#i don’t fully know why but that caught me completely off guard lmao

[loderlied]

visual representation of me getting to the end of mtefil chapter 25

seriously like. at this i was like. wow that’s so sick

and then at this i was like. wow that is so fucking sick. squared. or something. i bit my finger

[cat3ch1sm]

🏹~ i have finally returned! however, i have lost quite a few followers unfortunately, lmao, which makes me unhappy because you all know i have been away due to health issues, and i did wind up in the hospital again:// however, many of you have stuck around and wished me well, and to those people, i really appreciate you and love you so much. <33

without further ado, here are some hxh headcanons to start us back up! enjoy <3

fluffy mostly except for Hisoka’s and maybe some parts of the other adult trio men, fem!reader

𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 <𝟑𝟑

ft. kurapika, leorio, hisoka, illumi, chrollo

♡❀˖⁺. ༶ 𝐤𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐤𝐚 ⋆˙⊹❀♡

『kurapika would take you to a beautiful restaurant where you first went out on a date and rent the whole place out just so you two could have the place to yourselves. he would wear his very best suit and jewelry and buy you any formal outfit you wanted so you could wear it for tonight. at the restaurant, he’d have the booth where you both sat all decked out in roses (he recruited killua and gon to help decorate, which at least gon was thrilled to do). he’ll order your favorite dish and let you order any dessert you want, while you’re sitting there wondering why he’s being so romantic. kurapika will go on and on about how stunning you look and reminisce about your first date with his face aglow, then getting distracted talking about how he felt when he first met you and talking about all of your good and bad memories together, detailing how much of a dark place he was in before meeting you. and how imagine him just reaching over and putting a rose in your hair all tender and shit, and brushing your hair from your face as he does. then he’ll get up from the booth sort of abruptly, probably, making you wonder where he’s going- at least until he kneels down in front of you, his eyes locked on yours. when Kurapika opens his mouth to speak, his voice is slightly quivery, but his words are absolute.

“my love… will you marry me?”

he’s visibly nervous, but kurapika doesn’t waver. and when you say yes with the biggest smile on your face, it’s like all the tension just evaporates from his body. he kind of pauses, like caught off guard that you said yes, and then he’ll just take you into his arms, dropping the ring on the floor as he does. Kurapika finally feels like he’s getting a new start and another family, and he absolutely could not be happier.』ღ

-ˏˋ♥̩͙♥̩̩̥͙♥̩̥̩ ⑅ 𝐥𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐨 ⑅ ♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙ˊˎ

✧*̥˚ does it fully on the spur of the moment. unlike kurapika, who meticulously planned every detail and got his ring specially engraved, leorio is not at all prepared for a proper proposal (whoa tongue twister). you two are probably just on a regular old date while he’s just completely lost thinking about how stunning you are, how perfect for him you are, and how much he just adores being around you, how you accept his flaws , and how you don’t judge him based on past decisions. leorio’s completely lost track of time while you’re just awkwardly sitting there wondering why he’s looking at you like that with shiny doe eyes and next thing he knows he’s on one knee, stumbling through his words, but you understand.

“look, i know this is kind of on a whim and i don’t have a ring or anything- i swear i’ll get one- but you make me really happy and you’d make me even happier if you’d marry me.”

you’re absolutely stunned into silence, gaping and heart pounding- but leorio isn’t having it. “look, will you say yes already, damn it?!”

you burst into laughter and manage a yes through your giggles as leorio realizes that was probably a completely inappropriate outburst given that he was trying to propose to you. to tell the truth, though, you really don’t mind. <33 *̥˚✧

┌──❀* 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐤𝐚 ❀*̥˚─┐

*＊✿❀ hisoka? proposing? yeah fucking right. but because i haven’t posted in a while and i owe it to you guys, i will let y’all be delusional for the time being and act like this is at all realistic./j

let me tell you that hisoka does not marry because he wants someone to love or because he genuinely loves you. he marries for possession. you two are probably not doing anything special, maybe just walking down the street or something when, let’s say you encounter an old friend who you haven’t seen in a while. obviously you’re happy to see them, so you ask hisoka to wait and you two just chat and are clearly having a good time catching up when hisoka abruptly cuts you off, telling your friend rather coldly that you both need to go. so you’re forced to say a rushed goodbye. later that night, you ask hisoka about what happened, and he tells you darkly that you were being overly “friendly” earlier ❀✿＊*

ᥫ᭡ the “proposal” will hardly be a question. hisoka also doesn’t bother with any sentiment. he simply realizes that he doesn’t want anyone else to touch you or be with you, sort of like that one time he got angry with illumi for saying that he would kill gon at the hunter exam, but not in a fighting way, in an actual possessive “love” type way. he tells you that you’ll simply have no choice but to marry him because it’s the only way he can keep you to himself. hisoka won’t care much whether you like it or not.

“mmm… now we can’t just have people coming up to you left and right, now, can we? you’ll just have to marry me, i suppose- it’ll be a surefire way to keep you all to myself, sweetheart.”

─•~❉᯽❉~��─ 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐦��� ─•~❉᯽❉~•─

♡̩̥̩♡̩̩̥͙♡̩͙ˊˎ﹤ illumi would be content to do the whole fancy date night thing and the get down on one knee bit purely because it’s tradition. he doesn’t really know how else to do it, and he refuses to consult his mother because she would never get off his case about it.

however, poor illumi who isn’t great with intimacy or social cues, just straight up asks you where you’d want to be if he were to propose to you. it just makes his intentions obvious, but you play along.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ at least illumi had the sense to surprise you with the ring instead of physically taking you to the jewelry store and having you pick out your own ring and ruining the surprise. it will absolutely, definitely be the most extravagant, expensive ring you’ve ever seen in your life.

💚⛪️illumi isn’t a romantic, so when the night is almost over, he’ll promptly get down and propose to you. there’s no long speech about all the things he loves about you or how you’d make him the happiest man in the world. it’s just simply,

“will you marry me?”

to be honest, it wouldn’t matter if you said yes or no, you’re marrying him regardless. illumi doesn’t really take no for an answer. 🪦📺

☆.｡.:* 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨 ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾

🕰💚📺🍀⛪️ chrollo may be the ruthless leader of the most feared group of murderous thieves in the world- but when it comes to romance, he just melts. with all the literature he reads, he can’t help but be a hopeless romantic- he believes in fairy tales, love at first sight, everything. so when he finally decides he wants to marry you, he doesn’t take it lightly- he plans literal months in advance.

chrollo will book a vacation spot for you two far away, where you two will be all alone in a cottage in a beautiful field filled with trees and other foliage. flowers are a classic but romantic way to show someone you love them, so this will be where he’ll propose. he’ll surprise you with the plane tickets one night, maybe just before bed, so you’ll have something to look forward to in the morning.

the day chrollo proposes will be the same date as the day you first met. that morning, you’ll wake up alone in your vacation cottage, wondering where chrollo went and why he didn’t inform you that he was going out. at first, you think maybe his duties as a spider called for him, but then you remember that he was the one who booked this vacation, and it would be highly unlikely he’d leave you for something like that. so now you’re even more perplexed- and it only adds to your confusion when you find a red dress on the nightstand beside the bed with a scribbled note telling you to wear it. it’s a new dress, one you’ve never seen before, so you assume chrollo must have gotten it for you.

after getting dressed, you step out the door, wondering if maybe you can find chrollo wandering in the field so where- it wasn’t uncommon for you to discover him alone in the mornings with a thoughtful expression on his face, staring into nothing. but you don’t see chrollo. instead, you almost step on a dark red rose- and as you move out of its way, you nearly step on a second one. confused, you finally look up and see a long trail of roses stretching all throughout the field from the door of the cottage. it’s a very irregular trail, the flowers zigzagging all over the place and only staying in straight lines for a little while. clearly, they were arranged there, waiting for you to follow them. so follow you did- the same trail of vibrant red roses throughout the whole field. while following the roses, you notice a growing number of pure white flowers surrounding the roses- petunias, daisies, lilies, and even white roses- creating such an obvious contrast you know for sure now chrollo has something planned. however, you can’t deny that the sight is absolutely stunning.

after much walking, you finally reach the end of the trail, at which sits a very tall, thick tree, white flowers flowing from its branches. at the foot of the tree is chrollo, standing there with his face aglow and in a white suit. behind him, clinging to the tree’s trunk is a ladder, nailed to the bark. when you ask what’s going on, chrollo simply asks you to follow him up the ladder. despite your apprehension about the stability of the ladder, you join him in climbing up, jokingly telling him that the dress he for you isn’t quite suited for tree-climbing. he tells you to just wait.

you two finally reach the top, and in the thick branches there is a gathering of vines- thick enough to hold you both. chrollo helps you into the bundle of plants; it’s almost like a bowl; and with a beaming smile he asks you to look out over the field you just crossed. wondering what in the world he is up to, you oblige- and finally see that the trail of roses you followed across the field spells out “will you marry me?”

when you turn back around in complete shock to stare at chrollo, he’s on one knee with a hopeful, genuine smile on his face, and he simply asks you the same question the roses spell out for you. needless to say, it’s a yes from you. 🍃🍂🌳🕸🪦

(i definitely went overboard with chrollo’s😭😭)

[babymilkawa]

Sorry if this has already been rone but- could I get Bakugou, Todoroki, Denki and Izuku (separately) with a non-binary s/o who’s quirk is based off of a hyena? They have splotches of lighter skintone on them, freckles, laugh like a hyena, have sharp teeth and eyes like them? And a tail + ears? S/o is really chaotic, they live by the motto “I’ll try anything once,” and are overall very likable yet funky? Extra points if the boys see them in their hero outfit (which is something a little showey💕

-🧸

this is rly interesting anon!!

hyena quirk headcanons with:

bakugou katsuki, todoroki shoto, midoriya izuku, kaminari denki

gn!reader :)

bakugou katsuki

so at first he was definitely ticked off by how different u were

tbh u kinda reminded him of Mina with ur personality

But he thought ur appearance was very cool

later on in ur relationship, you’d always feel him tracing the shapes of the splotches on ur skin, or softly scratching the space behind ur ears

he thought u looked so badass with those teeth though

u were wild but you weren’t careless

your attacks were precise and carefully planned during practice and he definitely noticed

even before u guys started dating, bakugou had already known almost everything about you just by observing

he noticed how your ears perked up easily

whether it’s excitement or during training

he loved watching how your pupils would dilate and how completely focused you’d look when on the battle field but if you’re just chilling?

your whole body is relaxed

oh and his favorite, favorite part is that if he teases you about things and you deny it, your tail will give it away

like your first kiss for example

he pulled away and with the smuggest grin he said, “not bad, right?”

you had rolled your eyes and looked away, unaware that the tip of your tail was rapidly moving side to side

Usually he’ll point you out

but after that kiss, he was dazed himself, so caught up on the feeling of ur lips, he didn’t even bother telling u that ur tail was betraying its owner

and the first time he saw ur hero costume? oh my g a w d man had to look away

cos damn what r u looking so good for 

literally has to slap himself when no one’s watching so he can focus on the task

todoroki shoto

so your personality is very different than his

knowing this, you sometimes try to catch him off guard by like fake pouncing on him 

but he never flinches or anything

never does

he prolly already knows ur planning this on the other side of the room smh

todoroki generally doesn’t have a playful side to him but when he’s noticing that you’re being more jumpy than usual he’ll join you cuz why not

but ofc it’s awkward at first

he doesn’t know how to have fun fun

he doesn’t understand ur impulsive decisions which happens a lot

for example, if you’ve accidentally had one sip of caffeine at 6 in the evening, you’re wide awake at 2 am and preparing to rearrange the furniture in ur dorm

he’s right below you, luckily, so he’ll hear all the noise and show up to ur dorm like “why?”

and you’ve got the same answer each time, “why not?”

he figures that he won’t be able to go back to sleep anyways so he helps you move the furniture

one thing that’s great is that he can instantly read your emotion or energy level from your tail

like if you’ve still got to move your night stand, but your tail is starting to droop, he’ll just drag you to bed

he’s tired too and he loves your cuddles even if ur ears tickle his chin a little excuse to be little spoon? I think yes

midoriya Izuku

your energy s c a r e s him sometimes

being ur partner during training will literally keep him fully alert, for you

but you’re a great partner, you can just be a little reckless sometimes

he soon learns that even if you dive right into the action, you don’t act without thinking

before you guys are even together, he’s already got your whole quirk analysis down in his notebook 

he’ll ask you questions about whether your tail gets in the way or whether your ears help during training and all

sometimes if you guys are just chilling, you’ll catch him staring at you

one day you ask him and he just goes like “no you just look really cool. I hope I'm not being weird though! I don’t mean to!”

“you’re my bf you can stare at me all you want Izuku”

one time, you were sitting down with your friends playing a card game and he was walking by behind you

but suddenly your tail just unconsciously swept the floor and he stepped on it, making you cry out in pain

he felt soooo bad

oml

doesn’t know how to help make it better so he just keeps on apologizing

if it was anybody else, you would’ve pounced on them but he looks genuinely guilty

so lets not make it worse :)

at first, seeing you smile would give him mixed emotions

like you’d go up to his face and flash your teeth and he’d start sweating buckets

you looked adorable don’t get me wrong

but you also looked a little...menacing

kinda like himiko

after a while he got used to it, knowing that you were a really kind person at heart

but since you can be a little wild and you like to have fun, you'll just graze his shoulder or neck with your skin to feel him shiver

you won’t put any pressure that’ll draw blood but it’s fun to hear him whimper 👀

the first time he saw ur hero costume, he start stuttering random nonsense lmAo

“y-y-y/n, wow, uhhh” sweat sweat sweat

yea he’s prolly not gonna get used to that hahHha

kaminari denki

this boy matches your energy

your always paired up with him during training cos you guys make the best team

like you’re there to keep him from making irrational decisions but you also ignite the fire and make sure the two of you make the most out of the time

even if you guys fail the mission sometime, you always come out laughing and developing new inside jokes

sometimes if you’re laughing, he’ll just turn to look at you with the biggest smile

and admires your tail wagging like a little pup and your teeth glistening under the ceiling lights

he is all up for your impulsive decision making

your #1 supporter

“oh? you wanna have fireworks in the field? me too! let’s go!”

pulls out 20 packs from under his bed

you two hold the best parties ever

and sometimes Iida gets on ur nerves but denki’s there to politely ask him to not be a party pooper and that the door is wide open 👀🚪

y’all get in trouble with Aizawa all the time 

like by now, he’s sick of y'all LMAOOO

someone told him that there’s a hole in the vending machine?

“y/n, Kaminari, come here”

but they weren’t even snitching on you two but it’s sooo obvious who did it hahaha

a lot of running around in the hallways and chasing each other

your so much faster than he is but he loves hearing your laugh echo the place

he clings on to you a lot cos ur soft

he’s usually the little spoon change my mind no u can't but when ur exhausted and all out of energy, he’s there to scratch your back or behind your ears, loving the way your tail wags in your sleep

you guys growl at each other

like playfully but it happens a lot

Midoriya walked in one time and lowk thought a fight was about to break down, tryna separate the two of you

you have an actual growl and a fake cute one, guess which one he likes ;))

a/n: aaah this was so fun to write!! thank you for requesting <33

bnha masterlist

[butwhatifidothis]

Just something I wanted to focus on here, since they'd be too long for the notes.

Throughout the fic, Edelgard has recruited a good few units - Sylvain, Ingrid, Marianne, and Lysithea - mostly through the idea of her viewing them as more than their Crests. A major problem with that, however, is something that’s been noted a couple times before but frankly is far more fatal to the fic than I might have made it seem.

Recall, again, Claude’s words to Edelgard in Chapter 29:

““I have to admit, grabbing Lysithea and Marianne really caught me off guard…the sole heirs to two of the six ruling houses of the Alliance. (<- wow just caught that lmao there's only five major houses of thee Roundtables) It’s a nice haul. And I’ve seen how chummy you’ve gotten with the Gautier and Galatea kids as well. ...  Oh, I’m not implying anything, Princess. I’m just, let’s say…impressed that you happened to forge such deep friendships with Ingrid and Marianne…instead of, oh…Leonie and Ashe? For someone who’s always talking about how they hate Crests and nobles, you seem to spend a lot of time-“”

Now, I’ve noted before that Claude is in fact fully in line with throwing this in Edelgard’s face - it’s her being blatantly hypocritical in her supposed beliefs and does heavily imply that her words are all just for show. At no point in the fic has she ever even attempted to even talk with commoners, let alone befriend them - the one sole exception is Dorothea, although even she has influence through being a diva and it should be noted that she was already in Edelgard's house beforehand. Like Claude said, no one like Leonie, who has absolutely no connections with anyone whatsoever.

The fic, of course, wants us to treat Claude’s words as uncalled for, incorrect, a view of Edelgard that he has that is warped, because we should know that Edelgard does in fact care for her friends as friends, not political tools.

But... why should we think that?

Why should we believe Edelgard’s words when she says that she sees Ingrid, Sylvain, Marianne, and Lysithea as more than their Crests? When the only people she’s ever talked to are the most vulnerable of the Crested nobles? Why doesn’t Edelgard try to befriend Felix? Lorenz? Annette? Mercedes? Hilda? Why doesn’t she talk with the commoners? Ashe, Leonie, Raphael, Ignatz? No, she befriends (as they have been depicted in this fic) the suicidal knight wanna-be, the self-hating conditionally-loved son, the suicidal religious outcast, and the dying candle. All heirs, all Crested, all emotionally unsteady, all ripe to be swept up by Edelgard’s words.

Not her actions. Her words. Because Edelgard has done nothing to prove that she didn’t pick them out because of their cool neat strong Crests and their cool neat powerful noble titles. She doesn’t personally console Ashe during Lonato - it was enough for her to distantly make sure he was kept away from Rhea, but she has absolutely nothing to do with the commoner afterwards, unlike Sylvain. She doesn’t help the commonfolk Remire survivors - Petra had to do that for her. She doesn’t mourn for Miklan’s victims for more than a couple lines - Miklan, the poor noble, is the true victim that should be given more attention than those victimized by him. She doesn’t get to know the four of them as people - she’s had no conversation with them that was just about them bonding and learning more about each other, all they do is trauma dump at each other. The commonfolk mean nothing to her, and her “friends” just seem like convenient check-boxes in her “have a foothold in [x] nation of Fodlan” checklist.

This is further emphasized by the fact that Sylvain and Ingrid, when they’re fighting, never use anything other than the Lance of Ruin and Luin. This completely fine in most other fics, but in one trying to say that “Crests don’t make anyone better!!” it sure is strange that these two always use a weapon that only they can use because they have Crests. No no no, Crests totally don’t make anyone better than anyone else, they just let you use incredibly powerful weapons and let you have heightened strength on top of being able to wield already powerful weapons - weapons whose power are often emphasized in this fic when used, mind. Same for the Sword of the Creator, really - Byleth totally isn’t better than her students just cuz she has the Crests of Flames, it’s just that her having that lets her use the single most powerful sword in all of Fodlan’s history. But Crests don’t make anyone better though, I promise.

So with all that in mind - the fact that Edelgard never talks with commoners, the fact that her only commoner friend is one of the most famous divas in Fodlan (or at minimum personally knows the most famous diva), the fact that all of the people outside of her house that she’s befriended are Crested nobles who are all heirs to their respective houses, the fact that all of these Crested nobles (in this fic) are incredibly emotionally vulnerable - it’s hard to overlook that maybe the four recruited Black Eagles... were emotionally manipulated into following Edelgard, their personal stories used to make them mindless loyal followers to the “only person” who can make their lives better, with her violent war (that she chose to declare as her first option without trying anything else beforehand) being the “only way” their lives can get better. That Claude is 100% right and Edelgard did specifically choose these four to “befriend” so that she can have fingers in the pies of Faerghus and Leicester.

Like, fuckin’ duh this wasn’t the intent of Cap’n, not by a long shot. But this is what happens when you completely ignore your story-building, your characters, and when you just carelessly write anything. Cap’n didn’t think about what it means that Edelgard only befriended 1) nobles 2) with Crests 3) with severe emotional instability 4) while completely ignoring commoners who (according to this fic) similarly have been negatively affected by the system she wants to destroy (Ashe only got fucked over, according to this fic, because the Church is so eeeeevil and forced Lonato to be a shitbag, but Ashe is barely present despite that). He just wanted Edelgard to hang out with his faves/make the Church look bad - who cares what he’s actually writing Edelgard do, the author says that Edelgard isn’t using them, and so she isn’t.

This is supposed to be a crucial component of the fic - that people with Crests are more than their Crests and are just like anyone else - but that’s starkly contrasted with Edelgard giving unique attention to people with Crests. Nobility going away is also something present in the fic, but again, Edelgard only personally talks to and helps nobles barring Dorothea, so that message is also obscured. Because of that, it’s really impossible to take what this fic is trying to say seriously when all that resounds in the back of my head is “Claude - and Dimitri, with Miklan - were completely right”

[emmys-grimoire]

Lesson 52 analysis + 53 predictions

Turning this into a routine thing now! They’re fun to write and they’re popular (moreso than my actual commentary posts lmao).

Y’all like my ramblings.

Things guessed correctly from prior lesson

The House of Lamentation was an illusion produced by the fairies

The arc culminated in the completion of the Trial of Patience (star received via Simeon)

The illusion did a number on Simeon's feelings as well due to his fondness for Lucifer and the brothers

They shoved Mammon and Luke off to the side and plopped them back in only after the Satan/Simeon arc was complete. There was no arc for Luke. To be fair, though, they did get more content than I expected even so.

