#let's see if being away from her will make him understand now

[thehighladywrites]

you’re just like me

pairing: cassian x crazy stalker reader

summary: cassian thinks of you as his insanely obsessive ex girlfriend who’s downright crazy. you are obviously cassian’s one true love and will eliminate anything that stands in your way.

warnings: murder, dark romance, cheeky little twist👀, stalking, obsessive behavior, sexual content, knives, nasty sex, um also a sick way of getting off just downright crazy, description of murder… um this is just kinda dark. two psychos encouraging each other

amara’s note: so i might be making this into a series bc i have an amazing idea for azriel next😫😫😫 also guys this was a lil dark lol

You couldn’t understand how Cassian had the nerve to walk away from you. There was absolutely nothing wrong with you, not one single thing. People just didn’t get it; love was supposed to be all-consuming, right? Obsession wasn’t a flaw. It was just proof you cared deeply. So what if you knew his schedule down to the minute, memorized the exact scent of his shampoo, or followed him everywhere he went like your very existence depended on it? That wasn’t weird, it was love. Real, burning, raw love.

Cassian must have been confused, that’s all. Poor thing, probably led astray by some outside influence. Maybe someone whispered lies into his ear or cast some strange spell over his mind. Yeah, that had to be it, because Cassian did love you. He did. He just needed to wake up and realize it again.

And when he did , he’d thank you for never letting go, for being the one person who truly saw him, who loved him without limits.

Seeing Cassian sitting next to some water-wraith makes your heart pound harder and harder, fury bubbling under your skin. That’s it — that’s why he hasn’t been his usual self. That wretched wraith is manipulating him, filling his head with filthy lies about you. Poisoning what was meant to be perfect.

You have to stop this. You have to save him. And the only way to do that is to get rid of her. Permanently.

Your hands itch for action, and you’re already stepping forward when a hand clamps around your wrist.

“Are you about to go over to Cassian?” Feyre’s calm voice cuts through your haze of rage. “Don’t cause a scene.”

You tilt your head, offering her a polite smile. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m simply going to claim what is rightfully mine.”

You tug at her grip, but it holds firm. Feyre’s eyes narrow. “Not so fast. You know Cassian will think you’re crazy if you kill her right here and now.”

Your breath catches. How the hell did she know? Were you that obvious?

Before you can respond, she steps closer, her intoxicating perfume filling your senses. Her voice, low and smooth, sends shivers down your spine.

“If you want that little whore gone, gut her like a fucking fish. I’ll even help you. But not now, it’ll look bad for us.”

Your eyes widen slightly. Never in a million years would you have expected Feyre to suggest murder.

“Why are you so interested in me killing her?” you ask, voice curious.

A wicked smile curls at her lips before she presses a quick kiss to your cheek. “That little bitch tried to fuck Rhys right in front of me. Didn’t even bother pretending she didn’t know who I was. She didn’t care. And now I want her gone.”

Her voice cracks with a manic edge before she smooths it over, composure snapping neatly back into place.

She was just like you, a comfort you took pleasure in, someone who understood that love was meant to be fierce, consuming, and without limits.

—

You did exactly what Feyre suggested — waited until the big meeting with all the courts had ended, biding your time until the wraith was on her way back to Spring. She was alone, vulnerable, just as you had hoped.

Before she could winnow away, you struck. Kidnapping her had been easy, far too easy. And then came the best part: stabbing her over and over until you were drenched in her warm blood. Her look of terror sent a sick thrill down your spine, flipping your stomach in delight. Fuck, it felt good to finally get rid of her. Like being on edge for an eternity and finally getting the sweet, blissful relief you'd craved.

You cleaned up meticulously, disposing of every shred of evidence. No one would ever find her.

Winnowing back to Velaris, you appeared just outside Cassian’s house, dagger still in hand. Breaking in through your usual route was second nature by now. You settled yourself on his sofa, waiting patiently like you always did when he needed a gentle reminder of who truly belonged to him.

The door creaked open, and Cassian trudged inside, shoulders sagging with exhaustion. Normally, you'd feel a pang of sympathy for how hard he worked — how much he gave of himself. But not tonight. Tonight, you were kinda pissed.

His eyes flicked toward you, squinting in the dim light. He hesitated, unsure of who he was looking at until he flipped the lights on.

The color drained from his face as he stumbled backward, eyes wide with shock. “What the hell?” His voice wavered. “What are you doing here?”

You tilted your head, offering a sweet, unwavering smile. “Hi, Cassian. Done being a manwhore? Ready to come back to your senses?”

His gaze darted to the blood soaking your clothes, the gleaming dagger in your hand. He shook his head in disbelief, taking another step back, as if distance could protect him from you.

“I said, what are you doing here?” His voice hardens, sharp and commanding.

Yours matches his, cold and steady. “Well, since you seem to be under some delusion that you can get away from me, I figured I’d burst your little bubble and remind you that’s not the case.”

A calm smile spreads across your lips as you lift the dagger, pointing it directly at him. The weight of it feels right in your hand, steady and sure.

Cassian’s chest rises and falls as tension coils through the room. “You’re insane,” he mutters, disbelief lacing every word.

“Call it what you want. Call it love, call it obsession. Call me fucking insane,” you say, taking a slow step forward. “But you belong to me, Cassian. Always have. Always will.”

You shake your head and laugh, a hollow, unsettling sound. “Gods, Cassian. I don't know why you're doing this to me. Stop being so damn difficult and realize there's no one else for you. That water-wraith slut sure knows it now.”

His face goes pale, a hand pressing against his chest. “W-what are you talking about? You... you killed her?” he asks, horrified.

“Sure did.” You smile sweetly, tilting your head. “And I'll end anyone you think can take my place. Am I clear? Either you realize it now, or I keep killing people. It's all up to you.” You shrug nonchalantly, inspecting your nails as if this conversation were about the weather.

There's a long silence, thick with tension, and then something changes.

His voice drops, lower and rougher. “Took you long enough.”

Your head snaps up, eyes narrowing in confusion. His pale, horrified expression has melted away, replaced by something darker, more primal. His eyes gleam with something unholy, and his mouth twists into a cruel, wicked smile.

“Was wondering when you’d kill that little wraith,” he says smoothly, his voice dripping with amusement. “Gods know it was hard feigning interest.”

A warmth spreads through your chest, almost dizzying. Was this a dream? No way. Cassian matching your intensity, your madness — that was only supposed to happen in fantasies.

“What?” you whisper, barely believing what you’re hearing.

He steps closer, eyes gleaming darkly. “Didn’t think I noticed your stalking? Or the way you conveniently disposed of anyone I talked to?” His smirk widens, sharp and dangerous. “The way you just happened to show up at places I had scheduled? I’ve been onto you since day one.”

Your breath catches, heart thundering. “And?”

“And I knew you were the one the day you snuck into my room and stared at me, thinking I didn’t know,” he murmurs, eyes burning into yours with dark satisfaction.

A shiver runs down your spine, both thrilled and unhinged by his words. “You knew?”

He leans in closer, voice low and possessive. “Of course I knew. Your heavy breathing was a dead giveaway, sweetheart. You looked like you were seconds away from crawling into bed with me.”

You grin, eyes gleaming with madness. “I almost did.”

And it was true. He had been shirtless, skin smooth and golden in the moonlight, hair tied back so his sharp, handsome features were perfectly highlighted. Only years of discipline had kept you rooted to the spot instead of crawling into bed with him like you’d wanted to.

His smile deepens, dark and taunting. “You should’ve.” He steps closer, voice dropping to a low, sinful whisper. “Not the Gods themselves could have pulled me away.”

Your pulse races, wild and electric. This was so not fucking happening. “Don’t tempt me.”

“I’m not tempting you, my love.” he says, eyes gleaming with something dangerous. “I’m inviting you.”

He looks down at you, hands settling on your hips as he pulls you so close. Cassian’s heat makes your brain go fuzzy and for a moment you’re lost. Just as he is about to kiss you…

”Wait. So you felt the same I did? Why did you act all high and mighty when you’re literally worse than me?” You step back and raise an eyebrow at him, arms crossed over your chest.

Cassian blinks, clearly taken aback by your sudden outburst, but instead of guilt or surprise softening his expression, something darker gleams in his eyes — intrigue, even delight. “You’re mad at me, baby?”

“Of course I’m mad!” you snap, practically vibrating with frustration. “You knew I’m bsessed with you, and instead of saying anything, you just sat there, playing with me, making me feel insane.”

Your grip on the dagger tightens in pure frustration. “Do you know how many nights I spent plotting ways to keep you? How much blood I spilled thinking you didn’t care?”

His lips twitch, eyes filled with dark amusement.

“You could’ve just matched my crazy from day one, but nooo, you had to be all stoic and mysterious. Gods, Cassian, that’s infuriating.”

He steps closer, his voice low and dangerous. “You’re adorable when you’re pissed off, ya know? A cute, hotheaded little thing.”

“Adorable? I should stab you,” you snarl, but he only grins wider.

“Do it,” he whispers, his voice dripping with challenge. “I’d love to see what happens next.”

Your breath catches, heart racing as his words sink in. Cassian wasn’t just tolerating your madness, he wanted it, thrived on it, matched it beat for beat.

The realization sends a dizzy thrill through you, but you pout anyway, refusing to let him off the hook that easily. “You’re the worst,” you grumble, turning your head away with a dramatic huff.

He chuckles darkly, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you flush against him. “I was only interesed in seeing how far you’d go. Didn’t know if you’d run for the hills when I told you I murdered Helion’s advicer for looking at you yesterday.”

Your heart skips a beat, then thunders wildly in your chest. A sharp, wicked grin tugs at your lips despite yourself. “You did that?”

“Snapped his neck right before breakfast. Or did I feed him his own fingers then strangle him with his insides? Can’t say I remember.”

A sick thrill courses through you. Man, he was fucking perfect. It was so fucking wrong but your knees went weak and you started throbbing. He killed someone just for staring at you?

That was actually hot.

—

With no surprise, cassian fucked you for so long, so hard so fucking deep. It was so nasty, a reaaaal mess. one hand of his grabs onto your thigh, another gripping your waist while he’s glancing down at your sloppy cunt, what a masterpiece. Cassian decided he needed to see better so he pulled out as you whimpered pathetically.

his fingers smear his oozing cum all over you, from the slit all the way to your, swollen, throbbing clit.

“look at you makin’ a damn mess.” Your shaky hands gripping his wide shoulders start to slip. His arm tightens around your waist before you fall backwards. “fuckkkk, baby, look at how good your pussy was takin’ me, see how fucking wet she is?” you shudder as his fingers go knuckle deep into your cunt, giving you a few pumps before he pulls it right out, stringy wetness coating them.

he places two thick fingers inside of your mouth, you suck them clean whilst still moving against him, silently pleading for him to fill you out.

“shiiit, not fair. you got these killer hips that’ll dumb down any man.” Cassian finally fills you up again, his fat cock gliding against ypur wall just right. “oh-fuckkkk thaaat’s it, slow baby. slow, fuck me good, yeah?”

Cassian’s breath hitches as you tighten around him, his arm hurling behind the headboard. the desperation of having something to hold on to gives you an ego boost. was your just pussy too damn good?

“c-cas,” you moan, feeling his big fingers stroke their way against your waist to the very undersides of your thighs. you made sure to go slow, slow and steady just like he wanted. cassian’s got a sleazy grin, feeling the wetness of your cunt take him with all its might. “g-gonna cum!”

“i can tell, ah shit— you’re squeezin’ the fuck outta me,” He grunts in response as he feels you writhing, groaning at the gummy texture of your walls mightily gripping around him tight.

But it’s not enough. The rush lingers, addictive and gnawing, and you want more — need more. Something to cling to, something to burn into your memory for the rest of the week. A painfully sweet reminder of just how far you’ll both go for each other.

Your lips curl into a sly smile, voice dropping into a breathy tease. Finally, you’d lock in one last time to see if he was really as crazy as you. “Do you want to know,” You pause, your breath hitching in pleasure, “how it felt to kill t-that wraith?”

Cassian’s entire body tenses, his pupils dilating as a spark of something wild flickers in his eyes. His pulse kicks up, thrumming like a war drum. Fuck yeah, he wanted to know. Every sickening, twisted detail. Morality be damned—this was love.

“Tell me,” he demands, voice low and raw, filled with a dark hunger.

You grin wickedly, savoring his reaction. “It was beautiful,” you whimper, letting the memory flood your senses. “The way her breath hitched when she realized she was going to die? Gods, Cassian, it was intoxicating. She looked so helpless.”

His breath shudders as he pumps harder, his voice gravelly. “What did you feel?”

A dark satisfaction blooms in your chest. “Relief,” you murmur. “Pure relief. Like I’d been waiting forever and I was free.”

Cassian’s eyes burn into yours, his lips curling into a slow, dangerous smile. “You’re perfect,” he whispers. “Absolutely perfect. Absolutely mine.”

Your heart races as you lean in, lips hovering near his ear. “Next time,” you purr, “I’ll let you watch then fuck me right there.”

That’s it. Those few sadistic words are all the power he needs to finish you both off.

“you’re a nasty fucking girl—ughhhh.”

his speed had the bed creaking louder, and cassian’s grunting in your ear was getting louder as you were feeling fuller than ever. with hot pounds of skin against skin roughly slapping against each other after each second, the two of you felt the same pangs of pleasure and fervent dizziness. “inside, cas—fuck, cum inside me!” before an inevitable flood of heavenly pleasure consumes you both.

your cunt throbs the second he spills an entire whopping load inside of you raw, and you nuzzle your face into his neck. “cas—,” you stammer, and your walls were oh so greedy, adjusting to the way your pussy convulses around him, sharp nails dragging over his back. you both cum together as a surge of electricity pulses through each of your veins.

“fuck… ya better take every drop, s-shit,” he groans before slumping back against the headboard, tugging you closer so your face rests on his neck.

This was absolutely perfect. Cassian was yours now—forever. He could never leave you. And if he tried? You wouldn’t just kill him; you’d burn the entire world down with him. If you couldn’t have him, no one could. He simply wouldn’t exist without you.

That was love.

And Cassian being utterly, unapologetically insane? A gift wrapped in chaos. He understood you better than anyone ever could. Maybe you’d push him, see just how far that darkness in him stretched. Because Cassian didn’t get jealous—he got even. He got murderous.

“I love you, Cassian. So, so much,” you sob into his neck, your body trembling under the weight of the confession.

“I know you do,” he rasps, his voice rough as he grabs a blanket, wrapping it around your shivering form. His strong arms envelop you completely, his touch obsessive, possessive. His hand trails down your hair and back with agonizing tenderness as though memorizing every inch of you.

But something gnaws at you—a flicker of unease. Why wasn’t he saying it back? Did he need more proof that you were his literal wife(even if he didn’t know it yet), his reason for fucking breathing?

As if sensing your doubt, his grip tightens, pulling you even closer until you could hear the rapid, frantic beat of his heart. His lips brush against your ear, his voice low and raw, trembling with emotion.

“There are no words for what I feel for you,” he says, voice breaking. “Love is too weak, too pitiful. What I feel for you—gods, it devours me whole. It’s a sickness, an obsession that digs its claws into me and never lets go. You are everything. My breath, my blood, my madness.”

His words crash over you, wild and terrifying and utterly beautiful. And you know—he belongs to you as much as you belong to him.

Always.

[nugatorysheep]

What your favorite SU character says about you but it's just mean as fuck

Steven — How is being a mentally ill, people-pleasing queer going for you? Did your mommy issues and anxiety resolve themselves yet or are you still avoiding therapy?

You either disliked or were neutral about him until he got a neck. You think Future is peak cinema (correct) and can't understand why everyone else hates it. You have a better grasp on this show's characters and themes than most of the people who watched it.

Connie — You were likely the gifted kid in school but a total burn-out now. You either see a lot of yourself in this character (How are those helicopter parents of yours doing? Have you gone no-contact yet?) or you're a normie and boring to sandbox with. Probably both.

You've got a lot of Feelings™️about her and if people don't agree it causes Problems™️. In case no one has told you yet, stop caring what other people think. Your constant virtue signaling to appeal to other normies is a crutch that's just holding you back. It's okay to have fun!!

Stevonnie — You want to fuck this character, though you'd never say that out loud. You like Steven and Connie; maybe you like one more than the other, but you like both at least a little. If you're using them for shipping you're the only person in the entire fandom doing whatever hyper-specific ship you've latched onto.

Rose and or Pink — You really suck as a person! Or you used to suck but you've gotten a lot better and we stan! If you're the former you almost certainly have terrible takes on this show (but not in the way people might think), sorry, I don’t make the rules. Either way, you gotta stop finding ways to bring her back, dawg. She's gone.

Greg — You're a man (positive) and gay as hell. Gentleman on the streets and a fucking freak in the sheets. We stan. Pop off king <3

Garnet — If you headcanon her as acespec she is not actually your favorite, Ruby and Sapphire are your favorite, but you like them both equally so you just say you like Garnet. If you headcanon her as anything else you're definitely shipping her with one of the other gems, probably Pearl or Jasper.

Amethyst — Super chill person. Would be in most people's dream blunt rotation. You're a live and let live kinda guy and I respect that, but you also have no hills you'd die on so you're not the first person anyone goes to if they need serious support. You can get away with misinterpreting this character (on purpose or accidentally) because it's hard to say things about her that most people won't just shrug at and go "yeah that sounds right I guess"

Pearl — You're annoying as hell. You see yourself in this character and that's not a good thing. Your social media presence gives off the same energy as every white woman's Instagram profile. If being a victim was a contest you'd take home the gold.

You think everyone is out to get you. They're not.

You think you're being persecuted. You're not.

Most people who see you from a distance and don't know better think you're alright, so you're probably pretty well-liked in public. The only people you will get along with in close quarters are all walking mean lesbian stereotypes.

Peridot — You're annoying as hell for a different reason. You see yourself in this character too and that is a terrible, terrible thing.

She's your pfp on every website and app that will allow it. Your lifeblood is this fucking character and e v e r y o n e will know it. You're weirdly possessive of her and the hyper specific headcanons you made for her (even if you don't say that) despite every grass-fearing autistic person on the internet projecting onto her, so ironically you don't like other Peridot fans, which always ends up with you sitting alone even on websites with millions of people on them.

90% chance you're a furry, otherkin, therian or think you have DID. You think you're misunderstood, and in some ways you are, but the reality is most people don't speak dog and don't have the time or energy to learn. You need to go outside and learn to speak cat whether you want to or not

Lapis — You don't like Peridot fans or kinnies, which is weirdly in-character. You're the biggest hater but you don't hide it and I can respect that. You think Lapis is a victim, but you're only half right. You would probably fall for propaganda if it was dressed up fancy enough.

Jasper — You want to fuck this character, full stop. There's a 50/50 chance you're chill af or the most insufferable person on the planet. If you're the former you're friends with a lot of people. You float easily from one group to another, but a jack of all trades is a master of none, and you're no one's first pick if they're looking for someone close. You probably hate Lapis and her fans but you should really just let that shit go ngl

Spinel — You need therapy (derogatory) and you're making that everyone else's problem. Despite the clown aesthetic you're not very funny to be around and you should get a better sense of humor. You project onto this character way too hard and it shows in your fandom habits and headcanons, but most of the time that's fine

Like Spinel, you're a little two-faced. Some people pick up on that right away and some don't. The people who do hold you at arms length until you make it clear which clown you'd rather be. You hate it when people ship Spinel with any character besides your favorite pairing, but you'll never say that out loud unless it's a ship the people you're talking to don't like.

Blue Diamond — You're a man (derogatory) or a minor who doesn't actually understand anything about this character yet, and would immediately fall for any and all forms of propaganda

Yellow Diamond — If you think she is wearing a helmet you're a man (derogatory) and you expected things out of SU that were never gonna happen. If you think it's just hair you have a much better grasp on this character than 90% percent of SU's fandom and I'm platonically kissing you on the mouth.

White Diamond — You're a man (derogatory) or an incredibly based and sexy queer.

The Zircons — You like Ace Attorney, or would like it if you haven't played it yet. You're making them kiss sloppy style. UwU

Lars — You probably didn't like him until after he died. You will defend this boy with your fucking life. Also you should just…. go watch Star Trek if you haven't. Seriously what are you doing—

Sadie — You're an oddball. Very lax though. You have complicated feelings about Shep

Peedee — You're a little quirky, a little freaky, but you're too scared to just say that. You desperately need some fun in your life, but the people around you make that difficult. Eventually you'll find the folks that are worth hanging around. See you on the flip side :)

Ronaldo — You're the type of person this character is based on and you take it in stride. If you're shipping him with Lars, you're the only person who's opinion on this character matters.

Kevin — I dunno who hurt you but you have a terrible taste in men. You only have fun in bed if it involves a damn near human rights violation

Mayor Dewey — You're normalbirb

Any other townie — This is a trick question! No one has these as their favorite lmao

[alittlebitofloveliness]

Darry Curtis was always gay- the musical just makes it more obvious.

