#he's a walking morale booster

[azurine-cryptid]

hello scpblr i have risen from the void to bring thee my own personal Shaw interpretation/headcanon

Jack was either placed indefinitely in the freezer or they found a way to actually terminate him.

So firstly, I have yet to figure out how in the fuck this guy got in possession of scp-963-2, suggestions welcome

secondly, I decided to spice it up for -2 to make it work a lil differently so: When the host of SCP-963-2 is injured, fatally or otherwise it will heal the wound, now this has its limits, if most or all the body is destroyed beyond repair, it'll trap the hosts soul inside and basically stay there until another viable host touches the amulet, forcing the hosts soul into the body, replacing it. This makes the host effectively immortal. Now while the soul does get replaced, memories from the new host will still be there, over time with growing number of bodies this would become a problem as the human mind can only hold on to so many memories.

As of now Shaw has yet to experience this, he's been immortal for only a couple months and id enjoying the high of never dying, he's done pretty good at keeping his body intact and functioning.

Shaw is just some guy who likes red sunglasses, 70's fashion, and indie pop. He's so girlypop I love him<3 he's making my brain go brrrrr

[jeremiahthefroge]

Words can't describe how difficult it is to hold back from oretending to get all shy and ask "what are we" to my straight cis male friend who is now my manager at work while his gf is literally working at the register next to me. Like every single time he comes and gives me change for my drawer and he hands me the envelope I wanna be like "bro Matt what are we 😳🫣"

[nanaslutt]

Dear Nana, may I ask for exhibitionist!NB!Reader groping Choso under his clothes in a quiet hallway at Jujutsu High?? ?

contains: no pronouns or gendered features used for reader, established relationship, exhibitionism, voyeurism, teasing, dirty talk, hand jobs, Choso cums in his pants, nipple play, cum eating

MDNI

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ

The halls of Jujutsu high were silent, save for the birds singing to each other that could be heard through the cracked windows, tangling with the rustling of the wind through the trees, yelling and laughing of students and teachers enjoying the picnic outside; and of course, Choso's loud breaths.

The two of you stood in a corner of the hallway in some building of Jujutsu High, completely out in the open as the both of you stood facing the large windows that cutoff at the average persons waist. Giving you the perfect opportunity to stand behind Choso's large frame and slide your hands in his pockets, digging deep into the cloth as you found his stiff cock hiding behind his boxers and groped him through the material.

To any passersby who walked behind you, it would simply appear as if one partner was embracing the other lovingly; and that was the case of course, but they would also be missing crucial information about the scene in front of them— that being the not safe for work activities your hands were performing in his pants.

Thankfully the school should be completely vacant. The teachers thought it would be a good moral booster to bring the staff and students of Jujutsu High together for a get-together. Clearly, the idea was a good idea as you and Choso watched everyone mingle and laugh together. You thought the idea was brilliant also, after all, it gave you and Choso the perfect excuse to slip away, who would notice two people missing in a crowd of dozens of people?

You had told Choso you needed help getting more ice for everyone, so of course he had no reason to decline, especially not with the way you tangled your fingers with his; in front of everyone; and dragged him away into the privacy of one of Jujutsu highs many buildings. When you stopped him in the corner of the hallway and pressed him agaisnt the window using your body behind him, he relished in the feeling of you slipping your hands into his pockets affectionately, his chest blossoming with warmth as he felt you rest your cheek against the side of his back and people-watch your peers.

What he hadn't expected, was you pressing your fingers against the insides of his sensitive thighs in his pockets, raking your fingers against the skin there as you occasionally bumped the digits into his soft cock. He didn't think you were doing it on purpose at first, so he kept quiet, just nodding at your words when you said something about how nice it was to see everyone happy for a change. Quickly he realized your fingers teasing his most sensitive spots was no accident.

He came to this conclusion when you slotted one of your thighs between his legs from behind them, pressing your thigh into his balls and pushing the length between his legs closer to your wandering hands, as you used one to wrap around it through his boxers and begin to squeeze lightly, using the other to simply pet and scratch at his thigh.

His abs clenched under the ministrations of your hand, his body jerking as his hands came to steady himself on the windowsill. "Oh, I know~" You cooed, "It's just so overwhelming seeing all these positive emotions from everyone huh?" You cooed, playing dumb as you watched from the corner of your eye as he clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut, making no moves to stop what you were doing to him. "It just makes you feel so..good." You emphasized the last word by squeezing his cock tighter in your hand, making him breathe heavily out through his nose.

Choso whispered out your name, tilting his head ever so slightly to the side to crack his eyes open to look at you. "No, no, don't look at me baby, you need to take all this in~ it's such a rare sight after all." You said, nodding your chin up at him, signaling him to look back out at the people sitting on the lawn blankets. Choso felt a heat start to blossom in his pelvis the longer you groped him over his pants, he tried to keep his eyes open on the people outside, but the realization that he was doing something so filthy right in the open in front of all these innocent people was making him embarassed, averting his eyes.

"I'm going through all this trouble.." You started, sliding your hands out of his pockets as you slowly slid one under the band of his pants and boxers alike, the other sliding up his loose shirt to scratch over his abs and end up pinching his sensitive nipples. "..to give you this lovely view, it hurts my feelings that you aren't even looking." You said, faux hurt lacing your tone as you wined out the words. "I'm sorry," Choso replied under his breath, giving his crotch one last glance before he looked up and out the window.

"Yeah, good boy." Your words send blood rushing to his cock. His already hard member could do nothing but twitch as you finally wrapped your soft hand around his cock. The skin-on-skin contact felt words better than the groping over his clothes, but he still wasn't able to get over the embarrassment he was feeling. "This feels.." He started, opening and closing his mouth in a gasp.

"Good?" You finished for him, smiling as you rubbed your cheek into his back affectionately. He whined when you rubbed his tip around in your palm, focusing on just the head of his cock as you swirled and swirled your palm over it, his pre being rubbed over the head of his dick creating quiet squelching sounds under his clothes. If someone got too close they might be able to make the sounds out, ultimately giving you away.

"Embarrassing.." Choso corrected you, looking briefly at how Yuuji was interacting with his loving friends before averting his gaze to the trees. He didn't want Yuuji to see him like this, what would he think of him if he saw his older brother in this state? If anyone saw him in this state for that matter. "Hmm? It's embarrassing? Why?" You asked, pouting your lip at him. You stroked his warm cock faster, no longer focusing on just the tip as you stroked the entirety of his length up and down in his boxers. "W-what if someone sees?" His deep voice questions, making you hum in response.

You decide you're not done teasing him. "See's what?" You ask, playing coy. Choso's body jerked when your hand under his shirt started flicking his nipple rapidly, treating it like a clit. One of his hands came up to press over his mouth as he moaned shamelessly into it, the sound coming out muffled. His eyes rolled back in his head when you sped up your stroking on his dick; the combined stimulation was making his legs shake.

You pressed your knee harder against his balls, feeling his thighs squeeze around the appendage. The veins on his hands protruded out from under his pale skin, showing themselves off as he griped the windowsill for dear life. "What are they going to see, Choso?" You repeated, "Hmm?" The squelching from under his pants would now be noticeable to anyone within a 10-foot radius. He was dripping so much pre onto your hand it felt like he had cum already.

"U-us" He responded, the sound coming out muffled due to his hand covering his mouth. Choso's eyes flitted over to watch the group of people enjoying themselves on the lawn to make sure they still weren't looking before he quickly averted his eyes back to the vacant woods that surrounded the school. "What are we doing Choso?" You pushed him, feeling your own neediness start to become more apparent the more you teased him. He whimpered at your words, his nails digging into the wood of the delicate window's edge.

You abandoned the flicking on his nipples to slide your hand out of his shirt and grab his wrist, pulling it away from your mouth as you twisted it behind his back and held it in your own. "Y-ou jerking me o-off." He responded, a little too loudly. You don't actually know what you would do if someone caught the two of you. You doubted you would be fired, especially with how well-loved you were here, but the unknowing thrill sent a tingle down your spine, making your face heat up.

Although you couldnt find yourself to care all that much about the 'what ifs' when Choso was so obviously about to fall off the enge and into his orgasm. "Is that what I'm doing?" You whispered, your own breath picking up with his as his head tipped backa and his jaw fell open as gasps and moans fell freely into the empty hall. "I'm jerking you off right now? In front of everyone?" You continued. "If even one person looks in this direction, they'll see your fucked out expression through the window."

Your words were doing wonders on his body, his hand that was gripping the windowsill came to wrap around your wrist as you jerked him off vigorously under his pants. He wobbled on shaky legs, trying to keep himself upright as he felt his orgasm creep up on him. "Do you want that Choso? You want someone to watch me make you cum in your pants right now? Huh?" You moaned, kissing his back as you squeezed your hand holding his tighter in comfort.

"No-no Agh-" He groaned, shaking his head back and forth. "No?" You replied, putting more attention on his sensitive tip, you ran your thumb across the head on every swipe, making him gasp. "O-only you, I only want you to see me like th-is." He moaned. His shameless words made you feel hot all over, you swear your face was as red and flushed as the tip of his cock right now. "Yeah? Just for me baby?" You moaned, talking him up to his orgasm.

"Shit- g-gonna-" He wined, gripping your wrist that was jerking him off harder. This made it significantly harder to move your hand over him but you knew he couldn't help it. Fighting through the cramp you felt coming on, you jerked him steadily as his orgasm crashed over him. "Yeahhh~ Cum for me Cho~ Cum for me-" You encouraged. His body was wracked with tremors it was a miracle he stayed standing upright. You swore you could feel his balls twitch against your knee as rope after rope of his seed was released into his boxers.

He grunted into the open space, squeezing his eyes shut as he came into your hand. You continued stroking and praising him through his high, prolonging the already intense orgasm. When Choso felt his soul find his body once more, he took a deep breath into his lungs and sighed. Your stroking had slowed and eventually ceased when his hand released its hold on your wrist. You pulled soaked hand out from his boxers and held it out in front of him, relishing in the way your hand glistened under the lights.

Using your hand that was intertwined with his behind his back, you pulled on it and spun him around. You pressed your knee between his, softer this time, as you forced his ass back against the windowsill. Both of his large hands came to grip your wrists as he looked into your eyes with a flushed face, still breathing heavily. You placed one of your hands on his chest, and reached the other hand drenched in his cum up to his face, holding it out in front of his mouth.

"Clean up your mess for me, would you?" You asked sweetly, batting your eyelashes up at him as you tilted your head to the side. Begrudgingly, he opened up his mouth and stuck his tongue out, pressing the appendage against your warm skin, he licked the salty liquid up from your fingers and swallowed, cringing at the taste. He didn't understand how you always swallowed up his cum after giving him head like it was the most delicious thing in the world. "How do you taste baby?" You giggled, noticing his dismay as you pulled your hand away and licked the rest of his cum off, swallowing it yourself as you placed your hand against his solid chest, joining the other one.

"Bitter." He said, his face scrunching up in displeasure. You released a hearty laugh, leaning in to leave a short kiss against his lips. "You get used to it." You smiled at him. "You did so well for me Cho~" You cooed after a beat of admiring his post orgasm face. "Let's go get you cleaned up so we can get back to that picnic, I need at least 5 more of those cookies Shoko made." Choso smiled, nodding in agreement; Shoko made a mean cookie. Shifting uncomfortably between his feet feeling the wetness in his pants start to cool off, he let you hold his hand in your own, and drag him off to your room to get him some spare pants.

[hayleymarriedjakurai]

mouthwashing x drdt

NOT a situation where im like "ok whit = daisuke" no. this is a different situation. their own scenario, trust. XF-Ture Express, despite its reputation for being one of the most reliable delivery services across the galaxy, has a terrible inside system. They have one of the lowest failure rates of the space freighters, being at a whopping 5% chance. Employees are paid a hefty amount, motivated by good working conditions on each ship with quality leisure activities and meal plans. But only the ones who earn it get such treatment. The hierarchy in which employees are forced to participate in never leaves the walls of the building. You do your job right and kill yourself working, you get assigned better ships with better shipments. It is as simple as that. So it is unfathomable when Captain Xander Matthews, considered one of the best, is assigned to a ship that is just barely allowed to launch. The "Fatebringer", is what it is called. It just scraped by inspection and is subpar for an XF-Ture ship, but supposedly it is necessary. Xander's job is not an easy one, but simple enough for someone of his caliber. He is to take this crappy ship, along with a shipment, to the exoplanet where the the better functioning ships are maintained and created. He and his crew will turn in this old junk ship for a sleek, modern one and move the shipment to it. Then on their way back, they will deliver it and return to Earth. Simple, they said. Child's play for a captain with so much experience. So it only makes sense for the best of the best to be assigned with him. Rose Lacroix. Her job is what is called 'the documenter'. She has no real purpose other than to keep track of supplies, as well as record daily minutes regarding every single thing that happens on board that is important to note. Due to her memory, she is considered the best to keep track of large quantities of items/the best to spot minor inconsistencies or things that are misplaced. She only needs to walk around a ship once to get it down properly. She has worked with Xander once before. Arturo Giles. The medic. He is apparently not new to this field despite being so young. He is usually quite unbearable and does not prefer to speak to his fellow employees, as most are deemed "too hideous". Despite his terrible personality, he is undeniably the best medic to have on a long assignment due to his quick efficiency. He claims that one day, the company will realize that he deserves better than what he has. (Despite being named the best medical employee.) He has worked with Rose twice, David once. J Moreno. The best mechanic for any ship, especially one as crap as the Fatebringer. When nothing needs to be fixed, she prefers to help out others if they need it (only if they deserve it, of course.) As much as she would prefer to stay on her own, she knows teamwork always comes first on long hauls. Her true identity is known to the company; they still put her actual name on all official documents and tech. She has to manually hide these things, as well as her ID card. Mariabella Rosales and XF-Ture collaborate a lot for financial purposes. She will advertise them with her existence/commercials/whatever, and they will pay her. And of course, never make J's employment public. If J weren't so good at what she does, they would not have cared. But they really like Mariabella's money so. As of now, Julia Rosales is considered MIA. David Chiem. Xander's co-pilot and good friend. David is usually the morale booster of his crews, always keeping spirits up and energy high despite the monotony of long hauls. He is usually who people will go to for advice or mental health discussions in place of the medic for two reasons: He cannot medically document anything, AND he is just such a fantastic listener! He always knows what to say! Xander and David have lost count of how many shipments they have done together. Teruko Tawaki. The stowaway of the Fatebringer who was not meant to be there. She was never meant to be there.

Teruko is usually assigned co-pilot. She has never worked with anyone else on the ship, so it is unclear whether or not her strange misfortune is known to any of them. Every ship she has ever been on has failed to bring their shipments on time- or at all. She has even seen crew members die in front of her. There have been near crashes, close calls...always when she is there. Nobody can terminate her. She has technically done nothing wrong, and firing her for no reason could mean a lawsuit or her spreading rumors about the company. So when Xander is given his assignment, he can only be dumbfounded when written in pen, he spots it. "Kill Teruko Tawaki. Find a way." And so Teruko is brought onto the ship, unconscious and hidden away. When she awakens, Xander will tell everyone that she is a surprise extra crew member. The excuse is that while she is usually co-piloting, XF-Ture is interested in having Teruko's skills expanded by having her shadowing the best of the best. Teruko, not remembering much, accepts this and trusts Xander. David's true personality is the same in canon: cold, cruel, manipulative. He feels threatened by Teruko's presence. After learning that her usual role is his, his theory is that she snuck onto the ship to prove she is better suited/to get him terminated. He treats her as normal UNTIL the crash. Xander is aware of Teruko's past jobs in vivid detail. He has been given reports, seen the documents...how much happens wherever she goes. He wants to get rid of her as soon as possible to keep the crew safe despite his guilt. Things go smoothly...until he receives word that XF-Ture is done for. It had only been two months, so what happened? The Rosales family suddenly stopped funding them, and everything crumbled after that. Nobody ever realized how much of their funding came from them. Xander felt mild relief. He truly does not want to kill a seemingly innocent woman for the company. After all, if she were truly responsible for any of those terrible things, they would have fired her with no hesitation. There must be a reason why she's still employed. But now they're all out of a job. What does that mean for them? Xander's mental health starts to plummet. Small things on board start to go wrong, and his first paranoid thought is to blame Teruko for being there. He becomes obsessed with reading over the reports from the crews that suffered in her presence. They were right; she's the cause. He confides in David, panicked and drained. Xander was a good man; far too good to kill anyone. Even if the people who told him to do so were technically no longer in charge of them...Teruko still needed to go. There's no reason to do the delivery, and there only thing they can really do is go to the exoplanet to swap out ships for a comfortable ride home. But with Teruko on board, there is no guarantee that they'll even get back to Earth. Xander tells him everything- too much. David decides that Teruko cannot make it back no matter what. Whatever field she gets to next will be riddled with destruction and possibly worse. Everyone here is at the top of XF-Ture, the best in a dead company. It is too late for any of them to climb to the top of another wage slave ladder. So he crashes the ship. Teruko Tawaki must die. If Xander cannot do it, he does not mind staining his filthy hands with more blood. What else happens? Who knows.

[mssorceressupreme]

Hiii

I heard your requests were open 👀👀👀

Your writing is sooo amazing, it's addictive, like I can't get enough 😩🤚

Could I request a Minho X reader, reader is from Maze B, superrr close with Aris, and she's confident, sassy, sarcastic, loud and laughs a lot, total morale booster, she also cracks a lot of that's what she said jokes.

Since she's close W Aris, the boys might get the wrong idea and think they're a thing, but they clarify they're not lmao

You can ignore this request if you want, I just think you write so good, and so many people would love to read smth like this, I feel like some authors forget they're just teenagers ykwim?

It's so nice to see active Maze Runner blogs, especially when they write so bomb like you 😘

I hope you have a good day, never stop writing ♥️♥️♥️

Of course love, I’d be more than happy to write this for you 🥹❤️❤️❤️ Thank for the kind words, it really keeps me motivated, you’re such an angel 😭😭🫶🏼🫶🏼 Hope you have a great day too lovely!! 😘🥰 (also so sorry for the delayed post, I’ve been so busy with assignments lately 😭 I hope this satisfied your prompt 💓)

Who is She?

Pairing: Minho x Reader

Summary: Sparked with curiosity, Minho follows you one day. And your relationship takes a turn.

Warnings: none really, it’s a sweet imagine I like to think

——

The dining hall was a strange blend of sterile and vibrant. It was filled with chatter and the clinking of cutlery, the usual dinner routine. To you it was the most ‘normal’ atmosphere in this whole facility, the only time you felt sane. At least people weren’t shoving needles in your face, or interrogating you.

