#he's Kaya's girlfriend too

[alevens]

no one should be allowed to hate Usopp when he's canonically the people's princess. he's Luffy's other half, Zoro's most special little guy and Nami's bestie. he's Sanji's babygirl and Chopper's big bro and Robin's little bro. he's Franky's son and Brook's comedy partner, everyone loves him and would kill anyone who dares to mess with their sniper, like they SHOULD

[xxepherr]

.ೃ࿐ELECTION DAY | HP

summary — in which austin accidentally lets it slip that hasan’s faceless (yet public) girlfriend is the woman they’re currently watching analyse the maps on CNN. 

pairings — hasan piker x politicalcorrespondent!girlfriend!reader

pronouns — she/her

word count — 1893

note — i personally would have “6’4 jacked boyfriend” as his contact name so that whenever weird men try to hit on me they see that but thats just me (and this reader insert ofc) (also this is nothing special just me rambling tbh — what’s to say this political!reader doesn’t become a mini series)

THE DAY WAS HERE. election day. not only was it the day your boyfriend had spent hours upon hours preparing for for weeks, but you, too. you were a political journalist and correspondent currently working the map for CNN during the weeks in the lead up to the election. 

it was a big day for you. four years ago you were streaming your own map coverage to fifteen thousand people on twitch, accessing your sources across multiple states to provide statements on what was going on nationwide. being asked a couple months ago to run the maps in front of millions was certainly a step up, but it gave you control to speak objectively without bias unlike most of the other news anchors and correspondents that were pushing right-wing sentiment over any other coverage. 

you hadn’t seen hasan in a few weeks now unless you counted facetimes and tuning into his streams. you’d get texts while he was streaming and the occasional kaya video ( because apparently she’d been whining with your leave ). it wasn’t the same, but you were both incredibly career-driven people, so being hours apart by plane wasn’t as daunting as it probably should’ve been.

“you’re gonna be late to stream,” you laughed softly, fiddling with the cap of the bottle of water someone had gotten you. endless tabs were open on your laptop in front of you, following aspects of every state because there was still hours to go before the polls closed, so you were only needed in short segments for now to go over 2020 and 2016 county votes in particular states at a time. 

“you’re right,” hasan’s voice was slightly staticky through the phone. “i might have to focus on kornacki or fox news so that i don’t spend too long staring at you.”

“aw,” you let go of your phone, holding it between your ear and shoulder to screw the cap back on the bottle. one of the directors caught your attention across the room, holding up his hand to say that she had five minutes before they were back on air again. “i’m back on in a few . . . i’ll have your stream open on my laptop, though!”

“good luck today,” hasan said softly as he started his stream, leaving it on his opening scene while his mic was muted. people were already flooding in by the thousands. “i’ll talk to you in, what, twelve hours? i love you.”

“twelve hours,” you hummed in agreement, “i love you more,” you sighed softly, noticing that the twitch tab was reloading to take her to his ‘starting soon’ overlay. “good luck.” you ended the phone call first, quickly putting it back on do not disturb and placing it over on the table that was full of analytical notes. the board that now had the map of the united states of america was lit up again, an empty canvas waiting for you to load up the old votes to load up projected blue and red areas.

TOO MANY HOURS TO count and three hundred thousand viewers into the election, hasan was still going strong. despite the pull to watching CNN more than he probably should, he managed to force himself to switch between fox news to laugh at republican propaganda and msnbc. though, he would one hundred percent lying if he said he didn’t have CNN up on his second monitor. 

things were steadily climbing, and josh ( ettingermentum ) was back after mike from PA left the call. josh, who had been raging on ( no seriously, no one had really heard him be that loud all day ) about how the democrats fucked up was finally broken up when austin joined the call, the atmosphere shifting.

christmas sign in full view and a cold slab of a slice of pizza being shoved into his mouth, austin’s discussion on if he was being sent to prison if the republicans dominated was dwindled until josh left the call to analyse the polls for twitter. 

“ugh, can we watch something else?” austin asked, barely swallowing his mouthful of pizza first. “all i’ve done is watch fox today.”

“yeah,” hasan chucked humourlessly, clicking around mindlessly between tabs as he tried to find msnbc’s coverage. because the tabs were so small thanks to the fifty million twitter tabs he had open, he almost groaned in frustration when he accidentally clicked on the CNN tab.

 the tab where you were conveniently fiddling with the data of state of pennsylvania. it was already a dangerous game having you on screen when the chat knew what the silhouettes of you looked like — photos from behind of you walking with hasan, photos of your eyes after he tried to do your makeup, mirror fit checks with your face covered by the phone . . . chat only needed to be railroaded enough to work it out. 

just as he was about to switch tabs again, austin opened his mouth. “oh, man, i miss her,” there was a shift in his tone, more than just him speaking without thinking. familiarity shone through. from the way he casually uttered your nickname to the sigh, it was probably worse than railroading. it was the train forgetting to slam the brakes on worthy. 

hasan wisely kept his mouth shut as he switched to fox news — anything was better than CNN currently — and his eyes slowly zeroed in on the chat. question marks upon question marks until it eventually morphed into ‘holy shit she looks familiar’ and ‘girlfriend reveal????’ to ‘omg face reveal’ and his breathing faltered. 

someone switched the chat to emote only mode in the few moments he was silent for, austin thankfully following suit. glancing at his second monitor, you were still doing your thing, this time discussing the iowa flip from blue to red, completely oblivious. 

“austin,” hasan finally said, tone flat. there was no use making a big fuss out of denying it — that would just make it more obvious. 

austin chuckled nervously, awkwardly. “uh . . . sorry, hasan. i didn’t think about it . . . awkward.”

“clearly,” he grumbled, digging his fingers into his hair for a moment as he thought. the election was put on hold in his mind for a moment as he switched the screen to the full facecam. he wasn’t going to directly deny or confirm anything, so instead he said, “take what you will from what austin said. in saying that, don’t go harass her, clearly she was faceless for a reason. anyway,” hasan cleared his throat, “moving on, back to the election . . .” and he swiftly moved on like nothing ever happened ( while the mods were timing out anyone who asked about it for an entire week ).

“PENNSYLVANIA AND NEVADA ARE expected to be the closest as of currently,” you gestured to the map that demonstrated the slight wave from the blue shift. “we’re looking at about half a percent, but election night is full of surprises so . . . we’ll continue to keep an eye on that for now.” the directors in the back signalled that the camera was no longer live, and you nodded and took a deep breath. the polls weren’t looking as good as everyone had expected it would look for the democrats.

finally off the air for a much needed break, you wandered back over to your little table off to the side. notes were piling up, but upon noticing the spam of notifications flashing across your phone. weird, you thought, your notifications usually not showing up unless it came from verified accounts across all social media platforms . . . until you noticed that it was coming from your private instagram and twitter account. super weird. 

and then the text from hasan. 

6’4 SUPER JACKED BOYFRIEND: uhhh so austin accidentally told 300k people we’re dating 

6’4 SUPER JACKED BOYFRIEND: call me when ur done? so sorry

oh. on one hand the first part was exciting. three hundred thousand? it was a new viewership record for him. on the other? that means a shit ton of people knew the secret you guys had spent almost two years safeguarding. you’d wanted to keep your face out of everything because you had your own career and didn’t want his to intertwine with it. a healthy work-life balance was keeping that shit separate, but it was only really time until people found out anyway. it wasn’t the best kept secret, anyway. 

still, you weren’t mad. you sent off a quick text saying ‘it’s alr’ with a smiley face emoji and shut your phone off completely, shoving it off to the side and turning your laptop back on. you’d be back in california tomorrow, anyway, it could be dealt with then.

THE AIRPORT WASN’T AS secretive anymore. tired after only getting a couple hours of sleep because you got back to your hotel at some god awful hour this morning, it was an instant relief to see hasan waiting for you, dresses comfortably to not draw too much attention to himself — which was difficult because he was fucking huge.

either way, you had no energy to do anything but collapse into his waiting arms, letting him engulf you until you were suffocating. “this is nice,” you mumbled. “sorry i didn’t call, was so tired.”

“you’re fine,” he promised, pulling you back slightly to look at him. “i missed you,” he slipped his hand into yours, and he took your suitcase with his other hand. it was nice to be able to publicly be in his presence without worrying, so much so that you leant into his arm, tiredness dragging your feet.

“missed you more,” you said honestly, but there was more on your mind than just small talk. “where’s austin? motherfucker’s been blowing up my phone.”

hasan chuckled, “if i hear him apologise one more time i’m gonna commit a hate crime.” he then shook his head, “he wanted to stay at the house but i told him to come ‘round tomorrow . . . want you to myself first.”

you knew what that was code for, so you shook your head with a silent laugh. “let me sleep first, god.”

and sleep you did. the house was silent thankfully so you were content tucked up in hasan’s arms, stealing him from clocking in with his twitch chat for ten hours in a fit of selfishness that you were entitled too.

“austin might’ve saved our relationship,” you teased, trailing your fingers up his arm that was tightly wrapped around you, both on the verge of falling into dreamland. “now we can go out on proper dates again.”

“you can tell him yourself,” hasan’s arms tightened around her a little bit more, so full of warmth that the blanket was starting to render useless. “when he knocks our door down tomorrow morning.”

“aw, come on,” you tapped his arm a little harder, fighting the urge to gnaw on his forearm. “you love him.”

“i love you, he’s just my side piece,” he kissed the side of your neck tenderly, “night, baby.”

“g’night,” you mumbled back with a soft smile, the world drifting away for just that little bit longer until tomorrow rolled around. you could deal with your very public relationship then.

[idontknowanametouse]

The straw hats are just. So queer guys

Luffy is aroace and nonbinary and just uses any pronouns because. Just look at him, please. He wouldn't know what's gender or romantic or sexual attraction even if they slapped him in the face. He also is the definition of the whole "people perceive me as male in the same way they perceive something non-human as just a little guy"

Zoro? Trans (he walks with his tits off, for gods' sake) and super gay. He is, like, 100% gay. No discussions. (and also dating Sanji, and yes, partners with conflicting labels are still their labels, stfu exclusionists)

Nami is, as quoted by a person whose username I forgot (I'm sorry if you read this just tell me it's you and I'll add your url): the lesbianest of lesbians in the story of lesbianism for lesbians by lesbians. And she obviously has her princess girlfriend, Vivi.

Usopp seems to be straight, but, in fact, they only felt attraction towards Kaya and also are 100% nonbinary, just like Luffy. Very he/they vibes.

Sanji is bisexualest person alive. And also transfem bigender, no, I accept no criticism, the absolute she/he.

Chopper does not know what is gender, because, for gods' sake, he's a reindeer. Obviously he doesn't care which pronouns you use to him.

Robin? Bisexual and trans queen. Look at her. Look at her backstory. She is so queer coded, guys, you don't know. She is also dating Franky, they are the absolute t4t couple.

Franky is straight with the biggest ever love for Robin and also trans, he modified his body to be a super-man like.

Brook is way too nonbinary for me to say it. Just look at them. Your they/them lovely grandpa.

Jinbei is, too, super aroace and I don't take criticism. Just look at him, he's got the vibes.

Vivi is, as before stated, a lesbian. That is pretty obvious, though.

Yamato is canonically trans, bitches (affectionate). And also very Gay. Definitely in some sort of relationship with Ace.

Bonney is transfem demigirl, trust me, Oda told me himself, and she came out first to her dad.

Law is transmasc nonbinary, the absolute they/he, they just got that vibe. And also very aroace, wouldn't know what the fuck is attraction even if it slapped him in the face (just like Luffy, that's why they are BFFs)

[newnlovesjennie]

op hcs: having a self care day with them!

featuring zoro, sanji, and usopp! cws: none!

zoro:

has no idea or concept of what self care is, he’d much rather spend his time training

until you properly explain it to him, and a little lightbulb pops above his head and he says meditation!

you’ve never been the meditating type, but your boyfriend so earnestly insisted that it’s the best kind of self care there is, so you decided to try it

sitting beside him, you put aside the thoughts and troubles about everything tumultuous of a pirates life and focused on your breathing, or rather, his breathing, the inhaling and exhaling keeping you grounded

the waves crashed around you, the sunny tranquilly drifted about, and you let everything be. after a while, you felt your attention begin to shift, but zoro knew (damn observation haki) and intertwined his fingers with yours, giving your mind a new outlet to focus on— his warm hand, callouses tracing around your fingers, keeping you present.

needless to say, you felt much more relaxed that day.

sanji:

he’d simply been WAITING for you to finally take a break, to finally admit you needed a day of rest, and he was certainly more than happy to aid you in that unwinding

expect a warm bubble bath with rose petals to greet you after his fanciful lunch prepared just for you, to your tastes, featuring every food you’d want to indulge in

of course, sanji would never pass up on an opportunity to massage his beautiful girlfriend (no ulterior motives, promise!), using his skillful hands to ease up every tension and knot you may have lingering in your body, after weeks of traveling and fighting

you may worry you’ve over exhausted your poor boyfriend with all these requests, but worry not, for sanji’s heart is swelling at every moment he gets to pamper and indulge the love of his life

so, the two of you fall into a slumber, happy from the days events in your own respective ways.

usopp:

for a hard worker like usopp, self care days may seem a bit out of place for him, but he’s more than willing to try for his girlfriend!

he starts by braiding your hair in the most beautiful design you’ve seen that you almost wish you were going to a party that day, but he reassured you that a day as important as a rest day deserves an important hairstyle too!

listen, i know this may seem far fetched, but i totally hc him as a skincare dude— he’d fetch those adorable animal sheet masks and the two of you’d wear it while watching some form of entertainment, in this case, sanji had found zoro stealing sake from the fridge at nighttime and they’re having a fight over it on the deck, so you two watch that!

being kaya’s only friend, he had to learn some “girly” activities like painting nails, which he happily did for you while suggesting the best colors (you tried getting him to paint his own nails, and after many requests, he accepted. meet pink nailed usopp!)

you go to sleep with your skin cleared, your hair perfected for the next couple days, and your adorable boyfriend curled up next to you.

[pandora-writes-one-piece]

The Meet Cute - Law's Story - 5

Source for pic

The Great Pretender 5 🔞

Word Count: 7361

Tags For The Whole Story: Fem!Reader; Law is a soft dom; you have bratty tendencies (not all the time); voice kink; praise kink; cursing; very suggestive behaviour and innuendo from the start; sexual tension; teasing; so much flirting; romance; slow-burn; fluff; slight angst; mature audiences (though explicit NSFW moments will be properly tagged on the chapter); possessive Law; protective Law; soft Law; teasing Law; manipulative Doflamingo; inappropriate Doflamingo; fake relationship trope; only one-bed trope; reader has some anxiety issues; reader is a control freak and perfectionist; modern day AU

Special Warning: English is not my first language, I apologise for any possible spelling or grammar mistakes.

Summary: After moving away from the hustle and bustle of Grand Line City to help your father around the property following a horse-riding accident - and in the hopes of healing your broken heart after your asshole ex-fiancé cheated - you settle into the country calmness of the Calm Belt. You and Law (your father's doctor) start to build a flirty friendship because of your father’s procedure. So much so that when he’s invited to Baby 5’s wedding (his cousin), he asks you to be his date. His uncle Doflamingo - who is filthy rich - is very adamant on finding a suitable wife for him. Seeing as he wants to avoid that, he asks you to pretend to be his girlfriend for the weekend.

Notes: Guys this chapter is biiiig! I'm so sorry. But I didn't want to cut it short and remove such a fun interaction at the end... It has a lot of important information going on but it's a bit NSFW, k? Not too explicit, but still... 🔞

Tag List: @rosidaze @beachaddict48 @armiliadawn @jintaka-hane @sprinkklz @baby5555 @hopelesslover06 @mars-mizuko @sleepykittycx @nerium-lil

Masterlist

|Chapter 4| | |Chapter 6🔞|

You barely see Law after that encounter because of your conflicting schedules. He texts you the details for the wedding, stressing the need to dress to impress and tries to offer you money to buy dresses but you refuse vehemently saying there’s no need. 

You have a friend with the classiest, sluttiest closet you've ever known: Nami. 

She, however, forces you to buy new lingerie to go with the dresses because there's no way you can wear satin with granny panties underneath. Only sultry lace. You almost think you got away with not telling her who your date for the wedding would be, but you bump into Kaya and Usopp, and learn that Law informed Kaya of his absence because of a wedding he's going to attend. 

Nami can add two and two. 

And she does it in front of Kaya and Usopp which renders the rest of your afternoon useless while you are teased relentlessly. 

On the plus side, Nami's dresses are really beautiful, fit you perfectly and you both find the perfect colours to complement your complexion. You pack extra dresses, just in case. 

And extra panties. 

Law tells you that you're to leave Friday morning because you have to be at the Donquixote household in the afternoon and the drive to the city still takes a while - you manage to do extra hours at work on Thursday to compensate for your absence. You'll sleep there for three nights, the rehearsal dinner is on Saturday, the wedding and reception are on Sunday, and then you’ll come back Monday morning - you'll compensate for those hours on Tuesday. 

That means you'll spend about four days pretending to be Law's girlfriend. 

After the heated moment you had while practising, you're feeling both apprehensive and excited about the prospect. You've had a taste of what he's been telling you, how rewarding it can be to let go of your control, to let someone else take over. It felt good, freeing and so pleasurable. 

And he barely even showed you the tip of the iceberg. 

You're aching for more of his relentless teasing, you're pretty sure you can kiss him faster this time. You just want to taste him again. 

Sighing, you decide to finish packing. It's going to be a long weekend. As you take the dresses out of the bag Nami put them in, your eyes widen at the unexpected surprise she left there. 

A box of condoms. 

