#i was looking for something else and ended up with this instead
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(Poly 141 x medic reader, where you might as well be the sun to them)
The phrase started as a whisper.
It drifted through the base like smoke curling around corners, impossible to pin down but impossible to ignore.
âHere comes the sun.â
It bounced off walls, passing lips in hushed tones, slipping into conversations as a half-joke, half-omen. At first, the 141 didnât pay it much attention. Soldiers had their quirks, their superstitions- rituals to keep them sane when missions dragged too long and they smelled more blood than earth. But this one stuck.
Price furrowed his brow the first time he heard it. Ghost only tilted his head slightly, filing it away. Gaz grimaced and muttered something about troops getting weird ideas. Soap, though- he took notice.
Heâd caught it more than once before a mission, said like a prayer or maybe a warning. Heâd asked around, but answers were vague. âYouâll know when you see it.â Thatâs all theyâd tell him. It irritated him to no end.
Then the mission happened.
It was supposed to be a clean extraction. A quick in-and-out, but things went sideways fast. Soap had been covering the teamâs six when the ambush hit. A sharp crack split the air, followed by the searing pain in his side. He hit the ground hard, blood soaking into the dirt, a familiar, burning ache travelling through his body.
âSoapâs hit!â Gazâs voice barked through comms, panic threading through the static.
âPull him out!â Price ordered.
But the line fizzled and died. Soapâs world narrowed- gunfire, shouts, and the taste of copper in his mouth. He couldnât hear the others anymore. The ground felt colder than it should have. He pressed his hand against the wound, but it was bad. Really bad.
This is it, he thought. This is where I die.
The edges of his vision blurred. He barely noticed the figure sprinting toward him until a flash of bright red and orange, a blazing fire, pierced through the smoke and haze.
Like the sun.
You hit the ground beside him, all motion and precision, your gear unlike anything heâd ever seen. Bright red and orange covered your tactical vest and helmet- colors that didnât belong in a war zone. Colors that shouldâve made you a target, a dead woman walking.
But instead, you looked like salvation.
âStay with me, Sargeant.â You said, voice sharp and steady. You werenât panicked- not even a little. It was comforting.
Soap stared, wide-eyed, as your hands worked quickly to stop the bleeding. He shouldâve been paying attention to the pain, to the gunfire, to anything else- but he couldnât stop looking at you.
âWhat the hell are ya wearing?â he rasped, because that was apparently the only thought his brain could form.
You didnât look up. âBright colors make it easier to spot me. Medics donât have the luxury of hiding- we have to be seen when it counts.â
âItâs bloody ridiculous.â he muttered- and then sucked in a sharp breath as you tightened the bandage.
âMaybe,â you said, finally glancing at him. âBut it got me here, didnât it?â
Soapâs heart stumbled. Your eyes were sharp, focused- but there was something else there too, something warm. Something steady.
Here comes the sun.
It hit him all at once. Thatâs what the others meant. It wasnât just the colors. It was you. The way you moved, the way your voice cut through the noise, the way you didnât hesitate for a second.
âStay awake, Sargeant.â You ordered, and for the first time in his life, he didnât have a single smart remark.
Much later, he woke up in the med tent, groggy but alive, and immediately found himself staring at you again.
You were restocking supplies nearby, your bright gear an almost comical contrast to the sterile white walls. The moment you noticed him looking, you crossed the room.
âYouâre awake,â you said, checking his vitals. Your voice was softer now, calm and patient. He felt like he could melt. âGood.â
âYouâre real.â He blurted out before he could stop himself.
You raised an eyebrow, tilting your head. âWhat?â
âThought I was hallucinating.â He gestured vaguely at your vest, a grin cracking on his lips. âI mean, look at ya.â Lovely. The sun has never looked better.
Your lips twitched, like you were holding back a smile. âI get that a lot.â
Before he could come up with anything else to say- anything remotely smooth- the tent flap opened.
Price, Ghost, and Gaz stepped in, their eyes immediately landing on you. And for once, Soap wasnât the only one caught off guard.
Gaz blinked. âYouâre⌠bright.â
âEasy to spot.â You said, beaming.
Ghost stared at you for a few seconds longer, peering, before he spoke. ââŚYouâre the sun.â
Price studied you for a long moment as well, then nodded like something clicked into place with a sigh. âMakes sense.â
You, on the other hand, looked confused and unsure, tilting your head once more in the way kittens do.
Soap couldnât stop staring. He barely even heard the others talking, answering your confusion. All he could think about was how youâd shown up when he thought he was done for- and how youâd looked like a fiery star in the vast expanse of a cold, dark sky.
You glanced at him again, eyes sharp and warm all at once, lips quirking in a delicate smile while Gaz talked with you.
Here comes the sun, he thought.
(⌠would it be possible to cradle the sun, such warmth, in his hands?)
#noona.writes#cod x reader#cod x you#cod#tf 141 x reader#tf 141 x you#tf 141#cod imagines#john price x reader#simon ghost riley x you#simon ghost riley x reader#ghost x you#ghost x reader#johnny soap mctavish x you#johnny soap mctavish x reader#poly 141 x you#poly!141 x reader#kyle gaz garrick x you#kyle gaz garrick x reader#gaz x you#gaz x reader#poly 141 x reader#poly!141#poly 141#john price x you
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vi x reader angst where reader and vi had something before lockup (maybe reader was desperately looking for her/a body for years and never got with anyone else because they loved vi). first time they see vi again, theyâre kissing cait. vi has to make a choice (mayhaps someone tells vi how much, how long and how deep reader still loves vi)
SORRY THIS ASK IS LONG BUT NO ONE WRITES VI X CAIT X READER ANSGT AND IM FEENING FOR ITTTT CA
IâVE LOVED YOU FOR SO LONG | vi x fem!reader, angst, squint of fluff, wc: 10k | masterlist
content warnings: not much! angst!!!, brief caitvi, childhood friend!vi, firelight kinda!reader, tiny mention of blood, bit of an open ending, uhhhhh âŚ.
note: sorry this took so long but i hope u like it! (struggled a bit with the ending so i left it kind of open and hopeful :P
Growing up in the Lanes was never easy. The air was always thick wit smog and desperation. But somehow, in the middle of all the grime, there were moments of lightâmoments that felt almost normal⌠sweet, even.
For Vi, those moments often came when she was with you.
You were the kind of person who seemed to radiate something soft, something pure, even in a place as unforgiving as here. You were always helping someoneâpatching up a scraped knee, sharing what little food you had, or offering a warm smile that could ease even the sharpest edges of the Lanesâ harsh reality. Vi, on the other hand, was tough as nails, like she always was. But when it came to you, that toughness often cracked, revealing a gentler side that few people ever got to see.
You met when you were both kids, barely old enough to understand the full weight of the world you were born into. Vi had just finished scrapping with a group of older kids who had tried to steal a loaf of bread from Powder. Her knuckles were bloody, and her lip was split, but she wore her bruises with pride as she swaggered down the street.
Then she saw youâsomeone small and delicate crouched beside a stray cat with a limp, gently wrapping its leg with a strip of cloth youâd torn from your own sleeve. Vi had stopped in her tracks, her usual bravado faltering as she watched you work with such careful concentration. She couldnât remember the last time sheâd seen anyone show that kind of⌠tenderness.
âHey,â she had said, her voice rough but curious, âwhatâre you doing?â
You looked up at her, your eyes wide and a little startled, but then you smiled. âHelping,â you said simply, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
From that moment on, Vi couldnât seem to stay away from you.
Sheâd show up wherever you were, always with some excuseâshe was just passing through, or she needed your help with something, or she was making sure no one was giving you trouble. In truth, she just liked being around you. You didnât flinch when she got into fights, didnât scold her for her temper or her stubbornness. Instead, you had this way of looking at her, like you could see past all of that to the person she really was. And Vi, who had always felt like she had to be tough to survive and protect her family, found herself wanting to be softer when she was with you.
The two of you became inseparable, spending your days exploring the winding alleys and hidden corners of the Lanes. Vi would teach you how to throw a punch, insisting that you needed to know how to defend yourself. Youâd laugh as she guided your fists, her hands warm and steady against yours, though she always ended up pulling her punches when it came to sparring.
âCanât risk messing up that pretty face of yours,â sheâd tease, though her voice would always carry a hint of something serious, like the idea of you getting hurt was unbearable to her.
âYouâre an idiot,â youâd say back.
And sheâd laugh, nudging you playfully against your shoulder, her all ears red as she looked at you, âBut Iâm your idiot.â
You, in turn, taught Vi the value of kindness, though you didnât do it with words. You did it with your actionsâwith the way youâd stop to help a stranger, even when you didnât have much to give, or the way youâd bandage up Viâs cuts and bruises after a fight, your touch so gentle it made her chest ache. Sheâd sit there, watching you work, and wonder how someone like you could exist in a place like this.
And it also helped that Powder adored you too.
Sheâd often tag along on your adventures with her wide-eyed curiosity. You had a way of making her feel seen, of treating her like she was just as capable and important as the rest of you, and that meant the world to her. Vi loved watching the two of you together, the way youâd laugh and tease each other, the way youâd patiently explain things to Powder when she didnât understand. It made Viâs dreams of a better life feel almost tangible, like maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for something more than survival.
And then there were the jobs⌠or whatever she could get from Ekko.
They were never easyârunning contraband, sneaking into places she had no business being. Vi loved the adrenaline of it, the thrill of a plan coming together, but there was always a part of her that thought about you while she was out there. Sheâd see somethingâa trinket, a piece of candy, a flower growing stubbornly in the cracks of the pavementâand sheâd think of you.
She started bringing things back for you, little gifts sheâd pretend didnât mean anything. The first time, it was a shiny button she found while breaking into a some storage room. It was small and completely useless, but it was the kind of thing she thought youâd like. She tossed it to you when she came back, trying to act casual.
âFound this,â she said, her voice gruff. âFigured you could use it for⌠I donât know, something.â
Youâd looked at her, a little confused at first, but when you smiled and said, âThanks, Vi,â she felt something warm settle in her chest.
After that, it became a habit.
Sheâd bring you scraps of fabric, little bits of wire and string, or a half-broken gadget Powder thought she could fix up for you. Once, she brought you a single daisy sheâd found growing in a crack on the edge of the Lanes. Sheâd nearly crushed it during the job, and when she handed it to you, she was so embarrassed she couldnât meet your eyes.
âItâs just a flower,â she mumbled, scratching the back of her neck. âDonât make a big deal out of it.â
But you always did. Vi would pretend it didnât matter, but her ears would turn red, and sheâd fumble with excuses about why sheâd brought you something in the first place.
She didnât know how to say what she was feeling, didnât even fully understand it herself. All she knew was that you made the Lanes feel a little less bleak, a little less hopeless.
And as the years passed, the your relationship with Vi only grew stronger. There were always moments when the certain feelings between you became almost impossible to ignoreâlike the time you patched her up after a particularly nasty fight, your fingers lingering on her cheek as you wiped away the blood, telling her firmly to always be careful, as your eyes search hers. Or the time she caught you staring at her with that soft look in your eyes and she felt her cheeks flush, her confidence faltering as she looked away, muttering something about how you shouldnât look at her like that. Youâd raise an eyebrow in response, then just laugh softly.
But neither of you ever said anything outright. Instead, you found comfort in the smaller thingsâstolen glances, the way your hands would brush against each other as you walked side by side, the way Viâs walls would melt away when it was just the two of you.
You were more than just a friend. You were her safe place, her reminder that there was still good in the world, even in the darkest corners of the Lanes. And for you, she was your protector, your anchor, the person who made you feel like maybe you werenât as fragile as the world wanted you to believe.
But the Lanes always had a way of taking everything good and twisting it into something painful.
The night everything went to shit was the last time life in the Lanes felt even remotely bearable. It had been tense from the start. Vander was gone, taken by Silco, and Viâs face was set in that grim determination she always wore when she was trying to be strong for everyone else. You knew she was scared, no matter how much she tried to hide it.
You were in the back room of the Last Drop, pacing. Vi had told you to stay put, her voice sharper than usual, her gaze practically boring a hole through you.
âDonât follow us,â she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. âJust⌠stay here. Look after Powder, okay? I canât worry about you and her while weâre out there.â
You wanted to argue, to tell her you could help, that you werenât as fragile as she thought you were. But the look in her eyes stopped you. So, you nodded, biting back the words you wanted to say, and watched her leave with Mylo and Claggor.
Powder sat on the couch, knees pulled to her chest, clutching one of her gadgets like it was a lifeline. She kept glancing at the door like she was expecting Vi to come back at any moment, triumphant and unscathed.
But you both knew better.
The hours dragged on, the silence between you and Powder filled only with the occasional sound of glass breaking in the distance or the low hum of Zaunâs underbelly. You tried to keep your hands busy, cleaning up the room, organizing scraps of whatever was lying around. Anything to stop your mind from racing. Powder didnât really say much; she just watched you with wide, anxious eyes, her fingers fidgeting with the gears of her monkey bomb.
Eventually, exhaustion began to creep in. You figured you were working too much. You remembered Viâs words in your head, telling you that sheâs always careful, that sheâll always come back to you. And you tried to stay awake, tried to keep an eye on Powder like Vi had asked, but your body betrayed you.
Powder had been quiet the whole night, but as you drifted off, she glanced at you. She hated being left behind, hated the way Vi always told her to stay because she wasnât strong enough, wasnât capable enough. She wanted to prove herself, to show that she could help, that she could save them. And with you asleep, curled up in Viâs bed, she saw her chance. Quietly, Powder slipped off the couch, grabbing her monkey bomb and a bag of supplies. She hesitated for a moment, looking back at you. She didnât want to leave you, but she couldnât sit there and do nothing.
Not when Vi needed her.
She crept out of the room, careful not to make a sound, and disappeared into the shadows.
The first thing you noticed as you stirred was the faint, low rumble of something distant but violentâa sound that felt like it rattled through the very walls of the Last Drop. You blinked, eyes fluttering slowly as you pushed yourself up. The second explosion was sharper, louder, and your heart leaped in your chest. It was a sound that didnât belong to the Lanes.
Your eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim light of the room. Everything felt too still now, too quiet, except for the faint aftershock of what you had just heard. You rubbed at your face, trying to shake off the grogginess, and then you noticed itâbright, electric blue sparks flickering in the distance, visible through the small, grimy window. Your stomach dropped as a sense of dread washed over you. Your breaths came quicker now, shallow and uneven, as you sat up fully, scanning the room.
âPowder?â you called out softly, your voice hoarse from sleep.
You looked around, the familiar clutter of the space offering no sign of her.
âPowder?â you called again, louder this time, but the silence that followed made your chest tighten.
You stumbled to your feet, nearly tripping over a discarded piece of scrap on the floor. Your eyes darted around the room, searching for any sign that she was still thereâa glimpse of her small frame huddled in the corner, the sound of her fidgeting with one of her gadgets.
But there was nothing.
The couch where sheâd been sitting earlier was empty, the blanket youâd draped over her crumpled and abandoned. The faint smell of oil and metal lingered in the air, but it was missing the warmth of her presence.
âNo, no, no,â you muttered under your breath, your mind racing as you pieced together what must have happened.
You remembered the way she had been clutching that monkey bomb earlier, the way her eyes had flickered with something desperate and restless.
She left.
Your knees nearly buckled as you made your way to the window, pressing your palms against the cold glass. The sparks of blue still flickered in the distance, bright against the dark, polluted haze of the Lanes. The explosions hadnât stopped, and now there were faint trails of smoke rising into the air.
âPowder,â you whispered, the weight of her name heavy on your tongue.
She had gone after Vi, you were sure of it. The thought hit you like a punch to the gut, leaving you breathless. She was out thereâyour sweet, fragile Powderâin the middle of whatever chaos was unfolding.
And Vi⌠Vi had told you both to stay behind.
Now, you were running as fast as you could.
And when you got there, everything was on fire.
Buildings were crumbling under the weight of the flames, black smoke billowing into the sky and choking the air around you. The heat was suffocating, stinging your eyes and making it hard to breathe. You stood there, frozen, your wide eyes scanning the devastation. The ground was stained with dark, wet streaks that gleamed in the firelightâblood. It was everywhere, smeared across the cobblestones, trailing through the debris, pooling in some places as if marking the spots where someone had fallen.
But there were no bodies.
No sign of Vi. No Mylo. No Claggor. No Powder. Just⌠nothing.
Your chest heaved as you tried to take it all in, your mind struggling to make sense of the chaos. The silence was deafening, broken only by the relentless crackle of flames and the occasional groan of a collapsing structure. You called out for them. You spent hours waiting, searching and trying.
But, there were no voices, no footsteps, no cries for help.
Just emptiness.
Nothing.
The days blurred into weeks, the weeks into months, and the months into years. Time moved forward, but you stayed stuck in the same momentâthe night everything fell apart. The fire, the blood on the streets, the faces of everyone you loved burned into your memory like scars you couldnât erase. It didnât matter how much time passed. You never stopped seeing them. Never stopped feeling the weight of their absence.
Life in the Undercity didnât wait for grief. It didnât give you the chance to sit still and process the ache in your chest or the emptiness that had swallowed your world whole. The streets you grew up on were darker now, quieter, yet somehow more dangerous. Shimmer twisted its way into every crack and corner, poisoning the air you breathed.
You still had Ekko. He stuck close, as much as he could, and you were grateful for him in ways you couldnât put into words. But even with him around, the loneliness lingered anyway.
Nights were the worst. The silence of your small, dimly lit room pressed down on you, and your mind replayed every memory of Vi, Powder, Mylo, and Claggor. Sometimes, you could almost hear their laughter echoing in the distance.
Almost.
You never stopped looking for her.
At first, it was constant. Every waking moment you scoured the streets, searching for any trace of her. You asked anyone who would listen if theyâd seen her, but no one had. Not a single person could tell you where she had gone or what had happened to her. Some said she was dead. Others said sheâd been taken topside, to Piltoverâs dungeons. You didnât know which was worse.
You looked for Powder, too. Sometimes, you felt like youâd seen traces of her somewhere, certain colors she liked, drawings on the wall⌠It was like she was there, but she wasnât⌠like she didnât want to be found.
And years passed, but the hope never left you. Not fully. Even when the streets seemed colder, even when Ekko begged you to stop putting yourself in danger, you kept searching. Youâd walk the streets at night, hood pulled tight over your head, hoping to catch a glimpse of her pink hair or hear her sharp voice in the crowd. Every time you saw a tall figure in the shadows, your heart would leap, only to sink seconds later when it wasnât her.
You wondered, sometimes, if she was looking for you too. If she was out there somewhere, wondering what had happened to you. If she missed you the way you missed her. Those thoughts were the only thing that kept you going on the hardest days.
The Undercity changed around you. The shimmer trade grew stronger, its effects spreading like a disease. People youâd known your whole life turned hollow, their eyes glassy, their voices slurred. Survival became harder with each passing day. But even as the world around you crumbled, you held onto the memory of Vi.
Her voice. Her laugh. The way she used to look at you when she thought you werenât paying attention, as if you were something more than just a friend. The way she used to bring you small, silly things from her jobsâhalf the time things she swore sheâd found by accident, even though you knew better.
You missed her so much it hurt.
Then, one night, Ekko came to visit you.
He had news about Powder.
Heâd seen her, he said. And it didnât make sense at first.
He sat across from you in the dim, flickering light of the small hideout youâd both retreated to. His voice was almost hesitant, but heavy with something you couldnât quite name. Regret? Anger? Grief? Maybe all three, twisted together in a way that made him seem older than he was, like the years had weighed heavier on him than they should have.
You were hunched over, elbows resting on your knees, your face buried in your hands. It had been another fruitless day, searching for a ghost you werenât sure even existed anymore. Your body ached, your head throbbed, and the emptiness in your chest felt like it might swallow you whole.
And then Ekko said itâhe said her name.
âPowder⌠sheâs not the same anymore.â
At first, you thought he meant something else. Maybe sheâd grown up like the rest of you, toughened by the streets and the weight of survival. Maybe heâd seen her, and she was angry, distant, bitter about the past. You couldâve handled that. You couldâve understood that.
But that wasnât what he meant.
âShe goes by Jinx now.â
You lifted your head slowly, confusion knitting your brow. âWhat are you talking about?â
Your voice was sharp, tinged with a nervous laugh that didnât quite land.
âPowder wouldnât call herself that. Thatâs not⌠thatâs not her.â
Ekkoâs gaze didnât waver. He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees, his expression hard but laced with pain. âIt is her. Sheâs with Silco now.â
The words hit you like a blow to the chest. âNo,â you whispered, shaking your head. âShe wouldnâtâsheâd neverââ
âSheâs different, (Y/n).â His voice cracked, just barely, but enough to make you flinch. âSheâs not the kid we knew. Silco got in her head, twisted her up. Sheâs⌠dangerous now.â
You sat back, your body rigid, your mind spinning. This wasnât real. It couldnât be real. Powder was sweet, shy, maybe a little clumsy, but always full of love and hope. Powder adored you. Powder idolized Vi. Sheâd never turn into someone like⌠like that.
âWhere did you hear this?â you demanded, your voice low but trembling. âWho told you?â
âI saw her,â Ekko said flatly. âItâs her, (Y/n). Sheâs been running with Silcoâs people for years. Sheâs the one behind half the chaos in the Lanes right now. Youâve heard about the explosions, the heistsâthe people disappearing. Thatâs Jinx.â
He swallowed hard, his jaw tightening.
âThatâs Powder.â
You stared at him, the words refusing to sink in. It felt like someone had ripped the ground out from under you, leaving you floundering in freefall.
âYouâre wrong,â you said, your voice barely above a whisper. âPowder wouldnât⌠she wouldnât do that.â
âI wish I was wrong,â Ekko muttered, his voice thick with bitterness. âBut Iâm not. Sheâs gone. The Powder we knewâsheâs gone.â
âNo,â you snapped, louder this time, anger rising to the surface as your chest tightened with panic. âSheâs not gone. Sheâs just⌠confused, or scared, or⌠something. She wouldnât justâŚâ
Ekkoâs face softened, but his eyes were filled with sadness. âI thought the same thing when I first saw her. I wanted to believe she could still come back, that maybe I could fix it. But sheâs too far gone. Silcoâs got his hooks right into her. Sheâs not the kid we grew up with anymore. SheâsâŚâ
He paused, the words catching in his throat.
âSheâs dangerous.â
You shook your head again, your hands trembling as you pressed them against your thighs. This wasnât real. It couldnât be. Powder was your friend, your family. She was bright and sweet and full of so much love. She wasnât⌠she wasnât a monster.
The thoughts clung to you every night. PowderâJinxâhad become someone unrecognizable, and you couldnât stop the questions from flooding your mind. What would Vi think if she knew? Would she be disappointed in you for not doing more, for not stopping Powder before it was too late? Would she think youâd failed her?
Vi. Her name echoed in your mind. You missed her in a way that was so all-encompassing it became a part of you. You missed the way she used to tease you, the way sheâd smirk like she had the world figured out, even when she didnât. You missed patching her up after a fight. You missed how sheâd smile at you, telling you that things to brighten your day. You missed everything.
It was only recently that you realized why the ache felt so sharp, so endless. You loved her. Youâd loved her for years, even if you hadnât admitted it to yourself until now. It was why you couldnât let her go, why no one else had ever been able to fill the void she left behind.
People had tried. There were a few who flirted with you, a few who asked you to dinner or drinks. But youâd always brushed them off, always found an excuse. None of them were her. None of them had her fire, her strength, the way she made you feel seen and safe all at once.
The years hadnât been kind to you, but youâd done your best to survive, to keep going even when it felt like the world was crumbling around you. Youâd thrown yourself into helping Ekko and the Firelights, finding purpose in their mission even when you felt lost.
You patched them up when they were injured, your hands steady as you cleaned wounds and wrapped bandages. You shared what little food you had, sometimes going without so they wouldnât have to. You became someone they could rely on, even if you didnât always feel strong yourself.
But that strength went away a couple months laterâthe day you saw her again. It was something you didnât prepare yourself for. You hadnât expected it at all.
The sunlight filtering through the cracks of the hideoutâs makeshift roof caught on the edges of your hair as you worked, pulling ripe fruits and vegetables from the small garden that the Firelights had nurtured in secret. The air was damp but fresh, filled with the earthy scent of soil and the faint hum of life. You liked working in the gardenâit gave you a moment of peace, a small break from the weight of everything outside.
When you were done, your hands were covered in dirt, and a bead of sweat traced its way down your temple. You wiped your brow with the back of your arm, sighing softly. A few of the others nodded at you in thanks as they carried the baskets of food away. You stayed behind, crouched by the water pump, scrubbing the grime from your hands and under your nails.
The cool water washed over your skin, and for a moment, you let yourself pause, closing your eyes as the sound of the stream drowned out your thoughts. But it didnât last long. The quiet never did.
Once you were cleaned up, you shook off the weariness and decided to find Ekko. Youâd been meaning to talk to him about somethingâor maybe you just wanted to hear a familiar voice. The hideout could feel suffocating at times, even though it was a sanctuary for many. Ekko had a way of cutting through it, reminding you that there was still something worth fighting for.
But as you made your way through the winding halls of the hideout, you stopped short, your breath catching in your throat.
In one of the side rooms, barely lit by the faint glow of sunlight filtering through the cracks, you saw them.
A girl with blue hair stood close to another figure, her delicate fingers brushing against the cheek of the person in front of her. You couldnât make out their faces at first, your mind taking an extra second to register what you were seeing. But then the pink hair caught the light, vibrant even in the dim room, and your chest tightened.
Vi.
Your Vi.
And she wasnât alone.
The blue-haired girl leaned in, her lips brushing against Viâs in a kiss so soft, so tender, that it felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. Vi didnât pull away, her hand resting gently on the girlâs waist, her shoulders relaxing in a way you hadnât seen in years.
You froze, rooted to the spot, your feet unwilling to carry you forwardâor away. Your mind raced, a thousand thoughts clamoring for attention, but none of them loud enough to break through the sudden ache in your chest.
She was here. She was alive. But she wasnât yours.
You didnât know whether to cry out, to step into the room and demand an explanation, or to turn and run before they could see you. You wanted to be happy that she was safe, but all you could feel was the slow, creeping weight of heartbreak as it settled over you.
Because in that moment, it was clearâVi wasnât yours to miss. Not anymore.
âYou have some explaining to do.â The words feel foreign on your tongue, but they spill out before you can stop them.
You stand at the threshold of Ekkoâs lab, chest heaving, heart racing in disbelief. The image of Vi with another womanâkissing her, holding herâflashes in your mind and itâs all too much.
Ekko stands abruptly, looking as startled as you feel. His eyes widen, and his hand instinctively scratches at the back of his neck, a nervous tick youâve known him to do since you were kids.
âIâI was gonna tell you today,â he stammers, voice cracking slightly as he fumbles for his words. âWe just got her last night⌠when we ambushed JinxâŚâ
Your breath catches, a knot of frustration and hurt tightening in your chest. âYou ambushed Jinx? And now youâre bringing Vi back in like this? Without telling me?â
The words come out harsher than you intend, but it doesnât matter right now. Your mind is spiraling.
Ekko holds up his hands, trying to calm you, his gaze softening. âI was going to tell you! I just⌠After everything with Jinx⌠I didnât know if she was someone I could trust yet.â
His words hit you like a slap, and for the first time since you walked in here, a part of you slows down. After everything that happened, Vi could very well be someone you couldnât trust. Someone who might have changed in ways you couldnât understand. It stings to admit, but the doubt starts to creep in. You know Ekkoâhis loyalty runs deep, but heâs also careful. He always has been. You take a step back, your fists uncurling as you exhale sharply.
You swallow your frustration and let the silence settle between you, the weight of his words pressing down on you. Can we trust her?
The question hangs in the air, unspoken but felt, before you finally speak it.
âSo⌠can we?â Your voice is quieter now, more hesitant. You want to hear reassurance, but youâre not sure if itâll come.
Ekko doesnât answer immediately. He exhales, a long, drawn-out sigh that betrays a weariness you hadnât noticed before. When he finally looks up at you, his gaze holds something you hadnât expectedâa tenderness, a vulnerability. His lips curl into a small, almost wistful smile, and for a moment, you wonder if heâs seeing something you canât.
âI think so,â he says softly, his voice quiet but steady. âI think we can.â
You sigh, blinking a few tears away.
âWhoâs that⌠that girl sheâs with?â You ask, your voice barely above a whisper, though your heart is pounding in your chest.
You keep your eyes on the floor, unwilling to meet Ekkoâs gaze, because the truth feels like it might crush you. The girl youâve loved for as long as you can remember, is with someone else now. And itâs hard to wrap your mind around it, let alone confront it head-on.
Ekkoâs silence stretches out for a moment, the room growing thick with the tension that neither of you knows how to ease. But then, slowly, his eyes soften, and you can hear the careful way he breathes in, like heâs about to tell you something heavy. His voice is gentle when he speaks, like heâs trying to cushion the blow without sugarcoating it.
âHer nameâs Caitlyn,â Ekko says, and thereâs a noticeable pause before he continues, as though heâs gathering his thoughts, picking out the right words. âSheâs⌠Sheâs an enforcer, butâŚsheâs different. I donât think sheâs on Silcoâs side.â
Your stomach tightens at the mention of Caitlynâs name, and you can feel a bitter knot in your throat.You finally glance up at Ekko, your eyes searching his face, desperate for any trace of what this means.
âAre theyâŚ?â
Ekko looks at you for a long, quiet moment, like heâs weighing your reaction against his own thoughts. He doesnât look at you with pity, though; thereâs no judgment in his gaze. Just understanding.
âI donât know,â he admits, his voice low. âBut I think Viâs been through a lot. And Caitlyn⌠I donât know what they have, but I canât pretend I understand it. Iâm still trying to figure out where Vi stands with all of this⌠All I know is Vi wants her sister back.â
You canât look at Ekko anymore. The pain of it is too much, a heavy weight that presses down on you like the sky is collapsing. You back away, trying to swallow the lump in your throat, your hands trembling slightly.
âI thought⌠I thought sheâd come back for me, for us,â you say softly, almost to yourself. The bitterness in your voice is unmistakable.
Ekko doesnât say anything for a long moment, but you can feel the weight of his sympathy.
Finally, he speaks again, his voice quieter, softer. âI donât think sheâs forgotten you. I think sheâs just trying to figure out everything for herself⌠Besides, she was⌠actually wondering if you were still around.â
âShe was?â Your voice is quieter than you intended, almost shaky as you try to grasp what he just said.
Ekko nods, though his face is filled with something close to guilt, like he knows how this news might break you. âYeah. She asked about you when she came in⌠said she didnât know what happened to you after⌠everything.â
You let out a shaky sigh, your chest tightening at his words. The weight of it presses down on you, sinking deep.
âWhere has she been⌠all this time?â The question slips out quietly before you can stop it.
Ekko hesitates, his eyes softening as he looks at you. Thereâs a long pause before he finally answers, each word like a slow puncture to your heart. âStillwater.â
The name hits you like a punch to the gut. You freeze, unable to process at first, the words echoing in your mind, bouncing off the walls of your skull. Itâs a place that steals everything from you, even the will to remember who you were before. Your throat tightens, and for a moment, you canât breathe.
Vi⌠Vi was there?
The thought twists something deep inside you, like a sharp ache that spreads through your chest and down into your stomach. It felt impossible to imagine Viâyour Viâthere. The strong, fearless girl you grew up with, the one who fought for every scrap of life she could hold onto. The thought of her, trapped in that hellhole, stripped of the fire that had always burned in her⌠itâs unbearable.
âYou should⌠probably be talking to her about all of this.â
You freeze at Ekkoâs words, your heart pounding in your chest. The thought of speaking to her again, of standing face to face with her after all these years, makes your blood run cold. Your chest tightens, and suddenly, breathing feels like a chore.
