#it's recipricated at least

[smiletimeisrunningout]

emma in Turn threads when using her royal privilege to make threats to Loyalists:

[aztr0punk]

dante playing yakuza be like "yeah knock his ass out kiryu" hit em wit the haymaker" then 2 minutes later they somehow hit close to home in a conversation in a cinematic and itsjust like

[listofwhyyouloveher]

CAN YOU WRITE ANGST WHERE YOU BREAK UP WITH YOUR GREASER BOYFRIEND OR GREASER BOYFRIEND BREAKS UP WITH YOU AND KINDA LIKE HOW THEY WOULD REACT?? SORRY IF THIS HARD TO UNDERSTAND😭🤚

Summary: Breaking up with your greaser boyfriend Warnings: Mentions of break up, toxic behavior, angst Author's Note: sorry for not posting yesterday, drove to LAX to pick my friend up! PONYBOY CURTIS To be honest, he's not big on relationships, he's more focused on his family and, as selfish as it seems, himself. It's a shock to both of you when you start dating, more of a whirlwind of puppy love than anything mature. Of course, that means the relationship was doomed from the start. It was less bickering than just slowly growing apart, your relationship seemed to be sweet, but genuinely you two were better set off as friends, at least for now. There was no heated argument that broke you two up, just the drunken acknowledgement of the fact that you weren't really a couple, just close friends. It ended shortly after that, and you two are still friends, often joking about the 'dating' period. JOHNNY CADE Johnny is not emotionally ready for a relationship, especially if you expect anything from him. He's ok with having the title, being branded as a couple, but the effort is too draining for him. It was aparent from the start that you wouldn't get much out of the relationship other than a tie to Johnny, however you were willing to try and pull him from his shell.

But to no avail. You broke up with Johnny, pushing it off as just wanting to focus on yourself. Johnny knew why, but he didn't dwell much on it. Just asking if you would like to stay friends. SODAPOP CURTIS Sodapop is very very very egocentric. He's always got girls trying to hang around him, he's got his gang which makes him feel tuff and would always hype him up to do the wrong things (much to Darry's displeasure). So, of course, he has to have a girl that matches his big status. He wanted a girlfriend because he was tired of all the girls on his back. However, you were under the impression that he was truly into you. It was clear that he wasn't when you overheard him talking to Steve about it. You were mortified and broke up with him on the spot. He found that, although he was a 'tuff greaser', it seriously hurt him. STEVE RANDLE Steve is also very egocentric, but he's got more respect for ladies so your relationship was not started on such a sour note. It was instead because of his sense of responsibility. He saved you from getting jumped by a bunch of socs and when you confessed to him, (truly not expecting anything to come out of it) he immedietly recipricated, even if he really didn't. You could tell he was distant, so you broke it off quickly, explaining that he didn't have to recipricate and that you just wanted to get it off your chest. You two are still quite close today. TWO BIT MATHEWS Two is a gentleman, when he isn't drunk of course. He tried hitting on you when you were both drunk and one thing lead to another and suddenly you were stone cold sober with a relationship in your hands. You explained that you were piss drunk and that you weren't actually ready for a relationship that started so oddly. He agreed and so you two went your seperate ways for a couple of days. However, this had such an impact on the both of you that a week later you two went on a couple of dates, and then eventually in a happy relationship. DARRY CURTIS Darry has always tried to keep his girlfriends happy, but he hadn't been in a relationship in a while. Ever since he left highschool and college he'd been single.

Of course he was so struck by your beauty and personality that he tried to pull together a relationship with you, he tried his best, truly he did but he was stuck doing too much to focus on you and your relationship. You ended things on a bittersweet note, telling him that although you loved him a lot, you needed someone who could actually pay attention to you. Darry promised that when he could, he'd come back to you and would pursue you again. DALLAS WINSTON Dallas Winston doesn't give a damn about relationships after Sylvia. He's just as likely to spit on the ground you walk on than to drunkenly hit on you and try and score some action. He's actually not quite sure why you two are in a 'relationship', he doesn't remember how it happened, why or anything related to it. To be honest he was probably drunk. You, of course, broke up with him, he's an asshole with little to no care for others. He almost doesn't give two shits if not for the fact that YOU broke up with HIM, usually its him that breaks it off so he's making sure your feelings are as hurt as his ego is.

[plumadot]

ok. ok. connecting the pretty much confirmed "jimmy is codfather somehow someway" post to the "first time flower husbands kiss" post and "jimmy is familiar to scott but they're still awkward" post.

what if the love scott feel isn't romantic love (or at least, not the primary source of it. maybe a secondary/later love?). it's the remnants of the devotion he feels for the codfather. it's intertwined with jimmy's prescence, his very being. so how does scott react to this unknown force drawing him to jimmy? the one that makes him trip over his words, this one-side attraction that has no reciprication?

he mistakes it for love, (as all unknowing aros do (/J)). that's why he pushes himself to kiss jimmy, to tangle his hands into scruffy blond hair, to hold their lips together for longer than he likes.

it felt foreign. not right, not like books and plays make it seem. jimmy's lips were too hot, scott's own heartbeat too fast, and the fire sounded too loud in the quiet space surrounding them.

he pulled away quickly (quicker than he should have, he scowls in the privacy of his tent) and locks eyes with jimmy. they're wide, but scott doesn't know him well enough to place what emotion they carry. shock? fear? horror? "i-i'm sorry-" he stumbles out, his lips failing him. jimmy's eyes soften. "s'ok scott" he shakes his head slightly before getting up. "i'll be heading to bed now. are you good with fire duty?" scott nods, and jimmy smiles softly. "alright then. goodnight." he walks away from the glow of the fire, leaving scott alone with his own thoughts.

(WOW that got away from me sorry anyways love this au <3 -🍳 (emoji is mine now >:) )

oh scott is definitely unsure about... everything. and that feeling is not something he's familiar with at all. imagine having lost someone many many years ago and suddenly they return but... they're not the same. jimmy is not a god, but there's definitely a part of him that scott knows intimately.

on one hand there's jimmy as a person; a sweet, almost carefree guy that scott is getting to know to be way more hardworking and courageous than most people. and then there's jimmy as a sorcerer, who holds a part of the entity scott has built his whole life around, whose powers could be immeasurable if only he knew how to unlock them, how to become whole again. and scott is unsure whom he feels this affection for. sometimes he thinks it's just for his god, sometimes he thinks it's both.

he's not ready to tell jimmy everything either. jimmy knows he's special somehow, that he's meant to be kept safe and that his magic is important to the world, as well as to scott. which should feel amazing, being the chosen one, but it doesn't. and every time scott looks at him, he feels it too. like he's losing himself, like he's becoming someone else. someone he should be. and he's not sure if he's ready for it.

it's fucked up lmao and i am so sorry

[cantgetworsethanthistbh]

YES YES YES I GO CRAZY ABOUT IT

there was a piece of analysis in the notes of a gen fic i read a while back where it basically said that (30s!)ford was fine putting their relationship on pause until ford was ready to reconcile or needed something from stan. there was never any consideration that stan wouldn’t “want to make it up to him” or even a passing thought that stan would reject him despite presumably never mentioning stan to fiddleford or anyone in the town he lived in, and not talking about him at all with family

anyways that piece of analysis still keeps me up at night.

God its actually so insane to think about. I was mostly joking in my post, but its pretty crazy how Ford is very much aware of Stan's loyalty to him and we've seen how far he's willing to stretch it for his own benefit without anything in return. Ford is so clearly aware of the fact Stan would literally do anything for him.

I think much of it boils down to his own belief that Stan is willing to do whatever it takes keep him around. I mean, didn't Stan ruin his future prospects at his dream school specifically so they can keep adventuring together? Why would Stan deny Ford anything at that point if he's willing to cost the family literal millions for his "selfish gains"? (and again, Ford is under the impression Stan destroyed the machine on purpose and is essentially trying to baby trap him with the Stan O War lmao)

He internalizes this, like some vault in his brain that assures him he would always have his brother, even when he doesn't want him at that moment. Or at least, believes he doesn't but he does, and that is even something he's very obviously ashamed of or else he wouldnt hide the literal decades worth of memorabilia of Stan from Fiddleford or would be writing his real feelings in secret code.

But back to the point: Ford has no qualms using this to his own benefit and he does it multiple times. He does it when begging Stan to come to Gravity Falls, he does it when he expects Stan to just shut up and take the book away even without sitting him down and explaining why these journals are so important and dangerous in the first place. It's something he even utilizes right after getting out of the portal, by telling Stan to shut down his thirty year long and successful business and leave after the summer is over and Stan agrees.

But it's worth noting too that that's the last time you will ever catch Stan doing a total favor for Ford without something in return. Stan at that point is done doing things for Ford without the proper reciprication and its not like you can blame him. He has to be convinced by Mabel to save Ford again and he puts his foot down on getting that thanks he was owed over fixing the portal even though there was a literal apocalypse happening. Make no mistake though, because until then, Ford wasn't under any delusion that Stan wouldnt do anything he asks because Stan pretty much proved he would. This is also why Ford was pretty comfortable asking Stan to join the circle because other than "Who the hell would deny holding hands to save the world?" there's also a "How could Stan ever say no to me?" Having to swallow his pride for even half a second and actually reciprocate literally 1/100 of the things Stan was willing to do for him was how we got "Grammar, Stanley" lmao

and this is my own headcanon, but i suppose that other than essentially killing Stanley by erasing his mind, I think that's also a moment where the vault opens in Ford's head and he realizes he won't always have his brother like he believes he does. The same brother who travelled halfway across the country for a brother who he hadn't contacted for 10 years. The same brother who was willing to keep him fed and sheltered under a roof that legally technically is more Stan's than it is Ford's and rescind his one condition of staying away from the kids to give Dipper his blessing of hanging out with Ford. That same brother is going to forget all about that, forget his loyalty and unconditional love towards Ford and Ford realizes he loses the one person who was always willing to fight for him, more than anyone else in the world. Its really really good shit man

[hizashi-lover193]

Answer to @ohio-gyatt-mega-sigma-rizzler Part one

Toji relationship headcannons

Toji isn't very caring. At least, not at first glance. He didn't show you that he cared about you in the typical way. He would go into buildings first to check if they were safe, he would stand in front of you if someone tried to argue with you or threaten you, and he wouldn't use his body to intimidate you. Toji would take you training all the time (he saw you as fragile and weak), and would push you almost to your limit. He always said that this training was so he didn't have to waste his time protecting you, but you knew better. Toji wasn't much of a cuddler. He would let you wrap his arms around him at night, but he almost never recipricated it. There was one night, after a particularly bad argument, that he showed a rare moment of care, putting an arm around your shoulders. It wasn't much, but it meant the world to you. He even inttroduced you to his son, something that you appreciated. Although his son was already a teenager, Toji wanted to protect Megumi as much as he could. In an extremely rare moment of letting his walls down, he confided in you that he was worried his protection wouldn't be enough, that his son would still get hurt.

Yuji relationship headcannons

Yuji was huge on public displays of affection. He would always at the very least have his arm around your shoulders. He would hold your hand, tuck you into his side, ruffle your hair, and full-on hug you and smell your scent. He was also really big on dates. He did't really have that much money, but he didn't need it to make you happy. Dates would usually consist of going to thr museum or park, getting something from a fast food place, or, sometimes, going to go see a movie. Sometimes, his sensei would donate money to let you both go to more expensive venues, like fancy dinners or the carnival. Yuji was also a huge cuddler. Every single night, you both cuddled against each other. You would have your head against his shoulder, and Yuji would have his face stuffed into the crook of your neck, your legs tangled together under the sheets. Yuji would buy you gifts whenever he had the funds. Teddy bears, chcolate, sweets, jewelry, you name it, he probably bought it for you at least once. His love languages consist of gift giving, quality time, and acts of service.

