#i promised to make these a while a go and I know it took me long

[half-of-a-gay]

PART 4 OF RUGBY VIKA X MANAGER READER PLEASEEEEE ITS SOO CUTE <\3

[A/N: You guys keep asking for this and I have a problem saying no so here you go. Enjoy!]

Links: part 1, part 2, part 3

PART 4:

Rugby player!Sevika x Team manager!Reader

The morning after the date starts slow.

You're in bed longer than usual, half-buried in blankets and replaying everything from the night before on a loop - the warm light of the diner, the way Sevika’s laugh had turned unguarded by the end of the evening, the brush of her hand finding yours. 

You try not to think about it too much. You try to school your expression and put on the best poker face you could muster. But the second you step into the coffee shop to meet your friends, you know you’re not getting away with anything. 

They’re already at a booth by the window, hands wrapped around steaming mugs, mid-conversation until one of them spots you and immediately smirks.

“Well,” she says before you’re even seated. “Someone’s looking suspiciously well-rested this morning.”

You slide into the booth and fight the smile tugging at your lips. “I’m just in a good mood.”

“Mhm. Spill.”

You hesitate for a moment. It’s not that you don’t want to tell them - it’s just that talking about it out loud makes it feel… fragile. But they’re your friends, and you did promise to fill them in.

“We went out last night,” you say finally. “Me and Sevika.”

You keep going, your words measured. “She took me to this old diner. Said it was kind of her safe spot. We just talked, ate pie, nothing wild. But it was… good. She was different than I thought she’d be.”

There’s a brief, telling pause. One of your friends glances at the others, exchanging a look that’s hard to miss.

“She didn’t even kiss me until I did it first,” you add quickly, almost too quickly. “She was actually kind of nervous.”

Another pause- longer this time. The weight of it hangs between you, and the air feels suddenly thick.

“I thought she ghosted you after the away game,” one of them says, their tone carefully neutral, but the undertone is there. It’s pointed. “Didn’t you say something happened, and then she just… disappeared?”

You feel your chest tighten at the reminder. Your hand wraps around your cup, fingers tightening around it, but you force yourself to stay calm.

“It wasn’t like that,” you insist, a little too forcefully. “She didn’t ghost me. She just… shut down for a while.”

“Isn’t that worse?” someone else chimes in. “I mean, you barely said what happened but we just don’t want you getting blindsided again.”

You stiffen. “It’s different now. She opened up. She took me somewhere that matters to her. I don’t think she does that with everyone.”

“Are you sure?” one of them asks gently. “You’ve had a thing for her for ages. You really think you’re seeing this clearly?”

You blink. The warmth from earlier starts to feel thinner. Shaky. 

Another one of your friends leans back in her chair, arms crossed. She’s quiet for a beat, then speaks slowly, as if weighing her words. “I don’t know… I mean, it sounds nice and all, but you’re talking about Sevika. The same Sevika who’s kind of known for sleeping around and disappearing when things get real? And, I don’t know, you really think she’s different with you? After all that… history?”

Her words are gentle, but they sting, the undertone of doubt there- unavoidable.

You shake your head, trying to keep your voice steady. “She’s been different. I’m telling you, she’s not what you think.”

They exchange another look. You know they’re trying to be careful, but there’s something in the way they’re looking at you- something a little too knowing.

“She’s got a reputation,” another says, a shrug in her voice. “It’s not personal, it’s just… you said yourself  she doesn’t let people in, right? How do you know she’s not running the same play she always does? Maybe that diner’s her move. Sob story, meaningful eye contact, pie, boom. Hooked.”

Your heart sinks, but you fight it. You’re not going to let them make you doubt this. Not yet. Not when you know, deep down, it’s been real between you two.

“She’s not like that,” you say, quieter now. You take a breath, then meet their eyes, more firm. “You don’t get it. Sevika’s… complicated. But I’m telling you, she’s trying. And she’s not the person you think she is.”

There’s another long pause. This time, the silence feels different- not like understanding, but like uncertainty. 

—

The conversation with your friends lingers in the back of your mind as you walk towards the field for practice. The buzz of the café around you fades, but their words, the doubts - they stick. You had been so sure of yourself before, so open, so willing to jump in without hesitation. But now, a voice in the back of your head asks: What if they’re right? What if you’re just another one of Sevika’s fleeting moments?

You push the thoughts away, trying to focus on the here and now, as you arrive at the field earlie like you usually do. The sun paints the world in soft, golden hues. The morning air is cool, a contrast to the rising heat of the day. It's quiet, just the sound of your footsteps echoing across the grass, your mind still tangled from your conversation with your friends. You tell yourself it’s no big deal, that you’ll shake it off, but a little knot of doubt lingers.

As you make your way across the field, you spot Sevika already warming up. She straightens when she sees you approaching. Her posture is relaxed,arms crossed, but there’s a quiet tension in the way she watches you approach. She’s early. You weren’t expecting her to be, since she’s late for practice. For a moment, you can’t help but feel a little warmth in your chest. That’s what she does to you - makes you feel like you’re the only one in the room, even when it’s just the two of you.

You step closer, the soft crunch of grass beneath your shoes the only sound between you.

A slow smile tugs at the corners of Sevikas lips as she greets you. “Hey,” her voice is low but warm. “I didn’t think I’d beat you here.”

“Neither did I,” you say, chuckling softly, though you can’t help but feel a little lighter in her presence. You don’t want to overthink it, but it’s hard not to. “How long have you been here?”

“Not too long,” she replies, not offering more than that, but the way she glances at you - just a little longer than necessary - lets you know she’s been waiting for this. For you.

There’s a beat of silence, and you feel the familiar stir of doubt creeping in. Your friends' words still echo in your mind. You try to push them away, but they linger, casting a shadow over everything. You bite your lip, not sure if you should say anything. You should just act normal, but you can’t help the way your heart stutters when Sevika looks at you like that.

You don’t say anything right away, just stand there in front of her, your eyes bouncing from her to the side and back, not quite sure how to act. It’s quiet, uncomfortably so. There’s an expectant hum beneath it . She doesn’t tease, doesn’t smile - just looks at you with that open, steady expression of hers that always makes it hard to hide.

"You’re being kinda quiet today,” she says finally, tone low, careful. “Everything alright?”

You hesitate. There’s a soft warmth in your chest at her asking, at the way her voice dips, gentle just for you. You nod, but it's shaky, uncertain. “Yeah, I just... stuff’s been on my mind.”

She doesn’t push. Just tips her head slightly. “Want to talk about it?”

You almost say yes - almost spill all your insecurities - but then your chest tugs and twists and you find yourself unable to loosen your tongue. Your mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

Sevika just waits patently, eyes locked on yours. You’re about to finally spit it out, about to open the door to the mess you’ve been carrying all morning - when the sharp crack of a cleat on gravel pulls your attention.

Voices. Laughter.

The sound of Sevikas teammates spilling onto the field bursts the quiet little world you'd just started to build between the two of you.

You blink, shoulders tensing. Like you’ve been caught. You take a step back before Sevika can say anything. “I- uh- I’ll see you out there.”

Her brows knit, confused. You don’t wait to see if she calls after you.

Practice is a blur and Sevika can’t focus at all.

Not on the drills, not on the plays, not on her teammates shouting out positions or the coach barking through a megaphone. She runs the plays, hits her marks, does everything right on paper- but her mind keeps drifting.

To you.

You, on the far side of the field, planner in hand, expression tight. You’re not watching her. Not like you usually do. Usually, you steal glances when you think she’s not looking- those little flickers of interest, that slight raise of your brow when her muscles flex. Sevika's always noticed. Always looked for it.

But today? Today, you're all business.

Eyes on the team. Voice clipped, efficient, distant. And Sevika hates it.

She catches herself glancing over at you again- fourth time in ten minutes. Her steps stutter. She curses under her breath and pushes harder through the drill, jaw tight. "Focus," she mutters to herself.

But she can't- not when something’s wrong and you won't even look at her long enough to say what it is.

On the other side of the field, you're trying to look like everything’s normal. Pen tapping the cover of your planner in a controlled rhythm. But your eyes keep drifting too. To her and worse- to the girl beside her- number 9.

A newer teammate, a year younger, shorter than Sevika but just as quick on the field. You’ve noticed the way she hovers around Sevika for a while now. Always close. Always laughing at anything Sevika says. Always “accidentally” brushing against her arm when they line up. And Sevika never pushes her off. 

You’d told yourself it didn’t bother you. That it didn’t mean anything. That Sevika’s body language was stiff- barely engaged. And besides who were you to be bitter about it, she wasn't even yours.

But you couldn’t help it. Today your chest is tight with every little interaction. Every time she stretches way too close beside her. Every time she leans in, grinning like she knows something you don’t.

And Sevika just stands there. Not encouraging it- but telling her to fuck off either.

It gets to you even if it shouldn’t.  Because you can’t help but think: Was there something between them?  Did she ever bring her to the diner?

You shake your head, trying to shove the thoughts down. Trying to focus on your job. On the team. On not caring.

But your eyes find Sevika again, just in time to see the girl laughing too loudly at something and resting her hand on Sevika’s arm- too casual, too familiar.

And the way Sevika doesn’t flinch- doesn’t shrug her off-  It hits you right in the stomach. You look away before you can let it show.

But Sevika sees your eyes narrow, sees the set of your jaw shift, and her gut twists. She doesn’t know what she did, but she knows something’s off.

The rest of practice blurs by in a haze of second-guessing and tension. And the secondit+s over, you’re gone. Your strides are long and brisk, head down like you’ve got somewhere urgent to be. You don’t. You just can’t be here. Not with the weight in your chest getting heavier every time you catch Sevika out of the corner of your eye. Not with that girl still smiling at her like she knows her. Like she’s been there.

Maybe she has. Maybe that diner wasn’t special.  Maybe  all of it was just another version of a thing she’s done before.

You feel stupid. You told your friends they were wrong. That Sevika was different. That what you had meant something. But now, with every second that passes, you’re starting to wonder if you just saw what you wanted to see.

She didn’t even pull away from that girl…

Across the field, Sevika sees you move. Sees your sharp exit, the set of your shoulders, the way your head stays low. And her stomach drops.

She doesn’t move. Just stands there, eyes fixed on the corner you disappeared around. Her hands flexing at her sides like she doesn't know whether to chase you or punch something. And the only thought running through her head is: Fuck. I messed up again.

Behind her, number 9 walks up and bumps her shoulder bringing her out of her daze.  “Hey, Cap,” she says, voice bright. “Drinks with the team tonight?”

Sevika blinks at her. “What?”

“You know. Post-practice. You in?”

She hesitates, eyes still on the space you just vacated. “…Not tonight.”

The girl’s smile falters. “Oh. Okay.”

Sevika doesn’t even offer an excuse. Just turns and starts walking toward the locker room.

—

Sevika sits alone in the locker room long after most of the team has cleared out. The only sound is the low hum of the overhead lights and the occasional creak of pipes somewhere in the walls.

She hasn’t moved in ten minutes. Just sits there, elbows on her knees, hands loosely hanging, staring at the floor like it might give her answers. But all she can think about is the way you walked off the field. And the way you refused to look at her. Her stomach churns.

What the hell happened?

The date had gone well. At least she thought it had. You said you had a good time. You wouldn’t have said that if it wasn’t true… right?

So what changed? Was it the diner?

She swallows hard, jaw tightening as her thoughts circle back there.

Was that too much? Too personal?

She wanted it to mean something. She thought it did. But maybe that was the problem. Maybe it scared you off. Maybe you saw too much of her, too much of the quiet, lonely parts and decided she was too much, too complicated.

She scrubs a hand down her face, leans back against the lockers with a dull thud. Her eyes squeeze shut.

She can’t remember the last time she felt like this. So off-kilter. You weren’t supposed to matter this much, this soon. But you do.

And now she doesn’t know what to do with herself. She replays every moment from the date again. The way you looked around the diner like it was magic. The way your fingers had brushed hers across the table. The way you kissed her so softly at your door.

She’d gone home that night feeling something she didn’t let herself name. Something that sat heavy in her chest and warm in her ribs. Now she feels like she’s watching it slip away. And she doesn’t even know why.

Behind her, there's a quiet scuff of feet and a soft thunk of a locker door.

Then a familiar voice- calm and too perceptive by half. “Hey.”

Sevika stiffens slightly. Looks up.

Ran.

They’re leaning against the lockers across from her, one leg crossed over the other, arms folded like they’ve been there long enough to read Sevika’s whole emotional state and draft a thesis on it.

But her expression isn’t mocking. Not this time. Just curious. Concerned. Sharp around the edges in that way only Ran can pull off without sounding like they’re lecturing you.

“You good?” she asks.

Sevika exhales, slow and tight. “Fine.”

Ran tilts their head, unconvinced. They sit in silence for a while. Sevika keeps scowling at the floor until– “...No.”

Ran’s arms loosen just slightly across their chest. They don't smirk, don't push. They’re reading the room, watching Sevika carefully like she’s a skittish animal ready to bolt.

“She left fast,” Ran says, voice even, like it’s just an observation.

Sevika’s jaw flexes. “I noticed.”

Ran shifts their weight but doesn't break eye contact. “Wanna talk about it?”

“No.”

After a long pause, she adds, casually: “She looked upset.”

That lands hard. Sevika doesn’t respond, but her eyes flick up- sharp, stung. Ran watches her reaction. Tucks the confirmation away without comment.

“I don’t know what I did,” Sevika mutters finally.

Ran nods slowly, arms still folded. “Date go bad?”

“No. It went—” Sevika breaks off, shaking her head. “It went good. She smiled. She kissed me. We texted after.”

“Then maybe it’s not about the date,” Ran says.

Their tone stays light, neutral. But they watch Sevika closely. Measure the way her brow furrows, the way her hands clench tighter between her knees.

“Could be something else,” Ran adds, “or someone.”

The shift is subtle. Intentional. She doesn’t say the teammate’s name. But Sevika’s body goes still.

Ran sees it but doesn’t press. Just lets the implication sit. A nudge, not a shove.

“Shit,” Sevika mutters.

And that’s all Ran needs to hear. They push off the locker, stretching lazily like they’re just making conversation. “Look, I don’t know what happened,” they say. “But if it’s important maybe stop staring at the floor and start figuring out how to fix it.” And just like that, they turn to go.

No judgment. No teasing. Just their usual quiet brand of tough love, dropped like a stone in the middle of Sevika’s spiral.

Sevika stays where she is for a few more seconds. Then drags both hands down her face with a groan, before reaching for her phone.

—

You’re halfway through changing when your phone buzzes across the desk. You don’t even look at first. You know who it is. You feel it in your chest.

Eventually, you check– Sevika. Calling.

Your thumb hovers over the screen but you don't answer. Not out of spite. Just… you’re not ready. Still too wrapped up in your own head, caught between doubt and guilt and god, I wanted her to be different.

The call rings out. The screen goes dark. You sit back against the chair, heart pounding, mind racing. You tell yourself it’s fine. That she’ll get it. That you’re allowed to need space.

But a minute later- She calls again.

You stare at the screen longer this time. There’s a weird ache in your chest. The same ache you felt after that night at the away game- when she pulled away without a word. When she vanished and left you scrambling, wondering what you’d done wrong.

And now you’re doing the same thing. You sigh. Run a hand through your hair.

Then you swipe to answer.

“…Hey.”

There’s silence on the other end for a second too long.

Then: “You picked up.” Her voice is rougher than usual tense, but quiet. Like she wasn’t expecting you to actually answer.

“Yeah,” you say. “I didn’t want to ignore you. I just… needed a minute.”

Another beat. Then she asks, cautious: “Did I do something?”

You close your eyes.

“No,” you say softly. “I mean- not on purpose. I don’t know.”  You pause, then add, “It’s not fair to make you guess.”

