#i had faintly thought about it before but never did/said anything with it (thought it'd be too random ig) until my friend said something

[st4rstudent]

winn and doe is so real, i love random little ships like this, platonic or romantic

random ships make the world go around if you think about it

[merbear25]

Having your first time be with Vash

He could never understand why you'd want your first time to be with him; he's never seen himself being worthy of love, especially when someone as kind-hearted as you was so willing to give it to him.

CW: NSFW!! MDNI!! gn!reader, reciprocated feelings, penetrative sex, oral sex (male receiving), creampie

After having seen him attempting to tend to his wounds for what felt like the hundredth time, you offered to aid him.

"No, it's okay!" Hidding his pain behind his kind eyes, he stopped you. "I've got it. You should worry about the cuts you got instead."

Looking back at you, the disappointment he held within was immense; if he'd been better, faster, stronger even, you would've gotten out of there without a scratch, but he was too careless.

Picking up on this, you did your best to reassure that you were all right, "These are nothing! They'll be gone before morning―I'm sure of it!"

Seeing his eyes fall, you went to put your hand on his shoulder. He didn't say anything, so you felt it necessary to hold him; you wanted to alleviate any sorrow he was harboring in his heart, though that would take many days and nights to do so.

"Tell me what you need," your words were bandaging his aching heart.

Not allowing himself to escape his guilt, he responded, "I should be asking you that." Showing you his gentle nature, he placed his palm on top of your hand.

You'd seen him overcome all sorts of hell, yet his soul had never been corrupted; he'd always been a gentle man at his core. Not being able to hold back your admiration for him, you began leaving light kisses on his shoulder, trailing them up his neck.

He didn't protest to this, despite still punishing himself. Deep down, he yearned to be loved just like everyone else. Pausing at the crook in his neck, you pulled back slightly before placing a tender kiss on his lips. Before long the exchange was testing his self-restraint. He didn't want to put you in an uncomfortable situtation, so he hesitantly pulled away. "Getting a bit carried away, sorry," his cheeks were faintly rosey.

"You don't have to be sorry. I'm ready."

Hearing this made him think he'd been knocked out on the battle field and was sent to a fantasy world. "You are?" His face burned when he asked, making sure he heard you right.

Placing your fingers around his waistband, you leaned in to reiterate, "I am." With this, you continued your steamy exchange. The strength behind his lips made you feel bold; you put your hand down his pants, helping him understand just how much you loved him.

"I want to make you feel good, Vash. Won't you let me? Please?"

He was having problems responding―your words left him breathless. But he wanted to make you happy, just as happy as you made him. Pulling you in closer, he tugged at your bottoms. "W-wait," he said, placing his forehead against yours, "Are you sure about this? With me?'

Giving him a sincere and warm smile, you put his fears to rest, "I can't think of anyone better."

His hunger to please was becoming ravinous, and once hearing you say that, in as sweet of a voice as that, made him lose himself in that moment. Promptly ripping your pants and delicates off, the force of eagerness coming from the two of you made you kneel on the floor.

He knelt down next to you, running his hand over your most sensitive parts. You wanted to see all of him, so you released his cock from its cotton restraints. He was much larger than you thought he'd be, but you didn't care. You were hellbent on pleasing him in any way you could.

Leaning forward, you were a bit unsure due to your complete lack of experience. In saying that, you through caution to the wind and licked the under side of his now pulsating member―leaving behind a trail of saliva behind before attempting to take as much of him as you could.

It'd happened so quickly he felt as if he didn't have time to properly react. Feeling your mouth around him was causing his head to spin. Without thinking, he placed his hand on the back of your head and began to thrust into your mouth, leading you to gagging.

Feeling embarrassed, he swiftly apologized. You chuckled before telling him it was okay and not to worry. Your eyes were locked for a few moments, staring deeply into them. You laid on your back, beckoning him to come closer.

Still flushed from the overwhelming urges stirring within him, he pushed past them and positioned himself over you.

"Let me know if it hurts. I'll stop if does, okay?"

Giving him a nod in response, he took that as permission to push inside you.

The feeling of your warmth was a true testiment to his willpower. It was taking every once of his being not to immediately release his repressed lust inside of you.

Your moans grew louder the further he pushed in, the quickening thrusts were sending you into a tizzy. Pulling him closer, you were unable to control yourself―you were approaching your first orgasm fast. Clamping down around him, your nails dragged against his back.

Feeling your body spasm around his cock was pushing him further towards the edge, but it was you screaming his name that sent him over. How he loved hearing you call out to him in your angelic voice.

Unable to hold back any longer, he shot every last drop of sperm deep within you. After the last bit had found it's way to you, the feelings of guilt returned.

"Sorry, I tried lasting longer but couldn't."

Holding him close, you praised him for how good it was and how good he was.

Smiling down at you, he was starting to believe that he could get used to hearing you say such lovely words to him.

[diagonal-queen]

Hellooo, Do you write for Mushitarou? If you do Can I request Him to get drunk (at first Mushitaro and Y/n status are just friends.)

Mushitaro feeling low and sad? He's just sad about his friend's death but at the same time would never speak out about what he had done to Yoko. He vents pretty faintly to Y/n and y/n would still try to comfort him no matter what? But Then, in some way it turns out into some hot make-out session, please?

[I hope this isn't confusing </3]

i do indeed write for the astrology babygirl!

Secret Secret

♡ pairing: Mushitarou Oguri x gn!Reader

♡ synopsis: Noticing that your friend's mood had shifted recently, you decide to ask him about it while the two of you are out drinking. Things go in a...certain direction.

♡ wc: 1.2k

♡ cw: Consumption of alcohol, Mushitarou and reader get a little drunk, and they also make out, Mushitarou is struggling mentally after killing Yokomizo (spoilers, whoops), mentions of intrusive thoughts.

note: I'm really hoping that this is what you asked for and I didn't totally misunderstand the request...if I did, I'm sorry anon T-T Apologies for errors and I hope you enjoy x

Mushitarou had been acting differently recently. You'd noticed it almost immediately, but you hadn't said anything about it because you got the notion that you wouldn't get anything out of him anyway. It was at its worst when it was a new issue; he was slowly getting better, or so you'd assumed.

You'd come to learn that Mushitarou's new attitude ran deeper than you'd assumed when you brought alcohol into the mix.

Mushitarou was unusually quiet after a few drinks. You had both gone out drinking together a few times in the past, but those times were often lighthearted and fun. Alas, you could cut the current tension in the bar with a knife.

"Hey, Mushitarou?" You finally decided to ask him, breaking the silence. He cast his yellow eyes towards you.

"Yes?"

"What's got you all sad and stuff? You always seem, like, really melancholy. Well, not always, but I feel like when you think I'm not paying attention to you you behave that way. And I've been noticing it for a while, but I thought it'd pass, but it hasn't. And I'm worried."

It all came out at once, which wasn't exactly how you'd intended to bring up the topic, but you guessed it could have been worse. Mushitarou was the type of person who could keep up with things, anyway.

"...ah, I suppose I should..." he began, after a moment of silence. You waited for him to continue. "Or- no. I shouldn't."

"Shouldn't what?"

"Tell you about- no. Alright..." he muttered, seemingly more to himself than you. Mushitarou was rarely so incoherent. On the contrary, you knew him to be rather eloquent. Safe to say, you were a little confused.

"No pressure," you quickly decided to interject before he could say anything more. "It's fine."