Gojo relationship headcannons

Gojo was rich. He was always giving you gifts or taking you to expensive places. He frequently bought you new stuffed animals, chocolate, other sweets like mochi, jewerly, clothing, shoes, and anything else he can think of that will make you happy. He personaly wasn't big on PDA, but he did it to make you happy. He would have an arm around your waist, a hand on the small of your back, or a hand on your shoulder while you walked. He would hold your hand, give you soft kisses on the cheek, or kiss your forehead. Dates would usually consist of going to expensive restaraunts, going to the carnival (he would beat you at the games every time, you were convinced he was cheating), going to the movies, or simply renting out a movie at home and ordering some food. Gojo also wasn't much of a cuddler, but, again, did it to make you happy. He would hold you close during the night, smelling your scnet and making sure you were comfortable. You would snuggle your head into Gojo's chest, arms wrapped around his slim frame as you slept peacefully.

Geto relationship headcannons

Geto is charming. Very charming. He's always flirting with you, telling you pick-up lines, and overall using his charming nature to try to fluster you. He's also very persuasive. He loves manipulating you into doing something for him or calming down. He called you easy to manipulate, weak-minded. He didn't mind it, though, as long as he was the one that was manipulating you. He didn't manipulate you out of hate or abuse, he was just a manipulative person by nature. Since you have issues controlling your emotions (anger issues, anxiety, depression, etc.), he's skilled at getting you to calm down or do something that you otherwise didn't have the energy or motivation to do. When you were panicked, angry, or depressed, Geto stayed calm and worked you through it. He knew that you had trouble with your emotions, and that's one of the reasons he loved you. Geto didn't display PDA. He just wasn't the type for it. So, whenever you wanted attention in front of others, he would simply deny it. However, he did display affection privately. He cuddled you, held you, let you playt with his hair, smelled your scent, and let you cuddle against him at night. He would joke with you about not being able to do jujutsu, but didn't really call you any names.

Megumi relationship headcannons

Megumi was another chacracter that wasn't really into PDA. He wasn't really into displaying affection at all. He just wasn't used to it, thanks to his father. Dates would consist of going to the library, going window-shopping, going for walks in neaby parks, or going to other quiet places like museums and lakes, especially at night. Although curses were more likely to come out during the night, you were never really afraid. You had Megumi to protect you, after all. Although Megumi wasn't into displaying affection, he did let you display your affection to him, both in public qnd in private. You would cling onto hi, hold his hand, play with his hair (which he loved), cuddle up to him at night, and plant little kisses on his collarbone. Megumi's love languages consist of acts of service and quality time. The two of you would simply sit and do your own things. Sometimes, you would do stuff together, like play a videogame, board game, or card game, do a school project, or other things along those lines. Yuji liked to thinrd-wheel on your dates a lot, and you both let him. It usually went very well. You and Yuji would usually convince Megumi to do things he usually wouldn't. You never pressured him; he usuallu wanted to do them anyways.

[aihoshiino]

hello!!! you have no idea how hard it is (for me at least haha) to find a blog that talks about ai even semi consistently let alone analyze her this closely so i enjoy ur blog very much! thank you for feeding my ai brainrot :D

anyways any thoughts on ai and hikaru’s relationship? or just speculation since theres not much on it rn? its pretty fascinating to me, they were both children who were abused and exploited as a whole (that and their own respective fucked up relationship and idea of sexual intimacy which might be one of the catalysts for them jumping to sex so quickly despite both (i think?) being aware of the consequences with them being relatively active in the entertainment industry and what not) so its not too hard to imagine them potentially bonding even if it never quite reached genuine love romantic or otherwise

HAPPY TO PROVIDE, ANON! <3 I fully admit that my ramblings are mostly for my own benefit because if I don't talk about Hoshino Ai at least twice a day I will turn into the Oshi no Joker but it's always so nice to hear folks are glad to be along for the ride.

Hikaru and Ai's relationship has always been really fascinating to me, though! It's kind of an interesting subversion on some of our and Aqua's ingrained assumptions about the kind of person the twins' father would be – there's this sort of implicit, unspoken understanding based on the way Aqua focuses primarily on men who were already adults when Ai got pregnant that Ai was victimized in some way which resulted in the twins. Finding out who Hikaru is and the fact that he and Ai were peers immediately casts all of Ai's decisions regarding him in a hugely different light and raises a lot of questions about things that we otherwise assumed went without saying.

That said, given that we know so little about both their relationship and Hikari himself as a person, it's kind of hard to make solid guesses! I sort of have a rough shape of what I imagine it was like in my head just based on Hikaru's emotional function in the story VS what we know about him specifically as a person – Hikaru is very clearly intended to be a sort of bad end/dark mirror of Aqua, so I like to think that his and Ai's relationship probably contained echoes of the two main Aqua romances we see play out in the present. I had like a huge and honestly kind of incomprehensible ramble here originally while I tried to define what I meant by that but then I realized the series itself already lays it out...

In Hikaru, Ai found someone she thought would finally understand and accept her.

In Ai, Hikaru saw light.

Ai is tied to stars and light constantly through the series while also being tied to Kana pretty strongly as well, so I think it makes sense for her to be the Kana/light equivalent in this relationship. Uh, of course, I think I have accidentally implied that this means Akane is paralleling Hikari, so let's move on................................

It's also interesting to take into account 45510 when trying to pick up some info about how this relationship went. The stream at the center of this story is dated just after Ai came back from her hiatus following the birth of the twins, so around when she was 16/17 years old -- closer to the latter and so likely two or three years after her relationship with Hikaru fell apart. With that in mind, Ai's words here feel kind of... I guess, accidentally revealing? In some interesting ways.

When asked to describe her ideal type for a lover, Ai says: ""I guess I'd like to be with someone who doesn't lose their cool with me when I mess things up, ‘cause that happens a lot! Someone who gets all worked up over every little thing would probably get tired of me pretty quick. It’d be unfair for them, so I'd rather be with someone who's not like that.""

And unprompted, she continues from there with this: ""Love is all about trust, isn't it? They call it... 'recipricity', I think? Like, if someone showed me they love me, I'd feel the same way about them. But, I'm a bit of a scaredy-cat. It's tough for me to really believe in words like 'love' and 'like.' I've never actually fallen in love with someone before, so I'm not even sure what it means, you know?""

This is FASCINATING knowing this is Ai on the other side of her relationship with Hikaru. We know that this is Ai's true feelings because even the 45510 narrator, who calls her a liar every time she so much as breathes, admits that she knows Ai is probably telling the truth here. If this is the case, then this basically confirms that however intense the HikaAi relationship was, she didn't feel as though she loved him, which matches with the snippets we've gotten from the DVD and the movie where Ai's parting/break up with Hikaru was centered on Ai admitting that she couldn't love him.

Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean that their bond wasn't genuine or that they didn't have real feelings for each other – I totally agree with your take that they probably gravitated towards each other as victims of abuse generally and CSA specifically and found a sort of comfort and solidarity in recognizing and licking each others' wounds. But obviously, things didn't work out and I think we have a lot of clues already what this fundamental misunderstanding was.

When Ai tells Hikaru "I can't love you" this is an apology, an admission of weakness and self-blame. What Ai is saying is I can't love you, because I'm broken and I can't love anyone.

What Hikaru likely hears is I can't love you because you're broken and nobody could.

That sense of rejection, combined with the trauma he already carried from his abuse would have been bad enough but that Ai got pregnant and broke up with him was likely hugely retraumatizing for him, ripping open the scars of his abuse at Airi Himekawa's hands. He may have even misconstrued Ai's actions as an act of abuse similar to Airi's and everything went spiralling from there.

I don't have any really solid shots to call, unfortunately! So much about Hikaru is up in the air right now, but I think he's a super interesting character and his and Ai's relationship is something I really, really want to eventually see more of.

[dirtwig-draws]

I've been meaning to this for while and now that I'm on break: Here's my BG3 character: Reyland (Half-Drow Beastmaster Ranger). I'm gonna let loose my inner writer here, so bear with me:

Background: His father was a Drow and mother was human, and both were slaves of a moderatlely influential pristess of Lolth. They found comfort in each other and managed to keep Reyland a secret for a few years after he was born. It couldn't last forever, so they narrowly made their escape during an umberhulk attack. Taking refuge near Baldur's Gate, they kept to the woods out of fear of being discovered. Reyland grew up tracking and hunting, picking up skills there and in the city. After a routine trip to the city he woke up surrounded by alien creatures, unaware he was about to meet some of his closest(?) companions:

Astarion: Reyland doesn't fully trust him, but doesn't hold it against him. He wants to potentially help Astarion somehow, but for now is busy keeping him from snacking random strangers.

Lae'zel: As a hunter, Reyland recognizes another when he sees one. The two don't really get along, but they've managed to get some level of respect for each other. He knows some creatures can be trained, but never truely tamed. For now, he'll accept simply pointing her in the direction of more 'acceptable' prey.

Wyll: Reyland heard some stories of the Blade of the Frontier, he never anticipated meeting him. He considers Wyll a friend, a feeling recipricated after he supported the warlock when he got his 'punishment' from his patron.

Halsin: From growing up in the woods, Reyland know his way around nature. That is nothing compared to Halsin. He sees the druid as mentor, a role Halsin seems to take zeal in filling.

Gale: Total bros. Reyland has a bit of a sarcastic streak, so the two have a near-constant string of banter. The wizard has taken it upon himself to play Reyland's wingman, not-so-sutbly giving him advice in his relationships with the rest of the group. A recent revelation from Mystra has soured the mood, but Gale has put up his coy smile and optimistic attitude that Reyland can see right through at this point. He's let the matter drop for the time being, but is determined to find a way to save his friend.

Karlach: They instantly hit it off. With her up front and he picking off anything out of melee range, they feel unstoppable. Reyland's a bit more reserved, but he enjoys her passion for life. They share an odd kinship, with both refusing to let their pasts or ancestors control them. Both will stand up for the little guy, although he tends towards a bit more diplomatic or subtle approach. If that fails, Karlach's there ready for the go-ahead to turn the enemy past-tense. Reyland prefers a clean kill, but damn it Karlach doesn't make bloodshed look hot. The two definetly feel a spark between them, but whether it'll fizzle out or fully ignite remains to be seen. With Infernal Iron in hand, perhaps the answer is near.

Shadowheart: Their relationship at the start was...prickly. It they weren't hostile, but they both just had too many wall set up. Even at their worst, she never brought his heritage, and he never decried her religion. He has his doubts about Shar, but he won't say anything direct, at least not for now. He'll look out for her as best he can, especially if these cursed lands really do have some ties to the Lady of Loss. At this point after some time together (and saving each-other's asses a couple of times), they've become close friends. Both being snarky, they play off each other well. Recently, however, he's noticed her being a bit more...flirty. And he can't say he hasn't flirted back. He doesn't want to hurt his friends, but he can't shake the feeling he'll have to make a choice. Soon.

[joy-returns-in-the-morning]

VERY DISAPOINTED with the ending of Yakuza 4. The mandatory dramatic showdown on top of Millenium Tower happened as scheduled but neither Akiyama or Tanimura took off their shirts!!! SHOCKED AND BETRAYED.

