#it would appear i have made an embarrassing blunder

[celibatefish]

I enjoy the band Ween featuring Gene and Dean Ween but great fish heavens there's bad language and it scares me every time, I have to jump up and hide the moment they begin to mutter a single inappropriate word.

[just-jordie-things]

[part two] we weren’t just friends - okkotsu yuuta

word count: 11k warnings: swearing, drinking (but it’s legal!), mentions of masturbating summary: two idiots that are bad at confrontation and don’t want things to be awkward somehow make things awkward anyways. more info: college!au, aged up characters, roommates!au, childhood friends, n*oya makes an appearance in this part, soft yuuta taking care of drunk reader

part two: “i’m not ready, eyes heavy now” ___

[mai] : do you want me to come kidnap you? just say we have plans

[maki] : you don’t need to kidnap her.  she’s a big girl.  She can handle talking about her feelings.  can’t you, (y/n)?

[(y/n)] : no i don’t think i can :’( pls come rescue me, idk what to do.

[mai] : maki where are the keys i’m going over there

[maki] : the fuck you are, stay away from my car.

[maki] : i say this with love, (y/n).  get out of bed and just talk to him.  it’s not like you boned.  A little kissing never hurt anyone.  your friendship is stronger than that, don’t you think? 

[(y/n)] : …it was a lot of kissing…

[mai] : did he get a boner? 

[maki] : you’ve been friends a long time.  and he kissed you back, didn’t he? he probably enjoyed it.

[(y/n)] : i think he enjoyed it… idk… i’m rlly embarrassed about it.

[mai] : if he got a boner he enjoyed it.

[maki] : ur being gross :p

[(y/n)] : but what if he just got carried away and it didn’t mean anything and he’s upset with me? 

[maki] : did he say he was upset with you? 

[(y/n)] : … no.

[mai] : he’s probs pent up now.  you should seduce him again.

[maki] : then all this talk is pointless.  go TALK to him and then if it’s bad we’ll come swoop you up and take you out for the day.  deal? 

[(y/n)] : bed is comfy… and safe…

[mai] : and if we don’t hear from u we’ll assume u seduced him again

[maki] : you got this :)

(y/n) sighed as she turned off her phone, dropping it onto her mattress as she glared up at her ceiling.  The light from the sun had long since poured in through the window, having woken her up hours ago.  She wasn’t surprised to see so many texts in her groupchat with the Zen’in twins after Toge blabbed about what he thought he saw when he returned to the apartment late last night.

Normally she would’ve ignored their pestering and turned down any assumptions they may have made.  But she needed advice from her closest friends on what to do now.  She had yet to leave the safety of her bedroom, knowing Yuuta would be awake and going about his morning routine.  Maybe it was silly to be afraid of running into him, but her shame kept her shackled to the bed.

Maki was right, it wasn’t fair to assume how Yuuta would behave today.  It was a discredit to the years of friendship under their belts.  But then again, making out in a sudden moment of weakness was a blunder on their friendship, too.

Dramatically, she rolled over, planting her face in her pillow and groaning out her frustrations.

When she finally made an appearance, Yuuta’s head shot up from the kitchen table where he’d set up his things to spend the day working on an essay he should’ve started yesterday.  Just like yesterday, his focus shifted completely as soon as her door creaked open and she stepped out.

Her eyes widened a bit when they landed on him, as if she was surprised to see him there at all.  He gave her a small smile, hoping to ease any nerves she likely had coming into the morning.

“Mornin’,” He hummed, his gaze fixed on her as she lingered in her doorway, seemingly unsure about leaving her room at all.  “Made a pot of coffee if you need some” 

Yes, caffeine, her body pleaded, and she nodded at him gratefully as she made her way to the kitchen.  Even as she grabbed her usual mug out of the cupboard and poured a generous amount of coffee into it, she could feel his eyes on her back.

He watches as she shuffles about the kitchen, pouring in her cream and sugar before testing the drink, then repeating the cream and sugar.  He smiles to himself as this happens a few more times.  She’s not happy with it until it’s color is milky brown, and it surely no longer tastes like coffee at all.

“Thank you” She hums when she takes a longer drink, smiling as it finally tastes perfect.

She turns to him, leaning against the counter and holding her mug carefully in both hands.  He gives her a nod, his eyes flickering over her, as though looking for any sign of discontent.  He finds none.

“Yeah,” He replies quietly.  “You sleep alright?” 

(y/n) nods back.  “You?” 

He shrugs a shoulder, his head moving from side to side with lack of a real answer.  Her lips pull into an awkward frown, not knowing what to say now.

She hates that she finds it so hard to speak to him.  It had never been like this between them before.  They’d never tiptoed around each other, conversation always came naturally.  And when they were quiet, the silence was comfortable.

The silence now feels so heavy that her chest aches.

She hates that she’s the reason for the nervous energy buzzing in the air, making her skin prick with goosebumps and her heart beat erratically.

“I, uh, I think I’m gonna go out with the twins later” She forces herself to speak, saying the first thing that comes to mind.  Even though she hadn’t explicitly made plans with the Zen’ins, she was sure they’d do her this favor.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” She sighs, sounding less convincing by the second.  “Probably for drinks, I could really use a drink” She mumbles the last part.

Yuuta chuckles, his smile cracking a little further as his eyes catch the clock on the oven behind her, before looking at her again.

“Not even ten in the mornin’,” He tells her, tilting his head.  “Already need to forget today?”

Her face flushes and she tilts her head to stare down at her cup of coffee.

“That’s alright,” Yuuta brushes off her nervousness as best he could.  He just wanted her to be at ease, even if that meant pretending nothing happened between them.  “I’ve got an essay to keep me company today anyways,” He says, nodding to the scattered textbooks and notebooks before him.  “But you’ll let me know if you need a ride, or anything?”

She nods back at him, the smile on her face a little more genuine this time.

“Yeah, I will” She says, and finally makes her way out of the kitchen.

She goes to greet their fish good morning, cooing softly to the thing as it swims about it’s tank excitedly.  She gives into it’s begging, sprinkling in the smallest amount of fish flakes as she could, and cheering quietly as he strikes at the little clump of food at the surface of the water.  Yuuta tries not to stare as she murmurs and coos to the fish as though it were any other pet, a kitten, or a hamster.  But he can’t help the lurch in his heart watching her sweet talk the betta that only had the capacity to care about being hungry.  The scene truly was a testament to her character.

She finished her coffee and went about her normal routine without much else to say to him.  Yuuta tried not to mind.  He tried to focus on his essay and give her space to settle back into what felt normal.  He just hoped she’d relax sooner than later.  He’d hate to have her feel uncomfortable in her own home.

Shortly after she’d gotten in the shower, he lost focus on his project again and reached for his phone.

[yuuta] : i feel like a total fucking idiot.  i think i messed everything up.

[toge] : looked like u guys enjoyed urselves to me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[yuuta] : so not what i meant. [yuuta] : she can barely talk to me.  she only just got out of bed.  she seemed so uncomfortable.

[toge] : did she seem mad? maybe she just didn’t know what to say.  it is kinda awkward

[yuuta] : i don’t think she’s mad.  I think she just regrets it

[toge] : did u bring it up?

[yuuta] : no, i don’t know how

[toge] : well did u try ‘hey we made out and i liked it, what are we?’

[yuuta] : ._.

[toge] : ok taking that as a no. [toge] : but starting w that is prlly a good idea

[yuuta] : but what if that makes it worse [yuuta] : what if she doesn’t want anything more and it was just like a one time thing yk [yuuta] : we both had a bit to drink. [yuuta] : i think i’m going to have a panic attack.

[toge] : ok slow down for a sec [toge] : you’re jumping to conclusions, remember? you can’t decide what she’s thinking bcuz you haven’t talked about it. [toge] : rn what you have control over is what you want to do about it.  So for now, just try to focus on that. [toge] : and ur essay for econ.  actually you should put most of your focus on that.

[yuuta] : ok ur right.  i’m gonna work on that now. [yuuta] : thank you.  I’ll talk to you about it later.

[toge] : :) ___

Yuuta had never felt the menacing glare of the Zen’in twins fixed on him before.  When he opens the door to find them in the hallway, clearly perturbed to be greeted by him rather than the girl they were here to escort for the evening, he felt a cold sweat form on the back of his neck.

“Hey guys-” 

“Where’s (y/n)?” Maki pushed in first, side stepping Yuuta completely and bee-lining for (y/n’s) bedroom door, which had been shut since she’d been getting ready to go out with them.

Mai gave him a sympathetic smile, and he stepped aside to let her in.

“She’s a bit on edge, don’t worry about her,” She explained her sister’s antics, something she’d grown used to doing.  “But how are you doing?” 

The simple question didn’t hold it’s usual casual tone.  Mai looked genuinely curious to know his answer.  In fact, it looked like she was taking pity on him as her brows drew together in concern.

“Uh- fine.  I’m fine,” Yuuta stammered over his answer, and quickly made his way towards the kitchen, looking for something to busy himself with.  Getting interrogated by Maki and Mai was the last thing his nerves needed right now.

Even if Maki had already barged into (y/n’s) room and shut the door behind her with a slam.  He’d perked up at the ruckus, watching the door worriedly, but it remained shut, and he didn’t hear hollering from inside, so he figured all was fine between the two, and Maki was just up to her usual untamed behavior.  Mai chuckled to herself.

“Did you want a glass of water? Or something?” Yuuta asked, already filling a cup at the sink.

“Oh no, I’m alright,” Mai shook her head and took a seat at the kitchen table.  Her eyes scan over the messy stacks of books and the long extension cord that reaches across the whole room to keep his laptop alive while he works.  “You’ve been busy, hm?”

Yuuta chokes, whirling around, not realizing she’d been commenting on his mess at the table.  He instantly flushes, especially when Mai raises a brow and her lips curl into a smirk at his reaction.

“Oh- that- yeah,” He coughs to clear the hitch in his throat, hitting his fist to his chest a few times for good measure.  “I have an essay that’s due in a week” He explains quietly, certain that she didn’t actually care what he was working on.

Mai only nods, changing the subject before he could bore her with the specifics of the assignment.

“So, what’re your thoughts on the whole thing?” 

Yuuta blinks, unsure of what she was really asking.  Mai tilts her head at him, knowing he was a smart enough guy that he could figure it out on his own.

“I don’t know…” He sighs, bringing a hand up to the back of his neck.  “I don’t know what the right thing to do is…” 

Mai giggles cutely behind her fingers, as if she’d been watching two kittens playing with a ball of yarn, rather than watch a grown man struggle with the feelings he’d carried for years.  Feelings so strong everyone around him knew damn well where his heart lied.  It was a cruel laugh, but she couldn’t help it.  Yuuta could be so pitifully hilarious sometimes.

“Sorry,” Her apology is empty when he furrows his brow at her.  “It’s just… I owe Toge money for this, you know,” 

Yuuta’s gawking now, frozen and silent as he waits for further explanation.  Had everyone been in on something he hadn’t known about? Was this all some elaborate prank on him?

“I always thought you’d make the first move.  Guess Toge knew best this time” 

“Wait, you actually bet on- he bet against me?” Yuuta stammered.  Mai smiled sweetly.

“Everyone bet against you,” She told him.  “Well, everyone but me,” She corrected right away.  “Personally, I thought it’d be a whole love confession thing, you know? Like in the movies? I always thought you were the kind of guy that just wouldn’t be able to hold it in anymore.  After last night I was sure that if (y/n/n) had a little push it’d be enough for you to do something.  But it sounds like she initiated, no?” 

Yuuta’s head was spinning taking in all of this information at once.  Everyone knew? His closest friends, and they bet against him? His face felt hot with embarrassment, and just when he thought this whole thing couldn’t get worse, too.  Damn them all for being such a close knit group of friends that nothing was private anymore.

“I… I guess…” He answered the question quietly, unsurely.  Truthfully Yuuta wasn’t sure who exactly was at fault for the situation.  (y/n) might have brought up the subject, but he was the one who kissed first, wasn’t he? “So… she told you all of it?” He asked.

Mai smirked.

“Sorry, can’t break the girl code,” She says innocently.  Yuuta rolls his eyes.  Bullshit.  She just wanted to yank his chain.  “But you’re my friend too,” She reminds him.  “So I was just curious what you thought about all this” 

Their banter was cut short by (y/n’s) door swinging open, Maki’s voice carrying out into the hall as she exited, nodding for her sister to get up to head out.

(y/n) followed shortly after, a pair of heels in one hand, her other hand occupied trying to secure a bracelet on her wrist.  With her focus on awkwardly trying to maneuver the clasp with one free hand, Yuuta was given enough time to stare at her properly.

She’d spent a lot of time holed up in her room, supposedly getting ready, and now he could see just the amount of effort she’d put into doing so.  Her hair was done up, styled in perfect soft waves that bounced when she moved, and fell around her shoulders.  A simple but pretty dress hung from tiny straps at her shoulders and fell just above her knees.  It was her favorite color and one that complimented her very well.  Yuuta had been there when she’d found it and claimed it was an ‘impulse buy’, but she’d loved it thoroughly and had worn it regularly.  He stared in awe while she struggled with the jewelry and cursed under her breath.

It took him a minute to come back to reality, blinking quickly as if he needed to refocus, before approaching her with an outstretched hand and a small smile.  She understood what he was offering from the small action.  It wasn’t the first time she’d struggled to put on her own jewelry, and she’d often turned to him for help with the dainty clasps.

Sheepishly, (y/n) placed the charm bracelet in the palm of his hand, before holding her wrist out to him.  With how close she is he can smell the flowery perfume she’d just applied before coming out of her room.  It was sweet and pretty and he swore it flooded his senses like THC, lifting him right off the floor and into the clouds.

“Thank you” She murmurs.

She watches as he carefully lifts the jewelry from both ends, securing the claw clasp between his thumb and index finger gently.  A smile lifted at the corners of his lips as the little charms dangled off the silver chain, and he recognized the bracelet.

It was a gift from him.  For the first birthday she’d celebrated since moving in together.  It wasn’t the most extravagant thing, there were no jewels, the chain was made of silver rather than rose gold or something more expensive and romantic.  The charms were a mismatched set of stars and moons, some varying in color, but most of them the same silver as the chain they dangled from.  When he’d come across it, Yuuta thought he’d struck gold.  It had been the perfect gift.  He’d seen it in the window at a jewelry store he’d never looked at twice before, but somehow this little bracelet called to him and he was waltzing right inside and purchasing it at the counter not five minutes later.  

The clerk placed it in a little velvet box, which Yuuta took home and carefully wrapped a silky white ribbon around.  It had taken some practice to tie the bow just right, but he’d been very proud of his craftsmanship.  In the days leading up to her birthday, he was sure he was going to ruin the surprise, he was so giddy with excitement.

Then when the day came, and they were all out with their friends for dinner, he was a wreck.  Everyone else’s gifts were so different from his.  Maki had given her a nice leather jacket, Mai had given her a handle of her favorite rum, and Toge had given her a new game for their switch.  When all that was left was the small gift bag holding Yuuta’s gift, he was chugging his drink as she reached into it with a grin.

The table went silent when she pulled out a tell-tale velvet box, a perfect silk bow tied around it.  Yuuta avoided her gaze when her wide eyes turned to him.  He’d missed the way her cheeks had warmed up, too embarrassed by the stares from the rest of their friends.  ‘Jewelry?’ she’d asked sweetly, before carefully untying the ribbon and propping open the box.  She’d gasped, setting the box down carefully before lifting the bracelet from it, admiring each mismatched charm dangling from it.

Her eyes lit up as she turned to him, holding it out for him with one hand, the other wrist on display as she bounced in her seat, prompting him to put it on her.  That was the first of many times Yuuta had clasped the gift carefully around her wrist.  Conversation between the twins and Toge picked up again as the pair shared a sweet, private moment.  Yuuta wasn’t sure why it was so intimate to do such a simple favor for his friend, but his skin burned where it grazed hers as he adjusted the new jewelry for her.

‘It’s beautiful,’ She’d whispered softly, her eyes fond as they gazed into his.  ‘I love it so much, thank you, Yuuta’.

As he hooked the claw through the usual hoop she always wore it at, the perfect length to keep it secure on her wrist but still let the little stars loosely dangle, Yuuta couldn’t help but think about that first time he’d put it on for her.

“There,” He hummed when it hung perfectly around her wrist.  “You’re all set now” 

His eyes lingered on the bracelet and it’s meaning that he’d never quite worked up the courage to tell her about, before flickering to meet her soft expression.  There was something in her eyes that told him she was trying to say something, but she didn’t budge on it.  Her lips curved into a small smile as she nodded at him in gratitude.

“So we’re ready?” Maki cleared her throat, drawing both of their attention over to where she had her arms crossed and a brow raised.  

(y/n) was quick to shuffle away from Yuuta, sliding on her heels and making sure the straps were adjusted just right at her ankles before giving Maki a wide smile.

“Ready!” 

She leaves with a wave and a sweet call of good luck on finishing his essay.  Yuuta lingers at the door, even long after the three have left for the night.  The creeping feeling that he’s an idiot plaguing his mind again.

It wasn’t like he could tell her not to go, that wasn’t fair.  It also didn’t seem right to tag along, he wasn’t a total moron after all, he knew that she needed some space tonight with her girlfriends to collect herself and get over what happened between them.

But god, he just hoped she wasn’t going to get over it by finding someone else to distract her from it. ___

Rather than go to the usual bar that the group would spend free evenings at, Maki and Mai had promised an all new experience for the night.  Mai talked up the place animatedly, all bright eyes and movements of her perfectly manicured hands, while Maki drove and chastised her sister for being such an annoying passenger.

The longer (y/n) spent around them, the more her nerves began to settle and she finally gave in to the excitement of going out for the night.  It had been a while since they’d done something just the three of them.  Girl time was hard to come by, and often only happened in their groupchat.  Toge and Yuuta had a way of wiggling into their plans, not that they really complained about it.  It was nice to have a close and comfortable group of friends.

But right now, (y/n) needed two things.  One, time with her favorite twins that always scored free drinks wherever they went.  And two, the free drinks that the pair were currently scoring as they chatted up the bartender.  