Things guessed wrong

The banshee didn't show up at all. It was a red herring.

There was no significance to the geranium found in the mysterious book

Our adventure also completed the Trial of Generosity. (I incorrectly attributed this to Diavolo, who actually gave us the Star of Gratitude)

Still ???

Whether or not there is some kind of transfer of memories/experiences going on between the brothers' past selves and present selves due to our meddling in time. We've confirmed that past angel Beelzebub has turned into a glutton in between the time we last saw him and now, but we haven't confirmed if it *is* our meddling that has induced that. Currently, no change has manifested in the present brothers, nor has the timeline of events seemed to have significantly changed.

Whether or not present Lucifer becoming more "angelic" in season 2, in lieu of past angel Lucifer's growing doubt, will be a significant plot point. The parallels are getting stronger, though. (This is elaborated on further down)

It feels like 50/50? I’ll probably keep a list like this going for future analysis/prediction posts just so I can keep track of how right/mistaken I am throughout the playthrough. Might help me make less mistakes in my analysis!

As a general rule I try not to meander too far off into symbolism or out-of-game lore because what I write begins to sound like this:

And this is an otome game that is light on writing and plot. Nine times out of ten, it’s not going to be that deep. So I work with the details given and the plot points shown and try to draw connections within the framework of the story, in an attempt to try to deduce where the devs are taking the plot. Unfortunately for me, the devs like red herrings, and red herrings are designed to mislead you. With me, they are quite successful! I’d like to get better at spotting them.

The book was consequential -- it’s used to imprison Satan later -- but that’s the end of it’s meaning. Maybe the Bible verse had something to do with it, too -- those were some weird ass numbers to just throw in the title -- but maybe not. Either way, it doesn’t really matter. 

But enough of that, onwards! We have a lot of points to go over that may be interesting to note, right or not.

Satan the Memory Thief

Back in 50-B we learn that it was Michael who taught the brothers the stories behind the human world constellations. 

When we’re tossed back in time-dreamland (?) again, it is Satan who takes the opportunity to teach the brothers the human world constellations. The room had just been remodeled: Michael hasn’t had the opportunity to give them tours yet. Lucifer mosied into the room so he and the brothers can get the first glimpse.

Sooo if in a future lesson we ask them about where they learned the constellations in the present timeline and they say “oh a guy named Sully, who suspiciously looked just like Satan, taught us!” then we know our meddling is having significant consequences.

It IS worth noting that unlike the prior dream sequence, Satan and Simeon remember what they just went through. This particular time-dream could very well just be an illusion meant to give Satan/Simeon some kind of emotional resolution and nothing else. This is kind of why I hate that they’re bring time travel back into the story: it makes stuff like this confusing and borderline inconsistent. Some sequences may have effects and others may not. 

The chat between Lucifer and Simeon could also be consequential.

“Do you *really* mean that?”

There is a parallel at play here!

After you wake up after dozing off, you go off to find Lucifer and Simeon conversing in a forest clearing, evidently unaware that you’re eavesdropping on them. Simeon says although he knows it is just an illusion, that he was glad to see angel Lucy once more. Angel Lucy is predictably confused, and reassures Simeon that they’ll remain like this forever.

Simeon, of course, knows better. He tells Lucifer that he knows he’s been meeting with Diavolo and he’s having doubts about his place in the Celestial Realm -- and if things really will remain the same. Lucy is caught off guard, and starts to explain with some clear hesitation... and of course we pass out before we could hear his answer.

There’s creepy loud heartbeats when it fades out. Normally I associate them with tense, pivotal decisions -- but it could also just be related to us waking up and returning to reality.

If Simeon ends up being wrong -- and there will be real world consequences to this conversation -- they could be very significant consequences. We’re not sure if the conversation continues for a bit longer after we pass out, but Simeon already woke up before we come to.

Obviously the brothers still fell (they’re still demons in the present), but I wouldn’t underestimate the potential of a butterfly effect changing the circumstances of the Great Celestial War. I kind of hope they don’t do that, though, because they haven’t even begun to explain the present details of that event. We know only the broad strokes. Suddenly changing them to make the resolution between the demons and angels more smooth will feel really forced.

And that parallel I mentioned: Diavolo expresses similar worries and doubt in Lucifer’s conviction in season 2.

I have no doubt Lucifer actually means what he says to Diavolo, unlike his dialogue with Simeon, but Diavolo is aware of just how far Lucifer will go for the sake of his family -- and he’s probably #2 on the priority list, when push comes to shove. Lucifer forsaking the Celestial Realm for Lilith was the thing that brought him to Diavolo in the first place.

Of course, this lesson has Simeon suggesting that Diavolo’s influence on Lucifer was significant prior to all that unfolding, and it may have eventually happened regardless. It was only a matter of when, not how.

Still, Lucifer be writing checks he may not be able to cash. We also get this foreboding warning from Barbatos in Season 2:

As I’ve said before, the inevitable conflict the story was hinting to at this point doesn’t happen in Season 2. Lucifer isn’t forced to make a choice like this. The Night Dagger didn’t demand it.

I’ve also expressed my belief that Season 2 and Season 3 were likely written back-to-back due to the small window of time between their releases, so I believe details overlooked in Season 2 may suddenly become more relevant in Season 3.

It’s worth remembering Diavolo’s growing feelings for MC -- and Lucifer’s inner conflict about it -- were hinted at early in Season 2, as well. It doesn’t really get going until the conclusion of Season 2, leading into Season 3.

Do I have any clue of what this is actually leading up to? Not at all! If it mirrors Season 2′s format, though, it’ll suddenly come to a head in the last 3-5 lessons. I remember feeling equally clueless then, and Season 2 had a lot more foreshadowing...

... a lot of which actually didn’t pan out! But it might now. 

Guardian Angels

Another smaller, but interesting detail. Guardian Angels are indeed a thing.

I think they’re gonna become a thing soon. The devs very sneakily changed a small detail in Season 2, suggesting they might have realized that it may interfere with their plans for later seasons. 

Old version.

New version.

I’m thinking they may have decided giving Michael guardianship of an entire swath of the population was cheating, and they may be individualizing the role of Guardian Angels.

Which leads me to who I think Michael’s chosen human squeeze is:

My man has been scoping him out long before we came around.

It makes sense, too. We know Michael gave his Ring of Wisdom to Solomon, which seems to have kickstarted his career as a demon-pacting sorcerer (though he clearly was a sorcerer before this).

This is a very powerful item, described as the Ring of Light’s counterpart, that would be very useful for a high-ranking angel to possess. I don’t think Michael would fork it over to just anyone, particularly when we remember how he felt compelled to interrogate us via dream hi-jack before the Ring of Light fully came into our possession.

Solomon also makes Michael angst in a way a well-meaning but misbehaving child would make their parent angst:

Solomon also really doesn’t seem to regard Michael like some distant, all-powerful alien being who could smite him out of existence.

Contrast this with how he responds when he’s forced to hang out with Diavolo for a day (he gets more comfortable, but he initially wants to punt the responsibility back to Lucifer ASAP).

And he knows a surprising amount of small details about the guy:

I think Solomon is a significant part of Michael’s long-term plans, but he may not even be fully aware of how. Or he is, and they’re in some kind of mutually beneficial agreement -- possibly related to cross-realm peace -- that we simply haven’t been made aware of yet.

Personally, I think Simeon should be made MC’s ‘official’ Guardian Angel if they’re gonna be a thing with official mechanics behind them. I know Michael is supposed to be the Big Cheese and ridiculously hot, so it may make sense to have him linked to the MC of an otome game because they’re super special too, but Michael may already have Solomon. He shouldn’t get to hog everything. It’s not like assigning Simeon to do job would really inconvenience him, either: MC is Solomon’s apprentice. He can easily work with the arrangement.

Luke may feel left out but he’s a kid so...

Seven Brothers Constellation

We learn there’s a constellation representing the brothers in the Celestial Realm. Everyone there knows the legend, but Luke doesn’t know what the three stars ‘watching over them’ represent. 

He, Mammon, and Satan begin to theorize and Satan suggests they may represent the three realms. The other two like the idea, and Mammon insists the ‘human’ star represents MC. 

He’s probably right, but I’m willing to take it a step further: it represents MC, Diavolo, and Michael. The three “guardians” of their respective realms, and the brothers. Season 3 has been repeatedly beating us over the head with how much Michael still cares for the brothers and his relevance to their upbringing, and likely their future.

It bears repeating: Diavolo and Michael are aiming towards the same goal, though their visions of what peace and harmony looks like may be very different.

Solomon could also qualify as a self-appointed guardian, but I think he lacks the connection to the brothers MC obviously has.

Still, he has the same resolve, and he’s not leaving the story any time soon.

Predictions

I sniff out even the smallest Michael details because he’s clearly the key to whatever is gonna blow up.

This might give us some insight on how the initial dealings with him may unfold:

It’s hard to deduce just what this actually means. Either Michael tends to overthink things that just aren’t that deep (can empathize) and that in itself leads to needless complications, or he’s apt to misread situations and as a result gives poor advice. Or a combination of both.

My initial read on him makes me think that he thinks the best of humans/angels but the worst of demons. He is very, very complimentary towards MC as soon as they start answering his questions.

Am I now? Really?

It could just be the game making characters butter up the MC to make the game more enjoyable for the player of a self-insert character, but dude we just met.

When you tell him you did what you did out of love for Lucifer:

That’s a very telling pause/ellipsis. It’s like his brain momentarily short-circuits and he needs to regain his composure before he continues, and he still doesn’t sound entirely sure of what you just said lol

He also just outright admits he initially thought you must be wicked just because the brothers liked you, and this is a guy who is still fond of them himself. I think he’s having a very hard time with it.

So the inevitable bumps in the roads ahead with him will likely be a result of this, and/or his dad being an asshole. Neither he or Diavolo are actually in charge of the realms they’re overseeing -- they’re both de facto leaders -- so maybe the parents will suddenly barge in and try to knock over their sand castles for whatever reason. It is kind of weird that the exchange program has been agreed to in the first place, particularly on the Celestial Realm’s part.

Regardless, I have no clue what the next arc will be. I know we still have three trials left, but they could combine two again to leave more room for the actual storyline to progress. The climax is going to be the last trial of our sorcerer’s exam, or something happening afterwards. Not sure which one I’m willing to bet on yet: I remember Simeon’s play and the silly Blood Moon contest in Season 2 were what kept use preoccupied for Season 2 until SUDDENLY LUCIFER GETS AMNESIA AND THE WORLD IS IN DANGER AND WE HAVE TO STAB HIM TO SAVE EVERYONE. But they did heavily foreshadow that in the very beginning lol. They just didn’t fill in the blanks until much later.

I wonder what the trial of chastity is gonna be like and how hard we’ll actually fail and the game will need to overcompensate for that

[wndrcarol]

daddy’s favorite | ceo!c.d. | part 3

part one | part two

summary: working for your fathers company has its perks. But one of those perks is being able to gain connections.

a/n: okay this time I made sure to put the ‘keep reading’ tab bc it completely flew over my head adding it to pt.2 whoopsie. Alrighty, so this chapter we really start uh ,, getting into it 👀 some teasing bc why tf not

also! again, if you’d like to be added to the taglist for ‘daddy’s favorite’ then just let me know and I’ll be more than glad to add you!

au: CEO

pairings: Carol Danvers x F!Reader

other characters in chap.: Tony Stark (father)

warnings: nothing serious but some closeness ahem lmaO

———

Carol kept trying. Almost everyday it felt like. She would call your office, asking for info on the company to add to her records for the new deal and then would proceed to ask you out. Everytime you declined, even though you wanted to accept badly.

You thought if you kept her on edge about her asking you out, it would be a bit fun to just keep the confident blonde on her toes for a while. But, each time you fought with yourself to keep cool and not accept. But today was different.

Once again, Carol called asking for a certain file information to which you complied in giving to her. Then came her daily question.

“Still deciding on that date?” She asked through the phone as you smiled lightly, closing the paper folder infront of you. You could here her pen tapping on the table over the phone, anxiously waiting for your response, hoping today would be the day you’d say yes.

“I’ll go” you said, making Carol freeze. She didn’t know what to say next. She thought you’d give your answer of “I don’t know yet” or “things are so busy, I need more time” but she was stunned at your two words.

“You-“ she started, clearing her throat and composing herself before continuing, “you will?” She asked, feeling a bit giddy knowing you said yes.

“Yes, unless you don’t want me to anymore then-“ you said, smirking into the phone, playing along a bit more.

“No, no! Of course I do” she said, cutting you off as she felt a smile grow on her face. “Only took you a bit of time to say yes” she chuckled, smiling into the phone and playing with the phone cord. There she was, the smug Carol you partially began to adore.

“Doesn’t hurt to keep you on your toes” you smiled into your phone, unknowing to what Carol looked like.

“Well then, how about tomorrow night? I’ll pick you up from work” she said as you nodded your head before realizing she couldn’t see you.

“Sounds like a date” you chuckled, feeling the sensation of butterflies in your stomach slightly which caught you a bit off guard but enjoying the feeling at the same time.

“Alright, I’ll see you then” Carol said, smiling before placing the phone down and letting out a sigh of relief. Who knew a phone call could make a girl so happy?

-

The next day, Carol had called saying she’d be picking you up right from work which you didn’t mind but would have liked time to change into something better to go out in instead of your work clothes.

You decided against telling your father that you were going on a date with Carol. You knew what his reaction would be to hearing his daughter go out with his new business partner and it wouldn’t be pretty. Plus, he didn’t need to know everything that happened in your private life so there was no harm in keeping it under wraps.

Packing up your things and placing them into your bag, you began to put on your jacket when you heard a knock at your door.

Looking up, you saw your dad as he smiled at you before leaning against the doorway. He gave you an apologetic look and you groaned, stopping your actions, knowing what that look meant.

“I really hate to do this to you” he said, pulling out a stack of paper from behind his back and stretching it out towards you.

“Can’t I do it tomorrow?” You asked, walking slowly towards him, hesitant to take the pile of papers.

“These have to be finalized and in the system by tonight. I’m sorry, I should’ve told you earlier” he said as you sighed, grabbing the stack and turning around, placing them onto your desk.

“That would’ve been nice” you groaned out, beginning to take your jacket off.

“Did you have plans tonight?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at you as you walked around your desk, shaking your head and looking up at him.

“No, just was going to go home and watch movies” you said, lying through your teeth, praying he’d buy it. You were a pretty bad liar at times so this was one time you hoped you seemed convincing at least.

Your father looked you up and down before shrugging and giving you an apologetic look. “Well, this would be more eventful then binging a show in one night, right?” He said before getting interrupted by his phone ringing.

Picking it up and stepping out the room quickly, you sat down with a sigh. Now you had to call Carol and change the plans which you really didn’t want to do. You were excited for tonight, hopefully to get to know her better but the universe had other plans in store.

Your father stepped back in, putting his phone away and buttoning his jacket up. “I have to go. I’m meeting with someone over dinner for another deal” he said, looking at you apologetically once more. He walked over to you and pressed a small kiss on your head before walking back over to the door.

“I’m sorry again. Call me if you need anything, okay?” He said as you nodded, waving at him to leave. Letting out a sigh once you were alone, you picked up your phone and dialed Carol’s number, feeling bad to even tell her the change of plans.

“A little eager aren’t we” Carol picked up, a small smirk on her face as you chuckled lightly into the phone and she immediately knew your tone was off.

“Um, I don’t think I can make it. I have to finish up these reports by tonight and I know it’s going to take forever. I’m sorry” you said quickly, wanting to get over with telling her when you were met with silence through the phone.

“Hello?” You asked after a couple seconds, checking to see if you had been disconnected before you heard Carol speak.

“I’ll just come to you” she said, managing a small smile while feeling a bit sad that she couldn’t take you out.

“Are you sure?” You asked, feeling a bit hopeful knowing she suggested coming to your work but not fully feeling excited as you don’t want to jinx it.

“Of course! I’m going to let you reschedule when you just said yes to me” she chuckled which made you let out a small giggle over the phone as you began playing with the phone cord.

“Alright, sounds good then” you said as she nodded, smiling into the phone, feeling that giddy feeling again.

“Is pizza okay? I’ll pick some up on the way there” she asked, beginning to put things away on her desk with her free hand.

“Pizza is perfect” you said as she nodded, closing her drawer before standing up and grabbing her bag, holding the phone with the support of her shoulder.

“Alright, I’ll see you soon” she continued to smile before grabbing the phone with her hand and placing it down onto the receiver.

Placing your phone down, your smile still was on your face and you knew it wouldn’t be wiped off. Getting right into work, you made it your goal to get as much done as you could before Carol came.

-

Rubbing your hands over your face, you let out a sigh as you finally were able to relax a bit after inputting each page into the system online. Moving your hands away, you looked at your watch which read 5:45p. You had been at this for at least two hours and it also meant it’s been two hours since you had called Carol.

Hearing a knock at your door startled you as you turned to see Carol there with a small take out pizza box and a small smile on her face. “Sorry for the wait, the line at the place was long” she said, coming close and placing the box on the desk before standing up and shaking your head at her lightly. 

“Plus, I wanted to give you some time to work since it sounded it was going to be stressful” she said, looking around your desk and seeing all these pages around your desk. “Which I guessed right” she chuckled as you laughed along, gathering the papers and stacking them up nicely.

“Don’t worry about it. I got a pretty good dent in” you smiled at her before looking down, realizing you both needed plates. Excusing yourself, you made your way to the break room, looking in the cabinets for plates and two water bottles for you both before taking them back to your office. 

“Here you go” you said, handing Carol a plate and water bottle to which she said a small “thank you” as you sat down, taking a piece of pizza.

Taking a bite, you looked up at Carol who already had her eyes on you. Raising an eyebrow at her, you swallowed your food before shrugging at her.

“What?” you asked as she chuckled, picking up her napkin and wiping a bit of grease that had dripped onto your chin. 

Her movements were soft on your face and it made your heart feel as though it fluttered in your chest as you watched her hand. Pulling her hand back she smiled at you.

“Just had something on your face” she said before taking a bite of her slice. You sat there a bit dumbfounded before composing yourself and taking a drink from your water bottle as she began to look around your office a bit, getting a sense as to who you were before looking back at you.

“Thanks” you said, as she nodded, taking another bite of her pizza while continuing to look a you. You both sat in silence but it was nice. You’d say a couple words here and there, mainly about your day but it was comforting to have her there with you.

While finishing up her slice, she continued to look around your room, studying it. Studying and looking at every photo on the wall, things on shelves. Carol couldn’t help but smile when she saw photos of you being silly or smiling wide in some. She couldn’t help but think of how cute you looked in them.

Her eyes landed on one of your shelves and she couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. Placing her plate down, she got up and picked up the Magic 8 Ball that sat on your shelf before turning to you, holding it in her hands. She raised an eyebrow at you as you chuckled. Carol used to have one and would always use it so seeing it in your office just brought back memories.

“That’s my luck charm, I’ve had it since...forever” you said, watching her as she shook it, turning it over to read the answer before frowning. Wonder what she asked it.

“Helps me make big decisions. You should invest in one” you joked, smiling at her before getting up and walking over to her.

“Did you ask it about this date?” she quirked, looking at you with a raised eyebrow. You chuckled, taking the ball from her and shaking it, turning it over to see the triangle showing ‘yes’. 

Turning it to Carol, you smiled at her and nodded your head. “But of course, doesn’t hurt to go against the oracle at times” you said, placing it back into her hand. Your fingers brushed hers lightly which made Carol shiver lightly as she looked up at you.

“Is that so?” she looked up at you before turning to place it back on the shelf in its rightful place.

“Didn’t hurt to keep you on your toes for while. I think you’d understand that” you said as she turned back to look at you, a small smirk evident on both your faces but hers read out a different meaning making yours to wipe off your face quickly.

Your confidence quickly went away as you watched her movements. She moved her hand from the magic 8 ball on your shelf before walking over close to you. You moved back until you felt the desk behind you, making you stop.

“You know it’s not nice to lead people on” she said, leaning you against your desk as her body moved closer to yours. You felt your breath hitch in your throat as you looked at her. All of a sudden, you felt hot. Like you were burning up from the inside. 

Her hand made its way to your lower back, supporting you while her other hand moved up to push away a piece of stray hair. Your mind was trying to register all the different sensations you were feeling. From her soft touch on your face to the hand on your back, your head felt fuzzy from it running a mile a minute

Leaning close to your ear, you could feel her breath against your skin and you closed your eyes, feeling soothed and aroused at the same time by the sensation.

“Especially people who really want a chance” she said, placing a small kiss below your ear lobe, making you sigh lightly as she pulled back, looking at you and smirking.

“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” She said, moving her hand to caress your cheek before completely pulling away from you and began getting ready to leave like nothing happened.

You stayed in the same position, stunned as she put her jacket on and grabbed her bag before turning to you, her smirk still on her face.

“I’ll call you tomorrow” she winked before walking out your office and down the hall. You looked around, still stunned as you sat down on your desk. What the fuck just happened?

———

taglist: @marvelbbyx @mynameispurple @sat-yrr

feedback is appreciated!

[ratinthedeadhouse]

Forbidden Love

My heart is devoted to the one I shouldn’t love...

Fyodor x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Trying to keep it fluff.

