#i was fiddling with a question about the calculations i was doing in the back of my mind and suddenly the dominos cascaded in a line

[crychan]

I just had a breakthrough on my project while drinking, now my drunk ass is working at 11:00 PM

[rizsu]

ꪆ୧ ── NOWHERE TO RUN ┊ FACE IT ﹑ JJK. ⤿ starring: sukuna ryomen ◟ megumi fushiguro.

꒰ excuses or oblivious ﹢ one way or another, they're gonna be hit with the question “what are we?” — sorta.

𖧷 · love, ‘su: writer's block had me so bad the only thing i couldve done was 𝓭𝓻𝓪𝓯𝓽 : 𝓳𝓳𝓴 𝔁 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻

SUKUNA RYOMEN ⟡ he’ll never answer you.

“why?” you questioned him.

your voice held a tone he's not quite familiar with — it's confusing him.

you've laid sukuna flat on the bed, straddling him so he's forced to listen. trapping him under you was the only way left. sukuna's somewhat a strong man, it took barely ten percent of his energy to lift you off his desk and kiss you goodbye with sweet lies.

there's none of that now — at least during this moment. the night's fallen, he's off duties, and you're clearly not busy. there isn't room for any other variable that can counter your moment. you've calculated this meticulously.

sukuna doesn't answer. he busied his hand with the hem of your skirt, focusing his eyes more on the fabric than yours that held every unspoken emotion you felt.

the silence fails to bother you. you continued with your question despite him giving his attention to the clothes that adorn you instead of the person wearing it.

“is it a game? a push and pull game with me? you seem to enjoy deflecting.”

your once laid out palm on his chest fists the shirt, slightly tugging it. he still fiddles with your skirt, but his eyes finally found yours.

“hmm, not sure. i don't really enjoy games like that.”

a lazy smile appears on him, complimenting his visuals further.

usually you'd mirror his expressions but this time there's no mocking smile. furrowed eyebrows and a frown appeared.

“amazing, your humor never fails to amaze me.”

“the others do say i have some humor in me.”

“that's not how i—”

“i know,” he sighs, “i already know what answer you want from me— or what answer you want to hear.”

sukuna emphasizes on the last few words, tilting his head at your expression.

you're slightly puzzled. is it truly that you want to hear an answer that will satisfy you or the truth? even that brings along the question of what is the truth?

you gulped, picking at the skin on your bottom lip with your teeth.

“stop fucking with my head,” you muttered.

“then let's call it a night.” he shrugs, tapping on your thigh.

you ignore his signal to get off him. to hell with him.

a heavier sigh leaves sukuna. he has work to return to in the morning, it's quite late into the night, and he clearly isn't allowed to sleep in a comfortable position.

“fine, do what you want, but you should get some sleep as well.” his arm stretches out, cupping your face.

his palm's warm, making you press your cheek against it.

“lean down,” he says.

you're suspicious but went along with his words. surely you wouldn't come to regret it, right?

quite the opposite. the moment you were an inch away from noses touching, his hand moved from cupping your face to behind your head, pushing you down for a kiss.

“goodnight,” he whispered, pulling away from the kiss.

yet another failure added to your list.

MEGUMI FUSHIGURO ⟡ well, he had a different idea.

megumi's at the dining table, enjoying his drink as he picks back up on the page he bookmarked before bed. a proper way to start his day.

nobara's also at the dining table, with both hands crossed over her chest. not a proper way to start her day.

she's been meaning to get into it with megumi since... two days ago! what happened two days ago? she met with a dear friend she brags about and listened to relationship problems.

according to said friend, it feels as though a certain guy had lead them on. nobara, being a good friend, assured them that the guy hadn't mean it but this was an obvious attempt of comfort.

when said friend described the guy and his behaviour, she felt a chill down her spine. the description felt oddly familiar... perhaps a bit too familiar. she's sure she knew the guy, but who is it?

it was only when the sentence “with his stupid fucking hair” left the dear friend, her putting-clues-together function turned on.

the guy was megumi fushiguro, her dormmate. and also a dear friend.

ever since that day she's been planning to confront him but she procastinated. this was partially due to her not being told directly by her dormmate that he's in a ‘relationship’ so it felt like she eavesdropped.

as megumi took the final sip of his drink, he carefully placed it on the coaster. he read one more full page of the comic before he questioned nobara with no eye contact.

“is something bothering you?”

“yes! well, technically it's not me but...” nobara trails off, she's not quite sure continue.

taking a deep breath, she slams her both palms on the table, leaning in to gather megumi's attention.

“so there's this friend right?”

“yeah.”

“and they're having issues with their relationship. so, the guy kinda lead them on by being all boyfriend-y, i assume, and giving off subtle hints. whenever things get quote-on-quote advanced, the guy somehow takes the relationship two steps back. they think they're reading into it too much but also don't know what to do because the guy sometimes goes ghost.”

she hits him with all information at once. nobara rambled, ending it with a ‘phew’. her heartbeat raced for whatever reason. maybe it's because she's indirectly telling her friend he's a shitball.

“oh,” the perpetrator responds, closing his book with one hand.

if they were in a cartoon, there would surely be three question marks floating above nobara's head.

oh? just an oh? nothing else? she thinks, judging him.

“damn, that guy's an ass.” he extends his previous statement, not knowing that he just called himself an ass.

“well...!” a sweat bead forms on nobara's forehead. “what if — just what if i told you that guy is you?”

“me? you jest.”

“i fucking wish! i'm talking about you and whatever you have going on with (y/n),” she mumbles the last words, taking her dormmate's sandwich for herself.

megumi's eyebrow raises. he doesn't like what he's hearing. him? leading someone on? that someone being you? what's with the sudden twist?

“that's... hmm.” he crosses his arms across his chest, leaning back into the chair, “i thought we were already in a relationship— (y/n) and i that is.”

the sandwich wasn't a pleasant experience. upon hearing megumi's words, she immediately choked. the twists just kept coming.

“you—” a cough interrupts. “you both are fucking stupid.”

“shit — should i go meet with (y/n)?” megumi asks with urgency, staring at nobara for an answer.

“that shouldn't even be a question. make haste!”

[dovveri]

in my head

synopsis: you're paired with your crush and resident popular girl on campus for a project for the rest of semester

warnings: maybe a swear word or two

w/c: 5.5k

a/n: I ACCIDENTALLY DELETED THE REQ IM SORRY TO THAT ANON who requested this and also sorry it took me so long to get around to this i just couldn't think of anything to write bcs i alr did the nerd momo x popular reader fic and i fear this trope is too overdone for sana so... there is nothing rly original here LOL i stroogled i lwk wish i did not fill this req bcs i hate this fic HAHHA i gotta learn to say no ><

༺☆༻

“alright class, pair projects for this semester will be randomly assigned.”

there are collective groans from around the room but you only pray that you get a partner who knows what they're doing. you didn't really have a problem doing group assignments all on your own, it was better quality that way anyway, but it'd be nice if someone else could contribute a little every once in a while.

"check your emails for who your partner is. please get acquainted and exchange contact details before next week."

everyone quickly pulls out their phones, laptops, or whatever device they use during class, you follow along, logging in and scrolling to find the correct email.

minatozaki sana.

before you can even conjure up the thought oh shit she's skipping up to your table with a bright smile.

"hi! y/n?"

you sputter, unable to look at her, choosing to fiddle with your screen and panic scroll through random weather predictions and calculator apps. yes, plural, apps.

she's hard to ignore though, bending down and tilting her head so you're forced to look at her. when she catches your eyes she smiles again, "we're working together on the project this semester."

"u-uh y-yeah i s-saw."

"mhmm. wanna exchange numbers now?"

"oh! right yes of course sorry." you fumble, handing your phone to sana. she giggles, taking it from your hand and replacing it with her phone.

"cute background."

"oh that's- i'm not-"

"it's okay y/n. i'm a closet glee fan too." she winks at you, handing back your phone with exceptional speed.

you curse under your breath, quickly typing your number in and handing her phone back, thinking about the brittana wallpaper you have set on your homescreen. why did you have to be such a nerd?

"thanks! i'll text you later and we can meet up sometime this week to talk about the project?"

"y-yep. that sounds g-good."

she smiles that bright, blinding smile again, turning with a flourish and skipping over to her friends.

you were so fucked.

༺☆༻

minatozaki sana was the most popular girl on campus. captain of the cheerleading team, notorious for her ditzy charm and line of admirers. girls like that weren't exactly the type to be top of the class or put much effort into their studies. they were already guaranteed shoo-ins at major marketing or HR firms that liked pretty faces to hike in business, if they weren't already signed to modelling or acting gigs that was.

it also didn't help that you were at the wee end of her long, long line of admirers. you hadn't intended to fall for her. you knew it was completely unrealistic, you'd bet she didn't even know your first name until she got paired with you. so you knew what you were getting into when you first started paying a little more attention to her in class, noticing small things about her like the way she'd scrunch her nose when she was confused or didn't know how to do a question, or the way every time she'd get even remotely excited her left foot would start tapping, like a puppy wagging it's tail when it gets excited. you couldn't help but notice these things and who could you blame? it was minatozaki sana, you certainly weren't the first to fall for her charms, just definitely the most unlikely to actually end up with her.

so it was fine that you were paired up. totally fine. you didn't mind putting in the extra academic work if it meant you didn't have to speak to sana or even mildly interact with her. you were fine doing everything on your own so that she, or god forbid, any of her popular clique would never be able find out about your embarrassingly impossible crush for sana.

santana💜: hi! is this y/n?

you blink down at your phone. this was not who you thought it was. there was no way.

y/n: who's this?

santana💜: im sana! i named myself santana in ur phone bcs of ur brittana wallpaper ;) yk... ur brittany bcs ur a secret genius and im santana bcs... well our names are kinda similar!

y/n: oh... haha right. yeah this is y/n

santana💜: would u be free to come over tmr? to get a headstart on the assignment? or i can go over to urs instead if u want :)

y/n: oh it's fine sana u don't have to pretend to do anything. idm doing the whole thing and submitting for both of us i won't tell the teacher dw

santana💜: what?! who do u think i am y/n?! im not just going to let u do the whole thing on ur own! come to mine 8pm tmr ok? i'll text u the address later

you stare down at your phone. okay so that plan wasn't going to work. you could be cool though. this would be fine. totally fine.

y/n: ok

༺☆༻

you knock on the door of the address sana gave you after her cheer practice. you had spent the past day overthinking exactly what was going to happen, whether or not sana really did want to contribute or if she was still just doing this for show. or if something even more sinister was planned, probably not by sana, but you'd seen some of the people she hung out with, you wouldn't put it past them to go back to their high school bully ways and pull a prank on a nerd like you, even at their adult age.

but when sana opens the door with a beam, her smile is bright and seems devoid of any hidden intentions. you honestly feel a little bad that you had doubted her when she's looking at you like that. but you remind yourself that sana was just that sweet of a person, she looked at everyone like that, you weren't special.

you cough awkwardly, offering a polite smile and stepping in.

"my housemates are out tonight so we have the whole place to ourselves."

"oh cool."

"do you want anything to drink?"

"just water would be great thanks."

"you can go ahead to my room. it's the second door on the right. the bathroom's right opposite it as well if you need to go or anything. i'll be with you in a sec." she smiles at you again, going off towards the kitchen to prepare some snacks and your water.

you tentatively step further into her home, feeling very out of place, but also curious at the pictures and trinkets everywhere, your first glance into sana’s real life.

you follow her directions, walking towards her room and stepping inside, not really surprised at the pink-tone hues that greet you.

sana’s room is cute. she has polaroids and film prints of her and various friends and family hung up next to her bed, a pinboard with small reminders decorated with stickers and more pictures, posters stuck up with and fairy lights strung across various surfaces.

“sorry it’s kinda messy. i haven’t cleaned in a little.”

you turn at the sound of her voice, suddenly finding her much less intimidating in her pink fluffy slippers, suddenly she just seemed like another girl, not the person on the pedestal that you, and most of the campus put her up to be.

you smile, genuinely this time albeit still a little awkward, “it’s fine. i don’t think it’s messy at all, i like it, it’s cute.”

“really? you don’t think it’s childish or anything?” sana pouts slightly as she settles a tray of snacks and water on the table next to her bed and then sits down, shuffling the various amount of japanese plush toys around.

“not at all.”

she grins then, gesturing for you to sit.

you follow suit, crossing your legs and sitting on the floor, taking out your laptop and papers from class. “so have you had a chance to read over the assignment brief yet? it’s okay if you haven’t, i was honestly surprised you asked to meet up so early, technically the only assignment for this week was to exchange contact details.”

sana slides down so she’s on the floor next to you, knees touching, you don’t see it because you’re focused on the fact that your skin was now touching and she was close enough for you to smell her designer perfume, but she pouts before speaking, “do you seriously think i’m just some slacker y/n? i asked to meet up because i wanted to get this assignment out of the way while it’s still early in the semester. before things get busy and we both get swamped with our other classes.”

“o-oh right i’m sorry! i didn’t mean to… well yeah anyway... so i was thinking-"

"you totally thought i was a slacker didn't you?" you can't ignore her when she peeks around to eye you.

"i- well-"

"it's okay. most people think we're all just bandwagoners and yeah i admit i know some of the people i may be... affiliated with are those types of people, but i'm here because i wanted an education and i'm serious about it. so don't try and do all the work on your own okay? we'll split it evenly."

you're more than embarrassed now. you had boxed sana into a stereotype that she was obviously aware of and actively against. “right i’m so sorry oh my god- i didn’t mean to- i-“

she laughs then, hitting your shoulder playfully, your skin burns at the contact, “it’s okay y/n! you’re adorable. thanks for wanting to do everything at first but i can handle my own and i won’t let you down!”

you blush, looking back down to your papers but comprehending none of the words on it. "right. i'm sorry again... and thank you." you manage to mumble out.

sana giggles internally, finding you very cute. and she loved cute things as evidenced all over her room.

༺☆༻

the following weeks you start spending a lot more time at sana's place, to the point where you've met all her roommates and their partners, and it doesn't feel weird for them to see you around the house. it was a pretty rigorous assignment and it involved a lot of hands-on research and time dedicated to it.

you're still complete strangers at school though, sana was still the popular it girl, always surrounded by groups of people, while you were the nerdy nobody.

so it definitely comes as a shock when sana slides into the seat across from you while you're eating your lunch peacefully alone in the cafeteria, mindlessly scrolling through tiktok.

your eyes almost bulge out of your head when you look up and see her bright smile, scrambling to make space for her and take your airpods out, almost knocking your juice popper off the side of the table in the panic.

"s-sana! what are you doing here?!" you're pulling the straps of your bag towards you so it's no longer occupying the table space opposite you, that obviously meant that spot was occupied, a cue sana chose to cheerily ignore.

"just saw you eating alone and wanted to join you!"

"o-oh. you don't have friends waiting for you?"

she shrugs, plucking a fry off your plate, "not really."

you shrink into your seat as you feel the eyes of the cafeteria land on you and sana, whispering and pointing at you. you’ve never wished more for the floor to swallow you up than in this moment.

“so i was thinking-“

“sana! what are you doing here?”

oh no. you did not need any more attention on you right now. least of all from park jihyo, student council president, and kim dahyun, student council treasurer, both of whom were on the same level of popularity as sana with just as many admirers.

jihyo slides in right next to you while talking across to sana, dahyun happily greeting sana and sliding in next to her with her lunch tray.

“jihyo! dahyunnie! i thought you both had a student council meeting right now?”

“got postponed. our secretary fell sick and we can’t proceed without her so we just decided to wait until she got better.”

they fall into easy conversation while you shrink even further into yourself, squeezing your arms into your sides so you’re not made known to the other two who still haven’t acknowledged your presence.

“ugh practice was such a drag today.” yoo jeongyeon slides in next to you, still in her lacrosse uniform, throwing an arm over your shoulders without seeming to realise who you were. you flinch at the action.

this was so not happening to you right now.

hirai momo slides in next to sana, eyes trained only on her tray as she mumbles a greeting with her mouth full with food already.

oh good lord what did you do to deserve this?

at least you’d met momo before since she was one of sana’s roommates but she still only really knew you as ‘sana’s project partner’. the others you’ve only seen from afar, and until now you were half-convinced they weren’t really real, too far up the social ladder to ever be associated with the likes of you. jeongyeon was the star lacrosse player and team captain of your school, which was renowned for it’s lacrosse team. hirai momo was apparently roped into playing lacrosse but really excelled in the world of dance. apparently she’d already had experience touring as backup dancers for major hit singers.

jihyo wrinkles her nose, speaking over you to jeongyeon, “yoo jeongyeon you stink. didn’t we allocate an extra $3000 to shower renovations last year? we did not do that so you could continue to sweat all over me.”

jeongyeon sticks her tongue out at jihyo, “i was hungry. besides i’m not sweating all over you. and you don’t mind do you- wait- who are you?”

your eyes widen when you realise jeongyeon’s now addressing you, and then suddenly the entire table’s eyes are on you.

you feel your face going bright red, coughing awkwardly and staring down at your plate of food. “u-um-“

“this is y/n! she’s my friend!”

you look up to see sana beaming at you.

“oh… how do you guys know each other?”

“we were paired together for that pair project i was talking about- you know for my class about sustainable engineering? momoring knows!”

momo grunts in acknowledgement, offering you a fleeting smile before returning back to her food, not entirely interested with this conversation.

“wait- how does momo know her and i don’t? momo spends all of her time in the dance studio, and if she’s not she’s only ever focused on food!”

“maybe you should be a better student council president and know all your students then hyo.”

im nayeon, co-head cheerleader along with sana, her title alone demonstrating her popularity status, teases jihyo with a grin, standing at the end of the table in her cheer uniform, commanding all attention from anyone who wasn’t already watching your table in curiosity.

“oh shut up nayeon.” but jihyo quickly turns to face you, offering a hand and a bright smile, “hi y/n! it’s nice to meet you! i hope we haven’t been giving you too much trouble.”

you quickly shake your head, taking her hand gingerly, surprised at the strong grip she has.

“momoring and nayeonnie have already met y/n because she’s been over at ours a lot to work on the project together.” sana perks up again, and then looks at you again, not that her eyes have really left you but you didn’t know that, “sorry for all this by the way. my friends are obviously people blind.”

“speak for yourself sana. the amount of times you’ve called out the wrong name in bed-“

sana flushes bright red, shooting up and slapping a hand over nayeon’s mouth while the others crack up in laughter.

"ignore her y/n. she doesn't mean that."

sana smiles through her teeth while nayeon makes muffled sounds of disagreement, and honestly it is a little funny so you can't help but laugh alongside them.

in the end, you don't mind too much that sana's friends invaded your lunch time. they were a lot less intimidating than you had thought they would be, similar to how you had judged sana prior to actually spending any time with her. it was still awkward to feel the eyes of jealous onlookers but sana stealing food off your plate every few minutes and making sure you were included in the conversation was enough to make you feel welcome and ignore those looks.