I know it was never Hinton’s INTENTION for any of her characters to be perceived as queer, she claims she didn’t write them that way, and that’s fine. In fact, I think reading The Outsiders as a group of straight men who have the bonds they do is actually a really great critique of toxic masculinity, in that we would see the contrast between their interactions one on one or alone with the group, compared to their macho, hyper masculine personas they showcase in public. HOWEVER, I think it’s incredibly hard to read it that way because Hinton accidentally and completely unintentionally made Darry Curtis one of the gayest characters in modern literature. It’s not far fetched. It’s not a stretch. I’m saying that if you have even a surface level understanding of subtext that it is obvious. Darry’s queerness is as open  in the novel as he is in his life- that is, it’s never said explicitly, but it’s VERY easy to see the signs. In fact, the way it’s threaded into the narrative but very talked around leads me to believe that even though Darry wasn’t out, it might have been an open secret within the gang- or at the very least they probably had some suspicions. 

For one, in the book Darry is never mentioned even once to have had a girlfriend, or even to have gone on dates, but we know he was popular and well liked. You can’t convince me that a handsome, popular football player, whose peers liked him enough to vote him Boy of The Year, didn’t have more than a few girls interested in him, but Pony’s narration never even alludes to Darry having been interested in one. For all he talks up Darry’s achievements, the scholarship he won, the future he could have had and everything he gave up, women/a girlfriend were never a part of it- which, given the time period and Darry’s reliance on hyper masculine social scripts, seems highly uncharacteristic unless there was a plausible explanation for his complete disinterest (ie. being gay). Now, examine this hyper masculinity a little further, and you can see it for what it is, a) a defence mechanism (because it separates him from stereotypes of what a gay men are like, so if he’s ‘manly’ enough no one will ever suspect or discover what he is) and b) the unfortunate complete opposite of that. Just like how hyper femininity characteristic to femme lesbians is off putting to men, the same is true to some degree about hyper masculine men being somewhat off putting to women. Not to the same degree, and probably not as obviously, but Darry’s  over the top masculinity might be the one thing effective in keeping (some) women away for reasons they can’t quite put their finger on. Point is, Darry was never a ladies man, to a degree that is very not heterosexual, especially for the time period.

So, now that we’ve established Darry’s complete disinterest in dating women,  his hypermasculine personality and it’s possible implications, let’s turn to other textual support for his queerness: his relationships with other male characters. I’m not talking about the gang- his interactions with all of them are very friendly/familial-  but he has a bond with Tim Shepard that is clear on the page but left largely unexplained (their weird eye contact and high mutual respect, the fact Tim was at their house once with no explanation), and his homoerotic run in/fight with Paul at the rumble. Both these relationships have plausible deniability- they’re not explicitly gay, but they’re also not NOT gay. Again, Hinton didn’t intentionally make Darry gay, but he very much is, and as far as closeted gay characters go, he’s a fairly well written one, because the subtext is very much THERE if you know what you’re looking for, but the queerness of his interactions is shrouded in this very real this COULD mean nothing characteristic of a lot of closeted queer interactions. 

Having said all this, I think the musical making Darry and Paul’s fight (somehow) even more charged and homoerotic than it is in the book was a wise choice, because a lot of the rest of the subtext was changed/missing from the musical adaptation. I’ve seen the ritfr analysis looking at the lyrics as they relate to Darry’s queerness, and I do think they follow the veiled/subtextual theme, but I don’t think they’re as explicitly gay as they’re touted to be. However, I do think the musical does a good job of highlighting Darry’s queerness given the medium they’re working with, and the actors do an amazing job portraying it without saying it outright, making it more obvious than it is on the page- but Darry was canonically gay in the book too, and let’s not pretend otherwise.

(Lmk if you want to see my analysis of the other Curtis’ queerness as it related to the book + musical).

[cryingpariah]

I know that we (Usopp Nation) love to discuss the multiple different ways the eventual meeting between Usopp and Yassop could go but today I wanted to discuss how I think the Strawhats would react to Usopp having/wanting/feeling like he needs to meet his father but hesitating for [Insert reason here].

Luffy: Likes Yassop obviously and would be excited to see him again! But our emotionally intelligent king would pick up on Usopp's vibes and just outright ask him what’s wrong. Would respect his decision to go or not go. If it’s a no though, he'd go and break the news but do it much too bluntly (“Yeah, Usopp didn’t want to come!”). Honestly the whole time there he’s unintentionally making Yassop feel like the biggest piece of shit.

Zoro: Pretends to not care/not have an opinion when he in fact has plenty of both. Zoro's just not the kind of person to care about blood connections, not his own anyway, so he'd probably veer on the side of not going but acts neutral. Regardless of Usopp's decision though Zoro is there to make sure he sticks to it, no wussing out! If he says he’s going he’s going, even if he’s got to hide behind Zoro the whole walk there.

Nami: Usopp's BFFL. She’s there to hype him up! No shitty absent father is allowed to make him feel like shit! She’s helping him get ready, picking a killer outfit and hairstyle for him, everyone knows looking good is the best social armour! If he decides not to go she’s still dressing up him but this time to go and paint the town red! If he does want to go she’s heading there right alongside him! Even if it looks like she’s engaged with something else best believe she’s keeping a hawk eye on Usopp.

Sanji: Guy who is so anti biological father. Is staunchly against Usopp going but tries to hide it behind neutrality and fails miserably. Ultimately though having had some emotional catharsis with facing his own father he’ll accept Usopp's decision no matter what. Absolutely tags along and brings a dish because he was raised a proper chef. (“Oh this? It’s Usopp’s favourite. Not that you had any way of knowing.” *faux polite customer service smile*)

Chopper: Little fella is CONFLICTED. On one hand he’s literally only heard good things about Yassop from both Usopp and Luffy so obviously this guy must be great! But if that was true why did Ussop look so..scared? He decides to approach this from a doctor perspective first by sitting Ussop for a checkup and letting him ramble all his thoughts out. If Usopp decides not to go Chopper's making an official announcement that Usopp's got ‘can’t-leave-the-boat-disease and has to stay for his own good.

Robin: Notices Usopp's discomfort immediately and whisks him away. Sits him down with a cup of her secret stash of soothing tea and lays down all the facts for him. Yes, he has no obligation to go see his father just cause he’s here. No it doesn’t make him a bad person if he doesn’t want to. Despite how wildly different they are, she’s the best at understanding his feelings right now and all that come with it. If he decides to not go, she’ll go in his stead to explain (and also to make sure Yassop doesn’t try to go himself).

Franky: He’s about as emotional as you’d expect. He’d probably be encouraging Usopp to go, not for his dad but for himself. His dreams of being a ‘proper man’ and ‘brave warrior of the sea’ means he shouldn’t live or die with regrets or what ifs. Regardless of Usopp's decision, Franky just wants to make he won’t regret for one reason or another. Will tag along and hype up Ussop to anyone and everyone.

Brook: Like Robin he’s taking Usopp somewhere else to calm down and think. He’s also playing him some soft violin to relax to. They don’t talk much, just let the music guide them for a bit. In a moment of violin driven vulnerability, Brook would tell Usopp that regardless of what does or does not happen, he has a place and a family right here, and that won’t ever change. Places neutral but would prefer if Usopp stayed and didn’t risk getting hurt.

Jinbei: Probably knows Yassop on a semi-causal level and therefore knew of Usopp long before FMI. Was really stunned upon hearing this would be Usopp's first proper meeting with his father. Jinbei's got plenty of sage of advice and can wash away Usopp's parental insecurities by reminding him of who he is and how any man worth a damn would be proud to call him his son. Stays behind if Usopp goes but only because he’s worried of overstepping if he does.

BONUS! (Argue with your mama, your daddy and your congressman Vivi will be the final Strawhat!!)

Vivi ft Karoo: They’re absolutely gobsmacked. Vivi's the one that brings out some latent anger Usopp doesn’t even realize he’s been holding in. I can definitely see Vivi wanting to go even if Usopp's not, she’s very confrontational after all but she defect to what Usopp wants ultimately. If he does want to go she’s right there with him and is totally throwing some shade Yassop's way. Karoo is there as a supportive friend and a quick exit strategy if Usopp needs it.

[juullllssss]

Knightorder 141 x f!reader Part 4

In Health and Sickness

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

When your sister got the news of your new bodyguards she couldn't stop swooning over her new found luck. You had to remind her that she is already spoken for, her fiancé would not appreciate how she is talking about these men. But you had to admit that you could not stop the happiness coiling in your stomach. Now you would be able to see them more often, maybe even getting to know Simon and Price better.

The weather was getting colder during this time of the year, but you didn't stop your walks in the garden like before. With the company of one of the men at all time you were always in good spirits. With time you started to open up more, being braver to show your character in front of them. At one of these walks you mentioned how it was getting colder by the day, wrapping your jacket closer around yourself.

"Ya ken i cuid jus' make ya a scarf if you would lek? Am not that good yet but cuid try?" taken of guard you looked back up at Johnny, learning something new about him. Besides you were still getting used to his accent, even if he was trying to speak very clearly.

"You knit? I would not take you for the type." you wonder how he even started, it was not something men did typically.

Something in your gaze must have shown your wonder, Johnnys ears getting a pinch red, "Aye, if ya live with a bunch of Chaps ya hev to get creative summtimes, ti's good for keeping myself busy n'all."

You take pity on the men who seems a little bashful about his hobby being discovered, giggling a little about the shy look he is giving you. It is adorable how happy he gets when you agree to his offer. Naturally slinging a arm around your shoulder, happily walking along side you. You tense but relax after a second, noticing how he seems to smirk when he realizes. Even thru his vest you can fell the bulking muscles around your shoulder. You never were so close to a man, and Johnny was touching you a lot more often since becoming your bodyguard. You tried not to think to deeply about it, having seen him acting that way towards the other men of his order, as well.

When you both get back to your room Simon is already there. Ready to take over guard for the evening and night. He greets you again with a nod, like always. Johnny excuses himself, not without sharing a emotional gaze with Simon. You couldn't fully decipher the tension between them. When turning to go into your room is when you have an idea. Since some time now you wanted to get the change to talk to Simon. To hear that gravely, deep voice addressed towards yourself. This could be your chance. "Sir Simon, why don't we share a cup of tea?" You notice him tensing, his gaze towards the ground. "That would not be appropriate for someone like me, my lady." For a moment you freeze, seeing how offering something like that might be taken as an offence. "I didn't mean it in ill will, i just wanted a moment in company." for a moment you are afraid he might still take offence. For a moment he is silent, then you can see his mask shifting...a smile? "I didn't take offence my lady, but i am not of noble birth, just like my brothers in arm." For a moment you had to let the information sink in. His brown eyes seeming to see right trough you. Giving you a moment to understand. "Even more impressive seem your Achievements." This in turn takes im aback, to often where the Imitate reactions of pity or embarrassment. With this it seems like Simon is taking something into consideration, slightly tilting his head while studying your form. It got you shifting slightly from on foot to the other. "Then how about this, i sit while you enjoy a cuppa, may lady?" The unfamiliar word takes you by surprise, but you still get the message. He really agreed. You have to hold yourself back to just clap your hands happily. Not wanting to spook him away again.

One of the Maids brings you a cup of tea. You enjoy the floral aroma and the relaxing warm of the cup on your hands. You had offered Simon a seat but he refused, saying he was comfortable standing. You let him be, slowly understanding how some of his actions, kind of rude on first glance, where really just showing what an upright and honorable men he was. You fully enjoy the conversation you are having. At some point you realize that Simon is quit a Fan of the darkest and driest Humor you have ever heard. In the flow of your exchange of pointless jokes about the latest drama and gossip in the royal court, is when he surprises you with a unexpected question. "What animal would you never trust in your life?" For the first moment you laugh, not sure what to make of the question but Simon doesn't elaborates further. So you think for a little moment. "Mhm, i think possibly a wolf." His gaze stays on you. "Why is that?" You look back at him, it seems as if he is really interested in your answer. "When i grew up our nanny told us a lot of fairy tales, i was always scared of the big, bad wolf." You trail and after a moment of silence Simon talks again. "Yes i can see that, my nanna told me a lot of story's, too. But I liked the ones with the little fairy's the most..." And just like that the flow of the conservation picks up again. With Simon's position and his ability to blend into his surrounding you are not surprised how much information and gossip he has heard from the nobles. What does surprise you is how much he likes to gossip about it as well. At the End of your talk you know exactly who is having an affair, who is an alcoholic, in debt and many other things. You already dread the day you have to meet these nobles again, hopefully you are able to keep a straight face...

The next morning you wake up with your whole body feeling heavy, your head is pounding and you can feel how dry and painful your throat is. You wish now you had worn warmer clothes over the last few days. The scarf from Johnny would have helped, too. Over the next few days it doesn't get better. According to the doctor you developed a fever, slipping out and in into a half Waking state. You barely register how your bodyguards slip in and out of the room. At some point you could swear you felt Price's hand on your cheek. At some other point there were Kyle and Johnny standing next to you watching your form, talking to themselves in small voices. Maybe the fever makes you see things because why would your bodyguards be with you in the night? They are lingering at the edges of your vision, sometimes you think you are feeling their hands on you, on your face, your hands, your neck.

When you wake up days later, the sun is already high in the sky. Nobody is in your room. You look towards your nightstand, a glass of water together with a empty bowl sitting there. And next to it is something unexpected. You pick the little wooden figure up from the nightstand. It is smooth to the touch, showing the time spend on carving it. Finely made, a little wooden wolf is laying in your hand.

[seitmai]

Ahh many thoughts

You surreptitiously suck in a breath and school your face to remain completely and utterly professional. But your chest bursts into a triumphant fire at the judge’s verdict.

I could not hold it in like that lmao

Sarah gives you a nod, and then she’s approached by the brother of your client - whose been trying to hold back his clear crush on your paralegal until the case was over, and you’re happy to see him shoot his shot. He’s a sweet kid, just about her age, and she’s had terrible luck in the romance department. This could be a path out of the woods for her of those post-grad men who still desperately tried to cling to their frat boy glory.

Good Luck Sarah 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

You chuckle, shaking your head. "Now, now. We're professionals here. We don't gloat." "Speak for yourself," Sarah quips, earning a round of laughter from the table.

Valid 🤷🏻‍♀️

The victory feels sweeter shared with these people who helped you prepare for the case and who understand the long hours and emotional toll of the job.

Oh I 100% agree!

Your eyebrows shoot up. "The Donovan case? Andy, that's not even your case. It's being handled by the DA's office." He nods, pacing the room. "I know, I know. But I've been looking into it, and something's not right. The evidence doesn't add up."

Uhh👀

“Someone with too much money, too much power, and too much influence is somehow pulling strings to pin this the way they want. You can help me identify the right players. But, what’s more, you have the necessary clout and influence in this town to go to the DA and be taken seriously, and I don’t have that yet.” “It’s eating you up to admit that, isn’t it?” you finally say. He puts his hands on his hips and lets out a deep sigh. “Yeah, it does. Satisfied?”

Yes absolutely and it feels food to hear it 😌

A muscle in his jaw ticks. He licks his lips. “Do you think it’s possible that the cases I’m losing now are for the defendants that should be put behind bars, the ones I have no guilt taking money from, and that I’m just that good that they never question that I’m making sure they get what they deserve?”

I can respect that

"Okay," you say slowly, "I'll listen. But I need to know everything. No holding back, no surprises later. If we're going to do this, we do it right." Relief washes over Andy's face. He nods vigorously. "Of course. Everything I have, it's all yours."

🤝🏻

Andy appears at your side, and you turn slightly to look at him. “Why are we in a hotel room discussing this? Secrecy? If you’re that worried, it won’t be hard to track you here.” “I…” he laughs. “No, actually. It’s worse than that.” “Oh, Andy,” your voice is wary, “don’t tell me you live here.”

At least it's a nice hotel, could be worse 🤷🏻‍♀️

“I didn’t know this was where you landed,” he says, “but when I got here and heard you were one of the top lawyers in this town, I felt a mix of curiosity and pride and... something else." His voice drops lower, a hint of vulnerability creeping in. "I thought about reaching out, but..." You turn to face him fully, your breath catching slightly at his proximity. "But what?"Andy's eyes search yours, a storm of emotions swirling in their depths. "But I was ashamed. Of how things ended between us in law school. Of how my life had fallen apart. I didn't want you to see me like that, but I didn’t want to run away and start my new chapter making a cowardly choice by picking some place else."

🥺🥺🥺

"I know this isn’t the right time," Andy starts, his voice low and husky, "but I can't ignore this anymore." Before you can respond, he closes the distance between you, his lips meeting yours in a searing kiss. For a moment, you're too stunned to react. But then, as if a dam has broken, you're kissing him back with equal fervor, years of unresolved tension pouring out.

"We were too busy hating each other back at law school, but I've thought about this for years," he murmurs. "About you." “You hated me?” you ask. “No,” he admits. “Me either,” you say truthfully.

Well glad that that finally got resolved 😅

Gently, he turns you back to face him, and then in one fluid motion, Andy lifts you up, your legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. He carries you to the bed, laying you down gently on the soft mattress. Andy kneels above you for a moment, pausing, his eyes roaming your body with undisguised desire. He’s already taken you once, so it’s no surprise, but his gaze is overwhelmingly intense, almost reverent, as if he's committing every curve and freckle to memory. "You're beautiful," he murmurs, leaning down to capture your lips in a tender kiss.

😮‍💨🥰😮‍💨🥰

You run your fingers through his hair, down his back, feeling the play of muscles under his skin. There's an intimacy to this moment that surprises you - it's not just about physical pleasure, but a connection that feels deeper, more meaningful. Unexplored potential from years before spilling into reality now.

It waited all these years together be explored

Andy's hands knead the muscles of your shoulders, working out knots you didn't even realize were there. His touch is firm but gentle, alternating between deep pressure and feather-light caresses. You feel yourself melting into the mattress, tension draining from your body.

I need a massage like that too💆🏻‍♀️

You nod, acutely aware of the warmth of his body pressed against yours. "The case..." "Is still our priority," Andy finishes for you. "We can't let this distract us from what's at stake."

Let's keep our heads in the game

You sit up slowly, the sheet pooling around your waist. Andy's eyes roam your body appreciatively before meeting your gaze again. "But I don't regret it," he says firmly. "Do you?" You consider for a moment, then shake your head. "No, I don't. But we need to be careful." You nod, leaning into his touch. "And when we're not working?" A slow smile spreads across Andy's face. "When we're not working, we can explore... this." He gestures between you two.

I can work with that 😌

You hesitate, knowing you should probably leave, maintain some distance. But the thought of curling up in Andy's arms is too appealing when he’s so willing.

No way I would say no to a cuddle invitation like that

Happy Friday, Aspen!

Legal Temptations

Characters/Pairings: Andy Barber x curvy Millennial female!Reader Word Count: 6.4k Summary: After battling with Andy Barber in the courtroom, your relationship takes a turn when you receive an unexpected message from your rival requesting a secretive meeting to discuss a high-profile murder case. Intrigued but cautious, you can't turn down the invitation from Newton's former Assistant District Attorney and your former law school rival.

Content/Warnings: explicit smut: vaginal fingering, vaginal intercourse, unprotected sex, oral (female receiving), ; mild exhibitionism (sex in front of a window), first time anal play/rimming; dirty talk; a lot of plot BEFORE we get to the smut

Notes: Sorry it's not Friday, Jen, and sorry this has also sat in my inbox for months! I kept on wanting to do something new with Andy and wanting to post it on a Friday, but things kept on getting away from me. Now I'm just posting and to hell with previous intentions, hahaha. But kicking off my series of Valentine Storygrams seemed like a good time to trot him out!

↠ Main Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

“I find the defendant guilty as charged.”

You surreptitiously suck in a breath and school your face to remain completely and utterly professional.

But your chest bursts into a triumphant fire at the judge’s verdict.

You’ve won, yet again, against Andy Barber. And rightly so. Your client was the victim, plain and simple. But it’s the third time in three months.

And it feels damn good to know you did.

As the courtroom erupts into a flurry of murmurs and movement, you gather your papers with practiced efficiency, sliding them into your briefcase. You avoid looking at the defense table.

The judge's gavel cracks through the air. "Court is adjourned."

You rise, buttoning your blazer with one smooth motion. Only then do you allow yourself a brief glance at your opponent. Andy's jaw is clenched, his shoulders tense as he leans in to whisper something to his client. A twinge of sympathy flickers through you - you know all too well the sting of defeat. But you still can't help savoring this moment, this victory. It's not just about winning – it's about justice served, about protecting the innocent and punishing the guilty.

As you stride towards the exit, your heels clicking authoritatively on the polished floor, a hand catches your elbow. You turn to find Sarah, your paralegal, grinning widely.

"Drinks to celebrate?" she asks, her eyes sparkling with shared victory.

You nod, allowing a small smile to curve your lips. "Absolutely. The usual place in an hour?"

Sarah gives you a nod, and then she’s approached by the brother of your client - whose been trying to hold back his clear crush on your paralegal until the case was over, and you’re happy to see him shoot his shot. He’s a sweet kid, just about her age, and she’s had terrible luck in the romance department. This could be a path out of the woods for her of those post-grad men who still desperately tried to cling to their frat boy glory.

You make your way out of the courtroom, nodding politely to colleagues and spectators. In the hallway, a reporter approaches, microphone extended.

"Counselor, another impressive win. Any comments on the verdict?"

You pause, choosing your words carefully. "We’re obviously pleased with the verdict. That's all I'll say for now. Any further comments will come through official channels." You offer a polite but firm smile, sidestepping the reporter with practiced ease.