"... A demon you say?" You question with hesitation, pale face bearing a frown as you try to put all the puzzles together. "That man is the super ability user and a terrorist that Yokohama is so desperate to catch? The very man, I spent countless evenings going to museums and libraries with? The very man with his astonishing diamond brain had helped me solve several murder cases?"

Silence settled between you and other Special Division Forces agents who glared at you with fear or utter confusion.

Nobody knew of your accidental connection with Fyodor Dostoevsky, or simply known as Demon Fyodor, and it sure was a surprise to you when your (e/c) eyes noticed a familiar face on all the screens and papers in the office with a screaming title: 'Wanted Criminal. Terrorist. Fyodor Dostoevsky. Highest rank ability user. Ability unknown.'

You honestly had no idea who the mysterious slender man was when you first met him at the museum. He looked charmingly tired, sharp purple eyes looked deeply into your soul while you both stood, rather awkwardly, near a woodblock painting that depicted the suffering of young children and women. Their weak bodies engulfed by flames, others were drowning in the peaceful veil of water. Despite the horrible scenario the colours united in harmony making you both stare at it for longer than you should have.

"The choice of the colour pallet... It mocks their suffering" you stated after a while, rather talking to yourself but hoping, subconsciously, that a curious stranger with a funny white hat would respond to your comment. To your amusement he did.

"Mhm," he nodded at first, pinching his chin like philosophers do while thinking and then slowly added: "Maybe the painter wanted to tell us that not all sufferings are recognizable at first glance. I noticed when walking up to the painting, the bright colours made me think of happiness and kindness, however, now that we stand closer to it we see that their very souls are in terrible agony" Fyodor's voice was soft like moonlight rays with a gentle touch of a foreign accent.

"I suppose... It depicts life itself. We never know how much one suffers due to the façade they’re putting" you said with a sad smile. At this very moment you looked delightful, Fyodor found a strange pleasure in watching your serious face merging into a saddened frown. And oh, he did it on purpose. He could've chosen a less explicit interpretation of the absurd painting but in his calculated mind he knew that this version would strike you the most... And he was right.

You still didn't move from the tiny painting, twirling a strand of your silky, (h/c) hair around your finger, beautiful eyes glued to the painting but your thoughts wandered far away. 

It took one glance from Fyodor to understand your entire being, no matter how complicated you think of yourself - to him you are an open book, and he could not resist the urge to live the faint mark on one of those innocent, white pages. 

“I apologize if my interpretations upset you, miss...” started Fyodor with a polite smile curving upon his frail face, but was interrupted by your sudden enthusiastic reply:

“Oh, please don’t apologize. One is a fool if they are not moved or hurt by art” your voice was gentle and soft and Fyodor couldn’t help but love your words. 

Perhaps you two were more similar than he thought at first. In any case, enchanted by your watchful careful eyes, your smile and graceful movements of your hands, your speech and voice - he couldn’t just let you go like that, out of his sight. 

A man tilted his head sideways a little, looking pleasantly amused, letting his dark locks fall upon his cheek, gently. “It seems that I found a charming lady who shares a similar view on things with me” something bittersweet hid in his words but it didn’t matter to you. 

With a small, delightful laugh you move your right hand forward: “My name is, (y/n). A pleasure to meet you” 

Expecting a handshake you watched as the man in a long dark cape came closer, gently grabbed your pale small hand and softly kissed the back of your hand;

“A beautiful name for a beautiful lady” he murmured watching how your pupils dilate. “My name is Fyodor. Would you agree to spend the rest of the evening in my company?”

Walking around with a stranger whom you’ve just met seemed like a ridiculous idea... But you felt safe around him, although his eyes were dark as a bottomless well, you agreed but made a promise to yourself to stay on guard. However, he cast away all your suspicions in just a few hours. 

You became good friends, discussing ancient Myths and modern poetry embarked on philosophical journeys sitting in the dim corner of the library simply enjoying the presence of each other. He even played his cello for you under the mocking bright moon. His words and the depths of thought sometimes caught you off guard however, you were able to track his line of thoughts and in return challenged him with your endless and charming affection. 

Fyodor never learnt what the word love truly meant. He could explain its psychological and physiological effect but never experienced it himself. He was in absolute control over his feelings and that is why he felt confused when you would meet him with a bright, loving smile that changed into a slightly concerned frown when you noticed dark eye-bags on his face. Why did you notice it? Why did you care? Who gave you the power to capture his heart so suddenly and so... wrongly? 

For the first time in a long while, Dostoevsky felt as if he made a dreadful mistake. At first, he thought of you as a pawn. Easy to move and easy to get rid of. But you reminded him of himself... yet you were so much better! Despite your intellect and wittiness, you had a warm, loving heart, that even accepted a demon like him. It all changed when you finally opened up to him about your placement of work. That’s when he realised how forbidden your relationship would be. Soon you would find out anyway about his identity, his goals and... it would wound you. Deeply. 

Soon he stopped coming to the museum where you two would usually meet. You remember that day. You took his favourite tea from the shop and held it in your cold hands while the hot drink burnt your fingers. 

‘He will never come again’

You felt as if you lost a piece of your heart. But you never cried about it and kept all the memories of the mysterious man named Fyodor close to your heart, or rather what was left of your heart. 

But now it all makes sense. The puzzle is complete. You stand in the room full of your colleagues who proceed to glare at you in silent amusement and your heart leapt in ecstasy. The adrenaline rushed through your blood as your cheeks turned red - you felt like the main character of your own story, engaged in a forbidden relationship with the demon himself. 

You didn’t care about the consequences but on entering the Special Prison for the restrained Ability Users, shadows of doubt crept within your heart. 

“Please wait here, ma’am. You sure you want to interrogate him?”

“Yes” 

“In terms of emergency, we won’t be able to assist you immediately... ” 

“I understand”

The heavy door was shut behind you, a metal desk was drilled into the floor and so were the chairs. No windows - just solid rock walls that reminded you of a medieval dungeon, except there were no cracks at all. Finally, you heard footsteps and another door before you was opened. 

“Good afternoon, Fyodor,” you said in a strict tone trying to hide your excitement as much as you could. 

His lilac eyes widened in surprise, thin lips parted as he watched you right there before him. In his head, he tried to process why you came out of your way to see him? Did he not abandon you back then? Did you not realise what a hateful creature he was? 

“(Y/n)... Why are you here?” he questioned curiously. 

You were now completely alone in the interrogation - underground cell. He watched you come closer to him with a soft smile looking with kindness into his soulless eyes... 

“Why, you ask? Because I love you. That is the only concept you failed to fully understand. Monsters have hearts as well, they just need to learn how to love” words fell softly from your rosy lips while Fyodor closed his eyes and chuckled to himself. 

“Talking to you is pure joy (y/n)! Love is the ultimate atonement of all human sins. Even a Devil needs someone to love him at the end of his immortal life...“

“... Angels did fight for Faust’s soul at the end, despite all his reckless deeds” you added referencing the work of a German poet, Goethe. 

Fyodor sighed. He reached his slender cold hand towards you and you grabbed it without hesitation. 

“Will you be... my angel, (y/n)?”

You nodded raising your bright eyes at him. A soft kiss was placed upon your forehead before he hugged you letting you bury your face in his shoulder. You were like a blooming flower in his deadly grip... but he would never hurt you. Ever. 

People say the forbidden fruit is sweet... But is it so for the forbidden love that burns like fire?

 lmao part 2 is gonna be saddddd (if I get the motivation to even write it) 

[deimosatellite]

.....arthuralex, angst 4 👀

"Why are you lying to me?"

this took me so long to get to bestie but oh boy JLDSKF

so this takes place right before arthur and ash's last fight so uhh take this as you will its Very Sad LMAO

Alex found Arthur just where he'd expected him--hands stuffed in his pockets with murderous intent in his eyes, just outside the back of the abandoned train station. It took a second for Arthur to be alerted by his presence, which surprised Alex, as even the slightest of noises would make the blonde jump. He seemed to be very, very deep in thought.

"What do you want," Arthur said, and it wasn't a question. For a moment, he didn't even look up as the brunette neared, of course not getting too close.

"I don't know," Alex replied, from the bottom of his rapidly beating heart. The brunette hesitated slightly before leaning against the dirty wall next to the blonde, who in turn finally looked up at him.

His expression was hurt. It caught Alex completely off guard, and he couldn't even hide his own reaction for a moment, the pang in his chest only worsening. He knew there was no way out of this, he knew Arthur would never back down, and he damn well knew Ash wouldn't leave without Arthur's blood on his hands, out of obligation to his former best friend rather than anything else.

"You can still back out, Arthur. You can--"

"Fuck off," Arthur cut him off, looking back away quickly. Alex opened his mouth to retort quickly, but noticing the trembling in Arthur's thin shoulders made him stop.

He was fucking terrified.

"I can talk to Ash. You don't have to do this, Arthur. He's going to kill you," Alex found himself almost pleading with the blonde, but Arthur didn't reply as his shoulders only raised in response.

"Please, just--don't die for nothing," Alex finally added, feeling as it the last words took all the breath out of his lungs.

"For nothing?" Arthur finally spoke up again, repeating Alex. The blonde stepped away from the wall for a moment, finally turning almost languidly to fix Alex with a stare of absolute hatred. The brunette shivered.

"You know what would be for nothing? If I just walked away from this. All of what I've gone through--all those years of abuse, my life being fucking stolen from me when I was a damn child-- will have been for nothing."

"So you're fine with just doing the same to Ash then?" Alex retorted quickly, feeling his face start to heat up at Arthur's attitude toward the younger. Arthur actually seemed to mull this over for a second, perhaps fully taking in the bloodlust he was feeling, or maybe--just maybe--actually considering it. But then, the blonde straightened up, blue eyes flashing in utmost defiance at Alex as he declared--

"I have to."

In a swift movement, Alex had grabbed Arthur by the shirt and practically slammed him against the brick wall, and to his biggest surprise Arthur didn't even resist.

"Listen, please, Arthur, goddammit. I don't want you to die, fuck. I don't--" A crack in Alex's voice stopped his sentence midway, and the tears surfaced all at once. He didn't care. Arthur's eyes were wide, owlish even, as his expression and his entire body-- just deflated. And then the blonde spoke up again.

"Why are you lying to me?" Arthur's voice was terrifyingly quiet, shaking. Alex was caught completely off guard by Arthur's total change in composure, and his heart broke just a little bit more. Alex almost involuntarily loosened his grip, but the blonde didn't move an inch, having gone completely limp to Alex's touch.

"I can't lie to you, Arthur. I still love you. I always have, and--I think I always will," Alex finally choked out, the distrust in Arthur's cold gaze making him want to fucking sob, but he held his ground.

"Then why did you abandon me, just like everyone else?" Arthur finally looked away from Alex's eyes, something akin to shame overtaking his features. For a moment, Alex thought back to who Arthur was before--just a young boy, like himself, trying to find purpose in the mess known as life. All the times they had held hands, talked in hushed tones in the middle of the night, shared their deepest secrets out on rickety fire escapes--all came rushing back to him.

Alex wanted that back. He wanted his Arthur back. But, as Arthur finally looked back at him, nothing but dead eyes boring into his own, Alex knew he was gone.

"You know why," Alex replied, and he knew Arthur understood.

So, twin hearts beating rapidly, tear-filled eyes holding each other like the arms they once held each other with-- Alex closed the gap one last time, Arthur bringing his hands up to gently cradle the brunette's face. It wasn't a gentle kiss by any means, the last years of frustrations and heartbreaks and goodbyes all combined into one, desperate kiss. A final goodbye.

As they finally broke apart and Alex let go of Arthur, taking a few steps backward for good measure, Arthur's expression was nothing short of lost. Alex wanted to hold him once again, to tell him things were going to be okay--it was obvious Arthur knew he was heading to his death--but he couldn't bring his feet to move. Arthur didn't say anything, seeming to have nothing else to tell Alex, the brunette supposed. His eyes only said I'm scared, I'm scared, I don't want to die--, but Alex knew there was nothing he could do.

Ash was going to kill him.

So, turning away one last time, Alex told that to Arthur over his shoulder before he left swiftly, not wanting to see the carnage. Perhaps a final plea to turn away, perhaps a warning--but he knew it was falling on deaf ears.

"Ash is going to kill you."

[lazysublimeengineer]

You’re my Gofer!

Summary: One shot sequel to crystal clear.

Takemichi’s brain short circuited at the sight that greeted his eyes.

When Akashi mentioned to him yesterday that he should be prepared, he wasn’t expecting this kind of surprise.

Characters: Takemichi H. Draken R. & Senju K.

Takemichi swallowed thickly and clenched his fists as he watched the growing tension between Draken, Akashi and Senju.

While he understood and appreciated Draken’s overprotectiveness and not wanting to involve him in the world of delinquency again, Takemichi also realized that joining the Brahman will make him reached his goal faster of defeating Mikey and preventing him of going down the path of the terrible ending that was waiting for him in the future.

He can’t be indecisive now.

‘If I don’t make any decisions now, then nothing will change!’ Takemichi thought firmly.

“Draken-kun. I’ll join Brahman!” He announced resolutely.

“Huh?!” Draken looked taken aback by his decision.

Draken just took a one look at his face and he knew that he can’t really stop Takemichi no matter what he does. He’s just as stubborn as Mikey. Or even more so. This was what he actually fears when Takemichi knew everything. Takemichi will join the fray regardless if its dangerous or not. He knew that Takemichi was an adult that can make his own decisions but fuck, he didn’t want him to risk his life for Mikey or anyone of them ever again.

There’s a great future waiting for him back there but he still chose to go back here into the past to fix everything. Again. He just hoped that it’ll be all worth it in the end.

“Draken… As much as Brahman wants to stop Kantou Manji Gang…”

Akashi’s voice cut off his racing thoughts and looked pensively on the ground. “There’s no way we want to fight Mikey.”

“That’s why we need both of you, the very people whom Mikey trusts. Facing him without getting in a fight would be for the best. Please understand.” Akashi replied seriously.

Draken pondered over his words.

The pelting of the raindrops from the above had ceased and the sky grew clearer afterwards. It didn’t go unnoticed by Senju who moved his umbrella from the side and stared up at the sky.

“Oh, it stopped raining.” There was a certain look into his eyes as he stared up at the small puffs of white clouds that’s beginning to show itself. Funny, how the sky grew clearer and the weather became calmer after Takemichi had accepted their offer of joining their gang.

Was he a secret weather magician too? Takemichi could spread his sunshine and brightness even to the gray clouds beyond them. A slight curved of his lips turned upwards at the mere thought.

Draken sighed in defeat as he looked over at Takemichi’s determined face. “Well, that’s Takemitchy for ya. Keep in mind that the only reason we’re cooperating with Brahman is because of our aligning goals.” He said firmly.

“…Got it.” Takemichi replied.

“Don’t you forget about that. Welcome to Brahman, Takemitchy.” Draken smiled at him and offered his hand in front of him.

Takemichi took his hand, enveloping it in a gentle yet firm handshake. “I will definitely bring Mikey back!”

Draken could feel the callouses on his hands, a sign of the hardships that he already went through in saving all of them. And yet he could also sensed the warm sincerity beneath them, engulfing him in a state of reassurance and trust. He may have to risk again in putting of his faith in Takemichi. And that’s the one thing that he won’t hesitate in doing so now.

If there’s one thing that Takemichi’s well known of, it’s his keeping and fulfilling his promises to them and not giving up.

Draken shook back his hand firmly and smiled warmly at him. This was one of the rarest times when he can put his walls down and expressed what he actually felt for the other.

“Alrighty! I’ve decided.”

Senju’s sudden cheerful voice broke the fragile moment between the two of them and Draken resisted the urge to twitch his eyes and sigh in annoyance.

What a great timing.

Takemichi pulled his hand away from Draken and turned around, seeing an offered umbrella to his direction by Senju. He casually accepted it with a bewildered expression on his face.

“An umbrella?” He blinked a few times.

“From now on… You’re my gofer!” Senju announced happily.

“Huh?” Takemichi looked taken aback, but he wasn’t sure if it’s from Senju’s words or the cheerful expression on his face. It was strange seeing the happy look and cheerful smile painted on his face since his usual default of facial expression was mostly blank and serious. But he couldn’t deny that it made his seraphic features softer and younger. And he couldn’t tear his eyes away from him.

Senju looked like a beautiful, fallen angel from the sky.

Senju leaned closer with that everlasting smile still present on his face. “Let’s meet tomorrow, 3PM at Harajuku!”

Takemichi tried so hard not to blush at his proximity and the cuteness that was laid out in front of him. What’s with Senju and the other members of their gang invading his personal space?!

“Eh? Wait—”

“Senju’s interested in you, Hanagaki!” Akashi cut him off cheerily.

What. Takemichi’s line of thought came into a screeching halt.

“Just be prepared.” Akashi flashed him a smirk before he waved goodbye to him and Draken.

‘What does that mean?!’Takemichi thought frantically as he could only watched Akashi leave and Senju walking beside him with a spring to his steps.

The Next Day, 3PM Harajuku…

Takemichi tried to be punctual this time even though he wasn’t the exact model employee back at the DVD shop that he was working for back then. He simply didn’t want to shatter any good impression and standing that he currently had with Brahman now especially with their leader since Akashi said that Senju was interested in him. Which still weirded him out. Yet it brought a warm feeling spreading through his chest. And he didn’t even know the reason why he was feeling like that in the first place.

Nevertheless, he took Akashi’s words with a grain of salt and didn’t delved deeper on it further. Maybe Senju was always like that when he found something that caught his eye or when his goals are actually met. Their leader’s unpredictability still caught him off guard sometimes. It reminded him of Mikey.

At the mere thought of the blond, Takemichi’s mood went pensive for a bit before he fought it back with a resolute determination. Of course, he was firm in his decision to save him regardless of what method he had to undertake to achieve it. If he had to join the Brahman to reached that goal faster then so be it. He’s ready for any consequences that he needed to face if necessary.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Hanagaki!”

A voice cut off his wandering thoughts and the noise among the crowd that made him paused and turned around to the source of it.

Takemichi’s brain short circuited at the sight that greeted his eyes.

When Akashi mentioned to him yesterday that he should be prepared, he wasn’t expecting this kind of surprise.

“Let’s go.”

A young lady dressed in a female school uniform stated calmly and looked casually at him like everything wasn’t out of the ordinary.

But it isn’t.

This was Senju.

Dressed in female clothes.

Senju.

Who is now a she instead of a he.

Female clothes and features.

And had a nice rack.

Takemichi internally screamed at himself. Now this wasn’t the time to be thinking like that! There was a right time to admire the beauty in front of him. And now isn’t the right time to do it. Since when did Senju became a woman?! His brain felt like melting along with his common sense.

“Huh? Who?” Takemichi replied intelligently as he gaped at Senju’s transformed existence in front of him.

Senju just stared at him blankly before she raised a hand to cover her mouth and stifled her giggles. “Hanagaki you never failed to amuse me sometimes.”

“Eh? But h-how…?” Takemichi stammered.

“Did you hit your head or something Hanagaki? I told you yesterday to meet me here at 3pm right?” Senju answered playfully as she now tugged on his arm and pulled him along the bustling crowd of the city.

Takemichi let him get swept away by Senju’s hold and actions, his mind was still racing with rapid thoughts at this newfound discovery that made him have an internal midlife crisis. He wanted to ask so many things… but for now he just let her be as he was also tantalized by her rare sunny disposition and her ethereal features in front of him.

Of course, Senju knew the reason why Takemichi was being confused and having a meltdown in front of him. But she chose to blatantly ignored it and willfully play the ruthless card of feigned innocence. She was having fun of making him bewildered and flustered.

And she also found it cute and adorable anyway.

This was going to be an interesting day ahead.

(A/N: I own nothing from this franchise except this weird fic of mine. Chapter 215 watered my crops and extended my lifespan because of these things: Inupi, Draken and Takemichi being shirtless and exposing their toned bodies, Draken going feral to protect Takemichi, Takemichi’s ever growing character development and backbone, Senju acting like Mikey and growing fond of our crybaby hero and lastly the infamous gender reveal party at the last panel. Ken plays with us like a damn fiddle with that bomb at the last panel of chapter 215 in the manga. The whole fandom is shook and is now rioting with speedy theories and ideas lmao. Well from my end, it’s fine if Senju is a guy or a gal since the gender is not my measurement of an interest to a character anyway. But it’ll be intriguing if Senju turned out to be a female and a leader of a gang since we all know that it’s mostly a male dominated territory in the franchise. And we’ll probably get another girlboss like Yuzuha as a bonus. Who knows? Maybe Ken will drop us another mind-blowing twist at the next chapter so I’m still not fully onboard with Senju being a 100% gal. But for the sake of this fic and for fun purposes, let’s assume that Senju is a complete female here and she’s having the time of her life making our crybaby hero like this: Takemichi.exe has stopped working. Also, if Mikey learned about this, he’ll be feral and he would raise some hell to prevent them from stealing his dear Takemitchy. So, Mikey you need to step up your game and appear in the future chapters so Takemichi doesn’t end up with one of his harems lol. Reviews are amusing. So, let me hear them from you.)

[quietmyfearswith]

girl at home ; andy barber x fem!reader ; 1/3

status — completed series

word count — 4,830 words

warnings — few swear words, a bit of defending jacobs spoilers, not compliant with book/show ending, fluff?? bit of angst???

pairing — andy barber x fem!reader

a/n — lmao i lied this comes first then in a few i’ll post the final part of public’s eye. if someone reads this pls tell me what youd be more interested in, august walker or steve rogers social media au

masterlist | series masterlist

After proving Jacob’s innocence Andy imagined things would have been smooth-sailing from there. He was wrong.