༺☆༻

"y/n! i got those projections we were talking about last week." sana bounds up to you outside your lecture hall.

"sana? how did you even know i had class at this time?"

"i asked around." she shrugs as if it wasn't a big deal for her to actively be looking for you and for her to know your schedule, "here- what do you think?" she hands over a few documents and you shuffle to the side so students can continue moving in and out. that also meant you were basically boxing yourself into the small corner next to the door with sana blocking your way out. you can feel a few weird glances look your way, wondering how you of all people knew one of the most popular girls on campus.

"it looks good sana."

"great! are we still on for tomorrow night? coach put nayeon and i in charge of practice this week but i may have bribed nayeon into running it herself so we can spend some more time on the project without her nosy self at home."

you nod, handing back her papers, "yeah, i'll be over around 6?"

"sounds good! see you then!" and then she's kissing your cheek and flying off before you can react, your hand coming up to touch where she had pecked you seconds after she's gone.

"-don't know what she sees in them."

"right- you think y/n's paying sana or something?"

"no way sana would do that though. i bet she's just using y/n for help with study or whatever."

"nah i've seen sana's marks, she doesn't need the extra help. maybe she's just toying with y/n. could be a dare or maybe she just has a nerd kink, or wants to try it out once and drop her."

"oh true hahaha i'd almost feel bad for y/n but it is pretty funny watching her prance around sana like she has a chance."

the sounds of laughter drift down the hallway as you stay rooted to the spot, completely invisible to the rest of the student body.

were they right? was sana just pulling you along? fuck you were so stupid. of course she knew you had a crush on her. everyone had a crush on her. you thought you knew sana but now you were starting to doubt your perceptions of her all over again. ugh you couldn't do this. you felt so embarrassed thinking about the amount of time you've spent with sana. all that for her to just be stringing you along, maybe even laughing behind your back with all her friends, you were so stupid for thinking you'd ever move out of your miserable social status. you were at the bottom of the social hierarchy, and she was at the top, it would always be that way, and people at the top don't want anything to do with people at the bottom unless it's for their own benefit or entertainment. sana was not an exception.

༺☆༻

santana💜: hey u still coming over? i maaaay have tried to cook dinner for us both even tho momo always warns me not to step foot in the kitchen and ig she was right this time... so i'll order takeaway? thai food okay?

santana💜: everything okay? sorry if thai food wasnt ur style >< i can order sth else instead but the foods getting cold :((

santana💜: im guessing ur not coming :( hope everythings okay w u!! ill see u at school soon 🥺

༺☆༻

you’ve been trying your best to avoid sana ever since you overheard what those people thought of your relationship with her. it was difficult when she would send you daily texts asking where you were and how you’ve been, even i miss you texts with the little sad face emoticon that had your fingers aching to text her back but you resisted. this was for the best.

but of course as soon as you started avoiding her you also started seeing her around campus a lot more than you used to. she’d pop up everywhere you were, at the library, in the hallways, on the fields, you’d always manage to shy away from her gaze but you don’t think she was doing this on purpose. maybe it was just the fact that because you were avoiding her, you were a lot more noticeable of her presence.

it was hard to keep this up though, especially when the time of the week came that you shared the class you had been assigned project partners in. you had seriously considered faking sick when you woke up in the morning, thinking she could manage class on her own and you’d just email her your parts of the assignment or something. but you got out of bed reluctantly and trudged to class, coming up with as many excuses as possible for having not responded to any of her messages and ditching your last meetup.

you sigh in relief when you walk into class and see that people are still milling about, slowly trickling in, and sana’s seat is still empty. you slink to the back of the classroom, pulling your hood up and turning on your laptop to tap mindlessly at the keyboard, hiding your face behind the screen.

you can hear when the class starts filling up, sliding down further in your chair and avoiding eye contact with everyone.

you can also hear the moment sana walks in, flanked by her friends with that high-pitched laugh and sunshine energy, the class suddenly seems twice as bright as it was. god you missed her. and that was pathetic of you! she didn’t even care about you! you stay resolute in your avoidance, only allowing yourself a second to bask in her voice before closing yourself off again from the outside world.

it’s only when the teacher walks in and starts reading the roll, that you have to squeak out a small ‘here’ when they read out your name. you avoid her gaze when you speak up but you can see in the corner of your eye, sana whips her head around and stares at you with wide eyes, her mouth open in surprise. you shrink back down but she continues to stare at you for a few more seconds before frowning and facing back forward when her name is called out.

you spend the rest of class hiding behind the screen of your laptop, formulating a plan on the fastest way to get out of class once it's over so you don't have to talk to sana.

unfortunately, the teacher seems to have taken notice of your lack of participation, when usually you're the only one in the class who is able to answer their questions, or even mildly paying attention, so you're pulled back when you try to escape, the rest of the class chattering excitedly while leaving class.

"what's wrong y/n?"

"nothing. sorry, just not feeling the best today."

the teacher eyes you, "is the pair project going alright? you didn't sit with sana today."

you gulp, "it's fine."

"are you sure? if sana's making you do all the work you'll tell me won't you?"

your eyes widen, "no! no sana's a sweetheart she-" you catch yourself, sana wouldn't really be a sweetheart if she was playing with you would she? "she's been great, she's contributing and pulling all of her own weight and more. to be honest... i'm probably the one who's not doing my part right now..."

the teacher hums, "alright y/n. let me know if there's anything i can do for you. go home and rest."

you nod, adjusting the straps of your backpack and trudging outside.

only to find sana waiting outside the classroom with her arms crossed, tapping her foot in the way she does when she gets annoyed.

as soon as your outside she doesn't spare you a second glance, grabbing your wrist and dragging you to the closest empty classroom and closing the door behind the both of you, standing against it so you have no way of escaping.

"wh- sana! sana what are you doing? i have class!"

"no you don't. the only class you have on wednesdays is the one we share. after that you normally go home or to the library before getting dinner outside."

"what- how do you- have you been stalking me?"

she frowns, "have you been avoiding me?"

"i- what makes you think that?"

"you didn't come last week. and you haven't been answering any of my messages. and i'm not stalking you i just thought we were friends and i like to know my friends' schedules, so when you didn't turn up to any of your usual study spots...i got worried. i thought you were sick or something. but then i saw you at the dessert shop outside the council centre where i volunteer and you didn't look sick at all. in fact, as soon as you saw me you were healthy enough to run off."

you gulp nervously, stepping back, only for sana to step forward. your eyes flit around, looking for any possible exit or distraction, anything would be better than confronting sana right now.

"i just- um- i-"

sana pouts, "did i do something? you'd tell me if i did right?"

"no! you didn't do anything. i just- um-"

she raises an eyebrow. you fiddle with your fingers, unable to look her in the eye.

"w-what do you want with me?"

sana doesn't seem to expect this answer. "what do you mean?"

you sigh in frustration, running a hand through your hair, "it doesn't make sense. why would you want to be friends with me? you're popular and smart and beautiful and you don't hang out with people like me."

"is that what this is about?"

"no- well- yes- i overheard the other day, some people talking about how you were only using me or that you didn't have good intentions with me and i just- i didn't know what to do."

"and what do you think?"

you look up at her then, her gaze is steely, there's no hint of her usual smile. "w-what?"

"is that what you think of me? that that's the kind of person i am? that i'd do that to someone?"

you're taken aback, "i- n-no! i-"

"then why did you listen to them? you're not stupid y/n i know you can form your own opinions on people. you're not like the others, or at least i thought you weren't. i didn't think you'd judge people off of what you've heard about them, i thought we were friends y/n."

"i didn't i- we are- i just-"

you take another step back, needing to create distance between the two of you, needing to think without sana's presence making your head all muddy. but with each step back you take, sana takes one forward.

"was there something else? were you looking for a reason to avoid me?"

another step back, another step forward.

"no! i- i didn't-"

"tell me the truth? please?" you're backed into the wall, nowhere left to go, and sana only steps closer. you can feel your heart rate picking up at her proximity, she's looking up at you, puppy eyes and a pout on her lips, you were so weak.

"n-no i don't- there's nothing else-"

"hmm." she's so close you can see the way her eyelashes flutter when she blinks, can feel her breath on your lips.

you can feel how hot your cheeks are, sweat collecting in your clenched fists. she's studying you, eyes flicking over your face, when your tongue pokes out to wet your lips, purely out of habit and stress, her eyes dart down and watch the movement, snapping back up to your eyes once you were done.

and then suddenly, she blinks and there's a change in the atmosphere. there's a curl of her lips, her eyes conveying something you can't quite decipher.

"do you... like me y/n?"

you blush impossibly brighter, "i-i- well- i-"

then her lips are on yours, just the barest brush of her skin against yours, like a sigh against your lips, but when she pulls away, she doesn't go far, her lips still hovering over yours, looking up at you through her eyelashes.

"it's okay if you do."

you're completely dumbstruck, hand twitching, wanting to reach up and feel your lips, to see if this was really happening.

"because i'd be lying if i said i didn't find you attractive."

your mind goes blank, struggling to catch up. "w-what?"

"i don't kiss just anyone. nayeon may have made that comment about how many people i bring home but none of them compare to you. you're different. you don't want me just because i'm pretty and easy."

"i- i-"

she leans in, pecking you softly again, before leaning back fully to give you space, turning on her heel. "think about it y/n. once you have an answer, stop avoiding me. you know where to find me." and then she's stepping outside the classroom, and you feel like you can finally breathe again, letting your brain catch up to what your body just experienced.

༺☆༻

it takes you a few days to fully come to your senses.

sana stops actively searching for you, but you still see her around campus, only she seems to have decided to give you space, not acknowledging you if you saw her in public or walked past her.

so sana obviously knew you liked her. it just didn't make sense that she could like you too. you took days trying to find any way this could've happened, tracing over every interaction you've had with her in your head over and over, trying to find any clues for her feelings towards you.

it crossed your mind briefly that this was another one of her possible ploys to embarrass you. but she was right when she confronted you, you didn't think she was that kind of person, and none of her actions or the time you've spent with her indicated that she was that kind of person, you needed to trust your own eyes and feelings, sana was being genuine.

it just baffled you how this was possibly genuine, how it was possible for sana to like someone like you. and the only way you'd be able to find out was to talk to her.

you inhale, standing outside sana's apartment. you knew momo had dance practice at this time and nayeon had told you she wouldn't be home because she was meeting up with some friends, so it would just be sana at home.

you knock tentatively, stepping back and collecting your thoughts.

it doesn't help though, because when the door opens, all comprehendible thoughts fly out of your mind, replaced with the mental energy required to memorise sana, her hair up in a messy bun, oversized t-shirt and sweatpants, large glasses on, looking like she just woke up from a nap.

sana's eyes brighten when they see you, leaning against her doorframe and raising an eyebrow expectantly.

"h-hi sana."

"hey yourself. what are you doing here?"

you take a deep breath. you had prepared for this. "why do you like me?" well that was not what you had prepared.

sana smiles amusedly, "i told you. i like that you see me for who i am rather than who i present myself to be. i think you're very cute, you get along well with my friends, you're incredibly smart, and even though you think a little too much over what other people say, we can work on that."

your eyes widen at her answer.

"it's simple y/n. do you want to be with me or not? don't overthink it. we can work out any issues that come up overtime."

"i..." you look down to your feet, blushing, then looking back up to her, "yes. i do want to be with you."

sana grins then, not missing a beat, swooping in and kissing you gently, tasting of berries and sunshine. when she breaks apart, finally welcoming you into her apartment, she teases, "i finished our project by the way. you owe me. but i'll accept kisses as payment."

you whine, finally letting yourself be free around her, no longer hesitating to do what you've wanted to this entire semester, bring her up into a kiss that hopefully makes up for the utter loser you've been in her presence.

[madelynraemunson]

i need to know if we ever get jealous of eddie’s said short lived relationships. do we ever try to sabotage them? or are we the type to try and get along with them and thats when they’re like “oh no you two need to be together?”

(i know the answer in my heart but i want to hear what you think lol)

ex husband!eddie x reader

whaaat? sabotage eddie's relationships? 😵 that's diabolical. why on earth would we do that?

that one time we showed up to his house wearing a sundress after months of wearing sweats was TOTALLY unplanned! we had a date, after all.

and that one time we were dancing with eddie at the family bbq, rocking out to all our favorite songs like careless teenagers right in front of girlfriend #3 was all a ploy by our kiddos! right, kids? right? we do everything for the kids. they love seeing their parents happy and getting along. right, kids?

and are you really still on about the day of eli's talent show?? 🤦🏻‍♀️ we only asked girlfriend #9 to take a family photo of us because she was the only one that was around. that's all 😇 and she shouldn't be mad at us! eli LOVES taking pics with mommy and daddy. who is she to get in the way of a family, especially when kids are involved 🤨😤 (also, we didn't MAKE eddie place his hand where he did in the pictures. he literally did it by himself, on his own terms.)💋

...okay, bunnie you got me! we know damn well what we're doing 😅 but quite frankly, so does eddie.

you've got a date with david tonight. in fact, eddie knows was nice enough to house sit for you and help the kids with homework. an innocent, sweet little gesture. right?

you and david are watching a movie on his couch and things are getting steamy really fast. david is about to kiss you when...

RING! RING!

you pull away immediately. checking your phone to see who it is, you realize,

"it's my ex husband, that fucker. the house better be burning down." you go to answer it. "yes?"

“hey, sweetheart, this is eddie...the banished." he greets you. “i can't seem to find the measuring tape and was wondering if you knew where it was."

you're unsure as to why he would even need measuring tape. regardless, you reply,

"it's in with drawer of miscellaneous stuff. the one by the kitchen sink.”

"ahh, that's right. found it. thanks, babe."

but that's not the only useless call of the night. as your date with david continues, the calls keep coming through in seemingly calculated intervals. at the worst possible times. with the most irrelevant fucking questions.

“i can't find the baking soda." “where do you keep the batteries? the c batteries not the double As." "hey, just a heads up, you might wanna call somebody for this pipe." "what's the wifi password again?"

"EMUNSON1986!" you hiss. "the year you graduated high school."

"aww, really?" eddie coos. "that's endearing. thanks baby."

eventually after an hour, the calls stop. you and david were able to finish the movie, and get back to that steamy interaction before you were spammed mercilessly. david is now fiddling with your straps as you two are kissing, his available hand grazing your lower back, breath hitching when —

RING! RING!

"jesus h CHRIST!" you howl. "it's midnight for god's sake. this better be important. HELLO?”

"sorry," eddie mumbles on the other line. "remind me, i'm looking at your snake plant and was wondering how often these guys need watering? they look a little parched."

"once a day and i already did it," you say through gritted teeth.

"it's a new day, should they be watered again?"

"don't worry about it, eds."

"i always worry, sweetheart.”

david happens to hear this. giving you a side eye now, your date watches as you stay on the line with eddie for a couple of minutes. finally, you get eddie to agree to stop calling, which fills you with relief when you hang up the phone. your eyes then travel back to david, whom you begin to bat your flirty lashes at.

"now." you say. "where were we?"

"you should probably go home," david huffs. "looks like the fort still needs holding down."

you're seeing absolute red now. you are seething. that motherfucker.

your drive home is an angry, and sexually frustrated one. you can't believe eddie would sabotage your date like this, your only fun night out this week. he's in for it now.

"date ended early sweetheart?" eddie pouts at you the moment you walk into your house.

"bedroom," you order. "now."

tagging peeps who seemed interested in this lil universe! as always thank you for reading 💋

@highinmiamiii @potatobeans99 @mediocredreams @joshlmbrt @eddiesxangel @enam3l @mmunson86 @davidblowies-blog @thatissonnina @oskea93 @aurora-austen @lesservillain @madeofmunson @xxbimbobunnyxx @eddiesghxst @munsonssweets @nailbatanddungeon @swiss-mrs @winchester-angel @belokhvostikova @curlyjoequinn @strangereads @marrowfrog00 @shadyunknowncreation @tuolcaniacoc @catherinnn @prestinalove @pleuviors @cinemabean @calumfmu @littlexdeaths @let-the-music-take-c0ntrol @meetmeatyourworst @b-irock @spencerssatchel

divider by: @cafekitsune

[zhongrin]

“honey, can you… leave me alone?”

— (sometimes, we all just need some downtime for ourselves)

◇ characters ◇ zhongli, al haitham, diluc, kaeya, kaveh, thoma, albedo, wanderer, xiao

◇ tags ◇ angst with comfort, established relationship, petnames

◇ a/n ◇ oh wow! guys!! i wrote angst with comfort!!! guys!!!!!!! are you proud of me????? this is kinda self-indulgent bc i wrote this when i was just. tired. you know, those moments where you genuinely just want to shut down and be in your own company? yeah.

𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 ⬙ 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 ⬙ 𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡

zhongli smiles patiently. and if he judged that you would allow him to, he would place a kiss on top of your head before stepping away. his movements are graceful and calculated, amber eyes ever so observant as he watches the droop of your lashes and the downturn of your lips.

ah. you’re in that kind of mood.

with a firm nod, he promises to give you all the space you needed, as long as at the end of the day you return to his arms. a few hours or days of waiting would certainly make him miss you terribly, but zhongli is a patient man, and your well-being matters most.

“of course. you’ll come to me when you’re ready, yes?”

al haitham understands your needs very well. contrary to most people’s beliefs, he would put them just as equally high - if not more - than his own needs most of the time.

he simply nods upon your words and, after much consideration, would place his soundproof headphones on your side before he leaves the room, carefully minding his footsteps as he walks towards kaveh’s room to inform the architect of the situation and remind him to tone his antics down.

“alright. call me if you need anything.”

diluc would automatically ask you if something is wrong or is bothering you - it’s his protective instincts, don’t blame him too much - but he knows not to probe further when you give him that look.

he offers for a maid to deliver your favorite warm drink later, and with one last comforting squeeze of his hand on top of yours, he leaves, his head full of questions and his heart set to spoil you rotten the moment you return to his side.

“adelinde? tell the maids to skip cleaning [name]’s study today. and tell the workers to be especially quiet when they walk about the second floor.”

kaeya might only have half the eyesight normal people have, yet he’s anything but inattentive, especially when it comes to you. he settles with a light, fleeting caress upon your cheek with his gloved hand, and he presses a tender kiss to your forehead before retreating, offering you a sympathetic grin.

“i got you, babe. i’ll be at the office doing paperwork for once, but you can visit me anytime, okay?”

thoma holds back the urge to fuss over you like the mother hen that he is.

he knows about this habit of yours - sometimes lady ayaka exhibits the same behavior - so he knows he shouldn’t be too worried. you always get over this eventually; what you need now is time, and just like any other point in time in your relationship, he is more than willing to accommodate all of your desires.

