#like i guess i actually remembered to do weights yesterday

[faetima]

THE AVEN + HANAHAKI THING YESSS I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS FOR SO LONG BECAUSE LIKE. I know it's always super angsty when it's the reader that gets hanahaki but rine having it. imagine pushing your s/o away because you don't think you can do a relationship rn just to get hit by the stupid idiot in love disease. damn sucks to be you man

(tbh hanahaki as fun as the angst is I love aventurine so much and usually just alter hanahaki to be like less deadly because a) I DONT WANT TO BE SAD and b) the whole guilt of "I developed hanahaki because of you now love me or I WILL die" feels strange to me)(but also yum angst and the consequences of pushing someone away) ((sorry I talk a lot teehee okay bye))

𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐫. 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠. .

. . too bad he wasn't your darling anymore.

// tws ; slight cursing, blood ; gn reader ; modern au, hanahaki au 

a/n: finally wrote the aventurine exes hanahaki au lol ,, had no idea how to finish this but i might make a part 2 !! :3

ever since you had started dating aventurine, you felt like you were a burden to him in some way. but you were never sure if you were actually a burden to him, or if that was your mind playing tricks on you.

but last week had just solidified your beliefs.

you both had fought over something petty--you couldn't be bothered to remember what it was--and harsh words had been thrown around in the process.

words that cut deep into you, practically making you bleed out.

and after that?

aventurine had ignored you for the rest of the entire week. he hadn't even glanced in your direction. it was fine if he needed some space to think, but he didn't even tell you, he just started fucking ignoring you.

your efforts to talk to him had just been met by blank uninterested violet eyes.

everything that happened in the last week had all led up to yesterday.

you stood in front of his door, swallowing your nerves. why were you so nervous?

after everything that happened, everything you felt, everything he said, you didn't think you could handle a relationship at that point.

so, when aventurine answered the door, his blonde hair unruly and lavender eyes tired, you took a deep breath and finally said the words you had been so scared of saying.

"i want to break up."

--

now, you were rethinking your decision.

on one hand, it felt like a large weight had been lifted off your shoulders.

on the other hand, breaking up with him had left you in your current predicament: crouched on the cold tiled floor of your apartment, hurling up bright yellow marigolds. you coughed them up, unwillingly watching as they hit your newly polished floor. they hit the ground ungracefully, clumped together with a disgusting mixture of mucus and blood. you gagged on the flowers as the sickly sweet smell of the marigolds hit you, making you feel lightheaded and sick to your stomach.

you didn't think you would get the disease again after aventurine asked you out.

you had it once, albeit briefly. it was before you had even talked to aventurine, too scared to do so. maybe it had been your shyness, or maybe you were just scared of rejection. you weren't too sure which, but it had caused you to cough out a few lemon yellow petals.

but, as quickly as the disease had started, it had ended. aventurine talked to you and started getting close to you, and your hanahaki had eventually diminished into nothing. after that, you thought it would never start again.

but you guessed you were wrong, since the disease decided to plague you.

marigold petals--slick with mucus--fell out your mouth as you coughed your lungs out. they fell almost gracefully onto the small flower pile.

you took fast and shaky breaths, collapsing. you were too exhausted to move, the hanahaki sucking all the life out of you.

--

it had been a week now, and the disease had just gotten worse. at this rate, it would only take a month or two until you suffocated on the fucking marigolds.

you could talk to aventurine, but he would probably just ignore you again.

you could get the surgery, but you would rather die than forget aventurine. you still loved him.

at this point, you couldn't do anything but hope that the disease would just somehow go away.

--

aventurine was growing increasingly worried as the days passed.

he hadn't seen you at all after you had broken up. sure, that was normal, but his gut told him something was wrong.

horrible thoughts of what could've happened to you plagued his mind, and he couldn't take it anymore.

he grabbed his keys, his coat, and headed towards your apartment.

maybe it was an invasion of privacy, but even your friends felt as if something were terribly wrong. he'd just check on you once, and never speak to you again. you'd be okay with that, right?

--

aventurine had knocked about a dozen times by now, but had received no answer.

he swallowed. he still had a spare key to your apartment, but what if you didn't want him to come in? what if you were just busy? what if he was breaching your privacy?

he took a shaky inhale.

fuck it.

--

he stepped inside your apartment, and was hit by the extremely potent smell of marigolds.

he glanced around, and froze at what he saw.

[chlorinecake]

 ⋆｡˚ ✈︎ love at first flight | N.RK

ft riki x fem!reader, nwjns hanni, enha jake | genre fluff, airport crush, strangers to lovers | cw language, flirting, kissing, dirty jokes, petty "arguments," possibly geographically incorrect | pt. 1, 2, and 3 here | wc 4894

synopsis. 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳…🗼

It was around 11:00pm as you struggled to find your passport.

"I could've sworn it was on my desk yesterday," you thought to yourself, searching through your messy bedroom.

After your morning cafe date with Riki, he dropped you off at your apartment so you could get started with packing as soon as possible, given that your flight was booked for take off the next day.

You're still not sure why you said yes to Riki's impulsive offer, though, part of you wanted to believe that saying "no" would've been an even riskier call.

Riki, in all of his handsome glory, had been a menace to your soul. You just couldn't put a finger on what is was about him that kept luring you in almost magnetically.

Ding, dong.

Your breath hitched at the sound of someone knocking outside your apartment door. Grabbing the purple ink pen from your dresser, conveniently sitting next to your diary, you gripped it like a weapon as you approached the door cautiously.

Knock, knock, knock.

Unlocking the latch and twisting the handle, you slung the door open to reveal none other than Riki, standing calmly with grocery bags in each hand.

"Good night! And yes, that can be a greeting… What's the pen for?" He shrugged, walking past you and straight into your apartment as if owning the place.

You flashed him an annoyed look before closing the door behind him, suddenly feeling embarrassed while dressed in your pjs.

"It's for self defense, night stalker. And how'd you even know where I live?" You asked accusingly.

"I drove you here earlier after the cafe, remember?" He said while placing the grocery bags on your study desk to unload the items.

Damn, you thought to yourself, It must be wayyy past my bedtime...

"Anyways, I brought you this neck pillow-thingy for the plane," Riki smiled, walking up to you and fastening the pillow around your neck, "Pretty cool, right?"

"Uhhh, sure," you mumbled, standing awkwardly as he welcomed himself to explore your bedroom.

"So...," he began with a grin, "this is where you keep your pretty little panties, huh?" Running a finger over the surface of your dresser, he stopped once he met your oh-so familiar diary.

"Hmm. I remember this little guy. How many pages have you written about me so far? My guess is at least 3."

"Jokes on you, Riki. I don't reminisce about people I haven't even known for a week," you said with a sigh, plopping on your bed, too tired to retaliate physically.

He parts his lips as if wanting to say something, but nothing came out. He only walked over to your bed, taking a seat beside you.

"Look, ____. If you wanna back out of this trip, it's not too late. I understand that this is a pretty big thing I'm asking of you."

"No, Riki, I really do wanna go. It's just that I lost my passport somewhere in this stupid apartment and now I can't find it," you pouted before suddenly feeling his weight escape your side.

He paced around your room as if an internal GPS was guiding him in the right direction.

"What're you doing?" You giggled, watching as he picked up a random toilet paper tube to use as a searching tool.

"Shh, I think I see it!" He whispered, reaching for a navy blue and gold envelope from under one of your shoe boxes, "Voici!"

You gazed in shock, not only at his use of French, but also at how he actually managed to find it, let alone that quickly.

"Holy shit, Riki! You're a lifesaver!" You beamed, running to give him a bear hug.

"I bet you've been dying to do that since I came in," he teased, trying to conceal his own blushing.

You were losing track of how many times he flirted with you in the past five minutes, but you were just glad that he found your passport in time.

All there was left to do now after packing was explain to your best friend Hanni where you'd be for the next 2-3 days.

The following morning came by quicker than you already expected it to.

Fortunately, y'all arrived at the airport just in time for boarding, going to your respectful seats on the aircraft according to your ticket numbers.

And finally, it was time for takeoff.

You and Riki hadn't even been on the plane for thirty minutes before you started bumping heads with each other.

“How come you get to sit by the window? You’re not even taking pictures,” You scolded him, crossing your arms in frustration.

“You see? That’s the problem with this generation. Always seeking technology to bring them happiness," He said, shaking his head.

“Riki, we’re literally depending on technology to carry us cross country. Welcome to our advanced society.”

“That’s not even a fair comparison, but go off.”

You scoffed, “Don’t ‘but go off’ me!”

“Or what?” He challenged, flashing you a smirk that made you internally curse him for being so effortlessly attractive.

“I said, or what?” He continued, putting an arm around the head of your seat and pulling your face towards his by your chin.

The way he peered into your eyes made you feel like kissing h—

OH GOD, NO! NOT AT ALL! NEVER, you thought to yourself.

He licked his lower lip, making you stutter as you answered, “O-or I’ll… I’ll tell your mom on you!”

He snorted at your empty threat, “Yeah, good luck with that. She doesn’t speak English for shit.”

“Well, whatever, I’ll just use google translate,” you snapped back.

“Oh, so you think fast?”

“Only when I-“

He interrupted your words with a kiss to your forehead, “Not fast enough, apparently,” he winked, sitting back in his seat.

Oh boy. This trip is already kicking off to an interesting start.

You sat frozen as if he’d just snatched your soul away, focusing on the moisture his lips left on your skin.

“And don’t even think about wiping that off,” he smirked, searching through his carrier bag before pulling out a pair of wired headphones.

You weren't gonna let him win that easily.

Exhaling your nerves, you thought of something catty to say back to him/

“Now look who’s a product of our e-generation, Mr. iPad Kid. Let me guess, is it time for Cocomelon?” You pouted facetiously, trying to conceal your nervousness from whatever the hell possessed him to kiss you.

“I’m just tired of hearing the air conditioner," he shrugged, "Sue me.”

Riki plugged the headphones into his phone port, opening the Spotify app (not sponsored lol) on his phone and selecting a random playlist. “Wanna listen?” He asked softly, meeting you with his dark brown eyes.

You took the left earbud from his hand, positioning it into your own ear as the sounds of lofi rhythms met your ears. After a few minutes, you drifted off to sleep, not even realizing that you were laying on his shoulder.

Riki eventually followed after you, leaning his head atop yours as he snored softly. Though, he’d likely never tell you that part of the story once you woke up.

A couple more hours in the plane passed, and you were officially landing at your final destination: Paris, France.

“I'm sorry, you’re WHERE? With WHO?!?!” Hanni yelled over the phone.

You didn’t mean to make it seem like you'd been keeping this big secret from her, but you simply never got around to telling her... that you were impulsivey traveling across country with a guy you met at the airport last week.

“Look, it’s only for a few days, I’ll be fine,” you replied, unpacking your luggage on the hotel room bed.

Riki was busy getting you an extra key card for the room, so you didn’t have to worry about him barging in on your conversation for a while.

“Tell me. Why did you think this was a good idea, ____. Honestly? Hell, did you even think before saying yes?”

“Of course I did, Hanni… but if you’re just gonna keep scolding me, I’d rather we talk about something else,” you whined, hating the way she started to make you feel.

"Ugh, I’m sorry, bestie! Please don’t misinterpret my concern for cruelty.”

“It’s okay, Hanni, I know you're just looking out for me... but, maybe this was a bad idea.”

“Omg, naur!! Forget I said anything! I want you to enjoy yourself in Paris! Just call me if you need anything, alright?…unless it’s love advice or—”

“Money, I know. Talk to you later, pigtails!”

“Later,” she giggled, ending the call with a ‘mwah’ from her end. You placed your phone down on the mattress, flinching at the sight of Riki walking out of the bathroom, tossing the extra key card on the bed.

“What the- I thought you were in the lobby?”

“Yeah, but I came back up not too long ago. Don’t worry, I didn’t eavesdrop… the entire time,” he teased, running a hand through his hair as he observed your luggage. “I hope you have a pretty outfit in there.”

“Mhm, and why’s that?”

“Because, we’re going out to dinner, silly,” he said, pulling out an ironing board from the closet to press his wrinkled pants.

You didn't expect for Riki to wanna go out so soon after just arriving.

Either way, you tried on a few outfits before finally choosing the beret and plaid pink skirt-suit you usually wore during business meetings, which ironically fit the chic Parisian aesthetic.

“Bonjour, and welcome to Le Goût! Do you need help navigating the menu or are you familiar with French dishes?” The waitress asked in a friendly accent.

“We actually already spoke to one of your waiters. He’s putting in our order right now,” Riki replied, handing her one of the extra menus from your table.

“Very well, then. I’ll pop back around once you’re ready to order dessert. Call for Ines if you need anything else,” she smiled, walking away.

You swirled the ice cubes in your glass, just as your previous waiter came out with your food.

“Velvety Escargots Bourguignonne for the gentleman, and Chicken Fricassee for the lady,” he said, placing down your plates and walking away.

Riki stared at his plate with disgust in his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” You asked, folding a napkin over your lap to catch any spills or crumbs as you ate.

“Uhmmm, I didn’t order snails…,” he cringed, poking at the shelled creatures on his plate with a fork.

“You literally looked at the menu and told the waiter that’s what you wanted. I thought you spoke French!”

“I do, but that doesn’t mean I can read it,” he replied.

“What did you think ‘escargot bourguignonne’ meant anyways?”

“Dunno, sounds like a pasta dish to me.”

“Well… do you wanna trade plates?” You offered, not wanting to come off as silly foreigners for misreading the menu.

“Pfft, of course not, I’m getting my money back! Ines! Excusez-moi, madame Ines?!”

You reached for Riki’s hand, trying to redirect his attention, “Riki, please, let’s just enjoy our food. Paris is a culinary landmark, I’m sure we’ll run into some better places after this,” you pleaded, swapping the plates on the table.

He let out a sigh, unrolling his napkin and placing it on his lap as well, “Fine. Bon appétit and what not.”

After finishing up in Le Goût, you and Riki took a walk from the restaurant, exploring the streets of France.

You weren’t too worried about getting lost, because Riki hired a personal chauffeur to guide you two through the city if needed..

He hadn’t realized how much farther ahead of you he was walking until you grabbed onto his hand.

“Oh, so we’re making it a public thing, I see?” He winked, pulling you closer to him.

“No, you just walk fast as hell and I can’t keep up with your legs,” you corrected, giving him a look.

“Mhm, whatever you say, ____.”

That’s when you two stumbled upon a group of people, waiting at the edge of a dock to be boarded on for a boat ride.

“Please don’t say you’re afraid of water,” Riki looked at you with hopeful eyes.

You weren’t too fond of potentially getting your cute outfit soiled, but with the way Riki peered into your eyes, it was hard to say no... again.

“Okay, let’s go,” you smiled, following behind him as he led you by the hand.

It didn’t take long for the officials to load you and Riki on the raft, as he opted for the cheaper version that gave him control to row the boat.

You watched as he paddled across the Seine River with childlike glee, observing the antique buildings surrounding the Eiffel Tower.

If it wasn’t for the cool breeze pulling you back to reality, you would’ve believed you were dreaming at how beautiful the scenery was.

How beautiful this moment with Riki was—

Ugh, never mind, it’s probably the snails affecting the chemicals in your brain.

“This is incredible,” Riki exclaimed, his arms rotating at a constant circle as he maneuvered the boat paddles, soaking up the Parisian sun.

“Like how incredible it is that despite your amateurish being, you can somehow pull everything off,” you smirked, nudging his knee with your shoe.

“Amateurish being? I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve that you haven’t even seen yet, ____. Trust, biologically, I was BUILT to pull everything off.”

“Right, so what happened with those snails earlier?”

“Gosh, are you seriously bringing that up right now?”

“Yes, I am seriously, deadass, on God, for real am bringing this up.”

He tried to hide the smile that dared to show on his face at the way you mocked his previous use of slang.

“Don’t get shy now, Riki. I can see you blushing.”

He quirked an eyebrow at you, clicking his teeth with his tongue before throwing the paddles into the river.

“RIKI!”

“Whoops! Looks like my bashful little fingers slipped,” he giggled, not being able to contain his laughter from the shocked expression on your face.

“Guess we’re gonna have to swim back. Come on,” he beamed, talking off his turtleneck before diving into the lake, water splashing all over your lap.

“Oh my God, Riki, you’re such an imbecile!”

“And you’re such a baby! Now come on, the water feels great, I promise!”

You watched as the water rippled around his movements.

You couldn't see anything below the dark blue river, making you feel anxious about actually jumping in.

“W-w-what if there are alligators hiding in there?”

“Pfft,” he scoffed, “French alligators? I mean, if I’m still swimming, they must have a pretty low appetite… unless… they prefer breast meat,” he winked, treading in the water.

“Gosh, you’re such a weirdo,” you whined, watching as he made his way over to the other side of the lake, marching up the rocky land.

He shook his head like a puppy, trying to get rid of the access water in his hair.

You looked away from him shyly, trying not to peek at how the white t-shirt he wore clung to his toned abs.

“Are you coming over here today, or what?” He teased, putting his hands on his hips.

You took a deep breath and closed your eyes, leveling your nerves before jumping in the water, leaving your favorite beret behind in the now abandoned boat.

So much for being peaceable foreigners.

After making it to Riki, which wasn’t nearly as daunting as you expected, he applauded your performance. “Brava, ____! Brava!! You successfully swam across a 30ft deep river!”

“30?!” you shivered in disbelief, thankful that he shared the rivers depth with you after you already got across.

“Relax, ____, that’s like a kiddy pool. Anyways, let’s get back to the hotel before we get sick,” he said as the chilly winds hit both your wet bodies. 

Under any other ordinary circumstances, you probably would’ve beaten the hell out of Riki for being so careless.

But it was something about the Parisian air that made you care less.

Riki phoned the chauffeur to bring you back to the resort, where he arranged a spa evening for you to be professionally pampered by French beauticians.

Meanwhile, he went to shower in the hotel room, saying that he’d meet you back at the spa when you were finished.

One of the hairdressers gave you a blow out and quick trim just to clean up your ends.

Then, conveniently after your finger nail polish finished drying, your phone beeped with a message from Hanni.

Riki tapped you on the shoulder, the scent of his sweet citrus cologne hitting your senses.

“You ready?” He asked, picking up one of the matcha macarons the spa staff gave you.