"...things are different now, in my life," he explained. "I've...done things I regret, and I've associated with people I...I've lost others, too, and it's just...I've been affected by it all more than I thought I'd have been."

You were smart enough to know that he was skirting around the issue, being annoyingly vague about it. You wondered why he didn't want to tell you what was wrong. Did he think that you wouldn't be able to understand? That telling you wouldn't help anyway?

"...you're a strange one, Mushi," you sighed, playing with your glass. "I don't really get you most of the time."

"I suppose there isn't much of a point in trying, is there?" He murmured. You turned to him.

"That doesn't mean I don't like spending time with you, though," you hastily clarified. "I care about you still."

"I know...I know you do. And I don't want to hurt you." You turned to him with a frown.

"Why would you ever do that?"

"Do you think I'm a bad person, Y/N?" He then asked, ignoring your question. You tilted your head at him.

"Why would I think that? Of course not," you answered. "You're my friend. We wouldn't be friends if I thought you were a bad person."

"...right. I just..." Mushitarou trailed off, before taking another drink. You watched him do this, your gaze clearly concerned. He didn't seem to want to look at you.

"Have you been having intrusive thoughts, or something?" You asked, quietly.

"Hm?"

"We all have them, y'know. It doesn't make you a bad person, as long as you don't act on them and hurt people."

"That's not it..." he told you, his eyebrows furrowing almost as if he were flinching. "I mean, of course I've had intrusive thoughts before, but that's not relevant to my matter. This is...much more serious."

"Serious? Are you in danger, or something?" You quizzed, worriedly.

"No, nothing like that," he said, though you couldn't tell if he was being truthful.

"Are you sure?"

"...I shouldn't be telling you this," he sighed, burying one half of his face in his hand. "I don't want you to think differently of me."

"I don't think differently of you, Mushi," you reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You can tell me anything, you know that."

"...you're much too kind to people, Y/N," he told you softly, fighting back a solemn smile. "You'd hate me if I told you the truth."

"No! I wouldn't hate you, ever," you insisted earnestly. "I'd never hate you, Mushitarou. Don't say that."

Your sincerity prompted a quiet chuckle from Mushitarou.

"You're so precious, Y/N. I could never hate you either," he closed his eyes and let out a long exhale. "...I don't want to lose you."

"You're not losing me, Mushitarou," you said, hardly noticing the way your hand slowly travelled from Mushitarou's shoulder to his cheek. "Whatever you've got going on, we can handle it together. I promise."

"...you promise?" He repeated as he leaned in, as if he hadn't heard you properly. You nodded, your faces growing closer and closer.

"I promise," you said, glancing at his lips. Mushitarou seemed to be sharing your blooming desire, though he appeared to be waiting for you to take initiative. "Mushi..." you cut yourself off by locking your lips with his.

Though you'd never considered kissing Mushitarou prior to tonight you wondered why you hadn't done so sooner- it was as if his lips were made for yours. They were warm and soft, and rather gentle against yours, as if he were somewhat apprehensive.

When you pulled apart for air, Mushitarou blinked, his expression suddenly incredulous.

"Y/N...you...?"

"...yeah," you breathed with a smile, kissing him again. This time, your hand snaked around the back of his neck, his travelling to your chin to tilt your head so he could better capture your lips. His hand was cold and the sudden contact caused you to gasp against his mouth, which quickly curled into a smirk.

"Shut up..." you murmured, bashfully.

"I didn't say anything," he replied, pecking your lips once more before you could respond.

Neither of you were quite aware of the depth of your actions, due to a combination of slight drunkenness and being so lost in the taste of each other. Admittedly, if the two of you had stopped to think about it, you probably wouldn't have really cared anyway.

"By the way, I..." Mushitarou trailed off, before clearing his throat. "I like you, too."

You stared at him for a moment, awestruck, before letting out a giggle. "...that's good to know. This would all be pretty awkward if you didn't."

"I do trust you," he continued, brushing a loose lock of hair from your face. "I just...things are complicated at the moment. Not with you, of course, but-"

"Mushi." You interrupted, firmly. "I understand. I'm not upset, or anything. You can tell me about it when you're ready, alright?"

"...yes, alright," he nodded, before pulling you into an embrace. You rubbed his back as you buried your face into the crook of his neck. "Thank you."

"Mhm..." you hummed, before you raised your head and pressed your lips to the corner of Mushitarou's mouth. "Hey, uhm..."

"Yes?" He asked, pulling away to meet your eyes. You bit your swollen lip, suddenly nervous.

"Do you wanna...continue this at my place?" Mushitarou's eyes widened slightly, before a relaxed smile appeared on his face.

"...it'd be my pleasure," he answered, offering his hand to you. "Shall we, then?"

in my long and illustrious life i have kissed one (1) persons and i'm sure they regret it every day. so yeah, i'm pretty garbage at writing kiss scenes. sry (ノ_<、)

[choibinn3]

GET IT TOGETHER, JUNGWON!!

[ nine. hehe ]

series masterlist

⋆·˚ ༘ * in which jungwon had meant for that love letter to go to yeri, and not you—her bff. for some reason though, he finds that with each moment he spends together with you he's closer and closer to forgetting all about that damn letter.

no song for this chapter!

WRITTEN PORTION. 2.1k

also partially unedited, sorry if some things don't make sense or are confusing T_T

—

The bell rang.

You made eye contact with Jungwon across the room, and yet his brown pools nervously flitted towards Yeri's direction instead. They were President and Vice President though, so you didn't question much. She was packing up her bag, and had sent you a small smile.

"I'll see you next class, ok?" she said, "Make sure you eat a full meal before work."

You grinned at her. "Got it! I hope you have a good time with whatever you said you were doing, sorry I couldn't eat with you today."

Being the only two people in your friend group with the same lunch period, you usually sat with her for it. Talking about classes, chatting mindlessly, idly looking around the cafeteria for people you knew was fun only when it was with her.

"It's fine," she replied, waving off your apology and placing her notebooks away. "It's your first day with a boyfriend, I want you to be happy."

You appreciated her genuine gladness for your own happiness so much, you could barely hold it in. You wrapped your arms around her, sending her stumbling a bit with your weight. "Woah, YN!"

Having someone so positive, so supportive, and so authentic as Yeri around you for so long had definitely brightened your outlook on life. Such a friend was a one in a lifetime chance, and yet you lucked out. You just hoped she thought the same of you too.

"Thank you! I love you so much!" you exclaimed into her shoulder.

She released a giggle, patting your back with one hand as if to ease you down. "It's the bare minimum of friendship, YN. I just hope that Jungwon doesn't hurt you."

The tone in which she said it felt more serious than it usually was, which was a bit odd. You understood her concern though, of course your friend wouldn't want you to be hurt! And yet, everyone and their mother knew that flower boy Yang Jungwon would be the least likely person to do such a thing.

You loosened your arms a bit, tilting your head at her confusedly. "Why would Jungwon hurt me..? You know he's too nice for that!"

You knew that Jungwon and Yeri had definitely gotten closer to each other since the Student Council elections, but your faith in Yeri had outshined any insecurities or suspicions that could've ever formed. She had definitely talked frequently to him, especially with all those times they've had to stay after school for paperwork, so you would've thought that she'd know Jungwon's personality by now.

She took ahold of your arms, smiling at you before wrapping her own limbs around your form. Gahh, hugs from Yeri! You giggled into her shoulder again, from where your face had buried itself into. "I know, I know. I'm just being worried, I think."