“do you need me to sleep at the couch tonight? it’s really no trouble at all, love. anything that makes you most comfortable, okay?”

kaveh visibly pouts and looks like he’s about to cry when you ask him for such a request.

he can’t help it, okay? he wants to hold and kiss and cherish you constantly! so having to deliberately spend some time apart from you is torture to him… plus, those tired eyes of yours hurt his poor empathetic heart more than anything.....

with a saddened nod, he fiddles his fingers and gives you a pair of wet puppy eyes.

“are you sure, baby? …... you know you can tell me anything, right? …… whenever you’re ready, okay, precious? i’ll be in the living room, then…. come find me soon, okay, my love?”

albedo doesn’t even bat an eye. he’s already long since memorized your behavioral patterns, and from your recent ventures, he did conclude that this was going to happen. all within expectations, he muses, yet he can’t help but feel saddened at the exhaustion prominently displayed on your features.

with a soft smile, he places his specially curated ‘care package’ on your lap along with a gentle kiss on your cheek before exiting the room and hanging a “do not disturb - contact albedo instead” sign right in front of the door.

“there are a few snacks and calming scented candles inside, along with a few interesting puzzles and crafts. i thought you might like them and find them relaxing. i’ll be at the lab - just send a message through sucrose or timaeus if you need me.”

wanderer’s automatic response is a half-fearful, half-angry “are you fucking serious? hell no!”, but the second emotion is amplified when he sees the murkiness in your expression.

he swears to inflict pain upon whoever dared to put this expression on your face, but he falters when you explain your thoughts the best you can in your current headspace. eventually, with a scowl on his face and a gruff "fine.", the door closes behind him and he slides onto the floor. sure, you can shoo him away, but he has no intention to move from that spot until you reopen the said door.

“….. hmph. guess being a puppet is a good thing at times like these.”

xiao relates to your struggles far too well. he simply nods and teleports out from the room as fast as he could, not wanting his karmic debt to affect your mood further negatively.

throughout it all, your silent protector watches from afar and listens to the wind around you ever so cautiously. just because he agreed to give you space, it doesn’t mean he can’t continue to make sure you’re safe and sound, after all.

“understood. you need only call my name when you are ready to see me.”

© zhongrin | 2023 ◆ no repost. reblogs much appreciated. feel free to reach out to submit suggestions, feedback, comments, or if you just want to talk!

◇ taglist ◇ @thestarsofenkanomiya | @genshinparty | @abyssmal-skies | @hamdehlesmis | @depressivecomforts | @sophiethewitch1 | @why-am-i-here-someone-save-me | @sunnshineflxwer | @heartonthemoon | @yuutasbabe | @percyval-archives | @carbs-need-more-love | @rebeccka | @queen-belial | @stygianoir | @silentmoths | @niktwazny303 | @dustofthedailylife | @herdrops | @diebischesther | @marina-and-the-memes | @angryhope | @mixed-kester | @shuangxo | @fiannee | @lordbugs | @anonymousficreader | @shizunxie | @ladylofspades | @sup-zfam | @ansy-tea | @irethepotato | @nachotrash | @algrimmammon | @sassy-cat-in-town

[mascdestr0yer]

BE CAREFUL

spiderwoman!paige x fem!reader

Warnings: overuse of italics, fluff, angst, slight cursing ?

Synopsis: paige got a lil hurt..

A/N: this is placed in ny city, for obvious reasons, it’s based off of the iconic scene we all know and love, if you don’t know the scene, well..

PAIGE LAID IN YOUR BED, watching you as you studied hour after hour.

“you can’t invite me over and just study, that’s very rude,” She began stretching, then she walked over to your desk, closing your book, grabbing your calculator.

“paige!—“ you huffed, not too upset, you had been ignoring the girl. “i didn’t invite you, you came over by yourself.”

“Literally the same thing— do you treat all your guests like this?” she shakes her head with faux disappointment. “Come on, let’s watch a movie, i know you want to,” she smirked, gently pulling you to your bed.

“maybe a little..”

“atta girl, come on,” she patted the spot next her.

The two were halfway through some romcom movie, “my mom is having her new boyfriend over and he’s going to be spending some nights over here more often, so i was wondering if we could hang out at your place instead..?”

“yeah, sure, i thought you like your mom’s new boyfriend?” she questions, fiddling her zipper on her jacket.

“i do—but, i just want to hangout with no interruptions and he’s so pushy.” your voice was soft, paige could tell you weren’t trying to sound rude.

She let out a chuckle in return,“excuses excuses..”

“i mean, if wanna meet him that’s fine by me.”

“i’d love too,” her smirk was too wide for you liking.

“why do you look like that..?”

“like what? this is my face, it’s awfully rude to judge someone off things they can’t change, especially, if they saved your life,” Of course she had to use the save your life.

“okay spider-girl,” you rolled your eyes, closing your laptop.

“first off, it’s spiderwoman to you, secondly i was watching that.”

It’s been a couple days without seeing each other, school would usually be the time you guys had at least some time together but, unfortunately it was spring break.

You both were busy so it was understandable, so here you were typing away trying to finish you Ap lit paper before break was over, you’ve been procrastinating all month.

Now as the due date nears the paper is all you can think about. Your laptop feels like it could explode from how long it’s been on.

you hear a soft but, loud enough knock at your window, “come in.”

You get out of your seat, walking over to her, “you know, when i said you can come over whenever i didn’t mean through my window, my mom would kill me,”

she chuckled and stumbled out of the window, she had three long claw marks on her back, “paige, what—what happened?”

“you should see the other guy..” she joked as you sat her down, “—the other guy… in this instance being a giant mutant lizard,”

“Hey, y/n, do you wanna have rice Krispy treats? your mom’s making rice Krispy treats,” you could hear your mom’s boyfriend, edwin, say down the hall. that makes you jump up and rush to your door. paige quickly gets out of your chair to hide.

you opened the door, out of breath, “no, edwin, i do not want rice Krispy treats , honestly—i’m seventeen years old,” you say way harsher than you’d like.

“well, i just thought i remembered someone saying last week that her fantasy was to live in a marshmallow house,” Edwin raised a brow, he decided not to question the other of breath situation.

“well, that’s impractical,” you closed your door and then reopened it, “and fatning,” you closed you door again.

you looked at paige who was sat ln the floor behind you chair, “marshmallow house,” she teased, you just rolled your eyes.

you reopened your door, “m’sorry edwin, i just can’t have rice Krispy treats right now, i’m—i’m working on this paper and like it’s due soon so, you don’t even wanna know.”

He just nods his and walks away, you sighed.

the taller girl winced as cleaned her wound, throwing her head back slightly.

“his—his tail was like humongous..” she started, you grimaced at the sight of her trembling body.

“shh.. it’s okay,” you cooed, you tried to bandage the girl quickly but, tight enough so it wouldn’t hurt her. when you were finished the two of you laid on your bed, you gently combed your fingers through her hair.

“thank you..” it muffled by your shirt that she had her face buried in.

“you’re welcome, just be more careful next time.. you know i’m not always gonna be here,” you responded softly.

“you’re not allowed to talk like that,” her grip on your shirt tightened.

“okay okay..” you chuckled.

“it’s not funny,”

sorry if it’s too short, hope you guys liked it, taglist: @aerinaga @danc1ngqu33n @darlindayss @secretlifeofmarii @aavasstuff @h34rtsformilli @ajcuteee @naipoohh @theendofevangelionnn @mrsengstler @thebignunfun @tired-duckling @julienbakerloverr @mrsarnold @slut4uconnwbb @abbyswif3 @svudetective @liviiyyy @hellokittyfeenie @paigeslanyard @latenighttalkinqwp @ashortyluvsports @kittykatz1227 @seraphicgrll @paulamdm @patscorner @addil244 @1-800-fantasy @typicalkith

[wanderingxiao]

Thirst post~ Being married to Scaramouche and becoming super needy while he's at work. Will he come home or nah?

Suggestive Themes, 18+ only plz~ 💜

✨Scaramouche’s Sexting Experience✨

“Sir? Are you okay?” The senior manager of the Fatui computer company was staring intently at his personal phone, his gaze fixated and intense in its contents. His mind was elsewhere, not hearing one of his employees asking him a question. The dark lavender eyes of senior manager Scaramouche were glazed over and immensely intense. His pupils blew out in lust seeing the suggestive string of texts he had gotten from his sexy wife, you. 

Wife💀: Scara baby! I miss you <3 I missed you in bed this morning. I was looking forward to tell you aaaalllllll about my wet dream about you ;)

He texted back anxiously, his thumbs flicking across his screen as he typed out his calculated reply to your lewd words. He could already feel a certain tightness growing in his neatly pressed slacks. A noticeable clench came to his jaw, making the employee think that his manager was enraged at whatever he was looking at on his phone. In truth, he was trying to hold back a low groan of anticipation. 

ScaraBae💜: You know I have to work, dumbass. Why don’t you give me a show and I might come home early to reenact your dream yeah? 

Wife💀: Mmm, I think I can do that 💜

“Sir-“ 

“What.” He snapped aggressively, reluctantly pulling his dark lavender eyes off of the screen in front of him. “T-The e-expense reports.” The employee sticks a shaky hand out to him with papers in his hand. A rumble came from his phone, and he quickly looked back, eyes fixating on the notification that you had sent him an image. “Yeah, yeah, give them to Childe, I’m busy.” With that, the senior manager walks away to his office quickly, leaving the poor nervous employee standing there with the expense reports. Once he arrived, he sat at his desk and started to fiddle with his belt buckle with one hand while the other typed in his passcode, which so happened to be the date you both got married. His dark lavender eyes narrowed in hunger seeing you sprawled back on your shared bed, your thin shirt showing your erect nipples. 

Wife💀: Is this good enough for you baby? Or do you want more? ;) 💜

A low growl left his throat at your snarky reply, his thumb sliding quickly across his screen in quick precise motions to reply while his other hand finally got the buckle of his belt undone. Your teasing was going to be the death of him. 

ScaraBae💜: I’m getting a bit bored with this image. Show me something more. 

His breathing had increased slightly, his teeth catching his bottom lip to chew on it in anticipation waiting for another image. Once you sent it to him, a low and deep groan rumbled from his chest. You had sent a picture of your shirt raised up to your neck, lovely teeth holding the fabric up while your breasts lay on full display for him. One of your hands was up against one of your boobs, pinching the hardened bud between your nimble fingers. His eyes caught sight of your wedding ring snuggly around your ring finger, and he couldn’t help but get harder at the simple knowledge that you were his, permanently. 

Wife💀: Is this more acceptable for you, Master? 

God he could just hear you calling him that as he fucked your sensitive cunt into the mattress of your bed, never relenting until he had you creaming on his cock over and over again. 

ScaraBae💜: Hmm. Better. What else you got? Slut. 

His fingers gripped the zipper of his pants, pulling slowly while the sound echoed in his ears. The palm of his slender yet rough hand slid over his painfully hard erection, putting pressure against the shaft before releasing a frustrated sigh. He wanted to see you now. He needed you, now. Your next reply was a video. His eyes widened in surprise before they became heavily lidded by his overwhelming desire. His thumb pressed the little play button and the first thing he heard was a call of his name, his real name. 

“Kunikuzushi… please come home.” Your breath was raspy and laced with ecstasy. The phone was positioned to see your desperate expression. A small saliva stain blemished your thin shirt, drool escaping the side of your lips. Your fingers were playing with your nipples, rolling and pinching the buds between your fingers before your hand slid lower. “Please come home, baby…” He watched with sharp eyes as your hand entered your silky panties, knuckles announcing the position of your fingers. A grotesquely lewd squelch came from his phone, following closely by a hushed moan as your eyes scrunched in pleasure. “Kunikuzushi…” 

ScaraBae💜: Take it all off. 

He set his phone down for a moment, his eyes never leaving the screen as he impatiently waited for your next sultry video. Both his hands were fumbling with pushing his pants down and slipping his hardened length out of the confines of his boxers. A slow yet loose languid stroke of his cock sent shivers down his spine. He picked up his phone and watched with baited breath as your next video came through, the image before he pressed play already making his grip tighten, his hand moving up and down at a slow pace as he clicked play with his free hand. 

“Hmm, Kuni! P-Please… look at me. Look h-how needy, hah, I am for you.” God how he loved the way your lewd eyes stared directly into the camera the entire time you spoke to him. Your fingers were moving steadily inside your core, sinfully wet noises coming from the speakers of Scaramouche’s phone. “Kuni, I want y-you inside me, hah… I want your d-dick inside me… s-stretching me- Hmm! -out so d-deep! Please, Kuni…” Oh how you wish you could see the darkness in his eyes as you call his name like that. His hand gripped at the base of his cock, sliding it up to squeeze against the tip, pre-cum leaking from the raging redness of the head of his length. The video unfortunately ended, much to his dismay. Instead of asking for another… 

He video called you. 

He relished in the way you answered the call, out of breath with a lewd expression on your face. You couldn't even call his name out properly before he aggressively asserted his dominance over you with a cold and domineering tone. "Shut that whore mouth up, I didn't give you permission to speak so freely to me. All I wanna hear are your moans for more." His forehead began to glisten with sweat, his indigo eyes tracing the voluptuous curves of your body sprawled out and succumbed to pleasure with only the thought of him in your mind. "Show me. Show me that pretty pussy."

"Hmm, Kuni-!" Your hands were shaky, the images on Scaramouche's screen blurred as you struggled to keep your hands steady. As the phone lowered between your legs, Scaramouche couldn't help but lick his lips, his mouth salivating at the sight of your glistening folds covered in your arousal, fingers knuckle deep as you imagined him touching you. "Spread those pretty lips and let me see your slutty hole." He demanded next, his hand moving more furiously against his cock, squeezing against his tip making his hands slippery with his pre-cum. "Beg me. Beg me to come home and fuck you."

"Kuni please-! I-Im so desperate for you it hurts!" Your pretty fingers parted your lower lips, gorgeous pink filling Scaramouche's vision as he groaned in bliss seeing your hole clenching around nothing, practically calling him to come fill you full until your conformed to his shape alone. "I want you inside me, filling me up, making me yours over and over again. I want be your good girl, please you so good." He chuckled darkly, sneering at your cute whines and whimpers for his thick cock. "Yeah? Then fuck yourself on your fingers, and don't you dare cum."

He angled his phone down to his hand jerking at his cock. His wedding band gleamed against his finger, speaking in the dim light breaking through the shades. Scaramouche leaned over, his face near his phone while heated pants left his mouth, a dry laugh echoing on your end. "So pathetic. Needing me w-while I'm at work. Anyone could've f-fucking seen those pictures if I wasn't careful. You wanted to get found out d-didnt you? Hah, so I would come home and fuck you raw and dumb. Hngh, fuck!"

Your fingers had long been stuffed back inside your need hole, two fingers squelching in and out with slick arousal slowly beginning to drip onto your thighs and stain the bed sheets. Scaramouche was getting close, balls tight and heavy, his breathing becoming more erratic with low growls and grunts as he neared his release. Your lovely moans of bliss accompanied by your pleas of his name and your overwhelming desire made his head spin. Accented by the wet noises from your sexes he couldn't hold himself back anymore.

With a husky groan and a flurry of strained curses, his grabbed a napkin on his desk and covered his cock, cumming into the napkin with heavy pants, his hand loosely and slowly helping him ride out his high. His eyes flickered up to his screen once more, seeing the phone forgotten on the bed with your fingers desperately trying to reach your own release. A dry laugh resonated from his chest, his hands wackily fumbling to clean himself up and get the fuck outta there.

"Heh, can't even get yourself off without me there to stuff you full? Seems like you need some help darling. What kind of husband would I be if I don't fulfill my wife's needs? I promise ill make you cum until you fucking blackout when I get home. You can wait 10 minutes can't you?" With an out of breath affirmation from you, Scaramouche fixed his jeans and slicked his indigo bangs back that threatened to stick to his sweaty forehead and grabbed his keys. "Im on my way home. You better have those legs spread when I walk in, cause you're getting punished for being such a needy cock slut."

Thanks for reading 💙 Xiao fic is in the works. I love that cute lil' adeptus hehe 💙

-WX

[its-me-katieee]

Striking Boundaries

Characters: Sensei Wolf, Y/N (Reader), Miyagi-Do Dojo, Axel, Zara, Cobra Kai Dojo, Iron Dragons Dojo, Miguel, Robby, Johnny, Tory

TW! StudentXteacher 18+

Not proof read

Chapter 1: The Arrival of the Iron Dragons

The Sekai Taikai was the perfect storm of rivalry and ambition, where only the strongest would emerge victorious. For you, Y/N, Miyagi-Do had always been about balance and growth—thanks to your father, Johnny Lawrence, and his relentless belief in your potential. Robby, your older brother, was your steady rock, always watching your back. And Miguel, though technically your stepbrother, never made you feel less than a true sibling. His overprotectiveness often mirrored Robby’s, though the two of them would never admit it.

But all of their guidance couldn’t prepare you for the Iron Dragons.

The moment Sensei Wolf’s dojo entered the arena, the atmosphere shifted. With fighters like Axel, a composed force of precision, and Zara, a blur of calculated energy, the Iron Dragons carried a sense of menace that sent shivers through even the most seasoned competitors. But none commanded attention like Sensei Wolf.

Standing tall with an intensity that seemed to silence the room, his dark eyes swept over the competition as if searching for weaknesses to exploit. He exuded control, his sharp features and stoic demeanor making him seem untouchable.

When his gaze landed on you, it felt as though he’d peeled back every layer of your defenses with a single glance.

“Creepy much?” Tory whispered, leaning in. “He’s just staring at you like you’re some kind of puzzle.”

You tore your eyes away, brushing it off. “It’s probably nothing. Let’s focus.”

But deep down, you couldn’t shake the way his presence had unsettled you—like he saw something in you that even you didn’t understand.

Chapter 2: The First Encounter

After a heated match with Cobra Kai that left you nursing a bruised wrist, you slipped away from your team to clear your head. Alone in the gym, you practiced your kata, each movement sharp but incomplete.

“I’d adjust your center of gravity.”

The voice startled you. Turning, you saw Sensei Wolf leaning casually against the doorway, his arms crossed as he watched you.

“Great,” you muttered. “The last thing I need is unsolicited advice.”

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “Just an observation.” He stepped closer, the air around him charged with authority. “Your form’s solid, but you hesitate before committing. That hesitation? It’s a weakness.”

You glared at him. “I don’t need your analysis, Sensei.”

“Maybe not,” he replied smoothly. “But if you want to win, you’ll have to fix it.”

His confidence should’ve infuriated you, but instead, it intrigued you. He was too composed, too sure of himself.

“I’ll figure it out,” you said, your voice firmer than you felt.

He studied you for a long moment, then nodded. “See that you do.”

