves. "You don't want to marry me," he said quietly.

His words caught you off guard. "No, Sunghoon, I—I didn't mean it like that..." You open your mouth trying to find a word to say.

You struggled to find the right words, but before you could, he spoke again, his voice trembling.

"I want to marry you."

Your breath hitched.

"You pretty, you kind always to me, angry but still kind. You is funny, y-you -" His voice was small, then, suddenly, his face crumpled. His breath hitched, and before you could react, a string of hurried Korean words spilled from his lips, his voice cracking as his shoulders trembled.

"If I go back, I won't be able to marry you. Then I don't want to go back. I want to be here with you!"

"Sunghoon—" you whispered, reaching for him, but he dropped his face into his hands, his shoulders shaking violently.

Tears welled up in your own eyes as frustration gnawed at your chest. You hated this. Hated how lost you felt, how you couldn't fully grasp what he was feeling.

"I'd rather fight a hundred coconut crabs than go back. I know it's selfish, but I don't want to leave. If going back means losing you, I'd rather stay here with you forever."

You wanted to understand every word, every thought racing through his mind. But all you could do was watch as he cried, his sobs muffled against his palms.

You bit your lip hard, fighting back the sting in your own eyes before moving closer, wrapping your arms around him. He didn't hesitate—his fingers curling into the fabric of your shirt as he buried his face into your chest, shaking.

You rested your chin atop his head, running your fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry," you whispered. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just think... marriage is a big decision, Sunghoon. It's not something you should rush."

He stiffened slightly, but you held him closer.

"I like you too," you admitted, rubbing small circles against his back. "But we're on this island, just the two of us. It's easy to feel like this is all that matters, but we need time. When we go back, we'll experience so many things together. And if, after a year, you still feel this way... if you still want me, if we're both sure, then you can propose. And I'll say yes."

Sunghoon's breath hitched. Slowly, he pulled back just enough to look at you, his eyes red-rimmed, cheeks tear-streaked. His lips trembled as he swallowed hard.

"Really?" His voice was raspy from crying.

Your heart clenched at the sight of him—so vulnerable, so sincere. You cupped his face, thumbs gently wiping away the wetness on his cheeks.

Smiling softly, you whispered, "If you treat me right, then of course, I'll marry you."

His lips parted slightly, a flicker of something hopeful shining through his sadness. Then, without warning, he pulled you into another embrace, holding you.

You and Sunghoon grew even closer as the days passed. You loved the way he smiled—how his lips curled just before he laughed. The way his voice softened when he spoke your name. The way he held you close at night, arms wrapped tightly around you.

You adored the way he stubbornly dived into the ocean for hours, determined to catch fish, even when you told him not to.

And you loved the way he spent long, lingering moments between your legs.

"Just like that," you gasped, your back arching as your fingers tangled into his hair, pulling him closer. His tongue worked you experimentally, exploring your wet pussy with slow, deliberate strokes.

Sunghoon groaned against you, hands gripped your thighs, holding you in place as his mouth latched onto your clit, sucking with just the right pressure.

His soft eyes flickered up to yours, watching your every reaction. "Good?" he murmured between licks.

You couldn't even speak—only nodding frantically, tugging him back to your core in silent plea. He chuckled softly before burying himself deeper, his tongue slipping inside you, sending you over the edge with a loud cry of his name.

The following days were spent exploring the island together, finding food, and encountering the wild creatures.

You'd both seen more insects than you cared to count, and even had a close call with a snake.

Sunghoon had frozen in place, legs visibly shaking, though he tried his best to look brave. You fought back a smile, resisting the urge to tease him.

"Shh, don't panic," you whispered, your voice steady. "It won't attack if we don't bother it."

Sunghoon swallowed hard, nodding stiffly as you both carefully walked past, keeping your eyes locked on the snake.

It wasn't long before island life became second nature to you. You stopped bothering with shorts most days, wandering the jungle in just your underwear and a loose shirt.

Sunghoon followed you closely, his eyes glued to the sway of your hips, the curve of your thighs and the way your ass bounced with every step.

And somehow, it always ended like this—your hands gripping the rough bark of a tree, his body pressed flush against yours, his breath hot against the back of your neck as he took you from behind.

"You're really into this, huh?" You half-laughed, half-moaned, feeling the way he filled you so perfectly.

Sunghoon groaned in response, too lost in the pleasure to form words. His hands slid up your body, cupping your breasts, rolling your nipples between his fingers before kneading them roughly. The sensation make you moan, making your legs tremble.

Before you could even process it, your feet were off the ground. He lifted you effortlessly, holding you in place, still thrusting deep inside you.

Your head fell back against his shoulder as he angled himself just right—hitting that spot that made you see stars. "Oh my God—"

The way he learned your body in just weeks had you unraveling faster than expected. One of his hands found your clit, fingers circling it in tight, fast motions, making your entire body shudder. Your release came hard and sudden, ripping through you.

"S-Sunghoon!" You sobbed, your walls tightening around him.

His grip on you tightened as he pushed deeper, his own pleasure following right behind yours. He groaned into your skin, biting down on your shoulder as his release spilled inside you, warm and thick. The sensation had you rolling your eyes back, utterly wrecked in his arms.

Later, as the sun dipped beneath the horizon, the sky bathed in orange and pink hues, the two of you stood by the shore. The gentle waves lapped at your feet, the salty breeze cooling your flushed skin.

You sat behind Sunghoon, your arms draped over his broad shoulders, chin resting atop his head as you both gazed at the endless sea.

"No way, you want a chicken as a pet?" you teased, a smile tugging at your lips.

Sunghoon faintly smiled, his hand reaching up to rest over yours. He nodded.

"I will cook it, though," you added playfully.

His head snapped toward you, brows furrowing in instant offense.

"No. Chicken pet. Not food." He pouted.

You burst into laughter at his reaction, the sight of his serious expression making it even funnier. Unable to resist, you leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Why do you want a chicken in the first place? It's not exactly an ideal pet in the city."

He hesitated, his lips parting slightly before he finally muttered, "Chicken is cute."

Your laughter bubbled up again as you wrapped your arms around him. "You're cute," you teased, nuzzling against his shoulder.

Sunghoon only huffed, but his ears turned pink.

Three weeks. Twenty-three days.

That's how long you had been stranded on this island.

What was supposed to be a luxurious cruise had turned into a nightmare when the shipwreck left you here, alone—until you met Sunghoon. And somehow, against all odds, he had turned this disaster into something that didn't feel entirely like a curse. If anything, meeting him felt like a blessing.

But right now, as your stomach churned violently and a wave of nausea overtook you, the island didn't feel so forgiving.

You sat by the fire, watching Sunghoon prepare food when dizziness suddenly washed over you. Your throat tightened, and your vision blurred at the edges. You swallowed thickly, willing the sensation away, but it was no use.

Sunghoon noticed immediately. His head snapped up, his sharp gaze locking onto your face. "Are you okay?" He asked, his voice laced with concern as he reached for you.

You waved him off weakly, attempting a reassuring smile. "I'm fine—"

The words barely left your lips before your stomach lurched. You barely had time to turn away before you were on your knees, retching into the sand.

Sunghoon was by your side in an instant. "Hey—hey!" His hands found your hair, holding it back as he rubbed soothing circles against your back.

You coughed, wiping at your mouth, but the nausea didn't subside. Your head felt light, your limbs weak as you slumped against his chest.

His arms encircled you immediately, holding you up as panic flickered across his face. "You sick," he murmured, pressing the back of his hand to your forehead. "Sweat cold."

You took a shaky breath, trying to calm both yourself and him. "I just need to rest a little. Maybe it's just the heat."

Sunghoon wasn't convinced. His grip on you tightened, his jaw clenching as he scanned your pale face. "No. It's not normal."

Despite the warmth of your body, an unbearable chill crept through you, making you shiver uncontrollably. Sunghoon noticed immediately. Without hesitation, he wrapped every piece of salvaged clothing around you, pulling you into his arms.

His embrace was gentle, his hands rubbing soothing circles along your back. Your hot breath fanned against his neck, your weak fingers curling into his shirt as you tried to fight the cold that had settled deep into your bones. Sunghoon held you tighter, pressing his cheek against your forehead, silently praying that whatever was making you sick would pass.

But it didn't. Days passed, and Sunghoon felt he was about to go insane.

He watched helplessly as your condition worsened—you barely ate, spending most of your time curled up in the tent, too weak to move. The once-bright light in your eyes dimmed, and your skin had turned ghostly pale.

He tried everything. He brought you fresh coconut water, hoping it would help. He caught fish, even managed to cook them better so you wouldn't be disgusted by the taste. But no matter what he did, you barely managed a few bites before the nausea overwhelmed you again.

And at night, when he cradled you in his arms, whispering soft words of comfort, you barely responded. It was driving him insane.

One evening, after putting you to sleep, Sunghoon stepped out of the tent, walking toward the shore. His fists clenched, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. There was no medical kit. No medicine. No doctors.

Tears welled in his eyes, his frustration boiling over as he stared at the ocean. The only thing keeping him sane was you, and now, he was watching you waste away before his very own eyes.

He wiped at his face roughly, inhaling a shaky breath before turning back to the tent. He couldn't afford to fall apart.

"A sushi would be nice," you whispered weakly against Sunghoon's ear, your voice barely above a breath.

His arms tightened around you, he cradled you closer to his chest. He looked down at you, his heart sinking at the sight of your pale face, your lips trembling despite the warmth he tried so desperately to give you. Even now, sick and barely able to keep your eyes open, you still smiled at him.

"You're so nice, Sunghoon," you murmured, your fingers grazing his jaw. "You're so handsome, I love your smile... your personality... I love everything about you."

His throat tightened. He forced a small smile, resting his forehead against yours. "You pretty always."

Your only response was a soft sigh as you curled deeper into his embrace, eyes fluttering shut.

That night, your condition worsened.

Your shivering became violent, your body burning up. Sunghoon held you as tightly as he could without hurting you, rubbing your back, whispering reassurances.

"Shhh, it's okay... " Sunghoon whispers to your ear, hands on your back when he saw something passed through. A white circle light.

Sunghoon's breath hitched as a bright beam cut through the darkness, flashing across the tent. He blinked, his heart pounding in his chest as realization dawned.

A boat not too far away from them.

Without hesitation, he gathered you in his arms and stumbled out of the tent, feet sinking into the cool sand. His eyes locked onto the distant vessel, a boat approaching from the far side of the ocean.

"Help!" he screamed, desperation lacing his voice. “Please, help us!"

He ran closer to the shore, his breathing erratic, his arms tightening around you. The boat turned, its engine roaring as it made its way toward the island.

Relief crashed over him in waves, but it was short-lived. He looked down at you—your body limp in his arms, your face ghostly pale. His heart clenched painfully.

"Wake up," he whispered, patting your cheek gently. "Wake up, please."

But you didn't stir. Panic surged through him as the boat finally reached the shore, figures jumping onto the sand, rushing toward him.

"Help!" Sunghoon choked out, tears stinging his eyes. "Please, her... she's sick."

An older man knelt beside him, his fingers pressing against your wrist. His expression turned grave. "Her pulse is weak. We need to get her to a hospital—fast."

Strong hands reached for you, lifting you carefully from Sunghoon's arms. He stumbled forward, unwilling to let go, but someone held him back.

"What are you doing in this island?" one of the crew members asked. Sunghoon barely heard the question. His gaze remained fixed on your unconscious form as they carried you onto the boat. His fingers clenched into fists, his heart hammering against his ribs.

As the reality of the moment set in, a new kind of fear settled deep in his chest.

They were going back. Back to his old life. Going back.

Sunghoon clenched his jaw, stepping onto the boat without hesitation. His grip on your hand tightened. He stared at your pale face, the slow rise and fall of your chest the only reassurance that you were still holding on. He swallowed hard, his heart hammering painfully against his ribs.

Closing his eyes, he sent a silent prayer into the vast, open sea. Whatever happened next—whatever fate awaited him back in the real world—none of it mattered as long as you were safe.

His family could try to pull him away, society could try to dictate his future, but his body, heart, and soul had already been claimed. They belonged to you. Only you.

perm taglist: @won4me @ikaw-at-ikaw, @kristynaaah, @fancypeacepersona @tunafishyfishylike @vvenusoncasual @arclviie

#enhypen fic #enhypen #enhypen fanfic #park sunghoon fanfic #park sunghoon x reader #sunghoon imagines #sunghoon #sunghoon x reader #park sunghoon

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ariseur · 4 months ago

Text

✧˖° - DESIDERIUM.

ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི₊ ⊹ - featuring ; satoru gojo x fem!reader, slight hints of suguru geto x fem!reader

ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི₊ ⊹ - synopsis ; “ for what is love if not brought back grief but just a little bit smaller? ” satoru wonders as he thinks about the time you got away from him, little does he know it’s eating you up inside everyday.

ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི₊ ⊹ word count ; 13.7k words, 74.2k characters

ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི₊ ⊹ cw ; sfw, fem!reader, fluff to angst with little comfort, canon au, not proofread, interchanging povs but for reader it’s always second person, technically need a pt2 but lmk if u guys want it, not proofread, mainly satoru x reader but hints of sashisu x reader for a while, spoilers / allusions / mentions of jjk 0 and later manga chapters ( after suguru’s left obv ), mentions and cameo from kenny later, canon character death, mentions of smoking, mentions of blood and typical canon violence, mature language, intended lowercase

ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི₊ ⊹ notes ; ( request linked here !!) wow so this has been sitting in my inbox for a few months now, this was actually requested but i forgot to link it to the post so this idea was brought to us by the wonderful @skypperlegacy — sobbing in my bed writing this i hope you all enjoy. ( edit: i wrote this note on 8/24 and i’m assuming i’m posting this AFTER my birthday, so take this as a little treat for not posting for my birthday ^.^ )

ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི₊ ⊹ notes (2) ; it is currently 10/26. i have not finished this yet either. what the hell is wrong with me

ᡣ𐭩ྀིྀི₊ ⊹ notes (final) ; i did it. i finished it. 11/13 oh my days i finally completed this thing. i didn’t even flesh out the full idea so lmk if you guys want more of sad pathetic gojo and reader

i. sunlit hallways in 2005

your footsteps bounce off of the walls of the hallway, sun rays ricocheting off the floor and projecting onto your body as you make your way to your classroom. your eyes zip around in every direction as you tried to scan the room numbers to try and find the one yaga had referred you to. you grimace at his booming voice replaying in your memory talking about these two boys who were supposed to help you — idiots he referred to them as. ‘strong idiots’.

you assume you’d be heading into the classroom with the most noise in it, as the sound of muffled chattering pricks your ears from beyond the sliding door of the homeroom to your left. a long exhale leaves your lips, your shoulders rolling backwards in an attempt to try and alleviate the weird pressure that settled upon them before your fingers find the little slot that allowed it to open the door, cursing yourself as a loud squeak emits from your action.

you scrunch your eyes shut in a wincing manner, taking in the silence before peeking an eye open to see two boys — which you presume were the ones that yaga had mentioned to you. both of your eyes shoot open at the sound of a small laugh, seeing a boy with spectacles and snow white hair snickering to himself while his friend shook his head at him and instead greets you with a small smile.

you clear your throat. “are you suguru geto and satoru gojo?”

they nod, the dark-haired boy scooting out of his seat to get up and properly greet you while the other lazily grins at you, the cerulean lenses of his gracing his face and framing his teasing gaze behind a deep blue. “geto,” the former gestures to himself, “and this is gojo,” his hand waves over to the seemingly brash boy who stands beside him, giving a small wave as his hands come to intertwine behind his back.

you lean forward, ducking your head as you bow out of respect for your new classmates. hair falling in front of your face, you introduce yourself quietly as you hear small shuffles emerging towards you until sheen black shoes come into your peripheral.

lifting your head up a little further, you’re met with the bright face of ‘satoru gojo’, the name striking a familiar cord within your brain. gojo, you think, as in the gojo clan? however, you don’t get to ponder on that for too long before he chuckles at your expression — clearly somewhat impressed with his appearance. either that, or you’re completely freaked out. although, gojo’s pride would only let him choose the former.

“so,” the boy, gojo, begins, “are you the little shrimp yaga-sensei told us we’d be looking after?”

you press your lips together in a soft frown, before your eyebrows furrow with the small huff that left you as geto smacks the back of his palm against his friend’s chest. “‘m not a shrimp, you know — not even that much shorter than you.”

as if to further prove his point, you get an eyeful of white hair as he leans down to meet your eyes, just barely but enough to provide the message. “yeah?” he breathed. his grin makes you nauseous, pearly whites on display and dimmed with the backlit centered illumination giving him a frontal shadow. you tilt your nose up at him before holding his own gaze, his bright ceruleans on display as you replied with a passive-aggressive, “yeah.”

geto laughs, pressing his arm against his friend’s chest to get him to back away from you, the intense scent of cypress and a deep sea breeze no longer engulfing your senses. soft snickers instead fill your ears as gojo stuffs his hands into the pant pockets of his uniform before slipping past you with a hum. geto follows in suit.

you turn your head back to the open doorway, seeing the boys make their way out before gojo turns to you once more. “you coming or what, shrimp?”

you groan under your breath and he smiles at your reaction, now no longer in your sight as he turns the corner; struggling to hold back a grin at the quick footsteps that trail behind him with a hesitant, “hold— hold on a sec! i’m not a shrimp!”

“you are too.”

“are not,” you huff.

his eyes trail up towards the ceiling for a second, tapping his chin as he feigns a long, hard thought before cracking out into another smile. “are too.”

this game continues for a while, and you almost feel bad for geto — except the little game of chicken that you and his counterpart had going on was taking up more of your attention at the moment. with his obnoxiously long legs, gojo purposefully takes wide strides to try and tease you at least a little bit, having you make more of an effort to keep up — just because you’re new doesn’t mean that you should be let off the hook so easily, he thinks.

“are too—“

“these are the dorms,” suguru interjects, his tone clearly exasperated at this point. a few minutes of walking and the poor man felt like it was hours of meaningless boredom.

your eyes follow the direction of geto’s finger over the trail of doors that lay before you. he leans his head forward, the golden sunlight capturing his face as a few strands of raven hair from his bun slip out from their ties. “my dorm’s on the very end right there,” he gestures his head to the door at the corner, “satoru’s is two down to the left.”

speaking of him, gojo slings an arm around your shoulders; keeping a firm grip even with only his bicep as you try to squirm away. “don’t worry, i’m sure yaga’ll help you in no time. by the end of the day, you’ll be lazing around in a nice bed with your feet kicked up, thinking about how you met the most beautiful man ever today,” he says to you.

“don’t you think it’s a little weird to call your friend the most beautiful man ever?”

to gojo’s horror, geto snickers from behind him.

“you’re a sassy one, aren’t you. .” he mutters under his breath, a sigh escaping him as the warmth of his arm leaves your shoulders and is instead met with the cool air conditioning of the halls, only the sun’s peeking through the windows warming you up. he takes a step near his friend, hands stuffed in his pockets once again. “well, you can always stop by whenever you do get your dorm, i’ll always be here,” he singsongs. you fake gag at his playful wink.

geto steps towards you, leaning into you as he mumbles a little too loudly ( whether that was on purpose or not remained unknown ), “don’t worry, the girls’ wing is on the other side — luckily you won’t have to see that idiot all the time.” you laugh at your eyes trail to gojo’s small pout from behind the boy, his shoulders deflating instantly once he realized he was left out.

“hey, so like, can we not bully me for today? just once?” he chimes in, tilting his head to the side a bit in question. you and geto share one last glance and laugh together before he walks ahead of you again, gojo lagging behind so you’d walk next to him as well.

he couldn’t help but glance at you, noticing how you keep your eyes trained in front of you. only occasionally flitting to the window to admire the outside scenery. it wasn’t everyday that they got a new student, and if they did, they never lasted long. despite still only being a first year, geto and gojo adapted to the harsh environments of jujutsu society — fully aware of the consequences and what it would take to save non-sorcerers. which only made gojo all the more curious as to why you were here.

“pervert, quit staring at me.”

“hey, people would pay for these eyes on them — you’re a lucky girl, today,” he explains, bumping his shoulder with yours. you glare at him. his smile doesn’t falter.