âIâŚâ You try to speak, but the words get stuck in your throat.
What could you say to her? After all this time? The distance between you both feels impossibly wide now, like a canyon youâll never be able to cross. The thought of seeing her, of facing the reality of whatâs changed, of all the years that slipped through your fingersâit paralyzes you. You want to see her. You want to run to her and hold her, tell her everything youâve kept locked away for so long, but you canât shake the feeling that youâre not ready for that.
Your hands are shaking now, and you clutch at the edge of the table for support, your palms slick with sweat.
âI donât know if I can do that,â you say.
Your voice cracks under the weight of your own fear. The thought of facing Vi, of seeing her and realizing how much has changed, of feeling the space thatâs grown between you bothâit feels impossible.
Ekko watches you, his expression softening with understanding, but thereâs something else in his eyes, something unreadable.
âI get it,â he says quietly, taking a step closer to you, placing a hand on your shoulder. âYou donât have to rush into anything. I know youâve been carrying this around for a long time.â
But the truth is, you donât just carry the weight of all that time apartâyou carry the weight of your own fear. Fear that sheâll see you as a stranger. Fear that you wonât know how to talk to her anymore. Fear that everything that once felt so easy between you and Vi will have changed beyond recognition. The thought of her not loving you anymore, or of you not being able to love her the same way, makes your stomach churn.
You bite your lip, unable to finish the thought, as your mind races in a thousand different directions.
âDoes she know Iâm here?â
Ekkoâs gaze shifts, and for a moment, thereâs a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. He looks like heâs struggling with something, something he doesnât want to say, but he knows he has to. He shifts on his feet, a sigh escaping him as he scratches the back of his neck again, the tension in his posture telling you more than his words ever could.
âI⌠I told her youâre around,â Ekko finally says, his voice soft but weighed with caution. âNot here exactly, though. I wanted to warn you beforeâŚâ
Before everything changes.
But a knock at the door stills the air in the room. Itâs sharp, sudden, and it cuts through the heavy silence thatâs settled between you. You donât move at first and Ekko hesitates for a moment, then turns, just as the door creaks open.
And then, there she is.
You freeze, unable to breathe, unable to move as your eyes lock onto hers. Itâs like the whole world stops for a momentâyour heart, your thoughts, everything. Sheâs standing there, in the doorway, her eyes wide as they sweep over you. Itâs as if sheâs seeing you for the first time, like she canât quite believe youâre here. That youâre real.
Her gaze flickers across youâyour eyes, your face, the way youâve changed over the years. You can see the shock in her features, the way her breath catches for a split second before she can speak.
â(Y/n),â she whispers, her voice raw, as if the sound of your name in her mouth is a shock to her as much as it is to you.
Thereâs a long pause. Neither of you move, neither of you speak, as if neither of you knows how to start, what to say. Vi stands there, her eyes fixed on you, and you can see the wheels turning behind her expression. She doesnât look the same as the girl you once knew, but her eyesâthose blue eyesâare still the same, full of emotions you canât quite place.
Viâs eyes trail down your form, and you can see her struggling to hide the way her gaze softens as she takes in how youâve grown, how youâve changed. Youâre different nowâmore than just the girl she once knew in the Lanesâbut somehow, at the same time, youâre still the same person. The one who was always kind, always caring. The one who had a heart too big for the world they were in.
You watch as her eyes linger on you, not saying a word, just staring. A small breath escapes her lips, like sheâs struggling to hold back some emotion, some surge of feelings that are too heavy for her to put into words. She opens her mouth to speak, but then closes it again, like the words are stuck inside her.
âI, um⌠I have work to do, Ekko.â Your voice cracks, and you can feel the tears stinging at the back of your eyes.
You tear your gaze away from Vi, your heart pounding in your chest as if itâs trying to break free. The weight of everything, of all the lost time, of everything you thought you had buried, feels like itâs crashing down on you in waves.
You canât look at her anymore. Not like this. Not when everything in you is screaming to hold her, to ask her why she left, to beg her to stay. But you canât. Not yet. Not when the hurt is still so raw.
You turn quickly, brushing past Vi with a sharp movement, your steps frantic, but trying to remain composed. Your heart races in your chest as you feel the heat of her eyes on your back, but you donât look back. You canât. The moment you do, youâre afraid youâll break, and you canât afford to break now.
The door slams shut behind you, and you can hear the soft echo of your hurried footsteps fading as you walk away. You donât look up, donât let yourself feel the weight of the emptiness in the room, even though you know itâs all there.
But youâre not ready. Not yet.
Ekko watches the door for a moment, his gaze thoughtful and a little sad. He doesnât say anything, knowing that nothing he could say will ease the tension in the room.
Vi stands there, still frozen, her mind processing everything all at once. The way you walked out, the way you didnât look back, how quickly you shut yourself off. She swallows hard, as if trying to force her emotions to settle. But they donât. Theyâre all tangled up in her chest. She wants to go after you. She wants to explain.
â(Y/n)âŚâ Vi whispers the name, barely above a breath, as if saying it out loud will somehow make it real, bring back the girl she thought she had lost forever. âSheâs⌠grown.â
âWe all have.â
His eyes flicker to Vi, his expression unreadable. He takes a deep breath, trying to find the right words, but nothing feels quite right. He knows how this is going to landâknows itâs going to hurt, even though he wishes it didnât have to be this way.
âI think she saw you and Caitlyn,â he says quietly. âTogether, I mean.â
Viâs body stiffens at the mention of Caitlynâs name, her eyes snapping to Ekko in disbelief. The shock is instant, followed by a sharp pang of guilt that twists in her chest. Her mind races, trying to make sense of the situationâof the way you had looked at her, of how you had walked out without saying anything more, as if something between the two of you had shattered. And now this. She opens her mouth to speak, but the words get stuck, tangled in her throat.
Ekko slumps back in his chair, his fingers tapping restlessly against the worn surface of his desk. He doesnât know what to say to either of them. His gaze remains fixed on Vi, her posture still stiff, eyes distant.
âShe thinks youâre togetherâŚâ Ekko looks at Vi with curiosity. âAre you?â
Viâs heart stutters in her chest, and she looks away quickly, swallowing hard.
âNo,â she answers, almost too quickly. âNo, weâre not together.â
Her voice wavers slightly, the truth of her feelings suddenly coming to the surface, uninvited but undeniable. Caitlyn is kind and gentle, but itâs never been like that with her. She only met her this week. Vi doesnât know what it is, but itâs not loveânot like what sheâs felt, and still feels, for you.
The kiss was⌠a moment of comfort, of trying to hold onto something familiar in a world thatâs changed beyond recognition. It meant nothing. Or at least, it shouldnât have meant anything. But now, knowing that youâd seen it, knowing that it might hurt youâit stings. And it stings more than sheâs willing to admit.
Ekko watches her for a moment and sighs. He knows Vi well enough to see that flicker of something in her eyes, that far-off look, the hesitation thatâs always there when sheâs thinking about you.
âYou donât have to explain it to me,â he mutters, âBut you do need to talk to her.â
Vi nods slowly, her gaze flicking toward the door again.
âYeah,â she says quietly, almost as if to herself. âI know. I just⌠I donât know what to say. Itâs been so long, Ekko.â
Ekko exhales sharply, leaning back in his chair. âShe looked for you, you know. She hasnât stopped. And sheâs been alone for a long time too, Vi. She deserves to hear it.â
Vi doesnât respond. The words hit her harder than sheâs willing to admit. She knows Ekkoâs right, but the fear of rejection still clings to her like a shadow. Sheâs afraid of what will happen if she faces you, afraid of seeing that disappointment in your eyes, hearing the anger in your voice. Afraid that even if she tries, it wonât be enough.
She takes a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment settling in her chest.
âIâll go find her.â
The climb to the top of the tree feels longer than it should, but Vi knows sheâs stalling. Her hands grip the wooden edges tighter than they need to as she hauls herself up, each rung feeling like a step closer to a moment sheâs not sure sheâs ready for. Ekkoâs words still echo in her headâSheâs probably already up there, and needs the space, but⌠she deserves to hear from you.
And now, standing at the edge of the makeshift platform high above the Firelightsâ hideout, Vi spots you. Youâre sitting near the edge, your legs dangling over, one hand resting loosely on the ground for balance. The jukebox below hums softly, sending the faint notes of a melancholy tune drifting up through the cool night air. The lights of the community twinkle far beneath you, and the laughter and chatter of the people below seem like they belong to another world entirely.
Vi freezes for a moment, her breath catching in her throat. You havenât noticed her yet, and sheâs glad for it because it gives her time to take you in.
Itâs been years since sheâs seen you like thisâquiet, lost in your own world. Thereâs something familiar in the way you tilt your head as you gaze out at the lights below, something achingly reminiscent of the person she remembers from all those years ago. She canât help but wonder if youâre still the same in other ways, too. If you still laugh at dumb jokes, or hum to yourself when youâre deep in thought. If you still carry that kindness in your heart, despite everything the worldâs thrown at you.
But thereâs also something different, something that makes her chest ache. You look older. Wiser, maybe. More beautiful than she remembers, though she feels like thatâs impossible, because sheâs always thought you were the most beautiful thing sheâd ever seen.
God, youâre beautiful. The thought hits her so suddenly that it makes her chest ache. Itâs not just the way you look, though that alone would be enough to leave her speechless. Itâs everything about youâthe way you seem so untouchable and yet so heartbreakingly human all at once. She feels like a fool for standing here and staring, but for the life of her, she canât seem to look away.
And then thereâs the way the moonlight catches on your face, illuminating the faint shimmer of unshed tears in your eyes. Vi doesnât even need to see your expression to know what youâre feeling.
For a long moment, she just stands there, unsure of what to do or say. She wants to run to you, to pull you into her arms and tell you sheâs sorry, that sheâs here, that sheâs not going anywhere this time. But she knows itâs not that simple. Itâs never that simple.
Finally, she takes a hesitant step forward, her boots making a soft thud against the wooden planks. You stiffen slightly, your head turning just enough to catch her in your peripheral vision. You donât say anything, but the way your shoulders tense tells her youâve already guessed itâs her.
Vi hesitates again, her heart pounding in her chest as she moves to sit beside you. She doesnât get too close, leaving enough space between you that you wonât feel trapped, but close enough that she can see the way your fingers grip the edge of the platform like itâs the only thing keeping you grounded.
For a few seconds, the silence between you is unbearable. Vi glances at you from the corner of her eye, her mouth opening as if to speak, but the words donât come. Sheâs never been good at thisâtalking about feelings, finding the right thing to say.
But as she watches you, she knows she has to try.
âNice spot youâve got here,â she says, her voice softer than she intended. âItâs quiet⌠Beats the chaos down there.â
Itâs not much, and she knows it. She winces at how lame she sounds, but sheâs not sure she trusts herself to say anything more. Sheâs afraid if she does, itâll all come tumbling outâthe guilt, the regret, the years of wondering what couldâve been if she hadnât been taken, if sheâd fought harder, if sheâd found a way back sooner.
You donât respond right away, and she canât tell if itâs because youâre ignoring her or because you just donât know what to say either. She glances at you again, her eyes lingering on the curve of your jaw, the way your lashes cast faint shadows against your cheeks.
Youâre so close, but it feels like thereâs an entire world between you.
When you finally do speak, your voice is so soft, almost drowned out by the music drifting up from below. âItâs always been my place to think. To get away⌠I have Ekko to thank for it.â
Your words are simple, but they carry so much weight, and Vi feels the knot in her chest tighten. She wonders what youâve been thinking about up here all this time. If youâve been thinking about her. If youâve been wondering where sheâs been, what sheâs been doing, why she never came back.
âI can see why,â Vi says, trying to keep her tone light even though her heart is pounding. âItâs got a hell of a view.â
She means the lights, of course, the way they twinkle below like stars scattered across the ground. But as she says it, she realizes sheâs not looking at the lights at all. Sheâs looking at you.
You finally turn to look at her, and the look in your eyes nearly breaks her. Thereâs so much thereâpain, anger, sadnessâbut thereâs something else, too. Something softer. Something she doesnât think she deserves but hopes for anyway.
âI didnât think youâd come up here,â you say, your voice barely above a whisper.
Vi looks at you, her throat tight, and she wishes she had the courage to tell you the truth. That sheâs here because she couldnât stay away. That she misses you.
Instead, she just nods, her voice low and a little rough when she finally speaks. âI wasnât sure if youâd want me to.â
You look away again, your gaze returning to the lights below, and Vi knows she should say more, but sheâs afraid. Afraid of making things worse. Afraid of losing whatever small chance she might have left to fix things.
She looks at you softly, âHow have you been?â
You donât answer right away.
The silence lingers. Vi shifts slightly, her body aching to close the distance, to somehow make things right, but she doesnât move.
Then, itâs you who breaks the quiet after a short while, your voice soft and tentative, almost as if speaking too loudly might shatter the everything around you.
âItâs hard to think about you in prison,â you say, the words stumbling out of you before you can stop them.
Vi stiffens at the mention of it. Her chest tightens, as though sheâs been struck, but she doesnât look at you, doesnât dare.
âI know it mustâve been hard,â you continue, your gaze still locked on the flickering lights below. âBeing in there⌠for so long. I canât even imagine how it felt. It mustâve been⌠suffocating.â
Vi can hear the way you say it, that compassion in your voice that makes her want to crumble. Youâve always been so gentle, even when the world around you was anything but.
The memories are sharp, jagged shards of regret that pierce her chest whenever she lets herself think about it. The days in that cold, lonely cell feel like a lifetime ago, but the scarsâphysical and emotionalâare still fresh. The world had felt like a cruel, unyielding force back then. Every day in prison, every blow to her body, every quiet, restless night, had worn away the person she used to be. She couldnât even remember what it felt like to be carefree or loved.
âI was so⌠lost,â Vi mutters quietly, her voice rough from the weight of years. âI spent so long⌠thinking about all of you, of Powder⌠of the mistakes I made. If i had just⌠If I hadnât stepped away for one moment, maybe I wouldâve still been here⌠Here with PowderâŚ. Here with you.â
You glance at her then, just a flicker of movement, your eyes soft with something like pityâbut more than that, something else that Vi doesnât have the courage to name. She knows you see her now, not the image of the girl who left, but the one who came back. The one who is tryingâtrying, at leastânot to destroy everything around her with the weight of her mistakes.
Viâs voice breaks the silence again, this time with something raw in it, something almost painful. She shifts slightly, her hand twitching by her side, wanting to reach out but holding herself back.
âI couldnât stop thinking about you while I was in there,â she says quietly, her eyes searching your face for any sign of recognition. âThe thought of you⌠It helped get through most of my nights. I tried to dream of you... tried to imagine what you were doing, where you were⌠how youâve grown... how much prettier you probably got. I kept telling myself, âMaybe when I get out, maybe when I find a way out, Iâll find you again.ââ
She stops, her gaze falling to the ground between you both as if ashamed to even say it aloud, as if admitting the depth of her thoughts all these years will somehow make them real. But itâs there, the longing sheâs buried in the back of her mind, too painful to confront but too strong to ignore.
Vi continues, her voice quieter now, almost a whisper. âI wondered if you thought of me, if you looked for me. If you still cared⌠if I even mattered to you anymore.â
You stay silent as she speaks, your chest tight with something you canât explain. The words sting in a way youâre not prepared for, like a wound reopened, and yet thereâs something strangely soothing about them, too. The fact that Viâafter everything, after all this timeâhad thought of you⌠It almost doesnât seem real.
But you say nothing, your gaze fixed ahead, unable to meet her eyes. You wonder if itâs better this way. If silence is all you have left to offer her now. Maybe itâs easier to listen than to speak, to keep everything bottled up inside where it wonât spill over and make a mess of things.
Vi takes a deep breath, her eyes shifting between the two of you, silently asking for something, anything that might make her feel less alone in this moment. But you donât give her the answer sheâs hoping for.
For a long while, neither of you speaks. The wind brushes past you, making the leaves rustle in the trees around the hideout. Below is quiet, almost peaceful, and the sound of distant voices and music fades into the background.
Vi watches you carefully, her eyes searching for something in yours, but she doesnât push. She knows better than that. She knows that the years have changed you, just as much as theyâve changed her. She knows she canât expect you to just forget everything, to instantly trust her again. But she hopes, more than anything, that thereâs still something left between you both, something that could grow again.
âI saw you with her,â you say. âEkko said her name is Caitlyn.â
Viâs eyes widen at the mention of Caitlyn, her heart stopping for just a moment. The words seem to hang in the air between you both, heavy and charged. She opens her mouth to respond, but nothing comes out at first, as if the truth of its too much to swallow.
You feel her hesitation, the way she tenses, and it hits you in a way you werenât prepared for. It feels like a sharp, cold pang in your chest. Thereâs a rawness in your voice that you didnât even realize was there.
The way you say it feels like it cuts through the silence between you both. Vi looks at you then, eyes wide, searching, but she doesnât speak. She knows she owes you an answer, but what answer could she give you? How could she explain everything thatâs happened in the time between your separation and now?
After what feels like an eternity, Vi swallows hard, her throat tight. She looks away, her hands fidgeting at her sides.
âItâs not what you think,â she says softly, almost too quietly, the words coming out slow and hesitant. âI⌠I didnât want it. She was just⌠trying to comfort me.â
Viâs mind drifts back to Caitlyn, and she canât help but sigh. She thinks Caitlynâs a good personâfor someone from topside. Thereâs a softness to her, a kindness that reminds Vi of the people she used to know back when things were simpler, when she wasnât caught between the rubble of the Lanes and the ghosts of her past. But despite Caitlynâs goodness, Vi knows one thing, something deep in her heart that she canât escape: no one could ever be you.
No one could replace you. The girl she grew up with, the girl she used to dream about, the girl who haunted her thoughts long after she had fallen asleep. Viâs chest tightens at the thought. The kiss with Caitlyn, the one you sawâitâs nothing more than a hollow moment, something that never shouldâve happened. She wanted it to be you.
Vi shudders slightly. The kiss, the way Caitlynâs lips felt against hers, it was nothing like the memories of you. Nothing like the way your hand used to fit in hers, how your laugh could fill a room with warmth, how you made her feel like she was worth something. Caitlyn could never make her feel the same way you made me feel, could never replace the way you made her feel alive, like everything in her life had a purpose.
âI couldnâtâŚâ Vi murmurs to herself quietly. âI couldnât feel that for anyone except you.â
Her hand slowly reaches out, her fingers trembling ever so slightly as they brush against yours. Her touch is gentle, careful, despite the roughness of her calloused palms, worn from years of fighting, of surviving. She holds your hand like sheâs afraid youâll slip away, like if she lets go, youâll disappear, and sheâll be left with nothing but the echoes of a time she can never get back.
Your eyes instinctively shift to your hands, the same hands you once held as children. You remember how easy it was, how natural it felt when you were younger, sitting side by side in the dirt or on the roof of the Last Drop, fingers intertwined like nothing could ever pull you apart. Back then, it felt like the world was small, and nothing could hurt you as long as you were together.
But nowânow, everything has changed.
Her fingers curl around yours, and the warmth of her touch sends a wave of memories flooding backâsoft laughter, secret glances, the way her eyes would linger on you when she thought you werenât looking. You blink, trying to keep the rush of emotions in check, but itâs hard when every inch of you feels like itâs trembling.
Viâs eyes flicker to the ground below for a moment, her cheeks suddenly flushed, the soft red hue creeping up to her ears. It was that same familiar blush thatâd show during the times sheâd gift you a tiny present from those adventurous jobs she was in. Sheâs so close now, you can hear her breath hitch slightly as if sheâs gathering the courage to speak words that sheâs kept locked away for far too long.
âIâve always loved you, you know,â she said finally. âI never got the chance to tell youâŚâ
The words tumble from her mouth, quiet and unsteady, but every one of them feels like itâs been etched into her soul for years. She looks up at you, the faint redness still coloring her face as she holds your hand.
âIâd really like to make for the time I lost with you.â
The noise from the jukebox below, faint music playing through the speakers, the distant chatter of the Firelightsâit all fades away, drowned out by the thundering silence between you both. You stare at her, your heart racing, a million thoughts running through your mind, but none of them can fully process the weight of what sheâs just said. You feel the tears burn at the back of your eyes, but you refuse to let them fall. You just stare at herâreally look at herâlike you havenât in years.
Viâs ears are bright red now, her gaze flicking away nervously. Sheâs never been good with things like this, always hiding behind her strength, her toughness.
And now, itâs all laid out in front of you.
Sheâs always loved you.
You swallow hard, your hand squeezing hers as you finally manage to find your voice, even though it feels as if itâs been taken from you for so long. Youâre not sure if you want to speak, if youâre ready to speak, but it doesnât matter.
A single tear slips down your cheek, catching in the moonlight that spills across the roof. You huff, your breath shaky, and quickly turn your head, trying to wipe it away before Vi can see.
But youâre not quick enough.
Viâs blue eyes are already on you, her gaze soft, understanding, and something deeper, something tender that makes your heart ache even more. She doesnât say anything at first, just watches you quietly, her thumb gently brushing over your knuckles as she holds your hand tighter.
The silence stretches between the two of you, but it doesnât feel heavy. It feels like the beginning of something, something you both need but are too afraid to admit.
âYouâre such an idiot,â you murmur, your voice unsteady as you try to hide the way your chest tightens.
You shake your head, still unable to fully meet her gaze, the words leaving your mouth before you can stop them. The sting of the tear on your cheek fades as you try to swallow down the lump in your throat, but itâs useless.
Viâs lips twitch, just a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Sheâs always known how to make you smile, even when everything else around you seemed to be falling apart. Now, itâs the same thing. Sheâs still that person who knows how to make your heart feel lighter, even in times like this.
âI know.â
Her voice is soft, almost teasing, but thereâs no mockery in it, only the acceptance of your wordsâbecause sheâs heard them before. Sheâs known, deep down, that you always thought she was an idiot, that she was reckless, that she made mistakes.
But none of that mattered.
Sheâs always loved you. And youâve always known it, even if you didnât want to admit it at first.
She scoots closer to you, the space between you shrinking as she leans in, her body warm against yours. You can feel the weight of her presence beside you, the soft strength that always made you feel safe. Her hand tightens around yours, pulling it into her lap, and you let out a shaky breath, closing your eyes as if you canât bear to look at her yet.
But her touch reminds you of who you were before everything fell apart, before the years, the distance, and the pain.
âI know,â she repeats softly, her smile growing. She brings your hand up to her lips, softly pressing a gentle kiss on your knuckles, the red still staining her ears as she nudges you with her shoulder.
âBut Iâm your idiot.â
And you want to laugh, want to smile and tease her like you used to, but instead, you just sit there. Just breathe.
Vi is here. Sheâs real. And sheâs never stopped loving you.
And maybeâjust maybeâyouâre ready to love her back the way sheâs always wanted you to.
ty for reading! | masterlist
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¤yandere monster harem
pairings. various m! yandere monsters x gn! reader
warnings. yandere themes, toxic obsession, 18+ dark themes
a/n. i love my sillies!!
wc. 6.1k
imagine a dark, mystical forest where you're the lone human, fated to cross paths with a group of terrifying yet obsessively devoted monsters.
each of them is unique in their appearance and abilities, but they all share one thing: an unrelenting desire to make you theirs, no matter the cost.
the werewolf
a hulking figure with sharp claws, wild amber eyes, and a low growl that vibrates through your very bones. he encountered you when you wandered too close to his den during a full moon. despite his primal instincts, he resisted harming you, instead captivated by your braveryâor foolishness.
he tracks your scent everywhere you go. if you so much as step outside, heâs already following from the shadows, ensuring your safety (and warding off anyone who dares to come near).
he marks your belongings with his scent and doesnât hesitate to bare his teeth at anyone he deems a threat. youâre his mate, and heâll challenge anyone who thinks otherwise.
though rough and wild, he becomes uncharacteristically gentle when he sees you hurt or scared, licking your wounds and curling protectively around you.
the werewolf is a wild, untamed force of nature, his obsession with you rooted in instincts so primal he can't suppress them even if he tried.
he watches you from the shadows, always nearby but rarely letting himself be seen at first. your scent drives him to madnessâearthy, warm, uniquely you. it's comforting and addictive, and he can't get enough. he's stolen pieces of your life to keep close: a scarf left behind, a mug you drank from, anything that holds your essence.
his possessiveness is terrifying. he won't let anyone else near you if he can help it. if someone gets too close, he intervenes, his voice low and threatening, his golden eyes burning with barely concealed rage. no one dares challenge him; there's something in the way he moves, the way he looms, that screams danger.
he doesn't understand human boundaries. if you're speaking to someone too long, he'll step in, claiming he needs to talk to you or finding some excuse to drag you away. if you protest, he'll growlânot at you, never at youâbut in frustration. you're his; why can't everyone else see that?
but with you, he's soft. gentle. when he's sure you're not afraid of him, he'll let you closer, let you see the man beneath the beast. his touch is careful, almost reverent, as if he's afraid he'll break you. when you're upset, he wraps himself around you, his warmth and presence enough to shield you from the world.
his affection shows in small ways. he brings you gifts from the forest: flowers, feathers, shiny rocks he thought you'd like. he watches your reaction closely, his heart swelling with pride when you smile. if you ever thank him, he becomes almost shy, looking away with a faint blush creeping up his neck.
jealousy is his constant battle. if he sees someone making you laugh or smile, his claws dig into his palms. he won't confront you about it, but the person who caused his jealousy might find themselves on the receiving end of his wrath later.
at night, he lingers near your home. the thought of you alone, unprotected, drives him crazy. he paces, his instincts screaming at him to stay close. sometimes, he leaves small signs that he's thereâa paw print in the dirt, a tuft of fur snagged on a branchâas if he wants you to know he's watching over you.
his biggest fear is your rejection. he knows he's more beast than man, and the thought of you being afraid of him keeps him awake at night. if you ever flinch or pull away, it shatters him, and he'll retreat, his golden eyes filled with pain. but he always comes back, unable to stay away, his obsession too strong to overcome.
you are his anchor, his reason for fighting the beast within. he doesn't care what it takes; he'll keep you safe, even if it means keeping you all to himself. his love is overwhelming, suffocating, but he doesn't see it that way. to him, it's devotionâpure, unbreakable, eternal.
his growl rumbled low as kael draegon stepped from the shadows, his golden eyes fixed on you with that same wild, desperate intensity.
"don't be afraid," kael draegon whispered, his voice rough but steady as he offered you his hand. the cold breeze tugged at his hair as he stood beside you, his voice soft as he murmured, "you're safe now, with me."
kael draegon always seemed to appear just when you needed him, his presence both calming and terrifying. his hand lingered on your shoulder for just a moment before kael draegon pulled back, his voice almost apologetic. "old instincts, i'm sorry."
the vampire
elegant and poised, with glowing crimson eyes and a voice like silk, the vampire first saw you in the dead of night. he was drawn to the purity of your blood but became enthralled by the purity of your soul instead.
his pale, marble-like skin seems to glow faintly in the moonlight, untouched by time or imperfection. his crimson eyes burn with a smouldering intensity, framed by thick lashes that only add to his magnetic gaze.
his raven-black hair falls in soft, silky waves around his sharp cheekbones, perfectly complementing his aristocratic features. his tall, slender frame moves with a predatory grace, and his voice���smooth as velvetâwraps around you like a dark lullaby.
he loves to watch you sleep, marvelling at your vulnerability. Heâll slip into your room at night, not to harm you, but to leave giftsâa rose, a letter, or even a piece of jewellery from an unknown era.
the vampire despises anyone who captures your attention. Friends, family, or even strangersâtheyâre nothing but distractions. He may use his hypnotic gaze to erase their presence from your life.
he gets flustered when you show him kindness, like bandaging a wound he sustained in your defence. he tries to hide his blush, but his pale complexion betrays him.
the vampire is as elegant as he is dangerous, his presence suffocating yet alluring, like the pull of a siren's song on a lonely traveler at sea. his crimson eyes gleam in the dark, reflecting centuries of wisdom and hunger, but when he looks at you, theyâre soft, desperate, and entirely devoted. youâre his obsession, his muse, his reason to exist in a world that has grown cold and lonely with age.
he first saw you during one of his midnight wanderings, his attention drawn by your scent, a sweet, intoxicating mix of vulnerability and warmth. you were an easy target at firstâa stranger out on a walk, unassuming, untouched by the weight of the supernatural world. but then he watched you, from the shadows, and the hunger in him shifted. you werenât just food, not in the way he expected. you were you.
his obsession grew quickly, a slow, crawling thing that nestled in his bones. he has a habit of appearing when you least expect it: slipping through your window as you sleep, standing at the end of a dark alley when youâre walking home, always close but never intrusive enough to harm you. he studies you with endless fascination, watching how you move, how you smile, how you react to the smallest moments of life. you are his everything.
he is a master manipulator, charming and patient, with a voice like silk and words that dance between honeyed promises and half-truths. he always knows just what to say, always seems to be exactly where you are, making sure you feel safe.
but beneath the charm is something ancient, something sharpâa predator who has learned how to play the long game to get what he wants. you are his, and he has all the time in the world to make sure you know it.
his jealousy is sharp and swift. the moment another person shows even the slightest interest in you, his eyes narrow, his smile turns colder. it doesnât take much for him to make his presence known, weaving himself into your life, into your conversations, until the other person is left with nothing but fear or confusion. you are his, and heâll ensure that no one else tries to stake their claim.
he doesnât simply show his obsession through manipulation. he is far more intimate, far more human in the moments where he can let his guard down. heâll leave you giftsâroses with petals as red as blood, antique trinkets from his many years of wandering, or old letters written in his perfect, flowing script.
he tries to convey his feelings subtly, his words wrapped in metaphors and promises, but they always come from the deepest part of his heart.
heâs possessive in the way only a centuries-old predator can be. he touches you often, with a hand to your cheek, brushing a stray strand of hair from your face, or lightly grazing your hand as if you might slip away at any moment.
he isnât violent, not by nature, but his love is all-encompassing, wrapping itself around you like a snake squeezing its prey. you belong to him in every way, and he has no intention of letting you slip out of his grasp.
his dark powers allow him to watch you from afar, slipping into your dreams, invading the quiet moments of your subconscious. youâll wake with his voice lingering in your mind, his whispers promises of eternity, of a life spent with him, of safety, beauty, and endless nights. he wants you to rely on him, to lean into his presence, to crave his touch, until you canât imagine your life without him.
when you show kindness or affection toward him, his calm, elegant mask slips. his eyes soften, his voice trembles slightly, and he finds himself speechless.
heâs terrified of showing too much, of letting you see the raw hunger that lies beneath his smooth exterior, but he canât stop himself. your smile, your laughter, it means everything to him, more than centuries of darkness and isolation ever could.
he would give you everything. his life, his immortality, his heart. but he struggles with the weight of his own natureâthe bloodlust that lies just beneath his perfect, pale skin. heâs not just obsessed with you out of a need to control or dominate; he truly cares. he wants you safe, protected, happy. but his fear of losing you makes him cruel, calculating, and relentless.
you are his forever, and he has no intention of sharing you with anyone else, not with the world, not with time, not with destiny itself. his love is suffocating, but it is eternal, and as much as it terrifies him, he knows youâll never escape his grasp. heâll make sure of it.
his voice was like silk as dorian vale leaned against the window frame, his crimson eyes glinting in the moonlight
"you shouldn't be out here alone," dorian vale said smoothly, stepping closer, his voice as soft as a whisper. dorian valeâs gaze was piercing, unyielding, and you could feel every moment of his attention as he looked at you
he handed you a single red rose, his pale fingers delicate as he said, "for you, my dear.
his presence lingered, and you could feel dorian valeâs words in your bones as he whispered, "you were always meant to be mine."
the ghost
a shadowy figure with hollow eyes that glow faintly in the dark, the ghost is a tragic soul who found solace in your warmth. his attachment to you began when you unknowingly lingered in the house he haunts, speaking softly to the empty air as if sensing his presence.