More silence. You hear her exhale through her nose.

“Can we talk?” she asks. “Like- really talk?”

You hesitate, then nod before realizing she can’t see you. “Yeah,” you say. “Okay.”

You don't know exactly what you’ll say yet, or how to explain the way your mind spun out all day over something that probably wasn’t even real. But you know one thing for sure: You don’t want to hurt her. Not like that. She doesn’t deserve that.

—

Twenty minutes after the call, there’s a knock at your door. You hesitate for a second, then cross the room and open it. And there she is- Sevika.

In a hoodie that’s a little too big on her, sleeves pushed up just enough to show the veins in her forearms. Her hair is still damp from the shower, pushed back messily like she didn’t bother with a mirror. Her jaw is tense, her mouth set in a line that tries to stay calm, but the twitch in her fingers gives her away. Like she couldn’t stay still after hanging up. Like she came straight here, nerves and all, just to make this right.

She looks beautiful. Your breath catches a little. Because somehow, she always looks the best when she’s like this- unguarded. Like she doesn’t know how fucking magnetic she is.

The hard line of her shoulders. The storm in her eyes. The rawness she doesn’t know she’s showing.

God, she’s too much.

“Hi,” she says, voice low and rough at the edges.

You blink, breath still caught in your throat. “…Hey.”

You step back. “Come in.”

It’s quiet for a while.

You sit on the couch with Sevika, the space between you charged with quiet tension. She’s waiting. Not pushing- just waiting. You take a shaky breath, looking down at your hands in your lap. You’ve been turning the words over in your head all day, but now they feel jagged in your throat.

“I know it’s dumb,” you start. “But… I saw you today. With her.”

Sevika’s eyes narrow slightly, not defensive- just focused. She knows who you mean immediately.

“That girl- on the team. The one who’s always- flirting with you. All over you.” You say it flatly, trying not to sound bitter.

“Oh,” Sevika says, voice low.

“And it just… got in my head,” you admit. “Because you didn’t push her away.”

Sevika shifts like she wants to explain, but doesn’t interrupt.

Your throat tightens. “And then I couldn’t stop thinking about what my friends- ” The words come too fast. 

You freeze. Eyes wide. You cover your mouth with your hand like you could shove the sentence back inside.

Shit. You didn’t mean to say that. But it’s out now.

Sevika sits up straighter, eyes sharpening immediately. “…Your friends? What did they say?” she asks carefully.

You look away. “Forget it.”

“No,” she says, firm but low. “Tell me.”

You shake your head, but she leans in- voice softer now, but insistent. You stare at the coffee table like the grain in the wood might save you. Then, reluctantly: “They said some stuff. After the date.”

Her hands are already curled into fists in her lap.

You rush to soften it. “It wasn’t like- they didn’t mean it like that. They just… they’re protective. And they remember how upset I was after the away game. And they think I’m-”

Your voice drops to a near whisper.  “-setting myself up to get hurt.”

That hangs there for a second too long. You look down again, swallowing hard. Sevika stills. Her hands curl into fists in her lap, slow and tight. And her jaw clenches so hard you see the muscle twitch. And when you finally glance up at her, her gaze is on the floor, her face holds an unreadable expression. But the silence is brutal.

She breathes in, shallow. Then finally says- soft, flat: “They think I’m not serious.”

You wince. “I’m not saying they’re right. I’m just- ”

“No,” she cuts in. “It’s okay. I get it. I know what I look like from the outside.”

You turn to face her. “Sev- ”

“I know what people say about me. That I’m cold, distant, not the relationship type. They're not wrong. I’ve always kept people at arm’s length, kept things short, casual. Easy to build a wall when no one expects anything from you.”

She swallows, jaw clenching.“So yeah, I get why it looks bad. Why they’d think I’m just doing it again.”

There’s no bitterness in it. Just cold honesty.

“But that’s not what this is,” she adds. She looks up, and her voice is rougher now. “I need you to know that.”

You don’t interrupt. You just watch the way her eyes shine more than they should, the way her jaw clenches like she’s holding something back.

“I’m trying,” she says. “I’m fucking trying.” Her voice breaks- just slightly. Her jaw flexes again. Her chest rises with a shaky breath, and her eyes flick down, then quickly away, like she doesn’t want you to see it.

But you do.

You see the way her eyes gloss over, the way her shoulders tense like she’s barely holding it together. Not crying, but on the edge of it. Misty and raw in a way Sevika never lets herself be seen.

And your heart just splinters.

“Oh, fuck,” you breathe, your voice catching. “I’m so sorry. I just-” You exhale shakily. “I got scared.”

You feel it more now- the weight of it. How unfair it was. The way her voice cracked. The way she’s sitting so still, trying not to fall apart.

“I let them get in my head,” you admit. “And that’s on me.”

She doesn’t respond, but her breath hitches. She blinks hard and presses her tongue to the inside of her cheek like she’s trying to choke the feeling down. Her hand in yours is warm and solid, but her fingers twitch, betraying the spiral beneath the surface. Then her eyes dart away, and you catch it- the tear that spills over before she can stop it.

She rubs it away with the back of her hand- rough and fast, like it embarrassed her just to let it fall. You reach up, gently, and brush your thumb along the other side of her cheek. She stiffens at the touch, but doesn't pull back.

You search her face. “You’ve been doing everything right, Sev. I just- got in my own way. And I’m so sorry.”

She blinks again. Breath shaky. Voice rough.

“I’m not good at this.”

You give a tired, self-deprecating little huff in response. “I’m not proving to be much better…”

“I mean- I let a couple offhand comments from people who weren’t even there outweigh everything I saw and felt that night. I’m not exactly winning any awards over here.”

Her mouth twitches, just barely. “So we both suck at this.”

You smile, just a little. “Yeah, well… at least it keeps us even”

She huffs something close to a laugh, but it tapers off fast. Her face still feels warm and flushed.  “Fuck,” she whispers, sniffling. “I don’t cry. What the hell are you doing to me?” A shaky breath escapes her, half a laugh and half something else.

You lean in until your forehead presses to hers, your hand cradling the side of her neck. Her eyes flutter shut. Her shoulders finally drop. And for a long, quiet beat, you just sit there. Forehead to forehead. Fingers tangled between you.

After a while you pull back just slightly, just enough to look at her. Her eyes are still red around the edges, still glassy, but she doesn’t try to hide it anymore.

You tilt your head. “Wanna stay a while?” You smile, small and warm. “We could… put something on. One of those bad action movies you like. Something with explosions and horrible acting. Preferably violent.”

She huffs under her breath, but there’s the faintest lift at the corner of her mouth. “Watch it,” she mutters. “Those are classics.”

You raise your eyebrows. “Mmm, sure. Deeply nuanced storytelling… Nothing says emotional range like twenty minutes of slow-mo gunfire and a one-liner about justice.”

“Okay, now you’re just asking to be kicked off the couch.” she says, deadpan.

“I’d like to see you try, big girl” you murmur, grinning.

She looks at you, eyes a little softer now. Like she can breathe again. And then you tilt your head, tone dropping low, teasing around the edges.

“I mean… your shoulder must be acting up again. It’s been weeks since you crawled into my lap whining about how you needed to be held?”

She groans immediately, dragging a hand down her face. “Fuck’s sake.”

You smile—just a little. “I’m just saying. You made a very convincing case last time.I’m just trying to be a responsible manager here.”

“Don’t,” she warns, but she’s already fighting a smile.

You don’t say anything. You just tug her gently down with you, guiding her head onto your chest. And when she follows- quiet, still a little raw- you don’t push or tease anymore. You just cradle her into your arms, wrapping them around her and letting her sink into you, like gravity takes her. 

And maybe that’s all they need right now- just this. Just here. And for it to finally feel like a beginning.

[raevpng]

in between (pt. 1)

paige bueckers x azzi fudd

requested by this anon <3

masterlist

summary: paige and azzi spending their quarantine together, and maybe realising their true, hidden feelings along the way.

a/n: hey everyone! as usual, it’s late at night i know but i just couldn’t get this out my head! i plan on making this fic pretty long so i decided to make this a two part fic! i hope you guys like this and as usual, let me know what you think <3

—

it feels like a fever dream, really.

the way azzi’s eyes widened at the news of paige visiting all the way from minnesota, the way azzi ran to her outstretched arms with no hesitation, the floral scent of her shampoo lingering in her sweater even when they pull away, the way azzi’s parents’ eyes shone with a knowing glint.

the sheer fact that paige was really here, standing beside her after long months of distance.

it was 2020. the world was just shuttering into stillness, the streets suddenly quieter, the air heavier with uncertainty – covid had flipped everything upside down, and when the commencement of lockdowns were first announced, paige didn’t hesitate — she knew exactly where she wanted to be.

she remembers pleading with her parents, voice earnest and slightly desperate over dinner. she argued that she hadn’t seen azzi in so long, that being apart felt wrong in a way she couldn’t explain. paige remembers whining and her solemn promises to to use her own allowance and paycheck for the tickets as well as to always wear a mask and sanitize everything in sight. it took a while and definitely lots of begging, but amy had finally caved after several facetime calls with tim and katie, who promised to keep her safe and fed. paige still remembers the way azzi had let out the loudest cheer when she heard the news, so loud that even her parents laughed through the phone.

it was familiar.

now, standing in the doorway of azzi’s house with a duffel slung over her shoulder, paige felt that warm, grounding comfort settle into her chest.

azzi walked beside her, fingers threaded with hers like it was second nature. she carried one of paige’s bags with her free hand while her parents followed behind them, chatting quietly.

“okay honey,” katie smiled, stopping at the base of the stairs, “i’ll let you two settle in while i finish dinner. call us if you need anything, or if azzi refuses to let go like the clingy little koala she is.”

azzi pouted, clinging tighter to paige as katie ruffled her curls. paige just laughed and nodded in response, heart warm and chest tight in the best kind of way.

azzi’s grip on paige doesn’t waver as they wobble to azzi’s small but cozy space, paige trying to suppress the soft, fluttery feeling she always seems to get when azzi was close to her.

“azzi,” she laughed, nudging her lightly, “you gotta let me go so we can unpack y’know?” paige laughs softly, her heart warming at the soft sound azzi makes as she separates from her, as if it’s physically hurting her to put even an inch of distance between them.

she mourns the loss of warmth of soft skin immediately, but decides to laugh instead at the younger who was giving her a tour of her bedroom as if she hasn’t been here several times before.

“i cleared this drawer for you,” she said casually, zipping open one of paige’s bags, “so you don’t have to go digging through your old suitcase the whole time.”

“hey!” paige feigns offence, snatching the bag from azzi’s hands to do it herself, “first of all, rude. second…thanks az, you really didn’t need to. i’m already crashing here for a while, i wouldn’t wanna bother you more.” she finishes, her sincerity making azzi’s eyes soften.

azzi froze for a moment, lips parting like she was debating something. her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve.

“you’re never a bother, paige.”

the words were soft. honest. and when she looked up again, her eyes were steady yet vulnerable in a way paige didn’t see often.

“besides…” azzi bit her bottom lip, like she was still considering if she should say it at all.

fuck it.

“i’ve really missed you. i always do, and i really need you here — with me.”

the quiet sincerity in her voice left paige momentarily stunned.

they’ve always been close – endless of facetimes till the dead of night, friendship full of inside jokes and subtle jabs that held an affectionate undertone. but even then, their friendship always lived in that in-between space, filled with banter and shoulder bumps, with rare, almost accidental tenderness. they didn’t really say things like this. they didn’t need to.

but recently, they’ve just been… more. more affectionate in their words, more affectionate through actions, and feeling that soft, fluttering feeling pools in their stomach… more.

and paige didn’t know what to do with the soft fluttering in her chest, or the way azzi’s words echoed in her head louder than they should. they always just chalked it up to the distance and the closeness of their friendship, but it’s easy to pretend that the blush in their cheeks when they get too honest is because of the lighting in their facetimes.

but standing here, in azzi’s bedroom, with azzi looking at her like that? yeah. paige didn’t think jokes were gonna cut it this time.

and the worst part?

she didn’t want to.

–

they settled into azzi’s room slowly, almost like slipping into a favourite, worn out hoodie – comfortable, familiar, something that felt like home. paige’s shared playlist with azzi sounded softly through her speakers, just loud enough to make the girls hum along yet still soft to let a comfortable silence breathe between them. the late afternoon sky was darker now, streaks of pink and gold painting the sky just above azzi’s dresser where paige was folding her clothes in.

azzi was laying on her stomach, her eyes crinkled in silent laughter as paige folded her clothes messily. “you fold your shirts so weird.” azzi teased, head tilted.

paige gasped, feigning offense as she clutched her chest dramatically, “i do not!”

azzi let out a snort, burying her face in her covers to muffle her laughter. when she looks up though, the atmosphere shifts noticeably as she meets paige’s eyes – so soft, tender, with an unnamed yet loving feeling swimming in her deep blue eyes.

the moment lingered, quiet, yet so full at the same time.

“hey,” azzi broke the silence suddenly, her voice softer now, “do you remember the first time we talked? like really talked, in facetime and everything?’

paige raised an eyebrow, amusement filling her features, “you mean the time you accidentally you called me cause you were trying to add me on snap?”

“okay first of all,” azzi groaned, hiding her face in embarrassment, “that was a very understandable mistake. second, you’re welcome, cause if i didn’t you wouldn't be here in my room hogging up my space.”

“uh-huh.” paige grinned, setting down the last of her clothes in the dresser, turning fully to face azzi, “i remember you getting so flustered you hung up after like, two seconds. didn’t even say hi or bye or nothing.”

“yeah because you looked too pretty and i panicked.” the words left azzi’s lips before she could catch them.

it was quiet for a beat, the soft hum of the fan and whatever song was still playing filling the air.

paige blinked as her heart stuttered. “what?”

azzi’s eyes widened, realization hitting her like a wave. she sat up slowly, avoiding paige’s gaze but not looking away entirely. her cheeks flushed the softest shade of pink that god – paige thinks it’s just unfair how pretty she looks. “i just mean… well yeah, you did. you looked really pretty, and i wasn’t expecting to actually see you face-to-face yet, so i kinda just freaked out.”

paige’s heart was hammering now, not from surprise, but from the way azzi looked at her with brown eyes so earnest – like she wanted paige to know the truth for once instead of hiding it in a joke. paige wanted to say something, knowing the silence on her end was stretching too long for it to be comfortable. so she blurted out the raw truth in her head, “i thought you were pretty too. still do.”

azzi looked up then, brown eyes meeting blue.

for a moment, everything else faded – the soft music, the buzz of the fan, the faint sounds of katie calling for dinner downstairs, it was still. it was just them, breathing in the same air, looking at each other like they had more to say but didn’t know how to say it yet.

paige let out a shaky laugh, chest tight, needing to defuse the tension before her heart gave out. “god, we sound like we’re in a movie right now.”

azzi grinned, that shy dimple that paige adored with everything in her making an appearance. “a really slow one.”

“the slowest,” paige agreed, nudging azzi’s leg with her foot, earning a soft smile from the other.

azzi paused, hesitation clear in her body language, but with rare boldness within her seizing her, she reached out and brushed a loose strand of hair behind paige’s ear, fingers lingering a moment too long on her cheek.

“but maybe worth it,” she said softly.

paige swallowed hard, the space between them suddenly feeling a little too charged, too electric.

“maybe,” she whispered back.

from downstairs, katie’s voice rang out again, jolting them from the moment.

“girls! dinner’s ready!”

azzi stood first, offering her hand to paige. she took it without hesitation, her fingers curling into azzi’s like they belonged there.

and maybe they did.

maybe they always had.