“so do all new recruits get this treatment or what?” you chide, putting a hand on your hip comfortably as you walk. he hums for a moment. “nah,”. he decides, “you’re special,” his grin only widens the more you banter, bright blue eyes mimicking yours in a sharp narrowing. you hold his gaze for a bit, before ultimately deciding it wasn’t worth it — turning your head with a low, ‘tch’ as you keep your feet moving. gojo does the same.

they walk you around the campus, showing you the track field and the direction in which the girls’ wing is, telling you to report back to them once yaga had assigned you a room, gojo urging you to invite him over one day to which geto nudges the back of his leg with his shoe. and at the end of the day you’re left with a small wave goodbye to your new classmates, smiles on their faces as they walk off back into the dorms; leaving you to roam around with the new-known information.

you look back at the stone arch of the school’s entrance, the stone pathway beneath your feet as you squint from the brightness of the sun just beyond the horizon. a perfect point of which the ground and the sky meet.

you can feel the blocks of sunlight on your chest as you take one last look at it, face softening at the sight.

gojo takes one last look behind him to check on you, seeing your frame simply stand and soak up the golden skies. his lips only quirk the slightest bit upwards, geto quirking a brow beside him only to let an amused breath out at his best friend’s infatuation. “don’t start going all mushy on me now, satoru.”

said friend turns his head back ( geto notices how he takes one last quick glance back before fully rotating his head ) and scoffs, “no way.” geto merely hums and closes his eyes, a knowing feeling growing in his stomach. “she is kinda cute, you know,” gojo mumbles — closing his eyes when geto opens his own to look at the boy dubiously.

he, too, looks back at you only to find you walking off to another section of the high school; presumably to go and talk to yaga to find out where the hell your dorm would be. he chuckles. “don’t ruin another friendship for us by going a little too far with the flirting, this time.”

the snow-haired boy stays quiet at that, creating a small lull in the conversation only filled by the clacking of shoes against pavement. the sun on the nape of his neck slowly eases up with how it lowers beyond the skyline, small beads of sweat slowly seeping back into his skin before he huffs. “can you believe the way she talked to me?” geto looks over to him once more. “‘yeah’, who does she think she is talking to us like that?” gojo makes a dumb face as he mimics you, hands on his hips momentarily as he mocks the way you stood — it was surprising how he was the one saying this.

geto snickers. “you mean the way she talked to you.”

“whatever,” his classmate responds with a yawn, being able to crack a small smile at geto’s laughs of amusement at his frustration ( or how gojo would call it, his ‘suffering’ ). “you’ll learn to like her eventually,” he chides. his friend stays quiet at that once more.

gojo tilts his head up at the darkening sky. he swears he can feel the sun on his chest, too.

ii. the way the clouds shape us

“special grade? guess satoru was wrong about you being a shrimp,” the sound of geto’s laughter fills the air, thin fingers handing you back your student id as you pocketed the small, white card back in the pocket of your uniform.

“he doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” you shake your head, placid smile painted on your lips. geto leans against the tree, careful not to ruin his sleek hair against the chipped bark. he watched as you lifted your hands up to the sky. you extend your fingers and stretch them out — watching as the light blue of the sky above you illuminates your open-faced palm and casts a shadow for the rest of your arm.

gojo wasn’t wrong, you were definitely beautiful. even geto knew it, taking in the way your hair splayed out delicately against the vibrant grass, as he could hear the distant chatter of his other two best friends making their way towards you two. you had to thank gojo for this, considering he was the found who found this little safe haven in the first place.

over the past few months ( even if you joined a little later than halfway through the actual school year ), it became quite comfortable for you to chat with these newfound friends of yours. you quickly got along with ieiri, much to gojo’s dismay as he has discovered you two make the best team against him with your sharp words towards him. he’d savor the way you’d lean in and tell him you were never really serious afterwards ( even though he was well aware of that fact, he’d like knowing you still didn’t want to really hurt his feelings ). it really felt like home when you were with them, a sanctuary only for the four of you.

with your eyes flitting closed, geto finally tears his eyes from you to gaze at the duo approaching the two of you, gojo whining about something like usual as shoko barely humored him with the little tolerance she had left; a pale cigarette hanging from between her lips.

you relish in the sun on your skin, lessened from the months before that first day you came to tokyo’s jujutsu high as you’ve adapted. you must adapt in order to survive. you realize that now, which is why you indulge in the small moments you can get — even if it’s just silence with geto or the fact that suddenly, even behind closed eyelids, the sun was gone.

allowing your lashes to flutter open, you see a familiar brunette stand above you. a combination of the sweet, earthy tones emitting from the dewy grass below you and her perfume suddenly hit your nose, surprising but definitely not unpleasant. you hummed, eyebrows furrowed.

she laughs, “eh? you two are just out here without us?”

“sigh,” you roll your eyes at gojo who audibly says the word ‘sigh’, “so inconsiderate, you two.”

geto laughs, resting his hands upon his stomach as he closes his eyes — nose twitching with the leftover pollen floating along with the soft, spring breeze down from its habitat within the trees and the plants enclosing you all.

he doesn’t exactly fall asleep, especially in such an uncomfortable position. but he makes peace with this discomfort and instead seeks refuge in his own place of serenity, only him and his thoughts ( and the quiet chatter of you and shoko ganging up on your white-haired friend ).

you exhale smoothly through your nose, a breath of fresh air leaving your lungs as you stare up at your friend, a smirk threatening to unleash itself on her face even from behind the cancer stick. “those things kill, you know,” you playfully chastise her, watching as she chuckles before crouching down.

she slips the cigarette from past her mouth, the end stained glossy and pink from that one lip product you always forget the brand of, before offering the smoke to you between her two fingers. she hums as you take the tube, the material dry against your lips. “might as well while we’re still alive and young,” she says — and the morbidity of the question no longer bothers you like it would have a few months earlier. instead, you actually chuckle at her dry delivery. you struggle not to choke with your laid back position as you hold it before letting it escape you, a hot puff of smoke emitting in the air.

“so, what’re we doing today?” a pair of lanky, slack-clad legs come into your peripheral along with a familiar mop of snowy hair before it disappears, his voice trailing off as he sits next to geto. you prop yourself up on your elbows, squinting at the sudden bright light as shoko sits beside you inside.

you crack a small smile at the feeling of her fingertips messing with the ends of your hair, shaking out the small bits of grass that got stuck in the delicate strands. gojo, however, thinks you’re smiling at him so he grins in return before your smile is soon replaced with an unsure expression — almost like you’re gonna throw up just from looking at him. he still doesn’t falter.

“what do you think we should do?” you ask after a bit, thanking ieiri under your breath as she’s done helping you primp.

“what if we go to the convenience store for a bit and get some snacks? i was thinking—“

“boringg..” shoko’s thoughts are interrupted by gojo’s loud interruption, her face immediately dropping as she looks at him. “hey, you don’t have to show off in front of your girlfriend every day, y’know,” she shoots back.

he pouts at the brunette, his shoulders deflating as his hands come up to his face to mimic a fake tear rolling down his cheek. a nervous huff escapes you as you look between her, geto, and gojo before you start, “he’s not m—“

“how about we go to the arcade in shinjuku city? they close in like,” he checks the imaginary watch on his wrist ( whether he didn’t know he had interrupted you or he didn’t want you to finish your thought was something you didn’t understand ), “two hours, i guess.”

you roll your neck around on your shoulders, sighing at the low cracks that escape your aching bones. eager for some activity, you shrug. “hate to admit it, but that might be the greatest idea gojo’s ever had.”

to that, he beams. you hear a duet of groans come from your other two friends. “aw, c’mon. don’t give into him so easily,” geto chides playfully.

“not to brag—“

“—all you do is brag, gojo—“

“—but i, personally, think i have a ton of great ideas.”

geto tips head back and laughs. you see the way his eyelids twitch and scrunch with his soft smile, outer corners crinkling as the airy sound frees itself from him. he crosses his arms. “that’s why you personally think that, im afraid ‘s not a very common opinion,” he answered calmly. gojo sulks as he looks to shoko for help. she shrugs and puffs out another cloud of smoke between the small opening she’s created on the side of her mouth.

“we can always bully him some other time, i’m bored and i’m practically losing years off of my life just listening to him,” you mutter to her — perhaps a little too loud as you see gojo’s jaw drop open from your peripheral.

geto gets up, dusting the damp pieces of grass sticking to his pants and the back of his legs before taking a big stretch. you wrap your arm around the other, extending your elbow and mimicking his motions as you let out a sigh at the feeling of weary muscles ( which you can already tell that geto and gojo will use against you when you spar ).

“why don’t we go already then?” he inquires, causing gojo to shoot up as you already start to slowly walk back to the campus entrance. shoko snorted as she shook her head, trailing behind to walk and talk with the raven-haired man. your eyes scan over the perimeter of the horizon, spotting all the grass and the vast architecture of the highschool, squinting as you look for the way you came from.

feeling the air change from behind you and the soft sounds of quick footsteps on grass, you begin. “hey shoko, do you ever—“

then you see his stupid smile.

“oh,” you say. he scoffs, almost like he’s offended that you had such a tame reaction. gojo huffs a bit, still attempting to keep up with your pace. “just ‘oh’? you aren’t excited to talk to me at all?” he groans.

you shrug. “just thought you were shoko ‘s all.”

oh, you really shouldn’t have said that. you think — because once you see the way his face splits into a grin once more, you instantly grimace. “so you are excited to talk to me.”

“never said that.”

“you didn’t have to. i’m psychic.”

“that so? what am i thinking right now, then?” you ask, finally tearing your eyes away from the ground and tilting your head at gojo; who taps his chin and pretends to think ( although, you know that there’s a seventy percent chance that whatever comes out of his mouth will be bullshit considering the way he’s struggling to hold back a smile ).

your question evokes a long hum from him as he looks up to the sky, to the right, and then back to you before he answers, “how handsome i am?” your eyes narrow a bit, one of the rare moments where satoru gojo could render you speechless.

once your mouth drops open, void of sound, gojo’s almost ready to backtrack and apologize before you finally laugh. a nice, hearty laugh that makes your chest rumble in between every breath. and if that isn’t the biggest ego booster for the boy then you’re not sure what is. he couldn’t care of you were laughing at him or with him, all he knows is that he can’t help but chuckle along with you. his chest swells with pride as you lean on the stone archway as the cacophony of giggles slows down.

you wipe the corner of your eyes, looking back at geto and ieiri as they eye you in confusion — but nonetheless give you a pity snicker in response.

“you’re hilarious, gojo — keep it up,” you finally say.

he beams boyishly at you, a warm wave of something washes over him albeit he can’t figure out what. “nice to know i still got it,” he asserted, making you give one last eye roll before you looked back at the stone steps leading to the front entrance.

you skipped forward and turned your body a bit to look at your classmates. the usual scowl on your face no longer evident anymore for it was replaced by a soft smile, one so foreign even to shoko who’s company you more or less enjoyed the most. she pursed her lips around the tobacco stick in an uncharacteristic curiosity, wondering what that fool could’ve done now to make you genuinely laugh.

“i’m gonna grab something from my dorm real quick, ‘kay?” although you were probably saying it to the group as a whole, gojo nodded eagerly as he flashed you a thumbs-up with a small, ‘okay’ as well.

he turned to shoko and geto as you rushed up the stairs and into the building, running along to the girls’ wing as they glared at him. “what?” his voice was too innocent to be gojo, just the sound of his “oblivion” made them want to facepalm. geto held a thumbs up as he mocked his friend’s earlier face while shoko have a light huff, the sound somewhere in between sounding both exasperated and entertained.

“th’hell was that?” she asked, finally stubbing the cigarette out with her shoe ( still keeping a pack on here though, you never know when you might need one. especially when you’re friends with the biggest idiot in tokyo ).

“what?” he repeated.

“nothin’,” geto shrugged, the tiny front piece he kept loose from his bun swaying as he shook his head. he shares a look with shoko that definitely throws gojo off though. he narrows his eyes at them, spectacles somewhat hiding the oceans that are his irises.

gojo crosses his arms. “you guys are just jealous that i can make a pretty lady laugh.”

“you— you don’t think . .” shoko trails off, her forehead crinkling as she looks like she’s trying to decipher something. gojo quirks a brow even though she was thinking aloud or possibly talking to geto instead — he still waits for her to finish her sentence. “what?” he repeats only to be met with a dismissive shake of the head from her.

he opens his mouth to ask what they’re talking about before he hears hasty shoes against stone and looks behind him to see you, walking back down with a small pin clasped in your hand that shimmers in the sun when you hold your hand up.

gojo’s eyes take their own route as they fly away from your palm, down your arm until it reaches your face — a fond smile written on your face like you had been claimed victorious. it made his own smile quirk back up again.

you only spare him a glance before you lope to shoko. he watches as you hand the item over to her before she takes it, a faint half-smile twitching on her lips bemusedly.

“so you can keep your bangs to the side,” you answer — even when no one has asked why you gave that pin to her. “i got it from osaka on that mission last month — thought it’d look cute on you.” geto cocks his head as he tunes out your conversation before shrugging and walking back over to gojo, hands shoved in his pockets.

he chuckles, “no need to pout, satoru.”

“i’m not pouting,” he placed a hand on his hip. unbeknownst to him, he totally was; whether it was unintentional or not. “she’s just playing favorites over here when i’m the one who so graciously invited her to start hanging out with us,” he frowns.

a laugh and a rough pat on the back from geto interrupted him from entering his soon incoming villain arc as he walked back over to you and ieiri, pulling his dramatic friend along with him. gojo’s ears perked up at your voice in the conversation once more.

“oh, you know i don’t like all those weird hair clips ‘n’ stuff—“

“don’t worry,” you lean over, brushing some of her bangs out of her face as you clip them to the side. gojo watches afar as your thin fingers work to cover the small pin with another piece of shoko’s hair, successfully getting it out of her face and concealing the pin in the process. you grin, mission accomplished.

pulling back, you watch as shoko touches her hair — smirking when she realizes how useful it’d be. she pats your head and looks at you before her eyebrows furrow; only then do you realize what she was focused on behind you.

“uh, where’s my souvenir?” your face instantly drops as you feel gojo’s chin on your shoulder, words purred dangerously low next to your ear.

“up your ass.”

“mind fetching it for me?”

“you’re disgusting—!” you push him off as he chortles, his eyes crinkling softly as bouts of laughter overtake him at your exaggerated reaction.

“we’re not gonna make it to shinjuku if you guys keep bickering like children,” you both hear geto chide. you look over to the entrance, a small smile on his face as he teases the both of you.

you scoff, stuffing your own hands in your pockets as you walk over to the dark haired man. “he started it,” you mutter.

he gasps. “nu-uh!”

“yu-huh,” you retort. he sticks his tongue out at you in retaliation whilst shoko follows you and geto in return. gojo smirks as you huff and turn around, watching as his friend bumped hips with you on the way there, making mindless conversation.

the air wasn’t so bad, the light breeze felt more refreshing than over. he looked back over at shoko’s hair in thought.

perhaps he’d have to work harder at officially getting on your good side some other time, he thinks.

iii. the taste of blue raspberry

vibrant lights and loud video game chirps wasn’t exactly gojo’s scene despite how he always presented himself; extroverted and inherently obnoxious ( although, he’d prefer to use the word ‘comfortable’ rather than obnoxious whenever you’d refer to the latter ). all he could do was trail after you and shoko, geto following him as he observed the random teens and little kids accompanied with their parents that kept the arcade flowing.

cerulean eyes follow your movements in hopes that he’ll keep track of you. that he wont lose you in this crowd. he’ll occasionally look over at shoko and geto to make sure they’re still here, too.

“so, you chose a shitty arcade spot to hangout in? such poor taste,” he leans down over you, hoping that mild jabs and soft teasing will help keep his mind off of the fact that there’s snot nosed kids running around the already narrow spaces between the machines; their flat footsteps melding together with all the loud sounds as they become synchronized with the beat of the music.

your lips twist into a sneer at the sound of him, slowly turning your head to look behind you at the boy who grinned so slyly. gojo knew exactly what he was doing.

“would you rather have yaga put us to work and sweep the dorms?” you bat your eyelashes as he only smiles further, reveling in how you play along with his little game.

“i dunnooo.. wherever you go i go, i suppose.”

“such a flirt.”

“just being honest,” he puts his hands up defensively as he walks past you to a random machine that stands stationary in front of you, untouched with whirring, vibrant lights that glow brighter when he thumbs a few tokens in the slot at the bottom. as you hear the clinking of the coin hit against the curvature inside of the machine, the snow-haired boy turns to look at you with a boyish smile as he crouches down and points a finger to the blinking button saying, ‘play now!’

you have the urge to warn him about how the game is most likely rigged. you don’t. instead your parted lips close with a huff. gojo is said to be able to do anything, you remember, he’ll learn the hard way.

“you mind getting me a slush at the machines?” he says, lanky body extending to its full height as stands upright again.

“that’s so far — and scary,” you feign a pout. realistically, you were just too lazy to walk all the way over there and back for one item.

“take suguru with you,” he tips his head up to gesture in the direction of the dark haired friend, to whom you see looking out the glass doors at all the kids who run through the place.

so there you are, walking along with geto as you huff about how gojo could have gotten the drink himself. he hums occasionally, looking around and observing the environment to try and make sure you don’t run into anything during your chatter.

“he does care about you, though. you know that right?” his fingers sift through the yen in his palm, the coins clinking around as he grabs some and puts it into the thin slot of the slushee machine.

your lips press together as you hum almost dismissively, head cocked. the cup makes a soft thud against the metal as he puts the cup inside and closes the small glass opening. the machine whirs as he clicks the blue raspberry flavor almost like it’s muscle memory — the blue button lighting up with the white kana in front of it.

“you want something?” geto asks quietly, leaning down to interrupt your analysis.

the thought makes you crack a small smile as you think for a moment before turning to face him. “do you want something?” you inquire. “i’ll pay.”

he waves you off with a soft smile. “it’s alright, i’m not much into sweets.”

you grab gojo’s cup out of the dispenser, putting a clear lid and straw in it as you grab another disposable cup. if you were going to get a slushee, you weren’t going to let geto pay for it by himself. the whirring of machine’s drink being poured almost drowns out the loud, coinciding beeps and animated sounds of the nearby screens you both hear.

“then let me buy you something when we get out of here,” you smile at him.

you fail to notice the way his face softens at you when you’re too busy grabbing the cup, licking off the excess that spills over onto your thumb as you laugh. his smile falters a bit, before he walks with you back to go get shoko and gojo.

you scoff at the sight of the white haired man smirking at the pixelated screen, pointing it out to you and geto. the two of you lean over as you heard gojo sip on the drink while you roll your eyes at the big blue kanji in bold spelling out, ‘top score: satoru gojo’.

“thought you weren’t a fan of blue raspberry,” you hear from behind you.

already, you see the man in question leaning on geto as he looks at you with a quirked brow. you look down at your cup. ah, you think, guess you did. your expression must give something away because you hear shoko amusedly huff next to you.

you shrug. “guess i just wanted to try something new.”

clearly a mistake because his smile only widens as he slings an arm around your shoulder too. “nah, you know what i’m thinking?”

“you never think.” that earns you a flick to the forehead.

he leans down. “i think i’m rubbing off on you,” he laughs.

you try to push him off of you yet he manages to let his weight relax as you struggle to keep him up, “gojo, you ass,” you mutter.

he turns to look at you, his smile looks different. feels different. “call me satoru,” he beams.

iv. ‘the star plasma vessel?’

riko amanai is a pretty girl, you think. you have no idea why she wanted to be the star plasma vessel in the first place. you weren’t there when satoru and suguru went to go meet her, instead hearing her version of the story where they practically tortured her — and knowing the boys, you’re not quite sure that she wasn’t exaggerating.

she likes you, definitely favoring you a little more than tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum, you think as you pointedly look at the pair of friends, walking ahead of you.

you look down at riko’s arm interlocked with yours and smile. “so,” you whistle, “what do you think of those two?”

her green eyes dart up to yours before looking at suguru and satoru and squinting. “they’re interesting, that’s for sure,” she mumbles. her lips twist into a sneer-like pout just at the sight of them, evoking a lighthearted chuckle from you. you fail to notice the way satoru’s head turns to look at you ever so slightly at the sound.

it makes riko grin as you playfully bump your hip with hers. satoru had never seen you so lax. maybe because the young girl was easier to handle than himself. he didn’t mind seeing you like this, but he couldn’t deny that it was pretty fun to work you up, too.

he smiles at the thought of your puffed cheeks with furrowed brows, narrowed eyes burning holes into him as he would flick your forehead for the third time in a row.

“what’s gotten you all cheesy?” he hears suguru inquire from beside him, tearing his eyes away from the stone road beneath him to look at his snow-haired friend. “eh? just thinking about stuff,” satoru replies.

suguru hums, his hand still shoved in his uniform’s pocket. “you sure it has nothing to do with—“

“a-tat-tat-tat—!” satoru waves a hand in front his friends face, holding another finger up as a gesture for him to silence. “what’d we say about sharing private stuff in public, suguru?”