(y/n) watched in amusement as Maki slid her glasses onto the top of her head pulling her hair away from her pretty face, and Mai leaned over the bar on her elbows, her low cut top doing all the work for her even while she undoubtedly flirted with the tattooed man behind the bar.  The high top table (y/n) sat at with all of their purses- it wasn’t like the Zen’ins needed their wallets- was far enough away that she couldn’t hear the conversation happening, but she recognized the sweet, alluring smile on Mai’s red painted lips.  It was a flirty look, and held absolutely no bite behind the bark.  It was just a well rehearsed dance, and she knew exactly how to use it to get what she wanted.

Admittedly, it had even worked on (y/n) a few times.  So she knew that no man was strong enough to withstand it’s power.

Sure enough, the girls were already headed back to the table with three drinks between them, and proud grins on their faces as they snickered between themselves.

“Did a phone number come with these?” (y/n) teased as Maki handed her the extra cocktail.  She thanked her with a bright smile, admiring the swirls of color in the drink before she stirred it up.

“Sure did,” Mai says, flashing the napkin between her fingers, the scrawl of numbers in purple ink spread across one side.  “I think I might call this one too” She adds excitedly.

Maki and (y/n) share a laugh before the three of them raise their glasses, clinking them together gently.

A few drinks passed and (y/n) had almost forgotten why she’d even wanted to go out tonight.  It was so nice to hang out with the Zen’in twins.  There was always plenty to gossip about, and especially in a setting like this one, there was only more fuel for their fire.

While Mai went back to order their fourth round, and flirt with the bartender some more, Maki dragged (y/n) out to the dance floor.  She knew her well enough to know that three drinks was just the right amount to loosen her up and get her out there without much protest.  And just as she thought, (y/n) eagerly followed, hips already swaying to the familiar beat.

“You feelin’ better?” Maki asked, leaning in close enough so she didn’t have to yell as much over the music.  Close enough that (y/n) could smell the familiar perfume she’d been wearing since they were in high school.

“I am,” She beamed up at her friend while they danced.  “Thank you for taking me out, this is just what I needed” 

Maki smiled back at her, relieved to have helped.  Even if it was only for a few hours, she knew that this distraction was necessary to clear her mind.

(y/n) and Yuuta had been dancing the dance of friends that hadn’t realized they were infatuated with each other for so long that Maki genuinely couldn’t remember a time when their romantic tension wasn’t all consuming.  When they’d decided to move in together, she’d known it was only a matter of time before something changed between them.  They all knew, hence the bet with Mai and Toge, that living in close quarters would create a rift at some point.

It sounded like that rift was more of a dive head first into unexplored territory, and (y/n’s) panic text last night that only read ‘s.o.s yuuta and i almost hooked up and i think i’m gonna have a panic attack’ was far more than anything she could expected to happen, but it was amusing nonetheless.

And Maki loved her friends.  She loved them so much she was happy to take her out for drinks and dancing in order to relieve some of the awkward tension at home.  But her friends were morons, and when this was resolved, she planned to never let them live it down.

Because there was no doubt in her mind that Yuuta loved (y/n) with every fiber of his being.  No doubt at all that (y/n) felt just the same for him.  She’d been following him around with stars in her eyes since they were children.  And Yuuta had never treated anyone the way he treated (y/n)- like she hung the moon and stars, like his entire world revolved around her.  

They could be in a crowded room with blasting music and hollering voices, and if (y/n) was speaking, Yuuta was listening to every word with his undivided attention.  Maki had seen it, on multiple occasions.

Six drinks and two free rounds of shots from the bartender that had a crush on Mai later, and Maki was struggling to herd her sister and her friend outside and towards the car.

It was very late into the night, and even for a Friday night Maki was ready to crash and get a full night of sleep.  She should have known to start the process of leaving an hour early, because since suggesting they square up their minimal tab and heading out, an hour is how long it had taken to get the two remotely close to the door.

Mai was insistent on staying until the place closes- which wasn’t for another three hours- but Maki refused to ditch her sister at a bar at one in the morning with a guy she just met.  Free drinks or not, that crossed girl and sister code for her.

(y/n) was a different story.  Three-drink (y/n) loosened up enough to dance a bit and mingle just a little.  Six-drink-and-two-shots (y/n) was making best friends out of everyone she ran into, whether they wanted to chat or not, she found a reason to hold their attention.  One girl had cute boots, some other guy was wearing a tee shirt of a band she’d heard of- not even liked, just heard of- and now she was off again talking to someone near the bathrooms.

“She said she was gonna pee!” Maki barked, and Mai lazily turned her attention towards where Maki was glaring.  “Come on, let’s go get her.  Again” 

Knowing better than to trust Mai to follow, Maki snatches her by the wrist and drags her across the bar with her.  Mai finds this amusing and a bit ridiculous, but doesn’t fight with her.

As they grow nearer and can see (y/n’s) animated talking, they also get a better look at who it was that had stolen her attention.

“Hey wait a sec,” Mai stops in her tracks, pulling her arm out of Maki’s grip only to grab her shoulder and maneuver her body until she could follow her exact line of sight.  “Is that…?” The name doesn’t come off her tongue, but it doesn’t need to.  Maki recognizes the man she’s speaking too instantly.

And she glowers, before speeding off towards the pair at a faster, more determined rate.  This time she knows Mai will be hot on her tail.

“Naoya!” 

(y/n) and the stranger she’d been talking to both perk up.  Recognition flashes in both of them as they see the Zen’in twins stampeding towards them.  (y/n) beams, delighted to see her friends.  The handsome stranger she’d been conversing with wears a smug look as he smirks at his cousins.

“We’re leaving,” Maki said, putting herself between (y/n) and her distant cousin, staring down at her friend with a grave expression.  “Let’s go-” 

“I didn’t pee” (y/n) pouts up at her, too out of it to notice the hostility between her friend and the man she’d just met.  Maki huffs, narrowing her eyes at her as though to ask ‘really?’.  (y/n) bats her eyes up at her.

“I was just keeping (y/n) here company while she waited,” Naoya speaks up.

The Zen’in twins both spun around to glare at him as he spoke.  If (y/n) hadn’t been inebriated she may have recognized the icy stares that she’d seen many people cower away from before.  Eerily enough when directed at him, he stared back at them with his chin tilted out and a smirk on his face.

“I’m happy to wait with her if you both have somewhere to be?” He suggested.

“As if” 

“Eat shit” 

Mai and Maki spoke in unison, both of their comments jarring (y/n), who was now shielded behind them like a small child.  Naoya lifted his hands in mock surrender, and took a step away from the wall.

He caught eyes with (y/n), confused, naive, drunk (y/n), who tilted her head as he waved goodbye to her.  She weakly raised a hand to return the gesture.  Maki glared between them both as she followed the interaction.

“You’ve got my number,” He grins, his eyes staying locked on hers even while Maki and Mai’s were so sharp he could almost feel them piercing his skin.  “If you change your mind on getting over that roommate” 

Mai’s jaw dropped open as she whirled around to (y/n), a look in her eyes that was somewhere between excitement and bewilderment.  Maki snarled at the man until he finally turned around and left.  It wasn’t until then that she ushered (y/n) into the bathroom, where there was no line to begin with, as it was completely empty inside.

The loud music and crowd at the bar muffled out once they were alone in there, and (y/n) was quick to scurry into a stall.

“Fucking ridiculous,” Maki cursed under her breath, while Mai pulled herself onto the counter of sinks, swinging her feet as she laughed to herself.  “If he tries to talk to her again, I’m punching him in the goddamn teeth” 

“That guy?” (y/n) called from the stall, only to go ignored by the sisters on the outside.

“Like when we were kids?” Mai mused, a smirk curling on her lips as she recalled the distant memory.

“No,” Maki shook her head, before a slow smirk of her own formed.  “That was his nose” 

They shared a laugh, even while (y/n) continued to ask who and what they were talking about.  Naoya was a face they’d hoped they’d never have to see again, but certainly had no issue breaking if it came to it.  And knowing him, things would likely come to that.  Since birth he’d been an asshole, it seemed.  Something about being a trust fund baby and a narcissistic manipulator seemed to bring out the worst in him.

(y/n) comes out of the stall with a childish frown as she drags her feet to the sink.

“We’re talking about Naoya,” Mai says, leaning back into the mirror to speak to (y/n) while she washes her hands.  “He’s our cousin” 

“That guy out there?” (y/n) mumbles, her brows furrowing as she focuses intently on soaping up her hands.  “He’s your cousin?” 

Mai nods.

“And he’s the fucking worst,” Maki pipes up with a bark in her tone that has (y/n’s) eyes snapping to her reflection in the mirror.  Sure enough, Maki was giving her a pointed glare.  “Stay away from him (y/n), he’s a piece of shit” 

With wide eyes and her lips pressed together, (y/n) nods back at her in a small movement.

She hadn’t spoken to him too much.  He’d approached her while she was lingering at the wall trying to get her texts to go through.  She vaguely recalled him saying something about a pretty girl being alone, but she hadn’t given him much of her attention, too drunk and annoyed with her phone for not working to care.

But one thing led to another and she was complaining to him about not getting in touch with her hot roommate that she’d made things complicated with, and after he showed her how to send the message as a text rather than an imessage, he’d prodded her into telling him more about this situation-ship as he’d called it, and next thing she knew, she was talking on and on about Yuuta.

And (y/n) may have been a bit drunk, but she wasn’t oblivious.  She caught the way he told her he’d help her get her mind off of things, she noticed the smirk on his lips and the darkness in his eyes as they swept her figure.  But she didn’t care about his intentions.  She just needed to vent, to an impartial- partially impartial- party that wouldn’t tell her what everyone else was telling her.

So honestly, (y/n) had no problem ignoring the new number in her contacts.  She wasn’t looking to hook up with Naoya.  But his company was appreciated while it lasted, even if he did only stick around her in the hopes of getting laid.

“She’s not interested in him like that,” Mai tells her sister, before her eyes flit over to (y/n) as she dries her hands.  “Are you?” 

(y/n) merely shakes her head, and tosses the paper towel in the bin.

“Thought so,” Mai smirked.  “You’re still hung up on Yuu-ta~” She singsongs his name with girlish charm, and Maki cracks a small laugh, relieved to know that she didn’t have to teach her asshole cousin a lesson to keep him away from her best friend.

“That much is obvious”

“Come on,” (y/n) sighs, pulling on Mai’s arm to get her off of the counter so they could finally leave the bar.  “Let’s go home so I can sleep this off and hopefully forget all of it” 

Mai slings her arm around her waist as they leave the bathroom, the noise of the busy place drowning out all else once more.  Even as the three of them push through the crowd, with Maki leading because her presence was strong enough to part a path in any crowd, (y/n’s) thoughts are messy.  It was probably all the drinks, but she couldn’t help but feel guilty for the situation she’d put herself in.

She feels Mai’s cheek on top of her head when they near the door, and Maki opens it for the two to go through first, then follow behind.  Sometimes (y/n) thinks her friendship with the twins had developed so much that she shares some of their special twin telepathy.  Because Mai squeezes her hip and nuzzles into her hair just as her thoughts begin to spiral the longer she thinks about going home.  Mai was always affectionate when she was drunk, and maybe she was riding on a high after her score with the sexy bartender, but (y/n) appreciated it nonetheless.  She even sat with her in the backseat of Maki’s car, falling half asleep on her while leaning up against one another.

“I’m so not carrying her if she passes out,” Maki half-chides as she glares at her barely conscious sister in the backseat.  “She can spend the night back there, I don’t care, I’m tired of carrying her ass around” 

(y/n) chuckles, and laughs a little louder as Mai stirs and mutters something along the lines of ‘m not fuckin’ tired back at her.

Somehow she doesn’t pass out on top of (y/n), although her weight is heavy against her, when Maki parks at (y/n’s) apartment complex, Mai sits right up and gets out of the car.  Her and (y/n) keep their arms wrapped around each other as they head inside.  Maki rolls her eyes and occasionally scolds them for being too slow, or stumbling around and bumping into things, but her voice is soft and her hands are gentle as she guides them to the door.

Just as (y/n) is slurring over her words trying- and failing- to explain that she doesn’t have her key, the door opens and Maki is pushing the two inside.

Mai disappears from (y/n’s) side almost instantly, suddenly craving a glass of water and one of the peaches on display in a porcelain bowl on the kitchen counter.

“Pretty much what you expected, yeah?” (y/n) hears Maki say, but she’s suddenly so tired that keeping her eyes open feels like a workout.  She doesn’t even have the energy to ask her what she’s talking about.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Someone replies.  A familiar voice that was deep but soft around the edges.  An instinctive smile forms on her lips.  “Thanks for driving, though.  And for… everything else” The voice grows quieter towards the end.

And then there’s a pair of hands on her shoulders, and (y/n) nearly collapses into the embrace.  She stumbles, catching her heel at an awkward angle and nearly sprains an ankle trying to correct her stance.  But the hands are faster, and stronger, and lift her by her hips before she could fall on the bent ankle or hurt herself at all.  She’s placed right back on the ground a moment later, but the hands remain.

“Yuuta~” She greets him once she finally realizes who it is that is keeping her upright.  It was an honest mistake, with her heavy eyes and alcohol flooded system, it was easy to confuse Yuuta’s strength for Maki’s.

Yuuta chuckles quietly at her delayed acknowledgement, his thumb caressing her hip in gentle circles.

“Let’s get you some water and into bed, hm?” He hums, tugging gently on her to get her to follow him.

(y/n) stumbles along without much hesitation at all.  She’s humming a tune that had been stuck in her head after she’d heard it at the bar, and Yuuta tries not to laugh at her inebriated state, but she does make it difficult.

When he opens the door to her bedroom, they realize why it had been shut.

Mai was face down in (y/n’s) pillows, passed out cold.  Her heels had been kicked off and unceremoniously thrown onto the rug, but that was as far as she got in settling in for bed.  She was still in her dress, all of her jewelry, and most definitely was staining (y/n’s) silky pillowcases with her makeup.

“Damn, that’s another pillowcase set she owes me” (y/n) mumbles with a huff, leaning defeatedly into her door frame.

“She’s done this before?” Yuuta’s brows furrow.

(y/n) looks over at him with a frustrated pout before nodding.  He winces, but their moment of shared exasperation is quickly clouded by how funny it was that such a thing had occurred twice and they hadn’t learned from it, and soon Yuuta was ushering them both out of the doorway and into the hall so they could let her sleep in peace.

“We’ll let her stay,” He says quietly, already guiding her to the other door.  His door, she realizes distantly.  “She clearly needs the rest, you can just stay in here, alright?”

He watches the delay in her realization as she turns to face him with a concerned look on her face.  Yuuta already knows what she’s going to say before the words form in her mouth.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it,” He eases her into the room with a gentle hand on her lower back.  Her expression is still unsure, but her feet move on their own accord further into the room.  “Get somethin’ to wear out of the dresser,” Yuuta instructs, knocking his knuckle against the drawer he kept his sleepwear in.  “I’ll go let Maki know she can stay with Mai if she wants” 

(y/n) gives him a small nod before he leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.  

It felt odd being in his room, not because it was unfamiliar to her, she actually spent plenty of time lounging in his room with him, but it was odd being there without him.  Especially when she’d been asked to change, and into his clothes no less.  

Her movements were hesitant as she opened the drawer he’d pointed to.  The wood creaked out and put his clothes on their perfect, organized display.  She let out a small laugh through her nose at how crisp his tee shirts were folded, and similarly, the even rolls of sweatpants beside them.  It was almost ridiculous how perfect it all looked.  But she couldn’t be surprised.

It almost felt wrong to pluck out a tee shirt and pair of sweats and unfold them, but suddenly her wrinkled skirt and the straps that didn’t want to stay in place on her shoulders were enough of a bother for her to unzip the irritating material and let it drop to the floor.

Yuuta’s clothes smelled like him.  Which shouldn’t have been something that surprise her as much as it did, pausing as she tugged the tee shirt down, dipping her nose against the loose collar and inhaling the familiar scent of pine and the laundry detergent they shared, creating a fragrance that was so distinctly Yuuta she could recognize it in a second.

She tied the drawstrings of the sweatpants in a double knot to keep them from sliding back off her hips, and that was when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in” She called quietly, aware of the sleeping girl in the next room over.  Although a tornado couldn’t stir Mai from the drunken slumber she was in.

Yuuta opened the door slowly, trying to keep it from creaking, before he entered the room.

He tried not to stare, he really did, but he couldn’t help but smile at the way his clothes blanketed her, and just how cute she looked in them.  It wasn’t necessarily the first time she’s worn his clothes, there had been plenty of times where he’d lent her his jacket, or a spare tee shirt in high school when she’d spilled milk on her blouse, and those times had felt special too, but now felt… significant.

Seeing her wrapped up in his pajamas in his room while getting ready to go to sleep in his bed, Yuuta’s grinning at her while her face is going pink with embarrassment.

“Maki went home,” He cleared his throat, trying to remember the conversation he’d just had before he walked in here and had his mind wiped of all logical thought.  “She said she’ll pick Mai up in the morning” 

“Alright then,” (y/n) nodded in understanding.  “Oh, and can I borrow a-” 

“Your shoes are still on,” 

Yuuta’s voice is soft as he cuts her off, vaguely pointing to where her strappy heels poked out under the pool of fluffy cotton at her feet.  She looks down as though confused by the statement, but sure enough she realizes she hadn’t taken them off when she’d dropped her dress and stepped into the sweats.

She giggles to herself and lifts a leg, the excess fabric of his pants hanging off her ankle so she could be sure her heels were in fact still on her feet.

“Here,” Yuuta reaches out, guiding her to sit on the edge of his bed.  She follows, but just before she could lean over to undo the small buckles at her ankles, Yuuta was already kneeling to the ground before her.

(y/n’s) certain that her mistake from the night prior is the only reason that she feels a swell in her chest and an intimate tension settle in the air around them.  Because there’s no other reason she should feel her heart racing and her face going hot as he carefully unlatches the buckle of the left shoe and slides the strap out before pulling the shoe away and dropping it to the floor.  There’s no reason why she should feel butterflies fluttering around her tummy as he follows the same procedure for the right one.

But she does.  She feels her blush and the butterflies and the dryness in her throat as the tension sucks all of the oxygen right from her lungs.  And when he looks up at her with a sweet smile, surely happy to have helped, all of those feelings seem to be put under a magnifying glass.