–

the dining room glowed with a warm light, scattered conversations around the table while paige and azzi settled to their seats which are, of course, right beside each other. the spread on the table was mouthwatering, paige’s stomach grumbling at the heavenly sight of baked salmon with roasted vegetables on the side, fresh garden salad in the middle, and a plate of steaming dinner rolls fresh from the oven. it smelled like home, like comfort, like everything paige had yearned for all this time, even if she didn’t know what it was yet.

tim sat at the head of the table, already two bites into his dinner with a satisfied groan, while katie flitted between making sure everyone had enough water and playfully scolding her husband for not waiting.

paige laughed softly, watching the scene unfold with a fond smile. she’d always loved being in the fudd’s home, similar yet so different from hers. louder in some ways, and softer in others, yet the unmistakable familial feeling settled in her chest, fondness overwhelming her as she watched the banter between azzi’s siblings and the teasing looks between tim and katie.

and sitting here now, thigh brushing azzi’s under the table, she felt it even more.

as they start eating, katie starts handing out food, “paige, want some veggies?”

before paige could even open her mouth to protest politely, azzi beats her to it. “yes, she definitely does.”

paige raised an eyebrow quizzically, nudging her best friend softly with her elbow, “damn, speaking for me now huh?” she teases, making the other stick her tongue out before plopping a few greens and baby corns on her plate.

“i just know you, that’s all. you need to be forced or else you won’t have anything healthy in you.” azzi teased, a little smirk tugging at her lips.

tim raised an eyebrow at the girls’ interaction, eyes twinkling with mischief, “you two have been awfully close lately.”

katie joins him with a soft hum, a small smirk forming in her lips as a light blush makes its way to the girls’ cheeks.

“we’ve always been close,” azzi replies, trying her best to seem cool and collected, choosing to ignore the heat in her face and instead reaches for a roll, passing one to paige without even looking.

Paige, on the other hand, seemed to have given up on trying, mumbling a silent thanks before stuffing it in her mouth trying to diffuse the stubborn blush that won’t go away.

tim just hummed in agreement, skeptical but clearly not wanting to push, “it has been a while though paige, we missed you around here! one of us more than the others.”

azzi just groaned at the implication, but paige smiled warmly at the confession. “well, the feeling’s mutual.” paige whispered, feeling a little bold.

and if azzi’s parents gave each other a knowing smile, paige didn’t notice.

not with azzi letting out a ragged breath while she reaches under the table to link her fingers with hers.

–

“your parents are crazy observant, huh?”

azzi looks behind her shoulder as she settles the dirty dishes in the sink, looking over at paige who was collecting the glass cups. “what do you mean?”

paige licks her lips, trying to decide how to phrase the mess of thoughts she had in her head, “i mean, they were just totally watching us the entire time.” azzi just shrugged.

“maybe they like seeing me dote on you,” she said with a teasing tilt on her head.

paige hums, “very true, you have been extra doting tonight. you want something don’t you” she narrowed her eyes suspiciously, making azzi laugh loudly at paige’s accusation.

“i have no idea what you mean, p.” azzi grinned, stepping closer to the blonde, “i’m just tryna be a good friend.”

“mhm.” paige hums, a bold idea popping in her head. feeling braver, she slips her hands around azzi’s waist, whispering in her ear, “you sure you’re not trying to make me fall for you?”

azzi’s breath catches in her throat, her heart beating so damn loud she’s almost sure paige can hear it. her hands slide to the other’s chest in such an instinctive way azzi didn’t know what to think of it. she learned in slightly, “maybe, and what if i am?”

it was paige who froze now, every ounce of boldness in her body dissipating at the reciprocation of azzi’s actions.

were they…flirting?

before paige could process the younger’s words, she stepped away suddenly, a satisfied smirk replacing the shy one that was there literally just a few seconds ago, knocking paige’s breath away.

“better get these dishes done.” she said, walking to the sink like she didn’t just completely flip paige’s world upside down.

paige stood frozen for a second, stunned.

what is happening right now? what is this feeling right now?

then came the oh moment.

“oh fuck, i’m so screwed.”

[dumbkiri]

𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐀𝐊 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐒 6

χα∂єη яισяѕση χ ƒ! мαιяι! яєα∂єя

ρℓσт: your vision of death haunts your dreams and the more you sleep, the more you see and feel. getting closer to the event, you know that xaden has something to do with your sacrifice. his choice between you and violet will either kill you or save you. and you don't know which choice leads to you living.

ησтє: again the timeline is different from FW and I need to change some things to fit you (our lovely mc) into the story that literally involves a romantic relationship between Xaden and Violet.

also! I don't know whether to make MC still have a complicated relationship with xaden or have her fall in love with another male in FW (bodhi, ridoc, brennan, etc) seriously there are a lot of males to choose from. so I'm leaving the choice to you, my readers! it's your story!

also since Amber Mavis signet isnt really a thing, I gave her an OP one, but girlie is dead soooooooo doesnt matter anymore

NOT PROOFREAD! WILL BE MISTAKES! LOOKING FOR BETA READERS! MESSAGE ME IF INTERESTED!!!

down.

down.

down you go. 

Fall and fall until your breath is gone. Only then will you ascend to be the daughter you were meant to be. A crown of light and a cloak of darkness is your fate to carry the rest to their gates. Maiden of the Moon, you are the daughter that tames the tidal waves. 

down.

down.

down you go. 

……

The moon. 

It’s always the moon that greets you it seems. With its blue gaze on your falling body, the slow motion of it all devours your aching wounds and swallows you inch by inch. You watched your kunai in your weak grasp painted in blood with a feeling of pride. Then regretfully your digits release it, your only weapon discarded in the sky as you begin to fall faster. 

The [f.color] kunai waved its goodbye to you and a tear left your eyes. Your choice of weapon has always been a dagger, and this unique one allowed you to use it as it was meant to be and as a fidget. You could spin your kunai with your finger while you study, spin it while you ranted to Imogen or while flights on Lenin took longer than usual. You remember Sloane begging for one of your kunais saying that they looked cool. 

You promised her that you would give her one when she proved her worth at Basgaith and bonded to a dragon. But you can’t do that now. They’re going to burn everything you owned, from your drawings, to your wooden figurines and now your daggers. 

You’re still falling? You thought that right about now, your body would have smacked into branches or trees. Maybe even a lake. Yet you felt your body freeze in the cold. Stagnant. Unmoving. 

Then your body jerked and you resumed your descent. All of this, your surroundings and your feelings felt familiar in an eerie sense. You’ve seen this before. When Bodhi accompanied you in your room. When you woke up crying in Xaden’s arms telling him how you died. 

You know this feeling all too well. The dread in your stomach and the wind whipping at your body. This is when you die and you know your heroic death scares you. Yet you knew why you threw yourself into danger and you closed yourself out. 

What was the danger, [Name]? What was the cause of your fall? What was Liam doing?

Xaden’s voice demanded answers and now this time you can find them. For now, he knocked you out of your acceptance. Here you are investigating your death and the cause of it. 

You forced the fear at the back of your mind, taking in your surroundings and watching the vision play. You willed yourself to pay attention to every detail despite this scene playing out your death. 

Someone is yelling your name. No, multiple people are. You can hear their voices carry in the raging storm, from females to males, to your own dragon. 

 Lightning streaks the sky in a rhythm you couldn’t follow. Uncontrolled. Right. It’s raining, actually pouring like a catastrophic storm and you took notice that you didn’t wear your flight goggles. It explains how your vision wasn’t actually smeared with rain drops. Just…fading out. 

You can hear the sounds of dragon roars and other roars that sounded similar but deeper in their throat. In the light the moon provided and the lightning striking across the sky, it was a full on battle in the skies. No sight of gryphons. 

They are out of the equation. Yet because of their lack of involvement, a chill ran down your spine. The sound of a wyvern and their screeching venin calling you out with a word that sounded like…witch.  

Move your body. Will your mind move your body if you keep yelling at yourself?

“Dagger!” 

You felt your heavy eyes watch the moon, too occupied with the feeling it gave you. A sense of completeness. Then the ghostly women and their whispers came back. Rushing in your ears, chanting their wicked words reminding you that you were going to die. 

down. down. down you go. 

Your story is over and your body started to feel numb with the cold rain that splattered against your exhausted figure. The danger…it’s still ongoing. You killed one. You know you did, yet another one lived. All that mattered was going after the one that went after your brother.

Liam. 

You sacrificed yourself to save him. What is the danger? Why the battle? Is it an exercise that went deadly? Or perhaps a mission that went south? Fuck, everything is all blurred in your head. The feelings of you experiencing the vision and the you of the vision confused you. 

It’s wyvern and venin. The you in the vision confirmed that for you. It’s not a training exercise, it’s not war games. It’s not a mission gone south. The two versions of you, the present and the future felt different from one another. 

The you now…you weren’t ready to die. You wanted to ignore this possibility. You wanted to live and see the plans Xaden had succeeded. You didn’t want to leave your siblings behind or leave your devoted dragon alone on the battlefield. 

But the you in the vision knew something about Xaden. Even the mention of him made the Vision you seethe with her teeth clenched tightly. Is it because she was mad at the ill attempt Liam made to save Violet. 

Violet. Now you know why Liam was in danger. Because of the bodyguard task Xaden gave Liam, your brother tried to help her. You stepped in to save him while he saved her from the present danger. 

“Dagger, wake up!”

You have to see if your sacrifice was in vain or not. You have to know that you died saving your brother. Your stomach twisted with a pain you couldn’t yet comprehend although that jolt of the unknown feeling made your eyes open wide. Then with your last strength to keep them open you saw a red dragon fly above you, with your cloak falling off of it like a blanket caught in the wind. 

“[Name]! Hang on!” Liam shouted above you and he seemed okay. 

He’s okay. Alive and well. 

You smiled in relief, feeling blood rise in the back of your throat and coughed it out with painful breaths. Liam is alive. Sloane won’t be stuck with you. She’ll have him next year, leading her through all the obstacles and trials of being a rider. 

“Dagger, wake up!” 

You can’t. Not even if you wanted to. Your body relaxed with the last of its energy leaving you and you knew this was your time. All of it spent to see Liam and Deigh safe and sound. You did your job. You protected your brother with your signet, allowed him and Deigh to escape the…escape what…what was the danger? 

Hmm…whatever it was….you don’t want to think about it. All you wanted to do was close your eyes and sleep. Yes, you welcomed sleep as the moon held you in its sad gaze. 

Your only hope is that your brother remembers you as the sister who loved him enough to sacrifice herself for him. Not as the sister who cursed at him or hated him at their last conversation together. Because he wasn’t to blame for your anger. 

No, you had to give credit where credit was due. 

…….

“[Name], I need you to open your eyes.” 

Xaden, voice strained and desperate, rubbed his thumb over the back of your hand. His gentle touch and his disheartened tone woke you out of your vision. Although you didn’t wake as easily as you thought you would. You groaned in your bed and tried to move your lips, but your body felt so stiff. You couldn’t even will your eyes to open.

At your discomfort, you felt Xaden clench your hand in his and his other hand caressed your face. “Hey, I’m here with you,” He encouraged, focusing on the furrow of your brows and tense jaw, “and you’re here with me. You have to relax, you’re not in danger.” 

You can still feel the sensation of falling. You hadn’t stopped falling yet. Liam. Remember me. 

“Remem…” Your eyes squeezed tighter, “Remember..me.” 

“I’m here with you,” Xaden repeated, his hand moving from your face down to your shoulder to shake you lightly. “Open your eyes, [Name]. I haven’t seen them in a week. Please let me know that you’re okay.” 

A week. 

“Dagger, take your time.” Lenin softly hummed in your head and his voice gave you the comfort you needed so badly. He was still here. Along with Xaden. You have to tell him what you saw. 

But you can feel sleep coming for you again, the unknown women’s voices singing all around you in their ghostly whispers. 

“Vision,” You mustered out, “Death. Me.”

“The same vision?” Xaden questioned and you squeezed his hand back for a yes. “Can you tell me what happened? A battle? Enemies? Anything.”

“Liam tries to save Vi…” 

Suddenly, you stopped speaking. Like someone sewed your mouth shut and you heard the women getting louder. A coldness hovered over your body and you let it embrace you. It wiped away the warmth from Xaden, muffled his words of encouragement. 

Your whole body relaxes, the grip you had on Xaden loosening up. Sleep has taken you in her hold again making you relive the vision in its entirety this time. 

……

VIOLET’S POV

“How is Lenin doing today?” 

“What do you think?” Tairn replied with annoyance thrumming in my head, his voice deeper in his agitation. 

“Sorry for asking all the time, but I’m concerned. [Name] has been in this coma for months. Xaden and the rest are more broody than normal and don’t get me started on Dain.” I focused on the spinning dagger on my finger watching it move smoothly and lethally. Well not in my hands, in [Name]’s hands this dagger moved like it had been an extension of her. She flicked this dagger with precise movements allowing it to spin on her finger, her knuckles or her bouncing knee. 

“Lenin sleeps all day!” Andarna added with her childish voice ringing in my head. And a quiet chuckle left my lips because this feathertail could tell me anything. Things Tairn obviously wanted my knowledge of it nonexistent. Although I could not ask about her. What Dain did to her. What Liam is going through worrying about his older sister. Saying he should have been hanging out with her more. Train with her. 

Then there was Xaden. My heart plummeted to my stomach seeing how he was holding up. Which is barely. He stuck to the shadows more often than not and visited her with Nolon any chance he got. Xaden spoke to Sgaeyl more than he did to his actual friends and team. Drifting off in his conversations with her and probably having her relay what Lenin knows, if anything at all. 

When Xaden came back, holding an unconscious [Name] close to his chest with his eyes searching for Nolon and healers, I could tell something had been terribly wrong. Even Lenin’s humming echoed throughout the flight field for days haunted my dreams. A man waiting for his…girlfriend to come back to him. A dragon waiting patiently for his rider to wake up from her dreams.  

“But he said she woke up for a bit. He’s trying his best to balance her.” Andarna chirped up. And I knew her hopefulness came from either Sgaeyl or Tairn. Getting the younger dragon not to worry about her sibling made more sense. Yet if Lenin truly did sleep for months just like his rider, he must be deteriorating in health. Neglecting his hunts isn’t something [Name] would want for her dragon. 

“Tairn, what does Andarna mean by that?” I ask. 

Tairn huffed, “It means she needs to stop bothering her brother. Cloak is dreaming, Silver One. It’s what you humans do when you sleep.” Yeah, he wasn’t wrong about that. I pushed the dream I had of Xaden and I to the back of my mind, drowning it in a pit. There is nothing going on between Xaden and I. Maybe just a bit, but with [Name]’s unexpected coma and the future trouble it brings to the Marked Ones…we haven’t actually spent any time together. 

“Well then, how are you and Sgaeyl doing? I haven’t felt…anything from you guys in a while.” 

“Our son is in a deep slumber and you think we’d engage in any sort of intimacy with one another while he suffers in his silence?” 

“Right. I-I don’t know why I asked that.”

“If you want Shadow to see you then make it happen. Don’t taint what I do with my mate with your ideas.” 

Then Tairn was gone. That was super embarrassing because that’s not at all what I intended to come out of the conversation. But he is right. Why would Sgaeyl, hopelessly protective of her son, want to have sex with her partner when her boy was suffering? In his silence, said Tairn. Lenin is keeping his parents out of the loop. This dragon wasn’t going to share anything with his parents until he had the full story. 

Then again [Name] has missed so much. She’s so out of the loop, I’m not sure I can tell her everything, especially Liam’s near death experience.  From Jack Barlowe kicking my ass, to me saving Liam then killing Jack for the whole fight. Channeling my signet. Liam channeling his signet. I missed her training me, I miss her glares and her insults. And the rare occasions when she would smile at me. I stared at the kunai with slouched shoulders and sighed loudly. 

“I need to apologize to her. If anything happens to her…I need to get this off my shoulders.” 

