#if anyone ever sees these online for sale please tell me
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So for a month or two, I took a break from looking at eBay for Powerpuff Girls merchandise (as I’m want to do) and wouldn’t you know it, I missed out on something that I desperately would’ve wanted to buy. 😩
STYLE GUIDES!!! Uggghhhhh!!! 😭
I’m incredibly bummed about missing out because I’m so intrigued by these! So, if you don't know, these aren't guides for anything to do with animation: these are guides on how to use assets for stuff such as advertising and merchandising. It seems that the one on the left is a style guide created after the movie, and it looks like the middle one must have been from the beginning of the series’ run. I’m placing the one on the right in the middle of the two… but like, when? Why did they make another one? Was that one made before the movie (actually, I think the other one might have been supplemental art for the middle one or something… but I’m not 100% sure)?
I doubt whoever purchased them is going to scan them and put them online (so sad!), but maybe I’m wrong. These are so cool, and I really wish I could take a peek and see how these were all written, and what all the differences are between the different design styles and branding guidelines. And I want those CDs! I need those .eps files! 😩😩😩
Nowadays, with the newer Powerpuff Girls stuff, I’m sure people are just getting a PDF and some kind of file cloud link sent to them with all of this information. You don’t get cool physical books like this anymore. Maybe one day they’ll pop up on eBay again and I can snag one of them, but it would’ve been so awesome to get all three at once. See, these are a LOT better than rancid cereal!
EDIT: I deliberately queued this to post before I tried bidding on a style guide I found that was still up for grabs for the PPG movie (not that I don’t love you all but I really, really wanted it and I was 100% prepared to share it here anyway)… and I lost the bid today. I’m even more bummed out! Ugh! 😭
Honestly, if you’re someone who is in possession of one of these or knows someone in possession of them or if you know if anyone has posted these online, please send me information! I really want to see what’s in these!
#weird merch#uggghhh my stomach hurts I want these so bad 😫#powerpuff girls#ppg#the powerpuff girls#if anyone ever sees these online for sale please tell me#I really really really really really want these#i’ve been procrastinating on doing a post all about every single style of the girls#and this really would’ve helped!!! ugh!!!
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Jeez a lot of customers need to have lessons in general manners. Adults. Not children. These offenses are repeatedly made by grown adults who are old enough to be my parents, generally 40+.
▪︎If you need to speak to an employee, but that employee is currently on the store phone, unless it is a life-threatening emergency, WAIT for that employee to finish the phone call. I can't tell you how many times I've been on the phone with a customer and an in-store customer thinks whatever they want is more important and starts talking to me while I'm on the phone. I simply ignore them. Be rude, I'll be rude back idgaf.
▪︎If you need to ask an employee something, greet them first so the employee knows that you're talking to them and aren't just on the phone or something. And don't yell your question from across the room. Simply say "excuse me" or "Hi, could you help me please?" Or something similar and when you do that....
▪︎Be polite. Say please and thank you and phrase your requests in the form of a question rather than a demand. Basic kindergarten manners here.
▪︎If you want something from an employee, such as an extra bag or a gift card that the employee may have to retrieve for you, communicate that you want the bag/card/etc. Don't just stand and stare at them. Employees cannot read your mind and are contractually obligated to help you, but will not be able to do so if you don't communicate your needs.
▪︎Keep your opinions about an employee's (and honestly every stranger's) physical appearance to yourself? I shouldn't even have to say this wtf. If you don't like the way someone has dyed their hair or if they have acne or bad makeup, shut the fuck up about it.
▪︎Do not stand in the middle of the aisle and block the entire aisle for customers and employees both, especially not the main aisle. And if you space out and accidentally block the aisle and someone says "excuse me" to try to get past, LISTEN and MOVE.
•If you change your mind on an item in your cart and you don't remember or don't feel like putting it back where it goes, give it to the cashier to put in go-backs. Don't shove it on some random shelf.
•If you knock something over and break or spill it, notify an employee so they can clean it up so no one gets hurt. Retail chains generally don't have "you break it, you buy it" rules.
▪︎The vast majority of employees actually have extremely little control over the store. Problems with inventory, online orders, return policies, etc are not caused by anyone you will ever see working on the sales floor of a retail store. These problems are caused by outside forces, such as corporate or third-party delivery services. Ask an employee for the number of corporate to give your complaint to them if you absolutely must voice your complaints.
▪︎If you ask one employee a question and you receive an answer you don't like, suck it up and move on. Asking a different employee will not get you a different answer, it will just piss the employees off and now you're DEFINITELY not getting whatever it was you wanted.
▪︎Stay the fuck out of employees only areas? Shouldn't have to say this one.
▪︎If you arrive at a store before it opens, stay in your car and wait until the doors are opened. Or go somewhere else until opening time. And do NOT try to force open the doors yourself.
▪︎If you're in a store and it is near closing time, most stores make warning announcements 20-30 minutes before closing time. Listen and follow those announcements. The only reason you should be in a store after closing is if you got in line before closing time and you need to wait for the people in front of you to be rung up.
▪︎Do not go to a store 20 minutes before they close or less.
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Kuroshitsuji Musical ~ 寄宿学校の秘密 (Secrets of the Boarding School) 2024 ~ VERA’S REVIEW!
Yes you read that right! I’ve had the most fateful chance to watch the very first performance of the newest Kuromyu in Hyogo last Saturday, so I figured I’ll eternalize some of my best memories here.
Before we begin: the LIVE STREAMING is available for the LAST PERFORMANCE, September 29th 2024, HERE! For only 3800 yen, you’ll get to watch it live at home, or watch it later for up to 1 week (October 6th)! Apparently you need a Japanese VPN though, if anyone knows how to navigate the site, please do share.
A few disclaimers from me:
*Anti-shippers DNI. This post barely has any shipping content at all but I don’t like people who harass others over fictional preferences. I’m a shipper, I can’t help being biased for my OTPs.
**Since photos were prohibited in the venue, I’ve included stage pictures featured in official news websites or accounts.
***This is by no means a critical review but merely a fangirl’s ramblings, and I often drew comparisons to the original stage play Kuroshitsuji Musical: Secrets of the Boarding School (2021). For reference, I suggest you watch it first! I intentionally avoided rewatching the 2021 version close to the airing date though, so my memories may not be accurate. Also my Japanese is mediocre so I apologize if there were important dialogues I didn’t catch.
Introduction
I know, sorry for the dilly-dally intro. But I’d like to first stress that ever since I started following Kuroshitsuji in my first year of university (like 9 years ago now lmao), I’ve ALWAYS dreamed to watch the stage musical live in person. When 2024’s performance was announced immediately after the last episode of the anime, I was overjoyed to see that our old cast was coming back.
And it was fate that gave me the opportunity - my scheduled work program this year was set to be in Kyoto AND during September! Needless to say, I had the Kuromyu ticket bought and reserved first, before my confirmation with the Kyoto office or my visa and plane ticket. Priorities, right?
Quick remark on the ticket process: I hit a snag right in the beginning because the ticket reservation website Eplus required a Japanese phone number to sign up. I contacted multiple people (middle school friend whose brother used to work in Japan, another who was quarter-Japanese, several dealer websites with high rate exchanges), until I settled on my roommate’s friend from high school who was currently working there. Many thanks to her and my roommate for the help!
She took care of registration for me - even so the advance sales was a LOTTERY ticket! We fortunately got the lucky draw - I saw many Japanese fans on X who were not so lucky, while others bought in bulk to sell later. Then, I used the online barcode to exchange for a paper ticket when I arrived in Japan on September 1st. That’s when I get to know my seat number - 3rd floor, 2nd row B. A very far position from the stage, but it’s alright because we’re here for the atmosphere anyway!
The performances for the first 2 days were set in Hyogo Performing Arts Center, KOBELCO grand hall. I’ve honestly never been to any kind of music performance (or even concerts) in my life, so I was blown away by the sheer size of the venue.
By 10 AM, the audience was trickling in. I was in awe of the fact that you can tell who was coming in to watch kuromyu - beautiful women dressed in black-and-white tones, many even sporting gothic lolita bows and dresses to keep up with the Victorian England theme. In fact, it felt like the whole of Ikebukuro were gathered here in this very building!
We were ushered into the hall entrance at 11 AM and let me tell you, the crowd was suffocating! In front of the theater, there was a goods section for Kuromyu merch. I’m so glad I took the time to queue up because it seems some of the merch were starting to sell out by the second day. The booth clerk looked perplex to see a non-Japanese customer here though. Here’s how the line looked like, and this was still early before most of the audiences got in:
(We’re not supposed to take any photos but I saw the warning signs too late…Here’s a view from where I was sitting on the third floor.)
I realized then as we were settling in that some ladies around me had binoculars!! Well how was I supposed to know you could bring those here, instead of trying to find those fancy opera glasses!?! Ah well, I was lucky that I’d recently had my prescription glasses updated and the seat to my left was vacant, so I could lean in to see the center better.
The Performance
While it is true that you can barely see the actors’ faces from the balcony seats, it was the grandness of the performance itself that blew me away. For the first time I could see the stage in all its entirety, all the actors dancing in synchronization, and the special effects…oh it had improved A LOT from 3 years prior!
The stage sets for Weston may look a tad “crowded” in the still photo, as compared to the original where they used white backgrounds but in reality, it blended in so prettily with the flashing stage lights. The middle section was a rotating floor and one of my memorable scenes was where Ciel and Sebastian were discussing their plans while crossing the rotating stage, to give the illusion of “strolling across the school grounds.” Sounds like a simple trick but if looked amazing from above.
On to the story itself - the execution actually barely changed from the 2021 rendition, which for me, was a relief! Now I know, some would argue a rerun should add in different elements, because who would want to see the same thing twice right? From past experiences with Kuromyu, the reruns tend to be hit or miss - different actors, different song remixes, voice changes, and so on. For this performance, I could barely tell that the cast (apart from Ciel, Sebastian and Undertaker) were all new members. Everyone got into character flawlessly!
The story of course followed the entirety of the Public School Arc. The script and choreography was almost identical to the 2021 stage musical version. If you would remember, this Kuroshitsuji arc was the first to be portrayed on stage before the anime adaptation - same as previously, they seemed to take inspiration from the manga only rather than the anime.
Some key moments from the play:
The opening sequence was again a recap of the previous arcs - Jack the Ripper (Lycoris that Blazed the Earth), Book of Circus (Noah’s Ark Circus), Book of the Atlantic (Tango on the Campania). I’ve always loved this part because you could tell they slipped in iconic themes from the past musicals.
Perfect Black: the main theme, and my favorite from this stage! I’m so happy to have heard it live! *swoons* Thank god they didn’t do anything weird to remix it. The whole cast dancing together was beautiful! However I thought 2021 did it better with the dramatic light focus on Sebastian during the chorus drop.
Ciel’s Earl of Phantomhive outfit was changed from the glittery blue suit to a blue-green checkered coat this year. (I’d have bought his Earl photoshoot set if I knew it beforehand) Yana-sensei later tweeted that she was the one to re-design it, to better match Eito. Then Eito Konishi himself replied, saying he was honored to play as Ciel Phantomhive, to which Yana-sensei praised his singing and called him “Eito-bocchan” …boy was he fanboying hard over that. He’s one of us!!
Arrival at Weston: I don’t have a comment on the P4 in particular, they were all straightforward from the manga. I think I like Redmond’s character the most here, he looked very pretty with the side-ponytail and while he was a show-off still, he wasn’t as annoying or arrogant as I somehow expected.
A notable interaction: Violet forcing Greenhill to pose for him at the swan gazebo. Greenhill’s actor really looked strained trying to keep an upside down bridge pose (Edward was supporting his back, but kept getting distracted). When he broke the pose and got up, Violet hit him over the head with his sketchbook so hard that the thump echoed through the hall.
As for the Prefect’s Fags: Edward and Cheslock were giving off some suspiciously gay rivals-to-lovers vibes over here. Which I kinda vibed with, I hope they kept the energy into the Blue Cult Arc!
One important thing: they kept the ALL the Fag lines! Which in Japanese accent also kinda sounded like them repeatedly calling each other “Fućk”. Oh how I wish the anime had kept those!
Soma Asman Kadar: now this guy deserves an ovation just for himself. Not only did he kill the role, he was also the funniest! Soma’s song was greatly improved and lengthened with catchier music and dancing - when his troupe “arrived” at Weston, he even dragged Ciel and Clayton to join in. I can’t do it justice, you have GOT to see those two English gentlemen crack the Indian dance moves! His pestering of Maurice Cole was hilarious and he kept exasperating Ciel out of his character, their chemistry was wonderful. I really didn’t expect to get hooked by Soma in this arc out of all people! Too bad Agni wasn’t here.
Maurice Cole’s miniarc - Flawless. Sometimes I wonder if he was an easy character to play just because his character trait is so extremely over-the-top lol.
The library kabedon scene and sebaciel burning Purple House scene didn’t exist. Another scene cut off from the last musical was where Clayton and the Blue House kids were congratulating Ciel on his fag duties and Sebastian took the chance to blend in with them. Sadly that was one of my favorite adlibs.
Ciel’s dream sequence: this was originally in the 2021 musical. After a talk with Macmillain made him revisit his past trauma, Ciel “dreamed” of the cultists, and Sebastian’s close call with Undertaker in BotA. I actually forgot about this part when I watched it in theater - the highlight was sebaciel reenacting the scene in BotA where they reached for each other, the enactment surprisingly gave me the impression of Ciel’s “worry” over Sebastian’s “vulnerability” here. Unlike the 2021 version though, Undertaker didn’t pull Ciel into a bridal carry or referenced the R!Ciel wake-up scene as clearly.
The second half after the break was the long-awaited Cricket Match. Like the previous version, there was no scene of Ciel jumping into Master Michaelis’ arms, but I think they just couldn’t fit that one into the sequence. The cricket songs were mostly the same as the original - with an improvement being them cutting out Red House’s random beauty pageant contest. It actually felt like the cricket match went by faster this time, which was a win in my book. I’ve heard people complain of Kuromyu 2021 being a “Prince of Cricket” musical, hence the bad reviews back then.
The laxative meat pie scene was hilarious. From Sebastian faking it as a student complete with Red House’s uniform, to the team’s diarrhea horrors. Redmond stole the show again, as he was going to help Harcourt in the middle of the field, but tragedy struck which made him deadpan: “Oh. Someone get Harcourt.” Then immediately left the stage lol. The Blue House kids lifted Harcourt out.
The Green vs Purple house battle was the same as last time. I always felt bad to see Cheslock being the only Purple kid doing his best because without any support member cast while Violet was sitting in the grass. But this time, he gave Cheslock a tree sculpture of his bust as a good-job reward! Good for them.
Lastly Green vs Blue. They incorporated the rotating stage again in the last batting when Greenhill accidentally hit Ciel. The end of the match cut straight to the Thames Boat Ride, then they did the Blue House cheering scene after. Sebastian finally got to do his signature bridal carry, awww.
Midnight tea party: the setting was even more beautiful than last time. Undertaker letting his hair fall from his hat was iconic as usual. I was impressed with Master Agares’ fight scenes because his actor looked quite older than his 2021 predecessor. I always liked how they did Derrick Arden’s death in the musical, it felt more anguished from the P4 POV while in the anime, it just felt like a gruesome horror scene.
Final musical number was Ciel-Sebastian-Undertaker chorus during their fight in the garden. Music and choreography seemed to be similar, EXCEPT they somehow changed the iconic “Your life is my priority” scene!!! 2021’s version had me hold my breath as Sebastian had his arm possessively hooked around Ciel and took off his glove with his teeth (seriously, you have to see it yourself). This time they had Sebastian and Ciel reenact the scene on the highest stage instead of front and center, and I didn’t feel as much suspense nor was there any glove-removal from what I could see. It was also a weird placement because they were so far away, and Undertaker should’ve been the one on the top as he did his goodbye pose holding the moon.
We end the story with Sebastian recapping the aftermath with Weston’s students, and finally sebaciel’s conversation back at the manor. Again, Ciel reiterates that Sebastian is the only one who could never lie nor betray his trust. Perfect Black came on as an outro, and I got chills when Sebastian ended the last verse on a raised note!
The curtain call was the experience I’d waited for. Somehow I only realized just then that the actors would do the full call during their finale performance, which was what we got to see in the recordings! That day, after the cast bowed twice, the exit announcement immediately came on but guess what? The audience, including myself, kept clapping all the way through the announcement, it went for so long that the cast actually came out to take another bow! As they returned on stage, most of us also stood up for a standing ovation - according to twitter this doesn’t seem to be a regular occurrence outside of the finale. It felt like a truly wholesome “welcome back” for the troupe and for Kuromyu, especially after the rather harsh criticisms from the previous stage (due to major cast and style changes, even I took a while to bring myself to watch it) and the long break due to the COVID years.
Overall summary
Kuroshitsuji Musical 2024 was a faithful rerun of its predecessor. They succeeded with the musical numbers, new cast, overall adaptation of the story. The settings, props and special effects were wonderfully upgraded. The original cast carried the show: Eito Konishi’s singing felt greatly improved and I thought he carried himself as more mature than his last performance as Ciel. Sebastian’s Toshiki Tateishi had a mesmerizing voice the more I listened to him, he never went out of breath even while dancing or fighting - truly vocals fit for the troupe leader. Kandai Ueda did well as his own Undertaker too, even with Undertaker’s peculiar accent.
My few complaints: I felt like the P4 cast (bar Redmond) could do to have more distinction in their tones and movements. It felt hard to distinguish who was talking at times. The performance seemed to have a faster pacing this time around, and you get less absorbed in certain conversations between the characters, so I wished they’d added in slow scenes here and there. And of course I miss the signature sebaciel moments that I’ve mentioned - granted, this manga arc had always been my least favored because of the lack of sebaciel interactions anyway! So I’d say they did the best with the source material.
While I enjoyed seeing my favorite production performed live with the music blasting through my eardrums, it was the atmosphere that truly made the experience for me. Sitting in the 4-storeys grand hall full of some 2000 Kuroshitsuji fans really pulled me back in time, especially during the standing ovation. I’m so happy to see my favorite series so loved after all these years. I’m sure Yana-sensei could feel it too.
I wish a successful performance for the cast going forward to Tokyo, and hopeful for many more musicals to come!
#kuroshitsuji#black butler#musical#stage play#kuromyu 2024#official art#public school arc#weston arc#secrets of the boarding school#sebastian michaelis#ciel phantomhive#sebaciel#vera things#I hope you enjoy the read!
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The 118 Turtles Chat
Buck: EDS! HEY HEY EDS!
Bobby: Buck, this is the group chat
Buck: I know but he’s not answering me in our chat or my phone calls and Chris’ phone is off
Hen: maybe because it’s 8:45am after 3 nights of 7-7 shifts
Buck: but the turtles!
Bobby: turtles?
Buck: yes, the turtles! 🐢
Hen: Bobby, why’re you humoring him?
Buck: because Bobby knows how excited Christopher is to see the baby turtles at the aquarium! We have to get there at 10am when tickets go on sale
Hen: ever hear of buying things online?
Buck: you can’t! And they need to come with me cause the turtle exhibit opens at 10:15
Buck: will you guys please call and text Eddie too???
Chim: No
Buck: if you’re nice I’ll bring my niece too 😇
Chim: Eddie, wake up so Uncle Buck can bring your son and my daughter to see the turtles
Hen: what if my kids or Bobby’s kids wanted to go???
Buck: it’s family day
Chim: yeah Hen duh it’s family day 🤪
Hen: if Eddie is family we’re all family
Bobby: I tried calling Eddie, he didn’t answer me either
Buck: see! I told you, he sleeps like the dead, like me if you will 💀
Bobby: stop joking about being dead Buck
Buck: what’s the point of living if I can’t joke about dying
Chim: maybe Denny should call Chris on the Xbox, he’ll answer for his video game friends
Hen: don’t bring my child into this
Buck: yes! Please Hen! Have Denny go and see if Chris is on, it’s Saturday morning and his dad is asleep, he’s definitely taking advantage of that
Chim: I texted Denny, said he’s playing games with Chris
Buck: Hen! Hen! Henrietta my favorite, please go talk to Chris and have him wake up his dad, promise him pancakes
Chim: Denny says he won’t tell Chris unless he also gets to see the turtles
Bobby: but it’s family day for Eddie, Buck, and Chris
Chim: Denny says he also wants pancakes and for his mom to be Buck’s slave for a day
Buck: HEN HEN I NEED YOU, PLEASE HEN, THE BABY TURTLES 🐢
Hen: Calm down Turtle boy, Chim didn’t text Denny, Denny is asleep in his bed like I’d like to be
Buck: … this is about THE TURTLES. we need to actually talk to one of them
Bobby: why don’t you just go over there?
Buck: if I drive there and back it will take too long, they need to meet me at the aquarium
Buck: I’ve checked Instagram, there’s already a line for tickets, the turtles are a BIG DEAL
Hen: fine, I’ll call Eddie
Buck: HENRIETTA WILSON YOU ARE THE BEST
Hen: dammit he’s not answering his home phone either, has anyone ever heard his answering machine
Chim: hahahaha yes, last time I left a message on that thing I had to click five different buttons, it’s set up like an office phone, different extensions for him, Chris, and Buck
Buck: home phone?
Hen: you didn’t know Eddie has a landline?
Chim: yes Buck, back in the Stone Age we had wired phones
Bobby: but you’re an option on the answering machine?
Chim: CODEPENDENT
Hen: I need the telephone gods to smile down on me as I make this next phone call and let Eddie wake up, I need to sleep
Bobby: if he hasn’t woken up by now I don’t think there’s a chance
Buck: Bobby! don’t say that, we need to see the turtles!!!
Ravi: why don’t you check location sharing? Maybe he’s not home and his phone is still on silent from being on shift
Buck: great idea! See guys, this is being helpful
Hen: you think mr hates technology has location sharing on?
Ravi: you think he’d know how to turn that default setting off?
Chim: we’ve all been calling him and being helpful, I take offense turtle boy
Buck: Ravi, you’re the best!
Hen: oh thank god, you found Eddie?
*15 minutes pass*
Hen: Buck did you reach Eddie?
*10 minutes pass*
Hen: Buck, it’s almost 10am, and you are the reason I could not sleep, did you guys get in line for the damn turtle tickets?
*20 minutes pass*
Hen: after all that I didn’t even get to know if you saw the turtles?!
Eddie: (image of Buck, Chris and Jee with baby turtles)
Buck: 🐢🐢🐢
Bobby: have a fun family day!
Hen: Eddie, why the fuck didn’t you answer your phone???
Eddie: I left it in Buck’s jeep when he dropped me off after our shift
Hen: I have no words
Buck: 😇 🐢
For @professionalprocrastinator22 and the fun real life phone tag her family played about turtles that inspired this. And for @gravelyhalversobbing and her love of turtles.
#things i decided i could make about 911#I swear it’s funny to us#you had to be there#incorrect 911 quotes#911 fic#911 fanfic#text fic#buddie fic
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supernova - megumi fushiguro x fem!reader
chapter three: the new girl
tw: canon typical violence, some cussing
wc: 4.5k
a/n: chapter 3 eeee! i know i know this may seem slow, but trust the process my friends! lot of story to tell and lot of love to build up hehe
slowly but surely, you and yuuji have settled into the school.
you both received your uniforms, the same basic navy uniform while yuuji's has a red hood attached, yours has a white one.
you're currently sitting in your dorm and browsing on your laptop. a knock on your door startles you out of your once peaceful state.
"oi, sister, get out here! gojo-sensei needs us for something!"
you shut your laptop with a sigh, a bit annoyed that your perusing was interrupted.
you stand up and walk toward your door, opening it with a bit too much force that it hits the wall.
you send a glare at your brother, "must you always be so loud! i was doing something!"
yuuji waves you off with a small laugh, "you can finish your shopping later, gojo-sensei called for us."
you let out a huff and rolled your eyes, "fine, let me put on my shoes."
you turn back to your room and grab your shoes from where they sit by the door. once you've slipped them on, you walk back out the door. shutting it until you hear it click.
yuuji begins to walk off and you follow, heading toward wherever gojo is.
---
you wind up at the entrance of the school, where your sensei stands alongside megumi.
"ah there you two are!" gojo says with a smile, he seems to smile an awful lot for a sorcerer.
yuuji sends a smile back at him as you cross your arms, "what did you need gojo-sensei? i was a bit busy."
yuuji scoffs at you, "yeah, too busy with online shopping."
you hit his arm and he holds his hands up defensively, giggling at you.
"they were having a sale, mind you, and i needed a new top!"
gojo laughs at the antics of you and your brother, then decides to speak up, "i'm sorry to ruin your free time, but we need to pick up a new student!"
yuuji looks at him quizzically, "new student?"
you groan at him, "is the new student a girl? please tell me she is because i'm getting tired of being surrounded by this much testosterone."
gojo looks at you blankly, "i'm going to pretend you didn't just hurt my feelings, but yes, she is."
you fist pump the air, while yuuji lets out a small groan.
"if she's anything like my sister, this is going to suck."
you smack him on the arm again, beginning to chase him and shout about how you're a fantastic sister.
megumi watches on, rolling his eyes slightly at the two of you, ready to just get on with it. were he and tsumiki always like this?
gojo walks toward you and yuuji, grabbing you both by the back of your hoods, effectively stopping the fight.
"alright students, as much as i would love to see you two fight, we do need to be going. yuuji, you're up front with me!"
as gojo walks back toward the car, megumi doesn't miss the small smirk gojo sends toward him.
asshole.
yuuji hops up front with gojo, and you make your way to the back of the car.
megumi opens the door for you with a small smile, and you give him the same bashful look.
"thank you, fushiguro." you say with a nod and hop in, sliding all the way over.
megumi nods at you and hops in himself.
with that, you're on your way to pick up the new student.
---
you, yuuji, and megumi are all standing on the busy streets. you can't help but stare at all of the shops and food vendors with curiosity, wishing you weren't here on business.
yuuji sits on top of a rail, eating a popsicle, "so wait, why are there only four first years? isn't that too few?"
megumi turns to look at him, "well, have you ever met anyone who can see curses before?"
yuuji stops eating then, simply holding the popsicle in his mouth for a moment while he thinks, "nope, i guess not."
megumi glances around at his surroundings and then back to yuuji, "that just proves how small a minority jujutsu sorcerers are."
you turn to the two boys then, remembering something megumi had said previously, "wait, didn't you say yuuji and i were the third and fourth?"
megumi looks at you then and sees the inquisitive look on your face, "their entry was decided a while ago. i'm sure you know what our school is like by now, everyone has unique circumstances."
"sorry for the wait!"
all of you turn your heads to see gojo walking up to you three casually. he then glances at you and yuuji, looking the both of you up and down. "i see your uniforms made it in time!"
you nod at him and look down at your uniform, "yeah, it's a perfect fit, wasn't expecting that if i'm honest."
yuuji looks at him, pulling on his uniform slightly, "though, it's a bit different from fushiguro's."
gojo holds a finger up in the air, "that's because they can be customized upon request."
you furrow your brows, "request? i never put in any request, did you yuuji?"
he shakes his head at you.
"that's because i did." gojo says with a grin.
you both look at him blankly, you scratch the back of your neck, "well thanks, i guess."
megumi glances at you out of the corner of his eye, "careful, gojo-sensei has a tendency to do things like that." he then looks back to gojo, glancing upward, "more importantly, why are we meeting up in harajuku?"
gojo just smiles at him, beginning to walk down the street, "it's what she asked for!"
all three of you begin walking after him, seemingly given no choice in the matter.
---
eventually, you find who you're looking for. she's not hard to miss, wearing the uniform while also yelling at some guy on the street. something about modeling you think.
"hey! over here!"
you jump slightly at the volume of gojo's voice, bumping into megumi in the process.
"sorry fushiguro, the big oaf scared me."
he glares at gojo then, but his gaze softens when he looks back at you, "don't worry about it, itadori. he scares all of us sometimes."
you giggle at that and find that megumi is also sporting a small smile. you look back at the girl, who has now made her way toward all of you.
"nobara kugisaki. be happy, boys. that i'm..." she cuts herself off then and notices you standing there. she grins slightly at the sight of you, "one of the women in your group. thought you said i was the only one sensei?"
gojo waves her off with a small laugh, "things happen, you should know that kugisaki."
she looks back at you and you give her a small smile, "y/n itadori, so happy to have another woman here." you lean forward, cupping your hand over one side of your mouth whispering, "please save me."
she leans her head back and lets out a full-belly laugh. she looks back at you, her eyes seeming to shine brightly, "we're going to get along so well."
once the rest of you introduce themselves, megumi turns to gojo, "are we going somewhere from here?"
gojo chuckles slightly and looks at all of you with a smile, but you can see the mischief hidden behind it.
"well, since all of you are together, we're going on a tour of tokyo!"
you, yuuji, and nobara all cheer in celebration. megumi looks at all of you discontentedly, wondering are they always like this?
---
"when you said a tour of tokyo, this is not what i thought you meant." nobara says, throwing her back with a groan.
all of you are standing in front of an abandoned building with a cemetery nearby. you can feel that same heaviness in the air like you did at the high school that night.
gojo continues to look at the building, "there's a curse here. the cemetery nearby only adds to it."
you pipe up then, "so they do really pop up more often around graves."
megumi turns to you, "the issue isn't the cemetery itself, it's the fact that people associate cemeteries with fear."
yuuji lets out a noise of realization then, "it was the same for schools, too, wasn't it?"
nobara then looks over at all of you, confusion and irritation all over her face, "hold up, they didn't even know that yet?"
megumi closes his eyes with a sigh. he then begins to explain to nobara how the two of you wound up as jujustu sorcerers. sukuna's finger, how yuuji swallowed it, and the mysterious powers you seem to possess.
nobara gasps at that, all of it seeming unbelievable to her, "he swallowed a special-grade cursed object? gross!" she gags at the thought of swallowing something so vile.
she turns to you then with an accusatory stare, "and you! you didn't swallow anything, so how could you even do that? especially with no experience?!"
you shrug your shoulders at her, "i don't know. it just kind of happened."
she opens her mouth, probably wanting to ask you more questions when gojo cuts her off.
"i want to know what all of you are capable of, just think of this as a field test."
he turns around, finally looking at all of you. he points at you, nobara, and yuuji. "you three go exorcise the curse inside the building."
you all let out noises of disapproval, not wanting to go into the building.
"i thought only curses could exorcise curses, right? my sister and i don't know any jujutsu yet." yuuji says while you nod along with him.
gojo looks at yuuji then, that same irritating smirk he seems to always wear, "you're practically half curse already. there's cursed energy flowing throughout both of your bodies."
gojo then looks at you this time, continuing on, "though controlling that energy isn't something you can learn overnight, so use this."
he hands yuuji a weapon then, it looks like a large knife with a long handle on the end of it. you can sense that it's surrounded by energy.
you turn to look at gojo then, "but what about me sensei? do i get a cool weapon to go in there with?"
he shakes his head at you and you gasp, "how am i supposed to defend myself? are you trying to kill me?" you can't deny the irritation that fills you up.
"i want you to use your powers."
you feel your jaw go slack, not believing what you're hearing, "sensei, i didn't even know i could do that! i have no idea how to use it, let alone control it, how the hell am i supposed to use them?"
gojo crosses his arms, unphased by the look you're giving him. "you used them that night right?"
you nodded at him, "yeah but-"
he cuts you off, putting his hands on his hips, "then i know you can use them now, you just have to trust yourself."
you gulp and look back at the building, feeling the anxiety consume your body.
nobara scoffs then, making her way toward the building. you and yuuji look at each other, he shrugs and walks after her. you begin to follow.
"one more thing."
you all turn to look at gojo.
he's looking directly at yuuji, "don't let sukuna out. if you use him, you'll get rid of all the curses nearby in a flash, but you'll also drag everyone around into it."
yuuji gives him a smile and a thumbs up, "got it."
nobara lets out an exasperated sigh, "hurry up!"
all three of you then make your way into the abandoned building, nervous about what's waiting for you inside.
---
megumi and gojo sit outside on a bench, just across from the building.
megumi cannot stop thinking of every possible thing that could go wrong. what if they get hurt? what if sukuna finds a way to be let out? what if, what if, what if...
he shakes his head, trying to wash away the thoughts plaguing his brain. he turns to gojo, "i think i'll go, too."
gojo just sits there casually, hands on his knees, staring ahead to where his 3 students just walked into.
"don't push yourself. you're still recovering."
megumi gulps, looking back toward the building. "but someone needs to keep an eye on yuuji, right?"
gojo nods, "true, but the one we're testing is nobara."
megumi's mind flashes to you then. the small smile and thanks you gave him, the giggle you let out at his joke about gojo.
"but what about y/n? you heard her, she doesn't know how to control them yet."
gojo turns to look at him then, smirk adorning his features, "have a little faith in your girlfriend will you? she's got this."
megumi feels his face heat up when gojo says that. he's sure that he's glowing bright red.
"she's not my girlfriend!"
gojo laughs at his student, enjoying the new way he's found to torture the poor boy.
"whatever you say, megumi."
megumi just grumbles to himself and crosses his arms over his chest. he can only hope that this goes smoothly.
---
"what a pain. why do i have to deal with curses after coming all the way to tokyo?"
you and nobara are walking up some stairs with yuuji just a few paces behind. you look at nobara and can see frustration seeping out of her.
"isn't that what you came here for?"
nobara doesn't say anything. she suddenly stops in her tracks, turning to face you and yuuji. "let's split up. i'll start from the top and make my way down. you two start from the bottom."
she turns back toward the stairs, "let's get this over with quick and grab some sushi from ginza."
yuuji continues to look at her, a bit irritated at her request, "hold on a minute, let's take this a bit more seriously."
you walk toward her and grab her upper arm, causing her to face you again. "we shouldn't split up, isn't that the number one rule in horror movies? this is a bad idea."
a scowl then grows on her face and her eyes are furrowed together in anger. she rips her arm away from your hand and turns to you fully.
she walks closer so that she's directly in your face, "i don't wanna hear it from two people who were normies until recently. now get moving." with that, she turns back to the stairs and takes off.
you can feel yourself becoming angry as well, clenching your fists and wanting to take off after her. feeling the need to give her a piece of your mind.
you feel a hand on your shoulder and your body goes stiff. turning your head you see yuuji looking at you with an apologetic smile.
"come on."
you turn back to where nobara once stood and let out a scoff, remembering the interaction.
