#i'll gather requests now for brainstorming

[dovesdreaming]

Whispers of forever

Summary: shy reader and Neil Perry meet when they’re partnered up for a poetry assignment. They’re love blossoms throughout it.

Request

Masterlist

Warnings: none

-

The school bell echoed through the hallway, signaling the end of another tedious English class. Neil Perry gathered his books, ready to bolt out of the classroom, when the teacher's voice halted him. "Everyone a moment please”. You froze in your seat as Mr. Keating gestured for people in pairs to go to the front of his desk. When it was your turn he called Neil Perry up along with you, you’d always admired Neil from afar, his confidence, his smile that lit up any room, and the way he seemed to carry a lightness that made him stand out among your classmates. The idea of being paired with him for anything made your heart race.

"You two will be working together on the upcoming poetry project” Mr. Keating said with a knowing smile. "I think you’ll make a fine team”. Neil grinned, clearly unfazed. "Sounds great, Mr. Keating”. You nodded, unable to muster up anything more than that. Your voice had a tendency to get caught in your throat when you were nervous, and right now, it felt like you were trying to swallow a whole apple. "Alright, I'll let you both get to it”. Mr. Keating said, turning back to his desk as the last few students filed out. "Remember, make it extraordinary!".

Once outside the classroom, Neil turned to you, his bright smile warming the chilly hallway. "So, Y/N, do you have any ideas?.Your mind blanked for a moment before you managed to stammer out, "M-Maybe we could, um, meet in the library after school? We can start brainstorming." Neil's smile widened. "Perfect. I’ll see you there at 4?". You nodded again, the butterflies in your stomach doing cartwheels. You watched him walk away, wondering how you were going to survive working on a project with someone like Neil Perry without making a complete fool of yourself.

At just before 4pm you arrived at the library, your nerves bubbling up again. You’d chosen a table tucked away in a quiet corner, hoping the isolation might help calm you down. You pulled out your notebook, pretending to review your notes, though your thoughts were completely scattered.

"Hey, Y/N!" Neil’s voice cut through your nervous thoughts. He slid into the seat across from you, his smile just as bright as it had been earlier. "I hope you didn’t have to wait too long”. “N- Not at all” you replied, trying to meet his gaze. His eyes were warm, and there was something about the way he looked at you, like he actually wanted to be there with you, that made your nerves settle, just a little. “So” Neil began, pulling out his own notebook. "I was thinking we could start by choosing a theme. Something that resonates with both of us. Any ideas?". You bit your lip, your mind racing. "Um... what about... the idea of freedom? Like... breaking away from expectations?". Neil’s eyes lit up. "I love that. It's something that feels really personal to me, too”. He paused, a hint of seriousness in his tone. "Sometimes, it feels like everyone’s watching, waiting for you to be something… you’re not”. You nodded, surprised by the vulnerability in his words. "I know what you mean”. He looked at you for a moment, his expression softening. "I’m glad we’re doing this together, Y/N. I think we can make something really meaningful”. You felt your cheeks heat up under his gaze. "Me too”.

As you started to bounce ideas off each other, the initial awkwardness began to fade. Neil was patient, encouraging you to share your thoughts and making you feel like every idea you had was valuable. His passion for the project was contagious, and soon you found yourself getting more comfortable, more excited. Days passed, and every meeting brought you closer. You started to see sides of Neil that surprised you. His thoughtfulness, his insecurities, the depth of his emotions. And he, in turn, seemed to notice the little things about you, like how your eyes sparkled when you talked about a topic you were passionate about, or how you would absentmindedly twirl a strand of hair when you were talking and even how you bit your lip when concentrating.

It was after one particularly late study session that something shifted. The library was nearly empty, the sun setting outside, casting a warm glow through the windows. You were both laughing over a joke Neil had made when the laughter died down, leaving a comfortable silence in its wake. “Y/N” Neil said softly, his gaze locking with yours. "I… I really enjoy spending time with you”. Your heart skipped a beat. "I enjoy it too, Neil”.

He reached out, gently covering your hand with his. "I’ve never met anyone like you before. You’re… you’re different in a good way and I can’t get enough of it”. You stared at his hand on yours, warmth spreading from where his skin touched yours. “I’m just… me”. And that’s enough," Neil whispered. "More than enough”.

