#i hope i didn't forget to tag anything. this took 2 days to make which is QUICK for me.

[deydenier]

Happy birthday, Mob 🌺

[killergee]

Here’s Part 2! Thanks to everyone who read the first part and commented! This could be read as a stand-alone as well, so I hope y’all enjoy!

Soshiro x Reader fanfic where after discovering your crush on him, he does everything in his power to get you to confess. It seems that he can't help himself when it comes to you.

P1 P2 P3

Tags list: @surprisemodafakas @yrxhyes

-----------------------------------

Okay, so playing stupid may not have been your best move. But your damn pride kept you from admitting to anything. Luckily, Hoshina seemed to drop the topic after your silence and switched to talking about getting ice cream. Much to your surprise, he's let you off the hook entirely and never spoke about the little incident again. However, that didn't mean he didn't tease you in a different way.

In all honesty, you don’t know how much more of his teasing and flirting you could take before you bashed your head against a wall. It’s like he’s doing everything in his power to make you admit to what you said or to address the elephant in the room. The elephant, of course, being your feelings towards him, which you obviously don’t have.

He's definitely changed since the incident. You couldn't forget how one time when you were patching him up as usual, he used your focus against you.

Treating him used to happen at a respectable distance, but since he knew how absorbed you always were when treating him, he took the opportunity to shift and spread his legs apart, slowly moving you to stand in between them. It wasn't until you felt his hands rest on your hips did you jolt back to awarness and finally notice how close he's brought you. When you tried to yell at him and take a step backward, he threw on a lazy grin and curled his hands, fisting them into the material of your uniform. His grip stung, but not enough to hurt. No, it was only enough to leave you with a hunger you oh so desperately tried to push down. Anchoring you in your place, you didn't know if he knew his effect on you. If he knew if he wanted to take you right there, you might just let him. The dark satisfaction that lurked in his mischievous eyes told you yes, but all he does is lie about how roughly you were treating him and whine at you to be more gentle. In your annoyance and frustration, you don't notice how he's been getting more injured lately.

After that, he became bolder and much more forward, testing more and more every day how far he could push you. He always seemed to find a way to make you touch him. To make it so that your sole focus was on him and only him. Tasks such as examining his suit to make sure there weren’t any faults became an almost daily occurrence. You knew he knew you didn’t know anything about how the suits worked, and yet, he’d tell you to touch the planes of his arms to make sure none of the ridges were poking out. Or he’d guide your hand himself, pretending to teach you what it was you should be looking for. The examination would end with him slyly saying “your turn” and you turning red and storming out of the room.

While he does his best to make you touch him, he puts the same amount of effort into touching you. A touch to your wrist when asking if you need any help with your paperwork. A hand on your waist to move around you when there’s plenty of space. A whisper in your ear as if telling you a secret, but he instead says something completely mundane. Or a casual arm around the back of your seat as if marking you as his. If not directly touching you, he'd still maneuver in a way to intrude into your space. Be it with a hand on the table behind you to keep you close and shielded from the eyes of others or by making sure the only seat available was the one next to his.

The constant touching and proximity left you feeling the burn of his touches for days after. The façade you’ve worked so hard to keep up cracks more and more every passing day.

The worst part of it all was the fact that he seemed so casual about it while you were internally combusting each time. Like the one time when you tried to move away from him, he asked, "y/n-kun, what's wrong?" And moved even closer in faux concern, failing to hide the smirk that lurked beneath his smile. "Ya don't look so good," he continued as he moved to graze your cheek before resting his palm on your forehead. "My, my, your face is so hot and red."

"I... uh-"

He chuckled, reveling in how you were struggling to form words. "Even your ears too," he whispered almost fondly as he continued his exploration of your face. With that, he tucked your hair behind your ear and kept his hand there, playfully tapping the tip of your ear. It was too intense for you. Too intimate. The way he was looking at you. The soft smile on his face. You felt his breath ghost over your lips and all of a sudden you're pushing him back and looking down at the floor. "P-p-probably overexertion, I'll be fine...please excuse me," you said hurriedly, leaving the situation. "Alright, see ya later," he sighed out, and if you thought you heard disappointment in his voice, then you would be right.  

But now is not the time to hope about whether or not he was dissapointed. You should get back to work before he-

“Are ya gonna keep staring or are we gonna keep working?” he asks, interrupting your thoughts. Fuck, he noticed. You didn't mean to think about him and all the shit he's done. But in this office, lit up only by the moonlight, you can't help but soften a little. The way the moonlight lights the side of his face is captivating. Not to mention his stupid habit of biting his lip is even more tantalizing than it used to be. It doesn't help that you two are sitting so close together that you can smell the faint scent of his intoxicating cologne. It also definitely doesn't help that your gaze ended up on him while you were lost in thought.

"Sorry,” you murmur, embarrassed, making sure to busy yourself with the file in front of you again.

"Ah, sorry, I forgot I’m quite distracting,” he teases with a smirk as he rests his head on his hand, giving you his full attention.

“Don’t know what you’re referring to,” you retort back a little too quickly. After a few minutes of peaceful silence, you were curious if he was still looking at you. With as much discretion as possible, you shift your gaze towards him, only to be met with his waiting eyes.   

Breathtaking is all you can think of as his eyes seem to glow in the light. Your fingers twitch slightly as you have the urge to move the hair threatening to cover his eyes. Of course, the ever-observant Hoshina notices. He always seems to notice everything about you.

"Struck by the desire to touch me?" 

"Yes, to throttle you, actually." 

He lets out a low whistle and a chuckle at your response, and you try to focus all your energy on your work. Tonight feels different from the other nights. Something about the atmosphere told you that you’d regret running away or saying something you didn’t mean. So instead, you fiddle with the edge of the paper like you always do when you want to calm down your nerves.

Hoshina places a hand on top of yours and stills you. He says, "stop that," but the fondness in his voice seeps through even to your unwilling ears. It could have been due to the exhaustion that your senses were dulled or perhaps the night made you crave his touch a little more. Whatever it was, you didn't move your hand. Slowly and hesitantly, as if scared he'll break whatever trance you were in, he begins to lace your hands together, one finger at a time. His slow pace gave you ample time to pull away. To tell him to back off. To turn him down like you usually did.

But you don't.

So he holds your hand within his, providing you a warmth you didn't know you longed for. Something about his grip makes you feel safe in a way only he ever could. It wasn't tight enough to make you feel trapped, and it wasn't loose enough to let you slip away. With only the sounds of the crickets outside and your beating hearts, you two remain frozen in time. You're trying to remain as calm as possible but as you're moments away from ripping your hand out of his and making a run for it, Hoshina startles you by dropping his head onto the table and resting it in the crook of his free arm. Despite his body angling itself away from you, his grip on your hand tightens ever so slightly. 

"W-what is wrong with you!?" You exclaim in embarassment, also turning to look away. With your free hand, you cover the lower half of your face. You didn’t want him to know you were blushing.

"Nothin' just really happy," he replies, his voice a bit muffled by his arm. "It's just better than I expected," he mumbles so quietly that you almost missed it.  

If only you had turned around to look at him. You wouldn’t have missed the bright blush that covered his neck.  

[varteeny1234]

Happy fanfic explosion day

Summary:

pt2: a couple days after the Incident :3

Words: 504

Chapter: 2/2

Warnings: None really for this one i dont think

Ship: Vivid

Let's goo! 2/4 fics for today posted :D

Two days later, Avid decidedly had not forgotten about being attacked by a vampire in a shady alleyway. Their voice especially- he refused to admit to himself that he thought it was an attractive voice. Yeah, it was nice, but the person it belonged to literally attacked him and drank his blood, so that automatically meant he needed to ignore it. 

Easier said than done. 

Maybe a coffee would make him feel better. There was a new place that had opened up just a block or so away, maybe he could try that out!

Avid left his house, and it felt like only a moment had passed before he was at the coffee shop. Walking inside, he saw that there was only one person working at the moment, and no other customers: normally he'd find that strange, but right now it just meant he'd get his drink faster. 

The barista was also quite handsome. Distraction number two!

Speaking of the barista, he saw Avid, and after a moment of hesitation, waved him over. "Welcome, customer, what can I get you?" He deadpanned, with a dorky grin on his face. 

Avid's jaw fell to the floor. He recognized that voice, it literally haunted his dreams! 

"YOU!" He yelled, pointing a finger at the barista and jumping back. Viking, his name tag read. "YOU- YOU JUMPED ME AND DRANK MY BLOOD, YOU- YOU BLOOD-SUCKER!" 

Viking yelled back, which Avid had not been expecting. He also jumped over the counter, which he'd been expecting even less. Avid took a step backwards. 

"I WAS HUNGRY! AND NOBODY EVER GOES DOWN THAT STREET! YOU WEREN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO REMEMBER ANYTHING!" 

"Uh, well, excuse you, but I think getting attacked by a vampire is one of those things that doesn't get forgotten very quickly, no offense. Actually, take full offense, I'm mad at you."

"Okay, that's fair, but the venom should have made you forget the entire thing. This- this has never happened before. I mean, I don't usually meet the random people I hunt after the fact, but why do you remember?!"

"I'm special," Avid smirked, striking a pose. He hoped Viking couldn't hear how fast his heart was beating.

"You are, right now, terrified out of your mind."

Damnit. 

"W- hey! It's not MY fault your voice is hot! It's hard to get that kind of thing out of your mind, you know!"

Viking stalled for a moment. "...Is that how you recognized me?"

Avid nodded. He was still slowy inching towards the door, hoping to make a run for it. Vampires burnt in sunlight, right?

"You're weird. You- wait did you say my voice was hot?! Hang on, what-"

"Aaaaaaand that's my cue to go, bye Viking hope I don't ever see you again no offense, I mean maybe it wouldn't be the absolute worst thing in the world, pretend you didn't hear that, I'M OUT!"

And with that, Avid sprinted out the door, looking back behind him only once- just in time to see Viking smile.

[bunni-lime-boutique]

Hiiii

Your work is soooo coolllllll!!!

If I may ask, what was your process in making the MM pants?

-XO

Hiii! Thank you so much!! And Great Question! I didn't take too many pictures of every single part of the process so this is going to be mostly words if that's ok 😅

but here's

How I Made The Mutant Mayhem Pants

First We Need Our Materials:

An Idea or A Drawing Of Your Design

A nice pair of pants ( The wider the pants leg the more space for your design! So I personally prefer to not use skinny jeans but at the end of the day it's up to you! :D )

Eyelets

Heat Transfer Paper

Something Non permanent to mark your pants ( I used heat erasable fabric pens )

Scissors

Parchment Paper

Clothing Iron

Shoelaces ( or whatever you want to connect the pants like chains or ribbon or safety pins etc. )

Step 1: Design

I use the app Procreate on my iPad to design all my projects! I just take a picture of the piece of clothing whether it's shoes or clothes and edit/draw my design on top of it until I'm happy with it! ( which usually takes a really long time 🤣 these took me 14+ hours to design )

Also here's a secret tip I used for this project: I put a denim overlay over the gray parts of the design before printing it so that when I printed it on the pants it blended in perfectly with the denim jeans! You can't even tell it was printed on, it looks like it was always there!!

Step 2: Cutting the Pants!

Use the Non-Permanent Pen where you want the opening of the pants to be. ( if you're making them for yourself then you can always double check by trying them on before cutting them just to make sure that they're being cut in the right place! ☝️🏽 )

Then once the markings are good, cut the pants!

Step 3: Eyelets!

Once I had the pants cut, I marked where I wanted the eyelets to go with my non permanent pen. Then I added them in one by one! If you've never worked with eyelets before it's not that hard. You can find a bunch of tutorials on Youtube! That's what I did lol! There's NO SHAME in being a beginner! :D ( Also beginner tip: practice putting the eyelets in the scrap pieces of pants that you just cut off )

Step 4: Printing and Cutting out the design

Get your heat transfer paper and print whatever your design is with a printer! If you have a big design like mine I had to use 2 pieces of heat transfer paper for each turtle!

Then after I took this picture I cut them out! Then I sat them on the jeans again for a couple of minutes just to make sure that they were perfect and I didn't need to re-print them! ( also to make sure I liked the order they were in. I put my favorite 2 ninja turtles at the top so that if I wanted to remove the shoelaces and wear these pants as shorts I would only be left with my favorites...so sorry leo and raph 😅)

Step 5: Ironing Them On

Place the design where you want it, cover it with parchment paper, and then iron it on the highest setting with no steam! THE NO STEAM IS VERY IMPORTANT, PLZ DON'T FORGET TO DUMP THE WATER OUT OF THE IRON BEFOREHAND ☝️🏽

Step 6: Shoelaces

Put the Shoelaces ( or whatever you used to keep em together! :D ) inside the eyelets. Then I just tied them like I would tie a shoe but it doesn't really matter how you tie them as long as they're secure!

Step 7: Cry and Marvel at your astounding work

And there you have it!

That how I made the Mutant Mayhem pants!!

Next time I do a project like these I'll take more pictures of every step, but until then I hope this was helpful!!

If ya ever make these or use this tutorial for anything plzzz tag me! I wanna see what ya make!! :DDD

And if there was any part of this tutorial you want me to elaborate on OR you know/found a better way to do some of the steps then please let me know!!! :D

[laugtherhyena]

I finished listening to your Ayame playlist, and I really enjoyed the songs! Especially Me and Mr. Wolf, it's really catchy with it's jazzy tune and intriguing lyrics.

And since you brought it up in your tags on that post, I'm curious on why you picked the Portuguese songs since I don't know what's being said in the lyrics.

Thanks for giving it a listen dude! Also enabling me to go insane explaining song pics haha

(tho keep in mind I'm translating these myself so it may not be the best thing ever + I'm prioritizing meaning over translating stuff as accurately as possible)

You called me to dance that day, but i never know how to spin. Each time i spun it seemed as if my leg succumbed in agony

With each step i took in this dance, i lost hope. You noticed my troubles and took it easy on the leading

Everytime i messed up you told me to loosen up as you led me. Even without swing i got into this thing, and by the end i found it alright

I only know how to dance with you, that's what love does. I only know how to dance with you, that's what love does[...]

-This is just -2+2 chapter 22 tbh/Hj

Light spoilers aside, yeah this is another song that makes me think a shit ton about Hatamori, specifically them dancing together in the ballroom scene. Finding understanding in your partner in an uncomfortable situation that gets turned into something not that bad with their presence :]

[...]You smiled and proposed me to leave you alone You said go, I didn't move

Don't be like that, Don't do anything for me, Don't start thinking I'm yours

You tell me what i should do, but doesn't try to understand that i do it just to please you. You even tell me what to wear, who to walk with and where to go, But doesn't ask me to come back

Don't be like that, Don't do anything for me, Don't start thinking I'm yours[...]

-Bouncing back into canon this one makes me think a lot about how much Ayame bottles her feelings/emotions, likely out of not wanting to bother others with problem she doesn't know how to deal with herself; "Don't do anything for me" makes me think of that aspect of her character of not wanting people to worry or even grief over her in post trial 2.

Also the parts which are about the singer and a person wanting to distance themselves from them makes me think if her and Akane as in, Akane not wanting Ayame to have killed to save her since she didn't want her to die but Ayame does it anyway becaus she couldn't bear to let her die "You tell me what to do, but doesn't try to understand that i do it just to please you"

Also the tone of this song just sounds so ethereal to me, and i think that fits her nicely.

[...] You're going to think I don't even like myself. And in my age, only speed walks beside me

I only walk alone and in my path time is always getting shorter.

I need help, please help me, I live so alone

If by chance in a turn i think back to my world. I increase the pace, correct in a second, I can't stop

I prefer the turns on saint's road where i try to forget. The love i had of which I've saw in the mirror, getting lost in the distance

But if i find the love i once lost again, the turns come to an end, and i shall no longe cross the saint's road

The turns come to an end, and i shall no longe cross the saint's road[...]

-This one just makes me absolutely insane like,, I can't even describe it, i associate the whole song with her so so heavily. Loneliness associated with speed as in literally moving at a different place than the rest and leaving them behind even tho you desperately want to connect with them, subsequently running out of time from going so fast.