[stupidforyou]

Another day another register not working in the middle of a transaction

[killlingboys]

" no , i mean . you can't blame him for not . . . feeling something . or recipricating it , you know ? at least he didn't , um , lie to me . " blind and misplaced hope laces through every word as she looks to him . blue eyes are round , and there is a melancholic smile in them . " i'm okay . i think . "

' he's an asshole , you know ? for not appreciating what he had . & just really fucking stupid . ' hated seeing her upset , knowing that if he ever had the chance , he would never be the cause . ' i know it's easier said than done but — don't let him get to you , okay ? he never deserved you . '

[aikoiya]

DP HC - Possessiveness in Ghost Psychology

While ghosts can have a similar psychological structure to humans, that doesn't make them the same.

For instance, possessiveness in humans is typically considered a bad thing.

For ghosts, it's natural & even healthy depending on the situation.

What I mean is, it's natural for a ghost to be possessive of someone & it isn't considered reducing them to that of an object or a pet. In fact, doing so declares that person as being important to the ghost, especially if the ghost formally stakes their claim. That is the ghost elevating them to a higher standard because the ghost felt the need to address it.

Now, if the focus of the ghost's possessiveness accepts & declares that they belong to the ghost, that is consensual. However, if the target rejects the claim, then it isn't. If the ghost continues to assert their claim against their target's will, then that is not healthy.

On the other hand, if the target not only affirms the claim, but then turns it around & stakes a claim of their own on the ghost, then it's not only consensual, it's reciprocal which is very healthy.

Though, affirmation & reciprication looks different depending on the specific relationship between the 2.

Now, there are some ghosts who would react badly to their claim being reciprocated & those ghosts usually are mentally disturbed. They are typically a product of the ancient world or old Ghost Zone monarch. For them, it was either possess or be possessed & the possessed were generally considered weaker.

More modern studies say that it's actually of great emotional & mental benefit to have a claim reciprocated.

In a way, it puts the 2 involved on more equal footing.

Staking a formal claim back to a ghost who'd previously staked a claim on you is actually considered a very sweet gesture. Like, it gives the warm fuzzies. Fluff. Many would trill happily at having their claim returned if the relationship between them is a positive one.

Keep in mind that these relationships don't even necessarily need to be romantic in nature. It can be totally platonic, philial, or familial, even rivalries & adversarial relationships can bring about a certain level of possession depending on their relationship itself. It just represents a deeper form of relationship. Many of these classifications are actually inspired by the Greco-Roman concepts of love. Such as Philia, Storge, Pragma, Eros, Agape, ect.

At the same time, there does exist a level of toxic possession that goes beyond what most civil & even uncivil ghosts are comfortable with. When it happens, it's sort of a mix of the Greco-Roman concept of Mania & the Japanese trope of Yandere. This sort of thing sometimes happens when either a person or love itself becomes a ghost's Obsession & they are unable or unwilling to regulate that Obsession. This Mania can be applied to any sort of relationship, whether it be romantic, platonic, or filial in nature. Though, it's usually romantic. This is somewhat what happened to Vlad.

At the same time, Mania can be treated, but only if the ghost recognizes that there's something wrong with their extreme levels of possession & chooses to seek help.

However, there is also a hierarchy of claiming pertaining to the sort of possessiveness it is. Adversaries get the least amount of possessiveness, while familial can range depending on the sort of familial relationship it is. For instance, filial relationships can sometimes elicit almost, if not as much, possessiveness as one's claim on a girlfriend/boyfriend/husband/wife/mate depending on the situation & the needfulness of such possession, though it's obviously a different kind of possessiveness. Immediate family & frightmates always require more protective energy than other types of claims.

I suppose that claiming someone is similar to declaring them part of your... family?? Or unofficial frightmates?? It's similar, but not quite the right translation for it. Adopting is also close. So is wardship, but neither really fit. I'm not even sure there is a true right word for it in the English language.

I suppose that it's like being a kept man or woman, but without the sexual or monetary implications. Replace that with general protection &... a certain degree of authority when pertaining to the individual's safety.

So... a little bit like frightmates, but not quite.

Like, Skulker & Ember are dating but they don't belong to each other, that isn't the sort of relationship they have, but Ember considers her band members hers. On the other hand, Kitty & Johnny are dating & do belong to each other through reciprocation, but Shadow just belongs to Johnny & has accepted the possession, but not reciprocated.

However, that's only on an individual level. It also stretches to monarchs & other leaders via right of rule & you can usually figure out what kind of ruler a ghost is by what kind of possession they have over their people.

It doesn't really have much of a logical reason by human standards, but it seems to be somewhat compulsory & even instinctive on some level.

Regardless of the form the relationship takes, possessiveness translates directly to protectiveness. When it doesn't then that's considered a form of abuse amongst the more civilized ghostly societies.

For instance, as far as rulers go, Pariah, Aragon, Dorathea, Frostbite, & Pandora all possess or possessed everyone under their domain. At the same time, Pariah's possession became unreciprocated & didn't equate to protection, Aragon's was accepted, but also didn't include protection. On the other hand, Dorathea's rule is first accepted, then reciprocated & always included protection. While Frostbite & Pandora's rules are both reciprocated & include protection.

Also, having your claim rejected can hurt a lot! Like, in your core. But, I suppose to ghosts, it's similar to the feeling of getting your heart broken as a human.

To belong to a ghost, especially amongst the higher possessions such as family & spouses, involves a lot of possessive language both when referring to you & directly addressing you. Like, there's a lot of them referring to you as 'theirs' & using words like 'my' something or other.

As for Danny specifically, my hc is that Danny is a tutelary, which is a protective spirit. Specifically, a Lar Praestite, which is a Greco-Roman hero spirit that protects an entire town or community. Thus making that town/community their haunt.

Now, before the ghosts connect the fact that Danny is a tutelary, then yeah, @dannyphantom-justiceleauge is right, they would see him claiming an entire town of people as greedy. After that, however? They’d be more like, “Ooooh… Yeah, that tracks.”

As far as his relationship with Vlad goes… It’s complicated… Vlad has staked a Storge-type claim upon Danny, which ya'll are correct, he didn’t reciprocate. However, unknowingly, Danny has instead staked an adversarial claim upon Vlad, who doesn’t reciprocate specifically because that isn’t the sort of relationship that he wants with the boy. So, their relationship sort of falls into a bit of a gray area as far as claims go. Like, it’s very apparent that they want some sort of relationship with each other; the disconnect is with what sort of relationship the other wants. So, the relationship is still pretty toxic, but it’s seen as this weird reciprocal toxicity that fits into a gray area as far as possessiveness goes.

Interesting thing, had Vlad not been a dumbass in the first episode & revealed his plan, Danny would’ve eventually staked a Xenia-type claim with Vlad as mentor & Danny as the mentee. Xenia being the guiding love of mentorship which is sort of a combination between Epithumia, Storge, & Philia. Which, Epithumia is a mutual liking of a skill or subject, but I think that it’s close enough to qualify in this situation.

As for him staking claims upon all the ghosts; I feel like Danny would stop if he knew & would become both embarrassed & uncomfortable, because having been born human, he'd initially see it more from the human perspective mentally (which says possessiveness = bad) even though as a halfa, he'd instinctively feel similar to other ghosts about it.

It'd cause some mental dissonance in him for sure until someone fully explained the whole thing to him in a way he could understand which could actually prompt Jazz to study halfa psychology, how precisely ghost & human psychology differs & how they work together in halfas. If for nothing else than Danny's own sake.

Hell, the final draft of this post could be Jazz's notes on the subject that she lets Danny look at.

DP Ghost Zone Masterlist

[au-starss]

Childe,Kaeya,and Scaramouche having a crush on a teruhashi reader from saiki k :D (teruhashi is basically a perfect girl,and everyone has a crush on her) separate pls😊

'𝗦𝗼 𝗽𝗲����𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁..'

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲, 𝗞𝗮𝗲𝘆𝗮, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗲 𝘅 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 [𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲]

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹

𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻!

--

𝗜𝗠 𝗦𝗢 𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗬 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗡! 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗸𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗷𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗷𝗰𝗮𝗷𝗶𝘀𝗮. 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗶 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲!

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗯𝗶𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲

He watched as you entered the courtyard to greet your friends. The smile on your face was absolutely astonishing. He could get lost in it for hours.

And he accidentally did.

You turned to see the ginger staring at you. You waved, but he gave no response. You merely shook it off as the group began discussing plans.

He was already so into you it was insane. He just had to introduce himself. Maybe start something that could turn to be the greatest part of both of your lives.

Childe snapped from his trance as you began walking away. He couldn't lose this opportunity. Not when you were just right there. SO he stood from his table, striding to you.

"Excuse me."

You turn around the sound of a voice behind you. You provide a smile. "Hello! I saw you over at that table over there."

"Oh yes, I was just admiring your attractiveness." He spoke with a sly tone, hoping his charm was kicking in and working.

Your eyes go wide with a slight tint to your face. "You're too kind. My name is [Name]." You introduce yourself.

Oh he already knew that. He was an admirer from afar. Just like everyone else you managed to bless with your presence. But he couldn't tell you that. Not yet at least.

"Childe. Or Ajax, if you prefer to call me that."

Before you could say anything, your group calls out to you. You shoot an apologetic smile.

"I apologize, but I have to meet my friends.." You start to say. "I could get your number though!"

The ginger's heart was racing miles a minute. You just asked for his number! His crush asked for his number! He was ecstatic.

He kept a sly smile and composed face. "Of course! Let me add it."

The two of you exchange numbers before bidding goodbye to each other. As soon as you were out of range, Childe broke out into a huge grin. His plan went better than anticipated! And he couldn't be happier about it.

He soon texted you and struck up a genius conversation. He had been planning the best responses to whatever you may ask or say. He had to be prepared after all!

When out and about, he will ensure no other person even thinks of glancing your way. He's possessive, what can you do? Even if the two of you aren't dating, he will ensure that something could happen in the future.

Every hangout with you was amazing. His mind was clouded with thoughts of you and being yours. He was so giddy with excitement from getting to know you.

Childe absolutely adores you, and the day he confesses will be a miraculous day for sure!

𝗞𝗮𝗲𝘆𝗮

“Another round for me, dearest brother!”

You laugh gently as Diluc rolls his eyes. “I should cut you off already.”

“It’s only been one drink, Diluc. Lighten up!” Kaeya responded in turn.

The red-head scoffed, moving to fill another drink for the captain. The routine was normal for a Friday evening at Angel's Share Tavern. You tagging along with Kaeya to accompany him in his weekly drinking.

Throughout the tavern, you catch the eye of most of the patrons. They all shoot some lovesick smile or just daydream in your direction. But that much is expected. You're just so loveable.

And Kaeya thought so too.

He had been crushing on you for quite some time now. From the moment you two became close companions, he knew your relationship could possibly be something more than what it is now. And he was right. Almost.

He was so unsure if you reciprocated the same feelings. You caught the attention of everyone you spoke to. There were so many potential suitors. So many guys way better than him.

That doesn't mean he would give up, of course. He's just looking for the right opportunity to confess. But confessing to such a brilliant soul isn't the easiest task. He knows firsthand. He much rather live as your close friend in peaceful ignorance than ruin the very thing he worked hard to build.

"Hey there!"

You turn to the sound of a voice next to you. You see a guy about the same build as Kaeya. This guy seemed to be way more cowardly however.

You provide a smile of reassurance. "Hello! What can I do for you?"

"Well, I couldn't help but notice you." He started off with, taking a deep breath. "You are very attractive and I would love to take you on a date."

The words caught you off guard. You certainty wasn't expecting such forwardness from a stranger at a bar. "While I'm flattered.. I'm going to have to decline."

The man's face fell. "What?! Why?!" He demanded an answer.

