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dazedandconfused-15 · 4 months ago

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Heaven's in your eyes (Part 3)

If you guys like it, I would greatly appreciate a reblog, it helps spread this fanfic around🫶

Pairing: Billy Hargrove x Female Reader

Summary: Life in Hawkins is dull and lonely, especially after your mom abandoned your family, leaving you even more isolated amidst school rumors. Already shy and with few friends, you find solace in your solitude—until Billy Hargrove, the intriguing new boy from California, comes into the picture. To your surprise, Billy seems to seek you out, finding ways to talk to you despite the odds. Never in a million years would you have imagined forming such an unexpected bond with someone.

Link to: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 4

@tatumrileyslover @littlenosoul @nocturnest Part 3 is here!!

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You weren't sure how things would go with Billy after that night. Technically, you still owe him for the day at the museum, There are parts of Hawkins he hadn’t seen yet. Plus, you hadn’t talked about when or if you’d see each other again outside of school. So, it's a surprise when the following week, as you're grabbing books from your locker, you feel a presence behind you—the warmth of someone's body lightly brushing against your back. You look up and see a hand resting on your locker. Turning around, you met his curious and slightly amused eyes.

"Oh! Hey, you scared me…”

"I saw that," he replies. "Am I that ugly?"

You stay still, feeling the cold metal of the locker against your back, aware that some students are probably watching you. But Billy doesn't seem bothered by this; if anything, he seems indifferent. He's wearing the same black leather jacket he lent you the other night, over a partially unbuttoned black shirt. He knows he’s not ugly, and you know he’s teasing you. But his closeness throws you off, and you can’t find the words to play along. You stumble over a nonsensical and incomplete sentence. Meanwhile, he takes the books from your hands and moves his hand away from the locker, finally giving you space, and it feels like you can breathe again.

"Physics?" he asks, looking at the first book on the pile in his hands.

"Uh, yeah." You turn to close your locker, taking the opportunity to pull yourself together. "It's my first class, actually."

"Sweet. I'll walk you there."

"Oh, okay. Thanks." You struggle to hide your astonishment as you walk toward the classroom with him beside you.

And during the following days, he does the same. He makes it seem so natural that it slowly becomes routine for you. In history class, he sits next to you. During lunch break, you sit at the table at the back of the cafeteria. He always sits at a table next to Jason Carver, Chrissy Cunningham, and other popular jocks, but between bites of food, he always gives you a look. Eventually, at the end of the meal, he always gets up from their table and comes over to sit beside you. In history class, he always sits next to you. Strangely, Tommy Hagan makes no comment. After the first few times, the rest of the class seems to get used to it.

When the history teacher assigns the paired presentation on "The Role of Propaganda in World War II," the teacher lets you choose your partner. Billy and you are already sitting next to each other, so it’s automatic that you’ll work together. Part of you doubt he would choose to work with you if he wasn’t sitting next to you, but you decide not to think about it too much. You don’t mind the idea of working with him on the project. He offers to work on it at his place the following Saturday, as his dad and stepmom are in California for family matters.

It takes you twenty minutes to reach Cherry Lane. Billy’s house is about halfway there. His navy blue Camaro is parked out front, and as you approach, you see him on the opposite side of the car, rubbing a sponge against the back window. It’s warmer than usual, and he’s wearing a white tank top with basketball shorts. He notices you approaching and greets you with a nod, a cigarette clutched between his lips.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” you greet back. You see a young red-haired girl walking past Billy. She has a skateboard under her arm, baggy jeans, and a short-sleeved T-shirt. She sees you, momentarily startled, and slows down, her blue eyes scanning you with detachment. Billy walks in the open garage, leaving you alone with her. You greet her with a hesitant wave of your hand, introducing yourself.

“I’m Max,” she replies. She must be Billy’s stepsister. He mentioned her a couple of times.

“Did you bring the books?” Billy returns with a bucket of water, setting it down beside the car.

You lift your linen shoulder bag slightly, indicating that your books are in there.

You feel Max’s eyes on you. Her blue eyes soften slightly, and she seems to recognize something. “You’re the girl who called last week, right?”

"Yes, that's me," you nod with a small smile.

Max nods in acknowledgment, silently. She then sets the skater down on the ground. “You’re the first one who comes over to actually study.”

An embarrassed smile breaks out on your face at her innuendo and you look away, feeling your cheeks heat up. The image of Billy with a girl while...no, you can't think about it.

“Piss off, Max,” Billy grumbles around his cigarette as he squeezes the sponge over the bucket, then jostles it twice to get rid of the water before scrubbing the windshield.

Max rolls her eyes, but steps on her skateboard. She gives you a small smile. “See you.”

“Bye, Max.” you watch her skate away along the road.

“And don’t go too far,” Billy calls over the roof of the Camaro.

For a moment you get lost watching how the muscles of his back move under the tank top as he rubs the side of the car sponge.

“Almost done.” he calls over his shoulder.

“You’re taking good care of it.” you observe as you approach the car, your hands tucked into your back pockets.

“You bet your sweet life I do. This baby cost me a good amount of money.”

“When did you buy it?” you lean against the tree near the uneven stone steps leading up to the entrance of his house.

Billy takes the cigarette from between his lips, puffing some smoke into the air. “I was sixteen. Worked at a garage near my house for a couple of years before that. The owner found her after being on the hunt for months. She had roughly 10,000 miles on her already and was a little banged up. So, I had to use my savings and kept working there for a few months to pay for the repairs.”

He puts the cigarette back between his lips and pours the bucket of water over the car, washing off the soap. Then he takes a few steps backward until he’s next to you as he takes in the newly washed car.

“Not bad, huh?”

“She’s really pretty.” you confirm with a nod.

You've never been particularly enthused with cars, but you must admit that Billy's Camaro stands out in Hawkins. Moreover, the care he takes of it only enhances its shiny navy blue colour.

“Just like you.”

You turn toward him, caught by surprise by his comment. As you do, he’s just taking the cigarette from his mouth after another drag, his eyes revealing a faint warmth that’s hard to perceive, blurred by the seemingly bored look his long lashes give him. But you see it. Even if for a second, you see it. The smoke curls lazily around him.

He luckily saves you from any clumsy answer, jerking his chin toward the house. “Come on, let’s get inside.”

You hum while nodding in obligement, walking toward the house so he can avoid your flustered expression. Billy follows closely behind you, resting his hand on the back of your neck as you walk up the stone steps. He’s been doing that quite a few times. It’s nothing crazy, not an open hug or anything, but to you, his touch makes your heart glow and fills you with a comforting warmth. The house has a front screened porch, where two plants in a pot rest on the floor. You spot a grey rocking chair on the right side.

“I like it.” you say. You wish you had a porch.

“Yeah, sometimes Max sits over there to read.”

It’s a simple house, you notice, with modest furnishings. You both walk into Billy’s room, and you take in your surroundings. It’s a simple room. Apart from his bed, a few pieces of furniture, a mirror, and a wardrobe, there are things distinctly him that give the room character and warmth. Hanging on the wall are posters of bands like Metallica and Mötley Crüe. You also notice a stereo with two speakers. On the fireplace, there are some books.

“You brought it with you?” you ask with a smile, pointing to a yellow surfboard fading to green, leaning against the wall.

Billy sits on the bed, leaning his back against the wall. “Yes. It was out of the question for me to leave it in Cali.” with a wave of his hand, he invites you to come and sit next to him.

You sit gingerly on the bed, books on your lap as he pops a piece of chewing gum into his mouth and offers you one. You take it, thanking him. Sitting so close, the warmth of his body seems to transfer directly from his thigh to yours.

“Are you gonna go back?” you ask, tucking a lock of hair behind your ear. You pull your pencil case and a notepad out of your bag.

Billy snorts. “Hell yeah. I’m not staying here.”

It shouldn’t, but his statement stings a little. At the end of the school year, he will leave. After all, it was a foregone conclusion. There’s nothing to keep him here; his home is in California. He never told you specifically why he moved here. You had asked, jokingly, if his parents wanted "a change of air," and he had replied, ‘Something like that,’ without adding any explanation. So you had not pressed the issue any further. You learned that about certain things, Billy did not feel like talking. He clams up even more. If he wants to, you decide, he will open up to you.

“Yeah, I get it.”

“Might work during the summer to save some money, though.”

“There’s a garage downtown.” you offer, remembering what he said earlier.

“I was thinking more about the pool. Heard they pay very well.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah. Heather works there during summers,” he says, grabbing the history book from his bedside table and putting it on his lap.

“Heather Holloway?”’ you ask, your finger lingering along the edge of your notepad.

There is only one Heather at school. Billy must be talking about her. She’s a pretty girl who comes from a good family. Her dad owns the Hawkins Post. She’s got it all.

“Yeah, you know her?”

“Oh, not directly. But yes, I know her. Her dad is pretty respected in town.” you bite your lip, fighting the urge to ask how he knows her. Are they friends? Did he date her? Is he still dating her?

You conclude it's none of your business, and thinking about it makes you feel weird. So you change the subject, finally opening the book and proposing to start working on the project. In between, you see Max walking past his room from the open door, her skateboard under her arm. After an hour of working, Billy stretches and a yawn escapes you. He lights a cigarette, inspiring a long puff of smoke, and titls his head up, looking at the ceiling. When he exhales, he also seems to sigh with relief. You realize how much smoking seems to be a way for him to relax, a need.

“When did you start smoking?” you ask before you can stop yourself. Then immediately rush on adding “If you don’t mind me asking”.

“Must’ve been fourteen.” he says, “A friend of mine, Wayne, had been smoking for a year or so. Tried from his cig’ once, never went a day without smoking from there.”

You hum pensively.

Billy lolls his head to the side, a lazy smile plastered on his face. “You must think I’m fucking up my health, huh?”

“No, no.” you shake your head. Then you reconsider. “I mean…yes,” at which Billy starts laughing, a low gravelly laugh. “But, I know it must be hard to stop too, once you start. I can’t know, I’ve never tried.”

A second later, his cigarette appears in front of your eyes. He arches an eyebrow at you, looking at you expectantly.

“Oh, I’m fine, thank you.”

“Ah, come on. It’s not like you’re gonna get addicted after one drag. Live a little.” he gently nudges your thigh with his.

You look at the cigarette with a mix of curiosity and hesitation. You've always wanted to try it, not because you want to start smoking, but just to confirm if it tastes bad so you can put the thought to rest.

“Okay. Just once, though.” you gingerly take the cigarette from between his fingers, holding it awkwardly and feeling as if it might fall off any second. You bring it to your lips, feeling his eyes on you.

“Take it slow.”

It’s easier said than done. As soon as you breathe in the smoke, the end of the cigarette burning bright orange wildly, your lungs get filled with an unbearably burning sensation. You feel on fire. You can’t breathe. You start coughing non-repeatedly, your vision going blurred.

Billy laughs again, taking the cigarette from your fingers as you try to fill your lungs with air. “Jesus, I said to take it slow.”

Your face turns red from the effort, and your eyes water. You can't help but glare at him briefly as tears escape, your nose scrunching in disgust. He reaches out with his other hand, cups the side of your face, and gently brushes your tears away with his thumb.

“Breathe, now,” he says between chuckles.

“I don’t like it. It’s gross.”

You say it both because you mean it and because it keeps you grounded under his touch. When he settles back against the wall, your heart keeps hammering against your ribcage.

"You're cute," he says before taking a drag, as if he's talking about the weather, and it only makes your flush an impossibly darker shade of red.

After he finishes his cigarette, Billy asks if you're hungry. You both head into the kitchen, and you sit at the table while he makes tuna sandwiches. He tells you it was the first thing he learned to make for himself when he was younger, back when his father used to work late before marrying Max's mother. He had to fend for himself. Over time, he learned to cook more dishes, especially when his father and stepmother were away for the weekend or running errands. A few years ago, he started weightlifting, which motivated him to learn even more about cooking. Despite all that, he still enjoys tuna sandwiches. Billy puts the sandwiches in the toaster and serves them to you on plates. As you take a bite, the taste of pickles and mayonnaise gives it an extra kick. It's delicious.

“Hey, can you make me one too?” Max emerges from the hallway, leaning against the kitchen doorway.

Billy looks up from the cutting board he’s chopping pickles on as he makes his own sandwich, scowling at her. “Make it yourself.”

“Come on, you know I’m not good at this.”

“Well, you better learn how to make it. It’s a fucking tuna sandwich, not rocket science.”

Max sighs, almost exasperated. "Fine, you stubborn ass. I’ll make it myself, but don’t cry to me when your precious pickles are all gone."

Billy looks up, irritation flickering in his eyes. "Hey! Language," he chides, pointing the knife in her direction, as if he hadn't sworn himself just a moment ago. He then gestures toward the empty chair beside you. "And sit down, if you want me to do it.”

Max quietly sits down next to you, a cheeky smile plastered on her face. Billy mutters under his breath, resuming chopping down the pickles.

“With loads of mayo, please.”

You’ve never seen Billy in a step-brother role before, and the dynamic between them is intriguing. You're suddenly curious about their relationship and how it has evolved since they first met.

“You’re lucky I’m even making this for you,” he grumbles, spreading the mayo generously on the bread.

“This is really good.” you say, pointing at your sandwich.

“Yeah, Billy’s tuna sandwiches are rad.” Maxine approves. Then she shrugs. “He's an asshole, but if there's one thing he's good at, it's cooking.”

“Woah, thanks Maxine.” he ironically says. “Really portraying me well here.”

You chuckle softly under your breath as Max ignores him, carrying on. “Can I go to Family Video later? I need to give back the movies.”

“Later when?” he asks as he assembles her sandwich. “We gotta work on the school project.”

“Like, in an hour?”

“You’ll have to wait ‘till I drop her home.”

Max huffs. “C’mon, Billy. I can skate there, it’s mid afternoon.”

“Ain’t no way I’m letting you go there on your own. It’s on my ass that Neil will be then.”

“I’ll be back before they’re home!” she tries again. “And I’ll bring back some good stuff.”

You watch as Billy sighs heavily, walking in silence over to the table and setting Max’s dish in front of her. Then he points his finger at her, looking at her hard. “I’m warning you. If you’re not back here by four we’re gonna have a serious problem.”

Max mutters something along the lines of “Yeah, jeez, okay” as Billy walks back toward the counter.

He shoots a mildly warning look over his shoulder, his eyes glinting sharply. “And you better bring back some good stuff this time.”

Max gasps in outragement. “It wasn’t that bad!”

“It was crap.”

Max turns toward you. “Have you watched Children of the Corn?”

“I don’t think I have.” you say. “What’s it about?”

“It’s a horror movie.”

“Oh. I don’t really watch horror movies.” you smile sheepishly. “Too scary, I can’t sleep for months then. I’m more into comedies or romances.”

“Those aren’t bad once in a while.” Max agrees. “We mostly watch horrors, but sometimes we happen to watch romances too.”

“You watch rom-coms,” Billy stresses out, as he adds the tuna-mayonnaise mix to his toast.

“Please. How many times did you stay on the couch until the end?

“That’s because the NBA played later at night.”

Max arches an eyebrow in disbelief. “Oh, really? And what about all those times you pretended to get a snack from the fridge, and I caught you hanging around in the hallway, peeking at the screen?"

“Are you eating or not?” Billy cuts her, “Tic tac, shitbird. You better hurry to the videostore before I change my mind.”

It’s hard for you to hold your laugh. You look down at your plate at your half-eaten sandwich, hearing him approaching with his plate.

Max huffs loudly, standing and grabbing her plate. “Whatever. See you.”

She waves at you before disappearing in the hallway.

“See you, Max.”

Billy sits down beside you with a sigh, taking the spot where Max was just sitting. He immediately starts eating his sandwich, and you notice he eats much faster than you. You try not to let your eyes linger on his biceps as he leans forward to take another big bite, crumbs falling onto his plate. You repeat to him that his sandwich is really good, mentioning that when you make it at home, it’s usually dry and tasteless. You just don’t know how to combine the right things, and it gets boring.

“She seems to care about you a lot,” you observe as you both finish eating, referring to Max.

Billy rubs the back of his neck, a sigh leaving his lips. Then he leans back on the chair. “Yeah. Things weren’t, ah…things are better now.”

“You didn’t get along at first?” you tentatively ask.

“Yeah, not really. Moving together was tough. But I was a dick back then.”

“You?”

You can kind of see it, but the person he’s shown to you is the opposite of what he’s describing.

“Believe me, sweetheart.” he shakes his head, a rueful smirk on his face. "I'm no saint now, but you're lucky we didn't meet when I was younger.”

“I’m sure you didn’t have it easy.” you offer.

“Well, Max didn’t either. Her dad doesn’t give a crap about her, her mom only dated assholes before my old man. Then she meets him, thinks she hit the jackpot, turns out he can compete against all of the previous ones together. They really found each other.”

“Is she bad?”

Billy shrugs. “Nah, just weak. And Neil has his way easy with weak people. He found the right woman to mold between his hands like he wants to.”

You listen to him attentively, your hand supporting your head as you rest your elbow on the table, facing him. Neil must be his dad. There’s always some distance, and coldness in the way he speaks about him. He never once referred to him as his dad.

“It must’ve been hard for her…” you recognize. “Especially being that young.”

Billy stands, grabbing the three dishes as he grimaces. “Yeah, I was so wrapped up in my own anger that I completely overlooked that,” he says as he drops them in the sink, and then starts washing them. You stand up and bring him the two empty glasses. “Just didn’t want any of that crap. Moving in with these people I’ve barely seen a couple of times and act like a happy little family. Fuck that.”

“Then the move…” you supply.

"Then the move. Blamed her for all of it. Especially for the move, when in reality the whole thing was my fault. But yeah."

Your eyes fall on his hand, noticing the harsh way he’s scrubbing the glasses with the sponge. You wonder what happened. What caused the move? What could Billy have done? You don’t want to press on it further, realizing how you could easily touch a sensitive nerve.

“Well, you seem to take good care of her. And I see how she looks at you.”

