#he's still trying to do good generally but is going so hard on the chaos it gets overshadowed a lot of the time type beat

[rivilu]

I'm fucking sick again! You know what that means!

[sunderwight]

With moshang I think I'm equally fond of the possibilities/concepts where either Shang Qinghua is ludicrously attractive to demons in a broad sense (but doesn't realize it), or, where Shang Qinghua is just some weird little gremlin and everyone else cannot wrap their head around why THE Mobei Jun is so smug about seducing this man.

Or a combination, where no demon in their right mind would ordinarily look at Shang Qinghua and perceive a sex icon, but because such a high-ranking demon has clearly done so, they go "well there must be SOMETHING going on there" and then look closer and before they know it they're on the slippery slope to being horny about a guy who could help file their taxes or arrange to have their clan base's faulty plumbing fixed.

Basically it's all good. Demons en mass going "yeah yeah big scary dudes who punch good are a dime a fucking dozen around here, but do you know how hot someone who can skillfully use an abacus is?" vs demons going "the ice king is a respectable ruler but he has garbage taste in men, we all just smile and politely nod while he insists the weird rat guy he fixated on as a teenager is a catch" vs demons going "I really don't see the appeal -- wait he did what? he killed how many guys at once with 1 trick? he betrayed WHOMST? and lived?! and he knows how to get my door to stop making horrible squeaky noises?! okay yeah figures the king would marry him" but every option is a winner.

I'm also a big fan of both Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua being not very attractive to demons in general, but it also being really common for demons to get super weird about first crushes and fixate hard on them, so in that sense they are completely normal choices for a couple of high-level demons to marry. Like the demon populace can appreciate the emperor actually landing his hot teacher and the king successfully marrying his teenage sweetheart. It's an idealized fantasy in terms of the scenarios, even if the actual guys are just weird humans. Nearly every average demon has lifelong daydreams about successfully seducing their first crush, so regardless of who those crushes turned out to be it's still a power move for LBH and MBJ to actually succeed.

Bonus if the fact that both SQQ and SQH are peak lords from the same sect leads to a bunch of demon kids developing crushes on the other remaining, unattached peak lords, and chaos ensuing. Especially for Liu Qingge. I think it would be funny for him to gain a flock of teenage demons with crushes, whom he keeps trying to fight off, only to discover that beating them up does NOT discourage them at all (actually makes the crushes worse). Or Yue Qingyuan getting mobbed like he's a pop star any time he makes a diplomatic visit to the demon realms. Sha Hualing deciding that she's just waiting for Liu Mingyan to become a peak lord before they make things official, since That's Obviously How It's Done, or Qi Qingqi doing a head count one day and realizing she suddenly has a bunch of unfamiliar "guest" disciples who sigh at her a lot and have funny-colored eyes...

[little-pondhead]

DP x DC Prompt

…

There are no more heroes.

Well, okay. Rewind a bit.

Danny has been doing the hero thing for a while now. He’s had a big reveal; everyone has accepted him (including his parents), the GIW disbanded, the Anti-Ecto acts repealed, and generally, everything is going great. Some of the A-Listers are even training as junior ghost hunters to help give him a break from his rogues! (Being Ghost King makes things hectic sometimes, and he just needs the extra help. Sue him!)

The point is, literally nothing is wrong with Danny Phantom’s afterlife.

And then Valerie Gray, the Red Huntress, disappears in front of his eyes.

Danny is baffled! She’s just…gone! Valerie just popped out of existence, like she was never there. But no matter how hard he searches in the Ghost Zone, he can’t find her soul anywhere. His core isn't broken in grief. So she’s not dead. Which is good. So then, where is she?

Some of the others come forward with ideas on how to find her. A few ghosts volunteer to go out into the mortal realm, an area Danny had declared off-limits, to see if she was out there. Danny approves it. He rounds up some of the friendlier (i.e., discreet) ghosts and Amity Parkers and demolishes the outside travel ban.

So everyone spreads out, looking for their dear frenemy and teammate. But it becomes apparent very quickly that something is wrong with the rest of the world.

There are no more heroes.

Every single living superhero on the face of the Earth has just…vanished. Villains are running amok; the countries are in chaos! Some aliens are invading Earth, mythical deities are trying to take over, and society is crumbling to the ground. Everything is on the brink of collapse.

Well, Danny was still there. And so were his people. They were pretty spread out, so could they just…take up the mantles? He also knew where to find the souls of dead heroes in the Zone; surely they wouldn't mind coming out of retirement for a little bit, especially if they couldn't die again. Oh! And that skeleton army leftover from Pariah Dark's reign might be useful in repelling those invading forces.

Honestly, there were more than enough hands to go around! And with the heroes gone, Danny didn't mind letting everyone out for a little break, as long as they followed his rules. They wouldn't stop the search for the other heroes, but hopefully, when they found them, the heroes wouldn't mind Danny's intervention too much. :)

In other words:

Someone fucks up, and all of Earth's living heroes are either wished out of existence or are whisked away to some far-off realm where Danny hasn't checked yet. In the attempt to figure out what's going on, Danny lets the dead run amok over the Earth as they search for clues. The skeleton army repels the invading armies, the souls of dead heroes deal with the world leaders, and his rogues and other Amity Parkers set up shop in place of famous heroes, trying to get the cities under control again.

Basically, they just do their best to keep everything from imploding until the Justice League and others are back.

(And why is it that Danny hasn't disappeared? Well, whatever caused everyone to go poof! only affected living heroes. Anyone heroes that were dead in the first place, or even just half-dead, stayed behind.)

[fangsandfeels]

I think about protective Astarion a lot:

I strongly support the idea that he is Tav's protector as much as Tav is his. He is more closed about discussing his concerns with others - even on happily concluding the romance, he maintains his coy behavior and rebuffs all attempts at prying. But as always, there is a lot going on under the layers.

- I believe he stops seeing Tav as his protector/meatshield even a bit prior to the confession. He has always been more comfortable with “I’ll watch your back if you watch mine” arrangement, but he only fully embraces it after either Tav takes his side in his argument with Araj or helps him murder the orthon and learn more about his scars. Before that, he still subconsciously relies on Tav for safety to the point of rationalizing the necessity to do what he doesn’t want to do just because Tav told him to.

- His best and usual protective side is that he is always there to catch Tav when they fall. To drag them to safety, help them get up, and keep them going. He is there to talk and hear them out when something is weighing down on them. He drops all this flamboyant flirtatiousness he wears when discussing his relationship with others the very instant Tav needs him. He is calm, firm, and attentive because Tav needs him. Being strong for someone else is a very new feeling for him, but it also comes naturally. He doesn't like seeing his partner in pain, but finding himself as someone's source of strength and support is life-changing for him. He likes to realize that he is capable of caring about someone. That part of him is still alive. Like no other, Astarion knows that sometimes you can’t slay all the monsters and terrors that haunt your loved one, but you can be there for them when they fight their own battles. And that’s what he does. His approach is similar to Karlach’s in that regard: if you can’t walk, I’ll carry you, if you need a hand, you have mine, you you need to talk, my ears are all yours.

- After he stops seeing Tav as a protector, he is much more aware of Tav’s vulnerability. Tav isn’t invincible. Tav gets hurt. Tav can be in danger. It becomes particularly glaring when it’s revealed that they all haven’t turned yet because a rogue illithid holds their lives in its webbed hands. A rogue illithid who was lying about a cure all this time. Who never had any intention of removing the tadpole. Who saw ceremorphosis as something good. The Emperor has almost the same hold on Tav and all of them as Cazador on his spawns. It would have puppeteered them into doing its bidding hadn’t it been spending its energy on resisting the brain. This is why Astarion calls Tav a “mindflayer thrall” during their argument. Because this is what they are as long as their safety depends on the Emperor’s good mood. It’s not their fault, really. But Astarion clearly has been thinking about it and worried about it. He probably wished not to be stuck between a rock and a hard place for once, not having to choose between two evils, to be strong enough to get them both out of it. So, he doesn’t exactly lie or try to manipulate Tav when he says he wants to keep them both safe. He wants it. He hates to be helpless, but what he hates even more is to watch Tav trying to keep their spirits up and looking for a way out of their predicament while thing just invades Tav's dreams or invites itself into their skull whenever it wishes. He hates wondering what will happen if the Emperor stops playing nice one day. Oh, if only he could be stronger.

- In general, it seems that he is most riled up and protective of Tav when there is a particular type of threat. Tav can handle themselves in a fight. They take a beating sometimes, but they bounce back (what can’t be said about the other guy) and if they don’t find a fight, the fight finds them. Astarion knows it and he doesn’t really mind. He loves the thrill: his spawn endings made it clear that the man embraces the chaos of making decisions and choosing paths with a smile. Danger is part of the fun. It makes his heart beat.

- He generally does his best to be strong for Tav, just like they stay strong for him. But there are also moments when Tav is in danger, and Astarion sees red. And I imagine it’s not only when Tav ends up at the death’s door. It’s also when something directly challenges Tav’s autonomy. A crazy drow wants to run experiments on Tav? Absolutely not, what the fuck? Even if Tav agrees, Astarion is still uncomfortable with the thought and doesn't hide it. Had Araj tried to force her experimentation on the unwilling Tav or trick them into participating, she would have been turned into a dagger cushion very quickly. Cazador calls Tav cattle (another lover to follow Astarion and lose everything, even their right to their soul and body, because of him)? The mere thought of it, the association, the hint at him being a failure dragging his lover down with him makes Astarion lose his composure and just go for the jugular. The idea of Tav enduring the same abuse or being forcibly changed terrifies him. When Tav does it to themselves, it hurts already. However, if someone does it to Tav without letting Tav have any say, then Astarion would go absolutely feral. If that someone can be stabbed, they will be stabbed. If they can’t be stabbed, Astarion WILL find a way to stab them and eviscerate them. Then, regardless of whether Tav is alright or not, Astarion will experience an emotional breakdown that he will then refuse to discuss with anyone else. He has come a long way, but certain negative emotions are still too much to handle.

[luneariaa]

ღ || you are loved.

✰ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 : kento nanami x reader.

✰ 𝐰. 𝐜. : 1k+

✰ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 : the memories of the previous events that ever happened in your life disrupts your whole thoughts. being the amazing husband he is, he comforts you during one of your bad days.

✰ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 : reader having a pretty rough childhood, nanami is your husband here, men in family have shown to be giving a bad influence but none too explicit, disturbed mindset, not much proof-read, and basically just family issues. plot going nowhere near the end ig lmao.

✰ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 : as someone who also had a pretty rough childhood and a rather chaotic family, i just decided to write and post it out in order to feel some sort of relief thru this. i'm so sorry to those who can relate; sending lots of love and hugs for y'all!! i'm so proud of you guys for able to make it through this day! 💛🌻

. dividers by @/cafekitsune !! 💫

To others, your family might be seen as a happy one; having positive, peaceful maintaining relationships. But no one really knows for sure, on what truly happens within that place you called home itself.

What is the purpose of it all, if not to retain a healthy, loving relationship between family members? Each one should’ve practised themselves to strengthen their familial bonds with one another.

But instead, whatever you have wished for– it’s all for nothing.

Growing up in a rather chaotic household does leave your mind dazed at times. You would sometimes even find yourself to be so confused, and believed that most people couldn’t be trusted the way they are. And it’s not by your choice, sadly, you can't help it.

Especially men, in general. You would’ve loved to believe that it’s just some sort of a generational issue, but you don’t even know yourself anymore. 

As a result of all the chaos that’s been happening for all those possible years, you’ve grown to be a quite introverted person– reclused, even, not really fond of the idea of opening up to others. It’s so hard for you to do so, especially when it’s already one of your habits that you’ve been doing for so long.

Initially, you even feared the idea of marriage as well, believing that you won’t ever meet the love of your life at all; along with the thought of you not being good enough to be someone’s wife.

But that changed when Kento Nanami came into your life some years later. Although you’re still struggling with your own habits, whether good or bad ones, Nanami always tries his best to help you with whatever he can.

You don’t even remember how and why did you agreed with having a serious relationship with him. Perhaps, you’ve seen something in him– or even, on what he gave you, provided you something that you’ve been missing from in your life itself. 

Sure, you can be quite closed off at times, even when it’s unintentional, but he always and always will try to guide you with doing the actual, right thing. 

Nanami treats you with pure, utmost respect that comes off as so natural to him; never once yelling or using any harshness at you, especially with his own words. Even when you somehow are being stubborn or so right at that moment, he would always be patient with you, and even give you some space if you needed it. 

He’s so sweet and loving, mature, responsible.. The list just keeps going on and on. Heck, he even remembers every single detail that you may have told him, your favourites, your habits, and so on.

Nanami was never the one to rush into things. He takes his tender time with it, especially when it ever comes to you.

He would always speak directly and bluntly; not intending to sugarcoat his words in a way, yet his words never did hurt your feelings. There’s just something about his honesty that draws you in further. It leaves you confused sometimes– was it even the way he talks to you?

But just by his own presence, whether his way of speaking or his actions itself; something about it heals your inner self. It soothes your soul wonderfully, like a warm sunlight coming out from the clouds after the rain occurred. You feel safe and comfortable around him over time. 

The time being spent between the two of you is never lacking or dull– with both of your personalities, which are quite the opposite from one another, complements and balances out each other so, so well. And this is due to how you both work on your relationship together as well. 

Never once does it feel forced; the deep relationship bond between you both flows ever so gently like the river, and in order for the water to continue flowing without any disturbances, it needs the mere effort from you two.

Despite everything, there’s a part of you that feels so out of place. Perhaps, there’s a side that you believed to be unlovable, and that you’re just not enough. Of course, you wouldn’t even bother to tell him since you didn’t want to potentially burden him with your own problems. 

But it’s Nanami that you’re talking about– and he’s the type to notice every single change in your expression. He can always tell if something is causing your own mind to be restless.

“What are you thinking about, sweetheart?” Nanami’s soft tone broke your temporary state of trance, stepping inside within their shared bedroom and gradually approaching your form. You didn’t even realize that you’ve been standing and staring in front of the mirror for several passing moments now. 

The thoughts of self-doubt and questioning about your whole existence disappears in mere seconds. 

He gently wraps his strong arms around your unmoving form; resting his chin on your shoulder while gazing back straight at your own reflection in the mirror. A small smile appears upon your lips, and didn’t even make any attempt to remove himself from you since it feels so nice at the very moment.

“Nothing.”

His touch alone is enough to soothe your own possibly hurting soul– calming and any trace of hurriedness not in sight, yet your brief answer doesn’t really ease his worries. He knows.

“I know you, darling, I know that’s a lie. You’ve been staring at yourself for the past few minutes.” Nanami didn’t even try to hide his true emotions at this point, keeping his hold around you. He didn’t have to. “Is there anything bothering you? Please tell me, I’m here to listen.”

You’re completely aware that there’s no point in lying to your beloved, so with no choice, you decided to tell him all of your pent-up troubles.

“I just don’t feel special. It’s just one of those days, you know..”

Talking it out is always one of your biggest fears and struggles, and he understands on how hard it is for you to do it every time. Instead of forcing you to speak even further, he slowly turns you around, just to give you a proper embrace. 

One that you really, really needed.

“Sometimes–” your words came out more choked out if anything due to the tears you’ve been holding back. “--I wondered what made you choose me as your wife. I’m nothing more special than just a damaged person who needs to heal and move on. But it’s hard.”

“I’m beyond happy with it, truly I do. It’s just that.. My unwanted thoughts could get in the way at times, and I just feel so troubled with myself in general. I don’t feel I deserve someone like you, and you deserve someone far more better.”

“I’m just so grateful for having you in my life– I truly do. You healed something in me, you really did. I’m just worried that whatever I do will never be enough.”

Nanami falls silent at first, which makes you worried for a while there, afraid that you might overstep with your own words of admittance. His mind is racing for a second there, contemplating each word of truth that he has to tell you.

“Darling, I chose you; I chose you out of everyone else because I wanted to.” He still couldn’t understand as much as how you could see yourself in that way. Nanami is never mad, but deep down, he’s genuinely sad at how you view yourself.

Nanami gently uses one of his hands to lift your chin up, completely making sure that you return the gaze that he’s currently giving you. “I don’t care what anyone says. You are everything that I ever wished for, and your little imperfections are what made you so perfect to me.”

“And I never intend to pick anyone else in a crowd of people– I will always choose you. If anyone ever tells you or me that you’re not special, then they’re wrong. I will prove them otherwise, I promise you.”

His gaze never once faltered from yours, wanting to make sure that you’re listening and focusing on every word he says. Your eyes alone have an effect on him, simply captivating in every sense.

It did have an effect on you– feeling yourself getting on the brink of tears, yet still trying your hardest to not have a mental breakdown in front of your beloved. Not yet.

You keep repeating, and repeating on each word that he says internally. His honest yet sweet statement has left you in a tongue-tied state. You are still not used to it sometimes, even forgetting that this man ahead of you clearly loves you dearly and possibly more than himself.

Your husband took quick notice of this, and simply held your form closer to his. The least he could do is to provide some needed comfort, and how he very much wished that he’s able to get rid of any trace of sadness that existed within you.

“I’ve got you, I’ve got you..”

His voice is so soft, not once hinting any irritation whatsoever as he comforts you. You really cherish him, more than words could ever describe– even wishing that you’re able to repay his efforts.

Nanami will always guide you back, and slowly try to make you drift away from any traces of negativity that you’re facing. Of course, it’s not easy, but he’s willing to try it together with you.

Always so gentle and protective in his own way; it wouldn’t matter on how old you both are getting. The love he has for you shall remain and live on as long as he’s breathing, and he will always shield you from any potential harm from the world itself.

“Even beyond the flaws that you believed to have possessed, you are still worth everything that this world has to offer. Those little flaws are what made you, you.”

He keeps on telling you the words that he always wanted to tell you; one that is filled with complete honesty and love within it. To simply remind you on how much your existence meant to him, and it successfully pushed your emotions further to the edge– unable to contain your tears any longer.

Yet still, he continues on with his own words– all the while placing several feathery kisses onto each part of your face that he could reach. The feeling itself is quite overwhelming, yet comfortingly so, knowing that you are truly being loved by someone special. 

The past that you have endured may stay with you for as long as you live, but Nanami is willing to help; willing to create a better future instead for the both of you. For your mere sake.

“I will always love you; every single inch of you, and even your flaws. I will make sure of it– always reminding you of that.”

@luneariaa. do not repost; reblogs are alright. all rights reserved.

[34saveme34]

Sever the Ties - another smg34 fic by yours truly

[Very excited to post this !!

CW: obviously angst, self harm (mainly once), in general a lot of death mentions, no actual deaths though

word count: 11243

Although SMG3 didn't like it when 4 helped him, he convinced him through endless whining to help clean the cafe after the chaos his USB caused (Why does that sound familiar?).

It took the whole day, both were way too exhausted. 3 sat down on one of the chairs guests would usually sit on. A lot of emotions were boiling in him.

“Whew, we’re done, finally!” 4 exclaimed, stretching his arms after completing such a grueling task.

“You didn't need to help” 3 said, contempt dripping off his words. But he was still holding back.

“It's my fault so I kind of did”

3 just sighed and got up, not wanting to further engage in conversation.

4 looked confused, but also upset.

“Dude! Not even a thanks?” he pouted

3 looked back at him, a sort of coldness in his eyes 4 didn't like to be subjected to.