The moment hung in the air, thick with unspoken words. You looked up at him, and for the first time, you saw a hint of nervousness in his eyes, mirroring your own. Slowly, as if testing the waters, Neil leaned forward, giving you plenty of time to pull away. But you didn’t. Instead, you met him halfway, your eyes fluttering closed as his lips brushed against yours in the gentlest of kisses. It was brief, sweet, but it held a promise of more, of something real and tangible that had grown between you over the weeks. When you pulled back, Neil’s smile was softer, more tender. “Let’s make this project something unforgettable” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. You nodded, a smile tugging at your lips. "Together”.

And as you sat there, hand in hand, you couldn’t help but feel that this was just the beginning of something extraordinary.

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

The autumn leaves had turned shades of amber and gold, crunching beneath your feet as you and Neil walked side by side through the woods behind Welton Academy. The crisp air was filled with the earthy scent of fallen leaves, and you couldn’t help but feel a sense of peace whenever you were out here with him. The poetry project had long since been completed, earning you both top marks, but more importantly, it had been the start of something far more meaningful.

Now, a few months into your relationship, things felt as natural as the changing seasons. Neil’s hand was warm in yours, his thumb tracing lazy circles on the back of your hand as you wandered deeper into the woods, the sounds of the school fading into the background. He had suggested the walk earlier that day, claiming he needed a break from studying, and you had been more than happy to oblige. Any excuse to spend time with him was a good one.

Neil slowed his pace, eventually stopping altogether in a small clearing. The ground was blanketed with leaves, and the trees overhead created a canopy that filtered the afternoon sunlight into soft, golden beams. He turned to face you, his expression soft, his eyes full of something that made your breath catch. “You know” he said, his voice low and warm, "when we first started working together, I never imagined we’d end up here. But now… I can’t imagine my life without you in it”. His words made your heart race, and you felt a familiar shyness creep up, though it was tinged with the warmth of knowing he felt the same way. "I feel the same, Neil. You’ve made everything so much… brighter”. Neil’s smile was tender as he gently tugged you closer, wrapping his arms around you in a loose embrace. You leaned into him, resting your head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Being in his arms felt like the safest place in the world, a sanctuary from all the pressures and expectations that weighed on both of you.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Y/N” he murmured into your hair. "I just wanted you to know that." You closed your eyes, letting the moment sink in. "You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me too, Neil”.

For a while, you simply stood there together, wrapped up in each other and the quiet of the woods. The world outside seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of you in this perfect little bubble. Eventually, Neil pulled back slightly, just enough to tilt your chin up so he could look into your eyes. “You’re beautiful, you know that?" he said, his voice full of sincerity. You felt your cheeks heat up, but you didn’t look away this time. Instead, you smiled, reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair away from his forehead. "You’re not so bad yourself, Perry”. He chuckled softly before leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead, then your nose, and finally, your lips. The kiss was soft, unhurried, full of the unspoken emotions that had been building between you. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against yours, his breath mingling with yours in the cool air. “Let’s stay like this forever” he whispered. You nodded, your heart full to bursting. "Forever”.

And in that moment, with the golden leaves falling gently around you, it felt like maybe, just maybe, forever was within reach.

-

Thank you for reading! Please request more dps

[spooblet]

When (S/o) Take Their Jacket (Pt. 1)

NOTE:

I have a bit of writer's block here and there, so I'll post what I have written while I try to brainstorm the others for Pt. 2 <3

Vash The Stampede: 

After waking up from his slumber, Vash slowly rose from the bed and yawned while stretching his arm. He sat there for a while and realized how (Y/n) wasn’t lying beside him. He wasn’t alarmed, or in a panic as they do this now and then: gathering supplies for their rounds of travel. Vash got up and walked towards the bathroom for a quick shower. Upon walking back to the bedroom to change into his clothing and attach his prosthetic arm. He noticed his signature red jacket wasn’t neatly folded on the desk he had left it last night. He looked over the chair, under the bed, the closet, and even opened the window to look down to find his jacket. 

Not a sight at all. 

He was about to panic until he remembered (Y/n).

‘Maybe they know where it is…’  He thought to himself as he put on his long-sleeved shirt and glove. The moment he tied up his lace, he got up to grab the doorknob only to have it swung open and cause him to jump in surprise. (Y/n) walked in, bringing in numerous bags as they waddled their way in.