At one of the tables, the boys from maze A—Thomas, Minho, Newt, Frypan and Winston—sat together, their eyes scanning the room occasionally while engaging in conversation.

They were still trying to figure this new place out, especially the people in it. One of those people was you, confident in spirit and as sassy as can be, currently sitting with Aris. But they didn’t know his name, he was just a quiet kid to them, or your “boyfriend”, or so they thought.

“Whatever, I could take on 50 of those guards at once, they look like they’ve got no balls.” You sneered, while chewing on your food.

“Keep it low Y/N, we don’t want anyone overhearing us.” Aris warned.

“If I could set this whole place on fire, I would, but Stella won’t let me do shit. Don’t you think it’s time we try to escape?!” You huffed. Stella, one of the girls from maze B, was the bossiest girl you’ve ever came across. (aka the Gally of Maze B, before his redemption lol)

Mind you, she’s only alive to this day because you saved her from a griever…unfortunately. Sometimes you wished you left her in the maze.

Aris sighed, he too, disliked Stella. “Anyway, you should eat up. You’ve barely eaten since we got here.”

You slide your plate over to him, “Today’s your lucky day, I’m not hungry.”

He shrugged and began indulging in this second helping. Aris wasn’t much of a eater but boy, this is the first time you guys have had real food and he wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity.

“Look! An opening, I’m going to check it out.” You whispered, standing up as the guards walked away from their previous post.

“Y/N! Get back here!” Aris whisper-yelled, but you were determined to get through the other side of that door.

——

“Where is she going?” Minho observed as you made your way towards the door.

“Who?” Winston swiftly turned around, accidentally knocking over a cup of water in the process.

Newt chuckled, while Minho pressed his lips together. “Sorry, Minho!” Winston exclaimed, grabbing napkins.

“You’re alright man. I’ll be back.” Minho gave Winston a reassuring back tap, before leaving to find the bathroom. Or, maybe he just wanted to follow you.

——

You managed to get past the doors. This was a way easier attempt than anticipated, you thought to yourself but shrugged it off.

However, you couldn’t help but feel like you were being followed. Regardless, you didn’t care, the only thing that mattered was finding out what these people were really behind.

You halted your tracks, observing your surroundings. It seemed to be a never ending grey hallway with millions of doors, great, that makes it sooo much easier for you doesn’t it!

As Minho turned a corner, he bumped into you, nearly knocking you over.

“Woah, watch it!” You exclaimed, steadying yourself.

“Sorry, I didn’t see you there!” Minho was quick to defend himself.

You furrowed your brows, the newcomer from maze A. “Were you…following me?”

Minho scoffed, “Pft of all the people here, why’d you think I’d follow you.”

You shot him a look, “Oh come on, I’ve seen you newbies. You guys watch Aris and I like a hawke.”

One of the doors dinged, about to open, so Minho quickly reacted by pulling you by the waist into one of the tiny cracks in the hallway walls, adequate enough to fit two people.

“Stop touching me!” I grunted, pushing his hand away.”

“I’m barely even on you!” He retorted.

“Why were you following me anyway?!” I whispered, “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I had to use the bathroom! I’m wet if you can’t tell!” He responded, but it came out a bit too wrong. Minho immediately regretted how that sounded.

You held back your laugh, “That’s what she said.”

With a tiny bit of banter, Minho managed to break down your walls, all too quickly, something you weren’t really used to.

“So what are you up to anyway? Sneaking around like you own the compound.” Minho smirked, while keeping an eye out for any guards.

“I’ve seen them move bodies in and out of here like clockwork. Aris and I don’t trust these people.”

Minho’s eyes narrowed. “Oh yeah? You should get back to your boyfriend then. I don’t think he’d be pleased to know you were in a confined space with another man.”

You rolled your eyes, “Oh, no. Aris isn’t my boyfriend. He’s more like a brother to me.”

There was a moment of silence as you stared at each other, the air thick with tension. Before either of you could say more, you heard footsteps. A guard was coming your way.

Minho quickly grabbed your hand and pulled you into what seemed like a nearby closet, closing the door behind you. You stood close together in the dark, barely daring to breathe.

The guards footsteps echoed past you and faded away, earning an exhale from the both of you.

“That was close,” You whispered, “and wow here we are in another ideal place to be in right now.” Boy, you are one sarcastic girl, Minho thought.

“I know I love it here.” Minho’s breath warm against your neck.

In the confined space, your proximity made every small movement noticeable. He could feel the heat radiating off you, and your scent was intoxicating. You looked up at him, your eyes reflecting the dim light filtering through the cracks in the door.

“Why did you really follow me?” You asked, voice soft but filled with curiosity.

Minho hesitated, then decided honestly was the best approach. “I don’t know. I guess I was curious. You seem like someone we could trust, Thomas doesn’t trust the people here either.”

“Thomas?”

“Grey shirt, brown hair?” Minho described him, hoping I would recognise him.

“Ah yes, I saw his little incident yesterday. Attempting to fight a guard in the dining hall is daring, he’s got some balls.”

“Sure does.”

“You seem to know the place really well, we could learn a thing or two from you.” Minho added.

You smiled, a genuine one that made Minho’s heart skip a beat, “Well, maybe we both have a lot to learn about each other.”

Minho could see the flicker of something more in your eyes, a spark that mirrored his own feelings. He leaned in slightly, feeling the magnetic pull between them.

Before anything could happen, the reality of your situation came crashing back. You couldn’t afford to get distracted, not with so much at stake.

“We should get back,” you whispered, though your eyes said you didn’t want to move.

Minho nodded reluctantly, “Yeah, we should before anyone finds us here.”

You carefully slipped out of the closet, the hall now silent and empty. As you made your way back together, Minho couldn’t help but feel a new sense of determination.

You were in this together now, and he would do whatever it took to protect you and figure out a way out of her.

“Yo, Aris!” You called out as you re-entered the dining hall. Aris gave you a questioning glance, as you appeared with Minho, you simply nodded, signalling that you were fine.

Minho returned to his friends, who eyed him curiously.

“What happened?” Thomas asked.

“Just…getting to know our new friend.” Minho said, glancing back at you. You were already back at your table with Aris, but you shot him a quick, knowing smile.

Minho then gestured for you and Aris to come join them which you did.

“Don’t be shy, you can sit next to me if you’d like.” Minho smirked, gesturing to the empty seat beside him.

You scoffed, “As if.” But you bit your lip, hiding back a smile.

“Careful, her boyfriend might not like that.” Newt warned, glancing at Aris to see his reaction.

“Oh no no, we’re not a thing.” Aris was quick to respond, “She’s like a sister to me.”

You chuckled, “Besides, I’m more into leaders, I like a guy who can lead.”

“Someone like me?” Minho teased.

You rolled your eyes, “Yeah you wish. Who was the one leading you around just now?”

“Uh actually, if I can recall, it was me who had the reigns.” He hummed, smiling when he saw you get all worked up.

“Stand down maze boy, this is my terrain. You guys want a way out, Aris and I can help you.”

“Alright, so what’s the plan?” Thomas agreed, leaning in closely.

Minho shot you a smile, and you returned it, thought a bit cocky, he did manage to grow on you or whatever.

And for the first time, you actually felt a spark of hope. With extra manpower, you might be able to break out of this place.

You might be in a dangerous situation, but at least you weren’t alone. And Minho knew deep down, that together, you could face whatever came next, for once, everyone at that table felt hopeful.

The safe haven felt closer, and so did your friendship with Minho. But could this friendship blossom into something more, you often pondered.

Perhaps so.

You smiled, watching as Minho lead the next discussion. You could get use to this, it felt nice to be relaxed and not take the lead for once.

[gojos-thot-patrol]

please can i get headcanons for gojo,geto and nanamis love languages please! thank youuuu

But of course you can Anon!! I read this request and instantly got ideas, so thank you for the ask <3 without further ado,

Now Presenting...

Starring: Satoru Gojo, Suguru Geto, Kento Nanami, and a bonus Ryomen Sukuna ;)

The Touch Starved,

Satoru Gojo

PHYSICAL. TOUCH. Gojos love language is physical touch, no I’m actually not taking criticism at this time <3

“But Narrator! He always has his full body condom (infinity) on!” I hear you yell. And Yes, dear reader, that’s the point.

He’s spent so much of his life unable to let anyone get close. Touch is inherently an act of trust, and he doesn’t touch anyone.

So the first time you hug him, and he actually lets himself experience intimacy, he actually turns into a puddle and melts in your arms.

And that shit is basically coke, he’s had a taste and he can not get enough.

When you’re driving he’s touching your thigh, you’re going to sleep he’s cuddling you close, you’re taking a walk he’s holding your hand, watching a movie on the couch and his head is in your lap. You get the idea, if you’re around he’s touching you

If you really want to make his day, offer to play with his hair. There is a 40% chance he’ll tear up about it.

Honestly, I genuinely feel like he’d be a little bit annoying about it. Random hugs and kisses constantly happening, it would be hard to get anything done, I’m not gonna lie

He’s kinda like a cat! The moment you try to get any work done, he’s crawling into your lap and you gotta work around him.

Hold on, wait, where's my cat meme-

It’s Him.

I’m being serious, cup his face like that and watch him turn to putty.

Moral of the story: Gojo just wants to be held

Man is never defeating the Baby Girl allegations

The Sickeningly Sweet,

Suguru Geto

WORDS OF AFFIRMATION, BABYEEEE

Suguru was born with a silver tongue in more ways than one and he knows how to use it.

“You’re breathtaking, you know that?” “How did I get so lucky to have someone as magnificent as you?” “My darling is so talented, what ever will I do when the world learns to appreciate you as much as I do?”

He’s going to single handedly raise your self esteem, watch him. He is going to pour honeyed words over you like a warm, safe shower

….Look, I’m not good with words, BUT HE IS! You get what I’m trying to say!

He would leave little notes for you to find around the house with sweet little messages. Just to give you a little dopamine rush, ya know?

He definitely sends you random texts throughout the day letting you know that he’s thinking about you and missing you.

God help you on any holiday that could possibly call for card giving. Valentine's Day, Christmas, your birthday, your anniversary, He’s going to write you a card, and it’s going to make you cry. It’s a personal goal of his.

Doing simple household chores has never felt more rewarding tbh.

Like, yea, you’re going to do the laundry anyway. But having him tell you how thankful he is for you and how much he appreciates it really makes getting through the task easier.

Would writing a song for someone count as acts of service or gift giving?...

Doesn’t matter, he writes songs for you, there I said it.

He’s 100000% The type of boyfriend that points out how attractive you are Every. Single. Time. He sees you in any state of undress. Prove me wrong, you can’t. Doesn’t matter if he’s seen it 101 times before, He’s going to call you hot.

Honestly he’s a major confidence booster.

Ngl, part of me thinks I’m giving him too much credit but oh well LMAO.

The Always Helpful,

Kento Nanami

Nanami is giving me Acts of Service tbh.

Like, he’s 1000% the “I will make you breakfast in bed” kind of husband material, and that is an act of service if I’ve ever heard it. 

Honestly, He just wants to do anything he can to try and make your day a little bit easier.

If that means doing the dishes even if it’s technically your turn, then so be it!

Doors might as well not exist to you when you’re with him, he will open them all

“I noticed your water bottle was empty. I got you another one.” “I know you’ve been stressed lately, I made your favorite for dinner tonight.” “Here, let me get that for you.”

He was made to be a caretaker tbh.

You can read between the lines there as little or as much as you’d like

If he catches you doing a chore, he’s going to find a way to help, sorry I don’t make the rules.

You’re washing the dishes? He’s drying and putting them away. You started cleaning the living room? Perfect, he’ll clean the kitchen. Oh, you washed the laundry? Looks like he’s gonna fold it and put it away.

He wants you to feel like you’re in a partnership. I genuinely don’t think he buys into this traditional idea that one partner makes money and the other takes care of the home front. Homemaking is a team effort god damn it!

It goes both ways though. If you really want to make him feel loved, a warm home cooked meal is the way to this man's heart.

He’s going to make the next meal to show his appreciation though.

 Someone put this man in a maid dress tbh.

I need me a Nanami tbh lol

The Ever-Present,

Ryomen Sukuna

OKAY sooo here’s the thing. It’s fuckin Ryomen my guy. Love languages almost require conscious acts of love, or to at least ya know admit you’re in love. In that sense, Ryomen doesn’t have a love language; he actively mocks the concept of “love languages” as humans refusing to accept the fact that their emotions are all just chemical reactions in their brain designed to make them want to fuck.

That being said, it's Quality Time. 

Ryomen’s love is always quiet. It’s him sitting in the same room as you while you read, casually talking with you while you do chores, or insisting on being in the garden while you tend to it because “It’s my (his) garden, I’ll be here if I want! Don’t think I’m here for you.” He absolutely is there for you.

His biggest act of love is letting you sleep in his room with him. That's quality time by definition my guy.

He genuinely gets so jealous when you spend time with other people because that's how he defines love. It's the person you want to spend time with (Don’t ask him about it, he won’t admit it) so you spending time with other people means you love them. And he can not handle the idea of you loving anyone that’s not him.

Remember when I said Satoru was like a cat? I take it back, Sukuna is like a cat. He wants to be in the same room as you but the last thing he wants is to be perceived by you.

He just wants to watch you read your book and not be grilled as to why he insists on being with you all the time. He’s clearly just, uh…enjoying the fireplace! Duh! Foolish mortal, why would he vie for your affections?...so, uh..whatcha reading?

He will never admit it, but his favorite thing in the world is to sit in the garden with you, listening to you talk about flowers while he pretends not to care.

This is followed closely by holding your close to him at night, whispering words of affirmation to you you will never hear when awake. 

I think that spending quality time with you is the only way Sukuna knows how to show love. I think he often gets overwhelmed by physical affection. He’s not used to it, and he didn’t immediately take to it the way Gojo did. Words of affirmation are out because he’s not a wordsmith unless he’s making threats. Can’t do acts of service because his ego would never let him do a favor for anyone else, and he can’t find any gifts that feel worthy of you- none of them feel right. So, Quality time it is.

Words may fail him, but he’s aware of how he feels. And the soft intimacy of listening to your favorite music with you, watching you hum along and dance makes him feel so viscerally raw, that it’s almost enough to make him admit there maybe more to love than just chemicals making you want to fuck. 

Should I just write a fic at this point? Maybe because GOD I am a fucking sucker for soft Sukuna. Yes I am aware I am part of the problem, I do not care, give me 2 weeks. I can fix him!

Just imagine stargazing with Sukuna for a second. Imagine listening to the crickets chirp off in the distance, both of you are aware that it goes against everything he’s ever said for him to be out here with you, and both of you know better than to acknowledge that fact. You know you’re not supposed to love him because he claims he will never love you, but as your hand meets his, and you watch him tense for just a second before relaxing under your touch again, you both know it’s only a matter of time now. 

 I always get carried away on Ryomens section in these.

I just really love my weird little demon dude lmao. 

[sommerflue-22]

Hi! I just read starting over and I'm kicking my legs rn!! Anyway, I wanna request something where the hashiras are hanging out, (which is very rare, so according to Mitsuri, a hashira not coming is a no) but Mui decides to ditch them and cuddle with reader under the shade. Then the hashiras went to go find him but instead they find reader and him cuddling. Oh, they're in a secret relationship btw, so yeah, wonder how that'll go.

Thank you❤️

A/n: such a cute prompt i'm combusting >.< sorry for the long wait, i got caught up with uni stuff T^T i hope you like this :D

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Under the Cherry Blossom | Muichiro Tokito

Featuring: Muichiro Tokito, Shinobu Kocho, Mitsuri Kanroji, Obanai Iguro, mention of other Hashira

Content Warning: gn!reader, reader lives in the Butterfly Mansion, reader is a year older than Muichiro, fluff, mention of death, secret relationship

Word Count: 1.8k

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Usually, the Hashira never really got together after their meetings. They always had patrols, emergency missions to go to, or reports to write. So when Tengen's half-drunk ass suggested to Kyojuro for the Hashira to hang out, and after Kyojuro took the initiative to coordinate the whole thing ("It's a good morale booster!"), the pillars gathered for lunch. Kyojuro had reserved a private room in one of the most popular restaurants in the area.

However, Kyojuro realized that there were only eight of them.

"Wait a minute, where is Tokito?"

"Oh no!" Mitsuri exclaimed. "Is it possible that he forgot about this gathering?"

"There's no way he forgot. I wrote the details with semi-permanent marker on his hand," Shinobu said. "Though, I did see him walking to the opposite direction when we left the headquarter."

"He likes that small park nearby, doesn't he?" Obanai piped in.

"Maybe he did forget. We should go get him!" Mitsuri stood up from her seat and hurried to leave the restaurant, Obanai following closely right behind her.

༻❁༺

You closed your eyes and inhaled the spring air. The scent of cherry blossom was pleasant, and the sun was shining but not scorching hot. Such a perfect day to sit back and relax. You were lost in your thoughts, enjoying the nice weather, when a finger suddenly prodded your cheek gently.

"What's wrong, Mui?" You smiled, eyes still closed.

"Hmm," he mumbled, "You're sleeping?"

"No, I'm not. Why?" You finally opened your eyes and was immediately greeted by Muichiro's face, only a few inches away from yours.

Muichiro tilted his head and leaned back into his original position, arms around your torso and his head rested on your shoulder.

You cooed at him and caressed his cheek. It's one of your most favorite thing about Muichiro, his soft cheeks. You remember the first time he let you touch them, how you felt so warm and fuzzy all over your body.

You've always adored Muichiro ever since you first saw him in the Butterfly Mansion. You were assigned to take care of him when he came back from a mission. Every day for almost three weeks, you delivered his meals, changed his bandages, gave him his medicines. He never started a conversation, but one day you entered his room and he stared at you with wide eyes.

"You... Do I know you?"

You were aware of his memory loss, so you answered him kindly. "Yes, I always bring you food and medicines."

"...Deer."

"I'm sorry?"

"You're like a deer."

You didn't quite understand what he meant, so you just continued to give him his meds and talked about the weather outside.

Muichiro often visited the Butterfly Mansion for his check-ups with Shinobu. You weren't always around, busy doing your chores. So, you were really intrigued (as well as Shinobu) because apparently Muichiro often asked where you were. Muichiro didn't know your name so he referred you as "Deer Nurse". Everyone knew you were assigned to be Muichiro's caretaker, so they knew who he was referring to. (Shinobu ended up telling him your name, because he wouldn't stop calling you Deer Nurse).

Eventually, you started waiting for his visits. Every time he's in the Mansion, you dropped whatever chores you had and stopped by to greet him.

"Hello, Muichiro-san!" "Nice weather, isn't it, Muichiro-san?" "How did your last mission go, Muichiro-san?"

