#hopefully this kind of answer was interesting!
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Hi! I'm not sure which platform you are most active on, but I wanted to ask about commissions if you are open to them. I wanted some character art I plan for personal use in a Legend of Zelda D&D campaign I'm going to run. I've got a group of 4 players and I wanted some portraits for their characters. If you're open to commission work, I wanted to know/negotiate prices for your art and any other details we may need to discuss. Thanks in advance!
i know this response isâŚâŚ really late, and i apologize.
i donât usually have open commissions, tho i do sometimes take them on upon request if i have the time. tbh, ive thought about possibly opening sketch commissions (and that was one of the reasons i didnât answer your ask sooner, as i was hoping to have a more solid answer for u before i did.)- and i still may open them in the future, but to be honest itâs a lot to set up and comms have always been a bit overwhelming for me as communication is not my strongest suit
anyways, for now i donât really feel that i have the time to take on commissions, & iâm sorry again about the late response. i hope your campaign went/goes well though!!
and i really will consider opening commission slots in the future, if iâm able to find the time to set them up
#dae answers#answered asks#i really am kind of interested to open sketch comms#similar in style to the doodle requests i answer sometimes on here#but again it would require me to take the time to set up a page for them- find examples & make a comms page- write up terms & conditions#and it all just feels a bit overwhelming when i think abt trying to balance that with the other stuff iâm trying to work on right now#but hopefully in the future i will be able to open some slots if ppl want them
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Could you tell us more about your stigma?
"There's not really anything more to tell you than you probably already know. It's pretty straightforward. I hear stuff louder and further away than is normal, and it makes me all sensitive to sounds even when it's not active. Lower volume, a wider range of frequency, whatever, I hear everything more than other people do, so everyone is always way too loud and there's always way more noise than people think there is. And I have autophony--that's where you hear noises your own body makes more than you're supposed to. Like, I hear myself blink or hear my eyes moving around or I hear my heart beating all the time.
"But I don't really get vertigo or have problems with my balance or have problems hearing and processing anything else unless something is super loud, I just hear that stuff too. Doctor Quack said I should get a CT scan anyway because my ears are fine so it's not, I dunno, pact-induced Patulous Eustachian tube? He wanted to rule out SDCS or something just to be sure. And I said fuck no because those things are so fucking loud I wouldn't be able to stand it. But since Darkwick General's out of commission, I was thinking they might be able to write me a med permit to go to an off-campus hospital for it. If I can be sedated for the scan the noise won't make me move around or get sick. And then I can just treat the rest of the day like I've got a permit and do what I want, y'know? As long as they get the scan results they're not gonna care where I was all day."
"I turn things into bombs." It's really a very simple stigma, or perhaps Romeo doesn't want to explain it more since it could be used against him if the wrong people hear. "The more attached I am to what I'm blowing up, the more intense the explosion. That's the only cost it has. If I want to do a lot of damage, I have to sacrifice something I'd rather not lose. Fortunately my goal isn't typically destruction, it's capture.
"The result of the explosion does depend slightly on what I'm blowing up--for example, I have smoke bombs which, obviously, make smoke rather than causing explosive force. What I was misled into believing was a prototype explosive ended up functioning as surprisingly harmless fireworks, which nearly got us killed thanks to that BB's negligence. Although I have to wonder what that PMS put in that bottle that it exploded like that at all. Anomalous as the medicine was, I would have expected smoke not fireworks. And he wonders why we don't want him experimenting on us. . . . I have other prototype anomalous charges and bullets as well--tear bombs, bombs that cause varying levels of disorientation, different net bombs for capturing anomalies, among others with more in development. They only work with my stigma that we're aware of rather than exploding when exposed to fire for example, so they're just useless, shady powders and substances for everyone else. I can activate my stigma without verbalizing my incantation, but right now I can only do it while using my gun to fire the explosive charge. It's a work in progress.
"As a first year the Boss. . .got ahold of fireworks from festival prep happening in Hotarubi, so I fired them into the air from the deck of the ship during the night to practice using my stigma with my gun. The sky in the desert is very clear since the ship doesn't produce much external light pollution, so the sky had some of the most stars I've ever seen before, along with the fireworks. It was. . .really nice."
#present: romeo#present: leo#answers#anonymous#((it's interesting that romeo's stigma is one of the ones we know most about like. mechanically. the gun thing is just a guess))#((those may have just been smoke bullets and some kind of special bullet when he used it on the arachne--he says in his home screen lines))#((that he maintains his bullets himself and in the story the prototype explosives he has are from hyde so it's hard to tell if the bullets)#((for his gun are stigma related to. . .but yeah. it feels like we know a lot about romeo lol))#((i'm gonna take a shower and get some more stuff done hopefully lol))#((sorry for all the late tags especially the month+ ones))
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i am very curious (and i'm asking this not with any malicious intent) but what ages do you see the genshin characters! i personally see them (most of them) as adults, even collei. even if they were teenagers, time passes in-game (i.e. lantern rite happens every year and we already had 2 lantern rites in-game) so they'll eventually grow to be adults.
tldr: I have schrodinger's age headcanons
long answer: if they're in a ship with a ""clearly"" adult character, I'll assume they're young adults; idk I feel like there's some blurring of age and what growth stage you're in when people are around 17 to 20 (from my experience) so I think it's vague-ish enough that you could probably do what you want.
If they're not in a ship I see some of them as adults and some as still teens/underage. as a general rule of thumb a character's age is solely dependent on what I want at the moment, although I do think the way some characters are written (ie character arcs, character stories and general personality) pushes me to view them as underage (will explain more but the character I'm thinking about most w this is Xingqiu). Some of them read to me as clear adults, and then there are some in-betweens where I just have "vaguely young looking" in my hcs LOL
you bring up a good point that time is passing in game although we don't see it reflected in the character modelsâeveryone points out that Xiao opens up a bit more every lantern rite, but fandom (and genshin devs too ig đ) definitely forgets that all the other characters are also growing/changing. w/ 4.1 around the corner my personal wish is for hu tao, xingqiu, and chongyun's relationships to each other get developed more so that their relationships (as described through their voicelines abt each other) don't feel so flat,,,,,, it would also help with the sense of "time is passing in game for ALL characters", since we almost never get this kind of evolving relationship portrayed between 4*s/non endgame important charas.
I have too much time on my hands so I'll also just run through all the teen/short models there are for each region and list whether my personal headcanons are adult or minor (at least their ages when we "meet" them in canon):
liyue (mortal/mortal adjacent characters): yanfei, chongyun, xingqiu, hu tao, xiangling, xinyan, yun jin, keqing
yanfei and keqing are solidly adults to me, yanfei's a lawyer and keqing's also in a govt job so both of them feel around like 25-27 to me. Definitely somewhere around their mid-20s, although I can also see them as younger, especially Keqing, because of her overall attitude/perspective on life and the gods. iirc her character stories show how her worldview's grown/broadened to be not as naive/black and white, so I feel like she's still in the process of maturing. If you told me Yanfei was like 23 (appearance wise) I guess I'd believe you too, since she's a very peppy person who seems to be running all over the place all the time, doing errands for madame ping, checking on her clients, taking new cases etc. I feel like it gives her youthful energy, so I can see it if people hc her on the younger side of her 20s (in human years I forgot how her half-adeptal blood works).
I see the other 6 as a friend group (liyue 6ang let's go) so they're either all teens or all adults depending on the portrayal. You can obviously view them as adults all the time, but I don't get those vibes. Xinyan and Yun Jin might be like 18-19, but if that's the case, I can't see the other 4 being any younger than 17, just because I think they're all almost the same age or 1-2 years apart maximum. For some reason so many people view Hu Tao and Yun Jin as adults but at the same time think the others are minors? Idk about that.. genshin has shown that Xiangling, Xinyan, and Yun Jin are pretty close friends, and then always put Xingqiu and Chongyun together for the ship bait, so maybe that's the root of fanon's age hcs. However, I think if some of them are young adults, then all of them are. There's a max 2 year age gap between all 6 of them idk idk I really can't see it otherwise.
To me, Xingqiu's arc reads like a 16 year old finding his footing in the world. Hiding martial arts novels under his bed, tired of playing dutiful 2nd son and sneaking out to live out his idealized wuxia dreams, his multiple voicelines where he's implied to be super worried about us giving away his involvings in the Guhua sect, they all read like he's still trying to figure out his role in his family (what he wants it to be, and what his parents want it to be). He's also very naive about the world, but learning. He just feels a lot like how (chinese) teenagers grow up and like. growing into or out of the paths given to us by our parents. ... or i could just be projecting! Anyways, in my no ships world, he's a 16-17 yr old. Chongyun's clan and family play a not-insignificant role in his backstory, so I think he's the same age as Xingqiu, just older by a month for the flex. Lowkey I don't have as much reason for him as the others, but I think they're in the same age range by association; probably almost 18 at most. Hu Tao's character stories explicitly state she's 13 when her grandfather passed away, and I think she becomes Director not long after this, so I would say she's also around 16-17 when the game starts. @.acatoner who draws quite possibly my favorite interpretations of the gang(TM) once mentioned they see her with spoiled younger sister energy and honestly yeah. she's an only child but has the strongest solidarity with Xingqiu (they're the bratty younger siblings of the friendgroup). Out of all of them, Xiangling is the one with the most plausible job if she was like, young: being a chef apprentice with her dad to continue the family business is pretty reasonable. Middle child energy, probably 17. We did meet her when she was in Mondstadt foraging ingredients, so I'd say she's not very young, but still young enough for her dad to chew her out during moonchase for being like messy or clumsy or smth? Xinyan and Yun Jin.... I think Yun Jin is at least almost 18ârunning a well acclaimed opera troupe is a pretty big undertaking imo, even if her parents are there to like guide her and whatnot. Same with Xinyan, 17-18 range, although she def started playing rock publicly when she was way younger.
inazuma: shinobu, heizou, kazuha, kirara, gorou, kokomi, ayaka, yoimiya
Disclaimer I have not read the Lore and don't know whether actual ages are given for Ayaka and Ayato (specifically pointing them out because iirc their and Thoma's character stories are the most specific ones wrt the timeline).
I see basically all of them as adults, ayaka might be an exception but she's like 17 minimum in my head. That's pretty interesting considering I labeled almost all the liyue short models as teens. From what I can remember of their character stories, the Inazuman characters seem to be portrayed as having their formative struggles set In the Past (probably a couple years before we meet them) so perhaps that's why I see them as solidly young adults. Additionally, Inazuma's arc and its war pushes me to see all of them as adults, even if they're still obscenely young to be generals and strategicians. The exceptions I can see to this are only Yoimiya (smaller role in archon quest and not related to the government), and Shinobu + Heizou, who were released later. Yoimiya's maturity really stands out to meâfrom the way her neighbors and old people converse with her, and her overall character arc + second story quest, I cannot see her as below like 19 at least. Shinobu manages an entire unofficial gang and has countless certifications under her belt plus ex-shrine maiden stintâshe probably isn't less than 23. It would be cute if she were the same age as Yanfei but just started law school later, so Yanfei's still her senior. I think there's not much to say on Heizou either, he's friends with Kazuha and has a real job, so I can't read him below 20-21. I don't know anything about Kirara (don't have her, haven't read her stories) but I also just get the vibes of like 20-something errand girl SDFDSSKDFJS in a modern au she'd deliver to teyvat/inazuma's college campus for sure
mondstadt (humans): barbara, razor, bennett, fischl, mika, amber, noelle, sucrose
this is a mix again, for Barbara Razor Bennett and Fischl they give me kid vibes, like little adventure gang things. Reddit apparently cites Mona called Fischl an adult in the 2.8 Midsummer Fantasia GAA event, so I mean. I guess she's 18 thereâmight've been 16 when we met in game the first time (1.2?? scaramouche fake stars event or something?) Idk really. Their group collectively gives me 16 year old vibes, at least when we start the game. I can see it if all of them have aged to 18 nowâit just makes sense in my head lol. Mika feels like an 18 year old; mostly because of his relationship with Huffman. Amber seems vaguely adult-ish, I'd say 19 or so, maybe 20 during shadows amidst snowstorms in 2.3. there's some logic behind this that ties into her search for her grandfather but it's like vague and hazy in my head. I haven't given much thought to Noelle and Sucroseâ Sucrose also gives "vaguely adult" vibes, idk if her character story about wanting to make a wonderland to meet her past friends in has any relevance to timeline estimation. I'd say Noelle also falls into the vague adult age range, but to me she's a puzzle, because her personality seems incongruent to how I thought she might act if she's like 23 or so.
anyways, anon if you read all this i will declare my love for you. thanks for giving me an excuse to genuinely think on this and then dump my thoughts out for the internet. you can clearly see none of my braincells really go towards Mondstadt headcanons but I hope you're happy w my response ehe
#thank you anon for specifying non malicious intent giving you a platonic kiss rn#and sorry for having this rot in my drafts for so long i was gonna publish it literally the same day and then boom sudden explosion of irl#things. anyways sorry about the delay! I hope this answer is satisfactory and tickles your brain! ty for the ask <33#also literally not gonna lie but i feel like i have no conception of age bro. like fictional characters is ok but even in real life#i just assume people are the same age as me (unless they look like theyre not) and then i get shocked when theyre not#k anyways. thanks for the ask anon! it was very interesting to think about <3#if you have diff hcs or think the canon leans towards a diff interpretation feel free to add on i love listening to that kind of thing :-)#asks#teyvat thoughts#genshin impact#hopefully this shows up in the tags somehow. i dont wanna tag like 30 characters
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How would you classpect Omori characters?
IM SO GLAD I CAN TALK ABOUT THIS!!! okay iâm putting a tldr at the start but warning for long post ahead of my reasoning (this is very much so me rambling) â also apologies for answering this ask so late ive spent the last like . 4 days thinking about this
sunny: mage of void
basil: sylph of life
mari: seer of heart
kel: heir of hope
hero: page of heart
aubrey: maid of rage
explanations under the cut !!!!
starting off with sunny ofc:
im gonna be so real i do Not have an explanation of why i chose mage . it just made sense in my head !!! i think it is a fun little interesting parralel to mari having the passive version of the knowledge class,, as for aspect,, i feel like void is pretty self explanatory. idk! i dont have much to say for this one but trust me it made sense in my head,!! i would like to hear if anyone else has a sunny god tier headcanon cuz yeah this is the one i am least confident in tehe
alright basil i feel like i can answer very easily:
iâd say he is definitely a sylph â and part of this may or may not be me projecting as i am a sylph and i really relate to basilâs character ;D
sylphs at their core are a passive, creation class. i think its a given basil would play a more passive class, i cant explain it but it just objectively makes sense to me. basils whole deal is that he wants to fix things, and feels inclined to heal and go back and fix his past mistakes, making sylph pretty much a given.
i was kinda torn between choosing the life or hope aspect for basil, as both objectively make sense in canon - but i wanted to sort of limit choosing multiple of the same aspects for characters. i think the life aspect makes sense for basil more, especially due to the plant symbolism n stuffs
ANYWAY,, sylph of lives whole deal are to allow for emotional growth in other people. i think the rest of the group very much so see basil as a person to look up to, someone who always tries to see the best in things and allows and encourages others to undergo personal growth.
alright mari time:
okay mari was kind of an obvious choice for me. i think seer very much so makes sense for her character, sheâs very emotionally intelligent and being the sort of leader in their group, she has a lot of knowledge and serves as someone the rest of the group looks up to.
seers are very likely to slip into depressive states and have a pessimistic outlook on things, even though mari seems very optimistic to everyone else around her, we know as an objective fact that she is an overworker, overthinker and has the tendency to slip into states of perfectionism - i guess in a sense this can be compared to rose and her tendancy to slip into unhealthy coping mechanisms and behaviours too
seers are pretty much an essential for a successful sburb session - and i think this fits well with the fact that mari is an essential to the friend group.
heart is a given, i feel i dont have to explain why mari has the heart aspect â seers of hearts are a classpect who invites knowledge through heart. and again mari suits this very very much imo!
okay! kel!!
alright. classpecting kel was kinda difficult â the hope aspect was obvious but finding a class for this dude,, man,, was it hard but in the end i decided to settle on
the base definition of a heir of hope is someone who influences and inspires the hope of others - allowing change from hopeless to hopeful, this defintely applies to kel in canon.
kel is very much a hopeful optimist, his reaction to maris death compared to the others was to hide his own emotions and remain hopeful (even though he did react badly, he just repressed it), he always was the one to hold out hope that the group would get back together, be friends again and everything would be fine! he just wanted his friends to be happy and tried to turn them from hopeless and lost to hopeful! â i think this is very well shown in the church scene w aubrey and how so badly kel just ! wanted to help !! ahhhggh i love him
heir of hopes are a motivational rock to their session, which acts like how kel is to the group
also i feel like kel kind of reminds me of john a little bit - i suppose this perhaps maybe a tiny lil bit influenced my descision u_u
for hero:
i chose page of heart,, i liked having hero and mari share an aspect bc they are just . they are both so lovey and heart to me ;3; and man obviously hero would have the heart aspect, i mean, nothing else would suit his character more.
a page of heart is someone who invited exploitation through heart, the passive counterpart to the knight class. pages are a strong and smart class, as is hero. a page of heart is passionate and thinks w their heart, again, as does hero.
pages are STRONG, and i feel like hero as the ability to play a very strong and important class. hearts and pages are both prone to being sensitive people, loving, caring and i suppise charming too (again!!!! as is hero!!! :P) â also if this makes any sense to literally Anyone else,, hero kinda reminds me of jake in a sense i Cannot explain why PSNDHDJ
and lastly, aubrey
like sunny i struggled a lot classpecting her but i got there in the end and - i actually have an explanation !!!
firstly, rage being the parralel counterpart to the hope aspect (which is what i classpected kel) is very funny to me, i think in game they have a very fun relationship and exploring that through them having polar opposite aspects is silly
maids are an active creation class, aubrey creates rage as a way to deal with the grief of losing mari. i think she does this more by self destruction but she very much so also takes her anger out on others and utilising her emotions for her class is something i feel is very interesting. aubrey creates rage through herself and takes it out on those around her
thank u for reading if u read all of this.. i enjoyed v much so writing this (i wanna draw em now too -__-) + i apologise if i got anything classpecty wrong.. pls correct me if so!!
#ask#omori#homestuck#i kind of pulled these answers out of my ass but it was rly interesting to think about#thank you for giving my autistic ass a hot minute to infodump about 2 of my special interesgz#also my classpecting knowledge is a liiitle limited as of now since im still trying to learn how classes and aspects interact w eachother#<- so i feel like i havent done the greatest job ! but hopefully u understand my vision#classpecting
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I could've been high when I hyperfixated on politics this morning but noooo I PROCRASTINATED GETTING HIGH in favor of coffee and taking my pills late and pacing around typing furiously like a fuckign YouTube atheist
Well I'm getting HIGH NOW and I'm gonna WRITE ABOUT GAY SEX TYVM
#i feel like i did an ok job but like#honestly? it is really difficult to defend such a radical position without everyone having some kind of foundational understanding of#like the framework of that position#that's anarchism's biggest problem#most people know nothing about it and the people who do know something about it are really tired of explaining it LOL#But thats what we have youtubers for#genuinely though it makes me happy for people to show interest in it#i am not and i am never going to be the person with all the answers#i know what i know and i have a particular persuasive style and im not gonna convince everybody#but...i do think i know how to make some core points#and hopefully good faith research can supplement the rest#self#but if there is one thing i am not it is a debate bro#dont come to me for that shit LOL
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scary spell of spookiness
you know this is reminding me that i was considering making all my original tags wizard themed. how are we feeling about the ask tag "letters to the wizard" because personally im k- it just started raining????? its thirty fucking degrees and it just started raining???? anyway i think i like that as a tag i just need to come up with a matching one for my original posts
#placeholder ask tag#<- so i can replace them all at once when im on my laptop#polygonate#you can really see the kind of attention span ive got in the things ive written recently#i mean maybe not like publicly but if you are in the small circle of people who recently had to endure multiple tangents#about cheese heritage centres and vertical bowling and worst of all the entirely unrelated tangent about the camera i owned when i was 11#then you might be entitled to financial compensation#or maybe not. you know how it is#i think if you ever send me an ask you have like a 50% chance of an actual answer and 50% chance of something entirely unrelated#but hopefully still interesting#anyway im tired i just took a six hour nap im going to now go to bed for the night
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The Gang React to You Falling Asleep on Them
Lucifer
*deep sigh that speaks volumes to how difficult it is for this man to get any sleep, and here you are, conked out on his shoulder...*
If you don't wake up within a few minutes, he'll have no choice but to move. He is not the sort to be so sentimental that he can't bear the thought of disturbing your precious sleeping face. Of course, he won't be an asshole about it; he'll be careful and try not to wake you up. He might even drape his jacket over you for your nap.
But only if he doesn't need it.
Mammon
"Hey, my arm's gettin' a little stiff, can I just-- ...ah."
Oh. Ah. Alright. Cool. This is happening. Hmm. Damn. Not super comfortable, and it's kinda inconvenient to be trapped here, but, pshh, what's he supposed to do, wake up a sleeping human? He's heard that can lead to...cardiac arrest, or something. He ain't gonna murder you just to move a little sooner.
You did not just start snuggling him in your sleep. Did Mammon score today or did he score today? Too bad his arm's starting to fall asleep, but, well, nothin' in life is free.
Leviathan
"What...? WHAAAAAAT?" (But only in his brain. He doesn't want to wake you up. Mammon says that can lead to cardiac arrest in humans.)
He's pretty sure he's the one who's going to keel over from heart problems at this rate. He hadn't even realized you were getting sleepy. Are you bored watching him tackle this single-player old school RPG? Did you hate it all this time and you never even mentioned it?! Why is your face so close?! Do you not have any idea the kind of mental torture you're putting him through right now?!
Deep breaths, Levi. Deep breaths. This happens in anime all the time. It's...usually a good thing! It means that the main character and their love interest are tripping all the right flags, and... and how long is this scene going to last? Those scenes almost always end with the two still on the couch, then they skip to the next day or something. How long is he going to have to just sit here... suffering...?
After about ten minutes, he's reached his limit and he gently shakes you awake. He is so embarrassed that he insists you go to bed now, and he will not take no for an answer. Good night. Goodbye. *door slams*
AAAAHHHHHHHHH.
Satan
"Hm? Have you been getting enough sleep...?"
Satan would be very pleased with the situation, though probably less intensely excited than Mammon. He'll make whatever small adjustment is necessary for his comfort, then settle in and read for as long as it takes you to wake up. He feels very warm and fuzzy. It's nice. Hopefully you do this more often. But he should really ask you about your sleep schedule. Levi must be forcing you to stay awake too often.
Asmodeus
"Aww, aren't you adorable?"
This is precious. He needs to document it. As soon as he realizes what's happening, he'll carefully pull out his D.D.D., making sure not to wake you up, and start snapping pics. A few of you, a few dozen selfies with you, a few with him pretending to be asleep too, and then a perfect shot of him kissing your forehead. Grammable as fuck.
Er... is that drool he can see in one of those photos? ...You're going to have to wake up. You can't just drool on his brand-name jacket.
Beelzebub
"Oh."
He's used to people falling asleep on him, so this doesn't really throw him for much of a loop. However, he's a bit more careful of waking you up. He knows that if he wakes Belphie, he'll just fall back asleep within a few seconds, but you're not quite so adaptable. So he'll do his best to stay quiet and not move much.
But no matter how hard he tries, he's never going to be able to turn off his stomach. You'll probably wake up with a start as his stomach roars at you about twenty inches from your face.
Belphegor
"...zzzz..."
Who are we kidding, we all know he was asleep first. Probably, he's the reason you fell asleep so easily. He's soft and warm, perfect for drifting off to dreamland...
Diavolo
"Very bold! You really are astonishingly brave."
It's not every day someone has the stones to fall asleep in his presence, let alone fall asleep and use him as some sort of glorified pillow. What a nice change of pace.
He'll continue doing whatever it is he was doing before, but he is a busy demon, running the Devildom and all. He'll slowly and carefully extricate himself when it's time to move, then have Barbatos bring you a blanket and prepare some tea for when you wake up.
Barbatos
"Humans are awfully needy creatures, aren't they."
He can't help but chuckle. You just pass out during the middle of the day? Then again, it's possible you're probably not entirely well. He'll have to disturb the young master to ask what sort of accommodations to make for you. Of course, he's sure Diavolo won't mind. But it's irresponsible to let yourself drift off like this in the castle of the king of the demons, isn't it? This isn't a resort.
Sleep well, human.
Solomon
"You're just looking cute on purpose now, aren't you?"
Oh well! Looks like he's stuck here for now. Too bad. He'll smile, put an arm around you, kick his feet up, and settle in for the long haul. Hopefully you're able to get a good, solid nap in.
Most likely, you both will. He'll pass out too within ten minutes, give or take.
Simeon
"Oh- shh. There, there."
Well, if you aren't adorable... You must be so tired. He's glad you feel so at ease with him that you let yourself fall asleep, and you certainly look cute, but he's also a little concerned that you're this tired. He'll patiently wait for you to wake up. Then he'll make you some tea and gently remind you to take better care of your health.
Luke
"Eh...?! Hey! ...WAKE UP!"
How tired are you?! You need to get better sleep! Sheesh, you need to be more careful too. You almost crushed him.
#obey me#obey me headcanons#obey me lucifer#obey me mammon#obey me mc#obey me ensemble#obey me leviathan#obey me levi#obey me satan#obey me asmo#obey me asmodeus#obey me beel#obey me beelzebub#obey me x reader#obey me belphegor#obey me belphie#obey me diavolo#obey me barbatos#obey me solomon#obey me simeon#obey me luke#text post#the om gang react#the gang react#gang react#tgr#dthc
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friendly neighborhood spiderman - fushiguro megumi
![Tumblr media](https://64.media.tumblr.com/0865063e92b713bf8ab626c85f6cc134/ce9b36182179745f-d1/s540x810/6d6ffba45dae8da32dd09968fa812a0714905f34.jpg)
word count: 25k i need a lobomy warnings: swearing, men making reader uncomfortable, some blood n bruises summary: besides being morally gray, megumi has never crossed any personal boundaries while protecting the city disguised as the spiderman. that is, until it comes to her. a thorn in his side, a plague to his mind, and a skip in his heart. wait, what?
notes: SPIDERMAN AU! rivals to unknown friends to unknown lovers to..??
___
With great power comes great responsibilityâŚ
To that, Fushiguro Megumi said; no shit. Â
Living a double life wasnât always the easiest thing in the world, but the justice part came to him naturally. He didnât like to call his abilities superpowers, there was something too childish about it, but since gaining them, Megumi had known there was some kind of reason.
Maybe it was because he had a stronger sense of right and wrong than most of the people he knew. His peers at the college he attended seemed to have more interest in alcohol poisoning than anything else, so he supposed it made sense that if a radioactive spider bit had to give someone powers⌠it might as well have been him.
Besides, he was kind of a loner, so it wasnât hard to hide his double life. Every day he followed the same routine.
Wake up early to work out and do a quick patrol of the city, try to get to his classes on time, study in between lectures, study through lunch, and then as soon as his last class of the day was over he was off to swing through the city and keep an eye on things.
There had been an uptick in crime in Tokyo lately, and Megumi hadnât quite put his finger on why. It had never been the safest city in Japan, but since taking on this role it seemed like criminals everywhere were crawling out of the cracks and shadows to challenge him. Not that anything had proven to be too challenging for The Spiderman⌠petty criminals made it easy.
âLate again, FushiguroâÂ
There were, however, challenges that Megumi faced.
(y/n) swiveled around in her seat just as heâd sat down behind her. To think heâd patted himself on the back for only being three minutes late today. He shouldâve known she was counting down the minutes to rub it in his face.
Resting her elbows on the back of her seat so she could smirk at him, she plops her chin on her fists and eyes him curiously. Megumi canât even be bothered to roll his eyes, heâd grown too tired of the same banter every day.
If she couldnât take his place at the top of the class, (y/l/n) (y/n) would have to find some other way to antagonize Megumi- and she took that job all too seriously. Unfortunately their class schedules were almost identical, seeing as they were both enrolled in as many accelerated courses as they could be, so Megumi spent most of his day in her vicinity. And hell, she never let him forget it.
When he barely even looks at her, (y/n) turns back around in her seat, seemingly already prepping her notebook for her notes of the day. Sheâs probably one of those girls that makes every page pretty and aesthetically pleasing, Megumi finds himself frowning at his own train of thought. He only had seven more hours of putting up with her competitive attitude, and then heâd be free and far from it.
Nothing cleared his mind like swinging around the city. She couldnât possibly plague him once he was in his suit. He tried to tell himself that through the rest of class, everytime her hand shot up in the air and she bragged her way through perfect, textbook answers.
It was no doubt that sheâd be successful after graduation. Megumi would rather die than admit it out loud, but he wouldnât be surprised in the least if she ended up a millionaire- billionaire- with how well studied and determined she was to win. If she put half the effort into her future career that she did just by bothering him, sheâll probably earn herself some title of youngest most successful woman.Â
Hopefully by then sheâll be too busy to bother him anymore. Although Megumi assumes that by the time graduation rolls around, heâll never see her again. Â
She was probably counting down the days until then, too. ___
Megumi spent his lunches alone.
This didnât really bother him. He didnât have much interest in making friends, and never put much effort into it. He liked to think he was kind, but he knew he wasnât the most approachable guy in the world. If he was honest, he kind of liked it that way. So long as he kept his clothes dark, his face expressionless, and his hair untamed, then he seemed to ward people off. No one approached his usual small table in the corner of the lunchroom unless they needed to borrow one of the extra empty chairs. Even then, people seemed nervous to ask, and more often than not someone would scurry over and take one without a word, rushing it back to their table before Megumi could say something untoward.
The way he dressed himself wasnât the only thing keeping people away. His reputation might have something to do with it as wellâŚ
But that fight wasnât his fault. Not necessarily. So what if someone got sent to the hospital? Megumi was a believer in consequences being served⌠and if no one else was going to deliver, then he supposed it came down to him to do the right thing. This was before the spider bite, before Spiderman, so his strong sense of justice had nowhere to be channeled.
To Megumi, all that mattered was the guy learned his lesson. And by the way, he did live. He just had to spend a week in Intensive Care to pull through, is all.
Unapproachable was an understatement when it came to Megumi.
Maybe thatâs why he found (y/n) all the more obnoxious.
He minds his business during his lunch hour- although heâd argue that he minds his business all the time. Sitting in the corner with headphones large enough to make the point clear that he didnât want to be bothered, his nose was always stuck in a book. Heâd eat with one hand and scribble in his notebooks with the other. Even if he could afford a laptop he didnât want to use one. His time was better utilized if he could study and eat simultaneously.
The corner of his eye twitches when he catches a glimpse of her in his peripheral. He hates that the hair on the back of his neck stands up when she shows up, all of his nerves tingling like a warning. His grimace is obvious as he finds her walking through the cafe with the little lunch box he knew was perfectly organized in multiple compartments. She probably didnât let any of her food touch.
Sheâs stopped on her mission to get to her table of know-it-all friends, and Megumi shouldnât care that some guy called her over to his table to talk to her, itâs a bit of a boring scene, honestly. He should get back to his studying now, but for some reason heâs compelled to watch from the back of the room as (y/n) drags her feet over to the guyâs table.
Megumi doesnât recognize him, or really any of his surrounding friends, but by the looks of it they seemed like the kind of guys that wouldnât have gotten into the classes heâs taking.
A year ago Megumi wouldnât have been able to hear their conversation, not from across the busy cafe where a hundred other conversations are happening, but now he finds it easy to tune out all the other noise and eavesdrop on (y/n) and this frat boy.
âYou always walk by without saying hello. You tryinâ to hurt my feelings, princess?â The frat boy feigns heartbreak, holding his hand to his chest all the while grinning at her.
âHelloâ
(y/nâs) reply is rigid. She sounds as bored as Megumi feels watching her. He almost scoffs at himself for even paying this much attention. Clearly his little warning sense was misfiring, because nothing of interest is playing out here. He was starting to consider this a waste of his heightened abilities.
âAwe, câmon now gorgeous, you can do better than that,â Fratboy clicks his tongue in mockery. âWhy donât you come sit?âÂ
âIâm sitting with my friendsâÂ
Once again, her tone is as flat and dry as could be. Megumi starts to wonder what Fratboy even wants with her. Besides her personality being insufferable, she clearly isnât interested in whatever heâs offering. How many hints can this guy possibly miss?
âRain check?â Fratboy asks hopefully. It could almost be endearing if it wasnât for the slimy grin he wore. Megumi hated to think it, but (y/n) outranked this guy on every scale.
âYeah. Maybeâ (y/nâs) voice falls to a mumble before she turns and walks away, this time at a faster pace than before.
As she finds her place at her table, she glances over her shoulder, feeling the prickle of someoneâs eyes following her. Megumiâs senses are one step ahead, and heâs quick to drop his head to focus back on his studies again. Heâd already lost five minutes to watch a pointless interaction, he didnât need to lose more time by facing her evil eye if sheâd caught him staring at her.
