#hunter x hunter scenarios

[pillow-anime-talk]

For your event fluff 19 for wing from HXH plz

# tags: scenario; current marriage relationship; romance; fluffy shit; pregnancy; zushi, gon and killua as sweethearts; sfw

includes: female reader ft. wing {hxh}

author’s note: thank you so much!

19. “I’m pregnant.” 

Wing was a really great sensei, and his attitude towards little ones was really sweet and melted your thoughts every day. So the decision to have a child came quite naturally between the two of you, and you were really happy as soon as you found out that a new life was growing under your heart. Your husband was equally pleased and immensely proud. He thought about his smol bean and whether they would be a talented hunter in the future, or maybe an equally talented person who would like to work as a doctor, archaeologist or as a florist. Everything seemed so new and interesting to the young man.

Will he be a good father? Does ge take good care of you during pregnancy? Is he mature enough to own a little version of you two?

Many thoughts were running through Wing’s mind, and he almost jumped as soon as Killua snapped his fingers, asking his teacher if he was okay. The man only nodded, giving much more attention to his three pupils.

{ ･ﾟ✧ }

It was evening, the hour was late, and the three boys and Wing had just finished their hours of training and a serious conversation about the next floors of the arena. At about the same time, the four of them heard the sound of loud knocking. Killua sensed no bloodlust, and Gon could only hear calmly beating heart... or even two hearts. Wing, on the other hand, opened the door and almost immediately smiled slightly under his breath at the sight of you with a huge basket filled with food.

“Good evening everyone.” You said towards Zushi, Gon and Killua and Wing of course, then stepped a little closer while your husband closed the oak door. “I’m Y/N, your sensei’s wife. Zushi already knows me. Right, ‘Shi-chan?” You looked at the little boy and he immediately bowed. Second later you quickly asked him to lift his head and just come to hug you.

“... My name is Gon!” The boy in the green jacket and short pants looked in your direction, and then you spread your arms out more so that he would hug you too. He gladly took your silent offer, then felt that your tummy was much harder than that of a normal human.

“I am Killua.” At first, he was not willing to show any feelings, but seeing your joyful eyes and sincere emotions on your whole face, he timidly came closer, lightly snuggling into your warm body. “Are you okay, Y/N?” He asked, looking at your belly covered with the material of a light dress. You giggled.

“I’m pregnant.” You answered. “But let’s not talk about me, because I brought you some goodies and dessert. Ah, and call me ‘auntie’ or something like that.” You added louder, taking out of your bag several boxes of still-warm rice, fried meat, various kinds of vegetables, as well as a paper-wrapped chocolate and strawberry cake you managed to buy on your way to where your husband was staying with his three boys.

Wing may be a good father because of his relation with children, but you will be the best mommy in the world because of your care, love and interest in other living beings.

[grandline-fics]

Hot Off The Press

DESCRIPTION: Their reaction when you end up in the newspaper unexpectedly

WARNINGS:  none, implications of crushes

CHARACTERS: Law, Smoker

WORDS: 1,730

A/N: Just a silly idea that came to mind that I wanted to explore with a couple of the One Piece guys. I had fun doing this and may do more at some stage with other characters in this scenario. Hope you all enjoy what I came up with

*REQUESTS ARE OPEN*

DIRECTORY | PROMPT LIST

————————

LAW

Unlike some of the other pirates around, Law kept up with the news and goings on in the world regardless of if there was an inkling his or the crews bounties would go up or not. He needed to be aware of everything going on at all times in order to plan the best course of action and leave very little room for surprises should the next island he came to be already in the middle of some drama that could be either avoided or exploited. One morning he walked into the dining room of the Polar Tang to join the rest of the crew for breakfast. Grabbing his morning coffee he took his usual seat and flicked open the paper, beginning to leisurely read through it while enjoying idle conversation with the rest of the crew. 

“Hey Captain can I-” Penguin’s question was cut off immediately when Law was already pulling out the so-called ‘entertainment' section of the paper and passed it across the table. That was the one section he felt was an entire waste of paper and ink and only glanced at just incase something of note had slipped through. Most of the time though? Even the barest glance felt like a handful of seconds he’d never get back due to the pointless garbage written on the pages. “Thank Cap!” Law gave a non-committal grunt in acknowledgement to his subordinate’s thanks and trained his attention instead into a story about political unrest affecting two neighbouring islands. 

Unfortunately his focus was interrupted when Penguin suddenly let out a gasp just as he was taking a bite of his breakfast causing him to choke. Law set his paper down and rose sharply, making his way directly to his friend. It was a relief that in that time Law approached, Penguin had managed to dislodge the food and caught his breath. “Oi, why didn’t you chew? Nearly gave us a heart attack!” Law lectured, using his relief to fuel his panicked lecture. Penguin nervously shifted in his seat and with another clearing of his throat he shakily turned over the entertainment section to show Law and the others what had caused his mishap. Law’s eyes dropped to the print and they widened, sharply snatching it from the table just as you walked in with a long yawn breaking from your lips. “Mornin’ guys…”

When no-one answered you blinked and frowned at the group in confusion. Stepping closer you looked over Law’s shoulder to see what had gotten his and everyone else’s attention. Similar to Law, your eyes bugged and you pulled his arm towards you so you could get a better look, as iff the extra inch of space would make the page change from what you couldn’t believe you were seeing. First was the eye-popping headline “HOT PIRATE OF THE WEEK: HEART PIRATES’ HEARTBREAKER!” Filling the page were images of you standing on the dock of the Polar Tang on one of the occasions the sub had surfaced and you were performing maintenance on the vessel. 

Slowly you remembered that day. It had been so hot that you had to undo the top of your boiler suit and tie the sleeves around your waist to reveal the tank top you'd been wearing underneath. Your skin was lightly sheened with sweat and cheek smeared with a small streak of oil. Nervously you rubbed the back of your neck as you looked over the images, you were just doing your job but somehow the photographer had managed to take countless photos, all of them very flattering. It did unnerve you slightly to think that everyone would see you like this along with cheesy one-liners of ‘they can perform maintenance on me any day,’ ‘tune me up,’ ‘let’s let off some steam,’ and your favourite ‘Captain Law, can we join your crew?’

Nervously you chewed your lip and looked away to finally see your Captain’s reaction, fearing he would lecture you. Instead it surprised you to see the back of his neck and his cheeks were tinged a very noticeable pink as his eyes were glued to your pictures. Unable to help yourself you couldn’t help but smile slightly, pleased and a little giddy that he was looking appreciatively. Still you needed to break the silent tension. “I’m surprised they got my good side.”

“You stupid? Every side is your good side.” Law asked suddenly, his mouth acting while his brain was still distracted. Your eyes widened and lit in shock at Law’s words, your smile growing when realisation hit your usually serious Captain that he’d said it aloud. Flustered and unable to recover, Law swiftly turned and left the room to the safety of his office and you grinned wider to notice he’d kept a firm hold on the paper as he left.

SMOKER

Something strange was happening at G5 and it was pissing Smoker off to no end. Every few minutes calls and missives came through, the influx a lot more than normal. The usual missions and reports were overwhelmed with transfer requests coming from all sections of the world’s seas. Part of him thought it was a well co-ordinated prank being pulled on him from the different divisions by very bored and motivated Marines that he must have angered in some way. This had to have been a prank or revenge it had to. There was no way all these requests to come to G5 was genuine. 

It hadn’t even reached mid-morning yet and what little patience he had was gone when the next transfer request came through. Angrily Smoker slammed his hand down on his desk and rose from his desk, having had more than enough nonsense to last him a lifetime. If he stayed in his office for much longer, he’d be driven to making his own transfer request to get away from it all. Needing a distraction to clear his head, Smoker began to walk aimlessly in search of what seemed like the quietest section of the base. In his mind he thought if it was quiet then that meant there would be no-one around to pester him. 

“Smoker!” Smoker came to an abrupt halt and turned his head sharply to see you approach him, your pace quickened and expression just as frustrated and annoyed as he was. Your own sour mood was probably why you weren’t trying to stay out of his way. Now finding his distraction, Smoker faced you properly. You huffed out a sharp breath, relieved that the commander had finally snapped out of whatever he was thinking about and stopped long enough for you to catch up and stop in front of him. “Didn’t you hear me calling you?”

“Wasn’t paying attention to anything really.” Smoker explained, only now noticing his cigars had burned to nothing. Grabbing two more from his jacket he lit them and placed them into his mouth, taking a fresh inhale of the nicotine helping to make him more grounded. Releasing the breath of smoke, he used his ability to direct it away from your face as he focussed his attention on you. “So what did you need?”

“Just a general inquiry.” You began while trying to control your anger while it was still fresh. In a base full of short fuses you at least tried to stay levelheaded around your commander. You took a slow breath and looked to him, still unable to keep the scowl from your face. “How much trouble would I get in for beating up a newspaper employee?”

“Not like you to get so hotheaded about journalists…” You let out a bitter scoff at the word ‘journalist’ and your hand holding the rolled up paper tightened to the point the paper crinkled loud enough to make Smoker’s gaze drop from your face. “What’s been reported?”

“You haven’t seen it?” You asked, momentarily confused. You thought everyone else had. Or was he acting dumb on purpose so you would have to relive your embarrassment in realtime in front of him. Deep down you knew that wasn't Smoker’s nature, and his mirrored look of confusion confirmed that. With a sigh you lifted your hand, offering the rolled up paper to him. 

Smoker lightly tugged the paper out of your reluctant grip and let it unfurl. Knowing this had to be personal for you he flicked through the pages in search of the cause for your wish to cause harm to a civilian. Finally he found it, or rather it practically jumped out at him when he turned the page. Your image filled the page, the photo capturing you mid-battle. One foot had connected with the blurred shape of a pirate while your body was arched, your weapon in hand and aimed at another enemy. Smoker took in your form, eyebrows raised at how poised and strong you were. What got him the most was the fearsome, intense edge lighting your eyes, your focus entirely on stopping the pirates that had tried to ransack a village. All in all it was an extremely flattering story about your heroism and undeniable strength. Yes, there were some comments about your attractiveness but Smoker couldn’t exactly argue, not when the facts were so clearly staring him in the face-both on paper and in person. 

Finally Smoker’s eyes zeroed in on how the story piece stated you were a part of the G5 base and he let out a huff of frustration and amusement. So this was the reason for his morning-long headache. “You just have to live with it. There’ll be a different story by tomorrow.” Smoker shrugged calmly and handed the paper back to you. “Don’t let something like this bother you. Okay?”

“It’s embarrassing.” You grumbled. “Why did they have to fill a page with my picture? Why even use my picture at all?”

“Why not? It looks good.” Your head snapped up at Smoker’s murmured comment, eyes widened and heat prickling the back of your neck. He looked completely composed and stoic, acting as if he hadn’t said anything at all but you knew what you heard. Instead he lightly tapped your shoulder and started to head back towards his office, idly calling after you as he went. “If you’ll excuse me I have transfer requests to formally reject. Just keep up the good work.”

——————————————-

TAG LIST (If I’ve missed anyone or if you want to be added just let me know) @3v37773, @tsaaps , @i-am-all-love-puns-and-lazy , @sanemisnonexistenteyebrow , @fiery-captain-spider-santa@kabloswrld , @atanukileaf , @ane5e , @stuckinthewrongworld , @deathsmajestysworld , @cloudysunset04 , @chillerkiller , @extremely-ashtridic , @decayingpizza , @liesatemyocean , @ace-for-ace , @nerium-lil , @destynelseclipsa , @dreamcastgirl99 , @my-name-is-heartache , @iamn1ya ,  @yunho-leeknow , @hinata7346 , @h0oouwlss , @missrandomdreamer , @sleepykittycx , @ddawn111 , @jaygrl22 , @sylum , @acehyacinth , @resident-cryptid , @treelogirl , @maellem , @its-a-dam-blue-brick , @thulhu , @appalost

[heartfullofleeches]

Deerboy Yan who tries to get himself caught in cannibal hunter reader's nets so they'll take him back to their home where they'll hopefully have their way with him and keep him as their pet-

"Ahhh- Help! I was walking home all by myself when I felt into this net. It's getting dark soon- Somebody, please save me."

The switch of a pocket blade slices through the still night air. His ears twitch as a twig snaps somewhere in the darkness brooding over his shoulder. Exhilaration draws at the corner of his lips as a voice rasps out- eerily calming as it is dreadfully familar. Like a second kiss with death.

"These traps aren't for you, Deer."

A single cut is all it takes for the net to come crashing to the forest floor.

"Not enough meat on your bones for me. You aren't exactly my preferred choice of meat to start off with."

The deer claws his way out of the net's opening. The drop wasn't too steep, and he needed to act quick. He's been in enough of your safer traps to know his way out - nine times out of ten. Dragging his nails and body through the dirt, the net's rope tangles around his hooves as he struggles. The hybrid tries to kick it off till near exhaustion- flopping onto his back as he kicks his tied legs in the air for you to see.

"But look at what how clumsy I am. It would be so easily for you to drag me back to your house like this.... Using me for hours till I can't fight back anymore when you finally decide to free me."

You turn to walk away.

"You know I think I'd be good bait for other humans."

You stop dead in your tracks.

"A weak, helpless deer chained up in that old slaughter house. "Help, Help! They're going to kill and eat me next. Please, won't somebody save me?" Pretty convincing, right? Just think about all the meat you could have - if you just take me home with you."

A squeal of joy escapes the hybrid's lips as you grab him by the antler's - pulling him along in the direction of your cabin.

[cheenapri]

Transactional [Yandere Illumi Zoldyck x Reader]

Day two + three

Summary: It is now day two (and three) of the trip and you are very adamant on ruining the experience; Illumi doesn’t take too kindly to that.

Word count: 14k

Notes: yandere, kidnapping, gender neutral reader, unhealthy relationships, unbalanced power dynamics, mentions of past abuse, Illumi tweaks tf out, lots of arguing, reader is a huge brat and gets put in their place

Day one Day four + five Day ???

Taglist: @lilyalone @yamekocatt

Something feels off.

You’re reluctant to leave your workplace once again, staring out the window and into the shadowy abyss before you. There were a few parked cars and the road was lit up with flickering street lights, making it look like something out of a horror movie. Those lights have been broken for some time now; they should really consider fixing those. 

You worked overtime again, wanting the extra funds so you could join your friends at an upcoming concert. You originally had no intentions of going, figuring it wasn’t worth it since you didn’t care for the artist too much. They kept hyping it up, however, eventually making you give in and start working extra hours in order to pay for the expensive tickets. 

You didn’t know the consequence of doing so would be encounters with crackheads after work. 

You bit your tongue. You shouldn’t have declined that ride from your coworker earlier, but you wanted to take a quick trip to the grocery store and didn’t wish to inconvenience them further. You did have your own car, but it was at the shop at the moment as something mysteriously damaged the engine and rendered it unable to start. This forced you to walk to and from work for the last week. You sigh, your hand hesitating for a moment before you pull on the door handle and step out into the crisp night. 

It’s rather quiet.

You cautiously look around before you begin speed walking; taking a brand new route despite how unconventional it was. Unfortunately, they always seem to find you no matter what.

Not even five minutes have passed before a taxi beeps and pulls up next to you, the driver’s movements stiff and puppet-like, his eyes vacant as he smiles creepily at you. 

“It’s d-dark out… n-n-need a ride?” his speech was somewhat slurred.

This was the fourth time this week a taxi had summoned itself, the driver attempting to coerce you to hop in. You glare at him, pace quickening even further as you look for a way out, your hand slowly gripping the switchblade hidden within your coat pocket. 

“It’s f-f-free of charge… just w-wanted to m-m-make sure you go-got h-home safe… You have s-s-someone waiting for you?” he says, still slurring. 

It was always the exact same stuttered lines: state that it’s dark, ask if you need a ride, state that it’s free of charge, pretend to be concerned about you, then ask if there’s someone waiting for you.

You felt as though you were in some sort of simulation; to say it freaked you out was an understatement. 

“I’m calling the police.” you say as you bring your phone out and dial the emergency service. If he were following the same script as the others, calling the police would cause him to drive off.

He doesn’t though, he must be going off script today. 

He lingers far longer than the others have, driving as slow as your quick walking speed, jittering and jerking the steering wheel to avoid running into parked cars, expression in an almost trance-like state as he keeps his smile. He doesn’t react to you telling the dispatcher about your current situation, slowing the taxi even further when you try to linger behind it in order to give them the license plate. 

“Do you h-have any… romantic interests?” he asks, the sheer audacity of this question caused your jaw to drop slightly. When you fail to answer in a timely manner, he keeps going. “W-What about exes? Do you… have any of those?”

You sneer at him once you finish giving his description and your current location to the operator. The person on the phone sounds a bit indifferent as they inform you that a police car is on the way and that you should try to move to a more populated area. 

“You live alone… d-don’t you?” 

You hadn’t even realized he was still talking. 

“Fuck off!” you shout at him, tightening your grip on the switchblade. You were beyond tired of dealing with these creeps. What did they want with you? You glare at him, eyes catching the gold piercing on the left side of his head — a strange place for a piercing.

Right as you were getting ready to bolt, a cop car suddenly pulled up; it’s red and blue lights causing the taxi to speed off into the night. It came unnaturally quick, but you didn’t think about that fact. You were already frantically recounting what had just happened before the male officer could even get out of the car, clearly distressed and completely forgetting about the dispatcher still on the phone. They soon hang up when the officer informs them through his radio that he’s arrived.  

He took your statement after calming you down and offered to give you a ride to the grocery store as you were still insistent on going. Your heart rate slowed once you reached the safety of the store, the presence of other, hopefully normal, people gave you a sense of relief. Rubbing your temples as you enter the store, you take your time gathering your items, picking up a few extra snacks to help relieve your stress. 

You call an Uber to pick you up as you don't want to walk home anymore, the driver was a kind older woman who advised you against being out so late despite its hypocrisy. You rushed inside once you reached home, your dog greeting you with a wiggly dance and tappy paws.

Something still felt off. 

You won’t be working overtime anymore, you’d have to cancel those concert plans. You sigh as you kick off your shoes and place your purchases on the counter. 

Your dog whines.

You walk over to the back door and open it, watching as they cautiously step out and quickly relieve themself before practically running back in, their fur standing on edge.

“What’s wrong?” you ask as you crouch down to pet them, trying to soothe them of their worries as well as your own. Your paranoia made you think the taxi driver was out there.

They only whined again, large eyes staring at you before darting to the living room window, their tail no longer wagging. You stand up and go to wash your hands, hoping they’re just hearing the neighbor or some critter of the night passing by.

You make dinner, giving yourself and your pup something gracious to comfort the both of you before starting your nightly routine. 

Your dog is growling at something. 

You step out of the bathroom and head downstairs, confusion on your face as you watch them pace back and forth from the living room window to the kitchen window.

You head to the back door, hoping letting them out to investigate would calm their nerves. Opening the door only seemed to make it worse, however, as they began barking, tail tucked between their legs as they backed away from you. 

Concerned, you decide to call the police again. You’d been calling them since your second encounter with the taxi drivers, your fears never being dealt with, the officers doing nothing but telling you that they’ll “take your statement and check for the taxi around the neighborhood” and to “call back if something happens.”

You’ll be found dead if this keeps up.

A female officer and her male partner arrive and you immediately explain your earlier encounter, telling them about the weird questions you’d been asked, the driver trailing you for a whole block, and the other police officer taking your statement. 

“Could you check around my house? My dog has been on edge since I got home and I’m afraid he followed me here.” you plead, not sure you’d be able to sleep tonight if they didn’t give you a peace of mind. 

They agree to check, leaving you anxiously waiting by the front door with your pup by your side. After a few minutes, you faintly hear a slight commotion, causing your heart to drop and your dog to bark. 

You continue to stand there, unsure of what to do. After a few more moments, the doorbell rings. You’re slow to open it, only sighing in relief when you see it’s the officers once again. They appear to be fine, though they look sluggish all of a sudden. The female officer informs you that it was just a raccoon hiding within the old grill out back, her words slurring and her eyes droopy.

“Oh?” you nervously chuckle, eyebrows wrinkled with worry. “Was that all?”

“Yeah… it was j-just a biggg raccoon… We’ll take your s-statement and ch-check for taxis around the n-n-neighborhood… C-Call back… if something… happens.”

There goes that exact same line again. As they slowly turn around and begin to leave, something within the female police officer’s hair reflects the porch light for the briefest of moments. You’re confused and shut the door immediately. Your hands are on your hips as you look down at your dog, worry still on your face. You let out a huff, choosing to return to your nightly routine as there wasn’t much else you could really do right now. 

Your dog has quieted down as the night progressed, much to your relief. They haven’t barked for a few hours now and slept peacefully at your feet in the living room. You’ve been talking with your friends, getting their advice about the whole situation and agreeing that you needed to find a better place to live. You hang up the call after a while and look down at the fuzzy creature by your feet. You give them one final pat before heading off to your bedroom upstairs, turning off the lights as you make your way up. 

You leave your bedroom door slightly cracked in case your dog chooses to come up and sleep on your rug. You glance over at the window — the moonlight seeps into the room, perfectly illuminating your face. 

It’s rather quiet.

You don’t know how long you’ve spent laying in bed, scaring yourself as you think about today’s   events, but you eventually fall asleep. Maybe tomorrow you could start looking for a new place to live. 

…

Something feels off.

You’re awoken, a bit groggy as you wipe your eyes. It’s still dark outside. How long were you asleep for? You give your eyes a few moments to adjust to the darkness, turning over on your right side.

…

Your heart jumps into your throat, all traces of tiredness instantly leave your body as you stare up in horror at the featureless, black figure standing next to your bed. 

“Don’t scream and I won’t kill you.” it warns.

Your breath hitches, you couldn’t scream even if you wanted to. What the hell is that? You scoot away from it, nearly falling off the bed in the process. 

You swallow hard, “What are yo-“

“Be quiet.” its voice was low and smooth, a complete contradiction from its appearance. “You really love making my job harder, don’t you? Why couldn’t you just get in the car the first time, hm?”