"If by a chance in a turn think back to my world" makes me think of her thought process when she saw Kizuna in the switchium. Think back to my world as in thinking about the possibility of doing things differently, before snapping out of that and settling into doing the deed with "Increase the pace, correct in a second, I can't stop"

Also "You're going to think I don't even like myself" ough ouch ouch

And the "The turns come to an end, and i shall no longer cross the saint's road" part repeats until the song ends, that paired with the singer's tone just paints the image of post trial 2 in my head. Ayame accepting her death and going through the execution as "The turns come to an end", and not crossing the saint's road because of the weight of her actions,,

I am so normal over her

[acerathia]

The Lament of Erebus || Chapter 2: The silent plea

Summary:

They appeared in the dead of night, ripping people out of their homes and lives, only leaving scattered clothes fluttering in the wind. There was nothing else left of the missing people.  OR Midoriya Izuku is quirkless, despite his protests, despite the feeling churning in his insides. It seems like fate has a cruel way to show its affection, as this lead to a social death sentence. And he has lived like that all his life. That is until society began to shift, creatures of the night swallowing people residing in the dark. The question is, what is the connection between them and Izuku?

Wordcount: 3.5k

Read it on AO3 || Masterlist

Tags/CW:

Minor Characters Death, Abuse of Power (Government), Censorship, Isolation, Alternative Universe, Kidnapping, Witness Protection, slightly illegal activities, Midoriya has a quirk, Panic attack

Note:

I know i said i'm on break, but i posted it on ao3 days ago and i just remembered to post it here oops, anyway, enjoy lolol

Sometimes people think everything might be their fault, that the consequences of their actions finally caught up to them. I reckon Izuku was such a person. After all, he was considered the weird, quirkless Deku. Yes, like his hero idolisation the name Deku seems like a fixture in every possible variation of himself. Due to his so-called weirdness, his uncanny vibes, people blamed him for everything, he brings bad karma, the spirits follow him or any other variation of the same spiel. A try to explain whatever was going on. Poor Izuku didn't have any other choice but to accept these baseless accusations, taking the blame for everything and everyone. Even if whatever was about to come, was not his fault, no, he was just unfortunate enough to be there at the wrong time.

Now, enough with that, we need to focus on Izuku, to understand the story properly.

----

There was something going on, Izuku knew, but he had no idea what exactly. The government just implemented that nightly lockdown, no one was allowed to step outside if the sun had set, unless they were accompanied by a hero. But even then, they would get a hefty fine, for allegedly obstructing justice. Which didn't make sense to him, after all the heroes were supposed to help people! Especially if it was true that the nightly crime rates really have been rising. And this reason didn't make sense either. If the crime rate really got that high to be a risk to the population, there would have been any kind of early indication or any kind of statistics. But Izuku didn't encounter any of this in all his nightly deep dives into the forums and, sue him, the police archives.

No one could blame him for distrusting the information they had been given. There was something else going on and he wanted to know what. But every question and answer to this particular topic vanished from every forum, even in the ones specifically for conspiracies. He knew, because he looked and dug, but everything was gone. Even if he finally found someone wondering and asking the same thing, he couldn't do anything but watch as the question got deleted in front of his eyes.

He groaned with frustration as it happened again. Once again he lost some discussion about the current events. He even forgot to note the name of these people in hopes to contact them later on again. The need to bang his head against the table slowly grew with each post lost. Was this how losing the library of Alexandria felt like?

But he didn't have time to despair just yet, his mother was calling him for breakfast, and who was he to ignore her? So he shut his laptop down, softly closing it before emerging from his room, almost forgetting his bag.

Letting his schoolbag lean against the table he took a seat. In front of him a plate with toast and jelly and peanut had been put, with some orange juice to the side. With a bright smile he thanked his wonderful mother before digging in. He allowed for the crunch and the sweetness to distract him from his conspiracies for at least a moment. Of course he wouldn't call them conspiracies, but we all know they were, as none of them were even close to the truth.

After finishing his quick meal, he slung his back over his shoulders and gave his mother a goodbye kiss. He didn't let his weariness show until he was out of the door and turned at least once around a corner. He slowly grew tired of his middle school, the whispers and isolation starting to take a bigger toll on him than he would have anticipated. Some tiny sliver of hope told him to wait for something to happen, for something to turn his life around. And he grabbed that hope with desperate hands, with all the weights of his shadow. Maybe that was a reason for him to go looking for some kind of explanation or possible future events, even if it meant filling his brain with baseless rumors and conspiracies. Like that one about undergro-

Something pushed his shoulder, taking his balance away, leaving him stumbling. But he didn't fall down. Probably due to his increased agility or because he started working out the tiniest bit. In truth the shadows hung deep over his ankles, grounding him. But that was something he wasn't supposed to know yet, so his reasoning had to suffice.

He turned around to look for the perpetrator, but they had already left the scene. He should've expected that. People loved to push him, acting as if he wasn't just there, as if he didn't exist for them at all. That was why he was so accustomed to living on the edge, to barely exist. He was only protecting his body, if he couldn't even shield his mind from that silent torment.

With a soundless sigh he turned, almost slithering into his classroom, trying to avoid getting noticed. Before anyone could even raise their heads, he already sat in his place, pulling his notebook out of his bag. In this universe he never had to worry about his belongings getting taken away, his bubble too big for any bully to dare walking up to him, he was too unnerving for no reason, his existence in their periphery already sending shivers down their throats.

He opened the book to his new entry, 'The change of Hero Society'. A little dramatic, but for Izuku everything about heroes represented a far away world, every little change seemed like a myth.

With nimble fingers he took notes in bullet point form, trying to put everything from that one lost post before he could even dare to forget it. The possibility of the boogeyman returning, the strengthening of the yakuza and if there was any power struggle wrangling underneath society. Any of these possibilities had some kind of potential to unleash havoc upon them, in multiple ways and forms. But even if he put down every reason the current events could be connected to any of these reasons, he felt like missing something. Something was pulling him, whispering to him, wrong, wrong, wrong. So even if everything made sense, nothing clicked for him. He felt almost like pulling on loose, interconnected strings, like trying to grasp into delusive shadows.

He almost missed the start of the lesson, but even if he didn't pay attention, the teacher would not warn him. They barely managed to talk to him, so keen on ignoring him. He had in fact to teach himself the subjects, his questions receiving no answers from the teacher. At least they didn't grade him unfairly, and he supposed they were too afraid of repercussions if he failed due to their incompetence. And studying the subjects on his own turned out to be pretty fun, as long as he had time to look into everything as much as he liked.

Still, he tried to pay attention to class, to show some respect to his elders, and to know what the next topic could be. At least he looked like listening. Yet, his thoughts were still trying to dig into the dark, into this feeling of wrongness he has been getting lately.

Before he knew it, the day was over, without anyone even calling his name, even batting an eye at him. And he packed his bag, his notebooks heavy in them, filled with wrong knowledge and yet.

His way home turned out to be unspectacular, even if he felt like his feet floated over the ground. The whispers urged him forward, run, run, run. And for some reason he resisted. There was no reason for him to run, was there? His home would be where it had been that morning, it wouldn't move. His mother worked, maybe at home, didn't she? Yes, today was her usual home office day. So everything should be in order.

Still, for some reason he couldn't help but hurry, the usual weight on his ankles gone for this one moment, the shadows trying to push him, and yet.

And yet it wasn't enough. It never would have been enough.

He stopped in front of the door. Standing ajar, jarring him to the darkness of his bones. His mother would never allow the door to stay open, there was no reason for that but to invite unwanted shadows and guests in.

His breath got caught in the depth of his lungs, choking him for a moment. There was something wrong, wrong, wrong, and he should have been faster, run, run, run.

Hesitancy made his fingers tremble pushing the door open. But he didn't dare to look into his home yet. There was no reason not to, everything was fine, wasn't it?

Yes, everything was going the way it was supposed to, but that didn't necessarily mean it was fine. Eventually, everything would be fine, but everything needed to lead there first.

He finally stepped into the space he once occupied with his mother. Or at least that was what it was supposed to be. His recognition of the simplest thing failed and he didn't dare take another step.

The blue vase, mother's favorite, had shattered, its corpse laying in dust on every corner of the place.

For some reason he grabbed his phone, dialing the police. He didn't understand why either. He just pressed the phone to his ears, letting it ring and echo in his head. The moment the line clicked and someone asked him about what happened, he started babbling.

"My… my mother's vase, it broke. I- I don't know how…", his voice creaked and a gasp fled his lips, allowing for the sobs to lodge free.

The person on the other side didn't belittle him, rather they calmly asked for his address, staying on the line with him until someone arrived. And even then, they talked with him, trying to distract him from the state of the place, from the state of his mind. They only bid goodbye to him once they were sure he wasn't alone anymore.

A hand had been put onto his shoulder, bringing his attention to the crouching police officer in front of him.

"Hey buddy. I'm sorry that this happened to you. Do you mind coming to the police station to explain everything to you?", he asked with a soft voice, almost like talking to a frightened animal.

And maybe he was, his whole body felt jittery, almost like it wanted him to bolt immediately. But the heaviness had returned, grounding him somewhat. So he nodded, taking the offered hand to stand up and follow him to the car.

He didn't speak, didn't dare to even think about what could have happened. He just stayed silent, counting every blue car on the way to the station.

Arriving at the station meant to sit and wait. To sit with something to drink between his too cold fingers, and to wait for the adults to finally talk to him, to explain the situation properly for him. Because for Izuku, it didn't feel real, not until someone saw the same thing and mentioned him. He was refusing to accept the possibilities until someone confirmed it with him. But what kind of adult would tell a child, barely a teenager, the harsh truth? No officer wanted to lay it down on him, but he deserved the truth, as much as it was going to hurt him.

A police officer with black hair and simple features, no mutations, his mind supplied, crouched in front of him.

"Hello Midoriya, my name is Tsukauchi Naomasa, I will be the lead detective in this case. And you might be wondering what case I'm talking about, well…", he took a deep breath, "you mother seems to have been kidnapped and we don't know the reasons or who the perpetrator could be. And while we investigate you would have to be put into witness protection…"

He talked more, but Izuku couldn't listen to him anymore, couldn't process anything he said. His dear mother, gone? And someone ruthlessly took her? He couldn't even protect his own mother, he was a weakling, a Deku. A whimper escaped him and the tears already stained his sleeves once again. He won't ever be enough, couldn't even save his own mother.

He felt the arms of the officer around his twitching shoulders, letting him cry his pain out, leaving an aching hole in his lungs. He already missed her so much, his bones creaking her name.

After he was empty, Tsukaushi-san repeated the latter part, the part he missed while drowning. They were going to put him into witness protection, he was going to live with a hero. The thought should have been exciting, he was going to live with a real hero! He could learn so many things from them. And yet it wasn't enough. Maybe heroes would never be enough if his mother wasn't by his side.

In the end he didn't have any choice but to agree with whatever they were planning with him. A police officer would once again return with him to the apartment, it wasn't his home anymore, no, to collect some of his stuff, if unscathed. That was how he had to return once again, driven by a police officer, and he could have been the same one, but he didn't remember and he didn't care.

In front of the steps, he hesitated for a small moment, not wanting to crush the shards of the vase any further. To avoid breaking them, he calculated his steps, only looking at his feet until he stopped in front of the door of his room. What used to be his room. He peeked inside, nothing out of order. A stark contrast to the living room. No broken vases, no shards. Almost like a limbo, unchanging, stuck in time.

He was scared everything would rupture once he stepped inside, but he had no other choice. His feet slowly dragged him into the room, the air stale, he forgot to open a window before leaving. He didn't open one now either. Just grabbed the first bag he found and filled it with anything. Some things were not necessary but some things? To some things he had emotional attachments. And in this situation he needed those more than anything.

After ensuring that he had packed truly everything, especially his identifying papers and cards, he joined the officer outside. Even if the police would take those for safekeeping, he would rather have them on his person, at least until they hand him his new, shiny identity.

Once again he climbed into the police car. He began to grow weary of traveling with the car. At least the officer wasn't driving him back to the station, but rather to the first available hero. He wondered if he was going to get passed around in shifts, or if he was staying at one place with the same hero. Either way, he was stuck. They were taking his freedom away and it was for his safety. Because he couldn't do it himself, he was too useless, too weak, too weird.

Before he knew it, they had arrived. Hopefully for the last time he climbed out of the car. In front of him was a big building, resembling a luxurious hotel of some sort. Everything was clean, shiny and bright, and apparently safe. There was even someone to greet them at the entrance.

They didn't enter yet, they weren't allowed to do so, the hero had to pick Izuku up. So he waited while the officer made whatever call needed to get rid of him at last. He understood that sentiment, that was how everyone treated him, everyone but his mother. But that was over. He had to get accustomed to never having that sort of comfort ever again. Even from the people supposed to give him safety and comfort.

They both were lucky. The hero didn't take long to come down, looked like he had been in his home at that moment. And even if Izuku's feelings towards heroes were slightly numbed, he couldn't help himself but get a little excited. Because even if his hair wasn't in that complicated hairdo, he recognized the haircolor and of course the glasses.

Out of any choices, he couldn't believe he hit the jackpot. Present Mic was one of the few heroes to vocally support quirkless and mutated people, despite the discrimination many of them face, even by heroes (most of them didn't comment on such topics, too afraid of any backlash).

He hoped with the depth of his soul that Present Mic wouldn't be put off by him, he didn't know if he could handle such a rejection. So he immediately bowed.

"Good morning, my name is Midoriya Izuku, thank you for having me!", he exclaimed, nervousness and excitement tinting his voice.

"Hello, Midoriya-kun! It's nice to meet you.", Present Mic smiled and bowed slightly, before turning to the officer to discuss some details.

He saw how a package had been exchanged and he was aware what the contents could be. His temporary papers, his new identity. They were going to put some costume on him, acting like it was so easy to get rid of his life, as if the last years were nothing but an act, which could be changed at all times.

He grabbed his green locks, picking on them and letting their color shine in front of his eyes. Were they going to make him change it? Get rid of whatever feature of his mother etched into his very being? He hated that thought. Wasn't losing his mother already enough? Was dusting him of any remains necessary? He scratched his scalp, trying to remind himself that nothing is permanent, yes, once they found his mother everything would go back how it once used to be. He was not stuck with their shallow whims.

A hand on his shoulder brought him back to the person opposite of him, and he wished they would stop touching him like that. Still, he smiled at Present Mic, noticing the absence of the officer.

"Ah! You're back! Let's go inside, Imma explain how this place works.", he grinned and led him inside the building. He seemed so unaffected by him, a stark contrast to everyone else, it surprised him.

Inside he told the portier to allow him in, unless stated otherwise, before striding to the lifts. Izuku was struggling to keep up with his long steps, especially with the added heaviness to his own. But he listened nonetheless. The hero explained the concept of these apartments. The way the security worked and how their privacy was protected. No one could enter without permission and no names exist at the entrance, lest someone sneak a glance at them. He told him how he doubted anyone truly knew everyone living in this complex.

Finally arriving at his apartment, after making sure Izuku had memorized the way just fine, he showed him around. The kitchen, the soon to be shared bathroom, and the guest room, well his room now. Present Mic allowed him to 'go ham' with the decorations and the way he wanted the room to look like. At that moment it only had blue sheets, and bare walls. And he still was thankful for those.

He put his bag onto the bed and followed Yamada-san, the hero told him to use his name (and he tried to comply to his wishes, even if Izuku felt the need to continue calling the man by his hero one) into the living room, sitting on the edge of the couch, burying his feet into the dark underneath.

For some time there was nothing but silence, and then Yamada-san dropped the information, their plan for his safety. He handed him his new identification, his new name, explaining his transfer to a new school, close to his workplace, related to UA. That way they could be there at a moment's notice, as fast as the shadows at night.

He didn't mind the change, still harboring the hope of some friends, or at least classmates who talk to him. And if the school was close to UA, that meant he had the possibility to meet more heroes!

After the hero finished telling him his worktimes and giving him his number, with a new phone of course, he asked what his favorite food was and who his favorite heroes were.

The second question led to a tangent and an in-depth analysis of his top five heroes, which Present Mic belonged to. Said hero didn't seem to mind, rather enjoyed his talking and only interrupted him to ask questions, give him input or when his delivered food arrived.

Digging into the take-out he thought that maybe, maybe this wasn't as bad as he thought it could be. Nothing could replace his mother, of course, but he didn't have to suffer without her, some people still cared, somewhat.