“Better?” He asks with that damn smile.

Against her will, her mind wanders to how soft and warm that smile had felt when it was pressed against her mouth.  How firm and gentle and experienced his mouth felt when it kissed hers.  Her fingers dig into the plush comforter she sat on, trying to ground herself to reality, as far away from that memory as she could get.

She gives him a small nod.

“What did you want to borrow?” He asks as he stands, and her eyes follow his as he’s suddenly so easily towering over her.  She almost had no idea what he was talking about, and she’s quick to release her hold on the blanket.

“Right- um- could I borrow one of your blankets? Mai is on top of all of-” 

Yuuta’s chuckling makes her halt in her explanation, her brows barely pinching together in question at the reaction.

“You don’t need to sleep on the couch (y/n/n), you can stay in here, I already told you that,” 

She presses her lips together as she regards him, trying to find any source of discomfort or regret.  He seems to pick up on her evaluation, and he raises a brow as he chuckles at her.

The sound feels all too delighted, like he was amused by her hesitation.

“(y/n), it’s fine, you’re overthinking,” He tells her.  “I’ll get you a glass of water, m’kay? Just… get comfortable.  You’ve slept in here tons of times before” 

He leaves the room before she could say what they were both thinking.  Not like this.  She’d accidentally napped in here on a few occasions, waiting too long for him to be done studying, or when her bedding was in the wash and she had grown tired after a day of chores, she wasn’t a stranger to his bed.  But just as she wasn’t a stranger to his room, it still felt all too new right now.

Like if she moved too quickly she might break something intangible yet oh so fragile.

Nonetheless, she shuffles into the bed and under the covers, and her hazy mind begins to settle as soon as she rests her head on one of Yuuta’s feathery pillows.  She wonders if everything he surrounded himself with- his clothes, his blankets, his pillows- was comfortable because he valued comfort, or if it simply was because it was all his.  Because it was an extension of him.

But maybe she was still just a bit drunk and overthinking the fluffy warmth surrounding her.  Maybe he was right about that part.

She’d just been drifting off to sleep when the door opened again, and she peeks her eyes open as Yuuta brings a glass of water over to the bedside table she laid next to.

“Try to drink all that tonight, alright?” His voice is a hum, surrounded by softness, and comfort, and she’s reaching for that question in the back of her mind again, prodding at it until she’s a little less sleepy, her curiosity stirring her mind enough to keep it active.

“Alright,” She murmurs back, leaning up on her elbow as she reaches for the glass, delighted to see it was chilled with ice.  “Thank you” She adds before taking a few sips.  Her dry throat had gone unnoticed until the first touch of water to her tongue, and suddenly she’s drinking down half the glass.

The bed dips behind her as Yuuta settles in, sighing to himself quietly as he gets situated.  (y/n) quickly sets the glass back down, before turning over to face him.

In the dark room she vaguely makes out his silhouette, and she can’t tell if he’s looking at her or not, so maybe it’s what helped ease her nerves as she laid before him.

“Did you have a good night?” He breaks the silence first, but he keeps his voice quiet.

“Yeah, I guess so,” (y/n) mumbles back, her fingers finding a loose thread in his sheets.  “It was fun dancing with Maki and Mai…” She wraps the thread around the tip of her middle finger.

“You sound disappointed” Yuuta comments, hooking his arm under his pillow so he could get a slightly better read on her expression, but the shadows cast over her features are too dark for him to decipher.

But he can feel it when she shrugs one of her shoulders and hums in a way that sounds like I don’t know.

“It was alright, it was, I just…” She tries to explain it, but as she speaks the rest of the words just don’t come to mind.  It had been fine, it had been fun even, nothing wrong had happened, but it didn’t quite feel… “I think I just thought my tendency of drinking to forget was the right way to go, but I don’t think it worked, and I think I’m only going to feel worse,” 

It was word vomit through and through, an endless stream of thoughts flowing right out of her mouth before she could think twice about what she was saying or how it might make him feel.  But the cusp of the issue was right there and she was dying to understand the complicated knot of feelings swelling in her chest.

“I think I made a mistake,” She slows down as she says this, and Yuuta wishes she would’ve ripped off the bandaid, but at least she couldn’t see it when he frowned at her.  “But not- not for what you think, I don’t mean it… like that,” She stammers a bit as she tries to correct herself, the alcohol still in her system doing her no favors besides the minor boost in courage.  “But I… I don’t think I could handle it” She says in a small voice.

She’s quiet for a bit as she tightens the thread around her finger, barely able to make out the way it creases and dips into her skin.

“Well…” Yuuta sighs, struggling to find the right thing to say to her.  

What could he say? He could tell her the truth, unpack all of his feelings, his entire heart, right here, but at the end of the day wouldn’t that just make things more complicated? She wasn’t exactly sober, and if she didn’t feel remotely the same way then he dug himself a socially awkward grave that he’d just have to live in because damn it they split the rent.  He’s panicking, breaking into a cold sweat even under two blankets.

“It was just a kiss, yeah?” He repeats what she’d told him just last night.  But unlike the confident, smug way she’d phrased it, he sounds unsure, and maybe even frightened.

Her head moves, and he still can’t make out the direction of her gaze, but he can still feel her eyes on him.  He tries to focus his vision better, hoping to adjust to the darkness soon.

“If it was just a kiss I don’t think I would’ve felt compelled to go out and try to forget it happened,” (y/n) replies, her voice hushed, afraid of revealing too much.  “I’m just really sorry” 

Yuuta blinks a few times, as if that would help him figure out if he heard her right.

“You don’t have to apologize, (y/n),” He tells her, his voice taking on a more serious tone.  “You have nothing to be sorry for, you didn’t do anything wrong-” 

“I made things so weird and over- over some dumb advice from Maki- and I just can’t believe I managed to find a way to make our friendship weird because- because you mean a lot to me, you’re really my best friend, Yuuta” 

He can’t tell if his heart swells with love or bursts with the sting of rejection at the statement.

“You’re overthinking again,” He forces a light chuckle, before reaching out and gently wrapping his hand over hers.  “It’s not that weird, alright? Nothing could change… us… okay?” 

She doesn’t say anything, just sighs in disappointment while his thumb brushes over the back of her hand.

“You mean a lot to me too, you know that,” He tried to lighten the mood, but with barely seeing her face it was hard to tell how she was feeling.  “It was just a kiss, alright? Just a… really nice kiss” 

“A few really nice kisses,” She mutters under her breath, finally cracking a small laugh.  Yuuta beams back at her, unable to stop himself from giggling back at her.

It grows quiet between them after a few minutes, but this time it’s comfortable, and she feels her muscles untense as she sinks further into the mattress.

“I did complain about you, though” 

“Complain?” Yuuta pouted.  “To the Zen’ins? They’ll use that against me, you know” 

(y/n) giggles, knowing full well that if she’d told the twins one foul thing about Yuuta they’d grab him by the ankles and dangle him right off this apartment building until he apologized to her.  But she shakes her head at him.

“No, no not to them.  Some guy at the bar,” She explains.  “Their cousin, actually,” 

He racks his brain for a minute, trying to recall who this cousin is, but he can only think of Megumi, and everyone knew Megumi, so had she run into Megumi, she would’ve said so, wouldn’t she? But no, she said some guy.

“Got his number, too,” She adds, but she sounds defeated, like it wasn’t a victory to get a cute stranger’s number at a bar when she’d specifically gone out seeking a distraction.

Something odd twists in Yuuta’s gut.  The jealousy was distinct, but the pride in picking up on the fact that she hadn’t been interested in this mysterious Zen’in relative.

“Maki said he’s a dick, though,” She explained her lack of interest.  “But he was sure happy to put up with my troubles” 

Yuuta lets out a humorless laugh.  “Who wouldn’t listen to a pretty girl at a bar rant about her problems?” He asks, and he can’t quite see it but he knows she rolls her eyes at him.  “But since you got that number complaining about me, that makes me a wingman, right?” 

She snorts back at him.

“Not in the slightest” 

“No?” He frowns.  “Why not?” 

“For one, you weren’t there, you can’t be a wingman if you’re not present,” She explains, matter-of-factly.  “And for two, I don’t think telling a guy how annoying it is that my hot roommate has been walking around in a towel and getting in my head really is all that deserving of me getting a phone number.  I don’t think that booty-call was going to lead anywhere other than the bathroom stall” 

Yuuta crinkled his nose at the descriptive language, before backtracking and perking up at the other part.

“Did you say I’m hot?” 

Realization flashes in her eyes, and Yuuta thanks whatever deity is up there that he can finally make out her features in the dark room.  When she doesn’t immediately reply, his lips curl into a grin.

“You did!” He teases, and she yanks her hand out of his gentle hold, only for him to poke at her face playfully.  “You said-!” 

“Hush,” She shushes him with irritation.  “You’ll wake up Mai.  And- and that’s not a big deal.  You compliment me all the time” 

Her face is burning, and the smile that threatens to take over her face is beginning to win.

“Shut up, that’s totally different,” He murmurs, and moves closer to her when she tries to shrink away out of embarrassment.  “You called me your hot roommate.  And apparently you’re getting bothered over a towel? Is me being shirtless that upsetting?” 

“I’m not doing this with you right now-” 

“Oh no, come on, you have to now,” Yuuta pleads, his voice still that annoyingly sexy teasing tone.  (y/n) turns to push her face into her pillow, and he wiggles closer again, eager to hear what else she’d had on her mind.  “Come on, what else did you have to complain about?” 

“I complained that you’re annoying,” She whines, her voice muffled by the pillow.  Yuuta chuckles.  “And I complained about how you don’t know how much you…” She trails off, and her voice goes impossibly quieter.  “Bother me” She finishes in a mumble to the pillow.

He hears it perfectly clear.

His face feels hot, and there’s a familiar little tingle in his stomach.  But he smirks at her hiding form.

“Well what else, then?” He asks.

(y/n) rolls her head to the side, pressing her cheek back into the pillow as she looks over at him.

“What do you mean?” She asks.

“What else bothers you?” He clarifies his question.

She giggles as she shakes her head at him.

“No way” 

“Yes way,” Yuuta laughs back at her.  “Come on, tell me” 

“No!” She protests again in a hiss.  “Am I not embarrassed enough already? I’m taking this to my grave” 

“No you’re not,” Yuuta scoffs.  “Come on, you tell me everything, so, tell me” 

She supposed he had a point.  A dumb one, but a point nonetheless.  Clearly at some point or another she was bound to indulge him on this.  Even though she couldn’t explain it, she was always driven to share every part of herself with Yuuta.  Even when it was embarrassing.  Even when it was intimate.

(y/n) may have told the Zen’in twins about the rushing-out-of-the-shower thing, but that hadn’t meant there weren’t other instances where her mind crossed the platonic boundary between her revolving thoughts of Yuuta.  That was just the first occurrence she assumed they could understand.

She huffs.

“Sometimes you wear your tee shirts a size too small,” She mumbles.

Yuuta wants to tease her, maybe crack a joke, but he keeps his mouth shut as she gives in.  He didn’t want to miss a single word.  He had to pay close attention so he knew exactly how to get under her skin in all the right ways.  Hearing that she found him hot was one thing, he could pass it off as a joke or an empty compliment.  Hearing that there were specific things that he did that made her sexually frustrated? He couldn’t mess this up for himself.

“And when you drive me places, you do that thing with your arm when you back the car up” She adds.

“What do you mean?” He questions that one with a furrowed brow.

“You know,” She mumbles, weakly lifting her arm to demonstrate, bending it behind her head.  He shakes his head, not understanding in the slightest.  “You always grab the back of my seat and look over your shoulder,” She tries to put it into words.  “And then, it’s just, like-” The words fail her again as she continues the motion with her arm.  Yuuta thinks he gets what she’s trying to explain, but he has no idea that such a mundane action was a bother for her.

“That turns you on?” He tries not to laugh, but then (y/n’s) face goes red and she’s trying to deny it.

“I didn’t say that!” She squeaks out.  “I just, you know, forget that I’m not supposed to… thinkaboutyoulikethat” She rushes the confession out as fast as she can.

“I… think that’s pretty normal,” Yuuta admits quietly.  (y/n) blinks wide eyes at him, waiting for him to continue.  “And if anything, I’m flattered,” He adds with a grin.

“Yeah, yeah,” (y/n) huffs, before wiggling closer, pressing her forehead into his chest before sighing, sleepiness overcoming her.  “Not a word of this to anyone else” She mutters.

Yuuta mock whines as he wraps an arm around her back, tucking her closer against him.  He pretends not to notice when her nose nuzzles into his tee shirt, in the middle of his chest.  He pretends not to notice when her hand slips across his abdomen and over his waist.

“I think about you too,” He murmurs, resting his chin on top of her head.  Her fingers twitch on his hip, almost tickling him.  He tries not to wiggle, he doesn’t want her to think he’s uncomfortable.  “For the record” 

“You do?” She mumbles, half asleep already, but too curious about what he meant by that.

“Mhm” He hums, his hand trailing down her spine and then back up again, the gentle touch of his fingers warming her up, making her melt further into him.

“Like when?” She asks, and when he doesn’t reply right away, she lets out a sigh.  “Come on, I told you!” She whined.  “Now you have to tell me some embarrassing stuff, too” 

“Alright, that’s fair,” Yuuta agreed.  “I like when you wear that dress” He says.  (y/n) beams against his chest.

“That one?” She mumbles, weakly gesturing to the pool of fabric on his floor.  He nods back at her.

“Mhm,” He confirms quietly.  “I know it’s your favorite.  It should be” He smiles to himself.  (y/n) giggles quietly, the soft vibrations hitting his chest and warming his skin.

“Tell me more” She mumbles, the words barely audible.  Yuuta knows that she’s going to pass out soon.  Her breathing was beginning to slow, and her chest rose and fell in steady movements.  Surely he could leave this conversation as it is and she’d be fast asleep in a minute or two anyhow.

“Well,” He sighs out the word, as if he had to pick his own brain to come up with more examples, as if every little thing she did wasn’t enough to catch his eye on it’s own.  “Maybe things are a lil’ different now, hm?” He hums.

(y/n) doesn’t respond.  For a second, he thinks maybe she’s finally fallen asleep, but just as he contemplates checking, her head moves in a small nod.  A silent, barely-there admission.

“I like the way you kiss,” He says, and she can hear the smile in his voice, the cheeky but all-too shy little grin that she’s grown so accustomed to.  She gives him another giggle, a breathless little laugh that makes her shoulders shake and her nose press into the collar of his shirt.  “It’s true, I mean it,” Yuuta said, a quiet laugh escaping him as well.  Partially due to her laughter infecting him, partially out of the relief that maybe talking about what happened would help them both to not feel so weird about it now.  “You’re a good kisser, you should be proud.  I for one feel honored” 

He’s teasing, she knows that, but her face still feels warm as she keeps it tucked away in his chest, hoping that her heart wasn’t beating so rapidly that he could hear it in the quiet room.

“You’re a good kisser, too,” Her words are more slurred than before, Yuuta can practically hear her losing consciousness as she drifts off.  “Really good kisser” She adds under her breath.

And then her head feels a little heavier on his chest, and Yuuta doesn’t have to check to know she’s asleep in his arms.  He’s exhausted and he knows he should close his eyes and try to sleep, too.  But it feels too nice to hold her close, so he hangs onto consciousness for as long as he can.

Before his body’s tiredness finally takes over, he brushes his lips over the crown of her head, and settles into his pillow with his arms securely wrapped around her, making sure that she stays close while he sleeps.

___

xoxo ~ jordie

[six-eyed-samurai]

Hello!! I saw ur taking requests, so u wanna know if you’d do a Giyuu x reader with koji and his little sister (if I remember correctly in the last fic, koji had a baby sister) where the little sister becomes bestfriends with a little boy at daycare but koji and Giyuu are being overprotective even tho she’s a baby😭😭 I thought this idea was so cute!! I’m really hoping you’ll have time to make this, make sure to drink water and thank you!!🤍🤍

-💽

SUMMARY: Like father like son - Giyuu and your eldest boy Koji are not happy at all your baby girl's made a new...ugh, boy friend. A/N: KYAAAAAAAH I can't believe you remembered, usually people only read 1 and 2. I'm so excited about this, it's so cute and TYSM for being my first request! Be sure to drink water too lovely! You can read this as a standalone fic, or part of: I, II, III WARNINGS: Fem reader, mentions of sex education. Post-war timeline SUNNY'S TAGLIST: @abadonkori @therabbitthatpostthings @ezekieleen (lemme know if you wanna be added or removed) MASTERLIST/PREVIOUS FICS My inbox is still open if you would like to request for the event!

Man-eating demons. Comrade deaths. Yet nothing was as scary to the stoic Water Pillar when his firstborn suddenly appeared behind him whilst he was polishing his sword on the engawa and announced the dreaded six words.

"Dad, I have something to ask."

Giyuu froze, brain momentarily drawing a complete blank. The sword clattered to the ground, forgotten as Giyuu slowly turned his head around. Dear Kami-sama, he did not think this day would come so fast. He was just almost six, for goodness' sake; he'd been praying it would be another six years before he'd have to answer. Where were you? Crap, crap. You had gone to go pick up Sumire from daycare and now he'd have to deal with this himself.

Alright, he could do it. It's been six years as a dad. He could pull it off.

Koji waited for his father to nod before continuing, the serious face he shared with Giyuu creased with a frown. "How do you know-"

"Koji, it's a normal part of puberty everyone goes through, so naturally you'd be curious, and I'm very happy you trust me enough to come talk to me about it, but whatever sex jokes Uncle Sanemi has been making you want explained you should go ask your mother because I don't think I'm good enough at explaining what adults do at night or how babies are made at this stage," Giyuu blurted out. Exactly like how he had rehearsed it - Giyuu privately congratulated himself for not messing it up.

Two dark blue eyes blinked at him. "What?"

"What?"

"I-" Koji shook his head in confusion. "I dunno what you're talking about and I don't care how babies are made."

"Then..." Giyuu wanted to sink into the ground. "What...did you want to talk to me about?"

"Sumire." Koji wrinkled up his nose in a disgusted expression when he said his sister's name, padding up to his father and plopping down next to him.

"...is she asking you about these things then? I'm not too sure how to explain the jokes to a two year old either but I can try. Or you could just tell her babies come from storks," Giyuu offered helpfully.