You don’t answer. Your heart was beating rapidly. You can’t read its expression, all you see is it’s big, black eyes looking down at you. You couldn’t make out any attributes of the figure, it was like one big, black blur in an almost humanoid shape. 

A few moments of silence pass as it simply stares at you, as if thinking about something, the room slowly filling with a black mist. Your eyes quickly dart to your bedroom window then back at the monstrous entity. Maybe if you’re fast enough, you could jump out the window-

“Don’t even think about it.” it takes a single step toward you. “Things will go much smoother for you if you come with me willingly. If you so choose to be obnoxious, however, I will knock you out. You have five seconds to decide what you’ll do.”

“Y-you better leave this house right now, or else I’ll call the police!” your stuttering foiled your already awful bluff. It was close enough to do whatever it wanted to you before you could even reach for your phone. What the hell was the police supposed to do about this thing anyway?

It only tilts its head, large eyes staring eerily at you. After a few moments of silence, it finally spoke, “Very well.”

You scream as it charges at you, blacking out instantly as the black mist completely engulfs the room.

.

.

.

You scream and flail your arms as if you were being attacked, eyes shooting wide open in the process. Your breathing is heavy like you’d just ran a marathon; sweat beads form on your forehead. It takes a couple seconds for you to calm down, coming to the realization that it was only a nightmare. 

A nightmare regarding a memory rather.

Your breath is shaky as you sit up on your elbow, leaning over the side of the bed. You felt nauseous, anxiety bubbling within you as you tried to control it. You look up towards the bathroom door, then towards the TV in front of the bed, then finally towards the man sitting upright behind you.

Looks like you’re still in a nightmare.

You let out a frustrated groan, throwing yourself back onto the bed and covering your face with your hands. In your daze, you had forgotten where you were, only to be harshly reminded upon locking eyes with Illumi. 

“Good morning.” Illumi starts with his typical flat tone, observant of your quick shift from disorientation to exasperation. “Are you comfortable?”

“In a way.” you mumble, closing your eyes as you try to fall back asleep. You didn’t feel like having to deal with him first thing in the morning. 

He continues regardless, “You sound uncertain.”

“The bed is comfortable, yes.” you mumble yet again.

“But there is something you’re uncomfortable with, right?”

It’s him.

You let out another groan as you knew he’d keep questioning you, wanting you to explain all of your answers in explicit detail while not understanding your point behind them. You take a second to stretch before propping yourself up on your elbow once again and looking back at him.

You were skeptical about this unusual attitude of his, thinking it was a new manipulation tactic he’d randomly thought of trying. You’re curious as to how long he’d let you push him over, though.

“Were you watching me sleep all night?” you ask. Your tone hinted at a bit of annoyance which caused Illumi to tilt his head slightly.

He admits casually, “Yeah.” 

If there’s one thing you appreciated about Illumi, it was his honesty. His ability to nonchalantly admit to anything he was willing to answer both amazed and frightened you. 

“No wonder I had a nightmare.” you say, looking away from him. It took everything in you to say something so blunt, so confidently. 

Illumi doesn’t respond, confused by your sudden shift in attitude. You’d just woken up and you were already trying his patience. He keeps his attention on you, watching as you throw the blankets off and slide out of bed. You stretch yet again, back turned to him as you do so. 

“I’m hungry.” you state in an almost entitled tone.

“I’ll tell them to begin preparing breakfast now. You should freshen up in the meantime.” 

You take a deep breath. “Are you dictating what outfit I’m wearing today as well?”

Again, Illumi doesn’t respond — you turn to look when you hear the bed creak, a tad bit worried he was on his way to rip your head off. You knew you wouldn’t even have time to react if he was, though. 

He slowly walks to the wardrobe, shuffling through it for a moment before retrieving an outfit. You notice that he’s already dressed, he must’ve gotten ready while you were sleeping then hopped back into bed so he could continue staring at you.

What a creep.

The outfit was catered to your taste, but it clearly had a touch of his inspiration written on it from how… tight fitting… it appeared to be. You look at the outfit with disdain, allowing your facial features to tell him just how you felt about it. 

He’s indifferent to your scornful look, however, only staring back as he waits for you to take the outfit. He wasn’t changing his mind about this. You’re reluctant but you snatch the clothes from him, nearly stomping into the bathroom. 

The outfit turned out to be more tight fitting than you had anticipated. You hate him. 

You eventually come out of the bathroom, ignoring the way Illumi’s head immediately turned in your direction, and move to sit on the lounge chair.

He was on the phone, presumably calling the butlers to prepare today’s events — eyes still lingering on you as he spoke with them. He hangs up after a minute, fully turning to look at you. 

“That outfit looks great on you.”

You look away from him, eyebrows furrowed. “It doesn’t need to be so snug.”

“It suits you.”

“Of course YOU like it.” you roll your eyes at him, quickly getting tired of his ogling.

He takes a moment to eye you further before speaking, “Let’s go.”

You follow him out of the room and down the hall, that surreal feeling from last night returning once again. As you walk into the main section of the hotel, you instantly notice a huge lack of butlers. 

“Where did everyone go?” you ask, still looking around for other souls. 

“I told them to stay out of view since you have a tendency to stare.” he simply states, staring forward as he leads you down the halls.

You scoff at him. If anyone had a tendency to stare, it was him since his unblinking eyes never seemed to leave you. It was perspicuous that he didn’t want last night’s dinner experience to take place again, only wanting your attention on him and him only. 

“You know,” you suddenly speak up, voice a bit louder than usual, “If you truly want my opinion on things, l'd say you’re failing in terms of atmosphere. It's not normal for a place as busy as a hotel or a restaurant to be so devoid of other people, it makes it feel as though you and I are having a standoff.”

Illumi doesn’t acknowledge your comment right away, only continuing to stare forward as he attempts to process your audacious attitude. You already knew why he was doing it like this: he wanted to keep you away from what he deemed as “distractions.” you were smart enough to recognize and deflect his manipulative tactics to the best of your ability, which is how you’ve managed to retain your sanity for this long. 

You know he loves you — obsessed rather — although incapable of expressing it in a healthy manner. He arrogantly assumed you'd reciprocate the feeling with time and some gentle conditioning, but you never did out of spite, preventing yourself from falling for him as a way of fighting back. Not that you could fall for him anyway. He was far too rough with you, especially when he first brought you to the estate. He didn’t know how to handle someone so fragile, breaking your wrist when you swung on him and crushing your throat when you cursed at him. 

It took a while before you found out why he’d taken you, connecting the dots when he casually mentioned one day that he felt drawn to you before summarizing the five months he spent stalking you. He referred to you as his spouse once, but you were more of an experiment to him in the beginning, his feelings towards you cementing as time went on, confirming to him that he was indeed in love with you. You took advantage of that to the best of your ability, enticing him occasionally, giving him a false sense of your affections when you really wanted to avoid punishment, even if it didn’t always work out in your favor. 

“You’ve woken up in a bad mood, you’re just being grumpy.” Illumi finally responds.

“I’m not being grumpy. You may be used to being alone, but I’m not. For me, the lack of people takes away from the experience, it makes it hard to focus.”

Illumi swiftly glanced down at you before looking forward again, expression remaining neutral. You were dancing around the subject, hiding your true intentions under the guise of helping him improve the atmosphere. 

“I see, but I don’t think exposing you to the public would be ideal.”

“Ideal for yo-”

“Ideal for us.” he corrected, putting emphasis on the word “us.” 

Your attempts at persuading him into taking you somewhere more public wasn’t working, in fact, you were only succeeding in annoying him. Perhaps you were being too ambitious right now. 

“Surely not.” you mumble mainly to yourself, folding your arms as the two of you continue to make your way through the hotel. 

You reach the restaurant and sit at the same table, last night’s rose petals and candles still present. The butlers were nowhere in sight and there was a partition put up to block your view of the chefs. The glass wall was also covered with a thin drape, allowing light in but not see-through enough to give you a clear view of the people below.

Pay attention to him. 

“So uh,” you begin, feeling awkward as you try to get used to his direct staring once again, “what are we doing today?”

“We’re doing what I’ve planned.” Illumi states, not elaborating.

You attempt to pry for more details. “Could you be more specific?” 

“No.”

What a jerk. 

Despite the day just starting, the two of you were already getting on each other’s nerves. Since you can’t look out the window to distract yourself, you ultimately decided you would interrogate him in an attempt to fully understand the situation you were in. 

You take a long, deep breath before speaking. “You know,” you start, looking directly into his eyes, “I’m curious to know what made you decide to do all of this, did you watch some cheesy romance movie or did someone give you the idea?”

…

After a few moments of silence, Illumi slowly blinks at you. This was the first time you’ve seen him blink, mainly because you tend to avoid eye contact with him. He was caught off guard by how you directly questioned him, your bold confidence as interesting as it was concerning. 

“I was not inspired by anything. This is a simple product of my own ideas.” he stated, eyebrows slightly raised.

That’s doubtful, though you knew he wasn’t lying. 

“I see… men in romance movies typically don’t kidnap their partner, it was foolish of me to think you’d be inspired by that. Perhaps you were inspired by a horror movie?” it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain eye contact as you spoke, trying your best not to react to his silent indicators screaming at you to shut your mouth. You’d already dug yourself a hole, however, may as well keep digging. “Tell me, what inspired you?”

He’s glaring at you now, slight but noticeable. 

“Like I said, there’s no outside inspiration. I chose to do things this way on my own volition.”

“And that’s exactly why I described it as the ‘typical Illumi experience.’ it’s empty, devoid of life, and unnerving.” you say boldly.

His glare disappears, his neutral expression returning as he slowly tilts his head to the side. 

“‘Empty, devoid of life, and unnerving,’” he repeats slowly, “quite a descriptive set of words. Is it truly that way for you?”

“Yeah, I thought I made that clear by now.”

He straightened himself, blinking slowly once again. “It’s unfortunate to hear you see it that way.” 

His voice feigned politeness, turning his attention to the food now being brought to the table. The presence of the butlers doesn’t stop you from retorting, however.

“I gave you a clear solution to help you improve but since you’re so focused on isolating me, you won’t hear it.” you narrow your eyes at him. He doesn’t respond until the butlers have left the room entirely. 

“Is your solution to see other people?” he finally responds in an almost sarcastic tone.

You hated the way he worded that. 

“Yes, the place is empty.”

“It’s not empty, we’re here.”

“We are two people.”

“The butlers and hotel staff are here.”

“Paying guests,” you were becoming annoyed with his intentional stupidity. “people from all walks of life who just want to enjoy some time at the hotel with us. You know what I meant.”

“You should eat before it gets cold.” he looks down, picking up a fork and beginning his unnatural eating habits. You don’t heed his indirect warning to drop the subject, however. 

You continue, “Tell me why you won’t.” 

He doesn’t even look up at you, pretending you hadn’t even said a word.

You speak again, determined to keep going until he gives you an answer. “Give me a reason.” 

“Drop it.” he replies after finishing his plate.

“I won’t until you give me a reason!”

“The reason I chose not to have people here should be evident.”

“And it should be evident as to why your little date with me is a waste of time! You refuse to listen to me at all!”

Illumi is silent. He didn’t like your tone. Your words got to him more than it should and he couldn’t understand why. He was doing everything he could to make this date go smoothly and you were doing everything you could to make sure it wouldn’t.

He didn’t like how aware you were — how aware of him you were. You should have given into Stockholm syndrome months ago, yet here you were forcing him to actually try to earn your affections. Him. A professional assassin who was raised for the sole purpose of killing, whose soul was filled with nothing but darkness. You had made it clear that he could rip you away from your past life, torment you, and force you to go out with him, but he couldn’t force you to love him. Genuinely at least.

Illumi wondered if he should even continue trying…

No. He’d put too much effort into this to call it off. You were just looking for a reaction, that’s it. 

The thought that you wouldn’t be resentful had he taken a healthier approach to your relationship does not cross his mind. In fact, his mind is clear as he gazes upon you, no emotion present on his features. 

You slowly began to eat once it was apparent the topic wasn’t up for discussion anymore. At least the food was good, even if it failed to distract you from the near deadly tension in the air. His presence felt more suffocating than normal, though he wasn’t releasing aura, causing you to quickly eat just so you could get out of here sooner.

He makes no move to stand nor does he speak once you finish, making you awkwardly sit before him a little longer. This was your fault. You should’ve just shut your mouth. The effects of his staring was taking its toll on you the longer you sat there. 

“What’s the plan? Are we going back to Kukuroo Mountain now?” you ask. As much as you hate being in that room, you’d prefer your solidarity over this.

Illumi doesn’t reply, only turning his head slightly before standing and beginning to walk out of the restaurant. He didn’t feel the need to explain anything to you, leaving you to figure it out through his actions. You considered staying seated, but ultimately got up to follow him, knowing that’s what he expected of you. 

You trail slightly behind him as he leads you out of the hotel and into the parking lot, a black Mercedes truck parked just outside the entrance. He opens the passenger side door and just looks at you, not even bothering to give you a verbal command or even a gesture. You stare at him for a moment, wanting to irritate him, before climbing inside and buckling yourself up. 

You stare at the hotel as he walks around and hops into the driver’s seat. He soon begins driving. He appears to have a destination in mind, not Kukuroo Mountain as he’s driving opposite of when you were first taken to the hotel. 

He’s not a quitter, unfortunately. 

He was taking you to a grand mall, one he, of course, cleared out. He still wanted to please you despite your earlier ungratefulness, or so he convinced himself.

The ride was soundless. He chose not to turn on the radio. His eyes unmoving as he stared straight ahead, left hand on the wheel while his right hand sat dangerously close to you on the armrest. 

There were a few more Mercedes trucks within the mall’s parking lot; you could see there were butlers inside as Illumi drove past them, the pink haired butler from yesterday making direct eye contact with you through the windshield of her car. He parked, glancing at you for a brief moment before moving to open the driver’s door. 

He climbed out of the car while you stayed put, you watched as he circled around the front to come open your door. You wished the car had magically started itself and ran him over. You take your time unbuckling yourself, sighing before taking his hand as he “assisted” you out of the truck. 

He led you inside the mall, stopping once you reached the middle of the food court. It was completely empty, just as you’d guessed. You look around as he stands there, staring down at you. Your uncomfortableness is evident as you awkwardly shift your weight and fiddle with the hem of your shirt. 

“You’re free to begin shopping.” Illumi finally stated, giving you the go ahead. 

You gave a quiet “oh” before looking ahead, hesitant to take a step. You genuinely didn’t even feel like moving, not wanting to participate in his plan to keep the date going. Eventually you begin walking, figuring since you were here, you’d get some stuff to entertain yourself with back at the estate. You felt no interest in visiting clothing or jewelry stores considering Illumi would police when you wore whatever you got.

“This is so ominous.” you mumble, hands in your pockets as you walk through the food court and into the main shopping section of the mall. You were curious to know how Illumi did it, how he was able to almost completely clear out all of these places. Did he strike a deal with the owner? Did he kill them and take over the place? You turn towards Illumi, “How come all these big places are so empty? What did you do?”

“Does it matter?” his response was quicker than you’d anticipated. He didn’t appear to be upset though, maybe you could pry some details out of him.

“Did you kill the owner or something?” you look back at him as you’re trailing ahead slightly, his eyes meet yours for a moment before looking forward again.

“That would’ve been the cheapest route, but no.” Illumi admits. “I didn’t kill them.”

“So what did you do?”

Illumi is silent for a moment, as if contemplating something. He then says, “I rented the place for a period of time.”

“You rented this entire mall?!”

“I did. For two hours to be exact, so make the most of it.”

He chose to humor your questions. Good.

Your pace is slow as you walk, taking note of how certain stores were closed down. The accessible stores contained a couple butlers and a store clerk, the butlers standing directly in front of the checkout as if trying to block your view of the clerk. You continue to peer inside but make no effort to actually enter any of the stores. 

You tried to the best of your ability to ignore Illumi’s looming presence behind you, finally entering a store that caught your eye. It was a store that sold adult craft projects ranging from diamond art, to crochet, to even DIY houses similar to the greenhouse you had. 

You quickly look around. You felt invisible, but under a microscope at the same time. The clerk looking down from what you could see of them, the butlers occasionally glancing at you with their stoic expressions but ignored your presence for the most part, and, of course, Illumi gazing directly into your soul. Examining a diamond art kit, you check the price tag out of habit.

“You shouldn’t worry about the tags.” Illumi’s voice scared you a bit despite how gentle it was. 

He’s right. You shouldn’t worry about the price tags. 

You grab as much as you can hold, almost considering buying out the entire store, but not wanting to be questioned as to why you wanted ten of the exact same craft. 

As you approach the checkout with the items in hand, the two butlers gently take them from you and proceed to purchase on your behalf.

You stand and stare at them while they do their job, Illumi placing a hand on your shoulder and nudging you back, “You don’t have to wait for them to finish.” Illumi spoke as he watched the butlers. “We can go to the next store now.” 

You don’t respond to him, side stepping out of his hold and walking out of the store. As you enter a video game store, you purchase, or rather the butlers purchased, several games, most of which you’ll probably never even play but interests you enough to grab. You’ve kept your back turned towards Illumi the whole time, a privilege only a select few could enjoy, wanting to keep him out of your line of sight as much as possible. 

“You’re acting strange.” he stated as he followed you out of the store, “Is something wrong?”

“I’m just trying to enjoy myself.” you said, head lowered as you walked.

“You’re deliberately avoiding me.”

You stare down at your feet for a few moments before responding, “You're like an entity that only I can see whose sole purpose is to haunt me.” your tone was indifferent as you continued to stare down, an echo accompanying your footsteps while silence accompanied his own. “I feel like you're not even real and I’m just hallucinating.”

Illumi didn’t understand what it was you were talking about, and neither did you really, his eyebrows slightly raised as he fully turned his head to face you. 

“I’m very much real.”

“That’s the issue.” you close your eyes for a moment, swallowing hard. Which was truly better? A real person tormenting you or a hallucination tormenting you? Illumi had no words for your comment — he turned to face forward again, eyes leaving you for much longer than they ever had since you entered the mall. “I don’t even know why you’re dragging this out, it was doomed from the start.”

He’s quick to respond, “Was it? Or are you just intent on being difficult?”

You can sense a ping of his aura, causing you not to respond further. You stop walking, you’re now at the far end of the mall standing next to the escalators. You watch the moving stairs for a bit before looking up into the skylight. 

The slight humming of the escalator was strangely comforting — the sun shone perfectly down upon you, bathing you in a warm light. You looked down at your feet once more; you felt like crying. The nostalgic feelings you were trying desperately to repress were becoming too much to bear. 

Illumi watches, studying your strange behavior as you stand there with your eyes closed.

“What are you doing?” Illumi asked after watching you for almost a full minute. 

You consider ignoring him, but you can still sense him releasing the tiniest amount of aura.

“A skylight in my room would be nice.” 

“Your room is underground.” Illumi stated matter-of-factly. His response was quick, almost as if he’d predicted you’d say something like that.

“You’re more than capable of giving me a room above ground then installing a skylight.”

“I am.” he gave you a subtle side eye. He indeed had more than enough funds to make your new room, he just didn’t like the thought of giving you one. He assumed it would give you ideas, ideas he didn’t want to have to severely punish you for. 

“So do it.” you open your eyes and look at him, meeting his black, empty ones. 

“Your current room is sufficient enough.” he retorts.

“I like natural light, Illumi.” 

His aura is no longer present, his shoulders dropped slightly. He continued nonetheless, “You can survive without sunlight.”

He won't budge on your request. He saw nothing wrong with keeping you in a windowless room and having you take vitamin D supplements. This was normal to him after all. 

“Anytime I request something that would genuinely make me happy, you dismiss it immediately.”

“Your requests tend to be quite ridiculous.”

“But renting a mall isn’t?!” your voice was getting loud, you were frustrated with him. “You’d rather spend all that extra money on bullshit than something that would actually make me happy?!” 

“This date was supposed to make you happy. In fact, everything I do is for your well-being.” Illumi spoke slowly, making sure to look you dead in the eyes as he said this.

Despite your outburst, Illumi remained stoic. Not a trace of annoyance or even irritation within him, he was completely neutral.

Deep breath in, hold it, breathe out slowly.

You turn on your heel, walking past him and back towards the food court. You stop near the exit doors, peering out the glass and into the parking lot. 

“I’m done shopping.” you were beyond finished with this. 

You wish he never came up with this pathetic little date idea and just left you back at the estate. You hated the constant mind battles between the two of you; you were mentally exhausted and just wanted time away from him to reset, preferably the rest of your life. 

“We’ve been here for thirty-five minutes. We have about another hour and twenty-five minutes to shop.” he says casually. You don’t respond, only glaring at him before looking out into the parking lot once again. His eyes continue to linger on you. “You should shop some more.”

It was clear it wasn’t a suggestion, it was an order. 

“Save your money-” you attempt to argue, but he cuts you off.

“Don’t worry about my money. I’m telling you to continue shopping.” he spoke, signaling he was slowly becoming a bit irritated despite his very, very calm expression. 

“I already got what I wanted.” you glare at him again.

You knew exactly what you were doing. You were intentionally rushing so you could leave sooner and waste the money he’d used to rent the mall.

He was aware of this. 

“Do you not know how to enjoy yourself at a mall? I’m giving you a great privilege here.”

“It’s hard to enjoy a mall under these circumstances.”

“You’re just being difficult.” Illumi retorted, trying to make it seem as if your unhappiness was your own cause. 

“That’s NOT-”

“Watch your tone.” his voice sounded menacing, causing you to shut your mouth immediately.

His aura returned, his patience was running thin. You’re quiet for a moment, glancing out into the parking lot and daringly taking another step towards the doors.

“Can…” your voice is low as you speak, “can we just go back to Kukuroo-“

“Let’s continue shopping.” Illumi cuts you off once again.

You’re not daring enough to take another step, let alone actually make your way through those doors, as much as you want to. You continue to stand there despite Illumi’s request. Would you even be able to open the door before he grabbed you?