And the same way his heart got a bit lighter, the shadows let go of him, solely dragging his soles, rather than ground his ankles.

[pumpkin-spike18]

✨Weekly Progress 2024 #22-23✨

#22 would've come out last week if I didn't forget my planner when I packed for traveling.

Weekly Progress #22

Updated tumblr tags

Thumbnailed, sketched, refined sketched, lined, and finished [fan project #2] illustration

Submitted forms for [fan projects]

Made work plans for P-M and SFB

Basic o2a2 outline

Fixed SYVNH bug

Generated sprite pieces for P-M and SFB

Fleshed out o2a2 outline

Weekly Progress #23

Coded P-M sprites

Updated itch page images

Made new BWBOK schedule

Copied P-M script into Renpy

Scripted P-M s1-s3

Answered BWBOK comments

Drafted [fan project] posts

Designed P-M GUI

Wrote 100+ words for SFB

A Sky of Falling Birds

As I mentioned before, SFB is my next big project, which I plan to submit for BAF VN Jam. That's... 7/1.

It's okay, I still got... 20 days.

There's a lot of work left to do and not much to show off at the moment.

Pre-Make

Or Pre 🕰 Make (P-M), I haven't completely decided on how to advertise the title yet. It's a "small" project that I came up with back in 2020 and still haven't finished. I thought I'd dedicate a few days' time to it and see how far I'd get. There's still a bit of work to do, but much of it is done.

The art's quite old and the story telling was the original test I did for SYVNH's looping mechanism so it won't be anything novel. The screenshot above is from this game. If he looks a little familiar, don't worry. That's not your imagination.

The Beauty Which Only Beast Knows

My other big focus for this month, we're hoping to finish it for Otome Jam... which also ends 7/1. I've a loose schedule for achieving that, but the team's health is the top priority so we're playing it by ear. It may take a little longer to finish up.

Other!

O2A2: Because I couldn't sit still!! I started planning for O2A2 2024! It'll be another entry into the kill series, but I hope to include some point and click elements to it. Last year I finished 9 VN projects, something I don't want to do again-- but!! I don't want to only finish one project this year!! I've been skipping and fomo-ing all the jams in the first half of the year. Well, no more! I'm going to get some work done this summer!!

Fan Projects: I don't think I need to keep my involvement in fan projects a secret anymore! I took part in the D. Gray Man 20th Anniversary Project, which we actually started work on late last year! I also took part in the Narumitsu Big Bang 2024 event, which... also started work late last year 🤔 Huh, I was really busy back then. Maybe that'll teach me to sign up for too many fan events... (😂 no ofc not!)

Misc: I finished some tedious updating work that I promised myself to do a while back. I'll admit I make my blog easiest for me to navigate, first and foremost. But if there's something that's bothering you, or have an idea to make navigation better, feel free to let me know through an ask! I also updated all of my itch io pages' images. They were originally linked from discord, which changed its policy and broke all direct image links. Thankfully, I had everything labeled in a private server so I could easily retrieve and reupload to update the pages. Yes, I should've done that long ago. And I'm sorry I just... didn't;;

[aelaer]

Hi! Hope you're doing well :)

3. What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics?

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

42. Have you ever received a comment that particularly stood out to you for whatever reason?

For the ask game! 💖 Hope you have/had a lovely day ✨

This took forever to get back to but I finally am! Thank you Kitty <3 I love these silly ask memes.

3. What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics?

Tropes: *goes to AO3* Lmao, "Hurt Stephen Change" is at the top. Which yes, is definitely characteristic. Other common tags are Canon-Typical Violence, Whump, and equally "Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence" as well as "Canon Compliant". I like exploring both realms with the MCU (in LOTR, it was largely canon compliant as I love the LOTR canon). While I love comedy, I write more angst than comedy likely because it's easier. Doing comedy well is particularly tricky.

For details: I love parenthetical asides and you'll see those very often. Some sort of visual details are seen in all my works, even if the reader's likely aware of what the character looks like. It's good practice in learning how to give interesting descriptions of both characters and settings. You get a lot of internal monologue in my fics, too. Limited third person in past tense is my primary writing style.

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

I'm very pleased with the alternate reality I've built with Earth-197320 (and I'm so pleased I'm finally posting the final fic in that series to tie everything together).

I also can't believe I managed to pull off the Kamar-Taj world-building in Wong, Target Sales Associate as well as I did.

42. Have you ever received a comment that particularly stood out to you for whatever reason?

I imagine that for many writers, it's easy to forget the good reviews and have the bad reviews that shine through the fog of memory. So while 99% of my reviews through my 20 years of writing have been good, some of the ones that stand out are the bad ones, including the ones that made me leave writing LOTR fanfic back in 2011 when my attempt at a "magnum opus" got some less-than-stellar feedback. I stopped posting and migrated completely to RP for the next 7 years.

The funniest of my negative reviews, though, came about 2 years ago. When I got back into fanfic in 2017, I still cross-posted to fanfiction.net, which included my first DS fic, a DS/LOTR crossover. One of the later reviews I received treated the fic as if it were a Good Reads book review and it was so odd that it still makes me snicker in disbelief. You can't reply publicly to reviews on ff.net so I didn't bother, but if I could I would've told them that this isn't Good Reads and that this is not how this works.

There are some good reviews that stand out over time, too, though. One of them was yours from about 2 years ago! You complimented me on my Carol and that still makes me beam since it shows that I can write characters I don't like so well that people don't notice. It's one of the best compliments a writer can receive, IMO.

Other reviews that stand out are people who tell me they're rereading a fic, a long review that clearly took some time and thought, or anything that catches a detail that I just don't know will be seen by others.

[breads-is-writing-some-shit]

Chapter 1 : Introducing Daniel "Bread" Lima

The new partner of the Dagger team.

Author's Note: Hi everyone, I hope you are doing wonderful right now. This warning is quick. I'm sorry for any spelling mistakes or mistakes about anything in this story. I am open to criticism and suggestions. I'm not new to writing but this is the first time I've written publicly for Tumblr, so I just hope you're kind and enjoy well-told stories. The story I created tries to fit in real details about the characters that I didn't create like the aviators, however, this ends up being my vision of them that will eventually change since the purpose of this story, which will be long, is to tell how the dagger squadron feels attracted to the newcomer who seems to be the mix of everything they particularly and intimately like and how this interest affects the group. I tried to write a mature and consistent story about varied spectrums of this relationship and I'm counting on you to read it and give your opinions with all due respect. That said, good reading.

Author's Note 2: I may be making a beginner's mistake and forgetting a lot of things, like tags, but I can't help but mention @fangirlvibez (you are amazing) who hasn't even read the story and is already waiting for updates, I'll try to be assiduous at least once a week.

It was already well past sunset and what Daniel needed after the trip was something to drink. It was hot that night, and it was the best idea to get to know the neighborhood, or rather the city. His previous boss assigned him to complete this team as a member and they appeared to have been working for just over a year after an “impossible mission”. He had little information about the mission, which despite being difficult, was a great success if not counting After the setbacks, Captain Maverick was teaching the airmen and this was a good opportunity for Daniel. He called his only contact on site, and how lucky he was. In the contact list, Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell called him without much ceremony , after all, the next day he would be presenting himself as his assistant and student. Daniel, despite having a certain reputation as an aviator, having three confirmed kills, could not boast as they were all confidential missions and he only knew that Maverick publicly shot down five in addition to having He had been an aircraft test pilot. He obviously had a lot of questions. But when Maverick took him out on the other side in such a friendly manner, he preferred that those not be his first impressions of the aviator who would probably be his wingman until the end of that year.

"Yes, I arrived this afternoon, I already unpacked everything in record time, and of course I'm anxious but really, I just needed to relax. Do you know any place, a bar or spot to enjoy before the hard work tomorrow?" Daniel subtly faked a laugh to show that he needed it, that it was half true. He was interested in the drinks, but the captain's company would be a great aggravating factor, he could find out about all pending matters since the captain seemed to be quite reckless even with so many exploits under his belt.

"I have the perfect place in mind but you'll have to get there alone, consider it a reconnaissance mission. No need to report back to me at the end, I'll go as soon as I can to see someone there too, Penny. She can help you if If you're nervous. She's an incredible, beautiful woman and we're convincing ourselves that our relationship is going great. But you don't need to tell her about me. If something happens or you get nervous, count on her. But here's some advice: Be yourself and everything will be fine." His deep laugh was more than enough to determine that he would probably let you deal with that situation alone after it arrived.

Daniel dressed very casually, trying to look like a civilian tourist. Tight pants, simple but shiny shoes and a long-sleeved, high-neck t-shirt. Combed hair and thick glasses. Besides a perfume, you never know when he might win over someone decent tonight.

Maverick was direct when he sent a message on his cell phone indicating the location of the Hard Deck, where civilians and airmen played at tables, drank and listened to great sounds at the same time. It was perfect just stopping at that. But the message indicated that the Dagger squad would be there. Excellent.

After 20 minutes you paid for the Uber ride and said goodbye to the driver, showing her the five stars. She wished her a good night and good luck, which Daniel responded with a chuckle before turning towards the bar.

The Hard Deck was brawnily charming even from the outside. Music was playing loudly, before the beach, and it was hard to miss. you could feel the fun energy the place had from afar, Daniel was in love with the place. A few more steps and the new mission began. Identify the entire squad until Maverick arrives. And there Daniel was almost about to enter when the door opens and there are two airmen, in that unmistakable and tight khaki uniform, carrying a complaining man and throwing him against the sand. One of them was tall with dark skin, very presentable with a friendly and intense face at the same time and the other was a shorter blonde, with a classy pose and an impeccable smile rolling a toothpick between his lips. They said something about not having paid for the drinks and were going back when they saw and greeted Daniel in a cordial, polite way, but it was possible to feel that there was a “snack” in the way they took their steps back to the bar. Before the door closed, Daniel saw them both look back with familiar laughter and the blonde patted the brunette's chest with an air that said “Today we're going to get along”. They smile when they notice Daniel entering right behind, but different from what they expected or not, Daniel goes straight to the counter hoping to find a familiar face.

Daniel greets the woman at the bar, beautiful and starts scanning the bar, already noticing a small variety and when he was putting his cell phone on the counter his gaze quickly passes by the woman at the bar watching you, the bar attendant has a smile shaking her head and Looking into Daniel's eyes, she points to a sign next to her and Then to the bell above her. on the sign “Anyone who disrespects a lady or the Navy…”

You thank her for the warning and smile at her.

"Yeah, I don't want to play the 'I'm new in town' card yet, so I'll just thank you for the warning and order a whiskey and then something stronger to lift my thoughts after all the alcohol. I'm waiting for a colleague who will introduce me everything. I can stay here and watch the movement if it doesn't bother you, I want to meet them." You say pointing to a pool table full of aviators around a game.

"If you like, my partner will arrive soon. And he can even help you with that, he's their instructor."

"No kidding, you're Penny. Wow, you're even more beautiful than I imagined. Captain Maverick can't find any more adjectives to fill you with quality. He's crazy about you and now I understand why. I'm the rookie who came to join a mission. I need more experience with this team and the legendary Maverick." You finish and the woman thanks you for the cheap exposure, giving you space to start studying her before Maverick makes his entrance. Penny engages in the conversation like a good listener, until she is satisfied with confirming what she heard from Maverick.

"Newbie?! He seems pretty humble from what Pete told me. You did well at the gym and are here recommended by your superiors to participate in their new plan. I'd say I'm pretty curious about what else you know how to do up there and here. Until then, all I heard were rumors but you confirmed everything, except for some that you seem to insist on humility. Better be prepared for them, they've heard too much from Maverick about you. Like you're super good in bed according to your colleagues on the old team. Words from Maverick.”

“Oh my God, he didn’t spread it. Obviously it's an invention. I'm not so-” Daniel was in the middle of his defense (or burial) when she points to the pool table surrounded by more of those aviators after a taller one in a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses and a small, neatly trimmed mustache walks in. in the mess. Penny completes the vision with her comment: “It's not me who needs to make these lame excuses, it's them who are curious about the captain's mysterious assistant who is as good at shooting down jets as he is in bed. Let me try to help you by talking about them. ”

“Okay Penny, it starts with who’s leading that game.” Penny hears his plea and follows his gaze to the table. The boastful and arrogant blonde has a cue sliding across the pool table, calculating the best angles for his shot when he looks away for a moment just to give a sighing smile of triumph, and soon Daniel notices the clear gaze on him, as if I knew I was watching his skill in that game and then he turned his gaze to the table, taking a firm shot, hitting the ball in a corner, disappearing with two and extending his hand in the air to celebrate hitting the brunette that Daniel saw earlier. They seemed too friendly between them. Daniel took the opportunity to look at the second one there, the dark-skinned one.

He was carrying three beers, he replaced one for the dominant one on the table and took a sip looking at Daniel, giving a smile then even offering a quick wink and turned his gaze to the table already raising the drink to a couple who were watching the game, the The shorter one was discussing the game with another in a restrained way. This first one had his hair cut very short and his young features gave him a boyish look if he matched the guy behind him, dark-skinned and tall with a thin mustache who offered another drink to a woman with her hair tied tightly in a bun that looked like Entertained in the game as well as the duo that commented next to her, she was in front of another of them, a blonde with thin glasses who seemed very interested and shy in a way. To finish the quick trip through the bar, there was that other tall guy with a peculiar mustache, an open flowered t-shirt and aviator glasses that differed from everyone who was wearing a khaki uniform, he and two others further away, one being tall and frowning and the other a little taller. short with a nicer face and a woman and a young Asian man far away drinking. It wasn't so easy to distinguish everyone, but when Penny approached the counter to refill her glass, you ordered a beer and asked her to bring a round to the group.

"It's those over there, the Dagger squadron that I'm going to start working with tomorrow. It looks like an interesting team. I didn't have photos of them as I wanted to meet them all in person, and I also only had a basic description of each and an aviator resume. Would you like to help me putting names to faces? I would really appreciate it. Maverick will be arriving soon and I want to surprise him a little, since I'll be working alongside him."

Penny smiled and lifted her flannel to begin sorting out her requested beers. And she returned to their table with plenty of beers and when the guy in the Hawaiian shirt saw the drinks he seemed to question when she received a slight nod pointing towards you at the counter. He took the

drink and lifted it towards him, taking a sip, lowering his glasses in a sensual way, seeing his eyes behind his glasses, slightly sliding down his nose as he drank the beer. The bottles were taken to the pool table, where there was a group with a beautiful girl with well-tied hair, a couple with a short guy and a dark-skinned guy, there was more of a dark-skinned guy and a blonde guy who was a little shorter, very impeccable, as well as a furthest group with a woman and three other men. She moved to the corner, lifting a bottle of water and a glass of peanuts, they were for the blonde with glasses who caught her attention due to his shyness, he had already met Daniel's gaze several times but he always withdrew his curiosity and returned for half a second, following a teenage smile, it was charming.

Penny walked a little further away with the last few beers, taking one to a man in uniform with a serious face who was literally in the dark corner looking at some papers and as soon as he received the drink he immediately tried to lift the drink and greet you from there with a smile too, charming and serious, he started to get up but went deeper and disappeared into the crowd, in the direction of the bathrooms. Penny came back quickly from her round and placed the tray on the table as if it was all a chore and she hadn't gotten the hang of it.

"Let the introductions begin. Where should I begin?" Penny makes a curious smile before starting to scan the bar staff until a smile escapes. “Okay, since you made an impression on those there, I’ll start with them, so you can fit in faster.”

Penny signals to the tall blonde leaning against the table.

“Hangman, confident in his abilities both in heaven and on earth. He loves to tease, but he's not exactly a terrible person, and he's very honest about everything. Fun and flirtatious. He's even been charming us here since you arrived. Even so, be careful. His little friend is Coyote, he looks serious but is fun, friendly and lighthearted. He's always providing the group with his company and has great conversations if you get tired of some arrogant airman. He doesn't have many problems getting along with anyone, but he takes it easy.

There by their side are Payback, the tallest and shortest Fanboy, a pilot and his WSO, will love them both. They have a great sense of humor and are sharp as a team. The other pair, Phoenix and Bob, the girl is very strong and confident as she should be and it is extremely easy to talk to her, but be careful because she is not an ordinary woman, and your WSO from Lemoore, of all people can being the easiest to become close to because he is extremely charismatic despite appearing to be shy at first, but he is skilled in several areas and fast, in addition to being cute.