Sneaky Nami. Does she think she's witty and funny? 

Joke's on her, you're taking them anyway! 

Deep down, you're hoping you get to use them.

-*-

Law greets you normally from inside the car, as if nothing happened and he wasn't probing your throat with his tongue earlier this week. 

You, on the other hand, immediately lose it at the sight of his smirk. 

Fuck. He knows exactly what kind of effect he has on you. He knows he's got you wrapped around his little finger. And that's why you're not going to make this easy on him. 

“Hi.”

You exclaim tensely as you approach the car, already struggling to figure out how to open the door to his sleek, black Tesla. Yet, Law doesn't give you any time to make a fool of yourself as he gets out of the car and opens the door for you. You can't help but notice how casual and sexy he looks. Black jeans and a yellow t-shirt, paired with expensive sunglasses that fit him like he’s a movie star - that's the whole look, and it drives you crazy. 

He sees you checking him out, so he leans in and places a soft kiss on your cheek as his hand grips your waist, pulling you towards him. “Hi, sweetheart, you look gorgeous.”

Freezing in place, you feel your cheeks burning from the intimacy of his greeting. Your father watches you both from the porch, coffee mug in hand and a silly grin on his face. 

“How are you doing, Mr. S.?” Law's eyes barely leave yours, an amused glint making them twinkle and sparkle. 

“Oh, I'm mighty fine! I'm greatly enjoying the show!” Shanks replies, his shit-eating grin still in place and you already regret sharing with him what you were doing this weekend. Truth be told, you didn't exactly tell him you were going as Law's girlfriend, you just said you were going as his date, in a friendly manner, so Law could avoid his uncle. But after the way the doctor greeted you, you're sure your father now firmly believes there's more than friendship between you. 

You mumble curses at both men as Law lets go of you to place your bags in the trunk of the car. Then he lays your dresses neatly in the backseat, near his suits, so they don't wrinkle too much. 

“Bug, be careful!” Shanks admonishes from the porch. 

“Yes, yes, I will! Call if you need anything.” You say, mostly out of habit more than anything else, because your father would be much better off calling Ace or Beckman if he needed immediate assistance since you'll be far away. 

“I won't. Have fun!” You wave him goodbye as you enter the car and Law closes your door, but you watch as his grin widens. “Law, take care of my baby girl, will you?”

Law then closes the backdoor of the car and chuckles. “Sure will, Mr. S.” He waves and enters the car, taking his seat and burning you with his amber gaze and sexy smirk. His hand lands on your exposed thigh and he squeezes softly. “I'll take good care of her.” He whispers, earning a muffled gasp as you purse your lips to contain the incriminating sound. 

As he chuckles again, fastens his seat belt, and inputs the new destination into the GPS, you take a deep breath, steadying your heart rate. You're determined to not let him hold the same control over you as he did the other day. 

Very determined.

But as he backs the car away, completely disregarding the cameras on the dash and placing his tattooed bare arm behind your seat to look back - dark, tinted sunglasses in place and an unreadable expression - you sigh and close your eyes, your determination leaving you in a heartbeat. 

This is going to be a long ride. 

-*-

As soon as he enters the interstate, you fish out your tablet from your purse, turning it on and adjusting the brightness so you can read the screen. 

“You're really going to ignore me? Am I less interesting than all your book boyfriends?” He says, eyes fixed on the road since there's a bit of traffic. 

You try to hide a small blush by adjusting your sunglasses. He's not right. He's way more interesting than any book boyfriend. He's real. 

“I'm not going to read.” You ignore his comment, trying to steer away from every chance he gets to gain the upper hand. “I'm opening our list so we can cover the important questions that were left unanswered the other day. Since it's a long ride, we can study. And maybe make up a story about how we met and fell in love. A believable one.” You mumble. 

Law scoffs. “Again with that list. Fine, if we must.”

“We must.” You reinforce your statement. “We still haven't covered our personal stories… maybe that's important? It could come up.”

You glance at him and notice that familiar crease forming in the middle of his eyebrows. You know he moved in with his uncles at ten but you have no idea how his parents died, and that's something a girlfriend would know. You’ve shared everything about your parents and their divorce with him already, but there's still your story about Ichiji, which you're not so keen on sharing. 

He sighs deeply, his face falling into that stoic expression. “Later. Also, why do we need a love story? Isn't ours perfect?”

The tablet you're holding almost falls to the ground as your head whips to the side. “Ours? What do you mean?”

The smirk returns as his foot presses the gas and he passes two slow cars in the right lane. “You're the daughter of my surgery patient. As soon as I laid eyes on you, I knew you were special. When you passed out in my office while yelling at me, I was certain. When you fumbled and made a fool of yourself just because I was examining you, I knew there was no way out of it. When your expression intensified as I called you a ‘good girl’, I was deeply ensnared. The rest came naturally. I helped your father, we got close, we fell in love.”

You're staring at him, mouth hanging open and eyes wide. Is this how he feels? Or is this pretence? Because the way he told the story was really believable. The thrumming of your heart is slower and steadier than when he's teasing you, something much more grounding than the usual feeling, but no less intense. 

“What do you think? Is it believable enough or should I add more details?” 

Oh… It’s not real. 

“No,” You clear your throat, “it's perfect. Everyone will buy it.”

You did. 

-*-

“There's another important thing we still haven't discussed. I don't think you covered it in your professional-looking spreadsheet.” Law says when you're taking a break from asking him questions, trying to memorise some of his answers so you don't slip up when it really matters. 

He sounds serious, so you take your eyes off your tablet to look at him. “Oh? I covered everything.” You say with a slight edge. 

Law's low chuckle is not condescending. “Yes, you covered daily things, information, wants and hopes for the future.” He takes his eyes off the road for a second to look you in the eyes. “You didn't cover boundaries.”

Your mind instantly takes you to the heated moment you shared when he kissed you. If you had any boundaries set then, would he still have done it? You don't want to go without his touch. 

It's far too addictive. 

“Oh. That.” 

“Yeah, that. It's important. What are your boundaries? What is off the table? Besides sex, obviously. We don't need to do it to fool anyone.” You lock your tablet, fixing your eyes on the road ahead and pondering. He's right, sex is a big boundary. But what are your other boundaries? 

“Well… I… I don't mind doing what we did in your house.” Why does your voice sound so small? 

“Speak up, sweetheart, don't be afraid to tell me what you want.” He uses that commanding tone that sends shivers down your spine and twists your stomach. 

Taking a deep breath, you steady your voice, fixing your eyes on the licence plate of the car in front of you. “I think we should kiss… because of appearances… and I like all the teasing, and the touching… I don't mind having to beg for it.” You whisper again, cheeks ablaze and heart pounding. 

“It's nothing to be ashamed of. I also like it when you say please.” Fuck. 

“Is the AC on?” You stammer and he chuckles low, setting the AC higher. 

“What else?” You open your mouth and close it a few times. This one is a little harder to get out. Law takes a look at you and smirks. “You like it when I call you ‘good girl’, right?”

Fuuuuck! The voice! It's his voice! It makes everything - better! - worse! 

“Yes!” The words leave your lips in a hurry and you take a deep breath again. Why is this so hard? 

You never had to speak about these things with Ichiji, about what you want or like. You had ‘normal’ sex where he focused on getting himself off. He didn't especially chase your pleasure, not if he wasn't in the mood for foreplay. But this conversation isn't about sex, anyway, it's about boundaries so you should focus! 

“How about touching? Where can't I touch you?”

“Erm… Below the waist?” You try, tentatively. Thinking about his hands on your body is already leaving your brain in a puddle of mush. 

“So I can't touch your legs?”

“You can!” Another blush creeps in. “And you can touch my butt too…” That sentence comes out as a mumble but he hears it. 

“So it's just your vagina I can't touch, right?” He’s amused by your embarrassment and you know it. 

“Yes, doctor.” A loud sigh leaves your lips. “How about you? Where can't I touch?” Time to turn the tables! 

“Sweetheart, you can't touch me anywhere. I'm in control, remember?” His smirk is unbearable. And unbearably hot. 

“That's not fair, Law!” 

“You're right, it’s not. But you’ll only touch me if I allow you to, if you’re being good.” He lets out another chuckle, a low rumble. “The same rules as you, then.”

“So I can’t touch your vagina?” The smirk on your lips is teasing and you both share a laugh. 

“Yes, that’s what I meant.” A smirk of amusement still lingers on your lips when he asks you the next question. “So everything else is fine? What we did before? The teasing, the touching?” He asks one more time.

“Yes. All of that is fine.” It’s welcomed, even. “Should we… should we save these interactions for when we’re n public?”

“I don’t think we can very well do that in public.” He teases.

“You’re right. Maybe when we feel like it?” You have to admit you relished in the complete surrender of control you experienced the other day. You see yourself getting slowly addicted to that feeling. “I've been thinking and what you did the other day soothed me… I wouldn't mind exploring that… Besides, I think whatever interaction that serves to deepen our pretence is…” Needed, desired, wanted! “Beneficial to our act.”

“Oh.” He sounds surprised. “You want to be spontaneous? Where is your need to control every little situation?”

Your hands fidget with the hem of your dress, straightening it and then picking at a thread as your mind wanders. You’re trying to let go, like he said. Trying to surrender. Trying to let him help you do that. But you don’t quite know how to answer him. You want his help, but you don’t want to impose. You don’t want to force him to help you. Does that even make sense?

You feel it even before you see it. Law’s hand sits on your leg, a bit above the knee and he squeezes. “It’s alright. One step at a time. There’s no rush.”

-*-

The ride keeps going at a steady pace, you fill in the blanks of some seemingly unimportant questions like: ‘when was your first kiss, and with whom?’ or ‘do you want to have kids?’ Meaningless stuff normal couples would talk about. Law gets tired of the questions pretty quickly and just as the GPS indicates that you're about halfway to your destination, he drives the car to a rest area so he can stretch his legs and asks you if you want some coffee. 

You couldn't agree more. Your legs feel stiff and your butt aches. 

Law puts the car in the fast charger as you both head inside to grab some coffee and use the restroom. Neither of you wants to sit down again, but, conveniently, there are trees surrounding the whole rest area and there's a path connecting the entirety of it, so you both decide to walk it, to pass the time and stretch your legs. 

After a few moments, you try again. “About our pasts, Law, as my boyfriend I would have told you all about my ex…” You decide to start, since talking about his parents’ death must be very hard for him. 

He nods and glances at you so you know he's listening. “We were together for around four years, having moved in together after one year of dating. He proposed to me last year and we were already planning the wedding, it was pretty serious and I genuinely thought I was in love. He's the son of a very powerful man and I worked for his father at a very prestigious company.” Ichiji's name is at the tip of your tongue, you could just say it. But you're certain Law knows who he is and maybe that's a bit more information than you're willing to share right now. Talking about an anonymous asshole beats talking about someone he can picture doing terrible things to you. 

Taking a deep steadying breath after a small sip of coffee, grounds you as you continue, the soft crunch of gravel beneath your feet lending you some sort of comfort. “I found out he was cheating on me and a little research proved he had always been cheating on me, since the beginning, I was just too blind to see it. He was manipulative, controlling and a bit possessive - all in terrible, demeaning and very dangerous ways. He made me feel like it was my fault that he cheated, that I wasn't good enough for him, that I would never be good enough for anybody. Instead of feeling safe around him, I always felt on edge, it was… it was unbearable.”

You don't even realise that you’ve stopped on the path, your eyes fixed somewhere else, not focused on anything. The pain from the past still manages to hinder and hurt you. It's Law's touch that brings you back. His hand on your waist, pulling you to him helps you remove yourself from those hurtful events. He leans his head to your ear and whispers, his breath hot against your shivering skin. 

“If this were real, I would make you forget all about that asshole.” His fingers dip against your skin and he grits his teeth. “There's nothing I can do about him now, but I can help you overcome the pain.” You nod slowly, your mind hazy as to what's real or not. “If this were real, I would never make you feel like that. You'd be all I have ever wanted. I would make you see that you're more than enough, that you're everything.”

Your breath hitches in your throat at the intensity of his voice as you feel the familiar prickle of tears in your eyes. Your mind is reeling and your heart is racing again. This is too confusing. 

“Law,” you whisper, blinking and taking a small step back but not pulling away from his grasp. “We need some sort of signal, some way to know we're faking or being real. It's too much. I can't handle this, I need a semblance of control.”

He grunts, pulling away from you as his fingers tousle his black hair and you both resume your walk. “You're right.”

“Should it be verbal? Like a safe word? Or something physical?” 

“Verbal might be too obvious. Doflamingo is very sharp. We have to use something physical. Not too conspicuous, something of meaning to both of us.” Law looks at you, trying to come up with something. “Do you always wear earrings?” 

He eyes your ears, you currently have small hoops on - quite similar to the ones he's wearing. “Usually, yes. I can wear them all weekend, I have different ones to go with the dresses.”

“Okay.” He says as he stops, making you stop too. Then he takes a step closer to you, his hand raising near your ear. “When I'm faking it, I'll start with this.” His fingers touch your ear, twirling your earring as his lips curve upwards. “And then I'll do whatever action I was going to do to pretend. You can do the same to me, I won't take off my earrings either.”

You nod as he drops his hand and you raise yours, to give it a try. Your eyes pierce his and his amber gaze is quite soft. Softer than you've ever seen him. Could it be because of what you shared about Ichiji? Your fingers graze his ear and you notice the way his jaw clenches at the touch. 

You haven't touched him like this yet. He's the one who’s been doing all the touching. You just remember feeling his taut muscles against your palms as he was kissing you senseless. But no light touches, no teasing. How will he react further? 

Your digits circle the loop of one of his earrings and, as you drop your hand, you let the tip of your nails lightly scratch his neck. He hisses with a deep inhale as he grabs your hand mid-air, to stop you. “Yes, like that. It works.”

You got under his skin. 

It's not just you who gets affected by light touches, you can bend him to your will, though you doubt very much he'll ever let you do it. 

You resume your walk, but he doesn't let go of your hand. You're too afraid to ask if it's real or fake, but since you both used the signal now, it must be fake. 

It's his turn to speak but he doesn't seem willing at all. “Law you don't have to share. Maybe it's something you don't want to say to your girlfriend, it's okay. I'm sure your own family understands how hard it is for you. I would understand too, if this were real.” You give his hand a gentle squeeze and he lets out a deep breath and a slight nod. 

Your walk continues in peaceful silence for a while. 

“Both my parents were doctors. They were wonderful parents, full of life.” The crease in the middle of his brows is there again, but so is a very tender, longing smile. “I had a younger sister, too. She was very bright and happy.”

Had? Has she passed too? You feel your heart sinking as he continues his story. 

“There was a fire, a house fire, something completely accidental. They all died. I was with uncle Cora, he and Doffy were my mother's siblings.” He stops speaking, his jaw clenches and you can feel sweat in his hand. It's the most out of control you've seen him until now and yet, he still seems collected and cool. “That's the gist of it. I moved in with my uncles and the rest is history.”

He has shared the rest with you. About how kind and amiable Cora is and how ruthless and powerful Doffy is. He doesn't seem to fear Doflamingo, it's a lingering respect. But what you sense most when he speaks of him is disgust or resentment. So you realise that he hasn't told you the whole story. There's more to learn about Trafalgar Law. Maybe not about his parents or their death - that seems pretty straightforward - but perhaps some other interactions he's had with Doflamingo while growing up. 

He doesn't share and you don't press. If he doesn't feel the need for you to know, it's because it's something he wouldn't share lightly. 

“I'm so sorry.” You mutter as you squeeze his hand again. 

A few moments pass in silence again and you discard your empty coffee cups in a trash can along the path. The car is in sight and Law's phone tells him it's fully charged so you're ready to go. 

“Oh, Law?” He stops near the car to stare at you. “How long should we say we've been dating? It's a pretty important question we need to know. And if it's true, maddening love, we need to have had some time to let it mature and-...”

“Two months. I met you around two and a half months ago. I don't need much more time than that to realise you're special and you're someone I want to be with.” He shrugs as if he's said the most natural thing in the world and opens the car door for you, waiting for you to get inside before closing it. 

You can't help but notice that he didn't touch your earrings when he said that. 

-*-

Ever since you left the freeway and the GPS timer keeps getting smaller as you approach your destination, Law has been quieter. The flirtatious, teasing demeanour he uses with you has been completely replaced by his normal stoic expression. The crease in his forehead deepens as you approach Donquixote’s household. 

You try to engage in small talk, but the only response you get are grunts and nods, so you don't press further. He blasts his music and you don't complain. It might be his way of coping. If it were you in his shoes, you know you'd be close to a panic attack by now, but he's pretty composed, considering. 

Only someone who's spent time with him, getting to know him, learning his little tells, can realise he's upset, anxious and nervous. You know his uncle will pick it up immediately. 

Law takes a deep sigh as the GPS announces the destination and stops the car in front of a large gate, near the intercom, waiting to be buzzed inside. You look at him, placing your hand on his leg because he's gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles are almost white. 

“Hey, I've got you.” You mimic the words he used on you when he was operating on Shanks. His gaze softens and he breathes deeply, his shoulders relaxing a bit as the gates open wide. 

Your eyes dart around in awe. You see a grand mansion at the end of the road, but the way there is adorned with trees and flowers of all kinds. The gardens are immense and opulent. Just like the man who owns them. You peek at the top of a few tents on the back of the house, probably where the wedding reception will take place, and the gardens are buzzing with activity. Gardeners polish the last touches on the flowers, while servants make last minute preparations for the decorations. They all seem tense, as if nothing can be out of place. 

And if Doflamingo likes control as much as Law does, then there really can't be anything out of place. 