Idiot, he thinks as he takes a more aggressive bite of his food than necessary. Getting behind on schedule for (y/n) of all people. Â
He pushes the whole thing as far from his mind as he can as he gets back to work. ___
Tokyo had been rather quiet this evening. Not that Megumi was complaining. It was refreshing to see the streets peaceful, even this late into the night.
Eleven oâclock might not be the ideal dinner time for your average person, but for Spiderman, it was the norm. And Megumi liked having a quiet night where he could have a quick street food dinner at the skyline overlooking the whole city. It was peaceful up there. With all the stars out, a perfect breeze coming in, and without the noise of pedestrians out and about down on the streets, Megumi could positively say this was his secret piece of heaven.
Most things about his life were a secret- but this especially he held this place close.
As expected there wasnât a single pesky thought of school on his mind. Like the sky, it was clear and peaceful.
At least it was, until he was mid-bite of his sandwich and he caught sight of something sketchy in his peripheral.
The familiar sensation of the hair on the back of his neck prickling rises when he turns to watch the scene unfold. An unmarked car with blackout windows pulling up behind one of the many small 24-7 convenience stores and a few men with various clown masks getting out of it. He huffs in annoyance, already swinging down and dumping the remainder of his perfectly good sandwich in the trash.
When were these idiots going to learn that robbing a convenience store was never worth it? He wonders as he lands on the roof of the building the men had just gone into. He finds thereâs only one guy left in the car, the getaway driver heâs sure. Pulling his mask over his face heâs swift and silent in webbing up the door handles and tires of the car. He wasnât going anywhere anytime soon.
Just as silently, he drops to the ground, and enters the store.
Itâs not the first time Spiderman has made an appearance during a stick up. And Megumiâs sure it wonât be his last, seeing as no one ever learns.
âWell if it isnât Spiderboyâ One of the three clowns, Megumi assumes the ringleader, taunts him with a laugh. He cocks his gun and aims it at him, but Megumiâs not the slightest bit threatened by a gun. Typical, he thinks.
He barely acknowledges the silent threat at all, instead scoping out the store quickly. Â
Thereâs one man behind the counter, his hands raised and shaking. It appears he hasnât handed over any money yet, which is good. It makes for a quicker and cleaner exit for Megumi.
A couple is cowering behind the first aisle of snacks, trying to peek over the shelves without being seen- theyâre not doing a very good job, but with Spiderman here now Megumi figures theyâve assumed their safety is guaranteed. They arenât wrong.
And then there was a girl in the very back, two aisles behind the couple, and apparently far less brave as well. Sheâs crouched all the way to the ground, her hands clasped tightly over the back of her neck as if this was a tornado drill and not a robbery. At least her head is down, Megumi thinks. Itâs not often he comes across civilians with a decent sense of self preservation.
âDid you hear me, Spiderboy-?â The ringleaderâs second taunt is barely finished before thereâs two webs flying at him. One aimed for the barrel of his gun, covering his mask, gluing it straight to his face and muffling his mouth.
âYeah yeah, I fuckinâ heard you,â Megumi grumbles. Criminals loved to call him all sorts of names, he figured it comes with the job, but man did it get old.
Thereâs two other clowns, lackeys, he supposes. These types hardly worked alone these days. Megumi always wondered if they thought being in numbers would protect them from Spiderman. Again, they never learn.
It takes him all of five seconds to web up their weapons as well. Some glued to their hands and chest, rendering them useless, others so tied up in the sticky string that they couldnât move any limbs if they tried.
âYou think you can go around playing hero and people will respect you for it?â One of the lackeys snarls when Megumi tears the mask from his face. He does the same for the other, but the second clown seems too afraid to speak. Good. âPeople âround here donât give a shit, Spiderboy. You think theyâll thank you? Heh? You think theyâll throw you a nice parade and chant your name?âÂ
Megumi rolls his eyes, patting down his pockets in search of any identifiable information. Like he presumed, he finds a phone and wallet. Sometimes it felt like these guys werenât even trying to get away with their crimes.
Paying the lackey clown no mind, he turns over his shoulder and motions to the couple behind the shelf. They raise their heads a little further, eyes wide and seemingly surprised Spiderman was addressing them.
âItâs safe to go,â He tells them with a wave of his hand. âGo straight to the police station to report thisâÂ
Does he have faith theyâll listen? No, he assumes theyâll be likely to go home. Megumi doesnât care much. The police werenât exactly his allies. But if he was going to do their jobs for them, he was going to have to at least act like he was playing by their rules.
âPlaying nice with the cops, tch,â The loudmouth lackey continues on. âWhen they show up, theyâll take you before they take any of us- mmph!âÂ
âMuch better,â Megumi sighs when his webbing does just the trick to shut the guy up. Will he suffocate with it covering his mouth? Of course not, âBreathe through your nose,â He grumbles when the lackeyâs face starts to take on a blue hue. âFucking idiots, youâre all the fucking sameâ He sighs, dropping the guyâs phone and open wallet on the ground before him, making sure itâs on perfect display for when the cops arrive.
âTh-thank you, Spiderman,â The shopkeeper behind the counter finally begins to lower his hands. It appears heâs still shaking, but Megumiâs sure itâs the adrenaline rush heâs coming down from. Heâll be fine in no time. Especially once the police arrive and whisk these guys away. âI- I donât know how I can repay youâÂ
âIt was nothingâ Megumi replies, monotone as ever, but itâs the truth. The whole ordeal was over in the matter of three minutes. A robbery had barely begun when heâd shown up and shut it down.
The shopkeeper looks startled by the less-than-friendly attitude of his savior, but he doesnât say a word, just picks up his phone to dial up the police.
Megumiâs on the move heading out of the store, ready to make himself scarce before law enforcement shows up, but of course he canât leave just yet.
âHey,â He calls towards the last civilian in the shop, the girl crouched on the ground, still covering herself. âHey,â He calls again when she doesnât react, taking a few steps towards her. âYouâre good to go now,â He says, but even still, she doesnât move.
It takes a tap on her shoulder for her to startle, finally uncovering the back of her head and looking up at him. She stays on the ground, but now Megumiâs stunned to silence as well as he stares back at her.
(y/n)? Heâs grateful for his mask for the millionth time but in a whole new way now. What the hell was she doing out here in the middle of the night?Â
She doesnât say anything as she stares up at him with wide eyes. He canât tell if sheâs still in shock, but the longer he waits for her to say something, she doesnât.
âAre you⌠alright?âÂ
Itâs a normal question to ask, he probably says it a hundred times a night, making sure no oneâs left hurt or afraid. But this time, asking her, it felt foreign coming out of his mouth. Heâs never been put in a position to⌠care⌠about her wellbeing before. But nowâs as good a time as any, seeing as sheâs still got her knees to her chest and a shell shocked look on her face.
âYouâre- youâre Spidermanâ Is the first thing she says, her voice barely above a whisper. Megumi could roll his eyes, but heâs too busy waiting for her to get up and get moving.
âAnd youâre not sitting around here all night, câmonâ He beckons her upwards, and to his surprise she takes it as an offer to grab his hand, and he finds himself pulling her up to her feet.
âYouâre a lot taller than I thought youâd beâ She mumbles, and if she could see his face sheâd watch a look of puzzlement befall him.
âGet that a lotâ He mutters, making an obvious motion to eye the hand that she still has gripping his gloved one.
âOh, sorry,â Sheâs still quiet, quieter than heâs ever heard her speak before, and itâs starting to intrigue him. Â
Was she this afraid of a pesky little robbery? He wondered, looking her up and down. She wasnât trembling, she showed little to no sign of distress at all. For a girl that had nearly gone full armadillo just a few minutes ago, she didnât seem all that afraid.
âIâm just- uh-â She clears her throat, and Megumi thinks itâs the first time heâs ever heard her stammer, or misspeak at all. âIâm a big fanâ She finishes, her quiet voice sounding more shy now than anything else.
Wait, what!?Â
âA fan?â Megumi repeats in disbelief, and (y/n) smiles softly as she nods her head.
âYou donât get that a lot too?â She asks, inching towards speaking at a normal volume.
This is the part where he leaves, and he knows it. The authorities were bound to be close now, and itâd give him more trouble if he was still around when they got here. He couldnât be wasting his time, especially on her.
But he lingers there for a second longer anyways. There was an undeniably curiosity creeping under his skin. Never would he have pegged (y/l/n) (y/n), regular goody-goody, as a Spiderman fan. It had him wondering if there was more to her than met the eye. Â
Maybe she was⌠a normal personâŚ? Could it be true?Â
Flashing lights interrupted his thoughts, his head swiveling to see approaching red and blue
âFuck!â He cursed, and behind him (y/n) covered her mouth to stifle her giggle. Jeez, did she expect some squeaky clean guy to be under the mask? âYouâre fine, right?â He asks her, already stepping away to make his escape.
(y/n) nods her head, still giving him an awestruck look. It makes his face feel hot under his mask. Could she really be this enamored with Spiderman? So much so sheâs rendered speechless.
âRight- well- maybe stop shopping in the middle of the night and you find yourself in these situationsâ He tries to be serious, but she grins as she nods back at him in agreement.
âIâll try my best, SpidermanâÂ
With that heâs out the door and swinging off just before the cops round the corner to the building. Heâd just narrowly missed them, but that was the closest heâd come to getting spotted by them in quite a while. Until then, heâd done a good job making a clean getaway.
He huffs and tugs his mask off of his head when he finds a fire escape distant enough to rest at. Of all the crimes heâs interrupted, that was definitely one for the books. And it had nothing to do with the tacky clown masks or shitty execution.
His chest felt tight, an odd feeling creeping into his bones.
Shit. He still hadnât had a proper dinner. ___
Megumiâs exhausted the next morning when he strolls into class. Heâs five minutes late today, but he tells himself that ten is his limit so heâs still doing just fine. He never gets a second glance from the professor anyways- with his grades? His professor wouldnât care if he didnât show up to class at all.
(y/n), however, cares very much about Megumiâs punctuality.
âWho taught you to be so disrespectful of other peopleâs time, Fushiguro?â She mocks a pout at him, already turned around in her seat to bother him as usual.
Megumi gives her a bored look, maintaining eye contact as he opens his notebook to a fresh page. (y/n) raises a brow impatiently, waiting for some kind of response, but Megumi remains silent. This is fitting for him, he rarely engages in her banter these days, but his silence feels different today. Something about the way he looks at her makes her feel like heâs sizing her up, or something.
âWhat?â The word comes out in a mumble, her brows furrowing as he meets his inquisitive stare with a confused glare.
Megumi purses his lips, shakes his head, taps the eraser of his pencil rhythmically against his notebook.
âNothingâÂ
Itâs all he has to say, and for once (y/n) doesnât have a snarky remark. She just gives him a weird look and faces forward in her seat again. Maybe heâd caught her off guard by actually speaking to her, even if it was just one word, itâs more than heâs given in a while. Pretty much since the spider bite. Engaging in petty arguments seemed pointless after that.
As he takes notes on the lecture of the day, he canât help but be drawn to the back of (y/nâs) head. He didnât like the idea of giving her any of his attention, but his thoughts were drifting out of his control, and he couldnât stop replaying last night in his mind. The way she looked at him, smiled at him, like he was her hero. And now today he was reduced to the dirt under her perfectly clean shoe. It was like he had a secret about her now. There might not be a way for him to dangle it over her head openly⌠but he knew, and for now, that was enough.
By the time class ended, Megumi already had his bag packed up, and he was the first out the door. If he got to the next lesson before her, he could claim a seat in the back where she wouldnât dare be caught sitting. Maybe then he wouldnât get so distracted.
Even with his heightened senses however, he doesnât notice the way (y/n) watches him book it out of the classroom, a knot between her brows at his odd behavior. Because since when has Fushiguro Megumi rushed to class? ___
Itâs hard not to notice Megumi is avoiding her more than usual. She shared almost every class with him, besides one art course she took, (y/n) saw him every hour of the day. It also helped that being the top two of their class they were always seated somewhere near the front, and closer to each other than either one of them would like.
It doesnât bother her that Megumiâs been sitting in the back of the class with the other slackers. She couldnât care less if he decided not to come to class at all- in fact it would be wonderful for her. If his grades slipped just a little bit she could take his spot as top student, a position that was rightfully hers seeing as she was punctual and present in every class. Unlike Megumi, who hardly participated unless asked to, and acted like he couldnât care less about his status.
She always wondered if he truly didnât care about his ranking. He certainly acted like he didnât, rolling his eyes at her comments if he wasnât ignoring her completely. But was it just an act?Â
(y/n) made it an effort not to think any more about Fushiguro Megumi than she had to. But sometimes he made that difficult for her. Like now, when heâs sitting in the back of the class with his blocky headphones on. She canât help but peek over her shoulder at him, eyeing the way he actively took notes from what was on the whiteboard at the front of the class. But how well could he learn if he wasnât even listening?Â
He catches her staring not a second later, his bored blue eyes landing on hers and holding her stare. His expression is unchanging, completely neutral as he stares back at her, but it still feels intense. (y/nâs) quick to shoot her eyes forward and begin scribbling messy words in her otherwise neatly kept notebook. Was it just intense because heâd caught her staring right at him? Her face feels warm, her heartbeat kicks into an anxious pattern.
Clearly, whatever his issue was, she needed to just ignore it completely. He seemed to do just fine doing the same, maybe it was time for her to take a page out of his book and give him the same treatment.
Still, her eyes catch him in every hallway, every class, every moment heâs around, she spots and scans him as if thereâs going to be some hint as to what brought on his change in behavior. ___
A couple of peaceful weeks were well appreciated, but Megumi mustâve taken them for granted, because tonight was a rough one.
He could enjoy a good fight, heâd grown up a fighter, so it all came naturally to him. Right hook, dodge, web, kick, swing- there were just a few extra steps to his hand-to-hand that came from the spider biteâs abilities. To him, that made the act of fighting all the more fun. He wasnât afraid to admit he got a certain rush out of beating someone up. When it was justified, there wasnât a feeling like it.
Getting beat up, however, sucked.
Maybe the guy was on steroids, maybe the adrenaline got to his head and his fight or flight kicked into high gear, Megumi wasnât sure what his deal was, but he certainly took a beating before finally knocking the petty handbag thief out and getting him webbed up for the cops to take care of.
It wasnât till he got away and found an alley secluded enough that he was able to check his injuries. He didnât have to take his mask off to know his head had taken most of the damage. He could taste the blood of his split lip, and feel the hot throbbing behind his eye. Â
Great. Going to class with a black eye wonât draw any attention.
With a groan he leaned back into the brick of one of the surrounding buildings, trying to even out his labored breathing. It wouldnât be a surprise if he found his torso littered with black and blue, too. As much as it hurt, Megumi was more irritated than anything. Hiding injuries was the worst part of his secret double life. College kids always wanted to hear the gnarly stories behind visible cuts and bruises. Megumi only hoped his shitty reputation would be enough to keep people away.
He couldnât sit around for long, there was still a city that needed patrolling, so Megumi kicked off the wall and took a few deep, harsh breaths as he left the alley, ready to go for a swing around the next few blocks to make sure everything was as it should be. Quiet. It was almost one in the morning, most people should be turned in for the night by now.
Just as he reaches the sidewalk and before he can fly off into the air, however, heâs met by a not-quite-stranger.
(y/n) almost runs right into him, speed walking down the sidewalk with her head down, clearly on a mission. Had he stepped out a second later she mightâve crashed into him, but itâs hard for her to not notice the six foot tall man in a head to toe black suit.
For half a second she looks alarmed- rightfully so, a strange man just came out of an alley, if she had half a mind sheâd turn and run without thinking. But as expected, Megumi finds she has no sense of self preservation as she looks at the block in her path with a grin.
âYou againâ She greets him like she knows him now. (She does know him, but she doesnât know she knows him, you know?) And her smile is so genuinely bright that Megumi starts to feel sick.
âAgain,â He sighs, the groan in his voice not going unnoticed. âDidnât I tell you not to walk around alone this late at night?â His voice still sounds weird, and itâs shortly after that (y/n) notices his hand hovering over his ribcage.
âDid you get hurt, or something?â She ignores him completely, all the while putting her phone in her pocket to give him her full attention.
âIâm Spiderman, I donât get hurtâ Megumi argues, but the wince in his voice is obvious, and (y/n) somehow sees right through it.
âOkay⌠well⌠even Spiderman has to go to urgent care sometimes, right?â She tries to be lighthearted, but her smile is wavering now, concern seeping into her features.
Megumi can barely stand to look at her. What is she doing? Staring at him like that, like she knows him, like she cares about him. Canât she just go the fuck home where itâs safe and more importantly: away from him?
âTch, I donât think soâ He mutters.
(y/n) frowns.
âSpoken like a true idiot man,â She scolds. Jeez, last time they crossed paths like this sheâd said she was a fan, now this? âWhat is it with you guys and your reputations, huh? Youâre not any stronger for toughing out an injury without help, you knowâÂ
âIâll keep that in mind, momâ Megumi argues back. She scoffs, but it turns into a small laugh shortly after.
âYou could at least put ice on it, you knowâ She says, stepping past him and continuing on her way down the sidewalk. Megumi tosses his head back to silently curse at the sky.
âDid I not make myself clear that you should go home?â He calls after her.
âIce is this wayâ Is all (y/n) says, and all she has to say to get him to groan at nothing in particular and follow after her.
Itâs a good thing itâs so late at night, thereâs no one to see Spiderman walking around with some random girl. Surely the papers would have a hay day if even a photo was snapped⌠he doesnât even want to think about what kind of headlines theyâd come up with.
âI can buy my own iceâ He tells her after a minute of walking in silence.
âI know,â (y/n) shrugs. âBut so far it seems like youâre letting me hang out with you, so Iâve gotta enjoy it just a little bit longerâÂ
âWeâre not hanging out,â Megumi replies dryly. âYouâre refusing to go home when itâs the middle of the night and IâmâŚâ He trails off, not wanting to say what heâs thinking, but he doesnât have to.
âAwe, Spideyâs lookinâ out for me?â Sheâs smiling at him again, holding her hands behind her back as she looks up at him. âYou starting to like me?âÂ
âYouâre starting to bother me,â Megumi quips back, but itâs followed by a chuckle he canât help, and it only seems to endear (y/n) further. âI donât usually give people follow up warnings,â He mutters with a shake of his head. âWhatâre you doing out this late, anyways?â He asks before he can help it. âDonât you have, like, school, or something?â Itâs difficult to act like he doesnât know she spends her nights studying herself to death.
âMaybe Iâm going to a partyâ (y/n) shrugs.
âTch, no youâre notâÂ
âHow do you know?âÂ
âNot dressed like thatâ Megumi comments, making a point to look her up and down.
(y/n) huffs, but thereâs no denying the evidence right in front of them both. Sheâs wearing leggings that were at least a couple years old, and a large sweatshirt that was teetering the line of well loved and ratty. Â
âOkay, well, maybe this time Iâm notâ She says, and Megumi bites back a smile. Heâs pretty sure that a girl like (y/l/n) (y/n) has never stepped foot in a house party. And he knows because he hasnât, either.
âStill not an answerâ He reminds her.
âI was going to pick up some energy drinks,â (y/n) finally admits. âItâs a short walk from my apartment to the corner store, I do it all the time. Even without Spiderman watching over meâÂ
He chuckles at that, wondering just how many times sheâs made the walk, no matter how short, in the middle of the night. Couldnât she just get them before she goes home for the day?
âAnd you just have to go in the middle of the night?â He scolds her, but she doesnât seem too affected by it.
âThatâs when I need them the mostâ She replies with a shrug.
âYou always drink energy drinks that late?âÂ
âWhat, you worried about me or something?â She fires back, a curious look on her face. âYâknow, I havenât heard much about you talking to peopleâÂ
âI donâtâÂ
âYouâre talking to meâ She points out matter of factly, a tone of hers that Megumi was already far too familiar with.
âYouâre kind of leaving me no choiceâÂ
(y/nâs) quiet for a moment, and it seems like sheâs contemplating something, but whatever it is she doesnât let him in on, instead smiling and turning her attention to the sidewalk as they walk.
Megumi ducks into the alley next to the convenience store when (y/n) goes in. Heâs unceremonious as he drops himself to the ground, sighing in relief to be off of his feet. His hand presses into his ribcage at a weak attempt to relieve the pain as he twists to try and find a comfortable position to sit in. He doesnât want (y/n) to come back and see him in any sort of pain- it wasnât a good look for Spiderman to show any sign of weakness.
Sheâs quick to return, a plastic bag in one hand and a frozen bag of vegetables in the other. Even behind the mask she must understand that heâs pulling a face at her, because she huffs in annoyance.
âThey didnât have iceâ She explains, inviting herself to squat down next to him and offer up the vegetables.
âNo no, youâre not sitting here,â Megumi bites back a whine when he sits upright in an attempt to urge her to leave. âYou need to go back homeâÂ
âAnd miss a personal Q&A with Spiderman?â She replies, a small smile on her face when he finally snatches the vegetables out of her hand. He grumbles a string of incoherent curses as he rests it over where the bruising feels the worst.
âThatâs not happeningâ He mutters.
âThis is why I never hear about you talking to people,â (y/n) sighs. âYouâre boringâÂ
âIâm not boring,â He argues. âI just donât have anything to sayâÂ
âWell, you could start by thanking me for the veggiesâ (y/n) replies, tilting her head at him.
Megumi glares at her from behind his mask. He didnât need to reminder of her insufferable personality. But⌠watching her smile so softly at him, like she would love nothing more than a thank you from Spiderman⌠maybe itâs just because heâs injured, but Megumi caves.
âThank youâ It comes out from behind his teeth, and she must know it, but Megumi swears he sees stars in her eyes.
âYouâre welcome, Spiderman,â She murmurs back.
It comes out so genuine, so sweet, that thereâs a pang in Megumiâs heart. He doesnât think any of the bruising spread so far up his chest, but it mustâve for him to feel such an odd sensation.
âI have to ask⌠cause I probably wonât see you againâŚâ Her eyes land on the way his hand tenses and presses the frozen vegetables further against himself. âWhy do you do it?âÂ
When he doesnât answer, she blinks at him, moving her head just enough to tell him that she really wanted him to say something.
Megumi figures she wonât leave him alone if he doesnât say anything, so he goes with the truth.
âItâs the right thing to doâÂ
He shrugs lamely, and it takes a second for her to react at all. At first itâs a furrow of her brows and a knowing smile, as if he just had to have an answer better than that. But she didnât know him as well as she liked to think, because she didnât know Megumi. Â
When he has nothing else to say, her expression slowly softens, and she hums thoughtfully.
âThatâs it, huh?â She muses. âYouâre just⌠a good guy?âÂ
Just a guy, Megumi mentally corrects. He might have heightened abilities, and a better sense of right and wrong than those around him, but heâs never considered himself a hero. Just a guy trying to make things right, trying to keep people safe.
âGuess I try to beâ His answer is as lame as his movements. Â
If he were a superhero, heâd need some help with PR, but somehow, this makes him all the more special to (y/n). She brightens, leans in closer and sets her hand over his, where heâs still holding the cold vegetables.
âCan I tell you something, Spiderman?âÂ
Hasnât she been talking to him this whole time? If it wouldnât hurt, Megumi would laugh. Instead he just nods his head and waits for her to continue.
âI want to be a journalist because of you,âÂ
What? Megumiâs face warps into shock at the confession. He didnât know what he was expecting, but it wasnât that. She was on track to be a graduate of the sciences, whichever one she ended up choosing anyways. He always saw her becoming some wealthy astro-physist or some shit. She wanted to give up all of her work in those programs to⌠write?Â
âAn investigative journalist,â She corrects. âI want to write about the things that matter, and- and I want to be honest, you know? I want people to read my articles and know theyâre being handed the truth. Thereâs not a lot of that around these daysâŚâ She trails off. Â
She didnât have to tell him about the light Spiderman was painted in. Letâs just say him and Megumi would share the popularity rankings⌠except no one was raising pitchforks and torches in Megumiâs direction.
âYou want to do that âcause of me?â Megumi asks, curiosity getting the best of him.
(y/n) nods, trying to bite back her smile but it was still as clear as day.
âIâll write my first article about you,â She promises, and Megumiâs eyes widen at her sincerity. âIf youâll let meâÂ
âWell youâre not getting an interviewâ He says, only half joking. (y/n) laughs quietly.
For a moment, he gets that glimpse into her again. The same one he felt the night of the convenience store robbery. There was something in her eye heâd never seen before. Something soft, and real. It dawns on him that he very well may be the only person sheâs told about this dream of hers. He wants to ask, but it feels wrong, like heâs prying for something.
âI wonât need one,â She tells him. âCanât have the people knowing I know youâÂ
âYou donât know meâ Megumi replies, maybe too quickly, but he canât help it. Â
He tilts his head at her as she gazes at him with too much fondness. Was his reminder that heâs a stranger to her not enough? Sure, she could trust him because he was Spiderman, her safety wasnât compromised, but that didnât mean she needed to go confiding in him like this.
Besides, the look she was giving him was making him feel hot, like he was about to break into a sweat.
âI donât knowâŚâ She murmurs thoughtfully. âI just have this feeling⌠like I doâÂ
That has him leaping into panic mode. That was it, this was done. If he saw her again while he was in this suit, he was going to turn and swing the other direction. She couldnât be saying things like that, she couldnât be trying to put the pieces together in her mind. If she were to figure him out, heâd be done for. She put a lot of trust in him tonight, but could he trust her for even a minute? Megumi wasnât sure, and he didnât care to find out.
As far as he was concerned, this was the last time he was going to talk to her. He was right to avoid her after the first time- it should have been the last time, but it was too late for that now.
âYou should goâ He says, pushing himself to stand even through grunts of pain. She looks at him with worry, brows knitted and lips in a frown as she follows him up to her feet.
âWait,âÂ
She calls to stop him, despite having nothing else to say to him. Well, there were a million things she wanted to say to him, but none of that felt appropriate now. She didnât really expect him to stand there and hear her out, but he is, and now her mouth is running dry and sheâs standing before him frozen. He radiates impatience, without having to say a single word.
âI⌠I didnât thank you,â She stammers out. Itâs unlike her, but it canât be helped. Sheâs always had a little fan-crush on Spiderman since he made his appearance on the news, but after actually being around him that seemed to blossom into a very real crush, even if sheâs never seen his face. She can feel a blush heating up her face when she speaks. âFor the other night, with- with the robbery,â She clarifies, even though she didnât have to. âSo⌠thank youâÂ
Megumi hesitates a moment longer, almost expecting her to say something else. She looks like she wants to, her face is growing pink and her hands have begun fiddling with the bag of her energy drinks. But she remains quiet.
He gives her a nod, before handing over the bag of vegetables. (y/n) laughs under her breath as she takes it. Itâs lost all of itâs cold, merely a room temperature bag of carrots and peas by now. Sheâs not sure what sheâs supposed to do with it, but she supposes it wouldnât look good for Spiderman to swing around with it.
âYouâre welcome,â He tells her, and it sounds like the most earnest thing heâs had to say to her. Heâs always come across as blunt, something (y/n) was surprised by when they first met, but now itâs a blessing. She knows that he means it. âGet home. Donât make me have to tell you again, alright?âÂ
To Megumi, this is a goodbye. He doesnât intend to see her again, not like this. It was⌠interesting, while it lasted, but it could never actually last. It needed to be over before things could get any worse⌠or she could get any closer to figuring out his identity.
âIâll try my best, SpidermanâÂ
Itâs the same thing sheâd left him with before. She wonders if he catches it. With that, Megumi shoots a web and swings off into the night, his black suit blending easily into the night sky.
He did. ___
(y/n) was always punctual, to everything, not just class. But today she found herself in her favorite seat a whole ten minutes early. She hadnât meant to show up before the professor, but she just couldnât contain her energy today. Sheâd woken up before her alarm, got showered, dressed and dolled up in record time, ate a small breakfast on her walk to school, and now here she was. Full of energy as if it wasnât eight in the morning. Call it waking up on the right side of the bedâŚ
⌠or having an interesting night that she couldnât get out of her head.
Never in her wildest dreams did she think that sheâd run into Spiderman again. The first time was a little embarrassing, sheâd come close to being called a victim, but the second time just happened by chance. It had her heart racing, her face warming, her lips smiling- hell, she was giddy.
He wasnât anything like sheâd thought heâd be, but that just made him all the more enticing to her. He was blunt, maybe even a little crass for a masked hero, but every interaction sheâd had with him drew her in more. Â
Sheâd meant what she said about getting into journalism, sheâd even been looking into transferring her credits next year, even if it meant starting over in a completely new program. Last night, sheâd spent her time in bed staring at the ceiling and replaying events in her mind. When she wasnât doing that, she was mentally writing her first article about The Spiderman.
The Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman had a nice ring to it, she thought. Although she had a feeling that he would laugh at the title of Friendly. Or maybe roll his eyes. It was hard to tell with the mask.
Before she knew it, she found herself doodling said mask at the corner of a fresh page in her notebook. She lifted her pen instantly, surprised at just how zoned out sheâd become. There were never doodles in her notebooks. They were perfectly kept, clean, organized, conside, and without any extra graffiti.
She supposes this doodle can stay, though⌠she had done a rather good job at drawing it, it would be a pity if it went to wasteâŚ
Students begin to file into the class and setting up their laptops and notebooks at the desks surrounding her. Without any friends in this class thereâs no one for her to talk to, or share the story of her night with.
Then again, sheâs not sure she wants to tell anyone about her run in with Spiderman. She hadnât mentioned it before⌠although that was because she didnât need anyone fussing over her being out so late and putting her safety in jeopardy. This time was different, but stillâŚÂ
It felt more special if she kept it to herself.
Today, Megumi comes to class twelve minutes late. She eyes the clock above the doorway just as he ducks in to check the time, but her eyes just as quickly dart back to his figure. Itâs hard not to, with the dark purple shiner standing out against the pale skin of his face.
Her eyes flit around the room, just to see if anyone else noticed the state of their late arrival, but every other student seemed too wrapped up in the lesson, and their professor was too deep in his lecture to give Megumi the slightest of attention. To everyone else, Megumi was late as usual. As (y/n) looked at him again, she had an inkling he was the only one who noticed his black eye.
He knew he was going to draw attention, clearly, seeing as his hoodie was up over his unruly hair and his head was down. But he mustâve sensed (y/nâs) eyes on him, because when he looked up it was directly at her.
He was moving to the back of the class again, probably to take that corner desk with the graphite engravings all over it. It would be alarming if she were to say anything to him, although sheâs not even sure what she would say. Asking him if he was alright felt weird, and itâs not like she could just shout âwhat the fuck!?â in the middle of class.
All she could do was stare at him as he took his seat, pull out his notebook, and begin notetaking as usual, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Sheâs completely turned around in her seat now, still watching him, even though she was missing valuable points of the lesson now. It was hard to pull her attention away- it was weird that no one else seemed to notice him at all.
Where could he have possibly gotten that from? She frowned, despite Megumi ignoring her completely. She was sure that she wouldâve heard about him getting into another fight on campus- last time she was getting texts about it while she was reading all the tweets about it. Fights were hot news around here, and if Megumi was involved in a second one, she surely couldnât have missed it.
Right?Â
Finally, his eyes catch hers. She doesnât turn away from him like she had in the past, she holds his stare, trying to communicate with him in silence.
Itâs obvious to him, sheâs looking at him with that same worried face sheâd worn last night. She just didnât know she was worried about the same person. He raises his eyebrows at her expectantly, as though asking âwhat?â. As though nothing were out of the ordinary at all.
Her lips curl into a frown, almost a pout, and Megumi has half a mind to flip her off to get her to leave him alone. Even in silence, even from opposite sides of the room, she seems to find some way to get under his skin.
He doesnât, though. Just holds her stare for a minute longer before putting all of his attention into his notetaking.
Megumi told himself that he was done with her, and he was going to be true to his word. Whether he was in the suit or not, he couldnât have anything to do with (y/l/n) (y/n). Being around her just made things feel⌠complicated. He couldnât pinpoint why, but he didnât want to. He just wanted the feeling to go away.
She sits turned around in her seat even once heâs clearly begun to ignore her again. He can feel her eyes on him, see her watching him out of his peripheral vision as if she was going to figure him out through her stare alone.
He was only pretty sure that she couldnât.
Eventually she turns around in her seat, but the bouncing of her leg is driving him insane even from across the class. It was like all he could hear- the faint tap of her shoe tapping the linoleum floor. It was louder than the lecture, than the squeak of the marker on the whiteboard, or the students smacking their gum or tapping their desks. His ears focused on it for the remainder of class, effectively ruining his note taking ability.
Heâs out of his seat once class is over, snatching his things and not bothering to put them in his bag as he bolts for the door. Thereâs an itch in his mind telling him to distance himself from (y/n) as fast as he can. The inkling was right, because he doesnât make it far in the hall before his name is being called.
âFushiguro!âÂ
A few surrounding students glance in her direction, some even snicker in passing. Megumi wasnât someone anyone chased after, and certainly never a girl. If this were still high school, his sister would ooh and ahh at him before skipping away, plotting to tease him for it later. But this wasnât high school, and when he turned around to face (y/n), anyone who was watching made themselves scarce fast.
He doesnât say anything as she approaches him, the strap of her messenger bag held tight in both hands against her chest. Â
She opens her mouth, ready to make a smartass comment, but it comes out awkward, not quite right.