You nodded. "I get it, thank you."

Yeri and the rest had always been like this. Even though Niki would act disgusted towards your displays of affection, he loved it when you made time for him. Heeseung too, actually. Yeri and Heeseung were both equally protective of Niki and you, even though Yeri was your age.

Since the day you had became friends she was the one looking out for you. Not to say you were irresponsible, but because she was just naturally a protective person. It was a quality you and many others admired about her—her loyalty to her friends.

"Remember that guy that was obsessed with you? Back in middle school?" she muttered.

You hit her arm playfully, and she let you go. "He wasn't obssessed!" you insisted, "I thought the snacks were cute!"

Yeri laughed. "Ok, whatever you say, but he was always buying you stuff. Can't believe you turned him down, though."

Your eyes glanced towards Jungwon, who was waiting by the door with his hands in his pant pockets. The large mass of students filtering out of the opening had covered his figure at times, blocking your view when they did, and yet you knew you could point him out in any large crowd. He stood out in a way that had you nervous all over again.

"Yeah well," you started, looking away and instead down towards your shoes bashfully, "I told him I liked someone else, and now we're just buddies."

You slung your bag over your shoulder as Yeri decided to nudge it. "Wonder who that could've been," she teased, and you let out a indignant whine.

"You don't have to wonder!"

She pinched your cheek, and you pretended to attempt to bite at her finger playfully. As the both of you exited the doorway, you sent a smile towards Jungwon.

The brief eye contact made him look away again, for whatever reason, you didn't know. "I'll see you in the cafeteria, right?" you asked, a bit hopefully. Yeri stopped beside you.

He fidgeted a bit, nodding his head. "Yeah, I'll find you there."

You grinned at him, and went onto your tippy toes. Jungwon's large brown eyes widened, and he almost leaned back when you planted another chaste (burning) kiss onto his cheek. Again?! You're kidding!

Neither of you knew how relationships worked, but were you sure a kiss on the cheek could be considered the first step? He had to hold his breath, otherwise he would've made a noise.

"Ah—" Like the previous time, you moved away too quickly for him to have comprehended the situation fully—or to say anything.

Your bag slightly jostled as you promptly walked down the hallway. The figure of your back going further and further down, becoming smaller and smaller as he stood there once again. He held onto his cheek. The ghost of your lips were still there, faintly, but the touch was evidently still imprinted into his mind. He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to get used to that.

As you left, Yeri looked over towards him. Her smile was devoid, which was the first odd thing, and suddenly she grabbed his wrist—the one still tracing your kiss.

Jungwon looked after at her shocked, but she provided no explanation as she dragged him along with long, big strides. "What are you doing?"

"I said it'd be quick, you have to get to YN, right? Lunch with them?" She turned her head to the side, awaiting an answer.

"They told you?" he asked, but of course they told her. You were best friends. "I mean yeah, nevermind. I do."

He was going to tell you about the misplacement of the letter, too.

With how fast Yeri was rushing them both, they made it to the Student Council room much quicker than they would've if they had walked casually as they had done before. The windows of the Council room were open, the long curtains blowing with the passing wind.

The room was fairly old, not yet upgraded as the other classroom in the Hybe building were. They still had gray, cloth curtains connected to their windows, and Jungwon had found the curtains annoying when they decided to brush against his face while he was working.

Still, he found the sun and its brightness too pretty to try and close the windows. As he looked at them, Yeri had made a point to shut the door.

Jungwon glanced over in time to see her lock it, too. If he wasn't anxious before, he was now. "What did you want to talk about?" he inquired, placing his bag down.

No answer. He looked up, and blinked at her as she said nothing, just staring at him with her head tilted.

She took a step forward (he took one back, he had to), and another (his sneakers squeaked against the polished floor), and another, and another (Jungwon stumbled a bit, feet confused with his backwards direction), and more until—

Jungwon's back collided roughly with the wooden surface behind him, making an aching pain build upon the lower part of his body. Before he could even think about the spreading heat, Yeri had already slammed her hands on either side of the desk, shocking him into straightening back up.

She was close.

Not closer than you were, but close enough to where he was panicked on where to look. They had shared such a proximity before. Only once, but it was still near. He had leaned over to take a look at some paperwork on her desk, and her face was inches away.

He didn't notice her lashes though, nor her bright eyes like he did with you.

"I called you here today to speak to you," she began. Her voice was steady, calm, confident. Whatever she was planning to say, she had either rehearsed it or was steeled in her resolve.

"A-About what?" A stutter. Not good. He hadn't meant to stutter, so he just gulped down his next nervous words.

"About YN."

All of a sudden, Yeri had surged forward. Her stands of hair had flown with her, falling off her shoulders and hanging over Jungwon. Even though he was taller than her, he had to lean back to not come in contact with any part of her skin.

He held his breath again, like he did with you, but because he was terrified he'd accidentally breathe on her face.

Her eyes had narrowed. Yeri's eyes never narrowed. They had always been slightly curved from a smile, or fondly closed in thought, but never once had they even become close to those dangerous slits on her face.

Was this the same person he knew? What had initially drawn him to her was her sweetness, so how could she look so stone cold (read: terrifying) in this moment?

"Look, I know we're kind of close and all, but YN was my first friend and one of my only long-standing friendships since I was 9 years-old." Jungwon couldn't take her gaze, so he turned to look out the window as she spoke.

"They've been my rock ever since I started having trouble with my parents, and was always supportive of everything I did. YN is self-sacrificial and diligent in a way you'd only notice if you were friends with them, and observant to the small details, playful when you need them to be, and highly emotionally empathetic—"

She paused, as if finally noticing Jungwon's attempts to distract himself.

"—I'm talking to you here." His eyes snapped back towards her face at the harshness of the tone she used, and a bead of sweat formed at the back of his neck. Ok, never trying that again. "You're not a bad person, Jungwon. I know you're not the type to hurt someone like that, but I'm not taking that chance. YN is a very sensitive individual, ok?"

Yeri waited, long enough for the frightened boy in front of her to get the memo. Eventually, he nodded.

"Good. So don't you ever attempt to hurt them—actually, even if it was a mistake, I couldn't care less. I will make sure you won't live past the age of 30. You won't even be alive to see your grandchildren, Yang Jungwon."

To make her point clear, she turned her glare burning. He could feel it through his soul. Such a stare would generally leave his heart palpitating, and it was surely, but he'd be an idiot if he didn't know the difference between it beating in fear and from affection. Right then, it was fear.

As if she was finally satisfied, Yeri leaned back from the cornered Student Council President in front of her, and took several steps backwards.

"Take this as my blessing for your relationship," she offered, hand coming to give a small pat at his shoulder. It took every fibre of his being not to flinch. He did Taekwondo for God's sake, what was with him?

The words hadn't come out of her mouth, but it was silently spoken from one party to another. This wasn't just a blessing, this was a warning. A threat too, all in one.

Yeri took it upon herself to exit the room first, even making sure to close the door gently as to not disturb anyone around them, and Jungwon's legs took him to his Council President seat—because if he didn't take a seat, he was sure he'd faint somewhere along the way back.

Kim Yerim had just threatened him like an overprotective Mob Boss whose child had just gotten their first boyfriend. Kim Yerim, his crush, the girl he had been pining over since they had both been elected for Council positions, Kim Yerim—who he had apparently not known enough about.