“Thanks for fixing your own mistake. Now scram” he didn't yell, but he wasn't exactly calm either.

“I’m sorry… it wasn't on purpose I promise I… I hope you can forgive me, 3” 4 pleaded, looking 3’s way, his big eyes reflecting off all the sorrow he was feeling about the situation. 3 looked away but that face already made an impression on his mind. It was hard to stay mad at him.

“I know…” his voice was so gentle “This is just how it is with you sometimes, isn't it?” 3 joked, looking back at 4. 4 frowned.

“But! It shouldn't be… I’ve gotta make it up for you somehow…”

“Please don't…” 3 whined.

“I promise it's gonna be good!” 4 gave him a double thumbs up, as he left with an excited grin. 3 could feel a plan cooking up in 4’s brain, there was no way to stop him.

He shook his head, chuckling to himself.

“What did I do to deserve this?” he spoke to himself, with a stupid grin he couldn't wipe off. As he was trying to cope with the idea that 4 could ruin him further, he felt his furry son greeting him by nuzzling his foot.

“Hey there, boy!” as if he was absolved of all worry, he lifted Eggdog in his arms, hugging him. He earned excited barks for it.

“At least I have you” he petted him then put him down. He still felt kind of bittersweet.

He left to his evil lair, and immediately hit the bed. He felt too emotionally unavailable for the shower right now. The bathroom in general. Walking by the mirror in there simply made him feel dread. He didn't think he could develop such a repulsion towards his own image. His whole living place kind of became hell for him for this reason.

He couldn't sleep, it just wasn't working. He got up. His clock read 2 AM. He sighed. Something was on his mind.

“I should get rid of them…” he stared at the statue of himself. Every second that passed as he stared at it, he felt he couldn't even get out of his own merch’s shadows. It all made him feel sick. He got up, and started throwing out everything that used his likeness. All the plushies, cardboard standees and other merch he still had on hand. Not the statue, not yet. He had something special for that.

He put all the merch in a pile and lit it all on fire. It was sad to see but he felt relieved in some way as well. They had been haunting him for weeks at that point. Although the amount of money he spent on these was kinda sad to see go. Just another financial mistake of his, these felt common for him at this point. And it started so well too, with how much he got his hopes up, he plummeted that hard. He barely even realised he started to cry. He wiped his eyes, trying to compose himself but he only started crying more, and not so softly anymore. His breathing wasn't calm either, his brain felt like melting. So much pain in him, trying to turn him into nothing. He looked up at the sky, wondering where he could have gone wrong.

It took him a bit to calm down. He was glad that everyone was probably asleep at this point. The sadness slowly turned into twisted anger. He got up, walking up and down beside his fucked up bonfire, trying to calm himself.

“What did I even do to deserve this? I’ve been trying so hard- I went through so much! I thought I worked enough on myself to have a good life now” he stared up at the sky, as if he expected the stars to have an answer. But they were deadly silent.

“GOD DAMN IT, GIVE ME A REASON” he screamed, still staring up, as if blaming some sort of god for the way he was now. He was once again crying. He harshly sat down. It hurt but at least he wasn't only feeling his emotions that way. The thought made him stop, as he slowly looked to the fire, perhaps bad things forming in his brain. The more he looked at it, the more the fire made an impression on his brain. The way it was so strong, going up but dissipating soon too. It kind of reminded him of himself. Would anyone miss him if he became one with the fire?... Or  was he too much of a coward? He pulled off one of his gloves, his expression still wore sadness. He pulled his sleeve slightly up, not wanting it to catch fire. He reached in. It was kind of overwhelming. His mind felt empty from the pain. He pulled back suddenly as the pain really settled in him,even if it hadn’t been there for that long, crying out again. He couldn't believe it, he was crying again… Why was he such a failure?

“...3?” he heard a soft voice come from behind him, all too familiar. His heart sank. He couldn't look.

“...3! What… What's wrong?” the voice came closer, it seemed he was not getting off the hook with this one.

“Why are you here?” 3 spoke, his voice was strained from the crying.

“I couldn't sleep because of our link… I could feel something was wrong…” 4 kneeled down beside 3, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. 3 wasn't sure how to feel. His hand was hurt. It hurt so fucking much. Why did he have to be so fucking stupid?

4 grabbed his burnt hand. But he didn't say a thing. He was gentle too, he could see how much it hurt. 4 sighed softly and pulled 3 up.

“Wait, what the hell are you doing??” 3 tried to get away, pulling himself from 4’s grip.

“I want to help. This can't continue”

3 stared at him, so many thoughts attacking him. He felt awful.

“Like you could do anything, dipshit!”

4 was about to look offended but visibly held back.

“If you let me, I can. Please, 3… You know I care about you, right? It's awful to see you like… like this” he grabbed 3’s shoulder firmly, once again beginning to pull him back.

3 sighed.

“You won't let me go, huh?”

“Never ever” 4 smiled at 3, trying to be hopeful. 3 cared too… He really did.

4 took him inside then searched around everywhere he could to find something to treat 3’s burns. As he looked around, that's when he realised all the merch was missing. Their absence made him feel kind of uneasy. He thought for a bit then called Meggy.

“It's 4 in the morning” she sounded upset.

4 went outside, leaving 3 alone inside the cafe. 3 looked his way, but he didn't feel like going after him.

He was on the phone for a bit, probably about a few minutes. 3 didn't go outside but still stared the entire time. 4 came back inside after putting his phone away.

“I called Meggy, she has stuff for your burns”

3 frowned.

“You didn't need to-”

“What were you doing anyways?”

3 looked down, not wanting to look at 4 as he said those next few words.

“Burning merch”

4 was shocked. That's when he put together that what he saw then was all the merch burning.

“What?... What for?” 4 sounded so sad. It killed 3. He wished he could smile at him again.

“No one wanted them anyways, and I hated staring at them only catch dust”

“Still… I… has it really been this bad?”

“I’m surprised you didn't notice…. Then again, you're not exactly best at catching on things”

“Hey I-...” 4 looked down “I guess you're right”

Neither looked at the other. The tension…

Meggy stepped inside the cafe, which got both out of their sudden silence.

“Hey, guys, I brought some burn ointments, I came as soon as I could!”

“Why do you have it anyways?” 3 asked.

“You never know when you might need it!... And my time in the kitchen often leaves me with burns-”

“Fair enough” 4 commented, nodding. It made sense, Meggy is a shitty ass cook. 

4 and Meggy treated 3. 3 was kind of glad they stopped questioning why this even happened. He really really didn't want to talk about it.

“So” 4 started. Oh no.

“What?” 3 didn't dare look at either of them, playing with the bandage they put on his hand.

“What's wrong, SMG3?” Meggy folded her arms, looking concerned. 

“He burnt his merch” 4 told Meggy since 3 was rather silent.

“What??” even she was shocked. 3 was starting to feel like an utter clown, this was torture.

“Yeah… and I feel like it's my fault…” 4’s voice was filled with sorrow. 3 perked up for that, staring at 4 with an expression that was hard to read. It slowly turned soft though.

“It's… not actually” 3 sighed. It was his own fault. 

“I-... I think I still want to help… especially because I think I found something that could help your business out”

3 looked at him confused and scared. Whatever was in this man’s mind could only lead to bad things.

4 took his phone out and showed a picture of a billboard. It had the number on it to call if you wanted to rent it.

3 looked at the picture. Back at 4. Back at the picture, back at 4. He tilted his head. Meggy looked confused as well.

“You could advertise like this!”

“4… I hate to break it to you but I don’t have that kind of money right now”

4 shook his head.

“I’ll pay for it!” 4 pumped a fist into the air cheerfully. He was serious about this.

3 went so wide eyed, not even sure what he was supposed to say.

“THAT’S A LOT OF MONEY, YOU IDIOT???”

“3’s right, 4… that’s a rather big commitment”

“I don’t mind it!”

“The fuck you mean you don’t mind it??” 3 was rather flustered now. The grand gesture proposed to him made him feel all sorts of things.

“I wanna make it up to you, 3… for all the times I had mistreated you” 4 put a hand on 3’s shoulder. 3 was so flustered he didn’t even know what to say anymore. He wasn’t used to being treated so special. 

“Damn, that’s so sweet of you 4, I wish you cared about me this much” Meggy teased 4, 4 didn’t seem to get what she was going for. She didn’t feel like elaborating. 

“Are you sure?” 3 finally got some words out. Didn’t mean he looked any less flustered though.

“Yeah! You deserve it, man!” he patted 3 on his back then pulled him close by the shoulder. It seemed 4 was rather touchy today. And Meggy started to feel awkward about third wheeling. 

“So, guys, I’m gonna go back to sleep now, you’re welcome for my help” she waved them goodbye quickly. It was so interesting to see the 2 get along in their own ways but she still felt like she was intruding on something she shouldn’t.

3 felt like he was left to succumb now that he was left alone with 4. He couldn’t believe that he wished for Meggy to stay longer.

It took everything in him but he just couldn’t… he couldn’t keep it in. He hugged 4. It took a bit but 4 hugged back. They were silent, the hug was long. He wasn’t exactly a fan of affection but 4 got the best of him. He couldn’t help it at this point. 

“You sure are affectionate today” 4 teased 3 softly.

“Not my fault”

“Heh… is it mine?” 4 grinned.

“Yeah yeah” 3 pulled 4 away gently “And now it’s over”

“Thanks, your hugs are nice”

“You do realise how that sounds, right?”

“Well… Sometimes you’re a little gay with the homies, right?” 4 joked. 3 facepalmed. 

“Whatever…”

They stood around for a bit before 4 spoke.

“Say… will you be able to sleep like this?”

3 didn’t even think of that. With the way he got, he almost thought today would be his last day.

“Uh… I don’t know, I probably just… won’t”

4 squinted at him, having none of his bad behaviour.

“No way”

The 2 stared at each other, 3 looking kind of angry, especially since 4 didn’t budge.

“What are you gonna do, beat me to sleep or some shit?” 

“No… That’s mean”

“It’s not like you would cuddle me to sleep-” 3 said. He already said it and he couldn’t take it back. The words he didn’t mean to just put out there but now 4 knew. He knew that 3 considered cuddling him to sleep.

“Not a bad idea… then in the morning we can start on preparing for that billboard!”

3 grew so red.

“I DIDN’T SAY I WANT TO”

“Then why did you bring it up?”

“And why are you so for it?”

4 blushed himself, now that he thought about it further… It was a pretty weird idea.

“This once?” 4 pleaded, with those loser puppy dog eyes. 3 sighed.

“Fine”

“Though… you should shower first”

“Being picky now, aren’t we?”

“I can help you with that too” 4 smiled, feeling kind of powerful that he could tease 3. He got slapped. He realised it was kind of deserved.

“Fine, I'll shower. Very VERY far from you”

“I was just joking! I swear!”

3 sighed and shook his head. He couldn’t believe he could be this close to this idiot.

3 showered and came back to 4 by his bed. It was kind of weird but he also sort of looked forward to it. In like a weird, twisted and awful way. He looked away from 4 to the statue he had of himself. It filled him with dread.

“Hey, 4, before we sleep… can you help me bring this out of here?” he pointed at the statue.

“Is it really necessary right now?”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep with it around”

4 got up, guess there was no other way. They moved it out of the room together, although they had to take it apart a bit so they could fit it out of the door. For the night, they left it in the cafe lounge, he would worry about it later.

Now came the time to sleep. 3 got kind of flustered at 4 opening his arms for him to sleep there. He didn’t even let him go far away, keeping him close, as if he didn’t want to ever let him go… Only 4 knew that that thought was kind of accurate. It was so so uncomfortably comforting, 3 fell asleep pretty fast. If it wasn’t so weird, he’d ask to do this more.

Next day came by, 3 was slow to stir awake. He kind of didn’t feel like getting up. The warmth of 4 was a bit too nice… What the the fuck do you mean? Get yourself together! 3 wriggled himself out of 4’s hold and went to the bathroom to splash his face with water. He had to get himself together.

But man… He still missed it. How could he even cope with this?

He went back to his room and sat beside the still sleeping 4. He still couldn’t believe 4 just cuddled him last night. He thought he would never do something like that. It kind of intrigued him in a way. He wondered if he made this side of him trigger with what he did last night. He frowned, thinking of the possibility. He didn’t want to hurt 4. At least… he hoped he didn’t want to hurt 4. The idea made him kind of sick. 

He only realised how intensely he was staring at 4 when he woke up, his eyes meeting his own. He suddenly turned away, as if he hadn’t been looking at 4 for who knew how long at that point. 4 smiled about that, he was glad to see that 3 cared. Although he didn’t speak up about it… It was still too early for him. He lightly tugged on 3’s arm.

“What?” 3 looked at him unamused.

“Coffee?” 4 requested with one simple word.

3 just stared at him. 4 frowned.

“Pretty please”

3 rolled his eyes, he got up and went outside to make one for 4. 4 took that time to still relax in 3’s bed. He didn’t think it would be so nice sleeping beside 3. Although the idea was spontaneous and if the circumstances were different, he wouldn’t have done it… But his need to see 3 okay won him over like this. 

3 was brewing the coffee, while it was going, he phoned some dude up, apparently from the dark web. As soon as he put his phone down, a shady dude came out from the floor and took the disassembled statue, leaving a few coins behind for a fair trade. 3 picked them up. At least he could get a little money out of his sudden spring cleaning. 

3 went back down to 4 with the coffee, made to 4’s liking, he knew his taste pretty well at this point. Even if he didn’t have a lot of customers anymore, 4 would still come every once in a while. 

4 took the coffee, taking a sip, he hummed with delight.

“Great as always” 4 commented, drinking more of it. 3 was glad that even if his business was dying, he still managed to make banger coffee that 4 liked.

“Thanks”

“No no, thank YOU”

“Whatever, you’re welcome” 3 smiled, folding his arms.

“Hey… don’t you wanna come beside me” the warmth radiating off of 4 was quite beckoning.

“What would I for? Not like I have business with you”

4 deflated.

“You kinda do, considering what we talked about yesterday…” 4 pulled out his laptop “I guess you don’t want to save your business?” 

3 went wide eyed. He accepted defeat and sat beside 4. 

“So… we should probably put together your ad!” 4 exclaimed “Now I uh… I had this idea for a while… and I made some mock ups!” 4 said and opened up a folder that held a few images.

They weren’t exactly well drawn and 4 didn’t have the most legible writing. 3 often had to lean in close to see them. After looking at them all, he looked at 4 and chuckled.

“I see graphic design is your passion” he teased.

“I did this for you!”

“They look like shit”

“Nooo,,”

“What were you even trying to write here?” 3 opened one of the images back up.

“It’s-! I… I don’t remember? Ahaha” 4 laughed awkwardly. 3 rolled his eyes, somehow not believing this idiot could make himself look even less smart. 

“Let’s start this again…” 3 got up and brought back a pen tablet. 

“Didn’t know you had one of these”

“I got it not too long ago actually! It’s great to use” 3 took 4’s laptop in his own lap and plugged in his tablet.

“Uh-” 3 started “ do you mind if I download the software for it? It works better that way”

“Sure, go on… just don’t get me viruses!”

“I’m not as much of an idiot as you are!”

“You sure like grilling me today”

“It’s just what I do” 3 laughed. 

After he downloaded the software and set it up, he started to mock something up in ms paint, aka man’s best friend. Nobody does it like you, my dear, Microsoft paint!

It actually looked better than what 4 did, although the tablet definitely played a part in making it better. 4 noticed it was an advertisement for a job.

“You want to hire?” 4 pointed it out.

“Yeah… I think it would be the solution”

“Huh… wait” 4 inspected it more “That’s… not a lot of money for this kind of job”

3 frowned.

“I… I know but I can’t currently offer more”

“Man.. are you really that broke? You can come stay with me if you wa-”

“No way. Never”

“Okay…”

“You’re really obsessed with me…”

“I… I’m just worried about you… yesterday made me realise how I could easily lose you if I didn’t well… yeah”

3 shut up for a bit.

“... I was afraid you’d say that”

The 2 stayed silent for a bit. Lots of feelings around the 2.

“I’m honest though, man, I care a lot”

“I know already ugh just… yeah… I’m sorry, I should be glad you’re helping me”

4 chuckled.

“I’ll still take constructive criticism, but ONLY if you’re not too mean”

“I can try” 3 laughed.

They continue to perfect the ad. It turned out pretty pathetic in the end but at least it got the message across.

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

It had been a while since they put the ad out. The more time that passed, the more it felt futile. 3 felt worse than ever, not only did he have a dying business, he also had 4 spending so much money on him and for what? He felt like shit. It was hard to force himself to keep the cafe at least a little clean. And keeping up with daily routines had never been so hard either, as much as it was then. It was killing him from the inside. He wondered if it was even a good idea for him to move there and start this.

However each time he was slowly succumbing to the dark, 4 pulled him out and helped him. He sort of became an unofficial worker in a way. 3 hated that. Not only did he spend so much money on him, he also helped him around without asking for compensation. It made him feel weak, as even this much help didn’t pull him out of it.

It was especially an awful day. He didn’t even try to open the cafe, he just stayed in his room with the lights off. It had been weeks at this point and there still wasn’t anybody coming to help him out… He wished he could’ve done better. But maybe he was just destined to be a miserable shadow of someone better… 4, he was… great. 3 wished he had half the success. The jealousy in his brain had only been growing. He always tried to push it to the back of his mind for the sake of 4, he didn’t want to hurt him. 4 was too great for something like that. He didn’t want to further bury him in his own burden. 

“3? Are you in here?” he heard 4 call out to him from the elevator. He just couldn’t stay away from 3, no matter how many times it seemed reaching out to him wouldn't work out further.

“I’m fine” 3’s voice was muffled by the fact that he was underneath the covers, his face smothered in his pillow.

4 frowned as he walked up to 3’s bed. He sat beside 3. He hesitated for a bit but leaned down to hug 3. 3 didn’t want this… He loved it.

“3, c’mon man I’m…. I’m sure someone will answer your ad soon enough! It’s too early to give up”

“4… listen” 3 sat up, pushing 4 off of himself “I’m… I’ve failed. I don’t get why… you just don’t give up on me at this point. What’s the point of helping me if it doesn’t lead anywhere?”

4 could only stare shocked, not wanting to admit that those words were just uttered to him.

“You can’t say that…”

“I’m right, 4… I think it’s too late for me… just… just let me rot here”

“But… I don’t want to”

“Leave”

“3…”

“Why don’t you get it? It’s futile. I’m not worth it, 4. There’s so many better things and people you can put all this energy into”

“You’re.. you’re…” 4 was lightly shaking, he was really upset by that “You’re more…” tears slipped and streamed down his face.

“Look at you… I’m the reason you’re like this” 3 admitted “It.. genuinely might be better for you”

“WHY do you WANT ME TO STAY AWAY SO BADLY???” 4 got up, upset, crying, accusing, tired. Exhausted. 

“BECAUSE I DON’T DESERVE YOU AT ALL, YOU’RE STRUGGLING BECAUSE OF ME”

“I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO HELP FOR ONCE”

“IT WOULD HELP IF YOU LEFT ME ALONE”

“AND LET YOU ROT??” the tears wouldn’t stop coming, only becoming more intense.

“YES, IT’S WHAT I DESERVE”

“NO! NO! NO! NO IT’S NOT TRUE” he cried, not sure what to do or say anymore. 

