#he started off REALLY bad but he's gotten a lot better now with practice + little chef's supervision

[heartslight]

i lean full into the abilities and keyblades the games give sora.

attraction flow moves? sora loves to use them whenever possible and his favorites are the pirate ship / splash run / mad tea cups. it takes a lot of his energy to cast mountain coaster, so sora only saves it for very special battles and occasions. if he does end up using mountain coaster, he'll need a few hours before he can cast another one.

his flowmotion? constant use. there is nothing sora loves more to quickly cross distances and jump crazy high with his flowmotion. it does start to wear him out when used too consistently, so sora tries not to lean on it too heavily.

his keyblades? sora stores his keychains in his room in the gummi ship, but he always has at least three on him (per the three equipable keyblades you could have in kh3) plus the ultimate keychain. his current three keyblades are kingdom key, shooting star, and wheel of fate. the ultima keyblade is a last resort, since using that keyblade and its formchange will put sora out of commission for the next few days.

his summons? sora summons his friends whenever he can. he tries not to play favorites but he summons meow wow more often than anyone else. summoning leaves him completely drained of magic but he really doesn't mind, since it's a chance to see old (and new!) friends again!

[lovelybucky1]

Oooohh i have a request!:

Playing “never have i ever” or something like that with logan and wade (maybe along the lines of a boring friday night with nothing else to do) and you admit to never having an orgasm by anyone but yourself

Flash forward you’re in logan’s arms and wade is eating the fuck out of your pussy, and then they switch 👀👀

i’ve written something similar two the second part here, but i love the never have i ever idea! // divider from @strangergraphics

boredom isn’t something heroes are used to. there’s always something happening somewhere, someone needing to be saved. but tonight, everything is quiet. the three of you were suspicious at first, but you checked every police scanner, news outlet, and all of your contacts and came up with nothing. the bad guys had decided to take an evening off, and now you were stuck with nothing to do.

you, wade, and logan all sit around in the living room with bottles of beer. you and wade stare at the mindless gameshow on tv while logan rests his eyes. you’re definitely bored, but wade is restless. it’s like he’s itching for something to do, like his body is physically unable to handle the inactivity.

“why don’t we play a game?” wade asks, startling logan awake.

the two of you look over at wade. “what kind of game?” you ask.

“i don’t know, ‘never have i ever?’”

logan rolls his eyes, then shuts them again. he’ll deny any “old man” comments, but he really is one. you elbow logan in the side and he opens them again.

“come on, it’ll be fun,” wade pleads.

“it’s not like we have anything better to do,” you say to logan. reluctantly, he agrees.

you reposition yourselves in the living room. you sit on the couch, leaned against the arm with your feet in logan’s lap, who sits on the other end. wade sits on the floor by the coffee table, his beer on the table without a coaster next to him.

“this is your game, wilson. you start,” logan says before taking a sip of his beer.

“no, don’t drink! you only drink if you’ve done the thing i say,” wade scoffs. how can logan be so old and still know nothing about fun? “okay, okay. never have i ever… gotten arrested.”

you furrow your eyebrows at him while logan takes a drink. you’re almost certainly wade has been arrested before. “i don’t think you’re playing this game right,” you say. “you have to say things you’ve never done.”

wade scoffs. “i haven’t been arrested, thank you very much. all the cops who’ve tried have mysteriously ended up with broken noses.”

you roll your eyes at him. “my turn now? never have i ever… cheated on a partner.”

both of them take drinks, wade with more shame than logan. ugh, men.

then it’s logan’s turn. “never have i ever worn a dress.”

you figure it’s targeted at you, just because logan’s a dick, but to your surprise, wade drinks too. logan raises his eyebrow at him, silently urging him to elaborate.

“you wish you saw that, huh, peanut?” he taunts instead. logan makes a face at that.

“i’m thankin’ god i didn’t have to.”

you play a couple more rounds, all three of you exchanging stories and sipping from your bottles. it takes a lot to get them drunk, but you’re starting to feel it. there’s a collection of empty bottles, mostly beer, but halfway through the game, wade decided to up the ante with some liquor.

it’s wade’s turn again and he says, “never have i ever been with two guys at once.”

he means it as a joke. he doesn’t expect anyone to drink. there’s no way logan would do something like that, and you’re too innocent. that’s why his eyes practically pop out of his head when you throw back the shot.

the game turned sexual a few rounds ago, but it was pretty mild stuff. talk about doing stuff in public, kinks, freaky shit like that. nothing as interesting as this.

both wade and logan turn their full attention to you, eager to hear this story.

“what?” you play dumb.

“two guys at once?” wade asks. you shrug.

“it wasn’t anything.”

“nah,” logan says, sounding interested for the first time all game. “you gotta tell us.”

you sigh. “it was a while ago. i met this couple at a bar and they said they were looking for a third. i had nothing better to do and they were both hot, so…” you trail off, shrugging again.

“give us the gory details. how’d you do it? daisy chain?eiffel tower? double cowgirl? triple spooning? come on, tell us,” wade rambles.

“you’re a fucking perv,” you tell him and he doesn’t deny it. “it was just normal dp.”

logan raises an eyebow. “that stands for double penetration,” wade tells him.

“i know that. i’m just wondering how you took it all,” logan says.

you’re used to this kind of talk from wade. the man thinks with his dick so much that you question if he even has a brain. you’re not, however, used to this from logan. he’s no prude, but he usually doesn’t participate in these kinds of conversations with wade.

“must’ve been a tight fit,” logan adds on.

you look between the men and their interested faces. you’re still pretty bored, the game having grown stale a while ago, and now you’re a tipsy. you want something exciting and right now, you’re feeling bold enough to persue it.

“do you wanna see?” you ask them.

wade and logan share a glance, but it only takes a second before they’re replying “yes” in unison.

[swarvey]

how they react to you getting hurt | sdv x g/n reader (part one)

part two

a/n: nothing like a little bit of angst. (but a lot of fluff, of course.)

—

elliott

nearly faints when you come home all bandaged up

he's always been confident in your strength, and you've never really gotten that banged up before

so when he sees your arm in a sling, he practically has a heart attack

definitely plays the "who did this to you" card because he's so dramatic

you pray that your husband is asleep as you open your door as quietly as humanly possible, tiptoeing inside your home. it doesn't help that your dominant hand is in a sling, but somehow, you manage to make it to the bedroom without waking elliott up.

just as you think you'll make it into bed successfully, he shifts, eyes fluttering open.

"y/n? did you just get back?"

he reaches over to turn on the lamp.

"wait—!"

"what in the world."

you let out a sigh of defeat as elliott's eyes turn into saucers, his mouth agape as he looks at your injury. as much as you adore your partner and everything he stands for, you know how dramatic he tends to be, especially when it comes to you.

"elliott, please, i promise it's nothing," you try, but he slowly gets out of bed and makes his way across the room to you. "seriously, i'm fine!"

"darling," he starts, his voice scarily quiet as he lightly grabs your shoulders, "who did this to you?"

"what?" you want to laugh, but you also want to see how far he's willing to take this. "what are you talking about?"

finally, emotion fills his eyes as he begins to scan your body for other wounds, acting as if you just came back from fighting a war.

"was it a monster in the mines? were you snuck up on? or worse," he gasps, "was it a person? was my darling attacked by our own kind? tell me, dear, say the word and i'll track them down to the ends of this earth!"

you can hardly take him seriously in his plaid pajamas, but you also feel so lucky to have someone care about you to this extent. emotional tears are even welling in elliott's eyes as he gently pulls you to his chest, holding you as close as he possibly can.

"i don't know what i would do if you were wounded severely, love," he says, kissing the top of your head. he pulls back to look at you deeply in the eyes, suddenly serious. "now, tell me. who, or what, did this?"

"a fishing rod."

". . . what?"

"i strained my shoulder pretty bad while fishing, so harvey said i should wear this sling for a week until it gets a bit better."

"ah, i see." elliott nods, avoiding your gaze as you laugh. "well, that doesn't mean my darling shouldn't be spoiled!"

you let out a cry of amusement as he sweeps you off your feet, laying you gently down in bed and placing the blanket over you snugly. he turns the lamp off before joining you, laying on his side so he can pull you to his chest.

"that was a bit dramatic, wasn't it?" he whispers.

"not at all."

harvey

worried out of his mind

you’re the last person he ever wants to see in his clinic

will absolutely overplay your injury unless you stop him

(though it is nice to be doted on)

"hey, harvey."

you watch as harvey's head shoots up in surprise, knowing that he isn't expecting you this early. typically you would do some work throughout the day before stopping by around lunch to see him, but the clock had just about hit noon. you had decided to take an early trip to the mines as your lovely husband promised to take over your farm chores for the morning — though, thinking back on it, maybe you should have just slept in.

"are you back from the mines already, dear?" he asks, turning to look at you. "that was quick—" he stops in his tracks.

you look at him sheepishly, wincing as you tighten your grip around the cloth wrapped around your injured arm. a hint of blood seeps through it, and you can practically see harvey pale.

"listen," you start, "before you freak out, it's not that—"

"sit, i need to take a look at it right now," he orders, urgency filling his voice. you sigh as he grabs your hand and leads you to the examination table. "how did this even happen? you're usually more careful than this," he scolds, slowly beginning to unwrap the cloth as you do your best to explain.

"i took the elevator pretty far down the mines this morning," you explain, biting your lip in pain as the makeshift bandage fully comes undone. "there were a few monsters i had trouble dealing with. i guess this is what happens when i skip out on my morning coffee."

harvey frowns, shaking his head. "now is not the time for jokes." he shakes his head, gently taking your arm in his hands and looking at your wound. "what if it had been worse? what if you couldn't make it back up, and got trapped? or, worse, what if you got an infection?" he pauses, and you can see all the scenarios running through his head. "then we'd have to transport you to the city's hospital, i'm nowhere near equipped enough to handle that. should i be ordering more supplies?" his eyes widen, his hand hovering over his lips as he continues to ramble on about different ways your story could have ended. he doesn't even notice the exasperated look you're giving him.

"and then i'd have to take over the farm, at least for a while—"

"harvey," you laugh, grabbing his shoulders. he snaps out of his daze, his eyes meeting yours once again. your heart melts at the worry that glazes them. "what matters is i'm here, right? so why don't you properly bandage me up and i'll stay here for a bit, just in case."

he clears his throat, a dust of red printing his cheeks as he nods. he turns to grab some disinfectant and a roll of bandages.

"right. good idea, honey. but, as your doctor," he adds, and you groan at his words, "i say you need to avoid the mines for the next week in order to heal properly, and no extensive farm work, either."

"seriously?" you grimace as he applies the disinfectant before thoroughly wrapping your wound. "who's going to take care of the crops and the animals, then?"

your heart skips a beat when harvey places a soft kiss on top of your bandages before hugging you to his chest. he rests his chin on the top of your head, and you can hear the smile in his voice when he speaks.

"your loving husband, of course."

shane

immediately begins to panic internally when he hears you're at harvey's clinic from emily

sounds angry, but his eyes deceive him — you know he's just worried

tries to act all tough, but he can't help being a bit more protective over you than usual

"what the hell were you thinking?" he questions sharply, barging into the clinic with no greeting. you stifle a laugh at his appearance — from the looks of it, he had just woken up from a nap, his hair touseled and jacket half thrown on. "why didn't you come get me?"

"i told emily to let you know, since i was a little busy trying not to pass out," you joke, but you quickly realize your mistake when he all but shoves harvey out of the way to give you a look over. "shane, i was kidding—"

"how hurt are they?" he demands, his attention turning to harvey. "do they need time to recover? should i do anything?"

the doctor raises an amused brow before replying, "don't worry, the cut on their leg didn't even need stitches. the wounds should be completely healed within a few days. y/n," he turns to you, a kind smile on his face as he takes off his stethoscope, "take it a bit easy for now, alright? at least until your leg is completely better."

"thanks, doc." as you move to stand, you're shocked as shane wraps an arm around you, helping you get on your feet. "what are you . . . ?"

he doesn't meet your eyes. instead, he guides you to the door, a frown imprinted on his face. you hear maru hold back a gasp at the scenario in front of her. harvey nudges her to stay quiet, though it's clear the two are more than amused at the situation at hand.

"didn't you hear him? you need to take it easy," he snaps, and you can see him starting to blush.

"shane," you start, the two of you making your way through the plaza, "you hate PDA." yet, his arm is still wrapped tightly around you as he guides you towards the farm.

"shut up," he grumbles, pulling you closer to his side. "it doesn't count if it's doctor's orders."

you laugh, leaning into his side. you like the change of pace, it's refreshing — not that he'll ever admit this ever happened.

"well, maybe i should get hurt more often, then."

"don't even think about it."

-

lmk if you guys want more !

[fartcloudfartcloud]

What about Logan meeting a reader with more dominance than him? Like what would he do, what would he want to do to them?

*giggles and wrings hands together* You've found my achilles heel mr.69

i dont know if this is what you wanted but im using this as my excuse to write FREAKY SUBMISSIVE LOGAN PORN!!!

warnings: Edging, Logan being mean and then begging on his knees a second later, i do say reader is "5 foot whatever" but if that doesnt apply just ignore it lmao, I do describe him as almost crying every now and then so if that turns u off this might be a skip

This is short (1.5k) but I love submissive men so do NOT be afraid to lmk if you want more :)

Personally, I was raised by a woman way too strong headed to ever be the stereotype of submission, and I'm sure a lot of you share the same sentiment in some way or another. I was always told to never let a man tell me what to do, and I can picture a reader being the exact same way. 

Not mean, not bullheaded or rude, but strong. Tough. Logan had expected to blow through you like he had the rest of his team (or at least how he thought he did, though he was a lot tougher in his head than in action). But when he stood up to you, all 5 foot whatever of you, it felt like you were standing eye to eye.  

You did exactly as you were taught, chin up and shoulders back as you spoke with confidence, and it easily had you slipping into positions of power in the mansion with ease. He admired you from afar for a while, watched as you seamlessly commanded a room, effortlessly organizing missions and handling insubordinate children like it was nothing.  

Logan couldn't describe where the attraction came from. Originally, he thought it was his manly man urges to take a dominant woman and make her pine for him, but you and I both know that's not why you got him going. 

If you were to ask him right now in his current scenario, he wouldn't be able to tell you which was his favorite part. Not sure if it's you under him in between his knees, looking up and fluttering your pretty eyelashes at him like has something to behold; or if it's your firm grip around his cock, effortlessly bringing him so close to the edge before you manhandle him back down to earth. 

It had only been once so far, but you had gotten him bad. Your hands all sloppy and wet working up and down his length with vigor, your filthy loudmouth a never-ending record of come on baby, let me see it, let go for me. 

All that build up, just for you to -right as he whimpers out a breathless "going to fucking cum"- halt all action and grip your flingers tightly around his base. 

It ripped a deep growl from his chest, the feeling almost painful as his finish line is so rudely ripped from him.  

He should've known, he knows you too well too have assumed he could get you all pretty on your knees without some anterior motive.  

"You want something?" You ask him innocently, that stupid pretty smile still spread across your face. He grinds his teeth as the pressure in his stomach slowly simmers down, not enough air in his lungs to formulate a response.  

You slowly start stroking him again, an agonizing pace that has his cock flushed a deep red and practically throbbing in your hand. The sound is pornographic and it's all too much for him. 

He's whining now, head thrown back and noises getting increasingly high pitched as you keep his release just barely out of his reach. If he could focus enough to use his ears, he’d hear you laughing at him. 

He so rudely tries to interrupt you, tries to bring his own hands down to just get himself there, but you wouldn't allow it. You'd make him sit on his hands if you had to, and when you grabbed each wrist and planted them next to his thighs and told him to "stay," he knew better than to disobey. 

"Gotta ask for the things you want, Wolvie." You remind him. It's just basic manners, really, frankly he should be thanking you for still touching him after being so rude.  

"Don't gotta ask for shit," He spits out through clenched teeth. 

See, that was Logans problem. He had too much fucking pride, needed someone to teach him a lesson. Guess today he needs it to be you. 

"Mm you're right, Logan," you've got a smile on your face as you speak that Logan can't read. Either way, he's scared. 

None of it matters though as your hand picks up speed and pressure, resuming your prior ministrations as your fingers suddenly massage every spot with precision. His breath is gone as his head hangs limp on his shoulders, his fingers gripping the comforter like it would save him from your attack.  

"You don't gotta do shit," You're talking but he's not listening. It's all too good, he's being hurdled towards his orgasm faster than ever, he couldn't hear your jests even if he wanted to over the pressure in his ears. He’s gonna cum, he's so fucking close, and your hands feel so fucking good so perfect and it's all so much and- 

"But neither do I," and just like that you're off him. Not like before, this time you stand up and physically take a step back from him, watching his form head to toe as he's forced to cope with his second lost orgasm. 

The groan he lets out is primal, you expect to see him start ripping the pillows and sheets with how his writhing on your bed. He’s on his back twitching, practically crying from the ache pulsing through the center of his body. It hurts, he's so desperate it physically hurts, his hips rutting into the air in search of anything. 

He has no sense anymore, no control over any of his limbs as he falls to the floor and crawls to you, the only thing he can make out in his fogged-up mind is need.  