"bitch." you can't help but mumble out.
yuuji chuckles at you. you two make your way back to the ground floor.
while walking, you hear something coming from above you. you both look up toward the noise, seeing something reaching for the both of you.
without hesitating, yuuji cuts off the appendage and moves you behind him.
turning to look at the source, you see a bug-like curse standing in front of you.
it begins to charge at the both of you then, which causes yuuji to begin running at it.
you can't help but watch as yuuji moves through the air like a professional gymnast. slicing its arms and stomach, then eventually landing the final blow in the head.
it whines out in pain and twitches on the floor. when yuuji pulls the blade out, that's when it begins to decay away in a cloud of purple and black smoke.
yuuji looks up at you with an enthusiastic smile, a twinkle dancing around in his pupils, "sister, did you see that?"
you shake your head and giggle at his antics, "i did brother, you can really move."
he hops up off the ground, dusting off his clothes and makes his way back to you. "come on, let's keep going."
you both continue on, keeping an eye out for any other curses that might be lurking in the shadows.
---
nobara finds herself in a room with a handful of mannequins opposite of her. she's already sensed where the curse is, but she's waiting for it to appear.
she sighs out, her body emanating one thing, boredom.
"you think you're actually hidden there?"
she pulls two nails out of her pack along with her hammer, holding them in front of her.
"if you won't come out, i'll just exorcise you there."
she gets herself into a fighting stance, imbuing the nails with cursed energy. she tosses them and hits them with her hammer, letting them fly directly into the head of one of the mannequins.
the mannequin begins to fall backward, not quite hitting the ground. multiple eyes begin to sprout from its head and lay eyes on nobara.
as soon as it tries to take a step, the head explodes, sending the mannequin into a crumpled heap on the floor.
she drops her head and closes her eyes, proud of what she just accomplished.
she hears something then, looking back in front of her, a piece of wood falls onto the floor. revealing a small boy, curled into himself and shaking with fear.
she shakes her head, feeling sympathy for the child who probably just snuck in for some fun.
she walks toward him, stopping a few feet away. leaning down to his level, she gives him a reassuring smile, "hey, it's all right now. come on out."
he just shakes his head at her, seeming too scared to move.
she stands up straight and turns away from him, closing her eyes once again, "guess it's true that kids don't warm up to beautiful women. i suppose i'll call the twins."
the kid screams out then, "wait! don't leave me here!"
nobara turns around at the sound, seeing the boy reaching for her.
unfortunately, that's not the only thing she sees.
she sees a hand begin to reach for the boy's head from inside the wall, latching itself onto him.
it steps out of the wall, revealing itself.
a curse that, almost, resembles a disgusting cave troll. it dangles the boy in front of itself, waving him around like some toy.
nobara immediately gets ready to fight, but then realizes something.
she could hit the boy.
she sees the curse dig its claws into him, making blood drip from the punctures.
her eyes widen, trying to figure out what she can do. her mind going blank, unsure as to how to solve this. damn it!
the curse cackles at nobara, knowing the difficult position it has put her in. it knows she's angry and it only wants to rile her up more, so she'll make a mistake.
nobara realizes this as she understands what she has to do.
she drops her tools and bag, holding her arms in the air.
"i'm unarmed, let the boy go."
the curse grins maliciously at her, not dropping the boy, nor showing any signs it will do so.
she slumps dejectedly, all fight leaving her body.
"i wish i could have seen saori-chan one last time."
she hears something then, a rumbling noise from the direction of the curse. but that wasn't the curse was it?
a hand punches through the wall, beginning to reach around the open space it created.
"huh, i missed it?"
"good job brother, fantastic aim."
nobara knows those two voices.
the wall then bursts open, revealing none other than yuuji and y/n itadori.
the curse jumps back, boy still in hand, but it looks scared.
yuuji cuts off its arm, catching the boy before he hits the ground. yuuji kicks the curse in the face, using the momentum to bounce back away from it, the boy still in his grasp.
you walk up to stand next to your brother, looking down at the boy with a smile, "you okay?"
the boy nods with a slight blush on his cheeks.
you all look back at the curse, seeing it cradle its now severed arm. it groans in pain and begins to try and disappear through the wall.
"it's getting away!"
you don't even think before you run straight at the curse.
"sister what are you doing!"
you tackle the curse, which unfortunately sends you both flying out the window.
"y/n!"
you hear both yuuji and nobara shout for you, but you're not letting this thing get away. hurting an innocent child? now that's just uncalled for.
you feel that same electrical charge from the night at the school. it surges through you, but you aren't sure how to use it to exorcise this curse.
"you just have to trust yourself."
you remember gojo's words from earlier and close your eyes, honing all of your focus into using your newfound gift.
you open your eyes, looking directly at the curse who is staring back at you with nothing but fear.
you hold your hand up in the air, gathering some of your energy until it forms a ball of white light. you shove your hand into its head as it whimpers in pain.
the light overtakes the curse and yourself, becoming a glowing orb heading straight to the ground.
---
megumi and gojo hear glass breaking above them. a curse flies out of the window and then something, or someone follows with it.
"itadori!" megumi shouts, his eyes wide with panic. he turns to gojo, "we have to exorcise it."
gojo just smiles at him, waving off his worries. "just wait."
megumi looks back up toward the sky. he sees that you and the curse have disappeared. a ball of white light has engulfed you and the curse.
megumi can't help but watch what is happening, fearing the absolute worst. his heart is pounding and he's biting the dry skin off his lips, the anticipation of what might happen absolutely killing him.
the sphere of light crashes into the ground, debris flying all over the place.
megumi put his hands up in front of his face to block any objects coming his way.
he looks back up and sees smoke everywhere. the more he looks, that's when he sees a white glow inside it.
he continues to stare, just waiting for all of the dust to settle. god, he hates waiting.
once everything does clear, he's shocked by what he sees.
the curse lays dead on the ground, beginning to rot away with purple and black hues swirling around it. the head of it completely disintegrated.
then, there's you.
you stand there, breathing heavily. he can't see your beautiful eye color anymore, they have been replaced by a bright glow. your fists, hell, your whole body is covered in it. the color white surrounds you entirely.
there's only one word that megumi can think of to describe the presence you give off, intimidating.
yuuji and nobara have now made their way out of the building. they're out of breath from taking off after you. the small boy sits comfortably on yuuji's back.
"damn, they're all crazy."
megumi looks back at gojo, who wears a proud smile on his face.
he looks back to you and sighs with relief, closing his eyes and rubbing them with his hands.
"what the hell was that?" nobara screams, now standing by megumi and gojo.
you just stand there, you haven't come out of your state yet.
megumi approaches you cautiously, not wanting to startle you.
"it's okay itadori, it's over."
you simply stare back, breathing still ragged and fists still clenched.
megumi makes a move to put his hand on your arm, only trying to calm you. when you suddenly grab it firmly, pulling it away from you. that's when he feels the enormous amount of power from you, sending shockwaves through him like he just put his finger in an electrical socket.
"megumi." he hears gojo say, but he chooses to ignore him.
megumi can't help it, he is constantly drawn to you, like a moth to a flame. he feels this incessant need to protect you.
he feels your grip loosen and makes the move again. this time, successfully landing on your arm.
he rubs up a down softly, "it's done, you can let go."
he feels your power drain away, your eyes turning back to normal and your breathing slow. you unclench your fists and close your eyes briefly.
you open them and see everyone looking at you. you then look at megumi who wears a soothing look on his face. you feel your face warm up, loving the soft expression on him. it suits him, he should do it more.
you grap his hand on your arm and squeeze it lightly, "thank you, fushiguro."
the small smile you send megumi has him screaming internally.
you go to take a step, but feel yourself wobble, feeling unsteady on your feet.
"slowly, itadori."
you snort, looking over at him with a playful gaze, "i have a feeling this won't be the last time you say that."
he chuckles a bit, looking at you with the same gaze, "probably not."
you hear someone clear their throat and look over to see gojo staring at the both of you, that shit eating grin plastered on his lips.
"if you two are done, we have to get this boy home."
you and megumi both realize how close you are to each other, your hand still resting on his. both looking at each other with wide eyes, you jump away, scratching the back of your neck.
"sorry sensei." megumi says, and walks off toward everyone without another glance at you.
you also walk toward them on unsteady feet.
"y/n and i will take the boy home, you all go back and get your rest."
everyone nods and yuuji comes up to you, giving you a hug. he pulls back with a smile and ruffles your hair, "good job sister."
you smile back and thank him. he turns back and all of them begin to take the trek back to the school.
---
you and gojo have dropped the boy off, who thanked you with a wide smile and a hug.
now the two of you walk in silence, enjoying the beautiful day.
"so, when are you and megumi going to get together?"
you stop in your tracks and stare at gojo with wide eyes.
"excuse me?"
gojo stops as well, staring at you with that same fucking smirk, and at this moment you want to smack it off of him.
"i'm not blind you know."
you begin to stutter over your words, unsure of what to say next. your face growing warm in embarrassment.
gojo can't help but laugh at you. a genuine laugh that comes straight from the gut.
once his laughing fit stops, he pats you on the back with an approving smile.
"don't worry, your secret is safe with me."
with that, he begins to walk, continuing on the path to get back to the school.
you can't help but smile to yourself, running after gojo to try and keep up with his long strides.
tags: @kasumitenbaz @ay0nha
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The Star of Our Story–Keys
"Popping today and not in a good way. Sales for Free City 2 continue to slip with numerous reports of bugs in the code and lagging online play."
I looked away from my makeshift desk at Millie's kitchen table to see Keys and Millie watching the news. Ever since Keys streamed Guy finding Keys' and Millie's build in Free City, everything in the news has been about Soonami's fall from grace.
When Keys first started working at Soonami, Antwan needed a new graphic designer. Keys recommended me. A week later, we were working at Soonami together. I didn't know much about Millie. Keys met her at college and they seemed to instantly click.
He talked about building a game with her and often asked my opinion on designs. I sent him a couple, but I'm not sure if he ever used them. He used to talk about their game every time we talked. A few months before he started working at Soonami, he stopped talking about it. The one time I brought it up, he instantly brushed it off. I didn't bring it up again.
A few weeks ago, he asked me about one of the NPCs I helped design. I looked into Blue Shirt Guy and noticed something was off about him. Keys and I looked more into it and eventually discovered that Guy's AI had changed.
"Embattled Soonami game founder Antwan Hovachelik finds himself in the crosshairs."
"Crosshairs," Keys chuckled. "He's in the crosshairs and embattled."
"We're too busy to gloat," Millie sighed.
"I'm a victim! I'm a victim!" Antwan yelled to the camera.
"Victim," I scoffed. "Yeah right."
Keys and I shared a glance. I looked away, going back to working on one of our new characters.
"Speaking of busy," Mouser said, "we just doubled the amount of unique visitors we can handle. It's amazing. Who'd have thought that so many people would just wanna watch video game characters instead of shoot at them?"
Keys and Millie stared at him for a second, holding back their laughs. "Oh yeah," Keys chuckled, "we did."
"Yeah," Millie giggled. "You know, you're pretty cute when you brag."
My breath got stuck in my throat when Millie patted his shoulder and walked away. I looked over when I felt someone staring at me. Mouser was watching me, nothing but pity on his face.
Mouser was the only one who knew about my feelings for Keys. I never told him. He just knew. A couple of months before Millie's venture, Keys, Mouser, and I were at an office party. Keys was talking to another graphic designer and I was having one too many beers. Mouser just walked up to me and told me he knew about Keys and me.
~•~
"But seriously," he laughed as he poured himself another drink, "how long have you been in love with your best friend, Y/N?"
"I don't know what you mean," I scoffed, finishing my drink.
"Come on, Y/N," Mouser sighed. "It's not like I'm going to tell him. But I figured it might be nice to have someone to vent to."
"I'm fine," I brushed off. I started to walk away but stopped. "You promise you won't tell him?"
"Of course," Mouser promised.
~•~
"Anyone else want a coffee?" I asked, standing up. "I suddenly am dying for anything with caffeine and foam."
"Not your usual?" Mouser asked. I looked over at him and glared. "Medium coffee, cream, two sugars?"
"Sometimes you just want something fluffy," I said through my teeth. I grabbed my wallet and left Millie's apartment. I slowly walked down the street to the coffee shop Keys and I grew up going to.
"Y/N, wait up."
"Leave me alone, Mouser."
"Come on, Y/N," he sighed. He gently grabbed my wrist and spun me around. "You gotta talk about this."
"No, I don't," I said, pulling my wrist out of his hand.
"You and Keys. . ." He started.
"There's nothing to talk about," I cut him off quickly. I wrapped my arms around myself and took a shaky breath.
"Y/N," he started again.
"Please," I cut him off again. "I don't want to talk about this, Mouser."
"Alright," he said, putting his hands up in defense. "At least let me help you carry four coffees back to the apartment."
We started walking down the street, but I could feel Mouser continually glancing at me.
"Besides," I sighed, "it's not like he would ever have feelings for me."
"Why not?"
"Because we've known each other since we were little," I explained, "which means he's seen me through my awkward stage, through every stupid crush, through every heartbreak. Why would he want me?"
"Because you've known each other since you were little," Mouser shrugged, throwing my words back at me. "I've seen how he is with you, Y/N. He's protective, but that's not a surprise. You guys have so many inside jokes, it's actually annoying."
"Why would he want me?" I asked again, this time under my breath. "I don't understand coding. I don't understand AI. I don't get all of this programming. All I do is design characters. You guys are the ones who program and create them. The point is I'm not like you guys. . . I'm not Millie."
"Y/N," Mouser sighed. "I've said this over and over again. Keys does not have feelings for Millie. They're just friends."
"I should just leave."
"What?" Mouser grabbed my wrist again and stopped me. "Y/N, you can't just leave. Don't you think that's a little irrational?"
"What's the point of me sitting on the sidelines for Keys' and Millie's love story when I know I'm just a supporting character?"
"What if you're not 'just a supporting character'? What if you're actually the star of the love story?"
"I'm not," I scoffed. "Besides, it's not like anyone would care if I left."
"You sure about that?"
"Yeah," I scoffed, "I'm sure about that."
"Why don't you ask him if he would care?"
I turned around to see Keys standing behind us. By the look on his face, I could tell he had heard way more than I wish he had.
"Keys," I stuttered. "It wasn't what it sounded like. . . I mean, I can explain. . ."
"I'll let you guys talk," Mouser said, looking between the two of us. He cleared his throat before walking back to Millie's apartment. I crossed my arms over my chest, no idea what I could say or how this would go.
"How much did you hear?" I finally asked.
"I followed you guys from Millie's apartment."
"So, everything?" I asked.
"Yes," he said softly. I looked away, not wanting to see the look on his face.
"You don't have to say anything," I said, looking at my feet. "In fact, let's just pretend that I didn't say anything. Let's pretend that. . ."
"How could you think I wouldn't care if you left?" He cut me off. "Y/N, look at me."
Suddenly, his feet came into view. He used his finger to slowly lift my chin until I was looking at him.
"Mouser was right," he whispered, still holding my face.
"What do you mean?" I asked under my breath. I gasped when he leaned down and pressed his lips delicately to mine. I was so shocked, I could barely kiss him back. When I finally wrapped my head around what was happening, I slowly started to kiss him back. We broke apart, neither one of us being able to breathe.
"How could you think you were 'just a supporting character' in my love story?" Keys asked, his voice soft. "You're clearly the star of it."
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Frequently Asked Questions
Hi! If I’m asked a question more often than sometimes, it’s probably here. Static page also accessible at this link.
When is the next chapter coming out?
I update on Friday mornings, weekly, usually before noon PST. If it’s a Friday and you don’t see an update, it’s either because I’m on a writing break, or we’re in a hiatus between books. Or I've been hit by a car or something.
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Aside from Tumblr — nope! I’m one of those hermit types. My AO3 account was previously the only place I was active online. I made a Tumblr so I could offer a platform to interact with people who are more comfortable here than in the AO3 comments section (for instance, there’s no anonymity function on AO3; you can log out and comment as a guest, but that’s a lot of work, and then there's not an easy way to check if your question was answered.)
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Yeah! I check back in here every few days, on average, to scope out my inbox and my mentions. If you make something for my fic, I’ll publicize it everywhere, obviously.
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Yep! Carte blanche. I don’t own the copyright for anything I write, so I appreciate the thoughtfulness of people asking, but you can absolutely go ahead and do whatever the hell you want with the text of my fic. Print it, paint it, burn it, bind it, turn it into blackout poetry. Transformative art is human nature. But if you do, please, please, show me! I’ll scream for a thousand years.
Caveat: I’ve seen some people have anxieties about the sale of bound fics for profit, since they’re worried about publishers cracking down on copyright violation and litigating fanfiction. This is tough, because on the one hand, bookbinding can be expensive; on the other hand, selling fic is a violation of copyright, and the only way AO3 is allowed to exist is by authors making precisely $0 from anything they post. (This is why AO3 will boot you immediately if they catch you trying to make money from non-original works on their site — if I so much as drop a PayPal link in the description for Lionheart, the fic will quickly be taken down, and my account could be suspended.) So my stance is: I’m not going to sell my fics; if you bind for personal use, this doesn’t matter, go for it, live deliciously, etc; if you bind to sell, please be careful and discreet as you can. But you have my OK, for what it’s worth.
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Will you write other things, besides Lionheart?
Eventually, yeah. Probably nothing longform soon, however. When I’m writing something, I get engrossed in the world and I sort of tunnel-vision onto the project. When Lionheart goes on a hiatus between books, I may pop out and do something else, just to keep my skills sharp and give my mind a break. That’s where shorter pieces like The Climb and SWLITS came from. But I keep my eyes on the prize, as far as what I’m writing, because I pride myself on having finished most (though admittedly, not all) things I’ve ever started on AO3. I hate having unfinished projects cluttering up my Works page.
I don’t read WIPs. When will Lionheart be finished/should I read Lionheart?
Listen, I’m not gonna tell anyone how to read fic. If your reading preferences make you happy, then you’re doing it right. And I’ve also been burned by remarkable WIPs that peter out, or die on a cliffhanger, and they just about break my heart. I can’t promise that won’t happen, because I don’t know what life holds in store. I also can’t promise when Lionheart will be finished, because, frankly, I have no idea! As a full-book rewrite, if you look at the current chapter count, and then look at the number of books in the series, then, yeah, it clearly has a long way to go.
But I also know that the Completed Works filter on AO3 is hiding a lot of good fic, and I think people who only read completed stuff are missing out on the real fun of update culture — of reading something serially, the excitement of waiting for the next chapter to drop, looking for clues about long-running puzzles, theorizing in the comments, getting to experience each new hit live. That’s one of the few things about fanfic that you can’t get in a novel, and it’s a real treat. I’d at least give it a try.
Otherwise, here’s what I can tell you: Books 1, 2, 3, and 4 will all be finished. They will have completed endings, and will offer (satisfying, I hope) resolutions to the major conflicts of those stories. And that’s a fact.
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Don’t Go Baking My Heart || Seokjin
Pairing: Seokjin x reader
Summary: You fall in love with Kim Seokjin’s bakery after wandering into it to take advantage of the post-Valentine’s Day discount on the chocolates. Maybe it’s the owner’s bad jokes, maybe it’s the other regulars, maybe it’s the delicious pastries. Or maybe there’s something more that keeps you coming back to that shop.
Also available on Ao3.
Word count: 14.7k
Genre: Strangers (to Friends) to Lovers, Bakery AU, tooth-rotting Fluff, some smut
Warnings & Tags: mentions of insecurities and of former relationships, smut (vaginal sex, oral [male receiving], fingering), Jin makes Bad Jokes, Valentine’s Day themed
A/N: Soooo this was supposed to come out for Valentine’s Day, but it wasn’t ready then, so you guys get it now instead! I’m bad with puns so I definitely had to look online for those used in this oops. Finally, I’d like to give a big thank you to the amazing @elidebrey who actually worked in a bakery shop and told me all about (I’m sorry you guys ran out of milk all the time). She’s an amazing writer and you should check her out if you like the Batfam! Hope you’ll enjoy this one-shot!
February 15th
You first walk into Kim Seokjin’s bakery the day after Valentine’s Day. Your eye was caught by the chocolates and cakes you noticed on sale from the outside, and also the name of the place, The Rolling Scones, which is either genius or terrible, you can’t pick. The door bell chimes happily, first when you push the door open and then when it closes behind you.
The place is empty. There’s no one behind the counter, and you find yourself hesitating there for a second, both arms behind your back like a shy schoolgirl — which you once were, but that was a while ago now. Natural light, the cold sun of February, is falling through the bay windows, and the place is cute, clearly decorated with love and care. It makes you feel just a little warmer inside.
Since no one seems to be showing up, you take your time to look at the display. You’ve spent the past week crying over the end of your two year relationship, and you’re desperately craving something sweet and sugary to fill the hole in your heart and in your life. Post Valentine’s Day discount is definitely the best way to do that.
If you’re being completely honest with yourself, you knew this relationship was never going to be your forever. It was just a nice and comfortable situation to be in, and you expected you and him to part ways at some point.
You just didn’t particularly expect it to be now.
“Jungkook!” a strong voice shouts from the back of the shop, startling you. It’s quickly followed by a curse, and then a man walks in, glancing back with a worried expression, tying an apron around his waist and adjusting a small black hat on his head. You notice the ‘Jungkook’ tag on his apron, and it makes you soften in sympathy. The second his eyes fall on you, he recomposes himself, and shoots you a smile that’s professional, though the nervousness doesn’t quite disappear. “What can I do for you?”
“I was just looking,” you say, and he leans forward, probably straining to hear. Your voice has always had that weird tendency to become inaudible when you’re talking to strangers. “You don’t have anything with strawberries, do you?”
“I’m afraid everything we had went yesterday,” he says with a sympathetic frown.
“Oh, right,” you mumble. You’re disappointed to a stupid degree, and you know it’s because your emotions have been running wild recently, to the point where any small contrariety threatens to make you cry. Fortunately, you don’t, right now. That would be horribly embarrassing. “Um, I guess I’ll take that box and, uh, the éclair, please, then.”
“Of course!”
His movements are quick and precise as he takes it out, and you could be mistaken, but you think he’s deliberately not looking at you. You’re not particularly blaming him for it, though, because you’re doing the exact same thing.
“Anything else?” he asks once he’s done, and you shake your head, avoiding eye contact. “For here or to go? We’re also a café,” he elaborates when you give him a surprised — and slightly panicked — glance.
“Oh. To go, please,” you say, not so much because you actually want to, and much more because you’re bad at changing your plans when you had already made your decision.
Except… You eye the bakery. It’s not like you have anyone to come back to, and you don’t particularly want to be back at your apartment to wallow alone. You might even get some things done while you’re here.
“Um, actually, would you mind if I…?” The question dies on your lips. You’re already feeling too embarrassed to continue, but he looks up, eyes wide, and nods.
“No, no, please take a seat! Do you want something to drink as well?”
“That— That would be nice, actually.”
“Alright, just give me a second and I’ll bring you our, er, menu.”
It’s not a menu, it’s a list of drinks the owner printed and coated with plastic, and insists on calling a menu, but he isn’t going to tell you that.
You pick a table that faces the door, and after choosing and ordering your tea, pull out your computer. It’s not that the things you have to do can’t wait, but you don’t like sitting alone doing nothing. The shop is desperately empty, and part of you is terrified by the idea that Jungkook could come over to talk to you. That would probably end up not being completely unpleasant, but you’re not sure you can handle that much interaction with other human beings right now.
While scrolling through the text you are currently working on editing, you pick a chocolate out of the box to eat it and hold back a satisfied moan at the taste. The fact that it’s so good makes you feel a little more upset that you’ve never been in a relationship for Valentine’s Day and therefore have never been given anything like that.
It’s always been bad luck really, because you’ve been in a few relationships, but even with your last boyfriend, the two of you were on a break in February. The others never made it longer than a few months, and never fell at the right time. It’s not even like you want to celebrate Valentine’s Day, you do think it’s mostly a commercial holiday, and you definitely don’t want any expensive gift, but you’d be happy to have someone by your side to make fun of other couples with. Someone to love you, and someone to love.
God, you want to be in love so bad. For a few months, you thought you had it with your ex, and maybe you did, for a moment, but it had slipped from your fingers without you managing to do anything about it, leaving you sad and empty. You want to feel everything the movies and books promised, the butterflies in the stomach, the rush in the beat of your heart. You want to feel like someone holds your world in their hands. You want them to love you back — really love you, so much that you’ll catch them looking at you and see it in their eyes immediately, so much that they’ll remember how you like your tea in the morning.
You don’t think your ex ever loved you, and you don’t really blame him for that. He liked you, certainly, and for a long time that was enough for you. But now, with it being over and him telling you he’d ‘met someone’, you want more out of your next relationship.
Then again, you’d thought that last time as well.
You’re grateful when Jungkook brings you your tea, tearing you away from thoughts you really don’t want to be having right now. He gives you a smile, then is quick to retreat back behind the counter, and something tells you that he has the same difficulties talking to people as you do.
That can’t make his job fun.
You’re soon able to immerse yourself in your work, much to your surprise. Usually, you’re hyper aware of your surroundings, and it’s hard to get work done unless you’re in a place that’s both quiet and familiar, but the atmosphere in here is so warm and pleasant that you’re able to relax and focus, all while drinking your tea and eating your sweets. It’s quite close to perfect, actually.
Which is why you jump violently when someone’s voice booms into the shop.
“Jeon Jungkook!”
You look up, panicked, and Jungkook turns around with the exact same look on his face. You don’t remember the doorbell ringing, so it has to be someone from the shop, and indeed, a tall man with short black hair walks in from the same place Jungkook entered. And your brain short-circuits.
It doesn’t happen all that often, for you to simply find yourself frozen because of how good-looking someone is, but in that case, you just can’t help it. The man who just walked in is tall, with very nice, broad shoulders, and the apron he is wearing underlines the muscles of his chest in ways you didn’t think were possible, but more than that, he’s also, quite possibly, the most handsome man you’ve ever laid eyes on. When you glance at his plump, full lips, you find yourself having a hard time to tear yourself away. You’re relieved that you didn't have to order from him, because you’re sure it would have made you blush and stutter.
“Jungkook, there’s a mess in the back! What are you waiting fo—” Jungkook gives panicked glances in your direction, and the man catches your presence from the corner of his eyes, turning his sentence around as smoothly as is humanly possible, all while his lips curve up into a professional smile. “Ooh, hello, dear customer! I don’t think we’ve seen you here before, have we?”
A smile spills on your mouth, much to your surprise.
“No, it’s my first time here,” you answer. Your voice isn’t as strong as you’d like for it to be, but at least you didn’t choke. You suppose still being heartbroken serves as a shield against the man’s handsomeness. “I figured there’d be some discount after Valentine’s Day, and I was hungry, so…”
“You figured you’d kill two birds with one scone?” the man asks while Jungkook, behind him, silently smacks his forehead. You figure he’s heard it a million time before, but you haven’t, and you can’t help but laugh. That makes the man’s smile widen genuinely and his eyes crease.
“I guess you came up with the bakery name,” you chuckle.
“Absolutely. Isn’t it a great name?”
Jungkook shakes his head in disgust.
“It’s genius,” you say, and the man slams his hand on the table.
“See? I told you! Jungkook keeps saying that I have a terrible sense of humor—”
“I’ll be in the back if you need me,” Jungkook grumbles.
“Hey, what do we say to customers?”
“Ah— It was nice to meet you!” he says, turning around to look at you and he seems somewhat sincere. “I hope we’ll be seeing you again.”
Then he bows his head politely and disappears in the back of the shop. The other man — who you suppose is the owner of the place — watches, laughing fondly, but goes quiet after that, so you go back to your work.
You don’t stay around too long, not wanting to overstay your welcome, but you’re still the only one in the shop by the time you decide to walk out.
“Was the tea any good?” the man asks as you walk by him.
You nod and smile.
“And the chocolates were delicious,” you add. “I’ll make sure to come back.”
“That’s music to my ears,” he says, dramatically putting a hand on his chest. That’s when you notice the ‘Seokjin’ tag on his apron. You don’t know what to do with that information, though. You don’t call strangers by their first name and you also don’t stalk people on line.
Especially not when you don’t have their last name.
You say a quick ‘goodbye’, then walk out. Jin’s eyes follow you for a few seconds, before he sighs and turns around, already taking off his apron.
“Jungkook!”
The boy is quick to appear again, scanning the shop for your presence.
“She’s gone?” he asks, and Jin gives a slap at the back of his employee's head with a groan. There’s no strength in it, though, and Jungkook barely reacts to it.
“How could you run away like that, you little—”
Jungkook easily avoids him when Jin tries to him it again, laughing at his outrage.
“We’re not going to be getting a lot more clients today, are we?” he asks, looking outside at the passers-by that don’t even spare a glance at the little shop.
“No,” Jin groans, letting himself fall on a chair.
The depressing calm that follows what is possibly the busiest day of the year for him is just one of the reasons why he absolutely despises Valentine’s Day.
February 22nd
When you show up at the bakery again, about a week later, you’re feeling surprisingly good about it. Last time went well, you decided, and the people were nice, so you’re not afraid to throw a quiet but polite “Hello!” when you walk in. It’s kind of funny — or is it sad — how it always surprises you when people are nice to you, much more used to passive disinterest at best.
There’s another man in the shop this time, with a laptop and a coffee in front of him, but he doesn’t look up at you. A head lifts up from behind the counter though. You feel vaguely embarrassed that you remember this one is Seokjin, and you only feel more awkward when he gives you a dazzling smile.
A glance at the display tells you that they have restocked on their strawberry-based pastries, and you happily pick a slice of cake for yourself.
“For here or to go?”
“I’ll have it here,” you say with a smile. You feel strangely proud of yourself for being able to say it spontaneously. He has no way of knowing it, but it’s quite the victory for you. Usually, you try to run from the presence of others as fast as you can, and it’s even worse those days. “And I’ll also have Darjeeling tea with it, please.”
“Coming right up, just take a seat and I’ll bring it to you,” he says, and then he winks. He doesn’t stick around to see the surprised look on your face, so you just do as he told you, wondering if he was flirting with you or if he’s just Like That. You think that second explanation might be the answer.
“It’s nice to see you again,” he says when he arrives with the cake and the tea. You’re pretty sure he can’t place you exactly, just thinks your face is familiar, but it still makes you happy.
He tells you he hopes you’ll come back when you leave, and you decide you want to believe it.
June 1st
You’re not sure when you become an official ‘regular’ at the bakery. Maybe it’s when you ask Jin if they even do scones, and he leans over the counter to tell you conspiratorially that he actually wanted to call the shop ‘bake it ’til you make it’, but was told it was too long. That elicits a brief burst of laughter from you, and Jungkook tells you to stop encouraging him, but Seokjin looks so happy with himself when you laugh that you decide not to listen to him. Jin has that way of breaking past your shyness that fascinates you. It might be what keeps you coming back, more than the delicious sweets and how beautiful the two workers look.
Or maybe it’s when Jin tells you that it’s not fair you know their names but they don’t know yours, and that he’d ask you for your ID before selling you stuff if you don't tell him. When you tell him, he repeats it a couple of times, like he’s tasting it, before nodding with satisfaction. After that, him and Jungkook start greeting you with it, and insist you do the same with them. You’re reluctant at first, feeling somewhat confused about the whole thing, but it turns out to feel… nice, to have people to greet, and who also know your name.
Maybe it’s when Jin tells you that you’re late when you come in, or complains when you don’t show up on one of your usual days because you had a meeting with your boss. He doesn’t say anything on the day where you take your pastries to go because you’re visiting a friend at the hospital, though, and you wonder if he can just tell. Regardless, you appreciate it.
You find out about other people who come here frequently, too, and especially the ones who are friends with Jin and Jungkook. Namjoon, who sits with his laptop at the opposite end of the café from you. Yoongi, who usually sits in the same spot as you, and eyes you threateningly when he comes in and you’re there the first time, until Seokjin tells him to knock it off. Taehyung and Jimin, who always come in together, and who Jungkook usually joins to bicker and laugh with them. Hoseok, who likes to waltz in at random times, and whose smile actually rivals Jin’s.
You yourself come in twice a week, getting to your usual place to work — except on the couple of occasions where Yoongi gets there before you and gives you a triumphant smile when he sees you. You enjoy the way you’re always greeted by Jungkook or Seokjin, like they’re genuinely happy to see you. You discover that the old ladies who come here to gossip love to flirt with Jin and that, even though he flirts back outrageously, much to their delight, his ears tend to turn a bright red when he does.
You even bring your friends on a couple of occasion, and Seokjin jokes that you’re responsible for half of his turnover at this point. Your friends enjoy the food, and the drinks, but they enjoy the handsome employees and customers a lot more.
“So this is where all the hot men were,” Hana marvels when you walk out, and you burst out laughing. You like that you’ve shared this place with her, because it’s something that makes you really happy these days, motivates you to come out of your bed, and even to talk to people, something you’ve never been good at.
When you walk into the shop and make small talk with the people you’ve come to know, something you used to consider yourself terrible at, it might be silly, but it kind of feels like home.
June 21st
You are pretty sure you know when you go from regular to friend, though. It’s a day like any other and you hum on your way to the shop. Instead of the joyful “Welcome back, (Y/N)!” that you’ve gotten used to hearing these past few weeks, however, you’re greeted with Seokjin shouting “(Y/N), my savior!”.
You freeze on the spot and give him a worried look. From his table, Namjoon looks up, just as puzzled.
“Is everything okay, Jin?” he asks.
“Jungkook isn’t there today,” Jin tells you. His voice doesn’t sound different from usual, but there is a glint of panic in his eyes. “I need your help.”
Namjoon stands up.
“Why didn’t you ask me? I could—”
“Stay where you are and don’t even think of approaching my kitchen,” Jin says threateningly. “(Y/N)? Please?”
Well. You suppose your work can get done later. You’re more productive when you come here, so you have some advance on your usual deadlines these days. But you don’t know what Jin wants from you and you’ve never worked in a bakery.
“What do you want me to do?” you ask cautiously.
He grabs your shoulders and your eyes widen at the contact. Not that it’s unpleasant, just unexpected.
“I knew when you first walked in here that you were a godsend,” he tells you seriously, looking right into your eyes, and you tell yourself that if he’s that good of an actor, you should probably watch out. “We’re out of milk.”
You blink.
“Okay. Is there a specific type of milk you want?”