As you’re about to get into your car, you look back at the courthouse and spot Andy Barber exiting the building, his face masking frustration and defeat. For a moment, your eyes lock. There's a flash of something—respect, perhaps, or resignation—before he turns away, striding purposefully towards the parking lot.

You shake off the encounter and settle into your car. Between the drive home to change into something more casual and then the drive to your usual celebratory spot, you’re able to decompress, shed the courtroom persona, and remember who you are outside of the high-stakes world of criminal law.

By the time you push open the door of O'Malley's, your favorite low-key bar, you're feeling more like yourself. Sarah is already there. She’s landed you a good corner booth, and two of the other paralegals from your office and your assistant are there, too.

As you slide into the booth, Sarah pushes a glass of your favorite scotch towards you. "To justice," she says, raising her own glass in a toast.

"To justice," you echo, clinking glasses with the group. The warm burn of the liquor is a welcome sensation after the tension of the day in court.

Your assistant, Mark, leans in eagerly. "So, boss, give us the details. How did Barber's face look when the verdict came down?"

You chuckle, shaking your head. "Now, now. We're professionals here. We don't gloat."

"Speak for yourself," Sarah quips, earning a round of laughter from the table.

As the conversation flows, the weight of the case finally lifting from your shoulders. Sarah’s receiving and responding to a few texts, apparently having agreed to give her number to the client’s brother. The victory feels sweeter shared with these people who helped you prepare for the case and who understand the long hours and emotional toll of the job.

Sarah leans in, her voice lowered conspiratorially. "So, what's next? Rumor has it the DA's office is eyeing you for a big case."

You take a sip of your drink, considering. "Nothing's confirmed yet, but there have been some interesting conversations. We'll see."

Just then, it’s your phone that buzzes. Glancing down, you see a text from an unknown number:

Congratulations on the win. We need to talk. Meet me at hotel bar at Clark’s, 10 PM tonight. Come alone. -AB

Your brow furrows. AB. Andy Barber. What could he possibly want? And why the secrecy?

You don’t respond right away. It’s only just past eight. You have time to consider the situation.

But ultimately, your curiosity wins out, and around nine, you make your excuses and leave your staff at O’Malley’s.

On your way to Clark’s, your wheels turn over the enigma that is Andy Barber.

He showed up in town almost six months ago, relocated from Massachusetts where he’d been the assistant district attorney before his son had been accused of murder. You had followed the tragic unfolding of events - the family ostracized from their community, brief reprieve when Jacob had been cleared, and then the tragic accident where his son and his wife ended up in critical condition. Jacob passed away, never coming out of his coma, and though Laurie recovered, a year later, their marriage never did, and they divorced in a fairly civil proceeding.

You had really felt for him initially.

But once you started coming up against him in the court room, you were reminded why you had hated him all through law school. He was always good at what he did, and he was smug about it. The two of you had competed for everything. Top spot of each class, the most competitive internships, nearly coming out even, but he edged you out for valedictorian of your graduating class, leaving you as salutatorian.

He’d gone public defender, and you’d moved back to your home state and gone into private practice, and you really hadn’t thought of him again until he made the news - because the son of an ADA being hit with murder charges made the national news circuit.

But back at law school, he’d gotten under your skin, and as much as you tried to ignore it now, he was doing it again.

You arrive at Clark's Hotel ten minutes before the agreed time, your mind still churning with questions. The hotel bar is dimly lit, all dark wood and leather, exuding an air of discreet luxury. You scan the room, but there's no sign of Andy yet.

Settling at the bar, you order a club soda. You need to keep your wits about you for whatever this meeting might bring. The bartender slides your drink across the polished surface just as you feel a presence at your elbow.

"Thanks for coming," Andy greets you in a low voice.

You turn to face him, taking in his appearance. He looks tired, the lines around his eyes deeper than you remember from the courtroom. His suit is slightly rumpled, as if he's been wearing it all day.

"What's this about, Andy?" you ask, cutting straight to the chase.

He glances around the bar, then back to you. "Not here. I've got a room upstairs. We can talk there."

Your instincts flare with caution, but curiosity wins out. You nod, following him to the elevator.

The ride up is silent, tension thick in the air. As the elevator doors slide open, you follow Andy down the plush carpeted hallway. He stops at room 712, swiping the keycard and holding the door open for you.

You hesitate for a moment before stepping inside. The room is spacious but dimly lit, with a view of the city skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows. Andy moves to the mini bar, pouring himself a generous measure of whiskey. He offers you one, but you decline with a shake of your head.

"Alright, we're here. What's going on?" you ask, your patience wearing thin.

He takes a long sip of his drink before turning to face you, his expression grave. "I need your help," he says, his voice barely above a whisper.

You raise an eyebrow, skepticism clear in your voice. "My help? With what?"

Andy runs a hand through his hair, a gesture of frustration you remember from your law school days. "It's about the Donovan case."

Your mind races. Robert Donovan, a prominent businessman, found brutally murdered in his penthouse apartment. The Donovan case is the high-profile murder trial of the year - possibly of the decade - and set to begin in a few weeks.

Your eyebrows shoot up. "The Donovan case? Andy, that's not even your case. It's being handled by the DA's office."

He nods, pacing the room. "I know, I know. But I've been looking into it, and something's not right. The evidence doesn't add up."

You cross your arms, leaning against the wall. "What do you mean?"

Andy takes a deep breath, then launches into a detailed explanation. He talks about inconsistencies in witness statements, forensic evidence that doesn't quite fit the prosecution's timeline, and a potential alibi for the defendant that wasn't fully investigated. As he speaks, you find yourself drawn in, your legal mind picking apart the details.

"The blood spatter analysis," he says, pulling out a file from his briefcase, "it doesn't match the prosecution's theory of how the murder happened. And look at this," he points to a photo, "the angle of the wound suggests the attacker was left-handed, but Donovan is right-handed."

You lean in, examining the evidence. It's compelling. "Andy, this is... fascinating. But why are you showing me this? Why not take it to the DA? Or the press?”

“Someone with too much money, too much power, and too much influence is somehow pulling strings to pin this the way they want. You can help me identify the right players. But, what’s more, you have the necessary clout and influence in this town to go to the DA and be taken seriously, and I don’t have that yet.”

You take in a deep breath and study his face.

Impatient, he implores you by name - first name, not last name like he always did in law school and like he had these past months.

“It’s eating you up to admit that, isn’t it?” you finally say.

He puts his hands on his hips and lets out a deep sigh. “Yeah, it does. Satisfied?”

“Mildly,” you admit, a hint of a smirk on your face. “But Andy, why should I trust you? Word around town is you’re hit or miss on your cases, and I’ve just beat you on all three when we’ve come toe to toe.”

He arches a brow. “You think I’ve lost my edge?”

“You were brilliant Newton - on track to be the DA, you won everything.”

A muscle in his jaw ticks. He licks his lips. “Do you think it’s possible that the cases I’m losing now are for the defendants that should be put behind bars, the ones I have no guilt taking money from, and that I’m just that good that they never question that I’m making sure they get what they deserve?”

You arch an eyebrow. He doesn’t lose everything, and he certainly didn’t make any rookie mistakes on the cases he is losing.

“I’m willing to entertain that premise.”

“Alright, that’s all I need. Now what about Donovan?”

You mull over everything he’s shared so far. Your gut says he’s not wrong.

He says your name again, prompting you back into the moment.

You lock eyes with Andy, searching for any hint of deception. But all you see is earnestness and a hint of desperation.

"Okay," you say slowly, "I'll listen. But I need to know everything. No holding back, no surprises later. If we're going to do this, we do it right."

Relief washes over Andy's face. He nods vigorously. "Of course. Everything I have, it's all yours."

You move to the small desk in the corner of the room, pulling out a chair. "Alright then, let's get to work. Start from the beginning."

For the next few hours, you and Andy pour over the evidence, dissecting every detail of the Donovan case. As the night wears on, your skepticism fades, replaced by a growing certainty that something is indeed very wrong with this case.

Around two am, you lean back in your chair, rubbing your eyes. "This is big, Andy. Really big. If what we suspect is true, it could implicate some very powerful people."

Andy nods grimly. "I know. That's why I needed your help. I won’t be able to do this alone."

You sigh and press your fingers to your temples, massaging away what stress you can, though it seems futile. “This has to stay between us for now. If there's even a whisper of this getting out before we're ready..."

"I know," he interrupts. "Believe me, I understand the stakes."

As he gathers the files, you move to the window, gazing out at the city below. The lights twinkle like stars, hiding the secrets and machinations of the powerful. You can't help but wonder what you're getting yourself into.

Andy appears at your side, and you turn slightly to look at him. “Why are we in a hotel room discussing this? Secrecy? If you’re that worried, it won’t be hard to track you here.”

“I…” he laughs. “No, actually. It’s worse than that.”

“Oh, Andy,” your voice is wary, “don’t tell me you live here.”

“I haven’t gotten around to finding a place.”

“Six months, Andy!”

He smirks and cocks his head. “You’ve been keeping track of how long I’ve been in town?”

You look away, feeling your cheeks flood with heat.

He takes a step closer, not touching, but near enough that you can feel the warmth of his body.

“I didn’t know this was where you landed,” he says, “but when I got here and heard you were one of the top lawyers in this town, I felt a mix of curiosity and pride and... something else." His voice drops lower, a hint of vulnerability creeping in. "I thought about reaching out, but..."

You turn to face him fully, your breath catching slightly at his proximity. "But what?"

Andy's eyes search yours, a storm of emotions swirling in their depths. "But I was ashamed. Of how things ended between us in law school. Of how my life had fallen apart. I didn't want you to see me like that, but I didn’t want to run away and start my new chapter making a cowardly choice by picking some place else."

The admission hangs in the air between you, heavy with unspoken history. You remember the fierce competition, the heated debates, the undercurrent of tension that had always existed between you two. And now, years later, here you are, standing toe to toe once again.

"Andy," you start, unsure of what to say. But before you can continue, he takes a step back, running a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry," he says quickly. "That's not why I asked you here. We should focus on the case."

You nod, trying to ignore the sudden pang of disappointment. "Right, the case. We need a plan."

As Andy moves back to the desk, you can't help but feel a mix of emotions - frustration at his deflection, curiosity about what might have been, and an overwhelming sense that you're on the precipice of something monumental with this case.

Leaving the window, you join him at the desk. "We need to be methodical about this. We can't afford to make any mistakes."

Andy nods, his professional demeanor firmly back in place. "Agreed. I think our first step should be to re-interview some of the key witnesses. There are inconsistencies in their statements that we need to explore further."

You tap your finger on the desk, thinking. "That's risky. If word gets back to whoever's pulling the strings, they might move to cover their tracks."

"True," Andy concedes. "But if we're careful, we might be able to gather crucial information without raising suspicions."

You consider this for a moment. "Alright, but we do it discreetly. No official channels. We'll need to come up with a cover story for why we're asking questions."

As you and Andy begin to outline your strategy, you can't help but feel a thrill of excitement. You feel it in every meaty case, that feeling never going away though you’ve been practicing for years.

"We obviously need to be careful about who we to to with this information," Andy says.

"I have a few trusted contacts in the police department who might be able to help us discreetly.”

“I’ve already established a few contacts on the street. And what about your paralegal, Sarah? Could she be brought in on this?"

You consider for a moment. "Sarah's reliable, and she has a knack for research. She could be invaluable. But let's wait before bringing anyone else in. For now, it's just us."

"Just us," Andy echoes, his eyes meeting yours. There's a beat of silence, heavy with unspoken words.

You clear your throat.

"Right," you say, breaking the tension. "Let's focus on our next steps. We need to start gathering concrete evidence to support our theory."

Andy nods, visibly refocusing. "I've been thinking about that. There's a security guard at Donovan's building who was working the night of the murder. His statement seemed off. Like he was holding something back."

"Good catch," you reply, impressed despite yourself. "We should try to talk to him first. Maybe we can convince him to come clean."

"Agreed. I'll set up a meeting, make it look casual. We don't want to spook him."

As you continue planning, the sky outside begins to lighten. You glance at your watch, surprised to find it's nearly five am.

"We should probably call it a night," you say, stifling a yawn. "Or morning, I guess."

Andy looks up from the notes he's been scribbling, seeming equally surprised by the time. "You're right. We've made good progress, and we’ll need to be sharp for this."

You start gathering your things, your mind already racing with the day ahead. As you reach for your coat, Andy's hand brushes against yours. The touch sends an electric current through your body, and you freeze, suddenly hyper-aware of his proximity. You turn to face him, and the intensity in his eyes takes your breath away.

"I know this isn’t the right time," Andy starts, his voice low and husky, "but I can't ignore this anymore."

Before you can respond, he closes the distance between you, his lips meeting yours in a searing kiss. For a moment, you're too stunned to react. But then, as if a dam has broken, you're kissing him back with equal fervor, years of unresolved tension pouring out.

Your hands find their way into his hair as he cups your face in his hands. The kiss deepens, becoming more urgent, more desperate.

Andy breaks the kiss, his forehead resting against yours as you both catch your breath. "We shouldn't," he whispers, but his actions betray his words as his hands roam your body.

"No, we shouldn't," you agree, even as you start unbutton his white shirt. You know you should leave, should maintain professional boundaries. But the pull is magnetic, undeniable.

His hands reach for your hips but slide up your waist, fingers slipping beneath your sweater, and your feel your skin light up at every point of contact.

"We were too busy hating each other back at law school, but I've thought about this for years," he murmurs. "About you."

“You hated me?” you ask.

“No,” he admits.

“Me either,” you say truthfully.

Before you can say anything more, his lips are on yours. This second kiss is tentative at first, a question. But when you respond, wrapping your arms around his neck, it quickly becomes heated, desperate. Years of competition, of unspoken attraction, of what-ifs, all pour into this moment.

Your back hits the cool glass of the window, and you gasp at the contrast with Andy's warm body pressing against you. His hands are everywhere, pushing your sweater up and off your shoulders, reaching for the button of your jeans.

Your fingers fumble with more of the buttons of Andy's shirt as he trails hot kisses down your neck. The cool glass against your back contrasts sharply with the heat of his body pressed against yours. Your head spins, overwhelmed by sensation and the surreal nature of the moment.

"Wait," you gasp, placing a hand on his chest. Andy freezes immediately, concern flashing in his eyes. "Are you sure about this?" you ask, searching his face. "There's no going back."

Andy cups your face in his hands, his gaze intense. "I'm sure," he says, his voice low and gravelly. "But I’ll stop if you want to me to stop—"

You silence him with a kiss, pouring all your pent-up desire into it. That's all the confirmation Andy needs.

Clothes are shed hastily, hands roaming newly exposed skin.

Andy spins you around, your bare skin pressing against the cool glass of the floor-to-ceiling window. The city sprawls out before you, bathed in the soft light of dawn. The sky is a canvas of pastel pinks and oranges, the sun just beginning to peek over the horizon.

His warm body molds against your back as his lips find the sensitive spot where your neck meets your shoulder. You shiver, partly from the chill of the glass, partly from the heat of his touch. Your breath fogs the window as Andy's hands roam your body, leaving trails of fire in their wake.

The city below is beginning to stir, early risers starting their day, unaware of the passionate scene unfolding high above them. There's a thrill in being so exposed, yet so hidden.

Andy's fingers thread through yours, pressing your palm against the glass, his other hand guiding the head of his thick cock to your entrance as he enters you slowly. You gasp at the sensation, your eyes fluttering closed. He’s big, so big.

Andy's hand grips your hip, holding you steady as he starts to move. The slow, steady rhythm is almost agonizing, but you can feel every inch of him stretching and filling you. You moan, your head falling back against his shoulder as the pleasure builds.

His pace picks up gradually as he leans down to kiss your neck again, his teeth grazing over your skin. Your fingers curl against the glass, your body moving in sync with his.

It's like a symphony of sensations – the warmth of Andy's body against yours, the coolness of the glass on your skin, the sounds of pleasure mingled with the noises from outside. It’s been years since you were intimate with anyone, and you have forgotten how good it feels to have a man inside you instead of a toy.

You lose yourself in it all, chasing after that elusive release that seems just out of reach. But then Andy's hand slides between your body and the glass, his fingers finding their way to your sensitive bundle of nerves. He presses down just right and everything around you fades away as you come undone in his arms.

Andy follows soon after with a low groan, pulling out just before he spills his seed over your lower back and ass, his body shuddering against yours with pleasure. You collapse against the glass, and he presses against you, both breathing heavily and trying to catch your breaths.

As reality starts to creep back in, you realize how exposed you are – a naked couple pressed against a floor-to-ceiling window for anyone below to see. Panic sets in for a brief moment before being chased away by a warm contentment at being wrapped up in Andy's embrace.

"Good thing we’re seven floors up," he whispers into your ear, seeming to read your mind. He presses a kiss to your shoulder before pulling back slightly and reaching for tissues from a nearby table to clean his spend from your back.

You laugh softly as you start to look around for your clothes. "Definitely not something I ever thought I'd do. And never thought it would be with you."

"I'm glad we did though," Andy says with a smile that you feel against your neck as he presses in behind you, not letting you move away just yet.

The rising sun paints your bodies in a golden glow, highlighting the sheen of sweat on your skin. Andy's free hand traces the curve of your breast, and you sigh happily.

Gently, he turns you back to face him, and then in one fluid motion, Andy lifts you up, your legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. He carries you to the bed, laying you down gently on the soft mattress.

Andy kneels above you for a moment, pausing, his eyes roaming your body with undisguised desire. He’s already taken you once, so it’s no surprise, but his gaze is overwhelmingly intense, almost reverent, as if he's committing every curve and freckle to memory.

"You're beautiful," he murmurs, leaning down to capture your lips in a tender kiss.

There's no rush, no desperate urgency. Andy takes his time, exploring your body with gentle hands and soft lips. He traces the curve of your neck, the swell of your breasts, the dip of your waist. Each touch sends shivers through you, generating a slow, simmering heat.

You run your fingers through his hair, down his back, feeling the play of muscles under his skin. There's an intimacy to this moment that surprises you - it's not just about physical pleasure, but a connection that feels deeper, more meaningful. Unexplored potential from years before spilling into reality now.

Andy's lips trail lower, across your stomach, down to the inside of your thighs. Your breath hitches as he settles between your legs, his intent clear. The first swipe of his tongue has you arching off the bed, a gasp escaping your lips.

As Andy’s tongue expertly circles your sensitive clit, you can’t help but lose yourself in the sensation. His skillful fingers tease and caress your folds, sending waves of pleasure through your body.

Your moans grow louder as he delves deeper, his lips and tongue working in perfect harmony to drive you wild. You lose all sense of time, only focused on the overwhelming pleasure coursing through you.

With each flick of his tongue, you feel yourself getting closer and closer to the edge. Your body tenses as you reach your peak, crying out in ecstasy as a powerful orgasm rocks through you.

Andy continues to pleasure you until your body finally relaxes, then he crawls back up to kiss you deeply, letting you taste yourself on his lips.

"Wow," is all you can manage to say, still catching your breath.

"Mmm," Andy hums against your lips. "You taste amazing."

His tongue dances with yours, exploring every corner of your mouth. The intensity builds as he presses his body against yours, one hand tangling in your hair while the other caresses your side.

The kiss seems to go on forever, stealing your breath away. Just when you think you might need to come up for air, Andy breaks away, only to trail kisses along your jaw and down your neck. His lips find that sensitive spot behind your ear, and you shiver with pleasure.

"Turn over," he murmurs, his voice low and husky.

You comply, rolling onto your stomach. Andy's weight shifts on the bed as he positions himself over you. His lips return to your skin, starting at the nape of your neck. He places soft, feather-light kisses down your spine, taking his time to savor every inch.

His hands glide along your sides as he moves lower, kneading the muscles of your back. You feel the tension melting away under his touch. Andy's lips follow the curve of your spine, his stubble lightly scratching your skin and sending tingles through your body.

As he reaches the small of your back, he pauses. You feel his breath, warm and heavy, against your skin. Then his tongue darts out, tracing a sensual line back up your spine. You arch into the touch, a soft moan escaping your lips.

Andy's hands knead the muscles of your shoulders, working out knots you didn't even realize were there. His touch is firm but gentle, alternating between deep pressure and feather-light caresses. You feel yourself melting into the mattress, tension draining from your body.

As his hands work their magic, Andy's lips continue their exploration. He places open-mouthed kisses along your shoulder blades, occasionally nipping at the sensitive skin. Each touch sends sparks of pleasure coursing through you.

His hands are firm yet gentle, eliciting soft sighs of pleasure from you. As they move lower, massaging down your back, you feel yourself melting into the mattress.

His lips follow the path of his hands, peppering kisses across your shoulder blades and down your spine. The combination of his strong hands and soft lips has you practically purring with contentment.

Andy doesn’t pause when reaches the curve of your lower back this time. His hands grip your hips, lifting them slightly. You understand his intent and rise up onto your knees, keeping your chest pressed to the bed.

Andy's hands caress your ass, kneading the flesh appreciatively. You feel exposed in this position, but the reverence in his touch chases away any self-consciousness. His thumb traces your folds, finding you still slick with arousal.

"God, you’re already so wet," he murmurs, his voice thick with desire. “Getting wetter and wetter for me.”

Andy's hands caress your thighs as he positions himself behind you. "I want to taste you again," he says, his voice low and husky. "You think you can take more?"