Laurie asked for a divorce; citing how their marriage was built on a lie and that it was time to be truthful to themselves and to Jacob. They both also agreed that it wasn’t just working anymore, but on Andy’s part he was more than willing to try harder for it to work, but didn't want to push it. He accepted her wishes and didn’t fight for full custody over Jacob — he was more than content with spending weekends and certain holidays with his son. They both moved out of their Newton house and revealed to Andy how they were both relocating to Bakersfield in California; the lawyer being partially surprised with how far they were moving, but ultimately remembered how she had some family members over there.

Before their departure, Andy and Jacob got to bond one last time and somehow their conversation shifted to how the former had no plans of selling the house and moving somewhere else. “Don’t you think you’d be too lonely?”

The blunt question did get Andy thinking but he shrugged it off, “Maybe? I just don’t see myself living anywhere else, I guess.”

Nodding, the boy looked out the window as the Audi drove by. His eyes scanned a big red sign that read “For Rent” and suddenly gave him the idea as he turned to his father, “Or you could put a room up for rent?”

Hitting the brakes smoothly as there was a red light, he turned to his son and looked at him with his eyebrows furrowed, “What?” 

“Green light,” Jacob informed and Andy nodded as he released his foot off the brake and continued the way home, “Advertise my room, or the spare one, for rent. That way, you know, you won’t really be alone.”

Pursing his lips together, Andy thought about it for a while. Would anyone even one to live there? With him? He didn’t want to seem like he was rejecting his son’s idea or make him feel like he was a fool for coming up with that one so he just found himself nodding, “Sounds like a great idea, pal.”

And when they were back at home, Jacob insisted he help his dad place an advertisement online for the availability of the spare bedroom across Jacob’s. Even though he thought it was a foolish idea, Andy just went along with it for two reasons — one, he just wanted to go along with what his son wanted and make him somewhat happy. And the second one being he was absolutely positive no one would want to live here.

It was a deal too good to be true; surely there had to be a catch? $500 a month for a room that was fully furnished? Maybe the house was just ugly? Or perhaps the room wasn’t really how it was pictured? Either way Y/N found herself messaging the house owner, Andy Barber, and let her know she was interested in checking the place out.

Pulling up in front of the house, Y/N let out a long whistle as she marveled at how the exterior of the house was well-groomed and clean. Exiting her car, she made her way to the front door and rang the doorbell and leaned by one of the columns as she took in the quiet ambiance of the neighborhood. Hearing the door creak upon, she turned around and smiled, “Hi! Are you Andy Barber?”

The bearded man was dressed in a simple ragged t-shirt and a pair of sweats; and despite the impression that he had just woken up, she thought that he had this cute boyish charm to him. “Yeah that’s me, you must be Y/N?” He offered his hand out for a shake, one which the girl enthusiastically shook. 

As they both unclasped their hands Y/N wondered, “Is it a bad time? I can come back later,” Her question had him chuckling and she felt her heart warm with how relaxed he looked as he shook his head, “It’s not a bad time, this is just how I normally look.”

He stepped aside so she could come in and take a tour of the house. As Y/N was being shown around the house, she could not prevent her jaw from dropping from how cozy, elegant, and complete everything looked.

“And if you choose to, this is where you’ll be staying,” Andy opened the room to the spare bedroom and led her inside and allowed her to take a look around. It had a bed, a dresser and wardrobe, mirror, a reading chair, and a study desk paired with an office chair.

Turning to the man, “So what’s the catch?” Her question caught him off guard and folded his arms as he tilted his head to the side, “The catch?”

She nodded and looked at him as if she had the telepathic abilities to let him know what she was thinking, “You know, the reason why the rent’s so cheap? Is this house haunted? Do you actually have a rat infestation problem?”

As Andy threw his head back laughing at her suggestions, he couldn’t remember the last time he was this carefree. “No catch,” he explained once he calmed down from laughing and sat down on the reading chair, “Not haunted or rat infestation, really. Just I don’t know,” he struggled to look for the right words as he placed his hands on his thighs and rubbed them, “Put a room up for rent just so I wouldn’t get lonely.”

Y/N leaned by the office desk that was beside the chair Andy was sitting on as she spoke, “Well I liked the place so much; I’m guessing that means you won’t have to be alone?”

Looking up at her Andy smiled, “That’s great then, let me get the spare house key for you.” 

“I hope I don’t seem too fast or what, but I hope you don’t mind if I move my things up already? I have all my belongings in the car.”

Andy nodded, “Oh no worries about it, let me help you get your stuff.”

For the next couple of hours, Y/N settled her things around the room. She placed her clothes on the dresser and wardrobe. Settled her pictures and other stationery items on the desk. Attaching the house keys to the keychain she had which contained her keys and skipped her way down the stairs. 

Seeing how Andy was by his office area she asked, “Oh by the way I forgot to ask, are you allergic to something?”

“Planning to kill me already huh?” He joked as he looked at her pointedly to which she rolled her eyes at, “No, dummy. I was planning on cooking dinner.”

“Nope, not allergic to anything,” he clarified and she smiled and waved goodbye. Looking at her retreating form, Andy shook his head as he took note of how silly his new roommate was. He buried himself with preparing his things for office as Y/N went around to explore her new neighborhood’s grocery store.

Dozing off in the bedroom, Andy woke up once a savory and aromatic smell hit his nostrils. Rubbing off the sleep in his eyes, he sat up and glanced at the clock on his bedside table and took note of how it was already 5:30 in the evening. Slept longer than I thought I would, he thought to himself as he left the comfort of his bedroom and headed to see the source of the fantastic smell.

Upon reaching the kitchen he was greeted with the sight of Y/N moving around the kitchen, “What’s all this commotion about?”

Stopping her movements from stirring the pot, she smiled, “Cooking dinner; made carbonara,” she pointed to the pot she was currently attending to, “Baked some garlic bread,” she pointed to the pyrex container which had a few loaves of bread in it, “And some chicken tenders as well, because I was craving.”

Nodding, he grabbed a chicken tender and took a bite of it to which she gasped, “Andy! Couldn’t even wait a few more minutes!” The taller man could only sheepishly smile with his mouth full of chicken, “Sorry ‘bout that, want me to set the table?”

“Please do. Oh and I noticed you had a certain beer in the fridge so I hope you don’t mind I bought you a pack?” As she mentioned that he did see a new, unopened pack next to the single beer he had left inside the fridge. “Thanks for that; red wine your poison?” He inquired since he noticed a wine bottle he surely never bought. Seeing her nod, he asked if she wanted a glass to which she said yes to. In the next few minutes a comfortable silence engulfed them as they both were focused on preparing their first meal together. 

Once everything was put in place they both sat across each other, Y/N placed her hands under her chin and looked at Andy with an excited look in her eyes, the man raised his brow at her, asking her nonverbally what she was looking at him for. “Go ahead, try it,” she softly encouraged him to which he nodded and swirled his fork around the pasta which the white sauce had already clung into and opened his mouth to taste.

“It’s good,” he complimented her as he swallowed, “Better than anything I’ve eaten in the past few months.” She clapped her hands and started to eat as well. “I was surprised to see your lack of groceries.”

He waited until his mouth was empty from eating the garlic bread she had before explaining, “Don’t really cook a lot; survived off takeout recently.” Despite having her mouth full with a tender, a loud shock was emitted from the woman across and Andy lightly cuckold at how adorable her reaction was. 

“Lucky for you, I love to cook so you won’t be filling yourself up with that junk,” she assured him as she drank from her glass of wine. Setting his fork down he looked at her skeptical, “What brings you to Newton anyway?”

Her hands tore the garlic bread as she gulped down her drink, “Just finished college then found a job here so there’s that.”

“Which program did you take?” He wondered; not knowing if it was his curiosity about someone living in his house or it was the lawyer in him couldn’t help but question everything.

“Took a few years off after high school to know what I really wanted to do; then just took a two year course,” she further explained as she told him which degree she chose. Somehow her answer just had Andy even more interested so he pried, “Why not get a full degree?”

She shrugged her shoulders, “Didn’t want to waste four years of my life.” 

“Would four years really be wasted if you spent it studying something you’re interested in?” he retorted back as he took a swig of his beer.

“Touché,” she acknowledged as she gobbled some pasta, “But I don’t know, I just feel like the time I’m spending on studying would be better spent if I was actually doing something I want. Get a job I wanna do. Visit every state in the country. Get a house with a pool. You know, just do things that make me happy without having any regrets”

As she listed off the things she desired in life, a solemn expression graced Andy’s face. Her perspective did make him think about how he lived his own life as well. Perhaps how there were certain choices that did make him happy and somehow there were regrets lingering in his mind. “And have you done any of those?”

“Well obviously I don’t have a house,” she joked as she waved her hand around Andy’s home, “But I did get a job here that I think I’ll enjoy, an 8-5 kind,” she paused for a while to gulp down more of the red wine she bought, “What about you?”

“What about me “ he questioned back as he looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. She rolled her eyes jokingly, “What’s your story, I guess? What brought you here in Newton?”

Her naivety had him questioning whether or not she knew the whole ordeal that his family went through; but he spared her of the full details, maybe next time or once he felt like he could fully trust her he’d tell her everything. “Had family here with me, but not anymore,” her eyes widened in shock with what he revealed but he was quick to reassure her, “I'm divorced now, ex-wife has full custody of our son. Used to be an assistant district attorney, now I’m just in private practice for civil litigation cases.”

Somehow, Andy felt a weight unload once he told her about him. Though granted it wasn’t the whole thing, but having someone to talk did make him feel lighter, more human. Y/N, on the other hand, felt amazed with how Andy chose to carry on despite what he’s been through. She got the feeling there was more to it than what he let on; and pity was not what she felt but more of feeling happy with how he did not give up and instead keep on going.

Holding her glass she raised it, “Here’s to new beginnings and being single then,” she toasted. Smiling, he raised his beer bottle and brought it to touch against her glass, “To new beginnings and being single.” The two then proceeded to finish the rest of their meal in silence.

The sun was shining bright that Monday morning and Andy woke up early to head down to their basement and do his morning exercise. Thirty minutes into it, he could sense that Y/N had woken up not only due to her footsteps he heard, but also because he could smell something delicious coming from the kitchen.

As he finished his workout, he headed up to his room to take a quick shower and dress up for his work. Granted it might have been too early to do all those but the smell of the food and the company of which he’d be eating breakfast enticed him to do so. Heading down, he was dressed in his full lawyer gear, minus the jacket, and smiled as he saw Y/N eating the rest of her pancakes by the breakfast bar.

“Morning Andy,” she greeted him, “There’s a fresh pot of coffee if you’d like,” she pointed to where she had just gotten a cup for herself as well. “Thank you,” he then moved to get himself a cup and once he did he took note of a plate that had a couple of pancakes, eggs, and bacon.

Pointing to it he accused her, “It’s as if you want me to waste the workout I just did huh.” She threw her head back in laughter at what he said while shaking his head to tell him that it wasn’t her intention. Glancing down on her wrist watch she mumbled a soft, “Shit,” upon noticing the time. Stacking her mug on the plate she moved to the sink where Andy grabbed the cutlery and utensils from her, “Let me do it and go ahead.”

Placing a hand on his forearm — in which they both felt relaxed and warm at their first touch — she thanked him for doing so and grabbed her bag that she placed on the couch. “Good luck on your first day,” Andy called out as he began munching on his own food. She yelled a quick thanks and see you as she closed the door behind her. Staring down on his plate, he smiled again upon seeing how the food in his plate resembled a smiley face; She really is something, he thought to himself.

The rest of the week flew by and both Andy and Y/N spent the week almost doing everything together. The former would wake up early and get his workout down; and sometime during the 45 minutes he’d spend on the basement the latter would take that time to prepare herself for the day ahead as well as the most important meal for their day. And if there were leftovers from the night before or that she had made too much for breakfast and was able to whip it into something for lunch, then she packed those not only for her, but for Andy as well.

And their routine together did not just stop there it bled into the night as well. Where it was always Y/N who came home first. After taking a bath either she’d start cooking supper or she would clean around the house a little — she noticed how Andy’s office area was frequently messy and she did her best to fix the mess without being too intrusive about it. She never step foot in his room, wanting him to have his privacy, but from what she could see he kept it organized despite having a few trash here and there, so she didn’t really loiter in that area of the house.

In hindsight, Y/N didn’t have to cook and clean for Andy. But with how low her rent was she felt that it was only fair to do so. Plus there was a part of her that somehow liked being around him, having someone to talk to about everything and anything they both could think of. There was never really a dull conversation between them.

Friday night arrived and instead of cooking another meal Y/N decided to get a pizza, wings, and another pack of beer for Andy. As she was in the liquor portion of the grocery she bumped into one of their neighbors, Joan RIfkin, whom she also recognized as one of the friends of her workmate.

“Y/N, right?” the woman asked as she looked at her with concern. “Yeah, that’s me. We met through Emily, when you helped her get to work,” Y/N recalled, both for her and Joan.

“Is it true that you live with Andy?” her question had Y/N wondering, how the hell did she know that? Despite that thought she nodded, “Room was cheap so I thought why not?”

Her nervous chuckle could not ease the tension between the two ladies; especially when Joan gave her a stern look as she warned her, “Be careful, okay? The Barber’s caused quite a ruckus and Andy is quite unpredictable.”

As Joan walked away while pushing her cart, Y/N was left confused and conflicted. The new information presented to her, though it was vague, left her puzzled about whether or not it was true. She was also unsure about the need to clarify with Andy what she has just been told.

Once his car was parked in the garage, Andy loosened his tie and entered the house. What greeted him was not the sight of Y/N cooking but her sitting on the couch while scrolling through her phone. Placed in the coffee table was a pizza box, his usual beer, a glass of wine, and box of chicken wings as well as a couple of paper plates.

“Didn’t feel like cooking today huh?” he jeered as he placed a hand on his hip, the other hand holding his briefcase for work. Diverting her eyes from her phone to the man in front she grinned at him, “No, but I felt like having pizza. Maybe we could watch a movie while eating?”

“Yeah sure, I’ll go change quickly,” he told her and she nodded. Andy then went up the stairs, taking two steps at a time to do so. Somehow there was this part of him that was incredibly excited at the thought of being physically close with Y/N. but he just shook his head at the thought and claimed that he was just excited to unwind the week’s stress with food, beer, and a movie.

Heading down after he dressed in more comfortable clothes he asked, “Alright, what are we watching?” Y/N shrugged as she moved to open the box of pizza, “Want a slice?” Andy nodded as he grabbed the remote and thanked her, “You heard about the hippie who burnt his mouth on the pizza?”

While holding a pizza slice of her own she looked at him and tilted her head to the side, her face being a combination of confusion and curiosity, one that Andy found charming. The bearded man had his face in faux seriousness as he continued, “He ate it before it was considered cool.”

Upon realizing the joke, Y/N let out a few giggles — real giggles, Any took note. “Okay not gonna lie, that was good,” she took a bite, “ Haven’t heard that one before.” Saying that made Andy feel proud, somehow his lame dad jokes made this brilliant woman laugh. “You wanna watch Ferris Bueller's Day Off?”

She nodded at his suggestion, “Yeah why not? Haven’t watched that in a while.” And so they both began to watch it as they ate and drank.

As they watched the film their occasional laughs were the only sound emitted from the two. As Andy was grabbing for a few slices or chicken wings, he found himself scooting closer beside Y/N, who didn’t really mind it and instead found having him close was comforting. The wartm that seeped past his clothed thigh and on to her bare skin as she was only wearing shorts made her feel safe. And somehow Andy’s arm found itself draped across the couch, almost touching Y/N’s shoulders, his fingers almost touching her. When she did move to drink her wine her skin touched the tips of his fingers rested on her shoulders and Andy who drank some of his beer as well looked alarmed.

“I’m sorry, I can move away if you’d like,” he said as he began to remove his hand from where it was comfortable in her shoulder. “No, it’s fine,” she assured him a little too quickly, “I mean, I don’t really mind. I’m not the type of person who hates hugging so I don’t really mind at all.”

She couldn’t prevent herself from physically cringing with what she said and how stupid it must have soounded like; but the man beside her didn’t think so based on his eyes crinkled in laughter. His arm then dropped from being on her shoulders and settled itself on her waist and pulled him as close as they could be sitting beside, “Well I hope you won’t mind if I do this then?”

She felt herself flutter with how smooth the man was and just silently assured him by placing her head against his shoulder, both turning their attention back to the movie.

As the end credits rolled, they both were full and were just now finishing up the last of the drinks. Y/N fiddled with her fingers as she had an internal debate about whether or not she should bring up her conversation with Joan earlier.

“You alright, Y/N?” Andy noticed how her actions might have indicated how she was nervous, a complete opposite to how she was earlier. Setting down his empty bottle on the coffee table, he turned to her and grasped both her hands in his, loving the feel of her soft hands against his calloused ones.

“It’s just, there’s something I need to ask,” she sighed and looked up at the ceiling as if it would have helped her say it better, “No, not really ask, but tell you. I don't know.” Her hesitation and uncertainty was something Andy easily sensed and he did his best to calm her down by rubbing their hands together and telling her she could tell him anything.

“So after work, I headed to the grocery to grab your beer, right? Then I saw Joan there, I don’t know her surname though. Anyway, she warned me to be careful of you because you’re unpredictable and that your family had caused a ruckus?” She ended her encounter with the woman by looking up at Andy, and the latter was surprised that there was no disgust in her tone and facial expressions; but more of worry? As if she was worried that rumors were spreading around about him and his family.

He stopped rubbing her hands and instead settled with fiddling with them, “I think it’s best if you found out now,” he began before taking a deep breath, “Almost two years ago, Ben Rifkin, a fourteen year old boy, died. At the time I was the assistant district attorney and was assigned to investigate. When fingerprints of my son, Jacob, were found in the body everyone assumed he did it.”

“Did he?” Y/N question when she noticed it took Andy sometime to continue with his story. Shaking his head no he picked up where he left off the story, “He didn’t, his fingerprints were there because he just saw the body, panicked and didn’t call the police. A man who had a record for groping and stalking kids did it. But Joan, Ben’s mom was still convinced that Jacob had something to do with her son’s death even after it was proved that he didn’t.”

“I’m sorry about that Andy, she has no right to name you and your family those things,” Y/N was quick to comfort him. But he only chuckled sadly, “Does she not?” She could feel that there was more Andy wanted to say so she remained silent, “During the trial and investigation, they were fully convinced Jacob did it because of me, of my father.”

He said those three words with so much hate and disdain, “My estranged father, rather, he raped and killed some student many years ago. Now he’s serving a life sentence for it. They claimed that I had this murder gene and somehow Jacob got it too, hence why he killed Ben.”

After hearing his explanation, Y/N now understood why Joan claimed Andy was unpredictable. She also empathize with the mother who lost her son and understood why she felt this indifference towards the Barbers; but she still believed that maybe Joan would someday accept that the what they’ve been believing — that Jacob had any involvement for her son’s death — is nothing but mere suspicion that was proved false.

“I mean, I understand why she holds this sort of grudge against you or your family,” Andy’s heart dropped at what Y/N said and loosened his grip on her hands, prepared to hear her say how she wanted to leave his house that somewhat felt like home ever since she came, “But it’ll take time for her to accept the truth and disregard the suspicion she had. I believe in what you say and do think that you are harmless.”

Her statement had Andy looking up from where he was staring at their hands and looked up at her with relief in his face, “What?” He could not help but sound meek as he asked so; but he felt the opposite, he felt empowered and invincible upon knowing that there was someone on his side for once.

Deciding to do something risky, Y/N leaned forward to plant a gentle and comforting kiss on Andy’s forehead, “What happened to Joan’s son was horrible, yes. But if you say, and an investigation says your son had nothing to do with it, then I believe it. And murder gene? The only thing that a gene can pass down to us is sickness,” she joked, hoping to lighten up the atmosphere and was pleased to see how Andy laughed softly at it,”You’re not what your father did, okay? The only way to define you is through what you say, think, and do.”

Andy smiled as he stared at her lovingly, “And if I think and tell you that you’re such a beautiful person, inside and out, and that it's been great having you here live with me?” She laughed as she rested her cheek against her hand and sassed at him, “I’d call bullshit ‘cause you probably used that line with your wife.”

He just rolled his eyes as he moved her around so she could comfortably lay her head against his chest as he wrapped his muscular arms around her frame. “Well then I’m just gonna have to do my best to prove it to you the entire time you’re here then.”

Turning her head so she could face him, “Well joke’s on you, I plan to be here for quite a long time.” The butterflies in Andy’s stomach then went wild at what she said, but his composure allowed him to answer back with, “I don’t mind that at all, honey.”

Laying a kiss on her forehead, he then teased her about the grin she had on her face and two then talked the rest of the night away.

part two

[super-secret-sick-fics]

LOL I’m the one that requested a sakuatsu fic unless more than 1 person did so kinda perfect😭 -person that gave feedback

Request:

Hii! Could you write a sakuatsu fic where atsumu wakes up in the middle of the night from food poisoning after they went out to eat and sakusa takes care of him? Thank you!!

Well you’re in luck! I got super carried away w this one lmao.

