#idk if i want to bring breakfast with me or get a breakfast sandwich when i get there and scarf it down before my exam

[the-gayest-sky-kid]

thinking about what it means to love someone so much and to know them better than they know themself. thinking about it

[bloomingbluebell]

ochem final is first thing tomorrow morning

i have barely reviewed. i'm leaving at about 6am because i don't trust rush hour traffic (exam is at 8:30am. it usually takes me about an hour and a half to get there and i end up catching the tail end of morning rush hour). i should prepare tonight so i don't have to worry about it tomorrow morning.

my alarm goes off at 5am 🥲

at the very least, i feel more comfortable and sure going into this exam than i did last time i took organic chem. last time, i was desperately reviewing reaction mechanisms on the skytrain. now i'm just like "if i die, i die" (although i do genuinely feel more confident in the course material. i'm just not sure if i'll be able to catch my mistakes. i have the time. i'm gonna take it)

[thefanficmonster]

Idk if this is too much? Carmy having a crush and finding out or trying to help you with an eating disorder?

TW - ED talk below the cut

Hi dear, no worries, this is perfectly ok. I have been dealing with an eating disorder for three years now and I feel like being able to finally honestly express it via my fics will be therapeutic for me. Hope you enjoy these headcanons💕

Pairing: Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto x Reader (Gender Neutral) [The Bear]

Warnings: Discussions and Symptoms of an ED as well as the healing process, Swearing, Mentions of Anxiety

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Comfort Fluff, Angst

Summary: see request above

Now that he's staring at undoubtable proof, running the reel of the last few months in his brain reveals there were many more hints he should've picked up on

The endless busying, all the declined invitations to go have dinner with the staff of The Bear, recipes you didn't want to try when he asked you for an opinion

He skipped out on the group dinner last night, opting to bring sandwiches home so the two of you can enjoy them together and finally spend some quality time with one another

A proper conversation hadn't been had in a while - you went over serious subjects like the bills and rent, the paychecks he has to give his staff, the paycheck you still haven't received etc.

Both of you had been so engrossed in the chatter, Carmy didn't think twice of it when you'd proclaimed you'd hit the hay and excused yourself to wash your plate while he finished his sandwich

Ten minutes later, he went to wash his own plate, but when he went to throw the napkin in the bin, amidst a pile of napkins and receipts peeked out the practically whole sandwich he'd thought you had eaten

For a moment he wonders if the sandwich was the problem

And then he issues an investigation

He checks the box of cereal only you eat in the mornings - unopened despite it being bought a week prior

Unopened milk carton

A full pack of eggs, once again purchased a while ago

His question was semi-answered, but the last thing he wanted to do was jump to conclusions

So he called Sydney to tell her he'd be a bit late the next day

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

Mumbling to yourself as you enter the living room, dressed and ready for work, you yelp when you see a figure sat on the couch, looking at you

"Damn it, Carmy, you scared the shit out of me. What are you doing here?" You question, a hand coming up to rest on your chest, feeling it race under your palm

Your boyfriend shrugs, "We always miss each other in the mornings, so I thought I'd change that. Made us breakfast and all."

He sees something in your expression wilt, but he has not time to dwell on it because your words certainly back it up

"I gotta get to work, I don't wanna be late, my boss will screech his lungs out." You barely give him a moment to process your response before bypassing him to the foyer

"You have to eat, Y/N. That asshole be damned." He protests, following you in the hall

"I'll grab something along the way."

"I know you won't." His tone coupled with his words send a chill down your spine, stopping you in the process of putting on your shoes

He's noticed

"I didn't want you to worry." He rolls his eyes at your words, sipping his coffee

"I always worry." You'd negotiated you'll only have one pancake and a cup of coffee

He didn't argue which was a relief

"I know, thanks mom."

The easy conversation you'd used to distract him from your avoidance of the food last night is now used on you

Because when he slips another pancake on your plate, you don't complain, engrossed in gossiping about your coworkers

There's a long way to go into being able to accept yourself and feed your body the way it deserves without the need for a distraction

But with a support system such as Carmy, you're given the comfort it'll be at least a bit easier to bear emotionally and physically

[billkaulitzwife]

More Stupid Shit My Friends and I Have Said Feat. The Outsiders

Ponyboy

"Are you seriously on fucking Tomodachi life rn."

"What's your tit size? I MEANT KITTEN BITE. I MEANT WHAT DOES YOUR KITTEN BITE."

"If I had a nickel for every time I got confused I'd be a fucking millionaire."

Sodapop

"I'm mad at you now. I was watching a Livestream of a bird eating and I had to click on your notification."

"I don't own the cat. The cat owns me"

"I love fruit. Why? My boyfriends a fucking fruitbowl, c'mon now."

Darry

"Shit I burnt the grilled cheese." *Goes outside and throws it at a squirrel* "Eat it or I'll kill you."

"What the fuck do you mean Johnny's getting married to Elvis??"

"I've never had a soda so when my mom brings soda home we all worry."

"You caused a Chain reaction. You got suspended last week then Pony tells me 10 girls got suspended today."

Addie

"I tried to quit smoking. Yeah didn't last long."

"What animal are Teletubbies?"

"They call me grilled cheese cuz I make a mean one."

Dallas

"They call you queen bee cuz u been fuckin all of 'em."

"Next time I see Cherry Valance I'm throwing a box of cherries at her. Bitch."

"What animal is Mickey Mouse?"

Johnny

"How the fuck do people on Discord have my Snapchat, too."

"If I had a nickel for everytime I worried you guys I'd be in California."

"Guys I'm almost 17 :)"

Two-Bit

"Nuh-uh."

"I guess you could say that I am... a little silly in the morning."

*Talking to Steve while high* "Did you see how high Addie was this morning at school?"

"If I had a Nickel."

Steve

"I had a grilled cheese for breakfast."

"I'm not gay but my boyfriend is."

"If I had a Nickel for everytime I had something on my face I'd be on a yacht right now instead of staring at y'all's ugly bitch asses."

-_-_-_-_-_-

Addie: I know how to shoot a shotgun.

Darry: HOW?

Steve and Dallas, in the corner: 😳

-_-_-_-_-_-

Steve: That grilled cheese was good. Thanks Ads.

Addie: I made one and you live a mile away.

-_-_-_-_-_-

*Dallas and his mom in an argument*

His Gramma: *Sends a weird Facebook meme.*

Dallas: 🤓

-_-_-_-_-_-

Dallas: I remember when I used to sit on Santa's lap.

Johnny: Just like when some adult man made me sit on his!

Everyone else: 😥

-_-_-_-_-_-

Steve: Hey, hun did you check on the kids?

Sodapop: Hey, twins, Johnny, dinner's almost ready.

-_-_-_-_-_-

Darry: Top four animals

Addie: Kittens, frogs, turtles... Beluga.

Two-Bit: Birds-

Addie: BIRDSSSSSS OH MY GOD HOWD I FORGE-

-_-_-_-_-_-

Steve: I want a toasted cheese sandwich.

Pony: A fucking grilled cheese?

-_-_-_-_-_-

*Curtises hanging with their cousins*

The ginger cousin: I need to know what animal I would be and why.

Sodapop: LEPRECHAUN

Pony: A whale.

Cousin: HEY

-_-_-_-_-_-

Darry Curtis (active 4 hours ago): Phones on the tabke when you get home.

Ponyboy McLovin Curtis (Active Now): WHAT DID I DO

addie curtis (Active Now): are you serious.

Coca-Cola (Active Now): what happened

Darry Curtis (Active Now): None of you. Dallas and Steve.

Daddy dallas winston(Active.): is it cuz I took addie out to dinner or because we went to the shooting range after

Stevie (Active): I wasnt thwre i promise

Darry Curtis: what is this then *sends a picture of addie and dallas holding guns like bonnie and clyde while Steve is in the middle smiling huge*

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

guys i made a grilled cheese for the first time so These are mostly shit ive said. also ive found tumblr to actually be a safe space so idk.

[vivaladicamillo]

CELEBRATING DUNNS BIRTHDAY W/ THE CKY CREW

js a little blurb for ryans birthday! crazy how he would be 46 today :((, i miss him a lot everyday but hey at least today dico finally posted on the internet again! but hope u enjoy this little blurb abt u being ryans friend/partner and celebrating his birthday with him :))

WARNINGS: alcohol, drugs, thats it.

———————————————————

ryan when it comes to birthdays is kinda complicated

hes absolutely fine with spending his whole birthday comfy in bed, listening to music and relaxing

bc as we all know the man hates people

but he also loves his friends

so having a day were they all js hang out, talk, tell stories and maybe even have a few drinks together like old times is also just as good

hes not super complicated or would want any type of crazy over the top birthday

u could give him a jar of dirt for his birthday and he’d be like “thanks i was looking to start a in house jar garden anyways”

so when u and bam had to come together to plan a party for his 28th birthday

IT WAS ONN

u knowing ryan very well knew he wouldnt wanna do any big things involving strangers so probably no clubs

as u and bam talked it out yall decided to wake him up early. take him to breakfast, drive up to the country side and go camping in a field

bam knew a guy who knew a guy who had a field they can use, it was actually the same field that would become “state of bam” in viva la bam

so u call up the guys (minus ryan bc u and bam wanted it to be a surprise) and tell them the plan

everyones was so hyped

rake was bringing music, bam was bringing booze, raab was bringing the gear, dico was entertainment (yes he brought a whole ass speaker and mic to sing ryan happy birthday with) and u were in charge of the food

for food, once again u knew ryan like it simple, js some pizzas, wings, sandwiches, yk things that u could easily have at hand, but u also brought some things to cook over the fire like chicken and steak bc ITS A CAMPING TRIP!

u also brought cake and smoores stuff!

the plan was perfect!

early the next morning, u and bam get to ryans house, its abt 8:00 in the morning

the two of u find his spare key and sneak in, making ur way towards the basement where his room is

you and bam had stopped at the dollor tree to get hats and balloons and noise makers

so as u two snuck closer to his bed bam got the camera out and u counted

“ 3…2…1…”

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” the two of u screamed and blew into the noise makers making ryan almost fly outta bed

“come on ry get dressed and oack a bag its gonna be a long day” you say

“…… how did u guys get into my house??” ryan says

you immediately point towards bam like a child getting rid of the blame on their sibling

after ry gets dressed and gets a small bag the three of u hop in the car and drive to the local ihop

“dont worry guys bills on me” bam says

“no way free ihop, thanks guys this is actually sick” ryan says not even being sarcastic

the three of yall sit down and get to talking, ryan ends up getting strawberry pancakes with a side of bacon bam gets some crazy fucking waffle that also has a face for some odd reason and u just get [whatever u want from ihop idk ur preference]

after breakfast and a lot of talking and story telling the three of u leave, with bam paying lol, and head to the final destination

ryan was fully convinced that u guys were hiring a hitman to take him out or something when bam started driving to the country side

it was always out of character for bam to PAY for something that didnt have to benefit him in some way

but u assured him from the backseat that nobody was gonna take him out

after a long ride of listening to rys fav bands you guys arrive and see raab and rake sitting on chairs around a fire pit while dico is up waving his arms around probably doing a skit to pass the time while waiting for u guys to arrive

“SURPRISE RYAN!” bam and u say

ryan was kinda in shock, growing up he lived in the country side (ohio) and used to go camping with his dad and brother a lot

“wow guys…i havent been camping since i was like ten, let alone with friends, thanks guys!” he gives the bpth of u a warm smile

the three of u meet with the rest of the group, all of them ready to give ryan their gifts

rake had gotten ryan these sick new glasses, the were similar to the ones he usually wears but in gold and black

raab got him a drawing of himself, painted from a guy he new and it looks sick, ryan was in shades of blue with a yellow background

dico got him a few graphic tees, some with just text on it (one saying mustang girl in glittery font) to shirts of his favorite bands

bam got ryan a bunch of cool mod decals for his cars, he also got him some things to mod his cars with, tools and such

and you got ryan 2 plane tickets to go to iceland, and a tour package thing to sight see and go to some new places the crew and him had never seen before, u told him he could pick anyone to go with him, from the crew, family, anyone it was his choice

he was so happy with all his gifts, they were all perfect but he liked urs the best, he ended up picking u to go on the trip with leaving bam to in the future by his own ticket so he could go with u (hes not missing a trip to iceland ofc)

after the gift opening the party begins

the night consisted drinking, dancing to music rake brought, telling jokes and stories, smoking a bit of weed and bran freestyling his heart out

it was a perfect night

the rest of the crew went to bed at 3:00am, dico being first then raab then rake then bam

u and ryan had stayed up still talking, watching the sky and reminiscing on early days

the two of u ended up falling asleep on a blanket in front of the first while star gazing

u had ur head on ryans shoulder as u was talking it made u fall asleep bc his voice was so calming

when he looked over u and were sleeping he wasnt mad

he pulled u closed and started to doze off himself

“thank you, so much, for the perfect birthday y/n.” he whispered as u slept

you really knew him well, he was so glad to have u in his life

the next morning the guys found the two of u put there, surrounded by red cups

but even tho u guys got woken up to the crew poking fun at u two

it didnt matter

because ryan was happy, his birthday went beautifully

and thats all that mattered to u

ryan being happy

—————————————

hope yall enjoyed the little drabble i decided to write out of nowhere. i promise u guys a pt 2 to the bams sister story will be coming soon, also a bam/reader/ryan will DEF be coming soon i js have been studying for finals week so ive been hella busy, with this story i tried my hardest to add some actual facts into it, like ryan living in ohio, the gifts he got, the things they did, etc,. sorry if its not exactly accurate i tried lol, see ya guys!

[demiboy-dean-winchester]

I don’t know enough about destiel to do them but you probably do! Go for it! Or if you prefer you could do spirk (I think that’s the name?)

i can do destiel!!! (tho if you want me to do spirk too you can send me another ask 👀)

- Gives nose/forehead kisses

definitely cas. and dean blushes like crazy

- Gets jealous the most

i feel like they would both get jealous equally, but my first instinct was dean. every time cas gets some action in the show dean looks jealous as hell lmao

- Picks the other up from the bar when they’re too drunk to drive

cas for sure. especially in the earlier seasons when he cant really get drunk lmao

- Takes care of on sick days

i feel like they would do this equally. dean is very much the Mom Friend and would fuss over cas if he got sick but equally cas loves taking care of dean so.

- Drags the other person out into the water on beach day

dean. but cas would Not put up a fight.

- Gives unprompted massages

probably cas? idk he seems like the more tactile of the two ig

- Drives/rides shotgun

DEAN ALWAYS DRIVES. ALWAYS. NO ONE TOUCHES BABY NOT EVEN HIS BF

- Brings the other lunch at work

cas for sure. he would cut deans sandwiches in the shape of hearts and leave cheesy love notes in there and everything

- Has the better parental relationship

OH NO. NEXT QUESTION.

- Embarrassingly drunk dancer

absolutely dean. and cas watches him with the biggest heart eyes

- Still cries watching Titanic

DEAN. I SAID WHAT I SAID

- Firmly believes in couples costumes

again, dean. the amount of times he puts cas in a silly little outfit or gives him a hat, and the amount of glee he gets from wearing costumes?? no question

- Breaks the expensive gift rule during Christmas

both of them. they're like right we are agreeing on a Budget this year. and then neither of them stick to it and they both get offended

- Makes the other eat breakfast

dean. feeding people is what he does

- Remembers anniversaries

hmm. tricky one. i feel like cas is either the best with dates or awful at it. i mean, the guy has existed since the beginning of time. he either remembers every single day in excruciating detail or everything kinda blurs into one. i cant decide which

- Brings up having kids

i feel like dean would want kids more than cas does but wouldnt bring it up. cas would be like dean i know you want a kid i see the way you look at babies i am knocking you up. i mean. what? who said that...

[tuxedokit]

Give me all of your Raz & Dion siblinghood softness. I would like to Feel Things

you love me so much. this might just delve into dion older sibling softness but here ya go

dion reads them all bedtime stories every night. raz will snuggle up right against them, under one arm while they read.

they have dinner around a campfire i think. one they build. i like to think, on good nights, dion will sing for everyone. they all join in. songs like The Cat Came Back or Sandwiches or My Grandfather's Clock (i have a soft spot for dion singing fred penner songs to the young ones cause i grew up listening to those to fall asleep)

i mentioned it elsewhere but clingy barnacle raz just. attaching himself to dion brings me joy.

after the events of pn2, when raz finally falls asleep... Dion protects that kid with her life. "you let my little brother rest or so help me god youll wish youd never met me"

SPEAKING OF PROTECTIVE when dion finds out what the interns did??? ough it is NOT gonna be pretty... at least, you'd think. but what if, instead of going on the attack, dion let frazie do the aggressing (idk she seems like she would be more keen on it. shes fiercely loyal like that i think), and focused on making sure her baby brother is okay? first asking if mom and dad know, do you want them to know, do you want me to tell them? then leading on to making sure her baby brother knows thats not okay, that they are in the wrong for all of it.

dion reminding him that, yes, you made mistakes, but Razputin you are ten years old. You are a child, the adults should have taken responsibility, baby brother you're not a bad person because teenagers manipulated you into doing something harmful. You were in the wrong, but so were they, and they should not be putting all the blame on you.

dion being surprisingly good in the kitchen, making breakfast for the parents and the kids when mom and dad were busy with paperwork. raz gets sick, theres big brother dion with homemade soup, not too hot, holding baby raz until he feels all better

[cheesus-doodles]

Hey, It's me, the one that sent the time traveling ask, I've sent one related to it but it was days ago, idk if you seen it. Anyways, I have another idea. Platonic Toman darling who's a former leader of another powerful gang. The current members of the gang are begging for her to come back since its not what it used to be and the darling caved in to them since she also sees the gang as her friends, lmao sorry sorry for dumping my ideas to you I just need to get these ideas out of my head

also if you want to see what the boys look like, click here!

‎‎‎

Recommended Readings: A Friend In Me Part 1 ; Red Dragonflies Masterlist

Masterlist

‎‎‎

Yandere Platonic Toman Boys with Former Gang Leader Darling ‎

"Please boss, please consider." Your former right-hand man all but begged, body bowed at a ninety degree angle to you, trembling arms folded and clutched tightly behind his back. It was strange to see him in anything besides that signature crimson jacket, but you had to admit that it was at least a nice change of pace for once to see him in more casual clothes. Sighing, you adjusted your shoulder bag strap yet again, before lifting your arm for a glance at your watch. With the sun just about creeping over the horizon, the night was quickly giving way to a baby blue sky. As you thought, it was really both too early and too late to be dealing with this. Time was ticking, and at this rate, you were going to be late for school. “The gang ain’t going to last much longer.”

"Furu, when I said you could always come to me when you needed help, this wasn’t what I meant." You glanced at your watch again when the other failed to react, swallowing the yawn that you felt building at the back of your throat. Tick tock, tick tock. "I don't know what you want of me. And stop calling me boss, I'm retired."

At least bringing that up seemed to have caught his attention effectively, and the man straightened back up instantly, the crease in his brows that had been there since he appeared in front of your house deepening. "But -"

"And I have been, for almost two years." You interjected, folding your arms across your chest, your breakfast packed neatly in a simple brown paper bag still clutched tightly in one fist. “You know that.”

Silence was your only response, though you could see the gears turning in his mind; no doubt he was already considering and plotting on how to convince you otherwise. Yet, unlike you, there was no such indication in his unreadable eyes or on his face. Furu had always kept his cards very close to his chest. It was just that you knew your right-hand man - your former right-hand man, you corrected mentally - and oldest friend too well for him to hide anything from you.

Taking the opportunity to turn around to close and lock your main door, you waved at him to walk with you, and he fell into step immediately with well-practiced ease, lifting your school bag off your shoulders and slinging it across one broad shoulder. The morning breeze was cold against your skin, and you shivered slightly as you bit into your sandwich, pulling your jacket closer around you.

It was an extraordinary stroke of luck you were experiencing, you thought, silently thanking your lucky stars that none of your other friends was free for your usual ride, or walk, to school, the mode of transport usually depending on who turned up that morning. Catching Furu outside your house, you knew, would have never gone down well, and you rather not have to deal with that particular aftermath at this time of the day.

Your footsteps were almost like angel’s kisses, light and barely audible next to Furu’s heavy, pounding ones against the pavement, and the stares and whispers you got today as you travelled down your usual morning route, munching away on your breakfast, were especially apparent. Although you hated the attention - you always had - at the same time, you couldn’t really blame them. The two of you certainly looked as out of place as you felt - a middle-school goer and a man that easily towered over everyone else, tattoos running down his toned neck and arms, his fabulously long side swept hair being tossed every way in the wind. Without as much as a second thought, sandwich now safely held in one hand, you passed the now empty paper bag to Furu, who automatically folded it up neatly and tucked it away into his pants pocket before you realized what you had done.