âLate to class again cause of a fight, or something?â Even her scoff comes out wrong, sounding like a nervous laugh, strangled and weird. She shifts her weight between her feet.
Megumiâs silent for a long few seconds. Every one that passes feels like eternity, and (y/n) deflates a little more under his stare.
âSureâ He shakes his head, not caring what she wanted to assume about him. If she wanted to think he was that kind of guy, all the better. Spiderman didnât get into fights before going to class, so the further he could separate himself from him in her mind, the better.
She frowns at his answer, and it looks like sheâs actually upset when she stares directly at his dark eye. It looks pretty bad, he knows that. The swelling he could take care of, but the dark purple was another thing. Right now though, heâs more concerned about the way she seems to worry.
âSeriously, Fuhiguro,â She says quietly, hoping to get through to him. Â
Sheâs not sure what it is that came over her, but something about seeing him walk into class looking like this made her heart lurch in her chest.
âWhat happened? Who did that?âÂ
âI fell,â He says dryly, earning a short glare from her. He sighs, shutting his eyes to mask his annoyance before it got the best of him. âSorry I donât have an interesting story for you- can I go to class now?âÂ
âSuddenly Mr Punctual?â She snaps back, crossing her arms over her chest. Megumi huffs, shakes his head, uncaring toward her attitude.
âWhateverâ He starts to turn away, but she catches him off guard when she rushes to block his path again. Â
Megumi actually startles when she budges in front of him, having to step back to remove her from his personal space. His wide eyes land on hers, annoyance furrowing his brows as he stares down at her. Sheâs defiantly raising her chin towards him, eyes narrowed and everything.
âIâm actually asking, you know,â She tells him. âBecause no one else is walking around with black eyes-âÂ
âWho cares?â Megumi tries to step out of her way, but she slides in front of him again. The traffic in the hallway is thinning, they would both be late for their next class if she kept this up. âDonât you have a class to be early for?â He hopes thatâs enough to get her to back off.
âI donât care,â She says with enough assurance that Megumiâs actually surprised. He figured being late to class would throw her into a full breakdown. âWhy are you being such a dick about this?âÂ
He scoffs, a bitter smile tugging on his lips, only making him wince as it tears the healing wound.
âWhy are you?â He fires back.
âBecause,â She says it with such certainty, only to fall short with the rest of her reason. She didnât know exactly why she felt like someone needed to check in on him, but she knew that she did, and maybe she was the only one who noticed anything was wrong in the first place. âBecause⌠because itâs the right thing to doâÂ
Megumi freezes up at that. All of his muscles go rigid, his jaw tightens, and his eyes flicker over her features rapidly, trying to find any crack in her sincerity. Was she seriously throwing his words back at him right now? Just because of a black eye?Â
Meanwhile (y/n) feels good about her answer. Sheâd picked it up from a man she admired so much and it felt right. There was no real reason, just a feeling. She had no idea what emotional turmoil she was putting him through right now.
â(y/n), seriouslyâŚâ Megumi shakes his head at her. He steps to the side again, but doesnât leave right away. Her eyes follow his, waiting for him to continue. He hates that she looks so genuinely worried about him. Hates the way it makes his heart race and his fingers tremble. He has to force words out of his throat. âLeave me aloneâÂ
Her face falls, but heâs quick to leave once he says it, and this time, she doesnât chase after him again. ___
In the rest of their classes, she doesnât try to talk to him again, and does her best not to look his way. Megumiâs relieved⌠he thinks. Itâs for the best that everything returns to normal. Whatever compelled her to reach out to him today was clearly Spidermanâs doing, and he couldnât have that. Things couldnât change. His feelings of distaste towards her couldnât change. He couldnât start feeling⌠differently.
With his hood on and his headphones blasting music enough to drown out the noise of the cafe, Megumi tries to catch up on what heâd missed during his first lecture, which was the entirety of his first lecture. Luckily his professor tended to drone on word for word from the textbook, and he could catch up by reading.
Unluckily, it doesnât take much for him to get sidetracked from his studies. He wants to kick himself when something compels him to look up, only to find (y/n) at Fratboyâs table again.
This again, he tells himself, certain heâll go right back to his textbook. But he doesnât move. His focus stays entirely on the table of jocks, without a shred of discretion, to make things worse.
âNot todayâ (y/nâs) saying when he tunes into the conversation. Does this guy always ask her to sit at his table for lunch? Is he that oblivious? Megumi chews on the inside of his cheek. Youâd think heâd try to avoid the idiot jock stereotype a little better.
âCâmon princess, itâs never âtodayâ. Why donât you just say yes to âtomorrowâ, hm?â Fratboy leans out of his seat, reaching his hand out towards her. (y/n) takes a step backwards, but heâs faster, snatching her by the wrist and pulling her towards the table again.
Megumi bristles, watching the situation with the eyes of a hawk. If looks could kill, this wouldâve been enough to get Fratboyâs hand off of her. Even if he wasnât hurting you, it was unwanted, that much was clear just by watching her body language.
âI really donât feel that way about you,â (y/n) snaps, tugging her arm to get herself out of his grasp. He doesnât release right away, and Megumi almost gets to his feet, but with a second tug he lets go of her, and (y/n) takes a large step back, keeping both arms close to her body in case he tries to reach for her again. âLeave me aloneâ She barks at him, turning to walk away.
If Fratboy says something else to her, Megumi misses it. His focus is dialed up to one hundred, and as soon as (y/n) separated herself from him, Megumi hadnât paid a second glance to Fratboy at all. He wonders how long sheâd felt his watchful eyes before she actually turned towards him. Her eyes skirt around the cafe for a second, trying to find where the prickling feeling of being watched was coming from, and it doesnât take long for her to find him. Her bitter expression softens when she spots him, an odd feeling replacing the discomfort of being talked down to and manhandled.
Maybe because as soon as Fratboy follows her line of sight and sees Megumiâs hard stare set in his direction, he turns towards his table again and quickly engages himself with his friends, not bothering (y/n) with even a second glance. She watches this unfold, before looking back at Megumi again, curiously. Despite her being left alone now, heâs still staring at her, maybe waiting to see that sheâll get to her table without being bothered again, sheâs not sure.
Either way, she grows still under his direct gaze. She didnât know how to describe it, but sheâs sure sheâs never had anyone look at her like that. With an otherwise neutral expression, there was so much anger behind Megumiâs eyes that if she didnât know better, she might be just as afraid as Fratboy. However something told her not to be, something told her that the anger wasnât directed towards her. It takes a great deal of effort for her to turn her back on him and head towards her table, but even as she walks away she canât help but glance back at him again. Heâs already returned to his book by then, but her intrigue doesnât end there. She spends the rest of her lunch in near silence while surrounded by her friends, her thoughts too busy for her to keep up with meaningless chit chat and gossip.
That night (y/n) wanders the sidewalk between her apartment and the convenience store up and down until her feet are too tired to carry her anymore. She walks the familiar path, back and forth, over and over, between the hours of ten and two, her eyes fixed on the sky, peeking down alleyways, her fingers crossed, her heart racing. Nothing comes of her walk. She returns home with a sense of disappointment, and a will to try it again. ___
Megumiâs growing tired of this game of hers. Heâs not sure why she insists on doing this every night, it had been four nights now and she had nothing to show for it, so why was she still out there pacing the sidewalk like a maniac?Â
It took all of his energy to patrol the streets and keep an eye on one particular sidewalk- one particular girl. He was one guy. Did she really think this was safe for either of them? He very well could be missing a crime happening two blocks over because heâs too busy checking in on where sheâs chosen to wander. Did she really think this was enough to capture his attention?Â
Well, it had caught his attention, seeing as every other five minutes he was swinging back in this direction to make sure she was still alive down there.
Was she trying to learn a lesson the hard way? Megumi spent his time watching her with bitterness. She was smarter than this, he knew it, so what the hell was she thinking?
Deep down heâd already confirmed his worries, but heâd hoped that sheâd give this stunt up eventually. He still saw her around school, even if sheâd stopped bothering him, he could see the toll that staying up like this was taking on her. She always had an energy drink or a coffee on her desk, and Megumi doesnât think heâs ever seen her look so disheveled. It had him wondering if this was starting to impact her grades, too.
This is why he shouldnât have spoken with her the last time. He shouldâve swung off in the opposite direction. Because now she was on his mind, she had him worrying, swinging all around the block she was pacing while trying to keep an eye on the rest of the city- it was exhausting for him, too.
He shouldnât be sitting here worrying about her sleep, or her grades. His bottom line should be safety. And she was safe. So why couldnât he just leave her be?Â
With a groan he stops his swinging to land on one of the surrounding buildings. He rips his mask off his head, groaning through his irritation before raking his hands through his already messy hair. She was driving him crazy, and he was sure that she knew it too. This little back and forth walk of hers, she was taunting him with it. Â
Throwing himself down to sit on the edge of the building, Megumi peers over his knees to check on her yet again. Sheâs slowed her pace, which hopefully means sheâs getting tired and will return to her apartment soon.
With a huff, he props his head in his hand, wondering what he was going to do about this. It wasnât as easy to make her hate Spiderman as it was to make her hate Megumi. Hell, it might not be a bad idea to just reveal his identity to her, sheâd probably want to forget about Spiderman all together, then.
Of course, that was a stupid idea, but Megumi was fresh out of good ones.
When he lifts his head again, compelled by some invisible force to check just one more time that she was alright, heâd looked just in time. He barely had the time to pull his mask back on his head before he was leaping off the building and swinging down towards her, half flying and half falling through the air as fast as he could to get to her before whatever figure lurking around the corner could.
Shit, shit, shit.
It happens so fast, sheâs lucky she didnât pee herself from the whole thing. Sheâd just reached the end of her pace, about to turn around and wander the other direction when she finally saw a very unsettling figure come around the corner. With disheveled clothing and a stagger that sent up warning flags of intoxication, (y/n) instantly stopped in her tracks, and started to shuffle backwards.
He never said a word to her, but from looks alone she got the feeling of what he was thinking. Nothing good.
However before she could get herself to start running, someone else came into view.
Thereâs barely a second for her to show her relief when Spiderman shows up, seemingly out of nowhere. Sheâs not sure his feet even touched the ground before he had an arm around her and was swinging off again. He doesnât have to tell her to hold on, she just clings, with all her might, she winds her arms around his neck and keeps her knees locked on either side of his hips. Â
The sensation of swinging through the air is not the one she always dreamed of enjoying- the wind is harsh, whipping her hair around all directions and snapping against her face unpleasantly. Even with her face buried against her saviorâs chest, the cold air nips at her.
Even once heâs clearly landed, it takes some prompting for her to let go of him, and open her eyes.
When she does, she barely gets to open her mouth before heâs laying into her, and she shouldâve seen it coming, but she canât help but deflate.
âWhat the hell were you thinking!?âÂ
Heâs yelling, and at first she wonders if heâs worried about people seeing, but a quick glance at her surroundings and she realizes theyâre on the roof of a building. No one would be hearing them here.
âWere you seriously trying to get yourself into trouble? Because you were about this close to it,â He raises his pinched fingers for emphasis, but gives her no time to answer. âYou better not have done something so stupid just cause of me-âÂ
âI didnât- well- well I didnât necessarilyâ (y/n) tries to explain, but the words just arenât coming as fast as her mouth is moving and sheâs left gaping at him. Â
Megumi was not putting up with it. What did he have to do to get it through her head?Â
âI canât be spending my nights keeping an eye on just you because you feel like putting yourself in harmâs way for a fucking rush,â He snaps. âYou pull shit like that again (y/n) and Iâm not going to be there next time, you understand?âÂ
Her mouth shuts. She nods her head.
âJesus Christ,â Megumi puts his hands to his head, turning and walking off as if they werenât stranded on top of a building.
Well, (y/n) was stranded. Spiderman had the means of getting himself anywhere.
She wants to follow him, but instinct tells her to stay put while he paces and continues to scold her.
âYouâre goddamn lucky I was there, you know that?â Heâs not even looking at her, but she nods her head again anyways. She knows. âI should really go back there and beat the shit out of that guyâ He starts to mutter to himself, going on incoherently, and (y/nâs) blood starts to run cold.
âHe- I mean, he didnât do anythingâ She mumbles, her voice hardly above a whisper, but he seems to hear her just fine, stopping in his tracks and turning his head towards her.
âAre you serious?âÂ
Her mouth opens and closes a few times before any words come out.
âItâs not like he⌠he said anything, or did anything to meâ She clarifies. Spidermanâs mask is incapable of expression, but she had a feeling the man behind it was glaring at her. She could feel that familiar prickle of a harsh stare.
Itâs silent for a long moment before he finally turns completely towards her and walks back in her direction. She keeps her feet firmly planted, willing herself not to back away or cower, but having him come stand so close to her had her throat closing up. He towered over her so much she had to lean her head back to look up at his mask. If he was going to yell, she was bound to flinch.
âYou have no idea what he was capable of doing,â He doesnât yell. In fact his voice is so eerily low she almost shivers. âIf you want to gamble your life on some drunken lowlifeâs imagination, thatâs your business,â He adds, and she blinks away the tears welling up in her eyes as the gravity of the situation really sunk in with his words. âBut at least have the decency to do it far away from me. Because if it were up to me Iâd go back there and kill that guy right nowâÂ
She blinks a few more times, but still, a tear slips down her cheek.
âI-Iâm sorry,â She whispers shakily, the lump in her throat growing hotter when she tries to speak. âI didnât- I wasnât trying to- I-âÂ
Megumi sighs as more tears begin to fall from her eyes. Her brain was playing catchup and it was clear she was too tired to handle any of this right now.
âItâs alright,â He says, but itâs obviously not enough to calm her down, so against his better judgment, he tries his hand at comforting her. âHey, câmon, youâre alright,â Reaching out to her, he hesitates before placing his hands on either side of he face, wiping her tears away on the soft material of gloves. âBreathe,â He instructs quietly, and waits as her shudders slowly morph into slow, heavy breaths. âThere you go, thatâs it. Youâre alright,â He tries to remind her that where she is now, sheâs safe. âYouâre hereâÂ
It takes a few more deep breaths, but eventually he steers her clear of a full blown panic attack, and her heartbeat returns to a normal pace.
With one last deep breath, (y/n) closes her eyes on her exhale, and Megumi finally drops his hands from her head, sure that she isn't going to start back up again.
âI have trouble sleeping,â She tells him quietly, her eyes focused on the ground. âIt started in high school, I uh⌠Iâm kind of a nerd, I guess,â She admits. âMy parents really cared about my grades and success and I guess I just⌠went with it. Started staying up through the night to study and get ahead the rest of my class and⌠never dropped the habitâÂ
Megumi softens, although sheâd never know it.
âThat doesnât sound so healthy,â He says quietly, not knowing what else to say. She scoffs, smiles bitterly, shakes her head back at him. âWe should get you back home, yeah?âÂ
Realizing what he meant, she looks back at him with a wince, and he canât help the small chuckle at her reaction.
âItâll be alright. Iâll take it easy, promiseâ He says, crossing his finger over his chest for emphasis.
âWhat, like Iâm gonna find some way to sue Spiderman?â She mutters back.
He holds his arms out to her, carefully grabbing her by the forearms to loop them around his neck.
âJust hold on and keep your head down, itâll be over before you know itâÂ
Her face heats up when his arm comes around her back and he presses her even closer. She canât stop her squeak of surprise before it comes out, and it must startle him, because heâs quick to ask her if sheâs okay.
âYeah I- Iâm fineâ She stammers back, feeling her blush grow hotter.
Megumi takes off without a warning, thinking itâll be easier to rip it off like a bandaid than to count down before a jump. All of her limbs tighten around him, forgetting about modesty as soon as theyâre in the air. She presses her face as far into his shoulder as she can to keep herself blinded from the surrounding area. Until now, she wouldnât have said she was afraid of heights.
Sheâs at least able to give him her address, a shaky whisper in his ear before sheâs buried into his shoulder again.
When he lands on her fire escape, he helps her to her feet, trying not to chuckle at how wobbly she is.
âDonât get sick on the suit, you have no idea how much of a pain it is to dry clean this thingâ He tries to lighten the mood, and is surprised that heâs successful in doing so, earning a small laugh from her.
âYou say that to all the girls you swing home, Spidey?âÂ
âNot a fan of the nickname. Or the insinuationâ Heâs back to his usual dry self in no time.
âWell you have to have a nickname, weâre friends now, arenât we?âÂ
Heâs supposed to leave now. He should leave now. This was exactly what he was afraid of happening, her getting attached. That burden was only on her of course, there wasnât a chance Megumi was going to get drawn in when it comes to her, not when he knew the consequences.
âSpideman already is a nicknameâ He mutters like itâs obvious. Â
(y/n) letâs out a breathless laugh, and tosses her messy windswept hair behind her shoulders. Â
Megumi hasnât left yet, why isnât he leaving?Â
âWell, then there must be some other name I could call you..?â She trails off with her question, stepping forward and eyeing him curiously. Â
Megumiâs frozen. Was she really suggesting he reveal himself to her? Obviously he couldnât do thatâŚ
âIâd just like to thank you, again,â She says, a small smile on her lips as she takes another step forward. Â
If heâs not leaving, Megumi knows he most definitely needed to step away from her before she could press any closer. Carrying her to swing her home was one thing, that was closeness out of necessity, but this- this was too much, and he was freezing up.
âAnd, um, properly,â She adds in a soft murmur, her eyes flickering over his mask. Â
He briefly wonders what sheâs looking for, but itâs quickly answered when she reaches up towards him, her fingers brushing the space between his mask and the rest of the suit. Itâs fitted so well itâs nearly impossible for someone to find the disconnect between the two- unless of course youâre standing directly in front of him, which she was.
He doesnât move, doesnât say a word, but the gulp he swallows is visible to her with how close she is. The tips of her fingers barely slip under the material of his mask, they graze his skin in a touch featherlight yet searing hot.
Without any indication from him that she should stop, curiosity gets the best of her and she carefully begins to slide the mask upwards, her eyes excitedly watching the expanse of his now exposed neck. Almost as pale as the moonlight, she drank up the sight of his skin as if it was a completely new sight to her.
When she gets to his chin, his hand snatches her wrist. Itâs a quick action, but surprisingly gentle. He barely grips her arm, his touch merely a warning.
âYou shouldnâtâ He says, the lump in his bobbing throat preventing him from saying anything more.
She looks up into the expanse of white that made for the compelling eyes of the mask. Wondering if she was making proper eye contact with him, she shakes her head reassuringly.
âI wonât go too much further,â She murmurs. Followed by an even softer, âPromiseâÂ
His better judgment clean out the window, Megumi lets go of her hand, and allows her to proceed.
Using both hands now, she bunched up the end of the material until she was able to gather it at his nose where it would stay put, leaving everything from his neck to the tip of his nose on display for her.
She smiles at him, almost knowingly, and it makes him nervous. Everything about this makes him nervous, this cold sweat she was putting him through was torture. Even more so when her fingers begin to softly trace over the exposed parts of his skin.
âI knew you were handsomeâ She whispers shyly, but her eyes glimmer with excitement.
Megumi chuckles, the corners of his lips barely quirking into a smile, prompting her to hover the pad of her thumb over them as well. She doesnât quite touch his lips, too cautious of the healing cut over the bottom one.
âHow could you know such a thing?â He mumbles, keeping his voice low out of worry that sheâd recognize it without the muffle of his mask.
âI donât know,â She giggles softly. âYour voice, maybe. And youâre tallâÂ
âI donât think you have very good standardsâ Megumi murmurs.
âI think itâs completely fair for a girl to have a little crush on the man who saved her,â She replies, face warming up from such a confession. To her delight, it gets another smile out of him. âWho knew you smiled so much under there?â She says before she could think twice about it. âI was starting to think you were that stoic, mysterious typeâÂ
âI could beâ He mumbles, and he finds himself taking her hand before she could finally touch her fingers to his lips. Â
Sheâs more than enticed to, with how pink and alluring they were, sheâd been dying to kiss them since sheâd lifted his mask, and hoped heâd give her the chance, seeing as he hadnât tried to cover the bottom half of his face just yet.
Sheâs never looked at him like this before. And to be fair, Megumi had never looked at her like this either. Heâd had no idea how pretty she was, like this, with her eyes half lidded and half focused, staring intently at his lips, giving away all of her thoughts without having to voice them. Her long lashes seemed to grow heavier with every slow blink. Sheâs hardly looking up at him now, all of her attention on just one thing, and Megumi was starting to run out of reasons why he shouldnât indulge her.
The hand that heâs not keeping away from him reaches out again, fingers skimming his jaw before curling around it with the softest touch. She doesnât pull him with much force, but Megumi finds himself following her movements as she guides him down, closer to her height.
It wasnât right to kiss her. It was actually the exact opposite of what heâd been trying to do here. How the hell did he wind up in this situation?Â
âThank you, Spidermanâ She whispers, her lips ghosting over his with every syllable.
Ah, fuck it.
His hand releases hers only to reach for the back of her head and pull her in the rest of the way, his lips capturing hers passionately. Not expecting him to make the first move, sheâs delayed in reacting, her hands sliding around the back of his neck and kissing him back with just as much fervor.
So lost in the kiss and how softly his lips move over hers, she almost forgets about the minor detail that his identity is still a secret to her, but even if it crosses her mind, she doesnât care.
Her fingers press into the small strip of skin exposed at the nape of his neck, and while she longs to dig them under the back of his mask and lift it off of his head, it's not out of a desire to expose his identity. Itâs purely because sheâd love to run her hands through his hair, followed by a curiosity of what that would feel like.
Was his hair long? Soft? Coarse? Was it shaggy? Was it shaved? The mystery of it all had her mind buzzing and her feet pushing her to the tips of her toes to meet his lips in one last kiss before he could pull away.
The final kiss is softer than the rest, so gentle and slow, it was the perfect first, and last, kiss.
Not that she could tell the difference, but Megumi had a hard time opening his eyes again when he pulled away. He didnât move far, his hand still cupped around the back of her head, fingers tangled in her hair. A part of him hoped theyâd be so knotted together that they wouldnât ever have to leave this moment.
When he does find the courage to look at her, heâs mentally kicking himself.
Megumiâs sure that the reason the sky was so dull tonight was because all the stars were trapped in her eyes, now being gifted to him under her precious gaze. Her lips curled into a slightly swollen smile, her cheeks pink with color despite the sun being nowhere in sight, it was perfect, she was perfect, and he canât believe heâs spent so long missing out on it.
Shit, shit, shit.
âYouâŚâ He starts, but he doesnât know where heâs going. His head is in the clouds, beyond the clouds, he was completely unreachable. (y/n) giggles softly at how quickly heâd become tongue tied. âYou should pursue the journalist thing, alright?âÂ
Brows slightly drawn together from the seemingly random comment, she nods back at him in a small motion.
âYou think?â She murmurs back, her hand squeezing his. It sends a wave of warmth through his arm and into his chest, and Megumi has to fight the urge to frown, because his mouth was still exposed.
Pulling his hand from hers, he touches it gently to her jaw, then her cheek. She leans into his touch, welcoming it completely. Her smile only grows upon feeling the warmth of his palm through his glove.
âI have a feeling that youâd succeed at anything you put your mind to,â He says, and itâs sort of cheesy, but itâs the absolute truth. Her lips part in surprise at the sudden seriousness in his tone, but she doesnât say anything, just lets his words linger on her mind. âNo more middle of the night walks, though, alright?â He says, shaking her head just a tiny bit to make sure it would get through her thick skull. âIf you canât sleep, just put something on tv, like a normal personâÂ
Her hand raises to cover the back of his, cradling it against her face sweetly. Megumi thinks the sight will be ingrained in his memory for the rest of time.
âThen how will I see you again?â She says, only half teasing. Her eyes are wide and hopeful, and Megumi stalls by brushing his thumb over her cheekbone a few times.
âIâll be aroundâ He murmurs, nodding his head through his uncertainty. Was it a good idea to see her again?Â
(y/n) nods back at him, before letting his hand go and reaching for the bunched up material of his mask, pulling it back over his face.
It was hardly a good idea to see her this time, and sheâd actually needed his help. Look where that had lead him.
âI hope so,â She mumbles, seemingly just as uncertain as he was.
He finally drops his hand from her head, fingers carefully detangling themselves from her hair so as not to irritate her head, or maybe he just needed to linger near her a little longer.
Who was he kidding. He was going to find himself in this position sooner or later, wasnât he?
âI guess⌠you know where to find me,â She says, wrapping her arms around herself, even though it was a nice night with no breeze. She squeezes herself for comfort.
When did it start, exactly? Was it the little secrets she confided in? Or her worry when heâd shown up to class a few days ago with a black eye? Megumi struggled to pinpoint when things took a turn down the path of no return.
âIf you change your mind on that interviewâŚâ She adds with a soft smile. She hopes heâs smiling back at her. Â
He is.
âIâll know where to find you,â He repeats, hoisting himself onto the railing of her fire escape, and standing up on the thin bar with complete balance. He made it look easy. âGoodnight, (y/n)âÂ
âGoodnight, SpidermanâÂ
He took off then, completely silent as he leapt from the escape and swung off, nearly invisible in the darkness.
(y/n) couldnât help but sit outside her window a little longer, replaying the events of her night yet again, and wondering just how he figured out her name. ___
Megumi had resigned to sitting in the back of all of his classes for the rest of the year.
Itâs not a huge deal, he can learn fine from any seat in the class, and as he realizes this he comes to realize that there was never really a good reason why he chose to sit near (y/n) before. All of his complaints that she was an obnoxious bother had dissolved into⌠nothing. He chose to sit near her every day. Whether it was right behind her or two seats away, he couldnât ignore the fact that he always chose to be near.
And now that he wasnât, it was driving him crazy. He longed to be closer, to sit behind her again, maybe even right next to her. Had he really been so dense all this time?Â
Though their interactions had been swindling since heâd put more focus into Spiderman than he had in school, (y/n) hadnât spoken a word to him since their argument in the hall, and that was almost two weeks ago now. Â
The last thing sheâd said to him, sheâd said to Spiderman, not Megumi. Still, he tries to keep the soft, precious way sheâd bid him goodnight in his memory. He didnât want to forget a single moment of the last time heâd spoken with her, not the things she said, not the way she touched his skin so delicately, and certainly not the kiss.
Megumi leans his chin into his hand now, fingers covering his mouth nonchalantly. However when he presses the pads of his fingertips against his lips, itâs not the same.
They caught eyes here and there, but that wasnât the same either. Heâd come into class late, sheâd cast him a short glance, but it was always quickly returned to the front of the room. Not so much as a taunting glare was directed his way. It was safe to say heâd finally gotten her off his back⌠and heâs never felt like such an idiot.
It was worse outside of classes.
Heâd spend his nights swinging around town, lazing through patrol, busting perps when they came around, but crime was dwindling by the day, it seemed. He liked to think that Spiderman was making a difference, but heâd been a little rough around the edges lately, and he knew deep down his reputation was morphing into a ruthless fighter. Â
Spiderman wasnât just keeping peace, he was keeping criminals in fear. Not that Megumi was perturbed by this- for one, heâd long held that reputation already, so living with it as Spiderman felt no different. Secondly, the quiet nights were comforting.
The free time was starting to become a problem, though. He couldnât stop himself from trying to visit her. Heâd be aimlessly swinging and the next thing he knew he was on her block, near her building, almost approaching the very fire escape at her window where theyâd last seen each other. Itâs difficult to make himself turn around and swing the other way, especially on the clear nights when he can see her light is on, and he knows sheâs awake.
Sheâd kept her promise, it seemed. Heâd swing by often enough to notice the flicker of a tv screen, just close enough to know she was home and safe, but he tried not to linger too long. He didnât want her seeing him checking in, and he definitely didnât like the idea of sitting outside her window like a creep.
More than that, he feared that sheâd be delighted to see him again.
It had been a week since that night on her fire escape- with the rescue, the kiss- and Megumi really tried to keep his distance. He indulged himself in passing by her window more times than he could count, but he was careful to keep himself hidden, so she would have no idea his watchful eye was never too far. If he kept this up, he hoped that she would forget about it altogether. Thatâs what would be for the best.
Sitting across the street perched on the roof of a building like it was the most natural place in the world to sit, Megumi dropped his chin in his hand as he stared longingly at the only lit up window in the apartment building across the street. At this point, heâd probably spent more time looking at that window than he had in his own home.
He didnât want to forget about what happened. He didnât want her to forget about what happened.
His mask crumpled in his other hand, he tore his gaze away from the window to stare down at it, cursing it mentally for giving him everything only to ruin it.
It wasnât Spidermanâs fault, though. Megumi was just as much responsible for the rift heâd put between himself and (y/n), long before that damned spider bite. Heâd always pushed her off, kept her at armâs length or further, if he could help it. He was the one stubborn enough to never let anyone in. He was the one that pushed her into treating him with the same insufferable attitude heâd directed at her, way back then. So much could change within a year, he supposed that was true for everyone, but he couldnât ward off the self pity that came over him, thinking heâd surely changed too much within a year.
At the feeling of the first raindrop hitting his exposed head, he sighed, running a hand through his hair to dry the following drops of water before pulling his mask over his head again. Of course itâs going to start raining on him when heâs sitting here feeling bad about himself.
He doesnât intend to get any closer to her building, being right across the street already felt too close, but with the extra cover of the rain starting to pick up, Megumi thought maybe tonight he could get away with being just a little closer. Just close enough to make sure she was okay in there. He might not be able to do anything about her sleepless nights⌠but it couldnât hurt to check, right? He would leave as soon as he was sure, and then he would try not to return.
Heâs not stupid enough to climb directly onto her fire escape- but then again his being here was pretty stupid already so what was one more idiot move? Instead Megumi perches himself on the one above it, opting to hang over the bottom of it just enough that he could peek through the window.
To his surprise, even though her tv is on along with the rest of the lights in her room, (y/n) is nowhere in sight. He doesnât think much of this at first, she very well could be in the bathroom, or the kitchen. But just as he tries to rationalize her disappearance, the hair on the back of his neck stands up, and in the next second her window was sliding open.
âBoo!âÂ
Her whisper yell as she leans out the window and towards his dangling head is comparable to that of a childâs. Completely un-scary, and followed by a string of delighted giggles.
Megumi freezes, and he wouldâve fallen right off the fire escape if his reflexes didnât have him shooting out a web of safety to hang by. Heâs still upside down, swinging in front of her, but (y/n) leans out further to steady his movement by his shoulders.
âScared ya good, huh?â She muses. Her grin was a sight for sore eyes. âServes you right, stalking a girl like thatâÂ
âI wouldnât call it stalkingâÂ
âWhat would you call it then?âÂ
Her hands are still pressed against his shoulders. Megumiâs not sure if itâs to keep him from swinging, or if she was keeping her own balance as she leaned the upper half of her body out her window.
â... is it a crime to visit people?âÂ
âUsually when theyâre trying to creep in through a windowâ She quips back. Her smile only seems to brighten the longer she looks at him- even if she did sort of just call him a creep.
âFor the record I wasnât trying to get inâ He corrects, his own smile beginning to grow under his mask. He couldnât deny how good it felt to see her like this again, to be able to talk to her, even just look at her.
âJust spy from the outside?âÂ
âI donât like the narrative youâre spinning,â Megumi scoffs. âWhat happened to honest journalism, hm?âÂ
She giggles at that. The corners of her eyes crinkle as she gazes at him fondly. He liked this side of her banter- the playful side. It was fun.
âSo you think you can honestly say you missed me, Spidey?â She asks in a voice made of pure sugar. It rots his teeth, melts his insides, and makes all his senses go fuzzy.
âI thought we werenât going the nickname routeâ He deadpans, avoiding the question.
With her smile pursing to the corner of her lips, something about her demeanor changed then.
âItâs only fair, since you know my name,â Her tone is just as light, but her eyes are calculating, and Megumi knows heâs slipped up. And again just now, by not having a quick enough response. âAnd Iâm certain I didnât give it to you⌠so⌠how do you explain that one?â
âDid you think I wasnât going to have an interest in figuring that out?â Megumi chuckles, hoping he could play it off.
(y/n) presses further out her window, far enough now that the rain starts to dampen her hair, but she appears to pay it no mind.
âI donât like it when youâre cryptic, Spideyâ She huffs.
Again, Megumi laughs.
âIt sort of comes with the whole anonymity thingâ He answers.
She tilts her head at him, as if she could study him even with the mask on. Megumi couldnât deny the paralyzing effect it had on him.
âWhy does it feel like youâre a stranger to me⌠but Iâm not one to you?â She asks him slowly, as though still debating on asking him at all. âWhy does it feel like you know me?âÂ
âYou do talk a lotâÂ
Megumiâs grasping at straws now, but at least that gets a small laugh out of her. He hopes itâs enough of a distraction, hopes that she lets things go back to the way they were. He didnât need her trying to put together the puzzle that was Spiderman, it couldnât lead to anything good.
âYou know what I mean,â She murmurs. She raises a hand off of his shoulder, reaching for the hem of his mask in a way that wasnât supposed to feel familiar to him. âYou think youâd ever tell me?â She asks as her fingers toy with the materialâs edge.
