#jotting that down but anyway back to topic

[true-blue-sonic]

*pointing at Sonic* I need to know more about how this man expresses love

because I just realised that I my writing is 100% physical touches in my ships, but Sonic does not do that. At least, not as overtly as I tend to write it. I honestly struggle to remember a time wherein he was the one initiating physical contact that can be taken as romantic, haha! He's not averse to touches and stuff: he shakes Blaze's hand no problem in Rush, he holds and hugs Elise and also strokes her shoulder when she is upset... but it not at all overt, either. Tails comes bursting in after thinking Sonic was dead for 6 months and Sonic's hug is literally restrained to just holding him by his sides for a bit; not to mention he looks quite startled by Elise hugging him the first time and doesn't/didn't always seem so eager about getting glomped by Amy. So Sonic's clearly not much of a hugger, and thus I can't imagine him being a cuddler either!

So then, how would Sonic express love to someone he's in a relationship with? Sonic's shtick is kind of that he runs off a lot and likes doing things on his own, though he's also always happy to spend time with friends and share his adventures with them. So... quality time or something? Maybe words of affirmation, since he's the living embodiment of "My Friends Are Cool And Awesome"? I'm looking into this for a Sonilver fic, and I'm struggling a bit with seeing how they would bond into a relationship🤔

[megwritesriddles]

In the Back of Your Mind ༊*·˚

18+ MDNI !!!

Pairing: Young! Severus Snape x F! Reader / You

Summary: Kinktober 2024 Day 4 - Stalking. Severus is in love with you from afar. Severus is also very good at legilimency. You show a tiny bit of interest by helping him out in class and he loses a little more of his self-control.

Tags: Stalking, P in V, Unprotected sex, Oral sex (f receiving, a LOT of it), Very dubious consent, Mind manipulation / control, Brainwashing, Improper use of legilimency, Toxic relationships, Yandere Snape, Creepy perverted behaviour, Fantasising, Implied loss of virginity, Self-blaming.

READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED!!!!

Word count: 3.7k

all fandom masterlist | hp masterlist | read it on ao3

Authors note: Severus in this fic is written to be a walking red flag, don't seek this kind of relationship irl!! I started to get a headache toward the end of writing this, sorry if it's noticeable in the writing!! Hope you like it anyway mwah ( ◕◡◕)っ ♡

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Splat, Severus’ books thud to the ground. A cacophony of laughs erupts behind him, led by James Potter, a satisfied smirk on his face from having caused this mild inconvenience. Severus huffs and rolls his eyes, luckily hidden by his mop of long black hair. He bends down to pick up the books, not at all surprised when James nudges one further away with the toe of his shoe. He shuffles forward and picks it up too, straightening himself back up, head hung low. He shuffles across the hall to lean against a wall further from the marauders, who hoot and laugh at him. Even putting himself in their shoes he can’t understand what’s so funny about watching someone pick up books. None of it matters anyway, because you’ll be here soon. Perfect you. You always arrive at this class at 12:56, with your friend by your side. You’d usually be chatting, finishing off a pastry from lunch, whatever had taken your fancy that day, Severus guessed it would be the Pumpkin pasties today. He watches the clock above the door into the potion's dungeon, feeling a familiar tingle of excitement. Just as he knew you would, almost exactly as the clock struck 12:56, your voice drifted around the corner down the corridor. He watches behind his hair as you come into view, chatting happily with your friend, carefully holding a hand in front of your mouth as you chew. He imagines you spotting him, smiling and making your way over, giggling and offering him a bite of your pastry. He’d go to bite it and you’d withdraw it playfully, just to tease him, you’d laugh that bright laugh you have and he’d give you a chastising look before stealing a kiss from you, making you smile wider. You’d wrap your arms around his neck, pushing closer so that–

He’s yanked from his thoughts by Slughorn opening the doors to the lab, the heavy wood scraping unpleasantly against the stone floor. Everyone starts to head inside, he keeps his head down as he enters, hanging back at his usual spot at the back of the room, the spot with a perfect view of you. He places his books down, watching as you quickly scoff the last of your pastry, a pumpkin pasty as he’d guessed before the lesson started. Throughout the lesson he’s watching you, barely concentrating on the topic at hand, he doesn't need to, he already read up on it in his own time so that he can watch you. He’s lucky, in a way, that he only has you for potions, no matter how much he wishes you always there, always by him, always in view, else he may never learn anything at all. You lean forward on the desk, your chin in your palms, legs swinging under the desk. He can vaguely make out the outline of your bra through the back of your uniform shirt, it’s black, clasped on the final row. He almost jots this down on his parchment before he catches himself. He imagines that if he told you this, you’d laugh and call him something childish and endearing, like a ‘silly sausage’, flicking his nose gently. He’s lost in this fantasy, this world where he can tell you that he’s watching you and you find it sweet, going through the motions of setting up his workstation for brewing. He doesn’t even realise that Slughorn is calling out to him until your head turns towards him, looking curious. He notices with a start that the entire class is looking at him, the marauders laughing tauntingly among themselves.

“Er… what?” he croaks out, his voice a little rough from barely speaking all day. He hears a few more chuckles, but not from you. Kind, perfect you. You just glance between him and Slughorn without a hint of judgement in your eyes.

“Your hair is getting rather too long, boy, you’ll have to tie it up for this potion, it’s very volatile,” Slughorn chortles from the front of the room. “Do any of the ladies have a spare?” He addresses the room. The marauders and a couple of the other boys explode with laughter, several of the girls immediately shake their heads, or do nothing, except beautiful, perfect you. You’re picking up your bag and digging through it without a second's hesitation and he could kiss you right now, not that there was any time he felt like he couldn’t. Your friend, obviously shamed into action by you, flicks half-heartedly through her bag too. The rest of the class returns to setting up.

“A-ha!” you exclaim, pulling out a plain black hairband from your bag. Black like your bra, his brain supplies, but he shakes that off because you’re walking over to him. He’s immediately sweating, luckily you’re unlikely to notice through his robes, although you may notice the growing sheen on his forehead. You stand in front of him, smiling like an angel. He’s not this close to you often, somehow you’re even more ethereal up close. He takes a shaky breath as you extend the hairband to him. "Don't listen to them, Black is only about an inch away from needing one himself,"

“Th-Thank you…” He mumbles, brushing your fingertips with his own on purpose. It feels like a thousand fireworks exploding under his skin and he smiles shakily. You smile and shrug.

“Just get it back to me when you can, or keep it honestly, I have hundreds and you’ll probably need it again,” you explain happily. You always seem to have nothing bringing you down and he admires it, wishing he could be so positive, perhaps it’s easy when you’re as flawless as you are. You skip off back to your workstation to your friend. He has something in his hand that is yours, something he’s allowed to keep, something he didn’t have to snatch when you left the room. There’s a couple of your hairs stuck around it and he shivers in excitement. This is something you have used, and he has it through legitimate means. He’s floating on air. While everyone else is beginning to brew, he hides behind his cauldron carefully laying down your hairs in his notebook, making sure not to break them, securing them so they don’t fall out.

Eventually, once he’s sure he can’t extract any more of yours from the hairband, he finally ties his hair back into a low ponytail, getting to work. He’s confident he can catch up on the brewing time he missed, even as he keeps being distracted by the sight of you across the room, your hair pulled up out of your face in the same type of hairband you gave him. You’re gorgeous, somehow more than usual, which shouldn’t be possible or, frankly, legal. He’s often wondered if you’re part Veela somewhere far back, because of how absolutely perfect you are. Through extensive research of your family tree, he was able to prove himself wrong, but he still wonders. His potion expertise allows him to catch up on the potion, still being awarded the best potion in class by the end of it. He almost feels bad for everyone who actually put some effort into brewing just to lose to him again, but that feeling melts away when he spots you grinning at him as Slughorn announces his win. The two of you have never been friends, but you have always been silently friendly toward him, refusing to be swayed by the rumours about him. It’s perhaps what he loves the absolute most about you. He’s packing up when you approach him again, smiling softly.

“I actually like your hair up like this,” you whisper, reaching over to gently flick the end of his short ponytail. Severus doesn’t know if you’re teasing him or not. He feels like he’s been struck by lightning, both by your words and your playful touch. A hundred images of fantasies he’s had about you over the years flash through his mind. You’ve touched him! Willingly! In that playful way, he’d always imagined you would. It takes a lot of effort to remind himself that he can’t just kiss you right now. His mouth falls open and he lets out an undignified throaty noise. He quickly covers it up with a cough, blinking rapidly.

“I um… you… do?” he chokes out. You study his face for a moment, he’s sure you’re about to change your mind. You could never be so cruel though, he knows this, you’re too wonderful.

“Yeah… it’s nice to see your eyes sometimes,” you tease. Severus forces himself to laugh back casually, trying to force down the love hearts that are practically forming in his eyes. He also has to stop himself from grabbing you, never letting you move away again. He regrets holding himself back when your friend comes up behind you and ushers you away to your next class. You smile at him over your shoulder as you begin to leave. He quickly decides to use the compliments you’ve just given him against you. He wonders how much you really meant to them, but he has to try anyway. He invades your mind, silently smug about your lack of defences even after all this time. He feeds you a vision based on what you’ve just said. His head between your perfect supple thighs, looking up at you with wide needy eyes, his hair pulled back just like this, devouring your sweet cunt. He knows he’s been successful as he watches you suddenly flush and turn away, your cheeks bright red.

He doesn’t really know how you feel about these visions. He’s been invading your mind and planting them since the end of the fifth year. He would love to stick around in your brain, find out how you react to them, do some digging, and find out how you really feel about him, but he can’t risk it. The longer you’re in somebody's mind, the more they can feel the foreign presence. You’re still yet to put up any wards, even rudimentary ones, so he assumes you don’t realise you’re being invaded. You also haven’t started to avoid him more than normal, if you realised these visions were coming from someone else, there would only be one logical conclusion as to who they came from, but you haven’t withdrawn or confronted him in any way, so he figures he’s safe for now. The nature of the visions he gives you is probably enough to distract you from the momentary uncomfortable tingle of someone else being in your brain. He’s been experimenting for a long while to see what thoughts you react to the best. He often sits in the dining hall, somewhere where he has the perfect view of you, and plants various thoughts. You don’t seem to school your emotions very well, so he gets a vague idea of how you react to each scenario. He’s tried visions of him bending you over, roughly taking everything he wants from you, he’s tried visions of him begging on his knees to please you and everything in between. You blush beautifully at each one, whether from embarrassment or arousal, he isn’t sure. He can’t wait to feel your cheek heat up under his hand, because he will get to feel it, some day. You don’t seem to like the more extreme scenarios, complete domination or complete submission, but you don’t seem to mind either way if the power dynamic is a little milder. He doesn’t mind, he would be anything for you, do anything. What you seem to like best is when he feeds you a vision of him eating you out. He supposes it makes sense, it’s completely focused on your pleasure, so it’s practically all he’s been giving you lately. Sometimes he holds you down and calls you a good girl, sometimes you’re riding his face and calling him a good boy, you seem to like it either way. It makes him unbelievably smug.

After dinner, he’s trailing you and your friends to your common room, just to make sure that you’re safe, nothing more. He’s a little careless, feeding you the same vision over and over, enjoying watching you blush and stutter from afar as you try to chat with your friends. You probably think you’ve been hit with a lust potion or something, as he isn’t letting you think of anything else. It seems you hadn’t lied when you’d told him you liked his hair in the ponytail, as every time he gave you the same vision from earlier, he noticed your thighs tense. This isn’t a reaction he gets from you often at all, usually, it’s so subtle that he can be convinced it was unrelated, but this vision, in particular, seems to have you doing this every time. He’d dropped his fork at dinner just to duck under the table to watch your thighs clench, the sight nearly making his mouth water. He wished he could get under your table and spread your legs, make that vision a reality, but sadly he could not. He would do it in a heartbeat if you asked, fuck the consequences, fuck who could see. Maybe one day, if he kept torturing you with this vision, you would come begging. He feels his cock twitching eagerly in his trousers at the thought. You disappear into your common with your friends, him watching from around the corner. He sighs in disappointment, deciding to leave you be for the night since he can’t delight in your lovely little reactions any more. He hangs around at the corner for a moment, debating whether to head outside onto the grounds to watch you through your dorm window like he often did. The mini telescope he had to buy for Astronomy had turned out to be a fantastic use of money, even if he did often see your roommates instead. He had seen them all in various states of undress by now, but he couldn’t care about any of them in the least, he only had eyes for you.

Over the next few days, he eases off a little, realising how reckless he’d been. He couldn’t risk you knowing what he’s been doing, he can’t imagine that would end very well, even if you had seemed to grow to like the visions he gave you. He didn’t stop altogether, because that would have arguably been just as suspicious. He keeps it tame, one or two a day, maybe a little more innocent than normal. He can’t help but continue to use the information about you liking his hair back, making sure every fantasy he feeds you has him that way. He keeps your hairband, pulling his hair back every day now, because it makes you look at him just a second longer, and he’s obsessed with it. Lucius comments on it, saying it looks odd, but he couldn’t care less. It makes secretly watching you harder too, as he can’t hide behind his hair so much, but he makes do, all for those extra glances. He continues his routines, waiting for you to emerge in the mornings from your common room by hiding around the corner, watching you at every mealtime, trailing you back to the common room in the evening and then watching you through your window whenever he feels the need.

One night, once he’s happy you’re safely back in your common room, he turns to leave but trips slightly over his feet. He glances down, realising with an exasperated huff that the laces on his oxfords have come undone. He crouches down to tie them, setting his other knee on the ground. He fumbles with them unnecessarily, frustrated with himself. He vaguely registers footsteps approaching him, but not enough to react before he hears a voice.

“Oh… Severus, what are you doing here?” your soft angelic voice echoes slightly in the empty corridor. You seem confused, and, arguably, you have reason to be. The only thing down this corridor is your common room, and he has no excuse to be here. He swallows, staring straight down at the ground, his mind working a mile a minute.

“Here to return the hairband,” he grunts, thinking fast. It’s the only excuse he has, even if you had told him to keep it. He looks up at you from his crouched position, you’re a lot closer to him than he thought. He realises how similar this position is to some of the ones he’s forced into your brain. He’s pleased to notice, from the flush on your face, that you make this connection too, without it being planted. He shifts slightly, lowering both his knees to the ground and facing you properly. He looks up at you, his eyes burning with barely contained arousal. You’re flushed and shy as you look down at him and he dares to invade your mind to see what you’re thinking. He can’t fight the twitch of his lips as he creeps into your mind, only to find you’re imagining him, just as he is now, pushing up your skirt and burying his face between your legs. He shivers, you’re thinking of this all on your own. There’s a nag at the back of his mind, telling him you don’t quite seem to want to be thinking this, but he ignores it, reaching up for your thighs. You yelp in surprise as his cold, long fingers press into the warm skin of your thighs and he pulls you forward.

“Wha- what are you doing?” you squeak, stumbling helplessly toward him. He doesn’t answer, he feels possessed, and he’s already salivating. He brushes his nose against the skin of your thigh, just under the hem of your skirt, making you gasp. You smell divine, a vague hint of your perfume, presumably stuck to the fabric of your skirt, a hint of something that he realises, with a growl, must be your arousal. You try to step away, but he grips you harder, keeping you in place. He knows you want him, even if you don’t seem to know it yourself. You whimper as he licks a stripe up your thigh, the taste is faintly salty and he groans in pleasure. He hears the old castle creak slightly, reminding him that the two of you are out in the open. He withdraws slightly. You look utterly dazed above him like you don’t understand what’s going on. You realise that he’s walking you to a cleaning cupboard nearby, and your legs just blindly follow him. You want to protest, but can’t seem to find it in you. You had been fantasising about this for years now, even if the reason for these fantasies never seemed to make sense. He brings you in, shutting the door behind you. He’s kneeling again in an instant, he almost looks crazed as he bunches up your skirt. He doesn’t even give you time to acclimate before his tongue is on you through the material of your underwear. You gasp out loudly as he tastes the small wet spot of fabric, when did you even get wet? He takes a long deep sniff, his nose nudging at your clit through the fabric. He licks at you desperately until the material is soaked through, both with his saliva and your arousal. You were shocked by just how intensely your body was reacting to all this. You let him slide down your underwear, figuring there’s no point stopping him now. You lean back against the wall as he buries his head between your legs, shaking his head slightly to get even closer, the movement making you moan softly. He’s undeniably eager, lapping and slurping at you, but it’s fairly clear he’s never done this before. This is all he’s ever wanted, and he’s determined to make the most of it, the scent and taste of you making him feel insane. He rubs you all over his face, wriggling his tongue against you, gripping the flesh of your buttocks to keep you in place. He’s mumbling against you, about how long he’s been picturing this, but you can’t quite hear him, which is probably for the best. He makes up for his lack of experience with his enthusiasm, the way he’s looking up at you like he’s desperate to please. You find yourself falling apart all over his face shockingly fast, biting your lip to stifle your whines.

“Thank you, thank you,” he mumbles over and over as he laps you all up. He pulls away and you go a little limp, sliding slightly down the wall as he stands. You barely register what’s happening as he turns you around pressing you up against the wall, your eyes widen as he pushes inside you, but by now you’re well past the point of no return, so you simply brace yourself against the wall. He humps you like a dog in heat, sloppy and fast, you’re glad he made you orgasm earlier because you don’t get the feeling you will be cumming from this. Not that it feels bad, in fact, it feels quite good, making you moan as he bullies against you. He grips your waist tight with his slender fingers. “This is perfect, everything I’ve ever dreamed of,” he whimpers in your ear. “Now that I’ve had a taste of you, I’m never letting you go, you’re mine now,” you know what he’s saying is worrying, but your fucked out mind can’t quite realise the true danger of what he’s saying and what your lack of protesting is solidifying in his mind. “All mine,” he growls, his hips stuttering violently. He buries himself as deep as he can. “Fo-forever,” he groans shakily as he spills deep inside of you. He holds you there for a long time, your body limp in his arms as he pants against the back of your neck. You feel lightheaded, you can’t believe everything that’s just happened to you. He kisses your cheek, over and over, as if it's some sort of compulsion. “Mine, mine, mine,” he mumbles repeatedly, the reality of everything starting to sink in for you. Maybe you should have believed the rumours about his mental instability, maybe you should have kicked him away when he first grabbed your thighs, perhaps you should be telling him right now that you’re not his, but instead, a string of words come out of your mouth, feeling like they’re only half your own.