alaricâs form is translucent, a faint, glowing silhouette that shifts and flickers like mist. his features are soft and hauntingly beautiful, with a melancholy that clings to him like a shadow.
his once-vivid eyes are now pale, like the reflection of a full moon in still water, and his long hair drifts around him as if caught in a gentle breeze. though incorporeal, he retains the faint shape of his elegant hands and tall, lean frame, an echo of the man he once was.
his presence feels like a cool touch on your skin, a constant, bittersweet reminder of his undying devotion.
he manipulates the environment to keep you closeâdoors creak shut when you try to leave, and objects mysteriously disappear, only to reappear where he wants you to stay.
if anyone hurts you, the ghost unleashes his wrath. lights flicker, temperatures drop, and your assailants are haunted until theyâre too terrified to approach you again.
heâs deeply moved when you acknowledge him, even if itâs just a whisper to the air. your willingness to accept him, despite his incorporeal nature, solidifies his eternal devotion.
the ghost is a tragic, ethereal figure, bound to you by a love that death itself couldnât sever. his form is translucent, shimmering faintly in the moonlight, and though he may no longer have a heartbeat, his emotions are as raw and overwhelming as they were in life. he exists in the liminal space between the living and the dead, obsessed with you in a way that is both haunting and heartbreakingly tender.
he doesnât remember how or when it startedâonly that one day, he found himself drawn to you, unable to leave your side. whether it was your voice, your laughter, or the way you brought life to even the smallest, most mundane moments, you became his light in the suffocating darkness of his afterlife. he watches you from the corners of rooms, a faint chill in the air marking his presence, his spectral form always lingering just out of reach.
his love is quiet, but all-consuming. he whispers your name into the night when you sleep, his voice carried on the softest breeze. he rearranges small things in your home to make his presence known: a book left open to a meaningful passage, a flower you swore wasnât there before resting on your windowsill. at first, itâs subtleâgentle signs that youâre never truly aloneâbut as his obsession deepens, the signs become harder to ignore.
jealousy eats away at him when others capture your attention. he canât bear the thought of you being close to anyone else, of you laughing or smiling with someone who isnât him. when youâre out, he follows you like a shadow, unseen but ever-present, and if someone gets too close, the air turns cold, the lights flicker, and an unshakable unease settles over them until they leave.
he craves your touch, but his incorporeal form makes it impossible. this frustrates him endlessly, and he spends nights lingering near you, reaching out as if he could somehow feel the warmth of your skin, the beat of your heart. his desperation leads him to try anything to bridge the gap between life and death, no matter the cost.
despite his possessiveness, heâs deeply protective. he uses his abilities to shield you from harm, warding off danger with an almost primal ferocity. if someone threatens you, theyâll find themselves plagued by unexplainable misfortunesâobjects falling, shadows moving, and an unrelenting sense of being watched. he doesnât harm them directly, but his presence is enough to terrify even the boldest.
when he speaks to you, itâs with a voice like the echo of a forgotten melody, soft and tinged with sorrow. he tells you things you shouldnât knowâsecrets from your past, glimpses of your future, things only someone whoâs been watching you so intimately could know. he wants you to feel his devotion, his undying love, even if it frightens you.
thereâs a tragic loneliness to him. he knows he can never truly be with you, not in the way he desires, and this realization drives him to the edge of despair. his love is obsessive, yes, but itâs also painfully pureâan eternal yearning for a connection he can never fully have.
if you acknowledge him, his devotion only deepens. the smallest smile, a whispered âthank youâ into the empty room, is enough to make his entire existence worthwhile. he clings to these moments, replaying them endlessly in his mind, as they are his only solace in an eternity of longing.
he follows you everywhere, unseen but ever-present, his translucent form flickering in the corner of your eye or casting a fleeting shadow against the wall. at first, his presence is subtle, almost unnoticeable: the faint creak of floorboards when no one else is home, a cold breeze brushing against your skin, the lingering feeling that someone is watching you. but as his obsession deepens, his presence grows stronger, more impossible to ignore.
he learns everything about you. the way you hum absentmindedly when youâre focused, the scent of your favorite tea, the books you read late into the night. he listens to the sound of your heartbeat as you sleep, a steady rhythm that lulls him into a state of peace he hasnât felt since he was alive. he treasures these moments, hoarding every detail about you like precious relics of a life he can never fully be part of.
his jealousy is a storm that rages within him. when others come into your life, his calm demeanor shatters. he canât bear the thought of you sharing your smiles, your laughter, or your attention with anyone else. the air around you grows colder when someone he deems a threat is near, and they often find themselves inexplicably uneasy in your presence. lights flicker, objects fall, and whispers echo in the corners of the room, driving them away with a fear they canât explain.
but with you, he is soft, almost fragile. he speaks to you in whispers, his voice carrying the faint echo of a forgotten melody, full of longing and sorrow. "donât be afraid," he murmurs into the quiet of the night. "iâll always protect you." his words are laced with an aching devotion, a promise to guard you from harm, even if you donât fully understand where the comfort is coming from.
he leaves you gifts, though he has no tangible hands to place them. a single white flower on your windowsill that wasnât there the night before, an old, weathered book that appeared on your desk, or a faint message written in the condensation on your mirror. theyâre tokens of his affection, his way of reminding you that youâre not alone, even when he canât be seen.
despite his protectiveness, heâs painfully aware of his limitations. his incorporeal form frustrates him to no endâhe longs to touch you, to hold you, to feel the warmth of your hand in his, but the barrier between life and death is unyielding. he spends countless hours watching you, reaching out with ghostly fingers that pass through you, yearning for a connection he can never truly have.
heâs haunted by the memory of what it felt like to be alive, to love and be loved in return. his obsession with you is his only solace in a world of emptiness, but it also drives him to desperation. he begins searching for ways to bridge the gap between your worlds, delving into the supernatural, seeking answers, rituals, or bargains that might bring him closer to you.
when you acknowledge him, even in the smallest ways, itâs everything to him. a whispered âthank youâ when you notice the flower he left, a hesitant glance toward the flickering light he causedâit fills him with a joy so profound it nearly breaks him. he clings to these moments, replaying them endlessly in his mind, as they are the only proof that he still exists to you.
his love is all-consuming, a desperate and eternal yearning that leaves no room for anything else. he doesnât just want to protect you; he wants to be with you, to share in your life, to have a place in your heart. he knows his love is overwhelming, even suffocating, but he canât stop. youâre his reason for lingering in this world, the one thing that makes his cursed existence bearable.
in his more vulnerable moments, he confesses his feelings, his voice trembling with a sorrow that spans lifetimes. "iâm sorry," he whispers, his spectral form flickering like a dying flame. "i didnât mean for this to happen. but i canât let go. i wonât." his words are both a plea and a promise, a declaration of a love that will haunt you forever.
his devotion is eternal, unyielding, and consuming. he doesnât see his obsession as wrong; to him, itâs the purest form of love, a connection that transcends life and death. and though his presence may sometimes frighten you, you canât deny the strange comfort it brings, the knowledge that someoneâsomethingâis always watching over you. he is yours, now and forever, and nothing, not even death, will change that.
you are his reason for lingering in this world, his obsession, his eternity.
alaric drifts soundlessly through the walls, his form a faint shimmer of light that barely disturbs the air
"you called for me," he whispers, his voice like the rustle of leaves on a quiet night. he hovers just out of reach, his longing evident in the way he watches you with those hollow, mournful eyes
every creak of the floorboards, every cool breeze brushing your skinâitâs alaric, a constant, invisible guardian, desperate for you to feel his presence.
the demon
with horns curling from his head, molten eyes, and a smirk that could tempt even the purest soul, the demon is as charming as he is dangerous. he first appeared to you when you were at your lowest, offering power and protectionâbut only if you stayed by his side.
azrael is striking in his infernal elegance, his beauty sharp and dangerous like a blade. his obsidian horns curl menacingly from his head, gleaming faintly in the firelight, and his jet-black hair is cropped just enough to frame his angular face.
his glowing amber eyes burn with an intensity thatâs both mesmerizing and terrifying, framed by dark lashes that soften their predatory edge. his physique is perfectly sculpted, with broad shoulders and sinewy muscle wrapped in dark tattoos that pulse faintly with infernal energy.
a long, spaded tail flicks behind him, a subtle testament to his demonic nature, while his sharp, claw-like fingers could destroyâor cradle.
he infiltrates your dreams, filling them with his voice and his image so that you can never forget him. no matter how far you try to run, heâs always there, whispering promises of eternal love.
the demon doesnât share. heâll make deals or threats to ensure no one else dares approach you. his flames flare dangerously when he senses competition.
when you challenge his overbearing nature, heâs secretly thrilled. Your fiery defiance makes him want you even more. but when you show fear or sadness, heâs quick to reassure you with surprising tenderness.
the demon is a dangerous enigma, a being forged in fire and darkness who is utterly captivated by you. his obsession burns hotter than the flames of his infernal home, an all-consuming desire that transcends mortal understanding.
heâs not a creature of softness or restraintâhis love is raw, primal, and possessive, and he would raze the world to ash if it meant keeping you by his side.
he first noticed you in a moment of vulnerability, a flicker of something pure and radiant that pierced through his otherwise unrelenting darkness. maybe it was your kindness, your resilience, or even your imperfectionsâwhatever it was, it stirred something in him he hadnât felt in centuries.
for a demon who thrives on power and domination, this feeling was alien, unsettling, and exhilarating.
at first, he tried to ignore it. love, after all, is a weaknessâa chain that binds. but the more he watched you, the deeper he sank. you consumed his thoughts, invaded his dreams, and stirred emotions he didnât even know he was capable of. the line between fascination and obsession blurred, and before long, you became the center of his world, his greatest desire and his ultimate possession.
his presence is overwhelming, even when he isnât visible. the air grows heavy when heâs near, crackling with an unnatural energy that makes your skin tingle. shadows twist and writhe in the corners of your vision, and faint whispers echo in your mind, promises of devotion spoken in a voice as smooth as velvet.
heâs not above manipulating your emotions to keep you close. he knows exactly how to twist words, how to play on your fears and insecurities, all while making it seem like heâs your only sanctuary. "no one will love you the way i do," he purrs, his voice a blend of seduction and menace. "no one will protect you like i can."
jealousy consumes him with a ferocity that borders on madness. he doesnât tolerate anyone vying for your attention or affection. if someone dares to come too close, they often meet with mysterious misfortunesâcar accidents, sudden illnesses, or even inexplicable disappearances. he doesnât see these acts as cruel; in his mind, heâs simply ensuring that no one can take you from him.
despite his darkness, his love for you is genuine in its own twisted way. heâs incapable of expressing it in soft or traditional ways, but his devotion is absolute.
he treasures every interaction with you, every fleeting smile, every word you speak to him. he hoards these moments like a dragon hoards gold, replaying them endlessly in his mind.
heâs endlessly fascinated by your humanityâthe way your emotions shift like the tides, the fragility of your body, the warmth of your skin. he often marvels at how delicate you are compared to him, a creature of immense power and near-immortality. this contrast only deepens his obsession; youâre a treasure, a rare and precious thing in a world of chaos and darkness.
when he does reveal himself to you, itâs always dramatic and intentional. he thrives on your reactions, whether itâs fear, awe, or even anger. heâll step out from the shadows, his horns catching the dim light, his dark eyes glowing with an otherworldly intensity. "you belong to me," heâll say, his voice leaving no room for argument. itâs not a question, not a pleaâitâs a declaration, an unshakable truth in his mind.
he uses his demonic powers to bind himself to you in ways both subtle and overt. you might find strange symbols etched into the corners of your room, or feel an inexplicable pull toward him that you canât resist. heâs always there, in your dreams, in your thoughts, in the very fabric of your reality.
but for all his power and confidence, thereâs a vulnerability beneath his fiery exterior. heâs terrified of losing you, of you rejecting him or finding someone else.
itâs a fear he doesnât understand, one that gnaws at him and drives him to even greater extremes. heâll do anything to keep you, even if it means breaking every rule, defying the laws of heaven and hell, and binding your soul to his for eternity.
in his own way, he tries to be gentle with you. he knows his nature frightens you, that his obsession can be overwhelming, so he tempers his intensityâat least, as much as a demon is capable of. heâll appear to you in dreams, his voice soft, his touch feather-light, weaving fantasies of a life where youâre his and his alone.
but make no mistakeâhis love is as dangerous as it is consuming. he doesnât see you as a partner, but as something to be claimed, protected, and possessed. youâre his light in the darkness, his one weakness, and he would destroy anyoneâor anythingâthat threatens to take you from him.
"iâll burn this world to the ground for you," he tells you, his voice a low growl, his eyes glowing with an intensity thatâs equal parts terrifying and mesmerizing. "just say the word."
to him, youâre not just his obsessionâyouâre his salvation, the one thing that makes his existence bearable. his love is eternal, fierce, and utterly inescapable, binding you to him in ways you might never fully understand. you are his everything, and he will stop at nothing to make sure you remain his. forever.
azrael appears in a flicker of shadows and embers, his smirk sharp enough to cut
"did you miss me?" he purrs, his voice dripping with sinful charm. his burning gaze never leaves yours, an intensity that feels like it could consume your very soul
when he steps closer, the scent of smoke and spice fills the air, and the room grows impossibly warm
"you canât escape me, little one," he murmurs, his words a promise and a threat all at once.
the sea monster
a towering creature with scales that shimmer in the moonlight and eyes as deep as the ocean, the sea monster saved you from drowning during a storm. since then, heâs watched you from the waterâs edge, longing to pull you into his world.
his body a perfect blend of human and sea creature. his skin shimmers with an iridescent sheen, scales glinting faintly with hues of green, blue, and silver that shift like sunlight on water. his long, flowing hair resembles seaweed, dark and sleek, cascading down his back in waves.
his eyes glow faintly, like bioluminescent creatures of the deep, their piercing intensity revealing his ancient power. his hands are webbed and tipped with sharp, claw-like nails, and his muscular frame is marked with jagged scars from battles in the oceanâs depths. his lower half bears fins that ripple with movement, giving him a grace that belies his massive size.
he collects things youâve touchedâseashells, pieces of cloth, even footprints in the sand. his underwater lair is filled with these treasures, each arranged like a shrine.
he hates when you leave the shore. If you venture too far inland, heâll create storms or tidal waves to draw you back to him.
he becomes surprisingly bashful when you willingly approach the water to speak to him. your trust in him, despite his monstrous appearance, makes his heart swell.
the sea monster is an ancient being, born of the oceanâs depths, where sunlight never reaches. his obsession with you is as vast and unfathomable as the waters he calls homeâa love born of isolation, mystery, and an insatiable hunger for connection. to him, you are his beacon, a rare and precious light in the endless darkness of his world, and he is utterly captivated by you.
his first encounter with you was serendipitousâa chance meeting by the shore, or perhaps a daring moment when you ventured too close to the waterâs edge. he saw you, a fragile creature of the land, and was instantly enthralled.
your movements, your laughter, even the way the sunlight caught in your hairâall of it was alien and beautiful to him. from that moment, you became his fixation, his reason to rise from the depths.
he watches you from the water, his massive form concealed beneath the waves, his glowing eyes ever watchful. at first, his presence is subtleâthe gentle lapping of waves against the shore, the inexplicable pull of the tide whenever youâre near.
but as his obsession deepens, his signs become harder to ignore. strange treasures wash ashore: seashells, polished stones, and other trinkets that seem too deliberately placed to be coincidences.
he is a creature of contradictions. his love for you is as tender as it is overwhelming, and while he longs to be near you, heâs painfully aware of his monstrous appearance. his body is a fusion of scales, fins, and sinewy muscle, a form designed to survive in the crushing pressure of the deep sea. he fears your rejection, that you will see him as a monster rather than the devoted being he has become.
despite this, he canât help but draw closer. when you venture into the water, heâs there, just beneath the surface, his presence a dark shadow that follows you. he revels in these moments, the closeness, the illusion that heâs part of your world. the saltwater clings to your skin, and it drives him mad with desireâitâs as though the ocean itself is marking you as his.
his jealousy is as fierce as a storm at sea. anyone who dares to draw too near to you risks his wrath. fishermen speak of sudden squalls that rise from nowhere, boats overturned by unseen forces, and sailors vanishing into the depths. he doesnât see it as cruelty; to him, itâs protection. the ocean is his domain, and no one else has the right to take what belongs to him.
he dreams of pulling you into his world, of making you his in every way. the thought of you joining him beneath the waves consumes him, and he begins to weave fantasies of a life together in the depthsâa palace of coral and bioluminescent light, where you would be his queen, his eternal companion.
but he knows itâs impossible, and this knowledge torments him. he canât survive on land for long, and you canât live beneath the water. this barrier between your worlds drives him to desperation. he begins seeking forbidden rituals and ancient magic, anything that might allow him to bridge the gap and bring you into his realmâor transform himself into something that can walk beside you on the shore.
when he speaks, his voice is a low, resonant rumble, like the distant crash of waves on a rocky shore. his words are filled with longing and reverence, a declaration of a love that spans the vastness of the ocean. "you are my light," he murmurs, his glowing eyes fixed on you. "without you, i am nothing but the endless dark."
his love is consuming, a tidal wave that sweeps away everything in its path. he doesnât understand restraint or boundaries; to him, love is absolute, and his devotion to you is all-encompassing. he sees your hesitations, your fears, but he canât stop himself. you are the first thing in centuries to stir his cold, ancient heart, and he will not let you go.
when you acknowledge his presence, even in the smallest waysâa whispered word to the sea, a touch to one of the treasures heâs left for youâhis heart swells with a joy so profound itâs almost painful. he clings to these moments, replaying them in his mind during the long hours when heâs alone in the depths, waiting for the chance to see you again.
his protectiveness is as fierce as his love. the ocean itself seems to bend to his will, rising to shield you from harm. storms part in your wake, currents carry you safely to shore, and even the most fearsome predators of the deep seem to bow before you. you are his everything, and he will guard you with a ferocity that defies nature itself.
but thereâs a darkness to his love, a possessiveness that borders on madness. he doesnât just want you to love him; he wants you to need him, to see him as the only one who can protect and cherish you. "the land will never understand you as i do," he tells you, his voice a low growl, the waves crashing behind him. "they will never love you as i do."
his obsession is eternal, as deep and unyielding as the ocean itself. you are his heart, his treasure, his reason for rising to the surface. and though his love may be overwhelming, even frightening, thereâs a strange beauty in itâa devotion so pure and unshakable that it defies the boundaries of worlds. you are his, now and always, and he will never let the tide carry you away.
mio watches from the waves, his body a dark silhouette against the moonlit water. when you finally meet his gaze, he speaks your name like itâs a prayer, his voice low and reverent
"you donât belong to the land," he says, his tone both pleading and possessive. "the ocean calls to you. i call to you.
his fingers trail through the water, creating ripples that mirror the emotions surging in his chestâdesire, devotion, and an unshakable determination to make you his.
while each monster is fiercely possessive, they begrudgingly tolerate each otherâs presence because they all agree on one thing: your happiness comes first.
youâre not just a human to themâyouâre their everything. whether you accept their twisted love or try to escape, one thing is certain: theyâll never let you go. youâve awakened something primal and eternal in their hearts, and no force on earth or beyond could sever the bonds theyâve forged with you.
#yandere x reader#yandere oc x reader#yandere monster#yandere monster x reader#monster x reader#vampire x reader#werewolf x reader#ghost x reader#demon x reader#sea monster x reader
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And if "just ignore them and write it anyway" doesn't overcome the anxiety, here's alternate advice:
Remember that these are opinions, and it is perfectly reasonable to consider others' opinions, but if you ask enough people, there WILL be mutually exclusive opinions out there. You CANNOT please everyone, as in it is literally physically not possible, you have slightly higher odds of your molecules lining up exactly the right way to jump through a solid wall. There is not a single decision you can ever make that will avoid the chance of someone not liking it; if enough people see your work, someone WILL have an issue with something, which means you don't have to worry about "what if". Might someone misunderstand? Might someone find it annoying or boring or upsetting? Immutably, yes; if the answer is ever no it just means not enough people have seen it yet. So stop trying to do the impossible!
And once you've got that part, think about what you can control. Look at the opinions you're worried about and actually break them down. Why does dirtysocks574774757 hate that trope?
If it's "overdone", is that actually a problem? Is it popular because many people enjoy it? Is it a little cliche, but something you personally enjoy seeing in other words even knowing that it is? Or if the problem with "overdone" is that it's overshadowing other good options, does anything else appeal to you? Is there a way you can add a unique twist to the trope, keeping what you like while also making it stand out and having all the more fun with it?
If it's "unrealistic", are you trying to be realistic? Is this an escapist fantasy or personal venting where making things better/cooler/gritter/edgier/whatever than real life is part of the point? Is pushing this idea harmful, and if so, what about it is the problem? Is there a way to address that part without avoiding everything even slightly adjacent to the trope with a 40 foot pole?
Remember that no one's opinion is objective law. Even if something is overdone to a point of becoming a stereotype, as long as that stereotype isn't spreading harmful misinformation or actively shitting on people, it doesn't mean you have to avoid anything that even might look close as much as possible at all costs, it means be careful.
Ex: Your gay character can be flamboyant, I promise; the problem isn't camp gays existing, it's when the one (1) gay character or couple in a series is always Like That and little if anything else. So just don't do that part! Remember context, too. It's very different having a whole group who all act a certain way vs a group where only one/some do, ya know? I know this post was more about pet peeves and stuff but I'm saying, if even stuff that can be genuinely bad doesn't have to always be, then you also definitely shouldn't be stressing harmless fun tropes.
Above all else: remember it's better to do something right than to do nothing wrong. There is no amount of effort you could put in to make your work appeal to everyone, but the closer you get to making it tolerable to everyone (still impossible to achieve fully), the less likely you are to appeal to much of anyone. So don't worry yourself to death (or worse, to a point of never making anything) avoiding everything that might be offputting. Instead, when you find yourself worried about a potential issue, examine it, weigh your options, and make a conscious choice about if you want to keep, alter, or scrap it. As long as you're being mindful about your decisions rather than just throwing things in with no regard, you should be FINE.
People relate to messy complex characters, and what one person finds "unrealistic" could just be a thing they don't get, but that makes someone else feel incredibly seen and validated. People like stupid indulgent fantasies! And if you need proof people will actively seek out and enjoy reading the same shit over and over, look no farther than "Coffee Shop AU" or "Only One Bed".
In the end, there's little more powerful than passion from a creator. Write what you like, write what you'd want to read, make the points you want to make. There will always be people who just don't like the things you like, and no amount of trying to water yourself down for them will make them anything more than tolerant. So write for you and the people who do like what you like, and put your whole body into it. Someone will always hate it and someone will always enjoy it, and the more you write something you enjoy, the more likely it is that the people who do like it will really, really like it. Don't hold yourself back!
hey, writers. especially neurodivergent writers with anxiety or OCD.
if you see one of those writing advice posts that is literally just, âthese tropes suckâ, âthis story idea sucksâ, âthis sucksâ, âthat sucksâ, âall of this is horribleâ.. donât dwell on it.
these are just random people on the internet, okay? theyâre just acting like they know everything and that their personal preferences are universal.
you donât have to listen to them, write whatever you want, regardless of if dirtysocks574774757 on Tumblr/Pinterest doesnât like it.
(ahem, if a user by the name of dirtysocks574774757 from Tumblr or Pinterest actually does see this.. sorry đ
iâm sure you understand)
#this is long#but man one of my best friends has OCD and I've spent years now watching how often he'll send me like#one (1) Twitter Post and start panicking that he's doing something Wrong and needs to make huge changes#>:( So I've gotten used to shaking him like. NO. Listen. You can TAKE THIS UNDER ADVISEMENT without drastically rerouting all of everything#also maybe that person is stupid did you consider that#xD But yeah I know at least for him 'just ignore it' would NOT work so we go the long way.#'You don't have to 100% embrace OR 100% ignore. Just spin it around and weigh your options. And IF you make changes they can be minor.'#'There are basically always more options than All or Nothing.'#writing advice
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(not so) secret santa | jww
(where you think you're surprising your office crush and he's the one that surprises you)
pairing: wonwoo x reader genre: office!au/coworkers | straight fluff rating: e is for everyone (but this blog is still 18+) word count: ~1.8k warnings: mentions of eating/drinking? and an office holiday gift exchange, that's it
note: merry christmas @highvern! i just thought that you deserved a little treat since you worked so hard on the secret santa collab for @camandemstudios đ special thank you to @ugh-yoongi for the office crush concept and the recipe idea. also thank you to @gyuswhore for some brainstorming. i tried to keep to the collab guidelines but it's fine because it's not technically part of it. love you cam!
âHao I need your help,â you say quietly to your work bestie.Â
Despite the hush of your voice, it seems to carry more than it should. Or maybe thatâs just your nerves over what youâre about to ask. Minghao turns away from what heâs working on and raises one of his perfectly manicured eyebrows at you. Heâs really got that down and you hate him a little for it.
âWhat could you possibly need now?â he asks with a sigh.
âItâs about the office gift swap,â you say, quieter still this time.Â
âNeed a little pointer? Maybe some fashion advice?â he asks sympathetically and you swat at him. That makes him crack a smile where nothing else has.
âNo, I need to trade,â you say.
This happens every year in the office. The picks are random and nobody is supposed to know. But, inevitably, several people end up swapping for a variety of reasons. Sometimes theyâre looking for a specific person. Sometimes they have a present in mind and their current person wonât like it. It could be anything. This year, youâre the one thatâs looking to swap and youâre kind of hoping your bestie wonât ask you exactly why.Â
âWho do you have?â he asks, which is a little surprising that heâs not asking who you want.Â
âMina,â you say immediately. He might be a complete pain in the ass, but you know that you can trust him. Nobody knows more about whatâs going on in the office than him and nobody keeps their mouth shut tighter.Â
Without another word, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a piece of paper that you recognize as the slips for the gift swap. One hand holds the paper out to you while the other opens for you to deposit your own paper in it. Youâre just confused looking at him because you havenât said anything other than who you have.
âI donât think you get it, I wantâŚâ you start and he cuts you out.
âJust take the paper and then see if you still need to say anything to me,â he says.
Itâs unusual, even for him, yet you do as he says. You deposit the slip with Minaâs name on it into his hand and take his piece of paper. When you open it, somehow everything makes more sense. Kind of, at least. Itâs the person you were actually hoping to get.Â
âHow did youâŚâ you ask, trailing off at the end.
âYouâre not that subtle,â he says with his own version of an affectionate smile.Â
âThanks, Hao. I owe you!â you say in a low voice.
âIâll add it to your tab,â he says and turns back to his work.
The best part about the gift swap at your work is that itâs up to each person how they handle giving their gift. Thereâs no big party where everyone has to swap in front of everyone else. Itâs a little non-traditional, but also helpful for people that are a little more introverted. Some people expressed it being easier to just leave the personâs gift at their desk instead of going through some whole big thing.Â
That suits you just fine. It gives you the opportunity to plan something a little more personal to exchange your gift. Which is how you end up at lunch on a day off with one of your coworkers and feeling a little awkward about the whole thing. You try to tell yourself that youâre confident and he is just a man. But, you also have the fattest crush on him and it makes you a little stupid. (A lot stupid, actually, but thatâs your own business.)Â
Wonwoo comes walking in looking the coziest youâve ever seen him. It makes you very glad that you got to the restaurant first because this is worth it. The smile on his face when he notices you is soft and it makes your heart skip a beat. He pushes up his glasses and shakes some snowflakes out of his hair. By the time heâs at the table, heâs removing his jacket to reveal a soft sweater. You take a minute to remind yourself that heâs just a man before putting the smile on your face. Whatâs even better, you donât say anything stupid.
He lets you make it through ordering before he brings up the obvious. âIâm happy you asked me to lunch, but I was a bit surprised.âÂ
You try to play it off and shrug a bit. âWe havenât gone out to lunch in a while like this and sometimes it feels like we have to rush during work. I just figuredâŚâÂ
âWhy not ask me out to lunch to give me my Secret Santa gift?â he asks knowingly. You, being the coolest person in the world, choke on the sip of your drink that you take.
âWhat?â
âI was sure that Minghao had me because he was asking questions about gaming stuff and then Mina told me about the beautiful scarf that he got her.â
âAnd that means you think that I have you?â Youâre not really sure you follow his logic even if he is right.
Wonwoo only shrugs. âHeâs your best friend. I thought he was asking for you. Or maybe he had me and trade.âÂ
âHe did have you, but I wanted to switch,â you admit for some reason completely unknown to you.Â
âYou did?â This seems to catch him off guard considering he seems two steps ahead.
Since he wants to bring it up now, you figure that you might as well give him his present. You pull the box out of your bag and hand it over to him. He eyes it for a second before reaching out to take it. His face looks adorably perplexed when he lifts it.
âThis doesnât feel like something gaming related,â he says finally.
You huff out with an eye roll. âWhy donât you just open it?âÂ
He looks amused at your tone and goes to work at opening the paper. He takes a very different approach to you and unwraps it gently instead of pulling it all off. But then, his eyes go a little wide at the gift. Itâs hard to read, at least for a moment. Does he like it? Did you do too much? Are you being too obvious?
âHow did youâŚ?â His eyes are filled with affection. Like nobody has ever given him something like this and it catches you off guard.Â
âDo you like it?â you ask, a little unsure. Mostly just to fill the space.
âI love it. How did you find it?â he asks.Â
âI love fragrances and there are a few small shops that I go to. Itâs kind of a hassle because you have to search through the shops, but thatâs fun for me. I overheard you telling Hao that you couldnât find this one anywhere,â you say like itâs nothing.Â
âAnd then you traded to get me just to give it to me?â he asks.Â
âI just thoughtâŚâ you start and he shakes his head. âActually, hang on a second. I have to run out to my car and Iâll be right back,â he says.
Wonwoo is up from the table before you can even react to what heâs saying. Even though you know this is just how his brain works, it takes a second for your heart to catch up with that knowledge. It still feels weird to be sitting there by yourself when the server comes back with food, though. When he turns back up, his cheeks are a little rosy from the trip outside and you canât miss that heâs holding a larger box.Â
âIâm sorry to run out. I just didnât want to bring this in if it was really just a lunch,â he says and that doesnât really explain anything.
âDid you get me in for the gift exchange too?â you ask, confused.Â
For the first time, he looks a little shy. He looks down for a second like heâs preparing himself. âNo, I just really wanted to get you a present. Open it, please.âÂ
Youâre skeptical because itâs kind of big and clunky. And, on top of that, youâre confused about why he felt like he should get you a present when youâre not really that close. Or not as close as youâd like to be. When you tear off the wrapping paper, your first reaction is to laugh. Thereâs a cute little popcorn maker with a container of kernels along with it. But what really catches your eye is the seemingly homemade mustard to go along with it. It probably looks like the weirdest gift to anyone else. To you, though, itâs perfect.Â
âHow on Earth did you come up with this?â you ask through a laugh.
âYou hate it,â he says looking a little dejected.Â
âNo, no, no,â you assure him and calm back down. âNo, itâs perfect. But, Iâve had people give me such a hard time about popcorn dipped in mustard so I canât imagine you just thought of it.â
âI actually talked to Minghao about what you might like,â he says sheepishly and your eyes go wide.Â
Leave it to your traitorous bestie to know that your crush had something like this planned and not even tell you. Of course heâs just sitting there like a little matchmaker. âThat little shit. When did you ask him?â
âBefore we picked people for the gift swap. I didnât even think of trying to switch for you,â he says. âIt seemed like a good way to say that I kind of like you, especially since you traded to get me.âÂ
Thereâs something so matter-of-fact about the way he says it. Like itâs just another thing to say. The weather has been really cold. The food is amazing. Work is a pain. Oh, and by the way, I like you. Wait a minute. Your brain finally catches up to what Wonwoo said. It must be clear on your face, too, because he looks amused.Â
âDid you say you kind of like me?â you ask and that actually makes him laugh.Â
âWhy else would I get a recipe for homemade mustard from Minghao just to surprise you for Christmas?â he asks like that should all be obvious.