“i can’t help it, some ‘gossip’ is too hot,” he shrugs.

“that does not help me—“

“what gossip are you guys talking about?” riko chimes, crossing her arms as the two of them look at her. you quirk a brow yourself.

if he’d had known better, satoru would’ve flinched at the rough hand you had smacked down on his shoulder. his eyes flickered towards you, already spotting the sly smile on your face. fuck you for being so beautiful, he thinks.

“yeah, what gossip are you guys talking back?” you press. he scoffs, waving you off as he continues walking. your lips press into a pout as you cross your arms as well, mimicking riko’s motions as you two whisper about whatever. suguru laughs at the two of you — only a few days and you guys were already twins.

sometimes the thought made your smile falter ever so slightly, knowing that you had to escort her only in a day or two was saddening. but for now, you’ll enjoy the smiles and pats on the back — knowing you’d have to part soon was only so minuscule in a world drowned in familiarity.

you intertwine your fingers with hers instead and swing your arms back and forth before you turn your head to your aforementioned friend.

“hey suguru, what do you say we show riko-chan here that little coffee shop downtown?” you ask, watching as he turns his attention away from his small flip phone’s messaging system ( as he’s most likely texting shoko and making fun of satoru in the process ) before his eyebrows raise with a soft smile.

you hear satoru huff again as his head whips around to look at you. stifling a laugh, you take in his furrowed brows and jutted lip as he sulks.

“hey, why don’t i know about any secret coffee shop downtown?”

“we had just found it walking around one day,” suguru deflects.

“and you didn’t tell me about this super-cool-top-secret-no-satoru café?”

you beam before resting your hand on his shoulder. satoru swears electricity shoots through his nerves as he turns to look at you. he wouldn’t spoil it now, but he’s seventy percent sure that this is the first time you’ve touched him without pushing him ( or as he’d like to call it, abusing him ) away.

“don’t be so jealous, satoru,” he ignores the way you call of his name makes a pit settle in his stomach. you turn to riko, “we’ll share the spot, yeah?”

“if you say so,” suguru puts his hands up in playful submission. satoru only chuckles.

your laugh synchronizes with the sounds around you, like music to satoru’s ears whilst you skip ahead with riko and scan your perimeter. everything sounds clearer now; the birds outside zipping around trees, chairs and drinks clinking, a heavy pair of distant footsteps that you can only assume is the trailing of a few people on their way to the same place.

but none of that really matters, although you’re sure everything does. all these sounds are apart of you and you’re willing to make the most of it. you walk hand in hand with riko as the boys follow in suit.

you scoff at the way satoru pulls the chair out for you before sitting himself in his own and kicking his feet up. his brow quirks cockily at the sound. “ah, so you’re only nice to me when amanai is around?”

“someone’s still gotta keep you in your place, satoru.”

“yes, ma’am,” he laughs, tipping his head back lazily as his hands fold over his chest. suguru huffs and grabs his friend’s feet before shoving them back down onto the cement. “decency, satoru?”

“ehh,” he groans, only peeking an eye at suguru before closing them again and letting his body go lax. you shake your head and laugh, watching as riko eyes him in annoyance. they’ll warm up to each other eventually, you think — and you can tell suguru feels the same.

“this is so cool—!” you chuckle at the way the young girl gleams at the intricate details of the outdoor table and the faint music playing from inside the café. her green eyes shimmer in the light, you notice; perhaps maybe just curiosity glinting in them. she’s only fourteen.

your eyes flicker around your environment yourself, hearing the mindless chatter that riko and suguru partake in about, presumably about what they’re going to do next. you squint at the distance, seeing an unusually tall man towering over a few people as he looks in your direction. your lips purse as you narrow your eyes at him further before he tilts his head up and turns away.

you watch as he walks away, his toned back all you see before you hear a mumble of your name and a tap of your foot.

you look over to see satoru, who stares at you with an indecipherable expression — something between an uncharacteristic curiosity and a standoff-ish glow. your head tilts before you look back over at the front of the café. that man is gone.

you turn back to see satoru leaning over the table with a sly smile. “penny for your thoughts?”

you shake your head and dismiss him with a weary smile and a lazy shake of your hand. “just looking around,” you say — even if you know that you can’t fool satoru gojo, his eyebrows only pinch a bit before slightly rotating his head to look behind him a bit.

“you want a sweet?” you ask, tapping his side of the table to get his attention.

had his eyes always looked so piercing, you think to yourself, as you feel something move around in your chest. rearranging itself along with the soft onomatopoeic thumps of the organ that lays inside.

he hesitates. “nah, i’ll get something on the way back later.”

“who are you and what have you done with satoru?” you chuckle. he ignores the way the usage of his given name makes him feel, the way you say it — syllables still fresh on your tongue. instead, he laughs along with you while looking over to his friend. he doesn’t know what he expected, suguru was always observant; so why was he so surprised to see him looking at the two of you with a raised brow?

you look back at riko before gasping out a small laugh at her chubby cheeks, full of food as she eats it like it’s the last meal she’ll ever have. it only makes your grin grow wider when her eyes meet yours, like a deer in headlights whilst she stops chewing. you both take a pause, even when the boys turn to look at you as well — before you burst out into bouts of laughter. riko’s giggles are muffled by the parfait that’s swelled in her cheeks but she covers her mouth with a polite hand as she tries not to choke.

your cheeks feel warm with the way they stretch to curl into a smile. suguru and satoru exchange a look before satoru smiles right along with you. it wasn’t so bad, he thinks. if amanai made you act like this then maybe he didn’t mind her as much as he thought. his foot taps against the concrete underneath the table. he can feel something wriggling around in his chest.

v. deficit

riko amanai’s beauty, no longer will it be seen as the white sheet frames her features instead, you think.

the deafening sound of applause almost takes your mind off of satoru’s expression; only coldness lies within his features, now.

your hand clutches your side, even with the greatness of the stitches that shoko had blessed your wounds with — you could almost still feel his knife in your abdomen. the stinging never seemed to go away. the clapping doesn’t help, all of your senses are occupied on trying to focus on satoru.

with the close proximity of suguru next to you, you can feel the way his hand twitches against his side while he looks at riko, or more so, the sheet that covers her. you can feel his horror, too. just a couple of days ago, she was fourteen, trotting along tokyo with you

you’re almost upset you weren’t there for her death, you weren’t there to comfort her in her last moments or save her at all. you were only there for the aftermath, the same man who you saw at the coffee shop just days prior. you look at suguru to your right — who knows what he’s gone through, you think.

and yet throughout all the booms of cheers and applause, you can hear satoru’s voice and your head whirls back to him. you almost don’t recognize it when he utters, “i screwed up, it’s not your fault.”

your hand comes up to gently rest upon your mouth in a soft gasp as your eyes try not to trail down to where riko’s shoe clad feet swing with satoru’s steps, the only part of her that’s left unsheathed from the horror of what’s underneath the cover.

his next words come out muffled yet you know you couldn’t escape them even if you tried, so close yet so far to avoidance — but you know you heard him clearly.

he calls your name, then suguru’s. “should we kill these guys?” your stomach churns, the pain in your side gets worse — your head hurts and it feels like you don’t know where you are at one point. you start to question whether anything is real at this point. he adds, “i doubt i’d feel anything about it.”

his eyes don’t dart to yours like they had the few mornings prior, before you had gone to escort the young girl. he had smiled and slapped a comforting hand on your shoulder once you explained how you had a bad feeling. you still do. you wonder if there’s any other feelings you could have, anymore.

you hear suguru’s soft mutter next to you, the applause only simmering down as you try to hyper-focus on his voice. perhaps to ground you, or perhaps you couldn’t escape it; a reminder of what this world is really like. “no,” he says. “there wouldn’t be a point.”

your vision glosses over into a blur and you go to look at the light above you, florescent and blinding. your heart hurts and you do your best not to clutch it through the fabric of your uniform, you can’t be seen like this, you think. you can’t let them see what’s happening to you.

fingers digging into your palm, you tune the rest of suguru’s voice out; even though you can feel his eyes on you regardless. instead, the pair of your own follow satoru, seeing riko’s hand, partially crusted with the leftover pool of blood that had flowed beside her head, swing lifelessly as he walks past the two of you.

your brows knit closer together as you stare at him. everything clips in and out. the noise, the cheers, suguru’s voice slowly melding into satoru’s. “no point, huh?” he huffs. “does there need to be a point?”

“of course there does,” suguru snaps back. mauve irises are nothing but void now, his eyes only fixated on the ground a few feet in front of him. “especially for jujutsu sorcerers.”

your eyes burn with the way they’ve been mindlessly gazing at the snow-haired boy, the back of his head the only thing you can catch a glimpse of behind suguru’s dark hair. it doesn’t feel like they can close, only the sheen layer of oncoming tears coating them so they don’t entirely dry out. “satoru,” you breathe — and with the way things are going, you’re surprised to see cerulean eyes turn to meet yours.

suguru doesn’t bother to look at you since he can already anticipate the crumbling feeling of guilt when he sees your expression. it doesn’t matter anyway. it almost feels like nothing does.

glossed lips don’t part like how they’d usually do, they don’t even grace you with the smallest sight of a smirk like how satoru always would. you’re not quite sure why you whisper his name, what you’ll even say. maybe a mantra that only connects the two of you, something that’ll keep you sane.

he keeps his eyes locked on you for a second more before turning his head and walking away. your hand comes to grasp at your side. the stinging comes back.

vi. pinky promises (of two)

sentimentality was a privilege in a world of jujutsu — you learned, after riko. sensitivity wasn’t trained into sorcerers, in fact, you’d say it was actually trained out of them. it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing to be sensitive. although, surrounded by the strong, tears burned hot on your skin and your hand burned even harder when they’d come up to wipe them away.

the birds outside the encapsulated feeling of the trees chirp, showcasing what once looked golden now is tainted with a dull grey that seems to gloss over everything now. your eyes feel droopy, no longer laced with sleep but with the dread that’ll come with the rest of the day.

you wonder how satoru’s doing, how shoko’s doing. how suguru’s doing. his face looks thinner, you noticed as you think back from the recollection of your faded memories from two mornings ago. he won’t go out with you as often, you wonder how badly it fucked him up. you wonder if anything will be the same again.

you run a frustrated hand through your hair, cringing at the way oil meets your fingers. you know you have to wash your hair, but you can’t bring yourself to. it almost feels like a chore, combined along with your classes and being put on your ass every time when you try to spar with satoru.

(he always says he’ll go easy on you and let you win. you huff in annoyance — he never does.)

despite all the breaths of fresh air you try to take, your lungs can never feel free of the burden that they’re tainted with. you close your eyes and savor the heat of the bark against your palm, in hopes that it’ll finally soothe the ache in your chest like how it did all those weeks ago — at the beach in okinawa.

you remember the warmth of the sand against your skin, smacking your hands together when you’d sit upright to rid your skin of the small golden flecks. you remember seeing riko and gojo splashing each other in the water as you heard kuroi and suguru’s soft voices conversation from beside you. the feeling of your hair tied, the brightness of the sun drowning your skin. it’s so vivid in your mind, you wonder if everything was all a dream, sometimes.

a raspy voice breaks your reverie as it excuses itself before you move your propped leg and look down below you. a faint smile finds its way to your lips as you see a familiar brown bob accompanied by the scent of tobacco and rose body spray.

“so distant out here,” she cranes her neck up at you with pressed lips, you internally sigh in relief at the lack of a cigarette that’s usually rested between them. a small pout forms on your lips at her extended arm, looking down at her hand and then back up at her with a cocked head. “i’d say with more to do out here, i would understand why.”

you huff. “i was brutally injured not too long ago, and this is how you treat your favorite patient, let alone favorite friend?” shoko smirks with an entertained scoff.

“i don’t see utahime around here anywhere.”

“shoko!”

she snickers as she makes her way over to the grass, the plush dirt cold against her upper thighs as she unceremoniously plops down onto it. you begrudgingly ( but not really, as the lack of social interaction practically burns your throat ) hop down from the branches of the tree, the heat finally capturing you in all of its glory as you carefully sit down next to shoko.

“always reminiscing, huh?” she asks. you can see the way she fidgets with the turtleneck of her uniform, presumably from the antsy withdrawal of her cigs. you give a small hum — whether it’s an affirmation or not, you don’t know. all you know is that it’s a noise that escapes you, now only a rare sight for the people closest to you.

your tongue tingles with the longing of verbosity. eager to say something, except the brunette beats you to it first. “i get it,” she sighs. “it’s nice to be alone out here.”

“we can’t ever be alone with those two idiots,” you remind her playfully, a chuckle managing to slip past your lips as she groans at the mention of the two familiar boys.

“how’s satoru doing?” you ask softly, plucking at the dewy grass that lay beneath you. shoko looks at you quizzically from out of the corner of her eye before closing her eyes with a snorted laugh. your heads whips around to look at her as you see her head shaking fondly.

a small, contagious huff makes it way out of you at the sight before she looks back at you, honey eyes narrowing once she realizes that you’re genuinely asking. her smile never falters, though ( which is usually a bad sign considering of the sadistic streak you’ve seen her partake in ).

“have you got it for the satoru gojo?”

you gape. “i don’t—! i just,” lips pursed, you huff and tilt your chin up with crossed arms. “the escort was a bust, just wanted to see if his ego wasn’t too hurt.”

at your brash synopsis; your ears grow hot when you realize shoko definitely doesn’t believe you — especially with the way she hunches over a fit of silent snickers.

“shut up.”

“ah, i won’t bully you,” her lips twist into a grin. “for now.”

“shoko!” you throw your head upwards while you fall back and ragdoll, your back hitting the solid dirt beneath you as you put your arms over your head, blocking the sun’s view from your eyes.

all you can feel is the ache in your stomach, even with your friend’s reversed cursed technique, you can still feel the knife that once pierced the flesh linger on. your lips twist until you hear the shuffling of weeds and dirt swipe next to you. you turn your head, lifting your arm only to see the brunette scooting closer. she pauses, “what?”

“you don’t wanna lay down with me?” you feign a pout as you look up at her on propped elbows, the corner of your lip quirking up when you see how unenthusiastic she looks with your antics.

“you can get bugs on you,” she chimes before leaning against the bark of the tree.

“it’s nature, sho.”

“some of it’s pretty gross. you ever see tortoises fuck?”

“you’re so weird,” you laugh before rolling on your back again and looking back up at the sky; eyes gazing at the sun until when you look away, you see faded, floating shapes in your trajectory. she snickers too, looking up at the sky, too.

she’s starting to get eye bags, you notice — the fold of skin forming under her eyes along with faint, darkened circles that sit right under her splayed bottom lashes. unable to blame her, you simply lay there and stare. your eyes still pick up on the way she fiddles with her thumbs placed in her lap, pale yet irritated hands a stark contrast to the darkness of her uniform.

“y’know if it’s me you want instead of gojo, you can say so,” she laughs, interrupting your analysis with how hard you were staring. but this time, you don’t say anything. nothing at all, not even a small twitch of your lips in annoyance or a giggle to her joke, you simply keep staring at me.

she barely tilts her head yet it’s enough for you to notice. she finally asks, “something you’re thinking about?”

the words sit heavy on your tongue, laced with a bitterness you could only describe as filth. “do you ever wonder what’ll happen when we’re older?”

“what do you mean?”

“look at what happened, now.”

her brows relax. “oh.”

shoko’s lips pout out a little bit as she looks off into the horizon, where the school lays dormant with only few staff occasionally walking out or a few students walking out to their drivers to participate in another assignment.

your hands feel hollow with the way they’re too weak to even ball your fists, so you swallow the pit that forms in the hollow crevice of your throat and look back up at the sky.

“we’ll be together forever, right, shoko?”

you hold out your pinky to her — and despite her scoff, she interlocks hers with yours anyways.

vii. words left unsaid, words always heard

“you think it’ll get any better?”

your turn your head to the velvet voice emerging from the shadows, tensing in your spot atop the dorm balcony as you slowly look behind you. long hair is seen first; thick, ebony silk cascading down suguru’s thin t-shirt. you can’t count how many days you’ve seen him wearing that familiar white oversized tee, you wonder if it’s become a second skin for him at this point.

you hum at his presence, turning back to the dark sky that lay before you. looking at the exterior of the school that lay in the courtyard, painted with darkness as only the soft glimmer of moonlight embraces them, embraces you.

“you act like everything will go to shit.”

“i’m not saying that,” his tone is sharp — no longer smooth as how it used to be, he sounds on edge, like the rubber band inside of his throat will snap at any moment.

you hear a few small steps shuffle closer to you whilst you turn around and lean your body forward, the metal of the railing cool against the sweat of your arms. another nightmare, geto notes; from the way your hair is still frazzled and your breaths come out heavy with few quick intervals of inhalation.

you could feel his presence beside you, the aura of tensity thickening the air as you struggled not to say anything. you could feel his eyes on you, observing you. suguru was always observant somehow — you wonder how long he had been that way before you had found out. he was a very interesting boy, you learned early on.

“i never said you did,” your lips twisted like something sour fell damp in your mouth. “you’ve just changed, suguru.”

“have you not changed also?”

closing your eyes, you hope for one more breeze to pass through — for one opportunity, for one sign that’ll release you from this energy. it doesn’t.

“suguru—”

“don’t you ever wonder how the world would be,” a pregnant pause wriggles its way into the two of you, “without curses?”

you look at him only to see violet eyes focused straight ahead of him. he doesn’t glance at you nor even breathe in your direction, his shoulders don’t seem as tense though.

you shake your head with a breathy laugh. “yeah, i guess so.”

you lean further to try and alleviate the pain in your stomach, a churning inside of your gut that gives you a bad feeling just at the thought of it. sharing a look, your heads turn toward each other in the moonlight — he looks paler, you notice. sickly.

“hasn’t everybody? or at least hasn’t every jujutsu user?” you mumble.

( you notice suguru pauses, an uncharacteristic habit that he’s slowly developed — once always so sure and witty with his remarks, now wilted with the uncertainness that’s plagued him. )

“why do we exist?” he finally says.

your eyes dart around, stomach finally squeezing at the discomfort you feel at his question; yet you laugh it off anyway.

“philosophical, are we?” you meager a forced grin, although it only falters slightly once you feel him sigh out a breathy laugh. “a human’s purpose on earth is undefined, i don’t really know the answ—“

“i mean as a jujutsu sorcerer: what is our purpose?”

“i don’t know where you’re going with this,” you finally say. suguru takes a step back and stops resting against the railing. you look down at the high drop, then back at the sky — you wouldn’t want to jump to conclusions, but you can’t help but look at him out of the corner of your peripheral.

( at your absence of an answer, he fills in the quietude for you. )

“we fight curses, right? to protect civilians?” he runs a hand through his dark hair, the sweaty strands connecting with the callouses that lie embedded his fingertips.

you swallow. “uh-huh.”

“but who’s saving us?”

your lips twist into a small pout as you try to comprehend the underlying meaning of his words, you wonder what sort of plan he’s dancing around — why he can’t share it with you. he always shared everything with you.

( your mind mainly focuses on that one blanket that he would always hog when he was over, fleece and blue with white polka dots; now faded and worn, and you’re pretty sure it has one hole in it from when satoru tried pulling it towards him at the foot of the bed. )

“curses are created from human negative energy, the shit that stirs within non-sorcerers that finally manifests itself,” he spits. you don’t move.

“i know what you saw out there. about r—”

you cut him off. the topic ends at the beat of your heart.

suguru calls your name softly, looking back at you with furrowed brows and an inquisitive look upon his face. he seems like he’s genuinely considering this, you think.

a pause ensues, and all you hear are the distant chirps of crickets that inhabit the area. suguru doesn’t, he only looks at you — his ears drowning out any other noises besides the soft breathing exerted from him. he doesn’t seem fazed, he’s thought about this for a while — regardless of your answer, even though he knows it’ll hurt him either way.

“satoru,” you mutter.

“what about him?”

“he doesn’t know?”

“the burden he carries is unlike no other, and i have a feeling we can change that.” he places a soft hand on your shoulder, the warmth of his hand spreading along your arm and only furthering your nausea. “i think you know that, too.”

you turn on your heel, feet similar to lead as it takes everything within you to turn away and head back past the glass, trying to make it back to your dorm before a deft hand catches your wrist. it’s bordering tight, but your head whips around to see him nonetheless.

“promise, right?” his other hand holds out his pinky — almost ironic in a way. you can feel your eyelids heating with the oncoming wave of tears threatening to spill. you can’t though, not now.

it takes a second or two but you apprehensively bring your hand to interlock pinkies, a childish but fond gesture the four of you had always done.

soon, he will have coffee and crepes in the street. he’ll breathe in bliss. empty his cup of its grief, for the new life he will lead — you think.