This meaning the blame I put on her for letting the unbonded in my room. The way I had her friends question her motives. 

I grabbed my flight jacket and stormed out of my room with quick and light steps. Surely Nolon will allow me to visit [Name] at this time. My boots barely made any noise on the steps leading to [Name]’s room. After months of monitoring her, Nolon gave the okay that she could rest in her room. Some people had access to her room while others were strictly forbidden to go near, like Dain and the unbonded. 

I kept close to the shadows on the wall, ignoring the light that came from the moon outside. Then when I found her room, I hurried over to the door and walked right in. Earlier in the months, when Nolon allowed [Name] to rest in her room, Xaden warded the room to certain people. Luckily, he accepted me as a trusted friend of [Name]’s. 

Her mage light flicked on right when I shut the door behind me and I sighed in relief. Her room always brought a sense of belonging for some reason. Like there was this constant safety blanket over me. Definitely not her cloak because that always washed over me like cold water. 

I slipped my jacket off and settled it down on a chair with a huff. Then I brought my attention to her sleeping peacefully in her dreams. She was covered in multiple blankets, her head surrounded by pillows. I’m assuming Imogen sleeps on the floor sometimes with those extras. Which means I better make my visit quick. Any of them could walk in and check in on her. 

I sat myself on the chair next to her bed and sucked in a deep breath. Come on, she’s sleeping. It’s better to do this than tell her when she’s actually awake. Go, Violet. Say it. 

“I’m sorry for making you suffer like this,” It’s the first thing that comes to mind. 

“I know that bonding to Tairn seemed impossible, like how everyone told you that bonding to Lenin was a crazy idea. They both weren’t supposed to choose us somehow. But they did anyway. You trained all your life to become a dragon rider, to live another day. I wanted to be like my father, a scribe. And now, here I am speaking to one of the most badass females I ever met in my life.”

Fuck, where am I going with this?

“I never wanted to be a rider, but when Tairn chose me. I don’t know, I felt like I proved everyone wrong. Like how you prove to everyone that you are a lethal rider with one of the biggest dragons. So I wanted to be like you. I wanted to fight like you, speak like you with confidence. To have a powerful signet. To have his attention like you.” 

Maybe I shouldn’t say that last part. My feelings for Xaden have to be kept to myself. 

“Anyways, I came here to apologize to you. I know you don’t remember, but when I bonded to Tairn I became a target. One night, someone let unbonded riders into my room hoping that they’ll kill me. I saw them for a brief moment like a shimmer when the rest attacked me. Xaden was the first to help me and when he questioned me with Garrick and Bodhi by his side, I let my words slip.”

Yeah, here it goes. The whole story. The truth and my guilt. 

“I told him that the person who let these unbonded in my room had a shimmer around their body. Like a cloak. That’s when he snapped at me, telling me that you would never do that to him. That your jealousy couldn’t have been that petty to put his life in danger. And I said that I saw the cloaked person leave like nothing. Bodhi tried to make sense of it, but Xaden’s fury was unmatched to any reason. He told them to meet you at your door after they woke up Imogen. He didn’t care about being seen with them, more than three because he needed to know. I saw the hurt in his eyes and I- I watched them leave after he made sure I was okay.” 

[Name] didn’t even stir at the information I decided to dump on her. No reaction to her peaceful expression. No twitch of her fingers or toes. Just the steady rise and fall of her chest. 

“Turns out, it wasn’t you. Imogen told us that your cloak doesn’t shimmer. Not after all the hard work you did to make it invisible to the eye. So with further investigation, Xaden and the rest pinned the blame on Amber Mavis after seeing her use your signet for her own gain. Her signet allowed her to copy others and she chose yours.”

I moved my eyes to her lips which parted with soft breaths leaving it. 

“She died. And you asked Imogen to erase your memories. Because your friends trusted me more than they did you. They trusted a word of an outsider more than the ones that left your mouth and you are technically family to them. I wanted to apologize way earlier, but Lenin had other plans. Imogen and Bodhi told me that you would refuse to teach me anything if you knew the truth. So I kept my mouth shut.” 

I reached out to her uncovered hand and held it in my own. Is it bad to say that I missed when she would grab my hand and flip me around on the sparring mat? I need her back to keep me going, to teach me everything she can. 

A groan snapped me out of my trance and I looked up in surprise to see [Name]’s eyes flutter open. For second, her blue eyes changed to lilac. The pretty purples looking around her room then shutting them again. When she opened her eyes again they were back to blue. 

“Vi…Violet?” She sounded confused and her grip on my hand tightened. 

“[Name], are you…are you really awake?” I asked dumbfoundedly, perhaps thinking I was in some kind of dream too. 

“I think I am,” She said in a whisper, not believing that she was either, “How long was I out for?” 

How should I let her down easy? I hummed and said quietly, matching her volume, “Well in two days is the Reunification Day. Uh, it’s been months, but don’t worry you didn’t miss a lot.” 

“Alright then,” [Name] calmly responded and released my hand. I was expecting a harsher or more dramatic response, but she seemed withdrawn. I don’t think I was the first person she wanted to wake up to. 

“I can get Xaden for you, he’s been waiting for you to wake up ever since the challenge with Dain and that other third year.” I say, hoping to get her out of her bed or to get more of a reaction from her. Instead she looks at me with tired eyes and says, “I’ll be alright. I’m going to sleep some more.” 

“No!” I shouted and jumped up from my seat, “What happened to you? You know you can tell me anything, right? I promise I can get Xaden here in a second. He really wants to know that you’re okay.” 

Quickly I reach out to Xaden, closing my eyes tightly and searching for him, “She’s awake! You have to get here quickly!” 

“I’m on my way! What has she said?” Xaden responded instantly, his voice sending shivers down my spine. 

“Nothing, but she wants to sleep some more!” 

“Keep her awake, Violence!” He ordered. The nickname, I haven’t heard him call me that in some time now. 

I opened my eyes and felt creeped out by how intensely she was staring at me. Then [Name] sighed, turning her back on me. She pulled her blankets higher, up to her shoulders and snuggled into her pillows. 

“Don’t worry, Violence,” [Name] said almost in a mocking way, “I will wake tomorrow. I’m almost done seeing how everything turns out.” 

Then she closed her eyes and fell right back to sleep. But I stood in my place absolutely dumbfounded by her choice of words. Violence. Seeing how everything turns out. Her words seemed to ring with truth, not some kind of joke. Or the delirious waking of her coma. 

[Name] Mairi is going to wake up tomorrow. And she’ll know how everything will turn out. 

“Tairn, how is Lenin doing now?” I asked and three beats of silence went by before I got my answer. 

“He’s waking up with a few changes to his appearance.” 

Great, now I need to know how this happened. 

..............................

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬:

@luvly-writer @blueeclipsepaperstudent @honethatty12 @poeticbookwormcat @cheappremingerfromdelululand @eep500 @littlepippilongstocking @86laura11 @lxnvmvrzx @what-will-be-your-verse @sheblogs @fangirling-galore @callsigns-haze @side-angel @faeofthemoonandstars @jesschalamet @abysshaven @bisexualbitchsgotass @books-hlmc @r0sluvs @galaxystern08 @bwormie @littleemissperfecttt @lagrandeourse @steph-fowlie

if I missed anyone, please let me know! Send me a DM or something because I lose your names in all the activity! Making me go fishing for y'all

[star-suh]

Lights, Camera, Action !

Park Jisung x Male Reader

cw: camboy park jisung his nickname is song, big dick jisung (11”), established relationship

—

park jisung or song – how is he known in the av world – is a famous content creator, he’s always on the top of users on the platform. many people would ask why that is. it only takes some clicks to realize why – an 11 inch dick hanging in between his legs – is massive, girthy and veiny. it’s like a dream for the people out there, they want it inside them claiming they can take it all.

-”please let me ride it, i promise i’ll take it balls deep” he read in one of the comments on his livestream.

-“hahaha guys i’m not planning to do collabs, just solo things for now”.

crying emojis flooded the chat, why is he forbidding everyone the pleasure of touching and feeling such massive meat. it’s a question that every subscriber and fan asked themselves, if he did collabs he would escalate spots and be the number one on there. would be a lie to think he hasn’t thought about it but he doesn’t wanna do it with anyone he has just one person in mind, his boyfriend.

they met back when they were living in the university dorms, as a way to pay his fees jisung took advantage of his little friend down there an opened an account on the website, the first video was of him just jerking off, ‘first video’ was the title of it and it quickly gain recognition in between the platform users. ‘so big’, ‘i need him so bad’, ‘until the room stinks’ were some of the comments he received.

the next video was of him squeezing an entire little bottle of lube, coating his shaft in beads of the liquid that rolled down towards his balls and made it glisten in the light. moans and little whispered fucks can be heard in the recording, once again the video was a hit for him, making subscribers eager to know when the next video is gonna be reuploaded. in one of his recordings he made loud noises that disturbed the student next door, yn, who angrily storm his way out towards his neighbour. he opened the door without knocking catching jisung spurting ropes of cum all over his body, he has a ski mask on – to have at least a bit of animosity – after he rode his high he turn his head to the side to see yn standing there, mouth agape and in shock. he just saw jisung orgasming but not only that, he saw that big ass dick hard as a rock. 

“what the hell jisung?” he said surprisingly, a whispered shout, closing the door immediately.

“why do you think i’m jisung?” the man questioned, trying to act fool. “these aren’t shared dorms dumbass” yn turned around breaking eye contact, face flushed and his dick threatening to get rock hard, “cover that monster please” he says as he leaves the room leaving a dumbfounded jisung lying on the floor, tired, “ahh shit i feel so tired to get up and clean myself” he uttered while staring at the ceiling.

next day was awkward between the two jisung apologized for the situation and yn did the same because at the end of the day it was his fault for not knocking first. “ok then but you have to accept my invitation to go eat something”, “i would accept but to be honest i don’t have enough money right now” yn muttered lowly, ashamed. “don’t worry, it’s on me”.

days turned into weeks and weeks into months, the dates became something regular in between them, in one of them jisung confessed to yn how he gets all that money and the av job he had now. “are you disappointed in me?” jisung asked –pouting.

“uhmm… i’m not. it’s your life man do whatever you want as long as it doesn’t affect your well being” jisung looked at him surprised, “besides… you umm… have a really nice thing down there” yn look everywhere around but jisung, his cheeks turning into a pinkish hue, the same happening to jisung, “thanks i guess”. next thing they knew was them on jisung’s bed letting all the steam and sexual tension go.

soon jisung asked yn to be his boyfriend and he accepted, jisung’s content creator side job wasn’t a problem at all for yn because after all is just videos of him stroking his dick. they can fantasize all they want about it but would never have it.

“come on baby, let's do it”, jisung tried to convince yn, “i'll put a ski mask on you too, no one would know it's you”. “i know jisungie but i don't know, you're fine doing it as a solo. what if they stop supporting you because they're seeimg you fucking someone else” he sighs, “their fantasy would fall down” he adds.

“i don't really care prince, plus, this is what they want” jisung walked closed towards yn, handps gripping and kneading yn's ass, “they'll go crazy seeing this slutty ass engulfing 11 inches. such a hungry pussy, almost ☆☆☆☆ if you ask me”. he kissed yn's neck then went up towards his lips brushing them with his tongue. yn opened them up letting him go inside and explore it with it. yn uttered a little "okay” agreeing to do it.

jisung was setting his camera ready while yn got ready when a notification popped up, someone just subbed to his page. happy he opened the app cheering a bit, he opened the camera of the app to record a thank you video for his followers. “are you ready?” yn came into picture, with the black ski mask on him and wearing only a thong, the piece of clothe was so little that the backside was barely covered, it was just a finger-thick string that sat pretty right in the middle of yn’s hole.

“fuck, look at this” jisung smacked his ass, “are you so eager that you are already eating the thong?” he said pulled the string to then let it go smacking yn's hole, drawing a moan out of him”. jisung didn't remember that he was on the platform's camera, he was ready to press the record button when yn sat on top of him, making him slide his finger setting to the live button. he then pressed the red button thinking he was recording.

*SONG IS LIVE* 

song and his boyfriend were making out not noticing the live chat, in their minds they haven’t started recording yet so why bother checking out?. 

-”damn he decided to do collabs”.

-”me next”.

-”finally an ass is bouncing on that pole, we cheered”.

-”so hot, i’m gonna nut so hard!”.

his followers were going crazy, jisung’s heavy dick staying still in between yn’s cheeks, a fat drop of precum forming on the tip. while they were kissing jisung applied oil on both yn’s ass and his dick making them shine. yn pulls the string on the thong up so there’s nothing in between the warm, throbbing dick of his boyfriend and his pulsating, eager hole. then he releases the string for it to fall and stays taut on jisung’s dick, securing it. the string working overtime trying to hold in place such a thick piece of meat.

the precum started to roll down his shaft, landing on yn’s hole. coating it with the clear substance, mixed with the lube poured before. “ufff” yn sighed, eagerly to take the first inch inside him. their fucking is always tortuos for them, not because of the pain but because they have to restrain themselves –yn wanted all of it inside at once while jisung wanted to fuck his brains out. the tip is already inside, loads of precum coating yn’s walls. the head making its way inside in charge of stretching so the rest of the dick could enter with no problem.

yn’s insides stretched to the max, every inch that entered hurt like hell but iit was delicious, a pain that yn loved, soon it will turn into pleasure anyway. sinful noises coming out of his hole, engulfing his partner’s cock, the viewers going crazy in the live chat.

-”woah look at that, he could take it all”.

-”craving that boypussy”.

“you’re taking it like a champ” jisung praises, kissing the pain away –his lips covering the other’s collarbones with kisses and some hickeys here and there. finally jisung bottomed out, his dick bulging the other’s tummy. “tell me when to move” jisung reassured, smacking both his hands on each oiled cheek leaving his handprints on there, then grabbing a fistful to jiggle them around his cock, yn whimpering thanks to the sensation.

-“he definitely trespassed his second hole”.

-”the perfect fleshlight”.

some viewers said on the live chat. “you’re being so good for me” jisung mutters, “a good cocksleeve”. “your good cocksleeve” yn corrected him and kisses him, his tongue licking jisung’s lips. he then moved his hips, rocking them in a circle motion, squeezing his hole around jisung’s throbbing cock. “fuck prince keep doing that” jisung expressed, his hands on yn’s hips to guide him. the bulge on his stomach moving along with each movement. jisung locked his arms around yn’s torso to keep him steady and he started to thrust upwards slowly at first but the pace started to accelerate little by little. his thrust went from slow almost sensual to fast, brutal ones. 

-”is he a bottomless pit? how is he able to take all that?”.

-”I’M CUMMING FUCK!!”.

jisung withdraws his dick leaving just his swollen head still inside, then gripping yn’s hips with force he sank him down his rock hard meat. a guttural moan came from yn’s mouth, every viewer excited about the show their looking at. “fuck, love this greedy boypussy” jisung grunts, “so eager. starving for my big thick cock”. “whose this pussy belongs to?” jisung jiggled his globes with his veiny hands, nails being buried on the skin, “belongs to you baby” yn whimpered. once again jisung pulled out leaving only the tip inside and made another brutal thrust, yn’s body jerked due to the overstimulation. thankfully yn could handle jisung’s dick if it was another person they would surely be broken already. 

yn’s hole clenches on it, with all the strength left in his body. the lube turning creamy white for all the friction created by the merciless thrusts given by the top. “milk me dry baby. swallow it all with your whore boypussy”. yn kissed him while putting his hands on jisung’s shoulders –to gain leverage. then he plops himself on top of jisung leaving him the rest of the job, using yn like a toy to pursue his orgasm.

jisung used yn’s hole like his cocksleeve, giving him gently thrusts that signaled he was close, “cum with me”, jisung uttered latching his lips on yn’s nipples while one of his hands coated in spit jerked him off. yn’s body trembled, being stimulated on both sides was overwhelming him but he loved it, especially if it’s jisung doing it. the top pulled out, giving his cock a few strokes that made him spurt his sperm, ropes of it were expelled like a fountain, covering yn’s back and glutes. meanwhile in the front yn’s sperm was being scooped by jisung who then smeared it on his softening cock to put it inside the bottom, “cockwarm me baby” he demanded and yn nodded.