But you gave no indication of acknowledging what had happened, refusing to turn around to look at that stupid smug grin you just knew your gigantic friend had on, instead opting to just curse your slip mentally. It seemed that you slipped ever so close into reverting into who you had been with Furu at your side. And yet, you couldn't say for certain that you hated it either. It had always been him and you after all, for as far back as you could remember up till when you swore to leave that life behind, and you would be lying to yourself if there weren’t occasions that you missed those times.

Another sigh slipped out from your lips before you could stop yourself, and you popped the last of your sandwich into your mouth in a desperate attempt to stop this seemingly endless cycle of thinking and sighing. Now standing in front of your middle school gates, the furthest that Furu could technically go - you were sure if you asked him to, he wouldn’t hesitate to walk you all the way to your homeroom - you chewed slowly, your thoughts wandering, mixing and mingling with memories. Once again, through sheer habit alone, you mindlessly accepted the offered water bottle from him, taking a sip to clear your mouth of your breakfast before handing it back. And this time, Furu couldn’t help but chuckle when he caught you throwing an annoyed look at your hands, and although he quickly threw both arms up in surrender when you turned your annoyance at him, his amusement never left his face.

The irritation at your muscle memory, displayed all too clearly on your face, was quickly replaced with a look of consideration. Furu knew those flickering looks all too well from past late-night strategic meetings - those where you sat and listened and thought about the future of the gang; the light breeze that had you shivering just a few minutes ago was now all but a minor irritant as you worked through your thoughts and decisions. You had always worn your heart on your sleeve, Furu thought, even as he held out your school bag to you, and that had always been one of your endearing qualities. It seemed no matter how you tried to change, to leave your past - and them - behind, you were still you deep down.

And when your eyebrows finally furrowed, and your eyes tightened in determination, Furu knew he had you.

“Fine. One chance, Furu. Convince me why I should come back.”

Hope. The first he’s felt in weeks, maybe months, blossoming in his chest, just like the sun that burst over the top of your school building, flooding the courtyard with the light of a new day. Yet before said man could even speak, you had one finger up, and he snapped his mouth right back shut with a click. “But not right now. Come round, uh, one moment -"

Fishing your phone out from your pocket, you popped it open, squinting at the seemingly packed calendar on the small screen against the glare of the rising sun shining, seemingly following you as you turned this way and that, only to have the light either on your screen or in your eyes. Furusawa helpfully moved to block the light, and you shot him a quick, grateful smile before turning your attention back down to the screen. Several clicks, most likely of you scrolling down your schedule, before your face smoothed out into a satisfied grin, and you shifted your gaze back up to him. "After class ends today would be good. We can speak then.”

Snatching your offered bag from his hands and slipping it over one shoulder, all he could do was watch on as you patted down and straightened out your skirt. And just for the briefest moment, it brought him back - back to when it was just you and him. Back when he would be the one to walk you to your elementary school everyday, where you ratted off the first thoughts that popped into your head even as you sleepily rested on his, patting down your skirt after the ride he gave you on his shoulders. Back when you still gave him an enthusiastic wave off at your school gates before you ran to class, sometimes even letting him carry you all the way to your homeroom, with one look from him scaring the soul out from students to teachers alike. But alas, Furusawa was rudely yanked back to reality when the school bell went off indoors, its shrieking audible even all the way from the school gates. Cursing, you looked down at your watch again. “Gotta run.”

Spinning around, the muscles on your calves clenching as you readied yourself to make a break for it, but you froze right as you were about to push off - what seemed like a sudden thought breaking your focus, and you turned your head round yet again to meet his gaze.

“And go to school, Furu.” You mentioned pointedly, raising an eyebrow when all he could do in response was rub the back of his head and look away, the light blush he knew that reddened his face beyond his control, but a good indicator to you that he had been caught in the act yet again. One could only wonder how many days he had actually spent in school over the past two years. “Catch ya later.”

The second and final bell went off, and with that, you dashed off cursing and swearing, leaving him standing by the gates as you hurriedly switched out your shoes and made a run for your homeroom. You really never did change.

Whistling and tucking his hands into his pockets, the sunlight seemed to shine brighter as Furu started on his way back to your place, the wind now a gentle breeze that kissed his skin and caressed his hair. Seems like it was time for school for him too.

‎

‎

The school day seemed to fly by faster than normal; you could have sworn it had just been homeroom a few blinks ago, and the lunch bell now screeching in the hallways caught you completely off guard. Outside the window where you sat, staring outside for what must have been hours at a time, the sun was now king of the sky, hanging high and scorching the earth, though the heat was somewhat dulled inside the confines of your school. Maybe it was from just being caught up in your own head and thoughts, a compelling theory since you had barely noticed Draken waiting for you outside your classroom, your schoolmates only pausing to give him a cautious wide berth as they flowed past him in a stream of people towards the cafeteria. The aftermath of his previous beatings, barely conscious bodies littered across various corridors, had been clear for all to see, and even clearer in their minds - there were basically no delinquents left in your school that weren’t already part of Toman after the numerous rounds of ass whippings handed out.

If he hadn’t snatched the back of your school uniform as you passed by in a daze, you probably would have stumbled all the way to the cafeteria with the rest of the crowd before realizing that you haven’t eaten there in a long time, and that you were alone for the first time in an even longer time.

Letting out a yelp as you were momentarily lifted off your feet by your collar, the wall clock still had the opportunity for a few more ticks before you seemingly came back to your senses, shaking off the lingering thoughts at the forefront of your head and the almost trance you had been in since the morning, and turning your full attention back to your awaiting friend.

“Ahh sorry Ken-chin! Was lost in my own world for a bit there.” You held up the two bento boxes that you had packed securely away in your bag earlier that morning, once again silently offering up your thanks to whoever out there was watching over you that Furu hadn’t caught you holding those boxes when he ambushed you outside your house - you knew once he had his eyes on your cooking, there was no way you would have arrived at school with both boxes intact, let alone full.

"Something on your mind?" The hustle and bustle of crowded corridors faded more and more with every step that you two took, before silence soon fell, with just yours and Draken's footsteps echoing off empty walls.

"Don't mind me," you let out a hum, the slight clatter of full bento boxes shifting against each other adding to the rebounding cacophony of echoes as you both started to climb the quiet flights of stairs up to your usual lunch spot on the sunny roof. "Just reminiscing a bit on my past, I suppose."

And it was that last line that instantly caught his attention. The sudden burst of sunlight into both your eyes hid the sharpening of Draken’s - and his all too obvious interest - from you, something you would have easily picked up on even if his outward expression didn't give away his thoughts, as you winced, bringing your arm up to shield your tender eyes. Though you were quick to adapt and recover, a blink was all your friend needed to bring his emotions back under his control, schooling his features and relaxing his muscles. “Anything you need to talk about?”

Your past - an opaque, concrete barrier in time that none of your friends could seem to get past. You never spoke about your past, for the most part content to be just a listening ear in conversations, or offered any information on your life before meeting Baji and Mikey, and none of their efforts to fish for more yielded anything but little tantalizing tidbits.

You had revealed once that you had moved previously, from an unsaid part of Tokyo to where you were today, when Baji wondered aloud why that fateful afternoon was the first time he had seen you around. And another time, under the shade of a large tree down by the river banks, when it had just been you and him over a couple of convenience store snacks and drinks, you had mentioned leaving close friends behind in your move. But that was all they had heard, and this sudden reminder of how little they knew about you, even after having been friends for close to two years by now, brought all the questions rampaging straight back to the front of Draken’s mind. What were you hiding in your past? Why were you so reluctant to speak about it? Was there something bothering you that he could help with?

But yet again, even now tucked away in your little favourite corner of the roof, the one overlooking the large field now crowded with students, Draken’s attempts at learning more about you were foiled. “Nothing serious I swear! It's just some random thoughts here and there.”

“Hey, I can see Aki-kun from here!” Laughing as you gingerly transferred a piece of karage from your box into his, Draken didn’t miss the quick change of topic, and the underlying reluctance in your laughter to dig up past memories. Seemed like all he could do at this point was to let it slide, he pondered to himself, ruffling your hair goodnaturedly and chuckling at your playful pout. After all, you were you - you’ve never hidden any secrets from your friends before. So why would you start now?

‎

‎

The rest of the day breezed by as well, and yet again, for the second time in the same day, it was only the school bell going off and the outside hallways starting to fill with students from the neighbouring classes did you realize that your teacher was still droning on. It wasn’t a usual thing for your school activities to drag on past the end of the school day, but there had been some last minute administrative work to be done, and you, having been volunteered against your will (not that you minded anyway), had to rush the signed forms to the teacher’s office before you could leave, something that you hastened to do, weaving your way through the crowds and against the flow of traffic as fast as you could.

Although Mikey and the others generally didn’t mind accompanying you on these trips, helping you with the papers and taking the opportunity to throw a look at your gulping teacher and quavering classmates when they thought you weren’t looking, it wasn’t them you had to worry about today - the boys had reluctantly cancelled all hangouts with you earlier, except lunch evidently, in anticipation of an all-hands gang meeting that you weren’t allowed to participate in. No, this situation was far worse.

Your quick footsteps made little sound against the wooden floor, the corridors now having emptied of most of its crowd as you all but outright ran to the entrance of the school, letting out the breath you didn’t know you had been holding when you spotted Furu's eye catching mob of black and pink hair behind the brick wall of your school compound on your way out.

All you earned for the rushing and running was a lazy smile tossed your way as you rounded the bend of the school gates into his view. And if you had thought it was rare to catch Furusawa in casual clothes, you had to admit to yourself that it was probably even rarer to find him in his scruffy high school uniform, arms crossed and leaning against the brick wall as he waited patiently outside your school gates under the shade of a large tree, tie loosely slipped over his neck and bag lazily flung over one shoulder.

And you couldn’t lie to yourself - it was with nothing but relief that you did find him actually waiting outside the school, even after taking in consideration your schoolmates’ mutters about scary-looking and out-of-place men loitering outside; it was ways better than having Furu trooping around inside looking for you. You still shiver, recalling that one incident where your class had been running late, and Furu had taken it upon himself to storm all the way to your classroom, toss your teacher single-handedly into a wall and in the process, break his glasses, haul you over his shoulder, and make off with you before you could tell him to stop. The next day had been extremely awkward, needless to say, and despite the numerous apologies and the replacement glasses you had express made, you weren’t sure how long it took before you could stop hanging your head in shame every time that teacher looked your way with a suspicious glance.

But alas, it wasn’t Furu who suddenly grew patient since you’ve been away. No, more like a dog on a leash, you thought, desperately trying to suppress the giggle that threatened to spill from your lips as you followed the hand clutching your right hand man’s arm in a death grip back to its surprising owner.

"Hase! You're here too?"

For someone who stood almost as tall as Furusawa, with pale blue side swept hair that stood out easily against the mostly black and brown hair of the student crowd, Hase had still been completely hidden standing behind Furusawa, his slimmer build no match for the other's sheer mass. Finding your former left-hand man and first division captain being the sole thread stopping Furu’s rampage through your school, complete with his signature nonplussed and despairing face, was a welcomed surprise to you - it didn’t even cross your mind that he would accompany Furu here.

Finally being able to release his grasp on the other’s arm, most likely hard enough to give any other human a good bruise in the shape of his handprint but left nothing but a faint red print on Furu, the tired looking man shook out his fingers with a dirty look tossed the other man’s way, before a small grin, one of those only reserved for you, uplifted his usual downturned mouth and he reaching over to ruffle your hair. "Caught this meathead in school for once, knew you had a hand in that, Boss."

The sunlight only seemed to strengthen, and the rays that made it through the overhead tree canopy seemed to catch and dance across Hase’s striped undercut, the alternating blues shining and fading with the light.

“Stop selling me out, Hase.” Snatching your school bag off your back with characteristic vigour, Furu tossed it backwards into Hase’s awaiting arms. And the small smile that graced his face was wiped in that instance, pulled back down into his familiar frown as Hase let out an exasperated groan, his dull eyes all but screaming the inner torture and suffering he was enduring. Even with the unfolding tragedy at having to be the one to take the brunt of Furu’s existence, he still silently turned down your insistence on being able to carry your own belongings, simply swinging it onto one shoulder with a roll of his eyes and the smallest quirk of his lips.

You let out a laugh as Furu swept you up onto his shoulders, one that rang in Hase’s ears clear as crystals, bringing with it a cheer that he forgot he could feel, a special kind of genuine happiness that rejuvenated his old bones. “How bout stopping by that crepe shop I passed by earlier Boss?”

‎

‎

His arms full with groceries and crafting materials, Mitsuya thought he had seen the familiar flash of your hair in the distance from the corner of his eye, sitting atop the shoulders of a towering man. But it had just been the briefest of glances against the glare of the sun in his eyes, and knowing you as well as he did, he assured himself that you would never do something as crude. And so this was brushed off as nothing more than a coincidence, maybe just someone with a similar build to you. He did have chores to finish and things to do before the meeting tonight after all, and time was of the essence.

‎

‎

“Wait, wait. I got this.” The afternoon sun now lower on the horizon, the heat wasn’t as oppressive as it had been just an hour earlier, though you still found it comparatively more tolerable to wait under the shade of the crepe shop’s canvas awning as opposed to the direct sunlight. Still, the humid air was getting to you and Hase, and by the looks of it, the crepe shop employee, his customer-service smile growing more and more strained as Furu continued to struggle with totalling the value of his coins.

Hase was the first to break the silence, sweeping back his hair with a loud sigh, even though everything seemed to bounce back into shape just fine. “You going to stand there for the next two years, Furusawa?”

“Shut up nerd, I’m counting here.”

Much to your amusement, however mild it is as you were slowly baked alive by the heat radiating from the concrete pavement, Hase’s look had soured even more, and he made sure to let Furu know - mumbling rather audibly under his breath about how being able to do simple addition was apparently enough to make him a nerd, before he finally turned his long-suffering gaze on you.

You were next to fold under the combined strength of pity and your growing drowsiness. Tugging Furu’s hand up to where you sat upon his shoulders, you picked through the small mountain of coins with ease, dropping the correct amount in his other open palm within a matter of seconds. “There you go, Furu.”

And instantly, you swore that you saw the shop employee physically deflate as he let go of the breath he had been holding, relief clearly washing over his face as he handed over the crepe with a grateful look shot your way. There had been no other customers behind the three of you - most had taken one look at your odd trio and instantly reevaluated if they had really needed a crepe at this point in time, and the rest had been scared off by the downright evil looks Furu shot them when they dared to even pipe up about hurrying up. Receiving the crepe, which was then gingerly pinched between two fingers, it was immediately offered up to you, which you accepted with a thanks and a pat of his head, the only spot that you could lazily reach without straining.

“Can’t believe you still can’t count fucking money, Furusawa. At 19.” Your unhappy friend grumbled, before letting out another sigh, his third in the matter of a few minutes, when all he received in response was a shrug which lifted you slightly, as they finally started on their journey to your house, the little adventure to the crepe shop having already eaten up the good part of an hour. “You need to stop spoiling him, Boss. This marks his fourth year in high school already.”

“At least he’s trying, Hase.” Came your gentle reply from atop Furusawa’s shoulders, one arm lazily propping up your head, elbow nested among his bi-colored hair, the other holding your afternoon snack, which you quickly brought closer to lick the melting cream lest it dropped atop Furu's hair. Not that your friend would mind, but still. "Besides Furu, you buy the cafeteria lunch yourself don't you?"

"He eats the same goddamn thing everyday!" Came Hase's outraged cry before Furu could reply, quickly followed by more hair ruffling and groans of despair, earning him yet another chuckle from you.

‎

Back in the safety of the confines of your house, you led them up dark unfamiliar steps, yet when the door to your bedroom opened, it was as if they had been plunged straight back into the past, a burst of nostalgia that gushed through their minds as they took in what was a carbon copy of your room from a previous life. You waved them in, even as you delicately slid large windows open to allow the breeze in, before pulling out that small coffee table, the same one that so many talks and discussions had been previously held over, from its corner where you had tucked it away. “Make yourselves at home.”

You didn’t need to say more, Hase setting your school bag down onto your chair, Furu ambling over and plopping down in a spot right below your gigantic windows with a huff, making sure that he was comfortable before reaching over to pull you down into his lap. The light breeze whistled as it seeped in through your cranked windows, and the dropping temperature that came with the setting sun was a welcomed change from the burning afternoon.

It wasn’t long before the crumbs from various snacks were littered across the small coffee table, steaming mugs of tea that you brewed cooling slowly as you and Furu chatting about your day at school, and for a moment, the past two years, and everything that had happened, felt unreal to Hase. Maybe it had just been a dream, maybe you never left them. After all, why would you leave them behind? They were your friends - your closest friends - friends that you loved, that you willingly bore and carried the weight of the world for.

All it took to break the fog that had been clouding Hase’s eyes and memories was a quick, almost lazy, scan of the collection of different sized photos lining your desk and cupboards, and he felt as if he had plunged straight into ice-cold water that shook him awake and back into reality. The school pick up, the walk, the snack break, and even now, seeing you huddled cozily in Furusawa’s lap, as you always had when you were the centre of their world, he had forgotten that it had been two years since then. Your photos weren’t of you and them anymore; replaced instead with what seemed like a group of six boys of various heights and hair color, all with group and individual photos of you and various combinations of guys laughing, huddling, having fun. You seemed to have moved on just fine from them, finding a new group of friends that looked about the same age as you to call your own. The past two years hadn’t been just a figment of his imagination, as much as Hase wanted, as much as he desperately wished for it to be so. No - it had really been two years since you left them behind in your past to forge a new path in life. And yet, here they were again, still hopelessly clinging on to you, unwilling to let you go like you had them, and let your past remain in the past.

“Right, so what brought you boys back to me? Isn’t Shoji still leading the Red Dragonflies?”

Your warm voice cut through the miserable thoughts accumulating at the front of his mind like a hot knife, but all it did was remind your friend of why they were here to begin with, as the almost celebratory mood in your room flipped sombre in mere seconds.

And the story spilled out in an unstoppable torrent of words, Furu’s arms tightening ever so slightly as he relayed the chilling tale of events that unfolded in your time away, tales that struck at your heartstrings. Even though their outward expressions never changed, you could see the torment, the anger, and the worry for the gang that you had built together churning in their eyes, the emotions that underlie every word as they relayed your precious band of friends’ slow march towards collapse. The same gang that you had fought and sweated and bled for once upon a time, the one that you painstakingly put together one man by one man, taking the time to walk the ground and know who you were fighting for. How this death spire all started when Shoji had been ousted by an upstart wannabe delinquent, Kawato Ryo, with one too many connections, who had threatened not only Shoji’s future, but that of his family as well, essentially forcing your hand picked successor into self-exile. How Kawato had brought along and tried to merge his old gang of two hundred or so men into the larger Red Dragonflies gang.

The cups of tea, once hot and steaming, were now stone cold, left forgotten on the coffee table. But you were too busy running your hand soothingly through Hase’s blue locks, allowing him to bury his face into one shoulder, the other shoulder already occupied by Furu resting his chin on you.

“He insulted you. Said you were incompetent, didn’t know how to run a gang for shit. Jun exploded - beat the living crap out of all 50 men Kawato had brought along. I had to step in to stop him from jumping Kawato, but Jun had it by then. Took his division and left.” You could feel Furu’s arms trembling against you even as they tightened around your waist, with anger or worry you couldn’t tell. “Koji stopped turning up for meetings a while back too after that.”

"So that's what happened." Sighing, you leaned back into Furu’s chest, untangling your fingers from Hase’s hair to fold your arms, your mind racing as you contemplated what your two friends had recounted to you. You knew it shouldn’t involve you, or not anymore at least. You promised yourself after all, that you would leave that life behind in your past when you moved, that you wouldn’t be tempted to return.

“Masashi’s about had it as well,” the confession spilled from Hase as he pulled himself up from where he had been cuddled in your lap. Having been relatively silent up till now, and allowing Furusawa to pour out what he knew had been weighing heavy on the Vice-Captain’s chest, your left hand man and First Wing had only supplied details and parts of the story that Furu wasn’t privy to, although you could read from the crease in his brows and the serious schooling of his face that Hase too had much on his heart. The weight of keeping the Red Dragonflies had been placed almost wholly on Furusawa's shoulders, and no matter how physically strong he was, he just wasn’t you.

“I just don’t know what to do anymore Boss.” The sudden hushing of the wind through the parted windows only served to accentuate the silence that had fallen in your room, with only the sound of breathing and hair rustling daring to break the stillness as Furusawa buried his face into your hair.

