#i'm replying to an ask sent to me. where the only appropriate thing

[melanieph321]

HI!! I love your writing!! 💓💓 I read that you will make 7 days of requests so I sent you one, I wanted to ask you for rubén.

where reader is pep's daughter and is secretly with rubén, she is a physiotherapist but from manchester united, when one evening they all meet at pep's house for a team dinner, reader's older sister hits on rubén and so when he's not there anymore reader takes him to his childhood room and they do dirty things 🫢, but when they finish and go out there's pep outside and in the end they confess and he simply replies "I already knew".

THANK YOU IF YOU HAD TO DO IT I LOVE YOU 💓💓💓

Love this request. Made a couple of changes to the plot, I hope you don't mind.

Thank you ❤️

SEVEN DAYS OF REQUESTS 3.0

(DAY 4)

Ruben Dias x Reader - Meet And Greet

+18

Reader is Pep Guardiola's daughter and is dating Ruben without her dad's knowledge. However, that changes during a family BBQ.

Enjoy!

You couldn't believe your eyes. Your dad told you to come home for the weekend because he was hosting a BBQ. However, he never told you that he invited the entire Manchester City squad as well.

You were watching from your bedroom window. Watching how your backyard flooded with a sea of world-class football players, all munching on burgers, hot dogs, and your dads famous smoked paella.

"Y/N, Y/N!"

There was a knock on your door, followed by your little sister stumbling into your room.

"What is it, Nadia?"

"Papa wants you to come downstairs."

"Let me get dressed first. I'll be down in a minute."

"Okay, I'll tell him you said that." Giddy with excitement, she rushed out of the room, only to rush back through the door a split second later. "Oh and Y/N...."

"What?"

She grinned. "Ruben is here."

Your heart skipped a beat. However, you tried to play it cool. "Did he ask about me?"

"Yes, he told me to tell you that he's saving a seat for you at the table. But don't you think it would be stupid of you two to..."

"I got it Nadia. Thank you for the message."

"I'm just saying...." She continued, again reminding you to never ask an eight year old to keep a secret. "....won't dad be suspicious seeing you all cozy with one of his players?"

"Nadia, please." You sighed. "I need to get dressed. I promise to come downstairs in a minute."

"Okay." She shirrped and skipped out of your room, down the hall and back downstairs.

You were left to do your makeup, but you decided to keep it clean and natural. You then went over to your closet, anxious to pick the appropriate outfit. It was a family gathering, meaning you should present yourself as homely and tidy. However, knowing that Ruben was amongst the guests fueled a desire in you to keep things interesting. It was risky. Nevertheless, you came downstairs wearing your favorite summer dress. Correction: Ruben's favorite summer dress.

¡Cariño, ahí estás! (Honey, there you are!)

You had just stepped foot into the backyard when your dad, as always, decide to embarrass you.

"Everyone, say hello to my daughter, Manchester United best physiotherapist!"

He got some giggles for his troubles. However, the joke about your profession was getting old. Everyone had accepted it. Even the media had stopped writing ironic articles about it.

"Hi, honey. You look lovely."

"Thank you, Mami." You kissed her cheeks, unlike your dad. She was happy to see you, but not enough to announce it to the entire world.

"Are you hungry? There's plenty of food."

"Yes, I'll grab something. Just let me say hello to everyone."

You took a lap around the crowded backyard. Except for the Man City squad, your dad also invited the neighbors, making it a block party at its finest. Your first thought was, "How did all these people get here?" You had seen some of the players pull up in their luxury vehicles, but you hadn't expected an invasion of this magnitude. The backyard was usually quiet and peaceful, a place where Nadia could escape the chaos of school, chasing her favorite butterflies. Now, it was a bustling party scene.

"Y/N, Y/N, look who I found."

Speaking of the devil. You were ambushed by your sister, who seemed to enjoy running amongst the many guests. She grabbed your hand and pulled you towards the swimming pool, where a bar had been set up. A bar, surrounded by people and one particular person who caught your eye.

"I told him to wait for you to get dressed." Said Nadia, who eagerly guided you towards your boyfriend.

"Hi." Ruben smiled.

"Hi." You blushed.

"Oh, I know!" Your sister squeald. "I can keep dad distracted if you want?"

"Great idea, Nadita! You do that."

You were relieved to see your sister make her way through the crowd, leaving you and Ruben alone.

"I'm sorry if she's been bothering you."

"No need to apologize." Ruben chuckled. He looked so good and charming in his knewly cut hair, and he wore a shirt and jeans that complimented his fairly tanned skin.

"Have you grabbed anything to eat yet?" He asked.

"No, you?"

"Yes, actually. Who knew your dad could make a mean cheeseburger?"

"Please don't." You chuckled. No one had more experience than you when it came to your dad's BBQ obsession. You looked over to where he stood, tending the grill. He expertly flipped the steaks while chatting with guests. Your mom was busy too, refilling plates and passing out cold drinks to some players.

"Who knew?" Ruben mumbled.

"Yeah, I guess it's his thing besides coaching you guys."

"Yeah, no. I'm not talking about that."

You turned to find Ruben's eyes on you, or your dress to be exact.

"Who knew a person could look so good in a dress." He said, leaning forward, surprising you with a kiss on the cheek.

"Baby?" You gasped. "Not here. Not where people can see."

"Then take me somewhere no one can." His eyes said it all, a devious glimpse reflected in them. You shook your head at the audacity. Still, the whey Ruben's fingers nipped at the hemn of your dress was more than tempting.

"How about a tour of the house?" You whispered.

"After you."

It was a quick house tour, skipping most of the rooms downstairs, heading straight to the second floor.

"....Here's our bathroom. Over there you have my parents room, Nadia's room. And here....." You led Ruben down the hall, stopping at the end of it. "Here you have my room."

Ruben took it in, his eyes wandering from the floor to the sealing. He admired the pictures on your walls, along with the photographs of you as a child, missing a couple of front teeth.

"Cute." He chuckled.

"I was ten."

"A cute ten year old."

"Creepy, but thanks." You wrapped your arms around his neck, guidning Ruben to the middle of the room.

"I'm creepy?" He said, allowing you to lead him across the room, towards your bed. There the two of you laid down and let your lips collide for the first time that night.

"Yes. But only a little creepy." You giggled.

"Oh, yeah? Does it turn you on?"

"You wish."

Ruben laughed but took the liberty to fold the bottom of your dress, revealing your polkadot panties. "Polkadots, interesting."

"My mom is doing laundry. Don't laugh at them."

"Who's laughing?" Ruben scooted down, aligning his face with your pelvis, draping your legs to rest on each of his shoulders. "I love polkadots."

You bit down on your lip as Ruben kissed the insides of your thighs. He knew what he was doing. Ruben always knew exactly what he was doing to you. Your hands made a mess of his hair. Gripping a bundle of it to prevent yourself from moaning his name. He was licking you now. Ruben had pushed your panties to the side just so he could swipe his tongue across your center, making his way upwards, then downwards, repeating the motion until you were pliant. Pliant enough to fit the size of his fingers.

"Ruben." You slapped a hand against your mouth, never meant to let such a rough moan escape.

Ruben drummed a laugh below your stomach but seized to please you with the same intensity. "You taste so good, I couldn't help myself." He came up to kiss you, his weight pressing you down against the matress.

"We have to get back to the party, or else my dad might notice that I'm gone."

Ruben looked down. "Great."

"What?" You chuckled.

"You totally made me lose my boner."

"Me?" You gasped.

"Yes, you." Ruben pressed a swift kiss to your lips before backing off. He offered you a hand, helping you up and out of your bed. He then waited for you to straighten out your dress, as well as change your panties.

"To mention your dad, my coach, should be illegal when I'm trying to fuck you." He said, as the two of you made your way downstairs, back to the party in the backyard.

"Well, at least now I know how to get you off of me." You teased.

"Eww, no. Please don't."

The two of you made your way through the crowd, on your way back to the pool. There the two of you could have some privacy, far away from your dads grill.

"Y/N!"

You flinched at the sound of his stern voice. You and Ruben had just walked past it, the grill, when your dad, out of nowhere, popped his bald head in front of you like a jack in a box.

"Dad....what's up?" You immediately let go of Ruben's hand, forgetting that you had been holding onto it as you left the house.

"Did he like it?" Your dad said, with his usually taunting smile.

"Did who, like what?" You frowned.

"Ruben." He folded his arms. "Did he like our home, considering the two of you were gone for so long."

"Oh."

Heat rose to your face. You could sense Ruben's angst bedside you too as your dad darted at him with laser in his eyes.

"Coach, I can explain...."

"No need, son. I already know."

"What?" Heads briefly turned with your sudden exclamation. "How do you know about me and Ruben?" You said, eager to know.

"Well, firstly...." Your dad perked up. "I am a very smart man. A very very smart man."

"Dad, please." You sighed.

"Okay, fine. Your sister told me."

"Nadia?" You gasped. "That traitor."

"That's what happens when you ask a eight year old to keep a secret."

"I should have known." You mumbled.

"Anyway." Your dad cleared his throat. "I'm assuming that this has been going on for a while."

"A year." You nodded and felt slightly guilty about lying to him for so long. You grabbed a hold of Ruben's hand, squeezing it. "I only kept it from you, though. Mom also knows."

"Great. You give your children life, a home and this how they repay you."

"My apologies, coach." Ruben stepped up. "It's mainly because of me that Y/N wanted to keep our relationship a secret. I just never wanted to put you in a position where your job as my coach has been compromised."

"Well, we're way past that, don't you think?"

Ruben blushed.

Your dad chuckled and stepped in between you, wrapping his arms around the both of you. "No more lying, okay."

"Okay." You nodded and so did Ruben.

"Alright." He rubbed his hands together, making his way back towards the grill. "If there's nothing else you wish to tell me I say, welcome to the family, Ruben."

"Erm....thanks." Ruben scratched the back of his head. You, on the other hand, couldn't be happier, wrapping your arms around your boyfriend while whispering the words "Thank you." to your dad who raised his spatula in a celebratory gesture.

THE END

[gamerbunny1996]

Jschlatt x Innocent reader

First off before we start I will be posting soon a request bored for anyone who wants me to write something. Next is I'm not very good at writing I have dyslexia so it's hard for me sometimes so sorry if something doesn't make sense but yeah.

“Hello guys welcome back. Today I'm going to be playing Minecraft. I'm hoping to finally finish my cherry blossom house. It's so close to being done.” You said to the camera. Chat talking about things to add to your house. Launching up the game you get a dono. Any new stuff animals you bought. “Yes actually” soon you're pulling up a new teddy bear that says My princess on it. “My friend sent me this isn't he cute I haven't decided what to call him yet” putting the bear down you continue on playing Minecraft.

Later on another dono came through. Which friend gave you the bear laughing at the message you look at the camera dead on. “It's a secret he would kill me if I told” you purposely said he so the chat could go wild. “I don't know why the bear says my princess though because I'm a queen but eh what can you do” you commented out on the chat still going crazy at the fact the bear says my princess. “Also I see you guys spamming bunny ears no not today guys I only wear them when you get the goal and you haven't done that yet.” Soon you see a call come in from discord. Rolling your eyes, you answered it. “What” you say. “Hello to you,” Schlatt responded. “Anyway what's up” you replied. “Well I seen you streaming and decided to come ruin it”

“Of course that's what you do best” rolling your eyes at the camera to show the annoyed expression you had towards schlatt. “You know it sweetheart” he winked at you. Blushing hard at that you try to play it off. “So your not a princess huh I couldn't find a queen one but I don't think it fits you anyway” schlatt points out that he was the one that got the bear for you” chat went crazy with different responses like omg schlatt and Y/n are together or ew gross would rather have schlatt single.

“Look what you did now, chat is going crazy” he laughed out loud amused at what he did. “Well I didn't care if people knew that I gave you a stuffed bear. What was wrong with that? Don't you like stuffed animals you always beg me to buy you one” he was right but you didn't want you fans or even his fans to know he buys you things. “Guys we're not dating, calm down” you said to chat. You could hear Schlatt laughing. “I just wanted a calm stream playing Minecraft'' you flip you screen to show just your face.

“I think I'm done with Tonight guys. I know it wasn't long but someone had to come and ruin it” you look at the screen where Schlatt's facecam was.”

“That's what I do best, toots. Well maybe now we can have alone time” Schlatt wiggled his eyebrows.

“We have alone time all the time. What makes this different?” you asked clueless to what he said. Chat going crazy trying not to have schlatt ruin your innocents.

“Oh sweetheart we do now? I don't ever remember us having a special time alone” he smiled an evil smile.

“I'm confused now” you said reading chat hoping they would tell you what he means. All your reading is most everyone saying nooo.

“Maybe I should show you but you'll have to turn off the live stream. I don't want anyone hearing or seeing” now at this point you're so confused. “Okay?” You go to turn off the live stream when you hear Schlatt start laughing so hard. “Someone please explain what's going on” once Schlatt catches his breath he replied to you. “I was messing around with you. Damn you're so innocent it drives me insane” you puff out your cheeks mad. “I'm not innocent”

“Okay prove it say something perverted”

“Ummmm….” You start to blush crazy. “No that's not appropriate” you try to defend. “You're so innocent” crossing your arms. “What ever I'm ending the live for real this time” you go and click end live and now it's just you and schlatt.

“So like can I come over”

“For what”

“To show you what I mean” you look at him confused. “I guess” he jumped up so fast off his chair it fell. “On my way” and soon the screen went off. You look at your husky who was laying on the floor by your desk. “That man will be the death of me” you turned off your whole set up and went to the living room waiting for schlatt.

[keylovesstuff]

Hiii Everyone!!!