Law parks the car as you see two blonde men at the top of the steps leading to the mansion. They're huge. Law is tall, they're taller. He inhales deeply as his eyes meet yours, a glint in them, the crease still parting his brow, and then he touches your earring. “Are you ready?”

You nod and ignore the twists and turns in your stomach, the discomposed rhythm of your heart, the many scenarios in your head where everything goes wrong. Instead, you smile brightly, repeat his gesture and squeeze his hand. “Let's sell this, Law.”

He nods and gets out of the car, you're about to do the same but discover that your door has a child lock. As Law moves around the car to open the door for you, you realise that it serves this single purpose and you can't help but to blush. In four years of your relationship, not once has Ichiji held a door open for you. In less than a week of a fake relationship, Law does it constantly. 

He holds out his hand to help you out and you smile sweetly at him, unconsciously passing a hand through your hair to straighten it as you adjust your summer dress. Cora - you assume, since you know the other man is Doflamingo - runs down the steps to greet his nephew, but slips and falls spectacularly, bumping his butt on at least three steps before landing awkwardly on his knees. 

Your hands fly to your mouth to stifle a gasp and Law shakes his head as he approaches his uncle. 

“Cora… come on! Again?” He admonishes as the blonde man laughs and pats his butt. 

“I'm fine, I'm fine.” Law helps him up and both men embrace. It's a long hug during which Cora whispers something to Law, who clenches his teeth and nods, hugging him back. 

It's sweet. They really care for each other. 

Then Cora sets his eyes on you, they glimmer as he lets go of Law and with one stride, he's by your side, exclaiming your name and holding you in a tight embrace. “Welcome, welcome! It's so nice to meet you! It's been a while since Law brought a girl home!”

Oh… Interesting. He didn't mention any other important relationship, in fact, when you were covering past flings, he told you he doesn't really do the girlfriend thing. He just dates, sometimes. But he apparently had an interesting relationship before. 

However, you don't act surprised. You're pretty sure Doflamingo is watching you closely, even though he doesn't make a move to come down the steps. You'll go to him. It's as if he's the King of the mansion and you're just his loyal subjects, bowing to him. 

“I'm flattered.” You smile softly as Cora steps back. “What Law and I have is special.” This was a rehearsed phrase. But you deliver it perfectly, looking lovingly at Law, who smiles back at you, his hands in his pockets and sunglasses hanging on his shirt collar. 

“I believe you!” He grabs your arm to help you up the stairs, though you sense you'll be the one keeping him from falling, and then he turns to Law and mouths - in what he thinks is a veiled whisper but is anything but that - “She's breathtaking, Law! Well done!”

Law chuckles and shakes his head at his uncle but, as soon as you're all facing Doflamingo’s inquisitive gaze, Law tenses again. Cora leaves you to join his brother's side and Law is instantly connected to you, his hand on your waist, pulling you to him. You notice his fingers digging deeper and harder than any of the times he's grabbed you, but you don't acknowledge his discomfort. 

“Well, well, well…” Doflamingo’s voice is deep, commanding and imposing and you can't help the way your hairs bristle when he lets out a low chuckle. “Hello dearest nephew… and how interesting.”

What is supposed to be interesting? You hope he hasn't recognized you from any of the Vinsmokes’ events! Maybe you should have shared with Law who your ex was. It seems like it's something he should know. There’s no point in worrying about it now! You can't let your distress show, especially because Law keeps tensing up by your side, so you have to ground him. 

“Good to meet you, sir.” You drawl, a bit embarrassed at the way his piercing gaze hasn't left you since the moment you arrived. 

“Oh,” he chuckles again and this time looks at Law, a terrifying grin showing all his teeth. “Polite.” He nods and turns back to you, slightly raising his chin to emphasise your height difference. “Good girl.” He purrs and winks. 

What?

You immediately tense up and Law squeezes your waist harder. 

“Uncle Doffy, we're really tired from the trip and the car ride. We'll retire and freshen up before dinner. Then we can get to know each other, how about that?” You can sense a slight change in the tone of Law's voice. What was commanding and assertive is now strained and measured. The crease in his forehead is deep and his scowl twists his expression. 

“But of course! Come on, come on kids! Let me take you to your room!” Cora takes over as some servants bring in your luggage. 

Law starts to walk, dragging you with him and he brushes his lips against your temple in what's supposed to be a loving gesture. His whisper is barely audible: “Relax.” You glance behind and catch Doflamingo still tilting his head. His grin is unsettling and disconcerting and, for the first time since you agreed to do this for Law, you start to doubt yourself. “Real or not, I won't let him hurt you.”

You don't know if he means physically or mentally. Either way, you're not prepared to suffer any attempt. And the way Law says that… It's like he already knows Doflamingo will do something. And that frightens you. 

Yet you take a deep breath and try to relax as Law guides you through large maze-like corridors, following Cora until you reach a big white door with golden handles. His uncle opens the door with a smile. “Ta-da!” He exclaims, opening both arms to show you the room. 

You stifle a gasp and turn it into a surprised expression. Law squeezes you tighter and smiles at his uncle. 

“It's the honeymoon suite for you two lovebirds!” He chuckles and scratches the back of his head. “Well, not quite, we're not a hotel, so it's not really a honeymoon suite, it's a room with some amenities like a jacuzzi in the bathroom and privacy from the other rooms so you can… you know,” He chuckles some more, “talk as loudly as you want without being heard.”

Law groans at his uncle but a tentative chuckle escapes your lips at his attempt to lighten the mood. Your amusement is short-lived, however, as you survey the room. It might be private and away from the other rooms, but it's not that big. There's a huge bed and two cushioned armchairs, a closet, a vanity and a desk. No couch. Just one bed. For both of you. 

At least it's a big bed. 

“Thank you, Cora. We've got it from here.” Law smiles softly at his uncle and thanks the staff who brought in your luggage. When everyone leaves, he closes the door softly, leaning against it and briefly closing his eyes. 

You take a deep breath and set your purse on one of the armchairs. “Well that was intense.” 

Law's chuckle starts low and quickly turns into a groan as he looks at you. “I'm sorry, but I can guarantee you he will be much more inconvenient.”

You snort and roll your eyes. “Is that even possible?”

“Trust me, it is.”

You both laugh away the tension of the meeting and, after a brief time, as you're hanging your dresses in the closet, you speak again. “Your uncle Cora is lovely.”

Law is in the bathroom emptying his bag of products on the counter. “He's amazing. He's like a father to me.”

“I could tell.” You mutter. “What are the plans for tonight?”

Law senses the slight tremble in your voice as his head peeks from the bathroom. “Oh? Why? Do you need to rehearse everything beforehand?”

A sigh escapes your lips as you close the closet door to face him. “Considering Doflamingo is breathing down our necks, perhaps it's not a bad idea?”

“It's just a family dinner. Baby 5 will come too, along with the groom. Possibly the groomsmen, bridesmaids and some of Doffy’s associates. I bailed on the last board meeting and I'm pretty sure he'll want to bore me to death with company issues. Also, I predict that Doffy will ask personal questions while Cora will want to know if and when we'll get married and if and when we're gonna have kids.”

Law joins you in the room and you smile at him. “Cora is really sweet.” 

Raising an eyebrow, an amused glint dances in his gaze. “Should I be jealous?” His voice drops lower and a snicker curls your lip as a consequence of that. You're feeling bratty. 

“Maybe. I do like blondes.” Law grunts, reading immediately into what you're trying to do. “And he's so tall and big. I'm sure he'd make me feel small and-...” Law takes two strides, pushing you gently and pinning you against the closet door. One of his hands rests on the closet beside your head, while the other grabs your chin tightly, tilting it up so you can meet his eyes. “Weak…” You finish your sentence, cheeks already flushed and ablaze. 

Law's eyes glint with mischief, but his lips are pursed tight. He uses the hand near your head to brush your earring. 

The signal. 

“Do I have to remind you of who you belong to?” His voice drawls from his lips, his face is so close that you can feel his hot breath against your skin. 

Your fingers graze his earring lightly to use the signal, but his low hum warns you to return your hand where it was. No teasing is allowed on your part. “I was just commenting on how handsome and charming he is. I have eyes.” You know you're playing a part, you know it's fake, but you have no audience. This is for yourselves only. And you can't help the tiny sliver of anxiety tugging at your brain, telling you to keep pushing. Push enough so you can let go. 

So you can surrender. You need to surrender.

Law's eyes darken as he presses his body closer to you. You can feel his heat  against you, but the fire in his eyes burns ten times hotter. 

“You do, but they have to be on me all the time. You don't want to misbehave, do you, sweetheart?” His lips brush the skin of your collarbone, the hand on your chin tilts your head to the side as he nibbles your jaw, his tongue wet and teasing. 

Fuck. This is what you wanted, right? Now you have to deal with it. 

“You know what happens to bad girls?” His hand lowers as he traces down the middle of your breasts, trailing to your belly, dropping down some more - so close to where you want him, but you know he won’t touch - and then settles on your hip. 

“What?” You whisper, dying to know, anticipation making you tremble and shiver. 

Or is it his touch that's doing that? 

“They don't get what they want.” His teeth graze your earlobe. “They don't get what they need.” His hand raises your dress, fingers curling the fabric as his palm settles against your thigh, eliciting a choked moan from your lips. “They don't get what they crave.” His lips hover yours and you lean forward to capture them but he moves his head back, tutting you in a disapproving manner. 

“No, no, sweetheart. No kiss for you. You're being a brat.”

You swallow the lump in your throat as you squirm and press your thighs together. There's a fire burning in your belly that needs to be put out; a devastating thirst that needs quenching. 

“I can beg, Law. I can be a good girl.”

Fuck, where did this come from? 

The sound he makes is half-grunt, half-growl and it reverberates through his chest, making you gasp as you grab his neck, trying to pull him in for a kiss, trying to erase what your mouth said that your brain doesn't want to acknowledge. However, Law is faster, and stronger. His hands grab yours, pinning them above your head. One big hand of his is enough to hold your wrists, and he's barely using his strength. 

He shows you that slightly unhinged grin of his and you mewl at the sight, biting your lower lip. That grin right there, you realise, it's your favourite. “You say one thing sweetheart, and then you do another. We can't have that, can we?”

You shake your head, your eyes pleading for your mouth. Law's free hand returns to your side, he lowers it tantalisingly slowly as his thumb brushes circles on your dress, but his fingers burn so much that it's like they're pressing directly on your skin. 

“I told you that bad girls don't get rewarded.” He practically purrs against your ear. He does something sinful with his tongue on your earlobe and you close your eyes in abandon, arching your back and giving way to a wanton moan. His hand clenches your wrists tighter as his unholy tongue continues to tease you. He licks your neck and collarbone, then goes lower towards your cleavage. You can't stop the pants and gasps that escape your lips, making you tremble. 

There's a pressing need in your core screaming to be filled, or touched, or teased. Something, anything! But he's adamant about not fulfilling that need. 

“I promise I'll be good, Law.” You whisper. “Just…” Touch me. “Kiss me. Please!”

His lips hover over yours as he slots his knee between your legs. You fight the urge to ride his thigh, to grind your core against his taut muscles. You're pretty sure you could come undone from just that. “Is this what you want?” His breath is hot against your lips, his lips barely grazing yours. 

But now you know better than to push your luck. You stay still, your eyes nearly watering from the throbbing need. 

“Yes! Please.” Your whisper sounds like a prayer, but he's a relentless deity and shows it by pulling back, a smirk curling his lips. 

“You don't deserve it, sweetheart. You misbehaved. I warned you.” How can he be this cool and collected while you're falling apart? A mess of quivering bones and frail muscles? His hand grabs the back of your thigh, lifting your leg easily and slotting himself against you, giving you a taste, a sliver of the friction you want - need! “Bad girls are left wanting more.”

He presses further, his hand still groping the back of your thigh, fingers spreading over it. Your mind goes blank. You can feel his length pressed against you, you didn't think he'd do it, is this pushing your boundaries? He’s not touching you. And you want him there! Besides, this is fake. 

Right? 

But he's doing it. And you desperately want more. 

“Bad girls get teased until they can't take it any more.” He bites your lower lip, not hard enough to draw blood, but just enough to jolt you and shake your senses. “If this were real, sweetheart,” he begins, his voice huskier and raspier than ever, needier even, it seems. “I would bend you to my will and have you on the brink of exhaustion, pleads and prayers escaping your lips in mewls and moans, before I took you right here, against this closet, until you begged for release between screams and cries of desperation.”

The image he paints is so real that you almost feel yourself snap, the coil within you starts to unravel as he presses just a bit further, his lips hovering just above yours, his fingers digging into the plushness of your thighs. 

“But this is not real, and you've been a very good girl so far.” As his lips finally crash against yours, a soft thrust of his hip pushes him against your clothed clit. The friction of the seams on his jeans hits you just right, and you snap without any kind of warning.

Your back arches and you moan into his kiss like never before as your body clenches and squirms, your leg wrapping around his waist, pulling him deeper into you. A freeing, warm sensation fills you, building like a flame, higher and higher and he takes it all. His tongue slides against yours, swallowing your moans as if he needs them to breathe. His hands grip you tight and he's still pressed flush against you. 

It's all too much. 

It's not enough. 

And it's over too soon. 

He parts the kiss and you're both left panting. Law doesn't meet your gaze as he removes his hands and composes your dress, pulling back slightly, while ensuring you can stand on your own. Clearly he overdid what he meant to do. 

“Are you alright?” He asks, worry lacing his words as you struggle to catch your breath. You should feel embarrassed. You’re in a fake relationship and yet, here you stand, in post-orgasmic bliss wondering if he regrets what just happened. But you’re not ashamed, far from it. You feel free. 

“Yes.” Your voice still comes out in shaky gasps, but your legs - though wobbly - manage to sustain you. 

Law nods and clears his throat. “I'm… I'm going to take a shower, to get ready for dinner. Unless you want to go first?”

“No, no. You go. I… I need to choose what I’ll wear first and-... you go.”

He nods, turning away from you, walking towards the bathroom, his pace more erratic than usual. 

What just happened?

|Chapter 6🔞|

[shitsndgiggs]

Hii Kaya!🤍

I was wondering if u could write where YN is dating Kenan, but only Cubanito his friend knows that. So when YN go back to Kenans apartment to grab something she forgot, she accidentally go in on Cubanito and Kenan doing a livestream gaming🫶🏼

UNPLANNED REVEAL - KENAN YILDIZ

Revealing your relationship on stream was not a part of the plan

Kenan Yildiz x fem! reader

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿

Dating Kenan had been an incredible experience so far, but we’d chosen to keep our relationship private—at least for now.

The only person who knew about us was his best friend, Cubanito, who’d promised to keep our secret under wraps.

Kenan’s life was always in the spotlight, and we both wanted to enjoy the early stages of our relationship without any added pressure.

That’s why I didn’t think twice about heading back to Kenan’s apartment to grab my phone, which I’d forgotten there earlier in the day.

He was usually busy during the evenings, so I figured I could slip in, retrieve it, and head out without disturbing him. Little did I know, I was about to walk into something completely unexpected.

I let myself into Kenan’s apartment quietly, not wanting to make too much noise. The place was familiar and comforting, a second home for me by now.

I knew Kenan was likely in his gaming room, so I made my way to the living room where I’d left my phone on the coffee table.

As I grabbed my phone, I noticed the faint sound of voices coming from the gaming room down the hall. Curious, I took a few steps closer and realized that one of those voices was Kenan’s, sounding unusually animated.

The other voice belonged to Cubanito, his signature laugh echoing through the space.

They were gaming, as usual, but something about the tone of their conversation caught my attention. I hesitated at the door, wondering if I should just leave quietly or pop in to say hello.

Before I could make up my mind, I heard Cubanito mention something about being on stream.

It suddenly dawned on me that they were live, and I had no idea how long I’d been standing there, potentially within view of the camera. Panic set in, and I quickly decided to sneak back out before anyone noticed me.

But just as I turned to leave, the door creaked loudly under my weight. I froze, hoping they hadn’t heard it, but my luck ran out.

“Hey, is someone there?” Cubanito’s voice called out, followed by a brief pause. I heard the sound of a chair scraping against the floor as Kenan stood up.

“Yeah, I think someone’s at the door,” Kenan replied, his voice closer now. My heart pounded in my chest as I frantically tried to think of an excuse.

Before I could react, the door swung open, and there stood Kenan, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw me. “Y/N?” he said, his voice filled with a mix of confusion and concern.

I was caught. There was no way to slip out of this without making it look even more suspicious. Cubanito, who had turned his attention toward the doorway, also seemed taken aback.

“Uh, hey,” I said, giving them a sheepish wave. “I just came to grab my phone. I didn’t realize you were streaming.”

Kenan glanced back at Cubanito, who looked like he was trying to stifle a laugh. “Yeah, we’re live right now,” Kenan said, clearly trying to process the situation.

“Wait, wait,” Cubanito said, holding up a hand as if to stop everything. He grinned mischievously. “Kenan, is this who I think it is?”

Kenan shot him a warning look, but Cubanito’s grin only widened. The chat on their livestream must have been blowing up, but I couldn’t see the screen from where I stood.

Realizing I was in full view of the camera, I awkwardly stepped further into the room, not knowing what else to do. “Um, hi, everyone,” I said, offering a nervous smile to the camera.

Kenan sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah, uh, guys, this is Y/N,” he finally said, making the introduction. “She’s… she’s my girlfriend.”

The room went silent for a moment, and I could see the shock on Cubanito’s face as he realized what had just happened. He quickly turned back to the camera, muttering something in German as he tried to manage the situation.

“Oh, no,” I whispered under my breath, feeling my face flush with embarrassment. This was definitely not how we planned to reveal our relationship.