"Please baby," He begs mindlessly, "You're so fucking mean to me," He's kissing your thighs and pulling at your hands, buttering you up and wallowing in any contact you'll give him.  

Neither of you know how it happened, know at what point in the night he broke and became a whimpering messy puppy, but God did it feel good to watch, to see him yearn for you so desperately. 

His eyes are teary eyed and hazy as he speaks, "I'll do anything princess I'm sorry," He kisses you palm and knuckles and up your wrists, "Please baby I'm sorry I'm sorry just fucking-" His hips involuntarily grind down, his thighs twitching and his hard cock bobbing between his legs. "Please touch me baby I can't fucking take it,"  

He’s a mess, his cock is leaking all over his thighs and the floor, and his lips won't leave your body, lathing kisses anywhere he can, worshipping your body as you stand still and look down at him.  

"Why can't you just behave the first time?" You ask, wrapping your fingers in his hair and gently tugging his hair back, making him look at you as he speaks.  

"Was just playin baby," He kisses the wrist of the hand in his hair, "shouldn't have teased you baby I'm sorry, please baby please," his arms are wrapped around your thighs as he nuzzles into you. It's pathetic, and if anyone else ever saw him like this he's sure he could just explode on the spot.  

"Get back on the bed." You order, taking pleasure in the way he scrambles back to his spot, his legs spread for you and his hands pressed back into their spot next to his hips. He’s disheveled, his hair falling over his face and sticking to his forehead, a thin layer of sweat covering him head to toe. Youd keep him like this forever if you could. 

You decide to take mercy on him though, the sight of him on his knees begging like a dog more than enough to satisfy your cravings. Now, all you wanted was to do was so how pretty he looked once he actually finished for you. 

You find your spot between his legs again, looking up at him all pretty just like before. God you were going to ruin him. 

"Go on. Tell me what you want," you give him one last instruction before giving in. His breath is shaky, his words coming out in a whole different tone than before. He sounds small, on the brink of tears as he whimpers out one last desperate, "please," before you spit in your hand and wrap it back around his cock.  

Instantly he's gone. He doesn't even have the energy to moan or cry, he's just paralyzed. His eyes roll back and his hand clamps over his mouth, no air left in his lungs as the most mind-numbing wave of pleasure works up from his core. He wasn't even cumming yet and it already was making him shake. 

He should've just trusted you, should've known that you'd make him feel so fucking good if he just listened. Never again, he'll never say no to you ever again. 

By the time his orgasm actually hit him, he's laid out flat on his back on the mattress, his mouth dropped open, and his eyes squeezed shut. Both his hands are wrapped in the sheets, stuck in place by his claws that slowly inch out with every rope of cum that comes from him. There's no sound until it's all out of him, your hands not stopping till he's whining and pushing you away from him. 

You watch as he recovers, his chest rapidly rising and falling as he desperately tries to get air back into his lungs, aftershocks still tumbling through him. His eyes flutter back open, not enough energy to focus on anything else though as his claws start sheathing back into his knuckles.  

He sits up as you return from the bathroom with a washcloth, gently cleaning off his stomach and anything that was coated in a thin layer of his finish. He’s sensitive, hissing and gasping as you gently clean his slowly softening length and thighs.  

Once all evidence is taken care of, you look up at him with soft eyes. He looks so amazing like this, his eyes can't focus on anything while his lips slowly pull into a big dopey grin. You let him take you in for a moment, just staying like this with him till he has the strength to speak.  

"Jesus Christ," Is all he says before he presses a chaste kiss to your lips before falling back onto the bed.  

"Are you going to make it?" You tease, cuddling up under his arm where he lay and resting your head on his bicep.  

"I don't think so," He giggles, enough oxygen in his system now, enough strength in him to wrap himself around you and kiss your head. "You were a lot closer to killing me then you think,"  

You giggle and smack his chest, "keep being mean like that and next time I actually will," 

[supernovafics]

series masterlist | last part — next part

pairing: modern!college!steve harrington x fem!reader, bestfriend!eddie munson x fem!reader

word count: 4.2k words

warnings: explicit language, lots and lots of fluff<333

summary: waking up next to steve the morning after everything’s changed

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN | ❝𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆❞

Fall Semester 2015

He was your first real friend here. That felt pretty certain after just the first time you two hung out in his dorm room because your roommate was having sex in yours, and your other option would’ve been camping out in the library. 

Maybe it hadn’t been the best idea to accept Eddie’s offer. You two were still pretty much strangers at that point and had only had one brief conversation in a broken-down elevator. However, somehow, it didn’t feel like a bad decision. 

Over the last month of being in college, there had been no one else that you’d been able to hit it off so easily with. In ways, it reminded you of how friendships formed in elementary school— bonding over the most random of things and then promptly becoming the best friends for a week or two. This friendship with Eddie already felt like it would last longer than just a few weeks, though. 

“What about California?”

You shook your head. “Ended up being too expensive.”

You two were settled on his floor and talking about what brought you both here, and you’d been surprisingly honest and admitted that you had really wanted to get out of your quiet hometown and had done everything you could to make that happen; applying to colleges in a bunch of different states, and then ending up here because it made the most sense in the end. 

“What about you?” You asked, turning the question over to him. 

“I wasn’t the best in high school, but I somehow got accepted here,” He told you and you nodded. “At first, I kinda didn’t wanna go, but my uncle was really adamant about it, so I did it. And it hasn’t been too bad so far.”

“Aside from the elevators that break down way too easily,” You joked, giving him a small smile.

He laughed a little. “Yeah, aside from that. But apparently, they're the best way to make friends.” 

You nodded, laughing too. “Unconventional, but effective.”

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

Spring Semester 2018

It was a tangle of limbs and zero space— your head on Steve’s chest and an arm draped around his torso and his wrapped around you, keeping you close. The position itself was surprisingly comfortable but you were starting to feel way too warm. 

You weren’t even entirely sure what time it was or when you and Steve had finally fallen asleep after talking and doing a bit more than talking throughout most of the night, but you could see that the sun was out and it didn’t feel as if you’d gotten more than four hours of sleep.

Instead of shifting out of the position, you simply pushed the blanket down off of you with your hand and leg that wasn’t entirely entangled with Steve’s because you refused to completely detach from him. The cool air hitting your bare legs immediately made you feel a thousand times better and you softly sighed in contentment. 

“You okay?” You heard Steve sleepily mumble. 

“Yeah, I was just a little warm,” You whispered back, eyes still shut as you attempted to lull yourself back to sleep. 

“Sorry, are we too close?” He asked and started to pull away, but you quickly stopped him by pushing yourself further into your side. 

“No, no, it’s okay. I like this.”

“Okay,” He said and you could practically hear the smile in his voice as he pressed a kiss to the top of your head. 

That made you open your eyes and tilt your head upward to look at him. The sleepy smile on his face made you want to kiss him, and realizing that you could do that whenever you wanted to now warmed something inside you.

As if feeling your gaze, Steve’s eyes opened and he looked down at you. “You’re staring.”

You pushed up further so that you could press a kiss against his cheek. “You’re really cute.” 

“And you say I’m the flirty one,” He said as his arms tightened around you and pulled you impossibly closer to him.

You shook your head, the smallest smile on your face. “I wasn’t trying to flirt, just stating a fact and giving you a very sweet compliment.” 

“Okay, in that case, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” 

Steve shifted a bit, keeping you close but maneuvering so that he was on his side and facing you. You followed suit, moving a little and letting the side of your head fall against your pillow as you kept looking at him. He leaned in a little, nose softly brushing yours before closing all of the distance and pressing his lips against yours. One of his hands slipped beneath your t-shirt and gave your waist a squeeze, which made you hum softly into his mouth. You pulled back from the kiss after the briefest moment. 

“Wait, I need to ask you something,” You said, eyes meeting his. “Do you like Monopoly?” 

He let out a laugh. “That’s such a random question, but yeah. I can’t remember the last time I played it, though.” 

“We finally played it again for game night and I kinda wished you were there,” You told him as you reached out to push a hand through his messy hair. “I had a feeling you would’ve gotten just as competitive as Robin.” 

“I do get very competitive at Monopoly,” He nodded and then turned his head a bit so that he could press a quick kiss against your wrist. “I don’t know if we’d be able to survive it.” 

You shook your head as you smiled. “No, we would be fine because you’d be competitive with everyone else, but super nice to me.” 

“Okay, yeah, that’s true,” He smiled back at you. “I’d never make you pay if you landed on any of my properties.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re really cute too, by the way.” 

You smiled wider. “You are the flirty one.” 

“Yes, and I’ll happily admit it,” He said before kissing you again.

It was the sound of your phone loudly ringing, indicating your alarm, that interrupted you two that time around and startled you so much that it made your head harshly bump against his. 

“Ouch, sorry.” 

“What’s that alarm for?” Steve asked, rubbing his forehead. 

“For you. And I completely forgot about it,” You answered as you turned and reached over to grab your phone and stop the incessant ringing. “I set it last night after you mentioned the final project that you needed to spend all day today working on.” You also quickly turned off the alarm that was set for fifteen minutes from now. “But, and hear me out on this one— don’t leave.” You turned back over and faced him again, taking note of the amused look on his face. “I’m kidding, for the most part, I know you have to go. But, I do have a fresh toothbrush you can use, and I still have your t-shirt if you wanna change into something else. Wait, actually, no you can’t use that shirt. I refuse to give it back to you now.” 

“Honestly, I never expected it back.” 

“Good,” You said before letting out a soft contented sigh and burying your face in his neck.

Things got quiet then and you half-expected him to say that yes, he did have to leave, but he didn’t. Instead, neither of you moved for a bit. 

You could feel yourself slowly falling asleep, but you didn’t want it to happen, and although you wanted Steve to stay and be both your pillow and your blanket at that moment, you knew what you actually needed to do right then. 

You pulled back from his neck to look at him. “Okay, I’ll stop holding you hostage now.” 

“You can keep doing it if you want,” He said, sounding equally as tired as you and you decided not to protest his words.

“Okay,” You said softly with a quick nod before shifting around so that you were pressed back against him and then pulled his arm around you. 

You felt his mouth against the top of your ear. “I wanna take you out tonight.”

You hummed in response. “Out?”

“On a date that both of us know is a date.” 

“Okay,” You nodded. “Do I get to know where?”

“No, I want it to be a surprise.”

“Of course you do,” You said playfully. “Lucky for you I’m completely free tonight.” 

You weren’t sure how long you’d fallen asleep that time, it could’ve been ten minutes or an hour, but the feeling of Steve pulling away from you stirred you awake. 

“Go back to sleep,” He said when your eyes opened and you turned over to look at him. “I’ll see you later.” 

You shook your head as you stood up from your bed and rubbed your eyes. “No, I’ll walk you out. Just to the door, though. I don’t think I can make it downstairs.”

“Okay,” He said, smiling at your tiredness. 

It slightly startled you to see everyone in the living room; Robin and Vickie on the couch and Talia on the small loveseat. 

“Hi… You guys remember Steve,” You said much more awkwardly than intended. The entire moment suddenly felt like a walk of shame; even though you and Steve hadn’t had sex and you were already home. But it was just that, aside from Talia, the last thing your other two friends knew about you and Steve was that you hadn’t talked in a month, so it must’ve seemed insane seeing him walk out of your room right then. 

Vickie nodded at your previous words and smiled. “Talia filled us in on everything.” 

“Steven, you’ve been missed around here,” Robin said, a smile on her face at first, and then she gave him a serious look. “We’ll have another talk later.” 

He laughed a little. “Can’t wait for that.” 

You finished walking Steve to the door, and Robin, Vickie, and Talia went back to watching the sitcom playing on the TV, but you had a feeling that they were very much listening to you and him.  

Steve stepped out into the quiet hallway and then turned around to face you. “I’ll text you later about our date.”

“Okay,” You said softly, trying to think of some sort of joke to say but it was hard to do when all you really wanted to do right then was kiss him. So, you did, quickly pushing up on your toes and pressing the quickest kiss against his lips. 

“Maybe I should stay, actually,” He said when you pulled back and his hands reached out to settle on your hips. 

You almost agreed, but you shook your head instead. “No, go. You’re not gonna fail any classes because of me.” 

“Okay,” He said before leaning down and giving you a final kiss on your cheek. “Bye.”

“Bye,” You said and then proceeded to smile and lean against the doorframe as you watched him walk away. 

“Oh my god, she’s so in love.” 

“Shut up,” You said in response to Robin’s teasing words as you pushed the door shut once Steve turned the corner. You tried to sound as serious as possible, but it was way too hard to wipe the smile off of your face. 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

Steve’s hand found yours barely a minute into the car ride, intertwining it with his and resting them on your thigh. 

You settled yourself into his passenger seat, getting comfortable for however long the drive would end up being. “So, you’re taking me to dinner.” 

“Maybe…” He responded, and it slightly amused you how vague he was still being about everything even though his earlier text of, “I’ll be at your place at 7. Make sure you don’t eat dinner,” could really only mean one thing. 

You decided to play along, though. “Or is it bowling? Roller skating? A movie?”

“Those are really good guesses,” He joked, which made you laugh. 

“What’s the right answer?” 

He took a quick glance over at you and shook his head. “I’m not saying.” 

It wasn’t until twenty minutes later when he was parked in an unfamiliar but very crowded parking lot that he finally told you.

“Do you remember our first date?” He asked, and at first, all you could do was smile at his words.

It was such a silly question that you really couldn’t help but make a joke. “Weirdly enough, I don’t. Wait, who are you again?” 

“Ha ha,” He playfully rolled his eyes at you.

“I’m sorry, I had to,” You said, pulling your intertwined hands up and giving the back of his a quick peck. “Of course, I remember our first date. We had a great time watching the second Hunger Games movie.”

“Yes, and we were supposed to get food before the movie, but you weren’t hungry so we skipped dinner and just did the movie. This is the place that I was gonna take you then.” 

You nodded at his words and then looked away from him when you remembered something else from that night— where your head had been then and how you’d been feeling. “I’m sorry.”

Steve gave you a confused look. “Why?”

“This feels so shitty to say now, but I lied then. The reason that I suggested we skip dinner was because I just wanted the date to be over faster. Oh my god, saying it out loud makes it sound even more shitty.” You met his gaze again. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, no, don’t be. That’s okay,” Steve said as he gave your hand a light reassuring squeeze. “Honestly, that makes a lot of sense.” 

“It’s so stupid, though, because then during it, when we were watching the movie, I kinda regretted lying because of how well things were actually going with us.”

He gave you a smile then. “It was really good.”

You nodded. “Yup, I even let you kiss me that night.” 

“Can I kiss you right now?”

You shook your head, biting back the smile tugging at your lips. “That’s not proper date etiquette, Steven. All kisses must be saved until the end.” 

He nodded understandingly, but there was an amused smile on his face. “Ah yes, makes sense.” 

You held his eyes for a moment and then looked away and finally stepped out of his car before you ended up breaking your own stupid rule.

His hand found yours again as you two headed inside the restaurant. It was a lively and busy place, and at first, you figured that was why Steve had picked it, but once you two were settled in the short line behind other people waiting to put their names down at the hostess stand, you noticed the open doors that led to the dining room area straight ahead and then the shelves and shelves of books to the left. 

Before you could say anything, Steve was leaning into your ear to be heard over the noise. “It’s kind of a book-themed restaurant. You’ll see all of the decorations on the walls when we sit down later.” He then nodded his head in the direction of the bookshelves that you’d just noticed. “And there’s a used bookstore attached too.”

You looked up at him. “This place is perfect.” You then shook your head at yourself. “Now I feel like even more of an asshole for lying to you that night.”

“Now that I’m thinking about it, if we would’ve gone then, you probably would’ve fallen in love with me on the spot,” He told you, a teasing smirk on his face. 

“Embarrassingly so, probably,” You playfully nodded in agreement. 

It was quite hard to imagine things working out between you two in any other way than this one, though. It almost felt as if everything needed to happen in the way that it did between you and him. And with how damn near perfect everything felt right now, you were completely okay with how slow everything had moved— how stupid and confused you both had been at times— because it happily led you here. 

You looked around for a brief second. “How did you know I would like this place before we even met?”

“The only thing Eddie told me about you before our date was that you were an English major, and after a quick Google search, I found this place and I figured it would be perfect,” He explained and then gave you a nonchalant and almost shy-looking shrug. 

You pushed up on your toes and quickly kissed him instead of verbally saying anything in response to his thoughtful words that made you feel as if you were going to explode because of how sweet they were. 

When you pulled away, he smiled at you. “I thought that wasn’t proper date etiquette?” 

You didn’t get the chance to answer his question because you two were at the front of the line and Steve was putting his name down after the hostess said that there would be about a forty-five-minute wait to get a table, which you were perfectly okay with.

Steve let you lead the way as you went down different aisles; it was pretty quiet between you two. Whenever you were looking through books, you always got that way, focusing on finding something instead of anything else.  

After about fifteen minutes, you were slotting another book back in the spot you pulled it from and then looked at Steve. “God, sorry, this is probably so boring for you.” 

He shook his head and gave you a small smile. “No, I like watching you.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “If I didn’t really really really like you, I would think that’s very creepy.” 

“Phew, good thing you really really really like me then,” His arms circled around you and you returned the embrace immediately, letting your arms wrap around his neck as you looked up at him.