You could swear for a moment he's caught off guard, almost uncomfortable. Then he sniffs, drying his hands with a towel, his eyes wandering outside the kitchen window. "Yeah, trying to make up for all of it. It’s best to stick together in this crazy house."

There is something about all of this that puts you on edge, makes your skin prickle. Something unsettling is happening in this family. There are subtle but numerous hints you pick up on in your interactions with Billy. It's a month later that you uncover the ugly truth.

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A couple of weeks later May finally arrives, bringing longer days and warmer weather. You can already breathe in the summer air. The trailer park seems a little less gloomy now, with trees in bloom and green grass. In the evening, you hear crickets singing from the open hayloft in the kitchen or your room. On clear, sunny weekends, you and Billy go to Lovers Lake. It's not warm enough to swim yet, but you lie on the shore or on one of the deserted docks. You often do your homework or read while Billy smokes a cigarette or dozes. Your relationship has progressed; you feel much more comfortable around him. Though you don't know each other completely yet, you've gone out enough times to welcome the occasional silence, which no longer frightens you. Slowly, you feel yourself shedding layers of your shell. You think you can consider yourselves friends.

You were supposed to hang out that morning. He was meant to come over to study at your place before heading to Lovers Lake as planned. However, today, the familiar rumble of the Camaro doesn't show up. After a few hours of hesitation, you try calling his house. A man answers, presumably Billy's dad, and informs you that Billy is not home. The rest of the day passes in anxious waiting, but Billy never arrives. You try to push away thoughts of the worst-case scenario, but as the hours drag on, those fears keep creeping back. By Sunday, still no word from him. Billy has always been the opposite of what you expected—he never ignored you at school, never stood you up. Yet now, your fear seems to be materializing. Perhaps he's grown tired of you and found more captivating company. You wonder what you could possibly offer him. You're not as interesting or outgoing as his basketball team friends, nor do you provide the same entertainment as the high school girls he's dated, or might still be dating. Perhaps he's realized that after delving beneath the surface, there's nothing particularly captivating about you.

At dinner, your dad notices something is bothering you and asks what's wrong. You barely touch your plate, feeling like an amoeba. But he's dead tired from his factory shift, and you don't want to burden him with your worries, so you lie and tell him that you're not feeling well. Later, he rises from the sofa, gives you a kiss on the head, and advises you not to stay up too late before retiring to his room. Despite the sound of the TV in the background, you feel lonelier than ever, and the resignation settling over you is almost worse than the whirlwind of emotions you've experienced all day. Hours pass, and you start to doze off curled up on the sofa, the movie you started barely catching your attention. Then, you're jolted awake by the roar of a familiar engine outside the trailer. It's as if a shot of adrenaline has pierced through your lethargy. You sit up abruptly, heart racing, straining your ears to confirm what you've heard. The noise ceases, prompting you to hurry to the door, moving slowly to avoid disturbing your sleeping dad. Your heart skips a beat when, through the window, you spot Billy's familiar silhouette in the dim light cast by the bulb outside.

When you open the door, Billy seems momentarily surprised to see you. As if he didn't expect you to open it so promptly. But then that expression is washed away by his usual smirk.

“You sure were waiting for me, huh?”

You stifle a gasp of horror at the sight of his bruised and battered face, instinctively bringing your hands to your mouth to muffle any sound that might wake your father. To say he's in a bad state would be an understatement.

"Oh my God, Billy."

Closing the front door softly behind you, you step out into the night air, standing in front of him, your concern palpable.

"Good to see you too," he jokes, but his playful expression fades as he realizes his attempt to lighten the mood isn't working.

"Oh God..."

You draw closer, taking in his state. There’s an angry bruise around his left eye, dark purple and almost black, with hints of red and blue around the edges, swollen and puffy. Traces of dried blood linger around his nostrils, and his nose is swollen, the bridge as purple as the area under his eye.

"It's fine," he says.

"Sorry... can I just..." setting aside your shyness, you gently take his face in your hands, tilting his head slightly backward. You won’t fail to notice his small wince as you do so. His lip is cut and swollen. "Does it hurt a lot?"

“Nah. It’s okay.”

"What happened?" you ask softly as you brush his chin with your thumb, almost afraid of causing him further pain.

Billy doesn't seem concerned at all, contrasting with your likely alarmed expression. He looks almost unfazed, the corners of his eyes crinkling into his usual amused expression.

"Got into a fight with a guy. He was just drunk, and I was there."

You frown in confusion. "Were you... at a bar or something?"

"Yeah, I uh...at the pub downtown. Just happened to cross paths with him. He thought I was looking at his girl or something."

"A major dick," you mutter under your breath, your eyes still scanning his cut. It looks deep, like the blood struggled to stop flowing. There's still some dried blood on his chin.

Billy chuckles, then after a moment, he speaks quietly, "Yeah, a major dick. Got him good, though."

“You didn’t clean it. It’s going to get infected, I’ll quickly get…”

“S’fine, really.” while exhaling a sigh through his nose, his hand encircles your wrists, prying yours gently away.

You lower your gaze to his hands to examine the damage there. But that’s when you notice it. His knuckles are completely fine. There isn’t a single cut on them.

“Billy…” you hold his hands, then look at him.

He seems to pick up on what you’re thinking because he pulls his hands away, scratching his nose with his knuckles, acting as nonchalant as ever. You notice how his hands seem to twitch, like he’s got this nervousness he can’t shake off. As if he’s itching for something. Itching for a smoke.

“I’m gonna clean it when I get home. Wanna go to the quarry? I’ve got some sweets Max forgot in the car earlier,” he suggests, nodding towards the Camaro parked behind him at the beginning of the trailer park. It's likely he didn’t want to wake anyone, especially your dad, given how late it is.

“But…”

“Sweetheart. Please,” he cuts you off. You freeze in place at the harsher tone of his last word. Billy sighs, running a hand through his curls. “M’sorry. Can we just not talk about it?” he looks tired, but not physically tired—mentally tired. You can sense the exhaustion in his gaze, a silent plea underlying his question.

A twist forms in your stomach as the reality sinks in. It confirms that something very wrong, something dark, is happening in his life. You begin to reflect on how you might have overlooked the signs. You feel the urge to ask him if the person causing him harm is who you suspect. You want to help him. But you push down those thoughts and emotions.

“Okay. Okay, of course,” you softly say. “Can I just go and grab the first-aid kit before we leave? Please.”

Billy clenches his jaw and looks away. You can see how hard this must be for him, and the last thing you want is for him to feel like he can't be vulnerable around you.

“All right.” he finally says.

After quietly retrieving the first aid kit, you get into the car with Billy. You’re not too worried about your father waking up since he sleeps like a rock, and it’s a Friday night after all. The car ride to the quarry is unusually silent. You try to break the ice by asking Billy how the basketball game went a few days ago or how Max liked the movie you recommended the last time you saw her. However, Billy responds with noncommittal short answers, clearly not fully present in the moment. Something must be weighing heavily on his mind. Sensing his mood, you decide to fill the silence by sharing what you’ve been up to lately. You mention that your father's co-worker, Wayne Munson, who lives in the trailer right across the street, came over for coffee the other day. Wayne has a son who’s a year or two older than you. You’ve never really talked to him, as he tends to keep to himself, but he seems nice enough. Now that the weather is warmer, you often see him sitting on the porch of his trailer, either smoking or reading a book. He always greets you when you walk by or take out the trash. You know he struggled in school, having flunked twice in his senior year, but he graduated last year and now works as a mechanic downtown. Talking about the mechanic job seems to catch Billy’s interest. You remind him of the conversation you had a while back when he mentioned wanting to work as a mechanic during the summer. Billy starts to loosen up and tells you that he plans to stop by the car shop in the next few days.

On this warm night, the air is balmy and filled with the earthy scent of blooming wildflowers and fresh foliage. As he has a couple of times before, Billy parks the car near the edge of the quarry, just where the thick line of trees begins. Gravel crunches softly under the tires, the only sound of the quiet evening.

The towering trees cast shadows blurred in the moonlight, their leaves rustling softly in the warm breeze. Before he can say anything, you open the first-aid kit on your lap and gently shush him when he objects. As you gently clean the dried blood around his nostrils and the cut on his lip with an antiseptic wipe, Billy winces slightly but doesn’t pull away. You then apply a bit of the antibiotic ointment to the wounds to prevent infection. Finally, you use a gauze pad to gently dab at the bruised areas, careful not to press too hard. Throughout the process, Billy remains mostly silent, his eyes closed, occasionally taking a deep breath. The temperature feels good outside, so once you’re finished you both get out of the car. Billy rounds the car and sits on the ground with a wince, resting his back against the side of the car. So you do the same. You stand in front of the quarry. Under the pale light of the crescent moon, the quarry walls loom like ancient sentinels, their rough surfaces casting long, mysterious shadows. The water at the bottom of the quarry is a dark, mirror-like expanse, reflecting the twinkling stars above.

"Here," Billy says, holding up some green candy canes along with a pack of cigarettes. It looks different from his usual pack of Marlboro Reds, but you don’t think much of it initially.

"What flavor is it?" you ask, taking one of the candies from the packet.

"Must be sour apple."

As you begin to chew, the taste of apple indeed invades your taste buds. From the corner of your eye, you see Billy pull a cigarette out of the pack, then hear him swear.

"Shit." Billy curses. "That's a candy. Didn’t even notice it."

You see the candy cigarette between Billy's fingers and an amused chuckle escapes your lips.

"Don't worry, it's an easy mistake. Guess even tough guys can mix up their vices sometimes."

That makes him snort a quiet laugh, and even if it’s without a real smile and it’s short-lived, you managed to make him laugh a bit.

Billy leans his head against the metal of the Camaro, his hand holding the lighter dropping to his thigh. "They must be in the car."

He must be referring to his cigarettes. You remain silent for a few seconds, contemplating whether to offer to go get them for him. You look at his tired profile: eyes closed, head resting against the car, throat exposed, Adam's apple slightly prominent. Looking at his bruised face makes your stomach twist with concern, your heart sinking. At least his wounds are clean now. You feel the urge to reach out and brush aside the curl that falls over his eye. But you don’t. Instead, your gaze shifts to the quarry.

“You’ve been really smoking a lot, Billy.”

Your words slip out quietly, as if afraid of disrupting the fragile balance of the evening. You’ve observed Billy smoking ever since you met him. Lately, though, you’ve noticed how his fingers are more often occupied by a cigarette than free of it. You’ve seen his nervous fidgeting in class—how he jitters his knee, taps the rubber end of his pencil on the desk, scratches his stubble with his knuckles, and frequently shifts position in his chair. And now, whenever you’re together, he’s pulling one out from his pack at least once.

Billy opens his eyes slightly, glancing at you. He sighs and looks away, his expression hardening a bit. "Yeah, well, it helps," he says gruffly, but there's a hint of something softer in his voice. "Don't worry about it. I'll cut back... someday."

He sees the probably worried look on your face. He’s so young, and he smokes already this much. You don’t even realize how you’re worrying at your lip.

“I’ll try and slow down, alright?”

You nod hesitantly as he offers you a cigarette candy that you take.

“Just ‘cause you can't stand the smell of smoke.” he teases you, his eyes sleepy and slightly amused.

“What? I…that wasn’t…” you stutter, feeling embarrassed he caught you. “That’s not why I think you should stop! It’s for your health…”

“But it bothers you too,” a grin forms on his face as he reaches out, and before you can stop you he pinches right above your knee, making you jump and squeal in surprise. He’s learned how ticklish he makes you, and he’s never stopped teasing you with it ever since. l “I know you do.”

“Stop! Stop it!”

“You alway scrunch up your nose like it’s the most disgusting thing in the world.”

“Stop it, okay!” you try to free your leg with a high-pitched laugh as he tries to pinch you again. “You’re right, I hate it! Hands off, now.”

You push his hand away as he finally relents, trying to catch your breath. Billy shakes his head in amusement. He tugs at his candy stick with his teeth.

“Knew it,” he says.

You simply take another candy from his hands, avoiding his gaze as he chews on his. You’re hyper-aware of how flushed you are now, embarrassed that he noticed. You didn't want him to realize that his smoking bothered you.

“I haven’t even realized I do that…” you then say, breaking through the quiet.

“It’s kinda cute.”

His comment makes your heart race and your face flush even more. You glance down, fiddling with the wrapper of the candy in your hand. “Thanks”, you mumble softly, barely audible.

“You sure as hell would make a good nurse.” he mumbles then, shifting his position, wincing a bit and you notice how he brushes his hand over his left side. “All caring and everything. You took care of my wounds pretty well.”

If it wasn’t for what he just said, you would ask him if he got hurt there as well. You try to mask your embarrassment with a casual shrug. "I don't think I'd like being a nurse," you say, managing to keep your voice steady. "Too much pressure and responsibility."

Billy nods, taking your words in stride. "Fair enough," he says. "Then what would you like to be?”

You let out a soft sigh, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the question. "I don't know," you admit, staring down at your hands. "It's hard to figure out."

"Tell you what, it’s pretty simple," Billy says. "What do you like?”

You lift your eyes from your hands, a bit surprised by his question. “What do you mean?”

Billy pops another candy in his mouth. “See, I like cars and I’m pretty good at working on them. So, I know I’m gonna be a mechanic.” he lazily gestures at himself, then at you. “What do you like?”

You ponder his question for a moment, thinking about the things that bring you joy. "I like to take pictures," you say finally. "Especially portraits of people. Capturing their expressions, their emotions... it feels special."

"Then you should be a photographer," he says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

You smile at his straightforwardness, feeling a warmth spread through you. "Maybe," you say, considering the possibility.

Billy leans his head back against the car. "You know, the guy I was working for in San Diego once told me something," he says. "He said that at the end of the day, it's simple. You need to find something you like and you're really good at, then make it your job. That's how you'll make it in life."

His words resonate with you, and you find yourself nodding in agreement. "That makes sense," you say softly.

Photography has always been your favorite hobby. Until recent dramatic events, you used to do it a lot. You have a lot of pictures in the drawer of your desk. Billy tells you he wants you to show them to him sometime. He also says it’s a shame you stopped and that you should start doing it again. You haven’t spoken specifically about your mom leaving yet. You’ve noticed he’s very sensitive about it, careful not to push your boundaries. He’s never asked questions. However, tonight he simply tells you that if photography makes you happy, it’s important to not give up on it, as passions have a way of pulling us through hard times. You realize how Billy has a way of making things simpler, of helping you see what's important. And in that moment, you feel a deep sense of gratitude for his presence in your life.

You stay at the quarry until two am, and it’s when you start yawning repeatedly that Billy says it’s time to go. Sitting in the car, despite the warm weather, feels good as the night has gotten chilly. You feel sleepy, but nonetheless, you continue to think about the current situation. You don’t want Billy to go home, there’s something that makes you feel on the edge, you want to talk about it with him so bad but don’t even know how to approach the subject. Despite that, sleep starts to take over you, but once halfway through the ride to the trailer park, a brownish silhouette crosses the road in front of you.

“The fuck.” Billy floors both the clutch and the brakes, and you’re thankful for having your seatbelt on. Your body slams forward and back again, and you hit your head against the headrest for the impact.

A deer, froze into place a few seconds before, rushes toward the the other side of the road, running wildly and disappearing through the trees.

“Ouch.”

Billy heaves a loud sigh. “God…frickin’ stupid forest.”

Your heartbeats slow down as you recover from the surprise, your hand feeling the back of your head.

“Yeah, we have lots of them here,” you mumble.

“Jesus.” he looks then at you. “You alright?”

His hand comes up, touching yours so you drop it. He gently rests it on the back of your head where it still throbs. It’s warm and big. He literally could crush you if he wanted to. But his touch is soft.

“It’s fine.” you squeak, the sudden touch making you burn.

“Hurts a lot?” he mutters’, his thumb petting the skin at the nape of your neck.

“A little bit. It’s gonna pass.”

“Alright.” he relents after a few seconds, then pushes on the gas again.

The remainder of the car journey passes in silence. Billy stops exactly where he had stopped before, the headlights briefly illuminating the 'Forest Hills' panel before he switches off the engine. Darkness envelops you, blending with the night's silence and the quiet of the car. You're not quite sure what to say. You're uncertain how to bid him farewell. Truth be told, you have no desire to say goodbye to him. The last thing you want is to let him go, sensing that he will likely return to danger as soon as you step into the house.

"I'm sorry," he says, breaking through the quiet.

You turn toward him, confusion and surprise evident in your expression. "For what?"

"For standing you up."

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.”

“It’s not though.” you can see him shake his head from the corner of your eye. “That was a dick move. Could’ve at least called you.”

Turning your whole body towards him, you lean against the passenger seat. Now that a couple of hours have passed, his eye is swollen and darker.

"Billy, it's okay. Really. I know you..." you hesitate, then look down at your hands, feeling the weight of his gaze on you. You try to find the right words, careful not to touch the subject again, especially not to delve into details. "I know you weren't at the pub earlier."

At these words, Billy turns his head and looks away, towards the window. Sensing his discomfort, you hurriedly continue speaking. "And that's alright. I don't need you to explain yourself to me. I get it. I just want you to know that I know.

Tentatively, you extend your hand towards his, resting on the shift gear. Holding your breath, you anticipate a possible rejection.

“And I understand."

Billy doesn't shoo you away but remains as still as a statue, his elbow resting against the window, his knuckles against his mouth. Your heart tightens as you imagine the pain hidden beneath the shield he wears, the horrors he must have endured so far. Just as you begin to release the pressure on his hand, preparing to withdraw, Billy sighs and turns his hand palm up, slipping his fingers between yours and squeezing. His touch is warm, sending an electric signal throughout your body, causing your heart to leap. Reassured by his welcoming touch, your thumb caresses the back of his hand.

“I know we haven’t known each other for long,” you say softly, careful not to disrupt the fragile connection between you. “But I care about you. And I’m here for you. Whatever you need, I’m here.”