Your question was unfortunately answered when he moved swiftly and stood directly in front of you, basically teleporting before you. He cupped your face just as fast in a firm, almost tight hold, forcing you to look up at him. His hands were surprisingly warm.

“(Name).” he’d drawn out your name in a sickeningly soft tone, his eyes failing to match the gentleness of his voice. It was a sight you didn’t want to behold. You step back, to which he lets go, and turn to proceed back into the main shopping section. His eyes linger on you before he clapped his hands together once, all traces of aura instantly vanishing. “I’m glad you’ve decided to enjoy this experience further, (Name).” his voice was still soft, almost cheerful as he followed close behind you. 

Your heart is still beating rapidly as you walk through the mall, slowly taking your time exploring each of the stores. You don’t buy anything though, you were simply staring at the merchandise as if they were artifacts in a museum. Illumi starts pointing out things you’d like, or rather things he’d like on you, when you fail to make a purchase after the third store. 

Only an hour remaining.

You began staring at items for far too long, attempting to shave off as much time as possible, ignoring Illumi when he asked if it was something you wanted. He bought them anyway so it didn’t matter. He began purchasing anything you stared at, annoyed but not commenting on your stubborn attitude.

Only thirty minutes remaining.

As you walk the halls, you choose to stop and examine a statue you’ve passed at least three times. Illumi stands awfully close to you.

“You’re testing my patience, (Name).” he says. You don’t feel his aura, thankfully, but you knew you were pushing him too far.

“I don’t know what you want-”

“You know exactly what I want.” he slowly brought his hand to rest on your shoulder. You don’t sense any hints of mischief behind it, but you knew better than to trust it. “I thought this would’ve been a nice way for us to bond, but, of course, you’re obstinate.”

“Bond?” you ask, voice somewhat soft from the threat of his hand on you.

“Yes.”

“How?” you asked. Despite being held captive for months, you still fail to fully understand how Illumi thinks. You can feel his grip on you tighten slightly before resting once again.

“We bond whenever we are with each other, that’s how it works.”

You’re too tired to correct him, not that he’d understand anyway. “Tell me,” you start, “what is the purpose of this, Illumi?”

“This is the second time you’ve asked me this.”

“You never answered why you’re doing this, you only stated you weren’t inspired by anything and chose to do this on your own free will. I’m asking you why you’re doing this.”

Illumi is quiet for a few seconds before responding, “I wanted to spend time with you, that’s all.”

“Really?” you questioned.

“Yes.”

“Hmm.” you brought your hand up to your chin, trying to think of a possible ulterior motive. There was definitely more to this, but you couldn’t think of what it was. 

Only twenty-seven minutes remaining. 

“We don’t have much time left here. I believe it would be wise for you to do what I expect of you.” Illumi states as he removes his hand from your shoulder.

You go along with it, just wanting to get it over without being overwhelmed by Illumi. 

One minute remaining.

You half assed the last twenty-six minutes of shopping, but it was good enough for Illumi. He didn’t complain, or speak at all really, as he watched you hand the butlers random items you’ve picked up.

Once that was done, he led you outside and back into the truck, a weight being lifted off your shoulders when you felt the wind blow against your skin.

You didn’t bother asking him about the next location, knowing he wouldn’t tell you. He put on some music this time; he must be feeling better. 

Your tiredness instantly evaporated once you realized he was driving into the city, other Zoldyck trucks joining and forming a motorcade around the two of you. 

The car comes to a stop on an empty street, your eyes scan the butlers standing guard, locking on the pink haired one for a split second, before moving to the blockades blocking off side streets. Illumi does his chivalry deed before walking you towards the bus stop. 

Your head doesn’t stop swiveling, turning towards the buildings, to the lake, to the butlers, to the birds pecking at the ground, to the approaching bus. 

“Is this a tour bus?” you ask, instantly recognizing it as you’d been on one with your friends before. 

“Yes.” he responds flatly. 

As the bus pulls up, you get a good look at it. It was a big, red double decker bus, the windows a little too tinted to be legally owned by any company. You’re a little quick to climb inside once the doors open, it was empty aside from two butlers seated at the very back.

“Can we sit on the roof?” you ask, wanting to feel the breeze on your face but also wanting a vantage point to scout for other signs of life. 

“No. Sit here.” 

Illumi doesn’t offer any reasoning, only pointing to a row of seats on the right side of the bus. You take the window seat and Illumi sits next to you, caging you in.

Perhaps you should’ve let him take the window seat instead.

There’s a screen in front of you playing a pre recorded audio commentary as the ride begins, it was the only voice heard within the bus. Your heart sinks a little when you see people walking about and civilian cars waiting at intersections. It was a normal day for them. 

You look forward, then behind you, ignoring Illumi and the butlers’ curious eyes, as you confirm that the bus indeed was part of another motorcade. You slump slightly, looking out the window and at the curious faces of pedestrians completely unaware of what was going on. 

You had barely caught anything the audio commentary had explained about the various landmarks you’d passed, too busy reminiscing on past times to even care. The bus had done a full loop around the city, soon coming to a halt at the bus stop it picked you up from. 

Instead of walking you back to the truck, Illumi holds your hand, correctly this time as he didn’t give you time to freak out, and walks you to a nearby grassy area along the lakefront. His hold was a little tight.

There was a large blanket set out underneath a lone cherry blossom tree, Shiori setting down a singular basket, bowing to the both of you, then leaving. 

You both settled onto the blanket, Illumi sitting unreasonably close despite the vast amounts of space. You allowed yourself to relax a bit regardless, taking in the view of the lake mixed with the falling cherry blossom petals. You paid no mind to Illumi as he fumbled through the basket, using hand sanitizer but not offering you any.

He carefully unpacked the contents, laying out a meal too small to be enjoyed by two people. You silently glance over at it before looking forward again. The view was nice, various skyscrapers and buildings lined the horizon, and a few clouds decorated the big, blue sky. 

It was silent, you and Illumi haven’t spoken to each other since you got on the bus — it was better that way. Illumi savored your docile demeanor, content that you were finally relaxing around him for once. He wasn’t fixated on you surprisingly, only gazing upon the city view before him.

You’d sat there for about ten minutes, relaxing enough to shut your eyes as you envisioned yourself in another place, before Illumi finally spoke up, “Aren’t you going to eat something?”

You slowly opened your eyes, looking at the mini meal sprawled out on the blanket, then at the fork Illumi held tightly before closing them again. 

“No.” you said simply. This was a trap.

Illumi tilted his head as he looked at you. “Why not?” 

“Why aren’t you eating?” you question him instead. “You’ve been holding that fork for a while now, and yet you haven’t reached for anything.”

You were suspicious. This was a one person meal and Illumi was holding the only fork you could see yet made no move to use it. This could only mean one thing.

“This is for you. I’m not hungry.”

You sit upright. “Where are all the forks?”

“In my hand.” he stated nonchalantly. “What would you like to eat first?”

You were becoming nervous. “Just give me the fork.” you state, holding your hand out to him. 

“What would you like to eat first?” he repeats, looking down at the options before him and ignoring your hand.

“Please don’t do this to me.”

“You will eat the chicken Alfredo first.”

You retract your hand as he reaches for the chicken Alfredo, opening the container and allowing its savory scent to escape. You watch in horror as he collects a few noodles onto the fork and holds it up to you. 

His intentions were clear; he was going to feed you.

“I can feed myself.” 

“I know. Open your mouth.”

“Illumi-“

The fork was shoved into your mouth, the prongs hitting the back of your throat and causing you to choke. You cover your mouth when he pulls the fork out, coughing through your nose as you collect yourself from the sudden assault. At least the chicken Alfredo was good. 

“Hopefully you’ll listen this time. Come.” 

He scooped more noodles and chicken onto the fork, holding it out to you again. You glare at him before complying, allowing him to feed you gently this time. The cycle continues until the entire meal is gone, leaving only empty containers. 

He didn't say anything else once he was finished, but you noticed a slight smile on his otherwise expressionless face. He was happy. Very, very happy. 

Both of you sit in silence for a while, Illumi enjoying your presence and you ignoring his. Eventually he stands up, motioning for you to follow. He leads you back to the truck, performing an unneeded act of chivalry as he helps you inside, before pulling onto the road, the same Mercedes trucks driven by Zoldyck butlers surrounding the vehicle once more.

Illumi had one more activity planned for the day, one he was sure you’d love: a botanical garden. He had a slight smile on his face as he drove, eyes never leaving the road but he was definitely paying close attention to you. 

It took a short while, but he eventually reached his destination, quickly helping you out of the car before guiding you through the gates and into the garden. He seemed quite eager. The garden was huge, so he expected the both of you to be there for at least two hours, walking and analyzing all the different plants.

You were partially in higher spirits as you took in the different sights and smells, your facial features softening slightly. You were docile as you followed Illumi throughout the garden, engaging in conversation with him about all the different plants. He educated you on the purposes of different plants, ones that healed, ones that calmed, and ones that were extremely toxic but had a sweet, almost candy-like flavor. You don’t question him about that. 

He felt like he was truly bonding with you for once as you engaged with him. There wasn’t an ounce of negativity within you as you walked beside him, though you weren’t exactly beaming and doing heel clicks. You were calm; that was enough for him.

The sun had set and the moonlight bathed the garden in a white glow, fireflies fluttering about in the near darkness. You two had already begun the long walk back to the entrance a few minutes ago, silent as you listened to the chirping of numerous crickets and other critters. 

“It’s nice being able to enjoy nature like this.” Illumi stated as he stared ahead. 

“Yeah.” your tone was indifferent. “I used to go on walks like this all the time, but then something really unfortunate happened.”

“Hmm.”

Illumi only gave a simple hum in response, not wanting the mood to turn unpleasant so suddenly. Thankfully you didn’t say anything else to force an argument, quiet as he led you back to the entrance and into the car. 

The drive back was smooth, the only sounds being heard was the humming of the engine and the soft music coming from the radio. He takes you to the restaurant upon entering the hotel and dinner was just as quiet. You must be too tired to challenge him as you simply stare down at your plate. Good. He was finally able to enjoy a meal with you without getting a headache.

After dinner, he took you back to your shared suite, both of you showering before hopping into bed. You immediately roll onto your side, facing away from him as you try to escape into a deep sleep. He’s sat up in bed though, silently staring at you. 

The curtain covering the balcony door was partially opened, allowing the moonlight to flood the room and perfectly illuminate your figure. The sight causes him to reminisce for a moment.

“You were happier today —” Illumi spoke, voice a bit soft, “in the later half at least.” he’s silent for a moment as he thinks to himself. “I want to discuss something before you nod off.”

“Mhm.” you lazily hum.

You’d contemplated ignoring him in hopes he’d think you were sleeping, but you could count zero times that actually worked for you before. 

“Despite the rocky start… did you enjoy yourself today?”

He was seeking reassurance. He was being vulnerable. 

You’re in no rush to respond, allowing the silence to linger longer than he’d like. You think of all the different types of responses you could give him, ones that would please him enough to get him to shut up, ones that would severely upset him, and ones that would probably lead to him laying hands on you. 

“Would you enjoy doing your favorite things with someone who torments you?” you ask, ultimately deciding your answer would be up to Illumi. 

“So you enjoyed it? That’s good to hear.”

You don’t bother to correct him, knowing it would lead to a back and forth that would never conclude. 

Illumi, on the other hand, is completely satisfied, despite misinterpreting the true meaning behind your indirect answer. He was convinced that, ignoring your earlier defiance, today had been a total success and a step forward in the right direction. 

He’d only hoped he could make even more progress with you tomorrow.

.

Day three

.

Illumi rises very early, as he usually does, and gets himself ready for the day. His movements are silent as he walks about the suite, putting his clothes on, combing his hair, and more. He stands next to your side of the bed for a moment, gazing down upon your sleeping face and admiring your relaxed features.

He stares for way longer than he intended to before quietly making his way out the suite and to a secluded area. He makes a long phone call before returning to the suite and sliding back into bed, sitting upright as he stares at the blank TV.

You stir three hours later, yawning and stretching before sitting up. You wipe your eyes then look back at Illumi.

“Morning.” he greets.

“Hi.” your voice was softer than you meant it to be.

“Sleep well?”

“Mhm.”

You slide off the bed and head to the bathroom before he could ask you more pointless questions about how you slept. You complete your morning routine, taking a moment to stare at yourself in the mirror, before opening the bathroom door and standing in the doorway. Illumi slowly looks over at you. 

“When are we leaving?” you ask, wanting to limit the amount of time spent locked in an enclosed space with Illumi. 

“Whenever you’d like.” he responded simply.

You silently maintain eye contact with him for three seconds before making a request, “I want to pick my own outfit today, Illumi.”

Illumi taps his chin as if contemplating before sliding off the bed and heading toward the wardrobe. You watch him from your spot in the doorway as he lays multiple outfits out onto the bed, all featuring short sleeved tops and shorts coupled with some form of sandals for shoes.

“Take your pick.”

Sometimes you wonder if he’s intentionally misinterpreting you just to play mind games or if he’s really that unaware. You know it’s the latter, though. 

“This isn’t what I meant.” you state as he stares at you.

“You said you wanted to pick your outfit. I am giving you options to pick from.”

You decide not to fight it as this was the most control you’ve had over your own outfit in several weeks. You pick one that seemed to have the least of his inspiration and head to the bathroom with it. 

Illumi watched as the door shut behind you, clueless as to why you still had a problem with him even when he let you do what you wanted. He doesn’t dwell on it, packing the leftover clothes back into the wardrobe and calling the butlers to prepare breakfast. 

Once you were done and ready, he escorts you to the restaurant as usual. You feel a ping of unexplainable dread bubbling within you, but don’t think too much about it, chalking it up to the thought of having to deal with Illumi for yet another day for who knows how long. 

As you sit across from Illumi, you notice the rose petals have been replaced with fresh ones, some white and pink ones thrown into the mix. You fiddle with them as Illumi blankly stares at you. 

“We will be spending a lot of time outdoors today.” Illumi said. He figured he’d be the conversation starter during breakfast today as yesterday’s breakfast conversation led by you turned out to be very unsavory. “It’ll be good for the mind.”

“Yeah, I bet.” you continue fiddling with and even slowly tearing apart the rose petals. 

“Aren’t you going to ask what we’re doing?” Illumi inquired.

You don’t even look up at him. “What’s the point?”

“Do you not want to know what we’re doing today?”

“It’s not like you’d tell me anyway.”

“How do you know?”

You finally look up at him. “Why are you interrogating me?”

“I’m not. I’m just trying to have a conversation.”

You’d prefer if Illumi just kept his mouth shut as you weren’t in the mood for his pathetic attempt at a conversation. 

“For what? You’re not the talkative type.”

“I just wanted to talk.” he simply states. His voice had been slightly softer as he spoke with you.

“Is this another bonding experience of yours?” you mock, mentally rolling your eyes. 

“Yes.”

Of course he doesn’t sense your sarcasm.

“You know,” you start, noticing how Illumi stiffened slightly. “You know” was always your way of starting an argument. “communication in a healthy… relationship… is key. If you truly wish to bond with me, you’ll tell me everything you refused to tell me before.”

“I’ve already been doing that.” he states, referring to all the tiny bits of information he’s given you the last couple of days. 

“There is something bigger I want to know, something you’ve been refusing to talk to me about since you took me.”

Illumi looks down at the pile of mangled rose petals in front of you before looking back up into your eyes. He could already predict where you were headed with this and knew it would most likely lead to something that would put the progress he believed he made with you in jeopardy. You were simply seeking some sort of approval from him to talk, though.

“I’m not interested in this discussion.” Illumi boldly replies, the softness in his voice long gone. 

“It’s the least you could do, Illumi.”

“No.” he didn’t budge.

“You’re only going to end up sabotaging yourself.”

Illumi’s eyes narrowed at your subtle threat. You were basically telling him that if he didn’t have this conversation with you, you’d make the date hell for the both of you. 

“There is nothing positive that could come from this discussion; therefore, I see no reason to have it.”

“And whose fault is that?”

“Yours.” Illumi says boldly. You were slightly taken aback by how quickly and effortlessly Illumi pinned the blame onto you, completely believing he’d done nothing wrong. “I see no point in giving you the chance to start unneeded drama.”

“You don’t need to give me the chance, it will happen regardless. I’m throwing you a bone by trying to settle things in a civil manner.” you say, watching as his eyes narrow even more.

“There is nothing to settle. Nothing will change whether you know or don’t.”

“You’re obligated to talk to me at this point.”

“I’ve been talking to you this entire time, I’ve fulfilled that obligation. You’re only going to throw a fit and ruin what we have going on currently.”

“You think we have something going on between us simply because we didn’t argue for a few hours?” You mock, your balled up fists resting on the table.

“Yes.”

Your words are caught in your throat as you realize just how out of it he truly is. Two butlers come and deliver breakfast, gently setting the plates of food in front of you and Illumi. They quickly leave, probably sensing the tension in the air, and Illumi immediately begins eating. He’s eating much, much slower than usual, though. 

He’s staring down at his plate as he does so, avoiding eye contact with you and hoping you’d just drop it for his sake.

You don’t.

“What was… the aftermath of my disappearance?” you ask, carefully choosing your words due to past experiences with Illumi’s negative reactions. Usually bringing up this topic was punishable by strangulation. Illumi had only warned you once before not to ask him about it, not explaining why or what he’d do if you did, only leaving you to find out through trial and error. “I deserve to know that much after so long.”

The dread coupled with asking the forbidden question is building in your stomach. You instinctively hold your hands under your chin, preparing yourself in case your plan to hold this date over his head doesn’t work. 

He doesn’t look up at you, but he’s not eating anymore either. Illumi had his reasons for not wanting to talk to you about this. It wasn’t because he felt guilt or shame for what he’d done, no not at all, it was because he didn’t want to deal with your reaction to it. You were a screaming, crying mess back then and even though you’ve calmed down to some degree, you’re still quick to return to your old roots. 

He found you as fascinating as he found you irritating, no longer questioning why he couldn’t bring himself to just kill you and move on with his life. You were a breath of fresh air, someone who kept him interested, someone who kept him wondering, and someone who always managed to surprise him with how bitchy you continued to be.

The realization that you’d rather be stifled until you’re unconscious than favor his simple demand sinks into him. You truly are an unruly brat. He finally looks up at you, which causes you to stiffen.

“What do you want to know?”

Illumi was made aware that you’d never shut up about it, and he wasn’t fond of the thought of cutting your vocal cords. He caved into your threat, to some degree, thinking that if he chose his words carefully, he could make it out of this discussion with minimal damage. He’d just have to walk on eggshells for a few minutes, eggshells he put down. 

Your eyes widened slightly. Was he actually agreeing to talk with you about it?

“You’ll… you’ll tell me?” you ask, hands slowly coming down to rest on the table.

“If we can move forward quickly afterwards and you never bring it up again, yes.” Illumi responded, making sure to place clear conditions.

“I will, only if you answer all of my questions truthfully.”

“Understandable.”

Your heart was beating rapidly as you looked into his eyes, all questions you had about the subject nearly leaving you before you quickly collected yourself. You take a deep breath and close your eyes, mentally preparing yourself for what’s to come. You open them again after a moment, staring straight into his black ones.

“Have you harmed any of my friends or family since you’ve taken me?”

“No.” his answer was quick and concise. You were relieved. 

“Was I reported as a missing person?”

“Yes.”

“Did you… influence my case at all?”

“Yes.”

Your eyebrows furrow slightly. Yes he was answering your questions, but he wasn’t elaborating. “What did you do?” you ask.

“I made sure your case wasn’t thoroughly investigated.”

“Could you be more specific? I want to know the details.” you say with a hint of irritation in your voice. 

“I paid detectives to ignore all the statements the police took from you and to limit how long search parties spent looking for you. You were concluded as a runaway.”

Your eyebrows furrow even more as you think how distraught your family must’ve been when you vanished, what they must’ve been thinking when greedy detectives fed them lies in order to make a quick buck. You hate him.

“Why me?!” you yell at him.

You were beyond fed up with this, beyond fed up with him. He tilts his head at you, expression neutral as he brought a hand up to his chin as if he was thinking. 

“Indeed. Why you?” he doesn’t say anything else as he continues to stare at you in that pose.

“Why me?! Tell me, why are you doing this to me?!”

He takes a moment to respond, “That is indeed a good question.”

“You don’t even know why, do you?”

“No. I don't.” Illumi admits casually. “But even without knowing, the need is still there.” He straightens himself again, hands moving to rest on his lap. "I originally intended to kill you. I thought you were using some kind of power to control me. Imagine my surprise when I found out you weren't a nen user."

“A nen user? What the hell is that?”

He doesn’t answer your question, only silently looking at you. When you fail to say anything further, he looks down at his plate and continues eating in his usual quick fashion. It’s over with. He’s relieved.

You ponder momentarily, looking down at the food before you as you contemplate what you’re about to say. It was a long shot, but did you really have much to lose?

“I want to talk to my family. I want them to know I’m still alive and well.” you say confidently, not a trace of fear in your voice. 

If Illumi wasn’t obsessed with you, he would’ve killed you right then and there for making such a stupid, ignorant request. His frustration is calmly taken out on the fork he’s holding, his tight grip bending the metal into all sorts of shapes as his neutral expression remains fixated on the plate before him. It was a terrifying sight.

“Absolutely not.” his voice is terrifyingly nonchalant. “This discussion ends here.”

His aura warns you. You don’t care, though.

“I want to talk to them.” you repeat.

“We are not discussing this any further. Eat your food. Now.”

“Why can’t I talk to my own family?”

Illumi looks up at you, you see something flash in his eyes. “If you talk to your family, they’ll come looking for you. And if they come looking for you, I’ll kill them. By keeping them unaware, their safety is guaranteed. I’m doing you a favor.”

Your hands balled into fists once more. “How?! How are you doing me a favor?!”

Illumi replies quickly, “By not killing them from the start.”

“How can you say that and expect me to be happy with you?!”

“Because they’re still alive.”

“And so that’s it?!” your voice is starting to get loud. “Because you didn’t kill my family, I’m supposed to love and accept you?!”