“we got carried away that i forgot to record” jisung laughs and stares at his phone, his smile fading immediately when he saw the live sign on red, “oh fuck” he uttered quietly. “umm guys, i hope y’all liked it, it’s a teaser of what is coming next on my page so stay tuned” he managed to disguise his concern as if everything was planned. it worked tho, his followers were loving his content even more, now they can see that 11 inch cock in action, drilling on poor asses that are brave enough to take it.

[captivating-flavors]

sober | caleb

pairing: college au caleb x mc/non mc reader

prompt: -

summary: he wished you'd been sober when you'd done it.

words: 1,425

warning(s): slight angst? but not really?

a/n: i was relistening to this and got inspired so here it is. and slight fluff bc i need to reset before finishing the sylus angst ive been working on lol reblogs, comments and feedbacks are much appreciated <3

masterlist

“Can you come pick me up?”

The moment those words left your mouth; Caleb was already rushing towards the door despite still being in his sweater and sweats. He took his jacket off the coat hanger and shrugged it on before walking out the door.

You told him a few hours ago that you were going out with a few of your college friends and that you had planned on going to dinner and having a few drinks after. Caleb had already expected that you would be inebriated by the end of the night and that he would have to pick you up.

It was mid-spring so it wasn't that cold anymore, and he figured that dashing over by foot would be faster than taking his car. So, that's what he did. He may or may not have chosen the former so he could have you closer to him, but you probably shouldn’t know that. He eventually got there in a few minutes since it wasn't far from the apartment two of you shared, somewhere off-campus but close enough.

He eventually got to you and saw that you were sitting on a bench in front of the restaurant, alone. You had your hands outstretched upwards. You had one eye closed and the other squinting at the streetlight peeking through between your fingers. He swore you’d never looked so endearing.

He saw you turn your head at the sound of his footsteps and flashed a wide grin at him.

“Oh? It’s Caleb!” Your cheeks were flushed and words slightly slurred.

Caleb stood in front of your sitting form, “Yes, it’s me.”

“You came.”

“Of course. You called.” Caleb shrugged off his jacket and draped it over your shoulders then proceeded to crouch in front of you.

“Thanks. How did you know I was cold?” You had your forehead scrunched in confusion.

How cute.

“You’re always cold, Pip-squeak.”

You laughed, “I guess I am. But I’m glad I have you to always warm me up. You’re the bestest friend anyone could ever ask for.”

Ah.

Caleb would be lying if he said it didn’t sting every time he was reminded of where he stood in your life. As your friend. Your best friend.

He used to be so proud of that title. Being your best friend meant the world to him. After all, you had been the center of his world ever since you grew up together. But at a certain point, the title he once was so proud of having felt like a stab in the chest.

He knew he had feelings for you. He didn’t know when it started, but it was pretty much a given since you had always been the center of his world, the only one who kept him going.

There had been a few times where Caleb almost acted on his feelings. Keyword being almost. He wanted there to be something more between the two of you, but he couldn’t even fathom the thought of losing you if things went sour. So, he didn’t want to risk it, which led him to make a promise to himself that he would never be the one to make the first move. You had to be the one to make the first move.

So, for now, all he could do was stay by your side, trying to be content with the title he’d always held.

The cold hands cupping his cheeks brought him back to the present.

You brought your face closer to his, which prompted his eyes to widen and his cheeks to heat up, “I love your eyes. They look like…” You paused as if to think of the right comparison, “A universe.”

Caleb opened his mouth to say something but you continued, “But you’re my universe, Caleb.”

You then proceeded to lean forward to press a gentle kiss on his lips and lingered for a while. Caleb’s brain immediately short-circuited and the heat that rushed up his cheeks were now also felt on his ears, along with the sound of his pounding heart. He was over the moon, but it would be a lie to say that it your actions did not catch him off guard.

He felt you pull away too soon, before he manages to deepen the kiss. You were smiling as you were looking at him whilst also still keeping your palms against his cheek, “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Me too.

The words were about to roll off his tongue, but he stopped himself as he noticed the slightly hazy look in your eyes. You were sobering up, but you still probably won’t remember this in the morning. He could’ve taken advantage of the moment, but he didn’t. No, he opted to slip into the role of the kindhearted boy from your childhood instead.

The words that actually came out of him next were soft and slightly murmured, “I wished you’d been sober when you’d done that, Pip-squeak.”

When you didn’t respond–as you didn’t actually hear what he said–he took your hands off his cheeks and held on to them for a moment, “C’mon, let’s get you home.” Caleb tugged the hood of his jacket over your head and turned around, motioning for you to get on his back.

You stood and wrapped your arms around his neck, resting your head on his shoulders, your hair spilling out of the hood of his jacket and brushing over his shoulders. He stood, placed his hands on the back of your thighs for support and started walking.

The night was relatively quiet, aside from a few cars passing by every few minutes or so. It was peaceful and it felt like it was just the two of you under the streetlights as he carried you on his back. He could feel your heartbeat against his back, and he could only wish that you couldn’t hear or feel the pounding in his chest, which eventually made its way to his ears too.

At some point, Caleb felt you shift and nuzzle your head on the crook of his neck.

“You good?”

You hummed in response before mumbling, “My nose is cold.”

“Hang on. We’ll be there soon.”

You proceeded to murmur something, which he couldn’t really decipher.

“What was that, Pip-squeak?”

“You smell like soap.”

“Yeah? Well, I got your call not long after I just got out of the shower.”

Your response came a bit later, sleepiness evident in your voice, “Thanks for coming to get me.”

“You know you’ll always have me.”

He felt your breath evening against his neck and figured you fell asleep. He eventually reached the apartment building and carried you into the elevator. After struggling for quite a bit, Caleb managed to punch in the code to the apartment whilst still carrying you, but his struggle had awaken you from your short nap. He walked over to your bedroom and laid you down gently on your bed. You kicked your shoes off and tossed them on the floor before pulling the covers over yourself.

He walked over to the cabinet by the window and grabbed an aspirin, along with a glass of water before handing it to you.

He sat on the edge of your bed, “Here. So, you won’t come complainin’ tomorrow about how your head hurts.”

You groaned and turned away from him, shutting your eyes, “I don’t want it.”

He sighed and opted on putting them on the bedside table instead, “Alright. I’ll just put them here in case you change your mind.”

“I don’t want it. I have you to take care of me if it does hurt.”

“That you do, Pip-squeak.” He chuckled as he brushed a stray strand of hair away from your face, “Sleep tight, Y/N.” He added as he headed towards the door.

“Caleb?”

He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at you, “Yes?”

“Can you stay with me tonight? I’m still cold.”

Caleb walked back over to the side of your bed to have you gazing up at him and saying, “Please?”

He sighed, not because he doesn’t want to do it, but because the fact that what happened earlier probably didn’t mean as much to you as it did to him was already too much for him to handle. But he was never strong enough to go against you, wasn’t he? So, he relented.

“Alright, scoot over.”

You buried your head against his chest as he wrapped his arms around you, “Better?”

“Much. Good night, Caleb.”

“Good night, Y/N.”

-

taglist: @mayooness

[requiem-for-a-raisin]

Victor - The Abstinent Beast Devours Love Story Event

*Fan translation for funsies! IP owned by Cybird, translations are my own and may be inaccurate. 18+ MDNI. See About page for more info.*

:readmore:

Since I started dating Victor, I've been facing a problem.

Neema

"Oh, Vic… tor..."

The quiet room echoed with the sound of our breaths and bodies. His long hair hung down like a canopy, hiding only me. I clutched at him desperately, squinting at the beads of sweat that fell from my eyes.

Victor

"Neema."

Neema

"Ahh!"

The moment he dug deep inside me, my mind went blank.

(This is definitely a serious problem...)

Neema

"Victor, I need to talk to you."

I reluctantly got up and sat on the bed, the ache between my legs still lingering. My voice was hoarse, and every muscle in my body was screaming in pain.

Victor

“What is it?"

He sat up and looked at me with a gentle gaze.

Neema

"No sex for a while!!"

A problem I faced after starting a relationship with Victor.

The reason was that my nights with him were so good that I lost my stamina, and by the time it was over I was exhausted and unable to move.

(After he had made me cum so many times, I thought I had reached my limit, and then the real thing started.)

After most of my strength had been taken, I finally took his heat.

Victor

"・・・・・・・・・"

(I understand Victor's thinking, though...)

Given our size difference, I need to be well prepared to accept his heat. I know that he is so careful to prepare me because he cares for me more than anything, but even so…

Neema

“I don't have the stamina ・・・・・!'

This was two weeks ago.

Victor

"Well then Neema, good night."

Neema

“Yes, good night."

We get into bed and I fall asleep in his arms.

Victor was keeping his promise again today, and I was both relieved and in agony over it.

(I've never seen him not do it for two whole weeks・・・・・・)

The look on his face when I had issued the prohibition was the very essence of despair.　

Although he understood the reason, I felt so sorry for him when I saw how sad and dejected he looked. I secretly started training and working hard to build up my physical strength and improve my stamina.

(I'm slowly but surely getting stronger, so it should be okay.)

I feel like I won't be able to bear it if we don't do it any more, so I rubbed my cheek against his chest.

Neema

"Um, Victor."

Victor

"Hmm?"

His eyelashes flutter, and his beautiful jewel eyes catch my gaze.

Neema

"Well, today..."

Victor gently strokes my head.

Victor

"Don't worry, I won't do it today either."

Neema

"Huh?"

Victor

"I was so happy that the woman I loved had finally fallen for me, and I got carried away."

Victor

"I didn't think about the burden it would cause you... I'm so sorry."

Neema

"It's my fault, Victor."

Victor

"No, it's my fault. I'm sorry, Neema."

I want to feel the joy of being with the person I love forever, just like you.

Neema

"Victor."

Victor

"Huh?... Hmmm."

I gather up my courage and steal his lips.

Victor blinks in surprise.

Neema

“I've been training for the past two weeks.”

Neema

"I'm sure I've gotten stronger than before, but..."

Before I can finish, my lips are taken away by him, and I am intoxicated by the deepest kiss I’ve had in a long time.

Just as my head started to get fuzzy, Victor let go of my lips, got up, and grabbed both of my legs.

Victor

"Let me tell you something you are misunderstanding.”

Neema

"Eh, ahhh?"

He pushed my underwear aside and brought his face closer in between my legs.

Victor

“It's not really an elaborate preparation for me to make you cum until you are a mess."　

Victor

“I have been pushing you because your face when you cum is so cute, and I always want to see it more.”

I was grabbed with such force that I couldn't escape even if I wanted to. The tip of his tongue finally poked at my sensitive bud.

Victor

"I haven't seen you for two weeks, so I think I'll make you melt more than usual today."

The next day he devotedly cared for me, as I was unable to get out of bed.

His face was glazed and shining with joy as he smiled happily at me.

—

Not me screaming and kicking my feet translating this, I can’t believe the elusive Victor is secretly a Roger in disguise. Took me way too long to understand the “problem” here, but I finally get it 😳. Thank you Cybird, I’m so happy old man Victor is finally free to be a horn dog 🙏.

[lvzrii4]

꩜ .ᐟ LOVE YOU, STILL 西村力

— ✮⋆˙ nishimura riki x reader ✮⋆˙ second chance romance, angst with comfort, high school au, fluff, exes to lovers ✮⋆˙ 0.9k wc ✮⋆˙ grammar errors

WHEREIN you broke up because your worlds no longer moved at the same pace—but the feelings never stopped.

you and riki were pretty different.

you were a student journalist—always busy, always running after deadlines, always scribbling in your notebook. and he was a student athlete—the school’s pride, constantly training and traveling for games. in short, your worlds moved at different speeds.

and yet, somehow, the two of you still fell for each other.

it didn’t make sense sometimes. you didn’t even know how it happened—how a quiet afternoon turned into inside jokes, how shared glances became holding hands. but it happened.

then the arguments started. over time. your schedules clashed more than they synced. texts went unanswered, promises faded into excuses, and arguments took the place of laughter. riki needed presence, and you were always in a rush. you needed understanding, and riki was always tired.

still, breaking up felt like pulling the last thread on something sacred. you walked away telling yourself it was better this way.

eventually, you broke it off. but the feelings never really disappeared. maybe it was really your fault that you ended things.

“eunchae, please,” you whispered as you begged your friend. “come with me to the field. i have to take pictures for the paper.”

you didn’t mention that he might be there. you didn’t need to. eunchae knew.

you both walked to the field. she sat on the bench while you did your thing, snapping pictures of the team. your camera lens found him before you could stop it—riki, focused, fast, almost glowing under the afternoon sun.

when you came back, eunchae was staring at you with that look. “okay, let’s go,” you said, trying not to look at the photos you’d just taken. but eunchae didn’t stand. “wait,” she said. “he’s coming.”

your chest tightened. “eun—” you didn’t even get to finish your sentence before you heard him.

“hey.” you turned around. there he was. standing right in front of you like no time had passed. same calm voice. same soft eyes.

“uhm… how are you?” he asked. you froze for a second. eunchae elbowed you. “i’m fine,” you replied, trying to sound normal. “just busy. you?”

“yeah, same.” he nodded. “i just came over to… well… invite you. we have a game tomorrow. you can come if you want. both of you.”

you blinked. “uhm… i’ll check my schedule. thanks, though,” you said, trying to keep your voice neutral. your eyes avoided his, and before he could say anything else, you gave eunchae a subtle look—it was time to go.

you turned and started walking away, not waiting to see if she followed. eunchae stayed and smiled, “we’ll definitely come!”

you paused mid-step. your head turned slightly, just enough to catch her smiling at him. “eunchae!” you hissed. when she caught up to you, she was grinning.

“he still likes you, y'know,” she said, nudging you. “why not give him another chance?” you shrugged. “i don’t know, chae. i was the one who ended it… i don’t think i deserve to.”

“maybe,” she said, wrapping her arm around yours. “but love isn’t about deserving. it’s about trying.” you sighed. “i hope you didn’t just say yes to that invitation.” she stopped in front of her classroom door and winked. “oops. class is starting! bye!!”

you groaned. “eunchae!”

the day of the game came.

you were sitting in the lower bleachers, arms crossed, trying to pretend like you weren’t annoyed. “you owe me, eunchae,” you grumbled. “oh, come on. we’re cheering for our school! and besides, you’re literally here to write for the school paper,” she teased.

you rolled your eyes, but your heart stopped when you saw him. he looked good—focused, determined—but his eyes softened when they met yours. for a second, you swore he smiled. but then he turned away, called by his teammates.

“you’re imagining things,” you muttered. but you kept watching. the game started. and no matter how hard you tried to focus on writing notes or taking pictures, your eyes kept going back to him.

every time he scored, you found yourself clapping. every time he looked in your direction, your heart did that thing again.

then it was down to the wire. tie game. seconds left.

riki had the ball.

your breath caught.

he scored.

the stadium roared, and you stood without realizing, clapping, heart loud in your ears.

but the world froze again when he ran—past his team, past the noise, straight to you. riki didn’t hesitate. he didn’t even think twice. he stopped in front of you, cheeks flushed, hair sticking to his forehead, jersey in hand.