“promise.”

viii. satoru gojo - the strongest

satoru gojo often feels like he’s not as strong as he can be.

how silly is that?

goodness, to him, is adjacent to a rock flowing slowly through the rapids. he’ll float there first. although, he knows it’ll follow him — he can only hope he’ll meet you in the river, up to his knees, both hands full of something good, like silverfish wriggling for the waters.

a bright, childlike grin on his face as it meets your sheepish one, as if when he were to meet you as a child — being your friend would be worth more than being the heir of the gojo clan. his yukata dirtied and muddy from the cross contaminated water, soaked and dripping once the two of you would make it onto the small rocks. he would’ve been punished by the elders for the mess he had created, but he wonders if it would have made a difference.

he wonders, if you had been there, whether you would have made a difference.

he knows you’ve made one now.

and when he hears the news from yaga, he can’t help but clench his fists like his heart had clenched alongside it. his head pounds with blood thumping through his veins as yaga’s voice muffles.

he doesn’t remember much — he remembers being told about you and suguru, he remembers yelling, he remembers the hot tears that welled up in his lashes as he walked away. he remembers going back to your dorm room, opening your door, and feeling his gut drop at the sight of it.

satoru remembers the lingering scent of your body spray and how it engulfed your room. the small scratches satoru had carved into your desk with a pencil once he had tried tutoring you (it ended horribly and you didn’t get anything done, a smile threatens to tug at his lips at the memory).

the small notes you used to pass in class with shoko folded neatly in an organizer. he picks one up and squints at the shaky kanji of shoko’s handwriting bunched up on the page compared to the way your characters floated on the small ripped piece of paper.

‘did you do #14?’ he read shoko’s.

yours read, ‘yep’.

he could almost laugh at her last response — which read, ‘nerd.’

he wonders how you’re doing with suguru — satoru wants to believe you had no part in the massacre he had inflicted on the village but there’s no way to no for sure, all they can tell is that they found one was suguru’s buttons on the scene. his fingers run along your sheets, neat and made from the days before you had left — he feels his breathing quicken at the sight of your fluffed pillows.

(you knew you were leaving, and that part hurts the most.)

his eyes dance around the decorations of your room, littered with cheery figurines and souvenirs from past missions in shibuya or sapporo, ones you’d always have to march back into satoru’s room for because you knew he had taken at least one.

he had never told you that the only reason he did that wasn’t to be obnoxious, but so that he could pull you into his room and coax you to stay a little longer — how he’d promise you wouldn’t get into trouble with yaga if you just went out for a plate of takoyaki in the middle of the night.

when he had seen suguru in shinjuku that day, all he could think about was that he wanted to tell you — how he wanted to just see you, even if it was only a glimpse; even if you hadn’t said anything to him. he just wanted to see you.

words lingered in his brain, suguru’s request burned into his head. because he didn’t come to fight, he didn’t come with aggression. he only requested that he saw his side, too. a part of him was relieved you weren’t there with him, because he was always weak to you — it would’ve made it so much harder, he thinks.

has he always felt this way about you? feeling what way? what the fuck is he thinking? he doesn't even know.

there's a big, hot, white ball of something within him — something wiry inside of his gut that cuts and scrapes at every edge inside his intestines. satoru doesn’t know what it is but he’s never felt this way before.

but he’ll go outside, and he’ll see shoko or wave to his classmates. he’ll hear the whispers float around in the halls, overshadowing the faint sound of soft laughs he used to hear when he’d bump hips with you when you would take your daily rounds — to help with the dreams you had, you said.

satoru gojo didn’t get nightmares, he just woke up with once again another weight on his shoulders the next morning, groggy with the idea of obligations that would only pile up on him. and although satoru never dared to dream when he was asleep ( nor did he know how to dream when he was awake ), he would only pretend to so that he could roam around at night in search of you.

and when he’d find your figure, shaky breaths escaping your lungs with disheveled hair and tear stained eyes — so beautifully illuminated by the celestial pearl in the sky, the only beacon of light suspended in velvet darkness. you’d look up at the moon, perhaps with a prayer in mind, as you’d only think about what to do next.

like always, he’d sneak up behind you. only this time, he wouldn’t startle you with a playful call of your name or tap your shoulder and be on the other side to confuse you. he’d merely slip behind you in silence, leaning against the railing of the open-view gap that’d let you view the outside of the high school. he’d feel you glance at him with a wobbly bottom lip, swollen from the chewing you’d had to do just to silence your cries.

satoru wouldn’t say anything. but you knew why he was there.

(or at least, why you thought he was there.)

your head would drop low with eyes screwed shut, and only satoru could hear the quaky breath you’d take as you’d try to compose yourself. azure eyes would rake across your figure with a furrowed brow, he never understood why you were so emotional — yet he’d lay a comforting hand on your back anyway. you’d savor the warmth of his palm with only more tears building up in your lashes.

he’s strong. he has to be — whether it’s for you, for suguru, for jujutsu society; doesn’t matter. that’s neither here nor there. for now, satoru will nurse the thought of your memory until it bleeds and stains the very bed he dreams of you in — knowing he’ll awake the next morning and jolt at your absence. he’ll then wash his face, hold his head high, and walk right back outside. the hurts only scabs over for the day before he opens it up again the same night.

ix. migration

“you— what?”

“i’m going to the states.”

geto’s lips quirk into a soft pout, one you’ve gotten accustomed to for the past few years.

“how come?” he asks softly, albeit you almost frown at his tone. a sound that had come to be so comforting — it tingles at your bones in small zaps and shivers. it makes you feel terrible, but you can’t help but indulge in the feeling.

“always wanted to go,” you shrug. your eyes glance to the girls’ bedroom; the two twins suguru had found in that small village that had come to be but a large pile of ash and dismay. hand still warm from tucking the two of them in, it fills you with bitter sweetness.

his eyes linger on your face — you can tell he doesn’t believe you because he always has this tell, where his lips will shift to the side momentarily as he presses them together, almost in thought. you’re not sure you believe yourself, either.

staying in japan does nothing for you but weigh you down with the slow, imminent guilt that swells your chest from the fact that you’re stuck here. of course, it wasn’t an involuntary choice to go with suguru — you felt you had no other choice but to escape the things you had seen at the place that had hurt you most.

although, you can’t help but think about the boy who’s hair lights up the room, who’s eyes can see right through you — it’s almost unsettling how much you remember the flecks of blue and detail within them, practically painting the sky in those colored irises. often times, you’ll lie awake at night; hands folded neatly over your chest as the external stimulus of the outside world provide you with a sense of security, realness.

the expensive eau de cologne of his lingers in your nose, the almost spice of the musk permanently altering your brain that’s only triggered when you walk past advertisers outside of the store trying to sell a similar scent.

you swear your eyes don’t water, even though no one’s presence is there but yours — so there’s really nothing to swear about. you just don’t want to seem like something you’re so foreign to; vulnerability. letting the tears flow down the curve of your cheekbones. you don’t wipe your eyes for it��s the only reminder you have left that that boy exists.

so the next morning, you’ll wake up. slumped over from the thing that eats at your bones, your cursed energy being the only thing you can feel running through you.

fingertips coated with the smallest bit of dust, the leather cover of the suitcase is practically unused save for the few times you’d use it when you’d be sent to the outskirts of japan for certain missions. you almost smile at the faint memories that cloud your brain around that time; shoko’s quiet laughs while utahime and you would whine at small inconveniences on the trip. stopping by certain food stalls that weren’t available in tokyo, trying new things — it makes you miss it.

but you know you can’t go back now.

you pretend not to notice the watery eyes of nanako and mimiko once they see you walking out of the door, nor do you notice suguru watching you walk out the door all the same; the robes clinging onto his figure disfiguring him into a man you no longer knew.

the soft smile that once lied on his young face now replaced by one of feigned amicability; like a customer service smile. you’ve known him over a decade and yet it seems like the two of you’ve only been roommate faintly acquainted with each other. it makes your heart thump a little harder.

you pretend not to feel the way your throat closes up as a single tear courses down your skin; leaving a residue that coats the linear path trickling down your cheek — this time, you wipe your eyes.

x. (not so) divine intervention

tongue sticking heavy in your mouth, any form of noise that you could’ve possibly made dying on your throat. your hands feel a surge of pressure through them, fingers twitching along as the gears in your head turn.

you look different, he takes note of. your hairs parted a little different, a few inches of extra length added on as well. a smile tugs at his lips; one full of mirth and almost jocularity. you look so clean, healthy — strong. there’s potential, he realizes, as he searches suguru’s memory bank of you; your face making a constant reoccurrence throughout his mind. the day you left, you cooking for the girls next to him, you lying next to him, your tears that night.

his half-smile only grows wider.

he cocks a brow before he holds his hand up in salutations. he says your name, but it’s not how he would usually say it. it’s almost raspier, lower. your lips press together as you examine him, your eyes keep flitting back up to his head — intricate stitches wrapping around the width of his forehead.

“hey,” geto looks you up and down. “shrimp.”

tilting your head up, you roll your eyes at the nickname before continuing to walk forward. you don’t know what you expected because he follows you anyway, hands clasped together under the warmth of the sleeves of his robes.

his soft footsteps easily match your quick ones, stern and at least trying to flee. you don’t wanna look at him, whether that’s because you know you’ll crumble or because you’re so upset, you don’t know. all you know is that you can’t look at him now. even when he observes the bustling streets of and makes passing comments about the citizens of tokyo.

“i wasn’t sure that you had gotten back — how come you didn’t find me?” he asks, and you know it’s only because he’s fishing.

you spare him a glance out of your peripheral. you frown softly, it doesn’t even look like suguru anymore. paler skin, thinner cheekbones, lips now a lighter shade of pink with small cracks lining them. an angry, irritated color begins to form around his forehead where the stitches lay, the thread sunken so deep in his skin that it makes your own head hurt at the probable tightness.

you quietly exhale, but you know he can hear the shaky breath that comes along with it. “didn’t know if you were busy.”

“you know i can always manage some time for you,” he smiles bittersweetly. tilting his head up, he looks up at the tall buildings that surround you, admiring the straying leaves falling from the trees. one floats down and makes its way onto your head — your eye twitches as he plucks its off your hair before holding it up to his view.

you take your time to look at it, too. it’s starting to brown with the oncoming seasonal change, an amorphous combination of a golden crisp and veranda green.

“i’ve been meaning to ask your help with something,” he doesn’t look at you, still trained on the leaf. “only if you’re ready to be my partner in crime, again." he smiles at you, one that seems more like suguru. it’s confident and teasing, and with the way he leans a little more forward brings you memories of his old demeanor back in high school, the way him and—

you pause, because for a moment, you swear you could’ve seen a glimpse of white hair behind him. it’s almost concerning how quickly your blood runs cold at the thought. it’s not out of dissent nor is it out of a manifest of obscureness to which you’ve rendered him to.

but once you hear geto speak of his name — it’s like you crumble all over again. your hands going soft and clammy, your chest surging with an almost sort of giddiness at the thought of him again. just like a wishful coin in a pond, it’s beautiful to know that there are still glimmers of this feeling. even this deep in.

“suguru?” you tilt your head back, meeting his relaxed gaze as he halts his movements.

“hm?”

“what are those?” you gesture to your own forehead, keeping your eyes locked on your head as you talk about the stitches on his own. you don’t get a reply.

after that, you don’t pay attention half-way through his explanation, stopping him again with a closer step forward as he talks about some sort of plan. really, the only thing you listen to is the small glimpses you hear of satoru’s name. he talks about something going on in shibuya, he talks about jujutsu high — and you would be lying if you said that the mention of the school didn’t make you a little sad.

you wonder what satoru’s doing, you wonder what shoko’s doing. hopefully, you’ll see them soon — even if it’s just in passing. you know nothing will be the same as it was before, but you can help but wonder what they’re doing now.

you won’t know her now — but as she puffs the remaining tobacco through the small opening of her swollen lips, shoko shakes her head and looks down at her pinky. she wonders if that promise had gone down the drain like you had. she swears she can feel the corners of her eyes dampen a little.

and you won’t know it either — but satoru can’t help but see you everywhere he looks. when he sees the first years walking back home from the mission, he trails behind them just to get the view of them lined up together; yuuji bumping hips with megumi while all he gets is a glare in return. nobara looks up on the sky and drags her feet out of boredom, spewing off mindless bits of chitchat about how she totally ‘did that’.

his neck will crane up to the horizon as his lips only recite your nothings. all he is sees is sunset, yet he’s scarred with the melancholy he carries. he’ll try to close his eyes, your hands coming up to his collarbones before you press down. until he’s bruised with incompetence; until his shame has configured the astronomical.

and satoru will smile, a slew of memories seeping back into the curves of his brain as he thinks back to those times of you — of suguru, shoko, nanami. he never stopped hurting that day, but he can’t help but smile at the sight of something begun anew.

oh well, satoru thinks — he can only wonder to what you’re doing now. something inside him hopes for a day where he’ll see you soon. he’ll wait for the day where he’ll see you soon.

𐙚 holy shit i did it

𐙚 comment to join taglist ; @kasumitenbaz @sad-darksoul @seternic @kalulakunundrum @2ukika @sugimvra

𐙚 requests are open — november thirteenth, 2024

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the-real-couchrat · 4 months ago

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Post ending / rescue AU / recovering Curly is everything to me, so I’m making a list of other people’s posts that feature him. (The links will connect to a reblog of them in case anything ever happens to the original post)

If anyone ever see’s posts like these ones, PLEASE tag me in a reblog!! All posts are welcome, not just art!

Please note that I don’t decide what to add to this list based on shipping, opinions on the metaphors in the game, the accuracy of burn scars, the morality of Curly, or anything else that causes discourse in the fandom. I just add any posts that I come across that include Curly recovering from his injuries in any way. Prosthetics, wheelchair, wig, crutches, It just needs to have him in better shape than when he first got injured.

No NSFW

(Also this post is edited to add new ones when I find them)

Rehabilitated Curly

Party with no Jimmy

Stand around in medbay party (Idk if this counts, but he has prosthetics so I'm saying it does)

Happy abortion!

Post-ending speculation (text)

20 years later (I AM NOT WORTHY TO LOOK UPON THIS WITH MY MERE MORTAL EYES)

ANYA’S GRADUATION DAY

Post ending

Rescue/Recovery AU

My own post! (text)

Aftermath Curly

Good ending

Best way to approach captain’s disability?

A little sketch

They care

“I wouldn’t want to frighten her”

Anya doesn’t quite overdose

They’re safe

Guys rate my fanart

WWI face prosthetics

Less fucked up Curly AU

Fix-it type AU

Silly recovering time

Curly got some gifts for his b-day

Imagine Curly survived (twitter)

Curly with a service dog

I’m not a dog and you’re not a mare

Drawing the dentalcare crew (does this count?)

The quality will not be questioned

Fix-it AU

Want to make Curly some cool new mechanical hands so he can strangle Jimmy

One can dream

He’s got a wig now

Happy ending where they all survive (devianart)

It hurt my heart (twitter)

God forbid I get sick (translated?)

This might be controversial but… (text)

Let’s get you out of the house!

Cyberpunk AU

Cartoons with breakfast

Old-school surgeries (text)

Post-ending fic prompt (text)

Post-rescue AU curlyana

Post-rescue curlyana part two

Why is this goddamn white boy so hard to draw?

Captain stop infodumping the baby

Maybe never forgive

Draw Captain Curly having a prosthetic limb

Curly from Mouthwashing (good ending)

This is how I imagine Curly post OP

whats the worse fate, whatd be better for the tulpar crew

Wip

🐈

Mouthwashing AU (Reddit)

Curly if he survives (Reddit)

My own art

I’ll give him smoochies, prosthetics, and skin grafts

Art dump time✨

Hoppin on da trendin train

The crew built curly a mechanical hand

How to give Captain Curly a voice (idk if this technically counts, but it’s a disability aid so I will)

Doodle of the Tulpar crew post-rescue!

New hyperfixation just dropped

Hi Tumblr. Funny seeing you here

Another rehabilitated Curly

Who up washing they mouth rn

Don’t use the dog buttons (text)

Haunted part one and two

Prosthetics

AU were someone saves them

Mouthwashing doodles

A New Ladder-Reader x Curly (I’ll add the original art videos when I can) (also I didnt read it. if someone did read it, please let me know if it’s SFW)

I know he always have his headphones on

More rehabilitated Curly✨

You guys like this right

Anya, what’s it like working as a medic on a spaceship?

This is how we can still get the good ending

“I’m sorry Anya”

More cringe mouthwashing art be upon thee

Curly’s happy (and recovering) ending

Writing an AU of mouthwashing where the crew survives

Most people seem to be giving him prosthetics…

Doing a bit of study

Ladonb Kokosa (TikTok account, LOTS of great videos )

Giving the mouthwashing characters what they deserve (TikTok)

Zest for life

How I think the Tulpar crew would make YT videos

Edit: I am no longer seeking out these posts, and new ones will only be added if I’m tagged or such

#mouthwashing #mouthwashing AU #Captain Curly #recovered Curly #healing curly #healing curly mouthwashing #mouthwashing curly #curly mouthwashing #recovering curly #recovering curly mouthwashing

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the-s1lly-corner · 3 months ago

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What they call you (Helluva edition 4/4)

last part for now! if theres any characters you wanna see let me know and ill see if i can do a short little post for them!! obligatory i know ember is out of place here but SHHHH i like her i think she is very cool and fun to write characters: stolas, andrealphus, vassago, emberlynn notes: reader is a MAN for all of these guys except emberlynn, embers reader is gn and that reader will have alt names for gendered terms if needed, short post as its literally nickname stuff cws: none

STOLAS

what they call you: most of the names he calls you is dear and darling- my heart is another one he uses for you

what they like being called: lovely makes his feathers ruffle a bit the first few times you call him it

ANDREALPHUS

what they call you: my sweet, dearest are the main two he uses for you!

what they like being called: sometimes you jokingly call him bird boy- he... does not much care for it... loooooooves being called king, though! call him king and hes going to chuckle and agree with you

VASSAGO

what they call you: his muse, his harmony. though... the second one doesnt some out as smoothly as the first... sometimes calls you Mi Corazon (begging you guys to correct this, i believe its "my heart")- if you cant speak spanish it just pushes him to use the name more... he loves seeing the look you give as you try to decipher what it means

what they like being called: your songbird... cycling back to the above, he will be over the moon if you attempt to learn spanish and surprise him with a new name... it can be literally anything and he would carry it with him for the rest of his life

EMBERLYNN

what they call you: hot stuff, hottie, babe, and on occasional she WILL call you pookie. theres a lot more, but these are her main ones for you!

what they like being called: queen, sweetie... rest assured that as she adjusts to hell and its sinners/demons shes going to get a little too... excited... will make some insane petname demands, mellows with time as the relationship develops

#helluva boss x reader #helluva boss x you #helluva x reader #helluva x you #stolas x reader #helluva stolas x reader #andrealphus x reader #helluva andrealphus x reader #vassago x reader #helluva vassago x reader #emberlynn x reader #helluva emberlynn x reader #ember x reader #helluva ember x reader #canon x reader #canon x you #x reader

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s7-evermore · 1 year ago

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My Heart Stays With You | Leona Kingscholar x Mistress! Yuu/Reader

NOTE: Hey, so I can’t find the FUCKING fic I was talking about in this post and despite all my desperate searching I STILL can’t find it so I’m WRITING MY OWN VERSION OF IT until the author of that fic MESSAGES ME AND GOES “EYO DUDE WTF THAT IDEA WAS MINE” so I can search their blog and finally read the fucking story cuz istg I can’t focus on my schoolwork with that fic weighing on my mind like a curse that’s been placed on my family for 40 generations.

EDIT: someone in the comments lovingly told me who the author of the original one was and it was @/kiwibirdmother but all their posts disappeared so 🤡 fuck. LUCKILY tho I used the wayback internet thing and I managed to read them again :D if you guys want a link to it I’ll share thru dm cuz I’m too lazy to post something about it rn ejdkskxkskx

SYNOPSIS: Leona had been forced into an arranged marriage with a noblewoman, but he had already been in a relationship with Yuu. They loved each other too much, and both of them weren’t willing to let each other go. So in their own selfish ways, they stayed together despite the ring shining on his finger.

The two of them never thought it would get to this.

Leona had hoped that he would at least be able to make her his officially. All he needed to do was graduate and introduce her to his family, as reluctant as he was to let her into the royal life for the fear that she would have to carry the weight of it, he was far too selfish to let her go.