“Correct.” he states boldly.

His aura was becoming more suffocating despite his completely neutral demeanor. You grit your teeth in anger.

“You’re fucking insane!” you shout at him, slamming your fist on the table and causing your untouched drink to spill. Illumi watches as the reddish pink fruit punch soaks into the table cloth. “Why would I want to live the rest of my life with someone like you?! I’d rather you just kill me at this point, it would be mercy!”

This is why he didn’t want to have this discussion, you were forgetting your place. 

“Watch yourself, (Name).” he says as he looks up at you. “This is your only warning.”

“Fuck you.”

Illumi abruptly stood up, the force knocking his chair back a few feet. Your anger immediately vanishes, fear taking its place. He grabs your wrist tightly, yanking you out of your seat and dragging you out of the restaurant. He had enough, your audaciousness had gone unpunished for far too long. 

Your weak attempts to pull away were only met with him tightening his grip more, causing you to cry out. It felt like he’d crush your wrist if he tightened any more. The tears had already begun streaming down your face, but you refused to beg for forgiveness. 

He’d taken you back to the suite, practically throwing you on the floor as he slammed the door shut behind him. He stood there, staring down at you with a look that would normally kill. 

“I’ve been very patient with you, I’ve been very lenient with you, and I’ve been very considerate of you, and this is what I get in return?” he asks.

You remain on the floor, wiping your tear stained eyes before looking up at him. “I don’t owe you shit. You ruined my life.”

“Ruined your life? You don’t know what ruining a life even means.” he takes a step towards you. He was convinced he saved your life, saved you from what would’ve been a violent death. You don’t seem to understand the type of person he is. “If I really wanted to, I could make your life a living hell. You understand that, don’t you?”

You glare up at him, your intense hatred for him evident on your face. “I hate you.”

Such a childish response should not have any sort of effect on him, but it did when it came from you. His aura quickly became overwhelming, striking you with complete and utter terror as you lay frozen on the ground. His eyes wide, his pupils shrunken to dots, and his hair floating in the air. You’d activated his bloodlust. 

His aura reached far and wide, paralyzing the hotel employees and causing the butlers to think he’d finally killed you. 

“No, you don’t. You love me.” he spoke his words as if they were fact, something you could not argue with. He takes another step toward you, eyes boring into you. “Isn’t it funny how you beg for death yet freeze in terror when the possibility of death becomes a reality?”

His voice was unnaturally soft for the state he was in. He was happy, happy that your talk of wanting to die was nothing more than a bluff, a tactic to control him. You didn’t actually want to die, you were just overreacting.

After a few seconds, he calmed down. His face returned to his neutral expression, his long hair falling back down into place. It’s as if nothing had even happened.

“Hm…” he hums, looking down at your paralyzed figure on the floor. He ponders for a few seconds before suddenly crouching down, scooping you into his arms, and gently placing you onto the bed. 

Without thinking twice about it, he lays beside you, one arm awkwardly outstretched on top of you as his head sits atop of yours. He was comforting you, though he didn’t know it. He had gotten an uncontrollable urge to do so, one he’d never gotten before, and was in no state of mind to resist. 

He stares out the balcony door as you lay unconscious in his arms. This feeling was foreign to him, just as everything relating to you was. He couldn’t comprehend how he felt right now, but knew he was at ease as he absorbed your warmth and slight twitches.

Illumi doesn’t move at all as he waits for you to wake up, awkwardly sprawled out partially on top of you as he continues to blankly stare ahead. His mind was empty, he felt no desire to dwell on what had happened, only allowing time to pass as he accepted this bizarre feeling. 

You eventually begin to stir, but he still doesn’t move, only shifting his eyes to look down at you. You slowly sit up, groaning as you do so, and wiping your eyes in the process. His arm falls lower than you’d like, causing you to grab and remove it off of you entirely. Neither of you say a word, but the tension doesn’t feel as heavy as you’d expect it to be after something so traumatic. 

Illumi remains in his awkward position, watching as you slide off the bed and head to the bathroom. You stay in the bathroom for quite some time, your quiet sniffling and sobbing reaching Illumi’s ears. He doesn’t move to check on you, or rather put a stop to your crying, choosing to sit by and let you cry it out for once. 

He finally gets up after a while, thinking he’d given you more than enough time to recover and move on. He pulls out his phone, quickly texting Shiori, before moving to knock on the bathroom door. He casually states that the two of you will be leaving soon and encourages you to come out. 

You don’t respond but you do comply after a few minutes, eyes reddened and slightly puffy. He doesn’t comment on it, only silently walking you out the suite, outside the hotel, and into the truck once more. 

Despite almost brutally murdering you twice within a five minute time span and bruising your wrist, Illumi was nonchalant. He has the radio playing so he must be in a good, or at least neutral, mood. 

He parks near his next destination — the beach — and assists you out the car as usual, his hold much, much gentler than it ever had been. He continues to stand there after shutting the door behind you though, holding your uninjured hand and watching Shiori as she appears out of nowhere. Shiori doesn’t say a word as she gently takes your injured wrist. You don’t know what she does, but the pain and bruising is suddenly gone. She swiftly bows before leaving.

You’ve never verbally questioned her magical abilities but you mentally thank her as Illumi proceeds to escort you towards the beach. You think to yourself how strange this whole ordeal is but don’t feel the need to comment on that obvious fact, only remaining silent as he takes you over to two lounge chairs set up under a beach umbrella. 

You sit down, propping your head up on your hand as you stare out into the ocean. This was relaxing. Shiori appears once again, placing a pineapple smoothie inside of a hollow pineapple on the little table beside you before leaving just as quickly, a red umbrella and a swirly straw placed inside for maximum corniness. You ignore it. 

There was a surprising sense of tranquility within you as you sat in the lounge chair; the breeze felt nice, the sound of the waves was like a massage for your ears, and the occasional seagull noises gave you a sense of nostalgia. 

Your mind was calm, yet racing all at once, a feeling you were all too familiar with. You fully relax onto the chair, kicking your sandals off and turning onto your side — away from Illumi. You rest your head on your hands, shutting your eyes as the warm sun cleansed you of your stress. 

An hour passes, then two, then three.

“The view is nice.” Illumi finally speaks, continuing to stare ahead of him as he had been doing since he sat down. 

You don’t acknowledge him, not that he minded — for once — as he retained his calm demeanor. 

Illumi continued after a few minutes, ”We’re going to have dinner with my family back at Kukuroo Mountain tomorrow.”

Your heart sunk into your stomach. You immediately sit up, looking over at him for the first time since you came here. 

“What?!” you ask, clearly distraught over this unfortunate information.

Illumi turns his head slightly, shifting his eyes toward you as he repeats himself, “We are going to have dinner with my family back at Kukuroo Mountain tomorrow.” he turns forward again. “It’ll only be for a few hours, we’ll come back to the hotel once it’s over.”

“But-but why?”

“Because we have more to do here.” Illumi states. God, you can’t stand him.

You fully sit up in the chair, “I’m asking why are we suddenly having dinner with them when you’ve never introduced them to me before?” 

“They’ve been wanting to meet you since they found out about you, especially my mother.” Illumi taps his chin with his pointer finger. “I reached a compromise last night: you said the lack of people took away from your ability to enjoy time with me, and my family won’t stop pestering me about you, so by taking you to have dinner with them, I’m killing two birds with one stone.” 

Unbeknownst to you, the rest of the Zoldycks, at least his mother and father, had been extremely curious about you. Illumi had only mentioned you to his father when he was asking for permission to construct your living quarters near the Butler’s Quarters as well as when asking for his advice on courtship. The idea of Illumi being in love with someone completely caught the man off guard, but he gave Illumi what he wanted nonetheless. 

His mother found out when she questioned her husband about the construction workers, her jaw dropping dramatically before immediately bolting to find Illumi. She spread the news and hounded Illumi since then, never missing an opportunity to ask a question about you, which were all left unanswered, and even going as far as to harass Shiori and any other butlers who saw you in person. She never got the answers she wanted from them, courtesy of Illumi. 

His father, on the other hand, was patient and allowed Illumi to do his thing, thinking he was finally transitioning into the next stage in life. That doesn’t mean he didn’t order his loyal, pink haired butler to keep tabs on you, having her use her monocle to record her very rare interactions with you. He even had her join the large group of butlers Illumi took with him on his trip, giving him intel on what went on as everything unfolded.

Illumi was aware and assigned her with jobs that would keep her the furthest from you.

“What?! Why would they want to meet me?! Did you lie about me to make me seem cool?!” your voice raises slightly.

Illumi doesn’t react to it. “I only told my father that you were my partner, that’s it. I’m guessing he told my mother who then told everyone else.” 

Illumi didn’t want to introduce you too soon for one simple reason: you weren’t ready. He wanted you to be his happy, willing partner in everyone’s eyes, even those who knew better, and was concerned your lack of respect and unpredictable behavior would ruin that image. 

It made sense for them to be so curious, none of them had ever imagined Illumi of all people finding a lover and being so committed to them. They were intrigued and wanted to know who it was that Illumi thought worthy enough for his time, effort, and affections.

You’re clearly terrified at the thought. 

You sink back onto the chair, pulling your knees close to you as you think of all the different ways you’ll be humiliated and brutally tortured, how high their expectations of you must be, and how they’ll laugh when they find out you’re just a normal, average person. They probably thought you were also some kind of murderer, taking jobs and lives left and right. It was nerve-wracking.

“I don’t…” you start, “I don’t want to…”

Illumi looks over at you. “I did what you wanted, you can’t back out of it now.”

“Why'd you even bother telling me this? You never told me your plans before!”

“You said communication was key in a healthy relationship.” he answered.

You don’t say anything else to him. Whenever you thought you’d gotten the upper hand, Illumi found a way to counter it. You wondered if you would still have to meet his family tomorrow if you had kept your mouth shut the other day or if Illumi would’ve even told you about it if you hadn’t started that argument during breakfast.

He was taking you into consideration, just in all the wrong ways. 

The two of you sit in silence once again, your mind dreading tomorrow’s dinner and his mind as relaxed as can be. You continue to sit there for a couple more hours before Illumi announces it was time to head back.

Your mind never stopped racing, replaying thoughts of them attacking you over and over again. You don’t say anything during the car ride, you don’t say anything during dinner, which was much appreciated, and you don’t say anything as you ponder in the shower, only coming out after Illumi rushes you for taking too long. He slides onto his side of the bed after coming out of the bathroom, reaching for the remote and turning on the TV. You were already tucked under the blankets, trying and failing to fall into a deep slumber as your mind continued to torment you with endless possibilities.

Illumi browses through channels until he ultimately settles on a random cooking show. He didn’t particularly care for it, only wanting something to fill the silence while he waited for something. You shift constantly before laying on your back, allowing yourself to watch as the contestants on TV failed to execute a successful dinner service, a British man pointing out all their faults and demanding they fix it. 

Watching the show eased some of your anxiety so you stay up for another couple of hours before you feel yourself beginning to drift off. You turn onto your side once more, getting comfortable as you try to fall asleep again. 

Illumi sees this and swiftly powers the TV off, completely turning the room pitch black as the curtain covering the balcony door was shut. He continues to sit up, however, eyes lingering on you in the darkness. 

He suddenly moves, grabbing you by the waist and pulling you towards the middle of the bed, wrapping his arms around you and causing all traces of sleepiness to leave you immediately. You shift once, slightly pushing against his arm. He only pulls you closer to him. You shift again, pushing harder this time. He only tightens his grip. He was getting way too comfortable.

“What are you doing?” you ask, your heart rate beginning to quicken.

“Holding you.” Illumi stated simply. 

It was clear by your body language that you were uncomfortable, body tense and stiff as you tried not to rub against him even more than you already had. He didn’t mind, though.

You internally curse him for spooning you as you now find yourself unable to sleep. You lay wide awake in his arms, too nervous to move due to how close and personal he was, but too uncomfortable to stay still either. You couldn’t help but shift a bit more, eventually finding a position comfortable enough to grant you the escape of a deep sleep. Illumi, however, remains wide awake, a slight smile on his face as he absorbs your warmth once again.

Tomorrow will be one hell of a day.

[inseobts]

Game night

zoro x fem!reader

what could go wrong during and after a truth or dare game?

words count: 3.3k

tags: truth or dare, never have I ever, jealousy, fluff, sfw

masterlist + ko-fi

The Thousand Sunny bobs peacefully on the waves under a clear night sky. The crew is gathered on deck, laughter and the soft glow of lanterns filling the space as Nami announces tonight’s event: game night.

“Tonight, we’re shaking things up with a little challenge!” Nami declares, smirking as the crew exchanges curious glances “The prize? Bragging rights I guess.”

“And what’s the challenge?” Zoro asks, leaning back lazily against the mast with his arms crossed.

Nami’s smirk widens “Truth or Dare… with a twist.”

You groan, already sensing this won’t end well. Zoro groans too, echoing your thoughts.

“Don’t be a party pooper, marimo” Sanji says, lighting a cigarette “Unless you’re scared of losing.”

Zoro scoffs, sitting up “Bring it on, curly-brow.”

The crew forms a circle, and the chaos begins. The early dares are harmless: Luffy is dared to balance Chopper on his head (which he almost manages), Usopp does a dramatic impression of Nami (earning a smack), and Brook serenades Robin with a love song.

But when it’s Sanji’s turn to dare, his eyes land on you, and you instantly regret ever agreeing to this.

“y/n-swaaaan, I dare you… to go on a date with me” he announces, bowing dramatically and pointing at himself with a proud smirk.

Your jaw drops. “What?!”

Sanji grins, pointing to the kitchen “We’ll set it up RIGHT NOW! Candlelight, a five-course meal…”

“Absolutely not” Zoro interrupts, his voice sharp.

Sanji raises an eyebrow “Why not, moss-head? Feeling jealous?”

Zoro’s glare could cut through steel “Jealous of you? Don’t make me laugh.”

Nami claps her hands, clearly enjoying the tension “I think it’s a great idea! Y/N, you’re not backing out, are you?”

You look between them, panicked “uh… do I have a choice?”

“Nope!” Luffy chimes in, grinning.

Before you know it, Sanji has dragged you to the galley, where he sets up an elaborate table with candles, flowers, and what looks like the fanciest meal you’ve ever seen on the Sunny.

“You deserve only the best, my dear” Sanji says, pulling out a chair for you.

From the corner of your eye, you spot Zoro leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, scowling like he’s been personally offended by the concept of romance.

“You’re really going all out, huh?” you say nervously, sitting down.

“For you? Always” Sanji replies with a wink.

As Sanji pours you a glass of sparkling juice and starts talking about the “art of love”, you can feel Zoro’s glare burning into your back.

“Oi, chef” Zoro finally growls, stepping into the room. “Don’t you have other people to feed?”

Sanji doesn’t miss a beat “They can wait. Right now, y/n deserves all my attention.”

“Oh, come on” Zoro mutters, walking closer. “You call this a date? It’s pathetic.”

Sanji straightens, his grin widening “Jealousy isn’t a good look on you, marimo.”

“I’m not jealous” Zoro snaps, his voice tight.

“Then leave us alone” Sanji says, waving him off.

“I’m not going anywhere” Zoro replies, pulling out the chair beside you and sitting down.

You blink at him, your cheeks burning “uh… what are you doing?”

“Making sure this idiot doesn’t do anything stupid” Zoro mutters, grabbing a random piece of bread from the table and biting into it.

Sanji’s eye twitches “Excuse me?!”

“Calm down, curly-brow” Zoro says with a smirk “I’m just here to make sure y/n doesn’t get bored, and you don’t give her a love potion or something crazy”

You bury your face in your hands as the two bicker back and forth, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Luffy and the others peek in from the door, struggling to contain their laughter.

“Wow, this is better than the game” Usopp whispers.

Robin nods, sipping her tea. “It’s like watching a romantic comedy.”

Back at the table, Sanji is trying to impress you by listing all the dishes he could make for you, but Zoro keeps interrupting with sarcastic comments.

“She doesn’t need a gourmet meal,” Zoro says, smirking “She needs someone who can actually keep her safe.”

“And you think that’s you?” Sanji retorts, glaring.

Zoro shrugs “I’ve got a better track record”

You finally snap “Okay, that’s enough!”

Both men fall silent, looking at you in surprise.

“This isn’t just a game, and you two are acting like children” you say, standing up “If you can’t behave, I’m leaving.”

Sanji immediately softens “y/n, I didn’t mean to upset you…”

Zoro cuts him off, standing as well “She’s right about that,” he mutters, scratching the back of his neck “This wasn’t a real date.”

You blink, confused “oh now you understand?”

He looks away, his usual confidence replaced with something almost… shy “I mean… if it were, I’d do it right.”

The room goes dead silent. Sanji’s jaw drops, and the crew watching from the door erupts into whispers.

“Did Zoro just…” Franky starts.

“Yup” Nami confirms, grinning.

Zoro clears his throat, his cheeks faintly red. “Anyway, this whole thing was stupid. I’m going back to the deck.”

He brushes past you, but just before he leaves, he pauses. Without turning around, he adds “Next time, it’ll just be us. No interruptions.”

And with that, he’s gone, leaving you stunned and the rest of the crew cheering like they just witnessed the grand finale of a love story.

Sanji sighs dramatically, slumping into his chair. “Unbelievable. That moss-head can’t actually beat me.”

You’re still processing what just happened, but one thing’s for sure: the next game night is going to be even more chaotic.

It’s been a few days since game night, and the Thousand Sunny has been anything but quiet. Since then the crew has made it their personal mission to meddle.

You’re in the galley with Nami and Robin, attempting to focus on lunch, but it’s impossible with the way they’re looking at you.

“So” Nami says casually, resting her chin on her hand “When’s your date with Zoro?”

You nearly choke on your drink. “My what with who?!”

Robin smiles, far too amused “He did say ‘next time,’ didn’t he?”

“That wasn’t—he didn’t mean—ugh, can we not do this right now?” you groan, burying your face in your hands.

Nami laughs “Come on, Y/N. You’ve got to admit, it was pretty romantic…for Zoro, at least.”

“I don’t even know if he actually meant it” you mumble “What if he was just saying that to shut Sanji up?”

Robin sips her tea, her expression unreadable. “There’s only one way to find out.”

Before you can question her cryptic comment, Luffy bursts into the galley, grinning from ear to ear.

“Y/N! Zoro’s looking for you!” he announces loudly.

Your stomach flips. “He is? Why?”

Luffy shrugs. “Dunno. He looked mad, though. Maybe you did something?”

“What?! I didn’t do anything!”

“Oh, this is going to be good” Nami says, smirking as she stands “Come on, Robin. Let’s go watch.”

Robin chuckles, following her out “Poor Zoro. He’s probably trying to figure out his feelings.”

You groan, dragging your feet as you leave the galley to find Zoro. When you spot him on the deck, he’s leaning against the railing, arms crossed, his usual scowl firmly in place.

“You were looking for me?” you ask hesitantly.

Zoro glances at you, his expression softening slightly. “Yeah. Got a minute?”

“Uh, sure.”

He gestures for you to follow him to a quieter part of the ship, away from prying eyes—not that it stops the crew from peeking around corners and whispering.

“Listen,” he starts, scratching the back of his neck “About the other night…”

Your heart pounds. “What about it?”

“I wasn’t kidding,” he says, avoiding your gaze “when I said I’d do it right next time.”

You blink, caught off guard “You mean… you actually want to go on a date?”

“Yeah” he mutters, his ears turning red.

Before you can respond, Sanji’s voice cuts through the air like a dagger.

“A date?” the chef asks, sauntering over with a tray of snacks in hand.

Zoro groans. “None of your business, cook.”

“Oh, but it is my business…” Sanji replies, smirking “If you’re planning on taking my y/n out, you’d better have a plan that doesn’t involve getting lost, napping or clean your damn swords.”

“Say that again, curly-brow” Zoro growls, hand drifting toward his swords.

“Boys, please,” you interject, stepping between them “Can we not do this right now?”

Sanji turns to you, his expression softening. “Y/N, are you seriously considering letting this brute take you on a date? I can guarantee I’d do a much better job.”

Zoro narrows his eyes. “She doesn’t need fancy meals and flowers to have a good time.”

“And you think you can show her a good time with what? Sword training?”

“I just don’t need to try hard like you, love-cook.”

You pinch the bridge of your nose, already regretting everything “I’m going back inside” you announce, turning to leave.

But before you can escape, Luffy’s voice booms from the crow’s nest.

“Zoro and y/n sitting in a tree! K-I-S—”

“LUFFY!” you shout, your face burning as the crew erupts into laughter.

Zoro sighs, rubbing his temples. “This crew is impossible.”

“You’re telling me” you mutter.

Before either of you can say another word, Nami appears, dragging you by the arm. “Come on, y/n. We’re going to help you get ready for your date.”

“What date?!”

“Obviously with Zoro, duh” she says matter-of-factly, ignoring your protests.

Robin follows with a teasing smile.

“Can someone throw me overboard?” you plead, but it’s no use.

Meanwhile, Zoro watches you being dragged away, his jaw tightening as Sanji smirks beside him.

“You’re really going for it, huh?” the chef asks, lighting another cigarette.

“None of your business” Zoro mutters.

Sanji exhales a plume of smoke, his smirk widening “Just don’t mess it up, marimo. Or I’ll be happy to take your place.”

Zoro grips the hilt of his sword. “Try it and see what happens”

The crew’s laughter echoes across the ship as the sun sets, the promise of more chaos—and perhaps a real confession—lingering in the air.

The day of the “date” arrives, and you’re already dreading it. Not because of Zoro, but because the crew has taken it upon themselves to make it their personal project.

Robin and Nami dragged you into the women’s quarters hours ago. You’re currently sitting in front of a small mirror while Nami styles your hair and Robin picks through outfits.

“I don’t need to get all dressed up” you protest “It’s Zoro. He probably doesn’t even care about what I wear.”

Nami smirks “That’s exactly why we’re doing this. He’ll care once he sees you.”

Robin nods “Trust us. Subtle effort goes a long way with men like him.”