It ended up being a little more about Sakusa than I intended, but I hope it’s still kinda what you wanted!!

Sakusa is probably v ooc as well, but lowkey I hc that he completely lets his guard down in front of Atsumu and is a major touch-starved simp.

Here it is!

I love you: a Sakuatsu sick fic

Pairing: Sick Atsumu, caretaker Sakusa

Word Count: 3,446

Warnings: vomiting, swearing (probably)

———————————————————————

The ending credits of the movie Sakusa and Atsumu just watched rolled slowly down the screen, some sappy love song playing in the background. Sakusa picked up his phone to check the time and was briefly blinded by the bright screen. He blinked a few times to clear his vision and checked the time.

It was only 10:30, but the lump that was his boyfriend was attached to his side heavily, informing Sakusa that Atsumu was fast asleep. He pinched his eyebrows together in confusion.

He and Atsumu had the day off tomorrow, so they decided to spend their evening at a nice restaurant and then snuggled up on their couch watching a movie and sharing a bottle of one of their more expensive wines.

Atsumu buzzed with excitement all week, seeing as it was their first date night since the regular season started. Sure, they lived together. But most nights, they either stayed late for extra practice, or were too tired to really do anything but watch Netflix and order take out. Tonight was a big deal for the couple.

Which is exactly why Sakusa was so thoroughly confused at that moment. Atsumu was a night owl by nature and didn’t usually go to bed before midnight most nights (a schedule adjustment that did not come easily to Sakusa when they first moved in together). That, coupled with how much looked forward to their evening, should mean that he would still be wide awake right now. Not drooling on Sakusa’s shoulder.

Sakusa placed a hand on his boyfriend’s forehead. Maybe he was sick. In which case, Sakusa would need to call Osamu to come help take care of his brother. (He’d come a long way with his fear of germs, but he still struggled with sickness. Even if it was Atsumu).

He frowned when his temperature didn’t feel any warmer than usual. He pursed his lips and, somewhat relieved, shrugged off his concern. It wouldn’t be totally unbelievable that Atsumu was simply exhausted. They had been traveling so much for their games and practice had been pretty grueling the last few weeks. It could completely make sense that his fatigue caught up with him on a night they could thoroughly relax.

“Atsumu,” he shrugged his shoulder and Atsumu’s head bobbed up and down with it. However, his boyfriend did not wake up.

“Atsumu,” he tried again, “hey wake up, baby. Let’s go to bed.” He brought his hand up to gently pinch the sleeping boy’s cheek. Atsumu’s nose and eyebrows scrunched up and he blinked several times before peering up at Sakusa.

“Mmmm” he sat up and rubbed his eyes, “what time is it?”

“It’s only a little after 10:30,” Sakusa answered and Atsumu turned to him. His face was paler than usual, noticeable even in the dim lighting provided by the TV. Sakusa’s concern returned immediately.

“Are you alright? Why are you so sleepy?” Sakusa asked as he took one of Atsumu’s hands in his own. Atsumu yawned.

“Not sure. Just got real tired all of a sudden and musta fallen asleep. Probably just ‘cause we’ve been so busy,” Atsumu brought their joined hands to his lips and pecked Sakusa’s knuckles.

“I’m sorry, Omi. I know this was supposed to be a special night.” Atsumu said as he cuddled into Sakusa once again. Sakusa wrapped an arm around Atsumu and fiddled with the ends of his hair. Within a minute, he heard Atsumu’s breathing slow down and felt his body relax more fully. He frowned again.

“Oi, come on.” He tugged on the piece of hair he was playing with and Atsumu whined.

“Let’s go to bed,” he said again. Atsumu groaned, but sat up. A moment later, he squeezed his eyes shut and inhaled deeply.

“Really, babe. Are you alright?” Sakusa questioned, his worry increasing. He put a hand on Atsumu’s back. Atsumu opened his eyes and nodded.

“Yeah. Just sat up too fast. Got a lil dizzy.”

“Okay,” Sakusa hesitated. Atsumu clearly wasn’t going to admit that something might be wrong, so he let it go.

The two of them stood up and Sakusa surveyed the coffee table in front of them. Empty bowls from the ice cream they had earlier as well as their empty wine glasses and the empty wine bottle stared back at him tauntingly. He sent Atsumu off to bed with the promise of being in right after he finished cleaning up.

Normally Atsumu would offer to help, but he simply nodded and slowly stumbled his way to the bathroom.

By the time Sakusa finished cleaning up and got ready for bed, Atsumu was already passed out, curled up in the blankets.

***

“—lease. Omi, wake up,” Sakusa jolted awake when a sharp pain crossed his shoulder. He looked up to see Atsumu sitting up, slightly hunched over. His heavy, slow breathing the only sounds in the room.

Sakusa sat up and turned on his bedside table lamp. When he looked back at Atsumu, his worry from earlier returned with ten times the intensity.

Atsumu was bent over, his arms wrapped protectively around his stomach. His shoulders heaved with heavy, shaking breaths and his face was pinched and shining with sweat.

“Atsumu? Baby? What’s wrong?” he questioned as he scrambled to sit in front of his boyfriend. He cupped Atsumu’s face in his hands and gasped at the heat he felt.

Atsumu opened his eyes and tears immediately rolled down his flushed cheeks. Sakusa’s chest tightened. No, no. He could not be sick. His hands pulled back and he felt himself start to move away from Atsumu.

Every instinct he had told Sakusa to get away. But he couldn’t do that. Atsumu needed him right now. There was no waiting for Osamu. He needed to help him right then. He could fight through his fears to help his boyfriend. Sakusa moved back towards Atsumu.

“My head is pounding, but my stomach hurts worse, Omi,” Atsumu choked, “it hurts so bad. I feel so sick.” He slowly closed his eyes again and brought the back of his hand up to his mouth.

“Are you… do you think you’re going to be sick, baby?” Sakusa asked nervously. Atsumu nodded quickly. Sakusa cringed, but did everything in his power to keep himself rooted to his place in front of Atsumu.

“Okay,” he forced out past the knot in his throat. “Okay. That’s fine, Atsumu. Let’s go to the bathroom, alright?” His voice was shaking, but if Atsumu could tell, he didn’t show it. His only response was a fast shake of his head, his eyes still glued shut, and a small heave.

“Not—“ he heaved again, “no. Can’t move.”

This was Sakusa’s worst nightmare.

He scanned the room and got up quickly. Atsumu started whimpering.

“Hey, no, no. It’s okay,” Sakusa reassured when he sat down by Atsumu once more. “I was just going to get a bin, see?” He placed their trash can in Atsumu’s lap with trembling hands.

“Aren’t ya going to—hnng— call Samu?” Atsumu asked, staring down into the trash can. Tears hit the plastic with gentle plops and Sakusa felt his heart break.

Atsumu knew even in his current state that Sakusa was not mentally equipped to handle this situation. He knew that Sakusa would much prefer for Osamu to be taking care of this situation. It made him feel horrible.

“Not right now. It’s late. I can call him in the morning. Right now, I’m more worried about you. I’ll be okay until then. I promise,” he stated as confidently as he could. Atsumu looked at him, fever-glazed eyes wide and teary. His bottom lip quivered before he nodded gratefully.

The next few minutes were painful for both of them. Atsumu winced and whined as cramps tormented his stomach, the occasional gag or airy burp popping up. Sakusa’s own anxiety was trying to fight it’s way to the surface, but he tried with all of his being to push it down. This was his boyfriend. The man he loved. Osamu would not always be a call away to come and care for his brother.

Finally, with a terrible wretch, Atsumu doubled over the trash can and vomited painfully. Their dinner, dessert, and the wine from earlier making a less than pleasant reappearance. Sakusa wanted to run away, but instead, he put a hand on his boyfriend’s sweaty back and rubbed small circles between his shoulder blades.

“There you go, baby. It’s okay,” he swallowed his own nauseas when Atsumu vomited again. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

Atsumu panted over the trash can, his eyes wide.

“Kiyoomi, it hurts so bad. Please make it stop,” he cried before a belch brought up more vomit.

“I wish I could, Atsumu, I’m so sorry you’re hurting. It’ll be over soon hopefully.” He said gently.

Atsumu was starting to get more frantic as the vomiting continued. His body wasn’t giving him any reprieve. Painful heaves and body-shuddering wretches seemed to be plaguing him non-stop. Deep burps brought torrents of puke into the nearly half-full bin.

“I don’t—huurlp— please, Omi—blrg—“ he was dry heaving and full on sobbing now and Sakusa was growing more and more concerned as it didn’t seem like Atsumu was getting any oxygen.

“Oi, Atsumu,” he tried to get his attention, “hey, babe. Listen to me. You’re making it worse. You need to breathe, Atsumu.” He moved the trash can away and sat in front of his boyfriend again. Atsumu’s eyes were wide in panic and his chest heaved as he tried unsuccessfully to take in any air.

“C-can’t—“ he gasped.

“Yes you can. I promise you can,” Sakusa reassured, holding Atsumu’s face in his hands again. He brushed back his sweaty bangs soothingly and started taking deep, over-exaggerated breaths. This was how Atsumu helped Sakusa through anxiety attacks, so the wing spiker was sure that he knew what was happening without needing an explanation.

Within a few minutes, Atsumu had calmed down and was breathing mostly normal again. He was still crying, but that was okay. Sakusa could handle that.

“See? You’re fine. I’m not gonna let anything bad happen, okay baby?” Atsumu nodded. His eyes were drifting closed and his entire face was slack with exhaustion.

“Lay down. I’m going to go replace the bag in the bin and get a few things to make you feel better, okay?” Atsumu simply nodded again and curled into their sheets.

Once Sakusa was in the bathroom, he replaced the bag in the trash can, placing the old one in the tub for now. He scrubbed his hands in the sink for probably too long and then put the lid down on the toilet and sat.

He looked down at his trembling hands and took a deep, shaky, breath. He did it. He helped Atsumu. He needed to continue helping until the morning when it was reasonable to call Osamu. He could do it. He loved Atsumu. That was more than enough reason to try as best as he could to put his own anxieties aside for now.

After he collected himself, he went back to their room, the clean bin, various meds, a thermometer, and a glass of water in his hands. Atsumu was still lying in a tight ball, but his eyes were wide open, staring at nothing in particular. They rolled to look at Sakusa when he found his spot by Atsumu again.

He ran his fingers through Atsumu’s hair once more and Atsumu sighed. It was peaceful for a bit, but Atsumu’s gurgling stomach interrupted the quiet. The setter groaned.

“Still feeling bad?” Sakusa’s eyebrows furrowed and his lips pulled together in a tight line. Atsumu only nodded again. Sakusa didn’t like how quiet he was being.

“Well, sit up for just a minute. Drink some water and take some meds, and then we can lay down and you can get some sleep.” Sakusa commanded and helped his boyfriend sit up.

Atsumu smiled gratefully at him and did as he was told. Even looking as sickly as he was, Sakusa still found him incredibly beautiful.

“I’m sorry, Omi-Omi. I know you’re probably pushing away a lot of anxiety right now,” Atsumu said as he laid back down.

“Yeah,” Sakusa chuckled forcefully, “but I love you,” he smiled. He wiped down Atsumu’s sweaty face with a wet rag he brought with him. Atsumu didn’t respond, but when Sakusa looked at him again, he was crying.

“Thank you,” was all he said. With that, Sakusa laid down beside Atsumu, the trash can within reaching distance, and pulled his sick boyfriend into his side. Atsumu tensed for just a moment before relaxing and cuddling into Sakusa’s side.

***

Sakusa woke with a start again not even an hour later at the sound of retching coming from behind the closed bathroom door. He trudged over and opened the door, leaning against the frame.

There was his pitiful boyfriend, face resting on the toilet seat (gross). His face was slack and he panted heavily. Sakusa sighed and shook his head before moving to sit beside Atsumu (on the bathroom floor—gross).

“What are you doing, idiot? Why didn’t you wake me up?” He pulled Atsumu towards him and settled the sick boy in his lap. Atsumu shivered and curled into himself.

“It’s okay, Omi-Omi,” he breathed, nuzzling into Sakusa’s thigh, “I can handle it, I’ll be okay.”

Sakusa’s irritation flared up. What a self-sacrificing idiot.

“Atsumu, don’t do that,” he nearly snapped.

“Omi?” Atsumu whimpered, his eyes wide as he looked up at Sakusa. Sakusa huffed.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap, but don’t be so stupid okay? You’re my boyfriend. Like I said, I love you. I want to help.” He ran his fingers through Atsumu’s hair.

“But I don’t want you to push yourself into doing something I know you’re uncomfortable with,” Atsumu replied. His voice was raspy and there wasn’t any snark behind it like normal. It made Sakusa unreasonably annoyed. He hated that Atsumu was feeling so bad and was still putting Sakusa first. But then again, his selflessness was why he fell in love with the cocky setter in the first place.

“And I don’t want you to push yourself when I know that you’re uncomfortable already. You’re more important to me than anything else. I’ll be fine. Thank you. I love that you’re willing to accommodate my anxiety, but please. Let me help you.”

Atsumu started crying again, his eyes wide and his mouth trembling.

“Why are you crying, dumbass? If you throw up on me, I don’t think I’ll be able to back up my words.” Atsumu shook his head.

“No just...thank you, Kiyoomi. I love you so much,” he cried and sniffled. Sakusa chuckled and wiped away Atsumu’s tears.

They chatted idly for a while about mindless things. Sakusa almost believed that they were in the clear and Atsumu would be okay.

At least until the setter shot up from his lap, nearly head-butting Sakusa in the process.

“Atsumu?” the wing spiker asked tentatively.

Atsumu answered by throwing himself over the toilet followed by a wet burp and a slurry of vomit splashing in the toilet. He remained in that position for another minute, sputtering and heaving, nothing more than bile coming up.

Sakusa grimaced. Atsumu turned and placed his cheek on the toilet set, tired, foggy eyes gazing back at Sakusa.

“Poor baby,” he soothed, wiping off Atsumu’s mouth with some toilet paper. Atsumu whimpered.

Sakusa washed his hands and turned to leave the bathroom. He came back a few minutes later with their pillows and comforter.

Atsumu had moved to leaning against the wall, his head tilted back and arms wrapped around his knees. A steady flow of silent tears rolled down his flushed cheeks and Sakusa dropped everything he had and rushed to his side.

“Atsumu? What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” he asked, thumbing tears off his boyfriend’s cheeks. Atsumu opened his eyes and sobbed.

“I’m sorry, Omi. I j-just feel s-so bad,” he took in a shuddering breath, “and— and I thought you left and that was fine, b-but I also wanted you to s-stay even th-though that’s selfish o-of m-me,” he cried. Sakusa shushed him gently and pulled him into a hug.

“It’s okay. Don’t feel bad about that. I already told you I’m not going anywhere,” he stroked Atsumu’s hair.

“I just went to get our pillows and comforter. I figured,” he continued, “I figured it’d be best to stay in here and I wanted you to be comfortable.”

Atsumu pulled back to look at Sakusa.

“You’d sleep on the bathroom floor with me, Omi?”

Sakusa chuckled, “yeah. Unfortunately that’s how much you’ve changed me Miya Atsumu.”

Atsumu gave him a wobbly smile before he gagged and turned back to the toilet to puke again.

Sakusa’s nose scrunched up, but he rubbed Atsumu’s back up and down as he threw up again.

“I’m sorry,” he gasped repeatedly in between heaves. Once his body gave him a moment, he sat back and shivered.

“Looks like this is going to go one for a while,” he whispered, hoarse.

“That’s alright,” Sakusa smiled, “I’m not going anywhere.”

Atsumu’s only response was to start heaving again.

***

The two of them sat at their breakfast table, Atsumu in much too good a mood for having kept Sakusa up half the night. Sakusa held a cup of coffee in his hands as the freshly-showered Atsumu nibbled on some toast. He was still pale, but he looked much better than a few hours ago.

Sakusa’s entire body was heavy and his mind exhausted from the lack of sleep and fighting off anxiety all night.

Atsumu woke them up a few more times in the night to be sick, but around four in the morning, seemed to be down throwing up for a while at least. The two of them collapsed into their bed and didn’t stir again until about two in the afternoon.

By the time they woke up again, a lot of the color returned to Atsumu’s face and his fever was broken. He told Sakusa his stomach was still crampy and felt hollow, but he didn’t feel nearly as miserable as he did all night.

“Must’ve been the chicken from the restaurant,” Atsumu shrugged after Sakusa questioned what could possibly have made him so sick, only for him to be nearly completely better a few hours later.

“What do you mean?” Sakusa asked. Atsumu shrugged again.

“Looked a little pink.”

Sakusa could have smacked him.

“Then why on earth did you eat it?” He questioned, glaring daggers at the imbecile across from him.

“Because Omi-Omi,” Atsumu rolled his eyes, “I thought I was being paranoid. The lighting in the restaurant was pretty dim, ya know?”

“You’re such an idiot. Please just trust your instincts next time,” Sakusa offered him a long-suffering sigh. He stood up and Atsumu followed him with his eyes.

“Where ya going?”

“To shower and change the sheets and sleep for the rest of the day.”

“I’ll change the sheets, Omi,” Atsumu stood up.

“No you should rest. Even if it was just food poisoning caused by your own thoughtlessness, you were still sick and we still have practice tomorrow.” Sakusa yawned and pecked Atsumu on the top of his head before making to leave again. He was stopped when Atsumu grabbed his wrist.

“Thank you for taking care of me, Omi. I know it wasn’t easy,” he stared at Sakusa, his eyes wide and earnest. Sakusa blinked at him for a second before he smiled.

He placed a hand on Atsumu’s still-clammy cheek and leaned down to give him a lingering kiss on the lips. When he pulled back Atsumu smiled gracefully at him. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Can’t just kiss me like that, Omi-Omi. Ya made me pretty dizzy there. I’m still recovering, ya know,” he laughed weakly.

“I told you. I love you,” he smiled. Atsumu smiled again and looked at Sakusa lovingly.

“But you’re an idiot.” Atsumu’s face immediately dropped into a pout. Sakusa pecked his lips once more (now that he knew it was food poisoning, so not contagious, it was fine) and made his way to the bathroom.

“Mean, Omi!” He heard Atsumu shout.

And when Sakusa finished his long, warm, cleansing shower, he came back to his room to an already made bed with fresh clean sheets, the corners tucked in exactly how he liked it and he felt his heart swell.

And yeah. He really loved Atsumu and that always gave him plenty of strength to combat his own anxieties.

[tartagilicious]

rating each mlqc reunion (24+)

I have ap work I’m supposed to be doing right now but you know what — mlqc boys :D let’s get started lmao. I’ll try to keep the details as vague as possible, so there won’t be any direct spoilers! 

Lucien: 10/10 (ch25-26)

- pain personified

- my insides and heart were mush for a day after I read this. I was staring into space thinking about nothing but Lucien. it was no joke. 

- my stamina and gems in game were also not doing so hot because I just couldn’t put the game down until the scenario was resolved

- confusing at first, I’ll admit. but once you figure out what’s going on and why Lucien is acting like he is, it’s heartbreaking. I felt so horrible for him, but also gained a new viewpoint into his character and how much the MC actually means to him 🥺

- “bone crushing hug.” yes, that term was actually used to describe something Lucien did. 

- I was surprised he didn’t cry. Or maybe he did? Even if he didn’t, in my mind he did ✨

- technically,,, ueuyrgf this chapter makes Lucien the first LI to actually voice his feelings for the MC directly. While he didn’t explicitly say that he loved her, the stuff he said was so emotionally and imo, pretty fucking close

- I’m fully looking forward to the smuts that come out of the moment where he pushes her against the wall to prevent her from leaving. yes I said it and I will be looking. 👀🤲 

Gavin: 8/10 (ch26-27)

- oh sweet summer child. my baby. I feel like this was a complete change of pace after Lucien’s rollercoaster of a reunion, but it was still gratifying nonetheless. very sweet and Gavin-like, and by no means bad 🥺

- the moment!! where they locked eyes!! but couldn’t interact more than that!!!! ugh!! I almost spontaneously combusted on the spot

- the little wait before they were in the clear to meet and he caught her off guard by pulling her into an empty room and hugging the life out of her— sjdkfghuisjkrldgjnhtuire;ojdsz/lkfzm©≤˙µ bnjhfveab, wn.m/elqwesojdz’ihuigfbhkg .rmf, paper games please spare me

- this game makes me feel like a nun, excited about some eye contact. it’s good eye contact, though

- the only thing that disappointed me about this is what came out of the scene they were in the bunk bed together, i just felt like it was missing something? maybe it was too casual? idk. I need to read his rumours and secrets of that chapter to see if there’s something I’m not aware of

- also the cafeteria scene near the end of the scenario saved this rating. I love Gavin’s affirmative protectiveness an unhealthy amount. THE WAY IT DESCRIBED HIM GRABBING HER HAND AND LOOKING INTO HER EYES BEFORE SHE WENT TO DO SOMETHING

- im a slut for emotions

Victor: 11/10 (ch27-ch28)

- I cry every time I think about this. I love him so much. wtf.

- this was extremely suspenseful, because there was an entire process that came up to meeting him. go here, do this, meet with this person, say this — the initial instructions seemed endless, especially when knowing that Victor was waiting at the end of them.