The one who arrived the most late and is even getting ready to go to the piano is Rooster, everyone loves him and everyone falls in love with him. It has a unique style but Maverick said it's all inherited from his father, Goose, who Pete flew with before the accident. Long story, but this guy is patient, very friendly and has other good aspects that only those who know him personally can list.

Right there you have Halo and Omaha, WSO and pilot who have been as a team since they arrived with Yale and Harvard also a pilot duo and WSO, Omaha and Harvard are sometimes walking together and could even form a duo if asked because they seem close there and their relationship is very similar to Phoenix and BOB. The last smiling driver is Fritz, it's difficult to say much about these last five because I didn't get to talk to them for a long time.

And there's his Vice Admiral Cyclone, serious and practical. He is soft spoken but knows how to be strict. Don't be too impulsive, he seems to be old school and competes with others there like Maverick, but apart from his professional appearance, he is a sweet person. I should talk to him a lot, he doesn't have much contact with the aviators but he is always watched from afar, like now.”

Daniel snorts at the amount of information.

“You'll get used to it, they're all incredible and they're great, you'll learn a lot from them and I'm sure you'll teach them more too. There will be time for that. Right Pete?” Penny comes down from the counter with Daniel to hug Pete, leaving Daniel with the drink. Pete extends his hand to greet Daniel before issuing the challenge.

“And how are the presentations going, have you spoken to any of them, or would you prefer to leave it for tomorrow?”

"I don't know Captain, I feel like I should do something but it seems like I'm at a fair with so many looks, if I may say so, their curiosity seems to exceed the professional limit. We have almost the same rank and you are a legend to me, But everything becomes difficult to take when I have the information that you've been spreading these 'stories' about me. That's not exactly true, if I may."

“Now Daniel, you don’t need to be anxious about this, I don’t doubt that you’re great in bed. It's not me who is curious to test this idea. I just received information and passed on as much as I could about you to them. I have not excluded any detail of what I heard about you. It's okay, we are human, men and we have needs, you don't need to worry about me, if that's your issue. Go there."

Daniel grabs one last beer before dragging himself off the counter, still nervous. From where he starts to approach, he already notices Hangman showing an incredible pearly smile that even brings a smile, when you pass by him, Hangman lowers his head as if in disbelief but you send him one last smile that catches his attention and you position yourself in the center . Close to Payback and Phoenix.

“You two are the least thirsty of this group.” Daniel points to the other side of the pool.

Phoenix soon says “We kind of made a bet. And everyone here had a different guess."

“And what bet was that? It seems like I’ve been well targeted now.” Daniel drinks his beer while Payback laughs.

"We wanted to see who would get your attention because they all seem to be a little interested. Which is a problem since there's only one of you."

“I still believe Hangman would take it.” Coyote stood up. “but even I was thinking I could try too."

Payback continued “I wanted to bet on you, but I have to put faith in my Fanboy” He said hitting the side of his WSO who looked down and laughed while laughing to the side. "I think Bob's charm would win this one. It was a certainty.” Bob takes a blushing look at everyone within seconds before crossing and locking eyes with Daniel.

“I-I wouldn’t be so lucky, I hate to admit it but I’m between Hangman and Rooster.”

Rooster protested from the piano: "Don't be intimidated like that Bob, you're a bad guy and we all know your skills inside and outside the fighter. Relax a little too, I confess that I would also join the game but despite everything, it's It's a matter of good taste. It might even be that our friends didn't even look at us like that but in other directions, we're not the only hot aviators in the bar."

"But let's cut this nonsense, since it's here and without judgment based on our bets, who would you take to bed tonight." Hangman sat back with open arms looking around.

“You guys are strangely confident and united, it didn't even occur to you that I just wanted to chat or play with you… But okay. I wanted to just be nice and introduce myself but I'm afraid I've been cornered with a good question." Daniel's gaze still travels around everyone before focusing on Pete and Penny who were laughing at hearing everything nearby, when his gaze met with that of the Admiral.

"Captain-Lieutenant Daniel Lima” Said the Vice Admiral, interjecting into the conversation, subtly silencing the group that widened their eyes. “Thank you for the courtesy earlier, there's no need to salute but I would like to give a proper welcome to Pete's new assistant instructor and show my availability for all your questions, as you were so friendly when you first approached. Thank you again and I am flattered and curious about your joining the squad. Welcome back Bread!”

Everyone watching silently looked at each other while Daniel sighed, slightly nervous due to the pressure he suddenly thought of in that small space. Everyone is feeling mixed emotions when Maverick approaches and raises a toast with the beer.

“A toast to the new company and the new challenges, welcome to Captain Lieutenant Daniel “Bread” Lima, cheers!” and he drank nervously like everyone else.

That's all for this chapter, I'll see you soon, maybe next week ...

So, if have any questions or requests, don't miss the chance. Love you, bye!

[genshin-obsessed]

Hello! :)) I hope this ask finds you well.

Could I please have Tsukishima, Kuroo and Kenma react to their s/o having an extreme stomach ache? I'm having one right now and it's the worst thing in the world D:<

Tysm for reading this, and have a lovely day. Don't forget to stay hydrated :))

I am so late but I hope that nasty stomach ache didn't last very long! When I got sick, I think I had a stomach bug so I was miserable the ENTIRE 2 weeks. Also, thank you very much! I hope you have a wonderful day too <3 Warnings: As mentioned in the request, this is a stomach ache fic so it mentions vomiting. I think that's usually something others tag as a warning? idk

He takes care of you when you're sick

Tetsuro Kuroo

“What’s wrong?” Tetsuro asked as he walked to you with a frown. You were currently curled up in bed with the worst stomach ache in your life. You felt as if you were going to die!

“My stomach hurts.” You frowned, tears pricking your eyes at the thought of your rather crappy situation.

“Have you taken medicine?” You shook your head at his words as he walked towards you.

“I haven’t eaten.” Tetsuro always made sure you ate before taking medicine (unless it’s one you take on an empty stomach), but right now you couldn’t stomach anything.

“Do you want to try any soup? It’ll go down easy.” He said, giving your forehead a small kiss. Though you didn’t really have an appetite, you decided to try something anyway. If the medicine made you feel better, you’d try and eat a full course meal. You went to the kitchen with Kuroo, which you soon learned was a bad idea as the smell of food made you sick. Within a few minutes, Kuroo was back with some ice and your chicken noodle soup. The ice tended to help with the vomiting- which was odd but it was just comforting to lick.

You did your best to at least get half of the soup out of the way before Kuroo gave you some medicine. After that, he got right into bed with you and played your favorite movie. And if you were hungry again, he didn’t mind getting up and making you some more food.

Kei Tsukishima

“Uhh what’s wrong with you?” Tsukki asked as he entered your shared room. You frowned at him before gagging a little.

“Stomach ache.” You said quickly as you sat up, wondering if you’d be rushing to the bathroom in a minute or so. Normally, Tsukki would make some sort of sarcastic remark but just from the look on your face, he knew it was bad. The blond walked to you and crouched in front of you, making sure to give you room as he took your hands.

“Have you eaten anything today?” You shook your head, looking at him with a frown. You hated stomach aches with a passion and you were dealing with the worst one in history probably! “If I make you some soup, will you at least try it? Little sips at a time so you can take some medicine.” You did gag at the word soup, but you nodded regardless. Your stomach ache was probably getting worse because you didn’t eat anything, so you were willing to at least try. “Ok, good. I’ll go get some cold water and then I’ll make you some soup.” Tsukki kissed your forehead as he stood up before he left the room.

Not long after, he had your soup prepared and he even fed some to you. Normally, Tsukki was great at being the jerk, but he was genuinely worried about you. So today, he was uncharacteristically sweet. You didn’t complain though.

After managing to drink a little more than half of the soup, Tsukki gave you some medicine and put on your favorite show. He sat right beside you, holding your head and giving you kisses every now and then. Eventually, you fell asleep on his shoulder and he tucked you in. Though, he didn’t go anywhere. He just laid down beside you and watched another show until he fell asleep too.

Kenma Kozume

Oh man, he didn’t know what to do! You were in the bathroom- and had been there for almost an hour now- throwing up. Kenma felt awful and quickly decided to research some stuff. After gathering sufficient information, he let you know that he was going to go to the store extremely quickly. He hated the idea of leaving you alone now but it wasn’t that far. In fact, Kenma was back in less than 15 minutes. The first thing he did was check on you and you were exactly where he left you.

He gave you some nausea medicine when you mentioned you hadn’t thrown up in twenty minutes but just needed to sit in the bathroom. After that, he went to the kitchen and immediately made you some chicken noodle soup- following the world’s easiest recipe. When that was done, he returned to your shared bedroom and placed down the bowl before walking to the bathroom.

“Hey, feeling any better?”

“A little,” you muttered as you stood up. He led you to the bed where he offered you the soup. You managed to drink half of it, which was great. Leaving the rest right on the table for when you’d eventually get hungry- as well as a glass of ice water- he decided to play some video games to get your mind off of it. Eventually, you ended up falling asleep and he carefully tucked you in before laying down beside you. He decided to put on your favorite show, which he watched until he fell asleep, himself.

[sunnysunoo]

Love Letters ; Sim Jake

Pairing: Jake X Reader

warnings: explicit language and cursing

word count: 3k words

genre: friends to lovers au! fluff with tiny pieces of crack lmao

Jake was always known for being this perfect guy in school. I mean, they're not wrong. They always described him as if he's this walking piece of art in the hallways. People would stop to just stare at him. You'd stare at him all day too, but you set priorities first: writing him love letters.

You're no Lara Jean, but I guess you can say that she's what inspired you to write Jake letters. Who needs Peter Kavinsky when Jake Shim exists anyways?

note: Not me completely disappearing off of tumblr for like months and then showing up again suddenly lol. I got really busy the past few months since I was completing requirements for school, and I really didn't have the motivation to do anything at the time so I took so time off to take care of myself first so I hope you understand :) But now since it's summer break, I am given at least 2 more months until I go back to school in August :)) Here's the long-awaited Jake imagine that I completely forgot about lmao hope you enjoy <3

P.S I finished writing this at 1:26 am so please excuse the really shitty plot and grammar ill rewrite it once i wake up

tag list: @cha-raena ( sorry for the rlly late post bestie )

Dear Jake, First of all, I will never call you Jaeyun because calling you by your English name makes me feel like I'm your friend. Calling you by your Korean name makes us feel like we're cold strangers to one another and I don't want that. I want us to be something more than that, but it's hard when you don't even know who I am. I'm surprised how you don't grow tired of me just dropping letters right into your locker every time you open it, and that's one of the things I love about you. You don't just throw away people's efforts and you treasure them with care. It makes my heart beat so fast as if I ran miles away from here.

We're already one year left until we graduate high school, and I don't want to end my high school years without you realizing my feelings for you. I know for sure that you would never reciprocate the feelings that I have towards you, so I want to treat this as closure in case we do forget about each other in the future. Yours truly,

Moon

__

"How is this person not over you? That's like the tenth one this month," Jay said, looking over Jake as he reads the letter from his secret admirer. Jake has always been receiving these letters from the same person everyday for the past four months. He's thankful for the letters because they definitely make his day better, knowing that there's someone out there who loves him as who he is regardless of looks. He's not gonna lie that these little notes and letters make his heart race too. "Do you have any plans with finding the person behind the letters?" Jay asked as he watches his best friend trying to hide the small smile that's been growing. No one really knows who this mysterious person is and why they decided to name themselves the moon, but we don't judge anyone in here. If they want to be the moon in their next life, then so be it. "I really want to find the person who's making these letters," Jake shoved the letter in his backpack, trying to not wrinkle it. "But I don't know where to start." "Who's finding who?" A voice popped suddenly beside the presence of the two boys. You leaned beside the locker beside Jake's, watching him as he grabs his books from his locker. "Did Moon drop your daily letter today again?" "They did as usual," Jake wasn't even surprised. He would expect the letters every time he enters the school in the morning. He would open his locker to see the usual small letter placed inside his locker. He usually arrives at seven or earlier, but he's surprised that he could never even catch a glance of this anonymous sender around the campus. "Should I go to school at five in the morning?" "Five in the morning? Isn't that a bit too early?" You questioned, followed by a shaky breath. "The school doesn't even open until six." "I could just walk to that nearby convenience store I always pass by to grab a coffee." He argues, closing his locker shut before walking towards his classroom.

You and Jay followed beside him, and you sneered under your breath, "You don't even wake up to your alarm clock."

"Why don't you even want me to go early anyway?" He glances as you try to give him an answer. But before you could say something, Jay replies first.

"You’re probably hiding something." He said. You rolled your eyes and narrowed your eyes at him. "You are so weird." You grunted, before walking ahead of them. You feel panicked because you were scared that you made yourself obvious to them.

__

You were inside your classroom sitting on your desk. There were only fifteen minutes left before lunch, but you had eaten your packed meal before instead of going to your school cafeteria. You were fidgeting in your place, conflicted about Jake finding his secret admirer, not knowing that it was you who's been sending him letters the past few months. You're not scared of him finding out that the letters were from you; that was the entire reason why you wrote him letters in the first place. You're scared of how he was gonna confront you about it. Would he like you back? Would he hate you? Would he avoid you?

Your mind was full of scenarios but you were suddenly brought back to reality when a hand planted itself on your desk. You look up and saw Jay standing in front of you, eating sushi with his other hand. His face kinda looks like he knows something, and it's freaking you out a bit.

"What?" You asked, suddenly flustered over how his eyes stared right into you. He took the seat in front of your desk and flipped it so it was facing you. He sat down and blurted the phrase that you were dreading to hear from anyone.

"So, you like Jake?"

You suddenly feel like punching him in the face with his sushi.

"What??" Your body felt like, and you were left a nervous mess. Your heart like it was going to pump right out of your chest any minute, and your hands started to sweat.

Jay's mouth formed into a smirk. He caught you. "Jake may be a bit oblivious, but I can totally see right through you."

“Haha...no you don’t,” You tried to deny, but it was all useless when his expression looked unconvinced.

“Oh yeah? Then why are you all red? You look like a bursting tomato.”

“You don’t know that," You leaned further into your seat, playing with the strings of your hoodie.

“C’mon Y/N, you’re not even trying. Just give up and admit it,” Jay was trying to help you confess your feelings for Jake. Frankly, he knew it was you sending him letters this whole time—how can Jake not see it?

With a heavy sigh, you slumped and laid your head on your desk, embarrassed. “Fine. I like him, okay? Are you happy now?”

The smirk on his face grew wider, feeling proud of himself. You are not dealing with his annoying crap this early in the morning. He grinned and munched on his half-eaten sushi. “I knew it.”

“Congratulations,” It was muffled because you hid your red face away from him. All that was on your mind now was how you could book yourself a flight all the way across the world.

“But seriously, since when did you have a crush on him?” You raised your head to face him, giving him a look that could kill, except Jay finds it entertaining rather than intimidating.

“I started having a crush on him when we were in fifth grade. It was at a friend's birthday party, and he saw me being all quiet and lonely. Honestly, I forgot who’s birthday that was.” You told him the very first time you had discovered feelings.

“He saw how sad I looked so he accompanied me the whole time. He was even trying to feel more included in the games and stuff.” You felt a smile ghosting on your lips as you can still vividly remember how you felt your heart tug the first time. “It was kinda like I fell in love at first sight.”

Jay faked a gag, so you lightly punched him in the shoulder. He may be a bit of an asshole, but he’s one the most caring and kind people you’ve ever met. It honestly felt good spilling out your feelings about Jake to him.

Speaking of, Jake was watching you two play around and laugh at Jay's little jokes from outside, and he felt something burning from inside him. Was it that he felt jealous of you and Jay?

No, he can’t be...right?

Maybe it was because of how he felt separated from you and Jay because of him being a separate class.

Yeah, maybe it's because of that.

__

Dear Jake,

I just had the most bizarre day today, and I felt like telling you about it.

It was chemistry period, and we had to be partnered with someone for a lab project. I ended up getting paired with Yeojin. We kinda created this unexpected friendship, which I love. We would crack jokes at each other, tell funny stories, it was so fun to be with her that we had completely forgotten about our project. So now, we both got a detention slip for making an accidental explosion.