You let out a soft soothing hum, a tune that they recognised from team meetings under dim ceiling lights and moonless skies from what seemed like the distant past, patting your oldest friend’s knee comfortingly but saying nothing, your mind still churning away, contemplating and processing the information that you had just received.

A thought seemed to have crossed Hase’s mind as they waited for you to complete your information digestion, and he raised an eyebrow at Furu. “How did ya even know Boss moved here, Furusawa?”

Said man scratched the back of his hair. “Oh, Boss gave me her new address.”

And with that, the serious atmosphere that had dominated your room shattered along with your train of thoughts as Hase once again went into complete meltdown, all but losing control of his face, the most wretched groan you had heard all day slipping from his lips, before he turned his sorrowful gaze on you. “You gave your new address to only this shit-for-brains, Boss? What if he forgot?”

“Hey - I wrote it down alright!”

All you could do was break into a fit of laughter at the sheer misery on his face, clutching your aching sides as you laughed until you broke into hiccups, unknowingly bringing about a quirk of lips to Hase that you missed. It was good to see that you were still the same. Struggling to get the now fit of hiccups under control behind one hand, the other was busy flipping through your tiny schedule again.

“Right, tomorrow night looks good.” You mumbled to yourself, before that kind, fond, familiar gaze turned on Hase, barely missing a beat even as Furu began combing his fingers through your hair, a gesture you knew he found comforting. “Hase, gather my 3 wandering Wings here, would you? 10pm would be good. And don’t mention me if you don’t have to.”

And your First Wing couldn’t find it in him to even complain or sigh. No - it was nothing short of excitement and glee that washed over him despite having no outward change in expression, fishing out his phone to send off a text message. You were giving him orders, his first in two years.

Yet, even without words exchanged, both Vice Captain and First Wing instinctively knew what this was: a test. By getting Hase to send what was essentially an order to gather, without mentioning that you were behind the order, there was no doubt that you were feeling them out, testing your Wings. If they didn’t turn up, you could take it to mean that they wanted to cut ties with the Red Dragonflies for good, and you would set them free from their responsibilities and from your past. But if all of your Wings did gather of their own will, maybe, just maybe that would convince you to come back into the fold.

‎

Life went on as usual for you the next day, after you had waved off Furu and Hase from your porch the previous night, the chilly wind that bit at their faces and ears a reminder of what was at stake.

Letting out a yawn, you allowed yourself to lean further into Pah-chin’s back, even as you tried and failed to sleepily rub your eyes through the visor of your helmet. Thoroughly exhausted from all the happenings of the previous day, your gut feel was telling you that the rest of today would be spent sprawled out across your desk, though no one would dare tell you off for that. Perks of having strong, scary friends, you mused, your eyelids already feeling as heavy as iron weights.

“Didn’t sleep well?” Came the question from the front, though Pah definitely wasn’t complaining about you snuggling into his back. He liked that you were depending on him for once, and blocking the wind for you while you took a rest on your ride to school certainly made him feel good.

“Mmmm.” You muttered. “Something urgent popped up, had to get it done before I went to sleep.”

The minutes and hours blurred together in your dazed mind, and you swore you must have missed several classes, having predictably passed out on your table in a first in months. And similarly, as expected, with the notorious reputation that you carried, the shadow of your friends’ angry looks and beatings hanging over you, no one, teachers or students, had ever dared to disturb you - something which you still haven’t made up your mind on whether you favoured two years in. Yet, in those rare moments when you came to your senses enough to blink the fog from your eyes and mind, you found yourself exactly where you were supposed to be, having somehow moved to the various classrooms. Maybe an unknown benefactor had been looking out for you, someone who wasn’t afraid of the fierce retribution from your friends. Or maybe it was just your excellent sleepwalking skills.

Your street was already quiet when you waved off Baji and Kazutora from your dimly lit porch, the roar of their motorbikes still heard echoing down the road long after they disappeared from view. To them, it was the end of your day, one spent entirely, of course, having fun and spoiling them with your attention. Yet you knew otherwise, rolling up your sleeves even as you closed your main door behind you. There was still work to be done, and your gut was already telling you that this was going to be a long night.

Furu and Hase had let themselves in sometime before 10pm, and you didn’t miss a beat in starting to direct the two men around as you all but danced around your kitchen, setting up cups for drinks and sliding trays into the oven, directing your right hand man to use his towering height to take down ingredients and dishes even as Hase slipped on an apron to help with the preparation of other snacks.

With just five minutes to spare until 10pm, you left Hase to continue on in the kitchen without the slightest reluctance, trusting your friend having worked beside you long enough to know what to do, as you and Furu headed on back to your room to set up the furniture as needed - pulling out the small, worn coffee table from its corner, taking out cushions for the ground from your wardrobe, and pushing your bed up to create more space. At this point, you still weren’t sure who was coming - but the hope in your heart told you to prepare for the best.

Being pulled into his lap the moment you two were done, and settling into the comfortable silence between you and Furu, only broken by the man’s heavy breathing and the fierce whistling of wind through the cracks in your window, you could hear your main door swing open, the creak of its hinges too iconic for you to miss even all the way from your room on the second floor. It was a good sign too - probably Hase letting in one of your expected guests. A few brief words exchanged that you couldn’t quite hear from upstairs, several moments of peace, of feet most likely pattering quietly across wooden floors, before a loud bang originating from somewhere along your stairwell echoed down the hallway, a string of colorful curses quick to follow. “Fucking hell! Who made these fucking lights so dim on fucking stairs?”

Angry footsteps now pounded the rest of the way up the stairs, though it seemed the aggressor wasn’t alone, as yet another familiar voice drifted into your room.

“I don’t think lights are going to help your two left feet.” Came Koji’s voice, the ever level-headed friend, even as you could hear the light tapping of his white cane against your wooden floors as he navigated himself around unknown territory.

“Shut the fuck up, you blind fuck.”

The thumping of footsteps only grew louder and louder, your two friends continuing to trade insults and remarks, remaining completely unaware of what awaited them beyond the light that flooded the hallway from your room. The shock of long blond hair being tossed backwards as the first man swept into view in your doorway, your Second Wing looked both strangely familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, having grown out and bleached his hair in your time away.

"That hairstyle suits you well Jun."

A gentle voice, one that was warm and welcoming and felt like coming home, one that he hadn’t heard for years, floated above their conversation, instantly silencing the room. Even the wind that had been hissing through the gaps of your window stilled as Jun froze in the doorway, one hand still gripping the frame for support as he always did when rounding corners, his ice blue eyes searching the room almost desperately, before landing on you.

"I heard what happened with Kawato." Your light comment broke the tension in the room.

"Boss, I -" Yet, Jun found himself unable to speak in your presence, unable to say what he had wanted to all those years ago.

"You got mad for me?" From where you were seated, huddled comfortably in Furu's lap, as you always had been back then, you smiled. And in that instance, it was like the rest of the world had faded away. That same tired smile he hated with every fibre of his being, that same world weary smile that you had shined at them right one last time before you disappeared from their lives and took the sun with you - it was now the same smile that felt like long-awaited rain on his parched soul. "Thank you, Jun."

The thud of Jun dropping to his knees resounded sharply throughout your small room, the smash of his forehead into your floor that quickly followed joining the echo. “Please come back, Boss!” was all he managed to get out - everything else he had planned to tell you, all the words, washed away in the moment.

You only had the time to wince, your thoughts already with your friend’s poor forehead, before Jun was all but booted aside from where he had been kneeling, right in the doorway to your room, having unknowingly blocked the already narrow walkway.

"Move, fucker." From behind, Hase strolled past, drinks and snacks that you had prepared earlier expertly balanced in two trays. Koji was right on his heels, feathered earrings glimmering, almost sparkling as they caught the light when he stepped into the light of your bedroom. Bandages wrapped elegantly around his eyes just as you remembered back then, his cane lightly tapping at your door frame, and then on the wooden floor, your Third Wing carefully steered himself around where Jun still laid frozen on his side, seemingly processing what had happened to him.

“Thank you for taking care of Jun all this time, Koji.” Though he couldn’t see your smile, what he heard from the others to be a brilliant smile, your genuine joy at seeing your friends again shone through in your tone.

Koji returned a diplomatic nod, but you didn’t miss his lips quirking into a small smile. Being able to hear your voice again in the flesh, after all this time fumbling alone in the wretched dark, had been worth the hell that they had been through. “My pleasure, Boss.”

You knew he didn’t mean that in the slightest, from the chuckle that he all but failed to bite back.

Jun, having apparently finally returned to reality after a good minute, instantly jumped to his feet, grabbing the nearest object to hurl straight at Hase, who almost nonchalantly caught what turned out to be your empty dustbin, settling it down lightly beside him. “You motherfucker!”

“Don’t throw Boss’ things around like that.”

“Then let’s take it outside! I’ll beat the fucking crap out of you!”

The wind had started up again, stronger than before, now harshly rattling at your windows as the temperature in your room fell yet again. Masashi was the last to arrive, most likely having let himself in through your unlocked main door, hesitation and caution thrown to the wind as he took just a few seconds from the time your door creaked open to settling down knee to knee with Furusawa. You knew it was the breeze that floated your voice down to the street outside that gave the game away - your Fourth Wing probably having already deduced that this must be your new house, and that you had been the one behind the gathering, even if it was Hase who issued the original orders.

And with his arrival, all of your Wings - your friends from another life - were once again back beside you.

You didn't mind - you never did - when Masa all but yanked you from Furu’s lap into his own with surprising strength, wrapping his bony arms around you tighter and tighter as he buried his head into the crook of your neck.

Even when Furu finally had enough of his unofficial job as your ground cushion stolen from him, making short work of wrenching you out of Masashi’s arms and back into his lap, no one pointed out the boy’s hand still tightly intertwined with your own - none of your older friends had the heart to deny him this tiny bit of comfort after spending two long, suffering years away from you.

"Boss, you're coming back, aren't ya?" Came the inevitable question, a quiet mutter from a now emotionally-spent Jun, who had somehow crawled his way into your lap even as you rested in Furu’s, your one free hand running ever so lightly, so gently through his hair, the same way that you always had.

The cold breeze that whistled through the tiny opening of your window carried your quiet, fond chuckle loud and clear across the room, even as you freed both your hands to lean back into Furu's chest, eyes closing of their own volition as the memories welled up to the front of your mind and heart, too many, too much for you to handle. They didn’t need a response from you to know what your answer would be; they knew you all too well. Your tender, bleeding heart would never let you leave your friends, your closest friends who once upon a time ruled the world with you, hanging in the balance, not after they answered your call even after you turned your back on them before. You knew deep down, it was a mistake to have tried to leave them behind. Your mistake that they paid dearly for. Never again. "What do I do with all of you?"

‎

‎

But outside, in the dark of the night, a very different tale from the nostalgic reunion happening in your room was playing out.

He swore he had just been passing by after a quick convenience store run. Baji did live just a bit further down the street from you after all, and had made it a habit to pop by just to check on your house before returning home for the night. It was just for his own sanity, Baji reminded himself, so that his instincts screaming at him to check on you could be settled for the night, even if he did just see you a mere few hours ago. And it should have been just like any other night that he did so - your room would have been dark, you already asleep for some time, given the long hours you were awake and active.

But alas tonight, it seemed that peace was not meant to be. Under the sky sparkling with stars, and by the light of just dim overhead streetlamps, the gleam of yellow light against the crimson red of the 5 motorbikes parked haphazardly outside your house stood out against your otherwise dark, quiet neighbourhood. And the light of your room, still on despite the already late time of day, only served to drive increasingly paranoid thoughts through Baji’s mind. What was going on? Were you in danger? Did you have ties with other gangs - or worse, other friends - that they didn’t know about?

Yet even with his mind racing, the boy instinctively knew that it was a bad idea to charge in ahead, the glow of red under the slight flicker of the streetlamp almost as if a warning to stay away.

A few loud, desperate bangs on his door was all it took to drag a reluctant Mikey out of his warm bed, yawning and stretching as he responded to the sight of a frantic Baji, fist raised, ready for another pound.

That sleepiness faded in an instant, replaced with alarm bells that screamed in his head the moment Baji started pouring out the unfolding situation. “Motorbikes?”

“Red ones, five of them with dragonfly insignias. I managed to get a hold of Draken and Kazutora, they’re on their way.”

There was no time to waste. Either way, it didn’t spell good news, either for you or for them, and it was essential they got to you as quickly as possible.

Your front door was unlocked, swinging open with that familiar creak from the lightest touch. You weren’t supposed to leave your front door unlocked under any circumstance - they had repeated that time and time again. So why was it open? A look shot between the four boys carried all that needed to be said without a word being uttered; this situation was getting from bad to worse, and the wind seemed to agree, shifting from a light, friendly breeze to an almost torrential storm in just a blink of an eye, whipping their hair and the back of their heads as it rushed in through the open door.

Between the light chatter and laughter as you caught up with your friends after two long years spent away from that, and the wind all but rattling your windows, you might have been forgiven for missing the light creak as your front door was pushed open. It was only the storm of fast footsteps that finally caught your attention, and before you could even blink, your bedroom door burst open once more. Yet it seemed that Koji was faster still, having already been sitting right by your door, his modified white cane whistling through the air the moment the door sprang open before you could even register who your intruders were.

"Koji!" Your voice came sharp and firm, a far cry from your usual warm, friendly tone, cutting through the chaos. And the cane came to a screeching halt midair, just inches from where Draken's raised arm was, having stepped forward in front of Mikey, ready to take the blow. "That's enough."

The room stilled. Everyone was staring and studying and processing what their eyes were seeing and telling them, their eyes sweeping the other party. Almost like a scene out of a movie, you couldn’t help but muse, even as it finally dawned on you that your worst nightmare had been realized, your hand coming up to pinch the bridge of your nose. The sigh that slipped through your lips at the realization of the mess, absolute armageddon, that was about to unfold, that you would undoubtedly have to clean up after, was what broke the lull, and chaos again reared its ugly head.

This scene in front of them was something they would have never believed if they hadn’t witnessed it firsthand - complete strangers that they didn’t recognise looking right at home in your room. Even worse, strangers that you seemed absolutely comfortable with. But all the questions that they had could wait: their first priority was getting you back to their side where you belonged.

“Get your filthy hands off her.” Came the low snare from Baji, as Kazutora stormed forward to tug you up from where you had been huddled in someone else’s lap, pushing you almost harshly behind him and blocking your view of the offender. You would have fallen with the shove if Draken hadn’t stepped up to catch you against his chest, one arm moving to wrap around your waist almost protectively. Mikey had remained silent even up till now, seemingly content to stay at the back of the group, hands tucked almost lazily into the pockets of his pants, though you knew that it was not all as it seemed; if you had dared to hazard a glance at them, you would see the fury burning in the depths of his blank eyes. You were in so much trouble.

But all the boys earned for their efforts was a long suffering sigh from Hase, who dropped his head into his knee, both hands now coming up to ruffle his hair in despair, and a crunch as Masashi boredly bit into yet another cookie, having long been drawn from his death grip on you by the lure of your cooking. Small mercies, you supposed - you didn’t want to know what would happen if they had found you not only in the lap of a friend you never told them about, but simultaneously draped over by another.

“Your new friends, Boss?” In frightening similarity to the Toman President, one that just dawned on you, Furu didn’t look the slightest bit concerned with having you yanked from him, but to you, his chocolate eyes all but said otherwise, sharpening as they did before a fight, scanning and measuring up your friends.

“I’m not dealing with this tonight.” Was what you ultimately settled on, a yawn that you failed to stifle bubbling up and escaping your lips, the glare of lights from both your ceiling lights and the outside street lamp blurring into a single blob and stinging your tired eyes. “Everybody out.”

Masashi stood almost instantly, lumbering over to help Koji up from where he had been seated, and the two of them left without another word, your friends eyeing them suspiciously as they passed through with not a glance thrown in your direction. It was only after the front door creaked close behind the duo did you realize that he had, once again, quietly polished off every last bit of remaining cookies and snacks that you and Hase had prepared earlier, leaving empty trays neatly stacked on your coffee table.

A light snore emitted from under your sheets was the next thing to catch the attention of your friends, before a rustle and a shift indicated that your bed - your bed - was already occupied. Hase had lifted Jun as carefully as he cared to (read: yank and dump) into your bed for a rest earlier after he had all but fallen asleep in your lap, having spent the last of his energy apparently having a mini internal breakdown; another small mercy that you thanked your lucky stars for. Rubbing your eyes, the exhaustion now quickly setting in, you leaned back into Draken’s chest, one of his arms still wrapped securely around your waist and keeping you upright. “Jun can sleep through a nuclear apocalypse, ” you muttered sleepily, failing to stifle yet another yawn. “He won’t be getting up by himself anytime soon.”

All you needed to do was turn your gaze to your left hand man, for which the anguish on his face only grew as he glanced between the group of intruders and your bed, seemingly weighing whether he could bear to leave you again so soon. But it seemed the sheer fatigue in your eyes won out, as Hase finally stood, mumbling something inaudible to you. Forcefully yanking the other from beneath your sheets and unceremoniously hurling him over one shoulder like a sack of rice, true to your word, Jun didn’t even react, his head lolling over. "I'll drop him off, I guess. And arrange that meeting with Kawato."

"In his room please, Hase. Not the driveway." Your drowsy voice reminded him as the duo disappeared round the bend of your doorway and into the darkened hallway.

But Furu didn’t bulge from where he had been seated all night, instead folding his arms even as the windows above his head continued to clatter and groan from the force of the wind outside. “I’m staying.”

“You know what, whatever. I’m going to bed.” Done, that was all you could think at the moment. Everything else could be settled tomorrow, a future-you problem. But right now, your brain was all but screaming about how warm and comfortable your bed was, and how much it really, really needed a break.

When all present boys decided that the only obvious solution was to pile into your bed after you for the night, it came as no surprise to you - at the back of your mind, you knew their wariness of Furusawa, who was content with sleeping slumped upright under your window, prevented them from leaving you alone. But even if you wanted to speak up in defense of your oldest friend, speaking was all but outside your abilities, with you drifting off the moment your head hit your pillow. At least the night breeze was cold and strong, a small mercy, and you could be content falling asleep while being cuddled up against by four living heaters.

‎

The rising sun and the start of a new day failed to restore harmony to your house, even if it did seem promising at first to you. Even with the late turn-in the previous night, you were still up before everyone else, leaving the pile of slumbering boys cuddling into the warm spot where you had been sleeping, the need to make sure your friends were all well fed and watered was an instinct too strong for you to ignore. Plus it seemed like a good way to apologise to everyone for the happenings and nasty surprises from the night before; no one had ever turned down your cooking, not in this life or any other you led. And you had high hopes as well that this could help to break the ice between your two groups of friends.

But all your expectations were shattered as soon as the boys started lumbering down one by one, drawn out of their sleep by the smell of frying bacon and eggs; food didn’t seem to be the miracle solution you were looking for either. You weren't sure how many times you had sighed just this morning alone, but you were sure that this had to be some sort of single day record. Going to school was something you already had to mentally write off, the morning sun having now risen beyond the point where you knew you could make it for first class. And there was no way you were even leaving your house at this point, not with what was essentially a standoff going down in your kitchen before the first bacon was eaten.

"Guys, just sit. Please." The sizzling of bacon had long died down, now cooling on several sheets of kitchen towels on your dining table. Furusawa, having been the earliest to make it to the kitchen, had picked the corner chair, somewhere he could have both his feet propped up on one corner of the table where he knew you wouldn’t mind, and had been rocking his chair back and forth for the good part of the past 10 minutes. Meanwhile, the other 5 boys had been staring him down as best they could from the opposite end of the table.

This was bad.

“He’s in my seat,” muttered Kazutora, his already clenched fists that he hid behind his back tightening further, knuckles whitening even as his fingernails turned red. A blink, and you looked again. Oh.

“Sorry about that Kazutora. Furu,” You patted the chair closest to where you stood. “You sit here.”

But before Furu could lift his feet off the table, it was Kazutora who huffed as he sat where you had indicated, unwilling to let the larger man sit any closer to you than he already was. The image of you very comfortably cuddled in that shitstain’s lap was still burned into the back of his eyelids and his brain from the previous night, and it was only by clinging on to you during the night that he managed to shake off his raging jealousy and insecurity enough to fall asleep. He wasn’t sure what he would do if the man tried to pull the same stunt again, but you probably wouldn't be too happy with that particular outcome, and so Kazutora settled on dishing out death glares from across your dining table, all of which were easily ignored.

"Let's eat first, alright? Then we'll bring this discussion to my room. Not at the table."

The meal was completely silent, a far cry from the normally boisterous affair, with only the clang of silverware against porcelain plates and the quiet munching of food. The chill of the frozen stares being tossed about freely was felt in your bones even as the rays of sun flooded into your kitchen, bringing with it a skin-deep warmth that you appreciated.