- I had been looking forward to this specific reunion since chapter 18, because if you think about it, that’s when they were last separated. it’s been 10 chapters since I’ve technically seen you I missed you 🥺

- the r&s mentions his sleepless nights and extreme anxiety while she was gone and I just- 😔💓💞❤️

- when they finally met, my tears just finally burst because I was anticipating so much — and it definitely delivered. The silence described, how she figures out that it’s him from just the way he breathes, and how as soon as she inches closer, it says that his hands instinctively go to her waist

- uGHJHKHJKHJLKJK i am a ball of sadness. kith now 🥺🤲

- this is one of the only mlqc moments that I’ve genuinely cried over, apart from that bit with Gavin in chapter 22

- this doesn’t disappoint at all. nothing but respect for my favourite couple.

Kiro: 7.75/10 (ch29-??)

- When they first met, it left me like 👁👄👁 because like, wtf is going on. why aren’t you saying anything? don’t just go further into the amusement part, you guys have things to discuss 

- but then some stuff happened and black swan came in, and I was like, ah, ok, makes sense (it didn’t 😔)

- then, when they meet again at a different location, they have what I consider the true reunion. this scenario made memory happy than sad, tbh — because, cmon, we get to see Helios again!! that’s a win!!

- His persona breaks, though, and when he finally explains his reasons for doing what he is, I was just sitting there like 🥴 ofc 🥴 yes 🥴 I hear you 🥴

- but fr, it was really nice to finally see him let his guard down. We “meet” Kiro for the first time since ch14, and though his golden appearance is short-lived, even when he’s back as Helios, his personality stays the same.

- happy helios happy helios happy helios happy helios-

- he’s so cute I’m simping so hard

[professormembranexreader]

Yandere!Membrane x Fem!Reader pt. 2 (Angst & Gore)

RECAP

——————————————————

Membrane kinda stalked you, memorized your entire resume, smelled the smelly smell on the resume that was smelly, and is now going to be your boss but you don't know the bad stuff

Membrane's POV:

It was her first day at work. Being honest, it caught me off guard when I saw (Y/N) at the entrance waiting for me. 'Oh, right. She has no clue where she's going.'

"Good morning, sir!" She smiled. Her joy was infectious; I couldn't help but crack a small grin under my collar.

"Good morning to you as well, (Y/N). How do you feel about your first day?" I started off casual. There was no way I was going to let her think I was 'weird' or 'murderous'. No, that would never do. I need her to be my secretary. I need her to be in my life. I need her to love me.

She spoke up, interrupting me and my thoughts. "Well, sir, I'm kinda scared. I don't know anything regarding what you expect me to do. I don't know how to do most of the things here either. Much less any of the people I'll be working with..."

I held her face with my hand. "Don't worry, (Y/N). I'll help you. Siempre." She looked at me, confused. I realized I got too close.

I cleared my throat, promptly removing my hand. "I'm sorry, (Y/N), that was highly unprofessional of me. Please pay no mind to that." She looked up at me, confused, but shrugged it off.

"Uh, whatever you say, sir." I unlocked the entrance to the facility and motioned for her to follow me. The loud thud of boots followed by the clicking of heels (can be short heel and prob will be) echoed through the vacant halls. None of the lights were turned on yet, leaving her to closely follow behind. I could faintly feel her breath on my back. I grinned as I lead the way to my office. She was going to be mine. All mine.

Along the way, I explained the basics of what she'd be doing. Organizing files, managing my schedule, et cetera. She nodded occasionally, and tried to make small talk... it didn't work too well for her. Luckily though, I had managed to save the conversation by asking her about her life. I already knew most of the information she told me, but there were a few things that surprised me.

Finally we were there. I helped her get familiar with her desk, showing her how to navigate the software, when it suddenly came time for work.

"Oh, it seems that we are out of time. Just page me if you need anything. Hasta luego, querida." I rushed down to my lab and started to gather notebooks. I needed to plan for my next invention. I rushed back up, avoiding the rush of workers who assembled the most demanded products. She winked at me as I entered the room.

She was seated near my office, separated by just a wall. I installed a one-way mirror so I could always watch her. It was covered by a tapestry which could easily be pushed aside. I had nothing to truly do, so I spent time watching her. Her hair was so pretty. Dios, I'd love to inhale the scent of her hairspray. I've stolen a few bottles, but they have nothing to truly cling to.

While I wished to be closer, this could do until I take her for myself. Of course it didn't take but a few days for plans to change.

I kept staring at her, smiling under my collar, but it soon started to turn into a frown. One of my most bothersome employees, Carter (sorry to both this and all other Carters), walked up to (Y/N)'s desk. I've been looking for an excuse to fire him for so long, but it seemed as though he knew my game. He always made sure to avoid the punishment.

But there was no way he would worm his way out this time. He leaned over her desk, talking. She seemed a bit uncomfortable, but he didn't seem to notice. He reached his hand over to her face and my blood boiled. It took every ounce of his self control to not punch through the glass and choke him then and there.

I stood up and walked closer to the one-way mirror. He sat on the desk and gave her a slip of paper. She blushed and told him something. He got off the desk and took her hand, kissing it before walking off.

I threw down the tapestry, covering the glass once more. I clenched my fists and started to grind my teeth. There was no way I would let him get away with that. I stewed in my anger until the time came for the work day to end.

(Y/N) knocked on my door before gently opening it. "Professor?" All anger was repressed when I saw (Y/N)'s face.

"Yes, (Y/N)?" A calming baritone voice resounded through the room. (Y/N) smiled and asked if I would walk her home. I nodded. There was no way I would ever let her go home completely alone from this point on. I took her hand and led her out of the office. A faint pink dusted her cheeks but she made no comment.

We walked down the city streets, looking at food and clothes through the windows. We talked about simpler things... simpler times...

Soon, we were at her apartment. It wasn't much, but to (Y/N) it was home. She won't have to worry about this disgusting hut when she's with me. I made no comment, but simply watched as she left my side.

"Thank you, Professor. Goodnight!" I saw her go inside before returning to my own home.

My sleep was restless that night. I tossed and turned relentlessly. Not even the thought of (Y/N) bending to my will, fully submitting to me helped. My mind was plagued with the thought of Carter (lmao forgot his name already and had to go look). The thought of him touching her, talking to her, looking at her! It filled me with indescribable emotions I couldn't quite name. I needed to rid myself of this. I needed to get rid of the problem.

I needed to get rid of him.

The next morning was roughly the same. I saw (Y/N) walk in and my heart fluttered. The hours dragged on before I decided to call him into my office.

"(Y/N), send Carter Hughes (sorry to all Carter Hughes' out there) to my office." She nodded and quickly paged him up. I waited in my office, gathering my self control to not rip him to shreds. If he wasn't here, he couldn't bother (Y/N). He couldn't bother (Y/N).

He walked into my office. He looked smug. I grimaced under my collar. "I think we both know why you're here, Mr. Hughes." His smile grew even larger.

"No, I'm not quite sure." This little weasel.

"Mr. Hughes, you are being fired from our company." I stated blankly.

"You have no reason to." He grinned. I wanted this to be simple-hacking off a small branch with an axe. But it seems that I'm cutting down the whole limb.

I planted my hands on the desk in front of me, raising my voice. "You have been harassing your coworkers and have been absent from almost all your work. With your record, it's surprising you stayed here this long." I handed him a pink slip. His face paled. "I suggest you pack your things in the morning, Carter. It's getting late. Wouldn't want you to go home in the dark." He gulped and nodded. The night passed. I felt accomplished. He was finally gone. Finally.

The next work day, Carter passed by (Y/N)'s desk. He was carrying a small cardboard box. (Y/N) asked something, then Carter laughed. He said something in return, but I couldn't tell you the words, but it'd made (Y/N) blush. He winked at strode his way out of the room.

My mind was fixed on the thought of what happened. How could I be so foolish as to let the problem remain? The only solution was to nip it in the bud. The only solution was to end it before it could cause any more trouble. There is no way to let him keep his life. And I intend to fix that.

I scanned through the files for employee information. "Harrington, Henson, Hepburn, Hill, Hinton, Hiragina, Holon, ah! Hughes." I wrote down the address and started packing up.

I dropped my work down on my desk at home. I grabbed some rope, chloroform, and put a fake license plate on my car just in case. I drove down to his apartment with a smile on my face. The problem will finally be gone. I creeped inside and found his bedroom. He really should lock his door—then again, he won't have to worry about that now. I put my hand against his throat, covering his mouth and nose with a chloroform soaked bandage. With the combined effort, he was unconscious in less than a minute. I flung him over my shoulder and threw him into the trunk. The sadistic grin never left my face.

I pulled up to my driveway, grabbed the bounty I'd brought home, and carried it down to my lab.

I didn't have long before he woke up, so I put restraints as my top priority. I set him down on my strongest operating table and cuffed his arms and legs to it. I began to quickly gather my tools.

Gore Warning Time (=◉ ◡ ◉=)

I filled the needle with Pancuronium, a muscle paralyzer. His eyes widened as he fought further against the restraints. I couldn't help but let out a little chuckle. It's just so useless. I set the needle down and stuck a tube down his throat. Hooking that tube to one of of the various machines in my lab, I turned to him.

"Take it easy!" I shrugged as I turned away, "I'd say to take a breath and relax, but it seems that you won't have a choice."

He fought against the restraints vigorously. A worthless action, really. I hooked him up to the ECMO in my lab. Now he'll truly experience what happens to anyone who talks to my (Y/N).

After that, the wait was over. I placed the needle into his skin as the chemical was slowly inserted. I smiled as his shaking body stopped fighting.

My scalpel found itself close against the man's skin. I pressed it lightly against him; beads of crimson came bubbling up to the surface.

"Let's get serious." I quickly sliced the skin from his clavicle to his pelvis. Blood surged up, trying to clot. Around the rib cage, another incision was made perpendicular to the first. The process was repeated on his abdomen. Blood began to drip down his sides. I smiled as I began to open his skin. It was like that of freshly killed game. Tissue that once clung together separated at the slightest touch.

I carved him as if he were a Thanksgiving turkey. His insides lay facing the ceiling lights. With an additional snap of my gloves, I poised my hands over his organs.

"Hmm, let's begin to look for where your god failed you."

꧁ᴛɪᴍᴇ sᴋɪᴘ꧂

"This, right here, is your left kidney. Whoops! There goes the last of yours. Let's see what else is here..."

"Ah, yes. Would you like to see your large intestine?" I had my hands full of his guts. "Or perhaps the predecessor?" The salmon-pink muscle was wound between my fingers. With a small tug, blood sprayed onto my uniform. I tossed the glob of guts aside and once again grabbed my scalpel.

"Let's see if you can stomach this." I cut open the lining, acid pouring out. A corrosive hisss echoed while the body digested itself.

I laughed. Not at the pun—that was terrible. I had been fantasizing about this moment ever since (Y/N) saw him. And like I planned, I crept further up his insides. I slowly broke rib from rib, going in depth with a medial explanation each time one was removed. If ribs don't grow back then he surely won't live to see the end of it.

"Here we are." I pushed my gloved hand into his chest. "No no no, this shouldn't be! You don't deserve this." My hand gently squeezed around the muscle. "I'll make sure to give this back to the owner." Red flushed the room. A low, continuous beep echoed through the walls.

It's done.

——-————————————————

I walked to (Y/N) as she headed out of her office at work. I held her shoulder, causing her to pivot on her foot, now facing me.

"Oh, uh... hi, Professor. Did you need me?"

"(Y/N), I'd like to show you some paperwork at home. I need it put into the system, but... I forgot to bring it with me." I took a deep breath. "The files are very complex, so I'd need to show you how to deal with them. Would you mind stopping by?" She quickly shook her head.

I smiled. "Then follow me." I opened the car door. With a few clicks, (Y/N) was in my car. She was in my car. I turned on the radio to fill the silence.

Glancing to my side, I saw (Y/N) staring out the window. Her hair gently swayed, bouncing with each hole the tires hit. She hummed along with the singer, softly singing the parts that she knew. Her words were breathy, almost afraid to be heard. But they were music to my ears. 'Focus, Miguel,' I thought.

The song continued to play as I drove home. When we got there, I unlocked the back door.

"Kids, go to your rooms!" My voice slightly echoed through the halls. I took (Y/N) by the hand. "Follow me."

I lead her to a wall. It was in the darkest corner of the living room. Hidden amongst the shadows was a copper plate.

"Ah, mierda." I took off my goggles and handed them to (Y/N). "¿Agarras mi gafas, por favor?"

She took them slowly, staring at me as the scanner checked my retinas. The door opened with a clunk.

I gestured towards the "After you." She took a few hesitant steps before looking to me for guidance. I chuckled before letting her lean on me. We descended down the staircase until we reached my lab.

She immediately went over to my bookshelf. I smiled as I locked the door behind us.

"(Y/N)." She whipped her hair around to face me.

"Yes, Professor?" I bit my lip. Hers were slightly parted, giving her face a blissful look.

"Come sit down." She did as I instructed. "Now, what I'm about to do may pinch." I held her down as I injected a small amount of morphine into her femoral artery. After a bit of struggle, she fell limp in my arms.

(Y/N)'s POV

I woke up to the sound of footsteps. I lifted my head and tried to look around. Why was I in a chair? And why can't I move my arms? My mind raced as I began to struggle against my restraints.

"Ah, finalmente estás despierta." An unmistakable baritone rang out. Was Membrane going to save me?

He came into view, goggles and lab coat off. His arms were prosthetics. Presumably steel or an alloy containing it. His eyes were chocolate with hazel flecks. But more importantly, his pupils were extremely dilated. I tried to call out for him, but all that came out was a muffled "mfph".

"No tan rápido, mi querida. Tú eres mía. Solamente mío." His cold "hand" traces my cheek. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes.

"MPMFPH!"

"Ah, tú quieres hablar. Pues, adelante." He ripped off whatever was covering my mouth. I gasped for air. The air tasted like latex and antiseptics. I looked up towards Professor.

"Did...did you do this to me, sir?" I stammered. His eyebrow arched as he placed a hand on his chin.

"Ah, inglés. Un momento." He cleared his throat. "Is this better, my (Y/N)?"

I couldn't believe it. "Answer the question!"

"Ay, mi amor, I had no choice. I couldn't risk anyone else getting close to you." His hands found themselves on my shoulders, slowly moving up to my neck.

"Get your hands off of me!" He quickly pulled back. He walked behind me, making it impossible for me to truly see him.

His once endearing laugh now plagued my ears. "My dear, sweet, (Y/N), don't be that way~! You and I are one now. You are mine. And I've brought you a present."

He walked past his desk, digging through his belongings. After a few moments, he returned.

"My dear (Y/N), May I present to you..." he reached behind his back and pulled out a bloodied jar. Looking carefully, there's... oh my god. Inside the jar was-

"Hughes' heart. He said it belonged to you, I figured he wouldn't mind if you reclaimed it." He smiled, teeth filling half his face as his merriment was finally shown. He set the jar down, took me out of the restraints, and held me in his arms. I was too numb to fight back. I sobbed into his chest.

Membrane wrapped his arms around my relatively small frame. "Shhhh. It's going to be okay. He would have wanted it this way."

"Okay."

[nostalgiabones]

Being Known is Being Loved // L.H

The idea for this came from this post, which I thought was so sweet and beautiful — so I just had to write about it! Features soft boyfriend and dad Luke, like pretty much all of my writing does lmao. As always thank you to @calumrose for talking about this with me all day and reading along the way! I’m really happy with how this turned out so please let me know what you think if you enjoyed it too.♥️

Word count: 2,480

Warnings: mentions of pregnancy.

“I think it’s time for a coffee.”

Luke thinks out loud, talking to Petunia as he opens the front door to your shared home, unclipping her lead so she could get a drink from her bowl. Since lockdown had begun, Luke had gone to the effort of going for a run most mornings — wanting to get out of the house (and his head) before a day of Zoom meetings and phone calls.

Running usually left him feeling energised, yet today is one of those days — he knows he needs at least one more coffee before he gets anything done. He left around an hour ago, leaving you in bed to wake up at your own pace. The house is quiet as he steps in, but he knows you’re up — he can hear the rumbling of the TV from the lounge, needing something to fill the silence of the house whilst he’s gone. He knows you have your own work to do today too.

“Good morning, babe.” He calls out into the lounge, looking into where you’re curled up on the couch — mug of tea in your hand, laptop on your lap. It’s still relatively early morning — he hasn’t checked the time, but he knows you have to be logged on by 9:00am.

“Hey, good run?” You ask, looking up at him and taking in his post run state — something he hates, yet you couldn’t get enough of it. There was something about it — long, bleached blonde curls tied back into a little bun, a tank top that perfectly shows off his arms. He leans down, lips brushing against your forehead in a silent hello. “You’re all sweaty.”

He ignores your comment, looking at your face — eyebrows furrowed a little as if he was confused about something.

“What’s up?” He asks, taking one of your hands and lacing his fingers with yours, squeezing gently. Now it’s your turn to look confused.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re irritated by something,” Luke tells you, almost like he knows your emotions better than you do. How does he know? You did get a frustrating email from a work colleague just before he came back from his run, but he doesn’t know about that. “Your left eye is twitching. You’re doing that cute eyebrow thing, too.”

You scoff, taken aback by his words, as you’d never noticed that you did that when you’re annoyed by something. Even more annoyingly, Luke is right.

“How did you... I don’t do that.” You argue, and Luke laughs, happy that he’s at least distracted you from whatever you’re annoyed about for a moment. “What cute eyebrow thing?!”

“You do, babe,” He replies, raising his eyebrows in a knowing expression. He loves how defensive you get. He’s seen you do it countless times. He’s never mentioned it to you before, he assumes you know — but it’s always a telltale sign that you’re not happy about something. He remembers the first time he noticed it — when you’d asked him to take the bins out and he’d completely forgotten. Lockdown had made it even more clear that it’s your body’s reaction to whatever was annoying you, since he’d seen it more than ever since working from home. “Well, let’s see if I’m right. Are you annoyed about something?”

“Well... yeah,” You roll your eyes when he smiles in triumph. “I got an email from my boss that pissed me off. I’ll be lucky to finish everything he sent by midnight at this rate.”

“Thought so,” He says, mainly to himself. He brushes his lips against yours in a soft peck, before pushing up from the sofa and heading to make himself the coffee he was thinking about. “It’s okay, babe, you have me here to entertain you all day whilst you work on it. Anything I can help with?”

You shake your head, knowing it would take even longer if you tried to explain it to Luke.

“Coffee would help.”

He smiles to himself in the kitchen, as he has already gotten a mug out to make you one too, knowing it would help you through the morning.

“Coming right up, honey.”

***

There’s no sound more soothing than that of crashing waves.

Especially in the late evening — the sun set creating a beautiful orange and purple haze. Everything felt quiet, peaceful, serene. You’re sat on the wall at the seafront. The sand felt warm beneath your toes, a contrast to the cool sea breeze causing goosebumps to break out over your bare arms. Luke notices.

“Here,” He takes off his denim jacket, leaving him in just a black t—shirt, before he drapes it over your shoulders, tucking the material around you. You cuddle into the jacket, stealing his warmth — the scent lingering on the material surrounding you with Luke. He knew from the moment you left the house, that he’d be giving you his jacket at some point in the day. He’d suggested you take one when you set off, but you waved him off — saying you’ll be fine in what you’re wearing. He made sure he wore one, so he could give it to you. “Better?”

“Much,” You nod, kissing his scruffy cheek and resting your head on his shoulder. His loving gestures made your heart melt. “The baby isn’t cold anymore. Thank you.”

The baby.

Luke still isn’t used to those words, yet the more he hears them, the more he hopes they sink in. You’re almost at 12 weeks — almost at the point where you can start to let others in on the secret you and Luke have so happily been keeping. He’s excited for his parents and brothers to find out, to see his mum’s reaction to becoming a grandma. He can’t wait to hear his bandmates, his brothers, argue over who is going to be the godparent. He can’t wait for it all.

He smiles, resting his cheek on the top of your head as you watch the sunset. He hears you sigh in contentment, knowing you truly feel at peace when you’re with him, especially when you’re at the beach. Two of your favourite things. He had planned an evening out for the two of you, wanting to go later in the day as it would be less crowded — as well as being able to watch the sunset.

“Can we walk down to the sea?” You ask, noticing how the tide was starting to come in, and if you didn’t go now, you wouldn’t be able to. “I won’t splash you, promise.”

“Of course,” He pushes up from the wall, lacing your fingers with his to help you get down, before you head down the sand. Most of the people who had been around had left, leaving just the two of you on that part of the beach, along with a few dog walkers. “It wouldn’t be a trip to the beach without it.”

You make it to the edge of the sea, the sand wet beneath your feet as they sink into the soft ground. You grip Luke’s hand a little tighter to keep upright, and he can’t take his eyes away from your face. He knows exactly how you feel in the moment. Your eyes are glistening with a happiness he doesn’t often see, one that’s reserved for what he thought were special moments between you both. Going to the beach isn’t anything special, but the feeling he knows you’re experiencing right now is. He’s unsure whether it’s him, or the peaceful evening at the sea, maybe a combination of the two. The pregnancy glow is real too, Luke is sure of it. He never understood what people meant when they said that you glow — yet looking at you right now, he knows they were right.

He’s so used to seeing you stressed and anxious, worrying about work or a family member, and everything in between. Especially since you found out you were expecting, too — always worried about something going wrong, as well as just general fears of parenthood. He savours moments like this, where he knows you truly feel as careless as you can. Your smile is different. He’s caught off guard by a larger wave and it makes you laugh — really laugh, one that isn’t forced, and he knows when your nose scrunches up as you smile at him. He can tell when you’re truly happy — and he knows in this moment, you are.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” You ask, a blush creeping onto your cheeks as you suddenly feel a little self conscious. Luke shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders.