Billy rests his head against the headrest, his eyes closed. He squeezes your hand. “Thanks, sweetheart.” his voice is low and gravelly, as quiet as yours.

You stay like this for a moment, perhaps him relishing in the weight lifted by your confession, and you in his acceptance of your attempt to bridge the gap between you.

“I should go now.” you whisper, glancing at the house, though that’s the last thing you want to do.

Billy releases his hand from your grip and then reaches for his pack of cigarettes in the center console, his gaze avoiding. “Yeah, it’s late.”

“Will you be okay?” you ask him.

“Yeah, don’t sweat it.”

Even as you look at him, Billy avoids making eye contact with you. He takes a cigarette, lighting it up, the flame piercing through the darkness and briefly illuminating his bruised face. It's as if he's peeled back one layer too many for his liking. You understand this, though it leaves you feeling distant from him. You miss the warmth he usually radiates. Quietly accepting the situation, you purse your lips and reach for the door handle.

You glance back at him, failing to lock eyes with him as he exhales the smoke whilst tilting his head back. “Try to rest. And…uhm, call me if you need it. Please.”

Billy merely nods. “Yeah. Night.”

As you walk toward your house, the chilly night air envelops you, and you try to shake off the feeling of helplessness and emptiness that grips you. You're still trying to wrap your head around it, to accept the extent of his condition. It's kind of a shock.

As you hear his car door slam, you turn back to him.

"Did you forget something?" you ask, keeping your voice low as he approaches, the cigarette dangling between his fingers.

You don't understand his actions as he draws closer and closer, and for a second your body tenses, until he reaches out and pulls you toward him. It’s only when you’re pressed against his body that you realize he has his arms wrapped around you. Speechless, you allow your arms to encircle his neck, his face nuzzling into your neck, his breath mingling with your hair. You can sense the weight of unspoken words in the fierceness of his embrace, his forearms pressing against your back. Standing on your tiptoes to meet him, you ease the strain as he's slightly bent over you due to his height. But it doesn’t last long, so you simply allow yourself to be engulfed by his tall figure. You hope he can't feel how fast your heart is pounding against your chest, but at the same time, you find yourself not caring. Relief washes over you as the distance he had put between you earlier dissipates into the night air. And it feels good. You could easily get used to all of this. The butterflies in your stomach, the profound happiness as he’s everywhere, around you, against you. You realize that you could stay like this forever, and the thought scares you.

After what feels like an eternity, yet somehow not enough, he finally pulls away. Your hair is tangled with his, and with a gentle touch, he first separates his from yours. Then, with the same hand, he carefully sweeps your hair behind one of your shoulders. With his other arm releasing you, he taps the cigarette with his finger to release the ashes. His eyes carry a sleepy gaze, and this time you're certain they're sleepy in every sense of the word. Nonetheless, they bore into yours with the same overwhelming intensity.

“You sleep tight, okay?”

You nod a couple of times, still speechless and unable to function by his proximity.

As you watch his retreating form and assured stride, you feel your heartstrings pulling more strongly towards him with each step he takes, as if he's carrying your heart with him.

#billy hargrove imagine #billy hargrove x reader #billy hargrove smut #billy hargrove #billy hargrove x oc #billy hargrove fic #billy hargrove x you #stranger things smut #dacryphilia #slow burn #stranger things fic #billy hargove x reader #billy hargrove angst #billy hargrove fluff #eddie munson #80s #billy hargrove x y/n #billy hargrove x female reader #billy stranger things

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twstfanblog · 5 months ago

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*~Period Drama~* Wednesday

A/N: Sorry this took me so fucking long. There is no real excuse, I kept getting sick and then with the intense move we had to do a lot was happening in the few months. WordCount: 7.1K Warnings: She/They OC Pronouns

~Taglist @twistedcece @deltrea @krenenbaker @koebishrimpuwu @cat100200 @emyluwinter @obsessionswithfandoms @ady-hilborn @lucid-stories @girl-nahh-two @itz-hydrodeptus-foxy7 @chyluna @riddlesimps @death-the-jo @a-twistedheartslonging @qixlin @chaosistheonlyway @welcome-to-my-horde @abell2029cluster @kirans-wonderland @coffee-or-hot-cocoa @the-ace-reader @iamsoconfusedallofthetime @chroniccorvus @marvelous-maxi @prolonged-eyecontact @lozplayer @jabberwocky-warrior @thateldribitch @bun-lapin @mel1rose @ladyraeka @ladyzsgolla @kimdourden @noncreativepage-blog @girl-nahh-two @shironakuronatasa @colombia-chan @roseapov @anunholyabomination Start, Part 2 (Octavinelle), Part 3 (Heartslabyul), Part 4 (Savanaclaw), Part 4.5 (Diasomnia pt1), Part 5 (Diasomnia pt2), Part 6 (Here), Part 7 (Scarabia)

The Diasomnia crew left before Yuu even finished their breakfast on Wednesday. Crewel was not happy seeing Malleus clinging to them when he came to deliver their dinner last night, but the potions teacher didn't say anything past a scoff and an eye roll. Like the past few days the bicolored man had scolded them for their life choices, then shoved a pattern book at them and asked for their preferences.

Morning came, an Octavinelle student showed up with his arms shaking full of food for Yuu and the four Diasomnia students. Breakfast was a calm affair, only for Malleus to stand once he finished his food. He pressed a kiss to Yuu's forehead and gave a small blessing, wishing them a pleasant rest of their day before moving to leave the room.

Lilia called out to him, raising an eyebrow, “Where are you off to? We still have a good hour before we need to go back to Diasomnia to prepare for classes. I'd think you'd want to continue your duty as the royal heating pad…” he chuckled lightly, ignoring Sebek's angered snort.

“I'm aware and I had planned on it. But, I was going to make a stop in Octavinelle to speak with Azul while there was still time.”

…

Yuu fully turned around in their seat, raising an eyebrow at the smiling fae, “About what?”

Malleus only tilted his head in a conscious effort to appear cuter, “You are aware that I adore you, correct Yuu?”

“Malleus, that's my fucking- Don't- don't fucking bully Azul into agreeing with you.”

“I would never. I simply wish to speak to him civilly until we come to an agreement on things…”

Lilia looks up from his meal, already seeing what the younger fae was planning, “Malleus…”

“In fact, I'll bring Jamil with me. He should be a part of this conversation too.”

“Malleus-”

The horned fae had then disappeared in a flurry of green light. Lilia was quick to order Sebek and Silver to search the two dorms that Malleus was headed for while he started his search in Diasomnia; Malleus could be in either dorm. Each of them giving Yuu a rushed farewell before running out of Ramshackle, hopeful they'd find Malleus before he started his ‘conversation’ with the two sophomores.

Even Grim had left a few hours later, playfully stating one of them had to pick up the slack since Yuu wasn't allowed to attend class. Now that they were alone again, Yuu could physically feel their mood dropping. There were options, as there always were. Several friends that they could text throughout the day to keep their mind off of things. Cater, of course, but he was a 3rd year and Yuu could never really tell how serious he was about his schoolwork. Ace and Deuce were a choice, but Crewel might actually give them concussions if he caught them texting during homeroom. (They were filed under maybe, they can suffer in Ramshackle together if the Adeuce duo got concussed). They briefly thought of adding Lilia to that list then decided against it, along with Azul, Jamil, Silver and Sebek; they'd no doubt have their hands full of talking Malleus down.

Idia was most likely in his room dual-screening his classes and whatever RPG-mmo or anime he had started recently. Maybe he could answer them on why Ortho had been radio silent since they saw him on Saturday…

But, in the end, laziness won and Yuu simply returned to the nest Malleus had so lovingly crafted for them. It was warm and cozy, but definitely too big for just themselves; left too much space for their thoughts, mental conversations that told them of the multiple things they needed to do yet physically seemed too daunting at the moment. There were dishes to do that were never finished from Saturday, they definitely needed a shower, or at least to wash their face properly. Sighing, they just curled up in their too-big nest and closed their eyes. A nap fixes everything after all.

Three sharp knocks wake them up. Blinking in mild confusion before another three sharp knocks echo in the downstairs rooms. Yuu grabs their phone from outside the nest and looks at the time, only a few minutes past noon. Crewel must be bringing them lunch. But then they remembered Crewel had a horrible habit of thinking he was too good to knock on doors, simply opening and slamming them so hard he had no doubt gotten a door knob stuck in drywall before.

So who the hell-

The door opens, the sound of heels clicking against the hardwood floors flanked by more muted footsteps after the door was shut again. Yuu looked up from their phone to see Vil walk into the entryway of the lounge, hands filled with a cloth-wrapped package and a shiny hydro flask complete with a teal straw. From the side of the archway, Yuu could see Epel and Rook poking their heads in with expressions of wariness and glee respectfully.

“Oh, so you are awake. I knocked and you deliberately ignored me.” The actor rolled his eyes, walking further into the room and placing the package and hydro flask at the edge of the nest as faux offerings, “I took the liberty to make you lunch to reflect your body's needs. I expect you to eat it all.”

Yuu looked at the packaged food, no doubt filled with Vil's horrible idea of a ‘balanced’ meal; AKA, unseasoned. They blink, looking up to the junior, “I just woke up.”

Vil's expression grows more exasperated, the corner of his lip curling over his almost unnoticeable fangs in a mild sneer, “It's past noon…”

“Wow, Vil. You're so good at telling time. That's an amazing skill you got there…” Yuu's tone was flat, eyes slowly blinking as they kept focus on Vil's displeased face, “Did you train to read clocks or like-”

“Alright, that's enough out of you-”

“Mon vieille amor! It's been so long since I've seen your visage.” Rook rushed in, kneeling in front of Yuu's prone form before they could actually gode Vil into a scuffle, “I've been in a state of heartbreak since Crewel placed the visitor ban on your home. Though my woes eased and soul sung when I noticed you were still accepting guests regardless! Is company an aid or a sacrifice during your plight?”

Yuu looks to Rook, making sure the Florian could see them blinking one eye at a time; a common way Yuu could silently tell Rook to ‘Shut up’, “...Could be better…could be better…”

Vil's brows creased, his annoyed expression moving to confusion, “That…is not answering the question…”

“What are you, a fucking lawyer?” Yuu rubs their eyes, “I just woke up, give me a minute.”

“Honestly-”

“Isit true yur bleeding out yur butt?” Epel called out from the entryway, ducking back when Vil quickly snapped to glare over his shoulder at the first-year.

“Epel!”

“A-ah wanna know!”

Yuu finally propped themselves up, leaning weight on their elbows as they looked at Epel in confusion, “Why the fuck would I be bleeding out my ass!?”

“That's what Deuce said!”

“Why is Deuce saying I'm bleeding out my ass!?”

Epel shrugs, his face just as bewildered as Yuu's, “Ah don' know!? He said Riddle said sum shit about it-”

“Epel.”

The first-year shut his mouth, looking away from Vil's no doubt glacial glare and tapping his pointer fingers together before he clears his throat. Epel spoke carefully, his accent being lost in his conscious effort to not swear, “Um…Deuce read some of Riddle's notes? I don't think he read them right, but then again I don't really…know where you're bleeding from…”

Yuu scoffs, “It's not my ass, I'll tell you that much…”

Rook perks up, eyes wide as his hands cover his mouth in a show of surprise, “Mon Dieu! I had hoped I misheard Monsieur Crewel. Are you truly bleeding from such an area, mon vieille amor…?”

“Ye…”

Vil gave them a concerned glance, opening his mouth only to whip around to glare at Epel's softly muttered ‘gross’. Once he was properly scolded into silence, Vil looked back to Yuu, “Are you feeling alright? I heard from Crewel that he wasn't going to give you any more pain potions. Which is valid, so many potions in such a short amount of time isn't healthy for the body. But that does leave you without proper pain relief…”

“Lowkey, it’s so fucking weird you and Crewel hang out as like puh-seudo equals. Like, just admit you're both part of a fucked up clone project to destroy teenage boys through fashion and aggressively sharp eyeliner.”

Vil's look of concern quickly fell, glaring down his nose at the equally stone-faced first-year, “Oh, are we fighting? Is that what you decided is going to happen? I come to you civilly, with food and concern, and you decide we're going to have a petty argument as my thanks. Understandable. You are a child.”

“How's it feel to fight a child and lose? Because you are, you're losing.”

“It feels like listening to you prattle on is clogging my pores…”

“You know what pores are?” Yuu gasps, mockingly covering their mouth as they whisper to Rook, “Embarrassing.”

“What does that MEAN-”

Epel and Rook share a look, letting the two continue with their back-and-forth ‘bickering’. To the outside view, the two seemed to actually be arguing. But Epel knew Yuu and Rook knew Vil. While Yuu was a bully at their core, the way they poked at Vil was much softer than the people they actually verbally bit at. And Rook knew his queen was an icon of polite rebuffs, though that wasn't always his thoughts. Vil felt the need to chew people out every now and again as any stressed individual would. Yuu simply was a worthy opponent of wordplay.

The two film research members did enjoy each other's company though, they wouldn't keep spending time with each other if they didn't. If they found joy in verbally slapping at each other and critiquing bad movies until they were a fine paste, who were they to judge them…?

Truly, ‘Sibling Core’ as Cater once joked (only to be promptly cursed by Vil to trip every third step until he took back his statement).

“You're like an egg…that was cracked in the carton and just got a sticky film all over the other eggs so you don’t wanna touch them.”

Vil tilted his head back to let out a single laugh before glaring back down at Yuu, “Oh, I'm a residue now? You're one to talk, you greasy onion. You look a mess, your hair is even more a bird's nest than normal, and I can see the state of your skin from here. You clearly haven't been using the skincare routine I gifted you…”

…

Yuu opened and then closed their mouth, a repeated action that made Vil raise a single eyebrow. The star already had another comeback locked and loaded, but he could be patient for Yuu to think up a response. He had to be fair after all…

But the comeback never came. Instead, Yuu started to blink rapidly, a look of frustration blooming on their face before they simply bowed their head and let out a single sniffle. Then one sniffle became a choked back sob, as they fully curled into themselves to hide from view.

Rook straightened himself beside the nest, already reaching out to comfort Yuu, “Oh, mon-” only to be shoved out of the way as Vil dropped to his knees to grab at Yuu's shoulders.

“Are you crying!? No, I'm being completely serious, are you actually crying?” When the response was another wet-sounding sniffle and whimper, he climbed into the nest, a look of panicked determination slowly overtaking his face, “Don't-don't cry. Come on, let me- is it the cramps? Here, this yoga pose should help ease the pain. Let me get you into it.”

Vil worked quickly but gently, managing to put Yuu into a sitting position with their knees bent and the soles of their feet pressed together. He crawled deeper into the nest, placing himself behind them and wrapped his arms around their middle when the crying first-year tried to fold back in on themselves.

“No! You're going to hurt yourself, you are not that flexible. Is this helping? I have other poses that should help. Please, stop crying. We can watch one of your horrifically scarring children's movies if you stop.”

Epel had retreated back to the entryway, gripping onto the wood and looking at Yuu in confused terror, “What's happening!? What did you do!?”

Vil glared at Epel, shaking his head, “Don't you blame this on me- Yuu, don't tell Crewel I made you cry.”

Yuu sniffled, trying to lay limply in Vil's hold but the 3rd year kept them upright, “I'm sorry, I don't wanna cry anymore…”

Rook had pulled himself from the floor, gently cupping Yuu's cheek as he gazed at them in worry, “Mon petite! What has caused such sorrow? Truly mon roi’s words weren't so harsh…?”

“I just…I feel bad. I haven't really felt good and it makes it hard to do things. I gotta list of chores I haven't done because I've been on the edge of hysteria for the past few days. I haven't showered since Saturday because I just wanna sleep and standing is annoying. Vil, I was gonna call you Monday, I promise. but then I went to school and everything was annoying and then I threw up and I forgot-”

Yuu's ramble slowly turned into more tearful crying. Vil was only mildly elated, as his words seemed to simply be a trigger instead of the main cause. The issue now was that they didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. And the last thing Vil wanted was for the first year to manage to cry themselves actually sick during his visit. Crewel would never let him hear the end of it…

Vil reached out of the nest, grabbing the thermos and trying to place the straw into Yuu's wailing mouth, “Here, have some smoothie. Get a healthy liquid in your body-”

“I don't want your fucking green juice, Vil!”

Everyone subtly leaned away from Yuu, eyes wide at the raw anger they suddenly displayed. Vil still pressed the cool flask to the first-year's face. Both to pointedly demand they drink the smoothie and to help cool the flushing of Yuu's cheeks.

“It's not my blend. I used nothing but fruit in this! Strawberries, peaches, and mangos!” And a handful of spinach because lord forbid this child eat a vegetable; but he wasn't going to tell them that, “It's a treat, since you've been so ill…”

Yuu cast a disbelieving look to Vil, face pinched together before they finally took a sip from the flask's straw. At the promised taste of nothing but fruit, they took another gulp. Taking the flask from Vil they weakly say, “It's good…thank you…”

Just as the Pomefiore trio thought they were in the clear, Yuu took in a shuddering breath that quickly turned back to a tearful muttering, “Sorry. I'm serious, I'm trying to stop crying.”

Epel called out from the archway, finally stepping fully into the room now that Vil was half grappling with Yuu, “What ya even cryin’ about? Ah know Vil's smoothies suck but they aint always that bad…”

Vil muttered briefly for Epel to stop blaming him for Yuu's crying fits. Yuu had taken another pause to gulp at the chilly fruit smoothie, taking the offered wrap Rook had handed them from the now-opened lunchbox.

“Dude, I've been a fucking train wreck for the past half week. This shit is normally over by now and I'm still dropping clots.”

Rook and Vil share a mildly horrified look at the mention of clots. Why are clots involved in this? Are clots supposed to be involved?