“Ready for what?”

“To eat. I know you’ve gotten all pretty, but I think it’s best we stay in since it’s dark out now.”

Did he just call you pretty?!?!

“Okay, we can hit up the French market and maybe make something for dinner," you suggested.

“Oh my gosh, great idea! We could make my mom’s gyoza recipe!”

“Oh, did she make the ones you let me try at the airport that day, too?”

“I can’t believe you still remember that," he said in shock.

“Well yeah, that was only a few days ago…”

“Hmm. I guess you just don’t seem like a stranger to me anymore,” He smiled, grabbing your hand and leading you from the resort spa.

After shopping at the market, where the prices were surprisingly affordable, you and Riki headed back to your hotel room to unpack the groceries.

“I hope you’re good at cooking,” Riki chimed, grabbing a large bowl to fill with all the French snacks you brought from the store.

“Why, exactly?”

“Because, I’m mostly gonna watch while you keep me entertained, Chef ____.”

You rolled your eyes at his words, grabbing a knife and chopping board as you started prepping the ingredients you’d need.

“Does ‘tsp’ mean tablespoon or teaspoon?” You asked, struggling to interpret his Mom’s recipe instructions.

“All I know is big spoon and little spoon,” he smirked, leaning closer over the counter.

You brushed off his flirting as you kept trying to figure out the recipe. That’s when Riki grabbed a handful of fondue flavored chips from the snack bowl, crunching them between his teeth.

“Gosh, would you stop chewing so freaking loud? I can’t think!”

“It’s not my fault you’re a babo,” he teased, poking you on the nose.

“Bet you can’t say that in French.”

“Pfft, why would I need to?”

“Because you said you speak French?”

“For the last time, I do! I’m just not a dictionary.”

“Sounds like another lame excuse, but whatever. Pass me the sesame oil… Oh, and one of those chips!”

Making the gyoza wasn’t nearly as hard as you anticipated. Though, your main struggle came with capturing the authentic flavors.

After steaming the doughy purses and tossing them in a dark chili sauce, you plated a few for Riki to try, even though you both were already stuffed from the snacks alone.

“Ugh, can you at least try them while they’re fresh?” You whined, bringing one of the saucy gyozas to Riki’s mouth with a pair of chopsticks.

He complied with a sigh, parting his lips as he hummed.

“What do you think?”

“Well, they don’t taste like my mom’s, but they’re not horrible. I’ll give it a 4/10.”

“Huh?!”

“Well, I didn’t expect you to do better than her, or even come close, so don’t feel too bad about it.”

You pouted, wrapping the remaining dumplings in plastic wrap before placing them in the hotel fridge.

“Alright, let’s freshen up and head to bed,” he suggested, wiping the kitchen counter and heading to the bathroom to wash up.

You went in after he finished, changing into your pajamas and meeting him on the kingsized bed.

“Ahh... I love Paris,” he smiled, adjusting his head on the pillow.

“Yeah. Me too, but why?”

“Because, the next time I visit, I’ll be reminded of you.”

“Aww, how cheesy,” you smiled, returning a poke to his nose.

“No, I’m serious. I’ve never had this much fun with someone before.”

“But we’ve been arguing the entire time.”

“I know, but… that’s just our way of…”

“Flirting?”

He blushed at your words, “Yea. Our way of flirting.”

You felt your own face heat up in the moment, fighting the urge to scoot closer to him on the mattress.

“So,” you began timidly, “what comes after this stage?”

“Depends,” he replied, resting his hands behind his head, “Where do you want it to go?”

“Riki…”

“What?”

“We just met—“

“That doesn’t answer my question, ____.”

You let out a breath, thinking on his words, “Hmm. I think we would make great fr-enemies.”

He giggled, “That’s it?”

“That's it. But maybe with time… we could—”

Buzz, buzz.

A notification from Riki’s phone lit up the dim hotel room. He reached for his phone, only to see a text from his friend Jake, who said he just arrived in Paris and wanted to meet up tomorrow.

“Was this planned?” You asked confused.

“No?… I don’t know why he’s here... or how he even knows I’m here.”

“Well. Looks like we better get some rest for tomorrow.”

“Ughh, but I wanted to spend our last day here together,” he pouted, rubbing his eyebrows.

“And we still can, Riki. It’ll probably be fun having your friend around, anyway.”

A moment of silence filled the air before he spoke.

“Fine. As long as you don’t mind, neither do I,” he smiled, turning off the night light before trying to get some sleep.

“Hanni. Pham. You sneaky salamander!”

"Bonjour, bestie! Turns out, Riki does have a cute and single friend. Meet Jake, my favorite Aussie boy!" She beamed, clinging onto him as if they've known each other for life.

You wondered if that's how you and Riki looked together.

"Nice to meet you, Jake," you forced a smile, shaking his hand.

"You too, Miss ____," he returned with an Australian accent that caught you off guard.

No wonder Hanni and him were already getting along so well.

"Jake-hyung, when you said you wanted to hang out at the amusement park, I didn't think you meant for a double-date," Riki said with an awkward smile, searching your face for an 'okay' sign.

"Aww, c'mon Nishi, it's not every day that you're granted with such convenient chances (😉) to hang out with friends," Jake began.

"Exactly. Let's make the most of this beautiful day, shall we?" Hanni encouraged, taking your hand in hers as you, Riki, and Jake went on to explore the park.

The four of you went on more rides than you could keep track of, ranging from ferris wheels, spinning teacups, and rollercoasters.

It was also fun watching Riki and Jake battle it out on an amusement park mini game to win a stuffed animal prize: Of course, Riki won, but you gave the plush to Hanni because you didn't feel like carrying it around.

You all planned to end the night with ice cream, but that was until Riki caught sight of a jewelry making station.

"____, we have to," Riki said in a serious tone.

You giggled, "Have to what? Make matching friendship bracelets?"

"Uh, YES!"

Hanni and Jake sat at a different table than you and Riki, hooking different charms to the silver bracelet chains provided by the staff.

You and Riki decided to make one for each other and then swap them once you finished.

"Are you guys almost done?" Jake asked, looking at the time which was running close to 7:30pm.

"Almost, I just need to make a few finishing touches," Riki smiled, adding on some beads.

Finally, you all payed for the bracelets and put them in velvet baby blue goody bags, bidding your farewells before heading back to your respective hotel rooms to pack.

"Today was so much fun," Riki exclaimed, sorting the clothes in his suitcase.

"I know, I'm already sad just thinking about how we go back to reality tomorrow."

"Yeah...but in the meantime, let's enjoy our last few hours in Paris," he smiled, closing his suitcase before putting on a French film for you both to fall asleep to.

The next morning came by faster than desired. On the flight back home, you reminisced about your fun weekend in Paris as though you might forget the moment you stopped thinking.

It was the simple things that started to effect you the most.

Riki's random Spotify playlist knitted memories with songs, faces to feelings.

You were falling hard for Riki, and the truth was, you had been since day one. It was obvious that he felt the same way about you, too.

The only thing holding you back was the fear of letting go.

The fear of letting love.

"All flight passengers, we have started our descent and will be landing shortly. Please remain seated after making sure your tray tables are in their upright positions and any other personal belongings are within your vicinity. Thank you," the pilot spoke from the head of the plane.

You and Riki were sharing a box of cream filled French cookies as you finished the last few minutes of the movie "Your Name" on his laptop.

"So you're telling me that this ends with Taki and Mitsuha not remembering each other?" You asked sadly, wishing the two characters could've had a happier ending.

"Not in this film, no. But the director mentioned something in an interview about them eventually reuniting and even getting married," Riki clarified, taking a sip from his carton of chocolate milk.

You sighed, looking out the window as the ending credits played silently in the background.

Riki tapped your shoulder, causing you to whip your head to face him.

"Here," he said, handing you the baby blue velvet sack he kept from Paris.

After making your bracelet, he said he wouldn't let you see it until y'all were in the plane. Turns out, that moment was now.

"Open it," he nearly whispered, his usual piercing eyes becoming more soft.

You took the bag in your hand, untying the string as you slid the silver bracelet in your palm. Riki didn't hesitate to fasten the hook around your wrist, a hue of pink rising to his cheeks at the sight.

You observed the rainbow heart beads and other cute charms that ran across the length of the bracelet.

One charm that stood out to you most was the shimmery blue airplane, dangling next to a cursive letter R.

The bracelet was so nice that it made you feel insecure about the one you made for him. He payed attention to so many little details, all apart of every moment that you shared together so far.

Even though the gesture was simple, you were left speechless.

"Riki, it's beautiful," you beamed, fighting the urge to hug him.

"Alright, alright, now where's mine," he teased, shaking with anticipation.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot," you giggled, reaching in your purse to hand him the velvet sack containing the bracelet you made him.

That's when a robotic voice emitted a series of beeps and tones from the ceiling speakers: a familiar chime that let you know the airplane had officially landed.

Riki was quick to grab your luggage and his, making his way to the airport base as you trailed behind him.

You knew after landing, the peaceful nature of your weekend would be bombarded with the busy world you knew best.

You still couldn't believe that you had just traveled cross-country with a complete stranger, and if given the opportunity, you wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

Riki took your hands in his just as your Uber ride pulled up outside the airport, since your usual chauffeur, Hanni, was still in Paris with her 'favorite Aussie boy.'

"I don't really know what to say, but... Paris was cool...with you, I mean," Riki admitted shyly, his usually dominant aura faltering before you.

"Yeah. Paris was cool with you, too, Riki," you smiled, stepping on your tip-toes and kissing him on the cheek.

You turned on your heel, walking towards the shiny glass doors with your polkadot suitcase clicking behind you.

Of course you looked back, and of course he was still there waiting for you to leave with a smile.

You made your way to the vehicle, loaded your things in the trunk before hopping in the backseat.

The quiet Uber driver made his way out of the parking lot while a certain thought meddled in the back of your mind: Riki and I will probably never see each other again.

Still, unlike Taki and Mitsuha, you could never forget the flirty TSA agent who stole your heart.

You looked at the bracelet on your wrist again, smiling at the recent memories that were already started to feel distant.

That's when you felt butterflies erupt in your stomach.

Buzz, buzz.

You pulled your phone from your purse, revealing a text on your screen from a number you hadn't made a contact for yet:

"Hey, it's Riki. I know you just left, but I might die if we don't hang out tomorrow. Coffee at Café Royale's? Again? Maybe?"

〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰

 ⋆｡˚ ✈︎ Thank you all so much for reading this ff! This concludes the finale for my long awaited "Flirty TSA Agent" Series. With that being said, feel free to check out my enhypen bookshelf for more fun reads!

 ⋆｡˚ ✈︎ Taglist: @fanficfactoryfoxxx @rickysblkgf @bambangan

[kiki-smith21]

The Unspoken Bond

Wednesday Addams x Autistic Fem Reader

A/N: This is my first fanfic, and any feedback would be appreciated. Let me know if you want a part 3. (I am actually autistic, so this is mostly based off the symptoms I show, but if you have any typical symptoms of autism you wish for me to add to the story later let me know and I'll try my best. Please be respectful to all, and remember to drink water and look after yourself, cuties❤️)

Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Summary: After the kiss is shared in the library, you decide to confront Wednesday about the meaning behind it.

The next day, as you walked through the hallowed halls of Nevermore Academy, an unexpected announcement echoed over the intercom: "Due to recent changes in class schedules, students are advised to check their new rosters for updated class assignments."

You glanced at the new schedule posted on the bulletin board. Your heart sank when you saw that your art class had been replaced with a new class—one that happened to be Wednesday Addams' specialty: advanced cryptozoology. The realization hit you like a cold wave; you would be sitting next to Wednesday once again.

With a mix of anxiety and anticipation, you walked into the cryptozoology classroom. The room was filled with unusual artifacts and curious specimens, the perfect setting for Wednesday’s macabre interests. Your eyes quickly found Wednesday seated at her usual spot, her dark eyes fixed on a dusty tome.

As you took your seat beside her, the silence was palpable. Your heartbeat seemed louder than ever in the quiet room. Wednesday looked up, her expression unreadable, and her gaze settled on you.

"Unexpected change of schedule?" she asked, her tone calm yet hinting at a trace of amusement.

"Yes," you replied, trying to sound nonchalant despite the flutter of nerves in your chest. "I guess we're classmates now."

Wednesday raised an eyebrow but said nothing more, returning her focus to the book in front of her. The minutes ticked by in silence, with the occasional glance between you both.

Eventually, the teacher began the lesson, but your mind was elsewhere. You couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss you shared, and the weight of that moment seemed to hang between you and Wednesday.

When the class finally broke for a short recess, you found yourself unable to hold back any longer. You turned to Wednesday, your voice steady but soft. "Can we talk for a moment? About… what happened yesterday?"

Wednesday looked at you, her expression as unreadable as ever, but there was a flicker of something—curiosity, perhaps. "I suppose."

The two of you stepped out into the quieter corridor, the hum of the old building creating a soothing backdrop. You fidgeted with the strap of your bag, trying to find the right words.

"I’ve been thinking a lot about our kiss," you began, your voice barely above a whisper. "It felt significant, but I’m not sure what it meant. For me, it was... comforting. It felt like a connection that I hadn’t expected."

Wednesday’s gaze softened, her usual impassive demeanor giving way to something more genuine. "I didn’t expect it either," she admitted. "It was… unexpected, but not unwelcome. It was a rare moment of vulnerability that I don’t often share with others."

You nodded, appreciating her honesty. "What do you think it means for us now? I mean, going forward?"

Wednesday paused, her dark eyes searching yours as if weighing the gravity of the moment. "I believe it signifies a deeper understanding between us. An acknowledgment of our unique connection. It may not fit into conventional norms, but it’s real. And I value that."

A small smile touched your lips, and you felt a wave of relief. "I’m glad to hear that. I’ve always felt like an outsider, but with you, it’s different. I feel like we can be ourselves without pretense."

Wednesday's eyes flickered with a rare warmth. "We are both outsiders in our own ways. Perhaps that is what makes this connection meaningful. We understand each other in a way that others may not."

The bell rang, signaling the end of the break and the return to class. As you both walked back into the cryptozoology room, there was a newfound sense of ease between you. The shared moment had cleared the air, and the unspoken bond between you felt stronger than ever.

As you took your seats, Wednesday gave you a subtle nod—a gesture that spoke volumes. You smiled back, feeling more confident and connected than you had before.

The class resumed, but the conversation you shared lingered, a silent promise of something deeper and more enduring between the two of you. It was a new beginning, one where the past and present intertwined, creating a bond that defied the ordinary.

[joels-shitty-puns]

The Key To Your Heart - Track 4

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x Musician!Reader

Gif by:@sh214

Series Summary: After writing your feelings for Pedro into a song, it gains a lot more popularity than expected. Ultimately it brings both criticism and support, with new possibilities around the corner.

*! New warnings will be listed first !*

Series Warnings: 18+ only (MDNI). Mentions of food, weight loss, weight gain, dieting, weighing, potential eating disorder, food guilt. Potential for puns/dad jokes (name of my blog, and the fic) should give that away. This is my first fic which should be its own warning, lol. Also some cursing. Mentions of masturbation (f) maybe more smut later idk. Sadness, reader is pretty depressed. Poor body image. Rude people. Bullying-ish and just lack of support? Anxiety. Age gap! Reader is in her mid 20's, Pedro is current age (48).

Other stuff: Reader is plus sized. AFAB. Inexperienced. Also has a dog, but you can pretend it is another creature probably. Further, in case it isn't clear, italics almost always are the reader's inner thoughts!

Word Count: ~2.3K

Series List: Here!

Miss last chapter? Here!

Hi there! To those of you who have read and are still with me, THANK YOU! I love you all. I'm sorry that my chapters are taking longer and longer. Work has been a bit more hectic lately and I also just had some serious writer's block with this chapter. That being said, it feels a little rough and I apologize if its awful lol. But either way, thanks for hanging in there with me and please let me know what you think! Your comments make me happy!

__________

You groaned, stepping out of bed and drifting towards the bathroom. Your face was sticky and your eyes stung from crying late into the night. It was silly, naive, and frankly stupid… but sometimes you can't control how hard emotions hit. Seeing that Pedro didn't actually watch your video was a let down - to put it mildly. Obviously he's a popular guy. A star. He has better things to do.

You should be grateful he even responded to your Instagram message before. Even though it hurts, surely he has more interesting things to do than message someone like you. Just because you wrote a song and he said he liked it doesn't mean he owes you anything more.

So after a fitful night's sleep, you were utterly exhausted; physically, mentally, and emotionally. Luckily, it was still your weekend and you could rest today. 

More like spend the day wallowing in your self pity… you think, disdainfully at yourself.

Looking in the mirror, you notice your puffy eyes. There's some new acne, and a mop of frizzy hair on your head. After using the toilet, you step on your bathroom scale before your shower; a morning routine you started during years of dieting. Another 3 pounds. Up again?!

You look in the mirror, pinching your stomach with a sigh. I guess I shouldn't have had those cookies yesterday…

The food guilt creeps up as you think of the goodies you've eaten recently. Cookies yesterday, fast food the day before. You were bitter that you weren't one of those people that could just magically eat whatever they wanted without gaining an ounce. 

But you aren't, and you should know better. 

Frustrated with your appearance, you begin your usual internal debate about how to fix it.

Maybe I should go back on the diet…

But the diet caused you so many problems. Remember the stomach issues? The hunger? The lack of joy? Binge eating on cheat days until you were sick?

But! I lost so much weight!

Yeah, until you started gaining weight…

Maybe I didn't cut enough. People said I looked so good. I was *almost* skinny.

Maybe people would like me more if I was skinny… Maybe Pedro would like me if I were skinny. There's no way he would be with me looking like this.

These were the debates that plagued you for months… years… a lifetime.

You showered, tears beginning to flow again as you tried to push out the thoughts. He was probably just busy, but either way you knew you didn't have a chance. 

Your friends were right. You were an obsessed fan. It was… concerning, as they said. They pitied you when you felt sad about your feelings. Just find someone you actually have a chance with, they pushed. Someone real.

But... he did message you. Maybe he didn't even know you had an interview yesterday? Maybe he watched it later. You were being utterly ridiculous. It didn't matter anyway.

But what you didn't know was that Pedro felt just as disappointed. He wanted to be the one on your list. The one you loved. He went to bed just as mopey as you did and woke up just the same.