âWho I am?â Megumi asks dumbly. Besides the raindrops slowly running down her face, thereâs no change in her expression. Thereâs a glimmer of hope in her eye as her fingers slip under the mask, not quite lifting it yet, but holding it with the clear intention to do so.
The silence lingers until she has her answer, and Megumi thinks this might be the damning moment that heâs been trying to brace himself for. Sheâll probably rip his mask right off, and then who knows how sheâd react upon seeing it was him all this time. He knew he was faster than her, he could easily swing away before she could have the chance.
A nervous, breathless laugh breaks tension, and she gently peels the mask towards his chin.
âI guess Iâll just have to figure it out on my own, thenâ She muses playfully.
âAn investigative journalist now, are we?â Megumi asks, but thereâs no time for further banter when sheâs got his mask bunched up at his nose and thatâs all the further it needs to go before heâs meeting her lips in a wet kiss.
The rain was not a welcomed experience, it had (y/n) shivering and it was irritating Megumiâs now exposed nose. It made their kiss slippery and messy, and with him still being upside down it didnât exactly make things any easier.
Neither of them cared.
All of (y/nâs) interests lied in kissing him and then kissing him again- she couldnât help it, even if he outright refused to tell her his name, he kissed her like a dream.
Shaky, wet palms steadied on either side of his face, trying to pull him even closer. He follows her direction as best he can, but with his hands still occupied with the web to keep him from crashing onto her fire escape, Megumiâs left with his neck craned as far forward as he could push. If he hadnât held onto the last scrap of his sanity he wouldâve dropped down from the railing and crawled right through her window.
He was getting carried away.
â(y)- (y/n)-â Her name is whispered soft and broken into her lips, and she knows this is his way of ending whatever this is, but she canât help but leave him with one last lingering kiss. He doesnât push her away, doesnât even go still against her kiss. He waits, all too patiently, until she has to lean back and catch her breath.
âYouâre going to leave,â She says softly. Itâs not a question, she already knows. He might think that heâs difficult to read, with his monotone comments and the mask thatâs easy to hide behind, but he wasnât as great of a mystery as he might think.
He frowns. It looks a little awkward upside down. (y/n) gives him a sad smile and carefully maneuvers his mask back into place. It doesnât take long before she misses the small glimpse of his face that she was allowed to see.
âWhy do I get the feeling that Iâm not going to see you again?â She sighs.
The raindrops on her face could easily be mistaken for tears. Megumi slides his hand out of her hair to dry her face, and he canât keep away the memory of him drying her actual tears.
âYou will,â He assures her, but the nagging feeling doesnât quite go away. âYou just⌠might not know itâÂ
A lump forms in Megumiâs throat when he says it, and it only grows when her eyes light up with intrigue.
âIs that a hint, Spiderman?â She muses, and he chuckles, shaking his head.
âGet some sleepâ He encourages, already lifting himself onto the fire escape of her upstairs neighbor. Disobediently, she pushes herself further out her window to follow his movements.Â
âI will see you again?â She asks as she looks up at him, not minding the pelting of raindrops soaking through her clothes and hair.
Against his better judgment- as things always seem to be when it comes to her- Megumi nods his head. He doesnât say a word before swinging away, knowing heâd overstayed his welcome by a longshot. Even without looking back, he can feel (y/nâs) eyes on him as she watches from her window.
And when he thinks about it, he can still feel her lips against his. ___
(y/nâs) not sure of the last time she walked into her 8am class and saw Megumi had gotten there before her. It stops her in her tracks, still in the doorway, staring at the boy hunched over his desk in the back of the class scribbling in his notebook at an alarming rate.
Wait⌠was he cram studying for their test today?Â
She scoffs, and he lifts his head to give her a bored glare. Of course heâd noticed her when sheâd come in- heâd heard her coming from the hallway- but he wasnât about to give her the reaction she wanted.
And it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his expression hardened and neutral when it came to her, so Megumi had been trying to avoid looking at her completely.
Keyword, trying.
âDonât tell me you actually didnât studyâ She says, a knowing little grin tugging at the corners of her lips as she looks him up and down.
Megumi holds his blank stare for as much longer as heâs capable of before turning his attention back to his notebook, pen scrawling loudly yet again. (y/nâs) brows raise at the intensity at which he was writing, shocked that her assumptions seemed to be proven correct.
âWowâ She mumbles to herself, before walking straight to the back of the class. Â
Megumi tries to ignore her, she probably just wanted to click her tongue at him in disapproval before sheâd go pick out her favorite seat and ignore him for the rest of the period. But sheâs approaching so quickly and suddenly sheâs leaning over his desk and he has half a mind to cover his work, as if there was any kind of damning evidence there.
She eyes the messy notes before glancing up at him, his gaze already set on her. For a moment it pins her in place, has her freezing up just as she had a moment ago, but the feeling melts before she could question the severity in his eyes.
âIf you want to borrow my notes, youâll have to askâ He tells her, his voice unwavering and devoid of any emotion. She rolls her eyes at the typical behavior.
âUnlike you, I cared enough to study last nightâ She replies, and sheâs just about to turn on her heel when the unexpected happens, and Megumi actually has a response.
âThat so?âÂ
His change in tone irks her, and she canât put her finger on why. But the tilt of intrigue matched with the way he smirks has her heating up.
Out of irritation, of course.
âDuh,â Her arms cross over her chest defensively. âIâve been studying all weekâÂ
Even as Megumi resumes his note taking, his stupid smirk is still plastered on his face. If she was more inclined to violence, (y/n) wouldâve wanted to smack it right off.
âIâm sure you haveâ He mumbles, watching out of his peripheral vision as her arms shoot down to her sides, hands balled into fists as she gasps and gapes at him. Clearly, she took offense to the comment, and he had to bite back the chuckle at it.
âWhat are you trying to say?â She snaps at him, but sheâs not nearly as intimidating as she wants to be.
âDidnât really say anything,â He replies, tone holding no emotion again. âYou just started freaking outâÂ
âIâm not freaking out,â Her eyes narrowed. âGod, why do you have to be so-âÂ
Before she can finish he looks up at her again, and again itâs like heâs stunned her with the way his gaze seems to pierce right through her. He looks pleased with himself, too, as if he was just dying to hear what she was going to come up with.
Peculiarly enough, her throat goes dry, and she canât quite remember how she was going to finish that sentence. Megumi must figure her out, too, because his smirk almost resembles a smile now, and her heated skin was starting to become unbearable.
âSoâŚ?â Megumi repeats curiously, hoping to egg her into finishing her thought.
(y/n) huffs, shaking her head in her agitated defeat before turning around and marching towards her usual seat.
Megumi returns to his work with a smile on his face. Her preference for Spiderman mightâve been clear as day, but there was something satisfying about knowing one way or another, he had a knack for getting her worked up.z
___
Despite her hopes reaching impossible heights, (y/n) hadnât gotten another visit from Spiderman in quite some time. It had been about two weeks now, and she hadnât noticed even a shadow outside her bedroom window.
She gives him the benefit of the doubt, because for some reason unknown to her sheâd grown to care for him enough to make every excuse necessary. He was doing important work out there, sheâd tell herself while sitting at her window, longing eyes looking for any sign of life out in the sleeping city. It wasnât like he had all the time in the world to spend on her.
Or while wandering the halls from class to class, while her eyes were trying to catch every stranger that walked passed, she hoped to find some flicker of familiarity in anyone. It mightâve been naive of her to think he could be as close to her as being another student at her school, but she couldnât help herself. She couldnât stop the âwhat ifsâ from plaguing her mind. She was so full of hope it was rotting her from the inside out.
Her focus was never quite all there. In class sheâd mindlessly take notes, her attention shifting about the room, trying to catch the feeling of being watched, but she always came up empty handed. There were no eyes on her, she concluded after days of paranoid searching. It was just a placebo effect her mind had come up with in her hoping to find him.
As if she was just going to happen upon him as easily as looking at him and knowing.
It was the same even around her friends. The usual group sheâd sit with at lunch had noticed her change in demeanor, but not knowing how to bring it up to her they tended to continue on conversing as if she wasnât actively ignoring them as she searched the cafe.
âWhat are you looking for?â One of them had asked one day, a slight wince on their face when she startled and turned towards them again, as if sheâd completely forgotten where she was.
âOh, nothing,â Her reply was less than convincing. âJust spacing, I guessâÂ
Maybe that part was sort of true, but it wasnât a good enough excuse for anyone to take her seriously anyways. So she was left alone to barely pick at her lunch and scan the cafe with an undeniable skip in her heartbeat.
(y/n) was starting to think she was going crazy, but it was like an itch she couldnât scratch. She just had a feeling that she was close, and to stop her from chasing that feeling would take a force her lunchtime friends werenât able to muster up.
Her grades had yet to be affected, but her uptick in strange behavior wasnât going unnoticed. Her participation had dipped dramatically, some of her classes actually dragging on in near silence as no other students filled the gaps of her incessant questions and comments. It was clear to her professors and peers that behind her wandering eyes was a void of class-related thoughts. Whatever was occupying her every passing minute, had nothing to do with her studies. But she maintained her perfect grade point average so effortlessly it was difficult to reprimand her for her lack of attention in each class.
Megumi had watched from the background as her sanity seemed to slip further and further. At first, it had been a bit amusing. Heâd noticed right away, the way her eyes caught every guy walking into class, the way she seemed to pick each one apart with only her eyes. She must have been gauging whether or not she deemed every one of them capable of being Spiderman. It was hard not to smile to himself when sheâd ultimately look away from each one, unconvinced. Â
One was too short, the next too tan, another just didnât have the right vibe, Megumi wished he could read her thoughts as she scrutinized each passerby in silence. He was never too far from her, so it was easy to watch the hope radiating off of her as she tried to find the source of the eyes on her. Luckily for Megumiâs rapid senses, he was always facing another direction when her gaze flickered his way. Not that she ever quite looked at him the way she looked at the others. He could feel her eyes sweeping right past him, pausing on a boy sitting just a few seats to his left instead. But yet again she was facing away and trying to come up with someone else.
Megumi wondered why it was that she felt so sure Spiderman was in this very school with her. Tokyo was a heavily populated place, and he knew she was smarter than to assume he was this close to her all this time.
(Of course⌠he was⌠but how could she have any idea of that?)Â
With every passing day she seemed a little more dazed. Which was an interesting look on a know-it-all like her. Her interest in the world around her took a nosedive, and it was obvious to a watcher like Megumi. She looked like a gray spot surrounded by the bright yellow of her lunch table. She stuck out like a sore thumb in every class, finally having learned to pipe down and retreat in on herself. She didnât look depressed, it was just clear as day that her interests were on anything but what was going on around her.
Again, heâs entertained by this for some time. Thereâs a swell of pride and something warm and new in his chest whenever he sees her so openly looking for him. Hopeful eyes scanning every crowd, every class, only to never properly focus on him. He should feel relief that he doesnât seem to be even a passing possibility to her. Instead, all he feels is a few skips in his heartbeat knowing she thought he was someone worth searching for.
Well, Spiderman was someone worth searching for, at least.
But the entertainment drains fast when her preoccupied mind lands her crashing into someone in the cafe. A freezing cold iced coffee is dumped all over the front of her pretty blouse, ruining it instantaneously. Megumi happens to look up just as the incident takes place, the hair on the back of his neck standing up on alert and his eyes finding her in the crowd in a momentâs notice, just in time to watch her crash.
And just as she steps away from the person sheâs crashed into, her focus shifted to her soaked and stained shirt, an unsettled feeling crawls over Megumiâs skin as he notices who it was she just so happened to run into.
The frat boy that had been bugging her not too long ago.  The annoying guy, yeah, that one. Megumi was pretty damn sure this run in wasnât as accidental as it looked, but he stayed seated at his empty table, with faux attention on the book in his hand.
His eyes hadnât returned to the page since his little sixth sense had drawn them towards the whole situation. Itâs upsetting that he isnât surprised to see that when (y/n) hurries out of the cafe, Fratboy follows.
He huffs, shutting his book without marking it and tossing it haphazardly into his bag. He hadnât even gotten to finish his lunch. Maybe he could sneak a few bites in his next class.
(y/nâs) trying not to tear up as she rushes into the empty corridor outside of the cafe. It wasnât like her to cry over a stained shirt, but it was just so embarrassing to have to go the rest of her day with the obvious mark. Not to mention it was cold and wet and sticking to her skin and- jesus, of course it was soaked through enough that the black bra she wore was visible now. Â
Even as she pried the material forward off of her skin, she could still feel the sticky remnants of coffee underneath. It wasnât like she had a spare outfit in her car, and she still had three classes left in her day. Was she really stuck in this wet shirt until then?Â
âSorry princess, it was an accident, swear!âÂ
And to make matters worse, it appears sheâd been followed.
(y/n) canât help the groan of frustration as she releases the material of her shirt, letting it stick to her torso again.
âItâs⌠itâs fine, itâs whateverâ She grumbles, waving off the guy she recognized as the cafe bother, or so she coined in her mind, never having gotten his name during all the times heâd hit on her. Thereâs not much sincerity in her words, but she doesnât need him lingering around while she tries to decide what to do.
âI did try to dodge ya, but you really werenât looking where you were going,â He continues, despite her obvious disinterest in his entire presence. âIs there anything I can do?âÂ
He comes closer and on instinct she backs away. Her expression alarmed and eyes cautious when he pressed closer anyways. Itâs not that she thinks heâs going to hurt her, but she doesnât want him any closer than armsâ length. Ten feet would be nice, but unless she wanted to draw more attention to herself by turning and booking it down the hall, armsâ length would have to do.
âNoâ She answers, as firm as she can get herself to be. To her, this is the part where he should walk away.
He looks apologetic as he steps forward again, but this time her step backward has her almost up against a wall, and now her senses are on high alert. Discomfort courses through her, a feeling worse than the cold coffee sticking to her skin.
âCâmon, I could at least help you get out of your-âÂ
Fratboy doesnât get a chance to finish his statement when a harsh grip lands on his shoulder and pries his body to move with ease. His initial reaction is to fight back against the force, but he doesnât get to do that either, as heâs spun around and shoved into the wall.
Even the snarl on his expression disappears when itâs Fushiguro Megumi that presses in close and keeps him pinned to the wall. His bruising grip is replaced by his entire forearm caged against his collarbone, just barely pressing against his throat.
A yelp dies in the back of (y/nâs) throat as the whole thing happens in a matter of seconds. Itâs as if she blinks and suddenly Megumiâs there prying this guy out of her personal space as if he was personally offended by the act.
âH-hey man, what the hell is your problem?â The waver in Fratboyâs voice is embarrassingly clear. Megumi would laugh if he was in a joking mood. Heâs not.
His hard expression is terrifying up close. (y/nâs) standing just a few feet away and even she feels a slight shiver go down her spine.
âPricks like you,â Megumi mutters, and Fratboy swallows a fat lump in his throat. âSkipping around like youâre hot shit and get to have anything you want. Pretentious pricksâ He spits the last part out through clenched teeth.
All (y/n) can think about were the rumors from last year. The guy Megumi supposedly put in the hospital. Those rumors had been enough to have people steer clear from him. She didnât even let herself get too close when pressing his buttons, even if intrigue plagued her mind.
âI didnât- I didnât do anything!â Fratboy tries to raise his voice, a pitiful attempt at puffing his chest and making him appear more of a fighter than he really was. His head swivels, wide eyes landing on (y/n), who was stuck frozen watching it all unfold. âTell him!â He shouts at her, and she startles just a little. Not because she was afraid of the demand, but because as soon as it came out of his mouth, Megumiâs foot brought enough force to have the guyâs legs straighten up, which in turn kept him further back into the wall.
If Megumi could push the guy clean through the white painted brick, heâd be a bloody mess stuck inside of the concrete already.
âDonât look at her,â The command comes out in a growl. Megumi didnât need to raise his voice to sound tough. His brows are furrowed tight and low over his piercing eyes, which were half the force keeping Fratboy against this wall. âHumor me, prick,â Megumi asks, making sure his attention couldnât be drawn back towards (y/n) a second time. âHow come your shirtâs so pressed ân clean?âÂ
The guyâs lip wobbles a bit before he manages a small âH-huh?âÂ
âYour shirt,â Megumiâs voice is colder this time for having to repeat himself. âHow come itâs so clean?âÂ
âI- I- because I do my laundry?â He asks weakly.
Megumi rolls his eyes, letting them fall shut as his head tilts towards the high ceiling. This guy had to be joking.
âWrong answer,â He huffs. âIâm gonna let you go, and youâre gonna go buy yourself another overpriced pretentious fucking coffee, got that?âÂ
Fratboyâs brows furrow, but he nods his head shakily in response. Perhaps Megumiâs arm was pressed too hard against his chest, and he was finally out of air. Megumi could only hope.
âAnd youâre gonna take that coffee and dump it over your headâÂ
âWhat!? Iâm not-âÂ
âSo youâd rather take the beating?â Megumi asks before the guy could protest too much. His brows are raised, his interest genuinely piqued. He had no problem with either option. Having this prick walk around with a broken nose or an expensive shirt with a big brown coffee stain seemed like a win-win situation to him.
Itâs clear that Fratboy remembers the last prick that pissed off Fushiguro Megumi, and he must remember that he wasnât given options, because the back of his head defeatedly hits the wall behind him when he mutters out his choice.
Megumi gives him a solid nod, and he only pushes him a little bit when he drops his arm and steps back so he was free to leave.
Fratboy only takes a step and a half.
âForgetting something?â Megumi barks, hard eyes freezing him in place before he could get close to re-entering the cafe.
Fratboy awkwardly maintains the eye contact, confusion clear in his features. Megumi jerks his head towards (y/n), whoâs silence evidently hadnât made her invisible to the two.
âOh, s-sorry- Iâm sorryâÂ
Itâs a weak ass apology, but Fratboy assumes itâs acceptable enough because when he rushes himself back into the cafe Megumi doesnât stop him again. He gets a few odd stares as he gets in line for a coffee with apprehensive eyes and his hands anxiously buried in his pockets, but he keeps his head down the entire time.
âWh- why did you do that?â (y/nâs) mumble is the only sound in the empty hallway. Her voice wants to stay stuck in her throat, but when itâs clear that Megumi isnât going to give her an explanation- or say anything at all- she forces herself to ask.
His eyes fix on her, and an odd sensation settles over her. All the previous fear and anxiety melts away. Sheâd gone so rigid, her sense of fight or flight disappearing completely and keeping her stuck in place hoping she wasnât going to be witness to a nasty fight. But she hadnât expected that. Megumiâs intensity had been terrifying, even if it wasnât directed at her, standing by and watching it had her throat closing up and her heart racing.
But heâd hardly even hurt the guy, just⌠humiliated him. Still, it was just as shocking to watch.
And now, being alone with him and trapped under his stare, what she feels isnât fear. Itâs⌠curiosity.
His eyes wander over her, reassuring himself that she was fine, maybe just a little shaken up by the whole thing. She was probably more embarrassed than anything. He could live with that, as long as she was safe. He just couldnât have placed his trust in that frat prick.
âI donât like assholesâ Megumi answers, his voice as monotone as ever, as if he hadnât just scared the shit out of that guy for her.
The lump in her throat grew hot as the realization struck her. Heâd done all that for her?Â
âWell- well yeah, butâŚâ Her brows furrow, her head shakes ever so slightly as she tries to put her thoughts to words. âBut he didnât do anything, just⌠was an assholeâÂ
âYou donât know thatâ His reply was quick but his tone didnât shift.
(y/nâs) eyes widen, the furrow in her brow smooths out, and sheâs at a loss for words as she keeps staring at him.
You have no idea what he was capable of doing. Spidermanâs words repeat in her mind now as if he were standing right there saying them to her. Itâs uncanny how similar his warning was to Megumiâs just now.
âHe probably wouldâve fucked off if I told him toâ She makes a weak argument in an attempt to fill the overbearing silence.
Megumi doesnât say anything, just beckons her to follow him as he takes off in quick strides down the hall. She should probably tell him to fuck off, but her curiosity gets the best of her, and she finds herself hurrying to catch up to him. Heâs not walking all that fast, but his stride is significantly longer than hers, and she finds herself out of breath as they round the corner and he enters the first empty classroom they come across.
âMaybe next time youâll learn the lesson and tell him to fuck off, thenâ Megumi grumbles, more to himself than to her, but she takes offense nonetheless.
âWell sorry I wasnât expecting you to show up out of nowhere and threaten the guyâ She mutters back.
Megumi scoffs before shrugging his backpack off his shoulder. (y/n) watches his every movement as he opens it up and digs around inside of it. She wants to ask what he was looking for, but her words are stuck in her throat again, and this time she canât get them to come out.
âI didnât threaten anybody, relax,â He tells her in a voice that couldâve been more comforting, but it was at least steady and sure. âIt should make you feel better that heâs probably gone and made a fool of himself, nowâ He adds.
âOh, thank you for thatâ She replies sarcastically.
âYouâre welcomeâ Megumi replies in complete seriousness.
She opens her mouth, gaping at him, probably about to lay into him for taking her clear mockery as sincerity, but before she can he finally produces what heâd been looking for.
A tee shirt.
She blinks in dumbfounded silence as she stares at the plain black material in his hand. His brows are raised in an impatient expression, but she doesnât take the offer right away.
He sighs. Heâll just have to do all the work, huh?
âWould you rather go the rest of the day in that?â He asks, nodding to the obvious mess of her shirt.
âIt- itâs not that badâ She argues, her stubbornness forever getting in her own way.
âItâs going to reek of coffeeâÂ
âI happen to like the- the coffee bean scent-âÂ
âIt wonât be anything like thatâÂ
âItâs not even that wet anymoreâÂ
âI can see your whole bra nowâÂ
That does the trick in shutting her up, her head snapping downward to reassess the damage done. The groan she lets out morphs into a whine before she looks up at the balled up shirt in his hand. He vaguely stretches it towards her, and with a huff she snatches it right out of his hands.
As soon as he turns his back to her, busying himself with closing up his backpack, sheâs peeling the ruined shirt over her head and quickly shrugging into the fresh tee shirt.
Besides the ridiculous proportion, sheâs quick to notice the scent that clings to it. She dips her head once itâs covered her, trying to place a name to the smell of fresh laundry. Pine? Is this what pine smelled like? A part of her hated how good it smelled, how addicting it was to keep taking small sniffs.
âIâm⌠dressedâ She says quietly when sheâs gotten enough sniffs in and realizes that Megumiâs still just standing there.
When he turns, his eyes wander over figure not so subtly, but his expression is unchanging. Even if his brain is going haywire seeing her in his clothes. Itâs just a tee shirt, but he takes a mental picture.
He realizes she must not wear black very often. Itâs striking on her. It must be why his mouth has gone dry and he has to force himself to look her in the eye.
âGood?â He asks, already turning to leave the classroom.
She canât believe heâs going to leave just like that. It felt like nothing had been resolved here- and if anything, she only had more questions. She doesnât know what to say to make him stay, sheâs not even sure he would stay if she asked him to. He didnât exactly seem to have any interest in being around her⌠ever⌠but then why had he put himself through all this trouble? Her muddled mind was a mystery, but the puzzled look on her face gave Megumi enough of an inclination to linger for just a minute longer.
âWhat?â He sighs, but her confusion is still plastered on her face.
âI⌠I donât knowâŚâ Her voice is barely a mumble. It doesnât match the way her face tilts and shifts into something different. She takes a step closer to him, a bold and large one, putting herself far closer to him than she ever wouldâve imagined doing before. She was supposed to keep a certain distance, Fushiguro Megumi had a reputation after all⌠but something was different.
This wasnât the Fushiguro Megumi that she knew and despised. In fact, this was a completely new person. He was⌠familiar.
Megumi doesnât step back when she draws in closer, but his neck leans backwards with apprehension, chin tilting lower to keep his eyes on her every movement. Itâs not like sheâs able to do anything, thereâs no mask to be ripped off, no secret identity to be figured out just from her stare alone, and yet something makes a pit grow in his stomach when she gets too close for comfort.
Heâs never been this close to her. Not without the wall of protection that was the Spiderman mask.
Thereâs nothing stopping him from walking away. There was no harm in leaving her stranded in a classroom. But something keeps him there anyways. Something keeps him waiting for her to explain herself.
Her eyes drop his gaze, but they donât fall far. They land just a few inches lower, he can feel the prick of the daggers they stare against his lips. Subconsciously he licks over them to soothe the ache of their sudden dryness. Her look wanders just a little bit, but never too far. Mapping out his chin and jawline, quickly down his neck and then back up again to his lips.
âWhat the hell are you doing?â He finally finds his voice when she leans in a little closer. Not quite close enough to kiss him, but close enough that she could lean in if she wanted to.
(y/n) snaps out of it instantly, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushing when she looks at him properly again and realizes what sheâd been doing.
Fushiguro Megumi? Spiderman? God, what was she thinking?Â
âN-nothingâ She stammers out, and before he could call her out and further her embarrassment, she brushes past him to make a quick exit out of the room.
Megumiâs left alone, his own cheeks flaring up with heat, but he canât pinpoint what exactly causes the blushing, and he doesnât really want to stand around to figure out why. ___
Megumi doesnât show up to the last few classes of the day. (y/n) notices.
Her fingers pinch at the hem of the tee shirt heâd given her, rolling the soft cotton over the pads of her fingers in contemplation. Her focus on uncovering Spidermanâs identity during class has dwindled, but sheâs not paying any attention to her studies, either.
For the last few hours of her day, she replays the events of the day in her mind on fast forward and rewind, over and over, trying to find something she felt she missed.
When had Megumi followed her out of the cafe? Had he seen what happened? Why was he so angry? Why was he so kind to her? Why was he soâŚÂ
Itâs on the tip of her tongue, the timing of it all, the peculiarity of it all. She knew she just had to be missing something.
Her trip home is quicker than usual, her steps as fast paced as her racing mind. What was it? What was it that she wasnât seeing?Â
It was so close she could feel it looming right over shoulders. ___
Never before had she sought out Fushiguro Megumi. But (y/n) couldnât get the feeling to go away no matter how hard she tried, and she feared the only way out was through.
She didnât want to confirm her assumptions without any proper evidence to base it all on, and she had a feeling that he was a pretty good liar, so sheâd have to get creative with catching him. The best way to start, she figures, is by getting him alone.
It takes longer than she hopes. Megumiâs not an easy person to approach and he appears to like it that way. She stares him down when he comes in late to their first class, and his eyes catch hers for a moment longer than usual, but without a change in his expression itâs hard for her to get a good read on him. He takes his seat in the back of the class and she canât get him to look at her again, no matter how many times she turns her gaze over her shoulder to steal another look at him.
After a few more classes with the same outcome, she supposes sheâll just have to wait until they break for lunch. Heâs always sitting alone there, so she has her hopes up that it will be easier to sit down and prove it then.
But of course today is the day heâs not seated at his usual corner table all to himself. She waltzes into the cafe with nothing but confidence, and itâs ripped away from her when she sees that gloomy table empty. She lingers for a few minutes, hoping to catch him walking in later than the rest, but he never comes.
With her confidence boiled down to irritation, she storms out of the cafe on a mission to have this ended once and for all. She couldnât possibly wait any longer, so one way or another, she was going to find and corner him.
The courtyard is empty at this time of day. The weather was cloudy and with the high chance of rain in the next hour, no one wanted to spend their free time eating lunch or studying out there.
Ever the outlier, thatâs where she happened to find Fushiguro Megumi.
Sheâs not sure if she should grin or grimace when she approaches the tree heâs sitting under. Heâs wearing his usual oversized headphones, and heâs got both his textbook and notebook opened. He was the perfect image of donât bother me. (y/n) feels adrenaline coursing through her bloodstream as she rushes over to him.
Itâs sort of strange. Just a few days ago she would duck her head and keep walking if she happened to cross his path. But it was like all of his intimidating qualities had just⌠disappeared. Despite the vibe he was trying to put off, he didnât seem as unapproachable anymore. He didnât seem as scary, although when she thinks about it long enough, (y/n) figures sheâs probably the only person on this campus that interacted with him. Even if it was to antagonize him, sheâd never seen anyone else speak to him.
A few days ago, he was Fushiguro Megumi, the boy with the bad reputation and even worse attitude. He was her academic rival, a thorn in her side that reminded her of faults just by existing. Today, she thinks he might just be the boy sheâs been falling head over heels for. The one with careful words spoken by gentle lips. The first person in a long time that actually made her feel seen, and a feeling of being understood could work wonders on a stubborn heart.
âHey!â She hollers, and Megumi jolts as he looks up to find her walking up to him. His expression scrunches up as he pulls his headphones down around his neck, and lowers his dual books.
âWhat do you want?â He asks, but the words arenât nearly as harsh as he wants them to be.
She stops just before him, and invites herself to sit down beside his outstretched legs. He wants to tell her that heâs busy, that heâs studying out here alone because he wants peace and quiet, but heâs silent as she drops her backpack in front of her and opens it up.
âThought youâd want this backâ She says, pulling out a familiar black tee shirt. She hands it to him folded in a neat square. He almost laughs, knowing that when heâd offered it to her it had been a crumpled up ball.
âRightâ He says, but before he takes it, she pulls it back towards herself, unfolding it. Megumi watches with furrowed brows. Was she not giving it back?Â
âIâve just had this weird feeling lately,â She explains as she opens the shirt up completely. Megumiâs confused expression flickers between her and the shirt. âSo I wanted to see somethingâÂ
She starts bunching up the black material then, which Megumi watches with growing bewilderment. Why even fold it? What was this?Â
âOkayâŚ?â His voice trails off when she looks up at him again, and the next thing he knows sheâs leaning in close, holding his tee shirt up to his face. âWhat the- (y/n), what the hell are you doing?âÂ
She ignores his questioning and the way he tries to swat her hands from getting any closer, but it doesnât stop her from doing exactly what she aimed to do. Holding the black material up to cover half his face, from the bridge of his nose up, all that was left to see was his mouth down.
She couldnât deny that it wasnât a familiar sight, but it was hard to prove her theory on that alone, and she sighs.
â(y/n), this is annoying. And weird,â Megumi starts, his hands wrapping around her wrists in a careful hold, but enough to start to pull her and the tee shirt she was trying to blindfold him with away. âCan I have the shirt back or not- mmph!âÂ
Just as he thinks heâs put a stop to her weird antics, she takes him by complete surprise when she darts forward and presses her lips against his. Megumiâs eyes go wide, although heâs still half hidden behind the shirt, he canât help but keep them open as her soft lips move over his with familiar gentle passion. His confusion melts away the longer she holds the kiss, and by the time he thinks he should put a stop to it, itâs already too late. Heâs connected the dots and so has she.
He sighs against her mouth, his fingers twitching around her wrists, unsure as to whether or not he should let her go or pull her in closer. (y/n) breaks away from the kiss just as she releases his shirt. They both let it drop to his lap, and she finally gets to see the whole picture.
His features have fallen to soft surprise as he gazes back at her, waiting for whatever was about to come. He doesnât know if he should brace himself for something good or something bad, but he does his best to put his walls up anyways.
Her own eyes are wide with recognition, flickering between his own troubled eyes and the lips sheâd just spontaneously kissed. Her tongue darts over her bottom lip thoughtfully, and for a second, Megumi thinks sheâs going to give it a second try just to be sure. She doesnât have to say anything right away for him to know exactly what she was thinking. She knew those lips. She knew that kiss. Heâd gotten his cover blown over a kiss, of all things.
What he doesnât expect is for (y/n) to let out a breathless laugh of delight, once the gears in her mind start to turn again. Her eyes are glimmering with an excitement she couldnât contain.
âI told you Iâd figure it out!â She keeps her voice hushed, which he can tell takes a great deal of effort.
âYou always go around kissing random people?â He mumbles, thinking maybe he can play it off, maybe there was still a chance of gaslighting her into thinking he wasnât the masked webslinger that had been slowly sparking up a romance with her. Â
Thereâs not even a small chance, though. (y/n) pulls her hands out of his gentle hold just to reach for his face, curiously skimming over his jaw, and then down his shoulders. His attempts at reaching for her hands again to stop her from practically running them all over him are weak, and itâs easy for her to ignore his clear attempts at stopping her.
âWow, I almost canât believe it,â She begins to mumble to herself, her eyes moving at rapid speeds as she puts the picture together in her mind. The lips sheâd memorized in the hopes of finding them again, only to find they were on Megumiâs face, she lets out a delirious string of giggles. âI mean, it makes sense now, but it also doesnât- why did you keep coming to see me?âÂ
Megumi opens his mouth, but he doesnât get a single word out before sheâs throwing more questions at him.
âDid you seriously think I wouldnât figure it out? Iâm top of the class you know, and youâre not exactly great at hiding things-âÂ
âSecond to the top,â Megumi reminds her with a slight roll of his eyes. âAnd it took you quite a while, you knowâÂ
âYeah, well, the secrecy thing was fun for a bit,â She argues. âBut you barely tried to hide it. Coming into class looking like you got hit by a bus? What were you thinking?âÂ
âThat you hated my guts and didnât care if I did get hit by a bus?â He replies with a smartass smile. Now itâs her turn to roll her eyes.
Her hands fall still against his collarbones, fingertips barely tapping against the base of his throat with her excitement.