Once the dishes were put away, and you had led your unnaturally silent friends up the stairs and back into your room, you got straight to business. The faster this was over, the faster you hoped your friends went back to normal. Maybe with the right intervention, you might be able to merge your two groups of friends into one, and everyone that you treasured could be friends too - after all, the more the merrier had always been your philosophy.

“Right, introductions. Furusawa, this is Mikey, Draken, Baji, Pah, Kazutora and Mitsuya, founders of the Tokyo Manji Gang.”

"Guys, this is Furusawa, Vice Captain of the Red Dragonflies and my former right hand man."

They blinked.

"Vice Captain of the Red Dragonflies?" Mitsuya repeated, his eyebrows slowly rising further and further up his forehead, the gears clearly turning in his head at your statement.

“Your former right hand man?” Draken repeated in that questioning tone, one eyebrow similarly creeping up, his arms folding almost instinctively. You knew that look and voice all too well - it was the one that he always gave you when you got in trouble after doing something stupid.

The implication that was carried with that almost casual introduction was not lost on the Toman boys.

"Left the delinquent life behind eh boss?” Furu commented lightly, but the lack of change of expressions hid his inner turmoil, as he accessed the 6 boys you now called your friends. When you had mentioned forging your own path in life two years ago, this was the last place he expected to find you in. If what you wanted was to hang out with a gang, why not them? They were your gang - your original gang.

Laughing nervously, your gaze slowly slipped away from your friends as you tried to find anything else to look at, your hands tugging at the hem of your shirt. Shit - you knew this wasn’t going to go down well, not when you couldn’t solve it with your cooking alone. And now your past that you had tried so hard to hide, to separate from the life you were living now was all but bared. It wasn’t that you were ashamed of your past, far from it; it had been one of the best years of your life when you had just been able to let loose and explore, to experience freedom without a care in the world and breathe the fresh, cold breeze that stung your face from the back of a motorbike.

But you had promised yourself that you would try something different, to try and find yourself, and you found what you had been looking for that fateful afternoon when you had met Mikey and Baji. The opportunity to start over again, to be free of the shackles of responsibilities, was a relief; even if it did mean a world of hurt and pain as you struggled to adjust to life without those who had been by your side, supporting you in their own way all those years together. And when it became obvious that your Toman friends didn’t like to share, that your attention and love was something that they priced above all else, you strived even harder to keep your two lives separate; the last thing you wanted to witness was a fight to break out among people you treasured, people you loved and still love.

Your string of inner musing and thoughts were broken when an impatient Mikey grabbed and squeezed your cheeks in a single hand, turning your head back to face and look him in the eyes, the resignation clear under his blank expression. He already knew what you were going to say, but he just wanted to hear it from you.

“Just say it.”

“It's nothing much honestly. I used to run the Red Dragonflies." You managed to get out from between squeezed cheeks, and Furu watched from his spot as your gaze fell away again from Mikey's when he let go of your cheeks, before quickly glancing up nervously to gauge the reactions from the rest. That was the you they knew too behind closed doors; the nervousness at giving news that you thought would upset your friends, the anxiety of waiting for the backlash you always somehow expected but which never came. You were still the same you, no matter how hard you tried to change.

"But I’ve been retired for 2 years now.” You hastily added upon being confronted with slack jaws and looks of disbelief.

“Nothing much indeed, just the previous boss of one of the biggest gangs in all of Tokyo.” Draken muttered, before letting out a sign, running one hand atop his hair. You would never lie to them, and now that those words had passed through your lips, they knew for a fact that it was true. What you had been hiding from them in your past was what they had feared the most yet never expected - another gang, one built upon deep friendships like Toman. One that you used to lead too.

Even worse, the thought descending on them like the sole of a heavy boot onto a light bulb, you weren’t the innocent, kind, naive friend they had always assumed you to be. No - that wasn’t true. It wasn’t you, it couldn’t be you who willingly dipped yourself into their harsh, dark world.

"So? Why's he here?" Mitsuya cocked his head at Furusawa, who was comfortably seated on the floor below your windows as before, on the opposing side of the small coffee table, his mug of coffee still steaming.

"Or at least I have been retired up till now." This was the point of no return, where you knew, deep in your gut, it was going to get nasty, no matter how hard you hoped. "I might have to take back the reins."

Silence was all you received as an answer, the previous revelation seemingly having broken your friends, and so you decided to push your luck a little more. "I'll be gone a week. Tops."

It wasn’t you. It must have been them, and this all but proved their point. Your so-called friends that dragged you down with them, that tainted you with blood on your hands, that wanted to drag you back into the darkness, where you couldn’t illuminate their lives with your love and kindness.

"No." And as expected came the denial from Mikey, his eyebrows pinching together, a slight shadow cast over his eyes from the noon sun high in the sky. The breeze that blew through completely open windows at least served to carry some of the heat out of your room, though you could still feel the humidity slowly building even with your fan going at full blast.

“Mikey." Tugging the reluctant boy into your lap, you let slip an indulgent smile, just barely able to bite back the chuckle as you ran your fingers gently through his blond locks in the way only you could. “It's just a week. I'll even make taiyaki for you, one for everyday.”

But even with your offer of hand making his favourite snack, an offer rare enough that in any other situation would be sufficient to get the boy to cave like a piece of wet paper, Mikey didn’t budge, instead choosing to turn to face away from you. Crossing his arms, he pouted, visibly puffing up his cheeks. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”

One by one, all of them started following suit, pouting and turning away, a quiet protest of your decision. You didn’t know it, but the jealousy raged strong in their chest, and if they had looked at you any longer, you would have seen it in their eyes. Not only did you have an old gang, one that you had run with longer than with them, you were now even contemplating betraying Toman for them. Why did you have to go back to your old friends? You left them behind for a reason, and they deserved to stay in your past. It mattered not the reason - you had them and Toman now after all.

"Come on guys. All of you?" You tutted gently.

"We don't want you to go." Baji mumbled, reaching out to clench your shirt in his fist even as he refused to look you in the eyes. "We're your friends right?"

His wavering voice was all that was needed to tug at your heartstrings; their sadness and anxiety at the thought of not having you there everyday enough to be a negotiation tool with you. "Okay, okay. How does 5 days sound?"

"3 days and 2 taiyakis everyday for a week." Just from Mikey’s tone alone, you knew that this was the compromise - they wouldn’t be budging any further on the amount of time that you would be allowed to spend away from them.

You caved instantly, just happy to have gotten a favourable response - you always did in the end. Letting out a chuckle that all but expressed your relief, the others, hearing the agreement that Mikey had come to, were quick to turn back to face you, clutching at your clothes and arms and pestering you about them and their favourite snack.

The Red Dragonflies weren’t, and will never be, Toman's friends. They certainly weren’t your friends. And even if you couldn’t see it now, your past blinding you of the truth, then your real friends would have to make you open your eyes.

And that was that - with the agreement between you and your friends shook on and settled, order was restored to your life, or so you thought. Oh how wrong you were.

But where you couldn’t see, churning behind the scenes, feelings of utmost jealousy and anger were bubbling and boiling under the surface on both sides - resentful of having to split your time and attention between who they saw as rivals and leeches. And it didn’t take long for all this to come to head, with just a single day of peace.

“She’s coming with me.” The morning sun was already high in the horizon, yet here you still were, right at the doorstep of your house, currently the rope in a tug of war that you wanted no part of, stuck between two now apparently warring groups of friends. Kazutora had arrived early as he always had - very early in fact, while the night still reigned the sky when he pulled into your garage - and certainly early enough to find his way into your room for a quick cuddle, and then troop down to the kitchen for breakfast together with you after you had freshened up, all but draped over you. But it wasn’t an empty kitchen that the two of you found, and it was a nasty surprise to Kazutora when you greeted Jun, as if he had always been there, as if you were expecting him, with a tired smile and offered him breakfast as well.

Food was enough of a compromise between your two friends, but tempers flared quickly when you tried to make your way to school.

“Huh? Who the fuck are you? Boss comes with me!”

It was the second morning since that fateful, unscheduled meeting, and having just come to what you thought was a truce between Mikey and the rest, and your Red Dragonflies friends the previous day, it also marked the second consecutive clash that you have had to deal with. And another five days until your formal meeting with Kawato, which Hase had confirmed via text message just an hour before.

You sighed. “Kazutora, Jun. It’s fine. I’ll just walk to school, okay?”

“No!” "No!"

Their combined answers were loud enough to echo slightly in your otherwise quiet neighbour, and you winced slightly at the volume on your still tender ears. The breeze picked up slightly as the morning sun steadily made its way further into the sky, casting your shadow long against the pavement, even as both Jun and Kazutora seemed to drop their hold on your arms to physically butt heads, snarling like dogs off their leash. How they even had so much energy at this time of day was a thought that you could keep to yourself, as you blew out the breath you had been holding, your now freed hands retrieving your breakfast from your pocket.

Slipping your sandwich out from its paper bag, you almost jumped out of your skin when the bag was all but snatched from your fingertips on its journey towards your pocket.

“Furu!” That immediately caught the attention of your two buddies, and they instantly turned their anger on the intruder, releasing what had been hands wrapped around each other's collars, a spark away from escalating into a full-on fight. “What’re you doing here?”

“Furusawa you fucker! You know it's my turn today!”

“She’s coming with me! That’s it!”

And for the second time in the same week, you realized, watching the sun creep higher and higher as your watch ticked merrily on, that there was no way that you would be attending school.

Yet another sigh before you came to the conclusion that this was going nowhere, instead opting to turn around and head back inside your house. At least if they wanted to fight, they could do so without pissing off the rest of your generally mild-mannered neighbourhood. Quickly followed by Furusawa, who had already stepped ahead to open your front door for you, both Jun and Kazutora jumped to trail after you, but stopped to butt heads again right at the doorway of your house when they bumped shoulders, drawing annoyed stares from your neighbour with the new string of curses and swears exchanged. This went on, escalating in volume until you finally stepped back out to gently tug both of them through, returning sheepish looks and bows of your head in apology before closing your front door behind you.

As the days wore on, so did the struggle for your attention. It seemed no matter what time of day, there were always at least two in orbit around you, unwilling to let you forget that the other existed. Tugging, cuddling, pouting, even straight-up crying, no tactic was too shameful or too outrageous to win even a second more of your love, or more importantly, deny the other of it. And you knew. You knew what was happening, but yet you were helpless, your hands bound by your heart, unable to pick sides between two groups that you loved equally.

What were you going to do now?

Yet even while you contemplated this question, turning it round and round in your head over late night cups of tea by yourself in a dark and otherwise empty house, your friends were hard at work. In secret meetings that you weren’t privy to, in the shadow of the Musashi Temple, it was with a growing sense of horror, as a clearer picture of your past was painted with every passing day, that your old friends had been an almost strange reflection of their group. And with that, came the realization that you had willingly up and left your old gang behind. You had severed ties with a group that you loved with all your being, and that all but told them that the same fate might be awaiting the Toman founders somewhere down the line. Would you also try and leave them eventually? Were you going to cut all ties and move on without them? How would they live and breathe without you there?

And the answer came to them one moonless night, the stars bright above their head, twinkling down at them from their perch high in the sky. They just wouldn’t let you. They had to make sure that you would never leave them like you did the others - that you would not be able to live without your real friends by your side, just as they couldn’t live without you by their side.

‎

‎

Time continued to tick on, and when the clock finally ticked down to the dreaded meeting, you found yourself, as you had many times before, in the otherwise nondescript back alleyway with Furu by your side, just a stone’s throw away from where your old street was. The Red Dragonflies’ base stood tall and proud where it had always stood, the large signboard emblazoned with the logo you and Furusawa had painstakingly designed and then painted still hanging above the entrance. The usual negotiation table where the gang always held mediation meetings was located on the fourth floor of the surprisingly empty base; you supposed that Kawato had ordered everyone out in order to keep your presence there under wraps - there was no doubt that there would be a riot should it be known you were contemplating coming back into the fold.

The air conditioning went on strong, the light whistle as the cold air was blown through the vents the only sound to break the silence. You still recalled the nightmare it was having to coordinate the construction of this particular meeting room out of the steel pillars and half-built walls that this shell of a building had been - this, after all, had to be somewhere fit to receive the heads of gangs, yet homely enough that they were be inclined to come to agreements.

There was barely a scuffle of footsteps as Kawato walked in, the plush carpets muffling the sound of any walking across. You hoped that it was as well-maintained as the day you had left it, the slight scuffles by the table leg saying otherwise, though the rest of the room remained exactly as you had remembered. The large painting of the dancing cranes that dominated the center of the room, the short wooden coffee table that was a larger copy of the one you had in your room; it all screamed of your hand in its design.

When everyone had settled where they were supposed to be, and the customary cups of tea had been served, you were flanked with Furusawa directly on your right, and your four Wings behind you, with Kawato’s formation a mirror of yours, save the lack of a Vice Captain.

"Kawato-san." Reaching out to take the offer hand, you grasped the other man's hand from across the low wooden table, returning his crushing grip with a suitably firm grip of your own. "I think this would be my first time meeting you."

"Never thought I'd have the chance to meet the legendary Red Dragonflies founder." He smirked, though it soon fell when you failed to even flinch at the strength of his handshake - this was nothing new to you, after all. "You're a lot smaller than I imagined."

"So I heard." You let slip a tired smile, leaning back into your chair even as you waved down your team; his remark was nothing more than an tactless attempt at friendly batter. But the mood quickly shifted as you and Kawato got down to business.

“So, what do you want?”

“There’s a lot of rumours flying about the way the Red Dragonflies gang is being run, Kawato-san.” Taking a light sip of the still hot tea, the simmering anger in your eyes was clear over the rim of the cup, yet the other seemed not to notice. “Nothing good unfortunately. So I should be the one asking you: what do you want out of the Red Dragonflies?”

A scoff, the rumbling of air conditioning doing a good job of filling quiet moments as Kawato paused, hopefully in thought, before answering. “Power, I suppose. The Reds hold a lot of sway not only in Tokyo, but the Kanto region.”

A slight cling as you replaced your teacup on its little dish, and Furusawa briefly stepped forward to pour you another. “So why did you drive Shoji out? You could have learnt from him.”

“Spineless and soft, like you. He doesn’t have what it takes to run a real gang.”

You sighed, rubbing the bridge of your nose. No matter the depths of your patience, your annoyance at the sheer lack of awareness of the man in front of you was starting to bubble to the surface. It wasn’t that he was evil or even anything close. Kawato was just another of the usual power-hungry, incompetent delinquent that came knocking at your door ever so frequently back when you were still the President.

“And is there anything within my current ability that I can do to get you to step down for your own accord?”

“Unfortunately not.”

“Then take this as a declaration of war.” Your voice firm even as you relax into the back of the hard chair. It was clear that negotiations were going nowhere, and though you had sworn to Mikey and the other boys that you would try your best to avoid getting your hands dirty, where words failed, it was time for action. "2 days from now, Friday, 10pm, at the abandoned pier."

“You and what men?”

All he got in response was a casually toss of the Red Dragonflies’ emblem, one that you didn’t recognise, from Furusawa onto the small wooden coffee table, the little metal ornament bouncing once and landing with a clatter. “I resign.”

The vein in Kawato’s forehead, which had previously swelled when Furu remained by your side, almost popped, much to your amusement, but you reigned your emotions in, something that came almost naturally to you after 4 years of experience mediating and negotiating, opting to keep your voice as neutral and your face as straight as possible. “Me and Furusawa.”

“Against the strength of 700?” His voice strained under the pretense of remaining as calm as you did, but it was clear as day to anyone with eyes or ears that the Third Generation President was at his limits.

But it was your gentle chuckle that all but diffused the tension, Kawato visibly relaxing, slumping back into his chair and downing his cup of tea as you waved down the proposition with a friendly smile. It wasn’t that you were worried about the number of men. “It's just the two of us. Plus I’d rather not involve men that I know personally, if you don't mind. Let's go with you and the men you brought with you versus me and Furusawa."

Gesturing lightly at the four captains standing behind you, you continued in that same light tone. "I'll even let you have the Four Wings in this fight."

“Boss! I…” Jun started, but quickly bit back his words when you raised a hand, even when he had to stuff both hands into his pockets to hide his shaking, clenched fists. This wasn't something you would negotiate on.

“And what do I get when I win?”

“How does permanent disbarment and disassociation, as well as a public announcement of loss of leadership?" You found that the chance of public disgrace of the opponent never failed to bring parties to an agreement when negotiating a fight, and it seemed that theory held true even here.

"Very well. Name your terms."

"Fists and blunts only. And have the Tokyo Manji Gang officiate the fight."

"That tiny Shibuya gang? Sure, whatever." Scoffing, Kawato stretched out his hand for a shake."I'll have the rest of the Reds there as spectators."

"Agreed." You took his hand in another firm shake. But when you got up to leave, your empty cup left delicately on the wooden table, despite having all but ordered your Four Wings to your opponent’s side, they still turned to troop out after you, leaving Kawato and his men sitting alone at the table in the freezing air.

Outside, in the shade of your old hideout that sheltered you from the scorching heat of the afternoon sun, sitted on a low metal rail, you listened patiently, soothingly running your fingers over Jun’s bleeding palm and swinging your legs as your captains ranted and raved at the thought of having to lift a hand against you. You, their beloved Boss, their closest friend. The one they gave their lives to, that they swore to protect at all costs. But when you again raised one small, delicate hand, the alley fell silent. Waiting, listening. "Kawato would have never accepted the fight if he didn’t think he had the advantage."

“Then we should have just beat the fuck out of him anyway!”

“I agree with Jun, Boss. There must be a better way to do this. We don't want to fight you."

You understood. You really did - the last thing you wanted was to have to fight friends. Yet, with power comes responsibility, and your Four Wings still stood at the head of the Red Dragonflies, the respect they commanded having been earned through blood and sweat. And for the greater good of the gang, it was a sacrifice that you had to choose to make, to choose to put them through. “I expect you to give your best for the gang. End of the day, you’re still a Red Dragonfly, and at the moment, so is Kawato. Understood?”

Reluctant nods were had all around, and Jun turned away from you as you stood, gently dusting off the back of your skirt.

“I’ll catch you around later, Hase, Jun, Masa, Koji. Take care, alright?”

Your back retreating into the distance, disappearing beyond the curve of the horizon was the last thing that any of them wanted to see again. The sting of their past failure was too deeply buried, and the pain of having to stand aside and knowing that all they could do was watch as you left their lives still resonated two years on, even when they knew that you would soon be back by their side, back to light this dark world of theirs once again. This time it would be different, they swore to themselves in the deepest recesses of their hearts and minds. This time, they wouldn’t let you go so easily.

‎

Furu accompanied you up to the steps of your house, and looked almost exactly like a kicked dog when you firmly told him that no, he couldn’t follow you upstairs. You waved him off into the pink sky of the cool evening, watching him retreat for a bit before finally closing the door behind you, steeling yourself for the upcoming conversation. The news you bore wasn’t the best, and you rather not have another standoff, or even worse, a fight break out in your house, where Furu was sure to receive most of the blame. Your six friends had already been anticipating your return for a while, signs of their anxious pacing round that small coffee table and up and down your dimly lit hallway too obvious to your trained eye. One quick sweep of their eyes told you that you made the right decision in sending Furu away, your friends’ eyes burning with worry; if they had to get angry, it was your failure after all, and you would take full responsibility.

You relayed what had been said as best as you could, letting them tug and pull and cuddle into you as you laid the bad news on them as gently as you could. And as expected, news of your upcoming fight doesn’t go down well at all. Even though you reassured them that you did really try your best in negotiations, and failing that, had at least fulfilled your promise of getting Toman as the match officiator, news of you having to not only having to risk getting your delicate, fragile self injured and bloody your hands against your so-called friends doesn't go down well. Worse still, was you fighting alongside someone they saw as a rival.

“You should have rejected the terms outright!” Kazutora slammed both hands into your coffee table, and the wood groaned under the impact. “What were those meatheads even doing there?”

“Sounds like you were deliberately sabotaged during negotiations.” Came Mitsuya’s leveled voice, although the slightest quaver in his tone told you that he was trying desperately to reign in his anger.

The outside air was still and hot even with the sun almost at the end of its day’s journey through the sky, yet your room somehow remained cool, even with the number of people crammed inside, with just the help of your faithful fan going at full speed in one corner.

"What does losing the fight mean?" Mikey questioned from where he was huddled, having cocooned your sheets around him.

"Disbarment is being kicked from the gang, and the stripping of your uniform. Disassociation is as good as exile; the Red Dragonflies won't have anything to do with you. No mediation, no officiating, not even fighting. You no longer exist in the eyes of the gang."