As he walked away, you found yourself lingering on his words—and the unsettling feeling that he’d gotten under your skin.

Chapter 3: Unofficial Training

Weeks later, frustrated by your plateau in training, you found yourself seeking him out. The Iron Dragons’ dojo was empty, save for Wolf, who was running through a kata with precision that left you breathless.

“You were right,” you said, breaking the silence.

He turned, raising an eyebrow. “About?”

“My hesitation,” you admitted reluctantly. “Can you help me?” (Nervously fiddled with your fingers)

His gaze sharpened. “You want me to train you?.”

“Then don’t tell anyone,” you said, stepping closer. “I need to get better, and you’re the only one who can push me.”

For a moment, he seemed to weigh the risks. Then he nodded. “Fine. But if we do this, you follow my rules. No questions.”

You agreed, not realizing how much his methods—and his presence—would change you.

Chapter 4: Crossing Boundaries

Wolf’s training was relentless. He forced you to confront your weaknesses, both physical and emotional, in ways that left you raw and exposed.

One evening, as he corrected your stance, his hands lingered a moment too long on your waist. The tension between you had been building for weeks, unspoken but undeniable.

You looked down and saw how hard he was

“You’re distracted,” he said, his voice low and rough.

“How could I not be” you replied, your gaze meeting his.

His jaw tightened. “We can’t do this, it’s not right.”

“It feels right…so why stop?” you whispered, taking a step closer

The kiss was electric, a collision of all the emotions you’d been holding back. His hands gripped your waist, pulling you against him, while your fingers tangled in his hair.

He then took you in his office and took off your clothes and asked “Are you sure you want to this?” You looked at him with lustful eyes “yes” I begged. And that was his last straw he took off his gi and he layed you on the couch and bent down to your clot and stared eating you out “ngh! Keep going ah!” You moaned while gripping his hair to keep going he then looked up and made eye contact while you cream on his face “My you taste good” while licking his fingers.

“My turn” you then felt confident wanting to please him. He then set down and you bent to his lower region and started taking him in the mouth (he’s a good 8.5 inch with gurth ofc 😉) he groaned ahh~ which made you go faster and deeper. With slurping noise in the background he finished and told you to swallow it and like a good student you did.

He flipped you over “you ready?” All you could do was moan “yes please~!” He inserted himself in you

And it hurt he bent down to kiss you “it’s okay your doing good, tell when I can move” you gave him a nod and he slowly stared to move then went faster hitting your g-spot “ngh~!! Keep going!! Yeah right there!!!” You moaned he slapped your ass “be quiet others might hear” “good” you said it as not really caring at the moment you both then finishes at the same time.

When you finally broke apart, his forehead rested against yours. “This can’t happen again,” he murmured.

You nodded, but neither of you believed it.

Chapter 5: Suspicious Glances

The late-night sessions and stolen moments didn’t go unnoticed. Axel and Zara exchanged knowing glances during training, while Miguel and Robby grew increasingly protective monitoring your every move.

One afternoon, Tory cornered you. “What’s going on with you and Mr. Tall, Dark, and Brooding?”

“Nothing,” you said blushing .

“Uh-huh,” she said, crossing her arms. “Look, I’m your best friend. If you’re hiding something, you better have a damn good reason.”

You hesitated, torn between trust and fear. “It’s complicated,” you admitted.

Tory sighed. “Just don’t get yourself hurt. Or caught.”

“Thank you Tory”

“Mhm”

Chapter 6: The Breaking Point

The Sekai Taikai finals loomed, and the pressure was suffocating. One night, during a heated argument, Wolf’s resolve cracked.

“You don’t understand what’s at stake!” he snapped. “If anyone finds out—”

“I know the risks,” you interrupted. “But I’m willing to take them. Aren’t you?”

The silence stretched, heavy with unspoken truths. Then, in a moment of weakness, he pulled you into another desperate kiss.

“You’re going to destroy me,” he whispered against your lips.

“Maybe,” you replied. “But you’re worth it.”

“What. The. Fuck.” “……..” said

ANYWAYSSS how did I do guys? this is my first time making a fanfic EVER!!! Lmao and a spicy scene. please don’t be scared to correct me on anything (just be nice cuz I be sensitive 😭 😓)

Part 2? Maybe idk 🤷🏻‍♀️

[fatgirlonadate-blog]

21 Days - Day 8

A lie is like a seed. Once planted, you can only expect it to grow. And the lie you told Xavier is not just any plant. It's a weed - determined to sprout and spread no matter how hard you try to nip it in the bud. 

Last night, after you answered in a panic, Xavier had just stood there, holding the handcuffs and looking at you with that dark, intense stare he reserves only for you. The stare that makes you question whether you're excited or scared. Probably both.

He continued staring, not saying a word, until your mouth caught up with your mind and you started babbling out excuses about how you thought you could use them to practice. Interrogations, subduing a perpetrator, restraining a suspect - you know, all kinds of useful Deep Space Hunter things that are decidedly not kinky.

He didn't believe you - you could tell. But he also didn't ask you any more questions, either. Instead he nodded slowly, set the handcuffs down on his nightstand, and went to bed. Just like that.

You had thought you were going to get away with it until this morning. Until now.

"So when did you want to practice?" Xavier asks, sitting across from you at the small dining room table sipping his strawberry milk tea.

"Huh?"

He takes a bite of toast and watches you carefully. "Interrogations, restraining, subduing..."

Your face flushes hot as the lie you told him last night comes back to haunt you. Of course. Idiot girl. You should have known he wouldn't let it go that easily.

"Oh, um, whenever. But we don't need to. It's not really important."

Xavier gives you a surprised look, "Really? You seemed to think it would be useful last night."

You clear your throat, and fiddle with the hem of your shirt, "It was just a silly idea. I was being dumb. We're usually fighting wanderers - it's not like we are going to cuff them or anything."

He leans back in his chair, his gray pajama shirt riding up a few inches as he stretches. It's just enough for you to glimpse the thin line of dark blonde hair that trails from his belly button down to the waistband of his black pajama pants.

"I don't know," he says. "I think it's a good idea. It's not something I have a lot of experience with. Let's try it."

You're trapped in this lie now and you know it. There's no slipping out of it. You've dug yourself into a hole, and you're going to have to dig even deeper to try to get out of it. It's either that or admit to him that the handcuffs were a 'gift' from Sylus, and that is definitely not an option.

You take a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I guess we could try sometime..."

Xavier stands and starts clearing off the table. "How about now? It's not like we have anything better to do."

Your breath catches in your throat. Now? You shift in your seat and pull out your phone looking for an excuse. Any excuse.

"Um, well, I don't know. I'm supposed to do a check-in call with Jenna today to update her on the mission."

You flash the phone screen at him as he returns to the table, silently thanking God that it's your turn to give her the status report.

Xavier leans against the table, his eyes fixed on your phone. "Your call isn't until 1:00PM. We have enough time."

You open your mouth to protest, but he cuts you off. "Let's do it now so you won't be late."

Xavier's tone is soft and casual, but his eyes spell danger. He has that look on his face that he gets when he's hunting. You aren't a wanderer, but you suddenly feel like prey.

"Okay, jeez. Don't be so intense about it. We're just practicing." You say, trying to force a laugh into your voice.

Xavier smiles, and his expression softens a bit. He reaches out and ruffles your hair.

"Are you nervous?" He teases, "I'll go easy on you."

"Hey!" You squeak indignantly, swatting his hand away. "What makes you think I need you to go easy on me? Maybe you're the one that should be worried."

He laughs, and turns toward the hall that leads to the bedroom. "We'll see. If my calculations are correct, then you've got about 10 seconds to form a plan before I come back with the cuffs. Good luck."

Your heart races as he disappears around the corner. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. You quickly glance around the room as if you're seeing it for the first time. What can you do to try to keep from being cuffed? It's not as if you can use a weapon.

The clock is ticking, and you've barely had time to think before you hear his footsteps padding back toward you. You swiftly position yourself behind the dining table as he enters the room.

Xavier stands before you in a relaxed posture, his arms hanging loosely by his sides, and his face is neutral. But his eyes are a little brighter than normal, and the corner of his mouth is hinting at a smile.

Curiously, his hands are empty. You'd expected him to be carrying the handcuffs.

"Where are the cuffs?" You ask, your eyes darting between his hands and his pockets.

His mouth curves into a smile, "I have them."

"Really? I don't see them."

Xavier steps closer until the two of you are at opposite ends of the table.

"You will soon," he promises.

You scoff, and can't resist teasing him, "Oh yeah? Then let's see what you've got."

He gestures toward the table between you, "Any day now, Mrs. Shen."

Your eyes flick between him and the table. You know what he's doing. You've been on enough missions with him to understand how he thinks. He's trying to get you to make the first move. He's trying to bait you into acting. Into running. Into making a mistake.

"I don't think so," you counter. "Come on, bunny. I'm not afraid of you."

"Maybe you should be," he says, his voice low and rough.

The sound makes your stomach flip flop. But not in fear. No. The thrill humming through your veins isn't fear at all.

Xavier's eyes are locked on yours as he starts to move in a slow, deliberate circle around the table. You immediately mirror his actions, keeping yourself on the opposite side from him.

The sound of your own breath is loud in your ears as the two of you play cat and mouse around the table. You watch him closely, your eyes tracking the slightest movement of his body so that you can match it. 

You know that you can't circle around the table forever - that he is eventually going to make a move. He's just waiting for the right opening. And you're determined to make him work for it.

Xavier stops moving and his eyes linger on the table for a long moment. It's the only warning you get before he vaults himself up onto the wooden surface. You gasp and quickly take several steps back toward the living room.

Your heart hammers in your chest as he presses his advantage and stalks toward you. You continue scrambling backwards until the back of your calves bump against the couch and you nearly lose your balance. Xavier's hand shoots out, you think to steady you, but instead he pushes your shoulder and you fall back onto the cushions.

You land with a surprised yelp and try to scoot backwards as he moves to straddle you, pinning your legs down. His weight presses you further into the couch as he leans over you and grips your wrists in both of his hands.

"Got you," he whispers, forcing your wrists up above your head.

"Not yet, you don't," you say breathlessly, struggling against his hold as he tries to pin both of your wrists with one hand.

You twist beneath him as his free hand fumbles for the pocket of his pajama pants, and you try to slip out from beneath his body. But he's strong; stronger than he looks. And before you are able to get even one wrist free you feel the cool metal of the cuff slide around it with the accompanying "snick" sound as it locks into place. He easily does the same to your other wrist a second later.

"Now you're mine," he says, propping himself up with his hands on either side of your head.

Xavier's cheeks are flushed and his hair is messy. He’s panting slightly from the struggle, and his warm breath caresses your skin as he looks at you with dark, satisfied eyes.

For a moment, you forget that this is supposed to be practice. You forget that you're supposed to resist him. And you just stare at him instead. Gone is the sweet but distant boy who makes your heart ache and in his place is the man who makes your pulse race and your stomach flutter. This version of Xavier isn't distant at all - no, he's right here and completely focused on you.

Warmth spreads through you where your bodies are pressed together and the ache between your thighs makes you feel needy. It would be so easy to just rock your hips up against his and beg him to touch you, but the last time you did that he stopped you entirely.

"Okay, okay. You got me. You win," you say reluctantly. "Want to let me up now?"

"Not yet," he answers, pushing himself up and leaning back on his knees.

Xavier's gaze drops to your lips and he moves his hand to your neck, gently pressing his fingers against your pulse point. You squirm under him and his eyes snap back to yours.

"What's my name?" he asks.

"Wh-what?"

Xavier laughs softly and repeats his question, "What's my name?"

"Xavier?" You answer hesitantly.

He nods, fingers still pressed under your jaw. "What city do you live in?"

"Why are you asking me th-" You begin, but stop when Xavier brings his other hand to your chest and places his palm over your heart. He can feel it pounding beneath his touch.

"Be a good girl. Answer the question," he commands in a low, soft tone. 

Your brain nearly short circuits at the words ‘good girl’ and you blush as you answer, "Linkon."

"What year is it?"

These questions don’t make any sense, and you squint at him as if he has lost his mind. You're not sure what game he's playing. With a frown, you shake your head, and try to sit up. But he simply holds you down more firmly - not budging an inch.

"Ugh. Why are you asking me this?"

"Just answer the question," he repeats.

"2044," you say, exasperated, “Happy now?”

He stares at you for a few moments, and then nods again as if he’s figured something out. He caresses your neck with his hand before bringing his fingers back to your pulse, pressing firmly.

"Who do you like more - me or your artist?" He asks, looking at you intently.

You freeze, your entire body going stiff as you register his words. "What? Why?"

Xavier leans in and nuzzles the spot just below your ear. "Didn't you say you also wanted to practice interrogation?"

A surprised laugh escapes your mouth as you realize what this is - what he's trying to do.

"What? No." You backpedal, shaking your head. "No, no, no. This isn’t even how interrogations work!"

"Answer the question," he murmurs, his lips brushing against your skin as he speaks.

"I'm not answering that," you attempt to say firmly, but the feel of his lips against your neck makes your voice waver. 

"Why not?"

"It's a silly question."

"Is it silly?" He asks softly, trailing featherlight kisses down the side of your neck. "He is apparently handsome and funny. And when you text him, you appear to be a lot happier."

He pulls back to look at your face, and you can see the doubt and vulnerability hiding in the storm of his eyes.

"So, what's your answer?" he demands.

"Xavier, are you...jealous?"

He shakes his head, frowning, and looks away, "I'm not."

You bring your cuffed wrists up to his face and cup his cheeks, forcing him to look at you.

"You are. You get upset every time I mention Raf. You’re such an idiot," you say affectionately.

He exhales hard through his nose, and his eyes sharpen, "I guess if you dislike someone you'd think they were an idiot no matter what they do."

"True," you reply softly, running your fingers along his jaw, "But dummies who get jealous and sulk? Those are my favorite."

He stares at you for a long moment, searching your face, and then a soft laugh escapes his lips. He removes his hand from your chest and grips your cuffs, pulling your hands away from his face and pinning them back above your head.

"Then I guess you must like me the best?" he whispers, his face close to yours, his eyes fixed on your mouth.

You close your eyes and nod, holding your breath, waiting for the kiss that must be coming. But it doesn't. Instead, the alarm on your phone chimes indicating your call with Jenna starts in 15 minutes.

You groan and open your eyes to find Xavier's piercing blue eyes staring back at you. You’re sure he can hear your alarm chiming, but he’s ignoring it. His focus solely on you. 

"The alarm. My call starts soon," you explain, squirming underneath him. "Come on. Move. I can't keep Jenna waiting."

"Nope," he says, with a small shake of his head.

You roll your eyes at him and attempt to wriggle your cuffed wrists free, but he grips you tighter. 

"I won't let you go until I hear the answer I want."

"I already gave you my answer," you insist.

"No, you didn't. Who do you like more - me or Rafayel?" He repeats his question, looking at you intently.

"Xavier," you whine, "I'm going to be late."

"If you don't answer me, I won't let you go. I'll make you miss your call."

"You wouldn't dare," you say incredulously.

"Try me.”

You’re about to retort, but the edge in his voice makes you hesitate. He means it, you realize. He’s serious. 

You’ve seen him sulky and jealous plenty of times, but that’s not what this is. This is different. This is something hot and possessive and demanding. And you can’t deny him - not when he looks and sounds like he needs you.

"You," you finally answer.

He releases his hold on your wrists, and cups your face in his hands. His eyes are bright and soft as he looks down at you.

"Say it again," he whispers. "Say the whole thing."

You swallow hard, wrestling with your thoughts, before finally answering.

"You, Xavier. I like you more."

A part of your heart breaks as you say it; the small part that you've kept tucked away just for Rafayel. But then Xavier kisses you. He kisses you like you're his air, his water, his very reason for being - and you know that it’s the truth. 

[owl-with-a-pen]

Kara had been juggling so many duties over the last few days, it had really started to feel like she had a secret identity all over again. Her fingers had been a constant blur across her phone screen, so much that she’d jumped into several meetings without knowing what they were even about or – for that matter – that she had meant to have been leading them. She could have gotten away with that as Kara Danvers, but people tended to notice when Kara Zor-El got distracted - probably because it usually meant an Earth-wide threat was imminent.

She’d already had to reassure five separate co-workers that wasn’t the case, even going as far as cutting her final editorial meeting thirty minutes short so that everyone could start their Fridays early. Maybe that just made them more suspicious of her, but she was running out of time. Alex had already sent her three warning texts:

Car’s packed up, where are you?

Don’t make me call a DEO emergency just to get your butt out of there!

⌚👈🏻 ???

Kara rolled her eyes, catching her tongue between her teeth as she scanned the most recent notification. She sent a quick ‘OMW’ before slinging her bag across her shoulder.

She was halfway out the office door when a voice stopped her in her tracks.

“So, any plans this weekend?”

Kara froze.

Cat Grant usually spent her Friday afternoons lamenting all the charity dinners and extracurriculars she’d be forced to attend while Kara nodded along with a well-practiced sympathetic grimace locked in place. She’d long since accepted this as a one-sided expectation. After all, Cat didn’t really do small talk. Call it the journalistic disposition, but no question of hers ever came without intention.

She’d posed this particular question with an expectant air, her fingers loosely linked beneath her chin as she watched Kara with cat-like patience from behind her desk.

Kara took a shallow breath, knowing already what those piercing eyes were trying to gauge. “Actually,” she said, treading carefully, “I’m out of town this weekend. I’m visiting my adoptive mom with my sister.”

Cat’s lips twitched with something predatory. She lifted her chin, snatching up a pen from her desk so that she could play idly with the clicker. Every click was as intentional as her question, drilling deep into Kara’s skull. “Ah,” she said, nodding slowly, “and so I suppose one would assume that there won’t be much Supergirl activity to account for, then?”

Kara laughed, fiddling nervously with the collar of her blouse. “Even Supergirl needs a vacation every once in a while. You’ve seen the figures, crime is at an all-time low, National City can last a weekend without me.”

Cat watched Kara without expression, still clicking out a calculated rhythm. “I suppose,” she conceded lightly. “Especially with that new DEO division headed by your… friend, right? John?”

“J’onn,” Kara corrected.

“Yes, yes, that’s the one.” Cat bit her lip. “Wide shoulders.” Her eyes lost focus before she shrugged suddenly, setting down her pen with a prompt snap. “I wonder what he’ll be up to.”

“You know the DEO doesn’t give interviews,” Kara reminded her, trying and failing to hide the strain in her voice. “Not even to Supergirl.”

“Of course.” Cat pondered for a moment, cocking her head. “And the little green one works there too, doesn’t he?”

Kara sighed, the purposeful ignorance wasn’t lost on her, just as Cat had intended. She tipped her head back, resigning herself to the conversation. “What are you getting at, Ms Grant?”