_____

Having washed away your bad feelings as best as you could, you gave Skipper a kiss on his little forehead and made some coffee while scrolling Instagram. You were nervous to see what people had to say about your interview, but you had to face the music eventually.

As you could have predicted, people were running through the potential suspects (or prospects, that is) who have brown curly hair and brown eyes. Some supported you and loved your interview. Others criticized you for being too chicken to show yourself. 

You weren't used to this level of attention, and you really weren't sure you enjoyed it. But you were grateful to have your two lives kept separate, your true persona still shaded in privacy.

What you did not predict, was a notification popping up from Pedro, interrupting your scrolling. Forgetting to breathe, you immediately clicked on it. If the message were food from the oven, you would've burnt your hand the way you grabbed it so fast. 

Perhaps I should've been a little more chill about opening this so quickly... Oh well.

Pedro Pascal messaged you: "Hey! I watched your interview yesterday. You did fantastic. I know fame is new to you and you're nervous, but you're a natural."

Your heart swelled. He did watch it!! He must have just been busy during the live stream.

You replied: "Pedro! You watched it!?! Thank you so much. That really means a lot to me."

Pedro read your message immediately, but instead of sharing in your level of excitement, he was hit with a wave of confusion instead. She must just be trying to not hurt my feelings. She already knows I watched it.. unless she didn't even notice my name. Or she didn't care enough to look for it…?

He decided to play along with it anyway. "Absolutely, I did. I've had it marked on my calendar since the day it was announced a couple days ago and watched it as it was streamed live."

His response took you by surprise, and then made you angry. If he really watched it, he would know that they gave you a list of the people who watched it live. Why was he lying to you about it?

You started to plan out your response, maybe even send an accusatory comeback, but then you thought about it again.

Why would he lie about it? What would he gain by lying? He messaged you.

With this in mind, you instead chose to take a different approach. One better designed for fishing. One you had to be very careful about, so as not to reveal the fact that you looked for his name.

"Wait!? You watched it live? I didn't see you on the list. You're one of the few people I've spoken to who actually seem genuinely friendly and interested in having a conversation with me. I had sort of hoped you were listening."

There. That doesn't sound too revealing, right? Totally friendly…

Pedro opened your message and was met with both confusion, and something else he wasn't expecting. Hope. Did you look for his name??

Still, he wanted to address the confusion. "You didn't see me on the list? That's odd.. but I'm sure there were a lot of names to scan through. Maybe my name was just buried in that list."

You knew it wasn't buried. He was the only name you looked for. The only name you cared about seeing on that list, not that you'd admit that to him right now. But you also didn't want him to feel that insignificant either.

"There were a lot of names, I'll give you that. But I swear you weren't there. Were you logged into your account? Maybe your Internet crashed, or you missed part of it?"

Instantly he remembered the ten or so minutes that Oscar interrupted him. 

Oscar!

"Oh shit! That's it. Oscar barged into my house while I was watching it and I slammed my laptop closed."

"Oscar… Isaac? Wait, why did you slam your laptop closed?"

"Yeah, that's the one. And… I don't know. He just surprised me, I guess. It wasn't a planned visit."

Slamming your laptop closed is an odd reaction to your friend visiting, but okay, you thought.

"So you closed your laptop, and missed a few minutes. And that must have been the moment they pulled the list of viewers."

Pedro replied. "It must have. But I was there, more than happy to listen to what you had to say"

If my name had been on the list, would her answer have been different? When asked whether the man she loved was on the list and she said no, would my name have changed anything? Pedro wanted to ask you these questions. But he couldn't. Not only was he scared, but he also didn't want it to come off as some douchey comment that made you uncomfortable. He wanted to get to know you better, even if just as a friend, and he wouldn't let a silly little crush ruin that.

You sent a response that could be deemed as friendly or neutral, still cautious. "Thank you Pedro. I'm really glad you watched it."

He replied without hesitancy. "Of course. But, I am sorry that your guy wasn't on that list."

He sounds genuine. Not like he's fishing for information like everyone else on the internet. In turn, you decide to be playful with your response. Risky, but still not too revealing. "It's okay. It turns out that list wasn't as accurate as I once thought it was" you typed with a smirk.

"So maybe he was watching after all," Pedro answered.

"Maybe he was."

Pedro soon changed the subject, "I did enjoy hearing about your favorite things, though. You may know this already, but I love movies. Some of the ones you mentioned are a couple of my favorites as well. But as for your favorite books, I haven't read them, but I've been meaning to find a new book to read."

The fact that he was a reader made your heart flutter; the thought of him sitting with a book, his glasses perched on his nose, brow furrowed as he stroked his thumb over his lip in deep concentration. You were overjoyed at the thought of him reading *your* favorite book and potentially having someone to talk to about it. Before you knew it, you had frantically sent multiple excited messages.

You: "Oh! If you read any of my favorite books we HAVE to talk about them!"

Second message: "AGH the first book I mentioned is my favorite, out of all of them. The ending blew my mind. And the characters were just so amazing! Well except for that one guy.. but I won't spoil that…"

Third message: "But my favorite character has the greatest lines!!! Sometimes I like to quote it but nobody else gets it. And the way the author describes the settings is so magical, it makes you want to be there."

Pedro caught himself smiling at his phone, wrapped up in your excitement, as you were finally able to talk to someone about your favorite book. It was adorable how happy you seemed.

He started to type a reply when you sent another message. "Shoot… I'm sorry. I got a little too carried away…"

"Who told you that?"

Huh?

"Who told me what?" You asked.

"Who made you feel like you had to stop talking when you became excited about your interests?"

His question took you aback, but your mind struggled to pinpoint the answer to it. There's been so many people that have told you that over the years. People you assumed were friends. An old crush who didn't like multiple text messages at once. Classmates who would complain or make fun. It was routine.

"Oh. It's not a big deal. It's just something I've heard over the years. But I also know how I get and I don't want to be too much. I'm sorry. I don't want to monopolize the conversation too much either. But hey, you didn't mention, what are your favorite books?" You tried to change the topic.

Pedro felt that protective feeling bubble up in his chest again.

"Over the years!? There have been multiple occasions?" Pedro shook his head, even though you couldn't see through the text. "I'm sorry anyone ever made you feel that way or said anything to imply that your interests weren't worthy of being heard. Fuck them. They should be thankful that you shared your interests."

They should be grateful to hear your beautiful voice get so excited. To get to see your excitement and smile, Pedro thought to himself angrily. He hoped he could someday witness you getting excited over your interests in person too.

"Thank you Pedro. But really, it's okay. I know I get a little… obsessive and crazy, especially with sending multiple texts, so I don't blame them. Haha. :)" you tried to soften the mood.

"I don't want you to ever feel that way with me. I liked hearing you talk about your interests."

You began to type, but Pedro beat you to the punch.

"In fact… if you'd like to talk more," he gave you his phone number. "Feel free to text me, or you can call me too. I like talking on the phone, but I know not everyone does."

Holy shit. Is this real life? Did Pedro Pascal just give me his phone number? And ask me to call him?

Truthfully, your introverted self really didn't like talking on the phone. But the idea of talking to Pedro, hearing his voice on the other end of your phone was too much to handle.

What you didn't realize, was that Pedro wanted it just as bad.

Your fingers danced over your phone keyboard, trying to find the right words for a reply. What do you say when the love of your life (that you didn't think you would ever have a chance with) gives you his phone number?

Pedro watched anxiously as the three dot-dot-dots of typing appeared and disappeared over and over. His heart was racing, and he began to worry he may have overstepped this time. 

Why did you give her your number? She's going to think you like her!!! 

But you do like her, you idiot, Pedro berated himself.

He ran his hand down his face, waiting for your response in agonizing suspense. But instead of hearing the pop of a notification, his phone began to ring instead, an unknown number displayed on the home screen.

Wait… is that her? Is she CALLING me?!

He answered frantically, practically dropping his phone in the process. 

"Hello?"

"Hello? Pedro? It's me.."

You heard him give a breathless laugh before answering with a gentle "Hi."

_____

Thank you for reading!! Let me know your thoughts :) More will be coming soon. I know this is a painfully slow burn lol. Thanks for being patient.

Next chapter! Here

_____

Taglist: (Want in? Let me know!)

@pedrotonin @starcrossed02 @lightupsketchersperson @cartoon-garbage04 @tyferbebe @maryfanson @gwendibley84 @faithfullyyours2000 @brilliantopposite187 @hc-geralt-23 @jenniferpendragon

[brilium]

❥ K I N K T O B E R 2 0 2 3

Masterlist

➽──────────❥

❥ DAY 21. Succubus! with Armin Arlet

Summary. Eren is being a headache talking about weird dreams and sleep paralysis, Armin always ignores his blabbering, but when he wakes up in the middle of the night with a weight on his lap, he starts to questionate himself.

Content Warning. Fem! reader, no use of Y/N, all characters are adults, smut, vaginal sex, nipple play, dub-con (Armin thinks that it's a dream), oral sex (m. receiving), masturbation (m. receiving), breeding.

Word count. 1,949.

Author's note: It's funny that just yesterday a friend told me about a friend of him who had a sleep paralysis and felt someone hugging him from behind. Ghost was needing cuddles, I guess.

MINORS OR AGELESS BLOGS DO NOT INTERACT !!

All week Eren has been trying to convince him that a ghost or something is in the apartment. Due to his long historial of lame and failed jokes, Armin hasn't believed any word from his mouth.

Although, this time Eren seems more worried than excited with the joke; he’s actually showing up in the morning with eyebags and the slight hint of some scratches under his clothes and his neck, he’s even eating a lot, which is not weird in Eren, but it started to get weirder when Armin woke up on a weekend and saw his best friend devouring his second hamburger at 9 A.M.

Even with all that, Armin spends almost all the afternoon explaining to Eren that what is happening to him could be a secondary effect of his new protein or because of the stress of the finals, leading him to also explain the scientific explanation of the sleep paralysis.

But still, Eren insisted that he was going to stay up all night watching movies while his best friend went to bed after the second movie.

It was late, Armin just had to turn his head slightly to the side to look at the hour on his digital clock on the nightstand, but his body ignored all his orders.

He tried to move his arms to rest on his elbows, but it also didn’t work.

It’s okay, maybe his body is a bit stiff from just waking up.

He shuts his eyes and takes short breaths to relax himself, trying to not remember the words of his best friend these past days.

“I’m sure, Armin! It feels like a weight on my lap that…” Eren bites his lip, cutting his sentence.

“That what, Eren?”

“It doesn’t matter! Just believe me!”

Armin shakes the thought away, thinking that the sensation of a weight growing from his calves to his hips it’s just his imagination.

It’s just a cramp, Armin.

Armin sighs before opening his eyes to look at the ceiling, but it’s received by the sensation of some soft knives definitely passing through his abdomen. He tries to lift his head to look down, but only his eyes make it to look at the figure above his hips.

His heart skips a beat when he sees a naked woman with fake horns and long fangs, her body has weird runes tattooed all along her body. She bends over his abdomen, arching her back perfectly to let him see the long tail that falls from her lower back as she starts to lick it with her long tongue. It feels so wet and soft that it sends shivers through Armin’s spine, but his paralyzed body doesn’t even let him moan or call for his friend, probably asleep on the couch of the living room.

The creature’s tongue travels from his trembling belly to his nipples, flicking and circling around them to finalize the teasing with a soft slap with the tip of her tongue. Her hands squeeze his sides firmly, leaving a small trail of scratches as she tangles her nails on the border of his sweatpants to pull them down slowly.

“It’s a hallucination, or a weird dream. Just shut your eyes and try to force yourself to wake up, come on!” Armin thinks about the advice that he gave to Eren before, noticing that it is not as effective as he thought.

She giggles softly when Armin’s nipples are fully erect, giving to both of them a small bite before straightening by putting her knees on the sides of his thighs. The soft light of the moonlight coming through the window lets Armin see her body and he feels how his hard erection starts to hurt between his legs.

One of her hands goes between his legs, right on the source of his pain to heal by squeezing it softly between her fingers and pumping up and down slowly from the tip to the base to spread all the length with his precum to make the movements easier. Meanwhile, her body bends over Armin again to tease on his neck with bites that hurt considerably thanks to those long fangs.

Armin’s breathing is messy and feels light headed with every touch from you, even with those long nails and your sharp fingers, the pleasure is so high from the start that even his mouth starts to dry from having it open without the chance to let his body make a sound or, in general, any of his extensions.

Eren is crazy, Eren is crazy. This is just because he’s been stressed lately.

But God bless his mind, because he has never had a dream where the pleasure felt so real. The pain of the bites starts to tickle on his crotch, even the sensation of a liquid running down from his neck to the pillow feels real.

Her body pulls back from his neck, she smiles widely with the small stains of Armin’s blood on her lips as she moves backwards to be near his crotch. The up and down movements on his member stops, and Armin is not sure if the long sigh that he let out is of relief of the only close thing of a whine that he can make right now.

His deception doesn’t last long when her tongue stamps against his aching cock, spreading all her drool along it, tracing every vein and detail on it while his thighs make small jumps at the stimulation. It’s Armin’s hell when her hands start to squeeze and play with his balls as her mouth starts to suck all his length at one stroke.

He wants to moan, to moan so hard that he wouldn’t care if Eren listens.

But he can’t, his body is not his right now.

The back of her throat hugs his tip so warmly everytime that she goes too deep and makes a soft gag sound, Armin is so in the edge that when her struggled breathing comes out from her nostrils and tickles on the short hairs on his base makes his body shiver, wanting to thrust up for more.

Armin feels his thighs aching and trembling; his chest is shaking with hard breathing that is getting harder to control; his sweat running through his forehead; and a soft pain on his neck while his pillow starts to feel wet.

Is it because of the tears of pleasure running down his cheeks? Or the frustration of not being able to move his body?

Anyways, Armin can’t let out the loud screaming moan that is stuck on his throat when his orgasm hits him, just feeling how his legs and hips twitch a little when her mouth souk from his base to his tip hollowing her cheeks to suck harder and pull back roughly as his cum spits out just as you pull out to spread all his cum over himself.

Armin feels like he just lost a heavy weight from his body once his swollen cock still twitches of pleasure on his stomach, not being able to look at his mess with the stiff neck. He thinks that the pleasurable nightmare is done, but when he feels the creature moving her weight a little closer, just at the level of his hips, he feels the worst coming on.

His cock hurts, so bad, like he’s still hard without cumming yet. And the pain mixes with relief when a tight and warm feeling starts to suck down on his length slowly, receiving him with the best wet cunt he has ever felt in all his life.

Armin’s breathing is messy as she moves her hips down to receive all his member inside her and being gifted with the sound of her sweet moans, she doesn’t contain anything, opposite to his paralyzed body.

Is Eren listening? Maybe he should—

"Fuck—" She screams, moving back and forth her hips with a eyes rolling peace and strength that shakes every single thought out of Armin's mind.

Combining her cunt sucking him so good and tightening him so sweetly with her hips riding him in circles makes his dry throat start to ache.

Armin is surprised that he got to do it back to back so quickly, but maybe his dream is being so good to him that he might ignore how his body is actually feeling all the soreness.

She scratches all his chest, leaving thin red trails along his body as her body rolls over him with every movement with such a knowledge. 

Her cunt starts to tighten, having a hard effect on him that Armin starts to feel another aching pain growing on his balls for need of a release as her moans fill all his room.

She moans so lustfully, so sweet and needy.

She screams, squeezing him harder as Armin just can let out a soft whimper when her pussy sucks him so good to relieve all of his cum spreading out from his tip.

Armin feels all her muscles hug him to take every drop as she keeps riding, overstimulating him until she's done and Armin can't keep cumming more.

His eyelids feel heavy, it's hard to see through the tears but his body again feels like it's his. Armin raises his arm to touch her, to keep going, but then…

The alarm starts ringing.

The sun is out, his breathing is heavy and he's fully clothed just like he went to bed last night. The only weird thing is that his morning hard is not here.

He just shakes his head, trying to forget his dream as he wakes up and opens his door to wash his face.

Eren is on the kitchen table, eating his breakfast and looking less tired than the past nights. When his best friend walks in, his fork falls from his hand to his plate, making a loud sound that resonates throughout the apartment.

"What!? Eren! Be careful with the plates!"

"Fuck the plates, look at you!" Eren points at him with his hand, looking exasperated and scared. "Are you in the fucking fight club!?"

Armin shrugs confused before kneeling a little to look at himself on the reflection of the microwave door. His skin goes pale when he notices it.

His neck has a lot of bruises and bite marks with dried blood. Armin quickly lifts his shirt to look at his abdomen all scratched and bruised just like his neck with fear.

They both look at Armin’s marks for a long moment in silence, trying to connect all the pieces of their theories with just stares.

"Should I call Mikasa and tell her to let us stay with her while we find a new apartment?" Eren says, breaking the silence with a strained voice while his hand caresses the scratches on his arms.

"Bring the keys of your car, she'll cut the call if we try to explain it to her through the phone."

Eren nods, running to the entrance for his keys while Armin stares at his reflection again.

He runs to the kitchen sink to soak a towel and clean the dry blood on his neck to clean himself a little while Eren moves around on the entrance.

Armin’s blood runs to his feets when he feels cold arms hugging him from behind, running sharp nails against the fabric of his shirt.

"Are you leaving now? I was hoping to do something with the three together…"

When Armin's body feels paralyzed again as her hands travel under his sweatpants, he starts to question himself if he actually woke up.

@softlilpeachxx

[beautification-tales]

The Twig

This is the 3rd installment of “Getting Fit”

As Courtney stepped into the gym, she couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and intimidation. The loud music, the clanging of weights, and the bodybuilders grunting as they lifted impossibly heavy loads filled the air with a palpable energy. It was a far cry from the sterile, oppressive halls of her school, where she was constantly bullied. She had built up enough confidence to go to the gym. She was sick and tired of being pushed around and wanted to stand up for herself.

Courtney scowled as she had a flashback of yesterday. Britney had pushed her into a locker and called her a “twig”. Britney was the stereotypical blonde cheerleader that found joy in belittling Courtney for her tiny frame. Courtney fantasized about turning the tables and having the power to put Britney in her place.

“First time at the gym?” Courtney was jolted from her daydream as she realized a person was in front of her. She was a tall gorgeous woman with a svelte figure yet still amazingly toned. The light shone on her long brown hair as her blue leotard clinched to her body.