“No, I don’t need help, I already brought everything.” (Y/n) announced as they lifted one arm with a little huff due to the extra weight. 

Regardless, Vash took some bags off from their other arm to help take some weight off them. No matter how many times they assured him that they didn’t need any help, he refused to accept that. He wants to be there for them as much as they have been there for him. As (Y/n) started to take out food from the bag, Vash then remembered what he was going to ask.

“Oh Hey, by the way. Have you seen…my…” 

At that moment, Vash spotted what he was looking for. His red jacket was nicely worn by his partner as they looked up at him, to see what he was going to ask. Then by the looks of his slightly blushed reaction, it clicked on them,

“Oh!  Sorry…I just threw in whatever that was near me.” 

As (Y/n) tried to take Vash’s jacket off he pulled the jacket back on their shoulder and smiled sweetly at them. 

“There’s no need to apologize, (Y/n). You can wear it, you know. Besides, you look adorable.” He smiled fondly while (Y/n) became a blushing mess at his sudden comment. 

His jacket was just a couple of inches off the ground when (Y/n) wore them compared to when Vash wore it. 

“You doofus.” They bluntly responded, trying to avoid Vash’s gaze when he gave them a sweet compliment. It didn’t help them at all when Vash looked at the back of their head fondly before planting a gentle kiss against their cheek.

Knives Millions

The majority of the time (Y/n) was there, Knives hardly removed his cloak when he was near them. It was either wrapped around his hips, hooded up, or hooded down, but never off. Not once did they question him or request it off. How do you have the courage to go to a powerful entity and ask such a thing? (Y/n) refuses to overstep the boundary Knives put in and remain silent by the topic. They were just glad to be by his side…and being alive overall. 

As if it was an opportunity that was giving to (Y/n), his cloak was hanging by a chair. He was no where on sight. This was a given chance to feel the material of his cloak. (Y/n) looked around to make sure they were in the clear before grabbing it. It felt weird to the touch. It felt soft and rubbery? (Im just spitballing here…) It was tempting to put it around them and sure enough, that’s what (Y/n) did. The cloak was wrapped around their body, snugged in as it draped their body. It was rather long to the point where it dragged on the floor; though (Y/n) wasn’t paying too much attention. It was going to be a quick felt…Or so they thought. 

Knives entered the room. 

The sound of his footstep snapped (Y/n)’s attention to the point where they quickly made eye contact with Knives. His eyes slowly opened wide in shocked by the sight of a human, his human, having his coat wrapped around them. 

“...Explain yourself.” He commanded, though his tone was soft toned rather than his usual demenor. 

“...I was just curious–Sorry, I’ll take it off.” 

(Y/n) took the cloak off them before handing it back to its owner. Knives grabbed it and kept his eye contact locked on them. 

“Leave. I need some time alone.” 

(Y/n) nodded and leaves the room. They were in a panic state but didn’t want to show it. (Y/n) kept thinking how they might have ruin Knives’s trust or ruin their relationship in general by touching his stuff. Though little did they know that it was far from the truth. Knives was left alone from the room holding onto the cloak…blushing slightly from the view he had just witnessed. The sight of his partner wearing his cloak was such refreshing. He let out a sigh then decided that one day he’ll make one for his beloved when he gets the chance. For now, he stayed in the room to recover. Knives didn’t want to leave until he was no longer blushing.

[laismoura-art]

How do you think Kenshi and Suchin met in this new timeline? Especially if you consider that Suchin was the reason for Kenshi’s redemption?

Hey, Bloos! Thanks for the ask!💕

I'll let you know that I have plenty of ideas for Suchin, both for the New Era, as well as for my Scorpion!Harumi AU (you let me know if you're interested in that one too 👀)

I had the chance to brainstorm a bit about her recently with ma gal @thedragonholder and also with @rasta-bot (both make amazing Suchin content💕), and that really helped me to organise my thoughts and ideas for her!

So, to answer your question, you gotta know my version of Suchin better, so please, let me walk you through this more polished version of her origins (now with more Kenshi🤭)

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

ORIGINS:

Suchin's family descends from Seido, the Golden Kingdom, in Outworld.

Form an outsiders perspective, the place may feel like a true utopia, everything and everyone has their role and order reigns above. Unfortunately, to assure "order" the rules of Seido ended up being SEVERELY punitive, unfair, and often targeted the less fortunate classes.