Cat blinked, perfectly innocent. “Just counting heads. I only wonder if we’ll be seeing much of your Super Friends over the next few days… with you out of town, of course.”

Kara pursed her lips, drumming her fingers against the doorframe. “Well, they’re more than capable of managing themselves without me.”

“So, we will be seeing them?”

Kara spluttered. She’d really stepped into that one. “It’s a big city,” she recovered quickly, “I’m sure there’ll be out there somewhere.”

“Interesting,” Cat said, dragging the word out long enough to make Kara uncomfortable. She hummed to herself, running her index finger delicately over the items on her desk until she found her phone, snatching it up. “I need to make a few calls,” she decided, shooing Kara out of the room with her other hand. “Have fun with your—mother.”

Kara took that as her cue, making an awkward albeit flustered goodbye as she elbowed her way out the door. She didn’t try to listen in on the conversation once she was gone – she didn’t need to - Cat had seen through her as plainly as she had her old disguise.

Technically, what Kara had told her wasn’t exactly a lie. She would be seeing Eliza this weekend – after all, she’d been invited to Nia and Brainy’s wedding, too.

It didn’t matter, Kara rationalised as she hurried into the elevator, Cat could call on every source she had available to her and she still wouldn’t be getting this scoop. No one would. Kara had been incredibly thorough about that, using fake names when it came to bookings, throwing out red herrings to rival news outlets, all to ensure that the media didn’t get even one whiff of what was going down. No one was getting a camera into the service on her watch – well, except the photographer, and Kara had already run a series of extensive background checks on her.   

As for general media speculation – well, she’d already warned the bride and groom to be that there really wasn’t much she could do about that. Every magazine in the country was currently building up the clicks with Superhero news and, right now, Dreamer and Brainiac-5 were trending across all channels. Cat certainly hadn’t helped with that; she’d sunk her claws into the story the second Dreamer had first been spotted out toting a Legion ring of her own. To avoid public knowledge of future events, the Legion was something of a forbidden topic when it came to interviews and so, for anyone outside of the loop, Dreamer suddenly wearing a ring matching Brainy’s was certainly turning heads.

Engagement had been thrown around hundreds of times, with other outlets outright claiming that she and Brainy had been married in secret. Nothing had been confirmed or denied by either party, but Kara had to admit it– you only needed eyes to see the chemistry between those two. They fought as one entity, complimenting each other’s stances, supporting each other in the field so that they always fell into step with each other. Just last week, Brainy had swept Dreamer into his arms amidst an explosion they’d narrowly escaped and the shot had been headlining every newspaper not twelve hours later. They were anything but discreet and, honestly, Kara had a hunch they were starting to enjoy all the attention. It certainly made her job as Maid of Honour that much harder.

Hiding this wedding was probably shaving years off her life.

At least it would be worth it when she got to see Nia go down that aisle.

When her phone pinged again with a fourth text from Alex, Kara groaned out loud.

You just lost shotgun privilege.

She just had to get there first.

[udretlnea]

A Conundrum at Cotea Cafe

Inspired by @kunichigo (Owner of the Cotea Cafe concept. Go follow them. They're cool...!)

Prompt: A customer arrives at the Cotea Cafe just before closing time, and he brings a message.

A/N: Hey, been a while, though for those following y’all know I'm still active. Fyi btw you can expect more of these shenanigans prompts in the future; I just want to try to write for fun while getting checkpoints on my growth at the same time. Anyway, enjoy.

“Don’t go dimension hopping soon,” he said with utter seriousness. “Or else you'll end up hurt.”

You widen your eyes. Your hands suddenly felt limp as you processed the threat-no, it was a warning.

///

20 minutes earlier…

You relaxed into your seat as your eyes scanned the page in the light novel; it was about a samurai who was thrust into the future where Teyvat was taken over by a demon with a robot army. You pictured the samurai facing off against an army of Ruin machines with nothing but his magic sword. The scene felt so vivid you thought you could see it in your mind.

You turned the page to continue when you heard the bell rung. Somebody had entered the cafe!

You placed a bookmark in between the pages and got up. You stretched your legs, feeling the circulation return. Making your way to the front, you frowned.

Who could be here at this time? Last I checked, the sun was nearly setting…

When you opened the door to the dining area, you expected to see the Traveler and Paimon. A teenager in a white and gray hoodie looked at you with brown eyes. He had black hair and youthful features; he put on a friendly smile while inertinghis hands in his pockets.

“Hello po,” he said in a meek voice. “Is this…a cafe?”

You nodded. “Yes.”

He put a hand on his chest. “Um, are you open?”

You smiled amicably. “Of course! Would you like to look at a menu?”

He nodded, but his hand didn’t fall to the side. “My name is…Aaron. It’s nice to meet you.”

He took a seat at one nearby one of the windows. You grabbed a nearby menu and handed it to him; while he was reading it with interest, you couldn’t help but stare at him. He didn’t appear to be from any of the nations, at least judging from his clothing. It looked like something one might wear at home. Furthermore, he seemed to know about this place despite the remoteness of this location.

“Excuse me, but do you happen to have…peach mango pie?” His question snapped you out of your thoughts.

“Yes! Would you like that?” He blinked shyly and shook his head.

“No. I was just curious,” he clarified. He pointed at a line of words. “I’ll have a halo-halo please.”

“Sure!” You turned towards the kitchen, deciding to pick up your train of thought after making his dish. Ten minutes later you come back with a tall glass cup full of halo-halo.

“Sal-salamat po…thank you.” He nodded to the glass. You set it down in front of him; he takes a moment to silently observe it. A happy smile slowly forms on his face. “Ah, it looks delicious.”

He gave a brief prayer before picking up the spoon and mixing it.

You decided now was the perfect time to leave him and fiddle away your time; it usually didn’t take long to finish Halo-Halo so you went back to the kitchen to reorganize.

You tidied the kitchen up by cleaning the tools you used to make halo-halo. When you just about finished, the sound of the spoon clattering in an empty cup made you look up.

“I’ve finished,” Aaron announced almost proudly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pouch. He put it next to his empty cup and you heard the sound of Mora clinking; he got up and turned to the door. You made your way to where he sat. The Mora pouch was moderate-sized. A quick calculation told you that he overpaid. You were about to stop him from leaving, but you saw that he was standing a couple feet from you. He looked at you as if he could peer past your mask.

“...Pardon me, but you’re like me, aren’t you.” Aaron put a hand on his hip. “You’re also a...Creator”

You felt the urge to suppress a wave of panic. “I-I’m sorry?”

“Well, they call them Creators. You probably know them as writers. Self-inserts,” he explained. He shook his head. “My apologies for the strange question, and for offending you, if I did. I just thought I finally found someone to talk to. I…can leave if you want. It’s no trouble.”

Rather than tell him to do just that, you waved him off. “It’s fine. Are you one as well?”

“I’ll tell you if you tell me.”

You examine his form, searching for anything that could tell that he’s lying. When you found none, you shrugged. “...Sure. Although I’m currently living out my cottage-core fantasy at the moment. I don’t care for the stuffy paperwork that comes with being in charge of an entire continent."

“Same. And cottage-core is cool, but I never can find the time to do that. Not that I-not that I deserve anything good,” A moment of silence passed as they let that information process. Internally, you felt a strange sense of kinship beginning to form in your gut. It was certainly strange to find another being like yourself standing in front of you, but given that he was similar, or perhaps greater in power than you it made sense to desire to travel to other branches of the SAGAU multiverse.

“Well, with pleasantries out of the way, um…I actually came here to deliver a message for you,” he said. He raised his hands in the air as if he thought it would ease the anxiety in the atmosphere. “Not-not from any of the Archons, I mean. From me.”

“Eh?” This suddenly turned interesting. What could he possibly have to tell you? He took a deep breath and stared into your eyes.

“Don’t go dimension hopping soon,” Aaron said with utter seriousness. “Or else you'll end up hurt.”

You widen your eyes. Your hands suddenly felt limp as you processed the threat-no, it was a warning.

Aaron bit his lip. His eyes darted from side to side as if he were engaged in an intense internal debate. After a couple seconds, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of flash cards. He flipped through them until he stopped at one “No, but for your own safety, I advise not traveling to other universes in SAGAU until They give you the signal that it’s safe. That's all. Thank you for your time, and the food. I hope your story has a happy ending.”

He put away the flash cards and turned around. Then, he placed a hand on the door knob. But he couldn’t leave yet, not when your interest was piqued!

“Wait,” you interrupt. He turns his head back at you with a surprised look “This…thing that’s going to happen? Call it intuition, but I can't help but feel like it'll be terrible, especially for you. Are you.. alright?”

Aaron simply smiled knowingly. His eyes were glossy. “Thank you for your concern. No, but I will be soon. Ingat po…goodbye."

He opened the door and stepped outside; just as it shut there was a flash of light. When you opened it again to look for him, Aaron was gone.

Something hung in the air, but you weren’t sure what it was. Was this regret, awkwardness, or ominousness? Perhaps it was a mixture of all three.

With nothing else to do, you took the empty glass back and cleaned it. Then you flipped the sign to CLOSED before making your way to the backroom. You reclined back into the comfy chair, settling into the plush cushion. You picked up the book, opened to the bookmarked page, and resumed reading.

///

The next day you wake up and found posters plastered in front of your door; they informed you that several AUs and ATs were missing and that creator deities had been displaced. Furthermore, it advised everyone to stay calm and continue their routines while this incident was sorted.

Suffice it to say you were grateful when the Traveler brought Paimon, Yae Miko, the Raiden Shogun, Arataki Itto, and Gorou with them. A distraction was just what you needed. They kept you busy, dodging questions and cooking them food. They left and you closed the cafe for the day.

When you woke up, the posters you collected were gone, replaced with a single white sheet of paper with the words, "THE PRIOR INCIDENT HAS BEEN RECTIFIED. THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO FOLLOWED DIRECTIONS." -M.

You wondered if Aaron was alright and if whatever happened yesterday was related to him. It was clear you weren't getting any answers soon. With a sigh, you head back into your cottage to get ready for the day.

[macabre-discotheque]

Thimbleberry Pie Charts!

Hello!! This is a little fic thing I've had in the works for a little while and shared with a few friends, and I decided I should upload it!!

Criticism is much appreciated, I both want to get back into writing and want to get better!!!

Word Count: 896 Words

“-And that’s ten cases of card stock, an entire package of crayons, aand the mail-in day catalog for stamps! That’ll be a thousand smolleons, Mr. Joe!” … “What do you mean you don’t have that kind of money?! I should be charging you extra for wasting my time!! Good day! Sir!”

SLAM!!!

...

"Tough day?"

"You could say that,"

Pascal leaned against the pillows behind them, crossing their arms as they glanced at their ‘coworker’, humming silently.

After some time passed, Pascal started messing with an abacus on their makeshift table, they punched a few numbers into the toy calculator they were provided and finished off by flipping a few papers scattered around their workspace before speaking again,

“Hm, so far, we’ve made about a hundred dabloons from those teddy sales, a thousand and five hundred smoleans from the staplers and pushpins, pfft, aand a couple tens from whatever moolah is supposed to be,”

“Ah! This quarter has been a successful one I see! Maybe we could-” Frank began but was promptly interrupted with a “But!-”

“We’ve also got an order of big boards coming in,” Pascal said as they held up a receipt, “-and then a couple of crayons that are just…blue?” They looked up at Frank, “Do you know anything about this?”

Frank simply shrugged, to which Pascal simply huffed in response and got back to work. Frank set the books he was carrying onto the floor and then propped up the board on the two stacks for a makeshift table. A bit more time passed, Frank finally finished his desk.

“Take a look at that bookworm!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“There’s a bookworm on your shoulder,”

Frank looked to his right shoulder, lo and behold, he saw a little green worm staring up at him with comically large glasses atop its eyes.

“Oh! Look at you!” The puppet gently took the bookworm along his hands and showed it off,

“You know, Pascal. The Lumbricus Bibliostris usually appears in situations involving books, number crunching, and any busy work that involves reading! They often come in great handy when-”

“When keeping track of things!” Pascal finished Frank’s sentence for them with a smile.

“See? I pay attention whenever you talk about nifty little insects!”

Frank couldn’t help but smile knowing this fun little fact about their friend. They grabbed some knick knacks scattered around Julie’s house to place on their little makeshift desk while Pascal fiddled with their abacus and wrote a few things in crayon.

“Do you think we could convince Wally and Mr. Dear to join us next time?” “I doubt it, last time Eddie joined Julie and I in this little game, the poor mailman lost his marbles when Julie started wrecking things! As for Wally…I’m not too sure, maybe we could? He could draw those silly fruit-flavored pie charts Julie always needs for the board meetings!” “What flavor was it this time before I got here?” “Strawberry, but then midway through the meeting, she said it was supposed to be thimble-berry,”

“Do we even have that color?” Frank mumbled the question as he took the little bookworm to the open windowsill to let it outside, “I’ve never heard of such berries..” “Heck if I know! I’m only the accountant, Mr. Frankly, I crunch numbers and tell the head honcho about ‘em! Speaking of which, can you buzz in President Joyful? I finished countin' those numbers she was losin’ her marbles about earlier.” Pascal grabbed a stack of papers and set them next to their books. “No need to ring your lovely president in!! I’ve been here the whole time!” Julie spoke suddenly, appearing right in front of the cat puppet like it was nothing, startled by the rainbow monster’s sudden entrance. “Let me see those!” She snatched some of the papers and started rapidly flipping through them, mumbling nonsense to herself as she paced excitedly around the room, “These papers are quite overdue, Mr. Pushpin!” “Mhm..mhm…that looks about right…Wait!! Mr. Pushpin, why does the first hour say we sold fourteen crates of chuckler berries?? We don’t even have them in stock! And why do these papers say our stocks aren’t stocking?!” Julie yelled out as she scrambled to read the rest of the papers from Pascal’s desk.

Pascal looked up at the horned puppet in confusion and quickly grabbed the papers she had dropped, looking through them to check if Julie’s accusations were true. Frank got up on his feet and walked over to Julie, raising his brow in confusion. “What? What’s the matter?” He skimmed over the documents right next to Julie as buttons clacked in the background. Frank’s eyes widened, and they shared a look of horror with Pascal, who was holding the dropped papers as the two puppets wordlessly shared the same realization. “Our backburners aren’t in the back, and these pie charts aren’t blueberry flavored…The cans aren’t canned, and our doubloons aren’t even in doubles! This…all of this…” Julie rambled anxiously, mumbling more incomprehensible nonsense to herself. Pascal quickly dropped the papers they were holding and ran over to Frank to whisper one thing before chaos struck. “Mr. Frankly, it has been an honor working with you.” Without missing another beat. Julie threw the papers up in the air and gripped the sides of her head and cried out in despair,

"THIS COMPANY IS GOING DOWN!!!"

[strawberryfairi]

“I loved you then…back when I knew you”

Synopsis: 💎 When your old high school best friend, and admittedly, first love randomly shows up at your door one morning after a bit over ten years apart, your memories of him that you once locked away comes flooding back. Are you open to hearing him out after all this time? (In other words…will you take your man back or nah?)

♕Pairings: Kazutora X Black Fem Reader 🤎 (ANYONE CAN READ)🛑Content: 18+ Eventual smut, Some grief, Some angst ~Crossposted On: Wattpad ONLY ~Updating WEEKLY

w.c. 3.9k💠 Released March 21, 2024

NOTE: It’s been too long since I’ve posted another chapter but hopefully I’m fully out of my (ridiculously long💀) writers block! Ngl, this chap kinda ass fr but the next chapter will be longer/better for sure! Thank you all for bearing with me🧚🏾‍♀️💜

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CHAPTER 8; EMOTIONAL DIFFICULTIES

A Few Days Later

This morning just before classes started, the girls demanded an emergency girls meeting in the bathroom to discuss what happened Halloween night. It was funny to you how they never wanna text or Facetime about these things, they only love to do it in person. It was cute though, and made the experience of sharing your gossip all the more exciting.

"YOU GUYS KISSED?!"

You winced as all the girls shouted practically at the same time. You already knew what was coming.

"I knew it! I knew something happened between you guys! We called it, we straight up called it, Yumi!" Asuka rambled, Yumi just nods her head proudly with that classic devious smile.

"You better not ever come talkin' to us about "Oh, I don't know how he feels guys" again! At this point you'd be a fool to not see it!" Hayashi-chan ranted.

"Wait, but see there's the thing-

"NO! You guys are getting married, and that's final!" Yumi hollers.

"Um, I don't know 'bout married. We're in high school." You chuckle. "But listen guys, 'cause there's something goin' on now that's making me feel weird about the kiss. Afterwards, when we all were goin' home things were so awkward, and now it's like he can't even bear to touch me. You think maybe he regrets it?" You frown, fiddling with your fingers resting on your lap as you sat on the bathroom sink.

All the girls turn quiet in thought, briefly looking at one another as they process what you said.

"Ok well...when you guys touch now does he pull away like "ew, oh my god"? Or is it like "oh shoot, I touched her!"?" Miyazaki-chan questions.

"What's the difference?" You furrow your brows.

"One is that he's like genuinely disgusted to have touched you, and the other is just him being nervous that he touched you." She explains.

"Some guys can get like that! I'm pretty sure you're probably the first girl he's ever gotten this close to, like..ever. It was probably his first kiss too, and now that he did that he's like unsure about how to go about dealing with you. You went from friends to...this." Asuka says, gesturing with her hands towards all of you.

She did have a really good point though, you hadn't thought about it that way at all. You were so pressed about not liking the way he's been acting since Halloween night that you never really bothered to take it a step further and think about why.

"That makes sense. I mean, he doesn't seem disgusted, he's just so jumpy! It's like he calculates every little thing he does and sometimes says now; like a robot." You frown, looking over at Miyazaki-chan.

"Yup. He's for sure nervous." Hanako-chan nods.

"But it's not like I'm not nervous too!" You rant, throwing your hands in the air in frustration.

"Yeah, but when guys get nervous they get stupid. An even dumber than usual kind'a stupid." Yumi explains with a disappointed sigh.

"Facts, that'd be the next thing to warn you about. With what you told us about how he's acting...he's for sure gonna be in his idiot era from now on." Hayashi-chan says with an apologetic smile.

"His idiot era? Ughh no..." You facepalm, not liking the sound of this at all.

"Let's just hope he can character develop fast enough to breeze through it." She adds with an apologetic tone.

The bell signaling for students to get to homeroom rang just as you all finished your little gossip chat. One by one each of you left out of the bathroom, saying your goodbyes and going your separate ways down either side of the hall.

"I'll see y'all at lunch or..whatever class we have together." You giggled, walking backwards as you wave goodbye. Just as you go to turn around, you bump into someone accidentally, almost falling on the floor on your back in the process.