âIt was you this whole timeâŚâ She murmurs, but she doesnât sound as disappointed as Megumi expects. Her gentle eyes feel piercing as they stare at him thoughtfully, as if this was the first time she was really seeing him. In a way, it sort of was. âWere you ever going to tell me?â She asks quietly, and this time she does wait for him to say something. Â
Megumi sighs, regarding her soft expression with thoughtfulness. There was no coming back from this now. She figured him out and he barely even tried to cover it up. That was a hard thing to do once sheâd kissed him, though. She mustâve figured out his weakness, and happily used it against him.. Typical brat.
âI thought about it,â He says honestly. âJust didnât seem like a good idea,âÂ
The corners of her lips barely turn into a frown, and Megumi canât help himself from reaching out to her, cradling her jaw in as light of a touch as he could bear. It was different now, feeling her warm skin against his without hiding in a suit, behind a mask. He knows she must feel it, too.
Everything was completely different now. She must be upset with him, right? She must at least be discouraged in finding out it had been him all along. Not someone with a better track record, maybe someone more attractive, or at least nice to her. He wonders if she had her hopes up for a specific person.
âAre you upset?â He asks. He doesnât want to know all the answers to his questions, but he asks before he could shove down the curiosity and avoid it forever.
âUpset?â She repeats, brows furrowing momentarily with her confusion. âWhat do you mean?âÂ
âYâknow,â He mumbles, long lashes flickering as his eyes fall to her lips for a moment. He looks at her again before continuing. âThat itâs me. That itâs been meâÂ
âOh,â She hums, thinking for a second. âWell⌠did you mean it all?âÂ
âMean it all?â He repeats her now. âYou mean while I was Spiderman?âÂ
(y/n) nods in a small motion.
âYeah⌠did you mean all the stuff you said⌠and did?â She adds the last part in an even quieter whisper than the rest, but the look in her eyes is so full of anticipation it speaks volumes over her voice.
âYeah, of course,â Megumi answers without a shred of hesitation. âOf course I did,â He says it again, leaning forward with emphasis, his eyes never leaving hers. â(y/n), I didnât want you finding out because I didnât⌠I didnât know that I wouldâŚâ He trails off, his nerves starting to crawl up his throat for having to admit so many truths in one sitting. This one seemed to be harder than the rest. âI didnât know Iâd like you so muchâÂ
She laughs, breathless and sweet, humored by such an honest confession. It finally makes a real smile creep over his lips, relieved to see that her reaction was anything but negative. His heart skips a beat, and his thumb trembles as he reaches to stroke it over her cheekbone. He canât help but want to pull her in closer, hold her properly, maybe even kiss her again. It should scare him, that she knew the truth now, that he was vulnerable to her now, but right now all he feels is a weight lifted off his chest, and the lingering taste of her chapstick on his lips.
âI definitely didnât plan on liking you so much either,â She admits softly, her cheeks burning with color. Megumi can feel the heat in her skin when he presses the pad of his thumb further against her cheek. âAre you mad about it?âÂ
âMad?â He laughs, his smile becoming a full blown grin now as he leans in closer to her. Her fingers curl into the material of his shirt as he draws her in closer, too. Anticipation has her eyes flickering between his lips and the deep blue eyes that havenât left hers since sheâd kissed him. âMad about what? Getting to know you? The real you? And falling for you?âÂ
Her eyes grow wide as she stares back at him. For a guy that hid behind a mask for weeks, he sure got comfortable putting his cards on the table fast.
âNo, Iâm not mad about it,â He answers her properly, closing enough distance in between them that his nose prodded against hers. Her eyes fluttered shut before she could stop herself, her chin tilting forward to meet him the rest of the way. âIâve wanted nothing more than to be with you, like this, for real, since you brought me that dumb bag of vegetablesâÂ
âIt wasnât dumb, there wasnât iceâ She argued. Her lips had just been brushing over his in the ghost of a kiss before she jerked away to argue some more. Ever so stubborn, he thinks with nothing but fondness for her.
Megumi doesnât let her go far, pulling her right back in until her lips landed on his, and all further arguments died on her tongue. Her hands relaxed their hold on his shirt as her lips moved against his with muscle memory. Soft and so pliable, she melted right against him, leaning closer and closer until they were chest to chest, and Megumi moved his free arm to wrap around the dip in her back, keeping her tucked as close to him as he could without disconnecting their lips.
She finally gets to card her hands through his hair, scraping her nails over the nape of his neck before pushing the longer strands between her fingers. It becomes impossibly messier than usual, but Megumi only hums in delight as she messes it all up. He mustâve always wanted more, too.
Her fingers tangle in his hair and she doesnât let up even when they part to catch their breath. Megumi stays close, his forehead resting against hers as he pants over her lips, leaving her still wanting more.
âYou know I still have a million questions, right?â She murmurs, and Megumi canât help but place the softest of kisses against her lips as she speaks, even if he was still breathless.
âI donât feel like sitting and talking right nowâ He mumbles, chasing her lips for another kiss. She giggles, kissing him back but not nearly as long as he wouldâve liked. Pulling away all too soon, she stares at him with wide eyes.
âI mean, how do the webs work?âÂ
â(y/n), we have class in ten minutes, thatâs not nearly enough time to get into it all,â He sighs, his hands smoothing over her hips and trying to draw her closer again. âCanât we just enjoy this a little longer, and talk about all of that later?âÂ
Huffing, (y/n) leans back in, and it makes Megumi smile if only for a moment. She stops short just before her lips could touch his.
âSo⌠did Spiderman put that guy in a hospital last year?âÂ
Megumi groans, dropping his head back against the trunk of the tree. She wasnât going to let this go, and that reputation was going to follow him forever, it seemed.
âAlright. Câmon, weâre headed to class,â He prompted her to grab her things and stand with him, but she kept her hands in his hair too secure for him to want to stand up. â(y/n), I promise Iâll tell you whatever you want to know, later-âÂ
âLetâs just skip classâ She suggests, all too eagerly for a girl that bragged about being at the top of their class.
âYeah, right,â Megumi scoffs, but when her expression doesnât waver, his face falls and he stares at her bewildered. âYouâre not seriousâŚ?âÂ
âWhy not?â She replies. âWe can afford to miss a couple classes,â Itâs not a bad argument, Megumiâs just shocked to hear her say it at all. âAnd.. I want to be the first one to get an exclusive interview with Spidermanâ She giggles, and Megumi huffs, giving her a bored look.
âIâd rather go to classâÂ
âAnd we can make outâÂ
â... I guess some catching up isnât a bad ideaâÂ
It takes them some time to gather their things and get going, only because (y/n) insisted on keeping her hands on him in one way or another, but even if Megumi pretended to be annoyed it wasnât a believable performance. He kept her close with his arm wrapped firm around her as they made their way off campus quickly, hoping to beat the rain.
âYou know, Iâm thinking of calling you the Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman when I write about you,â (y/n) tells him on their walk to her apartment. âHas a nice ring to itâÂ
Megumi laughs humorlessly.
âNot sure it paints a very accurate picture,â He tells her, brows raised as he watches her pout up at him. âBut youâre kinda gonna be my publicist, so I guess Iâll take what I can getâÂ
âHey! I thought you said you were falling for meâ (y/n) sasses back. Megumi bites the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling too hard. He tosses his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer as they walk.
âThat was off the recordâ He mumbles.
She beams up at him, he pulls her a little closer into his side, keeping an eye on her only from his peripheral vision. He couldnât be getting too sappy with the way he looked at her now, heâd grown too used to having a mask to hide the dreamy look in his eye. Now though, it was completely on display for her to see.
(y/n) quite liked the view that she got now that he was mask-free. Sheâd always had her suspicions that Spiderman was handsome, and quite the victory it was to be proven right in that department. The stubborn, monotone, boy with a reputation part was just⌠an added bonus, she supposed.
She also supposed that sheâd come with her own reputation now, too. With Megumi never far behind he took on a role akin to guard dog. She couldnât deny she grew to like the feeling, melting at the protective way he kept close whether he had the mask on or not.
He had a certain responsibility to uphold when it came to keeping Tokyo safe, but he had a responsibility to those he loved, too.
___
xoxo ~ jordie
#fushiguro megumi x reader#megumi x reader#megumi fushiguro x reader#fushiguro megumi imagine#megumi imagine#jujutsu kaisen#jjk#jujutsu kaisen x reader#jjk x reader#jjk imagine#jujutsu kaisen imagine
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(The link for reference: Fic Masterlist)
#it seems soooo long it kind of bothers me when i look at it!#but idk if it's just me#for the most part the fics are listed chronologically#but then i worry that having all those different pairings jumbled together makes it harder#for more discerning readers to find what they're interested in#but then on the other hand i also feel like#if people want to be able to sort and filter they can just look on my ao3?#anyway i've been pondering a masterlist overhaul for awhile so#your answer to this will hopefully help me stop overthinking one way or the other
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fuck-me eyes and first times (roman godfrey x reader)
WARNINGS: 18+, piv sex, loss of virginity, inexperienced sex?, oral sex (female receiving), mutual masturbation, awkward real moments lol, dry-humping, use of contraceptives, drunk driving, Roman using his powers for good?, blood, FLUFF, a dash of angst
summary: you've been unlucky with your first times all your life-- but tonight, you're sleeping with the equivalent of your shooting star.
word count: 12,140 (i love you guys, do u see)
PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9, PART 10, PART 11
a/n: FINALLY THEYâRE FUCKING ISTG?? tihiii this is a bit of a different chapter!! i'm dead tired of reading smut where everything goes perfectly the first time and they barely communicate, so hopefully this will be a bit more realistic (hopefully!!) sorry for the wait, and hope you enjoy!!!!!!;)
The first time I broke a bone, I kicked my foot into the wall in a fit of rage.
The first time I got an A on a test, I cheated by writing the answers under my skirt.Â
And the first time I lost a friend? That was the story of how I got here in the first place.
To say my track record for first times was bad, was an understatement. I didn't see myself as an angel of the world. However, as I glanced to the side for a brief moment at an intersection, I looked directly at the man who'd often joke he was the devil. Roman had spread out in the passenger seat, still a little drunk as his long legs rested against the dashboard. It didn't matter how many times I told him to take them down, that if I were to crash his car he'd fold in two and die-- he didn't care.Â
We were still a little intoxicated from the party, but I was in a better condition than him, which was why I was driving; something he'd never let me do if he wasn't in this state. Roman's head lolled back against his seat, his eyes closing as he hummed along to the music. Space Song by Beach House was always my favorite song to drive to at night, and I was glad he seemed to like it as well.
The first time I heard this song, I had been driving home after getting introduced to Letha at a party. I was over the moon, happy to have finally found a person in this wretched town that I could enjoy the company of. I had been so dreadfully bored of all the others.Â
Letha was a good hugger. A good listener-- never scared to tell the truth, especially as we grew closer.
"Roman is my baby cousin, I love him to death, but damn he can be annoying," she had said, smiling at me as she leaned against the kitchen counter. "The amount of friends I have lost to him is just crazy. Every single one seems to fall over like dominoes whenever he's around, and honestly? I don't get it. Maybe it's because we're related and all, but there has to be a fucking limit to how many times something like this can happen? How many times can he sleep with my friends and get away with it? Him doing that is the same as me sleeping with Peter, it's just not okay! I would never fucking do that! This situation is becoming hysterical, to be honest."
I remember frowning-- "Hysterical?"
"Yeah... If I wasn't so pissed at him, I'd just laugh at the absurdity," Letha's green eyes remained kind despite the heaviness of the topic. "But at the end of the day, I'm glad I get to keep you to myself. My previous friends were nothing compared to you."
Letha's words were sweet, but something felt off. I smiled as I spoke, hoping to keep my query a light one; "What do you mean, keep me to yourself? Gonna chain me up, Letha?" I gave her shoulder a nudge as she laughed.Â
"Not like that, you freak! I mean that Roman doesn't seem interested in you at all, so I feel safe that you'll stay. And if he were to be, you'd never do anything like that to me," She put away her empty can of beer, and something in her eyes shifted just a smidge-- I wouldn't have caught it if my senses hadn't been sharpened by the mention of his lack of interest in me.Â
"... Right?" Letha asked, urging a response. It seemed to dawn on her that she sounded on the brink of bitterness, and she broke out into an even wider smile to compensate; "You don't seem like the type to sleep with my cousin, but maybe I'm wrong?"
"Never," was what I had answered that night.
Never... Gosh, I was delusional to think I could behave.Â
Once again, I glanced at Roman at the next red light, watching the way one strand of hair strayed from his stylings and laid in a soft wave over his forehead. He opened his big, green eyes, smirking as he realized he was being watched-- "Eyes on the road,"
It was embarrassing how fast I blushed. I quickly nodded, gripping the steering wheel harder as I fixated on the red light above us. "Was it the next intersection I needed to get off on?" I asked, hoping not to linger on the subject of my peeking. "Could you maybe turn on the GPS on my phone just in case you fall asleep?"
"I'm not sleeping," Roman prompted, holding out his hand to take my phone.
As I reached for it in my back pocket, I felt it vibrate as the lights turned green. I gave Roman my phone, in a rush to not miss the light even though we were the only ones on the highway. "Who's calling?"Â
Roman didn't answer me-- I pieced together who it was when he started greeting my mom.
Oh no.Â
I freed one hand from the steering wheel, trying to get a hold of my phone as Roman quietly laughed at my attempt. I didn't succeed; "Yeah, she's here," he said, grinning as he motioned for me to keep driving. "I hoped to have her stay over at my place tonight, as my mother is desperate to meet your lovely daughter."
I rolled my eyes, mouthing a simple fuck you. Roman had to bite down on his lip to suppress a laugh-- we both knew his mom was out of town and that his intentions were far from anything as pure as to introduce me to her.Â
My mom seemed flustered by his pleasantries on the other side of the phone, but I couldn't make out the specifics of what she was saying. It didn't sound like she was objecting, though.Â
Roman nodded along as he turned down the music on the stereo and (finally) removed his legs off the dashboard. "No, of course, I wouldn't dream of giving your daughter any alcohol! Yes-- Yes, we were at a party just now, but we're both sober as rocks!" He glanced at me, mischief dancing in the green of his eyes.
The look on his face now was priceless. Although he was lying to my mom right up her face (her ear?), he still looked damn charming as always.
"Uh-huh..." Roman mumbled, now reciting his phone number at her request. "We'll probably be up having dinner, so you can call me anytime if you have any questions!-- Yes, I know it's late to have dinner, but my mother is European like that. Your daughter is in good hands, don't worry!"
I rolled my eyes once more, knowing how fond my mom was of him and how easily she'd eat all of this up. When Roman finally got off the call, he broke out into a string of laughter-- "Your mom is so damn sweet, but I can tell she's terrified we'll have sex. It seems you've taken after her,"
"I'm not terrified!" I whined, turning left to get off the highway.
He snorted; "I was two seconds away from telling her I have a stash of condoms, and that she shouldn't worry about having to take care of a mini-me when you leave for college,"
I did my best not to blush-- this conversation was getting more and more suggestive. "Shut up," I mumbled. "I'm not terrified."
Roman's eyes softened as he sat back in his seat and watched me drive his car. I knew I was giving away my true feelings regarding the matter with the way I was anxiously tapping my fingers against the steering wheel. I continued; "I just had you locked in a closet trying to convince you I'm not. It's not that big of a deal,"
"Relax, I'm just teasing you," Roman ran his fingers through his hair, gazing into the rearview mirror to check how messed up it had gotten. His red car had an open roof, after all. He sighed, trying to choose his next words wisely. "Not a big deal, you say?"
"Well..." I was unsure whether to be honest or not.
Roman nodded, looking out at all the trees passing us by. His silence was unnerving, and I turned up the music to tune it out. I couldn't stand this. Something in him switched; Maybe he was upset that I said it wasn't a big deal? Or maybe he was realizing it was a big deal to him? I needed to change the subject; "This is the right direction, no? I feel like I'm just driving deeper into the forest--"
"I've never told you this, but after the first time we kissed, I kept having the same dream where never left the seven minutes in heaven closet," Roman placed his head in the palm of his hand as he leaned his elbow against the car door, sighing. "Over and over, every night. Nearly drove me mad. And in the dream, there were no seven minutes, no time limit. So it was just you and I, and we were going at it like fucking crazy."
I held my breath, my eyes widening further with every sentence. What? Was he drunk-rambling or was this something else?
Roman sighed again, attempting to relax as he closed his eyes and stilled in his seat. Like this, I could nearly mistake him for being asleep. "It all started with me wanting to fuck you," he mumbled. "But every night, at the end of the dream, I got greedy... Because suddenly, I also wanted you to love me."Â
Had I not been good at keeping calm, I would've probably crashed the car into the nearest tree. I didn't get much time to process, to feel the weight of his confession, until Roman snapped out of it like a character taken straight out of an animation, now sitting up; "Turn here,"
I drove up to a huge gate, stopping the car as I tried to steady my breathing. "Roman--"
"Two seconds," he said, getting out of the car to walk up to the intercom. He was as good as normal now.
I was left still gripping the steering wheel for dear life, my mouth opening and closing as I tried to find the right words. I watched as Roman typed in a code, and the massive gate slowly opened as he jumped back into the car.Â
My breath was still held in my chest as I turned to him, eyes wider than plates of expensive china.Â
Roman glanced back at me with an innocent smile; the mood had completely switched. "Breathe," he cooed, reaching forward to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "It's just a mansion." With a sharp intake of air, he glanced at the backseat and the crumbled-up hot pink crop top we had brought with us (stolen, actually) from the party-- "A mansion with a possibility to put that anomaly in the fucking laundry."
I turned towards it as well, returning to my mind at the sight of the obnoxious colour of the top-- Knowing I had made him cum into the fabric of it merely an hour ago still felt like a triumph.
... Was it maybe my turn, now?
・ďžâ˘âŕ¨âĄŕ§â⢠・ďž
And he was right-- this was an absolute castle of a house. I had suppressed the truth about Roman's wealth for as long as I could, not wanting to think about it in case my mind went haywire about it, but now it was smacking me in the face.
Still, Roman's hand on the small of my back was a comfort as he led me through the mansion on the most impromptu show-around I've ever witnessed. "This is the room where I learned how to shoot darts," he mumbled, pointing at the small dents in the wall. "I didn't know the darts were actually stuck to the wall and not the printed dartboard I hung up..." He bent down, picking up the painting his mother had hung up to cover the indents.
I couldn't help but laugh, clinging to his arm as we moved from room to room. The mansion was gothic, vampy, but that might've just been my imagination playing with me. The tall ceilings were intimidating, yet beautiful-- judging by my surroundings, there was no denying that everything around me cost a fortune.
I was yanked out of my trail of thoughts when Roman led me behind a red curtain by one of the big windows in the next room, and I giggled as he wrapped it around us. My back was pressed against the wall, engulfed by both the curtain and Roman's embrace; "This is where I learned how to French," he whispered, smiling as he pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth. "And it was horrible. She fucking bit me and I squealed like a girl."
If Roman was trying to distract me from what he had said in the car, he was certainly doing a good job. The mental image of his first French kiss kept me beyond entertained, and we both continued laughing as he got us out of the wrap of the curtain.
However, it was the walk up the circular stairs that truly made it dawn on me who I was dating-- Roman Godfrey, the future heir to a billion-dollar company. Fuck. I stared up at the painting above us, the one of him and his mother posing with a rather regal-looking background. He couldn't have been more than fourteen in that picture, and I could see his classic intimidating stare through the painting and the way he clutched the chair his mother was posed on. It was clear that the boy in the painting didn't want to be there at all.
Roman turned, realizing what I was looking at; "I fucking hate that one," he grumbled, giving my hand a squeeze. "I refused to smile at that age. I look like I'm on the brink of killing myself."
"Not true," I squeezed his hand back. "Give yourself some grace. How old were you?"
"Fourteen,"
There you go. "Judging by the painting, I think we could've been friends at fourteen,"
Roman stopped in the middle of the curved stairway, his brows drawing together. "How so?"
I shrugged, trying not to focus on how much taller he was than me. If I thought about it for too long, I'd jump him. "Because I wore all black for about a year. If you refused to smile, and I refused to show any joy, I think we would've been a killer duo,"
Roman blinked twice before cracking into a chuckle. "That's unexpected,"
"Bet,"
"You're all... cute and bubbly now,"
"You think?" I wasn't sure how much I agreed. "The girl that's fucking around with her ex-best friend's cousin?"
Roman had to bite down another laugh. "What do you mean, fucking around? I haven't as much as touched you compared to how I could've,"
Oh.
Oh God.
I held back a shiver, staring up at him as he resumed leading me up the stairs. "But... you have touched me,"
"Sure," Roman proceeded to get a proper look at me in the darkness of the night when we reached the second floor. The green around his widened pupils practically shone-- it was impressively cat-like. "Impossible not to, with those fuck-me eyes of yours."
"Hey!"Â I wasn't sure why I was protesting, but I knew his snicker egged me on. "I don't have... that!"
I could see that Roman was on the brink of cooing at me, and he sucked in a sharp breath as he sunk his teeth into his bottom lip. I hadn't seen him this amused in a while. "Right," he purred. "You don't. Not a trace at all." With a short kiss on my forehead, he moved away from me and started walking down the dark corridor. "Keep those fuck-me eyes in the hallway, and I might let you sleep tonight."
I sighed before gearing up into a walking sprint to catch up with his long strides-- If only he knew that sleep was the last thing on my mind.Â
・ďžâ˘âŕ¨âĄŕ§â⢠・ďž
When we finally reached Roman's bedroom, I couldn't believe the size of it. My room was nothing in comparison. I had certainly not expected the posters-- there were many rare classic horror films and some bands I was sure his mom probably loathed. However, I was surprised by the lack of half-naked models on his walls which I had always imagined; I let out a short, relieved breath. "Your room is nice,"
Roman hummed, throwing his jacket on a chair nearby. "Not too boyish for you?"Â
"Nah," I mumbled, walking up to the posters on the opposite wall. There were a lot of movies I hadn't seen yet-- still, I couldn't help but laugh a little when I saw The Godfather. "It's very you."
"How great that you like me, then,"Â
"Lucky for you, yeah," There was something about this room that I couldn't help but love-- this was where Roman woke up and fell asleep. This was where he probably spent most of his time. I wondered whether the pillows smelled of his going-out cologne or the lighter one he usually wore to school. I wondered whether he'd been caught smoking in here, whether he'd done coke with Peter on his desk, and how many girls he'd had up here. By the likes of it, I somehow doubted anything like that ever happened at his place. If he had waited this long to have me over, I decided it was highly unlikely he'd invite someone he didn't know very well.Â
I clasped my hands behind my back, taking long strides as I scanned the many posters on his walls.
Roman sat down on the chair by his desk, spreading out as he watched me with a smirk. "Not what you expected?"
I turned to him, my brows drawing together; "Why? Are you nervous or something?"
"I'm not nervous," Roman huffed, folding his arms over his chest. Now that I was looking straight at him, it was clear that he was. "I'm simply asking."
A knowing smile crept up my cheeks-- it felt like I had the upper hand, for once. "You're nervous,"
"Am not!"
"And now you're fidgeting,"
I was correct; Roman's right leg had given into a slight bounce. He rolled his eyes, muttering curse words under his breath. "It's not every day that I have girls up here, okay? I'm never here, stuff always happens at someone else's-- well, now your room. Because this is, like... my lair,"
I had to bite back an amused smirk; "Your evil lair?"
"Bingo. This is where I dissect people and stuff," He pointed to the table next to him. "So... yeah. Your opinion matters to me, I guess."
"Oh, does it now?"
"On some things, sure,"
I nodded, focusing on how the moonlight was dipping into the dark brown of Roman's hair. He didn't have to be so pretty all the time, did he? How rude. "Such as...?"
With a shrug, Roman now gazed at the tall ceiling. Like this, he almost looked bored. "Your opinion of me is the one that comes to mind, I guess,"
"My opinion of... you?" That was new.Â
Roman met my eyes again, this time with a new emotion-- his head was slightly tilted to the side, and he was looking at me through his brows. I had a feeling he didn't intend the look to be as intimidating as it was. "It fluctuates,"
"My opinion?"
"Yep," he said. "Some days, you look at me like I'm everything. And then, the next day, I'm the biggest asshole in the world."
My lips drew together in a tight line-- this was unexpected. "And here I thought I was the only consistent thing in your life," I mumbled. "I don't know, Rome, every couple has its ups and downs, no? But I don't want them to make you doubt what I feel for you. Because... you know, right?" I started taking wary steps across the room. "You know I adore you, there is no way you've managed to miss that?"
With a sigh, Roman sat back in his chair with a smile. "Sure, I know that," he murmured, watching my every step with anticipation. "And I bet that tree you carved our initials into can attest."
Goddamn it. "You're never going to let go of that, are you?"Â
As I finally approached him, Roman led me between his legs with a gentle hold around my waist. "Nope," He pressed his lips against my clothed chest, his fingers slowly digging into my top. My arms draped around his neck, and my next words were muffled against his hair; he reeked of his usual cinnamon-flavored cigarettes-- "But sure, if the tree ever starts talking, it will agree. You know I'm crazy about you,"
"Crazy is the keyword here,"
"Oh, shut up," I muttered, pulling away to get a proper look at him. Roman was so damn beautiful-- I had missed the sight of him in the past twenty-four hours I had been unsure of the state of our relationship. "I still can't believe you thought I was going to break up with you... Do you know how shitty you would have to be to drive me to that point?"
Roman pulled me back in again, enjoying the scent of my perfume with his next deep inhale; he pressed a short kiss to my neck. "Let me be paranoid," The next kiss lingered for longer, the warm exhale through his nose grazing my skin.
"But I don't want you to be," I tried. "I don't ever want you to doubt us like that. Never, ever again."
Roman stilled. With a sigh, he spoke; "Okay... but that's where you step into what people in my family call a deathtrap," He motioned for me to sit down in his lap, and with wary movements, I draped my arms around his neck and sat down, allowing him to place a sweet kiss to my cheek. "Deathtrap?" I echoed.
"Deathtrap," Roman shifted, placing one arm around my waist as his free hand traced small circles into my thighs. "Otherwise known as... hope." And just like that, it was as though his mind went elsewhere, as though something in his eyes shifted.Â
However, I'd had enough of that-- I wasn't having any of it tonight. Knowing Roman saw hope as a deathtrap made my heart burn. Wary of not being too abrupt, I slowly placed a finger underneath his chin, catching his attention. "If you don't want to harbor any hope of your own, I'll lend you mine," I whispered, gently nudging his nose with mine.Â
Roman's pupils dilated as his hot breath fanned against my upper lip. I could smell the beer on him, the cigarettes, yet the most prevalent was the anxiety-- it brushed upon my skin, and caressed my heart. "All of it, Roman," My hand went back into his hair, stroking through the softness of his locks. "All my hope, all my love... it's all yours to borrow. To keep, to mold, to steal, to hold, for as long as you like. It's not a trap of any kind. You're safe with me."
That was all it took, and so he gave in; with the smallest of sighs, Roman closed his eyes, relishing in the moment. "You make me feel... you make me feel," he echoed, almost in disbelief. "It's a painful thing, is it not?"
I dared to let my hand brush down the side of his face, my thumb gently ghosting over his closed lid to feel the softness of his lashes against the pad of my finger. "It doesn't have to be. It could feel really, really good,"
Roman let out a shaky breath against me; "I want that for you," he said, opening his eyes. The green in his eyes shone in the white shimmer of the moonlight, illuminating the intent in his words. "Want to make you feel good... in every way possible."Â
Something about the drop in his voice nearly made me shiver-- I couldn't allow myself to, not in his lap. It took a few seconds for me to notice that I was holding my breath, staring back at him with a look on my face which I hoped didn't give away too much. Maybe I had misinterpreted his words? Maybe Roman meant that in a romantic way?
However, with the following upward curve of the corners of his mouth, so small I could barely notice it, I knew my intuition had been right. Roman definitely meant that in a different way.Â
... I needed to listen to my intuition more, didn't I?
Roman's hand on my thigh lifted, now removing the vial of blood around my neck to place it on the table nearby; he proceeded to put his palm against my cheek with the gentlest touch, softly caressing my skin with his thumb. This was when it dawned on me that we were alone. Completely alone. Possibly for the first time ever. No interruptions, with no one to hear anything. Had this been a month ago, that fact alone would've been enough to make me jump off his lap, and I would've probably paced up and down along his room with nervous steps to soothe my anxiety. Being alone with him meant that I wouldn't be able to contain my need for him, I was sure of it.
But now? I believed Roman could do that for me. Soothe me. He could calm me down like no other. Now, I knew he wouldn't run off after getting what he wanted-- because now, I knew that what he truly wanted was me.Â
"Could you let me do that?" Roman breathed, the green of his eyes finding my lips. I was confused as to how I hadn't melted into his lap already. "Make you feel good?" He leaned forward, just a few inches, now brushing the pad of his thumb across my bottom lip, transfixed. "Or... are you sure you want to do this? Have your first time with someone like me?"
There was something about the fact that he was even asking-- the old Roman would never. "Who else would I have my first time with? It's always been you," My lips parted in a soundless intake of breath, my gaze darting to his plush, pink lips. Like this, I could almost feel them against me; we had kissed so many times that my body remembered the sweet push of his lips simply by gazing at them. Still, I was afraid it would never be enough, and every kiss was as thrilling as the first one. "Just being with you like this feels good already."
Roman hummed, absentminded. "Not what I'm getting at,"
"I know," I breathed. "But I can't help but worry that--" I had to clear my throat, swallowing. Why was I getting so damn nervous? It was getting harder to breathe, and I was sure my cheeks were flushing. "Well... That I won't know what to do."
With a sigh, Roman bit down on his lip to hold back a laugh. "It's your first time, you won't have to do much," Despite his lids hanging heavy over his darkening eyes, I could see the want building in him. "I'll take the lead, okay? You just relax." He steadied me with his palm over my cheek before leaning forward-- my body hitched with caution as he brushed his lips across mine, slanted, until I allowed myself to give in.Â
The soft pillow of Roman's lips was the sweetest pressure I had ever known. I could feel my blood heat with the intent of the kiss, and I suddenly got the urge to cross my legs to calm myself down-- I knew I couldn't. Roman's breath fell softly against my cheek as my hands went up into his hair, tugging gently at the tips of his dark locks as I kissed him back with my lips slightly parted, moving against his as though he was whispering me a question.
Maybe I didn't hear it-- maybe it was a warning? Had he actually whispered something, or was I imagining things? Because with the next second, Roman hooked his arm under my knees, lifting me off the chair as I yelped into the kiss. It didn't take long before I eased, telling myself he had lifted me many times before, and that he would never drop me. Never, ever. Roman smiled against my lips, humming just slightly as he carried me bridal-style across the room. It felt silly, clichÊ, until it dawned on me-- was he playing the clichÊ out for me? Was this what he perhaps imagined I wanted, something pure, something classically virginal?
In the few seconds our kiss was broken, Roman placed me down on the bed and watched as I giggled; it was impossible not to laugh as the recoil of the springs threatened to bounce me up in the air again. He tsked, now grinning as he made space between my legs, drawing me closer before he kissed me once more. It was bolder this time, pressing the soft fullness of his mouth against mine-- there was nowhere else for me to go but to him.Â
My hands wove into Roman's hair again, pulling him closer as my heart thumped hard in my chest. Was this really happening? Or was this maybe something I was imagining, maybe the alcohol hadn't left my system yet? "Rome--"
Before I could continue, his lips were on mine again like a magnet, drawing us together, unable to separate the magnetic forces long enough to let me speak. It was confirmed; he was definitely here. This was real. There was an urgency to Roman's stubborn kisses--Â you're mine, just accept it. Being kissed into submission was something I had never imagined was possible, yet here I was, my lips parting with a soft whimper, feeling his tongue against mine; it filled me with a complete and utter satisfaction, a final statement.Â
I wanted him to devour me. As I coiled my fingers around Roman's dark hair, tugging him closer, I so desperately wanted only that. To melt into him, to become one-- was that maybe the core concept of sex which I had misunderstood all up until this exact moment? Just the thought of being connected with Roman like that, knowing he could possibly be inside me-- that thought had never evoked the physical reaction in me before as it did now.Â
Well, fuck. I realized I was screwed before it had even happened.
Sucking in a sharp breath, the silk of Roman's expensive duvets kept me grounded as he softly groaned into my mouth. His tongue circled mine before gently sucking the tip of it into his mouth, and he listened to my whimpers as he withdrew shortly after, a lone string of saliva still linking us. I was unsure why I was left so speechless, why every little thing he did made me feel like my body was on fire, but I knew there was no rationality in need. The innate need ravaging through your veins. There was no way to make sense of it, and I was certain Roman was aware of that too. Yet suddenly, he was near-motionless, blinking twice as if he was a little lost on what to do, which I immediately thought was odd--
Oh. There it was. I was wondering when that would happen.Â
So... Roman wasn't lost. Far from it. Flustered might be a better word-- I felt his erection poke into my stomach, and it made me realize how big his pupils had gotten. That was quick. "Uh... Surprise?" He awkwardly cleared his throat as his green eyes nearly devoured me whole. "Fuck it, there's one thing I want to do before we go on. It'll take a second."
I held my breath-- with Roman, that could mean anything. "... Okay?"