You called him Muichiro-san even though he's a year younger than you, out of respect. He didn't react much to your cheerful remarks, but he did answer them.

"Hello, (Y/N)." "It's too sunny." "Huh... I don't know..."

Sitting under the tree had been one of things you started doing after knowing Muichiro. One day you found him under a tree, sleeping as he waited for Shinobu to finish her other business. You curiously sat close next to him, muttering 'good afternoon, Muichiro-san' and accompanied him. He woke up surprised. Not only he didn't sense you coming closer in his sleep, his head was also on your shoulder. You assured him it was fine and you just wanted to keep him company. Muichiro didn't react much, but his mind was racing. He didn't understand why he wasn't aware of your presence in his sleep, why he was leaning on you, why he remembered your face, why he even remembered your name...

...why he wanted to see you every time he's in the Mansion.

Muichiro didn't understand that he was having a tiny crush on you. What started as a tiny crush began growing, getting bigger and bigger. Because you were always there for him, waiting for him with a smile, eager to tell him about things you did or learned while he's away. He didn't understand why his heart was beating fast every time you're around. He noticed those things and reported this to Shinobu.

"...I think I'm going to die."

"What made you think that way?" Shinobu asked.

"My heart races faster than it usually does... and I'm sweaty."

"Do those symptoms occur almost every day?"

"...no, only when I'm..." His eyes widened before he could finish his sentence. Shinobu quickly picked up what caused the young pillar to come to her today, despite not having a check-up appointment.

"Yes, Tokito-kun?"

"...I have to go..."

"Sure. I believe (Y/N) is hanging the laundry outside."

Muichiro didn't even bother to say anything to Shinobu, he just bolted outside her office and made his way to you.

You were hanging the last two sheets that you just washed, thinking about the next chores you were supposed to do. It had been cloudy the past few days, and you just hoped it wouldn't rain that day.

A small, slim hand grabbed your elbow and you yelped in shock.

"W-what..."

"(Y/N), I think like you."

You tilted your head to one side, Muichiro followed. "Muichiro... san?"

"Do you like me?"

Your face turned red. Did you like him? You actually asked yourself that question, again and again. Did you actually like Muichiro? If you're being honest with yourself, you did. That's why you always made time to see him whenever he's visiting the Mansion. That's also why you decided to sit next to him that one time, under the tree when he was taking a nap. However you weren't quite sure, mainly because of two things:

One, you didn't know if he's actually ready for a relationship, considering his job and his memory loss. You thought it could be quite difficult, dating Muichiro. He might not know what to do, he might even forgot that he's dating you. You weren't sure if you're patient enough for that.

Two, you didn't want to lose him. You were aware of his position as one of the pillars. You were aware of how dangerous this job was. You had witnessed many lifeless body brought to the mansion, either for autopsy or for getting cleaned up before the coffin was sent to their family's homes. You didn't want to open a coffin one day and saw the person you've loved and cherished the most lying inside it.

But staring right into his wide eyes, knowing that he meant what he said, all of your doubts and fears were washed away. Muichiro had became an important part of your life in just a few months. He remembered your name, remembered a few things about you, remembered a few things that you liked. Little did you know, he remembered more things about you than he did with anyone else.

"I... do like you."

Muichiro didn't say anything. Instead, he lift his hands, reaching out to cup your face. His eyes were still wide open as he traced his thumbs on your cheek.

"My heart... it's beating faster again."

You chuckled, "Are you happy, Muichiro-san?"

"I think so..."

You knew he probably wasn't familiar with the feeling, so you just smiled. "Can I hug you, then? My heart is also beating faster."

"Yes."

You slowly pulled him into a hug, giving him the time if he wanted to pull away. But Muichiro didn't move, he let you engulfed him in a warm embrace. You could feel his heart beating fast and so could he.

"Does this mean you're mine, (Y/N)?"

"If that's what you really want."

"I want you."

"Then, I'm yours."

"What are you thinking about?"

You snapped out of your thoughts, reminiscing the day Muichiro kind of asked you out.

"Nothing," you answered, looking down to his mint orbs. "It's been a year since you asked me out, Mui."

"Oh... really?" He hummed. "I didn't know..."

"Well, now you know." You pecked his forehead. "I'm happy you did, Mui."

"...You are?"

"Yeah, I'm happy being with you." You hugged him even tighter. "Not gonna lie, I wasn't happy when you said you want to keep our relationship a secret. But, I know that you're just trying to keep us safe."

Muichiro sighed and buried his face on your chest. "One day."

"Hmm? What was that?"

"One day we will live together."

"Ah..."

You couldn't help but imagining a brighter future. No demon, no more fighting. You could maybe get a comfortable, little house on the mountain with Muichiro. Maybe his memory would improve, maybe he'd remember your anniversary date and bought delicious food from the town nearby.

"Yeah, we'll live together."

Muichiro hummed and sighed, content with the warmth of your embrace. "I like you, (Y/N)."

"I like you too, Mui."

Maybe it's too early for the two of you to say the word "love", but it's okay. You still have a long way to go.

Unbeknownst to you and Muichiro, two figures watched from afar as the two of you held each other close under the cherry blossom. Mitsuri was covering her mouth with her hands, trying so hard to suppress a squeal. Meanwhile, Obanai stood next to her, his usually sharp eyes grew soft at the sight of you two. So young and full of love.

"Good for him." He murmured. He really hoped the two of you make it until the end.

"Iguro-san, what should we do? They're so cute... but the lunch!" Mitsuri clutched his striped haori. "Oh, but they're so precious... I think they're asleep..."

Obanai turned around and started walking away. "Let them be. I don't think the kid would want to leave, anyway."

Mitsuri finally squealed once they were far enough from the two of you. "I wanna cry, Iguro-san! They're so lovely! What are we going to say to the others, though?"

"...Just tell them we couldn't find Tokito."

"Eh?! But we did find him, though..."

"You never heard Tokito mentioning anything about his partner, right?"

"Oh, that's right..."

"He might want to keep it a secret. For their own safety."

"You're right... Oh, I hope nothing but the best for them."

Obanai nodded, "They deserve the best."

[dicenne]

November DWC 2024 Day 7 - Peculiar This is a bit of a combination story for @dicenne and @talonoa

Dicenne smiled brightly at the older man, “So what do you think?”

Talonoa crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back in his chair as he considered the request. It wasn’t a terrible idea, celebrating Pilgrim’s Bounty here at their camp and inviting family and friends to Dornogal to celebrate with them for a day. Not everyone would have been able to go home anyways, and the city itself was somewhat safe at the moment. No worse than a lot of other major cities, at least. Their mages could portal people directly into the camp as well to avoid having to walk through the entire city to get here. 

Naturally, the safety logistics were at the forefront of his mind, always wanting to ensure his crew was safe and secure. With extra people he would feel extra on edge, but at the same time nothing had happened to them in Dornogal. The city’s perimeter was well guarded and he had become well acquainted with the surrounding mercenary camps. 

Seeing friends and family was always a morale booster, and a lot of the crew would likely appreciate being able to show their loved ones what their work was like. It also meant he would probably have to meet all these people and make pleasant small talk for hours. Not his strong suit, but he respected his crew, and by extension their families, and wanted to show it.

“Fine, but the rest of you get to plan the festivities and you need to keep me updated with every step. I will take care of the extra security needed, but if something comes up between then and now, we’ll need to cancel it.” Talon offered his own smile in return. It may have looked a little peculiar coming from him given he typically presented a blank or slightly vexed expression, but he also tried his best to be friendly and fair with everyone. 

“Thank you, you’ll have a great time, I know it.” Dice departed Talon’s tent with a skip in his step, off to relay the news to the others. 

He would need to get a head count of how many people would be coming, coordinate with their mages to get some portals out at specific meeting points, and suck up to their head chef so he could at least be in charge of the turkeys and other meats (he was very specific about that, after all). They would need extra food and drink, tables, chairs, a large tent, some music, decorations, and much more. It was a lot, but it would be worth it. Luckily, the long-time member of the Succulent Tart had ‘just a little’ experience in planning such events. He wouldn’t have been able to host his usual open house in Ratchet for the holiday for all the strays having nowhere else to go, and this was an excellent alternative. Kara had been wanting to come to Dornogal for a visit and this was the perfect opportunity for her to do so.

@themercenaries @karaamberlight @daily-writing-challenge

[lunamaraproject]

LUNAMARA: Fragments [5]

💥

If Felix closes his eyes, he can pretend that the distant rumble is merely thunder. That the pattering against the canvas of the tent is just the rain. That the cries of shock and pain are…

Well, his imagination isn’t all that good.

“Why is it that I’m always the one who has to patch you up?” Cas grumbles, Felix’s wrist held delicately in his hands as they glow with magic. The wound isn’t that deep honestly, but you’d think he was about to lose the hand if Cas wasn’t there to heal him.

“You say that like you’d let anyone else do it,” Felix teases, and receives a sharp look for his attempt to lighten the mood.

“It wouldn’t make us very good morale boosters if they saw us getting blown to pieces,” he snaps, before turning his attention back to the gash. Felix’s own crystal has hardened around the wound itself, leaving a large chunk missing, a ravine between his palm and his forearm. Actually, with the right angle, it is possible that someone could chip a little further in, and then he really would lose his hand. The pain is dull, and it tingles as Cas uses his own magic to fill in the gap, glimmering midnight obsidian against garishly bright fire-opal.

Temporary measures secured, Cas closes a gold cuff around Felix’s wrist and sits back to inspect his work. Like this, you can’t even see the injury.

“It’s only a chip,” Felix utters softly. “And we’re more than just morale boosters.”

Cas huffs an unamused snort out of his nose as he stands up, moving back over to the medical supply kit. “I’m not a military grade healer and you’re not a military grade anything, so tell me what exactly we’re here for, Fel.”

“Hey, I resent that! I’ve been really useful!” Felix frowns.

He doesn’t even get a reply to that one, as Cas pulls his armour back on, marking him as a medic. Felix worries about him when he’s walking around with a great big target on his back. The enemy has shown they’re not averse to shooting non-combatants. For all that Cas frets about Felix’s safety, he’s the one who is most at risk here. There’s only 15 years between them, but that’s enough for Cas to assume that Felix doesn’t know how to take care of himself, or what their real purpose is here.

And it’s not for morale. The soldiers that see him and Cas rarely ever smile.

Anger is a great motivator. Poor wretched orphans, we - your starfolk brethren - will avenge your losses for you.

Like Felix even asked.

Another great rumble of not-distant-enough thunder, another chunk of a beautiful world rendered into ash and dirt to rain down on the surface again, wrenching trees from the soil, lakes from their beds, and people from their lives. Felix would rather not have any of it associated with his name, nor with Cas’.

But the Queen said they had to, and what authority have either of them got to say no?

����

More from LUNAMARA:

Fragments [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]<-- More every Thursday!

Comic [Prologue]

Art by Luka (http://nousanti.tumblr.com/) Story by Pidge (http://pidgestories.tumblr.com/)

[brittscafe]

could I request for a reader who is quite but likes to tease those close to her, jealous of how confident some other girls can be. She feels out of place as her powers are quite weak but she is a moral booster. She has a secret crush on toshiro, I'd anyone asks however, she finds it a waste to care for shinigami as she will likely die long before any of them (she is half human after all and she ages like one)

I hope this was a good start I'm new to the request thing haha

Yes, of course!! <3 I really liked writing this!! I love soft Toshiro :)

You're in the Soul Society quite often, hanging around with Toshiro and Unohana's squad. Toshiro's division makes you work hard and Unohana's allows for you to learn more about medicine and even expand on your powers.

You've grow pretty close with Rangiku, even confessing to her about your feelings to Toshiro. She always teases you about and asks why you don't tell him.

You tell her it's waste, since you'll be long gone before Toshiro will even start to look older. Plus, you'll never have Rangiku's confidence, although she's started to help you build yours.

You've been on a few missions with the 10th division as they plan them out. You're always helping them when they get injured or cheering them on.

The 10th division is on a mission in the woods, looking for an unhinged former soul reaper. They've been killing soul reapers as an act of revenge for being banished.

Somehow, they found a way back into the soul society and have been hiding out in the woods ever since.

You walk behind Toshiro with Rangiku behind you. The branches and leaves crunch underneath your feet.

"You're being awful quiet," Toshiro comments, turning his head around and meeting your eyes. You smile weakly and shrug your shoulders.

In the corner of your eyes, a man leaps down from a tree landing in front of Toshiro and swinging his sword...right at him. Your mouth gapes open and you grab onto Toshiro's wrist, tugging him behind you.

You kneel down on the ground and hold out your hands, a shallow shield forming around you as the sword slams down onto it. You yelp out and your body shakes.

"Y/n!" Toshiro gasps out, hand reaching out to his sword and whipping it out.

"Do something! Please, I can't hold this for long!" you whimper out, feeling your muscles strain. Rangiku rushes at the man and swings her sword.

The former soul reaper blocks Rangiku's sword, backing off from you.

You let out a heavy sigh, releasing the shield. The former soul reaper is moving fast, already slicing through some of the members of the 10th division.

Rangiku throws herself forward, swinging her sword at the man. He easily dodges and his sharp sword slices through Rangiku's shoulder.

She groans heavily and hunches over, grabbing onto her injured shoulder. You clench your fists and leap up onto your feet.

"No!" you cry out, pushing yourself in front of Rangiku and slamming your sword against the soul reaper's. They clash together with a loud sound that pierces your eardrums.

The soul reaper pushes his sword down on yours, slowly moving closer to your face.

"Y/n, back off!" Toshiro shouts out, his icy blue eyes laced with concern. Your eyes meet his and you shake your head.

"I can do this, Toshiro!" you call out, shoving your hand forward and into the man's lower gut. The power flows through your body and forces the man to slide back on the grass.

You pant heavily, sweat gleaming over your forehead. The man rushes towards you, way faster than you expect. You raise your sword, but it's too late.

You can hear a call of your name from Toshiro as the sword slices through your flesh on your lower stomach. Your jaw goes slack as you grab onto your stomach.

Fresh crimson blood starts to spill out from the wound and pain ripples throughout your body. Toshiro's eyes widen and his heart skips a beat.

From behind he drives his sword through the former soul reaper's back and the man gurgles, his body going limp. Toshiro grunts heavily as he rips his sword out from the man's body.

The world starts to spin around you and Toshiro rushes up to you. He catches you in his arms just as you're about to fall over. Your legs dangle over the side of his arms as you're lifted off the ground.

Your head rests against his chest and you mumble and groan. Your eyelids become heavy and they close as your body goes limp.

Your eyes slowly flutter open and they adjust to the bright white lighting inside the tiny room. You shuffle on the bed and glance over where Toshiro is sitting on a chair, watching you steadily.

The side of your body is sore, aching from the sword injury.

"You're awake," Toshiro lifts his head up, eyes widening. You shoot him a smile and your heart skips a beat.

"Is everyone okay?" you ask with concern. Toshiro nods his head.

"I should have never let you go on that mission. I'm sorry," Toshiro lowers his head with shame. You raise your eyebrows and shake your head.

"It was my decision, Toshiro," you speak up and his eyes soften.

"Well, you did great out there. Your powers are improving," he nods his head, speaking proudly.

"Hey, aren't I the one who's suppose to be the moral booster?" you ask, teasing him.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. How about this? We can take turns," Toshiro chuckles out, a warm smile spreading across his face.

[ofthecaravel]

Brandy

Chapter One

Summary: A port on a western bay serves a hundred ships a day, and the lonely sailors flock to the Caravel Cantina, run by the Kiszka brothers (minus one). But when their brother returns with a handsome sailor in tow, the youngest Kiszka brother finds his perspective about his family and himself turned upside down.

Tags: Brotherly shenanigans as always, mentions of parental death, a little squabbling, flirting, minor angst

Words: Lil under 10k (whoops)