“I'm reaching new mental and emotional ATLs at, like, random intervals, I've got a sink full of dishes that I don't wanna do and I don't wanna ask anyone to do. I gotta shower, that's just a fucking fact; I don't wanna shower because while I'll feel great afterwards, that's a whole mental race just to get into the shower for some reason. And I'm also upset because I've gotta do so much laundry once this shit is over because I've been bleeding all over the nice things you guys have given me for the past four days-”

“Okay, okay.” Vil quickly shushed Yuu, guiding the chicken wrap from the lunch into their mouth in an effort to stop their hysterical spiral. Once Yuu was chewing the food, he snapped his fingers and called his other dorm members to attention, “Epel, go to Crewel and get the surprise. Whatever he has ready, simply package it and bring it back here. Rook, go to Pomefiore and bring me my spa kit.”

Epel nodded, turning around and rushing out of the room to race back to the school with nothing said other than ‘I'm on it’. Rook smiles, kneeling on one knee and bowing with a hand over his heart.

“Which kit would you prefer, mon roi?”

“The big one.” Vil looked to the freshman in his arms, sighing softly before turning back to Rook, “And stop by Sam's to get them another treat…” He smiles at Yuu, tilting his head in a questioning manner, “Would you like a treat, dear little onion?”

“...” Yuu sniffled, “I want a chocolate bar…”

Vil nodded, petting Yuu's head, “Get them a dark chocolate bar-”

“I want a milk chocolate bar…”

“Dark chocolate is healthier, onion…”

Yuu sniffles, voice breaking at random intervals as they start to cry again, “I want a milk chocolate bar-”

“Fine. Oh my seven. Rook, get them a milk chocolate candy bar and my large spa kit from my room.”

“Oui!” With a chuckle and tip of his hat, Rook turned to exit the room, “Please no fighting while alone, you both fight dirty when no one is looking. Je reviens!” He waves as he disappears around the corner.

With Rook gone, Vil sighed. Mildly resigning himself to the act of cuddling his pseudo-sister until the others return. Gently carding his hand through their hair, he couldn't fight the grimace his face did at feeling its texture.

“Lord, your hair is greasy…”

Yuu looks at him, face almost pathetic with tears in their eyes, “Vil-”

“I'm going to fix it! It's fine! Shhhhh, eat your wrap. It was strangely hard to make food for you…”

Yuu takes another bite of the wrap, speaking around their full mouth, “I can see why. It actually tastes good, that must of been hard for you to do.”

Vil scoffs, petting Yuu's head as he glared off to the side and mumbled under his breath, “You are so lucky you're in pain…”

Epel was mildly surprised he managed to beat Rook back to Ramshackle. With an oblong box tucked under his arm he entered the dorm, stopping briefly in the entry hall as he heard music. Closing the door behind him, he walked further in; the sound of the upbeat music getting louder and accompanied by soft groans.

“Hello?” Epel peaked into the lounge, his confused face fading seeing Vil lead a very unwilling looking Yuu in exercise.

Vil's voice cut through the music, jacket off as he gracefully did knee lifts to the beat of the music, “ -One and two, and one and two, and- knees up, onion! No wonder you feel awful, you've been doing nothing but laze around for days straight.”

Yuu groans, but picks their knees up higher in the standing knee lifts Vil had bullied them into doing, “Fuck you! I've been in pain for the past few days! I'm allowed to be lazy!”

The third-year rolls his eyes, his only show of solidarity being he was exercising alongside Yuu, “Please. You've become so lazy in a matter of days that your own body is deteriorating; You could normally do this easily; I'm not letting you whine and pout your way out keeping yourself healthy.”

Yuu glared over to Vil, shaking their head slowly yet staying in pace with his knee lifts, “I swear to the Seven, I'm gonna find your fucking Eros Era white suede jacket you hide from me and I’m gonna fucking bleed all over it.”

Vil glared back with a matching intensity, “You stay away from my white clothing, you little-”

“Ah'm back!” Epel quickly yelled out, holding the box into the air, “Ah got the goods!”

“Oh perfect timing, the infant was getting on my nerves…” Vil was quick to stop the music, handing a panting Yuu the hydro flask before walking over to Epel. He clicked his tongue, seeing Crewel had taken the time to wrap the box before giving it to Epel, “How many did he finish?”

“Hm…” Epel looked down at the box; matte black wrapping paper and a bright teal ribbon tied into a bow. Thinking back he tried to remember just how many colorful pieces of cloth he saw Crewel throw into the box, “Ah think…around nine? Maybe ten? There were a lot of patterns…”

“Good enough…” Vil sighed, but took the box from Epel's hands, calling out to Yuu chugging from the hydro flask, “Yuu! Come here, we have a gift for you in this trying time.”

“If you give me more health shit, I will actually start swinging…”

“Just open the box.”

Yuu rolls their eyes at Vil's annoyed pout, snatching the box away from him and tearing the paper away. Once the box was bare, they opened it and looked inside in confusion, “What are these? Fabric samples?”

They reach into the box, pulling out one of the ‘samples’ only to see it had already been cut and stitched into the shape of boyshort panties. They almost put the underwear back into the box, a mix of annoyance and frustration at seeing the cute patterns. What use was underwear to them right now? They would just ruin it by bleeding through it…

Then they notice the black fabric seeming to take up the entire inner lining of the panties. Yuu raised an eyebrow, rubbing their thumb against the foreign feeling material, “What…is this?”

Vil smiled, watching as Yuu seemed to slowly realize what they were holding, “These took quite some doing; Crewel has been working on these articles since Saturday, I believe. He had to consult with Ms. Oster on what materials would respond best to the blood absorption potion, since gauze would certainly be unpleasant against such an area…”

Yuu's eyes seemed to widen, glittering as they looked through the box at the adorable patterns, “He made me period panties!? Holy shit, I love this!” They squealed, moving to rush off to put their new underwear on, “I'm gonna wear them right now!”

Before Yuu could rush past Epel, Vil gripped the back of their shirt and yanked them back, “Oh no, you're not. You're going to get into the shower and scrub up. Then we're going to wait until Rook is back with my spa kit and then you're going in the tub.”

“Does the mold in the air give you hyper bitch powers? Is that why you act like a total mom anytime you're in here?”

Epel mumbled under his breath, looking at the corners of the room in concern, “Wait, there's still mold…?”

Vil scoffed, snatching the box and underwear from Yuu's hands pointing to the stairs, “Just get in the shower before you start growing mold.”

Yuu mumbles in a high pitched tone, mocking Vil as they walked up the stairs.

Rook had luckily appeared only a few minutes after Yuu had exited the shower. Though firmly scrubbed down and ready for a long soak, Vil had spent the past five minutes critiquing Yuu's unwashed hair. The annoyed first-year stating Vil was the one who said he was going to ‘fix it’.

What Yuu wasn't expecting was the size of Vil's ‘big’ spa kit. They had assumed it would at best be a briefcase filled with a few high quality bottles of bubble bath and skin care. Instead Rook walked back into the lounge wheeling behind him what Yuu could only think was the biggest rolling suitcase they had ever seen in their life. It was dark indigo, gold trimmed and hard shelled; a small lock keeping it closed.

Rook sighed, pulling the suitcase to stand in front of him, “Mon roi, apologizes. I would have been back sooner but you had changed the passcode to access your more extensive kits…” He looks to Yuu, pulling a large candy bar from his breast pocket, “And your treat, mon petite!”

Yuu smiled, taking the candy from Rook and pocketing it in their fuzzy robe, “Oh, sick, thank you, Rook. Also, what the fuck is that?” They pointed to the hard plastic carrier, looking questioningly as Vil walked forward. They raise an eyebrow, watching Vil pull a key from a chain around his neck and unlock the suitcase, “Oh, damn; is this it? Is that the launch codes?”

“Shush. Now pick a fragrance; some of these oils do NOT mix nicely together…”

“Uh…floral?” Yuu watches as Vil rolls his eyes, and opens the suitcase.

The case had bottles upon bottles of various liquids strapped to the lid. In the bottom half, Vil folded out multi-shelved displays holding more secured glass and gold trimmed vials. The bottom of the suitcase holding a sealed container of white powder.

Both Epel and Yuu blinked in wonder as Vil seemed to build out an entire pantry’s worth of shelves. Rook stood behind them smiling. The other 3rd-year adored watching Vil work, the very fact this was only one of his kits never failed to amaze him.

“Honestly, the most basic…It's fine I can work with that…” Vil looks through the multiple shelves, grabbing vials from labeled sections. He snaps his fingers, conjuring an ornate bottle and filling it half way with the powder. Grabbing vials, he delicately pours small amounts into the bottle, “Jasmine…Vanilla…and…” he smiles, grabbing one more vial, “And Lavender!” Vil pours the final oil into the bottle, grabbing a few other vials and adding them in before capping the bottle.

With a flick of his wrist, magic courses through the glass and mixes the contents perfectly. Vil smiles as he presents the ombred soap to Yuu, “There we are. One floral scented bubble bath to promote muscle relaxation, moisturize, and just a bit of skin protection.”

Yuu oo’s and aa’s, laughing at Vil's glare seeing they were clearly taunting him.

“Just go get in the tub. You've eaten, exercised, and showered off the days of grime. Now you can simply relax and let the warm water fully heal you.”

Yuu was already half up the stairs, smiling at the swirling colored soap in hand, “Don't gotta tell me twice…”

Ramshackle was a big building. It was hard to see at times with how massive the other ‘official’ dorms were, but Ramshackle was an insanely big home for two people alone. A fact that was discovered during the VDC.

There were many a locked room in Ramshackle; a fact Crowley seemed to find no issue with and only produced random keys to open the doors for them when he wanted to.

But, luckily for Yuu, during the VDC Rook had ‘revealed’ his love of kicking down doors. So of course Yuu let him kick to his heart's desires. And surprisingly, one room had been a massive bathroom; a small pool-sized indoor onsen that sat in a raised stone platform, the area seemingly themed after a jungle grotto. Kalim had concluded it was potentially a group bath, noting that behind the brittle vines were changing rooms and there was a clogged drain in the center of the room. Vil had been elated to see it, and after a thorough cleaning the group had taken to after practice soaks in the warm waters.

But now, it was simply Yuu's favorite bathtub.

They sighed contently, the bottle of bubble bath already half gone. Flora scented color changing bubbles blanketing them. A small towel over their face, they had no plans to leave the tub for the next four days if the water stayed toasty.

They sighed, hearing a knock on the door, “Come in, I guess…”

Vil opened the door lightly asking if they were covered before entering. When Yuu consented he stepped into the room, his arms filled with a basket holding a number of bottles and more towels.

“Honestly, you would waste the water to fill this tub up, just for yourself.”

Removing the towel on their face, Yuu flipped Vil off but didn't move as the third-year knelt beside them, “Leave me alone. It's my tub anyway. I'll waste the water if I want.” They sunk lower into the tub, ignoring Vil gently tugging on their hair to bring them to the edge.

“Come here, I'm washing your hair.”

“I already washed it.”

Vil tugged harder, fully jerking Yuu's head around as he glared. Their hair was an offensive texture, mildly wet, yet still clearly greasy, “You did not. Now stop being a brat and rest your head against the edge.”

Yuu groaned loudly, letting Vil place one of the towels at their neck before tilting their head back. Vil poured water over their hair, thoroughly soaking it before applying the first of many the products he had brought up.

Vil sighed, working the shampoo into Yuu's hair and scalp, muttering under his breath, “I swear, I have no idea what this aliment is but you've managed to deteriorate in a matter of days. And you went to classes in this state? Your motives don't add up if you were trying to keep this all a secret.”

“Are you here to just nag me and have the option to drown me if I talk back?” Yuu had deadpanned, blinking lazily at the ceiling. They tilted their head back further to look at Vil when he sighed heavily.

“I was very…concerned. Well connected you are, you seem to forget you are a teenage girl who's been displaced in a completely new world with no actual support system past your schoolmates. There was no telling what had happened to you when I didn't hear back…” Vil poured more water into Yuu's hair, rinsing out the suds and applying a second lather. “I take my care for you very seriously.”

Yuu huffed, rolling their eyes but keeping still as Vil cleaned their hair, “Yeah, is that why you made me exercise?”

“Yes.” Vil scoffed, rinsing Yuu's hair again and looking over his assortment before picking up a new bottle, “Annoying as you may be, you are one of the freshmen I've chosen to take under my wing. And as such I will help you reach your full potential.”

“By force?”

“If it comes to it; we both know in an actual fight I would win…” Vil hummed working the product through Yuu's hair, “I know whatever is happening is painful for you and that is tragic on its own. But lazing around was doing you no good in the long run. If anything it was making things worse since you barely had the energy to move.”

Yuu rolls their eyes, “Well, yeah…this shit hurts. I don't wanna move or do anything…”

“But once you did, you felt more energized, didn’t you?” At Yuu's silence he smirked in triumph, “Call me mean all you like, but I expect you to treat yourself properly at all times. That means eating healthy, exercising, and pampering yourself as needed. Since you are in pain and quarantined, I will pamper you myself today.”

“...” Yuu tilts their head back again, smiling at Vil who smiles back, “Thanks…” Yuu moves to fully relax in the tub, color shifting bubbles acting as a faux blanket while Vil massages the product into their hair.

Only a few moments passed before Yuu's eyes blinked open. The products smelling familiar yet still foreign, “Wait, what stuff are you using?”

Vil didn't answer, contently working more product into Yuu's hair.

Managing a glance to the basket, their eyes caught a familiar bottle that made them groan and attempt to escape Vil's grasp, “GOD DAMN IT, VIL!”

“I will drown you, stop fighting me-DON'T YOU SPLASH ME!”

Yuu scowled, glaring at an all too pleased Vil as he sat in the nest beside them applying a green tinted face mask to his cheeks. Their once straight hair had been restored into its natural state of fluffy 4A curls, “You just can’t let shit fucking be.”

“The very fact you willingly heat damage your hair to keep it straight is a crime I should kill you for.” Vil gently cupped a handful of curls in his hand, smiling as he bounced them lightly, “Your natural hair is gorgeous, you should wear it like this more option.”

“I should shave your head.”

“I should-”

Epel spoke from his spot beside Yuu, hair pinned back as he wore his own face mask, “Can y’all not fight when Ah'm like two inches away from ya?”

Vil huffed, rolling his eyes but releasing Yuu's hair, “We're not fighting.”

“Y’all are two cherry pits away from actually swinging on each other…”

Yuu snorted, whispering loudly to Vil so that Epel could still hear, “He's traumatized because me and Sebek bumped into him when we had a disagreement at a sleepover once-”

Epel glared, punching at Yuu's thigh, “You two rolled onta me while I was asleep and fought on top of me until Jack pulled ya off!”

Yuu whined, forcibly trying to kick Epel away from them as the other first year started to punch at them repeatedly, “Vil! Epel hit me!”

Vil hummed, checking his nails and barely acknowledging the two squabbling next to him, “Epel don't hit Yuu. She's already leaking blood.”

Epel groaned and made a series of grossed out noises before trying to escape Yuu's range.

Yuu hummed and lifted their sleep shirt, looking at their new brightly patterned underwear, “Leaking isn't a problem anymore. These bad boys are iron clad; I don't even feel damp.”

“Put your shirt down.” Vil groaned, quickly pulling Yuu's shirt down to cover their underwear properly. Rolling his eyes as Yuu flashed their panties one more time before he stood, “I'm going to make myself a snack for the movie.”

“Rook is making us snacks for the movie.”

“No, Rook is making you both snacks. I'm making myself a snack that isn't going to be an unhealthy mess drowned in mayo and salt.”

The third-year walked away, waving over his shoulder, “Don't fight and please, Epel don't eat the mask.”

Epel gave a noncommittal noise, already swiping a finger across his face. Don't eat the mask; don't make a face mask from bananas and avocados…

Silence passes over the room, Yuu clicking through their laptop to make sure their movie of choice was fully loaded and prepped for viewing. Epel would glance over to his friend before looking away. Before long he finally huffed and angled his body to face them directly.

“So…yur bleeding out your butt-”

“Not my ass, but go on.”

Epel scoffed rolling over to his back to stare at the ceiling, “So yur bleeding…and that's…normal?”

“Ye.”

“...” Epel's face pinches, his mind connecting the information yet still refusing it, “That sounds awful.”

Yuu chuckled, moving to lay down beside on their stomach, “Yeah, it fucking sucks. I wanna like…curl up and cry but also fist fight the sun.”

“It sounds like a curse. Like a really fucked up ole fae curse that they'd do to a cheater or somethin’. Make'em just leak blood for days…”

“...” Yuu's smile widened, “Could you imagine?” At Epel's confused expression they continued, “If you could, like…learn to cast this as a curse, who would you cast it on?”

“...” Epel hummed, brows creasing before he snapped his fingers, “Crewel.”

“Oh my god? WHY!?”

Epel giggled, “Ah mean, if it'll be anythin’ like yurs, we'd get a week off from lessons because he'd rather be in a ditch somewhere.”

Yuu snorted, “Or, he'd keep coming to classes and take his blood rage out on us.”

“Damn…true…”He nudges Yuu with his knee, raising an eyebrow, “Who would you curse?”

“...I mean if we're being correct, I would have started to sync up with the vaginas I spend the most time with. So…that'd actually be you and Vil.”

“No.”

“Yes. Could you imagine? All three of us synced up and trying to stay alive?”

“Ah would actually take ma’self out. The very idea of blood leakin’ outta me for days is so fuckin’ distressin’. But pair that with you and Vil? Ah couldn't survive…”

Yuu snorts, rolling their eyes and turning back to the laptop, “Weak bitch.”

Epel swings his arm to punch against Yuu's thigh again, “If ya could pick though, who'd it be?”

“Oh, Leona.”

Epel had to set up as he gagged, his laugh choking him, “Why!?”

“He already acts like he's got PMS. I wanna see if he just, like…slips into a coma-stop punching me!”

They laughed and giggled, shoving and smacking each other as they chose more of their friends they would ‘curse’.

Rook had appeared midway through Epel and Yuu recreating a WWE smackdown match. His blunt bangs pulled from his face by a sparkly fuzzy scrunchie.