"Wait - what? No, that's not what I was going to - what?"

Ah, for the days when Giyuu didn't open his mouth to talk much and eventually embarrass himself. "...sorry, go on."

"Yeah sure." Koji seemed a little distracted, even for a six year old. "Y'know the daycare? She made a new friend."

"That's...nice." At least she isn't taking after Giyuu? What was the problem here and how could he stop his ears from burning red at his not once but twice blunder?

"It's a boy. They keep playing together, sharing meals, nicknames and stuff. She even gave him -" Koji shuddered, narrowing his eyes. "A matching bracelet."

"A...boy?" Giyuu had long retired from being a slayer after the war and he probably wasn't too good with fighting with one arm, but hey, he was polishing that sword for a reason. He couldn't believe how he never spotted it before: Sumire had kicked up a huge fuss at being sent to daycare originally but recently had seemed almost...ecstatically eager to go. Too eager.

His own eyes narrowed. "Tell me everything."

***

"How's Sumi?"

At the sudden question you glanced behind to where your husband was pressing his forehead into your back, one arm wrapped around your waist as you cooked dinner. Not unusual behavior, but didn't Giyuu just see his daughter a few minutes ago?

"Fine, pretty happy at the daycare all things considering." You slid the salmon onto a different plate, unable to keep the suspicion out of your tone. "At least we don't have to keep fighting another war just to get her out the door like last time."

"Koji says she's making friends there."

"Was he supposed to say anything else?" You rolled your eyes. Now you knew where this was coming from. Of course.

"I don't like her friend," Giyuu said plainly. He let go of you to help carry one of the dishes out of the kitchen with you, doing his one-armed best to assist you in setting the table.

"And why is that?" You nodded along, as if you didn't know why. How long would it be until Giyuu cracked? "Koji! Sumire! Time for dinner!"

"He's a boy. Someone trying to steal her away from us. He already gave her a bracelet!"

"Yuu. Yuu, look me in the eye right now." Once your husband finally turned to meet your face he could clearly see you were struggling to hold in your laughter. "One, you're a boy yourself. Two, she's, well, two. Three, Sumire gave him the bracelet."

"Yeah, but I'm her dad! So what if she's two? It's too early for her to fall in love. And a bracelet is basically an engagement jewelry already."

You couldn't help yourself anymore, doubling over in laughter at Giyuu's quiet whining. "Koji put you up this, didn't he?"

"He told me," Giyuu admitted. "But no boy's allowed around Sumi."

"Shion's not that bad of a kid," You countered. "It could be worse."

Giyuu nearly spat. "Wh-what? You know his name?"

"Obviously, Sumire won't stop talking about him."

"And not me?"

"Yuu, look at how overprotective you're acting right now and say that again." You bit down your giggles watching your husband scrunch up his face and attempt to find a way to defend himself as your two children ran in and took their seats.

"I'm not overprotective!"

***

Perhaps slightly protective. Nothing more.

At least Giyuu wasn't being as openly hostile as Sumire's elder brother, who was sitting judgmentally from the corner, glaring at Shion over his book. Giyuu wasn't glowering per se, but you would probably have to save the poor boy soon from under the weight of two penetratingly unnerving stares.

Sumire didn't notice, beaming with literal stars in her eyes at her playmate (Giyuu had been the one to invite him over, which was extremely fishy, which was why you had decided to stay and watch as well). "Hi, Shion-kun! Mama made mochi, wanna go eat?"

"Sure." The freckled face boy stepped through the doorway, following your baby girl into the kitchen. Giyuu eyed him from behind the steaming cup of tea. "Hi Tomioka-san! Is it true you used to be a samurai? Sumi-chan told me a lot about you!"

You strategically interrupted right then before Giyuu could say something awkwardly honest by dumping the plate of sakura mochi onto the table. "Help yourselves, there's plenty to go around!"

So on went the playdate, Sumire suggesting games to her new friend who did his best to act normal and not nervous under Koji's sarcastic quips and Giyuu's pointed stare, oblivious to the fact her brother and father weren't ready to give her up yet (a trait she clearly got from Giyuu) - despite the fact you had spent half an hour before this drilling into their heads Shion was not here to go kidnap Sumire.

You made the mistake of leaving to go clean up the mess in the kitchen later on, however, under the relieved thought that maybe Giyuu had gotten over his little temper tantrum over the boy. Big mistake, because next thing you knew-

"GIYUU WHY ARE YOU HAVING A DUEL WITH A THREE YEAR OLD-"

"He wanted to learn how to use a sword," Giyuu said blankly, pausing in his movements. It certainly seemed innocent and safe enough, seeing as they were using wooden swords and were outside. Sumire excitedly stood by Shion's side, ever the cheerleader.

But you knew your man and son a lot better than that. There was no way they hadn't planned this, not when they were sharing a look.

"I wanna try be like Tomioka-san! Sumi-chan said he used to fight demons and even fought their king. That's so cool!" Shion piped up excitedly. You were going to murder your overprotective husband for this later...if Sumire didn't beat you to it.

"See, Ma? It's all fine," Koji smirked from the sidelines. "Begin!"

***

Predictably it ended with Giyuu slapping Shion with the flat of his blade, causing a scraped knee as well as Giyuu muttering to the fallen "Don't you even think about doing anything to her" when Sumire panicked and rushed over to her friend.

Luckily you managed to usher Shion out to be picked up by his dad in a flurry of apologies, pleasantries and assurances that it was lovely having him over while Sumire burst into tears and asked him not to go yet (you heard Giyuu's almost inaudible "Hmph" when Shion too cried and said the same thing).

Giyuu and Koji were feeling pretty good about themselves, sharing a victorious glance at each other - Team Tomioka 1, Scum Boy 0 - until you slammed the doors shut, calmed down your precious Sumire with the promise of all the leftover mochi in the kitchen before bedtime and then turned around to fix the both of them with your intense glare.

"Koji! Grounded, now!"

"What did I do?!" Koji threw up his hands but stomped off to his room.

"I saw you push Shion, don't act innocent!" You grabbed Giyuu's arm and began to haul him off to the privacy of your bedroom. "And don't think I forgot about you as well, Tomioka Giyuu!"

Damn, you did forget how pathetically kicked puppy-like Giyuu could look when he was playing innocent. "I didn't intentionally beat him up, you know."

"I know you didn't, Yuu," you said sweetly. "But I didn't know you were into fighting with little kids as well!"

"I just don't want anyone taking away Sumi."

You groaned. Once again Giyuu has melted your heart into a slushy mess with his blunt sincerity and expression. You leaned into his hold, grudgingly allowing him to pull your head into his chest but hit him with your fist still. "You're still not supposed to pull that kind of stunt, alright? No one's taking Sumi away from us. You and Koji are really idiots sometimes."

"What if I told you Koji likes a girl too?"

Your head snapped up. "WHAT?!"

"Yeah. He met her at school. Someone named Yuma," Giyuu said casually, as if he didn't know you would be reacting this way. He hummed, playing with your hair. "That's why he took your mochi, by the way, to give it to her."

"Why didn't he tell me?!" You wailed, suddenly forgetting how you had scolded Giyuu for this exact behavior. "I'm his mom! He's growing up so fast!"

Giyuu attempted to continue with his revenge plan but ultimately failed: you both wound up cuddling the rest of the night disappointedly lamenting how fast time flies.

***

BONUS:

"Onii-chan, what are Mama and Daddy doing in there?" Sumire pressed her ear close to the door, munching on her dessert.

Koji froze. "Uh...babies come from storks, Sumi."

[atlafan]

“You’re acting like that meme of Jamie Lee Curtis where she’s aggressively drinking that water and telling someone off at the same time.” Layna groaned at her boyfriend who finally stopped glaring at his phone to look up at her.

“I have absolutely no idea what that is.”

“Yes you do, I’ve sent it to you before!” Layna takes her own phone out and shows him after searching it quickly on Google.

“Ohhhhh.” He smirks. “Right, now I remember. It’s usually you who looks like that when you’re about to brawl with someone.”

“Now that you’ve calmed down, can we think about what just happened rationally?”

“No, and I will try to call customer service again.” He holds his phone up to his ear.

“Your ass is not on the phone!”

“I’m listening to a voicemail!”

“Okay, Mr. Corporate.” She rolls her eyes.

“Just because I was promoted at the gym, does not make me a corporate meow meow asshole. I think it’s perfectly reasonable for to be upset about this.”

“I’m just going to go in and see if we can book a new reservation with my credit card. The room is technically available..”

“Not until I get to the bottom of this.”

“There’s nothing to get to the bottom of.” She groaned.

“The bottom is gaping. This is a job for the FBI.”

“Who are you, Kris Jenner?”

“Ew, no.” He grimaces. “She’s insane, why would you say that?”

“Because you just said…ugh! Why can’t you know the same references that I do?”

“I’m so sorry that I haven’t spent hours upon hours watching E! I’ll try to rectify that at some point. Now, let me do what I need to do.” He taps a few things on his phone and then presses it to his ear. “This is why I hate credit cards, cash is so much easier.”

Layna pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. She reached into his pocket for the paper confirmation Harry had brought with them so they could check into their hotel with ease. He has wanted to plan a long weekend for them, so he booked everything with his name and his credit cards. When you check into a hotel, you need to show the card you used to reserve the room. The woman said the cards didn’t match. When Harry tried again, the app for his card put a lock on his account. So now they’re out on the curb trying to figure it out.

As Layna scans the paper she furrows her brows, then reaches into Harry’s pocket again for his wallet. He pays her no mind while he speaks with another representative from the card’s customer service line. She takes out the credit card he used to reserve the booking and realizes that Harry inverted the expiration date, and wrote Harry Edwerd Styles, instead of Harry Edward Styles. Two simple mistakes that the woman behind the counter could have been nicer about helping with instead of just turning them away.

“Harry…hang up the phone, baby. I figured out what happened.”

“Yeah?” He hangs up the phone. He was on hold so who cares?

“Um…I don’t want you to feel embarrassed because I’ve made mistakes like this before too, but it appears that you inverted the expiration date on your card…and spelled your middle name wrong…”

“I did?!” He snatches the card and the paper and scans them both. “I’m not seeing it.”

“Can I point to them?” She asks gently and he nods. She shows him the expiration on the card and then points to what’s on the paper. “See, the expiration is 06/29, you put 09/26…and you spelled Edward with two E’s…”

“Oh.” His cheeks redden, obviously very embarrassed by his blunder. “I should have had you look at it before I submitted…”

“It happens! I’ve done with my security code and my exportation date before. I think if we go back in, we could explain it better. And then see if that snotty lady will be cooler about the mistake.”

“This is so embarrassing.” He groans.

“I know it feels that way right now, but I promise, I’m not judging. I know your dyslexia flares up more when you’re stressed and reading all the fine print for a hotel reservation can be really daunting.” She wraps her arms around his neck and pecks his nose. “The sooner we go inside and fix the reservation, the sooner we can go to our room and I can help you forget alllll about this.”

“Might have times where I think of it randomly and I feel embarrassed all over again.” He grips her hips, squeezing them.

“Then I guess wherever we are you’ll just need to pull me aside and use me until you forget again.”

No Complaints Blurb

[palmastrings]

The Seven Deadly... Rings?!?!

@nocreativityfornames you're a genius I'm just gonna go ahead and swipe this and *eats*

original post here

Essentially what if we started Nightbringer but we also had the brothers in tow in the form of rings.

No, I didn't spell check this, I'm don't write very often so excuse any weirdness. I suck at grammar and ignore spell check.

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

Solomon holds his hand out expectantly, presenting to you a handful of exquisite multicolored rings. 7 to be exact. Each one a familiar face, in a somewhat familiar time.

Honestly, this isn't really that astounding by any means. When living in the Devildom, you've come to expect even the most unexpected situations. The rings were probably the least surprising thing you've heard today, seeing as how you had mysteriously been thrown across time and space and landed in the Devildom... approximately 7,000 years ago. Maybe? Nobody is really good at saving dates around here, especially when the average demon lifespan stretches from now to, basically, the end of time itself. A slight over exaggeration? Again, maybe. But in your defense, in your feeble mortal eyes, that's what it may as well be.

The rings jingle in your hand as you tentatively scoop them from Solomons cold hand.

Apon first glance, they would appear to be normal rings. Pristine, each gold band is fitted with a unique colored stone matching those of the beloved demons from your normal timeline. Although, if you really focused on it, twisting the bunch of them in your palm with your fingers, you could feel how warm the metal is. It was as if someone had worn the rings before you, even though it should not have been possible, as you would be the first to bear them. Along with the warm glow of the rings, you could faintly feel an intense pulsing sensation coming from the set. Whether or not it came from what could possibly be a rapid heartbeat or the emanating pulse of horrific eldritch powers, you couldn't tell.

You go to slip them on your waiting fingers until Solomon interrupts you.

"I will warn you Mc, they were terribly rowdy before I turned them into rings, I don't blame you if you find them overwhelming to wear."

"Thanks for the warning, Solomon. I appreciate you coming all this way to help me by the way!"

"Anything for my favorite apprentice! Oh! And put in the good word for me!" Solomon winks. He turns, presumably to go and survey the Devildom of millennia ago. You're eternally grateful he went through all this trouble, not only to willingly throw himself across time and space, but to also take the time to bring along the demon brothers.

You insert each hoop onto your fingers. They fit perfectly, made just for you to wear. For a moment, there is silence. You almost begin to doubt they're even there. The only sign of anything unusual is the pulsing jewelry around your fingers, seeming to wane slowly, just until it matches your own heartbeat. Then the screaming.

"Mc! Did I hurt you at all?"

"Can you hear me?! What happened?

"AHHH, I can't believe you met me while I was in my blunder years! Wahhh!! I'm so embarrassed!!"

"Oi! Human what the hell?! What were you thinking just vanishing like that?"

"Mc, why did you leave?"

"Hon, you nearly gave me a heart attack when I heard youd gone missing! Lets go home asap!"

"..."

Suddenly, you weren't so alone in your head. A barrage of questions, sobs, and abnormal talk of urgency was flung straight in your direction. You could practically visualize the tearful Levi. The clear image of the batting white eyelashes of Mammon as he looks worried at you. Along with what's definitely becoming a new wrinkle on Lucifers face as you listen to him interrogate you. It was almost relieving to hear them speak with such familiarity to you. After being treated like a stranger not too long ago, this felt like you had brought a piece of home with you in this strange version of the Devildom.

Maybe, just maybe in the strange place, in this strange time you could make the most of it. With a sorcerer and the seven rings at your side you may just be able to tackle the newly fallen brothers of the past, the new ruling power of the Devildom, Diavolo, and finally find out why you were sent here by the one called, Nightbringer.

[morelikeravenbore]

✨Don't Tell Ominis

I wrote this fun oneshot for my dear friend @sleepywitchlory, whose MC Lory is as sweet, kind and loyal as she is, and whose friendship in this fandom I will always treasure and keep close to my heart.

Content warnings: none, unless you're triggered by offensive footwear. SFW.

Word count: 1.9k

Lory and Alistair belong to @sleepywitchlory.

[my hogwarts legacy masterlist]

Accidentally conjuring a dragon with Ancient Magic wasn't exactly what most would consider a stroke of luck, but as the secret entrance to the Undercroft slammed shut behind her, Aurélie thought herself very lucky on several accounts: first, that the dragon had been small, as far as dragons go; second, that Sebastian hadn't been there to witness her embarrassing blunder (because, as enthusiastic as he was about her practising her magic, she felt certain even he would draw the line at conjuring fire-breathing demon-lizards in a school; and third, that she'd managed to escape said demon-lizard without so much as a singed hair (hers, not the dragons.)

Luck — if one ignored the extremely unlucky circumstances that directly proceeded it — was on her side.

Read on 👇

Or so she thought, until the sound of approaching footsteps broke the still silence of the empty Defence tower, announcing the swift arrival of unidentified others.

Merde.

Fearing her luck had already run out, Aurélie raised her wand, intending to conceal herself under a hasty disillusionment, when a familiar voice gave her pause.

'Ouch!' hissed the voice from somewhere close by. 'Sebastian, that's my foot!'

'Bloody hell, Lory,' replied a second, much louder voice, 'if you'd stop clutching my arm so hard -'

'Will you both shut up before somebody hears us?'

Moments later, Aurélie breathed a sigh of relief as three slightly disheveled and out-of-breath figures appeared from beneath the guise of magical concealment. Luck had come to her aid again, but this time in the form of three of her four best friends, who each stared back at her with wildly varying expressions on their faces: surprise (Lory, pleasant), skepticism (Sebastian, shrewd), and indifferent (Alistair, cold.)

'Aura!' said Lory cheerfully, her strawberry-blonde hair gilded under the warm the torchlight.

'Aura?' echoed Sebastian, less cheerfully, his wild brown curls standing up in disarray.

Alistair, standing slightly away from the others, said nothing.

'What are you doing here?' Lorraine Jones, ever the sweet-natured Hufflepuff, saw nothing nefarious in her best friend being out past curfew and was simply happy to be united again. 'Were you in the Undercroft?' she asked, linking their arms together. 'You smell different. Like... charcoal?'

'She's right,' agreed Sebastian, leaning in to take an exaggerated a whiff of Aurélie's vivid red hair, 'you stink.'

'Hey!'

'Why were you in the Undercroft?' he went on, his brown eyes narrowed on her suspiciously. Where Lory's natural kindness saw only the best in every situation, Sebastian's Slytherin nature meant he was predisposed to believe the exact opposite. 'Were you alone? How long have you been down there? Why didn't you ask me to come?'

'Who cares why she was in the Undercroft,' muttered Alistair, who, generally speaking, didn't care much what anyone did so long as it didn't encroach on him. 'Why aren't we going into the Undercroft?'

Aurélie threw her arms out wide.

'No!' she cried as the dark-haired Slytherin made for the concealed entrance. 'You can't go in there!'

Alistair Cushing, distant descendant of Salazar Slytherin, inarguably the most intimidating student in the entire school, and - thanks to Lory's innate ability to befriend quite literally anyone or any thing - the newest addition to their friend group, fixed her with a piercing blue-eyed stare, clearly affronted

'And why not?' he asked, his calm tone thick with a disdain only those borne of Slytherin blood could afford; Alistair, like his cousin Ominis, did not take kindly to being told what to do.