Kenan looked at me, his expression softening. “It’s okay,” he said quietly, reaching out to take my hand. “We’ll handle it.”

I nodded, squeezing his hand back. The tension in the room started to ease as Cubanito, always quick on his feet, turned the situation into a lighthearted joke, making everyone laugh and diffusing the awkwardness.

But as the reality of what had just happened sank in, Kenan ended the stream earlier than planned. The second he clicked the "end stream" button, our phones started buzzing with notifications—tweets, messages, and missed calls from friends who had tuned into the stream.

We looked at each other, a mix of shock and amusement on our faces. Then, as if we couldn’t believe the ridiculousness of the situation, we both burst out laughing.

“Well,” I said through my laughter, “I guess the cat’s out of the bag now.”

Kenan pulled me into his arms, still chuckling. “Yeah, I guess so. But honestly, I’m kind of glad. Now I don’t have to keep you a secret anymore.”

I smiled up at him, feeling the warmth of his embrace. “Yeah, me too.”

Cubanito, who was still laughing at the absurdity of it all, walked over and clapped Kenan on the back. “You two are something else, you know that?”

Kenan just grinned, his arm wrapped securely around me. “Yeah, we are.”

[lemonlover1110]

Baby Steps

Satoru Gojo

[Chapter 19] Execution

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Pairing: Satoru Gojo x f!Reader

Chapter Warnings: Kidnapping, Mentions of Blood and Killing

Discord +18 - Twitter - Ko-Fi

Happy to co-host Gojo NSFW Week 2023! Come join us on Twitter!

Satoru isn’t sure on how to properly break up with someone, so when he sits across from Leiko. He rehearsed this a couple of times, and tried to prepare himself for every possible situation. Whether she cried, or screamed, or even threatened him. She likes Satoru a lot, so he doubts that she’ll handle the news too well.

“This is a really nice place… I feel underdressed.” Leiko comments as she looks around, even though she isn’t close to being underdressed. She fits right into the crowd of people. But maybe that’s why she feels underdressed because she’s used to standing out.

“You’re fine.” He says, looking through the menu. She begins to say something, but he isn’t paying too much attention. He does catch the “You should pay me a compliment, I’m your girlfriend y’know” but nothing else. She keeps talking and talking, and he hums in response as he tries to figure out how to break up with her. When she mentions your name, he looks up from the menu and then at her.

“How is she? Haven’t heard from her ever since we went out for dinner.” She asks. She tries not to smirk, and Satoru notices. “I hope she didn’t feel threatened when I mentioned our baby–”

“I don’t need you anymore.” He cuts her off, and her eyes widen. She furrows her eyebrows before she slightly tilts her head to the side. She smiles, trying to play off her anger.

“What do you mean, baby?” She asks, and Satoru immediately knows what she’s planning when she slowly raises her voice. She wants the whole place to go quiet for her to cause a scene– To be the victim so he won’t break up with her. So he doesn’t go through the embarrassment.

“I’m breaking up with you.” He responds before he stands up from his chair. “And if you want to scream and cry in the middle of this place, that’s fine. Doesn’t change the fact that we’re done.”

And just as he expected, she does begin to yell some lies into the air, causing a scene. But he couldn’t care less as he walks away. He tunes her out, grabbing his phone to send you a text message. You’ve been ignoring him ever since he crashed your date. He’ll head to your apartment to talk, since he really wants to talk to you.

Maybe it’s time for him to explain the truth.

-

Just as expected, when Satoru knocks on the door, Kaya opens it. She crosses her arms as she glares at Satoru. She leans against the doorframe and looks at Satoru up and down, “I’ll only let you in if you’ve broken up with that girlfriend of yours.”

“Then I have some great news.” Satoru responds, pushing Kaya to the side. He knows that she won’t get out of the way either way, so he might as well save himself the time. Kaya stands dumbfounded, slowly blinking. But she doubts that Satoru is telling the truth. He walks to your bedroom door, which is open, but empty. The bathroom door is open as well, and you’re clearly not there. He walks to the living room and looks at Kaya, who walks back in. “Where is she?”

“She stayed the night with her new boy toy.” Kaya answers as she takes a seat on the couch. Satoru furrows his eyebrows, hoping that this boy toy isn’t Suguru. The date he crashed was only a couple of days ago and he doubts that you’d stay the night with someone so fast– Or maybe you would because you had just met when he knocked you up. But you wouldn’t do that while pregnant… Would you?

“Getou?” He asks and she nods her head in response. She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.

“You know him, right? At least that’s what you said when you ruined her date.” She points out, but Satoru doesn’t pay much attention to her. He has other thoughts in his head, other thoughts that are more worrying. “You know… I don’t believe a word you say. You’re probably still with–”

“Give me your phone.” He orders, interrupting her. She shakes her head. “Have you talked to her? Give me your phone.”

“She’s been texting me.” She answers, which doesn’t help Satoru calm down. “Why do you look like that? She’s fine.”

“You know anyone can send a message. What the fuck is she even doing over there still? Look at the time.” He says, causing her to grab her phone and click on your number before calling. She’s sure everything is fine. But you don’t pick up the phone, and that worries her. “Is she not picking up the phone?”

“Probably busy.” She awkwardly chuckles before trying again. You don’t pick up the second time, and she puts the phone down. She chews on the inside of her cheek before she shakes her head, “She’ll call back in five minutes.”

“And if she doesn’t? Then will you finally give me your phone?” 

“If she doesn’t, we’ll wait until tonight to go to the police–”

“She’s a pregnant woman, Kaya! I’m not wasting my fucking time. That’s the mother of my child and I’m not going to wait around to check if she’s alive.” Satoru slightly raises his voice, clearly irritated and worried. He extends his hand and holds his palm out. “Now give me your phone and unlock it.”

“Why do you need my phone?” Kaya asks as she unlocks it and gives it to Satoru.

“I know that she shares her location with you. I just need to check that, nothing else.” He answers as he looks through her phone to find the app that shows your location.

“Does she not share her– Dumb question, nevermind.” She responds. He finally finds your location, and he dashes out the door. Kaya has no option but to run behind him. She grabs the first pair of shoes she finds and holds them while she tries to catch up to Satoru. When she gets to the passenger door of his car, she tries to open the door but it’s locked.

“It’s best if you stay here.” He tells her, but she still attempts to open the door. Satoru ignores it, even when she says,

“C’mon, she’s my best friend.” 

“You should’ve thought about that when you told me to wait till tonight. You’ll just slow me down. I’ll bring your phone back tonight.” Satoru says as he turns on the car. He closes the door and even though Kaya still holds the car door handle, he begins to back away. She lets go and just watches as Satoru leaves. Maybe he’s right, it’s best if she just stays. She’ll just slow him down. She isn’t too sure if she can trust Satoru though.

But he took her phone, and she isn’t walking all the way to Daisuke’s apartment, so she has no other option but to trust him. You’re carrying his baby so she hopes that means something to him. She’s overthinking, he’s going after you because he’s worried about you, not to cause you any harm.

She walks back to the apartment, the worst still flooding her mind.

-

A pungent smell fills your nostrils, and it makes you open your eyes. Your eyes land on the ceiling, and it looks unfamiliar– You don’t remember falling asleep. You had a date with Suguru, you had fun talking to him, and you realized how nice it was to talk to him. He invited you back to his place but you declined. You remember walking home and then nothing after that.

“You’re finally awake.” You hear his voice, and you lift your head. You see Suguru, and your eyebrows furrow. Your legs are tied together while your hands are tied to the bedposts. There’s nothing you can do to get out of the restraints, the ropes around your wrists too tight. Your eyes wander around the messy room, there’s dry blood on the walls, and you begin to worry– For how long have you been out? Is that your blood? 

“Suguru–” You say, and he brings a glass of water up to your lips. His hand goes under your chin and he tilts your head up. You want to refuse the water but you’re too thirsty to refuse.

“Good girl.” He responds when there’s not a single drop of water left. He puts the glass down on a nightstand that’s next to you before he takes a seat on the edge of the bed.

“What are you doing?” You ask, trying your best to remain calm in the situation, even though tears well up your eyes. You feel as if your heart is about to beat out of your chest, and your stomach is churning. You’re about to puke, but you try to hold it back. “Is this about Satoru?! Let me go! He’ll immediately know it’s you and he’ll call the police!”

He chuckles. He stands up and he stares down at you, one hand going under your chin to move your head. He licks his lips before he disapprovingly shakes his head, “Satoru picked such a dumb woman to become the mother of his child. For some reason I expected better from him.”

“What do you mean?” You respond. “How do you know Satoru? What do you want from me?”

“You’re awfully curious.” Suguru comments. “I killed my parents in this very room. We’re in my old house… You’d be the next victim if it weren’t for–” He smiles as he puts his hand on your bump, and you feel the water going back up your throat but you can control yourself. “We’ll wait for the baby to get here first.”

“What– Please don’t–”

“I don’t want to hear it. The last sound you’ll hear is your baby’s first cries… Unless…” He begins, and your ears perk up. You patiently wait for him to respond, “Satoru joins me. I’ll spare your life if he joins me. That is, if he finds me before the baby is born. When your baby is born, I’ll use them as leverage.”

“Join you? With what?” You ask. Every word that rolls off his tongue leaves you more and more confused. You’re not understanding anything, but maybe your hunger has to do with this. 

“You’re a dumb girl, you wouldn’t understand.” Suguru says, his voice so sweet yet so mean at the same time. Your hands try to break free from its confinements, but it’s to no success. He laughs at the pathetic attempt. He pulls out your phone from his pocket. “Your friend is annoying. She keeps calling and texting– And Satoru too… He really cares about you. But they’re annoying.”

“He’ll find me soon!” You claim and he hums in agreement.

“That’s why we’re leaving. I have no intention of keeping you alive.”

🏷 @witchofoe @cactustattoo @kageyamaslittleroyal20 @mykyoon @sunjayist @fonkymonkeyfriday @lilith412426 @luvs-wrld @witchymermaid12 @fi106 @distractionforyourthoughts @dearsunaa @tamak00 @watyousayin @leiriswhore @q-the-rockaholic @shuxjodie @syynnaaah @kleeboomed @shrekmwa @bakugobiddies @blueeskies17 @arminsgfloll @obeythemasters @crispmarshmallow @levismainbabe

[magicshopaholic]

Drowning pt. 2 (Namjoon x OC)

Summary: You and Namjoon find out you still have some kinks to iron out.

Pairing: Namjoon x OC

Genre: Angst, fluff

Word count: 3.9 K

Rating: 18+

Warnings: sexual innuendos? if that - idk

A/N: I have, to this day, not been able to get over purple-haired Namjoon, so this fic is dedicated to whichever stylist decided to bring this into our lives. Takes place the morning after Drowning.

Tagging: @bbl32, @quarter-life-crisis2, @margopinkerton, @faearchives, @whoisbts, @purpleseoul7, @kflixnet (if you want to be added to the taglist, lmk)

Listen to: “full time lover” by prateek kuhad

namjoon masterlist | main masterlist

It’s a sunny day in the London heat, but according to Dilara, it will rain this evening.

Kaya stares at the clouds in the distance, wondering if they are rainclouds and if they are even near enough the city to provide a respite from this heat. She will be back in Amsterdam by then, though, where the weather is more bearable.

She can hear voices from close by, of Dilara and Taehyung, of her friends, of Namjoon and Chris speaking their language in similarly deep voices. It’s somewhat comforting, but Kaya can’t seem to find it in herself to join them. In fact, she hasn’t all day, and she can’t quite figure out why. 

Taking a deep breath, she tries to retrace her steps from this morning, all the way from when she had woken up in Dilara’s guest room, cold and alone.

Her heart had jerked to such a stop that it physically hurt. The first sound out of her mouth had been something between a dry sob and a gasp. She’d sat up in an instant, realising a moment later that the cold was because the air conditioner had clearly been turned up - or that it felt that way because the warm body next to her that always ran a little too hot in the summers was no longer there.

She’d had to blink and rub her eyes before the grogginess disappeared and she was able to focus on the Rolex lying on the bedside table, followed by the Converse shoes by the closets that were definitely too big to be hers. She’d felt mildly ridiculous but given her heart was still beating rapidly and unevenly, she’d gotten off the bed and slipped on her shorts, now able to hear faint voices from outside as well.

Namjoon had been in the kitchen with Chris and Dilara, scarfing down a bowl of cereal while the three of them chatted. His face had broken out into a dimpled smile at the sight of her, easy and familiar, and he’d sort of held out one hand. For some reason, including the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach that hadn’t yet subsided, Kaya pretended as though she hadn’t seen it.

It didn’t end there. Dilara and her friends had a plan to go ice-skating and somehow, Kaya found herself and Namjoon being roped into it. To his credit, Namjoon seemed equally enthused at the prospect - but she had a feeling he could be convinced into anything at the moment. His happiness and relaxed demeanor was transparent, but it didn’t do a lot to help her discomfort disappear.

The cold interior was a welcome respite from the heat and their group of six meant that Kaya was able to distance herself from Namjoon without making it obvious. She wished she wasn’t, but it simply felt too overwhelming to be around him, as though it was opening the door to a room stuffed with feelings she had to begin making sense of.

Dilara and her friend Lexie, her trainer and a professional dancer, had taken off on the ice together, gliding like swans and seeming strangely coordinated, like they knew each other’s movements. Chris and Taehyung were far less graceful about it; the latter was dreadful, half-stomping and yelling in fear, and had to be coaxed by his girlfriend who was laughing but stayed patient, holding his hands and guiding him, while Chris outright refused to participate.

It left Kaya and Namjoon to be the average, normal skaters and when he had come over and asked if she wanted to skate together, holding out his hand, she’d found it impossible to be able to refuse.

The uncertainty didn’t go anywhere, though, not while skating, not after, when they grabbed fish and chips from a nearby vendor, and not now when they hung around by the Thames on a rare day off, eating and sipping on cold drinks.

The breeze by the river is slightly cooler; sitting on a ledge overlooking the water, Kaya tries to clear her mind.

She smells him before she hears him, the familiar cologne making her heart involuntarily skip a beat. “Hey. Is this seat taken?”

Kaya opens her eyes but doesn’t look at him; turning in his general direction, she forces a small smile and shakes her head, looking back at the water as he sits beside her.

“Are you okay?” he asks. When she simply nods, he speaks again, and his tone is slightly different. “Something on your mind?”

Too much. Now that he’s sitting beside her, she’s finding it harder than ever to look at him, afraid he’ll see everything on her face.

“Is everything -“

“Can you -“ She interrupts him and stops abruptly. “Can you… not get up in the morning and just leave like that? Maybe wake me up or - or drop a text or something?”

By his silence, she can tell that isn’t what he was expecting. “Yeah,” he says after a moment. “Sure. Sorry.”

She nods, slightly regretting her brusque tone. Her eyes look around without really seeing anything, vaguely registering people walking around on a Tuesday afternoon. For once, Namjoon doesn’t seem about them being together in public. She wonders if that’s on purpose.

“Is there anything else?” he asks gently. “Kaya… did I do something wrong? Last night?”

Kaya shakes her head. Nothing had really happened last night for anything to go wrong. They had clambered into bed, fully-clothed minus denims - she guessed he didn’t want to presume anything and was waiting for her cue. 

Somewhere in the darkness, the proximity and familiar touch and pure longing had led to her tilting her head up and finding his lips, and they’d engaged in a passionate snog session that could’ve gone all the way, had it not been for her stopping it abruptly. 

“Sorry,” she’d murmured, rolling off him and feeling his hand slide off her thigh. “I just don’t think tonight is… you know, the right…”

Namjoon had saved her from stuttering and nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “No problem,” he’d replied softly, and waited for her to settle back down before doing so himself, eventually wrapping his arms loosely around her body - comforting but not suffocating. She’d felt his semi against the small of her back and a primal part of her wanted to throw caution to the wind, but she’d restrained herself.

Now, sitting right next to him, it occurs to her how foreign the distance is between them, even if it’s barely a foot.

“Are you sure you want this?” she blurts out. 

“This, meaning… you? Like, a relationship?” He hardly waits for her to nod. “Yes. Very much. Why do you ask?”

“Because it’s just occurring to me that the only reason we’re here is because Seokjin tricked me into going to your hotel yesterday,” she says, the words suddenly flowing. “Without that… would all this have actually happened?” she asks, finally looking at him. Would you still be here?

Namjoon frowns. “I mean… honestly? Maybe not,” he admits. “But you can say that about a hundred different things. We’re here right now because everything up till this moment fell into place a certain way.”

“But would you be here?” she asks finally. “Or do you think you’d even want to, a week or a month from now? Because… Namjoon, I can’t help but feel like I - like I ambushed you,” she confesses. “I just showed up and I said a bunch of things and I caught you off guard… emotions were running very high. But once everything calms down, in a few days or a few weeks… will this still be something you want?”

His frown deepens and Kaya can tell he’s struggling not to let his incredulity show. “Is it something I want? Kaya… I can assure you, that is not something that has ever been in question.”

“Then why didn’t you come to me sooner? Why did it take me coming there and a fight to happen and - and for you to find out about the note for us to be here?”

“Because -“ He sighs. “Look, I can’t pretend I know what might have happened if you hadn’t come over yesterday. I think I was questioning my decision enough that I would’ve eventually called you, probably to apologise or definitely at least to talk. But… no, it probably wouldn’t have been last night,” he admits. “But that’s how these things work sometimes. Would we be here if you weren’t in London for work?”

Kaya turns away as he tilts his head, his logic not escaping her.

“You did not ambush me,” he clarifies firmly. “You told me a bunch of things I needed to hear and as hard as some of those things were… you were right to say them to me.”