"Well it's.."

"Is it because we don't know each other? We can go out to dinner! Bond! Come on, give me a chance! I-"

The man's speech was caught off by another voice. "Excuse me, is there a problem here?"

It was, in fact, Kaeya. "Sir, are you bothering my partner?" He asked, selling the act by slipping a hand around your waist. "Because I assure you they are well accounted for."

Looking at the guy, he seems pale. You hear him gulp before shaking his head no. "No problem, Captain Kaeya."

The guy quickly ran from the tavern and it's location. You let you a breath of relief as Kaeya let's you go.

"Are you okay?" He asks gently.

You nod, giving a smile. "Yes, thank you Kaeya. I appreciate it!"

Little did you know that Kaeya's heart was racing. He wishes the word he said were 100% real. That you were actually his and his alone. But alas, that wouldn't be the case for quite a bit.

Regardless, you're charming persona not only caught Kaeya's attention, but his heart as well.

𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗲

Scara's eyes glared at the two recruits in front of him. They cowered and sunk in their chairs, avoiding his gaze.

The two knew why they were there. Sadly, it was all just a misunderstanding. On both their parts' and Scaramouche's part.

Of course the newest soldiers were making heart eyes at you. One sentence to them and they were already under a spell. They continued to try and get your attention.

Unfortunately for them, Scaramouche saw the whole thing.

The Balladeer never understood why he felt such a connection with you. He met you, heard the rumours and gossip, and yet still was attracted to you like everyone else.

He knew it was a crush. There wasn't any denial there. The way he was feeling pointed straight to it.

Accordingly, however, the possessiveness began to take over. Seeing you with other people made his heart ache. His head would spin with anger whenever you laughed with someone else. Whenever you touched someone else. Someone that wasn't him.

Hence, why the agents sat in his office slouched down. Scaramouche cleared his throat, shooting daggers at them both.

"I'm feeling generous." He declared, causing both to look up with hope. "So you better listen."

They nod enthusiastically, not daring to say a word. "Good. [Name], out there? They're not for you to make lovey eyes at. You hear me? If I catch you both one more time I will not be as nice as I am now."

If the situation weren't involving you, he surely would have killed the two by now. Hell they could find two new ones just like them.

Yet, he knew that wasn't what you want.

Ever since he realized his feelings, he felt the need to better himself. He began to learn the texture of sympathy, trying to find pity in some people. It had partly worked from what Scara notices.

"Get out of my sight."

Those words were enough to send the two sprinting away. Scaramouche scoffed and collapsed on his chair. Looking over, he sees a nice picture of you he managed to snag.

His cheeks began to grow red at the thought of your brilliant smile and heartwarming personality. He wanted to see you. To hear your voice. Maybe even feel your touch..

It was wishful thinking a lot of the time, but Scara always wondered where a relationship would take you both. He knew they weren't easy, but that's about it.

Yet, even with the challenges, it sounds so worth it if it's you he's battling through for. Scaramouche just wishes it was easier. But with everyone being so into you, it never would be.

And that wasn't yours or his fault.

He just hopes that some day, he can swallow his pride and personality and properly express how he feels for you.

"Someday [name].. Hold on until then."

𝘀𝗼 𝗶 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘆

𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗯𝗶𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀

[ttuesday]

Hi Tuesday!! Can I please request some HCs of the gang members secretly having a crush on you, and at a party one night you find out about it when Sean drunkingly yells “hey everybody! <characters name> is in love with y/n!!” Hope this made sense!! Xx

Arthur

There is no way this is happening, this can’t be happening. That’s what is going through Arthur’s head. This must be a nightmare, there’s no way Sean seriously just shouted that, announcing Arthur loves you in front of everyone. 

Arthur tries to speak, opening his mouth but stumbling over his words. Feeling heat rise to his cheeks, he calls Sean an ass before quickly storming off. Arthur has no idea how he's supposed to recover your friendship after this, certain you won’t want anything to do with him. 

Arthur jumps when you gently say his name, asking if you could sit down beside him. He didn't expect anyone to follow him, least of all you. As you make yourself comfortable next to him, Arthur looks at you with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. 

When you confess your feelings to him, he feels absolutely relieved, mumbling that he should probably thank Sean once he’s sobered up. Holding his hand out to, Arthur smiles shyly and asks if you’d like to dance with him.

Charles

You and Charles always got along. It didn’t take long before you became his most trusted friend in the gang, going on jobs together and spending hours talking with one another. That’s why he didn’t want to tell you about his feelings, he was scared it could jeopardize your friendship.

But when Charles no longer had a say in whether you found out or not and Sean announces it to everyone, Charles mutters a curse to himself and practically chugs the rest of his drink. He quickly brings you away from the group, apologizing for Sean and telling you how much he wishes you found out a better way. 

Scratching the back of his neck, Charles admits that what Sean said is true but he doesn’t want to lose your friendship, hoping that whether you return his feelings or not you’ll still be friends with him. 

You laugh lightly, mentioning how you actually thought Sean was going to yell about your crush on Charles, not the other way around. Charles smiles, thankful you feel the same way but makes sure you know he doesn’t want to pressure you into a relationship and wants to take things nice and slow.

Dutch

Dutch freezes in place, a mixed look on his face that's hard to read. Dutch likes being in control so he hates that Sean did this. You can't quite tell if Dutch is about to laugh or if he's wondering how suspicious it would look if he coincidentally left Sean for dead on the next robbery. 

Putting a tight smile on his face, Dutch sarcastically thanks Sean for his wise choice of words before insisting everyone carries on with the party.

Dutch wastes no time approaching you and apologizing for Sean’s announcement. He bashfully admits that yes, he finds you very attractive but that the last thing he wants is for this to come in between your friendship with him.

When you tell him you feel the same way, Dutch plays it cool. He keeps his cards close to his chest, his eyes lingering over you as a smirk forms on his face. Lowering his voice, Dutch asks “Then could I perhaps, ask for a kiss?”.

Micah

For a few seconds, Micah says nothing, trying his absolute best to resist the urge to shoot Sean. Because this is Micah, he goes on the attack and airs everyone's dirty laundry in the hopes that'll turn people's attention away from what Sean said.

He tells everyone about Sean and Karen getting it on in John's tent (thanks to a drunken Bill mentioning it to him) causing an argument between Sean and John. Then Micah starts going on about Hosea doubting Dutch and Abigail asking Arthur to take Jack fishing instead of asking John. When everyone starts arguing with one another, Micah sneaks off and disappears for the rest of the night. 

It’s the next morning when you see Micah and he actively avoids you, presuming there's no way you reciprocate the feelings. Whenever you’re near him, he gets defensive and won't mention what Sean says unless you do.

When you finally confess your feelings to him, you do it in the heat of the moment, getting pissed off at how much Micah’s avoiding you. Glancing around to make sure no one else is listening in, Micah suggests you both go discuss these feeling in the saloon *wink wink*.

John

John turns his attention to Sean first, yelling if he really thinks this is the best time to say that in front of everyone. He’s not necessarily mad but definitely annoyed and embarrassed.

John then turns his attention to you, asking Sean if he thinks you want this revelation dropped on you out of nowhere and that he should have considered how you would feel in all of this. When Sean just laughs in response, too drunk to care, John gives you an apologetic look before walking away from the crowd.

He’s sulking but if you say that then John will completely deny sulking, no matter how obvious it is. Quietly, you tell him you feel the same way. John just stares at you for a few seconds, eyes wide and it’s kinda like he’s frozen. 

Coming to his senses, John asks you to repeat yourself, not believing he heard you right the first time. As your words sink in, he laughs in disbelief before quickly apologising for laughing.

Javier

Javier was busy playing his guitar when Sean decided to yell about how much Javier loves you. As soon as he hears this, Javier accidentally messed up the chord, making everyone turn to him.

He feels wrong if he were to walk away and leave you to everyone’s questions and opinions. Javier stands up and embraces the moment.

Javier tells you how he wishes he had more control over the situation but that he does love you and he’s loved for a long time now. Scared of making things worse, he says how you don’t need to tell him (and everyone else who’s listening) how you feel right now.

When you speak up and say you feel the same, Javier feels like he might faint he’s so happy. He hugs you, softly asking if you’d like to talk somewhere more private. Javier wants to make sure you know he likes you for you and that he doesn’t want you to feel pressured or anything like that.

Sean

Sean really thought this would be a good idea. He remembered Mary-Beth mentioning how the romantic interest in one of the books she was reading stood up in front of everyone and professed his love for the main character. He thought it was a great idea and decided he’d recreate it for you.

Sean nearly falls off the crate as he stands up on it and sways from side to side. Making sure he has everyone's attention, he gestures to you and tells you how he truly feels about you. 

Sean is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve so he doesn't hold back, mentioning how you make him feel and how he promises to treat you like royalty if you give him the chance.

After confessing his love for you, Sean awkwardly stands there and smiles. He was very confident while he telling everyone how he feels but waiting for your reaction is nerve-wracking for him. Swallowing a lump in his throat he says, "So?".

Trelawny

The one goddamn time Trelawny's around camp for a party, this happens. He didn't realize his love for you was so obvious, feeling somewhat embarrassed that even Sean could tell he was pining after you.

He awkwardly thanks Sean for providing such dramatic entertainment for everyone before asking if you would like to talk somewhere private. Josiah starts rambling when he's alone with you, trying his best to control the damage of Sean's statement. 

In between his ramblings, he mentions how excited he would be if you felt the same way but that he wouldn't dream of putting you under any pressure nor would he expect you to give him an answer tonight. 

He keeps talking, barely catching his breath in between each sentence. Deciding you’ve heard enough, you grab Josiah by the collar and pull him in for a kiss, finally making him stop talking.

Hosea

Hosea sighs, running his hand over his face before ordering Sean off the crate he stood on especially to give this announcement. Instead of facing you, Hosea prefers to waste some time scolding Sean. He knows he should just talk to you about this but he's scared of your reaction.

Once Hosea lectures Sean and makes sure he won't cause anymore trouble, Hosea tries to sneak off to the outskirts of camp. If someone else was in this situation and asked Hosea for advice, he would say the worst thing to do would be avoid you yet here he is, doing exactly that.

When you finally find him, Hosea apologizes and says that it was completely inappropriate for Sean to do that not only to Hosea but to you too. 

The last thing Hosea wants is for you to feel embarrassed in all of this too. Telling him you love him too, Hosea’s jaw drops. Your words sinking in, he smiles warmly and rests his hand on top of yours.

Kieran

“Christ…” Kieran mutters, feeling everyone’s eyes on him. Sean’s teased him in the past about how much he likes you but he didn’t think Sean would do this. 

Bill “playfully” shoves Kieran, saying some comment he doesn’t hear properly. Looking over at you, Kieran can’t find the right words and opts to leave the situation.

When the party dies down, Kieran approaches you and says sorry for leaving so quickly. He’s open and honest with you, letting you know he is in love with you but that he doesn’t want you to feel obliged to reciprocate the feelings. And Kieran assures you that if you need some space then he’s fine with distancing himself for a while, willing to do whatever you see best.

You stop him as he rambles on about giving you space, confessing that you like him too. Kieran’s gobsmacked, smiling from ear to ear and suggests he takes you on a proper date tomorrow to hopefully make up for everything being revealed this way.