“Um hi…I was asking if this is your first time here?”

Courtney realized she had been staring and didn’t even answer her question. She gulped and finally answered her. “Yeah, I guess I give out that vibe.” She giggled nervously.

The woman smiled warmly and offered her hand. Courtney hesitantly shook it. “Well my name is Julie and trust me when I started here… I had the same lost look.” Courtney smiled back, feeling a bit more at ease. “I’m .. Courtney nice to meet you” she stammered. Julie continued, "Now, what brought you to the gym? Was it something specific you're hoping to achieve or just a general desire to get stronger?"

Courtney took a deep breath, hesitating before answering. "It's actually because I'm being bullied at school. The other day this girl pushed me into a locker and called me a 'twig.' It's been happening a lot and I just want to stand up for myself." Julie's expression turned serious as she listened.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Bullying is never okay. I've been there too, when I first started coming to the gym. I wanted to prove to myself, and to them, that I could change. And I did." Courtney nodded, feeling a spark of determination ignite within her. "Once you find your power Courtney its life changing trust me. How about you check in with our self defense teacher. She’s right over there.” Julie pointed at another woman who was currently doing squats with an amazing amount of weight on her shoulders. An attractive hunk of a man was behind her spotting her.

Courtney’s jaw opened wide as she looked in awe of the woman’s strength as she grunted lifting the weights. The man was cheering her on but was trying his best to cover his bulge in his workout shorts. “I remember when she first came to the gym too. She was a shy lost girl too but now look at her.” Julie said as she walked over to the woman at the squat rack. Courtney followed quietly as they approached the woman.

The woman turned around and flashed a smile at them. Her teeth were perfectly white and her eyes were a bright shade of blue. She had bright blue hair that caught the eye as well a few well placed tattoos. Courtney felt envy as she wanted a body like this woman possessed. “Hey Julie, did you find someone to join my class? I’ve been chomping at the bit to mentor someone.” The woman's voice was confident and firm. She toweled herself off as the man clearly bit his lip eyeing her backside. “Yes I did! Courtney meet Tara!” Julie introduced them.

Courtney nodded and extended her hand. Tara grinned, revealing a set of perfectly straight white teeth and accepted it. Her grip was surprisingly firm. "Nice to meet you, Courtney. Can I whip you into shape?” She winked. Courtney laughed nervously, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks. "I hope so."

“Well I’ll leave you ladies to it. Mark come help me with my cool down stretches please.” Julie sauntered away as Mark followed eagerly.

An hour later Courtney was sitting on the mat exhausted with her workout attire drenched. Tara came over and sat beside her, offering her a towel. Courtney smiled gratefully as she took it. "Thanks again for this Tara. I never thought I could do that."

Tara smiled back, her expression softening. "Can I tell you a secret Courtney? I was this overweight nobody when I first came in this gym. Julie told me her secret to success and now I want to trust you with it.” Courtney leaned in closer, her curiosity peaked. "The secret to our success is an experimental supplement ." Tara whispered. "It's this injection you take only once." Courtney's eyes widened in excitement. "Really? Can I try it?" Tara handed her a small vial with a clear liquid inside. "You can try it, but you have to promise me one thing." Courtney nodded eagerly. "Anything." Tara's expression turned serious. "You have to promise me that when you do reach your highest potential that you will pass it on to a girl in need too." Courtney hesitated for a moment before taking the vial.

Courtney looked at the vial on her table at home. She thought on how gullible she was to listen to Tara. It was like she was hypnotized by her beauty and strength but now away from the gym her common sense returned. The foreign supplement could easily be some sort of addictive drug that Tara was trying to get her hooked on. However, when she thought of how small she felt when Britney called her a “twig” she knew any risk would be worth changing her life.

She swallowed her doubts and injected the liquid into her arm. Nothing happened at first, but as the minutes passed, she felt a strange energy coursing through her veins. It was as if she could run a marathon without getting tired or lift weights that were too heavy for her. She felt unstoppable. It reached a point where it felt as if her heart would burst from her chest. The heat she felt in her veins burned yet felt exhilarating. As sweat flowed from her pores she felt her senses heightened as her vision became blurry. She removed her glasses and smiled when she realized her vision had corrected itself.

She looked at her arms as she felt them lengthen before her eyes. She sensed a similar sensation in her legs as she knew her diminutive stature was finally changing. She felt a warm sensation in her stomach that felt like butterflies but more intense. The feeling intensified to the point Courtney’s mouth opened as she let out a sound she never had before. Her now melodious voice sounded more mature than her previous nasal tone. She fell to her knees as the feeling continued. Courtney finally gave in as she realized the sensations were sexual in nature. Her face matured as her cheekbones raised and filled up as well as her lips. She bucked her hips as she leaned into the feeling as her moans got louder. Curves deepened as her ass expanded into a bubble butt of power. Her mosquito bites became oranges then melons as she placed her hands on them she felt her nipples stiffen as they overflowed her grasp. One hand slipped down and felt her wet sex as her waist burst to amazing proportions. “Yes…. Ungh fuck. I want it! I want power” Courtney gasped as her longer arms and legs filled out with elegant amazing feminine muscle. Abs formed on her abdomen as she grunted loudly as her body shivered in euphoria.

Courtney couldn’t sleep that night as she examined her body in her mirror for what seemed like hours. Her reflection showed a new her, a confident woman with curves in all the right places. Her skin glowed with health, her eyes sparkled with determination, and her voice was as smooth as silk. She had to admit, she felt incredible. But there was something else too, something deep down that her new power was hungry to do.

She found out what it was when she returned to school next day and found Britney flirting with Jack the Football quarterback by the bleachers.

Courtney filled with confidence in her revealing top and tight leggings decided to push Britney‘s buttons.

“Hey Jack, great game the other day.” She cooed as she sauntered over to them, her hips swaying seductively.

Britney's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but Jack didn't seem to mind the attention.

"Thanks," he said with a grin. "But do I know you?” Courtney smirked as she stood tall, her muscles flexing subtly.

"Oh, you haven't met me yet," she purred, making sure to stand close enough that Jack could feel her warmth. "But I think we're going to be really good friends." And with that, she placed a hand on his shoulder, letting her strength and confidence flow through her touch. Jack gulped as he adjusted his pants.

Britney's face turned red with anger, but there was nothing she could do or say. Courtney smiled as she walked away knowing Jack was staring at her ass. She felt powerful, confident, and in control. It was a feeling she never thought she'd have, but now she knew it was hers for the taking.

“Hey who the fuck do you think you are?” Britney screamed to her. Courtney turned around and raised an eyebrow. “Jack is my man, got it new girl?” Courtney chuckled. “ Good luck keeping him Britney, he is probably going to go home and stroke his cock thinking about all of this.” Courtney caressed her body flaunting it.

Britney’s red face exposed her rage as she wound up to hit Courtney. She was ready this time and blocked it with ease and grabbed Britney’s wrist and flung her to the ground. Britney felt the wind knocked out of her lungs as she winced in pain on the floor. “Wow, that was so easy too. Maybe you should be the one thinking about your place. You are so easy to push around like a little “twig.” I think I’m going to find Jack and show him what a real woman can do.” Courtney got wet belittling Britney. Tears began to fill Britney’s eyes as she realized she was the little one now.

“Well what happened next?” Tara and Julie asked Courtney as they worked out together. “Well I found Jack and asked for a ride home….then I rode him” the girls all laughed together. “Damn Courtney you’re bad!” Julie stated as she continued to stretch.

“Well I’m glad Britney learned her lesson but are you ready for your next lesson Courtney?” Tara asked. “Most definitely but telling that story just gets me soo.” Tara and Julie looked at each other and smiled. “Oooh Mark!” Tara called out. “Can you help Courtney with her warm up stretching? She’s really stiff.”

Mark stopped curling and looked at the 3 fitness models stretching On the mat as they smiled at him.

“Damn I love coming to the gym” he whispered.

[reinedeslys-central]

more!! again!! for the nico after blood of olympus fic!! actually I thought of this while writing the last one but I just finished it.

His elbows buckle and he lets himself fall into Will, snorting at his theatrical groan under the weight. They lay there for a second until Will shoves him gently, and Nico lets him manoeuvre them into a more comfortable position.

"Hi," he whispers, moving a curl away from his cheek. The greenish tint of the loft window casts a weird shadow over Will's face.

"Hey yourself," Will murmurs back, winking.

Nico rolls his eyes. "You look like Apollo when you do that. Please stop." Will squawks in protest.

"I do not! Also, since when do you remember what Apollo looks like? Actually, no, don't answer that, you can't bring up my dad while we're in bed, Nico, why would you do this to me?"

Now it's Nico's turn to sputter and whack Will in the chest - getting another dramatic oof and a laugh in return - before turning around to face Hazel's bed. He's not sure when he'll ever be able to sleep facing the wall. Will can't do it either.

As Will's arms curl around his waist and draw him back against him, just like they did back in the infirmary that one day, he thinks maybe he'd be okay trying that with him sometime. One day, in a house with gates, no longer wary of monsters.

Will noses the back of his neck, causing him to twitch. "What is it?"

Will's answering smile presses through the rough cotton of his t-shirt. "Nothing, sunshine."

Nico frowns under the covers. "Hey, what do you think of houses with gates?" He whispers.

"Gates? Well, it'd be safer, I guess, but we'd lose the neighbours coming over -"

"As if you want to see random people at the door anyway. What if they're monsters?"

"Oh, come on, darlin', I'm from Austin. Of course I gotta keep space for the neighbours to come knocking."

"…Fences? Actually, hey, why'd you assume I was talking about us? Obviously - Obviously I was talking about random. Random houses. For architecture reasons."

Will muffles his laugh into the back of his neck, again. "Oh, my bad. And I'm only here because you ripped a stitch on the lava wall yesterday."

Nico feels his ears warm.

"Shut up."

"I didn't say anything."

"..Still."

Will reels him in closer until his back hits his chest and he can press a soft peck to Nico's still-red ears. "I think a fence is a great idea, by the way. We could ask Hazel for help with some ward stones too, like you have in the cabin. Gotta make sure we've got at least one window and standing space in every direction, though, or at least in the east, because you know my dad would sulk if he didn't get to scream me awake in the morning."

Nico's blush gets worse.

"Now who's talking about your dad in bed?" He gives up on pretending. Will sees him through every time, anyway. "Also, shrines, obviously, and we need a spot to stargaze."

"Yeah, shrines, obviously. Maybe just yours, mine, and Lady Hestia's though, or else everyone else is gonna get pissy."

Nico barks out a laugh like it's shocked out of him. "Pissy? Don't let them hear you say that."

Will holds him tighter and settles against the pillows. "Sure thing, sunshine. Now can we sleep?"

"Yeah, yeah."

It's not long after that that Will's breath evens out behind him, his muscles untensing. Nico knows he's got a few minutes yet, so he thinks.

Today was…. good.

Today was nice. Normal, even. Just a day of camp schedules, working in the infirmary, an admittedly short campfire, and this. No monsters, and no mistakes. No deaths, but..

Unbidden, the moments in the infirmary come to mind. He thinks of helping Will scrub in for his one surgery of the day, a kid that had gotten parts of an arrow stuck in their leg a week ago and hadn't noticed til yesterday. He thinks of yesterday during capture-the-flag, stepping in and desperately trying to copy what he'd watched Will do, because Lydia was hanging crooked from a tree and there was no one else around but him-

He thinks of Patroclus tying the straps of Achilles' armour, watching his lover sleep peacefully. He thinks of what Connor had told him about at the campfire weeks ago, of Silena Beauregard taking on a drakon when Clarisse declared the Ares Cabin wouldn't be fighting.

He thinks he might understand.

Lydia wasn't the same (thank the gods), but if there was something to be done that only Will could do right, yet couldn't, and the only way Nico could take up his mantle would be to die trying - then, yeah. He'd do whatever it would take for these kids. To do what Will would do. He's gone to Tartarus already, hasn't he? At worst, he'd try his best and greet his father early if he failed to survive. Nico could even give Charon a tip on the way in for the hell of it, why not?

If there is a luxury that comes from being a child of Hades, after all, it is that dying is not the thing that scares him.

There's a brazier still lit outside the window. Its glow falls in slits across their bed.

Will grumbles, pushing his feet forward until their ankles are wound together. The sheets shift.

Nico smiles into the dark, into the chirping of crickets and the soft glow of the fireflies out the window, and falls asleep.

more for this fic:

scene 0 - prologue-ish scene 1 - the library of social awkwardness or here (or in my heart, 'kidney function is not a right, it's a privilege' lol)

general writing directory

also lmk if you want more lore. I am so down to talk about this fic + the worldbuilding ideas I have for it in the notes it is unreal

[bidisasterevankinard]

so hard to choose from all these wips but pls gimme some of:

🔄🔄🔄

❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

📝📝📝📝📝

👨‍🍳👨‍🍳👨‍🍳👨‍🍳👨‍🍳

yeah months after but I finally got toanswer it (I'm sorry <333)

9 from 7x4 reverse with Sal:

“So, how was football?” Tommy aims for feigned disinterest, missing some lightness in tone for it to be believable, but Sal just drugs and smiles.

“It was fine. Kid got us good tickets. And it was cool to watch the game with someone who doesn’t moan every second about how bored he is.”

“Hey, I don’t moan!”

“Yeah, you're right. You whine like a baby who wants cuddles from their mama.”

“I don’t whine,” whines Tommy and on Sal’s smirk and a raised eyebrow answers with silence, changing the tactic.

9+ for break up and make up after 7s au:

“And then Sal …” when Evan says the name it’s like the lever inside his mind is yanked down and his brain is off. Evan’s voice is around him but he hears nothing. It’s like the headphones are put on him and he can make some outside noise, but not enough to actually comprehend anything. He just sits there, passing his food, not in the mood to eat. His stomach feels too easy to make sick.

“..my! Tommy!” the louder when before voice and the touch of his shoulder makes him jump in his seat and Evan takes his hand away. “Sorry, you just weren't answering me and I asked if you wanted to come to my place or you wanted me to come to yours as you seem pretty tired,” Evan smirks, but his usual playfulness and Tommy tries to answer but big blue eyes go sadder.

He guesses he didn’t fool Evan.

“Sorry, Evan, I’m really tired and have a headache. Want to be alone. If it’s ok?”

15 for Justin knows best:

“From what I saw he was,” Mr. Russo’s voice answers, “he was almost eye fucking you during renovations.”

“I’m sure he did it not to me, but to Eddie. Or should I remind you that it’s him he took to Vegas and I’ve got only one Harbor tour that I asked about.”

Justin nods to sadness in Mr.B voice feeling the anger on his uncle and Mr.Diaz getting higher. They broke his perfect plan and made Mr. B sad.

“First, Eddie was on the other side of the room and those big blue eyes were still taking off your tank top and shorts. Second, I remember about Vegas. You were mopping about it a lot recently,” Mr. Russo listed. “Maybe it was just a friendly fly? I mean they watched a fight together. If you ask me I’d fight a guy who takes me to a fight as a first date because I hate it. And you too.”

“Yeah, I thought it too,” Mr. says and then he somehow gets sadder, “but it wasn’t only Vegas. They also worked over Eddie’s Chavele. And yesterday they went to Karaoke trivia together. And Eddie asked me to babysit,” Mr. B whines the last sentence and Justin sees red. 

and 15 for second part on I wanna dance with you universe

“What is it?” Evan asks and Tommy shrugs, giving him a playful look, and waits for him to open the box, loving the laugh Evan makes when he reads the custom inscription.

Still laughing, Evan takes the bright pink apron out and turns it so that Tommy can read it, bold black lettering makes him smirk again.

He’s my favorite housewife

“So you want me as your housewife?” Evan asks.

“Do you like it,” Tommy ignores the question.

“I like the color and the title but only if it’s a joke. Because if it’s not, it's like a huge red flag and I’m gonna run from here right now.”

Tommy hugs the perfect waist, kissing the neck, loving the shiver that goes over Evan’s body, “just a joke, baby of course. And now as far as I remember,” Tommy nuzzles into Evan's neck, biting it, “I was promised that if I'll buy you apron you love, I can fuck you in it. Only in it,” Tommy whispers in Evan’s ear and  bites the skin right near it.

“I-I did say it, didn’t I?” Evan puts his hand in his hair pushing his head till their lips meet.

Using his body weight Tommy pushes his boyfriend till he’s near the counter and then sits him there, not breaking the kiss, with pleasure swallowing the moan Evan makes.

Ending the kiss Tommy gets back to working on Evan’s neck, while his boyfriend unbuttons his shirt.

[tokiro07]

I wanted to ask you this since you seem like an Undead Unluck expert. Me and a friend of mine watched the last episode of the Undead Unluck anime together yesterday and they asked me: "Why didn't Andy use Life is Strange on Rip instead of Anno Un?"

I just assumed that since this version of Life Is Strange was drawn by the G-Liner, it could only be used by the person wielding the G-Liner, but I'm not entirely sure if that's the case or not. Also, I've read the manga, but don't remember if it was ever brought up who could or couldn't use what the G-Liner had drawn.

I actually made a post about this exact question when that happened in the manga! I originally criticized Anno's plan for that exact reason, but there're a couple of reasons I can think of

First, they were kind of in the middle of a fight for their lives. Taking the time to ask Andy to use an Artifact could have left an opening for Autumn to attack, so it was probably just quicker to do it himself

Second, the Anno body was in pretty rough shape, and only a representation of Akira in the first place, so he wasn't exactly an asset to have in the fight anyway. He likely viewed this act as the only thing that would really give him value at this point, so there's no sense in endangering everyone else to protect someone who can't contribute anymore

Third, it's hard to say what Life is Strange would actually do to Andy. I think it's safe to say "nothing," but Anno might have been worried it would age his body since he wouldn't be living through the aging process. It probably wouldn't have, but why take the risk?

Fourth, Anno may not have predicted that G-Liner would break. I certainly wouldn't have guessed it would, so sacrificing Anno to just make him again later would have been a reasonable strategy, it was just unfortunate that it didn't work out

Finally, and this is the real life reason it had happen this way, it was SUCH A GOOD SCENE! It was the culmination of Akira's entire story, and Andy's goodbye to Anno was the perfect summation of the arc's theme of living on through memory.