“Ah! Such grace, such brutality. A duality of kin by spirit than blood. Marvelous, 100 points!”

Yuu spoke calmly, keeping Epel in a full nelson while the other first-year swore under his breath and squirmed, “Oh, hey Rook, did you need something?”

“Oui, mon petite amor. I wished to show you a new skill to aid you in this trying time. I will need you to release Monsieur Pommette to do so…”

Sighing, Yuu released Epel from their grasp and let him breath, “Did you leave Vil in my kitchen? With my poor defenseless seasonings?”

Rook's only reply was to pat Yuu on the head and sit beside them, “May I touch your body mon petite?”

“Rook, I'm begging you to learn how to speak to people in, like…some semblance of the average human being.”

Rook smiles, holding his hands out in silent command to place their body in his grasp.

Yuu sighs, elbowing a grumbling Epel beside them, “Can you make sure Vil doesn't actually throw out my seasonings he deems ‘unnecessary'?”

Epel grumbles a bit more but stands to walk into the kitchen. Once the other first-year was gone, Yuu placed both of their hands into Rook's waiting ones, “Okay. What are you showing me?”

Humming, Rook looked over their hands, his thumbs gently pressing into their palms periodically, “Is Acupuncture a practice in your world?”

“Yeah; it's the Eastern practice where you use needles on pressure points. Never had it done though, the idea of needles in my face was freaky.”

“Tres bien! It's similar then. I have always wondered if your body carried the same pressure points as ours, though I wasn't sure we were close enough to test such a theory. Be it physically or relationship wise.”

Rook grabs one of Yuu's hands in both of his own; one to cradle Yuu's palm gently, and the other making firm small circles in the place between their thumb and pointer finger.”

“Yeah…40 year marriage or not, I would not trust you near me with a pack of needles…”

Rook chuckles, fingers not stopping as they massage the point, “Luckily for me, these methods do not require needles. Though I do hope you will let me try one day.”

“Fuck no. You and needles are not something I wanna be in a room with- Oh…oh…”

“Ah! Is it taking effect?”

Yuu touched their head, blinking in mild astonishment, “My headache isn't so bad anymore.”

“And this is one of the few points I shall teach you! It is called Large Intestine 6, it can alleviate headaches. Though do be careful, you can bruise yourself with these methods.”

Rook then spent the next few minutes showing Yuu the functions of various pressure points to ease their period symptoms. He even gleefully showed them other points where pressure would cause pain and momentary complete bodily paralysis.

Rook hummed as he gently thumbed the skin on the back of Yuu's neck, “For maximum effect I would recommend applying pressure via an elbow jab.”

“I can't wait to stun Vil's arm the next time he tries to pull my ear while scolding me.”

“Please, do not. He will know I taught you this and back hand both of us into next week.”

Vil spoke as he and Epel walked back into the room, each carrying loaded trays, “Taught them what?”

“How to properly hold their head in a sitting position, mon roi!” Rook’s hand moved gently, firmly grasping the base of Yuu's skull and puppeteering their head to a more correct posture, “There we go! Now she may sit with her spine straight.”

Vil hummed, setting the large tray of snacks in front of the nest and looking Yuu over with a critical eye, “...I suppose it will have to do for now. This is a ‘Relax Day’ after all…”

Epel handed Yuu and Rook tall glasses of fruit smoothie, sitting beside Yuu and looking over their laptop, “Is the movie ready?”

Yuu took a moment, simply enjoying the taste of strawberries, mangos, and the hinted kick of tart orange juice. With a few clicks, the TV came to life mirroring their laptop, “Yep! Epel the master remote should have a button for the lights.”

Soon, everyone was cozy in the nest, snacks close and each with a chilled beverage.

Vil raised an eyebrow, already judging the movie by the overly cartoony opening, “And this movie is for…children?”

“Ye…I think…it was an 80’s movie. So ‘For Kids’ normally just meant no titties or swear words.”

Epel’s face quickly soured, glaring at Yuu, “Ah swear ta the Seven, if this anything like that Oz movie-”

Yuu giggled, shushing Epel, “Making you guys watch 'Return to Oz*’ was for my own sick pleasure. This won't be like that I promise.”

Rook sighed, “I should hope not. Monsieur Pommette could not sleep for days…”

Waving them off, Yuu kept their eyes glued to the screen as the movie’s opening twist was revealed, “Don't worry. ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’ is the perfect relax day movie.”

The Pomefiore boys all sat huddled around Yuu, eyes wide in terror as they watched the villain stalk closer and closer to the detective.

“When I killed ya brother! I talked! Just! Like! THIIIIIIIIIIIS!”

Vil whispered harshly to Yuu, mildly afraid to take his eyes off the screen, “This movie is for children?”

“Yeah. The 80’s were wild…”

*Lowkey I wanted to put The Wiz instead but I remembered that movie being delightful besides the single scene in the subway. Return to Oz, however, keeps getting purged from my memory every time I watch it for good reason.

#twisted wonderland #twst #disney twst #twst wonderland #yuu oc #vil schoenheit #rook hunt #epel felmier #pomefiore

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kaeyachi · 7 months ago

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I THINK I HAVE A NEW FAVORITE STORY QUEST, AND IT IS CYNO'S STORY QUEST CH 2

Spoilers Below!

Shameless Cynonari shipping up ahead as well folks ✌️

Ok, I'm just gonna bullet point the entire thing coz I don't have much time (i basically speedran the quest a bit as well) so here are my thoughts:

Cyno and Cyrus then Naphis and Tighnari having basically the same hair is a bit funny to me ngl (but it is cute)

Naphis and Cyrus old man yaoi ✌️ I'll get back to this later but I clocked it early on

THIS QUEST IS BASICALLY A DREAM FOR CYNONARI AND KAVETHAM SHIPPERS. THIS WAS UNREAL PLEASE

Cyrus inviting Tighnari for lunch was cute

Cynonari + Collei probably do a lot of camping trips together 🥺

Collei is also more confident lately! You go girl!! WOOHOO

3 tents...1 for us and paimon...a scene where we see tighnari alone in his...and collei in her own tent...then we find out that cyno left for a supply run and tighnari is already awake...should we be connecting some dots here? (Cynonari shippers come get yall juice)

THE KAVETHAM SCENES IN THEIR HOME WERE INSANELY SOFT AND DOMESTIC. Also, Kaveh sitting on the table is *chefs kiss*

Tighnari was so quick to say he'll run after Cyno. I immediately started sobbing coz wow does he have a fast reaction when it concerns Cyno's safety. He probably would have gone after Cyno alone if we weren't there 😭

Kaveh, Alhaitham, Dehya, Candace, and Faruzan repeatedly telling Cyno to ask for help if he needs it makes my heart soft

Tighnari, meanwhile, doesn't even tell Cyno to ask for help. He straight up just rushes to his side, and that's adorable af. I swear it was starting to look like Tighnari has a one-track mind when it comes to Cyno's safety. Some of his braincells fly off! (good thing he has plenty)

SETHOS. MY SON. HE LOOKS SO GOOD. SETHOS SWEETIE IM ADOPTING YOU IN THE NEXT UPDATE (also wow that was not the voice i was expecting for him in EN, but I aint complaining!)

I keep coming back to it, but Tighnari is really quick when it comes to Cyno's safety and really doesn't pause lmao. Bro cut off Cyno's offer to ask Sethos with a hand and just started walking

new area pretty 🥺 I keep taking screenshots and pictures. got me going "omg! a lotus head column!!"

THE LORE WAS SCRUMPTIOUS BY THE WAY

THE ANIMATION FOR THE CYNO VS. SETHOS FIGHT WAS ALSO INCREDIBLE

Sethos downgraded from 5-star to 4-star caught in 4k hd ✌️ from polearm to bow too

look, the cyno lore was expected, BUT THE TIGHNARI LORE AS WELL?

Hermanubis being a Tighnarian and was King Deshret's chosen familiar hundreds of years ago, and now a full vessel of Hermanubis and a descendant of the Valuka Shuna meet and became friends in the Akademiya and are now companions 🥺

"I like that story." Yeah, I bet you do cyno, sethos basically called you and tighnari soulmates/ destined to meet and be together 🙄 also the ears to cyno's head gear actually really does represent tighnari's ears in some way after all lmao. i remember people making jokes about that

um...why is Bamoun buried like a pharoah?

NAPHIS SCOLDING CYRUS SO HARD LMAAOOO. he worries in his own way

Faruzan scolding everyone is so funny to see pls

cyno, tighnari, and collei having codes and gestures to give each other messages 🥺🥺🥺 tighnari and cyno used to say those codes back in the akademiya for each other, and now, in Cyno's own words, it became a family tradition 😭

Kavetham library date 🩷 then them returning to said date after our coffee sesh 🩷🩷🩷

Cyno taking us to his secret base and APPARENTLY ITS A CYNONARI DATING SPOT BACK WHEN THEY WERE STUDENTS. Y'all think they did the "It's beautiful." and "Yeah (looking at the the person instead of the view)" trope? coz the view was fr beautiful

Cyno and Sethos are officially brothers! yipee! (i will fr be pulling for him to complete the family)

THE PICTURES LISA TOOK OF CYRUS AND CYNO WERE SO CUTE 😭😭😭 cyrus and cyno are planning on visiting mond hehe

I need to review the entire quest again coz i bet i forgot some things BUT CYNONARI AND KAVETHAM NATIONS WE ALL WON

#shameless cynonari shipping ✌️#kaeyachi randoms #cyno #tighnari #alhaitham #kaveh #gi cyno #gi tighnari #gi alhaitham #gi kaveh #sethos #gi sethos #genshin impact #genshin impact spoilers #cynonari #kavetham

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mayajadewrites · 6 months ago

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could've been you: aizawa x reader x hawks

summary: You're the new teacher at UA with a rocky past with one of their beloved teachers, Shouta Aizawa aka Eraserhead. You'd rather never see him again but alas, such is life. You also meet Keigo, aka Hawks, who is the opposite of Aizawa. Smiley, golden retriever energy. Nothing could go wrong... right? relationships: aizawa x fem!reader, hawks x fem!reader warnings: some chapters will be NSFW, they will have a warning on them in bold.

CHAPTER TWO

WARNING: some light smut in this chapter. enjoy :)

You stop in your tracks. The tall, dark haired, tired looking man that altered your life forever is standing outside of your door. You were mentally preparing yourself to see him tomorrow, not today.

"Sup Eraser!" Keigo walked up to Eraserhead and attempted to give him a fist bump.

Of course, Eraser just looked away and gave a nod instead. "You know her?"

"Yeah, we met today! We all had lunch. You should've came, it was a nice time. I was just walking her back to her room. You know, chivalry isn't dead."

"Wasn't invited." Eraserhead murmured. "Can you give us some privacy to talk?"

"Oh, sure! I'll see you tomorrow." Keigo turned to you and smiled before walking away. You crossed your arms over your chest once the sound of Keigo's footsteps had disappeared.

"Who told you where my room was?" You finally spoke. You can't help but want to stare at Eraserhead and how much he's grown into himself. He's more muscular than the last time you saw him and his long black hair was messily tied up into a bun. His clavicle peeked out of the black t-shirt he's wearing.

"My room is just 2 down from yours, I saw some delivery people come in and then I heard your voice."

"Stalker much." You pause as your eyes flicker up to his. "What do you want, Eraser?"

"Shouta or Aizawa. Don't call me Eraser."

"Why not? That's your hero name after all. Are you not a hero?"

"Don't be a brat. You know me. Not as Eraser." He turned his head to the side, glancing at the carpet under his feet. "I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"You're about..." You pretend to count on your fingers. "5 years too late."

"I didn't know there was a timeframe for apologies. I haven't seen you, I don't have your number or anything -"

"And that's the way it's going to stay." You fish for your keys in your purse. "I'm observing your class for the rest of the week and then I'll be out of your hair. We can be civil for everyone else but I don't need to have you in my life as anything other than a co-worker."

Eraser pondered his next words, not knowing if he should grovel at your feet or just walk away.

"Promise to call me by my name." Was all he said.

"Goodnight Aizawa." You turn the key into your room and shut the door. Your heart is beating quickly, the memories of your last encounter with Aizawa seeping into your brain. Due to your quirk, you feel things deeply. Past empathy. You can feel the same pain another person feels when you put them in a memory.

You slept like shit. Barely got 4 hours of sleep. But you had a job to do.

You put on a satin midi skirt, platform sandals and a white t-shirt tucked into your skirt. You let your hair down into it's natural waves, hitting the middle of your back.

You kept it natural-ish with the makeup, only adding moisturizer and mascara.

You start to hear the clamoring of students in the halls heading for their homeroom class, which is with Aizawa. You open and shut your door quickly, making sure it's locked.

When you walk into the homeroom of class 1A, you're greeted by many faces.

"You look too old to be a student." A blonde haired boy scoffed as he walked by you.

"Kachan be nice!" A boy with green hair followed behind him. "I'm sorry about him. My name is Midoria, that's Bakugo."

"Hi." You told Midoria your name. "My hero name is Mirage, but please, use my name. I'm the new strategy teacher here but I'm observing Mr. Aizawa for a few days."

"YOU'RE MIRAGE?" Midoria squeeled. "You are AMAZING! Wow! I have so much to ask you about! I would love to know how you're quirk works-"

"Midoria leave her alone." You hear a low voice. You turn around and see a two-toned haired boy with a scar on his eye. When did he get that? He has the same eyes as Endeavor, no doubt his kid. You met him when he was a small child, but you haven't seen him since then.

"Shoto." You smile, pulling him into a hug. "You've grown so much!"

"My father told me you would be teaching here. I'm looking forward to your class."

"I'm sure you'll excel in it. Enji has told me how great you are already, you have so much potential."

"My old man likes to lie." Shoto turned to sit in his seat. You raised your eyebrow, not sure what he means.

The rest of the students trickled in, and then Aizawa. He's wearing a black suit with his hair down, eyes tired as always.

"Settle down, kids." Aizawa spoke. You take a seat at the smaller desk that was put beside his. "This is Mirage. She'll be teaching a strategy class soon, but she's observing for the rest of the week. You will behave."

"Yes Mr. Aizawa." The kids echoed. You watched Aizawa teach, his words more care than you've ever heard. The students respected him, clearly.

You watched his mouth move with the words he was saying. You can't lie, you loved his voice.

But fuck him.

He isn't shit.

You adjust yourself in your seat and pull out your phone, reading a text from an unknown number.

Hope you don't mind - I got your number from Endeavor. I hope you're having a great first day!

Obviously it was Keigo.

Thank you, it's going well so far! And thank you again for walking me back to my room last night.

No prob! It was my pleasure. :)

You hear Aizawa clear his throat. "Is this not a good time to talk?"

"I believe I told you that we're co-workers. We don't need to chit chat while the students are brainstorming where they would like to do their internship."

"It's funny how you still think you run the world. We are not 'just co-workers'" He used his fingers as air quotes. "There is so much more history than that."

"Aizawa it's gonna take a lot more than one apology to make me forgive you."

"In order for my to prove to you that you should accept my apology, you need to talk to me."

Touche.

"Fine." You huffed, your eyes scanning the classroom. "So, who do you think has the most potential?"

"Obviously Shoto is one of the top contenders. His quirk - fire and ice - is unlike a lot of what we've seen. Bakugo, though he has a tough exterior, is very talented. I'm not sure about Midoria. He's annoying."

"Reminds me of someone." Your eyes flicker to his.

"Who? All Might?" He turns to you, completely serious.

"No. You. You're annoying."

He chuckles and you can see just a bit of his smile. It's rare from Aizawa, so it's rewarding when you see it.

You catch yourself staring for a second too long. "Momo has a lot of potential, too. Her quirk is fantastic."

"She just lacks confidence." Aizawa pulled his yellow sleeping bag over his head.

"You can't be serious."

"I need a nap. I barely sleep."

"Still?" There's worry in your voice. Aizawa has always been tired, but now his eye bags look especially deep.

"Wake me up in 30 minutes. Check on the students while you're at it. They like to get off task."

Shouta sleeps like an angel. You would never know how annoying he is or how sarcastic he can be. You watch his body move with his breath, his lips opened slightly to let air in.

Fuck. Stop staring at him.

After class you text Keigo back.

You: Finally finished with class for the day. How is your day going? Patrolling the city?

Keigo: Yeah. Slow day though, I was hoping you would text me back.

You: Why wouldn't I?

Keigo: *shrug emoji* Are you free tonight?

You: In fact I am.

Keigo: Would you like to watch a movie together? And yes I'm also inviting myself over to your place.

Very forward. You haven't had a man in your room since... well, your coma. You've had a dry spell for the past 5 years and you basically forgot how to kiss, let alone have sex.

But you don't have to have sex with Keigo yet. Or at all. It's just a movie.

You: Meet me at my place at 9. Make sure the kids don't see you.

Keigo: This feels like Romeo and Juliet.

You smile down at your phone, realizing you've been standing in the same spot for a few minutes. Aizawa raises an eyebrow at you as he walks out of his classroom.

"How long have you been standing here? You look like you're in a trance."

"I was texting, got immersed in my thoughts." You fake laugh. "Those kids really look up to you."

"Is that... a compliment?" Aizawa chuckled, placing his hand on the back of his neck.

"Don't say I was never nice to you." You turn on your heel away from Aizawa. "See you tomorrow, Eraser." You wave.

You don't look back or listen for him to reply.

You can't look back at him.

Otherwise you might get stuck in his eyes.

_______________________

You clean your place before Keigo arrives, making sure everything is in its place and spotless. You slip on a pair of sweatshorts that hug your ass nicely and a tank top, more low cut than usual. Your tits pool at the top of it, just waiting to be touched.

As you're dusting, you hear a knock.

"Coming!" You walk over to the door, opening it quickly.

"Eraser?" You raise an eyebrow. "I wasn't expecting you."

"Who were you expecting while wearing almost nothing?" He looked down at you, looking almost angry.