[procrastinatorimagines]

Familiar

Fandom: Chicago Med / One Chicago

Character/s: Will Halstead x Reader

Warning/s: none

Word Count: 1,481

Request:  Hi there, can I get a Will Halstead x reader imagine, please? Where the reader is a childhood friend and he used to only see her as his little brother's friend, nothing more despite the reader having a crush on him. When he transfers to Med, he bumps into this gorgeous doctor who looks familiar but he doesn't know who she is as she refuses to tell him her name and he keeps flirting with her. Until one night at Molly's when Jay finally tells his brother who she really is. Ending up to you. TQ x

Moving away from Chicago had been one of the most difficult decisions of your life, but it’d been worth it. You loved your home, but forging a path for your self in a new city had been rewarding, and it’d turned you into the person you were today.

Even so, stepping through the doors of Chicago Med, now an attending physician, you felt a sense of pride and... relief. You may have come a long way, but there was no place like home. 

You spotted a doctor on the other side of the room, red hair making him stand out as he mulled over something on a tablet. It’d been years since you’d seen Will Halstead,; you and Jay had been close friends in school and you’d had a not so subtle crush on his older brother, not that he’d ever recipricated those feelings of course. Still, it was good to see him again, and he had no idea that you were even a doctor now, let alone that you were back in Chicago. 

You’d drifted from the Halstead’s when you moved away, something you’d always regretted, and you’d reached out to Jay when you knew you were coming home to try and reconnect, but you’d wanted to surprise Will your first day at Med.

“Everybody listen up!” A woman’s voice yelled, bringing you back to reality as she got everyone’s attention, “there’s been a bus crash on the freeway, ambulances will be arriving any minute, it’s going to be a busy day,” she explained and you saw everyone rush around as you quickly threw your stuff in the doctor’s lounge and gloved up.

So much for any introductions on your first day, straight in the deep end it was. “Newby, sorry I can’t remember you name,” that same nurse who’d just spoken, her name tag told you she was Maggie Lockwood, came over to you quickly, “I want you to take cases with Doctor Halstead today, he’ll show you the ropes,” she gestured to Will, who was on his way over just as the first paramedics burst through the doors. “Treatment one!” Maggie told you both as you made your way to the first victim.

“I’m Doctor Will Halstead-” he began to introduce himself, did he not know who you were? You were just about to respond when your patient began coding, you had more important things to worry about. 

And so began one of the longest days of your life. 

-

You and Will had spoken a lot through out the day, but it had all been medical, you’d been far too busy for proper introductions or breaks of any kind, and by the time you made your way into the doctor’s lounge you took a seat on the sofa and had a long drink of water, wiggling your toes and rolling your ankles as your feet throbbed.

“Hell of a day, but you handled it like a pro,” Will commented, wandering in and going to his locker, “welcome to Chicago,” he laughed and you smiled, realising that he really did have no idea who you were.

“I’m actually from Chicago originally,” you told him, standing up and putting your things away as he looked back at you.

“Oh yeah, where abouts?” He asked curiously.

“Canaryville,” you replied, having way too much fun teasing him about this. Did he seriously not remember you at all? 

“Me too!” He said excitedly, “what a coincidence,” you could barely contain yourself at this point but you held it together, letting him finish up at his locker. “Oh, sorry, I actually never got your name,” he continued, looking back at you apologetically as you laughed.

“You know what? That one I’m going to let you figure out,” you told him, finding his puzzled expression amusing.

“So you’re not going to just tell me?” He asked and you shook your head, he mulled it over for a second before grinning, “would you tell me if I took you out for a drink?” You blinked, taken back by his response, your old crush on his flaring up at the way he was regarding you.

“You don’t even know my name and you’re asking me out?” You definitely hadn’t expected this, but you were curious to see where it was going.

“Kind of feels like I already know you,” he answered honestly, looking you over again like he just couldn’t quite place you. Good, you thought, deciding to keep messing with him.

“Uh huh, you use that line on all the girls?” You teased, grabbing your coat as he kept staring at you.

“Molly’s, it’s a bar we all go to, great atmosphere and good drinks if you’re interested,” he suggested. 

Were you really being asked out by Will Halstead? “...well I could a drink after the day we’ve had,” you decided, wanting to play this out as long as you could.

“Great, I’ll see you there,” Will grinned, another doctor coming in and requesting his help with something before he went home.

You waved him off and walked out the hospital smiling, unable to believe what had just happened. Maybe not telling him who you were was unfair, but he was the one who’d forgotten you, so you didn’t feel all that bad as you headed home to get ready.

-

You’d applied a little more make up than usual, and your top was a little lower than the kind you would have usually worn in this situation, but as you stepped into Molly’s and saw Will at the bar, and the way he was looking at you as he took in your outfit, you knew you’d made the right decision.

“Hey Will,” you greeted him as you took the seat he’d saved for you.

“Hey... I’ll greet you with your name but I still don’t know it,” he hinted and you laughed, shaking your head. “Okay, I get it, drink first,” he surrendered, letting you order whatever drink you wanted and you settled in to chat.

“You always ask out women you don’t know?” You inquired as you received your drink.

“Do I need to know a beautiful woman’s name to ask her out?” He flirted, continuing as you took a slow slip of your drink, trying not to get too flustered, “especially when I’ve spent the day watching her take care of patients left, right and centre, you were practically superwoman in there,” he finished, clearly enjoying the red that had crept into your cheeks. Damn your awkward teen self for still letting Will Halstead have this affect on you.

“Oh so your plan is to flatter me into telling you my name huh?” You challenged and he shrugged.

“Is it working?” He tried.

“Maybe a little,” you admitted, looking away from his intense gaze and into your drink.

Will looked about to say more when he was distracted by someone coming in behind you, looking back a little to see Jay entering and walking over. Well, it was fun while it lasted, you thought, realising Jay was definitely going to blow your cover.

“Hey, I didn’t think you’d be here tonight,” Will greeted his younger brother.

“Yeah well it was Y/N’s first day at Med and I heard it was a busy one so I thought I’d come see how she did,” he explained, and you couldn’t help but watch Will’s confused face as the gears in his head slowly started turning.

“Y/N?” Will repeated.

“Yeah, Y/N Y/L/N, remember?” Jay replied slower, clearly unsure why Will was confused at all.

“Oh, Y/N, of course,” Will clicked, at least remembering you as a child, “I didn’t realise she was back in Chicago.” Now Jay was definitely puzzled, looking between his brother and your very amused self before turning back to Will.

“...you do know she’s sat right in front of you, right?” He told him, laughing as the shock crossed his face as he looked at you again like it was the first time, actual recognition finally dawning.

“No way, Y/N... I didn’t recognise you,” he admitted as you burst out laughing.

“Oh yeah, I kind of noticed that,” you said as Jay clapped his brother on the back, shaking his head in disbelief.

“I’ll be back in a bit then, looks like the two of you have more catching up to do,” Jay laughed, heading off in the other direction to a booth. You still couldn’t quite believe how long it had taken for Will to realise it was you.

“My bad,” he apologised, rubbing the back of his neck, “should we start again?” He offered and you nodded.

“I think that’s a good idea,” you agreed.

“Get you another?” He gestured to the drink you’d nearly finished, still looking at you in a way he certainly never used to.

“I’d like that.” If only your teenage self could see you now.

[lilymanaged]

such hot blood

RATED E for #teamsin 

inspired loosely by this gif of bob morley I found while “researching” as well as this gif of madelaine petsch in riverdale

(read on ao3)

kudos to @inakindofdaydream​ for analyzing my choreo and letting me liveblog my writing to her

remember, folks: always pee after sex

xxxxxxxxxx

They had been playing this game for a while, she and James. Pretending whatever was happening between them wasn’t actually happening. Pretending all of their friends were oblivious to the tension between them. Pretending everything was the same as it had been for the last two years of knowing each other.

Pretending they hadn’t kissed at Mary’s birthday party.

Pretending they hadn’t had sex after Sirius’s gallery showing.

Pretending they hadn’t had sex a lot after that.

The pretending was easier, Lily convinced herself, than acknowledging any feelings she was having that she was sure James was not.

So she pretended that it was just sex. Lily could go with the flow! She was a cool girl, and could definitely have casual sex with her best friend that she might be falling in love with without making a big deal out of it.

If he could stop teasing her, that would be great.

It was the hottest day of the summer so far, so the eight of them decided to take a “sick” day from their summer internships and jobs to spend the entire Thursday at the pool on the Potter estate.

Lily rolled her eyes. Fucking estate.

What that meant for Lily was an entire day of James smirking at her, kissing her cheek, brushing a hand down her waist when he walked by her. Every touch ignited something in her, and she shoved it down, covering it up with annoyance or indifference.

But every sly, cutting remark she made only made him chuckle, ruffle her hair, call her “love” and “sweetheart” and “baby”.

Prick.

Lily agreed, however, that the pool had been a good idea. Because, despite her determination to avoid James Potter, a pool day did mean a whole day of him without a shirt, which was a plus in her book.

She sat on the edge of the pool, legs and feet in the water, and watched him from behind her sunglasses, his smile wide and charming, as he laughed at something Sirius said. He stretched up, torso on full display in only a pair of navy blue swim trunks with a ridiculous antler pattern, the kind that fell a few inches above the knee, and her heart stuttered a beat. Even from across the deck, she could practically feel the muscles of his chest, knew what they would feel like against her own, under her fingers, pressed against her back. Knew what his hands would feel like on her, running down her sides and through her hair, tugging at her hips.

Mary kicked her, shaking her out of her reverie. She flushed, shifting, kicking her legs out to splash more water onto her legs. James smirked at her, tongue coming out to lick his bottom lip, clearly having followed her train of thought.

Sirius just rolled his eyes at James’s cheeky smile, leaning over to Marlene beside him and whispering just loudly enough for both James and Lily to hear, “just get a room already, fuck’s sake.” Immediately, blood rushed to Lily’s face, and she dropped her head, taking a sip of her drink as a cover.

“Ow! Uncalled for, mate!”

James glared as Sirius, unapologetic. Remus, no help as per usual, just laughed, swimming up beside the four of them. “What are we beating Sirius up for now? May I join?”

“James is mad I’m spitting straight facts.”

“I’m mad you’re being a five-star wankstain.”

“I’m mad I was not here to witness whatever got Sirius smacked,” Remus added. Unhelpful.

By mid-afternoon, the sun was savagely beating down on them. Lily, sprawled on a cushioned lounger, was sure she was burning, at least a little, despite the copious amounts of sunscreen she was putting on once an hour. She felt warm and sticky, but was hesitant to go back into the water, should the cool retreat only give her a false sense of security. However, the ponytail she had secured to keep her hair off her neck wasn’t helping either.

“I’m getting another drink. Want one, Mare?” Lily asked, standing up.

“Hmm? Oh, no; I’m good, Lils.” Mary said, turning over onto her stomach in her own lounger. “I think I am just going to tan a little more and then hop back in.”

“Alright, I’ll be right back.” Lily slipped her sandals and breezy cardigan cover up back on, carefully picking her way around the pool to avoid the water being splashed out of the pool: Dorcas, perched on Marlene’s shoulders, was trying her damnedest to push Peter off Sirius’s shoulders, and the incredibly competitive chicken fight was causing water to end up all over the concrete.

“Hey Lily! Come join us!” Marlene shouted, distracted. Peter took advantage of the moment to shove Dorcas, causing both of them to topple into the pool with a large splash. Sirius laughed, following them underwater only to burst up with Pete in his arms. He began a rousing round of “We Are The Champions,” singing and spinning Peter around while Marlene and Dorcas splashed water at him, gracious in their defeat.

James, amused, had essentially draped himself on the stairs leading into the pool, sunglasses on. The sun was shining in his hair, and his white teeth seemed to sparkle in the light as he laughed at his best friend’s antics. Looking up and seeing Lily passing, his smile widened, and he reached out a hand, brushing his long fingers gently over her calf to get her attention.