"Even if no one could actually see him, so long as there were people who remembered him he would be right there. That was the belief that Andy chose to hold."

Even if there's a logistical way that things could have been "better," would you really trade the narrative weight of what we got just because something else "makes more sense?" I know I wouldn't

[euphoricimagination]

Summary: The second selection is about to start after days of rigorous training, you end up meeting new faces, confronting some; but who will you team up with?

Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 -> Masterlist

You are chilling in the dorm room the next day, giving yourselves a free day to rest after such an intense match from yesterday so you could recover properly. You were coming back from the bathroom when you heard Raichi scream, not something unusual, but something that still made you rush towards it.

"HUH" he says as you enter "WE'RE NOT STARTING THE SECOND SELECTION ROUND RIGHT AWAY?!"

"Keep it down, there's a waiting period before the second round begins" Ego says, you sit next to Chigiri

"What did I miss?" You ask him

"Not much, just Ego saying that there's some time in between and Raichi freaking out"

"Got it"

"You'll be doing some rigorous strength training, however, you're not allowed to touch a ball. Anyone who breaks this rule or refuses to participate will be expelled" Ego keeps explaining

You start zoning out as Ego keeps talking, just thinking how exhausting this whole new regimen would be. You managed to pass, but it was barely over, so everyone needed to be stronger than you already are.

And just like that the next day started your training from hell:

9:00: 2 HOUR ENDURANCE RUN X 2 SETS

14:00: EXTREME CORE TRAINING 1 HOUR X 2 SETS

16:00: WEIGHT TRAINING

18:00: SPRINTING 100 ROUNDS

20:00: MEALTIME

You barely are able to breathe at the end of day one, laying on the grass alongside Chigiri after just finishing your sprinting rounds.

"This can't be legal" you say in between short breaths

"I'm wondering the same" Chigiri says chuckling "Do they want to kill us?"

"Couldn't he build this up? Like, did he rea-" you try to add, getting cut up by the speaker

«Player Yn, please come to get a health check up»

"Eh?" You sit up

"I guess they want to make sure you're doing ok, after all you passed out on a match"

"True"

"Go, save yourself from this misery" Chigiri helps you stand up.

You starts walking towards the where the medical check is, undoing your binder in the way assuming the medics already knew about you. You sat down on the couch while waiting for them when the door opened, revealing Ego and Anri there.

"This ain't a health check up, isn't it?" You sigh

"Nope" Ego brings a chair to sit in front of you "I need to discuss something with you"

"I tried to stop him Yn-chan, but this time it seems a reasonable thing to talk about" adds Anri, looking at you worried

"It's alright, Anri-san, go ahead"

"Well, I'll put it simply" Ego starts "To be honest, I wasn't expecting you to pass the first selection. I did want Team Z to grow, but considering who their opponents were, I had little hope. You, however, became the top scorer with no yellow or red cards, meaning that even if your team lost, you would pass"

"Okay…"

"I initially just wanted you to join for the first selection only, you already accomplished your job and helped them bloom, but I can't eliminate you now. You became friends with your team, so the excuse of you dropping out or having health problems wouldn't work on them now. My only option is for you to continue"

"I don't get it, it's that good?" You ask

"I can't eliminate you without raising suspicions, so I just wanted to remind you that you can't become the world's best striker, as long as you remember that we'll be fine"

"I know, you don't have to worry"

"You may leave then" Ego says, making you stand up towards the door while thinking, you need to find a way to drop out without making it look weird, but how? Do you actually want to leave just yet? Sure, this was a lot to deal with, the training, the whole binder thing, but at the same time, it was one of the first times you have had so much fun. Well, for now you just have to survive this hell of a training, then you'd think of that.

And you survive one, two, three…you survive the whole 10 days of that, barely, but you do.

On the eleventh day, a loud alarm starts sounding at 6:30 am

«DING DONG DING DOOONG» You barely are able to open your eyes, hearing a bunch of groans around you as everyone starts waking up. You notice a red hair weirdly close to your face, soon realizing that you and Chigiri were laying close to each other; however, it doesn't worry you much, after all the whole team barely manages to get into bed after training

«AT THIS TIME BLUE LOCK'S FIRST SELECTION ROUND HAS BEEN COMPLETED FOR ALL WINGS. ALL PLAYERS WHO HAVE CLEARED THE FIRST ROUND, PLEASE PUT ON YOUR TRAINING SUITS»

Since everyone was so tired to properly think, a combination of how early it was plus the pure exhaustion in your bodies, that you all change your clothes in automatic mode, quickly going down stairs as the loud ones hype everyone up.

"You look awful" Chigiri says to you once you start to pass the second selection sign

"So do you" you retort "nervous?"

"Kinda, but I'm mostly excited"

The moment you enter the area you see a bunch of other players entering too, players that you haven't seen before and yet they were wearing armbands with Team W, X and Y on their arms. You can see Barou, Niko, Nagi and Reo close to you, meaning that the 25 players of Wing 5 were here…then who were the other ones and why do they have those letters on them?

"Hi there, you lumps of talent" Ego appears on the giant TV "Good job on your physical training"

"Your kidding" you mumble to yourself once it clicked, both Chigiri and Kunigami look at you waiting for you to continue "everyone here thought that they were at the bottom of the ranks, every wing was Wing 5 with teams from V to Z"

"That's messed up" Kunigami says

"It is" you move behind Chigiri, plopping your head into his back without processing your movements much "let me know if he says something important"

As Ego explains this to the rest of the players a bunch of complaints start to arise, which sends Ego into a long rant about how all professional players had lived through the worst and soccer became their only way to survive.

"Now, let's start with the second selection round" Ego says "in our brand new training fields, you'll be fighting to turn your 1 into a 100. The second selection round has five stages, only the ones who clear a particular stage are able to level up and advance to the next one. Clearing the challenge in the first stage is your next objective, and those who are able to clear all five stages in the second selection will participate in a special training camp with top players from around the world who I’ve selected"

Everyone seems amazed by this revelation, and you can't help but wonder what is he talking about, he never told you something about these top players that were going to challenge you, but then again, you weren't supposed to get this far in the first place

"Once you've prepared yourself, enter the gate one at a time. The first stage is an individual battle, once you go in, you can't go back. This second selection will sort out the garbage, only the true egoists will remain. Good Luck"

With that, the TV turns off, an unsettling feeling fills the room, everyone chatter about what's happening and what will happen after.

"It's that…all?" Chigiri asks

"Well, what more do you want?" You ask starting to stretch to do the challenge as soon as possible "it's simple, you enter, pass and we see each other again"

"Only you would be so calm about this" he pats your head "but yeah, when you put it like that it doesn't sound so bad"

"It really doesn't sound bad" Kunigami adds, much more relaxed "Look, it seems like he's going"

You turn around and see a dude, quite emo looking to be honest, taking two balls out of the basket, kicking one in a high trajectory and the other with a low trajectory, both balls hitting each other in the middle. He then enters the door without even looking back at anyone. Itoshi Rin can be read on the screen.

"That was cool" you whisper, you feel a slight tension build up after that, so you just keep stretching while looking around to see potential players. A dude with redish color hair and a single braid, a cyan hair that looks similar to your height and a dude with curly black hair and glasses caught your eyes. Suddenly, you feel a hand grab your arm, pulling you into an almost closed circle.

"Don't forget about us so quickly" Chigiri laughs as he ruffles your hair, his arm passing through your shoulders "you were the more badass of all"

"You have to say it though, it doesn't count if an egoist doesn't say it" Kunigami smirks

"But i already know my goals were amazing" you say, making the two laugh

"Talking like a true egoist" says Iemon "LET'S ALL MEET IN THE NEXT ROUND!!"

"YEAH!!"

"Saying that…" you start, making all eyes turn to you "I'll go first, see you!"

"EH?! HOW DARE YOU? WAIT! YN, YOU IDIOT!" you hear Raichi scream as you quickly go into the gate. You turn around quickly, seeing Bachira laughing alongside Isagi while waving their hands at you, Chigiri just shaking his head with a smirk and Kunigami laughing while stopping Raichi's whines.

Walking through the hallways you couldn't help but to feel excited, it was finally time to let your abilities shine by yourself without having to care about the others.

You enter the first stage, a big, white room with barely anything on it. Suddenly you hear a loud noise from behind, a cannon-looking thing appearing on the wall and shooting a ball at you. You trap it easily, a blue hologram appearing as soon as you do that. In the walls behind him appear a goal zone, a sign with a clock of 90 minutes, and a light shines on you, a light that slowly starts getting smaller the more seconds pass. The only conclusion that you arrived at was that you had to score a goal past the goalie and before the light became too small, so you just lifted the ball a little to pretend to hit it high before actually sending it low.

You mark a goal easily and soon after the ball comes from the other side of the room; you keep shooting and scoring, the game getting harder each goal you make. You end up doing it almost flawlessly, missing only a few shots in the beginning of each level, leaving the first stage with 25 minutes to spare.

You were the second one to enter the second stage, only Itoshi Rin was already there. He barely raised his head once he saw you enter, a slight confusion appearing at the number in your arm and how short you took to complete the first stage.

"Hey" he says, almost with disdain as he examines you "you were fast, join me"

"..." You look at him with the same look he was giving you "why would i do that?"

"Eh? I just need two more, it doesn't really matter who those are"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, to me you are just a stepping stone to become the best in the world"

"Well, I'm nobody's 'stepping stone', so kindly fuck off" you say with a sarcastic smile, receiving an annoyed sound from the boy.

You sit there in silence for a good 10 minutes before the next player arrives.

The next one is the boy with curly hair and glasses that you saw right before the first stage; he, when seeing Rin looking at him with a sour expression, decided to come to sit near you, arriving with a polite smile.

"Hi" he says as he sits down "have we played with each other?"

"Hey, no we haven't, I'm Yn"

"Nice to meet you, Yukimiya Kenyu" he presents himself "how long ago did you finish?"

"About ten minutes ago, I've been here with that ass alone for way too long" you say, making the boy chuckle

"That was fast, you must be good then"

"I guess" in that moment the door opened again, revealing a familiar white hair who almost immediately comes to your side and plops down

"What a pain" is the first thing Nagi says "so now we have to make teams of 3?"

"It looks like it, are you gonna wait for Reo?"

"Yeah, I guess, you for that Red head? You two look close"

"If he arrives soon then sure, I'm down to try to team up with others though. What about your third teammate? Any idea?"

"Yeah, i want Isagi Yoichi"

"Thanks for the consideration" you joke, making Nagi look at you with an indecipherable look

"You're good too, but in that match that we lost i decided i wanted to try to play with him, i want to become better"

"I get it, don't worry. Look Reo's here" you say when the door opened, revealing the purple hair boy, who immediately starts talking to Nagi after he greets you

"So…" you hear from beside you "waiting on someone?"

"I guess, I don't know if he wants to team up though, and I can't wait for much longer in case the good options run out"

"Kind of brutal, but I get it, you want to team up with good options or ones that compliment you well. You're lucky though, not everyone has someone that they work together here"

"You don't?"

"Not really, my team managed to win a lot, but nobody tried to get too close to anyone" he smiles "I'm gonna go talk to some of them in the meantime, should we team up if things don't go to our plans?"

"Sure, if not I'll see you later"

"Good luck" with that Yukimiya leaves to talk to other players

At that moment you noticed Isagi, and closed after Bachira, entering the room. You crossed eyes with him, he seemed indecisive about coming to where you were or not before the decision was made for him. Nagi went to where he was, followed by Reo and said something that left everyone shocked, probably asking Isagi if he wanted to join his team with Reo. But something happened, something that left Reo shocked before Isagi, Bachira and Nagi start walking towards the door.

"Hey Yn" Isagi says "we thought about you joining us, but Nagi…"

"I get it, if Nagi asked me I too wouldn't have thought much about it and let him join. I'll wait for Chigiri"

"Okay, see you then"

"See you Yn-chan!!" Bachira adds and Nagi nods at you

Reo comes back where you are, looking depressed as he sits down again. The door opens again, Chigiri finally coming in.

"Finally, what took you so long?" You say, high fiving him as he came closer

"Some of us actually went in turns to enter, you know?" He answers with a smirk "Waiting for me?"

"Well, yeah, wanted to make sure you pass" you say, making him laugh, ruffling your hair

"So, a three man team? Should we wait for Isagi?" He asks, already teaming you together

"Isagi already went on with Bachira and Nagi"

"They left you here? They left us here? Those assholes"

"Right? But Nagi wanted to play with him, and honestly, if Nagi had ask me to join with him, i would leave behind too"

"Fair"

"So..do we wait for Kunigami or..?" He asks

"I have an idea…" you say, looking at Reo at your side. Chigiri follows your gaze, also looking at Reo before raising his eyebrow, a questioning look on his eyes "i would love Kunigami in our team, but realistically, we need someone that can help us bring the best of us, so…"

"I see" Chigiri pouts slightly, thinking "I'll trust you, I'm sure Kunigami will understand"

"Hey Reo" you call him, the boy looking up at you with a sad look "wanna team up with us?"

[sequincult]

Return of the Floyd Part 3

(part 1 can be read here) (part 2 can be read here) No matter how stressful the last day may have been the sun will always rise anew, a light dew rests gently upon each blade of grass in troll village. Floyd yawns and stretches as he steps out of the pod, some sleep and a quick bath had him feeling much better than yesterday. 

Though he’d half expected Poppy to be slamming on his door at 5am, oddly she’s nowhere to be seen.

“HIYA FLOYD!” Poppy appears behind Floyd, seemingly out of thin air.

“AAAAAA!!!????” Floyd shrieks in the highest region of his vocal register. “Where were you??”

“Oh you know, I might of hid in your pod and slept there in case you needed anything…” she coyly swings on her heels.

“What??” Floyd thought as he pondered how the hell he could have missed a neon pink troll hiding in his bedroom. “I guess I appreciate the concern?” He replies, careful not to offend her.

“OK Great! We better get going, I’ll lead the way! Oh and yeah, I brought you this.”

She hands Floyd a simple green glove.

“What for?”

“It’s to cover up your hand silly! If other trolls see you like that they might get nervous!”

“Oh. Right.” While he was away Floyd had forgotten how skittish pop trolls can be.

“Sorry if it’s not really your style…”

‘Not his style’ was something of an understatement, it didn’t match his jeans or his hair, but he knew he’d have to wear it just in case.

“It’ll do for now. Thanks.”

After slipping on the glove the pair make their way into the depths of the forest. There’s an uncomfortable quietness for the first ten minutes or so, neither of them know each other very well after all. Poppy hates the feeling of awkwardness crawling down her spine, so she tries to break the ice.

“So uh, hey Floyd? What was Branch like when he was younger?”

“Well… he was a very cute baby, and he loved wearing those ridiculous giant glasses John gave him.” he giggles. “As he got older he really liked to try and help us all out, even though he wasn’t physically able to most of the time. Being a baby and all. But him and I ended up very close, especially as Brozone started to fall apart…”

Poppy’s stride suddenly halts, as if the earth stopped moving and its weight fell entirely upon her feet.

“WAIT…You’re THE Floyd? BROZONE Floyd??” She begins hyperventilating, and if she shakes anymore she’d likely explode.

“Crap.” Floyd suddenly remembers that he’s actually talking to another troll and not just himself. “Oh haha yeah.. that’s me.” he forces his mouth into a somewhat disturbing grin. “The sensitive one…”

Poppy’s mind spins with endless thoughts. She LOVED Brozone… How did she not notice he was THAT Floyd. He has to be joking right? And anyway, there’s no way Branch could’ve been in a boyband! The thought of that alone was enough to break her out of her stupor.

“So that means Branch has FIVE brothers right? No, wait…. You said glasses” Her eyes sparkle as she puts the pieces together. “That must mean Branch was-“

“Bitty B?” Floyd interjects. “Haha! That was him alright… Though it’s-“ he sighs deeply. “It’s just hard to imagine. Seeing how he is now.” His mood turns dour, his steps a little more laboured. “Hey, could we maybe talk about something else? It’s kinda hard to think about what happened back then.”

“Oh! Sorry, sorry. I’ll try and think about something else” she replies, still noticeably vibrating with excitement.

After a few more minutes of silent walking, Poppy simply can’t hold in her curiosity any longer.

“So… do you have any photos of Branch when he was a baby?”

“POPPY.” Floyd turns to her and snarls. “What did I just say?” 

“ACK!!! Ohmygosh I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to it’s just… I was kind of a huge Brozone fan as a kid and that part of me is freaking out right now. I’m really sorry, I had no idea being in the band was so difficult for you.”

He immediately feels bad for yelling. It wasn’t like him to shout like that, and it’s not like she really knows anything about his relationship with his brothers.

“Look, I’m sorry for losing my temper. There’s no way you could have known how rough things got by the end, and after we broke up we all left and stayed silent about what happened.”

“Well, what did happen?”

He rolls his eyes for what feels like the hundredth time and smirks.

“You know, I think I’ve talked enough about my troubled past for one day, maybe some other time.”

“Well hey, thanks for saying what you have, It’s been cool getting to know you.”

Floyd can’t help but admit to himself that it’s nice to talk to someone about this stuff. His ex had hardly been much of a listener, and most Brozone fans just wanted to hear about obnoxious gossip and rumours. Poppy might be a little intense sometimes, but she’s probably the kindest troll he’s ever met.

After walking for what feels like forever, Poppy jumps and points excitedly.

“Hey Floyd look! We’re almost here!!”

“Really? But this looks like any other part of the forest we’ve walked through.” He squints as if doing so will reveal anything.

“Ahah! That’s where you’re wrong… You see, Branch’s bunker can be located by looking for one GIANT rock with three smaller rocks placed on it’s right hand side. Then you check that the plant to the left of the rock has five leaves. Branch always trims it down to five…”

“Wow, you sure know a lot about him.” He sighs, feeling guilty that someone he’d only met yesterday knows more about his brother than he does.

“Oh y’know just a little bit! Nothing much haha! So anyways… you go crouch in those bushes over there, and I’ll try and talk to him. He CANNOT know you’re here or he’ll probably freak out or something.”

“You’re probably right, I’ll go hide over here and try not to look like a complete weirdo.” he sasses before scurrying off into the trees.

Once Floyd is far enough away Poppy waltzes over to Branch’s bunker. She kneels down to the entrance and knocks as politely as she can muster (which is still pretty forceful).