How about you? How was your day? I hope it was just as fun as mine. If you feel like the day just wasn't as happy or you're feeling down, just now that it's okay to feel that way because days like these just lasts for 24 hours. It will be all over before you know it and you'll be greeted by another day. Maybe it will be different, and you would be all happy again just like how my day went. Maybe being with you would be my happiest day yet, and I couldn't wait for that day to come. See you soon :)

Love,

Moon

__

"Yeojin!" Jake called, seeing her walk down the opposite way. "Hey, mind if I ask you something?"

"Hey Jake," She greeted him with a smile. "Sure, go ahead."

"Could you perhaps give me any information about your partner in Chemistry?" He had hopes of getting any kind of description about his mysterious sender, but he was instead given a sad frown on Yeojin's face.

"Sorry Jake, but that person told me not to tell you about their information." She gave an apologetic smile. "I wish you all the best in finding them!"

Jake muttered a small "okay," and sighed before walking away, feeling defeated.

Yeojin knew that he was gonna ask about Moon the moment he called her from across the hall. She couldn't wait to tell you about this.

__

"Hey Y/N," A voice said from behind. You turned around to see Jake with his backup hung on his shoulder. He brought his hand up and raked his hair, and you felt your face grow red. Jake is like a gift from the gods. How can someone look so ethereal even if they're just standing there? You could stare at him all day. You couldn't even understand a thing he said until he started waving his hands in front of you.

"Hello?" You blinked multiple times as you were brought back out to reality. You saw Jake's face grow into concern. "Are you okay? spaced out."

"O-oh..No, I'm completely fine." You reassured him, feeling embarrassed. "What were you saying again?"

"I was asking you if you wanted to go to school with me early tomorrow."

Well, shit.

Your eyes started to go wide, and your hands started to go clammy.

"Tomorrow?" You repeated, voice trembling.

'Well, yeah." He pouted his lips, and you felt like melting into a small puddle in your place. Your heart started to pound heavily.

Oh my fucking god, he is so adorable.

"Okay, sure I can go with you tomorrow," You weakly smiled at him, slightly tense.

How we're you going to give him the letter now?

__

"Good Morning," Jake said as he watches you close the gates of your house. It was past five in the morning, and you were a mess.

"Morning," You replied back before running your fingers through your hair, getting rid of any flyaways.

As you started walking your way to the bus stop, Jake kept on glancing towards you from time to time. He knew you were pretty, but since when did you become really beautiful in his eyes?

The walk was pretty quiet, but it was a comfortable silence. For him, mostly.

Meanwhile, you couldn't stop freaking out. You had written a letter the night before, but you don't know how you were going to slip it into his locker without him taking notice. If he saw you, he would know.

"Are you sure you're okay? You've been like this since yesterday," Jake blurted. You looked at him before heaving a sigh.

"It's nothing," You mouthed, suddenly feeling anxious and gloomy.

"Something on your mind?"

"Something like that." It was hopeless. I guess he would have to miss this letter today. It was the first time you skipped a day, and you're feeling guilty that you would have to see Jake's face sadden that he wouldn't receive it today.

As you two stop at the bus stop, Jake looked slightly panicked as he was rummaging through the pockets of his blazer before looking through his bag. "Hey, do you have an extra pen? I left mine at home and I have a quiz today."

You snickered, "Out of all the days, Sim Jake. The same day you have a quiz is the same day you forget your pen."

"Very funny." He scoffed.

As you unzipped your bag to grab your pencil case, a folded piece of paper fell out without you realizing it. When Jake went to pick it up, he notices that it was folded the same way as the letters in his locker. It looked so identical.

Once you already got your pencil case out, you were about to hand it to him when you saw what he was holding that made your body freeze with your hand holding the case in the air.

"Why were one of my letters inside your bag?" He glanced at you, waiting for you to reply.

If you were freaking out before, this is a whole other thing. The thing that you were fearing the most is happening right before you.

"Maybe it fell into my bag yesterday..." You stammered, making up an excuse to look like it was an accident. You were tightly holding onto your pencil case, chanting many curse words in your head as you watch Jake unfold the letter.

"I don't think I've received this one yet," He said before he opened the letter and read it.

You watch as his expression formed into confusion as he reads through the paper. It only took a few moments before something in him clicked that it was you sending him the letters.

"Y/N," He began, and you started quivering in fear.

You should've known this would happen, but you didn't expect it to happen this sooner. In fact, you believed that this wouldn't happen at all. But it did.

"Let me explain," You eventually gave up and accepted fate and watch as your identity as "Moon" be revealed to your crush. You're now exposed so you didn't have any other choice but to explain everything. "Yes, I am Moon. I was the one writing you the letters that you've been getting in your locker."

Jake's face was unreadable. He looked bewildered and puzzled. He was trying to comprehend what was happening right now. All this time, it was you?

"I started crushing on you when we attended that birthday party before. I didn't want to confess my feelings for you because I was scared that you were going to harshly reject me, so I started writing down letters as a way to tell you how I feel about you without making you feel awkward around me." You continued, eyes suddenly taking an interest in your shoes. They were brand new too.

Jake was silent, and you felt your heart crack into pieces. You were mad at yourself for being so careless about it that he ended up finding out about you as his secret admirer. You wanted nothing else but to run back home, lock yourself in your room and cry with your sad playlist on loop.

You were expecting a harsh rejection coming from him, but what surprised was how he took dangerous steps towards you, minimizing the gap between you two. He placed his hand under your chin, forcing you to look up at him.

"I don't plan on rejecting you Y/N," You stare into his eyes as it reflects the sunlight of the early morning. "I'm actually happy that it was you."

You look at him, puzzled. He lowly chuckles under his breath before leaning over to place his lips against yours. It was a light, quick kiss, but it brought you feeling ecstatic. You've dreamed of this moment before, and now that it happened, you thanked your clumsiness.

As he pulled away, you were sure your face was a red mess.

"Thank you," His smile was as bright as the stars in the sky. It was the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. "Thank you for making me like I'm special to someone."

You felt flustered over his words. You were scared that he could hear the sound of your heart pounding loudly. The butterflies in your stomach were going wild, and you felt like this was all a dream.

"So, what am I to you now?" You broke into a smile as he grabs your hand, intertwining your fingers with his.

Jake acted as if he was thinking, "Hm..maybe my best friend still?"

He bursts into a fit of giggles as he sees your smile slowly disappear, replacing it with a look of disbelief. You removed your hand from his and walked at a faster pace away from him.

He ran to match your pace beside you before holding your hand again, "I'm sorry, I won't ever do that again. Is my girl mad at me?"

"Oh my god, it's only five-fifty, Jake." You too broke into laughter over his cheesiness, but your heart fluttered over the thought of Jake calling you his.

__

HERE’S A LITTLE BONUS! since I've made you guys wait for 4 months :(

"What the fuck?" Was the first thing You heard from Jay as you and Jake entered the classroom. All of your classmates were staring at your and his hands intertwined together.

Jay stood in front of you two, crossing his arms together. "Can one of you explain when this happened?" he motioned towards your linking hands. You and Jake smiled at each other before walking away, leaving Jay in a fit of joy, and confusion.

[monsoonblooms12]

Belamour (Ethan x f!MC)

Summary: Set after Book 3, Pooja finally gets Ethan to dance in the rain.

A/N: A silly something born out of my love for rains and my binge listening to 80s Bollywood classics (I have no idea what kinda mess this is tbh). Also, my first song based fic🤎

A/N 2: The song lyrics are indented (Translation in parenthesis)

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey X f!MC (Pooja Sharma)

Rating: General

Word Count: around 1.5K

Category: Total fluff

Warnings: None that I noticed

Song Inspiration: Aaj Kal Yaad Kuch by Mohammed Aziz

READ ON AO3

A pair of summery blue orbs insistently stare at the world beyond the glass windows.

A world that was now being washed by the consistent droplets that came down from the adobe of clouds to meet their origin.

Their drum was usually henotic, tranquil for him.

But at the moment, it only added to his irritation and deepened the void of disappointment that had formed in his chest.

In another room of the same house, a pair of amber orbs watched the magic of nature with a child-like wonder.

The pleasant, dewy petrichor spread around her, and the mellifluous tunes of Earth's own orchestra made her forget the fast turns her life went through in the past day.

In the faint light, she picked up her hand and let the jewel, the stone that was nothing less than a promise of forever, shine like the billion stars that dot the sky at nights that are devoid of clouds.

As the iridescent lights make her eyes sparkle, a vague idea forms in her brain.

Her thoughts float to reach the person who gifted her happiness, and a smile lit up on her face.

There was a mix of challenge and love in the quest she was about to partake and she was determined to succeed.

In slow, soundless steps, she made her way out of the room and out of the house.

A blur went past and his trained eyes were quick enough to catch the motion.

Shaking his head with realization, he followed behind.

As the steps took him down, and he stood under the shade of the multi-floored skyrise, she stayed yards away from it.

Her hair was wet, her skirt twirling, her face bright and beautiful.

He felt his heart race, whispering an urge to join with hers.

He restrained himself, but the scene in front of him was so spectacular that he doubted just how long his restraint would last.

After what felt like an eternity, she turned to him, half of her face golden under the street lights, the other half bearing the monotones of black and white.

She looked like the personification of their love.

Her life the golden, and his the black and white.

He could write sonnets to describe the picture-perfect scene that played before him like a film, but all he did was stand still, unable to tear his eyes away, unable to speak the words that hadn't already been spoken, his well-thumbed thesaurus gathering dust in the labyrinths of his mind.

She looked at him with a longing, a spoken call for him to join her as the rains continued to fall and purify the earth.

All he did was shake his head in silence.

She took it as a challenge, and he already knew how it was going to end.

For a minute he got lost in her memories, reminiscences from a time, from a moment that passed too quick, yet slow enough for him to remember every moment of it.

And suddenly, the faint tunes of a song brought him back to the present.

Every word of the foreign seeming language lucid clear, setting in a cascade of emotions and bringing pictures etched in past pages of the novel of life, making him go on a trip down the memory lane.

Aajkal Yad Kuch Aur Rehta Nahi

(Nowadays I don't seem to remember anything else)

Ek Bas Aapki Yad Aane Ke Bad

(Once your memories enchant me)

Yaad Aane Se Pehle Chale Aaiye

(Please come to me before the memories reach me)

Aur Phir Jaiye Jan Jane Ke Bad

(And then leave only after my breath leaves me)

The truth of the words came with an epiphany.

Every day of knowing her had been a way of painting the monotones of his life in colours he thought didn't belong to him.

Every moment she had ever spent away from him had made him yearn for her more than ever.

And yet he was foolish enough to think that miles of distance and hundreds of hours could make him forget her.

All the distress he felt could have been so easily ended if she had been with him then.

And now, as he dreams of an aeon with her, he promises to only let her go when his breath leaves him alone.

Apni Aankhon Me Mujhko Basa Lijiye

(Allow me to settle in the world of your eyes)

Apne Dil Me Mera Ghar Bana Dijiye

(Make a home for me in your heart)

Kya Karu Dil Kahi Aur Lagta Nahi

Pyar Me Aapse Dil Lagane Ke Bad

(What's the fault of mine if I can't concentrate on anything other than you, since our hearts connected by the string of love)

As the minutes pass by, melting into each other to form an hour, he loses all tracks of time.

And amidst the sweven he was living in right now, at a moment he could not pinpoint, she had taken his hand into hers and now he stood, lost in the amber of her eyes, forgetting all about the shower that now fell upon him.

As she continued to mutter the tunes in a harmony that went on in rhythm with the rain, he wished he could live in the world of her orbs.

To see the world as she saw it, to live the life from her perspective.

All he wanted was home in her heart, a tiny place on the lands of her soul.

Ishq Ke Maine Kitne Fasane Sune

(I have heard many tales of epic romances)

Husb Ke Kitne Kisse Purane Sune

(And stories about beautiful people from bygone eras)

Aisa Lagta Hai Phir Is Tarah Tut Kar

Pyar Hamne Kiya Ek Zamane Ke Bad

(But I feel I have been broken and got mended by love after centuries)

In muted harmonies, the two of them twirled, forgetting the world around them.

The way their eyes held onto each other, as if holding onto their lives, reminded him of the tales of love the folklores talk about.

The romances of princesses and maidens, and of beauties who earned their fairytale.

But as her palm stroked his cheek in a feather-light motion, he concluded that all those tales faint in front of the story of theirs.

There were no royals, no cruel witches setting up spells and no poisoned apples.

There were just two people, broken by the storms life made them navigate through, fitting perfectly as if parts of a whole.

He tried to remember if he had ever experienced anything as he did now, his lip tracing her ear as his hands wrapped around her waist.

It didn't even take him a second to know the answer.

He hadn't.

Aapka Naam Dil Se Nikalta Nahi

(Your name never leaves my heart)

Dillagi Me Koi Zor Chalta Nahi

Dillagi Me Koi Zor Chalta Nahi

(No force is strong enough to stop the meet of two hearts)

Aapko Bhul Jane Ki Koshish Bhi Ki

(I tried a hundred times to forget you)

Aur Tadpa Hun Main Bhool Jaane Ke Baad

(And suffered a suffering of pain and agony once I forgot you)

The rains accelerate and become a downpour. The mist envelops them but there was no care for the changing environment.

The distance between them ceases to exist as their hearts finally get the pleasure of beating in unison.

In the next moments, she whispers close to his ear, the last of the melody, and it's his story.

The story of how he couldn't get rid of the five-lettered name since the first time he ever came to know about it.

Of how no force in the world could stop two hearts from meeting if that's what destiny had in plan for them.

Who one loves and who loves them back determines so much in one life.

And for him, it was a chance, a risk he was scared to take, dreading the destruction it may cause.

After all when had anything ever-blossoming flowers in the city of his soul?

But this time not only did spring finally arrived with its flowery footsteps but also led to a discovery of himself, a part of him that was buried under layers of snow from the winter that reigned in his life for years.

She taps twice on his heart, indicating how he had tried to forget her, all those years ago. And how he broke himself in the process.

As she hummed the last lines, he bowed down in front of the forces that brought the two of them together.

He thanked the stars which aligned the way did to let him fall for her and agreed to hide, to let the rains fall, to let him have this night with her.

And looked in awe at the woman who brought about the sweetest catastrophe mankind has ever known.

And without uttering a word, he picks her and kisses her, saying all that was left unsaid with it.

PS: I actually have another version of the song, that I sung specifically to go with this, but Tumblr is giving me troubles to upload it. Do let me know if you would like to hear it someday.

Anyways, If you are reading this, I am very grateful for you. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day🤎

Tags🤎(Please let me know if you would like to be added or removed):

Perma: @gkittylove99 @neotericthemis @udishaman @aestheticartsx @twinkleallnight @schnitzelbutterfingers @sophxwithers @sweatyrysconnoisseur @nikki-2406 @choicesfanaf @trrfanaddict @starrystarrytrouble @gardeningourmet @parkbarks @mvalentine @lovablegranny @mercury84choices @izzyourresidentlawyer @phoenixrising308 @adiehardfan @quixoticdreamer16 @a-crepusculo @cordonianruby @gryffindordaughterofathena

Open Heart (All fics and edit): @lucy-268 @maurine07 @bellcat2010 @headoverheelsforramsey @estellaelysian @shanzay44

Ethan x Pooja: @aleynareads @choicesaddict5 @stygianflood @mysticaurathings @jamespotterthefirst @ilikemenbutonlyethanramsey @takemyopenheart @mm2305

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

[softsebnbuckystan]

Soul ties - Part 9 (Bucky Barnes au)

"If I lay here

If I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world ?"

"Can I come in?"

It was Bucky's voice – of course it was. You tried wiping your tears away before speaking. A part of you didn't care if he saw you crying, but you still hated when you couldn't hold back the tears.

"Yes." Your voice was husky from the crying and you weren't sure he'd heard you until he opened the door. You were still on your knee, unable to even look at him.  Bucky seemed to understand talking wasn't really what you wanted at the moment. Instead, he kneeled next to you and unexpectedly wrapped his arms around your shaking body. You'd noticed how rare it was for him to touch people ; even tapping Steve's shoulder seemed to hardly ever occur to him. Your shaking stopped instantly as you gave into his embrace, leaning against his chest.

"He was about to call me a whore, wasn't he?"