“what the hell are you doing?” you asked, voice caught between shock and disbelief. riki laughed under his breath, the kind of laugh you missed—soft, nervous, real. then he held the jersey out to you. “this is for you.”

you stared at it. “riki…”

“i still love you, you know?” he said, not looking away this time. your breath hitched. you didn’t know what to say. but he kept going, his voice low and sincere, “i know we didn’t work before. and maybe we still won’t. but… i played better today because you were here. i felt like i could finally breathe again.”

you looked down at the jersey, then back at him. “you’re so annoying,” you muttered, trying to hide your smile as you took it from his hands.

riki grinned. “you missed me.” you rolled your eyes, but the way you clutched his jersey a little tighter said everything. maybe this wasn’t about fixing everything all at once. maybe it was just about trying again.

and maybe—just maybe—that was enough.

© lvzrii4 — do not copy, translate, and repost my work.

[nugwon]

baby making s3gss with soft husband jungwon hehe

🐦‍⬛ i’m getting so many jungwon reqs and im lwk here for it. geeling kinda soft so i made this a really sweet drabble 💔

it starts slow, almost innocent, with jungwon brushing your hair back and whispering, “let’s make a baby tonight.” the way he says it, low and serious, makes your whole body heat up instantly. there’s nothing rushed about the way he touches you, but there’s an urgency buried deep under his gentle hands, like he’s been thinking about this moment forever. “do you really want to?” you raised your eyebrow, “we’re so young and..”

“and we’re married.. come on baby. imagine it, imagine us. a family?” the two of you were still young and while jungwon promised you he’d be with you forever… a baby is a hug step. “i really want to.” he smiles, looking at you while cupping your cheek softly. he kisses you like he’s starving, palms roaming your body with purpose, memorizing every inch of skin he’s about to claim.

every time his lips trail down your neck, your stomach flips, because you know exactly what’s coming — and so does he. it’s not just about pleasure tonight; it’s about creating something together, about belonging to each other in the most permanent way. “i’ll make it special,.” he assures you, sitting up and body towering over you. you took a deep breath, he had been asking for updates on your calendar—doing his research for when the best time to get pregnant before he’d even asked you this.

he undresses you, slow and sensual. taking his time—every inch of skin was left with kisses. delicate kisses. jungwon wanted you to know how much he wanted this—how much he wanted you. how he adored you. “i love you baby.” he whispered against your skin, hands caressing it. your bare, cold skin—riddled with chills every time he touched you. jungwon took off his clothes, eyes and lips only leaving your body when discarding of his shorts and boxers.

we could say it was expected but you were soaked.. you loved when jungwon came inside of you but it never lead to what’s gonna happen tonight. “look at me,” he hums, brushing your hair back. he could tell you were nervous, and he wanted to distracted your mind. you’ve talking about expanding your family for so long now.. you knew you wanted this. “it’s gonna be okay baby, i’m right here.”

when he finally slides into you, it’s different. it’s heavier, deeper. jungwon grabs your hips firmly, holding you still under him, filling you so good you’re gasping, clutching at the sheets. he doesn’t hold back — his thrusts are slow but so deep, grinding his hips into yours like he’s making sure you feel everything. he leans down, pressing hot, desperate kisses against your mouth, your jaw, your throat, all while murmuring things that make your body tremble.

“gonna make you mine forever,”

“gonna fill you up so good, baby,”

his words make you whimper, clenching tighter around him, and he groans low in his throat, pushing even deeper, hitting that spot inside you that has you seeing stars. his pace gets rougher, needier, the closer he gets, hips slamming into yours with every thrust. you’re barely hanging onto reality, body writhing under his, pleasure building so fast it feels overwhelming.

jungwon grabs your hand, lacing your fingers together and pinning it above your head, his other hand gripping your thigh and pushing it up higher so he can get even deeper. every sound he makes — every broken moan, every desperate grunt — feeds the fire inside you until you’re crying out his name, legs shaking around him. he loses it not long after, slamming deep one final time, spilling into you with a guttural groan that sounds almost like a sob, holding you so tight like he never wants to let you go.

he doesn’t pull out right away, buried deep inside you, chest heaving, forehead resting against yours. you can feel him trembling, feel how full you are, and the thought makes you shiver. he kisses you again, slow and messy, and whispers against your lips, “you’re gonna be so perfect, baby. carrying our little one.” and you believe him, because right here, wrapped in jungwon’s arms, nothing’s ever felt more real.

but jungwon wasn’t finished. he was going to make sure, you were stuffed with his seed, there was no excuses tonight. “turn around baby.”

[butterflywingswrites]

holy shit caitlin with a vib is SO UNDERRATED please write more 🙏🙏

modified the request a bit but the essence is the same

caitlin using a vibrator on you part 2

“how has that vibrator been working for you?” caitlin has been teasing you since she made you cum with your vibrator a few weeks ago, but this is the first time she outright mentioned that day

“umm”

“have you not used it?”

“i have. it just feels different than when you did it” you mumbled the last part

“oh?” caitlin raised an eyebrow “feels better when i do it?” caitlin asked with confidence

“i haven’t cum while using it” you didn’t want to outright say it

“so it feels better when i do it” caitlin smirked “how are you using it?”

“the same way you used it on me. promise” you really were

“show me. you must be doing something different. you came pretty hard when i used it on you” again with the smirk. she went over to your dresser and got the vibrator out of your bottom drawer. she sat on the foot of your bed and raised her eyebrows at you, silently asking you to take your clothes off

“now?” caitlin simply nodded. you pulled off your pants and underwear, throwing them off the bed awkwardly

“how do you start?”

“i start by making sure i’m wet”

“and how do you do that?”

“i think about things that make me wet” you tried to keep it vague

“what do you think about?” how good she was at making out and how hard you came when she pressed your vibrator on your clit

“just past experiences i enjoyed” hopefully she wouldn’t ask for more. you didn’t know how long you could keep being vague

“okay” caitlin smiled, seemingly knowing what experiences you thought about “maybe you’re more of a hands on person”

“what do you mean by that?”

“i think you might need more hands on stimulation” caitlin leaned in and kissed you. you moaned into her mouth and felt her smile into the kiss

“fuck caitlin” you said when she pulled back from the kiss. she handed you your vibrator

“show me how you use it on yourself” her voice was commanding and hot. you turned the vibrator on, laid back, and rubbed it on the entrance of your pussy just like she did a few weeks ago. you placed the wet vibrator on your clit and didn’t feel much pleasure–not the way it felt when caitlin did it

“see. i’m doing the same thing you did but it’s not the same” caitlin took the vibrator from you. she surprised you and pinned your wrists down with one of her large hands

“you’re pushing too hard. don’t overstimulate yourself. you need to be gentle on that pretty clit”

“pretty clit?” you giggled a bit at caitlin’s words

“so pretty. close your eyes. relax babygirl, let me take care of you” you closed your eyes and let caitlin take control

she pressed your vibrator lightly on your clit and you moaned loudly. the amount of pressure caitlin was using was perfect. you tried to hold back, wanting to prolong the feeling but you could feel yourself getting close. the hand that was gripping your wrists squeezed them lightly to give assurance

“cum for me pretty girl” you couldn’t say no to that. you came hard and opened your eyes. caitlin smiled and released your wrists

“how about next time, we go straight to you using it on me?” you suggested. even if you used the right amount of pressure, you were sure it would still feel better with caitlin doing it

“i like the sound of that”

[st4rgiirll]

gourmet skills

oscar piastri x partner!reader.

dividers by: @fawndollie and @bernardsbendystraws

this is heavily inspired by an experience i had myself with one of my friends, so ignore if some of (a lot of) this is ooc for oscar!!

also, some parts of this (like the house being near an f1 circuit) dont make sense. i just had a really nice description so i just wrote it this way.

synopsis: oscar and reader have been dating for a while, he's going over data sheets around the mclaren paddock but reader wants to try something. and so reader pries him away to taste their 'gourmet' meal.

the sun was setting over the circuit, casting a warm glow across the paddock. you leaned against the railing, watching as the mechanics hurriedly packed away the cars after a long day of practice.

the faint smell of burnt rubber lingered in the air, mingling with the sweet scent of the nearby food stalls. your eyes wandered until they landed on oscar, his dark hair tousled, a slight frown etched on his face as he examined some data on his tablet.

“hey, piastri!” you called out, waving.

he looked up, his expression shifting from concentration to a small, shy smile that made my heart flutter.

“hey!” he replied, his voice steady but soft.

i pushed off the railing and walked over, noticing the way his eyes flickered back to the screen, then darted back to me as if he was weighing his options — racing data or me.

“got a minute?” i asked, leaning in closer.

he hesitated, glancing at the mechanics bustling around. “i should probably finish this…”

“come on, it’s just a practice session. you’ll have plenty of time to analyze the data later.” you nudged him playfully, and he chuckled, his shoulders relaxing.

“alright, you win. just for a minute.” he set the tablet aside, and i felt a rush of victory.

you loved how despite his serious demeanor on the track, he could be so easily swayed by a little teasing. “good! i need your opinion on something.”

“oh?” he raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“what do you think of my new cooking skills?” you grinned, knowing full well his answer.

his face scrunched up in mock horror, and i burst into laughter. “please tell me you haven’t burned down another kitchen!” he exclaimed, clutching his heart dramatically.

“just one time!” i protested, though i couldn’t help but laugh at the memory.

“more like twice,” he teased back. what did you burn this time? pasta? again?”

i rolled my eyes, feigning offense. “that was a one-off! i’ve been practicing.”

“practicing what? setting off the smoke alarm?”

“very funny, oscar. you’ll see! i’ve made a gourmet meal for you tonight. no smoke alarms this time, i promise.”

his face softened, and i could see the corners of his mouth twitching as he fought a smile. “okay, i’ll be the judge. but i might bring a fire extinguisher, just in case.”

“ha ha. you’re hilarious.”

“just looking out for your safety,” he said, the smile finally breaking free.

as the sun dipped lower, the paddock lights flickered on, illuminating the space with a warm glow. you leaned against the railing, admiring the way oscar seemed to blend in with the hustle around him, yet stand apart, wholly himself.

“do you ever get nervous?” you asked, curiosity bubbling up.

he shrugged, his gaze shifting to the cars lined up in the pit “sometimes. but once I’m in the car… it’s like everything else fades away. just me and the track.”

you watched him, mesmerized. “do you think you’ll ever get used to the pressure? the screaming fans, the stakes?”

he took a deep breath, his expression thoughtful. “i think you always feel it. but it pushes me. makes me want to be better.”

“yeah, but what about us? i mean, how do you balance it all?”

he turned to you, his eyes serious for a moment. “you make it easier. you remind me why i do this. it’s not just about racing.”

your heart raced in a different way now, the weight of his words settling warmly in my chest. “okay, enough sappy stuff,” you said, breaking the moment with a playful nudge. "let’s focus on my culinary skills.”

“right! what’s on the menu?”

“surprise!” ypu said with a wink, pulling him by the hand toward the car park where my little rental was waiting.

as we climbed in, oscar leaned back, a relaxed smile on his face. “i hope it’s edible.”

"don’t you trust me?”

“trust is a strong word.” he chuckled, glancing out the window.

“fine, but if i impress you tonight, you have to admit it was my cooking skills and not your low standards.”

“deal!” he laughed.

the drive was filled with jokes and playful banter, the kind of easy conversation that made the world outside fade away. when the two of you arrived, you hurried into the small kitchen, determined to redeem myself.

oscar leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, a teasing smirk on his face. “do i need to wear a helmet?”

“very funny. just you wait.” as the aroma of garlic and herbs filled the air, you felt a rush of excitement.

“is that smoke i smell?” he called out, his tone mock-serious.

“shush! it’s just the sautéing!” you shot back, grinning.

“okay, chef,” he said, his laughter spilling into the kitchen.

with a final flourish, you plated the dish and presented it to him like a trophy. “ta-da! a masterpiece!”

he took a bite, his eyes widening. “wow, this is actually… amazing!”

you beamed, practically dancing in place.

“okay, okay, don’t get too cocky!” he laughed, but you could see the admiration in his eyes.

“just wait until i bake you a cake,” you said, teasingly.

“maybe save that for another time. i’m not ready to risk a sugar rush and another kitchen fire.”

“hey! i can promise you, i’ve learned my lesson.”

“let’s hold off on that cake then. how about we just enjoy this?”

as we settled into the rhythm of the evening, laughter echoed in the cozy kitchen, mingling with the sounds of the circuit outside. in that moment, everything felt right. the stakes on the track, the chaos of life, it all faded into the background. it was just you and oscar, two hearts racing at a different kind of speed.

[thevoicefromanotherworld]

"LET ME TAKE CARE OF YOU"

SOOO I WROTE A FIC WITH X2 LOGAN BASED ON @c0smic-coral IDEA 🖤☝😌

I hope you like it!

WARNING: EXPLICIT SMUT UNDER THE CUT

Logan knew you had feelings for him.

It was obvious, given the blush that crept onto your cheeks every time he spoke to you and how every time he tried to look you in the eyes, you looked away, focusing your gaze somewhere other than him.

If you had been like the other girls he'd met, Logan would have already invited you to have a few beers with him, and you probably would have ended up in his room at the X-Mansion in the wee hours of the morning.

But you weren't like the others.

Logan was having a hard time figuring you out.

You were like a puzzle designed so that he was the only person who could put all the pieces together.

So he waited, talked to you kindly, helped you with your homework, and sometimes taught you how to let your powers not control you.

You weren't very good at it yet; that was the main reason the professor had brought you there, to teach you.

Patience wasn't Logan's strong suit, but he forced himself to have it with you.

It was a Saturday night, the day Charles let students out of the mansion for fun, provided they returned before 11 p.m.

Logan decided that since the mansion would be kid-free, he could enjoy a cold beer while reveling in the silence that filled the air.

Of course, when he got out of bed and went to the kitchen, he hadn't planned on running into you.

You were wearing black pajamas with white moons printed in different places on the fabric.

Logan forced himself not to stare at your bare legs for too long, for fear that you'd catch him doing it and think he just wanted a house from you.

I mean, he'd be lying to himself if he said he didn't want THAT thing from you, but he'd promised himself to take it slow with you.

He gave a half-smile when you looked up from the bowl in your hands.

"Logan," you muttered, almost choking on your saliva, "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I was going to say the same thing," he murmured, opening the fridge so that his broad back, covered only by a thin white tank top, was facing you. "Are you listening to me?"

You blinked distractedly as he leaned against the now-closed fridge, a beer in his hand.

"Sorry… What did you say?" You cleared your throat, slowly composing yourself.

"I was wondering what you're doing here." He took a swig from the bottle. You frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, this is the only night of the week Charles lets the boys out to have fun," he shrugged. "Why aren't you with them?"

"You could say their concept of fun isn't the same as mine," you replied, making him smile.

"I see," he whispered. "So what's your concept of fun, then, Princess?"

You were used to Logan calling you that, but for some strange reason, the way he did it felt more personal this time, more… intimate, if that made any sense.

"I don't know," you blurted out nervously. "I don't like going out to parties," you confessed. "I feel… exposed," you whispered. "I feel like everyone's looking at me, and I don't like feeling that."

"Maybe they're looking at you because they like you," Logan suggested, moving a little closer to you. "Is that what bothers you?"

"Don't be silly," you snorted. "No one's ever going to like me."

Logan's eyes widened, surprised by the coldness of your response.

"Why do you say that?" "—he murmured, watching you firmly.

"Because it's the truth," you insisted. "No matter how many boys I know, they all see me as that friend they call to ask them about their homework, or any questions related to classes," you complained. "I'm never anyone's first choice, and I…" You swallowed hard, blushing violently at the same time. "I'd like to feel something sometime. You know? To feel like I matter to someone not just as a friend, but as something more."

Then Logan saw his chance.

He slowly began to walk towards you, like a wolf stalking its prey, his bright green eyes fixed on you with equal parts delicacy and intensity.