But Yuu didn’t mind at all. Just like him, she was far too selfish to let him go.

. . .

. . . .

. . .

When the news came to her that Leona had no choice but to push through with the arranged marriage, he rushed to her room in Ramshackle Dorm to hold her in his arms.

“Stay with me,” He begged that night, holding her in his arms with all the strength he could muster. “Please stay with me.”

It felt out of character for him to say those words with such strong emotion, but in the years they’ve been together, as she approached her fourth year in NRC, Leona slowly learned to lower his walls around her.

Only around her. Just her.

“Stay with me. I won’t do anything with her. I promise.”

“But…”

Hearing her strained voice and her choked sobs as she cried on his shoulder broke his heart. His heart… that he had given to her all those years ago when she accepted him with all of her being…

How unfair could the world get?

“I won’t. You’re the only one in my heart,” he stated firmly, a promise that he would hold himself to for the rest of his life.

“That stupid marriage is only for formalities. A political convenience. That woman and I don’t even have to do anything, and I don’t intend on giving myself to her. Not my love, not my mind, not my body.”

He looked into her eyes, furrowing his brows with intensity. When Yuu looked at them, she could feel the fierce heat of his love for her and his unyielding devotion.

She understood his place. He really had no say in the marriage, it had already been set in stone. Leona knew this well, and yet he couldn’t help but feel guilty… she had been so kind to him, so understanding…

“Yuu…” his voice was molten gold, and it seeped through the cracks of her heart.

“I love you. Only you. Please stay with me.”

“I will,” she said without hesitation.

He kissed her the moment she said those words, and a night of passion between them followed.

That wouldn’t be their last.

The night before his wedding, Leona drove to a villa some distance away from the palace.

It was distant from other residences and a little more solitary. Leona knew it would be perfect for Yuu, so he bought it immediately before anyone else could so she could live there with Grim after their graduation.

He knocked on the door, and it opened within a few seconds.

He felt his heart beating rapidly when he saw her face. For a moment, Leona felt at peace.

Yuu smiled, looking just as relieved, “You’re here…”

He moved to embrace her.

Ever since the arranged marriage, it was the first thing he would do whenever he visited her. An act of reassurance that he would forever be hers.

“I came just as I said I would,” He said.

“It’s tomorrow,” she quietly muttered.

“Will you go?”

“I promised I would.”

“It would hurt you…”

“It would hurt you just as much…” she said, her voice breaking, “I…I promised you that I would…always be there to comfort you…”

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable any more than I already have,” he sighed. His woman was far too kind to him. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she tried to be a little petty.

“I think… I think it would make me more uncomfortable not seeing you, knowing that you would be with her…”

Leona knew that his brother was aware of his distaste for the marriage, but the will of their father, even as he lay sickly on his bed, had to be followed.

“Leona…”

He knew what that tone in her voice meant.

He looked down at her slightly, immediately noticing her half-lidded eyes and her sudden shy but sensual smile.

“Will you stay with me a little longer…?”

She didn’t even have to ask.

He pulled her to her bedroom. And there, they lost themselves into each other’s arms, wrapped up in the heat of their love.

. . .

. . . .

. . .

“Did you meet up with your friends?”

The question came to him as they basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking. She had her head against his chest, his arm around her as he slowly traced shapes on her skin.

“Jack said that you asked him and Ruggie to escort me…” she said, recalling her meeting with her friends from NRC the past week.

Leona had taken it upon himself to invite some notable people from NRC, especially those he knew she would be close with. Most of them also knew of the relationship they kept going through with, as dangerous as it was.

Vil Schönheit had actually been the one to visit her first. He was invited as Leona’s acquaintance and former school “friend”, according to Leona himself. Vil was one of the few people who knew about their continuing relationship despite Leona’s arranged marriage, and out of respect for Yuu (who Vil was clearly fond of) agreed to keep it a secret.

Kalim and Jamil were invited as well, under the pretext of Kalim being the first son of House Asim and Jamil as his servant. When they came to her home, they reminisced on old times and agreed to keep in touch.

As she told him about their visits, she remembered another thing.

“I didn’t expect you to invite Malleus to the wedding…” she said.

“He’s your friend, isn’t he?”

“Yes but…”

Although she continued writing to malleus, as he was her cherished friend, she knew that the two of them hardly got along.

“A lotta random royals, nobles and celebrities are invited out of formality, so I thought that I might as well invite someone you’re familiar with. Kalim, Vil, Idia, and Malleus came to mind at first.”

He looked down at her as he stroked her hair, “I’m sure you’ll be fine with their company. If you’re around people like them then no one should be able to bother you. I made sure to tell them all to visit you before the wedding.”

Malleus didn’t come alone, of course. Lilia, Silver, and Sebek came there as the Briar Valley prince’s attendants.

Those four weren’t daft by any means. She knew that they had probably already figured out that they were keeping their relationship a secret from the public.

“Are you alright with this?” Sebek had asked her, his voice strangely reluctant and…soft.

“We both aren’t,” she admitted to him, “But this is… the only way we could live right now.”

Malleus sighed, lamenting how unfortunate your circumstances are.

“If you need a place to belong, let us know,” He told her. “Briar Valley will welcome you with open arms.”

“Thank you…” she smiled kindly at her friends, “But I belong with Leona.”

“Leona, congratulations on your wedding.”

Leona watched as Vil approached him with Yuu around his arm.

Vil turned to the bride with a practiced smile, “and to you as well, my lady.”

“Congratulations, both of you,” Yuu said with a smile that made Leona uncomfortable. He hated her fake smiles.

He hated this. He hated all of this.

“You truly are fortunate, Lady Aisha,” her words pierced his heart like a bullet. His hands were itching to hold her in his arms. “To be wed to Leona… well, it might not be easy but…”

Yuu met his eyes, something profound shining within them, mixed with hopelessness and pain.

“I’m sure…he’ll be a very wonderful lover.”

The bride noticed the look Leona was giving the human girl while pondering the meaning of her words. With a strained smile, clearly masking her irritation, Aisha intertwined her arms around Leona’s and smiled at her.

“Oh I am well aware of that,” she says with a sickeningly sweet smile, “he is always so good to me.”

Yuu didn’t mean to take her words too far, but despite the bitterness in Aisha’s words, she smiled like a flower in bloom, masking her pain like it was nothing.

“I wish you both happiness.”

. . . .

. . . . .

. . . .

“Kifaji.”

The royal family’s long-time aid turned around at the sharp call of Leona’s new bride. Her features were marred with irritation, unbefitting of the occasion.

“Yes, my lady?” He acknowledged her calmly, ready to take every complain she has.

“Who is that woman?”

Kifaji looked at where she was pointing only to see Leona chatting with Yuu.

The aid’s expression softened at the sight of them. Leona’s eyes were unguarded as he spoke to the young woman, seemingly taking in every word she was saying. Yuu, on the other hand, despite the occasion simply seemed happy to be in the presence of the second prince.

It was the same scene he had seen quite a few years ago, when Leona brought her along with some other schoolmates for Tamashina-Mina. She was a darling little thing— she was beautiful. She got along well with their friends and Leona cared about her more than he liked to admit. But it didn’t escape Kifaji’s eyes when he saw Leona buy her a gift. A necklace the same color as his eyes, just as she requested.

“You should have chosen one with your eye color instead.” He heard Leona say to her.

“No,” Yuu shakes her head, “I like the color of your eyes better.”

She was sweet and by no means a push-over. She knew how to keep Leona in place without being pushy, and it was clear to anyone that Leona favored her greatly.

Kifaji had…hoped that he got to see Leona happy with her.

If it hadn’t been for the arranged marriage that the two princes’ father wanted… then maybe… maybe then the second prince would finally smile for the rest of his days…

“That is Miss Yuu, a long-time friend of his Highness,” he told Aisha calmly. “Prince Leona is quite fond of her, as is Prince Cheka, please do get along with her.”

“They look too close to be friends,” she quipped.

Kifaji could only do what he could for the Prince he had taken care of…

“I would not worry about that,” he said, expression unchanging, “I am certain that they are only friends.”

The lady huffed before fixing her wedding garments and going back to the party, Kifaji could finally breathe.

It was 12 AM at midnight, just two hours after the wedding and the reception ended when she heard something park itself on her driveway.

Before she could get the chance to look out the window, someone immediately knocks on the door.

In a rush, she opens the door only to see the lion that had been plaguing her thoughts, feeding the shadows whispering in her mind.

Large arms wrapped themselves around her in a warm embrace.

“I drove here as soon as everyone was asleep.”

She returned his embrace, feeling the beat of his heart against hers.

“You shouldn’t have come here.”

“I can’t stand it. She was so annoying…” he buried his nose against her hair. “All she did was complain when all I did was nap on the bed.”

Lady Aisha must have gotten angry that Leona wouldn't touch her on their wedding night... She thought to herself. The thought of Leona sharing a bed with another woman made her heartache. She wanted to erase the image in her mind..

But she couldn’t do much now, can she? He was a married man now, but it wasn’t to her… no, it was to someone else.

However…

“Aren’t you gonna welcome me home?”

He will always return to her. Never touched and never kissed by anyone else but her.

She chuckles, looking up at him with pained eyes.

“It’s your wedding night, you know…? You could at least…”

“I told you, I ain’t touchin’ her.”

“You…you don’t have to… but it might make your family mad if you suddenly—“

He places a hand under her chin and forces her to look at him before stroking her cheek.

“I don’t care,” he says with finality. “I don’t care about that stupid wedding. I don’t care about her. I don’t care about any of them.”

His forehead touches hers, a tear escapes her eye.

“I care about us.”

And he kisses her with more love than he could ever give.

Another night passes, and Leona is once more entangled in Yuu’s arms.

#AAAAAAARRGGGHHHHHH #I WROTE THIS OUT OF SPITE #I HOPE THE WRITER WHO WROTE THE THING I WAS LOOKING FOR SUDDENLY DMS ME AND SLAPS MY FACE SO I CAN GO TO THEIR BLOG AND FIND THE FIC T^T #LET LEONA AND YUU BE HAPPY #STUPID ARRANGED MARRIAGE SHIT UGH #LEONA IS SO LOYAL TO YUU YALL HE AINT TOUCHIN NO WOMAN #HE'S ON HIS WAY TO MASTERMIND THAT OTHER LADY OUT OF HIS LIFE DOE JDKFVNKSDFJNDKFJVN #twst x reader #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #disney twisted wonderland #twst yuu #disney twst #twst #Leona Kingscholar #Leona Kingscholar x reader #leona x reader #Mistress! Yuu

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nikki0606 · 5 months ago

Text

the letter | Hawks X Reader

oneshot; (wrote it some 3 yrs ago and edited the narration here)

(it was a result for a "write a letter to mha characters" quiz of mine)

"Calm down, will you?" Tokoyami says over the phone, "I can not believe it's me of all people who needs to console you."

"Well, it was your idea." you pace your room in stress.

"It was dark shadow's idea." Tokoyami doesn't sound happy at your accusation, "I even warned you against trusting him just like that. His maturity level is down in the drain. That all put aside, I really do think you should relax. Definitely, sensei wouldn't hate you."

"He wouldn't hate me?" you frown and take a deep inhale, "I wrote that guy a love letter and we left it in his office, Tokyo!"

"I do not see how that should make him hate you.. " Tokoyami sounds confused, "Hawks sensei has quite a following, it would only be normal to him if you ended up having feelings for him too. Relax, it's no big deal."

"Oh my God." you clutch your head, "Is this how you're consoling me? I don't know what to do– is there a chance he wouldn't have seen it? I really just want to bring the letter back now."

"Wow." Dark shadow's voice sounds, "That's really spineless of you," you gasp at that, "relax, (Name)-chan. Everything's gonna be fine. If Hawks sensei ignores you, I'll fight him for you."

You pause, "Ignores? You know what, I'll call you and Dark Shadow back later, Tokyo. The both of you are only increasing my anxiety."

"Okay." Tokoyami sighs, "And stop calling me Tokyo."

"No." you hang up right after.

Continuing to pace in the room, you begin to prepare yourself for the worse. It's true Hawks could just ignore you if he gets uncomfortable with the whole thing. If not that, he could just reject your feelings.

After all, he does get thousands of letters per day (though none are found at his table top in his office) and like Tokoyami said, it would be only normal for him to have a little girl crush on him.

You're two weeks away from your birthday and do not at all wish to be crying over his rejection on the day you turn eighteen.

"It's alright." you try to console yourself, "There's a lot more beauty in this world to cry over just one guy." but it's easier said than done.

No matter how true your words are, they do nothing to ease the way your throat suffocates in anxiety."

Your phone buzzes with notifications on the side and you pick it up to distract yourself with whatever they're from only to find an unknown number having texted you.

__________________________

XXXXXXX

heyy

you really thought you'd

send him a letter and BOOM

he's into you, huh

haha, bitch

stop daydreaming

look at this

seriously

stop embarrassing yourself

there's other important ppl

in his life

__________________________

Your brain processes the texts way too slow. Once it does, however, you feel something in your heart shatter.

A picture of Hawks blushing and another of him covering his face combined with the texts you've received explain a lot.

There's other important people in his life.

It makes sense– you don't know much about his person life. You only know Hawks the hero not the person who he is away from the limelight.

It makes sense, absolute sense, but it hurts.

"It's okay." you mumble futile and empty words to yourself, one hand making way to your chest and rubbing it hard. The ache lying within overpowers even the peak of control you can exert over yourself.

A tear rolls down your cheek. At this point, you don't even know what else you were expecting.

"I am just another fangirl." you tell yourself, "It's alright. That's what happens, I'm no one special– I barely know about his personal life."

A ding brings in new messages from the same number.

__________________________

XXXXXXX

we've got some things to settle

fifteen minutes from now

on your dorm roof

lets fight

YOU

lets please talk it out

it's nothing serious

I guess I'm just a fangirl

XXXXXXX

ask me if I give a fuck

__________________________

It hurts you to reply this way but this is just the truth.

But how can someone enter U.A.? I don't think non pro heroes would be allowed to enter.

And this thought leads to the rather painful realization that the person texting you might just be Mirko, you know Hawks is good friends with her so there could always be things between them that you aren't aware of.

It's just best to go and talk to her and clear out any misunderstandings. Who knows what sort of ruckus might follow.

You violently rub your teary eyes and swallow hard, "Well then."

There's no one on the roof when you reach there. With a sigh, you walk over to the boundary and lean against it taking in the view of the night at your school.

The suffocating weight on your chest remains constant but the worry about what Hawks would think of you beats it.

It hurts to remember how seriously you had written the letter and poured all of your ehart into it. Now, you only feel like an idiot.

Why the fuck did I even think this was okay?

If you could, you'd make everything go back to before you'd written it. All the worry, all the nervousness and this painful rejection-- you sigh.

"Pretty, isn't it?"

You haven't paid attention to the view until now. At once, you blink focusing your gaze in front. A small smile rises up your face, "It's beautiful." and then you pause.

"You didn't even notice me sneaking up to you." the way too familiar from the snort makes a tsunami of heat crash against your body, you snap your head to where Hawks is leaned to the boundary by your side.

"Hawks." your jaw falls a mile below.

"Yup." he smiled, "I had to come, didn't I?"

On reflex, you look around to see if someone else has come with him but not another soul is around.

"You're.. " you swallow hard, a mountain of shame settling in your face, "Uhm... well.. "

Hawks hums, his face turned towards the school building in view, "I thought I'd just talk to you face to face. I was on my way to Musutafu anyways."

"O-Oh.. ?"

"So you wrote me a letter." there's the tiniest bit of tease in his voice, "You think I'm handsome, eh, (Name)-chan? Boy, I did not know that."

Your face falls into your hands. You wish the earth would swallow you whole.

"Well," he hums a moment later, "I sort of saw the letter in front of Mirko and she urged we should prank you so she took those pictures of me while I was reading the letter. I don't know what she's texted you though. She said you'd be happy to see me in person."

It takes you a while to process the thing about the pictures.

You don't have it inside you to face him anymore but the relief you feel on knowing this was a pranks expresses itself as a sharp exhale.

Hawks' face turns to you again, a sly smirk rising to his face, "You weren't getting jealous, were you? Ahh, I really want to see a jealous (Name)-chan. Your little crush on me makes this so much easier."

With great difficulty, you manage to separate your face and hands and try to lift your head.

"Oh right," Hawks snorts, "it's not a crush, it's love."

"Come on." you whine, turning your face away.

Hawks laughs, "You're adorable, (Name)-chan. Don't you worry, you'll still be on my priority list of little girls crushing on me."

"Look at how proud you are about that." you roll your eyes hysterically, "Shameless chicken."

"Aw, don't you think being mean to me makes me not want to hang out with you?" he dramatizes, "I thought we get careful when we get a puppy crush."

You're honestly just glad he isn't hating or getting creeped out by you.

"You were on your way to Musutafu?" you try to change the topic, "For what?"

Hawks hums a little, his gaze focused on the distantly visible city, "Say, (Name)-chan. You're of age, right? Your birthday was three months ago so you should be eighteen already."

"I am, yeah." your gaze rests on him for a bit- Hawks looks beautiful in the low night light.

He turns to you, "I was coming to Musutafu for this date I have to be on. I realized I should confirm your age outside the school. Nezu looked pretty relaxed when I said I want to visit you so that was relieving."

You blink, "I'm sorry?" there's a darker shade settling on his face now that you focus.

"Takami Keigo." he hums, "That's my real name."

The sudden revelation takes you by surprise, "Oh? I.. wow. That's a nice name."

"Of course," he snorts though there is now something adorably nervous to his voice, "your crush on me makes everything about me nice."

"Other than your personality, yes." you pout, "Look at you insensitively teasing me. Are you wishing to see me cry later?"

"Ne ne, (Name)-chan, you really think I'd let you cry?" he turns you towards himself.

You blink, "H-Huh?"

Hawks smiles nervously, "D'you.. you know.. want to go out with me tonight?"

It takes an eternity for your brain to process it. Once you do, your jaw drop in shock only to tug upwards immediately into a smile.

"What? What.. seriously?"

"Of course." his hand rubs the back of his head, Hawks looks embarrassed, "I-I mean.. it's not important that your crush is one sided.. "

"You like me?" you don't remember when the last time you'd been filled with such pure thrill was. You're basically jumping on your feet.

"If you're going to behave like this, how do you expect me not to?" he pouts and speaks in a small voice.

"Wow." your gaze locks into his, "That's just... "

"Sweet?" his hand boops your nose, "It is. But anyways, should we?" he holds his hand out.

You're about to put your hand onto his put pause, "Has Aizawa sensei allowed you to take me out." you pause, "Shit, I'm not even dressed right." and you continue to freak out more in happiness than in worry.

Hawks chuckles, "You're being pretty reasonable for someone who gets to be with the sexy hot number two." and the sassy reply he expects doesn't come.

You wrap your hands around him instead, "I am."

A gush of red burns his cheeks, Hawks lips part, "Wh-Whoa.. okay." his eyebrows jerk, and his head turns to the side now radiating with heat.

"Shit." you step away from him, "I'm not making you uncomfortable or something, am I?"

"Not at all." Hawks's eyes lock into yours, "That's.. actually leave the date. Let's go to your room and watch a movie or something."

"Boys aren't allowed in our side of the dorm." you make a sad face.

"I'm a man if you haven't noticed." he frowns, "Take me down there, I'll make sure you never miss my manliness again."

Your eyes widen and avert to the side and a buzz rises up your skin. Hawks looks pretty dead set with his little tease and is happy to see the reaction he was expecting.

It's risky sneaking Hawks inside so he sends in a feather first. Thankfully, there's no one in the hallways at this hour.

You let Hawks inside first and enter after securing the area. Little do you realize you've pushed him right into the one wall full of posters of him. You thank yourself for not having pasted hearts or something of the sort around.

"Looks like you have a major crush on this pro hero Hawks." he looks smug but the warm red tint of his ears adds more to the story, "That's so cute."

Your cheeks flare up, "W-Well.. th-there's nothing to hide anymore.. I guess."

Hawks hums, "You'll be knowing me as Keigo no onwards." he leans forward and pulls a poster down, crushes it and throw it to the side.

"What are you doing?" you frown in confusion.

"There's a lot of other things you need space to stick on the walls." he says, "Things about Takami Keigo and not Hawks," a teasing smirk rises up his face again, "and then you can continue to thirst over a sexier side of your hero crush."

You pout and turn away, face now warming up the air all around, "You're so mean, Hawks." there's a silence, "K-Keigo-san.. "

"Good girl." he hums, making all hair on your body rise on their ends, "Try it less formal."