"O-oh, I'm so sorry!" A soft, familiar voice stutters out, quickly turning around and steadying you by the arm.

"Oh! No no, it's my fault-Yamagishi?! I haven't seen you in so long!" You beam, finally noticing who it was you bumped into. His two other friends seeming to be with him in the hallway quickly scurried into their classroom with nervous looks on their faces, leaving the two of you alone. You didn't think too much of that, but it was definitely weird.

"Oh uh...yeah." Yamagishi says in a particularly hushed voice.

"What's been goin' on? Did you do anything for Halloween?"

Yamagishi barely manages to respond to you, letting out nothing but a short "Y-yeah" in response. You furrow your brows in concern at the way his eyes keep darting everywhere but at you. It seems Kazutora isn't the only boy acting stupid around you now.

"Are you alright? What's wrong?!" You ask, starting to get a little freaked out. He looked completely shook, hands slightly shaking and his entire face has gone pale white.

"Sorry, I-I gotta go!" He stammers, pivoting on his feet and darting right into the classroom.

"What the-?!" You were confused and also a little offended. What the hell is wrong with these guys?! Shaking your head, you decide to brush it off, continuing on down the hall.

"Hey!"

This time a male voice you didn't recognize calls from a few feet behind you. You turn around, pointing at yourself with your brows slightly furrowed, silently asking the guy if they were talking to you.

"Yeah." He says, finally catching up to you.

"Uhh, hi?" You greet awkwardly. You've never seen this student before. He was pretty tall, with slicked back black hair and dark eyes to match.

"Just wanted to let you know, in case you were wondering, Yamagishi isn't allowed to talk to you anymore." He scorned, looking at you like you were the biggest nuisance in his life.

"What do you mean-

"You're boyfriend made it clear some weeks ago." He clarifies with a slight grimace at the word 'boyfriend'.

That was all he needed to say for you to understand, and man were you instantly fuming. Is he serious?!

"What did he do?" You grit out lowly. Even though it was a question your tone was demanding an answer, a fully in depth answer as well.

And a full report he sure did give you. He told you the full story exactly how Yamagishi told him and his other friends the day it happened. It was like the more Yamagishi's friend spoke the more your blood boiled, and by the time he finished telling you the tea, you were ready to find Kazutora.

"Oh, I got somethin' for him. Imma deal with his ass..trust." Was all you said before turning on your heels and storming down the hallway to your homeroom.

💎

You couldn't wait not a second more for lunchtime to come around, so when it finally did you jumped straight into action. Of course you told the girls what happened to which even they were annoyed about it. Everyone knows Yamagishi is a sweetheart, so picking a fight with him knowing he's not a fighter all like that anyways is just absolutely ridiculous. First of all, you're not even Kazutora's girlfriend, and second, for him to act so possessive like you can't have other guy friends besides him is childish!

The girls saved your spot at the lunch table, already knowing you were off to find him before he could even come to you. You walked through the halls like a lion hunting for its prey, focused on one thing only until you finally saw him.

There he was by the vending machine in the hallway before you reach the cafeteria, looking all calm and collected.

You storm up to him, the sound of your school shoes making contact with the ground alerting him of your presence. It just pissed you off even more the way his expression brightened when he noticed you.

"Hey! I was just on my-

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" You cut him off.

"-way...?" He finishes, blinking a few times in confusion while looking down at you with his brows furrowed.

"Why'd you beat up Yamagishi?! You told me you were only going to fight Osanai that day! You really had the audacity to tell him to stay away from me?! Who the hell are you?!" You rant, feeling your face starting to heat up with anger.

"You're mad at me because of that? He's the one that let Osanai hurt you in the first place." He shrugged, like it was the very last thing occupying his mind.

"I had already handled Yamagishi that same day though! He said he was sorry, and you already know he doesn't fight!" You defended, throwing your arms up exasperatedly.

"He should've thought about that before asking you out then. He already went wrong right there." He scoffed.

"Are you serious?!" You furrow your brows with a scoff, genuinely shocked.

"I'm very serious. He had no business asking you out knowing he can't protect you at all. He's lucky all Osanai did was give you one black eye! What if he did worse?!" He argued. It actually annoyed you a lot that he kind of made sense there.

You clench your jaw, looking to the side and letting out a deep exhale through your nose.

"Look...I was mad, alright?" He mutters softly.

"You can't just beat somebody up because you're mad, K! Like, I'm mad but I'm not beating you up." You grumble.

He lets out the tiniest chuckle. You both knew full well you'd never be able to beat him up. "I think both my anger and beating him up was justified. I can't let something like that slide; not anymore." He mumbles the last part to himself.

"Not anymore?" You question, looking back up at him curiously. He was already looking down, his hands clenched into fists at each side. You've never seen him look like this before. He wasn't angry or even worried, he just looked regretful.

"It's just-...I used to be the one to watch while someone else gets beat in front of me all the time. I hated that I could never do anything except cry and curl up in some corner." Kazutora explains bitterly, his eyes carrying a hollow, far off look.

You gasp lightly, hovering your hands over your mouth. "What do you mean?" You ask, mouth still hanging open in shock. You really hoped it wasn't what your mind was starting to conclude that it was. He sighs deeply before continuing.

"Before my parents got divorced, my dad would-... he'd beat my mom all the time. I was little, so it was never really anything I could do about it. So when I found out Yamagishi was the one that let you get hurt like that..." He looks back up at you, letting you connect the rest of the dots.

"Ohh." You whisper, suddenly feeling like a fool for pressing him. You had no idea, you just figured he beat him up out of some kind of stupid possessiveness he has towards you, but it was way deeper than that. Without a second thought you wrap your arms around him, resting your head on his chest.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know any of that." You apologize, nuzzling your face into him in hopes of comforting him.

"It's...fine?" He mutters awkwardly, hesitantly wrapping his arms around you.

It's the first time he's ever shared anything about his family dynamic, and definitely the first time someone's comforted him about it. He felt weird, like he didn't know what to do, but he also felt...a little good about it?

"No it's not. I was all yellin' at you and stuff. I'm really sorry." You repeat, sniffling a little as you start to tear up. You were never strong when it comes to things like this. You could watch someone cry in a movie scene and be bawling your own self. Hearing about Kazutora having such a past...it hurt you somewhere deep. Then to think he got triggered that badly all from what happened while you were with Yamagishi. Of course it doesn't mean hurting Yamagishi is right, but there's clearly some traumatic things Kazutora's been dealing with for a pretty long time.

His father's absolute garbage, and you hope he's completely out of his and his mom's life. Hopefully his mom moved on and found somebody better too; a real husband.

"It's ok. Are you crying?!" He looks down at you in bewilderment. Now the two of you were really out of his territory. You nod slowly, holding onto him tighter.

"Oh. Well uhhh, don't cry, ok? 'S nothing to cry about." He reassures awkwardly, gently patting your back.

His words meant for comfort only made you feel a thousand times worse. Him, the one who went through such a traumatic childhood is saying it's nothing to cry about?! Something's definitely wrong for sure, and you feel terrible for never noticing it. He always looks so cheerful and bubbly, but of course, that's what most people do when they're trying to hide something about themselves that they don't want other people to see.

Once he notices you aren't letting go any time soon he sighs, resting his head on top of yours.

"I don't want you to pity me, ok?" He mumbles softly into your hair.

"I don't. I just don't like hearing that someone I care about went through something like that. I'm sad." You murmur right back into his uniform, sniffling much more frequently. If you kept going like this, your mascara's gonna start running. Kazutora's heart clenched so hard in his chest. He felt butterflies hearing you say he was someone you care about, but it also hurt him seeing you so upset.

"Come on. Don't cry anymore, ok? Please?" He leans up from your hair, placing his hands on your shoulders. You look up at him, your bottom lip slightly pouting, and nod, wiping your eyes carefully.

"Wanna go back to the caf now?" He suggests softly.

"Mm mm. I wanna stay with you." You whine childishly. He laughs lightly at your cute expression.

"But your food's back there. Come on, we'll be alone together anyways when I walk you home later." He chuckled lightly, walking you back into the cafeteria.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You had thought, with good reason, that after that emotional moment you and Kazutora shared together he'd be back to normal, no longer acting so awkward and skittish around you. Yeah, no..he's still being like that. You figured that due to the heat of the moment he wasn't really thinking about anything else except comforting you so you'd stop crying.

Now that that moment's passed, things are even more awkward than before.

"So...how was the rest of school for you?" You ask, trying to break the silence that's been ongoing for about seven minutes since the two of you left the school building.

"Uuuh..boring as usual, I guess." He replies shortly with a little shrug.

"Same." You mumble dryly, pursing your lips afterwards.

Aaaand we're right back to the silence. You sigh dramatically in frustration.

"K, why're you being so quiet all the time now? You're acting so weird." You question, looking up at him with a slight pout.

"What? I don't think I'm any different." He furrows his brows slightly.

"Liar. You don't even put your arm around me anymore like you used to." You grumble bitterly, looking straight ahead as you adjust your tote bag strap on your left shoulder.

"Do you want me to put my arm around you?" He asked.

"I mean, not necessarily, I was just pointing out stuff you used to do that you don't do anymore." You answer back as nonchalantly as possible.

"But if you pointed it out doesn't that automatically mean it's something you want me to do?" He probed, leaning down a bit closer to you.

"....Sure, yeah..maybe I do." You reply sassily, trying to hide the embarrassment on your face.

"Then..I'll do it." He affirms, his cheeks already starting to turn pink.

"Ok, fine." You mumble plainly, trying to hold back the excited smile wanting to make its way on your face as his arm hesitantly wraps around your shoulders, bringing you close to him.

Every time you both are close like this it always feels so different from before Halloween. The air becomes heavy, the sound of your heart beat seems ten times louder, your palms get all sweaty, and your face gets unbearably hot. Worst part of it all your mind starts going crazy with thoughts when you get like this.

You think about how you want so badly to kiss him again. To touch and kiss each other again just like that night, maybe something even more than that. It almost feels wrong having thoughts like this when you didn't know for sure if Kazutora thought similar things.

The girls always know how to make it seem so simple, so obvious that he feels the same, but it's so hard to see it when you're in a situation like this in real time.

If I kissed him would he push me away...?

Even if you had the guts to kiss him you knew you probably shouldn't do it. He's already acting different, it would highly likely make it worse. At this point you weren't even sure when you should ever invite him over to your place again. He'd probably completely lose his mind if you were on the same bed together again.

You sigh, closing your eyes and leaning your head just slightly against his chest. This'll have to be enough for now, but in the meantime you figure it's time to whip out the big guns when it comes to boy advice.

💎

"-And then...we actually ended up kissing there, but after we left from the park it was like he was completely different. He wouldn't do anything that he used to, and still doesn't unless I point it out like I did today! That's the only reason he even put his arm around me, 'cause I mentioned he'd stopped doing it."

Your mom listens intently from the edge of your bed, trying not to show her ever growing smile.

"I was waiting for when you'd finally tell me about this boy." She says warmly.

Your jaw drops, completely taken aback by her words.

"Wha-...you knew about him this whole time?!" You gawked, completely shook.

"Girl, I knew from the get-go, don't even play." She chuckles lightly. "I knew after weeks and weeks had passed that you liked him and would come to me about him eventually. I was just waitin'." She chuckled, brushing you off with a hand.

"Well, so...what do you think?" You inquire nervously, fiddling around with your hands in your lap.

"There's nothing to think! He likes you; it's clear as day! You don't even gotta stress about this one, honey."

"But why does he act so weeeeird?!" You whine dramatically.

"Because he likes you, as I just said! That's how guys are. He made a move randomly, 'cause from how you're describing it he definitely didn't plan it, and now he's freaking out because he went and blurred the lines of y'alls relationship." She explains with an amused chuckle.

You stay quiet, brows furrowed as you think over what your mom said.

"Sometimes, there are guys that have a hard time facing their feelings, and unfortunately, this boy seems to be one of them." She adds, placing a hand on your knee.

"Don't decide nothin' for him, ok? You let him figure out his feelings and come to you.We're not chasin' any guys, no matter how cute."

"Why do you think he's struggling with facing his feelings?" You murmur curiously.

"Oh honey, it could be anything. Sometimes they're just nervous, other times it can be a little more complicated than that. If he's strong enough, he'll be able to acknowledge how he feels about you and decide what he wants to do. If he's not, and he keeps teetering around back and forth...then you decide for him, and you keep it pushin'. That doesn't mean end the friendship and walk away, but you make it clear y'all will be nothing more than friends." She explains, her tone more serious now.

You nod, looking up at her.

"Today...we got into a fight but then it turned out to be something sad." You mutter.

"What d'you mean somethin' sad?" She says with concern, raising her left brow.

"Well remember when I got that black eye with the boy from my math class?" You pause, watching her nod as a sign to continue. "Ok so Kazutora had actually went and beat up the guy who did that to me, this dude named Osanai, but he didn't tell me he also went and beat up Yamagishi too that same day. He said he was mad that he didn't keep me safe, but he also said it was because it reminded him..of when his dad would beat his mom when he was younger."

Your mom's lips part slightly, sucking in a short breath as she listens to you. Immediately she was filled with a deeper concern than before. Back when she was much younger, before you were even born, she had spent a lot of time as a youth pastor, caring for the kids who carried trauma and had to deal with neglectful, hateful parents. She's always loved kids, and it would anger her beyond belief when the parents of the kids from her youth group would try and justify why they treat their children the way they do.

"I had started crying 'cause...he'd never told me that, and it kinda clicked. He's always so bubbly and like really upbeat, but I think it might be because he's actually really sad." You explain softly, a deep frown on your face.

"He fights a lot, and before he met me he used to never really come to school. I had a thought while he was walking me home that maybe his dynamic with his mom at home still isn't any better even though his dad is gone." You add, looking over at her again for her reaction.

"Ok...well, there may definitely be some 'things' inside him that he needs to work through. I also think he's probably acting weird around you because you might be the only person he feels safe with, so he doesn't want to mess that up; what he has with you." She says softly.

"Yeah. That makes sense." You sigh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kazutora's story about his family was all you could think about as you laid in bed. You'd spent a majority of the night worrying about him.

This only made you realize just how much you actually didn't know about him. That was just one little piece of the story, who knows how many more details and puzzle pieces fit into the rest of it. It would probably be wrong to just ask him about his past, you didn't want to upset him or even trigger him in some kind of way. You honestly didn't know too much about mental health and all the nuances and verbiage that comes along with it.

He could have PTSD or..something from what happened in his past. If he does have something like that he's damn good at hiding it...at least around you.

A deep sigh left your lips, letting go of the situation so you could finally sleep. You'd have to figure this out another time.

[nczaversnick]

Project Gemini Chapter 1

This is just a draft so far but it is somewhat polished. Enough to share anyway. This is kinda long so it’s below the cut. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

April 12th - 13:32

Bourne, Titania District

“And with these results that we’ve calculated, we’re able to connect the final piece in better understanding, diagnosing and healing our patients,” a masked woman dressed in charcoal gray-colored scrubs underneath a black lab coat turned and faced a frazzled, deer in headlights look in his eyes man, “Any questions?”

Caspian fiddled with his Holographic Screen Projector tablet. Despite the schoolboard’s constant bragging about the advantages of providing ‘highly sophisticated technology’ to their students, having them be the size of magazines was one of their downfalls. On one hand, they were a clumsy, rectangular shape that weren’t user-friendly enough to be held in one hand and type efficiently with the other. On the other hand, proven time and time again, the lined carbon fiber plates were the superior material to withstand any tumbles from any height. Not that he would know anything about that, but if he did, he knew he could safely count his blessings because the replacements of any AF series of the HSPs would have cost him a month’s rent, including an arm and a leg. He glanced up from his notes and noticed the waning patience on the woman’s face. He quickly looked back down and hurriedly scrolled through his curriculum.

“Sorry,” he stuttered, his cheeks reddening. He finally found what he was searching for and took a moment to peer at the list.

“What do you usually do with the outliers, the ‘critical values’?”

“Oh, yes! We have a strong fail safe system to ensure our results are as accurate as possible. We check the calibration,” she continued to prattle on as he rolled his sore shoulders around. His eyelids began to feel heavy, and his empty stomach churned and growled as another day of dense learning piled on top of him.

“So, obviously, a carbon dioxide level of 35 millimoles per liter would raise concern in doctors, and a level of 21 thousand would raise concern in police,” it was hard enough to decipher exactly what she was saying due to the thick material of her mask, but the way she quickly skimmed and bounced back and forth between topics made it near impossible. Her eyes glanced up towards the flashing digital clock illuminating the door.

“Well, I don’t want to take up too much more of your time,” the sudden change in the pitch of her voice snapped him back to reality, “I know you students have a lot to cover in your other areas, and it’s almost time for lunch anyway. I hope you took a little something out of this rotation.”

“I did, thank you so much,” he quickly shoved his tablet into his school bag and readjusted the strap on his shoulder. The masked woman’s eyes crinkled in a way that he could only guess was from a smile as she escorted him away from the laboratory and towards the elevators.

“Take care of yourself, young man.”

The doors closed and, after a few moments of silence, save for the soft whirring of the elevator at work, opened to a scene of minor chaos. Not like it was anything he wasn’t used to at this point. He carefully made his way across the room, cautious of the other medical personnel and ensuring not to run into any of them in their hustle and bustle between patient rooms.

Blip.

He tiredly swiped his badge in front of a small, wall-mounted monitor. A large glass screen above the monitor flickered to life, and a robotic voice called out:

Screen: “Greetings, Caspian Álvarez. How can I assist you?”

“Clock out for break.”

Screen: “You have chosen to clock out for break on April 12th at 13:48. Your expected clock-in is 14:33 on April 12th. Please present PIN to confirm or say ‘cancel’ to cancel.”

He held out his right wrist towards the small monitor and a faint chime soon followed:

Screen: “PIN accepted. Is there anything else I can assist you with today?”

“No, thank you.”

Screen: “Goodbye.”

The screen flickered off, leaving behind the reflection of his tired face. He sighed and dropped his arm dramatically as if going through the extra security of clocking out for lunch would be the most grueling task he would have to face for the rest of the day.

“I feel that, but you know, I think I would prefer just giving a PIN than having to go through the extra security clearances like the hospitals in Eltrax or the Aurora District in general,” a man’s deep voice suddenly spoke, “I get that it’s the capital, but having to present your PIN, registered fingerprints and an ocular scan? Could you imagine how backed up it could get? No thanks.”

A man dressed in light blue scrubs underneath a blinding, white coat approached him. Despite the intimidating appearance of his large, sculpted muscles hidden poorly beneath his uniform and his towering six foot five to Caspian’s five foot eight, he was a gentle giant with a bright smile.

“Oh, hey, Doctor Bruno.”

“How are you surviving out here?”

“Well, trying to find the balance between the rotations and your classes is a little challenging, but I made it this far.”