“Just… leave… it will be better for the both of us. Make your funny videos”

4 felt almost betrayed, it seemed no matter how hard he pressed, he couldn’t get through 3 anymore. He left, feeling undone in a sense. Yes, the situation had been draining him quite a bit but he did it for his friend, his friend who he really really cared about! A friend he would give the whole world for if he could. And yet, here he was, leaving because he kept failing 3. He felt like shit. Of course when he wanted to be there for 3 fully and help him achieve his dreams, that’s when things would turn this sour. 

He might have gone back to his room now but the inspiration wouldn’t come. The thought that he failed 3 just occupied his mind too much. He knew how bad it was to miss uploads but he just… He couldn’t do this. He decided to release a community post, saying that there would be a bit of a hiatus until he was able to resolve something. He sighed, trying to look for a way to make things better. He wondered if he should really just stop. If 3 was right about the fact that he just needed to stop and leave 3. But the more he stayed away, the more it felt like the whole in his heart, the place 3 took for himself only got bigger. Like a fatal wound.

It had been days since he was told to leave 3 alone. He decided to check on him again, even if by force, he would make something happen. He entered 3’s lair, looking for him but finding nothing. His room looked as messy as ever, nothing was that out of the ordinary. Except for the fact that 3 wasn’t here. 4 started to grow more and more worried. 3 was gone. 3  WAS GONE. WHERE. IS. HE? 

He alerted his friends, who also came to help, though not everyone. Just Meggy, Tari, Saiko, Mario, Luigi and Melony when she wasn’t sleeping. They searched and searched, especially 4, it was almost like he never stopped searching. Day and night he would go to the cafe and look around, often he didn’t even sleep in his room if he would sleep at all. It was the only thing he had of 3 in that way, although it wasn’t as comforting as he wished it to be. But it was more than nothing and he should be grateful. Although it was kind of silly, he looked through the burnt merch, and while he found nothing in tact, he found a plush that was still recognisable. Just seeing it made him cry. He kept it. It turned into a charm for him, not his good luck charm, rather his charm of hope. Hope for the idea that 3 is still out there and that he would be able to find him.

He was reaching the end of his ropes, but then he realised. He could reach out to 1 and 2 for help! Yes, that’s it… He called the 2, scared, they could tell based on his voice that things were NOT good.

“So… you don’t know where he went?” 1 questioned.

“I… yeah… but I… I can still feel that he’s still alive… I know it”

“Alright, we’re gonna teach you a bit of a complex move to help you track down SMG3. You… really need to concentrate. And calm down” 2 looked concerned.

“Yeah, you look super tense” 1 commented, also concerned.

“Sorry sorry… I just really care about him”

“Yeah… He is your partner after all” 2 pat him on the shoulder “it’s only natural”

“He’s also… my friend” 4 could cry all over again. He didn’t think that one day he would be here, feeling dysfunctional at the thought of SMG3 of all people leaving him behind. And yet…

The 2 both grabbed 4’s hand, trying to channel for him. 4 tried to take a deep breath to concentrate. This was for 3… He would do anything for 3. He couldn’t fail him again. 

Suddenly, 4 felt sharp pain in his stomach, which made him fall to the ground.

“Are you okay??” 2 looked worried, 1 was too.

“I’ve never seen something like this happen…”

“Huh?” 4 looked up, shocked at the revelation.

“This shouldn’t be possible” 2 noted as well. This only made 4 more visibly worried.

“Not possible?” 

“Look… I think we should try again” 1 sighed, he knew it had to be done “As much as I’d rather not, I want to try and see… if we can figure it out”

4 nodded, not really fighting it. If it meant they could find 3…

They once again all held hands, and it happened again.

“Hmmm… he only wants you” 1 noted.

“How do you know that?” 2 looked at him, also puzzled.

“I was paying attention to the force stopping us. It was clearly pulling 4 away from us, not the other way around. It only wants you”

“But I- How do I do it on my own?”

“We’ll help from- from here” 2 tried to reassure 4.

“We can’t lose hope yet” 1 also tried.

4 had a headache coming on at this point but he persisted. He wanted to see 3 again and make sure he wouldn’t come to harm’s way ever again.

“Okay… yeah, you’re both right” 4 tried to concentrate. Linking his own hands kind of helped, almost like making a loop link. He closed his eyes. It felt like he was transported in a different place.

He couldn’t see anything much, beside a shadow resembling 3. The shadow knew he was there and that he wanted answers. It didn’t speak directly, only whispers but seemingly not coming from the shadow entity directly. The whispers were incomprehensible yet somehow 4 was still given an image in his head, it burned into his mind. The scenery of a castle that felt impossible. It felt familiar to him in a way. It bared resemblance to Peach’s castle that once stood proud and tall but missing important things, looking like an abandoned version of it. With dark energy emanating from inside.  But he could feel it… 3 was there. Waiting for him. He… He wanted him to come? But… Only him… nobody else… He would have to…

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

He sat up, he didn’t realise it before but he was put in a bed.

“Hey, you’re finally awake!” 2 said coming beside him.

“What… what happened?”

“The move drained you and you passed out” 1 said, also noticing that 4 woke up “What did you see?”

“It was a castle but… he wants me to go alone”

“What, alone?” 

“That’s just…”

“I have to” 4 stood up from bed “I think… I guess we have a score to settle”

“Are you sure about this?” 1 asked.

“I’m… I am, yeah. What’s the worst that could happen anyways?” 

“A lot can happen”

“At least I’ll see him again” 4 got up and left the 2 SMGs without another word. Both concluded that 4 truly grew desperate. 

4 left on his own, well… Not entirely. He had memes just in case something went wrong. Or if he had to escape a life or death situation. Anything felt possible at this point. He even started to make peace with the idea that he’d get badly hurt anyways. At least he’d be able to see 3 again… maybe with his last breath, he could hold him again… Although that might have sounded a bit too sad. His biggest wish was still to take 3 home and make everything work out again. Turn everything back to normal… What was normal anyways?

He arrived at the entrance of the castle. It was boarded up. He thought for a bit… How should he get through this? Although he didn’t like the trend, he summoned a tik tok, one of those where the food on a plate had bites taken out of it to the beat of a song and then the plate as well. The tiktok managed to chew off the boards to the beat. At least it was useful for once.

He went inside, it was oddly dark, though he could tell it was supposed to resemble Peach’s castle to an extent. but rooms seemed to be missing, which made the main hall even bigger than it was before. The emptiness of it was slowly making 4 anxious… No, he had to keep moving! 

He didn’t have a flashlight with him, which made it a bit hard to explore. But he moved along anyway, concentrating. He could feel 3. He knew he had to be there. He felt infinitely close. As he moved around, he noticed eyes. Eyes were staring at him and only him. More and more of them. Paying attention to every little movement he was making. Not only that, they felt uncomfortably familiar. He didn’t like thinking about it… He didn’t want to go back to the day he lost so much. He felt more and more anxious. 

But the eyes would only stare. But  even if they were only staring, they had him surrounded. It felt like that day, feeling so isolated against your will. Being forced into solitude, something you never wanted in the first place.

He sat down on the ground. He didn’t know what he should do.

“Are you here?” 4 called out softly, his voice shaky. He was way too nervous from this.

He didn’t get an answer back. Only eyes that came closer and closer to him, closing in… Until it was all dark.

It was all dark until a screen was put in front of him. It was bright from being all white, 4 took a bit to adjust to it. There was text on it in black.

“Scared?” it read “Don’t be. It’ll be over soon”

4 looked terrified. Over soon? Will he actually die here? Sure it was a thought that crossed his mind but- but he wasn’t ready for this!

“I just want him back…” 4 sobbed, tears rolling down his face.

“How selfish” the text read. 

“I want him back so I can fix things… make it up to him”

The screen went blank for a bit. It left 4 more nervous.

“3… I uh…” 4 panicked, not knowing what to say “You know- we need you, man. The crew isn’t the same without you! You’re important!”

The screen still did not show an answer. 

“What should I do…” 4 didn’t know anymore.

“Leave” the screen showed simply.

“No… That’s the one thing I can’t do. Not anymore” 4 grabbed the screen, finding something within himself to keep going “I can’t leave without him”

the screen shone bright, covering 4 in brightness, pulling him inside. 

After a whole black room, he was inside a whole white room. Somehow it still felt the exact same, even if he could see now. 

4 thought about what meme could help him in this situation. His mind drew a blank. What was he supposed to do in a blank room? He got up and walked around. Maybe he can find a weakness to this room. He pushed around, finding the edge of the room. He pushed with all his might. Although he wasn’t very strong. Then he got an idea.

He pulled out Beeg.

“Grow, boy!!��� 4 commanded him with a big, determined smile.

Now usually Beeg wasn’t one to listen but knowing what was going on, he grew bigger and bigger, pushing at the room more than 4 could ever. 4 cheered him on. 

The room collapsed, they were… they were inside the same room where… Oh. Memories.

Beeg shrunk and went back to 4. 

He walked up to the table in the room. It felt just like the one in his old home. It was furnished similarly, even with the demonic keyboard. He resented looking at it. The fact that he got it made him feel awful all over again. Maybe it really would have been better if he just died there… But 3 saved him. Now it was time for payback. 

“So, what do you want me to do?” he called out. 

He looked around, seeing no one around. Or that was what he thought until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around but he saw no one. He felt confused… Then he could feel a poke at his side. He looked, nothing. Another poke coming from the other side. He looked, still nothing. And then another. Then another. Faster and faster until he was more annoyed than scared or confused and was also starting to feel a bit dizzy. He swore he could hear laughing.

“Hey! This isn’t funny!”

The poke attack suddenly stopped, as the monitor on the table turned on, which caught his attention. It had his editing program opened. The clips, pictures and sounds that were in the library were all too familiar to him.

“Is this some kind of sick joke? You know I couldn’t make that video by myself!” 4 was rather annoyed again. Why did he have to relive this again? He sat in front of the computer but didn’t touch the keyboard.

“And why is this thing here? Do you really expect me to work with it? I… I don’t want to go back to my lowest point”

The keyboard emanated an energy that made 4 feel so scared. He forgot how it can… manipulate you. He was about to reach for it but- he had to stay strong! This could not be the end of his story. Not the end of THEIR story. With 3. He knew… There had to be a way. If 3 saved him before, he had to pay back. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if it was his fault for 3 being gone. 

He grabbed the keyboard and broke it in half. It screamed in its eldritch ways, releasing black blood. There was a lot of it. The monitor turned off.

“You’re not getting me like this! I don’t want a perfect video, I want you!”

4 stopped for a second. Only after saying it did he realise how odd that sounded. But he meant it. No matter how uh… not so straight it sounded.

He got up, looking around the room. He couldn’t wait for whatever entity was around to mess around with him even more.

He noticed a camera following his movement. He got close to the camera, trying to see if he could find a source or reason for it. 

“You think I’m gonna feel shame for being broadcasted?” the camera turned around, instead showing footage it recorded. It had a lot of 3’s rants to himself. How many times he was stuck being the loser out of the 2 of them. How even when they turn out to be friends, he got the shorter end of it all. How everything around him only seemed to fall apart. Especially… when he and 4 got even closer. 4 felt shocked. He never knew he could feel this much emotional pain but… here he was… Being shown that he was only a source of failure for 3. 

The screen of the camera turned off after it finished showing everything.

4 didn’t know what to do with himself. He… He didn’t know he hurt 3 so much. He felt so miserable. And conflicted, would it really be best for them to… part ways? 

He stared at the turned off camera, trying to just… process everything.

The camera turned on again, although the screen was black but something seemed to move closer, like a dark shape, the dark shape reached out, in the form of a hand. 4 panicked and quickly backed away from the camera. The room went dark on the side of the camera, but the figure, although dark, was still noticeable through the dark. Especially for those red eyes. Those iconic red eyes… this was no doubt 3. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” 4 cried. 

“I did now” 3 spoke, his voice echoey, coming from all directions.

“What… What happened to you?” 4 was so scared. So devastated.

“I embraced the shadows… If you don’t fit anywhere else, why leave?”

4 didn’t know what to say, all he could do was cry.

“I wish I could’ve been there for you more, 3”

“You only would’ve ruined things more”

“But-”

“Now leave… or I’ll do something awful”

“You-” 4 was having none of that “I… I’m standing by what I said. I’m not leaving without you”

“Well, if you say so” 3 walked up to him, grabbing his hand. It was cold… It felt uncomfortable.

“Huh- What happened to you? Why… is your hand so cold?”

“What, you miss soft SMG3’s warm little hand or something? You miss when I held back?”

“What- What are you saying?”

“I’ve always felt miserable. This” he held his hand, intertwined with 4’s hand “Has made my life hell”

“Our… Guardian link?”

“Exactly” 3 squeezed 4’s hand but it wasn’t comfortable. Somehow there was still something behind it. Something that gave 4 hope.

“What?”

“Well, it’s something we have to live with, of course it’s not gonna always be a great time! It doesn’t mean you need to destroy the world over it”

“It can be broken”

“Our link can be destroyed and I know how to do it”

“WHAT??”

“I CAN FINALLY BREAK AWAY FROM YOU”

“DO YOU REALLY HATE ME THIS MUCH???”

“THE OPPOSITE, YOU IDIOT”

“What..?”

“This link… This link gave me feelings I never wanted. I never wanted to feel nice about being close to you. It made me feel awful. Each fucking time. Yet I let you in, because this stupid fucking link made me weak about it. This stupid guardian link is at fault…”

3 gripped on 4’s hand even harder.

“3… no if- if you destroyed it- WE DON’T KNOW WHAT COULD HAPPEN, THIS IS SO SELFISH OF YOU”

“WELL FUCK, LET ME BE SELFISH SOMETIMES, YOU PIECE OF SHIT”

Some sort of red-black energy appeared around the 2, and familiar marks appeared on 3. The energy 4 could feel was familiar too… and scary.

“Anti meme energy..? Where-”

“You’re right” 3 laughed “In the end it’s truly the answer to all my misery!”

“No! 3! This is too dangerous! What if you got hurt??”

“I’ll take the risk!”

slowly, the marks appeared on 4 too. 3 was too strong… holding him back took everything in 4 and it still wasn’t enough.

The moment the link between the 2 was severed. It felt like 4 died. He didn’t but it felt like he did. Something beautiful inside him was gone now. the marks turned black, his hand was too.

He could barely stand, falling on his ass.

3 didn’t seem better. Even if he had the power of whoever was on his side now, it still didn’t change the fact that he got rid of something in himself that was deeply inherent to him. 

The 2 just laid there, facing each other. The pain they felt made it too hard to move. 

The emptiness 4 felt was unbearable. Even if he was able to get up, he didn’t know what he would do. He really didn’t anymore. He wondered if this was meant to happen.

3 took a while himself, he was clearly hurt, even when he got up. He moved slowly, pain in every step he took. He didn’t dare look 4’s way. He was wondering if it was only the pain or if he actually began to regret what he had done. He didn’t feel like figuring it out, so he left the room, leaving 4 by himself. 

4 just laid there. Maybe he should just… not do anything… What was it worth anymore?

He closed his eyes, thinking about everything that happened in his life. All the memories, friends he made. All the time when he thought he made amends with 3, only seemingly repeatedly stabbing him in the back instead. Honestly, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself anyways knowing that he did that. Maybe he was being dramatic but… Whatever.

It felt like an eternity when he heard commotion from outside. He didn’t really care to check. He kind of embraced death at this point.

“4!! SMG4” he heard a voice he did not care to check.

“OH NO!” another voice came right beside him “I think he’s still alive- let’s take him back”

He was too tired to protest, even if he didn’t want to go.

The journey home felt kind of dull. Knowing what 3 did, it just… it broke him. He felt like it wasn’t only their link… that even disregarding that, in general the fact that 3 chose to depart from him hurt him in many other ways. He… really came to like him over the years. Seeing how he became so selfless, so helpful, so amazing too… 4 still kind of felt bad that 3 couldn’t see that about himself. He wished he was less stubborn and told him more. Though he was sure that wouldn’t have changed a thing anyways. But still, he wished he could tell 3 more that he found him so amazing in ways he never did with anyone else… he… he loved him.

4 suddenly shot up, the realisation hitting him like a truck.

“Woa-” Meggy was one of the ones who carried him, momentarily losing balance from 4’s sudden movement.

Mario was on his other side, he seemed to take 4’s stupidity better. One could say he was used to 4’s antics.

4 took a bit to catch his breath as they all stopped.

“Are you okay?” Tari came running to him.

“I think I love him” was all 4 could say before starting to cry. Truly, today wasn’t his day. Lots of tears.

“As in… SMG3?” Meggy asked.

“Yeah…” 4 looked down.

Mario patted him on the back.

“Mario knew you would realise at some point”

“About time, these last weeks have been ridiculous” Clench came out too. He was rather annoyed with the 2 at this point.

“It’s not that unexpected, yeah” Meggy chuckled.

A lot of the others held a similar reaction, no one seemed surprised.

4 didn’t look too happy though.

“He left… he left me there” 4 spoke again, looking up at the sky. He still felt way too empty.

“What happened anyways?” Tari asked.

“He…” 4 tried holding back the tears. Not very successfully at that. “I… I’ll need to discuss this later with SMG1 and 2…”

Everyone left him alone. The rest of the road back home was rather gloomy. 4 was starting to feel like it wasn’t only him who felt 3’s painful absence. 

They helped him in his room to rest for a bit. After a while, 1 and 2 came into his room.

“We heard you wanted to speak with us” 1 said.

“Yeah… It’s bad”

“We could tell based on your black scars” 2 commented, pointing at how bad his face looked.

“He… He broke our link”

They both looked at him shocked, then at each other. The reaction made 4 feel even worse.

“That’s… how did he…”

“With… anti meme energy… I don’t know how he got it but… I have a bad feeling about this in general”

“Tell us everything” 1 had a determined look. 

4 proceeded to tell them about everything. The way he was approached by 3, the weird dark change of his appearance, his comment of becoming one with the shadows. It seemed to leave both 1 and 2 speechless.

“Whoever is behind this” 1 spoke “They know enough to be clearly dangerous”

“Do you… Do you think I could mend my link with 3?” 4 looked up at the ceiling. He found that not looking at people made it easier to not cry.

“We… don’t know” 2 sighed. Neither of them had an idea.

“We’ve never seen anything like this happen before… we can try to look around for information to see if we can find something”

“It’s only natural… especially because the world is weaker without your link”

4 looked at them, smiling softly.

“Thanks, I really appreciate that”

“It is?”

“Everyone is able to feel it” 2 said.

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s one of the pillars of a stable universe. Whoever told 3 how to break it must have done it to… oh no, 1, we should start searching right away!” the 2 ran out in a hurry. 