“Can you eat me out again?”

And he happily complies, sliding back down onto his knees.

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hey you! want to get tagged in my work when it comes out? click here! (˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

xoxoxo

[gremlinmodetweeker]

riffing off socially awkward deeply anxious König, do you think he would do better digitally? chatting with someone he met online or someone who streams an obscure game? you have a lovely relationship with him and then before you meet in person he's like so. i'm. very. awkward. as a real person. i might not. talk a lot. you'll be carrying the conversation, don't take it personally. you have a captive audience for ANY topic. anything. you want. and why is it going to be a/b/o's spn origins

Okay yes this absolutely. I can totally write something for that. I hope this story suffices!

Now, I have no idea what you mean by the omegaverse, but I could try making an omegaverse!König if you’d like. I do not understand by spn omegaverse origins. Please feel free to either respond here or ask in my inbox. It should be open??? Tell me if it isn’t.

Anyways, onto the story! More below the cut.

König Prefers Quiet Time

König is a voracious reader, so he’s rather verbose and eloquent when online. His messages are witty, insightful, yet practical and grounded. He’s quick to become your best online friend. After all, he’s so well-spoken! He writes beautiful paragraphs that are easy and amusing to read. It’s rare to find such a delightful person online.

And he’s so quick to win over your heart. Whenever he can be, he there’s for you. He’ll take pictures and videos of sights on deployment or jot down little stories to tell you when he can. Sometimes he can drop off the face of the earth, but he’ll be back online soon enough and messaging you about how his latest mission went and what he did (within reason, can’t give away secrets).

Every time he comes back online, you know you’re in for a good time. Whether it’s him complaining about teammates, or having to argue about directions with a local, he’s got fantastic (yet terribly awkward) stories about his days. He always says he’s so shy and hates social situations, and sure he sometimes sounds a bit strange when he recounts the stories, but they're so fun that you don't really take in how it would look from an outside perspective. Sure, he sounds a bit dorky in these stories, but still so eloquent! He’s got this little way of describing things with abstract metaphors that make you smile and wish you were there by his side.

It took a lot to convince him to have a relationship with you. It’s not that he doesn’t like you, it’s that you ask to meet up in person. He tells you that he’s happy to meet you, but then why does he suddenly have more missions? He’s so punctual, but he missed his flight? When he goes on about having a stubbed toe, you have to put your foot down. You want to see him, and that’s final.

Begrudgingly, he books a vacation with you.

When you go to pick him up from the airport, the first thing that stands out about him is how tall he is. Then how big. You didn’t think they made people in that size. This guy has Shaquille O’Neil running for his money. Like, how? And then you realize that he’s crouching down to make himself look smaller. It’s insanity. At the very least, he’s easy to pick out in a crowd, what with his hood and all. You do worry about him fitting in the car, though.

So you go up to him, and then he sees you and he looks nothing but elated. It’s a beautiful moment between you two. In that hectic airport, with people calling in many languages and bags squeaking and the cars outside honking and revving their engines, it’s perfectly silent and beautiful. It’s a wonderful moment that you think you’ll cherish until you die.

The next moment is where it all falls apart.

He accidentally drops his bag and it spills everywhere. He scrambles to pick it up and he keeps looking around with wide eyes of terror so you take pity on the poor lad and lean down to help. He then promptly stands up and cracks the crown of his head against your nose and now your nose is bleeding and oh no he dropped his bag again and now he’s apologizing and then he’s rushing to the bathroom and you’re left with the realization that you fell in love with an absolute mess. 

By the time he’s back, your nose has stopped bleeding and you’re packing his belongings back into his pack. He tries to silently offer you tissues, so you take them and wipe your nose tenderly, but when you make a joke about it he doesn’t say anything. Odd, but maybe he’s just a bit frazzled.

You’re driving back home when he finally says his first words to you besides ‘hi’, ‘sorry’ and ‘oh no’.

“Thank you,” he says as he stares at the road ahead.

“What, for the drive?” you laugh, “it’s no problem! I mean, it’s not too bad. It’s about an hour’s drive, but I’m fine with that!”

König says nothing, just nods as you speak. You’re starting to worry that you picked up the wrong person. Where was the confident and friendly man you spoke to online? Where was his friendly joking? At least you now understand his awkward and amusing stories he told you, because even though you love him, you can’t help but feel terribly awkward. If he’s this bad with you, you can only imagine how bad it is with others.

You were prepared for someone who was going to talk your ear off, but you felt like you just picked up a skinwalker instead. Was he even blinking? You can’t tell. He looks shell-shocked as he gazes off into the distance.

“So, um, how was the flight?” you ask with a wide smile.

“Gut.”

Anything more? No? Nothing more. Well, that’s helpful.

“Did they give you anything to eat on the flight? Are you hungry?” you ask, hoping to pry more than a couple words out of him.

“I ate,” he says quietly.

You nod and bite your lip. So this is what it was going to be like?

You take him into your home. For the entire night he refuses to take a step outside.

By the time noon rolls around the next day, you decide to take the initiative and knock on his door.

“Hey, König?” you call.

You get a hum from behind the door.

“Can I come in?” you ask nervously.

There’s a pause, then a hiss and a curse, then the door opens.

“Thanks,” you whisper as you squeeze by him, but he doesn't move to let you in any easier.

König sits delicately on the edge of the bed while you sit on a stool across from him. You look at each other for a few moments before you crack.

“Am I… Am I not what you thought I’d be?” you ask nervously.

König tilts his head as he narrows his eyebrows.

“I mean, just…” you sigh, “you talked so much online, but you’ve barely said a word since I picked you up from the airport. Are you okay? Is there something wrong?”

You hesitate for a moment, before you tack on, “Is there something wrong with us?”

König’s eyes slowly widen before he shakes his head quickly, the fabric swinging like a dog shaking after a dip in a lake.

“Nein, you are…” he gestures towards you with one hand, “you are perfect. It’s just… Ah…”

You brace yourself.

“I am not good at talking,” he admits.

You deflate. That’s it? He’s not good at talking?

“But you’re fine online,” you point out.

“Ja, but this is… It is different,” he sighs, “I am not good at talking to people in person. It is.. Scary. I do not like to talk much.”

You nod as you listen carefully.

“So…” you rub your thumb over your kneecap, “would you like me to do most of the talking for us? Would that make things easier for you?”

König nodded quickly.

You laugh as you feel your shoulders relax.

“Great. I think I can do that.”

From then on, the visit is wonderful. Now that you know that König just isn’t great at talking in person, it’s a delight to talk to him. Sometimes you think you talk at him, but you realize pretty quickly that he’s listening attentively to everything you say. He’s a delight to speak to. If you ever lose your train of thought, he’s quick to help you get it back so he can listen to you further.

You realize pretty quickly that he worries too much. When you take him out to places, he’s nervous and flighty. The louder and more chaotic, the worse his social anxiety gets. As such, you find yourself going to more quiet areas. You chill and relax in quiet cafes, go to the aquarium at night, even play some games at a board game cafe in the middle of the day, when there’s nobody else there.

He’s a friendly man, all things considered. You also quickly learn the basis of his awkward stories.

You’re at a grocery store when you see it in action.

“Oh my God you’re so tall!” a woman looks up at your boyfriend with wide eyes.

König barely turns to acknowledge her, but he gives her a curt nod.

“Can you, like, help me with something?” she asks eagerly.

König looks down at you, then back to the woman.

“What is it?” his voice is sharply cold, and you can see the woman wince.

“Well, um, there’s this thing on the top shelves, and I was hoping you could get it for me?” she says, a bit nervously.

“What is it?” he’s somehow worse than last time.

“Um, uh, I can show it to you?” she offers meekly.

“I need to know what it is,” König practically tears her head off with how brutal he sounds.

You grab his hand and squeeze slightly, but it seems like it’s all going downhill too quickly.

“It’s-”

König turns to face her abruptly and she’s stumbling back before scurrying off. König watches her go, then turns to you.

“Why did she go?” he asks innocently. You can hardly believe him.

“König…” you start slowly, “is that how you usually speak to strangers?”

He thinks for a moment, then nods.

“König I think I know why you think people hate you.”

König’s eyebrows raise up for a moment, “You do?”

You nod, and give him a brief explanation. You can see his brain doing somersaults in his head, practically melting out his ears as his entire world view is shattered before him. Before he can respond properly, the woman is coming back with security in tow.

It’s no wonder König has so many interesting awkward stories.

[toorusluvr]

❥ ҉ CHAPTER EIGHT - RUMOR HAS IT

❥ ҉ CONTENT WARNINGS: reader (y/n) planned a petty revenge lol + pregnancy scare + pretty much a normal chapter + birthday surprise!

❥ ҉ NOTE FROM NIS: hey everyone! i'm dropping chapter 8 for ain't my fault! please have a read and lmk if i missed any warnings. my brain has stopped working this week :/ anyway, likes, replies, and reblogs are very much appreciated. thank you <3

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The Spring High qualifiers were just around the corner. The entire Aoba Johsai volleyball team practiced very hard. Iwaizumi was often frustrated around this time, especially with the upcoming mid-term exam. He was even more snappy than usual. Oikawa told you that this is very normal of him. 

You got scared every time you saw his scowl. If you’d let it continue, he might have a permanent scowl on his pretty face. That would be a huge waste! You once accidentally bumped into him while reading a book and he glared at you like he could tear you apart. 

“You have got to calm down, Iwa,” you spat, not knowing he was on the brink of his running thin patience. 

Iwaizumi groaned, probably annoyed at your words of command. You do not know how hard he pressures himself. How hard he’s been studying and juggling practices. Oikawa might look laid-back but Iwaizumi could sense he was also freaking out at the pressure from their coaches. As the co-captain, the term pressure was just a better word for carrying burden. 

“I like it better when you are not talking, you know?” he jeered as he walked towards his table, leaving you behind. 

You gasped and caught up with his steps. Slowly, you pulled your chair from your seat and made yourself comfortable in front of him. Iwaizumi looked up at you and let out a deep sigh. He tried to ignore you at first by flipping through the Chemistry textbook. Fuck, he was going insane with this subject, despite it being one of his stronger subjects.

With a careful observation – his scrutinised eyebrows, his inner cheeks bitten, you could bet that he was indeed stressed out. The wheels inside your mind was busy working and thinking about what you could say to him to make him feel slightly better. Maybe, emphasise on maybe, it would work. 

“Need someone to talk to?” You tried to get the words out of your mouth but Iwaizumi remained silent. He continued fiddling with his pen and jotted down some notes in his notebook. His sprawling handwriting broke down the topic into bullet points. 

Getting a guy to talk about what he’s thinking might be the equivalent to asking a rock to talk on its own. It would be a huge miracle if they can start opening up. This was how you felt when you were talking to Iwaizumi. Well, as a friend, you were just offering your help to him. 

“Mm, tough crowd,” you murmured. Both of you locked eyes and your face turned warm all of a sudden. You didn’t avert your gaze because then it would mean you surrendered. 

Iwaizumi did not know how to talk about what he was going through. He was not much of a talker, to be very honest. But his observation skills are always sharp. That’s why he doesn’t like talking. It’s also a waste of time and energy to be talking about irrelevant things. 

“I don’t feel like talking about it,” Iwaizumi uttered. 

Right. You might have pushed him and made him uncomfortable just now with your actions. Shit. You owe him an apology, that’s for sure. 

“Oh. Okay. I was just checking on you. If you need someone to talk to, I’ll be right here. After all, we are friends,” you reassured before giving him a soft smile. You could see that his expression brightened a bit at the reassurance. 

“Right. We are friends,” Iwaizumi’s gaze filled with a glint of mischievousness. He was hinting something and you could see right through it as clear as day. 

With a light huff, you crossed your arms to the chest. “We are at school, Iwa. Come on, man. Come to your senses!” 

Your reply earned a soft laughter from him. Wow. This man needs to laugh often because it’s so freaking beautiful. You wanted to demand him to laugh again but that would lead to another catastrophe. Huh, exaggerating much. 

“Enough jokes for today, Y/N. You’re gonna get yourself in trouble if you keep it up,” Iwaizumi said with a smirk. He was playing with you just to get a reaction from you. To rile you up until you cannot take it anymore. It’s a challenge he likes to keep up with. 

Rolling your eyes at him, you dismissed his teasing with a gesture. “Keep doing that, you’ll never see it coming, ” you winked at him before getting back to your seat.

Iwaizumi’s tongue poked the inner of his cheek. Intrigued by your remark. He wanted to test you more, push you again but too bad that the teacher had already come in and your deskmate, Oikawa, finally returned to class. He did not say anything the entire class time which made you wonder if something’s wrong. 

“You good?” You nudged Oikawa in the arm. The brunette was quick to snap out of his thoughts, it seemed. 

Oikawa then shrugged it off, “Yeah, just thinking about something.” 

You let out a huff again. Why is it so hard for these two people to speak whatever is on their mind? 

“Man, I think I should help you guys to seek the counsellor’s help or something. Keep bottling up your feelings, God knows what’ll it do to you,” you exclaimed. 

Oikawa turned to look at you with a confused look. “You’re one to talk, dude.”

“At least I am a very self-aware person,” you said with a grin. Oikawa opened his mouth to speak but he bailed at the last second. He then shrugged it off saying ‘Nothing’. Well, if you weren’t overthinking before, now you do! 

“Girl, you better tell me what you were about to tell me,” you threatened him by taking away the pen he was holding in his hand. He let out a soft gasp when you took it away without any trouble. The guy was holding it quite tightly, he might add.

“Nothing, I swear!” Oikawa tried to take the pen back from you but you moved it away, further from his reach. 

“I’m not giving you this pen until you tell me. No negotiations,” you cut a deal. 

Iwaizumi then kicked your chair from behind. “Stop it. He’ll cry if you keep this up.” With a sinister chuckle, Iwaizumi glanced over Oikawa. The brunette was already glaring at him in a subtle way. 

“Both of you are a match made in hell. Good for both of you, then!” Oikawa said almost cynically. He was acting weird and something was definitely up with this guy. 

You and Iwaizumi exchanged looks, silently communicating with each other facial expressions and body language. Apparently, Iwaizumi did not know what was going on with Oikawa either. 

During the weekend, you and Iwaizumi made a plan to get the project done. It was almost in the final step and both of you decided it’d be great if you guys could get it done outside the comfort of your respective homes. To celebrate the victory of getting the project done, both of you went to a local coffee shop nearby his house.

The local coffee shops around your house are not accommodating enough because they are always filled with people, even outside the rush hour. Doing your work there would be a problem for both of you. 

Iwaizumi was the first to arrive. Well, considering the distance, obviously he would be here first. You entered the less busy coffee shop and tried to spot him in the crowd. In a few seconds, you finally found him sitting by the glass window overlooking the busy road outside. He was scribbling something in his notebook, not even sparing a glance around the coffee shop. 

He was donning a casual outfit, just a plain black hoodie and jeans. Not too far from your table, there was a group of girls around your age doing their work as well. You saw some of them had books on the tables. The other girl was whispering something to her friend while trying to peek at Iwaizumi. 

“Don’t tell me they’re about to shoot their shot now,” you grumbled under your breath. As if possessiveness took control of your body, you quickened your pace to walk over to your shared table where Iwaizumi was waiting for you. 

In your peripheral vision, you saw the said girl was about to walk over here but bailed at the same time you showed up in front of Iwaizumi. That was a bit out of character for you. You gave him a soft smile, “Hey booboo, sorry I’m late!” 

Booboo was just another pet name that you mocked him for. Turned out his ex-girlfriend used to call him booboo and you fueled fire to his annoyance. But this situation actually started from him. If it wasn’t him who started it first, you wouldn’t have taken this route. Blame it all on him, then. 

Iwaizumi’s eyebrows perked at the pet name. He did not know how he slipped out the other day and now it’s all you ever call him. He let out a scoff in disbelief, “You’re not late. I’m just early. How was the traffic?” 

You then took out a chair across him, “Well, it was not terrible, per se. Oh, have you ordered? I am quite hungry. Should we order now?”

“What do you want to eat? I’ll go order for you,” he said before closing his notebook. He then clasped both of his hands on top of the table, waiting for you to speak. 

With a mischievous smile, you then said, “Ooh, acts of service must be your love language then.” 

Again, Iwaizumi let out a deep sigh. You and your endless snarky remarks. Now that you said it, it might be true. But should he admit it? Hell no. You’ll just tease him endlessly and he will never hear the end of it! 

“I’ll let you starve if you continue to act this way,” he lowkey threatened you. 

“Hey, don’t be mean!” Your lips pursed, “Mhm, I think I’ll just order the tuna croissant and an iced caramel latte. Thanks!” 

Iwaizumi nodded and he immediately left to order at the counter. You looked around the coffee shop and suddenly locked eyes with the girls from earlier. They were looking at you without blinking. Maybe they finally realised that they were being weird, they then plastered a half smile. You then returned the same gesture. Oof. They definitely talked about you as if they haven’t made it clear. 

Not long after, your orders were delivered to your table. Iwaizumi and you thanked the waiter. The girls from earlier were still there at their tables. Funny because the whole time you and Iwaizumi were there, he did not even once spare them a glance. You were unsure whether he’s oblivious or he just simply doesn’t care about all the staring. 

“You don’t mind all the staring you’re getting?” You asked as you stirred your iced coffee in the glass. Were you jealous? No way in hell. But did it justify your behaviour from earlier? Only God knows! 

Iwaizumi took a sip of his americano while shaking his head. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Full of disappointment, you sighed. Perhaps he just simply doesn’t care. Must be nice to not give a damn about anything even if it comes to receiving attention. In a good way, of course!

“The girls were staring at you. You never once realised it?” You asked – the bitter taste of coffee coated your tongue. The same taste that could describe your behaviour now. Just kidding. 

“Why? You jealous or something?” Iwaizumi asked, half-laughing at your ridiculous question. He did realise the stares he was getting. He just did not act on it. Why would he act on it? He is here to do his work, not to find a date. 

Your shoulders stiffened at his accusation. No! You were not jealous at all. 

“Sometimes, I regret asking. Never mind. I will just seal my lips. Zip!” You rolled your eyes at him and he had the audacity to laugh. It’s the same laughter from the other day when you were stunned hearing him laugh. A sudden rush of butterflies swirled in your belly and you did not know how to react. 