You were almost certain that you two were going to kiss, but you pulled away when you noticed a person at the end of the aisle— you didn’t want you and Steve to become the kind of couple that was so disgustingly adorable in public. You grabbed his hand instead and continued to lead him down the aisle. 

You picked through books with your free hand, nothing really catching your eye enough for you to actually pull it off the shelf, and then you noticed a title that looked really familiar so you grabbed it immediately. “Woah.” 

“What?” Steve asked, looking down at the book you now had in your hand. 

“Okay, this might be a stupidly long story,” You started. “So, I had to read a different book by this author for one of my classes. I ended up liking it a lot and also his writing style too, so I looked him up, and I saw that he did this historical fiction book; some World War II thing. It actually sounded interesting, and I immediately thought of you when I found it because I thought you’d probably like it. But, we weren’t talking at the time, so of course I didn’t tell you about it or recommend it to you.” You pointed to the book in your hand. “This is that book, and now I really wanna get it for you. This also now reminds me of our first date and when I said that I’d find you a book to make you not hate reading. If you do end up actually hating this book, though, I give you full permission to lie to me when I ask what you thought about it.” You got quiet as you looked down at the book again and then back up at him. “Okay, I’m done rambling now.” 

Steve smiled at you and your rambling. “I can’t wait to read it.”

You laughed a bit. “Okay, you don’t have to lie yet.”

“I’m not lying,” He told you. “If you get like this anytime you talk about books, then I’ll read any one you give me.”

That warmed your heart so much that it made you not care about pressing the sweetest kiss against his lips in front of the other people in the narrow aisle.

His hand was still against your cheek when you pulled back from the slow kiss and told him, “I’ll happily read to you too, like in Mexico, if you want.” 

He nodded. “That sounds great.”

The text that the table was ready came earlier than expected. You two were sitting on a small bench that was right outside the restaurant and you were in fact reading to him. 

“Thoughts so far?” You asked as you and he stood up to head back into the restaurant. “Remember lying is encouraged.”

“It’s surprisingly good. And I’m not lying,” He answered as he pulled the door open for you. 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

You weren’t entirely sure who initiated what. 

You had kissed Steve first, you knew that. But, it was meant to be a goodbye one— you were standing outside of your apartment door after having dinner at the restaurant and you both could recognize that the night had come to its natural end. Instead, though, the kiss felt like the opposite; it distinctly felt like the start of something rather than the end. And it did start something. 

You were being softly pressed back against the door as Steve deepened the kiss, mouth moving against yours so seamlessly as one hand came up to cup your cheek and the other found the curve of your waist. 

There was a part of you that suddenly felt so certain that this would never not feel so fucking right to you. Sure, it had been barely twenty-four hours since things shifted and changed into what you and Steve were now, but it felt so easy and not at all rushed or abrupt. It was as if this was something that had been slowly building until here you two finally were— making out against your front door without a care in the world because you both were so equally smitten and enamored by each other. 

You wanted absolutely everything with him, and perhaps he was able to tell that from the look in your eyes when you pulled back from the kiss to catch your breath for a moment. And maybe it was in your head, but it seemed as if he was nodding in agreement with you. 

He was in the middle of leaning in to kiss you again when the door opened abruptly and you let out a surprised yelp as both of Steve’s hands immediately found your hips to keep you from falling back. 

“Shit, sorry,” You recognized Eddie’s voice before you turned around. “I don’t even wanna know what you two were just doing.” 

You didn’t expect to see him in this moment. He came over to the apartment earlier to return something that he’d stolen from Robin a few days ago, and you had used that moment as your opportunity to tell him about you and Steve.

“I guess I did end up playing matchmaker for you after all,” Had been his immediate response after you told him that you and Steve were together. “Once again, I expect the biggest shoutout at your guys’ wedding.” 

You only rolled your eyes at him in response because you couldn’t think of anything else to say. Technically, he was entirely right— you wouldn’t have even met Steve if it wasn’t for Eddie. And it was a bit insane to think about that. 

“Also,” He continued. “I feel slightly offended that I’m the last to find out, even though I’ve known you the longest.”

“It’s one of the privileges that come along with Rob, Vick, and Tal being my roommates,” You said, a teasing smile on your face. “You’ll be back to the top in a few months.”

At the end of the summer, he was going to move into Talia’s room since she was graduating and doing her master’s program at a school in New York. It was an almost too obvious decision that, of course, made the most sense.

“I’m surprised you’re still here,” You said to Eddie now. You mindlessly leaned back against Steve because it felt slightly weird not having zero space between you two. It wasn’t until after you did it, that you wondered if you were doing too much, being too much, but then Steve’s hand was finding yours and giving it a light squeeze, and the thought was quickly pushed away.

“Vickie put on this weird Christmas baking show and we’ve all been watching it since you left,” Eddie explained and you nodded. “I’m now being forced to grab the takeout from downstairs, though.”

“You’re back!” You noticed Talia turning around from where she was on the couch. “How was the date?”

Before you could say anything, Robin was turning around too. “Eddie, grab the food before it gets stolen by the same asshole from last time!”

“I’m going, I’m going,” He called out before heading down the hallway. 

The door was more than halfway open at that point, and you turned again to look at Steve again instead of doing anything else.

“You wanna come in?” You asked because you simply just really wanted to keep the night going with him. “If we hate watching the baking show, we can go to my room and finally watch Freaky Friday.” 

From the smile on his face, you could tell that he didn’t want the night to be over either. “Okay.” 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

next part!

taglist (lmk if you want to be added or taken off<333); @eddiernunson , @loulouloueh , @the-aster , @blckburd , @totally-bogus-timelady , @yujyujj , @irhdifartzamfyaa , @mochminnie , @munsonssweets , @blckbrrybasket , @xprloki , @definitionwanderlust , @dwcode , @sun-fiower-seed , @keerysfolklore , @damon-loves-pie , @lodeddiperrodrick , @bisexual-and-intellectual , @munsonburn3r , @negomi123 , @khena , @facexthexsunshine , @seatbacksandtraytables , @suckerfordylansstuff , @lilacccs , @thehairington86 , @welcometohellsock

(if your user is crossed out it means i can’t tag you</3)

[pearlzier]

maybe this is odd but. i can totally imagine matt being down bad for chris’s baby mama. like he was neutral about her when chris and her were hooking up but when she got pregnant/had the kid and she started hanging around the house more?? yeah, he was completely done for

wait. no i get it .... i get it !!! brother's baby mama!reader.... bbm!reader.... LMFAO / mdni for this thanksies 😋

matt didn't mind you all that much when you and chris got together. you're his brother's girlfriend, not much to say about you, he supposes. you're pretty cool, you make chris happy. yeah, you're pretty. incredibly so, matt knows that—he's not insane to think otherwise. your company's nice, when you hang out with him, nick and chris, he's happy to have you around. but you were nothing more than his brother's girlfriend, right? he didn't have feelings for you or anything.

till that fucking changed. matt had noticed you were acting a little different as of late, just slightly. foods you usually liked were putting you off, you got sick in the mornings a lot and you were just a little different. he hadn't thought you were pregnant with chris' kid, no. but along with nick, he'd found out when chris had come bounding down the stairs all excited about becoming a father. he knew the two of you were fucking, had heard it before but he'd thought you were using protection or you were on birth control, at least.

he didn't think it'd affect him all that much, but here he was, staring at you like a damn dog. you just look good. you're over at the house a lot more now, and his eyes find themselves on you a lot more too. he likes the way you dress more casually, more comfortably now, which means he gets to see more of you. particularly those tank tops, god, your tits look so good beneath the white cotton. the way your nipples pebble against it? he can't take it.

"you okay?" he'd ask you. "just sore, but y'know," matt knows they're sore too, he'd love to massage them for you and relieve the aching pain but that'd be crossing some sort of line, he knows. but he wishes those lines weren't there. "hope you feel better, alright? ask chris for a massage or somethin', don't want you achin' all day." he settled for, knowing he couldn't offer much else.

matt doesn't know what it is that's gotten him so pent up over you but he doesn't want it to stop. honestly? he kind of, no, not kind of, really wishes that he could've filled you up with his cum and gotten you pregnant with his kid. he would've pumped you full a thousand times over to have you stuffed full of him. it gets so bad that he finds himself pumping his fist over his cock in bed at the thought of getting you pregnant, or even just cumming inside of you and watching it ooze out of you.

he started realising how damn sweet you are and how badly he wants you for himself. every damn time he sees you, he wishes he'd gotten to you first instead of chris. it's definitely selfish, he knows, but he can't help himself. matt catches himself literally restocking the fridge with food he knows you're craving, just to feel better about everything. when you notice, you immediately think it's chris who got it for you—"chris? did you get me food?" chris is confused, no, he doesn't think so. he was gonna go tonight, "uh, no?"

well, hey, it's food, so you're not exactly complaining all that much. matt realises you just shrugged it off, and he feels the tiniest pang of disappointment as he glances away from the kitchen, looking back at his phone. he hears your footsteps from where he's sat, hearing them beside him. but he's taken off guard when he feels your hand on his shoulder. "thank you," it's simple, those two words, but the kiss you press to his cheek as you wander back off to do whatever, yeah, it makes his cock twitch in his pants and he has to practically sprint upstairs, locking himself in his room for an hour or so.

[bvbygrl-writes]

Season of The Witch (1)

Pairing: Jacob Black x Witch!Reader x Edward Cullen

Word Count: 1.6k

Summary: (Y/n) (L/n) is 19 and still trying to figure out the world. She isn't sure of a lot of things but she is sure of one: she's gonna have her cake and eat it too.

A/N: I recently watched the Twilight Saga for the first time and fell in love with it but I noticed there's not a lot of recent fics so I decided to make them! This doesn't follow the twilight series exactly but the elements and settings are still the same. Everyone is aged up (I mean does Edward really need to be tbf). If this gets enough feedback in my inbox and comments I will continue but this is mainly a tester to see how it does!

Warnings: N/A but it will be 18+ at some point most likely. Minors and blanks dni.

Everyone always talks about how hard it is moving in the middle of the school year. But, what they never talk about is how hard it is to move once you’ve just graduated. Friend groups are already established and due to college, no one is looking to meet anyone new until they’re off to whichever university they’ve decided to attend.

You, however, weren’t off to university. You knew it wasn’t right from you. Your parents supported your decision. In fact, they were thrilled…but not for the reasons you originally thought. Your dad wanted to move back to his home town of Forks, Washington and your mom, being a lover of nature, thought it was the perfect change of scenery. According to the conversation they had with you, it wasn’t a spur of the moment decision either. Your dad had gotten a job as head surgeon and your mom had bought a space to turn into the bakery she had dreamed of owning for years. It was something they had been wanting to do for years but due to the fact you were doing so well in school, they hadn’t wanted to rip you away from that. 

Part of you, the part of you that didn’t want to admit it to yourself, wish that they had. Maybe then you’d have a better chance at your 20s not being so lonely in a town that so far on the drive from the airport, seemed to be desolate and void of any youth. But, it wasn’t all bad. With all the greenery and nature, you’d be able to focus on growing your powers more.

You came from a long lineage filled with powerful and strong witches, your mother being one of them. On your thirteenth birthday, your powers finally presented themselves and everything began to make sense for you. You had always felt different from your peers and having the confirmation that you were healed something in you. Your mom had been mentoring you and through her, you had learned so much over the years. As your eyes gazed out the rain littered car window, focusing on the ocean of trees that passed in a blur, one thing she had said stuck out to you the most. ‘A witch is at her strongest when surrounded by nature’. 

Every weekend, she used to drive 6 hours there and back to a small patch of woods outside of the city. But now, you had access to the forest in any direction you looked.

“I’m thinking of starting a garden in the yard, (Y/n/n), what do ya think?” your mom asked, causing your head to turn in her direction. Her body was turned back to face you, the small wrinkles near her mouth creasing as she grinned. She always had an air of vibrancy and brightness to her that made you question if you were even related sometimes. It was like you could practically feel her emotions buzzing off of her and piercing into your heart. You hummed mulling over your response, turning your attention back to your window, watching as the trees slowly began to turn into homes the further you drove into town.

“Sounds good.” you responded. Your limited word choice was something you had gotten from your father. He wasn’t as introverted as you were, but he only spoke when he found the conversation particularly interesting. And when it came to his wife, he found everything interesting.

“I think that’s a great idea, honey! There’s a lot of space at the house and I know if anyone can make it magical, it’s you.” You watched in the rear view mirror as his eyes flickered towards your mom, full of admiration. Your mom giggled at his small joke, shoving his shoulder in a playful manner. “Maybe in the spring, you could get some fruit growing, use it in your bakery.”

“Why wait till spring? I could do it now with the flick of a finger.” she mused, holding out her palm. Golden sparks hovered above it, swirling in a circular motion. Your dad smiled at her, shaking his head as he pulled into a driveway which you assumed was your new home. Sticking your head out the window, you looked up at it in awe.

In the city, your house was a lot smaller. Lots of identical homes sandwiched far too close together for your liking. But this house, it had character. Faded green framework, a bay window, and a semi wrap-around porch. You noticed a window on the second story, a small balcony attached to it. In your mind you had already claimed it. The slamming of the van door broke you out of your brewing daydream. Looking on the lawn, you internally groaned as you saw people. Just what you wanted to see after a 7 hour car ride. Before you could duck down and pretend you couldn’t exist, your dad turned his head, shaking it as if he could predict what you were about to do.

“(Y/n), come meet my friends!” he called to you. Sighing, you pulled your cardigan closer to your body before hopping out the back seat, stretching your arms as the snap, crackled, and popped. You were finally able to get a good look at the people on your lawn. An older white man with brunette hair, and a thick mustache. Another in a wheelchair, with long, thick black hair, a cowboy hat perched on his head. You recognized them from the pictures from your dad’s office. “These are my old buddies, Billy Black and Charlie Swan. We grew up together!” he explained. Putting on your best smile, you stuck your hand out, shaking each of their respective hands.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you both after hearing dad talk my ears off about you for years.” You joked, causing both men to chuckle. 

“If it makes you feel any better, your dad’s always bragging about ya, kid.” Charlie said. You smile slightly at your dad as he tells you that. Your dad has never been a stranger of telling you how proud he is of you, so it doesn’t shock you that much but it’s still nice to hear it.

“Enough chatting, how’s bout I grab some beers from the cooler and we can start unpacking this uhaul? We’ve got some time but let me tell ya’, the Mrs. does not pack light.” Your dad speaks over his shoulder as he makes his way to the trunk. You hear the sound of ice shuffling as he grabs a few beers out, cracking them open on the side of the car.

“Everything has value, David! You’ll be thanking me when it saves you the money!” Your mom says from the open door, huffling as she grabs another box from the porch, carrying it further into the house. Shaking your head, you smile some. At least some things haven’t changed.

After a while, you finally got all of your boxes into your new room. The one with the balcony as you had hoped. All your heavier furniture was still on the lawn as Mr.Black had informed you his son would be coming soon to bring it up for you. In the meantime, you had time to put your other things up. Standing in the middle of the room, you close your eyes, focusing your mind for a bit as your body begins to levitate, just barely hitting the high ceilings. Waving your hand, your rolled up rug unfolds placing itself in the middle of your room. You squint your eyes until you’re able to locate the box labeled ‘books’, hovering your hand in their direction. You move it to the built-in bookshelves on the wall, all of your books organizing themselves perfectly. Magic has its perks. 

You decide to go for the books next until there’s a knock on your door startling you. You fall to the ground with a loud thud, groaning as the door swings open. Looking up, your body grows warm at the sight in front of you. There’s a taller boy around your age, shirtless with your mattress under one of his arms. Due to his lack of shirt, you’re able to take in every inch of his chiseled chest and the tattoo on his arm. You recognized the symbol from one of the spellbooks your mother showed you but couldn’t recall the meaning. As you pry your eyes away from his torso, you’re able to focus on his face which is somehow even better than what you were just looking at. Gorgeous brown eyes, thick brows, and pretty pink lips. He was somehow rugged and cute at the same time but you had no time to focus on that as he dropped your mattress on the ground, pulling you up with ease.

“Are you okay?” he asked in a concerned tone. You looked away in embarrassment, clearing your throat as you backed away from his hold.

“Fine. Just tripped over this stupid rug.” You mumbled. He looks you up and down, laughing as he returns to the mattress, lifting it with ease. Almost too much. He leans it against the wall furthest from you before returning to the doorway. He smiles at you, throwing you a subtle wink.

“Just in case. I’ll be back with the rest, try not to hurt yourself in the meantime.” He teases, gone just as quickly as he came. You stand frozen in place, listening as he makes his way down the stairs, the sounds of his steps fading. Once you were sure he was gone, you walk over to the balcony doors, stepping out into the chilly fall air. You let out a groan as you lean over it, playing with the idea of jumping off. At least you wouldn’t be able to embarrass yourself any further. 

2

[ohsohoney]

When it comes to love you're just as blinded.

Part Thirteen

Eminem x Musician

Summary: It starts with a drunk embarrassing video, it spirals into something a whole lot more.

Note: Thirteen!! I'm actually so excited to post this one. There's some angst, but like it's not all bad, this is actually probably one of my favourite updates to date. But this is just a forewarning! Lots of swearing too, to be expected really so.. Anyway, hope you enjoy it, have a feeling there's gonna be a lot of emotions over this one!