A moment of silence.

"And that's a bad thing?" Pah-chin questioned, his thoughts out of his mouth before he realized, inevitably saying out loud what everyone else was pondering.

But there was no backlash from you, never from you, even with the implications that came loaded with that question.

"I suppose it isn't too big a loss for me or Kawato.” Humming a short tune as you ran one hand through Baji’s hair as he snuggled into your lap, the day's event probably too overwhelming for him, the other wrapped neatly around Mitsuya's shoulders, the boy tugging your arm more firmly around him every so often.

“Kawato will still have his connections, and for me," Untangling your fingers from Baji's soft locks, you reached over to ruffle Pah's hair. "I have you guys, don't I?"

"But don't worry, I'll try my best."

It was all but obvious to your six friends that the Red Dragonflies weren't your friends - real friends wouldn't make you taint your hands with the blood of others. Real friends would step up to shelter your eyes from ugly truths, to protect your innocent light from the harsh realities of their dark, delinquent world. The Red Dragonflies were enemies, your enemies, and as with anyone that crossed you, they would be crushed under heel. Your six friends would just have to open your eyes first.

And time ticked on.

‎

‎

“Thanks for the ride, Chifuyu-kun.” The night air was still, yet from beyond the mountain of metal containers, the undeniable sound of voices and the buzzing of a crowd drifted over, loud and clear, even with the rev of more motorbike arriving behind them. "Dunno how I would've gotten here otherwise. Where are we anyway?"

"Shinagawa's abandoned container terminal." Parking and locking his motorbike besides Baji's, Chifuyu signalled for Takemitchi to follow him, tucking both hands into his pockets as the duo made their way towards the flood of lights and noise that stood out from the otherwise quiet area. And from the moment they turned the corner, the first sight of a sea of red that flooded every inch of the enormous terminal, save a large circle in the centre, was a spectacle to behold.

"Woah, that's a lot of people!" Takemitchi gaped openly, head swirling left and right even as his loud exclamation drew curious eyes from the nearby men in red, although most of them seemed thankfully content just to watch someone who was obviously new to the delinquent world. Having received a summons from Draken to turn up at this unknown location two nights before with no further information, Toman’s newest recruit was struck with just the sheer number of people that had congregated, seemingly all under the same banner.

"Red Dragonflies. One of the largest gangs in Tokyo, Shinagawa's their turf." Chifuyu's gaze calmly swept the men they passed by as they weaved through the crowd. "Last I heard, about 500 strong."

"500?!" A sudden thought seemed to strike the other, his footsteps dying away as he slowly came to a halt. "Toman's not… fighting them, right?"

"No, we're officiating." That instant sigh of relief took him everything he needed to know, and Takemitchi quickly caught up, having almost lost sight of Chifuyu in the crowd. "Heard that it’s an internal scuffle today, most of the men here are spectators. Besides, the Reds are strictly neutral."

Squeezing between a seemingly endless number of red jackets, and bumping into the occasional black one mulling about in the crowd, the duo finally made it to the front, popping out at the base of a tower of containers, one high enough to throw a long shadow over the empty arena. "But, why Toman?"

"Not too sure myself.” The vice captain admitted, as he shaded his eyes from the harsh glare of the overhanging spotlights, though there wasn’t much he could do for the heat. “Baji-san didn't say either, just told me to turn up for crowd control."

Mikey sat atop the beaten, abandoned shipping container, looking comfortable with one leg propped up and head resting on one closed fist. The rest of the Toman captains were scattered across the pier, with most opting for higher vantage points to more clearly watch the fight, though the first division vice captain did think that he spotted Baji lounging at the base of what seemed like a crane. It was hard to tell though, with the sheer number of men in the usually quiet pier, the hustle and bustle resounding clearly on empty containers and rusty steel pillars as they huddled and gossiped.

But of course, as with any event that had the potential to tip the fragile balance of power, with the internal strife of one of the largest gangs in Tokyo came its own spectators, those interested, or maybe invested, in the outcome. "Haitani brothers from Roppongi." Chifuyu mumbled, cocking his head in the direction of two boys sitting atop a rusting forklift. “Leanman. Ikebukuro Criminal Black Members. All of Tokyo’s big shots are here too.”

“Are the Red Dragonflies important?”

“Very much so. They keep order in Tokyo between all the various different gangs, either through mediating or officiating. But they have the strength to back that neutrality up, so don’t cross them.”

The occasional crashing of waves against the edge of the terminal, a stone’s throw away from where the crowd was, breaking up the mutters of the smaller groups of men, though Takemitchi could still catch the stray phrase that floated over in the light breeze.

"The Four Wings…"

"They're all here?"

“- who are they fighting?”

"Dunno either, was just called out to watch."

“Who are those?” Now exceedingly aware of his place in this match, Takemitchi’s lowered voice came whispered from behind him, bearing just the slightest hint of nervousness as he glanced at the four men that had made their way into the arena, at the head of a seemingly different crowd of men. Were these the opposing group? The one that caused the internal strife?

“Red Dragonflies’ captains, or Wings." Came Chifuyu's levelled response with not even a glance backwards. "From left to right, 1st through 4th. They're all from the founding generation, and monsters in their own right.”

But the mutters quickly turned to Toman. "Is that the Tokyo Manji Gang?”

“Invincible Mikey?"

But the roar of a motorbike approaching the arena was enough to quiet the crowd, turning heads as the men parted to let it through. To those in red, it was the familiar roar of their Vice Captain’s motorbike, though the cacophony of noise quickly started back up. And then you, freeing yourself from your motorbike helmet, appeared in sight, having hopped out from where you had been hidden behind Furusawa’s huge figure as soon as he came to a stop.

"Sorry we're late, my club ran overtime."

Mutters and mumbles of 'Boss' begin to churn among the spectator crowd, with many of those in crimson jackets looking, and then looking again, their faces visibly brightening as you swept into the pier, the strong sea breeze tossing your hair back, flooding the area with a scent of salt and rust. Even though you weren't clad in your signature jacket and long skirt as you had been when you ran the gang, the sight of you in red was enough for many who had been there from the start, and loud cheers rang like church bells across the pier. You were back.

But Takemitchi barely caught Chifuyu's string of curses muttered above the woops and hearty laughter, the shadow now cast over his eyes hiding the fear that enveloped the vice captain. Takemitchi didn't know you, of course, having just joined Toman, but Chifuyu did, having bumped into you once accidentally when you were out for a walk with Draken. He was lucky to have made it out of that encounter untouched, with your quick intervention, and the only thing he learned was that nothing ever turned out good with you involved.

‎

‎

Accepting the offering from Furusawa, you turned back to face the crowd of men, your weapon of choice, a familiar one that brought up painful memories, now lightly held in one hand, the other extending the metal baton to its full length.

"I hope you don't hold back just because it's me." Your ever tired gaze coming to rest on each and every one of your four captains as Kawato’s men behind them all but faded into a single unanimous blob. You knew they weren't leading this fight as they always had previously, no, Kawato would have never allowed it; he had his own hand picked captains after all. But for the future of the Red Dragonflies, putting their best foot forward was what they must do.

"Hey, hey, hey." Concern clearly written on his shadowed face, a man, one of the new division captains you supposed, strolled across to peer down at you, one hand in his pocket, the other resting on his bat. “We fighting girls now -”

Furusawa had stepped in front of him before he could finish his sentence, and with a sickening crunch as the nameless division captain was sent flying from a fist straight to his chest, it was like an unheard bell had gone off, the rest of Kawato's men rushing you and Furusawa.

But even from the first moves, it was clear that you and Furusawa weren't the underdogs in the fight.

A graceful ballet of beast and insect, was all that passed through Takemitchi’s head, as scores of men were decimated in an instant. Always in the right place and at the right time, a rhythm to a dance that only the two of you seemed to know - Furusawa dealing out punishing blows that sent men flying, yet stepping in to take and deflect attacks aimed at you, while you dodged beneath his flying fists and kicks to deal your own devetasting jabs that left others rolling on the ground, what seemed like excruciating pain painted on their faces as they went down.

And it seemed that the stunned look on his face was obvious enough for one of the Reds to take pity on him, as he struggled to follow the fight.

“It's a common saying in the gang that Vice Captain Furusawa has only two brain cells," the man cringed as the all too-familiar sound of bone cracking rang above the cries of pain, Furusawa barely pausing in his rain of fists and kicks save to step over the downed man. "One for him and the other to share with the boss."

But from just watching the way he fought, it was already clear to any of the Toman founders that that saying was a lie - a ruse maybe, to get opponents to lower their guard. Because it was clear that Furusawa was always one step ahead, uncannily predicting the next moves of not just you, but everyone else around him, being able to position himself just right to catch and deflect blows and punish aggressors with devastating accuracy. Not predicting, no - calculating.

Each step taken, each muscle flexed, the glint of the opponent's eye, nothing was missed by Furu's eyes as he all but decimated their ranks with his fist and feet alone.

But it was you who were truly the star of the show. To an experienced eye, it wasn't you who had to keep up with Furusawa, far from it. The sun orbiting the Earth, the bull dancing around the dragonfly, your Vice Captain had always been following your lead, right from the start. You were light, graceful even, next to the absolute beast that was Furusawa, yet still deadly in your own right. Weaving, ducking, twisting, your Toman friends held their breaths as you darted beneath their attacks and beside Furusawa, barely catching the subtle shifting and sidestepping while you nimbly jabbed and whipped and bashed your metal baton into the opposing men, never an arm’s length away from your other Eye.

Pressure points, came the answer to your friends, as their eyes followed you across the field, putting men left and right out of action with precision, aiming to cripple them with pain before your right hand man blew them straight off their feet.

Yin and Yang.

And to your six friends watching with bated breaths and a growing sense of anger, it screamed experience. You were seasoned fighting alongside Furusawa. You were seasoned in fighting. This wasn’t your first match, far from it. How many times had they made you taint your hands? How many times have you been dragged into this filthy underworld? This was unacceptable.

Most of the 200 men were down and out within a good 10 minutes or so. But it was also then when your attack was repelled for the first time, the tip of your metal baton digging into the flat side of Masashi's cricket bat instead of into flash, and you twisted to the side right in time to miss the quick swing that followed, the surprise all too evident on your face as your Four Wings sprung into action.

"You play cricket now Masa?"

"Nah." Came his bored reply, even as he took another swipe at you, the tip of his bat grazing the sleeve of your shirt, before you had to dodge again to the left, barely missing Koji’s cane that came at you from above, the whistling of wind and the small dent in the steel floor an indication of the strength behind the swing. But far from angering you, it only made you smile - you were glad to see that they weren’t holding back as you had requested. "Too much effort. Jun says it's a good bat though."

"Fair enough." You chuckled, your baton point stopped yet again by his bat. Chancing a swing at Koji, his white cane stopped your baton before it could pick up enough speed, and you were forced to hop back a few paces to put you out of range of both of them. And this left you exactly where they wanted - you didn't even have the time to whip around at the sound of Jun's heavy steps rushing you from behind.

But in that split second, right as his polished baseball bat, gleaming as it caught the light of the overhead floodlight, had begun its arch down towards you, the eyes of your spectators just barely registered the sidestep that brought Furusawa straight into its path. The sound of wood bashing against his shoulder resounded sharply across the lot, yet the man barely flinched, outstretched hand quickly reaching for his opponent's jacket, the other nimbly dodging the grab. Jun let out a low whistle, tapping his bat against his hand even as he rotated it side to side, looking for dents and scratches. "Should have brought my metal bat huh. You're still a fucking monster, Furusawa."

"That shit fucking hurts Jun."

There was no talk of what if the bat had hit you as intended - both knew that Furusawa would have never allowed it.

From his high perch, no one could see Mikey’s fist trembling as he all but forced himself to stay still and not move. As much as he wanted it to be, this wasn’t his fight to settle. No, but he swore that this would be your last.

A crack of his shoulder, and Furusawa blasted forward with inhuman speed, fist extended for a quick finish of the Second Wing. Yet before he could reach him, Hase had stepped between the duo, and all it took was a sweeping, graceful push that redirected Furusawa's fist away from Jun and into a nearby container. The bang of denting steel was enough to momentarily draw all attention away from you, and you lunged with your baton, aiming for the back of Koji’s neck, only to be once again stopped by Masashi.

“Fucking hell Furusawa. What do you even eat?” Came Hase’s mumble, sparing a quick glance where Furusawa’s fist had just been, the dent in the container large enough to have been mistaken for a different kind of accident.

All he got in response was Furu cracking his shoulders, shaking out his unmarked fingers. “Still doing your fucking tai chi bullshit huh Hase?”

Every swing that Jun dealt out was easily deflected or taken, and every punch delivered by Furusawa was gracefully redirected right , a deadly dance between three brilliant fighters. Yet the flashes of gold and blue against black and pink only served to draw the eyes of the spectators away from the equally breathtaking dance between you, Masashi and Koji.

Then a slip.

What the four Wings hadn’t realized was that you had been luring them closer and closer to Furusawa, having been previously separated as they had planned. One more quick sidestep to avoid Masa’s bat, and you were once again back to back with your right hand man and other Eye.

Slipping in front of Furu, the two blows from bat and cane aimed at you were instead caught by Furusawa's back and arm as he turned to catch both attacks, and you twisted to strike out at Hase, the point of your now fully extended baton catching him right in his liver. And when he doubled over, a follow-up punch from a now forward-facing Furusawa straight to his abdomen, and a sweeping kick to his side sent him flying, putting your First Wing out of commission.

Now free from Hase’s intervention, Furusawa took yet another bash to his shoulder from Masa’s cricket bat as you smashed the back your baton into the back of Koji's knees, and then his elbow in rapid succession, forcing your Third Wing to drop his cane right before he was blown away with a fist to his back. Yet you had no time to watch him collapse, spent on the ground, another down and out of the fight, finally turning your attention to the main event, trusting Furusawa to clean up.

‎

With fewer and fewer opponents that could still stand, it was already obvious what the outcome of the fight would be, yet all your friends could do was watch as you advanced on the shaking Kawato, your baton gripped almost gently in one hand.

A fist thrown at you was easily dodged, and ducking quickly to bring yourself behind the man, you bashed the back of your baton into the back of his neck. In that instant, you knew he was as good as done - Kawato’s legs failed to move as he commanded, and like jelly, he crumpled to the ground with a cry.

But then before you could move to offer surrender, just as you were still contemplating if you should give him a good few bash-ins for running your previous gang into the ground, you let out a yawn, then another, and another. Your eyes slowly began to close of their own volition, even though you tried desperately to fight it, and you swayed on your feet as your eyelids finally shut fully, your hand letting go of your metal baton.

A clatter. Furu swung around, the bat bashing straight into his side barely an afterthought at the ring of metal. That was never a good sign - he really had to finish up quickly.

Masashi was out before he could even register another thought, the clatter of metal having distracted him, having been sent flying as Furusawa’s heavy boot smashed right through the wooden cricket bat and into his chest, before the Vice Captain turned on the last standing captain.

"Oh fu-" Was all Jun managed to get out as he realized the situation he was in, moments before Furusawa’s leg came crashing into his leg, sweeping Jun off his feet and leaving him airborne. And the impact of fist that came barreling into his open abdomen mere milliseconds later sent your Second Wing hurtling through the air, bouncing once as he crashed into the ground, joining the rest of the Wings out of action.

Your eyes were back open - half open, to be fair, and you dropped to sit atop Kawato's body.

Thwack. Crack. Thwack. One punch at a time, you brought your fist down repeatedly into Kawato’s face, again and again. Your punches were by no means heavy, barely what anyone would consider a solid bash to his face, yet you continued on anyway, your expression remaining flat even as your hand gave way first, fingers starting to bruise and bleed from the repeated impact against flesh and bone.

He caught your fist right as you were about to bring it down again, and almost robotically, your vacant gaze turned on him. “I think that’s enough out of ya, Boss.”

A breeze, though hot and humid, finally broke the stillness of the air, a welcomed relief on the groaning men scattered and strewn across the pier. Helping you up from where you were kneeled over Kawato's barely conscious body, the gentle smile on your right-hand man's face looked almost unnatural - a far cry from the normal bloodlusting grin that his mouth was twisted into as he bundled you delicately into his arms, your head lolling to one side, empty gaze staring into the void as you were picked up.

The brutal kick, one much stronger than the one that had sent Masashi flying earlier, dealt out swiftly to Kawato's side following this was as unexpected, the man sent flying face first into a pillar with a sick crunch, ending with him sliding down into a now unconscious mess, blood splattered in a pretty spray across the wall and floor.

"See Boss? Job done." No response was expected, and no response was received.

Plopping down where he was, and under the still stunned gaze of your Toman friends and spectators alike, Furu gently settled you down in his lap, making sure you were securely seated before releasing one arm from your waist to fish around in his pocket.

"Autopilot boss out and about again huh?" Stretching and shaking out his limbs, Jun winced as he gently probed where he had caught Furusawa's fist straight, a prominent limp in his left leg that he supported with his baseball bat as he hobbled over.

"Surprised you can still walk." Was Furusawa's light response, as he switched to quickly pat down all his pockets, before letting out a string of colorful curses. He had forgotten to bring one again.

Jabbing a thumb behind him, Furusawa followed Jun’s fingers to the sight of Hase driving two fingers into several points in Koji's back, before helping him up into a sitting position, his white cane forced back onto his grip.

"Hase! You got an eye mask?"

"When do you ever?" Said man groaned, gingerly pulling one out from his breast pocket and tossing it precisely into Furusawa's lap, before lumbering over to where Masashi was still lying, back on the ground, eyes open yet seemingly having already given up on standing, or living for the matter.

‎

Draken was the first to shake off the daze that all the spectators seemed to have been caught in together; it wasn't the sight of Kawato being flung into a wall, far from it - this crowd was more than used to violence and blood, and that scumbag deserved every last punch and kick he received today for forcing your hand. Rather, it was your dead gaze and expressionless face that seemed to have shook every last man still standing in the now silent arena. It was the first time that they saw your face devoid of life, devoid of the cheer and the tiredness and the fondness they have grown to love seeing on your face as you gladly accepted their never ending demands for your love and attention. No, this wasn’t you. But then who were you?

It seemed your old friends knew you better than they ever did. And that thought struck fear in your friends, that insecure part that reminded them again and again that you could just walk away from Toman, as you did the Red Dragonflies. The part that screamed as they thought of a possible future without you.

Slipping the black mask over your dull eyes had an instantaneous effect, your body going entirely limp, and for one heart stopping moment, your six friends thought the worst.

The intensity of the spotlights that hung in the distance only seemed to increase as the booming announcement of the winners from Draken seemed to shake the rest back into reality, and against the boisterous cheers and woops that rose from the red crowd, your Toman friends were by your side in an instant, surrounding both you and Furu.

“What happened to her?” Mitsuya demanded, being the first to reach with his ground-level position, dropping to his knees to carefully check over you, ever so gently lifting and gingerly running his fingers against your bloodied knuckles. Draken delicately lifted your eyemask, but a light snore and a scrunch of your nose as you tried to turn away from the light was all he received in response, and he couldn’t help but chuckle at your adorable sleeping face before setting the mask back down.

And a stone’s throw away, your four Wings had gathered around where Masa still lied flat on the ground.

"I don't understand where we went wrong. The plan should have worked." Jun gingerly scratched the back of his head, his nose twitching when his nails ran afoul of yet another bruise.

"You underestimated the combined strength of Boss and Furusawa. We're only ever sparred with them separately."

Hase seemed content with just ruffling his hair more in despair. He had known going in that this would end in a loss despite being an almost one-on-one match for Furusawa’s monstrous strength - none of the four Captains had a good counter for you and your deadly metal baton after all. Masa might have been able to master the cricket bat in a few days, but that was as far as Jun had planned for.

And Jun’s irritation was turned on the Vice Captain when he came lumbering over to check on them, flanked by your six Toman friends, carefully sitting down and joining the circle with you still cradled in his thick arms. "Boss and you pairing up was unfair from the start. It's only 200 men and us. Why didn't you hold back a bit?"

Furusawa blinked, his hand pausing mid comb through your hair. "But she said not to hold back?"

"You shithead! That was for us!" Jun hurled his beaten bat at Furusawa, who easily caught the flying projectile with one free hand, passing it back to him.

"Well how was I supposed to know?"

"Use your head for once maybe?" The Second Wing roughly poked the shoulder that he had earlier bashed his bat into, the incredulous look growing on his face when Furusawa gave no reaction. "Do you even have any bruises?"

"I'm gonna go to the hospital." Groaned Hase, swaying slightly as he stood back up, one hand supporting his neck.

"How bout you sit fucking still and I'll beat a brain into your thick fucking head, Furusawa?"