“Just, milk. Get me milk and I’ll worship the ground you walk on until the end of days.”
You roll your eyes at his dramatics, and take your bag off your shoulder, handing it to him.
“Look after that, okay? I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll protect it with my life,” he says solemnly. “Also paper napkins please!” he shouts as you’re already walking out.
“Will do!”
“Bake a leg!”
You want to protest the joke that even you find to be quite bad, but the door has already closed behind you, so you just shake your head at him, only to see him laughing with satisfaction through the glass, and head to the nearest supermarket.
You come back with two big packs of milk and a lot of paper napkins, just as two men are exiting. You’ve seen them before, but they never stay to chat. Inside, Jin is juggling three women, and he looks more relieved than you’ve ever seen him when you walk in.
“I’ll help you with that,” Namjoon says immediately, bumping in the table as he gets up.
“If you break anything, I’ll kill you,” Jin warns him. He’s smiling like he’s joking, and his tone is light, like he doesn’t want to scare off his customers, but his eyes say he’s sincere.
You’re quick in the back, and Namjoon does drop the packs once, but nothing bad happens. He presses a finger against his lips to tell you to keep it a secret, and you grin without a word. Part of you is kind of wondering what you’re doing there, why Jin feels comfortable letting you in the back and why he asked you to do that, but you don’t have an issue with it, not by a long shot. This is… kind of fun, actually.
“Anything else you want me to do?” you ask Jin when you come out, and he looks at you in a pleading way.
“You don’t mind?”
Something tells you you shouldn’t accept too quickly, that you could end up in way over your head faster than you know. But his brown eyes are wide and desperate and you just can’t say no. So you smile and shake your head.
“Of course not. You look like you really need a hand here.”
“I do.”
That’s how you find yourself in an apron, with the cute, black hat Jin and Jungkook always wear on your head. Jin mostly sends you in the back to pick up things he needs, or makes you bring the beverages to the customers, which you’re thankful for, because that way you don’t have to greet anyone. Time flies quickly, and you can barely find a second to breathe for the first few hours.
“Sorry, it’s lunch time,” Jin grimaces as he passes you by, and you think to yourself that at least, it will get better, but it takes a while even after that, and when it’s done, Jin sends you to buy some more stuff from the supermarket, because as it turns out, things go fast.
Before you know it, it’s closing time, and you look outside in disbelief. The sky is starting to turn a nice pink, and other shops are putting up their shutters.
“You can go, if you want,” Jin tells you. He sounds terribly sorry, and that makes you feel bad. It’s such an unusual tone for him to have.
His offer is tempting, of course. Your feet hurt, your head aches a little from all the noise that never bothered you before but turns out to be a lot when you’re there all day, you’ve burned your hand against an oven, and you’ve found out that carrying things ends up really hurting your back. But you know that he’s experiencing the same thing you do, and you just don’t have the heart to abandon him here. Also, you’ve already lost your day, so you might as well help him out now.
“It’s fine,” you sigh. “Do you want me to help with anything?”
Cleaning up goes quietly in the main shop, and that soothes you a little. You don’t mind the silence, even enjoy it, and find yourself relaxing for the first time today. Surprisingly, you’re feeling… satisfied. It’s not something you would particularly look forward to doing again, but you’re happy you did it, happy you helped Jin, and you feel like you’ve accomplished something today, which is always a good thing.
“You have flour everywhere,” he tells you bluntly when you walk in the back of the shop, and you laugh.
“Well, it got everywhere,” you reply, trying to rub some off your face, and it’s Jin’s turn to laugh when you fail miserably.
You know you shouldn’t do it, but you gather a small handful of flour from the table, and throw it at him. A good chunk hangs in the air and makes you cough, but the rest does land on his apron. His mouth falls open into an ‘o’ shape and you know you’ve messed up.
“Listen, I am so sorry—”
“No you’re not,” he says, taking a step towards you. His hand is on the table, which is covered with flour, and you swallow.
“Sure I am, Jin, please—”
But your pleas fall in deaf ears, and flour is soon flying your way. It’s your turn to stare at Jin in disbelief, and then you’re laughing, loud and clear.
Maybe that’s the exact moment when the two of you become friends — really friends.
Or maybe it’s seconds later, when the room you’re in turns into the scene for an all-out flour battle. Regardless, you’re laughing the whole way through, when you’re not choking on the flour hanging in the air. Jin’s laughter is quieter than yours, miles away from the booming and somewhat fake laugh you’re used to hearing from him.
The fight only escalates when Jin picks up an egg. You shake your head, mouth ‘no’, but he doesn’t listen, and after that, things get a lot messier. By the time the two of you, exhausted and bent in half because of how much you’ve been laughing, finally stop, you can feel yoke trickling down your back, and you know the sight can’t be pretty. Jin reaches out to you in a useless attempt to wipe some flour from your face, only to laugh more when it, of course, fails once more.
You try not to think about the jolt of electricity that ran through you when his fingers came in contact with your cheek.
“I’ll clean up in here,” he tells you, “but you should go take a shower upstairs.”
“Are you sure?” you ask, surprised. Suddenly, you’re very conscious of the fact that you don’t know him that well. In recent months, you’ve talked to him more than you do with your close friends, and you did just throw several eggs at him, but you don’t know him. You’re aware of the fact that he lives above the shop, but you’ve never been there. The two of you have never even exchanged numbers.
He makes dramatic hand gestures to signal you to get away, like you’re bothering him, and you leave with a last laugh. You don’t notice the way he looks up when you do, or the way it makes him smile. He can’t help it, he just loves that he makes you laugh.
You’re relieved to step into the shower, both because you’re happy to clean up and because there was something really awkward about being in Seokjin’s apartment for the first time, alone. The place was not quite as decorated as the bakery was, with paler colors. Walking through it, you had noticed big speakers, some books in a shelf, and a couple of cute plushes that you had had to resist not to fawn over. The place worked for him, you had decided. It was more understated than you would have expected when you had just started to know him, but it doesn’t surprise you anymore. Jin tends to be quiet when he doesn’t have to be ‘on’, and it’s something he doesn’t seem to feel he has to do around you anymore.
You sigh in pleasure when the hot water hits you, close your eyes. You’ve been craving it for hours now — long before the food battle with Jin. It helps relax your aching muscles, washes away all the sweat from the day, and you have to resist not to just let yourself fall down onto the floor. Your back hurts, but the worst part has to be your feet. You feel yourself gaining a lot more appreciation for Jin and Jungkook, who are always kind, smiling and polite despite all of this. The only thing that kept you from biting someone’s head off tonight was your crippling anxiety when it comes to interacting with strangers.
It’s almost funny now to think you used to feel that way around Jin.
You look around for some soap you could use, and in your search, you’re surprised to find shampoo that was definitely intended for a woman. You don’t know why you’re surprised. It’s no wonder that Jin would have a girlfriend, really, it’s the opposite that should shock you, but you still didn’t expect it. You force away the pinch in your chest. Jin is a new friend, you can’t have your heart fluttering like that.
You consider using it for half a second, before deciding that it would be very awkward if you came out smelling like his girlfriend. Instead, you do your best to get rid of any egg, and tell yourself you’ll wash your hair at home. You barely hear the sound of the door opening and closing over the water, and you’re startled by Jin’s voice outside the bathroom.
“You can take a towel from the chest of drawers,” he tells you, “and I’ll leave a shirt outside, if you want it.”
“Thank you!” you shout back.
Seokjin stands there a few seconds, before quickly shaking his head and walking away. He knows his ears are turning red, and he hates himself for it, but is it his fault, really? Is he supposed not to think about you, right now, in his shower, water running down your body? He never even thought to pretend he was that innocent.
He occupies himself by preparing a drink for the two of you, and then by cleaning around. He’s not particularly messy, though, and there isn’t much to do, so he ends up sitting on his couch, feeling awkward in his own house, and scrolling aimlessly through his phone. He freezes again when he hears the bathroom door open and close, guessing you’re picking up his shirt. Which means you’re— God what is wrong with him tonight? When did he regress to the state of a hormonal teenager?
He hopes he looks natural when you come out, because he’s doing his best for that. The nervous way he’s running his hands over his thighs would probably give him out, though, if you weren’t feeling just as stressed as him.
“I’m done,” you mumble, your shyness coming back, which you decide is to be expected in that situation.
It vanishes the second Jin looks you over and snorts.
“What’s wrong?” you ask, glancing down, and immediately you know that you’re probably ridiculous in his black shirt. It looks like it’s swallowing you whole. “It’s not my fault if your shoulders are that broad,” you pout.
“You look so small,” Jin chuckles. He sounds endeared, and if you noticed that sort of things, you would absolutely realize that his eyes linger on you in his clothes fondly — and a little longer than necessary.
“Want something to drink?” he asks, gesturing at the stuff he got out of the fridge when he didn’t know what to do with himself.
“Sure,” you smile, letting yourself fall down on the couch next to him and pouring yourself a glass. The brief awkwardness that washed over you when you came in vanishes already, because of how comfortable you feel around Jin. He’s always been good at making you feel that way, and now he doesn’t even have to try.
“So, how did you find your day?” he asks you, and you look at him, surprised by his tone. He sounds quiet, cautious almost, like he’s worried about what your reaction might be, or that he could be bothering you.
“Fine,” you say with a shrug. “I can’t say I’d want to do it again— When is Jungkook coming back?”
Jin chuckles, and again, it takes you by surprise. It’s so… quiet. So discreet, compared to his usual attitude.
“He should be there tomorrow, don’t worry about it.” Then, he grimaces. “But seriously, thank you for helping out today. I owe you.”
“Yes you do,” you say with a grin, bumping your shoulder against his, trying to lift the mood a little, because he sounds genuinely worried. “Just offer me the tea next time, and I’ll consider us even.”
Finally, a smile forms on his lips, and he shakes his head dramatically, putting his hand over his heart.
“No, I don't think I could ever repay you,” he says, and you laugh at his antics, like you always do. He looks a little appeased by that, and that’s a relief. “Your back must hurt,” he says. “Turn around.”
You raise an eyebrow, but do as he says, startling when his hands fall on your shoulders. They’re large, engulfing you easily, but they also move gently as he slowly massages you.
“Oh,” you gasp, leaning back into him. This is— good. This is very very good. For a few minutes — or maybe much longer, you couldn’t tell — you just stay there, eyes closed, lips parted, focused on the delicious feelings of his hands gently rubbing all the pain and soreness of the day away. When he stops, it takes you a few seconds to come back down to reality, and maybe, just maybe you miss the feeling of his hands. “Oh,” you repeat, rolling your shoulders slowly. “Thank you.”
“No problem,” Jin says. “It’s kind of my fault.”
You turn around, shaking your head.
“Seokjin,” you say. “It’s fine. I didn’t mind helping.”
“You’re too kind,” he frowns. “You shouldn’t let people take advantage of that.”
“I’m not!”
Then Jin smiles, in a way that only lifts one corner of his lips, and suddenly you feel— you’re not too sure. Something seems to melt inside you, something moves in your stomach like you’re free falling. You probably should recognize the feeling. It’s not like it’s anything new to you, and yet you miss it. You do something you almost never do in that situation, and you take a step back. You glance up from his lips, shoot him a smile, and get up from the couch.
“It’s getting late,” you comment. “I really need to go home.”
Jin is on his feet immediately.
“I’ll walk you back,” he says, concern flashing in his eyes.
“I’m good. It’s not that far and I need to clear my head after, you know, everything today.” You’re not sure you know, but Jin nods, though a little reluctantly.
“You’re sure?”
“Very.”
He sighs. He doesn’t seem too pleased about it, but you guess he doesn’t want to insist too much, either.
“Give me your phone,” he says, and when you hand it to him, he types his number in, pouting as he explains himself to you. “Text me when you get home, alright? Otherwise I’ll just worry all night, because everyone is so unreasonable, and just wants me to lose sleep, and—”
You take your phone back from him with a laugh.
“I’ll text you,” you promise, briefly putting your hand over his. That feels— normal, you decide. It’s not like your hands have never brushed in the months since you’ve started frequenting the bakery. It just feels fine, and whatever there was before could just be a false alert. But then Jin looks into your eyes, and the feeling comes back.
“You better.”
You practically flee the bakery. You’re trying to make sense of the whole thing in your head, and it doesn’t go over great. You let Jin know you got home safe, and then do your best to push the whole thing out of your mind when you go to bed. You refuse to think about it too much. Not because you don’t understand what’s going on, but because somewhere, deep down, you do. This isn’t— this isn’t something you do. You fall hard and fast, that’s— that’s your thing.
Sometimes it’s nice, others it’s disappointing, but most importantly, it means that when the relationship is over, your life just goes back to what it was before. It you ever had feelings for a friend, someone you’re so used to having around… You’re sure it would truly break your heart.
July 15th
Summer is horribly hot this year. Fortunately for you, your favorite bakery has started serving ice cream. There is air conditioning in the store, but with the door constantly opening and closing, gusts of hot air regularly reach even you. No one seems too happy with the situation, with Jungkook seeming to slowly come apart under the temperature. Even Namjoon has abandoned ship, leaving much earlier than usual today. He waved at you when he got out, and you waved back.
Who knew, maybe the two of you would actually talk next time.
Jin uses a lull in the otherwise busy afternoon to drop at your table, and you smile to him. You haven’t really gone through anything like that night ever since, and you decided it was just a one time thing. You were tired from the work, and you were touch-starved, and, surely, there was nothing there, other than you gaining a new friend.
Yup. Nothing to see at all. Even when he’s sitting next to you, trying to fan himself with one of the bakery’s menus, head thrown back in a way that makes his Adam’s apple even more prominent.
You never thought yourself as someone who particularly enjoyed necks, but it seems you were wrong.
Not that that has anything to do with feelings, of course. Jin’s just hot. You already knew that.
“Hey, (Y/N), what’s your favorite cake?” he asks you.
It takes you just a second too long to answer.
“Uh. Anything that has strawberries in it, I guess,” you say, and he nods, but he’s also frowning. “Are my tastes not up to par?” you grin, raising an eyebrow.
“Clearly, your tastes are great, since you keep coming back,” Jin answers immediately, with the confidence that you now know to be mostly facade, but that you’ve still come to love. “No, strawberries are good. I can work with strawberries.”
“I actually wanted strawberries the first time I came here,” you reminisce. “But there weren’t any left because that was after Valentine’s Day.”
Jin clicks his tongue in disgust.
“Worst day of the year,” he says, “though February is a bad month for strawberries in general.”
“You don’t like Valentine’s Day?” you ask, and if you were a dog, your ears would be perking up with interest. You’ve always loved to hear people’s opinion on the holiday, because it’s so divisive. “You guys must make quite a lot of money…”
“I’m wounded that you’d think money is all I care about,” Jin sighs dramatically, though the glint in his eyes lets you know that he’s only joking. “It’s just very busy,” he admits. “It’s a lot of work to prepare, people place a lot of orders, and we basically don’t get a minute to ourselves. Not to mention— do you know what it does to a person to know that the food he lovingly prepared is probably going to be eaten off someone’s body?”
You can’t help it. You burst out laughing. When you do, you’re completely unaware of the fond way Jin looks at you. He’s always liked that he made you laugh, from the very first day you came into the store.
“No,” you admit, “no, I haven’t thought about it.”
“Well I have to.”
“I’m so sorry for you.”
“I’m sorry for me too.”
Then Jimin practically waltzes in and energetically greets everyone in the room, including you, and Jin gets up to serve him and Taehyung because Jungkook looks like he’s about to collapse, and you don’t give much more thought to the conversation.
But Jin remembers that strawberry cake is your favorite.
September 18th
Somehow, you get roped into helping Jin with his grocery shopping. He sat at your table and complained about how Jungkook wouldn’t be able to help him that week, and you voiced your sympathy, and next thing you knew, you were in the supermarket with him.
Well, maybe you’d offered your help. Maybe you just didn’t want to admit it because of that time he’d told you you were too kind.
“You know, I thought I’d be helping you for the bakery,” you comment, “but this mostly looks like it’s for you.”
“I am the bakery,” Jin replies, and you grin.
You watch him as he carefully crosses item after item of his detailed list. You expected him to be messy, to grab whatever he wanted, but he is as meticulous with this as he is with the baking he does for his customers. Which is— strangely endearing to you.
“Most of what we get comes in bigger orders,” he explains to you once he’s done with that aisle. “Sometimes, we find ourselves missing some things…”
“Like milk.”
“It’s always the milk,” he sighs, shaking his head it brings back bad memories. “But that’s not an issue for a lot of thing, unless something very specific comes up. Like a customer wanting a pineapple pie.”
You tilt your head as he cautiously picks pineapples. You’re not even sure how you can tell if a pineapple is ripe, but he looks like he knows what he’s doing.
“That sounds… interesting?”
“It’s going to sound very interesting when I’ll make you carry half the bags,” Jin says, and you roll your eyes. Does he think you’re going to bail on him? You would never do that.
Well. Until your eyes fall on Minho, standing there, like he hasn’t simply vanished from your life six months ago. There’s a woman with him, and she’s laughing at something he said. You suppose she was the one he met — or maybe another one, there’s no way of knowing, really. But they look like they’re getting along well, and it— it makes you happy. You think.
“Huh,” you mumble. “That’s my ex over there.”
Jin looks up so fast you worry he might hurt his neck.
“What? Where? Do you need me to insult him?”
You’re about to say no when Minho turns around, and his eyes meet yours. He gives you a hesitant nod, and you think that’s going to be it, but then, after a few seconds of obvious inner debate, he makes his way towards you.
Great.
“(Y/N),” he says, a bit awkwardly. “It’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you too,” you reply softly and, much to your surprise, you mean it. You did your best not to let yourself miss him, but you suppose you did. It’s been a long time since you last saw him.
“This is, erm, this is Lisa,” he says, gesturing at the woman, who gives you a polite smile. It looks like she knows exactly who you are, and you suppose it must be uncomfortable for her as well. “My girlfriend.”
Yeah. You’d pieced that together. But then, Minho’s eyes move to Jin, and he raises an eyebrow, and you realize what he’s thinking about.
“Oh, this is—”
“Seokjin,” Jin says, extending his hand. “I’m her boyfriend.”
You’re sure that anyone looking at you can tell from your expression, from the way your mouth falls open and from the incredulous way you shake your head that that’s not true, but both Minho and Lisa are looking at him, and miss it completely. When Jin looks at you, he gives an imperceptible nod and puts an arm around your shoulders.
The warmth is— kind of nice. Maybe it even sends a shiver down your back, but you’re sure it’s because you’re still quite touch-starved those days.
Nothing else here.
“That’s great,” Minho says, and he looks relieved. “It’s great that you’re with someone.”
“Isn’t it?” Jin says before you can think of anything to answer to that. “She walked into my bakery and I just knew she would become my favorite client. Basically love at first sight.”
“Love at first sale, maybe,” you can’t help but answer, even if you know, reasonably, that you shouldn’t entertain him. You’re pretty sure he’s trying to show off in front of the two, which is really unnecessary, but you appreciate the gesture. “Jin makes the best cakes you can find in the whole town,” you tell them. Not to show off, but because it’s true. There are a lot of good things you could tell them about Jin, come to think of it. A lot.
“Maybe we should try it then,” Lisa says, smiling. She looks more relaxed than earlier, though you suppose she could also just be trying to get out of this conversation.
“Oh, it’s a must,” you reply sincerely, and Jin laughs, pulling you against his chest a little.
“She’s too nice,” he says, and you immediately protest that no, definitely not, he does, and you’re sure you look like a very annoying couple, because it doesn’t take long for Minho to clear his throat.
“Well, we have to go but it was— it was nice catching up with you.”
“Same,” you nod, and when he leaves, you can’t help but watch him. You don’t really feel anything right now. You were sincerely happy to see him, but it felt like running into a childhood friend you haven’t seen in a long, long time, and now have nothing in common with outside of those memories. Except it hasn’t been a life time since you last met him. Just a little over six months. Soon, he’ll just be someone you used to know.
You wish you were more upset by this. You wish there was anything that told you that what you had with him actually mattered. Instead, this vague indifference lets you know that your paths had probably diverged before the two of you even broke up. And that makes you kind of sad.
“Are you okay?” Jin asks. He has that quiet voice you’ve heard a few times now.
“I’m fine,” you nod, “but you really didn’t have to do that. I wasn’t— Minho and I aren’t— there really was no need.”
“I was happy to do it,” Jin says, and you notice how petty he sounds. “It’s always a joy to let an ex see how much better than them you’re doing.”
You laugh. You probably agree with him on that, but you’re not going to help feed his ego even more. Jungkook would probably never forgive you for it.
“I don’t think your girlfriend would like you doing that,” you observe, and Jin answers that remark with a blank stare.
“When have I ever said anything about a girlfriend?”
“Well, there was a bottle of shampoo at your place that—”
“So a guy can’t like having his hair smell like fruit, huh?”
“That’s not what I—”
“Wow, way to reinforce stereotypes, (Y/N). I expected more of you.”
He ignores your attempts at protesting and strides away from you. It takes you a few moments to catch up, because of his stupid long legs of his.
“If I had a girlfriend, I would never stop talking about her,” he lets you know while you’re catching your breath. “So don’t worry. You’ll know about it.”
“Duly noted,” you say. You maybe feel a little too happy about that new information so, to distract yourself from it, you change the subject. “So I’m your favorite customer?”
He scoffs and glances away from you, refusing to meet your eyes. He thought you hadn’t picked up on that.
“You’re a strong contestant, I guess,” he says reluctantly, and you laugh, not pushing it further.
“Anyway— Minho broke up with me a week Valentine’s Day,” you say. You’re not sure why. Maybe to let Jin that you’ve been over it for a long time.
“That’s rude,” Jin comments with a disapproving click of his tongue.
“He probably wanted to spend it with her,” you shrug. “When we got together, he told me he didn’t cheat. He left. So— I guess that was it.” Then there’s a laugh, and you can’t tell if it sounds bitter. You hope not. “I’ve actually never had a boyfriend for Valentine’s Day,” you confess.
The silence that follows is unusual for Jin. When you glance up at him, he’s just looking at you, and for a second, you think it’s pity you find in his eyes. But, from the way he frowns, you realize it could just be genuine sympathy.
“Would it make you feel better if I tell you it’s a terrible holiday that’s just there to sell things?”
“I already know that,” you chuckle, even if it does make you feel a little better. “I just want someone to buy me roses once, you know?”
Jin doesn’t answer, just looks at you, and something about the intensity of his stare makes you feel— feel things you told yourself you weren’t feeling for him. But then, you just ran into Minho, didn’t you? It makes sense that you would be all over the place emotionally.
“Anything more on your list?” you ask, and Jin blinks.
“Yeah, that way,” he says, sounding a bit off, but then he adds “More things for you to carry,” and you decide to brush it off.
But he stores the information in his mind. Strawberry cake and roses. Duly noted.
October 31st
“So do you actually like Halloween, or is this just another shameless cash grab for you?” you ask Jin when he brings you your tea.
You have to admit, him and Jungkook truly went all out for this. They’ve decorated the shop with pumpkins, and there are fake bats hanging from the ceiling. There are also themed cakes and chocolates shaped like spiders. It’s spooky, and it delights the kids that come in and ask the parents about it. You definitely appreciate the atmosphere it creates — and you also appreciate the way Hoseok jumped when he walked in front of the witch that lets out an evil laugh when someone passes the movement detector.
“Halloween is not terrible, I guess,” Jin says, like him and Jungkook don’t take a full day out of their schedules and bring in some friends just to decorate the shop. “Do you like it?”
“I love it,” you answer sincerely, and Jin’s expression softens.
“Hey, we’re having a small get-together after closing tonight,” he tells you spontaneously. “Wanna join us?”
You take a second to answer. It’s not like you don’t want to — far from that — but there’s that voice inside of you that tells you that you’ve been weird around Jin, and you don’t want to be weird around him. You want to keep things as they are, because he’s such a wonderful friend to have around. You’d hate yourself if you changed that.
But if the point is to have him around, then surely, telling him no right now would be counter-productive, right?
“Absolutely,” you say with a smile, and Jin beams, and you feel all warmed-up inside.
You already know that you’ll have fun, and you’ll laugh, and he’ll insist on walking you him and you’ll tell him no. And it sounds exactly like how you want to spend your evening.
January 10th
You first meet Sungho on New Year’s Eve, at Hana’s party. The two of you click immediately, and you enjoy the familiar rush of feelings, the waiting for a text after you’ve given him your number, the anticipation of knowing where this is all leading, if everything goes right. After a week, you run into him at the bakery, or, well, you’re sitting in your usual corner when he comes in. He doesn’t see you immediately, but when he looks in your direction after a little while, you happily wave him over.
“You don’t usually come here, do you?” you ask him. “I would have seen you by now if you were a regular.”
He chuckles, flashes you a bright smile, and you smile in return. Sungho has a nice smile. He doesn’t laugh easily, though, from what you saw when you met him, which is a shame, but definitely not a dealbreaker, even if you love to hear people laugh.
“No, I saw you were talking about this place a lot online, and I figured I would come and check it out. Of course, seeing you here is the best part,” he adds with a wink, and he leans towards you a little. The obvious flirtation sends a wave of heat through your chest, and you don’t hesitate to lean forward as well, resting your elbow on the table and putting your chin on your hand. You enjoy the closeness, the proximity, the chase.
You pull away when Jin arrives with Sungho’s order.
“This looks great,” Sungho comments. “I’m glad (Y/N) advertised you so much.”
“Well, there’s a reason she’s our favorite customer,” Jin replies, smiling, and when you meet his eyes, they’re fond and— and something else that makes it hard to breathe for a second.
But the smile fades when Sungho takes a portion of his cake with the spoon and offers it to you.
“Wanna try it?” he asks, and you do, because you know everything Jin makes will be amazing. You’re not sure you love the gesture itself — it’s kind of cute, but you’ve also just met him and it feels a bit strange — but you still giggle and take the bite.
And all Jin can do is stand there, looking at the two of you. He feels something he has felt before, and it’s that he let something he wanted pass him by. He waited too long to make a move, once again, and once again, it’s cost him something he doesn’t know how he’ll live without, and now he’ll have no choice but to figure it out.
You glance up, and he catches himself, plastering a smile on his lips.
“Enjoy yourselves!” he says, a little too loudly, and he knows, from the way you blink and the puzzled look you give him, that you’ve noticed and it’s— it’s horrible. It’s horrible that you know him that well and that you’ve seen so many facets of him and you’ve chosen someone else. You don’t ask anything, though, and he’s quick to leave.
He’s also quick to ask Jungkook to replace him in the shop, and he, very deliberately, doesn’t ask anything about how things went. Doesn’t want to know if you kissed, or worse, if you left together.
He’ll be fine. It’s not like it’s anything he hasn’t been through before.
February 5th
You feel impossibly excited when Sungho asks you out for Valentine’s Day. You gush about it to your friends, a lot, and Hana is delighted for you — and very pleased that her circles of friends are meeting like that. Jungkook sounds happy, too, though slightly more reserved, but you get the type of enthusiasm you wanted from Jimin and Taehyung.
Jin gets quiet when you let him know, though. It’s not something you haven’t seen before, but it does take you off guard, because you’ve never seen it happen while in the shop, where he’s usually on top of his game.
“Are you okay?” you ask, worried, leaning over the counter to put a hand on his arm. “You look a little under the weather these days.”
He smiles, but it lacks his usual flamboyance.
“Valentine’s Day is coming,” he tells you. “The worst day of the year.”
You laugh at that, relax, and take your hand off. You miss the way his eyes fall on the place you were just touching.
“Well, not this year, hopefully. Not this year.”
Yeah. He’s not so sure about that.
February 14th
It’s your first time, ever, having a date on Valentine’s Day, and you’re determined to do everything right. Sungho is taking you to a fancy restaurant, so you decide there is no issue in going all out. You take the day to prepare yourself, enlist Hana to do your make-up and hair, and you use the opportunity to wear a lovely bright red dress that you had been saving for a special occasion.
Hana whistles when you come out of your room after you’ve also put on half-transparent black tights.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” she says with an appreciative nod.
You glance down at your body self-consciously and try to smooth the fabric of the dress. You do think it looks pretty good, but you could be wrong. Does it show too much of your legs? Does it hug your curves too tightly?
“You think he’s going to like it?” you ask, somewhat shyly.
“He should if he knows what’s good for him,” she replies, expression turning murderous, before softening. “Just… Are you sure you want to be doing that?”
You give her a confused look.
“What are you talking about?”
“You know, going out with Sungho,” she says with a vague hand gesture. “I just— I don’t know. Do you like him that much?”
It’s funny. You haven’t really asked yourself that question. You’ve just been going through all the usual motions — the flirting, the dates, and, inevitably, the start of the relationship, which is probably for tonight.
“We— we get along fine,” you answer. “I like him.”
You leave the words ‘well enough’ out of that sentence. You like Sungho well enough. But then, that’s always been good enough for you, so why should it change now?
Hana seems to think about it for a little while, then shrugs.
“Okay then. Do you need my help to walk to the cab? I would not trust these things.”
She’s pointing at your heels, and it makes you laugh. These aren’t even that high, and they’re pretty stable. You don’t think you’ll have any trouble walking in them. Hana wouldn’t abandon her flat shoes to save her life, though, so you suppose the question was to be expected.
“You can just tell me if you want to hold my arm,” you tease, and it seems to take her by surprise, before she chuckles.
“You’ve gotten a little too good at that. I don’t know if I like it.”
“Yeah, I’m afraid Jin has infected me.”
That gives her pause, and she shoots you a weird look, but you miss it. She opens her mouth to say something, then gives up. She could be wrong, after all.
She kind of hopes she’s wrong, or that if she’s right, you’ll realize it soon enough.
The dinner is perfect. You’re dressed perfectly for the occasion, fitting right in the restaurant’s decor, Sungho complimented you when you walked in and you told him he looked great, which is true, the food is delicious, the conversation flows easily, and there are roses on the table. They’re not for you, part of the decoration, and it doesn’t look like Sungho’s gotten you any, which gives you just a little pinch of disappointment in your chest, but it’s also not a big deal. It’s fine. Everything is fine.
And you’re not happy with it.
You can’t place it, and it slowly drives you insane, as you and Sungho make your way through the meal. You try your best not to let it show, but you think he notices your increasing restlessness. You feel bad about it, because really, he hasn’t done anything wrong. You just— something’s not right.
Dammit. It’s your first time having a date on Valentine’s Day, and you can’t make it work.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” Sungho says while the two of you are waiting for your desert, and you do your best to snap out of whatever is going on in your head to focus on him.
“Tell me,” you smile, though the smile is polite, rather than genuine.
He takes a deep breath and reaches over the table to take your hand. It’s far from the first time the two of you make physical contact, you’ve even kissed a few times, and it was nice, but something makes you want to recoil, in that moment. You don’t, though. Why would you? It doesn’t make sense. Nothing about you makes sense right now.
“I like you,” he says, and you find the breath knocked out of you. It’s not unpleasant, though, it’s very nice in fact, and it almost completely dissipates your previous discomfort. “And I think— you know. We haven’t said anything about being exclusive yet, so I figured I’d— ask.”
He looks pretty confident, which you thought would put you off, but it doesn’t. The answer seems obvious to you. It’s been just a little over a year since you broke up with Minho, which is a reasonable time, so your lips part to let him know that you’d be happy to—
It’s then that you remember. You remember what you told yourself after that break-up, and what you thought after the break-up before that, and the time before as well. You remember you told yourself you wouldn’t settle for less than what you really wanted. You told yourself you wanted to love and be loved. You told yourself you wanted someone who’d remember how you liked your tea.
And, just like in a movie, Jin’s face appears in your mind. You almost dismiss it, tell yourself it’s just because of the tea, until you realize it’s not. It just isn’t. You should have noticed earlier, you know that, but you’ve never been friends with someone before developing feelings for them. You’ve always told yourself you were an ‘all or nothing’ kind of person, that you were the type to know immediately if things could happen. Maybe you didn’t quite believe in love at first sight, but you’d always thought that love didn’t wait.
Apparently you were wrong.
Jin’s the one who inadvertently makes you pulse rush, when his hand brushes against you. Jin’s the one who lifts your spirits, no matter what. Jin makes you happy, makes you want to get up in the morning, has done that for months now. Jin actually knows you. Jin looks at you like you’re precious to him. Maybe that doesn’t mean love, maybe to him, it’s all just friendship, but to you, it’s much more than that. And the feeling you get is so strong, so powerful, that you understand that you need to tell him. Need to tell him now.
“I’m sorry,” you say to Sungho, who’s been waiting for an answer all this time. “I’m really sorry, I don’t think that can work out.”
His face falls, but he looks far from heartbroken.
“Oh,” he says. “Um. That’s—”
“I’m sorry,” you repeat, already getting up from your chair. You’re buzzing with excitement, with feelings. “I have to go. I’ll pay for the meal, okay?”
“No, don’t—”
“Sorry!”
You stop at the counter briefly before rushing out into the night. You feel that you know exactly where you need to be.
You get to the bakery minutes before closing time, which is exceptionally at 9 p.m. for the day. A couple is just coming out, and that leaves only Jungkook inside. There’s nothing left on display, and you know it’s been impossibly busy, which means Jin is probably in a bad mood, but you can’t wait until tomorrow. When you walk in, Jungkook looks up from behind the counter, clearly surprised by the sound of someone coming in that late, and a puzzled look settles on his face when he notices that you’re out of breath, your previously perfect make-up now looking a little worse for wear.
“Is everything alright?” he asks. He sounds worried, and any other day you would take the time to reassure him, but in that moment you’re pushed by an energy that can’t be stopped, so you just nod quickly as an answer.
“Is Jin here?”
“In the back,” he says, tilting his head in that direction, and you’re pretty sure a glint of understanding lights up in his eyes.
“Can I….?”
He nods, a grin on his lips, and now you’re sure he knows why you’re here. You don’t wait for him to tease you about it, quick to make your way past him.
You freeze the second you walk into the backroom, though. It’s not just because of Jin’s back, though that definitely has more of an effect on you than you’d like to admit — the broad shoulders, the muscular back, and inexplicably, the nape of his neck. It’s also because of the large bouquet of red roses, standing in a vase on the table next to him. Your breath catches in your throat as you look at them. They look beautiful, vibrant, their fragrance floating through the room, all the way to you.
“Who are the roses for?” you ask, making Jin jump.