Thank you again for all the love this series has gotten, means so much and really does keep me writing:)

| Set in 2014, just after the release of LP 2

taglist: @thelastemzy @helloitsme1223

Masterlist

It was strained. 

The entire house, its whole atmosphere. It was just incredibly heavy and strange.

It wasn’t hard to miss either, judging from the careful way Rosie had been watching the two of us since she’d first woken up this morning. 

But last night hadn’t fared any better. Em had been weirdly distant; not meeting my eye, dancing around subjects, hardly speaking at all in actuality, and then he went as far as to avoid my touch— even as I’d handed him a fucking fork. 

It was such a harsh reality check for me in truth, because suddenly, I felt like an intruder. 

“El?” Rosie’s voice rang out, drawing me from my inner musings as well as the slice of toast I’d practically been burning a hole into. 

“Hm?” I replied belatedly, dragging my eyes up and away from my plate to cast her a distant look, but Z was just wearing this perplexed sort of frown that had me blinking away any remaining haze as she dropped her spoon into her bowl of cereal. The splash sent a few drops of milk flying over the countertop.

“Called you like four times.” She sighed, that frown of hers still prominent enough for me to throw a small smile back in apology.

“Sorry, just– must be half asleep still.” I attempted to shake off the solemn feeling I’d been cast in, laughing faintly before I finally took a bite out of my own breakfast, hating the way the bread tasted like ash in my mouth.

She didn’t seem to take the bait though, not if the scrunch of her brow was any indication, or her next words, “Are you sure? ‘Cause last night–”

I didn’t know whether or not to be grateful for Marshall’s sudden appearance in that next moment because the girl swiftly cut herself off in favour of hurriedly spooning another load of cereal into her mouth.

Marshall whipped around the island without so much as a glance in my direction, opening up the fridge before he turned towards the coffee pot he had laid out but hadn’t used since my first day here. The kettle and the half-made mug of tea I’d set out for him either going unseen or just ignored. I was betting on the latter.

I opened my mouth to say something, if only to break the debilitating silence, when the man himself unknowingly cut me off. “You almost ready?” He questioned Z, who was still slurping up the remnants of her bowl. 

The girl’s eyes darted towards him from over the porcelain brim of it before she dropped her arms to cast him a buoyant grin lined with, what could have only been, a milk moustache. I couldn’t help the fondness my smile gave way to, or how I reached out to wipe her upper lip with a nearby napkin. 

Her expression softened at either the gesture or my laughter, I wasn't quite sure, but her bright eyes glanced back over to her Dad just as I withdrew my hand.

“Nearly, just my shoes.” Rosie told him easily enough, kicking her legs out beneath the table to better show him her shoeless feet. I saw Marshall roll his eyes out of the corner of my own eye and deigned to take a long sip of my brew if only to keep from flashing him the shared smile that threatened to break through. I didn’t think it would fair well right now, me trying to buddy up to him over his daughter's shameless antics. 

“We got fifteen minutes ‘fore you’re late.” He replied to her as he all but drained his mug dry, the heady smell of coffee grinds polluted the kitchen's air. I bit the inside of my cheek when the familiar warning of scalding his mouth crawled its way out across my tongue, but I didn’t dare speak a word.

Rosie bobbed her head in a quick understanding, already jumping down from the barstool to run and grab the last of her things before she could set off for school, forgetting the dirtied bowl she had left on the counter.

I didn’t think much of my next movement, in truth, mostly looking for a reason to ignore the heavy cloud which had since settled over the shared space, as I picked up both the bowl, my plate too, to carry them both over to the bin and sink. 

A sound had me glancing back over my shoulder instinctively once I’d turned on the taps though, surprised to find Marshall already looking in my direction, or rather the sinks, I supposed.

But maybe I was wrong about that, because my surprise jumped straight up to shock when I heard him speak, to me. “How many times I tell you, you ain’t gotta do that?” It didn’t sound much like the question it was meant to be, more of a grunt than anything else as his hard stare flickered up to meet mine.

It was instinct for me to frown, but as my forehead went to furrow I was quick to smooth it back out again and turn my back on him, knowing this conversation would be much easier if I made quick work of the dishes in the sink. “I don’t mind.” I muttered back, hands already covered in soap duds.

He didn’t deign to respond, just let the sound of the water fill the lengthy space that had been created between us so suddenly. My heart ached a little over it, in truth, as I wondered what I’d done so wrong to have fucked up the easy thing we had going on here. 

Because look, it wasn’t as though I was new to quick snipes or heated conversations, or whatever the fuck this was. But it unsettled me enough to know that it was him that I was on the outs with. Marshall, he’d practically taken me in, done more than just house and feed me, but now he was just over it? Done with all the niceties because of an almost– what, kiss? If it had even been that at all. 

But I didn’t, scratch that, I couldn’t linger on the thought because if I did, then I would be sure to start fucking throwing back words a lot more scathing than just ‘I don’t mind’.

I was broken from the way I was furiously scrubbing away at my plate with the scour when my personal space was suddenly invaded. I all but jumped out of my skin as my head shot over to the left to find Marshall now stood there, leaning over me in the tight corner which sat between the two adjoining counters, just so that he could drop his cup into the soapy basin. 

His eyes met mine the second I looked up at him, mouth somewhat agape enough to have those icy blues of his dropping down to catch a quick look before they settled back on my own again. I went to swallow, confused and caught entirely off guard by the intrusion, but found I couldn’t. Which was good, in reality, seeing as I didn’t dare want to let onto the fact that he’d garnered anything more than surprise out of me.

“Seein’ as you don’t mind then.” 

Marshall’s comment perplexed me further, before I caught wind of what he was really getting at with it. So it was in that next moment that I allowed my eyes to narrow, even as he brushed back against me slowly, almost languid in his retreat. 

I huffed out a tiny, grim laugh, more air than anything, when I shoved the dish I’d been cleaning into his chest, flicking soap and water all over him. But it was missed only slightly by his moving form, catching his bicep instead and allowing a trail of water to drip down his bare forearm. “You won’t mind dryin’ then.” I shot back scathingly, clenching my teeth.

As much as my own action had surprised me, the drawl of my accent heightening in my anger gave way to the actual shock which lined beneath it, forcing me to turn back to the sink before Marshall could realise or actually comment on it. 

I didn’t know what it was about what had transpired that kept him from jumping down my throat, but he kept quiet even as it took him a good second or two to grab the towel hanging by the draining rack and wipe at the sodden plate. 

It was tense after that. Not a word was spoken, and so a shaky exhale left me the moment Rosie reentered the room, her shoes clicking against the kitchen tiles as she slung her school bag over a single shoulder. 

If Marshall heard the reaction, he gave no indication, but was quick in the way he jumped back from the counter to meet her. “Let’s go.” He all but demanded after he’d chucked the towel down onto the side so that he could round the island. 

I didn’t have to look back to hear the confusion Rosie obviously felt, “Is El not coming?”

Opening my mouth to answer her, my chest pinched when Marshall did so for me instead, “Not today. Come on, you gone be late.”

It was with that which he withdrew from the room with, leaving me blinking and Rosie gaping at his retreating figure. I wondered then where the hell it had all gone wrong. 

When Rosie casted her eyes back to me, my hands were still hovering over the sink but I witnessed the way her usual smile had transformed into something more solemn, or perhaps just ruminative. 

Being the adult, as well as the ‘bigger fucking person!’ I wanted to scream at his back. I forced my expression into something a whole lot sweeter than just the bewilderment that had plastered it a second before. I let go of a large breath and reached for the tea towel. 

“I just got a new idea for a song, figured I’d write it down before I lost it, you know?” I attempted to reassure, brushing off how odd the entire situation must have seemed to her.

Because why was I covering for a forty-something year old man and his pissy demeanour? Well, one simple reason could be that it wasn’t Rosie’s fault that her Dad was being a massive prick at the moment, and that I for one wasn’t going to be shucking her with the bubbling irritation I felt for him. Something which I’d picked up from living in a house a whole lot worse than this, where you didn’t know whether a reply would earn you an outright laugh or something to tell your future therapist about.

Z was nothing if not perceptive though and so when she just hummed I was quickly taken back to my own childhood, to when some of my mum’s less shittier boyfriends had attempted to lie their way out of what was obviously happening between the two of them. My skin itched at the thought.

“You gonna be here when I get home?” She asked me before I could say anything at all, which broke my fucking heart, because Rosie was so quick to add to her question, if only to make it seem as though it had been something other that it was, “You know, ‘cause Dad’s talking to the school about what happened yesterday… So I just figured you might wanna hear about it when I got back.”

“Of course I do, Z.” I promised in one hasty reply, already moving to dry my hands before I could even really think about it. “Of course.” I repeated as I made my way over to her, smiling warmly when she met me halfway. “It’ll all be just fine, you hear me?” I murmured to her the second I let myself get swept up in one of her gentle hugs, “Your Dad will sort it all and I’ll be here waiting to hear about it the second you get home, okay?”

She was quiet for a long moment before she just whispered, “Swear it?”

My eyes shuttered closed and I buried a sad smile in the top of her head, already reaching out to lock my pinky with hers. “On my life.” I swore quietly, forcing myself to match the wry grin she wore when she pulled away to peer down at our interlocked fingers. Rosie giggled lightly, choosing to swing our arms back and forth.

I shook my hand in return, wobbling the pair of our limbs ever so slightly, before a slight cough gained our attention. I looked up whilst Z spun around on her heel to find Marshall stood waiting just outside of the doorway, a hazy shadow crossing over the bridge of his nose as he toyed with the set of keys he had in his hand. 

His voice was all too soft when he spoke, eyes zeroed in on his daughter, “Time to go, bean.”

It took everything in me then to look away from him and over to the clock stationed on the far wall, letting Rosie’s hand slip from mine after I gave it a small squeeze. “He’s right.” I sighed lightly, “I’ll see you later, ‘kay?”

She was already peering back up at me when I looked over and so I wasn’t too startled by the sudden embrace she wrapped me up in before she hastily made her way towards the front door. 

The quiet which settled in after her wake forced my gaze to return to the man who had yet to follow, his eyes faltering between my own before he dipped his chin in a barely there nod, a gesture which spoke volumes as he turned to leave.

–

Messages  Lottiebug 🐞 In school!! Sorryyyyy didn’t mean to ignore u Was out late and passed out At lunch now, promise to call later xxxxx Love u don’t miss me too much:))

I actually wanted to wring the kid’s neck. She was such a stress inducer that I was sure to head back home to her covered in hives come this point. I mean, where did she get off on making me worry like that? Especially after all that had gone down, all that she had kept from me. And with Rosie last night too, her entire situation having flooded my mind with memories of the past.

Messages  To: Lottiebug 🐞 You’re the actual antichrist I swear Where the hell have you been Lotts?? I’ve been worried sick just waiting for a text or a call, did your phone just die? Or did your charger break again? I swear I’m flying home if you don’t call me the second you step out of those school gates

Or you know, maybe sooner if things with Marshall carried on.

I sighed at the burst of adrenaline which had rushed and drained from me in a too short moment, before I tossed my phone down onto the couch I’d taken to sprawling on, a plethora of notes and pages dotted all around me. 

I figured it was at least one less thing to worry about now though, even if everything going on with Lottie was still a rather large issue at hand. I wanted to scream about it all actually. But currently, my biggest problem was this song. And maybe the man who was set to return in the time between now and the moment Rosie got out of school. 

Because see, I had a small hunch that Marshall was probably going to avoid me for as long as he possibly could, which would end up being the very second his daughter danced back through that door.

The thought had me groaning again, unhappy with how everything was turning out, as well as the lyrics that I just couldn’t get to sound quite right. See, I hadn’t been outright lying to Z when I’d claimed that I had an idea for a new song. Being unable to sleep truly worked wonders on the psyche and could send your imaginative thoughts into a whole other realm.

But still, I was struggling to get it all to fall into place, the verse sounding much more like a bridge and the chorus still lacking something. Even so, it was promising. That much I could tell. Only thing was, I was stuck on whether or not it was going to end up on Marshall’s scrapheap or my next album. 

It was what I was here for, wasn’t it? To write, to collaborate. Even after we’d gotten a little bit side tracked the last few days. But I just didn’t know how much he wanted from me, we hadn’t really spoken about it or hashed over all the gritty details. And yet, even after last night and this morning, I was still here trying to pull something together for him to come back and hear. Even if I was sure that he’d can it the second he did.

“You look like someone just shit on your chest.”

I startled at the voice, flailing a tad to get a better look at the figure which now loomed behind the sofa, but it seemed as though the scare had been enough to send all my hard work flying. 

Three things happened in the next moment: I gaped, frowned, and then ultimately topped it all off with a rather hefty huff, turning back to grab at the pages I’d just been scrawling on with my tongue tucked between my teeth.

“Shat on my chest?” I answered back in the same dull monotone he’d just used, face screwing up slightly as I stretched to collect the last page that had slipped its way further down the sofa. “You know that expression intimately, or just guessing?”

A breathy snort sounded just as the page I’d been reaching for was snatched up before me. My gaze snapped upwards in narrowed slits to scowl at him, unimpressed by the action, before I held out a hand towards him, silently asking for it back.

Marshall took no note. Instead his eyes flitted over the red ink I’d been working on, reading it at a mile a minute. He handed it back without another word said and then rounded the sofa to fall into the seat beside me. 

He had picked up a couple drinks whilst he’d been out, it seemed. Just a couple of coffee’s from what I could first tell and so I wrinkled my nose at the obnoxious smell they let off whilst I settled the final page back into the pile I’d since formed.

“Figured you’d be gone longer.” I couldn’t help but mention whilst he settled in, taking a slow deliberate sip from one of the brown paper cups before he slid the other across the coffee table in my direction, an action to which I raised a brow to.

He shrugged languidly as though nothing had occurred between us earlier, like he had the entire world at his feet actually, and then gathered up the pile, flicking through the pages without much care. “Dealt with that kid and his shitty-ass father, stopped off to get somethin’ to eat when Paul called, then came home.” He quipped promptly enough, leaning forward in his seat to rest his cup back down on the table and shuffle the first few pages between the hands he now had resting on his knees, “This new?”

I flicked my tongue over my front teeth, harsh enough to feel it drag and keep my head from imploading, but careful enough that it didn’t bleed– just yet, I allowed myself to add on. Because honestly, if I had to refrain myself much more than I currently was it sure was going to. 

“Yes.” I quipped shortly, picking up my phone to slide through the brief voice notes I’d made the previous night in bed and then again when I’d stepped out of the shower this morning. “It was just something I kept on replaying, a little melody.” I explained if only so that I wouldn’t allow myself the space to start pestering him with questions and his sudden switch up, because what was with that? “Figured I’d just get it down whether it was good or not.”

He grunted out a hum.

I gritted my teeth.

“What happened at the school then?” I asked in a mutter, feigning nonchalance even though my eyes were already trained on him reading my words and the fact that I was now dying to know what he’d been on about when referencing this kid’s ‘shitty-ass father’. 

His eyes were slow in the way they sloped over to me, my own darting back down to my phone if only so that I could pretend to meet his stare. He looked away again a second later, rolling a single shoulder. “Some teacher caught the shove yesterday, principle was already waitin’ for me when I pulled up.”

Surprised, I blinked. “What, he dragged both you and the kid’s dad in?”

“She. Misogyny has no place in the modern world, Elia.” Marshall corrected all too easily with that curt smile of his that he was so used to using. Typically it would have had me chuckling, but now it just pissed me off further, especially with the use of my full name.

Instead of reacting though, something I supposed he was aiming for there, I rolled my eyes. “She, what the fuck ever. What happened?”

Marshall leaned back in his seat with a quiet huff, “Guy got what was comin’ to him, fuckin’ wrung him and his kid out. Bitch figured he could say a bunch of shit about me and my daughter and I’d just let him?” He blew out a small titter then, though his evident smile was grim, “Bastard’s jus’ lucky I didn’t throw him through one of them windows. Could pay someone more than what he earns in a year to chop his fuckin’ hands off for me.”

I didn’t know how to take his words, all I knew was that a strange emotion had settled over me upon hearing them, almost uncurling the coil that my shoulders had wound themselves into. 

Still, I licked at my lower lip and reached out to take the other cup he’d pushed down onto the table, pleasantly surprised by the lack of coffee it offered. Infact, the sweet taste of chocolate started to chip away at the icy irritation that had been brewing since early this morning. 

“So, no lawsuits?” I murmured over the brim, pulling up a leg to get more comfortable on the sofa, seeing as my little makeshift workspace had now been overtaken. 

Marshall’s eyes caught on me in that next moment and, stupidly, I wasn’t put off by the way they were so clearly examining me. The grit of his jaw softened after a minute and so I figured he’d found whatever it was he was searching so intently for. “A fine for parkin’ in a no-stop zone. But nah, no lawsuits this time ‘round.”

One corner of my mouth ticked upwards impulsively, though I was quick to smother it behind the paper cup, feigning a sigh instead, “And here I thought I’d get to witness a real court in session.”

Em didn’t hide his own smile at my words, his eyes gleaming in a way that gave more away than he realised. You see me, they said. 

I supposed I did.

–

Working on music had always been a way for me to channel or process my emotions and thoughts, whether it was when writing or just messing around. It was possibly the reason as to why I was constantly in a bubble of it, when working, when cooking, driving, when I showered or got ready for bed. It was just always there, a constant companion in a way. 