You swallow, "Keigo-kun.. ?"

"Yeah." his hand strokes your cheek, you feel your legs getting weak, "That's more like it, babybird."

"You're literally so mean." your gaze averts to the ground, "Coming all the way here just to tease me.. "

"And maybe also to see you get excited like a little kid when I say it's mutual." he winks, then plops onto your bed, rubbing his face into the pillow.

The thing about the number two pro hero is that the confidence seeps out of all pores in his body. Even if he is shy and nervous, Hawks would unapologetically spread around knowing it would not at all change anything about your feelings for him unless it makes them more intense.

He knows that because he has seen the expression on your face when the two of you would mess around and do weird stuff to annoy Tokoyami (although it was mostly you).

Hawks would have a bigger hand in verbal teasing.

"S-So... " you fiddle with your fingers, cheeks heating up more at the thought of his scent settling onto your sheets. Hawks turns to you.

"Movie?"

"I-If you want to."

"Or maybe we could just.. you know," he playfully winks.

You freeze momentarily, "What... ?"

Hawks snorts, his hand taking his visors and ruffling his hair. He beckons you to come sit with him while taking his shoes and jacket off.

You now find it hard to not stare at his torso.

"Should we have a photoshoot?" he turns to you, eyes full of adoration.

It's too bad that your dirty mind is not able to process anything rationally on being exposed to his biceps now. And it just so happens that you and Hawks are awfully comfortable with teasing and insults on being friends for so long (all thanks to Tokoyami).

That is why the words slip out of your mouth before you can realise, "If you strip, yes."

Hawks blinks, his ears visibly getting a hot shade of red but expressions forced to remain straight, "You really have some wild fantasies about me, babygirl. Tokoyami told me all of them."

You blink, "What?"

He smiles cheekily, "If I strip, you'll lose your head."

"No- Tokoyami did what?"

"Told me some stuff." he hums, "Told me I should get a spine to propose to you but then boom, you send the letter and it gets easier for me."

"He knew you liked me back?"

"Of course he did." Hawks pushes his boots to the side with his foot, "Don't you go getting mad at him," his hands plant on your hips, cheeks blooming red, "this is my payment for this request."

In another second, you're sitting in his lap.

"So, photoshoot." he clears his throat, unable to properly talk now that your body is pressed against his with your adorable eyes looking up at him in shock and embarrassment, "I-I'll use my phone."

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scourgeofmyownbrain · 8 months ago

Text

Edit: I MADE AN UPDATED ONE GO LOOK AT THAT ONE IT'S BETTER I CITED MY SOURCES AND SHOWED MY WORK AND EVERYTHING

Ladies and Gentlemen, Bitches and Bastards, Witches and Wizards, Mothers and Fuckers. Esteemed robot enjoyers, I present to you a semi-accurate height comparison of Bumblebee across the multiverse (as of July 2024). This really helps visualize the truly staggering differences between universes, at least height-wise. Also, three of these characters are Canonically the Same Guy; guess which ones.

I spent way too much time on the chart in the back it's not even funny. I will probably make more height charts for more TF characters and universes in the future. Don't expect it soon though, because when I make these, I am fueled by pure I-Got-Bored-At-Work-And-I-Have-Decided-To-Fool-Around-With-Robot-PNGs, and that fuel supply is inconsistent at best.

Hey Fun Fact, Did you know that Generation 1 Optimus Prime is around 19 Feet Tall? Bet some of you already knew that. I have no ulterior motives for bringing this fact up, what are you talking about.

My height explanations are below the cut, because you couldn't shut me up if you tried.

In an order:

Gen 1 - ~10 feet (the wiki says greater than 3 meters so I rounded up to the first whole number because round)

Netflix Cybertron Trilogy - ~10 feet (He looks identical to Gen 1 so... the reason his photo looks weird is because I couldn't find a good full body photo with him standing straight up facing the camera so I put two images together to make the worst looking photoshop job you have ever seen)

Earth Spark - 10 feet (There is no confirmed height yet but using a screen shot of him standing in front of a barn door I was able to make a reasonable guess.)

Animated - 12 feet (I have no genuine source for this, I think this info is just someone's guesstimate, but it seems reasonable. He's a tiny two door mini car, how big could he be)

New Live Action - 15 feet (The wiki hath declared. Also do we have a name for this universe because we need one I don't want to keep saying like 6 words to differentiate this one from bayverse)

Bayverse V1 - 16 feet (This is like the first 3 movies minimum, I don't remember when he hits his growth spurt. also wiki my love)

Cyberverse - 18 feet (I'm gonna be honest, the only info we have is from a really shitty screen shot of a magazine. SO if any one has a copy of this book from the video below, a high quality scan would be greatly appreciated and I will kiss the ground you walk upon. Yes I found the video where the screen shot comes from leave me alone)

Bayverse V2 - 18 feet (movie 4-5 I can't remember which one, I'm not re-looking this up. I fucking love the bayverse tho, this is the only universe with concrete and consistent this-character-is-this-height info)

Aligned Cont. WF/FOC - 20 feet (video game info screens you god send, kiss me sweetly)

Aligned Cont. TFP/RID15 - 21 feet (I do not know exactly where these numbers were found, but I fully fucking believe them. Just by looking at these characters on the show I can verify these numbers in my mind. They made specifically this universe to be full of freakishly tall robots for some fucking reason.)

And for any one who doesn't know, the three tallest are the same guy. Like the 20 feet tall one and the 21 feet tall ones, same guy. The ones in three wildly different art styles and designs. Let that sink in...

I fucking hate the aligned continuity why is that one my favorite.

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tojisbbg · 2 years ago

Text

𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚

❝call out my name when i kiss you so gently.❞

♡ uzui tengen ♡

a/n: first demon slayer piece!! i picked up the anime after a long time and i forgot how horrendously down bad i was for this man.

a/n (cont.): also! my apologies if tengen’s a bit out of character, i tried my best lol. this writing piece is very long because i don’t believe in porn without plot, i need plot and context. word count is stated below!

word count: 12.2k

content: uzui tengen x fem!reader, tengen isn’t married, reader is one of the hashiras, enemies to lovers, minor plot (if you squint), spoilers (sorry), lots of teasing and bickering, smut smut smut!!, all acts are consensual, not edited for grammatical errors.

...

“god, i hate these uniforms.” you groaned in annoyance, shuddering as the soft skin of mitsuri’s fingers grazed your chest while she helped you button up. the girl giggled at your daily complaint.

it was true, you truly hated these god awful uniforms that were provided to you by the demon slayer corps. the shirts were so tight, you’d think that the manufacturers forgot how human anatomy works and that everyone’s body isn’t the same.

needless to say, the shirt didn’t fit your chest, so you’d had to go with the mitsuri-style of wearing your uniform.

“hm, well, now whose fault is it for having these huge tits?” she shamelessly asked, poking your boobs jokingly, which made your cheeks burn.

“hey! it’s not like i personally asked the gods to give me them. besides, you have them too!” you defended, averting from her teasing eyes.

“yeah, but i’m proud of having these babies. anyways, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. they sit so nice and pretty, if i was a guy, i think i would purposely hug you face first on your chest.” mitsuri smirked, making you gasp as you playfully landed a smack on her upper arm.

“mitsuri! geez, you’re such a little perv.” you said as you squished her cheeks, making her laugh as the sound was contagious enough to make you crack a smile.

you love mitsuri with all your heart, she’s the ball of sunshine in your life that you needed. you’ve been a hashira for about two years now and she was your first friend and now your best friend.

it’s important to mention that you were very disliked in the demon slayer corps at first. the other hashiras, such as sanemi, obanai and giyuu didn’t speak to you for months because you were taken in for a hashira position so quickly.

less than a week to be exact.

the amount of skill that you have is almost inhumane and was never seen before. you were given the position without any prior training or requirements.

after all, you took an upper moon down by yourself, which was pretty impressive for a first timer who claims to have no experience.

nonetheless, mitsuri and rengoku were your only friends. you have a huge soft spot for both of them, but after the incident that occurred in the mugen train, both you and mitsuri went down a pretty dark path.

but, you made sure to comfort her as much as she did to you. you both have each other and you swore to protect her just like how she did to you.

you both were platonic soulmates without a doubt.

“y/n!” you heard tanjiro’s voice behind you, making both you and mitsuri turn around.

“oh, ‘jiro!” you flashed him a smile as you waved at the redhead.

“the crow spoke to me this morning, we got assigned a new mission.” he said eagerly, panting a little, which indicated that he probably ran around in circles to find you. you hummed in response, ruffling his hair.

“ah, so you’re with me. inosuke and zenitsu are on it too, i assume?” you questioned, accepting the cup of green tea that mitsuri handed you as you took a sip.

“yup, and also mr. tengen.” tanjiro nodded with a nervous smile. you choked on your tea, coughing as mitsuri patted your back.

“what?! why is he coming??” you yelled, making tanjiro’s eyes widen as he gulped.

“u-uhm, it’s ‘cause i heard that we’re fighting an upper rank six. the more help we get, the better.” he tried to calm you down, but the information he relayed only angered you further.

“huh?! do those shitty higher ups think that i can’t kill an upper moon myself without that cocky bitch?!” you raised your voice, eyes glaring in the distance as tanjiro gasped.

“n-no! y/n, you got it all wrong! i di-”

“i’m gonna have a word with those stupid hags.” you spat out angrily, marching off before you felt tanjiro wrap himself behind you in an attempt to halt your movements.

“let go, tanjiro. i’m not going on a mission with that stupid freak.” you tried to desperately peel yourself away from his hold, but tanjiro’s hold was tight.

“please, y/n! why don’t you understand that this is not the time for your pride or his pride to get in the way. inosuke and zenitsu already suffered from minor injuries because mr. tengen lashed out from hearing about you joining the mission.” tanjiro informed, making you scoff.

“that arrogant little shit. i’m gonna kill him for sure now!” you exclaimed, making tanjiro cry out as he begged mitsuri to help him cage you inside the room.

“y/n! please, just listen! after losing one of the hashiras already, we need to be sure that we don’t lose another. i don’t want to lose you or mr. tengen. so, please, just try to get along with him or you can just stay with me and the other two.” he suggested, and as much as you hated the idea of being stuck with tengen, you adored tanjiro like a little brother and saying ‘no’ to him was pretty hard. you let out a heavy sigh in defeat.

“fine, but if he pisses me off, i’m gonna slice his throat with my blade.” you threatened, making tanjiro’s face turn pale as he let out a nervous laugh.

“everything will be fine, y/n. don’t worry.” tanjiro assured, but you didn’t pay mind to his words because it will go down like how it usually does when you get placed together with tengen.

with you both at each other's neck, of course.

“hmm, i think you secretly like tengen, y/n.” mitsuri flashed you a mischievous grin, making your jaw drop to the ground.

“did you not hear about me wanting to execute his murder literally a few minutes ago?” you asked in disbelief, wondering if your best friend was okay in the head. however, the two-toned hair colored woman simply laughed at your words.

“you both quarrel like an old married couple.” she giggled, making you let out a fake gag in response.

“disgusting, i’d rather marry obanai’s snake than him.” you retorted, making mitsuri gasp from your obnoxious words.

“you’re crazy!” mitsuri looked at you with wide eyes.

“no, you’re crazy for even thinking that i wanna even breathe the same air as that shithead!” you sneered, making mitsuri scoff.

“don’t be silly, he’s totally your type. you told me that you like tall guys, more on the muscular side, extroverted to fit your opposite personality and someone who’s very sexy.” she smirked, watching how a deep blush tinted your cheeks as your lips twitched, trying to formulate words to defend yourself.

“i was not referring to him!” you quickly blurted out, walking ahead as you wanted to leave the conversation.

“mhm, whatever helps you sleep at night.” mitsuri said as she ran up to you, linking her arm with yours as you rolled your eyes.

“shut up, i don’t like tengen. he’s an arrogant jackass that pisses me off.” you grumbled under your breath.

“i’m a what now, princess?” you suddenly heard a deep voice coming from behind you, making you yelp from how startled you were.

“what the fuck is wrong with you?! can’t you let your presence be known, creep.” you glared at him, mitsuri happily greeting the giant as you ignored his presence.

“creep? no, no, no. you must be mistaken. i am the god of festivals, the flashiest being on the planet, and the best of the best!! i also happen to have very good ears to hear a certain little rat talk ill of my superior being.” tengen cockily gave his speech, making you groan in irritation.

“spit out one more word and i swear i’m gonna rip your tongue out.” you threatened in a low voice, to which didn’t scare the 6′6ft man, as he only gave you a chuckle in response to mock your attempt of being intimidating.

“what was that? i couldn’t quite hear you from down there. it just sounds like squeak squeak squeak i’m stupid squeak squeak lord tengen is the best squeak squeak!” he said in a very obnoxious and annoying fake high-pitched voice, making your blood boil as you turned around to face him.

“you little shit!” you yelled, before lunging at him and jumping to cling on his very inconveniently tall body. your actions caught tengen by surprise, quickly placing an arm on your hips to make sure that you don’t fall on your ass.

“i said that i’m gonna kill you if you don’t shut up, uzui tengen!!” you said in a louder voice, closer to his face as you harshly pinched his cheeks.

“ouch, ouch! it hurts, y/n!!” tengen whined, trying his best to release himself from your deathly grip.

“good, that was the whole point.” you grinned in satisfaction, sticking your tongue out at him.

“look at you being so close to my face and with your tongue out too. you wanna french kiss me that bad, princess?” tengen teased, making you immediately pull your hands and face back to create distance between you both, your face scrunching up in disgust.

“as i said before, i’d rather kiss kaburamaru than you, freak!” you quickly defend, trying to slip away from his embrace, but tengen only tightened his hold on you.

“hmm, i don’t think i’ll let you goo~.” he sang out, making you cry out to your friends to help you escape the beefy man’s hold.

“they’re definitely in love, right tanjiro?” mitsuri asked the boy who was standing next to her and witnessing the entire thing.

“oh, for sure. i’m a strong shipper of y/n x mr. tengen.” tanjiro responded, making mitsuri squeal.

“oh my, me too!! let’s start our little club and play cupid with them.” she eagerly suggested, making tanjiro laugh and nod.

you were finally able to peel yourself away from tengen, which was not as easy done as said, but you somehow did it. you threw a sharp glare at tanjiro and mitsuri who were giggling at god knows what while you just battled death. you stomped over to them before crossing your arms over your chest.

“you traitors.” you spat out, making the both of them grow silent as they side eyed each other, trying to contain their laughter.

“sorry, y/n, but tengen is strong for us too. we wouldn’t be much of a help.” mitsuri said, which was a total lie that both you and her knew, but you were too tired to argue.

“ugh, whatever. ‘jiro, get inosuke and zenitsu to meet up with us in front of the gates. it’s almost sunset, so we should start moving.” you instructed the scar-faced boy, making him nod as he obliged.

you turned around, about to walk off, only to be spun back around before getting pulled into a bone crushing hug. you let out a heavy sigh, already knowing the words that would come towards you now.

“hey!! you jerk, don’t just walk off without telling me goodbye. tch, you better come back to me in one piece, alright? i have to braid your hair tonight, so you must come back. i know i tell you this before every mission, but i really love you, y/n. you’re my best friend, and i can’t lose you. so, don’t be stubborn. if you need help, then ask the others, okay idiot?” mitsuri softly spoke, her squeeze on you tightening with every word.

your heart melted as you returned her hug, a smile forming on your lips. no one in this entire universe would be able to describe the bond that you both had as it ran too deep to even measure.

“i love you too, mitsuri. how can i leave you when i still have to attend your and obanai’s wedding, hm? i’ll be back home tonight, in one piece, i promise.” you assured her, looking into her gentle green eyes that held so much adoration for you.

she was the love hashira after all.

“i know you will, y/n. you’re a strong little thing and i believe in you.” she gave you a warm smile before you both pulled away.

both you and tengen waved mitsuri goodbye before taking off. needless to say, tengen’s serious mode is quite enjoyable because he finally shuts up.

---

“yeah? well, maybe if you weren’t such a manwhore, then you’d probably have a wife right now.”

“are you jealous that i can pull bitches and that you can’t?”

“i could have a whole harem full of men if i wanted to.”

“but would they offer to be your husband?”

“...”

“then we’re equals!”

“i would never want to be your equal, that’s just me disrespecting myself.”

“excuse me?! i am the god of fe-”

tengen was rudely cutt-off midway his sentence as the ceiling broke down, his hands instinctively pulling you towards him as your back collided with his hard chest. there were multiple screams coming from everywhere as the commoners looked horrified.

“huh, i guess finding our little friend tonight wasn’t as hard as we thought.” you sneered, walking further in to find the source of all of this commotion.

your eyes widened as you saw tanjiro on the ground struggling to tame nezuko who was in her full demon form. however, tegen seemed more surprised than you because this was his first time witnessing it.

“damn, what a flashy way to demonize your sister.” tengen said in awe as the poor girl was out of her mind and clawing at the air.

“holy shit, then we’ve come pretty late. you look very beat up, ‘jiro.” you said with apologetic eyes, taking note of how tired he looked as he panted and was covered in some blood.

“yeah, the demon’s pretty strong. she- nezuko please! just go to sleep!” tanjiro begged, tears pooling in his eyes as you felt useless since you had no solution for him.

“take her outside in a safe place and try to think of something that would bring her mind back to something that is close to her. maybe like a song or tune that your mother used to sing. we got this from here.” you gave him a small smile, making him nod his head as he quickly grabbed a hold of nezuko before leaving.

“hey!! why aren’t you guys paying attention to me!” you heard a high-pitched voice yell, making both your and tengen’s head turn.

“god, your voice is so annoying, it nearly made my ears bleed.” you grimaced, taking a look at the female in front of you. it was the demon that tanjiro was talking about, but she looked so... weak?

“huh?! you dare to say that to me, you ugly looking shit!” she angrily remarked, making you giggle.

“of course, if i were you, i wouldn’t even need a demon slayer to kill me. i’d just kill myself if i had such a hideous voice like that.” you shrugged, making tengen let out a muffled chuckle as he tried to hide it behind his palms.

“you fools, you may be hashiras, but i’m one of the strongest demons out there. i’m one of the upper moons, ranked in number six. the name’s daki, so don’t forget it when you’re on your last breath by the end of this battle.” daki smirked, but both you and tengen exchanged an expression of amusement.

“what? there’s no way you’re an upper moon six. you’re so weak and unskilled, i could end you in two seconds.” tengen scoffed, making daki’s eyes widen at the insult as she gritted her teeth.

“the fuck did you just say to me, you meat sack?!” she snarked.

“what a pity. not only is your voice ugly and you’re weak, but you’re dumb too! jeez, that’s just foul. here, would you like to take my katana and just end your sad little life on your own before we do?” you pulled out your katana and offered it in a way to taunt her. daki’s eyes twitched at your words as she ran at you, only to have her head laying on her lap in just seconds.

“h-huh? did you just cut my head off?! it’s not fair, it’s not fair, it’s not fair!! you both are so mean to me and this is just bullying!” daki cried, making you confused as you looked at tengen who looked equally as lost as you were.

“is this some kind of a joke? there’s no way she’s throwing a tantrum right now.” tengen chuckled in disbelief.

“what a child.”

“i know, right? her parents must’ve been so fed up with her. she’s so not flashy at all.”

“ugh, and she has white hair like you, so she’s automatically ugly.”

“excuse me?! do not compare me to that thing. i’ll dye my hair to black then with mitsuri’s dye.”

“you both deserve to die for ganging up on me like this! big brother i need your help!” she suddely called out, and you gasped as you saw another demon emerge from her body.

“holy shit-” you were struck, not even being able to form proper sentences.

“oh? how interesting. the fun has just begun.” tengen smirked, his hands gripping the shaft of his katanas.

this was going to be a long battle.

---

“you stupid bitch! you have some nerve to insult my looks when you look like you were picked up from the trash. i’m a beauty icon!” daki cackled, watching you struggle to sit back up after forcefully thowing you across the building with her belt.

you groaned in ache as it felt like your bones were nearly shattered to pieces. you lost sight of tengen, assuming that he was probably handling the brother. you heard the clacks of her heels grow closer and you knew that if you didn’t get back up on your feet soon, things won’t be good.

so, you focused on your breathing to heal.

“beauty icon? don’t make me laugh. you look like the fat shit that i took earlier in the morning. actually, no. you don’t even deserve to be compared with my shit.” you frantically laughed at her, watching her ball her fists, grinding her teeth at your words.

“that’s it, i’ve had enough of you. it’s time to put an end to you right now.” she maliciously smirked, her belt coming towards you to wrap around your figure, only for her to lose sight of you.