Any other time, you would have been pleased to take him by surprise for once, but right now you’re hanging on his words, waiting for an answer. The air feels heavy between you, and it doesn’t help that he doesn’t answer immediately, swallowing silently as his eyes travel over your body. You had almost forgotten about the dress you were wearing, and, instead of making you feel comfortable and confident, like it had earlier, you feel naked and vulnerable under his gaze.
Finally, his eyes meet yours, mouth slightly open, and by that point your heart is hammering in your chest. You wonder if he has any idea of how you’re feeling right now. Had he noticed your feelings when even you weren’t aware of them?
“What?” he croaks, voice dry, like he’s forgotten what you said.
“The roses,” you repeat. “Who are they for?”
You need an answer. Desperately.
Jin’s eyes move to the roses, and his face falls. He turns his back to you again as he goes back to whatever he’s cleaning.
“Didn’t you have a date tonight?”
You shrug, though he can’t see it.
“I broke things off with him,” you say lightly, and you don’t miss the way his movements pause, or the way his shoulders tighten, for half a second, before he keeps moving. “Are you— are you meeting someone?”
“No,” he protests immediately. “You know I don’t believe in Valentine’s day.”
You do. You remember that. So you wait for an explanation. It takes a while, and you just wait silently behind him, suspecting that he’s waiting for you to go away. After a few minutes, though, he slams his hand on the table, still not looking at you.
“They’re for you, okay? You said you’d always wanted roses for Valentine’s Day, and I figured, maybe your stupid boyfriend didn’t know that yet, and that I could maybe just drop them off at your place, and—”
“You didn’t ask me why I broke up with him,” you interrupt him, cutting his rambling short, and he falls silent. You catch his eyes from over his shoulder. Finally, you’re feeling yourself calm down, and at the same time you’re practically shaking with anticipation. “I realized I had feelings for someone else,” you say when he still doesn’t ask, just watching you, lips tight.
“…You do?” he simply says in reply. He’s tense, guarded, and you take a careful step towards him.
“Yeah,” you nod. Your eyes aren’t leaving his, not even for a second. “He’s smart, and kind, and handsome.” You take a step for each description you give, and you can’t help but smile on the last word. But your smile doesn’t reach Jin’s lips, and he’s just looking at you like he’s expecting you to tell him someone else’s name, or to make fun of him. “And he makes me laugh,” you add quietly, as you get to him, leaning against the table. “A lot. Some have even said it was a little too much.”
“So who is he?” he asks, and you smile. It’s wild to you that you haven’t understood earlier how absolutely head over heels in love with him you are, especially right now, when you’re standing so close to him. It’s also wild that he can’t see it, because you feel as though you’re radiating with that emotion, feel that anyone should be able to tell.
“It’s you,” you breathe out. “It’s obviously you.”
Then you’re pushing yourself up against his mouth, soft and slow. One of his hands closes around your waist as he leans forward, towering over you. His eyes are shut, and you close your own, reveling in the feeling of his warm body pressed against your own. You feel his tongue darting out to brush against your lips, and they part to grant him access, eager to taste all of him and—
“Couldn’t you tell me that earlier?” Jin protests loudly, tearing himself away from you, and your eyes snap open. “I would have planned the best Valentine’s Day you’ve ever—”
You groan and cut him off with another kiss, faster and harder this time, grabbing his wrists to guide his hands to your hips. You moan in contentment into his mouth when he kisses you back and he swallows it eagerly, pressing you into the table, bodies meeting like they’ve been waiting for it for forever and you—
“I wanted to make you an amazing strawberry cake! Now I don’t have any strawberries left!”
“Jin, please,” you sigh, unable to tolerate any other interruption, “would you just shut up and kiss me?”
And, finally, he does. Holds you like he never wants to let you go, kisses you like there’s no tomorrow, and when the two of you part, he rests his forehead against yours like he can’t bear the thought of being away from you even for a second. The silent stretches, comfortable, only filled with your respirations, until someone clears their throat, and the two of you jump away from each other.
“Sorry,”Jungkook says with a shit-eating grin that tells you he’s not sorry at all, “but I was about to leave. Will the two of you be okay?”
“I’m sure we can work things out without you,” Jin says. “Goodbye!”
But Jungkook doesn’t leave right away, turning his smile to you. You would hide into Jin’s shoulder, but you feel so good you can’t be bothered right now.
“Goodbye (Y/N)!”
“Bye, Jungkook!”
“That kid, I swear,” Jin says, shaking his head, as Jungkook leaves, his laugh hanging in the air behind him for a few seconds.
“I quite like him,” you comment, fingers dancing down Jin’s neck to come trace the border of his shirt.
“Oh, you do?” There is a dangerous edge to his tone and you glance up, surprised.
“Are you jealous?” you ask. “I didn’t know you were the jealous type.”
“I’m not.”
“Because it’s not Jungkook I abandoned my date for.”
“Good that you did. I never liked him.”
“So you are jealous.”
Seokjin mumbles something incomprehensible and you laugh and hug him tighter. And when he asks you if you want to come upstairs, even if he doesn’t have the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner planned, even if really, all he has to offer is himself, you tell him yes, of course.
Because he’s all you want right now.
It turns out, you wouldn’t have eaten the dinner anyway. The second the door closes behind you, you’re pulling him down against you for a kiss, and he doesn’t oppose any resistance, doesn’t protest like he did before, just lets out a moan into your mouth. He’s just as eager as you are to get rid of that tight dress.
“Careful with the tights,” you warn when his hands start roaming your thighs.
“Take them off then,” he groans.
You press a few kisses against his mouth, feeling delighted with the way he restrains himself, hands turning into fists against your hips as he stops himself from tearing off your closes. Finally, you pull away with a giggle. His eyes are wide and dark with desire, and they only get wider when you playfully slide off your dress’ strap.
“Don’t tease,” he says, practically growls, but you decide that you will. You guide him to his couch, push him down onto it, and evade him when he tries to pull you down with him, slipping out of his grasp. You stand just out of his reach, but more than close enough to be tantalizing, and you see in his eyes that it’s working just fine.
You take the time of making a show out of sliding down your dress down your body, letting it pool down at your feet before stepping out of it. The heels are the next thing to go, and then, finally, the offending tights. The second you’re out of those, Seokjin pounces, grabbing your hips and pulling you onto the couch.
“If you want us to move this to the bedroom, now would be a good time to say it,” he says as he kisses your neck, hands traveling up and down your body, large and calloused, but kind and gentle.
“I’m good here,” you say, arching your back to grant him better access — and to roll your hips against him. “Are you good here?”
You feel his breath catching in his throat when you move, as well as something hard pressing against you in his pants, and his voice is slightly choked when he answers.
“Yeah. This would happen at some point anyway.”
You laugh. You can’t wait to try this in all the places the two of you can think of in his apartment.
“Then let’s get to it, shall we?”
Jin doesn’t seem to have anything to answer to that, especially not when you hook your leg around his, using your heel to push him down on top of you. He’s still dressed, but you plan on rectifying that. You stop kissing him to work on the buttons of his shirt, and he lets you, breathing heavily. Your fingers explore the skin you reveal in the process, and you’re delighted when he shivers as you find out where his sensitive spots are — right under his collarbone, his nipples, his ribs.
Finally, the shirt joins your dress on the floor. You take a second to marvel at his body. His shoulders are even nicer to look at like that, you decide. You capture Jin’s mouth again, this time with your hands fisting his hair. You’re feeling yourself growing more impatient, wetter, and while your panties are the only thing still covering your body, he’s still wearing pants — which is far too much clothing.
“I want you so bad,” you whisper to him, and his breath catches in his throat.
“Fuck. You have no idea what you’re doing to me.”
That makes you grin, and you arch your back into him again, pressing yourself against his now rock hard crotch.
“Oh, I think I do,” you reply devilishly, and all Jin does is to bury his head into your neck. His fast breathing tickles your skin, and you love it. You love discovering that you have that effect on him, love how you can make him come undone. Another night, you might really, really enjoy teasing him about it, but you have something else on your mind tonight.
Your hand travels down his body to palm him through his pants, and he groans, bucking his hips against it involuntarily.
“Let me take care of that?” you offer, and he pulls away to raise an eyebrow at you.
Wordlessly, you guide him so he’s sitting on the couch, and then, without breaking eye contact, you drop to your knees. You watch as his eyes go wide and he swallows loudly. You don’t give him time to regain his composure, gently nudging his legs apart so you can place yourself there comfortably.
“Fuck,” he repeats as your hands travel over his thighs before unbuckling his belt.
He lifts himself off the couch so you can slide down his pants and underwear, and that leaves him in his naked glory. And boy, is he glorious, dick standing erect and proud, precum already dripping from the tip. You suppose it’s been a while since the last time he had any sort of intercourse, and so you decide that you will do everything that’s in your power to make it worth his while.
You do your best to maintain eye contact with him while you lean forward to gently take in the head of his cock, wrapping your red lips around it as your hand grips the base.
“Ah,” he gasps, and you wonder if he gets loud during sex.
You hope he does.
You mostly tease him at first, running your tongue over the tip, and you feel his hand grabbing the back of your head gently. He doesn’t try to control your pace or to push you down. He seems to just be anchoring himself as he lets you do whatever you want. Glancing up, you see that he’s thrown his head back and his mouth is hanging open, letting out quiet moans that sometimes get high-pitched.
For some reason, the sight of his exposed throat turns you on impossibly. You slide a hand down your body to try to get some relief as well, and you moan loudly when your fingers finally find your clit. The vibrations have Jin push his hips up as his hands tighten on you. A second later, his eyes snap open.
“Shit, I’m sorry, I—”
“It’s fine,” you reassure him, “I don’t mind but— Do you have a condom somewhere?”
He hesitates, then reaches for the coffee table. He opens the drawer, rummages through it quickly, and finds what he’s looking for.
“Taehyung said it was good to have them all over the house, just in case,” he feels obligated to explain to you, even while he struggles to open it and to put it on.
Well, you owe Taehyung one, you decide, but now really is not the time to discuss that, so you pull him down for quick kiss before he can lose himself in his ramble.
“Want you now,” you tell him, and it sounds like an order.
“Yes ma’am,” he mumbles, pulling you back up onto the couch.
Your panties are soon gone, and he spreads your legs open with utmost care. Even if you’re pretty sure he could just slide right in, with how wet you are, he pushes a long finger inside you, then another.
“You’re so wet for me,” he marvels. “So wet, and I haven’t even touched you.”
“Don’t flatter yourself too much yet,” you moan. “There’s still work to be done here.”
His eyes are full of love when he looks at you, taking in your body, now completely naked and offered. Just for him.
“Oh, I’ll do it. Don’t you worry about that.”
You’re about to call him out for his cockiness when he lines his cock with your entrance, tip rubbing against your folds, and you close your mouth instead, wisely choosing not to provoke him when he could so easily make you pay for it by making you wait. Except it seems he’s just as impatient as you, because he pushes himself inside you without pause.
You moan and shift to accommodate the stretch, and Seokjin goes still on top of you.
“Are you okay?” he asks. You’re satisfied with the strain in his voice, like knowing you’re not the only one to be so affected here.
“Hmm,” you hum. “Can you— move? A little?”
He pulls out a little, experimentally, and you moan louder than before. It takes you a few minutes to figure out the pace, as your hips keep moving, desperately searching for more friction, but they’re not unpleasant, filled with kisses, sweet nothings and the feeling of his warm skin against yours. In those moments, you feel like you’re discovering him all over again, and you find yourself enjoying that more than you can say.
Finally, you find yourselves, and the sound of skin against skin fills the room, along with your loud, high-pitches moans, and Seokjin’s — softer, quieter, but definitely there. You meet each of his thrusts, with one hand between the two of you to rub against your clit. When you first clench around him, he finally lets out a moan that’s as loud as yours.
“Fuck, fuck, fffuck,” he says, head falling against you, cheek pressed against your collarbone. “If you— If you do that again I’ll— Wait, please, wait, wanna— wanna cum with you—”
You arch your back, your nipples grazing against his chest, and force up the pace of your hips. Jin is moving incoherently, begging into your neck, and you want to give him exactly what he’s asking for. When you clench around him again, it’s with your orgasm. It’s all it takes to push him over the edge as well, but you barely feel his hips stutter into you, completely taken over by your own pleasure.
It takes you a little while to come back down from your high, and when you do, you meet his eyes. They’re soft and gentle, and, more than anything that’s happened until then, they make you melt.
“Hey,” he whispers, “you okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah, more than okay, in fact. You?”
“More than okay, too,” he says as a lazy smile spreads across his features.
“Good. That’s good.”
Pillow talk is not your forte.
“Hey,” Jin says, coming to rest his forehead against your shoulder.
“Hmm?”
“I think I’m in love with you.”
You chuckle.
“I think I’m in love with you too.”
“That’s good,” Jin says, but his voice sounds choked up, raspy, and you know he’s probably blushing. So you don’t add anything, just run your fingers over his scalp, the nape of his neck, down his back. Let him know you’re here, that you’ve got him, that you’re not going anywhere.
“Are you— are you staying the night?” he asks.
“Sure, unless you’re kicking me out.”
His arms tighten around you possessively.
“I would never.”
It takes a little longer before Jin manages to get the two of you off the couch to go get cleaned up, and then into bed, but of that night, there is not a second that you would call unnecessary or superfluous. Not one.
Every single one of them, every moment you spend with Jin on that first night, are essential, and you could not pick one of them to take back.
March 14th
The bell chimes happily when you walk into the shop, and even though Jin is busy with another customer, his eyes immediately find you. It’s something simple, yet it’s something you love about him. The way he always seems to find you, and the pleasant warmth that fills you without fail when you see him. You’ve been told that it was just the high of the first months of a relationship, not to get too used to it but you hope that, even if it dims, it won’t go away completely.
“Hey, Jin, your ears are turning really red. Why are your ears turning red?”
You laugh while your boyfriend turns to shoot a furious look at Yoongi. He’s sitting in your spot, in the back of the shop, and he’s looking smug. That comment of his has become a pretty common thing to hear whenever you walk in, or just when Jin and you are speaking. To be completely honest, you’re not too mad about it. Jin is good at acting like you have no effect on him, but the blush betrays him, and it’s been both cute and useful to see what actually gets to him, or bothers him sometimes.
“I’ll kick you out of my shop if you keep that up!” Jin shouts at him. “Don’t think I won’t!”
But Yoongi just chuckles into his mug, clearly not taking him seriously — and he’s probably right for that.
“So, do you know what today is?” Jin asks nonchalantly after he’s turned back to face you, gesturing for Jungkook take over with the other customer.
Your eyes widen in horror.
“Please don’t tell me you want us to celebrate our one month anniversary. I haven’t planned anything for that.”
Jin rolls his eyes.
“I would argue that our one-month anniversary is tomorrow, if we’re being precise, because that’s when we, um, really talked about it.”
He’s not wrong. It had been a pleasant thing, to wake up in his arms the morning after, to the sensation of his lips gently kissing your neck, and an even nicer thing to take your breakfast with him. You couldn’t pinpoint why exactly. It had just been what had absolutely and irrevocably sealed the deal for you. You knew it hadn’t been a mistake. You wanted to be with him.
“Hmm, but there is still some sort of anniversary to be celebrated tonight then,” you say, leaning over the counter. “I’m sure I could prepare something for that.”
His ears and neck flush, and Yoongi has the delicacy of not pointing it out this time.
“That’s not— That’s not what I’m talking about! Today is the white day.”
You raise an eyebrow.
“That’s when boys are supposed to give chocolates back to the girls they like,” Jin elaborates.
“But I didn’t give you chocolates,” you say.
“No, but you’re still the one who— Yoongi, I swear to God— You know. You’re the one who took the first step.”
Despite his recent outburst, it’s obvious that he feels embarrassed and vulnerable in that moment. You’d kind of gathered that he really regretted not asking you out before Sungho had, but you had never thought that it was actually an issue.
“I’m really happy I did,” you tell him quietly. He’s not fond of PDA, but you still allow your fingers to brush against his. That feels discreet enough.
“I know,” he says, and there’s so much love in his eyes when he looks at you that it’s a real miracle that you don’t melt into a puddle right then and there. “But I still—” He sighs. “You’re really ruining my plans. This was meant to go over smoothly.”
“Sorry,” you apologize with a wide grin while he picks something up from behind the counter.
“There,” he mumbles, handing you the box.
You open it, genuinely curious. You feel the eyes of everyone else in the shop — Yoongi, Namjoon, Jungkook and, of course, Jin — on you, and you want to tell most of them off, but you suppose that since this is where most of your relationship development happened, they’re kind of part of the story too.
The box is filled with chocolates shaped like roses.
“I know it’s not much,” Jin is quick to say, “but I just wanted to—”
“Jin?” you interrupt him.
“Y-yeah?”
“I’m going to kiss you.”
His eyes go wide, and then he sighs, but he can’t force away the smile that’s forcefully making its way on his lips.
“Well, if you absolutely have to—”
But he doesn’t protest when you pull him over the counter to kiss him, hands gently closing over your shoulders. He even brings you back for a second, even briefer kiss, and there’s something fierce in his eyes then. He superbly ignores the cheers that come from your friends in the room.
“I have to warn you, you’re never getting rid of me now,” he says, and it’s light-hearted, but you know there’s a lot of truth behind those words.
“Good,” you simply reply. “I wouldn’t want that for the world.”
He looks like he wants to add something to that, but he chokes on the words, and he falls quiet instead. It’s just as good, really.
There are some things you don’t need words for.
Some things that can be expressed just as easily with a box full of rose-shaped chocolates.
#jin x reader#seokjin x reader#bts#bts imagine#kim seokjin x reader#jin imagine#seokjin imagine#jin fluff#seokjin fluff#bts fic#jin fanfic#seokjin fanfic#kim seokjin#jin smut#seokjin smut#candywrites
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ALL IS FAIR
a/n: woohoo!! finally a harry fic! lol sorry i got very into marvel these past weeks but im finally bringing you some harry content! this one was originally requested by an anon sometime and then we kept talking about it until i actually got around to write it! hopefully you’ll like it and if you do, please like and reblog!
pairing: ceo!Harry x ceo!plussize!reader
warning: sexual content
word count: 16.7k
masterlist
“Stop being such a stuck up dick, it’s your birthday, bro!”
Harry rolls his eyes at his friend who walks into his penthouse as if he owned. Niall Horan was so well-known in Harry’s building that he could have easily walked into any homes in the tower and people would still welcome him warmly. It might have a few things to do with the fact that half of the residents in the Compass Tower are women who are hopelessly in love with either Niall or Harry, hoping for a chance to drag either of them into their bed one day. They have a lot more chance to do that with the Irish bloke than with Mr. Styles. Not that Harry doesn’t find them attractive, but he is not the type to have one night stands, something his friend gives him quite a lot of shit for.
“Would you fuck off for twenty more minutes?” Harry sighs, shooting him a look as he covers the speaker of his phone, in the middle of a call.
“You have ten minutes and we are leaving. I’m not letting you work on the night of your thirtieth birthday!” Niall warns him before walking into the kitchen to roam the always full, neatly stocked fridge.
As much as Niall Horan comes off as an irresponsible cocky child, he is quite the businessman himself as well. As the Lawyer of one third of New York’s most influential people, he surely doesn’t have to worry about making a living, enjoying his luxurious apartment a few streets away from Harry’s place on the Upper East Side. It’s not as expensive and impressive as Harry’s penthouse on the top of the tower his father built in the heart of the posh neighborhood most people only know from TV shows, but he couldn’t complain.
“Another designer refused to sign with us, H. We are running out of options,” Lambert’s voice rings through the phone as Harry turns to the floor to ceiling window, staring out to the city skyline in front of him.
“We have quite a few left, right?” Harry asks clenching his jaw.
“Yeah, but I heard that Cometa is planning on announcing something big next week so I think a lot of them are waiting for that to happen.”
“Do you think it’s another collab? But they just had fucking Chanel have a line sold through them!” Harry growls, his blood boiling at even just the thought.
When it comes to fashion in the virtual world, there are two businesses that totally dominate the industry. In the men’s wear, Twisted is definitely the number one selling place. The idea started off as just a freshman school project that originally wanted to sell tech stuff, but a few years into the project Harry met Lambert who was already a rising star in the fashion industry and they joined forces, creating the most classic yet affordable and user friendly online empire: Twisted. Though Twisted mostly features men’s clothing, they’ve been trying to venture to the field of women’s fashion, but it hasn’t been as easy as they thought it to be. And the reason for that is Cometa.
Cometa was originally a website where anyone could sell their own clothes, make their online wardrobe sale. But eventually the business grew itself out and stepped up a few levels, collaborating with various designers and brands, selling exclusive lines and a highly praised seasonal variety four times a year, earning a well-deserved top spot in the online fashion industry. It’s hard to compete with what Julia Bianchi built up through sweat and blood and Harry Styles has been working on stepping up to be a major competition for Cometa in women’s fashion, with not much luck so far.
To top the cake with a delicious looking cherry, Cometa has been trying to set feet into men’s fashion as well in the recent years, bringing out several lines with some mentionable designers, but they never made it be as big as Twisted. The two businesses have been trying to outdo each other for about a decade now, with not much luck so far and Harry’s patience is running low by now.
“I don’t know what it is, but keep an eye out. I’ll call you on Monday, alright?” Lambert sighs through the line.
“Okay, thank you,” Harry nods, feeling a little defeated.
“And happy birthday, man. Go and celebrate!” he chuckles, making Harry’s lips curl up as well.
“Thanks, have a good weekend,” Harry bids his goodbye before the call ends.
Wandering into the kitchen Harry finds Niall with the thickest ham and cheese sandwich between his hands, sitting at the kitchen island.
“So where exactly are we going tonight?” he asks, grabbing himself a granola bar as he joins the Irish lad on the stool next to him.
“Oh, that’s a surprise,” he grins, mouth full as he chews mercilessly. Harry grimaces, not sure how this is the same man who can convince a judge about basically anything, wearing his designer suits, putting on an intimidating and serious act for his cases.
“I have a switch,” Niall once told him when he asked how he does it. “I just turn it off when I’m off the clock.”
“You know I hate surprises,” Harry informs him matter-of-factly, but Niall doesn’t seem to be bothered by his comment.
“You’re thirty now, no one cares what you hate.”
“Says who?” Harry huffs.
“Me,” he grins, making Harry roll his eyes.
The bass is throbbing, red tinted lights illuminating the exclusive bar in the heart of Manhattan where Niall chose to gather some of Harry’s close friends to celebrate his thirtieth birthday. Sitting in the leather couches at a restricted area at the back of the place, they are hidden enough not to draw too much attention to themselves but still feel like they are part of the party.
“Cheers to three decades of this cocky motherfucker!” Niall beams as their glasses meet in the middle, everyone laughing and wishing Harry a happy birthday before they all chug their drinks.
Harry is not necessarily the type of person to enjoy going out too often, but he admits it’s been a while since the last time he let loose. It feels nice to have the evening to himself, leaving the business behind for just a couple of hours before he returns to his busy everydays.
Though the occasion is Harry’s birthday, Niall is surely enjoying the evening a tad bit more than his friend. After Harry sees him send down three tequilas in a row he realizes it’s not gonna end well if he doesn’t get some water into his system as well. Excusing himself from the group he heads to the bar, pushing his way through the dancing bodies until he finally reaches his destination.
Given how it’s a Friday evening, the place is packed and he waits in the line patiently while the bartender is fixing up the order of a group of girls a few stools down from Harry. Leaning onto the counter Harry runs his gaze over the dancing crowd, tapping his fingers against the surface to the beat, even bopping his head a little when he feels a push from behind him.
“Oh, sorry!” A female voice calls out and as he turns around he spots the owner of it, a young woman, her curvy body wrapped in a tight mini dress that leaves very little to Harry’s imagination as his eyes run up and down her figure. He has never seen a curvy girl as confident as her, she is radiating, drawing every male’s attention to herself like she is feeding off the hungry stares and dirty thoughts birthed by her.
Her eyes meet Harry’s gaze and the sly smirk that tugs on her perfectly shaped lips gives it away that she is not that sorry to be bumping into him.
“No worries,” is all he manages to say, the urge to drop to his knees right then and there stronger than anything he has ever had to fight.
“He won’t notice you,” she tells him and his eyebrows knit together in confusion. “The bartender. If you just stand there like that… he will never come here,” she explains.
“I’m not sure I have what catches his eyes,” he jokes, making her laugh and he swears his stomach drops at the heavenly sound.
“May I?” she arches an eyebrow and Harry nods, letting her step in front of him. He stands tall above her, eyes fixed on her figure as she leans onto the counter, the marble pushing her breasts up just enough to spark the bartender’s fantasies when he glances in her way. She waves at him with a charming smile and a moment later the guy is standing in front of her, ready to please her in any way she desires.
“Three vodka sodas and…” she turns in Harry’s way, her lips slightly parted and his breath hitches in his throat. “What did you want, handsome?”
“Just, uhh—Just two water, please.”
Her eyebrows rise, but she doesn’t comment on it, just adds the two water to her order. The bartender nods and disappears to fix up her drinks. Harry takes a deep breath and sticking his hand out to her he introduces himself.
“I’m Harry, by the way.” She takes his hand, shaking it firmly.
“Y/N. Nice to meet you, Harry. Are you here alone?”
“Um, no. I’m here with a few friends,” he replies nodding towards the back of the place. “Are you here with someone?”
Please don’t say your boyfriend, please!
“A few of my girlfriends,” she smiles, brushing her hair over her shoulder, flaunting a better look at her naked neck and just one glimpse is sending a whirl of dirty thoughts into Harry’s mind. He wonders how soft her skin would feel under his lips, what her moans would sound as he sucks on it, leaving a mark on her, letting every man in the house know that he made her feel good.
“Are you guys celebrating something?” Y/N asks, a knowing smile on her lips as she most definitely saw Harry staring at her.
“Actually, yeah,” he chuckles a little nervously. “It’s my birthday.” Y/N’s eyes brighten up as she beams at him.
“Really? Happy birthday then!”
“Thank you,” he smiles shyly. “Are you guys celebrating something too?”
“Well, I…” she starts, her thoughts wandering off for a second before she continues. “I kind of got promoted,” she explains and Harry smiles down at her warmly.
“Congrats then!”
The bartender returns with the drinks and she is already about to get her card from her little clutch when Harry pulls his card out, handing it over to the guy behind the bar.
“Birthday boys shouldn’t pay for others,” she smirks, but doesn’t try to fight him that hard.
“You can pay me back later,” Harry shrugs with a suggestive smirk on his lips. He doesn’t want to part ways with her, but she is obviously expected to be back with her friends and he needs to get back to Niall as well before he absolutely loses control. Stepping closer to him, Y/N slides a hand up his chest, her palm resting at the base of his neck as she leans to his ear.
“Save me a dance, birthday boy?” she murmurs into his ear, her lips brushing against him for a split second before she steps back, grabs her drinks and winking at him one last time she disappears from the bar. Harry stands there for a few more seconds before the bartender hands him back his card and snatching the waters from the bar he heads back to his friends.
Luckily, Niall is slowing down a little, The water does him well and Harry finally doesn’t feel like he’ll have to take care of him, dragging him home once the night is over. Sitting by the table Harry is trying to focus on the conversation, but his gaze keeps wandering over to the dance floor, looking for one particular curvy figure in the sea of dancing bodies.
It takes him some time to spot her, but when he does, he is not able to tear his eyes away from her.
She is almost perfectly in the middle with her friends surrounding her, lips and shoulders swaying to the rhythm perfectly. He catches her chug down the last sips of her drink before she disregards the glass and gets back to dancing. Watching her every move intently, Harry feels his lips slightly part at the sight of this angel who is for sure a devil in the sheets. He can’t stop himself fantasizing about what it would feel like to dig his fingers into her thighs, kiss her neck, her cleavage that’s on show now, how her curves would fit into his hands perfectly. He wants to praise this woman, make her feel good and not just because he wants to be selfless and please her, but also because seeing this woman reach her high because of him would be the biggest ego boost for him and he just needs that.
“Go dance with her!” Niall wiggles his eyebrows at him when he catches Harry staring at her.
“What? No, I’m not a dancer,” he shakes his head, shifting his eyes away from the dancing goddess on the dance floor.
“Oh come on, don’t be a pussy!”
“I’m not a pussy, I just—“
“You’re a pussy. I saw her looking in your way as well, she wants your dick!”
“Jesus, Niall!” Harry whines rolling his eyes. He doesn’t like it when he gets so vulgar, but luckily no one heard their conversation. Glancing back in Y/N’s way Harry sees how men are eyeing him, probably building up the courage to go up to her and that has his blood boiling. He needs to be the one to touch her.
Chugging down the rest of his drink he snaps the glass on the table before standing from his seat, ignoring Niall’s cheering as he makes his way into the crowd.
Harry didn’t lie when he said he is not a dancer, he feels uncomfortable, awkward and uncoordinated most of the times he tries to dance, but he is pushing all of those to the back of his mind for now as his eyes are set on one person in the crowd.
When Y/N spots the man approaching her, she can’t push a pleased smile off her lips, slowing her movements down as Harry finally reaches her, leaning closer to her ear so she can hear his voice over the music.
“Here to collect that dance,” he smugly tells her, making her laugh, though the music is too loud to let him hear her. She just nods and turning around she presses herself up against him, her backside fitting his front perfectly. Harry’s hand snake around her waist, his large palm smoothly moving through the silky fabric of her dress as they start moving together.
She is intoxicating, makes Harry feel like he is some kind of horny teenager, like he hasn’t dealt with women before, but in a way, she makes all of his past flings appear to be only girls. Her confidence in her own body is easily one of her best traits, the way she handles herself, moves her body, the look in her eyes, Harry is getting drunk on just watching her and now he is able to touch her as well.
When he feels himself getting hard in his pants, he knows he should be at least a slightly bit embarrassed by himself, but as Y/N turns around in his arms and he sees the pleased smirk on her lips, the feeling vanishes in a heartbeat. She wraps her arms around his neck as she pulls him close, her lips brushing against his lips.
“Enjoying yourself, birthday boy?” she prompts before pressing a kiss to the soft skin under his ear and he can’t hold a growl back. The friction is almost unbearable, as his hands slide lower on her back, stopping on her ass, he knows he won’t be able to control himself any longer. Luckily, he is not the only one having this inner fight.
Snapping around Y/N grabs his hand and starts pulling him through the crowd towards the hallway of the bathrooms. He follows her eagerly, lucky for them, the club doesn’t have restrooms with several stalls, but single bathrooms with a lot more comfort and privacy. Just what they need right now.
They find the third bathroom empty, pushing their way inside and locking the door before Harry pushes her up against it the moment it’s just the two of them, their mouths hungrily meeting in the middle. He almost grunts against her lips, she tastes even better than he imagined and the way her tongue is the first one to come into action has got his mind blown. His hands roam up her body, running up all her curves until they reach her face and he cups it in his palms, pressing his hips against her. She moans against his mouth when his hard cock pokes against her, both of them desperate to take it further.
Tumbling further into the small bathroom, he helps her up to the counter next to the sing, her legs instantly opening for him, her tiny dress rolling up her thighs, revealing her clothed sex. Harry eagerly kisses his way down her neck and chest, her skin feeling so smooth under his lips. His fingers hook under the thin straps of her dress, tugging them down so he can push the dress past her full breasts and thank God she is not wearing a bra underneath!
“Fuck me, you are so hot!” he breathes out, making her chuckle at his reaction.
“That’s what I’m trying to do,” she cockily answers before Harry’s mouth attaches to her nipple, his hand working on her other breasts before he switches.
He quickly gets down on his knees, pushing her underwear to the side before his lips and tongue meet her sensitive clit.
“Oh shit!” she moans, a hand coming to tangle in his hair while she tries to hold herself steady with leaning on the other one behind her. There’s no time for teasing now and they both know that.
She is so lost in the experience, Harry is licking and sucking just the right spots and she tries to close her legs, locking his head between her thighs. His arms come to curl around them, ring clad fingers digging into her flesh and the situation might be a little suffocating for him, but he doesn’t mind it a bit. In fact, if he died this way, he would die a happy man.
She doesn’t let him finish what he started, pulling him up, his lips still glistening from her own juices as she kisses him messily, wiggling herself out of her underwear while he undoes his pants as well.
“Shit, do you have a condom?” he breathes out when his palm wraps around his throbbing cock. She nods, reaching for her clutch she dropped to the counter and digging into it she grabs the package, smacking it against his chest playfully. “Were you planning to do this tonight?” he grins cockily as he rips the package open and starts rolling it down his hard length.
“No, I’m just smart, unlike you,” she retorts, her sass dripping from her tone and it just riles him up even more.
Grabbing her thighs he yanks her to the edge of the counter, a gasp leaving her plump lips as she tries to find her balance quickly.
“Don’t be a brat,” he growl against her lips before kissing her, while he lines himself up with her, the head already pushing in.
“Then fuck me, birthday boy,” she challenges him again and it’s the last straw.
Harry slams into her, both of them moaning at the sensation before he starts thrusting in a fast pace, needing all the friction he can make to get them to finish as soon as possible. Y/N’s head falls back as she holds onto the back of his neck, her other hand on the counter behind her again and Harry glances down, watching her breasts bounce every time he rails into her, slamming his whole length into her every time their hips meet.
She reaches for one of his hands that’s holding her thigh and she boldly brings it to her core, tapping his fingers to her clit, letting him know that she wants some extra effort. Harry doesn’t say it, but he is blown how she didn’t just do it herself, she made him do it. It’s got to be one of the hottest things he has ever seen.
“Fuck, go harder!” she gasps, wrapping her legs around his waist as he picks the pace up, feeling his orgasm building rapidly with each thrust.
They both are a whimpering, moaning mess, the bass of the music is thumping outside and for a moment, Harry feels like he is finally living his life to the fullest.
“I’m gonna cum!” she breathes out, his name falling from her lips moaning after that and when she pulls him down to kiss him, biting into his bottom lip and tugging it, he loses himself.
He feels himself jerking inside her, still sliding in and out of her as he grunts, releasing himself into the condom. He flicks his fingers on her clit at the same time, creating just enough friction to push her over the edge as well. He is coming off his own high when her walls tighten around his cock, dragging his orgasm out even longer as she basically screams, gasping for air, riding her orgasm out to the last bit.
Leaning down he kisses her again though they are still panting, this time making it a lot less rushed than the time their lips met for the first time. Her legs fall from around his waist and he pulls out, both of them cleaning themselves up in the aftermath of their little session.