That’s not what I’m talking about. Not exactly. But she doesn’t know how else to put it. Next to her, Namjoon takes a deep breath.

“You know, when I was on the way to the airport after you told me about the break-in,” he begins, a little hesitantly, “before I decided to write to management about the press release, I was… I was going to tell them I was terminating my contract. I didn’t,” he adds quickly, when she snaps around to look at him in shock, “but that was the initial plan.”

“Jesus, Namjoon,” she breathes, shaking her head. “When did you get such a flair for the dramatic?”

“I wasn’t trying to be dramatic,” he disagrees. “And it’s not like I would’ve stopped being a member of BTS that second. There would’ve been a discussion and meetings about it - and I was ready to have those. But I didn’t go through with it because as I was typing out the email…” He sighs. “I got a message from Jungkook asking if I knew where his socks were. And then one from Jimin asking me not to tell him. And I had no idea what they were talking about… but I knew I couldn’t do that to them.”

“Tell me about it. Please do not end your career for me,” she states, still reeling from this new information. “Christ. Those were really your only two options?”

“The point is, is that I didn’t break up with you on a whim,” he says patiently. “Obviously, I shouldn’t have done it at all, but… Kaya, it really, genuinely felt like my last resort then. So if you’re asking me if I still want to be with you? Honey, I never stopped. Okay?”

Kaya feels chest loosen slightly - but only slightly. The casual term of affection doesn’t escape her notice either; he’d only started calling her that when she’d started calling him that. Until then, it had been a lot of jagiya and sweetheart and baby - but this extremely American endearment had been new to his vocabulary then. 

When she’d mentioned to him once, when they were thousands of miles apart, that it always made her think of how her immigrant parents called each other honey, deliberately using an American term to make each other laugh, he’d suddenly started using it much more often.

“Namjoon, I…” She exhales deeply, wishing the answer would come to her - wishing the question would come to her, perfectly structured so she could get her point across but still avoid hurting him. “I get that you think that,” she says slowly, noting how his shoulders fall but powering through, “and I believe that you think that. But it’s been six months.”

“That’s really not a lot.” 

“I’m not saying your feelings have disappeared. I’m saying…” She tries but gives up almost immediately. “I’m saying that things can change in six months. And I don’t want us making such a huge decision - again - based solely on what happened last night. We’ve missed each other and we said a lot of things, but I really think we need to take a beat and think about it. Because… I can’t go through a break-up again. I just can’t. So, if you’re not one hundred percent sure… well, then this is your out.”

There’s a few seconds of silence where the sound of the river seems louder. Then, Namjoon speaks.

“I don’t need an out. I don’t want one and I don’t think it’s -”

Just then, both of them are called and they turn to see everyone starting to pile into Dilara’s Aston Martin DBX. 

“Look, just - just think about it, okay?” Kaya says, standing up and dusting herself off. When Namjoon doesn’t answer, his tongue in his cheek, she hesitantly offers her hand. Despite his visible discomfort, he takes it and even though he doesn’t apply any pressure, he keeps holding her hand until they’re at the car.

—

Namjoon follows Kaya into the guest room, slowing down a few feet behind her, and watches her gather her belongings from around the room.

“Good thing I didn’t unpack a lot,” she says lightly. “The cab should be here any minute. Thank God the college is paying for it or I’d be taking the train. Do you think you’ll still come?” she asks after a moment, sounding doubtful.

“Yeah. I’ll be there tomorrow morning. Need to book the hotel and everything,” he explains, suddenly remembering he needs to inform the team and taking out his phone.

“Joon?” 

“Yeah?”

She sighs. “Are you mad?”

“What? No,” he says honestly, lowering his phone. “Of course not. I’m just trying to understand…” He takes off the beanie he’s been wearing all day and runs a hand through his hair, letting breathe in the AC. “I know you may need time. And I’m fine with that, really. I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere.”

Kaya purses her lips, a small smile flickering on her face. “But?”

“No but,” he says immediately. “Yet,” he begins after a moment, “I really want to understand why you think my feelings might have changed. It’s not like I moved on with my life after we broke up. I didn’t even try,” he admits. “Why is that the doubt in your mind?”

She shrugs slowly. “I don’t know. I know that you… love me, but I just need… I don’t know, some kind of reassurance. Something to show me that it’s more than the relief of getting back together.”

Namjoon frowns, something just occurring to him. “Is this the only thing that’s holding you back?” he asks curiously. “From…”

“From getting back together?” She pauses, evidently thinking. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Really? You’re not mad at me anymore?”

She takes a deep breath. “No. I was, yesterday. Very. But it’s getting too hard to stay mad at you,” she admits. “I don’t want to do it anymore.”

Something blooms in Namjoon’s chest at that, hopeful and happy, but he reins it in. 

“I love you,” he says.

He’s not imagining it; an automatic smile threatens to creep up on her face but she suppresses it. “I love you, too. But I don’t want to move forward with this - this thing in my brain, constantly questioning me. I’m sorry, I know I’m probably not making any sense,” she mutters, shaking her head and moving around the bed with her packed suitcase.

“No, come on, don’t be sorry,” he says immediately, coming to stand before her. “I really want to understand, baby - okay, let me see if I’m getting this -“ He touches her shoulders to stop her in place and clasps his hands together.

Kaya sighs but doesn’t protest, folding her arms across her chest and tilting her head, clearly humouring him.

“You want to get back together - which, by the way, is music to my ears -“ he adds, his heart skipping a beat when she purses her lips in amusement, “and it’s not that you’re angry… you just aren’t sure if I’m serious about this?”

Her shoulders fall and she looks away, now seeming visibly frustrated at her inability to word it.

“I think you believe you are,” she says slowly. “But I think you think you’re supposed to. I don’t think you’ve thought this through beyond just getting back together. About what happens after getting back together.”

Something settles in Namjoon’s stomach; it’s like the feeling of hearing a bunch of demos and arrangements and knowing that a particular combination of them is the correct sound - but the challenge is to recreate in reality what is in his head.

“Okay.” He swallows, nodding. “Firstly, I hope you know that as much as I want this, I in no way want to pressure you. You can take all the time you need - I just don’t want this to be something that’s a factor in it.”

She shrugs helplessly. “How does that happen? I can’t tell my brain to stop thinking about it. There has to be a rationale behind it.”

“So… you want me to prove that I’m in this for the long haul?”

“I mean, it’s not a test. But… yeah, an indication wouldn’t be the worst thing.”

They stare at each other, both their points having been made, with the looming feeling of an impasse. Namjoon fiddles absently with the rings on his fingers, something he realises only now that he should have returned to the stylists yesterday.

“Alright.” He pokes his tongue in his cheek and takes a deep breath. “I think I get it. I just want you to know that… this is not the way I was planning to do this. Or even imagining it - like, Dilara’s guest room was nowhere in the picture. But I love you,” he repeats, “and if we do get back together, it’s my job to make sure that this isn’t something you ever doubt again, so…” He takes a step backwards and, with his heart suddenly starting to race almost as though it’s trying to catch up with his brain, he goes to kneel.

It takes almost his knee to touch the ground before Kaya seemingly catches on, her frown deepening one second and her eyes widening the next. An incoherent gasp escapes her mouth for which Namjoon is glad, for he doesn’t think he can get through this if he’s interrupted.

“Kaya Madaan, love of my life,” he says, slipping a silver ring off his middle finger, “I can try and convince you of this every single day for the rest of our lives - and I will - if you make me the happiest man on -“

“Oi, Kaya, your taxi is here - whoa, what’s wrong - oh, my God! Oh, my God!”

Dilara gasps in the doorway, while Kaya is still frozen in shock before him. Namjoon feels like he’s been hit in the chest with the sudden interruption and he swallows, staring wordlessly as the door opens wider and Taehyung appears next to his girlfriend.

“What happened? What’s - oh.” Taehyung’s eyebrows disappear into his bangs and he swears in part-shock and part-awe - and in Korean, Namjoon notes somewhere in his mind.

“Oh, God, I’m so sorry!” Dilara exclaims, wincing in guilt and looking at Kaya.

“Damn,” muses Taehyung, back to English, “I always thought I was going to go first.”

“What?” Dilara smacks his shoulder in horror, making him gasp and wince as he clutches his arm.

Namjoon’s brain finally snaps out of its shocked silence and he gets to his feet. “Alright, get out,” he snaps, walking over and slamming the door, hesitating for a moment before turning around to face Kaya.

“That was definitely not part of the plan,” he mutters, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head. “Okay, where, uh, where were we? Oh, right -“ He moves to go back to his original spot, but Kaya stops him.

“Namjoon.” Her voice is still a little shaky but her grip on his shoulders is firm. “You don’t have to do that. You don’t - you shouldn’t. Not now.”

From her expression, he knows she isn’t referring to the location. He reaches up to brush his thumb against her cheek. “I really do want you to know that I - Kaya, I’m not afraid to do this. Granted, it should be more romantic, more planned - and definitely far, far away from those two. But I mean it just as much right now.”

Kaya bites her lip and even though he knows all the things wrong with this situation, she shakes her head slowly. His heart sinks unexpectedly but he hopes it doesn’t show on his face.

“Not like this,” she says softly. “We’re not there yet - on multiple fronts. But, someday… maybe.”

His chest loosens slightly. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. I still don’t think we should get back together this minute,” she says after a moment, waiting for Namjoon to nod. “But… come to Amsterdam tomorrow. Help me move in… maybe christen my new apartment?”

He half-chuckles. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just wanted to -“

“I know. And… you did.” She gives him a small smile when he meets her eyes. “This was not what I had in mind when you said prove,” she says, giving him a look, “but I think it did the job. But… God, Joon, what would you have done if I’d said yes?” 

He takes a deep breath and shrugs. “Well, for starters, I would get you an actual ring.” He slips the ring back onto his finger, the metal feeling cold in the AC. “And told Big Hit that as my legal spouse, they fly you back and forth to wherever I am.” He pauses. “You know, I think I’m going to do that anyway.”

Kaya raises her eyebrows. “You can do that?”

“Yeah. I think so. If you’re my significant other on paper - and, yeah, there will be a paper,” he adds, slightly apologetically. “But they can afford it.”

“Well, you are a shareholder,” she points out. “But you know what? If you manage to swing that, I’ll take it.”

He squints. “You have never let me pay for a ticket in three years. I had to convert it into a birthday gift for the Rome trip.”

“Take the win, honey,” she murmurs, reaching up and kissing him. Namjoon almost sighs when he feels his chest relax and his stomach unclench with worry. Pulling her closer by the waist, he kisses her back, every cell in his body cherishing the moment.

“You have no idea how much I love you,” he mumbles into her shoulder when they pull away into a hug. 

“I may have an idea,” she replies, equally softly, tightening her arms around his shoulders. 

There’s a knock on the door. “Er… I don’t mean to interrupt,” comes Dilara’s voice, sounding extremely hesitant, “but the security guard just called me to say your taxi is still waiting.”

“Shit, I’m going to miss my flight,” mutters Kaya, immediately stepping away and fumbling for her suitcase and bag. Namjoon tries not to be disappointed as he takes her suitcase from her and wheels it to the front door, waiting while she pulls on her shoes.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he promises when she stands up again. “Call me when you land?”

“I will.” She reaches up to give him another quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before heading out, tucking her long hair behind her ear and calling the lift. Namjoon watches until the lift arrives and she steps in, blowing him a kiss as the doors close.

Missing her already, he trudges inside and shuts the front door behind him to see Taehyung and Dilara surreptitiously staring from where they are on the sofa.

“I’m going to kill you two.”

—

Thanks for reading. Don't forget to drop a review :)

[beanghostprincess]

The Strawhats go to Syrup Village when their adventure ends because they want to say hi and thank everyone they've met along the way. Luffy misses his old friends! And Usopp, of course, wants to see the Usopp pirates and... And Kaya. Kaya, mostly. They were dating before Usopp joined the crew and when Usopp started having feelings for Sanji, he sent a letter to her asking if she was fine with that being a thing. And of course, she said yes, because Sanji seemed like such a nice gentleman and if he made Usopp happy then she was happy too. But he hadn't taken into consideration how nervous Sanji would be meeting her. Which, you know, understandable. Meeting your boyfriend's girlfriend. Something totally, uh, normal for Sanji's little mind who had to have a whole crisis for two years about his sexuality and relationships. But you know, it's okay, because it's Kaya. So everything will be fine.

And it surprisingly goes great! Well, surprisingly for Sanji. Usopp knew it would be okay! Obviously!

They encounter the kids first, and they're- They're older and it makes Usopp feel old too. Because what the hell. They're taller and they look almost like teenagers and it's making his heart melt. God, he has missed them so much. They go running to him and asking questions and hugging him and Usopp doesn't think he can take this much happiness, really. He keeps bragging about his cool, awesome, powerful crew and bounty and says that he'll tell them all their adventures later. Piiman directly asks "So, which one of them is your boyfriend?!" and Usopp freezes because "How do you know I have a-" and Tamanegi jumps in like, "Kaya told us!" and Usopp obviously can't be surprised at that. Or mad. He wrote the letters for the kids too, after all. So while the crew waits there watching it all happen, Usopp tells Sanji to come with him and meet the three idiots he had for a crew. And Sanji knows them, of course. He takes a drag of his cigarette, stares at them, and instantly goes "Ninjin, Piiman, Tamanegi" pointing at all of them correctly. They're astonished, but before they can say anything, Sanji squints his eyes at them "I remember because you look like vegetables-" / (Usopp): Ooookay, Sanji, babe, enough!" And he changes the subject to ask if Kaya is home right now. The kids say yes. Yadda yadda yadda, and they start walking to her house. (On their way to Kaya's, btw: "If I cook tonight we're not having vegetables, I would feel bad-"/ "Sanji!" / "C'mon, it's funny- They're cute, I swear. Like cute little potatoes-" / "Do you want me to punch you?" / "If we have children, do you think they'd look more like a radish or a cauliflow- / "Dumbass. And those are the only children we're having for a while. Get used to them." / "Wait, I was joking! Do you- You want children? With me? I-" / "Sanji, please, not today.")

So they get to Kaya's and... And Sanji is excited. Nervous. But excited. Nami won't stop teasing Usopp about it, too. And he's not worried. He's okay. He's not anxious. Everything's gonna be okay and she will love the person he has become. Definitely. Nothing to worry about. But he's visibly shaking, and he didn't expect Sanji to be the one holding his hand to calm him down, but it happens. And he couldn't be happier.

So, of course, Luffy can't be fucking quiet and starts knocking on the door and yelling for Kaya to come to greet them. Even if it was supposed to be a surprise. And Nami says "Gosh, Luffy, calm down! She can hear you. Everyone can hear you, actually. Shut up and wait for-" but she can't finish her sentence because Merry is already there with the biggest of smiles, opening the door for them. Usopp just says a soft "Hi!" while Luffy wastes no time in going in.

Nami: Luffy! Wait for a damn second! Merry: Oh, well, not that we can control the King of the Pirates, can we? Nami: You don't need to tell me. Franky: You look like Merry. Merry: ... I am Merry? Franky: No, I mean the ship- Usopp: Franky, we've explained this to you. Franky: Not the part where the butler looks exactly like the ship, though? Usopp: Oh. True. Well. There you have it.

Everything happens a bit quickly. Kaya is walking down the stairs when they're walking in, and the second she sees Usopp she just has to hug him tight. Sanji steps away because, well, he doesn't want to get in between their reunion. And everyone thinks he's jealous or weird about it, but it only takes a moment to realize he's staring at them with the fondest of looks in his eyes. She's the most beautiful girl he's ever seen (apart from Nami and Robin, of course. But it's another type of beauty) and there's just this glimpse in his eyes nobody can actually describe.

Usopp and Kaya kiss and he starts to feel a bit dizzy because- Wow. Remembering her kisses is just as overwhelming as he thought it'd be. She's precious. He says they'll tell her all about their adventures. That he has truly become somebody she can be proud of. She says she has always been proud of him, and Usopp dies a little bit with that. When she's done staring at him, she tilts her head to the side saying hi to everyone else and she spots Sanji, hands on each side of him and bouncing his right leg. She lets go of Usopp to approach Sanji and grab his hands, and with a soft, tender smile, she says "I'm so glad you've been looking out for him. I've heard so many great things about you, Sanji! I truly hope we get to know each other better" and Sanji dies. Sanji instantly dies. Not from a nosebleed but a heart attack, probably. He's speechless for a whole second and nobody says anything. Because this sweet girl just said this in front of everyone and let's be honest, everybody is wondering how the fuck Sanji and Usopp are the ones with enough rizz to pull this wonderful girl. Anyway- I can imagine Jinbe laughing and saying "Usopp! You have a type!" and he's being genuine and sweet but it's so fucking embarrassing the sniper just wants to curl up and die.

Luffy, Nami, and Zoro see Kaya again and it's so, so sweet to see her being a doctor just like she wanted. She's healthy. She's adorable, like always. And she welcomes them into her house gladly. Kaya says hi to the rest and she. Absolutely. Adores. Chopper. That's probably the cutest doctor she's ever seen, and also the smartest! If Usopp and Sanji didn't need to talk with her, she'd probably spend the day talking to Chopper. She also gets along with the older members of the crew! They're all just so nice to her <3 Robin comments about how Usopp and Sanji have been talking a lot about her and Kaya giggles but it makes Usopp want to run away to a private place as quickly as he can. If Robin is the one talking about this, this means they will all keep the embarrassing conversation going and he can't have that.