“huh?” she looked around in confusion.

“too slow.” you scoffed, holding your katana tightly before beginning to slice her belts. being partnered up with tengen on missions and training allowed you to adopt some of his notable skills. one of them being to move very fast to the point where it almost seemed like you were teleporting. a blue flame began to wrap around her belts, burning them to crisps as daki bellowed in pain.

“you burned my belts!” fat tears began to roll down her cheeks as she fell on her knees, gasping and crying out in pain.

“i wish i could hold even an ounce of sympathy for you, but sadly i don’t.” you coldly said before harshly landing a clean slice on her neck, making her decapitated head fly far from her body.

a sigh of relief left your lips, but you let your guard down way too soon. forgetting how demons work, it slipped out of your mind that even though her head was cut off, her body was still functioning.

you both were still on the roof of a very tall building and you didn’t notice when daki’s body came behind you as you were now pushed off. your eyes widened in horror as you felt yourself lose balance, feet slipping of the edge as you didn’t have the opportunity to grab something.

you screwed your eyes tight, waiting for the impact of the cold soiled ground to come into a harsh contact with your already weak and aching body. however, that never happened as a strong pair of arms caught you, your eyes opening to see tengen look down at you with a playful smile.

“you just can’t do anything without my help, can you?” tengen narrowed his eyes.

“tch, i didn’t even ask for your help.” you rolled your eyes, yet you were still thankful for him saving your life.

“ugh, this is why you’re not very flamboyant, y/n.” he let out a dramatic sigh before completely dropping his hands to the side without warning, making you crash on the ground with a yelp.

“you absolute shithead!” you yelled at him, groaning in pain as you shot him a glare.

you glanced up to the roof to see that daki’s body was now laying hopelessly, and you know that you should probably go look for her head, but you were too tired and pained to even move.

“did you take care of the crybaby?” tengen asked, referring to daki.

“kinda.” you replied, a hint of embarrassment in your tone.

“kinda? what do you mean?” he furrowed his very thin white eyebrows.

“i managed to slice off her head but i let my guard down too soon. so, i don’t know where her head went and her body is pretty beat up but could still function.” you informed him, watching tengen’s face turn into one of disappointment.

“you’re not that careless to mess up like that, y/n. i’ve sliced her head off almost twenty times, so you know that’s not an effective method to kill her.” he nagged at you, making you feel slightly irritated.

“you think i don’t know that, genius? my body can barely stand and i’m losing so much blood that i feel like i can pass out any moment.” you tried to reason with him, only for him to scoff.

“if you can’t handle a little bit of blood loss and body ache then why are you a hashira? this shouldn’t be new to you, y/n.” tengen’s words felt like a jab at your pride with every word that he spoke.

“i made a mistake, okay?! i can’t do anything about it!” you spoke through gritted teeth.

“yeah? well, it was a very stupid mistake that only brainless people make!” he yelled back at you before giving you a glare. your jaw dropped, unable to even form words to defend yourself.

he was right, it was a very stupid mistake.

tengen almost immediately regretted his words, but it was too late to take it back now. he saw how you grew quiet, eyes planted on the ground as he watched you slowly slide back to lean against the wall. he wanted to say something, but would soon be interrupted by gyutaro, who has found him once again.

even keeping your eyes open at this point was draining. your head throbbed and your body felt completely numb. you had no clue where daki’s head went and you didn’t know where tanjiro was either.

you felt your eyelids growing heavier and before you knew it, you passed out.

---

“y/n! y/n! wake up, please! y/n!” you heard a voice desparately call out for you, your body being shaken back and forth. you slowly opened your eyes, vision still slightly a little blurry as you were able to make out some fuzzy burgundy and green bits on the figure.

“tanjiro?” your voice came out as a whisper.

“yes, it’s me, y/n. are you okay?” tanjiro softly asked, helped you sit up straight as you grimaced in pain.

“i’ve been better.” you tried to laugh it off, but it even hurt to laugh.

“mr. tengen and i managed to weaken the brother, but it’s not enough to kill him. we’re just buying some time to recover ourselves.” he said, gulping harshly and you could sense the fear in his voice.

“hey, we’re not gonna die, okay? help me stand up so that i could go over to that airhead over there.” you pointed a shaky finger at tengen who was panting in the distance while gyutaro’s body was at a farther distance.

tanjiro helped you up and held onto you as you walked over to where tengen stood. you could see how fatigued he was, the poison that was injected into his body earlier began to spread. he was so out of it, that he didn’t know that gyutaro was creeping behind him, claws out with the intent to chop a limb off.

both you and tanjiro began to yell his name, but tengen was too distracted to even hear you both. you quickly got out of tanjiro’s hold, sprinting towards the weak man with whatever energy that you had left in your body, throwing yourself onto him. you both came crashing to the ground, rolling off to the side and dodging the attack.

“y/n?” tengen called out your name in surprise.

“this is me paying off my debt to you for saving me earlier.” you quickly muttered, before standing up as you pulled out your katana.

“missed me?” you heard the familair high pitched voice coming from behind. your head turned around to see daki, full recovered before she took one of her belts and wrapped it around you.

gyutaro took this an an opportunity to get back to the unfinished business him and tengen had.

tanjiro quickly sliced through the belt to release you. as far as you know, inosuke has been taken down by daki as he was now trying to recover the severe wound he got. you don’t know where zenitsu went.

“tanjiro, go help tengen fight the brother. i don’t think he’ll be able to hang on by himself for long.” you quickly directed him, but tanjiro seemed conflicted.

“but, what about you, y/n?” tanjiro asked with concern washing over his face. you thinned your lips, only to have some hope in your eyes as you saw a sleeping zenitsu creeping up behind daki.

“zenitsu and i got it from here.” you gave him a small smirk.

---

it was finally over.

both daki and gyutaro were taken down. you laid on the ground, feeling like your heart was going to explode any moment from how irregular your breathing was. there was a huge blast, landing you at a distance and you had no idea where zenitsu was.

all you knew was that the demons were taken down. you saw tanjiro running off to somewhere, along the lines of saying how he won’t be at peace until he found both of their heads.

as bad as it sounded, you had no energy left inside you to care. you felt like a dead corpse. you’ve fought many upper ranked demons before, you even took some very powerful demons down on your own, but this by far was the one that nearly knocked you off.

it was because there was two to deal with, double the trouble.

you’ve been laying on the ground for god knows how long, probably fifteen minutes or so. you tried to control your breathing, trying to envision every single blood vessel within you to deal with the aches and wounds that you had.

from what you know so far, everyone was still alive to some extent that can be taken care of. other members of the corps were on their way, such as kakushis and obanai was said to be on his way as well.

although, the serpent pillar was taking his sweet lovely time.

after some time, you finally felt your body somehow become a little more alive. so, you tried to slowly stand up, knees still slightly a little wobbly but you regained your balance. you walked, well more like limped, around the area as your eyes scanned for tengen.

finding him didn’t take very long as you saw him resting on a pile of rubble. you scoffed, walking to him before crouching down as he glanced at you weakly.

“you look like shit.” you blurted out, making him chuckle at you usual sharp tongue.

“thanks, you look even shittier.” tengen replied, his words having a little lisp added to them but you didn’t pay too much mind to it.

there was a thick silence that was placed between you too, the only sound that could be heard was the heavy breathing that was coming from tengen.

“you alright?” you asked in a gentle voice.

“could’ve been better, although, i don’t think i can hang on much longer.” he gave you a sad smile, making your heart drop to your stomach.

“w-what do you mean?” you stammered, gulping down the lump that formed in your throat.

“the poison he injected inside me is way too strong for my body to fight against it.” tengen let out a pained groan, making you rush to his side as you examined his body. nearly all of the skin he had exposed right now was purple from the poison and worry took over your mind.

“stop talking like that, you idiot. you’re gonna be fine, you hear me? the kakushis are on their way and they’ll have an antidote to reverse this. you’ll be okay.” you said with soft eyes, grabbing a hold of his cold hands to provide some warmth to him. tengen hummed is slight amusement.

“oh? do i see the cold-hearted y/n being mushy for the great god of festivals?” he teased, and you couldn’t help but laugh at how unhinged he can be sometimes, even when he’s nearly on the brink of death.

“unfortunately, yes. you get on my nerves a lot and you’re a complete idiot, but i need you to stay alive and continue doing that. i need you to keep bothering me and making me wanna strangle you. so, you can’t die on me, okay?” you gave his hands a gentle squeeze, making him gaze at your face.

in tengen’s point of view, you looked so beautiful, even though you were covered in blood, scars and dust. he noticed the scar on your cheek, which you got from gyutaro when you saved tengen from losing his arm.

“does it hurt a lot?” tengen asked, a weak finger coming up to lightly graze the scar on your cheek.

“not so much.” you winced a little after feeling his touch.

“i’m sorry.” he suddenly apologized, making your breath hitch.

“it’s okay, it was just a defense inst-”

“no, not for that. i mean, i’m sorry for the scar too. but mainly for what i said earlier to you.” tengen’s voice was laced with guilt as you tried to think back to what he was talking about earlier.

oh.

you realized what he was referring to.

“it’s fine, don’t worry about it. in one way, you weren’t wrong about it.” you admitted as you shrugged your shoulders. tengen shook his head before opening his mouth to speak.

“no, i was in the wrong. i was so angry and frustrated at myself for not being able to take down either of them that i lashed out on you. i know it was a mistake, but i used it as something to attack you with. so, for that i’m sorry.” he sincerely apologized, and you knew that there was not even a speck of bullshit in his words.

“we’re okay, tengen.” you offered him a comforting smile before stroking his messy white locks which came undone from his ponytail.

tengen could feel the poison slowly making his heartbeat irregular, from erratic to dangerously slow, his vision was growing fuzzy and his tongue was getting stiff.

“i need to let my last words out, so hear me out, please.” tengen requested and your heart shattered to a million pieces.

“stop talking crazy! you’ll be fine.” you panicked, feeling useless and desparate as your eyes scanned for any source of help.

“you’re an amazing hashira, y/n. i mean, being able to climb into these ranks and this position in less than a week without any prior training is beyong impressive. i’ve always admired and respected you. you’re very flashy and flamboyant.” he gave you a wide smile, making your heartbeat increase as his words flustered you.

“i think he injected you with too much poison, ‘cause you’re out of your mind.” you giggled, trying to lighten the mood, which worked as the weak male in front of you laughed.

“there’s something else i’ve been wanting to tell you too, y/n.” he cleared his throat, making all your attention go to him.

“hm?” you hummed.

“i l-”

suddenly, his words came to a halt. his expression pained as he slouched back, his mouth closed.

“tengen? tengen! oh god, what the fuck is taking them so long to come?” you yelled in frustration and fear as you stood up and started to call for help in every corner, but it was futile.

you came back to where tengen sat, sitting on your knees as you gently cupped his face. you saw how his eyelids fought to keep open, tears welling in your eyes.

“don’t try to speak, just focus on your breathing, okay? y-you’ll be fine.” you stuttered towards the end, your voice breaking as you let your tears fall. tengen’s eyes softened upon seeing you cry, bringing a shaky hand to wipe your tears away as he shook his head, an attempt to tell you to not cry.

you heard rushed footsteps coming from behind you, turning around quickly to see the kakushis hurrying to your side. you moved over a little, allowing them to take a look at tengen.

“he’s been poisoned and it’s really bad. give him a strong antidote, please.” you begged, watching them nod at your words as one of them dug into the medical kit to pull out a small bottle before handing it to you.

you opened it before placing the bottle near his lips, as tengen obliged and drank the medicine.

“this is the strongest antidote that we have access to. it works almost immediately.” one of the kakushis informed you.

but nearly five minutes has passed and nothing has improved about tengen’s condition, it only seems to have gotten worse.

“it’s not working. do you think maybe a second dose would work then?” you asked, eyes pleading for any kind of solution that could reverse this mess and put your heart at ease.

“miss. y/n, there’s no other option. i don’t think-”

“no! no, you can’t say that!” you cried, looking over at tengen who tried his best to keep a small smile whenever you looked at him. you chewed on your lips, knowing that he was trying to mask away his pain to make you feel less shitty.

you couldn’t help but throw yourself on him, straddling his lap as you shoved your head in the crook of his neck. you started to sob, it sounded really loud and ugly, but you didn’t care.

you don’t want to lose him.

“you can’t die, tengen! this is not how you’re supposed to go, you little shit. being killed by poison is not a flashy nor flamboyant death that is fit for the great god of festivals. please, don’t leave me.” your tears began to wet his clothes and the flesh of his neck and shoulder.

tengen’s heart clenched in pain as he heard your broken cries and pleas. he wishes that he could speak and comfort you, even if his words would’ve been a bunch of lies. but, sadly he couldn’t do anything other than trying his best to embrace you as tightly as he could.

you were so busy crying and sobbing as you begged tengen to not die, followed by a bunch of empty threats darted to him, you didn’t realize when nezuko and tanjiro arrived.

nezuko gently placed her hand on tengen’s bicep and he felt the small touch, glancing down to see the smaller figure giving him hopeful eyes. then, both your and tengen’s body was place in a huge pink flame.

you were still unaware of all of this going down, not even bothering to pull away from tengen even for a second. although, you felt your body temperature slightly rising and it was almost as if your body aches were magically going away.

“jeez, i thought that demon was a crybaby, but surely you’ve taken over that title, princess.” you heard tengen speaking normally, feeling the vibration of his chest as he let out a chuckle.

you quickly pulled away from the hug to look at him, your face teary and eyes glossy with tears. you quickly scanned him and noticed that the trace of poision was gone as his flesh returned to its normal color.

and, his lips drew a shit eating grin.

“you idiot!” you scolded him before tightly wrapping your arms around him as you hugged him, trying to be as close to him as possible as your heart was slowly being put to ease.

“you’re alive and okay.” you said, which was slightly muffled. tengen hummed in response, arms tightly wrapped around your waist.

“can’t leave you now, can i?” he said, comfortingly stroking your back to calm you down.

“i’m glad that you two are okay. we both checked up on inosuke and zenitsu, too. they’re both doing good as well, the kakushis are treating them.” tanjiro assured with a smile, making tengen reciprocate.

you pulled away to look at nezuko who was sitting next to you and tengen. tanjiro came closer before ruffling her hair.

“nezuko’s blood demon art includes healing powers. although, you both shouldn’t move too much as it might make the wounds worse.” tanjiro advised, and both you and tengen nodded.

“thank you, tanjiro and nezuko. you both saved my life and no action of mine can ever repay you for what you guys have done.” tengen graciously thanked them, and both siblings offered him a smile.

“thanks, nezuko.” you gave her a big smile, holding your arms out so that the little girl could come into your embrace. you gave her a gentle squeeze before placing a kiss on her forehead.

“and thank you, ‘jiro. you’re always looking out for us.” you ruffled tanjiro’s hair, he looked more than just beat up, giving you a smile as his tired eyes tried its best to stay awake.

“now, let’s all return home in the most flashiest way possible!” tengen’s loud voice boomed, making everyone cheer.

---

you sighed in bliss, stepping out of the huge shower as you dried yourself. you hummed a small melody, feeling refreshed to wash away all that blood and gunk with a warm shower. you wrapped your hair in a towel and your body in a robe before exiting the bathroom.

you nearly let out a blood curdling scream when you saw someone laying on your bed. after realizing that the person in question is none other than your best friend, mitsuri, you calmed down your elevated heartbeat.

you forgot that she’s the only one who knew your password combination.

“holy shit, you nearly put me in a heart attack just now.” you placed a hand over your heart, closing the bathroom door behind you before shuffling over to the bed where mitsuri now sat up.

she wore a facial expression which made you grow worried. usually, she’s never this quiet and is all smiles and giggles. but, her lips are frowning and you could see her eyes swelling with tears.

“mitsuri? what’s wr-”

you were cut off by her jumping on you as you let out a yelp. she sobbed on your chest as she tried to say something to you, but all her words were incoherent and muffled.

you patted her back and stroked her hair to calm her down, feeling her arms tightening around your waist as if she was afraid that she was gonna lose you.

“i-i was so scared, y/n! when the order came for the assistance of another hashira because you and tengen were down, i lost it. i wanted to go and help you guys, but obanai refused to let me go. i thought i lost my best friend!” mitsuri cried, looking up at you as tears nonstop poured out of her eyes, landing on your neck.

“i’m sorry for worrying you, mitsuri. but, you know that i’m a woman of my words, right? i promised you that i would come back in one piece, and i did. i can’t leave my one and only best friend, now can i?” you gave her a warm smile, making her smile at you too.

“don’t ever leave me, okay? i love you too much to lose you.” she sniffled, and you nodded your head as a small chuckle left your lips.

“i love you too and i promise. now, let’s stop with all of this sad stuff and talk about something else. come on, help me dry my hair so that you can braid it.” you suggested, making her quickly sit up and smile brightly at you as she eagerly nodded at the idea.

so, here you both are now, munching on the red bean mochi that she made earlier while she braids your hair.

“so, i heard that you and tengen shared a pretty special moment together.” mitsuri suddenly said out of the blue, making you choke on the mochi that was trying to pass down your throat. you could feel her smirk behind your head.

“said who? no such thing happened.” you quickly dismissed her assumptions.

“nope, a little birdie told me that you hugged him and you both got all sappy with each other.”

“...”

“so, i’m correct, right?”

“tanjiro told you, didn’t he.”

“i never said any names. so, that means i was right!!”

“i never said that.”

“ughh, you’re so mean, y/n.” mitsuri whined, shaking you back and forth as you let out a heavy sigh.

“listen, even though he’s annoying, i was scared that he was gonna die. i just got a little too emotional, alright?” you explained, your cheeks tinted with an angry blush right now.

“oOooOo~ y/nie’s in loovveee with tengennnn~” she sang out, making you grumble as you were trying to shush her.

“i don’t know anymore, he makes me confused. sometimes he’s a little mean and annoying but then he’s so sweet and caring.” you admitted honestly, making mitsuri hum in response.

you’ve taken note of the small actions tengen would do to fluster your heart. him putting you before himself, moving you away from harm, his sometimes suggestive or flirty comments, and the numerous skinship you both unknowingly shared.

“do a little trial on him for these next few days that you both get off. see if he acts the same or a little different with you.” mitsuri peaked her head around to shoot you a wink.

“different?” you questioned, eyebrows pinched together in confusion.

“mhm, different. you’ll be able to realize, don’t worry. oh! and i finished doing your hair. you should go to sleep, you must be tired.” mitsuri hopped off your bed, leaving you a little dumbfounded.

“huh? but i thought we were gonna have a sleepover.” you said, causing her to laugh nervously.

“o-oh, well that, uhm i just realized that nezuko told me to sew up her kimono.” she replied, which was a total lie, but you decided to mess around with her a little more.

“really? why didn’t she just give it one of the kakushis?” you interrogated further, making mitsuri thin her lips.

“because the kimono is special to her and she trusts me the most with it. besides, you deserve some peace and quiet to rest. i’ll see you tomorrow in the morning.” mitsuri quickly waved to you before scurrying out.

you giggled at her strange behavior as mitsuri never hid anything from you before. but, you knew that sooner or later you’d find out.

you turned of the lamp light before snuggling into your bed as you pulled the covers over your body and fell into a deep slumber.

---

you were awoken by a cold breeze that entered you room, goraning as you rolled around you bed for a little. after stretching your body and doing that weird shaking/twitching thing, you sat up and turned on your lamp. a yawn left your lips as you rubbed the sleep away from your eyes, glancing at the clock rengoku gifted you on your last birthday.

it was almost five in the morning.

it was still pretty early but you knew that you weren’t going back to sleep any time soon. so, you decided to go to the hot spring for a soak since you knew that everyone was still asleep at this hour.

you went to the bathroom and brushed your teeth before washing your face. you then grabbed a fresh set of clothes and a towel before heading out. as you were walking outside, you noticed the familiar white scaled reptile freely roaming the place.

you cocked an eyebrow in confusion, knowing that the animal was almost never without his owner. you walked over to obanai’s pet snake, kaburamaru, before leaning down.

“morning, why are you out here all alone, ‘maru?” you asked, as if the snake could understand and respond to your words. nonetheless, kaburamaru simply stuck his tongue out.

“come on, let’s get you back to obanai.” you extended your arm, allowing the snake to slither onto you before wrapping itself on your neck.

luckily, obanai’s place was on the walk to the spring, so you didn’t have to make a double trip anywhere.

you finally reached his place, knocking on the door as you waited for a response. the door finally opened, revealing obanai in his robe.

“good morning, i just came to return your little friend here who was roaming nearby my place.” you gave him a smile, extending your arm out to let kaburamaru slither back onto his owner as obanai thanked you.