A/N: I started this literally a year ago. God help me. Inspired by Brandy by Looking Glass and Sam and Danny being goofuses. I really hope y'all like this because there is so much more to post 😭

~~~

As always, the Kiszka brothers had gotten to work a little earlier than they needed to.

The elder of them, Joshua, had always believed that a clean bar would result in an easygoing night, so they often found themselves slipping in through the back door around 5pm on nights they didn't even open and staying until 8pm to mop the floors and replace anything that had been tarnished in nights previous. Josh and his spritely spirit found it invigorating to fiddle with such things as measuring the level of alcohol in their assortment of kegs and casks, or the arrangement of glasses and the security of the coat hooks. But Sam, the youngest of his siblings and the only other one who tended to the family business on a regular basis, usually found himself walking away from all of the menial chores Josh assigned him. He was annoyed enough that he'd had to start full time as their one and only waiter since their brother Jake had left the family business to his twin and little brother to chase his dream of sailing the high seas three years ago. Since then, Josh and Sam had struggled to manage the popular bar all on their own, stretch their very small budget out between the business and themselves, and not murder each other in the process. Sam thought he deserved a little break before work, and the seemingly pointless tasks that Josh insisted he do to help out were not exactly morale boosters. He was coming up on a year of Josh's least favorite pre-shift ritual of his, which included leaning his head against the window tucked into the corner that faced true north and staring in unblinking, unmoving silence. 

It was a clear, early June evening when from his post wiping down the keg spigots, Josh noticed Sam drifting out of the corner of his eye. He sighed when he realized where his younger brother now stood.

"Will you get away from the window? I just cleaned it and you're gonna fog it up again with all your longing sighs."

Sam tossed a sour look over his shoulder at his brother, who stood behind the bar with a rag slung over his shoulder and a judgmental look on his face. Josh pulled the rag down and across the already gleaming wood in front of him and shook his head in near pity, his hand working anxious circles on the surface as it had done every night for nearly 7 years now. 

"I'm not fogging it up," Sam argued. "What, I'm not allowed to look out the window of my own bar?"

"Not if you're going to get your fish breath all over my nice, clean glass," Josh shot back with a barely contained smile, looking down amusedly while Sam scoffed.

He rolled his eyes all the way around to look back out the window, his keen eyes trained on the bustle of the harbor town coming alive as the sun slowly sank deeper into the twilight sky. Lamps were starting to blink awake in the windows of the weathered brick buildings surrounding their little bar, casting their amber light on the cobblestone that the fishmongers tread on with their stained aprons still tightly tied as they headed homeward bound. Sam sported a similar apron that he kept hiked up flatteringly around his waist, worn begrudgingly and scattered with its own fair share of stains and stories. But unlike the fishmongers that passed him by without so much as a glance, he was in for the night,  his shift starting when the first patron inevitably burst in with a thirst for comradery and the extra strong spirits and liqueurs that Sam and his brothers distilled themselves. 

They all specialized in their own kinds, and as their regulars eventually went on to point out, they all suited their specialties very nicely. Josh with his appropriately rosy cheeks and boisterous, people pleasing nature was a natural when it came to bold, sweet wines. Jake had a knack for whipping up a whiskey with a sharp bite and smooth burn, but just like the man himself, those bottles were usually gone from the bar and ran out fast when they were. But Sam was the only one with the patience and palate to tend to the bar's most sought after delicacy: casks of sweet brandy that he laid down in crystal glasses bought off a merchant ship with his private stash of tips. The men that frequented the bar the most had long since stopped referring to him by name, simply raising their hands to catch his eye as he made his rounds and calling out "Brandy!".

Much to his chagrin, his name slowly started to get left at home, and he was soon known solely as "Brandy" to the bar goers of The Caravel Cantina. Only Josh called him Sam at work, knowing it was a surefire way to get his attention as he tended to the mobs of ever parched, low lidded men. Josh called it then, recognizing the mournful look his little brother was casting towards the docks that lay just out of sight of the northern window that his head was lolled against. Sam startled again and fully turned away, pressing his hand briefly to his forehead to feel how his skin had cooled against the pane.

"What?" Sam asked in annoyance, already feeling his ears perk as he thought about the water and its many ships that now lay at his back. As Josh shook his head at him again, he absently wondered if he would be able to recognize the ship he was waiting for by the creak of its sails or how its bow sliced into the dark seawater that pooled around their port. "You wanted something?"

"I want you to get away from my goddamn window and do your job, you hooligan," Josh scolded lightheartedly, tossing his rag with force into Sam's slight chest, who caught it with an audible "oof".  

"Nobody's even here yet," Sam pointed out, gesturing dramatically with the cloth out at the warmly lit yet definitely empty sea of cramped tables and chairs with its lone jukebox pressed against the wall. 

"Sam," Josh said again, his voice softer this time. He let out an even softer sigh and cocked his head at his brother, giving him a small smile. "They're not coming tonight. You got to give it up, bud."

Sam hesitated, slightly stunned that Josh had been able to read his mind so easily, but after a lifetime of close quarters and shared secrets, he could only be so surprised. 

"Jake said they'd be back in the summertime," Sam said carefully, echoing his brother's words of encouragement from the year prior. "The fishermen are starting to bring in albacore and those big, pink shrimps and you know damn well those are only in season when the weather has turned. It is officially summer, thank you very much."

"Hell, you think sailors measure the seasons by the fuckin' fish?" Josh barked out a condescending laugh. "They're not out there to pick salt off of shrimp and clams. You think Jake captains that hunk of junk across the Atlantic to get the ol' pole out and let it fly?"

Sam's cheeks flushed in embarrassment and he furrowed his dark brow with a frown, casting his eyes down as he wrung the filthy bar rag between his lithe hands. 

"Jake knows," Sam muttered. "And he promised."

"Because his promises are so reliable," Josh said sarcastically, a genuine hint of bitterness slipping out as he started stacking glasses aggressively. "Something tells me it's not him who made you that promise, Sammy."

"The sun is staying up for longer, too," Sam pointed out, skillfully ignoring Josh's accusation. "He'll notice that the daylight is blazing beautifully on their masts for an hour longer or whatever pretentious garbage sentiment he writes in his journal. Or do they not have the sun out on the sea, wise guy?"

"Sam."

Sam finally met Josh's gaze and felt a guilty curl in his stomach from the glint in his brother's tired, brown eyes.

"Why don't you have a drink and remember how sweet the fruit of your patience can be, hm?" 

"Yeah," Sam replied simply, feeling a slight shame that he was only adding to ever growing list of Josh's stressors. "Okay. Might help with the rush tonight."

"Rush?" Josh looked lost for a moment before he gripped the glass in his hand even tighter and spun to look at the bar's beloved Mermaid of the Month calendar. "It's Saturday? I thought it was a fucking Friday, fuck!"

"Oh, and Fridays are any better for us?" Sam laughed, dipping behind the bar with his frazzled brother to grab a glass and pouring himself a shallow drink of golden brandy from its coveted bottle. 

Outside, Sam could already hear laughter carrying from down the street that would soon arrive as a pack of rowdy men ready to unwind after a long day by the docks. They surely wouldn't be the last group to swarm their painfully understaffed yet ultimately well loved cantina, and as Sam was throwing back the last of his drink and watching the panic sizzle off of Josh's abundance of curls, the door slammed open and the space filled with thundering voices and cackles.

"Good evening, gentlemen," Josh greeted jovially, his visible anxiety peeling off of him in an instant as men started to take seats at the bar and drag tables together. "What can I do you for?"

"I sure could use a tall, sweet drink of brandy," one of the grizzled regulars purred, giving a sharp toothed grin to Sam, who had already grabbed his tray and slipped from behind the bar and out into the fray. Josh bristled at the man's comment as he skillfully poured him up a glass and watched his brother sidle up to a throng of butchers, who were giving him a look they usually saved for their finest cuts of meat. Josh knew what the men in the bar thought about his brother's feminine features and hospitable grace. He heard what they said about his body and long hair as he slinked through crowds and brushed hands with eager patrons, flashing his wide smile and playing into their little jokes. Of course Sam knew too, and it's not like The Caravel was the kind of place that would let anything like that go by without getting a boot to the ass, but Josh couldn't help but feel protective of him nonetheless. 

"Cool it, Caldwell," Josh said with a slight bite in his gravelly voice as he set down the drink in front of the sharp toothed man. "We wouldn't want the missus knowing what you say about my brother after a few of those tall and sweets, now would we?"

"You're no fun, Kiszka," Caldwell mumbled into his drink, his mustache dipping into the liquor as his grubby pals quickly roped him into a conversation and left Josh to his pouring and coin collecting. 

Across the bar, the jukebox blared to life, and Sam felt a wave of relief wash over him at the sound. The jukebox's chronically high volume meant he had an excuse not to hear everybody's little comments to and about him as he dutifully dished out spilling glasses and salty scoops of peanuts. However, as the song stretched out beyond the first 30 seconds of instrumental, the wave inside Sam came crashing down as he recognized the song's bright lyrics and the vocals they danced on. He swallowed an emotion he'd been biting back since he'd first felt the temperature begin to rise, and as he placed a ring of shots on his metal tray with shaking hands that made the metal and glass clatter in time to the beat, Sam relived a burst of last summer for what felt like the hundredth time.  

-

One Year Earlier

-

Against his will, Sundays had become the designated day for Josh and Sam to come to the bar during the daytime and work on any repairs that couldn't be done in their little interludes before regular nights. The Caravel was closed on Sundays, and despite Sam's consistent protests that that logic should also be applied to its employees, Josh insisted that it was a great opportunity to fix it up for the upcoming week. 

Despite the fact that he and Josh hadn't got home until 3am, Sam woke up with the sun that Sunday. As he lay in bed and focused only on the feel of the linen sheets on his bare skin and the distant whistle of the wind outside, he tried to think back on the last time he had gotten a full night's sleep. 

He figured it had to be around the time that he'd last seen Jake, right before he had left to join a crew on a merchant ship that he made seem a lot cooler than it probably actually was.

"The captain says we're going to sail to all kinds of places," Jake had told him, perched on the end of Sam's bed with a map so wide it sprawled across their knees and grazed the edge of his pillow. "Not just Europe, but Africa, too. Maybe even Asia."

"I don't even understand what you'll be doing," Sam had mumbled darkly, bitterly watching Jake's fingers trace over imaginary waves in the yellowed sea on the paper, charting routes he was yet to go on. Without them. 

"We'll be transporting cargo to ports all across the world," Jake had explained proudly, not understanding the disdain that Sam felt towards his sudden career change. "Not every harbor is as drab as this one. There are really wonderful ones, and I want to see them all."

"It isn't that drab here," Sam had argued weakly, even though he wholeheartedly agreed that their town was the poster child for sad, salty, seasick ports. "Just work on the docks that sail to Canada and Greenland if you want to get on a ship so bad. You could be home for Christmas if you wanted."

There was a moment of silence when Sam leaned back against the wall sullenly, crossing his arms and glaring at Jake. Jake couldn't look him in the eye, instead choosing to slowly roll the map up and secure it with a little slip of ribbon as Sam huffed and bit back any tears that threatened to rise to the surface. The whole house was quiet in that moment, every room empty of noise and joy, Josh having long grown silent since Jake had broke the news over dinner and caused Josh to immediately retreat to his room with a slam of the door. The air had grown thick and cloudy since the words had left Jake's mouth, and as he watched his lanky little brother suddenly shrink very small on the bed he'd slept on since he was a child, Jake fully understood just what his absence was going to do to his family. 

"I need to do this, Sammy," Jake had pleaded with his brother, scooting closer to Sam on the bed and putting a hesitant hand on his shoulder. "I'll be back before you even care that I'm gone."

"I care now," Sam had whispered, shrugging away from Jake's touch and turning away.

It had been the truth. And it was still the truth two years later, after months of letters that came few and far between, and random parcels that came in the mail containing garments made of soft, dyed fabric that Josh snuck into every outfit and hair oils that had made Sam's awkward, choppy bob grow into glossy, walnut waves that he wove into plaits and loose buns to keep out of his face at work. These little gifts he sent from his travels were nice to have around, but they couldn't make up for Jake's substantial absence in their lives. As he got out of bed and dressed in the hazy peach light streaming through his thin curtains, Sam looked at the map hung crookedly on his wall and wondered where Jake's ship was docked now. 

"Jake wouldn't drag me to the bar on a fucking Sunday," Sam murmured to himself in his mirror as he pulled a comb through his hair and twisted it into a loose, wavy ponytail that swung nearly to his lower back. Just a moment too late, he heard his brother's footsteps out in the hall, and hoped in vain he didn't hear what he had said so close to his only partially closed door. 

"Yes, he would!" Josh called from right outside the door as he passed by, knocking on it with an enthusiasm that seemed completely unwarranted for the time of day. "Lighten up, Sammy, we only have a few chairs to fix. It'll be nice and easy for you, Mister Cranky."

"You always say that!" Sam called back, smacking the door and hearing Josh's donkey bray of a laugh move into their small kitchen, followed by the familiar clatter of the kettle and the other sounds that Josh put into motion to bring the house back to life for the coming day. 

Sam looked back at himself in the mirror, tugging on the lavender skin under his drooping lower lashes and pale waterline, taking only a second to dwell on any thoughts outside of getting through the day before he braced himself and headed out the door. 

As predicted, a few chairs to be fixed turned into a couple of barstools that needed tightening, a window pane that needed to be replaced, a floorboard that needed to be hammered back into place, glass shards that somehow went unnoticed from a minor brawl two nights prior needing to be swept up, and Sam being sent on an errand to find a vendor open on Sundays selling oranges. By the time Josh called it quits for the day, the sun was already starting to start its journey back down under the horizon line, much to Sam's dismay. He could barely keep his temper under wraps as Josh circled the bar one last time, letting his honey brown gaze rest a moment longer than necessary on every square inch of the place.

"This is insane, Josh, let's go," Sam hissed, trying not to claw into the doorframe as he attempted not to bolt. "There is absolutely no need for this level of astuteness unless you're expecting the goddamn Queen of England to pop by for a visit."

"You never know when a special guest might grace us," Josh said mysteriously, wiggling his eyebrows while he locked up the maintenance closet.

"Nobody even comes on Monday nights," Sam continued to whine. "You're prepping for three drunks and some mice." 

"Maybe I'm just trying to set an example for the level of care this place deserves," Josh explained in his even, oh-so-wise tone that Sam hated. "This place will be yours someday, you know."

"Yes, I know, and your ghost will still find a way to micro manage it."

"I'll be great for business," Josh grinned, finally turning down the lamp and clicking the key into place. "Sailors love a ghost story."

"It was a dark and stormy night when the young master Kiszka broke free of his cruel, domineering eldest brother and slayed him in his sleep," Sam crooned in a spooky voice as he took the lead down the street back to their little house. 

"You'd never get the chance," Josh scoffed.

Sam continued on with his dramatic tale of how his brother's ghost went on to curse his bar for all eternity and sent him spiraling into madness, with Josh contributing his own details where he saw fit as he trailed him. Right before it went out of sight, Sam cast a look back at the bar, sitting squat and dark against the lilac sky, wondering if what made him detest it so much might be the same thing that made Josh fuss over it so much.

-

The following night, Sam's expectation of a slow night was more than lived up to. By the time 9pm rolled around, Caravel had been graced by a whopping 2 patrons, who had only lingered for about an hour before leaving Josh and Sam to awkwardly sit around and flick coins at each other. 

Sam was able to read his brother's moods pretty well, and as he watched Josh stacking silver coins in a pyramid at the other end of the bar, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with him. He kept glancing at the door and his usually steady fingers had a slight tremble to them, which caused the coin pyramid to shift and slide to a clattering mess on the wood, making Josh cuss and scoop them back into his palm.

"Hey, brother of mine," Sam prodded gently as Josh occupied himself with spinning a quarter like a top. "How are you?"

Josh tossed him a weird look, laughing slightly as he straightened to admire his growing army of spinning coins. 

"I'm peachy, baby," Josh chuckled, knitting his brows. "And yourself?"

"Good, good," Sam said absently. "You know, if something's bothering you, I'm here to talk."

"Sammy, nothing's the matter," Josh insisted as if it was the silliest thing in the world, but he said it a little too fast. "Seriously. All is well in the house of Kiszka."

"I don't believe you," Sam said lazily, resting his face in his hands as he stared his brother down. 

"Well, I can't help that, now can I?" Josh teased, rolling one of his coins towards Sam. "Let's see how many of these we can spin at once."

Sam rolled his eyes, knowing he wasn't going to be able to get anything more out of Josh but still watching him out of the corner of his eye as they worked together to set the glimmering surface of the bar ablaze with a ballet of dancing silver coins. 

Around midnight, they had managed to accrue a small group of women in the back corner and a few more men at the bar, keeping them only slightly more busy than they had been in the empty bar. Sam, bored out of his mind, stepped away for a moment to "check inventory". This thorough "check" consisted of Sam slipping out the back door and taking a moment to breathe in the sweet, summery air. The chill coming off the ocean gave it a cold, salty bite, and Sam breathed it in gratefully through his nose as he slipped a cigarette and lighter out of his apron pocket. The cigarette, purchased secretly from the general store's quiet cashier, lit up quickly and was slowly inhaled, the herbs and tobacco mingling deliciously with the night air in Sam's senses. He tipped his head back and let loose a billowy stream of smoke into the dark sky, watching a moth sail through it on its way to the streetlight a few doors down. Josh would absolutely kill Sam if he knew he was smoking, so Sam had to sneak them in his rare moments completely alone. He was going to save it for a busy night when he'd really need it, but Sam couldn't help but give in to temptation. He closed his eyes and took in another long, slow drag, listening to the sizzle of the paper and the unmistakable, jovial noises of a group of sailors making their way down the street in front of the bar.

'Oh, boy, here we go,' Sam thought begrudgingly, hearing the muffled shouts and laughs enter the bar through the door to his back. Surprisingly, he heard Josh's voice ring out the loudest, making some kind of announcement and laughing. Josh was loud, of course, but he wasn't one to command a room when there were customers just coming in. Sam took a few more hits before dropping the cigarette and crushing it underfoot, putting his ear to the door curiously as he listened further. Josh's voice seemed to layer over itself alongside the unfamiliar voices that had just come in, and Sam furrowed his brow as he tried to figure out what he was hearing.

"SAM!"

"Fuck, shit," Sam whispered to himself, readjusting his apron and swinging around to open the door, stumbling back inside and powerwalking his way through the back and out into the open expanse of the bar. 

"There he is," Josh grinned brightly, his face completely alight. He was, for once, out from behind the bar and mixed amongst the sailors cluttering the front of the bar. Sam suddenly questioned if his assumption that they were sailors was even correct, judging from their casual, loose fitting clothes that varied in style. Usually the sailors that passed through their town were decked out in the traditional, matching garb with plain stripes and jaunty hats. But, still, Sam couldn't shake the feeling that these were sailors of some sort of caliber. He approached, turning on his cute waiter charm and flashing a warm smile, only for it to fall a moment later when he caught sight of who exactly Josh was standing with his arm around.

"Got a drink handy for an old seafarer?" 

"Jake?" Sam blurted in disbelief, adrenaline seizing his every sense as he tossed his tray haphazardly towards the bar and threw his arms around his brother, who clapped him on the back with a genuine and utterly Jake laugh. "Holy shit, I thought it was Josh I was hearing. What, I mean, oh my God, you're here, what the hell!"

"Good lord, Sam, since when do you swear like a sailor?" Jake exclaimed good-naturedly. "That's supposed to be my sort of thing."

"You should hear the shit he says, I tell you," Josh interjected. He was absolutely beaming, radiating joy from the tips of his curls down to his loafers in a way that should've projected the shimmer of sunlight's pure heat. Sam knew how much he had missed his twin, and now that they were back together again, it felt like something in Josh had slid back into its rightful place. Standing right next to each other, Sam was able to properly assess just how different Jake looked from the last time he had seen him. When he'd left, Jake's hair had curled up boyishly around his ears, but it now fell in sun kissed and wind tossed waves just above his shoulders. He was sturdier in build, with muscles built from lugging cargo on and off ships. He also sported some sparse facial hair and the biggest, ugliest hoop earring Sam had ever seen. Jake was lucky that Sam was too overwhelmed with emotion to make a comment about it, even when they hugged again and Sam felt it brush against his neck, causing him to choke down a giggle as Jake started one of his rambles. 

"You wouldn't believe the weather we had to get through to make it here," Jake said, throwing his palms up dramatically. "Rain like knives the whole way. I thought it was gonna cut through the sails but thanks to some expert direction from yours truly, we made it in record time."

"So, what, you're a captain now?" Sam asked, slightly in awe. 

"Sure am," Jake announced, pride dripping off him as he tipped his chin up and smoothed down his shirt. "A lot has happened since I've been out to sea."

"And you never thought to mention it in any of your letters?"

"Didn't seem fair to brag."

"Oh, get over yourself," Sam scoffed with a smile. "We've been pretty damn successful here without you. We're the talk of the town."

"Really? I didn't hear anything when I was showing the boys around town tonight, did we, boys?" Jake spoke to the crowd around them, and Sam startled slightly at their muddled replies and laughs as he remembered that it wasn't just him and his brothers alone in this space they had grown up in.  

"When we had dinner tonight, did any of you hear about the ol' Caravel?" Jake teased, slinging an arm around Sam and pulling him down to his height, mussing his hair. "Any talk of sweet Brandy?"

"Shut up!" Sam cried, trying to wiggle out of Jake's surprisingly strong grip, his face flushing as the men around them erupted into raucous laughter and whistles. He finally released him, Sam immediately straightening and brushing his hair out with his fingers with a huff as Josh covered a smile with his hand and Jake laughed. 

"You're the worst," Sam declared in true youngest sibling fashion. "You can make your own drinks tonight, how about that?"

"It would be my pleasure," Jake invited warmly, and from the genuine twinkle in his eye, Sam could tell he meant it. 

"Don't you fuck up my bar, Jacob," Josh said seriously, jabbing his finger at his twin as Jake happily made his way behind the counter. "We did all this cleaning and organizing for you, you know."

"Wait, wait, wait," Sam exclaimed, putting the pieces together as he glared down Josh, who immediately turned sheepish under Sam's sharp gaze. "You knew he was coming back? That's why you were being so weird? Why didn't you tell me?"

"We thought it would be a fun surprise," Josh explained meekly. "I still think it was."

"You're unbelievable," Sam sneered, secretly very touched by the gesture. "If I had known it was just Jake, I would've left some of that glass out on the floor."

"Cruel!" Jake cried from his spot behind the bar, where he was now dutifully pouring drinks for his crew, who were only now starting to settle. "It's not just me, it's my men, too. Wouldn't want them getting hurt, now would we?"