"Don't look so scared," he teased, getting off the bed and walking to his nightstand. In my head, I wondered whether he was grabbing condoms, or whether he was about to impose something kinky on me. I was ready to start my rehearsed lecture on going slow with me, that it was my first time and everything, until my mind blanked at the sight of a... candle?
Roman got a lighter nearby, looking back at me with a trying smile. "You once said that me and sweet don't go together," he explained, lighting the candle. "On our first date, I believe, if we can call it that. The blackmail part of it was probably not ideal, but it counts in my head. Anyway, I thought you might be right about the sweet part... but it doesn't mean I shouldn't try to be."
I was afraid I'd melt much, much faster than that candle. "Don't tell me you went out and bought that candle just for this?"
Roman shrugged, hoping to brush it off. "Well... I was determined to prove you wrong. And I had a candle for my first time, and I guess it eased me a little. But, uh... I think this is actually a funeral candle,"Â
"I see," I had to contain a laugh. Sitting up, I reached for his fingers as I longed to touch him again; "Well, no one's dead yet, but the night is still young."
Unable to hold it, Roman snorted, placing the lighter back on the nightstand before he interlocked our fingers. "I'm never doing anything like this again, so I suggest you cherish it,"
"What? But now I'm growing fond of the funeral candle, you're breaking my heart!"
Roman rolled his eyes, sinking down on the bed again, and he brought our intertwined fingers above my head. "If that's what I need to do to get you in my bed, I'll buy the whole fucking candle company,"Â
There was something exciting about the fact that Roman genuinely could. It wasn't just an empty threat. If he got high enough one night, I was sure he'd know who to call. I was surprised to feel he was still hard now that his erection was pressed up against me once more, but I didn't get much time to think about it-- Roman freed one of his hands, and he managed to make his way under my top as he kissed me once more.
My breath hitched against the soft push of his lips as it hit me that I might have to get fully naked for this. Fuck. Okay. Yet my anxiety eased at the thought of him being fully naked too-- I found my hips keening up against him, my need for friction growing with my arousal.Â
Roman smiled into the kiss; it was a ravenous feeling. "Impatient?" he asked, barely leaving my lips.
"Yeah," It was merely a breath-- I felt his hand ghost over my bra, slowly tracing the hem. I could barely think, too excited to function anymore.
"No need," Roman pulled away, letting go of the remaining hand above my head as his fingers now toyed with the edge of my top. "We have all the time in the world."
His tone was enough to bring scarlet to my cheeks, but I nodded, swallowing when he bunched the fabric up in his hands and lifted it up and off of me. I raised my arms, pouting just slightly at the loss of contact-- who would've thought I'd get more drunk from kissing Roman than the beer Peter gave me earlier?Â
With a sigh, Roman's eyes consumed me; the smirk with which he looked down at me only made me more flustered. "Rome," I whined, reaching my hands out for him. "Stop that, get back here. This isn't anything new." That was true-- me in my bra wasn't a sight he hadn't seen before.Â
Roman tsked, sending me a stern look. "You're disturbing my thought process,"
"Your thought process?--"
"Yep," he said, shrugging. "I'm just thinking about how I want to cum right..." Roman trailed a line across my lower abdomen with his finger, using a touch so light it immediately made me squirm. "... here."
The squirming quickly turned into a small shiver, and my hands went straight to my face as my blush deepened.Â
There was a change in Roman which was noticeable by the way he lost his smile, lost in whatever images he had in his head as he now leaned back down, pressing eager kisses to the apex of my collarbones. His lips trailed down my body, his fingers digging into the sides of my waist-- his mind was gone. I tugged at his hair as he inched further away, and I whimpered at the sensation of his tongue tracing a circle around my belly button. I never expected myself to like anything like that, but damn-- heaven. This was heaven.Â
I was reminded of how much bigger Roman was than me when I was suddenly yanked to the edge of the bed, and I could only yelp as I did nothing to fight it. His hands trailed down the sides of my hips, now hooking his fingers around my panties, not yet taking them off-- instead, he was kissing me through my soaked underwear, humming.Â
Christ, this was something I could get used to. I managed to register the fact that he wasn't on the bed anymore, and I propped myself up on my elbows with the last remaining power I had to confirm my suspicions. Roman stopped for a moment, pulling away to glance right back at me; "What?"
"You're... kneeling,"
"... Yeah?"
It didn't register in my head. "You don't kneel for anyone," The Roman Godfrey didn't get on his knees for anyone in the world. In my mind, he thought the world should be kneeling to him, and that he would never stoop so low.
However, the look he gave me in return told me everything I needed to know. Come on, now. Roman pulled my underwear off as he spoke, peeling it down my thighs; "I kneel for you," To him, that was as simple as a fact. The most logical thing in the history of the universe. He didn't even seem to deem the subject worthy of a further conversation, now grabbing my hips to bring me even closer to the edge of the bed as I let out a small squeak. Roman led my legs to hang over his broad shoulders as he leaned forward, rings of desire around his eyes as he licked a broad, flat stripe up my sex.
Fuck--Â I did my best not to mewl as my fingers reached for his hair once more, twirling into the soft curls of his hair. "Rome--"
At this point, I was sure he wouldn't hear me no matter how loudly I spoke. Roman sensed I was about to start keening against him, and he pulled my legs back and held my thighs in place as he slicked his tongue in between my slit, mouth moving as though he was pressing deep, heavy kisses against me. I whimpered, my grip on his hair loosening as I felt my conscience slip into its usual drugged-on-Roman state. A very, very dangerous state of mind, if you ask me.
Giving me some time to breathe, Roman moved to leave soft kisses up along the crease of my thighs. "Keep your legs like this, okay?" he said, slowly trailing one hand up my thigh. Roman's finger teasingly tapped my clit, and he turned to watch the thin line of slick connecting the pad of his finger to me. It was hard not to squirm, and I brought one hand up to my mouth to hopefully suppress any noise. "Rome, what are you?--"
Oh. My breath hitched as he eased his slicked middle finger into me, careful to go in with slow strokes. I whined against my hand when Roman's mouth returned to me, sealing his perfect lips around my swollen nub, adding pressure. It was almost too much-- I felt myself clench around his finger when he curled it upwards, just as his lips covered my mound, sucking me in.Â
"Christ," I breathed, reaching down to grab a hold of Roman's hair, the slick sounds of his mouth making goosebumps appear along my skin as I contained a shiver. "Shit, Rome, it feels-- so, so good--"
My mindless ramble came to an end with the next hitch of my breath; Roman added another finger, humming against me as an answer. With how nervous I was, it was a tight fit, and the sting that followed made me instinctively tighten my fist in his hair, my skin straining over my knuckles. It was hard to keep still, a string of whimpers escaping my lips.Â
My hands shook as Roman continued slowly stroking his fingers into me. I wondered whether he could feel my anxiety seeping into my lust-- it was becoming so real. Roman's green eyes darted up at me, stilling his fingers, giving me time to adjust. He pulled away from me, leaving his digits in me as he spoke; "I'm not gonna last long if you tighten up like that later,"Â
His words conjured a deep blush to my cheeks, and I brought my hands up to my face to hide. "Sorry," I breathed. "I don't-- don't know what's happening."
Roman shrugged, placing a wet, gentle kiss against the inside of my thigh. "You're nervous. It's normal," His hot breath ghosted over my soaked sex as he moved to the other thigh-- "I think it'll help if I make you cum like this. You'll relax more. And I'll keep my fingers in, get you used to the feeling... Unless you want them out?"
For a man who said he didn't deal with virgins, he certainly knew how to talk one down from the cliff. I let out a shaky breath, peeking down at him past my fingers; "N-No, it's okay,"
Roman seemed to be holding back a laugh; "You look a little spooked,"
"I... do?" Knowing my boyfriend, I knew he probably found that incredibly hot.
"A bit. Wanna stop?--"
"No!" That was a little too quick. Fuck.Â
Roman chuckled as he proceeded to bite down on the inside of my thigh with a teasing smirk-- I squeaked, clenching around his fingers. "Good," he purred, leaning forward to press a short kiss to my clit, drawing out another squeak from me. Something told me he liked the sound of my pleasured panic. "It's been some time since the last time you let me do this. I've missed the taste of you."
"... It's been, like, four days,"
Roman let out a groan, and I could see in his eyes that it was building in him-- the innate lust. "A fucking eternity," he breathed, a new rasp appearing in his voice. With that, Roman didn't lose a single second leaning back down, slicking his tongue between my folds, returning to suck down on my clit with a moan.Â
Oh, well--Â I knew I was done for. Still, knowing his goal was to make me cum, knowing I didn't have to hold back, I let my hands wander back into his hair with a whimper of pleasure. It didn't take long before I clenched around his fingers again, the burn of the stretch subsiding with every flick of Roman's tongue.Â
"Fuck," I breathed. "Fuck, fuck--"
Any attempt to speak dissolved into incoherent cries, teetering on the edge while pleasure surged through me like a relentless wave. Still, it didn't take more than two more sucks to ease me over, and I felt my climax drawing out long and slow against Roman's mouth, tightening around his fingers with a whimper.Â
My head lolled along the duvets as I tried to catch my breath. With every time Roman did this, it only got better-- it was hard to believe that was even possible. I came to my senses when I felt his fingers slide out of me, the twinge of pain having long passed.Â
"Fuck," Roman said, a laugh to his voice as he pressed kisses up along my stomach, getting up from the ground. "Best fucking pussy in the world."
God-- I hid my face again, my blush deepening. That dirty mouth of his. "That was so good," I purred, reaching out for him; "Come here, Rome. I miss you up here."
Chuckling, Roman shook his head, motioning for me to scoot further up the bed. "Just a sec," he said, walking back over to his nightstand, opening his drawer again and shuffling around. I did as told, watching him with a sigh; he was right, that orgasm had relaxed me. However, my zen didn't last long-- I suddenly felt all my muscles tightening when I watched Roman bring the fingers he just had in me to his lips, absentmindedly sucking on them as he now held up a silver wrapper with his free hand as though that was the most normal thing in the world. I also spotted a clear bottle which I could only assume was lube.Â
What the fuck? The sight of him doing that made me want to disappear into the bed-- why was the sight so... thrilling? It must've been the look of enjoyment on his face. "Oh, that's hot," I mumbled, my eyes immediately widening with the realization of what I had just blurted out.
Roman cocked a brow as he unclasped the vial of my blood around his neck, placing it next to the candle before he got back on the bed, now trailing the residue of spit and slick on his fingers across my thighs. "Well, you taste nice,"
"Not that nice?"
A hum; "Wanna try some, make up your mind?" he asked, a teasing smirk spreading across his plush lips as he brought his hand up to his mouth, wiping off the remnants of my slick to coat his fingers.Â
I shivered, grimacingâ "No, thanks," Hoping to distract Roman from trying to convince me, I sat up, reaching for the buttons of his shirt. Frankly, I had enough of being the only one that was undressed.
Roman hummed, following my hands with his eyes, grinning from ear to ear as he threw down the condom and the lube somewhere on the bed. "More for me, then," he mumbled, licking my slick off his fingers as he kept his gaze on me-- it didn't take long before he pushed me back down on the bed, unbuttoning the last of his buttons with ease I could never match.Â
My heart had probably never worked this hard before in my life. "Rome," I tried, watching him discard his shirt. Fuck-- he was gorgeous. I could feel myself blushing in an instant, shamelessly looking him up and down; I knew he didn't mind. Why was I reacting like this? Roman being breathtakingly handsome wasn't news? "I think... I think--"
"You're still thinking?" Roman's hands gripped my waist as he leaned down, kissing up my torso as I whimpered beneath him, reaching for his hair again. "Stop thinking. No thinking."
"No thinking?" I echoed, giggling as his eager kisses reached my neck, getting ticklish. "You're asking for too much." Now that he was finally close again, I draped my arms around him, trailing my fingers across his broad shoulders with a sigh. Being skin-to-skin like this was my favorite thing in the world--Â being connected.
Roman hummed, his erection once again pressing into my lower abdomen. "Either you stop thinking of your own volition..." he said, pulling my chest up against his. "... Or I'll have to fuck your brains out. Your choice."
I shivered, feeling my mind start buzzing. That was a damn easy choice. "That sounds rough," I mumbled, my breath hitching as Roman pressed a kiss to my ear. "You said you'd be gentle..." To be completely honest, this was the part I was nervous about-- would he maybe not be able to be? I was a little scared he'd be like one of those horror-story guys Letha had told me she'd been with, one of those guys that just slap you all of a sudden or start choking you cause they've seen it in porn and think that's normal behavior.Â
Roman pulled away, hovering barely an inch above my lips; his breath grazed my cheek, and the green of his eyes were glazed over with a look of confusion. "Am I not being just that?" he asked, nodding to the candle.
Oh--Â I turned to the supposed funeral candle.Â
It allowed a sweet kiss to my cheek, the tip of his upturned nose pressing into my cheekbone; "Trust me. I wouldn't want to hurt you, you know me,"
He was right-- from the very first moment we got together, he had told me just that.
Still, it was only when I felt Roman's lips against mine with the softest of pressures, that I pushed my concerns away. It was the sort of kiss that made my heart burn, the sort of kiss that made my hands trail up into his hair to keen him closer. I pushed all my thoughts of horror into a heap, churned it in my mental grinder, processed it, and allowed the product of it to slip past my lips; "I want you," I breathed, feeling myself grow needy against him.
Roman hummed, a small roll of his hips onto mine following-- I didn't expect it to make my breath catch in my chest. "I want you too,"Â
Something in me ignited; I wanted him to do that again. Disoriented, I reached down for the zipper of his jeans, moaning into the kiss that followed. "Want you more,"Â
Roman smiled; "Not possible,"Â
At this moment, I was thankful to be made up of solid matter-- if not, I was sure I'd have melted straight into the bed, a puddle of pure horny. I wasn't sure when Roman lost his pants, too consumed in the kiss to function. My state of arousal only heightened when my hips bucked up, feeling the hard outline of his cock between my legs; I was suddenly reminded of the time we did something similar in an alleyway on our first day. But this was different-- this was a direct contact of his clothed length brushing up against my clit with repeating strokes, a motion which had my breath hitching as my nails dug into his shoulders.
Roman let out a soft groan, nipping at my neck as he ground down against me. "This," he breathed. "This is what you do to me. I wanna be in you so fucking bad."
With the next roll of his hips, I whimpered; the buzzing of my mind refused to still. "Have me, then," was all I managed to say, tugging at Roman's hair as the tips of my fingers burned.
What followed happened so fast, I barely registered it. I heard the ripping of the silver wrapping in the midst of our heated kiss, adrenaline and dopamine coursing through my veins as every little sweet word rolling off Roman's tongue filled me with that familiar warm feeling I always got around him.
For this, it was all worth it. All the drama with Letha, all the tears, all the pain-- it was all worth it.Â
"You're everything," Roman whispered, rubbing the head of his cock along my soaked sex as my hands skimmed the muscular range of his back. "You're my everything, do you know that?"
God, how I wanted to be one with him. Wanted him in my head, wanted him in me, wanted to melt into him and become one single entity, never to part. From the first moment I met him, from the first moment I laid eyes on him in class, from the first moment he smiled at me, I knew it was Roman. It would always be Roman, it would always, always be Roman for me, and knowing he thought the same of me as well, that I was his everything-- all my longing, everything, had been worth it. Because I was his everything too, finally, just like he had always been mine.Â
However, as Roman angled his cock and gently pushed the head in, kissing my cheek with the sweetest touch, I didn't expect the painful, sharp sting-- I wasn't sure how loudly I gasped, how far my nails dug into his back, but I was really damn certain that this hurt.Â
Roman was out of me within the blink of a second; "Shit," he breathed, a panicked look in his eyes. "Should've-- Should've warned you."
The sting remained as I did my best to breathe through it. "That's a stretch," was all I managed to say, stroking over where I had scraped his back.Â
"I'll take that as a compliment," Roman mumbled, scanning me. He didn't seem bothered by the crescent moons my nails were leaving behind. "You okay?"
"Yeah..."
He cursed under his breath, leaning down to press a kiss to my forehead. "I forgot about this part... My brain doesn't work when you're naked," Roman sighed, reaching for one of the hands I had on his back. "If you want to go on, I might know a way to make it a little easier."
I met his eyes as he brought the back of my hand to his lips; "I guess it's supposed to hurt a little, Roman, just... just do what you usually do, I trust you," Maybe I needed to push through it? I could take a little pain, couldn't I? That was until I remembered the pain again-- it made me clench. Ouch.
With a certain look I knew too well, he shook his head as he now wrapped his fingers around my wrist. "No. It's not supposed to hurt," he said. "And I said I wouldn't hurt you, so..." Roman trailed my hand down along my body, watching as my eyes widened. "In my experience, it helps if you... help."
"Help?"
"Help yourself, so to speak," Roman purred, his signature cocky smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Cause I doubt this will be your first time doing this."
"Doing what?-- Oh," As he placed my hand over my sex, he slid two fingers above mine, guiding me to rub my clit. Roman was right; it wasn't my first time doing that to myself. Still, this was a different feeling-- My hips immediately bucked up into our hands, and when Roman leaned down to kiss me, I knew I was done for.Â
Everything felt warm, everything felt right. "Just keep doing that," he whispered, sinking his teeth into my lower lip. "Wanna?-- Again?"
Roman didn't need to use more words than that; I knew what he meant. I nodded, feeling my cheeks redden at the fact that I was touching myself in front of him like this-- however, I didn't have time to think much about it.
Soon, I wasn't the only one touching myself, anyway.
"Should've used this from the start," Roman mumbled, cursing under his breath as he poured a dash of lube on his cock from the clear bottle nearby. "Got too excited... fuck." With a lazy grip, he wrapped his hand around his length, spreading the lube with slow strokes.Â
My mind was buzzing. I watched as Roman's lips parted, a shaky breath escaping him. "It's okay," I tried, rubbing mindless circles around my clit. "It's just me."
"Yeah, and I care about you," Roman's eyes were halfway closed as they met mine, darkened with growing lust. "Ready?"
I nodded--Â yeah.
This time, when Roman's cock pushed into me again with the slowest of strokes, the pleasure from my clit dulled the sting. The only thing left to adjust to was the stretch; my breath hitched as my free hand went back up into his hair, wincing against his lips as his thick length stroked me open.Â
Roman cursed as his parted lips hovered above mine. He held me tightly against his body, watching out for any signs of discomfort before he spoke; "Shit... This feels better than I--thought,"Â
My head rolled back against the duvet, breathing against Roman with small heaves. "Rome," I whimpered. "Fuck, this is--" I didn't expect the feeling, didn't expect the tips of my fingers to burn more as I grasped at his hair, didn't expect the way my whole body reacted-- it was different from anything else I had ever felt or thought I could feel. Being filled up by Roman was...
It was everything.
Everything I had ever dreamed of.Â
It felt good, it felt right-- I moaned, clenching at the feeling of his cock slowly sinking into me at a steady pace, my body aching with love. This was as gentle as I bet anything like this could possibly be, and I squirmed a bit beneath him, adjusting to the feeling of having his cock inside of me.Â
Roman let out a shaky breath, containing the urge to pound into my warmth like I supposed he usually would. "Hurts?"
"No, no--Â Ah,"Â
With his next thrust, Roman kissed up my jaw, keeping every stroke careful. "Want me to put it in all the way?"
"The-- There is more?"
"Baby..." he breathed, containing a choked laugh. "I'm only halfway in."
I was sure I was about to faint. How the fuck?-- No, I couldn't think clearly in this state. No more thinking. I decided to trust him; I knew Roman would pull back if it hurt, anyway. "Okay... Let's try,"
As Roman pushed in more of his length, the quiet moan escaping him blended in with my string of panicked whimpers. I didn't even know I had space inside me for more-- my eyes sprung open, my legs giving into a tremble. "Rome, I-- a-ah, this is--"
"Shh, look at me, breathe," Roman brought his hand to my face, guiding me to look into his eyes. His voice was soft, caring; "You okay? Is this too much?"
The shock was the thing that had gotten to me, I was sure of it. Because after a few more deep strokes, a few tighter circles around my clit, my fear eased as I realized this was a sensation I would be chasing for the rest of my life.
"Feels good?" Roman asked, his voice nearly breaking-- I imagined it was hard to not give in to the pleasure of the tight embrace around his cock.
Still, I could only nod, twisting my fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him towards me to smother him with a heated rush of my lips against his, moaning into the kiss as I pulled my hand from between my legs-- it was starting to brink the line of overstimulation.Â
"Good," Roman muttered against my mouth.Â
The kiss didn't last too long; my shock was still coming and going in waves. "I'm-- we're having sex," I blurted out, my cheeks flaring red. The truth was hitting me like a blow to the head. The thing I had dreamed about since the first day I laid eyes on him was actually happening.
Roman contained a laugh, looking rather endeared by my realization; "Yeah, you're doing it, you're having sex... I'd give you a high five, but--Â hah, that wouldn't work,"
Why were we laughing? Why was this... fun?
Caught between the fire in my chest, the twinge of humor, and the ache pulsing low between my legs, I whimpered as I realized I wanted-- no, needed more. Still, a small, meek call of his name was all I managed to stutter out.
Roman shifted, pushing my body so that my knees were bent at his sides; "Speak your mind,"Â
How was I supposed to conjure a cohesive sentence in this state? "I want-- you, more--"
"We're going-- hah, back to that?"Â
"Not that! More, Rome-- just, more, I need--"
He let out a breathy moan, smiling back down at me; he knew exactly what I meant. "Thank God," Roman's cock filled me over and over, his thrusts growing harder, faster as he found a steady pace to rock into me. "You're taking me so good, aren't you?"
My head felt like it was spinning. This couldn't be real. I couldn't possibly be as lucky as to finally sleep with Roman Godfrey.Â
His voice brought me back; "You're doing so well," he murmured, burying his face into the crook of my neck, muffling a quiet moan against my skin. It was the most magical of sounds-- my heart was threatening to beat out of my chest, and I was sure the warmth of skin against mine probably helped with the overheating of my brain. "Doing so, so well for me... I've wanted you like this for so long."
"Me too," I breathed, my hips keening to take his thrusts. "Wanted you-- since forever."
My words only seemed to reel him on; Roman hips snapped harder into me as I whimpered. "Forever?"Â
"Forever--Â a-ah,"
Something in Roman's breathing changed. It was almost as though I could read his thoughts, feel his new reality form. Was it maybe the last push he needed to believe I was his till death? That there was a person out there walking this earth, breathing the same air, that could possibly want to be with him for an eternity? "Forever," he breathed, latching onto my neck with repeated needy kisses in an attempt to drown out the noises threatening to spill past his lips. "You and-- and I, forever."
As Roman's cock repeatedly pushed into me, I could only whimper; the stretch was still something to get used to, and my nails bit into his back as I tried to steady myself. "Forever," I managed to breathe out, hearing him moan into my neck at the sharpness of my nails against his back-- I knew he'd like that. I knew Roman too damn well.Â
"Forever," he echoed, breath washing warm against my ear as he raised himself, his cheek nuzzling mine in an intimate embrace.Â
I clenched around the girth of his cock, shivering. This was so unbelievably sweet, nothing I had ever expected from him. Roman was so much taller, and his broad build served as a comforting weight through the wave of new pleasure my body tried to comprehend. With the next surge of love washing over my chest, the next pump of Roman's cock, I felt my chin give in to an involuntary quiver as I gripped him tighter.Â
It was at this moment that it truly dawned on me;
I loved him.Â
I loved Roman Godfrey.
Tears swarmed my eyes as one of my hands went up into his soft hair, hoping he'd take it as an urging for him to kiss me again. I didn't want to have a chance to talk, to blurt it out and scare him away-- which is why, when Roman shifted and crashed his lips against mine, I only felt relief.Â
I was safe. I was cared for. And damn, I felt good.Â
However, what I hadn't expected, was for the shift of angle to brush past a spot inside of me I had only ever felt when Roman's fingers curled into me. But this was far greater, far more stimulating-- I let out a choked moan against Roman's lips, my eyes springing open as my head tilted back into the duvet, heaving for air as my legs gave in to a tremble.Â
I didn't have to look up at him to know the exact look on his face, yet I dared to take a peek; he was too hot to resist. And there it was, those parted, perfect lips paired with that dark look in his green eyes of victory. This is exactly what he had wanted to reduce me to all along, wasn't it? Roman's hair had never been this messed up (courtesy of my hands), and the sheer look of it nearly made my heart swell. "Good tears?" he asked with a whisper, scanning the look in my eyes.
Fuck, yeah. I could only nod.Â
Knowing Roman, I was wondering when he'd-- oh, hello, you. I was waiting for the eventual switch. A man like Roman Godfrey couldn't stay sweet forever.Â
At the sight of my tears, I knew something new in him ignited. He placed a hand over my mouth, placing more of his weight on me as his other hand pulled me tighter against him, the wet snaps of his cock pushing into me growing louder as I moaned out against his palm. "Listen to this," he purred, a sinister smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he made me listen to the sound of our union. "This is sex, you're damn right. This is what you'll be craving from me."Â
God--Â I squeezed my eyes shut, the continuous push of the tip of Roman's cock against my sweet spot inside sending my brain into a frenzy.Â
"I get why you've been reserved... You'll never be who you were before this again," With a grunt, the next snap of his hips only grew harder, knowing I could take it and adjust. It certainly didn't help the tremble of my body. "Gonna get you fucking addicted to this feeling. To me. Cause you've given yourself to me now, do you-- do you realize that?"
My wet lashes fluttered as I slowly dared to open my eyes, my heart thumping harder than ever before. If only he knew how addicted I already was.Â
"This is it," Roman breathed, the green hues of his gaze engulfing me; "This is us. This is you. This is who you are from now on. My girl... Only mine. Forever. Gonna help you cum on this cock, okay? Gonna give you the first time you deserve, h-hah--"
Something about the look in his eyes unnerved me, despite the hot nature of his words-- What? There were many ways for him to make me cum, surely, but the second my fingers started numbing up, my mind started flaring red with a passage from my most hated book;
The upir's ability to mesmerize is an ancient and powerful form of psychic influence, capable of bending a victim's will. This control often manifests subtly, with suggestions that feel like one's own thoughts. If one is being mesmerized by a upir, it is often accompanied by a stilling of one's inner monologue, or a numbing sensation. Prolonged exposure can lead to disorientation, memory lapses, and a gradual erosion of autonomy. The key to resisting lies in anchoring oneself to realityâthrough pain, strong emotions, or focusing on a meaningful object. Beware: once under an upir's thrall, distinguishing truth from illusion becomes a perilous challenge.
Beware.Â
Beware.
The last time my fingers had numbed up like this, was the time Roman forced me to tell him what had happened between Jasmine and I. It felt like the autonomy of my thoughts evaporated, seeped out of my ears, and disappeared into Roman's grasp.Â
However, at this moment right now, this moment of blinding pleasure and complete rapture of my soul and love, I wanted nothing more but this. I knew I wasn't being mesmerized of course, because upirs weren't real-- but as Roman kept my face still and my eyes on him, it felt like it. It was almost like I heard him telling me to cum. A few more thrusts were all it took, the complete transfixion of Roman's unnaturally dilated pupils swallowing me as I only saw green, green, green-- his hand quickly left my mouth to hear me cry out, a choked moan escaping me as the fear toppled me. This was an orgasm unlike anything else I had experienced, and I felt myself pulse around Roman's length, practically milking his cock as I struggled to grapple with the most intense climax of my life. "Fuck-- Fuck!" I whimpered, my nails digging further into his back as tears welled in my eyes.Â
The mere sight of it was enough for Roman to nearly buckle over, and I was ripped out of the trance, heaving for air as he spilled into the condom, teeth grazing my shoulder as he tried to bite back his moans of pleasure, hips keening into my tight warmth.Â
I slowly slid my hands off Roman's broad back, realizing we had both dripped sweat onto each other's skin as I hoped my breath would soon go back to normal. My body ached in a way it had never ached before, and I winced as Roman eventually pulled out of me with a sigh.Â
There was a long moment after he rolled off of me where we simply gazed at each other. I watched the heave of his chest, the way his brown hair laid over his dangerous green eyes, and wondered how on earth I had been so lucky as to have him fall for me too.
However, suddenly, amid my awe, a small droplet of blood gathered at Roman's nose. To my surprise, he was completely unbothered. The look in his eyes told me he had an inkling this would happen, and it further confused me.
I leaned forward to wipe away the blood pooling at his upper lip with my thumb. "You're bleeding," I echoed, aware that I was stating the obvious.
Roman's eyes softened; "Are you, though?"
"... What do you mean?"
Shifting, he wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer as his other hand slid between my legs, sliding a finger against the wetness of my sex as I squirmed, a short giggle escaping me as I nuzzled up against him. Roman then scanned his finger as I continued to wipe away the stream of blood coming from his nose, watching as it smeared against his cheek. He hummed; "You didn't bleed. At least that's good?"
"I guess?"
Roman kissed my bloodied thumb, a shaky breath escaping him at the taste of the iron; "How was that for you? You okay?"
If only he knew. "You were great," I purred, nipping at his jaw. "It was lovely, Rome."
He let out a breath; "Thank fuck," Roman murmured, visibly relieved. "And you were really damn sweet. I knew those fuck-me eyes would be the death of me... Sorry if it got a little intense at the end, there."
"No, no, that was--Â fuck, that was so hot,"
Roman smiled. My sweet boy. Another kiss; "But now, there's one thing I wanted to do." He propped himself up on his elbow, and I closed my eyes as he made sure I laid with my back against the bed-- I was too tired to focus. The ache between my legs refused to subside, making me worried about the state of my thighs tomorrow. They better not fucking cramp up with every step, similar to the day after a hard session at the gym.
And just as I was about to ask him to return to me, to stop doing whatever the fuck he was doing, I suddenly felt a warm, slick substance drip onto my lower abdomen. With a gasp, I snapped out of my drowsiness, only to be met with the sight of Roman holding the condom above my stomach with a devilish grin, letting the content pour down on me.
He chuckled at the sight of my widened eyes, my speechless state-- "Didn't manage to cum here, as I said... so this will do,"
"Roman, for fuck's sake!"Â
"What? You look good with my cum all over!--"
"Roman!"
"Fine!" he huffed. "Gonna go grab some wipes, I'll be right back. Anything else you need? Water?"
I wondered whether Roman realized how sweet he was being-- I glanced over at the candle flickering in the moonlight, the vial of my blood lying neatly next to it. The sight made my heart swell;Â God, how I loved him. It killed me that he couldn't know. I knew he'd run in the other direction if he did. "Water would be nice," I breathed, watching as Roman got dressed again.Â
It all hit me like a wave, now;
The first time I got my heart broken, I had been at fault.Â
The first time I got a black eye, I had swung the first punch.
But the first time I had sex? It had thankfully been with the man I loved. Still, I was sure the cosmic imbalance would catch up to me again and drag me back down into the dirt soon enough.Â
But not right now.
Not right now.
Here, I was safe with Roman. The universe couldn't get me now, no-- not with the equivalent of the moon lying next to me. He had returned to me in no time, holding me close in his nearly immediate slumber after having lent me a shirt of his to sleep in. The cosmos wouldn't dare to touch me now.Â
I adjusted the cover on top of us, kissing Roman's forehead; "Are you sleeping?" I whispered, poking his cheek with the gentlest of touches.Â
No response. Phew.Â
And just as I started to fade into sleep as well, I ran my thumb across the softness of his cheek. I connected our foreheads with a content sigh before I pressed my lips against his in a loving kiss. Roman looked so peaceful-- the universe wouldn't dare to take me now, wouldn't dare to wake him up.Â
"I love you," I whispered like I would be put to death if I awoke him. With one last glance at the candle, my heavy lids fluttered as my heart cried;
"I love you,"
(a/n: thank you SO MUCH for reading this monster of a chapter!!<33 if you've made it all the way down here, here are all the other chapters if you're interested!!<33 MWAH)
PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9, PART 10, PART 11
tagging those that seemed interested!!<333
@mentallyscreamingsincebirth @putherup @corawithfanfiction @vladsgirlxx
@iamaslytherin0 @sexualparkour @the-universe-is-complicated @heavenly-bratt
@lafemme-nk @namiusedbubble @useyourwandbro @strmborns @literally-lani
@virgosapphire79 @star-girl-04 @veyzus @ddipotassium @pecxiebu
@mil88691 @iloveyoutodeathbutimdrowning @katifefe @sn0wybowie-blog
@lilithskywalker @likecherriesinthespring @sadheartjellyfish @vadersangel
@shehangsbrightly @burningmiraclekingdom @dollforaswan @austinswhitewolf
@nico-velvet @shiiiii-okayyyy
#roman godfrey#hemlock grove#roman godfrey x reader#x reader#bill skarsgĂĽrd#fanfiction#oneshot#bill skarsgard#fluff#angst#fanfic#highschool!au#hemlock grove fanfiction#THIS WAS SO LONG#I'M SORRY#AND I WANTED IT TO BE AWKWARD I'M SORRY#ARRRGHHH
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Entry 12: The One Where We Start Laying the Yellow Brick Road to Italy
I realized the other day that, even though I like to bounce around from place to place in the Lukola timeline, I probably needed to start tightening things up on the ship if I ever wanted to get to the end of the story. And, yes, dammit, this story better have a finale at some point because thereâs nothing more annoying than an open-ended ending, particularly in the romance genre.