âYou made it yourself?â
âI had a little bit of help from my roommate because heâs much better in the kitchen, but itâs still homemade,â he says.Â
âI cannot believe Hao set this all up. Youâre over here planning a whole ass present for me and Minghao is letting me stress over whether or not youâre going to like the present I got. And making fun of me for having a crush while youâre over here making me mustard from scratch.â
âIs that really how youâre going to tell me that you like me too?â he asks, impossibly amused by your grumbling.Â
âCan we have a do over?â you ask and he smiles at you.
âAs many as you want.âÂ
i hope you like it and that you're surprised!
#wonwoo fluff#wonwoo imagines#wonwoo x reader#wonwoo x you#seventeen fluff#svt fluff#seventeen imagines#svt imagines#seventeen x reader#seventeen x you#svt x reader#svt x you#wonwoo scenarios#seventeen scenarios#svt scenarios#thediamondlifenetwork#svthub#kvanity#wonwoo fanfic#seventeen fanfic#svt fanfic
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Jason will forever be my comfort character, forever and always
Jason knew from an early age that love was conditional. This was especially more so if you lived in Gotham, and if that was the case then love was more or less something thatâs purely transactional. The moment you lose the ability to give anything to someone else, youâre more then likely left to die in an alleyway or in a far away abandoned warehouse that was rigged to blow up.
Love was a weapon utilised in every possible way then what it was meant to be used for, and so Jason didnât grow up with a very good experience with love or what others claimed as love.
Yet he read books where love was pure, love was powerful and empowering to the people who had the chance to experience it, love was scary and brutal as it was beautiful and something everyone desires to have in their life; whether or not it was real for everyone will chase after it blindly and carelessly as though their self worth was dependent on such an emotion.
Heâs read books where love could break someone so badly that they canât get up, where love can cause more cuts and wounds than knives and other weapons could ever inflict. Heâs read books where love has left people wonder their self worth and if anyone else could love them as deeply and truly as the person who had just walked out of the door.
However Jason wondered that if people did love that deeply, wouldnât you want to stay with that person even through the toughest times of their lives? Help them pull through instead of abandoning them when they were in the most need of their life? To Jason that didnât sound like love at all as he couldnât help but see himself in these characters that only saw the worst in themselves, truly believing that love wasnât for them nor ever will in how their entire lives was the biggest example of such.
However all that changed with time the moment you entered his life and for good.
Jason was on the defensive as his eyes wouldnât leave you as all you did was simple things for him unprovoked, unwarranted, as though you wanted to do these things for him. You would care for his books as though they were irreplaceable while rearranging them in alphabetical order, clean his weaponry and armour before he could early in the morning, and even would him breakfast in the morning when you noticed that he didnât eat nearly as much as he should to properly function.
Jason didnât know how to feel, nor how he could repay you back in response and even when he did, you would just brush him off and tell him that you could handle it, telling him that he shouldnât worry about doing anything for you purely because you did things for him one day.
âI just wanted to do these things for you.â You tell him with a smile. âYouâre a busy man and you donât have nearly enough time to catch up to everything and I merely wanted to help clear your schedule somewhat while youâve got your hand full.â You add and Jason could only stare at you.
âYou wanted to?â He said with a raised brow. âSweetheart, thereâs no such thing as people doing things for others out of the kindness of their heart, everyone wants something in the end as nobody is above their own desires.â He then crossed his arms over his chest as a look of unconvincing overcame his face at your words.
You frown at this but didnât hold such views against him, Gotham wasnât a city where love was genuine and not corrupt nor unhealthy to some extent, if anything your heart ached for him as you could only imagine a young Jason having to learn this cruel lesson in the worst possible way; one that left a permeant scar upon his heart that would ache painfully as a reminder that in a city of Gotham love didnât exist unless it was for transactional or conventional purposes for even more corrupt figureheads.
âLove shouldnât be used to hurt people, it should be used to help people and allow them to gain the strength to let others into their heart and trusting that person to not stab them in the back, love should be used between friends, family and lovers and no one else who could corrupt an innocent emotion such as love.â You stepped closer to him as you watched his eyes and the flickering of emotions within them as his jaw clench and he would straighten his posture as though he was trying to scare you off with his height, it wasnât working.
âLove should help you realise that the love youâve been receiving is not love at all, Jason you deserve love much like everyone else, for someone will look at you and see a beautiful man with scars that tell stories that they can only hope youâll be ready to share with one day at your own comfortability.â You finished as you rested your hand upon his bicep, feeling the muscles tense beneath your touch, as your thumb caresses a faint scar of his. It wasnât a touch tender as anything Jason had experienced before and it both frightened and intrigued him at how much he needed this.
Had he found the love that the books heâs read in the past promised? That child in him said yes with such an eagerness, but he was still uncertain but knew that he felt safer with you than he did anyone else, and that was certainly a start in his eyes.
#dc imagine#dc x reader#dc x you#dc comics x reader#dc fanfic#dc fic#dc x y/n#dc fanfiction#jason todd imagine#jason todd x reader#jason todd fluff#jason todd imagines#jason todd x y/n#jason todd x you#jason todd fanfic#jason todd fanfiction#jason todd fic#red hood x you#red hood imagine#red hood x reader#red hood imagines#red hood x y/n
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ARE YOU BORED YET? â
YU JIMIN
PRECđžs ・・ months have passed, but the memory of karina still lingersâher glance like a thorn you can't pull out. you kissed her, and now she's further away than ever, leaving you to watch from the sidelines.
parings ? ex-best friend!karina x lovesick!fem reader ft mark (nct), intak (p1h) , manon & daniela (katseye) â
genre , wlw friends to lovers uni au fluff tiny bit of angst!!! wc 2.6k
warning(s) , kissing reader is still badly down BAD for karina.. miscommunication jealousy
read this !! I hate fruits , part 1 , sry if this is confusing I was like rushing to finish this up for my next work...
now playing ? nomad , clario
it's been months since you last saw karinaâreally saw her, not just passing glances in lecture halls or stolen moments across the quad. each month has left an ache in your chest, sharp and unyielding, like a wound that refuses to heal.
you'd think the ache would dull with time, that her absence might ease the weight pressing against your ribs. but it hasn't.
instead, it's only grown worse, carving out hollow spaces inside you that fill with resentment and longing in equal measure.
and then there's mark. the way you've caught them togetherâhis easy laugh, her blond hair catching the sunlight as she leans into him like it's the most natural thing in the world.
that was supposed to be you.
you were supposed to be the one at her side, sharing inside jokes, brushing her hand with yours when no one was looking.
but you ruined it.
you kissed her.
and now, all you can do is watch from the sidelines, choking on the bitterness of your own making. the snow crunches beneath your boots as you make your way across campus, the cold seeping into your bones.
you shove your hands deeper into your coat pockets, wishing the chill in the air could match the frost biting at your heart. she's everywhere and nowhere all at onceâhaunting your thoughts, lingering in the periphery of your vision, but never close enough to reach.
and you can't decide what hurts more: the memory of that kiss, or the way she looks at you now, like you're a stranger.
the market is busy for a winter afternoon, the crisp air biting at your cheeks as you push through the crowd with daniela by your side. you're bundled in layers, the thick scarf around your neck almost enough to hide your face.
it's a bit of a cozy escape from the cold, all the hustle and bustle, but still, something feels off, like you're waiting for something to happen.
you and daniela split up to grab some things, and she disappears into the restroom, leaving you to wander the aisles alone. you don't think much of it until you round a corner into the fruit alley, only to stop dead in your tracks.
there she is.
karina.
but somethings different.
her blonde hair is goneâreplaced by jet black strands that peek out from under her beanie. it's such a stark contrast to the karina you're used to for a second, you almost convince yourself it's someone else.
but it's her. you'd recognize the way she stands anywhere.
she's standing at the end of the aisle, inspecting a basket of oranges, her hands gloved and delicate as she picked them up one by one. for a second, you almost forget where you are, as if the world has faded away except for her.
but you snap back to reality quickly enough, your heart beating in your throat. you could just turn around, pretend you didn't see her.
you could keep walking. you could avoid this.
but your feet won't move.
karina hasn't noticed you yet. she's lost in the small world of fruit, her brow furrowed slightly as she selects the ripest orange. you could watch her for hours if you wanted, but something inside you twists at the sight. there's that familiar ache again, a tinge of jealousy in the pit of your stomach.
it's stupid, really. she doesn't even know you're here, doesn't even know much you've been struggling to get over her.
but you can't help it.
she's too perfect.
before you can think any more about it, she looks up and catches your gaze. her eyes widen slightly, her lips parting in soft surprise. then she stands up straighter, as if she's suddenly unsure of something, and she blinksâquickly, like she's trying to reset herself.
you both freeze.
the air between you feels thick, and for a moment, it's like nothing has changed.
no time. no distance, no awkward silence between you two since the kiss. it's just her and you, standing there in the midst of winter, in a fruit aisle that feels too small for all the words neither of you have said.
karina doesn't move, her hand still hovering near the oranges.
your throat tightens, and you finally manage to speak.
"hey." it sounds so casual, too flat for how you're feeling. your stomach churns as you wonder if she'll say anything at all.
"hi," karina replies, her voice almost too soft, too polite.
and just like that, you're stuck againâtwo people who never really knew how to talk to each other anymore.
the silence stretches, hanging between you like the cold outside. karina's eyes flicker down to the fruit in her hand, her fingers turning the orange over slowlyâcarefully, like itâs something delicate she might accidentally crush.
you're the same. Frozen, watching her, unable to move.
it's just an orange, but for some reason, it feels like sheâs holding a part of you, inspecting it with the same quiet intensity that makes your chest tighten.
she used to do this with you. with everything. look at you like you were something worth savoring.
but now?
now she canât even meet your eyes for more than a few seconds without looking away.
you swallow hard, fingers curling at your sides. the fruit around youârows of apples, pomegranates, those stupid orangesâfeels too sweet, too vibrant for how bitter the pit in your stomach has become.
funny. you used to love this aisle.
now, you hate it.
the memory of her lip glossâcherry, sugary, intoxicatingâlingers like a bruise. you wonder if she still wears it, if the taste of her would still remind you of something you shouldnât want.
âdidn't think Iâd see you here,â she adds, fingers still turning the orange like itâs the only thing keeping her hands busy. her eyes flick up, meeting yours briefly. âyou donât usually come to this market.â
your throat feels dry. âI could say the same about you.â
karina's lips twitch, almost like sheâs about to smile, but it never fully forms. âguess weâre both full of surprises.â
you shift on your feet, pretending to glance over the fruit as if this conversation isnât the only thing grounding you right now. âyeah. I guess so.â
another stretch of silence. the kind that says everything neither of you are willing to. karina looks down at the orange again, voice softer this time. âhow've you been?â
the question sinks in, slow and heavy. it feels like a trapâlike sheâs opening a door just enough to see if youâll step through. âfine,â you lie. âbusy, you know. classes and all that.â
she nods, but something in her expression shiftsâlike she doesnât quite believe you. âright.â her eyes flicker over you, lingering just long enough to make your heart race. âyou look good,â she murmurs, almost like an afterthought.
your breath catches, and for a second, you forget how to respond. âthanks,â you manage, voice tighter than youâd like. âyou too.â
karina hums, her gaze softeningâbut before you can say anything else, daniela's voice cuts through the stillness.
âyou ready to go?â
suddenly, daniela's at your side, brushing water off her coat sleeve. she glances between you and Karina with an arched brow, clearly sensing the tension but not addressing it.
karina's expression hardens just enough for you to notice.
that softnessâthe small, unspoken part of her that seemed like it might reach out to you againâdisappears.
her eyes drop to daniela, lips pressing into a thin line as if sheâs biting back words she wonât let slip.
it's subtle. barely noticeable if you werenât so tuned into her. But you are.
and itâs enough.
karina looks back at you, and for the first time since the party, you see itâthe same thing that flashed across her face when she saw you with manon.
jealousy.
she doesnât say anything else, just holds your gaze for a lingering second too long before turning back to the fruit display, her grip on the orange tightening slightly.
you could say something.
you should. but you donât.
daniela's arm loops through yours, tugging lightly, but you hesitateâjust for a second. your eyes drift back to karina, still standing there with that orange cradled in her palm. she's not looking at the fruit anymore.
she's watching you.
for a fleeting moment, her lips part, like she's about to say something. but the words don't come. and maybe they never will.
you force a small smile, even though it doesn't quite reach your eyes. "see you later," you murmur, the words slipping out quieter than intended.
karina's gaze flickers, something unreadable crossing her face. it looks almost like regretâor maybe it's just the lighting playing tricks on you.
"yeah," she replies softly. but the way she's still watching you makes it feel like she wanted to say more. like maybe if daniela wasn't there, she would've.
but it's too late.
the carnival is alive with lights and laughter, even in the biting cold. you adjust your camera strap, exhaling a puff of frosty air as the ferris wheel looms ahead. intak and daniela are somewhere back near the food stalls, probably bickering over churros, and manon is likely laughing at both of them. you needed the space, the quiet, to lose yourself in the view from above.
but as you shuffle forward in the line, you catch sight of a familiar figure.
karina.
your heart stutters. she's standing a few spots ahead, bundled in a black coat, her hair now dark as midnight and curling slightly at the ends. there's no sign of Mark, or anyone else for that matter. she's alone.
your thoughts spiralâdid they break up? you shouldnât care. you donât care. but the thought nags at you, unwanted and unshakable.
the line moves, and suddenly, itâs your turn. the attendant waves you forward, and as if fate had a cruel sense of humor, karina is ushered into the same car.
she hesitates for a moment before sliding in, leaving just enough room for you to follow. the bar clicks into place, trapping you both in an awkward silence as the ride jolts to life.
the city begins to unfold below, the twinkling lights reflecting in her eyes, but you canât focus on the view. all you can think about is her. how perfect she looks, even now. how her presence makes it impossible to breathe, impossible to think.
âi'm sorry.â
the words come out of nowhere, breaking the silence like the snap of a branch. You blink, startled, meeting her gaze.
âwhat?â
she exhales, her breath visible in the chilly air. âi'm sorry for what happened at the party. for... pushing you away like that.â her hands fidget in her lap. âI was scared. I didnât know how to handle it.â
your chest tightens. the memory of that night feels like a fresh wound, sharp and unhealed.
âscared of what?â you ask, your voice quieter than you intended.
karina hesitates, her eyes darting away to the lights below. âof what people would think. of what it would mean... if they saw me kissing a girl.â
the admission hits you like a punch to the gut. âso you were embarrassed?â the words tumble out before you can stop them, harsher than you meant.
her head snaps up, eyes wide. âNo, Iââ she bites her lip, searching for the right words. âI wasnât embarrassed of you. I was embarrassed of myself. I wasnât ready for people to know.â
you stare at her, the cold seeping through your gloves, but it doesnât compare to the ache spreading through your chest. âit felt like you were.â
the ferris wheel creaks, the car swaying gently as it reaches the top. karina looks at you, her expression a mix of regret and something else you canât quite place. âi'm sorry,â she whispers again.
and for a moment, you let yourself wonder if she means itâif she truly understands what she did to you.
the ferris wheel finally comes to a halt at the bottom, and you feel a sudden rush to get off, like if you stay in that small, enclosed space with karina any longer, you might lose control. the ride jerks to a stop, and youâre practically out of the seat before itâs even fully halted, your legs unsteady as you rush toward the exit.
the cold air hits you like a slap in the face, and you donât stop walkingâcanât stop walking. your heart is thundering, pounding against your ribs, and you need distance.
you need space. But then, you feel it. a hand wraps around your wrist, pulling you back, spinning you around. karina stands there, her expression wide, filled with sorrow, her eyes soft like sheâs about to break.
you swallow, your throat dry, trying to force out words. âkarinaâŚâ
she doesnât let go, pulling you closer as if she canât bear the distance between you any longer. her other hand comes up to cup your face, her fingers trembling slightly, but it doesnât stop her.
you blink up at her, breath catching. âplease⌠let go,â you whisper, a warning. âif you donât, I might do something stupid.â
something stupid. like kiss her again.
karina's gaze flickers, and for a moment, you think sheâll pull away, but instead, she steps closer, her chest brushing yours, closing the distance. she lowers her voice, her words soft but sure.
ânothing you do could ever be stupid,â she says, her breath warm against your skin, sending a shiver down your spine.
her eyes search yours with an intensity that makes your heart race, as if sheâs trying to find the right words, the right moment. she takes a breath, steadying herself before she says, "I couldnât stop thinking about you after that night⌠about how you kissed me, how you made me feel. and I hate it, because it doesnât fit into my world, but I canât help it. I canât stop wanting you.â
your breath catches in your throat, your pulse thundering in your ears. the confession hangs in the air between you, raw and vulnerable, and for a moment, you think you might explode from the weight of it all.
âIâI didnât want to hurt you,â karina continues, her voice cracking. âbut I was terrified. terrified of what everyone would think, of what it meant. I thought I could just ignore it, just bury it, but I canât. Not anymore.â
you feel your hands tremble as you reach up, cupping her face, drawing her gaze back to yours. âso youâre not embarrassed of me?â you whisper, almost afraid to hear the answer.
her eyes soften, and she shakes her head. âno, never. I was just scared of myself. scared of what I was feeling for you.â
before you can say anything else, her lips find yours again, urgent and unrestrained, as if sheâs trying to prove something to both of you. she kisses you like itâs the only thing that matters, her hand sliding to the back of your neck, pulling you closer.
when she pulls back, her voice is barely above a whisper, but itâs there, raw and open. âi'm sorry it took me so long to get here... but I donât want to waste any more time pretending.â
the world around you seems to fade, and for the first time in months, you feel a rush of clarity. the ache, the longing, the confusionâitâs all gone, replaced by something even more overwhelming, something real.
âI donât want to pretend either,â you say, your voice steady for the first time tonight. but even as the words leave your mouth, a thought lingers at the back of your mindâa quiet question that refuses to be ignored.
is this really it? is this the start of something new, or is it just another chapter of chaos in the story youâve both been trapped in?
you donât know. but for now, you choose to stay here, in this moment, with karinaâhoping that it might be enough.
#aespa x fem reader#aespa#yu jimin#aespa imagines#aespa karina#kisshae#wlw#karina x reader#yoo jimin#aespa x reader#kpop imagines
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Good Behavior
Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Reader
Word Count: 2,126
Warnings: Mean!Wanda Maximoff, Mommy Kink, Dom/sub dynamics, Fingering, Punishments | 18+ Minors DNI
Summary: In which you misbehave, something which your mommy, Wanda, cannot have.
âBehave,â she had told you in her stern, hushing tone that made the world stop. âAnd maybe Iâll reward you.â
But even then, you went against her wishes.Â
During the weekends you found yourself glued to her indefinitely. Your hand would squeeze her own as each Saturday she dragged you off to run errands. In her dominant nature, Wanda disallowed you from so much as forming a single tangible thought. She was the one that drove then, a hand clasping the steering wheel as her free one held your own â thumb brushing over your skin. The days went by quickly when it was just you and her, but you still clung to the savory nature of them for dear life.
There came a particularly busy week once that left you in a harsh mental state of disarray. Many nights you came home after work to throw yourself in bed, leaving Wanda to hold you tight and soothe your angry tears away. The frustration pushed your body down as Wanda pulled you up. Although a mean, ragged soul towards others, when it came to you, sheâd give you the world.Â
When it came to rushing through the grocery store on a busy Saturday morning, you stuck to her like glue. Normally she took to dressing you in lovely outfits she intricately spent time picking out for you, but after having awoken much later than usual â resulting in a missed morning run alongside yoga and a sour mood â you had been left to fend for yourself and don an oversized hoodie alongside sweats and horribly tied shoes Wanda found herself gawking at with disbelief. She held off from commenting as she knew it would only result in her growing more furious.Â
âCan we get this?â You spoke up for the first time since you arrived at the store, pointing your finger towards a box of cereal that had enough colors and sugar to most likely induce cardiac arrest. âIt looks really good. Please, Iâm tired of that stale, tasteless cereal you always buy.â
âBut you said you liked it,â Wanda frowned, but shook her head after letting out a hefty sigh. âAnd you canât eat that, sweetheart. With the amount of sugar it has, it can probably kill a bear.â
If she could be in a bad mood, so could you. âBut I want it,â you huffed â the stomping foot that came afterwards only accentuated your fussiness from not having breakfast that morning. âIâve behaved so far and you promised to reward me. Please, let me have this.â
You tried to throw it in the shopping cart only for Wanda to slap your hands away. âPut it back,â she warned. âNow.â
âNo,â you retorted. As soon as the simple word left your mouth, you deeply regretted it, but there was no point in backing down as you clutched the cereal box before throwing it in the cart. With the mixture of the little sleep you had gotten the previous night and the lack of food in your stomach, it was no wonder you blew up over the smallest things, much like Wanda. âJust because youâre a bitch to everyone else doesnât mean you get to be one to me too.â
And thatâŚmade her go entirely quiet, which was even worse than having Wanda shout at you angrily in the middle of the store.Â
Since then, no words were spoken, but from the look on her face after your outburst, you knew to remove the box of cereal and silently follow along. Wanda didnât so much as give you a single look. Instead, she took to fully ignoring your presence. Her lips were formed into a thin line and given the knowledge the townspeople had of your partner, they knew to stay away from her unless they wished to face her wrath. Too bad it would be you on the receiving end of it.Â
As you dragged your feet to the car helping Wanda load the groceries into the trunk, you feared for her to unravel inside, only to be met with nothing. The drive home was eerie. No matter how many times you attempted to make conversation, the womanâs eyes and focus never left the road.Â
Well, that was until the groceries were safely put away at home. From then on you could feel dark hooded green eyes crawling on you. And as soon as you made contact with them, you obediently made your way upstairs following her phantom instructions.Â
Only bad pets misbehaved, and according to Wanda, so far you had been the worst on that day.Â
âââââąââ°ââââ
âIâm really sorry,â you tried to offer, but it came with no avail. âPlease, I didnât mean it. I justâŚI got really angry and it slipped out. I promise I-â
âShut up.â
Hands traveled down your body caressing every small area encompassing the surface. They were soft, gentle palms that explored you as though it was the first time. You knew that no matter how infuriated Wanda was, sheâd never fail to take time to worship your body â to squeeze your breasts before pulling and pinching your nipples until they hardened or even tickle your sides enough to draw out laughter that made her chest warm. She could be cold, sure, but at the end of the day, her love for you was much more monumental than anything else.Â
With your back lying against her front, Wanda had easy access to you. She had taken the time to shed your body of the confines of clothes before replacing them with an atmosphere of humiliation. Her hands tugged and slapped themselves over you out of anger, something that made you let out mixtures of moans and screams. Your wrists were bound on your back with ankles tied with bindings that were attached to a long, metal bar which forced your legs apart. She only took it out when it came time for hefty punishments which she knew youâd try to stop to rile her up even further.
âYou called me a bitch.â It was a statement that came from flared nostrils. âAnd you didnât care to listen to mommy when she told you time and time again to put the cereal back. You keep apologizing, but baby,â she leaned in, her hot breath hitting your ear and making you shudder with exhilaration. âThatâs not going to do you any good. You need to learn your lesson. This is the only way a dumb girl like you will know to behave just as her mommy taught her. Because I fail to remember when I told you it was fine to be such a stupid thing.â
Her hand glided in front of you, carefully ghosting right above the drenched area where you needed her the most. No matter how much you tried to squirm and grunt at her to touch you, to give you what you so desired, Wanda ignored your needs. Instead, she settled for smacking your pussy over and over, simply eliciting grand amounts of pain from you as she enjoyed seeing you in such a state of dishevelment.Â
âStupid girl,â Wanda muttered, making you squirm right against her skin. You could feel her erect nipples sliding with your back, but she disallowed you from turning and enjoying the view of her nudity. âYouâre fucking disgusting for behaving like that.â Another slap came against your cunt, but you were unable to move with both your hands and legs bound. âAnd now you think you can sweet talk your way out of this? How pathetic of a slut can you be? Didnât I teach you to behave? How many times does mommy need to spank this pussy for you to learn your fucking lesson, Y/N?â
âIâm sorry,â you cried, but she knew you didnât mean it. Instead, you wanted more â more of your pussy being left severely abused by the palm of her hand all while you yelled at her to stop, but it only meant for her to carry on. âI-I promise Iâll never misbehave again. And I didnât mean to call you that.â
âOh now youâre sorry? Youâre only sorry that youâre being punished, whore, not for being a bad girl,â she huffed. âDonât worry. Mommy will have to fuck the bad behavior out of you. After Iâm done with you, youâll never dare say that again, especially not about the person who you belong to, sweetheart.â
When her fingers, two at once, first slipped inside you without warning, you groaned. Surely the feeling was familiar, and yet you basked in being stretched out as though it was your first time all over again. Throwing your head back on Wandaâs shoulder, there came an attempt to grind against her digits, only for her other hand to come down and lightly smack your clit. Although you were in pain, it meant pleasure for her.Â
Since the incident at the grocery store, heat panged between your legs with exhilaration at the thought of whatever Wanda had planned for you. It wouldnât take much for her to drive you to the edge of glory. If anything, the more your partner thrust her digits within you, the closer you were to letting go. Your hands turned to fists as they were unable to hold onto much while your legs gave failed attempts to kick.Â
âStay still, darling,â Wanda laughed at the sight of you trying to get away. âAnd here I thought you couldnât get more adorable. Aww, is my little girl all needy to cum? Mommyâs fingers feel way too good in this pussy, huh?â
âY-yeah,â you choked out. âFeels so good. Wanâ cumâŚâ
âBut do you think you deserve the opportunity to cum all over my fingers, honey? Go on, use your big girl words since thatâs what you think of yourself as. Tell mommy that you deserve to cum and Iâll let you do so. After all, youâre nothing but a dumb cumslut addicted to my fingersâŚâ
âI deserve to cum.â But not even you believed such deceptive words. âI-I want it so bad, please. Mommy!â
She let you do as you pleased, her digits buried knuckle-deep in your hole when you came. The orgasm that shot through you was earth-shattering, something that forced the loudest scream from the depths of your throat as your inner walls clung to Wandaâs hand for dear life. Her free hand palmed at your breasts, alternating between each of them as she roughly massaged the mounds before taking to torturing your nipples.Â
âThank you,â you shuddered as you spoke, your words shaky when they left your mouth. âI-â
âDonât thank me yet.â She cut you off, and although normally Wanda kept her fingers inside you as you came down your orgasm, it made you frown when she began moving them again. âYou gave me only one, baby. Why donât you give mommy more of what she wants, huh? Or are you too dumb to do it by yourself? I bet you are.â
No matter how much you came, Wanda didnât stop. She added a third finger, spitting on her hand as she pumped it back into your pussy. A thumb pressed against your bulbous clit, rubbing it languidly while your grunts only grew louder. Her ragged breathing mirrored your own, casting a spell upon your being that made it impossible to focus, even for a second, on anything that wasnât her.Â
That night Wanda made you cum over and over again. Her fingers didnât pull out for what felt like hours as even a fourth was added once you were relaxed enough. The only time she left the bed was to seek out a rather curious little clit sucker that she pressed against you before beaming with pride at the mess she turned you into.Â
âHmm maybe you are a good girl,â Wanda mumbled as she held you close. Four orgasms passed and your eyes could barely remain open. The woman towered over you, hands running down the front of your body which made her hum with approval. âMommyâs good girl, huh? You did a wonderful job taking mommy, Y/N, and for that I think someone deserves a reward.â
Once you were bathed, your head was placed on her chest as your lips parted to latch onto one of her nipples. Eyelids were far too heavy to be forced open, but alas, Wanda didnât mind. She simply ran her fingers through your hair, allowing herself to relax with your naked body pressed with her. Suckling on her nipple, you ignored the torture that had been exerted on your body. Surely the remnants of it would come out the following day, but as you lay next to Wanda, you knew it was a nonissue.
#cthulhusâ fanfics#wanda maximoff x reader#wanda maximoff smut#wanda maximoff imagine#wanda maximoff x y/n#wanda maximoff x you#wlw fanfic#marvel smut#scarlet witch x reader
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Sleep ââžâ
âł Casper x GN!Reader
There's something about the fact that his hair looks even better, all sprawled out in your pillow as the reaper peacefully sleeps next to you.
He looks so beautiful.
Of course he does. Part of you is almost irritated by it -- no one should look this good while asleep! But how can you be mad knowing that this sight is something that you, only you, will ever see?
No one else will be able to see his white lashes pointing downwards as his eyes stay closed and relaxed. No one else will be able to brush their thumb against his pink lips, which are slightly parted open.
This sight is for you and you only.
Your hands linger to his hair. So soft, so smooth. There's no doubt that he takes care of it. You sit up, back against the headboard, as you twirl your fingers along the ends of it.
You can't believe anyone would try to take this away from you. How cruel.
Your fingers tighten at the thought.
Ever since he, albeit unofficially, came to live with you, you've grown used to his presence. You don't know how you survived without him.
Your gaze lingers to his eyes.
Honestly, you doubt you'd survive if he ever happened to leave.
Carefully, you bring your hand closer, inspecting his white locks. They almost look blue in this light -- or lack thereof.
It's pretty. He's always pretty.
When your eyes flicker back to his face, you notice his eyes fluttering open.
Ah, fuck.
Casper lets out a sleepy groan, clearly annoyed by you waking him up.
He tilts his head up from his pillow, and his hair immediately falls to frame his face -- how does it do that?
When his head is finally upright, his brows are pinched together, and he has his mouth in a pout.
"Ah, did I wake you?" You whisper quietly, letting go of his hair to rub at your neck sheepishly. You try not to feel too bad.
"Why are you awake?" His voice is deeper. His voice is softer.
You didn't know what in the world had led to you having the luxury of hearing him so.. soft, and gentle, but you're sure as hell thanking it in this moment.
"Couldn't sleep."
He doesn't seem to be pleased with your answer, but he never is. You don't give it too much thought.
You thought that was it, and he'd immediately go back to his needed beauty sleep, but it doesn't stop there.
Casper wraps an arm around you, pulling you closer by your waist.
It only takes a second for your back to press against his chest, and immediately afterwards, he wraps his legs around your own.
Casper is cold, as always.
But his presence makes you feel warm.
"Get some rest," he whispers against your ear, squeezing your body. "Please."
"At least you know your manners, hm?" You immediately reply.
Instead of getting huffy like usual, he lets out a chuckle that tickles your skin.
He places a soft kiss to the back of your neck.
"Sleep."
A/N: chat i need them so bad its not even funny.. i NEED THEM SO BAD ITS EMBARRASSING
#a date with death#casper adwd#casper x reader#a date with death x reader#casper adwd x reader#a date with death vn#x reader#river's writing
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.đĽ Ý Ë đžUCH A BAD GIRL
Daniela Avanzini x fem!reader
summary: Y/Nâs been busy working with Sophia to figure out the logistics to an upcoming schedule for Katseye. Daniâs feeling a little neglected from how occupied sheâs been and decided to play a little game with her girlfriend
warnings: slight!nsfw, suggestive/sexual themes, harsh language, bratty!dani, teasing
Katseyeâs lounge in HYBE was a cluttered, cozy haven, where the speakers were always on softly in the background with Laraâs playlist. The smell of coffee lingered in the air, and posters of their albums and plaques of achievements lined the walls. Y/N sat at the small table in the corner, surrounded by scattered notebooks and a calendar, biting the cap of a pen. Across from her, Sophia, leaned forward listening to the staff explain their plans, a furrow of concentration on her brow.