4 chuckled dryly at that. It really wasn’t funny to him, he just found it kind of ironic in a way. Destroying 3’s life meant he’d also destroy the world… It was kind of fitting how especially now, 3 felt like the whole world for him. He wished he knew earlier so at least he could’ve told him before they parted ways like that. 

~~~

4 didn’t do much for a few days. He spent the day coping. Healing. He could move around better after a while but his mental state didn’t get better. He couldn’t get 3 out of his mind. He thought that their link being gone meant that the opposite of this would happen but no. His friends tried to cheer him up with memes they would send him. Sure they got a chuckle out of him but these weren’t nearly enough to stop his sadness. 

He was watching his own videos where 3 appeared when 1 and 2 came in his room.

“WE FOUND SOMETHING” 2 jumped through the door.

“Yeah?” 4 asked, trying to put on a smile.

“Yes! Your connection isn’t necessarily lost forever!”

“R– Really??” 4 looked at them with colour appearing in his eyes. There’s a way after all!

“Yes- considering it’s still fresh, and you don’t seem to care any less, there could still be a way. But the catch… 3 has to want it too”

“Huh…” 4 thought out loud “I mean, that makes sense… I wonder if he would…”

“We’ll at least try our best to convince him”

“Right right! Even though I was told I ruined his life” 4 looked away. He still didn’t know what to do with all his feelings about that.

“Ruined his life?” 2 questioned.

“He said that… I only ever seemed to make his life worse… and that I only made things worse when I helped him”

The 2 looked at each other then back at 4.

“What do you exactly mean by this?”

“Uh… He said that his businesses always seemed to fail around me, no matter how much he tried, and that things that would ruin him further… connected right back to me”

The 2 shared another look.

“Now… don’t panic but” 1 started.

“Someone was disrupting your link!” 2 finished 1’s thought.

“Huh?”

“It sounds like it. As we were looking at all the information we could find on links, we found that in certain ways, outside people can interact with links that are not theirs.That’s how we also tried to help you find 3 but we were blocked out by some force. And it’s not a meme guardian exclusive thing. So… Someone must have got in and… yeah”

4 looked shocked.

“So… It’s not my fault?”

“No, it’s not” they both comforted him.

This actually managed to make him feel better. Finally, something that could help him fix everything. Even if it will take a while.

“I was thinking… can you guys… still train me, even if alone? I… want to be stronger when I see him again. Because I’m sure I will… It can’t end like this”

Both nodded.

“We won’t go easy on you” 2 joked.

“Better not” 4 laughed.

The 3 of them left to train that day, 4 trained until he was exhausted. He was glad to push himself considering how he had been for the last few days. He felt a little more free now. Just you wait, 3…

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

It had been a week since he really started training again. It was actually something that managed to make him feel better. He was wondering where 3 was at this point. On what point of the World he could’ve been. When he wasn’t able to sleep, he would look at places where he could be in. Making a list…

His cafe - he wasn’t

Internet graveyard - he wasn’t 

That castle where he severed their link - he wasn’t

Peach’s castle - he wasn’t

Any of the Anti cast’s own living places - he wasn’t 

Right by his side  - 4 wished he was

His list only got longer with all the wrong answers. Just yesterday, they put out an announcement that if anyone sees any trace of 3, they should alert the crew. Though 4 thought of it as a bit hopeless. 

He could only take his mind off it all with training. His days would be spent either training or sleeping. He left very little time for anything else. It started to worry the others, he realised as well but he just couldn’t stop. Not being whole can feel so devastating.

And he didn’t take it well in a more and more unhealthy way. He didn’t show it to anyone else, but he kept the burnt SMG3 plushie he found from the fire incident. From a beacon of hope, it went to something he would sleep with. It was starting to feel like he would never be able to sleep without it. He didn’t feel much shame in it anymore but he treasured it too much to just show it to anyone else. He needed to protect it at all costs. Sometimes he would talk to it, pretending like it was 3. Telling it so much. Telling everything that was inside his heart, all he wished he could actually tell 3. He truly felt like he reached a new low.

If that wasn’t already bad enough, he started having nightmares too.

Nightmares where he’d follow 3 but kept losing him. Nightmares that seemed to have a different face appear inside them as well. One he did not recognise yet felt familiar… Having a familiar painful feeling. He hated seeing the face. He would many times try to kill the figure but it felt as though they could read his mind, as they dodged his every move with a wide grin. But each time.. He would get closer… Surroundings would become clearer.

One time, it got so clear… He got an insane idea.

He searched up the place he saw… It was a real place. An abandoned studio. Weirdly fitting in a way.

“So, you want to go there because you dreamed about it?” Meggy asked. Some of the gang was gathered there.

“This entity’s influence must be strong if you’re getting dreams like that” 1 believed him. He had really no reason to lie.

“Wait, you believe him?”

“Yes, it is plausible. We already established someone interfered with their connection”

“So it could be that guy! And now they’re taunting 4!” 2 excitedly finished the thought.

4 smiled at the 2 of them.

“Thanks, guys. But yes… I want to go there. I need to… figure out what’s exactly happening”

“And save 3” Tari came up to him as well, reassuring him.

“Especially save 3” 4 smiled at her.

With the newfound determination, the squad, even with 1 and 2 included, headed for the studio building.

The building itself felt more than abandoned in a way. It looked like something went down inside there, a struggle of shorts. Walking in, they noticed the walls covered in gunshots, the place more dusty than would be usual for a place like this. And in some places, a disturbing amount of dried blood was spilled. What must have happened to this place was definitely sudden, quick and gruesome. Just staying in there made them all feel bad for the ex workers. They split up, searching the rooms in smaller groups since it wasn’t exactly a small building. 

4 was searching with 1 and 2. 4 tried to push on even into darker rooms. Although he didn’t have the link to help anymore, he listened to  3… his words burned into his brain. So he paid attention to the darkest places, not letting the shadows go unaddressed, even if it got increasingly scary. 4 kind of didn’t care about that at this point. He had already lost too much to care, though he didn’t exactly tell this to his friends. It felt a bit selfish to him but it was genuinely feeling like there wasn’t much to live for without 3. 

It was starting to feel kind of hopeless until a shadow looked weird. He looked at it, suspicions forming in his brain. He reached out but the shadow grabbed him first.

Before 1 or 2 were able to react, 4 was already gone, being pulled into the shadows.

4 was thrown  back into a dark room that felt all too familiar at this point. In front of him was 3, still as shadowed as ever. At least they could see each other. They stared for a bit, both trying to see what the other one was feeling. 3 pulled 4 closer, in a kind of threatening way, which felt weird and sudden. Something in 4 made him wonder if he was perhaps influenced by something to do that.

“I told you to stay away”

4 sighed, a smile appearing on his face, which weirded 3 out.

“It’s impossible”

“No it’s not just-” he looked away, seemingly thinking but it felt more than that.

“...Let’s talk” 4 had a soft gaze on 3. If he had to die, he didn’t want to spend his last moments arguing with 3.

“We… We already had that… you should go… I did it for you as well”

4 still kept the calmness but the light eye twitch gave away that he didn’t like what he was hearing.

“It wasn’t our fault actually”

3 looked at him shocked. Then thought for a bit.

“I mean I… didn’t mean to make you feel like you… I know that you didn’t ACTUALLY mean to ruin me-”

“No no, you don’t understand, we basically got hacked”

“Hacked? What the hell you mean-” 3 questioned but got stopped by immense pain as he grabbed for his head groaning.

“Oh no, are you okay?” 4 immediately jumped beside him, with a hand on his upper back for support.

“How can I believe you?” 3 looked at him weakly.

“We… actually found out outside forces can… influence guardian links”

3 took a bit to take that in, looking away from 4, seemingly staring into the dark. Very intensely at that. He looked back at 4, pretty pissed.

“So someone framed you?” he looked like he was about to blow up.

“We think so…”

“So I… I” 3’s face softened. 

4 knew what he felt, he hugged 3. He didn’t resist. Slowly, 3 leaned into 4’s touch.

“You know… it’s funny” 3 spoke again “I thought without the link if you came after me again… that I could just end you as soon as I saw you… but I…” he once again felt pain so he had to stop.

“3!!” 

“It’s… We… uh” 3 looked weak.

“We’ll help you, don’t worry! The others are here too… we… we will help, man!”

3 couldn’t help but smile at 4, even through the pain.

“But I already ruined it… I.. I did that to you… I was told how to do it and I…”

“I still care about you”

3 looked at him, something in him breaking with tears rolling down his face.

“How can you?”

“We… We’re friends… we’ve been through a lot… you think I’m gonna let you go when you once risked your life to save me? You didn’t need to. You could have left me to my perfect video but you didn’t. Didn’t it feel like I betrayed you? But you came back either way.”

“That… That’s true”

“It’s… just another thing I love about you, 3”

The word choice made 3 a little flustered. 4 chuckled at that.

“You can’t just say sappy shit like that”

“You think I don’t mean it or something?”

“No no… It’s obvious you do, don’t worry”

“But uhm genuinely I’ve… I’ve been thinking and-”

And just as soon as 4 thought maybe he could tell 3- 3 got grabbed by a hand before not seen. However at this point it was familiar to him. He stood up and went right after, it was no use though. 4 didn’t lose hope yet. He was more angry right now if anything.

“NOT EVEN GONNA LET ME TELL HIM I LOVE HIM??” 4 called out “WELL THEN DO IT FOR ME PLEASE, BITCH”

The figure he had been seeing in his dreams came out of the shadows. Much clearer now, he could still see their wide, unfeeling smile. He didn’t know a TV screen headed guy could be such a piece of shit.

“You’re a feisty one”

“YOU”

“Ah, what, came back because you weren’t satisfied with the service? Sorry, no refunds!”

They started to walk away but 4 grabbed them.

“SERVICE??”

“The keyboard”

4 stopped.

“The…keyboard…?”

Then he realised.

“And it’s not like I even forced it on you” they laughed “You were the one who chose to buy it. Even with SMG3, I didn’t force him! HE joined me HIMSELF and-”

“You think I’m gonna let you go with what you did?” 

They laughed.

“No… And that’s what I want!” the words scared 4 “With even all your friends! Such a great deal”

“WHAT are you?”

“I’m… oh there’s no fun in that, I’m only here to make a great show!”

“I don’t know if you noticed but I’m the show runner here!”

“It looked like you needed some help”

4 tried to punch them but then he was gone from the dark, right back beside 1 and 2.

“4!!! 4, you’re back!!” both hurried there beside him.

“Yes… I am'' 4 didn’t lose his anger a single bit. Those were the words of someone who is truly despicable. He only wanted to kill them more now. 

They only got one more calm moment before the building shook beneath them. It was loud, almost like the building was alive. 

“Oh no! We need to get out of here” 1 panicked, 2 and 4 followed behind, although 4 did so reluctantly. He knew 3 was in here. He didn’t want him gone.

Everyone evacuated. 4 stared at the building going down, he couldn’t just stand there, he had to run back, even if it would take him away as well.

He searched everywhere. Maybe it was the TV guy letting their guard down, but he was actually able to spot 3 in the real world now. He was still covered in those shadows though.

“3!!!” he cried out, running for the other who only then noticed him.

“4, you should get out of here”

“Not without you”

“Then we might not be able to get out…”

“I’ll… rather be going away with you than live knowing you died”

“You know- you’re pretty attached as well, even without the…” 3 looked away then back 4. He couldn’t help but smile at 4. It felt kind of nice in the end. It was easier to admit now.

“That’s cuz I love you” 4 reciprocated the smile.

3 looked away again, rather flustered at the words. But there was still a smile visible on his face.

“Like um… as in? Like that? Fuck, I’m sounding so stupid right now” 3 laughed at his own incompetence.

“Yeah uh… are you okay with that?” 4 returned the awkward laugh.

3 chuckled before grabbing 4’s face.

“What do you think, stupid?”

“I’m… glad” 

They both leaned in, just about at the same time. The kiss came naturally. But it was so much more than that. They pulled each other close, it all just felt… perfect. Complete. So complete, as the scar on both of their faces started glowing. They didn’t know when they linked hands but with both hands held, they could see white strings appear, glowing with immense power, more and more appearing, connecting the 2.

The sight mesmerised both so much, they pulled in for another kiss, which only made the light stronger, ridding 3 fully of his corruption.

The light grew so big, like an explosion. An explosion of so much emotion before unspoken.

The light grew so big, the crew outside noticed.

“They did it!” 2 jumped up “That’s a lot of meme guardian energy”

“Right on” 1 laughed “You know, I’m proud of them… they came so far”

“They really did” Meggy joined the 2.

“Will they be able to get out though?” Tari was concerned.

But then the light only grew larger and faster at that, basically taking in the whole building. It was strong enough to knock everyone on their asses.

As the light dissipated, the 2 hovered up from all the debris. Both looked unharmed, their hands linked.

Everyone came up to hug them. It had been a while since they had such a big and emotional hug.

“We’re so glad you 2 are safe”

“I can’t believe you actually made it out”

“You guys better not do anything this reckless ever again”

These were some comments the 2 received. But they were happy they made it out, made it out alive and together. There were a lot of things unanswered but none of that mattered now. At least not for now.

[wannabehockeygf]

wanted to see if i could request 50 and/or 60 with auston matthews please <3

an ego thing - auston matthews

“There are two ways that we can do this,

I know which one would be more fun,

I won’t go first, won’t apologize,

Pretty sure that it’s an ego thing,

But I cant stand a compromise.”

🔥 PROMPT #50 / #60: “Are you acting like a brat for a reason? // You wanted this, didn’t you?”

summary: an innocent night out twists once behind closed doors.

word count: 5.3k

pairing: Auston Matthews x fem!reader

warnings: 18+ NSFW! Unprotected sex, fingering (f receiving), edging, blink and you’ll miss it spanking, choking, crying, general kinky shit, and degradation/derogatory language.

notes:

- back to smut I guess !!

- ^ I’ve been having trouble writing spicy things recently :( hopefully this isn’t awful

- not proof read

***

The night air was cool against your skin, a welcome relief after the heat of the day. The streets of downtown Toronto buzzed with the low hum of people enjoying the last vestiges of summer, the city still alive despite the late hour. Hand in hand with your boyfriend, you felt the tension of the week finally start to melt away. His fingers intertwined with yours, grounding you, reminding you of how much you’d missed this—missed him—amid the chaos of work and his training.

The dinner with his teammates had been perfect. Laughter, good food, the easy camaraderie of a group who knew each other well. It was the kind of night that reminded you why you loved this city, this life. The weight of the world seemed lighter, and for the first time in what felt like ages, you allowed yourself to just be.

But now, as you walked back to his apartment, something shifted. Maybe it was the way his thumb stroked the back of your hand, or the way his voice had dropped a little lower as the night went on. You couldn’t quite place it, but a different kind of tension simmered beneath the surface, one that had nothing to do with stress or exhaustion.

You tried to brush it off, to focus on the conversation that had flowed so easily all night, but it was there—nagging at the back of your mind, a spark waiting for a flame.

By the time you reached his building, the air between you felt charged, almost electric. Still, you laughed at some joke he made as the elevator doors closed, the sound bouncing off the sleek, mirrored walls. But underneath, you couldn’t ignore the way your heart started to race, the anticipation that coiled tight in your stomach.

And then the door to his apartment clicked shut behind you.

Before you could fully register the change, he had you pinned against it, his body pressed flush against yours. The cool wood of the door bit into your back, a sharp contrast to the heat radiating from him. His hand found your throat, fingers wrapping around your neck with just enough pressure to make your breath catch, your pulse thrumming wildly beneath his touch.

“Auston, what are you—“

“Don’t fucking act surprised,” he spits out, almost hisses as he adjusts his hand, just enough so you’re forced to look up at him.

His fingers tightened slightly around your throat, not enough to hurt, but enough to keep you exactly where he wanted you. The look in his eyes was dark, intense—like he was barely holding himself back. Your heart pounded against your ribs, a wild drumbeat that echoed in your ears as his other hand settled on your waist, fingers digging into your hip.

You swallowed hard, the movement restricted by the grip he had on you, and you tried to find your voice. “Auston, I—”

“You what?” he cut you off, his voice a low growl that sent a shiver down your spine. “You didn’t think I’d notice? Didn’t think I’d see what you were doing tonight?”

Your mind raced, trying to piece together exactly what had pushed him to this edge. His gaze burned into you, leaving no room for doubt—he was talking about everything you’d done at dinner, every little touch, every playful glance. And suddenly, it all clicked.

The way you’d brushed your leg against his under the table, seemingly accidental but deliberately lingering just a second too long. The subtle arch of your back when you leaned across the table to grab your drink, knowing full well his eyes were on you. The casual way your fingers trailed up his arm, your nails lightly scratching the fabric of his shirt, sending a current of electricity straight through him.

He remembered every single thing.

Your breath hitched as his hand on your waist pushed a strap on your shoulder down to expose more skin, his fingers scorching hot against your skin. “I’ve been trying to keep it together all night, trying not to fucking drag you out of that restaurant and make you pay for all the shit you pulled,” he murmured, his voice rough with restraint. “But you had to keep pushing, didn’t you?”

You could barely think straight, your body responding to his words, to the way he held you like he was claiming you. Your skin tingled where he touched you, every nerve ending hyper-aware of him. His fingers at your throat flexed, his thumb brushing over your pulse, feeling how wildly it raced for him.

You weren’t used to seeing Auston like this—this raw, this possessive. And God, it turned you on more than you could’ve imagined.

He leaned in, his breath hot against your ear. “All night, baby. You’ve been teasing me all fucking night,” he rasped, his voice dripping with frustration, need. “And now, you’re gonna see what that does to me.”

A whimper escaped your lips before you could stop it, your knees going weak under his relentless grip. You could feel the hard lines of his body pressing against you, the tension coiled tight in every muscle.

You couldn’t breathe. Not because Auston’s hand was wrapped around your throat, though that certainly didn’t help—but because of the way he looked at you. Like he wanted to devour you whole, to make you pay for every single time you’d pushed his buttons tonight. You’d seen Auston frustrated, seen him riled up on the ice, but this…this was different. This was personal. This was desire laced with possession, with a need to remind you exactly where you stood with him.

Your pulse fluttered beneath his fingers, and you could feel the way his grip tightened, just slightly, as he watched you struggle to form a coherent thought. Auston had always been in control, always the one to take the lead, but this…this was him completely unraveling. And it was because of you.

The realization sent a thrill through you, a mix of fear and arousal that only seemed to feed the fire burning in his eyes. You’d pushed him tonight, and now he was pushing back, harder than you could’ve ever imagined.

“You think you can just fuck with me like that?” His voice was low, gravelly, each word dripping with frustration as he leaned in closer, his breath hot against your skin. “You think I wouldn’t notice you practically fucking me with your eyes in front of everyone? Or the way you dragged your nails down my arm, like you couldn’t wait to get your hands on me?”

Auston’s words cut through you, sharp and precise, and you felt your knees weaken beneath you as the memory of every little touch, every teasing glance flashed through your mind. You’d done it on purpose, of course—pushing him, testing him, seeing how far you could go before he snapped. But you hadn’t expected this. Hadn’t expected him to pin you against the door the moment you were alone, to hold you there like he owned you.

And maybe, deep down, that’s exactly what you wanted.

The dress you wore—a short, sleek number that clung to your body in all the right places—suddenly felt too tight, too constricting, and you shifted against the door. The fabric slid up your thighs slightly, and Auston’s eyes dropped, his gaze following the movement with an intensity that made your heart stutter in your chest.

“God, this dress,” he growled, his hand on your waist tightening its grip as if to anchor himself. “You knew exactly what you were doing, didn’t you? Wearing this fucking thing and practically begging me to lose my mind all night.”

You swallowed hard, the motion restricted by his hand still gently holding your throat. His thumb brushed over the delicate skin there, and you shivered, a whimper escaping your lips before you could stop it. “Auston, I—”

“Shut up,” he snapped, voice low and commanding, and it sent a thrill through you, pooling heat low in your belly. “You don’t get to talk, not after the shit you pulled tonight.”