Tired of such unfairness, the Bunnag family decided to flee and take as many families as they could (which, sadly, were not as many families as they wished).

For their decision, the Bunnags were cast as traidors and criminals and were hunted down by the city's rulers and their police forces.

The family could've gone after Queen Sindel and requested refuge in Sun Do (which she would've granted, mind you), but they were afraid Seido would see her actions as an act of war and start a bigger conflict.

So, instead, they went after Delia's help.

The Goddess of the Eternal Flame granted all the families a safe trip to Earthrealm. And to praise the Bunnags for their courage, she crafted a pair of blades and blessed them in her flames.

THAILAND VIGILANTES:

Once safe in Earthrealm, the Bunnags had decided they would never again turn a blind eye to the injustices surrounding them. Thailand was now their home, and they would make it a safer and just place!

That resulted in them becoming something akin to vigilantes. Urban legends even. No one really knew their identities, but the locals were certain every generation had their very own vigilante, and soon, Suchin would become her generation's!

But before she could take over the tittle that currently belonged to her mother, Suchin wanted to learn more about her family's mysterious heritage (her parents and grandparents were far too vague about that, and she strongly believed knowing her roots would make her a better warrior, a better protector for Thailand!

So she made sure to gather the attention of the Umgadi and grant herself a place among them. She would be trained and in the meantime, learn about her roots and about that mysterious hooded figure her family seems to worship...

Said and done! Suchin was recruited by the Umgadi and trained for years with a selected group (Tanya, Jade and Harumi). Her instructor, Li Mei, made sure to tell her everything she knew about Delia and Seido (she didn't know the specifics of what happened between the Bunnags and Seido, but she could guess, and did advise Suchin to remain within Sun Do, where she would be welcomed and more importantly, protected)

YIELDING THE BLESSED BLADES:

After her training years were over, Suchin returned to Earthrealm and took over her mother's place so the later could finally retire.

Suchin became an outstanding vigilante. And her notable job started to call attention of some evil forces outside Thailand.

The Black Dragon, the Red Dragon and the Yakusa, all wanted a piece of her!

Her fight with this groups led her to travel all over the globe, and eventually, get to Japan, where the Yakusa already had a price for her head, and to handle such talented swordswoman, the evil organisations sent their most talented swordsman: Kenshi Takahashi!

THE REDEMPTION:

By the time Kenshi was assigned to the task of killing Suchin, he was already starting to question his place within the Yakusa.

He wasn't loud about it. In reality, no one could really even tell he was having any sort of second thoughts.

That is... until Suchin.

She could tell by his fighting alone. He was a skilled fighter, that was not doubt about that. But his head was just not there!

Which was why Suchin decided to spare his life once she had defeated him, "Face me again." She challenged him, "Once you had decided who's your real opponent."

He was sent again, and again he hesitated. Then again and again. Each time less motivated. Each time more confused and torn up.

Suchin was growing impatient. "If you're not going to give me a real fight, at least offer me dinner or something. Fighting you exhausts me!"

He vanished instead.

Only a week later, he reappeared and offered to pay her coffee and pancakes with syrup.

"Coffee and pancakes? Ha! Who would've thought the Yakusa would be such cheapskates!" She teased, but accepted the invitation anyways (a good choice, as the pancakes were phenomenal!)

Good pancakes made up for the long hours of Kenshi just venting about his problems.

One thing he said truly resonated with her, "I feel like I'm not on the right place. I feel like I'm betraying myself, betraying... my very blood! Does that make sense??"

And yes! It did make sense! That's exactly how her family felt in Seido. That feeling of unease and self-betrayal, of self-loathing was precisely what led them to flee their hometown and start all over, reconnecting with who they truly were, away from any external oppresive influences.

So to help Kenshi, she shared with him the story of her family (something she had only done with her teacher and her close Umgadi friends).

She advised him to find his roots, so he would find himself in the process and fully understand who he wanted to be from that moment on.

"You're right." He said in a rather monotone way, but Suchin could tell he was having an epiphany inside his head. Which was confirmed by his sudden movements, he got up at once, kissed her cheek and left with only a rushed announcement: "I must go to Hollywood! Right at this moment!"