Outside of the room, Yeri was making her way down the hallways, checking messages on her phone as she did so.

(10)! unread messages from Heeseung!

All with the same premise. What did you talk to Jungwon about? What did you say? Yeri? Where are you?

She should've known Jungwon would tell his other friends, it was only natural he would. I'll deal with that later.

She tucked her phone back into her skirt pocket, unaware of the frantic footfalls of someone running down the hallways in the opposite direction.

—

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TDLR: you kiss his cheek again, yeri drags jungwon to the stuco room, yeri will make sure jungwon wont live past the age of 30 :D

TAGLIST; @lumixen @ghjasksdk @atinyyylove @jjikyuu @yjwooon @ncityy04 @tyunni @littlewolfieposts @xoxojayd3n @rosiechaengz @sunshine-skz @youreverydayzebra @hobistigma @plshhhhhhh @lokideadontheinside @alo-ehas @milkycloudtyg @bangtopia @imjustme-things @love-4-keum @sleepy-paws @ilyaera @reallysmolrenjun @whoe-dis @drunkwithfever @yourstruely @chaosmagic-wanda @deezarenotmynutz @bakukags @13isacoolnumber @enwonhee @creamkwan @sunghonkers @aichaskz @oureis @hyunsunge @n1k1tty @kisswonie @hainaz

send an ask or dm‼️

i hope this was worth the wait you scoundrels

[unadulterated-syd]

A/n: I know I said it'd be a couple days but here's a quick one, get some of this out of my system. 🙏

P.S. if you're fem presenting just make up an excuse for how you got in the maze without being Teresa, no pronouns or anything involved, it's just part of Group A and B :/

Synopsis; It's short you don't need one BUT listen to the Spotify link whilst you read.

"I'd like to imagine a world far away from here, sometimes. It's unrealistic, stupid even. But it keeps me going." You sighed, breaking the silence between Minho and you. He was sat to your right, on the sheet the two of you shared when the sun was at its peak.

He looked at you, a moment of thought rushing through him. He was far from emotional, he only worried about death when he was walking up its doorsteps. "What kind of klunk world could you imagine." He asked, not caring much for the answer, though he'd admit his curiosity.

You shrugged, "I don't have lots of memories, but I remember an old song. I think my mom liked it." You paused, recalling the lyrics

You got a fast car

Is it fast enough so we could fly away?

We gotta make a decision

Leave today, or live and die this way

"It makes me think of you." You shrugged, surprised at your own honesty. "I'd like to think of us in school, my mom would've never trusted me around you Minho. You'd have a reputation, you're to strong to not."

You silently pondered how his short-temper would gain him a mom's hatred. He looked at you, getting the hint in a way. "My mom would probably love you, huh." He grinned, "You're no saint yourself, N/n."

You turned your head to him, whilst the back of your head stayed faintly rested against the ground. "I, for one, think she'd love me. I wasn't a mean killing machine before all this. I just know it."

You both sat in silence for a moment, before you continued. "I don't think we'd make the most common couple, y'know. That's why the song reminds me of you. I think we would've ran away, only way we would've ever been happy."

"You imagine a world with more klunk trials?" He looked at you, a small anger rising within him. People had put you through a World where you'd imagine a bad scenario as good, and that ate at him often. If he did survive this he swore he'd make it up to you, and Newt, and Thomas. He'd make it up to those who deserved more.

"A world where the trials end somewhere happy." You whispered, not even sure if he could hear. "As stupid as it is, I wouldn't want it easier. I just want to know in fighting for something. Without that, I'm running through a desert aimlessly."

He thought this over, trying to scrap together anything he could, but nothing came back. "What's the song like." Minho finally laid back, looking at the star-lit sky, now being at your height, backs pressed the ground.

"I don't remember all of it, she sang about his fast car. Talked about whether running was a good choice or not, feeling like she could be someone." You breathed out, you wondered if your mom had felt that way. Thinking about her made you sad, you knew you'd been her world. You didn't know how you knew, you just did.

"If we could run, I promise we would." He let out, sighing. "Get some shut-eye, Slint-head." You laughed at his vocabulary, it'd always sounded silly. Even when you'd all made it up.

And surely, sleep caught up to you. But he'd stayed up to wonder. One day he made sure he'd think of this, when you were both free. He silently vowed.

[omni-scient-pan-da]

The Green Eyed Merchling

In which Wylan gets jealous of a goat

Takes place after Crooked Kingdom, before Inej returns and Matthias survives

Wylan was starting to get REALLY tired of hearing about Milo.

At first it had started as a joke. They were teasing him more than anything else, so he knew Milo couldn't have been that important to Jesper... Right?

It had started off innocently enough, Wylan supposed.

He had expected people to tease them once they'd found out about his and Jesper's relationship, and while he was vastly aware of how much more experience Jesper had with dating anyone, he hadn't fully realized what Jesper dating other people meant.

Unable to truly feel comfortable in his father's old home, Jesper had declared it'd be good for the two of them to take a trip back to the Barrel.

"This isn't an excuse to go gambling again, is it?" Wylan asked him. "I thought you were supposed to be working on fighting your gambling habits."

"Merchling," Jesper said, his tone teasing despite his offended expression. "Me? Make up an excuse to go gambling?" He scoffed. "It's like you've never met me."

Wylan surpresses a giggle, blushing faintly against his efforts to stop it. "I'm just making sure... I'd imagine it's a lot harder to resist temptation when it's right in front of you."

Jesper grinned. "I think I can manage, after all, I've gotten used to resisting temptation all the time since I've moved in with you."

Wylan was confused for a moment until he registered Jesper's wink and how he was looking at him and immediately went bright red. "JESPER!"

The Zemini boy in question just laughed, wrapping an arm around Wylan's shoulder before placing a soft kiss on the top of his forehead. "Relax, I'm kidding Sunshine... Mostly."

Wylan resisted the urge to swat his arm, instead opting to wrap his arms around Jesper's neck, standing on his tip toes to kiss Jesper's cheek. "Let's just head out before you can say anything else to make me flustered..." he said, taking Jesper's hand and squeezing it softly as the two of them started on their way towards the Barrel.

"Oh Merchling you don't even know the half of it."

And really, Wylan shouldn't have been surprised at the fact that Jesper was able to make him even more flustered on their way to the Barrel. Though really, it was his own fault, Wylan had tripped over his own two feet and skinned his knee, and because Jesper was an overly dramatic caring boyfriend, he insisted on carrying Wylan the rest of the way to the Crow Club to meet up with Kaz, Nina and Matthias.

Despite the mortifying ordeal of being carried through the Barrel and the fact that it was still the run down, crime infested area it had always been, Wylan was finally able to relax a bit, untensing his shoulders. Maybe it was because Jesper was just warm and comforting, and being in his arms made everything better. Which was definitely part of it. Wylan felt like after all that had happened, being in the Barrel with the rest of the Dregs felt more like home than his father's house ever had.

Of course it probably didn't help that he still thought of it as his father's house rather than his own, but those things took time. And Wylan wasn't quite sure if he was ready to fully accept the house and all the responsibilities that came with it.

Lost in thought, Wylan didn't realize they'd arrived til he heard Kaz's voice.

"You decided to carry him inside the Crow Club? Last I knew you were dating, not married," Kaz commented, referring to the way Jesper had carried Wylan in bridal style.

"He skinned his knee! What was I supposed to do, let him walk?" Jesper protested.