Meanwhile, in the galley, Zoro is facing his own nightmare.

“Here’s what you’re going to do” Sanji says, slamming a piece of paper down on the counter.

Zoro glances at the elaborate list of dishes and raises an eyebrow “I’m not cooking.”

Sanji glares at him “It’s either this, or you let me cook for her, and I sit at the table to make sure you don’t screw up.”

“Fine” Zoro growls, crumpling the paper “I’ll just keep it simple.”

Sanji sighs dramatically. “You’re hopeless. She deserves better than plain rice and sake.”

Zoro glares at him, muttering under his breath about “fancy idiots” and “overcomplicating everything.”

The sun is setting as you step onto the deck, your cheeks already warm from Nami’s teasing. She’s chosen a simple outfit, but it’s enough to make you feel self-conscious. You spot Zoro near the ship’s edge, arms crossed, looking… nervous?

“Hey” you say softly, walking up to him.

He turns, his usual scowl softening when he sees you. His eye linger for a moment before he clears his throat and looks away. “You… look nice.”

“Thanks” you reply, trying not to smile too much.

Sanji appears out of nowhere, carrying a tray. “Dinner is served! Well, the parts Zoro didn’t ruin, anyway.”

“Get lost, cook” Zoro snaps, grabbing the tray.

Sanji winks at you “Let me know if he bores you, y/n. I’ll be waiting.”

Zoro’s jaw tightens as Sanji retreats, leaving the two of you alone at the small table he’s set up. It’s simple—just a few dishes and a bottle of sake—but it’s kind of sweet.

As you sit down, you notice Zoro fidgeting with his drink “This is… nice” you say with a smile, breaking the silence.

“Tch. Don’t make it a big deal” he mutters, trying to not make eye contact but there’s a faint blush creeping up his neck.

You’re about to tease him when Luffy’s loud whisper reaches your ears “Are they holding hands yet?”

You glance toward him, and see the entire crew is hiding—or at least trying to. Luffy and Usopp are peeking out openly, while Nami and Robin sip drinks, pretending to be inconspicuous.

Zoro follows your gaze, his eye twitching “Do they seriously have nothing better to do?”

“I guess not” you laugh.

The two of you try to enjoy the meal, but the crew’s antics make it nearly impossible. At one point, Luffy climbs onto the rigging and yells “Kiss already!”

Zoro slams his sake cup down, his face bright red “Luffy, I swear…”

Before he can finish, Sanji comes over with dessert “Thought you might need this to salvage the night” he says, placing a small cake on the table.

Zoro glares at him “No one asked you.”

Sanji ignores him, turning to you “How’s the date going, y/n? Is moss-head boring you yet?���

“He’s not the problem here” you says side eyeing the crew. Zoro standing up right away.

“That’s it. You..” he says pointing at Sanji “Get out of here before I throw you overboard. And y’all there, we see you, just leave us alone”

Before things can escalate, you grab Zoro’s arm “Ignore them, they won’t stop. Let’s just… go somewhere else.”

He hesitates, but the look in your eyes is enough to calm him down. With a grunt, he leads you to the crow’s nest, far away from the crew’s meddling.

The crow’s nest is quiet, save for the sound of waves and the occasional creak of the ship. You sit on the floor and finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Sorry about… all of that” Zoro mutters, rubbing the back of his neck.

“It’s not your fault” you say, smiling “They mean well… I think.”

He snorts “They’re idiots.”

You laugh, and for a moment, the tension eases. The two of you fall into a comfortable silence, the stars above providing a peaceful backdrop.

“So” you say, breaking the quiet “Was this your idea of a date?”

Zoro shrugs “I’m not good at this stuff. I figured keeping it simple was better than messing it up”

“I like simple” you admit smiling at him “It feels… more like you.”

He glances at you, his expression softening “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

For a moment, you think he might say something more, but instead, he leans back against the wall, his usual smirk returning “Good. ‘Cause I’m not trying to impress anyone else.”

Your cheeks heat up at his words, and you quickly look away, pretending to admire the stars.

Down below, you can hear the crew still laughing and arguing, but up here, it’s just the two of you. And for once, Zoro seems at ease.

Maybe this date wasn’t such a disaster after all.

It’s another lazy night on the Thousand Sunny, and boredom has once again taken hold of the crew.

“Let’s play Never Have I Ever!” Luffy suggests, slamming his hands on the table in excitement.

You exchange a glance with Zoro, who doesn’t look very thrilled about it. Still, the rest of the crew cheers, and you know there’s no escaping this.

“It’ll be fun!” Nami chimes in, her smirk making it clear she’s planning to use this game for maximum chaos.

Sanji quickly grabs drinks for everyone—though he places yours in front of you with a flourish and an overly sweet “For you, my love!” which earns a glare from Zoro.

The rules are simple: if you’ve done the thing someone says, you take a drink. If you haven’t, you stay dry. It starts innocently enough.

“Never have I ever… stolen food from the kitchen” Usopp says, narrowing his eyes at Luffy.

Luffy, you and Chopper take big gulps, unapologetic.

“Never have I ever… gotten lost on an island” Robin says, smiling knowingly at Zoro.

“Oi” Zoro growls, taking a sip while everyone bursts into laughter.

The questions continue, ranging from silly to borderline embarrassing. But as the game goes on, the atmosphere starts to shift, with Nami and Sanji clearly steering the questions toward more… personal territory.

“Never have I ever… kissed someone on this ship” Nami says, her eyes darting between you and Zoro.

Your stomach flips, but you stay still subtly avoiding their eyes. Zoro, seated beside you, side eye you but doesn’t move either, though his jaw clenches slightly.

Luffy interrupts “Wait, wait, wait! I’ve got a better one!” He grins mischievously, clearly loving the drama “Never have I ever… been in a secret relationship!”

You freeze, glancing at Zoro out of the corner of your eye. His hand hovers over his drink for a split second before he sighs, picks it up, and takes a long sip.

The room explodes.

“WHAT?!” Usopp yells, nearly falling out of his chair.

“YOU TWO?!” Nami shrieks, pointing between you and Zoro like she can’t believe her eyes.

You look at Zoro as shocked as the others because you didn’t believe he’d actually drink.

He shrugs at you “what? I was thirsty”

Sanji looks like someone just stabbed him in the chest. “y/n-swaaaan, say it isn’t true! You chose him over me?!”

Luffy, on the other hand, starts clapping. “I knew it! I knew you guys were acting weird lately!”

Zoro leans back in his chair, completely unfazed by the chaos “What’s the big deal? It’s not like it’s a secret anyway.”

You bury your face in your hands, half-embarrassed, half-amused “yeah, we weren’t exactly hiding it” you mumble.

“You weren’t exactly telling anyone, either” Nami points out, still recovering from the shock.

Robin chuckles, her calm voice cutting through the noise “I had my suspicions. You’ve been spending a lot of time in the crow’s nest lately, y/n.”

Zoro smirks, reaching for his sake “That’s because it’s quiet up there. No nosy idiots.”

Sanji slams his hands on the table. “I demand an explanation! How did this even happen?!”

“It’s not that complicated” Zoro says with a shrug “We talked. We got along. End of story.”

“Not end of story!” Usopp argues along with Brook “We need details! When? How? Why?!”

You laugh, finally relaxing as the initial wave of chaos dies down “Does it really matter? We like each other. That’s all there is to it.”

Luffy grins, clearly satisfied “As long as you’re happy, I’m happy!”

Nami sighs, shaking her head with a smile “I can’t believe Luffy figured it out before anyone else…Well, at least now we know why you’ve been so weird around each other.”

Franky seems to snap out of shock and says “wait, earlier you didn’t drink at the kiss question, so you are in a relationship but didn’t kiss??”

Zoro looks at you and answers “I was about to but then I saw she wasn’t drinking..” pointing at you.

“Oh, I didn’t drink because it was too embarrassing to admit it like that” you reply trying to hide your face from them all.

Sanji sulks dramatically for the rest of the night, muttering about “unfair competition” and “stupid swordsman”. Meanwhile, Zoro stays by your side, his hand brushing against yours under the table.

As the crew moves on to more lighthearted questions, you can’t help but smile. It wasn’t how you planned to tell them, but in typical Straw Hat fashion, it was perfect chaos.

And Zoro? He leans close, his voice low enough for only you to hear “Told you it’d be fine.”

[one-piece-aus]

Idk if your requests are open but could u do Sanji and Zoro with a very jumpy s/o and they usually jump into their arms or cling onto them but this time their s/o clings to the other, (like sanjis s/o clinging onto Zoro and vice versa)

Please and ty<3

Lmao, I love this idea so much

S/O Jumping into the Wrong Arms (Headcanons): Sanji and Zoro (Separate)

You know Sanji loves whenever you jumps into his arms or back, just clinging onto in general, it makes him feel on top of the world

Yes he's here to protect you from whatever scared you darling, he's right here to keep you away from it

He's always by your side, ready for you to jump into his arms

It also helps him practice his reflexes and balance because sometimes he's carrying a tray of drinks or desserts for the crew

There was one time when he wasn't by your side, it was in the morning while he was in the kitchen making breakfast before everyone woke up

You woke up and came out of the girls quarters, and seeing Zoro is the only one on deck, you decide to chat with him

So when Sanji swung open the door to the kitchen, you jumped onto the closet person: Zoro (who caught you out of reflex when the scared trio jump onto him)

5 seconds of silence pass between the duo (while you sighed in relief it was just Sanji)

"DAMNIT MOSS HEAD!!!!"

Oh Sanji is pissed at Zoro (and himself for not being by your side)

Sanji is practically barking at Zoro while the swordsman yells it's not his fault and drops you on your ass, which only angers Sanji even more

"'The hell moss head!? You can't do that to a lady!"

[insert Zoro having Jackie Chan meme face here]

"Are you okay my sweet?" Sanji asks immediately at your side

After that, Sanji always made sure he was glued to your side

Now when Zoro catches you when you jump, he acts unphased or as if it's a minor inconvenience to him, but somewhere along the line, he felt it was his duty (because he wanted it to be) he just never realized until the one time you jump into another's arms

Zoro was training in the crow's nest and you were out on deck with Nami & Robin, getting refreshments from Sanji

Whether it was Luffy, Brook, or Usopp that startled you, you yelped and jumped right into Sanji's arms

"[Y/N]-CHAN ♡♡♡♡"

Sanji is swoon with heart eyes and rambling on about non-sense about his love for you and asking if you finally are going to love him

Zoro can hear his annoying voice from the crow's nest but understand what he's saying so he pops his head out

"Oi, swirly brows you're being annoy-..."

*sees you in Sanji's arms*

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HARRASSING [Y/N]!?"

Zoro jumps down and they start barking at each other as Sanji puts you down

Sanji strikes a nerve by saying "How can you protect her if you're not around."

While Zoro makes his argument, after that day he wordlessly always stayed by your side

It is his duty to protect you from whatever scares you after all

This was such a fun request, thank you for sending it in ^-^

[traumawhomst]

Vampire v Hunter Fledgling let’s goooo

Tw: Reader is fatally wounded and dies but it is not shown graphically.

Honestly it was cute in the beginning, to be singled out by a Hunter, it hadn’t happened in centuries. It was a bit of an ego boost to think his name was still being spread.

The first time he sees them he almost coos, looking at this twee Hunter, all serious in their leathers, a black mask staring at Him across the room. What really piqued his interest was the fact that they never spoke.

Their first fight was more, well, a play fight for him if he was honest. He threw insults and witticisms trying to get a reaction from the Hunter with no luck. No matter how much he mocked and belittled them, they never once spoke back. Or really make noise other than grunts or slight groans due to exertion. It was charming actually, so many Hunters had their little speeches ready, about their tragic life or to mock Him, or worse go on a tirade about ‘good’ and ‘evil’. Those ones never lasted long, too caught up in their egos to focus on the extremely hard task of actually killing a vampire.

If they’re silent well, that means business, a single minded focus that He could respect. So he lets them live after the first fight. A reward for tracking him down when so many had failed in the first place, something to soften the failure of trying to kill him. He figured he’d never see them again, and he was feeling generous.

Oh but you had to keep finding Him didn’t you? Second time you ambushed him he chalked it to dumb luck, and fought you off with him seriously pulling his punches. You were still silent and nothing he seemed to say got you to crack. The third time was just annoying, he was headed to a party hosted by a dear friend, only to find you waiting right outside for him. He didn’t kill you that time, mostly because he didn’t want to be more late because than he already was.

The fourth time you appeared he was completely done with the situation. It has been fun the first few times but it was starting to seem like you needed a harsher lesson. He was going to just break a limb or something, force you to stop for a while.

And then you winged him, the spike firmly lodged in his left arm. That’s when he was done playing. Faster than you could see he moved forward and threw you into the nearest wall.

It was pitiful, even if he didn’t have much pity at the moment, to see you on your side breathing ragged your body too hurt to even curl into yourself. He pulled out the stake complaining about his shirt and the hole left behind as he strolled up to the Hunter who was trying and failing to reach their cross-bow stake launcher, and He stepped on it, breaking it with a satisfying crunch.

The Hunters hand fell and their body stilled as he got closer.

“Honestly, if a vampire beats you three times you should learn your lesson. I was being quite generous with you, but the ‘indomitable human spirit etcetera’,” he said his tone bored, as he prodded at the Hunter’s quivering body. “That would be the shock settling in,” he said blithely, going to stand up before changing his mind. “Actually,” which was the only warning you got when he pulled off the mask and you closed your eyes waiting for the killing blow.

When you looked at Him, abject horror was not what you expected to see on his face. Had you been injured that bad? You don’t think he got your face. The Vampire’s face was glued to yours and for a moment you were unsure if the silence was worse than a quick death.

“You’re eleven!” He balked pulling back for a second. He was of course off by a decade more or less, but the thought was still mildly annoying.

“Who’s letting you do this? Where did you get your equipment? Where in gods name are your parents?”

From your limited prospective he seemed to be having a complete mental breakdown. He kept speaking in some language you didn’t recognize as he looked over your body again and again. Then his eyes seemed to get wider as he remembered that you were in fact dying at the moment. There was no hospital near enough even with his supernatural speed it wouldn’t be enough time, even if someone came at this very moment he didn’t like your odds of survival.

Part of you relaxed when he finally bit down on your wrist, some of it due to his venom, but the other smaller part who was just ready for the pain to end.

You had not expected to come to, still laying on the ground as a seeping cold numbness grew. Your body hurt but not like it had before, somehow this pain was more terrifying. You spoke for the first time, asking in a broken voice what he’d done to you.

He on the other had just seemed relieved to see you awake. “I saved you darling,” he said running a hand over your head. “You don’t have to worry about anything ever again.”

How big of a lie it was.

[chris-prank]

On my hands and knees begging for Martin content pretty please?

Your pleads have been heard 😌

Yandere hunter x GN reader

CW: implication of kidnapping

･*:.｡..｡.:*･*:.｡..｡.:*･

Martin had always been a light sleeper, caused by years of living in high alert. You were like a miracle. Since you started sleeping with him, he could fall unconscious instantly, nothing could take him away from morphea’s embrace. But it also meant that the second you were not by his side, his mind could sense something was off and instantly wake him up.

The moment he opened his eyes, at one in the morning, he looked to your side of the bed. To no surprise, it was empty. He turned his focus to the window, watching the rain lazily dripping down before jumping out of the warm blankets. There was no need to be anxious. You probably went to the toilet or decided to drink some water, but a part in his mind still imagined the worst scenarios possible.

“Darling?” He asked with a husky voice, stepping into the living room, which was connected directly to a small kitchen.

“Oh, did I wake you up?” You asked, a tinge of guilt in your tone.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m used to waking up at odd hours.” He answered as he got closer to you, “Did you want to get a glass of water?”

“No, I swear a loud noise took me out of my sleep… I wanted to go check if anything was broken, but I didn’t want to bother you since you looked so peaceful...”

“It’s very kind of you, but it wouldn’t have bothered me.” As he kissed your forehead, you couldn’t see his cold gaze falling onto the trap door leading to the basement, “I’m sure it was nothing serious, maybe just a branch hitting the roof.”

“I guess you’re right… nothing seemed out of the ordinary.”

“Then how about we go back to bed, Mm? If you want, I can make you some tea or a warm cup of milk.”

You gave him a small smile. “That would be nice.”

･*:.｡..｡.:*･*:.｡..｡.:*･

There’s totallyyyy no one in the basement. I don’t see what you guys are talking about.

Here’s is a sketch of Martin as a little treat ❤️

[indigosuvi]

hola, could you do cuteness aggression with illumi? like how it manifests in him for the reader & how he behaves, and vice versa?

Cuteness Aggression

age in bio when interacting. minors do not interact.

Word Count: 212 | Read it on AO3 | Tag List

You were sitting peacefully on the couch with Illumi. He was reading a newspaper, and you were on your phone reading something. You took his hand, and he gave it to you without looking. He had grown used to this thing that you called affection. He had no reason to look. You bit his hand, and he withdrew it from your grasp, looking at you with no expression. He looked you up and down as if you had changed in some way. He didn't know what to say or do. He offered you his hand again, watching your every movement as you bit him once again.

“Y/N, what is this?” 

“A love bite. I like being aggressive with those I love.”

He blinked. At first, he thought that you were attacking him. This wasn't an attack, per se. He didn't know what else to say or do. However, he might just return the same bites as you. If you bit him hard, so did he. If you were gentle, so was he. He doesn't know much about this “cuteness aggression.” He was raised where violence of any kind was an attack, and he should always be prepared. He's learning love and affection (properly) from you, so whatever you do must be okay.

© SUVIDRACHE — do not copy, translate, modify, or plagiarize my work. reblogs are appreciated!

[minminbunny]

Enemies to Lovers AU - Vampire Hunter! Bang Chan/Vampire Fem! Reader

"Stay," Chan said, holding up the holster. You held your win glass, "As you wish, hunter," you said, setting the glass down. Chan released the trigger, "You lured me on purpose. Why?" he asked, clutching the handle. You gave him a side, "I made a promise you see," you said, luring him close. Chan gulped, unknowingly inching himself forward, "What promise?" he asked, furrowing his eyes brows. A subtle smile etched your lips, "To my first love," you said, looking at him. You chuckled, "When you lived as long as me, hunter. You crave for things other than blood," you said, eyeing his wary expression. Chan clenched his jaw, "What's the fucking promise?" he grit, his voice wobbling at the end.

You held the holster away from your head, "Christopher, no matter what form you're in. You soul never changes," you said, hurt evident on your expression. Chan's breath hitched when you gripped the holster enough to bend the metal. You stood up, forcing him into a defensive stance. "I don't want to hurt you, my darling. I never did. But every single timeline we meet, you're always driven to kill me," you said, cornering him against the wall. Chan hesitated to pull out his daggers, "Stay back! Vampires falling for a human is unheard off," he exclaimed, his eyes filled with unknown hurt and fear. You held his cheek, "You felt it haven't you? When we met in that forest. I know you felt it, because I did," you said, hoping he wasn't in denial.

Chan's gaze wavered, "That twinge was from you?" he asked, his vulnerability apparent in his behavior. You shook your head, "I have no role in fate, Christopher. Please don't deny me this time. I can't live another decade hurting," you said, your eyes boreing into his. Chan exhaled a shaky sigh, "If I give in. What then?" he asked, gripping his thighs to ground himself. You gave him a solemn smile, "Then I get to love you as much as I possibly can. I get to pour every feeling I have harbored. Christopher, I craved you for decades. This obessession wouldn't fade out that easily," you said, your pressing your forehead with his. Chan felt himself get hypnotized by your words, "I'll give in. But if y-," he said, before you pulled him for a bruising kiss. Chan's lips synced with yours, he groaned into the kiss not liking the submission you placed him in. He pulled away and pinned you against the wall, "Relax, you've been waiting long enough," Chan whispered, kissing you long and deep. Tears streamed down your cheeks at the relief blooming in your chest. Chan deepened the kiss, his tongue mingling with yours.

NSFW BELOW CUT

'Dear Lord, when I get to heaven, please let me bring my man,' you thought, spreading apart your legs just for his satisfaction. Chan grabbed your ankle, and he pampered kisses down your calves, "Poor thing, you've waited so so long to be touched, haven't you? You've been neglected, and it's all my fault," he murmured, sucking hickeys towards your upper thigh. You arched your back, sensitive to every single graze and nip he made, "Please, Chris. I need you. Been needing you," you sniffled, eyeing him with your half lidded eyes. Chan's breath grew heavier, "I know, darling. I can feel myself throbbing for you," he chuckled, his hand pumping his girthy hot shaft. You gulped at the sight, your cunt clenching around the warm air surround the both of you. Chan tapped his cock head against your clit, "You're practically a virgin aren't you? So fucking drippy," he cursed, easing his finger in. Your walls fluttered, "Hah, hah," you gasped, remembering how good it was being pleasured by another. Chan grit his teeth, the veins on his jaw protrubed at the sight of your pliant body. You whined when he eased another finger up your pulsing cunt, "Chris, hah," you whimpered, clentching hard around his fingers. Chan curled them against your sensitive gland, "I'm here, darling. I'm never leaving you. Never again," he said, pumping his fingers in tandem with his thumb rubbing circles against your puffy clit until you came.

[yandere-toons]

Yandere Golden Guard | Hunter (Platonic Scenario - “That Old Fire”)

Warnings: Fantasy Violence, Mention of Blood, Toxic Mindsets.

Word Count: 5,046.

A.N. – The illustration comes at the hands of Mike Austin, a storyboard artist for the series.

Footsteps amplified by the stone in the walls echoed as booms throughout the palace hallway. Hurriedly, you followed along behind until the door to one of the castle’s many antechambers was haphazardly thrown open. Within moments, the two of you had entered, and the door was again shut.

A poignant silence deafened the room, and while you acknowledged the urge to break it, something within cautioned you against it. Your companion, twitching and trembling, had taken to pacing the cramped area. Every five steps, he’d stop, muttering to himself, his ashy blond hair bouncing as he jerked his body from side to side, as if arguing with invisible foes.