They decide to stay for dinner, the way they had planned because Sanji is dying to cook for her and they just knew Kaya wouldn't let them go without having dinner with her. Besides, they've been staying for a while in every island so that they can enjoy their time with each person and decide what they want to do next. If they want to, you know, stay with the crew or choose to keep going with their lives outside of being a pirate (everyone chill, they're staying together. At least for a long while until they're old. Because otherwise, I will cry). So, Sanji cooks while the crew waits around the house. Talking to Merry and Kaya and wow!! The kids are staying too!! Awesome!! Usopp is in the kitchen with Sanji because he just needs a second to calm down. It's too much. In a good way! But god, he needs a second.

Usopp helps Sanji with a few things while they talk about everything and nothing. A kiss here and there. And then, Usopp is suddenly a bit uncomfortable about what he's about to say. "What do you think about, um, Kaya?" / "Are you really asking me that?" / "Yeah! Why wouldn't I? Maybe you don't- Fuck. I don't know. Maybe now that you've seen us together you don't want-" / "I want to, Usopp. More than anything." / "Really?" / "Yeah. She- She makes you happy. She even makes me happy and I just met her. And- I don't know. I guess she just looks a lot like my-"

But then the kitchen door opens quickly and it's closed just as fast, because Kaya is there, resting her back against the wall and smiling shyly at them both.

Kaya: Hi! Hi. I- Am I interrupting or-? Sanji/Usopp: No! Kaya: Oh! Oh, okay! I just thought It'd be nice for us to be together for a while? Alone? Usopp: ...... Luffy is being- Kaya: Nami? Usopp: Oh, fuck, yes, makes more sense. Sanji: Nami-san can be a bit assertive sometimes, but it's alright. Kaya: So it's okay if I stay? Usopp: Kaya, it's your kitchen- Sanji: Of course, madame. You're gonna be the first one to taste our dinner, then. I need opinions. Kaya: Oh, I'm not a cook. But I am sure your food is excellent! Sanji: Indulge me, please? Eat whatever you like. Usopp, whispering: Why are you being more romantic than me? She's my girlfriend. Sanji: And I am your boyfriend. She's, like, my girlfriend too, now. Usopp: Does that work like that? Sanji: Uh, not sure? Kind of? Usopp: ... As long as you two are happy. Sanji: You should eat too, by the way, mon amour. I am being serious when I say I want feedback.

They end up spending a long while together making dinner. While Usopp tells her about their adventures, she tells her about her life without him and her studies. How much she has been trying to help the village, too, and how the kids have been doing. Sanji asks them their opinions on the food. Asks them for help, too, if needed. And everything ends up being so domestic and nice that Usopp is surprised Kaya and Sanji just met. They're so in sync and they look so pretty together they even look like a couple already. Usopp thought he'd end up feeling left out (because he always does) but there's just something about them being together that makes his heart melt.

Skipping the dinner part, because it's just all of them having fun as usual and besides a few cute glances and blushes and compliments, there isn't anything remarkable about Sanusokaya here. They end up in Kaya's room after dinner, while the other crew members go do whatever. They have designated rooms and beds (the place is a fucking mansion, and there's room for everyone).

The thing is, they go to Kaya's room to talk about... Them. They don't know where to begin, so Usopp breaks the silence by telling Kaya about how he met Sanji. Things she already knows from letters, but she hasn't actively heard. And it's obviously more entertaining this way. So Sanji and Kaya sit on her bed while Usopp talks. And one thing leads to another and he's also explaining Skypiea. And Water 7. And when he gets to Dressrosa, something they had already talked about during dinner, Sanji decides to explain what happened back in Whole Cake Island. He didn't have this in mind. Opening up so much, he means. But there's just something about Kaya that makes him want to keep talking. So he explains a bit (not everything, of course) about his past. And she's so, so sweet about it. Holds his hand all the time. Rests her cheek on his shoulder. Usopp kisses both of their foreheads. And that's when Sanji stares at Kaya and says:

Sanji: You know? You remind me a lot of her. My mother, I mean. Kaya: Do I? The way you talk to her is so wonderfu- Sanji: You are wonderful. Kaya: Oh- Usopp: Sanji, you can't say that to her! That's my job. You're wonderful, babe. Kaya: Thanks, darling. I just- I was thinking that it could... If you are okay with it. Maybe I'm overstepping. That it could also be his job? God, I am explaining this awfully. I am a doctor, not a writer- Usopp: He would love to be your boyfriend. Sanji: Don't answer for me! Usopp: Weren't you going to say yes? Sanji: In a more romantic way, yes. Of course. Kaya: Really?! Usopp: I think he likes you more than he likes me- Sanji: Idiot. Don't ever say things like that. He's always so- Kaya: No, yes, you have to force the love into his head, huh? Sanji: Exactly! Usopp: Don't get too excited, Kay. He's just like that too. You say something good about him and he starts sobbing.

Long story short, they sleep together in Kaya's room, all tangled up and cuddling because they're the cutest, most adorable couple in the world. They stay for a while in the Village and spend some days together, growing closer and clingier every day. And sadly they have to say goodbye because they want to keep going with their journey (they have stuff to do. They tried to bring Kaya along, but she's the doctor of the village. She can't leave them alone) but she knows they'll come back to her. She trusts them to

[an-au-blog]

Skater boy!Ace and ballet dancer!Sanji

What more can I say...

I can say more. I can say a lot more. >:]

They meet because of Luffy. They were going to go out and celebrate Sanji being accepted into an opera as a dancer.

Sanji had always loved dancing, his biological father never approved of it, but once Sanji became a teenager he ran away and started living in a low-rent motel while working as a dishwasher in a restaurant. When his boss Zeff found out and he insisted that he go back home. Sanji broke down and told him exactly why he couldn't so Zeff opted for taking him in. Turns out, before having his leg amputated he was a big deal in the world of ballet. Now he only sometimes teaches little kids as a side job. Sanji begs him to teach him as well.

Luffy befriends Sanji quickly and soon enough they start hanging out as a friend group.

Sanji had never had close friends so he was a bit overwhelmed by how much they all loved him. Despite all his temper problems, despite all the mistakes he makes, despite his feeling like he's a failure. Zeff is very happy Sanji finally found people to be loved by.

At the age of 16, Sanji had his first real show. Not just kids' stuff, an actual part in an actual ballet troupe for an actual theater performance. Everyone was so proud of him. Nami brought her sister and mother with her, Luffy brought his brothers, Usopp - his girlfriend - Kaya, it was heartwarming. Zeff almost cried but would later deny it. They didn't have much time to see him after the performance since the dancers were going to go somewhere together, but Sanji couldn't help but eye one of Luffy's brothers. And if he wasn't reading the situation wrong, his brother was looking at him too.

One time, Luffy took them to meet his brothers who were at the skate park. Ace is quite good, doing tricks and getting hyped by his baby brother. He seemed friendly. The conversation in the friend group got going and before a little while they split into multiple conversations. Somehow Sanji ended up talking to Ace. They hit it off quite easily and then Ace asked him if he wanted to go smoke in the back. Sanji said yes so they split from the group for a bit with some dumb excuse like going to the toilet or something.

Once out of sight, they stood behind one of the ramps as Ace rolled up a joint. Sanji warned that he never smoked anything but cigarettes before, but Ace reassured him it was almost the same. Sanji was still hesitant so Ace asked him "Have you tried shotgunning before?" the other shook his head no.

Ace took a long drag. He put a hand on the back of Sanji's neck and another held his chin up and in place, opening his mouth with his thumb. Ace stood so close to Sanji's lips, that he could practically feel the heat radiating from them. He almost forgot to inhale the smoke and most of it just passed over his face.

Ace, not letting go, only backing up enough to look the other in the eye: did you feel it?

Sanji, not being able to look away from his lips: I can't really, I think I need another shot...

Ace: maybe we can try closing the distance

Sanji: maybe...

Ace gave him an unlit joint. Sanji tried to refuse but he insisted. So he pocketed it without thinking about it much.

After an uncertain amount of time, they came back with a bit messed up hair, swollen lips, and smiles on their faces - giggling about things only they knew.

They said bye to Luffy and his brothers and Sanji remembered he forgot to take Ace's contact. He thought that maybe he'd leave him to ask Luffy and then when he texts Sanji, he'll go "Oh, you were thinking of me, how sweet" and Ace would go "Of course, couldn't stop" or something along those lines. The thought made him giggle to himself. But it never happened. A day passed. Then two. Then a week.

And Luffy acted normal, with no mentions of his brother or if he was asking about Sanji. Sanji felt a bit used. So he just kept on training, he kept on doing his best to keep himself busy.

And then they meet again. The friend group went over to Luffy's house for a board game night. It started off with just them playing or at least trying to agree on a game to play. At some point, Sanji, Usopp, and Zoro gave up on having an opinion and let Luffy and Nami argue on what to play. Sanji asked Usopp to come help him fix up some tea in the kitchen. He found some cookies and honey in the cupboard and gave them to Usopp to bring to the table. "I'll be with you with the tea in a bit", he said.

There was shifting at the door and for a moment Sanji got a bit agitated: Usopp, I told you I'm coming! I can't find the tea plates-

Ace: We don't have any. Just get a big one off the shelf.

Sanji froze when he heard that voice. How dare he? How dare he so casually appear after all this time.

Sanji looked away from him and forced a: Thanks.

Ace, a bit hurt: Why are you giving me the cold shoulder? You ghost me and now you act all superior?! That's messed up, dude...

Sanji: What do you mean I ghosted you- you just disappeared! What, was I supposed to ask Luffy for your number or something?

He omitted the part where he would wish and fantasize that Ace would do that. He couldn't betray what little pride he had left.

Ace, confused: What do you mean? I already gave you my number...

Sanji: ???

Ace: On the paper of the joint I gave you... Did you- did you smoke it without seeing the number?

Sanji, panicking: No! I- I went back home and then I lost it after throwing my clothes in the washer- I must have... ah shit...

Ace laughed: Ah man, here I was - thinking that you hated me when it turns out you're just a ditz.

Sanji: Hey!

Ace: It's okay, I'm an idiot, I'll probably forget about it too...

Sanji, hiding a smile: Don't say that about yourself... though yeah, you are a bit...

Luffy: Are you guys gonna kiss?

They both turn to see all the others looking at them by the door. Usopp shushed at Luffy, saw they were spotted, and hid his face behind his hand. Nami hit Luffy for ruining the moment. Even Sabo was there looking at them with a knowing smile.

[kimchiagustd]

one week post KOA reading and not surprisingly, i am still mourning... spoilers ahead but i need to let go of all these feelings.

i miss this new family i discovered, the excitement of the next chapter or the next book, the anguish, the tears, the cliffhangers, the surprises, the couples and friendships dynamics. i miss everything about tog!

my brain is still processing aaaallllll the events of 7000 pages and a lot of things are settling when i could not process everything while still reading the books…

but to me, this saga is a masterpiece for so many reasons. as a woman, there are so many things validating in these books, i don’t even know where to begin with.

the sorority in tog is still mind blowing to me, probably my favorite part of the whole saga, that we clearly don’t talk about enough. the ending with aelin walking to meet her people with her girlfriends, marching with them as equals still gives me goosebumps. aelin and lysandra friendship (bestfriends and soulmates), aelin and ansel friendship (free young spirits), aelin and manon friendship (rivals then equal queens), aelin and yrene friendship (sisters), aelin and nesryn friendship (admiration and role models), aelin and elide friendship (bonded by fate and a love for the same kingdom) are so precious to me... i could write entire essays about them. i adore how all the female characters just fell in love with aelin, saw her vision of a better world and just followed her to the end. and then, the thirteen, do i even need te explain myself? i think a part of me will forever mourn them. the heartbreak i felt after their death is unspeakable. i never read a book with such flawed and beautiful characters. asterin (her hunter and her whichling), sorrel, vesta, imogen, ghislaine, faline, fallon, edda, briar, thea, kaya and linnea have my whole heart.

marion and josefin are branded in my very soul. their characters had so few pages but gods, how their sacrifice still resonate in me...

then the different journeys of all the characters… chaol has a special place in my heart, despite everything, despite all these things being said about him. he had so many flaws, did so many mistakes, but what a journey, what a fight against depression and disability, what an end… he was so lost and tormented throughout thousands of pages, even while being passionately in love with celeana (not aelin!), and is so appeased at the end, married and soon to be a dad… i rarely felt so proud of someone, fictional character or not. i am convinced chaol is one of the best written characters of the saga.

i read a lot of mean things about aedion too and that just broke my heart because the man redefined loyalty all by himself. he lost everything he was taught to believe in, whored himself with the enemy for his people while believing he lost his entire family and kingdom, lost every men and women in koa as a general (his very essence as a person!) and still held the line for hundreds of pages like rowan told him to do so. I. JUST. DON'T. GET. WHY. he is so hated for some fights with lysandra (that i don't excused!) in a horrific context, in the middle a many battles and thousands of casualties. just reread aedion's arc during koa : the only thing he experienced for hundreds of pages is failure, death, grief, terror and guilt, believing he failed terrasen again. LEAVE. MY. MAN. ALONE. plus, aedion is a bisexual icon, and he slayed the whole books, period.

same thing with lorcan. oh my lorcan… i won’t even begin with him but gods, what awful things i read about him… i don't know why but i fell really hard for this character, despite knowing very few things about him. he was far from being perfect, we agree on that. but what a redemption arc. him being finally at peace at the end, after 500 years of wars, (self-)hatred and being used and fooled by a valg bitch queen, made me tear up as mush as sam's death (shocking, i know but i don't make the rules).

i think, surprisingly regarding our society, people were harsher with the male characters than the female ones. aelin, manon, lysandr and elide lied and did mistakes too, yet somehow, people forgave them immediately. i think we should reflect on that.

a few words about baby dorian too... i think his end was my biggest and bitter disappointment at the end of the whole saga. i can't even tell how his ending wreaked me. he is the one character not at peace at the end of this whole journey. his city is utterly ruined, he is alone in his big castle (the very place where he lost the first woman he sincerely loved and the very place where he was enslaved) with the thought he killed the man he hated his whole life but somehow wasn't the bad guy, his friends are all married or happily in love, even manon won back the witches and her lost kingdom... but dorian is lonelier than ever and that does not sit right with me. he was such a hopeful and loving young man at the beginning of the saga but is broken at the end... i NEED a sequel, he deserves one, more than anyone.

and rowan, oh rowan... i think "love" is not strong enough to define aelin and rowan relationship. the way they overcame depression together long before falling in love with each other is one of the most beautiful thing of this saga. they just saw each other. i love how rowan accepted aelin 1000000%, flaws, scars, fire and all. i love how he never overstepped. like many people, i read acotar before tog and thought no one could surpassed rhysand but how wrong i was... to me, rowan is the best for so many reasons. he never took decisions for aelin, always respected her every moves, respected her pace, never lied to her. i am emotional writing this because him saying "aelin is my heart... my fireheart"... *sob* aelin loves rowan with every bones and cells in her body but rowan's love for aelin? i don't know, there's something about it, i can't find the right words... i don't think i'll ever find an other rowan in an other book. rowan was intensity, hatred, heartbreak, depression, longing, guilt, pain, redemption, learning, harshness, softness, falling in love, crossing an ocean for the woman he loved, giving her an armada when he had nothing, tattooing wyrdkeys in her back to bring her back to him, waiting, loving, loving, loving again and again and again. rowan is suddenly the sweetest and most beautiful name i've ever heard. rowan is love and so much more. rowan is aelin's heart and soul and the key to this new world because aelin without rowan is fear and too far gone. rowan is everything. and what i am about to write seems crazy but i think because there's so much things happening in tog, so much characters loving each other, so many couples we rooted for, we took for granted rowan's love and actions and he somehow became a secondary character - crazy, right? i think we loved passionately his character (especially in hof and qos) but somehow forgot on the way how utterly incredible and unique he is. him saying in qos aelin must build a theater in terrasen after the war and then him offering it to her as a mate / wedding gift at the end of koa? i mean, our boy is a man of his word and i love him so much for it. WE TOOK ROWAN FOR GRANTED AND DID NOT GIVE HIM ENOUGH CREDIT.

anyway, i could write so many more things about so many characters and scenes that broke me in these books (my same is sam cortland and i am not afraid) but you got the idea.

tog is the best saga i've ever read and i am not the same person anymore after reading it. i'll take time to heal. but how grateful i am i have a good run with all these characters...

[aight-griffin]

One Piece collage au

Inspired by @atomikats

Everyone is their canon post-timeskip age

Luffy:

Freshman

Undetermined major

Rarely, if ever, goes to class

Only goes to college because Garp pays for it. (He failed basic training and Garp just gave up)

Stays around because of the Straw Hats.

Can’t drive

Speaks English and Portuguese

Lives with Usopp, Zoro, and Sanji. He and Usopp technically share a room, but he always ends up in Zoro’s bed.

Shanks is his godfather, but they haven’t seen each other in ages.

Called his friend group ‘the Straw Hats’ relentlessly until they adopted the nickname too.

Ace convinced him to join the wrestling team

Ace and Sabo are both in grad school, and none of them live together, but they hang out every once in awhile

Zoro:

Junior

Fitness and Health major

Got in on a Kendo scholarship

Gym rat

Follows Luffy around whenever he’s not at the gym, no one can tell if they’re dating or not.

Can drive, but doesn’t because “walking everywhere is good cardio.” (He can’t make it a block without gps.)

Constantly bickering with Sanji

Bit of an alcoholic

There's a rumor that he's trans because people kee

Always harrumph’s when he finds Luffy passed out in his bed/wakes up underneath Luffy, but never kicks him out.

Joined the wrestling team because of Luffy, now takes it was more seriously than him

Nami:

Junior

Finance/Geography double major

Meteorology minor

Lives off campus with Nojiko

Met Zoro her first year, but only became friends with him when they both met Luffy.

Dating Vivi, a foreign exchange student from Egypt.