“If you’re jealous, you could have told me,” he teased. “Jealousy looks good on you, though!” 

You let out a sigh, “You saw how crazy I acted right? Looks good on me? Nah man, I’ll probably choke a person if they make me jealous. Let’s not go down that road, shall we, booboo?” 

Iwaizumi gave you a pointed stare. The petname is ridiculous but he loved hearing it when he was in a relationship. Now that he’s single, he finally realised that it’s a bit cringey. How did he let it slide before, though? Only heaven knows. 

“Man, I’d love to see something keep your mouth shut,” he murmured under his breath as he took out the notebook from earlier. When he glanced at you, your body turned stiff. He then realised that what he said just now probably carried two meanings. 

You slowly grinned sheepishly, “Aw, booboo. You slipped again?”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes with a disappointed sigh. This banter will never end. Being a bigger person here, he finally ended it for good. “Get your mind out of the gutter, princess. Let’s focus on our task.” 

“Aw, shucks,” you pursed your lips but quickly retaliate when Iwaizumi gave you another pointed stare. He looked scary when doing so. Not trying to push your luck, you dismissed his pointed stare with a wave. 

The second after, it finally clicked in your mind that he called you princess just now. He often – wait, no, he always uses the ‘princess’ petname when you guys are going down for it. Your eyebrows furrowed but you dismissed it as a mockery. That sounds more like it. 

Almost two hours into finalising the project, both of you were finally done! You let out a deep sigh of relief. A heavy weight was finally lifted off of you and that was a bliss you wouldn’t take for granted. Nothing is ever as rewarding as finishing your important assignment. With the amount of hard work you and Iwaizumi had put into this, you really hoped both of you will get an A, so that for finals you don’t have to think much about it. 

Iwaizumi looked at you, “We’re finally done!” 

You couldn’t help but grin happily. You raised your hand in the air and Iwaizumi high-fived you. Unknowingly, he interlocked your fingers together, giving it a firm squeeze before letting it loose. A tingly feeling swirled in your stomach at the skinship. It was a small gesture – heck, a friendly gesture even, but it was more than enough to make you blush. In silence.

“So, how should we celebrate this?” You cleared your throat, tucking both hands under your chin. Well, a celebration sounds really nice now, especially since both of you decided to celebrate it. Maybe a drink? Both of you had just eaten, though. 

Iwaizumi had some ideas in mind but he was unsure if you’d be on board with his ideas. “Should we head back to my house? We can have some drinks if you’d like. My parents are out for an errand, so it’ll be just the two of us,” he suggested. A few days ago, his parents brought home a really nice bottle of wine. Not that they offered it to him. He just took a sip when he saw the bottle and couldn’t get enough of the taste. 

“Mhm, that sounds nice. A drink sounds good, though but isn’t it a bit early for that?” You chuckled under your breath. To be fair, it was still daytime. To be drinking at this hour sounds a bit weird and out of habit for you. 

“If you’re not okay with it, then that’s fine. We can do something else instead,” Iwaizumi said. Honest to God, he did not mean anything weird by that. Sometimes, he just slips out and it gives you room to overthink about what he says! 

It’s only until you gave him a skeptical look that he realised how it must have sounded. Iwaizumi sighed again when you asked him, “What is this something else you were talking about?” 

“I meant, like ordering a pizza or anything,” he clarified with a serious look on his face. Why did he not think before saying anything just now? Ugh, it gave you a chance to make fun of him again! 

You stifled a laugh. He seemed like an angry kitten when being teased. 

“That sounds nice too. So, let’s just hangout at your house!” You said cheerfully as you packed your belongings. Iwaizumi ensured nothing else was left behind before finally leaving the coffee shop. 

Both of you then walked back to his house, which was like 10 minutes walking distance. The weather was nice so there was no harm in taking a walk. While you were busy rambling, Iwaizumi suddenly switched places with you. He walked on the side of the road. At first, you didn’t read too much into it but as time passed by, you were kinda touched by his silent gesture. Sure, it might be a friendly gesture. The gesture was more like a protective friend instead. 

“I never noticed you have a garage,” you pointed a finger to the garage in the doorway. Iwaizumi’s gaze moved towards the direction you were pointing. Slowly, he nodded. 

“It has always been there. Maybe you just noticed it today,” he replied. The garage is filled with car parts that his dad always uses to work on his old cars. His old man collected cars and passed them down to his dad. Sometimes, Iwaizumi worked on them together with his dad over the weekend when he didn’t have any practices. 

You shrugged your shoulders. Before entering the house, Iwaizumi looked at you, “So, what are we going to do?” 

Your eyes blinked several times as the wheels in your head tried to digest his meaning. That could carry double meaning. “Well,” you paused while fidgeting in your spot. Moving back and forth in one place, you looked up at him, “What do you suggest?” 

Maybe other people wouldn’t notice it but you were sure you saw a hint of a smile in the corner of his lips. Iwaizumi then turned on his stoic face again. He just gave you an annoyed scoff before turning the door knob. Feeling this unusual desire took control over your consciousness, you then grabbed onto his forearm and pulled him into a kiss.

Iwaizumi’s hands instinctively went to hold onto your waists. He was caught off-guard but the familiar feel of your lips eventually made him soft. His lips pressed against in a leisure and slow pace as his hand slowly made its way to squeeze your ass. 

You moaned softly into his mouth, looking up at him with a dazed expression on your face. The way your body responded to his kiss was indescribable. Something about the way his body pressed against yours, his eagerness to kiss you, and the soft thump of his heartbeat that somehow made you calm being around him. 

Both of you might not realise it yet, but the chemistry between both of you are obvious and intense. It’s like both of you can never get enough of each other and nothing can get in between both of you. Well, it is a bit early to be saying this, given the circumstance that you just know him for a few months. 

At first, you couldn’t believe you just pulled Iwaizumi into a kiss. In front of his house. Your heart almost took a leap out of your body but the moment he reciprocated the kiss, your racing heartbeat finally stabilised. Your knees felt weak and wobbly, but the strong grip that Iwaizumi had on you kept you steady. 

Not breaking the kiss, both of you staggered backwards the moment Iwaizumi opened the door behind him. Both of you stumbled through the front door, and as soon as the door opened, he pushed it closed with his foot, your lips sealed in a soft, urgent kiss. You wrapped your arms around Iwaizumi’s neck, pulling him closer as you moved into the hallway.

Iwaizumi felt this looming presence inside of his house. He knew for a fact his parents were not around at this hour because they went out. They let him know they will be back in an hour. The proof of their absence is that there was no car outside in the driveway. He couldn’t be more wrong. Who was in his house at this hour? It cannot be an intruder because if then, both of you might be in danger. 

He opened his eyes and widened at the sight of his friends, Oikawa, Makki, Matsukawa, and the rest of their volleyball team were there in his living room. Their mouths hung open seeing what just unfolded in front of their eyes. The whole team fell into an awkward silence while holding the birthday banners, balloons, and even the confettis. 

Iwaizumi’s shoulders automatically tightened seeing the ‘small’ audiences that he had in his living room. He was unable to decipher why the heck they would be in his house but judging from all that fancy decorations, it finally clicked. They are here to surprise him on his birthday. 

A flicker of surprise appeared on Iwaizumi’s face when he suddenly broke the kiss. Good lord, Iwaizumi sighed audibly. You looked at how his face turned sour. His attention was not on you anymore so you whipped your head around and your heart dropped seeing the amount of people that were in his living room. 

“Fuck!” You cursed in your mind. At least that’s what you thought until you realised you had said it out loud. In your defence, that was not your intention to yell it out loud. But being in this situation has never crossed your mind. It was not humiliating because it was rather embarrassing! You’d rather be out in the streets right now to save your face from further humiliation. 

Iwaizumi placed a hand on your shoulder. His eyes were still pinned on his teammates. “What are you guys doing in my house?” There was a hint of surprise in the tone of his voice. 

“Surprise!” The whole team, still in obvious shock, cheered happily. One of the seniors popped the confetti and your body jerked in surprise. Iwaizumi kept you steady, one hand moved to hold you by the waist. 

You locked eyes with Oikawa. The brunette staring at you with a smug grin on his face that you wished you could wipe it off in an instant. Matsukawa and Makki were speechless, on the other hand. The obvious shocked expression was all over their faces when they realised their friends are… well, rather intimate with each other. 

Oikawa had this suspicion that both of you are still hooking up but he just doesn’t know how to prove it unless he gathers enough evidence. Trying to prove a point to Iwaizumi when he’s hiding it so well is like jumping into the lion’s den. His best friend would probably kick him in the ass if Oikawa buries his nose in his business. 

“The surprise birthday party just became a lot more interesting.” His voice was casual and nonchalant, but there was an undertone of teasing in the way he phrased his hints. The brunette then took several steps towards both of you who stood still like deers caught in headlights. 

You bit on your lower lip out of guilt. Slowly, you turned to look at Iwaizumi. Hesitantly, you asked him the one question that’s been nagging in your mind. “Your birthday is today?” 

Iwaizumi looked down at you. Those eyes were staring at him and he did not know how to explain to you. He did not mean to not lie to you. “Uh, yeah. But not today. It was yesterday, actually,” he awkwardly ran his hand over his nape. A deep sigh followed after. 

“Why didn’t you tell me, idiot? I would have joined them to surprise you,” a soft chuckle escaped your lips as you jokingly hit him in the stomach. But your fist was met with rock hard abs instead. 

“Well, it’s unlike me to go around sharing my birth date. It’s no big deal. You didn’t miss anything, though,” he shrugged his shoulders casually. You gave him a pointed stare when he pulled off a joke like that. You were being serious and he played it around like that. One way to get you pissed off. 

Iwaizumi’s expression turned soft, “Sorry. Didn’t mean to be rude or anything.” 

“You better be,” you huffed. “Aight! Let’s celebrate your birthday with your beloved and precious teammates!” You then pushed the larger man to where his teammates were waiting for him. They sang the birthday song and you chuckled seeing him standing there awkwardly. It pained you to watch him being awkward all of sudden. Very unlike him. 

When it was time to blow the candles, the rest of the team yelled out, “Make a wish!”  to their co-captain. Iwaizumi stopped in his tracks, thinking of what he should wish for. He then shut his eyes for a brief moment and then blew the candles in one go. His teammates cheered for him before asking the man to cut the cake for them. He rolled his eyes at the pestering guys in his team. 

“Y/N! Feed Hajime now!” Makki asked in a very loud voice that startled you. You grumbled at him, “Why should I? You feed him!” 

“Well, because you are his girlfriend? Isn’t it sweet?” A first year junior suddenly said. All heads turned towards the owner of that voice, with a questioning look on each other’s faces. “What?” He retorted with a panicked look on his face. Poor kid probably thought he was getting jumped. 

All of them groaned in defeat. “I have no hope in this dude,” his friend next to him sighed, making everyone laugh in unison. You just shook your head at the said junior. He was just being pure and that is rare these days. 

“Don’t make fun of him, guys. He was telling us the truth. Come on, Y/N. Don’t leave us hanging!” Oikawa wiggled his eyebrows at you. At this point, he was literally forcing you to come forward and put on the ‘caring girlfriend’ act. And you were sure this will not be his last agenda to push you and Iwaizumi together. 

Iwaizumi’s eyebrows slightly raised as he turned to look at you. You were feeling guilty that you didn’t know that his birthday was yesterday. So, being the good friend that you are, you walked up to Iwaizumi. Another senior then handed you a plate of a small piece of cake with a spoon on the side. 

You grabbed onto the spoon and scooped some of the cake. “Here comes the airplane,” you teased with a playful tone, moving the spoon as if you were about to feed a baby. Iwaizumi rolled his eyes with a slight smile on his face. He felt stupid to have you feeding him like this, with lots of eyes fixed on both of you. Trying to match your height, he bent down his knees so you could feed him. 

Both of you locked eyes the moment you fed him, his lips closing around the offered bite with a playful glint in his eyes. You couldn’t help but chuckle, the gesture sending a warm feeling through you. He smiled back, chewing slowly, clearly enjoying the moment. 

Meanwhile, the rest of the team erupted into cheers and teasing remarks. "Way to go!" Matsukawa shouted, while another voice added, "Get a room, you two!" Their laughter and playful comments filled the room.

You felt your cheeks flush, but you couldn't stop smiling. His eyes stayed on yours as he swallowed and licked his lips, savoring the food and the moment. It was a small, silly act, but it held a warmth that stood out in the noisy, bustling living room.

“Lots of you seem to be having too much fun, huh?” Iwaizumi snickered. His form turned to the rest of the team surrounding him. Some guys laughed at his accusation. Well, too much fun when the man is having his guards down. That seems like the safer way to poke the bear. 

“Just enjoy your birthday, old man,” Matsukawa said. Even though he appears like the oldest, you actually learned that he is the youngest among the seniors. Iwaizumi glared at him before a smile appeared on his face. 

“Thanks for uh- feeding me just now. These guys can be galling, I know,” Iwaizumi then approached you again to express his gratitude. He knew you were a victim of their mischievousness just now. 

“Ah, it’s nothing. It’s really nothing compared to what they saw earlier,” you said and then shuddered at the reminder. Geez, if you could rewind the time, swear to God you’d rewind it and change everything. 

Iwaizumi chuckled, suddenly reminded of the whole fiasco. He needed to figure out who planned this, but it was obvious Oikawa was the mastermind. He was the only person that could get his house key from his parents. 

“Alright. You okay, though?” He asked, concerned about how you were doing in case you got uncomfortable. You nodded, reassuring him you’re fine. The man then went to meet with the rest of the team, checking up on them and the snacks they brought. 

Oikawa, then not so subtle, made his way next to you. He looked at you with a grin on his face, arms crossed to his chest. As if it was his way to tell you, “I knew it!” Without stalling his time, he finally got his question out in the open. “So, how long has this been going on, huh? I freaking knew it! I had an instinct that you guys are still hooking up! Good god, I just wish I found out about it sooner!” 

You glanced at Oikawa, your expression a mix of surprise and guilty. “Seriously, Oikawa? You’ve been snooping around, haven’t you?” You crossed your arms, mimicking his stance as you tried to suppress a smirk. “For your information, it’s not like we were hiding anything. We just weren’t broadcasting it to everyone. Not everyone needs to be in the loop about our personal lives, you know.”

You took a deep breath, attempting to keep your tone even. “And, if you really must know, it’s been a while, but that’s really none of your business. We’re okay with it. Well, you are not going to take a peek into our business or anything, right?”

“Right?” You repeated the last question, scared if Oikawa would be out of his mind to catch both of you in the act. That would be traumatising. 

“Euw, do you really think my life is that pathetic? If you must know, I have my ways of getting laid too, ya know?” Oikawa winked and nudged you in the arm with his elbow. He then paused to say something. “I just hope both of you know what you are getting yourselves into. It’s going to be hard for me to make decisions.”

Your face turned into a puzzled expression, “Why would it be hard for you?”

Oikawa gasped. The man was disappointed when you couldn’t take a hint. “I cannot pick sides, shortcake. That’ll be the hardest thing to do. Both of you are hard-headed. How could I solve that?” 

Well, he wasn’t wrong though. About the hard-headed part. That was 100% accurate. You pursed your lips as if in thought, “Both of us know the arrangement. Feelings aren’t involved. So, you don’t have to worry.” 

That’s what you told yourself too. There is nothing to worry about. Right? 

Oikawa then gave you a slight nod before excusing himself to join the team again.

Speaking of the devil, Iwaizumi then came up to you with a slice of cake. “Cake?” His voice was gentle and soft. You took the plate into your own hand, “Thanks, birthday boy. It’s not too late to be calling you this, right?” 

Iwaizumi let out a snicker, “I’m gonna let you decide.” Both of you locked eyes before bursting into a fit of laughter. Just by a mere second of exchanging looks, both of you knew what was on each other’s minds. It was ridiculous how the tables turned today. Almost comical. 

“Looks like we need to postpone our appointment, then,” you paused to chuckle before continuing the rest of your sentence. 

Confused at your statement, Iwaizumi furrowed his eyebrows. “What appointment?” 

You looked at him with a slight disappointment plastered over your face, “Your dick appointment, duh.” 

Iwaizumi groaned in defeat as a blush crept to his face. He could clearly feel the blood rushed to his cheeks and face from how the sentence affected him. How could he not pick up on it sooner? “You’re insufferable sometimes, you know that?”

You laughed – clearly enjoying the time of your life to poke on Iwaizumi. “Insufferable? I’ve heard things that are way worse so you’re good to go, booboo .” You then picked up the spoon and fed yourself a spoonful of cake. 

The icing on your lips was licked suggestively with Iwaizumi as the audience. His jaw ticked, “Trying to rile me up? You’re so cute, princess. Good attempt, though.”

“Aw, thanks,” you grinned. “Glad to know it’s working,” you then winked at him before closing your lips around the spoon. 

“I don’t like you right now,” he groaned with a flicker of a smile on his lips. Iwaizumi wouldn’t know how much he can take while being alone with you so he dragged you to meet with the rest of the team. Just to be safe. Yup. That’s what he told himself. 

When Iwaizumi was busy chatting with his friends, he suddenly got a notification. You were standing by his side so you could see who was the sender. It was from an unsaved number. Iwaizumi seemed relaxed about it, though. It almost felt like he knew who the sender was. He then opened the text and a photo of him and his ex-girlfriend kissing then filled the screen. Both of them were smiling and from the look of it, the photo might be from a year ago. Your blood boiled seeing the same girl whom your ex-boyfriend cheated with. Naomi.

Below the photo, that bitch had the audacity to say, “Sorry I missed your birthday, booboo. Happy belated birthday! You know I’ll always love you, right? I’m here for you, always. Look at how happy we were, Hajime. I want the old us back… No one else.”

Iwaizumi’s thumb quickly pressed on the delete button without replying. As far as he is concerned, that girl is no longer his problem and she doesn’t deserve any ounce of his attention. That’s for sure. He then kept his phone inside his pocket and carried on like nothing happened. 

Your tongue poked the inside of your cheek, seething with anger. She had the audacity to mess with him again? After everything that she put him through? After everything she put you through? She messed with the wrong person. Guess she hasn’t seen your crazy side yet. And you will show her hell. 