“I’m not looking at you like anything,” He replies, acting innocent — like he isn’t thinking about you’re feeling, like that’s not all he can focus on. “I just love being here with you. And I love you.”

He wraps his arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his body, your face pressed against his chest. Your arm wraps around his back, hand landing on his side, holding yourself close to him. His free hand slips beneath his jacket, over the ever growing bump beneath his palm — feeling the soft rolls and kicks. He basks in the feeling, hoping it would last forever — although forever didn’t feel like long enough when it came to you.

“I love you too.”

***

Luke is cautious as he sways around the room.

He delicately hums under his breath, not wanting to make too much noise, but wanting the sweet baby in his arms to know he was there. She seems to find his voice comforting — something he has learned over the past five days of her life. Probably from all the hours he spent talking and singing to her when she was still a bump.

“Is she down?” You ask quietly, slipping into the bedroom and carefully sitting down at the edge of your bed. The lamp in the corner of the room is dimmed, creating a soft ambience in the room, relaxing all three of you. You can’t get over how tiny your daughter looks in her dad’s arms, barely fitting along the length of his arm. His broadness doesn’t help, yet there’s something so sweet about the size difference between the two.

“Nearly,” Luke yawns quietly as he looks down at her face. Her eyes are pretty much closed — long, delicate eyelashes gracing her full cheeks, rosy from the warmth of being tucked in his arms. She’s not quite ready to fall fully asleep just yet though, wiggling in his grasp as he rocks her. “She’s fighting it a little bit. Ain’t so bad, though. I don’t want to put her down.”

You chuckle at his words, pushing back the thick duvet and tucking your legs beneath it, trying to get comfortable. Sleep is few and far between as a new parent, something you and Luke have grown to learn over the last week. You’ve never seen Luke so fixated on something — the way he’s gazing at the bundle of blankets in arms makes your heart flood with adoration.

“God, she’s just like you.” Luke murmurs, lifting his arms a little so she’s closer to his face. His lips brush her forehead, leaving the lightest of kisses against the soft skin. The weight of her in his arms was such a comfort to him, one that he’s never felt before.

“In what way?” You ask, curiously. Over the last few days, you’ve noticed a few features of Luke’s in her — obviously, she has his perfect slope of a nose. You’re curious to know what he has noticed of you in her.

“Well,” He gently sits down next to you, shuffling over so you can see your daughter, so you can look at her together. You can hear her snuffles and little noises as she falls asleep, a sound that has grown to be comforting ever since she was born, so you know she’s okay. Luke feels as though he learns something new about her every time he looks at her. “Do you see how she’s pouting? How her bottom lip is out, even though she’s asleep? You do the same thing when you’re asleep.”

“Really?” You ask, noticing that Luke was right. She’s pretty much fast asleep, yet her little bottom lip is out in almost a full pout. Luke smiles at you realise, taking his thumb and ever so softly running it beneath her full lips. She doesn’t react to his touch, staying asleep as he continues to rock her gently. “I didn’t know I did that.”

“You do, and I love that she does it too.” Luke admits, his pointer finger trailing down the middle of her eyebrows, down the slope of her nose, tapping it ever so gently. Her nose scrunches up at the action, a yawn following — Luke chuckles at the face she pulls as she does. “That too. Her nose may look like mine, yet the little scrunching is all you.”

Luke pays a lot of attention to her mannerisms — he observes them whenever he gets the chance. He looks for parts of you in her. He doesn’t have to look far. She even has a freckle behind her ear — one exactly where you do — he noticed that the first time he held her. He doesn’t think he’s ever felt anything compared to the love he feels towards her, when he sees parts of the love of his life in the tiny being he helped to create.

“I can’t wait to hear her voice,” You think out loud, not wanting the time to rush by — yet you can’t help but think about everything you’re yet to know about her. Luke smiles at your words. You get to raise her, to watch her grow into her own person together. She’s there as a constant reminder of you to him.’ She’s perfect. “Her laugh, too. I hope she laughs like you.”

“As long as she’s happy, I don’t care.” He means it. He can’t wait for all of the milestones too. He knows the journey is going to be difficult — he’s only been a dad for a week, yet it’s been one of the most nerve wracking weeks of his life. “I hope she’s as happy as we are.”

He feels like he already knows her, as he stands up to put her to bed. He rests his forehead against hers for a second, basking in the feeling of her asleep in his arms, before he slowly lowers her into the crib. She’s unsettled for a moment, wondering where his warm arms have gone — yet she’s soothed when his fingertips graze her baby grow covered back, and she falls asleep. You know, he knows, and...

To be known, is to be loved.

***

Feedback is always really appreciated! I really love how this turned out and would love to know what you thought. My ask box is here! <3 

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[obwjam]

the tiniest jedi: the hidden enemy, part 2

a/n: part two is here!!! i completely lost my focus in the middle of this but i finally was able to crank it out lmao this was originally going to be three parts but it’s gonna be four now or else this chapter would be like 8k words and uhh no thank u sir

>> part one

——————-

Rex had never felt this awkward in his short life. He did trust General Skywalker. He was programmed to follow orders. And despite the shock of seeing someone so small, he believed that the Jedi wouldn’t send someone to the front who wasn’t fully capable of handling themselves.

And yet, doubt nagged at the back of his mind. It didn’t really compute how someone so tiny could fight like Anakin. Or Obi-Wan. Or… any Jedi, really.

But above all, Rex had a duty to lead his men. If this General Nor’al was their commanding officer for the day, then he was going to respect it. Even if the rest of the 501st griped about it, he knew they would ultimately fall in line and do their duty.

He just hoped he wouldn’t have to bring back any bad news.

Briefing his ARC troopers went about as well as he expected it to. They were a little confused at first, wondering why Rex was pinching his fingers in such a way when he described the new general, and there were skeptical faces when he went over the plan.

“So you two will be on standby here and here, laying down cover fire while I get her as close to the tank as possible,” Rex explained. “At my word, we rendezvous here and Hawk will pick us up with the gunship.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” said one trooper. “But the catch is…”

“...she’s about as tall as a kriffing Zilkin,” another finished.

Rex cleared his throat, snapping his men back to attention. “Look, I know it’s a bit of a… strange situation. But General Skywalker is counting on us to make this work, and the information we get from that droid will save countless lives. It’s important that we execute this plan flawlessly.”

As Rex went to meet Obi-Wan and Jayla, he could only wonder how Cody was handling it all. Even though he wouldn’t be part of the stealth mission, he was no doubt aware that this tiny Jedi existed. Well, if Cody can look past the obvious, Rex thought, then I can too.

“Well, that went better than I was expecting.”

Jayla rolled her eyes at Obi-Wan’s comment as she stretched out on a small section of the table in a break room. Cody was leaning against the corner of the wall, helmet off. Obi-Wan insisted he be there while they wait.

“Are you kidding? That might have been the most awkward interaction I’ve ever had in my life,” Jayla sighed. “That’s saying a lot, you know.”

“Aw, cut him some slack,” Cody shrugged. “He was caught off-guard.”

Obi-Wan cracked a smile. “We owe that one to Anakin.”

“As much as I love blaming him, you did the exact same thing when I first met Cody,” Jayla tutted, standing up. “Remember that, Cody? It wasn’t that weird, was it?”

Cody snickered. In his mind, it was that weird, but he wasn’t going to admit it. It was sometime after the Battle of Geonosis, he couldn’t quite remember when. He didn’t participate, but he could feel the pain in the quavers of his brothers’ voices whenever they discussed it in passing.

It was strange that Obi-Wan wanted to meet him outside of the battlefield, and even stranger that their meeting place was the Jedi temple. Did he want to discuss battle strategy? Expectations? Requirements? He wasn’t made for small talk.

He glanced nervously around the halls as he knocked on a door he hoped was the right one. He could hear mumbling.

“Do come in,” a prim voice called out from the other side. Oh great. He’s one of these Jedi.

Cody walked in cautiously, unsure of who and what to expect. Obi-Wan was sitting cross-legged on a pillow with his back to the door. There was a knee-high table in front of him with two cups on either side. Obi-Wan was talking, too softly to make out, and presumably, to himself. Cody raised an eyebrow.

“Sorry, sir, if this is a bad time…” he stared, but Obi-Wan held his hand up.

“Not at all. I should have warned you that we might have a guest.”

Cody was about to open his mouth when he caught something in the corner of his eye. Something was moving on the table.

Cody’s hand flew to his blaster and he cocked it up in seconds. “Sir, don’t move. There’s something--”

“Commander!” Obi-Wan huffed as he stood swiftly. Cody’s eager eyes darted from Obi-Wan to the table, where… where a very, very small person was standing being a cup, wielding a lightsaber. Looking like a deer in headlights, Cody lowered his blaster.

“Sir--” Cody started, taking a step forward. He stopped when he saw the tiny figure flinch.

“Jay, it’s alright,” Obi-Wan said softly, taking a knee beside the table. “I asked him here.”

“That’s one of the clones?” the tiny girl asked warily, glancing up at Cody, whose face was bright red.

“This is Commander Cody, my new second-in-command,” Obi-Wan stated. “He’ll be leading the 212th Attack Battalion.”

“Oh.” She put away her lightsaber as Cody put his blaster back in its holster. “I-I’m Jayla Nor’al. I’m Master Yoda’s padawan.” She took a few shaky steps from behind the cup. “I’m sorry for the scare.”

Cody blinked. “It--it’s alright. Sorry about the blaster.”

Obi-Wan smiled. “Well, now that that’s all out of the way. Why don’t you take a seat, Commander. I hope you like tea.”

Cody smirked at the memory. “You Jedi sure have a thing for surprises,” he said cheekily. “Just give Rex some time. He’s a good soldier. He’ll get over it quickly.”

“I just hope he trusts me out there,” Jayla mumbled.

“Oh, I have no doubt he will,” Obi-Wan reassured. “The question is, will you trust him?”

Jayla’s eyes fell to the table. She hated the way Obi-Wan seemed to read her mind at the most inopportune times.

She didn’t get a lot of time to dwell on it as the door whooshed open and Rex cantered in. He first noticed Cody before his eyes fell right to Jayla. I should probably stop staring now.

“Captain,” Obi-Wan smiled as Rex removed his helmet. “Thank you for joining us.”

“Of course, sir,” Rex said stiffly. Seeing him with his helmet off, Jayla wasn’t sure what to make of him. If they were all, well, clones… why did this one look so different? Maybe it was the blond hair, or how worn down he looked. Or maybe it was the slight wideness of the eyes and the small pursing of his lips.

“I thought it would be beneficial for us to go over the plan once more in a quieter space,” Obi-Wan started. Rex, who was deliberately staring at the wall ahead of him to avoid looking down, broke his concentration when he could feel the heat of Obi-Wan’s gaze on him. “Captain, do you have a map of the terrain?”

“Yes sir,” Rex said, pulling the holoprojector from his belt. Without thinking, he set it down on the table. His eyes flashed down in concern, but Jayla calmly took a few steps back and found her way to Obi-Wan’s hand again.

“Well, the tac droid will be in this tank here,” Rex pointed. “It’s always the most heavily guarded, but we suspect they’ll be more clankers around it than usual.”

“My battalion and the rest of the attack squad will be over here, pushing through on the main road to the city,” Cody said as the map widened. “They’ll be hundreds of us. The chance of them noticing a few men splitting off is low.”

“General Nor’al, you’ll be with me,” Rex said. “I, uh, I don’t know exactly where you’d like to, uh, ride… but once you finish getting the information we need, meet me at the extraction point here. Hawk will come down with a gunship and we’ll be on our way.”

Jayla cleared her throat as Obi-Wan handed her a comically large piece of tech. “When I get in, I have to disable the tac droid first or else it’s gonna be impossible to do anything. Its weakness is in its neck, so as long as it’s engaged, I’ll be able to scale it without it noticing.” She heaved up the piece of tech, which was about the size of a rotary blaster to her. These were the moments that Obi-Wan tried hard not to smile and Jayla tried hard not to get flustered. “I’m going to plug into the droid at the base of its head. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes for the download. I’ll cut a hole out the back of the tank and meet you for extraction,” she finished, glancing up at Rex. His face was stoic.

“Well, I think we’ve got a good grasp on this,” Obi-Wan said with a smirk. “Must be a nice change of pace for you, Captain. You hardly ever get the chance to follow a plan.”

“Whatever I need to do, General,” Rex replied. He jumped a little when Cody appeared next to him and put his hand on his shoulder.

“If you don’t mind, Generals, we’ll head down to the hangar for our equipment check,” Cody said. Obi-Wan nodded.

“Thank you, sirs,” Rex said, his gaze lingering on Jayla for a few extra seconds. Rex didn’t need the powers of the Force to know they were both thinking the same thing about each other. The signs of apprehension were universal. But for him, at least, the moment he stepped onto the battlefield was the moment his mind went blank and he was only concerned with achieving one goal. If she had the respect of both Kenobi and Skywalker, then what was the source of his unease? Why couldn’t he stop thinking about her, staring at her, worrying about her?

He was glad Cody got him out of there.

“So,” Obi-Wan said when the two clones left. “Where are you going to ride?”

“I was really trying not to think about that,” Jayla groaned. “You know, you didn’t have to bring him in to go over the plan again. I’m the one who came up with it.”

“You can never be too prepared.”

Jayla took a shaky breath. “And do I really have to go on the gunship with everyone? I don’t want anyone to stare.”

“How else are you planning on getting down to the planet’s surface? A free fall?”

“I think I’d rather,” she mumbled. “Well, do I have to--”

“--you can stay with me until we reach the ground,” Obi-Wan assured, his face softening. “It’s alright.”

Jayla released a breath she had been holding and plopped down, leaning against the curl of Obi-Wan’s fingers.

“Rex is one of the finest,” he said in a hushed voice. “He���ll take good care of you out there.”

“I’m not the one who needs taking care of,” she snapped. “I’m fine.”

“I can sense your worry.”

Jayla sighed. There really was no fooling Obi-Wan. “I just… I don’t want to mess up. I don’t want to… I want to make sure everyone gets back alright, you know? This is my mission. I’m responsible.”

Obi-Wan furrowed his brow. He figured the completion of the mission would have been her main focus. Gently, he raised the index finger on his free hand and stroked Jayla’s back. She flinched at his touch, but quickly melted into it. “As a Jedi, you are more than capable. As a leader, there are few who can inspire people like you do.” He paused to let her smile. “There are things in war you can’t control. Casualties are one of them. The men you lead in battle today will not be the same as the ones tomorrow.”

Jayla couldn’t find anything to say.

“You’ve gone over this one plan more times in the last thirty minutes than Anakin has with any plan his whole life.” That one earned a full laugh from her. “And when things inevitably go wrong, you will adapt. You are ready for this.”

Jayla looked up and met Obi-Wan’s clear blue eyes. In them, she only saw admiration. In him, she only felt confidence. She cracked a small smile, sat up and folded her legs criss-cross. She closed her eyes. The Force pulsed excitedly around her.

She was ready.

—-

“How’d’you know her so well, anyway?”

Rex and Cody were just about at the hangar bay, and Rex was eager to know why she seemed to trust being around Cody but shied away from him.

“General Kenobi does a lot of negotiating in addition to his fighting,” Cody laughed. “She’s with him quite a lot on those trips. I imagine it’s deliberate on his part. Gets her used to being around clones and all that.”

“Well, that explains why I’ve never met her before,” Rex snickered. “General Skywalker never negotiates.”

Cody smirked. “But I wouldn’t say I know her well. She… doesn’t take to people very easily. Still has never let me take her anywhere, despite my plentiful offers. I’ve only ever seen her with Kenobi or Skywalker.”

“Must be a Jedi thing,” Rex snorted. Of course she has a thing against clones.

“Well, if the Jedi are all she’s ever known, I can’t say I blame her,” Cody countered. He could easily see Rex’s irritation in the form of his clenched fists. “The galaxy is not built for people her size. Especially a galaxy at war.”

Rex hummed. He had… never really thought of it that way. “Have you seen her in action before?”

“A few times, when negotiations went south. She moves quicker than anyone I’ve ever seen, that’s for sure. And if she gets scared, she doesn’t show it. I don’t think I’d be able to do what she does if everyone towered over me like a kriffing building.”

Rex pursed his lips, trying to visualize for the first time what it might look like if his brothers stood a hundred feet taller than him. He shivered at the thought.

“Rex? You alright, vod?”

Cody had stopped walking. They were at the hangar. Red swallowed.

“I’m… I guess I’m just surprised someone so small could be such a powerful Jedi.”

“Trust me,” Cody said, slipping his helmet on, “you’re not the only one.”

Rex humphed as he followed suit, joining his small group of ARCs near the larger 501st. Close by were Obi-Wan and Anakin, chatting amongst themselves. He almost didn’t notice Jayla on Obi-Wan’s shoulder, legs swinging as she laughed at something Anakin said. Well, she certainly looks happier.

“Just hang on tight, and you’ll have nothing to worry about!” Anakin said as they climbed into the gunship.

“There’s a reason I’m trusting Obi-Wan instead of you here,” Jayla snipped, regaining her balance as Obi-Wan reached his arm up to grab a handle. “He wouldn’t jerk his shoulder really hard to make sure I was secure enough.”

“Are you telling me he’s not preparing you properly? That’s interesting.”

“Tell me why they stuck me on this mission with both of you,” Obi-Wan groaned, pinching the brim of his nose.

Jayla grinned. “Maybe it’s punishment.”

“No crime is worth this.”

Rex sniffed a laugh under his helmet. She’s just like a mini Anakin.

With a ferocious whoosh, the gunship doors sealed shut and the engine fired up. As quickly as the jokes had come before, any semblance of lightheartedness was gone now. Jayla tightened her grip on Obi-Wan’s robe, Obi-Wan cupped his free hand in front of her, and Anakin stood alert, keeping a close eye on their surroundings.

Rex couldn’t keep his eyes off her, either. When the gunship lurched forward as it took to the air, even he could see how white her knuckles were. She kept her eyes trained on a single stationary item in front of her, trying to stay steady and ignore the small glances she was getting from the 15 other clones packed inside. She stayed fairly still through it all, but every jerk of the ship as it picked up speed and entered the atmosphere caused her face to contort into a sick grimace. Rex could only imagine how many of his other daily experiences were like a nightmare to her.

Jayla could feel Rex’s gaze on her. Something about that was comforting as they rumbled toward the surface. Even over the wind, she could hear the sharp pitch of blaster fire. There was a lot of it.

Her stomach keeled when the gunship made its slow descent to the ground. It was time.

“Jayla?” Obi-Wan spoke as soft as he possibly could over the noise. “I’m going to give you over to Rex now. Are you ready?”

Jayla could only nod as Obi-Wan moved his hand in front of her and she stepped on. She wobbled when Obi-Wan took a few steps forward to meet Rex, who was trying not to seem so flustered. Anakin’s hand was resting on his lightsaber.

Obi-Wan made the split-second decision to place her on Rex’s shoulder pauldron. There wasn’t a whole lot to grab onto, so a wide surface would make it easier for her to stay steady. He knew she wasn’t going to like being in Rex’s hand, and he could sense Rex’s unease with that possibility.

With a little bit of hesitation, she leaped off Obi-Wan’s hand and onto the pauldron, taking note of how it felt like walking on a training mat instead of the hard plastoid she assumed it was. Rex turned his head as best he could not only to make sure she was secure, but to get a better look at her. It was hard to see what she looked like from so far away, but she was mere inches from him now. He didn’t really know what he was expecting, but he was still surprised to see she looked… human. Her long hair was pulled into a loop, like a ponytail but the end was tucked back into its elastic. Her ears were slightly pointed, but almost by a negligible amount. With the sleeve of her tunic blowing around in the wind, he could barely see the tiny markings of a tattoo on her wrist. She was definitely fit to fight — her arms were toned and her face looked battle-hardened. Well, save for the way her wide eyes seemed to tremble as she stared at the ground from her new vantage point.

“Are you okay, General?”

General. It took a moment for Jayla to realize Rex was addressing her.

“Hm—yeah— yeah, I’m good,” she said, staggering her legs for better balance. There was absolutely nothing to grab onto. If all else failed, there was always the ammo box pinned to his chest. “Just—try not to make any sudden movements. Or lean forward. Or fall.”

“Can’t make any promises, General,” Rex replied, dead serious. He splayed his fingers and held his palm out flat. “You sure you don’t want to—“

“I’m fine here, Captain,” she grumbled. “Let’s get going.”

She wasn’t sure what to expect when the doors to the gunship opened, but never in a thousand years could she have been prepared for it.

The towering buildings of Christophsis merely faded into the background for her; like mountains too far off in the distance to properly understand their size. The whole planet had a green hue to it, but the air was thick with red and blue blaster bolts whizzing by in either direction. Jayla could barely get a sense of where she was by eyesight alone. When she finally snapped out of her entranced state, she shut her eyes and let the Force tell her what she needed to know. Droids to her left. Hundreds of them. Thousands. Battle droids, destroyers, super battle droids. All arranged in an impossibly precise formation. To her right, the GAR. Hundreds of clones with heavy breath and piercing shouts in organized chaos. Every few seconds, she felt a sharp pain, like the poke of a needle on her back. Someone got shot. Someone got back up. Someone didn’t.