Sam didn't reply, simply smiling innocently and turning back to grab his tray to tend to the sailors who had taken seats at tables. He didn't remember exactly where it had ended up landing in his tackling of Jake. He looked around the shoulders of the burly men who had conveniently gathered around the spot on the bar he figured he must have set it down, but didn't see it anywhere. 

Behind him, the jukebox started up, a high instrumental starting to swing out over the crowd inside the Caravel. Sam turned towards the sound instinctually, and blinked in shock when he saw his tray resting atop the jukebox, sitting casually beside the tall man facing the jukebox. Sam approached the tray thief, sidling around his strong frame and preparing himself to have to argue with whoever this kleptomaniac was. Instead, Sam found himself freezing up when he caught sight of the man's profile. 

His eyes, cast down and shadowed by dark, stern brows and long lashes, tracked the song listings as his long, calloused fingers ghosted the dials. His hair was as long as Jake's and fell in smoky ringlets that swayed against his broad shoulders. His nose was handsomely aquiline, and Sam realized that he was close enough to see a peppering of freckles across it. He swallowed thickly and prayed that he hadn't been standing there too long, suddenly unaware of how much time had passed since he had first started looking at the stranger. Sam decided to break himself out of his brief funk by reaching up and snatching the tray off of the jukebox, the flimsy metal making a racket that made the jukebox man jump slightly and turn to Sam with wide eyes. 

"That's my tray," Sam announced, staring him down. There was a short pause, a smile creeping onto the man's face as his gaze softened.

"You're Brandy," he finally said, his small smile stretching into a full, charming smile that was crooked in the way Sam had only ever read about. Sam flushed, his ears going hot as he gripped the tray tightly and curled his lip.

"It's Sam, actually," Sam snapped, wondering why his flustered state was translating as frustration.

"Oh, well, my apologies," the man said sincerely, dipping his head slightly in apology. "That's what the captain called you. I'm Daniel."

"Your captain is my brother, so I wouldn't take anything he says about me at face value," Sam explained, pushing away the thought of what the hell Jake told his crew he was like, if he talked about him and Josh at all. He must have. He was too much of a sap not to. 

Daniel laughed, and Sam flinched at the sound. He didn't know why, it was a nice laugh.

"Don't worry, he speaks very highly of you," Daniel affirmed, and Sam was annoyed to find himself physically relaxing. Did he really care what a bunch of sailors thought of him? "You don't look how I pictured, though." 

"Oh?" Sam barked out an awkward laugh. "What did you think I'd look like?"

Daniel shrugged, his hair shifting enough to reveal hoops in his ears similar to Jake's. He did a dramatic look up and down of Sam, which made him go hot in the face again as Daniel's eyes finally rested on his own. 

"He always described you as, I don't know, like a squirrely little brother," Daniel remarked, gesturing vaguely at Sam. "Messy hair, snotty nose. Which is definitely not you."

"You're strange," Sam replied, meaning it. 

"You're pretty."

Sam froze as he had when he had first approached Daniel, every muscle tensing up as his mouth snapped shut. Daniel stood there smiling at him like he hadn't said a word. 

"I'm working," Sam countered nervously, turning away and then turning back. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Daniel echoed, looking back down at the jukebox. "Brandy."

Sam tossed a silent glare at him before hurrying away, quickly distracting himself with fetching rounds for the nearby tables occupied by Daniel's crewmates. 

'What the fuck was that?' Sam kept thinking to himself as he bustled around for the next hour, far too aware that Daniel was still somewhere in this space with him. It wasn't that he had made Sam uncomfortable...it was something else entirely. He couldn't put words to it, and it frustrated him. 

"You're a pistol tonight, Sammy," Jake commented as Sam came sailing back to the bar for the 3rd time in the past 10 minutes, clearing his tray and stocking it with a fresh round of clean glasses. "I knew me being here would renew your zest for work."

"You're a hoot, Jakers," Sam said dryly, both of them exchanging mocking faces as Jake poured up Sam's new round. "Your friends are something else."

"They're a lively bunch, aren't they?" Jake responded proudly, casting a look out over the bar at his men. "Make any friends yet? I talk about you and Joshy every chance I get, you should know. These boys all think you two are the bees knees. Brother of the Year goes to me, thank you."

"Daniel told me about that," Sam replied coolly. "The talking about us, not you being Brother of the Year. Not sure you've earned that one, Mr. Runaway."

"Ah, Daniel," Jake smirked, shaking his head with a mysterious smile. "I love that guy. Damn good when it comes to heavy lifting and rigging. Did you get a look at those tree trunk arms of his?"

"I can't say I did," Sam muttered, lying.

"He's a strong fellow. His talents are much appreciated. He also happens to be a complete sweetheart. If you're gonna actually try and befriend any of these fuckers, he's probably your best bet."

"Noted," Sam replied quickly as Jake poured the last drink. "I'll be back in a second."

"Take your time!" Jake encouraged, pushing Sam back out into the fray. "Go say hi to Daniel for me!"

-

Sam didn't honor Jake's request until after 3am, when Josh had finally taken back control of the bar and insisted Jake and his crewmates get moving so they could clean up. 

"Tell me they're not staying in our house," Josh muttered to Jake as the three of them huddled behind the bar, pretending to be busy as the sailors all gathered up their coats and drunkenly stumbled their way to the entrance. "You promised. We only have the three rooms and our living room is certainly not up to code for sailor folk."

"I've booked them week-long stays at the inn, don't even worry about it," Jake insisted in a whisper. "I sure hope I'm allowed the privilege to sleep in my own bed."

"Of course, idiot," Josh smiled, smacking Jake's arm. "Your bed is still how you left it."

"You're only here for a week?" Sam questioned, his stomach sinking as reality shook the seeming eternity of this odd night. 

"I'm afraid so, pipsqueak," Jake affirmed, his tone weak but his voice far too laced with whiskey to effectively communicate any kind of genuine sadness. 

Sam stared into the glass he was halfheartedly wiping and held back everything he wanted to say. He wished he could say anything about how it wasn't fair to the family for Jake to leave for so long, or how the almost complete lack of communication was even less fair, or how much easier it would be for him to just stay. But Jake was drunk, and it was late, and it just wasn't worth it, so Sam just mumbled an "okay" and stacked the glass. 

"You know," Sam started to say, faltering slightly when both of them looked at him expectantly. "Josh, why don't you just go back with Jake and I'll finish up here. I don't think he can make it back by himself, and I doubt he's kept hold of his house key since leaving."

"Aw, Sammy, you don't have to," Josh pushed back, putting an appreciative hand on Sam's slight shoulder. "I think he can make his way."

"I'm standing right here," Jake interjected, swaying only slightly as he leaned forward. "I can give input. My input is I'm completely fine to walk the 5 minutes home."

"And you have your key?"

Jake paused, his glassy eyes darting around in space as he thought, gently moving to pat his pockets.

"He does not," Josh said to Sam alone, his tired features raising in devilish amusement.

"No, he does not," Sam agreed as they watched Jake turn away slightly to dig in his pockets some more. 

"Still here," Jake piped up again, finally giving up on his key search. "But, yes, it would seem I've misplaced them. But I can wait outside. It's not even that cold and I got some fire in my belly to keep me warm."

"People are going to think you're a vagrant, Jake, no," Sam argued, waving his brothers away. "Josh, take him home. Both of you, get some sleep for once. I'll lock up and see you in the morning."

"Are you sure, Sammy?" Josh asked again, looking at him with a little too much concern. "I'm not saying I don't think you can, I'm just-"

"Get out!" Sam insisted, grabbing both of them by the shoulder and spinning them to face away from him. "And stay out! Follow the crowd, little fish, swim away. I'll be fine, I can handle putting up chairs and mopping."

"Fine, fine, sheesh," Josh giggled, wrestling Sam away from him and slinging a rough arm around Jake, hauling him towards the last few men trailing out the door. "You take care of my baby! And get home quick!"

"Bite me!" Sam replied cheerfully, waving them away with his rag like he was waving off a ship.

"Good to see you again, Sam! I love you!" Jake called loudly, despite being only a few feet away.

"I love you too, you drunk!" 

"Aw!" Jake blew him a kiss, causing Josh to cackle and start up an unheard conversation as they opened the door in identical hand slaps and slipped out into the cool, dark night. 

Sam turned his back to the door, slinging the rag in his hand over the spigot of the sink and sliding the tub of dirty dishes into the basin, letting the water run from cool to warm to soak them. He looked into the full length mirror that Josh had tipped sideways in front of the sink and just under the first shelf of bottles, grimacing slightly at the dark circles continuing to grow under his eyes and the state of the flyaways that had fallen from the ponytail he'd thrown up around 1am. Sam leaned in closer, pulling the ribbon from his hair and letting it fall in a shiny curtain, smoothing it back with his damp fingers. Something fluttered in the mirror, causing Sam to squint and look into the slightly warped and smudged glass, catching sight of something dark behind him. He straightened with a jolt and spun on his heel, brandishing the silk ribbon as if it could do anything to protect him against an intruder. 

Instead, he found Daniel wandering around by the door, watching him with that same gentle smile he'd given him before. Sam's heart had raced when he'd seen something behind him, but now it was just about ready to slam a gory hole through his chest and escape. 

"Oh, my God," Sam wheezed, clutching his chest to hold his heart in. "You scared the shit out of me."

"I didn't mean to," Daniel said with a chuckle, his long legs delivering him to the bar. "I was worried we got off on the wrong foot and wanted to rectify that."

"And you figured waiting in the corner like a silent specter until I was alone was the perfect solution to starting up a jolly ol' friendship?" Sam teased, annoyance lacing his voice with no real venom behind it. "I stand behind when I said you were strange."

"And I stand behind what I said after you said that," Daniel doubled down, leaning onto the bar and meeting Sam's eye, which Sam tried to hold with a nervous swallow.

"Oh, is that why you stayed?" Sam laughed weakly, turning away from Daniel to start on properly washing the dishes. "I don't know what kind of guy you think I am, but I'm not like that."

"No, no, that's not..." Daniel sighed, and Sam watched him lean his head against his hand in the mirror for a brief moment before looking up again, watching the back of Sam's head. "I'm fucking blowing this, huh?"

"Pretty much," Sam agreed with a smile, his cheeks warming. "You really haven't talked to anybody outside of your crewmates for a while, hm?"

"No," Daniel mumbled dejectedly, and Sam bit his lip to prevent a giggle from escaping.

"I can tell."

There was a minute of quiet between them, the only sound being the motion of the water in the sink and the dishes clinking together as Sam rinsed them and wiped them down haphazardly. 

"Do you want help? I can dry."

Sam looked over his shoulder in surprise at the offer. Daniel looked sincere, so Sam nodded slightly and motioned for him to join him behind the bar. Now that they were standing right next to each other, Daniel's towering height and body heat were dizzying in Sam's peripheral as he struggled to keep his hands steady in the soapy water. Daniel dutifully took the ratty drying towel and gently dried off the glasses and plates as Sam handed them to him, both of them working in tense silence. Sam's mind spun as they fell into rhythm, wondering once again just what the hell was going on tonight. 

They were done in a quick 10 minutes, with Daniel drying the last dish with a flourish and training his blinding smile on Sam, who returned it with much less fervor. 

"What next?" Daniel asked brightly. Sam just looked at him for a second, squinting his eyes in confusion as he stared up at the kindly giant who was apparently more than ready for chores.

"Dude, we're closed," Sam explained. "And you don't work here. You're lucky I let you stay this long. You don't have to be here."

"I know, but I want to be," Daniel explained right back. "And you're lucky to have some company. So, what's next?"

"Uh," Sam stuttered, utterly flummoxed by Daniel. "Well, I was going to put the chairs up so I can mop."

"Okay, why don't you get the mopping stuff and I'll put the chairs up?"

"Well-"

It was too late for any kind of response because Daniel had already started shimmying out from behind the bar and making his way over to the sea of tables that had been knocked around and moved all night, straightening them up and effortlessly lifting chairs with a single hand and sitting them gently on the wood. Sam hesitated for only a minute, watching Daniel work to a tune he had started humming, absently wringing his cold hands before wiping them on his apron and shuffling off to the maintenance closet to pull out the mop and bucket. By the time he had wrangled them out, Daniel had managed to get every chair off the ground, allowing Sam to flop the old mop onto the hardwood and start pushing clean water across it. 

"Careful or I'm going to mop you into a corner," Sam threatened, starting towards Daniel with the mop. Daniel yelped in mock fear, backing away dramatically with his hands up. Sam let his front fall for a moment at seeing Daniel play along so easily, smiling as he lifted the mop off the ground and held it out towards Daniel, swinging a spray of floor water towards the sailor. Daniel yelped for real then, laughing as he tip toed his way back towards the bar, perching on one of the bolted down stools as Sam snickered to himself, continuing his mopping route.

"You're a beast with that thing," Daniel encouraged, kicking his leg up onto the stool and resting his cheek against his knee. "How long have you been a mopping prodigy?"

"Well, I've been the designated mopper since I was 12, so about 10 years now," Sam said, and Daniel let out a low whistle. 

"I'm surprised they started you on it that late. Did you do any work here before that?"

"Some," Sam offered, redipping the mop. "More cleaning stuff. I couldn't serve until after we inherited it, so I had sort of a late start on that front." 

"Jake told us about that." Daniel paused. "I'm sorry about your parents."

"It's alright," Sam answered immediately, the response mechanical after so many years of sentiments. He couldn't even begin to delve back into the emotions their accident brought. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Another lull, save for the sound of water.

"My folks bit it, too."

Sam's grip on the mop shifted and he had to fight it from falling over, looking over to Daniel at the bar, whose face was still chipper despite his statement.

"Same thing too, actually," Daniel continued, his hand tracing the motion of waves. "Spot of bad weather on a trip and down they went. The sea is a merciless mistress."

"I-I'm sorry to hear that," Sam stammered, shocked at how blasé Daniel was about such a trauma, especially considering how much he could relate.

"As you said, it's alright, and thank you," Daniel grinned, nuzzling his cheek into his knee further. "I forgave her."

"Her?"

"The sea," Daniel explained, his eyes twinkling slightly. "She can't help but do what she does. Sometimes it means getting a little rough and taking a few of our own. She can't stop it, and neither can I. All I can do is try and bend to her ever changing will."

"Sounds like you two have a complicated relationship," Sam joked as he mopped himself back towards the maintenance closet. Daniel laughed and he nearly bowed under the weight of it, instead gripping the sweat slick handle of the mop a little tighter.

"Maybe we do," Daniel laughed, watching Sam with a fierce grin. "But I love it. She's my life, my lover, my lady."

"Is that so?" Sam leaned the mop back inside the closet, taking advantage of the door shielding him from seeing Daniel for a second. "Then what are you doing here with a landlubber like me?"

There was no reply, forcing Sam to close the door and make eye contact with Daniel again, who was still staring at him with that frustratingly ever present smile ghosting his rosy lips. 

"Because I'm going to need someone to hang out with while I'm here," Daniel said simply. "And Jake told me you're my best bet."

Sam couldn't help but let an inappropriately timed laugh escape then, rolling his eyes to the ceiling and crossing his arms.

"Jake, you bitch," he spoke to the sky. "He said the same damn thing to me tonight."

"Ha! He's never struck me as the matchmaker type," Danny chuckled. "What a sly dog." 

"I wouldn't call it matchmaking," Sam protested, bending to lift the mop bucket and struggling to get it off the ground, flushing in embarrassment. In a flash, Daniel was on his feet and in front of Sam, taking the bucket from him and carrying it like it was a glass of water.

"I would," Daniel argued back. "Where do you need this?"

"Uh, the sink," Sam replied meekly, waving towards the sink. "If you get it there, I can dump it."

"Don't bother, I got it," Daniel insisted, strolling over to the sink and tipping the gray, foamy water down the drain. "Come on, you're not going to let me take you out?"

"I already told you, I'm not that kind of guy," Sam doubled down, tucking hair behind his ear as he watched Daniel shake the last of the water out. "Gimme that."

"I suppose you'll want this back too?"

Daniel held the bucket aloft and in his same curled hand, Sam's silk hair ribbon hung down, the longest bit of lilac thread nearly grazing the inside of the bucket. Sam let an involuntary quiet gasp fly, feeling his cheeks flush once again as he stomped towards Daniel, reaching out for the bucket and ribbon. Daniel held it even higher then, giggling down at Sam as he stood on his tiptoes and struggled for his things.

"You're a fucking kleptomaniac, you know that, right?" Sam hissed in frustration. "It's a disease, and buddy, you have it tenfold."

"One date, that's all I ask," Daniel cooed. "Jake said you'd be tough, so I came prepared to wear you down."

"Jake said what?!"

"He saaaaid,'' Daniel began, lifting the bucket and ribbon even higher when Sam made a springing jump for them, grabbing desperately. "That his little brother was a sweetheart pretending to be a real tough cookie and in desperate need of a date."

"Lies and slander," Sam seethed. "Jake was lying through his teeth to prank you. You've been pranked. Now bite the bullet and give me my things back, please!"

"Mm, no, see, he said you'd say something like that," Daniel hummed, backing up against the bar as Sam stalked closer. "He said there were few things you'd be unable to resist and that I had the most of those qualifications out of our crew. Therefore, I was deemed the lucky fellow tasked with treating you right."

"Oh, really? And what are these alleged traits I find so irresistible?" 

"He said you were a sucker for dark hair," Daniel smiled, cocking his head so his glossy curls swung around his flushed face. "Especially curly hair. He said you like freckles, and green eyes, but most of all you like someone who can handle your attitude."

Sam stood there silently, his heart pounding in his ears as he attempted to glare a hole through the center of Daniel's head.

"You don't have green eyes," Sam pointed out, his voice still dark with frustration. "And I can barely see your freckles." 

"But you admit I'm doing a good job of handling your attitude."

"Stop putting fucking words in my mouth!"

"Stop fighting me and admit you're enjoying yourself!" Daniel crowed, the bucket swinging happily over his head. "You already like having me around. I'm charming, and I'm useful, and I'll pay for your dinner." 

They stared each other down, inches apart, Sam's already burnt out brain churning desperately to make sense of the situation and figure out how to proceed with such a relentless prick holding him up like this. Finally, he dropped back down to the balls of his feet and let his arms rest at his side, letting out a furious huff through his nose and walking away from Daniel.

"Keep them, I could give a fuck," Sam declared. "I'm going the fuck home. Get the fuck out."

Daniel laughed again, and Sam could've strangled him for it. He heard the clank of the bucket hitting the floor and then the soft tread of Daniel's footsteps approaching. He drew in a sharp breath when Daniel's arm came around his side and extended the ribbon to him, his palm up as if in surrender. 

"At least let me walk you home," Daniel maintained, his voice low and velvet soft. "I don't want any criminals snatching you up on your way."

Sam's hand came up and gently took the ribbon from Daniel, the tips of his finger grazing the warm roughness of his hand and then retreating just as quickly, tucking the ribbon into his pocket. He sighed deeply and looked over his shoulder, trying not to startle physically when he realized how close Daniel was, the front of his dark linen top nearly grazing the curve of Sam's back. 

"Get your coat," Sam muttered, stepping out of the near embrace and making his way to the back door. "And stay away from the register."

Daniel laughed as he went back for his corduroy jacket, sneaking a look at the back of Sam's head and graceful figure.

"You really think I'm a lowdown dirty thief, don't you?" Daniel accused, catching up to Sam and opening the door before he got the chance, a gesture which Sam begrudgingly accepted as he stepped out for the second time that night. 

"Yes, I do," Sam agreed, all but yanking Daniel out the door and locking the door with a firm click that soothed his soul a little, certain the craziness of the night was locked away with it.

"You have no idea," Daniel murmured mysteriously, dipping down to hum it in Sam's ear. The feeling of his hot breath ghosting the cold shell of his ear sent chills down Sam's neck that made him involuntarily speed up his pace as they walked down the dim, quiet alleyway. 

This walk usually took about 10 minutes when he walked with Josh, slowing his speed ever so slightly to account for the gangly legs that Josh simply did not possess. However, with Daniel beside him, Sam arrived at his door in record time, not needing to check the time to know it had been about half his usual time. Daniel had tried a few times to strike up a conversation, but Sam had chosen to satiate him only with simple replies and looks, far too worn out to put up with his relentless cheer any longer. 

"Well, this is me," Sam said with finality, pulling his keys out again and giving Daniel a polite smile. "Thank you for walking me home, it was nice to meet you."

"Of course," Daniel replied, his eyes tracing over Sam's face as Sam quietly slid the key into the lock and opened the door a crack. Before Sam could get inside and finally wind down for the night, Daniel reached out and grasped his arm with gentle force, turning Sam ever so slightly towards him.

"Listen, before I go," Daniel began, his perky expression fading ever so slightly into a calmer look Sam couldn't quite read, his features softened by the hazy moonlight. "I know I've been a lot, and I know you probably don't care for me very much, but I really would like to take you to dinner tomorrow."

Sam let out a long, heavy sigh, looking longingly towards the door. Once inside, he would be able to fall into his nice, warm, comfy bed and just sleep. He could even sleep in if he wanted to, and then in the morning, he would get to hang out with his brother, whom he hadn't seen in 2 full years. But here he was, being tugged on by an aggressively cheerful sailor, who was also aggressively into him. Standing on worn, tired legs, in the cold, in the dead of night. There was only one thing standing between him and that sleep he was fantasizing about.

"Sure," Sam finally agreed, shifting awkwardly to accommodate the grin that burst onto Daniel's face at the affirmation. "If it'll get you off my doorstep."

"Wonderful," Daniel said, his smile bleeding into his voice. "Meet me at the pub by the inn at 5 tomorrow. I'll have you back before your shift starts."

"How do you know when-"

"Have a good night," Daniel cut him off, patting Sam's shoulder before spinning on his heel and setting off towards the inn, whistling the jukebox tune he'd played earlier in the night as Sam watched his dark form bounce away. 

Sam waited until he was out of sight to release the tension he'd been holding in his chest in the form of a fast, hot huff of breath, bracing himself against the doorway as he took in another drink of cool air and tried to stave off the perplexing dizzying feeling that overcame him. He entered his house as quietly as he could and shut the door firmly behind him, his fingertips shaking from the adrenaline that had overcome him and seized every bodily motion with uncomfortable velocity. Clenching and unclenching his fists in an attempt to get it out of his system, Sam silently padded by Josh's room, listening only for a second before he heard the soft and unmistakable rattle of the snoring his brother claimed not to do. Next, he stopped in front of Jake's door, finding it ajar and peeking in to see him curled up on top of the blanket and sheets, one of his comically large wide brimmed hats sat crookedly on his head and tipped over his face. Sam went to shut the door but stopped halfway, recalling a memory of Jake tossing a shoe at his head when they were much younger, bitching to keep the door open because he "needed the air". Sam left it open, and retreated to his room.

Sam immediately collapsed on the edge of his bed, slipping his shoes off and ridding himself of his shirt and pants in a flurry of motion, rolling over with a grunt and taking the blanket with him.  He faced the wall for a few minutes, trying to steady his breathing so he could dip into the sleep he so desperately craved, but his eyes didn't close and his mind didn't slow to allow unconsciousness. He turned so he was laying on his back, pulling the covers over his bare chest and staring up at the blank ceiling, trying to clear his mind. 

It was around 5am when Sam finally got his shut eye, sinking back into his thin pillow with his lips parted, the darkness outside starting to lift with the first flickers of morning light. It had only taken an hour of tossing, turning, and indulging in the relentless parade of images flickering against his eyelids, counting the freckles on the strange sailor's nose until he drifted away.