By doing a few detectives’ work, it was not that hard to find what you were looking for. You just needed to put some effort and sacrificed some of your time to finally get what you wanted. The most important resources were in the palm of your hand now. You then looked at the box with the important resource together with a note. Yeah. This should be convincing. 

You are doing this for your own good and no one else’s. You admit, you were consumed by a petty grudge, your mind looping endlessly on the minor slight. But the determination to get back at them festered, growing stronger with each passing day.

With a careful touch, you wrapped each positive pregnancy test in delicate tissue paper, taking time to ensure that they looked as pristine inside the boxes. The boxes, filled with two separate positive pregnancy sticks, were adorned with crisp, white envelopes sealed with a simple note.

In the paper for the sweet Naomi who did you wrong, a typed letter awaited. The heading written, Pregnancy Verification Letter. Its content verifying that the pregnancy test belongs to the girl turned out positive. Other than the note, the positive pregnancy test was enough to convince her whole family to receive the news. 

Oh! Did you also mention that you’re sending the pandora box to her beloved daddy’s office? Yeah. You heard from the vines that her beloved daddy is a director at a huge international business company. It wasn’t difficult to track down her dad’s name and the office address. Easy peasy. 

Then you moved to the next box. This box is specially reserved for Semi. Inside the box, there was also a short note. Inside the note written, “Semi. I couldn’t reach you anywhere! The pregnancy test I took turned out positive. Please call me back! 08148765399. Don’t leave me hanging like this, please.” And you ended the note with her name. This special box will be sent to Semi’s house. He treated you like shit so now it’s his turn to be treated like one.

It was a petty act of revenge, but to you, it was the perfect way to unsettle them — delivering chaos with a touch of sweet, sinister satisfaction. 

Now, it’s only a matter of time before the boxes get delivered to right hands. You smiled in satisfaction, knowing what you just did will raise hell within their families. They will never know it is from you. That’s the best part. 

“You look happy,” Iwaizumi said the moment he saw you entering the school’s area. You didn’t realise he was standing there the whole time. Confusedly, you took off your earphones. 

“I look happy? What did you mean?” You scoffed at his ridiculous assumption. The twisted earphones then were kept inside the pocket of your skirt. 

Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes on you, not believing your casual dismissal. “You look different. Not in a bad way, don’t get me wrong!” 

You laughed at his statement. Well, you weren’t sure what he saw on your face that you couldn’t see but he wasn’t entirely wrong. Today, after so long, you finally felt a little better than the previous days. Perhaps your petty revenge did lift most of your grievances from the betrayal you got from Semi. 

Your laughter somehow got Iwaizumi feeling stuck in the moment. It made him freeze for a brief second with this indescribable feeling. Quickly, he retorted, “Why are you laughing? If this is what I got from complimenting you, then I won’t do it again.” Iwaizumi put both of his hands up, surrendering to you. 

With a soft smile, cheeks already hurt from laughing, you turned to him. “Nah, man. Don’t give up on me so easily. Thanks for the compliment. In any fairness, I wasn’t that happy. Look happy? Yeah that might sound true.” 

Both of you fell into steps side-by-side. You looked up at him, his side profile came into your sight. His side view was effortlessly alluring, with a sharp jawline that seemed to naturally catch the light. His slight tan skin brought out the boldness in his black hair, while every sharp feature added to the magnetic pull of his profile. 

Iwaizumi then let out a soft, amused laugh. “You sure do have ways of twisting what you are feeling, princess.” 

You nudged him in the ribs. Hard. Then, the man winced in pain. His reaction caused you to feel guilty in an instant. You were terrified if you had injured the man on accident. “Ah, I’m sorry!” You consoled Iwaizumi who was bent at his waist, crouching in pain. 

“Shit, Iwa. You okay? You need me to bring you to the nurse?” Your words came out in a rush, stumbling over each other as panic seized you. ‘I didn’t mean to—are you okay? Please, tell me you’re okay.” 

Iwaizumi was dying from holding back his laughter. He then stood straight, shutting his eyes close before heaving out a deep sigh. “Glad to know you care,” he laughed airily. He then saw your expression changed as if you just got betrayed.

You then punched him in the arm, “I don’t like you right now. I don’t want to talk to you for the rest of the week. BYE!” Dramatically, you walked away from him and he chased after you. Some other students were looking at both of you, wondering what’s going on. The scene almost seemed like it’s out of a k-drama scene. 

Iwaizumi then grabbed you by the arm, stopping you in your tracks. You glared at him and he flashed you a boyish grin that could cause other girls to melt. Yourself included. Damn him. 

“Our class is that way,” he pointed to the building. You bit on your lip, suppressing your increasing anger. 

“Fine. Lead the way then,” you said to him, pushing his body forward. Iwaizumi laughed seeing your frustrated expression. He walked in front of you and you jumped onto his back. Thankfully, he caught you just in time. If he didn’t, both of you would have been on the corridor’s concrete pavement. 

Iwaizumi laughed again. He never laughed this much early in the morning. Especially in school. “If both of us fell just now, I’d blame you for it,” he grumbled under his breath. 

“You’re so dramatic. Did we fall? No, right?” You rolled your eyes at him. “You can be dramatic like Oikawa does sometimes. Geez. No wonder the two of you are best friends.” 

He broke into laughter again. “I’m losing my mind talking to you.” 

“Drama queen,” you threw lighthearted jabs his way, the tone teasing but affectionate, knowing he would take it all in good humor. Iwaizumi then nudged you using his elbow in which you swerved. 

As you dodged the quick jab aimed your way, your reflexes betrayed you for just a moment, sending you stumbling into a solid form. Startled, you looked up to realize you’d bumped into none other than the football team’s captain, a towering figure whose name slipped your mind in the rush of the moment. His broad hands steadied you before you could fully register what had happened.

“Whoa, there. You good?” His deep voice was tinged with concern as he held you steady, his grip firm but gentle.

Your heart raced, caught off guard by the unexpected collision. The warmth of his body against yours sent a flush of heat rushing to your cheeks. You stammered, struggling to find your words. “Uh… sorry I bumped into you!” 

The guy, standing tall at least 6’1”, merely shrugged it off, his expression easygoing. “Nah, it’s okay. You okay, though?” His gaze softened, genuine concern creasing his brows.

As if snapped out of a daze, you found yourself momentarily tongue-tied. Iwaizumi, who had been watching the whole scene, narrowed his eyes, his usual calm demeanor cracking just a bit as he noticed the way you seemed almost flustered in the other guy’s presence. A twinge of something unfamiliar—jealousy, maybe—gnawed at him, making his fists tighten at his sides.

You finally managed to compose yourself, offering the football captain a soft, slightly embarrassed smile. “Yeah, I’m okay,” you said with a slight nod, your voice steadying as you spoke.

But Iwaizumi noticed everything—the way your smile lingered a fraction longer than usual, the faint blush that still colored your cheeks. He shifted his weight, clearing his throat a bit louder than necessary. “Ready to get back to it?” he asked, his tone casual but with a subtle edge that you couldn’t quite place.

The football captain’s gaze flickered to Iwaizumi, reading the situation with an amused smirk before turning back to you. “If you’re sure you’re okay, then,” he said, his voice warm and teasing, “I’ll leave you to it.”

As he walked away, Iwaizumi’s eyes followed him for a moment before returning to you, the tension in his posture easing slightly. “You good?” he asked, his tone softer now, more focused on you, but still carrying that hint of something deeper.

You nodded again, the blush on your cheeks finally fading. “Yeah, let’s go,” you replied, but there was a new awareness between the two of you—a silent acknowledgment that something had shifted in that brief, unexpected moment.

Maybe Iwaizumi was overthinking the whole situation just now. But, the feeling that gnawed at him just now was real. What he was feeling was real and it scared him a little bit. In that brief moment, he was feeling jealous. Even if it’s a little bit, it almost crossed the line both of you had drawn in this arrangement. 

“What’s his name? The football captain?” You asked, glancing over Iwaizumi who had fallen into silence. He looked at you, the stoic expression had slipped, replacing it with something more… intense. 

“Kazuya,” Iwaizumi said, his voice carrying a hint of nonchalance, but beneath the surface, you could sense a flicker of something else—maybe a touch of unease or reluctance.

When the name was mentioned, you repeated it, but Iwaizumi’s gaze had shifted slightly—just enough for you to notice the faint edge of doubt in his expression. Iwaizumi smiled, but the expression didn’t quite match the tone. 

Iwaizumi glanced at you with a raised eyebrow. “Interested in him?” he asked, the words coming out sharper than he intended. It wasn’t that he meant to pry or sound so direct; his mind was betraying him, letting his emotions slip through his carefully maintained facade. 

Beneath his casual tone, there was a flicker of jealousy that he tried to suppress, but the tight set of his jaw and the flash of irritation in his eyes betrayed him. He knew his emotions were getting the better of him, and though he tried to mask it with a shrug, the tension in his posture and the underlying frustration in his voice were unmistakable. He couldn't help but feel unsettled, caught between his desire to appear indifferent and the undeniable sting of his own feelings.

You looked at Iwaizumi, a laugh escaping you before you could contain it. The question seemed so out of place that it struck you as almost absurd. “Interested in him?” you repeated with a chuckle, shaking your head. “Not at all. I didn’t even know his name until just now.”

You noticed Iwaizumi’s shoulders relax slightly at your response, though his expression remained guarded. His eyes, still sharp, softened as he took in your amusement. The tension that had briefly clouded his demeanor seemed to dissipate, replaced by a mix of relief and lingering uncertainty. You couldn’t help but wonder if the underlying concern he had showed more about his feelings than about the other person.

The word you have been meaning to say was caught in the back of your throat. Throwing the word out of your mouth would have been a suicide to this arrangement that you asked for in the first place. Letting your emotions take control would be the end of this casual relationship you are having with Iwaizumi. You cannot afford to lose this just yet. It’s what you needed. The thrill of having him close to you, the chemistry that you guys are having. This friendship comes with its own benefits and you cannot risk losing this relationship. 

But what would happen if Iwaizumi found someone else? What if he has a girlfriend? What will happen to you? To us? 

The question suddenly nagged at you. Your expression changed sour, shoulders tensed at the sudden overthinking of what’s about to come. Trying to lighten the sudden shift in mood, you chuckled, “I have you, right?”

Iwaizumi’s heart turned giddy. It was not a confession and you probably meant it in a friendly way, not romantically. He then shrugged, “If you think of it that way, yeah, why not?” 

“You don’t have to be cocky about it, huh,” you shook your head while looking at him. Iwaizumi scoffed, “Let’s not waste our time arguing about this. Come on. We’re about to be late.” 

[vermilionsun]

Your Touchstarved headcanons are wonderful! You are almost single handedly keeping me sane while I wait for the full game. Truly, you are a blessing to this fandom.

I was wondering if you had any thoughts about what any of the LIs would think of an MC who is a Writer/Artist. Maybe they had to give it up for a while when they left to go to Erridia?

Or...

Since MC is broke, what do the LIs think of them showing affection through gifts, even if they haven't got money? I can imagine they make simple, inexpensive things like paper flowers for Leander or friendship bracelets for Ais.

Anyway I hope you have a great day, keep up the good work and thanks for posting so much good stuff.💐🌼

I’m actually crying you’re so sweet THANK YOU SO MUCH?!! AVCKHVCEBFC 😭😭

I took it a step further, I hope you don't mind.

This is 1/2 :)

Disclaimer! They/Them for MC because we love inclusivity!

Kuras

Writer

He’d probably figure it out rather quickly. The way they would meticulously jot down notes, the endless stream of ideas, and their thoughtful insights into various u̶n̶c̶o̶n̶v̶e̶n̶t̶i̶o̶n̶a̶l̶ topics. Or perhaps he had caught glimpses of their constantly ink-stained fingers. Either way, it became another entry in Kuras' catalogue of fascinating things about them. Undeniably intrigued, he couldn't help but wonder if their writing reflected their innermost thoughts and desires—if each word they wrote held a piece of their soul, waiting to be discovered by someone willing to delve into the depths of their imagination—or perhaps if it was simply a creative outlet for emotions they couldn't express otherwise.

Kuras found himself wanting to uncover the layers of complexity that made up the enigmatic individual behind the pages of their notebooks. And he was more than willing to take on that challenge.

Taking into consideration the fact that perhaps the MC wouldn't be able to afford fancy writing tools or notebooks, often writing down messy notes in napkins with worn-out pens and crayons left behind by patrons at the Wick, Kuras would gift them a brand new notebook and a set of pens, hoping that the small gesture would encourage the MC to continue expressing themselves through writing and perhaps even open up to him about the deeper secrets of themselves they had yet to reveal.

Vere

Artist

As a fellow artist himself, Vere knew to recognize talent when he saw it, no matter how subtle or unassuming it may appear at first glance. After all, true artistry is not just about skill but also passion and dedication. He didn't miss the way the MC's eyes lingered a moment longer on the brush strokes of a distant painting in a random Eridian shop with such reverence, as if trying to capture the essence of the art itself, before moving on, or the way their eyes focused on the lightning dancing across the sky and their fingers twitched with an unspoken desire to create. 

Vere could sense the raw artistry bubbling just beneath the surface; he saw in them the same hunger for self-expression and longing for freedom that had driven him to pursue his own artistic endeavours. 

So he carefully crafted a plan. He discreetly left behind pens and paper in the MC's vicinity. He didn't directly hand it to them, opting to let them stumble upon the supplies, hoping that the MC would take notice and feel compelled to pick up the tools on their own accord. Don't ask him why he did so; he doesn't know the answer himself. Perhaps because of an inexplicable curiosity and a desire to see if he could spark something within the MC, to see if he could ignite that same creative flame that burned within him. Or maybe it was simply a gut feeling. Regardless, he watched from a distance as the MC began to tentatively pick up the pens and paper, their eyes alight with newfound inspiration. It brought a g̶e̶n̶u̶i̶n̶e̶ satisfied smile to his face, his tail wagging back and forth in contentment.

Leander

Dance

Leander figured the MC used to be a dancer. It was obvious if one paid close attention; their perfect posture, precision, strength, and flexibility in their body were a dead giveaway. He'd notice the gracefulness in their movements, every step deliberate and full of confidence, and the fluid transitions between postures.

Leander found himself bewitched. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the MC as they'd effortlessly glided around the Wick, their feet barely making a sound against the hardwood floor. It was effortless, seamless, and utterly captivating. He will admit he couldn't help the small smile once he'd noticed the subtle way they would often tap their feet to the rhythm of a song roaring throughout the tavern.

It was a talent that couldn't be hidden, no matter how hard they tried.

His plan was simple: He needed some sort of opening, somewhere to insert himself into the situation without coming across as intrusive (o̶r̶ a̶g̶g̶r̶e̶s̶s̶i̶v̶e̶… o̶r̶ d̶e̶m̶a̶n̶d̶i̶n̶g̶… o̶r̶—). He would simply attempt to start a conversation with them and praise their dance skills, hoping to learn more about that talent of theirs—maybe even ask them for a dance later in the evening—while also finding a way to subtly steer the conversation towards more personal matters.

N̶o̶, i̶t̶ w̶a̶s̶n̶'t̶ n̶e̶r̶v̶e̶s̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ f̶l̶u̶t̶t̶e̶r̶e̶d̶ i̶n̶ h̶i̶s̶ s̶t̶o̶m̶a̶c̶h̶. I̶t̶ w̶a̶s̶ p̶r̶o̶b̶a̶b̶l̶y̶ t̶h̶e̶ e̶x̶c̶i̶t̶e̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ o̶f̶ t̶h̶e̶ u̶n̶k̶n̶o̶w̶n̶ o̶u̶t̶c̶o̶m̶e̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ a̶w̶a̶i̶t̶e̶d̶ h̶i̶m̶ a̶n̶d̶ b̶l̶a̶h̶ b̶l̶a̶h̶ b̶l̶a̶h̶—

Mhin

Sculpture

They noticed something was up because the MC. wouldn’t. stop. staring. at their face. The way their eyes lingered on Mhin's features made them feel self-conscious, as if every flaw and imperfection were being scrutinised under a microscope.

Mhin couldn't decipher the intent behind the intense gaze, but it left them feeling both uncomfortable and strangely flattered. They couldn't help but wonder what it was about their appearance that captivated the MC so intensely. It was as if they'd seen something in them that no one else did—something worth examining closely.

They tried to maintain a neutral expression but ended up shifting uncomfortably in their seat, trying to break the look that seemed to be piercing through their very soul. 

It wasn't until the MC finally spoke up, complimenting Mhin's bone structure and suggesting they would make a great model for a sculpting project, that Mhin made the connection.

The revelation made Mhin feel incredibly flattered and intrigued, as they had never considered themselves to be particularly striking or noteworthy. The idea of being immortalised in stone by someone talented was… intimidating. And somehow humbling.

Ais

Architecture

He is observant, and can easily notice a person who seems particularly interested in a specific thing. He observed them, their body language, facial expressions and the way they looked at things around them, their eyes tracing the fine details from afar—it was almost like they were analysing them.

What made his suspicions clear was...the Seaspring. F̶i̶n̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ t̶h̶e̶ d̶a̶m̶n̶ t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ w̶a̶s̶ u̶s̶e̶f̶u̶l̶ a̶t̶ s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ b̶e̶y̶o̶n̶d̶ b̶r̶i̶n̶g̶i̶n̶g̶ d̶e̶s̶p̶a̶i̶r̶

It was the way they looked at the building in particular; their eyes darted around, as if examining every inch, every line and curve of the temple. He’d smirk to himself, eyes following their every move, as if he could read their thoughts.

He’d bring them anything; from papers, inks and rulers to wood and other building materials. He’d let them demolish, remodel, completely renovate the fucking thing—he couldn’t care less, as long as he had somewhere to rest at night. Besides, their smile was worth more to him than any amount of power he could be offered.

I could make another one with Singing/Music, Theatre and Design or Ceramics perhaps….