“Hey, come sit. The water is really nice.” She stopped, and his fingers slid down her leg and circled her ankle, holding her and tugging lightly, as if to guide her into the pool next to him. Lily looked down as he gazed up at her. She couldn’t see his eyes through his sunglasses, but she could feel the heat of his stare. Her breath caught in her throat.

“I was just headed to the bar.” His thumb began to stroke the skin above her ankle lightly, and Lily’s heart sped up a little. “But maybe after.” He just stared at her, thumb moving rhythmically.

Lily shifted forward a little bit, closer to his hand, and he smiled gratefully up at her. His hand slid up her calf toward her knee, fingers trailing lightly, causing Lily to shiver and sigh. Her blood rushed to her ears, and her body moved toward his as he ran his hand over her.

A splash broke her concentration, and James’s hand retreated. Cool water hit her feet and she looked up. Marlene and Dorcas were staring at her, eyebrows raised. Dorcas broke out into a smile, leaning into her girlfriend a little. Remus bobbed to the surface, smiling sinisterly up at them, shaking out his wet hair.

Lily cleared her throat, looking back down at James. He was watching her, head cocked to the side.

“Right, uh, I’m going to go get a drink. I’ll see you,” she said, bright and overly cheery, desperate to get away. Turning and walking quickly to the large veranda behind the house, Lily all but runs up the three steps to the tree-lined path that lead to the cabana house.

The patio, shaded from the heat of sun by the trees at the top of the lawn, was a retreat in and of itself; there was an instant temperature difference when the sun was not right above her, and the sudden secluded feel allowed Lily to slow her heart, focus on her breathing. Lily sighed dreamily after a moment, pleased to have a bit of a reprieve. Humming slightly, she kicked off her wet shoes, walked over to the little bar set up just outside the cabana house,  and began to mix a drink. Maybe a little extra vodka.

“Sun scare you away?” James said, suddenly behind her.

Lily startled, swearing loudly before regaining her composure. James chuckled, and she turned around to glare at him, though there was no real heat behind it. “No, just getting another lemonade.”

“Getting a little hot?”

Lily scoffed, rolling her eyes. “It’s the heat, James,” she said dryly. “That’s what it does.”

James just hummed a suspicious noise. “I don’t know, doesn’t seem like it’s just the heat making you sweat.”

“It’s definitely not you, if that’s what you’re implying.”

His return smile was wolfish, predatory, and his eyes were sparkling at her. Lily felt her face start to redden, and quickly turned away, back to her drink before her. She reached over, grabbing the warm lemonade. When she stood back up straight, she could feel James behind her, hovering close but not close enough to actually touch her. She froze, and she felt the blood rushing in her head, pounding in her ears at his proximity. So close. Her traitorous heart beat faster.

“I think I’m contributing. At least a little bit,” he said, voice low in ear.

She shivered involuntarily before finding her voice. “You have no effect on me at all.”

He took a half-step forward, closing the space between his chest and her back. She had to force herself not to lean back into his touch and to focus on the drink in front of her. He leaned forward, lips brushing the spot behind her ear that he knew drove her crazy. “Oh yeah?” he said, reaching a hand up to push her wrap off her left shoulder, baring it to him. “Then why are you blushing?”

Lily’s knees went weak, and she gripped the bar in front of her to remain upright. James’s arms came around her, hands resting on the bar, bracketing her in as he rested a bit of her weight on her back, pressing into her. He let out a quiet breath of laughter before kissing her neck in the same spot where he had touched her before. Lily let out a small moan, closing her eyes and leaning into his kiss. James hummed an answer from the back of his throat, slowly moving his lips down her neck until he was kissing the place where her neck met her shoulder. He bit down, sucking gently, then blew cool air over the developing bruise. She shivered again.

“You taste like sunscreen,” he murmured against her skin. A flash of heat sparked low in her stomach, and she sucked in a quick breath. Lily could feel his smile, thinking he won somehow. She pressed her hips back slightly, pulling his attention away from her shoulder for a moment. He reciprocated, right hand coming off the glossy granite countertop of the bar to rest on her waist, fingers brushing, teasing, before settling it on her hip to hold her in place.

Instinctively, she pushed back again, wiggling a little.

“Shh,” he said, lips resting on the skin of her shoulder. “Stay still.” He resumed kissing her, mouthing and nipping back up her neck. Her head started to swim a little, all of her attention zeroed in on where his lips were touching her. He was taking his time, working her up masterfully, and she cursed herself for letting this happen, no matter how good it felt or how much she wanted him to keep going. She was supposed to be staying away from him.

He nipped at her earlobe lightly, and her breath hitched. His hand moved from her hip to skim up her waist, pressing her back into him completely, every inch of his toned torso flush against her bare back. Her head fell back, bumping lightly to rest on his right shoulder, exposing her neck completely.

“James, come on,” she said, but she didn’t really know whether it was meant to stop him or egg him on.

“What, Lily? What’s wrong?” he asked, but his tone was smug. If Lily wasn’t in a daze, she would kick him in the shin.

His hand moved across her stomach, sliding up to that this thumb was edging against the bottom of her bikini top, and then around to the side of her left breast. Instead of going under the material, however, he lingered there on the outside, thumb brushing the soft skin right at the edge, teasing her. Her nipples hardened in response, and she tried to press into his hand, but he resisted, calmly rubbing his nose along the skin behind her ear, whispering into her ear.

“You know, I don’t think I have told you how beautiful you are all day. Quite rude of me, actually, considering you look more than beautiful, especially right now. But you knew that, didn’t you? Picked this bathing suit out special, didn’t you? You know I have always loved you in red. So sweet, so cute, so fucking sexy.” He nipped at her earlobe again, and Lily whined, leaning fully into his embrace. “So fucking responsive,” he murmured, shifting them both forward, closer to the bar.

“You’re so fucking annoying,” Lily said, straining into his hand again. He laughed a little, breathless, shifting his thumb to run directly over her nipple and back with the barest pressure. She could feel him hardening behind her, and she pressed back into him, against him, deliberately teasing him back. The moan Lily let out was obscene, and the rational part of her brain admonished herself for being so open with her lust, her intentions to affect him just as much as he was affecting her.

Her right hand was gripping the counter tightly, keeping steady, while her left flew to press over her mouth, quieting her noises. James continued to tease her nipple, always keeping just the barest bit of pressure, but pressing his hips fully into her bum. No matter how much she squirmed, he kept a steady rhythm, light and teasing, until she was aching and arching into his hand, desperate. Heat pooled in her stomach, warming her from the inside out. She couldn’t escape the heat - the flush in her face, her arousal, the solid warmth of James’s tanned skin against her back.

“Annoying? I think you like it when I’m bothering you.”

“Shut up.” He hummed from the back of his throat like he was considering it, dropping his head to bite at the skin of her shoulder again, right over the spot he had already been working on. Definitely going to have a bruise. Her subconscious mind preened like a schoolgirl at being marked up a bit, at the delicious feel of his teeth at her skin, scraping a little to elicit another shiver. It was possessive in a way she knew she shouldn’t like, but the dirty part of her brain revelled in anyway. James was playing her perfectly, and she hated it.

His hand fell away from her nipple. Lily whined at the lost of contact, but it died in her throat when he stretched his hand wide, covering the expanse of her stomach so that his thumb was at the lacy edge of her top, but his pinky was tucked into the lacy, elastic band of her highwaisted bottoms. James’s thumb pressed into her sternum, effectively securing her against the muscles of his chest. It knocked the breath out of her, and she froze, waiting for the hand to slide back up to her chest. Instead, he ran his nose back up her neck until it was buried in her hair above her left ear.

“Lily, if you want to stop, tell me right now.” His voice was strained, and Lily felt a sudden wave of affection for him. He really is the sweetest thing. These were the moments that tricked her brain, made her confuse the tension always threatening to boil over between them with longing, the heated gazes with a potential for connection or feeling or maybe love. Confuse the caresses for more than just desire and lust.

When they first kissed, six months ago, the mutual want had taken her by surprise, overwhelming her. She had never really given much thought to anything real with James, more of a passing fancy. She was romantic by nature, but logical about the partners she chose, and kissing James had shocked her. He had poured so much passion into the kiss, and she found herself daydreaming about it for weeks after, blushing every time they saw each other, leaning into each casual touch he offered. A year and a half of friendship had proceeded that kiss, though, and she did not want to spoil that base with visions of a parallel reality, where James Potter and Lily Evans could be more than just best friends and neighbors and organic chemistry lab partners.

But right now, she was plastered to his front, flushed, heart pounding, and already halfway to overstimulation from James Potter’s mouth on her neck. So she didn’t think about how sweet he was or her emotional or moralistic convictions in ending their sexual relationship two weeks ago.

“I don’t want to stop,” she said, turning in his arms so that she faced him. They were barely a breath apart, and the change in position forced her to press her breasts to his chest. His eyes fluttered closed for a second as she rubbed against him, her clothed nipples dragging against his bare skin, making her shiver. She pushed the rest of her cover up off her shoulders, letting it fall down her arms and pool at their feet, and then brought her hands up to rest on his pectoral muscles. He tensed slightly at her touch. “Please don’t stop.”

James stayed still despite her touch, opening his eyes to search hers, to see that she wasn’t lying, his hand now resting on her back, level with one of the ties for her top.

“Oh thank god,” he said, diving in to kiss her, pressing her fully against the bar now at her back. It was uncomfortable and dug into her back, but the ache disappeared from her consciousness as James immediately escalated the kiss from lust-filled to obscene. His teeth tugged at her bottom lip, making her gasp and open her mouth to his tongue.

He was completely in her space, crowding up against her, hand toying with the back tie of her top for a moment before moving lower, reaching down with the apparent intention of grabbing her bum. Instead, he found the countertop.

He pulled away slightly, mouth still on hers lightly, making her chase him away from the bar until she was far enough away that he could reach her bum, hoisting her up easily in his arms. “Should have told me that was digging into our back,” he said, directing her to wrap her legs around his waist, lips attaching themselves to her neck again to deepen the same bruise, this time biting down hard, as if in admonishment.  

“Sorry,” she said, moaning at his rough treatment. “Was kinda distracted.”

He smiled against her skin. “Don’t let it happen again.”

He kissed her again, setting her down so she was sitting on the top of the bar and he was nestled between his legs. His hand was still firmly on her bum, groping and squeezing, before gliding back up her back to the tie of her bathing suit, deftly toying with the strings but not undoing them. The other hand reached up to her neck, changing the angle of the kiss now that she was leaning down slightly to his mouth, holding her in place so he could lick into her mouth.

Lily shifted forward so that she was flush against James’s chest still, keeping her legs around his waist tightly, arms locking around his neck to keep him pressed completely to her body, unable to move. She rocked her hips toward him as much as she could, dragging a low growl out of him. She moaned in satisfaction at the noise, and he gripped her hip tightly with his left hand, forcing her to stop moving.

“Stay still,” he said against her lips, barely taking a break in kissing her.

“No,” she said, childishly defiant, obstinate for no reason other than to be obstinate.

“Brat,” he said, but there was affection in his voice.

She giggled into the kiss, and he bit her bottom lip, burying the sound in a sudden gasp. He pulled her impossibly closer, tilting their heads so that they were turned almost sideways. His hand on her back slid under the ties holding her top together to rest on her upper back, holding her tightly to him, stealing her breath. The kiss shifted toward desperation, frustration at being so close and yet not.