Em seemed to be torn from the same cloth. In the days I’d spent with him and Rosie, I’d gotten to understand that in a whole new way, he played music almost as much as I did, even if it was barely audible, I could still see the way it settled him in the drum of his hand or the tapping of his foot. I guessed it was why we worked so well together, just in the studio of course.

Somehow we managed to leave whatever resentment and odd feelings we’d been experiencing at the door to the downstairs studio when we’d moved from the living room to get a start on writing again. The song I’d been working on earlier had been pushed to the side so that Marshall could show me the few verses and ideas he’d had for the song we’d been messing with previously, the same one he’d called Dre and practically fawned over.

“I figure it’ll open the album.” He explained from where he’d wheeled his way over to the sound deck, scribbling over the top of it with the pen he kept chewing on subconsciously. “Set the tone, then we can just work around it.” 

I hummed noncommittally, rereading the chorus I’d jotted down and since toyed with. “Could have a big voice on it,” I suggested to him, “Like, it sort of feels like a symphony in the way it builds, I reckon a few people could be jumping over one another for a chance at it.”

When I was met by an immediate silence, the scratch of his pen having paused, the rustle of his papers too. I dragged my eyes up and away from my own page to cast him a sparing glance, but was evidently surprised to find him already watching me. Rather intensely.

“What?” I queried, dropping my hand away from where I’d been rolling my lower lip between my fingertips.

He levelled me with a blank look, “You’re fuckin’ stupid if you reckon I’ma ask anyone but you to sing on this.”

My brow furrowed, before I raised my hand in a placating gesture. “It was just a suggestion– a good one too. Song won’t get as much recognition if I’m on it.”

That blank look shifted so quickly that I could barely even blink before it morphed into something which visibly portrayed his inner irritation. “You think I give a fuck about shit like that? I care about how it sounds, not how much it can make.”

Rolling my eyes, I just shook my head and looked back down at the marked margain, not entertaining him with a reaction. I knew I was right in my words and hadn’t meant anything by it, he could take it how he liked for all I cared. 

He didn’t appear to enjoy that though, seeing as he dropped the pen down onto the deck with a clatter to push himself to his feet and walk closer to the couch I was still perched on. “I mean that shit. What, you think I was jus’ gone push you aside? You think that little of me? Last I checked, this was your fuckin’ song.”

His voice was littered with misplaced exasperation and the way he chose to tower over me, even if he was still stood a foot and a half away, showed it too. He was looking for a fight, had been waiting for it, gearing up. I realised then, rather belatedly, that he wasn’t too good at holding onto his emotions. Sure, he could wait and bite his tongue when he chose to, but those feelings he had only seemed to bubble further the longer he held them in, as though they were stewing in the acid of his stomach, waiting to burn through.

I could really see it now. He was antsy, overassessing, overthinking this entire situation. I could almost smell the unease he’d been simmering in, and I knew it was all down to what had transpired the night before. Only now, he had a real excuse to bite back at me. Rosie wasn’t around to hear or interrupt, and me? I was done being impassive. 

“Yeah, Em. Of course,” I drawled with little to no care as to how I was practically scoffing at his words, “I think you’re an egotistical prick who just wants to steal my work, wasn’t as though I was the one to suggest getting someone else on it or anything.”

He didn’t take too kindly to the sarcasm. 

“You’re awful fuckin’ mouthy for someone who claims they a nobody, you know that?” He sniped back with enough heat to have my back immediately straightening, “All high and mighty, that it? Like you can do no fuckin’ wrong.”

My mouth fell open because– what?

“Just waltz in here,” He continued on in his tirade, “Into my goddamn life and jus’ throw your opinions out, then expect me to lap it all up. Well I ain’t your fuckin’ lapdog and I’m sick of listenin’ to you tell me what to do and how to do it.” He shot out, casting me away with a gesture of his hand which seemed so pointless, what with the way his unblinking gaze was still hooked on me. 

“Me?” I bristled, my voice high in the face of his outright irony as I stared up at him. “You brought me here! You! You were the one to call me, Marshall. You were the one to ask me to collaborate. To come stay with you here. To invite me into your fucking goddamn life!” I mimicked callowly, “So don’t go throwing that shit back in my face just ‘cause it's blown up in yours now.”

“The fuck’s that meant to mean?” Marshall seethed, ridgid in his stance as I forced myself to my feet too, done with sitting below a man so full of anger. 

I laughed bitterly and shook my head at him. “I don’t know what the fuck last night was, but since it happened you’ve been acting like a proper dick about it. An even bigger one than I’d been expecting, too.” I told him plainly, pointing towards his chest as I tried to bite back my gall smile, “And everyone else might be fine soothing your ego and apologising to appease whatever fucking delusions you’ve conjured up in that thick head of yours, but I’m not gonna let a grown man mess with my head and make out like I’ve done something wrong or acted inappropriately. ‘Cause look, I’m sorry if I offended your sensibilities, but again, you’re old enough to fuckin’ be able to work through your own feelings. I can’t be expected to read your mind!”

My chest was heaving with all the anger that fueled my words and I only realised a second too late just how close we’d grown in the short space that sat between his heated question and my reply. 

I glanced up into his eyes, that familiar blue gone, now swimming in dark hues. They flickered between my own and for a split second, I wondered what he saw. He was breathing just as harshly as I was, lit by the intense conclusion we’d been pulled into. 

It was make or break, I figured. 

But then he met me halfway and suddenly I was drowning in him. His hands in my hair, tugging, my fingers digging into his sides. It was unlike the night before, where his breath had been teasing, ghosting over my skin in baited wait. His words soft and genuine. Now it was just sparks flying off–  only not in that shitty Disney magic sort of way, but instead it felt like steel being forged in fire. 

I couldn’t concentrate on the way he was biting at me, teeth clashing as he forced me to expose my neck, me responding in the only way I knew how, dragging his lip between my incisors and pulling. Tugging. Hoping it hurt.

He walked us backwards, feet encasing mine, drawing me up against the nearest wall. My fingers dug in harder, feeling the muscle of his torso jump beneath me. He knocked my head back and we both heard the collision it made with the concrete there but neither of us seemed to care. The sting was enough for me to sink my nails into the skin of his neck and he retaliated by dropping his mouth to my jaw, leaving me gasping at the ceiling that sat above us, pulling him closer even as his own hands started to explore.

“Bastard.” I blew out, voice hitching when his tongue circled around my pulse point.

He answered me by nipping at the skin there, not enough to bruise but to mark, dragging his mouth lower and lower, tugging at the hem of my top until he bit harshly into the collarbone he’d exposed. I choked on my next breath, clawing at his nape until he soothed the sting with a featherlight kiss. 

I dragged his face back up to meet mine, his jaw in the palms of my hands as I knocked my nose against his, panting against his open mouth, not even questioning how I’d gotten this worked up by just his teasing. Because that was what this was, a game. The opener before the real show could begin. He seemed to know it too, smirking briefly at me before he slotted his mouth back over mine, dragging his thumb down my cheek to pool in the small dip there.

My hands fell too, they clung to whichever part of him they could find, but it wasn’t enough. It felt as though everything I’d been feeling, every emotion I’d experienced, not just over the past twelve hours, but during our phone calls, our texts, and the days I’d spent with him here, were pouring out of me. From crevasses that I didn't even know could exist until then.

He pushed and he shoved, greedy in the task of getting what he wanted, but I was just as bad. Just as eager. The moments over the past week where I’d lingered too long, looked too intently, were all making sense now. Silently, I hoped I left my own mark on him, something that was enough to have his mind lingering on me instead. 

I wondered then if he’d known this had been coming. If all his irritation had just been pent up tension. If he’d been angered by the fact he’d given himself away last night.

But then he pulled away. 

My eyelids fluttered.

His thumb dropped to swipe over my bottom lip. It settled there for a second, then two. 

It withdrew, smeared in a sheer coat of spit. I watched on, jaw agape, as he lifted it up to meet his own mouth, wiping it clean in one swift suck all whilst he stared back at me, his eyes taunting. Mouth menacing. 

My next breath escaped me in a silent shudder.

His eyes, dilated and glimmering, flickered between my own. Mirrored arousal looming over us like a thick fog, before he took another step back.

Away.

Retreating.

Only, was that what it was?

I watched, baited by his stance. By the devious look his gaze gave way to. The rest of his features were solemn almost, so blank that it was practically daunting. But his eyes…

They told a different story.

The studio was so quiet I doubted the thought that he couldn’t hear my heavy pants, or the way I swallowed around the lump in my throat. I waited, pondering over his next move, what he might say, before he tilted his head.

The motion caught me by surprise, ever slight as it was, before he spoke, “Times up.”

My face must have ploughed through a dozen different emotions in that brief pause, but confusion won out, head shooting to the right the second he decided to move, crossing the short distance which stood between him and the door.

“Z’s home.”

Ah.

Fuck.

[clockwayswrites]

Like Betta Fish Do, Part 2

Masterpost of ao3 link and all parts.

-----

Jason jolted up suddenly from his practiced slouch at the dinning room table. Absently, he was aware of the conversation falling silent around him, but he barely took notice past the hum of static that filled his ears. It was like a hundred radio stations playing at once. Each one was trying to say the same message— to tell Jason the same information— but it was like it was all in different languages and pacing. And it was getting louder and louder and—

The glass in his hand shattered.

And suddenly it was quiet.

Shards of glass dug into his palm. A blissfully quite part of him was aware of blood and wine dripping down his palm and onto the table. He sucked in a shuddering breath.

“Jaybird?” Dick asked. He was leaned in close next to Jason, but even though Dick had reached out, he didn’t touch. They were all so careful about touching him these days.

Thing were better; the best they had ever been since his return from the dead. There were monthly dinners at the manor and sharing information and the occasional patrol together— but they still were so cautious about touching him. Even Dick, who always put on a smile and an easy air, had an almost minuscule hesitation before he reached out and touched Jason on the good days. On the bad days, Dick didn’t even try. Only Cass would touch him without checking the colors of his eyes first, but she still held back when the signs were obvious. He couldn’t even blame any of them, not any more.

Not even as the Pit whispered to him that it was because they didn’t care enough to try.

“Jay?” Dick tried again.

And Jason didn’t have an answer. He didn’t know why. Usually there was some comment, some action, some instigation that made the Pit rear its ugly head and scream. This time there was nothing like that. His vision didn’t even fill with green. It was more like someone had walked over his grave. He didn’t even feel the urge to lay a hand on anyone in the room. There was no violence to any of his family bubbling under his skin like the Pit normally pulled up. He just wanted to get out of there.

“Something’s in Crime Alley,” he said, or he thought he said. He moved to stand, but Dick finally touched him. A heavy hand on his shoulder kept him sitting. He could hear them talking around him, Bruce giving Tim some sort of an order, maybe calling for Alfred. It didn’t matter. He had to get out of there. He had to get back home.

Something was in Crime Alley.

----- The longer that Danny was in the other halfa’s haunt the more sure Danny was that he did not want to meet the halfa. This haunt did not feel good. Danny was sure that the state of this part of the city didn’t help the feeling, not with the rows of condemned buildings, dirty alleys, and overflowing gutters.

He was also pretty sure he’d just passed a drug deal, but Danny was careful not to look too closely. Sure, he couldn’t really be killed if he attracted too much attention, not by something as basic as a gun or knife, but he’d just gotten this hoodie. He didn’t really want to get blood on it.

He also didn’t really want to risk getting caught in his apartments laundry room trying to get that much blood out of something. His was pretty sure neighbors already thought he was was a little shady.

That happened when someone woke up screaming a lot, he guessed.

But the drug deals and run down infrastructure didn’t explain how off Danny felt. The longer that Danny was in the haunt, the more that it felt like his core was roiling. Like something inside it was bubbling up and if he didn’t force it back down it would consume him. It scared him.

Worse, it made him angry.

Danny was more than half worried that if he ran into the other halfa now, he would just punch the other ghost. He may have zoned out on a lot of the princess’ lesson, but he was pretty that was not the right etiquette for anything other than starting a turf war.

Hoping to avoid another battle, Danny made his way as quickly as he could out of the haunt. He could do his shopping somewhere else. The edges of the haunt were surprisingly defined. From one side of the street to the next it was like Danny had jumped into a pool of ice cold water.

All of the fear—

All of anger—

All of the oppressing, consuming hate that he had been feeling were just… gone. Just like that.

Yep. Danny really need to get that ‘please don’t disembowel me’ gift and get the fuck out of here before he ran into the other halfa.

Maybe he could even gift some things to help the other unwind, because boy did the other halfa need to. It’s not like scented candles or chocolate would actually save a soul, but who didn’t like a nice relaxing bathbomb and something nice to eat? Right?

It took longer than Danny expected to find the right sort of store, but it turned out to have almost everything he needed. Bathbombs? Check. One had a nice, warm scent to it: amber and sandlewood and smoke and the other was a nice simple citrus. He figured that range covered the bases. There was even a little basket he could buy and, when he mentioned it was a gift, the staff gave him a small, simple card to write his message on. He filled it out there in the store and tuck into the basket the clerk had done up with a little crinkle cut and a craft paper bow.

On the way back he stopped at the sweet shop he had passed and added a little box of truffles to the basket. For a quick gift he thought it actually looked really nice. If he hadn’t been in a rush he might have done one up for Jazz too. Ancients knew she needed to relax a little more.

As it was, he found another alley to tuck into and transformed back to his ghost form. As soon as he dropped off the gift, he planed to get the hell out of there as quickly as possible. He didn’t want to risk a delay of transforming and running into the other halfa in his mortal form.

Flying back, he went against everything is gut told him and flew deeper and deeper into haunt. The fear and the anger came back quickly, churning in his core, but the more that Danny followed the feeling to the center of the haunt there was something added to it.

There was sadness.

A deep, soul consuming sadness. It made Danny want to flee for a whole different reason; it was a feeling that he knew too well. Pushing his trepidation aside, Danny pressed on and slipped through the wall to stand in front of the door to what he was sure was the other halfa’s apartment. This was the most concentrated part of the haunt at least.

Danny chewed on his lip as he stared at the door. For some reason, now that he was standing in front of the apartment, he was nervous about leaving the gift. He shook himself out of it, quickly set the basket down at the door, and fled. At least it was done.

-----

“Sorry for intruding on your haunt! Total accident. Please don’t disembowel me. Sorry again,” Dick read off the card that had been tucked into the gift basket.

This brings us to the end of Ch. 1 and the very first line of Ch. 2. My apologies for any mistakes, I've had a migraine for about a month now.

Tag list: @fisticuffsatapplebees | @thegatorsgoose | @wolfeyedwitch | @lazy-bouqet

[athina-blaine]

kb/ms is truly transcendental yaoi, spectacular, amazing, 10/10, no notes ... from the perspective of a mithrun enjoyer

as a kabru enjoyer, however...

I'll start off by saying that of course Kabru doesn't want or need a romantic relationship to be fulfilled, especially not with a white man, none of them do, it's all non-canon, Dungeon Meshi isn't about romance or shipping, yes yes yes, but none of us are here for that right now!! We're here to fruitlessly argue why my blorbos kissing makes more sense than your blorbos kissing!! You know it, I know it, none of us are free of cringe!! Clown on clown violence!!

That being said ... 🤡

I just don't see what Kabru gets out of kb/ms. With Mithrun, it makes sense; Kabru has a huge impact on him and ultimately helps him reaffirm his will to live. That's very exquisite drama and excellent character writing. But with Kabru, I just don't feel that Mithrun's character interacts with his personal flaws and would instigate his growth anywhere close to the same degree. I have to imagine most fics involving them focus more on Mithrun's baggage and how Kabru helps him heal from that ... because that's mostly all that happens between them in the main story, lol!

And like, that makes sense, because ultimately chapters 61-62 aren't about Kabru and Mithrun; they're about Kabru working through his conflicted feelings in helping Laios conquer the dungeon. I think it's ironic seeing people complain about kb/ms having Kabru be Mithrun's accessory when, if anything, Mithrun's main narrative purpose, outside of illustrating the danger of the Winged Lion, is to serve as Kabru's obstacle. I'd even argue Mithrun represents Kabru's personal bad ending; Mithrun wants him to kill Laios and surrender the dungeon to the canaries, preventing the short-lived races from ever understanding how dungeons function and returning to the status quo that had gotten Utaya destroyed. It's only when Laios practically forces Kabru, straight up puts his thumbs to the screws, to work past his reticence and be emotionally vulnerable that Kabru finally puts himself on the right path to achieve his goals (it's, uh, still a bit of a bumpy ride, but they get there in the end, lol!). If he'd been this way with Laios from the beginning, he might have understood Laios' intentions from the start and saved himself a lot of pain, but it's only because of Laios' influence that Kabru is able to grow as a character and get his happy ending.

(And even if one were a Mithrun enjoyer, ultimately the main source of Mithrun's life affirmation comes from the canaries. In that final scene, Kabru gets the ball rolling because he's outside of the canary hierarchy, but the scene ends with Mithrun being embraced by the canaries and as far as I'm aware the two don't interact with or reference each other post canon at all. Hell, it's Senshi who really drives the point home. Not that it matters when we're all wearing shipping goggles here, but it felt remiss not to mention it.)