“Hello, Branch? Good morning Branch! Are you awake? I need to talk to you about something.”

The small flap in the grass tilts up slightly to reveal his gloomy eyes and little more.

“Oh, Poppy. It’s you. Let me guess… You’re hosting yet another idiotic soiree and for some godforsaken reason you want me to come. Yeah, it’s a no.”

“Oh Branch. While I am planning on hosting an ‘idiotic soiree’, that’s actually not what I’m here for.” She responds with a slight smug air.

Branch lifts the flap up a little higher, curious. “So what are you here for then? Oh god, it’s about Floyd isn’t it.”

“NO! It’s not.” She frowns as Branch glares into her soul until she finally breaks.

“Okay! Okay! Yeah it’s about Floyd.”

“I knew it. He’s set you up to come beg and plead to me to be nice to him because he’s too much of a coward to do it himself. Typical… I haven’t needed him in my life for over a decade and that’s not gonna change.” His tone saddens slightly. “He only wants me to like him again so he can feel better about himself anyway.”

“That’s not true Branch! He really, really cares about you! Besides, this is more important than you and him getting along. Floyd is… well, effectively homeless and has nowhere to go. My dad’s letting him stay in one of the guest pods for now but he can’t live there forever! Please, let him stay with you.”

“Ha, not a chance. He left me alone, why should I help him? Why is it that I’m the one that always has to compromise.”

“But he didn’t leave you alone! Sure it was naive to think everything would be fine with your grandma but-“

“Don’t you dare use my grandma as way to guilt trip me in to letting Floyd stay here! He’s a grown man now. He can handle himself.” He turns and starts to lower himself back into the bunker. Poppy panics and tries to hold the entrance open with her foot.

“No, no, Branch! I wasn’t going to do that! I would never say anything like that to you! Please, just listen to me!”

“I’ve done enough listening thank you very much! Now, I think it’s time for you to GO.” His voice breaking into a shout.

“Branch! Listen!”

“Nope.”

“BRANCH!”

“NooOOoope!” He snarks in an utterly infuriating tone, putting as much stress as possible on the ‘p’ sound.

“GRRRR! FINE THEN! WAIT. HERE.” Poppy screams before she stomps off in a seemingly random direction. Branch is genuinely startled at her reaction, he’d never heard her shout like that. Or any other troll for that matter. He was glad she was gone though, otherwise she may have noticed him softly blushing. Yet before he can sneak his way back into his home, she’s returned. And with… Floyd?

“LOOK AT HIS HAND. NOW.” She grabs his arm and flings the glove from his palm, revealing its faded tone.

“SEE? FLOYD’S HAND TURNED GREY BEFORE HE RETURNED AND HE NEEDS YOUR HELP. OK???” Tears are starting to form in her eyes as Floyd glances awkwardly toward Branch, who has still barely processed his presence.

“I-I, why didn’t you just tell me he was here I…” 

“I guess I wrongly assumed you might actually listen to me. And after your argument yesterday neither of us thought it would be a good idea for both of us to talk. You can understand that, right?”

“I suppose…” he looks over at his brother, feeling a tinge of remorse. “Look, I’m likely a complete moron for saying this but.. come in. Both of you. BUT you can’t stay here, ok?” He concedes.

Poppy and Floyd nod gently at each other as they enter the elevator, ready to descend and unsure of what’s to come. Whatever happens, at least it’s progress.

[yikesharringrove]

ed steve being ghosted by billy and assuming it's bc of his body or weight

tw: eating disorder (anorexia) btw this is angst with happy ending

"So, um, yeah. Just call me back if you want to do something tomorrow night."

Steve hung up the phone, wiping his sweaty palm on the leg of his jeans.

He had had plans with Billy last night. Plans that, when Steve texted to confirm, never actually happened.

He had texted to see if Billy wanted to do something tonight.

No response.

Texted to say that he was free all weekend if Billy was available.

No response.

So, the phone call was his last-ditch effort.

He called Billy, said it's okay if he's too busy, but they could hang out tomorrow night. Steve's parents would be gone.

Usually, the promise of sex had Billy chomping at the bit to spend some time with Steve. Even if they weren't together they were mostly dating. Their hangouts didn't feel all that platonic, especially when they ended with serious make-out sessions, or with Billy spending the night in Steve's bed.

He bit at his nails, tossing his phone down on the bed next to him, flopping back to lie down.

He was trying not to overthink.

Billy is probably just busy. He's on the basketball team, and he's on the fucking Model U.N., and that stupid club (that Steve doesn't understand) eats up time like nothing else.

The bitchy voice in his head tells him that he's just too busy for Steve.

He's probably bored of him, anyway.

Steve really only has a handful of interesting things to say, and he tells the same stories again and again.

Plus, he's kinda gross.

He used to be good-looking, back when he was on the swim team and working out for hours every day.

He's not muscular anymore, he hasn't been in a while.

Once he quit sports, he was toeing the line of fat, and at least he isn't that anymore.

Well, he still is. Toeing the line, that is.

He's constantly trying not to put on more weight.

It's hard, when it seems that everything he eats goes right to his tummy, or his back, or his stupid stupid thighs.

He's been trying to keep everything under control.

He only eats once a day, if that, and he's been trying to skip when he can. He's been on an every-other-day eating streak for the past few days, and he's thinking, if Billy is so utterly disgusted by him, that he won't even respond, maybe he needs to widen that gap. See if he can go two days between.

The weight should stay off, and maybe, once he finally gets thin enough, maybe he can try again with Billy.

Once he's not quite so big, maybe he'll even let Billy fuck him with the lights on.

Or, maybe, Billy is simply done with him.

He's sick of Steve and his gross, ugly body, and ghosting him is the easiest way to do it. He doesn't have to even have to see Steve again. He can just go away and never have to look at him-

The window rattled, and Billy tumbled in unceremoniously, leaves in his hair and a cut on his cheek.

He grinned at Steve from the floor.

"Hey, Stevie."

"Billy, shit. What are you doing here?"

Steve sat up quickly, yanking the blanket over his legs, not wanting Billy to see him in such short shorts.

"My dad took my fucking phone. Something about breaking curfew, and I was super grounded last night, so I missed our date. He's fucking passed out by now, so, I thought I'd ninja my way in here."

He stood up, shaking the leaves out of his hair and dusting off his jeans.

Steve was still more than a little bit caught up on the missed our date part of what he'd said.

"Sorry? Date?"

Billy stared at him.

"Don't tell me you forgot. We were supposed to go to a movie yesterday."

"Yeah, I remember. I guess I just. I didn't know it was a date?"

And Billy, bless those big blue eyes of his, just kept staring at Steve.

And Steve was starting to feel a little squeamish about how much he was looking at him.

"Why wouldn't it be? I mean, did I just climb up that fucking stupid tree just to have you dump me, because that really-"

"No!" Steve said, wincing at how loud his voice was. "I just, I thought we were friends."

And then Billy's face went bright fucking red, and he looked down at his boots, probably getting dirt and mud on Steve's bedroom floor.

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry. I guess I misread, I mean. I'm sorry-"

Steve decided he'd have to throw caution to the wind here.

He tried to ignore the sight of his own legs, walking up to stand nearly toe-to-toe with Billy.

"I didn't think you liked me like that."

Billy looked back up at him, making quick eye contact before looking away again.

"I know what people say about me, but I don't just sleep with anyone."

"No, I mean I didn't think you liked me like that. I didn't think I was." Steve stopped himself. Now it was his turn to look away.

"What? Didn't think you were what?"

"Good enough," Steve breathed between them. "I'm not. You can do better."

Billy didn't say anything, and for one terrible moment, Steve thought he was going to agree. He was going to agree and leave the way he climbed in.

"Nah. Nothin' better than you."

Billy kissed him tenderly, and holy shit, how had Steve thought they were friends this whole time? Maybe he's a fucking idiot too-

"Stop thinking. Just let me kiss you, Baby."

It was easy to stop thinking while Billy kissed him. Because Billy kissed him like he was special.

Billy kissed Steve the same way Steve kissed Billy.

Like he loves him.

[dandelion-wings]

💗 or 💙: Jean / Kujou Sara

Thank you for the ask! :> This one got a little longer than a snippet (though it's still not exactly long) because I started thinking too much about setup instead of starting in medias res, and I only realized 500 words in when I was fully committed to the setup I had designed that I could have just used my existing "they get married" AU and skipped. literally all of that. Whoops. This is what I get for writing drunk, I guess. XD I hope you enjoy!

---

ETA: Now on AO3.

---

It's Jean's last night in Inazuma. This has been an illuminating trip; she's glad that the Grand Master sent her as his representative, even if she's afraid that she's accomplished very little of the diplomacy she was sent for. The Tri-Commission is too nervous about foreign contacts right now, always glancing over their shoulders at the great palace she was never invited within.

(When the Sakoku Decree is announced two years later, Jean won't be the least bit surprised.)

The Yashiro Commission has been hosting her, but it's the Tenryou Commission who provided her native guide for the trip. One officer to escort another, as a courtesy--and if Jean is sure the sharp-eyed, black-winged yokai woman has been watching her for misbehavior as well, she hasn't actually shown it at any point. Her polite courtesy has even lapsed, now and then, into brief flashes of intelligence and kindness beneath the poise.

Jean likes those fleeting moments. She likes the woman she sees in their midst. She even likes that they *are* brief flashes; she feels a certain sympathy every time the general closes off again, drawing herself up and recommitting to her duty. They're more similar than their nationalities might suggest, she likes to think.

She's seeing the woman beneath the general again now, a glimpse of her revealed by the heady rice wine that's being served in great quantities at this farewell feast. The Kanjou Commission is hosting it, finishing out the trifecta of courtesies to a foreigner they can't afford to snub as Jean can tell, by now, two of the three would like to, but the speeches are long over and the wine has been flowing for some time. No one seems to be paying any attention to General Kujou's relaxed pose and quiet smile except Jean.

It's all that Jean *can* pay attention to, with the wine flooding warm through her veins. It comes and goes, only there for a moment whenever Jean says something that she finds particularly charming, but every time it seems to last a little bit longer. She leans in close, perhaps too close, as she tries to bring another one forth.

"Do you remember the cat we saw yesterday morning?" she asks. "The orange one that was rolling on the roof of the bathouse in the sun, and rolled off into the water in front?"

General Kujou had *laughed* at that, a sound that had seemed startled out of her and that she'd cut off as soon as she'd heard herself laughing, but that had been bright and sweet in the air for a few seconds before she'd choked it down. She doesn't laugh now, but she smiles again, and doesn't shift her own weight or try to nudge Jean away.

"I do."

"I feel," Jean concludes, "much as that cat must have on the roof."

She means the way it had rolled in the sun, stretching out its paws, basking in the summer heat. But General Kujou seems to take it another way.

"Do you need some air?"

Jean would protest, except that General Kujou has put a hand on her back, solicitously, and if she refuses than she might take it away. Her face is hot. "That may be best."

The stumbling when she rises is real--maybe some of that heat in her cheeks *is* from the wine, and not just the general's touch--but it gives the general a reason to keep her hand at Jean's back, and so she can't be as embarrassed as she should. General Kujou keeps that hand there all the way outside, to a quiet balcony lit only by the stars and the distant city lights.

It looks out on a small courtyard, raked gravel paths crossing amid small, carefully-cultivated pockets of nature. Frogs sing in the tiny pond at its heart. Jean leans against the railing, looking out at the starlight glittering off the still water, and is pleased when the general, after a moment's hesitation, puts her hands on the railing beside her.

The wine flushing her skin must be what makes her so bold. "I won't be sorry to return home to my duties," she tells the general, "but I will be sorry to say goodbye to you."

"I will, too," the general says after a moment's pause. "It was a pleasure to serve as your escort. I enjoyed our conversations, and it was rewarding to share Inazuma's martial philosophies with you. I'll keep your insights in mind as I pursue my own accomplishments going forward."

Her voice is brisk, professional, the tones of the general rather than the woman--but Jean could swear she'd felt something in that pause, seen a flicker out of the corner of her eye. She turns to look more closely at the general's profile, shadowed and serene beneath the cover of the porch.

"Not only my insights on philosophy, I hope," she whispers.

General Kujou turns to meet her eyes, and there it is--the woman beneath them, something wistful and lonely in her gaze, something that resonates perfectly with the hollow ache buried deep in Jean's heart.

"Not only that."

Jean leans in slowly, their eyes still locked, waiting, watching, to see if that echoed ache rings as keenly in the general's breast as it does in hers. A moment of hesitation; then General Kujou leans in to meet her. Her lips are soft beneath Jean's own.

She lets Jean lead the kiss, a little tentative; it takes Jean a moment to realize that she isn't actually sure what she's doing. Jean grows a little more demonstrative, hand rising to cup the back of the general's head to guide her. General Kujou is, unsurprisingly, a quick learner, but even once she catches on she lets Jean set the pace, lets her drag it out, enjoying the necessarily fleeting contact without rushing towards its inevitable end. Jean takes her time, tasting the lingering traces of rice wine in General Kujou's mouth, stroking her sun-roughened skin, reaching up to stroke her soft, glossy feathers as those black wings fold around them both.

Eventually General Kujou grows bold enough to fold her arms around Jean, as well, pressing her against the railing, and her wings close to hide them from the view of anyone but the frogs in the pond. The frogs sing on, uncaring, their voices masking any other sound.

[mermaidfanficlibrary]

GOOOD MORNING NIGHT CITY! | Cyberpunk Edgerunners x Male Reader

This is also on my Wattpad and Quotev! Enjoy!

Description: My Final Destination

Chapter 1: GOOOD MORNING NIGHT CITY! | You are Here

Chapter 2: Yesterday's body count lottery rounded out to a solid 'n' sturdy thirty! | TBW

Chapter 3: Ten outta Heywood - thanks to the unabated gang wars! | TBW

Chapter 4: One officer down, so I guess you are all screwed. | TBW

Chapter 5: 'Cause the NCPD will not let that go. | TBW

Chapter 6: Got another blackout in Santo Domingo. | TBW

Chapter 7: Netrunners are at it again, pokin' holes in the power grid. | TBW

Chapter 8: In Westbrook, Trauma Team's scrapin' cyberpsycho victims off the pavement. | TBW

Chapter 9: And in Pacifica... Well... Pacifica is still Pacifica. | TBW

Chapter 10: This has been your man, Stan. Join me in another day in our City of Dreams! | TBW

Chapter 11: Cause I really Wanna Stay at Your House | TBW

Night city. Colorful. Neon lights everywhere you looked. But that's not what makes Night City. Not by a long shot. What makes it, are the people. 

Everyone around knows the hardships and the importance of a group. Be it a gang or friends. Doesn't matter. Find your found family and your set. 

Another thing that Night City is known for is its chromed out citizens. It's not for everyone, but those that can handle the consequences get all kinds of body mods. From new eyes to even iron lungs. This isn't for the faint-hearted. 

Especially the cyber psychos that show the dangers of what it does to your body. No one wants to die like that, but they do. Either from police, trauma team, or themselves. 

Night City also houses many legends amongst its streets. Legends that give hope for a better life. One without the slums and the corpo assholes that control everything. Everyone wants a taste of that high life.

But that high life doesn’t sit well once you have it. Legends have to die at some point. That’s how they become legends. Remembered forever amongst the next generation until another rises up and makes a bigger name. 

Among those very streets was a boy. He wasn't new to the troubles in the city. They were very clear to him. Didn't help with his background.

Corpo kid, Arasaka Academy Prodigy now drop out. There was a story. A story lost to the guns and crimes. Crimes he needed to commit to live. To survive.

No one could pry out his past from his lips. It was one of those open secrets. Details, not something anyone cared about. As long as you showed and completed your share of work, no one asked. 

He didn't mind. Made it easier to hide. Easier to run. Especially made it easier to work.

Being a merc was freeing. You were respected, feared even but there was power in it. Power that everyone craved. And he ran with the best. 

Edgerunners. Maine, Dorio, Sasha, Pilar, Rebecca, and Falco. The origins of them anyway. 

After a mission gone wrong, or rather a change of targets, Sasha died. Was it a noble death? Well the news she leaked was everywhere the next day, so maybe. 

Didn't make the hurt go away. Not for Y/n.

That's right. The aforementioned boy. His name was Y/n. But names don't matter. Most called him N/n anyway. Better handle. Didn't have the weight of the memories. 

Back to the edgerunners. Kiwi replaced Sasha. She was a good net runner, nothing compared to Y/n though. Rarely did he ever do runs but when he did, flawless didn't begin to cut it. 

Never does net running much. Reminds him too much of a past that he wanted to escape. That’s why he chose to be with Maine. Was like a father to him. Better than his actual dad. The edgerunners were a better family to him overall. 

His past is blurry to most, likes to keep it that way. No one in night city needs to know about it. Needs to know of his corpo connections and give him shit for it. That was. Until Kiwi brought Lucy

Lucy was Y/n’s saving grace. For some reason and miraculous luck, Y/n became Lucy’s best friend. Much like a lapdog to Lucy. It was an even more shock that she didn’t push him away. 

She knew Y/n way before. His records were in the Arasaka archives. Part of their big experiment to make the perfect weapon of net runner and muscle. Who else could take on the old net? Project was a bust though when Y/n ran away. Away from the pain and abuse that the person who was supposed to love him the most inflicted. 

Y/n decided to live with Lucy. Maine thought it was a good way to keep an eye on the newbie and gave Y/n a friend around his age. Thinking like a father. A father who cared. 

Over time Y/n and Lucy became like siblings. Opening up to each other was a huge feat in itself. In a place like Night City, that kind of trust is rare. Not like the other would spill it. Similar situations. Similar Traumas. Similar people being after them.  

That’s when the two started going on missions together. Y/n being the stubborn ass he is refused to ever go on missions alone. Not unless Lucy was there with him. The codependency. 

“God damn it Y/n! Why do you need Lucy for everything? Before she came you were independent. What changed?”

Maine only ever asked once. He regretted it. Never once did he see Y/n break down like he did after Maine yelled at him. He didn’t apologize though. It needed to be said. 

“I… I need her okay? Things are different now. She’s like me…”

Maine only sighed. Desperation. Rare, especially in a boy like Y/n. He understood though. Nothing more was said. Only a pat on a head and silence. 