You nod eagerly, anticipation building as you feel his warm breath on your sensitive flesh.

"I dreamt of having you like this in the library our last semester," he confesses and you groan. "Spread your legs a little wider for me."

You comply eagerly, shifting your knees further apart on the soft sheets. Andy's thumbs gently part your folds, exposing your most intimate areas to his hungry gaze.

“Such a pretty pussy,” he coos, leaning in so you can feel his hot breath on your sex for a moment, and you fist the sheets.

Andy starts with gentle kisses along your inner thighs, working his way higher. When his tongue makes contact with your core, you gasp at the sensation.

"You taste so good," Andy murmurs against you. "I could do this for hours."

His tongue explores every fold and crevice, alternating between broad strokes and focused attention on your most sensitive spots. You moan as he circles your clit, pleasure building with each pass.

"That's it, let me hear you," Andy encourages. "I love the sounds you make."

He slips a finger inside you, curling it to hit just the right spot as his tongue continues its ministrations. The dual stimulation has you writhing, pushing back against his face.

"So responsive," Andy says appreciatively. "So wet and ready for me. You're close, aren't you?"

You can only whimper in response as he increases the pressure. Andy's skilled tongue works over your sensitive flesh, alternating between broad strokes and focused attention on your clit. His hands grip your hips firmly, holding you in place as you writhe with pleasure.

"More," you gasp, fisting the sheets. "Please, Andy, don't stop."

He obliges, redoubling his efforts. His tongue delves deeper, exploring every fold and crevice of your sex. You feel the familiar tension building, a tingling heat spreading through your core.

"That's it," Andy encourages, briefly pausing his ministrations. "I can feel you getting close. Your pussy's clenching, begging for release."

He slides a second finger inside you, curling them both to hit that perfect spot. Combined with the relentless attention of his tongue on your clit, you reach for the peak of a third release, but then he slows.

You whine and shift against him. He chuckles. “Oh, I want to torture you more while I enjoy your eager body.”

“Andy!”

“You love it,” he says, “and I have a feeling you can take so much more.”

Andy's hands caress your thighs as he shifts his position slightly. "I want to explore every inch of you," he murmurs, his breath warm against your sensitive skin.

Andy's hands gently part your cheeks, exposing you fully. You feel a moment of vulnerability, but it quickly gives way to arousal as his tongue traces a path higher. When it reaches your puckered entrance, you gasp at the new sensation.

"Is this okay?" Andy murmurs against your sensitive skin.

You nod, words failing you as he begins to explore this uncharted territory. His tongue circles your opening, alternating between broad strokes and focused attention. The feeling is unlike anything you've experienced before - strange at first, but quickly becoming intensely pleasurable.

Andy takes his time, his movements slow and deliberate. His hands knead your ass cheeks as his tongue works its magic, occasionally dipping lower to tease your dripping core before returning to its primary focus.

As you relax into the sensation, Andy becomes bolder. The tip of his tongue presses against your tight ring of muscle, not quite entering but applying delicious pressure. You moan, pushing back against him, silently begging for more.

"You like that, don't you?" Andy says, his voice husky with desire. "Your body's so responsive, so eager for my touch."

He resumes his ministrations.

"Relax," Andy soothes, his hands massaging your lower back. "Just feel."

His tongue circles your entrance, tracing lazy patterns that send tingles of pleasure through your body as he continues.

He alternates between broad strokes and more focused attention, occasionally dipping his tongue inside. The sensation is intense, making you moan and push back against his face.

"That's it," Andy encourages. "You're doing so well. Does it feel good?"

“Yes,” you whimper as he increases the pressure.

Your body trembles with pleasure as Andy continues his intimate exploration. His skilled tongue works you into a frenzy, alternating between your sensitive openings. Just when you think you can't take anymore, he slides two fingers into your dripping core while his tongue focuses on your puckered entrance.

The dual stimulation is overwhelming. You cry out, fisting the sheets as waves of pleasure crash over you. Andy doesn't let up, working you through your orgasm and beyond it.

When the aftershocks finally subside, Andy places a gentle kiss on your lower back before moving up to lie beside you. He gathers you into his arms, stroking your hair as you catch your breath.

"You're incredible," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

You snuggle closer, basking in the afterglow. For a moment, you forget about the case, about the complications. You're just two people, connected in the most intimate way.

But reality starts to creep back in as your breathing returns to normal. You lift your head to look at Andy, finding his eyes already on you.

"We should talk about this," you say softly.

"Us? Two lawyers? Talk about something?”

You laugh softly at Andy's quip, but the seriousness in his eyes belies his light tone. He presses a kiss to your forehead, and brushes his thumb over your cheek.

"I know," he says, his voice low. "This complicates things."

You nod, acutely aware of the warmth of his body pressed against yours. "The case..."

"Is still our priority," Andy finishes for you. "We can't let this distract us from what's at stake."

You sit up slowly, the sheet pooling around your waist. Andy's eyes roam your body appreciatively before meeting your gaze again.

"But I don't regret it," he says firmly. "Do you?"

You consider for a moment, then shake your head. "No, I don't. But we need to be careful."

"Yes," Andy agrees. He sits up too, running a hand through his tousled hair. He looks at you another moment, and then his hand cups your cheek, his thumb brushing your lower lip. "I think we need to keep this separate from our work on the case. When we're working, we're colleagues. Nothing more."

You nod, leaning into his touch. "And when we're not working?"

A slow smile spreads across Andy's face. "When we're not working, we can explore... this." He gestures between you two.

A smile tugs at your lips. "I like the sound of that."

Andy leans in, his lips brushing yours in a gentle kiss. It’s slow, and there’s a sweetness in the depth of it that scares you a little, not expecting that.

But you kiss him back, savoring the moment before reluctantly pulling away. "We should probably get some sleep," you say, glancing at the clock. "It's almost 7 AM."

Andy nods, but his hand trails down your arm, leaving goosebumps in its wake. "Stay," he says, his voice low and husky. "We can grab a few hours of sleep here, then get started on the case."

You hesitate, knowing you should probably leave, maintain some distance. But the thought of curling up in Andy's arms is too appealing when he’s so willing.

Andy's warm body envelops you as he pulls you down to lie beside him. His arm securely wraps around your waist, offering comfort and warmth. You nestle closer, finding solace in the rise and fall of his chest beneath your head. The rhythmic beat of his heart lulls you into a peaceful state in the early morning hours, your eyelids finally surrendering to the heaviness of sleep. As the world fades away, you know what’s coming next will be one of the most difficult challenges of your life professionally and personally, but at least in this moment you will take solace in the tenuous safety of this connection.

I started this story months ago, was pretty disenchanted with at the time (thanks @biteofcherry for talking me through that), but now that it's had time to age, I went back in, did some rewriting, and I'm happy with where it has finally landed.

↠ Main Masterlist | Aspen's Ask Box | Field Guide to the Forest

I do not do tag lists, but FOLLOW @buckets-and-stories and TURN ON NOTIFICATIONS to be updated any time I publish a new work!

[capcollector]

we could make this place beautiful

thinking about when bunny finally gets a day off, but she has no idea what to do with it. like prewar she was constantly working, after she woke up she had her whole journey getting shaun back, after all that she focused her energy into building up sanctuary and assisting the minutemen and railroad with establishing more community, driving out the brotherhood presence, in-between all that always going on supply runs and random quests……and she wouldn’t have it any other way. every minute was worth it. she loves being busy, and in some ways it is partially so she can just keep her mind off other things, but she genuinely just loves doing stuff. she gets stir crazy easily.

but there comes a point several months after the BoS is gone where there is just. relative quiet. there’s a collective sigh of relief, and she’s so thankful for it, but she’s not sure what to do now. she fills her time w a lot of smaller projects, like patching up parts in buildings and repainting some things, setting up/fixing furniture. she’s still a few weeks away from her due date atp so it’s not like she has a newborn to fill up her time just yet either. and eventually deacon sits her down and tells her to take a day for herself, for her own sake. she’s tired, even if she doesn’t want to admit it. you’ve done more than enough. rest. so whether she likes it or not, she’s faced w the first day off she’s had in over 200 years. and it drives her up a fucking wall. deacon tells her to just relax but she’s like. a little worried she forgot how. she almost feels bad for taking a day, like there’s so much she could be doing. but she promises him she’ll take the day off.

i think she spends a majority of the day w shaun. it’s not like she doesn’t spend time w him normally—he often tags along when she’s working on small projects in sanctuary—but today it’s just all about the two of them. eventually duncan and maccready tag along for a bit bc shaun and duncan like playing together, and bunny and mac always enjoy spending time together. just chatting while watching their kids play. the day goes on, the sun begins to set. mac has to go for his lookout shift at the red rocket, duncan and shaun decide to go inside and read some comics, and bunny is left alone.

and i think that’s when it hits her. she’s watching the sun set across the water, across the skyline of concord. the sky’s a pale blue, oranges and pinks bouncing off the clouds. the air is cool and crisp and it’s a beautiful evening…and she just starts crying. her grief finally catches up to her. it’s in this moment she understands she will never see her mother, her old friends, nora ever again. they won’t be able to meet her children, or laugh at their old inside jokes, or share a drink ever again. bunny wouldn’t change a day of what she’s been through; it was worth it to get here. it was worth it to make this place what it is now. but what she wouldn’t give for just one more day. one more day to say goodbye and hold them close, one more day to let the people from her past know they’re what made her into who she is now. one more day to say i love you, thank you for everything.

[inkspiredwriting]

The Hardest Choice

Five Hargreeves x Fem!reader

Warnings: none

Five Hargreeves had faced impossible choices before, but none so cruelly personal. Standing alone in the dimly lit briefing room of the Commission’s headquarters, he felt a crushing weight on his shoulders as he stared at the ultimatum laid out before him. The room was cold, sterile, a fitting backdrop for the chilling choice he was forced to make.

The Handler, with her ever-present smirk and predatory gaze, watched him from across the table. She reveled in his torment, deriving sick pleasure from his predicament. On the table between them lay a single, innocuous-looking file. Its contents, however, were anything but.

“You complete the mission,” she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness, “or your little girlfriend Y/n becomes our new target.”

Five’s mind raced, every instinct screaming at him to lash out, to fight against the cruel fate being forced upon him. But he knew that violence here would solve nothing. The Commission held all the cards, and they knew exactly how to play them. They had finally found his weakness—Y/n, the woman he loved more than anything, who had become his anchor in a chaotic world.

“Why are you doing this?” Five’s voice was low, dangerous, his eyes narrowing at the Handler. “What does she have to do with any of this?”

“Oh, come now,” the Handler cooed, feigning innocence. “Surely you understand by now. Love makes you predictable, vulnerable. We need leverage, and she provides just that.”

Five’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. He had never felt so powerless, so utterly trapped. The mission they were proposing was dangerous, even by his standards. It involved a high-risk assassination that could destabilize entire timelines. It was a task that would pull him away from Y/n for an indefinite period, with no guarantee of his safe return. But if he refused, if he failed, they would go after Y/n. And he knew what the Commission did to its targets.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to steady himself. Images of Y/n flooded his mind—her laughter, the way her eyes sparkled when she was happy, the quiet moments they shared late at night. He thought about her strength, her kindness, and the love that had grown between them. The thought of her being harmed, of her being targeted by the ruthless machinery of the Commission, was unbearable.

“You’re a monster,” he spat, opening his eyes to glare at the Handler. “Using innocent people to get what you want.”

The Handler merely shrugged, her smile never wavering. “Innocence is a matter of perspective, darling. Now, make your choice. Time is ticking.”

Five felt a storm of emotions within him—anger, fear, despair. But beneath it all, a steely resolve began to form. He couldn’t let anything happen to Y/n. No matter the cost, he would protect her. It was the promise he had made to her, the vow he had sworn in his heart.

He reached out, his hand trembling slightly, and picked up the file. “Fine,” he said, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside him. “I’ll do it. But you leave Y/n out of this. You touch her, and I’ll make you regret it.”

The Handler’s smile widened, pleased with his decision. “Excellent choice, Five. You have three days to complete the mission. Don’t disappoint me.”

Five turned on his heel and left the room, the file clutched tightly in his hand. His mind was already working, planning, strategizing. He would complete the mission, he would do whatever it took, but he wouldn’t be separated from Y/n forever. He would find a way back to her, no matter the obstacles, no matter the risks.

As he made his way back to their apartment, his heart ached with the knowledge of what he had to do. He had to tell Y/n, had to explain why he would be leaving. The thought of her reaction, of the pain he would see in her eyes, was almost too much to bear.

When he arrived home, the sun was just beginning to set, casting a warm, golden glow through the windows. Y/n was in the kitchen, humming softly as she prepared dinner. She looked up as he entered, her smile lighting up the room. But the moment she saw his expression, her smile faltered.

“Five, what’s wrong?” she asked, her voice filled with concern as she moved toward him.

He swallowed hard, forcing himself to meet her gaze. “We need to talk,” he said quietly, his voice heavy with the weight of his decision.

They sat down at the kitchen table, the file lying ominously between them. Five took a deep breath and told her everything—the mission, the threat, the impossible choice he had been forced to make. Y/n listened in stunned silence, her eyes wide with shock and fear.

“No,” she said finally, shaking her head. “You can’t do this. It’s too dangerous. There has to be another way.”

“There isn’t,” Five said, his voice choked with emotion. “If I don’t do this, they’ll come after you. I can’t let that happen, Y/n. I can’t lose you.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she reached out to take his hand. “And what about me losing you?” she whispered. “How am I supposed to live with that?”

“I’ll come back,” he promised, squeezing her hand tightly. “I’ll find a way. I have to. But right now, I need you to be safe. I need you to stay here, and wait for me.”

Y/n’s tears spilled over as she pulled him into a tight embrace, her body shaking with silent sobs. “I hate this,” she whispered against his shoulder. “I hate that you have to do this.”

“I know,” Five murmured, his own voice breaking as he held her close. “I hate it too. But it’s the only way.”

They clung to each other, drawing strength from their shared love and the promise of a future they both desperately hoped for. The path ahead was uncertain, fraught with danger and heartache, but they would face it together, even if they were apart.

As the night wore on, Five prepared for the mission, his heart heavy with the knowledge of what lay ahead. When the time came to leave, he held Y/n one last time, their kiss a bittersweet farewell that spoke of love, fear, and hope.

“I’ll come back to you,” he whispered, his forehead resting against hers. “No matter what, I’ll come back.”

Y/n nodded, tears streaming down her face as she forced a brave smile. “I’ll be here, waiting. Just come back to me, Five. That’s all I ask.”

With a final, lingering kiss, Five tore himself away and stepped into the night, the weight of his choice pressing heavily on his shoulders. The mission loomed ahead, a perilous journey that would test his resolve and strength. But his love for Y/n, and the promise he had made, would guide him through the darkness, driving him to find his way back to her, no matter the cost.

[uceyliyahh]

SNEAKY LINK

Summary: After having a one night stand with each other Kiyana and Jey decided to become sneaky links until she grew attached to him will he be able to feel the same as her?

smut warning; it’ll come in the story randomly so PLEASE PLEASE look out for it I’m not really good at writing ✍🏽 smuts but I’m improving at the moment.

Jey Uso x Kiyana

word count: 5063

AWFUL GRAMMAR IM GETTING BETTER I SWEAR LOL.

comments, likes, repost are appreciated I would love the constructive feedback in what area I need to approve in. 🤍

ALSO! I don’t not want nobody stealing my fanfics or take it as theirs that will be an issue fasho so keep it cute respectfully.

I only own my OC along with the make up scenarios

But I’ll be writing along the way since this story is in my drafts on Wattpad right now so yuh. 💁🏽‍♀️

TAGS ⬇️ lmk if you wanna be tag 🏷️@pinkwithhearts @420days @jstarr86 @empressdede @angiedawn02 @biancasreign @clubsoft

@bebesobrielo @skyesthebomb @aikosilo @papireigns-05 @punksyeet @paigereeder @magnificentbouquetmusic @tribalhoochie

@charmed-dreamssss @fearlesschimera @partypoison00 @mselenalovebug @bloodlinesbabe93 @justazzi @xbriexx @luvrsluxe @celesteheartsjey @4milly @luuvprincess @yyaktayak @yana3sworld @raya-hunter01 @lilucey @soccergirlbae

Ø3

"I just want you to be careful sis, I know he's my best friend but if he hurts you I'll end up hurting him,"

"You know I can take care of you better than that Uso over there,"

"Let's go out for dinner sweetheart,"

"The fuck is yo' problem Kiyana?"

KIYANA Today marks a significant moment for me as I prepare to strut down the runway for the fashion show. To say I'm feeling nervous would be an understatement; it's been quite some time since I last walked a runway—around three years, in fact. The anticipation for tonight is building, and I can't help but feel a mix of excitement and anxiety.

I had no photoshoots scheduled today because Nathan insisted I concentrate on my runway performance for tonight's fashion show. So, I spent the day at home, enjoying some healthy snacks while watching TV. Suddenly, my phone buzzed, and I picked it up to find a message from Liv.

IMESSAGE 💬 Liv🌸: heyyyy girly tonight is your night girl how are you feeling? Yana💗: I'm feeling pretty nervous for today you know just gives me the jitters Liv🌸: you got this girl, I heard it was going to be a lot of folks there too so you better work girl Yana💗: thanks girly you're so supportive of me Liv🌸: you're my best friend ofc I'm going to support you in the end girl, so what's tea? Yana💗: about? Liv🌸: you and Jey what's happening? Yana💗: nothing really he's been sending me gifts lately and spoiling me like I'm his girl when he's dealing with someone already ain't that weird? Liv🌸: yeah that's weird he should be spoiling Jaida and not you Yana💗: I mean I don't mind it but it's too much honestly you know? Liv🌸: yeah especially yall aren't a couple only sneaky links Yana💗: idk if he's tryna put me in that category of women but it's not happening Liv🌸: I understand so how are you truly feeling about this? Like be honest with me Yana💗: if I'm being honest with you I might have caught feelings for him but it comes and goes especially when I realize that he's dealing with her all those feelings go away Liv🌸: so basically losing and gaining feelings for him again? Yana I don't want this to ruin your mental you're a sweet girl who deserves someone to love on you not just someone who fucks you whenever they please. Yana💗: I hear you bestie but I'm focused on my career that's important to me and whatever he got goin on is none of my business Liv🌸: period I'm glad this whole situation is not tearing you down and I think Cody knows about it... Yana💗: WHAT? Liv🌸: yeah he asked me about today at work I told him I don't what's happening between you and his best friend so he said he'll swing by to see you Yana💗: damn it...I mean he's my brother older brother at that he has every right to know so I'll just talk to him about it. Liv🌸: alrighty girl lmk how it goes and I'll see you tonight! Love you Yana💗: love you too

I was caught off guard by Cody's awareness of the situation. It's likely he saw the pictures of Jey and me shared with my close friends. I should have removed him from that list to prevent this from happening. I set my phone aside and focused on my meal, patiently waiting for Cody to arrive so we could discuss the unfolding drama between Jey and me.

I haven't received any word from him since his visit a few days back, but honestly, I don't mind at all. He's not my partner, and I certainly wasn't his girlfriend—it's as straightforward as that. While enjoying my meal, I heard a knock at the door. Recognizing it was Cody, I paused my show and made my way to the door.

As I swung the door open, I was greeted by the sight of my big brother, a bouquet of flowers in his hand and a warm smile on his face. He stepped inside, handing me the flowers with a cheerful demeanor, and I placed them gently on the table.

We settled onto opposite ends of the couch, my legs crossed as I patiently awaited his words.

"Hey, my wonderful sister how are you feeling for today?" Cody asked.

I sighed deeply, "if I'm being honest, I feel nervous for tonight brother," I said.

"You'll do great tonight out there sis even mom will be proud of you when she sees you," I gave him a smile knowing that my brother got my back.

"So what's goin on between you and Jey Yana?" I knew he was going to get straight to it I couldn't lie to my brother that's his best friend of course, "We are just messing around with each other," His facial expressions changed into a confusing one.

"Don't beat around the bush with it sis I understand you're a grown woman,"

I shared with him the story of my night at the club with Jey, revealing how I ended up losing my virginity to him in his hotel room. I also mentioned that Jey and I have developed a secret connection, navigating our relationship as sneaky links.

"Sneaky links?" He asked as I nodded my head.

"Yeah, but we get to live our lives separately and have no strings attached," I said.

"I just want you to be careful sis, I know he's my best friend but if he hurts you I'll end up hurting him," I can understand where my brother was coming from he's been protecting me all of his life since we were kids since we didn't have a father in our lives Cody would do anything for me.

"I understand brother I'm very focused on my career right now and not worried about what he has going on with his shawty," Cody gave me a faint smile knowing that I wasn't letting this get to me especially mentally.

I must admit that I had a bit of a crush on him, but as I explained to Liv, my feelings were quite inconsistent. I realized that he likely didn't share the same feelings, especially considering his current situation with Jaida.

I refused to let myself be foolish over something unattainable and not rightfully mine, so I couldn't understand why he was so worked up about it. Cody lingered a bit longer to fill me in on his journey in wrestling and his rise to becoming a champion, and I couldn't be prouder of him.