Bruno chuckled and gently patted his shoulder, “From what I’ve seen, I think you’re doing pretty well for yourself. Finals are just around the corner. Take advantage of the break afterward. Get some sleep.”

Caspian internally groaned as he rubbed his hands over his face as if to wipe away the permanent raccoon rings around his eyes, causing Bruno to chuckle again as the PA system above crackled to life:

PA System: Paging Doctor Bruno to room 12.

Doctor Bruno to room 12.

Bruno picked up a small device clipped to his hip, and pressed it, “Page confirmed.”

He turned to him and gave a sympathetic smile, “That’s my cue. Hang in there, Álvarez.”

Caspian waved goodbye to his professor as a faint jingle rang out from his uniform pocket. He fished out a palm-sized HSP, and fiddled with the screen. He sighed and waited patiently for his messages to load. He often considered getting his personal tablet replaced, but knowing how much it initially cost him, he figured he would milk as much as he could from it before it officially died. His messages finally pulled up, and he quickly skimmed over them. There was only one that caught his attention, and it was from one of his classmates:

Audrey: Hey, I found us a table in the

cafeteria. Hurry, though, I’m starvin’

(4/12 13:51)

He chuckled softly, slipping his tablet back into his pocket as he headed towards the doors. On his way, he couldn’t help, but take a few, fleeting glances inside the patient rooms. The rooms were pristine, although a bit on the boring side: white walls with gray baseboards with lone, hardly worn chairs pushed into the corners. Each room had a different number of machines crowding the patient, depending on the severity of their conditions, yet, despite how many there were, none of them made a peep above a soft hum. It almost felt lonesome seeing as there really was no need for physical visitors since each room had large screens bolted to the wall opposite of the patients, the surface plastered by faint, glitching images of doctors or presumably loved ones. The only other living thing in those rooms were the dusty, single photograph portraits of nature that hung on the wall. He didn’t realize he had come to a standstill until he heard another faint jingle from his tablet:

Audrey: Dude, where are you???

(4/12 13:55)

He shook his head at her impatience, and quickly exited the ward. After a few turns and more hallways, he soon approached a pair of glass doors that slid open in his presence. The vibe of the cafeteria was eerily similar to the ward: neutral facial expressions, quiet conversations with an occasional soft laughter surrounded by blank walls and dust covered portraits. His eyes quickly scanned the sea of unfamiliar faces.

“Hey, over here,” a loud voice bellowed, breaking the calm setting.

He didn’t even have to glance in the direction the voice was coming from to know who it belonged to. He soon caught sight of his eccentric classmate, standing up and waving her arms around. He internally groaned, heat rising to his cheeks as he quickly cut through the cafeteria and past the other hospital members who perked their heads up at the sudden commotion.

“Did they not teach you anything about being a ‘good representative of Utristan’ zombie while you were in basic, Private,” he smirked, keeping his voice low.

“Oh. My. God. You have no right to be pulling rank since we’re both Privates, Álvarez,” Audrey scoffed, rolling her eyes, “And right in front of my lunch, nonetheless. Those were the worst two years of my life.”

“I don’t know, I found it a little comforting, especially since I had no idea what I wanted to do after high school.”

“I thought my ASAPT scores would have been lower.”

“You’re smart, Audrey, give yourself some credit.”

“If I did, then where would I get my sympathy points from,” she grinned, sliding over two trays filled to the brim with warm, delicious-smelling food. He rolled his eyes, chuckling. His stomach growled and his mouth watered as he eyed the tray.

“I owe you one.”

“Just pay for my dinner.”

Not a moment later, he was already scarfing down his food as she calmly enjoyed hers.

“No breakfast this morning?”

“Didn’t have time. I went to bed late, so I got up late,” his words were barely audible through his full mouth.

She sighed, “Up late studying again? You’re smart, Cas. I bet you could not study for a week and still be able to pass.”

“Hah.”

“I’m serious! At this rate, you’ll burn yourself out before we even get a chance to start working. We should take a trip somewhere together after finals.”

“We only have a couple of weeks off before the summer semester.”

“Huh, but I’m not taking summer classes unless,” she trailed off.

He paused for a moment, gingerly scratching at his cheek.

“Caspian Álvarez, don’t tell me you’re taking extra classes over the summer!”

“I just want to get them out of the way.”

“You’re literally the worst,” she threw her hands in the air as she slumped down in her seat.

He hushed her and looked around at the now-staring faces of the other cafeteria patrons.

“Listen, I know I’m the worst, but you’re probably just going to be with Bruno for most of the time anyway.”

Her face slowly erupted into a crimson shade of red as she straightened up in her chair and leaned forward, keeping her voice low, “Low blow, dude.”

“With the number of times you tease me about Isaac, who is literally only a friend, might I add, I would say this is fair enough.”

“Okay, okay, but that still doesn’t excuse you from taking extra classes. You’re only in your early twenties, Cas! Enjoy your life a little. I would kill to be your age again.”

“You are literally only 28.”

“And,” she gave him a stern look as if she made a good point. The both of them knew it wasn’t a good point at all, and they erupted in loud laughter because of it, once again shattering the quiet atmosphere. The two classmates finally settled down, and used what little time they had left of their break to try and enjoy their meals and each other’s company. After their food was gone, Audrey immediately pulled her tablet from her pocket and began fidgeting with the screen as Caspian sat there and enjoyed his coffee. He pulled his tablet from his pocket to check on the time when he noticed her dissatisfied expression.

“What’s that face for,” he chuckled.

“How long have you had your tablet?”

“About three years? Give or take.”

“You ever think about upgrading?”

“Hell no. A BF-2S would cost me 20 more seols a month. That, in total, would cost me half a month’s worth of groceries. I’ll stick to the older models. I’m even thinking about returning the school’s AF-5 if that means I get my security deposit back.”

“Cas, that’s just being a cheapskate at this point.”

“Life’s worth more than pretty phones,” he shrugged, eyeing her new BF-3S. He could have sworn she just got the BF-3 last month. He shook his head, “Besides, I’m sure I can find some paper in the black market somewhere.”

She rolled her eyes, “Who knows? I heard they pay pretty well in this area. Maybe the extra money will get you to loosen up a bit.”

“Yeah,” he snorted, “Maybe for you. You have a better shot at being hired here than me.”

“Are you kidding? My grades suck so much compared to yours. You’ll definitely have a better shot.”

“If they looked past my records.”

“Oh please,” she rolled her eyes, “That was one misdemeanor, and it wasn’t even your fault. You’re great at what you do. You’re compassionate; you’re kind. You work so hard! Those are all good qualities you need in this field.”

Her kindness was always with good intentions, but he knew deep down that those ‘qualities’ wouldn’t cut it for him. Even after scoring high on the ASAPT exam and being a perfect personality match for his career path, it still took numerous recommendations from teachers and summer volunteer mentors for the school to even consider his application. Hell, he was even going to go as far as apply for out of district programs, or worse, consider continuing working for the military. He shuddered. Nonetheless, seeing her gentle smile and looking back at all the times she had been there for him, he could at least give her a slight, crooked smile and echo a hollow thanks. His tablet pinged softly, signaling that it was time to go back. He sighed and pulled his tray towards him, making a move to leave.

“Hey, Cas. Just give me a call whenever you feel like it, okay? We can get food and drinks, and have a good time, you know? I’ll even forget about the whole ‘you owing me dinner’ thing.”

He nodded, his smile brightening up slightly, “Yeah, sure.”

The rest of the day came and went in a blur. The evening shift shuffled in, and shift-to-shift handoff was exchanged. Another successful day of helpful knowledge was stuffed into his school bag as he approached the entrance.

“See you tomorrow,” a nurse called out from behind the front desk.

He gave a small wave as he and the rest of the shift’s crew shambled out of the building in zombie-like states. With each passing day, it was getting harder and harder for him to muster up the strength to make it to the transit stop. His body always threatened to crash, eyelids heavy and movements becoming more and more sluggish with each step. However, every now and then, the occasional bumping of other people’s shoulders brushing against him would jolt him awake just enough to keep going. With school taking up his weekdays and his weekends eaten up by his part-time job to keep his head above water, all he longed for was a nap.

Even a short nap would do, he yawned until something suddenly slammed into him, almost knocking him to the ground. His eyes shot open, bewildered.

“What the Hell, man,” his annoyed voice trailed off as he spotted a pair of gray eyes. Dark, stormy. They were hardened by a type of determination he had never seen before. When he finally came to and opened his mouth to say something, they vanished. He blinked and spun around, but not a single trace of them was left. All that remained were the crowds of faceless heads that bobbed along the sidewalks and a faint stench of ash. What was equally as jarring was that no one in the crowd seemed to have noticed, which made him question the authenticity of what just transpired. He craned his neck to try and peer over the group, but the increasing number of pushing pedestrians prompted him to give up on his search and keep moving forward. He sighed and readjusted his school bag, pulling out his tablet to glance at the time. He could feel his eyelids start to get heavy as he peeked at the coffee shop just across the street. The train station was only a few more minutes down the block. He was sure he could make it:

Biing-bong.

PA: “May I have your attention, please? The MPA-0312 Antiquitrain for the 17:09 CrossCountry service to Dreake will arrive shortly. For the safety of yourself and our other guests, please remain behind the turnstile until the antiquarian has come to a complete stop.”

He took a few minutes to catch his breath as the speakers continued listing off other destinations and times of departure in the background. That was the last time he messed around with time. He glanced up at one of the digital clock towers.

16:53.

Just enough time for him and several other patrons to start filing themselves in the queues. A gentle breeze fluttered past, wafting in a very faint, honey-like scent. The misplaced smell piqued his interest as he picked his head up and looked around. Nothing was too out of the ordinary, and no one in particular struck him as the type to wear such a fragrant perfume. He began to lose interest in the mysterious scent as the PA crackled to life:

Biing-bong.

PA: “May I have your attention, please? The MPA-0312 Antiquitrain for the 17:09 CrossCountry service to Dreake has arrived. Please have your PIN readily accessible to make for a smoother process for our guests.”

A silver, nine-car monorail soon came into view. The metal was clean and still new, free of any scratches or dings, and the windows were tinted nearly black, making it impossible to see inside the cars. It was faster than the previous year’s antiquitrains, and certainly more pleasant to look at than the ones closer to where he was staying. The monorail slowly came to a stop, and the doors soon opened, letting out large groups of people. Once a majority of the crowd had cleared, a loud ding chimed out, followed by a buzzer, signaling that the platform was now active. Everyone shuffled through the rotating bars one by one after pressing their wrists against the sensor on the turnstile's column. The monorail dipped ever so slightly with each passenger that boarded as it hovered above the metal rail. He set one foot onto the monorail as the scent came back. It was more potent with each passing moment as if the perfumed stranger was steadily creeping up on him. Naturally, he whipped his head up and around to scan the crowd, but to no avail. No one was advancing toward him except for a disgruntled older man who glared at him through his thick glasses.

“Hurry it up, will ya? Some of us are trying to get home.”

He frowned slightly, but quickly sniffed in the stranger’s direction just to be sure. The scent still lingered, but it was faint now. And just as it had come, it soon dissipated:

PA: “The MPA-0312 Antiquitrain for Dreake will be departing soon. Please ensure all your belongings are safely secured as the antiquitrain accelerates and decelerates at a rapid speed.”

He lazily reached up to grasp the hanging handrail as the doors slid closed, but barely missed as the monorail suddenly lurched forward. He stumbled and almost collapsed into a young woman that was sitting beside him. He quickly regained his composure and apologized profusely, his face burning red. After several more apologies, he slumped into his seat, trying to bury himself in his scrubs as a few passengers near him softly chuckled. After the embarrassment finally wore off, he decided to busy himself by scrolling through his school tablet. A few assignments weren’t due for another few days, but he figured if he got a headstart on them now, he might have more time to compose himself before his weekend shift. However, no matter how hard he tried to concentrate on the document displayed before him, he couldn’t get his brain to refocus on his assignments. His thoughts constantly drifted between school, clinical rotations, and his future before finally settling on who that stranger who ran into him was. Why was he in such a hurry? How come no one else noticed him?

“Attention, passengers of MPA-0312,” the PA softly announced in the background as he pondered his thoughts. He didn’t pay any mind to the announcement that warned the passengers of their arrival, which he would soon regret as the monorail suddenly came to a halt and launched him into the back of a now very disgruntled passenger.

Tags for general Project Gemini content(comment to be +/-):

@the-ellia-west @honeybewrites @the-letterbox-archives @the-golden-comet @athenadire @yourpenpaldee

[m1dnyt3-w0lf]

Chapter 1: Moving In

Word count: 4,948

I prepared my surroundings to be at least presentable. I fiddled with this and fiddled with that. At this point, I was nervously cleaning. How could I tell? Because my room was already spotless. I gulped and attempted to take a calming breath, sitting at my desk to look at my open laptop. I was moving to New York City soon for school in the fall, and I needed to find a roommate. I tried looking for an apartment, but I was not able to afford any of the available apartments, so rooming with someone was my best bet. I glanced at the time. Eleven-fifty-five. Five more minutes, and I'll be on a call with, hopefully, my future roommate. I got up again and started to pace. I needed to release the nerves. I shook out my hands, then twisted them together, then shook them out again. I'm not sure when, but I started to mutter to myself, just started voicing my thoughts out loud. Like, what if I'm not able to find a roommate? What if this one doesn't work out like the rest? What if he's a creep like the others? What if-

BEDOO-DOO…BEDOO-DOO…

I lunged for my laptop and quickly answered, shifting in my seat to sit correctly and smile. Although, I was sure my hair was a mess from the rush.

"Hi." I say, looking at the man in front of me. He had dark brown hair that was brushed back with one strand falling forward over his forehead. His dark brown eyes held a cold and calculated look that made me nervous but excited at the same time. His face was nothing short of a model, high cheekbones, full lips, the whole works! I wouldn't put it past him if he was awarded the most handsome man on earth. He also seemed to have quite broad shoulders with the way he took up the screen.

"Hello, you're Ashley Hernandez, correct?" He asked, his voice a deep lull that sounded on the brink of boredom, his accent not helping in his overall tone. I gulped.

"Yes, I am! And you're…" Shit, what was his name?! "Manuel?" My own accent seeped out.

"Miguel." He corrected, annoyance leaking into his voice as his eyes seemed to gaze into my soul. The blood drained from my face. "Miguel O'Hara."

"Oh, right. Heh, sorry, I'm not the best at names." I let out a nervous chuckle. He looked unimpressed. So much for first impressions.

"Right. Well, you'll have time to learn it soon enough." He said, taking a sip from his mug. I assumed it was coffee. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying not to laugh or snicker at his words.

It's a dirty joke just waiting to happen! I thought. I took a slow breath. No, I can't do that. I don't even know the guy! Or if he'll even get the joke. How old was he anyway? Forty? Fifty? Whatever, he was old.

"I will?" I ask him instead, destroying my train of thought. His eyes flashed to me as he set his mug down.

"Yes, just looking at your application tells me you're the perfect candidate for my new roommate."

"I am?!" I yelp out. I quickly cleared my throat and backtracked, speaking in a much calmer tone. "I am?"

Somehow, my shenanigans pulled at a small smile from my future roommate, seemingly amused. But just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared. I could feel his eyes boring into me after that. It made me feel the need to shift my shirt slightly, making it appear baggier than it already was.

"When should I expect you to move in?" He asks finally.

"Uh," my nervousness seeps into my voice. I clear my throat once again. "In about a month."

"A month? Why not immediately? I was under the impression it would be immediately." He questions, confusion seeping into his voice.

"Well, it would be a bit hard to move in immediately since I currently live in California, and I didn't expect to actually be accepted to being your new roommate. And, anyway, I've got things to pack and ship out before I can make my way over." I ranted to him, waving my arms about as I spoke. He listened until I had finished speaking, nodding.

"I wasn't aware you were across the country." He looked at me, brown eyes looking into my own blue ones. "Alright, I'll wait until then. Any designated date of when you'll be here?"

"On the thirtieth of July, or rather, the thirty-first for you." I told him with a firm nod.

"I suppose I'll see you then."

"Miguel?"

"Yes?"

"Would you mind picking me up from the airport on the thirty-first?" He looked taken aback. "I promise to pay back the gas and trouble."

"No need." He tells me, holding his hand up to stop any other words. Geez, his hand looked huge. I couldn't help glancing at my own hand, tiny compared to his.