"Reminds me of the way you used to carry Milo around everywhere. I'm surprised he could still walk on his own after you were done with him."

And at that sentence, Wylan's blood ran cold. Milo? Who was Milo? Why was Jesper carrying him? And what did Kaz mean he was surprised Milo could still walk on his own after Jesper was done with him? Did he just mean that Jesper carried Milo around a lot? Or was there an innuendo there he wasn't picking up on? How long ago were Jesper and Milo dating for? Who broke up with who? Did Jesper sill miss him?

All these questions and more swam around Wylan's brain, each of them more terrifying to think of than the last as he tried to figure out who the heck Milo was.

Unfortunately for him, by the time he remembered to tune back in to the conversation, they weren't talking about Milo anymore.

Jesper set him down and the two of them took a seat at the table, but Wylan couldn't focus on a word any of them were saying.

Who was Milo? And what did he mean to Jesper?

🐐🐐🐐

Wylan's attention drifted throughout the entire conversation, only nodding along absentmindedly when it seemed appropriate, until Kaz was called away do deal with important Dregs business, and Jesper had gotten up to use the bathroom.

Wylan bit his bottom lip, glancing between Nina and Matthias before his eyes finally settled on the Heartrender.

"Do you... Do you know who Milo is?" Wylan asked hesitantly.

"Milo?" Nina asked him, her brow furrowed in thought as she tried to figure out who Wylan was talking about.

Wylan nodded. "Kaz mentioned him... When Jesper first walked up carrying me to the table." He blushed faintly out of embarrassment as Nina's eyes widened ever so slightly in recognition.

"I don't know who he is, I've never met him, but I do know that Jesper used to mention him a lot when we were first introduced. As far as I've picked up, he's some boy Jesper was involved with back in Ravka," Nina told him.

Some boy Jesper was involved with back in Ravka, Wylan thought to himself, Nina's words echoing through his mind. Jesper, involved with a boy in Ravka, Jesper involved with a boy an ocean away, and wouldn't stop talking about him even once he got back to Ketterdam.

Wylan's stomach sunk and he wrung his hands under the table nervously. How was he ever supposed to compare to that?

Nina’s brow furrowed slightly upon seeing his expression. “Wylan,” she began. “No matter who Milo was to Jesper, there’s no way he’d ever just up and leave you, you know that right?”

Wylan nodded, but he still felt a little hollow inside, fearing that it was just a matter of time before Jesper came to his senses and left him. Why would Jesper want to stay with a guy that couldn’t even read when he could have Milo?

"In Fjerda, if a man was caught being unfaithful--" Matthias began.

Wylan blushed in embarrassment, burying his face in his hands. "I appreciate it Matthias but I don't really want to think about that right now."

Matthias nodded. "If you need someone to teach him a lesson though-"

Nina chuckled. "I'm sure you'll be the first person he calls."

The merchling let out a sigh, unable to meet either of their eyes as he ran a hand through his hair. Jesper came back from the bathroom a few moments later, and Wylan forced himself to push all thoughts of Milo from his head.

🐐🐐🐐

As hard as he tried, Wylan couldn’t get Milo out of his head. He thought about it on the walk back to his father’s house, when he was having lunch with his mother, when he fell asleep at night in Jesper’s arms. It seemed like every waking second of his day was devoted to stressing out about Milo and who he was to Jesper, and it was killing him.

He couldn't focus on his work with the Merchant's Council and he could barely remember the words to the documents Jesper read to him the night before to prepare for such meetings.

It was affecting him so much that even Jesper started to notice.

"Merchling," he began, "something has obviously been bothering you, what's going on?"

"Nothing's been going on, I don't know what you're talking about," Wylan told him, his tone clipped and unable to meet Jesper's eyes.

The last thing he wanted to do was ask Jesper about his ex boyfriend. That would be absolutely mortifying.

"Wylaaaaaaan," Jesper said, poking his boyfriend's cheek. "I'm not going to stop poking you til you tell me what's wrong."

Wylan fought off a smile as Jesper poked both his cheeks and then his arms before getting dangerously close to his more ticklish areas and Wylan had to step away. "Jesper, I'm fine I promise, okay? I've just been in my own head a lot... And it's hard to get out sometimes."

Jesper studied his face for a few moments, trying to determine whether or not he was telling the truth before wrapping his arms around him, softly, resting his head on top of the ginger's. "If you insist Van Sunshine. But if you ever want to talk--"

"I know," Wylan cut him off, hugging him tightly, content to just bury his face in Jesper's chest for the time being. "And I appreciate it."

Even with his head against Jesper's chest, able to hear the faint beating of the Zemini boy's heart beneath his shirt, the traitorous part of Wylan's thoughts made him wonder if he'd rather be holding someone else instead.

🐐🐐🐐

Another week or so went by and Wylan had almost managed to get all thoughts of Milo completely out of his mind.

That is until Kaz announced that Inej was briefly returning to the Barrel after her journey away and bringing none other than the infamous Milo with her.

Wylan's stomach dropped and it felt like all the blood drained from his face. Milo?? Coming to the Barrel?? Why would Jesper ever stay with him now when his hot Ravkan ex was in town?

And to make matters worse, Jesper's whole face lit up at the thought of seeing Milo again. Wylan's first and only relationship was going to end in disaster because there was no way he could ever compare to Milo.

Wylan quietly excused himself to go to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him and fighting off tears. Jesper was going to leave him for his ex. Wylan was going to be dumped because he wasn't good enough for Jesper and it was foolish of him to have ever thought otherwise.

He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting back tears. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid Wylan," he berated himself. "Why would you ever think you could ever be good enough for Jesper?"

His eyes widened and another burst of tears threatened to spill out as another revelation overcame him. "And if Jesper leaves... And I can't read... The Merchant Council is sure to kick me out... And everything--"

Wylan sank to the ground, hiding his face in his hands and allowing himself to cry for a few minutes before he took a shaky breath in and wiped at his eyes. If he was only going to have Jesper for a little while longer then he was going to make the most of it while he still could.

Standing shakily, Wylan did his best to compose himself, plastering a smile onto his face as he stepped outside the bathroom, sinking dread filling his entire being.

As soon as Inej returned, it would be the end of Wylan's relationship with Jesper for good.

🐐🐐🐐

A few days later, Kaz, Nina, Matthias, Jesper and Wylan were all standing at the docks, watching as Inej's ship pulled into the harbor.

Wylan was shaking slightly as he stood there, and it wasn't because of the cold wind coming from the water. As soon as Inej brought Milo off the ship it'd be over for him and Jesper, and Wylan wasn't quite sure how he would live with that.

"Is everything alright Merchling?" Jesper leaned over to whisper in Wylan's ear. "You've seemed more on edge ever since Kaz told us Inej was coming back."

Wylan forced a smile on his face. "I'm fine Jes, I promise..." He took his boyfriend's hand and squeezed it tightly, already thinking about how much he would miss Jesper's comforting presence.

Jesper let go of Wylan's hand, in favor of wrapping his arms around Wylan's shoulders, standing behind him and placing a kiss to the top of Wylan's head, holding Wylan's back to Jesper's chest.

Wylan just snuggled closer, watching as Inej got off the boat with--

What was that in her arms? It clearly wasn't something human, it had four legs and horns and- A goat?

But why would Inej bring a goat with her to Ketterdam? It made no sense.

Wylan's brow furrowed in confusion as he stood up on his tippy toes to try and see what Milo looked like. Surely he must be right behind Inej.