I've been around for years now and have never introduced myself. mainly cause I just choose to vibe and enjoy the posts people share, but first time for everything. You can just call me Key, I'm 24 and I go by she/her. I enjoy a variety of stuff from manwha, manga, anime, video game franchises, and just a bunch of other animated media you name its probably buried down in my blog somewhere. Every now and then I get motivation to create fanfiction. I have only written works the Dragonball and Super Mario fandom All my works are under the "Keep Reading". My DMs and askbox here is always open if you ever want to chat I apologize in advance if I come across as a bit awkward (socializing is not a strong suit of mine) or if it takes me a minute to reply (adulting and hobbies am I right?), otherwise I'm a pretty chill person. Thats about it!

One of these days I really want to change my Penname...But I've had it for years now and I'm way too attached to it lmao.

Super Mario Fics: So a lot of these are Princess Peach centric and I'm just crafting up an origin story and some other events following the 2023 film. The links take you to the tumblr post but I have included the AO3 and FFN (for reading preferences) links either in the original post itself or in the case of my earlier stuff in the reblogs.

Lost And Found

A Learning Opportunity (2 chapters on both AO3 and FFN. They are both on the same post here)

Thoughts Over Tea

Aftermath

Finding The Balance

Little Events (Finished)

Chapter 1: The Dark

Chapter 2: A Decision

Chapter 3: The Coronation

Chapter 4: Proposals

Chapter 5: Changes

Fics Inspired by others:

Villainess Peach and Bowser Jr. (Inspired by the Player One Luigi AU created by Tiny-Prom and Casual-Derg). Please make sure to their blog's and check it out.

Dragonball Fics: The first fandom I have ever written for (and by penname you could probably tell what I read mostly) I have only shared them on FFN and AO3 until now. I was just starting to write fanfiction with the first two so they might be kinda cringe I guess but that's 16 year old me for you haha. gonna embrace the cringe by sharing it on here anyways.

Tournament Day

The Prince Before The Day ( I am never gonna finish that one or go back to it lol)

Bulla's Easter Day

Even when I started making fics I'm still not sure what goes through my mind when it comes to the title or chapter titles its literally the first thing that comes to mind and nothing after that but we will get it one day for sure.

Here's Some WIPs (that's both written and not) you guys can look forward too from me. I'll remove them and add them under the appropriate fic tags once I post them:

Uncle Yamcha fic: It is currently three chapters. The first one is him and Trunks, second is Marron, and the third one is Bra/Bulla. I really want to think of one for him and Goten but nothing has come to my mind. I just think he's more close to Krillin and Bulma where he'd interact more with their kids and I can't think of a scenario for him and Goten or what they would even talk about but maybe something will come. (I've currently sent this off to my Beta for review but lemme know if you guys want to see the un-beta'd version I have on here cause I'm really forward to sharing it)

Untitled EOZ fic following after Goku leaves the Tournament grounds to train Uub. This one sits at about 8k words (not sure exactly cause I added a bunch of notes at the end for my beta to see where my thoughts were going with it all) anyways this one focuses mainly on Trunks, Goten, Marron, Pan, and Bra as really the older kids look forward to what may lie ahead. A lot of it is just me focusing on the dynamics they have with each other. When I saw that dlc for kakorat was going to be focused on that one that really makes me want to share this one. Again let me know if you want to see that.

Based on this Ask here you can already see that I've completed 4 out of my 5 ideas so that leaves the other ones and maybe more if I think of anything else. All of these will probably be added to my Little Events fic. a few little ideas not shared here but I've thought about and have some dialoge in mind but haven't fully created yet.

I want to do something where Mario and Haru interact I just think it'll be so neat.

Maybe something where I do my take on introducing Sarasland and Princess Daisy. Probably along the lines of Peach meeting Daisy for the first time.

I need to hop on the wholesome bros. content at some point and I know I wanna try my hand with Mia and Pio as a part of it.

I think thats it for now...I'll probably add more if I think of something as having somwhere to put it down no matter how small it is can be nice to look at and push me towards getting it done.

[matan4il]

Hello!

I saw your post where you spoke about the 911's cast and writers being aware of Buddie, and the explicit support from some of the cast for Canon!Buddie.

I am quite new to the fandom and so I was wondering if there were any links you could source for this? I am genuinely curious :)

Funnily enough, I started 911 after loving LS, and saw a lot of buddie content on 911 blogs. I figured it was typical queerbaiting (tumblr 2012 era was ✨️ traumatising ✨️ and so resolved not to ship them.

But then I watched the show and yeah…there were definitely interesting choices made that make Buddie such an intricately beautiful ship. It's a slow burn to rival all slow burns :fire:

Needless to say, I'm now 100% on board!

Hi lovely Nonnie and welcome to the fandom! :D I hope you enjoy everything about it and I am so glad to hear you're on board! *hugs*

Okay, for links... TBH I mostly remember things as they happen, I'm less into saving links, but for you I made the effort, I traced my own steps (who knew I actually remembered where I yelled about certain things two and a half years ago? The power of Buddie), and found the source to the stuff I had in mind when I said Ryan, Oliver, JLH and Gavin have all shown support for Buddie. Her we go...

Let's start with Gavin! Obviously it was explained to him in age-appropriate terms, so take that into account, but still, look at how pure his response is (interview from Oct 2021):

And then they went and they filmed the lasagna scene in 601. You can't tell me that doesn't mean anything!

Now Oliver and Ryan have both expressed support for Buddie more than once, for example you can find my post showing how they were the ones who named our ship! In terms of official interviews, they've mostly given answers that are noncommittal but supportive, stuff along the lines of making sure they don't raise fans' expectations (in case it doesn't happen), but also letting us know they do like the enthusiasm for Buddie, and would be cool if 911 went that way. So most are kind of... let's say diplomatic. I will, however, throw in this live that Ryan did where at first, he had a few answers of that vanilla sort (encouraging the shippers, not promising anything, leaving room for Buddie to happen, but also leaving room for fans who don't want Buddie, and sort off summarizing with, "We'll see what Tim writes"). But then he got a question about Abby and I don't think he could help it, the Buddie shipper just jumped out of him, which I love. I edited and uploaded it to YouTube for you, since stupid Tumblr only allows me to directly upload one vid a post here:

Lastly, but maybe my personal fave, in May 2020, a gay fan of JLH uploaded to his personal IG account a video that he asked her to film with a message for his husband's bday. Here's the relevant part of the vid which I've edited and uploaded for you, where JLH is basically being all of us:

BTW, this is also a reply to the Nonnie who sent this ask:

I know about Ryan, Oliver and JLH but when did Gavin say anything about that?

I hope I managed to answer both of you! Have a great day, and as always, here's my ask tag.

[skania]

Replies to OnK Asks #2

I have enough for another round of replies, so let's go!

If you sent me an anon message these past two days, the answer should be below the cut! If it isn't then I either missed it or Tumblr ate your message, please don't hesitate to message me again if that's the case

Just in case, there are spoilers for Chapter 123 below the cut!

Hang in there anon! Even if Ruby has grown, Sarina's love for Goro is basically frozen in time. I'm sure that if Sarina had had the chance to grow older, her love for Goro would've naturally transitioned into something more age appropriate. As it is though, it was born within the bubble of her hospital room where Goro was one of the only two good things she had in her life, and then Ruby continued to nurture it through the years by desperately hoping she may come across him again.

For years, Goro has been her romanticized, idealized, impossible first love. So when she finds out that Aqua is Goro, she isn't thinking This is inappropriate, he is my brother! She is instinctively reacting the same way Sarina would've reacted to reuniting with Goro. Ruby needs time to process her feelings.

I also think that Sarina's feelings for Goro were the innocent kind of love where a child is like: This person makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside! I want to be with them forever! We should get married!

So eventually, I'm sure Ruby will realize that being Aqua's sister is perfect, because this way they already are forever bonded to each other.

People are saying that? They're really trying to find every possible reason under the sun to hate on her 😂 I think one valid critique would be to say that Akane made that offer while not being sure of her own feelings/thinking Aqua had no feelings for her, but... how is that worth hating her? If I didn't love Akane, I'd have just felt sad for her—hating her would've never crossed my mind lol

I mean, I'm not sure we can generalize. But from what I've seen, people ship just as hard there as we do over here, it's just that they're better at separating fandom from canon. If the ship they like doesn't happen, they usually won't go on a public tirade against the work—they may criticize it a bit in their own corner, but usually they just continue shipping their thing in peace.

All in all though, Aka doesn't seem like the type to do what people want him to do. I believe he will do whatever he feels works best for the story he wants to tell lol

Ohhh that's interesting! In the few months that Ruby spent on Revenge Mode, she did show more ruthlessness than Aqua would be capable of, so maybe you're right and Crow Girl would've ideally wanted Ruby to be the one carrying it out.

Crow Girl is 100% right though, Aqua just isn't cut for revenge. He is too soft-hearted, too kind. He may be fine with everyone hating him, but he won't be fine with anyone but him suffering, so he is doomed to fail lol

Thank you anon!! You have a good day, too!

Manga Plus!

Off the top of my head: flustered Aqua, whenever he makes Akane pout, Akane trying to feed him, Aqua getting caught-off-guard when Akane can tell he wants to talk about breaking up, the whole do-you-have-that-kind-of-feelings-for-me? talk and Akane teasing him when he comes to pick her up with the umbrella are some of their funniest moments for me 😂

Yes!! You have a very good point anon, Aqua's and Akane's reconciliation is being saved for later. It's just like the next Akane volume cover, the fact that we haven't gotten one yet shows that we will be getting some nice Akane chapters in the future.

Thanks anon, I'm glad you see it too! Maybe I'm jumping the gun, but in all honesty after Chapter 123 I now have a hard time picturing Aqua's feelings for Kana as romantic. Kana's are the wild card, since hers have always been portrayed as romantic. We'll have to wait and see but so far, she seems to be following in Maki's (Kaguya-Sama) steps lol

I'm glad that Akane Kurokawa is Akane Kurokawa. She is one and only.

Well said anon, me too!!

I think the difference is that Kana's "radiance" comes from her genuine feelings. When she feels down, she can't shine. When she is happy, she shines brightly like the sun.

That's indeed the reason why she was only able to shine as an idol while Aqua was there. He was the reason she became an idol in the first place, and he's also the one she performed for; the one she wanted looking at her.

So while Ai (mostly) shone through the character she carefully constructed for herself, Kana shines due to her true feelings.

I do think that some readers aren't particularly interested in understanding him. At the same time, I get it because not everyone is reading OnK with the desire to analyse it. Some people just read it/watch it for fun and without paying much attention, which is perfectly fine although perhaps not exactly the best approach to Aka's writing lol

It's fine though, the person Aqua is will be pretty obvious by the end of the manga, so anyone who has missed it so far will surely get it by then!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, anon! I agree with a lot of what you're saying, and to answer your question:

do you really think Goro like Sarina in a romantic ways?

No, I don't! There's no chance of Goro liking Sarina romantically, he saw her like an innocent child and treated her as such. There's no ambiguity there at all, his "I'll think about it when you're 16" was just a round-about way of turning her down while gently reminding her of their age-gap. They both knew that Sarina likely wouldn't make it to 16, so I believe it was also Goro's way of trying to make both, himself and Sarina, imagine a future where Sarina was still alive. It's so sad 😭

And yes, the fact that Akane is so different is a great thing! She's also the only one that doesn't seem to have family issues, so there's even less for Aqua to project onto her. The obvious exception being when Akane temporarily lost the will to live, since Aqua likely could empathize 😭

You're absolutely right anon! For some people, it's like the Aqua/Akane relationship jumped from Chapter 30 to Chapter 98 with absolutely nothing in between—except for Chapter 81 and 87, but even then, only two panels count. The rest doesn't matter 😂

And it's not like there aren't alternative ways to interpret their relationship without ignoring everything that's happened between them and all their development. Hell, they could even say: yeah Akane almost got him, but failing to understand that Aqua just needed her by her side cemented her loss. She lost her chance—or something, and it would be a perfectly valid take! But some people just can't acknowledge that Aqua and Akane have a genuine, meaningful bond because they either a) want Aqua to be an edgelord b) want Aqua to only have eyes for their girl of choice.

Luckily, this willful denial of Aqua and Akane's bond can't change what's written in the manga lol

[pikapeppa]

This ended up being longer than I intended but I'm going to send the whole thing anyway

I have spent the past 3 days reading "Becoming Whole" because I found the post where you put an excerpt of the prologue and was like, "ah, hell yeah, this is the kind of fic I love." And now I'm on chapter 26 and absolutely loving it, but what I am enjoying the most is how good your characterizations are of all the characters. The interactions between characters are SO GOOD and the dialogue all flows so well and I am enamored with the little GAIA gang conversations. Also I love how you write the action scenes, the domestic scenes, the questing, and the sexy stuff all at the same high caliber. Also, I legit cried when Aloy was doing Kotallo's hair by the waterfall and realized the depth of her relationship with Rost, I was WEEPING and it was THREE IN THE MORNING. It was SO tender and emotional and sweet and such a lovely contrast to the previous scene (which was then contrasted again with the following scene 😉), and it was also such a nice injection of character development for Aloy, which we all love and crave constantly.

Like, you are writing things about Aloy in this fic that I debated at length with my college roommate back when the game came out (we are also both fix writers) because we wanted Aloy to be able to work through her trauma and everything that happened to her and yet couldn't in the Zero Dawn narrative. And here you are, making her work through them and giving her so much support from both the other characters and from the narrative itself, morphing the original game storyline and details into something so rich and full. Its everything I could ever want in a fic AND THEN MORE, and i am having such a good time reading it and I NEVER return to fics, but I am genuinely going to re-read "Becoming Whole" when I have finished this first read.