~~~

[literallykenmaandshoyo]

YKWIM

Satori Tendou x Female!Reader

Warnings: Language, Angst, Reader was really just trying to help Tendou through some rough times and Tendou snapped at her >:(, sad Tendou

Word Count: 2.7k

Author's Note: Hi everyone! I've noticed that everyone really liked the Tendou smut I posted a couple of days ago and I've been so happy to see the reblogs and likes that its gotten! I've been recovering from being sick for the past six days and I don't know why I'm on such a Satori kick lately! He's a huge comfort character for me I feel, so I wrote SO MANY fics for him. I'll post them all and then I'll move on from posts about him, I'm sorry😭 Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this angst! Feel free to send in an ask if you have a request or even just some feedback:)

Author's note pt.2: I listened to YKWIM by Yot Club while I was writing this, so you can tell why my title is the name of the song hehe lolol. I reccommend listening to it while you read, I find that it really adds on to the atmosphere at the beginning of this :)

~Mod Shoyo

“How long has Tendou-senpai been like this?” A worried Goshiki spoke up.

Semi sighed. “Since he snapped at Y/N the other day.”

Tendou looked like a mess. His normally spiked hair was disheveled and limp. The bags under his eyes got darker. (which mostly everyone thought was impossible) His ruby eyes were puffy and bloodshot. No one knew what to do or how to help him. But Tendou didn’t want any help. He just wanted his apology to be accepted finally so he can have her back. He needed her back.

“He snapped at Y/N?” Reon queried in disbelief. “Man, I wonder what got him so riled up,”

Goshiki looked at his upperclassman with teary eyes. He’d never seen Tendou look so dejected, so depressed. Tendou was always the morale booster. He was the teammate to make everyone feel better and to lift them up. But who was going to make him feel better?

Their middle blocker had lost his smile. 

Ushijima stared at Satori from the opposite side of the court. His eyes held the same monotone nature that most people assumed, but in reality, he was actually worried for his friend. Wakatoshi shifted his gaze to the left and noticed the rest of the players just staring at the guess blocker from afar. Nothing was going to change if someone didn’t at least try and help. As the player that Tendou was closest to, Ushijima took it upon himself to make the first move.

“Satori-san,” Tendou looked up, his eyes widening slightly when Ushijima stood in front of him. “You’re going to severely hurt your back if you keep slouching. You should get some rest.”

Tendou looked down at the floor and sniffled. Tears welled up in his eyes for the umpteenth time and fell onto the gym floor. Ushijima didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how Tendou liked to be comforted in times like this. Hell, he’d never thought he would ever see him like this in the first place.

“Come on Satori, let’s get you some water.” Ushijima blurted out.

Tendou walked away with the ace of Shiratorizawa, sniffling and letting his sobs rack his shoulders a bit louder now. Once they made it to the vending machine closest to the gym, Ushijima pulled out some loose coins from the pocket of his jacket and paid for water. Tendou looked at his reflection in the glass of the machine and sighed.

“I made her cry Wakatoshi-kun,” Tendou admitted. He shut his eyes tightly and let out another sob. “I made her cry.”

Ushijima remained silent. “She was just trying to help and I made her cry.” While most figured the only thing that was ever on Ushijima’s mind was volleyball, he actually was very attentive to the ones close to him. Tendou being one of them.

He knew all about Y/N. Tendou liked to talk about her a lot. She was a manager for Karasuno, Ushijima had actually seen her in person and got introduced to her when they played Karasuno in a match. Tendou was on fire that day. He was trying so hard to impress Y/N, and while Ushijima could argue that she served as a distraction for the guess blocker, she actually fueled him to play his best. Everything about Y/N brought out the best in him, and Ushiwaka knew how much she meant to his friend. He felt horrible for him.

Tendou was in a slump. That was easy for Y/N to notice the second she walked into his dorm to visit him. Her eyes softened at the sight of her boyfriend looking so glum. She dropped everything she had brought with her right next to his door and rushed over to him.

“Tori, what’s the matter love?” She cooed, sitting next to him on his bed. Tendou just stayed quiet. This was worse than she thought. “Do you need anything?”

Tendou sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I need space.”

Y/N’s heart dropped to her stomach. “Sp-Space?” Did he just need a few minutes of alone time? Or did he need space away from her completely, from their relationship? Y/N tried to not let her overthinking get the best of her, but the way he phrased his answer really didn’t help that at all.

“What?” That’s all that she could muster up. Ask him to repeat himself; ask him for clarification. 

An annoyed growl left Tendou’s lips and he stood up from his bed. Y/N straightened her posture and jumped at how suddenly he moved away from her.

“Space! I need you to not breathe down my neck and ask me a million questions like you always do! I need you to leave me alone so I can sort through all the shit that's going on right now!”

Y/N was shocked. She was paralyzed and found it difficult to move her limbs. “T-Tendou whatever it is, I’m here for you! You’re not alone,”

“That’s the thing, Y/N.” Using her first name rather than the million pet names he had given her always did something to her. Hearing him use it in such a vain and angry tone was enough to make tears well up in her eyes. “You can’t just let me sort these out on my own. You always have to squeeze yourself into the midst of the problem and I just want five fucking minutes where you just shut the hell up and stop asking me so many fucking questions!”

He was yelling now. His voice was echoing throughout the room, even worse, his words were echoing in her mind. Did she really annoy him that much? Pester him with so many questions that he could never think straight? Did that mean he lied to her whenever he told her how much she’s helped him work through issues?

She’d never heard him so angry before. “Tendou, why didn’t you just tell me?” He scoffed and adorned a smile on his face despite his anger.

“Because I have a million other fucking things on my plate, Y/N. God for fucks sake, are you really that stupid?" Her heart stung with that one.

"That school in France I applied to? Rejected me. I haven’t heard back from any of the safety schools, I don’t have the money even with a scholarship to make it to my culinary school, and I can’t find any jobs right now that are gonna hire me in time to make the payment! The least of my worries right now is telling you that you ask me too many questions and fucking hound me like a lap dog trying to get answers and reassurance out of me!”

Y/N burst into tears, her sniffles now joining the sounds of his anguish. She wiped at her eyes vigorously (Something she did because she hated when people watched her cry).

 “Dear god, stop with the tears already.”

If looks could kill, Tendou would be gutted, sliding against the wall of his room drowning in his own blood. The tears burned as they slid down Y/N’s face. The second Satori finished his sentence, he saw her heart shatter right before his very eyes. He didn’t have the right mindset to calm down and realize what he had just done. His chest was heaving with anger, but the look on Y/N’s face was finally snapping him back to reality.

She couldn’t even bring herself to say another word. She simply stood up from his bed and went to the front of his door where she had dropped all of her things. She picked everything up off the floor and opened the door.

“I’m going home. I’ll give you your fucking space.” She choked out. 

She slammed the door to his room behind her and he could hear her footsteps retreating. He sank to the floor and brought his knees up to his chest, burying his face in his hands as he sobbed into his palms. His shoulders were racking with cries. He let out harsh screams into his hands and cursed at himself for hours. He fell asleep on the floor, phone in his hand. 

He was waiting for her to text him that she had made it to her house safely, but it never came.

Ushijima sighed. As the water fell into the crater at the bottom of the vending machine, his tall figure stooped down to grab it and hand it to Tendou. He popped the cap open for him and shoved it in front of his face.

“Drink this. It’ll help you calm down.”

Tendou let out a shaky sigh and took a sip from the bottle with quivering lips, even as he sipped on the drink, he was sniffling and tears were still gliding down his cheeks. The red head lowered the bottle and now just held the cold drink in his clammy hands.

“You need to apologize to Y/N.” Ushijima stated. “What you said really hurt her feelings and not apologizing is what’s keeping you like this.”

Tendou sniffled. “I can’t lose her Wakatoshi. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I- I let bad habits from my past push her away from me.”

A soft grunt left Ushijima. Tendou looked up at his best friend with a newfound respect. “Go apologize to her. That’s what will make her realize that she misses you as much as you do her.”

Ushijima went back into the gym and left Tendou by himself. The silence gave him the willpower to realize that Ushijima was right. He needed to show her that he’s been a mess ever since he made her cry and he needed to get her back.

Tendou was quickly on the next bus to Karasuno. He knew that she would be at the practice helping them. So would the entire team, but they were an obstacle he was willing to overcome to get to her. The bus hissed and the brakes squeaked as he rushed off. He dashed over to the Karasuno gym. His ears rang with the sounds of volleyballs hitting the waxed gym floor. He threw the door open and the sound alone was enough to get everyone’s attention.

Tendou bowed quickly. “I need to speak with Y/N,” He blurted out. “Please.”

Y/N looked at him with wide eyes.

“You have got a LOT of fucking nerve to show up here after what you did Satori,” Daichi scowled from across the gym.

“Coach,” Y/N bowed. “I’m so sorry for the interruption. May I be excused for just a couple minutes?”

Ukai turned and looked at Tendou. He couldn’t help but think about how much this kid looked like shit. Serves him right for being the reason Y/N showed up to practice so sad. Not even Ukai could bear to look at her looking the way she did.

“You let us know if you need some help, alright? I’ll send Noya and Tanaka out there if you need anything.”

Noya and Tanaka puffed their chests out and walked their manager over to Tendou. Once she stepped out the door, Tanaka grabbed Tendou by the collar of the black hoodie he was wearing. Noya scowled and got up in Tendou’s face.

“Listen here, if she comes in here looking half as bad as she did a couple days ago, we will beat you into a fucking pulp.” Tanaka threatened,

“Our manager means everything to us, so the second that I hear a sniffle or a tear drop hit the floor, you better count the fucking seconds you have left before we beat your ass. And that’s a promise from the whole team.” Noya growled.

Tendou cleared his throat. He had so many smart comments to say to the two second years. But right now, the only thing that mattered was that he got to talk to Y/N.

“I’m here to set things right. I know how much she means to you monster children, but she means more to me. Now fucking let go of me,”

Tanaka shoved Tendou out of his grip and watched with narrow eyes as he stepped outside with Y/N. Contrary to popular assumption, the entire Karasuno team, including the coaches, went to the windows to listen in on their manager's conversation with Tendou. It was so wrong of them, and all of them knew that, but not only did they wanna make sure Y/N was okay, they needed to hear how apologetic that cocky Shiratorizawa blocker really was.

“Paradise, I came here to tell you how sorry I am about the other night. For me to push all of that frustration and fear onto you wasn’t right of me at all and you didn’t deserve to be yelled at the way you were.” Tendou began. “The second I saw those tears fall from your eyes I knew I fucked up. I-I was just so angry and I fell back into my old habit of just pushing everyone away. Now that I have you, I understand that I can’t do that anymore.”

Y/N looked up into his bloodshot orbs. He was being so sincere, she was glad he finally realized he fucked up. But she wasn’t going to just forgive him without speaking about what was on her mind. He needed to feel like shit for what he put her through.

“Thank you for finally speaking up about it. I was waiting for you to apologize.” She admitted. “Look, I know that I can get annoying with the questions I ask, I’ll give you that. But what you need to understand is that I’m throwing everything aside in my life, EVERYTHING, just so I can find solutions to your problems. All I ever want is to help you Satori, and for you to just blow up at me and fucking tell me you need space? You can’t tell me that there wasn’t room for me to think that you wanted to break up with me.”

Tendou froze. She really thought he was breaking up with her? Maybe that’s why she was as upset as she was, and why his words stung as much as they did. She thought that he was leaving her.

“I’m glad you realized that you were wrong. And thank you for apologizing to me. But I need to know that something like this isn’t going to happen again.”

Tendou stammered. For once, there was no snarky comment, no immediate answer for what she was asking of him. The middle blocker looked down at his feet, then he met her eyes.

“I’ll communicate with you more. I should’ve told you about my schools and everything and letting it build up wasn’t good at all. I’m going to be more upfront with you even about the things I’m scared to talk about. I can’t lose you Y/N, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me; you’re my paradise.”

Her heart melted at his words. “I promise you, I will never ever make tears fall from those pretty eyes ever again. It broke my heart to see you leave so angry at me, and it hurt me even more to know that it was my fault. Please, please forgive me.”

She paused. Tears welled up in her eyes once more and Tendou’s face fell. She missed him so much and it had taken her so long to not go and find him, to grovel at his feet and apologize for leaving him the way she did.

She threw her arms around him and buried her face into his chest. He placed his head onto the top of her head and squeezed her tightly. He missed her so much. 

“I missed you 'Tori,” She mumbled into his hoodie. “I’m so sorry,”

“Don’t apologize paradise, I’m just glad to have you back now. For good.”