"None of your business. What do you want?"

"You left your planner." He handed you your agenda. His eyes wandered to your chest as he slid the book in your hands. Goosebumps formed on your skin as his stare intensified.

"Thank you." You tried to make yourself forget that your nipples are getting hard from Aizawa just looking at you. "See you tomorrow." You take a step back and try to close the door.

"Who's coming over?" Aizawa stopped the door with his foot.

"None of your damn business. Are you my father now?"

"It's the bird isn't it."

"So what if it was?" You cross your arms over your chest. "What's wrong with that?"

Aizawa was silent for a moment. He wanted to choose his next words carefully.

"Nothing." He cleared his throat. "Have a good night." He reached his arm above your head to place his hand on the door, letting his bicep block your view of the hallway. He leans down, ghosting his lips along your ear. "He can't satisfy you like I can."

You freeze as he walks away. What does he mean Keigo can satisfy you like he can? How can he just walk away without waiting for a reaction? What even just happened?

"Hey!" You hear Keigo's voice coming from the other end of the hallway. "I made sure no one else saw -" He jogged up to your door, noticing what you were wearing. "This for me?" He smirked.

"It's just what I was already wearing." You smile and turn into your room. While you're excited to spend time with Keigo, Aizawa's words are stuck in your head.

He can't satisfy you like I can.

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

Keigo wastes no time wrapping his arms around you as the movie progresses. He's very cuddly and touchy, something you're not used to. But he's so cute and sweet that you want him to.

"Can I be forward with you?" Keigo turns his head to look at you.

"You have been this whole time. What's stopping you now?"

"I want to kiss you. I have since yesterday."

"One day with me and you want to kiss me already? My quirk might be love at first sight." You smile as his eyes scan your face.

"Something about you is just..." He brings his index finger to your cheek, caressing it gently. "Can I?"

Can he?

Of course he can.

Do you want him to?

Yes.

Are you still thinking about Eraserhead?

Also yes.

"Yes." You nod, hoping this kiss would wash away the thought of Aizawa.

And it does. For a little.

Keigo's lips attach to yours in the neediest of ways. He presses his hand onto your cheek, using his thumb to rub along your skin. You turn your body to face him, gently pushing your hand on his chest against the back of the couch.

He follows your lead and pushes himself to the back of the couch. You straddle his waist, letting your plush thighs pool on his legs. Keigo's hands travel to your waist and the top of your ass.

He grips your ass cheek gently, testing the waters. You press your tits into him in approval, letting him know he's okay to keep going. He opens his mouth to let your tongue in to deepen the kiss. He likes when you take the lead, obviously.

"God, you're beautiful." He moans against your lips as he kneads your ass. "All this ass, I need more than 2 hands." He chuckled as he planted kisses along your jawline to your neck.

"Keigo," You moan softly, tangling your fingers in his honey hair. "Yes, there." You feel his tongue swirl along your skin before he bites down, sucking the sweet spot on your neck. His hands travel up to your chest, getting a handful of each breast in each hand.

"You're so soft." He kisses your lips again, squeezing your tits gently. You smile as he looks mesmerized by you. Like he worships you.

You bring your hands to his face and plant a kiss on his lips softly.

"I think it's time for bed. It's a school night." You whisper with a giggle. Your panties are soaked, but you need some self control.

Keigo nods, still drunk off your kisses and body. "Can't have you too tired for class." His whispers, kissing your lips again. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Maybe." You shrug. Keigo fake frowns and you kiss his lips gently. "You have my number, silly." You get yourself off of him slowly and fix your top.

"Goodnight." He kisses you once more before he leaves. You look out in the hallway, taking note that no students are out.

You know who is?

Fucking Eraserhead.

#aizawa x reader #shouta aizawa x reader #bnha shouta aizawa #aizawa shouta #aizawa #hawks x reader #mha hawks #bnha hawks #mha fanfiction #mha fanfic #mha smut #mha takami keigo #keigo takami #keigo x reader #could've been you

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kengan-daddies · 3 months ago

Text

The Boy Next Door Baki Hanma x Motherly! Older Reader

Ch. 1 Ch. 2 Ch. 3 Ch. 4 Ch. 5

Taglist:

@zeniiis @tae-v-eat @hauntedsweetsfest @brynanna @cloudy-010

@hippiezworldz @urisu @milybqbes

Anime : Baki: Son of Ogre

Character : Baki Hanma

Warnings : Possessive behavior, obsessive behavior, murder, mention of suicide

The Boy Next Door Baki Hanma x Motherly! Older Reader

'It's been a month since Kozue's death, and everyone's shock was heavy with silence, she wasn't the most popular girl but she was well known. She was known to be a happy, charming, positive, academic, and blunt girl, she was never known to be suicidal, depressed, or negative. The news flew around like wildfire when a female student discovered Kozue's body.'

'the school was shut down and everyone was evacuated with quickness, the school was out for the next week for proper investigations to be done, everyone who knew her was pulled aside for questioning, and nobody was seen as a suspect. They ruled her death off as the classic case of a suicidal teenager, and her case was closed.'

The Boy Next Door

Baki scoffed quietly as he lay on his bed, his hands laced behind his head and his ankles crossed as he stared at the ceiling. 'The laws get lazier and lazier each year, pretty soon they won't even care to investigate and will just write it off as some petty crime. It's pathetic how broken the system is.' He thought as his eyes drifted close. "Maybe I'll take a little nap, I got nothing better to do." He mumbled. His eyes glanced over at the small clock. '11:22 am... A nap wouldn't hurt.' He thought as he drifted off into a light nap

The sound of you scuring around the house brought him comfort. You were safe, and you were at home... The doorbell rang and his eyes snatched open, he sat up and looked at the clock. "4:45 pm... Damn felt shorter." He said as he got up from the bed. He listened as you opened the door and you happily greeted Kasumi. 'Damn... I really hate to do it to you too Kasumi... But you've been coming around a lot lately.' Baki calmly thought as he got up from his bed, and opened his door. As he walked down the stairs he could hear your and Kasumi's voices clearer.

"It's truly unfortunate." Kasumi said in a somber voice. You hummed in agreement as the sound of glass rang out, meaning you were getting ready to serve tea. "I'm worried for Baki, he doesn't seem too sad but he also doesn't seem very happy either. I just hope he's alright." Came your concerned voice. Baki sat down on the stairs, as he listened in to your and Kasumi's conversation. 'They must be talking about Kozue's death.' He thought. Kasumi grunted softly in response. "Baki's experienced the death of a loved one once before, I'm not too shocked that he isn't dramatic about her death... Then again, maybe he already knew that she was going through something."

Kasumi theorized. Baki leaned back on the steps, his elbows resting behind him as he listened, an amused look on his face. 'That's a pretty good theory.' He thought. The sound of a chair scooting sounded across the floor before a lightweight was put in it and it scooted back sounding more heavy. "Yes... That's true... I remember Baki's reaction to his mother's death... It wasn't a very pretty sight." You said sadly, your voice sounding distant as you went down memory lane. Baki lightly scoffed. 'I wasn't really sad about her death... I was shocked yeah... but I wasn't exactly sad.' He thought.

A heavier weight was shifted in another chair before the table creaked from the same weight. "I hate to say it, but due to Baki's mother's untimely end, prepared him ahead of time... Though, I would've expected him to have a more dramatic reaction to Kozue, due to how much more he loved her." Kasumi said, his voice somber and even but Baki could hear faint suspicion in his voice. Baki's eyes narrowed. 'Not everyone likes a smartass, Kasumi.' Baki thought. The room was quiet for a while, the two adults seemingly mourning Kozue's death silently, the sudden sound of the teapot squealing ended the silence.

The chair scooted across the floor before the weight was lifted off of it, the sound of your light footsteps sounded out as you went to get the teapot off the stove. The light sound of liquid being poured into a container sounded out before it stopped. "Thank you." Kasumi said softly, you hummed in response as the sound of liquid being poured sounded out again while the sound of metal being picked up from the wooden table sounded out as well quickly followed by metal taping glass.

Baki listened to the domestic sounds, a murderous look in his eyes. 'It sounds a bit too comfortable... I don't like it.' He thought. 'The sound of comfort within a home means family... and Kasumi is not family, and he never will be.' Baki thought as he stood up, he silently made his way back upstairs. 'I'll never allow it.' He thought before he turned and opened his door, going into his room for the rest of the afternoon.

The Boy Next Door

The crickets sang their familiar song into the night, the moon, not exactly full shined brightly in the cloudy sky. You lay awake in your bed, your hands laced together as they rested on your stomach, your thoughts swarming with what you and Kasumi spoke of earlier that evening.

{ Kasumi sat across from you, his third cup of tea freshly done, his stare cautious as he stared at you. "Be careful around Baki, something isn't right." He suddenly warned. You were currently drinking out of your teacup when he suddenly said that, you looked up at him in confusion as you pulled the cup away from your lips. "What are you talking about, Kasumi?" You asked. His stare was strong and unwavering as he stared at you. "Don't take this the wrong way, I care for Baki just as much as you do, but I can't help but be worried." He said.

You placed your teacup down on its saucer as you stared at him in confusion. "Kasumi... I don't understand, what are you trying to say?" You asked, you didn't want to just to conclusion or get angry but it was starting to sound like he was trying to say something. Kasumi sighed, almost as if he was preparing himself. "I think that Baki killed Kozue." He said. Your eyes widen as you stare at him in disbelief. You gently shook your head as you stared at him with slight anger. "No... no, no, no... That's impossible, he'd have no reason to do such a thing."

You defended, but Kasumi's stare never gave way and it made your heart ache. "Just think about it, (Y/n). He practically didn't even care when she was found dead. He either knew she was going to commit suicide or he already made plans to off her." He said, trying to make you see reason. You shook your head once more, refusing to believe it. "I'd believe that he probably knew she was going to jump, but I refuse to believe that he would kill her... Baki loved that girl too much... He... He wanted me to accept her as my future daughter-in-law for Christ's sake!!" You defended, your voice rising as the idea of the situation began to dawn on you.

Kasumi sighed once more as he stared at you with a worried look. "Look (Y/n), I don't want to offend you, I'm just-" He was cut off by your scoff as you glared at him. "Too late for that, I invite you in, have tea with you, and you turn around and accuse my son of being a murderer... Yeah, you totally didn't offend me." You said in an upset yet sarcastic voice. Kasumi stared at you with apprehension as his thoughts raced. "I'm sorry, (Y/n)... But, I hope that you can see where my concerns come from." He said in an apologetic voice. You crossed your arms as you sat back in your chair looking away from him as you shook your head.

He stared at you a little longer before he stood up, he walked around the table over toward you, he crouched in front of you, his hand on your lap as he messaged your thigh comfortingly. "Listen... I don't want to lose you, I'm just looking out for you... I just... hope you can understand that." He said softly. You finally looked down at him, hurt in your eyes. "I understand that... I just don't appreciate the fact that you're saying that about Baki... I mean, you know him!! You know he's too kind for that!" You said, your voice rising some as you leaned forward some. He nodded, his stare apologetic and cautious. He didn't want to get you riled up and make Baki come downstairs, he was confident in his skills, but he wasn't very sure if he'd be able to beat Baki if he decided to attack.

"You're right... I shouldn't think so lowly of him, I should know better than anyone else as to what kind of person Baki is... I'm sorry..." He said in a sincere voice. You stared down at him, the hurt in your eyes still evident but not as much as it was before. You nodded, accepting his apology. }

You sighed heavily at the memory before you turned on your side, curling in on yourself as you got lost in your thoughts, Kasumi's words finally weighing in on your thoughts as you battled with yourself. 'It's not true... It can't be... You're not like your father Baki... You're not that kind of boy... Right?' You somberly thought as you constantly juggled your thoughts before eventually succumbing to sleep.

The Boy Next Door

Baki sat on the floor next to your door, his legs bent as his arms rested on his knees. An unreadable look on his face as he thought to himself. 'So... Katsumi's suspicious of me?... I'll have to up my game then... If I kill him now thought, mom would be scared of me, and would probably try to get me locked up, and I can't have that... I'll just have to play it cool for a while, then strike when the moment is right.' He thought darkly as he listened to your soft breathing.

The Boy Next Door

The next morning Baki was up bright and early, he was in the backyard, performing basic morning workouts, and sweat dripped from his body as he put all of his focus into making his body stronger, the sun was appearing and disappearing behind clouds making it a good day to train out. It was a Saturday so Baki had all day to train. He stared into the distance lost in the thoughts that surrounded Kasumi.

The sound of your keys jiggling from inside the apartment caught his attention making him look up curiously at the opened patio door on the balcony. You looked around making sure you weren't forgetting anything before you started to walk over towards the patio door a smile bloomed on your face as you saw that Baki was already curiously standing at the door.

"Going somewhere, ma?" He asked curiously. You sighed tiredly as you nodded at him. "Yup, work called in today, they wanted me to come in so that I could fill in for Barbra." You explained. Baki hummed in thought as he processed the information. He wasn't too keen on Barbra, he didn't really like her but he didn't have an issue with her, just that she was an old, grumpy bitch. "Watch the house while I'm gone Baki, there's plenty of groceries in the house for you to eat from, okay?" You said as you placed your hand on your hip while the other held your keys.

He nodded in response and you nodded back turning away to leave the house as you did. "I'll be back by 5 or 6, behave yourself while I'm gone!" You called out as you opened the door and closed it behind you. Baki sighed in slight disappointment before he looked over at his dog, the old mutt was laying on the couch staring at him. His brows twitched for a bit before he turned back to make his way back out to the yard to continue his training.

"Whelp... guess it's just going to be me and you ol' boy." He spoke to himself as he went back outside, he got back into his training working endlessly to perfect his techniques and make new ones as his thoughts kept wavering from his father, to you, to Kasumi. He had to get stronger to defeat his father, he had to get stronger to keep you safe and he had to think of a way to get Kasumi off his tail. His thoughts went back to his father and worry slightly crawled over his spine.

'I can't let Dad find out about Mom... if he does, then he might her hurt or take her away. It's bad enough that Kasumi knows about her... wait.' His gaze lightened up as a sudden thought crossed his mind he then chuckled to himself. 'Why didn't I think of that sooner?' He thought in triumph as he continued his training, cooking up a plan to possibly kill two birds with one stone. 'It's brilliant, it's almost too good to be my own plan... this is going to be great.' He thought in amusement.

He trained for a few more hours before he decided it was enough and he came inside, he took a shower and ate lunch before he sat down on the couch and turned on the TV, watching some random show he found interesting on Netflix. A knocking sounded out and he looked at the door, he passed his show and got up to answer the door. It was some young man dressed casually, the only thing that caught Baki's attention was the pink cake in the man's hand. "Umm... does a (Y/n) (L/n) live here?" He asked. Baki nodded. "Yeah, she's my mom, but she's at work right now." He explained. The man nodded in understanding as he handed Baki the cake. He then bid Baki farewell as he walked back to his car.

Baki watched the man for a moment, confused as he looked down at the cake, his eyes widened in shock and his knees nearly buckled from fear, his heart raced and his blood ran cold. 'No... no, no, no. I'm not ready yet... why?' He thought in panic. 'I can't stop my legs from shaking... my hands are sweaty...' He thought, his mind taking in every little detail as his fight or flight senses were activated. His teeth grited in slight frustration. "if it's not Kasumi... then it's him." He said agitated.

On the pink cake, written in frosting was a message in hot pink. "Thanks for taking care of my son." He stared down at the cake in annoyance. "Well, so much for not letting Dad find out about her... it seems that he already beat me to the punch." He said aloud in annoyance.

The Boy Next Door

The sound of keys jiggling in the lock sounded out before the door opened, you walked in with a tired sigh as you closed the door and locked it behind you. Walking in you kicked off your shoes before you walked over to the counter, placing your keys and purse down on it as you sighed once more. You looked around, seeing that Baki wasn't downstairs, so you assumed that he was in his bed alseep. It was the weekend so it wouldn't be too shocking if he was. You walked up the stairs, going to check in on him.

You knocked on the door gently. "Baki?" You called out, but you received no answer, not too disturbed by this you gently creaked his door open, peaking in, your relaxed expression turned to one of confusion as you pushed the door open further and turned on the light. "Baki?" You called out once more as you looked around the empty room.

You walked inside, your eyes darting around as you looked for him before you looked down at his bed, with an arched brow you stared confusedly down at the pink cake, the top of it was smeared. "What the?" You questioned in a soft voice as you turned to leave the room. You walked throughout the house, looking everywhere for Baki, but he wasn't home. With slight worry, you fished out your phone from your purse, your brows tight as you dialed Baki's number. You waited for a while with baited breaths as you listened to it ring. "Hello?" came Baki's voice.

You sighed in relief as he answered. "Baki, where are you?" You asked getting straight to the point. "I'm at the park, sorry, I should've left a note." He said in an apologetic voice. You sighed as you turned to leab back against the counter. "It's fine, just please remember to do so next time, okay?" You said. "Okay." He responded. You blinked in thought for a moment before you looked up at the stairs. "Also, Baki?" You questioned. He hummed. "What's with that cake on your bed?" You asked. He chuckled.

"Apparently some girl from my school sent it to me, she wanted to show her condolences for Kozue's death, she said she was deathly afraid of cemeteries so she gave it to me. She would've given it to Kozue's parents but she said they weren't living there anymore." He explained. You gave a hum of understanding as a somber look crossed your face. After Kozue's funeral, her family moved away, nobody knows where to though, they just simply left, without so much as a goodbye. "I see... Well, why is the frosting smudged?" You asked.

He gave a sheepish and guilty laugh. "Umm... well you see..." You gave a fond smile as you sighed. "Let me guess, you got greedy and took a taste out of it?" You asked with a knowing tone. "Mmmaaayyybbbbeee?" He responded sheepishly. You shook your head. "Just be home before dinner okay?" You asked. He chuckled in relief. "Okay, I will." He said. You nodded, pleased with his answer. Once the phone call was ended, Baki's sheepish smile faded completely, going back to a numb stare as he pocketed his phone once more.