"What would you say…" he began, "if I told you I didn't want to be your friend," he whispered, "that I wanted to be something more than that?"

You took several steps back due to his proximity, and when your back hit the wall, you realized you had no escape.

You were trapped between him and his body.

-I'd tell you you've got the wrong person- you muttered- I mean… I-I've seen the way Jean looks at you, maybe you should tell her this…

-I'd tell her if she's the person I'd want to be with- he whispered- but YOU are that person, y/n

-Logan- you whispered- you don't know what you're getting into, I… I'm not an easy person, I have a lot of problems and I'm not what you'd call normal

-Well, normality is overrated- he smiled- and besides, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly easy either- he said- we all have problems, some worse than others, but the most important thing is learning how to deal with them

"You sound just like the professor" you joked, making his smile grow wider

He was succeeding.

He was getting you to relax in his presence, to slowly open up to him.

"Baby, if you keep smiling like that, I'm going to have to kiss you," he whispered, reaching for your hand. "May I?"

Logan took your subsequent nod as a small victory.

He ran his thumb over your bottom lip, memorizing the curve of your Cupid's bow with his touch.

When you opened your eyes slightly, he gave a lopsided smile.

"I know you've been watching me for a while," he murmured, as you listened intently. "I know because I've been watching you too," he whispered, holding your face in his hands. "Let me tell you, you're the most beautiful woman in the entire mansion."

"It's not true," you blurted out quickly, unable to believe the compliment that had just come out of his mouth.

"If you don't believe me, what do you say if I prove it to you?" he inquired. "I know you'd really like that, Princess." He smiled. "I can smell your arousal and hear your heart beating faster in your chest," he whispered. "Your body is betraying you, darling. Are you like this for me?"

"Yes," you answered without giving it much thought, because what was the point of lying?

"I knew it," he murmured, giving a lopsided smile. "How about we go somewhere more… secluded?"

Logan could see the conflict in your eyes at the question. You were deciding what would be best when, unable to stand it any longer, your body betrayed you once again, you leaned in to place your lips on his.

He hadn't expected such a sudden action, but he wasn't going to complain at all.

You placed your lips firmly against his, and instantly he claimed your mouth, as if it were his own, as if this were the place he was meant to be.

The kiss intensified, causing you to wrap your legs around his hips.

He lifted you easily into his arms and walked with you to his bedroom, all the while continuing to kiss you.

When he arrived, he gently placed you on the bed and paused for a moment to look at you.

“After all these months, you’re finally here,” he whispered, positioning himself on top of you. “God, you don’t know how long I’ve wanted this moment to happen.”

“Logan… I… I need you,” you panted, connecting his gaze with yours for a few moments.

“I know, princess,” he whispered, reaching for the waistband of your pants. “Let me take care of you.”

You nodded, letting him know that was what you wanted.

He quickly got rid of your pants and underwear and placed his head between your legs.

His hair tickled your thighs as he moved closer to brush against that spot you so desperately needed him to touch.

He placed kisses on your inner thighs before connecting his gaze with yours.

You thought it was probably the sexiest thing you’d ever seen, Logan’s light blue eyes shining with desire as he looked at you like that from between your legs.

“This is what you wanted all along, right?” "You wanted me between your legs like this, didn't you?" he repeated. "Answer the question, princess."

"Yes, this is what I wanted," you gasped, moving your hips so he'd touch you at once. "Please, Logan…"

Hearing your pleas, Logan wasted no time.

He held your thighs in his hands and ran his tongue over your most sensitive lips before tugging at your clit between his teeth.

You writhed against the bed as he continued his attack between your legs.

You never thought you could stretch them as far as they were at that moment, but you figured there was always a first time for everything.

You tugged at the strands of his hair between your fingers when you felt a familiar pressure on your lower belly.

Logan groaned against you, proof enough that he knew you'd orgasm in just a few seconds.

Minutes later you were lying on the bed, your breathing ragged and your legs shaking, while Logan licked the remains of you from the corners of his lips.

[flowercrownsandherondales]

Against the Odds Pt. 18

This one was actually tough. Take some time. Love y’alll sm. Things are gonna get better, I swear. I’m thinking of starting another series (not that this one is stopping soon, we still got the trilogy to get though.) But i promise that the new one won’t be as trauma inducing if anyone’s interested in that. As always, let me know your thoughts!

XVIII: ‘Til The Sun Turns Into Ashes

Every morning for us was the same sweet rhythm. 

I got up, made the both of us coffee, spilled a splash of liquor into Haymitch’s cup, made flapjacks and sat at the table. Haymitch would slowly make his way towards me, beckoned with the smell of sweet syrup, and take a seat, never without planting a kiss on my temple. 

We’d been married for a year now. 

And I loved him more everyday of my life. 

I looked to the walls while I sipped my coffee, listening to the quiet clinks of his fork against porcelain. I’d hung up the photo of us from our Capitol wedding, me in a tasteful white silk dress, him in an itchy suit he’d complained about ceaselessly. A fountain of flowers in my hand, a smile that didn’t quite reach either of our eyes, his hand tight around my midsection. I frowned as I looked, my head coming to rest on my hand. Haymitch’s eyes followed my line of sight, eyes furrowed as he tried to understand why my mood shifted. 

“Wish we had pictures from the real one.” He said over a mouthful of pancakes. I nodded absentmindedly. His hand crept across the table, resting over the one that wasn’t occupied, keeping my head up. His thumb rubbed against my knuckles, soothing me as he continued to eat. 

Our life was full of these quiet touches, silent comforts to each other, completely just for us. 

“When do you think he’s gonna come for us?” I asked under my breath, barely audible. I wasn’t sure he heard it at first, until I looked at him and saw his spine was stiff. 

“Not sure. He’s pretty preoccupied with Finnick right now.” He muttered, looking away from me. Finnick Odair had won this year. Haymitch and I were taken off guard by it, the sheer fact that he let District 4 win back to back, especially after Carp. The boy had gotten worse and worse after our wedding, moving on from whispering to Capitol citizens who bought him for the night, to making heavier statements at parties around large groups of people. Snow was itching for a chance to cancel him out. 

The final straw had been before Finnick’s games. Snow had probably done everything he could to prevent Carp from stepping onstage, but the people begged for a glimpse of him. He’d gotten more attractive over the years, muscles filling out his body, hair and skin shimmering golden under the lights. Cesar asked him how he thought his tributes would do. 

“Finnick’s a fine boy, maybe District 4’s finest. I’m confident about it, but Cesar, I do feel bad for him.” 

Cesar had just stared at him, urging him to go on with a lump in his throat. Carp leaned in, looking directly into the camera. 

“What a poor boy, to go to the slaughterhouse so young. Part of me hopes he dies in there, if only because I know what comes next for him. He’s the perfect specimen for you all, isn’t he? Everyone will have such a field day with him. Tell me President Snow, how much will you start him out at? Surely, he’ll be priced higher than me due to his winning status, or is it his age? I know you like them young.” 

The camera feed was cut after that. Days later they would completely alter it, showing us runs where he wasn’t included in the interviews at all. When Finnick was crowned with golden laurels, only Mags stood beside him. And with that lost interview, Carp Delmar was no more. District 4 had another golden boy, younger, more to lose if he misbehaved, and he took up the mantle with no backlash. It seemed the Capitol citizens were more than pleased to spend the night with a young boy who didn’t speak, only listened. 

Haymitch and I had held each other close for months after that. We assumed we’d get some kind of surprise visit, even a letter, instructions for a child. 

Instead, nothing. 

Surprising myself, Haymitch found me shedding a few tears for the boy who murdered my son in the arena. I’d forgiven him years ago, knowing there was no choice to slit Wiley’s throat in that cave. Carp had paid for it time and time again, and I made sure to give him small smiles when we did run paths in the Capitol. The boy who fought tooth and nail by himself to try and show the truth, now buried in an unmarked grave, just as forgotten and lost as District 12’s first victor. 

After Wiley’s games I attempted to emotionally detach as I had before my son was reaped. It was easier back then, when I didn’t have someone so attached to them. Haymitch drank more in the month leading up, and the month after. He’d lock himself in our room for a while, spacing himself from me most of the day, only coming out when dinner was ready and he was so hammered he could barely walk a straight line. I’d grab his arm, leading him to the table and holding a fork up to his lips with every bite, allowing him to have the space to feel it, and the closeness to know that I was there. 

On quiet nights in the dark, when the only thing that filled the space was our breathing, he’d grip my hand tight under the covers, pulling me into him, and whisper the tribute's names, giving me only 1 fact about each of them he had observed. 

Like me, he tried not to care. And like me, his heart couldn’t bring him to do it. 

I cleared his plate and did the dishes, feeling his arms wrap around me as I focused on the soap and brillo pad. 

“You goin’ to see the kids today?” his voice was hot in my ear, still heavy with sleep. I grinned a little at the thought of the girls. Katniss had just turned 11, Prim 7. Burdock spent every waking moment in a state of fear for his oldest, terrified that she would end up like my boy. I tried to reassure him, but it was difficult given my situation. 

He spent more time with her, teaching her how to hunt, identify plants and edible flora. Anything he could possibly control, he did. Astrid focused on her work to calm her nerves, Prim already starting to follow her to the apothecary after school and learning all she could. Both girls being prepared in different ways. 

Katniss was starting to feel her father’s worry, escaping to my old house when she could talk with me while I sewed up Haymitch’s old clothes. My shack still stood, unused but kept clean for the Everdeen girls to use as they wanted. Sometimes we made flower crowns together, other times we cooked and I sent her home with a few meals for her family. Most of the time we just listened to records while she told me about her worries, asking me questions about what the reaping was like. She’d brought up Wiley and Wyatt a few times, and instead of stiffening and refusing her, I’d opened up and shared stories of my boys. 

Something I constantly regretted not doing for Wiley. 

“I should get going now, she’s usually hungry after school.” I said to Haymitch, picking some cured meat and flour from the pantry. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to Victor's rations, better food than I’d ever seen being delivered regularly. I always put some away to make the Everdeen’s meals or after school snacks, trying to take some of the stress off Burdock and Astrid. 

Haymitch chuckled, spinning me around and cupping my cheek, pressing a kiss to my lips. I melted into him, a hand going up to his chest, nearly dropping the bag of flour to the ground. 

“Be back soon, yeah?” he whispered against me, scattering kisses over my blushing cheeks. I grinned at him, pushing lightly against his chest. 

“If you’re good and don’t finish that whole bottle by the time I get back, I’ll save you a roll.” His eyes lit up at the thought. I was attempting to slow him down, never threatening to take it away, just to stay sober with me for a little longer each day. 

“While the thought of that does sound nice, can’t promise anything, sweetpea.” He said, a soft smile still playing on his lips. I lightly grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at me. 

“At least feed the geese? I left some seeds by the garden.” They’d started showing up after our wedding, more and more flocking to nibble on the grass where I planted tomatoes. Haymitch had become their regular caretaker, telling me he had a soft spot for them and didn’t have the heart to shoo them away. 

“Course I will, they like me better anyway.” he smirked, causing me to release him and leave a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. 

“Yeah, yeah. If only they knew who buys them the seeds. Maybe they’d think twice.” I called out, shrugging my bag over my shoulder and taking off to his laughter. 

I waited at the house for a few hours, waiting for Katniss to walk through the door. Prim went with Astrid on Wednesday’s, and Burdock worked all day in the mines. He’d been called to take up longer shifts, which he didn’t mind. Any spare income to save Katniss from having to put her name in that bowl any more times that she had to. 

I’d finished fixing some pants of Haymitch’s that ripped, something he bitched about, blaming me for feeding him too much. I tried to wait out on putting the rolls in the oven, wanting them to be hot when she arrived. Still, she wasn’t usually this late, and I was starting to lose my mind with nothing to do. I’d already made the dough, and once the sun started to set I decided to just put them in the oven, figuring I could just deliver them to the Everdeen’s when they were done. 

My mind worried for her, taking deep breaths to try and calm myself down. Maybe she just had to stay longer after school, or Burdock had ended up coming home earlier than usual and taken her to the woods. No matter how much I tried to convince myself there was no reason to get upset, something still felt off. 

Finally I said fuck it, tossing the rolls in a metal container and packing them up in my bag. I was starting to wear holes into the floorboards with my pacing. 

I shot up when my door burst open, the hinges practically falling off. 

Katniss stood in my doorway, chest heaving, eyes red and swollen, her usual braids mostly undone and flaring. Her dress was dirty, spots of black smudging the cotton. I set everything down, running to meet her. 

“Baby girl, what’s wrong?” I asked, eyes searching hers, which were filling up with tears again as she heaved a sob, taking a few steps towards me and collapsing in my awaiting arms. 

I sunk to the floor with her, holding her tight and stroking her hair as she sobbed harder than any child should. 

“Katniss, baby, what happened? Is everyone alright?” I coaxed, my own eyes starting to get red listening to her heartbreaking sobs. She couldn’t speak, starting to hyperventilate. I pulled away, putting my arms on her shoulders to steady her, the same way Haymitch did to me when I found myself spacing out.

“Match my breathing, deep breath in, hold it, push it out.” I coached her, stern but still comforting. I didn’t want her to pass out, the last thing I needed was to cause Burdock to panic more. 

She followed me, still sobbing but less so. Her face was crumpled, but a numbness was spreading over her features. A numbness I had only seen on myself in the weeks after Wiley. 

“You gotta tell me what happened, sweet girl.” I cooed, hands going to push some of the hair from her wet face. 

“There was a m–mining accident. Mom– Prim’s with her. Mom– she’s…. Dad— gone.” It was all she managed to get out, bursting into sobs that bordered on screaming. 

Everytime something like this happened I thought I would never feel worse than I felt at that moment. 

And everytime my heart found a way to devastate me further than I’d ever been. 

I tried to stay strong for Katniss, tried my fucking absolute best to keep my composure for a girl that had just lost her father. 

Even though I had just lost my best friend. Practically my older brother. A vital part of my small inner circle, the life behind all my best moments. 

Gone. Nothing but dust and rubble. 

I couldn’t be strong for her. My heart couldn’t take it. I couldn’t take anymore death. I felt like someone had pulled the last thread that kept my heart together. 

So I sobbed with her, clutching one of the last pieces of Burdock Everdeen to my chest.

Haymitch would come looking for me a hour later, being stopped on his way when he heard someone whisper about the mining explosion. No survivors. 

He sprinted the rest of the way, finding the door already open, Katniss asleep in my arms, cried out, me staring numbly at the wall. 

He fell to the floor, scooting over to me like he was approaching a wild animal. He sat behind me, pulling my body into his chest as I let out another sob. 

He knew who was in the mine. 

I held Katniss tighter, impossibly tight, which somehow didn’t wake her. 

“Oh Y/N. My baby, my sweet girl. I’m so sorry.” he said in my ear, voice starting to get choked up as he rocked us gently. 

I fell asleep to him repeating it, hot tears rolling down his face at the state of us. 

I woke up to our bed in Victor’s Village, immediately aware Katniss was no longer in my arms, tearing out of bed to find her. 

I reached halfway down the hall before Haymitch caught me in his arms, bringing my body impossibly close as I thrashed against him. 

“You gotta settle down honey. Katniss is safe, she’s with her mom. Settle down, Y/N. It’s okay baby.” he attempted, running a hand through my hair and pushing my head deeper into his chest. 

“We did everything he asked! He hasn’t said anything to us, why would he do this Haymitch! Why would he fucking DO THIS?” I yelled, my entire body shaking the both of us. Mining explosions happen semi often, but not to this point. Snow wouldn’t risk taking out an entire squad of workers. All bets were on with their children, but never with his free labor.