He leaned in closer, his lips hovering just inches from yours, teasing you with his proximity but not quite touching. His breath ghosted over your lips, warm and intoxicating, and you felt your resolve weaken, every part of you straining toward him.

“You think I didn’t notice?” he murmured, voice soft but laced with a dangerous edge. “The way you kept looking at me like you wanted to eat me alive, running your tongue over your lips every time I caught your eye. Fuck, baby, you’re lucky I didn’t bend you over that table right then and there.”

Your cheeks flushed at his words, a delicious heat spreading through you as you remembered every little thing you’d done to get under his skin tonight. The way you’d leaned in close when he was talking to someone else, your breath hot against his ear as you whispered something innocent yet loaded with innuendo. The way your fingers had traced the lines of his tattoos when no one was looking, your touch light and teasing, promising something more if he could just be patient.

But Auston Matthews was never a patient man.

His hand on your throat tightened just a fraction, drawing your attention back to him, and you saw the way his jaw clenched, the muscle ticking as he fought to maintain control. “You wanted this, didn’t you?” he rasped, his lips brushing against yours with every word. “Pushing me all night, knowing exactly what it would do to me. You were begging for this. For me to lose my fucking mind over you.”

You whimpered, a soft, needy sound that escaped before you could stop it, and you felt Auston’s grip tighten in response, his body pressing even closer to yours. The fabric of your dress bunched up slightly as his hand slid up your thigh, the cool air brushing against your exposed skin and sending a shiver up your spine. His thumb stroked the inside of your thigh, teasing, just barely brushing against the edge of your panties, and you couldn’t stop the moan that spilled from your lips.

Auston’s fingers flex around your throat, just enough to remind you that he’s in control, and you feel your pulse flutter wildly beneath his touch. “You know exactly what you’re doing, don’t you, baby?” he growls, his voice rough with need as his eyes roam over your body, taking in every detail. “You wore this tight little thing just to drive me fucking insane…”

Your cheeks burn at his words, but you can’t help the way your body responds, a shiver running down your spine as his gaze locks onto yours, dark and hungry. You know he’s right—you knew exactly what you were doing tonight, every touch, every look, all of it designed to push him to his limit. And now, it’s backfired in the best way possible.

“God, baby,” he murmurs, his breath hot against your skin as he leans in, his lips brushing against your ear. “You’ve been teasing me all night, making me watch you flirt and laugh with my teammates, touching me under the table like it was some kind of fucking game.” His voice is a low, dangerous whisper, and you can feel the frustration rolling off him in waves. “You know how hard it was for me to sit there and pretend like I wasn’t ready to drag you out of there and fuck you senseless?”

Your breath hitches in your throat, and you can feel the heat radiating from his body, his words sinking into your skin like molten lava. “Auston, I—”

“Don’t,” he cuts you off, his grip on your throat tightening just a fraction, enough to make you gasp, your eyes wide as you look up at him. “Don’t act like you’re innocent, sweetheart. You knew exactly what you were doing.” His thumb brushes over your pulse, feeling the rapid beat beneath his touch, and he smirks, a dark, possessive glint in his eyes. “You wanted me to lose my mind over you. You wanted me to fucking claim you.”

You can’t help the way your body reacts to his words, your skin tingling, your thighs pressing together as you feel a flood of heat between your legs. The way he’s looking at you, like he wants to devour you whole, makes your heart race, and you realize you’ve never wanted him more than you do right now.

“I saw the way you looked at me,” he continues, his voice a low growl that sends a shiver down your spine. “Every time I caught your eye, the way you bit your lip like you were imagining what it would feel like to have me between your legs, fucking you right there in front of everyone.” His hand slips down from your throat, trailing over your collarbone, his fingers brushing against the swell of your breasts, and you can’t help the soft moan that escapes your lips. “You knew exactly how to get under my skin, baby.”

You feel like you’re on fire, every nerve ending buzzing with electricity as his touch leaves a trail of heat across your skin. “Auston, please,” you manage to whisper, your voice shaky, your body trembling with anticipation. “I…I didn’t mean to—”

He cuts you off with a low, dark chuckle, his lips curling into a smirk as his hand moves lower, tracing the curve of your waist, his fingers slipping under the hem of your dress. “Oh, you meant it,” he murmurs, his voice dripping with possessive desire as his hand slides up your thigh, pushing the fabric of your dress higher, exposing more of your skin to the cool air. “You wanted to see how far you could push me. You wanted to see what would happen if you teased me enough.”

Your breath catches in your throat as his fingers brush against the lace of your panties, his touch light and teasing, sending a jolt of pleasure through you. “And now,” he whispers, his lips grazing the shell of your ear, “you’re going to find out exactly what happens when you push me too far.”

His hand moves between your legs, and you can’t help the gasp that escapes your lips as his fingers press against you, teasing you through the thin fabric. “Fuck, you’re already so wet for me,” he growls, his voice low and rough as his fingers slide over the damp material, sending waves of pleasure coursing through you. “You’ve been like this all night, haven’t you? So fucking desperate for me to touch you, to make you mine.”

You can’t think, can’t breathe, every part of you focused on the feel of his hand between your legs, his fingers rubbing slow, teasing circles over your clit through your panties. “Auston, please,” you gasp out, your hips bucking against his hand, seeking more of the friction you crave. “I…I need you.”

He lets out a low, satisfied hum, his lips curling into a smirk as he watches you squirm against the door. “Yeah? You need me, baby?” he taunts, his voice dark and seductive as he slips his fingers under the lace, brushing against your slick folds, making you moan softly. “You need me to fuck you right here, against this door, and show you exactly who you belong to?”

You nod frantically, your mind hazy with desire, your body aching for more of his touch. “Yes,” you breathe, your voice barely more than a whisper as you press yourself against him, desperate for more. “Please, I need you.”

His fingers slip inside you, filling you with a delicious stretch, and you can’t help the loud moan that escapes your lips as he starts to move, slow and deliberate, his eyes never leaving yours. “That’s right, sweetheart,” he murmurs, his voice a low growl that makes your toes curl. “You’re mine. You’ve always been mine.”

Your breath is ragged, every nerve ending alive as Auston’s fingers curl inside you, hitting that perfect spot that makes stars dance behind your eyelids. Your hips move of their own accord, grinding down against his hand, seeking the friction that only he can provide. The cool wood of the door against your back is a stark contrast to the heat coursing through your veins, and all you can think about is him—his touch, his voice, his body pressed up against yours.

He leans in closer, his breath hot on your ear. “That’s it, baby,” he murmurs, his voice rough and filled with need. “Take what you need from me. Show me how much you want it.”

Your hands find his shoulders, nails digging into his skin through the fabric of his shirt, and you can feel the muscles tensing beneath your touch. You pull him closer, your lips finding his in a desperate kiss, all teeth and tongue and heat. He responds immediately, his free hand tangling in your hair, pulling your head back slightly to deepen the kiss, to take control just like he always does.

You’re lost in him, in the feel of his fingers moving inside you, the way his body cages you in, holding you exactly where he wants you. Every touch, every kiss, every whispered word is a reminder of who he is, of what he means to you, and you find yourself melting under his touch, giving in to the desire that’s been simmering between you all night.

He breaks the kiss, his lips trailing down your neck, sucking and biting at the sensitive skin there, leaving marks that will no doubt bloom into bruises come morning. You don’t care. You want his mark on you, a reminder of this moment, of the way he makes you feel.

You swallow hard, your breath coming in shallow pants as his hand grips your thigh, lifting it slightly to wrap around his hip. The new angle makes his fingers inside you press even deeper, and you moan, your head falling back against the door. “Auston, please,” you whisper, your voice shaky with need, every inch of you trembling as you cling to him.

“Please, what?” he growls, his lips brushing against the shell of your ear, making you shiver. “Please fuck you like the brat you are? Please make you pay for teasing me all night, for making me watch you flirt with my teammates like you belong to anyone but me?”

You can’t find the words to respond, your mind too foggy with need, your body too focused on the way he’s touching you, the way he’s drawing out every ounce of pleasure he can from you. All you can do is nod, a small, desperate sound escaping your lips as you cling to him, your nails digging into his shoulders, your legs shaking as he continues to tease you, to push you closer to the edge.

Auston pulls his fingers from your body, the sudden emptiness making you whimper, your hips bucking against nothing as you desperately search for the pleasure you’ve been denied. But he doesn’t give you a chance to catch your breath, doesn’t give you a moment to recover before he’s grabbing your hips, spinning you around and pressing your front against the door, the smooth surface cool against your skin as he pins you there.

The sound of his belt unbuckling, the zipper of his pants being pulled down, sends a thrill of anticipation through you, your entire body buzzing with excitement as you realize what’s about to happen. You can feel the heat radiating from him, the way his body presses against yours, trapping you between him and the door, leaving you with no escape. And you don’t want to escape. Not now, not when you’re this close to getting exactly what you’ve been craving all night.

Auston’s hands are relentless, pushing your dress higher until it pools around your waist, exposing the thin lace panties you've been wearing all night. The cool air brushes against your heated skin, and you shiver, anticipation twisting low in your belly as you feel the rough calluses on his hands against the smoothness of your thighs.

“Look at you,” he murmurs, his voice a low growl that sends a thrill straight to your core. “So fucking perfect for me, all laid out like a fucking gift. You wore these pretty little panties for me, didn’t you? This tiny excuse for underwear, knowing exactly what it would do to me.”

You gasp as his hand slips between your legs, fingers brushing over the damp lace, teasing the sensitive flesh beneath. “I knew you’d like it,” you manage to whisper, your voice trembling as you feel his fingers slide under the fabric, grazing your swollen clit.

Auston’s fingers toyed with the lace of your panties, the delicate fabric contrasting to the roughness of his hands. Your breath caught as he tugged at the material, his touch just a whisper against your skin. The tension in the air was thick, your body vibrating with anticipation as you felt his fingers inch closer to where you needed him most.

But then, with a sudden, violent motion, he tore the lace apart, the sound of fabric ripping echoing in the quiet of his apartment. The shock of it, the sheer force behind his actions, sent a jolt of heat straight to your core, and you whimpered, your body trembling with a mix of fear and desire.

Auston’s voice was low, almost a growl, as he spoke into your ear, “These weren’t gonna last anyway, baby.” His breath was hot against your skin, sending shivers down your spine as he pressed himself closer, his body hard and unyielding against yours. “You’ve been such a fucking tease all night, making me watch you act like some kind of a slut in front of everyone, like you can’t get enough attention.

“Oh, fuck,” you whimpered, your forehead pressing against the door as his hands roamed over your now-bare skin, possessive and rough. The anticipation, the need, was unbearable, and every inch of your body screamed for him to take you, to finally give in to the desire that had been simmering between you all night.

But Auston wasn’t done teasing. He wasn’t going to let you off that easily.

His fingers slipped between your folds, dragging through the slickness there, making you moan desperately. He toyed with you, rubbing slow circles over your clit, then pulling away just as you began to lose yourself in the sensation. Over and over, he brought you to the brink, only to deny you the release you craved, the pleasure just out of reach.

Auston’s grip on your hips tightened, his fingers digging into your flesh with a bruising force that sent a mixture of pain and pleasure shooting through you. You could feel the barely contained rage in his movements, his possessiveness consuming him as he pressed you harder against the door. The wood was cold against your cheek, grounding you just enough to keep from losing yourself completely in the dizzying haze of want and frustration that he was expertly weaving around you.

"You think you can act like that, all needy and desperate for attention," Auston growled, his voice a rough whisper in your ear. "Rubbing up on the guys like you didn’t already know who you belong to. Think I wouldn’t notice? Did you think I’d let you get away with it?" His teeth grazed your earlobe, and you shivered, a choked sob escaping your throat as his hand came down on your ass with a sharp crack.

The sting radiated through you, sharp and delicious, making your breath hitch and tears prick at your eyes. You could feel your body trembling, your legs weak and barely holding you up as he continued his relentless assault, his fingers now sliding through your wetness with purpose. His touch was rough, demanding, like he was claiming you all over again. Every inch of your skin felt electric, every nerve ending alight with the sensation of his calloused fingers and the intense heat of his body pressed against yours.

"Look at you," he taunted, his voice dripping with a mixture of amusement and anger. "So fucking wet for me already. Was this what you wanted, huh? Acting like a little whore just so I’d take you like this?" His fingers slipped inside you abruptly, two thick digits filling you without warning. You gasped, your body arching back against him as a wave of pleasure and pain crashed over you.

"Yes," you whimpered, your voice breaking. "Yes, Auston, please, I’m sorry…I just—"

"Just what?" he cut you off, his fingers curling inside you, finding that spot that made your knees nearly buckle. "Just wanted to see how far you could push me? See if I’d finally lose control and fuck you the way you’ve been begging for all night?" His thumb brushed over your clit, and you cried out, the pleasure shooting through you so intense you saw stars.

Your hips bucked against his hand, desperate for more, but he was quick to pull away, denying you once again. You let out a sob of frustration, your body trembling uncontrollably now, every inch of you aching with the need for release. "Auston, please," you begged, tears streaming down your cheeks, your voice barely more than a broken whisper. "I need you. I’m sorry, I need you so bad, please, I can’t…"

He let out a dark chuckle, clearly reveling in your desperation. "Oh, I know you need me, baby," he murmured, his lips trailing down the side of your neck. "But you’ve been such a bad girl tonight. I’m not sure you deserve it." He bit down on your shoulder, just hard enough to make you gasp, your body jerking in response to the sharp pain.

"Please," you whispered again, your voice raw with need. "Please, Auston, I’ll be good, I swear. I’ll do anything, just please…"

Auston’s breath was hot against your skin as he spoke, his words sending a fresh wave of heat straight to your core. "Anything?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. "You’d do anything for me to fuck you right now, wouldn’t you, baby? Anything to feel my cock inside you, filling you up, making you scream."

You nodded frantically, the tears blurring your vision as you pressed your forehead harder against the door. "Yes, yes, anything, Auston, please, I need it, I need you…"

He groaned, the sound deep and primal, as if he was barely holding himself back. "Fuck, you’re so fucking pathetic right now," he muttered, his hands moving to grip your waist, lifting you slightly as he kicked your legs apart with his foot. "But I love it. Love how desperate you are, how you’re willing to beg for it like the needy little slut you are."

Before you could even process his words, you felt the blunt head of his cock pressing against your entrance, and you cried out, your body tensing with anticipation. He didn’t give you time to adjust, didn’t give you the chance to breathe, just slammed into you with one brutal thrust, filling you completely. You screamed, the pleasure so intense it was almost painful, your body convulsing around him as he set a punishing pace, his hips slamming against yours with every thrust.

You sobbed, your hands scrambling for purchase against the door, your nails scraping against the wood as you tried to hold on, trying to keep yourself from falling apart under the relentless onslaught of his cock. He was everywhere, inside you, around you, his scent filling your nostrils, his breath hot and heavy against your neck.

"Fuck, you feel so good," he groaned, his voice strained with the effort of holding himself back. "So fucking tight, so perfect for me. You’re mine, you understand? Mine to fuck, mine to punish, mine to take whenever I want."

"Yes, yes, yours, I’m yours," you gasped, your voice breaking on a sob as he thrust into you harder, deeper, his cock hitting that spot inside you that made you see stars. You were so close, so fucking close, the pressure building inside you almost unbearable, but just as you were about to fall over the edge, he pulled out, leaving you empty and aching.

"No!" you cried out, your body convulsing with the loss, the denial of your release almost too much to bear. "Please, please, I need to come, I need it so bad…"

Auston’s hand left your hip, sliding down your body until he reached the juncture of your thighs, his fingers finding your clit and rubbing slow, torturous circles that had you whimpering, your hips bucking uncontrollably against his hand.

"Not yet, baby," he murmured, his voice low and dangerous as he continued his relentless teasing. "You don’t get to come yet. Not until I say so."

The denial was agonizing, the pressure inside you building to an unbearable level as he brought you to the brink over and over again, only to pull back at the last second, leaving you trembling and sobbing with frustration.

"Please," you begged, your voice a broken whisper as you pressed your forehead against the door, your tears soaking into the wood as you struggled to hold on, to keep from losing yourself completely in the dizzying haze of need and desire. "Please, Auston, I can’t…I can’t take it anymore, please…"

Auston’s grip on your hips tightened, his breath hot against your ear as he spoke, his voice low and dangerous. "You think you’ve earned it yet, baby? Think you deserve to come after the way you’ve been acting?" His fingers dug into your flesh, the pain sharp and delicious, making you whimper as you nodded frantically.

"Yes, yes, I promise, I’ll be good, I’ll do anything, please, Auston, please, I need it so bad, I need you…"

He let out a low groan, his hips pressing against yours as he slid his cock back inside you, filling you completely. "Alright, baby," he murmured, his voice strained with the effort of holding back. "But you’d better make it good. I want to feel you come all over my cock, want to hear you scream my name."

You let out a choked sob, your body trembling with the effort of holding back, of keeping yourself together as he began to thrust into you again, his pace rough and demanding. Every inch of you was on fire, every nerve ending screaming with pleasure as he fucked you hard, his cock filling you over and over again, driving you to the brink.

"Fuck, Auston, I’m so close," you gasped, your voice breaking as the pressure built inside you, the pleasure almost too much to bear. "Please, please, I need to come, I need it so bad…"

"Then come for me, baby," he growled, his voice rough and low as he thrust into you harder, deeper, his cock hitting that spot inside you that made you see stars. "Come for me right fucking now."

And with those words, you shattered, your body convulsing around him as the pleasure crashed over you in waves, your orgasm tearing through you with a force that left you breathless and shaking. You screamed his name, your voice raw with need and desperation, as you came undone around him, your body trembling with the aftershocks of your release.

Auston groaned, his hips slamming against yours one final time as he buried himself deep inside you, his own orgasm hitting him with a force that left him breathless and shaking. He held you close, his arms wrapped around you as he rode out the waves of his release, his breath hot against your neck as he whispered your name, his voice soft and tender now.

For a long moment, the two of you just stood there, panting and trembling, your bodies pressed together in the aftermath of your passion. And then, slowly, Auston pulled away, his hands gentle as he planted a kiss on your shoulder. “You okay?”

Okay was an understatement. But you didn’t mind at all, you were exactly where you wanted to be.

[tainbocuailnge]

Hey, sorry to send an ask without us knowing each other 😅

But I just saw you in the tags in the post about jrpg translations, saying that FF14 has better translations in other languages.

Can you talk more about that?😊

I played in English before and it was okay. I tried German too, but was a bit disappointed. So hearing you say that, I'm genuinely curious to hear more!

I've been replaying msq in german and wrapped up tsukuyomi just yesterday and it's insane the extent to which german is more thematically consistent and has stronger and more nuanced characterisation than english. i think the german script is more poetic too, despite english trying so much harder to sound flowery and important. I've been translating bits and pieces to my friends and I keep feeling like I'm presenting them with that botched jesus painting restoration because I just don't know how to convey how beautifully constructed some of these sentences are. the german translation team are genuinely very good writers.