"We can squeeze in the thank-you video for Spotify on Friday after the Christmas vlog," Sophia suggested, tapping her fingers against the calendar. "But weâll have to push back the tiktok recordings. Are we good with that?"
Y/N sighed, rubbing her temple. Scanning the dozens of events scribbled down on their group calendar. "I mean, weâre already behind on posting on social media. Pushing back recording again might throw off our momentum and just add more to the load weâll have next time. Donât you think?"
Sophia offered a small smile, chuckling at Y/Nâs response. "Thatâs why Iâm asking you. You're the planner of the group."
âOh, yeah? Or are you just being lazy?â
Across the room, Daniela sat on the worn-out couch, scrolling mindlessly through her tiktok feed. But her eyes werenât exactly trained on her phone, instead, glancing over the top of her phone to glare daggers at Sophia and Y/N laughing. Daniela knew it was for the band, but still, the late-night texts, long conversations, and inside jokes were starting to eat away at her patience. Who did Sophia think she is?
"Hey, Manon," Daniela called out, turning to her roommate, who was fixing her hair on her phone on the other end of the couch. "What are you doing tonight? Want to hang out?"
Manon raised an eyebrow, clearly catching the edge in Danielaâs tone but playing along. "Whatâd you have in mind?"
Daniela smirked and leaned closer, her voice dropping. "I donât know, maybe we could Netflix and chill⌠Thereâs this new movie that just got on, I heard itâs pretty⌠hot and heavy.â
Manon knew what Daniela was doing. She did it once in a while whenever she felt jealous. Manon was all for games.
âOh, yeah?â She smirked, âIâd rather watch something else.â
Y/Nâs head snapped up from the calendar at the sound of Danielaâs flirtatious tone. She looked across the room, her eyes narrowing as she saw the way Daniela was leaning toward Manon, her hand brushing against the eldestâs arm.
Sophia noticed the shift in Y/Nâs focus and frowned. "Hey, are you listening?"
"Yeah, yeah," Y/N muttered distractedly, her eyes still glued to her girlfriend. She mentally cursed the woman out, knowing Daniela was just playing games. âWhatâd you say?â
But what Sophia repeated went in one ear and out the other.
Manon glanced between Y/N and Daniela, clearly amused but also slightly uncomfortable. She leant in, brushing the Latina��s hair away from her ear. "If I get in trouble with Y/N for this, you are buying me coffee the next month," she said dryly.
Daniela giggled, brushing her hair back in an exaggerated gesture. "Fine. But at least act like Iâm seducing you."
Manon had to resist the urge to grimace before scrunching her nose, bopping Danielaâs with the tip of her finger. âWell, Dani,â she voiced just a tad louder so the room could hear, âIf thatâs what you want, Iâd love to take you⌠driving.â
âBut, Manon⌠itâs not your car I wanna ride.â
Danielaâs pout was sickening. Manon almost lost the plot, she nearly praised her roommate aloud for her impeccable acting.
Y/N rolled her eyes at her girlfriendâs antics. Daniela was such a brat. Used to her parents spiking her rotten, she always had to have what she wanted. At the start of their relationship, Y/N wasnât really exposed to just how much of a child Daniela could be. But as time went on, the Latina would whine and beg like there was no tomorrow, and everytime without fail, Y/N would eventually cave and give her what she wanted.
Megan, Yoonchae and Lara sat on the couch opposite Manon and Danielaâs, the three of them falling strangely silent as they glanced between the roommates and the pair sitting with their manager. A show was unfolding indefinitely.
Y/N slammed the pen down on the table, startling both Sophia and Manon. "Iâm sorry, Sophia, will you excuse me. Please?"
The leader just nodded, âYeah, sure?â
She stood, her chair eerily scraping against the floor. She grabbed Danielaâs arm harshly when she strode past the couch, glaring down at a timid Manon as the girls watched.
In the hallway, Y/N grabbed Danielaâs wrist, her grip firm but careful, and dragged her around the corner, out of sight from the others. The door to an empty rehearsal space clicked shut behind them, leaving a charged silence between them.
"What the hell was that, Dani?" Y/N hissed, pressing Daniela against the wall, her eyes blazing.
Daniela smirked, leaning back, her lips curling in defiance. "What? Youâre too busy playing manager with Sophia to even notice me, so I figured Iâd have a little fun."
"Fun?" Y/N repeated, her voice dropping, dangerously low. Her body leaned closer, her hands on either side of Danielaâs body. "You think flirting with Manon to get a rise outa me is fun?"
"Maybe," Daniela said, her tone teasing, but her breath hitched slightly as Y/Nâs face hovered closer. "You jealous, mami?"
"Jealous?" Y/Nâs voice was sharp, but her lips curved into a smirk. "Yeah, Iâm fucking jealous. You think I like watching my girl parade herself around another woman like a slut?â
Danielaâs playful expression faltered, replaced by a bit of fear. "Well, maybe if you spent a little less time with Sophia and paid me a little more attention, I wouldnât have to get it this way. Youâve been so busy, we havenât⌠yâknow, in weeks.â
Y/N chuckled darkly, her hand sliding to Danielaâs hip, gripping it firmly. "Congrats, Dani. Youâve got my attention now."
Daniela swallowed hard, her teasing demeanor melting as Y/N closed the gap between them. Their lips crashed together in a heated kiss, all frustration and passion tangled into one. Danielaâs hands immediately found their way into Y/Nâs hair, tugging slightly, earning a low growl in response.
Y/N pressed her body flush against Danielaâs, pinning her firmly against the wall. Her lips trailed down Danielaâs jaw to her neck, biting softly before soothing the spot with a kiss. Daniela gasped, her nails digging into Y/Nâs back.
"Youâre such a brat," Y/N murmured against Danielaâs skin, her tone both scolding and adoring.
Y/Nâs hands roamed lower, sliding under Danielaâs shirt to touch bare skin. Her fingertips brushed against Danielaâs sides, her touch both firm and teasing, drawing a shiver from her.
"Yeah?" Daniela whispered, âWhatâre you gonna do about it?"
Y/N pulled back just enough to look Daniela in the eyes, her gaze dark and intent. "Remind you exactly who you belong to."
Daniela shivered, her teasing confidence now replaced with eager anticipation. Her hands grappled at the bottom of Y/Nâs tank, yanking it upwards. She tugged Y/N closer, her lips brushing against hers as she whispered, "Then stop talking and show me."
Y/N didnât need any more encouragement. Her hands roamed Danielaâs body, her lips reclaiming hers in a kiss that made Danielaâs knees weak. The tension that had been building for weeks finally exploded, leaving no space for words, only the heat between them.
Inside the rehearsal room, Sophia glanced at Manon, who was scrolling her instagram. "Why must you always encourage Daniâs behaviour?"
Manon shrugged with a sly grin. "Itâs fine, Mom. Dani needs to get laid, Y/N needs to relax, Iâm helping them out!"
Megan snorted, âYeah, none of us are sleeping tonight.â
Sophia rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. "At least we donât have to hear them argue anymore."
Manon laughed. "Oh, girl. Youâll hear more than arguing."
As they walked back into the rehearsal room, Manon and Sophia exchanged knowing looks. Danielaâs hair was messed up, Y/Nâs jeans hanging low off her hips. The Latinaâs lips were swollen, and her eyes blown wide.
"Worked it out?" Sophia smirked, raising an eyebrow.
"Mhm," Y/N hummed, squeezing Danielaâs hand.
"Good," Sophia said with a grin. "Now letâs figure out this schedule before someone else starts flirting with Manon."
Manon groaned. "Why is it always me?"
âYou better hope itâs not you next time,â Y/N glared, âIâll flush all your make-up down the toilet, donât test me.â
Manon saluted, âYes, maâam.â
#daniela avanzini#daniela avanzini x reader#katseye#katseye x reader#lara raj#lara raj x reader#manon bannerman#manon bannerman x reader#megan skiendiel#megan skiendiel x reader#sophia laforteza x reader#sophia laforteza#yoonchae
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can i pretty please have the extended version of what happens in zaynes exclusive tutorialâŚâŚ. asking for a friendâŚâŚ..
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synopsis: an extended version of zaynes exclusive tutorial 5-star ;)
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character: zayne
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cw: first person pov, quickie SMUT!!!!, a lot of the dialogue is just taken from the card
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word count: 3.5k
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a/n: i literally have not wrote smut since i was at least 13...i lowkey blacked out writing this so if it sucks i'm so sorry. it was good practice though so ty for the request!
Internally, I was dreading this. As a Deepspace Hunter, low-key yet high end, relaxed events were not something I was accustomed to. While it was a nice change from the chaotic atmosphere of my own work, I couldnât help but worry I may embarrass myself.
When Zayne first invited me, I was a bit surprised heâd ask me of all people. I was sure the man was convinced Iâd, at some point during the night, make a fool of him and myself. Though I was pleased he thought of me, and honored to be chosen, it put the stakes of the night higher.
I tried to make myself as fancy as possible, without overdoing it, because I was convinced these people would know I was trying too hard. I mean, they were all top med school alumnus who probably made more in a day than I made in a year.
Walking in with Zayne, the club lighting was low with soft jazz playing in the background. I scanned the perimeter, and observed the people around. Nearly everyone had brought a companion, and I smirked to myself. Mentioning I could tell why he brought me along, I gestured for him to lean down to my level.
âDid you feel left out because everyone else brought someone? Is that why?â
Zayne looked back at me, âYes. Itâs why I invited you.â
âLame⌠I thought youâd make up an excuse and deny it.
Bantering with him for a second, one of his classmates approached us. The two make small talk with each other, when the man finally introduces himself as Steven to me, reaching out for a handshake. Before I can even respond, Zayne quickly grabs my hand instead.
âLetâs find a place to sit down and talk.â
-
Sitting at the bar with Zayne and his classmates, I get to finally turn off my brain and just listen. All of them go on and boast about him, Steven particularly going on about his pool skills. Zayne sits comfortably with the attention, and itâs safe to assume heâs well accustomed to being the center of it all; though it didnât last when I quickly caught his eye, as he gave me a helpless look.
âDo you want to go somewhere else?â He whispered to me, an edge to his voice that was practically begging me to get him out and away from these people.
Zayne grabs his drink, assuming I was going to agree, and I stop him. He gives me a confused look as I turn my body to fully face him. Deciding to have some fun, the drinks Iâve had giving me some liquid courage-
âI havenât seen Dr. Zayne play pool either⌠Is he really that good?â I smiled at him.
He pauses, lips forming into a tight line, âAh, so youâre ganging up on me.â
I was pushing the right buttons.
While another classmate comes up to Zayne, doting all over him like the others, as he goes on about âhands on learningâ with him.
I smirk inwardly, taking a sip out of my wine glass. Oh yeah, I thought to myself, Iâm gonna use that one.
After the man leaves, Zayne playfully pinches my ear, âI could see you eavesdropping from a mile away, did you find anything interesting?â
I looked up at him through my eyelashes, âI heardâŚâ Pretending to think for a second, I looked around the room, then back at him, âyouâre incredibly considerate to your juniors and are highly respected by everyone, Dr. Zayneâ
He sighs, looking away, clearly unsatisfied with my answer. âI guess you can be niceâŚâ I tapped his shoulder.
Zayne raises an eyebrow, âYou guess? Do I not treat you well?â
Shrugging, I shake my head and raise my hands, feigning innocence, âItâs hard to sayâŚâ I take another sip out of my glass. âYou never did any âhands-onâ learning with me.â Sticking out my lower lip in a pout, âAnd everyone says itâs an honor to be taught by you, sirâŚâ
Putting down my wine glass, I sigh, âI wonder when Iâll get to experience itâŚâ
âIt seems you truly do want to learn about surgeries.â Zayne retorts.
âWho says it has to be for work?â
He looks at me, almost startled.
âFollow me.â
-
On the club's second floor, the billiard hall is tucked away, secret, and empty.
Perfect.
Walking forward, I circle around one of the pool tables.
âWhy are we playing pool all of a sudden?â Zayne asks from behind me.
I flip my hair and look at him over my shoulder, âBecause I wanna learn from you of course. Dr. Steven was praising your pool skills, but youâve never mentioned them before.â I pushed my back to the table, leaning back on my hands.
Zayne walks up to me, âHe was drunk and just rambling.â
âOh? He said you were really goodâŚâ Cocking my head to the side to look at him, he stared back at me with intent, âLike a professional.â
âMaybe because a surgeon has steady hands.â
âThen-â I stood up straight again, crossing my arms and smiling sweetly, âitâd be nice if I could get some tips from you.â
âWhile I canât give any tips per se, we can play.â He looks at me and smiles back, âIf you want.â
Picking out two cue sticks, handing me the shorter one, he walks to one of the tables in the corner, âHave you played before?â
âOnce or twice. People say I have potential,â Zayne raises a brow at my confidence, âbut I âcan playâ.â
âAre you gonna be strict with me, sir?â I playfully swing around the cue stick. Zayne crosses his arms, leaning into me, âStrict teachers make outstanding students.â He states, âLetâs start.â
Gesturing for me to go, I lean over the table, feeling his eyes boring into me. I hold my breath as I hit the ball, the only sound in the room the echoes of the balls scattering.
Zayne chuckles under his breath, and I look back at him, âDid I do something wrong, sir?â
âYou have more than enough strength. If you adjust your posture, youâll see better results.â
âI need you to help me identify my weak spots via âhands-on learningâ, sir.â
I watch as his facade begins to crumble a bit, before he quickly regains himself, âWeâll have to work on your posture then.â
Coming up next to me, I stand up straight as he leans down over the table, âLike this. Place your right foot backâŚâ He strikes, graceful as ever. When I try, I look like a klutz.
Bent over the table, he comes up behind me. âRelax,â He whispers, âyouâre too tense.â He places his hand on my back, and almost as a reflex to his touch, my waist immediately bends. âNow youâre too relaxed.â He clicks his tongue as I become jelly under his touch.
âRelax your left arm. Allow it to bend naturally.â His arm snakes up under mine, âYour head, right arm, and the cue stick should form a straight line.â
He places his hand softly on my cheek, shifting my head to the left, âHow is it?â
âIt,â I winced at the uncomfortable position, âhurts a little.â
I hear him smile, âThat means itâs correct.â
Making a face, I try to give him my most pitiful look.
âYouâre so harsh, sir.â
He grabs my chin, making me face the table again. The gesture makes me gasp.
âDonât tilt your head.â Zayne remarks, âYou messed up your posture again.â
âIs there an easier way? Like something I can do without much trouble?â
âYes, but are you sure you want to do it?â
I groan, my body feeling stiff from holding this pose for so long, âBring it on.â
I feel him shift from beside me, âDonât move for now.â
Zayne comes up behind me, positioning himself where his chest is flush against my back. Reaching his arms around me, one of his hands comes up to grab mine. Lowering his head, I feel his breath on my neck as his lips settle next to my ear, âYour rhythm with the cue stickâŚisnât quite there yet.â My eyelids flutter closed at his voice, âYou need more hands-on training.â
He directs me carefully, âYou should neither be too fast nor too hesitant.â His words sound distant as all I can focus on is the feeling of his body pressed against mine, as heat spreads in between my thighs.
My hand is enveloped in his, and the back and forth motion of the cue stick slows down, âMove the cue stick three or four times..â He instructs, everything about this feeling overwhelmingly provocative, âStop at the point closest to the ballâŚâ
âDid you get that?â He whispered, turning his head away from the pool table to face mine.
âYeahâŚâ Was all I could muster back.
Softly smirking, he turned back to follow my vision, âKeep your eyes on the ball, oneâŚtwoâŚthreeâŚâ I think I may actually combust if he keeps this up.
âStop, and pull back the cue stick.â
He loosens his grip on me, âSnap out of it. Are you even listening to me?â
No, not really Zayne. I can really only focus on not grinding back into you right now.
âAh yes,â I cough, âPull back the stickâŚâ
âVery good, just like thatâŚâ I bite back a whimper and the urge to rub my legs together at his praise, he knows good and well what heâs doing.
âNowâŚstrike.â
I hit the ball, and when it goes in I snap out of whatever hypnotic haze I was in.
âItâs in!â
Zayne pulls back, and I stand up straight, placing my hands on my hips. âDid you see that? It was a great shot! Iâm so coolâŚâ Flipping my hair over my shoulder, I flash him a smile.
âI did.â He smiles warmly back, âYouâre not a total beginner.â
âMaybe itâs because I practice shooting all the time. Or, itâs possible Iâm a prodigyâŚâ I started regaining my confidence after it had ever so slowly faltered on the pool table.
âPerhaps.â Zayne shrugs, âTo be honest, all you need to be good at pool isâŚâ
He leans over the edge of the table, looking over at me. My breath hitches at the sight.
âA steady hand, precision, and a calm attitude.â His eyes bore into mine, âOnce youâve locked into your target, donât let go.â
I swallowed. Even though he was clearly talking about the ball, it felt oddly personal.
He has me play a bit more, teaching me as I go. I easily earn his praises and they ring like music in my ears.
âIf a student does a good job,â I remind him, âshouldnât they get a reward?â
He considers it for a second, âWhat do you want?â
Confidence bubbling up again inside of me, I sigh dramatically. âWell, it might be difficult to hit this next ball. Help me.â
âIs that all?â Zayne asks, clearly not convinced. Pausing before coming to help me, I give him a smug look, âWhatâs wrong Dr. Zayne? Are you scared?â
I was pushing my luck, and loving every second of it.
He frowned, âProvocation doesnât work on me.â
âThen come here.â I nodded toward the pool table, giving him a sweet smile.
Zayne inches towards me, only moving slightly closer.
âCloser.â I demand, âOr else I canât reach it.â
He gives me a confused look, âWhat exactlyâŚâ
I grab him by the collar, pushing him back onto the table. Zaynes cheeks turn pink as he stares up at me with a shocked expression. Lips slightly agape, I can see a million thoughts running behind his eyes. The dumbfounded look on his face makes me want to take him on the table right now.
âLook,â I pout, âthe ballâs so far away. I think itâs time to use a cue rest.â
I tap the cue stick on each side of his head. Zayne narrows his eyes at me, âUsing cue rests would be overkill.â He sits up, and I use the stick to slowly tug out his tie, âAnd this,â he glares, âis inappropriate.â
Though he feigns annoyance, the look in his eyes is a dead giveaway.
âButâŚâ I pull the stick away leaning towards him, my breath dusting his ear, âI think youâre enjoying itâŚâ He looks down and away at the table, clearly embarrassed, âI shouldn't have taught you so muchâ he mutters.
Running my fingers through his dark hair, I slowly tease my hand down his body, caressing his face, down to his chest, down to where I see where heâs aching for me to touch the most. I coo at him when I see the desperate look in his eyes, and quickly snap my hand away before I reach the bulge growing in his nice slacks.
Zaynes face is red hot as he sits up on the table enough that heâs eye level with me, âWho taught you to use your teacher as a cue restâŚâ he frowns.
âWell,â I place my hand on his chest over his heart, âthis cue rests heartbeat is going to ruin my accuracy.â I tut.
âIs it my heartbeat affecting your accuracy, or yours?â His hand comes up to caress my cheek, âIf you actually want to learn, I can show you another wayâŚâ
Zayne leans in, lips almost to mine before I grab his shoulder and push him back. He looks at me, wide eyed at the denial.
âSir, this seems to be lacking professionalism.â Crossing my arms across my chest, his lips curve at my attempt to scold him.
âWerenât you just using me as a cue rest?â He leans back in, âTalking about professionalism⌠is a bit too late.â
As he grabs me by my waist, I push him back onto the table again as a reply. The gesture only lasts a few seconds before Zayne smiles at me, quickly sitting up and using his hand around my waist to reverse us; flipping me onto my back and onto the table, he settled in between my legs. I squeak at the sudden change, as he now hovers over me, my head caged between his arms.
âWhy donât you let me show youâŚâ Zayne pulls back, standing up straight. He grabs his cue stick, âWatch closely, Iâm only going to do it once.â
Pushing his chest against mine, he goes for the ball right behind my head. His head hovers right above my face, and I lean up to place a kiss on his adams apple right as he strikes the ball. I have half a mind to bite into his neck, but he quickly stands back up as he watches the ball go in.
He looks down at me, and Iâm sure I look utterly disheveled. From where he stood in between my thighs, my dress had ridden up high enough that every inch of my bottom half was almost on display for him to see. My hair was splayed out around me on the table, and my chest heaved with the breath I was so desperately trying to catch.
The sexual tension that had slowly built up throughout the night was now thick enough to cut with a knife. Smiling softly, Zayne tilts my chin up, caressing my jaw as his thumb slowly parted my lips, dipping it past my teeth and pressing it against my tongue. âPretty little mouthâŚâ he mutters, staring at the way his finger sits in between my lips. I look up at him through half-lidded eyes, sucking down on his thumb.
He frowns, âAlways such a tease.â Zayne sighs, picking up my ankle, pressing a kiss to it. I craved his lips on mine, but I always enjoyed the shows heâd put on for me. He continued to kiss up my calf, closing his eyes as he felt my skin against his lips.
âZayne.â I demanded, and he looked at me annoyed, as if I was interrupting something.
âYes?â
âKiss meâŚâ
He leaned down, nose brushing against mine, but not meeting my lips. I pushed myself up, trying to connect us, but he pulled away at the last second. Frustrated and tired of his games, I grabbed Zayne by his tie, crashing my lips against his, pulling him down on top of me onto the table.
âBehave.â He groaned as I took his bottom lip in my teeth, tugging softly. Grabbing my wrists with his hand, he pinned them above my head. Zayneâs free hand roamed up my thigh, fingers dusting over the place I was praying for him to touch the most.
I squirmed under him as he toyed with the lace on my panties, never dipping his fingers past. His grip on my wrists tightened, lips leaving mine so our eyes could meet. Waves of lust crashed in his green eyes.
âWhat do you want?â His lips kissed down my neck and chest.
âYou to touch me.â I whimpered.
He tsked, âBeg.â
âIâm sorry?â
âYou heard me. Or do I need to teach you how to do that too?â Zayne nipped at my collarbone, then kissed the skin.
âPleaseâŚâ
âWhat was that?â
âPlease, Zayne.â Everytime I said please, his fingers inched closer to the arousal pooling in between my thighs, âZayne, please, please, fuck, please.â
I felt him smile against my skin, and he dipped a finger inside of me.
Clenching around him, I moaned at the satisfaction.
Zayne groaned, âGod, youâre so wet. Youâve been eager all nightâŚâ Pumping in and out, I stifled my whimpers and moans against his shoulder. He let go of my wrists, and my hands flew to his collar, gripping for dear life as he added another finger.
Tracing his thumb on my clit, two fingers curling up inside of me, Zayne always knew just how to make me come undone. He could get off on this alone, watching me fall apart underneath him by just his hands. I was seeing stars, thinking nothing could get better than this.
Zayne pulled away, and I cried out at the emptiness. He stood there for a second, just taking all of me in, âYouâre so beautiful.â He took off his tie, gently grabbing me by the back of my head and lifting it up so he could tie the fabric around my mouth as a makeshift gag.
âAs much as I love to listen to you, I donât want anybody else to hear. Is that all right?â
I nodded at him and he smiled, petting my cheek, âGood girl.â
Reaching forward, I palmed his hard on through his nice, business slacks. The idea of them being around his ankles as he takes me on this table was enough to almost make me cry from joy. Sighing at the friction, Zaynes eyes fluttered closed, and I worked my hand up and undid his belt. Getting too eager, he freed himself, and slid my panties down to where they loosely dangled off one of my heels.
âI wish I could take my time with you,â He pressed his tip against my opening, âbut this will have to do.â Sinking all the way down to the hilt, I choked out a muffled scream, squeezing my eyes shut as the tie killed my lewd noises.
Zayne grabbed my chin, fingers digging into my skin, âEyes open.â He demanded, pulling out, and slamming back in, âKeep looking.â
Already overwhelmed from the stimulation he provided earlier, tears welled up in my eyes from just how good all of it felt. The impossibly delicious way he could fill me up, lips dancing across my skin as he chased after his own pleasure. His hand gripping into my hips, most likely leaving bruises, as he drilled into me; kissing my palm before biting into the skin to muffle his own groans.
Zayneâs skin glistened with sweat, the top buttons of his shirt undone, his lips red and swollen from my aggressions. He railed into me like a maniac, like he was fucking starving. Gracefully, his hand found its way back in between my thighs, finding the bundle of pleasure that made me cry out. At the feeling I blinked out tears, my eyes burning from the mascara I was practically sobbing away. I was moments away from ruining this table beneath me, and Zayne knew that.
He grabbed my neck, almost as if for stability as he picked up his pace. Desperately rolling his hips against mine, I clenched down around him âJust.. like that, oh... God." He moaned. I lifted my hips up to meet his thrusts, trying to chase my own release and his. Zayne looked me in the eyes, squeezing the hand around my neck, âMy girl. Mine.â He groaned.
With one last thrust and his praise, I was screaming behind the tie, shaking from my release beneath him. Digging my nails into his biceps, his hips stuttered, and with a moan he pulled out, finishing all over my nice dress.
Zayne nearly collapsed on top of me as we laid there for a while, just soaking in the aftermath. As he pulled away, I watched him cringe at the mess he had left on me. For some reason, I started laughing.
âWhatâs that for?â He questioned.
I continued to giggle, âI didnât know you were that good at poolâŚâ
âIf we had more time, Iâd show you more of my techniquesâŚâ
Slapping him on the shoulder, I sat up, and he swept me off the table and back onto my feet. Brushing my hair with his fingers, he attempted to wipe away the mascara stains on my cheeks. âI know the back way out of here,â He pressed a kiss to my temple.
(divider by cafekitsune)
#zayne x reader#zayne x you#zayne x y/n#love and deepspace zayne#zayne#l&ds zayne#lnds zayne#lads zayne#lads#lnds#lnds smut#lnds fluff#zayne love and deepspace#zayne smut#zayne fluff#zayne x mc#love and deep space
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(secret) santa, baby - part 11 of a shigaraki x f!reader fic
Shigaraki doesn't want to participate in the office's Secret Santa exchange, but when Toga promises to make it easy on him, he gives in. But making it easy for him makes it a lot harder for you -- you're the one who got his list. Office AU, no quirks. A fic in 12 parts. Divider by @ wcnderlnds
part i part ii part iii part iv part v part vi part vii part viii part ix part x
part xi (under the mistletoe)
Dabi: watch out when you come in this morning
Dabi: mistletoe fucking everywhere
He's texting the whole group chat. Tomura has to wonder why Dabiâs at work this early, but he appreciates the warning. Last year Tomura called out sick rather than deal with all the mistletoe-ing, but it would take the entire building being covered in poison ivy to make him think twice about going into work today, and even then he might still risk it. He doesnât have your phone number yet. He doesnât even have your email address, and he knows you donât check your work messages on the weekend, which means he hasnât talked to you since he and Machia dropped you off at your apartment the first night of the storm. He has to talk to you today. Heâs been thinking about it all weekend.
You didnât hook up. You didnât even kiss. Tomura hadnât been the one to float the idea â it was you, but only as part of the list of things people in horror movies do that get them killed. Tomura thought you sounded regretful when you said it. Whether you were regretful or not, you stayed close to him, and the two of you talked for hours. Tomura canât remember all the things you talked about. It felt like everything, and by the time Machia honked the horn from the parking lot to let Tomura know he was there, the two of you were curled up sideways on the couch, Tomuraâs hands inside your jacket and your fingers gently pulling apart the knots the wind put in Tomuraâs hair.
Tomura didnât want to get up. He was almost asleep, and as the two of you got into Machiaâs truck, Tomura almost asked you if you wanted to come back to his place instead. Right now, thinking about how good it felt to have you pressed against him is making his face feel hot, but that night he was tired. He was almost asleep before. He wanted to fall back asleep with you and not think about anything else until morning.
But he didnât ask, and when he actually got back to his apartment, he realized what a mess it was. Even if it hadnât been a weird question, it would have been a bad idea, one Tomura wouldnât admit to having if someone put a gun to his head. But that doesnât mean he hasnât been thinking about it, about you, since he watched you climb out of Machiaâs truck and hurry through the storm into your apartment building.
Tomura gets to work a few steps ahead of Spinner, who calls for him to wait up. Tomura slows down. Spinner draws even with him, out of breath. âI saw Dabiâs text. Whatâs he doing here this early?â
âNo idea.â
âDo you think heâs joking about the mistletoe?â Spinner asks. The automatic doors hiss open and Tomura tries to shake off the memory of walking through them with you, your arm around his waist. âI thought they banned it after last year. Didnât they say it made a hostile work environment or something?â
âThe decorating committee found a way around it,â Magne says from the far end of the lobby. Thereâs a table covered with boxes and it smells like food. Tomura and Spinner trade a glance, then beeline for it. âWatch out, there. Stay out of the blue squares.â
Huh? Tomura glances down and sees that some of the tiles on the floor have been outlined in blue tape. âWhat are those?â
âMistletoe zones,â Magne says. Tomura looks up at the ceiling. Sure enough, thereâs a weird plant stapled up directly over the square. âNo kissing allowed unless youâre standing under one of these.â
âThatâs stupid,â Tomura says. He points at the boxes on the table. âWhat are these?â
âChristmas cookies. Thereâs a box for everyone,â Magne says. She picks one up and inspects it. âEverybody on the decorating committee was supposed to bring some in, but Dabiâs sister made half of them anyway. Thatâs why heâs here so early.â
âHe was making Christmas cookie boxes?â Spinner asks, then cracks up when Magne nods. âHe must be pissed.â
âHeâs been eating Fuyumiâs cookies all morning. Iâm jealous,â Magne says. She hands a box of cookies to Tomura and one to Spinner. âGood luck today. Watch out for mistletoe.â
Dabi wasnât kidding about the mistletoe. Itâs everywhere. On the stairs. In one corner of the elevator. Every twenty feet or so along the hallway. When Tomura and Spinner get down to the basement, they find Toga and Twice taping down a blue square right in front of the printer. âHey. Get that out of here. We donât want that down here.â
âWhen was the last time either of you printed something?â Toga asks. She looks up at Tomura and her eyes instantly sharpen. âThatâs a cute hat.â
Of course it is. Itâs your hat, which Tomura wore today to make sure he wouldnât forget it at home. âThatâs not your hat,â Toga continues. She straightens up and comes closer. âWhose hat is it, Tomura-kun?â
âNobodyâs.â
âIâve never seen you wear a hat before,â Spinner says. Spinnerâs supposed to be on Tomuraâs side. Tomura glares at him. âWhere did you get that?â
âNowhere.â Tomura sidesteps around them and sits down at his desk. Thereâs a present waiting for him, which means his Secret Santa got here early. A knot of anticipation pulls tight in Tomuraâs chest. He has a present for you, too, but now heâs missed his chance to leave it at your desk instead of in your mailbox. âLeave me alone.â
âItâs from your Secret Santa!â Toga flops down across the back of Tomuraâs chair and scares the hell out of him. âIt is, isnât it? Sheâs doing such a good job ââ
So his Secret Santa is a girl. Tomuraâs pretty sure Toga wasnât supposed to tell him that, just like heâs pretty sure sheâs the only person in addition to his Secret Santa who read his list. He knows itâs not Toga â she got Uraraka, or gave herself Uraraka on purpose. Which means his Secret Santa is probably â âIt doesnât matter who itâs from. I just borrowed it. Iâm giving it back.â
âBorrowed it,â Twice repeats. Heâs making a weird face. âWhen?â
Tomura hasnât told any of his friends about getting stuck at the office with you, and heâs not planning on it. He keeps his mouth shut and they keep harassing him, until Chikazoku arrives and tells them to clear out. Chikazoku must have missed the mistletoe warning. He steps right into the square Toga and Twice just taped down, and Twice plants a kiss on his cheek before running for the hills. Thatâs probably the only way the mistletoeâs getting used today. Somebody stepping into the squares by accident. Tomura canât imagine anybody doing it on purpose.