"Sorry Mom, you know I hate lying to you." He said as he walked down the busy streets of the city. "I gotta pay my old man a real quick visit."

The Boy Next Door

#baki son of ogre #baki the grappler #baki #baki hanma #baki x y/n #baki x you #baki x reader

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danieyells · 6 months ago

Note

hi there,

thank you so much for all the voicelines you post !! if it’s okay, can i request subaru’s ?

thank you again !

You're welcome! At some point I might go back and put in the ones I leave out because they don't appeal to me as much lol but since i always end up posting 99% of them anyway I think it's enough for most people hahaha. It's all of them now! Sorry for the delay.

I WAS GONNA OMIT ONE OR TWO BECAUSE OF SPOILERS but eh i'll just warm for like. extra spoilers. since after doing more code peeking it wasn't the spoiler i thought it was. SUBARU IS A SWEETIE THOUGH. I also read Subaru's chats which were put in the code recently and. Man this guy needs anxiety meds. I have a small guess as to what his stigma is, but we'll learn in a few days anyway.

Hello: (the first time the game is opened after that character is set as home screen NPC. Only happens once per day, unless the character is switched out and back.)

"I'm very sorry to have kept you waiting. It's wonderful to see you again."

You've Got Mail: (whenever there's something in the inbox, usually Arena rewards)

"It looks like there's a notice for you. I'd be happy to go pick it up for you if you've got your hands full. Oh, forgive me if I'm overstepping."

oh no he's anxious about helping--

Default: (requires no affinity, has no time constraints)

"I really am so lucky to be surrounded by so many kind people like you."

"I never thought I'd get the chance to enjoy the lifestyle of a student until I came to Darkwick. Every day truly is fulfilling here."

it feels like subaru is like. . .the only one who actually enjoys school life here. . .or who really enjoys being here period lmao. . . .

"You think I'm always smiling? Ha ha, I hear that a lot. It just happens when I'm around all of you."

"I may be the captain, but it's just in name. I think Haku is much better suited for the job than me."

"I've been working since I was four, so people often said I was mature for my age. But the truth is, I've still got a lot to learn."

that makes two characters whose parents have essentially been keeping them from normal life and normal childhood for work reasons since they were four year olds. . . .

Affinity 1: (between 5am and 11am)

"I tend to just have hot water for breakfast. I know it would be better for me to eat a proper meal, but it's just so much effort."

DO WE REALLY HAVE TO START WITH "I NEED THE GHOULS TO EAT PROPER FUCKIN MEALS". . . .

Affinity 2: (between 11am and 4pm)

"I'm sorry I'm so late. The campus is so crowded I can never manage to walk in a straight line, so it always takes me longer than I think. Silly, isn't it?"

baby you're hardly the first person i've met with anxiety about crowds. you're fine.

Affinity 3: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"What would I do without Haku's help? Hotarubi would be a mess without him."

Affinity 4: (between 8pm and 5am)

"I wonder if I should apply early to take out any common artifacts I might need for this mission. I'll ask Haku what he thinks..."

Affinity 5: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Ah! You surprised me there... I just got back from a small errand. Do you need something?"

Affinity 6: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Ever since I was a child, the performing arts were my only focus. Maybe that's why people always say my mannerisms are so peculiar. It bothers you too, doesn't it?"

poor boy doesn't know how to act if he isn't acting. . .he doesn't know how to exist off-script. . .no wonder he made a deal with a demon. it's probably the first thing he's ever done for himself.

Affinity 7: (between 11am and 4pm)

"I'd like to go to the cafeteria, but the line is always so long. I feel bad taking time to choose while people are waiting behind me. The bar of entry feels a little high."

i am once again suggesting subaru get anxiety meds. hell go to sinnostra and get some weed, i bet they sell that. i hear it can help.

Affinity 8: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"I'm just about to go and meet a friend. I hate to inconvenience you like this, but if it's something urgent, could you speak to Haku about it instead?"

Affinity 9: (between 8pm and 5am)

"What am I going to do? We're supposed to be meeting up in an hour... If I cancel now, they'll hate me..."

Affinity 10: (between 10pm and midnight)

"Whew... I'll walk you back to your house, {PC}. Oh, it's no problem at all, I assure you! I wanted some fresh air anyway."

Affinity 11: (between 5am and 11am)

"I have an Anomalous Ecology test coming up. It's such a fascinating subject, I couldn't help but stay up all night studying. Now I'm a little sleep-deprived."

Affinity 12: (between 11am and 4pm)

"I'm going to stretch my legs a little. I might not have a show to practice for right now, but I need to keep putting myself through my paces. I'll get rusty otherwise."

Affinity 13: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"I'm sorry my phone's been making so much noise. I recently downloaded an app by mistake, and it won't stop sending me notifications..."

awww he's also technologically incompetent. . .poor guy was probably raised with such a heavy focus on his career he just. never needed a smartphone. anyone he needed to contact or who needed to contact him was probably always very close by. it sounds like he didn't even properly go to school before going to Darkwick. Somebody please take this boy on a walk. like anywhere. take him to a library. buy him a churro. can sho make churros? this is somebody who's never had any sort of normal social experience and sees how different he is and wishes it weren't the case, unlike Ritsu who assumes everyone else is like him, i think he'd like to have some more Experiences.

Affinity 14: (between 5am and 11am)

"... ...Oh! Hello, {PC}—I didn't even notice you there. My mind was somewhere else."

Affinity 15: (between 5am and 11am)

"Good morning! Sorry? My hair's messy? You're right, it's sticking right up at the front... That's embarrassing. I'll fix it right away."

Affinity 16: (between 11am and 4pm)

"I usually have lunch in the dormitory. I do eat on the terrace with Lyca every now and then, but he seems so busy these days..."

Lyca is one of the members of Obscuary, btw! Seems like he and Subaru are friends.

Affinity 17: (between 10pm and midnight)

"I didn't take you for a night owl, {PC}. Since you're here, I suppose I'll stay up a little longer. You're sure you're okay? You're not sleepy?"

Affinity 18: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Do you visit Sinostra very often, {PC}? I see... Oh, no reason. I was just making conversation. Ha ha."

why do you ask that. . .a certain mafioso captain wouldn't happen to be suspicious of you would he. . .or maybe you owe them money. . .or maybe you used to be part of Sinostra and moved to Hotarubi. . . .

Affinity 19: (between 10pm and midnight)

"It's getting late, {PC}. How about we finish this tomorrow? Thank you for keeping me company all this time."

Affinity 20: (between 5am and 11am)

"Oh, I couldn't ask you to come all the way to my room to wake me up—I'd feel terrible. I do very much appreciate the thought, though."

it's okay buddy jin already makes them do it, one more pit stop won't hurt.

Affinity 21: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Oh, hello, {PC}. Sorry, I was actually just on my way out. I should be back by evening—do you mind if we speak then?"

Affinity 22: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Lyca has seen my message, so why hasn't he responded to it? I hope nothing bad has happened to him..."

Affinity 23: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Lyca will adapt well to human society, I'm sure of it. I'm so relieved that Darkwick chose to trust him. I can't thank you enough for your help."

he really likes Lyca huh? that is his dog.

Affinity 24: (between 10pm and midnight)

"You can't sleep? Then let me tell you some stories. Legend has it that evil spirits appear once you've told a hundred. Now, what number was I up to..."

BOY IS TRYNA GET YOUR ASS HAUNTED.

Affinity 25(max): (no time constraints)

"I don't want to seem like I'm testing you, I just... I get really anxious sometimes... I'm sorry. I'm being weird, aren't I?"

he's the type to ask 'are you sure you love me? are you sure you wanna be with me?' after you get married and move in together and own a house and have two kids with another on the way. he's the hyper anxious 'i'm sorry we disagreed about our favorite colors do you hate me?' friend(affectionate) I wonder though, is he apologizing for seeming like he's testing you because he's using his stigma to see what you've been up to or something. . .? Probably not lol it's more likely he just keeps asking if you like him

Spring: (March-May) (between 5am and 11am)

"There is no time like spring. Everyone seems more relaxed this time of year. It's reassuring to see."

(between 11am and 4pm)

"I have some sakura mochi. I was just about to prepare some tea to go with it—would you like to join me?"

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"They have no control over whether they bloom, and yet they get made a spectacle of nonetheless... Oh, sorry—I was talking about the cherry blossoms."

(between 8pm and 5am)

"There are many different flowers growing in Hotarubi, but I think the wisteria are my favorites. This is the best time to see them, so you should take a walk around."

Summer: (June-August) (between 5am and 11am)

"Hot today, isn't it? It's always raining in Hotarubi, so it does provide a little escape from the blazing summer sun, but... Ha ha. It is very humid, isn't it?"

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Summer makes me think of the ghost story Yotsuya Kaidan. The scene where Oiwa becomes hysterical, having realized her her face has been disfigured— incredible."

Yotsuya Kaidan is one of the best known japanese ghost stories! It's extremely violent, so read the summary at your discretion. The scene in question has Oiwa shown her reflection by her sister's boss to see that the cream she was given by a woman who was in love with her husband was actually some sort of poison that instantly scarred her face. She grabs a sword and goes to kill her, only for her to accidentally slit her own throat.

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Hotarubi House holds regular festivals during the summer months. If you need a yukata to wear, I'd be happy to pick one out for you."

(between 8pm and 5am)

"I don't mind scary stories, but when that biwa in the tea room started playing by itself, it did make me jump a little..."

slight spoiler, although you can probably figure it out from this but. . .Zenji is a ghost. Subaru currently can't actually see him or hear his voice. . .only Haku, the pc, and, perhaps not so oddly, Towa can afair. All of his youtube content doesn't have him or his voice in it because he can't be recorded by cameras. So Subaru doesn't realize that the biwa playing on its own is actually Zenji playing the biwa.

Autumn: (September-November) (between 5am and 11am)

"The air has gotten crisper, and the leaves are changing color. I know it's only natural for the seasons to shift, so why does it make my heart ache so much?"

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Oh, these? They're some chestnuts I found. I know—I should give them to Sho. I'm sure he'll be able to make something delicious with them."

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"That's another kuchikiri tea ceremony under my belt. It's an annual tradition where one cuts open a tea jar to reveal the tea that was preserved from the first harvest."

(between 8pm and 5am)

"On long autumn nights when the moon is shining beautifully in the sky, it's hard to resist taking a walk outside. Don't stay out until too late though, {PC}."

Winter: (December-February) (between 5am and 11am)

"...Oh, {PC}. Good morning... I had a hard time getting up today. It must be the cold... Ha ha. Not very captain-like, is it?"

Jin, Taiga, and Ed are all prone to not getting out of bed. and Yuri falls asleep on operating tables when he has down time. Trust me Subaru you are perfectly captain-like.

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Today, I'm going to order ingredients from one of my favorite stores so we can all make negima—tuna and scallion—hot pot together. Please, do join us."

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"It's cold out today. I was just thinking about lighting the fire. Would you like to come and warm up with me?"

oh subaru you don't even know how that sounds

(between 8pm and 5am)

"People say winter makes you want to snuggle up with someone, but I find that a good blanket does a much better job."

i agree that blankets are much easier to manage than people lol. probably warmer too.

His birthday: (February 20th)

"A present? For me? Thank you... I didn't expect you to do anything for my birthday, so I'm a little caught off guard. I really appreciate it."

Your birthday:

"Um... Happy birthday. I really hope this year will be a wonderful one for you."

New Years: (January 1st)

"Happy New Year. I hope I can depend on your guidance and support again this year."

Valentine's Day: (February 14th)

"Chocolate? Oh, It's Valentine's Day, isn't it? Does that mean these are for me...?"

nah i just wanted you to look at them. YES THEY ARE FOR YOU BBY. why would you be showing him chocolate if it wasn't for him! On any day, not just valentine's day!!

White Day: (March 14th)

"These are for you, {PC}. I put in a special order for monaka from my favorite confectioner in Ginza. They're wafers filled with bean jam—I hope you like them."

April Fool's Day: (April 1st)

"Earlier, Haku told me he was switching houses. It gave me a real shock— I'm very relieved that it wasn't true..."

i bet subaru made the most scared kicked puppy face and started apologizing for being such an awful captain and blamed himself for that haku would go to a different house and haku had to quickly explain it was just a prank for fear that subaru might burst into tears.

Halloween: (October 31st)

"Happy Halloween. I know it's nothing special, but I've prepared some treats for the occasion. Oh... But you're more than welcome to play a trick instead."

please don't trick him. april fool's day was hard enough for him.

Christmas: (December 25th)

"Merry Christmas. We already have our New Year decorations up in Hotarubi, so it has a real east-meets-west atmosphere now. I hope everyone is okay with it..."

Idle: (about 20 seconds without interacting with the game) (below 13 affinity)

"Everyone seems busy at the moment. Maybe I should use this opportunity to tidy the garden..."

(13 affinity and above)

"{PC}? Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I was just worried because you were so quiet..."

Absent: (logging in for the first time in 2 or more days?)

"You're back... I'm so relieved. I was worried I'd done something to make you feel uncomfortable..."

this man shakes like a chihuahua 24/7. like you can taste the anxiety coming off of him. i love him. he's so pathetic(affectionate). i wanna squeeze his hand reassuringly and tell him everything's gonna be okay. i wanna hug him and pat his head. i wanna take him places so he learns more about the world outside of working. i wanna watch him do schoolwork excitedly because he's never really gone to school before and it's a new and exciting experience. i want him to experience the most mundane aspects of life with wonder.

good boy. yeah. get him anxiety meds /nodnod

#subaru kagami #tokyo debunker #danie yells at tokyo debunker #danie yells answers #danie yells with anons #tokyo debunker spoilers #datamining cw #OKAY TIME FOR BED WHEW

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one-piece-aus · 3 months ago

Text

Unbottle Your Emotions

Eustass Kid x Reader (Part 6)

Taglist: @lingxio @h0n3y-l3m0n05 @tremendoushorsepatrolgoth @lil-skelly-bones (ask or comment if you want to be added)

Ahoy! This has been a fun chapter to write! A few important characters are introduced in this chapter and emotions are building up in [Y/n]. For a little context, Koby is living in the Monkey household because I said so :3

Enjoy ^-^

"He's going to kill me, Hawkins."

You worried as you strolled through the halls with your fellow loner. The poor textbooks were suffocating from your tight grip.

"Who is going to kill you?" Hawkins inquired for clarification.

"Eustass." You eye the hallway for any of Kid's crew. Only when you noted no signs did you turn your back as you reached your locker and opened it.

"Don't you think you're being overdramatic, [Y/n]?" It's rare for Hawkins to brush off your worry, but it only happens if he already read the cards.

"No, I'm not. I might know how to avoid ticking him off with words but actions are an unpredictable minefield, and I might have set one off." You stressed taking your backpack out of your locker and shoving your books inside.

"Why don't you just ask-?"

"I can't ask him!" Your words straining through your teeth, looking at Hawkins as if he suggested you should spoil the ending to a popular franchise to a bunch of die hard fans. "Because if he wasn't mad before then he will be since I planted that idea in his head. I'll be dead either way."

"I was going to suggest asking his friends..."

"Oh..." You turn back to your locker and grab your binders to put them in your backpack. "I don't know about that either..."

"My club starts in 5 minutes, I believe Heat and Wire will be there, if you'd like, I could inquire for you," Hawkins offered.

"Really?"

"But you're coming over tonight to practice your math."

"What? Nooooooo, come on. Can't it be for lunch tomorrow?" You pouted.

"It can't be helped, remember? Your family only allows you to go out if it's for homework."

Your face grims. "That's right."

Thing is, it's more complicated than that.

"I'll let you know when I'm home, try to remain calm until then." Hawkins rested a hand on your shoulder.

"I'll try."

With that Hawkins takes his leave.

A sigh escapes as you finish packing your bag, mind filled with dread. Closing your locker door, you turn to head off when you see Law two lockers over, closing his locker. He notices you and smirks.

Fuck. Your cheeks start burning as you know exactly why he has the smug look. Bastard won't let you live down your embarrassment from two years ago. You face your locker, ignoring him. He seems to get the message and walks away. Once you're sure he's gone, you hit your head against the locker. Sadly it does nothing to shoo the memory of what happened in gym class. Great now your face is heating up more. Why did that have to be the reason he knows you exist?

"Stupid dodgeball!" You kick the locker next to yours. "Stupid teammates!" Another kick. You're at least grateful no one else witnessed it since it only happened early game, and Trafalgar hasn't bothered spreading rumours about it, not that it'd do any good in school since no one knows who the invisible kid is. However, you had a feeling, he would use it as blackmail over you if he knew how.

Gripping the straps of your backpack, you exit the hallway. Most students have disappeared to their clubs or already left the building, you take extra precautions sneaking around now that you have no cover. Your hand finally reaches the exit doors, opens it and you step outside.

"Hi [L/n]."

"AHH!" You jump out of your skin, startling the boy who greeted you. Your eyes flicker to him, calming down. "Oh, it's just you Koby."

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." He bashfully scratches the back of his neck.

"Just don't do it again." You subtly place a hand on your chest, feeling your heart rate return to normal. "What are you doing right next to the doors anyway?"

"Drake said these are the doors you normally use," Koby explained, you gave him a weird look and for a moment you thought he was going to bring up seeing you with Kid at lunch, until he elaborated. "I wanted to walk home with him so he told me to wait with you."

"Oh? So that's all?" You double-check, raising a brow. He nods, so you gesture for him to follow you. "You know my dad doesn't like Strawhat's grandpa, it might be a problem if I walk home with you."

"It's alright, we'll be stopping by my house first so you and Drake don't get in trouble."

"Right." Your voice becoming monotone.

A moment passes as you stop at the meetup tree, Koby looks up at you, worry written on his expression. "...You seemed to be on edge earlier."

"I'm always on edge," you blatantly reply. "Most people just don't realize or scare me like that."