Everything about this fic is so good and I especially love the art and screenshots you include with your chapters. Thank you for writing everything you have written. Literally thank you for being a writer and deciding to write fanfiction. Your writing is so good

OKAYOKAY BEFORE I REPLY: I can't ignore the fact that this is the first BEAUTIFUL installment of a magnificent two-part ask:

Me after part 1:

Me after part 2:

OKAY BUT FORREAL let's see if I can reply now in a semi-cohesive way via point form!! 😂

I'M SO THRILLED that you're enjoying the characterizations!! One of my biggest goals in writing fanfic is for the characters to feel true to their canon characterizations, so I am genuinely so thrilled that you feel this way and that you're enjoying all the interactions among the GAIA Gang!

omfg Aloy getting to process her trauma and everything she has seen/heard/gone through: PLEASE 😭❤🙏 I think every Horizon fan I've spoken to has said that they deeply want to see her get that space and time to process and grow in a safe and supportive environment, and I just want to give that to her 😭❤ I'm writing the GEMINI chapter now and it's about to go to angst-town about THAT whole can of worms, so I can only hope that I continue to do our babygirl justice in dealing with all of That™ 😭

I'm so thrilled you're enjoying the art and photomode shots!! I actually ADORE photomode and I have a lot of unused shots stored up on my PS5 and computer that I've been too busy/lazy to share, so I will try and add more when appropriate to the upcoming chapters! And there is a beautiful piece of art coming up that I can't wait to share ❤

And then you sent Ask #2 AND I JUST ABOUT LOST IT. YOU WENT FERAL😂😂😂 But honestly, all the things you mentioned? Fashav's journal, the GAIA and Lis conversation, the Shrek song, the PINING from afar over your new love?? All things that make me weepy to so HEY WE CAN CRY TOGETHER IN HELL

Honestly though, THANK YOU for sending these asks. Thank you for the care and thoughtfulness you put into them -- it means the world to me, TRULY. I am so thrilled that you are enjoying the fic this much and I hope you'll continue to enjoy it as you read on!!

For anyone who is curious as to what we are going on about: Becoming Whole is here on AO3! Aloy x Kotallo, almost 600k words, rated E for smut!

-- love from your friendly neighbourhood Pika! xoxo

[heisen-shrine]

Money trouble

I hung up the phone, still panicking both inside and out. It had been rejected, and not a single person from either the tax company or IRS had contacted me. I had panicked, apparently something was wrong on my taxes and I couldn't figure it out. I knew what it was but not necessarily where the problem was coming from.

My hours had been axed again as well. We didn't have enough business, so we couldn't afford to give people hours. I threw my phone down in a fit, catching the attention of Os, who had come in to see what was going on.

"Sweetie, whats happenin'?" He asked.

"It happened again....twice. and I only have a few days to get this done. And no one sent me any notice. Nothing. No one. I need this money and they don't get it!" I replied, sitting in my bed, covering my face, "I can't do this. I just wanna disappear and never come back".

He sat down in front of me, putting a hand on my knee. "Ash, how much you need?".

"Os-"

"Seriously I'll cover it".

"Honey, I love you but you can't make this go away. I could potentially get in serious trouble for this if it happens enough times".

"Look, we got time. We'll go to the tax folks tomorrow and they'll set ya right. Alright? We're gonna get to the bottom o' this. I promise".

"It's not just the taxes. Its...everything. my hours at work got wrecked...again. my next paycheck is gonna look terrible".

"Maybe try findin' somethin' else doll. You're a girl o' many talents. Hell maybe the paper will hire ya".

"Journalism isn't my thing. I'd be terrible at it. Plus nothing happens in this damn town..." I rolled my eyes, "I just don't want...HER to be right".

It didn't take long for it to click. "Your stepmama? Fuck her-"

"I hear her Os. All the time. In my head. 'You don't work enough. You don't do enough. You don't make enough. You haven't done anything with your life at thirty, while your little sister already has a career and two crotch goblins'. Like seriously...just fuck off" I sniffed angrily, "she's right. Nothing I ever do is enough. It's not enough for me to just be happy, right?".

"Babe...first off, she's wrong. And seriously, fuck her. Second, I wish I could say happiness was the end all, be all, but...it ain't. And if I could change that for ya I would, and ya know I would".

"I know...I just...don't know what to do. I don't wanna be one of those people that get up and they hate going to work. I love my job. A lot. I have fun and I'm happy...but it doesn't work me enough. And until I can find somewhere to sell my jewelry where I won't get bitched at, I'm sitting on nearly fifty dollars or more of merchandise. I'm getting pissed on, Os. I'm getting pissed on without the courtesy of even calling it rain".

"Could always go back to fast food, doll-"

"And be miserable? Again I don't wanna be one of those assholes that hates their job".

"It wasn't a happy job, but it was stable. And I'm thinkin' right now that's what ya need. Ya need stability. And I get it, ya love what ya do but...darling...it's not workin' for you. Ash I hate seein' ya so stressed over this. Ya don't get paid enough for this shit".

I sighed and hugged my knees. "I don't wanna go back to that os, it's gonna fucking destroy me. I was stuck in that shit for nearly ten years".

"And it wasn't all bad, was it?".

"It wasn't completely awful but...I can't stand how people look down on me there. At least doing what I do now I'm a little more respected".

"But you handled it...hm...only thing I can think of is to write on the side. You know...write one shots for folks or somethin'?"

"Maybe...I just...don't know what to do at this point, Os. I really really don't".

Authors note: yeah, I'm having serious financial troubles and problems have arisen with my taxes. My work has seriously cut my hours and I feel hopeless. This was a part vent, part one shot. I don't know why, but I thought Oswald was appropriate for this. I seriously feel lost guys and I have no idea what to do with myself...

[ms-hells-bells]

okay so i just turned seventeen, but last year in may i was sixteen and back then i logged into this spam account i used to have that i abandoned, and i had a bunch of old msg's from my friends but i only answered one, it was from my old male best friend who i used to sorta date but the point is he asked me how i was doing, if i moved bc i hadnt been active on anything or answering anyones messages for over a year, i just said 'good' and kept my answers brief but then he said 'is there anything new with you?' and this is the part where i messed up bad, i couldnt take the pain anymore and i asked him to keep this between us, he said yes, and i told him 1. i got raped 2. there was a vid sent to me 3. i am 2m pregnant because i felt sick about telling my family, he was the first person i told just to try to make myself feel better and he said "Thank you for telling me" and left it at that

this is seriously fucking haunting me, sorry if im dramatic but looking back i think he definitely told his friends, he was uncomfortable, or didnt care and whenever i sleep at night i get reminded of it and i just feel so awful inside, i dont know how to make myself feel better and i couldnt take the embarrassment of messaging him on that exact account so i used another one of my spams and told him happy birthday a few months ago, he said thank you hes thinking of me blahblah but (not that its a big deal) he didnt even tell me happy birthday and i feel like he doesnt care about me or the times we had, i thought maybe he didnt know what to say (bc wtf is thank you for telling me???? or let know know if that was a normal reply and these paragraphs are not a big deal) but then i had to remind myself that okay, he's twenty and he was probably uncomfortable especially because we hadnt talked in 1year+. of course i apologized bc it was kinda trauma dumping on him but im so embarrassed how do i overcome it, should i delete the messages??? i think that could help but im also too embarassed to reread them i feel like i should kms the humiliation is unreal

i thought time would fix it but its been 9 months. time did not help me. if you dont have a solution ty anyways and im probably going to delete the msgs once i can bring myself to log in

first of all, i'm so sorry that that happened to you, that's awful.

i think you really need therapy, you've gone through a terrible thing, and you feel extremely alone and terrified of being judged. he responded the only way he could to hearing something like that, i think 'thank you for telling me' means 'thank you for trusting me enough to tell me this' as it can be so hard to tell that to someone. a lot of people also don't like saying 'sorry' because it comes off as disingenuous, so i think 'thank you for telling me' is the best response he could have given in that situation, especially as an older male talking to you (16 vs 20).

i think that, though it'll be hard, you need to stop thinking about it. you confided in someone you had trust with, he responded in a supportive way, and you haven't brought it up afterwards, meaning there's very little chance that he felt 'trauma dumped' on or extremely uncomfortable (of course, it'd be uncomfortable to hear that, but that's a natural reaction out of empathy). you told him, that's it, it's best to move on. it's so hard to with anxiety, where you overthink everything that you do and say, and others' reactions, but i found that the best thing to do is just take things like this at face value. he provided the appropriate support an acquaintance would, you got it off your chest to someone, and you both proceed with the best path forward; he continues chatting with you casually when it comes up, given you're living different and physically separated lives, and you continue the process of healing from your trauma.

tldr: you did nothing wrong, you were vulnerable and needed someone to talk to. he responded a bit awkwardly, but in good faith, and is continuing to talk to you in the appropriate amount for a somewhat out of contact old friend. nothing to regret, it's just a matter of finding a proper outlet for you via therapy and support from people who are physically present and closer (personally) to you in order to healthily cope with your trauma.

i hope any of this helps.

[ahrencmeptn-aa]

I’m gonna post some wildin’ shit here soon, kiddos.

[hoedamn-eron]

doctor steven grant, phd - part 7 (finale)

You're miserable, and it's your own doing. You have to fix this.

Warnings: Age gap, but it is appropriate/legal. Steven may be a little OOC. Inaccurate depictions of DID (only knowledge from the show and some light research). Mentions of being in a bar, and drinking alcohol and being drunk. Pure fluff. Some swearing. Steven and Reader share a steamy kiss. Word count: 2,972 GN!Reader, no use of Y/N.

Final part to this series! Thank you for sticking with this and with me, even when I doubted every chapter and it came out later than planned! I know now for my next series not to post until I'm happy with it!

Sorry this is late, again. I had a guest stay over this weekend so I didn't find the time to post!

Part 6 ● Series Masterlist

Three weeks.

It had been three weeks since you stormed out of Steven’s flat, and you were sad. Scratch that, you were miserable. Dreary. Gloomy. You were feeling all of the negative emotions and it was eating at you from the inside.

You missed him. Steven. He’d given you the space you’d asked for; you hadn’t heard from him since he sent the apology text. He hadn’t contacted you, and you hadn’t contacted him, but good God, you wanted to. You wanted to know where you stood, if he still wanted to be with you or if he’d finally made a decision on asking you to become official.

Mostly, you felt like an idiot for the way you left things. After taking a few days to calm down and rethink the situation, you had acted irrationally (although you still think Jake was a major arsehole). You should have let Steven talk to you, like an adult.

“You’re miserable, he’s miserable,” your friend had said one day after work, where you both had needed a drink and had gone to the pub near her flat. You’d finally told her everything about meeting Jake and what he said, and how your dinner date with Steven went at his flat. “Just talk to him.”

You groaned and buried your head into your hands. “I can’t now, I’m too embarrassed.”

“His lectures aren’t nearly as enthusiastic as they were,” your friend said before taking a sip of her wine. “He just…seems to have lost his spark.”

If that didn’t make you feel anymore guilty, then you don’t know what.

You sigh as you push your own wine away from you, suddenly not feeling like drinking it. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Listen,” your friend said sternly, leaning forward. “I’m saying this out of love, and because you are so stupidly in love with this man, it’s pitiful.” She cleared her throat before sitting up straighter, giving you a hard look. “You’re acting ridiculous. I have to admit that I haven’t been his biggest fan since he stood you up that one time, but it was obvious he wanted to be with you afterwards. The guy is awkward and honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were his first serious relationship, which was probably why he was so nervous about asking you to be his person.”

You open your mouth to protest but hold your tongue as your friend holds up her finger at you.

“I think you’re projecting. This is also your first serious relationship and you’re panicking, thinking you’re not good enough, but you are. You deserve to be happy, so fuck whatever his brother said.”

“I am not projecting – “

“You’re projecting,” your friend replied. “And I’m not saying your feelings aren’t valid, but you’ve allowed his brother to get into your head and now you’re not letting yourself be happy.”

You bit your lip as you looked down at your hands. You knew you had panicked, especially after bumping into Jake. You had felt like everything was going your way and it was just too convenient. Of course you were your own worst enemy.

You sigh in frustration before grabbing your wine glass, deciding to finish it off in one large gulp. “I’m such an idiot,” you say as you a bit too forcefully put the glass back on the bar.

“A little bit,” your friend said, taking another sip of her wine.

“How do I approach him after this?”

Your friend shrugs. “That’s for you to decide.”

You go back and forth into the late (early) hours of your terrible love life, what you’re going to do about Steven and how you were stupid enough to listen to his brother you doesn’t even know you. Your friend told you he had lectures all week but he was going to take a few days off and that should be your opportunity to fix things with the ‘nerdy man who would probably end the world for you’.

You snort at her – in your opinion – silly declaration. As the night goes on, both of you eventually stumble out of the bar, hailing a black cab to take you both back to your flat, where your friend was going to crash on your couch. Your friend hung heavily (and drunkenly) on your arm as she mumbles to you about the pizza she knows you have left over in your fridge from the night before.

You tell her she’s free to have it as you both clamber into the taxi. You stumble your way through your address to the driver before sitting back, giggling as your friend struggles with her seatbelt before reaching over and helping her, struggling yourself a little.

“Listen, listen,” your friend says, as you fasten your own seatbelt, the car setting off. You look at her, your eyes a little fuzzy. “You love Steven. That’s why you’re feeling so shit.”

Your eyes widened at her. “No I don’t love him, I barely know him.”

Your friend snorted. “Please,” she lay her head back against the seat. “You’re head over heels, want to get married, grow old together, in love.”

Your breath hitches in your throat as you stare at your friend. No, she’s wrong; you don’t love Steven. You like him a lot, sure; he was kind and funny, and he always gets your favourite snack when you meet up, and sometimes he lets you borrow his books because he knows you’d enjoy them. Or you would have mentioned a title the week before and he’d find a copy because of course he remembered because he was Steven.

He went out of his way to that small coffee shop by your work to get that coffee you liked, because he knew it would make you smile and giggle with joy because you genuinely loved the stuff. He was always there to comfort you when you’d had a terrible day at work, whether he sat quietly and let you rant at him or when he wraps you in his arms and lets you cry.

He makes your chest hurt and your brain goes fuzzy when he’s around. You always feel butterflies in your tummy when you think of him and you feel stupidly happy whenever he texts you ‘good morning’ and about his plans for the day, whether he’s at work or not.

You’re smiling now, thinking about it.

He feels like a warm summer day all the time. He is warmth, and comfort, and oh God you love him.