Today weâre going to take a quick jaunt over to Italy because â
NO! Not because Luke is allegedly filming there. If youâre into real-time stalking, youâre in the wrong blog. But, Iâm sure thereâs a Discord for that.
Itâs because Iâve had several people ask for my opinion about the change in behavior between Luke and Nicola during their Day 1 interviews there. Wait â people are interested in my thoughts? Wow, thatâs actually kind of nice. Thank you! Okay, back to what I was saying â
Was there a change in behavior when Luke and Nicola reached Italy? Yeah, actually, there kind of was.
By May 9, we had been gifted with a slew of material from Luke, Nicola, and the Bridgerton cast and, I must admit, those early interviews are some of the most entertaining of the tour. In the very beginning, Nicola appeared as the utmost professional â charming, intelligent, and witty at the right moments â and Luke played her likeable counterpart to âBook Colinâ perfection â bouncing between being awkwardly boyish and wickedly roguish, all while looking at Nicola like she had just served him homemade peanut butter crumble.
The two of them together, playing off each other, in my opinion, was better than Bridgerton Season 3 (you cannot beat the World Tour being 99% Luke and Nicola, with only a few random side characters taking up screentime). There was some major âElectric Loveâ radiating from those two throughout the tour, but it seemed very much heightened in the beginning (probably because they hadnât yet answered the same question 67 times). By the way, if you havenât heard that song by Børns, go have a listen. It will, at the very least â hopefully â put you in an upbeat mood for the day.
Now, where was I? Oh, yes â was there a change in behavior between Luke and Nicola when they reached Italy?
Absolutely.
Do I know why?
Absolutely not.
Perhaps Luke was bent because someone spilled his coffee, or Nicola was upset because her stylist made her to wear that little silver bow in her hair. In my opinion, the most intriguing part of Day 1 of the Italy press junket was that Luke and Nicola struggled with answering the question, âWhat is love?â I swear they both babbled on like two kids in debate class who hadnât bothered to read the material given to them before taking their respective podiums. They finally seemed to settle on Lukeâs âMaybe itâs, like, connection.â Well, they seemed to be missing the âconnectionâ that day.
Honestly, no one can explain their âdonât stand so close to meâ vibe during those first day interviews except Luke and Nicola. But, we can at least have some fun and speculate about it with a birdâs eye view. At this point, you should know that I love spreading the puzzle pieces out and seeing how they might all connect. Most people â when putting a puzzle together â start with the side pieces, right? Youâll get my joke in a moment (I hope).
In March 2024 â I donât know the specific date because my timeline is rather murky going back that far (I was unaware Lukola even existed!) â Luke traveled to Los Angeles for a photo spread with InStyle magazine. Iâve heard two versions of this story. The first being that Luke traveled to Los Angeles with Antonia alone; the second being that he traveled to Los Angeles with his friend group, which included Antonia. I couldnât tell you which is true, and it really doesnât matter because it doesnât necessarily add or take away from todayâs story.
Before I get started, I wanted to give a âhurrahâ to The-One-Whose-Group-Chat-Fills-in-Lots-of-Missing-Bits-for-Me-Including-the-Part-Where-Video-Footage-of-Antonia-in-Los-Angeles-Seemed-to-Indicate-a-Celebrity-Was-Not-the-Videographer-and-There-Were-So-Many-British-Accents-in-the-Background-One-Would-Fancy-a-Guess-She-was-Traveling-with-a-Group.
Moving alongâŚ
On April 7, 2024, Antonia posted a series of photographs and clips to her Instagram grid indicating she had been in Los Angeles, including one where she was laying on a blanket in front of the Griffith Observatory and one where she was sitting at a table marked with the number â95.â On April 14, she posted a second set of photographs, tagging her location as Beverly Hills, California and using âEnd of Beginningâ as her audio (yes, I side-eyed this choice of music so donât feel bad if you did as well). The second photo dump included her lounging on a rooftop.
Iâm not going to delve into posts made by Luke and Nicola during that timeframe. I mean, Iâm sure Nicolaâs comment, ââFriendsââŚsure Jan,â on Lukeâs April 11 reshared post about Bridgerton Season 3 was only meant to be applicable to Polin. And, if Luke wanted to use yellow and black hearts to represent the colors Nicola and he were wearing in his April 12 post, thatâs cool, too. And, I am definitely not going to speculate on Nicolaâs April 15 post (for Big Mood) that Luke liked, and she captioned, âI will bite off anything that dangles.â
By April 21, Luke and Nicola were in Australia at the World Premiere of Bridgerton. I am only going to provide a quick overview of Australia instead of a full-fledged recital because, at some point, I will almost certainly dedicate an entry to this country. Letâs start with Luke pulling off the hottest walk-up in Netflix human history (I mean, have you watched it in slow motion?). Then, we had the hard launch of the handholding business (because why again?). And, we had Luke tripping over his words, âWeâre very, like, givingâŚIâm not talking about those scenesâŚâ Oh, and Nicola telling an interviewer that, â[y]ou canât keep a good girl down,â and, in response, Lukeâs lips curling into a wicked-ass Cheshire cat's. We had them in the garden, with Nicola bending down to hug Luke after she had scratched/hit/petted his head. Perhaps I should not mention the possibility of a manâs shirt being visible on a bed behind Nicola (I said possibility not that it was). And, Nicola telling Luke, âYouâre the funnier one,â when he was concerned that perhaps Benedict was funnier than Colin. Then we had the âNicola-in-the-green-dressâ day where, as they were going down the steps, Luke seemed to instinctively reach for Nicolaâs hand, but she played it cool and took his arm instead. Oh, and that entire âgreen dressâ day in general (I mean, there was so much shit going on that day). And, best we do not forget Nicola saying, âthe best foundation for love is friendship,â which mirrored the bracelet âsomeoneâŚin Australiaâ gave Luke that read, âDo you believe the best foundation for love is friendship?â Because thatâs not suspicious at all. Alright, letâs get the fuck out of Australia â but not before I mention Nicola commenting on Lukeâs April 27 Instagram post with âReady for the next?â and Luke replying, âAbsolutely.â Yeah, yeah, yeah, their shenanigans in Australia expanded the USS Lukola tenfold.
Oh, also, let me throw this in here because, if you are a âring truther,â this fact plays a significant role in the Lukola timeline. If you do not know what a âring trutherâ is, thatâs perfectly fine. You can catch up by reading Entry 6 (The One Where I Explained the Claddagh Ring to My Dad) of my blog. I mentioned in Entry 6 that some Lukola sleuths have stated the metadata they pulled from the sketches of the Claddagh ring uploaded by Chupi indicate they were done as early as April 26. In other words, it means the Claddagh was likely commissioned between Australia and Italy. In fact, if we are to believe Chupi when it said it took four weeks to make the ring, then it had to have been commissioned by May 9, 2024, at the latest. Oh, lookie there, thatâs Day 1 of the Italy interviews.
But, before we get to May 9, letâs pause on April 29. That was the day Lukeâs InStyle spread was published â yes, the one I mentioned earlier. Luke has pictures from this photoshoot still on his Instagram grid â in fact, Nicola commented, âYess dude!!â on them â but those arenât the pictures I want to talk about. No, I want to talk about the pictures InStyle posted on its Instagram grid that day. These photographs came directly from Luke, which was confirmed by the InStyle article when it said, ââŚthe actor delighted the InStyle team by delivering the polaroid photos heâd taken for this story tucked oh-so-carefully in a little brown bag for safekeeping.â The pictures Luke provided, among others, included one where he was laying on a blanket in front of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles; one where he was sitting at a table marked with the number â95;â and one where he is sitting in a lounge chair on a rooftop. If you want to see the pictures, InStyle still has them available â you just need to go through hundreds of posts to find them. Luke did not like this InStyle post, which was kind of odd because he was tagged in it, and they were reportedly his pictures.
Why did these InStyle polaroids seem so familiar?
Oh, thatâs right, because they were.
Remember that April 7 post of Antoniaâs I mentioned a bit ago? Yeah, the one where Antonia posted a bunch of random pictures from Los Angeles and â only after InStyle posted Lukeâs polaroids â fans realized Antonia had preemptively posted her version of some of Lukeâs polaroids.
I am not going to speculate too much about these pictures or their implications in this blog post, but these pictures may resurface in future posts because I find myself side-eyeing the fact they even exist. And, we should probably accept that Luke was aware of them before his pictures came out on April 29 because he threw a like on Antoniaâs April 7 post. Could it have been a âblindâ like? Sure, I guess, but the logical side of my brain says he probably looked through them at the time she posted. Letâs not worry too much about it right now, though.
After trying to write out my âgeneralâ opinion about the pictures several times, I finally decided that the best way I could articulate my thoughts was through the conversation I had with my father. Yes, Dear Dad returns again for another insightful Q&A.
I started by showing Luke and Antoniaâs three âmatchyâ pictures to my dad and then asked him to compare them. To be clear, the pictures were their respective Griffith Observatory, Table 95, and Rooftop Lounging pictures.
Me: âSo what do you think?â
Dad: âAbout what?â
Me: âUgh! Why did Antonia take those pictures?â
Dad: âWell, to show sheâs part of the âinâ crowd. The only reason I can see them being taken is if she was going to put them on the Internet.â
Me: âUhh, as a matter of fact, she did put them on the Internet! Approximately three weeks before Lukeâs were published.â
Dad: âSee! Iâm not as dumb as you think.â
Me: âWhatever. So, you really believe that? She took them to show people that she was, like, there?â
Dad: âYeah. Why else would she take them? Theyâre not the kind of photos youâd take normally. Whatâs she going to do, put them in an album and show her friends in five years and say, âLook, I sat in Lukeâs chair?â Who does that? Nobody. Plus, Lukeâs pictures look like they were taken with a polaroid camera and Antonia took hers with, I guess, a phone. Why use two different cameras? Again, it doesnât make sense. Seems to me like she knew what pictures he was taking, and she was trying to copy them so she could put them on the Internet.â
Thanks, Dad.
You do not have to accept my fatherâs thoughts on the photographs. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. However, I think we can meet in the middle and opine that, at a minimum, Antoniaâs pictures caused the weak Lukolas to jump overboard; at most, they gave some people stalker vibes; and somewhere in between, they introduced Antonia's negative influence over the fandom and what some may consider trolling behavior (even if it wasnât recognized then).
Now, before we land in Italy on May 9, letâs summarize what has happened during the preceding two months.
First, we had Luke traveling to Los Angeles in March with Antonia, either alone or as part of a friend group. Luke had pictures of himself taken while there.
Second, we had Antonia posting pictures in early April that would be linked directly to Lukeâs pictures by the end of the month.
Third, throughout the month of April, we had Luke and Nicola traveling together for the World Tour. We have all seen these interviews, and we have all formed independent opinions about them.
Fourth, based on Chupiâs own words, we know the Claddagh ring must have been commissioned no later than May 9.
Okay, now weâve reached May 9, Day 1 of the Italy press junket.
Besides the press interviews, what happened on that day?
Well, Antonia reposted Luke singing Coldplayâs âYellowâ to her TikTok account.
Uhh⌠Huh. Interesting.
I mean, itâs possible that this was just a coincidence and she just liked Lukeâs version of it. Or, itâs possible Antonia knew that âYellowâ was the Polin wedding song and she anticipated trolling Nicola and/or the fandom with it. But, if we believe she knew âYellowâ was the Polin wedding song, that means either Luke told her, or someone with that knowledge told her (i.e., someone from Lukeâs team or family/friend group). We also know that Luke mentioned this song in the May 16, 2022 Netflix Tudum article when Nicola and he were asked about their song choices for Season 3. Luke stated his frontrunner was âYellowâ by Coldplay âbecause of Penelopeâs dresses.â Regardless of why Antonia posted the song, I find it hard to imagine Netflix, Bridgerton, Shondaland, Nicola, or Luke were too impressed by Antonia resharing it on TikTok. I mean, at this point, Netflix & Co. would surely have been aware that Antoniaâs âcopycat postâ went over with the fandom like a wet blanket in December in Canada. I imagine some questions were being asked and Luke may very well have received a hand slap from Corporate â and maybe even from Nicola.
But, thatâs not the only thing that happened on May 9.
Luke posted his Homme magazine spread to his Instagram grid on that day, too. He captioned the post, âChatting through all things S3 with @hommeplusmag [o]ut next week x.â Nicola commented, âYessss,â and Luke tagged his post with the location of Hackney, London. That last part â about Luke tagging the location in Hackney â apparently sent the fandom into a deep-dive ofâŚNicolaâs backyard. Why? Because Nicola lives in Hackney (Nicola herself confirmed she lived in Hackney in a March 18, 2024 interview with Derry Now), and rumors started to circulate that Lukeâs pictures were taken at her home.
Hmm, I didnât realize May 9 was such a busy day, did you?
So, which came first â the chicken or the egg? Did Antonia repost âYellowâ to her TikTok before Luke posted his Homme in Hackney images to Instagram, or vice versa? Iâm sure someone out there has this information. The answer might help shine some light as to why Luke and Nicola seemed âoffâ in the early part of their Day 1 Italy interviews. But, then again, does the order really matter? Regardless of who posted first, it would seem to me that âYellowâ was a very possible culprit for the different energy on set that day.
That, or Luke really was peeved over someone spilling his coffee.
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Could we please get Feyd x reader where they have an arranged marriage with feyd and the House Harkonnen expects her to be replused by him . But instead reader is completely obsessed with him and finds him so hot because he is lol and he can do no wrong. LOVE YOUR FEYD STORIES đ
Unexpected
Feyd-Rautha x Reader
Notes/Warnings: None, i think. I mean, arranged marriages? That's not really a warning though. Anyway, i fear this kind of sucks. My writing has been messed up lately. Hopefully, you guys still enjoy it anyway.
Words: 2100
Feyd-Rautha Masterlist / Main Masterlist / Tag list
Theyâve been chattering for what has felt like hoursâgoing on about dresses and parties, servant boys they find particularly interestingâand at some point, your mind could no longer take the dull droning, and so you drifted onto thoughts of him.Â
You know everything about him, read everything about his family. You saw his face in an updated textbook about the Great Houses, drawn in what you hope is a perfect likeness, because if it is, then heâs absolutely stunning. Youâve never seen anything like the Harkonnens, but then again, they look like no one else. Theyâre wholly unique and you want everything to do with themâwell, specifically, everything to do with Feyd-Rautha.Â
âI canât believe theyâre marrying you off to him,â one of your friendsâthe daughter of House Wallachâsays.
You snap out of your thoughts, wondering when the conversation turned toward you and your soon-to-be husband. You hum in question, needing more time to provide an answer that wonât induce raised brows and dropped jaws.Â
âYes,â the other saysâDuke Letoâs daughter, whose bedroom balcony youâre currently sitting on. âHow can they do that to you? Youâre their only daughter and they are giving you to a murderous House.â
âWeâre all murderous Houses,â you quickly say, and from receiving the blank stares youâd hoped to avoid, raise your teacup to your lips to hide your blush. You take a sip, then continue. âWhat I mean is, history states weâve all dealt with bloody hands. Thatâs how our families are where they are.â
âWell, the rest of us donât kill anymore. Our families are praised, worshipped.â
âSo are the Harkonnens.â
âOut of fear,â Wallach reminds you. âThe Baron is vile, as if you donât know, and he trained Feyd-Rautha to be just as insane.â
Insane. That word has been used a lot lately. Your mother shouts it at your father for his willing agreement with the Baron. Your servants whisper it amongst themselves when they think you cannot hear them. That boy is insane, they say. Sheâs doomed, they say. But you donât see it that way. Youâre not scared of Feyd-Rautha. Youâll admit you donât so much care for the Baron, but thatâs because youâve heard of his treatment of your future husband.
People claim Feyd-Rauthaâs a lapdogâyou donât believe that. From what youâve learned, you see no puppy in Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. You see a lion on the prowl, biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike from below. You see a man hunting his dinner. You hope upon meeting, he gobbles you up as well.Â
âArenât you terrified?â Atreides asks. âDonât you think about your first night with him?â
You certainly do. Another sip of tea hides another blush. âIâm not worried.â
Wallach blows out a huff of breath. âMaybe youâre as insane as he is.â
Yes, you think maybe you are.Â
â
Your mother struggles to hand you over. Youâre the one who has to pry her gripping fingers from your arm so you can step forward and bow to the Baron. When you rise, you sneak a peek at Feyd-Rautha just to his uncleâs right. Heâs as beautiful as his picture depicted. His eyes are just as glazed over with steel as you imagined. He looks at you, and the steel melts ever so slightly. His brow pinches. He swallows hard.Â
âI trust my daughter will be well taken care of,â your father says, a puff expanding his chest. It makes him look no more menacing than he is.Â
The Baron chuckles. âIn the hands of my nephew, you can expect no less.â
You know itâs a lie. One corner of Feyd-Rauthaâs lips quirks upward. He has plans for youâgood. You like plans. You have plans of your own.Â
He steps down the staircase that has held him above you and your family and takes your hand in his. He presses his lips to your knuckles. Your blood zings throughout your veins. If this is all it takes for you to feel this way, you canât imagine what more will do to you. The thought of his lips in new places, his tongue in new places, makes your eyelids flutter.Â
âMy Lady,â he says. His voice is intoxicatingly low.Â
âMy Lord,â you say back to him.Â
When you smile at him, the smirk drops from his face and his head jerks back. Cold, blue eyes scan your features for falsities, as if you wear a mask he can remove to reveal a frown. He watches that frown fall into place only when your mother comes up behind you.Â
âOh, my sweet daughter,â she cries, whipping your body around so she can properly hug you goodbye. âDonât let them change you,â she whispers in your ear. âYouâre too lovely for them.â
âIâll be fine,â you tell her. Youâll be more than fine. This is the most excited youâve been in years. And you knew it would be. Thatâs what he brings out of youâŚalready.Â
â
He likes you. Well, he likes you in a wayâhe likes the look of youâbut itâs hard to say if he likes the rest of you yet. He sneaks glances where he can, but he doesnât often allow you to be in his presence for long. He removes you from his training sessions when you peek in to watch. He leaves once you join for dinner, which youâre less than a fan of, considering it leaves you to his brother and uncleâs company. He does not come find you to say goodnight.Â
Donât you have better things to do, heâs often snipped at you when he finds you close by. Youâve assumed he means in preparation for the wedding in a week, but you told your new servants and planners to do whatever they want. You donât care what the damn wedding will look like. You donât care what youâll look like. You just want him. You want to be around him. Watch him fight. Watch his muscles tense and shift and strain in the war of death. You want to see his body shine with sweat and his eyes harden with a murderous glare. But he wonât let you.
The closest youâve been able to get to what you want is by sitting in the stands of the arena, where you have to observe his skills from a decent distance. And while it is wildly exciting to see the man youâre going to marry covered in the blood of enemies, you wish you could be closer. You wish you were close enough so he could grin at you as menâs bodies fall off of his blade. You wish he wanted you close to him because itâs killing you to be so far away.Â
After days, you still donât understand the separation. You figured your smiles at him would be enough to get the message across that if he likes you in any sense of the word, then he should be going for you as much as you would him if heâd permit it, but no. He keeps his space between you. Unfortunately for him, youâre sick of it.Â
â
âIâm tired of you avoiding me,â you call as you chase after him down the darkened hallway. Youâd been waiting outside his training room for hours, hoping his keen senses couldn't pick up your unsteady breathing as you prepared yourself for this exact confrontation.Â
His steps stutter at your words and he pauses. He turns on his heel, and with narrowed eyes, advances on you. His form towers over yours, and in any other situation, you might detest the abuse of power, but here, now, you feel a sharp thrill. You try not to let his lack of shirt affect what more you intend to say, but itâs hard. Youâre already swallowing saliva. Youâre core is already throbbing.Â
âDo you have a moment?â you ask.
Feydâs muscles tighten and bulge as his arms cross over his chest. He huffs. âI donât understand you. Youâre like a little rodent, you know,â he says. âFollowing me around as if I drop crumbs for you.â
A lump catches in your throat. He hasnât spoken much to you since your arrival on Giedi Prime, and you know cruelty runs through the Harkonnen bloodline, but you didnât know he could cut so deeply with words. âIâm not a rodent.â
âYouâre as annoying as one.â
âBecause I want to be around you?â you ask. âBecause I like youââ
His arms fall away from his chest and your head flinches back from the finger pointed at your nose. âYou do not like me,â he snaps.
His voice, though low, bounces off the walls of the hall, an echoey repeating of those words that you almost canât believe youâre having to hear. Youâve not given any indication that what youâre telling him could possibly be a lie, so you donât see how he could come to that conclusion. Unless there are whispers in his ear.Â
âYes, I do,â you say. âIâm marrying you. I want to marry you.â
âYou are not supposed to want that,â he spits.
âWell, I do!â you spit back.Â
âThen you donât make sense!â
You donât know what that means, so you just stand there, staring at one another as you wait for him to explain further. He doesnât, and you tire of the waiting, so instead, you take a risk by stepping closer, and with cautious fingers, you raise your hand to his chest. Your palm plants firmly against his skin, and then you feel it. His heart beating rapidly. For a second you think itâs from the training. But then you look up at him, at how his jaw clenches and how he struggles to meet your eyes. And now you understand.
âI like what you are,â you tell him. âI like that youâre strong. I donât care that you kill. I donât care that you crave the feeling it gives you.â
âYou should care,â he says, still avoiding your gaze. âYouâre meant to be a precious little Lady. Thatâs what I was promised.â
âAnd that is what you wanted for a wife?â He doesnât give you an answer. âIâm sorry if youâre disappointedââ he snorts, irritating you further. âIâm sorry if that ruins whatever fun you intended to have with me. I know the Baron has been eager to see what youâll do to me once weâre married.â
His head swivels back to yours. âHe found enjoyment from the idea that youâd be repulsed by me,â he says. âAnd so did I. So you shouldnât feel so comfortable.â He latches his fingers to your wrist and jerks your hand away from his body. His hand leaves yours. It falls back to your side and you instantly feel a chill without him. It wonât do. You see a glimpse of your marriageâa loneliness, a cold side of your bed. He begins to turn away from you.Â
âYou donât now?â
He stops. âWhat?â
âYou said you did find enjoyment in it,â you repeat. âDo you still?â
You can see his teeth grinding with the shifting of his jaw as he contemplates continuing this conversation. âThey said you wouldnât like me,â he finally tells you.Â
âBut I do,â you say. âI read about you. I liked you before I met you.â
He groans. His hand runs down his face. He steps back to you, an iciness penetrating your stare. âI had plans for you. Ones you werenât going to enjoy.â
A smirk curls your lips. âI had plans for you, too. Ones I fully intended to enjoy.â
He sucks in a breath, his chest puffing. His eyes narrow as if searching for your lies.Â
Without another thought, you reach up again and, placing your palms on his cheeks, raise onto your toes to press your lips to his. It might be idiotic of you. It might be the stupidest move you could make. He might gut you for the act, marriage alliance be damned. But the only interest you have is in getting your point across.Â
His lips are softâprobably one of the few soft spots on himâand they taste of salt from the sweat of his training. Heâs frozen for a few agonizing beats, but then nails are digging into the skin of your hips, the fabric of your dress doing nothing to keep the sharp sting at bay. Lips move in tune with yours. Youâre pushed backward. You hit the wall, trapped between hard surfaces of stone and body.Â
You ache for the man youâve felt youâve known for longer than you have. You ache for the heat of him. You knew it would feel like this.Â
When the kiss breaks, you smile. âYouâll like me,â you tell him. âI promise.â
He sighs in defeat and says, âI know.â
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Dating App
Pairings: Various Love&Deepspace Men x reader
Summary: Tara approaches your cubicle one day at the Hunters Association, asking about your relationship status. Of course, that is a complicated question to answer. Little did you know, you're matched with some familiar faces who are friends, coworkers, and lackeys to the men you're interested in.
Note: I had to delay this fanfic because I was dealing with some personal conflict, and it kept my thoughts occupied, so I could barely type anything for this fic. This is my first Love&Deepspace fanfic! Please be kind because some of these characters may or may not be out of character. Hopefully, the more I write Love&Deepspace fanfics, the more I will get the hang of it and capture their personalities just fine :'> Anyway! I don't post anywhere else but on Tumblr (Genshinluvr), Ko-Fi (also Genshinluvr/Aaliah_exo), and AO3 (Aaliah_exo).
Warnings: None that I know of
Word Count: 6.3k
Itâs a slow day at the Hunters Association, and youâre in your cubicle typing away on your computer. Usually, youâre killing Wanderers and are assigned to countless perilous missions, but this week, youâre working in the cubicle doing paperwork. Your eyes feel strained from staring at the monitor for so long that you have to look away, or else youâll get a pounding headache. That is something you donât want to deal with alongside Zayneâs lectures if you end up having to visit Akso Hospital.Â
Footsteps approaching your cubicle pull you out of your thoughts. You see Taraâs head peeking from behind your cubicle. A big smile plasters on her face as she rests her arm on top of your cubicle.Â
âHey, [Y/N],â Tara says, her brown eyes twinkling with mischief as she lays on her arm. âWorking hard as always?â She teases.
You stop typing on your computer, smiling at your dear friend and coworker. âHi, Tara! Yes, Iâm trying to get these documents completed and turned in to Captain Jenna before the deadline. Is there anything you need?â
Tara hums, shaking her head. âNot really, but I am curious about somethingâŚâ She trails off, tapping on her chin, her eyes wandering around while trying to look nonchalant.
âOh? Then it must be really important for you to approach me in the middle of work.â You joke before continuing typing away on your computer.Â
Tara lets out a long, wistful sigh. You continue your work, only for Tara to let out a frustrated huff. She releases another sigh, but louder this time to get your attention away from your computer. âIâm worried if I ask, you wouldnât answer because of how personal it is,â Tara says, crossing her arms over her chest and jutting out her bottom lip.
You quickly save your documents before pushing your chair back, turning to give Tara your full undivided attention. You lean in your chair, curious about what Tara wants to ask youâ something personal, of course, but her comment piqued your interest. âTara, weâre friends. You can ask me anything you like! Iâm more than happy to answer your pressing questions.âÂ
Taraâs eyes light up, but she quickly fixes her composure, trying to act like itâs not a big deal. âItâs⌠about your relationship status and whether youâre seeing anyone,â Tara says, pretending to check her nails while occasionally looking at you from the corner of her eyes.
Your eyes widen at Taraâs response. Your relationship status? While you donât mind telling Tara about your relationship status, you wonder why she asked all of a sudden. Sheâs not planning on setting you up on a blind date, is she?Â
You press your lips into a thin line, unsure how to answer her. Youâre technically not dating anyone as of now, but there are four people in particular who have been occupying your thoughts 24/7. Is Tara going to ask you about your relations with any of them? Tara taps her nails on the cubicle as she waits for your response.
You swallow the lump in your throat. âIf I have to be honest, Iâm not sure,â you reply.
Tara stares at you, her mouth agape. Tara knows that youâre quite close with Xavier, your mission partner. But sheâs also aware of Rafayelâs feelings for you, as you are his bodyguard. Then thereâs your primary care physicianâ a cardiologist named Zayne. Heâs a nice guyâ a little dry, but nice nonetheless! Oh! Letâs not forget this mysterious man you once brought to karaoke with your coworkers. Heâs definitely not the best singer, but he is quite the looker! Whatâs his name again?
âWhat are your thoughts on dating apps?âÂ
You blink at Tara, letting her question slowly sink in. Dating apps? You turn to your computer and scratch the back of your neck. What are your thoughts on dating apps? Youâve never been on one before, nor do you plan on registering for one. Who knows how many weirdos there are on those dating apps?
You visibly shudder. âI donât plan on being on dating apps, Tara. Besides, as a Deepspace Hunter, I donât have time for dating apps. Iâm always going on missions,â you reply, crossing your arms over your chest.Â
âBut the great thing about dating apps is that you donât even have to meet the people you match with! Who knows, maybe youâll meet the love of your life on a dating app,â Tara shrugs her shoulders, wiggling her eyebrows at you.Â
You turn to your computer, shaking your head at her suggestion and comment. Youâre not against dating apps, but itâs not for you. Besides, you have a bigger fish to fry, and that is getting the paperwork and documents completed before the deadline. You briefly tell Tara that youâll think about it just to get her off your back about your dating life. Semi-satisfied with your response, Tara walks away. How do hunters have time to go on dates? Especially if youâre a higher rank and constantly go on dangerous missions? Your schedule is unpredictable, and you donât have as much time as you wish you did.
You slump forward in your seat and rest your head on your hand. The quiet sound of your coworkers tapping away on their computers isnât loud enough to drown out the questions running through your mind. While the suggestion of going on a dating app is tempting, youâre not interested in meeting anyone, especially if theyâre from the internet.Â
âď¸âęłâ˘â
*Ö´Â Zayne âď¸âęłâ˘â
*Ö´
Zayne looks up from his computer to see Dr. Greyson entering his office. Zayne sighs and adjusts the glasses on the bridge of his nose as he continues to type away. Footsteps approach Zayneâs desk as he continues to type away on his computer, too busy to see what Dr. Greyson is up to.
Dr. Greyson clears his throat, trying to get Zayneâs attention, only for the cardiologist to briefly look up at the anxious man before continuing what heâs doing. Zayne slowly turns his head, his eyes still glued to the monitor.
âIs there something you need, Dr. Greyson?â Zayne says, finally looking away from his monitor and at Dr. Greyson.
Dr. Greyson clears his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. âHow are things going with you and Miss Hunter?â Dr. Greyson asks suddenly.
Zayne stares at Dr. Greyson quizzically, raising his eyebrows at the brown-haired cardiac surgeon. Things are going fine with you, but why does Dr. Greyson want to know how things are going between you and him? Dr. Greyson continues to almost anxiously stare at Zayne, waiting to hear Zayneâs response.Â
Zayne sighs, takes his glasses off, and rubs the bridge of his nose. âEverything is going fine between us, Dr. Greyson. Why are you suddenly interested in my relationship with her?â Zayne questions, putting his glasses back on.
A look of surprise flashes across Dr. Greysonâs face, almost like heâs caught off guardâ his cheeks and ears turning dark red. That doesnât look good. Zayne raises his eyebrows at Dr. Greysonâs reaction and crosses his arms over his chest. Dr. Greyson briefly looks down at his phone, then back at Zayne, visibly flustered. Dr. Greysonâs strange reaction and action causes Zayneâs eyes to swiftly dart down to the phone in Dr. Greysonâs hands.Â
Zayne clears his throat, grabbing Dr. Greysonâs attention. âIs there something I need to be aware of?â
Dr. Greyson presses his lips into a thin line, rubbing the back of his neck with his left hand while glancing down at his phone again. For some reason, Dr. Greysonâs strange behavior and his constant looking down at his phone bothers Zayne. Zayne gets up from his seat and walks over to where Dr. Greyson is standing with his arms still crossed over his chest.
Without saying a word, Dr. Greyson shows Zayne the screen of his phone. Zayne takes Dr. Greysonâs phone from his hands and inspects the screen. Dr. Greyson has an app opened on his phone; itâs a dating app⌠huh, Zayne never thought that Dr. Greyson would be on a dating app.
âWhat am I supposed to look at aside from your being on a dating app?â Zayne asks Dr. Greyson, raising his eyebrows at the brown-haired cardiac surgeon.
Dr. Greysonâs eyes widen before quickly snatching the phone from Zayneâs hand, tapping away on the screen before returning the phone to Zayne. Zayne raises his eyebrows at Dr. Greysonâs strange behavior before proceeding to look at Dr. Greysonâs phone. On the phoneâs screen shows a text conversation between Dr. Greyson and you. Zayne furrows his eyebrows, scrolling through the text message between you and Dr. Greyson. Why are you on a dating app? Zayne hesitantly clicks on your icon, opening a small window to your dating profile.
The profile contains a lot of your personal information, from your name to your age to various selfies. Some information provided on your dating profile is a little bit strange, and there are some things Zayne isnât even aware of. Wait a minute, why did Dr. Greyson swipe right on you?
Zayne slowly looks at Dr. Greyson from the corner of his eyes, almost glaring at his assistant. âYou swiped right on [Y/N], I see,â Zayne says nonchalantly.
Dr. Greysonâs eyes widen. âO-Oh, I wasnât the first one to swipe, actually. You see, she swiped right on me first, and when I swiped, we ended up matching,â Dr. Greyson sputters, rubbing the back of his neck while his face turns a few shades redder than it already is.Â
âYou still swiped on her, Dr. Greyson. It doesnât matter who swiped first; you still swiped right when you saw [Y/N]âs dating profile,â Zayne comments, his grip slightly tightening around Dr. Greysonâs phone.