Although you remained closer to the doorway than was probably necessary, a familiar sense of tiredness, coupled with annoyance, worked its way up within you. Time again, your companion had these episodes, and each time, they seemed to grow more visceral, more impassioned. It was as though something deep within had been attempting to claw itself free, and with every episode, every slight, whatever it was writhed that much closer to the surface.

It was the fifth time this month, and the month wasn’t even halfway through. A whisper, and your companion’s hand lunged from his side. Barely a second later, an audible zap sent a metallic cylindrical object flying from its perch atop a stack of nearby crates and soaring across the room.

The object was a yardarm, a horizontal component to attend one of the many flags of royal heraldry that were scattered across the room. The polished yardarm did little damage to the crates into which it smashed, but the clicking as the spearhead caromed from surface to surface drowned out any opportunity for interruption.

"Belos doesn't trust me! He thinks I'm nothing but a kid…” A huff escaped, scarcely audible as the spearhead made its final bounces. “He thinks I’m not good enough to do such an important job, and you know what? What if he’s right? What if I’m not, and this was my only chance? If I could have gathered some stupid recruits and brought them, then he’d have to take me seriously! Well, good luck with that now...” He scoffed, sweat forming on his brow.

You stood there, motionless, eyes cast over his sunken and shaking form. You knew he’d be upset at the failure to complete the mission but hadn't forseen it hitting him this hard. His hands twisted, and his eyes seemed to dart around the room, almost as if expecting Emperor Belos to come lurking behind any of the assorted tapestries.

“Failure,” the word haunted him, a mantra whispered in memory of his every mistake. “Why did I think volunteering for another mission would be a good idea? Nice one, Hunter! You’re a true professional. Making the family proud, huh?” He'd flung his hands up into the air in a dramatic gesture.

The rhetorical questioning was something you’d grown accustomed to, for better or worse. Once he started down that line of questioning, though, there was nowhere positive things could go.

You spoke softly, neither with condescension nor timorousness. “Hey. You are not a failure. Belos let you take on the mission, right?” You paused for a moment, allowing his breathing to slow before you continued. “He didn’t want that little demon he has following him, not any of those punk-head mages, either. And he didn’t say you were off the job, despite everything. You know what that means?”

He had stopped with his own line of questioning, and while his head remained tilted down at the stone floor, you could tell his nervous movements had lessened. You approached, not quite to the point of standing above him, but close enough to allow no mishearing of your words.

All he needed was a little nudge, and he’d be pulled away from those nasty thoughts eating away at him.

“It means the mission is still on.” Your fists clutched the ends of your gloves, drawn up to your chest, and rocked to and fro. “Maybe you just need a little help? I’m already off duty for the day, so I'll help you. We’ll go headhunting together, bag some recruits, and show all those dopey mages how wrong they were! What do you say, friend?”

In one swift motion, his eyes lifted from the ground and widened. The shadow of happiness crept onto his face and, beside it, a hint of worry about how short it might last.

He looked at you like a boy who was seeing the dawn. In his rose-coloured gaze was relief at having seen it after questioning for so long whether he would.

Hunter pushed himself to his feet as a knight would upon receiving a quest from his liege, and he offered his hand. “Let's go.”

You offered a slight smile, adorned your mask, and set off behind Hunter. The mission wouldn’t be easy, but it would be worth it.

***

It took more time than it should have to find Hexside, but once the two of you laid eyes on it, there was no mistaking it. The school was a distinguished landmark, separated from the Titan’s ribs surrounding it, with its dense foliage and rolling hills that seemed to swallow the place.

Still, you and Hunter could see various students and staff meandering across the grounds, and while you investigated the landscape, Hunter scanned the student body.

“They don’t know it yet, but they’ll love being in the Emperor’s Coven! We’ll sell them on sleeping in until 6 A.M., ditching their lame friends for better ones, and learning the best kind of magic there is… Rules and authority!”

You weren’t sure whether Hunter was talking to you, himself, or someone else, but same as before, you didn’t feel the need to try and take the wind from his sails. You’d be there to support, as you’d done before, win or lose.

“I’ll go in first since I’m supposed to lead the mission, okay? But you stay close by in the event we have to fight some of the other coven reps for the recruits. Those guys will do anything to see me fail, so be ready, okay?”

He wasn't dour like before, and his body had shifted to one of nervous twitches in the face of some uncertain future rather than ruminating on the difficulties of the past. His head held higher, and his eyes seemed to fill with that curious gleam again. You wondered briefly if he'd even noticed your staring, but before the question could be answered, you nodded.

Releasing a quick breath, the two of you set off for the grounds of the school. You’d need to change your clothes and stash your uniforms for the mission, and with a reminder of that to Hunter, a fast spell had ensured the two of you looked the part of regular, blissfully unaware, students rather than disciplined soldiers of the emperor.

With Hunter in tow, you wandered the grounds, occasionally socialising with students and other creatures you could only assume were faculty. No one seemed inclined to check your respective identities, and neither of you cared to overshare. If agents of the Coven Heads were present or any practitioners of wild magic, it wouldn't do to draw too much attention to yourselves.

After what felt like hours, the two of you emerged from one of the many pathways around the school into what appeared to be a courtyard. Bleachers formed a barrier on one side, and across from them, a stretch of wood formed another.

Despite being so close to the school, the dense vegetation managed to obscure vision from the courtyard in at least two directions, but parts of the main campus, jutting out above the bleachers, still seemed to cast a watchful eye upon the area.

Any activity here was purposely made to be seen by an audience.

Hunter redirected your attention with a quiet grunt back to the far side of the courtyard, where six of what you could only assume were students lined up in two teams of three. They adorned themselves with knee pads, exercise shorts, and various sports shoes.

One of the students, a three-eyed girl with violet-coloured hair, seemed to be the most animated of the group, boasting of her prowess in the game known as “grudgby” and hurling unflattering accusations at the students gathered opposite her.

Within seconds, the students were casting magic, shouting at one another, and flying across the courtyard, and at every opportunity, the velvet-haired girl continued to roar out insults.

Hunter scoffed at the brash display, keen to move on, but your snickering compelled him to turn and face you.

“And you weren’t like that to the conscripts and weekend warriors they had to bring down after we made it to the bottom of the mountain? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?” You offered a cheeky smile, and Hunter, mind aflush with memories, wrenched his head away. His cheeks had developed a tinge of red, and he’d instinctively reached for a mask that was no longer there.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” he stuttered, neck craned. “I—We… were gracious in victory. That’s what the emperor expected, and that’s what we did.”

“That’s what we did after you had the training supervisor tally up the scores four different times to repeat that our team had won… Handily.”

Hunter fell silent, the red on his face glowing brighter as his shoulders locked up again.

“If we kicked out everybody with a bad attitude, neither of us would have been selected for anything beyond cleaning duty.”

Hunter offered no response, mouth straight and flummoxed by your argument.

“Let’s give them a shot. If they’re all talk, we’ll move on, but if not, then maybe we’ve found some of our recruits. Plus, if you end up being right, I’ll let you say, ‘I told you so.’ Sound good?” You offered a soft smile, careful not to interrupt Hunter as he reclaimed his bearings. He didn’t like being bombarded with questions when he was flustered and didn’t care for swift, sudden moves either.

Hunter’s head slowly rose, and he bore a slight yet noticeable smile on his face. “All right. Let’s do it!” His shoulders relaxed with his next breath, but you could still see a touch of red on his face as you marched past him towards the courtyard.

Grudgby, as it turned out, was a mixture of a capture-the-flag game and a close quarters combat course. The rules were of limited interest to you, save for the opportunity embraced by seemingly every member of both teams to clobber one another with magic or their fists when an opponent came too close.

It wasn’t easy, certainly, and there was a clear possibility of injury, but the game was exciting. Hunter elected to watch from the first row of bleachers, but you found yourself knee-deep in a match, tasked with defence. When an opportunity came to guard against opponents, you fared well.

The soldiers of the Emperor’s Coven did not yield to their enemies.

***

Another goal defended, and you’d lost track of time. Another point against your team prevented, and in the stupor that came with that train of through, you’d neglected to notice the velvet-haired girl, Boscha, charging you from another direction.

Her teammate had been decidedly less coordinated and inclined to deception, charging at you head-on, but Boscha was a different animal. As her teammate was flung back, Boscha advanced on your left flank, just outside your periphery. She surged toward the goal, unleashing a blast of magic powerful enough to send you plummeting into the grass.

Your vision went black for a moment, and your ears rang with a tumultuous melody. Something high-pitched sounded to command the field, and within moments, you could hear a frenzy of concerned questions. Your face had become buried in the grass from the fall, and you were unable to immediately answer.

Unbeknownst to you, Hunter had risen from the bleachers, determined to approach but had yet to sort through the crowd. His breath quickened to a subtle pant, and he hastened to view the scene for himself.

A member of your team, a neon green-haired girl named Amity, had crouched at your side. She gently wove her hands across your limbs, chest, and head, checking for open wounds and any lingering magical damage.

Amity leaned towards you and, upon turning your head, a gasp escaped her that she tried to stifle.

Hunter's trained ear caught the start of it. “What?” he asked, his voice rising as he turned to Amity. “What is it?”

Folding her hands on her lap, Amity sat up and kept her eyes down. “Nothing. They just had some dirt on their face.”

The slight pause after the word “just” caused Hunter to tighten his grip on the staff. He gritted his teeth, narrowed his eyes and struggled with his innate distrust of the situation. Relocating, his eyes locked onto your form as he maneuvered closer to you, but barely a second later, he pressed his lips into a straight line and stormed in her direction.

Amity widened her eyes and raised her arms when a gloved hand clutched her left shoulder, and a grunt flew out her mouth as she was shoved aside.

Hunter stood in her place and searched for the reason behind her surprise, nearly dropping his staff when he saw it.

The voices of friends, memories, nightmares swelled like the tolls of broken bells.

Despite this, Hunter could not rid himself of the thought that your wound mirrored his. Back when it was fresh and still stung like the point of a fire bee, it was dripping red. The magic blast had singed a streak of burnt skin across your jaw and cheek, just as the mystical vine had sliced a stripe up his flesh.

His scar began to itch, and Hunter reached out to scratch it when he realised he had been picking at it for the last minute.

The drop in his stomach brought a wave of cold sweat over his head. It was as if a rainstorm had developed and poured only on him, chilling his bones and drawing shuddering breaths from his lips.

Strips of yellow and red magic crackled at the end of his staff. He squeezed it until his hand shook and his knuckles turned white.

As soon as he spun towards Boscha, every Hexside student on his side of the court rushed to block his path. Multiple shouts of “Woah!” and “Easy!” spilt from the group as they formed a half-circle about him, many with their hands up high to deflect any far-reaching spells.

In the confusion, other students loafing nearby had arrived, some to help, and others to simply gawk. At least a dozen students had made their way onto the courtyard by that point, including another young witch identified as Luz.

Boscha, for her part, stood comfortable across the field, bragging to her entourage about scoring points and retelling the story of how she’d knocked the enemy team’s ‘newbie’ straight into the dirt.

You were lucid by this point and, though still somewhat slurred in speech, stable. That fact eluded Hunter, however, who struggled against Luz barely half a court away. You noticed that, amidst the students seeking to deny him his quarry, he’d shouldered and darted past as many as possible to bring himself closer to Boscha.

He was perhaps fifteen metres from her before Luz succeeded in halting his lunge forward. Hunter fought against Luz, placing a strenuous emphasis on every third word. “She does not get to do that and just walk away!”

Luz dug in her heels, pressing her weight into the staff. Though Hunter was almost certainly physically stronger than this witch, you could tell there was something about her that commanded his attention; it seemed as though they knew each other.

“No one is saying what she did is okay!”

A shout of fury burst out of Hunter as he shoved Luz back a step. “Then why are you defending her?”

“I'm not!” Luz relaxed her clenched teeth and softened her furrowed brows into a look of sympathy, her voice lowering alongside it. “I'm trying to stop you from doing something you'll regret.”

Hunter glowered at Boscha from across the court, his head down and his eyes looking up. “I won't regret it.”

He spared Luz a final glance before ripping his staff free of her and marching once more to you, his fury temporarily repressed whilst he had something else to swallow his attention.

“Hunter?” As he lifted you from the ground in silence, you pressed a hand to your cheek and winced at the burn. “Why is my face on fire?” you mumbled, to which Hunter offered a sullen glance.

He laid your arm across his back and shoulders. “Come on. I'm taking you home.” His eyes seemed far away with that remark, but his voice rang sincere.

With a nervous but hopeful smile, Gus, a friend of Luz’s, dashed forward. “Hey, it's just a little burn! Have someone from the Healing Coven take a look at it, and we can start round two.”

After ensuring you could stand on your own, Hunter whirled towards him and pointed a finger at the distant shape of Boscha. “I say we don't want to play with anyone who thinks this is okay!” His finger swung round to your wound.

Taking a breath, Willow, another friend of Luz, closed her eyes before reopening them with a frown. “You can leave if you want, Hunter, but it's their choice.” She extended a hand to you.

His face reddened at this.

Hunter clenched his fists at his side and looked between you and the group. “You agree with me, right?” There was a layer of desperation in his words that gave you pause.

It felt much more personal than it should have. Hunter had known more of these students than he had let on, and though the burn on your face continued to sting, your attention remained directed elsewhere. It hurt to know that Hunter hadn't been forthcoming about the environment into which you'd both entered, but you couldn't quite blame him for it.

Everything about this situation upset him, but if you spirited away with him, he'd spend the rest of the mission upset. As usual, he'd blame himself, and that wasn't the point of any of this.

Firmly, but not aggressively, you shook the hand of Willow, offering a slight nod in affirmation. “I don't see why I can't stick around for the end.”

Hunter uttered a slight grunt but voiced no further complaints, eyeing the contact until it broke.

You resolved that while you wouldn’t enter the second event, and would instead watch, you’d give Hunter a chance to collect himself and cool off. Pressuring him into conversation before he was ready wouldn’t help, and for the purposes of the mission, the both of you were simply students with but limited history together.

Hunter made his way to the bleachers, shoulders tensed and brooding. You’d elected to sit on the bench proximate to the court, presumably where the teams would sit in between time on the field.

Gus and Willow, after being thanked for their assistance, departed to pursue their own activities, but even if they hadn’t, you paid them little mind.

The sounds of the grudgby match echoed far beyond the court on which they took place: spells cast, players sent flying, and occasional obscenities hurled. The injuries sustained, non-life-threatening but certainly inhibiting, all reminded you of training. The organised chaos, the stenches of fear and exertion, and the desperation for success were all familiar bedfellows.

You had a slight smile on your face as you watched the madness unfold.

Casting only a peripheral glance to your side, you confirmed that Hunter lingered in his perch upon the top row. Given that he hadn’t already returned to sit beside you, he must still have been sore over your disagreement. It was something you’d have to talk out once the mission was over.

***

After a vicious and profanity-laden game, the braggart, Boscha, and her team claimed victory. Amity and her team fought well, scoring several goals in rapid succession early in the game, but Boscha’s malevolent energy could not be matched.

She kicked, spat, cursed, and cast at every opportunity, and though it left more than one member of the other team requiring bandages by the time of the game’s conclusion, her approach had paid off.

Simmering with pride, Boscha had soon taken to rehashing everything she and the rest of her team did to secure victory with her fellow grudgby players. Amity’s team was more personable, choosing to tend to one another’s wounds, clean up the courtyard, and move as a group towards a path back to the school grounds.

After turning in your direction, Boscha spied you sitting alone. A devious smile crawled onto her face, and she started to approach you. Unfortunately for you, the injury to your face had resumed itching, and while you sought to address that issue, Boscha made her approach.

The rest of her team made no attempt to regain her attention and instead began one-by-one to slip away from the courtyard as well. You spied Luz, the human witch, moving at high speed, but your attention broke from her in a fresh round of scratching.

Boscha had nearly closed the distance, but amid a scratching fit, you’d shut your eyes. Further unbeknownst to you, Hunter was on the move. Still, the game was over, and the only thing left to do was to link back up with Hunter, decide how to proceed.

Turning about, you noticed he was no longer atop his nest in the bleachers, and for a moment, your blood froze. Was it possible that in your awe at the game, you’d failed to spot a threat? Had something occurred on the bleachers, so close to you, without your knowledge? Had Hunter been discovered and abducted? Had this whole game been a well-planned ruse by the enemies of the emperor to seize his nephew?

Taking a deep breath and letting it flow out slowly, you evaluated the situation. Luz emphatically conversed with an annoyed and uncomfortable Boscha, and you could still see a few wandering students sashaying across the surrounding area. Either whatever happened was subtle, or perhaps, Hunter was simply out of your sight.

There came no noticeable change in temperature or breeze, and the sunlight illuminating the court shone unobstructed. No sizzling of recently cast magic reached your ears, no moaning of abominations, and no belching of steam from exhaust vents of heavy machinery. Still, it was highly doubtful Hunter would have taken off without you.

Another moment of scanning, and you spotted him, lower than usual, and with staff clenched. You almost made to join him in what you first thought was imminent combat before your eyes followed his gaze.

He fixated on Luz and Boscha, the duo barely ten metres from you. Once again, noted a passing thought, you had failed to notice Boscha’s approach.

Boscha opened her mouth and raised a hand to the side of it, only to pause when Luz darted in front of her. She wrinkled her eyes and curled her lip in disgust as Luz grasped her hand with both of her own and began shaking it up and down.

“Wow, that was a great game! You really had us beat!” The words spewed out of Luz's mouth in a flurry of haste and nerves, and she leaned forward with closed eyes in an attempt to command Boscha's attention.

“Your team was awesome! Like, I don’t even know how you guys moved that fast and how you kept scoring so many goals. You were crushing the other team! We’ve met before, by the way. I’m Luz, and have I told you that I’m a huge fan of yours…?”

Luz’s words flooded out in a hodgepodge of watered-down criticism of Amity’s team, praise for Boscha’s apparently unbelievable skill in grudgby, and overeager begging to be taught the secrets to the game’s success. Hunter didn’t move an inch throughout the exchange, his narrowed eyes locked onto Boscha and burning through the human obstacle in the way.

After two full, uninterrupted minutes of Luz heaping further praise on Boscha and desperately seeking tutoring, the aggrieved victor recoiled and yanked her hand free. Visibly cringing, Boscha turned her body to the side, raising her formerly gripped hand in an almost defensive arc to shield her face from Luz’s sight.

“Let go of me, freak! Get lost!” Boscha spat in unabashed repulsion at Luz’s fawning. Luz, either unaware or dismissive of the effort at escape, took the opportunity to move closer to Boscha, even opening her arms for something she called a ‘victory hug.’ She boosted her verbal barrage, adding in personal compliments about the grudgby player’s hair, shoes, and even her smell.

Horrified, Boscha lurched about and, after shrieking a string of words you could only assume she did not learn in class, raced away, presumably to find any remnants of her team.

Luz abandoned any attempt at pursuit and instead rounded herself to face Hunter. Her shoulders drew in tight, and her eyes remained focused on his, but her stance demonstrated less malice than it did determination.

“Why did you do that?” Hunter asked, failing to contain the wrath singing in his ears. Once again, his shoulders tensed up, and his posture ran rigid. Eyes slitted, he glared in unrepentant disgust at the retreating figure of Boscha and the interrupting one of Luz.

“Because, like you, I saw what she was about to do. That wouldn’t have been good for anyone, least of all, you.” Her words betrayed an edge, akin to Hunter’s, but the intent was different: where Hunter’s reeked of hostility, Luz’s turned quiet with worry. The steadiness with which she spoke belied her erratic actions towards Boscha merely moments prior.

“Come on, Hunter. It's just a friendly game."

"Is it? Does this always happen at your 'friendly games'? People getting bludgeoned because the enemy team decided not to play fair!" Sweat resurfaced on Hunter’s face, with beads of it dripping across his forehead. His teeth remained grated, but as Boscha had left his field of view, he seemed to mellow out, albeit slightly.

"Well, no. That was a little extreme, but—"

"But nothing! The game's over, so we're leaving. We're done!”

Luz made an effort to step forward, offering a hand in support of the shaking Hunter. He bristled at the potential contact, turning away in a flurry of loathing and shame.

“That wasn’t okay for her to do that.” Hunter stared at a plot of dirt, emotion draining from his voice. Despite his choked attempt at masking his feelings, an occasional tremor tickled up his arm.

The other students, either ignorant or indifferent, continued on with their day.

With the match over, you made for the bench, intent on passing through Hunter’s field of view before quietly slipping off back to the main school grounds. A direct interruption of Hunter whilst he was in the midst of conversation would do little to assuage him, but he needed a reason to pull himself from the interaction.

An impulse to scratch at your recent wound emerged, however, and with it, came a ringing in your ears that made you all but deaf to the surrounding world.

Luz playfully hit Hunter’s shoulder, which yielded a twitch. “See? I knew you'd come around!” She offered a kind smile, careful not to reveal hostility or make any additional sudden moves.

Hunter blinked, a tired push against the dark bags already set in, turned to the stands and looked away from Luz, eyes seeming to glaze. “If she hurts them again, you won't stop me.”

Luz eyed him with her arm drawn to her chest. She pursed her lips and closed her fist, a seed of worry in her gut.

Seeing you paw at your injury but swerve in his direction, Hunter lifted his eyes from the ground and began striding to meet you. Energy returned to his movements, but before he could reach you, Luz again called out to him.

"Hunter! Why don't you stay five?" She inquired, seeming determined to make peace. Hunter stopped on a heel and, casting one further look in your direction, turned back, less forcefully than simply aggrieved.

"Unlike you, human, we have places to be." The condescension in his voice was overpowering, reminiscent of someone with infinitely many other, and all decidedly superior, opportunities for social interaction than the one in which he found himself.

Dismissively, Hunter spun about, certain to find you standing behind him, or at least, proximate to him, but instead, he gaped at the sight of you having just passed by him to meander on the pathways winding about the bleachers.