[discordshawty]

genius and her tutor ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

when a second-year student is failing english and has to get help from the mean first-year tutor.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ tsukishima is no less of a troublemaker than the other karasuno first years, and when he gets caught by the principal bickering with kageyama, he finds himself assigned as a tutor for struggling students as a form of punishment.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ there, he gets the pleasure of meeting you, a second-year student who’s failing english and in desperate need of his help.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ you’d been failing all your tests since the beginning of the semester and your teacher was finally sending you to tutoring.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ the first time you and tsukishima were to meet, you were scheduled to meet in the library. being the oh-so-kind upperclassman, you went to the vending machine to get you both colas, but to your demise, you were seven minutes late and discovered you got the mean tutor.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ “don’t you know it’s rude to keep someone who’s tutoring you waiting?” he snarled.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ the glare in his eyes and the height he had even when sitting down intimidated you like no other, but you were a hardhead anyway and didn’t let it get to you.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ his irritation only grew as you stumbled over apologies and explanations. when you sat down next to him and placed the cola in front of him, tsukishima ignored it.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ you opened your binder to show him your most recent english test, the bright red 36% glowing on the paper. you mentioned that you were going to retake the test, which is why you needed tutoring.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ “a real genius, aren’t you?”

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ over the next few days, you met with tsukishima at the library at the same time and table, bringing a cola every day even though he never touched it.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ he did the usual quizzing and correcting, but he also started jotting down tips and tricks in the margins of your notes, though he’d never admit it was to help you.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ the more days passed he saw you had a tendency to accidentally knock over stacks of books or misplace your notes, which drove tsukishima up the wall.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ he was not the most patient teacher, and you had a tendency to fall off topic, often discussing everything from the best snack foods to why cats are superior to dogs.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ over time, he got used to it and couldn’t help but be slightly entertained by your relentless enthusiasm and peculiar arguments.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ when you finally grasped a difficult concept, tsukishima would begrudgingly admit you weren’t as hopeless as he initially thought, though he’d still maintain his aloof demeanor.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ you’d occasionally catch him smiling despite his attempts to stay gruff, especially when you’d celebrate small victories.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ the first time tsukishima actually drank the cola you brought every day, he did it without thinking, and when you noticed, he simply muttered, “not bad,” but you both knew it was a small step in your odd little routine.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ one time, after he caught you doodling during a study session, he sighed and drew a quick sketch of a dinosaur in your notebook. you immediately cut out the dinosaur to keep.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ even though you were older than tsukishima, he acted as if he was your age. if you were lucky you two spoke as if you’d know each other longer than a few days.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ he’d quiz you unexpectedly, catching you off guard just to see if you were paying attention, and when you got it right, he’d give the slightest nod of approval.

୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ after a week of studying daily, you retook the english test you had failed. when the results came back, you rushed to the first-year floor to show him the new score—a much-improved 88%—but instead of a smile, tsukishima just smirked and said, “just a genius and her tutor.”

ᯓ★after tutoring ended you definitely went back to failing tests and tsukki had to be there to help you.

ᯓ★ xoxo , discordshawty

ᯓ★ borders from roseraris.

ᯓ★ ty u guys for the notes and reblogs ! even the silent readers u real ones 2 >:3

[hwarintide]

November Viewing Log

Yeah, I know it’s the end of the year, but I went ahead and started this side blog, complete with a section for my monthly watchlist anyway. I wanted a space where I could jot down quick thoughts on what I’m currently watching (and loving).

Currently Watching

The Tale of Lady Ok (🇰🇷) – After finishing the incredible Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born, I had this huge urge to watch another sageuk. I was so happy to find something new that’s so well-made. Even after just two episodes, the plot had me hooked — stories about the struggles of the lower class in historical settings always grab my attention, and this one doesn’t hold back. By the end of episode two, I found myself thinking about how the main character, ironically, might’ve been “freer” when she was enslaved. Once her status changed to something noble, she became bound by duties to others.

When the Phone Rings (🇰🇷) – Everyone’s obsessed with this show, and yep, count me in. It’s such a breath of fresh air at the end of a not-so-great k-drama year — a story about adults (with not-so-adult decisions haha), wrapped in a darker, sensual tone. The characters are flawed, complicated, and just so interesting to watch.

Fangs of Fortune (🇨🇳) – Total newbie to c-dramas here. I’ve only seen a couple of modern ones, and this is my first wuxia. But wow, I’m obsessed already. The plot is promising, the action scenes are amazing, and the sets and costumes? Chef’s kiss. Even though I’m usually neutral about fantasy, this show is winning me over.

Revenge of Others (🇰🇷) – Honestly, I started watching this solely because Shin Ye Eun is in the lead role. Normally, I avoid school dramas, but the thriller angle pulled me in. Plus, Shin Ye Eun is just (always) wonderful, so I’m sticking with it.

Watched

Juvenile Justice (🇰🇷) – I started this one back in 2023 but put it on hold for a while. The overall vibe was good, but I needed the right mood for such heavy themes like juvenile crime and cruelty. I came back to it this year and finished it — and I don’t regret it. It’s such a well-made show that dives deep into the law and intertwines the cases with the lead’s own tragic backstory. The acting was memorable, and I’d love to see a second season.

Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born (🇰🇷) – Probably my favorite drama of the year. I cried so much — literally had tissues ready for every episode. It had everything I love: a historical context about women’s theater (a topic I didn’t know much about before), my favorite Kim Tae Ri in the lead, the equally amazing Shin Ye Eun and Ra Mi Ran, an almost entirely female cast, and a story that’s deeply emotional. The theater performances were so captivating I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. Honestly, I’m shocked it didn’t get more love from international fans, though it was well-received in Korea.

Love in the Big City (🇰🇷) – The book this is based on was one of the first I read in Korean. I remember it as a beautifully written, honest, and realistic story, so of course, I had to watch the adaptation. And it didn’t disappoint.

The Trunk (🇰🇷) – Honestly, I found this pretty boring. It felt like the creators were trying to hint at some deeper meaning behind a simple story, but it didn’t land. It could’ve been a decent movie, but as a series, it felt empty and dragged out. That said, the house design was memorable, and the OST was nice.

Mr. Plankton (🇰🇷) – At one point while watching it, I was borderline obsessed, but looking back with a cooler head, I think it was just Woo Do Hwan and Oh Jung Se pulling me in. I love their acting styles and delivery. The plot, though? All over the place. In theory, it could’ve been a cool modern take on some classic Korean folktale about a morally gray lower-class antihero kidnapping a poor girl from a noble family. But it feels like Netflix tried to cram every melodramatic trope into one series to appeal to everyone — and, honestly, “for everyone” often ends up being “for no one.” Still, I don’t regret watching it.

What Comes after Love (🇰🇷🇯🇵) – I’m also studying Japanese, so I was intrigued by the setting involving both Japan and Korea, with characters speaking both languages. It’s a classic love story about unspoken feelings and how emotions change over time. The ending felt quite logical.

Beyond Goodbye (🇯🇵) – I watched this right after What Comes after Love because of Sakaguchi Kentaro. It might be your typical Japanese drama about reincarnation and fated connections, but it was beautifully shot and well-acted, so I’m happy with it.

Queen of Tears (🇰🇷) – I started this as it aired but dropped it, and honestly, I probably should’ve left it there. There was no chemistry between the leads (even though I like their acting individually), and the makjang elements couldn’t even justify the plot holes. Yet another case of trying to throw in every possible trope and failing to tie it all together.

The Frog (🇰🇷) – Should’ve dropped this after episode two. But I stuck with it for you, my dear Go Min Si.

Gangnam B-Side (🇰🇷) – It felt like a spin-off of The Worst of Evil set in modern-day Gangnam — and I’m not even complaining. The Worst of Evil was my highlight last year, and while Gangnam B-Side isn’t as cohesive, it’s worth it for those standout scenes with Ji Chang Wook and Bibi.

[merlins-strawberriesandroses]

I’m not very articulate unfortunately but now that I’ve made this sideblog I wanted to get some thoughts out. I do see the logic when folks say that Arthur mostly experienced bad things in regards to magic, so it makes sense why he was wary of it/didn’t alter the laws since he didn’t know about Merlin’s guardian angel tendencies/etc. BUT. If we’re going with the magic is a queer metaphor (or just using it as one of many real life parallels) then I got to say. If you’re homophobic or your dad’s a queerphobic/bigoted politician who sanctions their murder and you haven’t explicitly said oh yeah I really don’t agree with that. Then queer people will probably not go out of their way to be kind to you while also letting you know they’re queer. They’re going to be wary and many will be antagonistic, and if there are queer people in your life they’ll probably keep mum because saying anything risks their life/security, and even freedom, in a way that’s distinct and sometimes worse than the restriction of freedom the closet imposes. 

In the same vein I feel like well if magic was banned in Camelot, and we know that even innocent people using it for, idk, healing a cut, got persecuted, then why would magic users be tripping over themselves to explicitly show Arthur how they’re using “good” magic. It’d put them in danger! Even if they were being helpful they’d not be telling Arthur they were being magically helpful (on account of the tyrant father’s laws still existing). Only sorcerers who are about to Revenge it Up (or power-grab it up) will likely be found out as sorcerers (on account of the occasional monologue and gold flashing eyes as they try to stab u).

Arthur just couldn’t have realistically seen an equivalently diverse number of people doing benevolent magic as long as all magic, no exceptions, was technically still illegal. (Though he does see some instances of ‘good’ magic!)

And about magical people close to Arthur not telling him for so long (Merlin, Morgs), I think they had many understandable reasons. At one point if you live long enough in a place where various parts of your identity can be legally prosecuted, or are liable to be socially persecuted, it’s physically hard to even get the words out. From personal experience the fear is just very encompassing, and it sucks to think that you very likely have to bear agression or worse if you want to let people you care about know. Plus, for Merlin I imagine a part of the situation was that telling Arthur would risk their closeness, which is pretty important to his ability to protect him. And Merlin believes that if he protects Arthur, the prophecy dictates at some point in the future magic will be legalized (which it does become, but it’s mentioned so briefly at the end. Could we not have had a happier ending??) :( I have a lot of other thoughts on this specific topic that I’ve tearfully jotted down over the years about how I understand why Merlin didn’t tell his friends (I’m less tearful about it now haha I was just Going Through It back then), but I fear I’ll still be incomprehensible and even more rambly, so I’ll avoid doing that right now. ANYWAY sorry for the ramble. I just made this sideblog and realized I can share some of the things that have been rolling around in my mind for years. Okay now I’m gonna go back to being in denial over the ending :) 

[butchsophiewalten]

there has been ANOTHER kyle-martin twitter space and i missed all of it :( do you happen to have any info on what was in there??

I was there the whole time! But because this wasn't a Q&A style space like the one from last week, I didn't take as many notes. A lot of it was just Kyle and Martin talking about their own personal interests and life anecdotes, which I found really interesting and enjoyed listening to, but felt uncomfortable writing down as like, Walten Files News, y'know? A lot of it was pretty candid and personal, not really something I want to be sharing as a Series Fun Fact.

The stuff I did jot down is pretty sparse, but here it is anyway:

-Martin mentions that he's actively working on a scene involving Rosemary while he's in the space. He talks about how he saved a lot of the Rosemary stuff for last, because he's excited to work on it.

-Martin says "No, I love the fans but I don't trust them with fucking Jack and Felix plushies". Kyle mentions an anecdote about how Martin didn't want to make human plushies because he didn't want people tormenting the Felix one.

-They spoke a lot in very vague terms about scenes in TWF4. Many distinct times of someone going "Hey, you know the thing about This scene? Hold on, I'll DM it to you" as a launching point for a different conversation, with few or no additional details about the scene in question. Late in the stream Martin mentions finding it funny to imagine the twitter space audience trying to 'peek into the room' to see what they're talking about, like a kid trying to peek at their Christmas presents.

-Martin talks about a scene in TWF4 which is inspired by a real nightmare he had that woke him up in a cold sweat.

-They mention how Showbear was retconned, and Martin talks about how the role Showbear was going to fill in the series has been broken up and split between two separate characters who supersede him, one of which is another white bear named "Mr. Snow".

-Martin talks for a bit about storytelling techniques he's learned from his favorite media/artwork. He brings up Better Call Saul a lot here, speaking mostly about the things it's taught him in the way of subtlety in storytelling and characterization, and how it's often much more effective to convey something in few words than to over-explain it in the hopes of absolute clarity.

-Martin mentions that when he inevitably has to recast Felix, he is not going to open auditions for him, he's going to hand-pick the VA himself, and it's most likely going to be someone he's already worked with or someone he knows through someone he's already worked with. He says that his concern is less to find someone who can emulate Coker's Felix voice, and more to find someone he thinks is most appropriate for the character.

-On the topic of Felix, Kyle brings up a vision he has in his mind of a post-crash Felix leaving Brighton for years, and coming back having gained a lot of weight and otherwise in a significantly poor state. Martin says that it's actually true that Felix gains some weight later in his life. (The implication here I imagine being that 1982 Felix is heavier than 1974 Felix was.)

-There's a pretty long conversation here about a fear Martin has of a specific scene in TWF4 starting a Fandom Ship that he really doesn't want to exist, and on the topic Kyle brings up the first random Terrible Walten Files Ship Idea he can think of, and lands on Jack and Susan. Martin has a very visceral reaction of disgust.

-Martin then starts talking about how he hasn't really fleshed out an idea for what Susan and Jack's relationship is like, but he thinks it'd be fun if they teamed up to scare people, since they're both pretty tall and intimidating.

-Martin ends the stream saying that he didn't finish the Rosemary scene he was working on, but that he's tired and wants to go to bed. He also goes "FUCK Rosemary Walten, man, why does she have so many fucking scenes."

[azes-silliness]

Scholar’s moral tutor

Alhaitham x Male!reader, SLIGHT angst to fluff, mostly fluff tbh

Warnings: slightly yan Alhaitham, angst, reader thinks he is dumb, kinda mean Alhaitham,

An: im screaming, crying. This was a request from an anon asking for Alhaitham angst/fluff but I accidentally clicked post when I was trying to save it as a draft theennn I had to delete the post. So yep, now the ask is gone! IM SO SORRY 😭😭😭😭

Alhaitham was by no means a morally green person. He hardly bat an eye to the troubles of the people on the street on his way home. His usual schedule was to get his work done then get home, no exceptions unless perhaps his friends annoyances needed him. Then you changed everything. Suddenly hes working overtime to help you study for your maths exam, even bothering to backtrack on topics you didn’t comprehend. It was only later in your second semester he realized he quite enjoyed the time spent on you. It even came to him that he didn’t want these days to end. He had to have a permanent part in your life- not just your tutor. Yet he didn’t rush it, after all, he believed that as long as he a gave you what you wanted-his knowledge- then you’d never leave him. How wrong he was.

Alhaitham’s bad habits eventually caught up. He was so used to treating people as if they were invisible until they talked to him it was buried so deep in his personality that when he wanted to change, it was taking all too long.

“Are you even listening to me? I said the formula is x^3+y^3+2^3=k not x^2-“

“Stop blurting when you can be thinking, y/n.”

“No. You are wrong. Start over.”

“Pay attention, y/n.”

You buried your head in your book, biting your lip so hard you swore it bled. Why could you still hear Alhaitham’s voice in your head? You were alone and Alhaitham wouldn’t check on you for another hour. You managed to grit your teeth and breath in , lifting your pen again and starting to write down more notes. “Grip the pen like this. Messy handwriting may become illiterate, which is not acceptable in the Akademiya.”

You stood up, breathing deeply. No, no! You were fine, fine, fine.

After a few more failed attempts at calming down, you jotted it down to lack of sleep-deciding to skip lessons with Alhaitham today to sleep early.

That was just it, you didn’t want to avoid him.

—

”Where were you yesterday, y/n?” Alhaitham demanded, his eyes looking a bit more irritated then usual. You had totally not expected Alhaitham to find you during lunch, more than a little miffed at the fact that you had left before he could meet you yesterday. All you could do was manage a pained smile, “Ahaha…I…had…a…uhm…”

Okay, okay, think of excuses! My grandma died-ok no, she already had. Uhh, my dog ran away. Tsk, no, you don’t have a dog! My cat committed arson-You don’t have a cat either!

You just stared up at him, giving him an awkward smile. Embarrassment kept creeping up your cheeks as Alhaitham stared you down, frowning. It was only after a few awkward moments of silence Alhaitham brought up his hand to rub his head tiredly, sighing, “Fine. I suppose since you didn’t have an exam today, it was reasonable. Now, on the other hand, I refuse to let you of as you do have an exam of quintic formula tomorrow.” He ignored the way his heart rate quickened as he saw your eyes light up, beaming. This was utterly unfair for the archons to let such a handsome cute being to exist. You nodded quickly, feeling relieved Alhaitham wasn’t angry. You could not totally handle today’s lessons with him. —

You take that back. You couldn’t. He was more strict today than usual, berating you on mistakes he’d usually ignore. Your brain was pounding againt your skull as you reviewed the lesson for the umpteenth time. You could so do this. It was (not) fine. Alhaitham was explaning about how epsilon was the opposite of x in math, or maybe that was an hour ago. It all went over your head anyway. “Y/n? Are you listening?” Alhaitham demanded, frowning.

“Yes…yes…”

—

That was your latest lesson with Alhaitham, and it was three weeks ago. After that you had taken it upon yourself to study alone. You knew you were probably overreacting in this situation, but the pounding headaches from the extra assignments Alhaitham gave you and the lack of sleep to make way for his lessons were catching up on you, making your head pound with drowsiness every waking moment. It still does. Maybe it wasn’t Alhaitham himself, really. Maybe all this was your reaction to the being beside an unmatched genius all the time-pressuring you to be just as good at least, as if you could ever. You’d never have Academic validation in the eyes of the genius scribe. So what really was the point?

Your overthinking…overreacting…Why can’t you just be the perfect boy like Alhaitham?

Because your not smart. Your not gifted. Your not enough.

“Y/n. You’re no being of meager intellect, so don’t act like it.”

‘A being of meager intellect…huh?’

—

”Y/n avoiding you? They probably just can’t stand your personality.” Kaveh drawled, still focused on sketching out a project proposal for his client.

“I can’t believe I asked you.” Alhaitham sighed, looking down at the book on his lap. You didn’t hate him, did you? No, he made an effort to be kinder to you then most people. So what had he done wrong? Alhaitham mentally charted down everything he had done within the timespan- he pretended not to notice you stealing his lunch, he gave you cookies during the last-

So what mistake did he do? Why? What?

It was the first time in a many years the genius Alhaitham was confused, absolutely stumped.

—

“Y/n.”

“A-ah!?” You turned back to see Alhaitham with a deadpan serious expression, frowning, “Why are you avoiding me?” He demanded. “And don’t give me some bullshit excuse.”

Okay…Alhaitham just cursed. This was quite…bad. “I was…I was…” you stumbled over your words, wondering what to tell him. The truth? Definitely not. Absolutely not.