Everything was black. Even with your eyes open, it was black. Grogly, you made to lift what felt like cloth over your eyes, though your wandering hands were gently swatted away.

"Careful Boss, it's real bright out here." Came Furu’s voice, as he easily sat you back upright in what you instinctively knew was his lap, where you could lean against his chest as you took a moment to bring yourself back to reality and shake off the drowsiness.

Autopilot mode. It was the first time that any of the six boys had heard about this.

“Boss always takes on too much, never wants to give us the work. But her body just keeps going even after she falls asleep, so she just continues to whatever she had been doing previously through sheer muscle memory alone.” Sighing, Hase had one outstretched arm resting on a steel pillar, supporting him as his vision seemed to blur and sharpen at random. Seemed like he was still too hazy to walk.

"My warning is don't try it yourself. Furusawa's the only one so far to be able to get away with doing this to the Boss." Koji offered diplomatically, having gotten up earlier to shift to a more comfortable spot, where he now sat cross-legged, leaning against an abandoned forklift.

"She flattened all 4 of us Wings once before on autopilot. Think it was her homework assignment or something; still ended up writing some rubbish and then tucking herself straight into bed. Woke up without any memory of it too."

But all they heard was that your supposed friends, friends that were supposed to care for you and protect you from hardship, had overworked you to the point that you were forced to continue on even in your sleep. Real friends didn’t do that, and this only reiterated again what your six friends already knew.

"Kawato Ryo is hereby disbarred and disassociated from the Red Dragonflies. He is, as of now, no longer the leader of the Red Dragonflies, and I will be taking over his role as President." Came your announcement, loud and crystal clear, finally breaking the silence that had befallen that pier a good 10 minutes after the actual fight had ended as men, your men, waited patiently under the heat of the floodlights above.

As if the heavens heard you, a light rain started to fall, the pitter patter of small raindrops against hollow metal only serving to intensify the uproar that resounded for miles around, a short cool, welcomed relief on your panting skin right before an umbrella was opened above you, Furusawa grinning his signature bloodthirsty smile down at you even as he was steadily drenched. "Welcome back, Boss."

"Pack it up boys! Get these idiots to the hospital." Jun roared, waving his division into action as he hobbled best he could towards his motorbike.

And when you were once again swept off your feet into the warmth and safety of Furu’s arms, Hase now having taking over the duty of umbrella holder, your eyes fluttering close, this time, the snores against his chest was what told Furu that you were truly done for the day.

‎

‎

You barely shifted under your warm sheets when Mikey silently padded into your room the next morning, the slight rustle of a convenient store plastic bag filled with your favourite snacks the only thing that broke the quiet in your room. It was unusual that you slept in so late - you had always been an early riser, the cheerful grin the first thing your six friends see when they follow their noses into the kitchen. But it came as no surprise to find Furusawa already in his usual spot, seated below your window and facing your bedroom door, only pausing from scrolling on his phone to look up at the boy’s approach.

"She belongs to Toman." Came the casual proclamation, softly uttered as Mikey gently placed the bag onto your small coffee table, his eyes were as blank as bottomless abysses as he turned his gaze on your right hand man. “We won't let her go as easily as you did. Try to take her away from us, and I'll kill you."

And for that, all Mikey earned was a snort from Furusawa, before he returned his attention back to his phone.

[wwhatev3r]

hiii it's the chaotic lieb and guarnere anon again 😅 yeah a poly ship, if that's okay :) sorry for not explaining it very well in the original!

Poly Relationship with Joe Liebgott & Bill Guarnere | Headcanons

Notes: This took me a little so I’m so sorry! Idk if you are a vee or a triangle type of relationship, but i'm going to give my best in making a good balance.

I'm not even religious but the moment I saw your request I started praying for you. 

Lieb and Bill together?? Jeez, good luck. 

I’m obviously kidding, they are very loving but we all know their personalities strike a little bit.

Bill and Lieb get jealous pretty easily

If one of them sees you kissing the other they sprint to go kiss you too. 

They kiss you like you're made of glass, is the cutest thing.

At start certainly they would see it as a competition. 

Who can love you the most? 

If one gives you flowers, the other gives you chocolate. 

It's these little things that actually bring them more together, because the thing that mainly makes them get along is you. 

I mean the three of you are in that relationship because you care for each other and love each other and that's what it matters. 

Is actually a really good lesson for both of them because it gives them the opportunity to try and learn new things. 

Lieb wants to stay home to read his comics with you while Bill wants to go outside and go to a pub.... well, you have to make a decision. 

Or better, they need to make a decision. 

In the end they tend to do something that you three like.

Your relationship will require way more communication, which is a little complicated for these two. 

When there’s a fight Bill tends to get a little impulsive (not in a physical way), and Lieb gets passive aggressive. 

So, you have to create some type of couple session to make them spea, to be more honest and you have to tell them what you need. 

In public Bill holds one of  your hands and Joe the other. 

When you three cuddle is like a sandwich, and you're right in the middle. 

Bill puts his arm around you while you rest your head on Joe's chest. 

Bill gives you that most free and adventurous side of the relationship while Joe is more the family oriented side. 

Bill wants to experience life and Joe wants to settle down and build a family.

If you make a good balance I think you could have the best relationship in the world.

Imagine moving together with them like Joe suggested but close to a more open city where you three can do crazy stuff together. 

Intimacy (Warning: Soft Nsfw) 

In bed they are very gentle with you. 

After they get used to the sharing thing, they work pretty well as a team, let me tell ya. 

But like, if you want it rough you sure will have it. This is Joe Liebgott and Bill Guarnere for fuck sake. 

They still make sure that you're feeling comfortable and you will not leave the bed (or whatever place, they are down for anything) unsatisfied. 

Also, there's a lot of dirty talk and praise.

In terms of aftercare you have the whole package. Bill brings you water and something to eat while Joe cleans you up.

Usually you fall asleep all snuggled but by the middle of the night Bill is on the edge of the bed snoring and Joe probably stole your blanket.

BUT they love you so, so, so much that in the morning they make a race to the kitchen to see which one makes you the best breakfast. 

I hope you like it. It was my first time writing something like this and I just loved it.

[natewriteslol]

Could i get hcs of savanaclaw+octavinelle with an s/o whos a vegetarian? Gn! Please and thank you! 💖

Y/N is gender-neutral

Warnings: none, possibly descriptions of meat and eating? idk sjfkhaks

Leona:

-Decided to collab with the other dorm leaders to take everyone out for dinner

-At first he was reluctant, saying and I quote “Why would I go out to eat with all of you mongrels?”

- “Damn, I already bought a super nice outfit for going out to dinner-”

-“I’m going.”

-You had  just started going out with Leona, and once everyone had gotten their food he wanted to be a gentlemen and give you bits of his food

-and...his food was a medium rare-juicy steak

- “You want a bite?” he asked, the bit of meat on the fork placing it near your face

-“No thanks, I’m actually a vegetarian.”

-Everyone let out a quick chuckle, they couldn’t believe that he was so into you and he didn’t know

-He felt humiliated and it wasn’t even that serious adflshfafsa

-A blush rose to his cheeks

- “Oh...my bad”

-Did Leona just apologize? 

-By the Great Seven this is alot of character development we’re having-

Ruggie:

-It was a meat all you can eat restaraunt and he was so excited for it

-They only have this special once a year! And it would be one of his first dates with you!

-“C’mon dig in Y/N! I filled your plate up for ya!” 

-Ruggie was excitedly stuffing his face and you felt like you were going to be sick

-You had just started dating and Ruggie’s mind was clouded by all his excitement that he forgot that you were vegetarian...

- “Ruggie...”

- “Mhmm?” he asked, his mouth full with meat

-“You do know I’m vegetarian right?”

-Ruggie remembers your birthday, your parent’s names, your friends... but he forgot that you were vegetarian

-He swallowed, “I’m sorry babe, I just completely forgot.”

-You knew he was super excited and you didn’t want to leave Ruggie alone and make him eat by himself

-So you stuck it out and Ruggie quickly ate his full

-And you went to one of your favorite cafe’s in all of Twisted Wonderland, The Brewery 

-The scenery was so calm and beautiful, it was one of the most perfect places to spend the rest of your date

- “Babe, I’m really sorry about forgetting you were vegetarian. But thank you for introducing me to something new, this cafe is killer. Even if there is no meat...” 

-You rolled your eyes at him jokingly, making him laugh “My bad, my bad!”

Jack:

-Before he knew that you were vegetarian he would always offer you a bite of his sandwiches/meat stuff

-Once you tell him that you’re vegetarian, he feels really embarassed

-‘I should’ve put the pieces together, no wonder they never took a bite’

-Always makes sure to accomodate for you whenever you both go out to a restaraunt 

-Brings you vegetarian snacks if you’re out somewhere 

-Starts to grow fresh vegetables for you

-“Here, I grew these for you in the greenhouse. Ah, don’t worry they didn’t take that long  to grow, here take em’.” 

-ajlfajha Jack ilysm

Azul:

-It all started with Azul trying to sell you some food from the Monstro Lounge

-We have the finest of seafood, grand meat specials that will make you go wild!

-Yet...nothing was appetizing to you?!

-Impossible! There must be something that he could whip up that could change your mind

- “Jade. Floyd into the kitchen, and give them ‘The Convincing Special-”

-“Azul, I’m a vegetarian. I don’t eat meat.”

-Damn! Azul was so used to being around meat eaters like the abundant Savannaclaw students, that he realized he needed to give better accomidations for those who were vegetarian!

-Oh no, you could possibly think that this means that he doesn’t care about you or your diet!

-Meanwhile you’re just sitting there while he’s overthinking ladfhsjhfs

-You become his new guinea pig, testing out all sorts of delicious vegetarian options 

-His business does well, and you’re happy!

-My, my he is quite the deal-maker, isn’t he?

Jade:

-He’s not the biggest meat eater himself, so he relates to you alot 

-Jade is a very observant person, so he’d already know and wouldn’t forget

-Knows the best spots to hit up for breakfast, lunch and dinner

-Another boy who gets the idea to start gardening! 

-Since he loves nature, he would love to start a little garden in Ramshackle with you

- “I think Ramshackle could use a little more...life, don’t you think dear?” 

-Woo lord Jade pls gimme a chance-

-Your lucky self gets a peak into a Domestic Jade :D

-And he’s very passionate about his hobby for plants, pls be supportive-

Floyd:

-It was when you first started dating

-Talking about his experiences under the sea with his brother...while eating with his mouth open

-I’m sure he was just excited since he hadn’t been there for a long time, but it was grossing you out ajdshljfasdjad

-You tap his chin, “Chew and then speak, love. I can see the meat in your mouth.”

-He gulps, shit! Floyd forgot that meat stuff grosses you out

-He cries about it ajldfhjla-

-”Shrimpy, I’m sorry please forgive me!” He wails in your dorm room.

-“Yes, Floyd, I forgive you. I’ve forgave you multiple times by now-”

-But after a while of you dating, there are little to no slip ups 

-And has no problem that you’re vegetarian

-“Ah! You’re so cute, you’re like a little rabbit~” Floyd says, poking your cheeks softly

-Calls you bunny or rabbit sometimes, swapping out for Shrimpy-chan

[druigswhores]

you’re alive in my head

summary: in which natasha no longer had to live in a world without you, there you were in her arms once again. but why can’t she remember your life before westview?

content warning: natasha romanoff x fem!reader, set after endgame, angst, mentions of death, trauma, their relationship ending on a bad note, trust issues & previous steve x nat, there is some hints to homophobia in this chapter :/ (WANDAVISION SPOILERS!)

note: sorry this chapter was late!! it’s 3.3k words and i got my friend to spell check and edit it, ty ashy ily <33

REQUESTS ARE OPEN! (lmk if you want anymore content like this!)

‘моя любовь’ = ‘my love’ in russian <3

‘принцесса’ = ‘princess’ (i used google translate so idk how accurate it is

SERIES MASTERLIST

PART THREE COMING SOON

Death.

It's a complicated thing; A theory.

Nobody knows what happens to you after you die. Nobody knows what happens to your soul after you die. We make things up to make ourselves feel better, and convince ourselves that our deceased loved ones are watching over us, all the while convincing others that our loved ones are in a better place now.

But in reality, those are just dreams dying to be true.

Natasha didn't know if you were dead or alive. She just knew your body turned into particles of dust, your soul disappeared along with the rest of you. She didn't want to believe that you were truly gone, so she spoke to you.

She spoke to you, thinking you were listening to her; believing you were listening to her and that you were still around.

It was almost as if she was speaking to your ghost, the mere presence of you that remained with her, the piece of you that was a part of her. It felt wrong being in the compound without you, she felt as though she was trapped; trapped with the many reminders of how she failed you. The walls were suffocating her. Every time she thought about what had happened it felt as though the rooms were becoming smaller. The large 'A' plastered around the compound taunting her, reminding her of what they lost. Of what she lost.

So she had to get away.

Natasha found herself taking trips to the beach, the one the two of you adored oh so much. She'd walk along the sand, the harsh wind blowing against her face. The air smelled of salt, and she'd take a deep breath in with a smile. She'd reminisce all the times the two of you managed to get away from the compound, how effortlessly gorgeous you'd look with the breeze blowing through your hair, your laughter sounding like a melody that Natasha now longed to hear once more.

If she stood really still, she could, once more, feel the warmth of your fingers dragging against her skin, gently tracing shapes onto her body. Her heart would ache whenever she'd turn to the side, finding that nobody was beside her.

She had to get used to living in a world without you.

"моя любовь..." She sighed, fumbling with a stone she'd picked up, before swinging her arm and throwing it into the rippling water. The temperature was dropping. Christmas coming closer and closer every day. Natasha wrapped her coat tighter around her body, staring at the waves in front of her, observing the way they'd hit the shore before pulling back into the ocean. In the distance, she could see boats, and although they were far away, she noticed how the water carried them; the movement of the ocean pushing the boat into the direction of the wind. "No sailors.." Natasha realized, her eyes following a lifeguard boat making its way to the empty boats, likely checking for any survivors.

Yet another reminder of how the Avengers had failed.

It's only been a couple of months since the battle yet the traces of you continued to fade away. The sweater that was once yours now clung to Natasha's body as she made her way back home.

She'd do anything to bring you back. She'd do anything to have you in her arms again, complaining about something you'd undoubtedly forget hours later. She missed the way you'd never share your snacks with anyone but her. The feeling of warmth that would blossom inside her when your eyes met in a crowded room. All the times when your knee would brush against hers during a meeting. She missed the way it felt to lay next to you. She missed forgetting the world with you.

God, she missed you so much.

But there she was. In the same room as you, years later, preparing breakfast. Her hair was coiled and pinned up, keeping it in place. Her dress fit her perfectly, the skirt swaying with her movements as she elegantly makes her way across the kitchen floor. Her every movement seemed like a performance; like she was the performer and you were the audience, watching her in awe. She was captivating in every possible way, her enchanting voice pulling you in like a siren.

"Good morning, honey! I've been up all morning making us a delightful breakfast." Natasha greeted you with a kiss on the cheek, her performance almost seeming comical. "Nat... it's just peanut butter and jelly sandwiches." You pointed out, glancing over your shared kitchen, seeing the mess that was made. Somehow milk spilled all over the counters, dripping onto the ground, you immediately recognized the smell of burnt toast that hung in the air as you continued looking around.

"Peanut butter and jelly is your favourite, remember?" Natasha reminded you. Your eyes widened at the realization, thanking her. You helped her bring the food to the table, making a note to yourself to tidy up the kitchen before the dinner at Wanda and Vision's that the two of you were invited for.

But you couldn't recall Wanda telling you about the dinner?

"Are you okay, моя любовь?" She placed her hand above yours on the counter. The two of you sat in front of each other, your half-eaten breakfast resting between the two of you. "Of course, why wouldn't I be? I'm with my best girl." You smiled softly at her, and though your words said one thing, Natasha could easily recognise the distant look on your face as you stared off into space, lost in your own thoughts. "What's going on in that pretty little head of yours принцесса?" She teased, squeezing your hand gently.

"What time are we supposed to be at Wanda's?" You asked her, snapping yourself out of the trance you were in. Natasha hesitated, eyebrows furrowed as she watched your every move. Something was bothering you. "We're going to Wanda's in the evening моя любовь, she asked us a while back if we could help out before the others arrived, remember?" Natasha stated as the two of you brought your plates to the sink, beginning to tidy up.

"I'm not sure how much help you'll be sweetheart." You teased, pointing at the mess that was created due to Natasha making breakfast. She feigned hurt in response, "Oh принцесса, you're breaking my heart!" She made her way around you, passing you the cutlery as you rinsed the plates. You chuckled softly at her playful behaviour. "I think we should stick with me making us breakfast so our kitchen doesn't end up getting flooded, wouldn't you agree?" You chuckled, as you made your way around the kitchen, the two of you tidying up the mess Natasha had created.

"If only we were a robot," Natasha sighed, wrapping her arms around you from behind. You leaned back into her, embracing the warmth which radiated from her body, "or had powers." This was a position you were so very used to. "If only," she responded playfully. You turn your head back at the grinning redhead, as she leaned in for a kiss, her eyes fluttering shut as she felt your lips meet.

"You know," Natasha started, "we do have some time to spare-" you then cut her off.

"I like the way you think, sweetheart," You smiled softly, turning in her arms before making your way to your shared bedroom. Natasha followed closely behind.

The two of you were dolled up, looking your best.

Your dress ended just below your knees, the skirt extenuating your hips; it swayed with every movement you made. The short sleeves of the dress looked as though they were about to fall off your shoulders. Natasha's dress, however, was much more slim fitting and hugged her hips perfectly before flowing down, much like a waterfall, making it harder to look at anything else but her.

"Do you think Wanda will get mad at us for arriving a bit later than expected?" You asked nervously, fumbling with your fingers as the two of you made your way down the path that led to Wanda and Vision's home. Natasha shuffled around balancing the tray of pastries you'd prepared in one hand while using her free hand to rub your back gently, comforting you, "I'm sure she won't mind, моя любовь," she reassured you. As you near the house you could hear mumbling from the inside; you heard three or more different voices.

"Is that- is Vision singing?" You asked worriedly, glancing at Natasha who was mirroring your reaction. She knocked on the door, and the singing inside had abruptly stopped. "Oh, that must be our other guests," You heard Vision exclaim, "perfect timing!" You could hear his footsteps gradually get closer. The door swung open and Vision gave a nervous smile, glancing down at the tray of food Natasha was holding before letting out a sigh of relief. He hugged the both of you before welcoming you into his home. He introduced you to Mr. Hart, Visions boss, and Mrs. Hart, his wife.

"Oh hello," Mrs. Hart greeted, "no need to be so formal tonight honey." she smiled at you, pushing away the hand you had extended for her to shake. Instead, she pulled you into a tight hug which quite honestly surprised you. You awkwardly pat the older yet noteably shorter woman on the back before pulling away to quickly greet her husband. He glanced at you and Natasha in confusion, opening his mouth to say something before getting interrupted. "Oh here, let me take that, Natasha. You stay here and I'll go get a plate to put these on." You glanced at everyone in the room, offering them a smile before making your way to the kitchen, Vision stopped you before you got to the door, extending his arm out.

"Thank you," he leaned down to whisper to you. You squeezed his arm in response. You weren't used to seeing Vision in this form. He looked human. You rushed into the kitchen, startling Wanda, "I've figured you needed help." You smiled sheepishly at her, placing the tray down onto the counter, taking in all the chaos that was going on in the kitchen. It reminded you of this morning.

"Well, this isn't the first chaotic kitchen I've walked into today," you teased, reaching out for a plate before neatly plating the pastries onto it. Wanda laughed nervously in response, as she flicked through the recipe cards, searching for the right one. You walked back into the living room, placing the plate onto the coffee table prompting Vision to jump up out of his seat and offer Mr. and Mrs. Hart an appetizer. Looking to Natasha, you gave her a wink before swiftly turning around, your dress swaying with your movements as you made your way back into the kitchen, missing the frown forming on Mr. Hart's face.

"Oh, what was I supposed to do next?" Wanda began rambling, "what was the main course again?"

Making your way to the recipe cards floating in the air you attempted to help her find the card with the right recipe, steak. You could hear Vision playing a song on the ukulele while Natasha unwillingly sang alongside him.

"That's not it" You sighed, sifting through the cards, "is this one steak?"

"Steak," Wanda started, "Diane!" she accidentally yells. Her eyes widened as she realized what she'd done. She looks to you with a frown. You just barely heard Vision respond with a, "yes dear?"