In an instant, the anger evaporated from his face. "Where are you going?" The tone change in his voice betrayed no small amount of uncertainty and even suggested a hint of fear.

"I thought I told you to wait for me," he sputtered out, ignoring any further communication from Luz, or indeed, any of the other students or creatures that remained on or near the courtyard.

"You'd have lain into everyone on the court if I didn't give you a reason to leave." You turned your head slightly back towards Hunter as you continued walking, presenting a slight smirk.

To him, there lurked no anger in that face, no sting of disappointment, no plot to humiliate, no condemnation shaved sharp on the tip of your words. You spoke to him then, just as you had so many times before, like another person, rather than some useful tool or obstacle in the way of brighter prospects.

Though your eyes only met his momentarily, and via periphery, that old fire bloomed on his face once more. "I just—" he turned his head away, again reaching for a mask he did not possess "—want things to be fair."

You offered a snicker, quiet, but due to Hunter’s proximity, audible.

All you heard in between your steps to the forest was a single, solitary squeak.

[grandline-fics]

Shifting Focus

DESCRIPTION: The moment they began to see you differently

WARNINGS: None

CHARACTERS: Shanks, Kid, Smoker | Sanji, Law

WORDS: 2,850

A/N: Another part of this in honour of reaching 500 followers. This was my first time writing for Smoker so here's hoping you all enjoy!

*REQUESTS ARE OPEN*

MASTERLIST

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SHANKS

Everyone knew Shanks was a flirt, a laidback charmer who always had a smile and a wink at the ready for the next pretty face he came across. No-one was meant to really take it seriously, to see anything that happened to be more than what it was, a fleeting moment of enjoyment for both sides. Serious feelings never truly came into play, it was easier that way given that he was always on the move. To let anyone believe he was the settling down type would have been cruel and he didn’t find any enjoyment in hurting people needlessly, unless they were his enemy of course. Everyone in the crew were more than used to his mannerisms, yourself included. You could understand his worldview on the matter however you never entertained him when he chose to flirt with you. Something that he finally started to notice and when he did, he couldn’t let it go. 

“Do I repulse you?” He asked suddenly one evening causing you to choke on your coffee. Your body tensed and you forced the liquid down your throat, wincing at the painful burn it caused and sharp tightness in your throat. You’d needed it to stay awake for your night shift but after that, you set the mostly untouched mug aside. Looking to your side you saw your captain staring at you intently, a small pout playing at his lips making you believe he was picking his words carefully to seem like he was keeping the conversation light. However underneath the joking you could tell there was a real question there. 

“If you repulsed me Cap, I wouldn’t have joined your crew, now would I?” You answered, looking back down to the sea chart in your hands, needing to keep track of any notable features coming into view. “What is it you really want to ask me?”

“I’ve noticed something about you.” Shanks began, scowling when you looked away from him to continue your work. You were always so task-oriented and levelheaded that even when you were joking with another member of the crew, you were still focused on what was needed to be done. Finally you looked up at Shanks again, eyebrows raised slightly to invite him to keep talking. “You don’t flirt back.” 

For a moment you had to think about what Shanks was getting at but finally you let out a laugh and lightly rolled your eyes. So he was in that kind of mood today. For a moment he almost had you by making you believe he was asking you a semi-serious question. Still smiling in amusement you shook your head and turned to go inside when a wind started to pick up. If you lost the charts in your hand it wouldn’t have been good. What you weren’t expecting was Shanks to follow you, with a sigh you settled down at your desk and sat back to stare at your captain who clearly wasn’t finished with this joke and you weren’t going to get any peace until you indulged him. “Am I being reprimanded for my lack of flirtation towards you, Cap? I’m surprised it’s affected you so much given how you’re never without company.”

“You flirt with the others on board.” Shanks pointed out, not really knowing why it was getting to him so much. Ever since he’d realised you’d joke around and tease the others on board but not him, it just kept gnawing at him. Shanks knew he shouldn’t get so irritated by it all but he just couldn’t help himself. He stepped closer until he was leaning of the edge of your desk, staring down at your calm expression. “So why not me?”

“I flirt with the others because it’s not serious and they know that.” You shrugged lightly, leaning back to regard your captain, a smile slowly pulling at your lips. “You, however are a different story, Cap.” With a breathy sigh you rose from your seat and Shanks’ earlier position meant you were now standing mere inches away from him, not quite touching but close enough for the warmth of your body to radiate into his. “If I gave in and flirted with you…I don’t think I’d be able to stop it as just a joke. I don’t have the same self-control that you do.” You murmured, tilting your head up slightly so your breath could softly dance against his skin. Satisfied that that should be enough for your Captain’s need for the joke to end you took a step back and grinned before sitting down at your desk. 

With your presence no longer engulfing his, Shanks blinked and immediately wanted more. More of that rush, that spark, more of you. However fate had other plans when Lucky Roux called for him and he had to do his duties as the Captain. Sharply letting out a huff of annoyance, Shanks reluctantly left your side to head onto the deck. When he reached the doorway, he couldn’t help but look over his shoulder and see your attention already drawn back to your work. Yeah, this was far from over.  

KID

There was never a dull moment on the Victoria Punk. Even on the calm days at sea, the heavy steps of the Captain and the usual tone of conversation was carried at a volume louder than some other ships were used to. But that was what you liked about it. It was only when the ship was deathly quiet outside of sleeping hours that any of you felt the need to worry. The seas were calm and laughter surrounded you all as you sat in the living quarters with plenty of drink to see you all through to morning if you wanted. 

Currently you were all playing a game with the bounty posters you’d all seemed to collect. It was a simple enough form of ‘Kiss, Marry, Kill’ by selecting three posters from the pile however each person that had to answer ended up getting drawn into a fierce debate about their answers. If you didn’t want to answer on your turn however, you had to drink. It was an empty punishment since all of you were drinking happily regardless. 

“Look I stand by my answer okay?!” Wire shouted, unable to keep the grin from his face knowing the argument was in good spirits. “I had the worst draw out of them all so far, you guys have been getting it easy.”

“Just hurry up and pick my three okay?” You grinned, sitting up from your lounged position to get a better look for your turn. Wire reached over to the pile of posters lying face down on the table and picked three at random, slowly flipping them over to reveal Blackbeard, Franky, and Bartolomelo. Grinning you sat back down into your previous position. “Kiss Bartolomelo, Marry Franky, Kill Blackbeard. Easy.”

“Not that I’d argue with the decisions, you just made up your mind so quickly…” Killer noted, a grin in his voice as his face remained hidden by his mask. You rolled your eyes and grinned. 

“Nothing to think about, Blackbeard is…ugh” you suppressed a shudder at the mere thought of the Emperor. “Franky is dependable and skilled, and fun from what we saw when we allied with them so marrying him wouldn’t be the worst thing.”

“You didn’t think about Bartolomelo as marriage material?” Kid asked with a grin and you laughed up at your Captain who you’d been leaning against for a majority of the night. 

“No way, he’s a major Strawhat fanboy. I’d be competing against that entire crew for his attention, sadly we just weren’t meant to be.”

“Yeah, you’re real heartbroken about it I see.” Kid laughed along with you and the others. The game continued for another while, some of the crew stopping from being too drunk to stay awake while others began to head for their quarters. Those remaining all agreed this would be the last round and it meant you were to deal out three posters for Kid. 

You were still far too comfortable lounging against your Captain so you quickly reached over, fumbling you flipped over the first three you could get your hands on and flopped back before even seeing who he had to choose from. From the sound of the stifled laughter you could tell his options were going to be good. With an anticipated grin you turned on your side and pushed yourself up with your elbow only to become surprised to see your bounty on the table along with Buggy the Clown and Nico Robin. You couldn’t help but become curious about what your Captain would pick about you although you supposed as long as he didn’t pick you to kill it was all fine, it was just a game after all. 

Kid suddenly felt tense and couldn’t help but look away from your printed face to the physical version of you. The you he suddenly became all too aware of. You’d been part of the crew forever and he’d never needed to see you as anything other than a valued member like the others. What if he said something that made you uncomfortable. But if he didn’t play then you could misread that too and make things worse. Fuck, why was he overthinking this? He had to finish the game and hope nothing more was said about it. “Kill the clown and kiss Robin.” He muttered quickly before looking away and draining the last of the alcohol in his mug. 

“Aww you wanna marry me?” You cooed, the smile growing wider on your face. With everyone satisfied with a good ending to the game, the crew began to clear up their drinks and the bounty posters and move to turn in for the night. You got up with a groan and stretched out your arms, finally feeling the need to rest too. With a yawn you turned to Kid who was still sitting and smiled softly. “Not heading to bed, Kid?”

“Yeah, heading soon.” He grumbled lost in his own thoughts that were now occurring to him and you tilted your head, a frown falling on your lips. Quickly Kid realised you were going to worry and he recovered enough to smirk at you. “We need our rest, right? We’ve got a wedding to plan huh?” He forced the joke out, relieved to see you laugh and leave while wishing the rest in the room goodnight. When you were gone, Kid glared at Killer who was sitting far too relaxed for his liking. “When did you add their bounty to the pile, Kil?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about and you have no way of proving it.” 

SMOKER

“Vice Admiral?” You paused in the middle of the G-5 Base corridor when you spotted the base commander leaning against the wall with his office just a few feet away. At the sound of your call he made no sign that he’d heard you. It wasn’t exactly uncommon for someone of his rank to get lost in thought especially if there were certain higher ups breathing down their neck or certain pirates occupying their minds. Adjusting the documents in your hands you approached the base commander. “Vice Admiral Smoker?” You asked again and moved to lightly touch his arm to get his attention. 

At the same time, Smoker turned sharply and knocked into your hand causing you to drop your files in surprise. As the papers fluttered to the floor you kept your gaze on Smoker, concern growing in your eyes. His usual steely gaze seemed to have dimmed and you noticed the small tremor in his otherwise imposing frame. As one of the base’s medical staff your critical, scrutinising stare was pinpointing all that stood out to you. Since you were dealing with the commander himself, you felt you had to be somewhat nicer and couldn’t just order him to rest. “Are you sick?” You asked and immediately his stare sharpened at the implication. 

“I’m fine.” Smoker’s answer was gruff as to be expected but you could hear the slight shake that could have been missed had you not been listening out for it. When he saw you weren’t fooled he finally took a proper look at you and through his mind that was getting foggier by the second he managed to recognise who you were and what department you worked for on the base. Inwardly he cursed his bad luck. He’d been trying to get to the safety of his office but a dizzy spell hit him hard and he had to stop to catch his breath just mere seconds before you’d approached him. Smoker didn’t want to be babied, getting sick was a rarity for him. He just wanted to get to his room and sit there in peace until he felt a little better. No one else had noticed his state all day, why did he get cursed with bad luck like this at the final moment? He just needed to get rid of you before you tried to take a closer look at him. “Aren’t you going to pick up your documents?”

“Well since you're not sick and are partly responsible for me dropping them. You can surely help me lift them, right Vice Admiral?” Your question was so sweet and innocent but still Smoker glared at the challenge in your eyes. In any of his previous interactions with you, you’d seemed so reserved and quiet but now he could see another side to you. With a grunt, Smoker lowered himself to the floor, trying to fight the wave of dizziness and aches rolling down his body. Mentally he cursed you as you smoothly crouched down and started collecting sheets at a pace far faster than he was able to. When Smoker was focused on the task you’d given him, you struck. Your hand touched his forehead before he could react and you scowled at the man in disapproval. “You’re burning up with a fever. You’re going to your room and resting.” 

Your order left no room for disagreement and before Smoker’s mind could truly catch up, he found himself walking into his room with you. When he was lying on his bed you set about gathering what was needed to help his fever and aches before making yourself comfortable at his desk to fix the scattered documents into their right files again. From the small layer of dust gathering on the surface you could tell Smoker didn’t use it much, being a man of action over paperwork. “You don’t need to stay, I’m fine.” Smoker grumbled. 

“The second I leave, you’ll rest for an hour at most and call yourself cured. I’m not leaving until I’m happy you’re actually fine.”

“An hour is all I need.”

“Didn’t know you had a medical degree.” You noted dryly. “Do I call you Doctor Vice Admiral Smoker or Vice Admiral Doctor Smoker?” It surprised you when Smoker’s deep laugh rumbled through the air and a small smile graced your lips at the sound. Perhaps he should laugh more, it was a nice sound and it would help make him more approachable to some people. 

“You can call me whatever you want.” Smoker mumbled, it wasn’t often people stood up to him like this and he had to admit it was refreshing to see. Unable to fight it, Smoker yawned as his body was beginning to give in to its need for rest. When you heard the telltale signs of him falling asleep you let out a sigh of relief that the medicine you’d given him was started to take effect. 

In the early hours of the morning, Smoker stirred at the soft feeling of fingers lightly running through his hair. It was a comforting feeling and still under the haze of sleep that hadn’t fully left him, his mind hadn’t properly caught up so he let himself relax into the feeling. Reaching up he curled his fingers around your wrist holding your hand in place as his eyes slowly opened and met your face. 

“Your fever’s finally regulated.” You informed him gently, keeping mindful of the time and not wanting to speak too loudly. “If you promise to drink more fluids and stay in bed until at least late morning I can leave.”

“I promise, thanks Doc.” Smoker mumbled with a half-smile, stifling a small yawn and letting his eyes fall closed again but when he didn’t hear you leave he opened his eyes again to see you still standing there. “Problem?”

“Um, kinda need my hand back…or did you want me to stay?” you laughed softly, trying to hold back the grin when Smoker tensed and quickly let go of your wrist, allowing you to leave. “Remember your promise.” You reminded him as you left, smiling to yourself as you left to your room with the memory of Smoker’s blushing, embarrassed expression fresh in your mind. You had to admit it was pretty cute to see. 

[heartfullofleeches]

Chat Member: Will you guys ever have kids? If yes, how many?

Tobi: Funny. Even if we were partners, I don't think I'd be the best parent.

[Ghost Hunter Reader hums softly in the background - holding a dirty teddy bear over an empty crib.]

Ghost Hunter Reader: Hey there, little guy. Looking for this? I wouldn't be able to sleep if I lost my best friend either. I'm sure your parents are looking for you so don't keep them waiting, okay?

Tobi: .....

[Tobi shyly flashes two fingers at the camera]

Tobi: Two would be nice :)

[arafilez]

੭୧ ⼂ TUGGED COLLAR, SHY HEARTS ﹗

ー☆ㅤㅤ [ xikers maknae line x reader ] ㅤ੭𓂃 ㅤfluff ㅤ𓏧ㅤ when you pull them by the collar and kiss them ㅤ warnings kissing ㅤ﹢ㅤ0.4k / mem wc ㅤ𓏧ㅤ hyungz

੭ㅤ𝅄ㅤ ꒰ KIM JUNGHOON ꒱

You feel like a total loser standing under the umbrella in the first rain of the season and only thinking about how you want Junghoon to kiss you right then and there. The weather is cool and the smell and sound of the rain-hit ground accentuates your mood as you longingly stare at the wet patches on the road.

“Penny for your thoughts?” a small smile makes its way into Junghoon’s face as he stands beside you and softly takes the umbrella from your hand. You chuckle and shake your head looking down to your feet.

“How about a million dollars?” he grins cheekily and laughter bubbles up your throat at his absurd sentence. You look at his Oreo-coloured hair and the drops of rain adorning the ends and slowly arrange some messy strands before you two start walking.

Throughout the walk under the shared umbrella, Junghoon picks up your ministrations but decides to keep quiet until he reaches your home and asks, “Alright spill, what has got you so worked up?” Your eyes widen as you nervously chuckle and shake your head again making him deadpan as he holds your gaze.

You sigh lightly and decide to tell him anyway voice getting smaller as the sentence progresses, “You know how in romantic novels and movies people kiss in the rain and well I was thinking- about- how we- no like- leave it I don-“

Your weird sentence gets cut off as Junghoon’s grips tighten on your fingers, his eyes widening just a fraction and he faces you saying, “Do it.” You gasp, face getting warm at the mere thought but he continues nonchalantly, “Well unless you are afraid.”

“I am not-"

“Then there’s no reason to back out,” he challenges and you curse yourself for getting so easily provoked. Junghoon knows he is successful when you murmur a quiet, “Fuck it” and pull him by the collar and kiss him. Almost on cue, like those cheesy movies, the rain intensifies and he takes the opportunity to lower the umbrella.

The rain hits you almost at the same time your emotion and love for him does as he grips your waist pulling you closer to him. Rain pelts down your skin and into the kiss making it perfect and messy at the same time and a fleeting feeling engulfs your chest when you run your fingers through his damp hair as his body presses to yours.

When you part, droplets rest on his eyelashes and you breathe out, “Was that cliché enough for you?” “No,” a single answer and he is pulling you by your hand and kissing you again.

੭ㅤ𝅄ㅤ ꒰ PARK SEEUN ꒱

You clutch your head and groan as for the nth time you cannot get the equations right and what doesn’t help your headache is the familiar and awful cologne that infiltrates your nose.

“Park Seeun in the library, never thought I would see such a day,” you murmur softly but loud enough for the said boy to hear making him chuckle, “You already know it’s me without even looking up, obsessed with me now Y/n?”

“In your dreams, Park,” you scoff not bothering to look up at the smirk etching his face. Park Seeun and your rivalry has always been the talk of the school and even though the boy was perceived as a sweet person with a teasing edge you refused to give him that much credit. He is annoying.

“Do you need help with that?” his voice infiltrates your thoughts and you shake your head gritting out, “No.” “Of course not, because blankly staring at the copy helps a lot,” your head shoots up as soon as that sentence leaves his mouth as you glare at him.

“Shut up,” you warn him and he sits down on the table and looks directly into your eyes saying, “Make me.” A scoff leaves your face at his new-found method to annoy you and you roll your eyes as soon as you hear him say, “But I guess you can’t just like you can’t solve simple equations.”

Rage makes everything in the next moment a blur as you grip his collars, pull him down and say, “Don’t try to provoke me.” “What if I want to?” he whispers menacingly and you don’t even know what comes over you as you take a single glance at his lips. It was one moment of slipping but Seeun caught that and his eyes widened slowly.

As soon as he locks his eyes with you he gives a slow nod and that damn stupid smirk and your walls break as you press your lips to his. The kiss is messy, desperate and you would think full of hatred but Seeun’s pillow-like lips make you succumb to your senses as his hands gently grab yours caressing them.

It’s weird and familiar simultaneously, and you hate how much you love it and miss it when you break apart and your face grows hot just thinking about what you did moments ago. You look down as Seeun lightly coughs making you leave his collar abruptly and try to fix his crumpled shirt.

His hoarse voice interrupts your thoughts as you leave his collar, “Still need help on those equations?”

੭ㅤ𝅄ㅤ ꒰ JUNG YUJUN ꒱

Yujun is a very sweet and shy boy and you love that about him so much. But the occasional boosts of confidence he gets give him a new level of attractiveness you didn’t know he had before you witnessed it.

He is recording a video of his and Jinsik’s room for some daily vlog while you are lazing around in the bed waiting for him to finish up. For a while, you are patient till you start getting bored as he retakes it almost four times because he keeps messing up and giggles.

By the fifth take you get a very annoying idea, courtesy of spending time with Seeun, and as soon as Yujun starts the video and steadies the camera on the stand you walk by right in between him and the camera. A quiet laugh leaves your throat when you see him side-eyeing you mentally noting to cut that part out.

He keeps talking before you repeat your actions making him flabbergasted and to top it off you do it again after he keeps talking and carefully repeating his sentences for a retake. As soon as you do it for the third time, his hands wrap around your arms and pull you behind him.

You gasp lightly knowing you can never expect this kind of action from Yujun as he slowly turns to face you. “What are you trying baby?” he asks, voice low slightly hinting on the warning edge. Your eyes widen as you try to stutter out a proper sentence.

“Yujun the video,” you blink lightly looking at him and he shrugs saying, “I have to retake it anyway since a certain someone couldn’t stop walking at all, you want my attention that bad, love?”

The slight cocking of his eyebrows has you stuttering more as you try to keep your calm and reply, “Maybe, yes.” “Maybe later,” his breath fanning your face is suddenly gone as he distances himself and you stumble over nothing at the abrupt change.

“Want it now,” you exclaim as you extend your hand, pull him by the collar and press your lips to his. Taken by surprise, his eyes widen and before he can react you are leaving him breathless. A red hue streaks across his face making him stutter and blink in shock. You are not any better as you squeal in your hands lightly after your spontaneous action and he keeps looking at you with his round baby face.

Whether bold, confident Yujun or shy Yujun, both are a very dangerous species for your heart and you know it all too well now.

੭ㅤ𝅄ㅤ ꒰ HUNTER ꒱

A spray of water greets you as soon as you set foot in your garden making you whip your head towards the neighbour’s lawn. “What the,” your eyes widen as you see Hunter standing there with a water gun in his hands, and the same adorable smile etching his face. The same Hunter who was once shorter than the fence is now taller, the Hunter who left Thailand for Korea.

Before you can comprehend the situation the front gate of your house is opening and Hunter enters and asks, “’Sup loser?” Your breath feels heavier as you blink hoping you are not hallucinating in broad daylight. Hunter is here! In your garden! And puberty had hit him like a Mac truck.

“Hunter,” you breathe out after bouts of silence and he shrugs saying, “Missed me much?” Missed him? Missed him? You scoff at the question and pick up the water hose hitting him with the pipe and say, “Ya think?” A laugh leaves his lips and hits straight to your gut making all the feelings you tried to stash away float right back up.

You grab him by his collar and pull him close to you, having to look up since God knows how he became so tall. “How could you leave me like that? And before you refute one week's notice wasn’t enough. Do you know how much I have to update you on? All those school years? And- and- every other thing and it doesn’t help because your stupid face and laugh is engraved in my mind for four years you asshole, I hate you so much,” you breathe in deep as Hunter presses his mouth trying hard not to laugh.

You gasp saying, “You are laughing, you think this is a laughing matter?” and pull him down by the collar and glare at him. Hunter’s breath slows down as your faces come inches apart and for a moment you two stay quiet breaths mingling. You look up at him meeting his eyes which hold a hint of amusement and longing in them.