Tendou lifted her chin up towards him and stooped down to place his lips onto hers. The slight chap on his lips meant nothing to her, she was just glad that she had her Satori back. She missed how his lips molded with hers. He missed having someone to run to when he was feeling down.

She was his everything. And he was so glad to not have lost her.

[witchofthesouls]

Wish we had more of Makeshift because we have no info on what he was doing before Screamer rounded him for that mission..

I can imagine him and Soundwave being cryptic prankster duo.. And also i feel like he would be intrigued/fascinated by humans ability to mimic

I know, right!? I wish we had more information about Makeshift, especially with his powers. Can he take the frame of any mecha, regardless of frame-type, or is he limited to similar sizes? Is the ability only a surface change, or does it warp his very CNA? How does he train each character? Method acting?

While I can see Soundwave being a cryptic prankster, I don't see him officially teaming up with anyone. If anything, Soundwave would either Makeshift's tricks to go unimpeded or secretly guide some setups as a low-key hobby that doubles as a morale booster because laughter is good.

Makeshift would arguably be among the first of the Cybertronians to see how well humans can mimic others. Not just voices and sounds, but appearances as well. He and Knock Out would get along over historical cosplay, YouTubers that focus on fashion (coughBernadetteBannercough), and Makeshift can double as a model for any of Knock Out's tailoring explorations.

He would be so down to join sci-fi and fantasy conventions and ren faires as he can walk around as himself with mass conversion and win many cosplay competitions (and heckle at so many dedicated 'true fans' before being dragged into said arguments for real).

And on a side note, he would definitely be the first 'con to clang humans. He has the advantage of becoming many humans' robotic/completely armored bedroom dream.

[harrisonarchive]

George and Olivia at the Chelsea Flower Show, 1984; photo by M. McKeown/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

“The gardens [of Friar Park] were a wilderness. They had been unattended for about 40 years. And you know what they say about gardens — for one year they are left it takes three to restore them.” - George Harrison, The Australian Women’s Weekly, April 28, 1982

“Each year we used to go to Chelsea and George would take copious notes and come home with a list of plants he wanted to buy. […] In terms of landscape design, he liked the idea of Capability Brown, so we started calling him Capability George. He thought that everyone, as a matter of course, should have themselves regularly overwhelmed by nature. He used to say that all unused buildings should be knocked down and gardens put in their place.” - Olivia Harrison, Evening Standard, May 12, 2008

Q: “How much time did he spend in his garden?” Olivia Harrison: “Hours and hours. I bought him one of those lights you put on your head. He wasn’t just out in the garden, he was IN the garden. He would walk out the door and come back in with the tiniest little thing and he’d go, ‘Look at that!’ — and he’d hand you the tiniest little flower. He’d notice things. We’d walk along in the grass and he’d bend over and go, ‘Oh, look at that little guy’ and it would be a bug. I’d say, ‘How did you see that?’ He was just really present.” - The Sun, June 12, 2009

“‘One of [George’s] favorite things to say was, “Be here now,”’ [Olivia] says. His song by that title, from his 1973 album ‘Living in the Material World,’ remains one of her favorites, and it’s one she plays any time she feels in need of a booster shot of moral support. ‘Sometimes he and Dhani would be talking and Dhani would ask, “Well what if this happens?” or “What if that happens?”’ she says. ‘George would say, “Be here now. Be here now.”’” - Los Angeles Times, March 9, 2005 (x)

[guess-my-next-obsession]

Meet Me In The Hallway, Chapter Eight:

pairing: frankie morales x f!oc (Dylan Jones)

rating: E (18+ only, oral (m&f rec), come play/eating?, unprotected piv but really just like c!warming?, mostly just a bunch of dad!frankie fluff)

wc: 3.3k

series masterlist | frankie masterlist

“I’m going to Disney, I’m going to Disney, I’m going to—“

“Drive me crazy,” Frankie mumbled under his breath as he carried his five year old on his hip out to the car, her sparkly pink Mickey ears already on.

“Can we stop at McDonald’s for breakfast, daddy?” Rina asked as Frankie set her in her booster seat and buckled her in as Dylan came outside and lugged her suitcase behind her.

“Sure,” he said, placing her favorite blanket over her lap before giving her his tablet in hopes of distracting her from the road-trip ahead of them.

“Frankie, could you—“

Frankie was over in an instant, taking Dylan’s suitcase from her so that he could lift it into the trunk of the SUV.

“Is that everything?” he asked, resting one hand on the opened latch of the trunk and the other on his hip.

“Think so,” she replied with a small smirk growing on her lips at the sight of him standing there in full dad-on-vacation mode. “I heard talk of McDonald’s?”

Frankie laughed and nodded, the two of them moving away from the car so that he could shut the door. Leading her over to the passenger side, he opened her door for her and watched her climb in, chancing a tap on her ass that was thankfully met with a giggle.

“Keep your hands to yourself, Morales,” she grinned, letting him close her door before walking around the hood to the driver’s side and hopping in.

“Alright, ladies. McDonald’s?” Frankie asked as he started the car and checked his rearview mirrors.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah—“ Rina went on with a new song to drive Frankie crazy with, his head shaking as Dylan turned to him with a laugh.

“Put some music on,” he commanded gently, showing her how to use his stereo’s bluetooth setup before backing out of the driveway. “Only way to shut her up for the next two hours.”

“Rina, what do you wanna hear?” Dylan asked, turning in her seat to talk to the little girl who was busy playing a game on her father’s tablet.

“Ummmmmmmm…Moana!” she decided, giving Dylan a bright smile.

“Coming right up.”

Frankie couldn’t help his smile as Dylan queued up half of the Moana soundtrack without a care in the world, the two of them singing “How Far I’ll Go” at the top of their lungs all the way to McDonald’s.

“Alright,” Frankie chuckled as he pulled into the drive-thru line, turning the dial to silence the music. “What do you beauties want?”

“I want a McGiggle,” Rina said. “And orange juice.”

“A McGiggle?” Frankie chuckled. “McGriddle, baby. And okay, do you want a hashbrown too?”

“Duh,” she said, earning another chuckle as Frankie turned to Dylan, his hand coming to rest on her thigh.

“What about you, baby?” Dylan flushed at the term of endearment and rested her hand on top of his.

“I’ll take a McGriddle and orange juice, too. No hashbrown, though.” Frankie gave her an offended look, tugging his hand dramatically from her to rest over his heart.

“How dare you?” Dylan laughed and reached for his hand, bringing it back to her lap. “This is a watershed moment for us. No hashbrown?”

“I just don’t like ‘em,” she giggled. “I like all other versions of potatoes—well, not tater tots—“

“Too close to a hashbrown,” he guessed and she nodded. “Well, I guess I can overlook this one flaw.”

After grabbing their food, the trio headed out onto the interstate with Disney music as the score for their journey. Dylan’s fingers were laced with his, his eyes constantly flickering to watch her as she sang along to the music, her eyes scanning their passing surroundings with a content smile. Unable to stop himself, he lifted their joined hands to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of hers just to watch her smile.

“This was a good idea,” he said softly, smiling at her. “Rina’s so happy, I’m so happy.”

“I’m so happy, too,” she cooed, running her free hand over his forearm. “Can’t wait to see her meet Mickey and Minnie. She couldn’t shut up about them last night.”

Frankie thought back to the night prior, the Disney movie marathon/slumber party Rina insisted on forcing the three of them to sleep on the sectional in the living room. Rina chose to cuddle up with Dylan rather than her father, but he wasn’t hurt by it in the slightest. In fact, the sight of the two of them snuggled up together actually almost brought him to tears.

Rina never had a mother, only a grandmother who tried her best to fulfill that spot, but now she had someone who was actively trying to be that for her even when Frankie never pressed for it.

“You guys were fucking adorable,” he said. “I took a picture of the two of you cuddled up and snoring without a care in the world for me.”

“You think you don’t snore?” she teased. “Please.”

“It’s charming when I do it,” he smirked. “There’s a certain grace to the way I snore—“

“Oh, shut up,” she laughed before turning the music down. “Ri, your dad said we were snoring last night.”

“Daddy, you snore! Not me,” she said, looking at the back of his head sternly.

“What about Dyllie?” he asked, looking into the rearview mirror.

“She snores too.” Frankie laughed and squeezed Dylan’s thigh until she was giggling and pushing his hand away.

“It’s fine,” he said, rubbing over her leggings to soothe his pinching. “We can snore together and be happy.”

“Sounds good, Morales.”

Rina hadn’t stopped squealing since they put the car in park at the Wilderness Lodge Resort, and for once, Frankie was cheering her excitement on, hoisting her onto his shoulders as they made their way up to the hotel room accompanied by the bellhop in charge of their luggage.

“Daddy, when can we go on rides?” she asked, drumming on her fathers hat.

“I don’t know. You didn’t take a nap on the way here so you might need one,” he said, glancing at Dylan as she walked beside them, the hope of getting her alone for just a minute outweighing his desire to head out to the park.

“I promise I won’t get grumpy, daddy,” she whined, hugging his head in hopes of charming him.

“How about you take a little, tiny nap and then we can go? Just thirty minutes,” he bargained, earning a defeated sigh.

“Fine.”

“Alright, here’s the suite,” Dylan said, pulling out the keycard to unlock the door before turning to the bellhop to give him a tip.

Frankie set Rina down and let her burn some energy out by running around the two-bedroom suite while he helped lug their bags into their respective rooms.

“Daddy, can I share a room with Dyllie?” Rina asked as she jumped on the sofa, making Frankie laugh.

“I don’t know, bebé. I thought me and Dyl would share a room.”

Dylan held in her laugh at the arguing that ensued over who she’d want to share a room with, Frankie’s mini me putting her hands on her hips just like her father always liked to do.

“Dyllie, how about you pick,” Rina said, full of sass.

“I did promise your dad I’d share a room with him,” she said, walking over to scoop her off the couch and onto her hip. “You know how he gets scared of the dark.”

“That’s true,” she sighed, tipping her head onto Dylan’s shoulder. “Okay, daddy. You can have Dyllie.”

Frankie smiled and walked over, stealing his daughter into his arms to carry her off to her bedroom with a kiss on her temple. “Thank you, bebé.”

After making sure Rina was changed into her PJ’s and tucked peacefully into bed with her favorite movie, Moana, playing in the background, Frankie made his way into the living area of the suite, finding Dylan in the other bedroom unpacking her bag onto the spare bed in the room. Walking up behind her, he slid his hands around her waist and hugged her tight to his body, his lips pressing against her shoulder.

“Hey, baby,” he mumbled against her skin.

“Hello,” she purred, reaching back to scratch at his curls. “Rina down?”

“Mmhm,” he hummed, letting his hands wander to her hips. “You wanna fool around?”

Dylan laughed, turning around in his arms.

“We don’t have very much time,” she warned with a smile, earning a shrug.

“Enough time to take care of you,” he said. “All I care about.”

“What if I wanted to take care of you?”

“We could do both,” he suggested, leaning in to kiss her softly. “A little 69.”

“Mmm,” she hummed against his lips and nodded, giggling as he pulled away to shut and lock the door. “Eager, are we?”

“You have no fuckin’ idea,” sighed, returning to her to practically pick her up over his shoulder and throw her onto the bed. Dylan was a giggling mess as he tugged her leggings and panties off and let them fly over his shoulder before stripping himself down. “Rina cockblocked me last night, I’m a desperate, desperate man, baby.”

“Well, come here,” she curled her finger at him, welcoming him between her thighs.

Frankie’s warmth covered her like a blanket, his arms slipping beneath the dip in her spine to hug her close to his chest as he kissed her languidly, his hips rocking slowly into hers. As she parted her lips to let out a moan, he slid his tongue over hers, tasting the sweetness he’d been dreaming about all night and morning.

“You taste so good, baby,” he mumbled against her cheek as his kisses trailed lower, her body covered in chills from the tickle of his beard against her neck.

“Roll over,” she demanded, pulling his face away from her neck to look into his lust drunken eyes. “We don’t have time for you to worship me right now.”

Frankie let out a breath of a laugh and nodded, rolling onto his back while she tugged her shirt over her head and let it drop onto the floor.

“Come have a seat,” he said, gesturing at his face. Dylan chuckled and obeyed, swinging her leg over his head to straddle it while her body draped over his, her cheek resting against the soft curve of his stomach. Frankie palmed the globes of her ass, spreading her open and groaning at the sight of her above him, his cock twitching as he pulled her down onto his tongue and tasted her.

“Fuck,” he mumbled against her heat, pulling a soft moan from her chest as the tip of his tongue made careful but firm circles around her swollen bud. “So sweet, baby.”

Gripping his throbbing length in her hand, she squeezed him at the base just to feel him moan against her, the sensation making her eyes roll back in her head.

“Jesus, Frankie,” she sighed, warmth already spreading from her center down her thighs and up her spine. Stroking him, she lowered her tongue to collect the bead of arousal that leaked over his thick head, causing him to squeeze where he was gripping her ass, his hips bucking up to try and press into the warmth of her mouth. “Your dick is so fucking pretty, baby. Could have you in my mouth all day long.”

“Shit,” he groaned, pulling his mouth away from her to voice his plea. “Suck it, baby. Please.”

Dylan could feel herself weep onto his tongue at the desperation in his voice, a wanton moan slipping from her lips as she eagerly obeyed, taking him into her mouth.

Frankie groaned, his eyes fluttering closed as she worked her way deeper and deeper down his thick length until she was gagging on it and stroking what her mouth couldn’t reach. While some men might have been content to sit there and relish in the pleasure, her skill only made Frankie try even harder to bring her to the same heights she was bringing him, and judging by the way her thighs were shaking around his head it seemed as though his efforts were paying off.

Pulling off of him with a pop just to stroke his slick cock in her hand, Dylan’s hips started to grind down on their own accord, chasing the high that was right there.

“Frankie, baby,” she whined. “I’m so fucking close, don’t stop.”

“Me too,” he panted in between sucks to her clit.

Dylan lowered her lips back to his cock, sucking and stroking in tandem just to hear him whine beneath her.

“Baby—” he warned, cutting himself off by bringing his tongue back to her. Dylan felt her entire body tensing with her impending release and pulled off of him again with a whine.

“I’m gonna fucking cum,” she moaned, stroking him in her palm, the slick squelch of her palm against his thick shaft filling the room. Frankie’s toes started to curl and Dylan’s thighs attempted to clamp shut as they both reached their highs at the same time, trying to remain as quiet as possible. “Fuck, Frankie.”

She watched as his release poured over the head of his cock and onto her fist while she continued to pump him, her mouth watering at the sight. Lifting herself off of him and flipping herself around to face him, she lined him up with her entrance and surprised him by sinking down to his base and keeping him there while she licked her hand clean.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” he panted, keeping his eyes locked on hers as she took each finger into her mouth and sucked off his release with a sinful smile, his cock throbbing inside of her as her walls twitched around him. “I think you just killed me.”

Dylan smiled, sated and completely relaxed as she leaned forward to lay her head against his chest while he drew lines up and down her back.

“You took the whole happiest place on earth thing literally,” he joked, earning a rumble of laughter.

“Had to start our first trip together off right,” she mumbled against his skin as she pressed soft kisses to his chest. “Do you think we were too loud?”

“Nah,” he said, breathing in a sharp breath as she lifted herself off of him and climbed off the bed. He watched her walk away to the en-suite, admiring the jiggle of her backside for a second before he was standing up and joining her in the bathroom.

“Quick shower then wake up the princess?” Dylan asked as she turned the water on, Frankie’s arms hugged her waist from behind while he nodded.

After the couple had showered off their romp, they woke Rina up and got her dressed in her first costume of the trip: a Belle dress with a matching tiara that her grandmother had bought for her just a few months before her passing. Frankie was choked up over the sentimental meaning of it, keeping his daughter in his arms or on his lap as they rode the Monorail from the hotel to the Magic Kingdom park.

Dylan couldn’t help but fill her camera roll with pictures of them smiling and laughing together or tender moments when Frankie couldn’t help but to kiss his daughter’s temple and squeeze her tight. Rina, oblivious to her father’s emotional state, eventually started to groan at his affection, and Frankie being the understanding man he was begrudgingly agreed to give her some space, letting her sit in her own seat to watch the passing sights while he leaned his head on Dylan’s shoulder with a childlike pout.

“My baby’s growing up,” he said, earning a coo and Dylan’s arms wrapped around him to console him. “She doesn’t want me to be all mushy anymore.”

“She’s just excited,” she reassured, kissing his forehead. “I’m sure tonight she’ll be climbing into bed to snuggle with you.”

“We’ll see,” he said, still frowning as he sat upright and turned to his daughter, her face alight at the world around her. “She’s just too cute. How am I supposed to not want to squish her little face?”

Dylan laughed and reached to hold his hand, her thumb rubbing gentle strokes against his skin. “She looks so happy.”

“I know,” he smiled, turning to his girlfriend. “I’m happy too. Being here with the two of you is the best vacation I could ask for, even if our wallets are going to be aching after this weekend.”

“I love you,” she cooed, leaning over to press a chaste kiss to his lips. “I’m more than happy to drain my bank account to be here with my favorite people in the world.”

After a long day of riding rides and staying late enough at the park to watch the fireworks, Dylan and Frankie found themselves slugging back to the hotel with Rina fast asleep in Dylan’s arms, her head nestled on her shoulder.

“I could take her,” Frankie offered as they walked through the lobby to the elevator. “I know she gets heavy when she sleeps.”

“No, I don’t wanna wake her up,” she said, giving him a sleepy but sincere smile. “She looks so peaceful.”

“She’s gonna sleep like a rock tonight,” he said, pressing the button to the elevator with the hand that wasn’t carrying the bag full of Rina’s new stuffed animals. “I don’t know about you but I’m fucking exhausted, baby.”

“I am too,” she yawned. “Maybe we can save our plans for the morning?”

“Or the middle of the night,” he winked.

“That works too,” she chuckled and leaned back against the wall of the elevator while Frankie’s phone chimed in his pocket. She watched him pull it out, read the message, and frown at whatever it said, piquing her concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Santi…texting me some bullshit about wasting money,” he sighed, locking his phone and stuffing it back into his pocket before letting his head fall back against the wall. “He thinks he’s my fucking dad.”

“Yeah, I don’t really know why he’s so concerned about what you’re doing with your life and your money and your family,” she said, trying to keep her voice soft so as to not disturb the sleeping angel in her arms.

“He just thinks I owe him what he deems success because he was there for me during the hard times,” he said. “But I’m not the same guy I was even a year ago, you know? I…have new dreams and plans and—I just wish he’d give me some fucking credit. I may not be where he wants me to be, but I’m doing okay.”

“And it’s not like he’s making six figures,” she added. “He manages a fucking body shop.”