“Don’t lie to me. Please.”

That made your brain short circuit. Alhaitham pleading? Since when?

“…I-I it’s bit embarrassing but-I felt pressured because…because your so perfect and everything even though you have a bit of an asshole personality and I can never be like you!”

“…”

That rendered you both speechless, Alhaitham shocked and you just plain embarrassed. Your quiteeee the idiot, aren’t you? You blabbered your mouth now Alhaitham’s going to make fun of-

“Apologies if that bothered you in any way.” Alhaitham adverted his eyes, his gaze trailing across the floor, “…May I rephrase my offer? I-think that I have an idea to satisfy both of us.” That caught your attention as your eyes locked on his face. He had an expression you never expected to see from him. He was…nervous?

You remembered to speak.

“I-I uhm-the offer to be my tutor? But-uhm-I mean-er- sure.” You stumbled over your words as you cringed at yourself, why were you so jittery, really?

“I would like you to be my friend. I-will not lie I wish for more than that but-“ Alhaitham coughed into his hand, regaining his composure, “I hope you’ll let be build up from there. Please treat me like any other friend and come to me with any of your troubles, even those relating to me myself.” His voice was unusually stiff as he tried to hide his fear of your rejection, hoping you’d allow him this for now.

“I-sure! Sure! So-I’ll call you Haitham from now on!” You offered awkwardly, you were not at all dejected about this outcome- in fact, you were joyful! The only thing bothering you was the feeling of uncertainty of having Alhaitham as your friend, and maaybe that little comment about ‘wanting more than that.’

But your first worry was your math quiz in a few minutes. Oh. Right. You were on the way to class, weren’t you?

-Another thing bothering you then- You don’t have a tutor anymore. So lets see your grades.

“Y/n? Why do you look panicked?”

—

Alhaitham was by no means a morally green person. He hardly bat an eye to the troubles of the people on the street on his way home. His usual schedule was to get his work done then get home, no exceptions unless you or his friends asked. But you changed everything. Now he’s willing to try to be morally green- to be worthy of your attention.

Maybe your his tutor now. He doesn’t have a problem with that.

An: This was longer than I expected! Kinda crappy tbh I didn’t put much thought into the story because OH CRAP QUARTER TESTS ARE COMING! Hope you liked it even a bit 🤭 EDIT: Yeah...I reread it the plot makes not much sense sorrry promise the next post will be better 😭😭😭

[jujutsukgojo]

Sweet moments

yuuji itadori x reader

Summary: As repayment for the memories that are pure and cannot be tainted, you’ll support him in this game. Later, you’ll worry about everything. Right now, you have a game to watch and a friend who made you feel lighter than a feather in those sweet moments to cheer on.  a/n: fluff and angst because of the reader's treatment at school. Kikyo from Inuyasha is mentioned but i dont own that. tw: bullying, sukuna's fingers, teeth, insecurities, if there are more let me know!

The principal sighs at your explanation. He knows how people treat you and has always questioned your home life. But this request you have for an occult club is a little much. How would it look for you? For the school that is only weeks away from the big game? It’s bad enough that the one student who could turn the tide of victory is refusing to join any sport. Soon, the principal will step in and force him too.

Besides, you know this anyway. You are aware of how people view you and the wretched things they say. The way you look, how quiet you are, how you stare at people, etcetera. It’s not new. Their bland thinking has been happening since you started elementary school. 

 “I know what people will say. But this club I think will help others. Not everyone is fit for sports.” You say the last with disgust. This school has an emphasis on sports. It's a little revolting on how much they prize it. 

“There are more clubs than sports, (Y/n).” He places his pen down, away from the form that needs his signature. “What about decorating? I see how your locker looks. I think that club could use some of your creativity!”

 “Sir, none of the clubs want me. And being in one is a requirement. I’m not trying to be difficult.” You bluntly state. It’s not false, either. And he knows this. He just wished that it wasn’t. Although he means well right now, you didn’t fail to notice how he jumped when you appeared at his door. 

  He falls silent for a second. “There has to be at least three people in order for this club to be valid. If you can find others, then I’ll sign.”

“What happens if I don’t?” You tap your feet against the wooden floor and bite your lips. He rubs his balding head and finally says, “Then I’ll assign you to one. One that doesn’t involve a lot of personal interaction.”

  You hold in your wince. 

“Okay.”

____________

 You look around and try to find people that don’t fit in as much as they want to. A girl in the corner standing with a boy looks at you nervously. She wears a yellow vest and large glasses. The boy is a lot taller than her, you note. The other students ignore them as they pass. Clearly, the girl wishes to be acknowledged as she tries to inject herself in a conversation between two people talking about school dances. Witnessing it is a little awkward and sad. 

  You get a little closer and hear them talk about the paranormal and questioning old history, giving up on trying to talk to others. They’d be a nice addition to the club. Not only are they talking about topics that the other high schoolers wouldn’t, but you also actually have things like that! They’d have fun in your club.

  “Join my club.” They jump a little at your sudden appearance. 

“Why?” The girl stutters. She tries to back away but is blocked by the wall. You're nowhere near her enough for her to act like this. “Join.” Is all you say.

If they like spooky things, then they’ll like it too! They nervously nod and jot down their names on the petition in your hands. Suddenly, you feel someone at your side. 

A boy with pink hair and an undercut looks down at the petition. “Occult club?”

His question gained a few snickers. Obviously, none are towards the all-star. The strongest, fastest boy here. The embodiment of sunshine and a social butterfly. He irritates you. Of course, you should have expected this.

  Distantly, you hear that it’s a club fit for you. That you’re assaulting these people and about how no one in their right mind would want to join. Desperately, you want to believe that their whispers bounce off of you, but you can’t. It still hurts a little and probably always will. How they look at you, poke and tease the littlest things you do, all of it. To this day, you cannot figure out why they have such a problem with you. 

 “I’ll join!” Yuuji Itadori writes his signature. “Sounds like fun. Do I need to bring anything?”

  “No.” You take the paper and head to the principal’s office. “It’s right after school, by the way.”

___________

You’d be lying if you weren’t a little excited. When you proposed the club, you had already had something with you. One of the ancient fingers that've been in your family for years. Two of the three other people in the club cautiously enter the room. The girl, Setsuko, and the boy, Takeshi, sit down at the table in the chairs farthest from you. “Welcome, you two.” 

Setsuko gives a slight wave. “Where’s Itadori?” Takeshi’s head pops up. He has a little sweat at his hairline. “Y-yeah! Where is he, anyway?”

  “He’s not here yet. I’ll give him five more minutes until I start and show you guys my surprise.”  You can literally hear their gulps. Not even two minutes later of complete silence, Yuuji swings the door open. “I’m here!”

“You broke the door, Yuuji.” You tsk. He gives a slight blush and rubs the back of his neck. “Whoops…” 

  Takeshi quickly pats next to him and encourages Yuuji to sit there. Yuuji ignores him completely much to his dismay. Then, a voice interrupts. “That’s his first name.” Setsuko says. You nod and say, “I know that.”  

“It’s inappropriate to say it if you-”

“I like it! Keep saying it, okay?” Yuuji says. He sits down next to you. “So, what are we doing today?” Takeshi looks a little defeated when Yuuji sits next to you. 

  “A history lesson and my surprise!” You take out an old book, one that only a select few have, about the legendary Sukuna Ryoumen. “Here’s the thing, there are more than one story of this guy,”

  You flip the page to show them a drawing of him. He’s a large figure with multiple limbs and two faces. He sits on a throne that lies on top of several bodies and skeletons. The area has what looks like rib bones over the ceiling and the ground is painted with red. He’s shirtless, showing his broad build and lengthy tattoos. In his upper left hand is a unique staff. Just by the picture he looks brooding and scary. He leans his face on his upper right hand. 

“Sukuna is notorious for his hauntings. It only occurs when you have an artifact of it. Like it’s cursed or something.” 

  “Is the book the…” Takeshi points to it. “No, this is.” You quickly put his finger that is wrapped in a sacred seal on the table. “He is said to have had two arms, legs, and faces. I have several of these fingers. This one in particular,” You turn it around for everyone to see. “Is his pinky on his second right arm.”

Yuuji ohs and ahs, while the others look horrified. “Where did you get it?!” 

  “I have a lot of stuff like this. Anyway, it’s definitely his. Please sit down so I can tell you two versions of his story.” Takeshi does as you ask him. Setsuko is shaking like a leaf. 

   “The first is the most common tale or myth. It says Sukuna was the emperor’s enemy and had multiple limbs. A man who fought the government and was hailed a hero. Nowadays, he’s a small deity. But there’s another story, my favorite one.”

  You flip to another page that shows his large figure with someone in front of him. In Sukuna’s hands is a bowl with a white layer on top. “Here it says that a girl taught him the ways of harmony and would lure him into it by feeding him. They grew close and a deep friendship blossomed. There are many theories that they were in love. Their connection didn’t last. He became prideful once he realized his strength and threw his weight around. Constantly, she intervened until there was an accident,” They lean in to hear. “He killed her.”

  Yuuji’s eyes are wide. “He didn’t like being told what to do. All of her teaching of peace and contentment went out the window when he became obsessed with the abolishment of the government. He was reckless with it. Never caring about the people he dragged in it, the damage and death. So, after an altercation, he killed her. He lost his mind once he saw what he had done and decided to become the monster she feared since there was no anchor for him.”

  All three were silent. “How did she die?” Yuuji asks. “There are a lot of theories on it. Some say he hit her, others say he went to fight someone else and she got in the way. But my favorite one is that he bit her throat out. I only say that because of the possibility of him being a cannibal.”

   “W-why are you smiling?” You touch your face and realize that you are. “It’s kind of romantic, you know? Death and destruction versus peace and harmony, only for them to inevitably crash. I don’t think one could live without the other and his legend shows that. And the story shows their deep connection. It’s romantic but tragic.

  “Anyway, the higher ups thought he was the embodiment of evil. It’s said that there are some major hauntings with his remains! Feel it!” You place it in Setsuko’s hand, causing her to scream. The timer beeps, stopping the noise. Setsuko and Takeshi gather their things and leave. “Okay! When do you want to do this ag-” You finish the last word silently as the door slams. “Um…” 

“Tomorrow, same time?” Yuuji smiles. You nod. “Yeah. maybe I shouldn’t have brought him.”

“I liked it. But I would like to see more ghost-y things. But like the way you tell a story is…soothing and…enchanting? I’m not very good with words.” 

  “It’s okay, I’m not either.��� You have a genuine smile on your face. Yuuji’s eyes shine at the sight. "I do hate his name though. In my family, he was thought highly of. Now knowing the other side of him feels different, you know?" 

With his addition, you give a breathy chuckle. Him hating Sukuna's name was a bit unexpected. “I have a few more things of his and other haunted stuff. Even a Rubik’s cube that belonged to a possessed girl.”

  He laughed, not at you, but your excitement. “How was she possessed?”

“I can’t remember, but apparently she was so possessed that her head spun around 360!”

  “Good God.”

“I know, sometimes you gotta call on him. No joke, I would have dropped kicked that little girl.” Once again, Yuuji laughs. It makes you feel so light.

___________

  The next day, you brought the Rubik’s cube and a set of teeth, this time belonging to a priestess that held bitterness. Your backpack also held some of her things, like the dirt from her grave. All of these items held some kind of haunted story and were said to be cursed. You couldn’t wait to show everyone in your club. Maybe after this, you could take them to the sites they were found. 

  After class, was lunch. You bring out your lunchbox only for the teeth to fall out. Thankfully, they’re in their bag that’s wrapped in sacred seals to hold the spirit in. Someone grabbed it before you could and opened it. The guy, the class president or something, screams bloody murder. 

  The teacher comes around and demands to know what’s going on. The president tosses the bag at you and some of her teeth come out. “W-what’s this, (L/n)?”

“Her name was Kikyo. I brought her for my club.” Literally, the class freezes and just stares at you. You quickly collect Kikyo and put her back in the bag, lest her spirit comes out. You’d hate for someone to be cursed without the proper seals. 

   “(L/n), keep your things in there, do you understand?” You don’t like his stern tone and judgmental pointed finger, but you nod, nonetheless. You open your lunch and chew on the apples. There is a deep feeling in the pit of your stomach. Something awful and scary. You can feel their eyes on you, hear their mean words and the disdain they have for you. 

   Even the teacher is rubbing his face. Still, you eat your apple slices to sound them out. In the corner of your eye, Yuuji sits and glances at you. You have tuned them all out, so you can’t process what’s being said right that second. 

"Are you sure you like her? What for?" His friend in front of him asks in a whisper.  “I like the way she eats and she has pretty handwriting. And her voice is very soothing, don't you think?"

You didn’t hear it.

_____________

After school, you went to the girl's bathroom and washed your face with cold water. Anything to get rid of the pressure of the tears threatening to come out. At least you have your club. They’ll be excited to see how haunted these things are. 

  In the rec room, only Yuuji sits. “Uh, they decided to not do it anymore.”

  You don’t know why that hurts as much as it does. Is it because you thought for a split second that these people could be your friends? Perhaps they might’ve shared similar interests as you. Maybe, you wouldn’t be so alone. 

   It’s their choice if they want to stay or not, of course. However, it is how they did it and why. Why couldn’t they tell you personally? Were they that scared? Hopefully, a slim spark of hope, that they were too busy and couldn’t anymore. No hard feelings, no resentment, just busy and they got permission from the principal.

   How naive can you get?

  “I’m here, though! I’d like to hear about the teeth.” You smile at Yuuji and sit down next to him. 

 “Okay, her name was Kikyo, a strong but scorned priestess. I found her grave and took some dirt, and I could have sworn I heard her speak. She growled a name that I didn’t know. When I looked it up, it was her lover!”

   That day, you gave him her teeth and her grave soil since he liked her story so much. He wants to go to her grave with you soon. 

_______

  “But-”

The principal shakes his head. “No buts. You’re bringing body parts to school and God knows what else.”

“They’re haunt-”

“Not to mention that there are only two of you now. Actually, one. Yuuji is now put in an extracurricular activity that suits him.”

You know. Sports. He told you yesterday during your last meeting. He brought you apples and a holy seal he bought from a vendor. You asked why he brought apples and he said it’s because he likes hearing you crunch. You wanted to eat extra loud for him but didn't want to seem desperate or anything, so you didn't. 

  “This isn’t fair.” You look at the principal defiantly. Before this, you could’ve sworn he sided with you on this. When it comes to sports, everything flies out the window apparently. 

  “It is. Yuuji Itadori is good for the school. And having literal body parts be in here isn’t allowed. And neither is lying on the form of members.” You sink into your seat. When the two quit, you remembered that you needed at least three members. So, you lied on the check up form and said that they were still a part of it. At the time, you believed it was a harmless lie. 

  “What about me, though? Where am I supposed to be? I’m a part of the school too.”

  He sighs. “I told you an occult club wouldn’t fly well with others. Now, they think you’re a serial killer, (L/n).”

You know. The teeth and the whole Sukuna thing apparently were damning enough. “I’m still a part of the school. You can’t just care about those good at sports, you know.”

“I do care.”

“Then why shut me down?” The principal leans back in his chair. “No one wants to do it with you, (L/n). They don’t want to join.”

At his words, you shed tears. 

__________________

  “(Y/n)! Wait!” You walk away from Yuuji faster, desperate to get home and into the arms of your loving parents. For them to hold you and tell you that you aren’t scary and weird. That one day you’ll have friends, you won't be lonely forever. There's nothing wrong with you, they'd say. You're beautiful, wonderful, special, and worthy.

  “Hey!” He grabs your shoulder. You turn your face away from him, so he doesn’t see you crying. “Hey, hey! Don’t cry, please don’t cry.” 

“I’m not!” You wipe your tears with your sleeve, desperate to not let them fall. It’ll be just another thing for someone to talk about. That the serial killer cried and will want vengeance. Actually, you heard someone say that not too long ago.

  “Come on, I’ll walk you home.” He places his large hand on your back to soothe you. Repeatedly, you rub your face and insist that you don’t need help and that you’re not crying. 

“Alright, if you say so. But I’d feel better if I’d walk with you.” It’s silent for a moment. You peek at him and see his yellow hoodie in his arms. He gently places it on you. 

  “You don’t have to tell me why you’re not crying. If you ever want to though, I’m listening.” 

  Finally, the two of you come across your house. Before now, you didn’t think anything of it. Never thought it was creepy or plain, lavish or bland. You never cared since no one ever came around. However, you did notice that people walked a little faster when passing by. 

   Now, you feel those things. Your house is a little dark and on historic grounds. In the back are old graves that you are sure are haunted. The floors creak something awful and there are no flowers growing anywhere.  The property your family owns is very large and hidden. There is so much to explore and to discover, you loved the thought of having your club see the haunted and spooky sites. For them to see the collections your family has and how if they listen close enough, they can hear the voices. 

   “Thank you for walking me home.” You leave him on the sidewalk, not wanting to hear his critique of your home or your tears. 

____________

The next day, you walk to school with your head down. The only thing that made this school bearable was the club. You have your earbuds in and listen to your favorite music.  Suddenly, your left bud was pulled out. You gasp and see Yuuji with it in his hand. “I’ve been calling you.”

   You want to ask him why he’s talking to you when there isn’t anything to talk about. Is it your home? You? 

  “Hey, uh, I was wondering if you could come to practice. To cheer me on?” His hand is at the back of his neck again. 

“Why?” Your eyes trail him up and down, waiting for any sign of deceit. “Because…I’d like for you to. You don’t have to! But I’d really like it if you did!”

  No one’s invited you to anything before. And Yuuji has always been nice to you. He even walked you home, so, why not? If you feel the least bit out of place, you’ll run for your life. Right now, you just want to enjoy this buzzing, fluttery feeling you have. It may never happen again. 

  Surprisingly, you were fine. Sitting on the bleachers as Yuuji and his team work out strategies and do laps around the gym. There are a few people observing the team as well. Clearly, most are the significant others of the players. 

  You see Yuuji constantly make the shot. His teammates are happy, but a little jealous of his athleticism. Yet, Yuuji never rubs it in. All he does after is smile and look at you. Sometimes, you get the feeling he's showing off. Especially after he makes a shot, he makes sure you see it. 