“Maybe yes,” he breathes out, eyes moving down to your lips and you waste no time pulling him in and locking your lips with his. And in that instant, he knew he was finally home.

੭ㅤ𝅄ㅤ ꒰ LEE YECHAN ꒱

You are so devastatingly in love with Yechan that you would cringe at yourself for being so infatuated. That would definitely explain though why you were staring at him like he discovered the earth is round while he is talking about his day.

Half-way through his habitual yapping you catch your attention drifting and shifting down to his whole attire. A few hours prior you had giggled and lightly teased him about wearing a formal suit because of the company dinner.

Now, you are cursing your old self for downplaying Yechan wearing a suit because goddamn he looked way too attractive in it. As much cliché as it sounds you do have a thing for men in suits. It just makes them way more attractive and Yechan isn’t an exception. He even had his sleeves rolled to his elbows and tie loose as soon as he came to his dorm and that wasn’t helping at all. The backdrop of his voice doesn’t help your case at all as your mind flutters away from the conversation and focuses on how plump and beautiful his lips look.

With every movement, you feel like shutting him up already and feel those lips on yours and your impatience gets the best of you when a small smile makes its way to his lips as he talks about some prank Seeun managed to pull. Before you doubt yourself you find yourself holding his collar and pulling him in.

Yechan is surprised as his lips meet yours messily while he is mid-talk and his eyes widen even more as he feels you kissing him. His mind shuts down and before he can react you are already pulling away. Heat creeps up your face as your brain finally pieces back together from the mush it was a few seconds ago.

Yechan is staring for a good amount of time before his brain processes and a red hue creeps up his neck and face. He giggles nervously as you hide your face in your hands groaning softly. But the moment is short-lived as Yechan softly pulls off your hands and places a soft kiss on your lips which you gratefully reciprocate.

ー☆ㅤㅤ [ ara's notes ] ㅤ੭𓂃 ㅤ idek why yechan was so hard to write, i had my fun with seeun's lol, junghoon is my fav ㅤ𓏧ㅤ library ㅤ xikers shelfㅤ navi

੭ 𝅄ㅤ ꒰ TAGLIST ꒱ ㅤ⏤ㅤ @haneagerr (beta) ㅤ𓏧ㅤ fill this or comment or ask to be added.

ㅤㅤ(ㅤㅤ© arafilez on tumblrㅤㅤ)

[cheenapri]

Transactional [Yandere Illumi Zoldyck x Reader]

Day ???

Summary: Illumi wants to get reacquainted with you after you escaped from him

Word Count: 3.9k

AN: Can we pretend it didn't take me half a year to finish this pls. This is also the last installment for Transactional, anything I write for Illumi in the future will be unrelated

Notes: yandere, kidnapping, gender neutral reader, unhealthy relationships, unbalanced power dynamics, mentions of past abuse, Illumi is not very nice, reader gets strangled

Day One Day Two + Three Day Four + Five

The cool night air felt nice against your skin. You take a deep breath, looking down at your feet as you continue walking. The song of the crickets was barely audible against the sound of honking cars and other city noises. You pull your jacket tighter against yourself to ease the faint anxiety that always ate away at you. 

You were returning to the motel you currently stayed at after finishing your last shift at your part-time job. Your job was nondescript, just like your disguise; an under-the-table job at a diner. It was perfect for a runaway such as you as it didn’t require IDs and paid in cash. You were offered the job by a sweet older woman you’d become friends with, her kindness extended as she had also given you a phone free of charge. It was an old model, but you were ecstatic nonetheless.

You felt stable as a pattern in your daily life began to form without unbearable dread scaring you into hopping onto the next bus and fleeing to another city. You hadn’t thought about his name quite as much but it never truly left your mind. The anxiety coupled with expectations of his long, sharp claws snatching you away at any moment slowly dissipated each time it failed to happen. 

You have learned to live again.

You were no longer going hungry for days at a time, stealing food and water just to evade starvation. You were no longer forced to sleep outside if you even could sleep, worried you were too exposed and he’d come to scoop you up in any minute. You no longer had to wear the same clothes for days on end, the rainwater being the only thing rinsing them and making them somewhat clean again.

Finding a serious buyer for the wedding ring he had given you was awfully difficult, from scammers who lied and told you it was a fake ring to almost getting robbed a few times. It was a good thing he told you how much it was worth that one time, casually spilling that he had spent one-hundred fifty-five million yen on it. As much as you wanted all of that cash, you had to settle with one million as you were becoming desperate and needed the funds to take care of yourself. 

After you were able to secure the money, you immediately got yourself a cheap motel room, some food, and some new clothes, using the rest of it to fund your travels. You never stayed at motels for long, making sure to stay on the road and get as far away from that evil man as you could. You honestly thought your escape would be fruitless, that he’d find and kill you almost immediately, but as days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, you wondered if he was even looking for you. Sure, you had drastically changed your appearance, but you were certain he wouldn’t need to look so hard to know it was you. 

To this day, you still wonder if you actually escaped or if he had willingly let you go. 

After weeks of begging and feigning passionate favors, you found yourself on yet another date with him — your last date with him. He had taken it upon himself to take you out whenever he felt you’d earned it, the requirements for earning it always seeming to change based on his mood. 

You felt like some kind of stress reliever, maybe that’s why he kept you around.

At least he hadn’t hurt you in a long while, or rather “disciplined” as he liked to call it. It was probably because you weren’t challenging his delusions anymore, allowing him to convince himself and others that you two were a normal, happy couple. He even began to trust you a bit, initially allowing you time out in the garden under Shiori’s supervision before allowing you to explore freely.

His family had warmed up to you as he’d said. Not in the sense that you all hung out and drank tea together, but rather in the sense that they either ignored you or treated you like you were a pet. They rarely ever refer to you by name if at all. Kikyo especially as she took it upon herself to “teach” you how to better serve her son. Her teachings were always mentally draining.

Kalluto was the most bearable Zoldyck. He wasn’t intimidating, overwhelmingly at least, he never said a word, and he never made any effort to hurt you. He only seemed curious at your existence, like you were some brand new undiscovered species. As long as he kept his distance when watching you, you had no issues with him.

Silva seemed to view you as a spectacle but never looked at you for more than a few seconds, Zeno even less. That was a guess, however, as you were too afraid to look either of them in the eye. They were aware of that and seemed to respect you since they avoided you as much as you avoided them, even if it was more so to preserve their eminence.

You hadn’t seen Milluki since the dinner, only hearing news of him from eavesdropping, and you thankfully hadn’t been forced to go back to the Zoldyck mansion for another agonizing family meal either. Shiori wasn’t as active in her role as your assigned butler, but your captor had been in his role as your “husband”. You got that skylight you wanted though it was at the price of your dignity. 

You shake your head before rubbing your temples, not wanting to let your mind wander to something that was long in the past. Picking your head back up, your speed quickens, carrying you inside the near-empty motel lobby and into the elevator. 

Your phone buzzes.

You fumble around in your pocket for it, pulling it out and tapping the message notification from your boss. It read: 

“I appreciate your hard work today. Your paycheck should come in tomorrow.”

The elevator shudders as it ascends, but your eyes remain fixed on your phone’s screen, the three little dots implying she had something more to say. 

“I know we haven’t known each other long, but I want you to know that I’m here if you ever need anything or need to talk to someone.”

You had never told anyone you’d stumbled across the truth about your situation, afraid they’d be endangered if that man found out about it. You didn’t need to, however, as your anxieties were written on your face clear as day despite your best efforts. 

You clutch the phone in your hands. This was all so unfair. You hold the very object that would allow you to communicate with your family, to call for help, but you’re unable to do so, his past threats towards your family a constant reminder every time you thought about calling them. 

You refuse to put anyone else in danger. 

The elevator dings as its doors open, revealing a dimly lit corridor before you. You slowly begin walking, your phone still open on your boss’ text message as you’re unsure of what to say. You desperately want someone to confide in, someone to tell your traumatizing story to, but you won’t do it at the cost of their life. Your thumb squeezes the power button, shutting the phone off and leaving you alone with your thoughts. 

As you reach the corner you must turn down to get to your room, you stop. It’s eerily silent. Your head hurts. You feel sick. 

Your phone buzzes again, echoing within the empty halls. 

“Maybe we can sit down and chat before you leave tomorrow if you’re comfortable?”

You continue and turn the corner, looking down at the text before turning the phone off once again and slipping it into your pocket, chalking up your sudden nausea to your recent thoughts about him.

You stop. Your room is at the end of the hall, you stand mere feet away from completing your recent daily routine and yet you’re unable to get yourself to move like you had many times before. 

It was simple: wake up, go to work, go “home”, go to sleep, rinse, repeat. However, your daily pattern never featured a strange man standing still as a statue right by your motel room door.

Your expression is almost as blank as his, you’re unable to react. You stare at him as he does at you, neither of you saying a word. His jaw ever so slightly clenched, his pointer finger twitching, his eyes unblinking. 

This headache will kill you before he does.

“Hey,” he greets, his voice an unfortunate familiarity. His tone is calm as always. Slowly, he inspects you from his spot, not commenting on your failure to greet him as he had “taught” you while he takes in your disguise. He hums to himself, quiet yet audible enough for you to hear. “I’m not a fan of the new look.”

His words were blunt, his eyes meeting your gaze once more. “You disappeared for a while.” He pauses momentarily and allows the tension to build as his stare remains fixated on you. “I thought someone else had gotten to you first.”

He wasn’t supposed to be here. Your mouth feels dry yet you swallow hard, the reality of the situation fully sinking in as you’re face-to-face with the one person you never wanted to see again: Illumi Zoldyck.

He’s angry, he has to be.

He was interfering with your plans. You were supposed to pack up and leave the motel tomorrow in search of another hiding spot to avoid this very event. How did he even find you after all this time? Your mind races as you think of all the possibilities. You know you didn’t leave any traces because you couldn’t leave any, all products were purchased in cash or discretely stolen, your face covered and head low at all times, and you never stayed in one spot for too long until recently. Maybe you’d gotten too comfortable? Unable to think logically, you slowly put your hands up in a defensive position, your body shifting as you take a step back.

“Don’t move.” He reaches out toward you — the space suddenly feels colder. Your body freezes as instructed despite the possibility of your freedom or even your life coming to an end. “You’ve run enough. Come here.”

You stay still, afraid to move let alone bridge the gap between the two of you. Illumi is static, still standing in his position with his arm outstretched to you. You’re like a deer in headlights, your face expressing nothing but pure terror to the man before you. Maybe you’ll turn invisible if you remain still enough…

“I won’t be so forgiving if I have to come to you,” Illumi threatens, a slight frown on his face.

What’s the difference if he’s going to torture and kill you either way? Wouldn’t it be better for him to be rough so you could die faster?

“Come here,” Illumi repeats once more, a much more commanding tone in his voice. You were in no position to test his patience. 

Tears begin stinging your eyes as reality sinks in even further, your heart burying itself into your stomach. With shaky legs, you take a slow step toward him. Your eyes dart from door to door hoping that if you stalled long enough, someone would come out and discover the two of you. Normally you wouldn’t wish anyone the misfortune of stumbling across Illumi, but your morals seem to dissipate now that you are being confronted. 

Illumi remains silent as you cautiously approach him, your eyes wide and your steps hesitant. Your fear grows stronger the closer you get to him. You flinch when he lowers his arm, your mind convinced that every movement he made was malicious. 

“You’ve been very busy, haven’t you?” Illumi asks sarcastically, the sarcasm in his voice is barely noticeable and the question almost seems legit. “You’ve caused me a lot of trouble, though that was your plan from the beginning.” 

He holds his hand out to you, the unspoken command for you to take it obvious. You hesitate, however, as past incidents of him crushing your hand as punishment resurface in your mind.  He’ll start by breaking your hands before breaking your legs and then finally breaking your neck, leaving you crumpled and gasping for air in the motel’s hallway. 

For a long moment, you didn’t move. “Give me your hand.” Illumi verbalized his command as his patience was running out. 

You’re visibly shaking, the tears in your eyes now overflowing. Slowly, you bring your trembling hand forth, cringing a few times as you envision yourself putting it in the mouth of a metal shredder. With your fate unavoidable, you place your hand in his, eyes shut tightly and head lowered as you mentally prepare for what’s to come. 

Silently, he takes hold of it with his other hand, pulling you closer to him. Illumi took note of your every reaction. The recoiling at his sudden movements, the shivering when his hand rubbed against yours, and, of course, your blatant anticipation of what he’ll do next.

His eyes move from your face to your fingers — narrowing slightly as the object he was looking for seems to be missing. He underestimated just how reckless you were, though the thought of you doing what he secretly dreaded was always possible.

He’s quiet, attention focused on your ring finger as if trying to manifest the symbol of your bond with him out of thin air. His anger was palpable. 

“Hm… you sold it,” he states, tone flat and expression unreadable. “How much?”

Your hand trembles, his itching to squeeze with intent to crush. You grumble your answer, voice timid as your eyes look off to the side. Before you could even react, his hand springs forth and grabs your jaw in a vice-like grip — his hold is dangerously close to your neck. Illumi forces your head up, his gaze meeting yours. 

He doesn’t say anything, only holding you in this unfortunate position. You let out a deep breath through your nose, your eyes shutting as you repeat yourself in a louder tone, “O-One million yen.”

Illumi abruptly releases his hold as if disgusted with you, his actions a stark contrast to your prediction of him immediately ripping your head off. He mentally repeats the number, his internal resentment battling over which to be more furious over: you being stupid enough to sell your binding to him, especially for such a low amount, and then using the cash to run away from him, or you being stupid enough to even think about selling your binding to him at all?

Ultimately, he chose both. 

Quietly, Illumi reaches into his pocket, eyes still trained on you as he retrieves the motel’s master key. He then turns to swiftly unlock your room’s door, stepping back and gesturing for you to head inside.

You don’t move, and the itch to run becomes more tempting. Seeing your hesitation, Illumi takes it upon himself to guide you inside, placing a hand on your lower back and practically shoving you into the room. Once the both of you are inside, he shuts and locks the door behind him with clear finality, watching as you back away and clumsily stumble onto the bed.

He doesn’t turn the lights on, the only light being from the moon’s glow through the window. He steadily moves toward you before stopping just shy of the window, the moonlight partially illuminating his features. He seemed less controlled, almost giving you a death stare in his own way. 

“Go on,” he says, a noticeable edge to his voice. His request was open-ended, its implication meaning anything. He wanted to see just how stupid you were. 

You scratch your head and think of thousands of ways to die at that very moment. If you’d gotten a gun from a shady seller, you could’ve made your unplanned interaction with Illumi short and messy — if you were even able to grab it. Maybe if you piss him off enough he’d deem you unworthy and side with his inner instincts, wasting no more time and snuffing the life out of you efficiently.

“You’re…” you start, ”You’re suffocating me. I just want to live.” Your arms wrap around you as you seek comfort in this unfortunate predicament. 

Illumi takes his time processing your weak excuse, the weight of his scrutiny becoming more and more unbearable with each passing second. He tilts his head, “You think you can live without me?”

“I can and I did for several months!” Your voice no longer felt weak. You shut your eyes as your deep-seated disdain for him builds even further within you — your mind no longer concerned about the possible repercussions. What more did you have to lose anyway?

“You weren’t living, you were surviving.” Illumi straightens his head. He allows time for his words to sink in as he takes in the sight of you again, his eyes flicking over your cheap hoodie, worn-out shoes, and tired, yet angry eyes. “The streets hadn’t been very good to you, I see.” His eyes move to make contact with yours. “You look a mess.”

“You’ve made me look worse!” You grit your teeth. Without thinking, all your pent-up anger was released at that very moment — the worst moment. “You’ve taken everything from me and you treat me like shit! You don’t know what love is! You’re horrible and I hate you!”

At that, he moved. The air around you shifted — a menacing, yet familiar energy you realized you hadn’t felt until now. You’ve provoked him, that much evident from the visible frown on his face and a slight furrowing of his brow.

“You talk too much.” He closes the distance between you and shoves you down onto the bed. Your breath hitches, your hands up defensively as you prepare to fight a battle you know you won’t win. 

His movements are deliberately slow as if the anticipation was intended to be its own form of punishment. You go to move backward, to relieve yourself — even momentarily — of his overwhelming presence, but he pushes you down again. The bed dips under his weight, his hands moving ever so slowly towards your neck. Knowing this wasn’t a bluff, you grab his wrists and try in vain to push them away.

You’re too weak. 

“You’re in no position to speak to me in such a manner. Here, I’ll show you.” His hands grip your neck with immense pressure, causing you to gasp and claw at his wrists. 

Illumi remains reasonably calm, externally at least, as he watches you struggle beneath him. “(Name),” he says. His grip loosened completely which allowed you to breathe. You continued coughing as you took in deep breaths but your sense of relief was quickly snatched away as his hands squeezed again. “(Name),” he calls again.

An overwhelming sense of dread embodies you as you realize that he is actually going to kill you. You’re unable to deny your survival instincts forcing you to fight back despite a smaller part of you reasoning that this was the happy ending you so desperately wanted. 

Illumi’s grip loosens once more, his gaze softens watching you spring back to life and greedily suck in oxygen. He relished in the control he lacked over you for so long. He wants something from you and you know that.

“I’m… sorry!” you manage to force out between breaths. You’re crying hysterically now, apologizing again and again as you don’t wish for your final moments to be as humiliating as this. 

“For what? What did you do this time, (Name)?” Illumi asks calmly, his fingers digging into your neck the more you try to pry them off. 

You hesitate despite the situation. You’re not sorry. You’re not sorry for a damn thing. Your lungs are burning though so you have no choice. “I’m… sorry for… run-running away…”

Illumi hums, his black eyes boring into you. “Running away wasn’t your only offense. What else have you done?”

Your head is spinning though you’re still able to breathe somewhat. You tap his wrist, a pathetic admittance of defeat. He doesn’t let go though.

“Please… get off me,” you beg. He ignores your pleas and keeps you pinned beneath him, his thumbs ready to press down on your windpipe at any given moment.

“You haven’t admitted all your wrongdoings. You haven’t fully apologized,” he states flatly. 

“I don’t-“ 

You’re cut off as he crushes your throat, his eyes narrowing. “You do.”

You’re beginning to panic again. You’re unable to rack your brain for whatever thing you’d done to warrant such an assault. 

Illumi could feel your pulse quickening. The temptation to squeeze just a bit more until it slows to a halt is overwhelming. He’s had you at his mercy before, but he had never thought of actually going through with it. His eyes are glued to you, taking in the drooping of your eyelids, the paleness of your skin, and how your body is relaxing. Even now as you’re being rightfully punished for daring to betray him, you still manage to humanize him – forcing him to feel something he was taught to suppress. 

He hated it. 

But he hated the way he hesitated even more.

Illumi releases your throat, and you spring back to life. You have no tears left to cry, only coughs and hoarse sobs as you replenish your oxygen. It was clear to Illumi that you were simply too stupid and stubborn to be sorry, and that it would be a waste of time to continue forcing disingenuous apologies out of you. 

That’s okay. You’ll come around. 

He slides off of you and fixes his clothes as if nothing had even happened. His calm, blank expression slipped back into place as he took in your small motel room. “This is what you’ve run to.” His voice carries a hint of mockery.

There was a lack of concern for your struggling figure on the bed, only disapproval as if you were acting. Your throat ached, and your head spun. Why were you still here?

“You’ve proven you are incapable of handling any ounce of freedom given to you. You cannot be trusted to make decisions on your own. You don’t know what’s good for you… that’s why you need me.”

He returns to the bed, standing over you once more. “Get up,” he says, “it’s time to go.”

Though you knew it was coming since death failed to, your heart sank at the thought of stepping foot in that wretched place once again. You let out a strangled sob, your limbs quaking as you force yourself up. 

“We have a lot of catching up to do, (Name).” Illumi places a not-so-comforting hand on your shoulder. “We have to ensure this incident won’t happen again.”

His subtle threat confirmed the plans he had in store for you. Your body refused to move as the realization that you were back at square one sunk in, but you forced yourself onto your wobbly legs as you were only delaying what was clearly inevitable. 

He wouldn’t forgive you – you knew that – and the treatment you’d receive would be much, much worse. 

[mm-lurking]

In His Eyes - Blade

A short drabble on assassin/businessman Blade being in love with his Mrs.

The study room is deadly quiet. Normally the space is filled with people of all sorts, playing Connect 4, making phone calls or getting yelled at by Blade. But today, there is a pin-drop silence with not a single soul in sight, except for the two figures on the sofa in the middle of the room. Blade is sitting in the centre of the couch with one hand holding his wine glass while the other one lies across the sofa top as he observes the other figure. His woman is sitting in between his legs resting her head on his chest as she snores softly, almost syncing with the deep breaths of the man who is watching her intently. Her hands lay loosely on his lap as she peacefully snoozes in the comfort of her man.

His eyes are filled with a tenderness none of his subordinates will ever have the right to see. The gentleness in his usually ablaze crimson eyes is one reserved for her and her only, especially in such moments of domestic solitude. A small smile spreads across his face as he swirls his wine absentmindedly and brings his free hand to rest on her waist. He wonders what she's dreaming about as she sleeps so contently in his arms.

It doesn’t take long before the door bursts open with his assistant’s voice flooding the room.

“Boss!”

He immediately clasps his mouth shut when he notices the mrs sleeping and the deadly glare Blade throws his way. The man on the sofa scowls as he feels her stir slightly in her sleep, softly squeezing her waist to assure her she can continue sleeping before turning to look at the assistant again.

In the pin drop silence of the room, Blade quietly issues his warning.

“Unless you want your tongue cut off next time, look before you speak."

The assistant nods hurriedly as beads of sweat roll down the side of his face and he bows before scurrying off. When the door closes shut, Blade looks back at her and kisses her head, smiling once again at the existence of his woman.

In a world of violence, murder and schemes, her pure heart was what he desperately needed. ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ ©mm-lurking 2024 do not copy, steal or reuse my work.