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Sorry I took your ask as an opportunity to brainstorm a bit more about Suchin, I hope you had enjoyed my headcanons still (including the one you actually came here for, lol)❤️❤️

@mikka-minns

[summitclan-chronicles]

Applications are Closed!

Holy cow, we finally made it - and what a grand venture this has been! So many new faces, so many new friends, so many questions and answers! I've learned so much about the people that have come here, even before anyone hops onboard the server!

I'm so thankful for the kindness, grace, curiosity, interest and patience you have all granted me. I have wanted to make this roleplay since I was very much a child too young to be on the internet, and to see that it might actually be something - even significant, at that? - it blows my mind without hesitation.

And just the same, I am thankful for everyone that faced the bravery of coming off anon and talking to me in asks and replies! I'm so glad to have some familiar faces in my feed so early - and I'm sure others have come to recognize and respect you too!

Now, with the soft gushy stuff over, I have 3 gifts to present to you!

i. Application Replies!

Some were multiple choice, so I gathered those together to put in review:

The arcs question made me & fiancee smile, because it stayed pretty consistent, with the most people having read TPB and the fewest having read ASC. On the contrary, I was not expecting so many people to have been rping in the kitty scene for over 10 years! I was also surprised at how many inexperienced people we got - and how filled out the middle was! I'm entertained by the near perfect split on wanting staff roles, & how few people chose Leader on the rank question.

Most importantly, I want to point out the question regarding being placed on a list for future loners and kittens. 98.4% is roughly 59 people, dude! We're going to have a robust list of people waiting for such openings, so I won't have to worry about inadequate responses just yet - much to my relief!

ii. A sneak-peak at our server setup!

I won't be giving out any more than this!

III. A Summitclan Playlist!

To get ourselves in the Summitclan spirit, I put together a little playlist! I'll be making a much longer one at a later date - but this works great for writing up a post or brainstorming characters!

The songs are ordered to flow nicely into one another, but they sound great shuffled too!

In conclusion...

🎄🕎🕯🕊 HAPPY HOLIDAYS🌹🌽✡️🎁

Get on your best jammies, snuggle up into something warm and put on your favorite music... spend time with the people you love & the things you love to do. Remember all this past year has brought to you, and know the good you've put into the world will return twicefold to you. Be it snowing, sleeting, raining or sunny where you are - be it arctic or balmy - you are here, alive and loved very deeply. You are someone to be celebrated, and you make people proud each and every day to be your friend.

Admin Jingo may be a bit absent due to family shenanigans, but feel free to send asks or reply to posts!

I love you all very much! As a reminder before I go...

Make sure your main Discord is accepting Friend Requests and DMs by December 29th (Friday).

If you get a friend request from someone named "Jingo-tastic", that's me!

Once the link has been sent to you, you'll have 1 week to heed it. If 3 days pass without a reply, I'll send a bump msg to your secondary!

You will be given access to the Summitclan Lore on January 1st, 2024 at midnight EST.

Roleplaying begins on January 8th.

Character creation/editing ends on January 15th.

Now that the grand opening has closed, the only way to join SCC is by way of newborn kittens or loners coming in from outside.

And one more time:

Thank you! ☃️

[iloveyou-writers]

Could you make one big long post about the importance of non-published writers / writers who don't write professionally. Writing has always been a passion of mine, but my parents have told me that it doesn't make money (enough to take care of me and my future family if I even decide to have one) so now I'm taking the route of a physical therapist. I know I can write on my free time, but I'm so busy almost all the time that I sometimes don't have the energy to. The one thing that made me happy and I barely get to do it. Could you help? Thanks.

I've been waiting to post this til I actually write it, but I'll write a separate post for it or reblog with my answer. I just wanted to say I'm not ignoring this and have been brainstorming the best, most effective possible post I can give you. 💜💜 I hope you're doing well, anon, and just know that your writing matters and that non-published writers like you are so important and enable people that can't buy books or make it to the library to be able to have their passion of reading too.

🥰🥰 I have so much more to say on this but I wanna gather my thoughts more before posting the official response. Thank you for sending this in! This is such a lovely request and I wanna do it the beauty it deserves.

[gamebunny-advance]

So this is a long time overdue, but thanks so much for 800+ followers on @gamebunny-advance! I’m amazed that so many people can tolerate my nonsense at once, but I appreciate that y’all are sticking around!

We actually hit that milestone a while ago (maybe even last year), but since I got busy with Kuneho, I wanted to put it off until I could incorporate this into one of the streams, and that time is now!