"Sorry..." Koby looks away, seemingly dropping the subject.

Guilt nips at your heart, you don't want to make him feel bad. Though as much as your conscience yells at you to comfort him, you don't. It may be selfish but if Koby associates you with this feeling after greeting you, he's more likely to ignore and avoid you. It'll help prevent future eggshells from being broken and getting you in trouble, so you hope.

A notification from your phone goes off. You grab your device, turning it on to see who it is.

New Message from [Leader Eustass Kid]

You were about to open your phone to read it when you noticed Koby perk up.

"Hey Drake!" Koby greeted his friend.

"Hey Koby, [Y/n]." Drake nodded in acknowledgement.

"Hey..." You briefly wave.

There's a bit of an awkward silence, Drake staring at you as if wanting to ask how your day was and you avoiding eye contact, not wanting to interact with him. You began walking, Drake and Koby following in tow. Koby begins rambling about something Luffy has done. You're grateful Koby came along now, Drake's attention is on him and not you.

With room to breathe, you pulled out your phone and checked Kid's message.

[Leader Eustass Kid]

Where were you at the end of lunch?

Crap, he did notice you disappearing. Not good. Should you make a likely excuse? ...No, you have a feeling he'd know a bullshit excuse when he sees one. Just keep it brief.

[You]

I left

Lunch was over so I left

. . .

Your eyes anxiously stare at the loading dots, his response being typed. Fingers tapping to the rhythm of the flow. Fear sits on your shoulder to watch the screen.

[Leader Eustass Kid]

Say something before you leave next time

Right, he'll be inviting you again when your project's over. Reminder aside, you can't tell the emotion behind his text. Whether he's mad or letting it go, you'll only know when you go over to Hawkins tonight.

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

"Koby! No club today?" Garp asked welcoming the pink-haired boy home.

"Nope, the club president had to plan some things for next week so I got to walk home with Drake today," Koby chirped entering the house.

"Great it's lasagna night. You can help out with the cooking."

"Yes sir." Koby turned to you and Drake who were standing outside. "Thanks for walking with me, guys. See ya tomorrow!"

"See ya, Koby," Drake said. You just waved bye until Koby disappeared from the doorway.

Garp turned to the two of you. "Do you guys want to stay for dinner?"

Drake shook his head. "I have to work tonight."

"I need to get home before it gets too late," you decline chewing the inside of your mouth, wanting to leave already. "Also I don't know anyone here."

"Nonsense, you're friends of Koby, and I'm sure my other grandsons would be happy to have more guests."

"More guests?" Drake raised a brow.

"Yeah, Ace has his friend over-" Garp explanation got cut off when there was a crash in the background. "THE HELL DID YOU BREAK THIS TIME?"

"oH NO! RUN YAMATO!" Ace warned.

Garp left the doorway, off to scold the boys. Drake narrows his eyes and goes to enter the house when you stop him, a tight grip on his sleeve. Drake looks back to you, your face is neutral yet your hand is shaking.

"Can we leave?" A small demand.

Drake doesn't say anything, glancing from you to the house. You could hear something fall over and it causes you to flinch. Drake looks back at you, sighs and starts walking. Internally, you thank him as you release your grip on his sleeve. Your stroll is silent for the most part until Drake inquires you.

"Who were you texting early?"

"...Hawkins," you lie. "I'm going over to his place tonight to practice my math. My dad won't tolerate anything but the best."

Drake hums, believing your lie sprinkled with truth. It wouldn't be the first night you'd go study with Hawkins, and as for texting others, he knows just how small your contact list is. It pays to be known as a ghost amongst those who do know the invisible kid.

You'll have to change Kid's contact name, you can't risk getting caught. It's fine if Hawkins knows you're talking to Kid, you trust him, but not Drake.

The two of you near the front door of your home, you unlock it and enter inside. You glance around, seeing your father's workers frantically running around, too busy to greet you. Good, your brother's antics made you invisible.

"I'll go inform your father where your brother is," Drake told you as he took off his shoes. "They're probably wondering where he snuck off to. You can let one of your uncles know you'll be studying at Hawkins tonight. We don't want them thinking their other child snuck out later."

"Right..." You slipped off your shoes, observing Drake leaving to inform your dad.

You're thankful to your brother, yet at the same time, you wish he put more thought into his actions. There were consequences, and it affected more than him.

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waywardsou2 · 2 months ago

Text

Drunk!Logan X Drunk!MaleReader Part 6

I've said it once and I'll say it again, this title is completely inccroect but I'm not going to change it because I like to keep things orderly and the same.

Also I realised I never said but this takes place between X Men and X2

Summary: Logan and you have finally sorted things out and decide to go on a date

Word Count: 3.2k+

Tags: fluff, date, motorcycle ride, Logan being a gentleman, discussion of past trauma

That morning you woke up buzzing with energy. You were still physically tired, as you had only gotten 4 hours of sleep but your mind was full of images of Logan.

Last night did not feel real. All that had happened between the two of you did not seem possible.

When you had first met Logan you believed you weren’t good enough for his notice, and that he thought the same. But you craved to be noticed, you really wanted that attention and only from Logan. And you didn’t know why. Those feelings were just one more thing to add to the complicated emotions you had been burdened with over the years.

The whole reason you were here is because Xavier had sensed your mutational presence near by and offered you a place amongst his mutants at the school. Not as a student but as resident and eventual teacher. You weren’t ready to teach yet, but you knew Xavier thought you were. All of those things, the hurt, the abandonment, the compassion showed by a stranger and the conflicting feelings you had for Logan, that you didn’t realise until last night was adoration, had built up in your mind creating another space for you to build a wall. But that building took time. And in the meantime, alcohol was your best friend.

But then of course Logan had to come along and knock all of those walls down, even some you had only begun to build. And at first you were mad at him. Infuriated at him for taking away your security. But now…now you were glad he had fought his way inside. Even if it had brought forward feelings you had refused to let yourself feel. You were glad of it.

The pain of being emotionless hurt your heart beyond measure but Logan’s violent appearance had given you that push to allow yourself to feel again, and that’s when you knew that you felt for Logan. You couldn’t call it love.

Not yet.

You didn’t know him.

But it was like a childish crush, one you knew was maybe not so childish.

You spent that day going about your duties as best as possible trying to keep yourself unassuming and placated. You didn’t really want anyone to ask questions in fear they might work out what was going on with you. You didn’t need to be Charles Xavier to figure out what a crush was.

At the end of the day you went back to your room trying to calm your nerves and figure out what you were supposed to wear. Though you were eager for the date you hadn’t been on one since high school. And that hadn’t gone so well.

Logan on the other hand had woken up with a feeling in his gut he couldn’t place. And he refused to let that feeling be nervousness. He just…he didn’t want to wait.

But he did, and he did so patiently. Teaching his classes like he always did, recounting all he could remember from his time during World War 2. What it had been like, what society and the government were like. The front lines and the battles.

As usual the kids were wrapped up in the way he explains their American history. Engulfed in the realism of the tale. There were few students who knew how old Logan really was. So most believe he was just a fantastic storyteller. Maybe he should have been an English teacher instead.

But as the day went on and classes finished, Logan retired to his room briefly. Pulling out a beer from the mini fridge he kept in his room. He wasn’t nervous he just needed a pre-dinner beer.

During the day he had booked them a place in a restaurant 6 miles from the school. It was a small Italian restaurant. Despite all his years of traveling he had never been to Italy. And this was the closest he was ever going to get to it. He rummaged through his closet looking for some his more presentable clothing. Many of his t-shirts had holes in them or roughly stitched together holes. Most of his jeans had also begun to tear in places and he had let them. Even creating a few more to make them look like the ripped jeans he saw all the teens wearing in the 90s, that’s one fashion trend he wishes hadn’t faded.

He finds the only pair of jeans that don’t have any holes in them and one of his buttons up flannels which he accompanies with his leather jacket. He looks over to his nightstand where a small bottle of cologne sits. Rouge got it for his birthday last year but he never used it. What need did he have to smell nice. Plus, it was overpowering to his oversensitve nose so he never bothered with it.

But today felt like a reason to use it. So he took the bottle, removing the glass lid and spraying a small amount of his chest trying not to inhale the airborn particles.

He checked his hair in the mirror and stopped for a moment to stare at himself. He never put this much effort into how he looked. He never had a reason to care. Subconsciously he must've already deemed you important and special, he realised that as he stared into his own eyes.

He was in the deep end now.

Logan straightened up and moved to head to the garage where he said he would meet you. Waiting by his bike checking it over before they got going.

You on the other hand were pacing back and forth in your room. All types of clothes laying around your room, on your desk chair, bed and even the floor. You couldn't decide if you wanted to go with the Canvas pants in that deep shade of green with your black and white varsity jacket or if you wanted to go with the ripped jeans and the black and red flannel. You knew this was a date, but you didn’t know how dressy you were supposed to be or if he was taking you somewhere that required you to dress up a bit.

In the end you chose neither outfit and went with your informal-formal button up that could easily be tied into a crop top if the place wasn’t that fancy and your black set of canvas pants.

You make your way to the grave, hoping and praying no one will see you. Your breathing is controlled as you try to stop your emotions from overwhelming you as you reach the grave entrance.

You open the door and look around for Logan. You see him crouched down by his Harley Davidson. You knew it used to be Scott’s. But at this point it was an X-Men vehicle, so it was free use for anyone who got to it first. He was bent over by the chain on the back wheel. Cleaning it off with an old rag, clearing away any extra grease that might clog it up.

You stood silently behind him, watching him as he worked. The way his hands ran over the chain, taking care with the mechanics. Making sure to use a firm hand to clear away the gunk but not too firm to damage the hardware. The bikes hull was glossy black. Buffed and shined, completely spotless despite its constant use.

“Good evening, Professor Howlett” you say with a smirk on your face. He jumps slightly and turns around to look down at you. Standing up and cleaning off his hands on the rag.

“Don’t call me that” he huffs as he says it

“Rolls off the tongue don’t you think?” you say cheekily

“No, not from your mouth, since you aren’t one of my students” he grabs you gently by the cheeks and smushes your face.

“Are we gonna get going?” he says swinging his leg over the bike and kicking up the stand. He looks at you expectantly. And with the slightest hesitation you hop on the bike behind him.

He turns the key and the bike roars to life. The sound echoing throughout the garage in a thunderous uproar of 2 cylinders exhuming a plume of gasoline. You grab a hold of his jacket as he sped out of the garage entrance and down the street. Where the road was dimly lit by the setting sun and the sky was painted in beautiful pinks and oranges.

He sped down the street heading towards the town and you held onto him. Leaning forward to press your chest against his back, your head resting on his shoulder. Tilted towards the sun set you were riding alongside. Like a beautiful backdrop to match the closing scene of an old romance movie.

‘How clique is that’ you thought, smiling to yourself.

You could not believe that you were here right now, sitting on the back of this monstrous vehicle holding onto a man you believe would never have paid you any mind. This felt like a perfect dream.

Logan tried to focus on the road as the two of you sped down it. But with your heart beating against his spine and your arms around his waist all he could focus on was you. His eyes were on the strip of bitumen in front of him, but his mind was thinking of your face. Your windswept hair and your bright eyes shining in the dim light.

Once they had made it into town, he had taken his hand away from the throttle and instead trundled down the streets until he stopped on the corner of a small side street and hoped of the bike. Turning to offer you a hand as you swung your own leg over the bike.

“Since when did you become such a gentleman?” you ask him

“I’ve always been one, I just show it to those who deserve it” He smiles at you.

You smile back, some warmth creeping onto your cheeks.

He continued to hold your hand as the two of you walked through the entrance. He opened the door allowing you to walk ahead of him, inside was a quaint little restaurant. All the tables and chairs were a varnished wood, sitting in different arrangements for different parties. The waiters wore simple white button up tops not dissimilar to your own, the lady at the reception wore soft red lipstick on her lips. She looked over the two of you before checking the reservation under Logan’s name. She directed you two to a small seat by the window that had a direct view of the main road. As you walked you decided to tie your shirt up. Silently thanking yourself for picking versatile attire.

You sit down and Logan sits across from you. You hadn’t been out to many restaurants before. Between the MRD, and Xavier’s school you hadn’t been on many dates past the age of 16. And those could hardly be considered dates. Even in this quaint little restaurant you felt a swell of emotion rise in your chest. You pushed it down thought. First dates weren’t for gushing and heart felt confessions.

The two of you order your food. You decide to get some spinach and fetta ravioli, and he ordered a calzone. You haven’t had many well-cooked meals. Mostly old, reheated meals or whatever was given to you by the scientists monitoring you. Usually nonperishables that were bland and in amounts that were not sustainable.

‘What brought you to Xavier’s school?” you ask, trying to start up a conversation. So far the two of them had been quietly enjoying their meals, the silence wasn’t awkward but it was still silence and you wanted to get to know him. That was the point of this date, wasn’t it? You didn’t know, and for a moment you began feeling severely out of your depth.

“Charles sent Scott and Storm to find me. Told me if I gave him 48 and helped him figure out what Magneto was doing before the UN conference that he would try and help me with the memories of my past. But I guess after those 48 hours I got attached. Even when I left to go find answers I always came back.” He took another bite of his food

“And did he help you?” You ask

“As much as he could. I know most of my story now but…still got fracture pieces. Don’t know where some memories are still from or why I even have them”

“Like what?”

He thinks for a moment, searching through the catalogue of memories recently discovered

“I remember a lab. Being cold. I think I way laying in a tank, because the memory is distorted. The same way the world looks when you have water in your eyes. And I remember the pain. But other than that, I have nothing. I know it’s an important memory, but I don’t know why” He confesses this all so honestly. You look at him as he speaks, his eyes searching as he looks at his food. You don’t think he’s really looking at it though. He's somewhere else when recounting this.

He shrugs and takes another bite of his food, he looks up when he sees your hand reach out to hold the one resting on the table. You run your fingers over the knuckles on his right hand. He was so open about this, from here, listening to him speak, you could hear in his voice how badly he wanted to explain, to understand. You assumed that he hadn’t told anyone about this. The only person who probably knows any of this is Xavier because he was the person who pulled these memories to the surface. But that isn’t the same as being able to share the story. Share the memories.

“Do you remember anything else?” You want him to keep sharing, you want to know more about him, but you also want to give him the opportunity to continue to tell whatever version of his story he remembers. You can hear it in the ease of his voice that he needs this.

“I’ve got memories of battles, fights and wars without context. Some faces, there was this one girl…her name was Kayla, I think. And…a man named Creed. But I don’t know why I know these names or these people” He huffs slightly, it sounds like a laugh but it’s missing humour

“I don’t even know how old I am, because you can’t date the age of my bones due to the Adamantium and because my cells are constantly regenerating, they aren’t aged the same way another people would be. I’m sure you’re probably the same with your regeneration.”

You nod your head slightly, agreeing. You wondered what was worse. Not being able to remember or remembering everything. You and Logan were complete opposite ends of this. Your memories kept you up at night, and his fractured ones plagued his sleep. You are missing parts of your life at the vile hands of others, and his was completely taken from him without him knowing for so long. Logan tries so hard to remember, and you try so hard to forget.

Logan pulls his hand out from under yours and places it over the top. Running the pad of his finger over the tendons in your hand.

His calloused hands felt so gentle over your skin.

“Hey-“ he says trying to get your attention. Your mind had wandered, and he had noticed “-don’t worry ‘bout me yeah? This ain’t for you to worry about”

You look at him and smile sadly “I just hope you can get your memories back”

The two of you go back to eating your food momentarily, the mood having taken a solemn turn. Logan decides to ask a question now.

He didn’t bother to ask about your backstory, he knows that isn’t a story you are ready to share. And he didn't need to ask why you were at Xavier’s school. He was the one that had picked you up at Charles request. Instead he asked about your life, in a future sence

“What do you want with your life? I mean…Xavier gave you a second chance, but that doesn’t mean you have to be at the school forever. What do you want?”

You were slightly taken aback at his question, for so long future had never been something to be considered. But he was right, about Xavier giving you a second chance

“I haven’t really though about it, I mean…I just needed time to get any semblance of my life back together. And I’m still working on doing that. So I haven’t really thought about anything long term”

He nodded “But that’s still something. It’s still a plan”

You hummed in agreement

The two of you continued to eat in a calm silence with conversation permeating the air around you between mouthfuls. Once the two of you finish the meal you sit and talk over your empty plates.

Your elbows are up on the table, your head in your hands as you lean forward listening as he talks. Logan was talking about the time he met Rouge and all of the misadventures they’d had since they’d met. He was such a good friend to Rouge. And from where you were standing it seemed that he was like a big brother to her. You were glad the two of them had each other.

As the date came to a close the two of you felt at ease and much closer with each other. The hours spent talking had began the building of a bridge between the two of you. You both felt content with the amount of ground you had covered.

Like a crack slowly being filled in enough for you to meet in the middle. Perhaps not quite yet, but it was a start.

The two of you rode back through the night, the moon high above your head.

When you got back to Xaviers mansion the bike rumbled to a stop in the garage and he helped you off once more.

“Good thing we got back before a full moon, you might’ve turned into a werewolf on the bike” you joked

He laughed “Wolverines aren’t Wolves” he corrected you

“What are they then?” You ask a smile on your face

Logan softly grabbed your chin and tilted it up towards him “Maybe I’ll tell you on our next date? But you gotta promise not to look it up before then. Deal?”

“Fine-“ you concede. “-But next date is my treat”

He leans forward and places a chaste kiss on your lips and lets go of your chin

“Sure thing” And with that Logan took your hand, like the gentleman he is, and lead you back to your room before walking back to his own.

You watch him walk down the hall, your door cracked open just a peek. And when he was gone you shut it. As the door clicked shut you sank to the floor in front of it, your cheeks a bright red and grin stretched across your lips.

Sorry this took so long guys. I promise I'll finish this one before I start any more projects. Either way I hope you enjoyed and keep your eyes out for future parts!

Part 7!

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