'Yeah!' agreed Sebastian, elbowing him out of the way. 'Why not?'

'Because I said so!' snapped back Aurélie, who was not descended from ancient, all-powerful Parselmouths, but from a very long line of equally-formidable French women.

Alistair raised his eyes to the ceiling, silently praying for patience, while beside her, still clinging to Aurélie's arm, Lory bounced on the balls of her feet.

'Oooh,' she giggled, pinching her best friends elbow, 'did you sneak a boy down there, Aura?'

'What?' Aurélie's spluttered cry of indignation was rivalled only by that of Sebastian's.

'What boy?' they said in unison.

'What boy?' repeated Sebastian. 'Did you show someone the Undercroft? The Undercroft is supposed to be a secret! You're not allowed to do that!'

'Why not? You showed it to me!' Aurélie retorted.

'And me!' added Lory.

'Me, too,' came from Alistair.

Sebastian pulled a face. 'Yeah, well...' he muttered, scratching the back of his neck. 'You lot are different. That doesn't count. Only I'm allowed to share the knowledge of the Undercroft.'

'Excuse me?' Alistair rounded on him, standing taller in his indignation. 'The Undercroft has been known by my descendants for a thousand years, I do not need your permission to -'

'Oh, please,' Sebastian interrupted, rolling his eyes as Alistair bared down on him. 'You're like Ominis' third cousin, it's hardly a connection to boast about.'

'Right, and you're the third cousin of nobody, so why do you get to set the rules -'

'Because I've been using the Undercroft since first year!'

'So what? My family's been using it since the school was founded!'

Aura and Lory exchanged a silent, long-suffering look.

'Now, now, you two,' Lory intervened, stepping between the arguing boys with her palms raised. 'Play nice, or Aura won't tell us about her romantic rendezvous in the Undercroft.'

'Lory, I did not sneak a boy into the Undercroft! The only boys I know are...' she gestured vaguely at the two Slytherins before them, the taller of which groaned aloud and rolled his eyes.

'For the love of Salazar,' muttered Alistair, 'has there ever in the entire thousand-year history of Hogwarts been a Ravenclaw who gave a straight answer? Because I've certainly never met one.' He turned to fix Aurélie with his signature ice-prince glare. 'Why,' he said very deliberately, 'are we not allowed in the Undercroft?'

Aurélie gulped.

'Because I -' She shot a panicked look between each of her friends, wondering how much longer her luck was going to hold out. So far, beyond her narrow escape from her little magical mishap, luck had kept away any meddling prefects, professors or ghosts, and ensured that the roaring of the accidental dragon couldn't be heard several floors above it. At any rate, it was no good trying to hide a bloody dragon; someone was bound to notice eventually, so she might as well just admit to her mistake and hope that somehow luck would, well... fix it.

'Because, I - well, because I accidentally conjured a dragon down there.'

The silence that followed was so dense Aurélie had to wiggle her finger in her ear. Three stunned faces gaped back at her, and then, all at once -

'You conjured a what?'

'You conjured a dragon where?'

'Ooh, can we name it Nugget?'

'Lory, please,' Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose. 'We've been over this, you cannot keep a dragon as a pet.'

Lory pouted. 'But why?'

'I don't understand,' Alistair cut in, one brow arched so high Aurélie was sure it would never come down again. 'If you conjured it, why can't you just... un-conjure it?'

'No!' cried the two girls in unison, their combined outrage echoing through the tower with enough force to wake the entire school.

'Are you mad? You can't just un-conjure an animal!'

'It's a living creature, Alistair!'

'How would you like it if I un-conjured you?'

'How could you be so unfeeling?'

'Bad move, Cushing,' Sebastian chuckled, clapping the tall bewildered Slytherin on the shoulder. 'I know you're only new to the group, but there are two rules you need to observe if you want to stay on the girls' good sides: never threaten Lory's Beasts, and never question Aura's fashion advice.'

'Yes, speaking of!' said Aurélie sharply, eyeing Sebastian's feet with disdain. 'I thought we agreed against those shoes!'

'Uh... t-these shoes? Are you sure? I don't recall, I think you're confused with my other shoes...'

'They are pretty ugly, Sebby,' Lory agreed, wrinkling her nose at the offending monstrosities that Sebastian considered appropriate footwear.

Aurélie threw her hands up, exasperated. 'They're hideous! We talked about this, you promised you were going to get rid of them!'

'Aw, bad move, Sallow,' smirked Alistair. 'Perhaps you need a refresher on those rules, hm?'

'Never mind my shoes!' Sebastian scowled, dodging away from a very condescending shoulder pat. 'Id say the more pressing matter is the literal dragon -'

'Nugget,' Lory interjected.

' - a literal unnamed dragon,' he continued, raising his voice, 'that someone decided to conjure in our Undercroft.'

Aurélie bristled. 'I didn't decide to -'

' — just seems a very unlikely thing to do by accident —'

'— on earth would I want to purposely conjure a —'

'— what goes on in your head half the time —'

'Enough!'

It wasn't often that Lorraine Jones lost her temper. She was, after all, the temperate voice of reason among the chaos; the gentle Hufflepuff influence who took all sides into consideration and mediated the best outcome for everyone. She was the temperate warmth to Alistair's coldness; the voice of reason to Sebastian's impulsivity; and a true friend to Aurélie, who'd shown up at Hogwarts two years prior, alone, overwhelmed, and grieving the untimely death of her parents. Without Lory, their unlikely friend group would be nothing but a fractured band of orphans, misfits and outcasts; Aurelie in her Ravenclaw tower, the three snakes in the dungeons, each of them separated by grief, isolated by trauma.

Lory was undoubtedly the glue that kept them all together - but, Merlin, when she was angry...

'Sebastian!' she snapped, jabbing a small but mighty finger at his face. 'For once in your life, shut up! And Aurélie!' she went on, interrupting the face she was pulling at Sebastian. 'Stop arguing with him!' Finally, she turned her wrath to the dark-haired boy, but when he only raised an unconcerned brow, she opened her mouth, closed it, then turned away, shrugging.

'Now,' she said, planting her hands firmly on her hips. 'Aura made a mistake, but bickering about it isn't going to get banish a dragon now, is it? Really, we should consider ourselves lucky that the situation isn't much worse!'

'Lucky?' Alistair echoed, laughing for quite possibly the first time in his entire life. 'Oh, my dear friends, facing a dragon is the least of your worries now.'

Sebastian frowned, clearly as confused as the rest of them. But then a slow-dawning horror broke across his face. 'Oh,' he said.

Aurélie paled, envisioning a dragon loose in the school, Hogwarts destroyed by fire, or worse - expulsion.

'What?' she demanded, palms sweaty. 'Sebastian Sallow, don't "oh" me! What is Alistair talking about?'

'Oh ho ho,' he said again, but this time with laughter in his voice. He turned to Alistair. 'You know, it isn't really my Undercroft, is it, Cushing?'

'For once in your life, Sallow, you are correct. Nor is it mine, really, being, as you mentioned, only a very distant relative to the Gaunt's. Hardly a connection at all, when you think about it.'

Aurélie turned, panic-stricken, to face her best friend.

'Oh, no,' she said.

'Oh, no,' Lory agreed.

Alistair cracked a rare smile. 'There's only one true owner of the Undercroft, after all...'

'And you, my favourite little Ancient Magic weilder,' Sebastian said, throwing an arm around Aurélie's shoulders, 'just stuck a great dirty dragon in the middle of the Heir of Slytherin's most treasured room.'

Luck fleed before her, leaving cold dread in its wake as a new set of echoing footsteps moved slowly toward them, accompanied by the unmistakeable red glow of a semi-sentient wand.

Ominis' sharp voice reached them first, slicing through the heavy silence like severing charm.

'You did what in my Undercroft?'

[emira-addams]

Hazbin Hotel - Odette x Velvette - Juliet and Juliet in Hell

Interlude: Blanket Bunkers and Bedroom Blunders

In the flickering light of the TV screen, Clara and Octavia squatted in their cozy fortress of blankets and pillows, which they had collected from all corners of the Carmine mansion with Rosie's help. The two best friends wore matching pyjamas, onesies made of fluffy fuchsia frotté fabric, each in the shape of Godzilla with teeth sewn onto the hood. Between them stood a half-empty bowl of popcorn, a treat from Rosie's kitchen.

Clara's attention was glued to the action on the TV screen as she blindly grabbed a whole handful of popcorn from the bowl and stuffed it into her mouth. On the screen in Clara's dim room played a horror movie that she had recently found in the far corner of a cupboard in the living room while cleaning out their movie collection.

"This cinematic execution is more akin to a bad comedy than a good horror movie," Octavia scoffed snidely. She rolled her eyes in annoyance as the characters in the movie made a decision that would surely seal the end of their lives. "Yeah, great idea!" she grumbled, her voice filled with sarcasm, as the characters, stranded without a car and with cell phones without reception somewhere in the middle of nowhere, walked into the first abandoned house they could find. "What could possibly go wrong? Humans are so fucking stupid..."

"Why do they run up the stairs instead of to the door?" Clara complained, full of contempt for the cliché-dripping movie script, as the raging killer appeared on the screen with a roaring chainsaw and chased after the intruders.

Octavia's boos and hisses filled the room mockingly. "How are we ever going to get any sleep tonight from fear?"

"Oh, wow..." sneered Clara as the raging killer sliced one of the main characters in half with his chainsaw, blood and gore splattering across the screen in all directions. "Anyone who finds this seriously creepy has either big brain damage or has never watched Rosie cook." Clara suppressed a gag at the thought of Rosie's special diet.

Suddenly, a very strange noise interrupted Clara's mocking laughter and elicited a startled gasp from her. "What was that?" she wanted to know, distraught, while she could feel her pulse in her ears. Her heart raced in her chest.

"I thought you didn't think the movie was creepy." Octavia writhed in laughter on the ground. "I didn't expect you to be so easily spooked by a maniacal chainsaw murderer and some blood, you live with a cannibal after all," she teased her best friend, a wide grin curling her lips.

"I don't think that movie is creepy!" protested Clara, her face bright red. "Besides, for your fucking record, my Mom lives with a cannibal and I live with my Mom. So I can't really do much about the cannibal..."

"Oh, don't be so fucking coy, Clara, I've heard you call Rosie Mamá before!"

Suddenly, Clara and Octavia startled again as the very strange noise sounded again. The debate was forgotten as reality dawned on Clara. Velvette must have snuck into Odette's room and these moans-

Clara quickly shook her head to dispel the thought. She desperately tried not to let the associated images arise in her head. "Uhm..." She cleared her throat awkwardly as she felt another wave of embarrassment roll over her and her cheeks took on a darker hue. Her lips hastily formed an apology to her guest. "I'm so fucking sorry, Octavia, I didn't think... I mean, I thought we were having a peaceful sleepover together. I didn't realize that my sister... I didn't expect my sister... that she and Velvette...", Clara stammered. She couldn't really find the right words and cast her gaze to the floor in shame.

Octavia let out a light laugh. "Hey, don't worry," she reassured her best friend and put her hand on her shoulder with a sympathetic look. "Honestly, it's not your fault... and somehow in a weird way, this situation is pretty funny."

The night dragged on while the noises continued.

Furiously, Clara pressed her hands over her ears and desperately tried to block out the noises coming from her sister's room. "Kill me, please!" she begged her best friend as they laid together in their sleeping bags on the floor of Clara's room, staring holes at the ceiling.

"Velvette doesn't really have a quiet voice, to put it kindly..." Octavia commented dryly.

Clara wailed, a deep red flush of embarrassment still on her cheeks. "This has been going on for fucking hours..." she groaned. "Don't they need a break?"

Octavia waved her hand. "It's a full moon today. Just be glad that the sleepover party is at your place and not mine. You really don't want to have to listen to what my father and his boyfriend are up to tonight..."

Clara shivered as an icy chill ran down her spine and wrapped herself tighter in her sleeping bag.

"You know, I'm not sure what's supposed to be scarier..." Octavia turned onto her side. She looked at her best friend with wide eyes. "This ridiculous horror movie, or that I've become an unwilling listener and a witness to the sex life between your sister and Velvette..."

Clara chuckled, a slight smile forming on her lips. "Definitely the latter," she asserted, "at least we got to laugh about the movie together."

Clara was glad her mother wasn't home yet. Rosie certainly wouldn't rat Odette and Velvette out to her, but Clara would definitely complain to her sister the next morning about this late-night disturbance...

Chapter 08:

[aimportantdragoncollector]

Okay, what about the "You get seduced by an illusion of your deepest desire and it turns out to be your crush" trope for the ask game.

An AU where Second works for AFO but has a huge crush on his brother, who occasionally comes by with snacks and kind words for the workers. One day, as part of training, AFO uses a quirk that shows people their deepest desires and says that as part of training they have to resist whatever pops up.

Imagine the look on his face when Yoichi appears.

What fun! Oh no, how will I keep AFO from ending this AU early by murdering Second?

1. In this AU, AFO focused more on good publicity to keep his little brother on his side. Since AFO has a reputation as a fighter for metahuman rights, Second also joined AFO's side. However Second used to be a thief when he lived on the streets, so as a result he's allowed into the shadier side of AFO's business. He helps transfer fishy packages but doesn't know the full extent of it.

2. AFO's plan worked a little too well because now Yoichi is absolutely desperate to be part of the family business and do good for the world. AFO doesn't want Yoichi uncovering his lies. So he gives Yoichi some busywork and puts him and his perfect hair on recruitment posters. (This works very well.) Yoichi regularly makes care packages for his brother's employees. Second is smitten at first sight. Being young and inexperienced, Second doesn't understand his own feelings or why he keeps saving the wrapping from Yoichi's gifts. He just really looks forward to the visits.

3. No matter the AU, AFO is still an obnoxious boss. So naturally, he comes up with stupid mandatory team-building activities that are really more about tormenting his employees. AFO decided to publicly reveal his employees greatest desires because he thought it would be funny to humiliate them. Training them to resist was just an excuse.

4. Second saw Yoichi's face and had several realizations about himself in a row. At this point, Second's life is in grave danger. However, he's saved from the wrath of an overprotective brother because...it turns out that every single employee attracted to men had Yoichi as their desire. And there were quite a few people for whom Yoichi was the exception to their sexuality. AFO made an enormous blunder by using Yoichi on his recruitment posters. Yes he had an employment boom, but at what cost? Fortunately there are so many dream Yoichis in the room that AFO can't tell who is attracted to his brother. Oh yeah, and some of the employees had fantasies about AFO too, possibly in a threesome with Yoichi. Those poor souls take the brunt of AFO's wrath (he'd kill them if he could figure out which dreams came from which people).

5. To make this all even more mortifying, Yoichi was also at the team-building exercise and flees when the dreams start popping up. Second figures Yoichi must have been embarrassed and follows him to apologize. However, Yoichi didn't actually see that everyone had a crush on him. Yoichi ran off because his own desire popped up--and it was Second.

6. When Second sees his own shadow chasing after Yoichi, there's shock, then a tearful mutual confession, then two people who skip off for a happy first date while AFO is still trying to figure out how he can fire all of his employees and still keep his business running. He can't, but everyone gets a big pay cut.

(All of these are free to use in my Three Weeks of Trioholders event.)

[the-chosen-fanfiction]

Gentile. | Chapter 25

Quintus is far from pleased with Jesus of Nazareth. A blunder almost causes your affair to come to light. A private letter appears on your desk.

Chapter list

Seething, Quintus taps his fingers against the surface of the table whilst wolfing down his dinner. You sit a little away from him after having refused food, blaming it on your pregnancy to hold away suspicion regarding the fact that your mind is spinning with whatever has taken place this afternoon.

“Stupid, inept, good-for-nothing amateurs,” Quintus fumes. You’re not sure if he is expecting a response from you or if he is just venting, but you don’t reply regardless of what he wants. “And then you think I’ve started to get things back on track here. I run a tight ship, you can’t convince me of anything else. Everything was going so great. Truly, (Y/n), you must have seen the look on Silvius’ face, ha! That fool was so impressed, Matthew’s advice has been incredibly useful. Then, on his way back, that snobbish, arrogant envoy was delayed because of some… Mob! To think that I’ve given Gaius a promotion today, and that the entire lot seems to be incompetent enough to make me look like an idiot.”

You hum and absentmindedly draw circles over your stomach, not paying real attention to what he’s saying.

“I am just so embarrassed, darling. Oh, and the paperwork that needs to be completed now…” Quintus grunts, rubbing his forehead. “Why don’t things ever go well around here? If it weren’t for me, this place would have gone up in flames already.”

Sinking back in your seat, you feel yourself doze off, but your husband isn’t content with your lack of response. “Darling? Why are you so quiet?”

“I’m tired,” you sigh, which is not a lie. 

“You know that you’re my wife, right?” He narrows his eyes at you and looks at you in a way that confuses you slightly. “You haven’t exactly… Been acting that way recently.”

You look at him in puzzlement, shaking your head slowly. “I’m not sure what you’re on about.”

“You sure aren’t.” he sarcastically replies, standing up to head over to you. Towering over you, he cups your chin in his hand to have you look up at him, fingers almost slipping to your throat. Swallowing is painful in this position. “How is this for your wifely duties? I need to blow off some steam. You better meet me in the bedroom in fifteen minutes to show me that you love me.”

He releases you and stomps away, barking at a servant girl to get out of his way. Shaken, you fist at your tunic, not sure where his sudden lack of confidence comes from. Not that he’d be wrong to suspect you of such a thing, but you’re certain that you haven’t made any slip-ups.

There is no other choice but to obey. Despite your exhaustion, you make your way to the bedroom after a quarter of an hour, already shutting off your body and mind to just not feel when Quintus takes advantage, but you’re surprised to find him submerged in the bath instead.

“Take off your clothes and join me.” he orders. The water is searing hot judging by the steam that floats around. Even though you’re not very keen on it, it is better than him having his way with you, and perhaps that the bath somewhat brings forth relaxation in your tense form.

You slip out of your tunic and rather clumsily clamber into the tub, his eyes roaming over your naked form. “You look so beautiful, sweetheart.” he murmurs, reaching out to touch your thigh right before you sink down to let your skin get adjusted to the stinging heat of the water. It slightly spills over the edges, but neither you nor Quintus care about that. 