Jesper kissed Wylan's cheek quickly before running up to meet their fellow gang member, followed shortly after by Nina.

Kaz and Matthias stayed where they were on the docks, but it was clear to anyone that knew them well enough just how glad the two of them were to see Inej again.

After a few moments of debating the pros and cons in his head, Wylan followed after Jesper and Nina, catching a snippet of their conversation.

"-can't believe you brought him with you!" Jesper was saying as he took the goat - as he got closer he could see now that it was definitely a goat - from Inej's arms. He kissed the top of the goat's head, similarly to the way he had kissed Wylan just a few moments before before petting the goat softly.

"Wylan!" Jesper called out as he saw his boyfriend approach. "I want you to meet Milo!" He held up the goat in his arms, and Wylan's eyes widened.

"THAT'S MILO???" Wylan exclaimed, unable to stop the exclamation from escaping him. "Milo is a goat??? He's been a goat this whole time? He's not some Ravkan ex boyfriend that's come to steal you away from me?"

He was sticking his foot in his mouth he knew that, but Wylan was so relieved and shocked and happy all at the same time that he couldn't really be bothered to care how much he embarrassed himself.

Jesper wasn't going to leave him and so everything was going to be okay.

Nina choked back a laugh while Inej just looked confused and Jesper's brow was furrowed. "Is that why you've been so worried these past few weeks? You thought I was going to leave you for Milo?"

Wylan's cheeks flushed slightly as he nodded.

"Merchling..." Jesper began. "Even if Milo was an ex-boyfriend, I would still never just leave you like that." He kissed Wylan's cheek and Wylan flushed redder. "You mean too much to me for me to just leave you like that."

"I know, I was just worried and Kaz said you used to hold him all the time and I figured if he meant that much to you then maybe the only reason you broke up was because he was back in Ravka and--" Wylan stopped himself. "I'm rambling aren't I?"

Jesper smiled teasingly, though not unkindly. "Just a little."

"I know you would never do something like that, I'm just... Worried about not being good enough for you is all," Wylan confessed sheepishly.

Jesper set Milo down, letting him walk over to Inej who was making polite conversation with Nina to avoid eavesdropping on their conversation.

Wylan wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, glad to have the misunderstanding cleared up. "I love you Jes," Wylan told him, his face buried in Jesper's chest.

Jesper squeezed him tightly, grinning from ear to ear. "I love you too Wylan." Jesper pulled back just enough to kiss his boyfriend softly, his grin of joy turning to a more teasing one. "Even if you were a little overcome by the greeneyed monster."

[kitsunes-multiverse]

Never Alone Again

Chapter 2: Me, Myself, and My Ghostly Roommate

"Hey Chris, mind if I ask you something?"

Kitsune questioned, setting the small boxes of food on her kitchen counter. It was quite a lot of food, so she'd definitely have leftovers. Not that she minded of course- Chinese food was always one of her favorites. Chris, meanwhile, floated overhead.

"But of course, go right ahead." He responded.

"So like... This is a bit of a weird question, but can you eat? Since you're dead and all?" The young woman asked, taking out a paper plate and putting a decent amount of food on it.

"I mean, I don't have to, but I can. I figured that out not long after I became a ghost. I accidentally scared off a teenager, and he left some pretzels behind." Chris explained.

"Pfft- that's pretty funny. How'd you do that?" Kitsune questioned, amused at the thought.

"I believe I accidentally knocked something over. He didn't actually see me, though. He just ran off- probably assumed I was a malevolent spirit." Chris explained, watching as Kitsune sat at the table that was just a few feet away from the kitchen island. He flew closer, sitting on the countertop.

"I'm honestly rather surprised you weren't that scared of me when we first met." He commented, to which Kitsune shrugged. "I mean, you definitely startled me, but then you were extremely polite. I think I'll like having you around, Chris." She smiled at him.

"Oh, I could most definitely say the same!" Chris responded. "As I said, I've been rather lonely lately. And not having any memories of who I was wasn't helping in the slightest. Why, I can't even remember anything my family and I did. I can barely remember their faces..." He said, humming in thought.

"It's quite strange, though... My family never really smiled much, from what I can remember." He remarked.

Kitsune hummed, looking over at him. "Your family didn't smile much?" She repeated.

"No, not that I know of. Or at least, I think they haven't. It's all rather blurry, but I do faintly remember them frowning... Before they died, they looked... scared..." Chris explained, shaking his head. "But, well, I'm sure they're in a better place... I don't quite know why I'm stuck here as a ghost, but... It's fine. I met you, after all." He added.

The redhead smiled softly, finding him quite endearing. It was evident he didn't like thinking about the apparent murder of his family and himself, but that wasn't a surprise. She doubted she'd be happy if she had to remember something like that. Still, he did raise a pretty interesting question.

Why did he become a ghost, but the rest of his family didn't?

Deciding it'd be best to worry about the matter at a later date, Kitsune finished up her food. After putting the leftover food in the fridge, she started heading for the stairs before she paused. "Oh- Chris?" She spoke up.

"Hm?" Chris hummed in response. "Do you sleep?" Kitsune asked. The question came to mind since she was going to bed, and she'd feel bad if he was just left alone for eight hours.

"Oh- yes, I do actually! I slept quite a bit when I first woke up like this." The ghost responded, following her up the steps. "Alright, that's good to know. Where do you typically sleep?" Kitsune asked, stopping in front of her room.

"Ah, usually my own room out of habit." Chris responded, before looking at Kitsune's bedroom door. "And would you look at that- you picked my sister's!" He pointed out.

"Huh, that's pretty interesting..." Kitsune mumbled. "Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Chris." She said, walking into the room. She smiled as Chris gave a cheerful "Goodnight, Kitsune!" in response.

Upon walking onto the bed, she fell face first onto it. She was quite tired, to say the least. It had been a long day, and she hadn't even unpacked yet. But of course, she intended to do that tomorrow. Sighing contently, she got under the covers and closed her eyes. She was definitely gonna like it here, that was for sure. The house was beautiful and quiet, and she heard wonderful things about the people in the quaint little town.

And to top it all off, she got a very interesting and polite roommate.

[berri-hopefulspouse]

"Soren, would you like to go first?" Ren never really expected themselves to be before an officiant- let alone for this reason...But, for some reason, they weren't afraid. Not exactly, not in the way they thought they would be. Nodding, they look back to Makoto- after keeping in yet another internal little squeak- and give a soft sigh and a little smile...They were ready for this.

"When we first met...and I mean, truly, deeply first met... I felt almost drawn to you. You said it yourself; we had always had some kind of connection, one that goes beyond time, space...probably even ourselves as we are currently. I always felt drawn to you then, to be close to you- but I could never exactly pinpoint what it was...yet, here we are now. Years later, and we're both still here. Both still...okay. I'll be the first one to say it- shit isn't perfect-" That gets a bit of a chuckle from themselves, "-But we're here...and we're alive. And we have the groundwork for a new beginning."

With a little shaky, nervous sigh, they bite their lower lip and manage to maintain eye contact with Makoto, "...I know I can't always be there when you need me- and I know I can't promise things will be perfect. But I can promise- can vow to you- that I'll be doing my best, each and everyday. Doing my best to improve, to get better, to learn new things, and to love you. Each, and everyday. Always, and forever. You mean the world to me, and to whatever secrets that we may share in the future..." Theres a smirk, and already Makoto knows what's coming, "I'll never tell a single soul. That's a promise, and my vow to you...I'll always, always cherish you."