“who is that, honey?” you heard a familiar voice speak from inside his room. you looked at obanai with a questionable expression, but, he simply averted his eyes away from you as a blush crept up to his face.��

“mitsuri kanroji. come out here. now.” you strictly called out, hearing a faint gasp coming from her as you could here her shuffling around the bed. you saw her come into your view in just a robe as she harshly pushed obanai aside.

“y/n! what are you doing here?” she nervously laughed as an obvious blush embrace her, while she scratched the back of her nape.

“i just came to return kaburamaru. what are you doing here?” you asked, crossing your arms over your chest.

of course, you didn’t need her to answer.

the visible hickeys that were littered across her neck gave it away.

“i can’t believe you left me for obanai. is this how deep our friendship runs?” you pretended to sulk, making her quickly shake her head.

“no, no! it’s not like that, y/n, i swear!” she tried to reason.

“i was going to invite you to join me in the hot spring, but i assume you’re to busy.” you let out a dramatic sigh, making her face wash with guilt.

“i promise, i’ll join you later!” mitsuri grabbed your hands, giving you apologetic eyes. you chuckled at her futile attempts.

“i’m just playing around, mitsuri. have fun, i’ll see you later.” you winked at her before walking off.

the sun was still shying off, not fully risen as it was still a little dark outside. but, you didn’t mind it. you liked the dimmed lighting, the quiet atmosphere and how it was warm outside.

you finally reached the hot spring, untying your robe as you took it off before settling your clean clothes and robe on the bench that was provided by the corps for use.

you were now in your naked glory, being one with mother nature as the warmth of the earth embrace your skin. you dipped your toe in the water, testing the temperature, which was just perfect. you slowly began to emerge yourself in the water, moaning in bliss as the warm water hugged you with warmth.

you leaned against the edge, allowing yourself to close your eyes as a contented smile was plastered on your face.

“mind if i join you?” you heard a loud voice boom, recognizing it almost immediately. you opened your eyes to see tengen in nothing but a towel around his waist that was barely covering the lower half of his body.

he was bare faced, snowy locks untied and his jewelry was removed.

“knock yourself out.” you bluntly responded, averting your gaze as you realized that you spent way too much time checking him out. you looked the other direction to give him some respect of not looking at him completely nude.

the only people you’ve been in the hot spring with was you friends, mitsuri and rengoku. other than that, you rarely come here unless it was a tiresome mission or mitsuri needed some company.

you heard the splashing sound which indicated that tengen got inside the water, facing him as you both now sat across each other, an awkward distance if you were to be honest.

after about a few minutes that had past, you suddenly heard tengen chuckle.

“i feel like i’m about to have a serious conference with you. come closer, i’m not gonna bite you, ya know.” tengen gave you a sheepish grin, leaning back to become a little more comfortable.

you suppose that he was right.

you wrapped your arms around your chest as you got up, thankfully, the water covered your waist. you didn’t want to accidentally flash him.

you took a seat next to him, feeling a little shy.

“why are you so quiet?” you broke the silence, turning your head to the side to face him. tengen looked down at you with a cheeky smile.

“why? you miss my voice that much?” he asked in a flirtatious tone, making your cheeks heat up.

“no! it’s just unusual for you to be this silent.” you murmured, pushing yourself further down inside the water from embarrassment.

“i’m giving you a day off from our bickering today. but just today! so, don’t get your hopes high.” tengen said, making you roll your eyes.

“why thank you, lord tengen, how kind of you.” you said in a sarcastic voice. however, the foreigness of the honorifics used for him slipping out of your stubborn mouth made his eyes widen.

“you should use honorifics with me more often. you sounded so hot.” he remarked, looking at you with a smirk as he licked his lips.

“oh my god, shut up!” you splashed him with water, making him yelp.

“hey! not fair!” he scoffed before returning the treatment to you as you both were now too busy wetting each other by the brutal splash attacks.

which was you mostly getting drenched as his large hands caused huge splashes while your comparably smaller ones were not much help

“why are you acting like we both didn’t have a romeo and juliet moment yesterday, princess!” tengen teased, continuing his attacks as you struggled to keep up with him, too busy as you were dodging.

“don’t get any weird ideas, i was just an emotional wreck yesterday ‘cause i didn’t want to experience the whole rengoku incident.” you responded, using all your strength to form a huge wave with your hands before splashing him.

“is that so? and how do you view rengoku as?” tengen paused, cocking an eyebrow as he waited for your response.

“a brother of course!” you blurted with no hesitation as if it wasn’t obvious.

“then how do you see me as? a brother?” he scrunched up his nose in distaste as he fake gagged.

“what the fuck, hell no.”

“then?”

“i see you as a colossal dumbass.” you smirked, earning a gasp from him before the water attacks continued to be thrown at you. this would go on for another couple of minutes before you waved your hands in defeat.

“okay, okay! truce.” you held out your hand, waiting for him to shake it.

“fine.” he agreed, taking a hold of your hand; only to pull you against his chest as he smirked. your eyes widened, feeling the bare skinship between your tits and his well-scultped abdomen.

tengen leaned his face down before his hand cupped your cheek, grazing the healing scar that was created from yesterday’s battle.

“does it still hurt?” he softly asked, his voice sounding so hypnotizing and you couldn’t tell if your body was getting hot because of the water or the close proximity between you two.

“not a lot.” you meekly responded, making him hum.

“you were so good to me yesterday, saving me from that demon and scarring this pretty face of yours for me. yet, you look beautiful as ever.” tengen whispered sensually, making you release the breath that you didn’t realize you were holding in.

“really?” you asked, mind slowly fogging up.

“mhm, the prettiest. so fucking pretty that i could just eat you up, princess.” he began to leave soft kisses on your jawline, his lips feeling like soft pillows as you let out a whimper. your hand snaked up his nape, pulling him closer to you as he continued to kiss down your neck.

suddenly, you felt something wet on the flesh of your neck. his tongue began to lick and bite your skin, making you moan. tengen made a few kitten licks before harshly sucking on the spot, determined to leave his mark.

“tengen.” you called out his name, which came out as a whisper.

“hm? tell me what you want, and imma give it to you all.” his thumb stroked your cheek as he looked at you with lust clouded eyes. without thinking twice, you pulled his head towards your face, crashing your lips onto his.

the kiss was steamy and intense, the lewd noise of sucking and clash of teeth from how needy the both of you grew. you nibbled on his lower lip teasingly before licking it as an apology. tengen smirked into your little antics, grabbing a hold of your jaw before kissing you roughly.

you felt his tongue swiping against your lips before his free hand cheekily went down and groped your ass, making you gasp. he took this as a chance to slide his tongue in your mouth, exploring every cavern he could find. you sucked on his tongue, completely drinking and devouring each other.

you could taste the fresh mint he uses every morning.

tengen pulled you more into him, as you could feel his hard cock now resting on your thigh. your eyes widened at how long, heavy and thick it was. he noticed your reaction and couldn’t help but let a cocky grin dance on his lips.

“you feel that? it’s what you do to me.” he spoke on your lips before placing a sloppy wet kiss on them one last time. tengen pulled away, both of your lips connected by a string of saliva as you both panted for air. your lips were swollen and your face was burning red.

tengen bit his lips, seeing your tits on full display for him to enjoy. of course, your tits borderline flash him every day because those tight uniforms are too small to cover them up.

not that he’s complaining.

although, now it was completely exposed. your perky nipples swollen and begging for some of his attention to which he’d be more than happy to provide.

tengen took one of your tits in his mouth, his hand fondling with the other one as he pinched your nipple, before rolling it between his index finger and thumb. tengen was the king of fairness, using his mouth equally as he suckled on your nipples before lightly biting it. he swirled his tongue around the bud before releasing it from his mouth with a ‘pop’ sound.

your breath hitched as you entangled your fingers in his wet snowy locks, pushing him further into your chest. of course, tengen made sure to leave plenty of hickeys on your chest too, just for good measure.

“come on, princess. let me please you how you deserve to be pleased, yeah?” with that being said, he lifted you up as you wrapped your legs around his waist and wrapped your arms around his neck. tengen made sure to securely hold onto you as he stood up and exited the hot spring.

the area had two benches, one of them was occupied with both of your stuff. so, tengen used the empty one to sit you down. a sudden shyness took over you as you realized that you were completely nude in front of him.

you look down at your feet before he grabbed a hold of your chin, lifting your face up to meet his burgundy ones.

“come on, baby, let me see that pretty little pussy of yours.” tengen begged, kneeling as his palms were placed on your knees. there was a growing ache between your legs that you knew only tengen could cure.

so, you pushed away those stupid worries swarming in your mind and said fuck it.

you opened your legs, giving him a beautiful view of your wet cunt. tengen grinned in satisfaction, licking his lips as placed teasing kisses on your thighs, trailing up to your inner thigh.

“tengen, please.” you whimpered, looking down at him with pleading eyes. although he wanted to toy around with you, he has waited way too long for this, so he wanted both you and him to indulge in this.

tengen leaned forwards before licking a fat stripe on your folds. you let out a heavy breath as you felt the wet muscle part your folds open. he began to sloppily makeout with your pussy, sucking on your lips before lightly biting it. multiple swears and curses slipped out of your lips along with sinful moans as his tongue worked wonders.

tengen sucked on your clit before placing a kiss on it, making the most lewd sounds ever. you soon felt the intrusion of something entering your hole as tengen pushed in a thick finger. he began to tongue and finger fuck your dripping cunt, his chin wet with your arousal as he continued to circle the tip of his tongue on your clit.

he soon added a second finger, the sounds of your pussy squealching was like music to his ears. he experimented by moaning against your pussy, the vibration of his voice sending a shockwave through you.

“fuck! s-so close, tengen.” you moaned out as he continued to scissor his fingers inside you while his tongue continued to lick, suck and bite your clit and folds. your stomach began to form a tight knot, your chest feeling fuzzy as your eyes rolled back from the intense amount of pleasure that you felt.

“cum for me, princess.” he demanded, speaking against your sensitive pussy, nose bumping into your swollen clit while he continued to eat you out.

you gasped and let out the most pornographic moan that your throat could produce, cumming all over tengen’s face. he happily drank in all that you had to offer, using his tongue to clean you up as his gracious actions began to overstimulate you.

tengen gave your clit one last playful bite before giving it a kiss as he pulled away, looking at you as he wiped his wet chin. you were still trying to catch your breath from that powerful orgasm that he just put you through, looking at him with a flushed face.

“i’m not done with you yet.” he mumbled, picking you up as he began to walk to his place. you forgot that the hot spring was located pretty much in his backyard.

you both were now inside his bathroom, as he turned on the showerhead, the both of you now becoming wet once again. you felt his hard cock poking your thigh, wrapping your hand around it as you lazily pumped it while kissing him.

he gasped in the kiss, a low moan leaving his lips as your thumb circled his tip. you grinned, looking up at him with an innocent face.

“you know, i could put my mouth to other uses than just bickering with you.” you seductively said, licking and biting his peck playfully, making him groan.

“is that so? why don’t you show me, i’m a visual learner.” tengen replied, making you giggle as you got on your knees to come eye level to his cock.

this man was 6′6ft, it was expected that he’d have a huge cock. but, now that you’ve come face to face with it, you felt a little intimidated. tengen was massive, an erected shaft standing at no less than nine or ten inches, thick as the girth of it barely fit your hands, twin veins running on either side which throbbed under your fingers and his tip leaking precum.

you placed a teasing kiss on his tip before swirling your tongue around, knowing that it’s the most sensitive part. tengen’s breath hitched, as he stroked your hair lovingly while you toyed around with his cock. you licked up and down the sides of his cock, making sure to specifically go over the twin veins, feeling him shudder.

without warning, you took his cock inside your mouth, trying your best to fit most of it in. you gagged at first as you didn’t expect it to hit the back of your throat so soon, but you regained control. you bobbed your head back and forth, making sure to use a lot of spit to lubricate it and make it more slippery.

tengen felt like he was in heaven, just on earth, in his bathroom. your teeth lightly grazed his shaft, the new sensation sending him over the edge as you continued to throat fuck his cock. you sucked and licked the entire length before sucking on his tip like a lollipop.

you fondled with his balls, trying to stimulate more pleasure within him as you knew he was getting close with the way he was twitching in your mouth.

“f-fuck, you’re such a good girl, doing so good for me.” he breathed out, encouraging you to continue your actions as he began to thrust his hips into your mouth. you heard him let out a whimper before a guttural moan exited his lips, his warm cum flowing down your throat.

you made sure to clean his cock up, not wasting a single drop of cum that he poured inside of your mouth. you placed a gentle kiss on his tip, before standing up.

tengen pulled you into a heated kiss, tasting himself a little on your tongue as he looked at you with darkened eyes. his hands travelled in between your thighs, fingers slipping past your slit as he rubbed your pussy.

“need you so bad...please, tengen.” you whimpered, desparately grinding your wet cunt onto his hand as you continued to leave sloppy kisses on his jaw. tengen smirked, feeling himself get hard by your pleas.

“you poor thing. need me to make you feel good, princess?” he tauntingly asked, but you were too fucked out in pleasure to care about his tone. you nodded your head eagerly before he pinned you against the wall.

tengen grabbed a hold of his thick cock, using the tip to prod your slit open. you felt his tip graze against your clit, making you moan as you gave him pleading eyes. however, tengen intended to play around with you a little more.

he coated his cock in your juices, sliding the long shaft between your folds as it ocassionally bumped into your clit or poked your entrance. you were on the verge of tears because your hole was clenching on nothing.

“no more teasing, tengen. i need you inside me.” you said in between your pants, trying to convince him to give in to you by kissing him, sucking on his lips and biting his tongue.

perhaps if tengen was feeling generous today, then he would’ve given in. but, he needed this.

“tell me how bad you need it and maybe then i’ll consider if you’re worthy of my cock.” tengen evilly grinned, making your eyes widen at his request.

“you little shit!” you cursed at him, only to receive a harsh smack on your ass.

“disrespect me again and i’ll leave you in here all hot and bothered, i swear.” he threatened, making you harshly gulped as that was the last thing that you needed to happen.

“please, tengen. i want you to please me, i need you inside of me so bad. make me cum, please?” you tried your very best to sound as pleasing as you could to make him happy, to convince him that you deserved to be fucked by his cock.

“hm, have you forgotten that i am superior to you?” tengen scoffed, wrapping an arm around your waist to make sure that you don’t slip when he lifts one of your legs to wrap around his waist. he takes his free hand to slap his heavy cock on your clit, making you wince in pain.

“say it right or you won’t get it.” he spoke and with every word was a smack on your clit with his cock, to which you were sure made your clit swell with both pleasure and pain.

“please, lord tengen. make me cum, please.” you begged once more and this time he was satisfied with your answer, a proud grin plastered on his face as he leaned in to give you a longing kiss.

“see, that wasn’t so hard now, was it?” tengen playfully asked, but you were too distracted by the way the tip of his cock was splitting you in half. your face expressed a grimace as the stretch of his cock entering your tight hole burned a little.

“just breathe, baby. you’re taking me in so good.” he encouraged you, a finger toying with your clit to stimulate you with some pleasure as he slowly continued to push more inches of himself inside you.

“mhm.. it’s too much, tengen.” you mumbled against his lips, feeling incredibly full as he still hasn’t bottomed out inside you yet.

“you can take it, princess, i know you can. this pussy was made for me.” tengen groaned, pulling out of you completely before slamming his entire cock back inside of you, a loud moan escaping your mouth as you clawed his back in both a mix of pain and pleasure.

“f-fuck, so tight.” he stuttered, feeling your walls welcome his throbbing cock in a tight hug as he continued to thrust in and out of your went cunt. you were breathing heavy, the feeling of fullness from his cock threw you into a whole other dimension.

“feels so good.” you whimpered, biting down on his neck as he continued to piston his hips into you, balls smacking against your thigh. his twin veins grazed your slick walls so perfectly, the friction increasing your pleasure.

“been waiting for so long to fuck this sweet pussy of yours. god, if only you knew how many times you’d make me so hard and i had to jack off at the thought of you. and now? this pussy is mine.” he lowly chuckled, increasing his pace as his stamina was absolutely wild.

a ring of white cream began to form at the base of his cock as you were fucked out dumb from his huge cock. your eyes rolled back, vision growing blurry as your mind was filled with nothing but tengen.

“i’m gonna cum.” he moaned out, making you gasp as he twitched inside you while his tip kissed your cervix.

“i-inside.” you managed to stammer out, and he nodded. the familiar knot continued to tighten as your climax was near. you moaned like an absolute bitch in heat, purposely squeezing him with your walls, feeling him choke on a breath from how good you made him feel.

“gonna cum-” you whimpered as your body shook with pleasure, cumming all over his cock and a few seconds later, tengen painted your walls with thick ropes of cum. you shuddered at the warm feeling of your pussy being pumped full of his cum, as tengen still lazily thrusted inside of you.

you were completely delirious.

you cupped his face, pulling him in for a kiss, nothing too suggestive. it was a simple and loving kiss.

you pulled away, looking at him with a bashful smile.

“come on, let’s properly clean up now.” tengen chuckled, and you nodded your head. he pulled out of you, watching the sight of your pussy leaking his cum and he could feel his cock struggling to contain the urge to get hard again and plunge deep inside your cunt again.

“don’t waste it, pretty. i worked too hard to fill you up.” he scoffed, plunging two fingers into your cunt to shove his cum back inside you.

“tengen!” you smacked his bicep, your pussy still sensitive. you both broke out into a fit of giggles as you guys finally decided to cut it out. the rest of the shower consisted of you two bickering as usual about who made who feel more pleasured. you washed his hair and he washed yours, it felt very domestic.

after about another half an hour or so, you both finally got out of the bathroom. tengen went outside by the hot spring to grab both of your clothes from the bench.

he saw mitsuri heading to the hot spring, waving her good morning as the woman happily reciprocated.

“oh! why do you have y/n’s clothes in your hands? and speaking of y/n, where even is she? i told her that i’d be joining her in the hot spring later.” mitsuri pointed at your clothes as she asked in confusion.

“don’t worry, i took great care of her. she seemed a little tense, so i helped her relieve it.” tengen smirked, giving mitsuri a wink. she gasped as she saw the marks left on his flesh, a squeal leaving her lips.

“i knew it, i knew it! hehe, she’s never gonna hear the end of it from me!” mitsuri jumped in joy from her victory.

“hm, looks like you and obanai had some fun like us too.” tengen pointed out, noticing the bluish-purple marks left on her neck. she laughed in embarrassment, to which tengen didn’t pick on her any further, patting her head before taking his leave to let the woman enjoy her time.

tengen returned with your clothes as you both dressed more comfortably. it was only seven in the morning, still pretty early.

“i should head back to my room.” you said, standing up from the bed, only to have tengen frown.

“why? just stay here with me for a little longer.” tengen grabbed your hands, pulling you down on his lap as he protectively wrapped his arms around your waist.

“what if someone finds out?” you asked in worry.

“so? who cares? you’re mine now anyways. also, mitsuri know.” tengen dropped the bomb as he kissed your neck.

“what?! how??” your eyes were the size of two full moons.

“i met her by the hot spring just now, she was asking for you and i told her that you were with me.” he shrugged it off. you groaned as you shoved your face in the crook of his neck.

“fuck, i’m screwed.” you whined.

“why? you don’t wanna be with me?” his voice was tainted with disappointment, making you quickly pull back to cup his face.

“no! that’s not what i meant. it’s just, i’ve been in denial with my feeling for you for so long and mitsuri was right. so, she’s gonna eat me alive for the next few weeks.” you let out a heavy sigh, making him chuckle.

“oh? you know, you saying that now makes me wanna eat you again.” tengen grinned, and in a swift motion you were now on his bed with him hovering above you.

you giggled, locking him between your legs as you wrapped your arms around his neck before pulling him in.

“you’re so dirty, geez. i’m so tired and sore, so let’s just sleep.” you suggested, watching his eyes glimmer with love as he nodded. tengen laid on the side, pulling you close to his chest as he kissed the top of your head before looking down at you.

“tengen?” you called out to him.

“yes?” he responded, as you looked up at him.

“i love you. well, i love you a lot actually. i was so scared that i was going to lose you yesterday. so, don’t ever scare me like that, okay?” you hugged him tighter, making him laugh at your sudden confession.

“i love you too, princess. as long as my heart beats, i promise to protect you.” tengen leaned down to press a kiss over the scar on your cheek before finally planting a soft and loving kiss on your lips.

you both smiled at each other before snuggling into one another’s embrace as sleep slowly began to take over your heavy eyes.

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