  There is a strange feeling. One you’ve experienced before somewhat. Years ago, you felt these feelings towards a classmate of yours. Their name is long forgotten but not the excitement and happiness it gave, no matter how faint and brief. 

  You like him. You like Yuuji Itadori. And with how he’s smiling so widely, you'll entertain the thought of your feelings being mutual. You wish he would smile forever. Is it odd to want that?

______________

  “Are you coming to my game?” He hands you a little baggie of cut green apples. You happily bite into them after noticing that they're in different shapes. Some are stars others are flowers. There are some plain slices too. 

His head rests on his hand, waiting for your answer. His practices have been alright so far. Sure, you’re a little awkward but other than that, no one pays attention to you. They’re too busy looking elsewhere that they don’t realize you are there. And seeing Yuuji shine and enjoy himself is…good. The only problem is that he looked a little happier when he was in your club. You want him to be truly happy, joyful, and not feel used and obligated to play sports. 

  No matter what, you are still suffering from butterflies every time you look at him. There’s no way you’d turn him down. He’s given you so many sweet moments. In a deep part of you, you feel like this is all a joke still. Waiting for the moment when he’ll laugh with his friends. Although it would devastate you, you think that the times you’ve had with him will stay with you as a blessed memory. Taking the lesson with you and letting go. At least, that’s what you want to say. 

  “Sure.” After you finish chewing, you notice him staring at you. “Yuuji, why do you watch me like that?”

“I like the way you eat. Your crunching is cute for some reason.” 

   Your face feels warm before you know it. Who would have thought of that weird compliment?   “Thank you, Yuuji.” 

You only catch a glimpse of his cheeks being red after you happily eat his gift. You think he might have cut the cute shapes himself. 

After school, you get ready for the game. The Tokyo school is going against its sister school in Kyoto. Apparently, t hey have a fierce basketball team, with the majority of the weight falling on one player that Yuuji didn’t tell you the name of. Apparently, he’s fierce and as strong as Yuuji. Menacing, clever, and scary, the opposite of Yuuji's personality. 

  You close the locker door and make sure to lock it back up. The halls are emptying towards the game. It was held in the Tokyo school because it has a larger gym with sturdier baskets. At least that’s what you understood. You could listen to Yuuji talk about anything, and you do, but he loses you when it comes to sports. Nevertheless, you let him talk your ear off. 

  Suddenly, right as you turn a corner, you run into a large body. You rub your nose and look up. You gasp at who it is.  He looks exactly like Yuuji. He’s tall, broad, but has tattoos and a dark aura. “Sorry.”

He raises his eyebrow and looks you up and down. His brows are furrowed, and he cocks his head. “Huh, you know Yuuji Itadori?”

  You slowly nod yes. You don’t like how his mouth is curving upward to a suspicious smirk. “Hm, you are cute.” He traces your jaw with his finger. This is the first time anyone’s ever said that. 

  Disrupting the moment, is Yuuji. His eyes flick back and forth between you and his doppelganger. “Ryoumen…”

“Aye! We’re brothers, Yuuji. Call me Sukuna.” You look taken back for a second. “S-Sukuna? Your name is Sukuna?”

  “See? Be like pretty face over here.” You feel like you're going to burst. No one other than your parents call you pretty. No one thinks so highly of you. Yuuji likes the way you eat and your handwriting, but he’s never said something like this. 

“(Y/n), his name is Ryoumen, not Sukuna.” You’re taken back by the stern tone in his voice. You say nothing as the two guys glare at each other. Whatever happened between them, must be serious. They look so much alike, but their personalities cannot be any more different. 

In the very short time you’ve known him, Sukuna seems brash and aggressive whereas Yuuji is gentle, soft and kind. It kind of fits his name because of his namesake. Sukuna Ryoumen. You wonder how he got the name and if his last name is really Itadori. 

  Sukuna sighs at Yuuji��s behavior. He turns to you and has a soft smile on his face. It doesn’t look devious at all. In fact, it’s Yuuji’s smile when you’re talking. It’s almost the same soft expression Yuuji gives. Now, his brother sports the same one. 

  “Meet with me after the game. I’d like to talk to you more. You are (Y/n), right?” You nod. "Figured as much. Yuuji talks about you all the time."

Yuuji’s face turns red and his eyes are wide. “S-Sukuna!”

“Ah, all it takes is you, huh? In that case,” Sukuna holds you by your chin. “I should stick around, then.”

“Sukuna, leave her alone.” You are literally standing there in the middle of this family drama with no clue what’s going on or what the goal is.

“How about this. If I win, you and I’ll go get a bite. If Yuuji wins, well, that won’t happen.”

  Sukuna shrugs and doesn’t even look his brother’s way. Yuuji is becoming even more infuriated as Sukuna continues to touch your face then moves onto your hair. “G et away from her.”

Yuuji grabs your hand and leads you away. “Don’t I get a say?” 

  He isn’t listening to you. He’s fuming, steam practically coming out of his ears. “Stay away from him, okay?”

  You scoff, though secretly loving this whole thing. It’s wrong and inappropriate but you do. It feels like your parent’s romance novels where the two love interests are fighting for the girl’s hand. 

  “He seems nice, Yuuji.” He stops, picks you up and sets you down on the nearest table, placed there to rearrange a classroom. You gasped as he sets you down. He's never done that before. “Look, he’s an asshole who’s only doing this to get under my skin. He’s bad news!” 

  “So, someone for once kind of likes me and you’re telling me it’s a fluke?” It stings a little.  Yuuji grabs your shoulders. “No. It’s not like that. He doesn’t like you. He’s just playing with you! You’ll get hurt!”

  “Am I not likable enough for him to be into me?”

He groans and lets go. “It’s not that-”

“I get that you are. Everyone does. Even I like you. Like, a lot. But are you saying this to get back at him for God knows what?” You missed what you said. It finally dawns on you, repeating over and over again. 

  I like you. 

I like you. 

“Is this a joke?” Yuuji looks at you so curiously, too.  Why would he think you’d joke about this? Why the hell did you say it?

He bites his lip a couple of times and lightly kicks the ground. He doesn’t look you in the face.  “I-in what way? Because I-” 

You don’t stay to listen. As you’re speechless, you wanted to tell him that you only like him, so, so much. That you’re only flattered with Sukuna. The reason why you’re offended is because he’s popping a bubble. 

  “H-hey!” You feel his hand on your wrist, trying to get you to stay.  He thinks you’re joking. How is this a joke? You curse yourself and your stupidity.

  There’s no reason to leave when it can be talked through. Damn, lie to him! Say you meant it as a friend, if you are chicken. Stand in front of him and demand why he thinks it’s a joke. Why is your stupid heart clenching and racing? Why do your eyes water? Again.

  No, it’s lame to play dumb. The light feeling you had around Yuuji is slowly breaking away. Stupidly, you ran away when you could have covered it. Then, maybe it wouldn't hurt so bad and be so scary. 

He’s like the sun. Bright, shining and happy. Whereas you are more like a worm or something. Being around him, before he thought you were joking when you were a fucking idiot for letting it slip, was warm. Almost as if you had discovered that someone was happy you were even there. 

  As you run away, you spot Sukuna with his teammates, laughing. The familiar feeling of dread creeps on you. Its heaviness is what you are afraid of and yet was waiting for. 

  His teammate, number five, stares at you and laughs heartily. Then, the rest follow. You don’t know why you even bother to look at Sukuna’s reaction. Hoping he’d intervene, that what your gut was telling you was a lie. That his teammates are just assholes and he isn’t in on it. That maybe it isn't what it looks like. 

  Never in your life have you seen such a wicked smile. Yuuji catches up to you and sees what’s taking place. Not being able to bear it, you leave again this time you don’t even try to stop the tears. You just met Ryoumen and was only flattered by him. No one likes to be the brunt of jokes, especially when the joker looks like Yuuji. 

  “You bastard!” Distantly, Yuuji yells. 

______

 It’s time for the game now. Because of what happened, you feel the urge to leave. There’s no reason for you to stay here, right? You rub your eyes harshly. You've cried so much lately, it's pathetic. Usually, you aren't this emotional and are able to shut down. These new blossoming feelings have been throwing you in for a loop.

“Why do I feel this way? Why’d I run…” 

No, you know why you felt that way with Sukuna and Yuuji. It’s because for the first time in your life, you felt pretty and desirable. Two beautiful guys who’re built like Greek gods paid attention to you. From the books that you read, or the tales told, you felt unique in a good way.

 Ryoumen and Itadori’s turbulent relationship started way before you came into the picture. You’re a toy to them and your feelings are a joke. Before this, you basked in the hope that you were worth something. And now, Ryoumen and his whole team laughed at you, said God knows what about you, and Yuuji, of all people, thought your feelings toward him were a joke. 

  It’s stupid. So, so, stupid. Here you are being dramatic and have wobbly lips when you should be used to something like this. You slap your cheeks a little and stand up, wiping your clothes from the dirt you were sitting on. This whole thing is going to blow up in your face. Here you are going inside to see the game and support the boy you like, even though it hurts. It hurts to see him and Ryoumen, when all you can do is think of the laughter. Hear the shattering of your self esteem that was being built. Ryoumen made you feel pretty, and Yuuji made you feel worth it. 

  You take a deep breath and remember those days. How he cut apples for you, listened to all of your stories and was interested in the same things. Yuuji never laughed at you and didn't make you feel less than, back then. Though he thought you were joking, seeing him play and be happy is worth it for a while. As a repayment for the memories that are pure and cannot be tainted, you’ll support him in this game. Later, you’ll worry about everything. Right now, you have a game to watch and a friend who made you feel lighter than a feather in those sweet moments to cheer on. 

________________________

   You stand in the back beside the bleachers. You’re hidden from the majority, but the players can see you and vice versa. The two teams are completely brutal. The game is going by fast and hard. The cheerleaders are getting distracted by the intensity until finally they give up and just watch as the two main players duke it out. Yuuji and Ryoumen are vicious towards each other. The rest of the teammates are dull in comparison. The brothers are faster, stronger, and more tactical when it comes to the sport. The coaches try to reign them in with no avail. 

  Suddenly, Ryoumen makes eye contact with you. His eyes gleam with something suspicious, something devious. He’s proven to be callous, shady and cruel, already. 

  Yuuji follows his brother’s eyes. His brown eyes widen in surprise and then they give a sharp glare to his brother. His lips are moving, saying something out of your earshot. You notice a few people in the stand look surprised as well, whispering to themselves and each other. 

  Then, the game goes to a whole new level. The referee is having trouble keeping up. The teammates are all but falling back. Some help them out, proving to be somewhat useful. Though, they are nothing compared to the brothers. There’s elbowing, slam dunks, and alarming speed. The referee calls them out several times because of their behavior, and yet, they don't stop.

Captivated by the game, you step forward. There’s shouting in anger and cheering. There’s so much noise. Because of that, you can’t hear what Ryoumen said to Yuuji again. He’s been talking to Yuuji for a while now. Their conversation isn’t friendly and probably shouldn’t be in front of everybody. Not when blood is trickling out of Ryoumen’s nose and blood from Yuuji’s lips. 

  Why isn’t anyone stopping them? The referee won’t go near them and neither will the coaches. They need to be separated! Or maybe go on the football field or boxing ring. Either one will do. This is way too aggressive and violent for basketball. Isn’t the point of the game to throw a ball in a basket? So what the hell is this?

 Finally, as both teams are tied, it’s now or never. The game can go either way. The seconds on the clock tick way too slow. Ryoumen’s dribbles are creative and his moves with finesse. You and everyone could have sworn it was over for Yuuji when Ryoumen was close to Yuuji’s basket, just mere feet away.  

Yuuji appeared in front of his brother. He fakes his right hand and Ryoumen, going by Yuuji’s movements, swerves it. Suddenly, like he teleported, Yuuji has the ball, taken from behind. 

   It’s amazing, fantastic, even. Yuuji jumps from so far away, and so high. Ryoumen has no time to react when his brother slam dunks it, taking the hoop with him to the ground. The buzzer rings, signaling your school’s, no, Yuuji’s, win. 

  For the first time, you scream in delight, jumping up and down. He won! He beat Ryoumen and all of them!

  His teammates crowd him and lift him up. You remain in the background and still are proud and happy for him. Ryoumen spits and gives a look so menacing it has you worried. Yet, Yuuji laughs it off. Almost as if a weight has been lifted off of him. It’s interesting to see their dynamic. It just sucks that you were caught in the middle. 

   Just as you turn to leave, Yuuji calls out your name. Immediately you freeze at his voice. Your old worries are back and no longer are you joyful. If only you could push it down forever. Or get it out and never pick it up again. If only Yuuji were as honest as he looked. 

  No, get them out. That terrible little voice that has been built up for years due to your treatment. Push it away from Yuuji and face him. He isn’t Sukuna. He isn’t the people that made fun of you and avoided you. He’s the sun that shined on you. Even if it was for a sweet, sweet moment. 

  You face him, ready for you to be made into a joke just as his brother and the rest of the school had done. As if a song had played smoothly, and slowly, Yuuji grabs your hands in his. His lips are still bleeding and he’s covered in sweat. 

  “I won, (Y/n).” His sunny rays are beaming at you when he smiles. “I saw. You did pretty good.”

 “I wanted to win for you. Are you happy?” Yes, yes you are. There’s pressure behind your eyes again. “Yes, you made me happy.”

    He smiles wider then stops. He rubs underneath your eye. “Can I be honest with you?”

  “Yes.” 

“I like you too.” There’s a soft pink tint to his cheeks. His brown eyes are so warm and honest. In the time you’ve known him, you have realized he can’t lie to save his soul. So, is this real? The boy you are familiar with, that you have feelings for, says he likes you too. 

  You take the leap. 

  “I’m happy that you do, Yuuji.” His teammates and friends say nothing. There’s no snickers or whispers. No malicious smiles or anything. He leans in for a moment then stops. “I would kiss you but my lips are bloody.”

  You chuckle and tell him thanks. That wouldn’t be a good first kiss, you think. “What do we do now?”

  He decided not to kiss you, but to hug you instead. Yuuji’s a good hugger. 

[oh-saints]

Would you write a fluffy imagine for Benji Pavard? Like having a little french session and he kisses reader after they get something right? <3

ahjjsskdkl 🤯🤯🤯 oh to be taught by ben.........

but hope you like it nonny! <3

lesson

French is notorious for being a hard language to master and knowing this, your boyfriend is more than happy to provide an extra motivation for you…

benjamin pavard x you

tw: google-translated French words so pls cmiiw

wc: 0.8k

note: this was fun to write but also the hardest bcs I’ve forgotten the French lessons I had during high school. damn, so old. but anyway, I happen to write this during my layover so this is not yet beta-read.

request still open until tonight & you can submit them here!

it was a rather slow day for ben.

having won another Bundesliga trophy, thomas tuchel granted his players a cut to their slacks for this entire day—knowing his players must’ve celebrated wildly at their favourite local pub till the wee hours in the morning—before continuing another rigorous session tomorrow.

so ben decided to surprise you at home with some of the pastry delicacies you’d come to love from his favourite bakery—which was rather hard, finding an authentic French bakery in munich—and your favourite tub of ice cream. your choice of hangover remedy was odd, he found at first, but now he couldn’t ask for anything else to cure his buzzing head.

ben was expecting you to be sprawled in your working station—which happened to be the coffee table in the living room—with sheets and papers and numbers all over the place, as usual, so he was the one getting surprised at the only sight of your laptop and your hair was not tied in a pucca bun. the latter would’ve meant you were dealing your work with stress and that would’ve been something he could take on well by now.

“gauche means left…” you spoke to yourself as you jotted down the meaning. “droit means right… so that means c'est à gauche du four?” (it’s to the left of the oven)

“c’est à côté de four sounds better, no?” (it’s next to the oven)

you were startled at ben’s voice, the owner placing down his shopping bag at the kitchen island. you panicked instantly—not because you thought it could be somebody else, but that would mean ben just found out about your little secret. the one that you’d been working on since you started dating him six months ago.

“ben!” you jumped to your feet, albeit standing awkwardly because you weren’t ready to reveal the reason why you were enrolling yourself to a French lesson. “I don’t know you’re coming home early.”

“coach dismissed us early,” ben chuckled at your weird stance, noticing your nerves, so instead of getting his usual welcoming embrace from you, he was the one who pulled you to his arms. “too many of his players left their heads at the club.”

fuck your initial thoughts, your mind was being taken over by your favourite scent—ben after showering with a bit of his perfume spray—and your favourite kind of warmth exuding from your boyfriend’s body. naturally, you hugged him back, your hands trying to reach one another at ben’s back.

“never thought you’re picking up French, ma chérie,” he placed a well-positioned kiss on the crown of your head. “tu t’en sors?” (how are you managing?)

“pas trop, non,” not really, you replied and ben smiled wider, despite you not being able to see them. for someone who was previously confused about left and right, you were doing better than average in accent and simple phrases like this. “can you help me out?”

“thought you’d never ask,” and when you flashed him those eyes that reminded him of a lost puppy, he was a goner. he didn’t think he could ever say no to that, so cute he could die. instead of dying, though, he kissed your lips. “what topic are we covering today?”

“I’m having troubles with directions...” you said sheepishly as you sat back down, him following suit. “you know I’m generally not good with them too.”

ben laughed because you were right. you and maps shouldn’t belong in the same room without assistance. but he pecked your cheeks anyway. “but I’m already proud of you figuring out how this whole feminine and masculine thing, just so you know, okay?”

a praise from the native certainly uplifted your mood again. you were on the verge of breaking down before ben stepped into the house because god damn, that was difficult. if you weren’t planning on giving him a surprise for their 1st anniversary, you would’ve given up.

but later, you realised that it was rather ben’s preferred method of teaching. he never scolded you if you got any of the pronunciations or the articles wrong, he just corrected you gently. whenever you nailed a difficult word, you’d always get praises from him. and whenever you figured out a sentence on your own, your boyfriend would always add a kiss at the end of his praise.

“bien joué, ma chérie!” well done, my love and followed by a peck, was the most common form of his praise.

but there was also times when he was truly blooming in joy and proud as you aced a more complicated sentence, both by structure and by grammar, on top of not getting confused between left and right. that was when he slipped in a longer sentence because he knew you love his kisses so much, anywhere everywhere.

“félicitations, mon amour,” he whispered after giving you a longer, deeper, more deserving kiss before diving in again for another peck. “tu l’as bien mérité.” (congratulations, my love. you deserve it.)

you really should’ve asked for his tutelage in the first place instead of subscribing to duolingo if this was what you’d get every French lesson.