The water is infused with lavender oil and causes your throat to feel tight. You sit opposite Quintus to face him, creating some distance between you and him, but he doesn’t necessarily seem to like that. Instead, he swims over to you, though where you had expected him to order you into his arms, he turns his back to you to settle himself against your form instead, his back to your chest. 

Under the water, his hands find your arms and pull them around his waist, where you awkwardly hold him for a while. “I miss you.” Quintus mutters, “And if I haven’t been a good husband lately, you should tell me, (Y/n). If there are any needs that you haven’t seen fulfilled, you should be upfront about it.”

There is genuinity behind his words, which startles you. This was new. He had never, ever cared about your individual needs. One of his hands finds your belly, suddenly clarifying the reason why he’d soften towards you. After all, you are the vessel to his child, and if you are unwell, it could affect the heir – his heir, that he has claimed long before you ever conceived. 

“Do you understand me, (Y/n)?” he presses, looking over his shoulder to make eye-contact with you. His eyebrows are slightly raised and his other hand is grabbing tightly onto your arm, nails digging into your wrist. “If there is anything that needs my attention, come to me.” There is pain as he harshly breaks your skin under his grip, small, crescent-shaped marks now adorning your lower arm. “Promise me.” he coldly hisses. His vulnerability always comes with a price.

“Of course, Quintus.” you whisper. “I will.” 

His grip loosens and smirks, seeming satisfied, relaxing against your body. The discomfort of his weight against your stomach makes you huff in pain, but he mistakes it for something else. “Let’s go to bed,” he purrs, giving you a look that makes your gut drop. “Been needing you, darling.” 

“I’m very tired, Quin.” you earnestly reveal to him, at which he rolls his eyes. 

“Fine,” he says, “I’ll make sure to be quick,” as if that is something you should be grateful for. 

He drags himself out of the bath first to dry himself off, whereas you dally a little in the hopes he’ll lose interest and go to sleep, but to no avail. 

Your husband lays down on his side of the bed, draping the blanket over his lower half. It’s not often you’re fully naked with him, so it’s strangely warm to crawl in with him.

“Quintus,” you say upon turning to him with a sigh, “I really don’t want to do this tonight.”

He squints and shakes his head, smiling in slight disbelief. “I already said that I’d be quick, and–” 

You slip a hand under the covers, the words catching in his throat. To your relief, he finds it satisfactory for tonight, despite how filthy it makes you feel. Everything is better than to have him above you, especially with your growing abhorrence towards him.

Once done, he relaxes in the covers and you slip out of bed to both wash your hands and put on a nightgown, uncomfortable to be sleeping in the nude. His eyes are on you as he informs you about his whereabouts tomorrow: 

“I’ll be visiting Nicodemus,” he tells you, “That influential Rabbi. I feel like this Jesus of Nazareth might eventually pose a threat to the public peace, but I need to know if there’s a… Hm… Problem. I mean, what happened today isn’t just a one-time event. My informants have shared other reports about Him, so I think it’s time to investigate. Plus, that other Rabbi, Shmuel, is so keen on another audience regarding the topic of Jesus as well.”

Quintus’ words make you turn back in surprise. “You know Him?”

“Who, Nicodemus?”

“No, this… Jesus of Nazareth. The Preacher.”

Quintus frowns in question. “How do you know about this Man, then?”

You swallow and hope you haven’t run your mouth. “Ah, I’ve heard whispers.” you say, which isn’t a complete lie. “About miracles.”

Quintus scoffs and rolls his eyes. “You don’t believe those rumours, do you? It’s trivial gossip. Remain sharp, (Y/n), I know your pregnancy hormones might make you feel intrigued and more emotional, so it’s a good thing that you’ve got me to keep you grounded. He might seem like a type of character you’ll read about in your silly books, but trust me, this Man is naught but a phrasemonger. They’ll forget about Him in no time, and so should you.”

Annoyance coils within you. “Well, I’m otherwise very interested in learning more about this Man.”

“Put it out of your head, (Y/n). Don’t think I’ll ever allow you to get close to that… Whatever he is. Preacher? Rabbi? No matter. Quit being naive. Hurry up.”

You sigh and turn to the mirror to apply some oil to your face. In the reflection, you watch how Quintus rolls away and quickly seems to fall asleep, much to your delight, so that he will not touch nor kiss you. Carefully, you slip under the covers and watch him slumber for a moment. Reaching for your nightstand, you extinguish the flame of the candle standing there and pull the sheets up to your nose, closing your eyes to overthink today’s events. 

Not much sleep comes to you that night. 

_ 

Whilst gone on his trip to speak to Nicodemus, Quintus has put Gaius in charge of you. He stands in the doorframe of the estate rather awkwardly, a hand on his sword, dutifully staring at a point in the distance. 

With a bowl of nuts in hand, you halt in his field of vision right when you’re about to turn onto the stairs. He seems to snap out of it, shakes his head slightly before looking at you with a deep frown on his face. 

“Ma’am?” 

“What happened yesterday?”

Gaius shrugs. “I don’t know, really. All I am aware of is that it is a nuisance to the public peace,” – he must have spoken to your husband – “and must thus be kept under control.”

“It cannot be nothing,” you say, “You saw it too. The paralysed man.”

His gaze lowers as he gets confronted and looks over his shoulder before leaning closer to you, his voice a whisper. “Ma’am, I have no idea what you’re thinking about. With all due respect, don’t let the Praetor catch you saying that.”

You plant a hand on your hip and raise an eyebrow. “Quintus is speaking to the Jewish leader about this. If this is supposed to be deception, then they are very good at it.”

Gaius squints and flexes his jaw. “Not good enough, for the Roman Empire sees through it.”

Sighing, you shake your head. “I know what I saw, Gaius, but apparently you don’t have the same questions as I do. I’ll be upstairs.” 

“Of course, ma’am.”

He turns away to guard the door instead whilst you make your way up the stairs, supporting your pregnant stomach that has been growing rapidly over the past weeks. It has not come to the point of back aches yet, but it’s certainly visible through your tunic if you’re not wearing your Palla.

You take a seat at your desk and sigh, placing the bowl of snacks on the corner of the table before reaching for the journal in your drawer. Instead of the small book you had expected, you find a roll of sorts – parchment, sealed.

Curiously, you take it out to see what it is about, and your heart skips several beats at the sight.

On the surface of the desk, right in front of you, lays a letter from the man you have been longing to hear from, the imprint on the wax utterly recognisable. 

Swiftly, you check the door if you’re alone, then stand to look out of the window for a second, your heart racing inside your chest, hoping to find Atticus somewhere in the business of the crowd that goes on as usual. No sign of the cohorte, but the letter remains. 

You break the deep red seal and roll open the parchment, starting at the top and delighted at how long it is. Your stomach tingles at the familiar swirl of his hand, an almost girlish laugh leaving your lips upon reading his greeting. 

‘My dearest sweetheart, my darling who has not been out of my mind ever since I last saw you. I hope you can forgive me for my lack of correspondence but danger lurks in every corner as I tie up loose ends your husband has left hanging. Forgive me too for breaking and entering into your room, but I found no other way to get this to you safely without the risk of Quintus finding out. Since I have brought this to your room personally, it is safe to tell you that I miss you dearly, my beloved (Y/n), and that my heart hurts every day we are apart.

And yes, this means that I am nearby, though I am not in need of coming to visit your husband, and showing my face around there would not be wise at the moment, for I remain undercover to all except to you, for I want nothing more than to see you. I’m currently on my way to track more Zealot activity all throughout Judea and Galilee, so I cannot stay for long. Please, my love, come to see me tonight or the next. Meet me in the alleyway near the library, so that we can walk together to a more secluded area. 

I cannot wait to see you, to hold and kiss you, and to hear everything that has been keeping you busy these days. 

Thinking of you, constantly, A.’

Your stomach churns inside your body and you press your hand to your lips at the request, a blush colouring your cheeks bright red. Atticus is in Capernaum – has even visited your room in secret to deliver your letter and somehow knew that you’d stumble upon it – and he wants to see you.

You suppress a squeal of excitement threatening to leave your lungs as you hold the letter close to your chest, grinning from one ear to the other. The yearning has grown so strong that you cannot wait to meet him and quickly stuff the parchment into the back of your drawer before stumbling towards your wardrobe in order to pull out your cloak, for leaving without some sort of disguise would be too dangerous.

You halt in your actions when you hear footsteps head up the stairs and you throw the cloak to the back of the closet quickly, turning to see Quintus, helmet still on his head. He removes it and wipes a hand across the surface of his head, which shimmers with sweat. 

“How was your chat with Nicodemus?” you query. Quintus hums and eyes you curiously. 

“It was good. Fruitful. Don’t think He’ll be a problem. At least, for now.” 

You hum. “So? What now?”

“Now, he’ll report back to me if he ever meets with this Jesus. I won’t have to spend my energy pursuing that strange Preacher and I’ll keep my hands clean whilst still getting the intel that I want.”

He smiles complacently, brushing a soft kiss against your forehead. “Anyways, what were you doing?”

“I was going to write a letter to my brother to ask how they are doing.”

“Were you, now?” Quintus quizzes, looking around the room you’re currently standing in. “In your closet? Desk’s over there…” He gestures behind him and you’re glad that you’ve gotten rid of Atticus’ letter already. He cups your chin and looks you in the eye, leaning down slightly, “How’s the baby?”

“The child is well,” you say, “At least, I haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary.”

He hums and lets his gaze fall to your lips for a second. “I have to go,” he says, “Stay home today. There is a lot I need to sort out today regarding what has happened yesterday and well… I’ll probably be in need of some… Hm… Comfort once I return.” 

The words make you shudder and you gulp as he kisses you, attempting to deepen it, though he finds no reaction from your side. He pulls away with a small grin, frowning slightly at your rebellion. “Tonight, you better kiss me properly,” he states, “You'd better be a good wife for me.”

Once the Praetor releases you and turns to the door, you dare to exhale the breath you didn’t even realise you had been keeping in, and wipe your clammy palms on your tunic. You watch him descend the stairs, heading for the front door, where he is greeted by Gaius.

In thought, you chew your lip as to how to solve the issue of Quintus’ apparent needs tonight. Would there be any way to sneak away without him noticing? If it were up to him, you would spend the entire evening in his presence, something that was completely the opposite of your plans of meeting Atticus, someone who you longed for – the only person you actually want to kiss properly. 

Wine , shoots through your mind. In times of stress, Quintus has the tendency to indulge in the crimson liquid more often, so you could take advantage of it. Determined, you nod to yourself, taking a deep breath before heading down the stairs to ask a servant to purchase a few more decanters of the stuff. 

You request a light dinner, one that will not necessarily be satiating so that the alcohol will hit harder, and she goes to the market at once after receiving a good handful of money from you. It gives you time to doll up – not for your husband, but for the cohorte.

Once the sun lowers and evening falls, Quintus returns with on his face once again a sour look. It appears that he has been ranting and raving to his men about their inability to control the crowds.

You hug your stole a little tighter around your shoulder as he plops down at his usual spot at the table, already waving you over to sit close to him. Quintus sighs exasperatedly and rubs his brow in annoyance, chewing the inside of his cheek. “You know, darling,” he huffs, “Everything has just been so… Extremely chaotic recently.”

“I can see that.” you tell him, reaching for his arm. Flattery will be your greatest pawn tonight, as will be the wine that is being carried inside by the servants who bring you the first course of your meal. “Don’t overwork yourself, Quin.” you muse as you rub circles over the inside of his wrist, his body slightly relaxing. 

“And with your pregnancy… It worries me. I’ve heard… Stories about women dying during childbirth, and the baby dying as well. If that happened to my son… To you… I would be devastated. You know what I’m thinking?” 

You hum and look at him expectantly. 

“A trip to Rome.”

Something relieved washes over you. “Really?”

He nods and smirks slightly at your suddenly delighted expression. “Yes,” he says, “It’s such a long time ago since you have seen your family. I simply must speak to your brother about his… Promotion.” He grins and tilts his head slightly, something strange glittering behind his eyes, but you don’t dare question it.

It’s odd for him to give in like this. What could have possibly changed his mind, you wonder, but you are afraid that if you’d ask, he might say no anyways.

“So, what’s for dinner?” Quintus quizzes upon seeing a light broth served with bread on the side. 

“Well,” you begin, “Something small to start off with. Because you’ve been so stressed out lately, I’ve taken the liberty of sending out a servant to get us wine.”

A shiver of a smirk covers his features. “Darling, you know me so well.” He takes the clay jug and sniffs the liquid inside before pulling an impressed face and pouring two cups full of the stuff, handing one to you.

“To our baby,” Quintus states, “And… Our trip to Rome.” You give him a small nod and take a drink of wine. The bitter flavour burns in your throat more than it usually does, this time around in an unpleasant way, and you wonder if your pregnancy has anything to do with it. Still, you take another sip whilst your husband throws it back in one gulp, as you had anticipated.

He pours himself another whilst you slowly nip on your own, enjoying the flavour of the soup at least. The tension seems to slip off of his shoulders and he loosens up, humming in appreciation at the food. 

“This is really good, (Y/n).” he says, “So good.” 

The alcohol kicks in faster than you thought. You stay with only one cup so that Quintus won’t insist on a second whilst the man himself drinks cup after cup, complimenting the finely seared steak that’s on the menu. Under the guise of feeling nauseated, you keep your consumption down, and every so often, your mind drifts to Atticus, whom you’ll meet soon enough once Quintus falls asleep, drowsy with wine.

“You know,” he huffs, “I sometimes feel like I don’t appreciate you enough.” His voice is thick and tipsiness is evident on his tongue. He’s right, though, for he never expresses such sentiments unless he’s drunk.

You give him a wry smile and take a bite from your steak. When you don’t reply verbally, he elaborates. “Sometimes, I suspect that you might not think of me as a good husband. After all, I’m always busy with work. Luckily, you’ll have my son to keep you company, soon. I reckon you must be lonely sometimes, aren’t you?”

His eyes suddenly darken as they focus on you, and despite the alcohol weighing heavy on his face, he tenses his jaw in all seriousness. 

Frowning, you shrug at him. “Well, I tend to become a little isolated from time to time. After all, I’m just here with not much to do. If I were allowed to go to the market whenever I wanted, that would help a great deal already.”

“You know I can’t allow that,” Quintus says, “But aren’t you lonely?”

Your eyes narrow at the repetition of the question, as if your answer hadn’t sufficed. He leans closer, awaiting something. 

“What do you want me to say? There isn’t a lot I can do around the house if–”

“I’ve read a letter from your brother,” Quintus states. “About something… Alarming, regarding you.”

Your heart skips a few beats, face paling at the revelation. “What?” you whisper with hitching breath, blood suddenly rushing in your ears.

“He says that… That he thinks you’ve sent him a letter that was not… That was not meant for his eyes.” Quintus’ speech starts to become heavier with every passing minute, the full extent of the alcohol taking its toll. He gauges your reaction as you stare at him in disbelief, your mind racing with what has happened. “Are you corresponding with him without my knowledge?”

The letters you had written a while ago – one to Lucius, another to Atticus. You must have tossed the wrong one into the fire and sent your brother the mail meant for your secret lover.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Lucius says he recognised your handwriting.” Quintus insists. “That the words he got from you are very… Unlike you. That they were not meant for him but for someone you muster other sentiments towards. Is there anything you need to tell me?”

Wide-eyed, you stare at him, slowly shaking your head. “I think he’s confused me with someone else,” you say, “I only sent a post scriptum after your letter that I’ll be praying for the wellbeing of their child. Perhaps that I have accidentally sent the other letter meant for my friend Joanna in Machaerus to him, too.”

Quintus inspects your face, which you try to keep as neutral as you can, and you swallow thickly when he finally looks away with a sigh. “I’ll… You know, once we are in Rome, I am going to read that letter and see for myself… Whatever you’ve written…” He points at you accusingly, “It’s the only reason we’re going there, by the way, I need to see it. With my own eyes…”

“You’re delusional,” you daresay, “You’re just seeing things that aren’t there, Quintus.”

He huffs and takes another sip of wine. 

“I carry your child, do I not?” you send his way, “Does that mean nothing to you?”

Quintus pinches the bridge of his nose and shifts towards you. “I know–I know, I’m sorry, darling. It’s… I’m just… Paranoid! I’m… I don’t trust people, you know! Especially these days. I’m sorry if I questioned your loyalty in any way. Forgive me.”

Your shoulders suddenly feel heavy. His suspicions were correct , yet you didn’t feel ashamed about it at all. In turn, it convicts you of your adultery, but only for a moment, for once you gaze back up at Quintus’ face, you feel a wave of nausea hit you at how much you loathe him. It is as if Atticus is standing right outside the room, whispering your name, luring you to him. 

“Forgive me.” Quintus once again mutters, tears in his eyes. The alcohol makes him a thousand times more volatile and emotional than he already is, “Darling?”

“Of course,” you whisper, forcing a smile. “Come to bed with me.”

He lets out a low hum that makes the hairs of your neck stand on end. “I thought you’d never ask, my pretty thing. You’re looking so beautiful tonight. All for me, hm…” He clumsily stands and allows you to lead him up the stairs to the bedroom. Quintus heavily weighs on you, stumbling into the wall a few times, the alcohol taking over. 

With a grunt, he falls onto the bed face-first, turning to you with half-lidded eyes. “Come—Come here, (Y/n), kiss me.”

You shake your head slightly and feign a smile, sitting down on your side of the bed, where you scoot closer to him and wrap an arm around him, which he gladly accepts. “(Y/n), I—”

“Sssh,” you hush, “Close your eyes, Quin.”

He groans in protest but cannot resist the warmth, until he finally feels so heavy against you that you’re certain you will not rouse him by gently pushing him off, where he rests in the covers, snoring already.

Silently slipping out of bed, you grab the cloak you had found beforehand and drape it over your shoulders, casting one final glance at a sleeping Quintus. You rush down the stairs, where you find yourself alone, the sound of servants rummaging around in the kitchen the only noise, for no one dares come close to the hallway whenever you and your husband are upstairs in the early evening. 

You take a candle and place it inside a lantern, pulling the hood of the cloak over your head. 

Into darkness you head out, seeking the keeper of your heart without looking back.