Through it all, Jayla was still able to hear Anakin's upbeat voice. “Good luck out there, General!”

Jayla managed a laugh, watching with a small smile as Anakin and Obi-Wan ignited their sabers and jumped head-on into the oncoming fire. Rex hopped out of the gunship with two other troopers with the same swooping shoulder pauldrons. Jayla immediately fell to one knee and threw her hand down for extra support as Rex charged forward, finding shelter behind what appeared to be a large piece of metal.

He turned to his troopers and pointed across the way, where there was an elevated structure along the main road. “Positions!” The two ARCs nodded and sprinted over. “That’ll be a good place to lay down some cover,” Rex said to himself as he flipped down his HUD.

“There.” He pointed to a row of tanks several hundred yards away. “The tac droid’s in the middle one.”

Jayla nodded, forgetting that Rex couldn’t see her. She quickly began carving out the best path to get them there safely, which unfortunately required a lot of places where they would be fully exposed.

“I hope those guys are a good shot,” she called out. “Or else we’re toast.”

“There are a lot of clankers out there... stay low and hold on tight, sir,” Rex said, giving her a moment to adjust her position. He flinched at the sudden sound of a small whoosh. Her lightsaber.

“Let’s go, Rex.”

[flatsuke]

let me drown in you

Summary: A joke gift from Ota and Baba makes MC discover things about herself that she'd scarcely considered before. To her surprise, she also discovers things about her stoic fiancé.

or, Eisuke Gets Pegged, the fic.

Genre:  Romance, SMUT

Pairing:  Eisuke/MC

Word Count: 4275

a/n: I finally did it. this is filthy, filthy self-indulgence lmao. After months of not writing, I’ve returned with this filth and I sincerely hope you enjoy it lmao

Disclaimer: Please don’t read this if you’re uncomfortable with pegging.

AO3 Link

She was going to kill Ota and Baba.

Staring at MC was the stupid boxed package marked “FRAGILE” in big red letters. She’d thought it was the tea set her mother promised to send back from Japan, but upon opening the box, she was dead wrong.

Inside the box was a distinctly phallic object she surmised was a dildo, and from the looks of it, a high-quality silicone one, too. To her horror, the package also came with a leather harness and a terrifyingly extensive assortment of bottles she was sure was lube.

She’d castrate Ota and Baba for sure.

In the recesses of her mind, she remembered snippets of a conversation earlier that week that involved Ota, Baba, and a not-so-modest amount of alcohol.

“What, so you really think Eisuke would be okay with anything you ask?” Ota said. “Like, anything-anything?”

“M’yeah,” she replied, as if speaking a universal truth despite her inebriation.

“Really now?” Baba’s eyes were twinkling, but she didn’t notice the mischief brewing in them. “He liked the blindfold from our little bet, didn’t he?”

“Mm-hm. Maybe—hic—more than that, too.”

She foolishly thought they’d ignore her drunken babbling like they always did, but of course, they wouldn’t let anything remotely embarrassing slide, especially if it involved Eisuke. God knows those two would always find some way to prod at her and Eisuke’s sex life. The silicone cock in front of her was proof of that.

Shit. She had to get rid of the package before Eisuke got back. It wasn’t as if he’d welcome the sight anyway. The mere implication of Eisuke giving up his control was unheard of.

Liar, a smaller, more impish part of her said. Remember the blindfold.

The blindfold. She’d never forget that night for as long as she lived. The sight of the all-powerful Eisuke Ichinomiya squirming under her—blindfolded—and begging her to let him cum. She rode him till dawn that night, and the sound of her name spilling from his lips like a mantra would always send a hot stab of lust down her spine and god, the idea of being the one inside him—

“I’m home.” His bored voice and the automated beep of their suite door interrupted her thoughts.

Oh, no, no, no. The package was still in on top of the coffee table, and it was only a matter of seconds until he turned around and looked inside the damn thing.

“Welcome home, Eisuke,” she said, lifting the box as casually as she could manage. “I was just on my way to throw this out.”

“And what’s that?” He gestured to the box.

“It’s…well…nothing important.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. Years as a trained businessman meant lying to him was futile, and as transparent as she was, he’d see through her immediately.

“You’re being awfully suspicious,” he said, taking a step closer to her. “What, are those photos of your ex?”

“No! Just—it’s nothing, just let me throw this out, okay?”

Apparently, he wasn’t having it, and her shorter frame was no match for his deft hands swiping the box away from her.

Oh, god, she thought. This is where it all ends.

He stared at the contents with the same unreadable expression he had whenever he gauged his opponents. Her embarrassment morphed into dread when his blank reaction didn’t change the more he looked into the box.

Teasing her would’ve been better than whatever this silent assessment was.

“…Explain.”

God, just bury me alive right now.

“I—I swear, it’s not what you think. Ota and Baba thought it’d be funny to send this over as a joke, and I don’t really see any use for it so—”

“So you don’t want to use it?”

She was expecting him to have her toss out the box because as far as she knew, he’d go on a tirade about “not needing anything but himself” to get her off. In the years they were dating (and now engaged), he’d never once brought up the use of sex toys in the bedroom.

All she could do now was gape at him.

“…What?”

“I’m asking if you want to use it or not.” His eyes were fixed on her with that uncomfortably probing gaze he had whenever he wanted her to be completely honest with him—not that it took much effort on his part, anyway. Damn her honesty.

“…It’s not that I don’t want to use it—it’s just, you know…”

Oh, maybe he’d be disgusted if he knew she wanted to fuck him in earnest. He’d probably cringe at the thought of having someone else inside him, making a mess out of him. There’s no way he’d think of her the same way if he knew she wanted to have her way with him, from the plush softness of his lips, to the curve of his—

“…I don’t know if you’re okay with the idea of—” she said, taking a deep breath, “—me wanting to use it…on you.”

This was it. She’d just let it out in the open, and now he’d be grossed out by the fantasies she’d kept buried in all this time, and he’d be so revolted by her that he’d never want to lay with her again and—

“Ah, god, just forget I said that…” she groaned as she covered her face, not willing to look at him. “Please pretend this never happened.”

“MC.” He didn’t sound angry at her admission. If anything, his tone sounded far gentler than she was expecting. Nonetheless, she didn’t want to take the risk and see the inevitable disappointment on his face.

“Listen, I’d take it all back if I could, so—”

“MC.” His voice was firm as he said her name. She felt him pull her hands away from her face. “Look at me.”

There wasn’t anything on his face that indicated his disgust. Rather, his expression seemed softer than it usually was. His gaze was still intense, but instead of his usual searching glare, his stare was thoughtful.

“Do you really have that little faith in me?”

Did she?

She loved Eisuke with all her being, and she’d do anything to make sure they were both happy—that was an undeniable fact. They’d been through so much together the past few years that she knew nothing could ever break their relationship. Hell, she was kidnapped, drowned, drugged, poisoned, nearly murdered, and none of that did anything to deter her feelings for him.

But sometimes, she still felt like the same scared person she was when she first met him. Always afraid of what other people thought of her, of what he thought of her.

“I assumed you’d, um, hate the idea, so I never really brought it up…”

Even as she fiddled with the two engagement rings on her finger, she was still afraid. He didn’t miss the subtle action as his eyebrows furrowed.

“I’m not someone who gets rattled easily. I already told you before that you never have to hold back with me.”

“I thought most men didn’t like getting…you know.”

“You should know by now that I’m not ‘most men,’” he said while smirking at her. “When I said I was up for anything you wanted, I meant it. Besides, I clearly remember you enjoying the night you blindfolded me.”

Of course she did. Seeing him so debauched at her hands sent her on a high she didn’t know she was capable of having.

“…Anyway, I’m just glad you’re not upset or anything.”

“Why would I be? It just means you want me so badly that you’d want to fuck me instead. I’d never be mad about that.”

She flushed at his casual vulgarity. His bluntness always caught her off guard, and she didn’t know how he could keep a straight face at the idea of her pegging him to high heaven.

“Eisuke!”

“Good to know your reactions don’t lie.” He let out a slight laugh before continuing. “Just let me know when you’re up for it.”

She didn’t know if she’d ever be ready for how he’d always blindside her with his frankness. Still, seeing him so amenable to her wants made her insides shudder with anticipation. Her earlier inhibitions were unfounded; he wouldn’t shy away from her anytime soon, and for that, she was grateful.

“Of course, Eisuke.”

--

It took a few days of mental preparation to get to this point, but she felt like she was finally ready.

They immediately headed for the bedroom once they’d finished their dinner and bath, and with the fervor Eisuke currently kissed her with, she was surprised at the enthusiasm he had.

Not that he was ever apathetic about sex—he initiated about ninety-five percent of the time—but seeing him so eager to let he do what she wanted made tonight feel different.

“Time to take these off, don’t you think?” He said, gesturing to the clothes they still wore. She held back a whine when he pulled back to strip himself.

Eisuke slowly unbuttoned his pajama shirt, and she stared at the show he willingly gave her.

He was always unfairly beautiful. In the dim light of their room, he looked almost ethereal, like he was only human and not some otherworldly being just because the universe missed a beat. No matter how well-tailored his suits were, they always hid how toned his physique really was—right now, only she could see the way the dip of his collarbones led to his firm chest, or the way the ridges of his muscles formed around his stomach.

At times, she’d stop to ask herself if it was okay for her to have all this to herself.

You’re still not good enough for him, a part of her said.

But he’s yours and yours alone, said another part of her.

“I can’t be the only one naked here.” His voice shook her out of her thoughts.

She took the time to strip as well, gingerly pulling her chemise over her shoulders. Even in the dim lighting, she could still feel his heated gaze on her.

Once she was fully nude, he didn’t waste any time pulling her close to him. They grappled as they kissed, nearly wrestling as their desperation threatened to overcome everything else. Like a dance they’d done so many times before, Eisuke let her push him down the bed, letting her take the lead.

She’d straddled him before, but knowing what was coming next sent a shot of lust straight to her core.

“Do what you want to me,” he all but growled at her.

In response, she stroked his cock in with the pace she knew he liked. He was already hard when she gripped him, and she could feel the precum drip from the head. Of course, he was never one to receive without giving, so he reached for her breasts, playing with her nipples until they pebbled from his ministrations.

She supposed that summed up their relationship in a nutshell. They both hated the idea of receiving anything without giving something in return. In turn, they’d do anything to make sure they reciprocated each other as much as possible.

Perhaps they were more similar than she thought.

He bucked into her hand when she pumped him from the base up, and just as he shuddered the same shudder that indicated his undoing, he stopped her.

“That’s—that’s enough of that,” he said, still panting from her handjob. “Time for the main event.”

“Of course.”

She pulled back and got the harness from the nightstand and fastened it around her thighs and ass. The dildo was next, and she fastened it to the harness with the metal clasps. Not once did Eisuke break eye contact with her, and she could’ve sworn she heard his breath hitch the moment she finished putting the dildo on.

She grabbed a bottle of lube from the nightstand before she climbed back into bed to kneel between his legs.

“I’ll start with my fingers. Just…you know…tell me if you want me to stop.”

He stared at her, as if challenging her to stop. Cocky as always.

“You seem like you know a lot about all this,” he said. The unspoken ‘have you done this with anyone else before’ was laced in there.

“I may have…read about it a lot in my free time.” Her cheeks burned at the plain admission that she’d been thinking about this for so goddamn long. “I just want you to feel good, Eisuke. I don’t want to hurt you.”

She’d never forgive herself if she hurt him in pursuit of her own pleasure.

“You could never hurt me,” he said, completely serious. “But alright, I’ll tell you if it’s too much.”

She bent down to give his cock a kiss before applying the lube on her fingers. He tensed when her kisses traveled down to his pelvic area. That only reminded her of the anxiousness bubbling in her the past few days.

“I’m about to put my finger in,” she said. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

Was he nervous? Embarrassed? It was always hard to tell with her stoic fiancé. The man was an incomprehensible enigma when he wanted to be. Then again, she’d never known him to be the hesitant type.

Only one way to go but forward, then.

With one hand slowly pumping his cock, she pressed an oiled finger to his hole, which made him jerk involuntarily as he sucked in a sharp breath.

“Does it hurt? I’ll stop if it does.”

“No—no, just keep going.” He looked back at her as she pet the ring of muscle. “It just feels…strange.”

“Bad-strange?”

“No…just different-strange.” He was always weirdly honest during sex.

From the looks of it, Eisuke didn’t seem to have considerable experience down there, yet he still agreed to her humor her idiosyncrasies. The fact that they even got this far astounded her, especially as the dildo hung between her legs.

She licked her lips. She’d make sure he felt good, the same way he always did for her.

In a swift motion, she took his cock into her mouth and sucked. His hips jerked again, and she took that as a sign of pleasure. From where she knelt, she could tell he was struggling not to screw it all, grab her head, and fuck her mouth with wild abandon—not that she’d mind.

Nevertheless, there was a silent agreement that tonight was about her, and Eisuke Ichinomiya never broke his promises.

She took him even deeper down her throat when she gently pushed a finger inside him. His breathing quickened, and she pushed inside just a tad harder.

“Are you—are you in?” The composure he had earlier was slowly wearing off, if the way he was gripping the sheets was any indication.

“Yeah.”

“…Continue.”

She moved her finger inside, setting a slow rhythm for both of them to get used to.

“Tell me if I’ve found—” she paused for a bit, realizing she was going in this blindly, “the spot.”

“No,” he replied. So there was a spot. She wondered if hitting that spot would feel the same, similar to when he hit hers.

She supposed being breached for the first time was going to be mildly uncomfortable for anyone, even for Eisuke. In high school, she’d lost her virginity to her first boyfriend, and looking back on it now, she didn’t feel particularly good—they were just two teenagers trying to figure out where the hell things were supposed to go. During those days, she realized that touching herself felt eons better than having her ex guess where her hole was. She knew just where exactly to stroke, to touch, and that made her nights a little less dissatisfying.

Hm. If she applied the same rationale she used on herself on Eisuke—curling her finger upward, using a consistent motion—

“Fuck!” Eisuke’s whole body shook, and he looked down at her in a panic. “Do that—hah—again.”

The pride of making him shudder in pleasure from fingering his ass hit her all at once, and with a renewed vigor, she repeated the motion.

He bit his bottom lip as she did so, and she could tell he was still trying to keep some semblance of control by holding his voice back. She’d have to up the ante.

She pulled her finger out, put more lube on her hand, and pushed two fingers inside.

He moaned immediately at the contact, and from her place, she watched in awe as he writhed and squirmed in place. They’d had sex more times than she could count, and she couldn’t recall ever hearing him moan. Pants, yes. Grunts, absolutely. Moans were new, and now she found herself understanding why he’d always encourage her screams in bed.

“Does it feel good, Eisuke?” she asked sweetly, repeating the same question he’d asked her so many times before.

He was never big on verbal confirmation, but his resounding groan put a smile on her face.

One more finger, and she just knew he was close, especially with how his hips were jerking upwards.

But no, she couldn’t have him finish just yet. This was only the beginning. With the way his eyes were focused on hers, she knew he understood.

She removed her fingers from him, and applied the lubricant generously—this time, on the dildo. He watched her intently, and she could just smell the combined anticipation and lust coming from him in waves. She lined the tip with his hole, but didn’t push it inside yet.

“I know I said this earlier, but if you ever get uncomfortable…tell me to stop.”

“How considerate,” he snorted, “coming from someone about to fuck me senseless.”

From years of experience, there was only one thing that could shut him up.

Moving forward, she pressed their lips together and let their tongues sloppily meet. As she did so, she pushed the dildo inside, making him squeal (he’d never admit it, but she heard it loud and clear) into her mouth.

The wet and enticingly lewd noise coming from the dildo in his ass encouraged her to keep going.

“Oh—oh god,” Eisuke gasped, calling out a for a deity she knew he didn’t even believe in.

She continued with a slow pace, especially considering how bigger the toy was compared to her fingers. Her hips thrust against him with that same, uniform pace as he laid on the sheets, his mouth open wide.

She remembered how he paced himself whenever he’d pound into her. Copying Eisuke’s motions, she stopped for a moment—and when he looked up at her in indignation at the absence of the friction, she took advantage of that split second to give him a particularly brutal thrust.

“Ah, fuck—" he choked, not even trying to restrain himself anymore. Her lips curled at the sight of her fiancé below her.

This she could used to. Seeing him utterly debased at her hands sent a hot flash of lust to her gut. Only she was privy to this rarity—his legs were shamelessly spread, his eyes were rolled backwards, and his drool dripped down his mouth—

No wonder he liked being in control.

At any point during this whole ordeal, he could have flipped them both over. He had the strength to do it; he was taller than her by almost a foot, and he was fit enough to match even Soryu’s athleticism. But he didn’t.

He let her do as she pleased with him, and she felt her fondness for him bloom tenfold.

“Tell me you like this,” she said, leaning forward to breathe in his ear.

Eisuke glowered at her, summoning the last vestiges of faux-resistance he had left in him. “D-don’t ask me questions you already know the answer to,” he managed.

She narrowed her eyes at him, noticing the red flush of his heavy cock. It stood proud against his stomach, leaking on the ridges of his muscles. Her gaze moved down to the spot where his hole was stretched tightly around the thickness of the toy. His signature words from before played in her mind.

Your body doesn’t lie, he’d always tell her.

Neither does yours, she echoed back.

She increased the pace of her thrusts, and she knew she hit that spot when his moans turned into whimpers. His entire body shuddered at the sheer anticipation of his undoing.

“…Eisuke,” she said.

“What—"

“You’re doing so well.” She felt him jolt at that.

Eisuke whined and shook against her merciless pounding, but he still found the energy to look back at her. He was past the point of scowling now, his eyes shiny with unshed tears and his lips parted for her. Beneath the absolute depravity of it all, there was a tenderness he tried to hide. But she caught it all the same.

“Eisuke,” she repeated his name with all the warmth she could muster, “I love you.”

That had always been his undoing, and today was no different. Despite how aloof he made himself out to be, he’d always come undone whenever she’d say those three words. It was almost like a secret only they knew—that she held his only weakness and that he enjoyed it.

Eisuke let out one last groan of her name as his entire body spasmed at the force of her words. His cock spilled between them, covering them both with his seed. She’d never seen him cum his hard before, and as she jerked him through his orgasm, his heavy breathing slowed down.

Drained, she pulled out of him, unfastened her harness, and slumped next to him. Eisuke still heaved slightly from the tremors of his intense orgasm, but he wrapped his arms around her the moment he felt her beside him.

It was customary for them to cuddle after sex—provided, neither of them passed out first—and she found that this was her favorite part. Having his arms around her waist as he nuzzled between her breasts was a warm kind of intimacy she’d never tire of. She was sure he felt the same way.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, silently listening to the thumps of their heartbeats move in sync.

“MC,” Eisuke said, finally breaking the silence. “Since I did what you asked, can you do me a favor?”

“Okay. What is it?”

He pulled back to stare at her, smirking as he did so.

“Sit on my face.”

She blinked at him twice. “Um, right now?”

“Yes,” he whispered to her ear, sending another shiver up her body. “It’s only fair I do the same for you.”

She should’ve known than to underestimate his seemingly neverending libido. Letting out a resigned laugh, she moved to position herself to straddle him, making sure both her knees were on both sides of his head.

“God, MC,” he breathed, eyes zeroing in on her glistening cunt, “you’re so wet.”

“…No need for the running commentary.” Her cheeks blazed with heat.

“Don’t tell me you’re embarrassed after what you just did?”

“Hey, now, I—"

She couldn’t finish her sentence when she felt his hands grip her hips to pull her down to his face.

“Eisuke—ah—”

His tongue slipped immediately into her slit, and she rode his mouth, feeling the waves of pleasure emanate from her core.

Whenever he ate her out, he sometimes took his time, making sure she almost reached her peak and stopping right before she clenched on his tongue. Other nights, he ate her out with the fervor of a starving man, desperate to burn the taste of her slick to his memory

Tonight seemed to be leaning towards the latter.

Eisuke sucked on her clit, using his tongue to make small circles on the bundle of nerves. He was a far cry from the man she’d just fucked into submission earlier; this Eisuke was merciless and didn’t stop his ministrations, not even when she could already feel the coil within herself tighten.

“Close…I’m close,” she gasped.

A few more licks and one last suckle, and she pressed herself even further against his face. Her pussy clenched around his tongue, and she absently remembered the soundproof walls of their suite meant she could scream as loud as she pleased.

She felt hot pleasure throb within her and pour onto his face. Eisuke, not one to slow down, lapped up the slick like it was his last meal. In her fuck-dazed mind, she could vaguely feel a jolt, followed by something warm and wet behind her, but she paid it no mind.

Exhausted, she pulled away and laid herself next to him, nuzzling his neck.

Beside her, Eisuke was silent, taking in the intimacy of the moment. Her leg moved to wrap around him when she felt the sticky warmth on his stomach. The gears slowly turned in her head.

“Did you just…” The seed on his stomach was still hot, and considering the sudden jerk she’d felt earlier as she climaxed, was it possible that he—untouched—

“Don’t ask,” he murmured back, his arm moving to cover the blush on his face.

She’d long suspected he got off to her pleasure, and his reaction only proved her right.

Oh, Eisuke, she thought. You don’t have to hide that from me.

At that moment, she felt nothing but pure, unadulterated affection for him. With a smile on her face, she pulled him into her arms, hoping he could feel the same warmth he gave her.