“I know this was quite rushed and all that, but can I have your number?” he asks, even feeling a little nervous. She puts her underwear back on, smoothing her dress down as she smiles up at him, cupping his face in her palm.
“I’m afraid we’ll have to skip on that,” she tells him simply, shocking him for sure.
“D-Do you have a boyfriend or something?”
“No,” she shakes her head and now Harry is confused.
“You didn’t enjoy it?” he then asks, trying his best to figure out the reason behind the rejection.
“I did. But it was a one time thing. If it’s supposed to turn into more…” she sighs, grabbing her clutch from the counter. “Then I’ll leave it to fate if we ever meet again,” she shrugs before turning around she just unlocks the door and walks out, leaving Harry stand there in complete and utter shock.
This is definitely a first for him, a woman who doesn’t want to see him again. He is not that egoistic to think that everyone is in love with him, but he never had an encounter similar to this. Not after the most amazing sex ever.
Harry fixes himself up, still not believing she walked out that easily, but there’s not much he can do now. Walking back to his table, he acts like nothing happened and when his eyes scan over the crowd again, he can’t see her anymore.
Harry lets out a tired sigh when Zayn, head of the graphic design department walks into his office with a familiar brown paper bag with the logo of Harry’s favorite Chinese restaurant.
“Has it started already?” Zayn asks, though glancing at the big screen on the wall he can see the stream is still waiting to be started.
“No, I’ve been staring at it for like twenty minutes,” Harry grumbles, pushing himself away from his desk to join Zayn on the couch in front of the screen as he unpacks the food. “What do you think it’s going to be?”
Today is the day of Cometa’s big press conference and no one knows what they are about to announce. It’s been keeping Harry on the edge for the past few days, because whatever it is, it has got to be major. Julia Bianchi is not the type of person to hold press conferences, she is a private person who has managed to keep most of her life behind closed doors. That’s something Harry admires in the woman even though they are competitors in the business. He can relate to wanting to keep her life just for herself, he has been doing the same thing. No public appearances, no lengthy interviews, no photoshoots. He likes to let his work talk for himself and it’s proved to be a successful move so far.
“I don’t know, but I hope they don’t suddenly announce a full graphic makeover right before our update,” Zayn chuckles. He has been working on an entirely new appearance for the website these past weeks and it’s supposed to go live sometime later in the month. A change for Cometa would totally throw their attempt off, making them look like they are just copying Julia’s move.
They eat and wait for the stream to start when the screen finally comes alive. There’s an empty stage shown with just two mic stands in the middle and nothing really happens for a few minutes before clapping is heard from behind the camera and Julia finally walks on the stage.
The woman is a real diva. Wearing a matching pant suit with bold floral print all over it, her short hair is neatly straightened into a bob cut, her red lips smiling lightly as she waves around in the room. Julia has been in the fashion industry for almost three decades now and she surely made a name for herself, sitting front row in every fashion show she attends, her words on any new trend being basically the standard.
Stepping to one of the mics, she clears her throat as the clapping dies down and her calm, gentle voice rings through the speakers.
“Welcome, everyone, thank you for coming, as you might already know I’m Julia Bianchi, head of Cometa, the world’s best online women’s fashion house.”
Harry leans back in his seat, eyes fixed on the woman on the screen as he is patiently waiting to hear what she’s got for the people this time.
“I’ve spent twenty-seven wonderful years in the business, building my own one for the past two decades. I fell in love with fashion as a child and moved to Milan to study designing from the bests. Though designing has always and will always hold a special place in my heart, I saw an opportunity in the early years for a brand that would hold together every other brand in the industry, bringing it to everyone’s home thanks to the rapidly developing technology. Cometa has always been my little baby and I’m proud of everything I achieved as head of such a great company.”
Harry realizes what it’s about before Julia could even say the words herself. The phrasing, the nostalgic tone, it’s all adding up to the obvious: Julia is about to announce her retirement.
“I gave the best years of my life for this company and I regret nothing, but recently I’ve realized that it is time for me to slow down for a little bit and enjoy a life that’s not filled with work anymore, and spend more time with my beloved husband, Fabio and my family who supported me on my long way here. Therefore, I am now announcing it with an aching heart and a lot of excitement as well that I am stepping down from my role as CEO of Cometa. I might be leaving now, but my business will not. So it is a pleasure to introduce you the person who will carry my legacy on, my amazing niece, the absolutely most perfect woman to carry on the work I started, Y/N Y/L/N.”
The moment another woman comes into the picture Harry almost chokes on his own saliva, seeing the same curves he had his fingers dug into last Friday. Y/N smiles and waves around as she steps to the other mic next to her aunt, exchanging a short look with her before turning towards the people in the room and the camera that’s streaming the event.
“Dude, you alright?” Zayn asks, patting Harry’s back a few times as he is still struggling to breathe normally.
He refuses to accept that the woman he fucked in a bathroom on his birthday, the one that made him moan like never before, is the same woman who is going to take over his biggest competitor.
“This has got to be a joke,” he breathes out with teary eyes from all the coughing.
“It is an honor to be here,” Y/N starts speaking as the clapping dies down once again and the two men are staring at the screen. “Just like to be the one to step into the perfectly stylish shoes of my aunt. I hope to live up to not just her and everyone else’s expectations, but also to mine as well. I grew up watching my aunt build up this empire with basically dust so to be the person to take her place is a dream come true. I promise to keep the quality the same and work on improving Cometa to its possible best while being in charge.”
As she finishes talking, questions are thrown in her way, but Harry doesn’t pay attention any longer. Standing up he walks to the window, staring out to the city as he chews on his bottom lip anxiously.
“What the fuck is your problem, H? It wasn’t as bad as we expected, right?” Zayn questions.
“It’s fucking worse!” he snaps turning around. “I can’t believe this is happening to me.”
“Would you just tell me what’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong is that… I told you about what… happened on my birthday.”
“The bathroom fuck, oh yeah,” Zayn chuckles with a playful shine in his eyes.
“Well, that woman… the woman I fucked was her.” Zayn stays silent for a moment before he turns towards the screen, eyeing the woman on the stage as she is still answering questions, standing confidently in her tight, black dress and red heels.
“You fucked Julia Bianchi’s niece? And she is now taking over Cometa?” he raises his eyebrows at Harry who just nods, pressing his lips together into a thin line. “And she is also the one who didn’t give you her number?”
“Don’t… bring that up. But yes, it’s her.”
Zayn starts laughing, clearly finding Harry’s misery entertaining, but Harry doesn’t feel like taking it that easy. He wonders if she knew who he was, if she did it on purpose or it was fate’s horrible joke on both of them.
“Ah man, that charity event on Saturday will be one hell of a show then!” Zayn points it out and Harry’s face falls. He totally forgot about the charity event he was invited to, one that would have the biggest names in the fashion industry together in a ball room to raise money for a chosen good cause. It happens every year and it’s a major event, the perfect place to network and also to see your biggest enemies. That means that Harry will see Y/N again in a few short days and if he is being honest… he is not ready to face her, not after the information he learned today. Sighing he steps to the minibar he insisted on having in his office and though he never drinks during the day, he now thinks that now might be an exception. He pours himself some whiskey and before he chugs it down at one go, he lets out a long, tired sigh.
“That’s just my luck…”
Leslie helps you with the zipper of your dress, the silky, red fabric hugging your body like a second skin. She smoothes the wrinkles out while you fix the straps, staring back at yourself in the mirror with judgment. You need to look perfect, this is going to be your first time appearing at an event as CEO of Cometa, your big entrance into the industry, you can’t let anything go wrong.
“You look gorgeous, babe,” Leslie smiles at you, bringing your hair behind your shoulders as her eyes meet yours in the mirror. Leslie might be your assistant, but she is a lot more than that. You’ve been friends for almost a decade and when she lost her job a few years ago you didn’t hesitate to offer her a spot next to you. You wouldn’t be here without her, she doesn’t try to use her privilege of being your friend to not do the work, she is always on top of her game and you’ll always be grateful for her to not make it awkward at all.
“I think you need some diamonds though,” she winks at you, stepping to the table where all kinds of jewelry is sprawled out. She reaches for a simple one, not too much, quite elegant and you nod as she holds it up for you. Walking behind you she brings it around your neck, the diamond brilliantly sitting on your chest now, giving that little extra shine to your outfit.
“You’ll make every man fall in love with you,” she smiles at you and breathing out you nod, hoping to believe that everything will go perfectly.
While you make a few last minute calls she gets dressed as well before the car arrives for the two of you. She is wearing a less daring but still beautiful black dress, her curly hair pinned up into a loose bun at the nape of her neck, her heavily freckled face bright from her happy smile as the two of you make your way to the event.
“I know it’s ridiculous, but I tried to memorize the faces and names from the guest list,” she grins at you, earning an eyeroll.
“Les, I told you, this is not The Devil Wears Prada,” you chuckle softly. She is obsessed with that movie and hasn’t shut up about feeling like she is literally living in it since your aunt has shared her plans with you about your future position last year.
“I know, but it might be impressive if you already knew everyone!”
You have to give that to her, it would earn you a few good points if you knew the names already, you’re just still nervous about the whole thing. So many things could go wrong and you want it to be perfect.
At first you feel intimidated by all the influential people around you. Everyone here is one of the bests in their own field and you feel like an impostor, but then you remind yourself that you earned your spot. Your aunt wouldn’t have given you the company if she didn’t trust you entirely with it. You worth no less than anyone else in this ball room and that reminds you that… you’re that bitch.
Leslie’s knowledge of names actually comes handy. You love seeing people get shocked when they try to introduce themselves to you, but you already greet them saying their names. It earns you some appreciative looks as you make your way around the room. Everything is going smooth, right until you spot one particular man in the crowd.
You’re in a little circle with a few designers when your gaze falls on Harry who is standing across the room, talking to two men. The champagne almost slips from your hand when you realize it’s him.
“Leslie,” you grab her wrist catching her attention. “Les, who’s the man in the blue Gucci suit?” you ask in a whisper and she follows your gaze, finding the man in talk.
“Oh, that’s Harry Styles, head of Twisted.”
“Fuck,” you mumble under your breath as you quickly excuse yourself from the conversation and head out to the balcony to get some fresh air before you faint right on the spot.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Leslie follows you.
“I messed up,” you squeak as you step outside, the chilly evening air hitting your uncovered skin immediately. “I messed up big time!”
“What? Why? What happened?”
Stepping to the edge, you wrap your hands around the railing, staring out into the void for a moment. Leslie Stands beside you, quite puzzled about your sudden panic.
“Remember the guy I told you about from Friday night?” you ask, keeping your voice down even though there’s no one really around. Leslie nods. “Well… he was the guy.”
Leslie glances back inside and then at you before her eyes widen and lips part in shock.
“You fucked Harry Styles at a club’s bathroom?!” she whisper-yells at you and you feel like a teenager who is getting scolded.
“I didn’t know who he was! And I genuinely think he didn’t know me either, how could he?! But now he is here and… Oh God, this is so bad,” you whine, your head dropping backwards as you let out a frustrated growl.
“Okay, don’t panic. Maybe… maybe he doesn’t remember you.”
“You can’t make me believe he doesn’t remember me after fucking me on a counter,” you tell her giving her a look.
“Alright, alright. Then… you just have to suck it up. It’s not like you can unfuck him,” she shrugs and though you know she is right, you just wish you could leave right now.
You never planned on seeing him again. Your bullshit speech about letting fate decide it was just an excuse to not give him your number. You didn’t want to because you thought he is not the kind of man that would be good for you. From his look you thought that he was either a fuckboy, not willing to commit to anything serious, or the kind of man that seems all nice and respectful at first but then turns out to be a total asshole and you’ve had enough of those in your twenty-eight years.
Soon enough you head back as the auction is about to start. Luckily, your seat is far away from Harry and it seems like he hasn’t noticed you yet. Though you wish to keep it that way, you can feel it coming already.
The auction goes by fast, you buy a new painting that will look amazing in your living room and almost twice as much money is raised through the evening that was the goal. You leave Leslie behind at the table as you go to the bar to get yourself another drink, probably your last one of the evening if you don’t want to end up making a fool out of yourself.
Patiently waiting at the bar you’re already thinking about watching Grey’s Anatomy when you get back and out of this tight dress. You look hot, but it’s not the comfiest look, if you’re being honest. There’s only one more person in front of you when you feel a little tap on your shoulder and turning around your stomach drops when you see the man you’ve been trying to avoid all evening.
“Fancy seeing you here, Y/N,” he nods shortly, his expression is quite blank, but he is definitely not shocked to see you. You tighten your jaw before looking away from him, squinting your eyes a bit.
“You don’t seem surprised,” you point out.
“I was kind of expecting to see you here tonight.”
“So you knew who I was all along?” you snap at him, but he shakes his head.
“Not until the stream this week. I was pretty shocked when you walked on stage.”
Nodding shortly you brush your hair over your shoulder and you catch Harry glimpsing down your body, but decide not to comment on it.
“Did you know who I was?” he then asks, digging his hands into his pockets.
“No, I wouldn’t sleep with my biggest competitor willingly.”
“Just from the abrupt ending I had a feeling that you might have known me.”
“Just because a woman doesn’t throws herself into your arms after a fuck, doesn’t mean she had ulterior motives,” you scoff. “Get off your high horse,” you add before turning back towards the bar so you can order your drink. Unfortunately, Harry doesn’t want the conversation to end just yet. His hand is laid flat on the counter in front of you as he stands on your right, a little too close to your liking. You can smell the expensive cologne on him, the same that hit your nose on Friday as well and suddenly your body is betraying you.
However crazy the situation is, you can’t deny that he gave you one of the best times last Friday. Men you dealt with were more concerned about their own pleasure and most of them didn’t even get you to finish. But Harry made it happen so fast and didn’t even bitch about it when you made him rub your clit. He just obeyed like a grownup man who is willingly take care of his partner. That almost made you change your mind about leaving, but once you came down from cloud nine, you returned to your original plan.
But not as he is standing in front of you and you can smell him, your senses trick you into thinking that you’re in that bathroom again, almost aching for him to touch you the way he did then. He leans closer to your ear as he speaks up again.
“Leave the drink, dance with me,” he tells you as the bartender places your drink in front of you. You debate what to do before grabbing the drink and chugging it down in one go. You’ll need the alcohol if you are about to dance with your enemy.
Harry takes you to the dance floor in the middle of the ball room, one of his hands finds the small of your back while the other takes your hand as the two of you start swaying to the gentle music played by the band.
“Your aunt set my company back in women’s fashion every time I tried to take a step forward. Are you going to do the same?”
“She didn’t do anything to set you back but to build her own company. Not everything is about you.”
“You sound a little naïve, Love. It’s pretty clear you are new in the business.” This statement riles you up big time. How dare he degrade you like that? He knows nothing about you, yet he assumes things that are not at all real.
Smirking to yourself you lean back enough so your gazes can meet. Your hand slides up from his shoulders to the base of his neck so your fingers can gently brush against his skin and you notice the shudder than runs down his spine. He is not the only one having flashbacks from your last encounter.
“Wanna know what I know about business?” you purr, his eyes glued to your red lips as you speak. “I know that… Twisted was one of the last sites to participate in personalized ads on online platforms, failing to reach it’s targeted audience as fast as literally everyone else. I know that your company and my company use the same security system in our server rooms yet I can assure you that it cost me twenty percent less because we waited a month before installing it and got a huge last minute discount because the security company was trying to boost their numbers for their end of year closing. And I also happen to know that you are working on a new design for your website that could easily be outshone if I just did the same before you could do it.”
Harry’s lips part, probably mostly at the last information. He has no idea how you know these stuff, but you have a wide circle of connections in the city, you have an insider at every big companies in the industry without them even knowing. You’ve given countless tips to your aunt through the years, that’s how she managed to stay on top of her games.
Leaning closer your lips almost brush against him and you see how he weakens, he is expecting you to kiss him and he wants it. But you just smile at him, your eyes snapping down to his lips before up to his eyes.
“I will not do the same as my aunt, Harry,” you softly speak, your fingers grazing the back of his neck. “I will do way worse things.”
And with that, you slip out of his arms and walk back to your table, leaving him standing there alone at a complete loss of words.
“What the fuck had gotten into you?” Niall grimaces upon hearing everything he told you on the evening of the charity event. And quite frankly, Harry has no answer to that. He has absolutely no idea what had gotten into him to act like such a dick when you didn’t do anything against him.
The situation just messed with his head, seeing you in that breathtaking dress, mingling with everyone, smiling and laughing, oh how he wished you were laughing on his jokes! But then you seemed so tensed when he came up to you and something just switched in him. He wanted to take dominance, to somehow get out of it on top, but he miserably failed. When you brought up their plans to change the design he completely froze.
“No idea, okay? I just…lost it,” he growls, sinking into the couch. When Niall found out that Harry met the woman from the club again he insisted on coming over with some wine to talk it out, but he was not expecting this kind of story at all.
“Dude, you just put yourself on her radar big time, maybe she wouldn’t have even bothered to compete with you like her aunt did, but you surely changed her mind now.”
“I know, Niall!” Harry growls, not in the mood to be scolded like a little child. “Do you think she’ll change their design before we do?” he peeks at his friend, but Niall just shrugs.
“No idea, but I would try to speed it up before she actually does it.”
Harry made you into a ticking bomb and you successfully got under his skin about the whole design project so first thing the next morning he went to Zayn to discuss a possible earlier debut for the new designs. Though it would be a close stretch, they agreed that it would go live by the end of the week and that got Harry somehow a little relieved, but in the middle of that he failed to put the right amount of effort into finding designers for their female lines.
When he meets up with Lambert a few days later he is not there to deliver great news. Apparently, three out of the four designers they were negotiating with recently pulled out of their deal and signed a contract with Cometa.
“We have one last designer on the list, but then… we are out of the bigger names,” Lambert sighs as Harry chews on his bottom lip anxiously. He feels like he has fallen into a hole a while ago and instead of climbing out he is just digging it deeper underneath him.
“Okay, do we have an appointment with them?” Harry asks.
“Yeah, I’m meeting her this afternoon.”
“I’m going with you,” he nods before standing from his chair and opening the door he calls out for his assistant. “Rebecca, please clear my schedule for this afternoon, I’ll be out of the office.”
Rebecca nods behind her desk, already starting to make calls about Harry’s meetings and appointments.
It’s obvious he is anxious about the meeting, because if it falls through they are forced to look for less known designers and that won’t bring the change for the company they’ve been seeking for a long time. Arriving to the showroom where the designer is working, Harry is setting his thoughts straight, determined to convince her to sign a contract with them. The two men are let into the building by the nice assistant working at the front desk and she shows the way to the showroom where Kennedy, the designer is waiting for them.
Harry is confident, he trusts his skills to make this happen, but when they walk inside he instantly freezes upon seeing an all too familiar figure standing with Kennedy
A maroon colored pantsuit is hugging your curves, a Hermés handbag hanging from your arm, your hair falling in loose curls. As if you could sense his presence, you peek over your shoulder, a devilish smirk on your lips when you see the shocked expression on Harry’s face.
“What a great surprise!” you beam, selling how happy you are to see him and in a way, you are. You wanted to see his face drop when he realizes you snatched yet another designer from him.
“Oh, Mr. Styles!” Kennedy smiles nicely at him and he finally snaps out of his trance, shaking hands with her and then turning to you, doing the same but in a lot colder manner.
“Y/N, nice to see you again,” he fakes a smile as your hand falls from his palm.
“I could say the same. But I’m heading out now. Great talk, Kennedy. I’ll be waiting for your call,” you wink at the young designer who seems to be thrilled by your words as she walks you to the exit.
“Fucking hell,” Harry mumbles under his breath and Lambert shoots him a look before Kennedy returns.
The three of them take a seat on the couches in the corner of the room and Harry is quick to get down to business, trying his best to make his offer appear more appealing than anything you told her right before their arrival. Kennedy listens intently, even takes notes and then she shows him some examples of what she was thinking about for her next line and Harry is beyond thrilled.
Unfortunately, soon comes the painful part.
“Harry, I’m gonna be honest with you,” Kennedy starts and Harry already knows what she is about to say. “Your offer is very tempting and it would be an honor to design a line for Twisted, but in my situation it would be more beneficial if I collaborated with Cometa. It is nothing against your company, it’s more about my personal path and growth.”
Harry can feel his stomach dropping and he clenches his jaw as he listens to Kennedy’s worth. He understands, of course he understands, she has the right to selfishly look at her own benefits upon signing with a new company, but he wished she would take the risk and chose his company instead of yours.
“I’m keeping the offer open for you still,” he forces a smile on his face. “If you change your mind, Twisted would be more than happy to work with you.”
Kennedy walks the two men out and the fake smile quickly vanishes from Harry’s face upon stepping out of the building.
“What are we going to do now?” Lambert asks, clearly worried about how they’re gonna move forward with their last chance falling.
“If Y/N wants a war, that’s what she’ll get,” Harry growls, revenge burning in the greens of his eyes.
It’s a quiet Friday afternoon, only hours left from the day before you are headed home finally. You’re sitting in your office with Leslie, going over next week’s schedule to make sure everything is set and clear.
It’s been almost an entire month since you stepped into your aunt’s shoes as head of the company and though the start was a little rough, especially with finding out who Harry was, but you feel like you have everything under your control by now. After all, you didn’t learn business for years from the bests for nothing, right?
Harry’s comment on you knowing nothing about the industry made you bitter, because he knows nothing about you and the struggle you went through your life to get to this point. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbow, being Julia’s niece might have been a hugely influencing aspect of you taking over, but you worked your ass off to be the best leader you can and not just ruin everything she built up through her whole life.
Though you didn’t always want to be the one following her, but you like to think that things worked out to your favor and you are where you should be.
“Alright, everything is looking fine,” Leslie smiles at you over her laptop. “I’ll send you the notes from today’s meeting.”
“Thank you. Can you call in with the delivery company about next month’s transactions?” you ask her and she nods, already adding it to her list of tasks for the rest of the day. “Alright. I’ll do the rest of the signings and then we can head out,” you smile at her.
Leslie is grabbing her things from the table when there’s a soft knock on the door. You give your permission and one of the tech support guys walk in with a worried look on his face.
“Miss Y/L/N? I’m afraid we have a problem,” he clears his throat and you can already feel your anxiety crawl up on your spine.
“What is it?” you ask firmly. The guy steps farther inside, fumbling with his fingers as he presents the issue.
“There’s been an attempt to break our software’s security system where we keep our data about the sellings. A-And I’m afraid it wasn’t just an attempt, they succeeded.”
You take a deep breath, glancing over at Leslie for a moment before you follow the man to the tech department to investigate the issue further. You don’t know shit about these stuff, but from what he said you know the trouble is huge and if you don’t solve it as soon as possible, valuable data could leak out to the public. They try to explain you what they are working on as of right now and that there’s not much you can actually help with.
“Make sure to put your extra hours on your attendance sheets and let me know when you are able to restore the system,” you tell them and you earn quite a few thank yous on your way out for actually paying the overtime. Then you turn to the guy that first came to your office. “Do you have any information about who it could have been?”
“We weren’t able to track them back, but whoever it was, they’re surely professionals and they might know the system from the inside.”
“What do you mean from the inside? Someone did it from the company?” you ask, eyebrows knitting together as you fold your arms on your chest.
“No,” he shakes his head. “We would have been able to track that back. I mean that they know the system, maybe they worked somewhere where the same one was used and they could see into it.”
It takes you a few moments before you realize what this really is and it has your blood boiling right away. Nodding shortly you exhale sharply through your nose.
“Thank you, please call me when it’s up and running again, I’ll take care of the rest,” you tell him before turning around you walk away.
When Leslie sees you approaching your office with a head practically turning red she is quick to jump to her feet, following you into the office.
“What’s happening?”
“Harry Styles, that’s what happening,” you snap as you grab your phone, purse and coat before heading out, not wasting another minute.
“What? Where are you going now?”
“To the devil himself,” you growl back and enter the elevator, leaving her alone with her questions.
Sitting in your car on your way to the headquarters of Twisted, you imagine every scenario you want to make happen when you arrive, most of them including hitting the man across his ridiculously handsome yet annoying face. He crossed a line with breaking into your system and stealing valuable data. Though you’re sure he wouldn’t dare to sell or publish it, because he would be in a big legal trouble if he did, he still had a glimpse into your numbers and that’s already an advantage. He is playing dirty and you’re not having any of it.
Arriving you burst through the doors and demand to see him. Though the woman behind the front desk tells you that you can’t see him without an appointment, you still get her to make a call up and naturally, Harry allows you to see him. The fucker might already have been waiting for you to show up. As you stand in the all glass elevator, on your way up to meet him you take a few deep breaths to keep your cool and not snap like a maniac, however it all vanishes when you see him waiting for you with that shit-eating grin on his face when you step out of the elevator.
“You’re lucky I didn’t go straight to the police with your little stunt, you fucker!” you snap, not able to hold back your swearing any longer.
“Do you have any evidence?” he tilts his head to the side and you don’t miss how his gaze runs down your body as you march towards him. You’d find it flattering in another situation, but right now you just want to punch him in the face.
“I’ll show some evidence down your throat, Styles, if you don’t stop messing with my security system,” you growl back, standing so close to him now that you see every tiny freckle and blemish on his face and the way how he clenches his jaw, holding his gaze on yours.
Without a word or invitation, you walk into the room that you suppose is his office and he follows with a soft chuckle.
“Did you hire a hacker just to mess with me?” you throw the question at him as he closes the door so his employees don’t hear everything.
“What if I did?” he shrugs, stepping to the tray on his desk that already has a glass of whiskey on it. He grabs the glass and simply lifts it to his lips, taking a tiny sip from it. “Oh, excuse my manners. Would you like a drink?”
“I’m driving,” you answer shortly. “You crossed a line, Harry,” you warn him.
“What line?” he chuckles, rather entertained by your rage. “After what you pulled with Kennedy, I think I went easy on you.”
“I didn’t pull anything, I just gave her a better offer! It’s not my fault she has better chances with my company!” you snap back, feeling your heartbeat fastening from the anger that’s boiling in your veins.
“You knew I wanted her to design for me, why couldn’t you just let one person out of your endless list? You already have everyone else, she was my last fucking chance!” Harry barks back, clearly having some built up tension in him as well.
“If you didn’t act like an arrogant asshole at the charity gala, I would have happily let you work with her, but then you felt the need to fucking degrade me! That’s why I didn’t let you get away with it!”
Harry opens his mouth to answer, but he quickly closes his mouth, probably knowing well you’re right. He did act shitty towards you that evening and he has no excuse for his behavior. You walk closer until there are just a few feet between the two of you, your eyes glued to his burning green gaze that’s staring back at you, but before you could speak up, he cuts you off.
“Well, you know. All is fair in… war and business,” he shrugs and you honestly barely can stop yourself from laughing at how stupid that just sounded. You can’t miss the twitch in the corner of his mouth as well and you can’t believe how easily he made you break out of your rage.
“Don’t try to make money out of writing slogans,” you huff shaking your head and now he is grinning widely. “Do you have the data?”
“I don’t,” he answers and you narrow your eyes at him.
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not,” he chuckles. “I had it, but I already deleted it. I know it wasn’t ethical so as soon as it was handed to me I deleted it. I didn’t even look into it. I just wanted to scare you.”
“And how do I know your hacker doesn’t have it either?”
“Because he signed a contract that would cost him millions to break and I don’t think a junior in college who is still living in a dorm can afford that,” he points out and now you are somewhat convinced. You stare back at him for a few more seconds before nodding.
“Stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours, how does that sound?” you offer generously.
“Where’s the fun in that?” he questions with a smug smirk that makes your arch an eyebrow at him. “What are you doing tomorrow evening?” he then asks and you can’t mask your surprise in front of him.
“That does not concern you, Styles,” you scoff, though it boosts your ego that even through all the hate you’ve been targeting at each other, he still wants you the same way he did at the club that evening. You can’t deny, this rivalry has sparked a few thoughts in you as well, but you are not going to fall into the same mistake you made that evening. You pay him another smirk before turning around and heading towards the door. “Stay out of my way, Styles!” you call back without looking at him, but you just know he is grinning at you, a growing sexual tension thickening the atmosphere in the room.
“Or what?” he smugly questions and you stop at the door, glancing back at him over your shoulder.
“Or… You said it yourself. All is fair in war and business,” you smirk before walking out of the office.
Following your visit to Harry’s office things take a… playful turn in your rivalry. The attempts and competing don’t stop, both of you are on each other’s radar, ruining and messing with each other’s projects and works whenever and wherever it’s possible, but it’s not as hateful as it was at the beginning. If something, it even helps you to always be on your toes and watch out for possible threats, not just from Harry but from everyone else.
Neither of you succeeds in evolving in each other’s field, Cometa keeps thriving in women’s fashion with a quite small variety offered for the gentlemen while Twisted fails to grow out of men’s fashion and venture to the ladies, but somehow it’s not as frustrating as it used to be before.
Harry keeps up his flirty acts and tries to ask you out every time your paths cross each other, but you relentlessly turn him down every time, only fueling him to keep chasing after you more the next time. It’s a thrilling and flattering little game, knowing that even with all the rivalry between the two of you, being the biggest competitors in the business… he still wants you.
New York fashion week rolls around and it’s by far one of your favorite times in the year. You managed to snatch an exclusive deal with YSL to release a special line just for the fashion week and it sold out in the first two hours, now waiting to be restocked in a few days. Cometa is thriving and your aunt has expressed her pride towards the work you’ve been doing at the company, so things are heading the right direction.
You knew Harry would be attending the same shows as you, but it’s fate or just luck that you are seated next to each other at one of the shows, giving you the chance to talk without any of you attempting to corrupt the other this time.
Harry is already sitting in his seat when you arrive wearing a custom made Gucci dress, something that immediately catches his eyes since he is a huge fan of the brand himself.
“Your fashion sense never disappoints, Y/N,” he beams up at you as you take the seat next to him.
“Hope that’s not surprising, Styles,” You smirk at him, taking a glance at his own Gucci outfit, the checkered pants fitting him perfectly while the pussy bow adds some spice to the whole outfit, you have to admit. He looks good, he always does.
“Any plans after the show?” he asks right before the lights go out and the show starts. You leave him without an answer, just let out a soft chuckle as you glue your eyes to the first model who walks the runway.
Once the show is over you head out with Harry by your side, having an actually entertaining discussion about the designs you just saw. He might not be an expert in fashion, but he has developed a good sense through his years.
As you make your way out of the venue you are stopped by an interviewer and Harry remains on your side as the woman asks you a few questions about the show.
“I’ve always wondered, does it bother you that you couldn’t be on the runway yourself? You’ve been sitting front row the past years, but you once had aspirations of being a model yourself, is that right?”
The question makes you tense up and you can feel Harry’s puzzled look on you from the side.
“It’s not like it was my fault for not making it up there,” you sass back, forcing a smile to your face.
“Well, that’s not entirely true,” the woman chuckles and it has your blood boiling, because you know the real meaning behind her words.
It’s your fault you didn’t become a model because you were never thin enough to be one. It was your fault and not the industry’s to hold impossible standards to women who wanted to succeed as a model.
The smile falters from your face and you take a long, judgmental look at the woman in front of you. Because if she is brave enough to talk like that to you, you’re not gonna shy away from bringing her spirits down either.
“Judging from your appearance and attitude you wouldn’t make it either,” you spitefully reply and her smile quickly fades, clearly shocked at your answer. You open your mouth again, ready to continue, but then you feel a hand on the small of your back and you realize Harry is still standing next to you.
“Come on, we have somewhere to be, right?” he smiles kindly as you just simply nod and walk away from the woman before she could offend you again.
Harry senses your tension as the two of you leave the venue but doesn’t try to talk to you and that’s a wise choice from him. As you step out of the building you realize that if you went home now you’d probably get drunk on your own and let that comment get to you more than you should. So instead of doing that you turn to Harry.
“So, what are our plans?” you ask and you don’t miss the small smile on his lips as he stares back at you.
Not in the mood to stay around people at a bar you accept Harry’s invitation to his place, since it’s also close. The contrast between his extravagant penthouse and your cozy but still quite modern townhouse in Park Slope is major, but you didn’t expect anything less from the man.
You’ve managed to calm down since you left the venue, but you’re still quite bitter about the comment the woman made. Harry hasn’t tried to ask you about it, but you can tell he is dying to know more about the situation that’s behind the madness.
He fixes you a drink and you find yourself sinking into his comfortable and probably ridiculously expensive couch in his living room area.
“I used to want to be a model,” you start, breaking the silence that settled between the two of you. “When I was a teen. I was a lot thinner, I was a competitive dancer until I was seventeen, but I had a knee injury, so I had to quit.”
Harry sits on the other end of the couch, listening to you with patience as he sips on his own drink.
“I was never as thin as the other models at the agency I was trying to get into, but I definitely wasn’t overweight. Yet, they labelled me as a plus size model. I was a healthy, strong young girl with a perfectly good body, yet they told me that I was too fat to be a model.”
Glancing at Harry, you can tell that he is surprised at the information he just learned. He is probably picturing you thinner now, going to model castings and if you’re being honest you enjoyed that part. The trouble came when you got rejection after rejection, telling you to lose weight and come back after that.
“I quit my whole plan to be a model and studied fashion and business instead, consciously working my way towards this point. But I never got over how the industry made me feel less of a person because I wasn’t a size zero.”
For a few long moments Harry just stares at you and it’s actually nice that he doesn’t try to make you feel better right away, praising you how you are perfect just the way you are. Because you’re not, but that’s fine because no one is.
“I’ve honestly never seen a more cruel industry than fashion before,” he then speaks up. “I didn’t grow up in it and still don’t really have that much and deep connection with it, but I know how fucked up it is. And it’s nice to see that you know your worth even after everything that happened.”
Your gaze meets his and you’re looking for any sign that gives away that he is just messing with you, but it’s all genuine. You just shoot him a small smile before lifting your drink to your lips. It’s the most intimate moment you’ve shared with him, including the ones you had in that bathroom.
“Okay, now you tell me something about your life,” you prompt, wanting to divert the conversation on him a little bit.
“What do you want to know?” he asks with a soft chuckle.
“Why did you name your brand Twisted?” you ask. The question has been on your mind for a while.
“It’s coming from my mum’s name. Anne Twist.”