Tomuraâs imagination apparently isnât very good, because as the day wears on, he sees plenty of people hanging out in the squares, waiting for somebody to come by and kiss them. And he sees a weird number of people taking them up on it. He hears from Compress that some of them have turned it into a game, trying to collect a kiss from one person in every department. IT is the smallest department in the company. For the first and probably last time in Tomuraâs life, there are multiple people wanting to kiss him at once.
Hatsumeâs taking advantage of the situation, handing out kisses in exchange for bribes, and Chikazoku hasnât left his desk since Twice sneak-attacked him. That leaves Tomura, Spinner, Saiko, and Aiba as potential kissing options for everybody else. Spinner kisses Magne on the cheek to help her complete her Bingo card, then gets sucked into a lengthy negotiation with two girls from HR of all places over whether or not heâll kiss them platonically. Aiba, meanwhile, parks herself in one of the squares outside the break room and waits.
Tomura figures out what sheâs waiting for right around when you get there. You stop to talk to her, then turn away, and make eye contact with Tomura. He hopes heâs not imagining the way your eyes brighten, and heâs definitely not imagining you walking towards him. âHi,â you say. âHow was your weekend?â
âI need your number,â Tomura says without thinking, and your eyes widen. âI wanted to talk to you and you donât check your work messages on off days.â
âThis weekend I was,â you admit, and Tomura kicks himself. âYou can have my number. But only if you keep my hat.â
âItâs your hat,â Tomura says. âIt looks better on you.â
âI think it looks cute on you,â you say, and Tomuraâs face heats up. âKeep it. And give me your phone so I can put my number in it.â
Tomura unlocks his phone and hands it over, and while you create a contact for yourself, he keeps an eye on Aiba over your shoulder. You follow his eyeline and look too. Tomura sees your shoulders slump slightly. âWhat?â
âIâve seen him,â you say. âHeâs playing the game.â
âSo he should get down here. Heâs the only person in the building whoâs got an IT kiss he doesnât have to bribe somebody for.â
Thatâs not quite true. You wouldnât have to bribe Tomura for a kiss, but Tomura knows without asking that youâre not playing the game. Youâre shaking your head. âHe got his IT kiss already,â you say. Tomura stares at you. You lower your voice. âFrom Saiko.â
Tomura forgot about Saiko. âWhat the fuck?â
âHeâs her Secret Santa,â you say, like that explains everything. The next thing you say explains better. âShe likes tea, doesnât she?â
Saiko canât shut up about tea. Still â âWhat the fuck. Did you see it?â
You nod. âThey didnât see me, but I saw them.â
âYou talked to her. Did you tell her?â
âShe asked me if Iâd seen him, and I said yes. I didnât tell her where or who he was with,â you say. You look unhappy. âIf I tell her and she tells him, heâll just say they were playing the game.â
âThatâs the dumbest thing Iâve ever heard,â Tomura says, probably too loudly. You catch his arm and tug him around the corner, away from Aiba and the break room. âIf I was playing that stupid game â which Iâm not â I wouldnât kiss anybody except ââ
You. Tomura cuts himself off, averts his eyes, and thatâs when he realizes where heâs standing. And where youâre standing. There are two mistletoe zones right next to each other, and youâre each standing in one.
Did you do this on purpose? Tomura doesnât think so. You look just as surprised as he does, and your face turns red. âIâm not playing the game, either.â
âIf you were, you wouldnât have to bribe me,â Tomura says. âBut if you were playing the game, Iâd want you to lose.â
You look confused at first. Tomura sees when you get it, though, and he sees you swallow hard. âI donât want to win the game.â
Thereâs nobody in the hallway, which is good. Tomura doesnât want to kiss you for the first time with an audience. He reaches out and catches your hand, pulling you a step or two closer and deciding that itâs more fun to hold your hand when he doesnât have gloves on. He has a free hand, too. Thatâs good. If he doesnât hold onto your face so you stay still, heâs probably going to miss. He might miss even if you hold still. Why is this so hard? Why canât Tomura just lean in?
Your free hand comes up and grabs his shoulder, and Tomura feels a surge of relief. Maybe he wonât have to. Maybe if you just â
Noise suddenly erupts from around the corner, scaring the two of you apart, and a moment later, Tomura hears running footsteps. He doesnât have even a second to be pissed about the interruption before Aiba bolts past him down the hallway, face buried in her hands. Tomuraâs not exactly a student of human nature, but itâs not hard to guess what must have happened. âShe knows.â
âSomeone should go after her.â It looks like you think âsomeoneâ should be you. Your hand pulls free of Tomuraâs, and you step out of your mistletoe zone without hesitating. âIâm sorry.â
âItâs fine,â Tomura says. It is and it isnât, all at the same time. He doesnât like that youâre leaving. He likes that you want to help somebody whoâs hurt. âIâll see you later, right?â
âRight,â you say. You glance down at Tomuraâs feet, then up at the ceiling â and before Tomura can do much else than realize that heâs still firmly in a mistletoe zone, you lean in and plant a kiss on his cheek.
Itâs not really his cheek. Either you missed or you were aiming lower, and he thinks you were probably aiming lower, because your lips linger just below the corner of his mouth in a way that tells Tomura it wasnât an accident. âSorry,â you say again, and you take off down the hallway before Tomura can tell you not to apologize for the best thing thatâs ever happened to him under the mistletoe or anywhere else.
He doesnât think youâre sorry for that, anyway. He thinks youâre sorry that you had to leave. Tomura knows the feeling. Itâs the same one heâs had since Togaâs Christmas party, and as weird of a feeling as it is, itâs nice to know heâs not having it alone.
<- part x part xii ->
#shigaraki x reader#shigaraki x you#tomura shigaraki x reader#tomura shigaraki x you#shigaraki tomura x reader#shigaraki tomura x you#x reader#reader insert#man door hand hook car door#secret santa au
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pairing: Marcus Pike x f!readerÂ
word count: 3.0kÂ
note: Fluff. Drinking. Colleagues to lovers. Mutual pining. Written for the lovely @pedrostories Secret Santa event âĽď¸ My gift is for @always-andromeda , I hope you like it! It was so lovely to get to write for this blog again, and so exciting to share my first fic in a year and my first ever Marcus story! Thank you so much for the prompts, I tried to mix them both together, but it ended up dividing a bit from that first plan and turn into something else âĽď¸
(This is the first fic i've written in a year and english isn't my native langue, so apoligies for any possible mistakes âĽď¸)
The air hangs thick with the scent of pine needles and something suspiciously like cheap eggnog. The office is decked out in holiday cheer. Tinsel glints off the overly-enthusiastic Christmas decorations strung across the office, a jarring contrast to the usually austere environment. Twinkling lights are adorning the walls, and a massive tree stands proudly in the corner, its ornaments shimmering softly under the warm glow. Laughter fills the air as colleagues mingle, while festive music is playing in the background. It is the annual holiday party at the precinct, and the atmosphere is filled with a sense of camaraderie and celebration.Â
You are standing near the refreshment table, a glass of spiced wine in your hand, watching the cheerful chaos unfold before you. Your gaze drifts across the room, landing on Marcus, who is in the midst of animatedly chatting with a group of detectives, his smile infectious, and his laughter like music to your ears. You have harbored a crush on him since the day he started at the precinct, and tonight, with him looking so dashing under the twinkling lights, that crush feels more potent than ever.Â
Just as youâre lost in your daydream of Marcusâs charming smile, the sound of a familiar voice cuts through the festive din. Itâs Harold, the departmentâs oldest and most verbose agent, and heâs making a beeline for you. âAh, there you are! Iâve been meaning to talk to you about the new policies coming in next year,â he begins, his voice booming over the festive music. His passion for regulations is palpable, and his eyes light up as he launches into a detailed explanation of compliance protocols, the words spilling out like a torrent as you nod politely.
You try to interject, to steer the conversation towards lighter topics, but Harold is in full flow, oblivious to your subtle attempts at diversion. He recounts every last detail, his hands animatedly gesturing, as you mentally calculate the number of holiday cookies you could have consumed instead of standing here. You definitely need another drink to endure this conversation.Â
As Harold continues his monologue, you glance over at Marcus again, still engrossed in his chat with the detectives, the laughter radiating from their group like a beacon. A small pang of envy hits you; how easy it seems for him to connect with others, while youâre trapped in this policy discussion. But just then his head turns and your eyes lock across the room.  Â
Time seems to slow as you feel the warmth of his gaze wash over you, momentarily breaking through the haze of Haroldâs relentless chatter. Marcusâs smile broadens, a genuine connection sparking between you like the twinkling lights around the room. He raises his glass in a playful toast, and for a heartbeat, it feels as if the chaotic buzz of the party fades away, leaving only the two of you in that shared moment.Â
You lift your own glass in response, the spiced wine glinting in the soft light as you return his toast. The world around you blurs as you focus solely on Marcus, your heart racing with excitement and a hint of nervousness. His gaze is warm and inviting, making you feel as though youâre the only one in the room.Â
You smile back at him, but not as broad as his. He seems to notice, raising a brow in a silent question. Just then, Haroldâs voice breaks through the enchantment, his monologue picking up speed as he transitions to the next policy. You catch snippets about âstreamlining processesâ and âregulatory compliance,â but your thoughts are elsewhere. You canât help but steal another glance at Marcus, who is still looking your way, seemingly unbothered by the raucous laughter surrounding him.Â
You let out a little sigh, which Harold doesnât seem to even register, as you try to focus enough on the conversation to hum along at the right times and ad and âoh, really,â at the appropriate time. But you canât help but look over in the direction of Marcus again. You heal how your heart softly flutters in your chest as you watch him make his way through the crowd in your direction.Â
âHey there!â Marcus calls out, his voice cutting through the festive noise with a warmth that sends a thrill through you. He stops just in front of you, his gaze shifting from you to Harold and then back to you. a gentle smile lingering on his face.
âHey,â you say back, your voice a mix of surprise and excitement, momentarily forgetting all about Haroldâs policy monologue. Youâre suddenly aware of how the spiced wine feels warm in your hand, and how the alcohol is warming you up from the inside.Â
âAm I interrupting something?â Marcus asks, his tone light and polite as he glances at Harold, who immediately seems to deflate under the charming weight of Marcusâs presence.
âOh, not at all!â Harold replies. âJust discussing the new compliance protocols for next year. Absolutely riveting stuff, I assure you.âÂ
âOh, I can imagine. You must tell me about them after the holidays,â Marcus says, his smile is easy, and the way he leans casually against the table makes your heart skip a beat as he turns to you again. âIâve been meaning to talk with you all night. I need to ask you about something for the report on the Sollery case.â
You canât help but smile. There is no Sollery case, but youâre not about to correct him. Instead you play along, immensely grateful for Marcusâ graceful way of saving you from Haroldâs relentless monologue. âOf course,â you reply, your heart racing as you revel in the attention. The warmth of the spiced wine seems to spread throughout your body, mingling with the butterflies flitting around in your stomach.
You say a polite goodbye to Harold before he can dive back into another detailed explanation of compliance, the relief washing over you as you follow Marcus to a quieter corner in the other end of the room. The festive music swells around you, but it feels like a distant hum compared to the electricity crackling between you and Marcus.
âSo, what do you need to know about the âSollery caseâ?â you ask, a teasing lilt to your voice, eager to maintain the playful banter.Â
He chuckles softly, his brown eyes shining as he looks at you, a slight flush is dusting his cheeks, from the alcohol you assume. He looks adorable.Â
âYou looked like you needed a rescue,â he replies, his voice low and conspiratorial, âand I just couldnât let you endure another second of Haroldâs riveting lecture on compliance protocols. I mean, I love the guy, but sometimes it feels like listening to paint dry.â
You let out a genuine laugh, the sound buoyed by the atmosphere around you. âYou have no idea how grateful I am. I was convinced Iâd have to start counting the decorations on the tree just to stay awake.â
Marcus grins, a hint of mischief dancing in his eyes. âWell, Iâm glad I could save you. I canât let our brightest officer fall asleep at the Christmas party. That would be a tragedy.âÂ
He nudges you playfully with his elbow, and you feel your heart race at the light touch.
âAnd uhm, speaking of saving,â he continues, his expression turning slightly more serious but still warm, the flush on his cheeks darkening just the slightest. âI was wondering if youâd like to come over to my place after this? I have a bottle of whiskey that I think we could both use after the year weâve had.â
Your breath catches for a moment, the invitation hanging in the air between you like the lighted ornaments strung above your heads. âWhiskey?â you ask, feigning nonchalance while your heart races with excitement. âWhat kind?â
âOnly the best,â he replies, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. âI promise itâs not eggnog.â
You laugh, feeling the tension ease slightly. Thereâs something about the way he looks at you, something that makes you feel seen in a way that you havenât before. âWell, I do like whiskey,â you say, your voice teasing.Â
âGreat,â he says, his smile broadening, and you canât help but feel a swell of happiness at his invitation. This is more than just a drink; it feels like a chance to finally connect with him outside of work, away from the watchful eyes of colleagues.
You take a sip of your spiced wine, trying to calm the excitement bubbling within you. You stay at the party for a bit, chatting and laughing with your colleagues together with Marcus, the warmth of his presence enveloping you like a cozy blanket. After about an hour Marcus leans in a little. âReady to get out of here?âÂ
You nod eagerly, a smile spreading across your face at the thought of leaving the crowded FBI office behind. âAbsolutely,â you reply, your voice light with anticipation. The idea of spending time alone with Marcus makes your heart flutter, and you feel a rush of excitement as you both make your way towards the exit.
The cold december air hits you as you step outside, a stark contrast to the warmth of the office, but itâs refreshing. Marcus walks beside you, his presence comforting as you both navigate the snow-dusted sidewalk. The streetlights shimmer against the night sky. You make light conversation as you walk towards the metro station.Â
The city is alive with holiday lights, casting a warm glow over the streets. You canât help but steal glances at Marcus as you walk next to him, the way he moves with a casual confidence, his laughter still echoing in your ears. The anticipation of what the night holds has your heart racing, a mix of nerves and excitement simmering just beneath the surface.
As you approach the metro station, the atmosphere shifts slightly. The previous bustle of the office party has now faded completely into the background of your mind, and the intimate setting with just you and Marcus now feels charged with a new energy. You both descend the steps to the platform, the sound of your footsteps echoing off the concrete walls.
âSo,â Marcus begins, his tone light, âhow are you spending your holiday season this year?â
You chuckle, leaning against the cool metal railing. âAlone,â you admit with a playful shrug, trying to keep the mood light. âJust me, some takeout, and a few too many holiday movies. The usual.â
Marcus raises an eyebrow, a hint of disbelief mixed with amusement playing on his lips. âAlone? What about family or friends?â
âI mean, I have family, but theyâre several states away, and Iâd rather not deal with the holiday chaos,â you reply, a hint of defensiveness slipping into your tone. âPlus, my couch and a good movie sound pretty appealing right now.â
âFair enough,â he says, his expression softening. âIâm spending Christmas alone too this yearâjust me and a stack of books Iâve been meaning to tackle.â He chuckles, a genuine warmth in his eyes. âI guess weâre both in the same boat, huh?â
âYouâre not going back to Texas over the break?â
âNah, I decided to stay here this year. I love my family, and it would be nice to see them, but a lot happened back home before I transferred. Kind of left there heartbroken and Iâm not sure Iâm ready to go back just yet, even though Iâm mostly over it,â he replies, glancing at you with a slightly embarrassed smile.
You nod in understanding, the weight of his words resonating with you. You open your mouth, you want to say something, even though youâre not even sure about what to say, but then the train arrives with a rush of wind and a clatter of metal on metal. You both step back, momentarily distracted by its arrival. As it slows to a halt, the doors slide open.
Marcus gestures for you to enter first, and you canât help but notice the way he stands just a little closer than necessary, the warmth of his body radiating towards you. You step into the metro car and find a place to settle in, the metallic seats cool against your skin. Marcus sits beside you, his shoulder brushing against yours, sending a thrill of excitement through you.
As the train starts moving, the rhythmic clattering of the tracks fills the silence, and you glance sideways at Marcus. Heâs looking out the window, the lights reflecting in his eyes, and for a moment, you just take him in. Thereâs something undeniably comforting about being with him, an ease that feels almost electric.
âIs it your first time spending Christmas alone?â you ask, breaking the comfortable silence, your voice soft. âItâs my first time, my first time spending the whole holiday aloneâŚÂ Iâm starting to worry it might be a bit lonely.â
He turns his gaze back to you, his expression thoughtful. âYeah, it is my first time, but itâs just a few days, right? I think it might be good though, to have some time to regroup. Plus,â he adds with a smirk, âI canât wait to binge-watch whatever I want, I havenât had time to watch a show in ages.â
You laugh, the sound bubbling up easily. âTrue! Thatâs a definite perk.â
âAnd, you know, if Iâm lucky, I might even get to finish that book series Iâve been meaning to read,â he says, an excited, almost boyish, glint in his eyes.
âWhat series?â you ask, genuinely curious.
âItâs a fantasy series,â he replies, his enthusiasm infectious. âItâs about dragons and magic and all that good stuff. I know it sounds really nerdy, but itâs amazing!â
You canât help but let out a little chuckle, hiding your mouth behind your glove covered hand. He really doesnât have any idea about how adorable he is, and it warms your heart. âOf course, youâre a fantasy nerd,â you giggle, shaking your head gently. Â
 Marcus feigns offense, his eyes widening in mock indignation. âIâll have you know that fantasy is a very legitimate genre! Itâs all about world-building, character development, and epic battles. Plus, who wouldnât want to ride a dragon?â He leans in closer, a playful glint in his eyes, and you canât help but lean in too, drawn by his enthusiasm.
âOkay, okay, you make a compelling argument,â you concede, laughter still dancing in your voice.
âSeriously, you should give it a try. I think you will like it actually.â
âI might just take you up on that,â you say, your heart racing with the idea of sharing something with him. âMaybe Iâll start it over the holidays,â you reply, smiling at him. âI could use some good escapism.â
He smiLes at you, but you donât get to talk more about it. The train begins to slow as it approaches your stop, and Marcus shifts slightly, his arm brushing against yours again. You feel a warmth spreading through you, a sense of closeness that makes your heart flutter.
As the doors slide open, you both step out into the crisp night air. The walk to his place is short but filled with light-hearted banter and laughter.
Finally, you reach his townhouse. Unlocking the door, Marcus leads you inside, turning on the light of the hallway as he closes the door behind you. He takes your coat hanging it on the coat hanger while you take off your boots before showing you to the living room. The cozy setting, filled with soft light and comfy looking furniture, feels welcoming and familiar.
Marcus moves to the kitchen, and you take a moment to look around. The walls are lined with shelves filled with books, and a few framed pictures catch your eyeâsome of him with friends, others of family, and one of him as a kid with a goofy grin on his face.
âMake yourself at home,â he calls out from the other room, you can hear the clink of glasses.
You settle onto the plush couch, feeling a wave of contentment wash over you as you sink into the cushions. The warmth of the room envelops you, and you canât help but smile softly as you take it all in.Â
Moments later, he reappears with two glasses in hand, a bottle of whiskey perched under his arm. âI hope you like it neat,â he says, pouring a generous amount into each glass and handing one to you. âCheers to a surprisingly delightful holiday evening.â
You clink your glass against his, the sound ringing with a sense of promise. âCheers,â you echo, taking a sip. The rich, smooth flavor warms you from the inside out, and you savor the moment. âThank you for having me, and thank you for saving me from Harold earlier.âÂ
Marcus chuckles, the sound warm and genuine. âAnytime. Iâd take a night with you over compliance protocols any day,â he replies, leaning back against the couch, his glass resting comfortably in his hand.
âDitto,â you smile in response. You watch him, the way his eyes light up when he talks, how he seems to genuinely enjoy your company. The atmosphere is relaxed, filled with the soft hum of distant holiday music coming from his speakers. The tension you felt earlier at the party has melted away, replaced by a sense of ease that envelops you both.
âYou knowâŚâ Marcusâ expression changes as he leans forward to put his glass down on the coffee table. âI was thinking⌠Since you are spending the holiday alone, and Iâm spending it alone, and you said you were scared that it might get lonelyâŚâ He takes a deep breath before continuing and you feel your heart fluttering in your chest as you realize where this is going. âMaybe... we could make it a little less lonely together?â His voice is soft yet hopeful, and you can see the sincerity in his brown eyes.
Your heart skips a beat at the suggestion. âThat sounds nice.â
âIt does?âÂ
âYeah, it really does,â you respond, your voice steady despite the fluttering excitement beneath the surface. âIâd love to spend the holiday with you. It sounds⌠perfect, actually.â
A smile spreads across Marcusâs face, a mix of relief and joy that makes your heart swell. âYeah, really perfect...â
Unbeknownst to the two of you, this would be the first of many, many holidays spent together.
#pedrostoriesgift24#pedrostories#marcus pike x reader#marcus pike#marcus pike x you#marcus pike fanfiction#marcus pike fic#marcus pike fluff#marcus pike x f!reader#the mentalist fanfiction#pedro pascal characters#pedro pascal fic#pedro pascal fanfiction#pedro pascal x reader
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Twisted Wonderland - He Hears You Singing (About Him)
Twisted Wonderland Writings Masterpost
Heartslabyul Edition, Savanaclaw Edition
Prompt:Â While relaxing, and doing chores around the Ramshackle dorm for your weekend restoration of the barely standing building, your thoughts drift to love songs from your old world. You think of songs that remind you of your closest fellow NRC student and significant other, and end up singing one while you work.
Reader:Â GN reader - They/Them pronouns and they are referred to as 'MC/Prefect' in this one. And let's all just agree that MC is a great singer- cuz some of these songs have mad vocals that I would never dream of trying to sing myself with my incredibly average voice, and I imagine a lot of you are the same.
Included Characters: Octavinelle Edition!
Warnings:Â None.
Request Rules & Information Here
~~~
Azul Ashengrotto - "Adore You" by Harry Styles
- Why did he stop by Ramshackle? He can't remember. It was something about taste testing the new spring menu, maybe? He's not sure it matters anymore, given how enamored he is with the sound of your voice right now.
- Is frozen in the doorway like a deer caught in headlights, he hadn't even realized it was you singing (he thought it was from your phone or something on a radio) until he turned the corner and saw you.
- When you see him, he turns all kind of shades of scarlet, embarrassed at being caught staring, but he quickly composes himself.
- Immediate compliments followed quickly by an offer to sing at the Mostro Lounge sometime- you'd be paid generously of course-
- On the outside he's acting cool, but the song in question really did fluster him quite a bit, and thoughts of you singing it again just for him keep intruding in his mind, and if you look closely you can see his ears remain a pretty shade of pink the whole conversation after.
- Does truly think you would look stunning dressed up in lavish clothes, preforming on the stage of the Mostro Lounge, are you sure you don't want to? He'll throw in a free meal plus pay!
"My, my, MC, that was a lovely performance. You should put those wonderful vocals to use, I'm sure everyone would be in awe of you at the Lounge. Some may even show up just to see you- I certainly would."
~~~
Jade Leech -Â "Dive" by Olivia Dean
- He's honestly quiet pleasantly surprised when he enters Ramshackle (without knocking of course) and hears your wonderful singing voice.
- A soft (dare I say genuine?) smile makes it's way to his face as he approaches the living area where you're cleaning, and stands patiently in the doorway for you to finish the song- one he's never heard before but it flows rather smoothly, much like the jazz played at the lounge.
- He finds the lyrics rather intriguing too, now what would inspire you to sing such a romantic song? A crush perhaps? The idea of you having enough of a crush on someone to sing such a song about them makes him... Well, he'll just focus on what he has right in front of him for now, and save those pesky feelings for later self-analysis.
- When you catch him he is completely shameless in his staring, as a matter of fact, his smile grows, before he gives a curious tilt of his head and motions with his hand for you to continue.
- What? Your voice was beautiful, of course he wants to hear it more. What's he doing here? Oh, well, he's come to ask if you'd like to be the first to taste test the Mostro Lounges new spring menu.
- Sure he didn't knock, but it's honestly your fault for not locking the front door- oh, the locks are broken? That can't possibly be safe. Perhaps you should stay at Octavinelle until they are fixed, that way he can hear your voice much more often.
- As a matter of fact, instead of 100 thaumarks a night for a room, he's sure he can arrange for you to sing at the Lounge every night for payment instead.
"Oh, please don't mind me, continue. Your voice is quite delightful, you should consider singing at the Lounge- though, I'm not sure I want anyone else to hear you but me..."
~~~
Floyd Leech - "Risk" by Gracie Abrams
- oHohOHo, you're never gonna live this down PT. 3
- The moment he barges into Ramshackle in a poor mood, looking for his favorite Shrimpy to cheer him up, he freezes at the sound of you're voice.
-Â But not for long.
- One second, you're alone, singing as you do some chores, and the next second you're being spun around in Floyd Leech's arms as he laughs cheerfully.
- He loves your voice. Keep singing! He wants to dance with you while you do! Forget those boring chores! He's here now, so you can both have fun! You're so adorable he could squeeze you till you pop!
- You should come by the lounge sometimes and sing to him to make his shifts less boring. He's sure Azul wouldn't mind- and if he does, then you two can just leave and have your own party elsewhere!
- He will, without a doubt, demand that you sing to and for him at the most random of times, hell, he might even barge into the middle of your class in a foul mood and demand a serenade from his Shrimpy.
- If you truly won't sing to him, his mood may worsen and you won't see him for awhile while he sorts himself out, whereas if you do sing for him, he will immediately start to feel better.
- The best moment he could ask for to fix his mood, is laying beside you his head in your lap, while you sing. It helps him decompress, and feel so much better from whatever was overwhelming him or souring his mood.
"Shrimpy~! Nice set of pipes! Well, don't stop singing, let's dance together! I knew you'd be doin' something fun, you always cheer me right up!"
~~~
Can you guys tell that Octavinelle is one of my favorite dorms? Particularly the twins? Especially Floyd, his unpredictability with his mood swings are very relatable as someone with severe untreated ADHD and bipolar tendencies. I just think he's neat guys. And fun to write. Anyway! Merry Christmas everyone, and I'll see you next post! ~ Roo
#fanfic#fanfic writing#fanfiction#twst#twisted wonderland#twisted wonderland disney#disney twisted wonderland#twst imagines#twst x reader#twst fanfic#twisted wonderland x reader#twst wonderland#disney twst#azul ashengrotto#jade leech#floyd leech#azul x reader#jade x reader#floyd x reader#azul twisted wonderland#jade twisted wonderland#floyd twisted wonderland#azul ashengrotto x reader#jade leech x reader#floyd leech x reader
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but my best enemy is you
pt.1!!!, angst, smut, violence, it's a mess
âyou're the sweetestâ she says, smiling at your flushed face. her thumb softly caresses your cheek.
you lean into her touch, her soft hand on your skin was a feeling which you love more than anything.
âi love youâ you whisper against her lips, kissing her slowly and passionately.
âi love you tooâ her voice is full of love as well as the look on her face, her smile not fading from her lips.
oh, how you wished it would stay on her lips forever.
âyou're fucking unbelievableâ
âi'm unbelievable? are you seriously trying to blame me?â
âcall it blaming, i call it being honest and seeing the truthâ
you can't read momo's expression, you can't tell what she's feeling, if she's sad, mad, or just disappointed.
your hand shakes a little, as if you're scared.
you are actually scared.
âi can'tâ
âwe're doneâ
is she too?
âso just like that? that was it?â
âyou're not going to fight for us?â
âyou're the better fighter between us, use it in the ring - not in our relationship,â
âor whatever it was.â
âyou're an assholeâ
âokayâ
-
momo swirls the ice in her drink with the straw, watching the fight that's happening.
two men who she never saw before are fighting against each other, it doesn't quite peak her interest.
she thinks it's uninteresting watching them fight - or others in general. they don't have any tension in their fights.
they simply fight to win the money, not because they have a certain history with the person standing in front of them.
basically meaning, momo doesn't care if it's strangers, she only cares when she and you fight against each other.
she knows about the rumors, she knows that more people come into the bar just to watch the two of them.
but she also believes that you don't need to know both of those things, acting cold and like she has no idea about it instead.
the fight ends and everyone but her cheers for the fighters, she turns to the bartender and orders a shot of vodka.
âmomo, right?â a red haired girl asks as she sits down next to her.
momo looks at her, nods and then downs the shot quickly.
âwho's asking?â she knows.
âjihyo - i'm y/n's trainerâ she replies, looking at the ring.
âwhat are you doing here?â momo asks her, also looking at the ring.
âthe same as you, watching fightsâ
ây/n is actually up nextâ her eyes widen in shock, not expecting to hear that you're fighting someone else instead of her.
before momo can ask jihyo other questions - the crowd starts to yell and cheer as you enter the ring on the left side.
jeongyeon enters the ring on the right side, receiving a lot of support from the spectators.
momo has heard of jeongyeon before, even fought against her when she first started fighting.
she asks herself who will win.
you're a strong fighter - and the fact that you're not fighting against her makes momo think that you could easily win, since there is no history, nothing that could hold you back from hitting her with all the strength you have in your body.
the referee (again, who's actually just a random guy) blows in his whistle, signaling that the fight is starting.
you block your face with your hands as jeongyeon tries to hit you, moving to the side and hitting her stomach.
jeongyeon looks at you full of anger, as if you'd done something so terrible.
she walks over to you - almost even runs - and hits your throat.
an illegal move.
you gasp for air, falling against the border of the ring, looking up to her being right in front of you.
the referee is too slow, he doesn't stop jeongyeon and she hits another hit in your face.
then your stomach, your side, your chest - literally everything she could hit before getting dragged away by the referee.
you fall down on the floor, blood coming from your nose and mouth.
momo stares at the ring in shock, not being able to move.
what just happened?
jihyo next to her calls an ambulance, rushing to you to check if you're (somehow) alright.
momo slowly stands up and walks closer, a sigh of relief (which she hopes wasn't too loud) leaves her mouth when she sees you sitting up again, holding your head and talking to jihyo (or rather, jihyo talks to you and you try not to pass out).
the medics arrive quickly, a woman with blonde hair gets into the ring and kneels in front of you so she can look at what happened.
jihyo leaves you alone, the crowd slowly relaxes and decides on doing other things than staring at you and your wounds.
everyone but momo.
her eyes are fixed on you, and her.
she can't explain why, but seeing you and her - it makes her stomach drop, gives her this uncomfortable feeling.
âyou're prettyâ she hears you say to her, to which the girl replies to with a giggle.
she introduces herself as sana to you (a pretty name in momo's opinion, but that doesn't change anything).
momo thinks that she's pretty and nice, she isn't a bad woman.
but she can't help herself to feel jealous.
she has no right to be jealous, but she still feels it. it doesn't matter if she wants to feel that way or not - she is jealous.
-
it has been exactly one week.
one week since you fought against jeongyeon, which led to multiple serious injuries.
one week since you were laughing and giggling like idiots with that medic sana.
momo hasn't been able to stop thinking about it.
she sits down next to you at the bar without greeting you.
you look at the bartender and ask him for a shot of tequila which he places in front of momo before leaving you two alone.
âyour favoriteâ you say, not looking at her. she interrupts you though.
âhow are you doing? you looked rough last weekâ she asks, drinking the tequila quickly after finishing her sentence.
âwhy do you care?â you ask back, to which momo doesn't reply (or rather - she isn't able to reply).
âwhatâs up with sana and you?â she says, turning the bar stool so she can fully look at you.
you laugh a little, finishing your beer, âyou know, you ask a lot of questionsâ
she waits for you to answer her question instead of saying something else.
you sigh, realizing she's as stubborn as you often are.
ânothing much. i dont get why you would care, but we're just talking. that's allâ you answer.
you turn to her, looking in her eyes, but you quickly look away.
her eyes make you nervous, even after all this time - you still get nervous talking to her.