I've been caught up in my modeling career lately, which has kept me out of the loop with all the wrestling happenings. Thankfully, my brother has been there to fill me in on everything. After a while, I received a message from Jey himself, but I made him wait while I listened to my brother's updates.

My phone buzzed incessantly with his messages, reminiscent of a needy boyfriend craving attention, prompting me to roll my eyes and silence the notifications.

"Is that Jey texting you?" Cody asked.

"Yeah, but I didn't want to be rude since you were talking to me about what's been happening," I said.

"It's all good little sis, just see what he wants," I pulled out my phone seeing messages from him.

Big Papa😩 sent four messages

Big Papa😩: wya mama? Big Papa😩: I miss you today is your big day Big Papa😩: I'll be there after I deal with things with shawty Big Papa😩: You ignoring me?

IMESSAGE 💬 Yana💗: no I wasn't ignoring you sir I was busy talking to my brother Big Papa😩: Aw Aight I was just making sure Yana💗: even if I was it would be for a good reason but I don't have a good reasoning right now Big Papa😩: mhm wya tho? Yana💗: I'm at home eating something healthy and talking to Cody Big Papa😩: why you didn't tell me Cody was your brother? Yana💗: you never asked? 🤨 Big Papa😩: don't get smart little girl Yana💗: whatever nigga what you want actually? Big Papa😩: I'm tryna see you I know you miss me Yana💗: I miss the thought of you 😭 Big Papa😩: you don't be saying that when I be fucking you screaming daddy this and daddy that Yana💗: 🙄 Big Papa😩: that's what I thought now lemme come see you Yana💗: you gon have to wait until Cody leaves Big Papa😩: that's my dawg he already know what's happening between us Yana💗: I mean I already told him our situation..he's very protective over me so be careful just saying Big Papa😩: why? It's not like I'm hurting you or anything we aren't a couple just giving each other what we need.

Ouch well that makes great sense to me.

Yana💗: yeah, ofc even when I'm not in the mood you got someone to help you out with that 😭😭 Big Papa😩: you been talking reckless what's up with that? Yana💗: no reason Big Papa😩: mhm I'm otw Yana💗: k

 I set my phone aside, rolling my eyes as I noticed the worry etched on Cody's face. "Are you okay, Yana?" he asked, his concern evident. I nodded and offered him a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, it seems like Jey is coming over to see me," I said.

"That's good I could speak to him before approaching you," he said.

I anticipated this situation, but I have no complaints. After all, he's my brother, and it's only natural for him to look out for his little sister.

"You wanna watch this show with me while we wait on him?"

"Yeah, let's go ahead and watch it," Cody said as I unpaused the show.

༊*·˚

JEY Kiyana's behavior has changed noticeably since my visit to her house a few days ago. I couldn't quite grasp the reason behind it; I initially thought she was simply prioritizing her career over the complications with me and Jaida.

I understand that she's likely feeling anxious about her fashion show tonight, so I decided not to press her about her unusual behavior and the reckless things she's been saying to me. As I arrived at her house and noticed Cody's car parked beside hers, I turned off my engine and stepped out, making my way to the front door.

I rapped on the door, anticipating either her or Cody to answer. As I waited, I scrolled through my social media, liking various pictures, particularly those from Jaida's profile. It was during this time that I noticed Kiyana had recently updated her story.

yanasworld posted on their story!

I was really taken aback by that tweet she shared in her story. What on earth was she trying to convey? Is there a deeper reason for her behavior, or is she simply indifferent to the situation?

I couldn't believe my eyes as the door swung open, revealing Cody with a bright smile. It looked like he was about to head out, but then he unexpectedly pulled me aside. What could his intentions be?

"What's up Uce," I said.

Cody stated, "I understand the dynamics between you and my sister, but I need to emphasize something important. Don't allow this situation to jeopardize her career; there will be repercussions. She has an incredibly promising future ahead, and I can't stand by while my best friend puts that at risk."

My face twisted in confusion when he said that. "What do you mean by that? I'm not trying to hurt her; I'm just enjoying myself," I argued.

"It's important to be mindful of her feelings. As her brother, I understand how sensitive she can be, always longing for things she can't have. So, please, do me a favor and tread lightly." I completely get where he's coming from; if I had a sister in Kiyana's position, I would want to protect her just the same.

As he approached his car, we embraced warmly before he climbed inside. I turned and walked into the house, noticing Kiyana was nowhere to be found. After shutting the door behind me, I slipped off my shoes and neatly placed them on the shoe rack. Then, I made my way upstairs to her bedroom.

As I opened the door, I found her nestled in bed, curled up tightly under the blankets, seemingly engrossed in her phone. I slipped into the bed beside her, gently wrapping my arms around her waist, which made her flinch at my unexpected touch.

"Jesus, Jey you can't be sneaking up on folks like that boy," I laughed as she spoke, gently flipping her around so that she could look at me directly.

I found myself captivated by every detail of her face, gently resting my hand on her cheek and stroking it softly with my thumb. Her smile, which I cherished deeply, lit up the moment. Yet, a part of me recognized that this was merely playful banter; after all, I had Jaida waiting for me at home.

I pressed my lips gently against hers, and to my surprise, she leaned in, drawing her body closer to mine. As we began to kiss passionately, I realized this was a new experience for me. I had never been this tender with her before, perhaps influenced by the words Cody shared with me before he departed.

As our mouths intertwined, my tongue danced within hers while her fingers glided through my mullet. I reveled in the sensation of my hands roaming over her body, firmly grasping her curves. It was a passionate struggle, our tongues vying for control in a heated exchange.

I dragged her onto my lap, straddling me, and as she ground against me, I planted nothing but moist kisses on her neck, causing her to moan softly in my ear, which made my dick rise in my perspiration.

As our lips lingered in a passionate embrace, a thought suddenly struck me about something she had shared on her story. I gently pulled away from the kiss, my eyes drawn to her beautiful face.

"What's up with this quote you posted on your story mama? Did I do something?" I asked as she shook her head.

Kiyana reassured him, "It's not your fault; I'm just experiencing these feelings at the moment, that's all." Deep down, she was aware that the quote she had shared was aimed at him, but she felt compelled to conceal the truth.

She nodded with a smile, reassuring him, "I just wanted to ensure everything was fine between us. "Yes, we're good, Jey." Though uncertainty lingered in my mind about her words, I hesitated to press her further.

I felt my dick pop up and strike her in the butt as I began to untie the thread around her sweatpants and take them off of her along with her underwear.

Once more, my hands were stroking her face—she is so gorgeous. I haven't even touched her yet, but I could feel her hot pussy oozing for me. She got up and aligned herself with my dick within her entrance, making us both groan loudly as we felt how warm she was inside.

She was jumping up and down on my dick, hanging onto my chest for support so she wouldn't fall, and her eyes were dark and full of need, just like mine.

"Ouuu, fuck. Daddy...your dick is so prefect for me," Kiyana moaned as I gave her left ass cheek a few slaps.

"Yeah? Keep on bouncing on it you'll get a reward from daddy princess," I responded back to her.

 Following our time together, we nestled closely in her bed, relishing the intimacy of the moment we had just shared. She remained silent, gently toying with my hair, creating a serene atmosphere that spoke volumes without words

I found it concerning that she was so quiet; it suggests that something is troubling her, and she may not be ready to discuss it.

"What's on yo' mind mama? you seem quiet," I asked her as she gazed up at me.

I could hear her take a deep breath before she finally spoke, "Jey, I'm really anxious about tonight. What if I mess up out there or something?" It was surprising to hear her express such nerves, especially since she had been performing for years. Why was she feeling this way? 

"Mama I think you'll do great out there don't doubt yourself for a second aight? You're perfect," Her smile lit up the room, casting a spell that captivated me completely. I gently pressed a tender kiss on her temple, savoring the moment, before leaning in for another kiss on her lips.

It quickly escalated into another passionate moment as she embraced me, her arms around my neck while I held her at the hip. She was simply flawless. Just then, I felt my phone vibrating, interrupting our intimate connection.

"Hey, someone's calling you I'll be back I gotta get ready for tonight," she said as she got up from her bed heading towards the bathroom.

I answered the phone, recognizing Jaida's voice, and immediately knew it was her reaching out to me.

OTP Babygirl💋: hiii daddy wya Jey🖤: I'm over here at a friends house chilling what's up? Babygirl💋: what friend? Is it that girl Kiyana? You fucking her? Jey🖤: nah baby I wouldn't do that to you, she's nothing to me compare to you Babygirl💋: good I can't wait to see you I miss that big dick of yours Jey🖤: I miss you too baby I'll see you after I leave from here aight? Babygirl💋: okay daddy see you Jey🖤: aight then baby

CALL ENDED

I could hear the shower running, which led me to believe she was enjoying a long soak. As I got up from her bed and slipped into the clothes I had worn earlier, the sound of music wafted from the bathroom. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself as I grabbed my keys and made my way downstairs, eager to see Jaida before Kiyana's fashion show tonight.

༊*·˚

OMNISCIENT Kiyana was overwhelmed with thoughts, particularly about the conversation she overheard between Jey and Jaida just before she stepped into the shower. The way Jey was playing with her emotions left her feeling unsettled, especially since she was already grappling with her own inner turmoil regarding her feelings for him.

Kiyana dismissed the thought, determined not to let anything divert her attention tonight. As she sat in the makeup chair, she watched the other women preparing for the show, each one radiating excitement and energy. Yet, amidst the bustling atmosphere, she felt a profound sense of loneliness, longing for Nathan to be there with her in this moment.

She was thrilled to learn that Fka Twigs would be opening the show tonight. The thought of her favorite artist taking the stage brought a smile to her face. It was going to be an exciting night filled with famous faces, including her best friend, her brother, and the Uso's.

She felt an overwhelming weight in her mind and heart, grappling with emotions for a man who was ultimately out of reach. Jey's actions stirred a longing within her that she had secretly desired for so long, and now that it was within her grasp, the realization that she couldn't have it was devastating.

"Ladies! This evening is your chance to showcase your talents and open doors to new opportunities, so let your brilliance shine tonight!" Kevin encouraged us, and we all erupted in cheers of excitement.

The initial group of girls, adorned in their outfits, radiated beauty like diamonds just as the show was about to commence. The enchanting sound of Twig's voice filled the air, creating a magical atmosphere. Suddenly, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder, prompting her to turn around.

Nathan and Patrice stood behind her, holding a bouquet of roses and cards, which made her smile as she embraced them warmly.

"Oh my goodness I thought I wasn't going to see you guys tonight!" Kiyana said.

Nathan exclaimed, "Why on earth would we skip your spectacular night strutting down the runway, looking absolutely breathtaking? Kevin even allowed me to choose your outfits for the evening!" She gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in surprise.

"Really? You're kidding?" Nathan shook his head he was being serious about it Kiyana placed the bouquet of roses and cards on her table before getting up from the chair that's when Kevin approached them.

"Kiyana, sweetheart, you'll be right behind Jazmine over there. Just keep your confidence high and shine out there!" Kiyana nodded as Nathan approached her, bringing the beautiful angelic wings for her to wear, perfectly fitting the theme for the evening.

She gazed into the mirror, adjusting her voluminous afro and ensuring her makeup was flawless. After sharing a final embrace with Nathan and Patricia, she stepped behind Jazmine, who greeted her with a cheerful wave.

Kiyana silently prayed, wishing to maintain her composure on the runway and to block out the negative energy swirling around her. As the line dwindled, she found herself inching closer to the stage, peering over Jazmine's head. There, she spotted her brother, her mother, Liv, and the Uso's seated together, captivated by Fka Twigs' enchanting performance.

She was taken aback to find Jey there, especially after spending time with Jaida just before he arrived with his brother. She had assumed he would remain with Jaida, but she chose not to let it affect her.

Jazmine followed the other girl as she returned, leaving Kiyana feeling anxious and isolated. Her nerves seemed to slip away as she caught a glimpse of Jey, who was watching her. However, she quickly averted her eyes, choosing instead to focus on the runway ahead. As she walked confidently, she lost herself in the rhythm of the music, holding hands with Fka and strutting her stuff like a true star.

She paused to flaunt her outfit, blowing a kiss to the audience before retreating backstage to change clothes, preparing to make her return.

She swiftly changed her clothes with Nathan and Patrice’s assistance, slipping into a stunning outfit he had chosen for her, adorned in elegant white and gold.

"You look absolutely stunning Yana," Patrice said.

 "I can't express how grateful I am to see all of you here with me; it completely eased my nerves," she exclaimed, wrapping them in a brief hug before returning to her place behind Jazmine, who praised her outfit.

༊*·˚ As the show concluded, Kiyana slipped into her after-party dress, exhaustion washing over her from the night's events. Just then, she heard someone calling her name. Turning around, she was greeted by the sight of her best friend, her brother, their mother, and the Uso's entering the room.

"Oh my god Yana you looked so good tonight you did your thing out there girl!" Liv exclaimed as she hugged Kiyana.

"Thank you I was nervous you guys, yall don't even know," Kiyana said as she smiled at her mother who was giving her a hug along with her brother.

As she completed her task, she noticed Jey approaching with a bouquet of her favorite flowers. How many roses could one person possibly need? With a smile, she accepted the flowers and wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace.

"You looked gorgeous tonight, walking out like that," Jey said placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

Gratefulness filled her voice as she expressed her thanks, "I truly appreciate it." Meanwhile, the group opted to grab some drinks while Kiyana engaged in conversation with her new friends, all the while sensing a pair of eyes intently observing her every action.

She suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder, causing her to pause mid-sentence, thinking it was Jey. However, when she turned around, she was taken aback to find a towering man, standing at 6'3", right behind her.

"May I help you?"

"Yes , you can actually," he said getting her hand while placing a soft kiss on it.

The man exuded an undeniable charm, with his strikingly handsome features complemented by his captivating eyes. Their beauty was almost ethereal, resembling sparkling diamonds that seemed to hold a world of wonder within them.

"I couldn't help but to find you looking absolutely stunning tonight down the runway," Kiyana had smiled at him as the girls left her alone with him.

"Thank you, I don't know how many compliments I can take for tonight it's getting me all worked up," she said.

Jey observed the scene unfold, his heart sinking as he watched her smile at another man. The sight of her giggling and flirting with someone else stirred a wave of jealousy within him. He realized he couldn't just stand by; he needed to take action.

He tuned into their discussion, eager to decipher the subtle hints the guy was dropping about Kiyana. Jey watched as he drew Kiyana in by her waist, leaning into whisper something in her ear that Jey could almost hear.

"You know I can treat you better than that Uso over there," Aaron whispered pointing directly at Jey.

Kiyana arched an eyebrow, scrutinizing the man as she challenged his motives. "Oh? Is that so? What exactly do you mean by that?" she inquired, her tone sharp, while he let out a soft chuckle in response.

"Let me take you out to dinner sweetheart," he said.

Kiyana and Jey locked eyes, and he gestured for her to join him, wanting to have a private conversation away from the crowd. She informed the man that she would return shortly and moved toward Jey, who gently took her arm and led her away.

Cody and Jimmy exchanged knowing glances as they observed the scene unfolding before them, fully aware that a pivotal moment was on the verge of occurring between the two.

In a deserted hallway, Kiyana abruptly pulled her arm from Jey's grasp, casting him a bewildered look that suggested he had lost his mind.

"The fuck is yo' problem Kiyana?" Jey questioned her.

"What do you mean What is my problem? I haven't done anything wrong," she said.

"You know what the hell I'm talking about Kiyana you got this fool all up in yo' face while I'm here," Kiyana couldn't understand the source of his sudden attitude; after all, he had merely invited her to dinner.

Suddenly, it dawned on her—Jey was feeling jealous. Jealous that another man was engaging with her, particularly if it wasn’t him or her brother Cody. She stood there, arms crossed, shooting him a piercing glance. "Jey, you can't be serious right now! I believed we agreed to live our lives independently and be with whoever we choose in this arrangement."

"But you know yo' ass been mine since you walk into the club you've been mine Kiyana now this bitch ass boy wanna be all over you and you entertaining the shit," She couldn't believe what she was hearing right now.

"What I do with someone is not your damn business Jey just like how I don't be saying shit when you're with Jaida I mind my fucking business so you should do the same hell he could probably treat me better than you can," He felt a profound pain within, but he masked it well. Approaching her, he gently encircled her throat with his hand, locking his gaze onto hers.

"Don't fucking play with me Kiyana saying shit like that knowing I'll fuck yo' shit up," Her emotions begin to blossom as she observes his possessive and dominant nature, as he asserts his claim over her despite the absence of an official relationship.

She was grappling with her emotions regarding him, struggling against the inner turmoil of her feelings. Yet, she had to face the reality that he was already in a relationship. So, what could possibly explain his confusing behavior?

"Really? Probably have to remind me then, like I said whoever I'm with is none of your business—" Kiyana experienced the intensity of his lips pressing against hers, the kiss passionate and fervent as he lifted her by the thighs, carrying her toward his car, completely oblivious to the party around them.

By the time they arrived at his car, he had opened the door and pushed Kiyana into the back seat before slamming the door shut behind him as he began removing his shredded pants and underwear, revealing his dick.

"Take these fucking panties off and hold yo' legs, I'm finna remind you that you're mine and only fucking mine," Jey said with aggression in his voice that send shivers down her spine.

He slipped her dress over her stomach and slammed himself inside of her, causing her to wail loudly as he began giving her his harsh strokes with his hand wrapped around her throat.

"J-Jey..W-wait...fuck," Kiyana moaned.

"Ain't no fucking wait to late for that, I gotta put you in yo' place and you better not run from me either you hear me?" He grunted.

When she didn't respond to him she earned a slap on her left ass cheek causing her to whine, "Yess I hear you I hear you fuckk," she threw her head back in pleasure while Jey was beating up her gummy walls.

Kiyana realized at that moment that he was determined to hold on to this situation with unwavering resolve.

Sneaky Link

uceyjucey, americannightmarecody, aaron_pierre1, and others liked your post.

yanasworld: After Party 😘 uceyjucey: remember you mines mama 🤫 yanasworld: @ uceyjucey I know I'm yours 🖤 americannightmarecody: @ uceyjucey y'all two good? uceyjucey: @ americannightmarecody yeah we good uce aaron_pierre1: damn you're so gorgeous baby 🙂‍↕️ yanasworld: @ aaron_peirre1  thank you 💗 jonathanfatu: you did great out there Kiyana ❤️ yaonlylivonce: period my best friend ate yall up i loved the fashion show bestie 🥹 yanasworld: @ yaonlylivonce thank you bestie 💗 biancabelairwwe: i saw a clip of you and girrrl you looked gorgeous honey trinity_fatu: looking stunning as ever

Read all Comments.

uceyjucey posted on his close friends!

jonathanfatu replied to your close friends: Uce what I say dawg be careful dawg Kiyana does not like to be in drama biancabelairwwe replied to your close friends: Ooop 👀👀 I'm sensing drama??? trinity_fatu replied to your close friends: Jey? What's goin on with you and Kiyana? yaonlylivonce replied to your close friends: sir??? americannightmarecody replied to your close friends; remember what I told you earlier today about my sister romanreigns replied to your close friends: what's happening rn? u ain't fucking with Jaida anymore?

A/n: that dinner is still on the table will Kiyana go to the dinner with Aaron or will her feelings betray her because of Jey? Finna get messy I'll tell you that.

Hope yall enjoy this chapter Lmk in the comments below

STAY UCEY

2.

[zebra-rigel]

part 2 of demonic cultivation teachers Shen Jiu and Shen Yuan (warnings are in the tags: they're nothing big, but i just wanted them to be there as an option) (This doesn't include lbh yet, though my boy will be part of the shen's minor sect. I think I'm gonna progress the story linearly and we'll get to him in due time, once everything else is fleshed out ) After some thinking, I've realized that sj and sy wouldn't really have the resources to take care of a newborn, so they leave Ning Yingying in the care of the brothel jiejies and visit every month to give them money. Shen Jiu plans to let the child grow up there, but in a rare act of defiance A-Yuan demands that he buy a house and that they raise her together. Jiu refuses to consider it at all, stating that Shen Yuan's plans lack foresight and logic. At least, until the rumors of some cursed ruins reach his ears.

The interesting thing about cursed ruins, is that if treated with the right combination of rituals they become optimal places to cultivate demonic energy. Naturally, it's land like this that demonic sects build on. Shen Jiu decides to scout the location and its potential for such use.

The twins travel to the village, but as they get closer and closer Shen Jiu's chest starts to tighten, sights and places stirring long-buried memories- it's at the last stretch of the journey, talking to an old woman who sets the story straight for them, that he fully realises they are headed to the burnt husk that is the qiu estate. Shen Yuan shares a few of his memories because of that unfortunate sharing of life-force. He stares at Shen Jiu and quickly turns them around. "We're leaving, right now!" he declares.

Leaving .. can he, really? Shen Jiu remembers being afraid of this place as a slave- he remembers longing without end to leave it. Resenting it.

Weren't the Qius a cultivator family? Hadn't he- almost- ended their clan? If so, what was the next logical step of his revenge ?

Desecrating their property. "No, Yuan," he says finally. He turns to the old lady. "We are cultivators and wish to take a look at those grounds. Is there anyone we may ask?"

"There isn't," she croaks. "The ruins have been all but lost to the forest around it. No one will stop you. I for one, do not think those lands can be cleansed, but I won't stop you from trying."