The feral urge to be as close to him as possible overtook her, and she straightened up as much as she could in an effort to eliminate all space between them. The kiss was rough and dirty-hot, tongues sliding together. James panted into her mouth, out of breath, and she moaned when the hand on her back retreated down to her bum, and the one of her hip came up to her neck to start unraveling the knot that kept her bikini top up.

“James,” she panted, pulling away. Instinctively, his lips moved to her cheek, then her jaw.

“Hmm?”

“Untie the strings.”

He pulled away to look at her. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she breathed, taking his mouth again.

James took no time at all to start working at the knot, fumbling a little in poorly hidden overexcitement.

“You’re so fucking dirty, you know that? Letting me undress you in public. So sweet to me, so sweet for me. What if one of our friends came up here looking for us? Do you want that? Do you want them to see how good you are for me?”

Lily moaned, forehead falling to rest on his shoulder as he kept whispering to her, fingers deftly untying. She felt the strings coming down, top pooling at her waist. His fingers followed it, sliding down her neck to her shoulder, then under her arm to her ribs. James pushed her back a little, and she allowed him to direct her, unlocking her arms from around his neck and setting them slightly behind her to keep her balance as he tilted her torso back.

She was completely on display like this. His words came back to her through her haze, and she felt a thrill of excitement course through her. Because he was right; any one of their friends could come up to try to find her, or them, or even just to get another drink or go to the bathroom, and see her, top around her waist, her legs wrapped tightly around James, lips swollen, lipstick smudged. And James, staring at her like she was a goddess, like she was everything. But she felt powerful, and that filled her, making her smile brightly at James’s bewildered look, despite having seen her naked more than a few times at this point.

“Oh, Lily, you’re absolutely perfect.”

She beamed at his praise, flushing a little, and arched her back a little more, pushing her breasts out further.

He swore under his breath, eyes raking over her bare chest, clouding slightly as he studied her. “Jesus, Lily, please. Can I touch you? Please let me touch you?”

She pushed herself back up, reaching for him, and he met her halfway, pushing back into her space. She put her hand down behind her again on the bar, keeping her balance, and his hands glided to her back, untying the other knot and removing the entire top of her bathing suit from her body, placing it on the counter beside them. His hands went to her waist before ascending up, over her stomach to tease her breasts lightly, taking them in hand gently.

Lily watched him, fascinated and embarrassed at the care he was showing. She was suddenly incredibly aware at the intimacy of the moment, the seclusion of the trees, and the cool air he was blowing over her nipples, watching them peak again at the stimulation. His thumbs ghosted over them, and then she felt his tongue laving over her right nipple, stroked a broad sweep and then flicking it lightly. After a moment, he switched to the other one, finger running over the wetness his mouth had left, circling slowly before pinching the abandoned nub between his thumb and forefinger. She keened, legs tightening, and arched further into his mouth, egging him on.

“Does that feel good, Lily? God, you’re so gorgeous, so sweet, I can't believe you’re mine.”

Mine.

It shot through her like lightning. Without thinking, she shoved her body forward, grabbing at his face with her hands to bring his mouth up to hers, holding him there. Shocked, his hands gripped at her hips, squeezing tightly as she reclaimed his mouth with her own, moaning as soon as their lips touched.

Lily let the emotion bubble up in her, and tried to push it into the kiss. All the confusion, the longing, the lingering touches and heated stares. The domestic daydreams, the naughty fantasies. The lust and love and fear and hope, all in one kiss. Because mine felt like a promise, and her lust-addled brain could only leap at that without any other forethought.

Her breasts were squashed against his chest painfully, and his hands were tight on her hips, tight enough to bruise, maybe. But he responded to her, pulling her in, biting at her mouth, accepting all of her passion and returning it.

She pulled away for a moment to kiss a trail down his neck, biting playfully at his shoulder where he had marked her, hands roaming his chest and arms. “James.”

“Hmm, Lil? What?” he slurred at her, eyes shut, hands releasing her hips to palm her thighs, still around his waist, her ankles locked at his lower back.

“Please,” she said, returning to his mouth, hoping he would just take the hint. No dice. He indulged her for a moment, before pulling away enough to speak to her, lips against hers.

“Please what, Lily?” His voice was deep and raspy.

“I’m, uh - hmm - just wondering, you wouldn’t happen to have a condom on you right now, would you?”

He kissed her hard, one hand coming up to hold the back of her neck tightly, keep her mouth locked with his. Her nails dug into his shoulders, scratching down his upper arms. He hissed through his teeth a little at the pain, kissing her again and then pulling away.

“I’ll be right back.”

She started, squeezing her thighs. He broke their hold gently but easily, sliding out of her grasp and starting to turn away.

“James!” she hissed. “Don’t you dare leave me half naked on the patio!”

He turned back, looking at her. His eyes swept over her form, from her messy ponytail to the bruising beginning to show on her inner thighs from gripping onto him. “Are you sure? You certainly look pretty, all messed up like that.”

“James Potter!” She gave him her sternest look, and he hummed in response, making a pleased noise in the back of his throat.

“Adorable,” he teased, fitting himself neatly into the space between her thighs again. He picked up her bikini top, rubbing the material for a moment before tucking it into the pocket of his shorts.

“I hate you, you know that?”

His eyes blazed at her, looking over her ruffled form once again. “Oh, I highly doubt that.” He leaned in, nipping lightly at her bottom lip. “I think you really, really like me, Lily Evans.”

This kiss was slow and dirty, drawing her back into his arms fully. His hands skimmed her body the entire time, teasing and gliding. As he licked into her mouth, he pulled her arms around his neck again, she placed his hands under her thighs, lifting slightly. Lily pressed her hips forward, into his touch, looking for friction as her arousal reignited.

“Hang on, yeah?” he said against her mouth, and then lifted her into his arms, walking them backwards and toward the cabana house. Lily yelped, suddenly in the air, and her arms and legs tightened around him. He chuckled into her mouth, pressing her against the glass door leading into the little house. He ground into her, lifting her slightly so she could feel him hardening against her. She moaned into his mouth, breathless. His hips locked her in place against the glass, and he took a hand off her bum to reach behind her, fumbling to get a grip on the handle for the sliding glass.

“Fuck, Lily, hang on, I almost have it,” he said against her mouth. She nodded, kissing him again, licking into his mouth. He shifted her again, causing her to rub against him, and he growled deep in his throat. “Oh for fuck’s sake, open!”

She smiled into his mouth when he finally got his hand around the door, heaving her off the glass to slide it open behind her. He shuffled them through the door, turning to press her into the wall beside it, both hands returning to the back of her thighs to squeeze them, hitching her up against him. She rolled her hips as much as she could in her position, and James groaned beneath her.

“There isn’t a bed but...” he trailed off, gesturing behind him at the room. Lily lifted her head from his, looking around behind him. The cabana house consisted of a large room, surrounded on two sides by floor-to-ceiling glass, and a bathroom off the back wall. The remaining wall had a massive television mounted on it, and a huge shelving unit filled with books and movies flanked it.  All the windows had large, gauzy white curtains, and it was set up to be a lounge of some sort. A large beige sectional couch took up most of the space on one side, the other dedicated to an indoor bar and bar sports.

“Couch is fine,” she said, breathless, nodding, pressing against him. His arms tightened underneath her.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she agreed, kissing him again. He backed them up toward the couch, sitting them down and pulling her on top of him and into the cradle of his lap, her legs bracketing his on the couch. She shimmied as close as she could, grinding down on him, rocking her hips.

James swore, pulling away to watch her. Panting, Lily’s head fell back a little, and she shut her eyes, focusing all of her senses on the feeling between her thighs. She let out a heavy breath, placing her hands squarely on James’s shoulders for balance, and ground down on him, solid and hard in his swim trunks.

James slid his hands from the back of her thighs to her hip, easing her motions, pushing up into her space when she came down. Her moan stuttered out of her, and she opened her eyes, steading herself and slowing down. She blushed to the roots of her hair when she looked at James. His pupils were blown out, and he was watching her as if she had suddenly performed magic: in awe and fascinated desire. He shifted under her, cock twitching through the two layers of clothing separating them. Instinctively, she rocked her hips again.

“Sorry about that,” she said, breathing heavily.

James stared at her, stunned. “Lily, god, don’t ever apologize for that. That was incredible. You’re so fucking beautiful.” He leaned up, and attached his lips to her neck, kissing and murmuring against her skin. “Did that feel good, love? Riding me like that? Taking your pleasure? You were gorgeous, a goddess. Take what you want, Lily. What do you want?”

She moaned under his attention, his praise. “Please.”

James made a growling sound in the back of his throat, pulling her closer, kissing down her collar to her sternum, ducking his head down to take her nipple into his mouth. His hands descended from her hips to the tops of her thighs, flexing slightly to dig in, then dipping the right one toward her center. One long finger touched her, running down the crotch of her bathing suit bottoms, then two ran up. Lily keened, hips stuttering forward to try to get his fingers closer to where she needed him.

“Please, James, just touch me.”

He hummed around her nipple, apparently pleased. He released her with a pop, free hand immediately reaching up to run over the reddened, wet nipple, kissing up her chest only to bite down slightly above her right nipple, sucking another, smaller mark into her skin. Lily moaned, pressing into his hand. “Good girl.”

Not even bothering to take her bottoms off, James shifted his fingers under the lace edge of the crotch, running a finger down the bare heat of her, growling low in his throat.

“Jesus, Lily, you’re so fucking wet,” he stated plainly. She flushed, embarrassed, biting back a moan as he ran a finger down her center, nudging briefly at the core of her, before adding a second and repeating the process several times.

“Come here, baby.” He kissed her once again, sweetly this time, licking at her bottom lip lightly. His fingers moved slowly toward the bundle of nerves at the top, sliding, teasing gently. Her hips shifted closer, inching up, urging him to the perfect angle. When he finally touched her, she whined, melting into his arms and moaning into his mouth.

He circled her clit slowly, drawing it out, making Lily squirm in his lap. The slow build was excruciating, contrasting with the desperation she was feeling, and all she could focus on was the feeling at the core of her and James’s fingers. She gripped his hand, trying to make him go faster, and he immediately stopped.

“Was that not enough? You told me to touch you. Did you need more?”

Lily bit back a whine, releasing his hand. “Stop teasing.”

James smiled against her mouth. “I can do that.”

Slowly, he withdrew his fingers from her bottoms, using his other hand to push them off of her. Lily lifted each leg in turn, shifting to sit squarely in James’s lap, legs wrapped around his waist. Pulling away from Lily’s mouth, James offered his hand instead, holding two fingers out to her with a cocky smile.

“Suck, sweetheart,” James said, tone matching the smirk on his face, other hand on her leg pulling her down to slide her bare skin against the bulge in his shorts. She moaned, leaning forward to take his fingers into her mouth, swirling her tongue around them before sucking.

James’s answering growl ran right through her, hand on her thigh tightening slightly as he rocked up into her, pulling her attention from her task. She moaned around his fingers, pressing back down. James sucked in a breath, inhaling sharply, and she opened her eyes to look into his. He was staring at her, eyes darkened by lust. She pulled away, smiling sweetly, innocently at him.

“Oh, and I’m the one teasing? Good try, Lily,”

With a quick movement, he slid Lily back over his lap, knees on either side of him, opening her legs slightly to make room for him. Slowly, he slid one, then two fingers into her, groaning when she immediately tightened around him. Lily gasped, head coming forward to rest on James’s shoulder as his fingers moved inside her, working into a slow rhythm. His thumb came up to tap lightly at her clit, keeping a similar pace.

Lily felt like she was going to explode.

“I thought we said no teasing,” she said, voice breaking a little as she tried to keep her hips from bucking upward, setting her own pace.