You groan. “Oh God, you’re right.”

“I know I am,” your friend replied, her words slurring as she grinned to herself.

“What do I do?” you sigh, leaning your head back against the seat.

Your friend shrugged. “I don’t know. That’s something I can’t answer for you.” She let out a giggle. “Maybe you need to do a grand gesture.”

The taxi has pulled up outside your flat before you can answer your friend. You both fumble for cash for the driver before you both stumble out of the taxi, your friend talking to you about the pizza again. She warmed it up as soon as she stepped into your flat.

You wake up the next day with a mild hangover, and you mostly sleep most of the morning away. Thank God it was a Saturday, and you heard no sound nor any movement from the living room, indicating your friend had woken up and probably left to go to her own home (which she’d confirmed in a text to you when you had finally looked at your phone – she had a date with Claire).

You contemplate texting Steven but chicken out every time. By the time the day had come to an end, you had merely stared at your text thread, the soul crushing ‘I’m sorry’ text mocking you. You felt pathetic. How was one supposed to make the first move?

The rest of your weekend flew by, and your friend calls you on Sunday evening to talk to you about her date with Claire. She was going to meet up at the coffee shop by the university campus after her classes were done.

“You can finally meet Claire.”

And you did. She was lovely, blonde and bubbly, exactly your friends type. She made the effort to talk to you, not just solely focusing on your friend, talking to you about her job and how the two met.

You were honestly having a good time, until Steven walked through the door.

Your smile fell from your face as you watched him walk up to the counter, probably (definitely) ordering his usual tea. He was wearing his glasses, his phone in his hand, and he was wearing your favourite maroon jumper of his, the one that made you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside and it always look so good on him. His hair was messy, as per usual, and God, he looked as good as he always does. You tried to shy away, making yourself as small as possible, so he didn’t see you.

“Go and talk to him.”

You eyes snapped to your friend as she gave you a knowing look, Claire looking at you curiously. You shook your head. “No.”

“You’ve been avoiding him for weeks, and on Friday, you came to the conclusion that you loved him, so – “

“I am…doing it in my own time.”

“You’re so awkward,” said your friend. “Just go over and say you’re sorry or that you love him and want to marry him the first chance you get.”

“Stop it, he will hear you,” you hissed.

“What’s happening?” Claire asked, whispered between the two of you.

Your friend sighed in exasperation as she looked at Claire, her hand subconsciously landing on Claire’s thigh. “My friend here,” she said, giving you a nod. “Is in love with my history professor,” she nodded towards Steven. “And they’ve been going out since before Christmas and he hasn’t asked them to be official and they’ve ran off.”

“You’re missing half of the story!” you cry before you lean forward to explain to Claire. “I ran into his brother, who he doesn’t have a great relationship with, which is neither here nor there.” Claire gives you a slow nod. “And he told me that mine and Steven’s relationship wasn’t serious and that he was going to end it.”

“But you shouldn’t have taken his brother’s word for it.”

You open your mouth to retort but Claire interrupted you, “I think you should go and talk to him.”

You keep yourself from snapping that it was none of her business before you remembered you had invited her into the conversation. You sat back in your chair, glancing back at Steven as he stood waiting for his tea. “I can’t.”

Your friend rolled her eyes as Claire have you a sympathetic smile. “You’re not going to feel better or get any closure if you don’t.”

You stare at her for a minute before you look back at Steven, who was smiling at the barista as she handed him his tea. He turned towards the door, making his way out having not seen you. You watched him through the windows, seeing him walking back towards the university buildings, probably about to go to his last class of the day.

“Go and talk to him.”

You turn to Claire and your friend, weirdly feeling the urge to cry. “What if he wants nothing to do with me?”

“You’ll never know unless you go.”

You look back at him again, watching him walk further and further away.

What if he was ‘it’ for you? What if you were letting your own stupid feelings get in the way of proper happiness, when it was something you needed to establish with Steven, and you had thrown it all away because his brother was a prick and had apparently liked to see Steven squirm?

You were an idiot. A ridiculous, head over heels in love, idiot.

You bit your lip before giving a firm nod. “Okay.”

Your friend’s mouth fell open slightly before she gave you a large smile. “Okay!”

“Okay.” You stood from your seat, gathering your bag. “Okay. O-okay.”

“No, don’t chicken out now.” Your friend pointed at you. “He’s outside, right now, just as miserable as you are, and you’re not about to let this go before clearing the air.”

You take a deep breath before nodding, gritting your teeth as you quickly left the coffee shop, looking around and seeing Steven walking back towards the lecture halls. You took off quickly, your hand landing on his forearm just as he got to the door, causing him to jump and nearly spill his tea. He turned his head, his body stilling as he realised it was you.

You nearly stopped short at the sight of him. His eyes were the same, maybe a little more tired looking, but they were still that beautiful, warm brown that always made you melt. You wanted nothing more than to cup his face in your palms, feeling the stubble he probably had since he had to shave so often, wanting to kiss him until the end of days. It had been so long since you had last kissed him.

He breathed your name. “I…what are…i-it’s good to see you.”

“I’m sorry,” you blurted out. No, that wasn’t what you were supposed to say but it was a good start. “I messed up. I shouldn’t have listened to Jake, I shouldn’t have made those assumptions about you, about us. I acted irrationally and I shouldn’t have stormed out like I did.”

He called your name but you stopped him. God he looked adorable, looking at you like that.

“Please let me say what I need to say before I lose my confidence,” you said, looking at his stupidly adorable, confused expression. “You…are an amazing man and I am so lucky to have you in my life, whether you want it to be as a friend or more. I acted…I was…I am really stupid to believe a complete stranger over you, and I shouldn’t have done that, I should have come to you straight away. I want to be with you, and I want to spend the rest of our lives together because I…I-I love you, and you’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner, and you’re so kind and so, so thoughtful and I don’t deserve you and I understand, again, if you are happy to just be friends.”

You stare at him, your heart hammering hard in your chest. He was looking at you with a soft look on his face, almost relieved. You swallowed nervously. “Please say something, Steven.”

“You love me?”

Your mouth falls open slightly as your breathing became a little laboured. Had you taken it a step too far? You had just poured your soul to this wonderful man, but the ‘L word’ was just a little too much for him? You remember how he could overthink situations, and maybe you had just made him uncomfortable. He might not have been in the same place as you.

“Love?”

You’d taken too long to answer. You looked at him with wide eyes before you nod. “Yes. I love you.”

Steven breathed out a small laugh, looking down bashfully for a moment before looking back up at you. “I was…I was going to ask you that night, to be truly mine, and when you said about Jake…I thought I’d never see or speak to you again.”

“I’m sorry,” you said again. “I shouldn’t – Jake got into my head.”

“I don’t blame you.”

You give a small snort of laughter. “You should. I was a plonker. Not giving you the chance to explain, just telling you to go away and leave me alone – “

“No, love, I understand,” Steven said. “I could have said something – should have said something – instead I was stood there like a bloody git letting you walk away. I love you too, and I’m sorry.” He shook his head, taking a step towards you. “Stupidest thing I’ve ever done, that.”

“Pretty stupid of me to walk away.” You bring yourself closer.

“We were both stupid,” Steven said, so close you were both breathing the same air.

You lightly gasp as he leaned in, his lips meeting yours. You held back a groan; you’d missed this. His warmth, his hand on your waist, how breathless he made you. You’d kissed before, but not like this, this was electric. Your brain had gone all fuzzy, all you could hear, smell, and feel was Steven. You hands stroked up that jumper that you vowed to steal later, knowing that there will be a later this time, your hands landing on his firm chest, feeling him breathing against you.

His tongue was starting to glide along your lips with a deep moan from him, and before you could let it go further, prepared to drag him away from prying eyes in some abandoned classroom or office, a loud cheer caused you both to pull apart, Steven nearly spilling his tea. You both look to see Claire and your friend, your friend’s arms in the air in victory as she looked at you both with wide eyes and an even wider smile. Claire was trying to pull her away, giggling, and apologising to you both, telling you to ‘carry on’.

You both look away from the two, before practically giggling at each other. You should probably bring up Jake and his other brother, but that was for another time. This was about you two. You and your boyfriend.

Steven nudged his nose with yours. “Would you like to go on a date with me?”

You bit your lip, smiling. “I would love nothing more, Doctor Grant.”

Tagged - @kingtwhiddleston, @ahookedheroespureheart, @harrys-tittie, @avasif, @romanarose, @othersideoftheparadise, @mt2sssss, @milkymoon2483, @n0ripeaches, @theconsultingdoctor10, @brandyscorner, @moonliqhtszn, @classypeachlightsalad, @toracainz, @preciousbabypeter, @teacupcollector, @hot-mess-express1, @starkdanverss, @mintgreen24

[sylvaridreams]

@pikky126 I think cohost is proving to be a potentially good option. It's very easy to set up a second site within an account (equivalent of sideblogs here) and FASCINATINGLY ENOUGH, your secondary site is treated as. A separate user from your main, a feature which has never been available or maybe not possibly on tumblr. This is awesome for a few reasons for me:

- on tumblr, my gw2 blog is a sideblog. My follows, asks, and likes come from my main blog. If someone who only knows me through my gw2 blog gets any of these contacts from my main, they may or may not know who that random user is. I may even end up blocked if I, say, make a joke that would be appropriate between sylvaridreams and his dear mutual, but not between random stranger main account and sylvaridreams dear sweet mutual. Or if my main blog has stinky vibes. You know? I also can't separate my dashboard content between blogs. My dashboard is EVERYTHING that I follow.

- a secondary site on cohost is treated as a separate user. When I follow user12345 on my secondary site, they get a notification that "sylvaridreams has followed you, liked your post, replied, or sent you an ask." HUGE. Even bigger: sylvaridreams gets its own dashboard. I can click a drop down and switch from blogging as damazcuz to blogging as sylvaridreams. Now I see all gw2 posts. Drop down again and see all non gw2 posts. HUGE AGAIN.

That said, this is a website that's in its infancy. There will be growing pains.

Right now we are going to see lag spikes as new users flood in and try to check it out. The server is not accustomed to this traffic. This will even out.

There is no algorithm, let me repeat. No algorithm. You will not see that which you did not sign up to follow. There's no "for you." No "based on your likes." No "we think this will make you smile." For me I like this. I don't want to see posts I didn't ask to see. Some people are going to find this kind of jarring.

There are tags. You can follow tags.

I think right now it feels kind of like a big blank empty space, and posting to it feels like you're talking too loud and it's echoing around. I don't remember my first tumblr posts from 2011, I deleted them all, but I'm sure it was a similar "um. Idk what to actually post actually." Feeling. This is going to improve as people join and post and talk to each other more.

The layout is similar to tumblr, many of the functions are similar, but it's different. For some people that's difficult to learn and get used to. Things will continue to change, and features will get better as time passes.

All that said. None of this matters if no one uses it. It could be a perfected, straight from a benevolent deity, "We made what you wish tumblr was" oasis and if no one logged in, used it, or did anything with it, it will die and go away. If tumblr had opened all those years back and 10,000 people jumped in and then said "ewwww it's slow to load, I don't get how to use it, it's clunky, it doesn't have a feature I liked elsewhere, I'm leaving!" And 9,900 of them left within a week, Tumblr would have shut down year one. Right off the bat. None of us would be posting here.

There are pieces to their terms of use that I am not crazy about. There are things I hope they will continue to examine and fine tune.

But also I genuinely do think this is where I will go, at least to try it for some time. I have a side site made, just not really set up yet.

Again, I am still here right now. But I will start posting there too, and as we see where things go, weeeeell maybe I won't post here anymore.

To be frank and up front and honest with all of you I DON'T know how much longer I will be on Tumblr. I don't intend to delete this blog, and in the event that my main ever got nuked I have this side blog co-admined by a backup account, so my posts won't vanish. Not yet.

But I do not like what Tumblr is doing. I don't respect the decisions being made here and I think ignoring them longterm is insane and cruel at best, and ignoring them short-term and hoping it smooths out for now is no better. Like frankly it's just not. I follow my gw2 mutuals for gw2 so I don't expect you guys to be reblogging posts about the bans or anything, like this is the silly game zone. So that's not the point of this post. I'm not shaming the gamers for posting games instead of "holy hell they already banned another."

I do wanna say, I've had this blog almost 10 years (making it my oldest surviving blog! It's followed me from my first account that I made in 2011!) And for a long while I felt like an outsider to the gw2 community and it was really hard for me to find a niche where people didn't shun and ignore me. So I love you all and appreciate how welcoming everyone last year when I came back to gw2blr. I didn't expect that. I didn't expect I'd make friends out of this at all. I turn 30 in about 2 weeks, and at a certain point it's hard for me to meet people and make friends, even online. It's just tough to do somehow. You think at points "this is what I have now, from here to the end" and then new people are nice to you anyway. I love this community here. I hope we can keep playing and talking ocs and doing silly stuff at art party and tagging each other to say "this is nearly as sad and wet as your commander!" for a really long time.

And all that said. Maybe I'll leave. Maybe I'll start over elsewhere or just not have anywhere to post. I don't know. I'm trying out some other places. I'm investigating what my options look and feel like and determining where I might want to start planting seeds for sylvaridreams to start over.

If things go how I anticipate they will, I'll set up shop elsewhere. And I'll stop putting new posts here. And then I'll start cleaning up. Scraping out my old posts from the back to tidy up and consolidate for that new place. We'll see.

Even if everything does rocket to the bottom and fizzle out and some wealthy man's tantrum about trans people existing online shuts down Tumblr's servers for being completely unprofitable, I genuinely do hope that we can continue to have fun together somehow. Whether it's a mass relocation or just monthly art parties. Mayhe we'll see each other in game. Who knows.

I'm currently trying out cohost.org as a new place to post. I don't have a site set up yet for gw2 blogging but I might head that way soon, and meanwhile youre welcome to follow my main site if you want, it's damazcuz just like my main blog is. That said, if I do make a gw2 cohost I'll post about it again with a link.