Despite their light joke, there were tears in their eyes, barely held together through their strict will alone. Makoto wasn't much better- in fact he had to let go of their hand once or twice to wipe at his own eyes, before letting out a soft laugh of surprise himself. Still, after looking to the officiant himself- and getting a small nod- he proceeded to speak himself.

"Ren, first of all, how dare you make me cry like that-" That got a laugh out of the two of them, as well as the small gathering of people who had decided to attend that day, "-Still, still...There's so many things I could say...So many things I want to say- and it wouldn't truly be enough. You're so many things- you've done so much for me and for those around you...and yet, you never stop pursuing to help everyone around you. Everyone except yourself." Despite himself, he rests a hand gently on their cheek to reassure them, to calm them down a bit.

"I thought I knew who I was- someone who didn't quite stick out in the crowd, who was just...well, average at everything I did. And I thought I was okay with that... But uh..." He chuckled nervously, "Turns out that's just self esteem issues, I suppose. You never stopped believing in me- back then and all the way up until now. No matter what we faced, you had full faith in me that it'd be alright. I've always had a more optimistic attitude...and you always struggled to maintain one, but you still were always there for me. You say you weren't- but I assure you, even if you couldn't physically help in some way...I knew you were there for me, in spirit."

He shakes his head a bit, "I guess this is a roundabout way of saying...I'm proud of you. You've taught me so much, and grown so much more than from when we first met. You stand tall- well, really short in your case-" A little joke that earned him a gentle subtle kick with their shoe- causing him to laugh, "-You stand tall in the face of everything you've been through. Each day you keep moving forward, despite what lingers over you...And for that reason alone, I'm so proud of you. You always tell me that I saved you, that I've done so much for you...and while I can't always believe that's true, I can promise you that I'll be there whenever I can. You deserve to have someone who can protect you, and well- if it's me...I guess I really can't argue with that. I love you, Soren...with everything I am. You're my hope, and my proof that my Ultimate Luck truly isn't just a throwaway Ultimate...It's proof that I really am lucky to have you in my life. I swear, I'll never leave you- if you'll allow me to stay in your life...and that I'll always do my best to protect you, and cherish what we have. Always. My love for you is no secret."

He was trying to keep his voice from shaking, truly he was- but while his tone held certainty, his nervousness was equally as palpable in his tone. It was also not much of a secret that, simply put- he had completely did that on the fly, rather than plan it out. All the same, it looked like his words got through to them- the tears they were trying to keep back having started to fall from their cheeks. Leaning into the palm of his hand that still rested on their cheek, they nuzzled into it for comfort before pulling back to let his hand free- a smile on their face the whole while. At least he knew he didn't royally screw that up.

Still, thereafter came the rings- the one thing Makoto knew for certain. Ren may have been the one to do most of the planning- Mostly in part due to Makoto knowing full and well they were better at all of this than he could ever really hope to be- but he was the one who picked what the wedding bands would be. He didn't let Ren see what they were, wanting to get their reaction above anything else. He did his own first, slipping the ring carefully onto their ring finger- trying to quell the slightly anxious tremble of his own hands. He couldn't help being nervous.

The ring itself was simple in nature, but it's meanings would show themselves to those two alone. Theirs particularly had an outer layer of silver- steel, particularly- with moonstone in the middle. Carved into it, were a few small things. A moon and some stars, a reminder of the promise ring they got the both of them and a light comparison to his own band. A small little heart, that had a little ruby heart gemstone in the middle, as it was their birthstone. Lastly, on the underside of the ring, was engraved a few simple words; 'You are my luck, and my hope.'

His was similar of course, rather instead a shade of gold rather than silver with sun and cloud engravings on his own, and an sapphire heart rather than a ruby one. On the underside of his, was something that he heard them say to him once or twice- something that stuck with him, something he observed as they, in turn, slipped the band onto his ring finger.

'You're the reason I believe in my empathy.'

He watched Ren's reaction, though, as their expression shifted from the soft counterance they had previously to curiosity. Then, to thought- likely tuning out the officiant in favor of observing the ring- and finally acknowledgement, gaze snapping back up to meet Makoto's as the tears that had started to slow down only picked right back up. He could faintly notice them mouth something along the lines of 'You fucking dork,' as the officiant had continued to speak, their facade of pride crumbling down with their tears.

The two had been so busy reveling in their own little world for a few moments, that neither had even noticed that the officiant had been asking a question. Makoto, naturally, snapped out of it first in time for him to recognize his name being said.

"S-sorry, what was that?" And, promptly, his question snapped Ren back out of their own stupor, blushing a bit in embarassment. Makoto wished he wasn't in the same flustered state. Thankfully it got a bit of chuckles out of everyone else, and the officiant repeated himself.

"Do you, Makoto Naegi, take Soren to be your spouse?"

"Oh!" Well, if he wasn't red before hand, he definitely was now, "I...I do." ...But he still wouldn't hesitate with his answer, not for a moment.

It got a bit of a giggle out of Ren. At least they were amused at how flustered he was- but he knew full well it was a double edged sword.

"Soren, do you take Makoto to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Despite watching their cheeks turn a bright red- called it- and noticing their breath bitch a bit, their resolve didn't falter in the slightest.

"I do, now and forever."

Makoto couldn't help but smile at that, the nervous expression he adorned softening into adoration. He could be nervous, sure, but right then and there? With that smile they had on? He could feel nothing but pure, unadulterated love. He didn't notice when the officiant was asking if anyone had any objections- he didn't notice when no one had said anything, or that everyone was staring intently at the two, all he could really notice was them.

He only snapped out of it once more when he heard the Officiant speak once more.

"Then it is my great honor to pronounce you as husband and spouse!" The officiant look to the two with a little grin, "You may now kiss, if so desired."

About halfway through that sentence however, impatient as they were- Ren had quickly grabbed Makoto to yank the brunette into their shorter embrace. Yelping a bit in surprise- it instead dissolved into a little laugh as Ren mumbled a short and cheeky, 'Hey', to Makoto- only before pressing a shy kiss to him. He didn't hesitate to reciprocate, a hand gently combing past the flower crown veil to instead thread his fingers through their hair. Only then did they relax a bit, pressing back with a bit more decor for a few moments before drawing away a bit.

"Hello to you, too, Mx. Naegi," Makoto lightly teased, despite being out of breath. Watching their face equally flush a bright red, but light up with delight, he ignored the small uproar of his friends and family- instead laughing to himself before being ambushed in another kiss from his now-spouse. Despite it all, they made it to this point...New Years Eve- now New Years day...Now, officially, married. To the two, it was clear as day...

What a great way to start a new year.

[conner-grace]

The Detective and his Little Assistant (part 2)

(Part Index)

Chapter 2: The Investigation Begins

Monday, June 13th

*Akechi's P.O.V.*

As I got to my platform looking for Kaito-kun, I saw someone I wasn't expecting to, the boy from the interview.

"Fancy seeing you here." I smile, slipping into my Detective Prince act, catching his attention. "I didn't think we used the same station. Meeting here must be fate." I continued, joking slightly, before hearing the sound of running footsteps closing in behind me, I had a good idea who it was.

"Gor-Oh, uh, hi, Akechi-senpai." Kaito-kun smiles, though now looking to the ground.