"This is going terribly," Wanda frowned, leaning her head upon your shoulder. You chuckled, rubbing her back gently before pulling her away, forcing her to look at you, "Hey, you can do this, okay? You're not alone," you reassured her, attempting to raise her spirits. She sighed in relief, repeating to herself ", "I can do this, I can do this, I can do this..."

Vision barged into the kitchen unexpectedly, his nerves radiating through room. Wanda panics, accidentally using her powers to throw the lobsters out of the window.

"How can I be of assistance." Vision asks, mirroring Wanda's expression.

"Well," Wanda started, "the chicken is no longer a chicken and the lobsters just flew the coop, so the steak is the last man standing," she explains, making her way around the kitchen. You held the recipe card in your hand, skimming the instructions, "it says here you could cut down the prep time with a meat tenderiser." You recited, looking at the couple once more. "Excellent plan! Where's the tenderiser?" Vision questions, ready to help in the kitchen.

"I'm looking at him," Wanda began, holding her hand out to pass the tenderiser to Vision. You pull her hand back before Vision reaches out for it. "No. What you need to do, Vision, is go entertain your guests. Have faith in your wife and I, okay?" You pushed him out of the kitchen, before turning around and clapping your hands.

"So, where were we?" You asked, hopefully.

After a stressful couple of minutes, a brief visit from a woman with a pineapple, and Natasha almost spilling water on her dress; dinner was served.

Well technically, breakfast was served.

The six of you sat around the dining table, nervously looking around. Mr. and Mrs. Hart looked at the food in confusion, staring at the cooked bacon and eggs paired with the red wine and chocolate covered strawberries.

"Breakfast for dinner?" Mr, Hart began, with obvious judgement written all over his face. "How very-" "European." Mrs. Hart cut him off, smiling reassuringly at the two of you.

"European?" You muttered, glancing at Wanda in confusion, who then motioned her hand in a 'I'll tell you later' sort of way. "Oh, let's have a toast!" Vision began, raising his glass up. All of you followed suite as Vision continued.

"To my lovely and talented wife," he gloated, unable to take his eyes off her.

"And to our esteemed guests," Wanda added. You didn't miss the wink she threw at you and Natasha, causing the two of you to stifle your laughs. Everyone clinked their glasses together and dug into their food. It wasn't long after when the questioning began.

"So, where did you move from?" Mrs. Hart began, "what brought you here? How long have you been married? And why don't you have children yet?" She interrogated Wanda and Vision, and you glanced over at Natasha, hesitantly, who shrugged in response before continuing to eat her food. Her eyes then met Mr. Hart's, who's eyebrows were furrowed at the interaction, waiting for his wife to finish speaking so he could say something. You didn't notice Wanda struggling to answer the questions being thrown, while Vision looked at Wanda desperately waiting for an answer. It was almost as if the two of them didn't know themselves.

You also failed to notice Wanda zoning out of the conversation, staring off into the distance as Mrs. Hart continued pestering her for answers. "And what about the two of you, huh? You two roommates?" Mr. Hart questioned, noticing how closely seated you were next to Natasha.

"Something like that," Natasha responded, biting back the smirk that was fighting it's way onto her lips.

"Two lovely women such as yourselves shouldn't struggle to find a man. Why don't the two of you have husbands yet?" Mr. Hart asked, leaning forward. You felt the hair in your arms rise as you realised where the conversation was leading. Glancing at Natasha nervously, you noticed how her fingers were clenched around her cutlery.

"We just prefer each other's company," you stated simply, shoving a forkful of eggs into your mouth to distract yourself.

"What do you mean? Are you- that's unnatural!" He ranted. You ignored him, noticing that Wanda was still trying to answer questions about her and Visions marriage.

"Yes, yes, we were married in," Wanda paused, getting lost in her thoughts. Mr. Hart continued his rant to you and Natasha as You, Vision and Natasha glanced at Wanda nervously.

"You're both women! That's wrong!" Mr Hart argues.

"Well, what's your story?" Mrs. Hart questions Wanda.

Mr. Hart began shouting, slamming his fist onto the table as Mrs. Hart continued to grill Wanda for answers. Wanda snaps back into reality due to a sudden, unexpected noise. She turned to face Mr. Hart who began to choking. You stared at Natasha, frightened and unsure as of what to do in this situation.

"Oh, Arthur, stop it!" Mrs. Hart laughed. She repeated the words 'stop it' over and over again, her tone gradually becoming more panicked as her husband continued to choke. His hand rested on his throat. Vision stared at Mr. Hart in an unsure manner, his hands resting against the table almost as if the were pinned against it. You only just noticed how Mrs. Hart turned to Wanda as she continued repeating those same words.

"Stop it," she pleaded, her voice shaking as she looked at Wanda, who was staring at Mr. Hart in shock. Mr. Hart fell off his chair and onto the ground as he continued to choke. You wanted to rush over and help him but it felt as though your hands were bound to the table and you couldn't move your legs. You were only able to watch as the man continued to choke while his wife chuckled.

"Stop it."

"Stop it."

"Stop it."

"Vision, help him," Wanda demanded. Vision rushed out of his seat and next to Mr. Hart, phasing his hand through his throat and removing a whole chocolate covered strawberry.

When did Mr. Hart pick up the strawberry? You thought to yourself.

"Let me help you up," Vision offers, helping Mr. Hart back to his feet. The atmosphere in the room had immediately changed, going back to exactly how it was before. It was almost as if a switch had been flipped and everyone forgot what was happening.

"Would you look at the time!" Mr. Hart exclaimed making his way to the door as his wife followed behind him.

"Well," Wanda started, "are you both alright?" she questioned nervously, as she stood up. "Yes, we better be going. We had such a lovely time!" Mrs. Hart reassured. The couple left the house very abruptly, mentioning something about a promotion before exiting the front door.

"Oh, we must be going as well!" Natasha exclaims, pushing herself up out of her seat before saying goodbye to the two. She hugged them both before making her way out of the door. You hugged Vision and thanked him for having you over before making your way to Wanda.

"Tonight was wonderful, Wanda," you reassured, pulling her into a hug. You felt her shoulders slacken in your arms, sighing softly as she returned your embrace before pulling away from you, her arms resting on your shoulders.

"Thank you, thank you for everything."

As the two of you made your way home, you couldn't help but let Mr. Hart's words play on repeat in your mind. You could tell Natasha knew what was bugging you as she squeezed your hand gently. The two of you continued to hold hands as you made your way home.

"I know we can't get married," you started, as you stood in your living room, staring at the woman who made you feel most at home. She nodded, waiting for you to continue as she rested her hand against your cheek, allowing her thumb to gently stroke your face.

"But I just want you to know that I'm here for you. For better or for worse. I never want to be apart from you," you chuckled softly, staring at her in awe, allowing your eyes to glance at her lips before you looked back into her eyes.

"I know, моя любовь. And I'd do anything for you," Natasha began.

"Even die for you."

natasha romanoff taglist: @blackxwidowsxwife @severepeanutartisanhands @madamevirgo @starsvck @umsolikeblog @baddecisions-png @yourmcu

all works: @teenwonder @amourtentiaa @husherstan @peggycarter-steverogers

[purplerose244]

My thoughts on Seabound!!! 🌊🌊🌊 (1/4)

SPOILERS ALERT!!!

Finally Nya's season! Our queen, our water goddess, our amazing girl gets what she deserves! 😍😍😍

What I know about the season beforehand is that Nya's powers apparently are getting problematic for some reasons? Which is a pretty common topic in other shows but it's a first in Ninjago, usually the elemental powers don't have focus and I LOVE that we now get to see stuff like that 💕💕💕

I know there should be Wojira involved, trusting The Island to deliver that little foreshadowing at the end of the episode 🤷‍♀️ Also Maya is back... MAYA IS FINALLY BACK AFTER SEVEN SEASONS YES!!! 😭😭😭

I have nothing else to say, I have no idea what this will bring, hopefully something as good as Master of the Mountain! 🖤

Alright, here we go!

GENERAL THOUGHTS

Warning reader, I might be fangirling to an extreme because I love mah girl Nya and I've been wanting Kai and Nya's parents to be back ever since Hands of Time ended. So yeah... screaming alert 😅

At this point I don't doubt that the intro is great, we reached such a level of animation and we got The Fold 😍😍 Love the marine vibe and how it's similar to The Island, because it's a great intro 👌

NOW I like the writing! Maybe they rushed the dialogue's quality for The Island to get here? It's just fun and in character, maybe it's just me but I'm enjoying it a lot for now

How many episodes are in this? Wiki says ten, then I checked again and it's sixteen like with Master of Mountain... eh, it looks good so far so it's fine whatever happens 🤷‍♀️

A BIG SPLASH

Oohhh, new villain! One that uses... flames... huh, does she know there's literally a master of fire in the ninja team? Eh whatever she looks cute, give it up for Miss Demeanor!! 👏👏

Wait... OMG IS THAT ERIN MATTHEWS??? WE GOT MACY!! ❤❤❤

Whoa, we're finding out where did the order of the vengestone from season 13 come from?? YAS! CONTINUITY!

Yep, there it is, Nya lost control... her attacks look so cool 😍

Lol that kid trying to be a nindroid and Zane being offended 😂😂 Sorry hun, you're that popular

Aaahhh, thank you Ninjago! You gave me back Nya the perfectionist 😂 I was worried her reaction to her powers wasn't going to be in character but it looks fair so far. Brings me back to Possession, my favorite season 💙💙💙

WE GOT BACK THE FACT THAT SHE CAN MAKE IT RAIN!!! YAS!!! I might be easy to please but I love these details 🤩

🤯🤯🤯 Okay they are definitely going somewhere this time and I LOVE IT, because wow. WOW. Are we actually addressing the forever questioned fact that wind and water weren't elements that Chen needed at the Tournament? Are we giving a reason for them to exist outside the main set of elements and the elemental masters?? Duuuude, season 15 don't let me stop you, keep going 😍

Mm, so water and wind are connected to Wojira (now I see the connection with the special). Are we setting the ground for a new master of wind? 😏😏 It's risky going for a Morro replacement but it's a super intriguing idea! Oooor Edgy Boy TM might come back? WHO KNOWS I'M CURIOUS ANYWAY 🤩

Love how it is universal knowledge that Nya is super indipendent 👌

YES YES FINALLY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAYA!!! 😍😍😍 Is it too much hoping into a Ray cameo as well?? Pleaaaase? Also addressing Krux after so many seasons, this feels exciting!! 😊

This is what I'm talking about, training, fighting scenes, show me everything that water goddess can do! 🌊🌊🌊

Aaahhh, Nya flexing her mightiness through anger, just to remind us that she is the descendant of a water master as much as of a fire master 😅

YES YES YES YES IT'S HAPPENING FINALLY AFTER SEVEN SEASON THE FIRE WATER PARENTS ARE FINALLY BACK!!! 🔥🌊🔥🌊🔥🌊 I'M SO HAPPY I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG!!! 😭

RAY IS THERE TOO HECK YES!!!! 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍 I shouldn't get this excited at only the first episode... WHO CARES RAY IS BAAAAACK!!! ❤❤❤

Omg Maya is definitely different from what I expected, turns out Kai's enthusiasm came from her 😂

Oh look at my flame babe 😍

He's so happy his parents are here, he's a total family man ❤❤❤

Nya is maaaaad... 😅

THERE SHE IS

WELCOME BACK JILLIAN I MISSED YOU 💚💚💚 Would it be too much having a "Your voice sounds familiar" moment with Maya and Lloyd? 😂

I'm so stoked for this! I want all the interactions I've missed for all of this time, asap!! HECK yes!! 😍😍😍😍

Oh, are we looking over the Miss Demeanor, vengestone situation? Mm... for now at least... WHO CARES FIRE WATER PARENTS!! 🔥🌊🔥🌊🔥🌊

THE CALL OF THE DEEP

Imma just slow clap for The Fold because this is another amazing intro, one of those things in this show that stays awesome no matter what happens 👍👍

So Maya gave Nya her discipline and perfectionism, but not the passion behind it 😂 I like this, it's not your conventional master of water, although I'd say it's different from the impression she gave me back in HoT. Maybe this is how she is when she's not trapped for fifty years? 😅😅

Is it too much asking for Kai and Ray bonding while the water women get the work done? 😅😅

Is this the sequel of Green Eggs and Ham?

Green Pancakes and Ham? 😂

Oh it's seaweed nevermind... at breakfast? I'm all for sushi rolls but this is a little 😅 Although since Maya missed their childhood she probably never cooked meals for them... how did I get myself sad 😢

Whoa, Maya is a strict teacher! I got flashbacks from my first and only dance lesson, teachers nitpicking every single pose, uuurrrggg I feel ya waterlily 😡

Again, not a fan of Misako, but coming from her the whole speech about wanting to be there for her child makes a lot of sense

Yes. YES.

YEEEEESSSS KAI AND RAY FAMILY BONDING THIS IS EVERYTHING I'VE EVER WANTED I'M GETTING ALL OF MY WISHES GRANTED FOR THIS ONE ❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤

AND MY FLAME BABE IS SO GLAD HE GOT HIS PARENTS!!! 😭😭😭

Lol with Kai's new hair they look even more related 🤣

Ray also sounds so happy he gets to have his moment with his son 😢 I feel so blessed in this moment 👍

Also this scene makes a lot of sense. Nya grew up to be indipendent, one that succeed in most of stuff without problems, she built her life without any help and doesn't look for it. Kai grew up more insecure, he got some walls up but loves to take care of others and be taken care of. With a childhood lost he looks forward to a bit of softness ❤❤

Did Maya make real bacon for that sandwich? Do I smell some favoritism? 😅 Or maybe she really wants Nya to get onto the water mind setting idk 🤷‍♀️

Little tiny complain, why isn't Jay doing the fixing? Did he give up mechanics completely? It feels like we haven't seen him do tech stuff in so long, I miss techy boy in action 😞

And no, having to check on the bathroom doesn't count 😅

Aww robot date 💜🤍💜🤍

AAAHH ROBOT DISASTER 😱😱😱 ZANE DANG IT YOU WERE DOING SO GOOD NOT TRYING TO DIE IN THE LAST TWO SEASONS!!

Oh that was weird, weird magic purple wave thingie?

I DID NOT ASK FOR A SEASON WITH A BEST GIRL AT THE EXPENCE OF ANOTHER BEST GIRL PIX DON'T YOU DARE DO THIS TO ME 😱😱😱😱😱

"Well this is troubling." I love this samurai so freaking much 💜💜💜

GUYS THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND EPISODE, I'M A LITTLE SCARED NOW 😢

Okay Nya admitting that something's wrong looking so apologetic, girl you don't need to do that you already own my heart 😭

Alright, I'm guessing this is Wojira's power or something, and they will have to go down below and find out why... just throwing this in, maybe Maya did something? Because she wanted to finally be with her family and needed an excuse? JUST A THEORY WITH NO BASE I REALLY HOPE I'M WRONG!!!

Okay, two episodes and I'm BEYOND engaged, let's keep it up! 😍

UNSINKABLE

Getting an idea how this episode might end already 😂😂

Look, I love best girl Pixal, but I'm kinda sad that she seems to be the only one tinkering at this point. Like, I saw Nya fix little stuff, while Jay dropped engineering altogether, I miss my engineers team 😭

Aww, the guys didn't want to crush Pixal's dream of an unsinkable boat 💜 But honestly yeah, I agree with Cole, this might end badly 😅😅

Thank goodness

I was worried they forgot about Jaya ❤💙❤💙 Jay is such a cutie omg

Nya: Mm, going on a potentially dangerous mission with unstable powers in the heart of my element or... mom's tofu pancakes... *yeets herself over the ship*

I'm making too many screenshots of the Smith family... WHO CARES THEY ARE BACK AND THEY ALL LOOK SO GOOD!!! 😍😍😍😍

Aww Ray wants to play with his son and his friends so CUTE ❤❤❤ Still can't believe they play Prime Empire after everything that went down 😂😂

Whoa whoa whoa, Kai and Cole are sitting this one out? That's actually interesting, I'm pretty sure I saw Cole's scuba suit in the sets though so I didn't expect it... lol it's actually kinda fair that the two that used to be afraid of water aren't going 😂😂

Bet Kai is happy to stay behind because he gets to spend time with his dad 😭

Also studying the fire elementals?? Uhm, yes please?? TELL ME EVERYTHING ABOUT MY FLAME BABE!!! 😍😍😍😍

I'm sure this one scene...

... made so many lavashippers happy ❤🖤❤🖤 Cole you got Ray's blessing

Ninja team acting cool while Jay is being Jay, it's how it always goes, it's the entire show's description and I absolutely love it 😂 That wink though 💙

PIRATE ZANE IS BACK 😂😂😂 Haven't seen him since Possession, and this time he's not even malfunctioning 👌 Pixal is so done with his dorky boyfriend 😝

Of course Jay already has a ghost butler theory going on 😂

OF COURSE IT'S MAYA 😂😂

To be honest muffins would sold me too 😅 Not sure if she will make them out of tofu again though...

It's actually really interesting that we still haven't met the actual enemies, it does build up excitment! Very curious about these squid guys 👍

Well what do you know, the Unsinkable sank. Who would have thought?

... yeah same, sorry Pix 😅

FIVE THOUSANDS FATHOMS DOWN

Aaaahhh, Nya fixing stuff! That's more like it!! 😍😍

Oww, that one speech, I've been waiting for so long for that! Maya just wants to catch up with her daughter and it's not her fault she was separated from her children, but Nya did everything on her own with Kai. Only fair she isn't seeking for her help right now... still sad 😢

Pff, with this ninja team there's not a moment of privacy 😂😂

Maya cleaning his future son-in-law's laundry what the HECK 😂😂😂 To be fair Jay has a bit of a history of having to change underwears during sea travels 😝

Zane was attached to a battery? When?... are you talking about that one scene in Prime Empire? Cause that's not really a flashback I wanna ha- whoops never mind got the flashback 😱

Maya looks more calm now, I think she's trying to act more reasonable and she's got good points 👍 I know people were a little weirded out by how more cheerful she looks in comparison to Hands of Time, but I think she gets the most serious and rational when time needs. That's actually fascinating of her 🤔

CALLING OUT AN ATTEMPTED MURDER

THIS GIRL IS TOO GORGEOUS MY HEART CAN'T TAKE IT 🤩🤩🤩 Like my gosh that smirk, what the heck Pix 💜💜💜

Okay but Jay looking at Nya until the doors are completely closed?? CAN YOU FEEL MY JAYA HEART BEATING?? ❤💙❤💙

Whoa green gas I thought this was Nya's season 😂

MAYA WHY ARE YOU SAYING THIS STUFF YOU'RE SCARING ME 😱😱😱 I SWEAR LEGO IF YOU BROUGHT BACK WATER MOM JUST TO KILL HER OFF I'M GONNA SUE YOU 😭😭😭

I really REALLY like the atmosphere of the entrante of the temple! Super sealike and ancient! 🌊🌊🌊

Maya: off we go, into the spooky old temple! (Why does it feel like something Kai would say? 😂)

Oh gee, someone sleeping in the deep, who could that be? Coff Wojira coff

Whoa the jellyfishes look pretty lifelike!

HERE HE COMES

WELCOME BACK GILES!!! ONCE AGAIN ON A LEGO SHOW I MISSED YOU SO MUCH YOU AND YOUR GODLIKE VOICE!!! 😍😍😍😍 Gosh he's a villain but he's got Clay's voice, how can I even try to hate him?? 😅

Alright, knocking down my water girls, that is pretty hateful material... BUT CLAAAYYY 💙💙💙

So they need the two amulets to wake up Wojira? Isn't one on the island? Fire dad and son coming to the rescue? WHO KNOWS BUT I'M ENJOYING THIS A LOT SO FAR KEEP GOING SEABOUND 😍😍😍

[katsukissleepybean]

Karasuno's First Years and how well they cook or bake HC's

Tobio Kageyama

• He would be.. Something else..

• Idk- He just doesn’t seem like a cook to me, nor a baker.

• He would be scolding Hinata for using the wrong ingredients even though he’s no better himself

• I mean, I guess he can simply follow a recipe and it would be fine???

• Sometimes it has an odd taste, sometimes it tastes perfectly normal..

• He definitely tried recipes that include milk and yoghurt or something.

• His breakfast is 10/10 some yoghurt with some fruits here n there. No doubt.

• I honestly don’t know anything further????

• I just see him as a kind of lost dog??

• He would need help in order to properly succeed

• Oh god this is so short for him im so sorry T-T

• I genuinely don’t know anything for him aaaa

• UHm-

• OMG AA-

• Suga and Kageyama made a lime yogurt pie for Tobio’s family

• They loved it a lot

• Kageyama was really thankful for Suga but didn’t really know how to say it so he bought some chocolate for him-

• (because he knows that if he tried to make something it would either taste bad or it wont even make it into the oven)

Shōyō Hinata

• Stop. Please omg stop

• He would be a mess omg-

• He would use curry powder instead of cinnamon powder in a desert because “they looked the same” or some shit.