This isn't a goodbye post and I'm not gone yet but I'm a sappy person and I like what we have here. And I want to give a solid heads up of where I might be heading before I just go.

[promenadewithme]

hello darling! I'm so happy you have reached that milestone so quickly! but not surprised because everyone can see your writing is amazing ❤️

Can you write something for your 50 follower challenge with the song 'Can't help falling in love' by Elvis Presley and Anthony Bridgerton? My pronouns are she/her.

you have absolute creative freedom!

Keep being amazing darling 🌼

Thank you so much, Lalla!! You are so sweet💙   I had so much fun writing this and I hope you like it!

Pairing: Anthony Bridgerton x fem! reader

Song: Can’t Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley

Warnings: fluff and Cressida being a b-word

Word Count: 1,3k

Can’t Help Falling In Love

_____________________________

Dearest Readers, 

it has come this this author’s attention that the Viscount Bridgerton has begun courting Lady (y/n) (y/l/n) earlier this week. The pair have been seen promenading on several occasions and Mr. Bridgerton has sent flowers every day. Are we to expect a new Viscountess in the ton? Rest assured, if they are to wed, this author will find out.

Yours Truly,

Lady Whistledown. 

_____________________________

“Do you truly think he will propose, mama?” your asked your mother. She had woken you up with the latest society papers in hand.

“Of course he will! I would not be surprised if he dances with you four times at tonight’s ball!” your mother replied, a proud smile on her face.

“Don’t be absurd, mama! That would be extremely improper!” you exclaimed, but a crimson blush still appeared across your cheeks at the mere possibility of being close to Anthony for that long. It was no secret that the eldest bridgerton had your affections, but you were not sure if you had his. Despite his actions, the Viscount was known for being a rake of the worst kind and didn’t tend to show his emotions aside from the occasional smile or brooding demeanor.

“My daughter! A Viscountess! Who would have thought?” your mother hugged you tightly, grinning like a cheshire cat.

“Don’t be hasty, mama. You forget he has not yet proposed, he might not at all.” you answered. 

“Don’t be absurd my dear! Tonight you shall wear the family diamonds!” she declared and stepped out humming joyfully. 

You didn’t want to rush into this, but your thoughts circled back to him during the day and you realised I can’t help falling in love with you, Anthony Bridgerton.

“Do you think she will be here tonight?” asked Eloise to her eldest brother.

“She guaranteed she would.” Anthony replied, the same brooding look as always on his face as he looked at the entry expectantly. 

“My son, why don’t you dance with one of the other ladies? I’m sure they are just as fine dancers as Miss (y/l/n)!” the Dowager Viscountess said, already looking around for someone appropriate for her son.

“I do not wish to dance with anyone else, mother.” he responded, still looking at the door.

“My son, bear in mind that you are choosing the future Viscountess Bridgerton, this is not just one more of your affairs. You have only been courting her for a week, it’s still the beginning of the season. Only fools rush in.” Lady Violet muttered so only her son could hear, a smile on her face to keep away the prying eyes and ears of the ton.

Anthony finally looked back at his mother and said “This is not just another affair. (y/n) is different. I -” he looked around then back at his mother. “I’m falling in love with her.”

Violet’s eyes softened, a small smile appearing on her face. This is all she had ever wanted for her children, to find love and live a happy life.

“Well then, I think you would like to know that your dearest has arrived.”

Anthony’s gaze went straight to you and, smiling softly, he thought you looked like an angel. You were wearing a white gown with gold details, long gloves, diamonds and a small tiara. He immediately made his way to you and bowed.

“If I may be so bold, Lady (y/n), you look absolutely stunning. May I have your first dance?” he said with a shy smile. You blushed at his comment.

“Of course, Lord Bridgerton. It would be my honour.” with that, he took your gloved hand, ever so softly, and guided you to the dance floor. 

The scenery was truly breathtaking. It was an outdoors ball, so light of the moon and the stars shone upon you. There were also a few lamps scattered, but just enough so the ambience was filled with romance. Taking your place in the midst of the other couples, you looked at each other as you waited for the music to start. 

“I meant what I said earlier, you look breathtakingly beautiful tonight.” your heart was beating much faster that normal as he held one of your hands and placed the other on your waist. 

“Just tonight?” you remarked in a humorous tone, trying to distract yourself from the feeling his compliment brought you. Only Anthony didn’t catch on, his eyes widened and he stuttered.

“N-no! Of course not! Not just tonight! I-” you felt pity for the poor Viscount and replied “I’m only joking, my Lord.” he relaxed his tense shoulders, chuckling.

“Of course you are.” he mumbled with a smile before spinning you and pulling you back in his arms. This was not part of the dance, so you gasped and started laughing, throwing your head back. Anthony looked at you in awe and thought like a river flows surely to the sea, darling so it goes, some things are meant to be.

“You always take my breath away.” he mumbled tenderly. The song ended and you parted, you looked back and he was still looking at you with a silly smile, making you giggle. You turned your gaze forward right before bumping into someone.

“Cressida! How lovely to see you!” it wasn’t.

“I know what you are doing, (y/n).” she said with the fakest smile you have ever seen.

“And what would that be?” you asked, truly curious as to what she was talking about.

“Don’t be daft, darling. It’s not very attractive. Everyone knows you are trying to seduce the Viscount.” she stepped closer to you and continued “This will never work. He would never marry someone like you. A Viscountess should be elegant, beautiful, sociable and everything else you are not. So, do yourself a favour and bow down while you have time. Wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself when he chooses me over you.” she was grinning when she stepped away and you were holding back your tears. 

Not wanting anyone to see you cry, you went to a more secluded part of the garden. What you didn’t know was that Anthony saw the expression on your face as you left and ran after you.

Sitting on a bench you found far away from the party, you cried, hands on your face. The scene broke Anthony’s heart. He stalked to you and said angrily “What did she say to you?” you were startled at first, but when you saw that it was Anthony, you relaxed a bit. 

“It was nothing, just Cressida being Cressida.” you tried smiling, but failed miserably.

“It was something if you are here alone and crying.” then he realised. You were alone, unchaperoned. But you were also crying and obviously sad. Shall I stay? Would it be a sin? he thought. Anthony looked back one more time to make sure no one was coming and hugged you, wiping away your tears. 

“I can’t stand to see you this way, can’t stand that she hurt you.” he muttered. You looked him in the eyes and asked “Why?” he didn’t know where the sudden confidence came from, but still he said “Because I can’t help falling in love with you.” 

You were shocked, but still answered smiling. “I’m falling in love with you too.” The Viscount grinned at that, holding you tighter in his arms.

“I know it is still early in the season and I have only just started courting you, but I can no longer wait.” he knelt to the ground and continued “(y/n), take my hand, take my whole life too. Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?”

“Yes!” you exclaimed. He stood up laughing, spun you around and gave you a soft kiss on the lips.

“Are you going to tell me what Cressida said to you, future wife?” he asked with a satisfied grin. You laughed and looked at him sheepishly.

“She said you would never marry me, that you’d choose her and that I was not fit to be a Viscountess.” 

“Well then” he linked his arm with yours, walking back to the party “I think she will be very surprised with our wedding invitation.” you laughed at that and he resumed. “As for the last part, to me you are perfect and that’s all that matters.”

General tag list: @power-of-words23

Anthony Bridgerton tag list: @multifandomfix

Tell me if you want to be added to any of my tag lists!!

[my-robot-heart]

this ficlet is especially for @smalltownmo for her birthday🎂! she requested a fic with Red removing the infamous gun belt/holster seen here haha... let me know if I did it justice. hope you have a great one later this week, friend!

It had been some time since they'd talked. Quite a long time, actually, if you considered the fact that Lizzie had gotten used to seeing Reddington daily, if not multiple times a day, when they'd been working together with the Task Force. Weeks, months even, had now passed without a single word exchanged between them. And, despite herself, Lizzie realized that she missed it - missed him. The exact specifics of what she missed were fuzzy: was it the light banter that she'd come to expect from their exchanges? The deeper, more intense conversations that came about every so often, when one or the other of them would share a tidbit that had previously been held close to their hearts? The meaningful glances they'd exchanged, which Lizzie thus far hadn't quite been able to decipher? Or even the almost-but-not-quite-accidental touches-- a brush of the fingers, a hand placed on the knee, a quick not-embrace that was over before she could wonder what its meaning was?

Whatever it was, perhaps even a mixture of all of these things, Lizzie felt a newfound ache that she didn't want to dwell on. She knew it had something to do (perhaps everything to do) with Reddington, or rather the lack of him.

As she wandered through her days, she tried not to let herself think too much about the why of it all. That was too much. Instead, she would try to focus on one task at a time, however mundane, hoping that with time, this feeling would pass. It had to pass. It just wasn't sustainable.

____

The first time a message came, Lizzie was at work. Her phone buzzed quietly on her desk where it lay, facedown, in an attempt not to be distracted. She glanced at it in a despairing sort of way. Who could it be? Everyone she knew was here, at the Post Office. Surely Ressler could stand his lazy butt up and walk over to her desk if he had something to ask her?

It buzzed again. Two messages. Hmm. Maybe she'd just take a peek-

Unknown Contact. Unknown Contact?

She clicked on the message, curiously.

Lizzie. I'm not sure exactly what time it is for you, but make sure you look out the window around 10:00 p.m. There's a meteor shower supposed to pass over your location.

Then:

It only happens every 355 years. I hope you see it.

That was it. Those were the messages. She knew, of course, who they were from. No one else called her Lizzie. No one else sent messages from an unknown number, after months of silence. No one but him.

Carefully, she saved the new contact under Nick's Pizza, deleting the old number that hadn't worked (because of course she had tried it). Her fingers hovered over the reply button, brain searching for an appropriate response. Nothing came.

Instead of typing, she clicked the off button on the side of her phone and placed it back, facedown, on her desk. That was a puzzle to solve some other time.

(But that evening, she did of course step out onto her balcony at 9:55 p.m., gaze set on the sky above, searchingly, until minutes later the meteor shower appeared, and it was glorious. She sat outside in the chilly air for some time afterwards, looking at the messages on her phone screen, not able to type anything in response).

____

The next time a message came, she was more prepared. Nick's Pizza flashed across the top of her screen as an alert, and Image beneath that. She was in the grocery store, and she stopped her cart beside the canned soup to open the message.

It was a photo of a boat. The name of the boat was painted on the side: Elizabeth II. Clearly someone had named it after the current Queen of England. She knew this. But she also knew that Red had seen it and thought of her, and not only thought of her but wanted to let her know he was thinking of her. The realization brought a flutter of something to the pit of her stomach.

Again, she couldn't reply.

(But that night, faced with the choice of hundreds of different programs on TV, she mystifyingly selected the one on Sailboats and Sailing, allowing her mind to wander only just the slightest in his direction, wondering if he was on a boat like the ones in the program, or on land, or perhaps somewhere entirely different).

____

The third message arrived when she was at home. She had just hunkered down on her couch with what she hoped would be a relaxing read, and a cup of hot tea, and her phone buzzed beside her.

It was Red.

She opened the message.

Lizzie. Are you asleep?

This time, she wrote back without thinking.

I'm awake

Good, came his reply, I was hoping that

She gazed at her screen, wondering what on earth he meant.

But then, her phone started ringing.

Nick's Pizza. Of course.

She almost didn't pick up, but curiosity won out in the end over any awkwardness she was feeling, and she swiped quickly to answer it.

"Hello?" (She wondered why people still answered phones this way, even in an age when they usually knew exactly who was calling. Why not just greet the person by name?)

"Lizzie. Hello." His voice- his voice, it sounded even more present than she remembered, coming as it did directly into her ear in a rather intimate way. She swallowed.

"Hi Red."

There was a pause, and she thought she could hear him take a breath, but perhaps it was her imagination, or some other noise in the background.

"Lizzie," he repeated, making her realize how deeply, yes deeply, she'd missed that: hearing him say her name. "It's... overwhelmingly healing to hear your voice."

She bit her lip. What did that mean? He had been the one to disappear for months without a trace. He had been the one to change his already secret phone number so that it was impossible to reach him. And he was saying now that it was healing to hear her voice?

Just when she was about to erupt into a diatribe including most, if not all, of the above thoughts, she heard him continue, and her mind stopped its imaginary argument.

"I've missed you. I'm so sorry it took so long for me to reach out to you."

She felt her mind quieting, and her grip on the phone eased slightly.

"I'm... really glad you called. And sent those texts, even though I didn't- couldn't- reply." And that was the truth, she realized. She was glad he had called. An indefinable ache she'd been carrying around with her had suddenly lessened its weight.

"I'd like to talk to you in person. Would that be alright? Tomorrow, if you have time?"

"I have time."

"Good." The relief in his voice was palpable.

"You can come by my place, I'll be home. What time were you thinking? Are you already in the city?" She heard her own voice, urgent and full of questions.

He didn't seem to mind.

"I should be there early next morning. Is nine o'clock too early? I can bring breakfast...?"

"No, nine's fine. It's good. It's... I'll see you then. And yes, breakfast."

"Okay. Nine it is. Sleep well, Lizzie."

"Goodbye, Red."

____

He arrived at 8:53 a.m. the next morning, but Lizzie had been awake for hours and opened the door immediately when she heard footsteps, catching him slightly by surprise, if his expression was any indication.

And there he was, impeccably dressed, as usual (well, what had she expected?) long jacket, fedora, three-piece suit, and all. She stepped aside to let him in, murmuring something about not minding the mess, though she knew full well she had spent the last hour and a half tidying to ensure that the evidence of no such mess existed.

He lifted off his hat, which she took and placed on her side table, and coat, which she hung in the closet. Beneath it, she now saw that he was still wearing his gun holster, which he caught her eyeing in surprise and removed apologetically, as well, setting it beneath his hat on the table.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I came here straight from-- well."

Straight from where? She wanted to ask. Where have you been? And doing what? And with whom?