"This is Sasaki Kaito-kun, my underclassmen by year and a friend." I smile in explanation, knowing it'd be near a miracle to get Kaito-kun to talk to someone upon first meeting them.

"Kurusu Akira." The boy answers with a smile.

Kaito's head lifts slightly, 'so he did watch the interview' I think, knowing my friend recognized the boy's voice 'seriously, it takes him a month to remember a name, but two sentences in an interview to be able to recognize a voice' I think, stifling a chuckle.

"Anyway, how are you?" I ask Akira

"Not bad." Akira responds

"That's a good answer." I smile. "...I've been getting interviewed a lot lately, so I've been wondering how to answer such questions...I guess it's best to simply be yourself and say what you think. You've given me much to consider." I smile, wanting to speak more to the interesting boy before hearing something like a stifled snicker from the younger student next to me. Resisting the urge to snap a snarky comment at my underclassmen, I turn my attention back to Akira. "If it isn't too much trouble, may I speak with you again sometime?" I ask, Akira nods, and with that, we get on our trains.

*Kaito's P.O.V*

Akechi and I found seats on the train and sat down.

"So you watched the interview?" Akechi-senpai asks

"Of course I did." I smile, thinking 'you were in it'

"You're quite odd, it takes you a month to remember a name, 5 minutes to be able to recognize a face, and two sentences in an interview for a voice." He chuckles. "Also, mind telling me what that little snicker was for?" He asks, a playful scolding lacing his tone.

"Oh, like I'm the only odd one, you got one sentence out of the boy and it seemed to inspire how you did some stuff for interviews or was it also what he said in the interview a couple days ago?" I smirk, raising a brow and crossing my arms

"I guess you have a point when you put it that way." The young detective chuckles. "Though, speaking of the interview, I'm curious, what's your opinion on the Phantom Thieves?" He asks, making me freeze a little, before looking to my lap, thinking of how to word my answer, not knowing if he'd like it.

"If they are real, they seem to be going after only criminals the police don't have the intel, or possibly resources to go after themselves so far." I answer, looking at my lap.

"But, if they can change hearts, by force no less, isn't there a possibility they could've made the supposed criminal fabricate these crimes?" Akechi-senpai asks, looking at it from multiple angles, as any good detective would.

"I thought about that too." I say, looking to him. "It takes some digging, but there's been rumors going back years, from shortly after one of Madarame's pupils committed suicide and shortly after the first time someone under Kamoshida's teaching ended up in the hospital." I explain, causing Akechi-senpai to sit back in his seat, holding his chin in his hand.

He sighs annoyedly, staying quiet with a faintly annoyed expression. "You do have a point, you could be right." He admits, albeit, seemingly reluctantly.

"Though, we still need to know their methods, not only to see if they’re violent or illegal but also to see if they're usable in the medical world too." I admit, though also putting in another possible outcome. "If you can truly use it to change people's hearts, maybe it can be used to help treat mental disorders, like PTSD, bipolar disorders, depression, and so much more, it might be able to be used to help these people lead normal lives." I smile hopefully, before looking down, remembering one person in particular, 'maybe, just maybe, it could even help Fu-chan'

*Akechi's P.O.V.*

'How do I keep forgetting how thorough that boy is when his goal is to help or he's trying to point something out?' I think as I sigh annoyedly, as much as I didn't want to admit it, Kaito-kun had a point, and at least he wasn’t condescending like the the adults or anymore shy around me than anyone else. "You do have a point, you could be right." I admit after a couple moments.

"Though, we still need to know their methods, not only to see if they’re violent or illegal but also to see if they're usable in the medical world too." He admits, though that last bit sparking my curiosity, looking to him, watching a smile grow on his face as he continued. "If you can truly use it to change people's hearts, maybe it can be used to help treat mental disorders, like PTSD, bipolar disorders, depression, and so much more, it might be able to be used to help these people lead normal lives." Once Kaito-kun finished, he had a smile even I rarely saw, so bright and kind it could bring warmth and light to a room suffering a black in a blizzard.

"Hmm, I hadn't thought of that before, though we'd still need to learn their methods before that possibility." I admit, looking down, my hand going to my chin, before looking back to him, and noticing he was looking down and his smile faltered slightly 'wait, is there someone in specific he-' my thought was cut off as Kaito-kun quickly stood up.

"Well, we're at our stop, let's go before we're late." He smiles.

I stand up and head out, Kaito-kun following close behind, though realizing with a bitten back chuckle ‘of course he’d think about helping other people first, even if he had someone specific, not using a power like that for his own gain’.

***

I was currently finishing up a worksheet in class, and it took every ounce of self-control not to go and confront her. The bully, Yuno Takeya, was three seats behind me, and to make it that much more frustrating, I knew she was a rather big fan of mine. She'd been one of the first to teach me how to tune out loud and annoying fans when I needed to do anything more important. I heard the leather of my glove strain as my hand curled into fist thinking of her targets, due to her manipulativeness and probable jealousy, Kaito-kun was definitely a main target, due to his timidness and connection to me. As much as I wanted to drag her into an empty room and interrogate her till she told the truth, I needed to handle this far more tactfully 'and legally' than that 'I could go after her-no!' Kiato would never forgive himself once that was finished since he put in a request. An irritated sigh left my lips as I finished the worksheet, trying to figure out how to go about this before the perpetrator in question perked up.

"Um, does someone have a pencil I can borrow?" She spoke up, sounding embarrassed.

A small smirk pulled at my lips as I was sure there was a bit of a sly glint in my eye as I pulled a pen out of my pocket, pushing down on the clip, changing my face to that practiced smile as I heard a faint click. "I don't have a pencil, but I do have this, Takeya-chan." I smile, getting up and heading back to her.

"It'll do perfectly Akechi-kun, thank you." She smiled, taking the pen.

"Please be a little careful with it, it was a gift." I smile, 'though if it weren't for the fact I need evidence, I'd never let you touch it' I think, somehow managing to keep to smile. It'd been a gift from Kaito-kun for my last birthday, a voice recording pen, you could turn it on simply by pushing down on the clip, and of course, it wrote like a normal pen too.

"Of course, and thank you again, Akechi-kun." She smiles sweetly.

"No problem, and you can return it at the end of our last class today, okay?" I smile back, surprised no could could see through the plastic fakeness of it.

"Mhmm." She nods with a smile.

At that moment the bell rang, signaling for us to go to lunch, I quickly turned to give my work to the teacher and head out, wanting to be out of that wretch’s presence.

"That's all for today, turn in your work and don't forget you're homework is due Wednesday." The teacher announces.

I head out with a smirk, even though I'd probably want to wash the pen after I got it back, but I should definitely get some solid evidence.

 *Kaitos P.O.V.*

I was waiting in the lunchroom, waiting for Akechi-senpai. Noticing Takeya-senpai coming in, I look down at the table, though happy knowing Akechi-senpai wouldn't be far behind.

"How many times have I told you not to wait for me to start eating?" I hear Akechi-senpai above me, making me jump slightly, before looking up to see him standing over me, a faintly scolding look in his eyes.

"But, I like eating with Ake- Goro-senpai, and I wasn't even waiting ten minutes." I smile sheepishly, he sighs and its next to me.

"So you're finally remembering you can call me by my first name?" He smirks, the scolding look in his eye fading as he sat next to me.

"Trying at least, and it seems you've got something for a case?" I smirk in response, recognizing that sly-but-happy glint in his eyes.