Shen Yuan waits until they have walked a good distance away. He follows behind Shen Jiu and tugs at his sleeve. "What do you want? What do you intend to do?" "Wait and see," he responds curtly.

The estate is both less and more than he imagined it would be. He remembers the massacre- killing all the men after the women and children had been ordered away by Qiu Jianluo. Not a single witness had been left but Haitang, and he would be happy to demonstrate his experience in murder to her if she was still around. He approaches the supporting pillar of what used to be Jianluo's bedroom. A burst of qi dislodges it from it precarious postion and it falls into the debri around it. His resentment rises- manifests in his qi and mixes with the resentment of those who died there. It is a powerful loop, two streams of water flowing into each other eroding the sand around it. He breathes and slips into meditation. Focuses on the resentment. Slightly, but surely, he feels it strengthening his qi.

Shen Jiu opens his eyes and cuts off the flow. Turns back to A-Yuan. "Well?" he asks. "Isn't it suitable for cultivation?" Shen Yuan stares at him, mouth agape. "Yes, but- don't tell me you're seriuously considering it? This is a great cursed ground, true, but it's also- also!!"

Shen Jiu recognizes that words to express human suffering elude the elegant plant spirit. It marks the difference in experience between them- that no matter how much he is taught and learns, he will never understand shen jiu for what he truly is. A monster. "It's also the place I grew up imprisoned in, you mean? That's what makes it an optimal cultivation area. My resentment is mine to control." Shen Yuan still looks unconvinced. The next thing he says makes Shen Yuan drop his fan on the ground and stare at him with disbelieving shining eyes. He is so easily distracted, Shen Jiu thinks distantly. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

[grandwretch]

only must i wander, chapter 9

dustin's intermission

[on ao3] [ch 1][ch 2][ch 3][ch 4][ch 5][ch 6][ch 7][ch 8]

1985, september

The gravel of Hopper's drivethrough crunched under Dustin's bike wheels. It was late, night having long since settled over Hawkins, but the cabin windows glowed warmly, beckoning him inside. He could already hear the voices of his friends inside, yelling and laughing over some joke he couldn't make out-- Excitement lanced through him when he heard Eddie's wild cackle. 

It had been months since he'd seen Eddie outside of school. Months since he'd been able to hang out with most of them, actually. He'd been grounded for weeks  after the mall fire, and once his mom had found out about Steve being a Grimm, he'd basically been under house arrest. Dustin had missed so much, catching up on the phone with El or in sadly human hangouts with Max. They had Wesen game nights, now. D&D campaigns he didn't get invited to. Movie nights where they watched his favorites without him. Summer had been torture, and seeing them in between classes at school only made it worse.

Well, Dustin was sick of it. There would be no more inside jokes he didn't understand. No more apologetic faces when they discussed plans. He was going to game night. If his mom woke up and noticed him missing, she was just going to have to get over it. He refused to let his own life pass him by because she was afraid. 

He ditched his bike next to Steve's car, the kickstand singing metallic at the force with which he snapped it in place. He hustled himself up the steps and onto the porch, shooting furtive glances over his shoulder. They were in the middle of the woods, no nosy neighbors to rat him out, but Dusin still felt hunted by someone's watchful gaze. Perhaps being hunted by the government for a few days had left more lasting damage than he'd previously expected. 

Throwing open the door with more strength than he'd intended, Dustin blinked as the light enveloped him. From the yard it had seemed cozy and welcoming, but now it stung his eyes-- He hadn't risked a flashlight to light his way on the ride here, and now he was paying for it. He recoiled from the doorway, cursing under his breath, and heard more than saw the party draw to a halt at his presence.  

"Dustin?" Steve asked, the Grimm suspicion that they'd all had to become accustomed to clinging to his voice.

"Dustin!" El echoed. At least she was happy to see him. As Dustin's vision cleared, El threw her arms around his neck, and he stumbled further back into the darkness. Behind her, Max hovered, staring off into the night to make it clear she wasn't waiting for a turn-- Of course, when El stepped back after a final squeeze, she didn't back away when Dustin pulled her in, either. She tucked herself under his chin, briefly letting herself rest against his shoulder before backing up. 

Both the girls beamed up at him, one brighter than the other, and Dustin was left with the dizzying thought of what his younger self would think of how easy it was to touch and be touched by El and Max. And, also, how little any of them seemed to care about it outside of what little comfort they could bring each other after the summer. Romance had seemed incidental, if relevant at all-- Dustin and El's newfound intimacy had very little to do with her breakup from Mike, and Dustin found himself lounging in Lucas's lap as often as Max, when they weren't in public. Hell, basketball season starting was the only reason that Dustin wasn't throwing himself at Lucas right now. The further their other friends slipped away, the tighter they clung to each other. It was more than a little odd, but Dustin wasn't surprised that their sense of propriety was more than a little warped. Look who they had for role models. 

Said role model was standing in the doorway, peering down at his charges. Dustin couldn't see Steve's face in the shadows, but he could imagine the frown that had taken his mouth. Stress lines had already begun to settle in around his mouth, years too early, the expression so common that even his smiles carried echoes of it. "What are you doing here, bud?" 

"I came for game night!" Dustin said brightly, as if it wasn't the first time he'd ever shown up to the cabin on his own. Or after 9pm, for that matter. 

"Uh," Steve grunted, that pissy little squint of his settling in. Always willing to throw Dustin under the bus in order to remain the favorites, Max and El ducked back into the cabin, giggling. "Does your mom know you came for game night?" 

Steve was a pretty terrible liar, but he was distressingly good at figuring out when Dustin was. There was absolutely no tactic that worked on him every time; Dustin just had to pick a really good one and hope that Steve was having an off night. There was one that worked more often than not, but Dustin tried not to use it too often-- Not just because of Steve, but because of his new ever-present shadows, Eddie and Robin. Even now, they blinked at Dustin from Hopper's couch, not even pretending to be interested in something else. Even on his worst nights, Steve wouldn't miss a pattern with three brains working on it. 

Blustering, Dustin decided the best way to not get caught in a lie was to not answer at all. Instead, he took a page out of Steve's own book, mirroring his pose-- Hands on the hip and all. With exggeration in every movement and word, Dustin leaned in, mocking, "What do you think, genius?" 

"I--" Steve began, and halfway through the sentence seemed to realize he didn't care all that much. Maybe Steve had finally remembered he had done his fair share of sneaking out, or maybe he was just tired. Either way, in that moment of hesitation, Dustin knew he had him. "Yeah, alright," Steve sighed, then turned, gesturing for Dustin to follow him. "Come on in."

Max and El were on the floor in front of the couch. They had pushed the coffee table out of the way and replaced it with a box of Clue, the pieces scattered across the floor. The actual board was still folded, halfway out of the box, and El was hunched over the worn cards, examining them carefully. "You're just in time to help me teach El the rules," Max said, with a smile that said Dustin would be doing all of the teaching. 

"I'm going to play the red lady," El said, not listening. Her fingers stroked Miss Scarlet's portraits, obvious envy in her voice. "She has such nice hair." 

Robin leaned over, humming as she examined the card. "Steve could probably help you do yours like that." 

Steve glanced down at the card, frowning even deeper when he saw Miss Scarlet's teased curls. "Maybe when she's sixteen," he said, every inch of Hopper's disapproval in his voice, which obviously really meant 'never in a million years'.

"Steve, come on!" Max whined as El pouted up at him, both of them suddenly very invested in Steve's dedication to El's haircare. He ignored them with all the practice of a professional older brother, throwing himself onto the couch between Robin and Eddie. Immediately, he and Robin started talking about whatever boring grown up argument they'd been having before, but Eddie's eyes lingered on Dustin for a moment longer. 

His eyes said that they absolutely knew what Dustin was up to, and that he was choosing to ignore it. It was probably the only help he was going to get from anyone when it came to deceiving Steve, and Dustin chose not to push it. He mouthed a quiet 'thank you', then nearly tripped over himself trying to claim Professor Plum before Max could snatch it from him. 

They got halfway through a game before the door opened again, spilling their warmth out into the chilly autumn air. Chief Hopper's voice boomed through the small cabin, the beloved owner's words echoing through the space, cutting through laughter and arguments. The magic was wasted on nothing much at all. "Oh great," the echoes said, "a bunch of kids in my house." 

Dustin blinked up at Chief Hopper, looming over them all from the doorway. He was in uniform, the brown monstrosity that made him seem at once incredibly silly and largely intimidating, and holding a stack of pizzas that nearly went over his head. Dustin blinked a couple more times, and the pizzas didn't fade. 

Weird. 

While Dustin was... intellectually aware that Chief Hopper was now the adopted father of his two best friends, Dustin had yet to be adjust to that, uh, emotionally. For most of his life, the Chief had been a vague and mysterious form of authority, more of an icon than a human, and his mother and peers had warned him equally to stay out of the Chief's way. As Dustin grew older, the warnings grew with him, until Will's disappearance had turned the Chief from a distant warning to a very present adversary. 

It had been difficult to let that resentment go, even if Dustin had left most of the anger to Mike. It hadn't helped, either, that none of them had any idea that the Chief had been keeping El safe for almost a year-- It had been a revelation on a night of revelations, turning into a knot of confusion and emotion. Will is in danger again, you have a new big brother, the Chief is a wonderful father and also a liar. 

Excuse him if he wasn't exactly comfortable in the man's presence. 

Especially not, Dustin thought while every muscle in his body locked with fear, when he wasn't supposed to be here. 

Dustin was the only one disappointed to see an adult in the room, apparently. Greetings flooded the room as Dustin's mouth went dry, El and Steve's the loudest. Eddie even waved, remarkably chill for a man who had spent so much time in the back of the Chief's cruiser, although it might have something to do with the arm Steve currently had draped over his shoulders. Hard to be scared of a man whose son had latched onto you like a limpet, Dustin guessed. 

"Yes, yes, hello to the children who are supposed to be here. What the rest of you doing here?" Belying his harsh words, Hopper put a gentle hand on Max's head, large palm praticially enveloping her skull. She beamed up at him, but the Chief had moved on, his eyes now locked on Dustin. As the target of swiftly narrowing eyes, Dustin got the vague impression he had just interrupted some fatherly ritual he didn't understand. "Especially you, Henderson."

"Um," Dustin croaked, squirming. He searched desperately for a lie that would hold up under Hopper's narrowed gaze, but to his shock, the man barely held his gaze for another second. 

Rolling his eyes, Hopper visibily dropped whatever suspicion he'd had about coming home to Dustin on his couch. "Whatever," he said, echoing Steve with eerie similarity, looking to the other kids. "Time for dinner. Who wants vegetarian?" 

"Awesome!" Max crowed, El brightening beside her, but Dustin swallowed around a lump in his throat that told him he hadn't made it out of the woods, yet. 

Dustin ate his pizza-- surpreme, of course, with one slice of jalapeno and ham that Eddie had bullied him into trying --slowly, not liking the way Hopper and Steve kept looking at him. If this was what having a dad was like, Dustin was glad he'd missed out; Their gazes were knowing and unflinching, and while Dustin wasn't afraid, he felt bare and stupid. What was even worse was that afterward they'd look at each other, having a silent conversation through their eyebrows and shoulders. It was a language that Dustin hadn't even known Steve could speak, a language that seemed to be bestowed upon every parent the moment their child was born. Steve hadn't had any kids, and he didn't understand spoken language most days, but it didn't stop him from keeping up with Chief Hopper. Dustin watched his head bob in Dustin's direction time and again, and chewed crust that tasted more like cardboard. 

The moment the last piece disappeared behind Dustin's lips, Steve and Robin already leaping up to help clear the paper plates scattered across the table, Hopper stood. His chair scraped across the floor with a loud sound that had the rest of the gathered party pausing in their own movements; Dustin wasn't sure how the chair knew it needed to announce the importance in the set of Hopper's shoulders, but it had certainly gotten the message across.

"Alright," the Chief said, adjusting the belt around his stomach. "It's getting late. Dustin, I told your mom I'd take you home when we got done eating." 

Dustin swallowed. Had an olive gotten lodged in his esophagus at some point? Breathing felt suddenly out of his reach. 

"What?" El asked, a sharp frown on her face. "He didn't even get to play any games with us!" 

"Sorry, Janey. His mom's rules come first," Hopper said. He did look genuinely sorry about it, at least until his gaze found Dustin's again. He saw the iron return to the man's eyes and had to struggle not to reveal the way his heart raced in his chest. "Say goodbye, Dustin." 

"Bye, everyone," he said mechanically, wincing when he heard the shake in his own voice. 

"We'll see you at school next week," Max said, with a small, awkward smile. It didn't make Dustin feel any better, really, but it did remind him that whatever happened next, it wasn't like his mom could take school away from him. 

"See ya, Dusty," Eddie said, waving behind Steve's back. "Sorry, man." 

Not sorry enough to stand up for him, apparently. 

Dustin sulked out of the cabin, followed by the Chief's large, looming shadow. He hesitated for just a moment beside his bicycle, only to scurry away when the man gave a low, displeased grunt. Waiting by the cruiser door in silence seemed like the much safer bet, actually, Dustin decided. His bicycle could rot here, for all he cared at the moment-- Living was much more important.

"I should make you sit in the back, the way I used to make Steve ride back there when he was a dickhead," Hopper said, mostly mumbling as he fished his keys out of his pocket. "Actually, I've had Eddie back there a time or two, too. Maybe you need some better role models, Henderson."

Answering seemed like a bigger mistake than sneaking out had been. Every word of that had felt like a trap, either throwing his friends under the bus or digging himself deeper into Hopper's ire. He'd never been great at keeping his mouth shut, and the habit of letting his mouth run away from him had only gotten worse now that he had Steve to back him up-- The fear of Claudia Henderson, though? That was more than enough to keep him quiet. 

Dustin could feel the nerves causing subtle changes in his body as he waited for Hopper to unlock the passenger door. His teeth elongated and shifted texture, and he pressed the rough edges against his tongue until he could taste iron. Fur sprouted on fidgeting fingers. 

Hopper seemed to take his silence as a cue, because once Dustin was safely in the car, the man didn't speak another word. That was worse, somehow. The silence pressed in on them as they rolled slowly through the forest, and Dustin couldn't help that his gaze kept returning back to Hopper's blank, stern face. Had they ever spent this much time alone before? Surely not, and surely not enough to be silent with each other. Dustin had only just barely reached that level with Steve, a guy Dustin had all but made his emergency contact, and that was only because the school had refused to accept the paperwork. 

Somewhere in the back of Dustin's mind, he was vaguely aware of what Hopper was doing. He'd never been arrested before, unless you counted the brief run-ins with the federal government as resisting arrest, which according to the agents who had so passionately argued with Dr. Owens-- Well, whatever. Dustin had never been interrogated before, was the point, but he had seen movies. He knew that silence was just as persuasive as intimidation or a kind word and a cup of coffee. He knew the game Hopper was playing, and that was half the battle. He wasn't going to fall victim to such a stupid trick. 

Except he absolutely was, Dustin thought with his stomach in knots. He wasn't a hardened criminal; he was a freshman. He hadn't even had his fourteenth birthday yet. Of course he was going to break. The only thing left for Dustin to do was try not to reveal too much when he did. 

He barely made it to them same road before his control over his mouth snapped like a twig, the words tumbling over his tongue and out of his mouth. "Are you really going to tell my mom?" Fuck.

"Well, kid. I feel like I should," Hopper said, slowly. For the first time that night, Dustin could see that Hopper felt as awkward about this conversation as Dustin was. He was all but squirming in his seat, shifting awkwardly as he frowned out at the road before them. They both would much prefer Dustin was having this conversation with Steve, probably, but Dustin's mom didn't open the door when Steve knocked anymore. Which was the whole reason Dustin had to sneak out in the first place. "Seems like the kinda thing a mom should know." 

"You can't!" Dustin said, fully aware he sounded like the whining child he had always tried to avoid becoming. He had kept his cool through being hunted by federal agents, through attacks by eldritch dogs, through his best friends being drug to Hell and back. So much had happened in the last few years, and while the rest of Dustin's friends only seemed to improve from year to year, he could feel himself swiftly reaching the edges of his abililty to take random bullshit. 

"Oh, can't I?" Hopper asked, amused. The grin tugging on the edges of his mouth only twisted the knife in Dustin's chest further. 

"No! It'll--" Dustin swallowed, heart pounding so fast he thought he might throw up. "Fuck, Hop, are you trying to ruin my life?" 

Hopper sighed, shaking his head as he muttered, "Teenagers are so dramatic, Jesus." 

"Oh, sure, all parents are good and perfect," Dustin spat, crossing his arms around his chest. He wasn't being dramatic. Steve flipping out when someone broke his favorite mug was dramatic. Eddie writing a dirge for his favorite wornout cassette was dramatic. Freaking out because your mom was trying to lock you up for the rest of your life wasn't dramatic. "Why don't you call Steve's folks and tell him who he's hanging out with these days?" 

"Your mom is not Sophia Harrington, Dustin. Stop it." 

Hopper wasn't wrong, and the look he shot Dustin said he knew it, but Dustin still avoided his gaze.

"Yeah, but she--" Dustin ground his jaw, wincing at the sound the beaver teeth made in his mouth. "She's awful." 

"She loves you, and that's more than Steve ever had--" Hopper began, but Dustin cut him off with a shout. It was short and incoherent, barely more than a grunt of frustration, but he just couldn't take it anymore. 

 Guilt had already settled into Dustin's chest when he'd made the comparison; He didn't need Hopper to tell him he was out of line. Steve's mom was an even touchier subject than his dad. Whatever was going on there was much lonelier than fear or anger.

The fact of it was, though, Steve didn't matter right now. Not to Dustin. His only mistake had been bringing it up. Sure, Steve had a bad mom-- But everyone else had great ones. Even El, with no mom at all, got brought under the wing of Joyce Byers and Susan Mayfield. Where did that leave Dustin, quietly suffering alone, with no one to talk to about it? Why, because Steve had it worse? Steve wouldn't want that for him, Dustin knew that, and he wasn't about to accept it, either. 

"I'm not allowed to have friends, I'm not allowed to have a life," Dustin gasped out. With a distant horror, Dustin realised that tears had begun to well up in his eyes, but his body was spiralling swiftly out of his control. There was very little he could do, only double over, clinging to the door, as he tried to regain some composure.

Hopper's stern, detached voice only made things worse. "You disappeared for almost a week this summer, she's allowed to--" 

"She says terrible shit all the time about my friends, and everyone just passes it off as being strict! It's not just Steve and El, it's people she's never even met. You didn't even hear the stuff she said about Jeff and Gareth's families. I don't even--" Dustin choked, drawing to an end with a shuddering breath. Hopper was quiet as Dustin tried to catch his breath, chest heaving. He was still listening when Dustin continued, "I don't even recognize her anymore. The past two years have been... That's not my mom, Hopper. I don't know who she is."

Hopper's silence stayed firm even when Dustins' words finally drew to a more natural end. With a sinking heart, Dustin was sure that Hopper was just going to keep ignoring him all the way home-- That he was going to turn into ever other adult in the world and pretend that everything he didn't like wasn't happening. It would be so disappointing, Dustin thought, to know that Steve and El had been through so much and all they had to fall back on was someone who didn't listen. 

Blinking back tears, Dustin turned away from Hop, leaning so far into the door that his face pressed into the cool glass. Two could play at that game. He didn't have to listen, either-- When the lectures came, he would just let it all fade into background noise, focusing his mind on the swiftly moving lights that danced across the window's reflections. 

When Hopper eventually spoke, however, there was no lecture to be found. 

"Did I ever tell you that I went to school with your mom, Dustin?" he said, instead. Dustin peeked over his shoulder at him, but Hopper wasn't looking at him-- His eyes were still firmly on the road, though Dustin could see that his hands were clenched so hard around the wheel that his knuckles were turning white. 

"No," Dustin said, suspicion coloring every word. "We're from Chicago." 

"Well, that's where she went to college-- where you were born --but she grew up right here with me and Joyce. She was... " Hopper paused, as if unsure of how to explain himself. "Different, then, I guess. A real bright girl. Too good for a couple of outcasts like us, probably, but she acted like she didn't notice. Her and Joyce were something to see, always getting into problems, asking questions. I don't think either of them were afraid of anything at all, back then." 

Dustin tried to imagine his mother getting into trouble and couldn't quite manage it. Every attempt only ended with his mother being the one to do the scolding, to point out the danger. "Are you sure it was my mom?" he asked. "That doesn't sound anything like her." 

Hopper snorted. "Yeah, kid, I'm sure." 

"Then what... happened to her?" It wasn't just the way she acted; Dustin couldn't remember a single time his mother had talked fondly about the people of Hawkins. Chicago she loved, but Hawkins was nothing more than a prison to her, something she chose because the walls would keep them as safe as it kept them isolated. "The way she talks about Joyce-- The way she talks about everybody--"

Hopper shrugged. "I know she met your dad in college, and they settled down there permanently when they got married. She dropped out of college and joined a nursing program, instead. Spent a lot of time with your father's family, from what I heard. Joyce was worried about her, going through the same motions herself, but Claudia was happy. They lost touch after that, but she sent word when you were born. Joyce was thrilled; She was pregnant with Will and had been so afraid that Claudia would never have the family she wanted." 