At most, I can see how taking care of Mithrun would force Kabru to reexamine how poorly he takes care of his own body and that could make for some good drama. But even then, that change is ultimately instigated by Laios' influence on him, an extension of how Kabru wants to understand how Laios can see the value in monsters in an attempt to better understand his own trauma. If a person were to get into Dungeon Meshi specifically for Kabru and wanted to ship him with someone in a way that's most interesting for him, I'd be hard-pressed to argue there's a better choice than Laios (although who'd be cringe enough to do something like that haha right guys ... [sweating])

(Side note, though, I really don't vibe with the argument that kb/ms "reduces Kabru to a caretaker role" and that's why it's bad. There's plenty of instances where Kabru shoulders his friends' burdens (helps Kuro learn common tongue, listens to Daya's fiance about his relationship troubles, etc) and, more importantly, is seemingly happy to do so. I think Kabru genuinely enjoys looking after his friends and in the story seems to find plenty of personal satisfaction getting Mithrun to eat. I understand it has the potential to be more troubling considering Kabru is a brown man and Mithrun is a white man, but idk, it just feels on the same level as people trying to discount labru by saying Laios wouldn't take enough of an interest in people to want to start a romantic relationship, when his whole thing is that he does want to connect with people and just feels like he can't. It's not a bone I feel like picking, haha)

I honesty don't mind characters being "mischaracterized" in fandom or fic even to a large degree, I know it bugs a lot of people but I respect that ultimately fandom is little more than picking up the vague outline of a doll and playing with it and mashing their faces together. Besides, if I'm really worked up about it I can just write a fic and set the record straight myself, haha. This post is merely inspired by the supremely annoying subsection of twitter that acts like labru is the ship where it's just two dudes sitting in a room together. I'm just saying, Kabru ends the series whispering into the ear of another man as his day job and it's not Mithrun lmao

[ijwrsmff]

What's Wrong?-Law x Reader (Appendicitis)

A couple people requested this on my archive, while requests were open, so here's this! I don't really know what trigger warnings to use for this? So just in case.

Tw: reader in pain, medical procedure, reader has a fear of needles.

It started off harmless enough, but it just seemed to keep getting worse…what began with cramping along your mid stomach, has expanded and gotten more painful. It wasn’t too bad, to begin with. You brushed it off as a strained muscle from a fight, but your suspicions it was something more serious was nagging at your mind. The pain was becoming unbearable, but you tried to hide it…especially from your boyfriend. 

You knew it wouldn’t be easy, seeing as he was the submarine’s doctor. He had pushed, making sure you were safe after every fight. Law immediately knew something was up, when you barely said a word after the fight and went straight to your own room. You had almost always stayed in his room, you should have known he’d pick up on that. He did tend to be overly observant. 

There wasn’t even a knock on the door, he just walked in to see you laying on your bed. He walked up to it and crossed his arms with a cocked eyebrow. “You gonna tell me what’s wrong now?” Straight to the point as always. “You’ve been acting differently. Not spending as much time with me or the crew, and you seem to be distracted during our most recent fights.” 

You gulped and sat up in bed, trying your hardest not to wince. “Just…feeling a little tired…is all…” It was a terrible lie, and you both knew it. You tried to back it up by continuing, “Not really feeling up for fighting, it’s no big deal! I probably just have a cold or something!” While smiling at him, you tried not to look at his face. Another clear sign you were straight up lying to him. 

“Uh huh…” He walked forward, closer to you and you leaned back. “Then you should have come to me. Even though that’s not the case.” He reached a hand to your forehead, “Hm…you do actually have a bit of a fever though.” He felt around your neck, and didn’t seem to find anything swollen. “Still, you’re coming to my office. Let’s go.” He turned to walk, and he fully turned back when you didn’t go to follow him. 

“N-No it’s okay! I’m fine!” You gulped, knowing he probably wouldn’t drop it this time. He could be so stubborn…you loved him a lot though. Your love for him made you feel bad for hiding your pain from him, but what if he had to give you a shot? Or IV? That fear triumphed in your mind. “I just need some rest is all!” He glared, and you realized your mistake. He didn’t like when people claimed to know better about their health than him. 

“Come on.” He walked back to you, and went to pick you up but the sudden movement caused a sharp pain to shoot through your abdomen. You practically screamed, not expecting it at all. Even Law looked surprised, and he let go instantly. You could tell by that look in his eyes, that his “doctor mode” was already activated. 

“What’s wrong? Clearly it’s more serious than some cold. You don’t even hardly scream like that when wounded in battle.” He looked you over as much as he could without touching you again. He didn’t see any clear signs of injury, and there was a distinctive lack of blood on you or your clothes. “Lay down.” He was much more careful this time, and aided you into a laying down position. 

You looked sheepish, and embarrassed when being caught. “I just…no needles. You gotta promise me that…” You tried to relax, but the pain was throbbing at this point. He felt around your neck, down to over your heart and he stopped there. 

“Your pulse…it’s escalated substantially.” He continued, and lifted up your shirt slightly to put pressure on different places on your stomach. He didn’t even promise not to use needles, and continued, “I can’t promise that. Not until I know what’s wrong.” Once the pressure went over your lower abdomen, you hissed, which had his eyes shoot up to your face to gauge it. “Shit…” He muttered, and you could see a battle in his eyes. 

“Shit? What? Is it bad?” Your fear spiked, and you tried to wriggle out of his grasp but he held you firmly in place. “Law?” His eyes were a mixture of fear and irritation. Either at you, or whatever was causing your pain. You weren’t sure which one would be more ideal in this situation. Whichever it was, you didn’t want to be in more pain like this for a longer period of time. 

“It’s your appendix. They’re close to bursting, and that can be fatal. I have to get them out. NOW.” He waved his hand, and the room appeared. “Stay still or this’ll hurt.” He was completely focused now, hand drifting across your abdomen until reaching where he knew they were. “Take a deep breath in…” You did as instructed, and you closed your eyes in preparation of the pain.

It didn’t come, and when you opened your eyes he was standing above you, examining your appendix that he held in his hand. He turned to glare at you. “Do you know how serious this is? You could have DIED. Understand?” His eyes softened when you looked at him with guilt written on your face. “Look…just come to me next time. And every time after that. I…I know you’re scared of needles, but it’s better than how much pain this must have caused.” 

“I’m sorry…” It was all you could say, and you rubbed at your abdomen instinctively. It was definitely still sore, but after he took them out it was already better. Not perfect, still…but better. “I know I shouldn’t hide things from you…in my defense I didn’t know how bad it could get.” You reached over and took his hand, and he gave a small smile for a moment before going back to his usual neutral look. 

“We can work it out. Just tell me your symptoms as they happen. I can give you an answer for almost anything.” He sighed, and rubbed the back of your hand as he sat next to you. “I won’t even use needles if I can help it.” He wanted to say those words, but he was rarely the first to initiate it. But his words made the message clear. Even if he didn’t say it often, you knew. 

“I love you too, Law.” 

[gabessquishytum]

Omega!Dream is scared of ruts. When he was young he got very shitty/ sexist sex education and was always told that alphas in rut are uncontrollable and brutal- mindless animals who just want to fuck the nearest warm hole whether you like it or not, and would definitely break a pretty young omega like Dream. Dream grows up thinking there’s nothing more dangerous than an alpha in rut.

Now years later, he’s 18, finally gotten away from his family and is living his own life. He even has an older alpha boyfriend who takes such good care of him. Hob is so kind and good to him, and the sex has been great, as far as Dream is concerned everything is perfect.

Then Hob mentions off-handedly that his rut is coming up and Dream nearly faints. He had totally forgotten about that, and all his old fears come rushing back. Hob is a lot bigger and stronger than him, he could probably break Dream in half!! Hob is usually so careful with him but Dream is positive all of that will go out the window once his rut hits.

But… Hob is his partner. He can’t leave him alone for it, and it’s not like it’d be Hob’s fault if he hurt him. As his omega it’s his duty to take care of his alpha during his rut, right? Even if his legs are shaking all the way to the bedroom. (Hob tried to talk to him about why he was so nervous, but Dream was tight lipped, and so Hob assumed it was just some residual anxiety about sharing a rut with someone for the first time. He knows it’s a big deal to some people.)

So they’re in bed, cuddled up together, Hob’s temperature slowly rising and Dream trying not to tremble with fear. Then Hob gets hard… and starts begging.

Dream is stunned silent as Hob asks- begs, pleads- for Dream to touch him, for Hob to taste his slick, to knot Dream and make him feel good. He starts humping at Dream and nuzzling his scent glands, but doesn’t go any farther since Dream hasn’t answered. He whines, burying his nose in Dream’s neck as he starts jerking himself off. He’s a little teary eyed, and obviously desperate, but he never gets mad or pushy with Dream. Just begs in between babbling about how good Dream smells and how perfect he is.

So Dream hesitantly reaches out, starts touching Hob and when he hears his boyfriend moan he finds his confidence growing quickly. It’s not actually that different than when they normally have sex, other than Hob being more flushed and desperate. As the night continues, Dream actually finds himself feeling strangely… powerful. Hob is a whining drooling mess, fully losing himself to pleasure and hormones, and yet Dream still has him wrapped around his finger. If Dream says ‘stop’ Hob absolutely freezes. If Dream says ‘come’ Hob slurs out a thank you. He’s so good for Dream the whole time, and Dream is surprisingly able to lose himself in his own pleasure, too.

Days later, when they’re both fucked out and Hob’s head has cleared, they’ll take a bath together and Dream will shyly ask about how ruts work- after all, maybe this was a fluke, or it’s just a Hob thing? (It’s not, and Hob feels so so bad that Dream had been scared, but they reassure each other and talk through it. And Dream is already excited for Hob’s next rut.)

-🦇

I love love love submissive and gentle alphas and this is so cute!!!!

I love the idea of Dream getting more confident as he experiences more of Hob’s ruts. With encouragement and practice he's really able to help Hob through them by taking on a more dominant role, which honestly feels so good! The best part is that Hob obviously loves it - he totally melts when Dream praises him, gives him orders, rewards his good behaviour and even takes care of him by keeping him clean and hydrated. Hob is feeling so fulfilled, he even tells Dream that he's never had a better rutting experience in his whole life. It's great for Dream’s self esteem, and it brings them closer together.

Dream even learns that Hob actually gets a big craving to be fucked during his ruts (particularly when he's oversensitive from knotting so many times). Dream is shocked but only too pleased to buy a strap-on so he can give his alpha exactly what he needs. Hob is so good, he deserves the nicest things. And while it's a little sad that Dream’s sex education was SO bad, he's very very pleased that it was all bullshit and that he'll never have to fear his sweet alpha's rut ever again <3

[woodandwaxwings]

Can I request yandere Peter Pan and the lost boys (poly) x male reader? It’s cool if not! (:

sure thing :) since most of the lost boys are really young children I decided to do headcannons for Peter and Felix individually cause I've had a lot going on these past two weeks emotionally so when I have more energy I'll do an actual oneshot for this ask

Warnings: Yandere obvi

Starting with peter, he'd be the type of yandere to make it very clear to his darling that they're his.

If you came to the island with a friend, yeah, they're dead.

nobody can go near you, but the longer you stay on the island the more he'll trust you. But trusting you doesn't matter because it's the lost boys who are eternally stuck in puberty that he doesn't trust.

HATES physical affection but will not hesitate to fully make out in front of a lost boy so they'll leave you alone

he's chill(er) with you hanging out with the younger lost boys between like 6-12 after that it's free target practice.

after about a month he gets more comfortable with Felix being around you, but not without ripping his heart out and threatening him first.

says ily before you even start dating

if you choose to go the monogamous route and Felix isn't attracted to you, then you'd end up hanging out with the blonde more than the man who set his eyes on you, but that'll be purely bc with Felix you can talk to the other lost boys without worrying he'll snitch.

and boy does that piss peter off. you're supposed to be HIS so what are you doing spending more time with the second in command than the man who took you in?

are you not grateful for his protection and undying love? of course, over time you are but he needs to ensure he's gotten his message across.

so like any good boyfriend you didn't agree to date, he stabs his competition and leaves him on the beach to die. Of course, the other lost boys saved him but now you understood.

you understood that no one would go as far for you as him. nobody can be trusted but him.

if you go the poly route he's 10x more defensive not just of you but of Felix. It took a lot of effort to share you and he's not going to spread his feelings further.

At first, it started out as a competition, you obviously fell for Felix first considering he's better at masking his psychopathy compared to Peter

It took some time but Felix convinced you to give pan a chance.

happiest day of his life

he's down bad I'm telling you

leaves hickeys to mark his territory. doesn't matter if he was prompted or not he'll just come up to you, loop his arms around your waist and get to work

despite being over a century younger than Peter I believe Felix is 110 times better at hiding his obsession

once you realized that Felix was equally as crazy as Pan you were already in too deep

big spoon so you don't run away

he enjoys pissing you off a bit too much

very much a passive yandere

unlike pan it'll take a bit of provoking for him to act out, whereas pan if you look at him the wrong way he'll gut you

will not let you leave his side EVER

loves playing with your hair. he's sitting on a long combing his fingers through your hair in front of the fire while he glares at Peter ogling his darling, this happens quite frequently

I think Felix leaves bite marks rather than hickeys, like, 'he let me do this to him and you think you can lay a hand on him? nah'

loves physical contact and Holding hands is a must.

irl guard dog

[gemini-sensei]

You have a point! The fight totally wouldn't happen! Along with that, Demetri also wouldn't out Eli's medical issue. Like a ton of shit would be avoided if they all decided to chill out lol

I also love how well you know Yasmine! I definitely think she'd gravitate towards the "ew" perspective of pregnancy LOL but also I can see her telling Kyler to go die if he's ever mean to the sweet pregnant girl again 😭 Yasmine and Moon would definitely spoil that baby though, and who wouldn't? She'd have big blue eyes and gorgeous brown curls 🥹

I wonder how the CK people would find their way from Kreese & Silver this time, though? Maybe Aisha, Sam, and Reader find their way back to being friends again and she brings Tory around bc everyone very highkey wants to see the baby??

I think Tory, without all that romantic jealousy, would be really open to a more peaceful perspective. Like she see's Sam and is PISSED but then she notices that Sam and Robby are completely infatuated with each other, and ofc Miguel has been over her for months. And also there is just a cute baby being handed around, so she can't be all that mad??

Maybe she meets the LaRusso family and sees how kind they are- maybe she's complaining about her shithole job and Mr. LaRusso decides to give her a nice paying internship (because he's trying to be better with second chances and he can tell that she really needs it) and Aisha and Tory kind of usher in this change for the rest of the Cobras?

Ugh I love slice of life where everything goes well LOL sorry 🫶🏽

Thank you for letting me think about this for so long :) - 🌼

Sorry this took a few days to get to. I've not been sleeping well. But omg this is amazing. I still absolutely love this and you make so many great points. Also, I couldn't think of a name for the baby, so she's lovingly referred to as Babygirl so y'all came fill in with whatever name ya want 💗

All the things that wouldn't happen would mean the whole trajectory of the show would change up a bit. However, I think Kreese would still be a manipulative shit and manage to keep ahold of Miguel, Tory, and the other Cobras for a while. Aisha, not so much but she stays in CK but just doesn't take a lot of Kreese's lessons to heart.

While Reader and Eli aren't in school, getting used to having a newborn around and such, the karate drama has some time to get bad. It would get bad. With Kreese instigating a lot from his end, the Cobras would start some bullshit with the Miyagi-Dos (the school rules wouldn't have been changed so there's a lot more freedom for stuff to just happen and it be played off as a joke or some karate practice). It's a hot mess.

Meanwhile, Reader and Eli are at home with their precious baby girl who is just too cute to even comprehend. Reader never wants to leave her side and Eli never wants to leave their side. It's so adorable, they're adorable. They are such a cute family.

The first few days, Daniel and Amanda rotated staying home with them to help out, especially since Reader literally just gave birth and needs to rest. However, over time, they leave the new family to figure things out on their own when both her parents have to go to work. Eli practically lives at the LaRusso house now because he'll be damned if he leaves his little family ever. He's so sad when he has to go back to school because why would he do that? Why does he have to do that? But ever the diligent student, Eli caves and goes to school, only to learn shit with Cobra Kai has gotten bad and in all honesty, he'd forgotten about the dojo war. Of course, he did, he has a new baby at home and a girlfriend who literally just gave birth. He has better things to worry about, but he doesn't mind putting some Cobra bullies in their place while he's at school.

Sam, Moon, and Yasmine love the baby. She's just too cute not to love. Yasmine won't hold her because she's probably never held a baby in her life and the thought terrifies her. She will buy so many cute outfits for the baby girl though. She's so happy it's a girl because she buys little dresses that she'll have to grow into and other little outfits. Yasmine also buys matching outfits for Reader and Babygirl to wear because that's "so cute." Moon buys all sorts of stuff, from toys to baby books about the environment. She probably helped design the nursery with Sam in all honesty. And Sam just wants to hold her niece as much as possible. She loves being an aunt and rocking the little one. She literally gets up in the middle of the night if Babygirl is crying to take care of her because she loves her so much and her sister needs some sleep.