Your eyebrows shoot up, you weren’t expecting such a deep and personal reason behind the name, connected to a family member.
“Why her?”
“Why not?” he smirks shrugging his shoulders. “She raised me and my sister up, I wouldn’t be here without her. It was obvious I would make her be part of it in some kind of way.”
“That’s actually very nice. Who knew that you could be something other than an egoistic asshole!” you joke, making him laugh as well.
“Okay, what’s the meaning behind your brand?” he then turns it back around.
“Well, my aunt met her husband when they were very young, maybe eighteen. She fell in love with Fabio on her trip to Italy and being the impulsive and adventurous woman that she is, she stayed for a month there just because of Fabio. He is a very passionate man and he was always ready to bring the stars down for Julia. He always used to tell her that he would even catch a comet for her, if that’s what she wanted. And that was my aunt’s favorite saying from him. Cometa is comet in Italian. It’s her tribute to the love of her life.”
“That’s easily the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard,” Harry hums and you just smile nodding at him. It really is like a fairytale and it’s also one of the reasons why you were so happy to take her place at Cometa. Julia is still just as in love with Fabio as she was at eighteen and she deserves to spend more time with her beloved husband. She earned the time off after all the sacrifices she made for the company and all through them Fabio stayed by her side. It’s their well-earned happy ending now.
“You know a lot about romantic things?” you cock an eyebrow at him, finishing up your drink.
“Actually, I’m a quite romantic guy.”
“Are you now?”
“Yeah, you just never gave me the chance to show it to you.”
“Oh, so now I’m the bad guy?” you chuckle, handing him your glass when he stands from the couch to get you a refill.
“Exactly!” he chuckles holding up your empty glass on his way. “I hope you know you absolutely broke my heart when you didn’t give me your number that night.”
“Oh, you poor little thing,” you chuckle, resting your head in your palm, your elbow on the back of the couch. “I’m not sorry though. You didn’t give out the right vibes.”
“The right vibes?” he huffs as he returns with your drink and now sits a little closer to you. “What vibe did I give you?” “The vibe that told me I shouldn’t mess with you,” you simply answer as you take a sip from your refilled drink.
“You were so keen on hating me even before you knew who I was, I can’t believe you,” he chuckles shaking his head.
“I’m just cautious!” you protest. “I’ve dealt with some problematic men in the past, I can’t let myself walk right into another one that easily.”
“What did they do?”
“Some men just can’t treat women right. Especially confident ones with a body like mine,” you simply shrug.
Men like to think that bigger girls are so terribly insecure about their body that they need the validation of a male to feel good about themselves. But when you’re confident and feel good in your own skin without needing them to praise you, they think that you’re egoistic, so full of yourself and they are quick to try to drag you down. That’s something you can’t tolerate. You don’t need a man to feel good about yourself, you don’t need anyone for that. You know your worth and that’s all that matters.
Harry’s eyes travel down your body, taking his time on your curves and you smile shaking your head as you reach out and cupping his chin you pull his head up so he is looking into your eyes.
“I honestly can’t see what problem anyone could have with your body. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since our bathroom fiasco,” he bluntly comments making you chuckle, even flattered by his words.
“You are such a flirt,” you grin at him and he doesn’t try to protest.
You stay for a couple more drinks and you drop the heavier topics, venturing over to music, fashion and any funny stories that come to your mind. Harry is actually amazing company when you’re not trying to jump at each other’s throat and for a few short hours you forget that he is supposed to be your competitor.
You’re a little tipsy, but you are definitely not drunk, so when Harry offers you to stay the night you turn it down, calling yourself a car since you are not in the right state to drive.
“I’ll come and pick my car up in the morning,” you breathe out as you put your heels back on that came off your feet sometime during the evening, making yourself home in his place.
“I’ll text you the security number to the garage,” he nods, walking you to the elevator.
“Thank you. And… I guess thank you for the evening,” you smile at him, turning to face him. He is standing close, but still takes a step closer, one of his hands finding your waist as he pulls you against his chest. Your palms lie flat on his chest as you try to get yourself to the right mindset to leave now before you regret doing something. Leaning down his nose nudges against your cheek, before he presses a soft kiss under below your ear, a sigh escaping your lips.
“I should go, the car is here,” you breathe out, but don’t move.
“Mm, okay,” he hums, his lips peppering kisses on your jaw and your cheek, as if you didn’t say a word. You want to continue it, not just because of the alcohol but because the sexual tension between the two of you has been growing since that charity gala, but the remainder of your rationality stops you before your lips could meet.
“Bye Harry,” you smile at him softly as you push him away and you walk into the elevator, leaving him hanging. Again.
“Bye Y/N. I’m still going to try to ruin your company!” he calls after you as you turn around to face him, the sliding doors slowly closing between the two of you.
“Same back at you, Styles,” you smirk before the door closes and you are taken down.
Well, that was a lie. Following your evening at his place neither of you really tries to work against the other, leaving each other be without any fuss. It might also have something to do with how you kept in touch after that day. You’ve been texting occasionally, attending some events together, even had a business dinner together with a few other peers from the industry. Things have been quiet and you’ve been feeling content with the current state you’ve managed to reach. Or so you thought.
It was a silent agreement between the two of you. You both put your projects aside that targeted the other’s profile. Harry stopped looking for designers for his women lines and you put your men department to the side as well. There were a lot to work on beside these fields so you felt like you were in peace. Right until Leslie bursts into your office on a casual Tuesday.
“Have you seen this?” she asks, placing a tablet in front of you with an Instagram account open on it.
You want to ask what you’re supposed to look at, but then you realize what it really is. A shiny new account for a new brand that promises to take online shopping to the next level; female and male as well.
“You think it could be…?” you ask, not quite convinced that Harry is behind this.
“Well, the wording is similar to theirs and creating a new brand might be a solution to their gap in women’s fashion,” she points it out, though you don’t want to believe he could have been working on this all along, basically in front of your face.
But it’s a possibility and you have to consider this option before jumping into defending him without any proof.
“Men can’t be trusted,” you grumble under your breath before jumping into work.
What you didn’t know is that an eerily similar situation goes down in Harry’s office as well when Zayn bursts in, showing him the ad he found for the new brand called Farfalla.
Harry immediately digs up everything about the company, though there’s not much other than their new Instagram account and heavy marketing that started just yesterday.
“What is Farfalla even?” he grimaces leaning back in his chair.
“It means butterfly in Italian,” Zayn explains and Harry’s eyes flicker up to him.
“Italian? You think it’s her?”
“It’s possible,” Zayn nods. “Starting a new brand to finally reach men’s fashion is a good idea.”
“She wouldn’t have done this,” Harry shakes his head in disbelief. Could you be working on this all along? Was this your plan from the start? To make him fall for you and forget about business while you built up your new empire to ruin him?
“What if she did?” Zayn prompts and in a way his suspicion is valid, but Harry is having a hard time believing it. You would never play him this dirty, not after how the two of you have grown closer in the past weeks, almost became friends.
“What are you going to do?” Zayn asks him as he pushes himself away from the desk and quite obviously starts getting ready to leave.
“She is not getting away from this,” Harry mumbles under his breath as he grabs his coat and phone before storming out of the office.
It’s past six when Harry gets to Cometa’s building and he is informed that you’ve already went home. He could have just come back in the morning, but he knew he would just stew in his own anger if he didn’t talk to you as soon as possible. So using his charm he gets the woman sitting behind the front desk to share your address with him, saying that he needs to talk to you urgently. That’s how he finds himself heading to Park Slope, slightly surprised you are not living somewhere in the heart of Manhattan.
As the scenery around his changes, skyscrapers turning into brick buildings and townhouses, Harry tries to figure out what he even wants to say to you. Should he just get straight down to business and accuse you? Snap at you? Or should he give you the chance to explain yourself? He can’t really make up his mind, mostly because he still feels like you betrayed him even though he can’t be sure Farfalla is yours.
Parking down at the address he got from the woman, he stares up at the deep red brick townhouse, a simple, black door at the top of the stairs that’s lined with a few potted plants and flowers. This is not what he would have imagined your home like, but now that he is standing on your doormat, he realizes it kind of suits you.
Ringing the bell he hopes that you’re home and not out and about somewhere in the city, but when he hears the familiar sound of heels clicking on the floor he knows you are on the other side. When the front door flings open and you come into his sight, for a split second he forgets why he is here and his anger vanishes. As always, you look amazing, a tight, black dress hugging your curves, the middle part appearing like it’s a corset, emphasizing the dip of your waist. Your hair is let down in loose curls and your feet are bare, but he knows you probably wore heels all day. You must have gotten home not long ago and as your eyes fall on the man at the door, your expression hardens on him.
“You really had the balls to come her, huh?” you cock your head to the side, keeping your eyes on his green ones for a moment before you let him inside.
“Did you think you could get away with it?” he huffs walking into the hallway and stopping as you close the door and turn to him.
“Me? I could say the same! You thought I would just ignore it or what? I proved you a few times that I’m not stupid, Harry,” you retort, folding your arms on your chest as you walk past him, into the kitchen and he follows.
“You surely are not stupid, playing me so dirty behind my back!” Harry spats standing his ground. “Playing all friendly and nice and then make a fool out of me!”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” you question narrowing your eyes at him as you lean against the kitchen island’s counter. “If anyone played dirty it’s you! And you have the balls to come here and talk like this to me in my own fucking home?!” you snap, walking closer to him, keeping your deathly glare on him.
“What the fuck did I do?!” he scoffs throwing his hands into the air.
“You created a whole new brand just to fuck with me! Or did you think I wouldn’t find out about it?!”
“Me? You made a new brand! And you didn’t do a great job hiding the fact that it was your work, even the name is Italian, like your current one!”
You stare back at him, tilting your head to the side as you process what he is talking about. All along, the two of you were accusing each other of something neither of you did.
“Harry,” you breathe out, pinching the bridge of your nose. “Farfalla is not my brand.”
“And I’m supposed to believe it?!”
“Well you better be because it’s the fucking truth!”
“Prove it!” he hisses at you, taking a step closer, his face only inches away from yours now.
“Until about twenty seconds ago I thought that it was your new brand, Harry. I thought that you were the one who backstabbed me!” you snap back, standing up for yourself in this giant misunderstanding you fell into, accusing each other without any proof.
Harry stares back at you, his gaze burning into yours as he stands his ground and you can almost see the gears turning in his head as he processes your words.
“So… it’s not yours? You didn’t do it to fuck me up?”
“Of course not!” you breathe out, suddenly quite tired of all the anger that’s been eating you away through the afternoon. “I thought that we had a kind of silent agreement not to mess with each other so I wasn’t planning anything anytime soon. That’s why I got so mad when I thought you did it!”
“I thought the same!” he growls shaking his head. “I thought you did it all to just make me look stupid, that the friendly act was just so I wouldn’t notice a thing and I fell right into your trap.”
“There was no trap,” you simply tell him and you hope he senses the hidden meaning behind your words.
Luckily he does. But for your biggest surprise there’s no snarky comment or smug smirking, he just steps closer and before you could even protest, his hands find your waist and he pulls you against his hard chest, lips hungry attacking yours. He makes you back until you bump against the kitchen island, his hips pressing against yours as he pushes you against the hard surface, his hands wandering on your sides and back, up and down, exploring every curve of your body while his kisses never slow down, your tongues meeting in the middle.
Bringing up a leg you curl it around his hips, your heel digging into his round ass as he leans forward, making you arch your back, leaning onto the counter as his lips move from your lips to your jawline and neck, his fingers digging into your waist and the thigh that’s lifted by his side. He nibbles on the soft skin of your neck, definitely leaving a mark, but you just comb your fingers through his hair, letting yourself get lost in the sensation.
“As much as I would love to fuck you on a counter again, can we take this to a bedroom?” he mumbles as he kisses his way back up to your lips, smirking against them as he captures them again.
You don’t answer, just grab his hand and pull him upstairs with you, right into your bedroom. He is all over you, lips, hands, tongue, pressed up against you as the two of you stumble your way to your king sized bed. Harry’s fingers fidget with the corset on your dress, but he soon realizes it’s a little trickier than he expected, so leaning back he furrows his eyebrows as he glances down at the dress, still trying to figure out how to get you out of it.
“Harry,” you smile at him softly. “It’s faux. There’s a zipper at the back,” you inform him and he sighs in defeat as he kisses you again, his fingers quickly finding the zipper. The dress pools at your feet and you rid him from his jacket and shirt, revealing his inked chest, a sight you’ve been thinking about way too much lately.
By the time the two of you fall to your bed, neither of you are dressed in more than just your underwear. Because both of you like to be in charge, you roll around for a while, trying to get on top of each other but eventually Harry stays up when he starts going down on you, kissing his way through your heated skin. You don’t shy away when his hands snake under your back and easily unclasps your bra, being bare in front of him is not something that makes you feel uncomfortable or insecure. The way he looks at you, the way he makes you feel brings you so much confidence, you have absolutely no problem being nude.
When your bra flies to the floor, Harry leans back a little to admire you lying there, before his lips find their way over the curve of your breasts, down your stomach. Hooking his fingers into the elastic of your panties he tugs them down easily as you lift your hips, your thighs parting as you bare yourself in front of him.
“Don’t be shy about screaming my name,” he smugly tells you before his lips and tongue meet your clit. Your fingers lace through his hair immediately as you gasp out at the sensation, his tongue drawing the whole fucking alphabet to your bundle of nerves. His arms curl around your thighs, ring clad fingers digging into your flesh as he sucks on the sensitive skin.
“Fuck, Harry! Yes!” you moan out, tugging on his locks when he teases his tongue around your hole, your walls tightening around nothing as you are growing desperate to feel something inside of you.
You pull on his hair, signaling him that you want to get it on with, Hands reaching down to get rid of his boxer briefs before you blindly pull out the drawer of your nightstand, grabbing a condom. His lips eagerly meet yours as he wraps his erected cock and though you would love to have a taste of him like he did with you, you just want to feel him inside you.
“Tell me how bad you want it,” he growls against your lips, teasing you with running just the head up and down your slit.
“If you don’t fuck me right now I’m gonna rip your guts out,” you warn him, earning a soft chuckle as he kisses you again, tongue pushing into your mouth as he finally pushes inside you, his long, thick cock filling you up perfectly and it somehow feels even better than the first time.
“Go hard,” you gasp, a hand coming to grab his ass as you push him even further into you. He doesn’t need more, he starts slamming into you, his hips meeting yours roughly with each thrust, his whole length disappearing inside you every time.
He buries his head into the crook of your neck, licking and sucking on the soft skin. You almost think about telling him not to mark you, but it just turns you on even more so you let him do whatever he wants.
“I want to see you on top,” he pants, lifting his head so his gaze could meet yours. You nod, before the two of you turn around and you straddle his hips, guiding him back inside you as you sink down his length. Your hands are sprawled out on his hard chest as you find your balance in the position, Harry’s eyes roaming your body up and down, not able to get enough of how blissful you look, sitting with his cock buried inside of you, enjoying yourself to the fullest. His hands run up your thighs and upper body until they find your breasts, kneading them as you start moving your hips up and down, back and forth. When you moan his name or gasp because his cock reaches that one particular spot inside you, those are the moments he wishes he could capture on camera and watch whenever he wants.
“I want it from back,” you pant as you lean down and kiss him roughly. That’s all he needs, he helps you get off of him before you get on all four, pushing your butt up in the air while Harry kneels behind you, the sight in front of him hardening his cock even more, if that’s possible. His hands grab onto your waist as he pushes inside you, making you both let out a satisfied moan before he starts moving again.
“Fuck, you look so good like this, Y/N. I love your ass,” he growls, giving it a smack that surprises you, but you absolutely love it.
“Harry, go faster!” you whimper, feeling your orgasm nearing as you grip the comforter on the bed, desperate to reach your climax. You’re just about to reach down between your legs to play with your clit when Harry not only picks his pace up but also reaches around you, two of his fingers starting the circling motions on the bundle of nerves, making your legs shake from the pleasure.
“Come on, baby. Cum for me, cum all over my cock,” he growls, railing you from behind without missing a beat.
“Harry!” you scream when he thrusts into you so harshly, your whole body rocking in the motion.
“Come on, angel. Cum for me,” he murmurs and leaning down he wraps his arms around you, bringing you up straight, your back pressing against his sweaty chest, his hands coming to cup your breasts as he keeps thrusting up into you, pushing you over the edge.
You moan and gasp and scream his name as your walls tighten around his length, riding out your bliss and it helps him reach his own high, his hot breath hitting the back of your neck and shoulder, grunting and cursing under his breath as he fills the condom.
As his thrusts come to a halt, he sinks into a sitting position, bringing you with him, you lean against him feeling like jelly as you’re still just trying to catch your breath. Harry peppers your shoulder with small kisses before you muster the energy to break the position and lie down on the bed.
“Towel is in the bathroom,” you tell him knowing that’s what he’ll look for as he stands from the bed and you point at the door that leads to the joined bathroom. Harry nods and pads his way in there, cleaning himself up before he returns with a small damp towel, doing the same for you. He drops it to the floor next to the bed before joining you, cradling you into his arms as you take a breather together.
One hand is on your shoulder, fingers dancing on the naked skin, the other one is holding your thigh that’s across his lap while your head is resting on his chest.
“You really thought I would backstab you like that?” he hums after a while, breaking the comfortable silence.
“You did the same,” you answer, lifting your head, resting your chin on his chest.
“Touché,” he chuckles, before leaning down he kisses you shortly. “So, if neither of us did it, then we have a quite major problem on our hands.”
“I know,” you hum. “That shit looks promising and they can easily ruin both of us.”
Harry stays silent for a little, but you can see the gears turning in his head. When his gaze snaps back at you, you know he has an idea.
“Unless… we join forces.” Your eyebrows arch as you stare back at him. “I know it’s a risky move, but this is the only way to stay on the top.”
“How much you want to be joined?”
“We could start with just one line, the men part designed by someone from me and the women by someone from you. And if it presents well we can just figure out where to go from there. Obviously, the men part would be sold by us and the women by you, but we could join the pages and direct users to each other’s sites in connection with the lines.”
“That could… actually work,” you nod shortly, thinking about the idea. It needs a lot of planning, but it could actually be a big hit if you do it right. “And you’re willing to partner with me?” you ask cheekily as you push yourself up into a sitting position, Harry doing the same.
“If you haven’t noticed, I’m willing to do about anything with you,” he chuckles, making you smile at his playful answer. “I hope you know I’m not talking about just business,” he then adds with a meaningful look.
“You are still so keen on this?” you sigh, tugging your hair behind your ear.
“Do you not like being with me?”
“I do, surprisingly,” you roll your eyes, making him laugh.
“Do you not like having sex with me?”
“I think the answer is pretty obvious to that,” you give him a look as he smirks back at you.
“Yeah, but I want to hear it.”
“I enjoy having sex with you, Harry,” you roll your eyes again, but he just kisses you short but hard before leaning back.
“So then why shouldn’t we date?”
“Because we are competitors?”
“We just agreed that we should join forces. We are partners now.”
“You are running a little ahead, Harry,” you cock an eyebrow at him. “I don’t know, I haven’t been in a relationship in ages. I probably suck at it at this point,” you shrug, but it’s just a lame excuse and you both know that. Leaning closer Harry smirks at you smugly.
“I have something else you can suck.” You smack his chest at his nasty remark, but can’t push a smile back. His hand finds the back of your head as he pulls you in for another kiss. “I want you, Y/N. I really do. You are all I think about even when you are an annoying piece of shit, getting under my skin. I still want you.”
“Wow, so romantic,” you chuckle shaking your head. “What if we can’t get over our differences in the business? That can easily poison any relationship.”
“Then we’ll have a lot of mind-blowing angry and makeup sex. Those are the best. We can put all our frustration into sex, I think that’s just perfect.”
“What are you, a horny teenager? Sex is all you can think about?” you chuckle.
“It is when I’m lying in a bed with you naked. You can’t blame me,” he grins smugly and you want to hate him, you want to hate him so badly, but you can’t. You want him just as much as he wants you.
“So… partners?” he prompts, tilting his head to the side with a sweet smile as he waits for your answer.
“Partners in business and life?”
“Mhm, that’s the plan,” he nods, his smile growing wider with each passing second.
“Alright,” you breathe out. “So… it’s not—All is fair in war and business?” you ask teasingly, using his own words from earlier.
“Just shut up and kiss me,” he laughs, pulling you in for another kiss.
Thank you for reading! Please like/reblog if you enjoyed!
#harry#styles#harry styles#harry styles imagine#harry styles au#harry styles oneshot#harry styles one shot#harry styles fanfiction#harry styles fanfic#harry styles x you#harry styles x y/n#harry styles x reader#ceo!harry#harry styles fluff#harry styles angst#harry styles smut
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Dirty Little Secrets, Deception, and The Peace
DO NOT REBLOG THIS PLEASE
I’m not a person who calls other people out. I don’t like confrontation. I don’t like animosity. I don’t particularly even care for debate. I’ve spent the past 7 years not personally saying out loud or even typing in a public way the name of the person essentially driving the American news cycle because I believe words matter and they have power, and I don’t like giving shitheads more power by talking about them. I prefer promoting what I love (which would be the opposite of shitheads). I’ve tried with every word I’ve written and shared in a public way to do that…to promote what I love…to stay positive and optimistic and hopeful. But I also want to be honest. I’ve always been honest here. Not personally identifying, but still honest. And I want to be connected to other honest people.
Honesty is very important to me. In fact, of all the shit I hate in life, deception is probably the thing that triggers me the most. Anxiety. Depression. Self-judgment about not being a human lie detector that’s 100% accurate. ANGER. I’m actually not a person who is quick to anger. Which is a goddam miracle considering the place I came from and the family I grew up in. But boy does deception trip that wire. I cannot stand being lied to. Even white lies meant to placate me or protect my feelings rub me the wrong way and make me wary to trust people. So people who have intentionally deceived me or someone I care about (or all of us) with selfish and likely harmful motives just SUPER PISS ME OFF. I hate doing this. It makes me feel icky; like I’m upsetting The Peace. That’s not something I enjoy doing (I know some people do enjoy doing that…but that ain’t even close to me). I LIKE keeping The Peace. But sometimes that means covering up for shitty people, or it means acting like something shitty isn’t going down like the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand. So I’m going to get really honest here about some things that have blown up recently here, and about times in my personal life where I’ve been duped with deception and how those people fooled me. This post is going to be long, so if you want to jump off here...
Before I met J, when I was a teenager and young adult (I met J when I was 25; he was 31…so yeah, a bit older than me, but not outrageously older than me), I dated several…SEVERAL…young men who wanted to keep our relationship a secret. I’m not talking the details of our private time together, or the intimate things we shared about ourselves. I mean, ‘Don’t tell anyone we’re dating/seeing each other/together.’ I knew all these guys in person, had information about their school performances, jobs, hobbies…sometimes for years ahead of my romantic association with them. All these guys shared mutual friends with me, so I afforded them a wide swath of benefit of the doubt even though the secrecy or just their desire for the secrecy made me feel like absolute shit. Don’t get me wrong; I’m a super private person. I ran a D/s blog and rarely ever talked about kink. I get embarrassed talking to J about sex still and we’re middle aged married parents. I understand wanting to protect privacy and not wanting The Riffraff to interfere in your relationship if you’re in a crowd, particularly an anonymous one online. Shit, I even published my fictional work for sale using a pen name. I get it. But it still felt off to me; the request for total secrecy. My shit was all way way way pre-social media. I wasn’t looking for Status Update: In a Relationship with Jennifer. I just wanted to like…tell my best friend A that I was going to a movie with X this weekend if he called me on the phone to ask what I was doing this weekend. It felt to me at the time like these guys were ashamed of me (and I’m sure there was at least some truth to that), but now in retrospect I’m seeing they were probably sizing me up for some kind of victimhood beyond just making me feel bad about myself and unworthy. If no one knows you’re together, no one will believe you when you say that person hurt you in a ‘partner’ sort of way. They can’t have cheated on you if no one knows you were together. She can’t have threatened to kill herself if you break up if no one knows you were together. He can’t have violated you physically or been stalking you after a breakup if no one knows you were together. The guys who did this to me never did any of that to me (at least they didn’t cheat that I know of), but it’s probably because they decided since I’m a quiet person who liked keeping The Peace, that maybe I’d actually be believed if I told someone they hurt me, even with their deception skills.
And then in 2016, I lost a lot of friends due to (simplifying shit big time here) ‘political differences,’ but all of this friend loss was basically driven by one dude. I’d known him since high school. One of my best friends was also one of his best friends. His older sister took Sociology with me in college. His younger brother was gay. He came from a nice family and we shared a lot of mutual friends and then he suffered a great tragedy in his life, which sparked a lot of sympathy and empathy from both myself and J. He was really sad (of course), and having a rough time coping, so we helped him do a lot. Invited him to family dinners, even extended family gatherings with us. We found him a job when he was unemployed. J fixed broken things on his car and at his home for him. We supported and encouraged him as he looked for a new relationship and remarried after the tragedy and divorce. He spent a lot of time with us…in our home…sharing meals. We trusted him with our son. He was a pretty charismatic, likable and reasonably popular guy when he wasn’t depressed (and not to toot our own horn here, but I’d like to believe J and I were a part of improving his life at the time for him to get back to ‘charismatic, likable, and popular’…) But when I (privately…because I’m not normally a public call out, confrontational person, because I like keeping The Peace) asked him about some disturbing shit he’d posted on social media (sexist, racist, homophobic…), he blocked me and stopped all contact with us in early 2016. And then he gave my email address and cell phone number to a bunch of solicitors and political campaigns, knowing it would trigger major anxiety for me to have to field a bunch of texts, emails, and phone calls from strangers trying to sell me things I didn’t want. J and I both knew this man personally for YEARS…we knew his family and friends (they were our friends too…we thought). But when we (again, privately) shared what had happened with us with mutual friends, they all sided with him. There’s a person who read at J’s and my wedding that we haven’t spoken to in 6 years because they chose this man over J and me. That still hurts.
And now we’re at here on tumblr, over the past couple weeks. Reality is, I’m guilty of keeping the Peace here, and I regret that, which is why I’m writing this long ass post now. But I also want to be honest, particularly about me and my feelings and actions, for the few people who I care about their opinions of me, and I care about having clarity of where I stand and why I did or didn’t do things. To start out, I felt disappointed and a bit betrayed by one person. Again, like the other big instances in my life when someone hurt me with deception, I gave this person a lot of latitude to minor-league fuck up without any consequence because other people I like liked him. Other people I trust trusted him. He had a close friendship with at least one woman that didn’t involve sexual attraction in any way that he publicly lauded, and that’s a known weakness soft spot for me because of my own best friend of 30 years (aside: my own best friend of 30 years is a guy who’s always been honest with me; even about shit that covering it up would have protected my opinion of him…A ain’t perfect, and he’s fucked up big a couple times, but he’s always owned it, and he has always tried to atone for it the best way he could, which sometimes meant letting people think he was the villain…he IS the villain in some stories…but I still think he’s a good man because he doesn’t use deception to skew people’s view of his mistakes). I read his Asks, and I thought I saw Good Man Potential in a lot of the answers, and sometimes I clarified or even opposed what he said, and at least with me, he always showed grace when I did that. I feel shitty now that even though his following was a lot lot lot larger than mine, and is likely a significant reason mine was as large as it was, that I probably led at least one person to him that otherwise wouldn’t have been there, because I tagged onto his asks. And I feel shitty because the truth is, I hadn’t followed this guy myself for several years, even though I still occasionally reblogged an ask if one of my (trusted, women) friends showed it to me first. I stopped following him because his tone, in my perception, shifted. Harsher. More self-centered. More fear-mongering instead of comforting and helpful. I mean, there’s self confidence and tough love and realism, but there are lines when all of those things can shift from healthy to harmful, and for me, he got there a while ago. But I didn’t say anything. Because I know I have a short line. And I’m not always right. But I should have said something, at least privately to some people who are more comfortable being The Voice. My short line was right this time. Did this guy do anything illegal? No. Could he be taken to court for anything he did? Almost certainly not. But did he act like a shifty, cagey, selfish asshole? Yeah. He purposefully misled people about how many women he was involved with at a time, and how he was involved with women, and intentionally curated an image of a trusted elder figure in order to keep doing it. He betrayed the confidence of at least one person in a serious way; a way so serious I’d equate it with consent violation, and he was a person who consistently and boldly preached that ‘consent is sacrosanct.’ Apparently, he only really believed that when it came to actual physical sex, and who knows...maybe not then either.
I’m sorry to anyone who got hurt because before I knew better, I steered you into a bad place. I should have said something when I felt it. A long time ago.
And then the situation kept expanding to include more and more people who weren’t what they claimed to be. One of these people in particular I considered a good friend. Until she turned on me. For the same reasons so many other ‘friends’ have turned on me. I showed a lot of care and support and availability to her. I tried to express clearly in the moment what her friendship and helpful actions did for me, even when those actions were just routine, ‘ordinary’ things like watching the same TV show together, or serendipitous, like sparking a memory or a feeling from a random conversation that unlocked my long term writer’s block. But as soon as I expressed a boundary or a question...’Are you sure you want to say/do this?’ ‘I can’t do what you’re asking of me because of other responsibilities and priorities I have...’ ‘This is hurting me and I have to stop...’ I tried to engage her in anything positive we had been doing together for the past year. Let’s watch a show together...let’s read a story together...let’s talk about this Life Thing for a while. I asked her to check on her own well-being...are you eating enough? Have you slept? Maybe you should take a break from this and listen to some music and cuddle your pet… She ignored all of this. Which was concerning and it hurt a bit, but others who did the same were met with accusations of gaslighting and condescension so she was still affording me some sort of special status I never asked for and was in itself making me uncomfortable at that point. My final writing piece on my old tumblr blog that had a lot of followers (a lot to me at least; not even a tenth as many as these people who made me feel so low and shitty claimed to have) was devoted to supporting her and lauding her goodness and all the good she’d done for me over the previous year. She ASKED me, in a not-exactly-private way to write that piece for her as a show of support. And I did. And I felt rushed and pressured about it. But I still did it. And gave her editorial approval over it before I posted it. At the time, even though I was already extremely uncomfortable with the entire situation, I meant what I wrote in it. And then I left. Which I told her ahead of time I was going to do. I actually told her I’d just send her the piece and she could post it if she wanted to, but she told me I had to post it or it ‘wouldn’t have the impact I wanted.’ But I didn’t want any impact. I just wanted to go. I’d been thinking of leaving since summer of 2021 because things just felt ‘off’ all over. Most of the contacts I’d come to tumblr for in the first place were gone. This drama pushed me over the edge. I still posted it myself and waited for a reblog another blogger graciously gave me so I could delete asap anyway. I’m not sure she ever actually interacted with the piece she asked me to write and post for her after I’d done it. She never mentioned it again. Instead, she attacked previous allies and even people who were victimized by the situation she originally claimed to be supporting, like anything I said or did didn’t matter at all. Like anything else in my life didn’t matter at all. Like I didn’t matter at all. She asked me to create a new blog ‘just to follow mine and see all the people that love me because I know you run on that.’ I do ‘run on that,’ when ‘that’ is real love and friendship unfolding, not blind and ignorant sycophantic worship. I told her no. I wasn’t going to do that. I didn’t want to engage in any of it anymore; it was ugly and felt bad and was hurting me; I had other, more important concerns. MY SON was struggling at the same time. I didn’t have time to devote to doing what she wanted. I got met with instant and extreme cruelty and hostility. I even knew it was coming, because I’d seen her turn previously on others who questioned her or expressed boundaries, hours to days before. I felt I was next. I felt like she was asking me to choose between her friendship and my son’s mental health and my own mental health and my real life family responsibilities and other friendships by way of demanding unquestioning and instant compliance with every demand. I felt like she expected to be my top or perhaps only priority, and anything less than that was betrayal. She called me a martyr for talking about my feelings of anxiety and insecurity the situation and she herself was creating. She said I abandoned her by leaving tumblr because I experienced ‘a couple hours of anxiety.’ She basically called me a bad friend. She’d brought up previous trauma from my bad 2016 friendship experience, and somehow also childhood trauma from my mom’s treatment of me simultaneously. I’d started questioning (and honestly I still am questioning) if anything good I ever felt with her, if her friendship with me was ever real. I have kind of started to question the realness of every relationship I have or have ever had except for J and A and my son. It’s been really weird and hard and exhausting. I feel like I have whiplash. I had to write about it to feel better, but it’s why I’m here with like 10 people and I hope it never gets any bigger than this. I’m going to try and control it so it never gets any bigger.
To close up here, my son is doing better. I feel free and generally happier and safer since I deleted my previous blog. I missed writing, so I made this intensely private space to do it again. I do not want the people who have previously hurt me to have any access to me at all. I feel better, but a lot of progress I’d made with trusting people and accepting positive attention from other people has been shattered to pieces. I do still believe in good D/s, and I still believe in good men. I still believe in mixed gender friendship and online friendship. I still believe in happily ever after love that lasts forever and that it’s everywhere and can start up a lot of different ways for ‘ordinary’, imperfect people. And I still believe that vulnerability in being known and sharing feelings and soul deep pieces of ourselves is hard but worth it. That all being said, we all have to be careful with ourselves, because people who show us what looks like friendship and love and care and help and protection can be deceiving. Even if you’ve known them what you think is well and what you think is for a long time and even if they’ve been sharing real life meals with you in your real life house. It’s even EASIER to deceive or fall for deception online, where our responses and images are curated and cultivated intentionally, and a level of anonymity can protect our creation. If you have/do trust someone who ends up hurting you, know that damn near all of us have experienced the same thing. It’s not on you for being a lover. It’s on them for being a deceptive piece of shit.
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I come for the interaction and the food | Miya Osamu
Category: crack, fluff
2k words; pseudo-reddit thread of Onigiri Miya
The owner of Onigiri Miya
Yo dudes. So my friend was raving about the onigiri shop for ages, and she was so damn relentless that I gave in. And I like onigiri in the first place, especially negitoro, so I went (is this TMI?). Anyway I was like???? So damn shook when I went in because the owner is like???? Damn??? He's so hot and I am simping for him, and the female population in the shop was as well like hearts were flying out of their eyes. I'm going to go there every day and ugh I know it’s cheesy and cliché but I hope he notices me or something like that DON’T JUDGE I’M LONELY OKAY??