"I'll gladly pick you up, just let me know when your arrival time will be and I'll be there."

~~~One Month Later…~~~

"Miss? Miss, we'll be landing soon." The stewardess gently shook my arm, successfully waking me.

"Hm? Oh, okay." I say softly, rubbing my eyes as I sit up. I yawned into the back of my hand as I looked out the window beside the other passenger. He was an old man reading a book, though he was only now in the middle of the book from where he started at first. My gaze looked out the window, eyes widening at the sight of all the twinkling lights of the Big Apple. My breath caught in my throat. I was here. I finally made it. I've officially completed one of my dreams. A small smile appeared on my face as tears brimmed my eyes.

I did it! Me! I thought. The old man looked at me and smiled.

"I know that look." He said, chuckling. I look at him, sheepish.

"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your reading." I say in apology.

"No worries, I was done for the night." He says with a chuckle. "What are you coming to New York for?"

"Schooling. I plan to be a writer someday." I told him. The plane starts to descend.

"Oh, maybe I'll read a book of yours soon." He says with a bright smile.

"What about you, sir? What brings you to New York?"

"Ah, it is the place I grew up. I have family waiting for me." He smiled nostalgically.

"That's sweet."

"How about you?"

"Pardon?" The plane landed.

"Do you have anyone waiting for you?" He asked. I looked into his eyes. They were a handsome hazel that dazzled in the dim plane lights and shone dull from his years.

"Um, no. Just a roommate. He's picking me up." I told him.

"Oh, a 'he!'" He chuckled. I felt my cheeks burn with heat.

"Oh, it's not like that! He's just a roommate." I quickly told him. The old man only chuckled as the plane stopped.

"I only tease! An old man can joke." He chuckled more. I chuckled with him as the surrounding people started to get up to get their things.

"Right, right." It took roughly five minutes for the crowd to disperse. During this time, I turned on my data and turned off my ringtone. I didn't want to disturb anyone if I got a buttload of messages which, knowing my family, I would have many. I helped the old man up and asked if he had a carry-on with him. He said he didn't but thanked me for the sentiment anyway. He then walked away as I turned to my duffle bag in the luggage compartment.

It was an old one I used to use when visiting family. It was small but could hold at least a week's worth of clothing in it, along with some essentials. I plan to hit the market this morning so I can buy the other necessities I couldn't exactly bring with me.

With my bag in hand, I make my way out of the plane and out into the waiting area. I moved out of the way for the remaining passengers as I surveyed the area. No Miguel. I should've known he wouldn't have come to greet me like that. He's just here to pick me up. I hurried on to the designated pick-up location, checking my phone to see if he sent a message. Nothing. I chewed my lip as I wondered if I should send another text. Maybe he was still sleeping? Maybe he forgot? I walked out into the lot, looking around but not seeing that man anywhere. I started to get worried even though I just got there.

"Ashley?" A voice says from behind me.

"Yeah?" I turn around, eyes landing on a large chest. "Oh my-"

I looked up, needing to crane my neck slightly to meet Miguel's eyes. He was tall and buff. He wore a fitted, black crew-neck shirt with gray, flannel pajama bottoms. He took my breath away, just the sheer size of him was enough to dwarf me. I wasn't the only one staring either. Many people were staring. I backed up away from him slightly to give some ease on my neck.

"Miguel?" I asked in astonishment. He only nods.

"Shall we go now?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." I quickly say, adjusting the strap of my duffle bag. He wordlessly led me to his car. A sleek black car that shined under the lights. I wasn't a car person, but it looked beautiful.

"Nice car." I complimented as Miguel unlocked his car, opening his trunk.

"Thank you. Bag?"

"Hm? Oh, here!" I quickly handed him my bag. Once placed in, he closed the trunk and walked over to open the passenger door.

"Ah, thanks." I tell him, flushing a bit from embarrassment. I hurry in, hearing some lady passing by as I get in.

"Lucky girl." I felt even more embarrassed, but Miguel seemed unaffected. Did he get those kinds of comments all the time? I mean, he must, right?

He got in the driver's seat and started the car, driving out of the parking space and driving off onto the highway. For a while, we stayed silent. I looked out my window, settling into the thought that I literally knew no one except Miguel. Well, actually, not even him. I hoped I could change it, but between school and my hunt for a job, I doubted I'd even have enough time for socializing.

"Hungry?" Miguel asked, tearing me out of my thoughts. I looked at him.

"A little bit." He only nods and starts merging into the next two lanes.

"Wait, where are we going?" I ask him.

"I know a place to eat."

"This late at night?" It was two in the morning. What the heck was going to be open?

"I know a place." He simply repeated. I felt uneasy. Was I supposed to just let him take me somewhere foreign in a foreign place trapped in a foreign land? Foreign sounds weird now, doesn't it? It wasn't like I could stop him anyway. I was stuck under his mercy. All I could do was hope he wasn't going to murder me. I tried to keep a tab on all the turns and street names passing by, but nothing stuck. I was never the best with directions. I watched street after street pass by until, finally, Miguel slowed the car to a stop by a small shop. From the outside, it wasn't much. There was a blocked and barred window with an open sign on it. The door was wide open and emitted a sickly, pale light.

"This is the place." Miguel killed the engine and got out. I went to do the same, taking my mini backpack with me. However, my movement came to a complete standstill as my nose was assaulted by the most delicious smells I've ever smelled in my life. Miguel had come around by then, sticking a hand into his pocket. It was then that my stomach chose to growl loudly. Miguel held open the door as he looked at me with a mildly amused expression.

"Sounds like you're hungrier than a little bit." He repeats my words in a teasing tone. I huff and get out of his car.

"Oh, hush it." I tell him, flushing from embarrassment. I've been in this man's presence for only thirty minutes, and I've felt nothing but embarrassment. Miguel lifted his hand up in defense, waiting until I was out of the car to close the passenger door and lock the car.

"After you." He offered. I give him a smile as thanks and head inside. I felt Miguel's presence loom behind me and give me a shiver. I walk into the shop and give a look around. The shop was small. On my right, there were a few empty tables and some chairs pushed into them. There was a long counter on my left, the dish pans inside holding varying meats, veggies, and salsas. I look up to the menu above the counter and see Mexican meals from tacos to burros ahogadas to even menudo. Obviously, that's only on the weekend. My mouth started to water as I read through all the familiar foods.

"Señor O'Hara!" A lady who seemed to be in her fifties walked up to the counter from the kitchen and smiled. "¿Como estas, hijo?"

"¿Muy bien, y gusted?" He asked her. I looked between the two as they spoke, feeling like a sore thumb between them. They spoke civilly until the lady's attention was on me.

"¿Y quien es esta dama tan bonita?" She asked. Miguel opened his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it, a blush on my cheeks as I spoke.

"Hola, soy Ashley." I said simply with a wave and a shy smile. Miguel gave me a look, his expression unreadable.

"¡Ah, hola Ashley! Soy Betitua, pero me puedes llamar Beti." Beti said with a smile. I giggle slightly, my nerves easing. She chuckled and reverted to English, her accent a little on the thick side. "What can I get you both?"

"The usual, Beti." Miguel told her then looked at me. I quickly looked back up to the menu, chewing my lip in thought. They all sounded so good! Then my eyes landed on the prices.

Oh. That's expensive. I thought as my heart sank. I was smart and had saved some money for necessities and groceries and whatnot, but if just this shop was this expensive, then what was the rest going to look? Worry began to seep into my head. What if I wasn't ready for this? What if I failed? What if I go broke?

A hand rested gently on my shoulder, making me jump and pull me out of my thoughts.

I looked up and met Miguel's eyes. They shined with kindness, an odd softness I didn't think he was capable of.

"I offered to go eat, I'm paying. Choose what you want." Miguel crouched slightly as he spoke to me. Damn my shortness.

"Oh, no, Miguel, I couldn't-" A gentle squeeze from his hand halted me. He looked into my eyes, sincerity pooled deeply within those chocolate drops.

"I insist." He rumbled. I gulped. "Besides, it'd be rude to deny a nice act from your roommate."

Conflict plagued my brain. On one hand, I was raised to never take handouts as that would make me a beggar. On the other hand, I was also raised to never be rude in any way. Oh, he had me cornered, but my hunger won out. I look away from his eyes in defeat and let out a sigh.

"Alright, alright." I look up at the menu again, choosing one of the cheap options. "May I have a burro de birria?"

"Coming right up!" Beti said before walking back into the kitchen. Miguel straightened and finally removed his hand from my shoulder. He walked to one of the tables and sat. I quickly did the same, sitting across from him and laying my bag down between my feet. Silence befell us, and with the silence came my fidgeting. With nothing to distract me, I start to look around, bouncing my leg and twisting my fingers this way and that. The shop was simple, some pictures hung on the wall for random landscapes and a mural on the far end of the shop. There was a fridge behind the counter that held many drinks and desserts within it. After seeing everything there was to see, I grew bored.

I tried not to glance at Miguel, but I found it impossible to. I kept giving quick flashes at him, observing him in quick spurts. He simply sat there, not really staring at anything. At one point, I stopped giving quick glances and started to get bold. I stared for longer and took in his features. His high cheekbones, the way his hair fell over his forehead, his eyebrows that seemed to cling to the top of his eyes, everything. At this point, I memorized his features. I tried to read for any sign that may indicate his emotions, but he was about as blank as a piece of wood. Scratch that, wood had more emotion than he did at this moment.

Then his eyes met mine.

It happened so fast. I jumped and quickly looked away, pointedly moving my body away from him as my cheeks burned from embarrassment. I'm such a fucking idiot, how could I allow myself to stare?!

Ugh, he probably thinks I'm a weirdo now. I thought as I thinned my lips. We sat in a more awkward silence. I knew I did this, I hated it.

Say something, damn it! I screamed in my head. But just as I started to think about what to say, Miguel spoke.

"What part of California are you from?" Miguel asked. I looked back at him, surprised to see calm eyes looking back. I shifted in my seat to better face him.

"In Gardena, around the Los Angeles area." I answer.

"What's it like there?"

"Uh, it's warm practically year round. It's kinda on the poor side. I lived right by the beach, so that's kinda cool. Morning fogs during the spring and fall seasons." I tell him, brows furrowed as I try to think of everything.

"Sounds nice. Why come all the way out here?" He sounded almost accusatory. I bit my tongue to stop any retort from escaping. I needed to stay civil.

"I'm going to school here. I heard Fordham University was the way to go for my writing major." I say a bit tersely.

"Writing? Like journalism." He had a small scowl on his face.

"No, creative writing, like stories." I huff out.

"And how do you plan for this degree to help you?" Now he was just jabbing at me.

"It's helping me better my craft."

"Oh, so you came with the dead end."

"Dead end?!"

"You can't become a writer overnight."

"I'm willing to put in the work."

"And if it takes you nowhere?"

"It will."

"How do you know?"

"I-"

"Here's your food!" Beti said suddenly, placing the plates of food in front of me and Miguel. I immediately turned to Beti with a warm smile.

"Thank you, it smells really good." I say. It smelled just like how my grandma made it. It made me a little homesick, but I suppose that's a good thing with food. Beti returned the smile and gave my cheek a loving pat.

"You're welcome, mi linda. Is there anything else I can get you?" I shake my head.

"No, thank you."

"Por su puesto, mi hijita." She turned to Miguel and gave him a very disapproving glare. "Comportaté."

I shot him a smug look as his face reflected offense, staring at the lady's back as she walked away.

"¿Y yo qué hice?" He called after her. He turned to me and glared as I smugly grabbed my utensils and dug in. Miguel huffed and ate as well. The entire meal went by in silence. There wasn't much room for me to talk anyway as I shoveled bite after bite into my mouth. I hadn't eaten since yesterday morning due to nerves, and now that I was here and safe, I had nothing to worry about. I told my parents I'd be fine.

Shit! My fork and knife fell with a clatter as I hurriedly dug my phone out of my bag. Miguel glanced up at me, his taco inches away from his mouth for his next bite.

"Are you alright?" He asked, eyeing me as I quickly unlocked my phone and typed away. I chewed my lip as my leg bounced with nerves.

'I've landed safe and sound! Currently eating some food with my new roommate'

"Fine, just letting-" I was cut off by my phone's ringtone going off. I look at the caller ID and see my mom's contact. What the hell is she doing still up?! I answered quickly and put the phone to my ear. "Hey, mom!"

"Oh, it's so good to hear from you! Why didn't you text me as soon as you landed?!" She reprimanded. I chuckled nervously, trying to avoid Miguel's questioning look. How could he arch his eyebrow that high when they seemed to be glued to his eyes?

"I'm sorry, I got distracted." I tell her nervously. If there's one thing you don't mess with, it's a Latina mom.

"Ay, you and being distracted. What am I going to do with you?" I opened my mouth to speak but heard my dad on the other end and stopped, knowing he was going to take the phone next.

"Hi, mija, we're glad you landed safely."

"Hi, papí." I didn't miss how Miguel nearly choked on his food. I spared him a glance before focusing back on the conversation at hand. "How's everything on your end?"

"Oh, you know, same old same old." My dad said. I could imagine him waving his hand to dismiss my question, the image making me smile softly.

"Mhm, that so?" I asked, not believing him.

"Okay, okay, you got me. We miss you muchos, mijita." He admitted. I smiled sadly, missing them just as much.

"I miss you guys too. I promise you the holidays will come by faster than you think!" I reassure them, my tone light and happy while my face showed just how devastated I was that I wouldn't be able to see them until then. Miguel watched me, something simmering in his eyes I couldn't quite catch. I was still trying to avoid his eye, obviously.

"Bueno, ojala, it is soon." My dad tells me, his voice full of sadness.

"It will be, I promise you that." I was barely keeping myself together. "Alright, I have to go. It's pretty rude of me to be talking on the phone while with company."

"Ah, sí, of course, of course." My dad said with a chuckle. "Enjoy your date."

"He's not-" I started but was interrupted by the click of the hangup sound. My cheeks erupted in pink as I put my phone down, clearing my throat.

Every damn time. He's not my boyfriend, dad! I thought in my head as I plastered a smile on my face.

"Sorry about that, you know how family is." I explain quickly, going back to my food. Miguel only nodded.

"Feeling homesick after hearing from them?" He simply asked. I hesitated.

"A little bit. But this is something I have to do. I can't quit now." I say with a determined voice. I worked way too hard and way too much for a little homesickness to tear it all down. No, I will see this through! Miguel only nodded and went back to his food. I did the same, though I was no longer hungry. I picked at my food more than I ate it. When Miguel had finished his meal, I asked for a box and packed up what I couldn't finish. Miguel paid, and we were back on our way to the apartment. We were silent again, simply in our own minds, as music played softly through the radio. I could feel my mind starting to overthink my decision to come out here.

What if it's not all it's cracked up to be? What if I'm not able to wow everyone here like I did back home? What if I'm actually a mediocre writer with an inflated ego? Oh gods, what will I do then?!

"What do you write about?" Miguel asked me suddenly, making me jump. I looked at him, blinking away the remnants of my thoughts.

"Uh, any sort of fiction, really. I've only written short stories before." I told him. If you could call fanfiction that.

"Maybe you should let me read something." I looked at him suspiciously. When did he suddenly have an interest in my writing? The last time I checked, he thought it was a dead-end career.

"What's the catch?" I ask him. He sighs.

"The way I talked to you wasn't fair. I just want to avoid seeing you fail. I'm sure you've got plenty of potential, but I don't want your hopes and dreams crushed. Call it the father instinct in me." He says with a shrug.

"You've got a kid?" I ask him. I wasn't expecting to room with a dad, that wasn't in the advertisement he put out. His lips thinned as his gaze hardened on the road.

"No." He went silent after that, so I didn't press. Was he experiencing baby fever because I was around? That doesn't make sense, I'm twenty-three. How could he be? My eyes slunk back out the window as the air between us grew awkward and left a sour taste in my mouth.

Quick, think of something! I chew my lip in thought before looking over at Miguel again.

"So, what do you do for work?" I ask, thinking an icebreaker question will alleviate the tension building up. Miguel glanced at him, his gaze softening ever so slightly before he looked back out to the road. It was something, at least.

"I'm a bioengineer." He says. I couldn't help the look of disbelief that took over as I gave him a once over.

"You? A bioengineer?"

"Yes, I study the-"

"I know what they do, Miguel, I just don't believe you are one."

"And why is that?"

"I mean, look at you! You're the spitting image of a gym rat." I joked. Though, that quickly died down as he gave me another glance with an unamused expression this time.

"And what is a bioengineer supposed to look like?" Miguel questioned, his eyes narrowed on the road as if challenging me to answer.

"Uh…like a nerd?" I tried. I chuckled nervously as this only caused Miguel to look more pissed off than before. I gulped.

"I'm starting to rethink this arrangement." He said with an annoyed tone.

"No, no, please! I'm sorry, I was only joking, I swear!" I quickly told him. I couldn't lose this apartment, I had nowhere else to go!

"So was I." He smirks. An offended look makes my jaw drop.

"You didn't sound like you were joking."

"I sounded like that to myself." He said with a shrug. I huff and look back out the window, crossing my arms.

"It wasn't funny." I mumble.

What an asshole. I think, glaring out my window. Silence falls between us as Miguel continues the drive back to his apartment.

I take my phone out and click on Tumblr. It was the only place where I posted my works. Mostly fanfiction, really, but I was working on a book. I had high hopes I'd be finished by Christmas. But hope and reality were two different things. I sigh and click on the "notes" of my most recent post. I read through the comments and reblogs, smiling to myself at the positive feedback I received. The piece was of that Spider-Man guy. The news had been crazy about recently. I noticed a goldmine of fans obsessed for any bit of work to thirst over, so I figured, why not? Might as well give some fan service. The post had reached higher numbers than I expected. It satisfied me. I didn't care about the numbers or anything, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't boost my ego. I smirk to myself. Miguel didn't know what he was talking about, I knew I could make it.

After reading through all the feedback, I lock my phone and look out the window once more. I realized with a shock that I was in New York. Home of Spider-Man. How weird, right? I mean, here I am, a fanfiction writer, in the homestate of Spider-Man, the very man I wrote my recent piece about. What are the chances I'd actually see him in action? It's probably slim, but a girl can hope. Hell, it would help with learning his moves and better portray him in my writing. Clips can only do so much justice, and, what can I say, I'm a sucker for accuracy.

I yawn into the back of my hand, getting more comfortable and sinking into the seat. I'm sure just resting my eyes for a few moments wouldn't hurt. Just a moment to let my mind think of new ideas and whatnot. Just…a few…moments.

Before I knew it, I was out like a light.

Translations

Ch 2

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[helpimhyperfixating]

Eyo! May I ask about the yandere jotaro + brainwashed s/o WIP? Kinda excited for it ngl

One sneak peek, coming right up ;3

Walking in through the door, Jotaro lets out a loud sigh, groaning slightly as he closes it behind himself. The day had been long and filled by idiots who thought they knew better than him, constantly questioning and fucking up his calculations when they picked up a pen and tried to ‘correct’ what he’d written down.

He hadn’t felt this angry in a long while, a bubbling simmer of disdain still in his chest, leaving a nasty aftertaste as he put the key away in the safe hanging on the wall, not really paying too much attention, stuck in his own mind.

“Jotaro, you’re home!”

With just three words, it felt as if a heavy blanket was lifted off of him, no longer muffling the world around as he turned to see you standing there.

You held a small and shy smile on your face, your hands fiddling with themselves in front of your stomach.

Feeling some of the tension leave his shoulders, Jotaro put his bag down. “I’m home.” Stepping out of his shoes, he then walked over to you, stopping right before you, his feet nearly touching yours from how close he was, towering over you.

He didn’t say anything for a little bit, only to then reach out and cup your cheek with his left hand, his right placed on your waist as he pulled your stomach into his and leaned down, connecting his lips to yours.

Without any fuss, you placed your hands on the sides of his neck, softly kissing back, and Jotaro allowed himself to close his eyes, leaning a little more into you, deepening the kiss just a bit.

You hummed a little, which amused Jotaro as he then slowly pulled away, his face still close to yours, observing your features as his thumb rubbed over your cheekbone. “Don’t be so nervous.”

Blushing that he picked up on it so fast, you looked down to the floor. “I’m sorry.”

“What’s wrong? Did you forget to do something?”

You made yourself even smaller and Jotaro frowned, though he waited for you to speak. “I- I was so busy, uhm, playing…”

“The game I bought you?” Jotaro finished your sentence for you when you didn’t and you nodded quickly; a small and scared movement.

“I forgot to start cooking…” Your voice was but a whisper and Jotaro’s anger, which had simmered down, now flared back full force - but not at you.

“I’m not going to fault you for enjoying a gift I gave you.” Your head shooting up, your eyes were wide as you noticed Jotaro looking down at you with a soft look, his thumb rubbing your cheek again. “Y/N, I’m not him. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“I-I’m sorry-“

“Don’t apologise.”

Taking a deep sigh, Jotaro leaned down, grabbing you under your thighs, making you yip as he lifted you up into his arms.

“You don’t have to cook tonight. We’ll order some food.”

“Thank you…”

Smiling a little to himself as he felt you bury your head in his neck, Jotaro answered. “Of course, sea star.”