Knows how to pickpocket

Regularly drinks every other Straw Hat under the table.

Vivi got a Roll’s Royce from her dad and Nami drives it every chance she gets

Ussop:

Sophomore

Chemistry major

Botany minor

He and Luffy were in the same grade in high school when they met, but Luffy took a gap year and Ussop went straight to college.

Started going to the gym after Zoro convinced him

Legacy student

Has anxiety

Likes to tell wild tales about the school so he can scare freshmen, but they rarely believe him.

Dating Kaya, who wants to be a pediatrician.

Captain of the slingshot club, tells everyone he has the world record for farthest shot with a slingshot.

Has a 2004 Honda Civic named Merry that he loves almost as much as his gf

Sanji:

Culinary student at a nearby trade school

Met the rest of the group when he ended up as roommates with Luffy, Ussop, and Zoro.

Works at Zeff’s seafood restaurant most nights.

Kickboxes on the side

Has zero free time, still manages to cook for the Straw Hats most days.

Ran away from his abusive dad as a kid, nearly starved before Zeff took him in.

The other Straw Hats like to show up at his work and piss him off. (He loves when they come but refuses to admit it.)

Constantly going on dates, can’t hold a girlfriend for more than a week.

Can drive

Had a fling with Nami when they were sophomores, never really got over her.

Has bipolar

Started smoking to calm himself down during manic episodes. It didn’t help, but now he can’t stop.

Chopper:

Freshman

Biology/Pharmaceutical Double Major

Biochemistry Minor

Highschool age, but got a scholarship to go to college early.

Raised by his grandpa Hiriluk, who died when he was 15

Lives with off campus with Dr. Kureha, who’s old friends with Hiriluk. (He calls her aunt Kureha.)

Met the Straw Hats when he found Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji walking home after a fight. They were bleeding, so he patched them up, and they were friends ever since.

Simultaneously baby and smartest member of the friend group.

Robin:

History professor

Mainly teaches Ancient Civ, Lost Languages, and archaeology.

PHD in archaeology.

Traveled the world and did her own research for several years after getting her PHD.

Only been teaching for two years

Knows over a dozen languages, half of them are dead.

Nami and Vivi have a class with her.

There are lots of rumors about her having a criminal record or being part of the mafia.

Franky:

Local mechanic

Owns a shop called the Franky Family

Married to Robin

Lost his legs in a train accident

Made his own prosthetic legs, constantly tinkering with and improving on them.

Goes to night classes for electrical and mechanical engineering.

Addicted to Coca-Cola

Has a class with Ussop

Luffy and Chopper met him while picking up Ussop and now think he’s the coolest guy in the entire world.

Brook:

Music Professor

Former Jazz pianist, started teaching when the last of his band mates died

Oldest person in the school, refuses to retire

His is the only class Luffy regularly shows up to

Prefers piano, but can play just about any instrument put in front of him

Likes to joke about hitting people with his cane. (Never actually does obv)

Assistant coach of the fencing team, says he could’ve gone pro with it but “the music was calling.”

Jinbei:

Head wrestling coach

Assistant swim coach

Teaches various martial arts to kids in his spare time

Loves his boat more than life, takes it out every chance he gets

Looks mean and strict, but is actually the nicest coach you’ve ever had

Has a soft spot for Luffy because Ace was his star player, but only barely puts up with his antics

Always trying to convince Sanji to join the swim team

[lying-on-floors]

Modern AU things...

The AU

Some headcanons

Bertholdt has an older sister, Freya. Their father, Suraj, moved his family from India to Massachusetts after their mother died. Freya is working towards her medical degree, while Berthodlt is working towards his psychology degree. English is their second language, but they're both proficient enough that no one questions where they're from.

Bertholdt and Freya did classical ballet, and that's where they met Annie. She and Bert became friends soon enough, and then she met Reiner through Bert. Now, they're a dynamic trio.

Pieck's been dating her butch boyfriend for almost two years.

Colt and Pieck are childhood best friends, and she introduced Colt to Porco. The two men began dating after being friends for a few years.

Pieck and Porco always went to school dances together as friends. They tried dating once in middle school, but it never went anywhere, and neither were all too interested.

Marco and Ymir are first-generation Italian American, and both speak fluent Italian. Their mom moved from Italy to Massachusetts with her parents when she was 18. She met a second-generation Italian American man while going to a New Jersey college.

Gabi moved in with Reiner and Bertholdt when she was 16 after her parents divorced. Reiner blames himself because he has issues but also because his mom died and she wouldn't have needed to stay with her brother in the first place if he didn't cause his dad to leave. (His thoughts, the poor boy did nothing wrong.)

Gabi, Falco, Udo, Zofia, and Kaya carpool every now and then. Mainly, when Colt lets Falco borrow the car.

Porco and Piecks girlfriend, Miles, both wear the same cologne. (Your choice.)

Gabi plays volleyball. Reiner and Bert often try to make it to her games. Her parents don't show up for her much anymore. They've kind of declined over the years as she's gotten older. Reiner's always been there for her. Colt, Falco, Pieck, Jean, Armin, and Mikasa often go support her.

Zofia and Udo have a sweet little relationship. They've been dating since their freshman year of high school. They're silly.

Colt, like his mom, is an artist. He specializes in portraits, which is the same thing his mom specializes in. They spent a lot of time when he was growing up painting together. Cecilia has always encouraged it. She keeps large boxes of all of her kids' art and creations, including Pieck, who is the honorary third Grice sibling.

Colt's mom, Cecilia, is battling cancer at 53. She was 48 when she found out she had cancer. The only person who knew, aside from her medical doctors, was Gideon, Pieck's father, her childhood best friend. He later died due to a lung infection.

When Cecilia was too physically ill to hide her diagnosis from her kids, she sat them down to break the news to them. Her best friend was dead, so she had to do it alone. Colt was kind of mad that his mom kept this from him, but he knew he would've done the same thing.

Colt and Falco's dad, Ben, died in a work accident when Colt was 13.

Porco's older brother, Marcell, died (ik I'm sorry :/) when he was little from an accident. Porco still struggles with it and confides in Pieck and Colt the most about it. They're the only two people who have seen Porco cry since Marcell died.

Carla Yeager adopted Zeke when he was young. She then had Eren. Grisha died because he sucks and I don't like him.

Zeke and Eren argue often, and Zeke tends to be a bit overbearing, but he means well. Both of the yaeger boys are a bit annoying but Carla is an angel.

Levi is Mikasa's older cousin. He and Erwin adopted Mikasa after her parents died in a car crash when she was 7.

Carla and Levi often have tea together. They're shopping and gossip buddies.

Colt doesn't have many friends outside of Pieck, his boyfriend, and Marco. He and Marco became friends in high school after becoming partners on a science project. They shared a drunken kiss, but nothing came of it. It's an inside joke now.

Bertholdt's childhood nickname, "Bear," has stuck to him for life. Only close friends and family use it, though.

Speaking of childhood nicknames, Jean's mom still calls him "Jeanbo." He doesn't mind it much anymore, but it is a little embarrassing. Marco teases him about it all the time, lovingly, though.

Annie and Hitch live a state away, so they don't get to see their friends in person that often, but they do FaceTime a lot.

Bertholdt and his family are all super tall. He's 6'3, his sister is 6'0, and his dad is 6'2. His mom was 5'10.

Connie is Afro-Hispanic. He's also a trans man.

Sasha, Connie, Jean, and Marco all became friends in elementary school after being in the same after-school club. (What was it? Idk, choose.)

Hitch and Marlow are best friends. They did have a crush on each other in middle school, but it wasn't actually a crush. They just didn't know what to label it.

Marco's nickname amongst his friends (Connie and Sasha) is "Freckle Guy."

Colt spends a lot of time taking care of his mom, who has been getting better but is often on bed rest. She hides a lot of her pain from her kids, never wanting to involve them in it. She wants them to be as worry free as possible. She's a very strong woman and I admire her.

Jean hasn't come out to his grandad, Pops, yet. He's a devout Christian man who has talked about his hatred of queer people. Now, Jean isn't religious, but his mom and grandad are. He came out to his mom by accident. It was a drunken confession. She was pretty accepting of him, as she didn't share her father's views.

Marco and Jean often babysit Marco's young cousins. They're great babysitters. Historia and Ymir are like the fun aunts who probably shouldn't be left in charge too long.

Ymir is a chaos agent, and Historia is a chaos enabler.

This is all for now, I'll probably come up with more.

[kokoch4n3l]

˚ ༘♡ ·˚꒰ works in progress ꒱ ₊˚ˑ༄ (will be updated as I continue writing. ordered by priority)

'•.¸♡ SERIES ♡¸.•'

BUY ME THE MOON, chapter 5 - wip | 3356 words ╰┈➤ after hours of persuasion, you attend a lavish masquerade ball with Manjiro and the rest of Bonten as your escorts. Kaya sees an opportunity to force your facade to crack.

DID YOU TAKE MY LOVE AWAY FROM ME?, chapter 1 - wip | 2110 words ╰┈➤ with the help of a friend, you trigger the ending of your first-ever relationship and suffer mental consequences and societal backlash after the details are exposed. It’s a good thing Mikey supports all your rights and your wrongs. You would do the same for him but unfortunately, Shinichiro does not agree with either of you.

'•.¸♡ ONE-SHOTS ♡¸.•'

i wanna be your girlfriend, (onesided)emma x f!reader, (platonic)mikey x f!reader - wip | 1013 words ╰┈➤ the classic falling in love with your straight best friend trope

[untitled], izana x f!oc - wip ╰┈➤ Izana thinks his pretty girl has been working a little too hard. threatening the professors would no doubt get him in trouble with Shinichiro but maybe he can help take her mind off things...

teen idle, slytherin!mikey x slytherin!reader - wip ╰┈➤ you were perfect, the best girlfriend he can ask for. the only problem was that you were a mudblood.

[jillaxkalangg]

we are delulu in this house!

sarap maging delulu kapag mas delulu sayo friends mo eh hahahaha

okay context, he was in my dreams again for the nth time. this guy was my puppy/first love-ish (lmao), we used to be friends kaso when i realized that i liked him, umiwas ako (lol boang) hahahaha i confessed to him, he said he knew but tampo kasi we stopped talking. he moved on, i did too. nagka girlfriend sya and i talked to some guys, too. but whenever nawawalan ako ng 'guy' he was always there like napapansin ko sya palagi (he's single na but idk if he has someone). wala naman ako pake sakanya literal kasi its been years!!! and then suddenly, napapanaginipan ko na naman sya.

madalas ko sya napapanaginipan kahit we don't talk or what, like out of nowhere andon sya sa panaginip ko. malala last april-may kasi almost everyday dahil to ng bini hahahaha we did have a small interaction din which i posted here. since then, pinagdasal ko talaga na di ko na sya makita sa panaginip. AND THEN boom, he was there again. it felt so real, the pov was so clear to me. how we looked in my dreams were the same as the present time. at nagising akong nagye-yearn sa kanya shuta ate ko hahahaha

hindi ko alam gagawin ko kaya i asked my friends, they knew that he was always in my dreams :( pati sila nagiging delulu na din sakin. last time that i dreamed about him, i really prayed and said na sana yun na ang last for my peace of mind. hindi ko rin kasi alam ano meaning ng panaginip ko like i know na wala specific meaning but why???? of all people diba, palaging sya????? gosh out of touch na ba ako or what. okay let me just add this, i saw him last august but umiwas ako sakanya hahahaha then after two days i saw his mom!!!! talagang sinusubok ako diba pero minsan iniisip ko na i just like the concept of this guy and the bubble we made when we were young ganon pero idk ;_;

now, my friends said na i should talk to him. tell him all of these but i cannot do that and let my intrusive thoughts overtake my rational thinking hahahaha i'm too shy but we only live once and we'll never know unless why, right??? oh shit i need more time so my emotions aren't at their peak

thnx for reading my yap im so anxious about this gago

[pandora-writes-one-piece]

The Meet Cute - Law's Story - 2

Source for pic

The Great Pretender 2

Word Count: 4816

Tags For The Whole Story: Fem!Reader; Law is a soft dom; you have bratty tendencies (not all the time); voice kink; praise kink; cursing; very suggestive behaviour and innuendo from the start; sexual tension; teasing; so much flirting; romance; slow-burn; fluff; slight angst; mature audiences (though explicit NSFW moments will be properly tagged on the chapter); possessive Law; protective Law; soft Law; teasing Law; manipulative Doflamingo; inappropriate Doflamingo; fake relationship trope; only one-bed trope; reader has some anxiety issues; reader is a control freak and perfectionist; modern day AU

Special Warning: English is not my first language, I apologise for any possible spelling or grammar mistakes.

Summary: After moving away from the hustle and bustle of Grand Line City to help your father around the property following a horse-riding accident - and in the hopes of healing your broken heart after your asshole ex-fiancé cheated - you settle into the country calmness of the Calm Belt. You and Law (your father's doctor) start to build a flirty friendship because of your father’s procedure. So much so that when he’s invited to Baby 5’s wedding (his cousin), he asks you to be his date. His uncle Doflamingo - who is filthy rich - is very adamant on finding a suitable wife for him. Seeing as he wants to avoid that, he asks you to pretend to be his girlfriend for the weekend.

Notes: Here's chapter 2! We're still setting up the stage to more exciting events coming up! It's time for Shanks' surgery now.

Tag List: @rosidaze @beachaddict48 @armiliadawn @jintaka-hane @sprinkklz @baby5555

Masterlist

|Chapter 1| | |Chapter 3|

“What do you know about Dr. Law?” Sipping your coffee you stare at Nami, trying to hide the curiosity gnawing at your brain. You haven’t been able to stop thinking about the handsome dark-haired doctor since the appointment two days ago. When you slipped him your number, you unconsciously hoped he would send you a text or give you a call, but then again, why would he? You gave him your number for professional reasons and, despite all the fun teasing when you were with him, you know he’s very professional at his job. 

Also, you knew Kaya would be able to answer any and all lingering questions you might have about him, but Kaya was too invested in trying to set you up and, as attracted as you felt to him, you didn’t really want to act on it.

It was just curiosity.

Right?

“Dr. Law? From the clinic?” Nami placed a finger on her chin as her eyes wandered to the ceiling. “Well, he’s a very good doctor but he’s not very sociable. I think Luffy knows him and they get along well. But he doesn’t party very much. He drinks a lot of coffee - I think Sanji can vouch for that - but he doesn’t hang around coffee shops. He keeps to himself, mostly.” She sighed. “Maybe you should ask Kaya? She sees him on a daily basis! Oh, Robin might answer some questions for you too, they worked together on some paper for a science magazine a while ago.”

Damn it. Not one drop of interesting information. Only that he wasn’t a social butterfly. Shrugging, you nodded and were about to change the subject when Nami’s brow rose. “Why?”

You tried to hide your blush behind the coffee mug. “Oh, no big deal! He’s my dad’s doctor and he’s going to be the one performing his back surgery, should he agree to it. I just wondered how good of a doctor he really was. He seemed professional but you never know!” She was still watching you closely. You were rambling, so you shut up with another sip of coffee. 

“Riiiight.” Her smirk grew. “I’ll pretend to believe you. But I want all the information when things progress between you two!”

-*-

Another two days go by without any exciting news and, somehow, you manage to push Law to the back of your mind, what with the constant scolding of your father’s terrible seating habits, all the helping around the property, and a part-time job Nami had recommended to you at her firm. It was basically sorting files and organising old data and, despite Nami’s assurance that it was mind-numbing, boring work, you secretly loved it.

Because, as Law perfectly diagnosed, you are a bit of a control freak. 

Now that you are back to thinking about him, you remember him telling you that he had a few tips for you to let go and relax. Was he talking about everyday tips or… intimacy tips? Because his tone of voice had suggested something else. 

You are wound up so tight that the thought of relaxing in someone’s care is-... exhilarating. 

Fortunately the buzz of your phone wakes you from your reverie and, patting the cow in front of you on the hind, you walk away from the barn while picking up the call.

“Hello?”

The deep voice calling your name on the other side brings shivers down your spine. It’s Law. “Is this a good time to speak?”

“Yes!” You shake your head and inhale deeply. “Sorry, I was doing some chores for my dad. It’s fine, I’m fine. I mean… yes, you can speak.” Fuck. Once again you wonder what is it about his voice that makes you weak in the knees and dumb in the head?

The vibrato of his chuckle doesn’t have the same effect on you over the phone, but it’s still very endearing. “I’m calling because I’ve managed to check your notebook and I would like to arrange a house call so we can surprise your father.”

Ah, the ambush! You are ready for that. Shanks isn’t.

“I think he will be working around the property all day this week. I won’t be available in the mornings, though. If you can manage a visit in the afternoon, it would work best.”

He hums on the other side and you sit down on a hay bale. Can there be a way to avoid being affected by a tone of voice? Would online research help? “I can make it tomorrow, if that works?”

“Yes! I’m open for you.” You almost bite your tongue as your hand slaps your head. “My schedule is open for you! My schedule!” You bet that if you could see his face, the man would be smirking.

There’s definitely amusement in the tone of his voice. “Tomorrow it is, then.” 

You say your goodbyes and put the phone away as you groan in frustration. How dumb can you be, really?

-*-

When you get home from your part-time job, your organisational needs fulfilled for the day, your father tells you that Ace had come by to help and all the chores were taken care of, so he’s heading out to Beckman’s for beers and to watch the football game.

“No! No, no!” You quickly grab your phone and text the number from which Law called, hoping it’s his personal, or at least professional phone and that he’s carrying it with him now. You quickly say your dad is about to leave and he needs to come ASAP.

Then you turn to Shanks with a pained smile. “Dad, the car is giving me trouble again and I need your help. Teach me how to get it to work effortlessly every time!”