• Don’t let him near the kitchen please AHAHA

• He would be a fine cook, if only he read the lids of what substance he was using.

• “God Hinata- what did you use in this cake?”

• “Huh? Oh I used this pot!”

• Holds up a now half emptied pot of S A L T-

• I cannot-

• Que the “Boke Hinata!! Boke!!” from Tobio

• Though- Hinata really likes tea

• He knows all kinds of little facts and stuff idk

• So uhm- He would like to organize tea parties and stuff

• Together with Asahi and Suga they would talk about cute cafe’s and little picnic ideas

• Probably would organize a whole tea party as a surprise birthday you know?

• Tikgfdfhsd that is so cute what

• Like everyone got their favorite desserts, food and/or drinks

• All made by the third years, (and a little help from Takeda if it takes place at school), Hinata takes care of the drinks together with Yamaguchi

• Ftkdsfglj I want a tea party with them

• They would lightly decorate the gym to-

• AAA STOP I WANT TO BE THERE

Kei Tsukishima

• I honestly don’t know

• I don’t see him as a baker or a cook

• I honestly see him only just tasting stuff or something

• He also doesn’t eat that much- enough to fill his stomach but still- compared to the rest of the team, he eats the least

• He doesn’t really try out new and different foods that often though

• He’s a very picky eater

• Though- Like Sugawara- He is obsessed with Strawberry Shortcake

• And sometimes Tsukki brings two Shortcakes for them to enjoy

• Though he heavily denies that he buys them for Suga too,

• Cuz like..

• Why would he?.. Right? Ahaha

• He so bought them for Suga stfu

• He is just very happy that someone shares his favorite food

• ANYWAY

• He brings little snacks for Yamaguchi too

• He seems like a caring person to me..

• He just pretends he isn’t and denies everything lmao

• Yamaguchi and Suga are thankful though

• Hinata wants a snack to!

• Tsukki only makes fun of him though

• (Yamaguchi secretly gave a little bit to Shouyo though)

• Anyways- He doesn’t scream cook or baker to me-

• He might make like simple things like sandwiches and grilled cheese

• Maybe mac and cheese (even though to me he doesn’t seem like a person that enjoys mac and cheese- But you know- He could make a simple dish like that)

Tadashi Yamaguchi

• Amazing baker when it comes to bread. Can’t change my mind.

• I think, for some reason, that he really enjoys baking bread

• Like- All kinds of bread

• His favorite is Cinnamon Bread

• With hot chocolate to drink with. Yes.

• Though Tadashi isn’t very confident in his cooking.

• He tends to get nervous and overthink

• It is not really needed though because the food tastes just fine!

• Yams was thinking of being a barista from time to time

• He loves the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the pies that they sell at his favorite café

• But volleyball practice and stuff kind of get in the way and he doesn’t want to stress himself with more work.

• Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmm

• I kind of don’t know anything else for this beautiful bby-

• I’m thinking of the fact that he likes floppy french fries- it’s so cute

• Oo oo- Yams is interested in anything as long as it involves potatoes

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Ahw yisss a part 3✨ i hope u enjoyed and uhhh yeaa✨ Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee🧍✨

[miwtze]

distance (ushijima wakatoshi x reader)

cw: depression, intrusive thoughts, ushi might be ooc idk 

wc: 1.9k of utter dogshit i HATE this 

distance wasn’t uncommon between you and ushijima. you knew ushijima had to focus on volleyball and he knew you had times where you were unable to attend to yourself much less him. maybe that’s why you two have lasted as long as you did, you weren’t suited for love but neither was he, so you thought that maybe you guys would have a chance. he called mutual respect, and while that might be true to some extent, to you it just felt like he settled with you for convenience. you weren’t stupid. you knew that like everyone else in this world, ushijima craved affection but that was the extent of his relationship. you believed he did not need to love you. in fact he probably couldn’t. you were not loveable. how could another love a person so void of life; of course they couldn’t. you loved him but he didn't love you. you thought maybe that was enough for you, but as a human you’re selfish. you want your own form of comfort and if that means ending things with ushijima after six years of dating then so be it. as your gentle fingers continue to thread bead after bead through the wire, you wonder if your relationship between you and ushijima would snap like the thin wire in between your finger. you’re pulled from your thoughts when you hear the front door open. when ushijima pops his head out of the hall way and into the living room you greet him.

“hey, welcome back.” ushijima looks as beat up as you feel; sunken in eyes and dried sweat on his forehead. “i didn’t think you’d be back so soon, do you want me to make dinner while you shower?”

“hello.” he looks down at the beads in your hands, frowning. he knows they’re the same kind you had strung together for him when you confessed to him at 18, the same one he adorns on his wrist like an olympic medal. “did you do anything all day except play with beads?” he didn’t mean to come off like that, he wanted to talk but he didn’t know how to go about it. his indifference only made the statement come off worse, he knew this, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak up. ushijima was tired, no he was exhausted. he wanted to help you but he couldn’t cross the distance to meet you. not when your empty eyes are waiting for him on the other side.

“so no dinner then.” you want him to object. you want him to tell you that he wants to eat dinner with you, to talk to you. you want something, anything. you want ushijima wakatoshi to love you because you don’t want to leave.

“yeah no dinner tonight.”

“c’mon we haven’t hung out in forever. let’s go out and drink, it’s fine if you start crying. we all miss you,” your friend begs on the other end of the line. “i’ll come get you at six, yeah? yeah?” you smile, it felt nice knowing your presence was wanted even if it was for a little bit.

“yeah i’ll be ready at six.” you hear your friend excitedly end the call as you flop onto the bed. you need to go out. you knew it wasn’t good for you to stay inside and mope about how unloved you were. you knew you had to try just a little more, just for yourself. the little steps you had been making the couple years like cleaning your clothes, eating , going to classes, doing the works seemed completely mundane but it helped you help yourself. if nothing else you wanted to try and cross the distance yourself, maybe with ushijima on the other side maybe not.

by the time six rolls around you’ve showered and dressed up to the nines. you’ve never felt as pretty as you did in that moment and you think it has something to do with wanting to be better and much less the wings on your eyelids. as you fall into your friend’s car you’re greeted with two more of your friends and a bottle of alcohol. we’re pre-gaming before we drink some more at ayasski’s, they explain. giggling you join them getting inebriated and melting into the arms of your friends. as the night gets longer, your friends gently probe you about ushijima knowing you well enough to know something wasn’t okay.

“i think it’s kind of stupid to be in a relationship where someone can’t love you,” you giggle the blush reaching up to your cheeks. “i love him so, so, so much so i have to break up with him. i know he’s not happy with me.” you friends wrap their arms around you, booing.

“it’s his loss there’s literally no reason to not be happy with you,” you friend shouted, you could disagree ten times over. the hope that blossomed in your chest earlier today’s as completely shot down when you realized you weren’t a person meant to get better. you tossed another shot back. “but he seemed really happy when we saw you two at your graduation last year.”

“it’s been a year. what does it even matter, we got together to party not talk about my problems,” you laugh pulling them from the kitchen into the living room. you spend the night talking catching up, telling them about your first year at the company you work for, how much you missed them, about how much you missed ushijima (you couldn’t help it you were tipsy). you realize how much you've missed talking to someone about trivial matters. you missed having no distance with people. how did things get so far away with ushijima you wonder.

at some point you black out and when you finally come around you’re tucked into your friend’s bed sandwiched between your friends. you gently untangle yourself from them and wash up in the bathroom. the cold water pulling you from your drowsiness and straight into the deep end of the nastiest hangover you’ve probably ever had. “wake up losers, i'm making breakfast for our nasty ass hangovers,” you yawn as you make your way out of the bedroom. your friends shuffle around groaning telling you to shut up and we’ll be there in a bit. shuffling around the kitchen you begin making pancakes and as you wait for the batter to cook you pick up your phone. your stomach drops when you realize you have three missed calls and a couple texts from ushijima. you forgot to tell him you were going out, you honestly didn’t think he would care.

[wakatoshi ♡]

8:18 pm | I’m going to be home late today. Don’t worry about dinner.

8:18 pm | I’ll make something when I get home.

it’s not lost on you that he texted you he wouldn’t be home at an angel number. the universe was playing its jokes on you but you can’t seem to find the humor.

[wakatoshi ♡]

11:24 pm | Did you go out?

11:36 pm | When will you be home?

12:01 am | Please be quiet when you return home. Goodnight.

you laugh at his punctualness, identifiable even through text. as your friends file in and fill themselves up, you head out beginning your trek home. by the time you get home your feet hurt almost as much as your head. you bend over to free your feet from the shackles of your stupid fucking heels. “objectively i would’ve looked just as pretty with a pair of flats,” you grumble rubbing the budding blisters on your feet.

“you’re pretty in general so i doubt your attractiveness changes depending on what footwear you wear.” you snap your head up, blinking owlishly at ushijima. he places his hand out in front of you waiting for you to take it. when you do, he pulls you up and into his arms carrying you into the room. you really don’t know how to react, especially with your brain pounding for a whole new reason. cautiously, you turn your head to look up at ushijima as he sets you down, leaning up to place a kiss on his chin. you wait for a reaction, a response, anything you can get but all he does is turn around and walk out. it was as if he tied the beaded bracelet on your wrist just to yank it off.

you can’t help but sob into a pillow, what else were you supposed to do. you built yourself up to leave him only to be broken down by the tiniest bit of affection. ushijima had his hands around your throat and you couldn’t get it off you no matter what you did. you loved him so much, you couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t love you back. your throat constricted, your sobs got heavy. you froze when you heard the bedroom door open. you could’ve sworn you’ve been crying for ages but only a couple minutes had passed. you held your breath as ushijima sat next to you, running his fingers through your hair. your heart beat pitifully and tears began to spill through your eyelashes again. you’re so fucking stupid, berating yourself never once allowing yourself to consider the feelings ushijima tried to awkwardly convey to you. “what happened? did something happen when you went out?” you sob louder. how could he be so unaware. “it was me wasn’t it.” you froze. “i actually would like to talk about this so when you’re calmer, may we?” you whisper out a simple yes in return feeling the nasty rope of anxiety tie knots in your stomach.

your thoughts spiraled, what did he want to talk about, did he really not love you, were you really just a small rock in the middle of his garden, were you something much more disgusting to him. he pulls you out of your thoughts just as quickly as he dropped you in them. quite literally. he pulls you onto his lap tucking your head into his chest and wraps his arm around your waist, playing with your hair once again. you two stay like that for what feels like decades. you can’t remember the last time you felt like he wanted to be around you, much less a time where he held you. gentle you pull away from his chest to face your unnerving anxieties.

“h-hey,” you whisper gently. you don’t miss the way his eyes soften at your voice. he doesn’t know how long it’s been since he’s heard your voice for something other than small talk. he missed your warmth, your voice, he missed you. so much. ushijima wanted to do better for you. when you seem to gain your resolve you finally give voice to the anxieties that planted it’s nasty seed in your thoughts. “have you ever loved me?” before you can get a response you continue, “i know i’m not lovable but are you with me for convenience. do you just deal with me? do i burden you with-”

“i am absolutely enthralled by you but i have no clue how to go about it.” he takes your face in the palm of his hands, brushing your tears away. “i want to try and do better. our distance is growing and i don’t like it at all. i understand we don’t have the most convenient relationship but i don’t want to end it because you mean so much to me.”

“i don’t want to end it either. i know it’s hard. i know it is, but you really think we could do it?” he smiles at you and it was as if a wall was broken down, not a big one but one that you had set up so you wouldn’t acknowledge ushijima or his feelings towards you.

“i know we can.”

[solicuttle]

Omg,,, the expiration fic,, made me cry :'(((( it's been a while since i've read angst fics and that one- my heart(´;︵;`) idk If you would take this request but I was thinking maybe if you could write something angst like that for kaido, akechi and hairo?? if not it's totally okay nd I just wanted to pass by and say that you are an awesome writer!

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Maybe I’m a bad person for being happy that the fic made you upset but thank you so much! I can totally do this, sorry for the wait. It’s nice knowing you liked it.

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Termination

Word Count: 1.0k

Warnings: Major Angst, Death (Reader), No Happy Ending

Characters: Kaidou Shun, Akechi Touma, Hairo Kineshi

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Death is inevitable. You could never escape it. 

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Kaidou Shun

He’s the worst superhero in the universe. Kaidou knows he has to be the shittiest person to have ever lived. What sort of hero can’t even protect their S/O? Can he really call himself the Jet-Black Wings when your death will forever haunt him?

Kaidou had rejected you outright when you’d asked to go to the forest. Wouldn’t it better to play games together, indoors? But you’d pleaded with him – one glance at your “downcast” expression had both of trekking to the forest. If only he’d been more resolute, if only he had refused to even go into the forsaken forest. Kaidou hadn’t.

It’s a long trek. Your boyfriend complains the entire way there, and you’re no better yourself. The walk is punctuated with both of your laughter, Kaidou pulling out terrible jokes every few seconds.

“Let’s build another hideout,” and Kaidou had perked up at that, gleeful with the idea that you were both going to make a secret base together! It was much harder without Kuboyasu there to do the dirty work, but to Kaidou a private date between the two of you made it worth it. It was the last date both of you would ever sure.

Good things never last forever. The volcano erupts. Kaidou definitely doesn’t shriek because shrieking is for cowards and Kaidou’s not scared. At all. Kaidou turns to face you – suddenly you’re keening over and he’s rushing to catch you. Kaidou fails. Your body lands on the floor with a thump, Kaidou racing to pull you up.

“Are you okay?” You don’t respond. You never will. Kaidou flips your body over, eyes widening at the gaping hole in your chest. He vomits. Not on you, but to the side of where your dead body lays. Kaidou retches up his heart, his breakfast and his will to continue. He’s sobbing uselessly; it’s messy, disgusting – you will never see that. That’s technically good news? Right.

The world becomes way too large all at once, and everything’s spinning. Kaidou doesn’t know what to do.

There’s nothing he can do.

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Hairo Kineshi

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For someone so strong and resilient, Hairo had to give up on you. It hurts to say, hurts to think about, but Hairo will spend the rest of his life wondering what could’ve happened if he was strong enough, if he was fast enough to save you.

Hairo had been the fool to bring it up. What’s better than an exciting hike through the forest with his lovely S/O? Nothing! This isn’t the first time your boyfriend had basically whisked you off on an “adventure” of sorts. Last week, he’d tried to take you on a walk-through town. Which wouldn’t have been bad if Hairo hadn’t wanted to frog hop the entire way.

You loved your boyfriend for exactly who he is; you didn’t mind (much) his sudden desire to do sports at any given moment. It was one of his many ways of sharing affections with you.

If he’d stayed still for once, decided to spend the day with you in his arms, maybe you would’ve gone home together.

The forest is exactly what Hairo wants. And in his excitement, he’d barreled forward, already sweating from sheer willpower. He’s fast and sturdy, fast enough to leave you a bit behind. But he always comes back to cheer you up, to encourage you to finish this with him.

It’s another one of these scenarios. Hairo’s running through the woods when the ground shakes. Hairo knows what to do immediately – but do you? You could be worried and on your own! Turning back, he runs to meet you, ready to comfort you.

Hairo’s not ready to see your dead body. Your neck is tilted at an awkward angle – and even if you could survive that, you couldn’t survive the rock impaled into your bleeding heart. But—Hairo knows he can save you; he’s saved countless people countless times! It should be easy; it should be perfect!

It’s not. You’re dead. And for once in his life, Hairo’s helpless.

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Akechi Touma

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A nice picnic in the forest is a perfect date idea. The internet says so; Akechi’s done enough research for it to be exactly flawless. You’re going to have the best date ever! Hopefully, it is the best date ever because it’s the last date you’re ever going to enjoy. Might as well go out with a bang.

Akechi tries to surprise you. Covering your eyes, the whole shebang. It’s fruitless, because he’d gushed about it when he thought you couldn’t hear him. Still, you humor your boyfriend, laughing the whole way there.

Akechi should’ve never surprised you. He should’ve been happy enough to just have you in his arms, should’ve been content enough to stow you away in his house and maybe then you’d still be alive. Still be here with him.

The volcano shouldn’t have erupted. Akechi had done his research, it’s been dormant for years. It should’ve stayed dormant. That’s why he’d been confident enough to set your picnic at the foot of the volcano. It’s a nice view, having something so massive dwarfing you. Volcanoes remind people that they’re tiny in comparison to the world.

Akechi takes a bite out of a sandwich. It’s not the best sandwich ever, but you had both slaved over it. He loves it. “I really like the sandwich—” and Akechi doesn’t get to finish his sentence. The volcano explodes; Akechi screams but you can’t hear him, the sound of the explosion deafening.

It’s ash and dust and Akechi can’t see. Can’t see you. And then he does. You’re motionless, and Akechi’s brain thinks, you’re dead. But he doesn’t want to believe that. A weak hand grasps yours. Your arm is still warm, but there’s no pulse. You died instantly. A clean, painless death.

But that thought doesn’t make the tears pouring down Akechi’s face disappear. It doesn’t bring him any peace. He’s in shock. Akechi can’t think. Shaking your hand does nothing, you don’t miraculously wake up and shout “it’s a prank!”. It’s an awful prank.

Maybe he should call an ambulance. And they’ll confirm your death. But if he doesn’t call them… Akechi can still cling to the sliver of hope that you’re still alive.

Somehow.

[sarunohadaki]

(@proship-hyouga) "Am I going crazy? Would I even know? Am I right back where I started fourteen years ago?" For Abel (Hero) and Bianca for Dragon Quest 5 :) (idk if you've played dq5 but I wanted to suggest it just to try)

(Two things: No, I have never played dq 5, and I chose to interpret these lyrics very literally and not in the context of the song, otherwise this feels too fluffy. Soo, with that out of the way, here it is. Established relationship, post-canon: )

Abel could not remember the last time he had had a moment to himself.

There might have been a time a decade or so ago where he could sit down without feeling an ache in his back or an annoying voice in his ear, and today he woke to one of those things absent.

Actually, something else was absent, too.

His wife.

The space in bed was empty next to him.

He sat up and looked down, and then rubbed his eyes and stood.

The curtains were already pulled apart, allowing bright streaks of morning light into their bedroom. Their children weren’t home, instead spending the weekend at a friend’s house.

It had been a long time since Abel had been left alone.

He padded into the kitchen, which was surprisingly spotless.

There was nothing eerie about that standalone fact, but when paired with the persistent absence of Bianca, it sent a chill down his spine.

Abel didn’t speak, otherwise he might have shouted through the house to get her attention. Instead, he turned toward the sink and set toward making himself a sandwich.

In the middle, he heard a loud bang and looked toward the entrance, where the wooden door shook.

Before Abel had time to think twice, another bang shook the house and a glint of metal peeked out of the door.

An… axe? This early in the fucking morning?

Abel sprang across the room toward the nearest wall, where a miracle sword hung. He armed himself with it and then glanced down to realize he had forgotten to put on trousers, revealing striped boxers instead.

He’d have to worry about that later.

The axe cleaved through the door again, and splintered wood exploded into the living room. Abel reached for the door handle and swung it open, revealing a person in a metal king helm and full armor. Their face was lowered, obscuring the features, as they lunged forward.

The assailant’s axe met Abel’s sword and he grunted, teeth gritting together. His bare feet dragged against the stones as the stranger pushed against him.

He wanted to order them to say what they wanted, and if they were the one who had done something to his wife.

Instead, his train of thought was derailed again when they pushed him flat onto his back. Agh, seemed he’d gotten rusty after too long without proper fighting practice.

He struggled against the legs he found rapidly straddling his sides.

Before Abel could bring his sword up again, his assailant reached for the helm and pulled it off.

Abel gaped.

Bianca’s golden hair fanned out in front of her. She dropped the axe on the floor and Abel sighed deeply, his hands going to her waist.

She laughed and leaned forward, pressing her hands against his chest. “You should have seen your face!”

Abel shook his head. He brought his hands together. “You terrified me,” he signed.

“Sorry, love,” Bianca said. "Good morning though! I thought I'd surprise you on our day alone together."

She pecked him on the nose and then stood again.

Sometimes, Bianca just brought something out of him. All their years together melted away, and it felt like they were children again, playing the same outlandish games together. Even when Bianca did something absolutely ludicrous, Abel couldn’t help but laugh, especially at this. That must have been the biggest fright he’d had in fourteen years.

“Ready for breakfast?” Bianca asked, undoing the breastplate she had strapped to her torso.

Abel nodded, following her back into the kitchen.

(From this ask game!)