As per usual for my milestone celebrations, I’m opening up doodle requests!

All you have to do is leave your request in my inbox! Since this is a follower celebration, I’d prefer only follower requests, but I’ll handle non-followers and anonymous requests on a case-to-case basis. If it’s something I want to draw, then I’ll go for it, but if you’re a rando with a random request, then ya best look elsewhere, contact me for a commission, or follow if you like what you see, and you can get in for the next milestone celebration! I do these every 100 follower milestone!

There’s just a few rules and notes about making requests to be aware of:

* Your request doesn’t have to be relevant to my interests. This is a celebration for y’all, so you don’t have to cater your requests to me~ I’ll draw for fandoms I don’t know about as long as it’s not morally abhorrent.

*No OCs unless you’re my mutual or one of my buddies (sometimes I’m not actually mutuals with my buddies for one reason or another. I still love you, but maybe the things you post about just don’t jive with me or the stuff I post doesn’t jive with you~ I know it’d be awkward to ask me to make sure, but I feel like you should know already if I like you ^o^)

*Keep it clean! No horny, or if it is horny, keep it subtle! Since I’m actually gonna be streaming this time, y’all better be on your best behavior!

*These are free doodles, so try not to get too caught up in the details~ Basically I’m spending an hour or less on each request~ If you want something more specific, feel free to hmu about commission info!

I think that’s it~ If I get any requests I’m uncomfortable with, then I’ll make a note about it!

[phoebe-delia]

Hello my Pheeby Deeby Pumpkin Squeezy. I am here to request song 2. I haven’t been here in so long it’s criminal smh

@written-in-ash, My darling, it would be my pleasure. This "peace" by Taylor Swift. It's a song that I *almost* used as the one from folklore in the TS Drarry series on AO3, but I went with tlgad because I wanted to include Wolfstar. But this song is so Draco it almost hurts.

I adore you more than words can express. Thank you for being there for me in late-night brainstorming, deep talks, absolutely nonsensical conversations, and times when we share a brain cell.

I love you, and I love writing for you. I hope you enjoy some break-up, make-up. <3

"Shut up."

"Excuse me?"

Draco ran a hand through his hair. "Just—before you say anything, before you send me away, just shut up and listen to me."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "A lot of nerve coming from the man who I haven't heard from in three weeks since he stormed out of here."

"Yeah," Draco cringed. "That's what I was hoping to discuss. Can I come in?"

"Are you going to break my vase again?"

"In my defense, you'd cheated on me."

"No, I didn't."

"No, you didn't, but I thought you had. And that's why I broke your vase. I'm sorry, I'll buy you a new one, where did you get it?"

"It was a priceless family heirloom, actually."

Draco paled. "Really?"

"No, it was ten galleons. I just wanted to see you squirm."

"Now you've had your fun, can I come in, please?"

"Fine," Harry said, stepping aside to let Draco past him.

Draco walked to the middle of the room, letting his eyes roam over the flat, looking for any changes Harry'd made in his absence. It all seemed to be the same, except—

"You got rid of the cactus I bought you?"

Harry snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's what you want to talk about now?"

"Right," Draco sighed. "Here goes. I'm sorry, Harry."

"That's a pretty good start."

"I wasn't done."

"I should hope not."

Draco refrained from glaring at him. "Harry, I'm...you see, I can be a bit of a coward, and sometimes my fear is expressed through acts of angry impulsivity that end up more self-destructive than anything else."

"Yeah, I've gathered that."

"Yes, I know. And anyway, I'm not the easiest person to live with. To be with. I can be...prickly and demanding. I don't deal with rejection very well, and I have a tendency to hide or lash out when I feel threatened."

"I know, Draco," Harry's tone was softer, now. "I knew that before you left, and I know that now."

"Just let me finish. I'm also loyal. And I'm giving. And I like taking care of the people I care about. And I'm actually pretty trusting, almost as much as I am trustworthy—with the right people, of course. And when I thought you'd cheated on me—"

"Which, I want to clarify again: that was Hermione's lipstick from when she and Ron stayed over during their house renovations."