James smiled at her, smug. “You said it, I didn’t listen.” Nonetheless, he increased his pace, causing Lily to sigh.

“Fuck, Lil, you’re so fucking hot and wet and sweet and soft. You feel so good, baby. You’re so lovely like this, needy and wet for me. Do you wanna cum, baby?” His voice was dark and deep, breaking, and Lily wanted to bury herself in it. She moaned, shaking slightly in his arms as he increased his pace. His free arm came around her back, anchoring her in place, and he went even faster, encouraging her hips to move, matching the rhythm he had created for them.

“James, I’m - I think I’m going to -”

James shushed her, increasing his pace.

Lily pulled away. “No, not yet,” she said, grinding down on him. “I want you inside me, James.”

James laughed a little, breathlessly, removing his fingers from her to grip her hips tightly. Lily, emboldened and a little more than frantic, reached down, sliding her hands into the waistband of his swim trunks. His hips lifted at her touch, sending shockwaves through her, and she hummed, pleased at his reaction. His eyes bored into hers, watching her closely, and she bit her lip, pausing. He pushed his hips up again, raising a brow at her.

“Payback’s a bitch, huh?” she said, ghosting her hand over him. He groaned, shutting his eyes tightly.

Swiping her thumb through the precome gathered at the tip of him, she took up a slow, steady rhythm, one reminiscent of James’s own on her. He groaned beneath her again, pushing up into her hand, desperately. His fingers tightened on her hips, asking for friction. She resisted, lifting up a little to keep away, earning a growl.

“Such a brat,” he said, strained, pleading. He looked at her, trying to seem stern, but falling short. “Stop teasing.”

Giggling, she moved her hand a little faster. With her other hand, she pushed the shorts down and away from his body awkwardly, half desperate and clumsy.

“Lily,” he growled, stopping her movements with the edge in his voice. She nodded at him, removing her hand and allowing him to shove the shorts the rest of the way down. His hands were rough on her and he settled her over him, remaining in control despite their positions. He shifted up, rubbing against her, and Lily moaned, breathless and needy and finally.

James shifted her slightly, leaning over to the coffee table and reaching under it, hand frantically grabbing around on the underside. Finally, he succeeded, and with a small noise of triumph, pulled out a silver package.

“You keep condoms taped to the underside of the coffee table? Poor Effie.”

“No, Sirius keeps condoms taped to the underside of the coffee table because according to him, we are all idiots and ‘you never know when the fancy may strike.’ It’s one of his many stashes. At least the knowledge finally comes in handy.”

Lily rolled her eyes, shifting back again for James to settle himself upright on the couch, holding her over him. With a nod to her, she lifted up, resting her weight in her hands on his shoulders. He held her close as she settled over him, and slid down slowly, biting her lip to suppress the moan threatening to rip through her as she felt him slowly fill her. James’s head fell against the back of the couch, and he watched her open up around him through heavily lidded eyes. His grip on her hips was bruising, rough, as she took all of him inside her, moaning loudly when she bottomed out. She giggled, breathless, flexing her muscles around him, making him twitch inside her.

“Fucking minx.” She smiled, pleased and punch-drunk, using her grip on his shoulders as leverage, moving over him in a slow and long and lazy rhythm, revelling in the feeling of him stretching her. After a minute, she increased her pace, tightening her thighs where they bracketed his legs.

Lily was rapidly approaching orgasm after being edged so many times, could feel it building in her lower stomach, tightening her limbs and making her gasp and grind down wordlessly each time she pushed down. She took her right hand off James’s shoulder, sliding it down in the minimal space between them, finding her clit quickly and setting a faster pace. James murmured to her, sweet nothings, mouthing at her neck and throat and jaw. He slumped down a little, giving her more room, and watched as she increased the pace once again, hand moving in tandem hips stuttering and shifting until she was shaking in his arms. She pressed down full, grinding aimlessly in his lap and she rode out her orgasm, smiling and blinking at him lethargically.

“Do you absolutely bloody gorgeous you are when you cum? God, Lily, I can never get over it. It will never get old, watching you cum for me and only for me. And you clamped so tightly around me, it was incredible. I almost came right then, watching your touch yourself and take your pleasure. So pretty for me, so good, sweetheart. Will you cum for me again, love? One more for me?”

James nipped at her throat, shocking her and causing her to moan. He gathered her in his arms, sliding them under her thighs to lift Lily up, all the while still inside her. He sat upright fully on the couch again, settling her in a straddle over him.

Lily lifted up, ready to move again, but James stopped her, holding her hips steady. “My turn.”

She nodded, frantic and needy, the waves of her orgasm still lingering. She tightened her fingers on his shoulders, and he lifted her hips again, guiding her down, pushing through the final haze of her orgasm. There was a spark of arousal in her stomach, expanding outward and burning through her, and she moaned, rolling her hips in James’s hands, long, deep strokes from below. One hand migrated to her hair, reaching under her ponytail to the base of it and tugging lightly, causing Lily’s head to fall back and her hands to fall to his thighs, pushing against them for leverage as she arched her back.

“Oh, fuck, Lily, you feel so good. So tight and wet for me, moaning so pretty. Come on, love, give me another. I’m so close, I’ve been half-gone all day just being around you in that ridiculously hot bikini. So good for me, sweet girl.” Lily’s hips stuttered down as he talked to her, voice low and husky, on the verge of breaking. She broke the pace he had started her on, and she moaned again, hair sticking to her mouth as she opened her eyes, surging forward again. Her mouth landed on his, and they clung to one another, panting.

Her hands squeezed his shoulders, frantic and overcome. As she neared the edge, she could hear James murmuring against her mouth, kissing lightly, teasingly. “Come on, Lily; cum for me.” Her hips stuttered forward one more time, and James bit down lightly on her bottom lip Her eyes slammed shut as she fell off the precipice again with a cry, legs shaking. She clung to James’s shoulders, trying not to collapse into them, when his arm pulled her closer to him, and his hips came up again once, twice, pressing fully into her, holding her so tightly it took her breath.  

After a moment, she relaxed, boneless and energized at the same time. Her breath came heavily and she let out a short laugh, lifting her head to look at James.

He leaned forward, taking her lips in a long kiss, pulling her closer. She kissed him back, pleased, humming against his mouth, and then kissing down his neck to his shoulders lightly, coming down from her high. Lily ran her hands over his chest, shifting slightly up and off of him.

James pulled her back down, into his arms, kissing her cheeks and face repeatedly. “So lovely, so sweet.” Lily settled into his arms, content for doze for a minute before she had to get up. James ran his hands up her arms comfortingly, hugging her close.

She only allowed herself to indulge for a minute before an anxious feeling settled over her. Quickly, she untangled herself from him, picking up her bathing suit bottoms, muttering her excuse and all but running to the bathroom.

While she peed, she debriefed with herself.

She liked James. She liked being around him and talking to him and also having sex with him. She knew that.

But what about the “mine” he dropped.

She didn’t want to get her hopes up - James chatted a lot of shit in bed, it was kind of his thing. She couldn’t be crushed if it didn’t go her way. Which was the whole point of trying to avoid the very thing she had just spent quite a bit of time doing.

She needed to tell him, right?

Probably. Maybe not. If she told James she loved him, it might mean the end of their friendship at most, the end of all sex with James at the least. And that was a huge risk.

Maybe just a break-up conversation. Ending the sex part of their friendship for real, like an adult, instead of just avoiding the problem would at least help her guard her heart.

She had decided. And now she just had to do it.

James’s eyes were closed when she returned to the big room, bottoms on and ponytail as fresh as could be without a brush, though still topless. She crossed her arms over her bare breasts, trying to calm down. With a final deep breath, she walked over to the couch, standing awkwardly in front of him.

“James, I need to tell you something.”

He opened his eyes, looking at her and cocking his head to the side, reaching up to run a hand through his own hair.

“I think we should stop having sex.”

His smile was slow, building. “Okay. Why’s that?”

“Well,” she started, pacing a little along the coffee table, gesticulating, forgetting her current state. “Sex can lead to feelings, and while I am not asking you how you feel, I think I may be developing some, and I do not want to make things awkward or uncomfortable.”

“You have feelings for me?”

“I might!” she said, throwing her hands in the air, still pacing. “I mean, it's possible. But I don’t know! And at the risk of me getting hurt, I think it is best that we just stop now before that happens.”

He stared at her, smiling and shaking his head. Reaching out, he stopped her pacing, pulling her down on the couch next to him. “Please sit. We are going to take a deep breath. We can talk about this.”

“I already talked about it.”

“So you might have feelings for me. Yeah?”

She looked at him, staring. His eyes were gazing at her, but blank, revealing nothing but a general intent on her. “‘Might’ meaning I probably do have feelings of some sort, yes. And they most likely trend toward emotional attachment and affection beyond that what is customary of a friend you sometimes have sex with.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “And therefore having sex with me is a bad thing, because it may lead to more feelings? That might trend toward, I don’t know, love and companionship?”

“That’s the hypothesis, yes.”

“You know, for the smartest person I know, you’re kind of an idiot.”

“James! That was so mean! Way to kick a girl when she’s down. I’m baring my soul here.”

“Lily, I’ve been in love with you since about a month after we met.”

“Oh,” she said, closing her eyes, trying not to throw her arms into the air and shout for the joy of it all. He loved her!

“Yeah, oh,” he said, a smile evident in his voice. He turned slightly to face her, wrapping her in his arms and pulling her into his lap. His nose nudged against hers, and she smiled, opening her eyes to his.

“I love you, too,” she said, leaning into his space to kiss him sweetly, tenderly.

“Well, thank goodness, because this was about to get really embarrassing if you didn’t say it back. And after all that agonizing planning in the bathroom.”

She smacked him lightly on the chest, blushing. “Should we go back to the others?”

“Probably,” he said, releasing her with a final kiss, and climbing off the couch to pull his swim trunks back on. “Though I doubt very much they noticed we were gone.”

Lily rolled her eyes, reaching into his pocket to take her top back (“Oh, cheeky”) and swiping his hand away from her bare breast when he made a half-assed move to touch her. “It’s like you don’t even know Sirius and Marlene. Of course they’ve noticed.” She reached behind her to retie the strings of her top, before just letting James do it, quickly and neatly.

He just grinned. “I know. I was just trying to make you feel better about seducing me mere feet from all of our friends. Absolutely wanton, absolutely despicable. You’re just insatiable.”

Lily scoffed in mock outrage. “Me seducing you? Please! You followed me to the cabana with the sole purpose of rubbing yourself against me like a dog in heat!”

“Two words, babygirl: red bikini.”

“Maybe you’re just too easy,” she suggested, walking out the open sliding door, picking up her cover up and wrapping it around her, primly smoothing her bathing suit like it was a dress.

“Only for you, love,” he said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“Why do I like you?”

“Beats me. Glad you do though,” he said, wrapping her in his arms to kiss her one more time before they left the privacy of the patio.

When they emerged, hand in hand, six heads turned to them.

“Fucking finally,” Mary called, nudging Marlene on the arm. Marlene’s smile was vicious, spreading slowly across her face. She glanced at Sirius out of the corner of her eyes, and he nodded, with a matching smile.

“Did you two take a break to clean up? You didn’t have to do that!” he said. Lily’s hand flew to the space where her neck met her shoulder, and she closed her eyes, preparing for the incoming joke. James just chuckled, apparently extremely chuffed at this turn of events.

“No, sir, why do you ask?”

“Looks like Evans got into a wrestling match with a hoover. Glad to know it was only your juvenile snogging skills. A hickey, James, really? Are we fifteen?”