Next chapter Chapter list

[chaosnightmare]

hey i wrote something tiny about shadow where he's watching the other characters at a party and it's mostly me projecting I'm sure. and you can read it if you want but you have to promise to treat me really niceys even if it's the worst

So, so loud.

Bass of a song roaring like thunder, screams of joy echoing through the sky and the colored explosives they buy for special occasions were certainly doing their job, on ground met by cheers among a cacophany of mingling.

See, this is why he didn't ever show up to parties. What good were they? All you do is walk in, be bombarded with constant energy for the duration of the entire night, and leave exhausted.

Was he the only person who didn't think that sounded fun at all?

Obscured in his namesake, he peeked around the corner to see what the others were up to.

Dancing...?

Everyone, all together though uncoordinated, up and dancing to the same song. That made sense... he'd never considered that dancing could be a more than two person practice. He crept slowly into the corner of the alleyway and watched closely.

Everyone was on the same rhythm, and yet they were all dancing differently. That made sense, too, he supposed. If more than 2 people are to improvise...

Some were actually dancing in pairs or groups, though. Rouge was with Knuckles, as she'd undoubtedly roped him into dancing with her.

That meant he couldn't rely on her for tonight, though. She was busy celebrating in her own way. He couldn't go cling to her side; If he wanted to join, he'd have to do it himself.

Could he?

How do you "join" a dance? Surely you can't just pop in and start dancing, can you? Aren't you supposed to ease into activities like this...?

He couldn't just walk in, though. He'd stick out more than ever.

At best, he'd be mocked for showing up in the first place. That, or met with more attention than he'd like. "We never see you! What made you finally show?" from a thousand different angles, all instantly overwhelming.

The thing about rarely attending gatherings and the like is that you tend to get branded as such. Being 'The Guy Who Doesn't Show For Parties' is a bit of a difficult reputation to shake.

Show up to one, and not only are you treated to a landslide of interrogation, but you're expected to do it for the next party, and all parties following.

Being seen at all is a sign that you've come out of your shell, and you apparently aren't supposed to go back in after you're done.

Maybe it would just be best to stay hidden, then.

Laughter filled the noise-stained air of the immediate area, snapping him out of his train of thought. Sonic had blundered and spilled the entire punch bowl onto himself.

Klutz.

With a light chuckle, he shook the embarassment off, and ran a lap to dry himself in what appeared to be about half a second.

Showoff.

The party resumed as if nothing had happened. How quickly he was able to recover from that. They didn't even make fun of him.

That wouldn't be the case on the other end...

If HE had done that, it'd be "Ultimate-Loose-Feet" all the way home. He'd have gotten frustrated with the condescension, and further berated for getting embarrassed.

Rouge insisted that nobody actually tries to make fun of him.

Rouge was right about everything anyways.

He didn't initially realize he was staring at her, but his body gave it away. Noticing a swaying motion from within himself, seeing her move in a similar fashion, he instantly understood.

Mirroring. That godforsaken habit of his.

Perhaps resulting from the circumstances of his creation, he mirrored almost constantly. Do anything in front of him, and he'd likely try to copy you. Perhaps it was fate. He lived to his name more often than he'd like to admit.

It was especially humiliating when it was Sonic. He all but invited the comparison he often loathed by outright imitating his movements in battle.

The lights began to flash in a familiar fashion... Red, fading in and out. His stomach began to turn.

He knew how to dance. It wasn't that he couldn't. He and Maria would dance to whatever records they had on hand at home. That was another thing they promised to do together.

The music comes from earth. Sometimes they make the music live, right in front of you. Let's go dance at a concert someday.

He didn't go to concerts, either.

What was the point? Why dance like this at all?

No, no, it was those lights. The damn lights were getting to him. He didn't want to be here anymore. The exposure therapy wasn't worth feeling like this.

Why were any of them dancing? What was there to ultimately celebrate? Didn't they know they were going to die? Maria danced like she wasn't even ill, she danced through pain and breathlessness. He didn't understand.

One moment spared meant nothing. Everybody he could see was going to someday vanish. Why were they still dancing?

They have so little time, and they choose to dance? They're wasting it. They're wasting their time. This is a waste of time.

This is a waste of everyone's time.

He felt himself shaking, tears welled in his eyes. He should have known better than to come here. At the very least, he didn't break down in view of anybody, but he couldn't stay. He was never meant to be here in the first place.

He needed to leave.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rouge could have sworn she'd seen something in the alley, curtained by shadow.

[shizori]

Is This What Love Can Do? ( Am I Dreaming? )

CW ; alcohol

I was drinking alcohol like the insane person i am at the club, tears running down my cheeks. Normally, i'm not big on drinking, but this evening was different. I felt like i needed something to make the agony go away because i had just gone through a horrible breakup. My goal was to use alcohol to numb all of my emotions, and for a while, it appeared to be working. However, as the evening went on, i began to see that the booze was simply exacerbating my psychological suffering. Though i knew i had to find a better way to handle my loss, i was feeling quite lost and alone at the time. I couldn't get rid of the impression that someone was observing me as i sat at the bar enjoying my third drink of the evening and feeling a bit sorry for myself. Even though i looked like a total disaster, with mascara all over my face and my clothes looking like i had just been into a battle with a clothes rack, i couldn't help but glance around to see who was gazing at me. I wondered if i had offended anyone as i reflected on all the blunders i had made that evening. I had no idea what was going on until i looked up and saw a dashing stranger staring back at me. I may have looked like a hot mess, but he was obviously eyeing me out. I grinned to myself, thinking perhaps the evening wasn't completely wasted after all. Even though i was feeling like a complete failure, at least i had someone staring at me for the entire evening. I was a little flattered, and for a little second, i forgot about my broken heart and all of my mistakes. I only needed a small pick-me-up to get through the evening.

I was sitting there looking like a mess for what felt like hours before he eventually came over to me. It seemed a little patronising, "You look like a mess, you should go home," he added. I asked, trying to seem lighthearted and playful even though i was in excruciating pain within, "Who are you, my mum?" as i glanced up at him, shocked that he had the audacity to say that to me. He appeared rather surprised by my reply, as though he thought i would be appreciative of his unasked-for counsel. He said, "I'm just trying to help," and briefly averted his gaze before returning it to me. I could not shake the feeling that he was speaking without knowledge. I was about to throw up when i suddenly felt sick to my stomach and was hunched over the toilet. Standing there, staring at me with a mix of concern and contempt on his face, i was praying that i wouldn't pass out in front of this attractive stranger. He grabbed my hand and dragged me away from the toilet, saying, "You almost threw up on me, jeez." His kind voice said, "Let's get you home," as he guided me to the door. The world spun as we ran out of the club and into the night air, and i could hardly hear what he was saying over the beating in my heart. He was assisting me when i last remembered.

I was sleepy and confused when i woke up, and for a brief while, i couldn't even place myself. Then i suddenly remembered everything. I was wearing clothes i didn't own and i was in a stranger's home. I was in a panic, not knowing what had transpired the previous evening or whether i had done something risky or embarrassing. My heart was pounding as i sat up in bed and the stranger came in. He smirked at me and added, "Hey, we didn't do anything" i breathed a sigh of relief as i remembered that i still had the upper hand. I had no idea how i got to this stranger's house or why i was wearing these clothes, but at least i hadn't done anything dishonourable or against the law. It served as a lesson in constantly being aware of my surroundings and a reminder to exercise greater caution going forward. It's crucial to always keep in mind that there are always repercussions to our choices, regardless of how wonderful something may appear at the time. I regarded him suspiciously, still astonished that i had woken up in someone else's bed. I asked, wiping the sleep from my eyes, "Who are you?" "Rusdane," he uttered while flashing a smile. Curious, he said, "Can i ask?" As i opened out to him, i felt the weight of my grief lighten. "Why were you so messed up at the bar last night? Were you heartbroken?" i groaned. "Well... i guess yes," i conceded. His eyes were friendly and worried, though i couldn't quite make out what he mumbled. Even though i didn't know him well, i had to confess that i was somewhat relieved to have someone to talk to about everything that had happened. "Look, for everything you've been through, for all the heartaches and pain, for all the tears that weren't supposed to fall, for allowing yourself to be emotionally used and abused, for not reading the signs that you're almost cutting yourself in two — all because you love too much...forgive yourself. More than anyone else, you deserve that." for the first time in a long time, i felt a wave of relief sweep over me as i exhaled deeply. "You're right, you know. And i'm grateful for your words. For so long, i've been letting my past define me and my future. But it's time to move forward, and that starts with forgiving myself. Thank you, truly. You've helped me more than you could ever know." i grinned at him and felt a renewed optimism in my chest.

We had become friends after that day, and after a few months, my doubts were beginning to surface. I was starting to worry if he liked me since he was being too touchy. But it can't be correct, can it? i made an effort to ignore the thought, but it persisted. What if i was his romantic interest? if i found out, how would it affect our friendship? i couldn't stop these questions from coming to me, and i wasn't sure what to do. I had to find a way to let go of these ideas or i could damage him and myself in the process. Or... Am I The One Who's Falling?

·

·

·

I chose to go see him since i had heard that he works at a coffee shop. Excitement fills my heart as i enter the coffee shop. I grin at the cashier as i walk up to the desk and ask, "One iced coffee, please." She nods and takes my order promptly. My palms are starting to perspire a little as i look around in the hopes of seeing Rusdane. And there he is, in all his splendour, working on something at the rear of the store. I walk nonchalantly up to the counter to pay for my coffee, trying not to lose my cool, but deep down i can't wait to meet him. "Thank you," i answer, trying not to show off how happy i am. I saw a weird note poking out of my coffee cup as soon as i took a sip. My heart was pounding as i took it out and unfurled it, wondering who it might be from. I was shocked and taken aback to discover that it was a love letter from an unknown person! I chuckled in shock, needing a moment to register the bizarre circumstances before realising that I had to track out this enigmatic fan. Eager to unravel the mystery and perhaps even meet my new admirer, i hurriedly finished my coffee and departed the establishment. I was torn between scepticism, optimism, and perplexity as i made my way through the congested streets. Upon realising that Rusdane wasn't present, my heart sank with each step i took. I kept thinking about him and the note i had discovered. It served as a harsh reminder of what i had been neglecting for a very long time. Feeling defeated and alone when i eventually made it to my flat, i made the unbelievable decision to go straight to bed. All i could think of while i lay there, staring at the ceiling, was the note—and Rusdane.

After a few months, i had no particular plans for Valentine's Day and was feeling a little depressed about the occasion. That is, until Rusdane showed up at my door carrying a large arrangement of flowers. Confused, i questioned, "What are you doing here?" taken aback, i just stood there, trying to figure out what was going on, but he just smiled and added, "Can't I?" before offering me one of the flowers and saying, "Here's a flower for my favourite man." it turned out that he was the one who, all those months before, had given me the love letter, and now he was finally admitting his feelings. "What?" i questioned. "Are you serious?" he asked, grinning as he nodded. He answered, "I am." i had a range of feelings at that instant, including surprise, excitement, and uncertainty. "Will you be my Valentine's?" ultimately, though, i gave in to the temptation of spending Valentine's Day with my crush. "Yes," i replied, grinning back at him.

Everything between us altered right then and there. Now that the emotions we had been too ashamed to voice were visible, we understood we needed to go further into them. We became more and more attracted to one other every day, and finally he made the decision to court me—a development that made me feel both excited and anxious. The hardest thing was deciding to keep our relationship a secret, but it was also what made it so unique. I realised that i had discovered something worthwhile to strive for when, for the first time in my life, i felt genuinely connected to someone in a way that went beyond words. I had the freedom to love and be loved, and i felt alive. That was all that was important.

.

.

.

.

I was startled out of my trance when i heard a familiar voice call my name. A cheeky look on his face, he asked, "Love? Are you writing our love story?" i was laughing so hard at how ridiculous it was all, and all he did was grin and give me a tight hug. For a brief instant, all of my concerns and doubts vanished, and i had the feeling that I had finally found my place. In the arms of a person i loved back and who accepted me for who i am. I felt really joyful for the first time in a long time. And i knew that we would face whatever lay ahead of us together as we lay there in each other's arms. He laughed and remarked, "You're lost in thoughts again, bringing back our love story huh?" i smiled back at him and said, "Why? It's a milestone," he took a seat beside me, putting his arm around my shoulders and bringing me in close. He remarked, "A milestone? more like a lifetime," with a warm and loving voice. I felt like the luckiest woman alive at that very moment. It was a blessing unlike any other to be loved so completely and so sincerely, and i knew i would always cherish it. I thought nothing could ever separate us as we sat there, immersed in our own little universe and surrounded only by the love we shared.

This story began, however, in a pub when i was feeling very much as though my heart had broken. I never thought i would meet someone there who would allow me to experience true love in addition to making me feel less alone. Who would have guessed? it's been an incredible adventure, and even though i've experienced my fair share of heartbreak, i'm really grateful to have him in my life and to know that i will always have someone to lean on. As i bid you farewell, i can't help but feel both thrilled about the future and a little melancholy. This is only the start of our love story, after all.

[arpov-blog-blog]

Hopium Chronicles By Simon Rosenberg

The Republicans Have A DeSantis Problem

Been A Very Rough Couple of Weeks for the GOP's Bumbling Golden Boy

SIMON ROSENBERG

Perhaps the central insight of my 2022 election analysis was that I believed the Republicans had made a huge strategic blunder by running towards a politics - MAGA - which had just been overwhelmingly rejected by the American people in two consecutive high-turnout elections. As far back as late October 2021 I warned that if this “anti-MAGA majority” came to understand that the GOP was once again all MAGA it would make 2022 far more likely to be a close, competitive election than a red wave. And that’s basically what happened.

In the battlegrounds, where our campaigns had the resources to control the information environment and push turnout, we outperformed expectations, and MAGA once again disappointed. Incredibly we gained ground in AZ, CO, GA, MI, MN, NH and PA in 2022. In the battlegrounds MAGA has now failed the GOP in three consecutive elections, not just two. There is deep muscle memory and understanding of the dangers of MAGA in the battleground today. Running and winning as MAGA there will be very hard in 2024.

Ron DeSantis looked at all this and decided to become even more MAGA, super MAGA. He’s moved from a 15 week abortion ban to 6 weeks. He’s sold his Presidential campaign as a war against woke. He’s banning books, removing elected officials from office, mounting unprecedented assaults against undocumented immigrants and punishing businesses which don’t agree with his agenda. His response to the Silicon Valley Bank implosion was buffoonish and embarrassing. He choose Putin over America and the West. Republican Senators have been dumping on him all week. What in the world he is doing? As someone who has been in this business a long time it’s not easy to understand.

Last week we started to get polling showing how unpopular DeSantis’s agenda is even in Florida. I wrote a series of threads on Twitter going through the polling, and raising questions about whether DeSantis was blowing it. These threads got millions of views and kicked up an important conversation about DeSantis’s wild rightward lurch.

For all those Rs hoping DeSantis would be a reasonable and capable alternative to Trump this has been a very bad week. It appears the Rs might be on the verge of another cycle of “candidate quality” problems. It is another reason why as we head into 2024 I would much rather be us than them.

[cinebration]

What I Mean (Sherlock Holmes x Reader) [Request]

Hi lovely! Love love LOVE your work! You’ve got some truly amazing stories 💝 would I be able to request a Henry!Sherlock Holmes x reader one shot where the reader has feelings for Sherlock but thinks that he doesn’t like her at all? — Requested by anon

Warnings: none

Gif Source: acecroft

The first time you saw Sherlock, you fell in love. It wasn’t because of how he looked or how he carried himself. It was how he brushed past that insufferable Constable Lowell, ignoring the man’s protests with a wave of his hand. The way Lowell became flustered and upset and the way DI Lestrade laughed at him made your heart swell in your chest. After the last five months of verbal bullying from the constable, you were supremely satisfied to see him humiliated.

Sherlock frequently appeared unexpectedly at Scotland Yard. You learned to recognize his presence in the building before you ever saw him. There was something about the way he moved through the place, like it was of little consequence, that you could feel. It reminded you of being caught out in a storm with lightning striking nearby, the hair on your arms rising as static built up in the air.

You didn’t meet Sherlock until your fourth month of employment. What had started as a typing job had turned into secretarial work—with no increase in pay to account for your extra duties. You strode into Lestrade’s office with a thin smile and said, “If I’m going to be mitigating your literacy blunders, I expect to be compensated.”

“That’s out of the question. You are a typist and are paid accordingly.”

“Well, then, in that case…” You dumped a huge stack of folders in front of him. “I don’t need to inventory these.”

Lestrade stared at the stack in displeasure.

“Oh, and they haven’t been properly sorted. I’m only meant to type, not to organize your chaos.”

“Now wait.”

“I expect a ten-percent increase. That’s what a proper secretary gets paid. Oh, and the title. I want everyone to know I am not a mere typist.”

The muscle in his jaw jumping, Lestrade reluctantly agreed. Sweeping the files up in your arms, you strode out of the room, light on your heels.

Sherlock leaned beside the door, a faint smirk playing on his lips. You stumbled, surprised by his appearance.

“I thought I was the only one who could so easily maneuver Lestrade,” he said.

“He makes it too easy,” you managed to say.

Sherlock’s eyes skimmed the files. “They’re already organized, I see.”

“The trick is making him think only I can do this job.”

“Clever.” Then he was in Lestrade’s office discussing a case, leaving you standing there flushed.

~~

Sherlock took to greeting you cordially each time he passed by your desk after the incident with Lestrade. Sometimes he didn’t meet with Lestrade at all, instead opting to leave you with a message for the detective inspector. Sherlock never spent long at your desk, much to your disappointment, but the few minutes he spared you each time were enough to make you float the rest of the day.

You had taken it upon yourself to have all the necessary information on all of Lestrade’s cases close at hand. Sherlock often appeared to ask Lestrade for information regarding something he had read in the paper or heard from others. The first time you furnished him with a small envelope of the relevant information, you had been pleased to see genuine surprise in the consulting detective’s face.

“You are quite indispensable,” he remarked. “I don’t know how Lestrade managed anything before you.”

“Poorly, I would imagine.”

“I heard that!”

Smothering a laugh with your hand, you settled back at your desk and tried to think of something else to say to make Sherlock linger for a few moments. Before you could, he dipped his head and left.