"Yes, I know that now. When I'd mistakenly thought that you'd cheated on me, I ran away. Not just because I'd been hurt, but because it confirmed to me that I'm..." Draco trailed off, shutting his eyes and bracing himself before he said the part of the speech he hadn't been able to say aloud during his many rehearsals. "I'm not good enough for you." It was a whisper, but Harry heard it, and that's what mattered.

"Draco please," Harry's voice was thick. "You were always enough for me—always."

"Okay," Draco exhaled. "I hear that, and I want to believe it. Just—Gods I hate this but, every now and then, when I get...you know...will you..."

Harry nodded. "I can do that, now that I know the signs. But if I don't see it right away, or if you have doubts about me or us, please come and talk to me before jumping to conclusions, okay? If this is going to work, we have to give each other the benefit of the doubt until we figure it out—together, Draco."

The anxiety, the tightly-coiled tension Draco'd been carrying for three weeks left his body in a wave, the relief of it nearly making his knees buckle. His eyes watered with unshed tears, and he sniffed as Harry closed the distance, wrapping Draco in his arms.

He clung to Harry like a lifeline, burying his head in the warm, spicy-scented crook of Harry's neck. Draco let the tears fall silently from his closed eyelids like the remnants of raindrops on a windowpane after a storm. Harry pulled back far enough to kiss the wetness from Draco's cheeks, cradling his head in his calloused hand.

"Harry, I'm so sorry. I don't know how you can forgive me."

"But I do. It's easy to forgive when it's worth it. And you—" Harry said, looking earnestly into Draco's eyes, "you're worth it every time."

I have a playlist of my 99 most listened-to songs of the year so far. Pick a number 1--99 and send me an ask and I'll write you a fic based on it!

[oh-look-isa-weeb]

Nekomas manager (reader) coming out as bisexual. I'll really appreciate it if u do this request 🥺❤

Bi Your Side

Nekoma Volleyball Club

Notes: Thank you for the request, this was fun to brainstorm and write! I'm very sorry for my inability to write quickly...

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

You'd known you were bisexual for, well, a while now. Not long, per se, but enough to be comfortable with the label. The thing is, you hadn't come out to anyone. You were comfortable in the safe, private knowledge of your own orientation. But, you figured, it would be nice to tell someone.

Not your family, you reasoned, it would be a while before you told them something like that, but friends, maybe. As the manager of the Nekoma Volleyball Club, you spent a lot of time around the team, and your fellow second-years were some of your closest friends. It was probably relatively safe to come out to them, right?

Of course, once you'd made up your mind to do it, you got nervous. What would they say? Would anyone react badly? When would be a good time? You spent a very long time talking yourself into it, and back out of it, and into it again. Finally, you decide that you'll tell them "if the opportunity presents itself". Was that an excuse to avoid thinking about it? Definitely. Ah well. 

When you show up for training the next day, you're still slightly jumpy. You're mulling it over while you fill the team's water bottles, so you don't notice Fukunaga picking up the filled bottles for you. He doesn't say anything, but you know he can tell something's on your mind.

"Fukunaga-kun?"

"Hm?"

"Have you ever given any thought to… the LGBT community?"

"I'm fine with it, if you're asking. I think Kenma and the captain are dating."

They are? Huh. I guess I can see that. You thank Fukunaga, feeling just a bit safer in the knowledge that you have an ally, at least. When you return to the gym, the team is gathered on the sidelines, and Coach Nekomata hasn't arrived yet. You know that the longer you put off coming out, the harder it will be, so you summon your courage. Better get it over with.

"Uh, guys? I have something to, uh, tell you," You stammer out. The team turns to you and you can feel your split-second of courage slipping away.

"I'm, uh," You don't want to complete that sentence.  "I'm bisexual." You stare down at the floor, the boundary lines of the court suddenly seeming very, very interesting. 

Then, you hear a "Thank you for telling us," and when you look up, the team is smiling. No discomfort, no disgust. Yaku pats you on the back comfortingly just as Kuroo sidles up to you, eyebrows wagging.

"Bisexual, huh? Got your eyes on anyone in particular?"

You laugh, deflecting the question, Yaku promptly shooing him away. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Lev animatedly explaining the LGBT community to Inuoka. Really, what were you so scared for? The team had been nothing but accommodating and warm since you'd joined, after all.

Surrounded by your closest friends, your nerves finally settled, and as you rushed them back to training, you knew you were safe to be wholeheartedly yourself with them.

After all, they would always be…

Bi your side.