as an example of what kind of differences we're dealing with here, and since it's what I finished most recently, in german from the start there's a lot more emphasis on how it was systematic mistreatment from the "good old" doma that lead yotsuyu to where she is, and that her cruelty is specifically retribution for the way doma has failed her (as opposed to english trying to frame it as in large part to satisfy her personal sadistic impulses). gosetsu is repeatedly shown to be sympathetic towards her for this even while she's actively trying to hurt and kill him (as opposed to english having him be sarcastically dismissive of her), which makes it make way more sense that he'd take tsuyu in his care later even without the "also she reminds him of his dead daughter" bit (that they do still tack on at the end but doesn't feel like a handwave excuse as much because of aforementioned consistent sympathy).

in english hien has several lines showing he's hostile to and wary of tsuyu and waiting for the right opportunity to kill her, but in german hien brings up killing tsuyu one (1) time and when gosetsu argues for her right to live hien agrees, and the difficulty in keeping her around is not his personal dislike but that it's hard to guarantee her safety when the doman people will want violent retribution in turn (in clear parallel to lyse trying to keep fordola from getting lynched without a fair trial). because german hien is not constantly talking about how he wishes he could just kill yotsuyu for her crimes, it doesn't read as pathetically incompetent of him to let her sneak out of the mansion multiple times because he was treating her as harmless citizen of doma instead of an enemy of the state (because german in general emphasises a lot that she SHOULD have had a place in doma), and her backstory is taken seriously as part of his motivation to create a better doma that she perhaps could've had a peaceful life in

there are many cases like this where german displays a nuance that english doesn't, and from very early on. in english arr cid ran away from the empire out of moral disagreements, in german it's clear that he also holds a complicated resentment over losing his father to project meteor and then his replacement father figure gaius to a similar mad search for power, something that in english doesn't come up until all the way in shadowbringers with bozja. in english castrum meridianum livia says she's going to kill you because gaius is hers, in german she's mad at you because you killed her friend mr cape westwind and is going to kill you before you can take gaius from her too.

in german heavensward thordan sounds much more convinced of his principles. when you defeat him in english he's horrified of how you could possibly overcome the amount of faith he's powered by, in german he's horrified that the future of ishgard will be thrown into chaos in the name of your pursuit of truth. gaius sounds more convinced of the ideals he spouts too, and it feels more plausible that he has people willing to die for him and his ideals. in german the similarities between nidhogg and estinien are clearer, and when nidhogg possesses him he insidiously frames it as an act of kindness.

in german, many random moments of misogyny in the english script outright don't exist. matoya doesn't make fun of alphinaud for looking like a girl. alphinaud isn't dismissive of alisaie in binding coils. most of the lines in english that insult or dismiss yotsuyu as an evil whore don't exist in german, and lines that weren't about her at all in english turn out to express sympathy towards her in german. in english hydaelyn had minfilia fuse with her by force, in german it was minfilia's idea. in english i was bothered by lyse being made head of the resistance because she sounds so unsure of what to do and think right until the end, in german she's full of conviction and clarity of purpose. I'm sincerely convinced the english team hates women.

because german doesn't go out of its way to sound like some kind of ancient wizard prophecy at every turn, several scenes which in english were confusing convey their information clearly in german (I'm particularly thinking about the minfilia anitower scene here). characters talk clearly and with a lot of personality that english fails to achieve because everyone has to speak faux old english. and because most characters talk like real people instead of ancient wizards in german it's extra cute that urianger does in fact talk like an ancient wizard.

as a more personal gripe, I have noticed several moments where the english script centers the warrior of light and their importance and struggles, while in german those scenes where about, like, the character the scene is about. german wol is still hydaelyn's favourite freak of nature and everyone loves them obviously, but as the example most fresh in my memory there's the scene in early post-stb where you visit fordola in her cell and she unwillingly looks into wol's past thanks to her fake echo. in english, she asks wol how they can bear all the suffering other people have put them through. in german, she asks how wol manages to stay sane when the echo makes you so deeply aware of the suffering of others. in the flashback of her past you see in that scene the german script also mentions that her face tattoo is an ala mhigan design, which makes it clearer than it was in english that she was specifically trying to rise the ranks of the imperial military as ala mhigan and makes her motivations more coherent - namely wanting to prove both the ala mhigans who hated her for being garlean and the garleans who hated her for being ala mhigan wrong by achieving success as both (and the power to lash out at both).

there have been very, very few moments where I actually thought the english script was better (shiva's trial lines and like, one line hien says at the steppe, that's it), and the vast majority of the time german is anywhere from about the same quality as english to just insanely better. the english script is so concerned with sounding cool and important that it becomes scared of letting characters be motivated by emotion. it's plagued by the kind of insincerity and insecurity that plagues so much of western media and leads to movie superheroes making fun of their own costumes. the english script will write one good line and then keep repeating that line ad nauseam and yet still fail to achieve the amount of internal thematic consistency the german script has, because english is relying on this handful of cool lines to carry its emotional core instead of actually letting the emotional core drive the characters. combined with the consistent pattern of dumbing down and/or vilifying female characters frankly I want to beat koji fox with hammers.

I'm actually very curious what about the german script disappointed you. the german voice acting is not good so if that's what turned you off I completely get it (I play with jp voices myself) but that's separate from the actual writing. these kind of things will ultimately always come down to personal preference so i won't judge but as you can tell from these several paragraphs i feel very strongly about the quality of the german script so I find it hard to imagine why you think that

[the-s1lly-corner]

Caine, Jax and Kinger with an kid reader who is like sleepy and very calm most of the time; like having that sleepy voice and is most likely to sleep standing up.

But when someone gives sugar to reader OH BOI

Reader gets eletric, like running around 300 kilometers per hour (Figuratively, not literally) does jumping jacks and starts like accidentally wrecking havoc with their running cuz they keep knocking things on accident while their run, but after an hour or two, reader just... Sleeps on the ground like they didnt almost destroy the entire place an minute ago.

Im going through an hard time in my life and currently your blog has been comforting me, so ilysm! Tyy<3 stay safe!

- ♣️

Caine, Jax, and Kinger x sleepy!kid!reader who gets zoomies (platonic!)

Eeueueuee lemme just say I love this idea so much I remember seeing this when it first got sent in and I just

UGH!!!/pos

Hope you enjoy anon!

CAINE:

I was about to say that he would wear one of those kid baby carrier harness things to carry you around when you fall asleep but then I remembered how short Caine is LMAO... that said I think he would probably like. Idk summon a digital cloud or something to carry you to bed. Very nice very sweet, I think! Honestly I kind of love dad Caine...

Thinks you look absolutely adorable when you do the sleepy wobble when you're standing. Probably calls for nap time periods during IHAs

One day he thought it would be a good day to reward everyone with candy after a IHA and he just

Watches wide eyed when you suddenly start running all over the place. What happened? Is this normal? Are you okay? He tries to zoom after you to catch you before you hurt yourself

Lots of chaos for the next half hour or so. I think he would even resort to sending out bubble to intercept you

Carefully scoops you up when you succumb to the sugar crash and just

Stands there as you fall asleep on him

Very lost very confused, though the sugar rush thing was a myth

JAX:

Very similar event from Caine's part. Everyone is given a piece of candy after successfully completing an IHA. I do think that Caine would still enforce naptime breaks during IHAs during Jax and Kingers pieces too, since I think caine would just generally want to keep this kid friendly/safe but maybe that's just me falling in love with dad caine

But this is about jax

Real quick before we get into the sugar rush, let's talk about your general sleepiness. Honestly I think he would be a little worried about how tired you are all the time... what's that? Jax worried about something? Now that's new!

Jokes aside I think he would try to ask around for any advice on how to boost your energy. Earns him some looks because it's kind of out of character for him. And you know what? It is.. but I think he would be soft for his new adopted kid

Tends to carry you around when you get sleepy, which is often

Now for the sugar rush. One second you're there and the next you're bolting and running around all crazy. I think he just. Stand there flabbergasted for a second because he thinks it's a little funny

Doesnt intervene until you start knocking into things... and almost knock into him

Now we know how fast jax can be, so I think he wouldnt have much issue catching you (assuming that part in the pilot was more than a gag.. it likely was just a gag but I'm feeling silly)

Kind of just holds you up in the air while you flail and try to run away.. before eventually going limp in his grasp

Similar to caine he kind of just stands there. Very taken aback. Thinks it's a little funny though.

"Comeon kid, let's get ya to bed"

KINGER:

Same scenario with the candy after an IHA.. but first, of course, how kinger is with your eepy self

Honestly you two just hang out together in the pillow fort. Its nice and soft and cozy. So even if you werent so tired all the time you would still have a very easy time falling asleep in his fort!

Usually he will take you to your room when it's nighttime... cue the universal memory of falling asleep and waking up somewhere else as a child

Always makes sure you're tucked in and with your favorite plushie... now kinger would have a baby harness and be able to carry you around when you get tired

Let's out a yelp when you suddenly get your sugar induced zoomies. Tries to run after you but you're just way too fast. I think some of the others would take some pity on him and try to help him. Probably pomni, ragatha, and gangle.. zooble cant be bothered and jax is just laughing at the situation because it aint his kid.. caine may try to help if hes still hanging around

Panics when you suddenly slump over and fall asleep on the floor. Is going to have to be reassured that you did not just

You know... and that you're just asleep

Makes a mental note to limit sugar

...its not even real sugar.. its digital.. bro is beside himself trying to make sense of it

[wholoveseggs]

Christmas Khaos

{Masterlist}

~Five days of Fluffmas~

You settle in with the Mikaelsons for a cozy Christmas movie night, but when movie choices spark a sibling feud, chaos ensues.

1k words - No warnings, no smut! just pure fluff.

You were cautiously carrying your mug of hot cocoa into the living room of the Mikaelson compound, observing Kol and Rebekah putting the finishing touches on the Christmas tree as you sat down on the sofa next to Elijah. The plan for the evening involved watching one of those cheesy holiday movies while snuggling in blankets with hot cocoa or eggnog.

"So, what movie did you all decide on?" you asked curiously.

"Die Hard," Kol smirked as he finished placing the last ornament on the tree.

"We already watched that a few days ago," Klaus huffed as he walked into the room. "I want to watch the Grinch."

"Of course you do," Kol scoffed.

"Those movies are terrible. We should watch a better one, like Love Actually!" Rebekah argued.

You turned to Elijah, who had decided not to involve himself in the argument. As the rest of the siblings bickered, you asked him quietly, "What do you want to watch?"

He looked over at his arguing siblings, then back at you. "I will always vote for whatever you want to watch."

You blushed and smiled, "Awww. That's sweet, but I'd still like to know your opinion. Do you have a preference?"

He was silent for a moment, looking deep in thought. "The Nutcracker."

"Seriously?" Kol said, breaking out of the argument he was having.

"Absolutely, The Nutcracker it is then," you announced, earning a raised eyebrow from Kol.

"Are we seriously going to watch a ballet?" he exclaimed, feigning disbelief.

Rebekah rolled her eyes, "Oh, come on, Kol! It's a classic! Plus, it's way better than your Die Hard obsession."

Kol shot back, "Die Hard is a Christmas masterpiece, unlike your sugary romantic dramas."

"We are watching The Nutcracker," Elijah said firmly.

The siblings groaned, but they still settled into the living room. You got up to put the movie in the DVD player, then returned to the sofa, sitting between Kol and Elijah. You grabbed the remote, and when you went to press play, nothing happened. You tried again, same result.

Elijah let out a deep sigh and stood, kneeling in front of the TV to fix the issue. Kol turned to you, giving you a sweet smile.

"So, darling, have any plans for New Year's?"

"Yeah," you nodded. "I'm going to a party in the Quarter."

"A party," he hummed. "I suppose you will be needing a ride there."

You gave him a questioning look. "Yeah… I guess."

He leaned in close to you, whispering into your ear, "I will gladly take you. In fact, I could take you home as well."

He leaned back, giving you a devious smirk. You bit your lip, feeling a little flustered. Kol was so hot, and the two of you had hooked up a few times. He was always so sweet and charming afterward and was just a good time in general. However, sometimes he was a little too flirty and mischievous for your taste. He had a habit of getting you into trouble. As his hand came down to rest on your thigh, you realized how easy it was for him to talk you into doing something reckless and dangerous. You had already done a lot of reckless things with him.

"H-how's the TV looking?" you asked Elijah, trying not to sound flustered.

"I can't figure out the source of the problem," Elijah replied, looking behind the TV.

Kol's hand started slowly inching higher up your leg. Your breath hitched as his thumb brushed against the inseam of your pants. You looked up to see Kol's smirk widen. He was really enjoying messing with you, and you were tempted to let him.

"Well, if it's not getting fixed anytime soon, I'll go get another hot cocoa," Rebekah announced, walking past the couch.

Suddenly the room erupted into chaos, the beautiful Christmas tree came crashing down, ornaments shattering on impact and scattering across the floor like glittering confetti. The air was filled with the jarring sound of glass breaking and the collective gasp of astonishment from everyone present. Everyone looked at it in shock, then jumped as the TV began blasting Christmas music at an alarming volume.

"Oh, for the love of—" Klaus started, but his voice was drowned out by the blaring Christmas music.

Elijah, still on his knees in front of the TV, frantically tried to mute the sound.

"Klaus, what did you do now?" Rebekah exclaimed, narrowing her eyes accusingly.

Kol, seizing the opportunity, grinned mischievously, "I bet Klaus sabotaged the tree to avoid watching The Nutcracker. Crafty move, brother."

“How am I getting blamed for this? I was standing across the room!” Klaus yelled in defense.

Rebekah crossed her arms, unconvinced. "Convenient, Klaus. Very convenient."

Kol chimed in, "Maybe the tree was threatened by Klaus's Grinchy energy."

Amidst the chaos, Elijah rose from in front of the TV, his calming presence attempting to restore order. "Enough, all of you! Let's focus on cleaning up this mess and salvaging what's left of our evening."

As Rebekah and Klaus continued to argue, and Elijah attempted to restore order, Kol's lips brushed against your ear again, his tone suggestive, "Care to get out of here?"

"Absolutely," you said, getting up from the couch.

Kol grabbed your hand and led you upstairs to his room. The moment you both entered, he pulled you into a kiss. The door closed behind you, muffling the echoes of the Mikaelson drama downstairs. Kol's mischievous grin persisted as he gently pulled away, guiding you backward towards his bed.

"Care to share what exactly you did downstairs?" you asked, a playful glint in your eyes.

"Just a little Christmas magic, darling," he smiled, leaning in to kiss you again.

You were sure the Mikaelsons would figure out it was Kol and come looking for him, but you weren't too worried. You knew how much trouble Kol was going to get in. Maybe you'd let him get away with it for a little while.

Besides, it was the most wonderful time of the year.

Credit goes to Anon for this idea ♡♡

[alientee]

hi! just read your ‘To Live’ Mauga x Reader and absolutely loved it, and kinda had a request sort of along the same lines as that one (that is only if you’re taking requests ofc)

So like, say Mauga’s away on Talon work and what-not, but while he’s away Reader’s home/general area gets attacked (maybe a null sector ship crashes or smth?) and like Reader does get injured and kinda bleeds a slightly worrying amount but nothing a health pack and some rest won’t fix really, so they manage to go get medical help. So Mauga obviously finds out, rushes back from his mission, and seeing the worrying amount of blood staining the ruins of the reader’s home has him all worried the worst happened. So he spends practically a full day digging around the ruins of the house, panic just slowly building as he searches, and by sunrise he just has nearly given up; sitting in the rubble somewhere between pure despair and unbridled rage towards himself, when he hears reader call his name, and surprise, reader is alive and well, standing right outside the ruins of the house, albeit with a few bandages. Then bam! Fluff.

Didn’t realize this was gonna be this long but thanks for reading this pitch anyways 👍

Another Mauga x reader

This is so cute so of course I had to write it ! Thank you for asking for this I’ll answer a request if I have time and or if it’s in my comfort zone and I wrote this the day you sent it I was that excited I hope you enjoy! (SIDE NOTE I HAVE SO MUCH SMUT COMING FOR MAUGA YALL) gender neutral reader x Mauga

You sat on the couch, watching a horror movie, waiting for Mauga to get home. You learned not to worry too much about him going on missions with Talon; that man lives for the thrill.

You go to the kitchen to get some snacks. Sometimes you did get lonely when he left for a mission, but the chaotic life wasn’t for you. And just as you got your food alarms, start blaring from the outside.

You quickly set everything down and go to your window. You look out into the sky. You couldn’t help the anxiety that filled you. “it’s null sector."

Explosions rang outside while you ran up the stairs, hoping nothing hit your house. You should’ve known you wouldn’t be so lucky. As the explosions get louder, your house starts to shake. That’s when it all came crumbling down, and so did you.

“OUCH FUCK!”

You could feel your muscles ache and a sting in your ankle; you knew the feeling all too well; your eyesight was distorted, and you felt dizzy. But you couldn’t dwell on that, you had fell from the now broken stairs and sprained your ankle. And as more of your home crumbles so does your way out. Everything seemed to be blocked off except your broken window.

The small space would be difficult to go through, but you didn’t have a choice. You push yourself through the window. That’s when you feel searing, hot pain shoot through you. You begin to scream. “FUCKING FUDGE NUTS”

You didn’t realize there was some glass still around the edges of the window, but you couldn’t stop now. With one hard push, you fall out of the window, gripping your side in pain. And just as you got out of the house, it completely came down. There’s a large glass shard in your side. You slowly pull it out, screaming in anguish. You look at the rest of the village, realizing that they are fighting back and null sector is retreating. You let out a sigh of relief. It was kind of annoying that your house had to fall, but at least now you were safe and you didn’t have to worry about it.

"Now let’s see if I can limp to the medical center.”

Mauga had a good day. He used Chacha and Gunny, caused some chaos, and he got paid. What more could he ask for? He was cleaning his guns when Sombra came up to him.

"It looks like null sector strikes again. The boss might have us go pick up some of their tech for data. Try not to cause too much of a mess if we do."Mauga looks at her, amused by the statement. "Come on, Somb you know me, what’s the fun in that?”

Sombra rolled her eyes. “I’m serious, Mauga, plus you wouldn’t want to cause trouble on your own stomping grounds, would you?"

“What are you talking about!?”

Sombra looked at him guilty. "Yeah, I probably should’ve started with Somoa getting attacked.”

Before she could say anything else, he was out of the room, guns in hand.

Mauga made it back to Somoa as quickly as he could. The whole island wasn’t damaged, but there was enough damage to know the clean-up would take a long time. Mauga rushes to your home, hoping you were okay. You had to be okay. When he got to your home, he dropped his guns to the ground.

Where was your home? Nothing but rubble lay in the distance. He walked towards the house; he didn't even realize he ended up running by the time he got to the wreckage.

“Y/N!!!!” He screamed your name. Mauga knew that when he didn’t get an answer, he had to move.

“They’re ok; they gotta be ok." Mauga nodded to himself. He knew you were a fighter, and you were smart. There’s no way you’d just lay down and die. He dug through the rubble of the house. He went through every single part of it he could move. And what he couldn’t pick up, he tried to dig under with his bare hands.

Hours and hours he spent moving rubble bricks and broken glass. His hands were covered in cuts and slightly rubbed raw from all the material he was trying to drag. The hours of the night ended up being until dawn.