âif you excuse me, i have to go, was nice talking to youâ you say, placing some money on the table as you walk out of the door of the bar.
maybe she's stupid - but she doesn't care.
she walks out of the bar quickly, walking after you.
she sees you walking away, so she runs after you.
her hand grips your wrist and stops you from walking.
you look at her, your mouth opens to say something, but she interrupts you, again.
but this time, she kisses you.
momo pins you to the stone wall behind you, her hands grip the collar of your cropped leather jacket as her lips are on yours.
you're shocked, but you kiss her back anyway.
oh, how much you missed this.
she leaves your lips after a while, salvia connecting you two.
âi don't know why i care,â she starts speaking, her eyes focused on yours.
âbut what i know is that i was jealous,â
âseeing you and sana act like we used to,â
âit made me mad, it upset me,â
âshe doesn't know you like i do -â
momo isn't a bold person often, but something about today is different.
âshe wouldn't be able to fuck you like i doâ she whispers against your lips, her hands gripping your waist.
you look at her in silence, her statement sounding not real, like you're in a dream.
you realize that this isn't a dream though.
this time you pull momo closer, kissing her.
âlet's go to my placeâ you mumble in between kisses.
-
everything happens so fast that neither momo nor you can really comprehend what exactly happens.
it's messy and needy (something you always liked).
you sit on top of momo as youâre both making out.
you lean back just a little so your lips part, taking off your shirt.
momo can't help but stare.
it's nothing crazy in your opinion, a simple calvin klein bra.
momo thinks it's so much more than that though.
you're back to kissing her as you slowly kiss down momos neck, biting and sucking, leaving hickeys all over.
you were never this eager for something, ever.
âah fuck-... i don't know if this is the smartest thingâ she whimpers, hands gripping your naked waist, fingers curling into your skin as they slightly scratch you.
the burn you feel is delicious.
âyou know i always thought you are a smart girl,â you breathe out against her neck, admiring your work before going for the other side.
âbut this is your time to be stupid for onceâ you whisper, momo bites her lip at your statement.
she pushes you away so she's able to take off her shirt. you get off her lap so you can take her jeans off, being so eager that you're almost ripping them off (if youâd listen closely you would probably be able to hear it).
âcome hereâ she orders, pulling you closer after kicking her pants off her feet.
you're back to kissing her again, opening your mouth so her tongue can explore it.
you can't help but let out a moan when she presses her knee up to your core, grinding onto it.
you push her back down onto the mattress, leaning down so you can place kisses all over her body.
momo watches you, her breath hitches when you press a kiss on her clit over the underwear.
âthat sensitive?â you tease her as you lock eyes, momo bites her lip again.
âhavenât done it in a long timeâ she replies.
you pull off her underwear, it slightly sticks to her because of the slick, making you laugh at her.
âyeah i bet. it doesn't feel as good when you're doing it without meâ you comment.
you don't waste your time and shove two of your fingers inside her wet cunt, fucking her in a fast rythmn.
âwe should do something like this more oftenâ you smirk, kissing her naked skin.
she simply just nods, moaning and whimpering at the feeling of your fingers inside of her after so long.
you don't wait long, putting another finger in.
momo moans at the stretch, gripping the bed sheets. her bottom lip starts to bleed a little at the pressure she's applying.
âyou sound so pretty for me babyâ you praise her, pulling your fingers out just to thrust them into her again.
you move your head right next to hers, whispering into her ear.
âsuch a desperate slut for me, god.. look at you momoâ the way you say her name makes momo even needier, clenching around your fingers.
âpleaseâ she begs, if you would ask her what she's begging for, she wouldn't be able to answer. her mind is clouded and full of you and nothing else.
âcan you take another one, good girl?â you ask, she looks at you, breathing heavily.
âtoo much-â she moans.
you know how to get what you want with her.
âplease babyâ
âyou're my good girl aren't you? i know you can take it. please, for meâ she looks into your eyes, theyâre full of lust, full of the desire to ruin momo.
she nods, biting her lip again. if you look closely into her eyes you can even see how glassy they are.
âthat's my good girlâ
you slowly insert a fourth finger, giving her time to adjust.
momo throws her head back, breath hitching at the feeling.
âyou're so tight babyâ you tease, slowly starting to move your fingers.
âfeel so full mommy-â she whimpers, the name makes you just increasingly eager to make her finish.
you start to thrust into her, making her moan louder and louder.
âi'm so close-â she moans.
âplease- let me cum.. god please y/n-â the way she's asking you for permission, how could you say no to that?
âcum for me pretty girlâ you keep moving your fingers and it doesn't take long for momo to cum all over you with a loud moan, her breath shaky as well as her legs, breathing heavily as she somehow tries to calm down.
but you don't take your fingers out, looking at her ruined state.
âpleaseâ you start begging, and momo knows what you're begging for.
she also knows that she will say yes.
she'll let you overstimulate her till she's crying and sore.
it feels too good to stop.
#feeling silly#twice smut#wlw#twice imagines#twice x reader#girl group smut#momo smut#momo x fem reader#momo x reader#momo angst#momo fluff#twice angst#jihyo x reader#jihyo smut#nayeon x reader#nayeon smut#sana smut#sana x reader#mina x reader#mina smut#chaeyoung smut#tzuyu smut#jeongyeon smut#dahyun smut#twice ff
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A LOOK AT STYLE'S JOURNEY | Ep 5
(Overview | Ep1+2 | Ep3 | Ep4)
Airenyah is back, bringing you even more rambles about Style Sattawat Chayakorn than ever before. This meta series might just end up becoming my magnum opus.
Alright, here we go. So, in episode 3 we saw Style starting to develop positive feelings for Fadel. He tries to bond with Fadel, tries to engage him in amiable conversations, and also starts to get suspicious of as well as curious about Fadel and his life and develops an interest in learning more about this man and all he's made up of, an interest that is entirely separately from Kant's mission and the deal with the car.
In episode 4 this trend continues and we follow Style as these positive feelings slowly develop into actual, genuine romantic feelings. Style goes from simply just liking Fadel to like liking Fadel.
Now in episode 5 we get to watch Style slowly, yet rapidly fall in love with Fadel as he grapples with the fact that the man he's falling in love with regularly kills people.
And ohhhh boy, what a ride it is. I've written over 12k words for this meta and yet I still feel like there are so many aspects that I still didn't manage to get into or that I only barely scratched the surface of. Not to mention that there are some scenes (especially the first sauna scene) where I feel like every time I watch it, every time I replay the scene I'm getting something else out of it. I swear, the amount of times I've written and rewritten whole sections... No, truly, at this point I feel like I hate more or less everything that I wrote. I apologize in advance for the mess you are about to read. And let me tell you, no matter how detailed you think this meta is? It in no way reflects all my thoughts and feelings that I have about this episode and about my boy Style Sattawat.
Either way, enjoy!
Pronoun Situation: Just assume Fadel and Style use the rude guu/mueng pronouns with each other unless I explicitly state otherwise.
To recap: Style has started to develop genuine feelings for Fadel and is over the moon that Fadel actually agreed to be his boyfriend. His joy is soon punched out of him as he learns of Fadel's real profession. Style unexpectedly meets Fadel at the gym and runs off in a panic, unable to deal with the situation and absolutely terrified.
No. 1: Sauna The Sequel
Let me just say straight away that I'm gonna be looking at this scene running on the assumption that this is happening on the same day as when Style ran away from Fadel at the work-out bench last episode, because Fadel says: "You seem strange today." If the scene from last episode had happened on a different day, I think he would have said "recently" or "these days" or something along those lines instead. Anyway, let's start.
They're at the gym and apparently they both like going to the sauna after a good work-out, because just like in episode 2 they have their next run-in in the sauna after parting at the weightlifting bench. This time it's Style, though, who arrives at the sauna first and he sits there, still in distress, but already a lot calmer than he was at the work-out bench.
When I first watched this scene I was thinking to myself how fun it was to watch Style be very scared of Fadel after we got multiple explicit references of Style decidedly not being scared of Fadel. Now on second look, though, I don't think he's actually as scared as I had first thought. In their last scene together, the scene by the work-out bench, yeah, Style was absolutely terrified and fighting for his life. But instead of a ruthless killer, Style experienced kindness and care, experienced Fadel being a sweet boyfriend. Unable to reconcile these two conflicting perspectives on Fadel, Style made an escape. Now he's sitting in the sauna contemplating everything, trying to figure out how to deal with and/or get out of this mess. Fadel enters the sauna and while Style still looks a little surprised and startled, it doesn't put him into a panic again. As has been pointed out by @secriden and I have also already discussed in my ep4 meta, in episode 4 Style went to the gym during day time, likely in order to avoid Fadel who explicitly mentioned in episode 2 that he prefers to go to the gym at night. But then Fadel shows up anyway and Style, who hadn't been expecting that and as a result hadn't been mentally prepared for a run-in with Fadel, panics completely. Now, however, sitting in the sauna he is well aware that Fadel is around. This might also be a reason as to why Style's heart isn't stopping the way it did back at the work-out bench.
Fadel sits down next to Style and Style moves away, putting more distance between them. What's funny, though, is that despite Style's apparent discomfort at touching Fadel or being anywhere close to him, he still keeps his hand near Fadel, touching him anyway.
[pls scroll back up to the title pic if you wanna see it, i've reached image limit đđđ]
Now we could call that unclean acting, because if Style really is that uncomfortable with the thought of being close to or touching Fadel aka a Known Killer, then he should be making sure to keep each and every single body part away from Fadel, including his hands. Meaning, he should really be yanking that hand away from Fadel. Or what we could do instead, what's even more fun actually, is that we could interpret this as Style not actually being that uncomfortable with the thought of touching Fadel despite his rational mind telling him he should be. His rational mind might be telling him that he should keep his distance from Fadel if he wants to stay alive, but his hand betrays him, exposes his true desire of wanting Fadel anyway. Style is conflicted, but he is not disgusted by Fadel and now after Fadel has been nothing but a sweet boyfriend to him and Style has calmed down a bit from his earlier panic, he also no longer feels as threatened by Fadel's presence and his touch.
Style is still extremely nervous, though, because the knowledge of Fadel killing people is still at the forefront of his mind, but Fadel's presence and Fadel himself don't terrify him as much anymore. This emotional change also shows in his voice: Earlier at the work-out bench he was hesitating to answer every time Fadel said something to him only to hurriedly blurt out his replies a moment later. Now in the sauna, while Style still hesitates and blurts out his answers, they're not as rushed anymore and he's also more talkative again, engages in the conversation more than he did earlier. What's more, at the work-out bench Style barely dared to look at Fadel and when he did look at him, he only threw quick glances at him before turning his eyes away again. In the sauna Style starts out avoiding eye contact with Fadel at first, but as soon as Fadel opens the conversation, Style can (mostly) look him in the eye again.
Fadel calls out Style's uncharacteristic behavior and Style quickly comes up with excuses. Unlike back at the work-out bench, where his voice was full of panic and terror, he now sounds more appeasing, in an attempt to calm Fadel's worries and suspicions. There is a lot of awkwardness when Style claims "Iâm fine. Iâm just not used to this", there's even a sort of urgency to it like please believe me, please believe me, please stop asking. Fadel stares at him skeptically, so Style elaborates: "Itâs usually me running after you, but now youâre with me."
By the way, since I know so many people are liking the Thai language tidbits, this line here:
Itâs usually me running after you, but now youâre with me.
More literally is:
Usually I'm after you, but now you're after me. ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸´ŕ¸ŕ¸šŕ¸ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸˛ŕ¸Ąŕ¸Ąŕ¸śŕ¸ŕšŕ¸Ľŕšŕ¸§ŕ¸Ąŕ¸śŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸˛ŕ¸Ąŕ¸ŕ¸šŕ¸ŕšŕ¸˛ŕ¸ŕšŕ¸Ľŕšŕ¸§ŕ¸ŕšŕ¸° [bpòk-gĂ -dtĂŹ - guu - gĂ´r - dtaam - mueng - lĂĄew - mueng - dtaam - guu - bâang - lĂĄew - Ă h] usually - I - follow - you - and - you - follow - I/me - some - already - [particle]
Style actually manages to find his sincerity for this specific lie, but Fadel is already onto him and asks if Style has suddenly changed his mind after all. Style looks away awkwardly, but also lost in thought a little as he thinks about how this is exactly what happened after he found out the truth. It's not like he can just say this, though. Imagine that. Sorry, I don't want you as my boyfriend after all because I don't feel comfortable dating someone who could potentially murder me. And as I mentioned in my ep4 meta, I do think Style is lowkey terrified that Fadel will kill him if Style breaks up with him right after Fadel finally started opening up to him which he knows was a big step for Fadel. But then Fadel says "I donât mind [breaking up], you know? I donât like you that much. Iâll get over it." Style looks away, sighs and gets lost in thought. It's a messy situation to be in, even if Fadel won't immediately be killing him over a break-up after all.
When Style fails to answer Fadel stands up in order to leave. This brings life back to Style and he hurriedly holds Fadel back, asking him to wait with the most puppy eyes:
Yeah, I just had to spend one of the only 30 images per post on the puppy eyes, I mean just look at him!!
Anyway, Style looks at Fadel with puppy eyes, and there is so much uncertainty and hesitation and doubt in them. There is also fear, but to me it doesn't look like he's afraid of Fadel specifically, it looks more like he's anxious and worried about the whole situation in general. It looks like Style wants something, but hasn't quite figured out what exactly it is that he wants. He is feeling many emotions at once, has many conflicting feelings at once. When Fadel asks Style if he's sure, I'm struggling so hard to pinpoint/name the many different emotions that Style is feeling in that moment. All I can think of looking at Style's face is: help.
The boy is overwhelmed. He wants to be far away from Fadel, but he also doesn't want him to leave, wants to dump him, but he can't and also kind of maybe deep down perhaps doesn't even really want to, has something on his mind that desperately wants out, but that he must keep inside under any circumstance.
Fadel asks Style if he's intimidated by him and I just wish the English subs had kept the word "scared" just like the Thai lines kept the word ŕ¸ŕ¸Ľŕ¸ąŕ¸§ [gluua], because it's such a nice callback to episode 4 where Style enters the greenhouse, yelling "You think I'm scared of you?" (or "But I ain't scared of you!", as the English subs put it). Now Style is getting thrown that question right back at himself. Style has proven time and time again that he isn't scared of Fadel, but this time when he says "I'm not scared of you" it's a lie. Fadel skeptically raises an eyebrow at him. Style comes up with another excuse. "I just canât believe my persistence actually worked." It definitely is an excuse, but I think that Style is telling the truth here, that he really is surprised that he managed to actually get Fadel to open up to him. I think he truly wasn't expecting it. Now there is also little bit of amusement as he finishes the sentence. As much as he does not want to be around a killer, it doesn't change the fact that he really did enjoy getting on Fadel's nerves. But that little smile fades very quickly as he looks at Fadel in anxious anticipation. And Fadel? Fadel goes with it and throws him a challenge. Style's persistence didn't work. They're on trial. Style still has to put more effort in. Style raises his eyebrows at Fadel like Bitch what did you just say to me????
Fadel did it. He's awakened Style's competitive side. Style completely forgets any qualms he initially had about getting close to Fadel and starts getting handsy with him. But Fadel interrupts Style's seduction and asks to go to Style's garage. However, Style hasn't forgotten about Fadel's secret job enough to happily welcome him home, so he declines. He's definitely horny now, though, and suggests staying in the sauna instead to do the deed and get it over with. As I said in my ep4 meta, Style only gets handsy with Fadel when he's genuinely trying to get into Fadel's pants or under his towel. This is why I think that despite Style's initial apprehensions surrounding Fadel and his secret job, Style absolutely would have hooked-up with Fadel right there and then if Fadel had let him. But Fadel doesn't, he insists on going to the garage instead. Fadel's secret job is fully back on Style's mind again. Style sits back again, sighing as he tenses up again a little. He's clearly not as uncomfortable and nervous around Fadel anymore as he was at the beginning of the scene, but he certainly doesn't feel great about letting a killer into his home. He throws Fadel a look, and I do think Style is a little scared again, but I feel like Style is less scared of Fadel himself and more scared about what might happen if he lets a hitman in, scared not just of what might happen to himself but scared of potentially also putting his dad in danger or giving away any information that could be useful to Fadel in the future in case Fadel does decide to murder him if Style gets too annoying or if Fadel finds out all the secrets Style's been keeping.
Now, guys, let me tell you I spent a whole day writing and thinking about this scene and honestly, I struggled sooo so much. Even as I've finished writing this part I'm still not happy at all with what I put down. There is just so much going on inside of Style and it turned out to be extremely difficult to name and to pinpoint every single emotion because I felt like any time I replayed a shot I was seeing a new aspect and there were so many times where I was feeling an emotion but I just couldn't find the right word to describe it no matter how much I clicked my way through different words and synonyms on Google. But maybe that's kind of the point. Style is feeling many different things, a lot of the emotions that are also contradicting each other, his rational mind is fighting against his heart and it's all so overwhelming in a way you can't really put into words.
No. 2: Date Night
They're on their little go-kart date and Style is having so much fun that he's completely forgotten to be uncomfortable around Fadel, laughing the brightest laughter as he zooms around the track with Fadel. Ever since Style found out that Fadel kills people professionally, Fadel has never once made him feel threatened and unsafe in his actions apart from what was in Style's head at the time. Fadel isn't a ruthless murderer, not to him, not towards Style, and it has Style relax again, has him laugh without any apprehensions. Style is finally able to let go of his worries again and to simply just enjoy the time with his new boyfriend.
A little language note here, this:
Itâs just a fluke.
More literally is:
You beat me just this one time. ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸°ŕ¸ŕ¸šŕšŕ¸ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸Łŕ¸ąŕšŕ¸ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸ľŕ¸˘ŕ¸§ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸ľŕšŕ¸˘ [chĂĄ-nĂĄ - guu - kaĂŞ - krĂĄng - diiao - nĂŽia] beat, defeat - I/me - just, only - time - only, sole - [particle]
Style has let down his defenses so much that he immediately engages in a personal conversation when Fadel starts asking questions and shares without any hesitations. Both we, the audience, as well as Fadel learn that Style lost his mother. This makes me especially happy, because I wrote this in my ep3 meta about the conversation when Fadel drags Style into the storage room:
I do think there's some truth to it when Style says "I have my own problems. Youâre not the only one" but whatever problems in life Style currently has (especially if there's anything connected to loss and grief), these problem's really aren't at the forefront of his mind right now.
I had a feeling these lines would come back and that they might be connected to loss, since that's the theme of the support group and at the time of writing I even contemplated the fact there might even be something in Style's past. I almost added a little sentence or two about how if Style also lost someone it has probably been long enough since then that now he's able to be unserious at a group meeting for grief without thinking about it even for a second.
Style brags about winning a competition and Fadel says he knows. The pleased smile is wiped off of Style's face as he suddenly remembers Fadel's real job. Style is starting to feel a little threatened again, a little scared. When he asks "How'd you know that?" it's almost an attack. Fadel shouldn't know this. Why does he know this? Did he do some snooping around? Why would Fadel need to snoop around? Is Style the next target? Does Fadel have a reason to kill him? But Fadel explains he saw it online. Yeah, okay. That makes sense in this day and age. Style lets it go but is still on guard. He doesn't quite trust Fadel.
Fadel continues asking questions. "You said you liked me from the moment you saw me. What did you like about me?" But the thing is, that was a lie. Style did not, in fact, like Fadel from the first time they met. He needs to come up with a believable reason. "I liked the feeling of chasing after you." I do think he genuinely did have fun chasing Fadel, bugging him, which is why he manages to say it with enough sincerity for Fadel to believe it. Style can't fool me, though, because while his words aren't exactly performative like other times when he's being insincere (as discussed in my ep4 meta), his demeanor is still a bit too "loud" for me to fully believe it. Just that one sentence, though, because I absolutely do believe him when he says he likes to win. We literally just saw his behavior when he won their race. Or back in the sauna when he immediately tried to seduce Fadel after Fadel reminded him that they were on trial. Besides, Style likes attention and I'm sure coming out first place in a competition gives him plenty of attention. And as he says, it gives him adrenaline so he's also just having plain fun with it. Fadel is amused and asks "So you only hit on me for the thrill of it?" Style feels called out, because he did hit on Fadel for ulterior motives. Style can't exactly admit that, though, so he quickly deflects: "It's not like that. I like how you look, too." Style then lists more reasons why he's interested in Fadel and I think that what he says next is 100% true: "I like that youâre so different from me. Itâs an opportunity to learn, and itâs an experience, you know?" I think this is something he started appreciating about Fadel at the latest over the course of episode 3 where he started to get more interested about Fadel and his lore.
One thing I want to point out: There is less space between them by the end of the scene than there was by the end of the scene. They got closer throughout the scene, not just in the literal sense as in closer with their bodies but also figuratively they got closer in their relationship. It's as Style said: they can get to know each other when they are boyfriends. And getting to know each other is exactly what they're doing here, and they will get to know each other even more as the episode progresses.
Style might be a competitive guy, but the thing is, so is Fadel. Which we, of course, are already well aware of. After all, we did just watch these two have stand-offs with neither of them willing to back down for 4 episodes straight gay. But Fadel lets him know anyway: "The game isnât over. A guy like me doesnât know how to accept defeat." It's a threat, but not a dangerous one, no, it's more of a flirty challenge. At the same time, Fadel is being 100% serious when he warns that he won't accept defeat. It's like he's saying No matter how hard you try to fully win me over, I'll never open up to you completely. They'll come back to this topic again later in the episode, when Fadel tells Style he's at 80%.
Fadel drives off and Style watches him pensively. I think by now he's really lost his (immediate) fear about Fadel working as a hitman. I find his expression in this shot here especially interesting:
He look sad more than anything. He was already starting to like Fadel in the previous episode (here are the receipts), but now that he's starting to spend more time with Fadel where Fadel is not just constantly pushing him away and putting him down but is actively engaging with him and they're having serious conversations, now Style is really starting to like him. But unfortunately the situation had to get super messed up and there doesn't seem a way to get out of it that doesn't end in hurt or pain. And unfortunately, he can't exactly talk about his problems with his new boyfriend either. But the show must go on. Life must go on. Because life never stops. So Style gets on his feet, hypes himself up a little, and gets into his go-kart to follow Fadel.
No. 3: Choices Were Made
Where earlier in the sauna Style tensed up at the thought of taking Fadel to his place, after their happy little go-kart date all those fears and worries that Style had had initially went right out of the window. Fadel has been nothing but nice and sweet to him and Style has by now realized he's got nothing to be afraid of. Fadel is not a danger to him specifically (yet?).
Fadel starts asking more questions and we, together with Fadel learn more about Style's relationship with his dad. We also learn that Style likes to choose his own partners himself. This is in line with what I said in my ep3 meta:
For Style, sex isn't just sex and I think as impulsive as he can be he still makes very deliberate decisions about who he actually sleeps with.
Now I'm thinking this extends to who he actually dates, too. Style wants to make the choice of who he is with himself. Which is kinda ironic, considering he himself didn't actually choose Fadel. Unless you count Style's choice to agree to Kant's deal. But Fadel has no idea about any of this. So he walks up to Style, hugs him and asks "And you chose me?" Ah, well, no. Not exactly. Style doesn't answer Fadel's question but instead goes "You wanna do it here?"
Honestly, even though Style's question was probably a convenient way of getting out of having to answer Fadel's question, I think Style's had this question on his mind from the second he felt Fadel's arms around him. After all Fadel did suggest going to the garage instead when Style tried to seduce him in the sauna and I'm sure Style had a flashback to that when Fadel went and hugged him.
Pronoun side note: Fadel changes from the rude guu pronoun to the polite phom pronoun in their little role play when he says "My car broke down." They don't use any pronouns for the rest of their exchange.
Now this is the first time they're having sex as official boyfriends and while in a way the scene is similar to the scene in the storage room, it's also very different. Just like in the storage room, Fadel is the one to initiate the kissing and Fadel is the one taking off Style's shirt (or at least one layer of it, that we see). While the tempo in the storage room was fast and rushed, Fadel now takes his time and everything he does is much more deliberate. Fadel is now actively enjoying what he is doing, lets himself enjoy it. And just like in the storage room, Style lets Fadel control the situation while he waits to see where this is going (it leads to role play, apparently). And yet, Style isn't passive the way he was in the storage room, no, this time they are on a much more equal level. This time it's much more of a mutual conversation. We see this in their little role play where Style actively engages (a dialogue requires two people or else it'd be a monologue) and the way Style also initiates a kiss instead of letting Fadel do all the work himself. Style is no longer a passive part in this. He actively teases Fadel from the start by not properly kissing him back right away and also actively seeks out Fadel's vicinity and physical touch. We see it in the way he actively nuzzle's into Fadel's shoulder:
They are both enjoying this, and they are also actively letting themselves enjoy it. Together.
The lighting is also starting to change: in the storage room, everything was blue and cold. In the greenhouse, there is less light in the scene in general, and while the light that is there is still blue, the darkness gives off a feeling of protection. They can confess to their mutual budding feelings in the safety of the shadows, hidden away where no one can see them. Now in the garage, there is still so much blue going on in addition to bright white lights from inside the shelves. They are still surrounded by the cold, but they themselves are bathed in yellow and red light.
They are slowly making progress, slowly coming out of the cold, distant lighting, slowly stepping into the warmth. However, they still have a way to go.
No. 4: Sharing Is Caring
Side note, since I was just talking about the lighting: I can't help but notice how the cold white light that was inside the shelves earlier is now much less prominent right next to Fadel. Instead we get yellow and red car parts. Fadel is sitting right by the warmth (the warmth that Style was giving him in this scene, perhaps?).
Where in the go-kart date scene Fadel was the one asking all the personal questions, here in the garage it's now Style's turn. And Style finally asks about the scar and I'm glad we're starting to talk about it because I've been dying to know. Fadel says it was an accident and Style wants to know the details. Fadel says it's an occupational hazard, which, gee thanks I could have guessed as much. And I'm sure so could Style. Fadel in addition also asks why Style would want to know that and Style says "I want to know more about you." Style was already starting to care last episode, but back then what he cared about was mostly Fadel's actions and how they affected him himself and his feelings. We could even go as far back as episode 3 and say that Style was starting to get curious about Fadel and his story all the way back then, even. This time it's different, though. This time it's not that he wants to know just to satisfy his curiosity about this strange, closed-off man or because he doesn't like "being kept in the dark". This time it's not that he cares because of how Fadel and his words/actions directly affect Style himself. No, this time he genuinely wants to get to know Fadel better. He cares because he is starting to worry about him. This time it's not all about Style himself, but this time it's all about Fadel instead.
Style is starting to care, is starting to care so much about Fadel himself now. But unlike Style, Fadel doesn't voluntarily give up information about himself, which Style notes and then asks more questions: "Why do you go [to the Rise Up group]?" Fadel doesn't say a word and Style doesn't pressure him any further. He stays quiet, watches Fadel, and patiently waits for him to come to a decision. A full 10 seconds later Fadel does share: "I lost my parents." Style stares at him in shock. He hadn't been expecting that. But this is something he can relate to, even if he lost just one parent and not both of them. Style offers Fadel a metaphorical shoulder to cry on, creates a safe space for Fadel in which he invites him to share more details. Once again Style doesn't pressure Fadel, he just looks at Fadel encouragingly but leaves the choice to share entirely up to him. This time it takes Fadel 13 seconds to respond, but respond he does: "My parents were murdered."
Fun fact, Style is actually fully aware that Fadel's parents were murdered by gunshot specifically because Fadel explicitly tells him:
ŕ¸ŕšŕ¸ŕšŕ¸Ąŕšŕ¸ŕ¸šŕšŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸˘ŕ¸´ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸˛ŕ¸˘ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸ľŕšŕ¸˘ [pĂ´r-mâe - guu - dohn ying dtaai - niĂŽa] parents - I/my - be shot to death - [particle]
When Style hears this he realizes two things:
Fadel has fucked up trauma.
This is a conversation he probably shouldn't have started, a topic he probably shouldn't have brought up.
The conversation took an unexpected dark turn and Style doesn't want to pressure Fadel any further, so he is quick to change the topic to something more bright. "You had any lovers before?" Love can't be too heavy of a topic, right? Right?? But we saw the flashbacks of Fadel dancing with someone in episode 3. And we heard Keen make a reference to someone important in Fadel's life who suddenly disappeared. Speaking of...
Remember how in my ep3 meta I was wondering if Style had heard that specific comment since we weren't shown the exact point of Style walking in on them? I guess now have confirmation that Style did not in fact hear that comment. Unless of course Style asked that specific question to subtly try and find out more backstory on that too (Oh god, Style, how I am begging you keep asking! I too need to know!!). Although, the way he was rushing to change the topic to something happier didn't seem like he was thinking too hard about his question. But then again, he did also tilt his head a little when Fadel said no, he doesn't have an ex, and I can't tell if Style tilts his head because he really has no idea and simply just doesn't believe that a guy like Fadel has never dated anyone or if he tilts his head because he knows Fadel is lying. Aghhh, gdi, I'm still none the wiser.
Anyway, so Fadel says no (bro. my dude. who was that man in the flashback, then đ¤¨) and explains "My life isnât exactly easy. I donât want to drag anyone along with me."
Actually, for the second sentence he really says:
And besides, I also don't want to cause trouble to anyone. ŕšŕ¸Ľŕšŕ¸§ŕ¸ŕ¸ľŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸˘ŕšŕ¸˛ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸šŕšŕ¸Ąŕšŕ¸ŕ¸˘ŕ¸˛ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸łŕšŕ¸Ťŕšŕšŕ¸ŕ¸Łŕšŕ¸ŕ¸ˇŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸Łŕšŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕšŕ¸§ŕ¸˘ [lĂĄew - ĂŹig yĂ ang - guu - mâi - yâak - tam hâi - krai - dèuuat rĂłn - dĂťuay] and - one more thing - i - not - want - to cause - anyone - be in trouble - also
Style blinks. He cracks just the tiniest and briefest smile.
(In case you don't see it, here have a slowed down version of just the grin. Check the corner of his mouth: )
Hah. Got him. "Is owning a burger joint so difficult that you canât date?"
I wasn't sure before if Style knew what he was doing when he asked the ex-lover question, but with this question now he definitely knows exactly what he's doing. Fadel comes up with a reply, but his word choice is still sus, so Style asks a follow-up question. Personally, I think that Style started asking question in the hopes of Fadel accidentally spilling the truth himself. Because if that happened, then that would be at least one secret off Style's back. He wouldn't have to pretend to Not Know and it would probably also lessen his anxieties about Fadel's occupation because at least he would also be able to openly talk about it and his fears with him. I think at this point Style has fully realized that Fadel isn't killing him any time soon, that his own life isn't in immediate danger just because he hangs out with Fadel and does things that boyfriends do with him. He is back to being as fearless as he was before The Reveal.
So Style asks a follow-up question, hoping that maybe Fadel will slip-up even more. But Fadel comes up with a bullshit story and Style just listens to it, nodding like yeah sure whatever you say baby. It quickly becomes clear to him that he won't be getting the truth out of Fadel's mouth for now. I feel like I haven't seen enough of the story yet to really confirm this for myself, but I wonder if during this conversation Style also realizes (or at least starts to suspect) that deep down Fadel isn't actually too fond of his killer job. Because when Style says "Maybe you just need to find something else to do. Do something that allows you to love without risking your loved ones." it just sounds too much like what he's ACTUALLY saying is:
Well, if you don't like being a "burger joint owner" (assassin), if being a "burger joint owner" (assassin) is making your life THAT difficult and depressing, then why don't you just quit being a "burger joint owner" (assassin) and find a new job that makes you happier and your life easier? Perhaps even a job where you don't have to worry about me your loved ones being safe?