And while those three definitely spoil the baby, Daniel outshines them in that category in all honesty. Sure, there are some leftover toys and furniture from when Sam, Reader, and Anthony were babies, but he goes all out and buys his first grandbaby new toys and a crib because he thinks she deserves it. He and Eli put the whole nursery together, asking himself why Sam and Moon were bossing them around and telling them where to put everything. He is hard-pressed to put Babygirl down when he holds her because "no one loves her more than grandpa." He was buying so much, Amanda had to sit him down and tell him so stop because this is insanity; they didn't even spend as much on their own kids when one of them was born. He pouts about it as he's put on a limit but is still thinking about the next thing he's going to buy his granddaughter.

When Reader returns to school with her newborn, she gets to see firsthand what a shit show it's become, at least when it comes to her sister and their friends. Everyone else is pretty chill. A ton of people wanna meet the baby and she's kind to them and talks to them about how their older siblings have kids or they have baby cousins. It's a warm welcome.

As she gets used to going to school with Babygirl, her friends are right by her side. Eli or Sam had done a lot of her schoolwork she was missing, going back to teach it to her when she wasn't feeding Babygirl or sleeping. But now she has to start doing things on her own again, not that those two still aren't trying to help her. She refuses their offers to do her homework for her because she really does have to do it on her own. So, they just help with whatever else they can, and the same goes for the rest of their friends. Demetri pitches in to explain anything Reader needs help with in a subject he's superb in; Robby takes on his uncle role at school and does whatever Reader needs (usually Robby just wants to carry the diaper bag because he's still getting used to the baby, he's also a little awkward around babies and young children); Yasmine is moral support while Moon will happily take Babygirl off Reader's hands during her free period.

Their attention is completely diverted from CK and they ignore the opposing dojo a lot better with Babygirl around. The Cobras take notice and kind of don't do anything at school or when Reader is around. To cause violence or spit volatile words at the group when there's a baby around kind of goes way past what some of them are willing to do. Unless you're an idiot like Kyler, who doesn't care who is around or why it's wrong, because he's always right in his opinion.

This is when Aisha would start to come around again and Reader and Sam are very receptive to her presence. Reader would be so excited to introduce her baby girl to her longtime friend. Aisha gets to hold her and tells her how awesome her mom is. It really helps their friendship, which Reader never thought of as broken, just lost. Sam is so excited, she's taking pictures of everything as it happens. She's gonna turn into her dad with scrapbooks and photo albums, I swear.

As they start hanging out more, Aisha gets a lot of questions from the Cobras, mostly Tory and Miguel. Tory doesn't want to seem so interested in whatever the other dojo is doing but she really doesn't have a reason to be mad. Miguel hasn't mentioned Sam or the others in months, so really all she has to be mad at Sam for is being uppity and accusing her of stealing, which is so far in the past now it's barely a memory to either of them. So they're watching from afar as their supposed rivals and former friends all fuss over this adorable little baby.

Aisha finally asks if they want her to ask if it's okay if they hangout with them one night because they're gonna have a study/movie night (something they do to help the new parents get through school and relax a little). Tory and Miguel aren't entirely sure but Aisha asks anyway. At first, the MDs are a little apprehensive, but Reader is all for it. She happily says, "Sure, why not? They don't seem all that bad."

Eli is on edge because this is his former best friend Miguel and his girlfriend Tory who swore to hate them. He sits beside Reader the whole night and barely gets anything done because he's so worried about this being some scheme of CK's to get back at them for just being a rival dojo. However, as the evening goes on, he relaxes as they don't say or do anything malicious or scheming. Miguel is gushing over the baby and Tory is laidback with a smile as she watches him melt into the sappy guy she knows he is (because in CK under Kreese, he'd be a tough guy with a hard exterior). It's a nice change of pace for everyone.

In the middle of their study session, Daniel and Amanda come home and meet Miguel and Tory. They recognize Miguel from the AVT but Tory is pretty much new to them. They're welcoming because even though they are Cobras, Daniel sees the look Sam is giving him while Reader is cooing at Babygirl. He knows better than to say something to either of them even though he doesn't want any part of Cobra Kai in his home (sans Johnny who is trying to rebuild his relationship with Robby, who refuses to live with him and is still sleeping in the home dojo). Amanda walks away saying she'll order pizza for everyone and it's a great night for everyone.

Tory blows off her homework in favor of complaining about work and hating her job. She's tired of her boss being a creep and at hearing this, Miguel gets super protective and looks so mean. His Cobra is showing but she tells him to calm down because he knows she can take care of himself. He's still a little mad though because he just doesn't like hearing that women get treated badly by creepy bosses, especially his girlfriend. Reader suggests finding another job but Tory explains that it's not that easy because everyone wants something different from her.

Daniel can't help but overhear the conversation but doesn't do anything about it that night. He lets the teens enjoy their movie and pizza after their homework, the first movie a kids movie for Babygirl before Reader puts her to sleep upstairs and then they watch a movie everyone wants to watch.

The next time Tory comes over, he offers her that internship with pay. He talked about it with his daughters first, asking their opinion and if they'd be okay if Tory came to work for him. They were okay with it and he offers the position to Tory, who takes it only after asking a ton of questions - like if Reader put him up to this. He explains that this was all him and that everyone deserves to have second chances, then adds in how Eli works for him half-time to build workplace experience and give him some money to put away for other expenses down the line. The next week, Tory is wearing a nice dress and working under Amanda only to realize she doesn't like it that much and asks to be put in the shop where she can actually do something (mechanic!Tory anyone?). Daniel doesn't mind going in and working on cars with her and it's actually really nice, and he promises her that if anyone is creepy toward her, he'd beat them up himself before firing them.

It wouldn't be long after that, Miguel and Tory leave Cobra Kai with Aisha. They would start to see some things that just weren't right, and especially hearing some stories about Kreese from Daniel and Johnny. They'd apologize to Johnny for not listening to him and thinking he didn't know what he was talking about. They probably take a step back from karate for a bit until Aisha suggests they all join Miyagi-Do. It would be a welcome change for the teens and they'd happily do it.

Behind all the slice-of-life cuteness and warmth, Kreese is still building up Cobra Kai to his image of former glory. He'll still have people like Kyler and loyal Cobras under his thumb, and use his manipulation to recruit more students and later Terry Silver. A baby can bring a lot of people together but he swears it won't stop him. So what if that baby girl took away his best students? If they were persuaded by a baby, then they weren't strong enough to be in Cobra Kai anyway. So, unfortunately, Babygirl won't be enough to stop this all-out karate war...

[imraespace]

LIFE'S HARD WHEN YOU'RE INLOVE ─

─ WITH RIN ITOSHI !!

━ 5:00 AM

Reo might think it's a miracle! You're up at 5:00 AM? Woah!

Your sleep consists of a total of 8 hours, plus whatever extra time you have. But today you sacrificed ONE hour, isn't that weird. WHY ARE YOU UP?

Yeah, you asked yourself that quite a lot this morning, staring at the ceiling for quite a bit until you got up, gave Choki your morning talk, and then grabbed the book.

For the first time, you're actually going to read it! And not analyze it for "love".

For some reason, you've felt more.. alive? Normally you always felt like, just there. You're alive and living, just there. But ever since these weird heart condition moments, uncontrollable eyes that always landed on this boy. Why did he change your life? Why does it make your life feel so.. pink? Before it was just gray.

This mysterious boy somehow gave a bit of light to your gray life.

Why? You just don't understand it, but you kinda like it. What would happen if you spoke to him? Now that might make your heart condition worse, your eyes might roll out your head and kaboom! Your brain explodes.

Yeah, maybe not speak to him, but sometimes you fantasize about it a bit.

Mysterious boy, what will you do?

You sighed at your thoughts and just read the book. The book that started it all.

Achoo!

The poor boy rubbed his nose. Is it the cold weather, or is someone thinking about him?

Rin Itoshi ignored it though. The big day was soon, in 24 hours he would be on that field in front of a bunch of eyes, proving that he could be the best out there. Proving to his brother how much better he's gotten. To prove to him that he can destroy him.

So that's why, at 5:00 AM for this whole week Rin Itoshi started his day off with a morning jog, then began his practicing.

He doesn't have time for "breaks". So why the hell does Isagi Yoichi not get the hint to stop with these silly notes.

If looks could burn, the crumbled-up paper would burn away right in his hand.

Rin had decided that to not throw away these notes, rather keep them for Isagi, before the big game to ask him what is his problem.

Rin always gave him weird looks when the team but Isagi never really got the hint. Isagi thought it was normal for him.

I mean it's Rin..

He sighed at the memories and thoughts and began is morning jog, stuffing the notes in his bag.

Rin's jog lasts about an hour, then after the jog, he makes his way back home to bathe and get ready for school.

He doesn't really communicate with anyone at home, maybe greets his parents for the morning, completely ignoring his brother as normal.

Sae and Rin attend different schools simply because, before he came back to Japan, he looked at schools who had a great football team. Obviously, to no one surprise, it was a school that Rin doesn't attend.

The brothers don't communicate, not ever. Even being in the same household it's like the other one isn't there. They completely blanked each other out of their mind.

In Rin's world, only he exists. No one else.

So of course, at 7:21 AM he didn't notice the girl from afar whose eyes had uncontrollably landed on him. Hm, at least he made it to school.

As soon as your friends entered the classroom, they met you reading a book.

Meguru was the first to run up to you, snatching the book out of your hand.

A sigh left your lips, as you tried to grab it back.

"Ooou! If there’s a way to put an end to these feelings that burst into my world, then I don’t want to know it. Woah!" Meguru read out loud

"MEGURU GIMMIE BACK MY BOOK!" You yelled, trying to snatch it back. He ran back towards Yoichi, who was still at the door.

He sighed as Meguru tried to hide behind him, with you in front of him.

At least he's getting a free hug? Seems like this is an everyday routine with his friends. Though, he felt bad for you so he got back your book for you.

"Hey! I was reading that!" Meguru argued. He ignored the boy behind him and gave back the book to its rightful owner, you.

"Thank you, Yoichi." You said, giving him a hug, with one hand, the other hand held the book.

Meguru came out from behind the boy and made his way towards you but you thought faster, hugging the book. That's your no-no zone! Meguru can't touch there.

He formed a pout, accepting his defeat.

Your three made it to your desks. The classroom wasn't filled as yet, only person being there was the boy. Of course, you didn't notice him, too in your book.

When Meguru and Yoichi entered the classroom, such things as other students in the classroom weren't on your mind. But then you noticed that he was indeed in the classroom when Yoichi.. called him..

You sat at your desk, witnessing the interaction between the boys. All that's on your mind was that he saw you, and heard you. Embarrassing? Yes.

That means originally, you were alone in this classroom with him.. and you didn't even notice.

Completely blanking out of the conversation, you stared at your desk trying to hide your blush.

What a morning!

Rin on the other hand, he noticed you only because of your loud mouth, nothing else. He was listening to music on his phone, but he paused it to look at a video. In doing so, between the pause he heard you. That's all.

And right now, he found it strange that now you're as quiet as a mouse. Not his problem though. They were talking about football anyway, your knowledge of that topic is about zero percent he's sure.

━ 12:31 PM

"Y/N!" A familiar voice called out to you.

It was Hyoma!

"Hyoma, hi!" He ran up to you with a scrunchie.

You suddenly got the memo. Of course, he would let you touch his hair. You always played in it anyways.

"I would love to tie your hair up for you Hyo but you're a bit tall as of right now." You stated.

Normally, he would be sitting but you both are in the middle of the hall. Then an idea popped into your mind.

"Wait lemme get on you."

"What."

"On your back, duh." You clarified.

"Oh." He answered back.

Hyoma turned around, and got a bit low for you as you hopped on him.

He gave you the scrunchie and you got to work. of course, both of you know that he himself can tie his own hair but who are you to turn down an opportunity to get your hands in his hair? and who would he be to turn down an opportunity to have you in his hair again?

You both may look silly in the hall but happy smiles were plastered on your faces.

"Chigiri? I didn't know you had your own personal hairstylist. Stylish." A male with REALLY LONG HAIR passed by and commented.

Woah, you're jealous of it.

"He's your friend Hyo?" You asked him.

"Yeah, he's on the team." He answered back.

A surprised look found its way onto your face after hearing that. Someone like him should be a model..

You finished up with your friend's hair, the model on the other hand was admiring your work.

"I say, this hairstyle is quite stylish." He commented as you came off Hyoma's back.

"Thank you, kind sir!" You said, giggling at your own joke.

The male held his hand up to his chest, showing off his painted nails, and began speaking.

"My name is Jyubei Aryu, what yours might be?" Aryu asked.

You copied his actions in a friendly manner and introduced yourself.

"Very nice to meet you Aryu! My name is Y/N L/N."

"Quite nice to meet you as well. The ways in which your hands styled Chigiri's hair were amazing, do tell me your secret, L/N."

"Erm, Of course, sir!" You.. told him. You don't know how to communicate with him.

"Aryu I think it's time for practice now." Hyoma brought up.

Aryu nodded at his words and began to walk away, leaving behind sparkles in his trail. Wow..

"Bye Hyoma!" You exclaimed, hugging him for a bit before, walking away.

Either that team is secretly a model agency or everyone there looks like models.

They are also very much tall. It's kinda scary, you almost broke your neck looking up to that Aryu guy. How tall is he?

Now, you're kinda excited to see this match tomorrow.

## LIFE'S HARD WHEN YOU'RE INLOVE. --

╴“ WITH RIN ITOSHI?? „

ฅ^._.^ฅ : some things about y/n !! she mostly sleeps through the day, only does stuff IF needed !! with her given gift of being effortlessly smart , all she does in her free time is : nap , eat , sleep. hmm what if.. one day y/n develops a crush and now has to ACTUALLY work to achieve a goal ? : date rin itoshi !!

7 // 9

TAGLIST: @deezy12299 @kuroronana @khoiyyu @swagkittybear @shidousprincess @starbarfbunni @jealovsie (OPEN)

! if you didn't get tag, that means your acc didn't show up :(

-`♥︎´- for this story, i'm trying a something new, which includes words/phrases, foods and hometowns from japan and germany. if there's any errors please point it out !

-`♥︎´- word count : 1.4K

[heesdreamer]

SILENCED (2)

MASTERLIST

GENRE ➩ enhypen zombie apocalypse au!

SUMMARY ➩ navigating life 1 year post end of the world was already difficult as you avoided rotting corpses with hefty appetites and groups with various bad intentions. things get harder when you run into a group of survivors, 7 boys who make it impossible to run away.

WC ➩ 5k

WARNINGS ➩ everything the zombie apocalypse could bring lol, gore, mentions of death and injuries and lots of talk abt starvation and hunger this time around

AUTHORS NOTE ➩ this is a really short update but it was starting to bug me the longer it sat in my notes so i hope short is better than nothing. not proofread as always

Even small trips weren’t easy in the apocalypse. Runs to grocery stores could be the last thing you ever do and getting a few hours away could take weeks as you navigated rocky terrains and avoided uncrossable areas.

Transportation was something you’d taken for granted back then before the world had fallen apart.

You can remember tapping your foot impatiently against the subway station floor, arms crossed as you huffed and checked your watch for the umpteenth time. Maybe you were running late for school or you had just gotten off of work and wanted to get home fast so you could eat something.

Thinking about this now you felt utterly ridiculous, spoiled and sheltered from how good you truly had things.

But it wasn’t you alone who had these trivial problems and you considered that too as you walked with the group of boys, trailing behind a few feet but never left unattended considering they kept looking back to make sure you hadn’t disappeared into the woods at some point.

You wondered if you’d ever been somewhere at the same time as them. Seoul was big but it wasn’t spacious enough that this was totally an impossible thing to have happened. Maybe they’d been on the same train as you at some point, leaving school together and crowding around each other as they pulled playing cards.

It wasn’t a complete far fetched idea that you could have passed Jungwon on a crowded street when you went to get lunch or narrowly missed Heeseung as he rushed to an appointment he was late too.

You didn’t like to think about them like this, as people who all had lives and families before this all happened. You didn’t even like to think of yourself this way, chest tightening with the reminder of how much you’ve lost as this world changed.

It’d been days now since the camp had gotten overrun and you’d practically spent the last 72 hours straight doing nothing but walking. The straightest route to your destination hadn’t been safe enough to travel through, adding even more time onto the walk.

Most of it had been quiet, only hearing the boys speak in hushed whispers to each other every so often. It was hard to hold a conversation when you were all exhausted and hungry, running on autopilot and the fear filled adrenaline that built up every time the sun started to set.

Heeseung had been the quietest of everybody and he barely looked at the rest of you, his gaze sharp and focused as he continually scanned the surrounding areas. You thought back to your talk, the responsibility he held on his shoulders and you felt troubled for him now that such a major setback had occurred, now that their only home was gone.

He was closest to you as you lagged behind the group, keeping his eye on the boys ahead of him as the trudged along.

You were picking up your pace to catch up to him before you even confirmed within yourself it was a good idea, slowing back to a casual pace once you were side by side and reaching your hand out to gently tug on the sleeve of his long shirt. His eyes were shooting down to the point of contact and then back up at you with a frown.

“Hey.” You breathed out, trying to calm him down before you made your request. His eyes softened just slightly at the sound of your voice and he raised an eyebrow. “If we find somewhere safe to stop and rest for a few hours I can go try to get us something to eat.”