“I’m such a fucking idiot,” Mauga couldn’t help but feel like shit. All the times you asked him to take a day off to spend time with him. All the times you told him you were lonely. All the time you worried for him. Every hug he got lasted more than a minute because he was gone so long. He always told you that no matter what, he’d protect you because he’s strong enough to win every time. He couldn’t always be there to save you, so you had to be strong too.

“A fucking joke,” he said, picking up a large piece of what was the door and flinging it.

“PIECE OF FUCKING SHIT” Mauga feels so much rage and so much sadness that he’s started throwing things everywhere. Not even caring, he threw his own guns. “I can’t protect shit! I couldn’t back up a fucking thing I said to them. I’m such a fucking joke! I couldn't even stay for em………they’re gone…… I couldn’t even fucking …….they can’t be…. they fucking can’t be gone.”

Mauga falls to his knees, not caring that his body has given out, that his hands are slightly bleeding, or that he flung his guns to God knows where. “The fuck am I going to do?” He puts his head in his hands. The stress is getting to him, and he can’t get it together.

“Mauga ! Your back!"

Mauga looks up, and he can’t believe what he’s seeing. There you are, covered in bandages, limping towards him. He slowly stands up, but he runs towards you like he’s going to tackle you. And he kind of does; he holds you in his arms tightly, bringing your face to his chest. He didn’t realize he was squeezing your wound.

"Ow! Mauga, I’m injured!”

He quickly lets you go but catches you before you completely drop to the floor.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” He rubs your arms, putting his forehead against yours. “I…. I thought you were gone, baby…. I thought I lost you." His voice was raspy from screaming so much earlier, louder than he’s ever screamed, and that’s saying something for someone as loud as him. You wrapped your arms around him, snuggling into his chest, and you listened to his two heartbeats that sounded out of control.

“I’m ok; I’m here; it’s fine.” You try consoling him.

“When everything fell down, I got out but got glass stuck in my side, and I sprained my ankle. But I was strong, just like you said I had to be, haha." He smiled and picked you up, princess-style, leaning in to kiss your forehead.

“I’m so proud of you, baby,” he leans in, giving you a soft, passionate kiss, tangling his hand in your hair, and bringing you in as close as he can. He leans back from the kiss, rubbing your cheek with his knuckles and staring into your eyes, looking at you like he’d lose you if he looked away.

“Let’s get you somewhere safe, ok? Get you cleaned up and fed,” he pecks your lips. You nod at him, leaning your head into his neck and slightly tracing his tattoos. You were happy to be in his arms again. Mauga ended up bringing you back to his place, which was surprisingly untouched.

He takes off your clothes and carries you to the tub. He’s about to move to help you bathe, but you stop him. "Mauga, what happened to your hands, honey?" He looks down, his hands covered in cuts and dried blood. "I just got carried away. I’m fine.”

You gave him a look. "No, you're going to go get your hands looked at.”

He looked at you angrily, giving you a snarl. “I’m not leaving you!”

You lean back, not expecting him to get so angry. “Mauga I’m ok now; you’re here on the island with me. I’m not afraid, and you shouldn’t be either. If they come back, I know I’m the safest I could ever be because you're near."

Mauga sighs. He should’ve expected that. Even though he blames himself, he knows you don’t. And all he wants to do right now is make you happy. So he went to get his hands looked at. He won’t tell you he ran to the infirmary and ran all the way back, though.

When he made it back, Mauga caught you trying to cook. He quickly made his way over, scooping you up and dumping you on the couch. He propped your sprained ankle up and kissed your cheek. "Nope, I got it.” The rest of the day, Mauga took care of you. Getting salt water for your ankle and fixing all your meals. Helping you fix your hair.

He was so sweet, even though you knew he still felt guilty. You end the day cuddling in bed. You were in Maugas lap while he played in your hair, his other hand intertwined with yours. You lay against his chest, listening to his two heartbeats. He couldn’t help but smirk at the concentrated look on your face.

“What’s on your mind, beautiful?"

You look at Mauga, wanting to show him you are serious. “I don’t want you to feel bad about what happened. You couldn’t have known this would happen.”

"It doesn't matter; it’s my job to take care of you. You're mine, and I told you I’d always win for you and that I’d never let you get hurt.”

“You also told me to be strong because you always won’t be there, and you were right, and I pushed through because of it!”

He does not want to admit it, but he can’t help but give in, even if you were right and they were his own words. It stings to hear them in the moment. He wants to protect you from everything; he wants to be your rock and your hero. Even though he knows it’s impossible to be that every time.

Mauga hums in agreement, and he slightly leans his body onto you. It’s comforting to have his heavy weight pressing on you. His large, strong hands are on your body, making you feel so safe and protected. His gentle kisses and affection show you how much he means it; he’ll make sure you're taken care of no matter what. Being wrapped in his large arms puts comfort in your heart.

Mauga kisses your nose. “How about I take a break from missions? We can spend some time together on another island, just you and me, sugar.”

You smile, kissing him back softly. “Alright, just you and me.”



[syrena-del-mar]

Very Rarely Do Men Know How to Be Altogether Good or Altogether Wicked

The last five minutes of today's episode left my mouth gaping, it really felt like I was watching a catastrophic accident happen in front of me and I just couldn't look away.

I wasn't completely sure on how Sand was going to learn about Ray and Mew's history, but I sure wasn't expecting that Ray's feelings would be exposed in such a volatile way. Maybe I’m in the minority here, I’m not exactly sure because I’m seeing a mixed bag of reactions, but I don’t necessarily agree that Sand ever needed to find out about Ray’s feelings for Mew. Much less from Boston.

This is partially going to be a bit of a continuation of my thoughts that Boston has a Machiavellian personality, followed up with SandRay's relationship becoming the unsuspecting 'victim'. Again, I'll be using pulling from Machiavelli's The Prince, but I'm also using his work Discourses on Livy. [Title credit to ch. 27 of Discourses]

Boston, still the Machiavellian 'Prince'

“Another difficulty to be added to the one mentioned above is that a state that becomes free creates for itself enemies rather than friends.”

― Niccolò Machiavelli, Discourses on Livy

Let me be upfront, I don't hate Boston, I actually enjoy the chaos he brings, but he's a fascinating character to break down and really analyze his actions. The last five minutes was, in my opinion, the most chaos that he has caused out in the open. This was never a situation of Boston 'saying what needed to be said.' This was Boston seeing an opportunity to take control of someone and doing so by unfairly outing Ray's feelings. I, again, stand by the idea that Boston is not a narcissist, but rather a Machiavellian personality type. This doesn't make him a 'villain'; Only Friends does a good job at showing that there are no villains in real life, just incredibly shitty people. Boston is simply a dick, who chooses to play with his friends to feel a sense of control when he doesn't have it. Has he ever cared for his friends? Does he keep them around simply for convenience? Hard to say. That doesn't make him evil, it just makes him a first-class jackass.

In my post where I had stated that he was more of a Machiavellian rather than narcissist, I came to the conclusion that, 'In his viewpoint, he is the kingpin, even in his group of friends, because he believes that he's the one that controls how his friends move since he knows how Mew is developing feelings for Top and is aware of Ray's feelings for Mew.' This time around, he practically admits it right after purposefully revealing Ray's feelings for Mew, "I just want to keep track of my best friends' romantic moments.' Boston hoards information so that he can throw it in people's faces when it fits him the best, there's no 'good intentions' on his keeping tabs on his friends.

Boston knows that TopMew are going to sleep together, they're serious and he's out of the running. Is it simply ego or is it because of self-interest? Whatever the catalyst is, he essentially has nothing holding him back anymore. He's seeing his "friends" getting "serious", while he's out there dealing with known (and unknown) filming of one-night stands he had being used as revenge porn. That'd hurt and anger anyone, but from what has been shown, Boston thrives off of control and so having his sex life used against him would feel like an even bigger blow. They're minor events that are snowballing and Boston likely needs to feel that control again. It's why he pushes Nick down without a second thought when Nick is trying to pull him away (opposed to how Ray lets Sand pull him back). So he claims that control back, he deliberately reveals what he knows, purposefully taking Ray down with him. While he may be feeling like shit, at least he'll be better off than Ray, who's left to pick up the pieces.

Sand and Ray, the intentional destruction of the 'kingdom'

“In general you must either pamper people or destroy them; harm them just a little and they’ll hit back; harm them seriously and they won’t be able to. So if you’re going to do people harm, make sure you needn’t worry about their reaction.” ― Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince

Yes, Sand and Ray are in a “situationship.” Yes, they’re constantly getting both physically and emotionally closer. Yes, Sand is developing feelings for Ray (arguably vice versa too). But that’s it. They started off as friends with benefits and while they’ve been shifting around, neither one has fully crossed that line. There was no defined area in the relationship, at least not before the implosion. They’re barely getting to know each other, Sand even calls Ray out because he knew that Ray had never noticed him before, not in a way other than just the Bar Performer.

Ray is working through who he is without Mew, without his crush on Mew. He's come to the realization that while he put Mew as his #1 for many years, he's knows he's not that for Mew, and is slowly coming to the realization that he may have never been. These are his feelings to work out and his alone. Sand and Ray are first and foremost friends, as they had agreed upon and they happen to hook up often. This was what they agreed upon. Even if one or both of them are catching feelings, it does not mean that Ray has an automatic obligation to come clean to Sand.

Arguably, Boston was unaware of this set up, but honestly he didn't need to know. This was not his business, Boston didn't suddenly spill the fact that Ray has had feelings for Mew for years to look out for Sand. No, this was an intentional hit on Ray, where he was positive that it would hurt. Boston has repeatedly used Ray's feelings for Mew for his own convenience (Exhibit A: Meddling at the pool party), whether it be to get Ray to react in a certain way or to have a punching bag. He knew how defensive and reactive Ray would get when he brought up RayMew's kiss and supposed sex (was this ever confirmed?) that they had.

Boston speaks in definite presumptions when he talks about others, he does this to Top and he did it to Ray. He spins realities to how he sees fit and with the confidence that he speaks in, he makes others believe him. It's why Mew never questioned that Top is accustomed to sleeping around and didn't think that Top really wanted anything more than sex, because that's what Boston specifically told him that Top was like. It's why now Sand believes that he has no hour in Ray's life, even when Ray gives him the opening to ask more, because Boston purposefully spoke in definite terms. Even the most secure person would be left feeling unsure and unbalanced.

So when Sand, who knows that their relationship is based on being friends with benefits, is confronted with words from Ray's supposed friend who explicitly states that Ray is in love with Mew and that he's being used as a rebound, what else can he do but believe that?

What little trust and rapport that they had started to build up has come crumbling down. They're frantically gathering the pieces of a 'kingdom' that has been turn into dust, the aftermath of the Prince's wrath. It's why Ray scrambles for the bottle and it's why Sand shuts down. How can they react to what Boston did, when they're struggling to salvage the little remnants left behind of what was supposed to be a blossoming relationship?

[agerefandom]

Turned Around

Fandom: Gravity Falls

Characters: Flips!Dipper and Mabel Pines

Words: 1,350

Summary: It’s Mabel’s day to regress but Dipper is having a hard time being the caregiver today… 

Warnings: panic attack due to feelings of guilt (brief)

Dipper and Mabel might be very different, but they’ve always understood each other when it matters. Sometimes that means Dipper crawling into the closet and sitting beside Mabel while she takes some Sweater Time, and sometimes that means Mabel tossing a new pen to Dipper after he’s chewed through another one. 

Today, Mabel is regressing, and Dipper is helping to keep the chaos to a minimum. 

He likes being an older brother, a lot of the time. He nods when Mabel babbles at him (which isn’t all that different from usual), and he cleans the glitter off her hands before she eats, and he helps to tie her shoes when they go for a walk. It makes him feel responsible and secure. He doesn’t have to worry about Mabel, because she’s right there beside him, and it’s his job to keep her safe: he’s not overstepping or worrying too much, he just has to hold her hand and remind her to look both ways if they’re crossing the street. 

Today, however, Dipper is feeling all wrong. 

He had nightmares last night, which left him feeling distant all day, and classes were a blur of lessons and homework that he wasn’t sure if he’d done correctly. 

But it’s Mabel’s night to regress, and that means it’s Dipper’s night to take care of her, and never mind the fact that his brain feels fuzzy and way too full right now. In two days it’ll be Dipper’s turn to regress, and Mabel will read to him and watch his favourite shows without complaining, and it’ll be fine. 

They’re watching the Lalaloopsie show right now, while Mabel plays with crafts on the floor and gets stickers all over herself. She’s not paying much attention to the chatting dolls on-screen, and Dipper is zoning out while staring at the dancing colours. 

He could ask to put on something with less overloaded visuals, but then Mabel might realize something is wrong, and it might pull her out of regression, and the last thing Dipper wants is to ruin part of their routine. 

“Dip! Dip!” 

“Huh?” Dipper blinks and realizes Mabel is waving her hands at him. “Oh, what’s up, Mabel?” 

“Dip! Give!” 

“Give you…” Dipper assesses Mabel’s art, which is mostly glued-down macaroni with some cat stickers scattered generously across the paper. “More pasta?” 

“Dip!!!!” Mabel waves her hands more insistently. 

“Ohhhhh, you want a hug,” Dipper laughs, and slides down to the floor to indulge his baby sister. She throws herself into his lap, a welcome wave of stickers and warm woolen sweater and hair that immediately gets into Dipper’s mouth. 

Spitting out his sister’s hair as subtly as possible, Dipper wraps his arms around Mabel and leans his head against hers. She’s just so warm, and familiar, and the weight of her grounds Dipper more than anything so far today. 

“Dip?” 

Oh, Dipper might have been holding on for too long. It’s hard to let her go, with how comfortable this is. 

In fact, Dipper realizes, this is not good. He should have stayed on the chair. He’s too comfortable, and his brain is finally letting him fall into a quietude, but he’s supposed to be taking care of his sister, not getting all quiet and small and comfy, no matter how much he wants it… 

“Dipper?” 

Now he’s really done it, Mabel’s tone is changing to one of concern, and he still can’t unwrap his arms from her. 

“Dipper, is it bad? Do you need space?” Ironic, isn’t it, that Mabel is asking if Dipper needs space while he’s clinging to her so unstoppably. He manages to shake his head at her question, and is rewarded with Mabel’s arms coming around him in return, holding him close, and that’s definitely a big sister hug, he’s totally messed this up- 

“Dipper, shhh, breathe.” 

Right, yeah, breathing. 

Dipper gasps in a breath and then lets it out slowly, trying to force down the alarms that were ringing in his head. It feels like there’s a black hole in his stomach, sucking him down and in, trying to crumple his entire body into itself out of guilt and frustration. 

He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. I’m sorry, Dipper thinks to himself, and then he tries to say it to Mabel, and there’s something in his throat that just won’t let it out. 

“It’s okay, Dipper,” Mabel soothes, patting the back of his head. “You’re just freaking out, it’s not going to last forever.” 

That’s his reassuring big sister, alright. 

Eventually, the black hole dissipates and Dipper’s lungs stop trying to swallow themselves, and some semblance of normalcy returns. 

I’m sorry, he tries to say again, but words are still eluding him. 

Dipper leans back, and Mabel lets him. She keeps her hands on his shoulders, her eyes scanning over him. 

“You okay?” she asks, her face clearly communicating that she knows the answer. 

Dipper feels his shoulders slump, unable to lie to his sister.

Mabel smiles knowingly. “Do you want to be the little twin today?” She taps him on the nose, affectionate and so clearly torn from her own regression. Ready to take care of him, the same way Dipper was supposed to take care of her today. 

Tears fill his eyes, the immediate welling up that never happens unless he’s feeling small. As good as a confession, for a sister who knows him so well. 

“Aw, it’s okay! Don’t cry! We can swap, okay?” Mabel cups his chin, bringing his face up so she can bonk her forehead against his in a slightly painful show of affection. “You can be the little twin today and I’ll be the little twin on Thursday, or we can just play separate on Thursday! I’m not mad, Dipper, don’t cry.” 

Dipper pats the back of Mabel’s hands, the only thanks he can manage at the moment. Regression doesn’t always rob him of his voice, but today it seems that his words are gone. Mabel ruffles his hair and then gets to her feet, hands on her hips. 

“Okay! Let’s get this TV turned off, huh? You want your babytime stuff?” Mabel narrates herself as she turns the room into something kinder to Dipper’s overwhelmed mind, the noise from the TV vanishing, a weight lifting from Dipper’s shoulders at the same time. He hadn’t realized how much the noise had been bothering him until it was gone. 

Mabel appears next to him again, one of Dipper’s chew necklaces dangling from her fingers. Dipper reaches out and catches it, slipping it over his head and popping it into his mouth. It’s shaped like a mushroom and the stem fits into his mouth like a pacifier, but the material is hard enough that he can’t bite through it like he does with most normal pacifiers. 

Once Dipper is busy chewing, Mabel drops down beside him. 

“Do you want a story?” She wiggles the book they’ve been reading together: they’re on the third Narnia book, and Dipper nods. Mabel has a great talent for reading out loud and he likes to sit and listen while she reads, sometimes colouring and other times just rocking back and forth, all of his attention on her words. 

Mabel opens the book and clears her throat, settling her spine straight like she’s getting ready for an important presentation. Dipper laces his hands on top of his knees and lets his chin rest on his knuckles, looking at Mabel’s reflection in the dark screen of the television. 

“Are you ready?” 

Dipper shuffles a little closer to Mabel and she puts out an arm, letting him lean against her. With the warm stability of his sister next to him, Dipper closes his eyes and nods. 

Mabel’s voice begins to fill the air and Dipper relaxes into her. He doesn’t think about the nightmares, or the schoolwork. Even his guilt has melted away in the face of Mabel’s genuine excitement to read to him. 

The only thing that Dipper feels at this moment is love and gratitude for his twin. He’ll have to plan something really fun for them to do on Thursday. 

For now, all he has to do is listen.

[aphroditelovesu]

The Lost Queen - IX

— summary: You woke up near a military camp without remembering how and why you got there, you didn’t understand why they were dressed like ancient Greeks, all you knew was that you weren’t safe and you needed to get out of that place as soon as possible. Too bad for you that you found yourself attracting unwanted attention from the Macedonian King and he won’t let you go so easily.

— genre: yandere, dark!au.

— warnings: time travel, obsessive and possessive behavior, murder, mention of torture, kidnapping, angst, fluffy (very rarely), dub-con, possibly smut.

— pairing: yandere!alexander the great x female!reader, yandere!generals x female!reader.

— word count: 1,600.

— tag list: @devils-blackrose, @faerykingdom, @hadesnewpersephone, @mariaelizabeth21-blog1 , @kadu-5607, @zoleea-exultant, @borntoexplore11-blog, @silmawensgarden

— the lost queen series masterlist.

Chapter 9

A few days passed and everything remained the same except for a few changes. The atmosphere in the camp was slowly improving and Alexander seemed to have recovered after your decision.

You still regretted your choice, but you knew it was the right thing to do.

Cleitus finally woke up, to everyone's surprise, and he was recovering slowly, but that was to be expected. It was almost a miracle that he had woken up and that was both a good and a bad thing.

You had prevented his death and changed history.

You sighed and looked around you. There was a lot to be done for the imminent wedding. Alexander wanted to get married fast because they would soon go to Sogdiana Rock and everything had to be done as quickly as possible. Knowing that he would soon meet Roxanna filled you with hope and fear. You hoped he would still marry her, as he was supposed to, but you were worried.

You knew Roxanna's story and you knew what she had done to Alexander's other wives. Honestly, you were more nervous about meeting her than marrying Alexander. And if there were children...

You shook your head, it was better not to think about it for now. There was no guarantee that you would get pregnant with him so quickly and you didn't even want to think about it, the idea of getting pregnant filled you with dread, not because having children was a bad thing, but rather the circumstances and who you would be getting pregnant by. It was all very stressful and you felt like you were going to throw up if you kept thinking about it, so it was better not to think about it, no matter how hard it was.