Shanks sighs and looks at his watch. “Fineee. The game doesn’t start for another four hours anyway.”

Placing your hands on your hips, you scrunch your nose. “Four hours? Then why the hell are you going there so early?”

Shanks guffaws. “Pre-game drinks, bug! Why else?” Rolling your eyes to the back of your head, you make your way outside to your car. You keep pestering Shanks about different things, trying to buy your time and, slowly, pissing him off inadvertently, until you spot a fancy car coming up the driveway. 

“Oh, thank God.” You mutter, having exhausted all your car-related questions in your arsenal. 

“Thank God, what? Who’s that?” Shanks closes the door of your car and tilts his head sideways. Once he sees the driver, he groans. “An ambush?” His glare could almost burn holes into you.

“Sorry, Shanks. It’s the only way you’ll speak with Dr. Law! You will undergo that surgery. It’s for your own good!”

Your dad still tries to escape, but as soon as he witnesses the scowl on Law’s face, he stops trying to struggle and resigns himself to the situation. Law is dressed casually without his doctor’s coat on: black t-shirt and again with those cute, spotted jeans. He’s so tall and lean, with defined muscles, but nothing too big. And the tattoos… paired with the earrings and the rebel goatee, they almost make you want to squeal. This man is too damn hot to be walking around.

He says your name as he leaves the car with a sly smile and then turns to your dad. “Mr. S. Hi. So sorry for the ambush, but you wouldn’t come to me, so I had to come to you. I’m told we’re going through with the surgery and I’m here to explain everything.”

Shanks groans and you chuckle. “Let’s go inside, I’ll make coffee.” 

Law’s ears perk at that, as you knew they would, and now you’re feeling the pressure of making a good cup of coffee. Fortunately, you’ve just stocked up on some amazing roasted coffee beans that Sanji recommended, and they truly make a delicious brew. 

-*-

Two and a half hours are all it takes for Law to go over the questions in your notebook. He compliments your organisational skills with a slight smirk, and a teasing remark about you trying to control everything, but you try to ignore his tone and he continues. 

He also answers all of your father’s sillier questions, even the one where he asks if he would lose function of any necessary limbs - you know what he’s referring to and you just shake your head at him - but Law handles it very professionally.

By the end, Shanks seems to be a bit more at ease with the whole process - and frankly, so are you - so he agrees when Law says he’ll schedule all necessary pre-surgery exams and the surgery itself.

Shanks leaves in a hurry to go and meet Beckman because the game should be starting in under two hours and he’s not nearly tipsy enough to watch his team lose. Thanking Law, he leaves you two alone telling you not to wait up for him.

Sighing, you get up from your chair to collect the empty coffee mugs. “That went well!” You can’t hide a soft smile from gracing your lips. Law gets up too as he helps you by grabbing his mug and a plate with cookies you had set out, and follows you to the kitchen.

“It really did. I’ll let you both know when the exams and the surgery are scheduled. His jitters will come back, but, if we’re lucky, only on surgery day. He’s going to be fine.”

You finish placing the dirty mugs in the sink and turn to him, leaning on the counter slightly and nodding your head with a weary smile. “Yes, yes, I know. He’s in good hands.”

Law approaches and, reaching behind you, places his dirty mug in the sink, his body a breath away from yours. You can almost feel his own breath in your ear, just for a moment, before he pulls back and steps away from you.

You release the breath you barely realised had been trapped as he keeps eye contact with you. “Thank you for the coffee you made for me. It was delicious.”

“I…” The praise! The damned praise! It turns your legs into jelly and leaves your tongue tied. You have to clear your throat before you manage to utter a full sentence. “Thank you. Sanji said it was a very good quality bean and I followed his instructions.”

His smirk disarms you as much as his praise and he partners it with a slight chuckle and by crossing his arms over his chest. “And do you always follow instructions that well?”

Oh… cheeky.

“Not always. It depends on the instructions. I tend to be a bit of a brat, sometimes.” You respond in kind to his teasing and, as you notice the glint in his eyes and the slight bob of his throat, you don’t regret it one bit. 

“Interesting.”

The look you give each other feels charged with tension, electrical, almost. Again, this was supposed to be a professional visit. Why do the two of you keep playing this dangerous game of teasing each other?

Are you willing to push the game further?

You wouldn’t mind trying a few naughty things with the doctor, but then again, you came to the Calm Belt to get your mind off romantic affairs and help mend your broken heart. 

But then again… this wouldn’t be romantic… just a bit of fun. And don’t they say that rebound sex is good for broken hearts?

Your wandering thoughts are cut short by an insistent beep from Law’s pager. He grunts and grabs it, glancing at it before sighing. “It’s the hospital. I have to go. We’ll keep in touch, okay?”

Yeah you wouldn’t mind that… keeping in touch…

“Yes! We’ll wait for the exam confirmations. Thank you for all your help.” You say while accompanying him to the door. 

As he descends the steps of the porch, he glances back to give you one last smirk, the tension of your previous moment still hovering above you both. “You did very well with that notebook. It was very thorough and neatly organised.” 

Your breath hitches and you feel your cheeks flush with colour. Law opens the door to his car and gazes at you, burning you with his stare. “I can’t wait to witness how you act when you stop trying to control everything and just… surrender.”

His voice is low, teasing and commanding. Laced with a promise of something more, something else, a not so subtle invitation to a very enticing what if. As his car rides up the driveway, you’re left standing in the doorway, your pulse quickening, even though he’s long gone. 

-*-

The day of the surgery finally arrives and you’re sure that your father didn’t sleep a wink. And neither have you. You shower and get dressed and when you get downstairs, he’s sitting by the kitchen chair looking very pale and worried.

“Morning, dad.” Shanks can’t eat or drink anything pre-surgery so you fill your coffee cup and stuff an apple in your purse for later. “How are you feeling? Get any sleep?”

Shanks groans. “I’m terrible, bug. I didn’t sleep a wink.”

You smile as you reach and hug his shoulders from behind. “It’s okay, daddy. You’ll sleep under anaesthesia.” He doesn’t laugh as you hoped he would, so you try to reassure him. “Dr. Law is very good at his job, dad. You’ll be in and out in an instant. Everything will be alright! Plus, I’ll be there waiting for you, okay?”

You asked for days off work to help a family member and arranged with Ace to feed the animals on the property, so you’re covered. All you have to do is worry nonstop in a hospital waiting room while your father is being operated on. 

Nothing too serious. 

Everything passes in a blur after you both leave the house. Shanks is feeling more and more anxious and you aren’t faring much better either. By the time you reach the hospital - in the next town over, where Law performs surgeries on his days off from the clinic - you are both very pale and nauseous. 

You check him in and, as he’s being taken to a room to get prepped for surgery, Law appears and asks you to come in so he can speak with both of you. He reviews the process step by step as you nod along - having studied the procedure from front to back, as the little control freak you are - assures you both that he will be there the entire time, reassuring you that it’s a routine procedure and everything will be alright. 

Shanks feels better once the nurses start to apply drugs to the IV, but you’re still wound as tight as a rope, so Law gently grasps your arm, leading you to the room where you will be waiting for the surgery to be over. He seats you in a chair and fills a cup of water from the dispenser.

“Drink.” He uses the commanding tone you’re slowly getting used to, and you do as you’re told. “You have nothing to worry about. I’ll take care of your father. He’s a strong man and this is routine. He’s got this.” Your eyes fix somewhere in front of you, staring into a void as your heart thumps against your eardrums in a deafening rhythm. Law’s firm hand captures your chin as he tilts your head up to meet his amber gaze. “I’ve got this. I won’t let anything happen to him. Do you trust me?”

It seems like such a charged question. As if he’s asking this and meaning so much more than the hours he’ll spend operating on your dad. Yet, you have no doubt about the answer.

“I do.” You whisper softly. 

Nodding, he turns to leave. “It will pass in an instant, okay? Try not to worry.” He leaves you alone, feeling the weight of fear crushing you and pressing down on your back. You feel helpless, impotent about what you can do to help, to make sure the outcome is a happy one.

But everything feels too out of control. 

Half an hour passes. The clock ticks relentlessly, and you still haven't moved. You brought a book and your cell phone is fully charged, yet you haven’t even taken your purse off your shoulder, your fingers still clutch the plastic cup that Law filled with water for you.

Your throat is dry yet you can’t find the strength to get more water. Your breath comes in shallow, uneven gasps, and your legs are restless.

Another ten minutes pass before you feel a light tap on your shoulder, pulling you back from the stress of the unknown, the unplanned, and the endless possibilities of what can go wrong.

“Kaya?” You whisper, your voice hoarse and ragged with fear.

Your friend smiles at you as she sits down by your side. “Dr. Law called me. He said to leave the clinic to the two morons - Penguin and Shachi are some of his closest friends, did you know that? - and said that I should come to you, immediately! Leaving no chance to argue back. He said he would pay me extra, but I told him to shove the berries in his back pocket because I’d gladly help you without any coercion.”

You blink slowly, your mind still too deep in the fog of uncertainty to really focus on Kaya’s words. Besides, she just dumped a lot of information on you, though one thought lingers front and centre: Law told her to come to you.

“Wait, Law told you to come here?”

She squeals excitedly while nodding with vigour. “He did! He said you looked scared and on the verge of a panic attack and he didn’t want you to be alone in the waiting room for two to three hours. How romantic is that?”

You take a deep breath and, finally, lean back in your chair, removing the strap from your purse and drinking the rest of the water. You already feel more at ease. Kaya’s presence is already reassuring you and easing your fears. “Not as romantic as you make it seem, since I’m about to shit my pants with fear.”

Kaya chuckles and takes the empty cup from your hand, throwing it in the trash and sitting back down. She takes your hand in hers in a reassuring way. “Honey, there’s no need to fret. Dr. Law is the best. You really don’t have to worry. You have no idea how many awards he has! And he’s still so young! He’s not even thirty yet, the man is a medical genius or something!”

She chuckles again and you stare in awe. You had no idea. Kaya sees your reaction and continues. 

“He even skipped a few grades in school. He took advanced classes and entered university two years early! He managed to finish his degree in half the time. He’s really smart and diligent.”

“Wow…” You say dumbly. “I didn’t know that. He did seem very professional and young, but I had no idea he was so good.”

“Honey, he’s much better than just good! I guarantee you that!” She giggles one more time, certainly already adding another chapter to her imaginary novel of your romance. “Did you know he comes from money?”

Raising a brow you turn fully to her, waiting for her to continue.

“He’s related to the Donquixotes. They’re filthy rich.”

Oh, you know damn well who the Donquixotes are. They’re close friends of the Vinsmokes, your ex’s family. You know they have loads of money, influence, power, status… you name it. You never made official acquaintance with them, but you glimpsed the head of the family, Donquixote Doflamingo, at some important parties, and the whole demeanour of the man demands respect. 

You had no idea Law was related to them. 

“I had no idea, Kaya. I know who they are. My ex’s family was very influential and they often frequented the same social circles.”

She’s just about to retort with some more gossip - you assume - when the staff door opens and a slightly frazzled nurse comes to speak with you. Immediately standing, you hope to hear her say that the surgery’s over, but her countenance tells you otherwise, and her words confirm it.

“There was a slight complication with your father’s procedure. There’s some unexpected swelling and inflammation in the tissue surrounding the herniated disc. Dr. Law wanted me to reassure you that all is well, and the only thing this means is that the surgery will be prolonged since he needs to proceed slower and with more caution.” The nurse gives you a strained smile. “He was very adamant that I make sure you understood that he would never let anything happen to your father and to confirm you were already accompanied by Nurse Kaya.”

You nod as you slump back down in the chair, all words stripped away from you, leaving Kaya to answer instead.

“Thank you nurse. Please assure Dr. Law that I’m with her and she’s very grateful for his help.”

The nurse nods and goes back inside while you review the surgery procedure again in your head. You remember reading something in the complications section about tissue swelling. Going back and forth on your mental notes, you don’t think it's something to worry about, but that means that Shanks is going to be under anaesthesia for at least one or two hours more than originally planned and-...

“What? Sorry!” You answer, as Kaya had been repeating your name for a while, trying to ground you back in reality. 

“I said he’s going to be fine! It’s a very normal thing to happen in these procedures. Dr. Law is perfectly equipped to handle it! Remember? He’s a genius!”

You nod vigorously. You know he’s going to be fine. You just know. 

He has to.

-*-

Five hours and thirty-three minutes.

That is the total amount of time that your father stayed in the operating room. But now that a nurse has come by to tell you the surgery is over and they are moving him to the recovery room, you can finally breathe. 

Kaya has stayed by your side the whole time. You received a bunch of phone calls from your friends and neighbours and time passed. Sometimes slowly, other times in a blink. But now everything is fine.

And the man you have to thank for that, has just opened the door to speak with you. His eyes seem weary and tired, the bags under them a bit more pronounced, but he has a reassuring smile on his lips as he approaches you.

He says your name and you get up to meet him halfway. “The surgery is over, Mr. S. is fine and will recover from the anaesthesia in one or two hours. After that he’ll be transferred to a room where I specifically said that you were allowed in, at any time of the day during how long you wish to remain.”

Your eyes feel wet and prickly as the lump in your throat tightens and makes it hard to breathe. Kaya squeezes your hand and Law continues.

“Despite the unexpected complication, everything went according to plan. The hernia was removed and, after appropriate recovery time and some physical therapy, your father will recover perfectly well.”

You are so grateful that you have to fight the urge to wrap your arms around his neck. “Thank you, Law.” The sound that comes from your lips is a mere whisper. 

“I told you to trust me, didn’t I?” His smile deepens and you hear a muffled squeal coming from Kaya, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Law. “Nurse Kaya, thank you for being here.”

She nods and grins at him. “I would never leave our girl alone and afraid, Dr. Law!”

Our girl? You raise an eyebrow at her expecting Law to make some stern remark, but he just chuckles and nods. “Right.” He says. “Thank you. I will check on Mr. S. in a couple of hours.” Then he stares straight into your eyes, his amber gaze full of care and assuredness. “If you need anything at all, you have my number.”

-*-

Kaya wants to stay with you until you are allowed to see your dad, but you tell her to go home. Usopp, her fiancé, has already called her because she’s usually off work by now, and you don’t want to impose.

Besides, there’s nothing else to be scared of. The surgery is over and Shanks is fine. 

She finally relents and leaves you alone and you barely have to wait another hour before the nurse summons you and takes you to your father’s room. He’s lying in bed with a very tired look on his face.

“Dad!” You exclaim as soon as you enter.

“Bug, I thought you were home.” His voice seems very hoarse and you can see he’s making an effort, so you sit down in the chair next to the bed and take his hand, squeezing it tightly. 

“Don’t speak, dad. Just rest. I’m so happy you’re okay. Law said I was allowed to stay in your room for as long as I wish. I’ll stay here with you!” You eye the couch set in the corner of the room. It seems perfectly comfortable for you to sleep on. You just don’t want to leave him.

You forced him to undergo surgery, so you feel responsible for his well-being and want to be there to cater to his every need. 

He nods and closes his eyes. “Are you in pain? Just nod or shake your head, don’t try to speak.” He shakes his head and you sigh. “Okay daddy.” You lean in and place a lingering kiss on his temple. “I’m here for you. Whatever you need.”

“How are we feeling?” Law asks from near your chair and you jump. You didn’t even hear him enter the room. 

Shanks opens his eyes but doesn’t speak, instead, he raises his thumb to give Law a thumbs up, making the doctor chuckle lightly. 

“Alright, Mr. S., I’m going to do a quick check-up before leaving you to rest for the night, okay?” Shanks nods and you get up to give Law some space. After he finishes the exam, checking the drugs in the IV bag and his charts, Shanks is already snoring, so he beckons you to follow him outside the room.

“How is he?” Anxiety laces your question as you wring your fingers together. “From what I’ve read, there can be about a 10% chance of post-surgery infection, so we need to watch out for any redness or swelling, and maybe some fever. Though since he’s under a lot of drugs, we might not spot a fever right away. And, oh! There’s also a supposed 3% chance of blood clots occurring -...”

“Relax.” His hands rest against your shoulders, pressing firmly while his thumbs draw soft circles against your shirt. “I told you I’ve got this. Your father’s in good hands. You said you trusted me.”

You open your mouth to speak, clearly still meaning to add more information about post-surgical statistics you’ve been reading about since Kaya left, but one of his hands climbs up your shoulder and rests on your cheek in an affectionate gesture, much more intimate than you were expecting. 

“Relax. There’s no need to be in control now. I’m in control here. Okay? Just let go.”

All the breath leaves your lungs at once. The firmness of his touch and the assuredness of his voice make you nod and comply, your shoulders slumping forward, immediately relaxing your posture.

What the hell?

You have suffered quite a bit in the past with anxiety and stressful situations, often finding yourself spiralling because you couldn’t control a specific situation. You had never managed to calm down so easily, so effortlessly. Ichiji only made it worse, so you never really had an anchor to ground you. But Law… he did it in the blink of an eye. With a touch and a few words.

This is a first.

Surprise is still etched on your face when he steps back, leaving only a cold void within you. “His vitals are all stable and he’s not in pain. The night nurse will keep monitoring his condition. You’re welcome to stay by his side or go home and rest. He’s in good hands.” 

You nod, still too stunned to speak and exhaustion is beginning to take its toll on your body and mind. “I’ll… I’ll stay. My brain is too numb to drive home now.”

He nods in understanding. “I’ll be here around lunchtime to check on him again. Try to rest. Everything’s alright now.”

Once again, his words stir something within you, a feeling of safety, and you nod in agreement. 

It will all be fine now.

|Chapter 3|