Nothing abou this made any sense. Everything Dustin had ever known about his mom, about his own life, was in direct contradiction with what Hopper was saying--  but then, how many times in the past few years had Dustin's entire world view been challenged by one conversation? How many times had his mother told him something he knew was untrue, simply because she thought it was for his own good? 

"My mom told me my dad didn't have any family. It's just me and mom," he said numbly, because surely she wouldn't have lied about that. Surely she wouldn't have kept a family from him, one that she apparently had loved enough to turn her back on everything she'd ever known. 

"... I reckon that's still true," Hopper said, awkwardly. His eyes flicked towards Dustin again, just once, as if gauging how he was taking gaining and losing a family within the span of a few sentences. "When your-- When your dad passed, Claudia showed back up in Hawkins. She moved into her parents' old house, and when we asked, she said she didn't have anywhere else to go. We tried to get her settled, but it never really took. I don't know how much you remember, but we couldn't even convince her to let you leave the house until you were five or six. Took even longer for Joyce to convince her you were healthy enough to go to school." 

"I didn't know Joyce was why I stopped homeschooling," Dustin said, head spinning. He'd always assumed the doctors had convinced her; That it was always a part of the plan, and the homeschooling had been them waiting for his body to catch up. "I never even met her until Will invited me over." 

"Claudia only let her in the house if you were upstairs. Never saw anyone else come in or out, either. Joyce was thrilled the first time you came over. Lonnie was afraid she'd never let you go home." 

Had his childhood really been so restrictive? Dustin remembered feeling lonely, sure, but he had always just attributed that to being a sick kid with no friends. The idea it was something that his mother had forced on him left him feeling slightly sick to his stomach. He could have known Will for years.  He could have had even more time with someone he might never talk to again. The games they could have played together-- The conversations they could have had-- Dustin could imagine a world where he and Will were just as close as Mike and Will, as close as Lucas and Dustin were now. 

The more he thought about it, the more the idea ached. If he and Mike had met then, would Mike have been less willing to cut them all out after last summer? Would he have stayed the way they needed him to? Would Dustin have been able to save his friends the way he couldn't now? And if all that was true, what else had his mother kept from him? 

He didn't want to accept it. As much as Dustin resented his mother's attitude towards the people he loved, he had never thought that she would turn that anger towards him. She had never done anything to hurt him, not knowingly, anyway. Until now, he had always thought she was just... misguided. He was suffering under her love, that was all. It happened to people all the time. But if what Hopper was saying was true, was Dustin wrong? Was she keeping him safe by taking away everything that could ever make him happy? Did she even care? 

"And she never told you why?" Dustin said, the lump in his throat shredding his voice to reedy, pathetic pieces. "She never... She never told you how my dad died?" 

"No," Hopper said, his voice softer than Dustin had ever heard it. "You?"

"No." 

It was, apparently, another thing she'd thought he didn't need. 

Silence took over the cruiser again, both of them unsure of what to say. Dustin was sure if he asked any more questions he would burst into tears halfway through, and Hopper-- Hopper kept looking at Dustin like he knew it, like he was afraid anything he said would break Dustin into tiny pieces. Dustin was so tired of being thought of as something fragile, but he had to admit that he felt like it, for the first time in his life. 

He felt like thin, warped glass, the edges of him already turning back into sand. 

"I do have a theory, if you're willing to hear it," Chief Hopper said eventually. Dustin hugged his arms around his stomach, holding tight. He wasn't sure that he did want to hear it, actually-- He wasn't sure he could live with knowing more truths about his mother. But Dustin had never been good at ignoring his own impulse for answers, even when it might be the death of him. 

"What kind of theory?" he asked, stomach sinking before he even heard the answer. 

"You know, Steve has been sharing a lot of that Wesen stuff with me, "Hopper said. "Stuff he thinks would be useful in my line of work when he can't be around. I'll admit most of it doesn't make sense to me, but I remember one thing about you beaver folk." 

"Eisbibers," Dustin corrected, on instinct more than any offense.

"Yeah, whatever," the Chief said, waving his hand in a way so reminiscent of Steve that Dustin almost smiled. :Anyway, Steve's grandpa says that the beavers are big on family. They live in big groups, and when two families mix they often become one big family. According to him, there's one family that makes up half of a small country in Europe. The way I see it, it's... a problem there's only two in Hawkins. You understand me?" 

Not really, Dustin thought, but the unease in his stomach only settled in further. 

Hopper sighed. "Maybe just give your mom a little grace, alright? I'm not exactly thrilled with how she's been talking about my kids, either, but sometimes people have a reason to be a little paranoid." 

Dustin wanted to protest, wanted to point out that he'd seen worse than his mom ever had, but something held his tongue. He wasn't sure what it was, exactly, but a voice in the back of his head kept hissing at him. Was he sure? Was he really sure that his mother hadn't seen anything worse? Dustin tried not to follow that voice any deeper, tried not to consider what would make an Eisbiber leave her family behind. 

If there was even any family left to have. 

"Yeah," Dustin choked out, squeezing his eyes closed. 

Silently, Hopper pulled to a stop. Dustin could feel the sway of the car, the small bump as Hopper pulled up onto the sidewalk-- A small crime done with the confidence of a cop. It took a few more seconds for Dustin to get the courage to open his eyes, but Hopper waited, not speaking. 

When Dustin finally peeked out the window, he didn't like what he saw. Mrs. Morgan's prized dahlia's stared back at him, dulled by the moonlight, an ominous sign that they had finally reached Dustin's block. In a few short yards, they would be at his house-- And if his mom caught him, or if Hopper forced him to explain, there would be hell to pay. She wouldn't hurt him, of course, probably wouldn't even yell-- But somehow that made it all worse. If she freaked out a little more, maybe Dustin could properly hate her. Instead, she would just stand there, saying horrible things in a calm voice that made his stomach turn. 

"Alright, kid, here's what we're gonna do: I'm gonna park right here, and you're gonna walk the rest of the way home," Hopper said, his voice soft. "Tell her or not, it's up to you." 

It was more than Dustin had expected from him. "I thought I was in trouble." 

"I trust you to make the right call," Hopper said. 

And wasn't that a guilt trip and a half? 

Dustin knew he was right. He should tell his mom the truth, if only because she seemed to struggle with the concept herself. He couldn't be mad at her, couldn't demand answers, if he was sneaking around, too. He would have to be brave. 

Pulling himself out of the cruiser with shaky limbs, Dustin nodded at Hopper one last time. It had been a weird night, but the man had at least tried. He wondered if this was what Steve had felt like, when Hopper first started reaching out to him-- But no, that was different. Steve needed a dad, had craved one. Dustin had more parental presence than he knew what to do with. 

He walked the last block home, the pressure in his head growing with every step. Dread rose higher in his throat until it pooled on his tongue, tasting of bile, but his determination grew stronger with it. He unlocked the front door, gritting his teeth until he felt a snarl settle over his face. He needed to not be himself when he faced her, needed to be someone stronger. Someone braver. 

He envied Steve's ability to mask himself in words and gestures, but it wasn't something Dustin could learn-- And definitely not in the next five seconds. 

Dustin's mother was exactly where he left her. Claudia Henderson was at the kitchen table, reading one of the many books that Dustin wasn't allowed to look at, much less touch. She sat, as she always did, in the only chair that gave her an unimpeded view of the front door. Which, of course, meant the moment Dustin walked through, she saw him. 

He watched shock then fear settle on her face and squared his shoulders, waiting for her to strike first.

"Dusty, you--" Her voice wavered, pitching up into a frightened warble that made Dustin wince. "Have you been out all night?" 

It was hardly what he would have considered all night, barely 11 pm, but he knew what she meant. "Yeah, mom." 

Claudia rose, her clothes swirling around her as frantic as she had suddenly become. She cleared the space between them in a moment, her hands gripping his shoulders. "Where? What were you thinking? Do you have any idea how dangerous this place could be for you--" 

"I do, actually," he said. Very few in Hawkins knew it better. "Do you?"

"Excuse me?" 

Dustin sighed, feeling not for the first time like the only adult in the room. "Look, mom. We need to talk." 

As if sensing the shift in the dynamic, Claudia pulled herself up to her full height, staring down at her son with a clenched jaw. Her approximation of sterness meant nothing to Dustin, all too aware of the way her eyes still darted from place to place. As if, somehow, Dustin might have brought the danger home with him. As if him sneaking out to spend a night with his friends wasn't a danger because he might get hit by a car or might be drinking, but because the sin itself would mean monsters lurked in the darkness. 

"There's nothing to talk about except the fact that you're grounded," Claudia said, and Dustin looked up at her with pity. 

"Alright," he said, willing to go along with it if it made her stop shaking. "But I still need to talk to you." 

The fear seemed to turn to frustration in half a moment, and Dustin watched color flood his mother's face. "What could you possibly have to say to me right now?" she demanded. "What could make this better? Better yet, what couldn't possibly wait until morning?" 

"... I want to be able to go to Hopper's and hang out with El and Steve," he said, because he deserved it. Because she deserved to hear the truth of what he wanted, even if she wasn't willing to give it to him. "They have game nights every Thursday, and I miss--" 

"No," she said, disgusted and betrayed-- As if Dustin had hurt her by even asking. 

"Mom, they're my friends," Dustin said, trying to stay calm. His throat still ached from holding back tears in Hopper's car, but he didn't feel like crying now. He couldn't afford it, not with Claudia shaking in front of him, so near tears herself. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried in front of his mother, couldn't remember the last night he'd trusted her enough to take care of him if he couldn't take care of himself. 

"You have no idea what Wesen like them are capable of, Dusty!" she said. Her fingers dug into his shoulders so deeply now that Dustin bit his lip to keep from jerking away. "I know they seem like your friends now, but when you're older, you'll understand." 

"I do, though!" Dustin said, because his had already friends done wonderful, terrible things, and it had only made him love them more. "I've seen what they're capable of, and they've never once used it against me." 

"For now!" Claudia finally let go, sending Dustin rocking backwards as she stomped back into the kitchen. She filled a glass of water with shaking hands, and Dustin wondered if she was trying to hide her anger or her fear from him. 

"I don't--" Dustin sighed. "What do you think is going to change?" 

"Mind my words, Dustin," Claudia said, voice grave."If you keep running around with predators like that, they'll kill you."

Scoffing, Dustin trailed behind his mother, asking, "You think El is going to kill me? That Steve is? Come on, Mom, you've met them."

"Yes. And I've met hexenbiests before. They always seem pleasant until they're cursing your bloodline," Claudia said. The calmness she wore from day to day was nowhere to be found, every inch of her consumed by the nervous dramatics that she had passed on to Dustin. She almost reminded him of Robin when she got like this, tongue sharp and hands flying. He watched her slosh water all over the kitchen counter as she gestured angrily. "Oh, I've also met Mr. and Mrs. Harrington. They're a delight, I assure you. I still wouldn't spend a moment alone with them! I definitely wouldn't trust them alone with you, Dustin. Imagine what could happen!" 

"Steve isn't his parents," Dustin said. The louder his mother got, the quieter he found himself becoming-- He had to force himself not to mumble, now. Every word threatened to die in his throat. 

"You can't change genetics, Dustin. There's thousands of years of murder in his DNA, and I'm not going to trust his control over his instincts with your safety," Claudia said. 

"Fine," Dustin agreed. "Then I want to join Hellfire next year." 

Claudia paused, sitting the half-full glass down on the counter. "What?" 

"It's a DnD group run by Eddie Munson, and--" 

"A Munson?" Claudia's voice was sharp with shock, bordering on a shriek. "You may as well play with a rabid animal, Dustin. Sweetheart, listen to yourself--" 

That stung more than anything she had ever said about Steve or El. They were dangerous, had the potential to take out all of Hawkins if they put their minds together, Dustin just knew them well enough to know that they wouldn't. To talk about Eddie and Wayne like that was another thing entirely. They were good people. Sweet in a way that Dustin had rarely seen in his short life. A family like the kind you saw on TV, always there for each other, family dinners and talking through their problems on the front porch. They weren't the kind of family that adults approved of, but they were the kind that ever kid wanted to be a part of. 

It seemed like profaning something holy to call them animals. Eddie, especially, seemed unfair. He was just a kid. A kid who was technically older than Steve, sure, but a kid all the same. Not only would he not hurt Dustin, he probably couldn't if he even tried. Eddie was good, and brave, and had saved Steve in ways that Dustin hadn't even known that Steve needed saving but he... He had fought and killed less than Dustin had. It was like calling a baby a monster, at the end of the day, and Dustin could barely hide his disdain for the thought.

"He's friends with Steve and Robin, and he's really nice," Dustin said, the words falling short of explaining everything Eddie meant to him and their group. "There's also other prey species in the group, and I think it would be good for me--" 

"I don't even know why the Harringtons allow Wayne and that whelp to stay in Hawkins after what his father did," Claudia continued, ignoring Dustin's clumsy pleading. "Honestly, if anything good comes from Steve and him running around together, it'll be that the Harringtons finally run them out." 

Dustin's blood ran cold at the very thought. Since finding out what Steve's bloodline really meant, the Harringtons had been little more than a vague horror story, a monster people told their kids about in whispers before bed. He'd hoped they'd never come home in the same thought as wondering if they were even real, and half the time Steve seemed to think of them the same way. They were a distant threat, looming over the town but never touching it. Hopper and Steve had a plan, after all. What did Dustin need to worry? 

The idea of the Harringtons actually hunting someone-- Someone that Dustin loved-- Someone that Steve loved-- sent Dustin's stomach into spirals so tight he thought he'd be sick. He couldn't fathom it. He'd been hunted before, watched his friends evade capture and fight against monsters and the government alike, but the Harringtons were... Grimms they might be, but the Harringtons were just people. Eddie was just a boy their son was friends with. 

He couldn't imagine the ways it would break Steve's heart. He couldn't imagine the ways it would shift the dynamics of their group, of the entire town. He couldn't imagine the way it would destroy him, shifting the foundation of his entire life to watch two of his closest friends to collapse in one fell swoop like that-- And if Eddie left, if Steve fell chasing him, then what would happen to Robin? To El? To Max? To Lucas? With all his friends falling like dominoes, what would Dustin have left? 

And his mother wanted it to happen. All but prayed for it, here in the holy quiet of their kitchen.

"You know, you have a lot of guts calling my friends murderers when you're the one wishing death on people." The words fell from Dustin's mouth, cold and sharp as the ice she'd lodged in his heart. 

Claudia looked at her son, fear and anger fallen away to reveal blank, dark eyes that stared at him for a long moment. "I've had enough of you tonight, I think," she said, and her voice sounded tired. "Go to your room." 

Dustin went, stomping all the way. She was tired? Her? She had no idea. No idea at all. The shit he went through everyday, the shit she was just piling on him further--

Halfway up the stairs, he heard her voice call out. "I hope one day you understand that I'm doing this for your own good." 

His only answer was the slamming of his bedroom door. 

There, alone in the dark, Dustin promised himself that he wouldn't give up. This wasn't over, not by a long shot. One day he'll be able to hang out with El and Steve again. Eddie would be a harder sell, probably, but he should be able to hang out with Steve in the next two or three years if he keeps his head down and plays his cards right. Maybe he should start hanging out with Eddie's prey friends, Dougie and Gareth, she would chill out more? What could be so scary about an otter and a turtle? 

Dustin sighed, and sat on his bed. 

The real problem was his mother's fear. That had to be fixed before they could start rebuilding Dustin's life into something approaching normal. Maybe he would never find out what happened to his dad and their family, but he had to start somewhere, and that was the only lead he had. 

He threw himself back, arms spread across his covers, staring up at the dingy glow in the dark stars. His mother had helped him put those up, carefully placing each one according to Dustin's careful instructions, until they had a perfect representation of his favorite constellation. She had loved him, once. Probably still did, in her own way. And somewhere beneath all the resentment and hurt, Dustin knew that if he was lonely, his mother had to be drowning. 

Maybe his only way out of this was saving her. 

Dustin closed his eyes. He would do everything he could, these next four years. Anything to make her less afraid to be alive, to walk the streets of Hawkins and smile and have friends again. And at the end of it, when he finally had a diploma in his hand and more freedom than he knew what to do with, he would either have his mom back or... 

Well. He would be able to do whatever he wanted, then, wouldn't he? He would have more than enough family to not notice the hollow in his heart the shape of Claudia Henderson. 

[michaelndarling]

The wine in his hand wasn’t touched at first, Michael remembering once it was poured that he actually wasn’t the biggest fan of this form of alcohol - but it was fine. He was happy to just be included on a light drinking night, despite his being underage. “I won’t,” he promises with a small smile. He hesitates for a moment, looking down at the glass in his hand, and realizes that maybe if he were really to get over this - he needed to talk about it. So much had been going on in his own love life and friend group that he hadn’t really stopped to tell anyone just how upset by this he really was. “You know, I’m not even mad that he didn’t tell us. I get that, kind of. I – “ a pause for a moment as his frown deepens. “I just can’t believe he really left all of us - you and me, all because of a girl.” Maybe Wendy would understand it more or be able to explain to him the rational John had in his actions, but from where he sat he simply couldn’t see how one simple relationship, secret or not, could be so important he’d leave his whole family behind to get away from it.

The relief he felt hearing from Wendy’s own lips that she and the fairy were friends now was short lived, replaced instead by a sense of dread at what Tink had slipped up and let out. Or intentionally told, it was hard to tell with her. Michael had known that Sam had filled the blonde in on their new arrangement, but he never thought she’d go blabbing to his sister at the first turn! It almost for a brief moment makes him miss the days when they hated each other - or more accurately, when Tink hated Wendy. The feeling had never really been too strongly returned. “Oh. What – what did she say?” he asks instead of confirming or denying anything, wanting to know exactly what it was his sister thought was happening. No need to out himself as falling back into old behaviors that had broken his heart once and would likely do it again if all she knew was they were hanging out a bit.

If the wine had raised any red flags, Michael hadn’t shown any suspicion, though, perhaps, he was simply too excited to be offered alcohol from his older sister in the first place. With two modest glasses poured, Wendy sat back on the sofa, listening as her youngest brother detailed the rift between himself and John. Wendy had been much quicker to forgive: she did understand, at least, the distance between herself and Tink being a prime reason why he hadn’t wanted to tell her of their romance. It was sadder, she thought, that he hadn’t confided in Michael, though, then, would she really want both of her brothers hiding something from her?

“Well, don’t be moody for too much longer, if you can help it. I miss being able to invite you over when he is here.” Wendy let out a laugh, the named scandal to happen amongst their friends one she hadn’t heard before. Strangely, the secret between her and John had brought her exponentially closer to Tink, something she hadn’t thought she’d ever see, given how long it’d taken them to get there. “You know, I think we are. Or, at least, the closest to friends we’re ever going to get. I’d followed her out of Sharpay’s party with a bottle of wine, and the rest is history.” She paused, raising a brow as she tiptoed toward the subject she really wanted to breach. “Speaking of, she told me something interesting, something … about you, and Sam?” she inquired, keeping her questioning brief before letting her brother defend himself.

[meimi-haneoka]

"With hindsight" Part 2 - a Yuna D. Kaito retrospective/analysis

Welcome to the second part of my retrospective on Yuna D. Kaito!

I remind you this is just a collection of scenes about Kaito from the whole story that I will be revisiting with the hindsight that Chapter 70 finally gave us. I'll try to give what I think is the right interpretation, but of course these are just my thoughts on the matter.

Continuing from Part 1, here we get into the heart of the story, while we find out more and more hints for Kaito's plan...but also hints for what's really in his heart.

My main goal with these posts is showing that the recent development didn't come out of the left field but there were actually subtle (or less subtle, but misunderstood due to prejudice) hints for it all along.

In this particular post, at some point, there'll be talk about heavy subjects related to life and death. The paragraph will have a warning beforehand, just to be sure, and you can skip to the next section if you want.

"The greatest magic artifact...Akiho-san herself" - Volume 6

After the huge event of the first time-rewind happening just merely a couple of chapters earlier, the end of volume 6 brings another earth-shaking revelation, along with many more important info.

First of all, since he completely dropped his "mask", we're shown for the first time how Kaito is immediately aware when Sakura creates a new Card. But that also confirms that he didn't meddle with those events, not in the beginning at least.

As I said previously, Kaito is someone who tends to act and intervene only at the last minute, when he cannot really avoid it anymore.

Even though the Card created by Sakura was so pivotal to the success of his plan, he really didn't intend to make her produce it by force. He still had time, so he hoped she would create it on her own without needing to resort to harsh methods. Another indication that he really wasn't keen on hurting Sakura at any moment of this plan. He was just standing there, going "oh!" when he could sense a vibration in the magic that suggested that Sakura's powers went out of control again, and soon another Card would be born. He just had to wait for the right one. A game of patience. Definitely a challenge for someone like him, used to obtain everything immediately, thanks to his magic.

We also get the first mentions about his plan: we acknowledge that he indeed needs a Card created by Sakura in particular, but that any of those new created ones will still be very useful to his goal (almost all the Cards in fact acted as "characters" for the story he prepared in Clockland).

We're informed that Momo is the guardian of the Book Akiho holds so dear, and that Kaito is trying to make that Book work to activate a forbidden spell.

Indeed, as we well know from chapter 70, everything went exactly as he wished for: they went inside the Book, he created the Clockland story using his memories and those of Akiho + Sakura in order to turn them sisters later on, the transparent Card he wanted was produced at the very last moment and he "piggybacked" Sakura's wish to exchange roles with Akiho to make an exchange himself.