But instead she said nothing. Just stood, eyes moving away from the holster and hat, and up towards his face, where, she now saw, he was looking at her with an unreadable expression.

Damn it, she thought. Always unreadable. The man was a cipher, and no one had the decoder ring. As a trained psychologist, she was unused to being stumped by peoples' expressions, and yet here he was, right in front of her, meeting her gaze with his own, and she was completely at a loss.

"Come in-" she started to say, and at the same time he held out a large kraft paper bag of delicious smelling food.

"I didn't bring coffee," he said, stepping in further to her apartment, and she led the way to the kitchen (though of course, he had been there before, hadn't he?) and told him that she'd brewed a pot.

He placed the bag on the table, and she was about to step towards the coffeemaker and pour them two mugfuls, but instead Red took a step toward her in the same instant, and almost against his own will, it seemed, took her into a firm embrace against his chest.

Oh.

She let herself soak in the feeling of being held, noticing the way his suit carried that familiar smell of something she hadn't realized she'd come to think of as his scent; the way his strong hands felt against her back; the way he seemed to be burying his face in her hair.

Oh, that-

Peripherally, she became aware of the fact that he was saying her name, softly, repeatedly.

She wondered if it was okay to stay like this forever, or at least long past breakfast. She wondered who, if any of them, would be the first to pull away. She knew it wouldn't be her.

Oh, that was-

She was right. It was him, but instead of pulling away completely she merely felt him adjust the space between them slightly, so that she was no longer resting her head on his chest but was instead a few inches away from his face. His face. And this time, his eyes didn't belie what he was feeling. This time, she saw in his gaze a reflection of her own feelings, her own thoughts. Namely, that-

Oh, that was what the look had meant.

She saw in his gaze both need, and adoration. She marveled at the fact that it had taken her this much time to figure that out. And she leaned toward him with the desire to make him understand that she (of course!) felt the same way.

Meeting his lips with hers, she willed him to understand this: I've missed you, too. I didn't realize it, but I love you. I've loved you for a long time, now. I'm so glad you came back, back to me.

Breathlessly, he kissed her back. His hand traveled up her spine (leaving a trail of electricity in its wake) and to the back of her neck, her head. His lips moved to the corner of her mouth, causing her to reach out to the back of his head and pull his mouth back toward hers.

"Lizzie," she heard, in a thrillingly deep whisper.

"Mmmhm," she returned, which was the best she could manage under the circumstances.

He pulled away slightly once more, seeming to need confirmation from her that this was what she wanted, too- (but how could he doubt it? she wondered how could he wonder?)- and in her eyes he must have found it, that confirmation, or at least something like it, because she then felt him move them both slightly towards the countertop, pressing her up against it and deepening the exploration of whatever inch of skin he could reach.

She tugged at his vest, her fingers trying to work at the buttons without being able to see them, and he noticed this and seemed to remember what was happening, and where they were.

"Lizzie, wait-" he said finally, and she blinked a few times, also coming back to reality. Her fingers moved down from his vest to his hands, weaving his fingers with her own.

"What is it?" she asked.

"We-- have to... shouldn't we-- talk about...?" He was at a loss for words, but she knew what he was trying to say.

"Not now, Red-" she said, shaking her head slightly before placing a kiss right at the hinge of his jaw. "We don't have to talk right now."

He seemed somehow to remain unconvinced, so she kissed him again, where his collar opened slightly at the nape of his neck.

"Please."

And, if there had been any remaining doubt in his mind, she saw it disappear in an instant, felt his arms come back up to wrap around her in an embrace that was at once powerful, and restrained. Leading him out of the kitchen, and down the hall to the bedroom, she paused a moment to grab both the fedora and holster from the table.

Meeting his inquiring look with a mischievous one of her own, she simply placed the fedora atop her own head, and tugged at his arm, pulling him further and further towards his most precious dreams.

____

(And, if you were worried about the lovely bag of breakfast they left on the table without, so it would seem, a second thought, well luckily it was full of the most wonderful pastries that reheated perfectly, much, much, much later in the day. After they'd talked as much as two people could ever hope to talk, and decided that they'd make, then and there, very certain that they'd never spend that much time apart, again).

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS | CHAPTER 19

First time reader click here

Summary+TWs: We're talking serious feelings here, okay? Reader, you're literally emotionally illiterate. You also have PTSD, which is finally addressed - kinda. Bruce does his best. And he also knows how to kiss... But y'all know that if you read my ramblings about lucid dreaming/shifting/whatever... Chile-, anyways...

My phone kept buzzing and I ignored it until Bruce declared it was time to take a break and review the results. Whilst the man was typing up the data on a nearby StarkPad, I fought the sudden influx of messages that I received from haters and supporters alike after Tony decided on tweeting a reply that could be interpreted in an alarming variety of ways. It was a smart move, I'll admit, but a fucking bother for me nonetheless.

Disabling my DMs and dealing with a follower increase in the thousands wasn't hard; I didn't consider myself a problematic asshole and didn't need to be afraid of "exposure". The parties I went to - I doubted there was any blackmail material in there and the few nudes I'd sent over the years were always face-less. As a gen Z, I knew my internet safety.

The trolls didn't bother me either. It was more sad than annoying, people shitting on others for clout. Iron Man stans were witty, at least, if jealous. I must admit I've never considered the influx of popularity I would experience should I publicly out myself as a friend of Tony's. Girlfriend? Intern? Science child? Whatever cover story he was going to feed the press worked for me, as long as I still got the hugs, the kisses, the dick and the attention.

"Tony..." Bruce groaned, evidently done with the data processing, had to have opened his social media to see his own skyrocketing popularity.

"Yeah, our Tony is being a Tony again," I chuckled, having reset my social media settings so my phone wouldn't constantly beep, vibrate and bother me. School was going to be fun.

Bruce shook his head, fond, coming over to my side of the lab after removing his own hazmat suit. His eyes shiny with newfound knowledge and hair turned adorably fluffy in the confines of the head covering. He was smiling softly. "Food?"

"Sure."

We chewed our sandwiches in silence for a moment, each of us lost in our thoughts.

"I still can't believe Tony told everyone on Twitter you're his girlfriend, usually he keeps this stuff private or schedules a fancy press conference," Bruce's tone was thoughtful.

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that what it was? Seemed ambiguous to me..." I trailed off, confused.

"He worded it like that on purpose, I mean, you're still in high school," The scientist was confident in his words. "But I know Tony. I'm a hundred percent sure that he meant exactly that. Aren't you?"

Shock flooded me. Suddenly, I understood I completely misread the situation. "Um, no? I thought we were, y'know, just fucking. We never defined our relationship and we're definitely not exclusive." I said, chewing on my lip. "You make a valid argument, I'm a high school student and he's a grown ass man that does grown man stuff. Putting aside the fact that he could have anybody in the world so why would he choose me?" I was rambling, thinking out loud. Discussing my feelings has never my strong forte. "It would be stupid to impose monogamy on such a complex man like Tony. Downright idiotic to expect a genius to confine to social norms just because it suits others." I finished with a wave of my hand. Another bubble of thought that had festered within me for the longest time. I felt relieved, finally voicing it out loud. A weight had been lifted off my shoulders, a weight I wasn't previously consciously aware of.

Bruce was watching me intently, with an unreadable expression that held the tiniest bit of awe, admiration perhaps. The silence that followed was unnerving. I fidgeted with my hands, not really knowing where to put them or where to look.

"You know," He took off his glasses, fiddling them in his hands. "I'm not going to sugar coat it. For the longest time, I thought you were going to inadvertently hurt him when you get bored with whatever you've got going on. I respect you, don't misunderstand me, but you are young. Now, I've changed my mind. You've changed my mind," He punctuated his statement with his hand on mine, grasping it. "I think you managed to understand him in a way most people can't. Or don't want to. Understand and accept him in a way that some of us can't even after years of working and living side by side with him." Bruce's gentle fingers skimmed along the top of my palm.

"I don't always understand Tony but I do accept him," I agreed. "Because Tony is a great man."

"I think you're in love with him," Bruce said, absolutely having ignored my previous statement. Just like that, point blank, he pushed to the surface the very feelings I got so good at ignoring. There was no rest for me in this place.

My heart fluttered, picking up the pace. I kept my mouth shut, not trusting it whatsoever. My thoughts became akin to panicked hares, jumping and zigzagging aimlessly in my skull. I didn't see the point in defending myself because the scientist had pointed out the obvious.

Bruce looked at me, softly, warmly. "And don't think we haven't noticed the rise in team morale. The improvement not only in communication, but on the battlefield, too. It's easier to entrust your back to someone with whom you've shared a laugh and a drink the previous night. You're the glue that keeps us together."

Something warm and wet was on my cheeks. I stared at our clasped hands, his words echoing in my head over and over and over. The moment I realized I was crying, I willed myself to stop and failed spectacularly - only more salty fluid streamed down, some of it getting in my nose, on my lips. The sleepless nights were making me unstable.

It took a single sniffle for Bruce to pick me up and wrap up in his kind embrace. I didn't resist, tucking my face into the crook of his neck, holding onto the back of his lab coat, inhaling the smell of his skin and chemicals. It was familiar, calming. Minutes ticked by with me slowly leaking the tension out of my body.

"He loves you, too, maybe he just doesn't realize it yet." Bruce whispered into my hair. "I've never seen Tony so happy, even with Pepper. You are special and you are loved."

There was something unsaid, I felt it. It hung in the ear, it burned the tips of my ears, stood sharp on the tip of my tongue. "I love you too, Bwucie-bear," I whispered into the space between his ear and his jaw. His arms tightened around me.

The man placed several chaste kisses in my hair, running a palm over my back. In moments like these, the crush for him, the very crush that got out of control, blossomed fully into a deep sense of respect and admiration. He made me feel safe. He said all the right words at the right time.

Drowsiness overtook me. As usual, any worries and anxieties I had evaporated, once Banner had his arms around me, shielding me from the world. I didn't forbid myself this time: delicately, my hand slipped through the man's soft messy curls, eliciting a contented sigh.

"You haven't been sleeping well," He more stated than asked.

I had no choice but to nod. "Clint keeps dying in my dreams. Or even worse, he doesn't, he just suffers, endlessly, painfully." I admitted.

Bruce flinched under me, tensing. My face was in between his hands in a second, the scientist sternly looking into my eyes. "Why didn't you say anything? All of us assumed you were okay after what happened." He looked - angry. Not Hulk-out pissed but Bruce-pissed, which equalled a kicked-puppy look seasoned with a great pinch of disappointment.

"I am okay." I lied, shamelessly. "It's getting better. That's why I want to have a party - relax a little, dance, socialize. I don't think Tony would let me go on my own so I figured I can convince him to throw one here." I looked away. It was better for everyone if I dealt with my own problems - they were superheroes, not babysitters.

Bruce frowned. "Why wouldn't Tony let you go?"

"Because of that one time I snorted coke," I rolled my eyes at Bruce's naiveté, leaving the less obvious parts unsaid. Tony knew exactly what I was going to do once I got free reign, he considered it destructive and told me so himself. Admittedly, he had a point but still... I wished I'd been given a choice.

"I'll talk to him," Bruce nodded firmly. "That's not acceptable. He can't forbid you from making mistakes and learning from them."

He was met with my shrug. No excitement came from me regarding this particular turn of conversation. I was drained, limbs like jello, thoughts sluggish. My face was drooping.

"Let's get you to bed," Banner stood up with me wrapped around him. "You need a nap."

"No," I protested. If I went to sleep now, only Satan knew at what ungodly hour I would wake up.

"Yes, Princess," Bruce smirked. I wiggled uncomfortably - when he went all caretaker like, my ovaries wreaked havoc on my body and brain. My thoughts weren't appropriate if Bruce wanted me to see him as a father figure. The signals he was sending were mixed. People around me did that a lot and I wasn't sure how to act so I usually just went with the flow. I decided to do the very same thing in that particular moment.

Curiosity sparked within me, tightly interwoven with the deep longing that settled below my collarbones whenever Tony or one of the others wasn't sitting next to me or talking my ear off. I've almost forgotten how it was to be alone with my thoughts. The maze of my very own self was becoming unfamiliar territory. Alarming.

I allowed Bruce to help me shed my shoes and outer layer of clothing, shivering in the coolness of my room. Despite being a frequent visitor, I still had a 'guest' room in the tower - I mostly stayed at Tony's or Wanda's anyways. During our sleepovers neither me nor the witch minded sharing her enormous bed, to be fair, we could have fit at least two more people in it besides us. Tony took care of his own - all the tower's residents had their apartments furnished with the best stuff.

"Sleep now, Princess," Bruce chastised, tucking a blanket around me, having noticed an earbud in my ear and my smartphone in my hand. I had hoped to kill some time online, damn well knowing sleep wouldn't come easy.

"I don't think I can fall asleep, Bruce," I admitted, looking away. There was just so much going on. My brain wouldn't shut up and if I couldn't drown out the cacophony by being productive, I'd troll the internet, as usual.

Banner sighed, coming to sit next to me, leaning against the headboard. Gently running his fingers through my hair, brushing the outside of his palm against my cheek. "How do you usually deal with this?"

Involuntarily, my eyelashes fluttered. "Tony does most of the work," I admitted coyly. The engineer had a whole arsenal of tricks up his sleeve - sexy and exhausting tricks.

"I see," Bruce muttered, thoughtfully.

I opened my eyes to see him looking down at me with a look I haven't seen before. The usual mildly absent, slightly anxious face he wore was replaced by something I could only describe as hurt envy, like a kid looking at their schoolmate who had all the newest, coolest toys. I used to be on the receiving end of that look far too often and I hated it.

I hid my face against his leg, rubbing my cheek on the raspy corduroy fabric of his pants. "Got any good ideas of your own?" I wondered lowly, thinking about what in the world possessed Bruce to wear corduroy trousers on a semi-casual day, in the twenty-first century.

"Only bad ideas," He replied in a matching low tone. His soft fingertips relocated to my nape, goosebumps rising down my back.