Frankie let out a breath of a chuckle and nodded. “Don’t say that to him, you’ll bruise his ego.”

“Maybe it needs some bruising,” she shrugged. “I just don’t like that he’s on your ass like this when you’re doing fine. You pay all your bills, you take care of your daughter, who fucking cares if you take a little trip after the year you’ve had?”

Frankie gave her an adoring frown as the elevator reached their floor, wrapping his arm around her waist.

“I’m so glad you came into my life, Dylan,” he said, pressing his lips to her head. “Into our life.”

“I love being in your life. Both of you guys. I…it feels like I won the most insane and best prize in the world here,” she said, leaning against the doorframe of their room while Frankie unlocked it with a grin.

“We’re both winners,” he smiled, meeting her eyes. “I love you, Dylan.”

“I love you, Frankie.”

[the-cult-of-russo]

Such a Softer Sin (Part 14)

Pairing: Billy Russo x Reader

Warnings: I’m not specifically tagging this one, if you’ve seen the show, nothing will shock you. Smut will happen eventually so minors DNI, thanks.

A/N: Is the slow burn killing you guys yet? Lmaoooo

—-------

You watched people walking around, getting things set up for later. There was going to be a celebration tonight for the success of the mission just a few days earlier. It had been Micro’s idea, adamant that people really needed a morale booster and you had to agree with him. With the war looming over you all and the added stress of not shifting, everyone was restless and agitated. Not everyone would be celebrating though, some people had to keep watch and they’d volunteered so the others could have a good time. You’d volunteered to keep watch too but Kos had told you no and given he was your Alpha, you listened to him. He told you that you needed a break and that you should just try to have fun. You were just looking on with an amused smile as two warriors argued over where to put a table when you heard your name. You turned around and came face to face with Aurora, the last person you expected.

“Could we take a walk?” she asked hesitantly and you just gaped at her, blinking dumbly and wondering if you were imagining it.

“Uh… sure,” you muttered, eyeing her warily as the two of you started walking aimlessly. You had no idea what this was about and a petty part of you wanted to tell her where to go given how she’d been behaving. You knew you'd regret it though, your curiosity was eating at you.

“I’m sorry for being so cold and rude. I know I haven't made the best first impression and that’s not what I wanted,” she started carefully and you glanced at her as you both slowed down.

“I… I had a hard life, much like you have. My parents were murdered when I was young and some other wolves in my pack raised me but they weren’t the kindest. I know it’s not a good enough excuse for how I’ve been behaving but… I just don't deal with people well. Finding your mate can be really overwhelming and the idea of having a new family is scary. I barely even settled in here and I’m pretty sure most people don’t like me. I can come across as rude but really… I’m just anxious and don’t know how to speak to people. I feel really awful about it all and I want to be part of your pack, part of the family because you’re Atti’s family and I know how much you mean to him,” she rambled and your feet took root on the floor. She was looking at you with a guilt ridden expression on her face, almost as if she was waiting for you to tell her off. You were surprised by her admission but you were grateful she finally spoke to you. It made more sense now why she was the way she was. You were somewhat similar, maybe not as rude, but you also struggled with people outside of your pack although you’d gotten a lot better since coming here. Childhood trauma could really do a number on you.

“Thank you for speaking to me, I appreciate it. You’re family now and all I ever wanted was for us to be able to bond. I get it now and I hope this means we can start being friends,” you murmured and she smiled in relief with a shaky breath she’d been holding. 

“I’d really like that,” she nodded and you gave her a smile. 

“I’m gonna get back to Atti, but I’ll see you at the party later,” she grinned before she turned on her heel and left. It made you feel a bit better and you knew it might take work for her to come out of her shell but you started to think maybe there was hope after all. You had something in common to bond over, something that would give you an understanding of each other that most others wouldn't have unless they’d been through it. You knew you’d have to get used to the lonely nights and not spending so much time with Kos and Atti now they found their mates but you felt like you’d eventually deal with it if you still actually got to be with them. You didn't want to feel excluded and pushed out and it would only hurt more given the fact you hadn’t found your mate yet. You felt like the spare part. But if both mates were going to make an effort to bond with you then it would only mean your family expanded and you had more people to care about and that made you happy. You looked forward to seeing her and Atti at the party now, you’d figured they wouldn't be attending.

You weren’t quite sure who would be going. You hoped Karen would be there but you’d not seen her too much as she’d been working hard with some of her witches to try and figure out the moon debacle. The kidnapped witches were weighing heavily on her and she was trying to locate them so she could send you guys in. The times you had seen her, she’d looked completely worn down and you felt sorry for her. You knew if the vampires were holding your people captive you’d feel the same way, you’d probably be running around like a psychopath trying to get them and killing anyone in your way. One other person you weren’t sure would be there was Billy. You hadn’t seen him once since you all got back which was strange. You presumed he was busy but the last time he'd been busy you’d seen him around the grounds as he worked with the worried frown on his face. This time he was just gone like a ghost. You had no idea where he was or why. You found yourself thinking about him a lot in his absence and you really hoped he’d be there, you missed him.

Once the sun went down, the party was in full swing, complete with music, food and alcohol. 

“Here you go,” Kos smiled, handing you a weird pink looking drink.

“I’m good,” you snorted, putting the drink on the table and Atti huffed, glaring at you from where he sat opposite with Aurora.

“Don’t be such a Debbie Downer. It’s a party, Y/N. You’re not on watch, so drink it and relax,” He urged, pushing the drink closer to you.

“The fuck’s that?” Frank asked, raising a brow at the pink drink.

“I have no idea, Karen gave it to me for Y/N,” Kos admitted with a shrug and a grin. You were pretty sure he was already three sheets to the wind. 

“Nah, a lady like this doesn’t drink weird, pink, fruity drinks. She drinks this,” Frank smirked, moving over to another table before coming back and slapping a jar in front of you so hard that some of the liquid sloshed out.

“What the hell is that?” Irene giggled and Frank grinned.

“Moonshine, made it myself,” he said proudly. You looked at the jar and then back at him and he had this expectant look on his face. You’d been wanting to keep your wits about you but Atti was right, you weren't on watch and who knew the next time you’d be able to relax and have fun like this. You picked up the jar and Frank’s grin almost split his face.

“Atta girl!” he laughed and you rolled your eyes with a snort before drinking a big gulp. You gasped, eyes shut as the burn felt like liquid fire going down your throat and Frank laughed harder.

“Is it that bad?” Atti asked with an amused smile.

“It’s worse,” you choked out, eyes watering. 

“Glad you like it,” Frank smirked, clapping you on the back before he sauntered off again, presumably to find Karen. Kos looked at the drink curiously before taking the jar, sipping the tiniest amount and he started coughing. It made you feel a little better, he was reacting worse than you and the table broke out into laughter. As the night wore on, the jar became empty and you had to admit, you were absolutely drunk. Your head was fuzzy, your vision a little woozy and you were pretty sure if you stood up, your legs would wobble. But you felt good, calm and relaxed, even as you found yourself sitting alone at the table. You watched with a smile as Kos and Atti danced with their mates and the booze helped to quell the bitter feelings that may have been there otherwise, the pang of envy you knew lay under the layers of alcohol. It was nice to see though. They seemed happy as they laughed and danced and you felt good that they had found their other halves. 

“Need some more moonshine?” you looked over to see Frank sitting next to you, you hadn't even seen him come over.

“No… I think I might die of alcohol poisoning if I do,” you snorted wryly and he grinned, shrugging as he sipped at his own jar. 

“Where’s Billy?” you asked curiously. He hadn’t turned up despite you hoping he would. You thought he might have at least showed his face. Frank looked away, his mouth floundering for a moment and you squinted. Even with your alcohol soaked brain you could tell he was being weird.

“He’s not feelin’ too well, he’s just takin’ it easy in his room,” he answered and you nodded with a frown. The idea of him laid up in bed sick was unpleasant and you thought back to how Aurora was sick not too long ago. You wondered if maybe there was a bug going around. When you glanced back to your side, Frank was gone as if he was never there and you blinked slowly, wondering how long you’d been deep in thought. It felt like just seconds. Thinking of Billy all alone while everyone else was having fun, you stood on shaky legs, trying to steady yourself as you took a deep breath and made your way to the castle. 

Climbing the stairs wasn’t easy. You didn't trip or fall but it felt like it took you a lifetime to get to where you need to be, like it took extra focus not to fall and break your neck. As you walked down the hallway, you narrowly missed bumping into a table with a small statue on it and you snorted to yourself. It reminded you of when you and Billy had met and you didn't even realize you had a dopey smile on your face. When you got to his door, you lifted a hand and knocked firmly but you got no response. You tried again and still got no answer and you huffed, shifting on your feet. Barging in didn't really feel like the right thing to do, but you were drunk and he was also your friend. You figured he might forgive you for wanting to check on him. You pushed the door open and the room was dark, the light of the not quite right moon the only light shining through the windows. You could hear everyone having fun outside and you closed the door, hovering a little just inside the room. You couldn't see him, he wasn't in bed though his covers were all bunched up and then the smell hit you. You’d know the smell of an Alpha in his rut anywhere, it was pretty strong and recognisable and Kos had them too. And while with Kos you’d feel a biological pull to it, as would any female wolf, you were always able to reject it, always able to block it out until he locked himself away during them. This was different. You found yourself overtaken by it, almost making you feel even more drunk and in some kind of daze. You felt lightheaded but not from the alcohol and your heart started to beat rapidly in your chest. 

“You shouldn't be here,” Billy’s rough voice made you jump and your head whipped to the closed bathroom door it came from. He sounded strained and you could clearly hear the need in his voice. You swallowed thickly, knowing just how Alpha’s could get when in their rut and with your hazy mind, you became very aware of how your body was responding to those thoughts as you felt yourself getting wet. You heard a deep and feral growl from behind the door but you couldn't move. Something in the back of your head was telling you that you needed to leave but you couldn't, you didn't want to. Your wide eyes were glued to the door as your chest heaved, body aching in a way you’d never felt before. You open your mouth to try and tell him you were coming to check on him but nothing came out but harsh breaths. You felt a high similar to that when you fought, only this was far more powerful, far stronger. The bathroom door opened and your breathing hitched when you saw him standing there in nothing but his pants. His eyes were silver. A tiny part of you was worried he might shift, knowing that everything could go wrong if that happened yet your feet still didn’t move. All you could do was look at him with wide eyes and dilated pupils. 

Billy was close to snapping, so close to losing control and he was powerless against it. He could smell your arousal in the air, could practically taste the sweet like honey slick that he knew was between your thighs and it was killing him. His wolf wanted his mate and he was cursing you for being here, cursing you for showing up. Anyone else he could have resisted, anyone else he could have sent away, but not you. Never you. 

“Why are you here?” he growled, his voice raw as he started to stalk towards you. You were just staring at him like a deer caught in the headlights and it did little to ease the predator that lay inside of him.

“I… Frank said you were sick… I just… I wanted to cheer you up,” you murmured in a daze. He could smell the alcohol on you but the scent of your arousal was far stronger. If he was given a choice right now, to have the war end instantly, to have the entire vampire population vanish into thin air and never have to worry about them or to have you, he knew he’d pick you without hesitation and let all of his people die and he hated it. He’d never felt so weak in his entire life before. The pull to you was killing him and his wolf was snarling viciously, slamming against the walls in his head trying to break free, to get to his mate. He couldn't think straight, couldn't make sense of all the restless noise in his head and he started backing you up to the wall. For every step he took, you took one back but you didn't look scared, you looked the opposite. He caged you in, both hands on the wall either side of your head as he stared down at you and his breaths were coming in ragged and sharp.

“How am I supposed to restrain myself when I can smell you like this?” he bit out accusingly, as if it was all your fault. Not only could he smell how much you wanted him but he could fucking feel it and it only added with his own. He couldn't tell what was him and what was you anymore and his whole body felt like it was on fire from the inside out. You looked up at him with a half lidded gaze and his whole body was shaking with how hard he was fighting for some control.

“What if I don’t want you to?” you whispered. Any resolve he had snapped as he crashed his lips to yours, kissing you desperately. You kissed him back with as much need as he felt and he moaned into the kiss, gripping your jaw as his tongue devoured your mouth. A voice in the back of his head told him this was a bad idea. You were drunk and under the influence of his scent in a rut, that he was taking advantage of you. But he could barely hear the voice over everything else going on in his mind and he couldn't stop. Not when he needed you so much that he was feeling physical pain. He broke the kiss for the single fact he needed to breathe, or he would have kissed you forever. You chased after his lips with a whine and he moaned, his hand on your jaw tightening as he looked at you with your swollen lips and dazed eyes. He couldn't wait any longer, he didn't have it in him and he started to quickly rid you of your clothes. He was pleased when you took the initiative to do the same to him, pulling at his pants to get them off him. 

Once completely naked, he picked you up before stalking over to the bed and laying you down. He took a moment to really look at you as you lay there blinking up at him. He’d never laid eyes on anyone more beautiful. You were absolutely perfect and made just for him. The thought made him growl, chest burning hot as he climbed on top of you, kissing you again. You kissed back insistently, your hand going to his hair as you threaded your fingers in it and tugged a little. He had to stop himself from just slamming into you, barely just registering this was your first time and he didn't want to hurt you no matter how much he needed you. He kissed your lips as his hand trailed down your body, down silky soft skin until he reached between your parted legs he was between. He lifted himself slightly to have better access, eyes on your face as he started to circle your clit. You were absolutely soaked and it made his cock ache for you, watching as a moan left your lips, surprise etching on your angelic face. He couldn't tear his eyes away from you, watching how you reacted to the pleasure he was giving to you. He toyed with your clit faster and you moaned again, squirming against his hand and he groaned. 

“That feel good, Sweetheart?” he rasped brokenly and you nodded, your lips parted in delight.

“Yes,” you moaned, looking almost amazed by the sensations you were having and it spurred him on even more as he got faster and you kept moaning. Knowing he was the first to bring you any kind of pleasure soothed the raging wolf inside of him. You were his and only his. He wanted to get you good and ready for him, wanted to make it hurt as least as possible, wanted to make you feel good. He pushed a finger inside of your soaked heat and you gasped, hands gripping his shoulders. You were so deliciously tight and he was throbbing at the thought of being inside of you. He fucked you with one finger for a moment, your moans like music to his ears before he added another and you let out such a sinful noise he was shocked he didn't cum all over you. Feeling like he got you as ready as he could and also feeling a desperate impatience clawing at his skin, he slid his fingers out of you and your eyes fluttered open, watching him with wide eyes as he greedily sucked his fingers clean with a groan. He’d taste you properly another time, he couldn't wait anymore or he’d snap completely. His hand moved to your face, the other propping him up as he kissed you deeply, wanting you to be as relaxed as possible. His hand trailed down your face, neck and down your body again before he gripped himself, lining his cock up with your dripping entrance. He slowly started to push into you, a sinful moan ripping from his throat at how tight you were around him like that and you gasped, fingers biting into his shoulders. Your body was trying to fight the intrusion as he slowly pushed further and he kept peppering your lips with kisses, trying to ease you so you’d take him easier. When he finally bottomed out, it took every ounce of self restraint to stay still and let you adjust for a moment. You were panting, eyes shut into a small frown and he stroked your cheek, resting his forehead on yours.

“It’s okay, Sweetheart. Won’t hurt for long, alright?” he soothed, so conflicted in knowing this was hurting you yet not wanting to stop, he felt ripped in two. You nodded, breathing deeply and he started to feel you relax more. His movements were slow at first and while it was maddening to him, it still felt euphoric. Every push and pull felt like he was drowning in you and he didn’t want to stop, he wanted to stay like this with you forever. He could tell when the pain started to ease for you, felt how your body seemed to melt under him, arching back against him, heard how your breathing hitched. When you started gracing him with soft moans, he picked up his pace a little, unable not to. You whined but not in pain, as you tugged on his hair, making him growl. He was caught off guard when you pulled his face to yours, capturing his lips in a sloppy and desperate kiss. He felt feverish and upside down, all turned inside out and delirious wrapped around you like this. He broke the kiss, your moans and pants mingling together as he started to rut into you like an animal. His wolf was precariously close to breaking to the surface and all he had to ground himself was you. Your moans were getting higher in pitch, more frequent and demanding and he let out a guttural groan at the delightful sounds. He buried his face in your neck, your scent strong and enticing as vanilla and peaches coiled around him like a snake and he licked at the skin there, almost purring as he felt himself nearing his release.  

“Billy,” you moaned. His name rolling off your tongue like a fervent prayer made him explode, an obscene noise getting ripped from him at the same time a keening moan left your lips and you came together. He bit down on your neck, moaning as he spilled himself inside of you and you relaxed around him. He thrust a couple more times before he lay there with his face in your neck, his chest heaving as he felt like he was suspended in time and space. He’d never felt like this before, never known pleasure quite like this.

He moved to sit up a little, looking down at you. You were passed out now, a completely serene look on your face that he wanted to capture forever. He stroked your cheek, his chest aching fiercely with the amount of love his heart held for you. The lust filled haze his rut had him in started to clear, like a veil lifted from his eyes as he started to come back to his senses and then he saw your neck.

“No… No, no, no,”  His whole body felt like it seized up, dread hitting him like a wrecking ball and he couldn't tear his eyes away. He’d mated you. You didn’t even know you were mates and he’d gone ahead and completed the ritual. He felt sick and like he couldn't breathe. His chest felt far too tight and he clawed at it as he pulled out of you, scrambling off the bed and almost falling over. He stared at your sleeping form in his bed completely naked and his chest caved in. You’d hate him for this, you’d think he put a claim on you. Claiming and mating weren’t the same thing but the bites looked almost the same. A wolf could claim another even if they weren't mates and it was usually what wolves did if they found love after their old mate had died or hadn't found them at all. But not all wolves had good intentions and some would claim another just to mark them and say they belonged to them. It was something frowned upon as often if someone had been claimed, if they eventually found their mate then their mate wouldn't want them anymore. They’d be ‘tainted’. He knew that's what you’d think of him and he couldn't bear it. The only other alternative was to tell you the whole truth and it made him feel like he was drowning, only this time in a bad way. He had no idea how you’d react to it because you felt nothing for him and he’d been lying to you this whole time. He tugged at his hair in panic, his lungs burning as he tried to breathe. This wasn’t how he wanted things to go, it wasn't supposed to happen like this. He was going to lose you before he ever really had you and it had been his own damn fault. He wiped his face, quickly realizing he was crying as he grabbed his pants off the floor, sniffling as he put them on quickly. He really couldn't breathe and he stumbled into the dresser, almost knocking things over as he gasped for air before he fled the room. What had he done?

Taglist: (if you’ve been asked to be tagged and aren’t here, it wouldn’t let me tag some people.)

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