Y/n never stopped being clingy with Lucy, but it got better. Just a tad. Y/n was able to go on his own missions. Though it was out of fear of disappointing everyone else. He couldn’t handle that. He couldn’t handle their rejection. 

A year was all it took for Y/n and Lucy to become inseparable. It was concerning how connected the two became. You don’t get that kind of connection here. Not without tragedy. 

“I want to go to the moon.”

Lucy shared one night. The two were on a roof together. Artificial pizza was placed between them. 

“The moon? Why? There’s not much up there.” 

Lucy didn’t respond. She couldn’t explain it to him. She couldn’t tell Y/n how she wanted to leave. It would break his heart. But what are broken hearts if your dreams get shattered? Emotions were useless in this world. Being soft gets you nowhere. 

“Come with me.”

A compromise. If she couldn’t tell him why then at least she can show him. She can take him with her. Protecting him from Night City and everyone else around them. Only a pipe dream.

“Huh?”

Y/n was more than caught off guard by the sudden invitation. Was it even one? By the sounds of it, it sounded more like desperation. Lucy never showed desperation 

“When we get enough, come to the moon with me.”

The thought further intrigued Y/n. He didn't understand this need. Was Lucy telling him she wanted him? She willingly wanted him around?

“Okay. I make it my promise! We’ll go to the moon together! You can show me what’s so great about it!”

Lucy could only let out a light hearted scoff at Y/n's softness. This boy. He didn't know much about the world. How could he when he was so sheltered?

“I could show you now.”

“Really!?”

That excitement. Something that Lucy never could get used to. Y/n was a rare individual. Someone who showed his rare and raw emotions. 

“Yeah you gonk. BDs remember?” 

That night, the moment the two of them got home, they spent hours on the special moon BD Lucy had. It was amazing. Seeing something different, a place where corpos didn’t rule yet was refreshing. Going around the craters and the moon buggy, all of it was hope inducing. A world where no one can control you. 

As the year went on, Lucy and Y/n only ever became closer. The sibling duo among the group, apart from Pilar and Rebecca. Nothing could bring Y/n away from Lucy. Maine joked about him being Lucy’s guard dog. Whenever Pilar was weird with Lucy, Y/n was right behind, biting and clawing at the guy. 

Had to have the others break up the fight before Y/n actually killed Pilar. Rebecca couldn’t help laughing at her older brother’s demise. Deserved it anyway. Not shortly after did the group go to Afterlife for some drinks.  Lucy took this chance of inebriation to speak with Y/n privately.

“Why did you do that?”

“Do what?” Lucy’s threshold for annoyances was being pushed. Either Y/n was playing dumb or drank too much to even think properly. Either way she needed a clear answer. 

“Attack Pilar.”

“He was making you uncomfortable.”

“I could have taken care of it myself.”

Lucy huffed out a breath. She didn’t like being treated like she was helpless. Whether Y/n meant it or not, it was really troublesome and irritating. He hovered over her. She didn’t quite understand why. 

“I know…”

“Then why?”

The pause. It was deafening despite the music playing around them. 

“I… You’re so amazing and you gave me so much even with knowing me for a short time. You’re like my family Lucy. More so than Maine and Dorio and everyone else. You’re my sister. Someone who knows my struggles on a personal level. I owe you so much. I want to protect you.”

Eyes widened at the admission. God Y/n really was an idiot. 

“You don’t have to repay me for anything.”

“I do though.”

“You don’t!”

It was a cycle of ‘I dos’ and ‘don’ts’ until Y/n started to tear up. God did Lucy make him feel so vulnerable. ‘

“I do! Because if I don’t I’ll turn around and you won't be there anymore. One day I’ll wake up and you won’t be there. You don’t realize how much I need you in my life! I have no one else!”

Guilt. The god damn guilt. Y/n’s tears fought hard not to be released but it was a war lost. Gleaming droplets cascaded down Y/n’s cheeks, making the boy look like a child. No one could ever stay mad at him.

In this moment of vulnerability, Lucy wrapped her arms around Y/n. She decided against speaking. No more words needed to be shared. Y/n didn’t need to be upset further. Only Lucy saw these tears. Weakness didn’t need to be shared with peering eyes. 

A few more instances happen where Y/n went feral when something happened to Lucy. No one could ever stop him and neither did they really care. As long as the job got done then why did it matter?

It did help with disputes and fights. Y/n being the main muscle with Maine. Taking care of all the fist related business together. Now, no one was lacking in muscle within the crew but Y/n almost had Maine beat with the power of his punch. 

A few more months passed. Time never mastered though. Both Lucy and Y/n were out and about. They ended up in Corpo Plaza. A place Y/n never liked, not just because of the name but because of the people around and the worst building that stood tall. Arasaka Tower. If capitalism could be personified, it would be Arasaka Tower. 

The two had planned to do some odd jobs around the area, maybe pick some sockets or something. Anything to keep them busy and make money. Y/n stood with Lucy while she smoked. He never participated in it himself. The habit reminded him too much of someone. But when Lucy did it, he couldn’t help but want to be around. 

While Y/n’s eyes watched the smoke plume around the already suffocating atmosphere, he couldn’t help but see how much Lucy stood out. Compared to everyone else around them, Lucy could be seen from everywhere. It was the hair. 

Y/n blinked a few times. He thought he was tripping but he didn’t remember taking anything before. Lucy's hair sparkled. What was this?

He wasn’t the only one who noticed. 

Y/n’s eyes trailed over and noticed a boy looking at the back of Y/n’s head. He looked familiar. Y/n was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the voice that soothed him over and over. 

“What are you staring at?”

Y/n froze. Lips nursing as if he was caught doing something wrong. What made it more anxiety inducing was Lucy didn’t even look at Y/n. 

“Nothing. Thought I saw something.”

“You're a bad liar, Y/n.”

Y/n didn’t respond. He just glanced over to see the boy that had been staring was gone. 

“What are we doing here anyway?”

“We have a job to do. Maine wanted us to keep busy.”

Y/n the ever obedient personification of a puppy nodded along and followed Lucy. Doing everything he was told. An old habit. A habit hated himself for. He hated him for. 

The day was spent with the two of them working to bring in eddies. That night had a full moon, which led to Y/n dragging Lucy to the badlands to watch the moon. It was calm and quiet. Something that could be seen as off putting, but it wasn’t.

It was… nice.

“Why’d you bring me here?” “Wanted to look at the moon with you. It’s clearer out here. I found this spot when I was driving around with Maine.”

Lucy felt so happy that Y/n took her fascination with the moon seriously. Many would think it was stupid to want to go somewhere that failed. But it wasn’t that to Lcuy, and it certainly wasn’t to Y/n. 

Y/n would defend Lucy’s dreams till the day he died. And even then he would keep defending her. 

No more words were exchanged. Only silence and the distant sounds of cars every now and then on the dirt road.  Moments like these under the moonlight were never taken for granted. 

Here was where Y/n belonged. His purpose. His family.

Do not repost or translate without my explicit permission! Reblogs are welcome!

[zippiestdraws]

Choking Curiosity Ch 18

Michael Myers x ftm reader

Read on ao3

Laurie picks up on the last ring sounding out of breath.

You frown towards the phone. “You good?”

“Yeah, I just had to run up the stairs to reach the phone.” She breathes out. “So, you want to talk about yesterday?”

It’s less of a question and more of an expectancy with a verbal cringe.

“Mhm” you grimace, remembering. “Was he always like that? Because I can’t imagine you wanted to work with someone so…”

You blank on the descriptor. Perky. Flirtatious. Touchy.

“-Pushy.”

You can hear Laurie’s twitch over the phone “Ugh, He wasn’t like that when we met. He actually sounded smart, like an investigative reporter, ya know?”

“Yeah, I didn’t think you’d send him over if he was creepy.”

“What do you mean?”

“He came over while I was decorating outside a couple days ago and said you sent him, for like, an interview and stuff.” You gently remind her.

“I didn’t do that.” Her tone was grim, but your brain quickly rationalizes it for you.

“Well, it’s not like he couldn’tve just found the house on his own after talking to you, so it’s not that bad.” It wasn’t great either, but it’s easy to accept.

There’s a pause before Laurie responds.

“Hmm, maybe, but I still don’t like how he treats this like a game.”

You open your mouth to reply but she cuts you off in a fury.

“-use you as bait? Is he crazy?-”

“-Yeah, I didn’t like that very much. I mean, how does he expect me to-” you interject but then look around and speak softer like someone might hear. “Get a picture with his mask off?”

“Exactly. The shape wouldn’t take its mask off if it was on fire.” She sounded annoyed and angry, so you’re glad she couldn’t see the reaction on your face.

You draw a blank on what you were going to say next as the weight of her words hit you. The image of Michael’s face under the mask floats into your mind followed by a seeping guilt. The heat of attraction and shame burns across your cheeks as you spit something out to keep the conversation flowing.

“Do you- do you think we could pull it off?”, before you even finish your sentence you’re shaking your head and clarifying yourself with a stutter. “I mean, like physically take it- the mask- off, but I guess it could be the same thing if we could get away with it at all? anyway…”.

“Geez, you need to take a breath. But…I know how you feel. How scary the idea of seeing him again is after what he’s done to you.” Her jesting tone softening with empathy.

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” The resoluteness of her statement is jarring, and you agree almost too quickly.

“I know. I mean- I trust you and I could always get a taser, so…” you end with an awkward laugh.

You already know that you aren’t in any danger. Or at least much danger.

Laurie makes a disapproving noise at your confidence but doesn’t say anything further. You suspect that she wants to quip about a taser not working against the shape, but holding back so as not to scare you. Thinking back, if he can stop a bat with his bare hands and survive gunshot wounds, you don’t think a taser would stop him either.

You have to excuse yourself to get ready for work later, but with a promise to get together at some point. Just the two of you, no Jed.

Your hands pull at your hair. It sucks to have to deceive Laurie, but now it feels like betraying Michael. Talk about a rock and a hard place.

He wouldn’t take his mask off if he was on fire. But he took it off for you.

Your shift ends after the library closes, but you put the books you borrowed in your bag to return through the book drop. Michael’s room is a mess and you find the one you gave him underneath the blankets where he sleeps, luckily not too worse for wear.

He isn’t home, so you don’t know how he’d react to you touching his things, but a small fantasy plays in the back of your head as you step out the door to work.

You can’t help it- living together is intimate and every so often your mind will wander to that tight black t-shirt and soft pink lips. And your hands will wander when you hear Michael’s soft groans under the shower spray…

The nippy weather is enough of an excuse to shield your flushed face with your hands by the time you arrive for work.

***

A steady stream of shoppers keeps you and Quentin pinned to the registers while Dwight makes the rounds and maintains stock. By the looks of it, Halloween is still on, considering nearly every customer has snagged one of the bulk candy packs from the sale section.

Out of the corner of your eye you see a child run towards the candy aisle.

“Oh-hey no running!-'' your words don’t land. You, Quentin, and the child’s parent watch as the child runs gracelessly into the M&M's display. The child hits the ground first, followed by the crash of cardboard and chocolate 3 long seconds later. After the kid notices everyone watching, they begin to cry.

Dwight, appearing at the other end of the aisle, simply sighs and heads toward the broom closet.

Finishing the last transaction at your checkout and flipping your light off, you nod to Quentin-the two of you have an almost nonverbal understanding at this point- and start performing first aid on the cardboard M&M man.

Dwight returns with a broom and dustpan and scoops a split bag of loose candy into it, before stacking up the intact ones to pile onto a spare shelf.

As you work, Dwight looks in your direction once before making some conversation.

“Oh, by the way, you left early from the cookout…”, he states rather neutrally.

You sweat, it had just seemed like time enough had passed that it wouldn’t be brought up.

“yeah, sorry about that, I was a little nervous to drive home after it got dark. I got lost a couple times trying to find the place.” you’re glad he isn’t looking you in the eyes. Had he seen?

“No wait, sorry, I mean-”, he apologizes in return, “I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad, I was going to ask cuz you missed it, David wants to throw a halloween party. Do you want to come?” Dwight stands and wipes his hands on his kakis.

You chuckle in relief, thinking of David, “you didn’t seem like the halloween type, but I’d love to. Where and when?” Laurie’s plan flashes in your mind after you reply, so you quickly tack on that you can’t make it on the 31st.

“I’m not! I had to have David promise not to jump out at me.” he looks exasperated. “Same place, on the 30th. Don’t worry, I have to work until six on Halloween, so I’m not going out either.”

He promises to tell you the time for it when he figures it out himself, and you head back up to the registers.

You stop, confused for a moment, when you see that there isn’t anyone up there. More specifically, Quentin isn’t at the register, but there’s only one person who seems to be waiting.

“Sorry about that, I hope we didn’t keep you wait-”

Brown curls, square glasses, beanie, smug looking face.

“Hmm~ hey (Y/n), fancy meeting you here.” Jed looks at you like you were exactly what he was waiting for.

“Yeah, hi…”, you log into the register to look anywhere but him, “I didn’t know you lived in the area.”

“Oh you know, I just had to pick up some stuff to get ready for the holiday, that’s all.” You look at his items. Bulk assorted candy, duct tape, trash bags, bleach. You swallow thickly.

“Now that I have you, is there any chance you’ve had a change of heart? I know you probably think you’re safe, but you never know what could happen.” He leans on the counter with his forearms and looks up at you with a pout as you finish the transaction. “I’m here to help you, (Y/n), but you act like you have some huge secret you’re keeping.”

You’re thankful that another customer enters your line and you don’t have much room for more than a ‘see you later’.

You finish your shift with a cold anxiety in the pit of your stomach and don’t look at Quentin whenever he returns.

*** Hugging your jacket close and looking behind you often, home doesn’t run up to greet you as fast as it should. Crossing the threshold suddenly drops the exhaustion of the day on your shoulders and you trudge up the stairs, wanting out of your work clothes an hour ago.

It takes a second to register in your brain, the sight of your bedroom door wide open with Michael in the middle of the room. Caught red handed (though, not literally) with his hands in your underwear drawer.

[schrijverr]

Empty Threats Carry Real Weight

Amanda Waller told Oliver she put a bomb in him. Now she is calling on him to do a mission or she’ll explode his head. When Oliver tells Felicity about it, she isn’t going to let him, wanting to find a solution so Waller doesn’t have that leverage over him anymore. In doing that, she learns that there never was a bomb in his head. What is supposed to be good news, causes a break down, leaving Felicity to comfort him.

On AO3.