[snowyh2o]

Hazbin Hotel Episode 5 Spoilers!

Just jotting some thoughts down on Alastor’s behavior.

Absolute pettiness aside, and the fact that Lucifer was also beefing with Alastor like, 5 seconds into meeting him, Alastor was freaking beefing with Luci before he even showed up LOL.

Everyone in the hotel witnessed Charlie’s somewhat tense phone call with her dad, except for Alastor who was probably eating breakfast at the time. So everyone except Alastor is getting ready for Lucifer to show up when he finally comes down. He seems curious about what all the fuss is about, but the moment he sees the banner welcoming Charlie’s dad, his expression sours and he becomes visibly annoyed.

Alastor is also aware that Charlie has “Daddy Issues” since he says as much in his advertisement, and it seemed like most of the others hadn’t known until Charlie’s phone call. And then Lucifer walks in the door, hugs Charlie, and we get a pan up shot of Alastor with the subtlest eye twitch EVER. Five seconds into Lucifer showing up and he’s already as pissed as he was when dealing with the Egg Bois.

Which then leads into the actual meeting between the two. Here Alastor is very clearly mocking Lucifer, very similarly to how he mocked Vaggie in the pilot, but still keeps things relatively cordial. (The absolute disrespect of shaking someone’s cane and then STILL wiping their hand afterwards). He actually greets Lucifer the same way he did with Charlie in the pilot, but is uh, significantly less genuine about it lol. And Lucifer, sensing the hostility, starts mocking Alastor as well. This all culminates with Hell’s Greatest Dad and Alastor openly mocking and calling out Lucifer’s absence from Charlie’s life as a father (and that she has someone better now LOL).

Won’t speak too much more about the song except for the absolute shit eating grin Alastor has on when he’s singing “Daaaaad!”, and how Lucifer freaking cooks and then decapitates Alastor, TWICE, in his opening song sequence.

Anyways, a lot of the stuff in episode 5 has been said already, but like, the thing my brain’s been getting caught on is Alastor, Husk, and asking Mimzy to leave. Because like. When Mimzy shows up you can see how much more relaxed and happy Alastor is around her. He openly welcomes her into the hotel, tells her to get settled in, even though he probably knows that she’s likely here because of ulterior motives. This is probably one of the few times in seven years since he’s seen and been able to chat with one of his old friends (he sees Rosie during the overlord meeting, but they don’t get the chance to talk on screen). He’s genuinely happy to see her (they hug!!!) and wants her to hang around.

A little while later though, Husk approaches Alastor and says that Mimzy’s up to something, that she’s gonna bring trouble to the hotel. That she has a history of running to Alastor for protection once she gets in over her head with something. And Alastor obviously knows this. This is probably a conversation they’ve had a lot over the years. Alastor’s confident that he’d be able to handle anything she brought their way, it’s not like any old sinner’s gonna be able to beat him, and who exactly would wanna mess with the Radio Demon? And it’s not like the confidence is unfounded. Regardless of his reputation Alastor is STILL considered an overlord, and no sinner would wanna mess with that.

He says as much to Husk, and tells him not to worry about it. Husk then points out that Alastor has been gone for a while, that nobody knows why, and implying that Alastor’s absence means his reputation’s taken a hit. That people would try messing with him now. Alastor gets a little, jumpy? Startled? Angry? At the reminder of the seven years, and then covers it up by mocking Husk and treating him like a pet, tries to get get Husk to drop the topic. And then Husk bites back, reminding Alastor of his own leash. This sets Alastor off like nothing else, and he’s immediately exercising his control over Husk’s soul, going full demon form for a moment, before looming over Husk and directly threatening him with a painful death. He forces Husk to agree to never speak of it again, before jauntily putting his “I am completely unbothered” facade (the music!) back on and leaving to catch up to the tour.

He never makes it to the tour, because the Hotel is attacked by the loan sharks Mimzy was trying to avoid pretty soon after. By this point, Alastor has just spent the morning having a pissing contest with Luficer (that ended with no winners), been told one of his (likely) few friends was gonna bring trouble to everyone else, had his own situation thrown back into his face unexpectedly, and just lost control of his temper even more so than when he was going at it with Lucifer.

He’s fucking stressed, probably has been for a while, and takes the golden opportunity the loan sharks present to vent it all out on them. It’s absolute overkill and a completely over the top beat down, turning into a fucking giant and shouting how he’s gonna “devour each and every one of you!” And just plain old rampaging. By the end he seems considerably less stressed, and he mentions how it’s been a while since he’s done something like that.

Mimzy comes over, and thanks him for the help. She also somewhat insincerely apologizes for the mess, to which Alastor says that she should go. Mimzy very rightfully thinks he’s joking, and then becomes upset once Alastor says he’s serious. For her, it’s the same as it’s always been, Alastor has never minded cleaning up her messes before, why should that change now? He LIKES helping her and taking care of her. And she’s right, Alastor does like taking care of her. He gets to be relied on and show off his ability, and the company’s not bad either.

But now he’s in a situation where he can’t be so careless anymore. It’s not just himself or Mimzy he’s responsible for. He’s now responsible for the hotel and it’s inhabitants too. He’d just been told that Mimzy would bring trouble, and he’d laughed it off because he could handle “trouble”, but it just got thrown in his face that just because he can handle it, doesn’t mean everything will be perfectly fine.

Alastor arrived late, and the hotel was wrecked. What if something worse happens next time? So he tells her to leave, because there’s more at stake now than before. She’s still welcome to stay if she really tries at redemption, but they both know that’s not her style. So Mimzy leaves, pissed, and Alastor watches her go in silence. Husk watches this happen with a smug expression and a bucket of popcorn.

Anyways, all of this to say is that I don’t think Alastor decided to deal with the problem just because he wanted to get some stress relief. I think he also volunteered because those loan sharks being there is inadvertently his fault. They’re only there because Mimzy was there, and Mimzy was only at the hotel because she was seeking Alastor’s protection. And also because Alastor was the one who welcomed her into the hotel, and didn’t ask her to leave despite the danger her presence posed and the warning he got from Husk. He got overconfident, arrogant, believed that his old reputation would be a good enough shield against attacks, and the hotel payed the price.

So him stepping up was in part stress relief, in part taking responsibility for the mess he’d inadvertently caused, and him showing the world once again that he (and the people/place associated with him) are not to be messed with.

Also, his little almost content smile while watching Charlie and Lucifer duet and reconnect and Lucifer finally choosing to support Charlie despite his fears and like, not actually interrupting the moment despite how petty he was being earlier in the day— I wanna see what’s going on in his little head and shake the answer out. Do you care? For Charlie? Did you not want to ruin this for her?? Were you happy because Charlie was able to find support in a family member? Or happy because Lucifer put aside his own issues to help Charlie because he truly dearly loves her? Or were you happy because you just had a light snack and engaged in some much needed stress relief and didn’t want to ruin the after party show? Who knows?!

[vintage-brass-tc]

Jazz Highlights!!! - 1/8/2025

STOPPP 🌭 teased me so much yesterday… I think he did so unconsciously??? Like, I could not stop smiling and cheesing the whole class, I swear. Haha

This is going to take a while… but oh my GOSH I think you guys need to hear every detail for this to make complete sense. It’s been swirling around in my mind and I’m just so?? Like??? I don’t know.

AHHH anyway, long post incoming! I hope you’re all doing well. ❤️

Highlight 1!

Okay, so yesterday in jazz 🌭 was helping our class out with choosing some combo pieces. He began to read out from a list of pieces, saying the titles of pieces that he thought were suitable for us. I was jotting them down as quickly as possible in a note on my phone so I could retain it all.

However, at one point, a name slipped from his mouth as an incomprehensible mumble. I looked around quickly to see if anyone understood him, but they were all just sort of looking down, defeated. He’d gotten onto us for not choosing suitable pieces yesterday, so they were all just sort of sulking. Despite the eerily silence of the normally energetic room, I piped up before he could read any further, voice weak from my own misuse for the last five or so minutes.

“You said… what (piece)?” I uttered, looking up at him, thumb and index propped above my phone’s screen in preparation to type out his response. His head didn’t move an inch to look at me, but he paused his reading as he heard my question. With his eyes glaring down at his page, he replied in a blunt, robotic fashion, “[The-name-of-the-piece]-is-on-here.” It was as if I’d asked him several times and he was sounding it out, like I was stupid.

“Okay,” I spoke in a mumble, typed it down… then quickly found myself smiling. His delivery was just too hilarious NOT to laugh at… so I covered the bottom of my face and leaned back against my seat, looking up and to the left to let out a brief breathy giggle. I thought it was barely audible, but of course 🌭 decided to drop everything to see what made me laugh.

“What.” He demanded, now glaring at me instead of his music book. I smiled a little wider, his intensity making me nervous, but when my eyes unconsciously flitted down to his lips, I noticed he was cracking a grin. I think he saw me looking, because he quickly strained to reel it back into a neutral frown as he usually did. My smile widened at the fact he wasn’t irritated, but astonished at my reaction, and I looked back up at his eyes.

“Oh, it’s nothing— it’s just…the way you said it,” I answered honestly through more audible giggles, figuring an actual answer would be better than nothing. “It was funny.” I dragged my gaze away from him and to the ground below me as I asked myself whether or not I should reenact how I heard it. I decided against it and just smiled against my hand.

Everyone else remained silent, probably just too nervous to speak up since it was already tense. Maybe they were afraid of him yelling at me for bursting out in laughs, since 🌭 was quiet, too, and probably still staring at me. After a second he spoke back up, and his tone betrayed disinterest.

“Ookay?” He dismissed the topic thereafter and listed one or two more pieces. I continued smiling, hiding my face under my hand in between typing the pieces’ names, thinking back to his suppressed grin and wondering what brought it to life in the first place.

~~

Highlight 2!

A little while passed until he finally asked us if we were okay with the choices, then we agreed. As he wrote their names on the board, I piped up to confirm whether or not a piece he’d mentioned the day prior would suffice.

To that, he didn’t look back, and sighed out “mmhmm?” in response, like he thought I had more to say. He was calm, cool, and collected, the muscles of his right arm prominent while it was extended upwards to write for us.

Instead of adding to my question, my heart exploded at his voice and I melted into the floor.

“Cool,” I uttered, then covered my mouth with my right hand as casually as I could, my face falling, perplexed. I had no idea he could carry his voice in such a manner, so I was just freaking out in my seat, and I remained silent for a while after that. For once I had my phone, so I shot a quick text to my friend who knows about my crush on 🌭, telling them I was FREAKING OUT.

~~

If I went on super detailed, this would be twice the length… but in short, he was very appreciative of me taking the lead while the class was bickering about which pieces we should focus on. He leaned against the doorframe of his office while I relayed our top three choices… and he told us to focus on the piece he’d teased me about earlier. I let out a chuckle at this before agreeing, then we practiced for the rest of the class.

ACTUALLY….there may be ooonnneeee more moment I need to share with you.

~~

Highlight 3!

Before I left to practice with my section, I had borrowed a sheet music book from him. When I returned to the classroom at the end of the period, I promptly set my instrument and other stuff down at my seat and walked over to him, the loose, ringed book held in two hands at my torso.

“Did you want me to put this anywhere specific…?” I asked him politely, subtly wiggling the book in my hands. He swiped his right arm backwards and gestured towards a spot at the bottom of a nearby shelf, then turned over his shoulder to make sure he was pointing at the right spot. He turned back to me.

“Just right over there,” he told me gently. I smiled up at him as he continued to stare at the spot in thought, letting out a delighted “Okay!” at his easygoing response.

I meandered around him to the area he referred to, then squatted down, seamlessly slipping the loose binder in the spot when I noticed that he was still looking at me. I turned to my left and looked up at him as he regarded me from over his right shoulder.

“Do you know where the other two books are?” He asked me. He had three different books for us to use, and I only had one. I, not wanting to embarrass myself, took a steady breath and stilled my voice to the best of my ability while I moved up from my squatting position at a decent pace (and I did super well! It sounded like I was standing upright! Score!), telling him that it was likely still in the practice rooms where the other sections worked.

(sorry give me a moment I KNOW IT WAS CASUAL BUT WHY DID YOU KEEP WATCHING ME??? LIKE HE WAS PROBABLY LOST IN THOUGHT, NOTICING THE BOOKS WERE GONE, BUT OHHH MY okay I’m good. 😅)

“They probably left them there,” I finished. He turned over to the other sections and asked them if they had his books, then when they answered affirmatively he asked for them back. I let them know where he wanted the books to go, then I packed up and got out of there!!!

~~

WHAT A DAY! So many interactions from him… I’m so happy. ❤️ I hope things carry on like this and we get to establish a more genuine relationship. Hehehe

[braintohisbrawn]

@ofnotavillainofmystory

{Oliver was probably the most stubborn person that I knew. Ridiculous hot... especially when he was fighting crime and doing all of those pull ups on the bar, but still, annoyingly stubborn. Honestly his stubbornness and pride being the source and starting point of a lot of our fights... Today being a prime example of that, when I all but begged him to go and talk to Tommy, yet Oliver refused to. Yeah, yeah, I get that the two of them had a bit of a fight, but Tommy’s father just died, so given that Oliver was one of Tommy’s longest friends, now more than ever, Oliver should be there for Tommy. Nope. Not Oliver though. He told me to butt out, mind my own business, and then he went about his own Arrow, crime-fighting business} Butt out. Bossy, stubborn jerk. Nobody is going to tell me what to do. {I murmured out under my breath in indignance as I stormed out of the lair; making my way upstairs to the club, where I knew Tommy was probably working. Sure, I knew the club wasn’t technically open yet, but that didn’t matter, since Tommy was usually here early to work on inventory and stocking and stuff. As if that thought no sooner came to mind, the private elevator door opened up to the desired floor of the club; pressing the code into the keypad before the secret door opened into one of the storage closets. After a short walk then out of the storage closet and into the club, I found myself briskly walking toward the bar area in search of Tommy. Mind you, I didn’t really know him all that well, so I didn’t have the first clue what I’d say to him once I did approach, but that didn’t matter. He was mourning the loss of his father, so even if I just said, “I’m sorry for your loss,” that’s still better than Oliver annoyingly not saying anything to Tommy at all. I thought to myself matter of factly as I approached the back end of the bar, and then walked around to the front; greeting Tommy with a smile when I noticed him jotting some things down on the clipboard in his hands} Hey, Tommy... I don’t know if you remember me, but we met a couple of times through Oliver. The last time being here on the opening night of your club, which was great, by the way. A raging success, you could say. {I rambled nervously before realizing I wasn’t giving the right details currently, and I needed to remain on topic now} Anyway, not that any of that matters, but I’m Felicity. You probably already remembered that, since we have met a couple of times, but just in case you didn’t remember, that’s my name. {Here we go again. I thought to myself as I continued to ramble} Either way, Oliver told me about your dad, and I just wanted to say how sorry I am for your loss. I lost my dad, too. I mean, he didn’t die... More like, left me as a kid, but my point is, I know the sting that can follow. Yours being much worse than mine ever was though, and for that, I am sorry. I just wanted to say that I’m here for you, Tommy... You know, if you need a friend, or anything, I’m here. I’ve been told I can be a good listener, too, so you can always vent or talk to me, if that’s what you want or need. {I rambled on as I eventually perched myself onto one of the bar stools. Possibly prematurely though, since there was a good chance Tommy would send me on my way now, since I was probably getting on his nerves with all of my incessant rambling}

[paperpeachy]

i hope your last tag wasn't sarcastic because i for one would really like to hear more details about how mimi and the bleck gang sounded in the original dialogue (i don't know where to find this stuff and there's always been misinformation abound in the fanbase)

OMG...! omg ok straightens jacket. fixes hair. WELL IN THAT CASE.......!!!

i used to sit down and translate random pm lines all the time back in da day, but i have no idea where i jotted them all down but i will try scrawling a few things i remember off the top of my head... i am going to start off strong w dimentio, i think a lot of ppl already know he speaks in a fairly feminine-way-for-a-man, with ♡'s and ~'s n all... he also has lil variations of referring to the cast (eg: L-rin, mademoiselle peach. he drops this habit by the end of the game, simply calling them by name) generally polite, mixed w some french. there is also this infamous line that i see a lot of both jpn fans/lpers going ?!?! at:

「フフフ…キミはボクだけのものだ…ルイージ！ だから一緒に…」

^ for anyone who wants to play arnd w google translate lawll. in eng, he simply says, 'i have you now…luigi!!' or something. but here i think he's saying 'hehehe, you belong only to me…luigi! so, let's do this together'. i've watched lpers be like 'what?? does he like luigi/whoaaa yandere...' and his fanwiki is tagged under 'ホモ疑惑' so.....make of that what u will....yaoi wins <3

-

mimi uses 'atashi' to refer to herself, somewhat casual/feminine, speaks in third person in front of the count, and switches to an exaggerated kansai dialect when angered. basically the punk anime boy voice (the english trope equivalent would usually b a brooklyn or texan accent)

((i think the best examples i can think of that fit this archetype are aquarius from fairy tail(speaks in kansai when berating lucy, but speaks all cutesy in front of her bf), or keima's mum from twgok (speaks in a fairly pleasant way, switches to kansai when angered bc of her past of being involved in a biker gang.) maybe a better known one would be celestia ludenberg's whole situation, but I'm not sure if hers is kansai <--going off topic))

for perspective, like i mentioned, tape speaks in the exact same way. they even repeat similar crass phrases: " カクゴしとけや～！！" (which i think means 'be prepared/to die' IDK IN ALL HONESTY but they sound v similar in audio. which i think is fun ovo)

her fanwiki brings up 'burriko' in re: to all that. it's a term for women who put on a childish act 'in front of men', but have a completely different personality in other settings. which i think is rlly inch resting.. the wiki page for this term calls this 'a set of tools employed to mask the self...' so i think it rlly adds an extra layer to the whole 'mimi acts fake to get what she wants' thing. slay honestly

i'll try making a separate post of other small things i discovered...like, i know something mimi says to set peach off is calling her 'oba san' which i thought was a lil hysterical. anyway disclaimer im not a jpn speaker so i may not be the most reliable but ! this is just for fun anyway ! im rlly glad ur interested anon and i hope this was insightful to u !!!