Had it been Steve, he would've told you no in an effort to comfort you. But Bucky radiated blatant honesty when he talked to you, which you appreciated more than you would say.

"It doesn't mean he's right," he said.

"Maybe not. But that's still the word he wanted to call his wife. How did I even- fuck." You shook your head. "How did I ever fell for his tricks? I knew his friends were trash but...I thought he was the exception. I never thought he'd act like this with me."

"Act how? Rude?" Bucky asked, unsure about what you exactly meant.

"Yeah. The neglect has been going on for years, you know." You looked up at him and got out of his arms to sit properly. It didn't take him long to take a seat next to you, leaning his back against your bed. "I just put it all on his job." You grabbed Bucky's hand : you'd never needed to touch him as much as you did now. Something in the controlled way he breathed and the warmth of his skin helped you think straight and prevented you from spiralling.

"Is it the first time he insults you?"

"Openly? Yeah." You sighed. "He's been petty before but calling me names...never."

"I'm afraid to ask this, but I have to." He looked you in the eyes, searching for...what, exactly? "He was pretty violent when he grabbed your shirt. Was that the first time as well?"

The question made you look away once more. Inexplicable guilt flooded your body as you tried to think of some lie. You leaned your head back on the mattress and closed your eyes, opting for honesty.

"No."

You could almost hear Bucky's jaw clenching ;  his other hand formed a fist, whereas the one holding yours remained gentle.

"He's never been violent intentionally," you quickly explained. "It's just... We've had our fights, alright? And when we start yelling at each other, I always tell him we both need to calm down but that doesn't suit me so he tries to stop me from leaving the apartment and...well. It goes from grabbing my arm a little too hard or just locking the door and hiding the keys. He even threw them out the window once."

Recalling those fights didn't help your tears stop rolling on your cheeks but damn, it felt good to actually say it to someone. Wanda never needed you tell her things : she could just read them when she felt like you were lying. With Bucky, it was different. You actually wanted to tell him what had happened.

"What did you do when he did those things to you?"

"Not much. It only made me angrier so I would sit on the couch or even in my room and stop talking to him until he opened the door."

"You do realise how that's...far from right, yeah?"

"I'm starting to." You shrugged. "This might be stupid but, seeing how everyone here treats me, how you treat me, it's making me realise Darren is not this perfect husband I imagined him to be. He was the easy way, you know? We met, we liked each other and he had a good situation and I could already see the white-fence family every American movie depicts. I just didn't know it would turn into a soap opera." You laughed bitterly at your own not-so-funny joke.

Bucky suddenly got up, keeping your hand in his to help you stand as well.

"What are you doing?" you asked.

"It's still your birthday and I don't want it to be ruined by that guy," he let out in one breath. "C'mon."

He took a right turn after your bedroom door, walking you further away from where the party was supposed to be. You didn't walk for long before he opened an other door, walking you into his own room.

"What's the plan, exactly?" you asked again, more than confused. "I thought you meant we'd go back to the others, and..."

"Damn, I didn't realise how this looks." He let out a nervous laugh and you mentally slapped yourself for going blank over how cute it was. "Nobody even asked you to a proper dance on your own birthday and I want to fix that, if you'll allow me."

He looked back at you through his eyelashes, looking all anxious about your answer.

"What music choice do we have?"

His face lit up and he went through a box of vinyls on the floor. "I only have old stuff, I'm sorry. I believe this should do it, though," he said as he picked out one of the pockets. "It's from 1956, but it actually came out first in the 30's. Most people know the most recent, so..."

"I didn't know you were a music nerd," you said with a smile.  "How very cute of you."

He shrugged as he placed the disk on the record player. Piano notes started rising through the air and you recognised Louis Armstrong's voice.

"May I?" Bucky held out his hand and he waited for you to nod before grabbing yours, placing his left hand on your hip. Your instinct was to inch closer to him as you both started swinging slowly in the middle of his room. His blue eyes were sounding  you out.

"This was indeed a wonderful idea," you whispered, not wanting to break the moment as Ella Fitzgerald started singing her own chorus of Cheek to cheek. Bucky beamed and you enjoyed the view, returning  his smile before resting your head on his chest. His heartbeat became another rhythm to follow and be lulled to. "I can't explain how you make me feel and that scares me, Buck. And yet, it's the best feeling I've ever experienced."  The use of his nickname did something to him : you felt his heart skip, causing you to smile discreetly. "Talking to you is ridiculously easy," you continued, "and I'm not that muck of a talker. Just ask Wanda."

He laughed softly and you tilted  your head up as his chest shook from the movement.

"I know what you mean," he confided. "I don't feel all of the guilt I carry when I'm with you. It's refreshing. I don't feel like I'm being judged at every second."

"I couldn't possibly do that," you explained. "I know a little more about the things they made you do, now, and I'm more impressed at how you came out of this. You're still there whenever someone needs help, like when that fire alarm rang for no reason the other day. And when that thing went off in the lab, you took time to help me. How could anyone judge you negatively?" Your frowned. "Sorry, I interrupted you."

"It's fine," he assured you as the next song on the vinyl started playing (not that you were paying much attention to the music, even though Dream a little dream of me was an all time favourite of yours).

Your eyes scanned his face and when you noticed his own gaze lingering on your lips, you moved  your hand from his shoulder to his neck. You were still slow dancing effortlessly, and you could feel his breath slightly picking up.

"I want to do something," you muttered. "But if you don't want me to, I won't feel bad if you stop me." The last thing you wanted was him to let you do anything out of pity ; you didn't think that was the type of thing he'd do, but there was no harm in making sure. Your fingers fiddled with the short hair on the back of his head and you extended your neck a bit. You felt Bucky's breath on your nose and lips as you got even closer to him, closer than you'd ever been until now.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked in a whisper. "Trust me, I do, but last thing I want-"

Those were the only words you needed. You pressed your lips against his and a whole firework show started in your belly. His hand on your hip pulled you into an even closer embrace as you kept playing  with his air. When you broke the kiss and rested your forehead against his, you couldn't get rid  of your smile. So it was true, what books said about butterflies.

--- I'm so happy to finally post this part!! This was definitely my favourite to write so far, even though it's a tie with the stars scene. :) I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it.

P.S. : the tag list is still growing and damn that makes me so happy!! Your support means everything.

P.S. 2 : I feel like this story will be wrapped soon. If you have any request/idea you'd like to see for a next one (short one shots or series), I will gladly hear it!

Tag list :

@ginger-swag-rapunzel @joscelyn02 @writehistorynotthegrocerylist @bluemoon-icecream @lady-loki-ren @simplybombshell @lizajane3

[eberles]

Together Again

Vince Dunn

A/N: long awaited second part to Do You? read that first if you haven’t yet! sorry it took so long, i hope you guys enjoy it!🥰

Warnings: angst, maybe a swear or 2

“I miss you too, but we grew apart, and at this point i’m glad.” you wanted nothing more than to run into his arms and forgive him. Truthfully, everyday your heart aches for him and you didn’t know how much longer you could take it, but you had to hold your ground. At least for now.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Vince watched you run out of the small cafe as fast as you could. He watched you plaster a fake smile to your face and hand one of the two coffees you were holding over to the guy you were with. Vince wouldn’t have believed it if he didn’t see it with his own eyes, he didn’t want to believe you had moved on from him so quickly. He knew it wasn’t fair for you to just wait around for him, but still that’s what he expected. Vince knew you were strong though and he knew if you wanted to move on and forget him then that’s exactly what you’d do.

You were walking down the sidewalk with William, coffee in hand, and trying desperately to forget about running into Vince. You’d worked so hard these past few months to let go of the sadness and the anger you felt remembering how everything ended with him. You went over all the what if’s and had several lapses of judgement wondering if you made the right decision to cut Vince out of your life completely. As the time went on it got easier, and you were making small steps to get back into your old routine including entering the cafe you once loved. “Hey, is everything alright?”

“What? Oh, yea everythings fine.” you contemplated telling William, “Actually, I saw Vince, he was inside.”

“Wow, how was that?” he looked at you sincerely and genuinely curious about your well-being. You sighed, blinking away tears, frustrated that after three months he could still get to you like this, as if it just happened yesterday.

“Horrible.” you laughed spitefully, rolling your eyes in fear of sounding completely pathetic. “He said he missed me, but what am I supposed to do with that?”

“Did you ever think maybe there was more to it than what he led on?” William asked, you didn’t know what to think at this point. You often replayed the conversation from that night in your head and you would never forget Vince saying ‘I am falling in love with you, I can feel it.’ You struggled to believe him, for all you knew he was just saying that to keep you from leaving. “Y/N, maybe it’s time to talk to him.”

A few days have passed since seeing Vince and you couldn’t stop thinking about him and what he said. Three simple words, ‘I miss you’ and you couldn’t get them out of your freaking head. Tonight it was particularly bad, tossing and turning in bed until you gave up sleeping and decided you needed to know how he felt. Once and for all. It was after midnight, but you didn’t really care as you banged on Vince’s apartment door, probably looking like a crazy person with your pajamas on and hair in a messy bun.

“Y/N? What- it’s after-”

“We both know you weren’t sleeping, so can I come in?” you cut him off, looking into his tired eyes and making your way into his apartment once he opened the door wider for you. Vince followed you, noticing how you didn’t sit on the couch and make yourself at home, instead just standing in the middle of the room looking a little lost.

“Can I get you anything?” Vince asked, making his way to the kitchen grabbing himself a water and grabbing you one too even though you shook your head no. He put them both on the coffee table before sitting on the couch and watching you pace his living room. “Does your boyfriend know you’re here?”

“My what?” you looked at Vince wondering what he was talking about before you realized he must’ve seen you leave with a guy at the coffee shop. “Vince, were you jealous? Of my brother?”

“Fuck, it was William? I only saw the back of him so I just assumed that you moved on.” Vince explained and you rolled your eyes, wishing you could move on as easily as he thought.

“This is stupid, I don’t know why I came here.” you made a move for his front door, but Vince stepping in front of you. He tilted your head up to look him in the eyes and your hardened expression softened as you backed away from him. “What did you mean?” he looked at you confused and you rolled your eyes having to spell it out for him. “When you said you missed me, what did you mean?”

Vince sighed, putting his head down rubbing his hands over his face and through his hair, contemplating how to word everything perfectly. If you were finally going to hear him out he didn’t want to take any chances and ruin it. “I meant that I miss you. I miss your voice and how you used to sing in the shower. I miss how picky of an eater you are, even though it was so annoying sometimes. I miss how you couldn’t start a new show without finishing the last one. I miss your smile and your eyes. I miss seeing you in the stands at games and I miss having you around all the time. I just miss you.”

You closed your eyes feeling the tears rolling down your cheeks. You weren’t sure what you wanted to hear anymore or what you expected to hear from him. Everything was out the door at this point and you were a blubbering mess, hiccuping through the sobs. “Why wasn’t I enough? Why didn’t you love me?”

“Y/N, I did love you!” Vince moved from the couch towards you, wrapping his arms around your body letting you cry into his chest. He felt the most pain he’s ever felt in these moments, he never wanted to hurt you. He let you walk away three months ago because he thought that was for the best and that it was what you wanted. “I know I said I wasn’t sure, but that wasn’t the truth. Baby, I- hearing you say those words scared me and I wasn’t ready to say them back, but I did anyways.”

“Why?” you pulled away from Vince, looking into his glossy eyes. He didn’t let go of you completely, still relishing in the feeling of being close to you again.

“I distanced myself because I thought it was too soon. I didn’t want to get hurt and I let you leave without fighting for you because you deserve someone who wasn’t scared of your love.” you could tell Vince was struggling with his feelings, he never wanted to come off as emotional or scared of anything. Being a professional athlete gave him a certain rep and even if it was just in front of you he didn’t want to ruin it. “I didn’t realize until after you left that I didn’t have anything to be scared of. The one thing I didn't want to lose, I lost anyways. But I still love you Y/N. Give me another chance, I won’t ruin it this time.”

You had every reason not to believe him. In anyone else’s eyes, they would’ve said he was just giving you the run of the mill excuse, ‘I was scared,’ but Vince was different and he was honest. You felt it the night you left and you feel it now, he did love you and even without the words you should’ve seen it based on how he treated you. Standing in front of him you felt the hole in your heart repairing itself, feeling his hands caressing your arms lighting the fire inside your body. Even with the tears still rolling down your cheeks, you felt more yourself around Vince than you had in months without him. He fit with you perfectly, he put the missing pieces back together and you’d be damned to let that go again. “I love you, Vince. I want this.”

Vince breathed a sigh of relief, letting his smile shine through and using the pads of his thumbs to wipe away the leftover tears on your cheeks. Vince kissed your forehead mumbling an “I love you” moving down to your cheek, pressing another kiss and telling you he loves you. He moved to your other cheek following with an “I love you” before placing a kiss on your nose and ending with your lips which you were desperate for. You melted into the kiss, feeling his hands on either side of your face sending a tingle through your body as you wrapped your arms around his neck, tangling your fingers in his curly hair. “You’re beautiful and I love you.”

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tagging people who enjoyed part 1: @stfukie @bricksatanakinswindow @softboybarzal @bestestbenn

[everafterkeiji]

Song: Hiccup by Valley

Summary: After encountering a road block in your relationship, what path will you take to wind up your broken heart with Iwaizumi?

Pairings: Hajime Iwaizumi x fem!reader

Genre/Warning: angst, cursing

Word count: 6k

A/N: i promise myself i was going to write some bokuto fluff but this song keeps bringing me back to iwa😣 also pls listen to this song<3

2 YEARS AGO

"Tooru."

You call out to him, knees to the floor clutching tightly on your shirt, droplets to the wooden surface. Oikawa harshly closes his eyes, unable to let his eyes rest on your weakened state. He takes a deep breath when he hears your mournful sob. He hears how you took in rough gasps of air so he drops the box from his hands as he rushes to you, his knee scraping from sliding to the floor as he takes you in his chest as you sobbed even more. Oikawa allowing his own tears to fall on your clothes.

He consistently caresses your hair, as your sniffles and cries of pain covered the eary atmosphere of your apartment.

"Tooru." You call out again, he closes his eyes as he leans his head on yours. He dreaded every second that passed knowing he shouldn't be the one to comfort you, but he knew your savior wasn't going to rescue you this time.

"Do you think he'll miss me?"

"I know he will, darling." He assures you, and you wipe your eyes gasping for air once again before speaking again. He lets his hand slide down to your back, patting it every now and then.

"But there's someone better huh?"

Oikawa bites his lip, and you take this silence as an answer you'd never forget. Your lips tug upwards, grinning at how it stung when it came from Oikawa. To Tooru, no one could replace you. He couldn't envision someone to love his brother the way you did and no amount of pain can top how much you cherished each other but he couldn't answer because he was unsure of the motives of the past ace.

"Thank you for staying." You whisper and he pulled you closer as he sighs, glancing at the apartment that appeared in their late night video calls. The same room where he saw the brightest smile that was painted on Iwaizumi, the eyes that carried passion whenever you'd pop up. Visiting the apartment for the first time, he didn't expect how- lifeless it felt.

"Always."

PRESENT

You stretched as you rolled over to the side, used to the ghost of him. You shouldn't be used to it, he should be there to occupy it everyday but every morning you were just greeted by the chilliness he brought you.

The sun sneakily shined upon your eyes as you immediately turn away, expecting the memories to strike your heart like it does whenever the sun flaunted its rays.

"You're mesmerizing." He whispers, his pointer finger inched its way down to your cheek, smiling to himself. You hummed in response, shuffling in the sheets as his heart pounders at the sight of your shoulder peeking through the thin material, with the sunlight decorating your skin with its beauty.

You opened your eyes only to be surprised by how bright the sun was making you close them immediately, giggling to yourself. Who knew his heart could melt even more? Once you've slowly opened your eyes again, you gaze at your Hajime placing a hand on his cheek. With his hand on your chin, he slowly lifts it so your lips meet with his as you smile, running your hand from his cheek to his hair, while closing your eyes at the

He pulls away as butterflies swarmed inside him, pushing back the string of hair that landed in your eyes.

"I love you."

"Forever?"

"And ever after."

You curse at the usual memory that would pass you every morning. It annoyed you how there wasn't a day where you weren't starting the morning this pissed off. Realistically speaking, you adored how your memories would bring life to your body once in a while but when love appears, pain tags along- making it hard to enjoy the only things that could take away the emptiness.