You didn’t know why you kept entertaining the idea of interacting properly with Sherlock. The society rumor mill claimed the man was impossible to nail down and seemed uninterested in any of the ladies. It was supposed he, being an eccentric, was possibly too obsessed with his sleuthing hobby and therefore poor marriage material anyway.

Still, you flirted with the idea until you saw him interact with his sister, Enola. He smiled at her and praised her for a particularly thorny case she had unraveled.

Oh, you thought with dismay, feeling all hope leave you. He treats me like his sister.

The realization settled deep in your bones. It had been fruitless all along, the special treatment you had accorded him, the way he seemed pleased with you.

Of course he was pleased with you, you snarled inwardly. You helped him with his work. Even he suffers Lestrade in order to do that. You are nothing but a convenient secretary he doesn’t need to pay.

You couldn’t bear the thought of making things difficult for him, however, so you continued to keep the case information neatly organized and accessible. While everything in you had changed, the only outward sign of it was a sudden coolness toward him. You no longer smiled easily when he arrived, and you spent most of your time avoiding his gaze, busying yourself with tasks at your desk.

If he noticed, he gave no sign. It was as you had thought. You were of little consequence to him.

~~

A year after being hired, you considered quitting. There was a small detective agency in need of female detectives to uncover unfaithful wives and husbands for divorce proceedings. It would get you away from the stifling atmosphere of Scotland Yard, where the likes of Lowell and his ilk still roamed unchecked. You could do with a change.

You could do with an escape from a certain debonair consultant.

“You can’t leave,” Lestrade declared. “I won’t allow it.”

“Did I sign a contract, sir?”

“No, but why would that—”

“Then I am under no obligation to continue working for you.”

Lestrade sputtered, trying to refute you. “You’re needed here.”

“I know a woman who is as adept as I am at this work.”

“But—”

“I’ve made my decision, detective. Please leave me to it.”

You remained only to show your replacement the way of things and to warn her about Lowell and the others. Only then did you leave and seek a posting in the detective agency.

A day after you had applied and been accepted, you arrived to work in your work clothes, fully expecting to be sent somewhere to survey a cheating spouse. As you walked through the door, you heard exclamations from within.

“Mr. Holmes! What an honor it is to have you grace our establishment.”

You froze in the doorway, heart hammering in your chest. Sherlock’s broad back was turned to you, his face in three-quarter profile. You wanted to flee, to escape the magnetic pull you felt in your presence.

Your new employer saw you past Sherlock’s shoulder. “Ah, here she is.” Waving you over, he watched you walk stiffly down the hallway, your hands clenched into nervous fists by your sides.

Sherlock turned to you, fixing you with those striking blue eyes. You felt trapped beneath them, sucked in their magnetism once more. Swallowing thickly, you nodded. “Mr. Holmes.”

He smiled tentatively at you, revealing the point of a canine.

“Mr. Holmes has requested you for an investigation,” you employer said. “I offered him Miss Hemmings, of course, she being our finest, but he insisted on you.”

The hair on the back of your neck rose. Resisting the urge to scratch, you asked, “Did he?”

“I did. Now, if we could go? We are wasting time.”

Fighting the disappointment rising in you, you followed Sherlock out the door and into a transom. Enclosed in the small space, you couldn’t avoid his scent, a pleasing mix of tobacco smoke and something else. You avoided his gaze, folding and refolding your hands in your lap.

“You left Scotland Yard.”

A statement. You nodded but didn’t offer anything more. “Where are we going?”

“Did I do something wrong?”

You frowned, lifted your head. “I beg your pardon?”

“Did I do something incorrect?” A crease appeared between the man’s eyebrows. “Your demeanor toward me changed in the two months leading up to your resignation.”

Toying with the fingers of your gloves, you felt panic clawing up your throat. He had noticed. What did that mean?

“I can only conclude that something occurred, but I can’t determine what.”

You met his concerned eyes. “I…it doesn’t matter, Mr. Holmes. I can do whatever job you need me to with as much professional courtesy as it requires.”

His lips pulled into a thin frown. “That isn’t what I’m asking.”

“I don’t know what you mean, then.”

“Please, you are smarter than that. Or was my regard for you misplaced?”

You blinked in surprise, unsure you had heard correctly. “It…isn’t my place to tell you where to place your regard.”

He laughed then, a sudden HA that made you jump. “You are making this difficult, aren’t you?”

“Excuse me?”

“I am not given over to emotionalism, but I won’t deny that your treatment of me in those last months affected me.”

“I didn’t mean to—”

“What I mean to say is that I had hoped we were developing a familiarity.” His hand went to his collar, adjusting it. “I had hoped to…call on you.”

Your head snapped up in surprise. “To call on me?”

“I had thought my feeling for you was returned, but if I am mistaken, please inform me now to save us both further embarrassment.”

You could hardly speak around the tightness in your throat. “It is returned.”

The smile on Sherlock’s face made your heart ache. “Good. I’m glad we have remedied that. Now, if we’re both to be detectives, then I suppose we had best collaborate. I need you to spy on Richard Haskell. It seems…”

[roguesdepravity]

Various BTAS! Rogues having their secret relationship exposed on the news.

Started watching Harley Quinn, and even though I hate how dirty the boys have been done, there are some things in it I really liked. The media talking about relationship stuff especially inspired me. In a way the rouges really are celebrities. Anyways, have some hcs about the BTAS rogues having their secret relationship get blasted on the news.

Scarecrow (Jonathan Crane)

-Jonathan would be embarrassed that it isn't his latest crime that got him back in the news, but rather him holding you tight in a what should have been a very intimate and private moment.

-If he bothered to keep your relationship a secret, then he must have done so for a reason. Either he didn't want you tangled up in his villainous affairs, despite how much he would have preferred you to stand at his side, or he was concerned you would be targeted.

- He makes arrangements for you to move immediately. With how careful he thought he was being he really didn't see this coming, and now here is having to deal with his own "nightmare" scenario. He'd never show you that he is scared for you life though. Even if the whole city knows that the Master of Fear has someone he fancies, he is going to do his best to keep you safe from anyone especially Batman.

Riddler (Edward Nygma)

-Edward is pleased that they finally caught on. After weeks and weeks of leaving hints, paper trails, and semipublic appearances with you, they FINALLY aired the story about the two of you together.

-While he should be more worried that all his enemies now know about you, he already made arrangements. Eddie loves attention, and the story that he had been keeping you all to himself increased the buzz and allure surrounding the two of you.

-You know that under the façade of triumph, Edward is terrified. He starts to hold on to you a bit tighter at night because he is so scared that if he lets go you'll be stolen from him too. This was never what he wanted. Why would he plot to make you an easy target? He would lie and make the blunder sound like some elaborate scheme. At the very least his paranoid contingency plans would be good for something.

Mad Hatter (Jervis Tetch)

-Jervis's reaction all comes down to whether or not they think he is mind controlling you. They can call him any insult, say that you are too good for him, but if they think for even a second that you are somehow coerced into spending time with him, he will be pissed.

-This is why he wanted the relationship secret. He knows he has a reputation, but Jervis tried so hard to change! Can't they see that his devotion is only so deep because it is reciprocated?

-He would card and kill as many reporters as needed to get it all straightened out. No one will ever accuse him of forcing you to be with him again even if that is indeed what is going on.

-If they don't try to slander him, he will be extremely pleased with basically all of Gotham knows you're his.

Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot)

-Similar to Jonathan, if your relationship wasn't public knowledge before it was to either protect you or, unlike Jonathan, to keep you to himself. Oswald believes that you could have your pick of men so he can't help but be a bit jealous when other people stare at you. He is obviously frustrated by the reveal not being on his terms either. However, the two of you looked like a matched pair in the photo presented to the world. He can't be too mad about that.

-Despite his seemingly nonchalant attitude, you will be required to either be with him at all times, or have a hand selected bodyguard with you when he cannot. He might act as if he is untouchable, but he knows that if anyone wanted at him, you'd be dead so fast.

-If you didn't already, you'd be living with him now too. Just another way to make sure his love bird stays safe.

[humancomedy]

Human Comedy: Humanity - 8

Mika: Hey, Oshi-san?

Location: Repayment Festival Stage (Ra*bits)

Mika: Hey, Oshi-san?

Shu: Hm? What is it? We must fully appreciate Ra*bits' live without making idle talk.

It is not a sight one bears witness to often... An exquisite moment when boys take up the mantle of men—a miracle stemming from metamorphosis—can only be achieved by indulging oneself in joyous things such as this, after all.

Aah, truly splendid... How utterly magnificent you are, Ra*bits... I shall bestow upon you lot my warmest accolades, of which very few earn ♪

(I can see that you are putting in your best efforts... Had your unit been of its past caliber, I could never imagine this level of audience and response.)

(You've been increasing your exposure to the world by appearing on TV programs and the like; your publicity and popularity have skyrocketed as a result, have they not?)

(Your earnest efforts and activities have borne fruit, indeed. It is exactly the definition of one's abilities blooming. You've shed tears countless times, and nearly lost heart as well...)

(However, you've steeled yourself through every blunder, and have grown strong.)

(I've done nothing more than shield you from mistakes. A coward like me would be incapable of raising someone in such a manner. You will become a splendid teacher and parent, won't you... Nito?)

(It will be lonely to know that there will be no place for me once that happens... However, your past, present, and future have my blessing.)

(Congratulations, Nito.)

(You really have done well for yourself.)

Mika: Uhhhmm, Oshi-san... 'M sorry, but could we talk fer a moment?

Shu: What is it already? How incredibly vexing... Here I was, appreciating a fine piece of art, and yet you... We will be changing into our outfits once I've gazed at them enough, so wait a moment longer.

Mika: Ngah, if ya ain't embarrassed to change in here, then how 'bout we go ahead with that? I got yer outfit on hand anyway, an' yer used to doin' the makeup 'n stuff, yeah?

Shu: No. I only know how to do it my way. But it is your stage this time around, therefore... You mustn't taint it with how I would approach it.

In truth, even the way the outfit must be worn is different from what I'm used to.

Mika: But the outfit ain't really any different from the way we usually have 'em, y'know?

I wasn't even thinkin' we'd be performin' in RepayFes at first either, so I didn't finish everythin' down to the very last detail like ya normally do, Oshi-san.

Let's get changed lickety-split and get goin' with finishin' this up, 'kay?

Shu: Hmph. If you have no concerns about that, then I have nothing to say on the matter.

Mika: Well... To be honest with ya, I couldn't do anythin' durin' that encore performance we did at the underground live house the other day. I feel like I'm up fer some payback this time 'round.

So I had to beg Anzu-chan for help in settin' things up.

She gave the stage a makeover inspired by how Valkyrie does it, an' put her heart 'n soul into the finest of details fer the program.

All the other units have been gettin' into trouble and trippin' around, so Anzu-chan looked like she was workin' herself half to death...

I feel a lil' bad for it, but she surprisingly agreed to my request.

She made me do a pinky promise, swearin' that in exchange, we'd be friends when spring rolls in, and... If we broke that promise, then we gotta swallow a thousand needles.

Betcha she could really make me do it, honestly.

Shu: Oh? So you've made that sort of promise, have you? I think the two of you needn't make such a deal; it seems to me that you had been getting along just fine.

If anything, you were the one lashing out at her, no?

Mika: Ngaah~ I guess ya ain't wrong...

Oh, y'know what? Didja know that durin' that time, Anzu-chan told me to send ya her regards?

She was like, "I know he usually looks angry, but please put a happy smile on his face by the end of it, okay?"

Shu: How can I describe that girl... Quite frankly, she is nothing but a plain lass with nary a charm to her that aggravates me to no end.

"...Thank you, Anzu-chan."

Mika: Ngaah? Did I hear Mado-nee's voice comin' from somewhere just now!?

Shu: She lives within my heart, after all. ...Putting that aside.

Kagehira. Soon enough, Ra*bits' time onstage will draw to a close. It is about time we start changing.

Mika: Y-Ya got it. But um... I been wantin' to ask ya this for a while now; that's why I've been trynna talk to ya, so... Oshi-san, did I do this right?

Shu: ...What are you insinuating?

Mika: Ngah, s'like... I was wonderin' if I got what you were really goin' fer, I guess?

After that encore performance, those horrible things ya said t'me... They were s'posed to light a fire in me, 'cause I've always been dilly-dallyin' along, right?

Shu: ...Well, I was simply mimicking what Nito did when he left Valkyrie.

Mika: Is that right? Then, all those insults like "go back to your hometown" and "I don't need you" were fer the sake of hidin' yer kind intentions?

I reckoned that was the case, all while workin' hard on my own 'til today.

Well, it ain't like I did it all on my own... Naru-chan and the other kind folks pitched in to help, too. But I really tried t'do it in a way that wouldn't end with me relyin' on ya in any way.

So... Did I do this right? Do I have what it takes? Do I have the right t'stand next to ya, Oshi-san?

Shu: Hmph... Don't make me laugh, if you could. Do I really look like the type to so easily determine your success right here?

However. Allow me to just say that the probability isn't zero.

Congratulations, Kagehira. You have become human... You have altered your fate ever so slightly. You have taken the first step in becoming an artist, and for that, I am truly delighted.

Continue to strive in that manner, just as I had once as a bullied child...

Show me how when one has tenacity and passion, anything can be sculpted to your liking, no matter how seemingly implausible the circumstances.

If you are able to do so skillfully, I shall sing your praises, with all the love I have and more.

Listen, Kagehira... Feel free to laugh at me for saying this after everything that has happened...

I had thought you were nothing more than a defective doll, but... You've always been human, just like Nito, weren't you?

This is the very first time I've ever had to say this; perhaps I was partially blind...wasn't I?

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[ruki--mukami]

“....Ruki...”

When the door faced towards where he was seated in front of suddenly creaked opened, and the one that previously occupied it happens to step out then winded up appearing in his field of blurry vision--

Averting his gaze briefly as he softly sniffled, light tints of pink plaster on his cheeks from the embarrassment of his weakest and worst condition openly perceived by the other. The tears that gathered and coated the vision of his eyes made it hard to see what face the other was making there and then...but...

“...”

Saying nothing such to explain to the other as to why or how did he even ended up in such a spot—outside his room—in such a visibly beaten state of desolation, with a light grit of teeth that seals a certain mustered determination welled up inside of him—he proceeded to push himself off the ground and wobbly stood up, then taking a few stumbling steps towards to close in with the other, close enough before his arms outstretched shove the other back and into the room as the door closed behind them by an invisible automotive force—the mere impact of the push sending both of them to topple on the ground from sole strength.

Being on top of the other, huddled up against the bosom of his broad chest, his arms shift to wrap around Ruki's waist as his face burrow softly to hide into the crook of his nape.

“... I'm never enough.”

“I’ll never be enough...Y-you always said that I have admirable strength and skills at achieving both ambitions so efficiently...b-but your wrong...you don't know how many mistakes that I’ve made...you don't know...you don't see how I get scolded, called useless, blame for the failure of a project...a-all because of me...”

“I..I tried...so hard...In terms of works I...I never express my hurt emotions, I...I barely even wavered...I just keep quiet...and move on...”

“But deep down...I..I feel so stepped on, so discouraged to e-even continue...so tired of..being perfect...when I..I never...I never am not...”

“I’m not...good enough for anyone...no matter how much I try...to improve...to be better...No matter the goodness, the forgiveness...the understanding...that I supply...I’m just...never good enough I’m not good e-enough...ungh...!”

“Hm? Kuron, what’s wrong? Why are you cr—“

The following question, cut short by the sheer bewilderment of witnessing one who commanded much respect with tears streaming down his face, halted mid-syllable as Ruki stood from his seat, novel still turned open yet set down neatly on the nearby mahogany surface. 

Despite the other’s clouded vision and unexpected silence, Ruki maintained a visage of slight surprise, steel-blues widened more so than usual and mouth agape by the millimeter. 

“No, don’t cry. Everything will be alright. Did something happen?”

Rather than receiving a verbal response, the Vampire met with a formidable weight towering atop him, Kuron’s arms embosoming his body like an unbreakable manacle, back slamming into the floor upon which they both toppled in an instant. Addled, yet still in search for answers as to why a beloved man in his life would produce a stream of tears rolling down his pallid cheeks, Ruki nearly upbraided the other for his insolence but then decided to opt for a reciprocated embrace given the confidant’s evident sorrow. 

“Ah, I see. You’re doubting your own abilities right now, Kuron. Well, take it from me then, since you value my word enough to tackle me upon the ground… You are more than just ‘good enough.’ Not only for myself, but for everyone in this household. I don’t care how many times you assert that my earlier compliments for you are mistaken, because I know it to be true. Do you think your mistakes can make me dislike you? Not in the slightest, not even one iota, and certainly not anytime in the near future. We all make mistakes. You, me, everyone under this roof, and everyone who lives in this universe—No one is void of never once blundering.”

A comforting hand wafted along the man’s spine, patting him in cathartic ways to soothe his spirits. 

“Everything you have done is marvelous and without rivalry, Kuron. And I don’t measure one’s success through only their feats, either. Rather than looking at how far one climbs, it’s more impressive to see how far he rebounds back to the pinnacle after he has hit the bottom. Do you understand what I mean by that? In other words, it’s resilience that defines you. Mistakes—we all have them. However, there are ultimately two kinds of people who tread the earth: those who fear mistakes and those who get the job done. You are anything but useless, Kuron.”

Gazing up into his eyes, Ruki’s deep cobalts lost their concerned glint and instead faded into a solemn stare, one full of reassurance in tandem with his next words. 

“No, I never once saw you as perfect, nor do I expect you to perform as such. However, you shouldn’t let small blunders dampen your motivation. They say good things come to those who wait, but better fates await those who go out and seize the opportunity with fearlessness and without hesitation. And don’t ever say you haven’t improved—otherwise, it’d be no different from calling my experience a mere delusion. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes how you have grown into someone bursting with talent and proficiency in all that you do—and believe me when I say I am sincerely proud of each second.”

He ran a hand lightly through the man’s longer curls before wiping the cascading tears away with one swipe. 

“So, with that said, cease your tears. I said it once and I’ll say it again, as my answer is resolute and unchanging: you’re more than good enough and I’ll punish you if you fail to recognize it,” chuckled the Vampire teasingly. “Do not doubt yourself in the slightest, Kuron.”