Comments [Anon]: I KNOW RIGHT LIKE EVERYONE IS IN LOVE WITH HIM AND HIS ONIGIRI UGH FOOD FOR THE EYES AS WELL AS THE STOMACH
[Anon]: Y’all are simping for a real person and I just have to say: LMAO ME TOO UGH HE’S JUST REALLY HOT AND PATIENT AND HIS VOICE IS SO NICE
[Anon]: YASSS HE REALLY IS AND HE ALWAYS COMES UP WITH NEW MENUS AND LETS SOME OF US TRY SAMPLES BUT IT’S ALWAYS. AMAZING. HE’S AN ONIGIRI GOD, I TELL YOU.
→ Continue thread
[Anon]: Um, OP? I don't know how to tell you this but… He has a girlfriend… like a really cute girlfriend who he’s been dating for years now.
[Anon]: Say what?
[Anon]: Hey what. What. I didn’t know this. I’ve been visiting his shop for like 3 months and I didn’t know this. What.
[OP]: Oh. Great. My romance has died even before it started. ;^;
[Anon]: Well you can join us obsessing over their relationship! She visits a lot and they’re cute all the damn time so frequent customers made a small online group to share episodes.
→ Continue thread
I just saw Hime and wow, damn
So I went to OM today—because wow it’s so delicious please open a second shop MyaSamu—and my eyes were blessed because WHO DID I SEE?? YEP, IT WAS HIME.
Like y’all know how he calls her Hime as a nickname, which is so [censored] cute, and SHE LIVES UP TO THE NAME. There’s like, a graceful aura around her and it’s sort of blinding? As soon as you see her, it’s like “Ah, yep. That’s her. No one else can be called Hime other than her.”
AND SHE GOT SO FLUSTERED WHEN I CALLED HER HIME BY ACCIDENT!! It just literally slipped out because I’m a [censored] idiot like that and she turned so red! And started hitting MyaSamu out of embarrassment! But her hits didn’t even look that painful and he was smiling so happily. My eyes were blessed that day.
Comments [Anon]: Oh my god you’re so lucky, I want to see him smile… I mean, he does, but apparently he smiles differently when he’s with Hime and I know that if I see that, my day will instantly become better.
[Anon]: Oh dude, you are not wrong. He somehow becomes more radiant. Just. How?
[Anon]: Imagine being that cute and beautiful together. What a power couple.
[Anon]: You know what happened once? I was really down while I was eating there because I got a bad grade, and she came over to talk to me!! Because apparently I looked way too sad and she was worried about me! UGH I’M FALLING FOR YOU HOW ARE YOU THIS KIND?! ARE YOU AN ACTUAL ANGEL?
[Anon]: This just confirmed, Hime was never human. She is the epitome of angelic grace here to save us and MyaSamu is so blessed for being with her.
Y’all are weird as [censored], why do you do this [censored]
Why are you guys obsessing over real people like that? I would be creeped out if I knew anyone does this, you guys are invading their privacy. Get a life and stop being so damn disturbing.
Comments [Anon]: ??? He knows about this. He literally checks up on this site a couple of times per week. He explicitly said to many customers “Thanks for liking me and my girlfriend so much. You guys are funny.” The [censored] are you on?
[Anon]: I asked Hime once before and she said it’s fine as well unless we’re stalking them or some [censored] like that. And we don’t. We’re just exchanging stories on our interactions with them inside the shop and how cute they are. He said it actually helps with his revenues and sales.
[Anon]: Literally. They’re just really cute. Like you look at them and boom, you have diabetes, no exceptions.
[Anon]: I think he said like half of his new customers came after seeing this thread, so back off
Ignore that person, GUESS WHO I SAW
Y’all might be thinking Hime, and yes, I did see her as well. BUT I ALSO SAW ATSUMU! He was hanging with Hime and teasing her so much. Then MyaSamu got annoyed and they nearly brawled there lmao perfect representation of siblings.
Hime tried to stop them and when they kept on fighting, she slapped them both on the back and shouted for them to cool it. MyaSamu I guessed since they’re going out, but she tamed Atsumu. Atsumu. My heart thumped because she was so awesome. Like, you’re cool, kind, sweet, amazingly pretty and on top of that, badass as well? Lady, you should be designated as a national treasure.
Comments [Anon]: Bruh. I live super close to OM. I go there practically every week. I’ve filled out the coupon like, 5 times. I’ve never met Hime once. AND YOU’RE TELLING ME THAT YOU SAW HIME AS WELL AS ATSUMU???? WHY HAVE THE GODS FORSAKEN ME??
[Anon]: How cool was she? I can’t imagine Atsumu folding to anyone that’s not his parents.
[Anon]: I feel like he would be rude to his own parents tho lol
[Anon]: True true
[OP]: She was like, the epitome of cool. Based on the sound of the slap I would have been rolling on the floor while crying in pain but they kind of seem used to it or something? She just glowered at them and they immediately shut up. I wonder if she was like that when they started dating as well.
[Anon]: I find it funny that everyone is focusing on Hime while Miya Atsumu, division 1 volleyball player and one of the members of Japan’s national team, is right there.
[Anon]: Atsumu pales in comparison to Hime. This is a fact.
[Samu]: True
[Anon]: ??? The [censored]? Are my eyes working? Is that… actually Osamu? As in like, the Osamu that we’re talking about? Like the owner of OM?
[Samu]: Yes
[Anon]: Okay then bye I’m never coming here ever again. Goodbye y’all and watch me die haha [censored]
Friend of Samu and “Hime”
I can’t really believe this actually exists but it’s really funny and kinda cringey to see everyone fawn over Osamu and “Hime” like this. I've been their friend since high school and let me give you a fact: “Hime”’s nickname during her time in school was Janus like the two faced God. Because she’s really nice all the time but once she gets angry, it’s over for everyone. Everyone.
So what do y’all do here, just share stories?
Comments [Anon]: Holy [censored] what. What. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THEM?? WHAT WERE THEY LIKE IN SCHOOL? WERE THEY STILL CUTE AND SWEET LIKE THE BEST BRAND OF CHOCOLATE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD????
[Anon]: YEAH LIKE WHITE CHOCOLATE
[Anon]: I’m sorry, but if you think white “chocolate” is good then please keep that [censored] to yourself because that [censored] embarrassing.
[Anon]: White chocolate is good!
[Anon]: You’re an embarrassment to humankind.
→ Continue thread
[Anon]: As the person on the above thread has said, could you share little stories of how they were like in school? If they’re fine with it?
[OP]: Hmm… well I’ll ask first.
I got the permission
Hm, I don’t really know what to say about their relationship though. I was friends with them for a long while but it wasn’t really surprising when they started dating. Osamu’s liked her for years. I heard they were childhood friends and were stuck at the hip with Atsumu as well, but she was closer to Osamu. Though that’s kind of a given, what with Atsumu’s [censored] personality.
She was one of the school council members and really popular as well. Always eager to help people, has a smile on her face and a complete disaster. She’s so damn clumsy and uncoordinated that I once saw her trip on air. On air. How. She’s terrible at cooking as well, like apocalyptic level. She somehow managed to burn rice in home economics class even with three other people keeping an eye on her. It was actually pretty impressive.
Anyway, Osamu was absolutely smitten with her and everyone with eyes or common sense could see it. Except for… you guessed it, her. He would literally be tripping over himself to help her and we were all like “boy, please be more subtle you are killing us”. Especially Atsumu since he had to deal with that even at home because they’re neighbours. I once took a photo of him making the most disgusted and annoyed face, but it got deleted when I changed my phone. An international loss.
Where was I going with this? Oh right, how they went out. I gotta go to sleep so I’ll post that later.
Comments [Anon]: ???? YOU’RE GOING TO LEAVE US HANGING LIKE THAT??? HOW ARE YOU SO CRUEL THIS ISN’T FAIR I CAN’T GO TO SLEEP BECAUSE I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
[Anon]: EXCUSE ME ARE YOU SKILLED IN TORTURE BECAUSE I AM LITERALLY DYING YOU CAN’T JUST BOUNCE AFTER TELLING US THAT. COME BACK!!!!
[Anon]: Dudes I have a good idea. Let’s spam them with comments.
[Anon]: Oh ho, smart, smart.
[Anon]: Dude
[Anon]: Dude
[Anon]: Dude
[Anon]: Dude
[Anon]: Dude
[Anon]: Dude
[Anon]: Dude
[Anon]: Dude
LOAD MORE
Damn you guys are persistent
Chill, I need my sleep as well.
Alright, this was a while ago so some facts might be inaccurate. Also she forbade anyone from commenting on it during school. It’s fine now though, and thankfully I was sitting next to them when it happened.
So Osamu always brings bentos and makes hers as well. He used to make them for Atsumu as well (unwillingly but had to since he complained about it so much) but stopped after like, the second time because they got into a fight. I think the reason was that Atsumu was whining too much about how he doesn’t like some of the side-dishes and Osamu snapped. That was a fun day.
We were eating in the classroom and enjoying our lunch when she blurted out something like “Osamu, you’re so good at cooking! You’d be a great chef. Your wife would want to let you cook for the entire time you’re together!” Which was fine because everyone knows he’s good at cooking. I think that’s what you guys call a gap moe or something, I dunno.
And Osamu just stared at her. You know what moment when you just feel something bad is going to happen? Like that chill in your back? Yeah, it was that. I sensed that from Osamu. Atsumu probably got it as well because our eyes locked and the red alarm of “STOP HIM” flashed in front of both our eyes.
But before we could interrupt, Osamu just smiled and said “I can cook for you like that if you want.” And I [censored] you not, everyone went quiet. We were staring at him like “??? Did you just propose before even asking her out on a date?” And her face, oh god I didn’t know her face could be that red or that her eyes could be so big. She was literally frozen while trying to eat like the rest of us watching them.
When she stayed frozen, it was like there was an error message saying “[Name].exe has stopped working. What the [censored] did you do.” above her head. Osamu eventually moved and dragged her out of the classroom. And they didn’t come back until the bell rang for the next class.
I don’t know what happened during the talk, but I guess he finally confessed because they were holding hands when they came back.
Anyway, yeah. That’s the story of how they went out. I have to sleep again so bye.
Comments [Anon]: WHAT THE [censored]
#osamu x reader#osamu imagine#miya osamu x reader#miya osamu imagine#haikyuu x reader#haikyuu!! x reader#haikyuu imagine#haikyuu!! imagine#haikyuu one shot#haikyuu!! one shot#haikyuu#haikyuu!!#osamu#miya osamu#SNS format#crack#fluff#female reader
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The Flowers Always Know
Description: When a mad scientist uses you as an experiment while you’re on holiday, the Heroics only just manage to save you. And in your recovery you become very close to the leader of the group. (Slow burn)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Language, some mild smut.
Link to Masterlist
Comment: All I can say is: I’m sorry. My head is a strange place.
Chapter 29
“Marcus!! Oh, get that sweet tush over here and hug me, and you better make it a good one after you’ve neglected to visit my cave for longer than these magic hands care to remember.”
You already loved Velma.
“Hey, Vel. I’m sorry, I’ve been preoccupied.”
He did hug her, and properly too, as well as about 10s longer than what would be considered socially acceptable for mere friends, without either of them seeming to find it weird or awkward at all. You still loved her.
“Thank you, my darling. You’re forgiven. Now, tell me what you’ve brought me?”
He beamed at you. He really did love any opportunity to show you off, but he seemed especially pleased about this introduction.
“Velma, this is my fiancé. Hermosa, as you’ve undoubtedly gathered – this is the one and only Velma.”
“Your fi… You’re getting… And you’re here. You brought her to me! Are you…?”
“Yes. I am. On both counts.”
“YES!! Thank the Greek fucking Gods!! A wedding-dress, and for you, my darling, of all people! Thank you.”
“Well, technically it’s for her.”
“Oh, no, sugar. The dress is for the groom. The shoes – are for the bride.”
She finally set all of her glorious attention on you.
Velma was a drag-queen, and the most awe-inspiring individual you’d ever seen. Everything about her was superior. She was taller than anyone else in the room, helped by fucking spectacular plateau shoes, she was broad-shouldered and muscular to boot. She carried herself like an empress, with a kind of stillness and real elegance, despite having so much flare and finesse to her. And even though she was covered in colours and sparkles, she somehow looked like she would belong absolutely anywhere. And when she actually looked you in the eye, you could almost feel her read the pages of the book that was your life, and yet, there was nothing intimidating about it.
“Well, now. There’s a lot of story here, isn’t there?”
“A bit. Yeah.”
“Mm. Alright then, come with me, darling. I demand to know every little detail about the woman my Marcus has chosen.”
She turned dramatically, and headed for a side-door in the studio workshop where you were, and you looked at Marcus with a wide grin.
“She’s coming to the wedding.”
“Don’t worry – she’s on the list.”
“I don’t care about any list. She’s coming. I need that amount of sparkle at my wedding. And I’m not just talking about the clothes.”
He chuckled happily as he watched you literally skip over to the open door, and disappear inside.
-----
Three weeks later, you finally got around to getting your house sold. It was a fairly quick sale since the neighbourhood was nice and the yard was bigger than most other properties on that street. And since you didn’t really need the extra money, you could give the young couple that fell in love with it, a kind price. You weren’t really particularly sorry to see it go, but you were very happy to see it fall into the hands of people who would appreciate it. For a long time, that house had been your refuge, your safe harbour when life got hard, and you wished that it could be the same for someone else. You put the bulk of the money in your savings-account, and ear-marked the rest for wedding-expenses. There still wasn’t really any actual planning going on, as far as dates and times and venues were concerned. But you and Marcus were still getting through a lot of the stuff that goes on around the actual day. You’d settled on what colours you wanted for the flowers, and what types they should be. You’d had an almost outrageously fun day last weekend, trying out the recipes for all the wedding-cakes you’d both found online. And after soiling literally every inch of the kitchen with flour, and tasting so many different cakes your taste-buds had eventually given up, you had managed to conclude that you wanted a lemon-flavoured one. Missy had tried to get you onto the chocolate-train, but you’d held your ground, with the promise that there would indeed be chocolate present, just not in the cake. You’d completed the guest-list, and chosen the invitation cards, but they were safely stowed away in a drawer, still unwritten. It wasn’t that you were stalling or didn’t feel ready. You were just genuinely enjoying the preparations, and not having that deadline made them feel like they were just fun things to do over a weekend, rather than things you had to do to be ready in time. Especially since Missy loved being a part of it too, it made the whole thing feel like a prolonged family event.
By now, the only thing that was still on the prep-list was Marcus’ suit, but you’d both agreed not to make any decisions on that until you’d seen what Velma did with your dress. You’d spent two whole days in her cave, getting your measurements taken and your skin-tone evaluated. There were about a hundred things about your body that she’d wanted to know, but you trusted her with your life already, so you’d happily complied. Plus; any excuse to spend time with her was a good one. Work was finally becoming manageable again, as you’d finally caught up on all the stuff that was trailing behind, and you were deliberately keeping any and all new projects firmly steered in other directions or delegating them onto other designers. You had enough on your plate with just getting through the already started ones, on top of the wedding-planning. Today had been a good day, so far, and you’d decided to go and find Marcus and see if he had time to join you for lunch. When you approached his office, his door was open and you could hear Tech talking. Not wanting to interrupt, you stopped outside and out of sight, while you waited for their conversation to finish. You picked up your phone to send an e-mail while you waited.
“I can’t believe that building was still standing after that.”
“Crushing lost control for three seconds. Let’s just be grateful it wasn’t longer.”
“Oh, I remember that time back in the beginning when he was out of it for like 20 seconds.”
“I think most of Colombia remembers that, too.”
“Probably.”
“Hey, um. Speaking of losing control…”
“What?”
“Well, there’s a certain office on the other side of the building that gets a fair bit of noise-complaints.”
You snapped out of your e-mailing and instinctively turned your head to listen closer.
“Stay out of it, Tech.”
“Hey, I’m not the filing them, and I never will. I’m all for healthy appetites. Just wondering if you’re aware of the fact that a lot of people are talking about you guys?”
“So? Let ‘em talk.”
“Sure. But they’re not talking about it being a nuisance or inappropriate. They’re talking about how the hell you can keep it up for three hours straight sometimes. Is that true, though?”
You weren’t sure if you wanted the ground to open up and swallow you, or if you wanted to go find these people and tell them to mind their own business. There was a brief pause before Marcus answered, and his voice was a bit lower than before.
“It is. I seriously can’t get enough of her. Ever. No matter how tired I get, I can always go another round.”
“That’s kind of amazing. How do you ever get anything done?”
“I have no idea.”
“Any idea when the knot-tying might be happening?”
“No. I’m dying to do it, to the point where I have to repeatedly tell myself not to just beg her to go to Vegas with me. But I also really wanna get it right, you know? Not necessarily perfect; just right. Right for us. And I want her to feel ready, so that she can just relax and enjoy that day, whenever it happens.”
Your heart swelled to an almost painful size behind your ribs.
“I am ready, honey.”
You stepped over the threshold and watched as his expression turned from confusion to realisation as he saw you.
“You wouldn’t have to beg. I’d go to Vegas with you right now if you asked. I’ve told you; I don’t really care how it happens. I’m enjoying the preparations and everything we’re doing together, but even if nothing ever got used, I wouldn’t feel like I missed out on anything. You’re the one that wanted the traditions, remember?”
Tech excused himself at that point, and closed the door behind him after he left.
“Do you still want all that, Marcus?”
He looked so torn.
“Damned it… Yes. I really do.”
“Then let’s pick a date. Let’s find a place that feels right and let’s make it happen.”
“Are you sure?”
“Are you ready?”
He shot up from his chair and was suddenly holding your waist, staring into your eyes.
“Ah, mi novia, I’ve been ready for a long time.”
His hands migrated down to your ass, and you let him squeeze you to him. You were wearing a simple blue summer-dress today, and he quickly found his way underneath it, letting his hands run up your thighs and relieve you of your panties. Then he pulled you along to the sofas, sitting down and urging you to straddle him. It was almost strange how calm it was. The two of you were always so heated, so passionate whenever you came together, to the point where it was almost always beyond your control, or at least, on the very edge of it. But this time, there was no tearing at each other’s clothes. No hands desperately grasping, needing and demanding more. No burning heat that made you feel empty and aching until he entered you. The heat did come, but gradually. With each caress, each tender kiss and each movement of your bodies together, it slowly built from an ember to a flame. Your walls actually allowed him to move inside you this time, and as you rocked yourself over him, a completely different kind of pleasure to what you’d become used to with him, built inside your core and seemed to reach towards your heart, instead of your sex. After a while, he turned you both to the side so he could lay you down and settle himself on top of you, and that feeling that was creeping towards your chest, drastically intensified. He drove into you in long, strong thrusts that buried him as deep as your bodies would allow, each time, and his throat made involuntary little sounds of pleasure every time he returned into your wet and welcoming warmth. It took you nearly thirty minutes to build to a climax this time, and when it finally hit, it was strong in a completely different way than it ever had been before. Your bodies didn’t curl or clench in on themselves, there were no involuntary power-outbursts, no levitation. But it felt like you were underneath each other’s skin. Like your hearts actually melded into one through the intricate contact of your skin and nerves. It was utterly overwhelming and there were tears streaming from your eyes throughout the whole climax. And they didn’t stop, even after you’d come back down. There was no pain or sorrow anywhere inside you in that moment, so you concluded that these were tears of pure love and you made no effort to stop them. You just held him close and waited for the feeling to burn itself out. He burrowed his face into your neck while you laid there, feeling the tears as they passed over onto his cheek on their way down, but making no comment about them. He knew what they were, and it made him love them too.
You took a late lunch together, and since the pills were working perfectly and the lab had been able to produce several months-worth already, you could enjoy eating like a normal person these days. Marcus really did miss your stomach-bear, though, and he would occasionally drop comments like ‘this is one of those moments when mama bear would have roared’, and you felt a little bit sorry for him. It was like he’d lost a puppy. While you ate, you started discussing what places you thought might be nice for a venue.
“Churches are nice, but a bit… I hesitate to say ‘stuffy’.”
“Yeah. They feel so formal, like you’re not allowed to have fun, and I really want us and our guests to feel like we’re allowed to have fun.”
“Definitely. So, what about restaurants?”
“Not my thing, if I’m honest, hermosa.”
“I figured. Pavilion?”
“Now, we’re talking. A big one, with lots of decorations and a dance-floor!”
“You and your dancing.”
“Oh, no; you’re the dancer, remember?”
“And your foxtrot is adequate, but your waltz needs some work.”
“Thanks. So, do we know of any potentially available pavilions, or are we gonna have to build one?”
“Don’t you worry about that, sugar-plum, if it’s a pavilion you’re looking for – I know the perfect one.”
Velma approached your table, wearing an even more daring outfit than last time you’d seen her. As always, she made a show of eyeing Marcus up and down and making appreciative noises to showcase his hunky-ness. And, as always, Marcus just smiled and let her do her thing.
“Where is it?”
“Didn’t I just tell you not to worry? I’ll take you to see it later if you want, but for now – I need to borrow your little cherry, here. Time to dolly you up, hon.”
“It’s finished?”
“Literally seconds ago. I came to find you right away, I need to see it on you before I can definitively say that it’s done.”
Marcus beamed at you both while Velma slipped her arm through yours and led you back to her cave.
Somehow, you’d expected it to be difficult to get into, or at least require assistance, but it wasn’t. It wasn’t a big or flaunty thing, nor was it heavy or complicated in its design. And yet, there was something so special about it. It was snow-white with a hint of gold to the shimmer in the fabric, to match the rings. It was an off the shoulder style dress, with long sleeves in the most beautiful lace you’d ever seen, that carried over into the body of the dress as well, though it was purely ornamental there, as the actual body was made from satin. From the waist down, there was no lace, but tiny golden details had been sewn into the satin and it made the dress come alive somehow. The skirt was cleverly designed, so that it billowed out just a little, but without getting puffy, and it was still just two layers, making it easy to handle and comfortable to move in. There was no train, but she had made you a vail in the same exquisite lace, in case you decided that you wanted one.
“Oh, my. Honey… I thought it looked gorgeous on the mannequin, but damn! You make this dress.”
“It’s perfect, Velma. It’s everything I didn’t know I wanted.”
“Marcus is gonna swoooooon…”
“He’s gonna love it.”
“Well, just make sure to have someone strong standing next to him so they can catch him when he inevitably goes down.”
You just smiled at her.
“Oh, and thank you for the shoes. You’re right, I’m gonna love these a lot more than the dress before the night’s over.”
“You got that right, Cherie.”
You met up with Marcus as soon as you were done in the cave, and the smile that lit up his face when he saw you carrying the special box that housed the dress, shoes and vail, could have put the sparkles in Velma’s very short skirt to shame.
“You actually have it? It’s finished?”
“It’s right in here.”
He looked positively squirmy with anticipation.
“And it’s even more beautiful than anything you’ve imagined. Trust me.”
He chuckled.
“I do.”
Velma took you out to see the pavilion she’d mentioned, and it really was perfect. It sat on several acres of green lawns and meadows, with a large pond not too far from the structure. You could have the ceremony out on the grass, overlooking the water, and put up a canopy over the tables and chairs for the dinner and cake. And then move over to the pavilion for the dancing and fun-times. There were huge old oak-trees framing the entire area, giving the whole place a bit of a fairy-tale feeling.
“Marcus, we have to pick a date. We have to find out if this place is available for us.”
“Oh, don’t you worry about that, honey-bun. It’ll be available whenever you want it.”
Velma gave you this knowing look and you gawked at her.
“You own this place?”
“For a long time now. I only use it for very special occasions, and I don’t go blabbering about it to every Joe and Willy looking for a party-house. But for you, my turtle-doves, it’ll always be available.”
By the time you went to bed that day, you’d not only picked a date, but completed and sent all of the invitations as well. You were going to get married on the ten-month anniversary of when you first opened your eyes and saw him by your bedside, which gave you roughly a month to get everything ready. And since you had everything pretty much figured out already, that wasn’t going to be a hard deadline to keep.
Or, so you thought.
But the day before the wedding came at you like you’d somehow fallen asleep at the wheel going 200mph down the highway. Suddenly it was all happening. And while you were totally ready emotionally, you were also just not ready over-all, and you woke up that morning feeling sick. Actually sick. Marcus was too excited to get more than 4h of sleep per night in the week leading up to that day, but he didn’t want to disturb you, so he’d gotten up and left the bedroom some time earlier that morning. You walked into the bathroom to splash some cold water on your face but it didn’t do much to alleviate the nausea, so you gave up and just got dressed instead.
“Hey, alma, are you okay?”
“Yeah, sweetie, just feeling a little overwhelmed I guess.”
“You sure?”
“I’ll be fine, don’t worry. The wedding is happening, come hell or high water.”
“Good.”
“Where’s Marcus?”
“He got called in to work really early, some crisis with a blue-whale, I think.”
“Okay, well, then I’ll drive you to school.”
“Are you sure you shouldn’t just take a sick-day?”
“I’m not gonna be helped by sitting here wringing my hands all day. Let’s go, Maid of Honour.”
She smiled at that, but then frowned.
“You’re not gonna have breakfast?”
“Kid, I’ll be happy if I can keep the damned pill down this morning.”
You dropped her off and went to work, intending to treat this like any other Friday. But when you stepped into your office, there was a weird smell that just set off all your senses, and you had to duck over the first available trashcan and vomit. Since your stomach was empty, all that came up was bile, and that somehow made you even more nauseas.
What the fuck was that smell?
You abandoned your office and headed for Marcus’ instead. It smelled fine, so you sat down at his computer and used your own login to access your files and get to work. But after about an hour you’d had to visit his bathroom three times as your stomach continued to try and cough up shit that wasn’t even there, and you gave up, and headed down to medical.
You had just intended to ask for some anti-nausea medication, but because of your medical history, they insisted on an exam to rule out any possible delayed complications.
You left medical in a daze, not even realising where you were going before you found yourself back in Marcus’ office. You sat down in one of the sofas and just waited. You didn’t dare to even try and feel anything without him there, because you were afraid that you might suddenly feel way too much, and you needed him to be there, to keep you calm if that happened. Some time later, Crushing ducked his head in and had to almost shout to get your attention.
“Huh… What?”
“I said, Marcus went home straight from the mission, two hours ago, he had something he wanted to get done for tomorrow. So, there’s no need to wait for him here.”
“Oh. What time is it?”
“Almost five.”
“Shit…”
“Hey, you okay?”
“I hope so. Yes. I mean, yes.”
“Want me to take you home?”
“No, I’ll be fine, thanks Crush.”
You drove home being almost ridiculously cautious and you laughed a little at yourself when you parked the car, next to Marcus’. You were surprised to find the front door locked. You never locked the door when you were home. They must have gone out on foot for some reason. Fishing your keys out of your bag, you unlocked it and stepped inside, and you were just about to call out to see if anyone was home, when you heard a sound that made every hair on your body stand straight up. It was a mechanical sound, a machine of some sort. You couldn’t identify it, but your body sure as hell remembered it. Walking into the living room, a fear unlike anything you’d ever felt before, flooded every cell inside of you. Your own blood rushing in your ears drowned out the sound of your keys and handbag falling to the floor, as you tried to take in what you were seeing.
Tubes… wires… computers… machines… bags of liquids… chairs that weren’t chairs but fucking instruments of torture. Two of them. One for Marcus… and one for Missy. And right in between them – Dr. Prince.
Authors’ Note: I love criticism, don’t be shy to let me know if there’s anything you like/don’t like/have questions about.
@blueeyesatnight @farfromjustordinary @allmyspideys @hrk-fic-recs @strawberryperegrine @lucrezia-thoughts @computeringturtle @sarahjkl82-blog
#marcus moreno#marcus moreno x reader#marcus moreno fic#we can be heroes#we can be heroes fic#pedro pascal fanfiction#pedro pascal characters
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Starstruck
pairing: Spencer Reid x fem!reader
warnings: a brief mention of violence and torture (typical unsub stuff), Just flirting....for now??
word count: 1.9K
a/n: This is my first fanfic so I’m a little nervous, so sorry if it’s kinda rough around the edges. If anyone asks then I’ll make a continuation. Also, I’m sorry if there’s an error in grammar or in the description of the burlesque scene, I’m not an expert in either.
summary: The stars of the nightlife in NYC are being targeted and during the BAU’s investigation Spencer meets a flirty burlesque dancer
Dr. Reid didn’t think this case was going to be any different from the usual ones the BAU receives but he would later find out how wrong he was. On the jet ride over to New York City, the team goes over the basics of the case.
“So this unsub has been torturing, sexually assaulting, and disfiguring popular women of the nightlife scene”, Penelope briefs on the computer screen. “The first victim was a popular stripper in a high-class strip club. And the second was the #1 hostess in an exclusive hostess bar.“
“All their hair has been cut off and their clothes have been taken off as well”, Morgan observes from the crime scene photos. Emily goes on to add, “he’s definitely angry at them, he goes out of his way to humiliate them”.
“These women are most likely unattainable to this man, he probably has experienced rejection in the past and when these women they reject him, he takes them by force”, Rossi concludes. The team nods in agreement.
Derek turns to the laptop, “Babygirl, is there anything else that these women have in common besides similarity in careers?”
“Hmm, there’s quite a lot of stuff, these women shopped at the same online retailers, frequented the same establishments, it will take some time to find anything noteworthy but when I do I’ll let you know in a flash, good luck lovelies!” And with that Garcia ends the video call.
When the team landed in New York and set up, they split up into units. Hotch and Rossi went to the coroner’s office to visit the bodies of all three victims. JJ and Emily stayed in the station to question the family of the victims. That left Morgan and Reid to visit the establishments each victim worked at.
As Morgan and Reid walk up to the SUV they call from Garcia, “Please tell me you found something sweetheart because we are getting squat.”
“Ok sugar, so since you guys said this guy would need some serious cash just to lay eyes on the victims, I looked at any other establishments that have the same sale rate and popularity as these places and found a burlesque club not far from you. And to top it all off I looked into that club to see if there was any connection with the victims and found a post on social media that one of the victims posted when they attended a show together .”
Morgan and Reid shared a look before asking, “What show were they attending?”
“It looks like it was a show that’s held for the most popular girl at the club. Her name is Y/N L/N and she’s there tonight for a show, sending you the address now.”
“Thanks Mama,” Derek says before turning to Reid, “Let’s go”.
~At the Club~
The pair flashed their badges at the entrance as the security guard let them pass and walk down the narrow steps. Upon arrival into the main area, Morgan walked to the bar on the right towards the bartender.
“Is the manager here? We would like to talk to Y/N L/N.”
The other bartender in the back laughed, “Get in line buddy.”
Morgan showed his badge, “I’m Special Agent Morgan and this is Dr. Reid. It’s important.” The guy in the back widens his eyes before turning back to a customer.
The first bartender responded,” Yeah I can get the manager for you but it will take some time before you can talk to Y/N, she’s about to perform soon. Wait here.” He puts down the towel he was holding and disappears backstage. Just when he does, the flashing lights shut off and a sole spotlight hits the center of the stage. Suddenly, trumpets sound from the music and the curtains pull back to reveal the most gorgeous girl Spencer has ever seen.
A kiss on the hand May be quite continental But diamonds are a girl's best friend
She was wearing a lingerie set that dripped in rhinestone fringe coupled with jewelry and heels that sparkled in the spotlight. Around her lower back and held up by her arms was a fluffy white shawl that was flung behind her as she began dancing. Her deep red lips lipsynced the lyrics and revealed a dazzling smile that stopped the heart of anyone she sent it to.
“Uhh, Morgan do you think that’s Y/N?”, Spencer’s voice raises an octave, looking at him in shock before returning to look at the stunning girl dancing across the stage as cheers erupt from the crowd. Many men raised from their seats and outstretched their hands, some of which had the honor of being reciprocated by Y/N’s delicate ones.
“I think so Big Boy” Morgan replies with a slight smile, the two never breaking their gaze away from her.
But square-cut or pear-shaped These rocks don't lose their shape Diamonds are a girl's best friend
Y/N began to step down the side stairs of the stage and walk amongst the audience. She would trace a hand across someone’s shoulder or cheek. Playfully blowing a kiss or sitting on someone’s lap. Slowly she moved across the room, getting closer and closer to the bar Spencer and Derek were located. Just as she was dancing near the closest table to the bar, the two heard a voice to their right.
“Are you guys the feds?” The two then turn around to face the manager.
“Yes, that’s us.”
“Follow me then.” As the agents follow the manager to the side entrance for backstage, Spencer caught one last glimpse of the beautiful girl five feet away, he could have sworn they made eye contact as she sent him a wink. Spencer unknowingly gulped.
. . . . .
Y/N was exhausted as the curtains closed. Just as she was about to reach for a water bottle extended to her from the stagehand, the manager walked up to her followed by two men.
Now, her job is to literally dance in front of a crowd in sexy clothing. But having a handsome buff man and a pretty boy approach her while she’s in lingerie and sweaty from a performance made her just a little self-conscious. You recognized the one on the right when you made eye contact with him earlier, he was even cuter up close.
The manager gestures to the men behind her, “Y/N, these men would like to talk to you”.
The two show their FBI badge but the one on the right accidentally holds his upside down, causing you to giggle. He looks startled and confused before the buff man on the right speaks, “Nice to meet you, I’m Special Agent Derek Morgan and this is Dr. Spencer Reid” the one now known as Dr. Reid forms a shy smile as he raises his hand, “we’re part of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit.”
“We’re here about the recent murders of Amanda Carlisle and Kayla Mcgann, did you know them?”
Your face softened, “Yes I did, I was really sad to hear the news, it’s horrible what happened to them.”
Morgan sent you a sympathetic look. “Would you mind if we asked a couple of questions?” You looked up at him. “No not at all, over here please.” You led them to your vanity and sat down.
“May I ask how you know them?” Morgan started. “We became friends a year ago at a New Years' Eve Party. Kayla approached me when she recognized me from a billboard. Then she introduced me to Amanda.”
The two listened before continuing. “Did they attend a show of yours a couple weeks back?” You nod and explained how it was the first time you had center stage so Amanda and Kayla went to go cheer you on.
The two agents asked some more questions about Kayla and Amanda, like where do they go, who do they know, but they found nothing significant or something they didn’t already know. During this time, it was mostly Agent Morgan who asked you questions, but that didn’t stop you from staring at Dr. Reid, which was probably the reason why he was so speechless.
Morgan clears his throat to grab Reid’s attention before turning back to face you, “Did you know of anyone who would want to harm Amanda and Kayla, someone they rejected?”