"Humour me," I grinned against his leg.

Bruce was quiet for a moment, the sound of his thinking screaming louder than any words could have done. Knowing the scientist so closely, I found out he was full of surprises - bolder than he appeared outwardly and competitive to a boot. He thought he had a lot to prove to himself and by extension, to others. The unknown, the mystery dangling in front of my nose was exhilarating, trepidation addictive. It took me away from the chaos in my mind.

A gentle grasp on my chin had me turning to look upwards, Bruce's face flushed and focused on my own, open and trusting. He needed to see the obvious, that I trusted him to take care of me. He pulled and I followed, sitting up on my elbows, coming up to his shoulder level, our faces inches apart, enveloped in the unique, intense scent of his herbal tea. It was a tart, strong smell and it suited his quiet but passionate character.

Once, twice, I caught my eyes sliding to his plump lips. They looked far too appealing in this position. I usually strategically stayed away from positions so compromising, fearing the very thing that I'd already let happen, however this time the atmosphere was different. We stood on ambiguous grounds, waiting for Bruce to make a decision.

The man wasn't stupid, he saw the way I looked at him. The nightmares and inability to take a break from life put a significant dent in my resolve to keep a distance between us, romantically - I could have settled even for a pity kiss, a pity fuck. Anything to put my brain on pause.

His lips were softer than I had imagined. Skilled, too, he easily steered the kiss into the shallow waters of our combined longing.

With Tony, it was like an avalanche. Tony ran hot like Peterbilt engines, hard and fast, almost angry in his race for satisfaction. Tony was a man that was used to getting whatever he wanted and it became plainly obvious when we fucked.

Bruce was the opposite. He savoured the kiss, losing himself in a way that could almost be described as delicate. Bruce was humming, softly, as we tasted each other, holding the left side of my face with careful fingertips. Almost as if he was afraid to break me. The feel of his skin on mine was soothing in a way that made me sigh and relax even further.

"Wanna make you feel good." His voice had dropped, gone husky, but his breathing held even. He must know all about self-control.

"Yeah," I was ready to agree with whatever the fuck he was offering. My eyelids remained shut.

THE TAG LIST IS NOW OPEN! @another-stark-sub ​ @mostly-marvel-musings  @vozit ​ @littlegasps ​ @pilloclock ​ @shereadsinquiet @downeyreads ​ @hermione-grangers-wife ​ @individualistfem ​ @sleep-i-ness @capbrie @lillsxd @agustdowney @dee-vn @justanotherblonde23 @fanngirl19 @persephonehemingway @softie-socks @schemefrenzy @letsby @cutenessloading @romeo-the-cactus @jelly-fishy-babie

PS. Letsby, please don't combust. The underwear is coming off in the next chapter. 😶

[echo-three-one]

Chapter 39

The Road So Far

Is this still worth it?

The SEVEN Inch Wound

Gary 'Roach' Sanderson

Task Force 141 Base - Gym

Roach finally got his seal of approval. After weeks of physical therapy and daily check ups, he was now finally fit for battle and he was lucky enough that Nero was still under the radar. He wouldn't want to miss out on the battle he started. He was lucky enough that they were exonerated when Shepherd surrendered, because if they continued to be fugitives, Roach would not have access to appropriate medical attention.

It has been almost a month after the events in Afghanistan and Task Force 141 was already re-established, Samantha and Maxine were housed on a nearby compound where veteran's families lived under the safety of government protection. During his time in the infirmary, Maxine was always there to visit, telling him tales about dreams she recovered as time went by. Roach was glad she was returning to normal and that no matter how her memories came back, her treatment towards him was the same.

"Good to see you back on your feet, my man." Rocket went up to him and did their fist bump, a series of elaborate claps then finished off with finger guns accompanied by their almost realistic attempt at pistol fires.

"Haha. Yeah? I'm glad I'm back." He waved as Rocket pointed at his back. Roach turned to see Maxine, carrying a packed lunch, waiting at the end of the hallway.

"Hey you. Just in time for lunch as always." He smiled, wrapping an arm around her as they made their way to the mess hall.

"Glad to see you smiling and walking about." She says, as her palms ran across his firm chest, tracing the scar that changed his life.

"Yeah, finally passed the damn physical test." He grinned as they sat down at their usual table, the only table which consisted of two tables stuck together to form an eight seater.

The rest of Roach's closest comrades were already there. Alex, guessing what Samantha packed for him. Soap and France arguing which meal choice was best for them and Ghost, who was already halfway through his lunch while the rest of his comrades haven't even started yet.

"Good to have you back, buddy." Ghost greeted with a wide grin on his face, well technically only half of his face was shown.

"Hey man. I sure am glad. How have you been doing?" he joked. They constantly visit him in their free time, so there was actually nothing to catch up on.

"The rest of the squad proceeded to badger Roach with questions about everything they wanted to know. Roach enjoyed the hot seat as the military mess hall felt like the university cafeteria.

"So, any news about Nero?" He finally asked as soon as everyone was done with him. The table felt awfully quiet.

"None." France was the first to speak up. Everyone else nodded and frowned.

"Shit. Guess our only choice is to wait." He added.

"Shepherd didn't have any leads towards Nero. Their last contact was the exchange of blueprints and after that, he was gone." Soap explained the situation.

"The missing persons?" Gary asked.

"Still missing." Alex commented.

"And there are still a few additions every other day as indicated by the FBI and DHS." Ghost added.

"Is interpol still involved?" Roach turned to Ghost.

"They're still after the traces of EMP equipment from the missing persons. Their new lead is that Nero's team is trying out a lethal kind of grenade. One that explodes without damaging property. If he's planning invasion, this is actually a good idea without ruining too much of the invaded country." He replied. Roach nodded at the theory. EMPs only damage mechanical equipment and this was a good call for the bad side.

"I never knew they'd think of this kind of weaponry. I always expected bioweapons being the last of modern warfare." Ghost muttered.

"Well, that was what happened in Verdansk and we stopped it. We could do that again." Alex tried to boost morale.

"Yeah. We'll do whatever it takes." Roach agreed and they continued lunch.

By the time he started training, Roach focused back on his Sniper techniques. His wound may have affected his previous breathing training and it was only inevitable that he'd train it again. He wanted to master the long ranged rifle as it was vital towards his development as a soldier.

"Back on the scope huh." Ghost huffed as they reached their 200 yard mark, by the hill just outside the base.

"Glad you could help me on this one." Roach unzipped the sniper bag and began scouting the area.

"You sure this is your spot?" Ghost asked, using his hand as a visor against the hot afternoon sun.

"Yeah. This fits."

"Suit yourself." He chuckled as Roach snapped every attachment of the rifle, from the bipod stand to the clicker adjustments.

He peeked at the scope and looked at his target. Five small cans standing on top of a log 200 yards away.

"Remember what I told you." Ghost mused as he looked at Roach steadying his breathing.

"Damn." He added as he noticed the change in wind.

"Yeah, damn. I just was about to fire it." Roach muttered as he took another deep breath and began to hold still as his crosshairs adjusted to the shift.

A loud fire echoed across the hills as dust scattered on the ground where Roach fired. He was about a few inches off.

"Great. Do that again but change your adjustments." Ghost said as consolation.

"Yeah got it." He rolled his dial once again and accounted for the wind, easing his breath and fired again. The loud sound once again echoed through the hills, followed by a soft metal can flying away from the log.

"There you go! A clean hit." Ghost congratulated as he tapped Roach's back while he reloaded his sniper and aimed again.

Roach stayed at that spot until it was too dark to continue and Ghost accompanied him until such time. On their way back, Ghost opened up to something that has been bothering him ever since.

"Roach. Do you mind if I say something important?" He asked and it made Roach stop on his tracks.

"Yeah. What's up." Roach asked.

"I've already sent my formal letter, but I just wanted you to have a heads up on the matter." Formal letter. Roach's heart started to pound as his mind automatically thought of him quitting or leaving.

"Letter about?" he asked. His mouth almost felt dry. He didn't want him to leave. Not again.

"Transferring department. Alexandra offered me a spot on the Interpol. I told you this first because I knew that if you were on my shoes, you'd go too, right? Do whatever makes you happy?" he said, quoting Roach's famous words.

He isn't wrong about doing what makes him happy, but his decision didn't feel right either, or maybe because he just doesn't want Ghost to go.

"Well, you bet I'd go for that option too!" Roach said, trying to validate his decision despite not wanting it. It was sad to see him go, but for the first time in ages, Ghost actually acknowledged the term happy.

"I knew you'd understand." he smiled and continued their trail back to the base where Roach remained quiet until they reached the base just in time for dinner.

After dinner, Roach opted for a night jog around the base to clear his mind off of Ghost leaving. After the second lap, he soon noticed Alex catching up to him.

"Wonderful weather for an evening run, huh?" He asked all cheery as he's quite used to his heavier and more realistic leg.

"Yeah. It is. Good to see you're liking Samantha's surprise." Gary nodded and removed his earphones.

"You know, it's really a surprise when I'm the only one who doesn't know about it." He commented.

"It feels like a real leg, actually. The wonders of modern technology never ceases to amaze me." He mused as they both took the turn.

"Yeah? That's good to hear. Pretty sure Samantha loved the way you thanked her." Roach teased as Alex chuckled, like he recalled some memory.

"Oh yeah, she did." Alex nodded suggestively, the kind that Roach didn't want to ask anymore.

"This your last lap?" Roach asked as Alex slowed down for his cooldown, turning to the set of exercise bars.

"Yep. See ya!" He waved as he started his cooldown.

Gary took three more laps just to make sure he's exhausted for the night, so that once he got in his bed, no more thoughts would assault his mind, hindering him from sleep.

There was only one way out of it. And it was accepting Ghost's inevitable departure from the 141.

The next morning, the 141 was briefed on a possible lead on Nero. This time, Ghost wasn't in the room and that meant that his letter was now approved.

"Okay lads. We've received word on a supply drop activity from Nero. We intercepted an unencrypted call signal to an abandoned port just off the coast of Sierra Leone, Africa. If intel is correct, we're going to be dealing with someone who goes by 'Volt', Nero's bomb maker." Price paced in front of the huge screen showing details regarding their mission.

"Volt is a high value individual who must not be killed. He's our only hope towards Nero. The intercepted call came from the USA, and it's quite impossible that Nero is here, so he must've used a secure line. Jack will be staying in the base as our new Operations Command as suggested by Laswell. Overlord will continue his role as our commanding officer as well." Price added making clear about the jurisdiction.

"Damp and dry Africa." Soap muttered.

"Have you been there?" France asked.

"Only in Egypt. My mom used to tag me along her trips." he replied.

"Recon suggests a high chance of militia activity, so our standard rules of engagement; treat anyone as hostile. Volt's compound will be surrounded by his own personal army and they're willing to shoot any unwanted visitors. He also has access to a port, so I'm sending the Charlie team to stand by the shore and make sure they're not planning an escape." he added.

"I'm leading the Alpha team and our task is to infiltrate his base and secure Volt for intel. Bravo team, led by Alex, will act as our support when things go south. As bonus, we need to destroy any trace of bomb making equipment.

Roach, I want you to man our new air support tools from above as soon as we confirm that there are no SAMs on his base." He shot his glare on Roach and he nodded. Guess he isn't on the ground tomorrow.

"We leave tomorrow at 0300. Make your necessary preparations especially on our brand new comms equipment. Ones that are immune to EMP blasts. Dismissed." He said as everyone got up and went on their way. Gary purposefully left himself behind so he could ask Price about the Ghost situation.

"Hey there lad. You feeling good?" Price approached as soon as he noticed Roach.

"I just have a question about the mission."

"Sure. What about it? Any suggestions?"

"No no. The plan is fine. Where will Ghost be?" Price gave him a worried stare.

"Ah. Didn't he tell you about his transfer?" He crossed his arms and stared at Roach.

"He did… but why did you allow it?"

"Well, it certainly looked like he was happy to go there. And I had no power over his commendations." Price reasoned as they walked out of the briefing room.

"Oh. I thought he was going to have one last mission with us." Roach smiled as he walked back to the room. Ghost wasn't a fan of goodbyes. Maybe because he knew they'll meet again.

0300H

Sierra Leone, Africa

"This is Hunter One-One requesting sitrep, over." Roach phoned his allies who were already on the ground for support. This mission was their vital lead towards Nero. He wished that the guy Volt was here so that they could finally finish the war before everyone else gets hurt.

Before he could man the air support, he needed to confirm that there were no SAMs present on their base so he could safely provide suppressing fire from above.

Next Chapter : The SIXth Ship

Notification Squad my Beloved

@whimsywispsblog @ricinbach @bumblingbee1 @smokeywhalee @samatedeansbroccoli @enderio

[atsunflower]

Hospital for souls — Tokyo nights.

Rated: SFW

Author note: Man, this one took me ages to write. And I don't even know how I could write this much for the second chapter, this is about 3,2k words. I'm tired because I decided to change lots of things in this chapter and I hope you all like it. Also, feedbacks are much appreciated!

Warnings: This chapter contains cursing, swearing, graphic descriptions of blood, violence and surgical procedures (Kind of inaccurate but only for writting purposes. Don't do it at home, kids). Also, there are slight mentions of anxiety, OCD and PTSD.

Enjoy the reading!

II — Tokyo nights

Previous || Next

You felt anxious.

Everytime you walked through Itachiyama halls, the hairs in your nape would stand and your skin, prickle in fear; a bitter taste would take over your mouth because everything was too much.

"Look, you don't have to worry. Itachiyama wouldn't dare to lay a hand on you because it would mean war." The memory of Suna's voice did nothing to soothe your nerves.

You knew that Inarizaki did not care. If anything, Itachiyama harming you would be like killing two birds with a stone: the Miya would get rid of your existence and then, have a excuse to go after your husband. "They know the twins' intentions, you know. It's not like Sakusa is dumb. Being honest, the guy is the most cautious man I ever saw" you recalled Suna saying it in your wedding's eve.

But one month after the deal, you still felt suffocated.