Ships: none

Warnings: minor food issues mention

~~~

Felicity enters the Arrow Cave like she always does. Today she had a slow day at work and yesterday their nightly activities had been uneventful and successful. She feels rested and is ready for another night of looking out for Oliver and Diggle as they’re in the field.

She didn’t see Oliver’s car, but the light is on, so she assumes Diggle is getting them food while Oliver is working out or tinkering with his gear. With that expectation in mind, she is about to call out a greeting, until she actually spots Oliver.

He isn’t doing push ups somewhere or sharpening arrows in the corner, instead he’s sitting on a chair – her chair – head resting in his hands, shoulder slumped. He looks defeated. It’s a look that is so foreign on him that it takes her a few seconds to identify, but once she does her heart rate skyrockets as she tries to imagine what could have happened.

“Oliver?” she greets tentatively, not wanting to spook him. “Did something happen?”

At the sound of her voice, he snaps upright and makes his face do that blank no emotions thing that she hates. She hates it even more when his eyes tell her he’s upset, while he pretends there is nothing going on. “Felicity. Scan the chatter for some targets,” he tells her as he gets out of her chair so she can get to work.

Cautiously she approaches him. He doesn’t like people close when he’s upset, but he is also pretending to not be upset. She isn’t going to play along with that, but is still conscious of it. “Do you need to punch out your frustration? Is it that kind of upset?”

“I’m not upset,” he scowls forcefully, as if him saying it with enough conviction will make it true.

“Oliver.” She levels him with a look.

He glares right back.

Her gaze softens slightly and she reaches out to squeeze his bicep. “Hey, you can talk to me. We’re a team, remember? I’m on your side.”

Reluctantly she sees him give in. He clearly doesn’t want to, not really, but it’s also killing him to keep it inside and she has pushed the right buttons for him to give her something at least. “Waller wants me to do a job for her.”

“Waller as in Amanda Waller, director of A.R.G.U.S., kind of evil but for the good of all, that Waller?” she asks. “Like, I get ends justify means and all that, but she takes it to an extreme. I know I shouldn’t snoop, but some of the things she does…” she shudders. “She gives me the creeps.”

Oliver gives a curt nod. “Yes, that Waller.”

“What kind of job does she want you to do?” she asks.

She doesn’t get an answer, but Oliver’s shoulders tighten in response. It’s his ‘I’m a monster, who did evil things and that makes me irredeemable’-stance. So she can make a guess.

“Did you tell her where to shove it?” she asks indignant on his behalf. “I mean, who does she think she is? She can’t just make a house call and expect you to drop everything. You don’t work for her and if you don’t want to do what she says, you don’t have to. The audacity of some people.”

Oliver’s lips quirk up slightly at her anger, but that expression leaves before it can take off. “I technically do work for her,” he points out.

This is news to Felicity, who frowns: “Since when?” She sees his expression and huffs: “Really? What didn’t happen to you in those years? How did you even end up working for her? And you quit right, you didn’t come back here a secret agent? Or did you? Is the whole Arrow, Hood thing a secret government assignment? Because I did not sign up to work for A.R.G.U.S. or Waller.”

“It’s not a government assignment. I stopped working for her a year before I returned, but I’m still listed as a reserve agent, I think,” Oliver says. “But even if I wasn’t, she still has leverage. I can’t just say no.”

There are a million questions she wants to ask about Oliver working for A.R.G.U.S. apparently, however, Oliver is upset about this mission. A mission for Waller. A mission he doesn’t want to do. A mission she can leverage him into. Which brings up a hundred more questions, but she needs to focus on the practical right now.

She plops down in her chair and turns to her monitors with determination. “Tell me the leverage she has.”

“What?”

“Oh come on, I’ve not only witnessed you embarrass yourself a bunch of times already, I’m also kind of an accomplice in some of the people you’ve killed,” she says. “Whatever leverage she has on you, I’m sure that with my tech skill and your punchy-punch, we can nullify it and then you don’t have to do that stupid mission of hers.”

Oliver gives her an assessing look. Normally she’d be offended that he doesn’t trust her skills or her enough to know that she can help. However, it’s obviously sensitive for him, so she lets it go this once.

However, when the silence drags on, she prompts: “Lay it on me.” Her eyes grow wide. “And by it, I mean whatever dirt Waller has on you, not, like, anything weird. Not that I think you’d think I meant anything weird. It wasn’t even that weird, I made it weird. I always make it weird. So why don’t you tell me what Waller has and put us both out of our misery.”

“She implanted a bomb in my neck and will blow up my head if I don’t do as asked.”

“What?” Felicity squeaks.

“Waller, she had a bomb implanted when I worked for her. She never took it out and if I don’t do this, she’ll press a button and kill me,” Oliver clarifies as if Felicity truly didn’t understand what he said instead of being shocked about it.

“Oliver, excuse my language, but what the fuck,” Felicity says. “You’ve been walking around with a bomb in your head? For years?”

He nods short and sharp. Okay, he probably doesn’t need her to tell her how fucked up that it, he is literally being threatened into doing something he doesn’t want to. He is already upset.

“Alright,” she turns her focus to her computers fully, starting up a hack into the A.R.G.U.S. employee database. “Maybe we can take it out if we know where it is, or create a way to disarm it with the blueprints. Once it’s gone, no more leverage.”

“You can do that?” he asks, sounding surprisingly hopeful and vulnerable.

“I can most certainly try,” she answers, putting as much determination in her voice. He needs her to do this for him. It’s the closest to actually asking for help he has ever gotten and she refuses to disappoint.

He actually pulls up a chair next to her, so he can watch what she’s doing. He can hover, but usually punches things until she calls out she has something. The fact that he deviates from the norm now, reinforces how important this is to him and she hacks a little faster.

She is reminded of the Dodger case, back when she first joined the team. How terrifying it had been to be so at the mercy for someone. She tries to imagine what it must be like to have to learn to live with someone having that power over you when it lasts for years, wonders what Oliver might have done to keep his head. Literally.

Felicity gets through the firewalls, accessing the file. There is a section dedicated to all the missions Oliver has done for A.R.G.U.S., now is not the time and looking would be an invasion of privacy, but she can’t help but mentally note it down for if her curiosity gets too bad, before she moves down to the medical section of the report.

Her eyes scan the page, unable to stop picking up pieces of information Oliver would hate that she has. Even though she can’t help it, she is just trying to find the right information.

Still, her suspicions that Oliver has PTSD are confirmed and she really needs to research that better to support him. She also learns that most of his scars by the time he joined up with A.R.G.U.S. were the result of torture, which his time there only added to. However, there is no notice of the bomb, which makes her frown.

Maybe they don’t count it as medical information, she thinks, scanning a bit more, as she asks: “Do you know what date they implanted it?”

Oliver gives her questioning look, but answers her anyway. “August 31st 2009.”

She wonders how he must know the exact date and imagines all sorts of horrible reasons, but doesn’t ask as she goes to check the notes made around the date. Her heart breaks slightly when she reads about it being his ninth escape attempt in five months. He must have been so desperate to escape, to get out of there, before his hand was forced.

Then her eye falls on a bit of information that changes everything. “There was no bomb.”

“What?” Oliver asks.

“Waller didn’t put a bomb in your head. She’d been experimenting with it, but the technology wasn’t ready yet, so she just said she did, but never followed through,” Felicity says as she reads more. It’s not great that Oliver did things for her then because of it, but it is good news for them now.

“Isn’t that great news, Oliver? She doesn’t have any leverage,” she turns to Oliver with a smile face falling when she actually sees him. Concerned she asks: “Oliver?”

Oliver is crying. She has never seen him cry, even when being really badly hurt or processing heavy emotional things, he has never cried. Sure, he’s had tears in his eyes, but he never let them fall. A part of her had always thought he forgot how. Maybe that assessment wasn’t too far off. He isn’t truly crying-crying, just tears leaking down his face as he stares off into space with an uncomprehending look on his face.

Felicity feels very out of her depth. She doesn’t want to startle him by touching him, but no words come to mind to comfort him. She doesn’t even know why he’s crying. It doesn’t look to be tears of relief, but a deep, shocked sadness.

“I- I could’ve been home,” is what he whispers finally, his voice sounding as if it comes from very far way.

Her mind runs a hundred miles a minute as she tries to figure out what that means and how it connects to the bomb.

Before she can, Oliver elaborates, still talking in that disconnected voice. “I was on a mission for her in Starling. I didn’t- I didn’t want to anymore. I was home. I was in my living room. I was right there.”

She can’t help but gasp in horror at that. Not only had Waller forced him to work for her, she had taken him back home. She had taken him here and he couldn’t leave – he hadn’t left – all over a threat that was never real to begin with.

Oliver sniffles, a tiny sound that’s combined with an intake of breath, but so very far removed from what she is used to from him. She wants to reach out again, thinking that this version of Oliver, the one that is fragile instead of wound up tightly, might welcome it more. But still she hesitates.

“I could have stayed, I only left, be- because I didn’t want T- Thea to find me there with my- my head blown- blown off in our living room. Didn’t want m- mom to- to see that. Or for Raisa to ha- have to clean-” Oliver stops his broken voiced confession, more tears streaming down his cheek.

Felicity decides to throw caution in the wind and gets out of her chair to hug him. She pulls his head to rest against her stomach as she cards her hands through his hair, holding him tight.

He tenses at first and she wonders if she made a terrible mistake, but then he slumps against her. His shoulder start shaking first, before his hands come up to clutch the fabric of the back of her dress as small gasps escape him.

It’s a surreal experience to hold Oliver Queen as he figures out what it is like to cry again. To be allowed to hold him together as he falls apart.

She just holds him the best she can, letting him cry in her arms as he hides his face from the rest of the world. If she has to guess, he is crying for a lot more than just this. She herself is fighting her own tears for the person Oliver could’ve been if he’d been spared two years of hell, if he had been able to hold his family again, if he had never met Amanda Waller.

Oliver cries for a long time and she hopes he’ll cry for as long as he needs and that he’ll feel a bit better once he’s let it out. That this experience can have a little bit of catharsis despite the pain.

He is still crying when the door to their base opens. The only person it can be is Diggle and Felicity hopes she can wave him away without Oliver noticing, however, it’s too late. She feels him tense under her again and is just waiting for him to pull back and disappear into the shadows to repress and brood until he feels like facing them again.

That doesn’t happen, instead he takes a shuddering breath, before holding it, burrowing his face further into her stomach. He is hiding, she realizes. He doesn’t want to face Diggle right now and is hiding with her. He has opened himself up and can’t close himself back up, so he has chosen her as a safe space and is hiding with her.

It feels like a huge honor, like a street cat deciding to trust you after being abused. She doesn’t know if she is ready for that trust, but she isn’t going to let him down, especially when the strain of hiding causes him to tremble.

Diggle has paused on the stairs, looking at the two of them in confusion. When she looks at him, he cautiously takes another step down the stairs, asking: “What’s happening?”

“Upsetting news,” Felicity settles on saying. “I think we’ll take the night off.”

“Can I do something to help?” Diggle asks, because he is a good friend and she is so grateful to have him in their corner. He might act disapproving sometimes, but he is always ready to back them up, to have their backs and punch who needs punching.

“Not unless you can go back in time and smother Amanda Waller in the crib,” she replies with a small smile.

Diggle must have a little more information than she’d had either about those years or about Amanda Waller as a person, because he nods in understanding and gives Oliver a sympathetic look. “I’ll leave the food here then. Call me if you need anything.”

“We will,” she promises. “Thank you.”

“Course,” he replies, putting the bag of food down, before leaving again, taking care not to slam the door.

Oliver relaxes the second he hears the door, taking a few gasping breaths. He doesn’t go back to near sobbing as he had been before, but she can feel how more tears leak out, joining the others that are soaking her dress.

After a bit it becomes clear to her that he is attempting to pull himself back together again, even if he isn’t ready.

His hands keep convulsing, as if he is trying to let go, but can’t bring himself to complete the action. He is also taking measuring breaths, interspersed with small sobs. His head presses against her stomach harder as if he thinks the force can keep the tears in.

Diggle coming by probably made him aware of what was happening and her heart breaks over the fact that he can’t allow himself to have this. How he always closes himself off.

She starts carding her hands through his hair again, raking her fingers over his scalp as she murmurs: “It’s okay, Oliver. You can let it out. I’m here. I won’t judge. You can cry.” She hadn’t dared to speak before, but with the moment already broken she figures he needs assurance more than space.

Oliver shakes his head against her stomach, but doesn’t say anything, probably scared his voice will break again.

“No?” she asks.

He shakes his head again.

“Oh, Oliver,” she sighs. There are no words for this moment, but she tries anyway. “I- I don’t know what to say to make this better. Nothing can probably make this better. But this? You crying? That is good. You can’t keep this in forever. And I want to be here for you. So, I won’t look if you don’t want me to, I’ll be quiet, but I’m not leaving and I’m not letting you pull away, okay? I am here for you. Let me be here for you.”

At that, he sniffles again, swallowing convulsively, before he breaks again. Tears start up and this time his near sobs, become real sobs. They’re loud and ugly and heart wrenching. Oliver isn’t getting enough air, but he can’t stop either as everything comes pouring out.

Felicity can’t do anything but hold him, rocking them back and forth slightly as her hands play with his hair more, hoping that it’s soothing. Despite it being against her nature, she doesn’t say anything and doesn’t look down, just existing as a comfort item and nothing more.

She doesn’t know how long he cries for, but she knows her feet hurt slightly from standing and the food is probably cold.

When he finally peters off, it’s due to exhaustion. His body physically can’t keep up with the crying anymore, so the tears dry up into dry sobs, before those turn into quiet weeping. Tiredly, he leans his head against her, fingers loosening until they’re barely holding on.

Patiently, she waits until the weeping turns into slow breaths. Then she tentatively asks: “Oliver?”

He doesn’t respond with works, but hums in acknowledgment.

“I’m going to get you something to drink, is that okay?” she asks. “You need to hydrate yourself, eat a little too. Cold Big Belly Burger isn’t as good as hot Big Belly Burger, but honestly, who would say no to Big Belly Burger regardless of temperature?”

She can’t see it, but she likes to think that it’s a small quirk of his lips she feels. However, whatever his reaction, he remains quiet.

“Can you… Can you talk?” she feels the need to inquire, worried about the lack of verbal responses.

Oliver tenses again and she wants to kick herself. Then she can feel him forcefully relax his muscles again, before he shakes his head. The tension is still there, awaiting her reaction.

“Okay. Okay,” she says, more to herself, before she addresses him. “That’s okay. I can talk for the both of us. You’ve probably noticed already, but I’m a bit of a babbler, I could use a little more shut up in my life, honestly. Like, if you get stats at the end of your life with how many words you’ve said or something, mine will be embarrassingly high, while amount of push ups will be embarrassingly low. So, kudos to you, honestly.”

That actually earns her a small huff of laughter, which is almost as much as a win as graduating MIT was.

With renewed confidence she says: “Alright, let’s try this again. Yes or no questions. Can I let you go to grab you something to drink?”

Oliver’s fingers tighten instinctively, before he lets go, his arms dropping to the side. He takes a deep breath, then nods, removing his weight from her stomach.

He looks physically pained and Felicity aches for him. He obviously doesn’t want her to go, but he is the king of denying himself what he wants and doing what he thinks must be done. However, she is respecting his answers, because she is trying to give him as much control over this situation as she can.

Still, she hurries to fill a glass, wanting to be back as fast as she can. She hands it to him and puts a hand between his shoulder blades, rubbing his back as he takes small sips.

While he drinks, she observes him. He is still avoiding her eyes, but he can’t hide as easily while drinking, so she can see his red rimmed eyes and badly wiped away tears. He looks a mess, the most undone she’s ever seen him and that’s saying a lot seeing as she has seen him go into cardiac arrest more than once.

His frame is exhausted, but kept up by tension. Now that he is done with crying, he is clearly embarrassed and uncomfortable. He never likes opening up or showing a hint of vulnerability, she can imagine how hard this was on him.

However, leaving him alone to lick his wounds feels wrong. There is this fragile edge to him still and she doesn’t want him to have to deal with this by himself when he doesn’t need to.

She decides to stay right here unless he asks her to leave. So, she starts planning her next move, asking Oliver: “Do you feel up to moving?”

Oliver gives her a confused look, forgetting that he is supposed to be hiding his face. She gets a good view of the exhaustion dragging his eyelids down.

“I wanna sit down on the mats. They’re more comfortable than the chairs and we can have a little picnic, if you’re up to eating,” she explains. “So, up for moving?”

He shrugs, then nods.

Felicity doesn’t help him up, but hovers around him all the way to the mats, only deviating to snatch up the bag of food on the way.

Oliver drops down on the mats with a lot less grace than his movements usually hold. Felicity sits down right next to him, her thigh touching his knee.

She pretends not to notice how Oliver looks at the contact, before shifting to be a little closer to her, instead getting their food as she keeps up a running commentary about Big Belly Burger. It’s mostly nonsense, but it fills the air and she likes to think Oliver likes her babbling. She hands him a burger, tearing into her own, while keeping up a one sided conversation.

From the corner of her eyes, she sees him take a small bite, before taking another. He’s chewing slowly, but he’s eating and that’s good.

Oliver doesn’t eat enough, getting dinner together before patrol has been a way her and Diggle have been making sure he won’t collapse. She’s glad that habit means he’s eating now, crying like that will take a lot out of someone. He needs the energy.

He only eats half his burger and nibbles on some fries, but Felicity won’t nag him. Not tonight. She just lets him eat what he wants as she fills the quiet.

After a while, he rests his head on her shoulder. She sends him a quick glance, but he is determinedly not looking at her, so she doesn’t comment and pretends there never was a small hiccup in her story.

“Thank you,” the comment comes out of nowhere, interrupting a random recount of an interaction she had at work.

Felicity looks at him again. He still isn’t look at her and he looks as if he’d rather be anywhere but here. Affection blooms in her chest and she smiles: “Of course. We’re a team.”

He nods, not lifting his head from her shoulder.

When he doesn’t say anything else, she picks up her story again. She has figured out that he appreciates this – her being close, her talking, her letting him sit there – without comment, so she’ll keep that up for as long as he needs. It won’t be her first late night.

Oliver takes her hand at some point, playing with her fingers. The absentminded action is outside of his usual controlled motions. It’s quite interesting and intimate to get to observe him like this. She wonders when she earned his trust, how long she’s had it.

At some point she runs out of stories to tell. She is halfway through explaining Dr. Who to him when the movement stops and his breaths even out.

She nearly freezes, before forcing herself to relax. Oliver will notice and she needs him to sleep. He feels comfortable now, so she should maintain that setting. She continues talking about Dr. Who, this time highly aware of Oliver’s breath fanning over her collar.

He rarely sleeps when she is near and from what Diggle says, he rarely sleeps in general. Outside of him passing out, she hasn’t seen him like this. Again she is hit with the honor it is to have Oliver trust her like this.

Felicity does quiet down when it seems Oliver is in deep enough. He has dropped down, now resting against her stomach, near her thighs. She lowers herself slowly, until they’re both lying down on the training mats.

Her plan is to keep watch the whole night, never letting Oliver be alone. However, she fails at that, because after what feels like just a blink, she is waking up and Oliver is gone.

She looks around, but doesn’t find him anywhere. There is, however, a note at her monitors. In his handwriting it reads: Thank you. Rest today, I’m sure your boss won’t mind you missing a day

The smile that breaks out on her face is entirely involuntary. Oliver will know why it is, if she doesn’t come in today. She’s already late.

A part of her is tempted to keep him to that and miss work today. Her back hurts from sleeping on those mats and she’s still exhausted after the late night. Still, she knows she won’t be able to truly relax today without seeing Oliver alive and well.

So after going home to shower and change, she makes her way to the office. She has picked up two pastries from the bakery one to give to Oliver and one to keep. Both an excuse to check in on him and to feed him.

Felicity enters the office unlike she normally does. Armed with her pastries, she prepares for today, knowing yesterday night had been heavy. She feels apprehensive, but determined to check up on Oliver and make sure he is okay.

She doesn’t spot Oliver first, but Diggle is there giving her a smile and a nod, which settles her nerves about Oliver’s state slightly. With that knowledge in mind, she turns to take a look at Oliver, who is sitting at his desk, actually looking over documents for a change.

He must sense her coming and looks up. His eyes have bags under them and the redness is still there, but when he smiles – a proper smile not a fake – he does so with his whole face. He looks okay. It’s a look that is almost as rare as his defeated look from yesterday. All of this are good signs, but he is a good actor despite his horrid excuses.

“Oliver?” she greets tentatively, just in case. “How are you feeling?”

She gives him a pastry that he takes gratefully, noting that he blushes slightly at her question. Still embarrassed about it then, though not tightening as if he’s hiding something from her. Maybe he actually feels better today. “Thank you, Felicity,” he says and it’s not about the pastry. “I’m good, didn’t expect you in today.”

“Well, Dig’s just the driver, right? As you EA, I had to make sure you could keep to your schedule today,” she jokes, referencing their covers.

He smiles at that and says: “I’ll try. Hope you don’t mind that I called and canceled one of my appointments.”

“If it’s with one Ms. Waller, I highly encourage it. She sounds very unpleasant,” Felicity grins back.

Oliver snorts at that, then waves her back to her desk with the confirmation that that was indeed the appointment he canceled.

Felicity is sure he won’t say more about it than that and that he organized it in such a way that the confrontation happened in his office where a certain degree of decorum is necessary. But she finds that she isn’t that upset about the manipulation of the situation.

Him crying like yesterday was a great first step and despite all of the hurt, Waller truly doesn’t hold leverage over him anymore. It is clearly a weight of his shoulders. Plus, he allowed her to comfort him and check up on him after. She is going to count it as a win.

Though, maybe she’ll fuck with Waller’s digital life just a little bit later. Oliver isn’t the only protective person out there and Waller deserves a lot more for what she put Oliver through.

~~

A/N:

This fic goes out to my lovely, beautiful partner (love them), who upon hearing my Waller implanted a bomb idea went: ‘ok, but what if there was no bomb and he could’ve been home, wouldn’t that be fucked up’ bc that shit is so horrible that it’s iconic. Love us inflicting pain on Oliver together <3