“Unfortunately, there’s many like that. That kind of stuff happens pretty often in our line of work. All types of guys approached them asking for a date or one-nightstands. Many of which get turned down. It’s why those two hired personal bodyguards after they started getting more attention.” You noticed the two agents exchange a look before Dr. Reid turns to face you.
“Did they have the same bodyguard?”, he licks his lips in concentration, not noticing how much the action affected you. “U-um no they didn’t, but they did go through the same hiring service. I have a card from them, Kayla gave it to me in case I wanted to try it out myself.” You turn around and bend down to look in a drawer in your vanity, knowing damn well that your clothes didn’t leave much for the imagination. As you pulled out the card you turned around to see a very red Dr. Reid. As soon as you caught him staring, he averted his eyes. “Where’s Agent Morgan?” you ask.
“He ah-um, stepped aside to answer a call.” You smiled mischievously and said “uh-huh” as you casually walk up to the agent. You extended the card between your two fingers to which he gently received. He mumbles a quiet “thank you”.
You notice him nervously shift his weight to the other foot, gaining more confidence, you decide to lean a little closer to him. You watch as his adam apple bobbed when he swallowed at the movement. To break the silence he asks, “so, you don’t have a bodyguard?”
You stand up straight and shrug, “didn’t feel the need to.”
He finally looks back at you, his eyes squint slightly as he licks his lips again in concentration. He looks you up and down, unintentionally checking you out. “I assume you’re just as popular as Amanda and Kayla were, if not more.”
You blushed at the compliment and roaming eyes, “I regularly take self-defense classes, I feel safer by myself than being around a man.” He nodded in understanding.
“But if it was you then that’s a whole different story,” you mused as you leaned towards him again, this time slightly touching his shoulder. He glanced at his shoulder then met your eyes, to which you instinctively smile. He could see why you were popular, your charm and allure was unexplainable and interacting with you felt effortless yet exciting.
Just then his colleague yells back “that was Hotch, we gotta head back and deliver the profile”.
The younger agent nods and turns back to you, handing you a card, “thank you for your time, if you remember anything else or have any questions please call us.”
“I’ll be sure to, wouldn’t want to pass up meeting you again.” You remove your hand. “Feel free to come again. I’ll give you a free show.” before sending him a wink.
Stunned and embarrassed, all Reid can do is nod before turning to around to leave. He bumps into someone in the process, apologizing frantically as he catches up to Morgan.
You watch as Derek pats Spencer’s back. A presence comes up behind you as you hear, “I didn’t know that was your type.” Another burlesque dancer, Nancy, stands beside you to follow your gaze. “That hot beefcake was standing right there and you chose to flirt with the cute nerdy boy. No wonder you turn down all those hot CEOs, you’re into cute FBI agents.”
“Specifically, THAT cute FBI agent” you laugh. Nancy laughs with you as you two walk to get ready for the next performance.
#spencer x reader#spencer x fem!reader#criminal minds x reader#criminal minds fanfic#spencer reid fanfic#spencer reid x reader
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Wrath is the Cat: Part 2
Hey everyone! I have a sweet fluff for you guys for Valentines Day! If you haven’t read the first part of this fic here’s the link for it. I’ve had this in the works for awhile now, so I hope you guys enjoy! This one has more Levi content too :) Know I love you all, and I hope you are happy this Valentine’s Day :)
Please note: I don’t think there’s any spoilers for season two of Obey Me in here, but there are spoilers for Fruits Basket. If you don’t want those, please come back and read at a different time. This will go on my master list, so you can always come back and read later :)
Satan/Mc
Word Count: 3,644
No warnings (unless you don’t like mild yelling from Satan), just fluff <3
“Welcome back, Mc!” Barbatos greeted.
“Hey! Glad to be back,” Mc grinned stepping out of the magic circle, “Is everything ready?”
“Just about.”
“Perfect. Thank you guys for helping me.”
“Of course. It’s not a problem. It will be nice not to have the brothers moping around everywhere.”
Mc laughed at that, pulling her bags down the stairs with her, “I can imagine.”
“In any case, it’s nice to see you again. Lord Diavolo wanted to be here to greet you, but he’s at RAD making sure none of the brother’s go home early today.”
“It is appreciated. I’ll make sure to drop by later and say hi to him.”
“See that you do. Now, let’s get you to the House of Lamentation.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mc was impressed by how silent Barbatos could be when he wanted to be. He took in most of her luggage, demon strength and a tail allowing him to carry more than she ever could. Soon, everything was back in her old room, which looked exactly as she had left it.
“Well, if that is all, I shall be taking my leave,” Barbatos said quietly, both of them knowing that Levi was still at home.
“Yes. Thank you so much! I’ll be by when the brothers let me.”
“We’ll be looking forward to it,” Barbatos smiled, bowed and then left the room, shutting the door on his way out.
Mc sighed, smiling as she looked around her room, sitting on the bed. She knew she would soon be the focus of everyone’s attention, so she was enjoying the silence while it lasted. She also wanted to get at least a bit unpacked before she got swamped by the brothers. She got down on the floor, and wiggled the loose board on her bed base. It came away, just like she remembered. Looking into the space underneath, she smiled, the grimm she’d left before she’d come back still there. Looks like her hiding space for important things hadn’t been sniffed out by Mammon.
Scooting across the floor, she grabbed the bag that held all the valuables she’d collected from the human realm. She had been able to get a house sitter this time, but she didn’t know how long she’d be here this time and she didn’t want to risk losing these items. Some of them couldn’t be found from other humans anyway, mementos from her first time in the Devildom.
After securing the board, she returned to her bags. She figured, as she hadn’t actually talked to Lucifer about staying at his house, she shouldn’t unpack her clothes, though she was sure Lucifer would let her stay. She did need the small backpack that held little presents from the human realm for the brothers. With that, she left her room to go see her true friend.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mc stood in front of Levi’s room, a bit nervous that Levi wouldn’t appreciate her dropping in on him unannounced. He could be finicky about the strangest things, and Mc didn’t want him to be upset with her. Still, she had come all this way and she had decided he would be the first one she visited with. Though it probably wouldn’t help much with his sin, Mc had to try to give him something to hold onto when she inevitably spent time with the other brothers. That in mind, Mc knocked on his door.
“... Password?”
“Tis I, Henry returned from abroad to the Lord of Shadows!”
There was silence from the other side of the door, until, “... Mc… Is that really you?”
“Would Henry lie?”
“No… But Mammon would.”
“Well, luckily for you, it’s not Mammon… Come on Levi! Open the door. I haven’t seen you in forever!... Fine then. Since you obviously don’t want to spend anytime with me, I’ll just let everyone else know I’m back.”
“Y… You haven’t told anyone else?”
“Nope, but it looks like all my sneaking around was for naught. I was hoping to discuss the plot of “My True Friend Just Returned from Another Realm and I Don’t Know What to Do Because I Think It’s My Brother Pranking Me,” The door opened a crack, and an orange eye peered out, widened suddenly, and a tail shot out grabbing Mc by the waist and pulling her into his room. Mc was caught in a tight hug before Levi suddenly pulled away, face red.
“There’s no anime by that title,” he mumbled.
“Nice to see you too Levi,” Mc beamed, “Though you pulled out of that hug way too soon.”
"W-Well, I guess if you don't mind hugging me, I could- Eep!"
Mc hugged Levi tightly. Though he protested lightly, he eventually hugged her back, causing Mc to chuckle lightly. Sometimes her otaku best friend was a bigger tsundere than Mammon.
"How long are you back for?" Levi asked, still hugging Mc.
"Not sure. Diavolo and I set this up, but we didn't talk about when I needed to head back up to the human realm. Today, I'm going to need to leave you around the time RAD gets out. Until then, I'm spending time with you. I even got Diavolo to dismiss you from class the rest of the day."
"Mc, I honestly don't know how I ended up with such a great friend. To think, a weird, gross otaku-"
"Hey! Stop saying that! You're talking about my best friend you know."
Levi seemed taken aback, until the words sunk in. He then grinned widely, and hugged Mc of his own volition, "I missed you so much!"
"I missed you too Levi."
"Can I tell you about my new favorite manga?" Levi asked, pulling back, eyes shining.
"Of course! Keeping up the human realm's new anime is too hard, much less a whole different realm."
Mc had never seen Levi smile so wide, as he began going off about an anime that Mc had a sneaking suspicion was loosely based off her first year in the Devildom, though she'd never say anything to Levi about it. She'd found it was better to let him figure these things out on his own. Mc had figured he would spend most of the time she'd devoted to him to run out of steam. She'd been gone for a while after all. Oddly enough, he only took half the time she had expected him to. When she had first come to the Devildom, Levi had talked nonstop about anything and everything that interested him. After listening to him enough and watching the way his brothers would interact with him, it was because no one listened to him enough. No matter how many online people he talked to he, just like everyone else, craved irl interactions, despite what he may say. Mc had assumed her return would warrant the same reaction, but he seemed to be doing as well as when she had left, something she was extremely grateful for.
“So, how have you been?” Levi asked.
Mc had to blink a couple times. Of course Levi was considerate in his own way, but she wasn’t sure he’d ever asked her that particular question before. As Envy, it seemed he avoided it as a matter of principle, not wanting to trigger his sin more than he had to.
“Ah, good, for the most part. I don’t mind the human realm nearly as much as I thought I would.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I always hated going back home after a vacation. Just settling back into my normal routine, after I had just spent all that time experiencing something new seemed so counterintuitive. But… I guess after spending so long down here, going back seemed almost like going on vacation again. Truth be told though, I honestly just wanted to come back here. I missed you all so much, especially you and Satan,” Mc cringed inwardly, realizing her mistake of mentioning Satan after the fact, “I was so glad Diavolo allowed me to come back.”
“Speaking of Satan, thank you.”
“Huh?”
“Yeah. I really didn’t want you to leave. I didn’t think it was fair that the human realm got you back when I really needed you here. You’re the first person I’ve honestly connected with in a long time and the thought of you leaving was pretty unbearable. Satan’s made it so much easier though. He’s not as great as you, but… we actually get along really well. We didn’t talk much before you came, and it was a little weird at first, especially when it seemed like he would get angry at me for no reason. I’ve since realized he mostly just wanted to be listened to, and I think he’s been a lot more patient with me. Having you gone has only been bearable because of him,” Levi ended with a smile.
“Oh Levi! I’m so happy! I was hoping you two would get along after I left!” Mc tackle hugged her best friend.
“H-Hey! Why are you so touchy today?”
“Sorry. I just really did miss you,” Mc smiled, happy to be back where she belonged.
Levi blushed, but smiled, “I missed you too.”
“Oh! I almost forgot!” Mc reached around for her bag, but stopped turning back with her eyes narrowed, “Close your eyes.”
Levi humphed, but closed his eyes anyway. Mc rustled in her backpack, grabbing the item she was looking for, and looked back at Levi, satisfied that his eyes were still closed, “Now, hold out your hands.”
Levi sighed again, but put out his hands. Mc placed one of the items she’d found in his hands, “Okay, open them!”
Levi instantly looked down and gasped loudly, “IS THIS...!?!”
“Yup. I happened upon these while I was shopping around in an estate sale antique store. I didn’t even know they made a leather bound TSL set,”
Levi just sat with his mouth hanging open, looking from Mc to the book over and over.
“Oh, if you’re worried, don’t be. I have the whole set. I just couldn’t carry them all over here, and some of them are still at my house. I figure we can go and get them soon,” Levi continued to open and shut his mouth wordlessly, “I also checked and yes, these are legit. The founders of the first TSL fan club begged to be allowed to make leather bound copies of the books. Christopher thought it was such a good idea that he had his publishers make leather bound copies for each of them. Best part is, it’s a magic item, so each time a new edition is released, a leather bound copy gets sent to everyone who has a complete set, which there can only be eight of since there were eight founding members. All the sets are numbered as well… So you should open it up and look inside.”
Levi broke out of his trance enough to open to the title page to see, it was number 3 of 8, it was signed, and a letter to the Lord of Shadows from Christopher Peugeot himself.
“H-How did you even…. I’ve only heard rumors of rumors about these. I… How?”
Mc laughed, delighted to have surprised the third born, “It’s amazing what you can find in little shops.”
“This must have cost a fortune!”
“Well, it did cost more than anyone else’s gift, but when I got back to the human realm I found I just kept coming into money. I think I have a certain brother of yours to thank for that.”
Mc watched Levi roll his eyes and take a deep breath, almost always a precursor to an envious rant, silently cursing herself for bringing up any of his brothers during their hangout time. He then stopped, releasing the breath. He lowered his head, and when he raised it again, he was not only calm he was smiling, “I’m… glad you were comfortable in the human realm.”
It was Mc’s turn to sit there in shock, mouth working wordlessly. Though her best friend wasn’t terrible or anything, she had never seen him stop an envious tirade. Levi lowered his head bashfully, “I… mentioned to Satan one day I was jealous of his control over his sin, and he offered to help me to contain mine better. I-I-I wanted to surprise you when you got back.”
“You didn’t have to change on my account Levi. I think you’re wonderful the way you are.”
“I-I know. It’s just… Satan is super cool and confident, and… Though normies still scare me, I… I would like some more control in my life. At least enough that next time I summon Lotan, it’s on purpose and not just because I can’t control myself.”
“Well, as long as this is coming from a desire to change yourself for you and not someone else, I fully support it! I want you to be as happy as you can be, and if gaining a bit more control over your sin is what you want, I’ll be your cheerleader!”
“Oh! Could you dress up like Ruri-chan in episode 64 then?! I’ve always thought you’d look perfect in her cheer leading outfit!” When Mc started laughing, Levi blushed, hiding his face behind his hand, “O-Or you could just forget I said anything…”
“Oh Levi! I’ve missed you too much!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mc wandered the hallway to Satan’s room. She hadn’t had much of a chance to be in the house during the school day, and the quiet was deafening. No yelling. No running. No strange life-or-death situations to worry about. Just stillness as Mc got reacquainted with the house.
When she turned down the hallway to Satan’s room, the smell of books overwhelmed her senses and she had to swallow her tears. This scent had haunted her dreams, always leaving her disappointed when she’d woken up.
Then, she was finally at his door. She raised a shaking fist to the door, and knocked on the off chance Satan had stayed home from RAD. After getting no response, she opened the door, her body instantly relaxing. She was back,
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Satan opened the door to the house, trying to remain calm. Mc had rescheduled their phone call through text this morning, which had caused him to space out at RAD and get an answer wrong in front of the entire class. Then, Mammon and Asmo had interrupted his walk home and had started to argue the entire way home.
“Don’t get on my case about it. It’s not my fault if you’re not popular on Devilgram,” Asmo huffed.
“N- I- Not popular?! Who do ya think ya talkin’ to?! I’m plenty popular! Just cuz ya sl-”
“ENOUGH!” Satan bellowed, rounding on his brothers, “I can’t believe I have to deal with you two today! If you continue to bother me-” he cut off suddenly, a familiar smell dampening his anger. How was Mc’s scent this strong? His brother’s looked at him curiously, “Just… leave me alone,” he finished, turning around and making his way to his room.
I can’t believe I’m upset enough about Mc cancelling our phone call today, I'm hallucinating her scent. Honestly, it’s just a phone call. Plus, all she did was reschedule it. I’ll probably be able to talk to her tomorrow. She’s also never had to reschedule one before. She was probably just super busy. I think she did mention something about moving. I can’t be so selfish I don’t allow her to do what she needs to. Satan sighed, opening his door.
“Welcome home.”
Satan snapped his head up to see Mc sitting on his bed, a huge grin on her face.
“M… C? You’re here?”
“In the flesh,” Mc giggled, drinking in his surprised expression.
In an instant, she was trapped in his embrace, “What are you doing here?” he murmured into her shoulder.
She smiled, stroking the back of his head, “Well, I’ve missed you and everyone else really badly. So, I talked to Diavolo and Barbatos and they helped me plan all of this. I don’t think they even told Lucifer about this.”
“I assume you already went and saw Levi?”
“Wh- How did you know?”
“Just a hunch. It’s a good idea too, visiting the Avatar of Envy first.”
“I made him promise not to say anything to anyone until I tell them. That way, we shouldn’t be interrupted.”
“I appreciate that. None of them are going to be very happy about that though.” “I know, but you’re more important to me.” Satan lifted his head from her shoulder, noting the small blush she’d developed, “ Do you mean that?” “Of course I do,” she smiled, blush deepening.
His heart leapt into his throat, and he found he couldn’t speak.
“I… You found the letter, right?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. I did.”
Mc nodded, “Well, I think I can finally tell you what I wanted to,” Satan sat back a bit, though he kept a hand on her knee, “After coming here and meeting you all, I realized I couldn’t just “go back” to the human world. I mean, obviously I did, and it was fine, but you guys mean too much for me to just… forget about. So, I’ve been talking with Diavolo. He said I wouldn’t be able to just move here unfortunately, but in exchange for my help with uniting the three realms, he told me you can come visit me in the human world whenever you want, as long as you keep up on your school work, and I can come visit here once every four months.
“He might allow more in the future, but this is what he’s given me for now. I… Uhh…” her cheeks turned crimson, “Have also been asking him what a human and demon relationship would look like, and if it could be possible. There’s still a lot of details that need to be ironed out, but he wanted me to ask if something like that would be…” Mc trailed off, and Satan stayed silent, needing her to completely finish her thought. Could it be?...
“You see, I… I love you. I was drawn to you the moment I first saw you, and… The feelings just got stronger over time. Leaving you was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Being back home, I realized every guy I met could never hold a candle to you. I… I can’t imagine my life without you, and I hope you feel the same way,” she finished in a rush, eyes on her hands.
Once Satan had recovered from the shock, he chuckled, bringing her face up to meet his, “I love you too,” he smiled, his heart light as he said the words he’d wanted to say for a long time now. The relief and happiness that flooded her face were more than enough payment for the wait, “Can I kiss you?”
Mc’s grin grew even wider, “Of course you can,” and so he did. He never intended a small kiss, and Mc soon found that out as his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into him. Her arms went around his neck, scooting into his lap. Satan had never felt more satisfied or complete in his life.
When they finally broke the kiss, they pressed their foreheads together, both a bit breathless. After a bit, Satan broke the silence, “So, you asked Diavolo’s permission to date me? Should I feel offended?”
“I hope you don’t. I just wanted to see what was required before I started barking up the wrong tree.”
“Well, I appreciate you going through the trouble. It will probably be a lot easier to proceed with his okay. How’d you get him to allow me access to the human realm?”
“With a lot of begging and promises that I’d keep you out of trouble. I hope you’re okay with that,” Mc looked at him in worry.
“Hmmm… Normally I don’t like the thought of someone trying to control me. But, as long as you don’t overstep your bounds and I get to see you, I’m alright with it,” he answered truthfully.
“Well, we have time to figure it all out now that I know you return my feelings,” Mc smiled, “I never want you to feel second rate, especially with me.”
“So, we can be open and honest with one another right?”
“Of course!”
“Good. I’m glad,” Satan said, kissing her forehead, “So… What do you want to do now?”
“Honestly, anything is good with me. As long as I’m with you,” she smiled happily, making his heart melt.
“Do you maybe want to go upstairs? I’m afraid we’re going to have someone come bursting in at any second.”
“I’d love that. I’ve missed my comfy chair. Where’d you even find it? I’ve tried finding one like it, and I can’t.”
“Well, let’s just say, I called in a favor from a friend.”
“How cryptic,” Mc chuckled, as she made her way up the staircase.
“Well, I think an air of mystery looks good on me,” Satan replied.
“Maybe I should start calling you Sherlock then.”
“He solved mysteries though.”
“He was a bit mysterious himself,” Mc countered, waiting at the top of the stairs for Satan and then walking with him to their chairs.
“If you say so,” Satan smiled.
Mc looked around, visibly relaxing back into the space. That’s when she saw it. Right across from them was the Fruits Basket set she’s given to Satan. Noticing where she was looking, Satan answered her question, “Tohru.”
“Huh?”
“Tohru’s my favorite character. Kyo almost won, but… You’re a lot like Tohru with what you’ve done for me and my family. Mc, I hope I can be your Kyo from here on out,” he gazed into her eyes, feeling his face heating up.
Mc smiled back at him, giving him a soft kiss on the nose then forehead, “You will always be the cat to my rice ball.”
#obey me!#obey me#obey me! swd#obey me satan/mc#obey me satan#obey me levi#obey me leviathan#obey me fluff#obm
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Open the Door
Prompt: please open the door
Fandom: Hemlock Grove
Character: Roman Godfrey
Word count: 2159
High school is supposed to be the best four years of a teenager’s life. So far; it’s a load of shit. Having a dad in the navy isn’t the easiest thing ever. In my 17 years of life, I’ve had the privilege of moving 6 times to different states. The longest place ever being Oregon, and my favourite. Only one more year until I can move out and be in my own place, living wherever I choose, for however long I choose.
2 years ago we moved to Pennsylvania, and it quickly felt like home. The aesthetic was perfect, the weather was perfect, and for once, I had friends I felt like I could trust. Moving place to place, I found it useless to make friends; keeping the ones I would meet online, never staying long enough to make friends in person. That’s not how Roman saw it however; I still genuinely don’t know if he wanted to keep me close to keep me quiet or if he wanted to be friends.
Whatever the case, we didn’t stay the same; I was quick to discover he was protective over those he gets close to. May be from losing people in the past or just how he was brought up and how he is with Shelly. After saving my life the first time, there was something between us that quickly sparked. Long story short, he’s been my first boyfriend and I would not change anything for the world.
-
School that day was going by as usual, Roman came to pick me up, we got coffee and were in the parking lot smoking before school started. “What’s on your mind?” He asked, pulling me from a trance, but I just shrugged – not wanting to get into it this early in the morning. “Y/N, I know when you’re lying” but once again I shrugged.
This was the longest my family has ever stayed in one place; we always moved around just to be closer to my father, and it was usually around this time of year that we got news whether or not he would be relocated. I couldn’t say goodbye to this place; Hemlock Grove quickly became my home, no matter how dreary things got or how intense my life would become. I wasn’t ready to give this up. My anxiety was quickly rising, but I didn’t want to bother him with my family issues.
Roman turned to me, his hand on my exposed thigh and looked in my eyes. He always managed to calm me down and get me to start talking but I don’t know if I could tell him this time, I didn’t want to get him in a mood before I knew if anything was happening. Looking anywhere but my boyfriend, I saw it was 8:30 and we had 5 minutes to get to class. “Look, I don’t know if anything is happening, maybe I’m just having a rough day. Anyway, we have five minutes,” and without looking back, I grabbed my stuff and rushed towards the door.
-
All day, I could feel Roman staring at me. I wanted to look at him, give him some peace of mind – but I knew if I do that, I would start crying. I feel like I can’t leave, this is the one place I have ever lived that made me feel lucky. I had friends, I had a boyfriend, hell, I was supposed to be graduating at the end of the semester – I feel like I can’t let that go, but I had no power whether we moved or not. I’m still a minor, and my mom is legally allowed to drag me everywhere with her.
During lunch I decided to take a walk, try to clear my head and be fresh for the afternoon. Numerous calls and texts from my friends almost prompted me to turn my phone off until I got the one text I have been dreading all day.
We need to talk when you get home
-mama
Tears immediately brimmed my eyes, I couldn’t do it. I can’t leave this place, I’ve built too many things, had too many memories for it to be taken way from me in just two years.
After little debate, I decided I was done with school. It felt as though my heart was slowly being torn in two. I hadn’t even gotten complete confirmation of what was happening or why she needed to talk to me, but it was like a yearly clock work. We are going to talk, she is going to break my heart and we are going to pack up to wherever is closer to dad’s new base.
Where are you? -Rome
Y/N, come on
-Rome
Class is starting, are you skipping?
-Rome
I wasn’t feeling well, decided to walk home
-Y/N
Bullshit
-Rome
☹
-Y/N
With that, I turned on do not disturb and enjoyed my quiet walk home.
-
Every house I walked by, every tree I saw would just make me more sad; knowing these would be the final times I would see these places. The walk way up the house already confirmed what my mom hasn’t told me; a real estate agent hammering a brand new ‘For Sale’ sign up in the front yard. Tears welled in my eyes, but I quickly shook them away – at this point, I should be used to it.
“Y/N? Is that you?” My mom yelled as the door slammed behind me, no point in trying to hide it – she had already heard my entrance. “Hi” I say, trying not to show the crack in my voice. “It’s only 1, don’t you have class this afternoon?” I shrugged my shoulders, really, I just wanted this conversation to end. “Y/N?” She asked again, but I just shook my head and made my way up to my room. Seeing the collapsed cardboard boxes resting over the door just made more tears well into my eyes. I knew there was no stopping this and I had to agree with what was going on; whether I liked it or not.
Roman
After a couple more texts and no answer from Y/N, I realized I wasn’t going to get anywhere. Glancing at the clock, I had 20 more minutes of class, but I was not in the mood to sit through it. Y/N made class a little more bearable to sit through, and I was losing my mind sitting here. She wasn’t answering, she had told me she wasn’t feeling well; but I had a hunch there was something else going on. “Mr. Godfrey, is there somewhere else you’d rather be?” The teacher asked after I ignored yet another question, so I looked at him. “Yeah, thanks for asking,” and with that, I grabbed my things and left; hearing protests, but not looking back.
I had one thing on my mind, and it wasn’t schoolwork.
-
Pulling up to Y/N’s house, I immediately found out why she had decided to skip the rest of the day; a large, bright ‘for sale’ sign was posted up in her front lawn. I felt my heart sink, she had told us about her father relocating every so often, but I didn’t think it would happen so soon after her moving here. I kept my eye on the sign, as if staring at it would make it disappear, but that’s not how the world works; it’s also not how being an Upir works, unfortunately.
Shrugging it off, I put my car in park and went to the front door. Looking up at her room, the blinds were drawn, and her windows were closed; she loves hearing and feeling the breeze, so I knew she was sad. My heart broke for her, and all I wanted to do was hold her and make sure she was feeling okay. “Roman! Haven’t seen you in a while” her mother greeted as she opened the door, I smiled gently and accepted her hug. “Sorry about that, things have been a little hectic lately. Uh, is Y/N here?” I asked. “She’s up in her room, I must tell you, she’s in a little bit of a mood,” with that, her mother was down the hallway; most likely going to keep packing.
Stalking up the stairs, I couldn’t help but get chills. Y/N was an emotional person, you can feel her emotions as soon as she steps foot into a room. Either being able to lighten it, and make everyone feel better or at ease, or bring down the room entirely. She is human but has no idea how truly powerful she is. At the top of the stairs, it felt as though a ghost had passed through my body. The entire floor was cold, freezing even, but as I looked around, all doors and windows were closed; the sun was shining outside, I knew this was entirely being brought on due to her mood.
Gingerly, I knocked on the door; not expecting an answer but expecting at least a sign of life. Besides hearing her little cries, it seemed as though the life had been sucked out of here. “Go away mom” she cried, making my heart break, she was clearly upset and it made me upset for her. “It’s me” I whispered, there was a moment of silence, before she turned on her bed – most likely shifting her back to door. “Go away” her voice cracked. Her voice was breaking, telling me she was trying not to cry, but it was no use. I gently tried pushing the door open, but it was no use – she had locked it. “Come on Y/N don’t do that. Please, open the door.”
However, there was no answer.
I knew she was hurting, but I had no idea what to do. “Please” I whispered, starting to feel defeat. Before meeting her, I would have never shown this much weakness to anyone, no matter how close I was with them. That was something about her though, she had so much power it was insane, she knew my strengths and she knew my weaknesses; and she was the main one.
Resting my forehead against the door, I wasn’t willing to give up. Y/N and I were both very stubborn people, she should know better than to assume I would have left.
I don’t know how much time had passed, but I had ended up sitting on the floor outside the door. I don’t care how long it would take, I would not be leaving until I was able to see her, and see how she was doing. I heard movement from her room, and suddenly weight on the other side of the door. “You still there?” She asked, I let out a little smile, turning my head. “I’m still here” I say.
Suddenly, the lock clicked. I knew she had unlocked the door, but I didn’t want to do anything she didn’t want me to. The door had opened, making me stumble and fall back into her body, her arms catching me slightly. “You know, you’re supposed to be in my place” I mumbled, putting a hand on her arm that was around my shoulders. “Let me have this, please” she said.
I did as asked, not daring to move. I could sense how she was feeling, and I didn’t want to do anything to disrupt her peace in this moment.
It was quite a long time before she finally spoke, her cheek pressed against the top of my hair, our hands interlaced. It was a peaceful moment, and if this is all I could give her in moments like this, I would do it ten times over. “We’re moving” she said, tightening her grip on my hand, and I nodded my head – not quite sure what to say to that. “I don’t want to say goodbye Roman; I don’t think I can” her voice cracked for what seemed like the millionth time today, and it shattered my heart. I hate how this girl can do so much, without doing anything at all.
I sighed, trying to think of anything to calm her. I turned in her arms, letting my head rest on her chest. Her heart beating millions of miles an hour, she was anxious out of her mind. “Calm down sweetheart, okay? We’ll do something, I’ll make sure you don’t have to leave” I promised. “How can you Roman? There’s nothing we can do, I have to move, I have to make new friends and start everything over again” she said, moving the hair from my forehead. I couldn’t help but to smile, she was so naïve it was a little cute. “Trust me, you won’t have to. I won’t let you leave,” her pupils dilated at my words. “I promise” I whispered, leaning up to capture her lips in mine.
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Mod: Some of these suggestions could be considered harassment, spam emails and mass reporting in particular. The main thing we can do to stop recasters is stop buying recasts. I went ahead and bolded the lines I think deserve extra attention since this is a long one. I think anon sent this one in with good intentions/love, so please be productive/kind in the replies.
Probably Extreme But I Don't Care
I’m going to be completely pragmatic here.
Does anyone know like, specifically, where Luo’s factory is? Because if so, it would only take one person being willing to take one for the team to (Mod: redacted) it to the ground. They will probably face jail time, or worse, which is unfortunate, but at this stage of things I can’t think of any other way to put a nail in the coffin for recasts.
Legal battles have gotten nowhere even for big companies like V0lks. Educating people hasn’t worked because for the majority of collectors, they only care about their own bottom line of getting the thing they want, even at the cost of destroying people’s livelihoods, and there’s no way to fix someone who’s already that broken and devoid of empathy. You can’t make someone care about human lives when they just fundamentally don’t agree that artists deserve to be compensated for their skills and time. The majority of them are as much of a lost cause as the average Qanon believer, so I no longer see value in trying to educate people. It makes no difference. And when legal channels fail, and so do other polite means of solving a problem, what other choice is there but to riot? It is so, so clear that despite people’s energy and time, things have only gotten worse for creators, and better for bootleggers. So it’s time to stop being nice. I’m not saying go out and attack someone with counterfeit dolls- everyone makes mistakes and even I was once given a shitty knockoff by someone well-meaning who doesn’t know the hobby well and got swindled. But the people who continue to purchase counterfeit products, who actively promote them and share them on social media? They don’t deserve to have a community. They don’t deserve to be out and ‘proud’ about hurting people. File DMCA claims on their youtube pages (one at a time, if you file multiple at once it all counts as one strike.) Report their websites to their domain registrar for promoting sale of counterfeit goods to get them taken down. Join their discord and telegram and amino communities and report them, too. Don’t be abusive and send death threats, don’t interact with them at all. Go above the problem and directly to the people who’ve platformed them and report them for promotion of illegal or counterfeit products. Send their information to the original creators, if you are able to get it, so they might pursue legal action on their own terms, especially for smaller artist dolls. When being nice fails, when education fails, when the government turns a blind eye and the law doesn’t care enough to enforce intellectual property rights, then it’s time for direct action. And if you’re one of the people actively collecting fraudulent knock-offs, then I’m sorry, but you don’t deserve to have a comfortable time in the hobby. You’re the human equivalent of a tick with even less value to the environment, and it’s time someone broke out the DEET. If the factory is untouchable, then the only recourse is to make owning them so miserable for the people buying them that they either stop buying them, or stop posting online. Either one is fine. If they don’t have a community to talk about and share things with, if the flow of information is cut off, eventually the sales will flag. It’s unfortunate that unfucking the search results for BJDs will be a nightmare and so will taking down their hosting sites, but if enough people complain – especially those fluent in the language – eventually progress will be made on that front, and that will be the key to making these as hard to get as possible. I also recommend, for those who are familiar doing so, ordering large numbers of dolls with falsified information so that they get produced and go unsold, to hurt the company in the only place it matters. I also recommend finding their customer service information and signing them up to autodialers and spam email. Each individual can do something, and a collective effort will do even more. I don’t think we can ever fully get rid of counterfeits, but if people stop tolerating the abuse of creators and work to promote the proper information (maybe education still has a place in tandem with aggressive excommunication) it’s certainly possible to reduce the influence the counterfeiters have. Does this sound ~extreme~? Does this sound ~harassing~? Does this sound ~abusive~? Maybe so. But answer me this, what’s more hurtful? Someone telling you that they can’t be your friend because you bought a bunch of counterfeit goods? Or an artist not being able to buy food because you bought a bunch of counterfeits of their creations? Feelings are important, but in this instance, your feelings don’t matter as much as the real damage you’re doing to other human people. They’re all “just dolls” until you stop for even one second to think about the fact that they’re made by actual human beings, and buying counterfeits 1) deprives them of the income they should get for the sale of their hand-crafted work, and 2) encourages human rights violations by exposing the employees at the bootlegger factory to all manner of nasty shit. You saw the photos, certainly, right? No one painting, sealing, or sanding had any kind of respiratory equipment. Maybe you don’t care about hurting people’s income, but do you care about fucking up someone’s lungs? Probably not. I’d love to be proven wrong, but counterfeit collectors entrenched in that fraudulent community have already proven how they feel. I don’t think anyone’s actually going to (Mod: redacted) down Luo’s factory, as nice as that would be. But I think this hobby has been too tolerant for too long of people who do real harm to creators, and I’m tired of seeing it. You’ll see what sparked this soon enough, probably… I lost a good friend and their shit getting recasted might’ve been the last goddamn straw. Go ahead and call me a fake baiting troll or whatever, I literally don’t care anymore. I’m just sick of this shit and I just want the people fucking up the lives of artists while claiming to Love and Support the hobby to face some fucking consequences for once instead of all the bad shit happening to the people who actually take the time to create. Fuck.
~Anonymous
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