He watched you as you spoke and you knew he didn’t like your suggestion judging by the way his face hardened again, his jaw tensing as he scoffed and looked away from you. You figured he thought this was you finally putting your plan into action, leading them into the wilderness just to ditch them.

“I’m serious.” You had kept your hand on his sleeve still as you spoke and only now moved it, wrapping it fully around his arm so he could understand your earnest words. “They can’t go on like this much longer.”

He looked back over at you as you said that and you felt guilty at the sad expression on his face, knowing he had been thinking the same thing.

It must’ve been impossible for him to deal with the past few days, watching his family and the boys he was meant to lead barely make it through the day. The younger boys were stumbling as they walked, holding each others shoulders occasionally in an attempt to keep steady under their own crippling weight.

“Where’s safe?” He was genuinely asking but his voice broke around the word, already hoarse from not using it or having anything to drink. He sounded disbelieving that it was a possibility and he staggered slightly, knocking into your side.

Sunghoon had been lurking a few feet ahead and hearing this conversation he slowed a bit, letting you and Heeseung catch up as he leaned towards the two of you. “There’s a neighborhood or something up the ways a bit.” His tone was low so the other boys couldn’t pick it up.

You gave him a questioning look and he glared at you, eyes shooting down to your hand on Heeseung’s arm and your close proximity. “I saw it on the map.”

Heeseung nodded at his explanation and pat his back a few times in thanks, walking away from the two of you to alert the others you’d be stopping soon for a bit.

You had expected Sunghoon to follow him or at least drift back to his previous position, furthering himself away from you. It surprised you a bit when he continued to stand next to you but the look on his face didn’t, a suspicious glare as he watched you with no sign of care at your uncomfortable shifting.

“Something on your mind Sunghoon?” You were mumbling in irritation. You didn’t expect to become best friends but you hadn’t done anything to warrant him treating you like a criminal.

“Why are you still here?” He was saying it quickly like it had been on the tip of his tongue and you looked at him from the corner of your eye. “What are you planning?”

“I’m not planning anything.” You scoffed and took an offended step away from him, stopping in your slow pace. “And in case you forgot, I wasn’t given a choice in being here.”

He was stopping too and turning to look at you, sparing a glance behind him at the other boys who had continued walking. They weren’t going fast enough to leave you behind and the road was a straight shot surrounded by trees and no connected off paths so you wouldn’t lose them by stopping.

When he was facing you again he looked more angry and if you didn’t know any better you’d consider him a threat right now, a danger to you. However you’d seen the way he interacted with the group, with the dead even, and he wasn’t any issue. He was more gentle than he appeared regardless if he disliked you and was frustrated.

“Don’t bullshit me. You could’ve left if you wanted to, don’t be stupid.” He was shaking his head and you gave him a confused look so he explained further. “You didn’t even try to get away from them, no tears no questions. I can tell you’re smart and good at this world so I know you can tell the difference between a good person and a bad one.”

“Then what’s your problem with me?” You spat at him and cut him off, not wanting him to say more.

You could tell he was the most observant of the group but you didn’t like what he was implying. Your stomach turned at the thought of him seeing how much you didn’t necessarily want to be alone again, despite knowing it was the best option in the long run.

If you were alone you wouldn’t need to worry about things like this. You wouldn’t have to think about feeding them before you fed yourself because there would be no ache in your heart at the thought of them going hungry.

“My problem?” He was sneering but his voice was desperate like he wanted you to understand his point. “My problem is how excited Riki is to have a friend to talk to. My problem is that Sunoo basically thinks he owes you his life for getting you into this situation in the first place and my problem is that you aren’t going to stay.”

You both fell silent after that and he looked away from you, visibly upset and frustrated at the idea of you disappearing before you got to the place you’d showed them.

He flinched when he looked at you and saw your lips opening and closing, parting as you tried to think of something you could tell him that wouldn’t give him false hope but you also didn’t want to lie to him. Despite his wincing he waited patiently to hear what you had to say.

“Tell Heeseung I’ll catch up with you guys.” You muttered back and he watched in bewilderment as you turned and disappeared into the woods.

——

It took you an hour to stop replaying the conversation in your mind and you were glad considering you hadn’t managed to catch anything since leaving the boys on the road.

Part of you was laughing at the fact that, here you were. In the woods with full freedom and capability to disappear and never come back and yet you were sat crouching behind a log as you attempted to get them all something to eat. You quieted the voice with the reminder you could leave whenever you wanted and you would, you just didn’t want to leave them hungry and lost.

That’s all this was, you kept telling yourself over and over as you continued to track whatever animal was leaving small footprints in the dry dirt.

This was simply you being a decent person, not letting the apocalypse shred you of your morals and humanity. It wasn’t because you were starting to grow used to the boys, starting to care about them and their safety as individuals and a whole.

You’d finally caught sight of the animal as you slowed to a stop, a hefty raccoon shifting over some sticks and rocks just off in the distance. It hadn’t noticed you yet and you were glad for this considering you only had a knife to work with.

Before you could make any attempt at approaching in, steadily planning out the right angle to pounce forward, it was falling on its side and hitting the floor with a cry and a thud.

Your eyes widened in surprise, rushing forward to see what had happened to it. It’s face was bloody and you quickly realized it had been shot in the head by something, more accurately someone. You knew who it was before you turned around to check.

“You’re a good shot.” You sighed as you spoke and glanced over your shoulder to see Jungwon stepping out from behind the tree.

He was definitely the most skilled when it came to weapons, especially in accuracy and you’d quickly noted a few days ago that he was the only boy to have a silencer on his gun of choice. You knew it was him considering the fact there’d been little noise as he killed the animal.

“Took archery in highschool.” He shrugged like it was a casual skill to have as he approached you and the raccoon. “Guess I don’t have to tell you about that though do I?”

For a second you weren’t sure what he was referring to before you realized he was alluding to the fact you also shot with a bow typically, looking up at him with widened eyes which caused him to give you a half smile as he shrugged again.

“Can tell by the way you carry yourself I guess. Plus you’re a hunter, can’t imagine your weapon of choice is a knife.” He was explaining and he crouched down next to you, examining the animal for any bites or signs of disease.

“If you see any bow shops around here feel free to let me know.” You were mumbling back and he chuckled a small laugh. “They send you out here to follow me?”

He was shaking his head and you were slightly surprised at this considering you assumed he had been tasked with making sure you didn’t run away, potentially bringing you back if you made any attempt to. You were reminded of what Sunghoon had said about being able to leave whenever you wanted.

“I was looking for food just incase.” He didn’t finish his sentence but it was obvious what he was implying. Incase you didn’t return and they still needed to eat something.

Jungwon offered you a hand so he could pull you up off the ground where you were still crouching, you eyed him hesitantly but took it with an appreciative nod and stood slowly after you grabbed the animal by it’s tail in your free hand.

You followed behind him in silence as you made your way back to the road, back to where the boys had set up camp for the night. You tried not to think about what this meant and how you coming back willingly was going to come across to them. They were going to find out what you’d been trying to deny since running into them and your stomach was turning.

By the time you got there, the sun had nearly finished setting and it was almost too dark to see in front of you.

The fire the boys were sat around made you nervous considering how exposed you were and how near the woods lingered, the light and crackle of the flames potentially drawing the undead out of the woods and giving you all a replay of what had happened earlier this week. Four sets of eyes turned towards you when you and Jungwon popped out from the woods.

Heeseung was standing up and coming over to the two of you, patting Jungwon affectionately when he spotted the animal you’d handed to him at some point during your walk back.

“You okay?” Then he was turning to you and your face flushed as he grabbed you, his hands holding onto both your arms directly underneath your shoulders as he scanned your face for any sign of distress.

You were nodding awkwardly but your hands were instinctively coming up to cup around his elbows, leaving you both holding each other at an awkward distance. The other boys must have thought you were crazy as you touched their friend and leader but a large part of you felt connected to him after the auto shop, him having saved your life so directly.

When you both made your way over to the fire, Heeseung was clearing his throat and catching the attention of the older boys and Jungwon, who began to shake Riki and Sunoo awake at the signal for directions.

“We’re going to clear the house on the corner.” Heeseung was speaking in a low voice and you took the opportunity to observe where you were sitting.

The neighborhood, if you could call it that, was only a few run down houses neatly tucked away outside the main road. You imagined it had homed one or two families of rednecks in its prime, roofs titled and covered in roots and leaves. The boys had set up the fire in the middle of the three buildings, seemingly waiting for you all to be here before they entered.

“Shouldn’t we clear them all? Eliminate any potential surprises?” You were shocking yourself and the others as you voiced your suggestion casually.

Heeseung was looking at you with a bewildered look for a few seconds before glancing back towards the houses and nodding in agreement, realizing your idea was better than his.

It wasn’t the most grueling task and you’d cleared areas must bigger than this with much more active dead, yet you still had a sick feeling in your stomach as Heeseung leaned his shoulder against the first door and prepared to ram into. It only took one corpse to end everything and you tried not to think about this as he was pulling back and slamming forward against the decaying wood.

He was stumbling forward into the house and again, you could smell them before you saw or heard them. There was three inside and it looked to be a family, one significantly smaller than the other as it attempted to get closer to Heeseung and take a bit out of him. Jake was moving forward in a rush and taking out the biggest one, axe swinging over his shoulder and landing directly between its eyes with a loud crack.

The second was on its knees before you even processed it and you knew it must’ve been Jungwon from the doorway judging by the way it simply crumbled onto the floor without any fight or noise.

Riki was inside the house and tasked on the third walker, the smallest one that was clearly just barely older than him if at all. She had a large blood stain on the front of his pajama sweater and you tried not to wonder what had happened here that left them all like this, what measures were mistakenly taken to try and prevent them from turning. You didn’t like to think about the walkers being people similarly to the way you didn’t like to think about survivors in the old world, easier to make the separation and get it over with.

You could immediately tell Riki was struggling with doing this judging by the way he was frozen in the middle of the room, watching the corpse approach him.

He was facing away from you so you couldn’t see his expression but you didn’t need to anyways, knowing from his stiff back and hands fidgeting around his crowbar that he was hesitating and hesitating was one of the deadliest things you could possibly do. He had told you before that he didn’t kill as much as the other boys, being kept away from it all the best they could manage up until more recently when they started to take him out to practice in small intervals.

You were moving before you thought about it, circling in front of him and taking out the small corpse as cleanly as you could. You cupped your back of her head as she dropped, motionless now, and you tried to help lower her body onto the floor so the impact wasn’t as upsetting.

“I could’ve done it.” Riki’s voice was sounding behind you and you turned your head to look at him, standing back to your full height and giving him a confused glance once you noticed how agitated his expression was.

Before you could ask him what was wrong, if you’d done something or if maybe he was just upset you’d stepped in on his kill, he was turning on his heel and leaving the small house. You were fearful for a second watching him leave and then you remembered Sunoo, Sunghoon and Jay were just a few feet away at the other house over.

You almost followed him out the door in confusion, wanting to understand what exactly had made him look at you like that just to storm off but you were stopped by Heeseung stepping in front of you, bringing a hand up to your chest to stop your advances completely as he looked down at you with an apologetic glance.

“What happened?” You whispered to him, eyes wide slightly with confusion. The look the youngest boy had given you was deadly and the energy in the house had shifted drastically now. “What did I do wrong?”

“He’s just sensitive about that stuff.” Heeseung mumbled back, keeping his voice low in case the boy was still able to hear just off in the distance. The other boys in the house with you weren’t saying anything and eventually filed out once they realized your conversation was taking a private turn.

“Because I took his kill?” Your voice was cracking with disbelief, not able to understand what he was attempting to get across to you. Riki didn’t seem like the type to have an ego so large it would be damaged by you stepping in for an assisted kill. “It was about to grab him.”

Heeseung was sighing softly like you were poking a bear, glancing over his shoulder out the open door for a second before taking another step closer to you. You didn’t lose your confused expression, eyebrows furrowing further when he was bringing a hand up to gently touch your cheek before pushing a few loose strands of hair behind your ear.

He was clearly trying to soothe you and help you calm down but if anything it upset you further, solidifying it in your mind that you had done something wrong.

“You’ll have to talk to him about it. It’s not my place.” He was eventually continuing on when he realized what he was doing wasn’t working in taking your mind off of it.

You nodded softly and made a mental note to bring it up after things calmed down and you were certain things were safe for the night, vaguely hearing a sharp whistle outside that you’d learned to understand meant things were clear for now. The other boys must’ve cleared the other two houses while you were talking to Heeseung and now you were able to eat and get some rest finally before talking to Riki.

——

The food wasn’t a lot but it was enough to help everybody feel a bit better, passing each other small portions around the fire before retiring into one of the houses to rest.

You all decided to sleep together on the living room floor to minimize the risk that being spread out would being, somebody always staying awake in different shifts to keep watch outside on the porch. You laid in silence while you waited for your turn, knowing you wouldn’t be able to sleep in such a foreign place.

When it was the youngest turn to take watch, you sat and tracked his shadow as he left the dark room and slipped out the front door, mumbling a small greeting to Sunghoon who was finally coming in and joining the rest of the boys who were already asleep. You got up as slowly as you could and gently stepped over the bodies on the floor so you didn’t wake them up from their much needed rest, following Riki outside.

He whipped his head over when the door creaked up and sighed when he saw it was only you slowly closing it behind you. You glanced at him awkwardly and tried to decide wether to stand weirdly or to take the seat next to him on the small outside porch couch and risk upsetting him further.

“Just sit down.” He was mumbling once he noticed your dilemma and you hesitantly took the offer, sitting as far away from him as you could.

The two of you sat in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of the night and the woods while you ignored each other. You weren’t sure if you should speak first but he clearly knew why you followed him out here in the first place so you bit the bullet and started to talk before his shift ended.

“I have a brother around your age.” He picked his head up when you started to speak but you avoided looking at him for now. “You actually remind me of him sometimes, just the way you joke around. You’re a bit braver than him though but I’m sure he would’ve grown out of that eventually, you know? I didn’t mind it though… it came easy to me to take care of him.”

Riki wasn’t saying anything just yet but you could hear his breathing increase and you didn’t feel him looking at you anymore and he slowly understood what point you were trying to get across by opening up to him about this. You wanted him to understand why you did what you had for him and why it was second nature for you to step in like that once you thought he was in danger.

“I never though he was childish or a coward for needing my help sometimes, that’s what big sisters are for.” You took a pause so you could breathe, playing with your hands nervously. “It took him a long time to want to ever ask for it though… just too long I guess.”

You didn’t need to finish or directly say out loud what had happened to your brother, he picked it up as soon as you started talking about him.

He was scooting closer to you on the bench and you felt him grab your hand that was in your lap, stopping you from picking at your skin anxiously. You turned your head to look at him with a sad smile, biting your lip to try and stop from crying when you noticed how equally teary his expression was.

“You could’ve killed that walker.” You stated firmly and he nodded along with you, now fully understanding why you had. “Maybe I just didn’t want you to have to.”

Riki was still nodding and you felt slightly guilty now as you watched tears run down his face, avoiding looking at you again out of embarrassment. You wanted to tell him that it was okay if he wanted to cry, it was okay to still feel things in this world that weren’t fear and hunger but you weren’t sure that was even true so you didn’t dare voice it.

You stayed with him for the rest of his shift and when he eventually started to yawn and lose focus on your surroundings, you reassured him it was okay to go to bed and that you weren’t tired.

He hesitantly was leaving you out there and you although you were glad things were patched up between the two of you for the most part, you also felt a wave of relief over having a moment alone. It wasn’t lost on you that you were being trusted as part of the watch shift cycles, despite the fact you could easily disappear in the night and leave them with no warning if something stumbled upon the sleeping boys.

It was getting harder to deny what you were feeling more and more every passing hour the eight of you survived together.

It had bothered you when Riki was upset with you, deeply bothered you to the point of your skin crawling in nerves that you had done something wrong. You were distraught watching them all face hunger earlier this week and you felt deep sadness when they lost their camp and their home.

You especially didn’t want to consider what it meant that you liked listening to their stories around the fire. You thought Sunghoon was funny even when he didn’t seem like he realized he was telling a joke and it made your heart warm when Sunoo and Jungwon covered the sleeping older boys with blankets.

Heeseung was the worst of all, the most confusing part to all of this. You’d been most fearful of him at the beginning but the more you thought about him and his resolve, his brave heart taking leadership and treating the boys like they were more important than his own safety and survival, the more you liked being in his company.

He made you feel seen and human whenever he turned to ask for your opinion on something and he was surprisingly gentle whenever he spoke to you in hushed whispers or helped you over bits of debris in your pathway.

You liked these boys and you liked their hearts and love for each other that this world was slowly running out of.

Yet you couldn’t stop hearing the screams of your family and others you’d encountered, people you knew for months all the way to people you’d simply passed by on one of your runs. People didn’t last long in this world and it was a miracle that all seven of these boys were still together, still without major injury or setbacks.

Maybe that was the secret trick to it all, maybe their care and love for each other above all else was helping them survive and manage without facing the reality of your loved ones being tore away from you and ripped apart limb by limb.

It still made your stomach hurt to think about any of it though, it was never apart of your plan to care about somebody again after everything you’d lost and you were only feeling more and more certain in your decision to leave as fast as you could.

No matter what it takes.