Without him, you could never bring yourself to close the curtains. A habit you've devastatingly brought upon yourself.

Whenever the sun rose and it's light surrounded your room, it was the closest embrace you could ever have from him.

You let your fingers graze over the longing sensation on your lips. Incapable of forgetting how every kiss from his plush lips made you high. Intoxicated with his devotion to you. Each having it's own unique way of bringing you stories from the way it synced with yours.

Do you ever think about coming back to kiss my mouth? You ask yourself, sadly letting go of your lips before stepping into the bathroom.

I miss the taste of you and it's always been you. Iwaizumi thinks to himself as he feels the tingle of coldness from his lips. Like you, he adored the way his mornings were blessings but his room looked like a grave for his emotions.

Curtains closed, not allowing to let the sun peak through since the light in his world wasn't there to bring back the life in his soulless apartment.

He steps out of bed entering his bathroom, brushing his teeth as he rubs his eyes with his free hand.

"S-shush! Baby- baby stop talking!" He says chuckling before placing the toothbrush in your mouth. You two were superbly drunk and it seems like even if Iwaizumi was drunk to the gods, he was still the responsible one in the relationship. You were already about to pass out but his loud laughter kept you awake.

"But Hajime- let me sleep already, you're so noisy bub." You pout but he chuckles again. You turn behind you try and sit on top of the counter but you slid off when you jumped. Iwaizumi shakes his head with a grin as he places his hand on your waist before effortlessly lifting you and placing you on the bathroom sink.

You continue to brush your teeth as he watches how your eyes would droop every second. You spit out the toothpaste before taking in some water and spitting it out as well. You wiped your mouth before bringing your arms outward. "Am I okay now babe? Hajime- honey I wanna sleep." You beg as he rolls his eyes taking you in his arms, like a bride.

"And what about you mister? Did you brush your teeth?" You teased, taking in the aroma of alcohol he had. He bit his lips trying not to laugh but he shakes his head, answering your question. You let out a gasp of betrayal as you hopped out of his arms grabbing the toothbrush and putting toothpaste on it, but you hear his cackle making you laugh as well, addicted to how it made you join him in an instant.

"Princess, at least put it on the actual brush. Not the other end you dumbie." He states making you look down on your failure of an attempt. You let out an "Oh." and this brought tears to both of your eyes from laughing endlessly.

He gazes at his reflection through the mirror as he takes a deep breath. It felt like if he'd utter a word, his voice would already crack at the resurfaced moment. He scolds himself for having minimal change in a span of two years. He told himself that he shouldn't wallow in the grief but he endured it for days.

There wasn't a clear way for him to move on, especially when you drained him from all functions of his mind. The only thing that interests him to be happy was that he held on to the probability of meeting you again. Even if the chances were slim to none, he'd take anything that there is left just to see you again.

Though it seems like, he'd have to suffer longer just for it to happen.

-

Maybe I'd understand the things that you'd do. You whisper as you take another gulp of alcohol. It was Saturday, your supposed late night sessions with Iwaizumi but instead you were solo for today, and maybe for the rest of the years. You bitterly chuckle to yourself as you didn't bother to answer Oikawas call. Your phone kept going off, receiving dozens of messages and missed calls from the setter. He deeply hated Saturdays, or at least your version of it.

Whether you chose to bottle down every beer you had, or scream and get smothered in mascara stains from crying, or even worse, both. Sometimes you'd even mistaken Oikawa for Iwaizumi, and Oikawa allows it knowing it's a way for you to cope. He hated how far away he was but he strictly told you that if you were ever to pursue yourself to go to the club, he'd drop everything and book a ticket to you immediate, of course this was enough for you to listen especially when you'd feel guilty for wasting his time.

Oikawa knew better than to ask for Iwaizumis help. He remained a bridge for the two of you, knowing he'd encounter to different sides. Iwaizumi had him pick up his belongings in your apartment, denying to step foot in your room. In which brought Oikawa to tears at sight of his best friends past lover in such a disaster of a state. So granting Iwaizumis wish, he stayed.

"Why can't you do it? It's your apartment." Oikawa argued making Iwaizumi grunt in pain as he secretly wipes away the tears in his eyes. He sighs before facing the setter.

"She hates me, Oikawa." He says, staring directly at the boy. Oikawa scoffs but stares at the ground, hands to his side formed in a fist.

Is it that bad? He questions.

"Iwa- what happened?" He asks nervously but Iwaizumi only closes his eyes as he tries to get rid of the screams from the previous night.

"I'll tell you soon. When you see her, maybe you'll understand why I can't do this, why I can't face her. Just please do me one favor." The tone in his voice slowly lessens with the last sentence, making Oikawas heart ache for the two of you. Looking at Iwaizumis eyes, Oikawa could see the way he was holding back, but from what? There was a certain change in his usual stare- he looked lost.

Oikawa sits on the couch as he lets his hand gesture for Iwaizumi to speak. He couldn't say anything else but he hoped that Iwaizumi would take his silence as an answer already. Oikawa would do anything for Iwa, and if he was your other half, and Oikawa will do the same to you.

"Save her."

"From what, Iwa?"

"From what I've done."

Oikawa was impatiently waiting for your response but it seems you've decided to push him aside again. Although he was home, the distance from him to you was troublesome so he insisted to call you instead.

He assumed that last year you've gotten better since you spent you Saturday sleeping instead of drinking, but it progressively got worse.

"I mean, one drink wouldn't hurt right?"

He was dumbfounded when one drink turned into hundreds. He knew it was difficult to continue especially when you and Iwaizumi were having the time of your lives everytime. Whether you were extremely drunk, he knew that you two acted the complete same when you were sober. There wasn't a difference, meaning that's just how love worked between you two.

"Tooru- honey!" You shout as Iwaizumi pouts. It was your 4th anniversary and Oikawa decided to call to greet the lovely couple another successful year of your relationship.

"It's shittykawa to you, babe." Iwaizumi teases making Oikawa rolls his eyes. Through the camera, he sees you above Iwaizumi with arms wrapped around his neck without your chin resting on the boys head as he smiles, content to see that 4 years and love didn't change, not even a bit.

"Disgusting lovebirds, happy anniversary to you both!" Oikawa cheers as you giggle, blowing a kiss to him for greeting you two.

"Thank you Tooru-" your words were cut off by a gasp of realization as you shake Iwaizumi. Hajime takes in your excitement as he shakes his head at your actions.

"Hajime! There's no way you're not making Tooru as your best man- anyway! Tooru! This my official invitation for you to be his best man at our wedding!" Oikawa laughs as he raises his eyebrow to Iwaizumi who had a smirk on his lips.

"Well, I will be overly disappointed if I wasn't chosen. If Iwa-chan declines, I'll be your best man instead Y/N, or if you take my offer, I'll be the groom." He winks to you as you laugh before taking another sip of your drink. Iwaizumi flips off Oikawa and the setter only returns this by poking his tongue out to his best friend.

"So is that right, Iwa-chan? Will you finally bend the knee for the lovely lady?" With Oikawas question, you turn to Iwaizumi as if you were nervous. You bit your lip looking at your boyfriend before he pecks your lips catching you off guard as he looks at you with a smirk.

"I'd be a fool not to." He says making you squeal, as you immediately cover your face in your hands, embarassed by how red you got. Oikawa rolls his eyes, envious at the love you shared. Although, he is joyous that you've made Iwaizumi the happiest man he can be, even if you two weren't married yet, to Oikawa it looks like your relationship will only lead to the altar.

There wasn't a single doubt to that.

"Y/N! I thought you've forgotten how to pick up the phone again." He scolds you but his anger washes away when he sees you with red eyes and sniffling uncontrollably.

"Hajime." She calls out, as Oikawa sighs into his pillow realizing it's another night of him acting as Iwaizumi. He's already heard all the things you wanted to say to the missing boy and he accepted the fact that you'll never have the heart to say it to Iwaizumi himself.

"Why do I miss you, now that you're out of my life?" You cried. Oikawa only rests his chin on the palm of his hand as you continued to pour your sadness upon him. You swing the bottle in your hands before downing another wave of liquor.

"I wanna know what you're doing tonight." You whisper as you take your phone, clicking on Iwaizumis contact but before you could, Oikawa spoke, knowing your next intentions.

"No, not again Y/N." He says but you shake your head your finger threatening to press it already.

"Y/N listen to me, Iwa would have contacted you right now but this isn't the time!" He argued but you scoffed, angry tears brimming in your eyes.

"No! Then when will that time come then! I've been waiting for so fucking long already! It's never gonna happen 'cause he's forgotten me- Fuck!" You shouted, taking Oikawa by surprise as you collapse to the floor once again, Oikawa coming back to the sight of you he wanted to forget.

"Y/N- babe I'm sorry-"

"Enough, Oikawa. If you could've been honest that Hajime's found another, then-then maybe I-" your voice cracks as you stressfully runs your fingers through your hair, gripping it tight in your hands as you let out another doleful sob, breaking Toorus heart.

"I don't know what do anymore." You whispered, your heart shattering in to even more finer pieces. You couldn't even put into words how you've been in torment for years.

It finally dawned on you that you weren't headed to the altar, you were headed in a different path.

Without him.

"Y/N- listen- Iwaizumi-" you ended the call leaving Oikawa stunned as he drops the phone in his hands in frustration and in regret. He decided to visit Iwaizumi, knowing it'd be hard to ever communicate with you again, especially that you've been struck by a wrong thought.

And no one else could handle you the way Hajime would.

"Iwa-chan."

"Oikawa? What is it?"

"I fucked up, I'm sorry."

-

Iwaizumi held his breath as Oikawa explained what happened. He couldn't wrap his head around the unintentional pain Oikawa has given you.

"Iwa, I'm so sorry." Tooru says, making Iwaizumi close his eyes visioning your features crushing at the idea of him having somebody by his side.

Hajimes eyes would never betray you. The only reflection that stayed in his eyes, was the future that was thrown away.

"Oikawa, hey it's okay, I understand." Iwaizumi says with a soft tone to assure Oikawa. Tooru would never intentionally hurt you, he was there to save you. Even if Iwaizumi didn't ask him to take care of you, Oikawa would do everything to bring a smile on your lips. As much love you have to Hajime, its the same amount you have to Oikawa.

"Leaving isn't bad because you're gonna come back with something even better and that's the best version of yourself."

It's your words that he counted on. He believed that he wasn't being selfish, or prideful. You made him believe that finding himself was enough to get him all the medals, the passion, and everything he wanted. So he'd want nothing more than to give thanks to you.

"Iwa."

Oikawa breaks the silence. Iwaizumi looks at him while biting down on his fingers, his heart beating too loudly at the thought of you.

"Why didn't you call her- not even giving her a proper goodbye." Tooru asks with masked anger in his tone. How could he help Hajime when he's blocking him from the truth?

"Iwaizumi. Answer me. For once." Oikawa begs, but once he's met with the silence, he's never been more eager to give in to anger.

"I just- I can't let it happen again, Oikawa. Not to her, not to us."

"Baby, what movie do you want to watch on Saturday? I've seen so many good ones lately." Iwaizumi turns to you with an exhausted expression. You were arranging the condiments in the cabinet, waiting for his response.

"Can't we- reschedule? I-I have something to go to-"

"You can't blow me off for the third time this week, Iwa." You spat, sick of the excuses. Has it really been three times? Iwaizumi questions as he leans on the couch, letting out a sigh. To which is a response you didn't expect to receive.

"I've been busy." He lied, he may not feel it, but there wasn't a single hesitation when he spoke. You memorize his schedules, his after meetings, the excused he's mentioned didn't even bother to make sense. It hurt how he was able to come up so easily, not even thinking about you'd be able to piece them all together.

"Or are you just tired, Iwaizumi?"

You asked rudely. He looks at you before rolling his eyes, covering your heart in bitterness at his pride.

"So what if I am?"

He talked back, hitting you with a bigger wave of emotions. You slammed the door of the cabinet, marching to him each step mixed with rage and pain.

"You're tired? Imagine what I've been feeling, Hajime!" You shout, volume picking up on your tone as this makes Iwaizumi stand up from the couch, not backing down at the power of your voice.

"Clingy? Needy? Pathetic? Tell me, does that sound any different to you?" He said it with so much disgust, strong enough to make you doubt everything you've fought for.

"So you don't give a fuck? Is that what you're so proud of, Iwaizumi? That you're so fucking insensitive?" He felt a tug on his heart when you called him that. It's been so long since he's heard you say it so- normal. As odd as it is, he couldn't hear his name the same again, especially when it came from you.

"Exactly! God I- Y/N. This is why-"

"WHAT IWAIZUMI!"

"This why I'm so fucking tired of you!" He shouted, not only did it create a barrier in your apartment, it brought up your past barrier that he broke down but now he's the cause of it to return.

"You're just- can you even make it on your own without me? It's like if I leave you'd- lose your shit! We need space!" He was fuming with confused anger as you feel your throat give out. You were shaking, your heart was too fast and unsteady, you weren't the same.

"But space is what you've been giving me! Coming home so late? Standing me up? You don't even fucking realize how many dates we missed!" He scoffs before running his fingers through his raven hair. Taking a step towards you, making you stand your ground as you tilt your head to meet with his empty eyes.

This isn't the man who could love you forever and ever after.

"So what! I've got so many things to do apart from dealing with your shit!" You stare back at him, weakened at how your heart couldn't handle it anymore.

You looked down, feeling the sting in your hands when your nails digged into the skin of your palm. He sits down on the couch, drained from the war full of shouting and the damage his heart was in.

Surprisingly, you sat beside him but there was such an intense distance between you.

He turns to you but chills ran up his spine when he sees how you look like you've agreed to everything he's said, making his eyes widen at the foreign feeling.

This is what he was scared of. Failing to find interest in the same routine, to find the energy to continue like he used to. Being worn out by how repetitive things were even when the love you both had was nowhere near boring.

In fact, it was exhilarating. You were both curious to try things together, that's what led you to even owning an apartment together, planning a future, even planning your marriage that was now a blur.

He trembled. Regret, anxiousness, exhaustion. He didn't expect himself to feel this way, especially to you, who he loved completely but felt a certain drift in his heart. He looks away from you as his eyes trail on the picture of you two. He couldn't hold it in his hands to look at how happy he looked, because he isn't the same anymore.

He's lost his way.

"D-did I..lack something?" She asks quietly. He gulps at her question. It was so heavy to him. How you asked him, questioning yourself in this relationship. With anxious hands, he wanted to reach out for you but his efforts were surpassed when he felt a wall between you and him.

"Am I worth.. to keep?"

Please, baby. He begs in his mind for you to stop. He couldn't register how he couldn't make himself speak. He was holding back too much, terrified that he was going to break you more and more with every word he'd toss to you.

"Then this is pointless isn't it?"

You both look at each other, both met with different expressions in your eyes. Iwaizumi could see how tired you were, how he knew you wouldn't be able to look at him the same way before, since he gave up first. While you can see how there wasn't a single lie in his eyes, the downfall was upon you.

No matter the space you give him, there can never be a spark to bring him back.

He bit his lip, facing the truth. Even he knew there isn't any other way.

"I know what you're gonna say, Hajime."

"Princess.. I'm sorry"

"Just go." It was impossible for him to follow your orders when all he wishes is to stay but then again, he's run out of reasons to.

"You gave up, Iwa!" Oikawa shouts, standing up to the boy. Iwaizumi lets his eyes wonder on the floor because he said nothing but the truth.

"There isn't anything I can-"

He's heard enough. You've asked Oikawa many heartbreaking questions. They were all unanswerable, and it pained him he couldn't give you at least one. He was in pain as much as you were. He hated how stupid Iwaizumi was for leaving you and choosing to cower away. He hated how you blamed yourself and slashing your heart because of Iwaizumi.

The tension has set fire to Oikawa and with years of loyalty between the two, Oikawa throws a heavy punch to Iwaizumi, disgusted of his actions.

Iwaizumi, completely at shocked at Oikawas punch, steps back a few times before his blood dropped on his fingers. Oikawa walks straight to Iwaizumi capturing his collar and pulling the boy upwards, nothing but rage consuming the setter.

"Did you love her then? Don't tell me this bullshit that you can't go back to her. Do you even wanna know what she asks me?" Iwaizumi removes Oikawas hands from his shirt, crumpling it in the process. Oikawa lets out a sarcastic laugh as he looks at Hajime.