Zayne doesnât know how to react. On one side, heâs almost angry that Dr. Greyson swiped right on you, and on the other side, he feels hurt. Almost betrayed in a way, but this dating profile of yours feels off. Without thinking, Zayne takes a screenshot (well, multiple screenshots) of your dating profile, from the information to the images and the conversation you and Dr. Greyson are currently having.Â
He sends the screenshot to himself, ignoring the questioning gaze Dr. Greyson sends his way. After Zayneâs shift ends at Akso Hospital, heâs going to be stopping by your apartment to confront you about your dating profile and conversation with Dr. Greyson. Zayne laughs bitterly before handing the phone back to the flustered Dr. Greyson before returning to his desk.Â
âá˘. .á˘â Xavier âá˘. .á˘â
At Philo, Xavier is watering the plants around the floral shop, assisting Jeremiah with his shop. Itâs a slow day, and only a few customers pop in and out of the shop to buy flowers. Xavierâs supposed to be at the Hunters Association, but instead, heâs at Philo doing other tasks that have nothing to do with finding the Aether Core. Plus, Jeremiah dragged him out of bed, and he did not appreciate it at all. While Xavierâs watering the flowers and plants around the shop, Jeremiah enters the floral shop with his eyes glued to his phone, typing away. Jeremiah looks up from his phone, admiring the rearrangement of the floral shop.
âItâs looking good in here so far! You know, if you werenât a Hunter, you would be a decent florist,â Jeremiah jokes, walking toward Xavier.
Xavier ignores Jeremiahâs comment and proceeds to walk to the front of the floral shop, placing the watering can on a nearby table. Xavier pulls out his phone and starts playing mobile games, completely disregarding Jeremiahâs presence as the curly-haired man walks toward Xavier.Â
âSo⌠how are things going between you and [Y/N]?â Jeremiah asks suddenly, leaning against the table beside Xavier.
Xavier continues to play on his phone, not taking his eyes off the screen. âEverythingâs fine between us. I saw her two days ago at the Hunters Association,â Xavier replies, his eyebrows scrunching up as he tries to kill the monsters on his phone.Â
Jeremiah slowly nods, crossing his arms over his chest while still holding onto his phone. After the brief pause between Xavier and Jeremiah, Xavier pauses his game and looks at Jeremiah, raising his eyebrows. Jeremiah taps his foot on the ground, fumbling with the phone in his hands, causing Xavierâs eyes to dart down to the device.Â
âItâs good to hear that things are fine between you and [Y/N]...â Jeremiah trails off, poking the inside of his cheek with his tongue. âThere werenât any arguments between you two, right? Everything is fine and dandy?âÂ
Xavier looks at Jeremiah weirdly, wondering why his friend has a sudden interest in your and Xavierâs relationship. Xavier slowly nods his head in response to Jeremiahâs strange question, still confused about Jeremiahâs interrogation and strange reaction. Silence hangs in the air between him and Jeremiah, and no one is saying anything.Â
Xavier points at Jeremiahâs phone, âWhy are you twirling your phone around like itâs a fidget toy? Are you okay? Youâre acting strangeâ even more strange than usual,â Xavier says, tucking his phone into the pocket of his hoodie.Â
Jeremiah presses his lips into a thin line, debating how to explain to Xavier what has popped up on the dating app he recently joined. âWhat would you do if the girl youâre interested in has a dating profile?â Jeremiah asks.
âI donât know how to respond to that question. Does a girl youâre interested in have a dating profile or something? What is going on? Iâm confused,â Xavier sighs, running his hands through his hair as he leans on the table behind him.
Jeremiah lets out a frustrated sigh before shoving his phone in Xavierâs face. Xavier takes a step back and grabs the phone from Jeremiahâs grasp, trying to look at what caused Jeremiah to be so frustrated (aside from Xavierâs obliviousness). Xavier looks at Jeremiah, confused. Jeremiah raises his eyebrows, wondering why Xavier had the opposite reaction from what he imagined.
Xavier holds up Jeremiahâs phone to show that he is on the home screen. Jeremiah snatches the phone from Xavierâs hands before clicking on a pink app. Jeremiah then places the phone back in Xavierâs hands, pointing to what he was implying about not long ago.Â
Jeremiah scratches the back of his head, looking elsewhere because he does not want to see the reaction on Xavierâs face. â[Y/N] is on this dating app I recently registered on, and we matched. I wanted you to see that your⌠beloved⌠is on a dating app,â Jeremiah says, clearing his throat.
Dear god, the tension is so thick that he feels like he might suffocate. A million thoughts race in Xavierâs mind as he scrolls through the messages between you and Jeremiahâ the conversation is flirty, needless to say. Xavier clicks on your profile picture, and your dating profile appears on the screen.
There is a lot of information provided on your dating profile, including what you look for in a man; there are eight pictures of you at the Hunters Association, selfies of you and your coworkers at the Hunters Association, and many other things that make Xavierâs head want to spin.
âHey, Xavier, are you okay?â Jeremiah asks, placing his hand on the distraught manâs shoulders. âI understand youâre upset about [Y/N] being on a dating app, butââ
âYou matched with her on the dating app?â Xavier interrupts, turning to Jeremiah with a glare.
Jeremiah looks at Xavier with wide eyes, his mouth agape, unsure how to respond. Yes, he indeed matched with you on the dating app. But does that really matter? You, Xavierâs lady, are on a dating app for fucks sake!
Jeremiah awkwardly clears his throat, âI matched with her because she swiped on me, alright? Besides, I wanted to investigate why sheâs on a dating app when sheâs with youâ well, I assume you two were together.âÂ
Xavier continues to stare at Jeremiah, unamused. Jeremiah thought that Xavier was going to be upset over you being on a dating app, but apparently, heâs more upset over the fact that Jeremiah swiped right on you. Jeremiah sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose while Xavier continues to not-so-subtly glare at him.Â
Xavier looks at the screen before screen recording the conversation between you and Jeremiah, then your dating profile before sending it to himself. As much as he wants to confront you right now, youâre still working at the Hunters Association, and heâs going to talk Jeremiahâs ears off for matching with you on the dating app.Â
đ đ đ Rafayel đ đ đ
Rafayel stands in a corner, watching journalists, photographers, and art critics gravitate toward his newest piece. Many admiring and snapping photos of the art piece while murmuring among one another. A couple of journalists approached Rafayel for an interview, and he gladly answered a few questions and explained his inspiration for the art piece. However, the longer the exhibit drags on, the more Rafayel feels drained.
Thomas excuses himself from the conversation heâs having with journalists before walking over to where Rafayel has retreated. Rafayel has a visible pout on his face, his arms crossing over his chest, and he occasionally huffs and fixes his hair.
âEveryone is admiring your newest art piece, Rafayel. Shouldnât you be happy?â Thomas asks, now standing beside him.
Rafayel drags out a sigh, shifting from one leg to another. âHow much longer do I have to be here? Iâm tired and hungry. I feel like a fish out of water,â Rafayel says, turning to Thomas with a pout.
Thomas looks at Rafayel amusingly, propping his hands on his hips. âWeâve been here for only three hours, Rafayel. You promised to do a few interviews with renowned art magazines, and youâve only completed two,â Thomas replies.
âOnly three hours? I couldâve spent those three hours with Miss Bodyguard at Twinkle Toys playing at the claw machine with her,â Rafayel huffs, kicking the ground before him.Â
Thomas chuckles, shaking his head. Thereâs not a day where Rafayel doesnât complain about being at an art exhibit without you. Usually, when youâre not busy, you accompany him and protect him from harm. But today is not that day, and Rafayel has been pouty ever since. Could it be because heâs upset overâŚ
Should Thomas ask Rafayel about that? Thomas is going to do it; Rafayel either knows about it already, and that is the reason why heâs pouting, or heâll eventually find out about it, and Thomas will never hear the end of it.
âRafayel, are you upset because [Y/N] is on a dating app?â Thomas asks casually, turning to the pouting Lumerian.
The pout on Rafayelâs face quickly disappears after hearing Thomasâs question. Rafayel looks at Thomas, eyes wide with shock, horror, and confusion. Oh, okay, so maybe Rafayel isnât aware that youâre on a dating app. Rafayel steps towards Thomas, almost glaring daggers into his friendâs soul.
âWhat did you say? Care to repeat that for me?â
Thomas clears his throat and pulls his phone out of his pocket. Thomas scrolls through his phone before showing Rafayel the screen. Rafayel takes Thomasâs phone from his hands and stares at your dating profile with keen eyes. Everything about your profile feels off; it doesnât feel like itâs the real you.Â
Rafayel has seen those images of you before because theyâre on your social media. But the information about you does not feel authentic, if that makes sense. Why did you list your type in a man when heâs clearly your type? A man with a lot of money, a sense of humor, and will spoil you with luxury items? Rafayel can easily do that! Why would you be on that damn dating app!?
Wait a damn minuteâŚ
âWhy does it say unmatch in the corner?â Rafayel asks, slowly turning to Thomas with a sharp glare.
Thomas holds his hands up in defense. âCalm down, Rafayel. I was making sure to see if the person behind the dating profile is actually [Y/N] or someone trying to impersonate her,â Thomas says.
âHow does that justify any of this!? You matched with my bodyguard!â Rafayel exclaims, ignoring the looks people shoot in his and Thomasâs direction as they walk by.Â
Even if Thomas matched with you to see âwhether the person behind the profile is actually you,â Thomas continues to match with you on a dating app. While itâs interesting to see Thomas on a dating app, what bothers Rafayel is the fact that Thomas has the audacity to match with someone Rafayel is interested in.
Rafayel tightens his grip on Thomasâs phone, glaring at the screen. Rafayelâs inner monologue drowns out the noise of art critics, journalists, and photographers. His breathing starts to pick up, as does his heartbeat; the sound of his racing heart pounds in his ears.Â
âRafayel,â Thomas tries to grab his attention, placing a hand on Rafayelâs shoulders.
Rafayel brushes Thomasâs hands away as he continues to scroll through your dating profile to take in every information thatâs provided. Youâre allegedly not looking for anything serious despite stating that you want a rich boyfriend who will spoil you with materials (heâs already doing that; is that not enough?). The longer he lingers on your dating profile, the more he feels his sanity slips away. Without thinking, Rafayel walks away with Thomasâs phone still in his grasp, leaving his friend behind.Â
âRafayel! Where are you going?! The art exhibit isnât even over yet!â Thomas calls out.
Rafayel ignores Thomas and continues to walk to the entrance of the art museum. Even if Rafayel is far from Linkon, Rafayel is determined to confront you about your dating profile on the dating app that Thomas has the audacity to match with you. Rafayel looks at the time, making a note that he will arrive at Linkon by nightfall.Â
â.Ëđ
ŕż Sylus â.Ëđ
ŕż
Luke and Kieran stand behind Sylus, looking down at their phones while whispering to one another. Sylus ignores the loud whispering behind him as he continues to stare at the man before him, unamused. The man is one of the dealers of the military-grade weapon that Sylus has auctioned off the black marketâ itâs illegal to be owned by those who arenât part of the military, but what the government doesnât know wonât hurt them now, will it?
The manâ Ashton Gray, also known as Mr. Grayâ gestures to one of his lackeys to hand over the briefcase that contains the weapon. Mr. Grayâs lackey places the briefcase on the table and slides it toward Sylusâs direction. Sylus reaches forward and opens the metal briefcase, examining the carefully packed weapon.
âHmph. Itâs in perfect condition and looks lovely,â Sylus mutters. He pulls the weapon out from the briefcase, feeling the weight of the weapon in his hands. âItâs durable; the material doesnât feel cheap or flimsy.â
Mr. Gray scoffs, rolling his eyes, and laughs bitterly. âMr. Sylus, the weapons we sell to consumers are top-notch.â
Sylus ignores the manâs comment and continues to inspect every inch of the weapon. The weapon is made of rare metals that cannot be found anywhere. Theyâre mined in the deepest depths of a repository by a small group of people in a remote location that isnât known to many people, or at least to the general public.Â
âNo way!â Luke gasps, grabbing attention from everyone else in the room.
Sylus turns to the twins behind him and raises his eyebrows at Luke and Kieran. Kieran quickly hides his phone behind his back while Luke rubs the back of his neck, apologizing to the annoyed Onychinus leader.Â
Mr. Gray furrows his eyebrows at the twins, crossing his arms over his chest. âMr. Sylus, do your lackeys have something to share with the rest of the room?â Mr. Gray asks, gesturing to the twenty-something people in the private room in an undisclosed area.Â
Sylus looks at Mr. Gray, amused. âMr. Gray, you seemed to be bothered by whatever is keeping Luke and Kieran occupied,â Sylus comments, placing the gun back in the metal briefcase. âWhatever they are up to is none of your business.âÂ
The metal briefcase closes with a click. Sylus stands up, grabs the briefcase, and begins making his way to the exit, nodding to Mr. Gray with Luke and Kieran following. Mr. Gray glares at the twins as they walk by, almost mockingly waving at him. Once the three are out of earshot, Sylus sighs and adjusts the sleeve of his shirt.Â
The trio enters Sylusâs sports car, silence hanging in the air. Sylus hands the metal briefcase to Luke before turning on the car; the engine roars to life. The three sit in silence, watching the scenery go by as they leave the location. For once, Sylus didnât blow the place up. Sylus glances in the rearview mirror to see the twins scrolling through their phones, completely occupied with whatever theyâre seeing on the screen. Sylus sighs and shakes his head as he continues to drive the three of them back to the base in the N109 Zone.
âCare to explain to me what is keeping you two occupied on that phone of yours?â Sylus asks, breaking the silence in the car. âThat outburst was unnecessary.â
Kieran and Luke glance at each other, unsure of what to say. Both Luke and Kieran recently joined a dating app (the N109 Zone is boring, and these two want to meet someone new when their service isnât needed), and the twins received a match! Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong! Luke and Kieran share the same dating profile (they come in a pack; you canât separate them. If you want one of them, youâll get the other free), and they happen to match with little ole Miss Hunter (you).
While you and Sylus have this strange yet comical dynamic, it��s shocking to see you on a dating app despite being on Onychinusâs radar. They know every piece of information about you, and by âthey,â Luke and Kieran are implying Sylus. Yes, there is information about you that both the twins know, but they donât know every little thing about you.Â
âIs it that dating app of yours?â Sylus asks, eyes gluing onto the road ahead of him.Â
Luke clears his throat, nodding. âYes! But we saw something that caught us off guard, thatâs all. I apologize for my outburst, boss-man.â
Kieran continues to stare at your dating profile on his screen, rereading every information provided on your profile. Itâs a good thing Sylus meets all of the requirements of what you want in a man. However, Sylus isnât going to be happy if he hears that youâre on a dating app when youâve been seeing him. Speaking ofâŚ
Kieran looks up from his phone, making eye contact with Sylus through the rearview mirror. âHey, boss-man! How are things going between you and Miss Hunter?â Kieran asks, crossing his right leg over his left.Â
âThings are going well. However, we havenât been in contact for perhaps a few weeks. Why?â Sylus asks, raising his eyebrows at Kieranâs question.Â
Luke and Kieran look at each other, not saying a word. Luke and Kieran press their lips into a thin line, unsure of how else to answer Sylusâs question. Sylus rolls his eyes and uses his Evol to snatch Kieranâs phone from his hands. Kieran opens his mouth to protest but stops when Luke nudges him with his elbow.
Sylus looks down at the phone, letting out a scoff, and a bitter laugh follows. âI see. So this is what caused you two to have an outburst moments ago,â Sylus mutters. âAnd you two are matched with Miss Hunter.â
Luke and Kieran stare at Sylus from the backseat, waiting to see what Sylus is going to do next. Sylus shakes his head, sighing before tossing the phone back to the twins. Luke quickly grabs the phone and hands it to Kieran, who checks to make sure the phone isnât damaged. Instead of taking the usual route back to Onychinusâs base, Sylus decides to take a different route, causing Luke and Kieran to be confused.
âWhere are we going, boss-man?â Luke asks, looking at Kieran from the corner of his eyes.
Sylus shrugs. âWeâre taking a little field trip to visit a certain kitten in Linkon City,â Sylus replies.
Ëŕ¨ŕ§â. Y/N Ëŕ¨ŕ§â.
You step into the elevator of your apartment, rubbing the back of your neck. You have been sitting in your cubicle for hours at the Hunters Association. Your back is hurting, and so is your neck and your butt. While the elevator takes you to the seventh floor of your apartment, you space out, wondering why Tara asked you about your relationship status. The elevator chimes, snapping you out of your thoughts. You step out of the elevator and walk towards your apartment, rummaging through your tote bag to search for your keys.Â
âFound you,â you mutter, grabbing your keys hidden deep in your tote bag and pulling them out with a sigh of relief. âNow I can finally relaxââ
Your eyes widen when you see four familiar men standing at the front door to your apartment. Theyâre glaring daggers at each other, on edge. The familiar twins stand to the side, shaking their heads with disapproval.Â
You press your lips into a thin line. âCan I help you?â
âWhy are you acting all innocent? You have a lot of explaining to do, Miss Bodyguard!â Rafayel exclaims, crossing his arms over his chest while pouting in your direction.Â
You tilt your head to the side, confused about what Rafayel is implying. You rub your temples with a sigh, too exhausted to deal with whatever is happening between the four men standing at the door to your apartment. It is way too late for you to be dealing with any sort of conflict.Â
You sigh for the umpteenth time. âWhatever is going on, you guys can tell me when I unlock the door to my apartment. I donât want my neighbors to overhear our conversation,â you mutter, weaving through the crowd of men.
Even though you can get your fingerprint to unlock the door to your apartment, it does not work as of now. Youâre going to have to call the front desk to inform them of the issue with the fingerprint lock. Until then, youâre using keys to get into your apartment. You enter your apartment with six men crowding into the comfort of your home while mumbling under their breaths.
You hang your tote bag on the rack along with your coat, toeing your shoes off before slipping on your house slippers. You turn to the four (technically six, but Luke and Kieran are making themselves home in your living room) men, waiting for one of them to explain why theyâre all standing in front of your apartment.
Sylus sighs, crossing his arms over his chest. âKitten, care toââ
âWhy are you on a dating app!?â Rafayel exclaims, shoving Thomasâs phone towards your face.Â
You back up and grab the phone from Rafayelâs hands, squinting at the screen. Oh great, more screens to look at. You hold the phone close to your face, blinking rapidly. Youâre not on a dating app, and you never have a dating profile in the first place. Wait, could this be what Tara was trying to ask you about earlier today at the Hunters Association?
âIâm not on a dating app,â you reply, raising your eyebrows at the men before you.
You walk farther into your apartment, scrolling through your supposed dating profile. Whoever is posing as you on this dating app is very committed to being you. You sit on the armrest of the couch, reading through âyourâ dating profile.
âAre you three here for the same thing, or is Rafayel the only one interrogating me over something I didnât know I had?â You ask.
Xavier and Zayne show their phonesâ screenshots of the same dating profile and messages between you and whoever âyouâ matched with on that app. Sylus grabs Kieran by the shoulders and nudges him to hand over his phone to you. You stare at Luke and Kieran, almost horrified that they are the ones who found this dating profile of âyours.â
You pull out your phone and hand it to Rafayel. âAs I said earlier, Iâm not on any dating apps. Whoever these people matched with, that person isnât me.âÂ
Rafayel shoves your phone to your face for a second to unlock your phone before scrolling through your phone, skimming through every app you have installed. Sylus, Zayne, and Xavier join Rafayel in going through your phone.
You made a face. âI donât remember taking this picture,â you mutter, zooming in on one particular photo. âAnd this information about myself isnât remotely accurate. How did you four fall for this catfish?â
Luke coughs. âTo be fair, we,â he gestures to him and Kieran, âassumed it was legitimate because âyourâ dating profile is a verified account. Meaning, whoever is running the account somehow managed to confirm that they are you.â
You stare at him blankly, then look at the four men, who are still glued to your phone. You sink into your couch and hand back the phone to Rafayel. Rafayel hands the phone to the closest person before stomping to you, sniffling.Â
âCutie~! How could you match with Thomas!? Whatâs so special about him?â Rafayel whines, plopping down beside you and resting his head on yours.Â
You kiss your teeth and pinch Rafayelâs cheeks. âRafayel! I told you already! Iâm not on any dating apps!â Rafayel whines, grabbing your hands and ripping your hand from his cheek.Â
Xavier hands you your phone, standing before you with his arms over his chest. Oh, heâs pouting as well. Zayne and Sylus look both relieved but also mildly miffed with the fact that they fell for a catfish.Â
You stand up, stomping towards Sylus and poking his chest with your index finger. âYou! Youâre technologically advanced, yet you couldnât tell that the dating profile is a catfish!?â You screech, repeatedly poking his chest over and over.
Sylus grabs your hand and laces his fingers with yours. âKitten, I had a long day. Luke and Kieran are the ones who showed me your supposed dating profile. I had to double-check with you, sweetie. Plus, it has been a while since weâve seen each other. I wanted to take this opportunity to come and visit you.â
You glare at Sylus, feeling heat rush to your cheeks. Damn him and his smooth talk! You look at Zayne and Xavier, waiting for one of them to explainâ or give an excuse like the leader of Onychinus.Â
Zayne closes his eyes and pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose with a long exhale. âI have no excuses, darling. However, Dr. Greyson was convinced that the person behind that dating profile was you,â Zayne says, gazing at you bashfully, the tips of his ears bright red.
You rub the bridge of your nose, trying to hold on to the last bits of your sanity. From what youâre gathering, you have matched with Dr. Greyson, Thomas, both Luke and Kieran because they share one profile for some reason, and⌠who else?
You look at Xavier. Xavier avoids your eyes, glaring at the ground with his jaws clenched. If you look closely, you can almost see steam coming from Xavierâs ears. His ears are so red, and you feel bad, but you canât help but laugh at how adorably jealous he is of whoever âyouâ matched with on that damn dating app.
âLet me guess, itâs Jeremiah, the owner of Philo?â Luke asks, giggling behind his hand.
Xavierâs head snapped toward Luke and Kieranâs direction, glaring at them while trying to remain as calm as possible. â[Y/N]Â didnât match with Jeremiah. The catfish matched with Jeremiah,â Xavier corrects Luke.
You rub your temples, too tired to handle the entire situation. If you had the energy, you wouldâve been very upset over the fact that someone is pretending to be you and matching with men who are friends with the men youâre interested in. But right now, you just want to go shower and relax.
âIâm going to go shower. We can talk about this later, but for now, please give it a rest. Itâs been a long day, and Iâm exhausted,â You say.
The four men watch you walk to your bedroom, closing the door behind you. Rafayel turns to Sylus, crossing his arms over his chest while continuing to pout. âIs there a way for you to check and see whoâs behind this account?â
Sylus rubs his temples, shaking his head. âAs of now, I cannot check to see whoâs behind the account,â Sylus mutters. âBut I will certainly look into it. Itâs a crime to impersonate someone on the internet.â
Xavier shakes his head, poking the inside of his cheek with his tongue. âIf we cannot find the person behind the account, we will need to lure them out somehow. Itâs evident this person is close with [Y/N].â
âOh? And what do you suggest?â Zayne mutters, raising his eyebrows at Xavierâs comment. âIâm sure the person behind the account will not reveal their identity easily. Who knows how long they had this account for.â
Rafayel rolls his eyes and walks to the couch, sitting on the armrest. âWhoever is impersonating as Miss Bodyguard is stupid. They donât know what theyâre getting themselves into.â
While youâre in the shower, the four men hatch a plan to lure the person behind the catfish account out. Will you be in on the plan? Perhaps. But for now, they need to find a way to meet the person behind the account. Well, whoever is matched with âyouâ on that dating app needs to plan a date to meet âyouâ in person.Â
Note: Ehhh, I'm not really feeling the ending, if I have to be really honest. I might make a part two for this fic, but I'm not entirely sure if I should. This is my first Love&Deepspace fanfic, so, it's most likely ass. I was supposed to post this fic before Monday, but then I typed way too much, and here we are with a 6.3k word fanfic. For this brand new "series" of mine, I will be writing various men x reader and individual men x reader. Hopefully my future Love&Deepspace fanfic will improve as I continue to write for this game :) anyway, To all my new and returning readers, keep in mind that I ONLY post on my Tumblr (Genshinluvr), Ko-Fi (Genshinluvr/Aaliah_exo), and my AO3 (Aaliah_exo)! Nowhere else except Tumblr and AO3!
Read more of my works on my Grand Masterlist, which contains every masterlist I have created! | Maybe support me by tipping me on Ko-Fi or by reblogging my fanfics! ^^ I will also be posting exclusive fanfics on Ko-Fi as well very soon! I might post all of my stories there, too, but who knows. You can also tip me on Tumblr if you'd like as a way to show support! ^^
#Love&Deepspace fanfiction#Love&Deepspace fanfic#Sylus x reader#Zayne x reader#Rafayel x reader#Xavier x reader#genshinluvr#Love and deepspace#Love and Deepspace fanfic#Love and Deepspace fanfiction
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Hello, hope this message finds you well! I would like to request (if the idea interests you of course) the fellowship responding to the reader asking âwould you still love me if I was a worm/toad?â
What an inspired idea, anon haha! This one was fun to think about; hopefully itâs just as much fun to read! Enjoy âĄ
シďžâ§ Aragorn.
Even though you asked him out of nowhere, Aragorn considers your questions rather seriously. Sitting by a fire with you, it takes him a while to answer: âWhy wouldnât I?â It shouldâve been obvious to you that a ranger â and one as kind and gentle-hearted as him! â would naturally see beauty in every creature, no matter its general reputation. To him, itâs not a question.
.
シďžâ§ Boromir.
Boromir would shoot you a confused smile when you asked him your question. âWhat? Why would you turn into a wormâŚ?â Youâd blush and explain it to him, which would make him laugh in relief. âWhy worry about such nonsense?â â âWhat, me turning into a worm?â â âNo, silly! Me not loving you!â heâd say and pull you close for a kiss ⥠(Heâd probably still worry about the sudden question because he cares for you that much haha!)
.
シďžâ§ Frodo.
When you ask Frodo your question, it catches him off-guard. Heâd look up from his book and ask you to repeat, even though he was already listening carefully. But the question has him double-checking! Your adorable explanation makes him laugh. Heâd take your hands and say, âThe things you think about! If you ever manage to turn yourself into a worm, you must turn me as well, so that we may live happy lives in our worm-house underground.â
.
シďžâ§ Gandalf.
Gandalf smokes his pipe when you ask him your question and smacks his lips as he contemplates the scenario. âA curious propositionâŚâ For a moment, the furrow of his bushy eyebrows makes it look like he was about to scold you for your nonsense, but then heâd shoot you a playful smirk and assure you that yes, if you were to turn into a worm, he would still love you all the same.
.
シďžâ§ Gimli.
You ask Gimli your question at a late-night banquet, making him pause and laugh. âI do not know if a worm would want to live in stone though! Wouldnât you leave for grassier, muddier grounds? What would a worm want with a Dwarf?â Just like that, he has turned your question around! The ensuing nonsense conversation makes it certain: The two of you are inseparable âĄ
.
シďžâ§ Legolas.
Legolas is a very playful Elf and enjoys the games and riddles you two tend to play, so your question would not come entirely out of the blue for him. He would tilt his head and pout, pretending to consider it gravely. âA worm? A creature so foul and tiny and all too disagreeable?â â his face splits into a grin â âWhy yes, of course!â Additionally, heâd incorporate âlittle wormâ into his endless list of pet names for you.
.
シďžâ§ Merry.
Your question to Merry would probably come up during one of your philosophical conversations. But instead of stopping Merry dead in his tracks, heâd simply answer, âYes, next question.â To him, it genuinely is not up for debate if changing your appearance would impact his feelings for you. When you dig deeper, heâd probably say something like, âIâd have to get used to it, but thatâs itâ and grin at you.
.
シďžâ§ Pippin.
Letâs be honest: The question would probably come from Pippin in the first place. Maybe he had watched a worm or a toad travelling through a meadow nearby, or even overheard other Hobbits asking their partner about the dreaded scenario. He keeps wondering if heâd still be lovable as a worm but leaves no doubt should that fate befall you: This Hobbit loves you to the moon and back!
.
シďžâ§ Sam.
No contest: Sam Gamgee wins this one by a mile. When you ask him, no matter how unsurely, heâd cross his arms with a thoughtful sigh and start his answer by explaining how important worms are in the circle of nature to keep the ground and gardens alive. âAnd thatâs just that, yâknow? I donât have to find âem beautiful, but Iâd simply be lost without them. And if it was you, oh, yâknow, thereâd be no question about it. Iâd tinker with a bit of wood to make you an indoor garden, so you have some dirt to crawl in even when weâre inside the house. Something I can carry around. And somethinâ to eat. Unless you donât want to. Iâd bring you the good dirt from Farmer Maggot, and some apples, too. Your favourite flowers must be there too, so thatâs â hm? Whatâre smilinâ at me like that for? You asked the questionâŚâ
#lotr imagine#lotr headcanons#lotr x reader#fellowship x reader#aragorn x reader#boromir x reader#frodo x reader#gandalf x reader#gimli x reader#legolas x reader#merry x reader#pippin x reader#samwise x reader#* ask#* request#* humour#* fluffy
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Hello your magical girl story looks really intriguing, the premise feels very creative, the art style is simple but good with its own identity, and the characters seem to be fleshed out with depth, personality, and backstory. In short, I love it, and I do have a few questions.
One: Is the story character driven, story driven, or something else
Two: Is the story rated G, PG, PG-13, or something else
Three: Would the story be a web comic, web show, or something else
Four: Will there be a lot of lore and world building, yes or no
Five: what other inspirations did you have for the story's characters, plot, and art style
Six: What humor do you use for the story
I'm only asking these questions out of curiosity. This is just because I love your story, and would like to know more about.
So please be free to not answer all the questions if you want. I'm also fine if you ignore this ask. so please, no pressure.
At the end of the day, please have fun, relax, work hard, take your time, and have a nice day.
I'm so glad! Thanks so much for your interest <3
Character driven (always)
PG/PG-13
Dunno! I've been reached out to already for a few opportunities but right now, I'm just trying to have fun with it and keep it mine until I feel like the idea is fully realized and ready for something bigger. Right now, I'm shooting to make a lil pilot animatic mostly on my own with help from a few friends
Depends on what you mean by a lot but I'd say a soft yes
For Aika, just generally other anime protagonists from shoujo and shonen. I feel like when you're doing a spin on something you do have to rely on the tropes from the genre at least a little bit. For Zira, Toko Fukawa was the jumping off point but they're very different. They're also both based off of aspects of myself (I feel like most artists do this with their ocs tho). Style and story-wise, I was definitely looking at Doremi and Panty&Stocking. That chunky cute look that's distinctly anime but takes some notes from Western cartoons. But mine's flipped where it's more based on my own style from working in Western animation but then having anime influence. And story-wise I like how they're more episodic with an underlying story. The magical girl stuff is more a backdrop that helps the story move forward and enhances the slice of life stuff that's being focused on.
I'm not sure what kind of humor to say other than my own? But my sense of humor has been shaped by Big City Greens (obviously) Adventure Time, Jimmy Neutron, Bob's Burgers, Smiling Friends and many other things but hopefully that gives you the gist
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ARTISTS WANTED!Â
Weâre making a super gay super inclusive TAROT DECK!!! We want every card to be in a fantasy world and featuring at least one LGBT person. Weâre looking for up to 78 artists, potentially one artist per card, but we may choose to have some artists do up to 2 cards.Â
Applications open October 10th at 1pm Eastern time and will remain open until October 13th at noon eastern OR we reach an application cap of 1000 entries.
Apps will be open for 24 hours minimum.
The application will NOT be available until that date - we will post it here, instagram (nova_mali), bluesky, and tumblr (novaandmali). Please be sure to set an alarm and get your application in ASAP - we will not be able to take any applications through email, dms, or after they close.
A tentative schedule:
Results emailed to EVERYONE on October 15th.
Sketch due Nov 31
Finals due Jan 15
Kickstarter running Jan 1-31
We are looking for up to 78 artists (who MUST be 18+ years old by October 15th) to join us to create a piece of digital art and/or merch. Traditional art is also accepted if scanned or photographed at a professional level.
We're looking specifically to increase the diversity of our artists, both in regards to race and gender - we want to be including all kinds of voices. Same thing with our art - we're looking to increase the variety of cultures, body types, and disabilities represented.
This is a PAID job. Weâve paid in the range of 200-300 for similar projects in the past, based on a set contract amount plus anything left over after production and shipping, split between everyone. Example: $150 in the contract and $100 extra per artist share. The additional amount will depend on how successful the Kickstarter campaign is.
Your app will ask you what youâre thinking about creating. This is not a final answer but we want to know what vibe, what era, etc what youâre thinking about. Youâll get the option to pick 2 suits youâre interested in working in, and 1-2 cards you very much do not want to illustrate.
The application will include things like: a link to your portfolio (instagram and twitter are NOT accepted as a portfolio) and if you are interested in designing any merch as well.
We also ask for a short artist bio: think twitter style - short and sweet. Please donât talk down about yourself or your skills - talk yourself up! Make me excited to see your art!!
Reminder about our applications: PLEASE do not submit porn or gore in your highlight art. Blood and nudity are ok, porn and gore please no.
Hopefully it goes without saying but we do not accept NFT art or AI generated art.
About us: weâre two non-binary lesbians who really love cats and gay art. Weâve enjoyed our work as a queer publishing house and canât wait to do more! Weâve completed 9 projects including tarot cards and books! Some of our previous works include classics but make it gay, And They Were Monsters, and Cover Me Queer.
Check out our work at www.novaandmali.com .Â
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