After this deep talk where Fadel finally opens up to him about personal things, Style's panic has vanished completely. Instead, it has all been replaced with worry, worry about Fadel and his well-being specifically. And Style is also well aware of this development as we'll see later in the episode when Style tells Kant "I'm beginning to worry about him now." Style is still scared for his own life, but now it's not because he's terrified about Fadel killing him but more so because he doesn't want to become collateral damage if (when) he stays in a relationship with Fadel. I think this is another subtext of when Style says "Do something that allows you to love without risking your loved ones". He's not just making it about Fadel and his loved ones but he's also specifically referring to his own safety, too. Do something that allows you to be with me specifically where I don't have to worry about my own safety and potential death.
Style smiles innocently and cutely at Fadel (and I cry bc that exact smile is Dunk's inner Daonuea coming out) but before the conversation can go any further or they can get any cuter, Kant interrupts. Fadel is irritated and Kant's unexpected visit is an inconvenience to Style too, but Kant has some pressing matters to discuss, so they walk off to discuss them in private.
No. 5: Conflicted
Kant is in panic because Bison seems to be going ballistic on Kant's old hook-up with murder being a potential outcome. This has Style very concerned. He doesn't really care about Kant's old hook-up but he is very worried about his best friend. As much as Style likes helping people and as loyal of a friend he is, he really doesn't wanna help if helping Kant means Kant's potential death. Kant tries to talk Style into helping anyway, but Style is done: "I had nothing to do with this. You dragged me along." Style is very much not cool with having been involved in this without his consent. And now he's got another problem that makes the whole situation even more tricky for him:
By the way, I have a bad feeling about Fadel. He scares me. But I like his rough romantic side.
And at this point I really need to share Style's actual words:
And another thing, I don't know how I feel about Fadel. ŕšŕ¸Ľŕšŕ¸§ŕ¸ŕ¸ľŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸˘ŕšŕ¸˛ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸°ŕ¸ŕ¸šŕ¸Łŕ¸šŕšŕ¸Şŕ¸śŕ¸ŕ¸˘ŕ¸ąŕ¸ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸ąŕ¸ŕšŕ¸ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸˛ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸Ľŕ¸ŕšŕšŕ¸Ąŕšŕ¸Łŕ¸šŕšŕ¸§ŕšŕ¸° [lĂĄew - ĂŹig yĂ ang - nĂĄ - guu - rĂşu-sèuk - yang-ngai - gĂ p - âi - Fadel - gĂ´r - mâi - rĂşu - wâ] and - one more thing - [particle] - I - feel - how - with - [rude prefix] - Fadel - not - know - [particle]
He makes me feel scared. ลูŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸łŕšŕ¸Ťŕšŕ¸ŕ¸šŕ¸Łŕ¸šŕšŕ¸Şŕ¸śŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸Ľŕ¸ąŕ¸§ [man - tam hâi - guu - rĂşu-sèuk - gluua] he - to cause - I - feel - scared, fear
But I like his rough romantic side. ŕšŕ¸ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸šŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸Ąŕ¸¸ŕ¸Ąŕšŕ¸Łŕšŕ¸Ąŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸´ŕ¸ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸ˇŕšŕ¸ŕ¸ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸Ąŕ¸ąŕ¸ŕšŕ¸§ŕšŕ¸˘ [dtĂ e - guu - chĂ´p - mum - roh-maen-dtĂŹk - tèuuan tèuuan - kĹng man - wĂłiie] but - I - like - angle - romantic - rough - (of) his - [particle]
I put all of Style's lines mostly for completion, but really the language note is mostly about the very first line. Style doesn't say he has a bad feeling about Fadel, no, he says he feels conflicted about Fadel. Because on the one hand he's scared and on the other hand he really also likes him. When Style says Fadel makes him feel scared, I don't quite believe him, because apart from the sauna and that one short moment at the go-kart track absolutely nothing in his behavior has screamed I am scared, on the contrary. I think this is his rational mind telling him that logically he should be scared because Fadel fucking kills people fighting against his heart that is slowly getting to know the Fadel that's behind those thick high walls and that realizes that Fadel isn't that bad of a person after all. What's more, ever since they started dating, none of Fadel's actions or behaviors have put Style into immediate danger. In fact, Fadel has been nothing but a sweet, hot boyfriend to him. Style doesn't know how to feel about Fadel, because he's getting conflicting messages and can't figure out whether he should best follow his mind or his heart.
But Kant currently doesn't have time for Style's love life. Someone else's life is potentially at stake. So Kant responds: "This ainât no time to confess your weird feelings." Or what he actually says is:
This is not the time to confess your love. ŕšŕ¸Ąŕšŕšŕ¸ŕšŕšŕ¸§ŕ¸Ľŕ¸˛ŕ¸Ąŕ¸˛ŕ¸Şŕ¸˛ŕ¸Łŕ¸ าŕ¸ŕ¸Łŕ¸ąŕ¸ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸Ľŕšŕ¸° [mâi châi - weh-la - ma - sÄa-rĂĄ-pâap - rĂĄk - ngai - lâ] not - time - come - confess - love - [particle] - [particle]
I just wanted to note that Kant says nothing about "weird": Kant is not being judgy about Style's feelings specifically, he's only judgy about Style's sense of timing. Okay, carry on.
Anyway, Kant suggests asking Fadel for help.
No. 6: Boyfriend Card
Fadel, predictably, is not happy about this turn of events. But Style is now helping his friend after all, and so he pulls the boyfriend card: "Youâre my boyfriend, you know? If you like me at all, you have to help my friend." It works. Fadel agrees to help. Kant calls him "Brother-in-Law". Style is very hyped at Kant's sass and praises him. Fadel chats with Bison on the phone and learns enough info for Kant to know exactly where Bison is at. Kant runs off. Style watches him leave wide-eyed, then turns to Fadel and excitedly goes "Wow. I hope youâre not the jealous type like your brother is." Fadel tells him "If you mean well, then you have nothing to worry about." But then he also speaks out a warning:
But if youâre just leading me on, or trying to get something out of me, youâre in for some serious bruises.
Dare I say this is foreshadowing for when Fadel finds out about the real reason why Style was hitting on him? And I have a feeling Style gets that memo too. Uncharacteristically, he stays quiet.
Pronoun side note: Kant uses the polite phom/khun pronouns for Fadel while Fadel uses the rude guu/mueng pronouns for Kant and I think that's hilarious, actually.
No. 7: Falling
Kant updates Style on the James situation but Style stays optimistic. Kant really doesn't share this view and reminds him that Bison is a hitman. Style gets stressed and also a bit irritated at Kant and shoots a reminder back: "I was sleeping with his brother last night all because you asked me to, didnât I?" (he says, as if Kant ordered him to hook up with Fadel in the garage đ¤) Style hates that he is in this mess when he never even asked to be in this mess in the first place.
Kant says he doesn't want anyone else risking their lives (bro. maybe you should have thought of that before you got your bestie involved or at least asked him for his consent, don't you think đ¤¨) and that he has to get this job done. Style looks downwards, troubled and in thought. He sits down and it's time for another confession:
Come to think of it. How would I even get through this? I compromised my whole body, and if weâre being honest, Iâve already compromised half of my heart, too. Iâm beginning to worry about him now.
This has Kant alarmed. "Donât fall in love with him at all costs." But it's already too late. Style is already falling, and he's falling fast. And deep down he knows it, too.
Style points out that Kant isn't exactly doing any better either. Kant sighs and says he wants to end things quickly and then foretells what their happy ending is going to be: "Once those two get arrested, we walk free."
But Style stares gloomily into the air and gives a near invisible head shake, almost as if he disagrees with Kant's words, as if to say But that's not what MY happy ending looks like.
Then he stands up swearing and says: "Hope it ends before either one of us kicks the bucket. I shouldnât have put my heart on the line for this." He wants to get out of that mess asap and preferably alive (and with his heart fully intact). Kant has another mission for him.
No. 8: Can I Have This Dance
Yeah no I don't have anything to say about this scene except: this is a boy in love.
And also, not to brag but @titkos--sideblog and I called the butt grab(s) before the show had even started airing, including the exact episode number (episode 4 counts too because we did get the one wide shot in the greenhouse with Fadel's hands on Style's ass!!):
Okay, no, I lied. Now that I'm done awww-ing about how fucking cute this whole scene is, I do have something to say after all:
Once again, there is not a single ounce of fear anywhere to be found in Style, no matter how stressed he gets whenever Kant brings up that Fadel and Bison are hitmen. On the contrary, Style is completely at ease. He's shamelessly teasing Fadel, shamelessly flirting with him, and also being silly without a second thought. I was actually talking to @secriden in our DMs and I just wanted to share something she said to me because she really hit the nail on the head:
[Style] makes it clear that he wants Fadel to participate and frames his case as being about his need for an "F" for his "S" so the 'embarrassing cheesiness' is all on Style's behest. When he makes Fadel dance with him, he reminds Fadel that he's already seen a far more embarrassing dance and found it incredibly hot and then starts being overthetop and ridiculous so that even if Fadel starts dancing with him its not going to be more embarrassing and silly than what Style is doing.
I absolutely agree. This whole scene is Style trying his best to get Fadel out of his shell, to get Fadel to loosen up a little. We've already seen Style attempting to do this in episode 2 when he shows up in Fadel's kitchen with an order and pretends to be a commentator on a cooking competition or in episode 3 at the heavy metal bar when he invites Fadel to dance with him, to scream and to basically let loose with him. Except back then Fadel stubbornly refused to engage. Where Style failed in episode 3, he now as Fadel's official boyfriend succeeds. This time around Fadel does dance with Style, albeit tentatively, and even ends up having a little bit of fun.
No. 9: Percentages
They're sitting at the table watching Kant and Bison be cute and Style makes a comment about how they look good together. Fadel informs him that even if he tolerates Kant now, he still doesn't trust him and Style squints his eyes a little at him in a way that I can't find the proper words to describe.
It's almost inquisitive. Style knows full well that Kant absolutely has ulterior motives, more ulterior motives even than Style himself has. Style knows full well that Fadel absolutely has legitimate reasons to distrust Kant, knows exactly that Fadel's bad feeling about Kant is entirely on point. The way Style squints at him looks as though he's curious about why Fadel doesn't trust Kant. What is Kant doing, what in Kant's behavior is giving it away that Kant's not exactly trustworthy?
Fadel elaborates that a guy like him doesnât go trusting someone 100%. Style looks almost a little guilty when he looks down at table for a moment as he goes "Oh?" Then he asks "Not even me?" and it's just a little bit too "loud" again to be entirely genuine. Style knows exactly that he doesn't really deserve Fadel's full trust because he, too, is hiding secrets from Fadel. And I think he tries to play it off and deflect from it in an Whaaat, you don't even fully trust ME, your very own BOYFRIEND? When CLEARLY as your boyfriend I am entitled to 100% of your trust? sort of way. But Fadel didn't come to play around. He retaliates with "Youâre at 80% at best." Which, by the way, in Thai goes something like:
Someone like you? Only gets 80. ŕ¸ŕ¸˘ŕšŕ¸˛ŕ¸ŕ¸Ąŕ¸śŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸°ŕšŕ¸ŕšŕšŕ¸ŕš80 [yĂ ang - mueng - nĂĄ - dâai - kâe - bpĂ et sĂŹp] like - you - [particle] - receive - only - 80
Style throws him a look that again I find really hard to describe:
He looks a bit judgmental that Fadel really dared to be this harsh to his very own boyfriend, but at the same time he knows that Fadel is absolutely spot on with that judgment. And I think he is also kind of disappointed, because he does very much want those full 100%.
More serious now, Fadel continues: "I feel like youâre hiding something from me in the rest 20%". From the tone of Style's voice when he says "What are you talking about?" I feel like this isn't at all about him deflecting Fadel's completely spot on statement but more about Style complaining that Fadel won't play along properly. Style is frustrated, but almost in a pouty way. When he asks "What do I have to do to gain your complete trust?" I think it's still part of the little game that he's started, but now there is a sort of urgency to his voice that exposes him. Style needs an answer to this question, because it's important for him to get those 100%. Style really wants Fadel to be able to fully trust him. Style might still be keeping secrets from Fadel but nevertheless he wants to do everything he can to "be worthy of Fadel's trust" (words stolen from @secriden's meta), despite the lies he has to keep up for now. What's more, Style went all in the moment he and Fadel became official and the "all in" includes trust as well. It's either all or nothing for Style.
Fadel doesn't answer immediately. Similarly to their deep talk in the garage, Style patiently waits for Fadel to speak rather than to press him for an answer. And 7 seconds later Fadel drops: "It'll never happen."
So far this conversation has been mostly lighthearted but at this point the mood suddenly changes. Fadel announces there will never be a day where he'll fully trust Style and Style sighs, a little dejected.
No matter how hard Style tries, there will never be a day where he'll be able to make up for all the secrets he's been keeping and for all the lies he has to tell, all the lies he's already told, and all the lies he'll be forced to tell in the future. Because let's be real, at this point? Style is keeping up the charades mostly for the sake of Kant (and maybe a little bit for the sake of his own safety). As many people have already pointed out, Style is the type of person where what you see is what you get. And I think Style struggles with the fact that he can't be fully honest with Fadel. And he knows it's going to hurt both of them when Fadel finds out that he was right in not fully trusting Style. And there is nothing he can do about it, no matter how much he tries to be as open and transparent with Fadel as possible to soften the blow.
Fadel elaborates and as Style listens to Fadel's explanation, the good mood that was there on Style's face earlier is replaced by a very serious expression.
I think he's probably wondering where Fadel got this outlook on life from. By now Style has learned that Fadel has gone through quite some shit in his time. I think he realizes that there's a chance that Fadel's distrust in people is connected to another "My parents were shot" story or that it could also be connected to Fadel's scar. This interpretation gets pretty much confirmed at the end of the episode, when Style tells Fadel that he'll be his 100% one day and goes to kiss Fadel's scar immediately after, as if to say I know whatever scarred you took away your ability to trust people but I'll be the one to do you right.
The conversation is taking a heavy turn, but the bar is no place to discuss such topics, so Style dismisses Fadel's words and changes the topic like he did back at the garage. He invites Fadel to come on stage and sing. Fadel refuses. Style reminds him that there is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about since there's only drunk people here, but Fadel still doesn't want to. Style pulls him on stage anyway and whipped boyfriend that he is, Fadel follows him after all and engages in the social interaction.
But then Kant gets a phone call and suddenly has to run. I absolutely cannot tell if Style is fully aware of what Kant is planning to do or not. In their last one on one scene, Kant announced that he had a plan, but didn't exactly elaborate on it, just told Style to make sure Fadel stayed by his side the entire time. Of course Kant might have told him off-screen, but there is also a chance that Style only knows as much as the audience knows. Either way, Style doesn't feel great about it. When Style asks if he should come too, his voice might just be the most serious and worried we've ever heard it throughout the series so far. But Kant refuses and runs off by himself. Fadel walks over to Bison to make a comment to him while Style stands behind them, looking worried. When he sits at the table with Fadel and Bison later waiting for Kant he is uncharacteristically quiet and still, except for that one time where he tries to get Bison to stay a little longer. But when that doesn't work he just sits there and stares at Bison wordlessly. Even Style's aura is suddenly very quiet.
Pronoun side note: When they met in episode 2, Style and Bison where using the polite khun/phom with each other. In this scene all three of them were using only the rude guu/mueng pronouns when talking to each other.
No. 10: Look They've Made It Onto A Bed
Okay, so this is gonna mess with my usual formatting of going chronologically, but please bear with me as I take a look at the actual sex before I get into the dialogue.
Everything about this is warm, so warm and soft with the red/yellow/orange tones and they've finally made it onto a bed. I've seen posts joking about getting them a bed for the sake of their backs, but I think it was a very deliberate choice that up until now they were never anywhere near a bed. Your bed is one of the most intimate places you have, it's where you sleep and are at your most vulnerable to outside danger. Up until now, Fadel and Style couldn't be on a bed yet, their relationship wasn't ready for that yet. And I think it's so significant that the first time they are sleeping with each other on an actual bed happens after Style knows the truth about Fadel. It's such a stark contrast to the beginning of the episode where Style asked to hook up in a public sauna and get it over with because he was just so very uncomfortable about bringing Fadel home. But now at the end of the episode Fadel is right here in Style's bed. Style knows the truth, knows Fadel kills people and he still brought him into his home, his own room, his very own bed. Style knows the truth and yet Style has fully let Fadel into his life. (Like, 100% you could say...)
This scene also parallels the storage room hook-up, but now the places are switched. In fact, this scene is the complete opposite of everything that happened in the storage room. Let's take a look.
As many people pointed out after episode 3, Fadel was more or less worshiping Style's body back then. Now it's Style's turn to worship Fadel's body. Back in the storage room, everything was rushed because Fadel was running on anger and sexual frustration. Style now in turn moves very slowly and everything he does, he does very deliberately and with intention. There is so much tenderness and care in every single one of Style's touches. Where the storage room sex was first and foremost led by anger, mutual annoyance, and physical attraction, instead it is now led by love and the emotional bond that they've started to build up over the episode. Actually, @secriden has written a beautiful post comparing these two scenes with each other.
If you remember, @clemelntine noted what we can learn about Style's and Fadel's desires in their respective fantasies. In my ep3 and my ep4 meta I added on to this thought and discussed at length how in Style's fantasy he barely stopped searching for eye contact and how the emotional component was very important to Style and how he was getting next to no eye contact in the storage room scene (where emotionally they weren't on the same page at all) and how he was slowly getting more of it in the greenhouse (where they were finally starting to come together emotionally). Now in Style's bed? Style finally gets what he desires. Fadel barely stops looking at him, hardly ever takes his eyes off of him. He even lifts his head to watch Style as he moves to kiss Fadel's scar or to kiss his upper body a little later on.
Of course, for Fadel specifically part of that is also because he is still on guard around Style, can't fully let go yet, can't fully trust Style yet (more on the topic of trust in a bit). Which is why it's so beautiful that when Fadel does take his eyes off of Style it's when he finally lets himself fall into it a little. Fadel may break eye contact, but it's not because he's avoiding Style's eyes and closing himself off again, no, it's because Fadel is finally starting to let go a little, is giving up just a little bit of control to Style, letting him do as he pleases the way Style has let Fadel do as he pleased back in the storage room.
I also find it interesting that there is no background music at all throughout the entire scene (that is from the moment Style takes his shirt off right at the beginning before the dialogue even starts) because it makes the scene feel even more intimate and raw, almost as if we, the audience, shouldn't even be here. In the storage room, in the woods, and in the garage, every single time there was music playing while they were going at it. This here in the bedroom is the most intimate sex they've had so far, and it is stripped bare of any background music (remember the word "bare", it will come back later). There are no distractions, that is no music to hide behind, it's just them and their feelings on full display. Here in Style's own room, Style is laying himself bare for Fadel completely and this is underlined by the lack of music. The music won't come back until the end to lead us into the end credits, and when the music does come back, it's none other than Style's, I mean Dunk's OST song for the show.
No. 11: Bare Bodies and Open Hearts
Now that we've looked at the sex itself, let's take examine the dialogue and the context in which the sex scene is happening in.
The double date night is over and I'm assuming Kant probably texted Style telling him he was all good, because considering how concerned we left Style last time we saw him, I think he would have had his mind somewhere else most of the time during this scene rather than focusing entirely on Fadel if he didn't know his best friend was safe. Anyway. I'm just gonna run with that this is what happened and that's why Style is all relaxed and without worries again.
Actually, before I get into anything else I wanna talk about these specific lines because both the English translation as well as the original Thai lines have me insane for different reasons:
F: Like I said, no one can truly lay themselves bare for someone. [...] S: Will you lay yourself bare for me?
Let's start with what has me insane about the Thai lines first. But first a little recap: In my ep3 meta and my ep4 meta I mentioned the word ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸´ŕ¸ŕšŕ¸ [bpèrt jai]. If you're new here or simply just forgot, this is a word that means something like "open up to something/someone" or "giving something a chance". This word consists of the words "(to) open" (ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸´ŕ¸ [bpèrt]) and "heart, mind" (ŕšŕ¸ [jai]), so literally translated it makes "to open one's heart".
Now, Style was using this word in episode 3 after Fadel presented him with a burger when he asked "Are you finally folding?" (literally: "You've opened your heart to me now, right?"). If we remember, the burger was the first time Fadel reached out to Style first and did something nice for him (unless we count Fadel dropping off the car at Style's garage in ep1, although that only came about as a consequence of the crash, or there was also that time Fadel ambushed Style in the locker room, but he didn't exactly have nice intentions about it). Anyway, that was the first time Fadel was properly connecting with Style in a friendly way and of his own accord, a significant moment.
In episode 4 we get this word again during the "be my boyfriend" conversation when Style says "Iâm 100% in. Itâs your turn to let me in a little bit" (literally: "I've opened my heart to you 100% already. Only you remain. How much will you open your heart to me?") Again, this is a significant moment, because right after those lines is when Fadel finally agrees to be Style's boyfriend.
And in both scenes I just really really liked the image of Fadel, who has closed off his heart so deeply and securely behind thick high walls, being asked to open up the way to his heart.
Right now you're probably assuming that in Thai they're using the word ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸´ŕ¸ŕšŕ¸ [bpèrt jai] again. No. Actually, they are not. But!! They are using the word ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸´ŕ¸ [bpèrt] and I think it works enough for a callback to that imagery and specifically to those lines from the "be my boyfriend" scene:
F: Like I said, we aren't 100% open with others. ŕ¸ŕ¸˘ŕšŕ¸˛ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸ľŕšŕ¸ŕ¸šŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕšŕ¸° ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕšŕ¸Łŕ¸˛ŕšŕ¸Ąŕšŕšŕ¸ŕ¸´ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸ąŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸ŕ¸ˇŕšŕ¸ 100% ญรŕ¸ŕ¸ [yĂ ang - tĂŽi - guu - bòk - Ă h ⢠kon rao - mâi - bpèrt - gĂ p - kon èun - rĂłi bper-sen -ròk] way - that - I - say - [particle] ⢠people, we - not - open - with - others - 100% - [particle] [...] S: Can you open up for me? ลผŕ¸ŕšŕ¸ŕ¸´ŕ¸ŕšŕ¸Ťŕšŕ¸ŕ¸šŕšŕšŕ¸ŕšŕ¸Ąŕ¸ąŕšŕ¸˘ŕ¸Ľŕšŕ¸° [mueng - bpèrt - hâi - guu - dâai - mĂĄi - lâ] you - open - for - I/me - be able to - ? - [particle]
And it just makes me a little bit insane for multiple reasons: first of all, we continue with that imagery, that theme of Fadel opening up to Style. And second of all, there's also been a running theme about percentages. The theme of opening up and the theme of percentages are tightly connected:
It starts in the "be my boyfriend" scene where Style tells Fadel "I've opened my heart to you 100% already." All the doors to Style's heart are wide open for Fadel to enter as he pleases. But at the time Fadel's heart is still closed to Style. So Style tells him that it's Fadel's turn now and asks him: "How much will you open your heart to me?" How many doors to his heart will Fadel open for Style? What is the percentage of his heart that Fadel is willing to grant Style access to?
And then earlier in the scene at the bar Fadel says "Someone like you only gets 80%". Somehow this feels kind of like an answer to Style's question of "How much will you open your heart to me?" And yes, the conversation at the bar is about trust and not their hearts, but Style made it about their relationship when he asked "Not even me? (Not even your boyfriend?)" and Fadel also brings up love later when he says "No matter how much you love someone". The heart is also involved in a relationship. And what kind of relationship is it when your heart isn't fully in it or you don't fully trust your partner? And I think this is also part of the reason why it's so important for Style to reach those 100%. He wants both of them to put 100% of their hearts and 100% of their trust in this relationship. He wants this to be an equal relationship.
And here and now in the bedroom Style asks again: "Can you open up to me?" But Fadel can't just yet. Because Fadel doesn't believe he can. So Style declares: "One day, Iâll be your 100%." One day he will show Fadel that it is possible for him to trust someone completely. One day he will have 100% of Fadel's trust. One day he will have 100% of Fadel's heart. And he will get there. Because he is persistent. And because Fadel already has 100% of Style's heart and Style's trust. It's only fair for Style to get 100% in return.
So. This is the reason why the Thai lines make me feel insane. Now on to the English translation which adds additional imagery, which as a whole makes me feel even more insane.
Let me just start out with a reminder that at the bowling alley Fadel vehemently refused to wear the stupid shirt and then announced that he was taking it off as soon as they were done when he did agree to wear it after all. And now let me just point out that Fadel is still wearing that very same stupid shirt in during this scene in Style's bedroom. In fact, it's Style who loses the shirt first. Anyway.
In English Fadel says "No one can truly lay themselves bare for someone." But Style already has. For Fadel's whole entire line we linger on a shot of Style's bare body:
Fadel says "No one can truly lay themselves bare for someone" to Style who is literally bare before him. Style is living proof of the contrary of Fadel's beliefs. They continue their conversation and then Style asks "Will you lay yourself bare for me?" to Fadel, who is still fully clothed and very much not bare. And again, their conversation continues until Style declares "One day, Iâll be your 100%." And right after that Style pulls up Fadel's shirt. And how much does he pull it up?
That's right. He lays bare roughly 80% of Fadel's upper body (if we don't count the back of the shirt that didn't go up bc Joong is lying on it). He lays bare those 80% that Fadel told Style that he had. A little later Style pulls up the shirt even more for better access to the nipples but Fadel never fully loses his shirt the way Style has (who literally starts out the scene by immediately taking his shirt off, baring himself to Fadel first thing with no inhibitions). Until the end of the episode Fadel never loses the shirt 100% because he is not yet ready for that, not yet ready to lay himself bare for Style. Not yet ready for Style to uncover 100% of him. And Style respects that, no matter how much he might have complained at the bar. He never tries to remove more of the shirt than those 80% that he was granted.
Sorry. I need a moment.
Okay, now that we have this imagery and those themes out of the way, let's go through the scene the way I usually do. So this episode we started their story with Style feeling very uncomfortable at the thought of bringing Fadel, a Known Killer, to his home and we end the episode with Fadel right there in Style's room, in Style's bed. Style and Fadel have spent the entire episode sharing personal things and getting to know each other better and also on a bit of a deeper level and now that they're in private away from the others, Style opens up about something that has been on his mind all episode: "It feels so weird every time Iâm with you. Sometimes you make me feel so scared, and sometimes you make me feel so safe."
Style is very much not scared of Fadel in this moment. In fact, most of his behavior and his actions surrounding Fadel this episode weren't the behavior and the actions of a scared man, especially when he was interacting with Fadel directly (apart from the very first scene in the sauna when the initial shock hadn't worn off yet). I think Style is still thinking of his mind vs. heart conflict when he says "sometimes you make me feel scared and sometimes you make me feel safe", but deep down he has already decided.
But Fadel doesn't know any of this. Fadel has no idea of the internal battle that Style has been fighting all episode, trying to reconcile the image of the ruthless killer with the man he's falling in love with. So Fadel tells him that it would be good for Style to be a little scared of him and repeats his point from back at the bar about (in)complete trust. And then he speaks out a warning: "The real me might be scarier than you think." But Style isn't scared. Because Style already knows that. Style already knows the truth.
However, Style mostly knows it in theory. He did get to see some of Fadel's real him in action when he took on 3 men by himself and also got to experience some of Fadel's violence on his own body. But the thing is, no matter how much he isn't scared of Fadel despite Knowing the Truth in theory, now matter how lowkey (highkey) hot he found Fadel take out three whole men, actually witnessing Fadel actively kill someone in practice might still be traumatizing no matter how much he thinks he is mentally prepared for it, so I do think Fadel kinda has a point with his warning. But I'm not sure Style has thought this far ahead already. I think in this episode he was mostly preoccupied with worrying about his own life, his own safety and with coming to terms that he was falling in love with a murderer in the first place.
Throughout the entire episode Fadel has never really given Style a reason to be scared of him. Instead, Fadel has spent quality time with Style, has engaged in conversation more than ever before, has asked him personal questions about his life and has even shared a little bit about his own life, which wasn't much but it was a start. They've had serious talks, sexy talks, fun talks, they were silly together and laughed together and they sat on the floor and shared pain together. Fadel didn't even get murderous over a potential break-up in the very beginning when Style was still nervous around him. Style spent the entire episode falling in love with Fadel, despite knowing about his occupation. "Can you open up for me? / Will you lay yourself bare for me?" Style responds to Fadel's warning. It's encouragement in several ways. It's encouragement for Fadel to try to learn that he can in fact trust someone (Style) 100%, that he can in fact be fully open with someone (Style). And it's encouragement for Fadel to tell Style his secret. Style needs Fadel to open up, to admit the truth himself first. Style needs it, so that they can openly talk about it without having to dance around the subject and talk in metaphors. He needs it so that there will be one less thing that he is lying about, so that he'll be one step closer to being able to be 100% honest with Fadel. And it has to be Fadel specifically who says it first so that Style can just run with it, because if Fadel finds out that Style was already in the know then both Kant and his mission as well as the 80% trust that Fadel has granted Style are on the line.
"I promise that no matter who you are, Iâll still like you." And there it is. Style's decision. His mind and his heart were fighting a battle and his heart won. Rationally he knows Fadel is dangerous and that he should stay away from him if he values his own life, but the heart wants what the heart wants. And even though it's not exactly like he can just say I know what you are and I fell in love anyway, I want to be with you despite it all, he still tries to get the message across.
Fadel doesn't believe his promise, though. "Words are cheap. Iâll do that when youâre ready. You can judge, then." Again, I think Fadel has a point. Fadel's response works whether Fadel is aware that Style knows or not. Because yes, Style may say he'll like Fadel no matter his occupation, but Style still hasn't seen the killer in action. Fadel's words mean Decide whether you still like me or not only when you find out my real occupation before you promise anything as much as they mean Decide whether you still like me or not once you've actually seen me murder someone in front of you before you promise anything. Style has already made a decision about the former, but he is yet to make a decision about the latter.
But in reality he has already made a choice and he is set on it: "One day, Iâll be your 100%." He wants Fadel's full trust and he wants Fadel's full heart. He will show Fadel that he will stay by his side and that Fadel's trust in him will be worth it. He will show Fadel that the mortifying ordeal of Being Known⢠is not as scary as it seems. He means it when he says he'll like Fadel no matter what. Because now he already cares and worries about him much more deeply than he could ever have anticipated. Assassin be damned. He can get over it. And also, Fadel being dangerous is really fucking hot. "I just hope you donât get any new scars."
I've already made a post about it, but I just want to point out: Fadel's scar is positioned right above his heart. I do very much wonder if the scar is related to the guy Fadel danced with in the flashback. Is he the reason why Fadel doesn't trust anyone 100%? Did whatever happened with that guy not just metaphorically leave a scar on Fadel's heart but also physically? Either way, we know how it's going to end:
Style's love is going to heal Fadel's scarred heart.
#if you saw this posted the other day no you didn't đđđ#the heart killers#thk#fadelstyle#stylefadel#thk meta#stylefadel meta#my meta#thkmetamine#thk ep5#adrm#I MADE IT. CAN YOU BELIEVE I MADE IT *BEFORE* THE EPISODE#with only hours to go like last time but hey#it did lose me many hours of sleep in the past week tho dkfjkdfgj bc i was busy with christmas and stuff too#during the day i mean#i pulled like 3 all nighters this week to write this lmao#ALSO IDK WHEN I'LL BE ABLE TO WATCH TODAY'S EP BC I'M AT MY PARENTS HOUSE#AND I DON'T WANNA GET INTERRUPTED WHEN I WATCH IT#I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO WATCH IT TILL LATE AT NIGHT IDK#or maybe i'll just watch it anyway and risk interruptions let's see how impatient i feel in the afternoon dkjgkdsg#fun fact i kinda wanna delete this and write it all from scratch#i have too many thoughts and i can't make up my mind rip#i just don't have the timeeee đđđ#(to rewrite it all i mean after all i gotta get into ep6 dkjkdg)
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