He didn’t answer, which at first made me think he was just letting me cry out. It was only when I peeked up at his rigid stare that didn’t look at me, did I realize there was something he wasn’t saying. 

“What. The. Fuck. Do. You . Know.” I said, my whole body on fire. If he’d withheld something Snow had said, even to protect me, I’d have a fit of rage unlike anything he’d ever seen. 

“I couldn’t let him– I fucking could not let him make you do it. You don’t get it, Y/N. He was going to take you.” His voice was broken, horse and wrecked. 

“Take me?” I seethed, eyes narrowing and bloodshot. 

“The fucking surgery. Whatever they were going to do to you. He knows you can’t have more. I begged him, Y/N. I begged. I thought we made a deal, I– offered myself to sell. Anything but this, anything.”

My breathing stopped. He’d offered to sell his body so I wouldn’t have mine cut open. 

“If they took you… what if you died on the table? What if they did something wrong? They wouldn’t let me go with you. If you walked through that door… if someone like you walked though that door—” He was starting to panic now, hands running through his hair, looking like he was going to vomit. 

Louella Mccoy. 

I softened, only slightly. 

“Haymitch…” was all I could manage. I needed a minute, all the information wrapping around my mind, suffocating me. 

Burdock. The mines. Katniss’s coal stained dress. Louella. Haymitch being placed on a board with a price tag attached to his name. My eyes falling shut to the beeping of a surgical machine. 

I turned away from him, wrapping my arms around my body as I screamed. 

[incorrect-toriko-quotes]

Have you ever wondered why Toriko characters have such weird names?

Well too bad! I did. And you're gonna read about it!

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR TORIKO UP TO THE END OF THE MANGA

Some background info you need...

The Toriko world uses a mix of Japanese and English. Like... a really striking mix. It's a Japanglish world, and that's especially true of names. Lots of characters with English names turned Japanese (like Tom or Tina), characters with word/either-or names (Sani/Sunny and Coco), characters with pure Japanese names (Ichiryuu, Jirou), and the occasional complete wildcard (Zebra).

I've mentioned it offhandedly, but I'm mixed Japanese/Canadian. Toriko uses a LOT of Japanglish, especially in the names of characters, so I like to think I've got a pretty good grasp of what's going on.

HOWEVER! You all need to get a crash-course in Japanese lettering really quickly. I promise I'll keep it short.

Japanese uses 3 writing systems: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Hiragana and Kanji are for Japanese-origin words (with Hiragana being an alphabet and Kanji being entire words and therefore a bit more meaningful), and Katakana being for loanwords (not just English-origin)

GOT IT? GOOD!

TORIKO & KOMATSU

Toriko (トリコ)

Toriko's name is written in Katakana, so we know it's a name originating outside of Japanese. In Japanese, the word 'toriko' means 'tri-coloured' (tri-co). NGL, this took me a while to realise because my whole life, I'd only ever used the word 'tri-co' to refer to calico cats.

Toriko (the character) has three appetite demons: Blue Demon, Ogre, and the other one. Blue Demon is, obviously, blue. Ogre is red. And the other one is white. Toriko is named 'tri-coloured' for his three appetite demons. This is also probably why Gourmet 134 misspells his name as 'Torico' on the cover.

Komatsu (小松)

This is almost hilarious. Komatsu is an incredibly common surname (yes, that's probably his surname and not his first name, but referring to people by surname is quite common in Japan). The Kanji for his name basically means 'small pine-tree'.

BUT! There's a weird niche of Japanese culinary knowledge that's probably lost on the Western viewers, that I'm here to share.

To make a LONG history short, there's an icon of New Years called the Three Friends of Winter (松竹梅). You may notice that first character is the same as the '-matsu' half of Komatsu's name. That's because the Three Friends are Pine-Tree (matsu), Bamboo (take), and Plum (ume).

Matsu. Take. Ume.

Komatsu. Ootake. Nakaume.

The Three Friends of Winter are more than just New Year decorations, though. They have culinary significance too.

The Three Friends are often used as a tier-ranking system, with Matsu being the best quality and Ume being the lowest quality. This can be (albeit somewhat archaically) used to describe ingredient/dish quality. That is to say, if you ordered a Matsu-quality dish, you'd be getting a dish made of higher-quality ingredients (and usually at a premium price) compared to Take or Ume.

Let's take a closer look at each of the three:

KOMATSU

Pine trees are evergreen and can survive some pretty tough conditions, and though exact translations vary, the Matsu generally symbolises strength and longevity in Japan. They're set up around doorways for New Years to welcome the New Year Kami into Shinto homes. Perhaps there's also some symbolism in Komatsu's persistence and strength, despite his apparent cowardice, or how he's "welcoming" new beginnings and good fortune into Toriko's life through his Food Luck.

OOTAKE

Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant in the world (and therefore a symbol of growth in Japan). And Take's character revolves around always aiming for the sky, always striving to be the best... even if he has to result to dishonest actions to achieve that. Perhaps a bit of symbolism there, too.

NAKAUME

Plum blossoms in the spring, often overshadowed by cherry. Ume often represents perseverance, spring (and rejuvenation, new life, etc). And let's be real, Nakaume goes through a lot.

So next time you remember those three little chefs and their World Chef Rankings... well... keep that in mind.

[hiiiandbyeee]

haii :] can i req a hs au with chigiri pls? :D

Helloo(⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)guys I'm trying to do all request and promise I will but I'm gonna start with this (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠)

Highschool chigiri

When you first entered your classroom, someone caught your attention a boy sitting at his desk, your he caught my attention because he was such a beautiful boy Since you were new to the class, you didn't know most of the people, so you slowly walked towards his desk. You asked him while pointing to the empty seat next to him.

"Is this desk empty? May I sit there?" You asked him, slightly lowering your head to his level.

He lifted his head and looked at you, his hair was slightly covering his face.

"yeah sure you can sit there"

You put your bag down and sat down. You felt a little shy, but you tried to look calm.

He started looking at you a little too long Then he asked a question

"so what's your name new one"

You were literally lost in thought before you heard his voice, so you were startled when you heard his voice, but you answered.

"Uhm I'm y-n l-n and you?"

"I'm chigiri hyoma nice to meet you or whatever"

You lowered your gaze or looked left and right, but you couldn't find the courage to meet his eyes. But he didn't stop looking at you, like he was analyzing you.

Then he slowly reached out and took a lock of your hair and brought it closer and looked at it, then smelled it.

"your hair looks good and smell is like rose what shampoo you use?"

Oh You froze You might be redder than a tomato right now Then you came to your senses

"uhm If you want, I can write it on a piece of paper and give it to you and tell you where it is sold"

He suddenly nodded his head in approval.

"yeah definitely I need that shampoo or If you want, you can come with me to get the shampoo, don't get me wrong"

You felt like you had to scream now. You were red with embarrassment but you accepted his offer.

How was your school day? Normal you met with some other boys other girls you though they're your friends probably

The next day you met Chigiri and started walking towards the shop he was walking next to you

You wanted to talk to him, get to know him.

"soo Do you have any hobbies?"

He turned his head and looked at you.

"yeah I'm playing soccer usually"

You smiled and imagined him playing football, he looked cool.

But you noticed that he turned his head away after smiling, you thought "my smile is probably ugly" But you saw his ears were bright red You blushed too

Normally you would see such things in TV series and think it's ridiculous. Is karma something like this?

Finally, you two reached the store. The store also sold make-up products. So, your plan was to look at the make-up products while he was looking at the shampoos.

But instead of going to the shampoo section, he followed you

"what are you doing chigiri?"

"shopping?"

"I thought you wanted to go to the shampoo section"

"I want to go with you"

At that moment your cheeks turned even redder, your gaze went down, then you heard a light giggling sound coming from him and he said

"You've been blushing ever since the day we met, you know I can see that, right?"

You knew from that moment that you two were probably gonna be like these clingy lovebirds in high school.

Author note 💖

Hello guyss again, sorry if it was short but if y'all want a part two just text it I try to fulfill most requests and will try So don't forget to wait (I'm about to complete other requests have mercy •́⁠︿⁠•̀)

[somethingg5]

Chapter 7 labor and birth

Azzi 39 weeks 

2:34 in the morning 

Azzis eyes flash open. Her stomach was tense. And then it happened. A contraction. “AH- mhm!” Azzi yelled trying to get up. Paige woke up and went to help Azzi up. “Babe, are you okay? Another braxton hick?” Paige questioned rubbing circles on Azzis back. “I don't know. This one was strong.” Azzi was bent over on the bed while Paige was massaging her back. They were far apart but they were happening. “Do you think we should time them?” Paige asked as they were taking walks around the house. “I think so.” Paige took out her phone to log the next one and when it came she started the timer. They were 15 minutes apart. Azzi was doing the breathing that she remembered from the books she read and Paige was trying not to panic. They spent the next 3 hours just walking and sitting on the couch. Their contractions slowed down so they decided to get some more sleep. 

Azzi woke up not really in pain but just uncomfortable. She felt like she had to pee. On her way to the bathroom she felt a gush. Her water had just broken. “Shit.” Azzi was just frustrated. All she wanted to do was sleep but now she had to clean up the mess and change. That wasn't until Paige felt the absence of Azzi in the bed and woke up. “Azzi, where are you?” Paige asked. “I'm in the bathroom.” Azzi responded. “My water just broke. I'm like 99% sure unless I just peed myself.” Azzi tried to make a joke but Paige was running to her. “Wait what! Your water broke?” Paige took in the site of Azzi changing and the puddle of fluid on the ground. Paige jumped into action and cleaned up the bathroom floor. “Paige I think we should call the doctor like do we go now?” Azzi was done changing and made her way back to the bed while she watched Paige finish cleaning the floor. “Alright I'll give her a call in a second.” Paige stood up and threw away the paper towels. She called the doctor. “Hello My name is Paige Bueckers and my wife Azzi Bueckers is a patient with you. Her water just broke. She is 38 weeks and about 4 hours ago she was having contractions 15 minutes apart. Should we come in?” Paige spoke oddly calmly. “Come in when her contractions are 10 minutes apart.” The phone call ended and Paige and Azzi stayed awake wondering if today they would meet their baby girl. They had been going through last minute baby names they still haven't felt like they found. Millie, Charlie, Liyah, Noelle, Joy all these names and none really hit them. Azzis contractions started to become 11-12 minutes apart and they realized that this was closer than they thought. Paige had decided to call Nika so that she knew what was going on and Paige called Azzis parents as well as hers. Paige packed the car and then it was a waiting game. They sat together breathing in their house of 2 but soon to be 3. 

Azzis contractions reached 10 minutes apart and they decided to head to the hospital. It was 8am in the morning. Azzi was in so much pain and Paige wanted to help but there was nothing that she could do. They got checked in and they got to the room. Everything was so real now. The baby monitors the baby bed. All of it was so real. They were going to be moms. “Paige, I need you to promise me something. If something happens to me you go with that baby you keep her safe you are all she has." Paige just nodded. She knew nothing would happen to Azzi but Azzi needed to say it. Paige walked Azzi through more breathing and rubbed her back. Paige walked with her in the halls and she did anything Azzi needed. It wasn't long before it was time to push. “Alright Azzi its time, can you give us one big push?” The doctor said Paige held one of Azzis legs and her hand as Azzi pushed. “You got this baby, you are doing so good.” Paige hated seeing Azzi in pain. Azzi was crying and screaming. Azzi had switched positions 4 times now to get the baby out when there was a splash and then crying. “Oh my god.” Azzi laid back and looked down. “Oh my gosh she is here Azzi she is beautiful. You did it.” Paige kissed Azzi, tears streaming down both of their faces. Their baby was crying. “This baby definitely has a pair of lungs, good job mama.” The doctor handed the baby over to the nurse and Paige followed the baby. “Hi there baby, I'm your mom. You did so well.” Paige touched the baby's face. 

After things had settled Paige, Azzi, and their baby were sitting on the bed. They were staring at each other wondering what to do now. “Do you think she needs something?” Azzi looked at Paige who still had tears in her eyes. “No, I think she's just happy.” 

That afternoon the team came to visit and brought gifts. 

That night Paige and Azzi were sitting watching the baby sleep. “Well, she needs a name.” Paige looked at Azzi. “Yeah she does.” “You know I was thinking of Gabriella.” Paige looked at Azzi and nodded. “You know I really like that name. I think it fits her ""Hi Gabby!” So there she was Gabriella Bueckers 5lbs 2oz 18 inches.

[asha-dasha]

Give me your Penelope headcanons 🧎‍♀️‍➡️🤲🏻

ohhohoho buckle up i have a lot (ignore that this took 20 years for me to get to oopsies)

headache girly, she always has a headache

she talks to her loom, she's had it for so long that it's almost more of a constant in her life than odysseus at this point. telemachus used to tease her about it and then she caught him talking to a random owl one night thinking that it was athena so they're at a standstill

her hands are NOT smoothe or soft. her fingertips and palms have a ton of callouses from weaving.

15 years into odysseus’s absence, she started to mix up his voice versus telemachus's and panicked so hard that telemachus went silent for two days like that would help

so bad at sharing the bed and is always stealing odysseus's blanket and pillow (having the bed to herself for twenty years made this so much worse but odysseus won't complain)

more below the cut teehee

has escape routes planned from almost every corner of the palace just in case the suitors tried something

cat person but she's fallen in love with dogs since her husband and son prefer them. when her and odysseus retire to a cottage on the coast she gets a cat and treats it like a baby.

post-odyssey hates the smell of strong wine, like it genuinely makes her ill. she's pretty good at telling just how drunk someone is just by watching them.

gave melantho boy advice, not knowing that the boy she had a crush on was eurymachus

teasing is her love language, no one she loves is safe from her quips

cuts her hair to look less attractive to the suitors and quickly realizes it's sooooo much easier to work at a loom without long hair

ocd penelope hcs

im not an expert in ocd, I was diagnosed as a teenager but obviously everyones experience is different.

as a kid she would have been under so much scrutiny. I think she starts to develop habits and rituals that make her as perfect as possible, especially since she's being compared to helen all the time. I think she combs her hair a lot, to the point where maybe it's unhealthy, I think she weaves as a distraction but also because it's a crafty task that requires you things to be symmetrical/perfect. she compares herself to neurotypical helen A LOT

when she meets odysseus, she falls head over heels of course, but she's so worried about making the wrong choice, it doesn't help that icarius is yapping in her ear about how odysseus isn't good enough for her. odysseus notices how nervous she is and makes her a promise that fits within her schema "as long as olive trees exist i will love you" and that helps. penelope is so taken aback that someone wouldn't just laugh at her compulsions that she starts to fight for odysseus to her father, eventually going with him despite icarius's wishes

imagine her shock and joy when THEIR olive tree, the one he made that promise under is moved to ithaca and becomes part of their wedding bed adkfhfkzkdh they're so cute anyways.

weaving is her way of control. magical thinking, ocd is very much like "if I do __, this bad thing won't happen". hc that weaving as always been this for her, but especially when she meets odysseus and learns that athena is his patron. it becomes a "if i weave, athena won't let anything bad happen to odysseus (and later on telemachus)" and while ofysseus is gone its "if I keep weaving this shroud, odysseus is still alive and if I stop he is dead"

in the odyssey, the way she uses weaving mirrors a compulsive behavior which relies on the categories of: ritualistic, self-imposed, and performed as a way to stave off anxiety. the only aspect of her life she can truly control is the shroud, which becomes an attempt to delay change

specifically coming from the suitors is also her compulsively locking her door. she will have locked it a hundred times in a night and will still get up to check it again. i think this is a habit that doesn't go away even years after the whole thing is over.

adhd ody x ocd pen creates some ISSUES in their first few months of marriage bc he doesn't have routine and she cannot function without it. they adapt, she gets some routine and he gets to randomly take her to do fun things that get her out of her comfort zone