You opted to lay low and don't wander around the house; Sakusa's men were still suspicious of you and kept sending nasty glares in your direction whenever they saw you.

Since you weren't allowed to work anymore, boredom was killing you. At least, the maids were nice enough — or just too afraid to go against the lady's will — and let you do as you pleased. You then took over some house chores to busy yourself.

Cleaning, tidying and baking.

Sometimes gardening when you needed some fresh air.

"What a shame for Oyabun-sama, his lady is lowering herself to the peasants' level" you would hear some gossip here and there. Not that you cared, though.

"Sakusa-sama" you heard the housekeeper calling, the new name still foreign to your ears.

"Kaede-san? Do you need something?" The old woman wearing a green hakama stood in front of you, accompanied by a girl with dark blond hair.

"This is Kuribayashi Runa, the new maid working here" she said presenting the young woman by her side. The latter politely bowed at you.

"New maid? Why?"

"I'm afraid it's not appropriated the lady take care of house chores. These are strict orders from Komori-sama" her tone was dry. Kaede was never hostile towards you, but you could tell she wasn't fond of your presence either. "Also, remember you're having lunch with oyabun-sama today"

You released a shaky breath, dismissing their presence.

Why yakuza was taking even the smallest things from you?

Prying to the clock on the nightstand, you realized it was past noon and the lunch hasn't been served yet. Sakusa didn't show up either.

After being destitute of your duties, you went for a shower and killed time by reading in your bedroom.

Did something happen? You wondered.

Punctuality was something very fancied in this household and everything inside the mansion functioned like clockwork.

But how come Sakusa didn't show up yet? Why the food isn't set?

"[Name]" The door to your bedroom was open without ceremony, Komori's voice sounding harsh when he called you. The look on his face wasn't amicable either. "Sakusa wants to see you. Now."

The brown haired male did not spare you another glance, turning his back to you. You followed the tall man in an auto-pilot mode, already dreading whatever was going on.

The Kobun was taking you to Sakusa's office.

The large doors always made you feel unsettled; you never were there before. Being called to this room sent shivers down your spine.

Komori knocked the door only to the faint voice of your husband acknowledge your presence. Getting in, you were stunned. The whole mansion held a modern architecture with a minimalist design, and this room was true to Itachiyama's style.

The walls were pristine white and the floorboards were dark and shiny. The furniture held the impersonal style your husband seemed to appreciate and was clean to the eyes. Everything millimetrically positioned, aesthetically appealing.

By the glass wall, Sakusa stood proud. His back facing you, body clad in a black suit. The way he admired the stunning land through the windows held a power you never saw before.

Right now, he looked like a god rulling his own creation.

"Komori, go" his stone cold voice ordered the other male. The kobun did as he was told, leaving you two in this sinister room.

"I don't know if you are too brave ou just too dumb" he didn't turn to face you. The cold tone boomed loud within your ears and you felt cornered.

Forget the god thing. The man in front of you was the demon himself.

"What do you mean?" You asked, brows furrowing when suddenly, his enraged features loomed over you, even from afar.

"Don't fucking play dumb. I've warned you to stay out of my way" his menacing stare made the breath hitch in your throat "Where is the fucking folder?"

"I don't know what are you talking about!" You meekly replied, seeing his body growing close to yours.

"Thats it. You have a death wish." He merely stated "You're the only enemy inside this fucking house"

Without knowing what was going on, you didn't stand a chance to defend yourself. You tried opening your mouth in protest but your brain didn't come up with anything.

"Listen. I don't have the time to play whatever game you and those brothers of yours are planning." Sakusa scowled "In the first opportunity, you get to screw up. Fascinating."

"I don't even know what you're talking about" the cry left your mouth and your body trembled. The man before you grimaced at your outburst. He let out an exasperated breath, still trying to keep his cool.

"Do you expect me to believe you? Fine, I'll play along, then" He sat at the imposing chair behind his desk "The manila folder that was on this desk was stolen. You're the only one inside this house who has reasons to take it."

"It wasn't me! I never entered this room before!" You retorted, anxiety crawling in your skin. He fished his cellphone from his pockets, reading whatever on his screen

"Can't be proven, though it looks like we didn't find anything in your stuff–"

"Wait! You fucking messed with my things?" You cut him off in rage, observing him reaching over for a flask on the wooden surface.

"Well, you messed with mine first." He said while rubbing some hand sanitizer on his palms.

You rolled your eyes at his antics.

"Whatever" and then turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" The sarcastic voice filled your ears, making your steps to halt "As much as I despise it, you won't be out of my sight anytime soon"

God, You trully hated it here.

It was nighttime and true to his words, neither Sakusa nor Komori left you alone for the whole day.

Their presence was unnerving, to say the least, and everytime they talked to each other, you body went stiff.

Their speech wasn't explicit as you thought it would be. Both of them treated the matter as if they were making normal business instead of some yakuza stuff.

It didn't sound violent.

But you knew better.

"Have Fukuroudani made contact yet?" The Oyabun asked.

"Yes. Konoha told me they will be waiting by eleven" Komori peered at his watch "One hour to go. We should get going, then"

Sakusa turned his attention to you.

"Go get changed. We're leaving in ten minutes."

You did as you were told; black would do, you decided. Grabbing a wool coat and a satin scarf, you were ready to go.

Why the hell Tokyo nights were so cold at this time of year?

In the living room, Sakusa and Komori were waiting for you.

"Man, bringing [Name] along will be a pain" the brown haired male said while stretching.

"The stolen docs were about this meeting. We gotta bring her along if Inarizaki tries to do something" The taller one reasoned.

"Ah shit, this is so fucked up. I dont know how you agreed to it" Komori lamented.

Being honest, neither Sakusa did.

"Why do I have to tag along?" Your voice startled them. Your husband scowled at you while Komori opened the front door, both males ignoring your question.

A sleek black car was waiting for you three. Komori took the driver seat and Sakusa sat on passenger's side. You found comfort in the beige leather of the backseat, appreciating the warmth provided by the air conditioned.

"Shouldn't we bring more men with us?" The Kobun asked.

"There's a back up car in downtown. They can reach us in no time if something comes up" Sakusa said while covering his face with a mask "Also, I doubt someone would dare to mess with both Fukurodani and Itachiyama" He spared a glance at you through the rearview mirror.

You sighed. Anxiety didn't let you be for the whole day and now, fear was taking its toll on you.

With your temple resting on the window, you observed the city lights.

You loved Tokyo and how bright it was, although, you loved the suburbs even more; the industrial aesthetic and the narrow streets brought you the comfort you didn't feel in the last three months.

You lived here for your whole life, after all.

It wasn't a surprise when you spotted the building you used to live in.

A surge of homesickness found its place in your guts and your chest constricted in longing.

The drive lasted five more minutes before Komori parked the car by a hangar. When you lived in this neighbourhood, the place was deem abandoned with its vandalized walls and rusty gates. But inside there, you found our the interior was really neat, proving you wrong.

"Sakusa-san, Komori-san!" A blonde male came into view, eyeing you with wariness. "I see you brought your lady tonight. It's a pleasure having you here, miss" the indifferent tone of his voice said otherwise, tough.

You merely noded at him while the heads of Itachiyama greeted the man.

"Shall we start, then?"The blond asked before opening a door to your right. You felt unsettled knowing they wouldn't want your presence there.

"As you wish, Konoha-san" was all Sakusa said while a woman appeared out of nowhere.

"I'm afraid your wife would be pretty bored in our meeting. Yukie here will keep her company for the time being." The man Konoha pointed at the brunette with short hair. Sakusa sent you a hard stare before entering the room.

You both sat on some wooden boxes filled with god knows what. You eyes wandered through the hole place, trying to find something entertaining.

The woman hadn't said anything for a whole eternity before breaking the silence.

"So, Miya-san, huh?" The way she said the damned name tickled you off.

"I'm no Miya"

"Yeah, I know. I've heard of you" Yukie chuckled, looking at you with despise. You cocked a brow ate her.

"Sure you did" She was about to retort before the door was open again.

"Well, it's always a pleasure to make business with Itachiyama. We will see you off, then" Konoha said before reaching for the exit.

It was long past midnight when the meeting ended. The five of you were by the gates, Konoha and Komori doing some chit-chat, when four people appeared out of nowhere, knives in their hands.

"Ara, ara. look at these yakuza big shots" A man with an undercut said, fidgeting with the blade between his fingers. In your periferic vision you saw Yukie running back to the hangar and the three men by your side reaching for the guns by their hips.

Among the other four, a figure seemed familiar to you.

"Kuribayashi Runa" The name left your lips in a whisper. The female let out a mocking laugh and Sakusa frowned at you.

"Explain" Your husband immediatelly demanded, grimacing.

"She is the new maid working in your house. Today was her first day." Runa scoffed at your reply.

"Do I look like a maid to you, bitch?" And then, everything went into slow motion.

The woman came in your direction, holding the knife high in the air whilst you stepped backwards, being cornered by the gate.

You saw the blade glinting under the street lights and saw it aiming for your chest.

But it never came.

A hand pushed you downwards and you fell to the ground along a clattering sound. Sakusa's shadow loomed over you, trying to evade the knife.

By your left, you saw Konoha and Komori fighting the other guys, their guns useless in a hand-to-hand fight.

The adrenaline rushed through your bloodstream, your mind going frantic. It felt like one of those life or death situations you faced in the surgery room.

How can I save someone's life right now?

You saw Sakusa's pistol laying on the ground next to you. He and the woman were a couple of inches from your body.

You knew what you had to do.

With your leg reaching forward, you made her trip. The knife she held was kicked away by your husband.

"Sakusa! Watch out for Komori!" And you threw the gun at him.

A second too late, the bang echoed and an agonizing scream ripped through the night.

By your left, Runa and two of the guys were already running away.

The man Komori fought collapsed to the ground clutching his leg and cursing under his breath.

But the most disturbing sight was the way Komori held his arm, whimpering and cursing while his right hand clutched the knife's handle.

The blade tore his flesh and crossed the limb right next to its joint, in a weird angle.

Yukie came back, carrying a rope and a pistol.

"I sent some of our men to their direction." She said while helping Konoha to restrain the guy who attacked you.

"What the fuck you guys want?" The blond asked before kicking the man in his guts. The latter spat blood, giving a crooked smile at Konoha.

"Johzenji is coming" Was all he said before passing out.

"Yukie, carry him to the basement." He ordered "Since it happened on our territory, we will be investigating the incident. We count with Itachiyama's cooperation and will keep you updated" Konoha bowed at Sakusa, before rushing back to the building.

Komori was still on his knees, head hanging low. A grunt went past his lips and you knew what he was doing.

"Komori! Don't!" But again your shout came too late and the man ripped the knife away from his limb. Blood rushed through his fingers and dampened the suit he wore. "Fuck" you rushed to his side, Sakusa's features going livid.

"We gotta take him to a hospital" you said.

"No!" Komori croaked out, getting a hold of your arm. You knew what he meant, but you also knew what could definetely happen if he ignored the situation.

Sakusa was frozen in front of you two, unsure of what to do. You took a deep breath, mustering up all the courage you had.

"You have to trust me, then" you held the brown haired male by his torso and gave Sakusa a determined glare.

The oyabun noded at you and it was all the assurance you needed before ripping out Komori's blazer and transforming your scarf into a tourniquet.

In your old apartment, you ushered the two males inside, taking them both to your kitchen.

Sakusa sat the Kobun in a chair while you went to another room. A minute later, you brought two metallic cases, some flasks and a first aid box.

In the cupboards you took a flask of alcohol and squeezed it to the table, wipping it with some gauzes.

Positioning Komori's arm over the wooden surface, you sterilized his wounds with povidone and then turned your attention to Sakusa.

"I'll start it now" before proceeding to the sink. Sakusa admired the movements you made while washing your hands "I need you to do the same" and he complied.

The male helped you to put the gloves and mask on and to set your instruments over the table.

Looking at Komori, you realized he passed out in spite of the pain. The blood loss wasn't huge, but you did not knew why he fell unconcious.

You prepared two syringes of anesthesics. Sakusa sent you a weird glare, brows furrowing at you.

"Don't look at me like this. I'm a surgeon you know" and then you did the infusion. "Its not that weird if I have some hospital shit at home".

You opened the cut with a scalpel. Scrutinizing at the wound, you saw the artery was hit.

"Thank god." You let out a breath of relief, realizing the damage was little. It didn't need an anastomosis, so some stiches would do. "The ulnar artery was hit but it won't be too hard to fix. Although, I can't tell if there's a nerve damage" and you started to close the vessel's lesion.

You observed if there was any muscle or tendon damages and proceeded to suture the gashes, making sure the procedure was well done. You then patched it up and imobilized the limb with a makeshift splint, before undoning the tourniquet.

"Let's take him to my bedroom" With that, you both carried the unconcious man to your bed. "I need to check him overnight and– Shit! Your face!" It was just now you realized he had a gash on his cheek.

Sakusa flinched, feeling the blood drying over his skin and dampening the mask he used. He removed the cloth and observed the cut with the front camera of his phone. He frowned at the sight.

"It can get an infection and leave a nasty scar. Do you want me to patch it up?" You offered after checking Komori's blood pressure and his heartbeat.

A please left his lips in a whisper.

You both went back to the kitchen and you used a new set of tools. Holding his face between your gloved hands, you admired his facial features.

Sakusa was pretty.

Almost ethereal with his thin nose, almond eyes and thick brows. In addition, te two moles on his forehead complimented his beauty.

You snapped out of your reverie, getting to work.

"Finished. This kind of suture won't leave a visible scar" you said cutting the thread and reinforcing the stitch with tape.

Your finger lingered a bit longer on the apple of his cheek. Sakusa grabbed your hand and held it for a while before getting away from you and settling himself on your couch. You ignored the ghost of his touch on your skin and went back to check on Komori.

That night, Sakusa realized that no one ever handled him with such care, as if he was made of fine china.

I like that touch, he decided.

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