But the biggest revelation (and one of the biggest misunderstandings) is that Kaito mentions "that's why I never returned it....the greatest artifact created by the Magic Association and that Clan...Akiho-san herself".

After this page, all the red flags and sirens probably went off in everyone's head, "omg he abducted her", "he wants to use her", "he's deceiving her"...but....to be honest, seeing the chapter with the first part of Akiho's past, and seeing how unhappy she was, we should've wondered immediately if that wasn't for the best.

Because it was.

He literally saved her life by never returning her to her clan.

Still, the sense of distrust in Kaito after this scene here (powered by that seemingly manic smile) persisted for long, long time in the fandom. And that was exactly what CLAMP planned us to feel like. Or rather, they wanted to see if we'd be able to get rid of this feeling the more the story went on.

Time magic at the behest of the Association - vol. 7

Just want to point out this small detail here - it tends to be forgotten, but Kaito didn't learn time magic when he decided to escort Akiho around the world, nor was given that ability by Momo.

He already knew how to work it, and has been using that dangerous type of magic ever since he was a kid, at the orders of the Association. Eriol obtained that information during his research.

This connects to chapter 70 because it made sense for them to impose a spell like the Seal of D on Kaito.

They knew he could use time magic, they knew he had no qualms in using it, and therefore that made him all the more dangerous to escort such a precious magic artifact in their eyes.

But most of all, this scene here confirms how Kaito himself was used and abused by the Association, in a similar way to what happened to Akiho. Scared of the terrible side effects, they ordered an emotionally stunted boy to use that magic on their behalf, well aware that it would've shaved off his life span. He didn't know any better, had a bleak existence because of how he grew up, he didn't have desires, so he couldn't really muster a will to refuse the orders.

"The boy didn't understand what was fun in that" - Volume 7

When talking about Kaito's past, CLAMP keep telling us "he didn't care for anyone, he didn't know what was fun in doing something with someone...spending time with them".

It's something they keep hammering because it's very indicative of how Kaito changed profoundly thanks to Akiho.

Now he experienced what's good in doing something for someone (not only all the things he did for her as her attendant, but also the very plan he set into motion, the sense of accomplishment we see in his final smile in chapter 70 comes directly from that), he experienced how good it can feel to spend time with someone (there's no doubt he loved spending time with Akiho, otherwise when given the chance - the time rewind at the date later on - he would've avoided it).

The only problem is.....he hasn't understood why yet. What really makes the difference here. Or rather, he stubbornly refused to acknowledge it till the end. And that stubborn ignorance led him to go on with his plan, thinking he was doing something good, oblivious to the effect this will have on Akiho later on when she'll find out what happened. That's why Momo cried "blockhead!!" in rage before he disappeared in chapter 70.

"Happy ending for whom?" - Vol. 7

And here we get HUGE, huge hints for what was coming up in the future.

Kaito was exhausted (Momo checks on him with a worried face) and fell asleep on a sofa, dreaming of his past and the moment that changed his life forever. The moment when the Association decided to tell him that they had just executed a magic ritual on the girl that he had certified as "magicless, like a blank book" long time before, in order to turn her into a magic artifact. Not "any girl", but the daughter of the only person who treated him with humanity for the little time they interacted with eachother.

If he was still dreaming of it now, years later, it meant that the event scarred his heart in a way that he didn't even fully understand himself. And we'll get confirmation of this only in chapter 60, 29 chapters after this one.

Kaito mentions that his dream looked "like a picture book", and Momo poses a clever question: "Does it look like this book will have a happy ending?".

We all took this question as figurative back then. But to imagine she actually was meaning it in a literal way, that we would really witness the characters becoming protagonists of a story set up by him! Again another hint under our noses.

Kaito confidently replies "It will (I'll make sure of it)", but that's when Momo (oh, I love her so much) comes with another sharper question that hits the bull's eye fully: "And that...will be a happy ending for whom, exactly?". My gosh. I don't know how Kaito didn't start second guessing after a question like that.

Because it's true, even though this might be the happy ending he imagined for Akiho (at his own expense, but he didn't care), it didn't even occur to him that this might not have been what she wanted at all. It didn't occur to him because of the complex feelings that his sense of disgust for himself and his guilt for what he had done to her were stirring in him. But we'll find out more about that later.

"She's really loved...by all the people involved with her" - vol. 7

Man, you can really feel we're halfway through the story, because in volume 7 are starting to surface a series of hints that become more and more specific to the revelation of Kaito's plan.

Kaito and Momo had just sensed that Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun came to Japan on behalf of Eriol, and Kaito knows very well that Eriol is venturing in scheming that far for his dear Sakura's sake.

And then....Kaito becomes sad? melancholic? for one moment...with a quite painful expression.

"She's really loved...by all the people involved with her"

This expression here kept me (and I'm sure not only me) wondering for long, long time. Years. It's apparent he's feeling a pang of sadness because Sakura's blessing with people who love and care for her wasn't granted on Akiho as well. But was he only feeling sad for Akiho? And what exactly that expression represented, was there envy for it? Longing?

Did he resent Sakura for the blessing of a loving entourage?

Now we know he really didn't. Of course the idea that CLAMP wanted to instill in our heads was that Kaito wanted to exchange the girls and felt envy/resentment towards Sakura, for the countless, shameless luck and privileges she was blessed with. I had fallen for that interpretation too for some time, because it kinda made sense. Seeing his past, his background, his upbringing...and the fact that Sakura was basically a stranger to him.

And Momo's further comment that Akiho loved Sakura too, with the subsequent silence from Kaito, was really staged by CLAMP in a way that could suggest Kaito was having second thoughts about his plan, because if he hurted Sakura, Akiho would've been sad.

But now it doesn't really seem like that was the case anymore. We know he never intended to hurt Sakura, nor exchanging them, from the very beginning.

I think here his storming feelings are originating not only from Akiho's situation, but also from his own need to be loved. A need that was naturally born in him along the years, but could not find its way to be acknowledged and expressed properly. And Momo mentioning that Akiho loved Sakura as a friend only contributed to make him feel even more alone, outside that "circle" of people loving eachother. He's excluded from this, because in his head he won't ever have someone who loves him. He's a bad person with a locking seal imposed on him that will swallow him whole at the end of this journey. Which is why...

"Because it's about you, Akiho-san" - Vol. 7

...when Kaito nonchalantly blurts out "Because it's about you, Akiho-san" in response to Akiho's question on how does he know perfectly everytime she's coming home to let her find her afternoon snacks ready, Momo becomes livid. So much that she wants to send him flying with a kick.

Because Akiho of course cannot help but running away, red in the face like the reddest tomato, in front of such sweet declaration of affection from him. It's like he's saying "you're important to me, so of course I always know everything about you, I have a sixth sense for you" and that would be perfectly fine, if it weren't for his otrageous obliviousness. His "?" face in front of a raging Momo is further proof of that. Remember when she said, in the Drama CD 2, "it's true they say people know the least about themselves"?

He's uttering it himself and yet he doesn't understand the full meaning of the words that are spilling out of his mouth. Nor he understands the effect they have on Akiho (because he's oblivious to her feelings as well).

Kaito never ever admitted that he's doing all of this for Akiho's sake, never spelled out that he cares about her and loves her in his own way. Even though it's apparent to everyone by now. And this obliviousness, or this refusal? to see the truth is precisely the reason why the success of his plan will only bring misery to Akiho in the long run. Despite he wanted (deep down in his heart) nothing more than making her happy.

"I will read more books" - vol. 7

If we exclude the scene where Kaito gets closer to Akiho during stopped time at the end of Vol. 5, this is the first time we clearly see Kaito hurting for something. The first time he clearly lets slip a sort of weakness in front of Akiho. And you can guess it, it's got always something to do with her.

This is the very first, timid proof that what little Kaito said on that fateful day of some years earlier had wrecked him in every possible way and had pushed him to give all of him to make things right.

Akiho says something really innocent, "I will read more and more books! I will memorize so many more things...!" because poor her, she just couldn't bear to keep embarrassing herself in front of her most important person with her clumsy, ignorant takes.

Little did she know, she had just pierced his heart with a knife at that very moment.

Because "reading more books" is not just an innocent, healthy activity, but in her case can also actually mean to push herself one step closer to death. And since it all started with something Kaito unintentionally said, the mere thought wrecks him more than 100 spells attacking him.

Kaito defends his 'family' - vol. 7

Allow me to comment on this scene, because I really need to point out something that will be more subtly connected to what happened in chapter 70 (we get into dark thematics related to death, so beware and skip to the next paragraph if you're sensitive on the matter).

The Magic Association tried to attack the Shinomoto mansion, likely to take Akiho back. Of course Kaito sensed it and counterattacked, using time magic.

Here he commented "As long as they continue to not include time magic (in their spells), due to their weakness and fear of its devastating effects on their bodies, it's going to have the same result every time".

The thing that immediately becomes apparent for people reading this for the first time is that Kaito not only betrayed the confraternity of people he was once part of, but he also despises them, thinks very little of them and probably has done so for quite some time (with all the reasons of this world).

Then, it's also very apparent how he indirectly poses himself in contrast to their actions: "they're weak and cowards, that's why they don't use time magic. While I have no qualms in using it. I am not afraid of what will happen. No one is gonna stop me".

Then....if we dig deeper...we also find something more personally concerning Kaito, in his sentence.

He's indirectly showing he acknowledged that they kept using him when he was a child to perform tasks that required time magic, because they were too coward to use it themselves. He acknowledges they used him, and lord only knows when that realization came about, probably after starting his journey with Akiho and staying away from that toxic environment for some time.

And that realization came with his greatest act of rebellion.

"I hate myself, I'll always be alone and am not interested in continuing living this life, but at the very least I won't ruin myself at your behest anymore. I WILL BE THE ONE to decide how and what to exhaust my life on". It is of course a terrible, horrible way to see the worth of his own life, but at the same time a desperate scream for self-determination that personally I can't ignore. For how horrible it is, this is Kaito calling the shots for what concerns him. He's not existing for the use and abuse of other people anymore. And this is also part of why he shows that self-satisfied smile at the end of ch. 70, although mixed with other emotions.

Of course, he made such decision with a mindset of someone who got nothing to lose. Nothing, or no one. And this is where he was terribly wrong.

Rewind & the silencing spell - vol. 7

Sakura produced the Rewind Card, and for the first time ever, we get a comment from Kaito indicating that, although it's not exactly the one he was looking for, it went quite close.

Now that we know that the Card he was looking for is Exchange, we can infer in which ways Rewind went close to it, but wasn't exactly what he was looking for.

I think Rewind was simply incomplete for the full plan Kaito had.

Rewind showed to be capable to change the appearance of someone to make look them like they were in a previous state. In Syaoran's case, it made him look like when he was very little, because that was what Sakura was thinking about when she created the Card. Even if Kaito wished, thanks to Rewind, to restore Akiho's situation back to when she wasn't turned into a magic artifact yet, that would've been only a superficial change. Rewind doesn't seem to have (for now) the full potential of the time-rewindings operated by Kaito. Sakura didn't actually travel in time to bring a little Syaoran back from those times, as Syaoran still had his own teenager conscience. The "change" doesn't operate at deep level, basically, and so it was insufficient for Kaito's plan.

Furthermore, in this same scene, we see him activating the silencing spell on Syaoran. Again, a move made at the very last moment, when Sakura had already found out that she was the one giving birth to those Cards. To be honest I still don't feel like this was malicious at all. He could've thought up so, so many harsher ways to stop them from interfering with his plans if he meant any harm to them. Messed with their minds, made them forget (Eriol did so with Yue!!), I don't know.

Instead, he chose this way, exposing himself even further, because why only mentions of Akiho and Kaito would get "blocked"? Of course that made so apparent that the spell came from him, and he somehow wanted Syaoran to know it did. Probably as a way to suggest "it's me, please don't interfere more than this". Of course, as I said before, Kaito is not here to f*ck around, so he found himself forced to use this silencing spell, or cutting off Eriol from communication, or to use all the time-rewinds he used.

The first decision I've ever made for myself - vol. 7 and vol. 8

I look at the first picture of this paragraph and I laugh, because I remember when this chapter came out people were making fun of Kaito, calling him "creep" for spying on a middle school (a swimming class, at that 😅). But looking at that smile now, with the hindsight of what we know...it's such a sweet smile. He seems genuinely happy to see Akiho enjoying her time with all her classmates. He loves to see all the bonds she created.

But that heartwarming feeling lasts very little, as his "half-assed" (as I always call it, what was that 'wave' for?) attempt to make Sakura create a new Card triggers Akiho's book, and for the first time ever we see it in action, making her lose her conscience completely.

The proof is that "Akiho" doesn't talk with her usual voice, but with the voices of the Association and the Clan. As you can see, at her feet, we see the same "book pages" that will engulf Kaito at the end of chapter 70 too (therefore almost confirming that's where he is right now, inside the damned book).

As both Momo and Kaito confirm, the spell that will eventually crush her soul is still very much active on her and not too far from its final goal. We get a glimpse of a very sorrowful expression from Kaito while he says with his own words that probably those people are hoping that the spell will crush Akiho's soul. This expression alone shoul've already been enough to confirm what Kaito's intentions were. But also how much he felt responsible for that atrocity.

Kaito doesn't have a choice, he will use *more* time magic to put some sort of "seal" on the book inside Akiho (freezing its time), full aware that this is just a patch and won't solve any problem definitively. But at least it should keep everyone (Sakura & Syaoran included, since it activated mostly in their presence) safe while he tried to bring his plan to completion.

Also...I can't help but point out how he softly caresses her face again before starting his spell, such a sweet gesture that almost seems as if saying "sorry" for performing a magic on her without the girl being aware.

Once again, he allows himself to be this sweet with her only when she's not aware of it. Knowing what we know now, it's no wonder why.

And here it is...probably the most important scene beside the one where he made a choice and said "I'll go".

His first conversation with Akiho.

For him, this wasn't really the first 'meeting'. Indeed, later on he will talk again about this moment and he will specifically use the japanese word for "conversation". Because although from afar, the very first time he met her was through the magic sphere.

Of course she was way too little to remember. So while for her this might have been effectively her first meeting with him, for him it wasn't, and his kind, sweet smile is proof of that.

He went there already knowing who she was, her background, who she was the daughter of, what happened to her, and prepared so that he could make her feel at ease from the very start. Of course someone must have taught him this, because before this scene he used to have such a dead stare. He looked like he never smiled once in his whole life.

My idea is that, after making his contract with Momo, she "trained him". For his smiles and everything else. Taught him how to interact properly with other people, since he was so averse to it beforehand.

This theory I have comes from the fact she's the one who told him, in one of the Drama CDs, "please laugh more properly! even it's a fake laugh!".

Anyway, this scene is so powerful because it's not only drawn in such a "fateful meeting" way, but also because this fountain and rose garden will appear later on in Clockland too, summoned by the magic of Momo's book browsing through Kaito's memories.

While other people might argue that this is also the place where he met Lilie once, I'd daresay first meetings and talks are more likely to leave such a big impression on someone. When he met Lilie there, it was one of their regular meetings (and clearly not the first one), while with Akiho it was the meeting that would start their journey together, and start the process of how his whole life would change thanks to her.

It's definitely not by chance that he's remembering this important moment while he discloses to the readers for the first time that "I made a decision that day. The first decision I've ever made for myself".

Stopping the time of the book inside Akiho proves to be very arduous.

So arduous that Kaito is sweating and panting at the end of it.

Not only that, but the book itself activates some sort of "defense" (that black matter that comes out of Akiho, the same black matter that comes out when she loses consciousness) and literally attacks Kaito. You can see it hitting him in several spots.

He looks stubborn and unstoppable, though. Even with the magic of the book hurting him, he still pushes through with his spell for the sake of Akiho.

Momo is taken aback because she didn't know *anything* of this idea of his, and she's really mad when he's done.

Always for the same reason.

Because while he can realize her change of mood without any problem ("You look even angrier now" "Ah, you can understand *that* just fine, hm? And yet you don't understand what's really important"), he hasn't understood Akiho's feelings nor his own, yet. And he keeps insisting in disregarding his life like it's nobody's business. The very core of the problem that will persist till chapter 70 lies all there.

Small detail I like to point out: Kaito's time magic isn't infinite. After he exerted himself on stopping Akiho's book, the magic he used to stop time for everyone literally starts to crumble apart, signifying that its effect will vanish very soon. This will happen again later on, in a *very* different situation.

Whenever Kaito's magic focus falls short, whether it's due to physical or emotional matters, his magic is affected and falls apart.

And with this scene of the beginning of volume 8 I will conclude this second part of my analysis! 💜

I have to be honest, when I started this "project", it was totally propelled by the strong feelings that chapter 70 gave me, but I thought I would finish this in 1, 2 posts maximum....but along the way, I found myself wanting to talk about so many scenes 😂that I'm not even sure I'll be able to finish this within the 3rd post 😂😂😂especially cause later on there'll be more and more hints scattered around...god help me 😅

At this point I can say for sure that part 3 will come after the release of chapter 71, so see you later for my monthly translation + commentary post!! 😉

[hauntingblue]

Strong world is the nami and luffy twins manifesto written by oda this is my one piece.

You see luffy's finishing attack with his giant hammer being fueled by lightning which is nami's main weapon with her clima tact and she even made the guy steer the islands towards the cyclone so even if the lighting isn't produced by her the lighting is provided by her either way so luffy AND her finished that guy and even luffy attacked after nami announced how he will lose which also means nami knew and trusted luffy to end him after that and of course he did and

Oh my god luffy making nami explain herself about the message he left on the tone dial and being pissed that she didn't trust him to save and protect her but he got so mad and didn't hear the whole message and she asked luffy to save her omg....... she knew after all that they will come and win..... I love this ending I am going to walk into the sea now goodbye.

Why are whitebeard and ace on the ending credits I already cried. Watching aces part again cause he looks so good. Hello alive dead wife

[ouellette]

local girl still thinking about her ex almost 2 years later, sentenced to death by firing squad

[envicd]

Everything seemed to be a blur since she left. All Os could think to do was drown himself in copious amounts of alcohol. He wanted to forget her words and how much he had hurt her, but no matter how much he drank, it never left his brain. Violet's words were seared into his brain. Somehow, he ended up in Ivar's apartment, and then he was being walked down the street by his friend. Things blurred and fused together. Where he was, how he got here, he had no idea. All he knew was how Violet insisted he hated her, how much of a coward he was. The image of her hastily walking away from him. Then he was in front of her door, Ivar knocking against the door before ditching him. He didn't even bother to yell at him. Os leaned up against the wall, struggling to keep himself upright. He was seeing double and he was quite ready to pass the fuck out. Until the door swung open, that is. There was a small burst of energy, and he couldn't help the wide grin that spread once he saw her face. It was obscured, but she still made his heart race even now. For a moment he forgot how royally he had fucked everything up. "Vi-o-let." His words slosh around as he pushes forward, staggering into her apartment without waiting for her to respond. "You're still wearin' my shirt." Sluggish laughter fell from his lips, unable to stop the constant swaying. He wasn't making fun of her, he was just happy to see her in his clothes. He felt just so giddy just seeing her. Shit, was she still mad at him? Was this all just a drunken delusion. "I got... things...to tell you." He stared at her, at least tried to, his speech slow as he tried to remain somewhat understandable. "You think I..." He fumbled, pausing as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You got more drinks here? I need anotha' one." It was far too easy for him to lose focus. Os hardly had a clue what was even happening, really. It was starting to all feel like a terrible dream. "What... What was I saying? I'm like... a lil drunk."

violet stood there, her breath still unsteady from the kiss, his words slicing through her like knives. her stomach twisted painfully, though her face remained blank, masking the mess of emotions clawing inside her. she'd kissed him because she was desperate to make him stop- stop hating himself, stop ruining every chance they had of moving forward. but instead, he'd doubled down, forcing the blame back onto her like a weighted chain she never asked to carry. her voice, when she found it, was low but sharp. "you think i’m wasting my time? funny. seems like you’re the one wasting it, talking all this bullshit because you’re too much of a coward to say what you really mean." because underneath all that self-loathing, she could hear it- the desperate plea for her to hate him, to finally let him go so that he wouldn’t have to carry the weight of loving her anymore. she couldn't believe he was pulling the whole 'it's not you it's me thing' with her. she stepped back, tearing herself away from the warmth she'd almost let herself sink into. her chest burned with everything she wanted to scream but couldn’t. you don’t want me, just say it. but she wouldn't beg for clarity or comfort. not from him. not anymore. "you want me to go?" her voice was cold now, devoid of the tremor threatening to creep in. "fine." she adjusted the hem of his shirt, feeling foolish for even wearing it. for keeping it. a bitter laugh bubbled in her throat, but she swallowed it down. "no need to keep pretending you don't hate me, os." she met his gaze one last time, eyes steady despite the ache behind them. "i'll make it easier for you." without waiting for a response, violet turned sharply on her heel and walked away, shoulders stiff with the effort of not looking back. she forced herself forward, step after step, even as something in her chest splintered with each one. when she got home, that's when the tears came. spilled from her until there was none left. she was hoping that it would eventually tire her out. but instead she spent her time curled up in a ball on her bed, in his shirt.