Nor was there a guarantee that he would marry her because history has already been changed and could change again.

Your head throbbed as you thought of the countless possibilities and chaos that your presence here could have caused in the future. But there was no point in thinking about it now, you would leave soon, you were sure, and you would find out for yourself. You just hoped it wasn't too serious.

''Ugh...'' You grumbled and massaged your temples, trying to ease your headache.

There was still a lot of work to be done. Alexander left you in charge of organizing the wedding, along with some servants and slaves, because according to him, it was something women would do better at. You were tempted to throw your shoe at his head, but you didn't.

Too bad.

Honestly, you never thought your marriage would be like this, that is, if you ever got married. You definitely never thought you would marry Alexander the Great.

And you always imagined that you would have your family and friends present at the occasion, that your mother and friends would help you organize everything, it would be with someone you really loved and it would be a happy occasion.

Instead, you were being forced to marry a man who was supposed to be dead a long time ago, in a place in the middle of nowhere? You weren't sure and it was a very sad atmosphere.

The reality was harsh and painful.

You looked at some colorful fabrics left on your cot and regarded them with apprehension and perhaps disgust. Your wedding dress wasn't what you wanted either, it wasn't white lace or those beautiful dresses you only saw in movies or magazines.

You should get married in black at once, to symbolize your mourning.

You took one that was deep red in your hand and stared at it, taking in its details. It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't what you had in mind. It had some gold features, which you knew was real gold, and a very discreet neckline. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

Sighing, you prepared to try it out.

Two days passed and everything was ready. It would be a simple but beautiful ceremony, everyone was eager and excited. The atmosphere in the camp changed radically and it was as if everyone had forgotten what had happened to Cleitus and were focused on the wedding and the fact that they would have a Queen and, if the gods permitted, an heir soon.

Alexander was being prepared for the wedding. He had already showered and was putting on the final adjustments, the red tunic he would wear and some jewelry that would complete his appearance. His hair was drying naturally, he wore some kohl on his eye, highlighting his beautiful eyes of different colors, and perfumed. A sweet, soft scent radiated from his clothing.

In general, he was attractive and well dressed. There were no longer any traces of the defeated and drunken man he had been a few days ago, but of a King and a conqueror. And his men were grateful for that.

Hephaestion entered Alexander's tent and smiled to see his friend looking happier and healthier. The image he had of Alexander would still haunt him for the rest of his days.

''You look good, Alexander.'' Hephaestion commented and sat down on a chair and took a jug of water and poured it into a cup, sipping it.

Alexander looked at Hephaestion and his gaze softened and he smiled, ''You look good as well.''

And indeed, Hephaestion was well groomed, as were all the guests. He was dressed in a dark blue tunic with a few ornaments, but enough to make him look more handsome than he already was. His long hair was braided and he also wore kohl, highlighting his blue eyes.

Hephaestion smiled but there was a sadness lurking in his eyes. Alexander noticed and went to his closest friend and placed his hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. He knew that today was a painful day for him.

Hephaestion touched Alexander's hand with his own and shook his head, ''I'm fine. I just... I still don't know how to deal with this properly, but I'm fine, I promise.''

''I know it can't be easy, but it's something I have to do. As a King and as a man.'' Alexander whispered the last parts, feeling sorry for his friend. It wasn't easy, neither for him nor for Hephaestion.

''You are the King. You must marry and have an heir, I know that.'' Hephaestion smiled and faced Alexander, ''I always knew that. From our days in Mieza to when you became King of Macedonia. I always knew that.''

''Hephaestion...'' Alexander sighed, suddenly feeling melancholy.

''Do not worry about me. I am fine. The wedding will start soon, don't be late for your own wedding.'' Hephaestion stood up and placed the cup on the table and walked towards the exit, ''I'll be fine.''

Alexander smiled sadly, ''I know you will, after all, you are also Alexander.''

Hephaestion's face lit up and his face looked a little red, but he smiled and waved at his friend and turned away. Alexander watched him with regret, feeling guilty for causing his friend pain, but he couldn't shirk his duties.

And his desires. He wanted to marry you, it was a necessity and he couldn't ignore it.

The sun was setting over the war camp, painting the sky with shades of orange and pink, while the gentle breeze blew through the olive trees and poplars that surrounded the camp.

There was music and dancing involved. Some musicians played instruments, such as the harp and lyre, and dancers danced and enchanted the audience who watched them.

The bride, (Y/N), looked beautiful. Her clothes highlighted her beauty even more, a heavy red and gold tunic draped over her body, with jewelry adorning her and a red veil hid her hair, her face was clean and her natural beauty was highlighted. Her soft, wistful eye was alluring, with the kohl highlighting her color.

The ceremony began with a colorful procession, led by flutists and dancers. (Y/N), draped in a magnificent red robe, gracefully paraded through the camp, crowned with jewels. Her radiant face and eyes sparkled with joy or sadness. Alexander, dressed in a deep red robe, waited anxiously on the table, surrounded by his generals and soldiers watching from a distance.

The priest, a man of great wisdom and a white beard, led the ceremony. With the blessing of the gods, they exchanged vows of eternal fidelity and deep love. As the flame of the eternal candle burned before them, symbolizing the eternity of their commitment, the couple exchanged gold rings, a promise of love that would never lose its luster.

The wedding celebration took place under a starry sky, with long tables filled with Greek delicacies - olives, feta cheese, bread and red wine. Everyone danced to traditional music, celebrating the union of (Y/N) and Alexander. It was a night of joy and communion, where generals, friends and soldiers shared stories, laughter and wishes for eternal happiness.

This was a time of great joy and promise. The promise of an heir and the joy of a marriage that would be talked about for centuries to come.

As the night came to an end, the most awaited hour would arrive. Finally, the consummation would be made and if the gods bless the newlyweds, a child would come from their union.

Only the gods, the children born and the bride would know how cursed this union would be.

— lady l: and that was it! The wedding night is coming and I promise drama in the next chapter, this one was calmer and based on the wedding. I'm not good at describing weddings, but I did my best! I hope you enjoyed it and wait for the next chapter because it, my readers, promises to be CHAOTIC!! 😈 Hope you have liked and feedbacks are always welcome! ❤️

[phr3ia]

Love Game (Toji Fushiguro x Fem!Reader) [Chapter 22 : Just For Tonight]

Toji returned exactly ten minutes later, carrying a small bag with him. "You're dressed already?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I didn't want to stay naked all night you know." you replied, your voice still weak but your spirits slightly lifted. Toji chuckled, walking over to the bed and placing the bag on the nightstand. He pulled out a capsule of tylenol and a glass of water, handing them to you.

"Here, take this first." he said, his voice soft. You took the medicine, downing it in one gulp. Toji watched you, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I'm gonna make you some chicken soup." he said suddenly, turning to leave the room.

You blinked in surprise, looking after him. "You don't have to do that, Toji." you called out. "I can just eat something later."

Toji paused, looking back at you. "I want to." he said simply, before disappearing into the kitchen.

As you listened to him clanging around in the kitchen, you couldn't help but wonder why he was doing all of this for you. He had never been this...nice before. It was almost unnerving. You shook your head, trying to clear your thoughts. Maybe he was just feeling guilty for what he said to you a few days ago.

[Meanwhile]

Toji stood in the kitchen, surrounded by a chaos of pots, pans, and ingredients he barely recognized. He had never cooked something like this in his life, but here he was, trying to make chicken soup for you. He grabbed a chicken breast, holding it up and examining it like it was a foreign object. "Okay..." he muttered to himself, "You can do this. It's just chicken. How hard can it be?" He dropped it into a pot with a clang, adding water and turning on the stove.

He watched as the water began to boil, then suddenly realized he had no idea what to do next. "Shit, shit, shit." he chanted, frantically searching through the cabinets for anything that might help. He found a can of chicken broth and dumped it in, then added some carrots and celery because he remembered seeing that in a TV show once.

"There." he said, satisfied with his progress. "Now what?" He scratched his head, looking around the kitchen. "Why the fuck did I tell her I was making chicken soup? I don't know how to make chicken soup. I don't even know what a real chicken soup is supposed to taste like. Fuck, I'm gonna mess this up!"

Toji did his best to make the soup taste as delicious as possible, adding a generous amount of salt, pepper, and some herbs he found in the pantry. He didn't know if it was the right combination, but he hoped it would do. He tasted it, winced at the saltiness, and quickly spit it out. "Shit, this is too salty. But I guess it's better than nothing." he muttered to himself, ladling some soup into a bowl, and carrying it back to your bedroom.

He handed you the bowl, his eyes darting to yours, waiting for your reaction. "Here you go. I...I didn't know what to do, so I just did what I thought was right. But I'm sure it's not that good." he said sheepishly, already preparing for the insults.

You took a spoonful of the soup, your eyes widening in surprise. "Toji, this is actually really good." you said, a smile tugging at the corner of your lips. "It's tasty." you added, taking another spoonful.

Toji's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're not going to insult me? You're not going to tell me how disgusting it is?" he asked, looking at you skeptical. "Does your tongue not working or something? I was expecting you to tell me how horrible it is."

You chuckled, taking another spoonful. "Well, I mean, it's not perfect, but it's better than nothing. And you went out of your way to make this for me, so I'm not going to insult it. It's actually a nice gesture." you said, taking a sip of water to cleanse your palate. "Thank you, Toji."

Toji's face lit up, his cheeks flushing. "A-ah, it's nothing. I just...I don't cook, so I'm not the best at it." he said, his voice soft. "I'm glad you like it." he added, smiling slightly before leaving the bowl with you, before heading back to the kitchen to clean up.

As soon as Toji's back was turned, you quickly downed another glass of water, grimacing as you felt the salt crystals coating your tongue. "Oh god, that's like tasting the ocean." you muttered, shaking your head. "I'm going to need to drink a gallon of water to flush this out. I'm pretty sure I just aged my kidneys ten years. I swear, if I wake up tomorrow with a kidney stone, I'm blaming him." you said, laughing to yourself.

"But hey, at least he tried. I can't exactly tell him his cooking is going to give me a heart attack. That would just be mean. I'll just have to suffer through it and hope for the best." you said, taking another spoonful of the soup, your face contorting slightly at the taste. "At least it's the thought that counts, right?" you said, trying to convince yourself.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Toji returned to your bedroom after about 20 minutes, wiping his hands on his pants as he walked in. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening as he saw you had finished the entire bowl of soup. "You...you ate all of it?!" he exclaimed. "I was expecting you to just leave it, but you ate it all? You didn't even gag or anything?" he asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

"It was good, Toji. I mean, it could use some tweaking, but it's a good start." you replied, sugarcoating your words. "I didn't know what I was doing, but I'm glad you liked it." he said, a blush creeping up his cheeks.

"Uh....by the way, I wanted to check your temperature to see if it's still high." he said, a hint of worry in his voice. He grabbed the thermometer from the medkit and placed it under your tongue, his face tense as he waited for the beep.

*Beep, Beep, Beep*

Toji read the thermometer, his eyebrows furrowing. "Shit, it's still up there. 102.2 degrees. You should get some rest"

He sat down at the edge of your bed, taking a deep breath. "I'll be sleeping on the couch. If you need anything, just yell, okay?" he said, a reassuring smile on his face. "I'll be right there." he added, ruffling your hair, a rare display of affection from him.

As he disappeared into the living room, you couldn't help but tilt your head, a puzzled expression on your face. "What the hell just happened?" you muttered to yourself, pulling your blankets up to your chin. "That was...that was Toji Fushiguro, right? The same guy who keeps pissing me off? The same guy who told me he'd rather eat dirt than listen to my ramblings?"

You shook your head, trying to wrap your brain around the events of the evening. "Did I slip and hit my head earlier? Did I wake up in some alternate universe where Toji is actually a decent human being? Or...or did he get possessed by a cursed spirit that's making him act all nice and caring? Unless...unless it's some kind of reverse psychology thing. Yeah, that must be it. He's trying to lull me into a false sense of security before he strikes. Yep, that's definitely it."

You nodded to yourself, satisfied with your explanation, even though it was ridiculous. "Yep, that's it. Toji Fushiguro is definitely plotting something. I just need to keep my guard up and not fall for his tricks." you said, snuggling deeper into your pillows before closing your eyes and drifting off to sleep.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Two hours later, the sound of soft whimpers echoed through the apartment, stirring Toji from his restless sleep on the couch. He bolted upright, his eyes landing on your bedroom door. Without hesitation, he rushed inside to check on you.

He hurried to your side, his hands reaching out to touch your forehead. A hiss escaped his lips as he felt the heat radiating from your skin. "Fuck, you're still burning up." he muttered. Toji quickly grabbed another blanket from the closet, draping it around your shivering body, "Damn it, why isn't this fucking fever breaking?"

He tucked it in, and gave you one last worried glance. "You'll feel better in the morning. Just get some rest." he murmured. But before he could leave, your hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.

"Wait." you whispered, your voice hoarse from fever and exhaustion. Toji looked back at you. "Don't go." you said, your grip tightening slightly on his wrist. "Stay with me tonight." your eyes pleading with him. "I...I feel cold."

You pulled on Toji's wrist, surprising him as you dragged him closer to the bed. "Sit down." you rasped, your voice barely above a whisper. Toji hesitated for a moment before giving in and sitting on the edge of the bed, his eyes wide with uncertainty. "Now lie down beside me." you said, scooting over to make room for him.

Toji's face turned a deep shade of red, and he shifted uncomfortably. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable or anything." he stammered, his eyes darting away from yours.

You let out a weak laugh, your grip on his wrist loosening. "Don't worry. I just...I just feel cold, that's all. And I also don't want to be alone tonight." you admitted, your voice barely audible. "Besides, you're the only one here."

Toji looked at you, his expression softening. He kicked off his shoes and carefully lay down beside you, keeping a respectable distance between you both. "Alright."

He propped his head up on his hand, looking down at you. "So, what's got you so worked up that you're burning up with fever?" he asked, his brow furrowed in concern. "And don't tell me it's nothing, because I know it's not."

Toji's eyes widened as he saw tears welling up in your eyes. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he exclaimed, his hands shooting up in surrender. "Nevermind, nevermind! You don't need to answer that! I shouldn't have asked!" he quickly backtracked, "I-I was just trying to make conversation, but I didn't mean to upset you! Just...just forget I said anything, alright? Let's just pretend I never brought it up."

You took a deep breath, composing yourself. "No, it's fine. I just...I've had a rough day, that's all." you said, wiping away your tears. Toji let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing. "Alright, well, if you ever wanna talk about it, I'm here." he said, patting your head awkwardly.

But then, you snuggled closer to him, pressing your body against his. Toji's eyes widened, and he stiffened, his body tensing up like a board.

Toji's mind immediately went into overdrive, his thoughts racing like a freight train. "Fuck! What the actual fuck is happening right now?! She's cuddling up to me like a damn koala, and she's so fucking soft! Like, softer than anything I've ever touched! And why the hell does she smell so good? Is that some kind of fever perfume or something? And holy shit, is that my dick getting hard right now? Goddammit! This is not the time to be thinking with your dick! She's sick, you idiot! She's not doing this on purpose! But hell, she feels good pressed up against me. I just wanna bury my face in her neck and...no! This is not appropriate behavior! I need to get out of here. Now. Before I do something stupid. Like, really stupid. Like, 'I need a cold shower' stupid. Fuck, why did I agree to this again?!"

You could feel Toji's body tense up against you, and you couldn't help but notice the growing bulge pressing against your thigh. You let out a weak chuckle, your eyes fluttering open to look at him. "Toji, relax....I can feel you getting excited over here."

Toji's face turned beet red, and he let out a choked sound, trying to play it off. "W-what? No! You're mistaken! I-I'm just cold, that's all! My body's just trying to warm up!" he stammered, his voice cracking slightly. "Y-yeah, that's it. Cold. Very, very cold. Brrr." he said, shivering exaggeratedly, attempting to hide his obvious erection.

You couldn't help but laugh, even as you felt your cheeks grow warm. "Sure, Toji. Whatever you say." you teased, snuggling closer to him. "Just try not to poke me with that 'cold', okay?" you said, smirking.

[32 minutes later...]

Despite his earlier panic, he found himself relaxing, enjoying the closeness. Your weight against him felt right, and he couldn't help but wrap an arm around you, pulling you even closer.

As you drifted off to sleep, your head resting on his chest, Toji felt a warmth spread through him that had nothing to do with lust. He looked down at you, a soft smile playing on his lips. "So, this is what they call love, huh?" he whispered to himself, his thumb gently stroking your cheek. "Just having you near makes my heart flutter like a damn butterfly. Who would've thought?"

•┈••✦ ❤ ✦••┈•

End Of Chapter 22 🥀....

@meowforluv @miizuzu @geniejunn @scorpiosugar @barelylivingirl

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

BOY SCOUT CLARK SAYING FUCK TO BRUCE IS SENDING ME I LOVE THIS

(Also hi I’m still here lurking, just general life chaos keeping me offline rn)

I just like seeing Bruce squirm sometimes

Clark MIGHT have gotten his feelings hurt seeing his Ma so star-struck at the edge of the ice rink at the park but- even in jeans and a flannel, it was hard NOT to see the artistry at work.

And tried hard not to feel guilty. He'd egged his Ma on about it. And helped her cajole you into it. And now that there was a crowd. And pictures and videos being taken, he understood WHY you didn't skate in public. The whole damn town had turned out to watch. The local paper would be writing about it for days. Videos and little think pieces would be flying around on social media. Your every move would be scrutinized. And you didn't have an Alter Ego to hide behind until the heat died down if anything went wrong.

So now, instead of going around and looking at new curtains with his Ma, you'd have to spend a chunk of your day signing autographs and answering some (sometimes invasive) questions.

"Oh dear," Martha muttered, "Clark-"

"It's alright, Ma," Clark sighed. "She knew it was coming. She just didn't want to sound conceited about it."

"She should have," Martha huffed.

"This is partly why Bruce just built an ice rink," Clark snorted, watching you give a wave to the crowd and a stage bow before turning to mouth an apology.

"Lord give her strength," Martha sighed, "her come the gossips."

Clark refrained from asking which group with effort and instead watched you sign pictures and shirts for a group of little girls who were practically catatonic with joy. And then pointedly ignore a middle-aged man who had elbowed his way in front of a mousy little high school junior who wanted to do a little piece for the school paper and kindly answer her questions. He smiled a little. You knew what you were doing. And you knew how to work a crowd. Even without security and barricades. Though- in Smallville, no one was likely to trample you or anything. Just talk your ear off at the grocery store.

Still. It took a good while and Clark decided they'd better edge closer. Making their way nearer to you to try and help. Turns out, It didn't. But. At least he had the satisfaction of being close to you and keeping other men from trying to hit on you. And making sure you didn't get cold. You'd only planned to be out there long enough to let his Ma see you skate up close- not do a whole meet and greet and the wind was biting. Hot Chocolate would only go so far and he didn't like the thought of you not being taken care of. Or uncomfortable. It made him feel weird. Sick. Sad. It made him want to fix it. And if blocking he wind and keeping you close to him made that feeling go away, then so be it. Let the think pieces think about that.