"Ah, so you know how much shit you put her through? Then maybe you are an asshole but god- Iwa she loves you so much. If that isn't a good enough reason for you to talk to her, then I'll find somebody else for her." Oikawa threatens as Iwaizumi lets out a sob, nothing but regret that he hurt two of the most important people on his life.

"But what if it happens again?"

Iwaizumi asks, it was the only thing that held him back for returning into your arms. He isn't stable enough to return when the fear lingers in his head. What if he falls out of love? What if he gets tired again? Then you'll never want his presence again. He couldn't master up the courage because he too was scared of it.

He will not go through dozens of years just to be apart from you. He's already lost his mind to see you and Oikawa face the tragedy that he left you with. He felt nauseated with himself. How can he promise you forever when it was out of his grasp?

"Why don't you find out?"

It was a simple sentence that left Oikawas lips yet it brought Hajime to tears. It would've been that easy. If he didn't stay with his demons, then maybe you were here to offset his heart. After 2 years, isn't it too late to realize that he's never really ran out of love? It strengthened, but he was so afraid of battling with you like you did, hating how he was the man who shattered your overall being.

"Thank you, Oikawa."

He whispers as Oikawa takes a seat beside him, smiling that he brought the boy to realize the amount of time he's wasted by being surrounded by doubt. Oikawa pats the boys shoulder, sighing in relief that Iwaizumi was back.

"Always."

-

You swore to avoid your phone the entire day. As much as you wanted to apologize to Oikawa for the outburst, you just wanted a day of silence since your thoughts never give you the chance. Not only did you promise to avoid technology, you decided to avoid people as well, promising to yourself you'd rather stay inside in order to avoid the envy you had for other couples.

So here you are, tucked in your jacket, wrapped in your blanket waking up from a 4 hour nap. You yawned before squinting when you open your phone. It's 8pm and your stomach was nowhere near happy. Slowly standing up, you make your way to the kitchen opening the fridge seeing absolutely no hope to make a meal. Sighing lazily, you decided it'd be best to just buy some food.

After getting ready, you step out of your apartment as you drive to the place where you usually order. You admired how the moon lit your way. Opening your windows you smile when the cold whiff of air instantly surrounded your car. You loved the way your hair flew in the wind while you listened to the song playing.

Once you've finished your bought dinner, you decided to take a turn in your path. Now that it was late at night, you couldn't resist to visit a place you've been missing.

You take in a deep breath as you leaned on the metal bar, loving the way the view still took your breath away. You were face to face with the nightlights and the busy town below you. Not only was it stunning but it was a place to recall some of your favorite moments with him now that you were out of your comfortless of an apartment.

"Sorry for being late, Oikawa was an ass." Iwaizumi excuses himself as he stood beside you leaning on the rod, smiling once he takes in the lights. He turns to you before removing his jacket and placing it on your shoulders, a sweet gesture that had you blushing every time.

You couldn't refuse knowing he would've scolded you. Instead, you stood closer to him before leaning your head on his arm. With his hand, he interlaced his fingers with yours, as your heart flutters. He takes in your hand, placing a gentle kiss on it as you did the same with his hand making him twirl you in satisfaction. You giggle before landing on his chest as he leans down and places his warm hands to your cheeks as he leans in to take your lips with his.

You immediately wrap your arms around his neck, reciprocating his kiss. He's given you hundreds of kisses before, how is this any different than the rest?

He pulls away, as your foreheads touch as you both painted a smile on your lips, feeling a slight tickle to it with how flustered you both were.

"I love you so much." He whispers, the first time he's ever let the three words slip from his mouth. Your hands make their way his hair, grabbing it lightly before nodding happily.

"I love you more, my Hajime."

Who knew that just by saying those three words, it was enough for you to believe in an ever after with him? Maybe you were wrong to fall for it even though he gave you a fragment of your so called forever.

You glanced beside you to see a vacant spot and you let out a disappointed sigh. You take in the sight of your fingers, missing the way it perfectly fit in his and how he held it with so much care, giving you an idea that he'd never let you go. Unfortunately he broke this bond but you still longed for his skin to be at contact with yours again.

You sat down placing your hand on the bench as you close your eyes leaning your back on it. You felt a shift of weight beside you, someone finally accompanying you in this lonely night but you've caught on the familiar scent of the stranger and you let the name slid off your tongue.

"Hajime."

He turns to you in shock that you knew it was him but you open your eyes, turning your head to be faced with the man you've been longing to see in two years. He looked the same, the same face who clouded your dreams. He was certainly your Hajime, the pretty boy you've adored since you were in high school.

Happy anniversary. You silently greet each other. How bittersweet, isn't it? What was meant to be your 6th year, turned into 2 years of avoiding each other.

And as you took in Iwaizumis appearance, he did the same with you. Loving the way your features clicked in his memory instantly. Was it even possible for you to be even more beautiful? To Iwaizumi, it was. He absolutely missed you, but why was his heart nervous?

What do I do? He asks himself. Small talk isn't what you deserved. God- you deserve so much more. Endless hours of talking, his embrace, his love, that's what you missed. He was willing to love you with everything he's got, now knowing he'll never run out of it because he isn't scared anymore.

"This isn't a dream is it?" You asked as you turn back to the sky counting the stars that was above you. He was glad you broke the silence, and he appreciated how there wasn't the same tension before. It felt so- serene and unique. Something he wishes it'd be a good sign for the both of you.

"I can't believe it either." He exclaims making you smile. You couldn't ask him how he's doing, not wanting to drag on a conversation you've waited years for to happen, you couldn't let it be bland and meaningless.

"We were something weren't we?" You asked with a soft smile. Iwaizumi chuckles beside you, as he sits closer to you. The cold air swirling around you two as well as the car noised filling in the comforting silence.

"God, I miss what that's like." Iwaizumi answers as you look at him. You looked down on the floor with tears appearing again, the same as Iwaizumi. You were both craving to hold each other but it didn't sit right to just rush into each other knowing there's so much to unpack.

Maybe it was a bit unexpected that you'd face him this way. Echoing through your ears was the conversation between you and Tooru about how the time never came. Now, you weren't even close to being prepared. You both imagined a proper conversation wherein you two would agree to meet up and talk things out. Yet subconsciously, you came to the same place at the same time not even knowing you'd meet. You lacked strength to bundle the words that you've always wanted to say to him and he felt the same way.

The last time you sat next to each other, that was when you parted. Now, back in the same position, it felt overwhelming. Seeing each other for the first time, both had you shocked and careful of your words. You wanted to scream how much you loved him, and he wanted to hold you in his arms to wash away the bleeding of your heart.

You loved how the universe made you two meet. It was quite painful that it had to be the place where you've shared so many memories with him. You didn't know if this was a blessing in disguise but you couldn't complain when the love of your life was here, beside you.

When he saw you, he felt like the sun shined above him like it did every morning. Where he had an angel to wake up next to, when he couldn't spot a single imperfection in your skin when the sun danced in your beauty.

And you've finally remembered the way his touch would bring you the assurance without words. His unexpected kisses, his sweet embrace, his smile that makes your heart run a marathon.

You're finally here. You both think, your hearts synced in how you've waited for this moment.

With your hand on the bench, he places his hand on top of yours, feeling like it was too fragile to hold but you didn't pull away. He takes in your features in the moonlight as his heart picks up the pace at the feeling that washes over him.

There isn't a barrier anymore.

Having the chance to hold your hand like this, he'll never take this for granted again. His everything, back in his touch, god how lucky he was. Remembering Oikawas words, one thing was clear to Iwaizumi, and that was the fact that he couldn't afford to have another hiccup in your relationship.

"We really fucked up this time." Iwaizumi comments making the both of you chuckle as he intertwines your hands with his, smiles on either your faces now that you've finally found the path to each other.

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Azula x female reader series: Part 2

You'd hoped after you confession to Azula on the Ember Islands things would improve in the Fire nation but Azula returns unchanged and still treats you as formal as ever...atleast from your perspective. Ozai on the other hand notices Azula's behaviour towards you and decides to do something to fix it sending Azula into a spiral.

Part one here

Part three here

Part four here

Part Five here

Part Six here

Tagged: @lucyrocks86​ @azulasprincess​ @daniplis​ @sunnysolincali​ 

I tagged some of the people who commented and requested a part 2! Hope you like it!!! :)  

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You were wrong about things changing. When Azula returned home it was as if nothing ever happened. She was the exact same with you and never mentioned the islands or acknowledged that you’d even accompanied her there. She met your eye as easily as she always did, none of the nervousness you’d seen when you told her your preference. You wondered if you’d imagined the nervous flustered girl when this professional calculating princess was infront of you. You carried on serving Azula as you always did, ignoring the dull feeling in your stomach unaware Azula had indeed been thinking about you, a lot, but was a master of hiding her emotions. 

Firelord Ozai had thrown a party to welcome his generals and war leaders and basically to show how strong the firenation was. It was one of the biggest parties you’d seen in years and so every single servant was needed including you, meaning tonight you were just a waitress serving the nobels drinks, you didn’t have to assist Azula. You didn't mind that and were suprised you felt that way but thought some time away from Azula might help you, Azula did not think so...

Azula’s POV

Azula was not enjoying herself at this party, sure there were pleanty of nobels to intimidate and Zuko to embarass but she just felt...off. She suspected it had something to do with the fact you were serving everyone and not just her, everytime she thought about it she got angry. She spotted you with a tray in a common uniform as opposed to the regal striking colours of her uniform and felt the anger rise again. "There were no other servants?" Azula asked her father bitterly. Ozai looked at her fleetingly and frowned "why does it matter?". "Y/n is my maid, my personal maid, she belongs to me, she’s not some common serving girl". Azula was agitated, she liked having you follow her, always near if she needed you but now you had other priorities. Azula’s father watched her and his frown grew "i didn’t know you’d become so dependent on her...that you cared for her". "I don’t" Azula said outraged at what that suggested. "You refer to her by her first name and you use that informality to talk to me about her, the firelord, if you hadn’t been looking at her I’d have no idea that was even who you were talking about, she’s a nameless servant to me but to you y/n". Azula felt exposed and quickened to correct her mistake "I’ve simply had her a while that is all, I am merely angry I am being inconvenienced while Zuko is allowed his servants" Azula explained attempting to shift her fathers focus onto Zuko, which cleverly almost worked but her father came back to the topic. "Perhaps you have had her too long, would you prefer a newer hand? You must be sick of her". Azula treaded carefully and calculated her words as she looked down "she’s the best servant I’ve ever had, that’s why she’s lasted so long, I would keep her". Azula made sure she kept her voice calm and casual, she had spoke confidently and without feeling but she still saw her father pause. "No" he said suddenly and Azula felt her stomach dip "I do not want you to keep her, you will be assigned a new maid on Monday". Azula swallowed, only 5 days away, that all she had? Why did that make her so uncomfortable? No scared, she felt scared. She was processing all this when she became aware her father was waiting for a reply and looked at him nodding her head slightly "as you wish father". "Since you claim so much ownership of her I will let you choose where she next goes" he told Azula "have an answer by Monday". Azula nodded bowing as her father walked away and stared after him. She breathed deeply trying to control the anger she felt, she wanted to scorch this entire room but she couldn't, instead she pressed her fingers tight into her palm until she could feel that more than her rage. 

Your POV

Azula was out of sorts, even from across the room at your post you knew Azula well enough to tell the signs something had upset her. She was usually put together, polite to the right people, calm and witty but she’d drank more than you’d ever see her do. She seemed to have no interest in talking to the important members of the party or even her friends for that matter, you watched from your corner as she snapped at Mai and stormed away angrily. She stomped onto the balcony and you watched her go. Your tray of drinks was empty so you went to refill it. You came back and edged to the balcony after making a discrete sweep of the room. Azula was leaning on the balcony with her arms staring down at the city below, her head low, You had no idea what was wrong but felt a pang to see her like that. "Princess" you said softly and Azula jumped before realising it was you "don’t you have a job?". "I do" you nodded "I thought you might need refreshments" gesturing to your tray. Azula shook her head and you turned the tray "there’s water in this one" you said pointing to the one at the back you’d kept hidden. Azula took it hastily without saying anything and drained it. "Has anyone noticed I'm gone?". You looked back to the room and shook your head "your father has retired and some have started leaving, most will follow within the next half hour, an hour at most". Azula groaned "I can’t wait that long! All these boring insignifcant people pleasers I have to listen to and smile at!". You understood Ozai put a lot on the princess. He always expected Azula to linger when he left, leave a lasting impression, spy on others and report it all back to him. You watched her worried "zuko is still here, you could leave it up to him for once?". "And let him get my father's praise?" Azula barked at you "I think not, no I will stay". You nodded at her, it wasn’t your place to question her "as you wish princess" and returned to the party. 

Azula was true to her word and remained until every single guest had gone. She hadn’t snook away like Ozai or Zuko, she stayed and kept up the family reputation. Azula kept up the facade despite the slight slump in her posture, and the hand that she pressed to her stomach and the paleness of her skin. You no longer had to serve drinks so were back to being Azula’s but as she hadn’t given you an order you just stood watching as she dismissed guests, willing them to hurry up so she could rest.                                                     

Finally the last group of nobels finished their conversation with Azula, thanked her for the invitation and left. The door closed and you gave a quick look around to ensure the other servants had the clean up organised and approached Azula. "Princess, shall i escort you to your room?". Azula nodded her head and you made you way to the private exits and opened the door for her. She followed looking down, eyes narrowed, her stomach making noises. She stumbled slightly and you offered her your arm. She looked at you with a frown and you looked away "there’s nobody to see and you know I will not tell, I am your servant". Azula took your arm and leant heavily on you. You were practically supporting her whole weight, despite her being taller than you, not that you minded. You reached her room and were let in by the guards. You sat her on a chair and brought her water. You lowered the lights, drew the curtains and made all the touches to the room Azula liked. Azula watched you softly and then groaned rushing to her bathroom. You followed and pulled her hair away, patting her back until she was done. Azula didn’t push you away or yell at you as she usually did to anyone who showed her kindness, she was too weak. You helped walk/carry her back to the chair and asked permission to prepare her for bed. She nodded and you helped remove all her jewellery and makeup, you tied her hair out of her face and laid out some clothes for her. You looked unsure from Azula to the clothes as she made no attempt to get up. Eventually she sighed "just help me into them y/n, i don’t mind". You were shocked but didn’t show it and helped her dress. Azula watched your behaviour carefully for any roamimg eyes or blush but you were in professional mode and she was almost disappointed. You helped her walk to bed and wrapped the quilt and blankets over her. Azula felt so helpess and weak, you’d just had to do everything for her, nobody had done that for her since she was a child. That made her angry, she hated being helped or needing anyone but the thought you soon wouldn’t be here to do that anymore made her forget her anger. 

You stood watching Azula and she realised you were waiting to be dismissed. "You may leave if you wish y/n" she said quietly and you nodded but hesitated "but will you be alright..?". Azula smiled softly, her eyelids heavy "you worry about me?". You nodded "of course princess so what if...". "Azula" she corrected you and you blinked suprised, she had never asked you to call her by her name here in the palace before. You composed youself and carried on "what if I stayed Azula to ensure you are okay, what if you need something and I am not here?".

Again some part of Azula’s brain was angered by that comment, she did not need anyone, but another part was touched you cared enough to worry about her, she realised she wanted you to stay and fuss over her. Azula nodded to you "stay then, you can sleep on the sofa". She gestured weakly to one nearby and you nodded taking a seat. "Take a blanket" Azula said softly and you were suprised but obeyed and took one from the drawer. "Do you require anything else or do you wish to sleep now Azula?” you asked. Azula shook her head “Turn off the light I want to sleep” and the room was evoked in darkness. Azula watched your outline in the dark go back to the sofa and watched as you laid down. She closed her eyes but saw your face and felt a pang knowing you’d soon be gone, away from the palace and her when she needed you. She needed someone she trusted, someone to care for her like you did. Someone, suprised as she was to admit, that she felt a fondness for. Azula never cried but for some reason right then with her father's order on her mind and you mere feet away she wanted to bawl. 

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I made a part two! I love writing for Azula, especially showing her normal sweeter side but it’s hard because I always want to make her really soft and cute but have to remind myself that not how she’d act!